{New Hope}

Thank you for your thoughts and encouraging words on my post last week. You all are so kind sharing ideas with me - I love it! I'm so excited coming into this next week because I have an appointment with a Naturopath. I want so badly to decrease my prescriptions and get a hold of my symptoms better, more naturally. This specialist focuses on holistic treatment and alternative ways of healing. I'm excited to learn about her approach. She has me doing a 5-day diet diary which is interesting :) It is insightful to see patterns though, she has me writing everything I eat, how much sleep I got, quality of my sleep, how my energy/mood is, how my symptoms are, etc. 

I feel like once I conquer this thing, I'll have to be a dietician or something to help others through this process. Man, it's not easy. But I have so much hope trying something new!

Scanning through photos, I found this gem. This was right before we started dating in January 2006. Oh his earrings, I've missed those!:) This was in Maggie and I's dorm room and man are there so many memories. I miss our girly space, but love the way this boy and I fell in love. We had no idea what a wild journey was in store for us and I'm so thankful the Lord brought us together. 

Last weekend after church, we stopped by mom & dad's and let the dogs hang out. Ranger hadn't see his (dog) mom and dad in a while and he did so well! He used to jump all over his mama Indy and he was much calmer this time. I think Boo still doesn't like the male competition in the house when Ranger's there, but they all did well. 

Here's a behind the scenes look at us trying to get these dogs together for a family shot. I like how Boo and Ranger are looking at each other - ha! 

The similarities in these two photos is wild and the only thing we planned was the order of the dogs. I was surprised that Ranger is a little taller than Indy and Boo, but he isn't as filled in as them (yet!). My puppy is growing up so fast! 

 Family photo with Ranger at 7 months old

My dad and his dogs + granddog. He loves these guys!

Ranger loves jumping all over the couches now (and he even jumped up onto our tall bed for the first time today!). He loves to snuggle in - this one is sweet since it's with the yellow blanket my cousin Jenny crocheted for me. 

We had beautiful weather many days this week (YAY for shorts and flip flops!) and enjoyed some walks together. It's nice to see Ranger get more used to our new surroundings and see him bark less and be less anxious as he adjusts. 

 So much beauty on our walks this week. 

Our big 12 championship game vs. Baylor is tonight! You know what we'll be doing tonight. Our Cyclones this year are so in sync with each other and play as a team so well. Plus, Fred Hoiberg is great. Their season is helping make up for a tough football season for the Cyclones. ;)

Today's Pinspiration:

I believe this is so true. We all go through tough seasons or have difficult things we go through. Not letting these things defeat you and keeping your head up makes such a difference. We can inspire others when we handle our hardships the best we can. I'm talking to myself here too ;) Happy Saturday, friends! 

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Thankful Through the Pain

This week felt fairly busy and seemed to go pretty quick. I've been staying in touch with my cousins & family in Iowa to see how my Aunt Melissa is doing (refer to last week's post if you missed it) so it feels like my mind has been in different places at once. She went in yesterday for appointments and had high calcium levels, so they kept her overnight and are monitoring her tonight again as well. In the next two weeks, she'll have surgery on each leg to strengthen where from my understanding the cancer has deteriorated her bone. I think the plan is to start chemo after she recovers from those surgeries. If you think of it, please keep her and family in your prayers. My aunt continues to update her Caring Bridge page as well, so feel free to keep posted there. 

I had a doctor's checkup yesterday and wrote about it on Instagram, but it helped me realize that I have to be my own best advocate to getting to where I want to be. I still struggle with some of my fibro symptoms and hope to have them under better control. I struggle every morning which is so hard - the fatigue, temple pain from grinding my teeth, steady headache, etc. I look forward to the day these symptoms are not so present in my days. 

I always know there are others who have a much rougher path than me, so I try to keep things in perspective, but some days are hard. I think the chronic nature is hard for me too. It's been 3 years since I was diagnosed with fibro now, and I would have guessed I'd be closer to wellness by now. I know there is a purpose to this, and if I can help others on this journey, I will be glad to. Let's all get better together :). 

Watching Iowa State - I LOVE how Ranger looks at Nick:)

One guy with me through it all is my husby, Nick. He truly rides this roller coaster with me and helps me every day. Whether it's doing our household chores, turning on my heating pad in the mornings, calling to see if I've gotten out of bed yet, running our errands for us.. the list goes on. Most of the time, he carries all of these things for both of us to avoid over-exerting me so I can rest up nights and weekends. Most of the normal wifey things are so exhausting in addition to working full time, and I do what I can, but it usually isn't much. 

Looking through photos tonight, I came across these pretty tulips. Nick gave these to me two years ago when I had a rough week. He's such a source of encouragement to me. 

My cousin convinced me to get Bitstrips and I do have fun with it - I couldn't help this one:) The Lord truly blesses me with Nick everyday. I'm so thankful for you, sweet babe! 

Rangerboy has been a mad man jumping on the couches, jumping from couch to couch, to the floor to grab a toy, and back up - it's crazy! Just within the last two weeks, he started consistently jumping up onto the couches. We think it's too cute every time he does it. Hashtag proud puppy parents. 

This boy is due for a haircut (facial hair, that is ;)) again soon.

 My cousin Jenny crocheted this blanket and gave it to me in Iowa. It's such a labor of love and I was so excited she did that for me. We have such great families

 Today's Pinspiration:

I love these and hope they inspire you too!

(pinterest source)

(pinterest source)