So, I'm currently sitting in the Kansas City Airport, getting ready to head back to Washington and thus stage one of "The Master Plan" will be complete. "Master Plan" seems a bit much, but that's what popped in my head so we're gonna go with it...besides I'm a bit much, so there you go....
First of all, in my last post I promised I'd give you the stalkerish run down of what the next two weeks hold for Brett and I and now I will fulfill said promise:
Stage 1: Already complete! That consisted of coming here to Kansas and re-unite with Brett. Done and DONE! (Yay! Being married is infinitely better in person. And if you're ever planning on getting married yourself ( if you aren't already), take it from me....have it be an "in person" marriage as much as humanly possible.
Stage 2: Return to Washington.
I'm currently doing this right now, and Brett will be doing it in a couple of hours. This is excellent news, since for a little while we thought he wouldn't get to leave until tomorrow. But, now I'll get to see him again at 7pm tonight! yay!
Stage 3: Spend a moment in Washington.
Basically a day. But, Brett has people he definitely wants to see ( fair enough)...and its already hard for me to think about having to say more permanent goodbyes to our loved ones in Wash....but at least we'll get to do it together! So we're spending tomorrow with as many packed in good moments as we can!
Stage 4: Start the road trip! We'll be heading down the West Coast towards San Fran and in the early part of next week we're hoping to hit up a childhood friend of Brett's ( seriously, they met in elementary school and re-connected via the magical facebook) and see the Redwood Forests ( a childhood dream of mine realized. Are they really that big?! We're going to find out!!!)
Stage 5: We'll continue on with the driving and break it up by stopping by for a quickie visit with Brett's college friend The Newtons. I'm going to go ahead and call them my friends too...because they're super cool and the kind of people that I feel that geographical challenges are the only thing keeping us from being super tight. hehe.
Stage 6: Finally get out of California. And now to another Abigail Childhood Dream. A little bit off the trek but TOTALLY worth it...we're going to see the Grand Canyon. ( is it really that awesome of a hole?! We're going to find out!!!!
Stage 7: And just in case you think we're ONLY going to be driving ( although the previous stages don't mention it very much)...we'll be stopping to spend sometime at an Arizona Natural Hot Springs ( and spa! which I doubt is natural...but perfectly wonderful nonetheless).
Stage 8: Hot tail it onwards....stopping to visit The Biggs Family for a moment in time. ( Sadly bad timing meant that Brett and I are missing out on a Reunion Weekend with his College Buddies...but we thought we'd fit in as many of them along the drive, as we could to make up for it...it won't be the same, but we PROMISE to try to make it to the next one. Meh!) ...and then continue on with the driving.
Stage 9: Now that we're finally in Texas we'll enter into full-on Family Mode and that'll start with a visit with Brother Joshua. ( Sounds amish when I say it that way. awesome.) and then do another All Important Detour to....
Stage 10: Nacogdoches! Where we'll be spending every possible second with Brett's Mom as we possibly can. Sadly we won't be there for Thanksgiving-but we're hoping to make up quantity with quality here.....
Stage 11: ( I'll turn 26 somewhere around here...and while Birthday's are a VERY BIG DEAL to me...It looks like it might just get passed over this year, and for once I don't mind AT. ALL. I must be finally growing up(!!) )
And finally the fun will be over and we'll put our heads down and start REALLY HARDCORE driving and finally end up...at FORT BENNING, GA. Where we will live....
*Editors Note*: It has been FAR TOO LONG since I've had my husband around, and this was made self-evident by how many times I had to go back and change the word "I" to "we". Seriously, Army....you stink sometimes.
November 07, 2009
November 05, 2009
surrealness
So you have totally not experienced Surreal until you've lived in Kansas for two months, had to say good bye to your husband for a year and THEN 12 months later RETURNED to that same Kansas where you use to waste time all day in preparation for your husband to leave you...only to find yourself WASTING TIME all day AGAIN in preparation for his return.
Anyway, because that last paragraph was a bit on the murky side, let me re-cap:
Yesterday I spent alllllll daaaaaaay ( until exactly 11:25pm) waiting to get Brett back from the LONGEST DEPLOYMENT IN THE HISTORY OF MY LIFE* ( * I say this because there have actually been much longer deployments...and for the families and soldiers who have dealt with that over the many years of the United States Army...all I can say is "wow". )...anyway, a goodly part of that day was spent dealing with the ILL-TIMED BREAK-IN that happened to my car while parked at the Ghetto Apartments in Washington. Luckily I have two non-ghetto friends who live in the Ghetto Apartments and they took care of it like PROS. ( although this is the SECOND time I've been in Kansas and had Amy call me to tell me that my car window is broken. THIS is a pattern I'd like for us to break. for reals.) ...and the rest of the day was spent in levels of praise and thankfulness as I thought about how AMAZING God has been to Brett and I in the past year.
I can honestly say that God took something awful and hard and uncomfortable and lonely and painful and scary and He USED IT! He used in all sorts of amazing ways. I am actually really proud of how I spent my year. I know that sounds pretty self-involved but this blog is self-involved so deal with it. But, yes, I'm proud. And I am amazed by the work God has done in the lives of those people that I've spent the last year with...seeing how much they have grown and how much their lives are a testimony of Christ...well, it was an honor to be a part of that. All by God's grace.... Yesterday I spent a few hours with the girl that I lived with when I was here in Kansas the first time around and it was truly incredible to see how God is working in HER life! Just one more way in which God has shown himself to be faithful.
Anyway, back to yesterday: Finally at 11:25pm I got my husband back and it was oddly normal. It was SO normal having him in the car with me...so normal talking to him. I had to remind myself that it was actually MONUMENTAL. And I also had to keep reminding myself that it was permanent. That two weeks from now he will NOT leave, he'll continue to stay. Of course, one of the reasons I have to keep reminding myself of this is because the Army makes it HARD TO BELIEVE. Namely because Brett had to be BACK AT WORK at 5am this morning. Which....mathematics time....FIVE HOURS after getting Brett back, I had to return him to the Army until 6pm tonight. And then we have to do that again tomorrow. So, yeah, I have to pinch myself. Because the Army doesn't like to make it easy...
Stay tuned for what I'll call How to Best Stalk Abigail over the next month...when I will give you a play by play of the COAST TO COAST roadtrip that Brett and I will be taking to get from Washington to Georgia.
