Christmas Cards & Chaos

After my post about the days left until Christmas (only 59 by the way!!) I got rather inspired! I've been pinning up a storm on Pinterest. There are so many gorgeous Christmas craft ideas out there & my mind is full to the brim with ideas & plans. So I spent Monday morning cruising the second hand & discounts shops (my crafting bread & butter) & arrived home much lighter in the pocket but with a range of ribbons, paper, glues & a million other goodies including a tiny little Christmas tree which I can't wait to decorate. I wonder if since it's only a mini Christmas tree if I can decorate it early? Like in a week? lol
So Tuesday was delegated as CHRISTMAS CRAFT DAY! In a matter of about 1 hour I had a total state of chaos overtaking my lounge room & 4 absolutely gorgeous Christmas cards all finished & ready to be sent at the beginning of December. Over eager you say? I prefer to say I am overly organised. Most people who know me may laugh heartily at that comment & then disagree but I maintain they are wrong! 

These cards are everything I love about handmade! They have ribbons & buttons, glitter & pretty paper, all artfully smooshed together into lovingly made cards.
Unfortunately four is all I have so far, as just as I was putting the finishing touches on the last card I received a phone call from my Mum. My Pa had been taken to hospital & we had been told to come. Nan & Pa live over 1000km away so this meant a mad rush to get ready & a 12 hr trip, hoping we would get there in time. I've never packed a suitcase so fast in my life! Nothing was folded & I still have no idea what I actually threw in there. But I was packed & about as ready to go as I would ever be, but I was still calm & in control, as I raced out the front door, leaving behind a confused puppy & the utter chaos that was my Christmas cards. I don't think the enormity of the situation really hit me until I sat in the car on my way to tell hubby at work. Then the tears came as I realised that I may not make it in time, what if he died before we could get there. I really thought I was more prepared for this news, after all he has been living with Motor Neurone Disease for 3 years now (Check the link on the side if you want to know more about it). We knew that this would happen most likely sooner rather than later, but nothing prepares you for that phone call. I really don't think Samuel knew what to do when I arrived at his work & promptly burst into hysterical tears. But he coped amazingly.
After explaining the situation to his boss, we headed up to Mum & Dad's who would be taking me with them to see Pa. Then the waiting began. We couldn't leave straight away as Dad had repairs to do at work, we had to pack & my other Pa had to be taken into the nursing home for respite, so Mum could come. So eventually at nearly 4pm (about 6 hrs after I was told to pack) we were on the road, with a 12 hr journey ahead of us. Boy was it a long trip, with lots of food & coffee breaks, including my first ever Red Bull at about 11pm (tasted like Nerds made into a drink, which I have to say I found rather disgusting!), but we made it, with Dad having driven the entire, at about 3:30am. We'd made it!
In the morning (well a reasonable hour of the morning anyway), we were filled in. It was a heart attack but things weren't looking quite as dire now. He's alive & recovering, still so worn down & with even less mobility from when I last saw him 9 weeks ago. But he was here & so was I, as hard as it was & is to watch him & Nan struggle, with not only this but all the other implications which have arisen, I am so thankful that we made it in time. Now we are here to help them through not only the recovery but also the almost certain reality that he won't be coming home but rather moving into full time care. It's hard, goodness knows it's hard, but I'm here, in this chaos (which is so different to the chaos I left behind) & I thank God for that every second of every day.

Xxx