A Modified Thanksgiving for Two

My Dad and my sisters family were coming for Thanksgiving. I have hosted Thanksgiving twice in my life so far. The turkey was better the second time than the first ;-) This third time I was confident enough that I wasn't even going to have to use a recipe! A scoop of this, and a pinch or a dash of that, which I never imagined I'd be able to do! I've learned from past years to wait until the day before to buy the turkey, so I don't have to freeze it. Because they are a pain in the you know what to thaw!

So Wednesday I took Michael and Sarah along with the "littles" to the store and bought EVERYTHING we were going to need. After unpacking the food we watched The Blind Side, our first traditional Thanksgiving movie. We watched it a day early since it's not my year with M&S. Afterward we were drafting a list of the pies we wanted to make. It was ambitious, eight pies, and we were going to give five of them away. It was my way of having a little Thanksgiving spirit with the kids before they went to their Dad's.

We were just about to get started when Sophia threw up. I suctioned her and she threw up again. I suctioned her again and lay her on an absorbent blanket next to the kitchen just in case. Thinking, more like wishing, we could multi-task. But ...... it soon became very apparent that we weren't going to be making pies :-(

More retching and more vomiting. Then the seizures began. It was difficult for her to breathe and she started holding her breath. Instead of making memory's, M&S went out in the neighborhood to play. The hospice nurse came by and after checking Sophie thoroughly, and holding her for a while, she took Max home to play with her son.

I started all Sophie's usual "sick medications" and wrapped her up. When she's healthy she takes 8 medications several times a day. When she's sick she takes 13 :-(  Michael and Sarah came home at dusk and we watched The Pursuit of Happyness while I rocked Sophie. Jason got Max on his way home from work and waited on me hand and foot as I was stuck in the chair. I postponed Thanksgiving with my very understanding family, put the turkey in the freezer, and prepared to hunker down.

Her night nurse came at 10 and I was relieved. Thank goodness for her night nurse! I remember well how hard it was doing this on no sleep. I remember how guilty I felt when Sophie was in Primary Children's Hospital ..... and I was relieved that she was in the best care ..... so that I could get some sleep. I never want to go w/o nurses again. Nurse Ali took great care of Sophia all night and I woke up in the morning rested and ready for a difficult day in the least.

Then a little thanksgiving miracle in the morning :-) She was resting when Ali left and she slept in for just long enough for us to throw a little thanksgiving dinner for two in the crockpot ;-) The nicest butcher at Lin's cut me a single pound of turkey, and we had boxed stuffing. We offered Max some of course, but he wouldn't touch anything thanksgiving related ;-)

I even had time to make one single pumpkin pie.

When she woke up the regular complications began. But then our second miracle happened when at dinnertime she lay quiet on a blanket just long enough for us to eat.

In the evening we watched Rudy, our last Thanksgiving traditional movie.

Even with all these complications I feel content and grateful today. I am grateful for a very comfy rocking chair, and for good movies so that even when she is sick, we can have family traditions. I am grateful for my children and a beautiful home in a beautiful neighborhood. I am grateful for a very kind husband who does EVERYTHING for his wife and family and hardly ever takes a minute for himself.

I am grateful that our dear Sophia is still alive, and that she smiles every day, even when she is sick.

But I am most grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful that He lived, and that because of HIM we can ask to be forgiven. So that we may hope to live with our perfect angel Sophia, in Heaven forever. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.