11-11-11

Yesterday was...11-11-11???!?! Oh my gosh!

Yes, I'm being sarcastic, but you can imagine I heard it a few times being a front desk receptionist..There was a lot of, "Guess what today is...?" or some would walk up to their sign-in card saying, "Eleven..eleven..eleven.." and then just stand their smirking at me waiting for my response.

On more of a serious note, I can't begin to express my gratitude to our veterans for everything they've done for our country. We have been so blessed to have such courageous men and women who risk their lives to protect our country,

But thank goodness it's the weekend. This week wasn't so fantastic. The "Cherry on Top" was waking up Friday morning and feeling a little too rested, only to find that my phone was dead and my alarm never went off. I tried turning my phone on in horror of what the clock would read, and in the short amount of time my phone stayed on, the time read 6:33 a.m...which is exactly three minutes passed the time I'm supposed to be walking out the door. I frantically shook Lucas and said, "IT'S 6:30, Luke!" We both sprung out of the bed faster than lightning.

Long story short, I threw some clothes on, pulled my hair up into a pony-tail, and did my make-up at stop lights... Not the best way to start the day off, but it could have been worse! I'm amazed my body even woke itself up at 6:30 without help! Thank you, Lord :-)

In OTHER NEWS.... Welcome Home Dave and Carrie!!! My in-laws were gone one week in HI celebrating their wedding anniversary! The three of us were anxious to pick them up from the airport at the end of the week.

I think Bella knew they were coming home - she was especially jumpy and excited, and constantly running from window to window.

It's so good to have you guys home!

That's all for now - Good night interested readers :-)

Missy

Last weekend my roomie from college and her boyfriend came to stay with Luke and I. They left campus around 2pm on Thursday to travel over to MI. All day Thursday I kept a close watch on the clock...as if by checking it frequently, the time would somehow go faster. I would find myself staring at my computer screen or scheduling a patient and randomly burst out into an "ear-to-ear" smile. I was so excited.The last time I saw my dear roomie, Missy, was at our wedding.

FINALLY the clock struck 3pm and I was out in a flash. I knew Missy and Clint wouldn't be getting in till late, but I had to diligently work on getting our messy apartment back in order. Thank goodness Lucas helped me out. I used my vacation time to take Friday and Monday off while they were here, unfortunately Lucas wasn't so lucky. He had used up all of his vacation time for our honeymoon. Since he has to get up at 5am every morning, we knew that staying up late for him wasn't much of an option. He made the decision to stay the night at his parent's house so the 3 of us could hang out and not be a huge disturbance - for I knew that being reunited with my roomie would NOT be a quiet matter!

Luke left around 10pm and I continued to clean things up. I had my "scentsy" turned on and my favorite twisted peppermint candle lit. I even had my favorite "Scottish Moors" cd playing for background music when they would walk in...I'm such a dork. I simply LOVE to host, though.

Around 11:30pm I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I resolved that I would just "rest" for a few minutes on my bed until they got here. When my phone went off at midnight, I nearly fell off my bed. Apparently I fell fast asleep for that half hour. As exhausted as I was, it was well worth it.

Let me give you all a little background about this amazing girl.

Missy was my roommate for all 4 semesters of my 2-year program at BBC. The first day I met her, I couldn't figure out what she was gonna' be like. For STARTERS she had gotten into the dorm room before me and went right ahead and STOLE the bed next to the window..eh hem.. I didn't even get a say...

I guess you could say we were pretty "shy friends" for the first few weeks or so. I definitely didn't show her how weird I was right off the back..that's for sure.

I guess the day I really learned how golden this girl was, was the day I experienced my first panic attack. There were several events leading up to college that had really "shaken me up" emotionally, and I wasn't even fully aware at how much anxiety I was experiencing in my day-to-day life. It wasn't until college that all these events finally came to a head. To make matters worse, I wasn't taking very good care of my body by staying up late and not eating the best. Procrastinating played a huge role in adding to my stress level, which resulted in even more anxiety.

One afternoon I was laying in my bunk watching something on youtube, when suddenly it hit. This intense feeling of panic shot through my body. I honestly thought I might die. Till this day, I still cannot fully explain what a panic attack feels like. I remember yelling, "Missy, something's wrong." I was completely frozen - I felt paralyzed. It was then that this girl whom I had only known about 3 weeks or so hopped on the bunk with me and began to rub my back and tell me it was going to be okay. I think she even began praying for me (it's still somewhat a blur.) I had no idea what was happening to me.

Missy was so calm the entire time I struggled. I can't remember how long the attack lasted (it seemed like forever at the time) but she stayed by my side through the entire episode. She kept telling me to, "take deep breaths." It felt like she was my guardian angel.

After many "deep breaths" the panic attack finally began to subside.

This is just one of the many times Missy has revealed to me what a truly remarkable person she is. Even when I would get sick at college she would go out and get me medicine, or she'd make me some hot tea. She took care of me. She has such a heart for God and she's one of the most confident girls I know.

I love you Missy - I really don't know what I would have done without you. You've grown me in so many ways and I will never forget all our silly, special, crazy, unforgettable memories. From listening to the P.S. I Love You soundtrack while doing homework, to our late-night talks about Lucas and Clint, from last-minute runs to Sheetz for a midnight snack to talking about God and sharing our insecurities with each other. Your friendship is one I will always cherish.

You are golden.

Our weekend went by way to fast, as these special weekends usually do.

We even made time to listen to the P.S. I Love You soundtrack while making crafts together.

I'm thankful for you too, Clint! It gives me great joy to know that Missy is with such a solid guy like you.

The night before Missy and Clint headed back to BBC I became so emotional. I came into the bedroom and it looked like Missy was already asleep. I don't really know how a conversation started but I was contracting every muscle in my body to hold myself back from bursting out into tears. When I felt tears begin to stream down my scrunched face, I did my very best to hide it for as long as I could (thankfully it was dark). I found ways to ignore what I was feeling by small-talking. Finally she heard a big "sniffle" and said, "Are you okay?" I must have sounded like a five-year-old when I blurted, "I don't want you to leave!" I'm actually laughing as I type this now, but it was so intense at the time. I guess I had forgotten how good it was to have a taste of familiarity from back home. I didn't realize just how home-sick I was. I'm sure sleep deprivation also played a role in my emotional state, but I couldn't help but replay all the late nights Missy and I shared like this.

It reminded me so much of the night before I graduated from college when she and I tried so hard not to get too emotional about saying goodbye; yet in the end, the night concluded with us hugging and snotting all over each other with many, many tears.

Missy of course, being the calm person she is, managed to turn my sobs into laughter. In no time we were giggling and talking about our boys and life just like the old days :-)

I love you, Roomie!