And now I will leave you with the first picture of Brett and I reunited.
Anyway, because that last paragraph was a bit on the murky side, let me re-cap:
Yesterday I spent alllllll daaaaaaay ( until exactly 11:25pm) waiting to get Brett back from the LONGEST DEPLOYMENT IN THE HISTORY OF MY LIFE* ( * I say this because there have actually been much longer deployments...and for the families and soldiers who have dealt with that over the many years of the United States Army...all I can say is "wow". )...anyway, a goodly part of that day was spent dealing with the ILL-TIMED BREAK-IN that happened to my car while parked at the Ghetto Apartments in Washington. Luckily I have two non-ghetto friends who live in the Ghetto Apartments and they took care of it like PROS. ( although this is the SECOND time I've been in Kansas and had Amy call me to tell me that my car window is broken. THIS is a pattern I'd like for us to break. for reals.) ...and the rest of the day was spent in levels of praise and thankfulness as I thought about how AMAZING God has been to Brett and I in the past year.
I can honestly say that God took something awful and hard and uncomfortable and lonely and painful and scary and He USED IT! He used in all sorts of amazing ways. I am actually really proud of how I spent my year. I know that sounds pretty self-involved but this blog is self-involved so deal with it. But, yes, I'm proud. And I am amazed by the work God has done in the lives of those people that I've spent the last year with...seeing how much they have grown and how much their lives are a testimony of Christ...well, it was an honor to be a part of that. All by God's grace.... Yesterday I spent a few hours with the girl that I lived with when I was here in Kansas the first time around and it was truly incredible to see how God is working in HER life! Just one more way in which God has shown himself to be faithful.
Anyway, back to yesterday: Finally at 11:25pm I got my husband back and it was oddly normal. It was SO normal having him in the car with me...so normal talking to him. I had to remind myself that it was actually MONUMENTAL. And I also had to keep reminding myself that it was permanent. That two weeks from now he will NOT leave, he'll continue to stay. Of course, one of the reasons I have to keep reminding myself of this is because the Army makes it HARD TO BELIEVE. Namely because Brett had to be BACK AT WORK at 5am this morning. Which....mathematics time....FIVE HOURS after getting Brett back, I had to return him to the Army until 6pm tonight. And then we have to do that again tomorrow. So, yeah, I have to pinch myself. Because the Army doesn't like to make it easy...
Stay tuned for what I'll call How to Best Stalk Abigail over the next month...when I will give you a play by play of the COAST TO COAST roadtrip that Brett and I will be taking to get from Washington to Georgia.
And now I will leave you with the first picture of Brett and I reunited.
November 02, 2009
taking off the fancy pants
So, today I said goodbye to the Fancy Pants apartment. And while I will miss the magical fireplace and the giant shower, as well as the perfectly manicured lawns and well behaved neighbors and easy access to Starbucks, I am ABSOLUTELY 100% excited about moving to Georgia. ( and all 100% can be attributed to Brett).
As I left the fancy pants apartment I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders and I felt like I could finally start to get excited about Brett coming home. I mean, don't get me wrong I was excited before but the excitement was hiding underneath my mountainous to-do list. But, now, now I only have about 5 or 6 things left to do before Brett's homecoming and that's hardly ANYTHING! And so the excitement can finally bubble over like it should.
Oh, and before I forget let me just tell you that God performed a MIRACLE today in the Fancy Pants apartment....you see, remember way back when my fridge totally had that awful smell coming out of it?!? Well, that week was a bad week for the apartment in general. Not only did the awful smell happen, but I broken one of the window blinds and then Lindsay was opening the microwave and the WHOLE HANDLE came off in her hand!!! It was good thing that I left for Texas a few days later to break the cycle of damage or seriously the whole place would have been destroyed! It was insane.
Anyways, we basically had to leave the handle to the microwave off and just open it up by grabbing hold of its insides for the past few months ( ghetto) and then yesterday Bethany and I super glued the handle back on-just in time for the Fancy Pants managers to come in and go through the place with a fine toothed comb.
I honestly didn't think they'd open the microwave at all, but I was still nervous about it. I mean, I knew that with one good tug that handle would be off-so I just prayed that it would at LEAST look good for the twenty minutes the inspection would last....
HOWEVER, about two minutes into the walk thru and I KNEW I was in trouble. I had gotten the "MANAGER-manager" instead of the "manager-manager" and thus it was as though Barney Fife was going through my apartment check list. NO ROCK was left UNTURNED.
And so...of course, I saw in slow motion MANAGER-manager going for the microwave. And so I held my breath...and LO!! something that can only be described as a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE occurred! The handle stayed on! And not only did it stay on when she pulled it, it stayed on when she slammed it shut!!
UN. BE. LIEVE. ABLE.
I pretty much wanted to run out of there right then..... Ahhhh! glorious!
And thus the end of an era. The Fancy Pants Apartment is no more.
As I left the fancy pants apartment I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders and I felt like I could finally start to get excited about Brett coming home. I mean, don't get me wrong I was excited before but the excitement was hiding underneath my mountainous to-do list. But, now, now I only have about 5 or 6 things left to do before Brett's homecoming and that's hardly ANYTHING! And so the excitement can finally bubble over like it should.
Oh, and before I forget let me just tell you that God performed a MIRACLE today in the Fancy Pants apartment....you see, remember way back when my fridge totally had that awful smell coming out of it?!? Well, that week was a bad week for the apartment in general. Not only did the awful smell happen, but I broken one of the window blinds and then Lindsay was opening the microwave and the WHOLE HANDLE came off in her hand!!! It was good thing that I left for Texas a few days later to break the cycle of damage or seriously the whole place would have been destroyed! It was insane.
Anyways, we basically had to leave the handle to the microwave off and just open it up by grabbing hold of its insides for the past few months ( ghetto) and then yesterday Bethany and I super glued the handle back on-just in time for the Fancy Pants managers to come in and go through the place with a fine toothed comb.
I honestly didn't think they'd open the microwave at all, but I was still nervous about it. I mean, I knew that with one good tug that handle would be off-so I just prayed that it would at LEAST look good for the twenty minutes the inspection would last....
