I am excited to start a blog! I've never done something like this before and I don't know what makes me think I will have time to keep this updated, but I will do my best. 2009 is FLYING by. I spent the first 11 days of this year in Ormond Beach , Florida visiting Nate's family. It was wonderful! 70 degree weather with slight breezes and light rain every now-and-then...what more can you ask for? We had a really nice time hanging out at the house with Cara and Jon (Nate's younger sister and brother) and spending time with Cindy (his mom), Thomas (step dad) and Monti (Nate's dad). The ocean was of course beautiful and we were able to visit several times for long walks and hours of reading. During our time there we also were able to attend a Salsa Dance lesson with the whole family as well as a Yoga class. I highly recommend trying both if you haven't. This was not my first time with Yoga, but it was my first Salsa experience. It was GREAT and what a workout.
Finally, while in Florida, I overcame my fear of natural water when we went canoeing up and down a beautiful Florida river. We had made it all the way to our lunch destination and were close to our stopping point when we flipped our canoe. Nate, Cara and I were in one canoe, Jon and Monti in another and Cindy and Thomas in the third. Nate, Cara and I decided it was a great idea to race Monti and Jon for the remainder of the trip. We had a significant lead when all of the sudden we were faced with a very narrow passage way with tree limbs and stumps on both sides. Our only option was to brace for the impact. We rammed into the fallen tree and tipped slightly. Water rushed into our canoe, but we managed to stay somewhat upright. That was until Monti and Jon CRASHED into us. They had no choice; they too were traveling very quickly and were not able to stop. We flipped. They didn't. Eventually we were able to get the water emptied out of the canoe and Nate and I back into our positions in the front and back. As Cara, our passenger, was climbing in, the canoe lost its stability and we were once again in the water. This time we each were given bumps, bruises, and scrapes to take home as souvenirs. What an awesome experience.
Though I did have an unforgettable time in Florida, I was given some very scary news on my third day there. My dad contacted me, Saturday, January 3rd early in the morning to inform me that Hilary, my sister, was being prepped for an emergency surgery on her abdomen. At that time, they didn't know the full extent of the problem, but were able to explain that she had a tumor like mass in her intestine that was causing a wide range of problems that needed to be removed immediately as it could explode within 5 hours. She had been in surgery for close to 4 hours when the surgeon appeared with heartbreaking news. There was a chance the the mass as cancerous, and even worse, the lymph nodes surrounding the mass were inflamed which could also point to lymphoma. It was horrible being so far away and having to rely on text message updates. As I said the surgery was on Saturday and the tests on the mass and lymph nodes did not produce results until the following Tuesday. Four days of praying, hoping, worrying and fear. Four looooonnnnnggggg days. But then the text came: "It's NOT CANCER!" Thank God! After all was said and done, she was in the hospital for nine and a half days, seven of which she was not permitted to eat or drink ANYTHING! She now has an eight inch scar-four inches above her belly button and four inches below and 23 staples were removed. Today, two weeks after she was released from the hospital, she is still recovering. She walks very slowly and hunched over. She is very ready to get back into the swing of things. There were so many people praying for her and sending encouraging thoughts her way. We are very lucky to be surrounded by such loving and caring people.
I started my final semester of college on January 12th. I will officially be graduating in May!! I am so ready to be done with this stage in my life. I will write more on this later.
Thanks for stopping by...
"You can't understand light unless you understand darkness, because that's where life is most often lived...somewhere between the two. It's messy and it's beautiful all at the same time." - Bebo Norman
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