right now.

hey all. I haven't forgotten about this blog. life is really hard right now. physically. and of course that wears on you emotionally and mentally. We went to a new Dr. a few weeks ago and they helped us pull all my symptoms together and the cause is my messed up digestive/immune system. so I'm taking supplements and on a low carb/no dairy(in addition to being gluten and nut free) diet. I'm still feeling awful though. we are thinking its either my body detoxing or i'm allergic to one of the supplements. we are going to talk to the dr. tomorrow and see what they think.
its hard to keep going everyday. extremely hard. i'm discouraged and exhausted. God is faithful and full of love and strength which I rely on to get me through the next minute. There are happy moments....spending time with friends, my dad bringing home Redbox movies for me and sweet notes sent with chocolate. But like the Eleventh Doctor said, the good piles don't soften the bad piles very much. but they still count.
Also, I repeat Joshua 1:9 all day and night.
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you may go."

There it is. Straight from Christ. Do not be discouraged. Be strong. The Creator of the universe has got my back. and He has yours too.

love,
marissa

p.s. a shout out to my new readers and followers! thank you :)

October.

starting from the top left and going around clockwise. 

*I haven't worked out in a few weeks and wanted to start again but lacked motivation but when I(my mom) bought these 2 new workout tops at ON earlier today, I'm feeling inspired! Nothing like new clothes to kick yourself back into gear :) 

* a really encouraging sign above the scale at my friend's house. YOUR WEIGHT DOES NOT DEFINE YOU. 

* rewatching Downton Abbey. Sybil and Branson are just...yeah. 

* I love my momma <3 i="i" nbsp="nbsp">

* Love Light's 'Cactus in the Valley' lyrics 

* healthy breakfast start to the October month! 

* fall leaves 

* we had lots of rain last week and after a shower, I went out and took some pictures. 

* sunset 

* GF donut love 

* Go Packers! I havent' been able to watch any games but you can be sure I stay in the know ;) 

* fall colors 

Happy October y'all! Its hard to believe its October and officially fall. Oh fall, its my favorite season. Its just perfect. I'm especially loving it because we are having such a much more colorful and fallish-fall than last year where it just rained and the leaves were brown before they fell from the tree. The photo in the center of the collage is my absolute favorite instagram I've taken and I'm in love with it. I took it this morning when my family and I stopped at some beautiful trees to take pictures while out running errands.

Update on my momma: She is doing a lot better compared to when she first hurt herself, but still is sore and can't do much. She will have physical therapy for 4 weeks starting Monday.

Update on me: I have an appointment with a food allergy specialist on the 16th because this new doctor I went to last week said that there's not reason why I should have so many allergies/intolerances. now I'm having nutrition deficiency. She also said that I most likely have a germ/disease in my gut that needs to be healed. We are praying hard that this specialist has some answers and can help me feel better. In the mean time, I feel tired, more than sleep can cover and have a hard time dealing with all the emotions. but I'm so thankful for what i have and I'm reminded daily of how Christ loves me and he is so much stronger than life and its struggles. remember that always friends, don't stop fighting. You are loved by the most awesome God and its even okay to not be okay but never quit.

with that said here's some of my goals for this week and month:

week: 

-workout 3 times. Including running, yoga and try a new workout.
-respond to the personal emails that have been sitting in my inbox for *a while*
-eat the best I can.
-track food and exercises on Livestrong
-practice a good night time routine (see month goals)

month: 

-workout at least twice a week(hopefully with mom getting better I'll have more time for working out)
-try going to youth group (I've had trouble fitting in my youth group at church during the past year so I stopped going and starting serving in nursery and participated in a bible study. well this year, I've been in contact with my small group leaders and such and i feel like i should try it out.)
-be positive
-pray more
-practice a good night time routine: computer/iphone off around 8/9, tv show/reading till 10:30. then sleep.


what are your goals for this October? its never too late! :)

your friend, 
marissa

mama and currently

if you stalk follow me on twitter, instagram or facebook then you know what happened to my mom/family on monday. short story: my mom herniated a disc in her back around 7am. thankfully my dad was still home and was able to be with her and call the squad. it was a rough morning to say the least. mom has a dr. appt on friday to see if she needs surgery or if physical therapy will heal it. Right now, mom is confined to bed/couch and can't lift more than 2 lbs. Its going to be a long few weeks but we''ll make it! We are so thankful for friends and family who have been praying and helping with my siblings, rides and meals.

