Health Update

As promised, here is a health update. I have thought very hard about what to share with you. Not because I don’t mind sharing, it is just hard to share everything but not too much of the struggles that I am having. I guess in some ways, I would much rather just sit down over tea and chat with you. But then that may create some challenges with this crazy brain fog that I am experiencing.

Anyway, I suppose I will start with my pregnancy. Everything was normal as far as pregnancy goes. However, pregnancy caused my somewhat sleeping Lyme to erupt. Yep, that’s a good image of what happened. It was like a volcano that had been dormant, suddenly erupting.

I starting losing what little energy I had very quickly. I starting having crazy heart palpitations, dizziness and feeling faint. I went to a specialist and was tested, tested, tested. Only to be told that I was too young to be having any heart problems and they didn’t see anything conclusive on my tests. At least they didn’t tell me I was crazy and it was all in my head, but still it was a dead end. My OBGYN was not overly concerned with my Lyme, which was a bit concerning. She scheduled a C-section and monitored my platelets during pregnancy. We also had to change much of my medications and herbal protocols during pregnancy. The concern for my baby kept me on my toes looking at bloodwork and watching for signs of anything that needed to be changed. It was an exhausting time!

I was in labor for 24 hours before they started the mandated C-section. I went through surgery and was thrilled with the healthy little man that joined our family. I had a better recovery than with our little girl. I guess maybe it was because I knew what to expect, or maybe it was because I have been doing so much research. Anyway, recovery was normal. Jason was with me and has remained a rock the whole time. Our little girl was and is thrilled with her baby brother.

Having another baby and being so sick was a blow to progress that had been made in trying for remission of Lyme. Don’t get me wrong, we feel so blessed to have our sweet little man here and would not trade him for anything. I am just stating the truth of the situation. So, in many ways we are starting all over again.

Our little man has been here for 8 months. They have been full months. Full of joy, laughter, pain, and sickness. We have enjoyed watching our children grow and learn. We have laughed on the good days. We have cried on the bad days.

So, what does a good day look like at our house? I had one today. I woke up and was able to cuddle with my kiddos before heading into the kitchen where my husband was heating up the muffins that I had the energy to make the night before. We enjoyed a pleasant breakfast before Jason went to his office to work (it is so nice to know that he is just down the hall). I dressed both kids and then got dressed myself. I even put on makeup and did my hair. I sat down on the floor (a rare occurrence indeed) and played a game and then tea party with both kids in attendance. A little later we got ready and had lunch out with Jason. It was a lighthearted time in which everyone enjoyed laughing and eating. Our little man went home with daddy for a nap. My little girl and I headed to the library to play on the computers and get some fun books to read. She had a great time, but I will admit that the time exhausted me. She didn’t mind, she wanted to read her books from the library. So, we spent the rest of the afternoon reading. I had just enough energy to help Jason with dinner. We got the kids to bed and that was all I had energy for. That was a good day! I got to enjoy my family and go on an adventure with my little girl. We like good days!

What would a bad day look like? I am just being honest, it isn’t all that pretty. It can be depressing. It can be overwhelming. And I may not share everything. A bad day starts off with debilitating joint pain, a migraine headache, heart racing, and ringing in my ears. There is no cuddling with my kiddos, because the pain is too great to move. It may take me several minutes just to sit up in the bed. Jason takes care of the kids and breakfast while I try to move from my room to the living room. As I pass the medicine cabinet, I take a handful of pills before collapsing on the couch, which will be my home for the day. Jason brings the kids into the living room with me and goes to work. I try to entertain the kiddos between moments of needing to close my eyes. My girl is so sweet and always asks what she can do to make me feel better. She will bring me a blanket and tell me she hopes it helps the headache go away. Jason fixes lunch, which they eat in the kitchen while I eat mine in the living room. Normally my head hurts too much to lift it off the pillow and my hips will scream if I move too much. Jason puts little man down for a nap and goes back to work. My little girl is my quiet comfort in the afternoons as she brings toys into the living room to play. We have tea parties while I lay on the couch. Jason fixes dinner when he gets finished with work, again I eat it alone in the living room. Then the babies come and say their prayers with me before crawling into bed. By the end of the day I am having cognitive difficulties and may only be able to answer yes and no questions. Jason helps me to bed and we hope that the next day is better. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. There are times that these periods last 3 to 4 days and end by leaving me sweating and exhausted.

