An Engagement!

February has been the month of -Flu 2008. It waltzed into our home for New Years and has been here ever since! Though I don't normally get sick this bug stuck to me like glue for four weeks! I am so glad to be feeling better.
Yikes, am I ready for spring. February brought much more than the flu thankfully. February brought a winter formal, winter camp (twice) and a snow trip which I missed because I stayed home with Six who...you guessed it, had the flu! Not that I minded at all, I am definitely the -I'll watch the hot chocolate and blankets while you all play in the snow kind.
February also brought us an engagement! Four of Eight is now engaged to her boyfriend (fiancée) Brandon, whom we adore, and wedding plans are in the air. Watching your girls (all my girls, Destiney) get dressed up in wedding gowns is a feeling like no other. All those years of playing dress up all lead up to this! Speaking of weddings, we are also planning my parent’s 5oth wedding anniversary for March. They moved out of the area about six years ago so Basque food is definitely on the menu. For those of you that have never had Basque food you don't know what you are missing! It is filling and the atmosphere lends itself well to family gatherings.
One of eight finally comes home in March for good! This is the real thing. He has been overseas eight times and each holiday has been overshadowed by the impending knowledge that there was a deployment looming somewhere ahead. Not this time! The only thing this man has asked for is a Thanksgiving dinner-which of course he missed being in Afghanistan - so I am putting on the fatted bird with all of the fixings. We will pass around the jar of Indian corn and share what we are thankful for. I am sure many of the answers will be the same. Thank you sweet Lord for bringing our, son, brother, husband, son-in-law, brother-in- law, and friend home!
I truly did try to keep the Christmas tree up for him too but the dog (the afore mentioned Border collie/ yard renovator) chewed through the string of lights. :(
I cannot put into words how thankful I will be to have One home and safe. Just seeing a soldier in uniform at the car wash last week turned me into a puddle. I know this is a homecoming many parents won't experience! My heart goes out to them, their lives will never be the same.
As February morphs into March, cold into warmth, frosty into flowers, I hope to savor each of these special moments and enjoy each one. Even the Flu of 2008 that slowed us down (way down) and helped us focus on serving each other.Blessings,