Vistors leave, a bout of tummy bug and a birthday poem

Well the last of my visitors left on Thursday morning. It was a great time. As always, hanging out with firends does good to the soul. Now it´s time to get back into a normal rythmn and catch up on things that were left undone while one enjoys the guests!

This is not a space module or far away planet, but a microscopic view of the winter"vomiting bug" that is sweeping over Europe.

Of course life wouldn't be normal if not affected by the local and foreign germ colonies and our house was no exception! A tummy germ aftected most of our inhabitants ...except for me and son nº 2!!! So that always keeps you on your toes! Especially for No 3 as she missed alot of school with "sever´s disease" last semester which put her behind a bit. This time I wanted to anticipate that and so I went to the school to pick up homework for her. I felt sorry for her because it´s so hard to concentrate when you have been throwing up and you know...the other end too! It always seems unfair to me that you have to do that when you are feeling yuk ...but hey there was no other way to keep up. She was a real trouper though... and we didn´t miss a beat and are still on top!

This is a big Birthday month in my house... 3 to be exact... The first is my dh on the 25th.

The nice thing was that on the very day the kids had no school and so we were able to go out to eat lunch all together after a nice long lie in!

It´s always a challenge to find a suitable present for my honey, and even more so when finances are tight. I wanted to do something special and decided on some prose.... Would you like to see it? Is that a yes I hear??? Okay... here it comes....

What you are to me….

You are like the sunshine in my garden
The morning dew on fields of green

Like the fragrance of freshly cut grass
You bring out the best in me

You are the moonlight in my darkest night
Forcing my fears to take their flight

You are the peacefulness that reigns at dawn
Shedding rays of colour on my way
The calming breeze on a summer’s day

You are the constant, steadfast rocks
Amidst the roaring seas of change

Oh handsome and brave stallion
How I love to ride with thee

How could I not love thee?




By AjB
Birthday 2008

So that´s what I have been up to during my absence. I continue to hold on to the Lord in the midst of present trials. Some prayers take years to get answered.... I am learning the art of holding on and not being like a spoilt child who doesn´t get want she wants when she wants. I am learning to draw nearer, nearer than before... to continue to believe and hope and to look for God in unexpected places.

More visitors!

As of tomorrow I will be having more visitors so I will be busy again for a couple of days! Maybe that is why I got soooooooooo inspired today.... the creative juices were flowing to make up for the silence that will come!

For those of you visiting the blog to see my family pics...just keep going down... I added a few more posts right after I did that and that is why they are not at the top!!!

Sever´s Disease, Visitors and a Wedding

What do all these things have in common? My life these past three weeks!!!

What is Sever´s Disease?

It started two weeks ago with visits to the doc for Nº 3's heel that was getting worse rather than better. She had been using crutches for over a month! After several visits to the pediatrician, 2 visits to the hospital and 3 different diagnosis.. we now fianlly found the real problem. She has Sever´s Disease.

It sounds bad, but in laymans terms it is called the growing disease. The bones grow at a faster rate than the surrounding muscles, tendons etc thus causing tension and lots of pain. It seems that this tends to happen to active children, but not always. It´s like acne I guess..some get it and some don't but we all pass through puberty ! The heel bone is the first bone to finish growing and often is one that causes most issues, although it can happen in the knees too. The good news is that it isn´t serious, the bad news is there is nothing they can do except to give anti-inflammatories and time!!!! Like until she is 15!!!!!!

It was thought at one point she had a calcuim build up of sorts that was rubbing against the bone. This would have needed to be removed surgically. So emotionally, we have gone up and down... plus all the time running around to docs and hospitals and waiting for hours has been very draining.

Visitors

Due to the wedding we were excited about having family and friends visit on their way to the wedding which was taking place in Sevilla. This implied of course cleaning up and preparing for them so that their stay would be as enjoyable as possible.

A WEDDING!

