Yay, Trials!
Well, AJ still has a headache and fever and now MM has a fever, sore throat, laryngitis and cough. MM always has to try to outdo her sister. :)
They don't seem to be seriously ill, though, and I'm hoping it will be a short-lived illness. Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers; please do keep them coming.
My sister Amy was going to babysit tonight so I could take DH out on a surprise date, so I'm disappointed we missed that. The girls and I really enjoy spending time with my sister, and DH and I would have enjoyed dinner out. We'll have to do it another time. :(
After having some Tylenol, AJ felt well enough to get up and get dressed, so I made pancakes and the girls asked to do school. So we did phonics and handwriting worksheets, AJ read two books to me, and MM found particular letters and sounds in another book while I read it to her.
My friend "Morning" came over today as planned, even though I thought she would decide not to come with sickness in the house when I called to let her know. But she wanted to see us and of course I always love to visit with her.
She wanted to help out, since she knew I was dealing with a fibromyalgia flare-up as well as with sick kids. So she cleaned up the kitchen, swept and mopped all the linoleum downstairs, wiped down all the wood trim and cupboards, washed windows, and vaccuumed while she visited with us, as well as being a second tutor/audience for the kids' schoolwork and another pair of arms to hold the baby.
I mixed up some banana bread to salvage a couple of bananas that were about to spoil, picked up a bit, made a stir-fry with canned chicken and rice noodles for lunch, and spent most of my time sitting down or lying on the floor while directing the kids' schoolwork, feeding the baby and visiting with my friend.
The girls and Morning all worked together to rub my back to try to relieve some of the muscle spasms, and that helped quite a bit. It was cute to see the girls wanting to help too.
I am so humbled and grateful for this dear friend giving of her time and energy to me. I've gotten to the point where I'm able to accept that type of gift, but I still don't know quite how to respond. I always feel at a loss of what to say and do when people do things for me.
After lunch the girls went down for naps, and Morning and I had a little bit of time to talk and pray together before she left and I laid down for a nap.
It's so wonderful to have a friendship where we can help each other, play games and go on fun outings, talk about everything from fun to serious topics, encourage each other in our faith, and pray together.
She's thinking of joining the fellowship group/Bible study DH and I are in, too. That would be fun, especially since she already knows most of the ladies a bit from game nights at my house.
We decided today that we'd like to read a book together and discuss it--particularly one that would encourage us in nurturing healthy family relationships (loving our husbands and children a la Titus 2). We're thinking of The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands since she's heard good things about it and has a copy at the moment. I don't know much about it, so I'm going to try to check it out at the library and see what it's like. Has anyone read it? What did you think of it?
The really sad thing (yet exciting too) is that Morning and her husband are looking into buying a business several hours away. It's been her husband's dream to quit his job and be self-employed, and the dental company where Morning works will soon be opening a branch in the same town as the restaurant they're looking at buying. So they may be moving. They have family and friends here, so would come back to visit frequently, but it won't be the same. We'll stay in touch and see each other as often as we can, of course, but I'll still miss her deeply if she moves. Friends like her are few and far between.
I want to go over and help as much as I can in getting her house ready to sell in case they move, and I'm so excited about being able to give back a little of what she's done so often for me. The first project we have planned is taping and covering her living room floor in preparation for stripping the paint off the fireplace--applied by the house's previous owners. (Who in their right mind would paint over a gorgeous brick fireplace, anyway?) Since I like to cook and Morning doesn't particularly, I'm also planning to cook and freeze some meals for her to heat up when she gets home from an especially tiring day at work. I love doing things like that.
I am feeling a little bit better today. It's fluctuating quite a bit during the day, so I'm able to be fairly fuctional off and on--at least enough to take care of the absolutely most important things.
As I commented to Morning today, it's so funny how relative things are. I've gotten so acclimated to a low level of pain and fatigue that it's harder to cope with a moderately high level now. But what's a bad day for me now was a moderate to good day a few years ago. I'm so very thankful that a level 6 or 8 of pain and fatigue is a "bad spell" now rather than a respite from the intense, constant 9's and 10's. I'm out of practice in dealing with severe, constant pain and fatigue, and that is A Very Good Thing.
So, even though I don't feel good at the moment, I'm sure it's temporary. I'm so very thankful for my life, relative health, friends and family. The pain and sickness in our home allowed me to be incredibly blessed today by a dear friend, reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for, and is encouraging me to lean on God and seek support from others. It's not fun, but I'm finding things to enjoy and be thankful for even so.
The past few months have been tough, but I must say I'm feeling so loved and supported by all our family and friends through it all. My husband, sisters, parents, in-laws, church family, friends, neighbors, and even you online friends have been so supportive and helpful. Thank you all.
James 2:2-4 says:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
One of the couples in our fellowship group summarizes it as "Yay, trials!" That's become sort of a catch-phrase for all of us--a group "inside-but-not-so-secret" joke. :)
Now I'm going to take my aching bones to bed, and try to rest as much as possible this weekend. I'm so glad it's Friday.
They don't seem to be seriously ill, though, and I'm hoping it will be a short-lived illness. Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers; please do keep them coming.
