For all things insanity, it just so happened that I am traveling down to the Houston area 4 weekends in a row. Halfway done. All the driving makes me tired.
The air mattress my sister and I were both sleeping on Friday night decided to do the most awesome thing... deflate in the middle of the night. If that wasn't bad enough since I may not have completely noticed it in my comatose state, my sister decides that it is necessary to loudly announce that we were now sleeping on the floor. Thanks for the update, Ash. Sleeping on a deflated air mattress with someone else makes me tired.
I did a lot of things packed in 2 days... drove to Galveston, hung out with family, went to the movies with the family, checked out Barnes & Noble, headed back north to meet up with my mom at my sister's, went to Fairfield to meet up with other family at a down-home cooking restaurant (that my sister swears we used to eat at all the time to which no one else remembers), go watch my godsister the Rangerette dance at their college football game, and then drive back to Fort Worth. It may not seem like alot to you, but all of that makes me tired.
When I don't get a chance to set up all of my nursery classrooms during the week, I get to church by 7:30 am to get them all situated before we pray as a team at 8:15. Waking up at 5:45 am after getting home late from a road trip makes me tired.
I am currently reading Francine Rivers' new book which is absolutely fantastic. It's a book that is worthy of the 'not able to put it down' status. Or the 'it makes me wish I didn't have a job so I could read all day' status. Staying up late to read makes me tired.
I was summoned to jury duty in downtown Fort Worth at the criminal justice center at 8 am on Monday... with 587 other people. They were still short jurors even with that ridiculously large amount so we were all automatically picked. I sat in the most massive room I've ever seen waiting for the jury bailiff to call my name for my court assignment. Right when she did and I was about to fill out my questionnaire to report back the next day at 9 am, that particular case got cancelled. Hallelujah. Waking up at the butt crack of dawn to report to a jury room in the middle of downtown and listen to 588 names being called makes me tired.
We decided to throw our friend a surprise birthday party tonight. However, communication lines were crossed and that friend apparently already had plans. This led us to go back and forth on what Plan B should be, which resulted in us to heading to Wal-Mart at 9:30 pm to do something we could have done hours before. Trips to the store after 9 pm make me tired.
Tuesday morning is Ladies Day Bible Study at our church and I run the childcare for that event. Which is HUGE. It makes me anxious in making sure all of the pieces have come together and everything is set before anyone shows up. Getting to the church in enough time to do this on Tuesday morning makes me tired.
The aforementioned birthday party for friend is tonight at 8:45 pm. Knowing that I am going to an event that doesn't start until that late already makes me tired.
I think I'll go rest now.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
down south is where I stay...
Starting this past weekend, this next month is going to be a whirlwind of traveling. Mostly down south. I swear it seems like those people are trying to force me to move back down there just to save on gas. But I'm holding strong. This past weekend began all of that craziness and let me just tell you what exactly that weekend looked like...
1. Starbucks stop for the road trip down. This is a necessity.
2. Lunch with two of my Huntsville girls at my all-time favorite Huntsville deli. Can we get a HOLLA for Five Loaves Deli?! Yes, they love Jesus... yes, they have an amazing grilled chicken sandwich... yes, they serve sweet tea... yes, the place is precious. It was the perfect place to catch up on Hannah and Heather's lives. Love these girls and it just makes me miss living in the same town as them all the more.
3. My Nana gave me the newest Francine Rivers book. Have I told you how amazing my Nana is lately? Because she's pretty much the best.
4. Jeans shopping with Jen. This is my favorite. With her gone from Fort Worth now, I didn't think this would ever happen again. But alas, there we both were in the same dressing room avoiding those crazy people that work at the Buckle. We both walked away with a fantastic pair (pairs for some people) of jeans. So fun.
5. Tons of shopping with the sissy. We tend to do this often when we're together. For the record, this shopping was for other people and food for the shower for those other people. (Besides the one pair of jeans, of course.)
6. Dinner at Rudy's. When my sister found out that I'd never eaten there, she almost ran 12 cars off the highway to get me there. Although they so rudely were out of what I wanted to order, the food I did get to enjoy was absolutely delicious. So glad that I finally got to try out the place that I hear about all the time.
7. Hanging out with the brother-in-law. Between viewing all million of their Chicago trip pictures, thinking through his best man's speech, and chatting about his new business.. it's always good times to hang with him. Love having a brother.
8. Lunch with one of my high school besties. I haven't seen her in FOR-EVER so it was so fun to be able to catch up and celebrate this next chapter in her life of welcoming a baby in the world. So sweet.
9. Decorating and dinner with my sister's crazy friends that are now my friends. Yup, I take ownership too. It's always an adventure with those girls and it was fun getting to gear up for Kourt's big day together. The first season of Glee was invited as well.
