Grateful Sunday

I'm trying to remain optimistic since I don't see any light at the end of this fever virus tunnel. I'm sitting here wrapped in a blanket, freezing even though our AC is set at 78. Not good. I don't want pity, just be glad you don't live in our neighborhood. It's really going around. But anyhow, this Sunday, I'm grateful for:

• a well-stocked kitchen. Neal has been stopping at the convenience store to pick up milk and bread for about 2 weeks now. This arrangement was no longer sufficient, so Audrey and I slipped out while the sickies slept yesterday and went to the real grocery store. Our cart was full (I needed a running start to get it moving by the end), and our bill was high, but what a blessing to have food to eat and food to spare, especially since it's now officially Hurricane Season.
• the one perk of having a sick 9-month old: when his fever returns, he feels so unwell that he'll actually sit still and put his head on your shoulder and just let you hug him. The little Mama's boy has even been napping on Neal. Neal really, really likes that part.
• my ample house. You'd think that spending this much time indoors with my kids not feeling like playing outside would make me totally crazy, but our house is just big enough that we can spread out and have our own quiet space. After 7 years of our family living in an apartment, space is such a luxury.
• one more week before we go to California and Hawaii. We leave next Monday, and if we were leaving tomorrow, I would be seriously stressed out about traveling with these guys alone. I think Audrey is the only one in good enough shape to go anywhere, and she can't pull 4 suitcases. But I am fully confident that we will all be healthy and full of energy by NEXT Monday.
  

Goals for the week:

1. Figure out the suitcase situation. It's going to be really tricky.
2. Spend time with my BFF, Natalie, since she is MOVING really far away while I'm gone. I know, she's got a lotta nerve, that girl. :)

*speaking of Natalie, she took the above picture at a little party we had for her and Jay's going away. It was a lovely evening, but the images she captured of me at that party caused me to run out to my hairdresser yesterday and chop a good four inches off my hair. It was way too long.