Loving: this is going to be original: the fall weather. hoodie weather. boot weather. tea and coffee dates.  sweatpants. cold mornings.

Reading: I read this last night and it was so encouraging: Ephesians 3:14-19

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Watching: Downton Abbey baby. I'm rewatching it and I'm in Season 2. that show is so.good. like its gorgeous good.

Anticipating: the 3rd Doctor Who episode this saturday.

Listening to: rain steadily falling outside and this.

Planning: to do my writing paper in a few mins and watch Downton Abbey later tonight ;)

Working on: relying on God for strength and my anchor.

Wishing: that I didn't feel so bad.

well there's my first post here on the new blog! I hope you all are having a great week!

--Marissa

whispers of a well lit way.

My little corner of the blog world here has been revamped. The title are lyrics from Brooke Fraser's song 'Shadowfeet'. Its a song that has touched my heart and soul in a unique way for the past few years.

There’s distraction buzzing in my headSaying in the shadows it’s easier to stayBut I’ve heard rumors of true realityWhispers of a well-lit way
I've outgrown 'Samarah's Sayings' and I'm blogging about different things. To be blunt, life has a lot gotten harder since I started blogging and I want to write about it more than I have been. The hardest struggle right now in my life is my health. The everyday not feeling well for almost 5 years now. I'm overall exhausted of it and it effects everything I do or try to do. Then my food allergies, the food that I can eat is so limited and I get so discouraged. Keeping up with my junior year schoolwork is very challenging. God's grace and my family and friends get me through each day. Some days are better than others(my "good" days) and I do love my life and I'm blessed. This quote by the Eleventh Doctor sums it up,  "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and... bad things. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant."The new title describes me better where I'm at in life right now and hopefully gives a fresh real different but good feel to my blog. I want to post more personal pictures and write more about my daily life and feelings.The feelings of striving to find that well-lit way. I may even get a little poetic! But I definitely won't forget updates about my latest favorite tv show or fangirl craze ;) Also, along with throwing out Tumblr Thursday, I'm throwing out the name "Samarah" It was a name for the blog world, made up from all 3 of my given names when I first started blogging. I'm now going to go by my real name which is Marissa. Most of you know that either from knowing me in person, twitter or pinterest. anywho....
As for my readers and followers, thank you so much for reading/commenting and sticking with me during my 'Samarah's Sayings' years :) I hope you continue to with the new name and desire! 
love,marissa 

being present and some kinda really awesome things that are happening soon.

so as you can probably tell I'm not blogging as regularly as I used to. I have no excuses for this. I'm just not blogging as much. I still love it and love you all but I now I blog when I feel like it and have something to write about. No pressure whatsoever. I saw this quote the other day, "don't just instagram your life, live it." I've been practicing being present in the moment. that means no computer or phone while watching a movie with someone else. leaving my phone and computer in my room in the evenings when my dad is home. etc etc. now i LOVE my electronics especially now that i have an iPhone but I've got to remember to balance. in addition life is getting pretty busy, good busy though.

now for the kinda really awesome things that are happening soon: 

who is ready for the Olympics?! I SURELY AM. And they're in LONDON. that means hearing British accents and seeing that beautiful place for 2 weeks straight. God Bless America and the wonderful UK.  

I'm taking the test to get my drivers permit in 5 days. I'm really not that nervous surprisingly. hopefully I'll stay this way till after I take the test! ;) Everyone has said as long as i study I'll do fine. 

