Long Time, No Write

it has been forever since i have written. things have been busy. or when they have not been busy i've been reading. i am so glad i'm slowly getting sucked back into the life of books. i used to be such a good reader. it was all i ever did when i had a free moment. but then college took over my life and it was difficult to balance all of the many things that college slams at you and my mom was sick and i didn't really ever want to think so i spent all of my free time on the computer.
but thankfully i think i have learned how to prioritize my time so i can now enjoy a good book.

i think i am actually doing well in school this semester. so far. i don't want to jinx it. i'm trying to pull of 2 As, 2 Bs, and Pass/No Grade.
The Pass/No Grade will be for French and I can go ahead and tell you that I am doing VERY BAD in French so it will most likely be a No Grade. That's not to say I'm not trying- I probably could be trying harder- but I would rather focus my time on my religion classes than spending hours and hours trying to learn all of the French that I should've learned in high school but somehow didn't.
The other class I am worried about is Geography. Greg is a Geography master. I'm amazed and jealous everytime I ask him a question about a place on map- not only can he pinpoint the place in less than 30 seconds but he can also tell me 7 random facts about the place. I am not spending enough time studying Geography and we have tests every week- that's a short amount of time to learn about a country and then have a test over it. It's a 1000 level class but the professor treats it like it's a 3000 level class, that's annoying.

Today is a good day so far. It seems like it will remain a good day. Greg and I got coffee early this morning and then we went to Central Market where it was nice and quiet and I bought little fall squashes and pumpkins to decorate my balcony with. I then went home and spent an hour re-organizing my closet and dresser and I have a nice pile of clothes to donate now!

Greg is doing so much better than he was a week ago. He's moving faster and he's off pain medications. He went to work yesterday- a half day. I just hope that once he's healed the pain he's been experiencing will go away for good.

OH. The biggest news is that I'm moving. Well technically not me. But my parents. My mom and step-dad. I've lived in our house in Plano for about 15 years (granted the last 3 have been spent in Fort Worth but I've spent holidays and summers there and it's still my home) but ever since my parents got married they have wanted to move to Dallas. Paul works in Dallas and my mom wants to be closer to the church, etc etc. Well they've had some setbacks to keep them from moving right away but they finally found a townhome that they really really really like. So they put down a contract on it a couple of days ago and in about a month we will have a new house.
I wonder if it will still feel like home?
I'm exicited and a little anxious and very nostalgic.

greg's surgery

So Greg had surgery this Friday. It went very well. He's already doing a billion times better.

On Friday we got up really early and got ready for the day. Greg took me to Starbucks so I could be caffienated- he wasn't allowed to have any coffee. We got to the surgery center around 7:40 and it was bustling full of people. Greg didn't go into the back until 8:00ish and about then is when my mom showed up! I went back to be with Greg before he went into surgery and it was weird because I've never seen him in a hospital-type setting and that was about when my nerves started kicking in. I had to leave after 20 minutes or so and I went back to be with my mom.

My mom decided to come and be with us on Greg's surgery day, she brought over a bunch of groceries and comfort! We hung out and talked in the waiting room and I went on a breakfast run (which I feel guilty about because I left but Mom didn't know where anything was in Fort Worth and we were starving). Finally around 12:00 the doctor told us that Greg was out of surgery and he did well and I could go back there in 20 minutes.

20 minutes go by and a nurse takes me back where a very anthesia-filled Greg is laying. That was the wierdest part. He was so sleepy and I got all teary-eyed. We had about another hour to go until he could go home and I could stay with him in 5 minute increments for that hour.

When we finally got him home he went to bed and I went to the pharmacy and ran some other errands for us while my mom stayed at his house to make sure he was ok.

Friday night was the worst- Greg was nauseas and threw up which isn't good so I was on the phone with the doctor a lot and he got another prescription for some nausea medicene but later Friday night he was feeling a lot better and was able to eat some Chicken Noodle Soup- funny how that always works.

On Saturday he was feeling much better but spent most of the day sleeping. Sunday he was feeling even better and spent a lot of the day watching Gilmore Girls with me (and that is why I love him most). He takes pain pills every 4 hour and his appetite is increasing.

Today I could see the biggest change. He is more awake and feels a bit stronger. Hopefully he can get up and move around a bit. His mom is coming in today to help him with stuff while I'm at school. I'm excited and I know Greg is too.

