The Plague

Drugs, drugs, drugs, drugs! The flu hit hard at the Houghton house this week, and Tess and Levi were comatose on the couch for days!  After holding out all week, I (Marta) got it as well and I am struggling to stay alive!  With the help of Mom, boxes of tissues, ibuprofen, sudafed, and other modern medicines, we might all pull through.

Belle the cat has been enjoying her increased inside-cat-freedoms, while we all lie around!

 In the meantime, Mom and Dad remain healthy, but sleepy

especially on this quiet Sunday afternoon.

 Marta and Tess are looking forward to being healthy again, and attending the Band field trip to Disneyland and the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day parade this coming week.

 Mom, Tess, Marta, and some friends did spend Saturday at a conference called Time Out for Women in Visalia.  We heard from some great speakers and felt uplifted by the music and inspiring messages shared with us there.

Marta

Getting Your Ducks in a Row

Marta challenged me to write a post that fit the duck pictures and title she had inserted.  I think the pictures and title stem from a comment Mark made that emphasized Marta's need to get her SENIOR PROJECT in order before she romps off to Disneyland with the Sonora Golden Regiment Band.  And you might say that this first picture has some distinct similarities with the band. . .lines, streets. many participants, a leader, and noise, to name a few.

Golden Regiment Band

Marta's first duck picture.

Luke's official pre-mission
picture.  Love the stripes?

Now, "getting your ducks in a row" typically refers to putting things in order--in preparation for a significant event.  We have a number of significant events coming up in our family--Marta's SENIOR PROJECT being one of them.  Others include a trip to Utah to visit Luke and help him "line up his ducks" in preparation for his mission (he will only be home from school for a week before he needs to leave on May 1!)  Oh, and then there are the graduation and getting ready for college ducks for Marta.  The rest of us have our own duck situations, but they don't represent the significant milestones that Luke and Marta will be experiencing this Spring.

Being involved in the Young Women's program at church for almost all of the last eight years has often made me feel like this mother duck.  I was released from that responsibility on Sunday.  Not sure if I can get used to not having a brood of ducklings following along behind me!

And this picture reminds me of how it feels (like I'm underwater) when I haven't done what I need to do (Marta, note this) to "get my ducks in a row!"  It also kind of symbolizes how Tess and Levi are feeling.  They both have the flu.  Tess is especially down and out.  I think she's slept 44 of 48 hours for the last two days.  I hope she gets to feeling better! 

Can I tell you that bugging kids to get their SENIOR PROJECTS done makes me crazy?

Denise