In 8 days I'm going to spend a week with some of my very favorite people, my friend Sarahlynn, her family and another friend who lives here. Yeah, a whole week. with 3 of my favorite teenage friends. I really cannot wait. We are going to see The Dark Knight Rises together, its going to be epic. 

fourthly, I'm assistant coaching my little brothers team with my mom. this will be an adventure. it will be the first soccer season I won't be playing and now I'll be teaching 7 and 8 year old boys :o) 

so basically at the end of the week I spend with my friends, my summer is over. but oh well... this is life ;) 

how is your summer? are you excited for the Olympics?! 

eat.sleep.ice.tumblr.

this picture makes me smile. one of the little girls i watch. the adorableness doesn't stop.

that's been my saturday. then add my little brother falling outside off the tree house and having to go to the ER at 10 this morning. (he's okay but his face is swollen and bruised.) I have an awful awful awful sinus headache. there's so much pressure pushing on all sides and its overwhelming. My mom is currently at good ole' wally world getting some medicine for me that will hopefully help. I thought i'd write a blog post to help keep my mind off the pain.

--I saw Snow White and The Huntsman last sunday. it was pretty good. more thoughts on that later.

--while we are talking movies, my dad and i watched The Prestige the other night. whoa. SO GOOD. I loved it. I was kinda lost the first 45 mins but I caught on quickly. PLUS it had Christian Bale(Batman), Scarlett Johansson (The Black Widow), Hugh Jackman(Wolverine), Michael Caine(Alfred, Batman's butler) and Andy Serkis(Gollum in LoTR) so an awesome cast. I highly recommend it.

--remember when shared that i had lost a bunch of weight last summerish? welp, i've recently slacked on keeping it off and i've gained more than half of it back :/ yes, i'm a bit discouraged but I'm choosing to be motivated and not let it get to my head. i know i can get it back off and keep it off. it takes dedication and discipline. i've upped my workouts. for instance, last night I did an 1 hour of yoga and then ran a mile. i had to push myself so hard to run that mile straight, its been a while since i've ran but man, that felt SO good. I felt SO refreshed and energized and my headache was gone(or i didn't think about it)...for about 20 mins then I started feeling bad again. but it was worth it. and i think of how i felt with those pounds lost, that's motivating. I keep reminding myself that my weight does not define me. and it doesn't define YOU either. there are NO excuses when it comes to eating healthy and working out. absolutely none. i did that workout last night even though i had a terrible headache and had an extremely long day. make good choices everyday. you can do it!

--can this kitchen be mine? puhleeze.

i can't think of anything else to say. except I'm loving this set of gifs. don't know why.

i hope you are having a fabulous weekend <3

{its the little things}

I'm linking up with Lindsay at Hello Hue for "Its the Little Things"






The past few weeks have been really long and a bit hard for me personally and this week, I was kinda at the end of my rope. I was reminded to focus on the little things. the little blessings that get me through each day and turn out to be some of the best things ever and make life worth it.

--facetiming my dear friend who lives 8 hours away and talking for hours about anything and everything and laughing TONS. 

--learning that Christian Bale(aka Batman) is Welsh and therefore has a legit accent.


--getting the very last Dove dark chocolate bar on the shelf at Walmart.


--finding this book for $1 at our homeschool group book sale last night. i've already started reading it and its really good so far.

--fangirling lots on monday night with 3 good friends. we watched Spiderman 1&2 and Love's Enduring Promise. yah, I fancy James Franco's and Willie's faces. just keepin' real.


--talking to this girl, who is such an encouragement and bright spot in my day.


--rediscovering MacGyver. he never goes out of style. for realz.


