Grateful Friday

I have a lot to be grateful for this morning.

I am grateful to be home!  

We drove to Fallon yesterday morning early for the surgery.  If you need surgery, go to Fallon.  They were so great.  Everyone was very kind and seemed so competent and efficient.  After the surgery I went to Walmart for my mom's prescription while they were removing her midline.  We hit the road with crackers and applesauce and ginger ale, but she didn't really have much nausea.  We stopped in Winnemucca for gas and an XL Diet Coke for me and a small Coke for my mom.  We ate ham and cheese sandwiches from the cold case and kept going.  We listened to our second Come Follow Me podcast of the week and I kept hitting the pause button to make comments.  

It's a lot of fun to listen to podcasts with me....

We got to Starr Valley around 4:30.  My dad and I unloaded everything and I used the bathroom and then kept going.  I called Adam when I was getting close to home and needed someone to talk me along.  It was exhausting, but I did it and I am grateful!

I am grateful for Adam and Emma keeping the home fires burning and taking care of Mark when he was sick.  He encamped in our bed and I felt sorry to not be there to take care of him but also grateful that Adam and Emma were there to do it.  

I am grateful Mark is feeling better.

I am grateful for Christmas music playing in our house right now and that I have plans to decorate this weekend.

Except I sort of feel like I was hit by a truck today so I'm going to take it slow.  I think it's a let down of yesterday's adrenaline and my body is thinking, "OK, you can relax now, so just chill."

I'm grateful for phone calls from Braeden.  His sunny voice is what I need any time of any day.  And QE in the background saying, "Nana!  Bus Bus!" is about the best thing in my life.  (No, if she were here in person that would be better.) I sing The Wheels on the Bus to her as many times as she wants.  Braeden said she has a one track mind, but I'm here for it.

I'm grateful that my mom's surgery went well yesterday.  She is such a trooper.  I'm sorry to say to my children that there's no way I would be that complacent and uncomplaining if it were me.  I'm grateful I got to spend so much time with her this week.  Braeden asked me, "When is the last time you spent that much one on one time with your mom?"  I think never.  There were always siblings around and as much as I love time with my siblings, it was great to just be with my mom.

I will always remember praying with her.  I will always remember how kind she was to literally everyone we came in contact with.  I will always remember her undaunted courage squaring her shoulders and walking into every appointment with the same can do attitude she has had my whole life.

Can do is basically her entire personality.

We met with her doctor Wednesday afternoon and she pulled out her paper and said, "I have some questions."

He said, "I would fall off my chair in surprise if you didn't."

Wednesday night she called the front desk at the hotel to locate a fellow patient who was also staying at the hotel.  She hadn't seen her for a few days and wanted to check on her.  We met her in the lobby to visit.  This other lady is from Texas and there alone for her cancer treatments.  My mom mostly listened to this lonely and chatty lady and it was such an inspiration.  When we were going back to our rooms, they hugged and my mom said, sincerely, "I love you."

I can't imagine the high fives my siblings and I gave each other in heaven when we found out we were going to have her as a mother.