The Final Countdown!

It's official people! We will be closing on our first home this coming Tuesday, December 28th! It's been a LONG time coming, and we could not be more ready to move. We first looked at the place about 9 or 10 months ago and I never thought we'd get to this final countdown. We're all boxed up and ready to go, minus a few furniture disassemblies. No one should have to live like this--we'll be happy to unpack, get organized, and settle into our brand new place just for us! Goodbye vertical blinds! Hello shower no one has ever showered in!

Here's the email confirmation from our builder:

Graff, Gunnar to me

show details 6:00 PM (4 hours ago)

I apologize, I have been scrambling to wrap up getting keys, bills, walk thru's etc. I recd the certificate of occupancy today and we are good to go!!!!!

Sneak Peak

This afternoon we braved the treacherous weather conditions to have our pre-settlement walk-through of our condo. The light at the end of the tunnel getting closer and closer! As of now, we are scheduled to close on Tuesday morning, December 28th. We're crossing our fingers real hard and praying that this date doesn't move back again. We'll know for sure this Monday after a few last inspections are complete.

The appointment today was very thorough and helpful. Our builder walked through inch by inch with us, marking every little nick, rough spot, or unclean area in the condo. He explained to us many of the features and answered any questions we might have had. We went through yards of painters tape to ensure that every nook and cranny is just right. Our builder, Gunnar, set me straight right away, making sure I knew there was no such thing as too picky as we anticipated moving into our first place. I felt reassured that they are doing a great job to make our home the best that it can be.

At the last minute I snapped a couple pictures of the place, but none that do it justice. So here's just a little taste of what's to come.

Broadening Our Horizons

This is what we had for dinner tonight:

N.Y. Crunch Roll SUSHI. Unbelievable. Who am I?? A month or so ago while shopping in the new Short Pump Kroger (amazing grocery store, even has a wine bar!), we were approached by an authentic sushi chef with a free sample of this crunch roll. It peaked our interest so much so that tonight we decided to dive right in for the main course. We find the trick to eating sushi is not to think about it too much. The texture, the ingredients, all of it. Don't think about it, just eat it. Fortunately, this crunch roll didn't have a trace of raw fish. Imitation crab, avocado, rice, spicy mayo, eel sauce (???), and whatever that crunchy stuff is on top (think: green bean casserole topping). Not so fortunate was my tongue after all was said and done. It had quite the lingering spice and really packed a punch to the mouth. The sensation was as though I had tied something around my tongue and continued to tighten it and tighten it and tighten it and ... Let's just say it burned pretty bad. I've recovered though, and would probably even do it again.

Tacky Togetherness

Last night myself and three great friends (and one of their daughters) from the school I worked at last year were able to get together for an evening of Christmas cheer. The four of us try to get together just about once a month and I love every time we do. We share school stories and life stories and laugh a ton. It's so so fun and these women have become very dear to me. We decided to do a little white elephant gift exchange, each bring a tasty snack to enjoy, and stop by some houses on Richmond's Tacky Light Tour. The first house we went to was really well done. So many lights! It was even on the TLC special "Crazy Christmas Lights." 'Tis the season!

Me, Laurie, Hannah, and Bevin

Calling All Meteorologists

School Closing- 12-16-10 HENRICO COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS [email@blackboardconnect.com] This message was sent with High importance. Sent: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 6:30 PM To: Brianna K. Link (bklink)

Good evening, this is an important message from Henrico County Public Schools. Due to weather forecasts and expected inclement weather, Henrico County Public Schools will be closed Thursday, December 16, 2010. Employees should not report and that includes all C&M essential staff. Also, the regularly scheduled school board meetings planned for tomorrow afternoon will not be held, but a special school board meeting will be held at 8:30am tomorrow morning. Again, Henrico County Public Schools will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, December 16th and No employees should report. Thanks for your attention and please enjoy the rest of your evening. It's things like this that remind me to appreciate living in the south. Not a flake on the ground, nor none expected all night. And yet, SNOW DAY. Woo hoo!

