Well, sickness has descended upon us.  Blair got this flu-like thing Thursday and, despite my purchase of every cleaning product containing the word, "Clorox", Carson woke up with it yesterday morning.  Unfortunately, when he woke up, he was at his cousin's house, where he'd spent the night and so now........he's sick too.

From our home to yours, we bring pathological tidings. 

Basically, it's a short-lived illness, but it really packs a punch.  High fever, headache, body aches, and a chesty cough....that kind of cough that keeps you expecting a lung to shoot out across the room at any moment.  I've had the aches and cough part but not much fever......until tonight.  Until now, I have remained upright to tend to these "ankle biting, bacteria ridden, disease carrying children of God".....as Madea so accurately describes kids.

The only thing that could make this more special is if Davis catches it, too.  When Davis is sick, everyone is apprised of his condition on the quarter hour....you know, just in case your sympathy starts to wane or in the event you mistakenly thought you were sicker than him.

This was not, at all, what I had in mind for our last weekend before Christmas.  We still have things to do.  We had weekend plans.  The candlelight service at church.  Gifts to deliver.  A party.  More people to visit.....people, who would not appreciate a visit from us in our current state. 

"Merry Christmas....we brought you some fudge........and swollen mucus membranes with post nasal drip, a violent cough, and aching that will make you wish that was the Death Angel on top of your tree". 

Yeah, people don't really appreciate Christmas visits like that from those who smell like menthol and have Kleenex lint hanging from their swollen nostrils.....nor do they like to sit next to such people at church, so some of us stayed home today.

Fighting over the vibrating heating pad and pouring Advil down our throats wasn't in the plan.      

We always have a lot of expectations about the Christmas holidays.  It's probably the holiday for which we build our expectations the highest.  We spend over a month planning and preparing to execute this idea that we have in our heads.......an idea constructed by Hallmark Christmas movies, snowy Christmas card scenes, Bing Crosby, Visa commercials, and romanticized Christmases past. 

  When, in reality,

There's always something that doesn't go smoothly or according to our best laid plans.

The turkey is dry.  The kids have intestinal flu.  The gift didn't fit.  One string of lights goes out.  Mother-in-law overestimates you by two sizes.  Backorders.  Someone didn't seem as excited as you imagined.  Travel delays.  Relatives, who stay too long.  No hot water.  Bad weather.  Being caught without a gift for someone.  Having to run the air conditioner so you can all wear your Christmas clothes.        

Really, the Christmas story is full of expectations that weren't met either.  I'm sure Mary didn't plan on being a virgin mother and it probably dashed her parents' expectations for her, too.  The situation wasn't the start that Joseph had dreamed of for his new life with Mary.  Mary didn't expect to be away from home without her mother when her first child was born.  The world didn't expect the Savior to be born in a stable and placed in a trough.  The shepherds weren't who you'd expect the angels to invite to see the newborn King.  You wouldn't expect Him to grow up and die in the place of those who loved Him and those who didn't....even those who weren't born yet...like us.     

I guess if we look to our circumstances and food and gifts and weather and family and that one overinflated day to fulfill all of our Christmas dreams, we'll most likely end up disappointed in one way or another.....on some level.