Stressful Saturday

It's been quite a week. Started out pretty good, despite the no-news-snooze, but losing Maili put me in a funk. Ack. I really appreciate everyone's kind words of sympathy. It really meant a lot.

Next week is Thanksgiving. We usually have quite a few of my husband's family here in Bend for the event, which we always spend at his mom's house. We'll spend it at his mom's again this year, but his mom is the only member of his family who will be there. His sister, brother-in-law and nephew will spend Thanksgiving in California with our other nephew and his fiance. His cousin, who usually flies out here from Ohio, can't afford to make the trip this year.

This does not mean a lonely Thanksgiving for the Duvall household. Not at all. My daughter and her fiance are driving up from Eugene, and my son and grandson are flying out from Denver. Woo hoo! Rick's never been to Oregon, and neither has my grandson Zack, so this is extra exciting. But it almost didn't happen.

We'd been planning their trip for a year. I bought his plane tickets in July. Then about a week ago he called to say he may not be able to come because it didn't look like he'd accumulated enough vacation time at his job. If he couldn't get paid vacation, he couldn't afford the trip. Gah! Major disappointment. A couple of days later he called to say all is well, he had the vacation time after all.

Then yesterday, after I got home with a car full of groceries from Costco to keep my son's hollow leg filled while he's here, Rick calls to say Zack is sick and they may not be able to come. OMG! I was so looking forward to their visit! But today he calls to let me know Zack has strep throat, he's on antibiotics, and the doctor said he can travel. Phew!

But I'm bracing myself for bad news, just in case. It seems to be the pattern. I'll try not to get my hopes up too high. But if all goes well, my son and grandson will arrive at the Redmond airport at noon tomorrow.

Kids. Even when they're all grown up, they continue to give me gray hairs.