Tournaments, Anniversaries, and School...Oh My!

I just realized that it has been about 2 months since I've written on here. Seems like a lot has happened (good things, ofcourse) and I find that I didn't have time to write on here!

I went back to work for 32 hours/week on May 13th. Work...well, it is what it is with that and I'm so glad that I'll be done in less than a year (when I start my Dietetic Internship). I'm still looking for another job, and I pray that I can find one here eventually. The stress from work does not help my health.

I am however enjoying my 32hour work weeks! Gives me extra time to study since these 6-week long classes are tough! And that's an understatement. I actually started and finished 2 classes since I last wrote! I took a Nutrition Assessment class and a Nutrition Counseling class. I enjoyed both classes and was thrilled with my grades! The classes went from May 18-June 29th. Now I am in Advanced Nutrition and Clinical/Nutrition Assessment (until August 5th) at which point I will be DONE! All that remains is my internship which starts next summer and then I will be a Registered Dietitian! :)

Our cancer tennis tournament (June 1st-7th) went great! Juggling that, work, and scool made life a complete whirlwind for about a week, but it was worth it. The cancer tennis tournament celebrated it's 30th Anniversary this year and Aaron and I took over as Directors this year. It was a lot of work and we ended up with about 160 entries and raised around $17,000...well worth it!

Aaron and I also celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary on June 14th. With both of us in school right now, and work being so stressful, we decided to stay near home. We went to the zoo, toured Coors Brewery and caught a Rockies game! It was a fun filled Anniversary and I can't believe it's been a year already!

Me and Aaron in front of the flamingos!

The gorillas

Da Bears! ;)
Flamingos!
Lions!
Coor's Brewery!
Rockies game!

My health has not been all that bad considering all the events going on in life right now! God carries me through whatever is going on and for that we give Him praise! None of this would be possible without Him!

Aaron and I are getting ready for the 5k Race Against Cancer tomorrow. I enter all the registration forms and then on race day, we work at the finish line timing and scoring the event. Typicall there are about 1700 runners, so I've been terribly busy once again...but all the tennis tournaments and 5k races will be done after July 4th and I can focus 100% on school and work!

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Much love to you all!

Closing with scripture:
"Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience." James 1:3

Love,
Amanda

Answers...

Well, I got the rest of my blood work back today and the final results (from weeks of blood work and waiting) are:
Sjogren's Antibodies= Extremely Elevated
SED Rate (detects Inflammation)= Elevated
Potassium= Slightly low
Vitamin D= Low

On top of it, I had an Eye Dr appt yesterday. He did a routine exam (when Sjogren's is involved, I have to have a few extra "eye moisture level" tests done). When my Eye Doc went to do these tests, the results revealed that I have ZERO moisture/tear production. That explains a lot! It's part of the "flare-up". It was newer territory for me, because I have NEVER had an eye test result in NO tears until yesterday. Always on the "low" side, but never on the "zero" side. Even more funny...I told the eye doc that I didn't notice anything "new" with my eyes. So when he revealed the results that I had zero tear/moisture, I was surprised. We both agreed that I must just be used to it.

I'm starting to do better. So, lots of things going on to make me feel sick. Just taking my regular meds (I'm done with the steroids) and 2 new meds to help with nerve pain and fatigue...which helps Sjogren's and SED Rate levels. The potassium is just slightly low, so I'm going to treat with food (being a Nutritionist and all, I know what needs to be done to fix any Vitamin/Mineral Deficiencies)!! But the Vitamin D Deficiency is too low for me to treat with food, so I'm taking a Prescription Strength Vitamin D Supplement for 3 weeks. Many of you know how much I HATE supplements (other than a multi-vitamin) unless it is a 100% true medical deficiency. But with my situation, it's only a few weeks that I have to take the supplement, and it came from my Rheumatologist. Its not like the advice came from somebody trying to make a sale, and I trust my Rheumatologist completely.

Easy enough, right?! I think so. Just treating with the proper medication and praying that the Vitamin D Supplement will help and all of my other blood work will be "normal". I'll always test positive for the Sjogren's anti-bodies, but the SED Rate and any Vitamin/Mineral Deficiencies should go back to normal after the proper treatment.

