Holy Goodness!

Where in the WORLD (is Carmen San Diego!) has the past month+ gone?? Oh my word, I never intended to take that kind of a blog-slacker-"vacation", but it happened.

I'm officially a bad blogger (not that I was all that fantastic to begin with, if I'm being honest... but hey - it's my blog, so we'll just go with it, mmkay?). Really, though - what happened to me??

Oh THAT's right. Work got completely nuts, on me... as did my schedule outside of work... and then there's that marriage of mine that I'm trying to maintain... and a house to at least attempt to keep up with (which I'm not all that fantastic with due to the other bazillions of things). Mix it all up, and what do we have? A pretty good excuse for skipping out on the not-so-necessary stuff, like blogging.

Well, needless to say - a lot has been going on. Unfortunately, I can't write about a lot of it because, even though this is my blog and it's for my personal babbling, it's not really all that personal. And as much as I love being honest and up front, I'm not really one of those people that can put something out there, knowing it could hurt some one's feelings if they read it. So we'll be keeping a whole lot of stuff off the blog, BUT I will give you some good stuff to hopefully make up for it.

So where have we been - Ah yes. Christmas vacation happened - it was fabulous! But of course was over way too quickly. There was some confusion in our return date and we ended up staying a day longer than we all originally thought, but ah well. It was much needed (we were already packed up and got to purely relax the next day... ha ha!) and much enjoyed. I really enjoy getting to spend time with McStudly's family and look forward to his mother hopefully coming to visit us again sometime soon (woot woot!). :-)

Then there was New Years. The FIRST New Years Eve that McStudly and I could finally spend together... and we didn't. :-/ I was bummed, but ah well. I guess I'll get over it. He went to a party with our Young Adults group at church, and I helped out with the Youth event (which was awesome, btw) at church. I was POOPED afterwards... ask any of the other leaders. It was nothing but evident on my face. I am SO glad our Youth pastor doesn't do lock-ins or all-nighters. (Plus, I just realized that I may officially be an "old fogey", now, with that statement... Nice!)

Birthdays! Mine wasn't super fantastic, but it wasn't horrible. I actually had a great time going out to dinner with some ladies from church. It was nice! Just a couple ladies that I enjoy being around and some food that I love Love LOVE! So, good times. McStudly's birthday was pretty uneventful... well, there was a football game and some guy time while I hung out with a pal, and then we went out the next day (thanks to a nice and needed holiday from work) to celebrate together, just the two of us. Good times, again!

Let's see... what else is there...

Ah yes - the Clinic! Remember way back in THESE posts when I said I was going to train to be a volunteer counselor for a Pregnancy Clinic? Well, I did. And I am. It's a pretty long process, but I am LOVING it!! I'm not almost up to week 5 of my internship. There's SO much to learn, but thankfully I have an amazing Senior Counselor that I'm shadowing. She really is great. I'm learning SO much and with every session that I observe and even the ones we just discuss, I get more and more excited about the work we're doing. And I'm seriously amazed with how much information I'm picking up and absorbing. *sigh* It's really great.

Well, I can't think of much else to catch you up on, currently. Wait - that was a lie. I have plenty, but to be honest, I'm tired and have quite the headache. Not a fun combination, especially when you and your husband have an agreement to go to bed together and he's in the middle of a very intense (as opposed to...??) video game online. I do have some things I'd like to think out and type up to clarify, but I don't think it's going to happen right now. Perhaps being snowed in will give me the chance to do a bit more of that?

...then again I have a LOT that I could be getting done around the house...

...nah!

It Came and Went

Yesterday was my birthday!! :-)

I was planning to blog, but I didn't get the chance. I was super busy at work and then had plans in the evening, so... it just didn't happen.

And I'm still swamped at work today! This is the week that just won't let me relax!! Oy!


I'll catch up with you guys, I promise!! I still have Christmas pictures and such to post. I'm way behind!




Forgive me?!

Provision

It's been a great year... and I've been blog-M.I.A. for most of it (yeah. Sorry about that!), but it's been great, nonetheless.

With so much that's happened this year, I can't help but see God's hand and provision in our lives. Even through that crazy chaotic man-made house flood of ours, we received new carpet throughout the house, tiling in the bathroom (which we would've had to pay for ourselves), fresh new paint in various rooms... we couldn't have PLANNED that!

When McStudly was diagnosed with Crohns' disease, even after several hospital stays and medical appointments... countless pills and medicine trials... we hardly payed a dime for any of it (I actually don't think that we payed anything for any of it). We had amazing medical coverage through the military, fabulous doctors and facilities in our local area, understanding bosses and co-workers that covered for us, supportive family that checked in on us, and fabulous friends that helped make sure we felt loved and were taken care of. We couldn't have ASKED for anything better!

Even in our finances I can see him working. When bills came in higher than planned for (like when the electric company WAY overestimated our charges: think 8 months worth of bill credits) and life just... happened - cracked windshields, a sick dog, and home makeover mishaps (plenty of those in this house) - we were covered.

