What am I grateful for???

Kind of strange timing for this post, but I needed to remember what I'm grateful for today....

-I'm grateful for the Dixie Rebels Women's Soccer Team.  The whole team and their coach came to visit Abby at school last week!  It was exactly what Abby needed.  Not only did they stop by the school, but they also brought her a signed soccer ball-each player wrote her a little note right on the ball!  Abby loved it, especially when they all introduced themselves and where they were from and what position they played.  Thank you for doing that for Abby, it reminded her that she has lots of people rooting for her still!

-  I'm grateful that Abby's stomach flu didn't last too long....yes, Abby did end up getting Britt's stomach flu, and so did Brock!  It's been lots of fun around our house lately....not :(  Lukily, Abby's was the most mild flu out of all of my kids.  She did miss more school again, and dropped a couple of pounds, but I think she's going to be okay.  I'm starting to wonder if she's going to catch every virus that comes our way!!  I guess, from I've heard, that's what we should expect this first year.  I guess having 12 bottles of Avagard, strategically placed around our house, isn't enough! 

-  I'm grateful for the teachers and staff at my school for helping me so much this year.  I will admit that teaching isn't easy right now.  There have been days when I've had to make phone calls to the transplant team or to pharmacies, etc.  and I've always had the help I've needed from the other teachers at the school.   They've helped with my sub plans and my lesson plans and the other essentials needed to teach, but they've especially been understanding and willing to listen to me on the rough days.  I'm especially grateful that they didn't let me quit my job last week when I was having a really bad day and had decided that I couldn't teach and be a heart transplant mom at the same time, it was too hard and too much and I was failing at both.  Thanks Sunrise Ridge for all of your support!

-    I'm grateful for my kids and for the close relationships we all have as a family.  I think back to the summer when we weren't even living together most of the time, and I just wonder how we ever survived.  We need each other, we are at our best and happiest when we are all together.  This is probably obvious to anyone that has spent time with us, when we are doing something together, or just hanging out together, we know how to have fun and enjoy each other.   There aren't many things I enjoy more than than just sitting back and watching my kids interact with each other, I will always be grateful for this bond.

-I'm grateful that we had 3 weeks off in between trips to Salt Lake this time, I really, really, really needed a break!  I've been feeling pretty crappy for about 2 weeks now.  I told myself I wasn't sick for the first week, but then it was just too obvious, I couldn't pretend anymore.  I was barely making it through the school day, and once I got home I would just crash on the couch until bedtime.  I'm feeling a little better now, but it's still lingering.  I decided I was either sick, or everything that's happened the past 6 months finally caught up with me and I needed the rest.  The funny thing is that it really doesn't matter if I'm sick or just tired-life goes on, teaching goes on, being a mom goes on.  It's one of those things where you just have to be strong and keep on going!

-I'm grateful for the Desert Hills High School basketball team.  Last week, during one of the biggest, most crowded games of the season, they did a fundraiser for Abby.  They gave us all of the money from the concessions, as well as money that they collected from the crowd, to use on Abby and her medical costs.  Thank you to everyone that donated, the money is needed and will be used for our trips to Salt Lake and for medication costs.  What a generous thing to do!  You should of seen the surprised look on our faces when we walked into the game and saw the collection jar with Abby's picture on the front!  It was awesome.  I'm also grateful for the basketball program at Desert Hills for the experience they've given Brock this season.  Going to watch Brock play basketball is one of the things that we always did before May 18th, and we need to continue to do as many of the things from "before" as we can, because there's so many new and different things now.  Doing the "before" things feels good and natural, not new and scary.  Plus, watching Brock play basketball is fun!

-  I'm grateful for my mom and dad.  They've really had to step up and help with Abby since I've had to go back to school.  Not only do they let her hang out with them on the days she isn't feeling well enough to go to school, but they've also taken her to get blood draws and to doctor's appointments here is St. George too!  They've come to our house in the mornings when Abby couldn't go to school so that she could get more sleep, and they've picked her up from school on the days when she doesn't make it through the entire school day.  I would be in a world of hurt without them and their help! Thanks Mom and Dad, you make it easier.

-I'm grateful for the lady I ran into at the oil change place last Saturday.  She's a mom of one of my student's from last year, I don't her know very well, but when I walked into the car place, she came up to me and gave me a big hug and told me that our story had inspired her.  I had forgotten that we still have people following us, and I was feeling a little bit alone in all of this, and seeing her and listening to her reminded me that there are many people out there that are still invested in our story and want to continue to watch Abby's progress.  It always feels good to know and to be reminded that even though this past 8 months has been hard, some good has come out of it. 

Every single time I've done a grateful list, I've felt better after.  It's been a rough couple of weeks.  I've learned that I don't do very well when Abby is sick, I think it just increases my stress level to a level that's a little too high!  I have a feeling that things are just going to be calm and peaceful for us for a while......no sickness, no rejection, no swelling, no headaches!  One really amazing thing is that if I can get the okay from the transplant team on Monday at clinic, Abby is going to play in a soccer tournament over President's Day!  Can you believe it?  Only 6 months after a heart transplant, and she's going to back on the field playing soccer!!  The kid is truly a miracle.