Dysautonomia Awareness Month!!!

   

As many of you know, I have a disease called Dysautonomia.   Well, every October is National Dysautonomia Awareness month. During this month, I and others with forms of Dysautonomia attempt to raise awareness to this rarely diagnosed disease. Dysautonomia is the umbrella term for diseases that affect the Autonomic Nervous System such as POTS, EDS, NMS and PAF.   This October, my friend Alexa and I decided to take things into our own hands and host a day of awareness as a part of the Dysautonomia International Foundation, calling it Noise for Turquoise! During the month of October, we will be sharing posts with information regarding the disease and are encouraging friends and family to add some Turquoise Noise to their profile pictures and cover photos on Facebook! How can you get involved?   The 15th of October, wear a turquoise or a shade of blue, post a picture of yourself wearing your blue and use #NoiseforTurquoise!!    If you want more information, check out  Dysautonomia International or visit the Contact Me page and shoot me an email!   Cant wait to see you in your blue!!!  

Life Lately: August and September

Does anyone else feel like the days are just flying by?  Throughout the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall, my life went through some crazy changes and I cannot wait to share my adventures with you.  Dylan ended up taking a position as Assistant Cross Country Coach for the fall about 4 hours away, which has been so growing and challenging for us as a couple as we move forward in our relationship. Nothing makes me more excited than our nightly phone calls and short weekend visits. It has truly taught me to be thankful for what I have, though I still get greedy and want more time with him.  As you can see in the princess picture, I have started working for a company called Once Upon a Dream Parties and absolutely love it! We throw parties and are available for princess appearances in the Upstate of South Carolina. Talk about a dream come true, right?
As August ended, we entered my favorite season of all, FOOTBALL SEASON! I think it is a requirement of any South Carolinian girl to be a diehard football fan, and in my house, we yell GO TIGERS! Luckily my closest friends do too! Besides watching Clemson destroy their opponent, my favorite part is getting to catch up with my fellow Tigers. Finally, the absolute best part of August/September was starting class in an actual classroom! Achieving my goal of becoming an RN is now so much easier with actual teachers instead of online programs. Can I get a "Yay!" for college?  

  How has the beginning of your fall been? I can't wait to hear!  

Life Lately: Summer

My summer was probably one of the craziest, most emotional and most growing summers of my life, but hey, I probably say that about every season!
As all of you know, I struggle with some severe neuropathy called  Dysautonomia that sometimes interferes with my life, and this summer was no exception. At times, I felt great, better than every, but the crashes were harder than ever. That was the biggest reason for my absence this summer. 
On to lighter things, the highlights of my summer were incredible! I went to Disney World with my dance studio, Edisto Island with one of my best friends and spent the majority of the summer making wonderful memories with my boyfriend of 6 months!
But enough of me talking, here are my favorite pictures of the summer!  

Hope your summer was equally as fantastic and adventurous.

Life Lately: March

How is it that another month has already passed?  I honestly feel as if I was just writing my Life Lately: February.   If you have been keeping up with the craziness of my life, you will know I had some pretty major events in March! I can't wait to tell you all about them!

1. I traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to Madrid, Spain to be the light is some dark places. If you want to read more about the incredible time I had there, click here!
2. The weekend after I returned home from Spain, I was the 11th/12th Grade ladies leader for D-Now. If you ever have the opportunity to be a part of student ministry through volunteering for trips or leading a small group, I would so encourage you to do it!
3. After being away for 7 months, I finally got to see and go on vacation with my brother! Chase has officially left the Navy and is moving on to new exciting adventures, and I am so glad we had the opportunity to spend some time together.

Life is so incredibly busy, but I have been so incredibly blessed through this season! 

How was your March?

Hoping your April is fantastic.

Pick-Me-Up: Cute Chipmunk

Because I love animals and this is precious!

From Spain, With Love

Seeing as I have been home from Spain for 10 days now, I am overdue for an update post about my trip!

Our main goal while in Spain was to hold an English camp for the children in Parla, a smaller town in the southern part of Madrid, to help our partners create contacts and friendships in that area. Most of us spoke little to no Spanish and they spoke little to no English, so you can imagine the chaos that ensued. As the week went on, communication became easier and the for the children love grew deeper and after a week, the thought of going back to the states filled us with more sadness that joy.  Towards the final days of the trip as exhaustion- both physical and emotional-set in, I was reminded of a verse in 2 Timothy.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. 

While this verse discussed Paul reaching the end of his life, our team found it easy to relate as we all felt we had been poured out ourselves. Coming home from Spain we were able to say that we had given the trip, our camp and the people all the time, effort and love we possessed.

I could go on and on about this trip and what it meant to me, but I figured you all would like to see some pictures too.

Reclaiming Insecurities

Insecurities.  We all have them. I can guarantee that as soon as you read that word, a list began to form in your mind.    Teeth with stains from childhood medical issues. A soft stomach. A nose with a big bump instead of a nice slope. Thighs and hips double- maybe triple the size seen in magazines. Those are just a few of mine. Trust me, the list could go on and on.  I have never been confident in my looks. The comparison game? I was a pro. I would instantly break down my body and score it against the world's standards.  
We live in a world of airbrushed beauties, size zero models and every other commercial on the television is advertising makeup to cover every imperfection and cream to lift every wrinkle. It is so stinking easy to be negative and pick a part our flaws and insecurities, but it doesn't have to be that way.  It's not easy, but when you start to accept your so-called flaws, you begin to realize that they are special.  Those imperfections are you. Embrace it. Each quirk is what makes you unique.  LOVE THEM. Be an example for young girls who are constantly weighing themselves. Be an example for ladies your own age debating nose and boob jobs. Heck! Be an example for me when I hate my legs and I'll be an example for you when you hate your smile.  Because I love your smile.