Thankfulness and Sickness

Let me tell you a story about some sickness. The week before Thanksgiving, all of us Cottens, except Orianna, had the stomach bug. Lily was the last to succumb, that Thursday. The next day, Lily complained about a sore throat and was diagnosed with Strep throat. She got on antibiotics, and all was jolly. Except for Owen, who now had the stomach bug. Clover and family came up to see Lindsey who is home from Alaska, that weekend after Lily was sick. Lindsey had kindly emptied Lily's bowl a few times, against my loud protestations, which meant that Lindsey was sick that Saturday and into Sunday. Wednesday, Clover and Cheyenne picked Tori up from the airport on her way home from Argentina. They planned on to Evan's parents the next morning early, which is where Evan and the kids were. They only made it half an hour away before they were throwing up. They turned around and came back to be sick for a day. They hid in the basement most of the day while we went around our business of Thanksgiving. We had one of the smallest Thanksgivings I can remember, with Clover and Evan not there (or at least not at the table) and Owen and Ashley in Maine. We had Connie P and a couple from Canada. One of our very dearest friends, well a member of one of the dearest families from Alaska, is living in Toronto, so she brought her boyfriend, Darcy down for an American Thanksgiving. So it was small, but very nice. Clover made a cautious appearance for tea at the end of the meal. Evan called not much later to say he was sick at his parents. Next day, Clover and Cheyenne left, Tim came, and Orianna's throat started hurting. That Saturday, we Cottens took two different trips to urgent care to be all diagnosed with strep. Except Justin, who decided to be different, and had a sinus infection. We stayed at our house, except for Lily, who spent a good part of the day at Grandpa and Grandma's with everyone, since she wasn't sick. Ha! Late Saturday afternoon, Lily came home because she wasn't feeling great. Darcy came down with the stomach bug Sunday morning and felt icky all day. Lily felt icky too. By that evening, we were back in urgent care (why do these sorts of things only happen on weekends?) with a very sick Lily. She apparently had been reinfected with strep by the lot of us. (Our refrigerator is now awash in pink bubble gum flavored amoxicillin.) 

 Monday, Lindsey went into Urgent care with strep and a double ear infection. Mom started feeling icky. Tuesday, Cody and Mom had the stomach bug in full swing. Lindsey, who was supposed to fly home that morning had to change her ticket because she was too sick to fly. Tori, who never naps, had to nap because she felt like she was fighting something. 

Other things did happen those four days of Thanksgiving weekend, like discussions, games, walks, a good bit of laughing, a few rounds of ping-pong, and something called pigeon poking that Darcy assured us was all the rage back in Manitoba. But I am not sure we will ever get Laura, Darcy, or Tim back to a Vaughan Thanksgiving again. Except they are all very forgiving and good natured and thought it was all a bit funny watching Vaughans falling like dominios. 

To be perfectly honest, I am not sure any of us Vaughans want to get together with our germy relations anymore. (Ha! As we plan a family supper tonight to enjoy Lindsey's longer stay...) 

Needless to say, there aren't a lot of pictures of all this sickness. 

My missing tooth boy and a feather, Thanksgiving morning.

He was pleased with this shotgun shell.  

I took some family pictures of Owen and Ashley Thanksgiving morning, and Gilbert was the official kleenex holder, a very important job when taking pictures of two kids on a cool and windy day in November. 

Argentinian money. I think there is about $10 USD here. Ten pesos to the dollar. 

Dad got a horse from someone he works with. Justin put it through its paces. 

Pies

Auntie snuggles

Sick Baby Byeanne

Tori and Cody setting off to feed cows

Going to watch cow feeding

Windblown Orianna

Making the kids squeal

Looking at a tractor. 

Laura, Lindsey, and I were just getting home from a nice long, chatty walk. 

November sky

Our Saturday Evening at home--Lily playing the iPad

Gilbert and Elsie putting stickers everywhere

And Orianna reading Harry Potter

This was Saturday, when we Cottens were quarantined. I dropped by to get some things and took pictures with Lindsey's phone. The rest of the pictures are Lindsey's. 

Tim said I hadn't got his best angle, so we had to try one from this side

A thousand piece Nancy Drew. I want to try it! 

Lily on Sunday. Poor sick girl

Abilene after a long car ride home from Maine. Isn't she precious?

With their Aunt Lindsey