HOWEVER, about two minutes into the walk thru and I KNEW I was in trouble. I had gotten the "MANAGER-manager" instead of the "manager-manager" and thus it was as though Barney Fife was going through my apartment check list. NO ROCK was left UNTURNED.
And so...of course, I saw in slow motion MANAGER-manager going for the microwave. And so I held my breath...and LO!! something that can only be described as a CHRISTMAS MIRACLE occurred! The handle stayed on! And not only did it stay on when she pulled it, it stayed on when she slammed it shut!!
UN. BE. LIEVE. ABLE.
I pretty much wanted to run out of there right then..... Ahhhh! glorious!
And thus the end of an era. The Fancy Pants Apartment is no more.
all the sighing that will be done...
So, Brett's officially out of Afghanistan and is in K-stan....
.....
and that sound you heard right there was the biggest sign of relief in the history of the world.
How grateful I am to God that we are finally through this year of our lives! YAY!
And now, Brett just needs to have quick and easy flights...and HOPEFULLY that would mean I would get to see my husband again on Wednesday night!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
365 days. GONE. OVER. DONE.
GOLD STAR BRETT AND ABIGAIL!
But, first I've got a lot of things left to do on my to-do list tomorrow, including doing my final walk through on the fancy-pants apartment ( I'll miss you!) and turning in the keys tomorrow...and then I'm off to Kansas and another big huge sigh of relief will be made.
.....
and that sound you heard right there was the biggest sign of relief in the history of the world.
How grateful I am to God that we are finally through this year of our lives! YAY!
And now, Brett just needs to have quick and easy flights...and HOPEFULLY that would mean I would get to see my husband again on Wednesday night!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
365 days. GONE. OVER. DONE.
GOLD STAR BRETT AND ABIGAIL!
But, first I've got a lot of things left to do on my to-do list tomorrow, including doing my final walk through on the fancy-pants apartment ( I'll miss you!) and turning in the keys tomorrow...and then I'm off to Kansas and another big huge sigh of relief will be made.
November 01, 2009
Tina update and its November!!
I just had to throw that last part in because I'm so excited about it...it means that Brett's coming home in, like, FOUR DAYS!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
But, the praises don't stop there, yesterday I went to visit Tina and I was incredibly encouraged by our time together!
First of all, Tina is staying with a wonderful couple who she lived with a few years ago when she was going to Community College, getting her prerequisits for nursing school. Tami met me at the front door and I immediately was hit by her love/motherliness. I KNOW Tina is in good hands staying there, and she has a whole little suite to herself and her visitors!
Praise #1: Tina has a loving, comfortable environment to recover in!
When I walked into the room Tina was talking to some friends and telling them about her ordeal. She was sitting up straight on a couch, using hand motions, cracking jokes, animation was everywhere. If you know Tina you this is what we've been missing the last week and a half!
Praise #2: Tina is herself again!
The other thing about seeing Tina sitting there on that couch like that, was how she looked. One of the most shockingly awful things about Steven Johnson's Syndrome is that her ENTIRE body was covered with this horrible, bubblingly rash-and it was dreadfully hard to see such a pretty girl like Tina ravanged with red/purpley boils. But the recovery is going so well!
Praise #3: Tina's wounds are recovering wonderfully! Her face is looking especially good, and all her wounds are scabbing and coming off beautifully!
And now for my FAVORITE part of this story, the part that I think absolutely PROVES God's hand upon this whole horrible ordeal that Tina has been through and that we continue to pray her through....
Miracle #1:
Several months ago Tina turned 23 and therefore lost her military insurance that she had through her Dad. So, of course, she needed to get some other insurance...buuuuut that cost money, and she was never ever sick so she put it off. But, she finally made some arrangements through her school and filled out some paper work. But she still hadn't paid for it or officially gotten the insurance coverage. Well, I may get these dates a little wrong-but Tina said that the Monday before things really escalated ( on the Friday), she had gone to class anyway, and she was feeling terrible so she was going to go home immediately after, but a friend of her's reminded her to go turn in her insurance check before. So she did.
And Miracle #2: The insurance company processed her check on the day that they received it. and...
Miracle #3: Her insurance went into effect the DAY BEFORE she went to the emergency room and spent the next week in hospitals.
Whoa.
That right there is how God has incredibly provided for Tina and I know that He will continue to answer our prayers concerning her recovery!!!!
Tina's prayer requests are as follows:
Prayer Request #1: Tina's eyes are still a concern. She can see a little, but its VERY blurry and she definitely can't read or watch things on T.V. or see a computer screen very well. Pray that her eyes would continue to heal and recover FULLY!!
Prayer Request #2: Tina's nursing school supervisor is going to visit her this next week so they can discuss a course of action regarding her schooling. Tina was on track to graduate in December and she wants with all her heart to graduate with the classmates that she has been with since the beginning! Please pray for her instructors to work WITH Tina to make this possible even through this ordeal!
Prayer Request #3: Tina's insurance miracle WAS incredible, but there will still be medical bills and financial strain even with the insurance. Pray that the Lord would continue to provide for her ( and if you'd like to donate some money to Tina's medical fund, I can put you in touch with Jamie Fischer who is taking care of that angle!)
Thanks to all of you who have prayed for Tina over this last week! How beautiful to be able to share such a report so SOON after such a scary time! The Lord is good!
But, the praises don't stop there, yesterday I went to visit Tina and I was incredibly encouraged by our time together!
First of all, Tina is staying with a wonderful couple who she lived with a few years ago when she was going to Community College, getting her prerequisits for nursing school. Tami met me at the front door and I immediately was hit by her love/motherliness. I KNOW Tina is in good hands staying there, and she has a whole little suite to herself and her visitors!
Praise #1: Tina has a loving, comfortable environment to recover in!
When I walked into the room Tina was talking to some friends and telling them about her ordeal. She was sitting up straight on a couch, using hand motions, cracking jokes, animation was everywhere. If you know Tina you this is what we've been missing the last week and a half!
Praise #2: Tina is herself again!
The other thing about seeing Tina sitting there on that couch like that, was how she looked. One of the most shockingly awful things about Steven Johnson's Syndrome is that her ENTIRE body was covered with this horrible, bubblingly rash-and it was dreadfully hard to see such a pretty girl like Tina ravanged with red/purpley boils. But the recovery is going so well!
