WOW! It's been awhile!!!!

So, I know Gary had posted a few quick notes, but a lot has happened since my last big post (around 7/4!) and several of you have been asking for an update here.  So here are the highlights:
***For our 1st anniversary, Gary and I visited Palm Springs - it seemed to have the best deals, which we discovered was due to the summer being off-season for the desert!  It was incredibly, unbearably hot, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.  We spent our mornings/evenings at the pool (and even by 9am Gary could barely even handle laying in the shade!!).  We visited "downtown," but only ended up eating at Ruby's, a 50s diner, because it was too hot to do anything else!  We went back into town in the evening for our big anniversary dinner at a wonderful restaurant I had picked out; however, we were so full from lunch we could barely eat the cheese plate and dessert we ordered!  The next day we rode the Ariel Tramway up to the top of Mt San Jacinto (in a giant car hung by a cable - with a rotating floor!!).  We hiked around up top, and were going to eat in one of the restaurants; however, after reading not-so-positive reviews compared to the not-so-cheap prices, we decided to head back down to eat.  I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go out, so we spent literally hours finding a local pizza place that would deliver to us.  On our way home the following day, we stopped by the designer outlet mall and casino, but didn't end up spending money at either - oh well. It was a wonderful weekend and we were so glad to have gotten away for a little break from everyday life!!
***At the beginning of August, we got a surprise!  My mom drove down to visit and...GIVE US HER CAR! She was planning to get a new car soon and give us hers.  It came suddenly when the alternator when out, so she decided it was time.  We simply paid for the repairs and she drove it down!  Praise the Lord - a return to 2 cars!!!  This was such a blessing and we are very grateful to my parents for this!!! :)  We enjoyed spending time with my mom (although I wish she could have been here longer!!).  We took her to Malibu, Pink's Hot Dogs, church, the Counter, spent half a day at the DMV transferring the title and getting my CA license, and she tagged along with me at work and had a wonderful time playing with the baby!!  Can't wait 'til she can come back!!!!
***Gary has been super enjoying his new job and will be leaving his job with the car dealerships due to his schedule changing when he begins classes at the end of the month.  I get a week of vacation the week he begins so I am excited for some much needed rest/to catch up on life!!  One of my best friends from high school recently moved to LA, so I am hoping to meet up with her then (I don't think we've actually seen each other since graduation!!!).  My job is still going well - although it's about to get more interesting - he will probably start walking any day now!  He is such a bundle of joy and makes me laugh a lot, especially when I make him life - it's adorable!  He has had some separation anxiety for awhile now, but it has grown and grown.  I can't stand up to get a drink if we're sitting on the floor, and have had to take him to the bathroom with me!  He has mastered climbing the stairs, feeding himself with a spoon, and playing peek-a-boo!
***Church stuff: we hosted game nights for our small group every other week during the summer to alternate with our bible studies.  Several couples moved away but we got a new one - yea!!  Gary and I are taking partial leadership in the group now - he'll be teaching a study of 1st Samuel based off of the tv show Kings.  I am beginning a dance team (Great Abandon - FBCP Chapter!) that I just introduced at our ministry fair this week.
***You already saw that I have just been getting over a yucky illness, but after just a few days of asking for prayers, I began focusing all my prayer/prayer chain efforts elsewhere.  I found out about a 15 year old girl from my parents' church in Twin Falls - she lost feeling in half of her body and was being life-flighted to Boise.  It was a stroke, and she has had another one since.  She is still in the hospital in Salt Lake City, as they are waiting for her to be able to eat and drink and regain control of the left hand before they could operate (there is a blood clot in her brain).  So, I've spent a great deal of time on a prayer effort for her, doing everything I can to help out back home ... here is the Facebook group I created for her if you would like to learn more about what happened, join to show your support, and keep up with current prayer requests!  Several other people in the church have been in the hospital lately, so I've been praying for my dad's emotional and physical health while he tried to care for everyone!

well, i think those are the main things - ttfn :)

Happy February!

