Illness had a profound effect on our 2022 holiday season but there was plenty of merriment sandwiched between plagues.
To start, all five of us went down with Flu A the week of Thanksgiving. We had to cancel our trip to the Cove and it was the worst illness our family has collectively experienced. I was the last to fall ill so hit Costco and stocked up on provisions before I joined the rest of them laid up on the couch. This excursion supplied the fixings for Owen and I to cook a full Thanksgiving meal, that nobody ate. There were high fevers and extreme fatigue, the kids so lethargic that they didn't fight all week. We watched TV in excess while dirty tissues and dishes piled up around us. Ty developed an ear infection on Thanksgiving and Owen a few days later. Oof.
Post flu we had a packed two weeks. Owen had a sleepover party, Wes celebrated his birthday at Ocean 5, my mom stayed with us, Ty and I attended my work Christmas party, I hosted a favorite things party, we did Santa Bruch at the club and snowflake lane in Bellevue with the Hights. Hazel got her ears pierced and had a gymnastics performance.
Then I spiked another fever and tested positive for COVID.
So it was back to quarantine. But this time the kids had their normal energy level, making the week very reminiscent to March 2020. The COVID symptoms were mild in comparison to the flu, except for the exhaustion which was overwhelming and persisted beyond a week. Somehow nobody else in the family ended up testing positive so we only had to cancel half of our Christmas plans.
We hosted Ty's family here Friday, tried out a new church on Christmas Eve, had Christmas morning magic at home and met the Hights in Suncadia late on Christmas Day. We rescheduled our celebration with my family for January.
Suncadia was amazing and getting away after spending so much of the winter stuck inside with various viruses was life giving. We swam in the heated outdoor pool, went sledding and had a blast ice skating. There was dreamy snow and quality time with our dearest friends.
As the season comes to a close, I am grateful for, and more aware of, our ongoing health and treasuring the memories from another year ripe with goodness.