Praise #3: Tina's wounds are recovering wonderfully! Her face is looking especially good, and all her wounds are scabbing and coming off beautifully!
And now for my FAVORITE part of this story, the part that I think absolutely PROVES God's hand upon this whole horrible ordeal that Tina has been through and that we continue to pray her through....
Miracle #1:
Several months ago Tina turned 23 and therefore lost her military insurance that she had through her Dad. So, of course, she needed to get some other insurance...buuuuut that cost money, and she was never ever sick so she put it off. But, she finally made some arrangements through her school and filled out some paper work. But she still hadn't paid for it or officially gotten the insurance coverage. Well, I may get these dates a little wrong-but Tina said that the Monday before things really escalated ( on the Friday), she had gone to class anyway, and she was feeling terrible so she was going to go home immediately after, but a friend of her's reminded her to go turn in her insurance check before. So she did.
And Miracle #2: The insurance company processed her check on the day that they received it. and...
Miracle #3: Her insurance went into effect the DAY BEFORE she went to the emergency room and spent the next week in hospitals.
Whoa.
That right there is how God has incredibly provided for Tina and I know that He will continue to answer our prayers concerning her recovery!!!!
Tina's prayer requests are as follows:
Prayer Request #1: Tina's eyes are still a concern. She can see a little, but its VERY blurry and she definitely can't read or watch things on T.V. or see a computer screen very well. Pray that her eyes would continue to heal and recover FULLY!!
Prayer Request #2: Tina's nursing school supervisor is going to visit her this next week so they can discuss a course of action regarding her schooling. Tina was on track to graduate in December and she wants with all her heart to graduate with the classmates that she has been with since the beginning! Please pray for her instructors to work WITH Tina to make this possible even through this ordeal!
Prayer Request #3: Tina's insurance miracle WAS incredible, but there will still be medical bills and financial strain even with the insurance. Pray that the Lord would continue to provide for her ( and if you'd like to donate some money to Tina's medical fund, I can put you in touch with Jamie Fischer who is taking care of that angle!)
Thanks to all of you who have prayed for Tina over this last week! How beautiful to be able to share such a report so SOON after such a scary time! The Lord is good!
October 29, 2009
While we wait...
I'm sitting here on my couch doing nothing while men pack, haul and load all my belongings. I have lifted zero fingers. But, its also SUPER awkward to be doing nothing.
BUT, while I wait....I have wonderful news! Tina is going home today! And she ate some meatloaf yesterday!!!! And while she has a long road of recovery to go she is doing really well. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Tina. The Lord hears.
BUT, while I wait....I have wonderful news! Tina is going home today! And she ate some meatloaf yesterday!!!! And while she has a long road of recovery to go she is doing really well. Thank you all for your continued prayers for Tina. The Lord hears.
October 28, 2009
surprise parties and other things about leaving
So, its really starting to hit home that I'm leaving. Maybe because its happening in a week. Maybe its because the movers are coming tomorrow. Maybe its because all the things that I had to look forward/things to do before Brett got back are slowly getting checked off the list.
Maybe its all those things.
Anyway, its all very bitter sweet this leaving thing. But, we'll just focus on the "sweet" part. Like the surprise "goodbye" party that some of my totally awesome friends threw me yesterday. And, boy howdy, I was surprised!
You see, Tabitha came into town under the "guise" of wanting to see me one last time and wanting to go the Tuesday night bible study ( the first part was true)....and Bethany came down from Seattle on a Tuesday ( not her normal routine) under the guise of seeing Tabitha...and then we all showed up at Bible Study, and the lights were off as I walked into the room...which SHOULD have been a good clue. But, lucky for everyone my mind has NOT been as sharp as a tack lately....and so I was very surprised when the lights came on and all my friends were there... And I was actually quite moved ( and may or may not have shed a few tears) that people were willing to give up either their normal Tuesday evening or their normal Tuesday Bible Study routine to do a little partying on my behalf.
Amy and Tabitha ( with Brett's help) had come up with a party game "Abtly" (private joke there) entitled "How well do you know Abigail?" ( Lindsay won-I guess living with me for 5 months gave her an edge.) and all of my favorite foods were served ( aka. it was a junk food fest that would put any other party in a choke hold and until it cried uncle.), plus there were really sweet presents handmade by the Navigator Girls that were absolutely wonderful...and it was lovely. I cannot wait to get some of the pictures.
All in all, I can hardly write about it all because its kinda overwhelming that people would be so sweet - and plus it just makes me think how many people I'm going to miss horribly!
Last week had me doubting if anything about this past year had been productive at all. Had I grown as a person? Had I made a difference anywhere? Was this really it? And while I can only trust ( because there really isn't any other choice) that my time here is complete and that God is ready to take me on to different things. I am at least hoping to leave my time here in Washington with the feelings I had last night. Feelings of great joy as I looked around the room at people who loved each other, cared for each other, were committed to serving their community, serving each other and above all serving God.... in some way I felt like what is the equivalent of what my Papa use to feel when he'd express how happy he was to know that my mom, my sister and I were all safely tucked in our beds-because he knew where we were. I will be sad to leave Washington and living my day to day life with the people here-but I leave them knowing "where they are"...and knowing they will all carry on caring for one another and growing and experiencing all that life has to offer together. ( Because, ultimately its the people that I worry about-will people love each other like *I* have loved them? The answer is: Hopefully even better!)
So, tomorrow, the movers come. More specifically the packers and the movers. Honestly I am kind of curious to see just HOW they are going to pack up everything AND move it onto a truck ALL in one day.
This should be interesting...
Maybe its all those things.
Anyway, its all very bitter sweet this leaving thing. But, we'll just focus on the "sweet" part. Like the surprise "goodbye" party that some of my totally awesome friends threw me yesterday. And, boy howdy, I was surprised!
You see, Tabitha came into town under the "guise" of wanting to see me one last time and wanting to go the Tuesday night bible study ( the first part was true)....and Bethany came down from Seattle on a Tuesday ( not her normal routine) under the guise of seeing Tabitha...and then we all showed up at Bible Study, and the lights were off as I walked into the room...which SHOULD have been a good clue. But, lucky for everyone my mind has NOT been as sharp as a tack lately....and so I was very surprised when the lights came on and all my friends were there... And I was actually quite moved ( and may or may not have shed a few tears) that people were willing to give up either their normal Tuesday evening or their normal Tuesday Bible Study routine to do a little partying on my behalf.
