I’m Blessed

I hope all my US friends had a good Thanksgiving holiday.  We headed over to Knut’s parents, and joined the rest of family and had a pretty quiet day.  David wasn’t feeling well after the big feast.  He ended up getting sick, but just once.  We went home early anyway.  This sickness bug has not stung us like a bad bee sting, it’s more been like a gnat that just won’t go away.  Last night Solveig threw up randomly again.  She’s fine now.  Ingrid had a terrible cough last night, but we’ve been meaning to put up the humidifiers around the house since we started the wood fireplace for heat, and just haven’t yet. I got the one up in her room last night, and put the oil diffuser in the room as well for good measure.  This morning she hasn’t coughed once, and her voice isn’t cracking.  I’m hoping it was only a dry throat.

So no child has been sick for more than 4 hours, but a day or two later another one pops up with something.

That’s what’s been busy here on the frustration side.  Lots has been going on in the joy side too.  No kid has been sick for long.  We got our house decorated for Christmas, except the tree.  We haven’t gotten one yet.  We start our Advent readings at home today, and I couldn’t be more excited about that.  I’ve grown to love the Advent season, and the mental, spiritual, and physical “making room” for celebrating Christmas.

The Christmas baking will start very soon.  We had 4 enormous barrels of apples from our apple tree that we are storing down in the cold room in our basement.  They only last down there 2-3 months, so I’ve been meaning to get them more properly preserved for the year, and just haven’t had the time.  Saturday we did apples all day.  I made dehydrated apple rings for the first time.  I’m doing that again, because those are yummy!  I made several loaves of apple bread, and canned many quarts of apple sauce.  David was my big help all day that day as he was cranking apples through the apple corer/peeler for a long time.  Silje was out helping Knut finish up our wood pile for the winter.

David and I got through 1 entire barrel after that day long work, and it felt so good.  I was so sore afterward.  I’m living off of apple bread at the moment, and quite satisfied with that.  (The picture above is wheat bread, though, as we made some of that too.)

I’m not sure where I’m going with all of this.  I haven’t been blogging much as I’ve been working so much on Christmas preparations, and getting my family well.  I miss sharing what has been going on here.  Through all the sickness, and all the holiday and family times, through the good smells in the kitchen and the middle of the night baths for sick kids…I’m so thankful.  We are so blessed.  As my grandpa used to say, it’s an honor and privilege to care for sick kids.  The apples are a lot of work too, but I had 4 huge barrels of free food.  Advent preparations are work, but they have a lifelong impact.  I get to be a part of that.

I’m blessed.