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful!

And I'm loving it! We just experienced our second snow here in Midlothian with more on the way this week! I think we should have had a delay due to visibility/road conditions this morning, but unfortunately we did not. I hadn't been prepared for the two-ish inches that awaited me on my car this morning. As you may imagine, I walked into work a couple minutes late. And just in time for my evaluation with the assistant principal--yikes! Lucky for me I still am "exceeding expectations" across the board. My job may be low-man-on-the-totem-pole, but I'm doing a heck of a job down there. Anyway, back to the weather. Temperatures are in the 30s, with a high tomorrow of just 31. Even icicles were hanging from my car when I left work. Brrrr!

Festiveness

After putting you through the ringer with that last post, I thought I'd post a couple fun and festive things going on down here in Midlothian.

For one, it snowed last weekend! Not enough for a snow day quite yet, but just enough to kick-off the month of December with a layer of white. It even hung around til about lunchtime as you see.

Second, I have all my gifts bought and wrapped, of which I'm rather proud. I found the perfect red and white striped paper with green on the other side, a classic look. But even more exciting are the gift tags I made to adorn the presents. Even though it's kind of a spoiler for family out there reading, I just have to share. Ornaments out of paint chips, how clever! Perhaps it'll get you a bit excited for what awaits you under the tree from the Links.

And lastly, here's our tree that I mentioned a couple posts ago. Unfortunately, it's terribly dried out and dead already. But hey, from far away it still brings a little Christmas cheer! We decided only to put the pinecone ornaments from my sister on the tree this year to cut back on de-decorating time. They're the place card holders from our wedding--isn't she so crafty??

War Zone

A title for this post, our apartment, and our life. Actually, war zone is a little heavy for our life. A rollercoaster ride is more like it.

Many of you are probably feeling both the excitement and stress of the holidays. It's the best time of the year for sure, but the gift purchasing, traveling to see loved ones, and trying to bake a decent cookie may have you, like me, caught in a whirlwind of stress and emotions. Couple that with MOVING just a few short days after Christmas and one just might feel like one's life is not only a whirlwind, but spinning out of control. This is our life. A rollercoaster.

Some days are great and filled with anticipation of living in a brand-spankin-new condo. A guest bathroom, a clean carpet, a garbage disposal that operates as intended, almost twice as much room to stretch out. Finally free from living in a place filled with boxes and disarray (ie. our guest bed is set up in our living room because there's nowhere else to go with it). All good things. But most of the time, that excitement is overshadowed by a heaping pile of stress. Most of the time it's filled with fear and anxiety. How the heck are we going to pay for all the stuff we need or some of the things we want? What color are we going to paint the walls? When should the fridge be delivered? Where's the money going to come from? How are we going to get a new sofa here? Will our guests have a bad back after sleeping on this terribly thin mattress? Where'd our savings go??

All this after traveling to see both families in Pennsylvania and then having them both in town at the peak of moving season. A big help and a joy to see, but my need-to-please self is a little apprehensive about how I'm going to keep everyone cheerful, cared for, and fed. Plus, we hate moving. Heavy lifting, a ton of disorganization, and cardboard everywhere (cardboard can be like nails on a chalkboard for me, not fun).

So thank God last week our pastor's sermon was entitled "Hopes and Fears." Can you guess which one rules my life? Hope doesn't happen all by itself, but fear does. And when we don't cultivate hope--when we don't make a conscious effort to live in it--fear can take our legs out from under us and knock us down pretty hard. During this hectic season of life, it's imperative that I soak in the reality and goodness and promises of God. If I don't, the most wonderful time of the year will pass me by quicker than I can say "Waterford sucks" (and let me tell you, that phrase rolls off my tongue pretty fluently).