My dearest Sister-in-law was getting married ! Yahoo! We are all so excited that this long awaited event had finally arrived! All dressed up to the hilt and enjoying a wonderful celebration of their vows under the beautiful Seville Sun in the heart of Andalucia, Southern Spain! Fotos to come!

That wonderful thing called: Family

Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts.

~Author Unknown

When I read this quote this morning I just knew it was the right one to get me going on that promised page about my families´visits.

As I have said, this past month has blessed us with family visits from East and West, from the United States and the wonderful Isle of Guernsey, plus an impromptu visit to Sevilla to surprize my wonderful Mother-in-Law (careful...she´s probably reading this!!!!) for her 61st birthday.

We went on Sat 5:00am and returned Sunday 8:30pm!

Family from the Sates (finally some more offspring into the family fold that doesn´t come from me!!!) arrived Tuesday afternoon, just 2 days after we came back from the Barnabas Retreat. But the work was made light, by the height of excitement that engrossed us. We had seen our new niece during our "flying visit" to L.A./Hawaii in Feb, but no-one else of the Clan had seen her, including obviously our kids - so this was the first time!

There was/is definitely an "invisible, innate connection" to family that covers time and distance, because my kids were "instantly chummy" with the new niece and she with them. There were no tears, just smiles and hugs, and more smiles and hugs plus the fights as to who would hold her next and, "Can I take her to my room now?".

Here's a few pics...

Family:

A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space,

the children with outer space,

and the mother with closet space. ~Evan Esar

Already on Friday morning the US part of the clan packed up our car to drive down to Sevilla to meet Opa and Omi for the first time. We followed the next morning to suprize Omi (the best mother in law in the world!!!)for her birthday...which was a complete success ..thanks Sudie! The look on her face when we walked into the Kitchen was worth a million Euros! We had a wondeful meal in a fantastic restaurant... boy, isn´t Sevilla beautiful!

Sunday morning we dedicated the new niece to the Lord, in the Church. The proud Opa and Pastor lead us all in that very intimate and important moment in family life. Love you Opa...you´re the best!

The next day we drove back up leaving the rest of the family to savour the recently arrived visitors from Colombus´s New World. My sister in law did a great job tackling the challenges of jet lag with a small baby and adjusting to new foods and the like and it was fun also to have chats into the early hours ..burning our candles at both ends to soak up every last minute together!

Meanwhile, we arrived back to Guadalajara, within a few hours to prepare before the arrival of the "My side of the family Clan" and added couple from Guernsey. Having already entered into the our group dynamics, there had to be a change in gears (and language!!) for the British subjects about to come. I actually do find myself somehow changing gear internally, as the reality of cultures washes in and out of the house like the tide on the shore.

Having my Mum and her sister around was really fun as well as an interesting phenomenon to observe of sisterhood in latter years !!! (now there's a book right there) The other couple that came with them, (this is their 2nd visit)work with the Salvation Army and have been a great comfort to my Mum when my Dad was ill and then passed away.

This group was all over 65, so they were "guinea pigs" for my studies! They make a very different type of guest, with very different needs. I had to constantly remind them all to drink enough water..they subsequently baptized me with the title doctor Ally!

Their visit was made up of cultural outings, shopping, eating around the table together and best of all: fresh bread with Guernsey butter! Hmmmmmmmmm! My Aunty made an Indian meal and a Traditional English Christmas Cake (which I am continuing to soak regularly in a secret ingredient!!!). We had a fantastic BBQ with the combining of both clans....now that was something! In the midst of this I also hosted an american couple and met Lyn and June.

When our relatives are at home,we have to think of all their good points or it would be impossible to endure them -

Gordon Bernard Shaw

It´s great to have family and be with family, but it is good to settle down again. I did next to no studying so now I have to catch up...but it was definitely worth it! Here are a few final quotes about families... I think you will enjoy them!

The informality of family life is a blessed condition that allows us to become our best while looking our worst. ~Marge Kennedy

If the family were a fruit, it would be an orange, a circle of sections, held together but separable - each segment distinct. ~Letty Cottin Pogrebin