Summer Running

So I'm a little behind in posting this blog, but oh well.  The first weekend in June Charlie and I along with some of my sisters and my mom all participated in the Sioux Center Summer Celebration Run.  I LOVE running!  I know some people don't understand why, but for me it is relaxing (well somewhat), it's a stress reliever, it allows me to push myself to reaching new goals, and it just gives me a sense of achievement.  Anyways, this year I have been able to run in two different road races so far.  In May I ran in the Orange City, IA Tulip Festival race along with my family, employers and co-workers and like I said the Summer Celebration run was my second race. 

At the end of last summer I started training for a 10K as I have always wanted to give it a try...it seemed like something that would be a stretch for me, but after training and running my first race....I haven't been able to give them up since.  So, I have been trying to get as many races in this year as I can.  Charlie enjoys going on runs with me too when he can, but often we have different schedules so we have to train on our own.  But, every once in a great while he will be lucky enough to have a specific weekend off and we're able to run a race together.  Charlie ran my first 10K race with me in Rock Valley, IA (After a little convincing)  He hadn't trained and he had only ran 6 miles one time prior to the race just to make sure he could still do it...lol.  It had been awhile since either of us had run that far...probably since Cross Country training in high school).  Anyways he was such a trooper!  He did AMAZING (beat me)!  It's just a little frustrating when some people can do that good with what seems like little to no effort at all, and there you are panting at the finish line after you have trained for months.  Oh well I guess some are just naturals and others like myself just have to work at it.  I definitely wouldn't have gotten as good of a time as I did without him though.  He kept pushing me and encouraging me the whole way.  I think that was probably the most enjoyable race that I have ran so far (besides the intense heat-yuck)!


We are both excited as this coming weekend we will be taking part in the Rise Fest Race (http://www.riseministries.com/risefest/) in connection with the Rise Festival in Orange City, IA along with our mom, all of my sisters and both of our brother-in-laws.  If you have never been to the Rise Festival I encourage you to come and check it out.  It's a great day full of live Christian Bands and Groups sharing their ministry of music and the words that God places on their/our hearts. My sisters and I will be singing at the festival at 1:00 p.m. and we'd love to see many of your out there!

I hope to take some pictures at the race and festival this weekend to be able to share with all of you, but for now I thought I'd share some of the pics. from our last race (The Sioux Center Summer Celebration)!

Those in our family that ran

Just the two of us :)

With my mom and younger sisters Jasmyn & Jamaica

Charlie...feelin' the love

I love that my 9 year old has started joining us in races-she's so cute

Sister Jazz & I (this was her first race after her ACL surgery...she did amazing)

Charlie running hard

All by my lonesome lol ;)

  

Jazz offered to run with little sister Jamaica (what a sister)

Jamaica almost to the finish line

Mom looking so strong

(I hope I'm still able to run as good as she does when I'm 50)

Almost to the finish line...

Jazzie placed in her age category

So did mom

After the race

We made it!

A special thanks to my dad too for being our support crew.

He has bad knees so he was unable to run, but he made several stops along the whole route while riding his cycle and cheering us on and taking several of these pictures for us!

Results from my Procedures

Good Morning!

Well, today I am happy to say that I am feeling quite a bit better that I have been the past couple days.  Sunday night I did not feel very well after drinking a gallon plus some of this liquid prep that I had to drink prior to my procedure (to be honest the liquid reminded me of drinking soap and it was very hard to get down-I felt like I was drowning after drinking all of that).  Then Monday morning I woke up and got ready to head to Sioux Falls for the procedures.  I was starving at this point and very nervous about everything so I just felt nausea and sick to my stomach. I checked into the hospital at 9:30 a.m. and I went in for my procedures a little before 10:30. The staff was friendly (at least most of them were), very helpful, and they really kept things moving which I appreciated as I was ready for it to all be over. Charlie said the procedures lasted about 45 minutes and it sounded like I did well through the whole thing. I don't really remember much of anything AT ALL after they started the "Sleepy Medicine" in my IV, but apparently I asked one of the nurses her name like 5 times, I kept asking Charlie questions when I came out of the procedure and would fall asleep half way through our conversations and then wake up and ask the same question again, and I guess I also tried to text my family off and on after the procedure too but I would fall asleep half way through the text so I sent some pretty funny messages-sorry Jazz lol :)

Very tired...

 

Fell asleep in the middle of replying

to a text message from Jasmyn

Anyways, all in all the procedure went well. I was very tired following and my throat still hurts from the scope they put down, but other than that I can't complain. They found that my esophagus is inflamed from acid reflux and that my stomach is situated higher than it should be or high then most people's are anyways.  They also took a biopsy of the stomach which we believe is to test for (we think celiac's disease). Like I said I was very tired and out of it. Charlie tells me that I was awake when the doctor said all of this and when the nurse gave me instructions on meds. etc, but I don't remember a thing, so I'm not exactly sure on all of the details. But, it sounds like we should have the results from the biopsy back in a week, so we should know more at that point and then be able to figure out what the best course of action will be.

Thank you all for your prayers & support. I'm look forward to hopefully getting to the bottom of this and feeling better soon. And a special thanks to my wonderful family & husband too for all of their help, love & support. I love you guys!

Resting at my sister Kansas & brother-in-law Danny's

 house following the procedure. 

Looks like Charlie was a little tired too as he worked a night shift the night before ;)

Jamie

Great Weekend & Prayer Request!



