a germy covered kind of thankful ;)

 

First and foremost, it HAS to be said, if you are Cyber Monday shopping today, and you’re not using Ebates, you are LOSING money!

You simply click on the store you want to shop at through Ebates website and it redirects you straight to their page and you shop as normal and earn cash back while doing it. It’s amazing! I get a check quarterly and have been doing it for years and kick myself whenever I online shop and FORGET to go through Ebates!! I couldn’t NOT share with you :)

 

 

I have been MIA for 2 weeks now with one very yucky reason:

a nasty case of the stomach virus has spread through out our family – INCLUDING the dog!

 

and guess who was patient zero???

 

ME :(

Sorry, beloved family members!

 

Technically, the dog was first but his wasn’t truly our stomach virus, of course. It was, however, most definitely our fault… 2 weekends ago, we had a baby boy with terrible wheezing, chest congestion and a low grade fever. When we ran out of dog food but had leftover chicken from that week’s chicken and dumplings, it seemed like the PERFECT substitute while we were worrying over and taking care of our sick little boy and having little time for a Petsmart run.

Hendrix happily chowed down on the chicken for a couple days… then it began. Our poor pup was sick from BOTH ends. SICK happened on our beige couch, all over our living room rug, and on our white bedding. This sweet pup NEVER has in door accidents, he is perfectly potty trained and to know he was so sick he couldn’t hold it breaks my heart. In addition, every time our furry white dog actually made it outside, I had to put him in the bathtub and wash his little derriere since the not-so-solid was all caught up in his fur.

DOUBLE-TRIPLE YUCK!

 

Out of all of us who were sick, he is the only one who made it to the doctor. After days of sickness and not eating, we were deeply concerned. A $252 vet bill later, lots of antibiotics he wouldn’t even take and our little pup is all better on his own.

 

Just about the time our babe’s chest congestion cleared up and our dog was all better, this momma started my own middle of the night hug-the-toilet marathon and Nick followed with the virus the next day. THANKFULLY my parents were already here visiting because I have no clue how we would have taken care of Houston between the two of us.

NOT SO THANKFULLY, my parents were actually visiting for my dad’s BIG 60th birthday on Saturday and by Sunday, the birthday boy had caught the virus.

 

We went to church with my sister and brother-in-law in Richmond on Sunday, after dinner we changed and hung out at her house trying to celebrate one very sick Poppy the day after his birthday.

 

Guess who was blessed by the stomach virus next? It looks like when we left my sister’s house, my dad left a present behind for my sister. Victim #4!

 

Thanksgiving came and *thankfully* no one was sick for the holiday! We spent Thursday with my side of the family in Prestonsburg, then were lucky enough to have a second day of Thanksgiving back at our house with Nick’s side of the family on Friday.

 

All of our little turkeys on Thanksgiving morning:

 

 

 

 

 

I even got to experience my very FIRST black Friday shopping experience.

At 10 am, if you just enter the large appliance section of Sears, do your business and get out, it’s quite pleasant actually ;)

A new fridge and stove at a GREAT price? Black Friday SUCCESS!

 

 

Our house had been clear of illness for at least 5 days when my brother-in-law came to stay with us on Friday. He even worked hard along side his brother to clean out our garage and get our 12 foot Christmas tree put up while I was at work on Saturday. He is the best!

Sunday morning came and BAM!, victim #5 was confirmed.

He ended up staying an extra day than he planned and left this morning… I feel like I brought the plague to America and killed off a bunch of the pilgrims right before Thanksgiving.

 

So today, several days late, I am thankful for a *presently* healthy household. That we are normally very healthy and that our little boy never caught the virus nor has ever had one sick visit to the doctor. I feel so blessed that he hasn’t had a single antibiotic yet when I fill them all day long for lots of other sick little ones in the pharmacy.

All of this I say while knocking on wood of course…

 

 

I am thankful for my beyond supportive, tolerate, handsome, funny, LOVING husband and father to my most precious gift, our little boy. I am thankful for our wonderful families who are also extremely supportive and a barrel of monkeys to hang out with. We have been so lucky in this economy and depression to not feel the sting and though I complain about it too often, I am thankful for my job and my husband’s as well!

 

Most of all I am thankful for forgiveness. Our families and my sweet husband are always so forgiving and I am relieved for that because I am most definitely a screw-up. But most of all, I am thankful for Christ who died for our sins so that we may receive a forgiveness we could never deserve. His love for us is amazing and beyond understanding!

 

Here’s to hoping you and yours are avoiding the dreaded stomach bug and your Thanksgiving was just as wonderful!

 

XOXO,

Stephanie