Are You Honest With How You Feel??

Question from reader

I love when I get questions from the community and I always hope that my answer can help more than just the person asking the question. We all seem to undergo similar experiences in this life and I figure it can never hurt to share my own personal life experiences. 

Question:

I am meeting lots of new people who don't know anything about CF, or what that means in my daily life. I am very comfortable talking about what CF is and how it effects me, but I don't know how honest to be, and how best to explain it to people who don't know me well. To look at me you would never know (unless you saw me sick) that there is something "wrong" with me, so I find when I try to explain it, it's almost as if people don't quite believe me, or think I'm being overly dramatic about the time I put into breathing treatments, or how sick I can get. I don't know how to explain to my jogging buddy that I ran 2 miles with at 6:00am (feeling junky but not too bad) that by 9:00pm that same day, I was coughing up blood and had a fever of 104. I don't know what to say to a new mommy friend that I canceled a playdate with on Monday because I wasn't feeling well, that by Wednesday I had a PICC in and am now doing a full course of IV antibiotics. She, being a kind person, texted today (Friday) to see if I'm feeling all better, and the truthful answer is no. No I don't feel better, I actually feel worse. I can barely carry my baby up the stairs because it's that hard to breath. I'm exhausted because I've spent 2 whole days in and out of the hospital and hours in waiting rooms. But saying things like that freaks people out, and then they don't know what to say. However, pretending things are fine when they aren't isn't exactly a good option either for any kind of lasting friendship.

So how do you handle it? Where is the sweet spot between complete honesty, and pat answers like, "I'm getting better!"?

Answer:

The answer to your question is a tough one (as if you didn't already know that).

For me, I've rarely been totally flat out about how I feel with my friends and family. If I were to say "not great" or "pretty bad" I would always follow it up with "but I'll be alright" or "I just have to keep pushing". I've never wanted to put an unneeded burden on someone who really can't do anything to make me feel better. Sure they care, but they can't actually heal my lungs, do my medication for me or take my place in the hospital. I'm the only one that can do those things, so I've always internalized a lot of those different "I feel like crap" feelings.

In times that I feel helpless, I don't want to cause those around me to feel helpless as well.

Even with my now wife, I was very honest about what CF was, how it affects my body and what it could all potentially look like in the future, but I always quickly followed that up by, "but I'll work hard to make sure I'm always living the dream!".

Think about this too, will anybody around you ever really "get it" no matter what you say or how you say it? Probably not. The only people that could get it are others with CF or maybe other chronic illnesses. For me, I'd rather others in my life see me for my perseverance, positive attitude and faith in Jesus - than for something they will never be able to truly grasp.

Response: 

Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! That does help, and I think you are absolutely right. Thank you for affirming that for me, and for the encouragement to be positive. I am generally a very positive person, but this go 'round has been a little rough. I know you are right and so I will keep on, keeping on!

If, as a reader, you ever have a question for me, please never hesitate to send it along. You can send it via CysticLife, Facebook or my email address (ronnie@cysticlife.org)!

Thankful Thursday: Zoos & Home Depot

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for holidays. My parents just got back into town for Christmas so we get to spend time with them, the house is decorated for Christmas, I eat at least 5 mini candy canes a day, Starbucks has a special Carmel Brulee latte, and everyone is especially nice and filled with holiday cheer. I LOVE everything about the Christmas season :-)

I'm thankful for my sweet baby girl. I love her so much. Her every smile, coo, squeal, you name it, make me smile. She is such a doll - so sweet, happy, silly, and smiley. It's amazing to watch her grow. Each day I love her more and sometimes find myself just staring at her (generally while feeding her) and wondering how we got so blessed and why God chose us to be the parents to this little peanut. This may be weird, but sometimes I just want to squeeze her...but I refrain.

