February 2018

We kicked February off with the flu. Jacob picked up the virus at school and kindly shared with us at home. His symptoms started on Super Bowl Sunday, and Lydia followed the next day. She woke up Monday morning with a scary high fever, so we headed straight to Urgent Care.

Lydia tested positive for Flu A and strep. She was pretty miserable, and to make things even worse, the Tamiflu made her vomit. Since we really needed to keep the amoxicillin in her system to treat her strep, we quit the Tamiflu.

Jacob also tested positive for Flu A, but thankfully no strep for him. I wasn't tested, but I'm certain I had the flu, too. It was a very long week filled with doctor's appointments, little sleep, and lots of coughing. Its challenging to care for two sick children anytime, but having the flu myself made it even worse. Scott did what he could, but the kids only wanted me. (Being popular isn't all its cracked up to be!) Meme stayed with us all week and slept in Jacob's room to care for him when he woke up during the night. And my sweet friend, Julie, brought us dinner and a care package one evening. We have the best friends and family!

It was so nice to see smiles on these sweet faces by the weekend. I'm so thankful we're well again and didn't have any complications. Being sick certainly makes you appreciate being healthy!

February kept handing out the punches...

On February 12th, my Grandpa passed away. A couple of weeks prior, he fell at home and was in a rehab center following a stay in the hospital. All things considered, he was doing fairly well. However, I received a text from my dad the morning of the 12th saying he was unresponsive and had very low blood pressure. My dad told us we should prepare for the possibility that he would not recover. He passed away peacefully that night.

The rest of the week was a bit of a whirlwind. Since the receiving was scheduled for Wednesday and the funeral for Thursday, we didn't have much time to figure out and rearrange schedules, but we made it work. Thankfully, Meme and Ms. Toni were able to help us cover childcare so Scott didn't have to take off two whole days from work (he had already taken days the previous week while we were all down with the flu). My brother and I headed out Wednesday afternoon and returned the next night. Our (quick!) time in Kentucky was bittersweet. It was so sad to say good-bye to Grandpa, but it also ended up being a very special time with family. It was comforting to grieve, as well as laugh, with those to knew and loved him best.

While my heart is broken, I'm so grateful for the beautiful, honorable life he led. He was truly the strongest, yet most tender man I've ever known. He loved Jesus deeply and his family unconditionally. I'll miss his sweet smile and the way his eyes lit up when he held my babies. I'll miss the way he called me "Caroline" and the way he always cleaned his plate. I'll miss the way he still reached for my grandma's hand after 64 years of marriage, and the way he teared up every time he prayed over our family. We'll find our new normal, but it just won't be the same without him.

Leslie "Les" Guier

May 3, 1933 - February 12, 2018

Valentines Day fell in the mist of all the funeral-traveling chaos, but I still managed to snap a few sweet pictures of the kids. And Jacob was able to get his fill of Valentine's Day festivities at school.

I think God knew we needed a little pick-me-up after a rough couple of weeks. We enjoyed some gorgeous spring-like weather towards the end of February. We had a week full of sunshine and time in the yard. The kids practically lived on the play set and we got a head start on prepping the garden.

A few other pictures from our February...

And in other news, Lydia's babies are learning to crawl!