Ugh, I have to go get ready for school and I have so much more I need to write.
But all in all Greg is doing fine.

nothing to do...at all

i'm baking muffins. not from scratch. but i'm still baking muffins. kudos.
i am bored.
season 4 of gilmore girls is on hold. i am done done done with season 3.
i've spent most of my free time (until today) reading. i accidently got hooked on this really silly but good series about vampires and werewolves and greg and i bought all three of the books. i've finished a book a day and now i have no books to read right now.
but that gave me time to dust and do laundry and bake muffins.

OH! greg's surgery is rescheduled for tomorrow. tomorrow morning at 9:00.

that's all for now.

HOW

somehow
somehow in all of the cosmos in the world
i have to sit next to dumbest med school students in the world.
all they are doing right now is looking at facebook and talking about who is hot and what they are like, etc.
like i want you to be my doctor!!!!
study. please study. talk about blood and cysts and fat clusters.

and my stomach hurts.

Thursday Stuff

i have no Judaism class today because it is Rosh Hassanah. That's good because I have time to study for my Geography test.

For some reason Safari won't let me do tab browsing anymore. Ugh, it makes surfing the internet a lot less fun.

So I had one cup of coffee before my shower and I'm starting on my second. I'm guessing I won't be able to finish it. Me and dehydrating foods don't work so well anymore. And for that reason I'm going to try to cut down on sodium. I don't think I eat a lot of salt, my mom definately eats a lot more, I thought I had a good salt tolrance. Especially garlic salt. But for some reason I can't handle foods that dehydrate anymore, or I can I just drink way over 8 cups of water a day. More like 15 plus more and more and more.

I need to see the Grand Canyon. I haven't ever seen it. It's on the Today Show right now.

Greg and I haven't made it to Borders yet. We've been meaning to. I guess we'll just go on our usual Friday.
Tuesday night we ended up taking naps and baking cookies.
Wednesday we took Olive to the dog park and I studied Geography and we watched Top Chef.

So next week, exactly next week, Greg is having surgery. At 9:30. Please pray that the doctors do well and that Greg does well.

OK STUDY TIME

FALL IS COMING

it is cold outside! ok not freezing. but last time I was outside it was 68 degrees. That is cold. For me.
I am so excited. It is a perfect day! Cold and I have an americano and tonight is Borders night! Usually Borders night is on Friday but Greg and I missed it last Friday so we're going tonight. I am writing a paper and Greg will read his new favourite book.

Fall is coming! But I think it's going to get hot again.
I'll relish in it for now though.


***
I am adding on to my previous post.
Ok so it IS colder outside. I was actually a little chilly walking home from class. Today is a chai tea, soup, and blanket cuddley type of day. It's a day where I can actually were a jacket and not feel like a wierdo because everyone else is in tanktops. It's a day where I can cast disdainful looks at people who are not dressed in fall-type clothes but think it's still summer and they are in skirts and shorts and flipflops!!!

I love today.

Monday Night

i am bored. my eyes hurt. i've watched too much Gilmore Girls. Yep, I have not been able to stop watching the DVD sets (thanks to elise for supplying me). Anyways I'm on Season Two....two more episodes left until Season 3.
BUT I did just read for Church Traditions.
I'm making tea right now.

Greg is at work. I am at home. My phone is either in the car (which he is driving) or at his house (where I was earlier). So there is no way to communicate between us. It's wierd. I talk to Greg A LOT A LOT and we see each other A LOT A LOT (except when I decide to not go to Starbucks- which I now regret!). So not being able to talk to him makes me realize how much I do talk to him or think about him or think about talking to him. I'm obsessed.

And I'm always thirsty. Always.

how time has flown

Happy Monday.
It's rainy outside and that is a good thing. Except I have to walk to school. Oh well. It's inevitable.

If it was sunny outside I would talk about how the sun is definately different in September. It's a fall-ish sun. Clearer, yellower (in a golden way), and a bit brighter. The summery sun (June, July, August) is brighter in a flourescent way. It's not appealing.
Has anyone noticed that the mornings are crisper? The air. That means that fall is coming.
Which means that Greg and I can start talking about "last year" more. As in our memories from last year. Because we've known each other for a year now. Isn't that crazy?
Another reason why I love fall.

