Well, what do you know. We get back from TN and two days later I have a sick kiddo. Dillon was completely fine last night...nothing wrong at all that I could tell! But he woke up in the night with extreme congestion and fever. Poor little guy!
If you're into natural remedies, here's what I'm trying.
Red Clover Tea - It's a great blood purifier and is believed to stimulate the immune system.
Elderberry Syrup - The elderberry is said to be antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory. The dried flowers, made into tea, are great for treating fevers, flu, colds, broncitis. Extracts made form dried berries are used for cold and flu treatments and also for preventative measures. Elderberry syrup is frequently recommended as a cold and flu remedy and use to alleviate nausea and calm the stomach. Caution: Always use dried or cooked parts of the Elder bush. Raw parts may cause adverse reactions.
Elderberry Syrup:
1 C dried elderberries
2 C boiling water
honey
Place elderberries in a 1 quart jar. Pour boiling water oe rthe berries. Cover and let steep for 8 hours. Pour mixture into a stainless steel or glass pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain our the berries and discard. measure the liquid and add an equal amount of honey. Reheat and stir until honey dissolves. Cool. Pour into a clean glass jar. Seal tightly and store in refrigerator. For cold and flu prevention it is customary to take 2 tsp of syrup twice a day. To treat an already acquired cold or flu the suggested dosage is 1 T four times a day. It workds best if treatment is started as soon as symptoms appear.
Eucalyptus Bath - good for congestion
Foot bath with dry mustard - good for congestion (add 1 T dry mustard to enough hot water to cover ankles in basin or sink.
All the above information was taken from a church member's cookbook that contains information about herbs and natural remedies as well! It's called Eden's Bounty, by Ruth Abbott and Diana Inman (the church member).
My own natural remedy is green drink. I just add 4-6 leaves of kale (excellent source of Vitamins C, K, A, as well as manganese and fiber - it's a great immune system booster!) to a smoothie type drink that includes blueberries, banana, strawberries, or whatever other kind of fruit I have.
Hopefully we'll be on the mend soon and it won't make the rounds to the rest of us!
We had Christmas while we were there also! This picture shows my 88 year old Grandma, my brother Jeff and sister-in-law Rhonda, along with our family.
The Austin Family around the Christmas tree
What fun we had spending a whole day playing with our cousins!
Thanksgiving Dinner Wednesday night...good family and definitely yummy food!
My dad and stepmom - Granddad and Grandmother after a wonderful Friday night round of hymn singing. 
The kids had a great time making and decorating cookies with Grandmother!
Chaeli's fashion statement! Notice the hat and the shoes that enclose her nightgown. :) Hats are constantly part of her wardrobe these days!
