Life Abundantly: Christmas Recap

Our Christmas was definitely one I will never forget. It was one of the best, but it was also one of the worst. With the death of Anthony constantly in our minds, it was hard to enjoy anything going on around us. But at the same time, Eliana and Harper are both at such fun ages, their love for all things Christmas helped brighten our spirits!

Harper and Eliana had such a great time together. This is the first time that they've really played together! And of course, the 3 husbands had a great time together too! They really are so ridiculous... but they keep us laughing, so we're thankful for that! It is so great that they get along so well. They are constantly making up games, pretending to be a band, or playing catch phrase (their personal favorite!). I'm thankful my sisters both married such great guys... and that Corby gets along so well with them! Christmas day was full of both joy and sadness. The Riggans were supposed to come over for Christmas dinner, so it was hard thinking about why they weren't there. Christmas will never be the same for them, and that makes me so sad!

Other than being with the Riggans and celebrating Christmas, we dealt with sick little girls. Eliana was the first to get sick. She thankfully went to the doctor on Monday and got an antibiotic for her ear infection. She was also extremely congested and hardly slept at night! To say that Lindsey and Chris are completely exhausted is an understatement! On Tuesday, Corby came back to Dallas because he needed to work on Wednesday. Well, at 2:30 am, I heard Harper crying/coughing. I figured she would fall back asleep, but after a few minutes it got worse. I went in to the room, and she wasn't coughing... she was struggling to breath. Each breath was so loud, and I was terrified! I woke up my mom, and we determined that she needed to go to the emergency room. Once she was checked by the nurse, he took her straight to the back... going ahead of a little boy in the waiting room. That told me that she was really sick. She apparently had croup, even though she didn't have any symptoms the night before. After 1 failed breathing treatment, the doctor said she needed another one. When they do a treatment, you have to wait for 3 hours before leaving the hospital. But apparently the rule is that if a child has 2 treatments, they need to remain at the hospital for the rest of the day. Well... Anthony's funeral was at 11, and this was at 5am. When I was told I had to stay the rest of the day, I lost it! Corby left to come back to Little Rock at 5:30 because the doctor said she could have to stay overnight. She thankfully responded to the second treatment and the steroid and her breathing was back to normal. The doctor came in and said we just needed to wait until 8:30 and if she was still fine, we could leave. I am so thankful for such a kind doctor! I obviously wouldn't have left if I thought Harper needed to stay, but she truly was a different child! The Lord healed her, and I am beyond thankful!!! She slept so much better on Wednesday night, and so did I! We were both exhausted!!! On Thursday, she complained that her ear hurt, so I was concerned. In the past, she is always right. We took her to my old pediatrician, and she had an ear infection. Needless to say, we are ready for her to be healthy!

Anthony's funeral was amazing. Both Tony (his dad) and Maggie (his sister) spoke, and they both did a phenomenal job. Anthony lived his life to the fullest and has always been such an inspiration to me. Now, more than ever, I feel like I need to be doing some things differently in my life. He loved the Lord with all of his heart, and reading so many of his emails and letters to his family challenged me in so many ways. He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. His life will continue to challenge others to love the Lord more wholeheartedly and love others as well.

Here are a few pictures from the week. I honestly didn't take very many, which is frustrating! I can't believe I didn't get any group shots! Oh well... that just reveals how busy we were, I guess!