When Soup is the Answer

Well today has not been the best, I'm sick, husband's sick, kids who refuse to get along, and veggies still being munched by slugs or now earwigs, HELP!! With all of this I resorted to making some soup. That's supposed to help everything, right? My mother makes this soup it tasted great even when you can't taste with a stuffy nose.
Here is the recipe, it looks like a lot but, it goes quickly. You can use a boxed stock but when you are sick the real thing works much better.  I made this while sick and two insane kids pulling on me.  If I can you can. 
I hope you like it:

Annie's Cold Ease Soup

(Stock)
10 c. cold water
4 chicken thighs with skin and bones
1 stalk celery cut into 4 pieces
1 carrot cut into 4 pieces
1 onion skinned and quartered
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 lg. sprigs parsley
8 whole black pepper corns
8 whole garlic cloves with skin on
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
In a large dutch oven or stock pot  put in water and then all the ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 -25 minutes, until the chicken thighs are cooked through and a bit of the fat is rendered into the stock.
then remove the chicken onto a plate to cool and strain the stock. When the chicken is cool de-bone and reserve the meat for the soup.
(Soup)
Chop the following;
1/2 a small fennel bulb
1 stalk celery
2 carrots peeled
Saute in 2Tbs butter and 2 Tbs olive oil with a bit of salt, till tender about 5-8 minutes. Add stock :
5  large leaves of  chard or kale, thinly sliced
1 head of garlic peeled and smashed leave the cloves whole
1/4 cup uncooked rice
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
reserved chicken meat
salt and pepper to taste
Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes, just make sure the rice is done.
Stir and serve.