"Wet With the Flu"

Well the last few days...24 hours really...have been action packed to say the least! On Tuesday, we received 8+ inches of rain. As we have now found out, the windows here have the potential to leak. The ones in our apartment did, along with about 40 others in the building. I really didn't think that this was such a big deal, but yesterday the moisture levels of the walls were measured and were high. So, to make a long explanation short, we were in need of some fans to dry out the walls. Industrial fans. We have 5 of these huge, noisy fans in our little apartment and one HUGE dehumidifier. :)

With the size of our family and # of fans we needed, we were offered to be put up in a hotel room until the apartment is dried out. We accepted and so last night we stayed at a hotel. Getting ready to go was a big adventure to me. I hadn't been feeling well all day, Brent was working until 9, we came home to all of the fans after our trip to the grocery store...so I had all of this stuff to put away... and I had 4 kids to pack for and at the same time 4 hungry kids to feed too! :) I called in reinforcements. My friend Jill came and played at the kitchen table (since there was no where else to go) with the kids while I packed and organized. This was a BIG help!

Brent arrived home about 9:30PM. Kids were in PJ's, bags were packed, sippies were full, Abby was fed, pack-n-play was folded so we loaded up the cart and then the car and were off. FYI: As I sit here typing it sounds like a small plane in our living room...you know when they start up the propellers/engine?? By the time we unloaded everything and got eveyone settled down and in there beds it was midnight. And boy was I tired!! Drew and Sam had one full bed and lizzy, Brent and I had the king sized one together. Abby had her pack-n-play.

My boys are always early risers. It doesn't matter what time they go to bed, they get up early. Well, they rose around 7:30 this morning (which for them is sleeping in:)) and lets just say I was not quite ready to be up...but once they were awake so were Abby and Lizzy. My boys were SO excited to be staying in a motel, so they grabbed a bagel we had brought with and headed back for bed to watch cartoons. Brent and I thought we would try to get the girls to go back to sleep. But before we knew it Lizzy threw up all over the bed. Yep, curdled milk...so cuddling with the girls/sleeping/relaxing was over in an instant...she has since thrown up/dry heaved about 12 more times....poor thing! I am pretty sure that I have the same thing, although I have not thrown up...just achey and tired.

So 8 hours after we settled in our hotel room, we began packing it all up again. We decided that fans and equipment and HOME would be a better place to have the stomach flu. Although, sincerely it is a challenge having this LOAD noise continually and being unable to get away from it. Lizzy has pretty much slept the entire day...between her times of getting sick.

So how are we? Pretty good actually. We are tired and weary and as I said I am not feeling well, but hanging in there! You could pray for our strength and for the rest of our family to stay well! I know one day we will say "Remember when we lived in that tiny apartment with 4 Kids and the fans and the stomach flu...". Excitement adds to memory...so I am going to say we've been given another good story.:)

And on this Good Friday I am thankful. I thankful to be here, I am thankful for the children I have been given to care for, I am thankful for my family, I am thankful that we have a home, food, pedialyte, friends, fans that can fix this problem, comfy beds and showers to wash off with!! I am also overwhelmed.

I am overwhelmed at the sacrifice that Jesus made. It is too much for me to fathom sometimes, that by faith in Jesus Christ my sins, all of my sins, have been washed white as snow. (Isaiah 1:18) I do not deserve it and I could not earn it...it is by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8) Grace sets you free. Thank you Jesus for paying the price for sin, so that all people from every nation, every tribe and every tongue may have the chance to be forgiven. (Rev 5:9) In Romans 3:23 the bible tells us that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". We are ALL in need of a Savior...his name is Jesus.

If you are reading this and have not yet trusted Christ as your Savior...in the words of Chuck Swindoll..."What in the world are you waiting for?"

"But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, And by His wounds we are healed."