A few words of thanks and a brief recap of the weekend that almost was

First of all, let me preface this post by admitting that I am on drugs. A cocktail of them. I hope I am taking them correctly, but there is a chance that my vision is blurred and what says every four hours may look like "keep taking me til you feel better!" I am probably kidding about that last part.

Thursday night, in the middle of family movie night, I began to feel that suspicious tickle in my throat. No amount of attempted clearings seemed to help, and by Friday morning I was feeling like death . . . 101.7 fever, throat on fire, body aches like I had been in a prize winning fight, cold chills that no amount of layering or hot showers could cure. I was officially sick. And my mommy was in Houston for a wedding. THANKFULLY SCHOOL WAS OUT!! Yes, you read that correctly. While most moms would long to be sick on a day when their clan is mostly occupied, I had a secret weapon . . .

This precious, wonderful, too good to be true angel brought me hot tea, diet dr. peppers, crackers, videos, and even a sweet note that basically said I deserved to be cared for like I care for them when they are sick. I would've cried, but I was too dehydrated. Even better than caring for me, she ran a tight ship with the other 3. They were fed, changed, napped, and out of my hair all day. She unloaded and reloaded the dish washer and picked up the living room. And when I stumbled back to bed from the kitchen at one point and told her I couldn't have survived the day without her, she said, "No problem. You know, this really isn't that hard."

I was too sick to decide whether or not I should feel threatened.

This weekend was huge for me. We have some very dear family friends that we have been close to literally since the infancy and toddlerhood of us childrens. The Richards clan and the Bruns clan have made many memories together from the hood of Batesville, AR (what, what Pioneers!!) to our many trips to Sikeston, MO where Cory and I would "smoke" toothpicks and drink our "brandy" (aka, Mr. Pibb in hotel glasses) and call each other darling to Six Flags trips where Scott may have taken a few curves too fast and we may have thrown up all over the Subaru and Petit Jean camping trips and countless other times spent together.  They are more like family than just friends. Cory and I are a year apart and fought like sisters for many years until the fighting melted away and we were just like sisters. Neither of us could hold it together at the other's wedding. We both sobbed uncontrollably. This weekend, her little brother, Jay, got married. I clearly remember him being born. And you know what else I remember about him? He wasn't a typical annoying little brother. He has always been such a sweet guy.

The weekend presented a dilemma because Caroline had a dance competition in Hot Springs and wouldn't finish in time for all of us to make it to Houston. Josh and I decided that I would go alone and fly out Saturday after I got Caroline all gussied up for her dance. Here is where another shout out goes: THANK YOU, MANDY JACKSON, FOR CARING FOR MY DANCER IN THE MIDST OF ALL YOUR DANCE CRAZINESS!!

Once we got all the details worked out, I could hardly believe my luck. I would fly alone to Houston where I would arrive in time to hang out before the wedding, sleep ALONE IN A HOTEL ROOM (I love Josh and my kids, but sometimes a girl gets excited about a king size bed all to her self and total control of the remote), enjoy sweet times with old friends and then a fun ride back with my parents.

The best laid plans of mice and men.

I flew to Houston alone and was excited that they didn't have to ask me to leave the flight because of my uncontrollable coughing. (Hot tea and back to back halls cough drops.)

I felt decent and hung out with my mom, Cory, her mom (also, Becky), and two of Cory's good friends who were doing hair and make-up for them.

I started getting chilled and feeling questionable around 4:30. By the time we left for the wedding at 5:30, I had a bad feeling, but remained optimistic.

Half-way through the wedding, I ran out coughing and choking and kind-of sicker than I wanted to admit. I was shivering and chattering and coughing and aching and had to go back to the hotel and miss what I heard was an incredibly cool and delicious wedding reception.

So, congratulations, Jay and Merideth! The wedding was beautiful!!

Now I am back home. Still running fever. Still coughing. Still aching. (Maybe a tad bit feeling sorry for myself.) But nothing will stop me from getting my 4 sweet Valentines their V-Day donuts. (Except maybe the afore mentioned drug cocktail, but I am probably fine to drive. Or maybe Caroline can.)

Thanks to my Valentine for sucking up his own icks this weekend and treating our princess to a very special night at the Daddy-Daughter Sweetheart Ball and taking such good care of everyone and our house while I was sick in Houston.

Happy Valentine's Day!!