Just this month, Austin had quite a few dollars spent on vet bills... and by quite a few I mean the total is now over $1.2k on something as simple as ringworm (PS: much more serious on dogs, than humans, fyi). Somehow we were able to pay for (not charge) his vet bills the first time around... don't ask me how! But I thought for sure that there would be no way we could do it again. And I was right - we could not. But with God, all things are possible - and we are able to do it again. The vet said he needs one more round of meds to be sure it doesn't come back, and "somehow" we have the extra money to pay for that and his boarding expenses. I noticed last week, after doing some quick budget math (am I the only one that keeps a spreadsheet for each month that details how much goes to which bills for each paycheck, how much into savings, how much for spending, etc? Okay... call me precise and just shy of obsessive, but it works.) that we had about an extra $1k in savings that I couldn't really account for. Every bill is payed and already pulled up to date. There are no pending checks, and no pending withdrawals. We had planned to use the extra money to pay off our credit card, but when Austin needed vet visits, I knew it would be going towards that instead. But here's the cool part: we somehow didn't spend much (hardly any) of our allotted spending money over vacation... That's about $150 that we didn't use. And $269 just came in the mail as a reimbursement from our first round of vet bills (have I mentioned that I absolutely LOVE having pet insurance? Cause I do.) which I had totally forgotten about.

That's a total of: $419.00 that I had no way of accounting for beforehand. It was like surprise money... bonus cash.

So when I went to pick up Austin this morning from the vet's office, where he was boarding and had been re-checked by the vet, guess how much I had to pay?!


*drumroll please*


That would be a total of $406.68!



Isn't that amazing?! Not only are the vet bills covered out of pocket without even remotely affecting our regular monthly budget and bills, but we can also afford to pay off our credit card, now, with the extra money I "found" in savings.

Because we have been faithful to him in our finances and tithing, God has blessed us more than we could even IMAGINE through our finances.




As 2009 comes to a close, this evening, I look back and can see how God has blessed us way beyond what we could ever have planned, asked or imagined.




With this kind of provision from a truly wonderful, loving God that cares enough about me to even notice and cover the "little" things in life, I can't help but feel a peaceful confidence over whatever will be thrown our way in 2010.

May God continue to bless and care for you and yours, and may you be able to someday look back and see his hand in everything.





Happy New Year!

Just a quickie

Okay - I don't have time to update much, right now, but hopefully I can fill in some blanks on Monday, for you. Last Friday was McStudly's squadron party, and a buddy of his won a free limo ride to and from the Naitonal Christmas tree. So that's where we're going tonight, and it should be pretty cool... and by cool I mean FREEZING!!!

Last night I finished my final night of training with the Pregnancy Clinic. I move on to my internship and then go forward from there. SOOOO excited! And I've got LOADS to tell you about all of that training, etc. Can't wait to fill you in!

And last, but definitely not least, we get to visit with McStudly's family in the next month or so. We're REALLY looking forward to that, except for the fact that it's already been FREEZING!!! it was in the single digits here, last night, and even colder where they are. YUCK!


So... I'll try to give you more deets on all of that next week, but for now I gotta go get ready for a fun evening, followed by a jam-packed couple of weeks.




Gotta love the Holidays, eh?!

SURPRISE!!

This just makes me giggle everytime... minus the weirdo that;s talking at the end. :-D

Putting My Foot Down

Okay - so I'm overwhelmed, right now. There's a lot going on at once and I'm going to have to put a stop to some things.

I tend to get pretty close tot he "too much at once" line. It's part of who I am. I don't know why I do it, but I do. So when other people start kind've pushing me closer and closer, I'm pretty understanding at first. I mean... they don't know everything I'm doing. They see their small snippet and think that's it. I do the same thing to others, I'm sure.

After all, you never really know what's going on in someone's heart and life. It's not like they walk around with their schedule and emotional status pinned on their sleeves... I hope...

But I'm at the point where the pushing is getting old. Look - I've given you more than I probably should have to begin with, but that's it. That's what you get, take it or leave it.


This probably sounds uber confusing to most of you. But this is my main source of venting, and it's been WAY too long since I've unleashed some frustration that I've been holding in. Forgive me for not explaining everything, but it'll probably just be even more confusing. Try to bear with me.


I just can't take it anymore. I can handle pushing and shoving with a good amount of grace, but I have a limit. I try to hint at first. You know... maybe they aren't aware how much they're pushing me... I try to give them the benefit and think they can't possibly know it's starting to hurt a little, so I tell them no. It's ever so polite and simple at first.

Why can't it end there?

So they smile and "hear" what I say, without really listening.


I say it again. A little less smile this time, and maybe a little info as to why, like "I'm stretched pretty thin as it is, so..." and hope that they get it.

I know they aren't stupid. I know they are smart people. They really really are smart. Why aren't the understanding me. Did I suddenly learn Spanish so well that I don't even realize I'm speaking in the wrong language? I'm gonna lean towards no on that one. I'm pretty sure it's English... and besides, after 2 years of Spanish in high school, I only really know how to say "where are my pants?" (don't ask), so there's no way I suddenly picked it up.


And then it gets to where I am now. I've put my foot down 3 or 4 times now, and they just aren't getting it.

