Blessings this week!

I really wish I had more time for blogging.  Some very fun and interesting things are happening at my house!  I have two quick stories for you.  The first is about sandals.  I have one pair of sandals that I LOVE!  I have loved them since I was in high school, about 30 years ago now.  I had a white pair in high school.  They took forever to break in, but once those babies were broken in, I wore them everywhere!  They were super comfortable!  I could wear them with a skirt, jeans, shorts, pretty much anything.  They were awesome!!  Well, as time would have it, they broke and wore down and I had to throw them out.  I was sad, but I had loved them and worn them completely out!  They were worth the $10.00 I had paid for them.

copyright:  Karen Larsen photography

Time goes on. 

About 10 years ago now, I found another pair, for $10.00!!  I bought them because I knew what kind of a bargain they were.  I didn't wear them very often because they are hard to break in and now I was chasing children and my feet weren't as good because I was also 50 pounds heavier than I was in high school.  But I still loved them and wore them periodically.  Last year, they finally broke in.  Since then, I have worn them more often.  This pair is brown.

After our last little trip (I don't remember where---me and Drew), I couldn't find them.  I knew I had taken them on the trip with me.  But I could not find them when I got home.  I assumed I had left them in the hotel, which I was a little anal about leaving stuff in, so I thought I brought them home.  But when I couldn't find them, I thought I must have missed them.  I have been looking for them for about 6 months.  I have mourned their loss.  They are very much an '80's sandal and I didn't think I would ever find another pair.

Last week, I was looking for scotch tape in my wrapping paper box.  I was digging because I needed it for my seminary game the next day.  I wasn't having any luck.  'Keep digging' came the thought.  'Look harder!'  The box isn't very deep.  It is long, but shallow, but I kept digging.  I started looking around the box.  I picked up a cloth grocery bag and moved it and as I did so, I felt something familiar.  "Wait!"  I grabbed the bag and opened it up.  Inside were my sandals!!!  I was sSSSOOOOOO excited!!!

I thanked my Heavenly Father profusely!  They weren't lost!!  They were here the whole time!  I had no idea I was so attached to a pair of shoes!  That was my miracle #1.

Miracle #2 was a bit more intense. 

My little Spike Spike has an anaphylactic allergy to nuts.  The last time we visited the allergist, she told me she was going to order him an epi-pen for which I was super grateful!  (An epi-pen is a dose of the medicine epinephrine with which I can inject the allergic person after exposure to their allergy.  It is just enough medication to keep their airway open while I get them to the hospital for further medical treatment.  I have one for the bigger boys, but it is an adult dose.  I didn't have one for Spike, who is just a little guy.)

Well, when the pharmacy got the order, they called me to make sure I had insurance because the price of the epi-pen without insurance was $962 (and change!).  I about fell off of my chair.  Seriously!  You have got to be kidding.  (That is almost what I pay in rent every month, and more than all of the food my family eats for one month!)  We certainly didn't have that in the budget.

Because I was worried about the price, I didn't fill the prescription right away.  Well, Monday I felt like I should fill the prescription.  I was nervous.  I told my husband about the phone call from the pharmacy the few days before, but I didn't tell him the price of the prescription.  He was already wondering how much it was going to cost us and asked me to wait to fill it.  When I picked it up, the lady at the counter said, "you have insurance, right? Because I am not sure how much it is going to cover $962 + anyway." 

That was my concern also.  I had been praying since I entered the pharmacy.  "Please let the price be something we can manage.  And something that my husband won't be upset that I spent."

As she ran our insurance card, she got a look of relief on her face and said, "Well that brought it down to a $20.00 co-pay!"

"Sweet!!  I can spend $20.00!"

Then she ran the other insurance card and it took care of the $20.00 co-pay.  I walked out of there with the prescription for zero dollars!  What a HUGE blessing!!  Thank you Heavenly Father.

I decided at that point that Drew could handle me spending $1.00 for Smiley's Cheetos!

Those are my huge blessings for this week!  Today in seminary we studied D&C 82:10.  "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

I am so grateful I try to do what He says.  He provides blessings to my family in ways that I can not anticipate.

On the flip side, Shorty has been sick for three days with a fever.  Now I have to go pick up his antibiotic and take Smiley to the dentist.  But I don't have to pay $1,000 for Spike's epi-pen!

Thanks again!