--baby snuggles

what little things have blessed you this week?

currently.

currently I am crashed on the couch from an awful headache that i've had since thursday. but yesterday evening and today it really ramped up. i stayed home from church this am and slept/watched The Two Towers in bed. then i dropped my computer from the top bunk but lets not talk about that.   lets talk about the lord of the rings for a moment. more specifically Aragorn. why is he so legit? im dead serious. every time i watch the movies im more baffled by it. He's just SO. SO. YOU KNOW. if you've watched the movies and/or read the books then you know and if you haven't, I don't know what to say. only that you're missing out on the one of THE most epic trilogies ever.

end thought: I need a ranger in my life asap.

 im currently thinking about how can it be June already, that bottle of cream soda in the fridge and the fact that I saw The Avengers for the 2nd time yesterday. ITS JUST AS AWESOME SO GO SEE IT AGAIN. NOW. and how to balance different things in life. yah, i've got all kinds of random thoughts in my head people. welcome to my brain. enter at your own risk.

im currently feeling extremely thankful for the friends I have. and for new friends. looking forward to getting my laptop case in the mail this week and excited about the fact that i pre ordered my copy of The Hunger Games on amazon! {eekkkk}. also, feeling a bit overwhelmed/frustrated/stressed about school. I need to get my books finished by the August if I want August off. but my health{i.e. headaches} have been making that very hard. praying that i will find ways to override the pain or that it would go away.

im currently listening to this and this. and this. and this.

to wrap this post up, lets go back to fangirl me for a moment. one sentence and one picture.
Loki is one of my TOP favorite characters. okay, two sentences. and yes, because its Tom Hiddleston.

I shall leave you now, with that smile to go chat some more with Sky and finish The Two Towers and figure out what to do with myself and this headache.

happy sunday! <3

tumblr thursday vol. 14. short and sweet edition

because of this week being very long and tiring, mentally and physically I shall just post this:

because its awesome and relevant. 

Happy Thorsday 

{taken from tumblr} 

this is it. {tumblr thursday vol. 12}

happy thursday peoples! its beautiful outside...its warm and sunny. and i actually had a good morning! meaning I didn't have to threaten myself to get myself out of bed this morning and i didn't hit any snooze buttons. thats big, you guys. and im actually feeling good! my headache is at its minium today which is a praise, praying it stays that way! but the whole getting out of bed with no fuss this morning could totally be because TODAY IS ONE OF "THE DAYS". its marathon day! and tomorrow...I can't even. you guys, I can't even. the end.

here are my tumblr favorites:

reminding myself of this daily...

“Cause this is not about what you’ve done

But what’s been done for you

This is not about where you’ve been

But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel

But what He felt to forgive you”

-You Are More by Tenth Avenue North 

in love with this photo. <3 they are the bestest dogs. 

starting watch BBC Merlin this week! I'm almost done season 1 and really liking it! ;) 

<3 

love.

my current feelings about the fact that THESE ARE "THE DAYS"

im off to go do stuffs. I hope you all have a wonderful day! 

<333 

I'm sososososo thankful for my friends. yes, YOU ALL. you know who you are. thank you for laughing with me(and at me ;) and sharing my burdens and praying for me. yesterday i was reading some old comments on here and i was reminded of how supportive the blogger community and peoples can be! you all are so encouraging and sweet. my friends have been such a blessing to me this week. they've reminded me of things that I already knew but i needed said to my face. i was also reminded of how nice it feels to talk to someone and have them know exactly what you are talking about and understand. and i've never even met them face to face. it baffles me that people i've never met  are willing to pray for me and walk with me. its so awesome. God is awesome. you all are legit. the end.

❝ FRIENDSHIP IS BORN AT THAT MOMENT WHEN ONE PERSON SAYS TO ANOTHER, “WHAT! YOU TOO? I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE. ❞

—

C.S. Lewis

redefining.

i'm in a starting over mood. where i make lists and goals because i'm tired/frustrated with the way i've been and doing things. take my eating/working over the past 2 weeks. i haven't been doing the best. and I'm seeing/feeling the results so I'm making a list of goals to strive to reach in order to be my best. then take my blog, i feel a bit blah about it. haha ;) I can't seem to find a blog template,design or look that feels right. that is me. I'm lacking inspiration about what to post and when i sit down to write it--nothing. (i seem to find the words in my head but getting them into a post is another thing) then i start thinking about me and this blog. i feel like i've gotten a bit lost in all the tumblr posts and such. i almost need to re-define myself and refocus. who am i? why am i blogging? what is the goal of my blogging? 

who am i? i'm a daughter of Christ. He died on the cross for ME. to save ME from my sins. to give ME salvation and experience His everlasting love for ME. I can't' get over that. He is the reason I breathe and live. I strive to love Him more and more each day and serve Him. 

