UGH!!!

This weekend has been difficult. Yesterday I awoke to an upset stomach, which went into a very nasty stomach flu. I will spare you the details, but I will say that this flu is enough to make the toughest man you know, cry, in pain. I am still not feeling that great. My stomach has been very rumbly all day. Nathaniel also ended up with it, late last night. He & I started out with things coming out opposite ends, now he's where I started. Poor kid is asleep in my bed, right now. Our puppy, Haven, is keeping him company.
Matt is on a shoot in Cuyahoga Falls, of which I'm not happy about. Now it looks like he will be stuck up there, due to the snow storm we are in the middle of. If it's as bad as it is down here, I can't imagine what it must be like up north, where he's at. Oh well, had he stayed home and taken care of his family, like I requested, he wouldn't be stuck. But hey, what do I know.

We are going to be decorating our tree tonight!! I am so excited to share this time with my boys and husband. I can't wait to see Benjamin's face when we light the tree! I just love everything about the Christmas season. Everything seems so much more magical during this time of the year. Especially when a toddler is experiencing it for the first time. I mean, truly experiencing it. The sounds, smells, tastes... I love Christmas carols, my favorites being The Little Drummer Boy, What Child is This, Do You Hear What I Hear, just to name a few. I love walking into the stores and you're hit with the smells of cinnamon, pine, and baked goods. And the foods during the season, yummy!! Honey-glazed ham, fudge, various Christmas cookies & desserts. And don't forget the decorations throughout town and the Christmas scenes in front yards and in the stores! We love to just drive around and see all the light displays in people's front yards. Some are so extravagent. They're beautiful. I even put lights in my boys' rooms! What a wonderful holiday. And these things don't even touch on the major reason for the Season. We get to celebrate Christ's birth and remember what a glorious gift we were given through Him. We have the happy memories to make with family & friends. Spending time with loved ones, when, in this busy world, it's hard to set aside time during the rest of the year. We get to reflect on the year past, and look forward to the year ahead and the many joys and surprises it has in store. And at the same time, we can remember loved ones who have passed before us, and share memories of times when they were with us. So as this season progresses, remember to share your love with the people closest to you. Enjoy your time together, for we never know when it will come to an end. It may be years from now, or it could be tomorrow. Let's make good use of our time on this Earth. And don't forget those who are less fortunate than yourself. Do a good deed today.

Christmas Countdown by Christmas Gifts.org

We've got the sickies

Ugh, so Matt got home from his shoot today. He's been on the couch since 4pm, and has only moved in order to expell ickies from his stomach. Apparently he caught a stomach flu bug while away this weekend.
And Ben has a cold, poor baby. He's been snotty all weekend, with a dry cough. Peanut & I are trying to avoid the other two! ::Sprays Lysol throughout the house::
I've been down all weekend with a fibromyalgia flare-up. Lucky me. I called Mom today and asked her, near tears, how she deals with the pain on a daily basis like this. I'm climbing the walls, here. Even my fingers and toes hurt. It's ridiculous.
So that's about all that's going on. I have to get the paperwork together for Thursday. Peanut is having an ADHD evaluation at his pediatrician's office. Then Ben has speech therapy again, on Friday. That's all for this week. Nothing else planned. An easy week, yay.

The holiday season is in full swing! Everyone is so festive lately! Stores are decorated, the Salvation Army Bells ring loud & clear, snow is on the ground, holiday parties are planned, presents are being bought and wrapped and placed carefully under the tree. I'd say it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Such a happy time of year!!

Maybe it's the season...or recent events in my family's life...I'm not sure which, maybe both...But I have a longing in my heart for family this year. Family that has not seen each other in years. Family that had a falling out many years ago and has just went their separate ways. Why do families treat each other so badly? What happened to the old saying of "Live and let live"? I truly do not understand how adults can act so childish.

This has been weighing very heavily on my heart. I truly miss the big family gatherings at Christmas & Thanksgiving & for summer bbq's. Why is it so hard for some people to let the past be in the past and start over? It's so sad.

You know Mom had her cancer scare and her surgery, and the only people there for Dad was me, my brother, and their pastor. At a scary time in my parents' lives, when they should have been surrounded by loving, caring family, they basically stood alone. What happened to the basic human spirit of compassion and love?

What happened to "blood is thicker than water"? I would truly love to see my family mended this holiday season. But how? Who takes the first step? Should apologies be demanded? No, I think they should be freely given from a remorseful heart. And if no apologies are made, but an attempt at starting over is? Do we completely ignore the past hurts? How does one move past the very hurtful and damaging words and actions that have been said and done?



I am hoping for the best in this situation. Hoping that hearts and minds will be open. Hoping that love will prevail.

After all, isn't that what a big part of the Christmas holiday is about? Hope.

It's December!!

My oh my where does the time go!? Okay well, Halloween & Thanksgiving have come and gone already! Now we are preparing for Christmas & the New Year! I have a tree here, from my inlaws, that I'm going to set up today. We'll wait for Matt to come home Monday to decorate it. We still have our Christmas shopping to do yet. We have ideas for everyone, it's just finding the money to buy them! We don't know if Matt will get a bonus thru this job or not. He certainly deserves one! Well, I guess I will update when I'm more in the mood to do so.