Quiet Holiday Weekend {day 21}

Although Sam did spike yet another fever overnight, it was so much quieter than Friday night. (And he was nice enough to spike the fever at about 5am, just in time to let me catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunrise outside our east-view room. Always a bright side, right?)

We were very sad to say goodbye to our friends from California this morning. We only had a few minutes, long enough for the boys to make a little hospital-bed-fort and watch a few minutes of SpongeBob. (Seriously, that yellow sea creature is haunting me.)

The rest of the day was relatively mellow. Sam is still running a low fever, so he's feeling just a little lower energy than usual. That didn't stop him from some serious multi-tasking. Here he is flushing his own lines while reading a brand-new library book:

The hospital is very quiet and empty on this holiday weekend. I can't help thinking back to last year's Memorial Day party at our house...Sam was on the couch, in quite a bit of pain, as we still didn't know what was wrong with him. We still thought it was "growing pains." It wasn't all bad -- he had times when he wasn't in pain (its status as "intermittent" was part of what perplexed us all). We went to the pool; it was the only time all summer that Sam got to swim.

Memorial Day swimming 2012

It's very strange to look back and remember so very clearly this time last year. I think that for the next few months, I'm going to be thinking back, reminiscing, and feeling the weight of each "anniversary." Last night I finished our family photo album from this past September through November. It was so very strange to see the pictures of Sam's line removal, of his birthday, of our Thanksgiving celebration that was so very full of thankfulness. To look back and relive those moments of happiness helps me to know that we will again celebrate. To look ahead to this year's birthdays and Thanksgiving and believe that we will celebrate.

I was asked recently to look 2 years in the future. I definitely didn't know how. Frankly, I can barely look 2 minutes into the future! But we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, living one day, one minute at a time, and know that the calendar will come 'round again. Each day will always have its memories. Each day will always have its good moments and its bad moments....ups and downs.

So we continue to be here, supported and loved by our family and friends, blessed to have the benefits of amazing medical care and secure in the knowledge that Sam is truly in the best of hands...