Grand Illumination

Last night we decided to get off our exhausted-from-the-work-week butts and head into the city for the Grand Illumination at the James Center. We had heard about it, but had never been in the past. At 6pm about 20 or so office buildings and the area around the James Center were illuminated with their traditional Christmas lights. Because there were mobs of people there to countdown, we'll probably go back one night to get the full-effect. We got a little crazy with the street food. Jeremiah tried a lamb gyro and I got a corn dog (whhhhat?) It was fun, but would definitely be extra spectacular with little kids.

And to top the festive evening off, we decided to head over to Home Depot (so festive) to pick up a small Christmas tree. Although heavily debated, we decided to go ahead and put one up this season even in the midst of moving. We were having a bit of trouble conjuring up Christmas spirit, and we think this will be a step in the right direction especially since they practically paid us to take it with a price tag of only $19.97. And of course, we don't have a roof rack so do you like our ghetto set-up with a blanket to protect the car?

Our traditional ornaments will not make the cut this year as that's just too much work to pack up, but we'll be adorning our cute little evergreen with some brightly colored balls I purchased post-Christmas last year at Target. We plan to put the lights and ornaments on this morning as we watch the Broad Street Christmas parade on TV and wait for the delivery of our guest mattress and boxspring. Say hello to our new sofa.

Turkey Time

Although I normally dislike when American citizens refer to Thanksgiving as "Turkey Day," I had no "th" alliteration options, so there ya have it.

As one might expect, our holiday break was chock-full-o-traveling. This trip was much more of a whirlwind as is par for the course, but enjoyable nonetheless. Tuesday after work we headed way up north to the Links, stayed there Wednesday, the Koehlers came up for feasting on Thursday, that night the six of us drove back to Sellersville, stayed there Friday, and finally Saturday we drove to State College for the game and back home to Richmond that night. WOW. I'm exhausted.

On Wednesday I spent most of the day in my mother-in-law's kindergarten class. The Pilgrims and Indians had quite the Thanksgiving celebration with homemade applesauce, cornbread, and mini pumpkin pies. They were adorable and sweet and quiet. Oh it was so peaceful, a whole different world from the one I live in daily.

Hmm what other notables?

My sister and I made the mistake of battling the Black Friday crowds. At the outlets. Terrible, terrible mistake. After my brother's horrible tales of faraway parking and long treks up sketchy streets to get there last year, we decided to take a different route. Unfortunately, that route took us at least twenty minutes longer. Now that wouldn't have been all that bad if we wouldn't have had to spend another twenty (at least!) trying to find a parking space. Out of control. Much like our travels north, my experience at the outlets was quite a whirlwind. I don't know how people focus on anything as they try to calculate sales, rummage through unorganized clothing, and anticipate long lines. Never again for me. I love a great sale as much as the next person, but my mental and emotional sanity had been compromised, at which point even I have to admit it's just not worth it.

Then came Saturday. I have never ever been as cold as I was sitting at that football game. NEVER. And the wind. Oh my the WIND! Mind you, it didn't help that I had become ill that morning, going through half a box of tissues on the way there. Nevertheless, I never thought one could be that cold with that many layers. My downfall was my feet. Only one pair of socks and a pretty thin pair of shoes. Even a heavy wool sock couldn't stand up to that cold cement. Even though I came down with acute hypothermia, it was so great to be back at my alma mater and even to see a couple girls who are dear to my heart from when I interned with Campus Crusade the year after I graduated.

Skimming back over this post, it sounds like it was horrible. It wasn't. It was so so good to see family and friends and to spend time eating good food, watching holiday movies, and seeing the snow fall for the first time this season.

Onward to Christmas!

Back to His Roots

One reason the car trouble was such a tragedy is because Jeremiah had tickets to a Lecrae concert in Virginia Beach tonight. I couldn't imagine if he hadn't been able to make it. Yikes. Lecrae is a Christian rap artist, and let me assure any of you who are smirking just like I was when I heard of this idea--this guy is good. Jeremiah was giddy with excitement as he transformed from his shirt and tie motif to his pre-planned hip hop ensemble.