It's just another wait-and-see right now, but I am confident that these things all combined together will provide the results I have been waiting to see for a long time (well, since February to be exact).

Thanks to everyone for your prayers! They mean so much to me! Take care and I'm sure I'll talk to you all soon!

Love,
Amanda

Update

Guess I didn't know what else to title this! Well, I had another Dr appt yesterday and he determined that I still don't look all that great (gee, thanks, huh)...but I knew what he meant! :) He added another medication to my stash, which has me up to 7 different medications/day (13 pills/day total). YIKES! That seems like a lot, but it must be done and we are still trying our very hardest to not open up the doors of chemo again. So, pills it is. The doc also ran some more tests yesterday:
Muscle Enzyme
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
and also testing my Potassium levels again

Right now, the plan is to just keep resting and trying to get my blood work to come down (the inflammation/enzyme) and up (the Vitamin/Mineral levels). It's getting a little frustrating to still be so sick, and yet I find peace. Peace like a river. It's hard to explain, and I think that's because the peace can only come from one source...God.

I will keep you updated as things change. Thanks to everyone for the emails/prayers/phone calls...I love them!

Oh, and on a truly positive note...I got into all of my Dietetics Classes! When I got my Nutrition Degree, there were 4 classes that I was missing to get my Registered Dietetician (therapy/counseling classes). I got into all of the classes through Univ of Northern Colorado. I start May 18th and will be done in August. Then, in January I will begin the Internship Application process and by June of next year I will be in my Dietetic Internship (which should last 6 months). I'm so very excited about this! :)

I would not be able to hang on and do all of this without the support of my wonderful hubby! He truly takes such wonderful care of me. He stays up and takes care of me in the late hours of night, among doing the other countless things to help out (dishes, laundry, yard work). He is truly a wonderful man!! Thank you, honey! I love you so much!!!

Ending with scripture...

Ps 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."

Thankful for the peace,
Amanda

Fear Not & Hi/Lo Thursday

Oh, how those words (fear not) speak volumes! And so many times those exact words are written in the Bible, yet how often we all feel so "affraid". Affraid of God, life, death, health, people, etc. But mostly affraid of the things to come, the unexpected. My Great-Aunt is a wise woman and has done great things with her life. She's very smart, Godly woman whom I really admire. Lastnight she sent me an email with the following verse:
"Fear thou not; for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yea, I will help you, yea, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Is 41:10

I read the verse and I am reminded of God's love. HE loves each and every one of us and no matter the storm, He will see us through it...we must not be affraid.

Things here are like a roller coaster. Somedays I'm doing really well and then other days where I can barely walk. But in all of this, I really do think the medication is working, which is great news. I'm beginning to wean off the steroids, and the new medication (Lyrica) should be kicking in here soon. I'm sure it will be just a matter of time before I'm feeling really well! :)

It's also hi/lo Thursday! YIPEE! :)
This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and get your link on their site.

The Hi of the week:
Well, I just found out yesterday that I got into ALL of my Dietetics Classes! YAY! There are 3 classes I will be taking this summer in 2 6-week sessions! It's going to be a whirlwind, but I am SO excited! After these 3 classes, I will have a semester off and then in January I will begin the process of applying for my Dietetic Internship! I'm SO excited and feel very blessed!

The Lo of the week:
Kirsten (my sister-in-law) had brain surgery yesterday. She did very well, but we were nervous during the surgery. Also, my health has been a continued roller coaster and that can be frustrating at times. Both Lo's are quite serious, but the LORD has been answering prayer and for that we are thankful!

Trying real hard to not be affraid,
Amanda

And the diagnosis/treatment plan is...

Medication, Rest, Time and Prayers!

WOW...what a week! I finally got my results back on Weds and then spent Thursday and Friday figuring out the best possible treatment. My blood work came back and these are the results:

Sjogren's Anti-bodies= extremely elevated
SED Rate (inflammation)= elevated
Potassium Levels= low

One can look at the above and quickly determine that I am in a flare-up. This is good news b/c that means it's not anything more serious/life threatening. It is a very bad flare-up however, so the time off from work is much needed. SO...basically we spent Thursday and yesterday talking about medication/treatment options and avoiding chemo at all costs. I am going to stay on the steroids (to help the anti-bodies and sed rate levels) and my doc has added another medication for nerve pain. And as far as Potassium...well, there's no reason it should be low (I'm not on any diuretics, kidneys are fine, I certainly do not have an eating disorder), so it must be attributed to all that's going on...but treatment...that's a no brainer for me. I'll just increase my Potassium intake in my diet!