I have some of the most awesomest parents ever and best little siblings ever(I have a little sister and  little brother). and don't' get me started about my friends. THE BEST EVA. the end. amen. 

I'm a highschooler who is homeschooled. no I do not stay in my pajamas all day everyday and YES I am socialized and can handle myself in public. 

I babysit regularly and love it. love those little people. 

I am real and say it like it is. no playing around. 

I've been struggling with my health for about 4 years now(i think..i've lost count). I've had constant  headaches, fatigue, body aches, ear aches sinus infections etc etc etc and am just now getting to the bottom of it all. we've discovered that i have many food allergies including gluten, diary, nuts and sugar. now i really only battle with headaches, tiredness and sinus infections now. It is difficult to get school done, many days I am frustrated and hardly get any done. and many days I'm so tired and frustrated and stressed from . I try to take one day at a time. 

After I graduate I want to travel. destinations? Switzerland and New Zealand. 

I'm addicted to tumblr. its sad but true. 

Its the little things that make me happy. like nights spent watching Monk or Numb3rs with my mom. a sweet text from a friend. a certain post on tumblr. tweets from friends. finding a favorite movie for under $10. gluten free doughnuts. 

I have a huge fangirl heart. I don't think i really knew it though till i joined tumblr. but i'm not one of those fangirls that do whole shrill fangirl scream or gush openly and so on. I try to keep my open obsessing in moderation and to my closest friends ;) although when I was watching The Avengers Premiere and the whole cast was lined up at the end, i about lost it right in my living room. Kylie is a witness. my current loves? The Hunger Games(*ahem* josh hutcherson) and The Avengers. Go here for my tumblr. 

I dislike my hair. thick, wavy, frizzy. yeah. 

I LOVE to laugh, love funny people and have a good sense of humor.

I have next to no patience. sorry world, I'm working on it. 

I enjoy reading, the color teal and kettle corn popcorn. 

why am i blogging/what is the goal of my blogging?

I've been thinking about this one for a week or so now. (yes i've been thinking about this post for a week. does anyone else "write" out the post in your head before you actually write it?) Why do I blog? what am i hoping to achieve? I think I have 75% of the answer. to know that I'm not alone. to know that i'm not the only one who has a weakness for soundtracks, struggles with working out or health issues. whatever you or I are dealing with, there's almost always someone who is in the same boat. and blogging helps you notice that. its a comfort knowing that you are not alone. You can be yourself and express yourself and feelings in different ways and find people who are feeling just like you and who inspire and encourage you. you can share your life and find new friends. plus its a stress reliever, for me especially. I met Sky through blogging and twitter. and my goodness, what a blessing she is. she is seriously one of my dearest and closest friends. we struggle with some of the same things and i've found out, again how nice it is to know that you are not alone. i believe thats why i blog; because its fun and to share my thoughts and life and meet people who share them! my goal: to inspire and encourage others. and hopefully encourage myself and see myself grow in Christ and as a person.

You don't have to feel like a wasted space

You're original, cannot be replaced

--a redefined Samarah

{all photos from my tumblr} 

saturday randoms {well now its sunday}

I didn't finish this post on saturday, SO. just pretend its saturday when you're reading this and we'll be good.

