My Vacation 8/26/10

Today has been a great day. This whole week has been a great week. I have enjoyed every moment of my trip. It has been so much fun.
We traveled to Pennsylvania on Monday. I say "WE" and I mean my dad, mom and me along with my best friend Julie. We traveled to Lancaster and did some shopping and visited some sites and then on Tuesday we went to the Sight and Sound Theater to watch the Joseph show with Julie and her parents. It was fabulous. We ate at this restaurant called Good and Plenty. It was an authentic Amish restaurant that had the best buttered noodles. It was great.
Then my parents left me and my best friend to spend a few days together. On Wednesday, we went to see Julie's sister who is also a friend of mine. She and her husband have the 3 cutest boys and a precious little girl. I got to go peach picking with them at this quaint little orchard. On Thursday, Julie and I went to visit this cute town called St. Peter's Village. They had this great little bakery, and the scenery was just amazing. These kids were jumping in these deep water holes where the rocks were hundreds of feet high up. It was so beautiful to see God's creation and to enjoy it with my very best friend. I'll never forget it!
Then we went to see her grandmother, and it was so nice to spend some time with "maw-maw." We took her some treats and gifts, and I think she was happy for them.
Perhaps the greatest time was just being together and talking and sharing memories, secrets and thoughts. It's fun to be with old friends, especially Julie. With some people, you can just pick up where you left off. That's the mark of a good friend. I can do that with few people, and my friends Julie and Stephanie are two of these who can do that with! I love that! I love my life and my friends. I am so thankful for good friends!
Tomorrow I leave, but I'm leaving with the best memories I could have ever had!

My best buddy is coming!

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my best friend Julie from Pennsylvania. She was my roommate in college and lives in the Philadelphia region now. She comes to visit when I am in town and I can't wait until I get to see her today.
The thing I love about Julie is that no matter what we are going through or how long it's been since we've seen each other, she's always the same. I can pick up with her no matter where our different roads have taken us or where we are in our lives. She's fun and funny and my best buddy. And I can't WAIT to see her in just an hour or so....

The beginning of my trip

While I am in Maryland visiting my family, I thought I would blog about my trip.
For those who don't know me well, I grew up in Maryland and only came to Texas when I got married. Although Texas is my home now, the East Coast holds a very fond place in my heart...mostly because my family is there and I love them so much.
I try to get home every Christmas and at least once or twice a year in addition to the holidays, as my health permits me.
Right now I am "home" visiting my family!
So far, my trip has been restful. My family doesn't overdo it because they don't want to have me get sick or exhausted. We are planning to go to Pennsylvania in a week or so, but the rest of my trip will be spent in Maryland and Virginia.
The best part of my trip up until now has been being in the Shenandoah mountains. It's so beautiful there. My grandfather and grandmother were brilliant years ago when they purchased property in the Shenandoah mountains. They have since passed on, and my father has possession of the property now, and I love going there. It's so wonderful being there. It's about 1 and 1/2 hours from D.C., so it's out of the big city but still close enough to drive back to the house in Maryland where I grew up. The house itself is quaint, and it holds so many memories for me. I was young when my grandparents retired there, so I can remember vacationing there with my sisters. I remember making peanut butter rice krispy treats in the kitchen with my grandfather. I remember him in sadder times sitting in his brown recliner as he was sick from renal failure. I remember visiting my grandmother and going to church with her in town. That house and the town of Front Royal, Virginia, hold so many memories. That's why I love visiting when I am home.
My sister and brother in law live in Virginia now and have a church in Front Royal, and my nieces are there too. They are still little and cute and they idolize their aunt Ami. It's fun visiting.
After coming back to Maryland from Virginia, we had an invite to my older sister's house for dinner. That's always enjoyable because I get to see my niece and two nephews. We played the Family Feud for the Wii Video Game System. It was fun.
I also got to see my friends at church in Maryland on Wednesday night. I am looking forward to seeing them on Sunday too.
So that's what I have been up to besides sleeping in and resting!
I will keep you updated as often as I can while I am on my trip.
I know my trip will go faster than I want it too! But the good thing is that I have my husband to come home to. I am missing him already!!!!

My Parents, My Best Friends

I'm here!
I'm finally here on my vacation. I'm in Maryland, enjoying the people I love the most.
I love the feeling that I get when I'm here in Maryland. It's a feeling of comfort and peace. I just love relaxing with my folks. My favorite thing to do is to sit on the couch in the basement with my mom and dad just drinking coffee and talking with them about everything that is going on in our lives. I love just being with my parents.
There is something about getting older and having a relationship with your parents. When you are young, their job is to correct and mold you into good Christian adults. There was a time when I thought that I would never be friends with my parents. I remember butting heads with my mom more than once a day when I was a teenager.
But now I can't imagine life without my mom and my dad, both of whom are my best friends.
God has given me the gift of a relationship with my parents. I know how fortunate I am that my parents are open and loving. They share wisdom about life and how to live right. They have experience that I don't have, and I can glean so much wisdom from them. I want to grab all of the knowledge I can from them while they are here. That is why I want to spend every bit of time I can with them.
I am forever grateful for this special time that I have with them. They are my heroes and the kindest and most loving people I know.
I am so excited about this vacation, and I'm even more excited about the time that I'll get to spend with my two best friends!

