Warning: Long winded story that's completely true. And kind of gross. Sickness and Illness involved.
I just have to write this down for posterity. We went to Utah for Adam and Holly's wedding in May. I was so excited to go because my kids would get to meet all of their cousins on my side of the family. My heart still wishes they could have met ALL of their cousins from both sides. One day. We started the journey by playing in my sister Alice's backyard with all the cousins and then going swimming. So crazy and so fun. And then we were getting ready for the wedding the next day and my niece had thrown up that morning. And then Seth threw up. All over my brother Travis and the bathroom. Thank goodness it was the bathroom and not the carpet. But he also managed to get the white shirts Travis was steaming for the wedding. Ahh. So we washed those out and hurried and put them in the rinse cycle and then the dryer. I then got poor Seth showered off and lying down and then I cleaned every nook and cranny of that bathroom. I had been making cookies for the reception that night and hoped that someone would take them out of the oven at least. When I was finally done I hurried and nursed the baby while Chris was helping the other boys get ready. I probably was crying. I then got my dress on and grabbed all the things and hoped my kids wouldn't be too hungry missing lunch because I wasn't able to get them anything. We drove to the temple 40 min away with poor Seth dry-heaving into a cup the whole way. I also realized that if Travis hadn't of been standing in the bathroom working on his kids' shirts then my dress that was also hanging in the bathroom would have also gotten thrown up on. Tender mercy if you ask me. Thanks for taking a hit for me oldest brother. I guess Heavenly Father knew it would be easier to wash you than my dress. I also learned that my brother in law had finished baking my cookies and cleaned up my mess. He didn't have to. I am surrounded by amazing people.
We got to the temple and parked and a sweet lady named Joann who was Adam's friend was there to watch my kids. I'd never met her before, but I took one look at her and knew she was a keeper. I plopped Anders in her arms, threw the keys at her, apologized for my sick one and said she could keep them in the car to watch a movie if she needed to and that my brother Justin was around somewhere watching my brother Brian's kids if she needed anything. Then we ran to the temple because we were late....only to wait another hour because they had forgotten the marriage license. HAHAHAHA. Only funny because of the 2 hours leading up to getting there. I did go check on my kids but I didn't get too close because I didn't want them to get clingy. Joann looked like she had it covered and my nieces and nephews were all playing a game with my kids. Then I waited in the temple and tried to calm myself. It half worked. I'm not so good at willing myself to be calm. It was so lovely to be in the temple again. It was beautiful to be there with my brother and family. Oh, how I love them all. Then we hurried back outside and I heard that Seth was super sick. I found him lying on the grass looking white as a ghost. And I couldn't find my baby. Or the car I drove. Or Joann...maybe she was a baby robber and not a keeper like I thought??? (thoughts go wild under duress)... And then I found her...after running all over unnecessarily. She was just moving the car closer. Phew. Haha. She's still a keeper. Then I go gather my crew, and we take pictures (pretty much holding Seth up. He was white as a sheet) and then jump in the car to go help set up for the reception. I really wanted a picture of just our little family at the temple but in the craziness of the moment it didn't happen. Oh well.
Then we grabbed some food and got to the reception only to realize that poor Seth got sick out of both ends. I have never been more grateful for a booster seat. So glad I didn't have to clean my mom's car from that mess. And I had nothing to change him into. I had thought about grabbing a change of clothes before we left but we were late already and I figured we'd have time to stop by the house after the wedding. Ha. Fate had other plans. I was a mess wandering around the reception before everyone got there trying to keep an eye on my other kids and hoping Liam wouldn't fall into the trout pond and wondering what the heck I was going to do with Seth. And I was feeling bad for him that he was sick. I had almost resigned myself to staying at the car with him, but seeing me in tears my Aunt Amy and cousin Sierra went to walmart for some extra clothes. Angels. I got Seth cleaned up and we laid him on a blanket in a corner on the lawn and checked on him every once in a while. He was joined by Natalie who had thrown up that morning. My nephew Tustin kept a watch over Liam without even being asked to. Aunts and uncles and cousins held Anders the whole time. I managed to get some food. I was in the right place to get a dance with my little brother on his wedding day. No one fell in the pond, although I'm sure some fish didn't survive. I saw loved ones, I laughed a little. I chatted, I worried. I was frustrated and I learned a few things about myself. And then I was starting to notice kids lying on the lawn and rocks and thought, "oh no. They probably have what Seth does. We've doomed us all." Dramatic I know. But it was true. After Adam and Holly finally got their car unchained from the tree Travis chained it to they were able to leave. I cleaned up throw up one more time (just from the table that was all cleared off), and from the ground that was thankfully outside.
We went back to Alice's and I prepared myself for a night of throw up. I was right. I had just closed my eyes after getting Anders to sleep and I hear the dreaded gagging and then the splash. I get James all cleaned up and into a sleeping place closer to the bathroom. Go upstairs for some paper towels to clean up a little and see Travis also cleaning up throw up from one of his kids. I climbed back into bed and a little while later I hear, "mom!!!" Down goes Matty. Or should I say up went Matty? We managed to get him to the bathroom before too much throw up got all over. I get him situated by James and start a load of laundry at 2 in the morning. Because the washer was right there and there was a house full of people. And that's just the logical thing to do. I go back upstairs to get more pull-ups from the car and my sister in law Nettie had just crawled back into bed. 5 of her kids were sick throwing up too. I don't know why, but knowing that we were all going though the same thing at the same time made it somehow less awful. It smelled so bad where we were staying in the basement. We threw away the half deflated air mattress. I'm grateful it had a hole before we ever used it. Anders and Liam just had diarrhea and tummy rumbles. Poor things but I'm grateful for no throw up from them too.
When I emerged from the basement when it was finally light outside I saw my other little niece on the couch throwing up into a cup. Nooooo! I also didn't see my other brother's family. Apparently my sister in law told them that everyone was sick and to grab their stuff and run to the car. Haha! None of them were sick yet and she said her kids had never listened and obeyed so quickly. Poor things were sick and throwing up on their drive home though. Into plastic cups. Bless those plastic cups. As far as I know, only two of us emerged victorious over this illness. Two of my sisters in law. Every one else fell victim. Even Adam and Holly. On their honeymoon. Poor things. Although they did say it probably made them bond pretty well. Chris also had to fly home. I offered to get him depends just in case haha. He wouldn't let me and he didn't need them thank goodness.
When I drove to my parents' from my sister's I thought we were smooth sailing. We weren't. Turns out the runs weren't finished with one of my sons yet. Diarrhea on the side of the road is perfectly acceptable right? And I will forever and always travel with those pad things hospitals use for body fluids. I call them pee pads but they saved the car. Nothing like nursing a baby in the car and hearing, "Oh no! mom it's coming and I can't stop it!" I then found myself standing in a gas station parking lot at 10:00 at night scraping poop into a trash bag and hoping that ruffians and thugs are no where around, to make you feel alive. Or at least keep you humble. Oh well. We survived and it makes for a gnarly story now. I would also say that Heavenly Father sure loves us. I think I would prefer to just hang out and have fun without a knock-you-to-the-bathroom illness when we are all together, but if I had to be sick and have all my kids sick- I'm grateful it was while I was with my family all together so we could laugh about it for years to come.
The moral of this story to which every single one of us survivors agrees is:
Never trust a fart.
To be continued.....
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