We took Olive to the dog park on Friday and on Sunday morning (before church). She loved it. I've only seen her play so hard once. She was in absolute dog heaven. AND she actually played really well with the dogs. Usually she has so much energy that she is relentless with the other dogs- always wanting to play. But I think since the backyard and the fact that Greg and I are with her with more she has less anxious energy.
No signs of any seizures so far. I'm so nervous with eveeeeeeeerrrrrrry move she makes. Goodness.

So Greg and I really enjoy going to Hope Church on Sundays. He knows people there so it's not completley awkward and it's the only church we've visited that hasn't bored us to death and has decent worship. We haven't been able to go the past two weeks (Week 1- the housewarming party and week 2- in plano). But it was nice to go yesterday. What's even nicer was that service doesn't start until 11:00. And get this- we're probably going to join a Couple's Bible Study. I like having a church. I haven't really had a church home since I went to TCU. I mean, I worked at my old church in Plano all last year but it wasn't really like my home. I had to travel a long way to get there and I didn't really grown any and I was only there once a week. Proximity is key, so is growth- and community.

Well. I've figure out that we have about 1 year and 3 1/2 months until we get married. I think Time Has Flown.
Thank goodness.

Care

a much better day is happening today. already. it's only 9:30. which i guess is late to some ppl. But I feel like it's early today.
It's friday. I have only ONE CLASS today. which means I need to get caught up in all my other classes I've been somewhat neglecting.

Greg and I are going to Plano (again) tonight. I need to pick up my car. It's all fixed now. I'm going to miss having the rental car.

So I had this scary thought the other day.

I was thinking about nice it would be if Olive could go visit my parents. she used to do that alot when she was 2-3 mos old. Then she got bigger and hyper-er and my parent's dog, Mia is older and doesn't always want to play like Olive does. So bringing Olive to my parents is kind of like one big trip to Chuck-E-Cheese but with one kid who wants to constantly play and another who wants to go to the mall (Mia). Bad analogy- I know.

But I was thinking oh, we could bathe Olive and put her TCU bandanna on her and my parents could see how much she has grown and she could stay out in the backyard when she gets too much for Mia.

here comes the scary part.

My parents have a pool. But what if Olive had a seizure and then there's the pool...and...well...

I hate even thinking that!! Poor Olive. It's weird, caring so much about something. Like I care about my parents and Greg immensely. These are thoughts I would have for them- but for my dog? I never thought that I would care so much about someoneanimal who wasn't my mom, step-dad, or future husband. Like since Olive's seizure, I watch her every move. Each little noise frightens me. And maybe that will pass. I am sure it will.
It's just scary. The seizure and the caring and everything else.

I really pray that my kids are healthy.

But Olive's been fine since Monday. She has a lot of energy. We really want to take her to the dog park but it's been rainy which means the park is muddy. So maybe today. No rain= non-muddy ground.

since this morning

so i've been trying to write this blog entry since 9:00 this morning.
i am glad i haven't thought. i've been too much of a basket case today.

why?
financial issues. and it's not like i should have any because btwn my job and my parents i am doing quite well. but unfortunately some how i messed up and it's just been messy.
it sucks because i try really hard to be adequate and perfect in all areas of life. i don't know how some ppl do it. but they do- or they put on a really good show.

i always come up short.

i guess it's trial and error.



greg has surgery on thursday the 20th of september. please pray for him!

what is right is right is right

what do you do when you know something is so right...but there are about a million snags to get there?
i guess you work through the snags.
perhaps i am not patient enough?
i feel pretty patient these days.
we'll see.
but please pray for us (greg and me). that if what we think is right, truly is right...and if it is right for us then to let us get there (rightly).

also. olive is doing well. you wouldn't even know that she had a seizure on monday. that is good. really good.

seven things discussed

so the entry i posted this morning is throughly depressing- in my opinion. i've spent most of the day moping around feeling bad about absolutely everything. as greg wisely said, "when it rains, it pours." and pouring it has successfully done today.
but i do not want to continue to think bad,sad,mad thoughts so instead i will go back to an entry before the one about Olive and talk about this previous weekend. i'll try to hit on most of the areas. not all of them- some have to wait.