Wow what a gorgeous day it was today! It was so warm & sunny out.  It's too bad I had to spend the day stuck inside in an office; although, Charlie spent most of the day working outside and I think he would have preferred to be in the air conditioning. Anyways, did you all have a wonderful weekend? This past Saturday I ran another 10K Race at the Sioux Center Summer Celebration-Run for a Cure along with Charlie, my Mom, Jasmyn & Jamaica.  Then that evening us girls had a concert at Inspiration Hills for Trinity CRC (Rock Valley) and after the concert I met Charlie up at the lakes and we spent the next two days just enjoying the beautiful weather with each other and my family.  We played a round of golf, some of us girls laid out, Charlie and Jeff enjoyed a little fishing, we swam in the lake, took the boat out, and we finished the night out with a bon fire. It was just an awesome weekend!  And a very much needed couple days to spend together as a couple.

Here are some pictures from our weekend...

Singing at Inspiration Hills for Trinity CRC (Rock Valley's) Church Campout

Enjoing some time outdoors at the lakes together 

Charlie enjoyed fishing pretty much all day.  Jamaica had fun entertaining him for awhile too ;)

First catch of the day...

Jazz & Char enjoyed some deep conversations at the end of the dock

Mom & I laying out. 

I have a long ways to go to catch up with her

They guys enjoying some fishing at dusk

Golfing the next day with my parents & little sister Jamaica

Jamaica having some fun jumping on the trampoline

Also just a side note... I have a small prayer request to ask of all of you. I have been dealing with stomach issues for a couple years now and this year I just decided I have had enough.  I went to see my family physician a couple of months ago now and she ordered lab work which came back with the liver, kidneys and electrolytes all appearing normal.  They also did a test for inflammation in the stomach, which was negative, and an H pylori test that tests for bacteria in the stomach which also came back negative.  After receiving the laboratory results back, my doctor then ordered an abdominal ultrasound.  The ultrasound results also came back appearing normal (as far as they could tell).  At this point, I'm almost just wishing they would have found something just so I knew what was wrong.  My doctor then decided to refer me on to a specialist up in Sioux Falls at Avera.  I had a consultation with the specialist, once again had blood work completed to check the liver which came back normal and the specialist then decided at that point the next best thing to do would be to have two small procedures done.  So...this coming Monday (June 13th) I will have those procedures completed where they will look further at the liver, gallbladder, colon, esophagus, and I don't even know exactly what else. Anyways it's been a long road of feeling sick all the time and I am just ready to feel "good" for once. So I just ask for prayers as I have these procedures. I pray that the doctor will perform the procedures carefully and to the extent needed, that I will not get too stressed or nervous about the procedures and that in the end they will be able to pinpoint what I am dealing with.

I just thought I would update you all as to what is going on in our lives lately and my prayer request. I hope you all have a wonderful week and I hope to write again in the next week or so!

~Jamie~

Acreage Update & House Painting!!!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!

This past week/weekend has been very busy and exciting for Charlie & I.  On Wednesday evening we met with the owner of the acreage we have been looking at purchasing.  We had a nice chat with each other, agreed on a purchase price & signed a contract!  We are very excited and looking forward to moving as soon as our house in town sells.

On Friday, my parents, Charlie's mom, Jasmyn, and my friend Bethany all came over and helped us get the inside of our house ready to sell.  We touched up paint in the house, put up remaining trim, painted two doors, and did some cleaning. 

Then on Saturday, we had quite the crew come over and help us paint the exterior of our house: My parents, Charlie's parents, Kasondra & Jeff, Kelsie, Jasmyn, Jamaica, Ryan, Jacob, and our friends Josh & Jennifer!  We had a great time working together, and boy did we get a lot done.  From scrapping paint off the garage, to spraying the house, to brushing the trim, to spraying the gutters, and other misc. jobs we had a very busy day.  Anyways, I'll quit jibber jabbering and get to the fun part...the PICTURES!!! Oh and by the way if you happen to know someone who may be looking to purchase a home in Sioux Center, our house is now FOR SALE!

Our House BEFORE (all taped up & ready for painting)

Kelsie & Jamaica (with her silly goggles) scrapping the garage

Mom, Kels & Jazz working on scrapping the side of the garage

Dad & Kels scrapping away some more

Kasondra, Jeff, Jazz & Char getting the paint sprayer ready to go

Charlie running the sprayer & his dad and mom following up to brush in any runs

 Dad Z. & Jeff working on painting the front of the house

Sisters...we always have a good time together

The moms painting the side of the garage

Jazz & I working on the garage

Charlie on top of the peak getting the high parts (no fear of heights)

Charlie & Dad checking out the changes so far (they look pretty happy)

Jeff busy painting up front

Checking out all the hard work to the front of the house so far

Jeff manning the sprayer with dad in the back following up

On to the shed & garage...Boe kept pretty entertained all day

Our friend Josh working on trim of whatever you call that part of the house

Josh's wife Jennifer trimming the windows

It does not look too safe with Jeff on top of that peak

(I just had to walk away)

Charlie & his dad getting a game plan for spraying the gutters

Everyone busy at work

Kasondra also working on trimming the windows

Jamaica found some neighbor friends she kept busy with all day

Jamaica & her neighbor friends

Jorja & Jamaica playing out back

Yes I did paint too :)

Jazz & dad painting the garage

Josh & Charlie

Again...

Our good friends Josh & Jennifer

Kelsie busy at work painting the garage door (I love it)

And the final product...the AFTER PICTURE!!!

Up Close...

Grillin' out after a long busy day

Kasondra & Jeff

Bonfire after Supper

Sydney & Jorja (cousins)