And this is where I'm stuck. Do I go all diva on them and MAKE it known that I am not at their beck and call? Or maybe I need to put it in writing... or equations, even. Like maybe this:


Me = not + available ( - current commitment) = no more tasking


Wait. That isn't nearly simple enough.


But they keep putting me in the position of almost having to take it to that point. And what grinds my gears is the fact that I'm pretty sure that's their goal. They're asking me publicly, in front of people, to where I almost have to say yes. And then it's super awkward when I say no, because they've already moved on, as if I've already given them a yes. But umm... hello?! "Umm yeah, sorry. I actually can't."


Then their faces... It's like I hauled off and slapped their granny.


Really, people? I'm trying to be as super nice and kind about this as I can. This is your thing, not mine. I have no obligations here whatsoever. But you really want me to seem like some kind of diva-fied chick that will walk if she doesn't get her way? Reminder: This isn't something I signed up for. I was asked to do a favor, and I conceded. Then I went a step further when you needed more help, and then again. But that's it. I've already gone three miles with the 1 inch I gave. I'm way past running on empty here.


Other parts of my life are currently suffering. Other people in my life are now suffering. Relationships that are very important to me are whithering and just short of dying.


But all you see is how this is affecting you and your plans.


Am I the only one that has problems like this? I'm trying to hard to be nice and forgiving and understanding, but it's really hard when the other parties aren't giving it a second thought.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CLARIFICATION:
I should probably clarify something right now. This has NOTHING to do with anything else that I've blogged before. Ever. Never ever.

In fact, if you think you know what I'm talking about... you probably do not have any idea. If you want to know, feel free to e-mail me at sarahpuhl [at] gmail [dot] com. I'll clarify. I'm trying to be vague for several reasons, so I'm sorry if I've created a ton of confusion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Okay. Enough of that. I guess I needed to vent a little more then I originally thought. For those of you that stuck with me - any advice? I could really use it right now. Like for reals.

You Were Warned

Right? I mean... in all fairness I did say I'd be a bit of a blogging phantom.

Things have been crazy, just as I suspected they'd be. BUT there's an "end" in sight. My clinic training class only has 2 weeks left (we're of this week, but then 2 to go!) and then it's I'll start the internship. As crazy as the past 8 weeks have been, I've been loving every minute of it! I can't wait to talk to you all about the things I've learned through all of this. From simple communication skills to learning to explain complex medical procedures, as well as training to better evangelise to the clients when given the opportunity. I've absolutely LOVED it!

As for everything else, working on the house kind've died off for the holidays I'm sure we may get a few things done here or there, but we really want to just be able to enjoy our time together instead of running around every chance we get.

I've been slowly getting back into sewing, and I'm still totally enjoying that, as well. I think it has something to do with the challenge involved and seeing a project all the way from start to finish. Who knows... whatever it is, it's a great hobby and I can't wait to keep improving and building on it as I go! Just this past weekend I made an envelope pillow cover (finally!) for the ugly pillows that came with our living room furniture, and I can't WAIT to make more so those hideous little things will no longer be seen. AND I finally had the time to finish a bib for a friend of mine. It turned out MUCH better than I thought it would, to be honest. It velcros around the neck and the entire thing is covered in vinyl so that it can easily be wiped off/cleaned, AND the bottom folds up and snaps around to create a little pocket for catching the food that baby drops or spits out. It's not perfect, but it it pretty cute, if I say so myself. I'm so proud!

Now I just want to make something for myself - clothes-wise, that is. I LOVE making baby stuff and pillows because, well let's be honest, everything looks cute on babies! And not many people analyze your couch pillows for imperfections, either, right?! So I'm eager to make something a little more detailed, but not quite ready for that dress pattern I bought before. I'm still working up to that one. Then again... I'm feeling pretty daring this holiday season, so maybe I'll give it a shot?!

Anywho - that's kind've what we've been up to lately. Wait - that was just me. Here's what McStudly's been up to: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

...Yep - that about sums it up. ha ha ha... he plays while I sew, and it works out, I suppose. :-P


OH! I almost forgot - he started a new kind of treatment last week for his Crohns'. It went really well. We went in to Walter Reed in the morning, they went over everything with him and start him on the infusion - it took about 3 hours, or so, and he didn't have any reactions to it, which is fabulous! He goes in again next week, then 4 weeks later, and then the doctor will decide if he'll go every 6 or 8 weeks after that. AND this means he can finally stop taking those stupid steroids we both hate with a fierce fiery passion. Can I get a "woot woot"?! WOOOOT WOOOOT!!



Well, I think that about catches you up for now. I have still been reading your blogs, I promise. I even comment as often as I can!! But I tell you what, following y'alls blogs could be a full-time job. I TOTALLY enjoy it, but then I never have time to blog myself. Am I the only one?! ha ha


Anywho - did I miss anything? Got any questions or curiosities for me?!




Toodles!!


PS: I will be posting pictures of the house eventually, but I want to finish showing the before pictures before I start on the afters. And since we're not quite at the "after" point, yet, it buys me a little time to get stuff done. Score!! :-D