Simply having a wonderful Christmas time

 Before I write a post here I tend to have written it several times in my head before I commit words to the page. I feel like this should make me more coherent because I've thought it through, but I think it actually makes me more rambly. Z went to sleep the other night telling us that he was simply having a wonderful Christmas time. It warmed our hearts to hear him say it, especially as we knew he meant it and wasn't just quoting the song! We had a bit of change of plan on Christmas day. Our original plan was to spend it just the three of us, but a week or so before my brother and his family invited us to theirs for dinner and my dad and his wife invited us for a bit on the afternoon. We really enjoy Christmas to ourselves, but appreciated and accepted the invites so that we could spend some of the happy day with loved ones. Then on Christmas eve I started to feel  a bit funny. I spent a lot of night up and down to the loo, so didn't sleep that well and was feeling effects of a quick tummy (sorry if that is TMI). So we ended up being more ourselves just in case. The boys headed to my dads in the afternoon still for some board game fun and I enjoyed a long quiet rest. And my brother and his family missed half thier Christmas dinner as we were taking the stuffing, bread sauce and cranberry sauce. So not what we had planned, and yet what we had originally planned. So we had a lovely time with a very excited child who just wanted wrapping off presents. He would occasionally pause to remind us that Jesus is the best gift or that Christmas isn't all about the presents. He is good at keeping us grounded! Having spoken to our wonder nurse, we think its a reaction to some of my tablets, even though I've been on them all a while.

Christmas Eve is celebrate Mark day. We normally go out for a Premier Inn breakfast as it is one of hid favourite and if its's your birthday you get to do your favourites, right? Unfortunately he had to do one of his other favourites - go to work! Which would have meant going out for breakfast at something silly like 5:30am. I wasn't prepared to do that, o instead we had family round for lunch of bacon and sausage cobs, as Mark finished work at lunchtime. I was able to organise this and coordinate with dad for having the right supplies in. However I was pretty useless at doing anything when everyone was here. Thankfully Dad and Gillian stepped into the breach once again, sorting cooking and tidying up. I really do appreciate people stepping in to cover my back when I can't do what I'd like to. Like the people who provide child care and food and transport to hospital. We are only getting through at the moment because of others kindness.

Christmas Eve we got to go to church for the Christingle service. It was lovely to be there. I took my walker coz the distance from car into church is too far to manage without it. Mark has put tinsel and lights on it and I normally leave the lights off when we're in church, but we decided lights on for Christingle. I still think Christingles look a bit like alien space ships. I understand what each bit stands for - look it up if you are not sure them, it's a great prompt to think more about Jesus and why he was born, if that id something you are intrigued about at all. The closing prayer of the service was about the peace of God being with us. As you will see from the next paragraph this is something I really need at the moment and do this prayer really sat with me. If you want something to pray for us at the moment, beyond the miracle of healing that we know only God can do, then God's peace to rest in our hearts would be great.

So chemo and x-ray therapy start this week. I won't lie, I'm really nervous. Not about the actual treatment more managing the side effects. I've seen both my parents go through this so I maybe know more than some about what it can do to you. I think nausea and tiredness are the ones I'm most worried about. I feel tired enough and out of it and unable most of the time, I don't know how I'll manage a bit more on top of that. And really who likes feeling sick or being sick. As Z is about a bit more at the moment with it being the holiday, I don't want him to see me in that state!

Hope you had a lovely time celebrating Jeusu birthday!