Catching Up Friday (and Falling Down Tuesday)

Whew! This has been a bit of an off-week for me. But before I get into that, thank you to all of you who commented on my last post...and who still like my little unnommiated blog anyway! Your comments really made me smile.
And then to find out that I was nominated for a post for the Hidden Treasures was just an added bonus...I'll be glad to shed my Susan Lucci of blogs crown (as Melanie so hysterically put it) for that honor!

Anyway...this week, as some of you know, I was feeling out of sorts and stressed as of late.
I was also fighting a bit of a bug. You know that kind that doesn't exactly put you on bedrest but makes you drag pitifully through the day?
Just when I was starting to feel a little better on Tuesday, I took Mandy, the wild, adolescent pup, for a walk, late in the afternoon.


(Here she is, chewing on a 2-foot stick we had out as part of the firewood. The picture, taken just two days ago, doesn't do her fast-growing size justice!)

The sun was shining (however, the rays were freezing in the cold air) and even a few pre-spring birds were singing. I left the girls in the house because,
a) I was just walking in our culdesac
and b) whenever I walk the wild pup with them, she tugs unmercifully and tries to jump on them. (My four year old already had gotten a mean scratch on the face once before this way.)

But the mommy in me had my ears perked in overdrive, and when I thought I heard something that sounded like cries (which turned out to be neighborhood kids in the distance) I turned on my heels and started high-tailing it back the 30 feet towards the house to make sure everything was alright.
Apparently, Mandy wasn't quite ready for the turn.
n a blink of an eye, I was helplessly plummeting toward the hard, rough concrete, face first. I instinctively had my arms out, though, so my palms and knees got the brunt of it. Oh...those and Mandy. I heard a yelp, and realized I had also landed partly on her!
She whimpered for a few seconds but then seemed alright. (Good thing one or two of my Christmas pounds have left by now!)

I, on the other hand, sat still on the side of the street, wincing in pain and afraid to get up because my knees hurt so badly. Finally, I slowly stood... and it seemed that nothing was broken.
But did you know you can still be in a lot of pain when nothing is broken? I'm here to say that it's very true!

I hobbled back to the house, Mandy ahead of me and loose on her leash, who kept looking back to make sure I was still coming. I think she was more than glad to get back to the house at this point!

My seven and four year old were blissfully playing, with not a care in the world, as I stumbled in, with bloody knees and hands. But luckily, my seven year old enjoys playing nurse, and helped with the bandaids.

And their tenderness toward me the rest of the day made my eyes swell with tears more than once. When four year old cherub would look at my hands, she would actually start to cry, she was so worried about me! And both girls made me home-made cards as I sat helplessly on the sofa, trying to recover.

(This, from my 7 yr old...click to enlarge and notice those owies on my knees and palms, and my distressed expression!) ;)



But I'm SO thankful that it wasn't more serious, because it certainly could have been!
And I think that not only the Lord protected me from broken bones or sprains, but He showed me some much needed love through my little ones.
In fact, I was overwhelemed with their care and concern, in a week when I felt emotionally drained and tired. It was just what I needed.
Funny, how God can take negative things and turn them into positives for us sometimes, isn't it?

Last night, our whole family enjoyed a quiet evening at home watching a movie...and tonight, I'm driving down to my Mom's to have a mom\daughter sleepover and belated birthday visit. I'm not going to do any laundry, walk any young dogs, or referree any arguments. I'm going to chat with my mom, watch TV with her and read as late as I want in bed. *sigh*

And hopefully, when I return, I'll be a little less stressed and a better wife and mom, to boot!

So, theoretically, I will be going home to my "mommy" and metaphorically get "tucked in" after all. Bless her heart, she may be almost 80, but she'll always be my mama.

So, I'll be catching up with all of my blog friends hopefully this Sunday....yep, while you're all watching the Superbowl! (Sorry, just not a huge football fan, so I think I'd rather take my chips and just hang out with you all at my computer.)

Happy Groundhog Day and have a wonderful weekend full of blessings!