I always knew that my family was awesome. They have always been there for me - well, we have all always been there for each other. I love that. We can step up to the plate to help each other, to support each other. Like when Lucas was diagnosed. We all pretty much changed the whole focus of our lives. It was not an option, it was not a decision, it was the natural thing to do. No one even gave it a second thought. Lucas needed us. We were there. Whatever. Whenever. Donating blood and platelets, washing his and Momma's clothes, bringing food, visiting the hospital, you name it. We were there, ready, willing, able, desperate to HELP.
I must say I prefer being able to do the supporting than being the one who needs the support. I think everyone probably feels that way, though, right? I can remember many times when I was sick growing up that they were there to take care of me. When I was in Kindergarten and had the chicken pocks, Mimi came and laid on the pull out sofa with me while I was resting and watching TV. The woman actually laid there and held my hands so I could not scratch. When I had my wisdom teeth out, Momma kept pumping me full of pain meds and Daddy made countless trips to DQ to get me chocolate milkshakes. My family is just awesome like that. You don't have to ask, they are just there. And they want nothing more than to help. In good times and bad. Need I discuss the many moves that they have been right there to help? Heck, Daddy sandbagged my house in LA to prepare for a hurricane! Momma and Mimi and Poppy have come at a moment's notice to babysit the kiddos for me. Oh, and Momma let me, 2 kids, 2 dogs, a cat, and 2 fish LIVE with her! Very supportive people, my family.
So they have always been awesome. My recent hospitalization was no different. I know I am getting obnoxious referring to my surgery, but there are things that I must record. So bear with me, K?
Once I made up my mind that I needed to go to the hospital, my family sprang into action. David was my escort to the ER. Bay and Abby crawled out of their warm bed to come hang with the children. Daddy canceled his flight to GA to be there for Christmas Eve and Momma left 2 days early to head this way. I did not worry for a minute about the kids because I knew that between David and Bay and then May, they were totally covered. It made it easier for me to focus on getting better. When I made it home from the hospital on Christmas Eve, everyone was ready to help in any way that they could. Daddy got food for everyone. David got my prescription filled. Momma helped the kids bake cookies for Santa. I was devastated that we did not get to do that, and Momma knew how important it was to me and the kiddos.
Then Momma and Daddy bathed the children and took them over to their house for a few hours. But not before Momma and Daddy helped me fold and put away all the laundry that David had washed for us. It takes a village, right? David and I were able to get all ready for the big Christmas Day, oh and I even got to take a shower and REST. May and Bay delivered them home in time to go to bed so Santa could come. They even fed my pets and cleaned out Stewart's litter box!
Christmas Day, my Momma was awesome. She cooked for all of us. She cleaned up. She was all over it. The kids went and spent that night back at Bay's house. David was able to get all the gift trash picked up and even vacuumed! I could rest knowing the kids were happy and the house was relatively clean. It was so wonderful because the kids did not suffer. I mean, having your mom laid up at Christmas could make things not go so well. But the fam banded together to make sure that the kids had just as good a Christmas as they would have otherwise. That meant more to me than I can ever accurately describe in words.
They even got to build their annual Gingerbread House with Bay - they have done this every year since Jessa was born!
The day after Christmas more reinforcements arrived. Mimi and Poppy and our dear friends Roy and Peggy drove up. They were planning to come anyway and hesitated when I was hospitalized. I told them to please still come, and I am so glad that they did. There were plenty of people to entertain the children and yell at me when I tried to do too much. There was so much to eat, too - Momma cooked tons of food ahead of time and Mimi brought lots of food, too. And we were all just so happy to be together. We watched the snow and watched some football. We even ventured out some, too. Despite the fact that I was moving slow and a little sore, I think this was one of the best Christmases EVER.
And once David had to go back to work, the fam was still here to help. Mimi and Poppy came and spent a whole day here with me washing like 7 loads of laundry and helping me put away Christmas Decor. You know, the strict Southerners that we are, it was imperative that the decorations were all down and put away before New Year's. After our crazy Christmas, I could not risk an entire year of bad luck, right??
Momma even cooked all day to make sure we had our greens and black eye peas on New Year's Day. The commissary did not know what Hog Jowl was, so we had a Ham Hock (that is the part that I cannot bring myself to eat anyway, so I was not at all bothered!). And David cooked pork tenderloin on the grill - even though it was snowing and like 10 degrees!
We spent entire days all spread out on chairs and couches and the floor by Daddy's fireplace, covered up in our Snuggies or blankets. We laughed, we talked, we told stories, we ate, we argued over football games, we laughed, we ate! Such fun. So even though I would not recommend having surgery on December 23, it really did turn out OK. We slowed down and just enjoyed being together. OK, well, maybe Momma did not get to slow down that much. We tease her and call her the work horse. But she really was! She kept us all fat and happy - she fed us homemade chili, homemade vegetable soup, homemade Brunswick Stew, Red Velvet Cake, Cookies, Chex Mix, Breakfast Casserole, Sausage Balls! My mouth is watering just thinking about all of it.
I know I am rambling, but I really just feel so blessed to have such a supportive family. And even though the plans were changed and Momma and Daddy were not able to be in GA with Lucas and the rest of the family on Christmas Eve, no one minded a bit. They were even all calling me on the phone at the hospital! Even my awesome Uncle and family in Hawaii called me to check on me. I love it that we all just take care of each other. We truly care about each other. And we love each other in good times and bad. So, I may be a little biased, but I am pretty sure that I have like the BEST family EVER!
1 comment:
Sweet! I love your family!! They really are the type that I know if I ever needed anything - you guys would offer to help -- and I'm not even related! LOVE you all.
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