Here's the big guy himself as he was about to head out. Baggy jeans and oversized hip hop tees. Where are we? Or more like when are we (Lost reference anyone?)?? Jeremiah circa high school and college glory years. Classic.

Isn't Life Funny?

Hilarious, really.

Can you sense my sarcasm?

Right in the midst of my extreme financial anxiety over the holidays and moving into our condo (Dec. 21 by the way!!), Jeremiah's car decides it's time to break down. This morning. While I was driving. To the tune of $400.

Isn't life funny???

Still running through my head are all the condo things we could have bought with $400. Perhaps a good deal on a mattress and boxspring? All the blinds and ceiling fans and paint we might need? A queen bed frame and guest bedding? Dining room chairs? A coffee table, bookshelves, and picture frames? Or perhaps making a dent in the refrigerator we just had to buy. Bahh!

The good news is the car broke down right after I pulled through the drive-thru at a local Starbucks. Luckily, I wasn't in the middle of 288, alone and stranded. And fortunately, Jeremiah was still home to receive my tear-filled phone call and come to my rescue. The school I work at was even very gracious with me when I told them I wasn't going to be able to make it in so last minute.

The other good news is Allen Tire has saved the day again, fixing up that piece of garbage by mid-afternoon. After the battery light went out, and it started overheating and smoking and smelling like it was on fire, and would barely drive, I didn't think there was any hope left. Oh, and we had to get it towed. But a pretty penny later, my nemesis is parked right out front again.

This is the thorn in our side. Great theologians of the past are rolling in their graves right now as I compare our constant car trouble with Scripture. But boy is it a pain!

Over the Weekend

Jeremiah and I had a great weekend!

We traveled north to the Koehler household for a very special event--my sister's believer's baptism. Although she was baptized as a baby, Andria's new relationship with Christ and understanding of Christianity at its core motivated her to be baptized again. Simply an outward sign of her new faith. I've been praying for Andria's salvation since my freshman year in college and so you may imagine I am overjoyed that God has drawn her into a personal relationship with himself just over a month ago. Yay!

While we were there we did some other fun things, too. On Saturday morning we were able to get together for breakfast with two of our great friends from college, Kristy and Matt. It was so great to see them--to catch up and laugh together!

Afterwards, we headed to Bucks Country Gardens with my parents to admire their festive displays. 'Tis the season and I couldn't be happier. Jeremiah and I have never been out with just my parents, it was sort of like a double-date. I loved it!

The four of us then headed over to J. Scones--the bakery where my sister now works. What a cute place it was, and what delicious delicacies it had! My mom lavished us with scones and cupcakes to enjoy the rest of the weekend. There's a reason this bakery's claim to fame is scones. Instead of dry, crumbly pastry, these baked goods are flavorful and moist. They even mail frozen dough for you to enjoy no matter your location. Want dibs? Let me know.

Buff chick mac cheese followed later that evening, in addition to relaxation and quality time together.

On our way home Sunday we picked up a couple goodies at Ikea; however, this wonderful lamp shade we bought doesn't fit on the stand we have, so surprise surprise we'll be returning it. Bummer.

Just Around the Riverbend

Now that my Macbook is back and better than ever, time for a little literary gem to brighten your day. And by literary gem, I mean a hopefully brief update on a little trip we took a few weekends ago.

As I've mentioned before, Richmonders are big into going to the river. My friends Bevin and Claiborne are no exception. Claiborne's parents own a house in Deltaville basically right on the point of a little peninsula. It's a gorgeous, cozy place with a bunch of bedrooms, a huge screened in porch leading to an open porch, plenty of yard space, a bit of beach, and two piers and a boat to boot! Oh, and an amazing stone fireplace in the center of the main living space. So large they have to have the wood custom-cut.

