So Very Grateful...

It is good to be home. I've found myself a bit teary today as I've reflected on everything that has happened in the past few weeks. It's been a day of roller-coaster emotions, but there is one particular feeling that always seems to separate from all of the others and floats to the top of my list: GRATITUDE.


--I am so grateful to my aunt (who is a nurse at the ER) and our friend who both called Greg Thursday night (perhaps they were inspired?) and told him he needed to go back to the ER. The doctor had told us Tuesday in the ER that he had the c-diff infection and was going to be "really sick and miserable" for a few days until the antibiotics finally kicked in. He was "really sick and miserable" all day Thursday and he kept telling me he was. I finally told him he was going to have to "toughen up" (I'm awesome, I know) and he would feel better in a few days. At the urging of my aunt and our friend, I took him back to the hospital Thursday night.

--I am most thankful they took blood cultures Thursday night in the ER. Ultimately, those cultures saved his life. If they had discovered the blood infection even one day later, our outcome may have been much different.

--Greg is young, strong, and otherwise healthy. Even when he was in the most critical condition, his vitals were good which gave us hope and made it easier for them to operate. The doctor and nurses kept telling me, "His vitals are good and he's young and strong. He can pull through this."

--I am so thankful for the priesthood blessings Greg received and our faith that helped me to feel peace and maintain my composure, even when I was really scared.

--We had so many wonderful doctors and nurses who not only took exceptional care of Greg, but showed genuine concern for our whole family as well. Thank heavens for modern medicine and antibiotics!!!

--We have the most wonderful family and friends who sacrificed greatly to take care of me and our kids. My wonderful family would bring Abby to the hospital so I could still nurse her and stay close to Greg. Garrett was greatly spoiled during this time. He's happy to be home, but I think he's recognizing his normal life is quite boring in comparison to all the fun he had while his daddy was in the hospital. While he was eating breakfast this morning he told me, "I want to go to a party today."

--I had a follow-up appointment for my broken leg last Wednesday. The doctor took an x-ray and was amazed at how well it was healing and I was doing. He said it was "remarkable" and told me that most injuries like mine would require a person to be in a walking boot for 6-8 weeks. After only 2.5 weeks, he moved me out of the boot and into a brace. I can't even describe how thrilled I was about this and how much easier it has made it to care for Greg and the kids. I think we may have experienced a little miracle. :)

--I haven't had to cook a meal since we returned home from the hospital. A friend, neighbor, or family member has shown up with something delicious for us every night at dinner time. We've even had lunches and treats delivered as well. They have been unexpected and so greatly appreciated! A friend called me from our Church and told me she had arranged to have meals brought into our house for another week. I really could cook our own meals, but it so nice to not have to worry about it and we are so grateful.

--My brother and his wife volunteered to stay with us for a few days and help with the kids while we are getting back on our feet. Not only are they great with Garrett and Abby, but they also clean, take out the garbages and do anything else they can think of to make life easier for us.

--Our neighbor showed up late Saturday night to bale our hay that had been swathed and was sitting in the field. We heard noises outside our window early this morning and looked out to see a group of young men from our neighborhood working in the field and hauling the hay. Greg and I were teary as we watched these boys work quickly and cheerfully. Surely these teenage boys had better things to do on a hot summer morning, but instead they were here and we were almost overcome with gratitude.

--Another neighbor (who is still recovering from a serious farming accident) showed up this morning to check on Greg and wanted to know if he could take Garrett for a ride on his tractor and to work on his farm for awhile. Garrett was THRILLED and was running around the house like a CRAZY man trying to find his socks, shoes, and hat. The kid LOVES tractors and couldn't get out the door fast enough.


While it has been a difficult couple of months with Greg being so sick and the last few weeks were especially rough, I am grateful for this experience. It has humbled us and helped us to remember what truly matters in life. It seems as though our words are kinder, our touches are more tender, our prayers are more sincere, and we recognize the good things more and the bad things less. I smile every time I hear Garrett's little footsteps wrecking havoc in our house and I can't get enough of Abby's squeals. Every time Greg smiles at me, I feel like I'm going to melt with pure joy. I wake up multiple times a night to "make the rounds" and make sure everybody is healthy and okay. I snuggle in close to Greg (as close as I can without hurting him) and always fall back asleep with a prayer of gratitude that he is there, close to me and full of life.

Life is sweet, and we are so thankful for it.