Be better than the GAP*

Cam took this lovely pic of me outside the Largo.
He attempted to blur out the Nude Show Girls sign.
I ♥ LA.

Some of you might know that for my "Magical Birthday" (I turned 28 on March 28th), Cameron used money from a freelance project and gave me gift cards to buy clothes. Don't get too jelly ladies. I know I snagged a good one.This was totally his idea. 

 His parents took the kids for about 24 hours & we went shopping. 

I decided on The Americana at Glendale and we dove in. 

We got there around 10:30 AM. We left around 5:00 PM. 

Here's a few of the highlights that I bought/was treated to because of my birthday.

Oh and I still have $40 left on my card. ;)

He also bought tickets to see Nick Offerman (aka Ron Swanson) at the Largo. That will be a blog for another day. There's a few pics of that in here too.

I dream of the 90's. I had to have a pair of combat boots.

I got gels in Tangerine. I love them! My eyebrows were waxed & I'm wearing my new lip stain by Stila.

My favorite of all my purchases: Free People lace dress.
I'm wearing my denim jacket from H&M over it.
This dress makes me feel giddy. 

I bought two Dodgers shirts. This is us celebrating the new season & era for LA Doyers! ;)

A button up tank top from H&M and a long skirt from Urban Outfitters.  Bracelets from Forever 21

I'm trying to show off my blue tipped hair.
Tiffani has once again made me feel cool.  

Here's a more awkward picture of me to show you
what my hair looks like.

Cameron listening to the William Shatner records while waiting at the Largo. 

A few more pieces from my shopping. Skirt & blouse from H&M. I love the pooch on this skirt.
I know I shouldn't, but it makes me look smaller believe it or not.
Purse is from Forever 21. It's for Disneyland trips! Small and cross-body.
RDJ thinks it looks awesome.

Here's a run down of what I bought, where (If you even care!)

H&M 

Denim jacket

black blazer

black button up tank top

black and white striped tank

(I even got $10 in gift cards back & used them on my next trip to H&M where I got):

Floral skirt

white button up tank top

peach sun dress

Urban Outfitters

Long black organza skirt

Forever 21

Bracelets

necklace

earrings

belt

purse

ring

Free People

Lace Dress!!

Yellow & cream skirt

Target

Shorts

Tights 

earrings

JcPenny 

Slip 

(Do you know how hard it is to find a slip!?!)

Victoria's Secret

Dodgers Shirt

Dodgers Tank Top

Dodger blue undies

(My rewards cards from other deals on top of birthday goodies sent

 by VS got me the undies for free & the tops for about $10-$15 each!)

Cathy Jean

Combat Boots

Sephora

Lip stain

foundation

concealer

free moisturizer

free lip moisturizer 

*If you don't know the line "Be better than the GAP." Click the picture.

Who is that?!?!

Josiah asked to watch our wedding video earlier today. During the montage of all of us walking down the aisle, Mae asked quite blatantly: 

WHO IS THAT?!?! 

Who was she pointing to you might ask? 

Her own father.

She had no clue it was Cameron. This might as well have been some short-haired (heavily "banged"  mind you) stranger that her mother is marrying in the video. 

This gave me a good laugh and I had to share a couple of comparison pics. :)

Waiting in line for Conan. Feb. 2011.

Getting our marriage on. October 2005. 

Central Park on our Honeymoon. 

She & Him Concert. 2010.

Engagement pics. June 2005.

Date night. July 2011.

Doctor's Appointment.

Going to a nephrologist today. If you're not familiar with that term, it's a kidney specialist. I've been sick since the middle of November. It's become progressively worse. I've actually lost about 10+ pounds (not so bad if you ask me) in the past two weeks & have no appetite. What started as a UTI has quickly become a baffling medical mystery. I have intense pain in my left flank that wraps around to my pelvis. I do have a stone in my kidney and probably have passed some grit. My cultures have come back for the most part normal. I can hardly make it though a day to do the stuff that I need to get done. I've been taking vicodin to quell the pain, but I'd like to be normal sans the medicine. I have exessive sweating, fire/volcano/death pee (that's a medical term) & swelling in my hands and feet. I've been seeing a fantastic Doctor (he's a DO, it's a more holistic approach to being a doctor. He's still a DOCTOR, but with a different way of diagnosing & treating) who is a Christian man & takes the time to listen. In all my experience with Doctors, I've noticed a lack of listening. In fact, before I found Dr. Lloyd, I was shrugged off by two other doctors. One told me flat out that I was too fat & couldn't distinguish between muscle pain and internal pain. Granted he was in Beverly Hills. Dr. Lloyd has been working with me to figure this out and sending me to recommended Doctors. While they found a cyst on my ovary, the OB/GYN declared it a red herring and sent me on my way. 

    I know it's not thrilling to read about medical issues, but I had to vent. I've spared most of the details & I'm not sure where this whole thing is going. Obviously my one certainty is Jesus. Regardless of the physical pain I feel or the mental/emotional instability of all of this, Christ is in charge. If you knew me in high school, you know that I went through a "medical mystery" that lasted for a year. I even had to show up to school in a wheel chair (Special shout out to Kym Talley, Aeron Brown & Josh Doney for being my wheel chair pushers). I know that during that time I was "refined". While I was still an incredibly immature person, my outlook on life changed dramatically. It didn't always help in the choices I made, but eventually it caught up with me. It gave me a better view of Christ & my relationship to him. It's a big reason I am so dead-set against the "Prosperity Gospel" or any "gospel" that preaches completeness and happiness here on Earth. Jesus never promised that. It's a real insult to me if you consider me faithless because I've not been healed.
 Paul had a thorn in his flesh, a reminder to not be conceited (2 Corinthians 12:7).  It's pretty humbling to hurt like this. It helps keep my humanity in perspective. It also keeps my priorities in order. Enjoying my husband and kids seems so much more crucial and I'm far more driven to be indulging every desire to read about Jesus.

  I found this fantastic article on The Resurgence called Why Physical Suffering Matters and here's a bit of it:

...the lessons and character-building that Christians can gain from suffering are very beneficial (Rom. 5:1-5; James 1:2-4). Indeed, Paul emphasizes the proper perspective on trials and afflictions of all types, including physical suffering (2 Cor. 4:16-18). Christians are to view trouble and heartache as “light momentary affliction.” This attitude is not a denial of the reality of suffering; afflictions are real, not illusory. But compared to what is to come—the glory of a future existence with Christ—the present, earthly troubles are relatively light and of brief duration. Indeed, a right estimation of the true worth of what is to come, and a resolute focus on that unseen reality, will help Christians to persevere in the midst of suffering.

 While in the moment it may not seem like  "light momentary affliction", I am indeed seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Please just pray that the doctor today is kind, good at what she does & helps point us in the right direction.