10. Baking my arm in the oven. That's right... I made the brightest move of my life and pretty much laid my arm on one of the oven's racks. It took Chris to make a noise before I actually made the same noise in realization that my arm should NOT be touching something that hot. My reward for my brilliance? TWO second degree burns. That's the one with the fun bubbling and blistering. Grossed out? Yeah, me too.
11. Monkey bread with the girls. Was it worth the damage to the arm? I sure as heck hope they think so.
12. Breakfast with Jen. Do I absolutely love that she lives a subdivision over from the sissy's house? Duh. Am I so super glad that I got to see her twice this past weekend? Of course. Do I still hold bitterness towards Spring for taking her away? YES.
13. Kourtnie and Sean's shower! It was the whole reason for the trip and it turned out so super cute. I absolutely loved the fall themed shower... decked out with more fall decorations than Hobby Lobby, a cowboy boots cake, bales of hay, pumpkins, and tons of delicious food. Loved it. Love them. Love the fall.
14. Clothes swapping with the sissy. I came home with a romper. I just like saying that word. Not really sure how I feel about it or if it will ever make it's public debut. Right now it's just living in the closet until I can make a final decision.
15. Starbucks stop on the long late drive back. Duh.
All in all, a pretty fantastically fun weekend. And now it's Monday. Which means tomorrow is Tuesday. Before you know it, I'll be headed back down south again. Good times.
1. Starbucks stop for the road trip down. This is a necessity.
2. Lunch with two of my Huntsville girls at my all-time favorite Huntsville deli. Can we get a HOLLA for Five Loaves Deli?! Yes, they love Jesus... yes, they have an amazing grilled chicken sandwich... yes, they serve sweet tea... yes, the place is precious. It was the perfect place to catch up on Hannah and Heather's lives. Love these girls and it just makes me miss living in the same town as them all the more.
3. My Nana gave me the newest Francine Rivers book. Have I told you how amazing my Nana is lately? Because she's pretty much the best.
4. Jeans shopping with Jen. This is my favorite. With her gone from Fort Worth now, I didn't think this would ever happen again. But alas, there we both were in the same dressing room avoiding those crazy people that work at the Buckle. We both walked away with a fantastic pair (pairs for some people) of jeans. So fun.
5. Tons of shopping with the sissy. We tend to do this often when we're together. For the record, this shopping was for other people and food for the shower for those other people. (Besides the one pair of jeans, of course.)
6. Dinner at Rudy's. When my sister found out that I'd never eaten there, she almost ran 12 cars off the highway to get me there. Although they so rudely were out of what I wanted to order, the food I did get to enjoy was absolutely delicious. So glad that I finally got to try out the place that I hear about all the time.
7. Hanging out with the brother-in-law. Between viewing all million of their Chicago trip pictures, thinking through his best man's speech, and chatting about his new business.. it's always good times to hang with him. Love having a brother.
8. Lunch with one of my high school besties. I haven't seen her in FOR-EVER so it was so fun to be able to catch up and celebrate this next chapter in her life of welcoming a baby in the world. So sweet.
9. Decorating and dinner with my sister's crazy friends that are now my friends. Yup, I take ownership too. It's always an adventure with those girls and it was fun getting to gear up for Kourt's big day together. The first season of Glee was invited as well.
10. Baking my arm in the oven. That's right... I made the brightest move of my life and pretty much laid my arm on one of the oven's racks. It took Chris to make a noise before I actually made the same noise in realization that my arm should NOT be touching something that hot. My reward for my brilliance? TWO second degree burns. That's the one with the fun bubbling and blistering. Grossed out? Yeah, me too.
11. Monkey bread with the girls. Was it worth the damage to the arm? I sure as heck hope they think so.
12. Breakfast with Jen. Do I absolutely love that she lives a subdivision over from the sissy's house? Duh. Am I so super glad that I got to see her twice this past weekend? Of course. Do I still hold bitterness towards Spring for taking her away? YES.
13. Kourtnie and Sean's shower! It was the whole reason for the trip and it turned out so super cute. I absolutely loved the fall themed shower... decked out with more fall decorations than Hobby Lobby, a cowboy boots cake, bales of hay, pumpkins, and tons of delicious food. Loved it. Love them. Love the fall.
14. Clothes swapping with the sissy. I came home with a romper. I just like saying that word. Not really sure how I feel about it or if it will ever make it's public debut. Right now it's just living in the closet until I can make a final decision.
15. Starbucks stop on the long late drive back. Duh.
All in all, a pretty fantastically fun weekend. And now it's Monday. Which means tomorrow is Tuesday. Before you know it, I'll be headed back down south again. Good times.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
so blessed...
Yesterday was an incredibly rough day. My mom sent me an e-mail this morning that not only encouraged me, but challenged me to really stop and looking at the blessings in my life. As I sat there and did that this morning, I came across a lot of different thoughts of reflection...
- I have people in my life that not only love me, but pray hard for me.
