Where 28 Finds Me

Hey guys!

I was going to write a facebook post, but the wise husband saw my post getting quite lengthy and suggested I make a blog post instead. Smart man. :D

Yesterday was my birthday. It started out a little rough waking up at 6am from repeated dings from my phone. All were text messages wishing me a happy birthday from my East Coast friends! Just gave me an extra early start to my day and I'm grateful I have friends who will wake me up at 6am one day out of the year!! :P

I put on one of my favorite blue dresses that I bought from a ROSS last year and slipped on some jewelry paired with some brown leather sandals that I hadn't worn in awhile but matched the gold jewelry well! Finished up with some makeup and curling of my hair. I was so pleased with putting myself together so well and so quickly! 

Then DISASTER struck. Of course it did. SOMETHING had to happen on this most special day haha. Getting out of the car and heading towards the building for a board meeting, I noticed a flapping sound as I was walking.

I looked down and my beloved sandal's sole had peeled away from its base, gravel sticking to the melting glue LOL! I couldn't do a darn thing about it, but slide my foot inconspicuously across the floor as I walked. Ladies of the Chapel, if you were there when this was happening and noticed my odd stride, THIS IS WHY!!

I thought my troubles were relieved for a couple hours till I sat down and noticed the piece of table in front of me had wood split in half with both pieces of wood flapping back and forth off the table which reminded me of my flapping shoe.

It would have been fine and manageable except every time I leaned on the table to write something down or lean in to speak, when I pulled away my arm would get caught and scrape against the stupid pieces of sharp wood! {You have permission to imagine this picture and laugh at my discomfort. } ^_^

I exclaimed more than once probably causing some confusion of those at the meeting and may have been a little disrupting for my first one. Sometimes you just can't help it when God brings you a dose of humor in your day!

Later after photos of the board we headed to chapel for worship practice for our Christian Women's Fellowship ministry. (I'll expand on all this further down!) We wrestled some with the sound system after freshly learning how to work sound and visuals last month for this semester's event.

Things were going well after that until a determined little bug decided to try make my face and mouth a home. So there I was playing my guitar, trying to sing and simultaneously swatting away in such a dramatic fashion at this pesky little thing so I wouldn't swallow it! Talk about there was an "Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". I almost lived this experience!! It's very possible people!!

Now this brings me to why I'm writing a blog post and have been so silent on Facebook since my birthday. What I experienced just couldn't cut it in a quick little thank you for remembering my birthday and all the greetings.

GUYS, after what was abit of a shocking day, I jumped on FB briefly since I didn't have alot of time and was overwhelmed and touched by the over 150 somethinggreetings on my Facebook wall and on several pictures for my birthday.

To see the depth of my history of friends and family from all the many years is just inspiring and encouraging after the day I was having! Who knew I touched so many lives in my 28 years of existence?? This is such a testament to how reaching out to others and thinking of them more than ourselves can come back around to just bless your socks off! I received so many sweet greetings and even some birthday cards/gifts from new friends here in 29 that was completely unexpected! Ya'll are seriously the darlingest! (Yes I made up a word!!)

I read through every message on Facebook and y'all took such precious time to write personal messages and text messages which I am determined to reply to every one even if it takes me a few weeks! 

My years have not always been easy and you guys know this with all I've battled in life and continue to battle, but knowing I have such a strong loving support system of friends, family, and even clients makes it all worth it!!! <3

I had the best surprise of all! It wasn't fully intentional but God is so awesome like this! One of my best friends from Quantico happened to be in 29 tonight and her phone died! She called me and we went to get her and brought her back to the house. We got to visit with her after she had been driving for awhile to come here for some business. She was having Mac trouble so I got to walk her through how to repair her Mac and plus we snuck in a future visit plan to return some tools! (The tools ended up being the wrong size so they are coming back this coming week! Yay!) 

This really did top off my birthday! That and the sweet card from Jason I found on my pillow this morning, color coordinated to our bedroom of mint and gold. <3

It really was the best birthday. Even today one of my newest dear friends here picture below and her husband stopped by with the most beautiful jewelry box they have been customizing for me. I had helped someone sell the items in their home when they had to move and they gave me this vintage piece as a gift and a thank you. My new friends here really did a wonderful job, even adding some extra features with his woodworking talent! 

It's a beauty!

Since I haven't written a blog post in awhile I'm giving myself permission to give an update.☺️

Where does this next year find me?

Working my LadyGadget business with the logo and blog 

coming! This has been postponed so many times but all in
 God's perfect timing!

Worship Leader on our Christian Women's Fellowship  

 Ministry board. This is my first time serving on a board and this is where I had to be the   morning of my birthday for that meeting. We had board photos so that's also why I dressed up! Our CWF ministry is the one here for women. They usually are on every base! We start our semester this coming week!

Learning how to work sound/audio, visual slideshows. I set up a stage with cables, speakers, and boxes, in a church. That's pretty sweet!

Leading a Bible study. Leading a marriage book study. Me and a few ladies are going through Love and Respect. Can't recommend that book enough!

Leading worship with Jason on Sunday for traditional service at chapel.

Setting up our house and going through all of the THINGS! This is and will always be a work in progress. Sometimes you just don't want to do any more unpacking or arranging! I'm pretty happy with our set up!

Soaking in the desert sunshine and acclimating to the hottest temperatures in my life! We get up to temperatures of 120!

Making new friends! We live on a great street with tight community. We have game nights, and walk to houses to visit friends. It's AWESOME.

Facing some new ventures into my health journey.

This last one is a very recent one. After being told by doctors that depression and anxiety/PTSD is leading to my weight struggles and eating struggles, I've over time refused to believe that is it. You just know when something else is wrong. Recently I discovered that I have a tongue tie which is significant. 

I've been doing research on it and have joined some groups on Facebook to learn more from people who had them revised or corrected. They can cause struggles with eating, weight gain and maintaining, as well as digestive and stomach issues, lack of energy, sudden muscle tension in shoulders and neck. I've been having increasing symptoms like these over the summer that mysteriously popped up. 

After revisions, many of these symptoms clear up and people start gaining weight and being able to eat easier! It would answer my problem of struggling hard to swallow down pills, taking up to 2 hours to eat one meal, feeling exhausted after eating, having stomach nausea after eating, trouble sleeping, etc. All these are symptoms of having a tongue tie! I feel I am so close to the end of this journey of finding answers so I can begin the healing process of my body and healthy weight gain again!

We are enjoying the desert so much here. It holds its own beauty and the sunshine has helped improve my depression and anxiety leaps and bounds. Lots of vitamin D! I apologize for being so distant lately. Part of it is being so busy with everything I've mentioned above and also learning a healthy balance of blog writing. 

I have mentioned about being a perfectionist in the past and I sometimes feel my content is not written well enough when I just sit down and write, but I think it's just the enemy trying to discourage me from writing and keeping in touch at all! I'll have all these ideas and then I sit down with a blank slate in my head. Writer's block. It's the worse haha!

Well I just want to wrap up this post and thank you all again for your lovely birthday greetings and wishes. I'm truly touched and will get back with each of you as I am able! You guys add to my joy. :)

Here's my official CWF Board photo. It's crazy how much I have changed over the years...

Me as a fresh 28 yr old. :)

With love and compassion,