Happy ONE YEAR Anniversary to me!!!!

Today is my one year anniversary of being cancer free!!!! Whoaaaaa!!!!! The first 2 years are the most important, and I am 50% through that. Praise God for his provision and protection over this past year. What a blessed season I am in now. See the comparison below....

At this very moment one year ago I was throwing up in a bucket at the hospital. My mom was taking care of me as the anesthesia did not take well and I got very sick. I remember everything hurting from surgery and not being able to hold down water. A nurse finally came in with some medicine that knocked me out for the rest of the night.

Tonight, however, I am safely tucked in bed, having just said goodnight to my fiance a few minutes ago on the phone. I got to enjoy a day outside in the beautiful sunshine and had no worries what-so-ever. I have no job stress (b/c I don't have a job), I'm getting paid by the goverment to search the non-existant job market, and my wedding plans have become smooth sailing. One of my best friends, Ashley, moved closer to Dallas today. I am currently brainstorming my plans for starting my own business. I am purging my junk for a garage sale (which feels so good)! And most importantly in just 72 days I'm getting married!

I would say that year 2009 is already looking significately better than 2008!

Thank you, Jesus, for one year of great health!!!!! Please say a prayer real quick that God would continue to show grace on my life and keep me healthy for another year.

It's been one year...

One year ago today I had just met the man that I am now going to marry. I was also awaiting my first surgery and had no clue that I had cancer. It is amazing to look at the past year and see what God has done. He calmed a ridiculously crazy storm on an ocean that now lies in peace and beauty. God truly loves on us in the valley and delights with us on our hilltops.

My 10 month check up was this past week and praise the Lord it was all clear! There was a tremendous amount of anxiety over these scans. I trust the Lord, but did he know that I have a wedding coming up? I was very anxious to hear that all was good and that Jonathan and I could move forward with our marriage plans without interruption. I usually prepare my heart for the worst, so it took a few days for the good news to become reality and for me to be extremely grateful for God’s continued healing. Thank you Jesus!!

Jonathan and I are having so much fun being engaged and planning our wedding. We are reading a great book called “Before you plan your wedding, plan your marriage.” I would definitely recommend it to all engaged couples! It has some great advice on communication and conflict resolution. “Sacred Marriage,” is also a very good one that we’ve been reading. God has been moving our hearts closer to one another and it is so beautiful! I fall more and more in love with his heart and his character each day. Jonathan’s love for me is amazing – it reminds me of how God constantly pursues my heart.

2 Months and 21 days until our marriage! I could not be more excited and grateful. What a blessing (and a challenge)! Marriage is going to be a lot of work, but we are prepared and excited for the journey.

Another news update is that I lost my job about 1 ½ months ago. My company did layoffs of 11 employees and unfortunately (and fortunately) I was one of them. It was pretty bad timing, but I’m very excited about moving on to something different. I know that God has new plans for my career and I’m anxious to see what they are. If you know of any cool jobs, let me know!

Here are a few of our engagement photos, enjoy!!