Day 5

While everyone else might be counting down the days until Christmas, here at my house, we’re counting the days after my daughter’s tonsillectomy. This morning marks the beginning of Day 5.

I’m not going to lie-it’s been a difficult recovery. Really difficult. My daughter’s 19 and she’s been in a lot of pain. My husband and I looked at each other last night and wondered when we’d last gotten so little sleep. But in the midst of the ice packs and the pain medication, the cups of warm tea and Campbell’s Star Soup (a leftover childhood favorite), we’ve had a lot to be thankful for.

First of all, we’ve all felt like hugging our daughter’s surgeon. When he told us about the surgery and recovery, he didn’t sugarcoat a bit of it! That may sound strange, but it’s been nice not to be surprised about the problems she’s been having. I’ve been thankful that my traveling husband stayed home this week to help me, that our 21 year old son has been willing to go on as many errands as I’ve needed him to, and that I have a job where I get to stay home and care for my daughter.

I’ve been thankful for my writing buddies…who’ve all been through this before with their kids, and have offered support. I’ve been thankful for Facebook, too. People have been praying and offering lots of advice. I’ve appreciated that!  And, of course, I’ve been grateful for our faith. It’s so nice to know that we’re never going through any hardship alone.

In the midst of all this, I’ve been getting quite a bit of writing done. (Yay for laptops!) I’ve also been keeping up with letters and emails and other work.  And exchanging Christmas gifts! On Sunday, one of  my friends from church dropped off a gift bag from my Amish friend in Sugarcreek. Inside was a new puzzle and lots of goodies! In the midst of Reeces bars, caramel popcorn (hers is much better than mine!), and an orange/cranberry loaf, were four lovely molasses whoopie pies. They were so pretty I took a picture of them before my husband, son, and I dug in and posted it on Facebook.

Yes, the were indeed as delicious as they looked.

I certainly hope everyone else is doing a bit more Christmasy things! If you are, I’d love to hear about it! Are you still shopping? Baking? Getting ready to host a bunch of family? Getting ready to travel? Oh, and please tell me what you think of the new website! I, for one, am loving the pretty, bright colors.

With blessings!

Shelley