I'm thankful for girlfriends...and girlfriends with babies Mckenna's age. Yesterday we went to the zoo with my friend Angie, who has a little girl, Harlow, that is 4 months old. We bought a year membership, so we are going to start having our weekly get togethers there, so we can get a little fresh air and exercise while we chat. Angie and I get together weekly with the girls to hang out and swap baby stories (every notice once you have a baby you find it hard to find other things to talk about?!) I can't wait for Mckenna and Harlow to get a little older so they can start actually playing together instead of just looking at each other.

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful for the Phoenix zoo. I've been living in Phoenix for almost 7 years now yet I had never been to the zoo until yesterday. I'm no zoo connoisseur, but I'd have to give the zoo high marks for it's walkability. A few of the animals were pretty cool to see, like the mountain lion, giraffe and baboon, but I mostly enjoyed the nice relaxing walk around the grounds.

I'm thankful to have a Home Depot so close to the house. It's so nice to be able to hop in the truck and be to HD in a matter of minutes. I'm not the most handy guy in the world, but having that place so close definitely serves as a security blanket during projects. If I don't know exactly what to do, which is generally the case, I can usually find someone at HD who does!

I'm thankful for bath time with Mckenna. One thing that I look forward to everyday is bath time with my little girl. Mckenna totally relaxes during the bath and is usually in the mood to interact and smile at her daddy. It's definitely a time with her that I greatly cherish. 

So, what are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday: SwaddleMe & Yard

It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. Please take this time to share with us what you're thankful for as well. If you have a blog expressing your thankfulness, please share the link! Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for my brother. This sounds like a no-brainer, I'm sure. But it's worth mentioning! He called on his way home from work yesterday to chat and we talked about his day, work, etc. Man do I feel so blessed that I have such a great brother and that we have such a great relationship. I mean, we're practically neighbors (they live in our neighborhood) yet we still chat on the phone. He's one of the best guys I know, and I feel blessed to call him my big brother!!

I'm thankful for SwaddleMe swaddling blankets. They make it so easy to swaddle Mckenna. You just flip over the sides and it velcros on one side so it stays all nicely help together.

I'm thankful for a great hubby! Ronnie's been Mr. ChoreMaster the last several weeks. He's been taking care of all of the stuff around the house AND doing chores like planting bushes, decorating for xmas, etc....on top of being really helpful and doing 50% of the work with Mckenna! He's so amazing!!!!

Ronnie's List:

I'm so thankful for our yard. Even though I get super frustrated by some of the work required of it, not that I don't enjoy it, I'm just not good at it yet, I still love looking out to a green, lush yard. When looking for a house, having grass was really important to Mandi and not so important to me. I'm sure glad she stuck to her guns.

I'm so thankful for the children of our friends'. We had some friends over and they brought their little baby girl who is a few months older the Mckenna. It's nice to know people who have kids in the same age range as our little girl. Speaking of that, our neighbor had a baby about two weeks ago. Bonus!!!

I'm thankful for the area that we live in. It's so nice to have access to just about any type of store that you can think of within 2 miles of us. It was one of the main draws for this area, and now that we're living it, I see why. Need to make a quick grocery run? No problem, be back in a jiff! What's that, irrigation parts? They're on the way! Jezzabel needs a cut and color? You get the point :)

So, what are you thankful for today?

Congrats Kirra & Tyler!!!!

An update for those you of who saw the blog yesterday: Your prayers have been answered and Kirra's dad will be able to attend the wedding!! Thank you to all who kept the family in your thoughts and prayers.

Here are a few pictures from our wedding of Kirra going for (and getting) the bouquet of flowers that Mandi threw:

And here's Tyler (on your left) just after catching the garter belt!

And I added this one because Luke (my 2nd cousin) is one of the cutest kids in the world.

Again, a BIG HUGE congrats to Kirra and Tyler. I'm so honored to share in your big day!!!

Prayer Squad Needed

Wether you pray or you throw something out to the universe - I need you. One of my good friends, Kirra, is getting married this weekend. Kirra and I met in college and were basically connected at the hip until both of us graduated. She was like the kid sister that I never had. We'd of course stayed in touch over the years (she was in our wedding) and I've been looking forward to the day that she would meet that someone special and tie the knot. Well, that day is happening this weekend and I couldn't be more happy for her and Tyler. Just a note: At our wedding, Tyler caught the garter belt and Kirra caught the flowers - pretty cool.

