Things I have learned this week.........

So for those of you who are not on facebook and do not know ALL the happenings of the past two weeks, here is a brief summary:

Two weeks ago we decided to take a "surprise" trip to North Carolina for an engagement party for CJ Bowen. We stayed with our friends the Ferguson's. We left on a Sunday after church, went to the party on Monday evening and came home on Tuesday. While there, early Tuesday morning Abby decided to throw up (well not really her decision). Came home and all seemed well until Claire decided to throw up two days later. We washed lots of hands, clothes, bathrooms, door knobs and had hoped we had avoided it. In the mean time we were getting ready to leave yet again for vacation to Tennesse and also for Brian to perform a wedding while we down there. All seemed fine until Sunday night Isabelle started throwing up and then ran a fever all day Monday thus delaying our vacation. We sucessfully made it to Tennesse on Tuesday and had a good day on Wed of swimming and then again Thursday morning. And then Samuel started throwing up. I also felt bad in the process though my problems were down south! A few hours later Abby started throwing up also. Friday morning we awoke with both of them running fevers and Brian having the same issues I was and he stayed in bed most of the day. Fortunately he was able to make it to the wedding Saturday- of which Isabelle was the flower girl. So what have I learned? The following:

#1- Isabelle is the best vomitter in the house. She got to the bathroom in time and stayed low to the toilet! Samuel also did well, though he is a hollar puker- meaning it makes you nauseated just listening to him! Isabelle did stomp and kick the whole time but kept her face where it needed to be!

#2- Abby is the worst puker of the bunch. She panics and is so grossed out by the whole process that she stands and tries to shoot it into the toilet thus leaving me an ENTIRE bathroom to clean! At one point this week I watched Brian take her down just to spare me the process of cleaning everything yet AGAIN!

#3- Moms rarely get time to be sick. There is ALWAYS someone to take care of and who else is there to do it?

#4- God's plans are not our own! This is now the second vacation that has been postponed due to illness- you would think we would stop taking trips by now!

#5- I'm thankful to have a doctor in the family. We were able to take some phenergan on the road with us which meant we were able to medicate our children while away from home. It also meant several calls to my father-in-law which he patiently answered for us!

#6- ALWAYS travel with Clorox wipes, paper towels, and plastic grocery bags!

#7- there are several strains of stomach viruses- we have now had 2 of them!

#8- I have NEVER been so glad to be home as I am at this very moment- being sick is bad, but is even worse when you are away from home. That poor condo will NEVER be the same!

Somehow this week Claire has avoided getting the second round of everything, thanks be to God!