Big Girl?

So this is how it all happened.

I went to lunch on Tuesday with my mother-in-law and her ever-so-fabulous friend Becky.

Becky mentioned an apartment management position in Davis that was needing to be filled "yesterday".

We got home from lunch and I grabbed my laptop and Adam and we headed off to chemo.

There we updated our resumes and faxed them off to the property management company.

With a great referral from Becky's son and daughter-in-law, we got a call the next morning for an interview in Davis.

After two hours of questions and answers and viewing the complex, we rushed home to get to chemo again on Wednesday.

Thursday morning we called "Boss Lady" and got ourselves a JOB!!

This includes: a free two bedroom apartment and a full time job managing 48 units in Davis, California.

We move in on Monday and we are so so excited!!

This kind of stuff does not just happen to people. 

Thus the reason I know "all y'all's" prayers are working:)

But hello!!! 

Does this mean I'm a big girl now??

Married, Cancer, Managing Apartments??

All BEFORE I'm twenty-one??

Okay, okay little mija is growing up fast:)

 

Giving in the Family Room

Chemo is filled with so much holiday cheer this week!
Yesterday Adam was in a chair next to a lady who lost all her hair but was wearing a santa hat.
Not to mention her red shirt, black shoes, and "a little round belly that shook when she laughed like a bowl full of jelly."
She got a little fiesty with the nurse when she tried to stick her to get the IV in, but that's understandable.
All the nurses are wearing festive scrubs and around the holiday season the visitors start bringing gifts.
My Aunt came in and brought us a bag full of mandarin oranges.
DELICIOUS.
My grammy came the day before with a giant box filled with wrapped gifts.
Thinking she was going to be handing out a present to all the cancer patients in chemo that day I said,
"Uh, excuse me, what are you doing?"
"Well every year I do the Twelve Days of Christmas for people having a difficult time. And you, my dear, are having a difficult time."
Grammy has always been so selfless and thoughtful.
She has an unwavering faith and love for her Savior and shows that through her service.She provides all types of service for people older and younger than her, related and unrelated, more often than just this time of year.
With the box that she gave us we are able to open one present everyday til Christmas.
It has been so fun to grab a present on our way into chemo and open it while we're there.
I hope we can all grasp the true meaning of Christmas this holiday season by focusing on giving more of ourselves, the gift that only you can give.
Also, this is my Grammy.
And it's true, she doesn't have wrinkles:)
76 and looking gorgeous:)

Retiring

Ha. Retiring from blog world?

Seems like it right??

My apologies.

We have been so crazy filled with adventures!

This past week Adam and I took a trip to visit my family in Fresno.

And with this trip I realized how great my life is.

How many newly weds really get to spend every moment of everyday together?

NOT MANY.

Ergo, the reason I feel like we're already retired.

We wake up and go on walks in the morning.

We build gingerbread houses.

We make frequent trips to the hospital.

We pay extra attention to make sure we get enough fiber, fruits, and vegetables in our diet.

We travel.

We read books.

But mainly, we just hang out.

Needless to mention, going back to "work", is going to be difficult.

Adam had a doctors appointment this morning and guess what??

GOOD NEWS.

His cancer is in remission according to blood work.

But here's the tricky thing,

sometimes cancer markers aren't shown in blood work because they are so itty bitty.

Therefore, we must carry on through the last two cycles of chemo.

Starting Monday will be cycle three.

Then the next one will be the first week of January.

SO EXCITED for him to start feeling like a 24 year old and less of an old man.

He gets tired really easy from mediocre tasks but helps me with our Christmas crafts.

Speaking of, why doesn't everyone do homemade presents every year? 

I swear homemade stuff is the best.

Speaking of.....

My mom is a supervisor at work.
There is a competition of who can be the most festive with decorating there offices/cubicles.

They win a pizza party.

Anyone who knows my mother knows...

YOU GO BIG OR YOU GO HOME.

Ergo.....

Her office was transformed with two of her favorite helpers, Adam and I, into a gingerbread house.

If she doesn't win, I'll be angry.

Also, scratch that comment with going big or going home, when it comes to Christmas without the kiddos.

This is my mothers "Christmas Tree".

She really started slacking since I've been gone.

But got to give it to her, it's creative.

BALANCE

As most people discover over the holiday season, balance gets justified. 

One too many desserts.

Four too many glasses of sparkling cider.

A justified extra $100 on the most perfect Christmas present.

I've decided this holiday season I'm not budging.

I want, and more than that, I NEED to stay within the boundaries this year.

"Too much of anything isn't good for you," right?

Spiritual, mental, physical and emotional balance is what I"m striving for this holiday season.

It's when you have self control the life seems to roll out smoother.

And with that, comes some of my personal changes.

Exercise more, eat less.