Amy and Tabitha ( with Brett's help) had come up with a party game "Abtly" (private joke there) entitled "How well do you know Abigail?" ( Lindsay won-I guess living with me for 5 months gave her an edge.) and all of my favorite foods were served ( aka. it was a junk food fest that would put any other party in a choke hold and until it cried uncle.), plus there were really sweet presents handmade by the Navigator Girls that were absolutely wonderful...and it was lovely. I cannot wait to get some of the pictures.
All in all, I can hardly write about it all because its kinda overwhelming that people would be so sweet - and plus it just makes me think how many people I'm going to miss horribly!
Last week had me doubting if anything about this past year had been productive at all. Had I grown as a person? Had I made a difference anywhere? Was this really it? And while I can only trust ( because there really isn't any other choice) that my time here is complete and that God is ready to take me on to different things. I am at least hoping to leave my time here in Washington with the feelings I had last night. Feelings of great joy as I looked around the room at people who loved each other, cared for each other, were committed to serving their community, serving each other and above all serving God.... in some way I felt like what is the equivalent of what my Papa use to feel when he'd express how happy he was to know that my mom, my sister and I were all safely tucked in our beds-because he knew where we were. I will be sad to leave Washington and living my day to day life with the people here-but I leave them knowing "where they are"...and knowing they will all carry on caring for one another and growing and experiencing all that life has to offer together. ( Because, ultimately its the people that I worry about-will people love each other like *I* have loved them? The answer is: Hopefully even better!)
So, tomorrow, the movers come. More specifically the packers and the movers. Honestly I am kind of curious to see just HOW they are going to pack up everything AND move it onto a truck ALL in one day.
This should be interesting...
October 25, 2009
Tina update #1
Well, friends, thank you for your prayers and concern for Tina-I know she will appreciate knowing she is being lifted up by the saints!
Here are the details/prayer requests I've collected today from those who have seen her.
-She is still in a lot of pain, especially since they have begun lancing ( i.e. scrapping) some of her wounds. Pray that she would have relief and strength. ( these wounds still cover about 80-90 % of her body!)
-Her veins are collapsing and therefore making it difficult to put her I.V. and other medication in, draw blood for tests etc. They are hoping they will not have to put in a port ( is that the right word, medical friends?)
-Because of the legions in her mouth she hasn't eaten much of anything for almost four days. This is bad since her body needs the nutrients. Pray that she will be able to get down more sustenance.
-They are checking things like liver function at the moment to make sure that her organs are holding up under the pressure of this illness. Keep praying they stay strong!
-Tina's eyes are continuing to bother her. Please pray that her eye-sight would not be effected long term.
-This whole ordeal is obviously creating a heavy financial strain for Tina, and many of her friends are concerned about her financial situation. Play that the Lord would provide. ( and if you would like to donate a gift to Tina please let me know and I'll pass you on to Jamie who is taking care of that aspect.)
-Also continue to pray for Wes as he juggles school and trying to be by Tina's side that he would be strengthened and encouraged.
-And above all we continue to pray for complete healing for Tina's body and that this whole situation would be a testimony of our Lord Jesus who knows all and hears all prayers.
Once again, thanks to all those who are praying. It is truly encouraging that the Lord is with TIna!
Here are the details/prayer requests I've collected today from those who have seen her.
-She is still in a lot of pain, especially since they have begun lancing ( i.e. scrapping) some of her wounds. Pray that she would have relief and strength. ( these wounds still cover about 80-90 % of her body!)
-Her veins are collapsing and therefore making it difficult to put her I.V. and other medication in, draw blood for tests etc. They are hoping they will not have to put in a port ( is that the right word, medical friends?)
-Because of the legions in her mouth she hasn't eaten much of anything for almost four days. This is bad since her body needs the nutrients. Pray that she will be able to get down more sustenance.
-They are checking things like liver function at the moment to make sure that her organs are holding up under the pressure of this illness. Keep praying they stay strong!
-Tina's eyes are continuing to bother her. Please pray that her eye-sight would not be effected long term.
-This whole ordeal is obviously creating a heavy financial strain for Tina, and many of her friends are concerned about her financial situation. Play that the Lord would provide. ( and if you would like to donate a gift to Tina please let me know and I'll pass you on to Jamie who is taking care of that aspect.)
-Also continue to pray for Wes as he juggles school and trying to be by Tina's side that he would be strengthened and encouraged.
-And above all we continue to pray for complete healing for Tina's body and that this whole situation would be a testimony of our Lord Jesus who knows all and hears all prayers.
Once again, thanks to all those who are praying. It is truly encouraging that the Lord is with TIna!
When things look particularly dark...
I like to write.
So, tonight, when I could not sleep for my prayers were keeping me awake, I decided to write this little update for all the other praying saints out there. ( I've had a lot of friends ask me for more details, so for those of you who don't know this dear friend, excuse my diversion from usual topics). I hope you will join in prayers whether you know this dear friend or not!
This past week, my friend Tina had a sever allergic reaction to some very basic antibiotic medication that she'd been taking for several weeks. The allergic reaction was, at first, treated with your basic steroid shots-but things only got worse. By Friday morning she had a very high fever and was covered from head to toe with a rash that could be equated to 3rd degree burns ( in my humble non-medical opinion). I took her to our local ER where she was quickly seen ( by ER standards) and after a few hours diagnosed with Steven Johnson's Syndrome...I'll pause so you can google that.
And yes. It's pretty serious. While at first the doctor's reactions where pretty dire and I think we were all ( Tina, Wes and I) pretty scared, the third doctor to see her ( he was some sort of infectious diseases guy) was incredibly confident and said she'd be out of the hospital on Monday. And, now looking back on that, while the doctor was obviously a bit off on his projection, he did provide Tina with a bit of hope that she DEFINITELY needed. It has been understandable hard to keep her spirits up throughout this ordeal.