There are times that I see the lives of friends and even myself in days gone by and see life passing me by. I only get out to go to the pharmacy, doctor and to pick up my groceries (I order them online, isn’t that crazy?). The days that we get out and do something fun like eat lunch or go to the library or park are the rare exception. And those days leave me exhausted. I was reminded that life isn’t passing me by though. I am living life. Most days I would say that it only feels like I am surviving life, but I am living. And I am thankful that I am alive. I am blessed to be alive. I can’t tell you why I am sick. I can’t tell you why I am in this season of illness. I can’t tell you why I can’t get on the floor and play with my kids every day. I can’t tell you why I can’t have dinner out with friends. I CAN tell you that I know it is a season and it will end. I am confident of that!

So, please keep asking me to dinner. Please continue to include me in your life. Keep asking me how I am doing. I may hate the answer that I must give, but it helps to know that people care. Continue to pray. I know it can be hard. I know my illness isn’t easy to understand. I know it is hard to see suffering. But this season will end and I still want to have relationships when I get to the next season of victory!

I am thankful to have my sweet family as my support. Without them, I honestly don’t know what I would do! There are many days that my little girl goes to Gigi and Pops house just so that she can play outside and run. Every time my sister comes to my house she does my dishes or folds the clean laundry that has been piled up for days. I am so thankful and blessed by their giving hearts for me and my little family.

During this overwhelming illness, I know God is good. I know He loves me. I know He will save me. We are hopeful that this year holds remission of Lyme. Short of God healing me, there is no hope greater than remission.

Along with my Lyme doctor, we have changed several drugs that I have been on. I am still going for ozone treatments in Atlanta once a week. I am also introducing several new herbal and homeopathic treatments. We are hopeful that we are not even close to exhausting our options for treatments of this crazy thing called Lyme.

Please continue to pray for wisdom to know what treatments are helpful and which ones are not. Pray for grace during the overwhelming moments. Please pray for strength for our little family.

We look forward to the victory season! Until next time…

Family Update

I like to use my energy to talk about my family. On what I call my bad days, they are what make me get out of bed, so why not talk about them?

Since my last update, we have added to our little family and moved. So, I had better get on the ball and update you, right?

Where to start? Well, we put our house on the market and then a month later found out that another little one was on the way. We were joyful and excited! House for sale, packing and getting ready for a baby…life was busy!

We starting looking for houses in Northeast Georgia and found several that we liked. By the time we put together an offer, they would already be under contract. The houses in our price range were not staying on the market very long. So, we were starting to get discouraged that we would not be able to stay within our budget and find a house before our little one arrived. However, we found a cute little brick house that needed some TLC and closed on our house the week of Thanksgiving a year ago.

We began renovations on our new home on Thanksgiving Day! The holidays were crazy! I was very pregnant and was not allowed to paint, but I did everything else that I could. I ordered, shopped, cleaned, and designed during every spare moment. Jason helped add a mudroom and office to the house, as well as painting just about every surface in the house. Our little girl even got in on the act as she painted doors with her daddy. She loves to paint!

During the renovations of the new house, our house near Columbus was just not selling. We had ups and downs with it. We finally were able to sell it in July to a sweet lady that our old neighbors love.

We did get moved in to our new home and somewhat settled before our second bundle of joy arrived. Our little man joined the world in May 2016. He is a healthy, bright eyed little gentleman. He laughs and makes us laugh. He just got his first tooth and is starting to get up on all fours and rock. Oh my, it is just a matter of time before he is crawling EVERYWHERE! He is a blessing and a joy to each of us!

Our little girl is 3, going on 30. She is spunky and loves to ask questions. She told me the other day that all 3 year olds ask lots of questions, it’s just what they do! She also loves to cook and do art projects. We love to cook together and she is learning a lot. She can already crack an egg, help make muffins and smoothies. She has informed us that she wants to be the next winner of the Kids Baking Challenge, and we believe her! The other night she was sitting at the table tasting dinner that Jason had cooked. She tasted the meat then looked at Jason and said, “Daddy, I’m sorry we are going to have to chop you. Your meat doesn’t taste too good. For this reason, we had to chop you.” LOL Oh my goodness! Where did she come from? We love her so much and have a good time watching her grow!

We stay busy just being a little family. We still haven’t been able to get involved in church, community and much of anything due to my illness (a health update is coming). But we love to spend time together when I am having a good day. The possibilities for fun are endless with preschoolers. Just recently we had an inch or less of snow. Our little girl was so excited that we all bundled up and trekked outside. She made a “mud angel” instead of a snow angel. We built a 3-inch snowman on the hood of the car. Then we walked down the street. We came back inside and enjoyed some hot chocolate. This only took about 30 minutes, but it meant the world to her. From her excitement, you would have thought that we had 30 inches of snow. It really is the small things that matter.