1. cakes.

since changing the whole feel of the wedding from hugely ornate spectacle to intimate family orientated dinner, Greg and I were pretty adament about not having a cake. but my parents heard about a bakery that was big in Dallas and was operated by a woman who had had a bone marrow transplant. if you know me then you probably know that my mom also had a bone marrow transplant. so my mom was really eager to go to this bakery and meet this lady and get a cake. so the four of us: mom, paul, greg, and me (is that proper english?) all go to Panini Cakes. we end up tasting four flavours and picking three for our three-tiered cake.
biggest tier: white with white chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries. it was AMAZING.
second tier: chocolate with chocolate mousse.
last tier: chocolate with cappucino mousse.

the actual decoration of the cake is TBD, but we pretty much have an idea.

2. all four of us saw about a billion possible reception sites on Saturday. I was quite discouraged when each place we saw had something wrong with it (be it price or handicap accessibility) that made it impossible for our reception. Greg and I were quite overjoyed when we found out that the Park Cities Club could accomadate the size and the feel of our wedding perfectly. I would post a picture of it but the pictures don't do it justice...at all. Anyways. The room we're probably going to get has a great view (its up high) and a fake fireplace (a bummer, but it's still a fireplace which is what I wanted), and enough room for everyone of our guests.

3. on sunday we went to cox chapel to go look (again) at the chapel we're getting married in!!! and then we met Revs. Barbara and Walt Marcum for lunch at the Landmark Hotel. We then asked BOTH of them to marry us. They said yes. So we are getting married by two married ppl who Greg and I both adore!

4. Greg had his first band rehearsal of his old band Pherigo. It went wonderfully. He said he was really happy that the band could remember all of the old songs. It was a pleasure to watch him and them play!

5. skip for now.

6. At the Gap, I was told to try on jeans so I could tell the customers how they fit. All of the sizes I picked out (which I thought I was) were too baggy and too big. YESSSS. This means I really have lost weight and I am almost back to my old size, a 4. I think I'm lingering btwn 4-6 right now. I'm fine with both. It was good news to my ears. I had gained a considerable amount of weight my freshman yr of college (aka freshman 15) so it's nice to know that it's leaving.

7. we got to hold Amelia Hope Meinecke. Greg's friends Gary and Shannon had their daughter two Friday's ago. She is precious. Here are pictures!!!!






so with all of that being listed I do feel better when I think about the good things of this weekend. I should also mention that Greg and I had Magic Movie Night on Sunday. We rented "The Prestige" and "The Illusionist." It was nice.

olive

last night our dog, olive, had a seizure.

it was probably one of the most sobering, terrifying experiences i have ever had.

on sunday. greg and i came home from our mini-vacation in plano and olive was acting fine. in fact she was a bit annoying. she was desperate to play and it was rainy outside and we wanted to watch movies and she kept doing her puppy thing of shoving her slobbery toys into our hands. it was also cute.

the next day. monday. we didn't have work or school. so we spent most of the day napping and stuff. that evening we gave olive her food. she was acting normal. and then she stopped eating. and came into the living room- walking slowly-drunkenly. she then layed down on the floor- almost as if she was tired from the short walk. she then walked over to me and i asked her to come up on the couch with me but before she could do that she collapsed on the floor. i'll save anyone the scary details of what happened next. but it was decided that we would all take her to the emergency vet. when we got her in the car she started to return to normal but she was groggy and tired and out of it.
and then by the time we got her to the emergency vet she was more excited about the other dog in the room than anything else. she was fine.

the vet said it probably was seizure. and that the only thing we could really do right now was keep an eye on her and watch to see if she has anymore again. then we time them and see how many she has each month.

the one good thing of all of this was that we found where there are 2 emergency vets close by. that is good. b/c before that we had NO idea where they were and we were all freaking out about where to go.



there is olive at 41/2 months. she's 7 mos now.
so if anyone prays and thinks that praying for animals isn't silly then just pray that she doesn't have anymore seizures.
thank you

things i want to talk about in the next few posts

update of this weekend. things i want to talk about in the next few posts.

1. we have a cake now. we didn't want a cake. but we have a three tiered lovely cake.
2. we have a reception site.
3. we have pastors.
4. greg had his first band rehearsal.
5. france
6. i am now a size 4. but a 6 on some things?
7. we got to hold a baby.


that is all.