Sickness Dominates Seventeen Through Twenty-Five

Finding gifts and expressing gratitude are much easier when things are going well. I'm going to have to dig just a little to write my list today. That is a good thing. It will keep me focused on the positive and remind me of the abundance of blessings I have, even in the sickness.



Overnight Michael, Daniel, and Carrie all got sick. Challenging enough when you're healthy, but I have some kind of sinus infection/cold/persistent cough thing so it was a little more difficult than normal. But, hey - I can't smell a thing; that's a gift, right?!

So this morning, I got up with Brenna and took her to school. In the circle/drop off zone, she rather suddenly threw up all over the back seat of my car. Didn't even think to open the door. It was awful. And I was stuck in the line of cars. Finally, we got to where we could pull into the handicap lot and I went into the school in search of paper towels to clean up what little we could.

I walked in the door, and there watching out the window was Ms. Sherri, such a special friend of our family. I was so thankful to see her face. She went to find supplies while I let the office know that Brenna wasn't coming. I cleaned up the car as best I could and called Michael at home. Meanwhile, the school was having trouble locating a video Michael had instructed the sub to show. So while I was cleaning the car, I was also trying to navigate that situation. Ms. Sherri went back inside to help the sub (who happened to be a friend of her son) and I got ready to pull out of the parking lot.

And my gas light came on.

I ignored it and drove straight home. As I got off the interstate, I came to a stoplight behind about 5 cars. I moved to the right turn lane and as I approached the intersection, I came face to face with a cop on a motorcycle. Lights on. Waving me over. I pulled over and he took his time approaching my car so I opened the door. He instructed me to stay seated, which I did, but I also began to explain that my daughter had thrown up all over the back seat and I was trying to get home. He peeked in the window and asked me if I was taking her home.

Uh... yeah. "Yes, sir."

So he started to walk away, but I wanted to know what I'd done. So I asked if he could tell me so that I wouldn't make that mistake again. Apparently I got into the right turn lane too soon, and that's called an illegal right lane change. He let me go. Thankfully. I don't think he even noticed that Brenna wasn't wearing her seat belt either. Such a mess.

So I got home and Michael helped me hose and scrub out the car. Brenna's still not holding anything down, but everyone else seems to be on the other side of this, though still weak. And I'm praying my immune system is building up an impenetrable wall against this bug!

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17. That I have four fitted sheets for the crib mattress. We used three of them last night.

18. For my parents, who were willing to keep Carrie, who was already sick, so I could still get to work on Sunday.

19. For Ms. Sherri at Brenna's school - who spends so much after-school time with her while Michael is in meetings, and was such a God-send this morning.

20. For a policeman doing his job, but also extending a little mercy.

21. For the high winds today that are currently drying the inside of my car.

22. Washing machines and dryers.

23. The new book I bought Brenna for Valentines Day. She's speeding through it in between sprints to the bathroom. It's providing a distraction and lifting her spirits.

24. modern medicine, because my head is probably going to split in two before the day is over.

25. friends who are offering to help. knowing I don't want them to come near here and risk taking this bug back to their own kids - but I'm thankful for their generous offers.