Well, no more pictures have been hung, but we've gotten the few remaining boxes out of the apartment!  I'm still going through tissues like it's my job (I mean, it pretty much has been since I haven't been working much), but I'm feeling mostly better.  Gary is currently at a job interview so prayyyyyy that goes well!  It would be a nice flexible thing he could easily do with Brookstone.  It's down in Orange County, so I tagged along to see some new sites :) I am sitting at a mall called Fashion Island and wow, it's amazingg!!!  New favorite. :)  We might check out a beach or hit up one of our fave restaurants not in the valley on the way home :) I have a few nanny/child care interviews in the next few days so pray for those also.  God has been answering prayers (thank you!!!) and providing me with random pick up hours throughout the weeks .... anyway - not too much news.  sorry to those of you in the blizzard back east.  it got a little chillier here, but it's supposed to be back into the 80s soon!  beautiful!!
We'd love to hear from you!  Leave a comment, send us an email, text, or call!!  God bless :)

It's the most wonderful time of the year :)

Greetings friends and family! Here's the low down lately:

Unfortunately, probably from the business and lack of sleep, Gary did end up getting pretty sick.  It's just a yucky cold, but it's been hanging on strong - 9 days and counting...He's probably not been getting much better because of our weird sleep patterns - thanks work ;)  The other night I stayed til almost 4am and never leave before midnight :-/  I was working with a family to explore the possibilities of nannying; however, we couldn't really get the schedules worked out, but I'm sure God will find me the right family eventually!

So, I was so excited to leave the land of snow and cold! however, I am beginning to miss it.  When I see New Yorkers on tv all bundled up, it makes me miss this time of year back in the midwest.  It just doesn't quite feel like the holiday season here.  It makes me wonder if without those environmental things that put us in the holiday spirit, LA/warmer climate people are more concentrated on the material aspects of Christmas - you just don't get those warm fuzzies inside.  Gary encouraged me to focus on the real meaning of Christmas (not the snow, etc.), but it's those other things that helped my thoughts focus on Christ at this time of the year.  Sometimes it just makes me laugh - like when we hear song after song in the mall about snow and three of the four girls I talked to one night had never seen snow!  It's just different here - any ideas on how we make make it feel more Christmasy in 70 degree weather?  ...Maybe we'll try to go up to Big Bear (I guess it's the best place to go for snow in the mountains - about 3.5 hrs away).  Anyway, those were just my random thoughts - I'd love to hear your favorite part of the holidays & what puts you in the Christmas spirit!

Thanks for reading :) Ta ta for now!!

All kinds of crazy :P

Sunday:  We went to FBC Pasadena, the church of the pastor we stayed with a few weeks ago.  We went to Sunday school, which Gary LOVED!  It's about 95% Fuller students/staff so there is some hard-core in-depth theological discussing.  It was also very multicultural.  We'll definitely learn a lot.  Jeremy (our friend who also just moved here and helped with the truck last week) was supposed to join us, but his truck broke down, so he couldn't make it.  Later that afternoon, we attended FBC's annual Fuller student/staff party at the pastor's house and got to know a lot of people - Praise Jesus!
Monday:  The moving truck came, and the bulkhead in the truck had been broken and we couldn't get to our things.  After several hours of trying, finally a man from the depot came out and got it off with power tools!  It was too late at that point to get much help, and the big furniture needed to come off first.  So..
Tuesday:  We got started with the unloading, and a guy from the apartment complex came out and helped.  Later he brought out his wife and another neighbor.  Together they got everything out!  Awesome!  Only a few bumps and bruises along the way, but hey, more friends!!  And then ... the journey begins ... We've been unpacking and unpacking and rearranging.  Our living room area was complete packed - floor to ceiling - every inch - with boxes.  We were going to use Jeremy's truck to move stuff to a storage unit, but obviously, that can't happen quite yet.  Luckily there is some storage at the apartment complex, or we wouldn't be able to function in here. 
Wednesday: More unpacking!  It's super hard because of how crammed the space is right now.  I can't put clothes into dressers until I know how the furniture will be arranged, but I can't arrange the furniture until all the boxes are gone.  It's a lose-lose situation I guess, but we're trying!  Well, mostly me, which is also hard since I can't move the heavy stuff.  But it's okay that Gary's not here - it's his first day at his new job - WOOHOO!!  He just called on his break and said it's going well :)  I'm not sure when I'll start - my supervisor has been on vacation on and off for a few weeks so it's kind of tricky.  Anyway, we can't wait until everything is unpacked and set up!  Then you all can come over for dinner (okay, I know it's a little far...) :).  Well, that is all for now folks (oh except for a health update: of course, our bodies were aching like crazy last night, and I had a tickle in my throat from all the dust, but otherwise mostly okay, but I currently have a splitting headache that tylenol is just not helping...so I must be going) ... ttyl :)

