Grateful

Holidays are an opportunity for thoughts such as, Will this be Ed's last Thanksgiving? These thoughts can suck all the thankfulness out of the day.

Last year we didn't know if it was Ed's last Thanksgiving, but we were given another year. So I'm trying to enjoy today and not worry about next year.

That goal is much easier this week when Ed is feeling better than he has in weeks. If Ed was still declining, it would be much more difficult.

Yesterday we had a follow-up visit with Ed's doctor. She was pleased at his improvement. His mind is more focused than a week ago. We hope that the improvement will continue as Ed receives more infusions.

Since this visit was shorter than most of Ed's appointments, we took the children along and did some sightseeing in DC afterward.

We parked at Union Station. What fun to walk through this busy train station with its amazing architecture. Made me want to bring my suitcase and jump on a train bound for California.

Note for large families: The Union Station parking garage costs $15 for a whole day and has plenty of room for large vans.

Next door to Union Station is the US Postal Museum, which is part of the Smithsonian. We learned about the history of the postal service through the many exhibits.

The children explored the huge postage stamp collection.

Ed walked slowly, but he wasn't exhausted yet so we walked over to the US Capital building.

We were able to catch the last Rotunda tour of the day. We were here a few years ago, but I always enjoy the sculptures and paintings depicting US history.

Then it was the challenge of getting home. Thankfully, the Thanksgiving traffic wasn't bad. I still don't enjoy driving, but since Ed quit driving a few months ago, my skills have certainly improved. With Ed's coaching, I'm learning to maneuver in city traffic. But no one is more glad than me to arrive home.

Last week, a family day like this would have been impossible. So grateful for God's continued care for our family.