Christmas Report

Well, sorry, my computer ate the words on my last post. I was so frustrated that I just turned it off and played Wii! (New favorite past time at our house since we still don't have TV! I have learned how to watch old Law and Order episodes on the computer!LOL) So let me try this again.

My sisters and brother and their families all decided to make Christmas a little easier on us this year. (No one wanted to clean and cook!) So we went out to eat at a Chinese buffet instead. Don't ask how we chose Chinese! Nothing really Christmas about that to us Americans! Anyway, afterwards we did go to Anna's for dessert and presents! Of course the kids had a blast. They just love getting together and playing! It is a wild and loud house with 8 cousins running around. My family draws names and we added the kids to the name draw this year. It was amazing how much there was even with that! We found gifts for the kids in mom's closet when we were cleaning out this summer, so I wrapped those up and each of the bigger kids got a gift from Mor-Mor. They were all very excited. (We didn't give Josiah one since he here when she would have been shopping.) We also found mom's collection of Santa Clauses. Several years ago she started a "dirty Santa" game with Santa Claus figurines. She just happened to have 8! So we wrapped these up and played the game this year with her collection. We had the same laughs as always. There always tends to be at least one ugly Santa and one everyone likes. But this year we had the added difficulty of already having some of the Santa's in our own collection. In the end I think it turned out so everyone was pretty happy. I actually got a very pretty one this year. I always end up with the ugly ones for one reason or another!

Then Steve's brother, mom and step-dad came and stayed with us for Christmas eve and a couple of days following. We really enjoyed having them and it was Grandmother's first year to be present first thing in the morning. She got an up close and personal seat since we do not have a guest room and everyone was camped out in sleeping bags and couches! Hopefully we will have more room next year!

As I mentioned before I did a lot of cooking and was quite tired in the end, but it was a great Christmas. That seems really weird to say being this is the first Christmas without mom. It was hard on all of us without a doubt. I don't think you can lose someone so important in your life and it not be felt for a very long time if not forever. I felt like I was waiting on someone else to arrive the whole time. I caught myself looking out the window or over my shoulder. I used mom's recipes for all the food. It was comforting to at least have her food present. I think Jana also used a lot of mom's recipes this year in her cooking. We are really fortunate because a few years ago mom and her friend Francine put together these wonderful recipe books for us. She had recipes from all our grandmas and mothers-in-law in there. We never knew it would be such a treasured book so soon. But I still wanted to ask her questions. I think I talk to her a lot in my head. You know, something will happen and I think "mom, you would..." or "can you believe..." I used to call my mom several times a day so I guess it is hard to break that habit.

Several days before Christmas, my daughter was talking to a cousin and told him that since Mor-Mor died mom has cried. I smiled almost embarrassed and said yes I do cry some. Her eyes then got really big and wide and she looked serious and like she knew something I didn't and quietly said "a lot" and added a little nod. So I determined then and there that I would not cry on Christmas. I didn't and I was rather pleased with myself. Well said daughter was not fairing as well as I thought. She had been cranky before Christmas and I just thought she was tired, excited, loaded on sugar etc. Then a few days after Christmas a couple of friends came over to play and she was VERY CROSS. I sent her to her room and followed to have a talkin' to. As we were talking she suddenly burst into tears and collapsed on the floor. She looked at me and said she had been wanting to go to Mor-Mor's but would remember that she was not longer there. So we sat on the floor and just cried together for some time (thank goodness the friends were caught up in a game of Wii). After a good long cry she relaxed. I asked what she wanted to do: visit the cemetery, write Mor-Mor a letter or draw a picture. She said no to all this and simply stated "I want to go ride". This means ride one of her favorite horses. So we did. I took her to Steve's aunt's and she rode in the freezing cold for a couple of hours. Her little joy has returned and she is much sweeter. Now, we are going to work on doing little projects that remind us of happy times with Mor-Mor. I told her we would do some things that mom used to do with us such as tea parties in the living room, making play dough, chocolate chip pancakes, cooking in the kitchen together, etc. She also promised me she would tell me next time she was sad about mom before she gets cross like that again. It must be really hard for the little ones to process loss. They don't have the vocabulary or friend structure that we have. I must remember to include her more in my grief process.