Thanks to all of you again for your thoughts/prayers/emails/phone calls! Even if I can't get back to you right away, I so much appreciate hearing from you! Take care and I'll be sure to keep you updated. I'm just so glad that this is just a Sjogren's thing. It's somewhat familiar territory, so rest, medication, and time should help immensely!

I have posted a song that just so expresses how I feel right now! I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to it. ;) You'll want to pause my blog music on the right side of my site, first before playing the song below, so you don't have two songs playing at once. :)


May you find yourslef singing for all to hear!!
Love,
Amanda

CHRIST IS RISEN, HE IS RISEN INDEED!

A VERY Happy and Blessed Easter to everyone! We went to the Easter Vigil lastnight and it was as beautiful as ever. We saw over 20 people baptized and confirmed into the Church (just as my hubby Aaron did 2 years ago), and it's just amazing to see these men, women and children proclaiming their faith! Today is Easter Sunday, and once again I woke up realizing that the fact at hand is...CHRIST DIED FOR US...all of us. Whatever pain/suffering we might be going through, well, is temporary. And, we must go through this suffering on earth to be reunited with Christ in Heaven where we will live Eternally!

I did not fall asleep until about 3:40 this morning (that was the last time I looked at the clock, anyway). My legs were in a great deal of pain as was the rest of my body. And as I was trying so hard to fall asleep, I caught myself talking to Jesus. Thanking HIM for blessing my life with this illness. God is not surprised that I am feeling sick, and HE has a plan for me going through this. So...yes, I tried very hard to get to sleep, but at the same time prayed and talked to God while I was awake in the wee hours of the morning. I thanked HIM for the Cross, for HIS never ending LOVE and great GRACE and MERCY.

A VERY Happy and Blessed Easter to you ALL! May God enrich your lives and may you be reminded of the very reason you are meeting with family/friends today to eat all the wonderful food and socialize! :)

It's time for me to set the table and get ready for the festivities. We are hosting Easter Dinner at our place today. My only job was to cook a ham which consisted of throwing in the crock pot. Everyone else is bringing a dish to complete the meal...my mouth is watering! :) OK...blessings to all!

Col 3:1-4
Since you have been raised up to be with Christ, you must look for the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at God's right hand. Let your thoughts be on things above, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed -- and he is your life-you, too, will be revealed with him in glory.

Happy Easter,

Amanda

Pray for Me/Pray for Others

Hello everyone,
We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.

It's time to do Pray for Me/Pray for Others. I ask you to check out the blog that started pray for me/others. Pray for their 4 year old daughter Abby who is battling Leukemia right now.

Pray for me:
Please pray for me. I was put on 5 weeks of medical leave today. I am terribly sick right now. My doc thinks this might be a flare-up of my sjogren's, but is running a panel of tests to see if there is anything else. I pray that whatever is found can be treated so I can get back to feeling better and get back to work.

Pray for Others:
Please pray for a young man's family. His name is Nathan Rosenquist. He is 24 years old and passed away after a 5 year battle with cancer and leaves behind a wife of only 6 months. The funeral is tomorrow morning. Please keep this family in your prayers, and especially his young, brand new bride.

God Bless you all on this very Holy Week.
Amanda

Holy Week/Palm Sunday

Is 50:4-7 And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong? Lo, they will all wear out like cloth, the moth will eat them up. Who among you fears the LORD, heeds his servant's voice, And walks in darkness without any light, Trusting in the name of the LORD and relying on his God? All of you kindle flames and carry about you fiery darts; Walk by the light of your own fire and by the flares you have burnt! This is your fate from my hand: you shall lie down in a place of pain.

Phil 2:6-11Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

Mk 14:1-15
It was now two days before the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth, and kill him; for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be a tumult of the people." And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. But there were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment thus wasted? For this ointment might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and given to the poor." And they reproached her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you will, you can do good to them; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burying. And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her." Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. And when they heard it they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the passover lamb, his disciples said to him, "Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the passover?" And he sent two of his disciples, and said to them, "Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the householder, `The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I am to eat the passover with my disciples?' And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us."