A couple weekends ago, the Irbys were making the hour and a half trek to D-ville for a mini vacation away from the stress of work. They invited us along and we were so excited they did. We packed our things and headed down Friday night and stayed the majority of Saturday. You could find us chatting with a glass of wine by the fire, exploring the property, competing in a couple Scattegories matches, and trying out a local pizza place. It was a lovely, relaxing time getting to hang out with new friends.

Thanks for Your Patience

...because I've just about lost mine.

I'm disheartened to announce that my computer is out of commission, hence the less-than-consistent posts. I'm currently updating you from Jeremiah's Dell desktop PC circa 1990, bulky monitor and all. My ultra trendy MacBook has failed me once again. Those words are painful to get out. That blazing white beauty has been my right-hand man, and without him a part of me is snuffed out. Bahaha! But really, I rely on my computer a lot for checking email, paying bills, uploading pictures, browsing condo ideas, and of course stalking on facebook. So now that its "AirPort" has decided it's about dead (this happened a few months after I got it three years ago, too) I have no way of connecting to the network. No internet equals worthless computer.
The silver lining in all of this is that when I called Apple support yesterday, the English-speaking (yay!) man informed me that I still have six days left on my AppleCare, meaning I can get all of this repaired and no cost to me. Hallelujah! I thought that warranty expired long ago. Talk about clutch timing. So tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment at 12:20 in the afternoon. Actually, I don't, my computer does. There's a bonus, too. The top of the laptop where I rest of wrists has cracked on both sides so it's currently covered in packing tape. G-h-e-t-t-o. I thought, eh, since this guy speaks English I'll go ahead and ask him if that is covered as well. YES, he said! Whoop, whoop!
So hopefully they won't keep him in the hospital for too long, but even if they do, I guess it'll be worth it to have him healthy again. Until then, I can't post any pictures and my life is a little more irritating on this Dell. Hang in there and pray that I'll do the same.

In other news, the holidays are approaching and I'm getting excited for that. We've started a bit early this year so as not to overwhelm ourselves during December when we've got some moving to do. Speaking of, our big move is approaching in just over a month.
Although I felt like it was moving at a snail's pace during the record high temps this summer, time really is flying.

Tornadoes and Treats

Unbeknownst to me, Central Virginia was/is under a tornado warning until 8pm this evening. Being that I frequently check the weather (mostly due to my outrage towards VA temps--it's in the 80s people!!), I knew we were bound to experience rain and quite possibly thunderstorms. But tornadoes? I hadn't heard! Not until I was on the elevator on my way down to my car when I received a text message from a friend warning me to take cover, big storms were on their way. I had just heard a couple rumbles of thunder and by the time I made it to my car I was being pelted with heavy rain. Although a bit nervous (I've been scared of thunderstorms since I was a child), I pressed on and drove out of the parking lot to the traffic light. The traffic light was out. The winds had now increased tremendously, the rain so heavy one might have thought the Hoover Dam unleashed atop my car. I couldn't see anything except the traffic lights now completely horizontal and blurry headlights. I was panicking! Literally shaking. Was I going to get sucked up into the abyss? Or would my car just flip and I'd suffer? I called my dear husband to wish him a good life without me, but per usual he didn't answer (only this time his phone was acting up, so he's innocent). After I miraculously got out of the left-hand turn lane and circled back into the parking lot, I called my friend Bevin, the text messanger. She was reporting the weather to me as she watched it live on the TV. I was indeed in the midst of extremely hazardous weather. Listening to her advice, I hung tight in the parking lot (in fear) for 15 more minutes until it seemed to clear.

Wouldn't you know 5 minutes later the sun was out.

But the stress from my commute home quickly subsided as I opened the unexpected package that awaited me on my doorstep. My dear mom sent Jeremiah and I Halloween goodies! Wishing your mom was that cool? Thought so. She knows that at 24 and 25, we can still appreciate Halloween festiveness. And I love how she doesn't just send an obesity-sized bag of 'fun-size' candy. No, she has cute bags, with the perfect confections--gummies for J, chocolate for me--and handmade bat name tags. If you denied your wish for a cooler mom now, I know the veil has now been lifted from your eyes.

