Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Gabe!

Today, I am grateful for my husband, Thanksgiving break, for life, friends, family and God.

Rachel

25

Yes, it's true, I'm getting 'old'. Older than I think anyone ever thought, especially a lot of people in the medical field. Today, I am 25 and so grateful to be so!

I had MANY wonderful birthday presents and there is one today that was in the form of art portfolio review at the college I will (for sure now) be transfering to and attending in the fall. I was secretly looking forward to it.

Early this morning I gathered up an 'artsy outfit', my father and 2 huge portfolios plus a large business-like bag-all full of my artwork and headed off to the reviews. I was feeling confident but still, there's always that doubt in your mind no matter how confident or prepared you may feel. Well, did I do enough? Is it what they are looking for? What do other people have? Maybe I should have done more over spring break...that sort of thing. The voice never leaves any of our heads, it seems.

I went into the review and spread out my paintings, drawings, photographs, sketchbooks, etc. I got along well with the Chair of the Art Department and the professor that were both reviewing. It felt amazing to have them say positive things about my work and get into a nice conversation with each one about various topics. I was assured I was accepted even though they do not usually let people know the day of the interviews. The entire day I have felt like I am floating. The tour of campus, just everything, I sat there and thought this is my future, this feels SO right. Now I just have to get through the last month and a half of my current school and program.

That's the most pensive I'm going to get about my birthday tonight. Do I feel different? Yes, but not because I'm 25 now, it's because I have so many solid things in my future that feel so wonderful and right! This birthday gal is ready for some sleepy-time.

Today, I am grateful for way more than I can type right now.

Love,
Rachel

MRI results

HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY MATTY! I LOVE YOU!!

(even though I don't think you read this ;))

Well...the thoracic spine looked good but we are not sure how the right scapula area looks because the (idiotic-sorry) tech didn't do the scan right! She semi-blew me off yesterday when I told her she was doing it different than the other times. She told me-'You're thin so all your scans will fit on the spinal board'. Well apparently, lady, you were wrong!

The hospital has offered to do the second one for 'free'. Great. Not sure how that's going to work into the next couple weeks with midterms-the day of the MRIs make me feel pretty gross afterwards from the medicine they inject in me. My stomach and body are still achy 24+ hours later! (Plus it's pretty painful for me to lay in the positions that are needed for my scans.) GRR!

So, yeah...I'm a bit frustrated.

The other good news is that my doctor (who is amazing, have I said that enough? ;)) and I agreed to wean me off of the nerve meds-the tiredness and clouded feeling that they have been giving me is definitely not worth the benefits at this point. So that will happen over the next couple of months-Yay! So, if the pains get worse again, I will up the doses of some of my other current medicine.

So good news and unknown news...

Today, I'm grateful for: some good news, a wonderful meeting about the wedding, my brother is 21-HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTY! I LOVE YOU!!, family, friends and God.

Love,
Rach

Followup: Inexpensive Gift Ideas

These are applicable to holidays, birthdays, or a thank you for being a person in my life!

Thank you to those who submitted ideas and I came up with some on my own too...

-Sale section at Anthropologie (normally not a cheap store and i'm not sure about online but when I go into the store, I ALWAYS find something, I even found some awesome fabric to be used in conjunction with the wedding)

-Homemade bookmarks

-Various ideas with small canvases-painting, quotes

-Baked goods/candies/that sort of made-from-the-heart goodness

-A great place for picture frames (esp. smaller ones)-dollar stores

-Dollar Bins when you walk in at Target-have gotten some great stuff!

-Tricia...A great gift is to make bags of epson salt with oil and directions. Package them up pretty.

-Kristin...photo frames with inspiring words on them...either gotten from magazines or painted on...also-homemade ornaments...

-Brandy...suggests this site...http://www.gifts.com/finder for those who are hard to buy for!

That's all for now! If you have more or I forgot someone's please speak up :).

Today, I am thankful for: friends, family and God, finding a great dress for the weekend wedding and the holidays, getting all the holiday shopping done (I think) and the crowds not being too bad, and now a day for resting again-I think this cold/flu has never really left and I feel it coming on again-I hope I'm wrong!!

Love,

Rachel