Packing

Well today is a great day. But I have mixed emotions.
You see, it's the day before a big trip.
I love these days because I get excited. I'm going home to see all of my family and friends. I am going to go on some fun excursions while I am there.
But I have mixed emotions. Mostly because I am going to really miss my family here, especially my husband and my two dogs. They are my sweethearts and I will miss them so much. Plus, my niece will be going off to college, so that is going to be hard to miss too.
The other mixed emotion I have stems from hatred.
It's hatred of packing.
I dread packing. I can't really decide if I hate packing or unpacking more. All I know is that it's the one thing I hate about trips. Packing.
First of all, you never know quite what to wear. I have dress clothes, and then I have casual clothes, and then clothes for around the house. Add your underwear and night clothes, and you've got one suitcase all filled up.
I can never get by with one suitcase because I have to have a medical suitcase with all of my medical junk. I have medicine and diabetic supplies. I have enough medical supplies for the entire plane if need be!
I don't know why I hate packing. It's all worth it in the end. I get to see my family, and that's really all that matters.
I will pack now, unpack when I get there, pack up when it's time to leave and then unpack when I get home. Not to mention packing up for all of the little trips I have to take once I get to Maryland. You see we'll be going to Virginia and Pennsylvania and Delaware. I'll have to have bags for each of those destinations.
I know I'll be okay on the trip. Whether I survive the packing for the trip is another story.
For those who read my blog, I will be blogging sporadically on this trip and I will return to my daily posts on Sept. 3rd!

Happy Birthday To My Second Mom

Today I am blogging about someone special in my life. She's Carol McCarty, my mother in law, and it's her birthday today.
Most people don't have very nice things to say about their mother in law, but I have nothing negative to say about her.
The first thing is that she gave me my husband. For that I am eternally grateful! How could I not be. She did the most amazing job of raising a son.
Secondly. she is the most generous woman I know. She would give you the shirt off her back if you asked. She loves everyone, and she'd do anything for you. She is giving to those she knows and even to those who she doesn't know. She has a kind and loving heart.
Thirdly, she is beautiful both inside and out. She is smart, witty, confident and a great cook.
I adore her and her many qualities.
She has never once treated me anything less than one of her own. She treats me like I am her daughter, and I haven't always deserved being treated that way. But she is so wonderful, and she's such a Godly woman. I love her so much.
For these reasons, I say Happy Birthday to my second mom.

Thanks, God!

I give thanks today for simple things.
Just when you can't stand the heat anymore, God sends a beautiful summer storm that wipes out the unbearable heat.
Thank you God!
Just when you are tired of dealing with things on your own and you need some good Godly advice, God sends a great friend to talk to you and be just that -- a true friend.
Thank you God!
Just when you don't think you can open your eyes a minute longer, God sends you sweet sleep to get you through.
Thank you God!
Just when you feel overwhelmed, God blesses you in ways you can't imagine.
Thank you God!
I am just overwhelmed today by God's goodness. It's not much to say, just Thank You God says it all!
My verse today is Psalm 83:18 that says "That they may know that You whose name alone is the Lord are the Most High over all the earth."
Yes you are, O Lord, the Most High. And I will praise you and be greatful for your blessings!

The Housekeeping Gene

Have you ever noticed how messy and dirty the house gets even though you've just straightened it up? I have been so frustrated at how messy mine is. But I've come to the realization that maybe I am mad at the fact that I am a really horrible housekeeper.
I try to keep up with it, I really do. But it's so hard when there is so much that needs to be done. I could say how tired I am and how sick I feel a lot of the time, which is true. But I'm finally now being honest and admitting to the real truth. It probably wouldn't matter if I were well or not. I just really hate housework.
I can't stand laundry.
I can't handle cleaning windows.
I loathe scrubbing the bathtub.
It's funny because my mom is the quintessential housekeeper. When I was growing up, I can remember that Thursdays were cleaning days. She always had (and still has) the house looking SO good. I mean, there was no dust in the house anywhere, ever. And we were a family of 6 people. I don't know how she kept the toilets clean, the kitchen spotless and the carpets vacuumed because I don't recall ever helping out a whole lot as a kid.
I say all that to say, WHY didn't I get the good housekeeping gene? I think that somehow the good housekeeping gene is linked to the good cooking gene. Somehow I missed out on this important gene strand.
Instead, I sit here in my lounge chair blogging instead of cleaning. I think I have so much more to offer than a clean house, right? I mean, there are 2 or 3 people out there who care about what I have to say so I must use this time wisely, right?
Right.
So that's why if you visit my house, you must overlook the dust, the messy windows and the less than perfect housecleaning job.
I'm just happy to have a house and a hubby that doesn't care that I didn't get the gene!