Anyway, you're probably wondering why I'm asking for prayer. About three weeks ago, Kirra's dad, Frank, was diagnosed with stomach cancer. It was pretty aggressive and they decided that emergency surgery was necessary. They ended up removing about a third of his stomach during the surgery, but felt like they got all of the cancer. They were also expecting him to fully recover and be out in time for the wedding. That was before he came down with pneumonia and a tube that was put in his stomach starting leaking bile. It's now going to take a miracle for Frank to be able to attend the wedding.

I of course would first pray for that miracle to happen. I know that Kirra is crushed and I'm sure that thought of her dad not being their to walk her down the aisle is devastating. If Frank is not able to attend, I would like prayer for a sense of peace to come over the entire family and for Kirra to be able to enjoy her special day as much as possible.

So, if you would, take some time today to set aside some thoughts or prayers for Kirra and her family. I know that they, as well as myself, would very much appreciate it.

Thankful Thursday - Horrible Acne & American Idol

Know what time it is? It's thankful Thursday time! We all have so much to be thankful for and we love to take this opportunity just to write down each and everything that comes to mind. as I mentioned, I no longer have the "linkytools" but I invite you to share your thankful blog in the comments section. Without further ado, here's what we're thankful for:

Mandi's List:

I'm thankful for our circumstances. I was sitting with friends and we were discussing various topics such as finances, housing, relationships, etc. And I just sat there thinking, "Man, we are so incredibly blessed." There are so many circumstances, struggles and situations that others have to deal with in their lives, and it often feels like we have been dealt a very easy hand. I am so grateful for all that the Lord has blessed us with. Sure, we have things in our lives that some may consider "struggles," but when I hear what others have to deal with, I find myself thanking my God for the minor issues we have!

I am thankful for my hubby and his contributions around the house. Ronnie does far more around our house in the way of chores than I do, and I am so thankful that he does all that he does. He's constantly washing dishes, picking up, gardening, you name it! Last night, I had to go to my office for some meetings and then I had small group shortly after getting home. I figured I wouldn't eat a real dinner because there simply wasn't time. But when I walked in the door, I smelled food. Ronnie had made a delicious soup, and had it ready for me when I got home. I don't know what I'd do without him kicking in 75% of the work around here!

I'm thankful for face wash. My face is finally starting to clear up (and by clear up I mean it's now just horrible acne instead of horrifically hideous acne). I went to a dermatologist and got some face wash that is seeming to help (after 4 weeks of using it). I am so thankful that at least now it's not so angry and inflamed that it itches. I'd rather it just look terrible than FEEL terrible. Small victories are all I'm hoping for at this point, if you can't tell! Hopefully it continues to clear up and I only look slightly like a monster by the time this baby makes its appearance.

I'm thankful for a great year of marriage - and many, many, many more to come!!

Ronnie's List:

I'm thankful that I could just watch Scotty win American Idol. He's been one of my favorites since day one and I grew to like him more as the show continued. It's just so nice to see a kid that humble with such an amazing voice and good looks. What really won me over was when he cried during his whole hometown visit. I was really pulling for him to win and I'm just glad he pulled it out. The fact that he first gave thanks to God for his win was just icing on the cake.

I'm thankful that we got to spend some time with Mandi's college friend and her husband. Mandi's friend, Jenna, happened to be out in Phoenix for a conference and as a result, we've been able to spend some time with her and her husband Brandon. They are both "salt of the earth" type of people and I have a feeling that we'd all hang out a whole bunch if they didn't live in Tennessee. Brandon is currently a football coach so we've had a whole lot to talk about (for those that don't know, I was also a football coach in a past life).

I'm thankful for Emi. Emi is my new little 2nd cousin that my 1st cousins will officially adopt tomorrow. She is such a cutie and has been an absolute blessing to not only Tim and Gina but to the whole extended family. We are a family full of love, so any new member that we can love up on is welcomed with opened arms. Can't wait to watch you grow into a beautiful young woman Emi!!!