My next update will be a health update. Until next time…

Blank Page

I look at the blank page and it mocks me. It mocks me because I know that I can’t fill it. I want to fill it. My mind is full of things that I want to say. However, the reality is that my brain will not allow the words to be released to my fingers or my lips. This reality is hard for me to explain, but that is what it looks like when I am having a Lyme flare up. Some call it brain fog, some call it neurological Lyme. Whatever you call it, I have it! And some days are much worse than others.

I have looked at a blank page many times over the past few months and have wanted to fill the emptiness. I have wanted to share my journey with you. I have wanted to share what God is teaching me. I have so many funny little stories that I want to share. And yet, that blank page keeps staring at me.

I feel that I need to apologize and then feel guilt for not writing. Not updating. Not sharing my life. But apologizing takes effort too, effort that eludes me.

So, for now, I shall fill in the blank page as best I can and not worry or feel guilty. Let’s face it, we each have a journey. We can share that journey or hold it close to ourselves. Either way, our journey is not changed. So, hang in there as I attempt to share my journey through a brain that is unwilling, at times, to allow the words out. Updates to come, I promise! 

Family Update

Hey Everyone!
I write today with much news. So, if you were hoping this would be a short and sweet post...well, I can promise there will be sweetness to this, but it is not short.
My little family has had many changes and challenges in the last three years. We have questioned, rejoiced, cried and laughed. All the while we have come to understand our God in a bigger and better way.
I was cleaning off my desk today and found some papers that Jason and I had put together several months ago. At the top of the page is written: "God's Precious Promises". We put together scriptures that had promises that God had made to us. These promises have carried us through some pretty tough situations. These promises have reminded us of a Daddy, a Comforter, a Healer, a Righteous Judge, and the biggest Lover this world will ever see.

1 John 3:1 states "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God."

We are proud to be called children of God and here is our testimony:
Almost three years ago, Jason and I got married, I moved to live in Alabama, and we soon found out that I was pregnant. During my pregnancy we found that some of the aches and pains I was having were not due to simple pregnancy. After four doctors, multiple hospital stays, and oh so many tests, I gave birth to our sweet little girl, without knowing what was going on with my health. Our little girl has been a healthy, loving and growing in Jesus girl all this time. We are so happy that she loves us, others and God with a childlike love. It is beautiful! Anyway, about a year ago now, we finally found a doctor who not only diagnosed me with Lyme but is also treating me for Lyme. After a doctor who told me I was just being emotional and it was all in my head, this was and still is a huge blessing. 
So, my health updates continue to be great from my Lyme doctor. She is always impressed with my improvement. I am still on two antibiotics, one anti-fungal and many vitamins, minerals and probiotics. I continue my herbal tea regiment and my bentonite clay baths. I am also continuing with just meats, veggies and fruits with a bit of chocolate here and there. A girl has to have chocolate you know! This diet has also been wonderful for my little family. I will sing the praises of God's good gifts of fruits and veggies to the entire world, if they will listen. Just don't get me started on good foods if you don't want to chat for a while :)
We still do not have a time table for when I will be able to stop taking the antibiotics. And we are always keeping other treatments in our mind as options. We are encouraged with the energy that I am having, which is much needed right now.
I would like to share with you some news from another doctor that I have been seeing. In late June, Jason and I rejoiced in the news that we would be parents again. We were both joyful and concerned. With Lyme, and more importantly while still on medications, there can be so many things that are against a pregnancy. So, concern about when to let people know about our exciting news was where we were when I began miscarrying that precious little life. Let me just tell you that God walked us through the most peaceful days as I went through the physical process of a miscarriage. God was a comfort in the worst of times. When there were no more words to say, He spoke life into us. We are confident that all things work together for the good of those that love God. And we are confident that God is and will continue to bless us through this miscarriage. And frankly, we can't wait to hug that little bundle of blessings when we meet up in heaven. We are alright. We are well. We are spiritual and emotional steady. Only because of the love of God. Physically I am still chemically a bit out of balance and some of my recent blood work has been out of whack as a result. Also, during the recent ultrasounds, they found a simple cyst that they wanted to monitor. After the second ultrasound, the cyst was gone, but there was a mass in a different place. Yet again, in such a short time our strength in the Lord was tested. It would be a lie to say that fear was not a part of the equation at this point. But with all that we have been through we did our best to keep our eyes on God and the promises and purposes that He has given us. Yes, in case you are wondering, cancer was the word that the doctor used. I was sent to get a blood test, which would tell us if I had the markers for ovarian cancer. I do not have the markers for ovarian cancer. There is still a mass there. I have another ultrasound in about five weeks. At that time we are believing that there will be no mass at all. And nothing more to monitor. Prayers in line with this would be greatly appreciated!
In the meantime, my handsome husband has had much favor at his job. His boss has been so kind to allow Jason time off to go with me to appointments and to work through family sorrows. Also, a few months ago Jason got a promotion. I am so proud that he has been faithful in his work. Because of this faithfulness and God's goodness, Jason was granted even more favor when he approached his boss to see if it would be possible to work from home. A few weeks ago, he was granted that favor. He has not begun to work from home yet. He will begin when we move.
Yes, we are in the midst of moving! YAY!!! So, here is the deal: We will be leaving the Columbus area and moving into northeast Georgia. We are keeping our options open, but we would love to be closer to doctors, Free Chapel, the mountains and friends and that goes without saying family.
We are in the process of talking to realtors here and getting that sign up in our yard. We are also planning, cleaning, storing, and boxing things up in our home. I know that I still have limitations with my health and am trying to plan appropriately. I am trying to not wait until the last minute to get things ready. At the same time, we are looking at houses and working toward getting a realtor in the northeast Georgia area. Talking to lenders, insurance companies and finding moving gear. It is exciting and oh so busy all at the same time. Having a preschooler running around has added to the fun, but we are ready for this adventure.
Jason and I were recently talking about our goals as a family. We have been praying for some time now, about where God was heading us. We feel that this move will be in direct line with the goals and purposes that God has for us. It will be hard, but we are at peace that this what God has and His timing will be the right timing. We are praying that our house miraculously sells quickly. We would love to only have one mortgage and are looking at houses with that in mind. 
Along those same lines, we feel this will be a blessing financially for us. However, this move will only be a blessing if God provides what we need within a very tight budget. Our God is a miracle worker and we know that He has blessing for us. Please pray with us about both houses, the one we are trying to sell and the one God wants us to buy. Also, if you have any leads, we are always keeping our ears open.
Among all this craziness, I am still working hard on my business. Jason and I are excited that we have booked four fall festivals that I will be selling at (so if you are in the Hartwell, Elberton, Cornelia or Social Circle area, send me a message and I'll let you know when I will be there.) I have continued to meet the professional goals that I have set for myself. I have several parties that are happening as we speak and already have a consultant under me. This is all so exciting! Thank you so much for all the great support and encouragement you have poured out on me in this endeavor. I am proud, excited and enjoying building relationships through a business. Can you believe that? If you are wondering about my business, you are welcome to check out my website: www.lillarose.biz/joyfulnoise

