A JOYFUL NOISE

From September 5-12, our family (my Mom, Dad, Grandma, uncle, aunt, and cousin) went to Hawaii. It was a great trip! Mom, Dad, and I landed in Honolulu around 2:30pm Hawaii time (I think that's about 8:30 or so East Coast time). Anyhow, it was a LONG 14 hr flight. The layover to Hawaii was only 20 minutes from Charlotte to Phoenix (which the flight there was about 4 hrs long); and the layover from Phoenix to Honolulu was only an hr, w/ a flight of 6 hrs! The time in Oahu was wonderful; we were supposed to go to Mai, but it didn't work out because my grandma wasn't feeling well part of the trip so we decided to stay in Oahu the whole time. Here are some pics to share.........ENJOY! Picture from the airplane of one of the Island in Hawaii. Arrived at the Honolulu airport!! At the Polynesian Cultural Center---the whole family! This is the Diamond Back Volcano/Crater hike that my cousin and I hiked. It was a rough 760 feet high hike....very rocky and steep.....and ...

Yesterday was my birthday Yesterday I turned 30. Yesterday.....I once again saw the blessings in my life. For MONTHS....for some reason I was so bummed about turning 30. I mean, think about it. You are no longer in your 20s......scary thought. I have people who knows me but doesn't know my age who thinks I am in my mid 20s.....one coworker thought I was only 25----bless her heart! Ha-ha! She said I could pass for a mid-twenty year old. Hmmm.... maybe my Oil of Olay is work (j/k... I really don't use it...I'm actually allergic to it). Anyhow, I was showered w/ bunches of birthday wishes from friends and from my clients. I think my clients were more excited about my birthday then I was. Not that there was cake or ice cream or what not....my clients just kept coming to me w/ hugs and yelling "happy bday!!!". I will get cards made out of ripped pieces of paper that will read "hapy bithday, beky" (remember, guys, my clients have dev...

Need I say more??? After a HUGE downpour for just 5 minutes....God sent a beautiful double rainbow. It is a great reminder of God's love and mercy and never ending and enduring promises!!!!! I LOVE rainbows........gorgeous.

Over the past week, I've been reminded of the graciousness of God and His Abounding Love; reminders that He has a perfect plan for me in my life. Let me start from an overview of the two things that got me thinking............ THIS PAST WEEKEND at my sister's house spending time/playing with my oldest niece. Deda: "Yee yee/Becky, why does your other eye don't close" (talking about my right eye) Me: Because I can't close it Deda: Why? Me: Well, because it won't close...I can't make it close (at this point I'm thinking "I wonder how far she's going to take this") Deda: But why can't you close it? Me: Well, Because God made me different; so one of the difference is I can't close my eye" Deda: "But why, Yee yee?" Me" God makes each of us different, so He made me different........i can't close my eye, but it doesn't bother me---I'll be okay" Deda: "Oh, Yee yee......I'm so sorry...

Last Wednesday, I got a delivery.............DAISIES!!!!!!!! (w/Roses) Daisies are my favorite flowers of all time. It is a Get-Well bouquet from a friend I've know for a while who lives in SC . It was a nice gesture and put a smile on my face!! I'm truly blessed with wonderful place friends, a great church family, and great family who has cared for me as I recover from this past surgery. I'm doing fairly well over all. Some pain here and there but I will be well enough to head back to work next Monday! thanks everyone for your prayers!

My surgery was on Tuesday. I had to go in around 9:15. I didn't wait long in the waiting room before they called me back to prep me for surgery. I was able to see my doctors before the surgery which in some ways is unusual. Apparently, the hospital now requires the doctors to come in a "see" the patient and draw on the patient to mark where the operating site is. The nurse who prepped me for surgery was extremely nice. Although I HATE HATE HATE needles for IVs, she do a phenomenal job in finding a good vein and sticking me. Around 10:15 or 10:30, they walked me (yes I WALKED) into the OR and jumped up on the table, where I then proceeded to freeze to death. Brrrr!!! They hooked me up w/ all sorts monitors and such as expected. They also gave me kinda like a warming blanket---it wasn't a blanket per say, but it it was kinda a thin plastic cover that hooks up at the end and blows warm air, so I was nice and toasty. Soon after, I saw my oral ...

I had a pre-operative workup today at UVA. Originally, my surgery date was June 18th. Little did I know until TODAY that they moved up my surgery date to June 9---NEXT TUESDAY! The recovery period is hopefully not long and I can get back to work w/in 2 our 3 weeks. ......of course I had mentioned that I haven't gotten confirmation on my insurance, but I'm sure that will all work itself out (Dr. Gampper said they will make sure it is authorized). While I'm glad it's closer and I can get it over with sooner, it also means I'm crunching time for FMLA paper work to my employer! ah!!!! My surgery will entail several things; and it will be at ASC at UVA (going home the same day!) They will do something with my jaw, thin out scars on my face at the same time thin out the excess tissue growth and such. They will move my right ear up and remove excess tissues inside my mouth. As far as recovery, I should be able to go home the same day and if all goes well, they th...