I, unfortunately did not spend much time with Tina today, she had some other wonderful friends looking out for her ( as well as the ever present Wes) and so I don't know as much about the details of today's events. However when I did see her, her lesions were progressing just like I've seen serious burns progress ( aka. blistering, but her tongue ( which has been particularly swollen and covered in wounds yesterday) was looking a little better... but Tina is obviously dealing with a lot of pain and fear. This evening Wes called to say that the doctors had decided to move Tina to a different hospital that has a burn unit... Where they will hopefully be better equipped to help Tina's body fight infection and ultimately be healed of this reaction.
Hopefully I didn't get too many facts wrong in this little report. Even though a doctor at the hospital DID mistake me for a nursing student ( they just assumed because Tina is, I think.)...I told them that, no, I wasn't a nursing student-just a good wikipedia user...
Tonight as I pray for Tina I have been praying for special help for her organs as they fight extra hard while her body is in so much distress...and for her eyes-they have been bothering her quite a bit ( and, who knew?! This particular illness affects the eyes particularly!) ...and ultimately I am praying for protection of this sweet Life. Tina is already an incredible testimony of Jesus Christ to those who know and love her and now I am praying for the testimony of this horrible ordeal that she is having to go through! May the Lord truly use it to glorify His Name through the healing of her body!
So, tonight, when I could not sleep for my prayers were keeping me awake, I decided to write this little update for all the other praying saints out there. ( I've had a lot of friends ask me for more details, so for those of you who don't know this dear friend, excuse my diversion from usual topics). I hope you will join in prayers whether you know this dear friend or not!
This past week, my friend Tina had a sever allergic reaction to some very basic antibiotic medication that she'd been taking for several weeks. The allergic reaction was, at first, treated with your basic steroid shots-but things only got worse. By Friday morning she had a very high fever and was covered from head to toe with a rash that could be equated to 3rd degree burns ( in my humble non-medical opinion). I took her to our local ER where she was quickly seen ( by ER standards) and after a few hours diagnosed with Steven Johnson's Syndrome...I'll pause so you can google that.
And yes. It's pretty serious. While at first the doctor's reactions where pretty dire and I think we were all ( Tina, Wes and I) pretty scared, the third doctor to see her ( he was some sort of infectious diseases guy) was incredibly confident and said she'd be out of the hospital on Monday. And, now looking back on that, while the doctor was obviously a bit off on his projection, he did provide Tina with a bit of hope that she DEFINITELY needed. It has been understandable hard to keep her spirits up throughout this ordeal.
I, unfortunately did not spend much time with Tina today, she had some other wonderful friends looking out for her ( as well as the ever present Wes) and so I don't know as much about the details of today's events. However when I did see her, her lesions were progressing just like I've seen serious burns progress ( aka. blistering, but her tongue ( which has been particularly swollen and covered in wounds yesterday) was looking a little better... but Tina is obviously dealing with a lot of pain and fear. This evening Wes called to say that the doctors had decided to move Tina to a different hospital that has a burn unit... Where they will hopefully be better equipped to help Tina's body fight infection and ultimately be healed of this reaction.
Hopefully I didn't get too many facts wrong in this little report. Even though a doctor at the hospital DID mistake me for a nursing student ( they just assumed because Tina is, I think.)...I told them that, no, I wasn't a nursing student-just a good wikipedia user...
Tonight as I pray for Tina I have been praying for special help for her organs as they fight extra hard while her body is in so much distress...and for her eyes-they have been bothering her quite a bit ( and, who knew?! This particular illness affects the eyes particularly!) ...and ultimately I am praying for protection of this sweet Life. Tina is already an incredible testimony of Jesus Christ to those who know and love her and now I am praying for the testimony of this horrible ordeal that she is having to go through! May the Lord truly use it to glorify His Name through the healing of her body!
October 22, 2009
things that go missing
I did NOT know that when I got married I was going to turn into my father.
But, it happened. Well, not COMPLETELY because my sister called dibs on that a long time ago...but some things about my father sneaked on over into my genes as well, but before I talk about me...let me take you back to the one time we moved as a kid.*
My sister and I were given this giant garfield tent as a present one Christmas...and it was awesome. Basically the tent part was Garfield's body and then the most awesomest part of the tent was there was a giant blow up Garfield head-basically the size of a beanbag chair that attached to the front. The tent was sorta freaky in an 80s kinda way...but...
I loved that giant head. I would lounge on it reading my books, I'd lounge on it while playing "house"...pretty much it was the greatest place to lounge ever. And when you got tired of lounging, what better thing to toss up in the air?! That's right! a Garfield head!
And then, the fateful day came when we moved, and all the boxes had been unpacked and...the head "mysteriously" disappeared.
Now, I'm sure my parents thought-"Geez, its basically a glorified pool toy, the child will not miss it! And even if she does she won't remember it for long!"
HA! The jokes on you, parents! Here I am nearing 26 years old...and YES I am still thinking about that Garfield head. Which is pitiful, but whatever. This is not about me....its about my Papa. Because, Papa was totally the one to throw away the Garfield head, and while at the time I was pretty upset ( lets not lie, I'm still a little upset), I can now ABSOLUTELY identify with my father. Since I have now moved more times than I care to remember I have become a religious throw-awayer. In fact, when we moved from Washington to Kansas I made so many trips to the dumpster I had to start doing it late at night so people wouldn't see... but it wasn't enough! Only a few short months later when we were leaving Kansas, Brett would pass the trash bins on the way in the front door at night, and take things back OUT of the bins-in short, rescuing our few belongings from a fate of death.
Oh. Yes. He. Did.
Of course, he was smart enough to NOT tell me about this until much later, when he was safe and sound in Afghanistan.
Here is a reinactment of that conversation:
Brett: Did you keep my * fill in blank with Brett item* when you moved?
Abigail: Of COURSE I did!
Brett: Are you sure you didn't throw it away?!
Abigail: What do you TAKE ME FOR!?
Brett: Well, you DID throw it away!
Abigail: NO I DIDN'T! I resent the implication!
Brett: Well, then WHY did I have to dig it out of the garbage when we were in Kansas?!?
Abigail: WHAT?!? You went through the garbage?! Don't you trust me at all?
....
But, anyways, the point is, sadly, ...when it comes time for moving I cannot be trusted. I go into Moving Blackouts and EVERYTHING MUST GO. I start to despise things that I normally absolutely love. Like books. And shoes. ( don't worry, I haven't thrown either away just yet.) but I like to think that aside from the throwing away problem ( which I totally have control of, by the way) its mostly about me staying perfectly organized and neat and tidy...and above all I like to know where EVERY SINGLE THING WE OWN IS.
