Trying not to curse the darkness....

I'm going to be lighting candles today, both figuratively and literally. I forgot to light the advent candles, and I need to remember to let my light shine brightly within me.

This weekend I learned my parents will not be coming down for their holiday visit. It pains me my parents have all this other stuff going on and its gotten in the way of allowing them to visit with us. However, I do worry about them and want them to slow down.

On the way to DH's birthday dinner, we had planned on stopping downtown to look for Domo. The store is smack dab in campus central, lots of one way streets, no parking. I thought DH could drop me off and drive around the block and pick me back up. Right after realizing I was lied to on the phone, (no Domo), DH calls my cell phone in a panic, too much traffic, too much ice and snow. I drop the stocking stuffers in my hand and head out the door to meet DH at the pick up point. I'm left wondering where my easy, fun loving, sense of humor husband has gone to.

Supper was great, once the waiter finally found our table. He more than made up for it keeping our beverages re-filled, giving us a free appetizer and a free dessert!

I was brought back down later yesterday evening when I learned a local boy lost his cancer fight. He shared the same name and age as my DS8 so it hits close to home. I can't imagine losing a child like this, and so close to Christmas.

DS12 woke up around 2:00a.m. having to vomit. He hasn't done this in a long time. He doesn't have a flu bug. We think its a Chiari thing. Years ago he would always wake in the middle of the night to throw up. I heard many people living with a Chiari malformation have this symptom and sometimes it means you have pressure problems in your spinal fluid. As it turns out, we have a doctor's appointment today. I don't know if he'll order another MRI or not. Because DS12 doesn't suffer very many symptoms, I'm not in a rush to do brain surgery.

Today I'm really going to try and count my blessings, not stress the small stuff, and squeeze my children has much as possible.