And P.S., they should really rename king-size candy bars to fun-size and rename those little teases to unsatisfying. Amen?

What the Heck is a Hokie?

This past weekend the Link clan headed to Radford and Blacksburg, VA to celebrate Debbie's 50th birthday 10 months late. Last December we promised the tried and true Virginia Tech alum a trip to see her Hokies play at Lane Stadium. So Friday night, after Ben arrived from Philly by train, the three of us drove west to Radford, the city where Jeremiah lived for the first twelve years of his life, to meet Deb, Chuck, and Caroline. I always love a chance to get a glimpse into Jeremiah's life before me, and enjoyed hearing the stories and seeing the sights of him as a young buckaroo. On Saturday, we packed in the van and starting tailgating around 10am for the game at noon. A couple other family members (who are season ticket holders) have a tailgating spot just around the corner from the stadium, a huge plus. The perfect weather and a Hokie win made for a great afternoon. We spent the night again on Saturday and made the three and a half hour trek back to Richmond earlier today.

Wedding Weekend

This past weekend Jeremiah and I took a trip up north for my dear friend Lindsay's wedding. The Franks and the Koehlers have been close friends since our parents went to high school together. Lindsay and I grew up together which made her wedding so special to me. She and TJ couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day and everything seemed just perfect.

After the lovely ceremony, we headed to the reception site for cocktails before dinner began. Those poor, poor butlers. Or, if they are paid by the number of trays they clear, they were the luckiest butlers in the history of butlered hors d'oeuvres. Either way, whenever in eyes reach of the Koehler family they were bombarded. Cameron and Jeremiah were literally following their scents in order to get their fingers on as many pigs-in-a-blanket, scallops wrapped in bacon, beef wellingtons, and duck with caramelized onion as they could. It was disgusting. This morning, Cameron determined he may or may not have downed 15 pigs and probably ate an entire duck. Delicious. Free drinks and food is a dangerous scenario. "I wonder how much money I saved..." said my tank of a brother, reflecting on the amount of beverage and food he consumed at one single event. Jeremiah justified his gluttonous behavior with the 'workout' he got in from all that dancing. If you've ever seen that man move, you can understand why he's currently resting on the sofa, sorer than he was the first day he lifted a free weight.

Moving on.

You may or may not know my sister is a top-notch pastry chef. She somewhat recently attended The French Culinary Institute in Manhattan and has been rocking people's culinary world ever since. She's done dozens of side gigs, including graduation and baby shower cakes, cupcake bonanzas, cookies, eclairs, cream puffs, and several other delicacies. Lindsay and TJ's wedding was her first wedding cake debut and boy did she hit that one out of the park. I mean really, this girl is talented beyond belief. This is by far the best cake I've ever seen in the flesh, and probably one of the greatest cakes I've ever see pictures of. And let me tell you, after planning my own wedding, I have seen a lot of cakes. See all those flowers? They're made out of gum paste. Yes, she made each individual flower. (My mom and I learned this with her this past spring break from the same woman who taught Buddy, the cake boss) Not only did it look good, it tasted incredible, too. Chocolate cake with coffee buttercream and pound cake with vanilla buttercream and raspberry something-or-other. Hire her for your next special occasion.

But don't hire me to help transport--that was way too nerve-racking!!

'Twas a wonderful weekend with family. Enjoy some down-time entertainment at our table from Cameron and Aaron--so dark it's almost painful, bummer.

Children Taken By Surprise

I have to be brief since I'm heading out the door to work in a half hour, but wanted to do this while I was thinking of it.

I am the new worship coordinator for children's ministry (K-5) at our church, Hope Church. This is a new position and I'm definitely new to the game. I am in charge for lining up worship each Sunday and innovating different ideas for exposing kids to praising God through song, dance, etc. We're trying to move forward from simple PowerPoint lyrics and a downloaded song playing in the background. Crossing my fingers for live worship the majority of the Sundays in a month!

