Merry Christmas to all!

Well, goodness, I kind of dropped off the face of the earth, now haven't I?
I can say we've been busy, but that's not really a (good) reason. Frankly, I've been exhausted! I'm sleeping late in the morning, with a nap most days, and a general mind fog most of the rest of the time. Sometimes, your body (my body) just needs a break from the normal operating procedures, and my body has decided to do that this month. Kind of a bummer, but there we are.
We've all been looking forward to Christmas, though - I don't think anything would stop that. Our gifts are bought and wrapped, house decorated, and Christmas plans ready to be enacted. We are going to be travelling to NJ tomorrow night to spend some time with my family, visit friends in MD and enjoy a break. I get to eat a Christmas dinner that I don't have to cook, hang out with my family and watch them spoil my kids. And when it all gets a little nutso, Toby and I will visit MA for a couple of nights, staying with more folks who will probably spoil us and let Toby preach at their church.
I'll be honest, I'm not looking forward to all the driving. We're looking at a 12-hour trip - blech. We'll be doing the driving at night, which should minimize the need for stops, as well as miss a lot of traffic and cranky kids. But still...I'm in faith that it'll be worth it in the end, and in hope that God will allow us a safe and uneventful trip.
We'll be heading back to KY and college early in the New Year, so until then...
Have a very Merry Christmas and a most Happy New Year from the Gayners!

Week, Interrupted

Wow, what a big bust last week was!

About halfway through Monday, I started feeling tired, achy and heady. Off to bed I went, and there I stayed, off and on, until yesterday afternoon.

We managed to continue with school through the morning, but I was committed to staving the early stages of a head cold as much as possible, so I was determined to rest when I could.

Tuesday night came and went, having to miss my monthly ladies' meeting. They carried on without me, soldiering through, though I know it must have been difficult. ahem

Thursday was interesting, as Dan got up from a nap, gave me a hug, and promptly vomited on the floor next to me (at least not on me). The next 18 hours saw a mild D&V bug course through his little body, but he was still fairly merry through the whole thing.

Thursday night, Toby got hit with the D&V, too, and he got it bad. He was able to make it to class the next day, though, staying well away from everyone - at this point, there was nothing left to get rid of, poor guy.

Friday night, Ellie woke us around 2am to tell us Abi was calling us. Fortunately she'd made it to the bathroom in time, but she was in a bad way. And how did her caring, sympathetic mother comfort her? By tying her hair back, patting her head and running for the other bathroom, leaving Daddy to sort her out. Not that anyone actually likes when people get sick, but I can normally handle it. This time, not so much. I spent almost a half hour in my bathroom, waiting for my stomach to settle or get rid of dinner. I didn't actually get sick, but it was an uneasy night after that, I can tell you.

Saturday saw Abi, Anna, and I all in bed, sleeping with bowls nearby and fighting nausea, while Toby and the others played/shoveled snow outside. I missed the Pastor's Wives Tea, which was so disappointing, but I was still able to enjoy some of the lovely goodies that were brought home. I was especially blessed by letters from some friends from home - so encouraging!

We were planning on missing church on Sunday anyway, not wanting to share any lingering contagion, but church wound up being cancelled anyway. It was fairly quiet, everyone testing their bellies to see what they could handle (I think it was my neighbor's chili that finally cured me!). More playing in the snow, watching movies, and practicing at feeling human again.

So, here we are. I think we're all soundly back in health now, and praying we remain so for the remainder of the year - we have big holiday plans to look forward to!

Kentucy Science Center

We had a free morning on Saturday, so we decided to make the most of some free passes to the Kentucky Science Center. It was good fun!

 A Gayner family top-tip: Whenever we go out together for the day, I take a "security" photo when we arrive. That way, if I lose anyone (and that hasn't happened yet!), I have an up-to-date photo of what they look like and what they are wearing. Clever, right?

 I think most places like this have the "kid in a bubble" display, but it never really gets old. Not for this crew, anyway. Everyone had a turn, though I don't think the bubble got higher than their knees.

 They had a great KidZone area, complete with "Baby Crater". There was also the obligatory wet area, which was, of course, a big hit. I think everyone's favorite, though, was watching a demonstration called the "Bubble Explosion", which involved throwing soapy water into liquid nitrogen. Who isn't going to get excited at the words "bubble" and "explosion" used together in a sentence? It was pretty cool!

They also had an interesting display of vintage hats. The hats were interesting on their own, but more interesting was the placement of the display - clearly they have a "eclectic" section, because the hats were in a room that also featured a mummy and her history, and a couple of polar bears. Why not, right?