So, what are you thankful for today?

2nd Ultrasound Update!

Yesterday, Mandi and I woke up nice and early in anticipation of our second ultrasound. If you guys remember from a couple of weeks ago, actually last week, we had our first ultrasound at about seven weeks pregnant. At that time our little peanut was about the size of a blueberry, which come to find out was about 9 mm, and we're proud to report that he/she is now about 15 mm! We went in with some of the same emotions that we did last week not exactly knowing what to expect and hoping for the best. It's always an interesting feeling when they first start the ultrasound because, at least in our experience, the first thing we see is what looks to be an empty black sack. It must be the way that the ultrasound instrument is pointed at first because now we're two for two in that empty black sack containing our little baby.

We were able to see the heart beating fast again, this time 167 bpm and our doctor informed us that right now our baby is mostly made up of his or her heart. Everything else is very normal and he is very pleased with the progress. Mandi definitely has less bloating in her stomach and is visibly more comfortable when walking, sitting or standing. The decrease in the bloating of the belly is most likely due to some of the fluid in her ovaries and cysts, following the egg retrieval, are now starting to lose fluid. We are now expecting any bloating from this point going forward to be a result of the baby which is bloating we will take any day of the week. So all in all, it was a very good second ultrasound and we couldn't be anymore pleased with the results. Check out our little seahorse below!

We are also able to meet up with some friends of ours in the CF community that we have had the opportunity to hang out with before near their home turf. We met up with the Koblers (Brian and Jen) for the first time in San Francisco at a CF concert series event last November or so. This time they alerted us that they would be in Scottsdale taking in a spring training game between the Giants and Rockies. They were nice enough to invite us along and of course we jumped at the opportunity to hang out with them and take in a ballgame. Neither Mandi or I have ever been to the ballpark in downtown Scottsdale and I must say it was quite a treat to be in such a nice facility. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate with us yesterday as it was overcast the entire day and it was raining before even the first pitch got off. The rain continued to pick up throughout the game and eventually the game was stopped in about the fourth inning with the Rockies handing it to the Giants. Luckily, the ballgame wasn't really the reason we were there.

We were there to hang out and talk with some friends of ours and had baseball as icing on the cake. Since the game got out early, we all headed to lunch to hang out and chat some more. Mandi and I love being able to get to know others in the CF community that we often exchange e-mails, Facebook messages and chats on CysticLife with but rarely get to meet in person. It's so nice to be able to "put a person" to just the face or the name that comes across our computer screens many times in our daily lives. The Koblers are no exception as they are very warm and friendly people who are fun to hang out with. As a bonus, we also got to hang with Grandpa Kobler and Brian and Jen's daughter, a young little cyster named Riley. She is as cute as a button and was definitely entertaining while we are all inhaling our pizza. We absolutely cherish opportunities like this and were very blessed to be able to hang with the Kobler clan today!

Back on the baby front... We have another appointment for a third ultrasound next Thursday and we will for sure keep you guys up to date with the process. We're just praying for continued normal results and that our little seahorse grows and grows and grows until eight months from now that we're able to hold him or her in our arms. We feel so blessed to be able to go through this experience so far virtually unscathed and are just hoping that this trend continues. We know that it is ultimately in God's hands and we have the ultimate faith that He will provide the perfect outcome. We thank you guys so much for following along with us on this journey, checking in, sending us encouragement and just letting us know that you're there for us.

Do Weddings and Workouts Mix???

It's been a couple of pretty crazy days around here...

The wedding (of Mandi's brother) is over, but I'm still feeling the hangover (not literally as I only had 3 sips of wine and 1/4 of a flute of champagne). It was such a great weekend as I was able to meet many family members of Mandi's that I had never met before. We were all able to hang for pre and post wedding events plus "cut a rug" at the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful and my (future) brother-in-law delivered his vows to perfection. I'm so fortunate to have a great family of my own, but I'm looking forward to becoming part of their family in the future.

