christmas tree

One of my favorite Christmas memories is of our Charlie Brown christmas tree that I set up when I was a teenager. I had found a poor little tree growing in our front yard, in a spot that was not going to allow it to grow properly, so I pulled it out and planted it in a pot and put in in our living room. Oh how I loved that tree! I was so proud of our little tree, and have looked back on it fondly. My mom actually planted the tree later on and now it is huge!! This morning the mailman delivered me a package, and inside was a Cahrlie brown Christmas tree from my parents! So cute I put it on our dining room table. I am very pleased.

adjustments

Derek came home on Friday, Hooray!! What an answer to prayer it was for our entire family. I am so grateful to have my husband back, especially in time for Christmas. What an adjustment though it is to me! I have what you might call "control issues". Yes I admit it, I like to feel in control of things, rarely am I actually in control, but for a few brief moments I like to think I am. So while Derek was away, I was in charge, I handled all circumstances, decided what we would do and when, well now that Derek is back all that changes. Not that he himself in a control freak at all, but I have to adjust to another grown up in the house, and be aware that it is not all about me. Plus the expectations!! No matter how many times Derek goes away on deployments, there are always those expectations of what it will be like when he is back- the house will be calmer, the kids will be better behaved, and you will live in perfect harmony. Ha!!! I know, I know, this is my own fault, I think the time away you forget the faults and dwell on the ideals, so once everyone settles in you realize how wrong you are!! Plus you realize you couldnt control this either! But regardless of all the little bumps, I am happy to have my husband home.

I woke up to quite a scare the other night. Laurelin had gone to bed cranky, she seemed to be complaining about something, but noone could really tell what was wrong. We figured it must be gas. There were no signs of anything else wrong. Well at midnight she woke up screaming, and it was obvious something was wrong. I took off her diaper, but couldnt see anything wrong, and I moved her leg and caught a glimpse of something. Her inner thigh was blistering!! I was so shocked, I had no idea why this was happening, I went downstairs to call my mother-in-law (who is a RN), and while I was holding Laurelin I noticed on her hip area that she was getting small blisters there too! I was trying not to panic, but I had never seen anything like this before. After I talked to Kathy, we decided it had to be a bad reaction to the new package of diapers I bought her yesterday. Because once she started wearing the new diapers this started to happen, and it was only on the area where the diaper was at. I stripped her naked and had her lay with me on the couch on a towel. She calmed down and seemed to feel better. In the morning when she got up, the areas were all red and inflammed and looked horrible. I had to take her down to the acute care clinic, and waited a few hours to be seen, where in that time period, Laurelin peed all over me, and also all over the waiting room floor. ( She still couldnt wear diapers). So about four hours into it, the doctor prescribes her anti-fungal cream because the idiot cant tell that it is blisters and not a yeast infection. Augh I was so mad!! How could he not see that they were blisters? Thankfully I have some knowledge about things and know not to put this cream on her. And I take care of her myself. Thankfully she is doing much better, but I am still annoyed that the doctor didnt listen to me and didnt look more carefully at her, to know what was truly wrong with her. I also contacted the diaper company and let them know what happened to her. Strangely enough my son use these diapers at night and has no reaction to them at all. I dont know what could be in it to make it react like that, but I pray I never have to see that again!!

It's a God thing

Derek was informed last week that he would be going back to Iraq at the end of March for another seven months. I guess the benefit of doing your job well, you get to go to Iraq first. Well of course we were upset about this and Derek emailed everyone in his chain of command that this wasn't fair. Later on that day Derek received an email saying that Derek was off the roster for Iraq, and he would also not have to leave at the end of next year!! What a miracle!! This was definetly a God thing. Who else would have the power to completely change things around so quickly?