Things in my Head

-I went to the dermatologist yesterday for the mystery bruise. She didn't really know what it was either, but her top three guesses are all harmless. The fourth possibility she called a "zebra"--extremely rare, but concerning. Because of my medical history where rare = my life, she decided to have it biopsied, and cut it out. So, now I'm chilling here with stitches in my back, and a prohibition from picking up Lizzy for the next three days (which is really easy to follow when you've got a screaming, tantruming child who will not listen and a husband in the shower) but no more information than I had before.

And of course, the night before I went, I was congested, had a migraine all day, and just felt miserable. I woke up through the night alternately sweating and freezing--almost like I had a fever. The first thing she asked in regards to the 'zebra' was, "You haven't had any fevers or night chills have you?"  Of course. I told her that I had, just the night before, but she said that she wasn't all that worried in the context of the other cold-like symptoms. But seriously, I haven't had a fever or night sweats in probably a year. WHY did it have to make it's appearance right before going to the doctor, and give me something else to let my mind get wrapped up in worry about?! Overall, I've done pretty well with not worrying, but worry is a sneaky thing, and can take over so quickly--it doesn't need any extra footholds in my mind.

-Just after the dermatologist, we found out that it's going to cost $1,100 to fix our car. Our car has been rumbling, so we took it to our mechanic. It turns out that both the clutch and some bearings need to be replaced, and the Kia Sorento that we own seems to be the most expensive car in the world in terms of parts. I was figuring about $500, but the $1,100 was kind of a punch in the gut. Thankfully, we are in a better position financially than we have been in years and I'm confident that we'll actually be able to do it. The bad news is that it will essentially totally un-do all the work we've been doing in terms of savings and such, and Justin and I will probably only just do stockings again for Christmas, and that just sucks, you know? And could it happen at a worse time with Christmases and birthdays aplenty approaching?!

It's funny though, because usually I am the freak-outter and Justin is the one telling me everything will be okay, and that God is faithful to provide for our needs. This time, those roles were totally reversed--I was all calm and tranquil, and Justin was freaking out...though, I think he was mad more than anything else, because I know he had been wanting to get a new laptop for me for Christmas. But obviously, that's off the table now, which doesn't upset me, but I know is frustrating and irritating for him.

-But, to redeem the day, when we got home from the ridiculous morning, I had not one, but TWO pairs of free jeans waiting for me! One pair was a consolation prize of sorts from Lee Jeans for not winning the Life in Lee photo contest, and they are great. They're a pair of mid-rise skinny jeans in a long length--is it me, or are those REALLY hard to find?! And, they're stretch, but not skin tight or completely stretch. Still, they are the most comfortable jeans I think I've ever worn, and I'm excited to finally have a pair that I can tuck into boots. The second pair was from Meg, who totally blessed me by sending me a pair of the old school Long and Lean jeans after I raved about them the other day! I'm so excited!

-And THEN, I got to meet Cara @ Whimsy Smitten. Some of you may have seen the craziness that transpired during the post about the Band going to Mt. Shasta, but if you missed it, here's a re-cap: I came across Cara's blog several months ago (maybe from Incourage?), and at the time, she and her husband were living in Texas. Not too long ago, she mentioned that they were moving back to Oregon. I asked her where she was from, and she responded with the name of the small-town where Justin's parents live, and that they were living with their in-laws until they found a place. We talked about how it was such a small world, and that we should get together sometime, but it hadn't happened. AND THEN, when I posted about the band going to Mt. Shasta, Cara responded that the in-laws that she and her husband are living with are actually the drummer of the band and his wife! None of us had any idea--what a small world! So anyway, Cara's husband made some delicious pizza for all of us last night, and we got to meet and hang while the band had "practice" last night. It was tons of fun, and also totally helped redeem a sucky morning!