Yes, this was only a few days before Christmas, so cute!
On the way home from our crazy trip, I think the kids say it all!
Good thing we have little ones to make us laugh!
I love Christmas time, it seems so magical to me. Getting to Christmas was quite a feat this year.
We made a trip to Idaho to celebrate Thanksgiving and my nieces baptism. I love going home, but the first night we were there Trail was awake all night throwing up. Fun, then the next day Clint could hardly walk, he hurt his back sleeping on the couch with Trail. Then the next day I was having some cramping in my stomach and within 10 minutes I was on the couch in excuriating pain. Clint woke up, he and my brother gave me a blessing and Clint got me dressed and took me to the ER. I literally felt like I was in the last stages of labor (remember I just had a baby all natural 4 months ago) I knew I wasn't having a baby so I knew something was wrong. They took me right in and got some amazing medicine in me to help with the pain. Once I was feeling a little better I was able to look in the mirror (YIKES, I don't think I've every looked scarier-good thing I didn't care when I was walking into the hospital.) They quickly discovered I had a kidney stone. And YES it is the closest a guy can come to understanding labor, because it is pretty close! I told Clint it didn't matter how much it cost to go to the ER because it was worth the relief. But I wasn't quite expecting the $5000 bill we got. (Luckily that is before insurance-so I hope that all works out) Can you believe they can charge that much? That is almost as much as it was to have Brielle! There is my woe! Before we got home Brinley and I also had our chance with the Flu. Wow what a trip! But the highlights were being with our family, watching Abie getting baptized, shopping with my family, dinner with our family, did I mention spending time with my family? and the kids sitting on Santa's lap. Brinley ran to him and Trail had to have Clint's Dad hold him to even get close. Trail told me "Santa's scary with his big beard."
The week we got home there was a leak under our sink, but thanks to Clint he got it fixed.
The next week we went back to Clint's parents because he has training and came home to find that our pipes froze and we had a trickle of water in the kitchen and NO hot water. We were at a loss to how to fix it. Luckily we have amazing friends that helped the best they could. We decided to go to church and figure it out later. We got home from church and Clint had the water running before I walked in and there was steam coming out of the faucet! Oh did I mention the new TV we got from our cousin was broken too, the next day Clint played with it a little bit and it is now working. It was our very own CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!
Lessons learned....
1 You can handle anything with the help of family and friends
2 Hot running water is a modern miracle - not a necessity (you can heat water on the stove to bath it just takes FOREVER)
3 The pioneers were amazing survivors!
4 I'm thankful we have a warm house and a roof over our head
5 As long as we have each other and we are healthy and happy the other things don't matter so much!
The Most Powerful Lesson learned...
5 Heavenly Father hears and ANSWERS our prayers! He knows us and our needs!
Christmas was a blessing, the kids were so happy and loved opening their presents! I did too! As I look back through this month I had a lot to cry about, but most importantly I had immeasurable moments to LAUGH and SMILE about. I'm thankful for those moments and that we were able to reflect on what is really important in life and it isn't things! I'm thankful for wonderful family and friends that I have to share this life with!
Her feet tend to get stuck in the same hole often, she must like it.
Ryker Dale Gardner