Even better.

Today was the first day that Josiah has acted like he felt well. He has been rather fussy since all the illness began. He has wanted someone holding him most of the time. And after worring that he was not eating enough he has begun eating every hour. I guess he is making up! So today he has actually sat in the swing and even slept for an hour or so straight. I hope this trend continues because he has been such a good baby. And I have gotten some housework done!

Tonight is pizza, popcorn and movie night. We just watched a movie we got for Christmas. Just a kid cartoon about dinosaurs, but so nice to all snuggle up on the couch together! I think the kids are planning on a camp out in the living room. (That's one thing I hope they leave me out of, but I bet not!)

Not sure what we are doing this weekend yet. It's hard to do much that requires being outdoors with Josiah still recuperating, but I am so tired of being in! Maybe I'll get to go out and use my blower! I still have not used it yet, but the leaves ave almost all fallen.

Well I am being challenged to a Wii tennis game! Gotta go!

Better at last!

Well, Josiah is much better. We were able to keep him out of the hospital but I wonder if it would have been easier. We were up for several nights in a row. But all is good now and we are catching up on missed sleep. Although, I don't think we will ever be caught up completely. Isn't that a parent's plight?

We had a great Christmas and hope you did too. We stayed home all day and Steve and the kids just played and played. Steve's brother, mom, and her husband stayed with us this year. They joined us in our glorified camping as I call it. We still have most of our things in storage since mom's business equipment is with us. We have just the necessaties (and sometime less). So they slept on couches and floors. But they were there when the kids got up to see what Santa brought. So hopefully it was worth it. (Probably more worth it to my mother-in-law than the men!)

So in our glorified camping state, I cooked Christmas dinner for 9. We got our table in on Christmas eve. I cooked a ham, a very big ham. It took twice as long because I could not keep the oven temp up. I had to crank it up to 500 to keep the oven around 350. So, we will see how the oven fairs over the next few days! I mashed sweet potatoes with a fork since I do not have a mixer, blender, or food processor. Steve spent Saturday cooking ratatouille (inspired by the movie - for the kids) They loved helping make it, but were not to crazy about eating it! Then we had store bought rolls, oriental salad, black eyed peas and sweet potato pecan pie. I had wanted to make a Happy Birthday Jesus cake, but because the ham took so long it did not get finished. So we just sang Happy Birthday to Jesus before going to sleep last night. I was very tired by the end. I wonder sometimes who holidays are for. Seems we women work harder on a holiday than a work day!

Anyway not much else to post right now. I am trying to get Christmas cards out. Josiah's illness has put me way behind. So know we are wishing you well and will send the cards out soon! (They have a cute picture!)

Ear infections, pneumonia, and RSV, OH MY!!!

Who am I talking about? My youngest! Last week he started with a little cough. He was on the bed Thursday night rooting around and fussing. When I turned him over he was blue around the lips and hands. Fortunately just the position change began to bring back the pink in just a few seconds, which seemed like hours by the way. He had a low grade fever but did fine the rest of the night. I took him to work with me the next day to keep an eye on him. He coughed a lot and just acted like he felt bad. So we started with an inhaler. Saturday was okay but coughing and coughing. Then Sunday we were using the inhaler every 6 hours and still wheezing and coughing. And he had an ear infection to top it off. At midnight he had a fever and we gave Tyleno and the inhaler. After basically sitting with a stethescope to him for two hours, I finally decided to go to the ER. Of course, the trip perked him up! I think the moving around made a difference. The doc said,"He doesn't sound that bad!" I said, "No, he looks better right now. If he looked this good at home I would still be in bed!" I told him he sounded really awful at home using my medical lingo so he would know I knew something about breathsounds! Then I said you know since we are here can we go ahead and get xrays? He agreed and came back and said he had pneumonia. He gave us oral antibiotics! I was not happy. He was sending us home without an updraft. My 4 month old has pneumonia and he was not giving him an antibiotic shot! I could have done everything they did except for the xrays in the morning for free! I take better care of my patients!!! Anyway, I left not wanting to raise a stink and the baby was doing better.