This past Sunday was kick-off Sunday for the children's ministry school year. We wanted something exciting and engaging to start it off right. I think we did just that! My awesome and talented husband agreed to write and perform a rap for the kids. He took the song 2 Step remix (instrumental), recorded his voice several times over on a computer program, rewrote the lyrics, and then performed it live on Sunday. It was SUCH A HIT. He has gotten so many compliments and thank yous from those who were lucky enough to experience it live. Although the kids--and the adults--were very much taken by surprise and not at all used to worshipping in this way, it definitely was a step in the right direction. The hope is that Jeremiah might perform this once a month so that the kids eventually learn it and can have 'ownership' over it for the year. We'll see! You can check out some of the performance here.

Chooch

I'm appeasing my husband with this post. I didn't want to do it. Jeremiah wanted to let people know about this part of our life.

Here is Carlos (better known as Chooch), our dog for a week and a half. Originally named Leroy, we knew that didn't do this sweet guy any justice. We were brainstorming names one night and once I said Chooch we knew it was the name for us. We adopted this one year old beagle/hound mix with great intentions, but unfortunately we decided it was best to give him back. Best for him and for us. And looking back, we feel 100% right about that choice. Although it tore me up that we brought Chooch here to a good home with lots of good things and lots of love and then sent him back, we think he's happiest being free to roam and play with his other dog friends most of the day. There were several factors we agonized over to make our decision. To say it was an emotional week is an understatement.

Choochie is a great dog with lots of love to give. If you are looking to rescue a sweet dog, we can give you more info about how to make Chooch yours.

Under Construction

As you know by now, we're new homeowners! As you also know, we have yet to actually reside in that new home. Construction started mid-July on our new condo and is said to be finished and ready to close mid-December. We're crossing our fingers for an early finish, but know not to get our hopes up. We stopped by this morning to snap some pictures of progress thus far. Woo hoo, a roof and windows! Men were working on our actual unit, which was kinda fun to see. We're the bottom right condo when you look at the first picture. I sort of wanted to walk up to the window and let him know we were watching and not to screw it up. I didn't.

Under the Knife

Yes. My first ever surgery. And my first ever experience with stitches.

I wouldn't have qualified the procedure as surgery before I was sent back to the room. But then I was instructed to lay down on the table, which, by the way was covered in that god-awful white paper (I thought surely I could sit up for this 'minimal' procedure). And then the doctor walked in with a full-facial clear plastic mask. And then they draped one of those blue cloths with a hole in it over my knee--exposing only the area to be cut. And then mid-procedure the doctor pulled out a clotting machine to stop the bleeding.

I consider that surgery.

But alas, all for a great cause. Finally, I am freak-free now that the "fetus" on my knee is gone and that terrible mole on my chest as well. No longer will little kids go cross-eyed after staring at the freakish thing on my knee for so long. No longer will I have to spend ten minutes trying to explain not only what a scar is, but why mine looks so outlandish to a three-year-old. And no longer will the elderly ask if that's a cookie on my chest.

With both areas numbed, I luckily didn't feel a thing other than a slight tugging as she stitched up my knee. That is the weirdest thing ever and almost sent me over the edge.

And now I am hobbling along, trying not to bend my left knee. Knees are really important and really useful. Who knew? Well now I do. Now that I have to calculate every move before I make it. Fortunately, I have a verbal doctor's note not to exercise. I can get into that.

Excuse the vulgar nature of this post. But as much of a milestone as this is in my life, I had to share. At least I didn't post pictures.

I am Hope

Our church has been showing a series of video testimonials every other Sunday called "I am Hope." The idea behind this is to encourage church-goers to be the church. Not only to come to church, the building, but to be the church, to share our lives and Christ in our own world.

Jeremiah had the fortunate privilege of sharing his experience in this way. You can go here to check it out, and while you're at it, check out the others too. We are so lucky to be part of such a thriving community.