I also got to hang out with some Melin Family friends. Bob and Wendy came out from Delaware and we all had a blast together. There were dinners, college basketball, pool sessions and house hunting all packed into the last couple of days with B&W and I've got to say, I loved every minute of it. I looking forward to those two crazies kids coming out for our wedding in May.

The Johnson's (another Melin Family friend) were also out all the way from Michigan. But get this, Mr. Johnson refuses to fly, so they drove all of the way out here. And yes, they'll be making the trip all of the way back in May for the next wedding. They were both such a BIG help around the house this weekend in getting everything together and making sure it all ran smoothly.

The wedding also brang (is that a word?) with it something else. Mucho slacko el working outo. Translation: I haven't run since last Thursday. I've been good with my walks, but running and te gym have been very, very bad. I can definitely tell too. During my walk today I was tighter than usual and it was quite hard to catch my breath while making my way uphill. Hopefully I can get my act together starting tomorrow and start putting my money (feet) where my mouth is.

Last thing, my Facebook is back up and running. I was "disabled" from FB last week for being "too active". I just recreated my FB profile and am now trying to recover my friends that I have lost (plus meet new ones). So here is what I would LOVE for you to do. If you're reading this and have a Facebook profile, please add me. If you're reading this, have a Facebook profile and have friends on Facebook that have CF or are parent's of a CFer, please suggest me as a friend to them. I know it won't happen over night, but I'm pretty sure my goal is to be the friend of every single CFer on Facebook. Not because it would just be cool, but I really think that we can all learn a lot from each other.

Oh yeah, and if you're a member over at CysticLife.org, thanks for bearing with us yesterday. We had a spammer create a fake profile and "bot-out" some cheesy emails. The problem has been corrected and we have put some measures in place to make sure it doesn't happen again. We will always be searching out ways to improve the security for our members at CysticLife and I hope that it wasn't too much of a headache :)

Thankful for Random Acts of Kindness

Today, I am SOOOOO thankful for random acts of kindness. I am fortunate to experience many random acts of kindness by many of you pretty regularly, but I wanted to point out one that really touched me recently. I'm not going to mention any names (since I haven't got their permission to do so), but a mother/daughter team within the CF community really put a smile on my face this week.

It all started with an email on CysticLife that I received on Sunday:

Very Nice Cyster: Hey Ronnie, so being from Louisiana an all we celebrate Mardi Gras pretty big and of course eat ALOT of King Cake.. We have some really good bakerys that make them fresh daily and ship them out all over the place and me and my mom would LOVE to send You and Mandi one .. we just need to know where to send it

Me: Wow!!!! What did we do to deserve that?!?!? And what exactly is King Cake? You guys are too good to us :)

VNC: well i dont even know how to describe it lol.. it kinda looks like a huge donut with iceing and some have fillings but it taste nothing like a donut.. it taste soo much better .. the tradition is that there is a baby hidden in the cake and who ever gets the baby has to buy the next king cake .. lets just say in the one month of the year when they make king cakes i gain bout 10 pounds.lol. not really but im sure i gain some haha...You guys are AWESOME for creating this site and mom an I enjoy it soooo much.. so we thought you might enjoy a king cake .. its soo much better than jelly beans haha

Me: I look forward to it!!! Should I have it tested for poison first? You don't hate me right??? :)

VNC: lol I promise there is no poison in it.

And wouldn't you know it, Wednesday afternoon I received a big ol' package with "KING CAKE" written across the top. It was a very colorful box that looked like a big Mardi Gras party. Inside was the real treat though. When I opened the box, I discovered beads, a Mardi Gras mask, more beads, a King Cake, beads, a story explaining the history of the King Cake and, oh yeah, a handful of beads. I was beaded out today!

It really felt like this family was sharing a part of themselves with me and I found that to be very special. I can't explain to you guys how happy I was to receive this package and that fact that they thought to include me in there Mardi Gras cheer was very humbling. I certainly never expect anything like this ever to happen, but when it does, it really warms my heart. We have such a strong, loving and caring community out there and I am so happy that I'm able to be a small part of it.