This is my control issues rearing their ugly head. Did you notice? I didn't until I wrote that sentence, but wow.
Anywho.
So, when Brett and I did our last two moves I began the process of organizing ( and, yes, throwing away) but ultimately I would always run out of time, or I would have to get Brett's help and therefore the job would never quite be complete...and so with each passing move I've gotten closer to ful-lon domination of our belongings...but never quite there.
( do you think I'm TOTALLY crazy, yet?!?)
So, this time around there was less for me to go through, and most of the things that I had to go through were boxes left over from the Washington Move #1, that had just never been unpacked. ( which is a SURE SIGN that their contents needed to be thrown away, right? Riiiiight?!?)...and so I came upon a box today that had the following helpful information written on the top:
"Bedside Table"
Now, obviously, this box did not contain a bedside table, since, it was the size of a shoe box...and it was ALSO obvious that this was not one of the boxes that *I* had packed because all of MY boxes where numbered. ( and then there was a corresponding numbered list on my computer that had all the items in said box listed....)
Wow. CRAZY MUCH!?!
So, yeah, back to this story about the box labeled "bedside table". It could only be deduced that this was the contents of Brett's bedside table. So of course, it was ONLY logical that in lay the following items:
His very special pocket watch that his mother gave him.
His pipes.
The receipt from our honeymoon hotel bills ( whoa.)
The receipt from my wedding ring ( which I've been trying to find for a while).
A receipt for some groceries.
three dried up markers
two note pads.
A button/pin with a picture of a spaceship on it.
All the letters that I wrote him in Ranger School before we started dating ( HAZZAAAAH!!! I've been trying to find these for AGES!) that were neatly put into the zipper container for his Scuba lessons that he took in 2007.
A gum wrapper.
A half used up eye drop container.
So, to sum up. I never thought that *I* was going to be the one in my marriage to throw things away...and yet, SOMEONE has to throw that gum wrapper away!
*That's right, I only moved once! Of course, once I reached the age of 18 I started moving like crazy and since then I haven't been in one place for more than a year. SAD!
But, it happened. Well, not COMPLETELY because my sister called dibs on that a long time ago...but some things about my father sneaked on over into my genes as well, but before I talk about me...let me take you back to the one time we moved as a kid.*
My sister and I were given this giant garfield tent as a present one Christmas...and it was awesome. Basically the tent part was Garfield's body and then the most awesomest part of the tent was there was a giant blow up Garfield head-basically the size of a beanbag chair that attached to the front. The tent was sorta freaky in an 80s kinda way...but...
I loved that giant head. I would lounge on it reading my books, I'd lounge on it while playing "house"...pretty much it was the greatest place to lounge ever. And when you got tired of lounging, what better thing to toss up in the air?! That's right! a Garfield head!
And then, the fateful day came when we moved, and all the boxes had been unpacked and...the head "mysteriously" disappeared.
Now, I'm sure my parents thought-"Geez, its basically a glorified pool toy, the child will not miss it! And even if she does she won't remember it for long!"
HA! The jokes on you, parents! Here I am nearing 26 years old...and YES I am still thinking about that Garfield head. Which is pitiful, but whatever. This is not about me....its about my Papa. Because, Papa was totally the one to throw away the Garfield head, and while at the time I was pretty upset ( lets not lie, I'm still a little upset), I can now ABSOLUTELY identify with my father. Since I have now moved more times than I care to remember I have become a religious throw-awayer. In fact, when we moved from Washington to Kansas I made so many trips to the dumpster I had to start doing it late at night so people wouldn't see... but it wasn't enough! Only a few short months later when we were leaving Kansas, Brett would pass the trash bins on the way in the front door at night, and take things back OUT of the bins-in short, rescuing our few belongings from a fate of death.
Oh. Yes. He. Did.
Of course, he was smart enough to NOT tell me about this until much later, when he was safe and sound in Afghanistan.
Here is a reinactment of that conversation:
Brett: Did you keep my * fill in blank with Brett item* when you moved?
Abigail: Of COURSE I did!
Brett: Are you sure you didn't throw it away?!
Abigail: What do you TAKE ME FOR!?
Brett: Well, you DID throw it away!
Abigail: NO I DIDN'T! I resent the implication!
Brett: Well, then WHY did I have to dig it out of the garbage when we were in Kansas?!?
Abigail: WHAT?!? You went through the garbage?! Don't you trust me at all?
....
But, anyways, the point is, sadly, ...when it comes time for moving I cannot be trusted. I go into Moving Blackouts and EVERYTHING MUST GO. I start to despise things that I normally absolutely love. Like books. And shoes. ( don't worry, I haven't thrown either away just yet.) but I like to think that aside from the throwing away problem ( which I totally have control of, by the way) its mostly about me staying perfectly organized and neat and tidy...and above all I like to know where EVERY SINGLE THING WE OWN IS.
This is my control issues rearing their ugly head. Did you notice? I didn't until I wrote that sentence, but wow.
Anywho.
So, when Brett and I did our last two moves I began the process of organizing ( and, yes, throwing away) but ultimately I would always run out of time, or I would have to get Brett's help and therefore the job would never quite be complete...and so with each passing move I've gotten closer to ful-lon domination of our belongings...but never quite there.
( do you think I'm TOTALLY crazy, yet?!?)
So, this time around there was less for me to go through, and most of the things that I had to go through were boxes left over from the Washington Move #1, that had just never been unpacked. ( which is a SURE SIGN that their contents needed to be thrown away, right? Riiiiight?!?)...and so I came upon a box today that had the following helpful information written on the top:
"Bedside Table"
Now, obviously, this box did not contain a bedside table, since, it was the size of a shoe box...and it was ALSO obvious that this was not one of the boxes that *I* had packed because all of MY boxes where numbered. ( and then there was a corresponding numbered list on my computer that had all the items in said box listed....)
Wow. CRAZY MUCH!?!
So, yeah, back to this story about the box labeled "bedside table". It could only be deduced that this was the contents of Brett's bedside table. So of course, it was ONLY logical that in lay the following items:
His very special pocket watch that his mother gave him.
His pipes.
