I'm beginning to think I see a light at the end of this tunnel.

 

Just maybe.

For the past month, it seems we have been battling bugs and viruses and colds and icks. I shouldn't complain, really, because it hasn't happened to us in a long time. I think our recent succumbing to illness could be directly related to our not eating quite as many salads and veggies as we should be. And instead, eating candy that we collected on Halloween that we probably should NOT be eating. Even though we're eating it sparingly, like, 2 pieces per day. 

It's just a theory.

It started with Dorien coming down with a cough/fever/sinus infection. I went as long as I could without taking him to the doctor when it just became clear that he was losing the battle against his many inflictions. His cough sounded like wet gravel, his nose was raw from running and being wiped, he moaned and whined and clung to my leg like Dorien-shaped leggings. He was the picture of misery. Our doc took a look at his ears and oh, yes, double ear infections. And his nose - ok, pretty bad up there too. And his throat...yep, that looks horrid.  And promptly prescribed us antibiotics. 

I hate antibiotics for so many reasons, although realistically I am also grateful for their existence when it nips prolonged agony in the bud. But of course, nothing is ever that easy, and Dorien immediately exhibited an allergic reaction to his antibiotics and broke out in a rash head to toe. And it drove him crazy.

So, our doc switched him from that one to two others. I was even more reluctant to take two at a time, but my alternatives were less attractive. I gave him the meds and he immediately began to feel better and his rash is slowly going away.

Just in time for church on Sunday where, as a Classroom Support Leader for the nursery hallway, I witnessed two kids in the 4 year old hallway puking on said hallway. My August was in a class with one of the pukers.  Great...

And sure enough, on the way home from church, Brooklyn (strangely, not August) began throwing up. It lasted a delightful 24 hours. She does not do sick gracefully. She moans like she's giving birth. Come to think of it, maybe she was practicing. She tends to be rather dramatic. And just as she began to perk up, August started running a fever and had the same rash in his mouth that Dorien had. I think he's beginning to feel better, and without the aid of anything other than Motrin for his high fevers. Crossing my fingers and saying extra long prayers for my kiddos.

And now I have a cold and have blown my nose more times than seems possible and yet I'm still stuffy. 

On the positive side, though, the trees around my house are gloriously on fire right now. Just looking out my windows brings me great joy and peace.  And Singer, our Golden, is finally mature enough to sleep on the foot of our bed and keep my feet warm at night. I love that about having a big dog. 

I have also made tremendous progress on several hand-made Christmas gifts and have read several good books and seen God's grace in my life over and over.  

So, even when fevers rise, coughs persist, tummies ache, fingers crack and noses run...I can be joyful in the midst of it.  His grace is sufficient for me every moment of every day.

And this little clip was taken right before lights out in our room and Dorien grabbed my contact case and showed me that he knew EXACTLY how the contact removal process works. Amazing. He's obviously seen me do it enough times.