Its been awhile

Sorry for not posting sooner. I have been really busy. I even got a comment from one friend saying she thought her reader wasn't working.

Getting ready for Christmas always takes a powerhouse of energy, and I work best under that kind of pressure. I have count-down lists in my head and manage to meet those deadlines. It is necessary to postpone and cancel the less important things. Therefore the blogging has suffered, as have the Christmas cards.

I got a quilt top made for Sailor and put together some fun Christmas bags for all my children, sister and her two girls. We got most of the Christmas stuff to our children before Christmas, except for the ones who live out of state. We were traveling their way, so that made things easier. I just stacked their things by the door. We would leave right after Sacrament Meeting and get there about 1 in the morning.

Earlier in the week, our D3 called. She didn't sound very good, and when we asked the problem, she began to sob. Her husband had just gotten laid off from work. This couple had carefully planned everything in their lives. They had waited until he was done with his Bachelor's and Master's degrees and a really nice job secured with an amazing company, before they started a family. They had purchased a house and had begun to fix it up. All the rooms were painted, carpets removed, wooden floors polished, kitchen and bathroom remodeled, and family room cozily furnished before the baby arrived.

She had returned to work once a week in a doctor's office and life seemed to be going great for them. She told us that she needed us to come up to help fix an older car. The really nice one they had just purchased had to be sold, so the older one needed to work. So instead of the pre-Christmas list, we dropped everything and rushed up to help.

Sailor had taken up the "way of the wrench" back when the children were young in order to keep us in older, but working cars. Then to furnish all the children with hopefully reliable transportation when they left for college. Because the cars were old, we ran many rescue missions to fix cars and help out stranded children. In the course of fixing, Sailor has acquired many tools and books to help him diagnose and fix the cars. He has become so amazing at diagnosing that sometimes when the children call and describe a car problem, he can help figure it out.

This ambitious SIL3 had let no grass grow under his feet and within a week of the lay-off, he had already secured another job with a local firm. We were informed through a text on our cell phones two days before Christmas that he had gotten the job. The former employee had given him two-weeks pay, so actually they came out ahead in their budget. We acknowledge the hand of God in blessing them in this way.

On the day before our scheduled departure, our son (S3), daughter-in-law (DIL3) and their sweet little baby daughter came for a friend's reception. They chose to spend the night here. Which was fabulous. I had a duet in the Church choir that I was going to sing, so I was happy to have some family here to support me.

But just as they went to bed, she began to cramp. She had told us at Thanksgiving she was pregnant, then announced this last week that she was losing the baby. But the actual miscarriage took place here. I felt so terribly bad for her, but was so glad we could be on hand to care for her sweet little daughter. My son spent most of the time by her side and running errands for her needs. So I am glad we could watch their baby so they didn't have to worry about caring for her as well. We ended up skipping Church for the most part. Sailor got in on the Priesthood part, I got in on Sacrament Meeting and sang my song. As this poor, sweet DIL3 suffered through the labor, we told our son not to rush to leave, just to take their time. As we had planned on traveling right after Sacrament Meeting, we began to make alternate plans. When the worst was over, he carried his little bride to the couch, surrounded her with pillows and comforters and brought her soup and crackers. Sailor had made a Jello for her. She looked as white as a sheet. We gave her a heat pad for her stomach and she laid there and recovered.

Some time during the whole ordeal, she had called her mom. She agreed to meet them on the interstate and pick her up and take her to their home. S3 had to work up through Christmas Eve. Plans were made to see their family doctor the next day.

We got on the road only an hour and a half later than planned. The truck was all packed the day before, so it didn't take much to load the last minute things and embark.

We got to my mom's home by about 2:30 in the morning, and were so wired from all the caffeinated drinks that we buzzed for about an hour. But at least we had dry roads and were safely there.

Monday was pretty much a recovery day. We felt jet-lagged. We had a wonderful time celebrating with my Mom, sister and her friend, and her twin daughters. That night we went to Sailor's Mom's birth town to celebrate another reunion. It has been a tradition to have this reunion Christmas night. They bring pot-luck food and their stringed instruments. We have a whole book of Christmas carols and are accompanied by a piano, violin, guitar, bass and flute. It has been very fun to attend these whenever we are in the area.

Then we headed to S1's house. The day after Christmas, we celebrated with S1, his family and D2 and her family. There had been several flu bugs going around, but thankfully everyone was well. The only down part is the last day there, in the evening, I felt like I might be getting a cold. I took the usual preventatives, Musinex, Sudafed, Cold Snap and water all day Monday as we drove home. Thankfully, Sailor was not affected by the bug. But I slept almost the whole way home. That makes me sad, because I just LOVE traveling with him, and I felt like I missed 8 whole hours of "just us" time. Our plans to join S2 and his family for New Year's Eve was canceled as well. We will make it up to them later. I hate to disappoint the children, because he had indicated they were excited to have us come visit.

So for the last day, I have mostly unpacked and tried to recover from this head cold. And that is where I have been. I will include pictures later. My Christmas cards have not been mailed, not even the email version sent. I feel badly because I have received so many really nice cards and gifts, but just don't have the stamina it would take to complete this task. bleah

My prayers go out for my sweet little friend Lori, who apparently fainted on the landing of the stairs. She basically did a face-plant and broke several bones in her face. I feel so badly for her and ask everyone to join me in praying for her full recovery.

I will post more when I feel better.

*¦*:·-·:*HAPPY*:·-·:*¦*:·-·:*NEW YEAR*:·-·:*¦*

love to you all
~a