Christmas Time!

Tis the season! SO many things have happened since July 27! I'll give a very quick overview. Most of you know i got a case of shingles that turned into meningitis (an infection of the brain and spinal fluid) then that turned into encephalitis (an infection in the brain). I don't have memory of any of it. July 27 was the last day i remembered prior to falling ill. Long story short i went through a several trips to ER long hospital stay that included isolation from my children! I'm thankful to god i do not remember this! I then went home on a port with in home iv infusion. I then lost my right vestibular system function. The nerves that tell the right side of my body to be balanced and hear and were my body is in space were killed. They cant tell my brain any of that info. I have gone through vestibular rehab and i can now drive short distances and most important take care of my beautiful family again! We are so very lucky that i survived this illness as well as didn't come out 100% paralyzed. This is a very rare form the Dr's don't know much about or how to treat. So thank God for how blessed we are!! So that brings me to the part were i have to thank my entire family for the help they extended!! I may not remember it all but I'm so thankful to my parents, aunts, and Matt's mom! My amazing Grandparents!!!! My friends new and old! The awesome moms group who kept Matt well fed!! Without everybody pitching in I'm not sure how we would've gotten through it!?!? But the most important thanks must go out to my amazing husband for holding it all together!!!! This has strengthened our marriage in a way you cant imagine! He has taken care of me more then most couples in their 80's even have! I am so grateful I married such a strong caring man! I'm not sure how he did it, but i thank God each day that he did! We are still working through the after effects of the illness but by this time next year I'm going to be back running again and will be in the run the rock marathon! That's my goal! (that's what i was training to do when i got sick). while training i will find all the cancer runs i can to help support the ongoing battle my father has to fight and the battle my mother has fought with hers as well! So its going to be a good year! Jude is in mothers day out and will start primary next school year. It's crazy how fast they grow! Talula Pearl is growing and amazing us like crazy! She's 10 months old today!!!! She says "daddy" "no" and "uh oh". She's already trying to walk! We are looking forward to Christmas this year since Jude has a whole new outlook on Christmas and Santa! It will be so great!
I really cant say just how blessed and lucky we are! There have been so many "bad" things happen this year, but i feel with each bad thing comes a wonderful blessing! What we don't realize is how when things happen there are blessings that come from it, even if its not a blessing directly to us. Maybe it caused somebody your close to to receive it?! God works in strange ways! I can say that because it would be very very easy for me to be angry and bitter at the "cards" my family has been dealt. With my mom having gotten colon cancer, losing relationships that were once indestructible, my fathers cancer, my illness. All of these things could make me very angry or bitter at other people. But I choose to look at it different as i have seen blessings and lessons come from all of these things. So its hard to be mad, bitter, or jealous. I love my family so much and love my husband dearly. I'm so pleased with how my life has turned out! and this Christmas is such an important one to us! We are all together and that is the greatest gift of all!!! Ill see if i can post pictures. I'm on my iPad (Matt got it for my bday!!) so not sure if i can? :)
Merry Christmas!
Ok so the pictures show so much! Judes now in a big boy bed and Ive gone from hospital to taking a trip to NYC from my husband and parents to go see Marta and Jerm and got to see Pee Wee on Broadway!!! It was the greatest day EVER I built my own Muppet and went and saw Pee Wee!!!! BEST DAY EVER!
And I'm sure I'm leaving something out but I will end with introducing our newest family member Fletch! He is an 11year young cat that we adopted from the SPCA! He has thumbs and a personality that will win you over in about 2 seconds! He is a flawless fit for our family! We couldn't be happier! We have a couple health hurtles to jump but once we do he will be good to go!