Well here we are on October 29th...and here I thought it had been 7 months since i blogged.  June ain't so bad! haha jussst kidding.
I'm sitting at home with my 3 awesome roomies in the middle of Frankenstorm, so I figured I should just get over whatever it is that has stopped me from blogging, and just WRITE.  Because, the fact is, there is a whole lot going on in my life! Annnd i just found out tomorrow is another 'snow' day. #4dayweekend #awesomesauce

Let's start with this morning.  This is the third morning in a row I got to sleep in without a care in the world!  I could get used to this.
Quality time with Jackie (newest roommate since Jenn got married in September) and Bekah around the breakfast table with coffee...we have a small (ahem!) problem.

woke up to this note...:)

One of the things I really love about having a free day is that I get to spend quality time in the word!  I started a Bible reading plan, and it has been so encouraging.  Spending more time reading the word and seeing more of God's character has just been so great.

i think i'm permanently moving our couch here...

Bekah built a fire and made stew, jackie made puppy chow and some gluten-free banana bread (!!), claire worked from home...and I read and watched a show in front of the fire.  this is the life :)

June!

I absolutely cannot BELIEVE that my last post was in January!!  That is awful.  wow.  I must be the world's worst blogger!  You know how you want to do something, but you don't have the time, or don't have the energy?  And how the longer you wait the more unattainable it gets?  And how when you keep waiting, and waiting...and waiting, then you never do it?  Well, I guess you could say I got a bad case of that.  But I have good news, and I wanted to share it with you!!!!

Last week, I went to my Lyme doctor for my first appointment since March.  Let me back up...in November, I had an appointment, and I was feeling pretty darn good.  I felt almost as good on the antibiotics as I did off them, which is the goal.  My doctor said that pretty soon I would be able to cut back on my antibiotics.

Over the next few months, I sunk back into my 'normal' life of not feeling well.  I knew something wasn't right..and when I went in for my appointment in March, Kim said that one of the co-infections had come back.   (by the way, sorry if this post is boring..just trying to update you on the facts :)

I wasn't really surprised...but it was still pretty stupid if you ask me.  I said, "I don't have to take the Mepron, do I??".  Yep, you guessed it.  I had to go back on the atomic yellow, anti-malarial, nausea-inducing, want-to-throw-up-when-i-think-about-it #%*$ that I had been on a whole YEAR ago.  A year!  That is when I really got discouraged.  Last time when I had finished this same round of treatment, I hurled the leftover medicine into the garbage and shouted "I NEVER HAVE TO TAKE YOU AGAIN!!!".  :/

Ok, now for the good news.  I'm on my last week of the poison!!  Last Thursday I found out that in two weeks my antibiotics are going to be dramatically decreased!!! Would you believe me if I told you I've been on harsh antibiotics for 18 months?  Only the Lord's strength and mercy has sustained me for this long.  I have always believed that I could heal me if that was his will, but I just wasn't sure that it was...the road has just been so long.  Now, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I just cant believe it.  I can't even believe it.  It's still sinking in, and I'm not putting all of my hope in it, but I am thankful for the ray of sunshine that is finally peeking through.

 

Favorites :)

Pictures, as promised!

such cuties :)

Benjamin always claims he will win, but C always takes him. haha

<3 my dad :)

not too shabby, eh?  Just missing Emily :(

It took me SIX times to get them to make a face!  I knew they had it in them.

Love him :)

love.

I can't decide if this needs an explanation or not...would it make it any better if I told you my Dad was santa?

Thankful beyond words.  Love her.

Christmas Update!

Wow.  Even though I love journaling, I have obviously fallen out of it.  Instead, it has been replaced by meaningless tv shows that I can't seem to stop watching!  having 5 seasons on netflix is dangerous...I can use the excuse that I'm still exhausted when I get home from work sometimes, but that only goes so far.  anyways, I'm praying and trying to cut waaay back on that so that I can blog and read and do things that matter, you know?

Let me rewind to about a month ago.  Christmas break.  *sigh*. It was so incredibly restful and sweet.  I knew I needed a break, but I didn't realized how stinking much i needed it!  The first 3 days, I went to bed early, slept in, and took a nap.  My poor little body had been working overtime, and when I got home I just crashed.  I am SO thankful for that rest.

Being with my family was food for my soul.  It's almost beyond words how wonderful it was.  It was a blessing just to be.  I am grateful for the incredible, wonderful and loving family that the Lord has given me.  Each moment that I spend time with them grows my affection for them.  The week and a half that I was has in Raleigh was not enough.  I wanted to stay on and on.
  It was wonderful to talk with them, read near them, and play games in front of the fire.  Mom faithfully prepared meals that were delicious and nutritious as always.  The fact that I didn't have to worry about food relieved me of an incredible amount of stress.  Thanks mom :)

I know this sounds nostalgic, but I guess that's because it is...even though it was a week and a half ago.  I got to go on a coffee/movie date with my dad, always such fun and an encouragement.  It is so neat to be able to share our lives with each other.  I am so thankful for my parents - they are 2 of the most loving, committed, hardworking people I know.  Thank you for loving me through it all, and most importantly, thank you for teaching me about Christ.  As I get older, I am aware of the unimaginable blessing of having godly parents.