- I have a mother that is my biggest fan and cheerleader. I know that she will always be there to cry with me and to smile with me.
- Not everyone gets to have their best friend as a roommate. It's true friendship at it's finest.
- I get to work in an environment where everyone around me loves the Lord and wants to serve Him the best way they can. It's an incredible place of support and love. Let's be honest... it's not everywhere that you leave work upset and return to a desk that has a super sweet card and a cute vase of flowers.
- I am able to have an intimate relationship with the God of the universe. And rely on His strength and comfort daily.
- I have family that truly knows my heart and would fight to the death for me.
- I have been presented an opportunity to serve families and kids by loving on them and learning more about our Lord together everyday.
- I have a sense of humor and know not to take myself too seriously.
- God is sovereign. Terrifyingly so, as Matt Chandler put it this past week. Not an article of dust can move without God being in control. How amazingly comforting.
- We are not made to be comfortable in this world. The Bible even says that our souls should be yearning for what is to come.
All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:27-29
Monday, September 13, 2010
just call us wacoans...
An organization that will always hold a piece of my heart is Sigma Phi Lambda. Main reason being that this is where I was pulled into a community of girls that loved God and desired to follow hard after him... right at a time where I needed it most. I will be forever grateful for the Lord placing Phi Lamb in my life and for all of the girls that loved on me and taught me so much. I had the honor of serving as an officer for this fantastic organization my senior year of college, along with four other amazing girls. Our officer core had a bond that year that has outlasted our years at college and stands strong even through the distance.
Three of us live in different towns in the metroplex and one of us lives in Temple. We decided it was only appropriate to have a long overdue day of fun together. (If you've done the math already, that means that one of us was not present and of course GREATLY missed. Love you Hannah!) We looked at the map and decided that Waco was going to be our location of fun. And with that, this Saturday because a full-fledged day of us living it up in Waco to see all it has to offer.
When Andrea and Chelsea arrived to my apartment, we all piled in Solara and headed west. Christine had done her Waco research and found out that Buzzard Billy's was the place to meet for lunch. Located on a river that shall remain nameless here (because I never took the time to find out the name), Buzzard Billy's was a cajun restaurant that required you to cross the bridge over the swamp to walk in. Authentic atmosphere... gotta love it. We all ordered our cajun meals (besides Chelsea of course since her go-to meal is always chicken tenders) and immediately caught up on each other's lives. And caught Christine up on all chat that occurred in the car ride over... funny how quick little inside jokes can be started in just a one-hour car ride. We completed our time at Buzzard Billy's with a must-needed picture with the buzzard itself. Against all wishes of Andrea.
We still had an hour before our movie so we contemplated where in Waco we should tackle next. Driving through downtown and heading towards Baylor campus, a particular girl got it in her head that we should take random silly senior pictures somewhere. Between intense searching of visitor parking on campus, major complaints about the heat from the rest of us, and the beginning of an apparent allergic reaction from another of us... this girl got her wish.
After this detour, we headed on to our movie at the Galaxy. We decided to go see what we thought was a chick flick about a couple being long-distance. Didn't quite expect the Rated R-ness of it. Whoops... so much for keeping it classy. Made it all worth it just to hear Chelsea's ridiculous gasps throughout the entire thing anytime something less than wholesome occurred. And Justin Long is still adorable in my book.
We ended our day at the most amazing place in all of Waco. It is a little bit of paradise that has been planted right next to Baylor campus which can also be known as Common Grounds coffee shop. To say that I am obsessed with this place is putting it mildly. It is an absolutely adorable coffee shop that has tons of cute seating inside and cute seating outside in their huge backyard complete with a stage. The even more fantastic thing about Common Grounds? Their cowboy coffee. Pure amazingness. Best iced coffee I've ever had in my life. Why is it so amazing, you ask? This coffee is created with their secret sauce. As Andrea put it perfectly, it's got to be crack. Which of course reminded me about why I was so glad that she got to share the Common Grounds experience with me. She truly understands the addiction. And luckily everyone else seemed to love the place as much as me. We even made our way from sitting in the backyard... to enjoying the a/c in one of the rooms... to sitting on the swing on the front porch. We obviously enjoyed our time there. And will hopefuly return very soon.
After getting the second cowboy coffee to go (yes it is that good and yes I am that addicted), Christine returned us to Solara and we headed our separate ways. It was very sad indeed but we will always have Waco. Oh, and Huntsville. Whoops.. that cowboy coffee has got me all confused on where my loyalties lie...
(circa 2007)
Three of us live in different towns in the metroplex and one of us lives in Temple. We decided it was only appropriate to have a long overdue day of fun together. (If you've done the math already, that means that one of us was not present and of course GREATLY missed. Love you Hannah!) We looked at the map and decided that Waco was going to be our location of fun. And with that, this Saturday because a full-fledged day of us living it up in Waco to see all it has to offer.