The receipt from our honeymoon hotel bills ( whoa.)
The receipt from my wedding ring ( which I've been trying to find for a while).
A receipt for some groceries.
three dried up markers
two note pads.
A button/pin with a picture of a spaceship on it.
All the letters that I wrote him in Ranger School before we started dating ( HAZZAAAAH!!! I've been trying to find these for AGES!) that were neatly put into the zipper container for his Scuba lessons that he took in 2007.
A gum wrapper.
A half used up eye drop container.
So, to sum up. I never thought that *I* was going to be the one in my marriage to throw things away...and yet, SOMEONE has to throw that gum wrapper away!
*That's right, I only moved once! Of course, once I reached the age of 18 I started moving like crazy and since then I haven't been in one place for more than a year. SAD!
October 20, 2009
Side effects may include...
So, I guess that explains why I was all weepy last night....I was getting sick. And oddly enough fevers have always made me cry.
( or is that really so odd? I mean, come on, they are awful!)
Anyway, today I've spent pretty much ALL DAY in bed watching TV on Hulu.com
And while life is continuing to look bleak because of sickness I bring you a list of things I'm grateful for, anyway:
1. The Army movers. I mean, sure, its possible they will break things and loose things and I reserve the right to complain about it later...but right now I am SO GRATEFUL that I am not having to pack at right this minute.
2. Brett Bear. My stuff bear with the hot water bottle inside of it, is STILL the most ingenious present that Brett has ever given me. Its SO useful! And the next time you're achey and feverish...you'll wish you had a hotwaterbottlebear to snuggle with too!
3. My friends who've been sweet enough to think of me while I've been sicky. And especially Cindy for bringing me a card, soup, EmergenC and cheesecake ( for when I'm feeling better!)...and I'm going to go ahead and be grateful AHEAD OF TIME for Steve who's offered to bring me the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother so I can watch it while I'm all laid up in bed.
( or is that really so odd? I mean, come on, they are awful!)
Anyway, today I've spent pretty much ALL DAY in bed watching TV on Hulu.com
And while life is continuing to look bleak because of sickness I bring you a list of things I'm grateful for, anyway:
1. The Army movers. I mean, sure, its possible they will break things and loose things and I reserve the right to complain about it later...but right now I am SO GRATEFUL that I am not having to pack at right this minute.
2. Brett Bear. My stuff bear with the hot water bottle inside of it, is STILL the most ingenious present that Brett has ever given me. Its SO useful! And the next time you're achey and feverish...you'll wish you had a hotwaterbottlebear to snuggle with too!
3. My friends who've been sweet enough to think of me while I've been sicky. And especially Cindy for bringing me a card, soup, EmergenC and cheesecake ( for when I'm feeling better!)...and I'm going to go ahead and be grateful AHEAD OF TIME for Steve who's offered to bring me the fourth season of How I Met Your Mother so I can watch it while I'm all laid up in bed.
October 19, 2009
Wrap it up
So, this morning I woke up to a latte from Lindsay sitting on my counter and her packing like a mad woman. She got back from her honeymoon yesterday and today she spent pretty much all day getting her remaining stuff out of my apartment and into their new condo.
And I'm sad.
I know I shouldn't be, because, lets be honest both of us are off to better things, specifically husbands. But, that doesn't stop me from missing her for the time being.
And you wanna know how long "time being" equals?! TWO WEEKS!!!! That's right, people TWO WEEKS until the husband is back in the United States and I let out the biggest sigh of relief and happiness in the history of the world.
But, right now, lack of sleep + a cold + the instability of life has left me wanting to cry.
And I'm sad.
I know I shouldn't be, because, lets be honest both of us are off to better things, specifically husbands. But, that doesn't stop me from missing her for the time being.
And you wanna know how long "time being" equals?! TWO WEEKS!!!! That's right, people TWO WEEKS until the husband is back in the United States and I let out the biggest sigh of relief and happiness in the history of the world.
But, right now, lack of sleep + a cold + the instability of life has left me wanting to cry.
October 17, 2009
Outside my window
Every morning when I open my blinds I am shocked by the color going on outside. It gets me every time...
I've mentioned that I love autumn, right? Because it's my favorite
October 14, 2009
My resume
As many of you know, I write "verses of note" at the front of every new journal when I start them...you know, just to give the journal a little head start.. a running jump into whatever I'm going to write in it-if you will. Anyway, one of the verses I wrote at the beginning of the journal I'm currently using is kinda a little different from the usual:
You yourselves are our letters of recommendation written on our hearts, to be known and read by all." II Cor 3:2
Paul said this to the people of Corinth-and he was basically saying that the impact I had on you, and then the lives that you now live for Christ...THAT is the greatest work I have done in life. And as I think about that, I am really sobered by that kind of priority. I mean, for the most part my goal is just that people "like me". I mean, that's good enough, right?!
But the idea of adding something like, "let me teach you something you didn't know"...or take that further to "let me reveal more of who Christ is to you"...wow...that's a tad harder! After reading this verse again, I was struck by how-one way or another-whether good OR bad-we do impact the lives of those around us, PEOPLE are our resume ( or CV depending on where you live) for life. If I picked up each relationship-friendships, acquaintance, co-worker, employer, schoolmate-and I read them like a book of who *I* am, what would I find out?
What have my priorities been? Have I been working hard to sell Christ all these years, or have I been selling Abigail?
You yourselves are our letters of recommendation written on our hearts, to be known and read by all." II Cor 3:2
Paul said this to the people of Corinth-and he was basically saying that the impact I had on you, and then the lives that you now live for Christ...THAT is the greatest work I have done in life. And as I think about that, I am really sobered by that kind of priority. I mean, for the most part my goal is just that people "like me". I mean, that's good enough, right?!
But the idea of adding something like, "let me teach you something you didn't know"...or take that further to "let me reveal more of who Christ is to you"...wow...that's a tad harder! After reading this verse again, I was struck by how-one way or another-whether good OR bad-we do impact the lives of those around us, PEOPLE are our resume ( or CV depending on where you live) for life. If I picked up each relationship-friendships, acquaintance, co-worker, employer, schoolmate-and I read them like a book of who *I* am, what would I find out?
What have my priorities been? Have I been working hard to sell Christ all these years, or have I been selling Abigail?
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