Pray more, stress less.

Love more, argue less.

Study more, procrastinate less.

Someone once told me that if you tell someone you're goals out loud,
there is an 85% chance it's going to happen.
Ergo.
My blogging proclamation.

On another note, Adam introduced me to a little slice of Mexico.
Welcome to Denio's Auction & Market.
Where Mexican's gather and sell produce or other misc. items for real Mexico prices.
AKA ultra cheap.
Adam and I decided that getting our produce here was far tastier and much easier on the budget.
We made it a tradition to go back every Saturday morning.
9 LBS of Oranges for $3.
30 LBS of Potatoes for $4.
2 baskets of strawberries for $2.
10 Limes for $1.
6 LBS of Plantains for $3.

 With all the oranges, we decided to make fresh squeezed orange juice.

And since, I've decided there is nothing better.
Except maybe this.

Sometimes I play dress up with Adam out of the blankets the hospital provides, when we get bored at Chemo.
This weeks character: Monk.

 

Two of a Kind

Adam started chemo again this week.

We were on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

THANKFULLY, we got off for Thanksgiving.

And we're back at it again on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Somehow I got sick in the middle of it all.

Cold symptoms and then a fever.

Still recovering.

It's one thing when you're married for three weeks and your hubs gets diagnosed with cancer; but it's a whole different thing when you can't sleep together because you're ill.

You see, a cold to me, can be deadly to him.

Thus, the reason all doctors and nurses warn him to be careful around the holidays of all the people and all the germs.

If he gets a fever of 100 degrees, emergency room it is.

And so, to prevent the previous from occuring, 

we sanitize.

We are just a bunch of sick-o's this week.

Regardless, today was the best thanksgiving I have ever had.

Perhaps when you're needing the blessings they fall more abundantly.

Or perhaps when you've been humbled you recognize them more frequently.

Which ever it may be,

May we always show appreciation for the miracles we receive, no matter how big or how small.

Last Week

Our last week in Rexburg has been bitter sweet.

I learned that our time together is so precious.

Not in the "dying" sort of precious.

Because Adam isn't dying.

But in the "we were ripped out of the newlywed stage" sort of precious.

We have been all business and serious and full of emotions.

Being back in in Rexburg, let us forget all that for just awhile.

We realized that we fall more in love with every trial we work through together.

Also, being in Rexburg, we got alot done.

I took my practical examination for state boards in Pocatello.

We packed up our apartment.

We had friends from Grace come.

Adam's hair started falling out.

So before we were all traumatized, he went bald.

I cut some hair.

Adam and I realized our own idea of "cute brown boots."

And mainly we had a wonderful time just being alone and together.

"As we focus our energies on lifting the burdens of others, something miraculous happens. Our own burdens diminish. We become happier. There is more substance to our lives."

Another Cancer Wife

This is Courtney Palmer.

 Real gorgeous, I know.

She has been my closest friend throughout hair school.

Also, a member of the dream team.

Her husband, David, has cancer as well.

Perhaps our friendship was heaven sent.

She has helped me through this whole crazy life.

The wedding, the chemo, the school.

She knows a lot and is a great secret keeper.

She is real blunt and cannot, no matter how hard she tries, hold in her most honest opinion.

People who don't really know her think she is super rude.

She has been my little life saver through it all.

Meet cancer husband, David.

Both are real model-esque.

Dave was diagnosed with stage 2 Lymphoma probably 4 months ago.

He has been through I believe 5 chemo treatments.

He has 3 left to go.

Court and Dave have been married 3 years, 3 months and 12 days.

He is a graphic designer and she is a hair stylist with a passion for fashion.

Check out her blog:

A Fancy Day

afancyday.blogspot.com

Courtney was there when Adam and I were just first dating and he was home for winter semester and I was lonely, to the time he left for doctors appointments and full body scans just 3 weeks ago.

I have asked her what has been most helpful to her with all this going on in her life.

She told me that it is important to remember ourselves, the wives, too.

So frequently friends and family would ask, so how is Dave doing? 

As sweet and thoughtful all the concern for him was, what about her?

She was having to deal with him having treatments, and side effects, and doctors appointments, too.

It's important to make time for yourself.

Go to the gym, go to dinner with friends, do things that don't make you feel depressed when life is full of challenges.

It's hard to be so selfless when it isn't a choice.

I am so grateful for her love and friendship. 

She is so hopeful and so kind.

She is always forgiving, but never gives up. 

She is determined and happy. 

She is crazy and hilarious.

I'm so proud of her for just pushing through when everything seems to get so hectic, so doubtful, and so complicated. 

From my ugliest hair colors to my more recent;

Here's to Courtness.

(okay she isn't dying, and neither is her husband, but I just love her and she needs a tribute.)