A Winter Wedding!

A Wedding at the Gassaway:

This past weekend we went down to Greenville, SC with my parents to see a long time friend tie the knot! I'm the same age as Courtney's younger sister, Kristin. We all grew up together at the same high school then went to the same college. 

The Gassaway Mansion is kind of a hidden treasure in Greenville. At least for us it is. It took me 5 years to get through college because of my health and I'd never seen the gorgeous mansion not 5 miles from campus! How do you miss something like this? But...I don't think looking for an old mansion was on my bucket list in college. Getting my diploma was THE bucket list. :)

Being at Courtney's wedding was extremely special because of the friend she's been to me. I've always known I could call or text she or Kristin about anything. When my health started declining rapidly Courtney came and stayed with me and made me meals. She is such an encouragement. I'm so thankful for faithful friends like Courtney and Kristin! 

Winter weddings are SO beautiful. Courtney's was extra beautiful!

Memories and...Lyme:

Two summers ago Ken and I got married at the same venue. I wasn't feeling well on the day we got married or this past weekend. But it was special to spend some of the night at the place where we got married. Here's a pic of us on our wedding day with the gorgeous mansion in the background:

Sadly we had to leave right after their ceremony ended. The tears just started coming. I thought, "We drove 5 hours to sit for 45 minutes?" "We were supposed to be at the whole thing and see a bunch of people." But then I realized we had seen the most important part. Their ceremony was Christ centered and very romantic. Glad Mom and Dad were able to enjoy the rest of the night at the wedding. You know the chatting, yummy dinner and cake part. :) 

You can't tell by this picture but part of the time we were at the wedding I saw double of everything. There were these beautiful crystal things hanging from the ceiling. Seeing millions of them was a real experience. Probably like having a disco party in Antarctica. My brain was foggy so talking to people was really hard. With the current treatment plan I'm on I have been passing out because of these symptoms coupled with pain. That night Ken saw it in my eyes like he always does and asked if I needed to go. So bummed. But we made it to her wedding even with Lyme. Thankful we could make another great memory.

Love this man

Beautiful pics and cake

Entrance of the Gassaway Mansion-so gorgeous!

The happy couple leaving!

And off they go. Courtney's fur wrap is so classy! Audrey Hepburn would be proud. Best wishes C and C!

*Robin

An Unexpected Blessing: A New Craft Room!

Blessings

We were planning on staying in our apartment for a few more years until we could save for Ken's 2nd degree. And even that "plan" was unsure because of Lyme, living on one paycheck, and other factors. But a rental property came available. Our landlords are letting us rent for a price that we just couldn't pass up. We didn't see this coming at all. So grateful! This will enable us to save money for Ken's schooling and get out of apartment living as well. Although...the people upstairs have provided some of the most unique noises we've ever heard. It'll be so hard to say goodbye to the thumps and dog yelps. Not! 

Craft Room in Progress

Mom and I have always wanted a craft room where we could both work together. Here's the beginning of our workshop! 

We originally planned on painting the room a basic gray but didn't think it would look right with the carpet so we went with Sherwin William's Sensuous Gray. Such an awesome color! My 9th grade science teacher does painting on the side and is doing an awesome job with our three rooms!

Be sure to check out our Etsy shop in the coming months. With this new workshop we should be able to crank out more cards and gifts! 

Aren't these built ins awesome! 

Crafting here we come! So therapeutic.

The next and last paint job will be the master bedroom and bath. I asked for an accent wall. Hoping it'll turn out Pinterest-ly. :)

*Robin

Rumors in the Locker Room: Lies I've Believed

This is a hard post to write. I haven't written in a while because of several different reasons: pain, confusion, holiday rush, inability to type, lies, and losing sight of the light at the end of the tunnel.

In some cases Lyme presents itself in strange ways such as tremors and mental disturbances. Mental disturbances that cause you to mix up your words when you type or speak. There have been times when I can't speak at all (which is good sometimes :).

The part about "lies" may have sounded a bit strange. The voices in my head tell me not to share. They tell me that lyme is a hidden disease that doctors don't realize and others don't need to realize it either. They tell me that life is worthless. It's a low pit that I fell into after and during the holidays. I wanted to decorate, create, send cards to everyone in my life, spend time with family, see friends, and be at all the Christmas events at church. And just about every time I attempted these amazing holiday activities I would fall on my face (sometimes literally) because I just didn't have the strength to do them.

This holiday season was a prime time for Satan's lies to start looming over me like a dark storm cloud.

Curious about the Rumor

I remember several times throughout middle school, high school and sadly, in college that I'd hear rumors about something bad another girl had supposedly done. As if we had never done anything wrong in our lives!

I remember specific incidents throughout high school were I'd here a rumor and didn't believe it so I tried to mind my own business. But because I now knew that something was up there was a curiosity as to whether or not the rumor was true, especially if the person was known for having good character. I had this voice in my head asking me "do you think it's true?" "man, that would be rough for them huh?). 

God is completely perfect and completely above the best of Christians. So I cannot make a perfect analogy but just as friends had lies told about them, I often question whether or not the lies that are thrown at me are true or false. Lies such as, "you shouldn't be writing this blog post now. It won't reach anyone". Some are more subtle and actually believable if I'm not on guard and believing Truth. I've wondered if Lyme is a waste and it's just something my family and I have to just endure.  To me the part about "just enduring Lyme" is a believable conclusion in my mind. But it's actually a lie. God doesn't give us struggles to just "endure" them. 

Sometimes I physically cannot make cards, visit with friends, FB, or go out, so I don't have the energy to write posts but sometimes I don't blog because I'm believing a lie. If I am just supposed to endure this then why should I write about it? Why should I care about helping people who are suffering? I mean, hey, I'm just poppin' my supplements, having pain attacks and gettin through it. Lies break down the reason God gives us trials. Lies make God look small when the purpose of trials is to make Him look amazingly wonderful. The ruler of all things.

When Rumors Resolve and Truth is Revealed

Truth: Lyme is not a waste. Cancer is not a waste. Deaths are not a waste. This blog is not a waste. Your life isn't a waste. Sharing what you're going through is not a waste. Being honest is not a waste. Nothing is wasted in life because God has a mysterious plan that is better than anything we could ask or think!

I'm thankful for the friends and family who have encouraged me to start blogging as I'm able.
Praying that I won't be the girl in the locker room believing or wondering about the false rumor but that I'll believe with all my heart that the rumor is a lie. I don't have to wonder. I'll just know that the Light dispels all Lies.

*Robin