One last thing: Our little girl has turned two, we will share our third anniversary in a few weeks and Jason and I are both getting older...birthdays abound. We are loving life, God and each other. My dad shared this thought with me during a recent struggle: "You are a person of worth, created in the image of God, to relate and to live." -Grady Nutt
And that my friends, family and listeners is my final thought for today.
Thanks for taking this journey with us in prayer! We appreciate you so much!
Hugs and smiles,
Joy and crew

Kind Mom and New Wreaths

Hey All!
As promised I have a project post today. I may have mentioned that my husband and I spent a weekend turning our guest bedroom closet into a crafting desk/storage area. The post on that is coming. Until then I thought you might enjoy seeing some beautiful wreaths that my mom made for me out of random stuff I found while cleaning out the aforementioned closet. Almost everything was repurposed from something else, ribbons from a gift that I won as a prize at a wedding shower, flowers from a bridesmaid bouquet, tulle from my own wedding and the wreaths were reused from previous projectt fails. This was truely a thrifty project. I actually had to go buy more wire, but that was the only thing purchased for this project. Don't you just love when that happens?
So, without further ado, here are the lovely wreaths my mom made for me.

This lovely sunflower wreath is perfect for late summer and early fall. Can't wait to put it up!

Feeling like Valentine's Day? I always feel ready for Valentine's Day, guess I have to wait to put this out until next year.

Spring...Yay! Love flowers, they are just so happy!

A huge thank you to my talented mom for all her help with this. I am so glad that she enjoys helping me make my house a lovely home. Hope you enjoyed this project.

Until next time...smiles!

New Adventures and Sales

Hey guys!

I remember a certain accounting class from college. I really enjoyed that class and learned a lot about accounting but even more, lots about business. My teacher told me that I would be successful at anything I put my mind to. And guess what!?! I think I agree!

