A Quickie

Hello, all. This is going to be a quick update, since I have to head out of the apartment soon. But, my friend's grandfather past away yesterday. She seems to be handling it fairly well so far, but please continue to pray for her family and for Christ to be revealed to many of them through this occasion.

My aunt is doing okay. She is having a hard time remembering everything the docs are telling her, and my uncle is evidently in denial and choosing not remember a lot of things (not good), so my cousin is going to all the appointments with her now so she can know what's going on. They are starting chemo this week. She will get chemo for four months and then radiation for 6 weeks. The cancer is slow moving, but this also means harder to treat. She has been diagnosed in Stage 3 (out of four). I'm not sure what that means for a prognosis, but we're praying for the best. Please continue to pray for her and for the rest of my family as we deal with this.

I'm heading off to Royal Family Kids' Camp, a faith based camp for foster children, today. I am SO excited that Joey is going this year, along with a bunch of our friends. We are going to have a great week, and I really hope the kids will too. I am leading music this year, which is a new thing for me. I am super nervous about it, but I'm sure God will work it out!

As far as wedding stuff is concerned, we got Save-the-Dates mailed this past week. And we settled a few other details-such as a pre-marriage pastor. We're taking a planning break to dedicate ourselves to camp this week. Then we're going on vacation with my family, so I don't know how much planning will get done then either. But that's ok. I'm not feeling rushed about anything. Five & a half months to go!! So exciting!

Well, I'm off to finish getting stuff packed & such. I'll blog again next weekend. (We get back Friday). Love ya!

July 1!

So, today is July 1. Joey and I were in Fayetteville today, and as I was driving back, I was thinking about how my life has changed in the last year. I know that July first isn't really a big day of reflection or anything, but it's the start of a new month and the start of the second half of the year. So, six months ago, I had just moved back home to Fayetteville, and I was just a few days into a new job, my first as a teacher. I was dating a wonderful guy and was pretty happy with my life. Here I am now, finished with my first semester of teaching, quit one job and got a new one. I'm in the middle of planning a wedding when I will wed that amazing guy I dated for only 9 months before he proposed. And I'm back in Raleigh, close to my friends again (thank God!). And six months from now, I'll be married to my best friend, teaching at a new school and hopefully living the life I've dreamed about for a very long time. I am so incredibly blessed, I really can't grasp it. I am so happy right now.

Last week I signed my contract and such with Johnston County, so it's official!!! I'll be teaching near Raleigh next year!

Also, apparently someone in Alaska doesn't know what they are talking about, or God is doing some awesome healing. My aunt had some tests run and the cancer is not as advanced as the doc originally thought. It is in several spots in one lung, but is not in the second one and has not spread to her lymph nodes. So, I think the prognosis is a little better now. She's supposed to have a biopsy soon, and hopefully that'll help determine her treatment plan.

Finally, one of my best friend's grandfather is not doing very well. He has been ill for a while, and things are deteriorating rather quickly. Hospice has been called in to help care for him. At this point, I think it is just a matter of time. Please pray for this family. His name is James Cox, or Pa. Please be in prayer for him.