Greetings All!
A very blessed Holy Week to all of you. I can't believe it is already Palm Sunday and in 7 days we will be celebrating in glory our RISEN CHRIST!

This Lenten journey has been an eye opener for me this year. With the economy, my current job situation, health, and so on, I am reminded during this Lent what life is really to be about. It is about preparation of the 2nd coming of our LORD. Remebering...A job is just a J-O-B. As tough as it is to get through each day, I had time to reflect over Lent this year that I am just thankful that I have a paycheck unlike so many who do not have one right now. I am also reminded during this Lenten season that our LORD is a MIGHTY GOD and SAVIOR! These times of dificulty have made me yearn for heaven and eternal life with Jesus. My bouts of bad health have been comforted by knowing that this is not an eternal thing. Further, as I reflect on N. Korea and the threats they have been making, I am reminded that this life on earth is not eternal. Heaven IS eternal, and we must suffer on earth, obey God's commands, work hard and repent our sins so that we can live in eternal life in Heaven. This life on earth...it's just temporary. We must keep praying. Praying for others, strangers, family and friends and seeking forgiveness for our sins.


Someday, all because GOD LOVES US, suffering/pain/hardship will cease to exist. It's hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that someday, there will be a time where I will have no idea what it's like to be in pain (physical, emotional, etc) and that in and of itself is worth working towards.

I am also reminded that Jesus suffered so greatly, too as he was crucified for US...YOU and ME. HE suffered for the love of all of us sinners on earth so that when HE comes again in Glory, we might all be saved as well and spend eternity in Heaven with HIM. And in this eternity and Heaven-filled life, there will be no pain, no suffering, no wars, no fear. It will be an eternal life filled with Joy and the ever presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

May you all have a wonderful, purpose-filled Holy Week as you prepare for Good Friday, but most of all for Easter Sunday where you will be reminded of God's promise for you! Blessings to you all!










Happy Easter,
Amanda

Pray for Me, Pray for Others

We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.

It's been a crazy busy life...but I want to remind all about Pray for Me/Pray for others with the Riggs Family! Remember to keep the entire Riggs Family (and especially their 4 year old daughter, Abby) in your prayers!!! God Bless!

Amanda

God Reigns and Liz "Winks"

It has been quite a while since I have updated. Honestly...not much to update on and I've just been in a "funk" lately. Many of you know from my earlier posts that I had applied for a job (a job I so desperately wanted) and while the person who interviewed me told me that I was "stellar, the best person they interviewed, and I was the top candidate" (and I literally quote that from her), they said I was completely over qualified and were worried I would quit in 6 weeks. Little do they know that I am not a quitter. But none-the-less, I did not get that job. Needless to say, I was/am completely heartbroken. I wanted to get out of my current job SO badly and was looking forward to this brand new opportunity. So, there's that, and a few other "life things" that have just had me in a funk.

HOWEVER...I wanted to share a precious Liz Wink that Aaron (yes, Aaron) received today. His first ever Liz Wink I might add! :)

We went to Mass this morning (as we do every Sunday). After that we went to lunch at a local drive-in called JB's. Well, after we got done eating, we walked out the door and Aaron stopped me dead in my tracks and told me to come look at something. I wasn't too enthused at first, but I thought...what's he up to anyway. He said that this morning he prayed for good things for me and asked for a sign that this would happen, and then he told me to look at the window where we were (now) standing. I looked straight ahead and right in front of my face was this poster (below).
Aaron said he asked for a sign that things would turn around for me and this was what he saw as we were walking out of the restaurant!! Ofcourse, we know who sent us this little "make your day better" sign...GOD AND LIZ!!! Honestly, it was RIGHT there as we were walking into the restaurant and neither of us saw it, and I didn't see it on the way out...but low-and-behold...Aaron saw it (as he walked behind me). It had to have been that God and Liz did not want me to see that poster so that Liz could (by the Grace of God) show Aaron that she is watching out for us and God is hearing our every prayer about our life situations going on right now and will answer it in HIS time. But rest assured, we are not being ignored by Heaven! :)
She has ALWAYS been the angel in heaven these last 2 years that shows me time and again that she and God have a plan!! Sure, I wish that plan was revealed to me a little sooner, but it's winks like this that boost my faith and keep me going in the darkest of times and saddest of days.