When Andrea and Chelsea arrived to my apartment, we all piled in Solara and headed west. Christine had done her Waco research and found out that Buzzard Billy's was the place to meet for lunch. Located on a river that shall remain nameless here (because I never took the time to find out the name), Buzzard Billy's was a cajun restaurant that required you to cross the bridge over the swamp to walk in. Authentic atmosphere... gotta love it. We all ordered our cajun meals (besides Chelsea of course since her go-to meal is always chicken tenders) and immediately caught up on each other's lives. And caught Christine up on all chat that occurred in the car ride over... funny how quick little inside jokes can be started in just a one-hour car ride. We completed our time at Buzzard Billy's with a must-needed picture with the buzzard itself. Against all wishes of Andrea.
We still had an hour before our movie so we contemplated where in Waco we should tackle next. Driving through downtown and heading towards Baylor campus, a particular girl got it in her head that we should take random silly senior pictures somewhere. Between intense searching of visitor parking on campus, major complaints about the heat from the rest of us, and the beginning of an apparent allergic reaction from another of us... this girl got her wish.
(They are less than enthused about this picture. But I don't care.)
We ended our day at the most amazing place in all of Waco. It is a little bit of paradise that has been planted right next to Baylor campus which can also be known as Common Grounds coffee shop. To say that I am obsessed with this place is putting it mildly. It is an absolutely adorable coffee shop that has tons of cute seating inside and cute seating outside in their huge backyard complete with a stage. The even more fantastic thing about Common Grounds? Their cowboy coffee. Pure amazingness. Best iced coffee I've ever had in my life. Why is it so amazing, you ask? This coffee is created with their secret sauce. As Andrea put it perfectly, it's got to be crack. Which of course reminded me about why I was so glad that she got to share the Common Grounds experience with me. She truly understands the addiction. And luckily everyone else seemed to love the place as much as me. We even made our way from sitting in the backyard... to enjoying the a/c in one of the rooms... to sitting on the swing on the front porch. We obviously enjoyed our time there. And will hopefuly return very soon.
(Look at the pure joy on our faces holding that coffee. Pure joy.)
(Bands play here. Cute and fun. I love it.)
(We much welcomed the air conditioner on the not-so-cool fall day.)
(We not so much welcomed the odd stranger that insisted on sitting and staring... while eating his Taco Bell.)
(I feel the need to explain that she's drinking hot chocolate.. in a sweater.. in 100 degree weather. She's cool(?) like that.)
(They also have a swing. It's like they know me there.)
(It maybe could make the move to Waco worthwhile... just maybe.)
(I'm obviously in love.. and a little ridiculous.)
Friday, September 10, 2010
please meet my allergies...
So if you've known me only a day, you probably are aware that I have allergies. It is no secret... mainly because they don't allow me to keep it a secret. They have been a part of my life since I am old enough to remember anything. They are the reason my eyes are red and I am itching my nose in a weird way to keep from sneezing. I figured since I've been doing this blog thing for a little while now, it was only right for everyone to get to know me on a little bit different level and be formerly introduced to the life of my allergies. (If you so choose to skip this post, it will not be held against you.)
Let's begin with the sneezing fits, shall we? So ever since I was young, I always remember not being able to sneeze just ONCE. Oh no. My body seemed to be taken over in these convulsions that last at least ten to possibly fifty sneezes. You think I'm exaggerating. Ask anyone I know. It got to the point where people don't say "God Bless You!" anymore. They wait for me to pause for a second and ask "Are you done?" Once I realize that I am and tell them so, then I might get a courteous "Bless you." I can always tell when I'm hanging out with someone new and a sneezing fit takes over because they bless me on the first sneeze. Usually if someone else is around, they will be quick to tell them it's not worth it. Ahh, the love. I do have to admit that I have a fear that comes along with these sneezing fits. I'm convinced that a possible way I may die is one of these sneezing fits will get so out of control while I'm driving that I will wreck and die. I know that's morbid, but I'm just being real with you. A true sneezing fact is that your eyes are shut. You do the math... fifty sneezes plus my eyes being shut equals a possible disaster (and the way I die). Just saying.
So what am I allergic to, you ask? Life. Ok but seriously although it may feel like that at times, I have been able to narrow it down just a tad. (And this is my own research... not one of a professional expert.) When I was younger, I do believe it was either me or my wise mother that figured out I was allergic to dust and fresh-cut grass. Awesome. I can't go inside or outside. However, my favorite chore was dusting. Hmm.. maybe that's how we figured it out. But no worries... I took it upon myself to completely avoid cutting grass at all costs. I'm obviously just thinking of my allergies. When I got a little older and moved to college, I would come home and visit and sneeze NON-STOP. Especially when those furry little animals also known as our pet cats would come up and love on me. Interesting. Apparently living in clean air for the first time in my life made me aware that I was now allergic to cats. So my sophomore year of college, I got a dog. Life was great until I moved to Fort Worth three years later and Jazzie moved in with her grandma. (Yes, we are those people that refer to my mother as my dog's grandma. Don't judge us.) Now when I go back down to visit, I sneeze. Oh, the pattern. Clean air makes me allergic to dogs now. Great. Needless to say, Jazzie still lives with her grandma.