 

obviously i didn't do tumblr Thursday or Friday favorites. fail. that was due to the fact that i wasn't feeling well{big surprise i know} and that if i did feel well i worked on school and then if i did get to blog i wanted to post about a certain song AND our Internet and phone went out yesterday around 3pm. thankfully it was fixed earlier this am around 9am. i didn't realize just how much i use the Internet! but i/we survived. mom mentioned to dad that we felt a bit Amish though ;) hehe.

anywho, here I am. i'm not going to catch up on tumblr thursday or friday favorites though. this post is going to be some random thoughts of mine ;)
First of all, I'm loving this song. loving.

I love the way You love like no other
It's got nothing to do with anything that I do
Time and time again You forgive me
So this time I choose to stay here with You

i desire to be able to not get over Jesus.

Tirzah Photography

--Have you all heard of/been to the blog Boho Baby Bump? no you haven't? well get over there right now. Its a lovely blog by a beautiful momma who loves her sweet family and Jesus, has fabulous taste in style and has such an inspiring outlook and love on life. On wednesday she posted a super sweet video announcing the news that she is pregnant! {read this post and you'll see why this pregnancy is extra special.} I'm SO excited for them! :) 

--I'm showing signs of the fact that I'm watching lots of Monk and Numb3rs episodes. Like the other day my mom said something about Asia maps and i thought she said "Agent Eppes is coming." yeahh and then my mom and I are just taking on some of Monk's traits. such as opening public doors with our sleeves randomly or straightening out signs{my mom was walking by a counter at the library and she fixed a crooked display.} its NOT obsessive and most of the time we do it out of fun but sometimes we do things that Monk would do without even thinking.

--a tweet from Thursday: confession-- i just drooled on my algebra paper. i was looking at pictures of Thor on tumblr. mmhm. ~i have no words.




-- When did it become FEBRUARY? really. my birthday is at the end of this month. and i actually get a real birthday! and i ordered my dad a birthday gift and i *may* of ordered a birthday gift from me to me also ;)

--please read this post- "How does a bar of soap rescue a Child?" Its about the Superbowl and human trafficking. the numbers and statistics are shocking and terrible. we must pray and help raise awareness. {read my post about this from last year here}

i hope you all are having a great weekend!

much love♥

2012.

its 2012. whoa. I really can't believe it.

When I look back at 2011 I see pain, frustration, growing, the love of family and friends, little things that I love, God's strength and grace and my realization that this is my journey, my life that God has given me. I am called to serve and love Him right where I am.
I have met some of the most sweetest girls who have become friends through this blog and through twitter. Some of them are going through similar things as I am and we've been able to encourage and strengthen one another. I'm so thankful for them. they are amazing. 


Here's a little look back on 2011:

having one of the best twitter conversations late at night on birthday with the lovelies Kinsey and Sky.

We discovered I have several allergies/intolerance's and I officially became gluten free and nut free and all the other kinds of free.


I played my last season of soccer.


spent one of the best 2 weeks of my life with Sarahlynn.


really got serious about working out and taking charge. I lost 20+ lbs. my official goal wasn't to lose weight but to tone so i was surprised! I'll take it ;) 

discovered I really enjoy superhero movies  


Thor came out.


My mom went to India. {look out for photos!}

went to the amazing Make a Difference Tour


aspirations for 2012:

My only resolution is having deeper intimacy with Jesus. All other goals/resolutions flow from there. -Lecrae's twitter

to try my best to have a positive and fresh outlook on things. especially when it comes to my health. take more photos. to have more grace and patience. to love people unconditionally. enjoy the little things. make wise choices even in the small things. don't sweat the small things. practice healthy habits. give Christ my all.

{now i know all that is not going to happen over night and I will have days when i say "what in the world was I thinking? i can't do that. but they are aspirations--A hope or ambition of achieving something-- so I will live day to day. striving to do my best. and there will be some days when I am bummed about my health and such but that's when I remember these verses and drink lots of tea and watch Monk}

here's some things I'm looking forward to this year--

--the Avengers movie coming out in May!! so excited.

--Getting to see Sarahlynn and her family in the summer. CANNOT WAIT.