Hope you enjoy this ever unique Liz Wink as Aaron and I just smiled when it was revealed. May you all see the blessings God gives you in the darkest days you experience. Take care and God Bless!

Love,
Amanda

Pray for me/Pray for others

Prayer is very powerful. Please join me in submitting your own prayer requests as well as a prayer for anther person. Every Weds this is done on the Riggs Family Blog. They are a beautiful family who is watching their 4-year old battle cancer. PLEASE pray for them! God Bless!
Amanda


We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request. Join a community of friends who care about you, and hope you will care about them.

HI/LO Thursday

This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts and for a chance to win $100.

Remember to check out this family's blog!! They need your prayers and they are witnesses to God's constant love and faithfulness! Little Abby will get to go home from the hospital! Keep praying for them and for Abby!

Hi/Lo Thursday!
WOW...my "hi" for this week was that I had a job interview last Friday. It went very well, and I know I would really like that position if I got it! I haven't heard any word on it, yet but I was thankful for the interview and even more greatful that it went so well! Just praying that I hear some good news regarding the job soon!!

The "Lo" for this week...my current job situation. It's terrible. It takes every ounce of me to make it through the day. My co-workers/boss...they are MAD if I do something right and they are MAD if I make even the smallest mistake (keeping in mind that this is a brand new position for me since my other position was eliminated due to company buy-out). They will spend all of about 20 mins training me (so, with that...how am I supposed to learn), they scough if I ask a question (so, how am I supposed to learn) and will turn around and train the person sitting next to me for over 2 hours and also answer their questions in perfect detail where if I ask them a question they tell me to "figure it out myself" (and I quote). They are just down right mean to me and I really need a break (hopefully the job interview from Friday is my break). It's not good for my health to be THIS stressed out everyday. I can't be on any meds right now (no chemo, no steroids, not even any aleve), so prayer is the only thing keeping me "healthy" enough to get into work everyday. I don't know why they act this way towards me (I'm a bubbly person, but not when I'm working lately just b/c it is very hard to be in a good mood when your treated like junk, when all you want is some training on your new position). I pray that I get that job that I interviewed for on Friday (and I pray that I hear about it soon). I pray that this "lo" turns into a "hi" when I post next week!!

Thank you all for your wonderful support! You know you mean the world to me and I love you all so much! May you have a VERY Blessed week! And remember...check out Abby's story and PRAY for her!!

Love,
Amanda

Laughter Lives Tuesday

First things, first...remember to PRAY for Abby and her family! This family is SO precious!
This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.


Today's topic is "picutres that are so funny, I was glad I had my camera! I had a hard time limiting pics because I have SO many funny pics! So...descriptions are below each pic...enjoy!

Aaron and his niece. Aaron is on the Wii Fit and his niece wanted so badly to "play", too, so her mom smashed down one of her barbie boxes and convinced her that this was infact a "wii fit". Taeya had the best time playing with Uncle Aaron on the Wii!

The next two photos...my maid of honor flew in from MN 3 days before the wedding. I tried on my dress that Weds to make sure everything still fit perfectly. I wasn't quite ready to take my dress off and ended up convincing Katie that she needed to put on her bridesmaid dress and we needed to each have a drink! GUTSY move on my part since I was wearing a white dress opening up 2 bottles of Cranberry Mikes Hard Lemonade just 3 days before my wedding!
There were no spills...and we had a BLAST!!!!!!!!!! :)
This is my mom and my uncle Mike. None of us knew that he was "musical" and my mom decided she was going to put on a "show"! If only we had a video for this b/c it was absolutely hilarious!

My friend Ashleigh. It was raining so hard that night and so she was bundling up so her hair wouldn't get messy! Ofcourse b/c it was a Friday night, I had my camera on me and viewed this as a photo opportunity!
My cute niece (she's 4 yrs old now)...she LOVES bathtime and I always did goofy things with her when we babysat (above...putting the washcloth on her head)
Giving her a beard with soap!
Here is my niece again...trying to sneak a gingerbread cookie...that little mischevious look on her face!!!

