Halloween Party!

So after last years Halloween when I dressed up as an old man, I said that I was going to have a family Halloween party where everyone had to dress up...well, with the help of my sister, we did it! Before Sarah's party, my whole immediate family came (Andrew was late because he had to take his mom to the hospital) and we laughed during family games and the kids had a blast! My parents came as crayons, the Hefts were a family of gnomes, Scott and Suzy were the wolf and Little Red Riding Hood (can you see his wolf mask in the back?!), Sarah was a nurse and Billy was Shawn from Shawn of the Dead, the kids were a Transformer, Harry Potter, a cheerleader, and Andrew and I were Craig and Ariana (the Spartan Cheerleaders from SNL! We even played the part and did some cheers!) I should be writing my two papers tonight, but instead I thought I'd give you an update on the Life of Laura. :)

I still have a cough that for some reason won't go away, but I'm pretty much 'dried up' for the most part. My family doc said that the hernia should be fine until it starts to bother me, and I get my blood drawn this week to check my white blood cell count again. I've had to wait because I've been sick for so long. Believe it or not, I'm STILL waiting on my TENS UNIT (I will not go to this place anymore, that's for sure!) but meanwhile I've been getting my back pain relief from massages or the chiropractor. My lungs have been treating me better since my inhaler, and cancer is becoming a distant memory. November 4 was a year since I've had a chemo treatment...crazy how time flies.

I've been feeling good lately, the things that are getting me down are the normal things that get everyone down...the stresses of life. But I've learned that without suffering there would be no compassion. Lots of people are going through so much suffering, and showing just a little bit of compassion can go such a long way. Lots of people are on my prayer list this week who are in the hospital...for my mother in law who just spent a week in the hospital (scary for a little bit, but had surgery and will be just fine), for my cousin in law who is in the hospital until she delivers her baby girl (she's only 25 weeks and having complications), for a coworker whos husband has been in for way to long and for my friends who are suffering loss. Lots of prayer time is being filled up this week with people I care about. Which makes me want to thank you all so much again for your prayers for me when I was so sick. You are a huge reason that I came out on top. Thank you for showing me such compassion through my suffering!

On to happier things though! My grad class will be wrapping up soon and this class has certainly challenged me in wondering what I want to do for the rest of my life. My plans for NYC this Christmas is starting to seriously come together...I am more excited than you can imagine! My Monday nights are filled with the Sing-Off with my sis...which reminds me! I think I may try out for a part this year at the Encore Theater! I miss acting and singing and haven't done it since high school! I'm trying to fill up my time with everything that I want to do before children...I'm hoping next year is my year, but we will see! And work, I have been more challenged (and stressed!) this year at work, but Friday I was reminded about why I do this job. If you know any teachers out there, tell them that they are doing a good job, they need to hear it way more than what they do! And vote NO on Issue 2 ;) I'm reminded of my many blessing in life, each night I come home to MY house, cook dinner in MY kitchen, and take a bath in MY bathtub. I have worked hard to have these things in my life. But something I've worked even harder for is MY marriage. I have been so blessed to find a man that loves me for me. The ups and downs. The fact that I get to come home to MY husband reminds me that I have achieved something even far greater than owning a house or having a job...I have received unconditional love from both him and God. And for that, I am surely blessed. What are your blessings?