{ Now, where to begin? }

Here I sit, on my bed with the tv on and the laptop on my lap and I'm sighing a big sigh of relief.

Relief because after many days of waiting, the tax return finally came through and I am able to enjoy a new bed. You don't really know how much you are in need of a new one until you wake up every morning with back and neck pain, until you realize that you haven't really been getting much sleep because you spend all night tossing and turning, trying to find that one comfortable spot in a sea of springs.

Ah but now I can not wait to go to sleep tonight, not just to try the new mattress but because I desperately need some rest. It's been two days, two whole nights since I've gotten more than an hour or two of sleep.....I've been sick, with a miserable cold that just lingers around shoving what seems like knives into my throat and using invisible fingers to pressure my sinus and make me gasp for air. See, I cannot sleep when my nose is congested, there is just no way around it, no breathing through my mouth....no sirree, that just won't do.

But to top it all off, my kids are yet again sick with colds. You know I would think there is something seriously wrong with us but everyone else around here is going through the same, it's like a vicious cycle that won't stop. The school kids are constantly sick with colds and ear infections and pneumonias, and they pass it amongst the students and teachers like they're handing out candy or some other great treat, then they get better but a week or two later, it's all back to the same. I blame the weather, or rather I just blame Arizona.

You may laugh and think that I'm being mean just because I don't like this place, but that's not it at all, I can honestly tell you that from the moment we moved to this base, I've been sick on and off and so have the kids and so have apparently a lot of the other families who have been assigned to the area. How sad is that?

I had both kids home today with fevers and runny noses. Jasmine seems to be doing much better than Nicholas, the poor kid is miserable as can be. We had gone to pick up some medicine when next thing I knew, Nic is hurling in the car and Jasmine is plastered to her door crying out "Eeeewwwww Ewwwww" while I'm throwing any bag I can to him in the backseat.

I can handle a lot of things but vomit is one thing that really bothers me. After pulling over and cleaning everything out, we came home and he pretty much climbed into bed. He's miserable, he is running a fever, he says his head hurts and he is just downright not happy at all. Which makes me miserable too, there is nothing more painful than watching your child unwell, it just cuts right to the heart strings doesn't it?

So it's back to school with Jasmine tomorrow but I think he'll be staying home, unless the fever is gone, then he's going too. I absolutely hate having them miss school but there's times I have to put that feeling aside and do what is best for them.


It's this crazy weather and the constant rain we've been getting...I'm certain of it!

So as much as I can say that it hasn't been easy for me and the family the past few days, I can also say that we're fine, we're getting through it and we're still here which is what matters. You put one foot in front of the other and you persevere.

Both kids are asleep and I'm going to take this opportunity to pay some bills and use the Tax Return for good. You know we are extremely lucky and blessed in that we have no debt. There are no credit cards or loans or mortgages we have to worry about and other than my car payment every month, the only other bills we have are the usual phone and cable. So, whatever money we get from the IRS is usually used to replace things in the house or for a vacation.

I thank the Lord that we are so blessed!

And with that my dear friends, I plan to close off this post. My wonderful new mattress calls my name, and who am I to ignore it?

Have yourselves a wonderful and restful night and I'll see you back here tomorrow, where I'm sure I'll have something more exciting to chat about.