Thankful for Kevin Foster

Today, I'm very thankful for the life of a friend of mine, Kevin Foster. Kevin died earlier this week and although I'll miss having him around during my hospital stays, I know that he was ready to go Home. Some of you may be thinking that this is a sad blog, but it is not. It is a blog of joy for what Kevin was and for what he did for me in my CF journey.

I met Kevin many many years ago when I was just a kid. He was probably around 30 or so when I met him and I just remember feeling so inspired by his zest for life. Now, let me also say this, Kevin LIVED and when I say lived, I mean it (I feel comfortable talking about this stuff because Kevin and I had talked to lengths about it). Kevin lived a life that would have killed off most "normal" men in their 20's. Kevin drank. Kevin partied. Kevin went to prison. Shoot, Kevin even smoked. This probably sounds crazy, but Kevin gave me A LOT of hope.

I remember thinking as a teenager, "If Kevin can live into his 30's and NOT take care of himself, imagine what I can do if I commit to treatments and exercise". Then when Kevin got into his 40's, it just gave me more motivation. He used to joke around a lot about "living on borrowed time" and that he "should have died decades ago". I know he just looked at it as playful banter with me, but what he didn't know was the confidence it gave me to take control of my life.

This is also a blog to remind all of you to take your health seriously and make wise choices. For various reasons, Kevin was denied a lung transplant, twice. Transplant boards don't look too highly on those with a reckless past and possible drug and alcohol addictions. Everybody knew that Kevin wasn't a good candidate and although he never said it out loud, so did he.

The last time Kevin and I spoke, no more than a couple of weeks ago, he was ready. He gave it the "old college try" (for 48 1/2 years) as he put it (when he was born they said he'd live till 5). He was ready to move on and was 100% comfortable in doing so. My last moments with Kevin were perfectly tender as we held hands and said a prayer. It wasn't an appropriate time to thank him for showing me that I could take CF head-on and that I learned so much from his accomplishments (and mistakes), but I told him I loved him as I left. I honestly thought that I would get the chance to see him again and tell him "thank you". I never did get that chance.

So here it goes Kevin. Thank you for being you. You were no angel, but you put a smile on my face every time I saw you. You were no saint, but you had one of the most loving hearts that I have ever been around. You were in no way a "model CFer", but in a strange way, you showed me how to be one. Most of all Kevin, you were a true friend to me and although I didn't say it before, I'm saying it now, THANK YOU. I love ya brother.

We Sure Do Have a Great Life Don't We?

I know that Thursdays are the days to be thankful around RSR, but I've felt so blessed this week that Monday is the new Thursday...at least this week. Here's a little look into all the great happenings this last week that I am so excited about.

One HUGE blessing this week was the opportunity to spend some time with my dear friend and maid of honor, Lenore. Lenore and I went to high school together and we have remained great friends through college. We went to school just far enough apart (I went to Syracuse and she went to America) that we never saw each other. I saw her for a few hours last year, but that wasn't nearly enough. As you can tell, this visit was much needed and we had a great time catching up. She is one of the most amazing people and it was so incredible getting to spend time. She also had her boyfriend, Mo, with her, and it was awesome to get to meet him. He might be one of the only people I've ever thought was good enough for my Lenore :)

Another HUGE blessing this week was the launch of CysticLife and the incredible support we've received. We had a great week in terms of numbers, a ton of unique visitors, tons of page views, and over 570 new members signed up. The numbers are great, but I can honestly say there was

something else I noticed and realized that just warmed my heart. I haven't been a part of the CF community for that long, and I knew that it was a great group of people, but this week brought my understanding to a whole new level. The feedback and support everyone offered us was incredible. We didn't have too many glitches, but any issues we had people were willing to work through with us. Some people had spent hours on something, and then lost it due to a glitch, and instead of being frustrated and upset, they just tried again and told us it was ok. I can't tell you how much anxiety we had over releasing the site to the wolves and I can't tell you how incredible it has been thanks to this great community. I know a lot of you were over on the site, and some of those people that just hung in there with us through the kinks, so I wanted to say thank you. I feel so blessed to be a part of this community!

