Thanksgiving

I've been doing okay, and there is simply not much to report. Marcus and I have been busy with a healthy balance of doctor's appointments and fun. I'm STILL getting shocked by my pacemaker and want to rip it out of my body most of the time. I'm still whole-heartedly impressed with my port, the scar is healed well, and it's tiny!! And the location is perfect--a v-neck t-shirt mostly covers the incision.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving at our house this year with my family and Marcus' family. It should be lots of fun. I'm brainstorming fun games we can play and activities we can do to keep the party going. I'm a little nervous about making the whole meal because I'm a little bit of a perfectionist--but after watching several cooking show with "tips for the holidays", I've come to the conclusion that the word "rustic" can cover a multitude of sins. It's a trendy and hip word with such a vague meaning that I feel like it could cover even the biggest sweet potato flub.

To those who faithfully read my blog: don't tell my mother-in-law about my secret word. She is a flawless chef capable of table miracles, so I might just need to fool her in case of poor plate presentation/taste/etc.

And a side note about my mom's cooking: she has other gifts. Like, baking amazing creations or educating people from all walks of life about the dangers of poverty, and if you need to know anything about kids 0-3, she's your gal. However, when cooking up swanky side dishes for the holidays-- I'm planning to channel Grandma Sanders.

So, overall the party should be great. My sister is flying in on Friday with her boyfriend from Ireland. (He's from Ireland, living in VA for a time. Sarah's in DC going to grad school and saving lives with her non-profit work.) We are excited to show him all the beauty the NW has to offer--and hopefully trick them both into moving to the west coast so I can see them more.

Blessings to all of our friends and loved ones. We are so thankful to have you walking with us through this crazy journey. I think I'll try to do my annual "thankful" post sometime after my family leaves. :)

Oh, and here's my favorite Bible erase at the moment--it's been such an encouragement to me these past few weeks. I hope it's encouraging to you all too!!

Romans 12:11-12
Never give up!! Eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord. Let your hope make you glad. Be patient in times of trouble and never stop praying.

Hugs and love to you all, B

I can't believe how amazing it is to have a port. I love it!! I sort of wish that I would've had one put in a few years ago. Granted, I'm wearing more scarves overall--trending towards my little sister's approach to fashion (a scarf, regardless of color, goes with everything.) I've had it accessed twice so far and the blood return is great, as is the flowing of the hydration. Best of all, when the nausea meds go in IV, there is no burning!! Excellent. The placement is good, and the scar is small--and healing nicely. It's not even been two weeks, and I'm already not feeling it too much during a low-impact workout. Yay!!

Beyond that, there is not too much to report. We've had beautiful weather the past week or so--and I'm not one to take sunshine for granted--so we've been out almost every day working on the yard or hiking somewhere amazing. The other day, Marcus and I hiked up to Suntop and through the Grove of the Patriarchs. Both were beautiful, ripe with fall colors. The view from Suntop was spectacular, we could see Rainier, some of the Cascades, and even on to the Olympics. Gorgeous.

Thanks for your prayers, thoughts and well-wishes. It's such a blessing to have you all walking alongside me through this journey.

Hugs!!
Brelin