*Side note... I'm also allergic to sulfa drugs if anyone ever has to take me to the hospital while I'm unconscious. Just didn't want to lead you astray with my statement of allergies.
Have I ever taken medical action when it comes to my allergies? Yes and no. I do take prescription medication everyday for them. Thank you, Allegra-D. This all began when my doctor wrote me a prescription before leaving for college along with a note that stated I could not live in a dorm because of my allergies. (Was there an ulterior motive for doing this so I could live in an off-campus apartment with my sister? Perhaps, but that's a whole other post.) I've never actually been to an allergist though. But I HAVE been to an Ear Nose Throat Specialist who told me that my sinuses are AWFUL. Um, duh. He listed at least five things that were going on with my nose/sinus cavity region that I will not go into the details here to save you the gross-out. So he immediately strongly recommended the sinus surgery that is apparently amazing and will change my life forever (which could also be known as the grossest surgery ever). So I did it. I looked forward to being able to breathe through my nose for the first time in my life and not sneeze a million times a day. Did it change my life forever? No. I knew it wasn't good when I went back for my post-op check-up and Dr. ENT said "Wow, you should be feeling and looking a lot better than this. You poor thing." (I would like to state that he was looking up my nose at that point rather than my outfit.) And then he said, "I think you might have some severe allergies as well as severe sinus issues. You might want to look into an allergist." Um, thanks. I could have told myself that for a whole lot less amount of money. So I am now educated about the differences in sinuses and allergies all thanks to paying Dr. ENT lots of money. And I still sneeze a lot. It's best if we just move on now.
How do you handle the allergies? With grace and style, of course. Actually not at all. My allergies bring out the tackiness in me that just wants the itchiness to go away. I used to try to avoid sneezing at all costs. I just knew the craziness and embarrassment that was about to ensue... so if I was in public, I would try to prevent it from occurring. This resulted in me rubbing my nose in such a way that could potentially mimic a cocaine addict. Did that stop me from doing that? No way. But it did stop the fit from coming. Success. Another fun thing that comes along with awful allergies is redness and itchiness of the eyes. If it gets to where it is so itchy and unbearable to the point where I am gnawing/rubbing at it with my hands, I warm up a washcloth and put it on my eyes. Sweet relief. Who cares if I look strange? The people that judge me don't understand. So if this occurs in the middle of the night, chances are the eyes are going to look a little crazy in the morning. It got to the point where before I put my contacts in, I put redness relief eye drops in. Everyday. Hey, if they weren't red at that moment, just consider it prevention.
So there is a little background information on a huge part of my life... my allergies. Just think of it as being educated about the lives of people that are stricken with severe allergies. If you're not one of us, maybe it will help you understand us. And to not judge us. Especially if our eyes and nose are both red and we look like we haven't slept in days. Just let us be. We're in enough pain without your ignorant comments.
Let's begin with the sneezing fits, shall we? So ever since I was young, I always remember not being able to sneeze just ONCE. Oh no. My body seemed to be taken over in these convulsions that last at least ten to possibly fifty sneezes. You think I'm exaggerating. Ask anyone I know. It got to the point where people don't say "God Bless You!" anymore. They wait for me to pause for a second and ask "Are you done?" Once I realize that I am and tell them so, then I might get a courteous "Bless you." I can always tell when I'm hanging out with someone new and a sneezing fit takes over because they bless me on the first sneeze. Usually if someone else is around, they will be quick to tell them it's not worth it. Ahh, the love. I do have to admit that I have a fear that comes along with these sneezing fits. I'm convinced that a possible way I may die is one of these sneezing fits will get so out of control while I'm driving that I will wreck and die. I know that's morbid, but I'm just being real with you. A true sneezing fact is that your eyes are shut. You do the math... fifty sneezes plus my eyes being shut equals a possible disaster (and the way I die). Just saying.
So what am I allergic to, you ask? Life. Ok but seriously although it may feel like that at times, I have been able to narrow it down just a tad. (And this is my own research... not one of a professional expert.) When I was younger, I do believe it was either me or my wise mother that figured out I was allergic to dust and fresh-cut grass. Awesome. I can't go inside or outside. However, my favorite chore was dusting. Hmm.. maybe that's how we figured it out. But no worries... I took it upon myself to completely avoid cutting grass at all costs. I'm obviously just thinking of my allergies. When I got a little older and moved to college, I would come home and visit and sneeze NON-STOP. Especially when those furry little animals also known as our pet cats would come up and love on me. Interesting. Apparently living in clean air for the first time in my life made me aware that I was now allergic to cats. So my sophomore year of college, I got a dog. Life was great until I moved to Fort Worth three years later and Jazzie moved in with her grandma. (Yes, we are those people that refer to my mother as my dog's grandma. Don't judge us.) Now when I go back down to visit, I sneeze. Oh, the pattern. Clean air makes me allergic to dogs now. Great. Needless to say, Jazzie still lives with her grandma.
