Being thankful

There are times when you have to be hit in the face to remember what great friends and family you are blessed with. I guess it has been one of those weeks. Over a week ago a close friends granma died suddenly and several of her close friends helped all week doing anything we could. We helped with kids and the funeral luncheon and clean-up. Nothing big, but her family was especially grateful. I knew she would do the same for me, if ever I needed it. Well, the day of the funeral my face started to swell. I had had a small sore than wasn't healing. By Friday night it was bad enough I asked a PA friend to look at it. He immediately called in a strong antibiotic, since I am highly prone to pretty bad staph infections. It was worse on Saturday and by Sunday I couldn't eat, or open my mouth except for a straw. So Thomas took me to the ER. The kids were happily taken by Klings to church and for however long we needed them to stay. They got a culture to have tested and put me on 2 more antibiotics and some vicodin. Then told me not to move around, stay on my vicodin, often and not to talk to much, so it won't spread. I looked at her and started crying. I have 4 kids, 3 in school, a 4 year old and I'm not suppose to drive or move for 3 days, yah right. So I called my mom crying, and I didn't even have to ask. I told her what was happening and she was on the road within 30 minutes with Breanne. My friends all realized something was wrong when my kids were at church with Klings, and the phone calls started coming in that afternoon. But since I wasn't suppose to talk, word got around and lots of help was offered. Bread was dropped by, Broc played with friends for a day. It took 3 full days for any relief to come, but finally by Tuesday afternoon it started to feel better. The culture came back as a rare staph bacteria, the same one I got this summer on my leg. I still have a very hard ping pong sized ball in my face, but the swelling and pressure on my ear, jaw and gums has gone. It is times like these that I am so grateful for the close family that I have. I know I have a wonderful family and great friends, and it means so much to us to know they are there when we really need them.
The kids were great for granma and Breanne. Chey helped out a lot getting the girls ready for school. K&K brought me anything I asked for and happily warmed up my heat pack, as often as necessary. Broc enjoyed the time with granma and Aunt Brea, and gave me lots of very soft kisses. I may have joked about my couch Nazi's a few days ago, but I am grateful my mom and Breanne made me rest. I know I wouldn't have without being forced too. It is shocking how exhausted my body got trying to fight an infection on my face. My whole body feels like I've been beat up and it is not wanting to move. I am still very tired and my arm really hurts, only from the tetanus shot, YUCK!! Thomas felt bad he couldn't be of more help, but due to his changing companies next week, he had a job he promised to finish before he left Willis electric. The change will be good, but the new company, Merick Electric is working 60+ hour weeks right now. It will be a good move for us, and the hours aren't anything we aren't used to. But the opportunity to be able to afford insurance for me was something we couldn't pass up. Merick has great insurance and we can actually afford it, so I feel very blessed. Thomas is the hardest working man I know and Merick is lucky to have him. He is a very highly regarded man in his profession. When some of the contractors he has done work for found out he was changing companies, they asked for his personal number so they can come back to him for future work. They went through Willis to get Thomas to do their job, and want him back for more. It gives us hope that the company we hope to start in a year or so will do well.
Again, thanks mom and Breanne for helping me get better, it never would have happened so fast if it wasn't for you. I love you and can't say thanks enough.