Venting

Dan and I seriously need a break, just the two of us.

Sickies.....We have passed around every kind of sickness non-stop since December. I'm hoping that after our most recent overwhelming bout of sickness we are done for a good long time.

So, two weeks ago my in-laws came up for a week. I cooked all but one night for everyone (cousins included). Bonnie and James went to California while we took care of Benjamin at our house.  Grandma and Grandpa Larry kept the two girls. That weekend Clara started us off with the stomach flu, poor baby. I got sick. Dan got sick. Abby started coughing Saturday night and after 3 days of a high fever I noticed PINK EYE, a first for us. I took her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with Pink Eye, Bronchitis (so grateful for albuterol!), a double ear infection, and STREP. HOLY Cow! My poor adorable Abby was so miserable. I broke down in tears several times just looking at her, it is hard as a parent to see your child so sick. Dan and I talked several times about how grateful we are to live in a time where medicine is so accessible to us. We kept her on tylenol and motrin for days until her fever finally broke. At one point I was telling Abby she needed to sleep, she didn't want to, and that sleep would help make her better. She replied, "No Mom, Jesus can make me better." With that I woke a very sick Dan to give her a blessing. She had an allergic reaction to the penicillin and we ended up back at the doctor the day after starting her on 4 different medicine. Taking all that medicine was hard on Abby at first, luckily I had some toys/treats hidden away and was able to bribe her into taking the breathing treatment, eye drops, "yucky" medicine, ect. 

BUYING...the frustrating, tiring, pull-out-our-hair search for a home. We have looked for 4 years now in VA, WV, and all over here in Maryland. Dan looks every night online for new options. We don't want to get in over our heads with a mortgage that has us worried about our monthly bills. I don't want Dan's commute to be more than it is now, an hour. We want enough backyard to let the kids run and play (I want a play-set, trampoline, and garden space :). My medical/dental bills continue to use up more savings than we would like and that will continue so we need to plan for it. Dan likes his job but is always looking for something else and closer to my family. Really, in the end, we just haven't found anything we feel excited about. Half a million dollars is a lot to pay for a home we already have outgrown or has no yard. We know we can't have it all and have really tried to see the best in each option we look at. Dan has asked to work from home 3 days a week, making a long commute doable, but his boss wasn't encouraging at all.
Last week we went and looked at a home that had us excited for the first time in a very long time. It was a ranch-style home but had a big walk-out basement and an AWESOME backyard. The downside was it only had 3 bedrooms. So, Dan made a second appointment and contacted a contractor to come take a look with us to figure out a 4th bedroom option. The contractor didn't show up. Dan set it up again and found out the home has an offer in on it now. We just keep hitting a wall when it comes to buying a home. This townhouse is running out of space for our family of six with no yard for an 8 year old boy to play!

I feel like Dan and I haven't had any time for us to just relax, laugh, have fun together, not stress over all the decisions or tiredness we feel. I'd love a week long getaway with him!

Now, after that negative DUMP I do need to write that we are amazed at the blessings our 4 kids are, Dan is so good at pointing that out daily! We are grateful for good friends and feel the blessing of the Lord as we serve in our church callings. It is SPRING, and we are hopeful for some good change that is headed our way.