Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We hope you are all enjoying your long weekend. We had a jam packed weekend planned. Friday I was to escape to Toronto for dinner and the Adele concert with my mom, sister and brother. Saturday was our Thanksgiving gathering at my in-laws house and Sunday we were to host Thanksgiving at our house, my aunt to help me prepare my first turkey! Somewhere in there I had to set aside time to work. (I started my own business not to long ago) If you remember reading back to a post I created in September, you'll remember how excited we were to host thanksgiving at our new home this year!
Well, like always it seems control was out of my hands and Kendal landed with hand, foot and mouth disease. It's highly contagious and I was advised by her doctor to avoid the Thanksgiving gathers this year, and advised to cancel the gathering at our own home. In addition, she was not to go anywhere near Ben. His immunity is low and this would not be a good thing for him to get. Kendal ended up with a high fever for a week followed by some pretty nasty mouth sores in and around the outside of her mouth. The poor little thing couldn't eat and wouldn't sleep. It was like having a new born baby back in the house... only even when we did have newborns they slept better than Kendal did the past few weeks! Ben wasn't able to help me at all with Kendal as she screamed and cried in pain... It was definitely a test to my patience and also my faith frequently asking, "God, why! Why now... I was looking so forward to this weekend... Our family gathered around celebrating the season and our thankfulness... Why!" Well, today is Thanksgiving Monday and as I sit and write this post I look back at this weekend and am certainly thankful for many things. My in-laws and own family made sure a plate of food came back for Kendal and I, and my entire family walked down the street from my sisters house to my house and wished Kendal and I a Happy Thanksgiving from the front door! What a pleasant surprise to be greeted by everyone. Along with these things I can't help but mentioned a few things I am truly grateful for this year....
1. My mom, Christine. Back in December my mom had purchased me, my brother, my sister and herself tickets to Adele. Let me just say we could have traded these tickets in for a week away on an island somewhere... We were going to make a whole night out of it. Stay at my brothers condo for the night, head out for dinner and then to the concert. Some shopping, wine drinking and just relax! When all of this went down with Kendal, I couldn't leave Kendal with Ben. My mom selflessly offered to stay back and take care of Kendal. Are you kidding me?? The excitement for this night away had been building for months and she's not coming?? She kept telling me I needed this and she would make sure Kendal was okay. I really had to think about this. I felt awful that she wouldn't be able to join us. I had needed a night away very badly. The stress of home and work and life was getting to me a bit so I took my mom up on her offer. Mom, THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart. I can only hope that I will do the same for my daughters when they need me the most. The concert was terrible... and you didn't miss out on much at all.... okay, I'm totally kidding... it was INCREDIBLE! sorry mom! You have also been the one who adjusts your life for me at the drop of a hat when I need someone/something. I feel like I never have to panic. You will always make sure everything is okay for me. I love you!
2. Ben. Through the craziness and this wild ride I am beyond thankful for YOU. I am especially thankful for you putting up with me lately. I tend to run a million miles an hour and feel like I need to be in a million places at once and although sometimes you aren't sure what to do with me, (sorry haha) you remind me to calm down and breath and that everything will be okay. And you are so right! No one does this better than you. I love you more than you could ever imagine! I am thankful for an incredible husband like you and for being an outstanding daddy to Brooke and Kendal. I am so very thankful God has blessed me with you!
3. My in-laws, Kathy and Robert. You are both my lifeline. You drop everything over and over again to help us with the girls so that we can be where we need to be. You have taken the girls every other Wednesday for us so that I am able to be with Ben during his chemo treatments. You drive from your house to ours sometimes multiple times a day to help. You come to almost every soccer game, skating practice, gymnastics class... you name it. You both are incredible individuals and I'm not sure what I would do without you. THANK YOU!!4. My dear sister, Caitlin. I had to cancel thanksgiving dinner at our house and you jumped right up and offered to open your home to our 17+ family members. You have so much on your own plate and this was so amazing of you to take on this task. Your home looked beautiful! You did a wonderful job! I am beyond thankful for our friendship and sisterhood. I love you!!
Life continues to go on pretty much the same right now. Ben has this ups and downs and we continue to adjust to our "new normal". I can't sit here and not be thankful for our life and where we are today. I am thankful for a God who holds us in the time of pain and panic, a God who allows us to go along each day with smiles on our faces and love in our hearts despite what feels like the deepest valley. I can only encourage anyone going through a difficult time/season to trust in God with all your heart. To have patience in His ways, as they are higher! Do not mistake God's methods for His absence... His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not the same as our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8,9) I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart! (Psalms 111:1) Today and everyday!
Thank you to Rust and Wildflowers for the sign hanging in our living room; One of my favourite verses.