*Side note... I'm also allergic to sulfa drugs if anyone ever has to take me to the hospital while I'm unconscious. Just didn't want to lead you astray with my statement of allergies.
Have I ever taken medical action when it comes to my allergies? Yes and no. I do take prescription medication everyday for them. Thank you, Allegra-D. This all began when my doctor wrote me a prescription before leaving for college along with a note that stated I could not live in a dorm because of my allergies. (Was there an ulterior motive for doing this so I could live in an off-campus apartment with my sister? Perhaps, but that's a whole other post.) I've never actually been to an allergist though. But I HAVE been to an Ear Nose Throat Specialist who told me that my sinuses are AWFUL. Um, duh. He listed at least five things that were going on with my nose/sinus cavity region that I will not go into the details here to save you the gross-out. So he immediately strongly recommended the sinus surgery that is apparently amazing and will change my life forever (which could also be known as the grossest surgery ever). So I did it. I looked forward to being able to breathe through my nose for the first time in my life and not sneeze a million times a day. Did it change my life forever? No. I knew it wasn't good when I went back for my post-op check-up and Dr. ENT said "Wow, you should be feeling and looking a lot better than this. You poor thing." (I would like to state that he was looking up my nose at that point rather than my outfit.) And then he said, "I think you might have some severe allergies as well as severe sinus issues. You might want to look into an allergist." Um, thanks. I could have told myself that for a whole lot less amount of money. So I am now educated about the differences in sinuses and allergies all thanks to paying Dr. ENT lots of money. And I still sneeze a lot. It's best if we just move on now.
How do you handle the allergies? With grace and style, of course. Actually not at all. My allergies bring out the tackiness in me that just wants the itchiness to go away. I used to try to avoid sneezing at all costs. I just knew the craziness and embarrassment that was about to ensue... so if I was in public, I would try to prevent it from occurring. This resulted in me rubbing my nose in such a way that could potentially mimic a cocaine addict. Did that stop me from doing that? No way. But it did stop the fit from coming. Success. Another fun thing that comes along with awful allergies is redness and itchiness of the eyes. If it gets to where it is so itchy and unbearable to the point where I am gnawing/rubbing at it with my hands, I warm up a washcloth and put it on my eyes. Sweet relief. Who cares if I look strange? The people that judge me don't understand. So if this occurs in the middle of the night, chances are the eyes are going to look a little crazy in the morning. It got to the point where before I put my contacts in, I put redness relief eye drops in. Everyday. Hey, if they weren't red at that moment, just consider it prevention.
So there is a little background information on a huge part of my life... my allergies. Just think of it as being educated about the lives of people that are stricken with severe allergies. If you're not one of us, maybe it will help you understand us. And to not judge us. Especially if our eyes and nose are both red and we look like we haven't slept in days. Just let us be. We're in enough pain without your ignorant comments.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
growing up (& old) too fast...
So I'm twenty-five. I should be embracing my "adult-ness." It doesn't mean that it can't surprise me or dissapoint me when I realize I'm doing things that I didn't use to.
Here are a few things that I've done lately that show I've grown up...
Here are a few things that I've done lately that show I've grown up...
- When it starts to get about 9:00 or 9:30 pm, I start winding down and getting ready for bed. That's usually time for me to leave the living room if I'm still in there and head to the bedroom. This still includes the whole getting ready for bed routine and also usually still reading once I get in my bed... but 9:00... really??? The roomie and I actually turned off a tv show the other around 9:15 because we realized the time and headed out of the living room. Who have we become?
- I make my coffee before I go to bed as apart of my "routine." That's right... I get it all prepared so in the morning in my sleep stupor, I can just click ON. This is really just helping me out because I am so far from being a morning person. But I remember doing this for my mom when I was a kid. Obviously very adult then.
- The other night I woke up to a text message from a friend that is still in college at 12:30 am. On a week night. So I obviously didn't get it until 7 am. And I actually had the immediate thought... "Wow, that is way late... oh, the college days." What??? I'm pretty sure at this time last year I was staying up WAY later than that. Granted, I was in grad school but that meant that I was still getting up to be at class at 8 or 9 am. I've obviously changed.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
here's to a double weekend of no labor...
Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! Isn't it so fantastic to have Monday off? For some reason, everyone I've talked to does not have any over-the-top Labor Day plans but just plans on chilling out and relaxing on the Monday that we're all released from labor (well the lucky ones anyway). Is it because we're all so over the heat and don't really feel like throwing a barbeque when this heat is still killing us? Sitting inside in the air conditioning and watching a movie while waiting for fall weather sounds glorious right about now.
This weekend is like a double weekend for me. Since I work on staff at a church, my Sundays are not my own. Although I may traipse out of town, I will quickly head back at some point on Saturday (usually late) to be at church bright and early on Sunday morning. Luckily I don't work on Fridays and am able to have a weekend that looks a little different to most. So this weekend I did just that... headed out of town on Thursday to my hometown of LaMarque (near Galveston) and came back on Saturday afternoon. But I get double the fun since I am able to continue my weekend in Fort Worth until Monday... an extra little bonus weekend! (I consider them separate weekends since there is a bit of labor in between.. it makes it more fun that way.)
Here are some of my favorite highlights of the first half of my double Labor Day weekend down south:
1. I got to have lunch with my Nana at Casa Ole on Thursday. This is no random event. We used to do this every Wednesday or Thursday when I was in college (depending on my class schedule that semester). She let me "work" for her and I would bust out of class and head straight to Conroe so we could eat at our favorite place together. Now our lunches are few and far between, but they still bring much joy to my heart. My Nana is one of my favorite people in the world who everytime I see speaks much wisdom and brings much laughter (and style) to the table. I sure do miss her.
2. I made coffee time with the Grandad. Talk about bringing joy to my heart. This time around he even explained about where coffee time came from and how he thinks that it started with his grandparents. Love it. Love him.
3. My mom and I ate one of our favorite dinners together and stayed up late talking. I am very blessed to have a mom that I share such a special bond with and we just understand each other. Always know it's going to be good when we are allowed some good quality time together.
4. I was able to see a lot of people from my youth group growing up. We always had such a tight-knit group with one of the most fantastic youth ministers to date. And trust me, I've met a lot of youth ministers when I entered seminary. Even though it was a very sad reason that we were all reunited, it was certainly a reminder of how much each one of those people meant to me growing up and being apart of who I am today. Definitely am ALL about a real reunion.
(To understand our youth group a little more, please watch this video. I promise you, it will not be a wasted few minutes. And my 14 year old self does indeed have a cameo if you can find me.)
5. I had meals at two of my all-time favorite mexican restaurants growing up... Taqueria and Gringo's. Both different and both amazing in their own ways. Gringo's was even my very first job. Yup, I was a hostess for a whopping 2 months of my life. And never again. Rolling silverware in a restaurant kitchen to wee hours in the morning is apparently not my thing. Who would have known? But I do love their green sauce.
6. I went shopping with my mom and sister. AMEN.
7. My crazy cousin and his family showed up and we had a sleepover. Although they only live about 25 minutes away from me in the metroplex, our schedules are both busy and life gets in the way. I love those three kids with all my heart though (and Phil and Shalee too of course). Spoons is apparently our love language. It helps that I am the undefeated champion always.
8. I was able to have lunch on Saturday with two of my college best friends, Lindsee and Jen. Words cannot even describe how much I love those girls and getting to spend time with them, especially since it does not happen even remotely close to how much I wish it did. Ellen's Cafe in Old Town Spring did not know what to do with the three of us apparently which of course made our lunch all the more entertaining. What else can you do but die laughing when the old ladies next to you insist on either yelling at you or practically joining your table and of course when everyone is constantly staring? Gotta love how it's never dull when we all get together.
That is my highlight reel thus far. And it's pretty fantastic that I still have one more night of weekend and my day of no labor. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend as well!
This weekend is like a double weekend for me. Since I work on staff at a church, my Sundays are not my own. Although I may traipse out of town, I will quickly head back at some point on Saturday (usually late) to be at church bright and early on Sunday morning. Luckily I don't work on Fridays and am able to have a weekend that looks a little different to most. So this weekend I did just that... headed out of town on Thursday to my hometown of LaMarque (near Galveston) and came back on Saturday afternoon. But I get double the fun since I am able to continue my weekend in Fort Worth until Monday... an extra little bonus weekend! (I consider them separate weekends since there is a bit of labor in between.. it makes it more fun that way.)
Here are some of my favorite highlights of the first half of my double Labor Day weekend down south:
1. I got to have lunch with my Nana at Casa Ole on Thursday. This is no random event. We used to do this every Wednesday or Thursday when I was in college (depending on my class schedule that semester). She let me "work" for her and I would bust out of class and head straight to Conroe so we could eat at our favorite place together. Now our lunches are few and far between, but they still bring much joy to my heart. My Nana is one of my favorite people in the world who everytime I see speaks much wisdom and brings much laughter (and style) to the table. I sure do miss her.