We're Here!!

Well, we made it!  We left Sunday after church, followed by some wonderful Pita Pit and Arctic Circle, and made our way down to Vegas.  We got up early and headed on over to our new home in Pasadena :)  We were excited, but realized we didn't plan too well.  We brought an air mattress, but no pillows or sheets, had nowhere to sit, no way to cook (not even microwave), and no towels for showering.  So we got some PB&J and snacks, bought a lawn chair, and actually got a bed!  We had been looking at mattresses, but wanted to wait until we got here.  We found a store with good reviews, went, got great service and a great deal on a fantastic mattress!  Its already been delivered and set up :)  They threw in some awesome memory foam pillows, but we still need to wait for the sheets and such to get here :/  Both trucks are scheduled to be in on Friday, but we might have to wait until next week because of parking issues.  Although we're roughing it for now, we're happy to be home.
I am feeling mostly better (still some headaches, especially while traveling), but now Gary is getting what I've had :/  So pray for continued health and the job search!!  Thanks all :)

Update on the Update :)

Much better today!!  Throat hurt a tiny bit more, still some back pain, but overall felt better.  Just needed pain medicine while packing which made me really dizzy climbing in and out of the semi, but hey...all packed!!  Both trucks are headed on out ... we decided to wait and leave Sunday, otherwise we'd be leaving tomorrow while my parents were out of town :/ and we'll stay in Vegas again to break up the drive and save my back from so much pain.  Can't wait!

Illness Update

Yesterday morning I felt much better, hence the energy to write that blog (probably with several typos im sure it was fast and I still wasn't perfectly healthy) ... but then in the afternoon I started feeling really weak and dizzy ... laid down for a bit - kept monitoring my blood pressure - its normally pretty low and when im sick realllly low and yesterday it was hanging around 75/45 :-/ ... i was trying to nap, and then gary needed to go get his car and asked if i wanted any food, I realized that (and the fact that in trying to nap I hadn't been drinking any fluids) would certainly help my body regain some strength - I hadn't eaten much all day.  While he was gone I felt extremely ill (when mom came to pick him up she thought I looked terrible - pale, weak, etc) and when he got here with the food (my fave food in the whole world!) I could barely eat it ... I took it really slowly and eventually got some down and started to feel better, but had an excruciating headache - very sensitive to light and sound.  My neck hurt a lot so it was hard to get to sleep but I eventually did, slept alright, and am again, feeling a little better this morning.  No fevers and my throat is actually much better, but the head/neck/back combo is still not too great.  So definitely no move today, hopefully this weekend - the trucks are pretty much packed!  I know this is a pretty long update with not that much interest, but it helps me chronicle what's going and keep track for future reference - so thanks for allowing me to ramble, and of course, for your prayers!  Hope you all are healthy and happy!

SUPER SICK!

