Days 85-89......it was fun....and then.....

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

We had 2 days of pure fun and pleasure.  We went to the movies, we shared meals, we watched TV and relaxed on the couch, we talked, we went to the Denver Children's Museum (pictures below show all the pretending and playing and thinking they did).....

Miel checking in Dillon's dog at the vet

Dillon building a boat out of recycled trash

Luca takes on the dairy cow

Luca cooking us a pizza in the wood oven (the pizza and about 10 toppings were all felt)

Luca getting ready to perform surgery on a puppy

all three kids in the fire engine

Miel as the secretary at the vet place

Miel as the cashier in a grocery (she would then run all the stuff from people's carts back to the shelves)

Little cow ride

Two full days of glorious visiting, laughing, activities, and fun........

and then

Saturday morning Miel woke up with a funky tummy followed by an episode of vomiting.  Todd and Miel were immediately quarantined to their little room at Brent's Place (which is just around the corner and actually shares a wall with our apartment).  We hoped and prayed and crossed our fingers that it was something she ate and that in a few hours she would be good as new.  That was not the case.  She became more ill, lethargic, exhausted, and then the diarrhea set in.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME????  My brother and his daughter drove for almost 10 hours on wednesday to get here after having cancelled their original visit that was to be around Thanksgiving and now this poor kiddo is sick.  The soap opera continues.  First Sean, then Luca, now Miel. The story actually ends with Todd getting sick on the drive back to Montana.  So far Dillon, Luca, and I don't seem to have caught the bug that they had.....keeping our fingers crossed and monitoring everyone very closely.......ANYWAY........

So Todd and Miel spent Saturday and most of Sunday locked up in their room, eating belly friendly foods, napping, bathing, and watching lots of T.V.  By Sunday mid day she was feeling quite a bit better but we have very strict precautions and doctors orders that people with viral or bacterial illness cannot be around Dillon until they are symptom free for 48 hours....basically that is how long it takes the body to clear the active virus or bacteria from a contagious state for the most part (there are exceptions but we have to live in the real world).  So even though she was better enough to want to play we still could not hang out in the same room.  The three kids were totally bummed and Todd and I tried to keep up their spirits but we were all very disappointed, obviously.

To help keep our spirits high and to celebrate our time together we did do an impromptu locationally-modified (I know, I know, that is not really a word but it sounded so good)   Christmas gift exchange.....we propped open the door of our apartment, Todd and Miel both wore surgical masks, as did Dillon, and everything that was exchanged through the door was sanitized with bleach wipes.   It was very unconventional and not as intimate as we would have liked but it was fun and I reminded the kids that it certainly was more fun than receiving the gifts in the mail.   Two great days out of five is definitely better than no days at all.  We all agreed that we were grateful for the time we were blessed with given the situation in all of our lives (Dillon's life threatening illness and then the horror of the shootings in Connecticut make us all so humbled and grateful for every moment that we are able to share).  Below are the photos of the funny hallway Christmas.

Can you see the big smile on her face behind that mask....look at her eyes, they say it all!

Here is Dillon's big mask smile....his eyes are dancing too!

Hey look, a smile without a mask.....but look at those eyes as well.

 

this one shows how Miel's chair is outside the door (that chair stays in the hallway sitting area).

Dillon checking out the human anatomy books and DVD that Todd gave him.

Miel in her new velvety dress that her daddy gave her (see him in the background with his mask on?)

Luca had asked his Uncle Todd for deer or elk antlers for Christmas......

See the dead deer with his tongue hanging out??

Todd and Miel admiring the little diorama I made as their gift....

it is a girl skiing down a powdery slope....a gift card was attached so they can build some more memories on the mountain this winter

Todd and Miel left on Monday morning.  They planned on hanging out in Colorado another day with some friends but when Todd started feeling the funky tummy they decided to call it quits and head on home.

If I have learned one thing during this journey......it is gratefulness for every moment in life, no matter how small.  So I don't feel the heavy heart that one might expect as a result of our interrupted visit.  I got to hug my brother and my niece, I got to look in their eyes, hear their voices, and see their smiles.....life is good!!!!