on the mend

Our family has been on high alert these last two weeks.  My uncle David had two heart attacks and the world as we know it got knocked off it's axis temporarily.  With all the prayers and healing thoughts and love sent through the universe from family and friends, he is happily on the mend.  Last night he had his first solid meal in over a week.  The future looks very BRIGHT.

While all this was going on my body decided to revolt and strep throat took root.  Strep throat was as awful as I remember as a kid.  But, when you are a mama, there is just no time to be sick.  Jeff nursed me back to health by persuading me to eat after two days of self-imposed fasting.  He took over running the household. 

On Sunday afternoon there was finally relief after three days of not being able to swallow my own spit without pain.  The surprise snow that softly fell in the valley called me outside.  While Astrid was napping Skagit and I went skiing right from our driveway, down the road, to the equestrian park!  It was so wonderful.  Everything was muted and white, and there was that silence you only get when everything is right with the world.

Our outing sealed the ending of my sickness. 

It helped me, as it always does, remember to enjoy these very SMALL SMALL things in life that happen to be very very BIG...  The snowflakes landing on my red hot cheeks and nose ~ immediately melting then evaporating from the heat...  The look of sheer joy in my dogs eyes..body.. b.o.n.e.s. as she tears through the snow towards me, skin and flopping up and down almost in flow motion as she runs.  The sound of that new crisp snow under my skis... gliding.  I am WHOLE again.

Uncle David will feel the snow melt on his cheeks again!!  He's BACK!  Instead of fighting for his LIFE, he'll be fighting his way back through all the snow that fell in his yard once he gets well enough to get home to Maine.  Aunt Linda will also be able to again appreciate the SMALL things... soon...

The outting helped me remember Dad who died 7 years ago last week.  He loved these small things and so does my Mom.  They are the best examples of almost everything in my life.  I'm grateful for this close knit family I have and the friends who have become family here in Missoula.

Ahhhhhh...

Skag and I had to make a trip up Sentinel this week...

One of my favorite views.... the sexy slope.

This dollhouse has gotten so much use these last few weeks.  You never know who you will see and how it will be arranged if you turn and look at any given moment in the day.  We got some more furniture recently and all we need are some beds!

Do you see someone?

Skating:  We enjoyed a new adventure together this week.  Astrid and I along with some friends went to the Glacier Ice Rink's Youth skating hour on Tuesday.  I think it may be Missoula's best kept 'Winter activity' secret.  Besides one other boy and his Mama, we were the only ones there.  It was so cool.

Astrid and the gals spent most of their time on their knees getting used to the skates and the ice.  It was sort of comical and we shared lots of laughs.  I decided to wear hockey skates instead of figure skates since those spikes in the front always seemed to catch on the ice uncomfortably and thrust me forward.  I've done more roller-blading than ice skating since childhood and the hockey skates felt so natural to me....although, since it had been so long, I felt a little like Bambi!

Astrid and Ro Ro

Ro Ro was really getting the hang of it by the end of the hour!  I was impressed.

And Sofia was a rock star!  However, the one that I was most impressed with was my friend, Deidad (born and raised in Mexico!) who had never ever been on skates before.

I think we will be heading to the ice rink again, soon!