Our weekend this past weekend started with a bang when my sweet hubby told me he took Friday off from work!

No better gift he could give to his wife – her love language is the gift of TIME.

I was SO excited! I would have danced! But we had company at that moment – so I danced on the inside instead!

Friday night was date night.

The BEST kind of date night.

The kind that starts BEFORE dark!

We had such a great time – and my voice returned just enough for me to tell my man everything I needed wanted to say!

This illness that has been hanging around here is SO finicky!

The littles showed no symptoms last week – but they slept a lot – which made it seem like they were fighting illness away!

When I went looking for Lane at dinner time on Sunday, I found him like this –

He had a fever and was not feeling good at all. Poor buddy.

By the time his eyes were open again late Monday morning, Chad was not feeling well and in bed.

The boys have runny noses now, but are back on their feet.

The littles, the bigs, and Blake have been spared so far.

I, on the other hand, ahem….will have a compromised immune system no matter what I do, me thinks.

BUT – I had a sweet friend who gave me some colloidal silver to take – and it is working WONDERS.

Thank you, Jesus!

I think I might have/had a smidge of pneumonia.

Instead of getting back to school like I had thought we would – this week we are resting.

Staying home.

Being together.

Even my guys could not get to work on Tuesday morning when we woke up to solid ice outside!

It has been so nice to just be still and enjoy these kiddos!

SO much I never want to forget!!

During dinner one night Tate said, “DAD!! I ate all my kitchen (chicken) so look at my knuckles (muscles)!”

SO close!! Good English buddy!!

We have been working a lot of puzzles, reading books, and watching shows!

SO thankful for this slow pace, but I did plan school for the next few weeks and have lots of fun things I am looking forward to!

So thankful, too, that this illness was so slight – even though I had to concentrate to take a breath sometimes!

It is below zero here in our neck of the woods, and the roads on this ridge are still covered in ice, with a thick layer of sand on top!

The furnaces, fire, and Kuerig are keeping us warm!

I think we will stay in a forced state of rest through the weekend!

I hope to spend some time reflecting on the past year, and praying over this coming year!

It’s 2017!!

The best is yet to come!!