Free time....finally!

Well folks, it has been a while and I apologize. I can not even being to tell you all the things that has been going on around here. Life itself has it's way of getting in the way! I have been battling with a bit of medical issues.....come to find out after many tests that it is not in fact lymphoma (thank God!) nor do I appear to have any autoimmune disorders but that I have some type of horrible infection that they are choosing to treat with heavy doses of antibiotics. My doctors are also choosing to send me to a special team of doctors in Washington DC with the National Institute of Health, that hopefully will have some insight to this Premature Ovarian Failure that I have. No doctors here in my state are familiar (or even have another patient) with the same condition as me so I am a bit of a marvel. Lucky me! So, despite the hot flashes, pains, nausea, extreme tiredness but plagued with insomnia, I continue on! I really am looking forward to going to meeting the team of doctors. I think they will be leaps and bounds more informative than the ones I am being treated by now. I will keep you all posted on when the trip is once I know more.

On to other more happier topics, I am immensely looking forward to this fall. The month of October is my very favorite of the year! I love everything about it! From the fair, the weather, the decorations, Halloween, and my birthday! I love it all! This year we have two exciting trips coming up in this month and the next. In October, we are taking a trip with my family to Gatlinburg, TN for a long weekend. I am soooooo ready for a vacation! Then, next month we are taking a trip up to PA for Thanksgiving to be with Matt's family! I am ready to see all of our PA family and maybe even get to see a bit of snow! I am planning on running the Turkey Trot the morning of Thanksgiving at Presque Isle on Lake Erie's border so I hope the winter weather won't be too bad. This will be the first race I have ever attempted by myself so say a prayer for me! I am really looking forward to being up there. PA family.....get ready for Anna...she is so much different than when you saw her in January! She is a mobile, talking, energetic bundle of sweetness with a bit of sass thrown in for good measure! She is my source of constant motivation and entertainment. She makes every day wonderful!

On a side note, I am taking another graduate class (yes, I know I said I was finished with school) but opportunities keep cropping up. I am taking a Spanish class at the local technical college. And since I teach in a school that is at least 67% hispanic....I feel obligated and motivated to learn the language. Not to mention I am having a blast learning it. It has become a personal challenge now to see how well I can read and speak it. I find myself listening to the mp3's on the way to work just to add extra vocabulary to my school lessons. Not to mention I have discovered this helps with road rage.....it is a nice distraction from idiot drivers! haha! Anna chatters along with me while I repeat various phrases. Who knows, maybe she will pick some up too! :) I am sure she thinks I am quite funny while watching me from her car seat while I am trying to correct my pronunciation.

Well, I shall call it a day for now. Check out the pics below from a zoo trip a couple weeks ago (yes, I know, I will do better about posting a bit more "promptly").