Getting to spend time with Carolyn was just...wow.  It's hard to live 7 hours apart and hardly ever get to see her.  In her words, she is the friend that I am just lucky enough to share parents with.  Sharing her bed, chatting and catching up, watching netflix together, sitting in front of the fire together...I just couldn't get enough of it :) One morning we made lattes with her new espresso machine and took them up to her bed, pretending that it was a cafe.  She is, without a doubt, one of my dearest friends.

I got to see the Shingler's as well!  It was so good to spend a few afternoons with them and get to catch up.  Spending time with them is just so natural, and I love it.  The girls are cuter and crazier than ever, so spunky and lovable.

I'll add some pictures when I get home! (I got to work and found out there was a winter delay until 11...so I'm blogging instead :) 

November whaaaaat?

If I sneak a post in today, then I only missed a month :)  Ideally, I would write much more often...I'm trying to get back into it.  There's something so happy and calming in writing out my thoughts and sharing them.

I got some good news today!  I had an appointment with the Lyme doctor today, and she said in 2-3 months they are going to start tapering me off antibiotics...completely!  Praise God that he has brought me this far.  I have learned to trust his faithfulness through all of this, and although this trial is not yet over, I have no fear.  Whatever happens, he will be glorified...and I will me made more like him as he molds me.

I have started feeling better while i'm on the antibiotics, which is a good sign.  I've had more energy and less nausea - the goal is for me to feel just as good on the meds as I do off.  I think the end may be in sight! :)

Things continue as normal here in the big city.  It's time for fires, fleeces, coffee (ok ok) and christmas music!  I'm tailoring my pandora station at the moment :)  I just love this time of year, but I absolutely cannot believe that tomorrow is December!!  AHHHHHH!

I love my roommates.  a LOT.  Li (my actual roommate) is moving to China in mid-January. I am excited for her, but I am so sad to see her go that I almost can't stand it.  She has become such a dear friend to me, and it has been an undeserved blessing to share a room with her.  I don't want her to go!!!

Speaking of not deserving things, I am still amazed that God gave me this beautiful house with the greatest roommates ever!  I am so thankful :) :)

A few weeks ago, an intern took our pictures together!  It was like a photo-shoot - we walked all over and posed for 2 hours.  It was lots of fun :)  You're gonna love the photos...

Reeeeally happy :)

Love this one!

They tried to push me off...it worked.

I love jumping pictures!  please look at our faces!

sleepy grey saturday..

Today my arm hurts.  and my arm, i mean my shoulder. should blade, rotator, neck muscle connected to it, etc.  I flipping FELL on wednesday night.  I was coming home from bible study, and not in the greatest mood.  It was dark, and a bit rainy,  and the lord has really been showing me what an idol I’ve made of friendships...I’ve come to rely on them so much for happiness that I don’t find my satisfaction in the Lord.  

anyways, this is the mood i was in as I walked up my street and through my gate.  As I grabbed my keys, I noticed a guy walking by on the sidewalk.  Next thing I know, I am laid out on my front steps, and he has passed right on by.  As far as I can tell, this is what happened:  When I was looking for the right key, I put my foot out, and instead of stepping ON the step, I stepped on the edge of it and my foot slipped off.  Of course, since my body was already moving forward, this resulted in me landing on my left hip and shoulder, scraping my shins and knee, and going down.  Ow.

What really sucks is that I totally re-injured my shoulder!  It was just starting to feel better after 5 weeks, and it feels just as bad as it did back at the beginning.  I know that God is sovereign over everything, but I feel so bruised and battered!  Today I am just coming off two weeks of meds (stronger antibiotics than I’ve had in all 10 months of treatment), so I am sitting here with a burning shoulder, bruises, a popped vein from getting blood drawn and very unhappy stomach.  All I want is a home-cooked meal from my mom...and maybe some nursing-back-to-health.  

I’ve got to say...for that book I keep talking about writing, this is just another interesting chapter.  I wonder what God has in store for me next...

gahhh!!! the last time i wrote was june?  holy freaking cow.  lots has happened since then.  lots and lots.  Ok let's see...

July was really hot.  August was really hot.   wait, back up.  July 4th was really hot, but really good.  I was reflecting on my previous one (just 5 days after I moved here), and what a difference a year makes!  How fun to start the day by waking up at my good friend samantha's, then going home to take a nap (haha)?
Then i had some time to journal (and drink coffee of course), and thank God for his many blessings.

In the evening, I went to a cookout at the Bullmoose (the house across the street from the church where 13 guys live...i know i know, how was i invited?).  I walked over to the church to check out the (somewhat exclusive) picnic, and somehow ended up on the 4th floor roof with everyone else to see the fireworks.  It was pretty neat to see them from up there and have a 360 view!  There were actually fireworks all around us, but most of them were illegal.

Beginning of August was family beach week.  I never knew how sweet a week-long vacation could be!  I felt like life was closing in all around me, and then suddenly I was sleeping in, drinking coffee, reading, having meals made for me, laying on the beach, swimming....I just love the beach :)  It was so refreshing to not have a schedule and to be with people I love.

The end of August saw Abby leaving for grad-school.  I drove a packed second car down with her to Williamsburg.  I was glad to be there and see where she would be living, but it was hard to drive away!  I miss having her at work...when we were together we were usually laughing :)

That's all for now :)

<3,
J