This Christmas....

I am writing this post from my bed...because I have come down with the flu.  A couple of days ago, I started feeling a funny feeling in my throat, and started feeling quite tired.  I was hoping it was just due to exhaustion from all the preparing I had been doing for Christmas, and because I had been tending to sick children all weekend and following, and because of other current matters.  But during the night, the feeling in my throat turned to excruciating pain that kept waking me up, along with the feeling of fever and body aches.  I had come down with the flu.

I spent the whole next day in bed, not feeling like myself, but treating myself with remedies that I thankfully learned over the past few years.  My husband braved sitting next to me, much of the time, keeping me company.  I got one little card from Understanding Heart, and a sweet little note from Trusting, that said, "Dear Mommy I Love you, I hope you feel 100% better."--along with a drawing of him and his mommy.  It is so sweet when your little children remember you even when you are shut up in your room away from them all day.

A yak we saw on one of our recent family walks

I am still in bed today, but feeling so much better.  It is such a beautiful, sunny day and quite warm, and I can hear many birds chirping, and the cows mooing outside.  The children have enjoyed some outside playtime with Daddy today.  Quite a change from all the recent rain we've been having, with mostly dull, gray skies.  The children and Daddy have now gone on a walk to the organic farm, and I wish I could have gone with them.  But the Lord has me here.  How I am reminded in these quieter moments the Lord gives me that I must remember to pray, for there is so much to pray about.  And while I may forget, my Saviour never leaves me and is always with me, ready and waiting to hear from me.

While I am feeling a bit better, I am almost tempted to get up and go do some laundry, for I enjoy doing laundry, and it really needs to be done. But in this big, old house, that would require a lot of walking.  Apparently, no one has reminded Golden that she should help out by doing some laundry, though she has been helping in other ways such as getting meals for the family.

I am staying in bed, except for a few little trips up and down in my room.  I've been going through a few drawers of paperwork and cleaning things out, little by little.  It is amazing how much paper piles up these days and takes up so much of our space and time.  I would be happy to be rid of it all.  I am getting rid of whatever I can, but keeping those keepsakes from the children and necessary items.

My husband has gotten me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers.  There are dark pink roses, lilies, and some other strange but beautiful flowers I am not familiar with.  They are brightening up the room and providing the sweetest scent to cheer me.

I hope you all are doing well and have had a merry Christmas.