--the Dark Knight Rises coming out in the summer

--continuing to save up for a laptop 

--the OLYMPICS
--leap year

what are some of your goals? what are you looking forward to this year?? :]

 

♥Samarah

He came like a winter snow

from Pinterest

Could’ve come like a mighty storm
with all the strength of a hurricane
You could’ve come like a forest fire
with the power of heaven in your flame

 

But He didn't. He came as a babe born to a virgin to save the world from their sins and really themselves. God sent his very own son to this earth to live a pure life, die a horrible death and rise again for US. So that we may have a chance at truly living and discovering and serving an amazing God. To see His glory and that its all about Him. The Creator of the Universe and the Son of God and how did he come to earth? As a baby. born in a stable. It was gentle and quiet yet so powerful and life changing. 

 

But you came like a winter snow
quiet and soft and slow
Falling from the sky in the night
to the earth below

 {Winter Snow by Audrey Assad}

 

That is the most amazing event to ever happen. And it is the reason why we celebrate Christmas. To remember just how much we are loved and how that saving grace came to earth. Those who have put our trust in Him have new life and serve an awesome and outstanding God who gives meaning to life!

 

Isaiah 9:6

(NIV)

⁶ For to us a child is born,
   to us a son is given,
   and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

from the Nativity Story. awesome and moving film portraying the story and events surrounding Christ' Birth.

 I hope you have a wonderful day! Mine will be spent my family, eating yummy food, opening presents and remembering the most precious, quiet yet powerful gift of all. 

much love♥

Christmas musings.

I hope you all are having a great week! :) I've got a lot I wanna post about but I haven't gotten around to it. Partly because I've had a really bad headache for 3+ weeks and it kept getting worse everyday. On Tuesday I went to the hospital to get an infusion to relieve me of the pain. {remember last year around this time?}I really dislike hospitals. really. the end. But the IV treatment did help, it lowered my pain down to a 1 or 2 which was good because my pain was a 7 or 8. Unfortunately I still have a headache most of the time it is dull and not as painful as a 7 or 8. I'm really doing and trying everything I could be doing to help keep away the headaches. I'm doing medication, natural remedies, getting rest, eating right etc. Right now I'm just taking one day at a time and trying to keep the headache under control. I'm drinking a lot of tea(especially peppermint!) and water, using oils and such. AND I'm also practicing good habits. I'm changing my night time routine, computer use and little things like that. more on that later! Anywho....

I seriously cannot believe its almost Christmas! Like in 3 days almost! Goodness gracious time is flying! And lets not even talk about 2012!! seriously? 2011 was a blurrrr. but it was long at the same time. haha ;)
I don't know about you but I haven't really been feeling the Christmas "spirit" this year as much as past years. i mean I'm enjoying it but I'm not "into" it like I've been before. Maybe its because I've been sick for most of it. OR maybe its because we have NO SNOW. none what so ever. Last year we didn't have any snow for Christmas and then in Jan. we had tons! :3 Snow just puts me in a good mood. If you have any extra snow please send some my way! But as the end of the week draws near and Christmas Eve and Day gets closer I'm getting more excited :)
I have been thinking about the true story and meaning of Christmas. We watched the Nativity Story the other day and I was reminded just how amazing that event was. How amazing Christ is. Christmas is the time when we celebrate that very special gift of salvation and love that was given to us.

Are you enjoying your Christmas break? I am but it doesn't really feel "different" because I wasn't able to do much school anyways with my headache but I am glad that even if i feel well enough to do it I don't have to! hehe ;]

Today I'm babysitting for a bit then my mom and siblings are gonna run some errands. Tomorrow we have a boat load of extra kids (okay 3 but still...) and then weekend! We will go see my dad's family on Christmas Eve and then Sunday we are going to the Christmas service at Church then coming back home, getting in to pjs again, opening presents, and eating yummy food and relaxing. yep sounds nice to me ;) What are your plans for the rest of the week?

much love♥