Another Cozy Weekend

Monday’s “Littles With Sniffles” turned into Tuesday’s “An Eleven Year Old With a High Fever.”

Poor Chad.

Yesterday I took him to the doctor and they confirmed my suspicions of strep throat.

And now we are experiencing that big family fun…..usually illness is not limited to one!

Here was my view from the couch I was on a little while ago –

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Here is our most recent victim –

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When the fire didn’t stop me from shivering, I headed to take a super hot bath.

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Looks like it will be another cozy weekend at home! We love to share all we have – just not our germs!

Happy cozy weekend, everyone!

He Cares About The Details

This is a “God is in the details” story.

A story that amazed us SO much.

I will start at the beginning…

Kayla listed a bunch of things for me on Craig’s List.

And a gal contacted us about three of those things and then made a plan to come last Thursday and purchase them.

We exchanged cell phone numbers so we could text directions. And we did.

When she and her husband walked up to our door, it was dark, cold, and they had to drive through huge drifts to get down our driveway.

Instantly the gal says, “Do you have weddings here?”

In my head my voice is screaming “SAY NO, SAY NO…we cannot have a wedding here this year with Tate coming home!”

But instead I sweetly said “Yes, we do!”

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Then she asked if we had a specific wedding here already, which we did.

They were at it! And they live an hour and a half away!

Eliza started fussing, so I said “Eliza, come here to Mommy.”

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The gal says “Eliza?” “What are your names??”

When I told her she says “We have been praying for you!!!!!”

WOW.

They know our friends from up north and are in a Bible study with them.

WOW.

So…..IT GETS BETTER. Stay with me here!

We sold them a stroller from when Chad was a baby that was in great shape.

I still had the umbrella stroller we bought in China to use.

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But I told the gal I was needing to buy a double stroller for when Tate gets home.

We talked for quite awhile, enjoying every second, and then they were on their way.

We texted each other once after Thursday evening, just amazed that we had met.

Two days later our family went ice skating.

Eliza’s umbrella stroller from China broke that night. A bar broke completely in half.

It is not useable now. It collapses if we sit Eliza in it.

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We laughed – we couldn’t believe we just sold our only other stroller!

I looked at strollers on Amazon on my phone while everyone skated.

I picked a double stroller out after reading reviews, and looking at lots of choices.

It was $155, which we cannot spend right now.

But I knew what I would choose if I could.

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I was playing Parcheesi with Lane this afternoon when my text message beeped.

It was the sweet gal we sold the stroller to.

She was shopping at Shopko and saw a double stroller that was on clearance from $155 for $61.99 and wanted to let me know.

She wasn’t sure it was what I would want, but texted a photo so I could look at it.

The text ended “Just thought of you and thought I’d let you know….take care”

I looked at the photo and it was that exact stroller I had chosen just days earlier!!

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WOW.

So I immediately called this amazing gal.

Told her what had happened to Eliza’s stroller.

Told her I had picked out the exact stroller she was telling me about and we could not spend the money on it right now because it was $155.

We both had goose bumps.

And then she bought us that stroller for $61.99.

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Our friend that lives near them is coming over next week and is going to bring it to us.

This is the exact encouragement that God knew I needed today!

Only God! Praise be to Him!!

Name Them One By One

I am still counting and recording blessing after blessing.

It makes me think of the hymn “Count Your Blessings.”

I keep singing it in my head.

Ok, here we go!

Thursday afternoons at David and Kayla’s place.

Super blessed.

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Nature’s candy. Sweet blessing.

I may or may not have eaten the whole pint at once.

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A sweet 5th grader brought this to me one morning when he had a math question.

Smartest boy I know! And a blessing to me.

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Did you hear we got USCIS clearance and our Dossier is making its way to China?????!!!!

It arrived at its last U.S. stop today!

SO blessed.

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Books. Cuddles. Littles.

Have you heard about these blessings before too?

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Cute snacks.

Still a blessing though they were very messy.

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Blessed that Kayla likes to wear fancy shoes too!

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Took this photo heading off the ridge at 5:30.

That’s 5:30 p.m.

It is still day light!

A blessed promise of things to come…

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Sister love.

Blessed.

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Grain-free granola.

I need to hide it next time I make it.

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She loves to be held.

Super, duper blessed.

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Laughter.

We are never short on that blessing around here!

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Making cookies at Tayla’s.

We love you, Tayla!

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Found this photo on my phone from one year ago.

Blessed me so much.

I miss you, Dad.

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“Count your blessings – name them one by one.

Count your many blessings – see what God hath done!”

**We are not traveling to Madison for sedated testing tomorrow after all! Eliza’s appointments were moved to March 9th because of doctor availability.

Littles With Sniffles

I am home today with two littles.

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Two littles with some seriously runny noses.

Kayla took the rest of the kiddos to Grandma Lillie’s house to help, to clean, and I am sure eat a lunch fit for a king.

Grandma Lillie’s house always means a very yummy meal.

We had soup for lunch.

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And I was very thankful that the other kiddos were not sitting across the table when Eliza sneezed a mouthful of soup that landed right where they would have been.

That was fun to clean up!

These munchkins are still in their pjs.

And for most of the morning also had on hooded sweat shirts with the hoods up.

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I have tissues placed at low levels in each room with a trash can by each box.

Yes. I like to plan ahead.

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We have cuddled, read books, played cards, made some waffles for the freezer, ate (and sneezed) some soup, colored, built a fort with blankets, glued, cut with scissors….

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It has been a fun filled littles day!!

I am also watching the grand pup for Kayla.

She is SO high maintenance, can you tell?

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There might have been a blender full of chunky monkey made.

Ok, there was.

But the sweet pea that asked for it has the most adorable Asian eyes, and even said please.

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We will be praying that Eliza will be well enough for her sedated Urodynamics study and MRI this Wednesday in Madison. Runny nose, go away!

Praise the Lord the sun is shining!!

Time for some hangman with a little man in camouflage!

Happy Monday, everyone!