My sister Amy was going to babysit tonight so I could take DH out on a surprise date, so I'm disappointed we missed that. The girls and I really enjoy spending time with my sister, and DH and I would have enjoyed dinner out. We'll have to do it another time. :(
After having some Tylenol, AJ felt well enough to get up and get dressed, so I made pancakes and the girls asked to do school. So we did phonics and handwriting worksheets, AJ read two books to me, and MM found particular letters and sounds in another book while I read it to her.
My friend "Morning" came over today as planned, even though I thought she would decide not to come with sickness in the house when I called to let her know. But she wanted to see us and of course I always love to visit with her.
She wanted to help out, since she knew I was dealing with a fibromyalgia flare-up as well as with sick kids. So she cleaned up the kitchen, swept and mopped all the linoleum downstairs, wiped down all the wood trim and cupboards, washed windows, and vaccuumed while she visited with us, as well as being a second tutor/audience for the kids' schoolwork and another pair of arms to hold the baby.
I mixed up some banana bread to salvage a couple of bananas that were about to spoil, picked up a bit, made a stir-fry with canned chicken and rice noodles for lunch, and spent most of my time sitting down or lying on the floor while directing the kids' schoolwork, feeding the baby and visiting with my friend.
The girls and Morning all worked together to rub my back to try to relieve some of the muscle spasms, and that helped quite a bit. It was cute to see the girls wanting to help too.
I am so humbled and grateful for this dear friend giving of her time and energy to me. I've gotten to the point where I'm able to accept that type of gift, but I still don't know quite how to respond. I always feel at a loss of what to say and do when people do things for me.
After lunch the girls went down for naps, and Morning and I had a little bit of time to talk and pray together before she left and I laid down for a nap.
It's so wonderful to have a friendship where we can help each other, play games and go on fun outings, talk about everything from fun to serious topics, encourage each other in our faith, and pray together.
She's thinking of joining the fellowship group/Bible study DH and I are in, too. That would be fun, especially since she already knows most of the ladies a bit from game nights at my house.
We decided today that we'd like to read a book together and discuss it--particularly one that would encourage us in nurturing healthy family relationships (loving our husbands and children a la Titus 2). We're thinking of The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands since she's heard good things about it and has a copy at the moment. I don't know much about it, so I'm going to try to check it out at the library and see what it's like. Has anyone read it? What did you think of it?
The really sad thing (yet exciting too) is that Morning and her husband are looking into buying a business several hours away. It's been her husband's dream to quit his job and be self-employed, and the dental company where Morning works will soon be opening a branch in the same town as the restaurant they're looking at buying. So they may be moving. They have family and friends here, so would come back to visit frequently, but it won't be the same. We'll stay in touch and see each other as often as we can, of course, but I'll still miss her deeply if she moves. Friends like her are few and far between.
I want to go over and help as much as I can in getting her house ready to sell in case they move, and I'm so excited about being able to give back a little of what she's done so often for me. The first project we have planned is taping and covering her living room floor in preparation for stripping the paint off the fireplace--applied by the house's previous owners. (Who in their right mind would paint over a gorgeous brick fireplace, anyway?) Since I like to cook and Morning doesn't particularly, I'm also planning to cook and freeze some meals for her to heat up when she gets home from an especially tiring day at work. I love doing things like that.
I am feeling a little bit better today. It's fluctuating quite a bit during the day, so I'm able to be fairly fuctional off and on--at least enough to take care of the absolutely most important things.
As I commented to Morning today, it's so funny how relative things are. I've gotten so acclimated to a low level of pain and fatigue that it's harder to cope with a moderately high level now. But what's a bad day for me now was a moderate to good day a few years ago. I'm so very thankful that a level 6 or 8 of pain and fatigue is a "bad spell" now rather than a respite from the intense, constant 9's and 10's. I'm out of practice in dealing with severe, constant pain and fatigue, and that is A Very Good Thing.
So, even though I don't feel good at the moment, I'm sure it's temporary. I'm so very thankful for my life, relative health, friends and family. The pain and sickness in our home allowed me to be incredibly blessed today by a dear friend, reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for, and is encouraging me to lean on God and seek support from others. It's not fun, but I'm finding things to enjoy and be thankful for even so.
The past few months have been tough, but I must say I'm feeling so loved and supported by all our family and friends through it all. My husband, sisters, parents, in-laws, church family, friends, neighbors, and even you online friends have been so supportive and helpful. Thank you all.
James 2:2-4 says:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
One of the couples in our fellowship group summarizes it as "Yay, trials!" That's become sort of a catch-phrase for all of us--a group "inside-but-not-so-secret" joke. :)
Now I'm going to take my aching bones to bed, and try to rest as much as possible this weekend. I'm so glad it's Friday.
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Posted by purple_kangaroo at 11:08 PM[Permanent link]
4 Comments:
Thinking of you and hoping that this flare up is a short-lived one.
It is hard to know how to respond to needed kindnesses, isn't it? I figure the way to respond is to accept the help gratefully and to pass the kindness and help on to others as needed.
Big hugs!
Thanks, Liz. You know, if someone asks me how they can thank me when I do them a favor, that's usually my response--return the favor to someone else someday when you have a chance.
"Pay it forward."
One of the rules I live by!
Feel better soon.
I missed seeing you guys, too! I hope the girls are feeling better. Wow, sounds like Morning got A LOT done--that's great!!
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