As of Feb 2024 we are owners of our very own house on wheels! We bought an RV! We are so beyond blessed and just full of gratitude. Owning our RV, 2023 Grand Design Solitude, is the beginning of a much more functional and less painful/damaging way for us to travel. Instead of using our 20 ft trailer, which required: tough boxes, a semi tarp to make water proof, ratchet straps, & drilling in washers so it couldn’t be stolen or become a large sail while driving. Oh, & we would repeat this process numerous times as we traveled from one parents house to the others and so on. It was too much. It’s safe to say after our first holiday trip to Illinois, we are so thankful we could make this decision and it’s going to make our lives so much better.

20 life lessons I have learned over the course of the last decade. In the last 10 years, I have been through it all. I have learned closely and painfully how precious life is. I have learned that life isn’t easy when you are healthy and is much more difficult with a chronic illness but following Christ allows you to see the lit path before you. Today, 10 years ago, I went states away following the lit path to have a surgery that was my only hope outside of christ performing a miracle. 10 years later to the day I look back to see that that surgery was my miracle. This was also a life event that changed everything about who I am, who I am going forward, who my friends and family are to me. and now we are a decade out. chronically ill, total pancreatectomy with auto islet cell transplant, pancreatitis, type 3c diabetes, diabetic life, chronic pain, neuropathic, neuropathy, migraine, narcolepsy, cataplexy, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, anxiety, depression, splenectomy, appendectomy, surgery, hospitals, doctors, ready to be heard, feelings are validated, validation of pain, friend who understand , family understands

Event planning is one of my all time favorite passions and hobbies. This is how I planned my best friend baby’s shower and this is when I realized that event planning is something that i love. I love the details, I love the meaning, I love that it makes someone feel loved and cared for. I didn’t realize that event planning was such a labor of love and once I did it myself; I cant go back.

Never stop learning because there is so much to see and experience in the world. Whether you study plants, animals, travel, finances, it doesnt matter its always good for us to explore new things and learn how they fit into our lives. By learning these new things we are able to connect them with knowledge we currently have and grow on it. This is how we improve the world and respect others and how their knowledge makes them special.

How do you pray? Where do I start? Is there a right way to pray? Is there a wrong way to pray?!” Are there techniques that I can learn so that praying is easier or I understand it better?!!

Master List of Sales

Shopping can be fun but it can also stress me out. There are things that i need to do in order for myself to not feel guilty when spending money This is my guide to shopping.

Fourth of July is an incredible summer holiday that’s deep meaning gets forgotten about often. Fourth of July, or Independence day is about freedom. Not simply, the freedom to speak freely, have a voice in our government, live our lives the way we want but in religion. So many sacrificed so that we could follow Jesus Christ. When we follow Christ we also have independence or freedom from this world and the hurts it causes. With God all things are possible. THis is a day of freedoms. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from hurt.

Being vulnerable with someone is vital to the successfulness of your life. However, it is important that you are careful when it comes to who you are vulnerable with. Life is hard and not every person you come across has your best interest at heart and therefore, shouldn’t be privy to your deepest thoughts, insecurities, and hurts. However, these are some examples of green flags. These are good signs that you can trust someone with your struggles and lack of understanding. People who want to enable you not take the fact that you don’t understand and use it to control you.

Prepping for outpatient surgery can be complicated because it is hard to know what to expect. Everyone will react and respond differently but it is always better to be overly prepared than under prepared. When it comes to stomach surgeries anything that can sit you up without having to ask someone to adjust your pillows & lift you up is a God sent. It allows you to be so much more comfortable as well as feeling independent so you aren’t asking anytime you need to be moved.

Clear liquid diets are usually given to people to do about 24-48 hours before a procedure. A clear liquid diet can be prescribed for things like scans, blood work, imaging, endoscopy, colonoscopy, or prepping for surgery. All of these require figuring out how to manage hunger & appetite while eating only clear liquids. This is the most helpful and in-depth explanation! 

This is my travel guide for a quick trip to Glacier National Park. Mike surprised me with tying this trip into his work trip. It was great. I definitely want to emphasize that this was a short trip at the beginning of the season so some things were closed still. It was a very unique amazing trip. This has all the things we did, loved, and would do again!

Dallas staycation details spilled so you can have the best staycation or vacation ever. We spent a long weekend and it was amazing. All the details of what wee did and how we spent our time is included in this blog. We went to our blues game and then we had a spa day and then we explored the city!

My husband is someone who is always on the go. He loves having projects. He loves exploring the world around him. He loves building and creating things. He likes to be working on projects bt with my health I often cant keep up. I wanted to share my tips and tricks to meet in the middle so that you and your partner can still spend time together. Supporting each others hobbies and activities is important and vital to a successful relationship.

When I became chronically ill something changed that I never expected. It was how I planned my life. Not in the way you may be thinking in the sense of what I want to do and how to do it. It changed in the sense of how I planned trips and events. I had to plan rest days. I didn’t used to have to plan for my body to be unable to function for days after a trip or event. I eventually started calling it my 3-5 business day recovery plan. I thought I would share this with you in hopes that you and your loved ones may be able to understand each other better. As well as, maybe gibing you a new tip or trick to make life more manageable so you can feel like you are thriving not simply surviving.

I am tired. Tired means so many things. It can mean I need a nap, it can mean im worn out from that specific thing, it can mean im exhausted from life. When a friend with a chronic illness tells you they are tired; they are telling you they are tired of fighting to live. They are tired of fighting doctors to get the treatment they need a deserve. They are worn out. No one wants to fight as much as we do especially when you feel as sick as we do. It is exhausting. So lately if you ask me how I am… Im just tired.

Twenty six things that I have learned in my twenty six years of life. I wanted to share the things that I learned this past year as well as things that I have known but wish I implemented these things in more.

May Day is the first of the month of May and is a celebration of friendship and teamwork. There are a lot of other meanings and I dive into some of those in this post but the most common meaning used at this time is to celebrate the onset of spring with family and friends.