And What A Doggone Day It Was

My Wednesday went according to plan for the most part. I took care of homeschooling in the morning and our usual afternoon and then I received a text from the hubster asking if I could have everyone ready to head out the door to church when he got home as he was running late. No problem, right?

I headed up to the bathroom around 4 to put myself together {aka makeup time} and heard my Eliana scream, followed by Alex running up the stairs calling my name and telling me she just threw up.

What?


Oh, it was true. It was all over the floor and very, obviously true. I knew then that she and I would be staying home but the hubster could take the other 2 kiddos with him so I gave him a call and let him know what was going on. No worries. We were going to go with plan B.

When the hubster got home he told me he hadn't been feeling well that day but was shrugging it off as he headed out the door with Alex and Mikayla. I got Eliana squared away and comfortable when I saw my front door wide open. In through the door came Alex with a pout on his face.

Mikayla threw up in the van ALL OVER the back seat.

The night at church was called off as we would never get there in time at that point and we commenced in the tasks of cleaning up the baby and the van seat and her car seat and...and...and...

The hubster still wasn't feeling well and was having a hard time with even cleaning up Mikayla so I took over and did as much as I could to keep him resting with the kiddos.

As bedtime approached, he still wasn't feeling well and then fell ill...very ill.

I decided to leave him be as he was trying to rest but ran to his side when he needed me, editing photos and going through piles of email as I was sitting up. Mind you, it was night and that's when sneaky things like mice wake up.

I saw a mouse dart around the corner of the room I was sitting in and I screeched something awful, running upstairs to sit with my hubster and tell him how freaked out I was. After a bit, I calmed down and decided to go back downstairs when I heard something strange at the door. A cat had found its way to my doorstep and desperately wanted in.

The cat looked familiar but I remembered that there is a stray in my neighborhood that is identical to the cat I know so I figured that's what it was...a stray cat that knew I saw a mouse and wanted to tear my home apart to find it for me.

On Thursday I was talking with my mom and double checked to make sure her cat was home.

My heart sunk as she reported she hasn't seen her at all.

Had I known her cat was missing, I would have picked it up and walked it back home.

So, three sick people, a mouse, and my parents' cat later, I felt horrible.  I felt even worse to learn that a get together my family was hosting the following day was going to be moved to a different home rather than be rescheduled. Was everything doomed to go wrong? What is the purpose of all of this?

My loving husband reminded me that we should rejoice in everything being thankful in all things. He helped me look for the silver lining but I admit it was and is not easy. I now sit by my front door hoping to see a cat again so I can take her home. I pout as I read about the fun night we had to miss because the family was ill. I double up on coffee trying to shake off the exhaustion that comes from caring for the family when they need me in a greater way than usual. The silver lining, for now, is in the gratitude I feel that all who were sick were able to recover without needing medical attention and that everyone had a space they could go to to find comfort and breathing room in the house we now live in.

In time I'm sure I'll find more to be thankful for but these simple blessings are where I'll begin.

Until then...