Tis' the Season!

It's a beautiful blustery day outside and inside I've set up shop at my parents bar to write this quick post and attempt to work on the never ending research paper. This holiday weekend has been eventful for lack of a better word. Wednesday night Lydia and I had both finished Twilight and decided to go watch the movie. I started out fine as the film rolled on and as the plot thickened I began to feel a little woozy. I tried to put my nausea in the back of my mind but it never went away. Finally, about 30 min from the end, I jumped up, ran down the dark stairs and made it to the trash can in the hallway before I lost my dinner. I was convinced to see the end of the movie and I really did feel better so I went back to my seat and finished out the show. The feeling better didn't last though and I was sick every hour until about 4:00 am Thursday. As my family bustled around the kitchen I stayed in bed willing myself to keep down sips of 7UP. I joined the crowd at the table for the blessing and gave myself 1 scoop of potatoes that I never touched and quickly bid everyone farewell and settled in for a long nap. I was able to eat an apple and grilled cheese sandwich later that night and was back to myself by Friday morning just in time to partake in the Black Friday festivities.
Lydia chickened out so Mom and I ventured out into the rain down the interstate at about 5:15 and made it to Bass Pro right after they opened at 6:00. We were in search of Christmas gifts for a long list of family members and a new GPS for Mom and Dad. We meandered through the crowd and left there with much success just as the sun was coming up. The day after Thanksgiving provides a great sale on Yankee Candles so Mom was egar to visit Ellis Pottery and select her favorite holiday scents. With candles in tow we stopped by the mall to investigate a few of the items that Lydia had indicated on her Christmas list and then made stops at JC Penny, Kirklands, Target, Sams and Wal Mart, before making it home and unloaded at about 1:00 and crashed for a long afternoon nap. As we rushed around Shreveport I couldn't help but think, how materialistic does this make me look? Do these people around me see a greedy $3 towel, $10 sweater snatching worldly girl who lives for nothing more than a good deal and the newest and best? As Mom and I visited and laughed while we looked for the treasures that would bring a smile the faces of our most beloved family members, I was reminded of how much I love the spirit of giving that the holidays bring and it quickly added to the happiness and fun of the day. The Lord definitely blesses me through the selecting and giving to my loved ones. What a great blessing!
That night Collin, Melissa and baby Tessa visited from Abilene. Tessa opened her first Christmas gifts and we visited for hours and caught up on time together. I woke up Saturday to find out that Lydia had come down with the stomach issues that I had just been relieved of, but she seemed much worse. I spent the day running errands and going to a birthday party with my aunt only to come home late in the afternoon to Mom very anxiously caring for Lydia, who had developed severe stomach pain and hadn't held down anything in over 12 hours, discussing going to the hospital as it was obvious she was becoming dehydrated quickly. We loaded up and I drove the ill one and the worried mother into town. We got into a room surprisingly quick and they began iv fluids and after a selection of tests and a few nausea meds, she was diagnosed with ovarian cysts, which we've both had before, and of course the stomach virus, we departed for home at about 1:00 am.
Today we're keeping it low key. We skipped all church activities and slept in. Lydia is much better but still resting on the couch. We're fixing to begin the Christmas decor project and Dad and I just took down the large collection of tubs and boxes of family Christmas treasures. The garage currently looks like a small family has packed their belongings and the moving truck will arrive soon. The kitchen is also in full swing as we prepare one last holiday weekend meal for the Abilene visitors and others to enjoy tonight. Following those festivities I will load up the Lexus, just as I did a little over a week ago, and depart for Marshall in anticipation of finishing this semester. The research paper is still lingering, cleaning and packing must be done, hopefully I'll hear from the girl about the potential rental property, the work schedule will continue and I have signed up for one night volunteering at Santa's Workshop helping Marcy out. What an exciting time of year!