We worked so hard to get our trees up and decorated before Thanksgiving, as is our tradition each year. My husband even decorated the foyer ledge early with all the new Santa Clauses so it would be ready for the grandchildren. 

I made a list of all the things we wanted to do during December, and the invitations we were going to extend to friends for dinners and such.

We even did our traditional gingerbread house the day after Thanksgiving so the grandkids could get in the spirit early. Not that they needed any help, because they were already excited.

We even bought tickets for the whole family to go to Christmastown at Busch Gardens, which was going to be our special family trip.

Yes, it was going to certainly be a Christmas to remember.

And how true that was.

But not in the way we planned by far.

Because three days after Thanksgiving we rushed my husband to the hospital by ambulance because he was having severe difficulty breathing. And that was a scary night.

RSV had struck, and he spent five days in the hospital on oxygen, antibiotics, and steroids, trying to get him well and trying to get the fluid out of his lungs and around his heart. (You can read more about this in Matters of the Heart Part 34).

Christmas plans and shopping were put on immediate hold until we were able to get him well enough to come home. Our Christmastown tickets were rescheduled. And all our other plans were quickly put on hold.

That was a long week but we got him home on Friday afternoon. But he was far from feeling good, and spent the next week trying to get his strength back so he could do some of the things we’d planned and go back to work.

I started shopping for the grandkids on line because it was so much easier and I didn’t have to leave him by himself. In fact, most of the gifts have been purchased like that. 

The tickets to Christmastown were used by the kids and a friend of theirs. We enjoyed seeing their pictures.

Cookies were made with help from our daughter and the grandkids, but as circumstances changed, my husband wasn’t able to enjoy them as usual, because the huge amounts of steroids he was given at the hospital have now caused him to develop diabetes, which we’re still trying to get under control.

Parties? Dinners for friends? Christmas concerts? Shopping trips together? Not this year. We were able to attend our grandson’s first birthday party, but he didn’t get to play much with the kids because he’d felt bad that morning and we almost had to cancel.

I’ve wrapped all of the gifts myself so far, something he usually helps with. Hopefully he’ll be able to do some this week.

His planned shopping trip with our daughter and the grands didn’t happen yesterday, because his blood sugar was off again. She did it all for him with the assistance of FaceTime on their phones.

This week is day by day. We’d planned on taking short trips to nearby places since we’re both on vacation this week. We’ll see how that goes. So far it hasn’t. 

But Santa will still come to our house as well as theirs. There will still be Christmas, and it’ll still be on December 25. But our traditions and activities have changed drastically this year. 

We’ve learned though, that what’s important is our health, our families, and the support of those we love. We’ve learned plans are made to be changed, and to accept those changes and make the best of them.

Christmas is still Christmas, and this year we really need to focus on the reason for the season and be thankful for the blessings we’ve had in and through this journey. It’s not over yet, because we still have more doctor visits ahead, but we’ll make it through.

Christmas is different this year, but the reason for the season is the same, and so is the excitement in the eyes of our grandchildren and their friends.

Merry Christmas to all!