2. I made coffee time with the Grandad. Talk about bringing joy to my heart. This time around he even explained about where coffee time came from and how he thinks that it started with his grandparents. Love it. Love him.
3. My mom and I ate one of our favorite dinners together and stayed up late talking. I am very blessed to have a mom that I share such a special bond with and we just understand each other. Always know it's going to be good when we are allowed some good quality time together.
4. I was able to see a lot of people from my youth group growing up. We always had such a tight-knit group with one of the most fantastic youth ministers to date. And trust me, I've met a lot of youth ministers when I entered seminary. Even though it was a very sad reason that we were all reunited, it was certainly a reminder of how much each one of those people meant to me growing up and being apart of who I am today. Definitely am ALL about a real reunion.
(To understand our youth group a little more, please watch this video. I promise you, it will not be a wasted few minutes. And my 14 year old self does indeed have a cameo if you can find me.)
5. I had meals at two of my all-time favorite mexican restaurants growing up... Taqueria and Gringo's. Both different and both amazing in their own ways. Gringo's was even my very first job. Yup, I was a hostess for a whopping 2 months of my life. And never again. Rolling silverware in a restaurant kitchen to wee hours in the morning is apparently not my thing. Who would have known? But I do love their green sauce.
6. I went shopping with my mom and sister. AMEN.
7. My crazy cousin and his family showed up and we had a sleepover. Although they only live about 25 minutes away from me in the metroplex, our schedules are both busy and life gets in the way. I love those three kids with all my heart though (and Phil and Shalee too of course). Spoons is apparently our love language. It helps that I am the undefeated champion always.
8. I was able to have lunch on Saturday with two of my college best friends, Lindsee and Jen. Words cannot even describe how much I love those girls and getting to spend time with them, especially since it does not happen even remotely close to how much I wish it did. Ellen's Cafe in Old Town Spring did not know what to do with the three of us apparently which of course made our lunch all the more entertaining. What else can you do but die laughing when the old ladies next to you insist on either yelling at you or practically joining your table and of course when everyone is constantly staring? Gotta love how it's never dull when we all get together.
That is my highlight reel thus far. And it's pretty fantastic that I still have one more night of weekend and my day of no labor. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend as well!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
why hello there september...
It is now September 1st. I can NOT believe it... where did the year go?? Well I have always been an avid lover of summer since it has so many of my favorite things all wrapped up in one. There's my summer birthday, no school (which was very important since I've been a student until now), vacations, lots and lots of pool time, and all kind of fun summer events that don't usually occur during the regular year. It's usually a bit of a sadness when it is over. However, I've realized lately that the role of August is to come in and BLAST the heat to a ridiculous temperature to the point where I am WELCOMING the season of fall with open arms. So although I'll miss you summer, I will not miss this August heat that I am telling myself will dissappear now that September is here. And since my excitement for fall is slowly taking over, I am remembering all of the reasons I love this time of year and thought I would share here...
1. Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. Are you even remotely shocked that the first thing I would list is related to coffee in some way? Although I do not get the pumpkin spice latte absolutely every single time that that I go to Starbucks while it is available, I do love to treat myself to one on a fantastic fall day.
2. Trunk or Treat. This is the fall carnival that happens on or around Halloween at my church. Ever since I've started at McKinney, it has always been one of my favorite events to help put together and enjoy while it is going on. There is nothing more precious than seeing the entire church family coming together to spend time and have fun and see the adorable kid costumes.
3. Fall clothes. Call me vain, but I do love some fall clothes. It's the time to be able to break out the cute sweaters, light jackets, and scarves. It's the introduction of long sleeves back into the wardrobe. It's always fun to be able to start wearing clothes that have been sitting on the rack sadly for the past few months.
4. Sitting outside at a restaurant/coffee shop/my own balcony. There's a point that occurs in the summer that this just does not seem like a good idea anymore without subjecting yourself to possibly being covered by sweat by the end of whatever you're doing. Love being able to return to that without the fear of sweat.
5. The return of the good TV shows. After a tv show hiatus, I am always more than excited to see my faves return after the summer. Come on Glee, Modern Family, One Tree Hill, The Office and Grey's... I'm ready for yah.
6. Fall decorations. It's just fun to see the fall/harvest decorations that can now be put up. Got way into it last year with pumpkins... all to see them destroyed by our boy neighbors. Although I miss them, it will be good to be able to decorate freely this year without threat of destruction. And I still dream of one day of actually going to a pumpkin patch.
Those are enough things for right now that I can look forward to as the days go by and the fall becomes officially here... What are some of your fall faves?
1. Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks. Are you even remotely shocked that the first thing I would list is related to coffee in some way? Although I do not get the pumpkin spice latte absolutely every single time that that I go to Starbucks while it is available, I do love to treat myself to one on a fantastic fall day.
Those are enough things for right now that I can look forward to as the days go by and the fall becomes officially here... What are some of your fall faves?
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