This pics is one of our annual gingerbread making nights. We do this every year the week before Christmas. My little niece (back to the camera) only wanted the frosting! How many adults does it take to make a "pre-made" gingerbread house??!?!?

Hope you all have a WONDERFUL week! Enjoy and remember to LAUGH no matter what (I have to tell myself that A LOT lately)...but it's not impossible! Take care, God Bless and I'll update soon!

Love,

Amanda

Hi/Lo Thursday

This post is part of "Hi/Lo Thursday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Hi/Lo" posts.

This family really keeps their blog in action! With EVERYTHING they have been through, they manage to find very positive things in their life...it's very humbling to read about all they go through and yet they still LOVE to laugh and find the good that happened that day. I highly recommend checking their site out. :) WIth that said, I am going to attempt my best and participating in Hi/Lo Thursday. :)

I tend to be a private person. Mainly because I alwys felt that if I shared too much I would "jinx" things. I love to share things after they've already happened, but I'm not much for sharing "potentially" good news. BUT...I'll share a little here. :)

The HI this week:
Aaron (hubby) plays tennis every Monday. Well, he plays with a Dr (among the many people he plays with). Anyway, I have been on the hunt for a new job for quite sometime. I applied for a job at the hospital, in this Doc's dept. Well, Aaron mentioned this to the Doc and on Tuesday this week, the Doc called Aaron back and told him to tell me to expect a call in the very near future about an interview! WOOHOO! I pray so hard that God wants me to have this job, too and that I do get that call from the Cardiology Dept VERY soon.

The LO this week:
The Lo this week has been my health (you can read about my health on the right hand side of this blog under "About me"). I just haven't been feeling as well since I had to go off all my meds. I can't explain why I've had to go off all my meds right now (we are keeping that one private), but it's been rough. Fatigue, swollen glands, swollen joints, dryness, and the list goes on. Hopefully in a few months I can begin to take my meds again, but until then, I pray that God answers this prayer for WHY I have to be off my meds, so that I can start taking them again.

Now it's your turn! Go to the Riggsfamilyblog and write about your His/Los for the week. Take care and God Bless!
Amanda

Please pray for this family (and check out their blog)

This family is a beautiful family whose 3 yr old daughter is fighting for her life! Her name is Abby and she could use your prayers...as could her family! Thank you and God Bless!

We participate in "Pray for Me... Pray for Others" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check out their blog to add your prayer request.

"Laughter Lives! Tuesday"

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.

First thing, first...check out the above link. Abby is fighting for her life right now with cancer. Her family is so strong, so inspirational, and seems to enjoy seeing the "goods" in life. With that comes their posts on laughter and love. I decided to participate. Even though Aaron and I don't have any children, we have 4 nieces (2 of them are 4 yrs and 2 of them are 2 yrs) and there's always enough stories between the 4 of them. So here goes.

About a week ago, Aaron's youngest niece, Nevaeh (who is 2 yrs) was at my parents-in-law house. This spunky 2 year old is as quick as her older sister with jokes and making us all laugh. Anyway, while at my in-laws house, Nevaeh went over to her grandpa (my father-in-law) and made a fist as if she had something in her hands to share with him. So, my father-in-law held out his hand to get whatever was in Nevaeh's hands. Nevaeh proceeds to open her hands and drops a piece of poop right into my father-in-law's hands and says in her 2 year old innocent voice "I pooped, Grandpa"! Everyone started laughing so hard! Needless to say, my father-in-law proceeded right to the bathroom to discard the poop, while catching his breath from laughing so hard!

Bring on the Bliss!

Or...that title is what I hope to be the case for my dear friend, Katie and her fiance' Nick. Last week, Katie asked me to be a bridesmaid and Nick asked Aaron to be an usher. We are both very excited to be a part of their special day. Flowers, getting hair done, putting on elegant dresses, watching a beautiful woman (inside and out) marry her true love...it truly is a blissful time! We will be heading to MN in November for the festivities and can't wait!

Katie as a Maid of Honor at my wedding in June

There isn't too much else to post, I just wanted to write on this exciting news of both me and Aaron being a part of Katie and Nick's special day! Blessings to you all!

Love,

Amanda