Sick Days

The girls and I don’t get sick very often…even from colds. I’m not sure why, but I’m thankful. On Friday afternoon Nadia started to have a cough. By Friday night she had a mild fever and was very sleepy. She slept about 14 hours that night. Saturday she was up feeling mostly better, but still had the cough and a clear runny nose. Sunday morning I decided to leave her home from church because I wasn’t sure how everyone in the nursery felt about kids coming with colds. She slept from 9am when I left, and was still asleep at noon when I got home. Sunday was spent watching football and getting Jonathan ready to leave for his new job training the next morning.

Early Monday morning we left for Cheyenne to drop Jonathan off at the airport. Nadia still had a cough and her runny nose was now green. Liberty started to get a cough, too. After we dropped Jonathan off we stopped in Laramie to go to a Walmart and then headed home. We were wiped out and spent the rest of the day lounging. Leila started to get a deep cough that afternoon/evening. The next morning, Tuesday, all 3 girls had fevers and I was out of Ibuprofen. Leila’s cough sounded like a seal bark and I was concerned about her having croup. Nadia and Liberty seemed pretty good by the afternoon…just normal cold stuff. Leila just kept getting worse. She was lethargic, tired, and miserable looking. Her fever kept getting higher and I tried all the home remedies I could think of, but they were not bringing down her fever. She was burning up. I had no ibuprofen and I had also run out of toilet paper. A friend bought us chicken noodle soup for dinner. Super thankful for that.

Not long after that, another sweet friend came over with children’s advil, toilet paper, sprite and cookies. When she found out we don’t have a humidifier she left to get one of those for us and some puffs. I cannot tell you how blessed I felt in that moment. I was exhausted and worried about Leila. I couldn’t get her to drink anything and couldn’t get her fever to go down. It just felt good to know I had some support while my husband is away. So so thankful.

I had Leila sleep with me because of her high fever and labored breathing. We spent some time in the steamy bathroom, I gave her some advil, and loved on her. We fought that darn fever all night…this morning it had finally come down to 99.7, the lowest it had been in about 20 hours (most of the evening/night it was in the 103’s). This afternoon, it is slowly rising again…so we are fighting that some more. Her breathing is better so I’m thankful for that. I just feel so bad for my baby girl…I want to take away her pain and sickness.

So…we’re exhausted here. Thankful for dear friends who were the hands and feet of Jesus to us…and praying for health to return. Hope you’re all doing well!

I miss him…

I am really missing my Dad right now. Well, I miss him every day, but I’m missing him even more right now. Probably because the holidays just passed, a friend of mine just lost her dad, and my dad’s birthday is this month. I’m also feeling kind of sad that I’m having this new baby and he isn’t around for me to share it with.

He used to call me just about every day…even when we lived in the same town. He used to stay on the phone for a very long time…sometimes talking, sometimes watching TV or dozing off. He loved when I told him stories about the girls…everything they did just tickled him. It was always hard for me to end the phone call, so I usually waited for him to do it (unless I absolutely had to). He used to off-key, made up songs to his grandchildren. His legs/knees gave him a lot of pain, but he would give rides to my girls and my nephews on his legs over and over and over. I have no idea how he could stand it, but almost never told them no when they wanted a leg ride.

When my sister and I were little, he would play all kinds of things with us. He would build snowmen in the winter. He took us on bike rides. He let us play with his hair when it was a little longer…we would put all kinds of pony tails and barrettes in it…I have a picture that I will share below. He wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t always easy to be around, I didn’t always like him…but I sure loved him. He was a great Dad. I will always love him.

I will always miss him.

this is a pic of my sister and my dad from Mackinac Island…I think in 1997…they are both goofy :)

Ashlee, Dad, Me (also Mackinac Island in 97)

After Ashlee and I fixed Dad’s hair…hahaha! From some time in the late 80’s.

The front view. We had a lot of fun.

My Dad, Mom and I…

I’ve shared this one before…it’s the last picture I took of my Dad with all 3 of my girls…November 2009.

Another one I’ve shared. The last pic I have of my Dad and I. This was on my birthday in 2010…right before we moved and 2 months before my dad died. I’m so thankful I tend to take a lot of pictures…