Family and Friends.

This week is an example of what it has been like since the day in the ER. You may notice that I haven’t used many names to identify people, partly to respect privacy and partly so people don’t feel like I don’t appreciate the service they’ve given to our family.

I was out of town last weekend with my oldest daughter to visit my grandparents and other relatives. The trip had been planned for over a month and I didn’t see any point in canceling it, especially since I felt in need of a break. Adam, with help of a couple of our siblings and some of our friends, took care of the kids. I really enjoyed visiting with my aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and grandparents, most of whom I rarely see but think of with fondness. I felt loved, pampered, and a little spoiled. Coming home from that trip was a plunge back into life’s realities, both good and sad.

For Eli, this was the week of hats. On Sunday, he wore a hat to church that we had laying around the house. The hat my friend was making wasn’t due to show up until after Thanksgiving. He had been given a baseball hat, whichhe wore shopping with me, but he decided to wear the one we had for warmth.

Some friends noticed and brought by a hat. Later in the week, cousins and friends mailed him hats, each unique. Eli loves them all and spent the week wearing different hats, or no hat, depending on his mood.

One of my favorite things this week was not having to make dinner on Tuesday. A friend texted me asking if she could bring us dinner. I almost said no, but thought better of it, and accepted. It ended up being a particularly busy afternoon and evening. Various children had to be various places and my oldest daughter was at work, so I didn’t have her help. Not having to worry about feeding the family was a lifesaver. It wasn’t the first time someone took care of a meal, nor will it be the last time. I am grateful every time.

Because of a change in the day Eli receives chemo each week, we ended up not having an appointment during Thanksgiving week, for which I am grateful.