Payback

Today I am paying for yesterday.
I seem to do that a lot lately. One good day leads to one bad day. But that's okay with me.
Yesterday I got to spend the day with my 18 year old niece and 15 year old nephew. We played video games for a couple of hours and then went to dinner and a movie. It was so much fun.
But I woke up hurting and my legs and feet were swollen, a complication of this disease Lupus, and I just had to do what I have to do during days like today. I have to rest, stay off of my feet, and not do things that I know I need to do and want to do but just can't do.
And that's why I am paying for yesterday.
But I would pay a thousand times over if I got the chance to enjoy my niece and nephew like I did. They are probably two of the greatest teenagers in the world. Of course I am partial, but they are pretty fabulous. It's a testament to how they've been raised by their parents. They are just good kids. It's amazing how much you can love two kids. I am being reflective because the 18 year old is going off to college and she's so beautiful and smart. She was in my wedding and I just remember her smiling with her little kid grin and her little round glasses as she rode in the limo with me the day of the wedding. It's one of those moments I'll never forget. And then there is my 15 year old nephew. He has always been the quiet one, but so respectful and thoughtful. He loves this caramel popcorn I make for him, and I try to make it for him whenever he comes over. I can't pass the popcorn aisle at the grocery store without thinking about him. He is so important to me.
I don't tell them like I should. I don't know if they'll ever read this blog or not, but I do love them and I always will.
So even though I am paying for yesterday, I will be okay because the fun I had with them is the joy that gets me through days like this one.
Today my prayer is that all of my 9 (soon to by 10) nieces and nephews with always be strong and courageous in their character and in their actions, according to Deuteronomy 31:6, and that You, O Lord, will cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Let them walk in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self control. Help them to walk according to Your Spirit, O Lord, according to Galatians 5:22-25. (Many of these prayers I recite come from the booklet written By LaNell C. Miller)

The Changing of the Tube

For most of you who know me, you know my condition. I have the disease Lupus, which is an autoimmune disease. It basically can mess with any part of your body it decides to. For the most part it can destroy the kidneys, the heart, the lungs, any thing it wants to. Lupus has wreaked havoc on my stomach and pancreas. I have a condition where my stomach won't move and I had to have a tube put in my small intestine which bypasses my stomach. I am tube fed through a machine. I can eat a little bit by mouth, but I get sick when I eat much, so basically I eat a little and I am tube fed. I can eat a little bit of soup, crackers and anything the consistency of mashed potatoes.
Anyway, I say all this to tell you about the changing of my tube. My husband has to manually change this tube that is in my small intestine. He has to take it out and put it back in and make sure it's functioning. I can't do it myself because of its location. I don't mean to sound weird or anything, but it's kind of a gross process.
Last night was the first time Kevin had to change my tube without the doctor's supervision. He literally had to change the tube by himself.
When we got married 10 years ago, I am sure he never imagined that he would be changing a tube in his wife's disgusting intestine. I'm sure he never imagined he'd have to go through half of the things he's had to endure. But he does. And he never complains. He just says he loves me and he'd do anything for me.
I am completely amazed by this man and his love. I was so scared that the tube wouldn't go in because we've had trouble with it before and it was quite the ordeal. But it went it smooth sailing.
My verse for today is one of thankfulness that things went okay and the changing of the tube was successful. It's one of thankfulness for the GREATEST husband on the earth. From I Thessalonians 5:18, this is my prayer for the day! "I will give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning me!"
I thank you God for blessing me beyond all measure. Even in the difficult times, I thank you and run to you. Thank you for a great man of God who loves me. I am in awe of You and your love for me!

My thought of the day for Monday 8/2

My short thought for today is that I am thankful for people who don't forget you.
I am thankful for friends who remember who you are, even when you haven't necessarily been the best friend to them.
I am thankful for people who email you quick little notes to say they are thinking of you. I'm even thankful for those forwards that people send. Hey...at least they are thinking of me, even if I secretly think the forwards are annoying.
I am thankful for people who push the "like" button on facebook when I update my status.
I am thankful today for friends who just don't let you be forgotten!

Why I'm Blogging

Well, Here I am blogging again. I deleted my old blog and now I'm starting a new one. I want to invite everyone who cares about me to read what's going on in my life on a daily basis. I just thought that it would be something fun to do, and I'm really trying to start writing again on a daily basis. I thought that this would keep my feet to the fire. I hope this blog will be uplifting, but I'm going to be sharing the struggles of my life with Lupus and other issues. I am inviting all of my friends and family members to share in this blog with me, so with that being said...I hope you enjoy My Everyday Life! Feel free to comment and let me know what you think!