Well, you haven't heard from us in a few days because I have been extremely ill.  Sunday was wonderful as I was finally able to perform my dance at church (delayed from the toe injury ... i think my dad is putting the video on facebook if you would like to see it) but later that night my throat started hurting a little.  Monday I woke up and it still hurt, and as the morning went on, my head and neck were in terrible pain also.  I tried to nap, but between the pain, the noisy wind, and the annoying flies, it didn't work very well.  My temp was at 100.9, and since I don't have a spleen, I have to go to the ER at 101.0, so we thought that was close enough.  (As Gary and I walked outside to leave, we realized his car was in the shop getting fixed finally from the deer incident, so we had to have my mom come take us.)  We thought it was strep, but that test was negative.  They ran blood cultures, did the usual pee-in-a-cup test, and I convinced them to give me an IV (but i guess they missed the antibiotics part, and just gave me fluids and pain meds).  They thought we were about to be sent home (so we called me dad to come get us, and bring some food because I was starving!) when the lab tech couldn't get the second part of the blood culture (thanks to those ever-awesome tiny rolling veins I've been so blessed with) and doctor came over and wanted to do a spinal tap to check for meningitis, since my neck was so stiff.  I was pretty terrified, but we decided to go ahead and do it to make sure i wasn't dying.  Good news - I'm not :) but it was super painful - he had to keep using more and more numbing stuff and stuck me several times before any fluid came out :/ (And all this time I was starving! but they wouldn't let me eat or drink til after it was done).  They sent me home with some pain meds, thinking it was just a virus.  I had to lay flat on my back all night and drink lots of fluids to avoid a post-tap headache, caused by an imbalance in fluids from the procedure.  I never sleep on back, so, well, I didn't do much sleeping.  I was up most of the night and in tons of pain!  And now I kept going back and forth between extremely violent chills and then hot sweats.  So I laid flat and tried to rest in the morning (all while Gary is trying to figure out how to finish the packing I had been working on - the moving truck was coming at any moment), and then in the afternoon, I felt miserable and took my temp again - 101.4.   Well, when we left the ER, we asked about an antibiotic because every time I don't get one, even if they think it's not bacterial, I end up back in the ER within 24 hrs - but they wouldn't do it.  So, the pattern continues and here we go back to the ER (this time, dad had to come take me, since we still had no car and Gary had to wait for the moving truck).  This time they did a chest x-ray, perfectly fine, and we asked about flu because of the chills and such - he said they hadn't seen any yet but it wouldn't hurt to check - negative.  The last thing he could think of was some weird disease that required a throat ultra sound (which he just did right there in the hallway, where I was laying because they don't have enough rooms - the day before I got removed from a room to the hallway then put back in before the spinal tap - it'll be nice when the new bigger hospital is open...).  Again, all good.  He still didn't want to give me an antibiotic, fearing me building up resistance to them before I really need them, and over use of them can cause some sort of build up in your colon, and he saw my record with the colitis last summer and didn't want that to happen either.  So, he consulted some medical journals, called my family doctor, a pediatrician who is very familiar with kids without spleens, and a pediatric specialist in Boise - only the local pediatrician thought the antibiotics were a good idea - so he agreed to give me a prescription, leaving the decision to take them in my court (hoping I wouldn't, but every doctor I've ever been to has told me to take them even with a virus - I mean, I was supposed to be on penicillin everyday for my whole life - that's another story entirely, but yeah, I think it's okay, so I'm taking them).  Whew!!  So, that's pretty much the story.  Came home, slept (not perfectly, but much better), finally showered this morning which should help me feel better, and yeah, that's where we're at.  My back, throat, and head are all slightly better today - woohoo!!  Of course, I'm not feeling great yet, but maybe I can at least give some instruction on the packing today - some people are coming over to help load the truck.  I don't think we'll be leaving tomorrow as planned - I normally get car sick, so it's probably not a great idea - and I really don't think I could sit in the car forever with such a sore back.  Hopefully I'll keep improving and we'll be on our way soon (the trucks are going to be there at the beginning of next week, so we have to be there by then!).  Man, I'm sorry if this was incredibly long and boring - five bucks to anyone who just read this whole thing!  I think I need to write a book about all of my medical experiences (oh, one good thing that happened - Gary started keeping track of every test and medicine and treatment on his ipod because I can never remember that stuff ... like I've even forgotten meds im allergic too :/ and evidently hospitals don't keep very good records either) haha - but anyways, thanks to those of you knew and prayed for me - and for the continued prayers as i heal and we move!  I'm excited to live back in a big city where there is much better health care (I really miss Columbus Children's Hosptial :/ I'd almost move back there just for that hospital, but I think LA should have some good ones, right?!).  Okay, I have rambled on way too long, thanks again for the prayers and support (and reading this super-long blog!).  We'll keep you updated!