Highs and Lows

I just want to say that I also really like getting these weekly updates. It is fun to read about what everyone is doing each week! All of these "mundane" things are actually so fun to hear in your lives! I want to respond to everyone personally, but I'm trying to make getting this letter out a priority before B gets home in an hour so we can spend some time together this evening.

This week was full of highs and lows. Or maybe it was the low week to match last weeks high week. It started last Sunday night when Felicity woke up twice in the middle of the night after throwing up. The next day was followed by uncontrollable diarrhea and I cleaned it up off of the table, the floor and all overt the bathroom. I was really hoping it was something she ate.

It wasn't.

Monday is Brian's day off so it usually consists of us swapping little adventures. Brian left as I was getting the kids ready for school to bike the whole enchilada and surprised me by getting home at 1:15pm! That bike trail starts in the mountains and is 35 miles long and he ended right at our house. I left afterward to go bike with Sven's wife, Brenna and a few of her friends. 

Tuesday the sickness showed up again. I got home from running with a friend at 7:30am to a sick Hannah and more throw up. It was Halloween, so there were a million activities. Moab might be the only school that lets kids out early (12:45) for Halloween and prior to that there was a costume parade and Liesel's poem performance on the black top where they shared about a "scary" animal (her group did hyenas). Brian took the kids to the carnival hosted by the school and Hannah was so sick she fell asleep for 3hrs afterward. I had to wake her up to ask if she still wanted to trick or treat, and she insisted she did. She was lethargic, but we still had a great time trick-or-treating. I love Halloween. It is such a great excuse to knock on your neighbors doors and mingle with everyone in the streets. Some ward members make scones and cocoa outside and we always love going to their house. The kids had a great time, but I was glad I had the stroller. 

Hannah was sick all the next day and then Liesel woke me up Wednesday night saying that her belly hurt. I realized at 3am that mine was hurting too and spent the next while loosing it on both ends. All the kids stayed home on Thursday and Brian left that morning for Denver, Colorado where he had a Search and Rescue conference and managed to avoid the plague. The sitters I had lined up for my photo shoots that weekend both got word that my kids were sick and canceled on me. I was stranded with no sitter but couldn't cancel the shoots. Sarah Hays ended up coming to my rescue. Thank goodness for family. I thought I was feeling better that night, but around dinner time I was so ill I couldn't move. I was on the toilet throwing up in the trashcan at the same time. In tears I asked Liesel to make dinner for the kids, which she did-- she got the bread and made toast, applesauce and carrots. Hearing her organize the troops, set the table and make it all while I was in bed was a light in the darkness. I had called Brian in tears and he talked to Liesel to ask her to help me and she stepped up and did. I was really proud of her. 

I felt somewhat better the next day and managed to finish the photo shoot in the evening (Friday). Then that night Hannah woke up screaming and crying and had both pooped her pants all and thrown up all over her bed and floor. She had been better for 3 days at this point! That happened another two times that night. 

Needless to say, I had a lot of laundry the next day and we spent all morning bleaching and clorox wiping every single surface in the house. The kids helped me as well and then I couldn't stand being in the house anymore and we all went to the stake Super Saturday (crafts, soup and bread for the sisters). Felicity peed her pants on the church carpet, the kids whined in my ear the entire time and I had to rush Hannah to the bathroom a few times to avoid a blowout. But I made my block letters that said "JOY" for christmas and I felt like they were mocking me. 

I left grateful to get home again. Sarah watched the kids for my second photo shoot and I was so glad to get home and binge on Stranger Things on Netflix and scare myself since I was home alone and B wasn't back yet. I also raided the kids Halloween candy now that I was feeling better (crunched up snickers and reeces on ice cream and didn't even feel shame) and took advantage of the extra hour I was gaining from daylight savings by staying up way to late. 

Then this morning everyone woke up happy! With normal poopy! And no throw up! And totally back to normal! And we went to church and it was a wonderful meeting full of the spirit and I was so grateful that Heavenly Father blessed me with healthy children in time for church. I had prayed the night before to know why the sacrament was important when I could just pray and ask for forgiveness of my sins -- what was the need for the additional step each week? And it was answered again and again in the meeting! Just a wonderful reminder that the Lord answers our prayers and will continue to help me learn as I come to Him with my questions. 

Liesel the Native American! She was so excited about this costume and was so happy to wear it to school with the feather and beads in her hair. It was $10 on amazon and there's no way I could even make a costume for that cheap! She wanted it so badly she paid for half of it with her money from watching the neighbors chickens. 

Hannah the princess. I told Hannah I thought she was smiling like that because she was feeling so sick, but she said, "No. I was smiling like that because I didn't want to mess up my lipstick." Also, I did her hair so cute in ringlet curls with my hot rollers but she hated it and insisted I brush it out. Little stinker. This costume was a result of Liesel convincing Brian and I to buy it for Hannah from Liesel because, "I know she'll love it so so so much!" I caved. 

Felicity the "sunflower fairy"-- she was so excited! I didn't have any face paint for these kids, so I used regular crayola kid paint and it worked great. I also covered her face with shimmery eye shadow as "pixie dust" and she was thrilled about the whole thing. She was on turbo running from house to house to get the candy from everyone and more than one person had to ask her to stop reaching in their bowl. ;)