There is nothing better than awaking to the sound of a squealing baby!! She’s made it through another night protected and safe!!

Greta is all better, no fever the past 2 nights in a row, but she’s still coughing and a little congested so we’re continuing with the quarantine.

William is feeling a little better, but is still away. We all miss each other terribly. I’m so thankful for modern technology that allows us to stay in touch with one another!

You should have seen Nora’s little face light up when she initially saw her Daddy on the screen and heard him talking cute to her!! She KNOWS and LOVES her Daddy so very much! You could tell she was so excited to see and hear him!

“Oh Daddy!!!! You look terrrrrrible!!!!”

Nora and Greta had some FaceTime sessions too. The sisters miss each other so so much! Nora got big-eyed and turned her head to see her sister. It is so sweet to watch them interact – even digitally!

It’s still a little disconcerting to have a “coughing face” inches away from Nora’s face, even if it is on a digital screen! Even Gavin asked, “Can you get germs through the phone, Mom??”

Greta and William have had their FaceTime sessions too. It’s the next best thing to being together, and I’m so thankful for this little bit of new (to us) technology!

I get the sweetest text messages from Greta which is something new. She even figured out how to attach a picture.

I love that one of the words to draw on Draw Something was ‘Jesus’. This is what I drew for Greta to guess.

While I can’t stay downstairs and play a board game with Greta, we can at least play these little games through the phone and iPad, while tending to Nornor.

This experience has given me a whole new appreciation for being together as a family. It has also been an indisputable illustration of God’s attentiveness to our prayers. He surely makes all things work together for our good, even though it might not seem possible at times.

This is a very appropriate song today:

Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails

I know I still make mistakes
But You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails

Chorus:
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage
I don’t have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
Your love never fails

Verse 2:
The wind is strong and the water’s deep
But I’m not alone here in these open seas
Cause Your love never fails

The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I’d reach the other side
But Your love never fails

Bridge:
You make all things work together for my good

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I know many of you are battling the flu in your families or are fearful of falling prey to it. In my moments of hysteria I was reminded that the number of flu cases being reported is not an indication of its severity. Yes, it’s a huge inconvenience, but it is not a particularly deadly strain. Yes, there are reported deaths, but that is not typical. I just read a story online about a flu related death, but upon further investigation the individual acquired a staph infection while in the hospital which lead to his death. Key word: “related”. If you catch the flu symptoms early you can get a prescription for tamaflu which halts the reproduction of the virus. This lessens the duration and severity of the virus (which supposedly the vaccination will also do if you get it prior to infection). Early symptoms for Greta and William were bad headache, chills and fatigue. We weren’t in a hurry to get to the doctor because we didn’t realize it was the flu. We all got our vaccinations back in November and assumed we were protected!! In reading on the CDC’s website I learned that the virus is more likely to be spread from an errant cough or sneeze, even up to 6 feet away, as opposed to surfaces. The flu virus only lives for a very short while on surfaces, but sometimes that’s all it takes. Up and down fevers have been very common, sometimes getting as high as 103.3° for Greta during the first few days. When it would go back down I assumed she was getting better. Before I realized it was the flu I was thinking about getting her back to school! This may be one of the reasons it is getting spread around so badly–you think you’re getting better and return to work/school, not realizing what you’ve got or that your symptoms are about to return! On CDC’s website it says the incubation period is about 3 days after your initial exposure. You are contagious for that time without even knowing you have the flu. After the onset of symptoms you are contagious for 5 – 7 days, sometimes longer for children. Greta has been fever free for the past 2 nights with only a sporadic lingering cough. Ordinarily I’d have sent her back to school with having been fever free for over 24 hours, but it’s not worth the risk of spreading it further. Today is officially the 7th day of her illness, but I plan on keeping her quarantined over the weekend just to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect Nora. I wear a surgical mask around Greta as well as Nora. If I HAVE to go out, I will be the “Crazy Lady” wearing the surgical mask in the grocery store (maybe I’ll get out my leopard coat and try to land a spot on “People of Wal-Mart”. Wait. Is there a “People of Remke-Biggs”?) I also wash my hands and arms before and after spending time with each of the daughters. Clorox wipes, Lysol and waterless hand sanitizers are always within reach, and let’s not forget about the amazing, powerful effect of protective prayer!!

A huge thank you to everyone who has been taking care of my hubzbind and the rest of the family through this bump in the road!

Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. (Psalm 91:3-7 NIV)