Prayers
Friends… I’m coming to you with a heavy heart for a dear friend.  My best friend has been in the hospital since Sunday.  She’s pregnant and is excited about welcoming a baby into the world… but hopefully not until February.  I don’t understand it all, so don’t judge my wording here, but the fluid that surrounds the baby fell out of the cervix (maybe?).  So the baby is not being surrounded or protected by any fluid right now.  She’s been in the bed at an angle the past few days hoping that gravity will pull the fluid back to the baby.  There’s a chance that her water may break in which case she’d have to deliver the baby, but it wouldn’t survive.  In the morning they’re going in for surgery to hopefully put the sack back in place, but there is still a chance that the surgery won’t work and the baby won’t make it.  My heart is breaking for her and her husband.  Please send up some prayers!

My sweet friend, back before marriage and baby!

Training.  My training has NOT been stellar the past few weeks.  I’ve missed 2 of my long runs {shameful} and I planned on catching up this week, but then I got an infection {you’ll hear about that in a minute}.  I did 4 miles this evening.  My hip hurt a lot during that run {I’m certain it’s the road I’m running on – I’m changing my route tomorrow}.  Tomorrow I’ll do 5 and Thursday I’ll do 4 again.  I’ll stretch on Friday and attempt my long run on Saturday.  Hopefully that will put me back on schedule with my training, but either way… prayers would be appreciated.  I’d love to be trained up enough to continue my training for a full marathon after this half in November.

Praise
I have been battling an infection the past few days and have debated about going to the doctor because 1. I’m jobless at the moment and 2. I’m uninsured because of said jobless.  I was really worried about the money, but I realized that I just couldn’t put this doctor visit off.  I searched for a “cheap clinic”, one that provided a “slide scale” for low-income patients.  I found one.  Thank you, Lord!  But that’s not even the best part.  I got done with the exam and asked how much I owed.  I’m not sure if they couldn’t figure out how much I should pay or what, but she says, “Honey, we’ll get you next time”.  {I mean, seriously… does that EVER happen in a clinic or hospital?}  I’m also not sure if that meant, they’ll bill me later, or if I just got that visit for free, but either way it was a huge blessing for me in my situation right now!  I got my prescription, which ended up being only $4 with my Walgreens discount and now I’m wondering why I waited so long and endured the pain, but God came through and I’m so thankful!

I also start a part-time job in the morning.  Yay, money!  Yay, purpose!  I’m excited to have somewhere to go in the morning.  It may not end up being full time and it may not work out in the end, but I’m thankful for the income and something to do during the day.

October.  I love October.  Let’s just send up praise for this glorious month!

Hello friends!  How was your weekend?  Mine wasn’t exactly the most exciting weekend of my life, but I can’t complain.  I enjoyed a relaxing weekend in Starkville.  I enjoyed lunch on Saturday with my entire family.  That was the first time in a while that all 5 of us had been together!  On Sunday, I came down feeling pretty ill.  Yesterday was miserable.

I’m feeling better this morning, got some food in me, took some more meds.  I’m watching the Walking Dead while taking this time to catch up on blog posts.  That’s something I’d really love to work on, reading and commenting on posts – connecting with other bloggers on a more personal level.

I have had a lot of stuff on my mind lately.  I guess I find plenty of time for that right now while I’m looking for a job.  It’s been difficult for me to find joy in life sometimes, but Brittany posted about her journey to enjoy life for the next 31 days and it got me thinking about my need for that right now.  I plan to participate with her in enjoying life the next 31 days.  My heart and my soul needs this!  If you missed my October Monthly Goals {I created this in an effort to enjoy this next month more fully}I mentioned that I would love to make homemade hot chocolate this year.  I love my coffee year-round, but I thoroughly enjoy Hot Chocolate during the fall and winter months!  My sweet friend, Hillary, posted her home-made Hot Chocolate recipe and I can’t wait to give it a try! I also had a wonderful flash-back to a Thanksgiving Progressive Dinner I co-planned last fall after reading this Progressive Dinner post from House of Rose!  She made some delicious looking Mac n Cheese and I can’t wait to visit the other ladies sites to see what they brought along for their blogger Progressive Dinner.

One of the more exciting things that happened this weekend: The home-brewing of Pumpkin Beer!
Nick and his room-mate set out to brew some beer this weekend.  Nick has never brewed before, but his roommate had, so that was pretty interesting to watch the process.

Now that jug on the left, it has to sit for 4 weeks or something and you do different things each week to it.  I still don’t understand the process fully, but I had fun taking pictures.  Nick kept asking, “Is this for your blog?” and of course, it was. haha.  I think he’s starting to catch on… this whole blogging thing!

How was your weekend?
Do you need that reminder to “Enjoy Life”?
Have you ever made home-made Hot Chocolate?  Do you have a recipe I should also try out this fall/winter?
Have you ever brewed your own beer?

Happy Friday sweet friends!!!!!  What are your plans for the last weekend of September?  I’m sitting here catching up on the season premier of Grey’s Anatomy sipping on my coffee.  I’m heading to Starkville for the weekend.  I have an 8 mile run this weekend for my training.

Seriously… can you believe this?? It’s the end of September already.  Am I the only one that feels like 2013 is flying by… that each month goes by quicker and quicker!?  Before we know it, I’ll be on my way to Disney for the first time since leaving {from working there}.  Before we know it, We’ll be watching football over Thanksgiving.  Before we know it, We’ll be exchanging presents with friends & family.

So before the rest of this year passes me by and moves on to 2014, I’d like to start setting monthly goals.  I love this time of year, I think every single year I start loving it more and more.  I don’t want this fall/winter to pass by without doing some of my favorite things!