So, the next morning (just about 4 hours later) I take him to work and we did RSV testing which came back positive. Now he gets the shot and updraft we are so desperately needing. One of the nurses was so sweet and said I should have called her at 2 in the morning and she would have met me at the office for the test and updraft (I can never remember the code to get in!). So now we go to lunch and around 1 I go to change his diaper. It is dry! I think the girls must have changed him before I left. So upon returning to the office I asked and they said they checked him and he was dry. He has now gone 8 hours at least without wetting a diaper. So we start really pushing the fluids. I thought for sure we were going to end up in the hospital on Monday. But he takes the fluids well and over the next 8 hours the dehydration is resolved for the moment.



Today, I basically have just sat and watched him breath, counting his breaths and heartrate. He has had ups and downs but this afternoon he began smiling a little. He has just laid and looked at us for the past few days. Some times he would even arch his back and neck a little. But he now is laying normal agian. And the part that makes me feel the best - they gave me the pulse ox machine to bring home tonight. So now every so often I check his oxygen! I know where we stand and that helps me so much! I am able to treat him like we would in the hospital except for IVs and oxygen. But I have a better handle on when he might need the next step.



So, I am praying that tomorrow is even better than today. When Hogan had this he was a little smaller (1 month) and he rocked along for 3 or 4 days then went down hill and we ended up in the hospital for almost a week. Please keep Josiah in your prayers for the next couple of days. And pray that mommy and daddy have the ability to foresee his needs and respond. I am most worried about when I doze off. I was so tired for Sunday night that Steve took watch last night. I was able to get a few hours of sleep. But now we are both tired. I need to get up and give updraft treatments and just check on him.

Happy Birthday Princess!

Today is her birthday! 7 years ago we were welcoming this wonderful gift into the world. I look back at those days in the hospital as some of my very happiest days on this earth. Mom told me then that it only gets better and you only learn to love them more with time. She was so right! It is hard to imagine but it is true. This little princess lights up my life! I can't wait for her to wake up every morning (she sleeps in a little now!) and smile for me. She is so beautiful when she smiles. I love her laugh and her dance. I love to hear her sing. I love our snuggle time and I love to hold her hand while we walk. I love to hear her stories and boy can she spin a yarn! (She has Pruden running through those veins! At the ripe old age of 3 she told me we needed to talk. I said well okay. She looked very seriously at me and said "I think you need to sit down." I was very interested at this point. So I stopped right where I was and sat down. There at the top of the stair case she looked me in the eye and said with great concern, "Mom, I hate to tell you this, but I am pregnant!" It was all I could do to keep from falling down the stairs laughing! And just today she had questions about "birthboxes". But that is for another post!)

So, with great joy and humility at being given such a precious gift, I say, "Happy Birthday Princess, I hope you have a wonderful day!"

Desperate Prayer Request!

Steve's aunt called today and I want to pass along a tragic story and ask you to pray for the family. A young lady that grew up close to this aunt was traveling with her young family to attend church with her mom this morning. It was herself, her husband and their two children ages 6 and 9. Apparently, a gas drilling rig's crane fell on their passing car and crushed the car. Her two children were killed and her husband was Med flighted to a major trauma center while she remains in the local hospital. Her name is Elizabeth (that's all I know).

I can not imagine her sorrow. Please pray for her and her husband and their families. I'll update on whatever news filters my way.

Where is Christ?

