How I Got Some Alone Time . . .

I know it's kind of in bad taste to put up a picture in which you aren't allowed to see the main subjects, but, our whole mountain behind the house is in full bloom.... and the view from the house is all orchards in bloom. Though we haven't had much time to enjoy it or take pictures, these little guys have!!

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We spent several hours for Missy's Pre-op at Children's yesterday. The whole time I was feeling worse and worse with pains in my limbs and a cough I couldn't hide. Steve said I had a bloodshot eye. He brought us to the Hospitality House and was worried about leaving because it was obvious I wasn't doing so well,  BUT there was a recital happening at the Canyon Wren. James was playing piano, Christina and Brianna were as well and Vanessa had to drive them, which meant, she had to take the babies. Steve thought if he hurried he could at least help keep the little guys content during the music. It's a two and half hour trek over the mountain pass. He left after finding us something to eat and showing me where to catch the shuttle to the hospital.

It was about 4 pm and I went straight to bed. Missy watched 3 Janice's Attic's in a row and I woke up to her standing over my face telling me her DVD was done. I got up and looked in the mirror. Instead of one bloodshot eye, I now had two and truth dawned.... PINK EYE. Full blown pink eye.  I was quite certain Children's was going to be real excited about that.

I haven't heard how the night went with the babies. I think Christina decided to sleep in the extra bed in their room because if you hear them soon enough and assure them you are there, then they won't scream and wake up the whole house. However, I did learn that Steve didn't get any sleep. He got a call from a friend needing a ride to the ER so that's where he was the rest of the night. Last I spoke to him he was headed home to direct an uncooperative James towards getting on the bus. He called in "sick" at work and will be here before Missy has to go for her surgery. He talked to Children's and they for sure won't let me in the building.

I thank the Lord for a good husband. I pray he will give him some rest somewhere in all this.

I really, really wanted to be there for Missy. This is no mini surgery. They are taking quite a chunk of bone from her hip to fill in the missing piece in her jaw. I thought it was just a sliver, but I didn't realize that what is obviously a quarter inch piece missing where her front tooth should be, grows wider and wider in a V shape up towards her nose. She is "allergic" to most of the pain meds. Thankfully, she is not allergic to Tylenol. They will do a blocker on her hip - kind of like an epidural, which will be helpful, as her hip will hurt far worse than her mouth when it is all said and done.

And that's a how this tired mother of 7 kids finds herself with about 24 hours of  time alone, in a hospitality house in a middle of a big city with nothing to do but sleep. . .

(I might just finish memorizing the book of James. There are 3 or 4 hard verses in the middle of chapter 4 that have been the stickler for me. I've finished chapter 5 and still don't know those few in chapter 4.)

. . . sigh. Poor Steve. He gets to "sleep" in the hospital with Missy tonight.