Deck the Halls!

Did you know that Santa can find children even in a hospital? So obviously, before vitals, meds, or breakfast, Sada opened her gifts. Her priorities are still completely intact.

Even with the stress and confusion inherent in a hospital stay, Christmas has been properly merry and bright. The doctor ordered a CT scan first thing to make sure her ventricles were draining properly with the EVD clamped. Everything looked good, so the doctor came back and removed the drain. It was quick and easy (aside from a few hairs being yanked). No more IV poles to drag around! She celebrated with cotton candy body paints in a GIGANTICUS 7’ bathtub.

With the NTU down to three staff and three patients, the nurses decided to turn this place into a bed and breakfast/ lunch/ snack service. They set up another game of Christmas Bingo, a paint shop for aspiring artists, and a construction site complete with quick-drying cement to make mosaic paperweights. Downtime was fun with Sada’s favorite movie, “The Ultimate Gift”(which Mom & Dad couldn’t watch because we would have started bawling), and a ride up to the sky bridge to see the blizzard move in over the valley. Sada decided Salt Lake is breathtaking at night in the snow. Objects at a distance are easy to look at because they don’t seem to bounce vertically like anything close – just another lovely side-effect of surgical trauma.

We've always tried to focus on the Savior's birth and service - this year hasn't been any different, we're just on the receiving end of the charity chain. The other kids are happily playing with grandparents, Sada's recovering from what could have been, well, a really bad outcome, and we are dumbfounded by blessings popping up all over. 'Tis the season for miracles - and we are so very grateful.