Okay,I usually try to post happier more pleasant thoughts, but today I just need to vent and rant a little! You see it all started a couple of weeks ago. I need to help the church decorate some tables for a ladies Christmas party. A lot of our things are still in storage, so I had to use what I could find around the house. I decided I might need a collection of angels and needed a couple of extra to round out what I had scavenged. So off to Wal-Mart I went. I looked very hastily and did not find any angels except tree toppers. So I thought in my hurry I overlooked them.

Well, last night I was not in a hurry and I needed several more Christmas items. So I am back at Wal-Mart looking in their Christmas display area. I find Santa, snowmen, reindeer, snowflakes, etc, etc, etc, but no Jesus! What? How could this be? I even found breast cancer awareness wrapping paper, but no Jesus! Now I understand that some people don't celebrate our Lord's birthday and just pay homage to a fat jolly fellow but some of us still think it is a religious celebration! Don't we deserve the right to be able to buy items that remind US and our loved ones that we are celebrating a royal birthday!? Fine have Santa every 2 inches, but give us a choice! I might want wrapping paper with a dove or some other Christian symbol on it! I might want an angel to place around the house. I might want a Christian Christmas!!!!!! I know I support breast cancer awareness, but I can buy that in October during BCA MONTH! I have one day to celebrate my Savior's birth and I want to celebrate with things that remind me of Him, not to check my breasts! AGHHHHHH! So have the employees say Happy Holidays! I will respond with Merry Christmas, because I as a Christian have a right too!!!!! (I used to roll my eyes at mom when she would get on these rants so I hope she is getting a laugh out of this because I am indignant!) By the way I am closing this post to write Wal-Mart! Oh yeah and Target is no better! I left Wal-Mart to check out Target and found about the same craziness!

An Awesome Day!

 
Well this is what our Saturday looked like. We held the free garage sale and had beautiful weather. We started setting up around 8:30 and it was a little chaotic. We were just in this empty lot and dependent on the neighbors for electricity. Well they came through for us after a panicky few minutes and we got the moonwalk up and running. We had hot apple cider and LOADS of cookies. We had lots of wrapping paper and ribbon. We wrapped the things people picked out as gifts for others. We highly encouraged this type of shopping. At noon we were able to grill hotdogs and serve water. The traffic was slow at first but picked up around noon. I can not tell you what an awesome experience this was. People just thought it was a garage sale when they first came up. Then we would either approach them and explain it or they would ask a price on something. The looks on their faces were priceless. We had to tell most people several times that it was free before they would believe us. We heard so many stories about families in hard times. So many said they didn't think they were going to be able to have Christmas before this! There were many tears and most of these people wanted to donate money. We just kept telling them no, that this is just purely a blessing! We had people ask us to pray for them and were able to share God's love with so many.

One of the most amazing things we experienced was the people's integrity. They were so careful to make sure they took only what they felt they needed. They would be sure the clothes would fit the kids before just taking the stuff. They were often hesitant to take extra things and we had to encourage them often! I really thought someone would just pull up and load everything into their car. But this never happened! Amazingly, we had one man that came right back with stuff of his own! He had looked around and found out what we were doing. He got in his car and we just shrugged thinking he must not have really believed us or something. Then next thing we knew, he was back and his car was full of things! They were nice things too! He wanted to give, even in his need!

I know I said it earlier, but I can not tell you what an awesome experience this was for us. I believe it may have blessed us more than those we served. Tonight our group talked about how to make this an annual event. We talked about how to make it bigger and better. We also talked about leaving it the same as not to lose the heart of the whole project. So who knows what next year will look like, but I can't wait.

I would encourage and maybe even challenge you to try the same thing. Most of us have too much stuff as it is. It is crowded our closets, cabinets, and toy chests. We are going to give and get more stuff this season to place in these crowded storage spaces. Please think about cleaning out and just offering it to those in need. You don't need to have many people involved to make a difference to someone. I started out planning on doing this in my front yard by myself. I know there are lots of charities that will take things, but standing there talking with people and offering it for free is a priceless experience. You can take the leftovers to the charities! We did!