This and That

 we've had quite the week. last minute trips to stock up on everything imaginable for our first blizzard. record snowfall and hours spent shoveling.  school, the clinic, and mutual canceled for the week. dan leaving for new orleans to attend the AAD convention.  and a diagnosis of RSV for both girls.

i've dreaded RSV ever since madison was born during "the season" almost four years ago, and thankfully we avoided it until this year.  now i have two little girls taking a concoction of drugs every so many hours to keep their fevers down and coughing at a minimum.  poor gracie has hardly slept the last three nights because she's breathing so fast and restless.  madison's eyes look glazed over and both of their little cheeks are flushed bright red. 

i've felt a little exhausted and overwhelmed the last 24 hours.  my solution?  make a list of things to be thankful for.  i'm a huge believer that the small things can make a difference.  as i jotted this list on a scrap piece of paper in the kitchen it made me smile.  i have a lot to be grateful for even when stress and anxiety and exhaustion seem to be dominating my life the last couple days.  so here we go...

i'm grateful for:
- pictures i randomly find on my camera taken at knee level with little fingers across the lens
- a south facing house because our snow melts twice as fast as everyone across the street
- sudafed, tylenol, motrin, robitussen, and vicks vapor rub
- red vines and an unread dan brown novel waiting for me after the girls go to bed
- netflix to make folding the clothes go faster
- dishwashers
- soft rock 101.5 for making the house seem less big and empty and lonely at night
- cell phones, texting, and free long distance
- crayola water color paints ($1.99) and that madison still loves to paint rainbows after going through 3 sets of paints in the last few weeks
- pepsi max to push me through the day after sleepless nights with the girls. sad? yes.
- a house big enough for us not to go stir crazy after 5 long days of being cooped up inside
- the quote "Friends are the family you make for yourself" and how true it is. thank you amy!
- plastic popcorn tubs from the $1 bin at target because they make watching a movie and having popcorn so much more fun
- our dog that drives me crazy 24/7 but can put a smile on grace's face when nothing else makes her feel better or can cheer her up
- girls that love reading books so much i sometimes have to tell them no
- frozen pizza
- little girls who tell me they miss their dad like 20 times a day.  (i secretly hope they'd say the same about me if i were gone.)
- the sun being out on a cold wintery day
- a family that eats bacon and eggs when i serve them, when i can't even stand the thought of taking a bite
- memories of my dad going to AAD meetings and bringing back "souvenirs" labeled with random drug companies (pens, paper, water bottles, bags, key chains).  it was like christmas all over again.
- madison and that the first thing she said in her delerious, half awake, fevery state was, "i really hope gracie is feeling better!"
- when the girls can choose anything they want to do and they pick playing games with mom - hungry hippo, hi ho cherry-o, old maid, and princess memory match
- worthy friends who gave my girls priesthood blessings this afternoon since dan couldn't be here
- a husband who works hard for our family to provide everything we need and more

things aren't always hunky dory over here at our house, that's for sure, but there's always plenty to be grateful for.  i'm feeling better already.