The wedding plans are coming along also, which is obviously exciting and feels like a huge blessing. As you know, I have the dress and we had the venue picked. This week we have met with an invite person and have samples on the way, looked at bridesmaid dresses, set up an appointment with the florist, got the contract signed for the venue, so we can move forward with tastings. It feels like it's all coming together, and the best part is, I've been so wrapped up in launching CL, I haven't even really been stressed about it (which if you knew me, and my affinity for worrying you'd know that was HUGE).

Life is good. Plain and simple. Sometimes I get caught up in all of the "stress" and to dos, but this week I sat thinking about how grateful I was for the last week and just life in general. Apparently Ronnie was feeling the same way, as we sat in my kitchen, he gave me a hug and said, "we sure have a great life don't we?" So, so true...Life is good!!

Haiti, Rain and Community

What a great week so far!! There is SO MUCH to be thankful for that it's a little tough to narrow it down to just three things...

First, I'm so thankful that Mandi's best friend (and maid of honor) Lenore could be in town with us this week with her boyfriend Mo. They actually came here to Phoenix from Haiti where most of Mo's family lives. I'm very thankful that they were not in Haiti at the time of that devastating earth quake, but I would ask for your continued prayers for Mo's family and friends who lost someone or had their property badly damaged. It's been so nice hanging out with them as they are both very enjoyable people to be around.

I'm so thankful for the nice rain we had yesterday. Now, let me clarify, if we had rain all of the time, I wouldn't be thankful for it. But this is the desert, so it's a pretty rare occasion that we can actually get some rain. Tonight it was coming down that kitties and puppies! There were what seemed like sheets of rain pouring down from the sky. It's definitely nice to have a change from clear blue sunny skies once in a while...although I hope it goes back to being that way today!!

Finally, I'm so thankful for the overwhelming response to CysticLife.org! Many of you have joined us over there and for that I am so thankful. I never in my wildest dreams thought we would have nearly 500 members in just 3 days! The great part is, this is just the tip of the iceberg for where we plan on taking that site and this community. It's so nice to see others buying into our dream and it really validates the last 9 months of hard work :) If you haven't yet joined us, please go to CysticLife.org and sign up for a profile today. See you over there!

Light Poles, House Hunting and Sushi

On Thursdays I like to reflect on a few things that I'm thankful for just so I'm forced to sit here and think about how good I have it. Don't get me wrong, I generally think about how good I have it every day, but it's nice to get it down on virtual paper once a week :)

Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC!!!!!!!! You're the best looking elder statesman that I know! (It's Mandi's dad's 50th birthday today)

Here we go....

I'm so thankful that I've successfully made it through two runs over 1 mile in the last 3 days! It may not sound like much, but after my last hospital stay, it took me a while longer to work back up to any sort of a distance. When working out, I'm always setting markers for myself and trying to approve upon them. For example, on yesterday's run I made it about 3 light poles further than I made it on Monday's run. On Friday, my goal is to run a handful of light poles further. It's all about going forward more than going backwards!

Mandi and I have stepped up our housing search for when we tie the knot! I feel so blessed to even be in the position to buy a home. There are so many people in this world that go their whole lives without ever owning a home. The fact that Mandi and I will be able to (hopefully, fingers crossed) start our lives in a home we chose and purchased, in a neighborhood that we picked out, is just mind blowing to me. Seriously, we are so so so so blessed.

I'm very thankful for being able to spend time with friends yesterday. It's been quite some time since we've hung with friends between being out of town so much and being so busy. We were able to get a small group together and catch up with the going-ons in their lives which was very nice. I'm also very thankful that things seem to be going very well for my friends also! We all caught up over some Happy Hour sushi at Ra which always makes me smile (I'll smile anytime I get something for half price)! Mandi and I are very blessed to have the group of friends that we do :)

Let me hear it guys, what are you thankful for today??