After a crazy few years of sickness I have finally started a business. I don’t pretend to know God’s complete plan for my life…I have clarity here and there, but only He knows the whys of where I have been and the what ifs of the future. I do know that God has a plan for that business degree that I worked so hard for. I am excited and thrilled that He has given me the chance to stretch my business wings again. I am now an independent consultant for Lilla Rose. I sell beautiful and affordable hair accessories. Wow! I get to own my own business and still be a mom. Who gets to do that?

I am thankful that so many of you have supported me in prayers throughout my illness. I know that many of you may also love to help me with my business. So, I thought it might be helpful for me to give you a few practical things that would help (other than purchasing from me) J.

Things You Can Do To Help Me Build My Business

• ·        ‘Like’ my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lillarose.joyfulnoise
• ·         Check out the new Flexi clip every month on my website: www.lillarose.biz/joyfulnoise
• ·         Purchase hair jewelry directly from me or online: www.lillarose.biz/joyfulnoise  (if ordered online, your hair accessories are shipped directly to you)
• ·         For review and giveaway options, I would love it if you would share any blogs that interest you. Email the blog address to: www.joyfulnoise114@gmail.com
• ·         Have a home party! Come on and plan a fun time with the gals, enjoying hair clips and laughing together. Home party hostesses get free product and fun incentives.
• ·         Have a catalog or online party! No cleaning and you still get to enjoy free product.
• ·         Join my team! Earn some spending cash while having a great time. I love Lilla Rose and am really enjoying the support and guidance that they offer. Ask me more!
• ·         Share my website with someone that you think would love the Flexi clip. They can order online, no party necessary.
• ·         Become a customer and get updates when there are sales and new Flexi clips. Simply go to my website and join as a new customer: www.lillarose.biz/joyfulnoise

Click here for more sale items

Speaking of sales, I would love to share an awesome sale that started this morning. Three brand new hairbands and six bobbie pin sets have been released. (I love the new Garden bobbies…so cute!) For this new release Lilla Rose is offering 10% off EVERYTHING. Plus, 30% off soon to retire styles. If you are interested in this sale, HURRY! The Sale started Wednesday, June 17^th, 2015 at 12 am PT and ends Friday, June 19^th, 2015 at midnight PT.

Click here for more sales items

So, I just wanted to share my new and exciting adventure. Come on back for other adventures with my little family soon. I am working on a blog of a recent home redo (wink, wink). Jason and I have been busy.

Until next time…

Riding Tandem

Hey guys and gals!
So, I have some very dear friends that are biking from Jasper, Alberta, Canada to Estes Park, Colorado. And if that isn't impressive enough, they are doing it with a toddler, on a tandem bike. WOW! I am thrilled that they are my friends and thrilled that God has put adventure in their hearts. If you are interested, they are keeping a blog of their adventures: https://gordonandhui.wordpress.com/
My reason for bringing this up is that riding tandem is not as easy as it looks. Take a look at the bike itself.

It looks like it would be hard just to get on the thing. The peddles need to be in the right place for both the person on the bike and the person getting on the bike. Control is more difficult with  a tandem bike as only one person can control the steering. Also, maintaining the same speed has to be super difficult.
On the flip side, I can only imagine how much fun it must be to have someone else with you to share every moment. My friends talk about how neat it is to see the mountains at the same moment. How much more fun a flat tire is when you have someone to laugh with as you change it. I guess riding tandem truly has some advantages.
Recently, my husband and I have either been in or attended several weddings. The weddings and the tandem bike got me to thinking about marriage.
Marriage is much like a tandem bike. You need to be on the same path and going the same speed to make it in marriage. I am blessed to have a husband who is both on the same path and willing to go the same speed as I, even when that speed is super slow due to health issues. On a tandem bike you both have to brake at the same time. In marriage, you both need times of rest. Too much busyness can kill a marriage. On a tandem bike you both have to stop to make repairs. How true is this also in marriage? You both have to stop and work on issues, money needs and just daily decisions. On a tandem bike, you get to enjoy the highs on the mountaintops and the lows of the valley with someone else. And that is so true of marriage. You take your spouse with you through all of the valleys and you get to enjoy the mountaintops just a bit more with your mate there beside you.
God said , "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up." (Ecclediastes 4: 9-10) That is what marriage and tandem biking is all about.
I am thankful for a husband who will ride the tandem bike of marriage with me. Here is to many more mountaintop views and support through the valleys.
Before I close, I want to say that before I was married I found great encouragement from Godly friendships with other gals. Thank you to those gals for riding at the same speed with me, for helping me when my tires were flat, for laughing with me during the valleys and enjoying the mountaintops with me. You were and still are an encouragement to me.
Until next time...