What A Glorious Feeling

Despite not being able to sleep/breathe/function properly the past few weeks, life has been SO good. I've definitely been happy. I don't believe people should base their happiness or ability to be happy on their circumstances or others. It's all perception and how you react to your situations. Good or bad. Being sad is fine. You're entitled to have a bad day. Sure. But I truly believe, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, that it is entirely possible to be happy when the world is crashing down around you. Yes, it requires a strong sense of reality, and a gospel center does wonders. But it can be done!

Thus it is with me. I've tried really hard to push forward and continue through the agony of lacking health. It's not that bad, really. Fortunately my doctor was finally able to diagnose me and give me the right meds, which helped a great deal. Still, a month later and there it sits. Days are so much better. I can usually breathe during the day now unless I laugh really hard (which happens frequently) or exert myself a little too much. A great improvement over last week and the weeks prior. Still not fixed though.

Case in point: Last Saturday our home teacher took Ashley and I out rappelling and horseback riding. We had this planned for a couple weeks, and again, despite my health, I didn't want to miss out on this opportunity. It's not every day you get to do this kind of thing. Logically, when one plans to lower themselves from a cliff (we actually went over a waterfall. . . beautiful!) it requires climbing to a higher elevation. Ah, therein lies the rub. Poorly functioning lungs and climbing up a steep hill. . . but I did it anyway. Slowly, panting and wheezing all the way, stopping to take a break 3 or 4 times within a mile, we made it. I'm so grateful for Chase and Ashley's patience with me. For such an exciting adventure and with all the anticipation of getting there, it easily could have been frustrating for them.

To get off track for just a minute, the descent from the cliff was amazing. Terrifying, yet wonderful. I haven't rappelled in years and even then it was off a 20-foot wall. Something to that extent. So not REAL rappelling. I received a few battle wounds, but really, who doesn't like a good story attached to a scar? I know I do, and I have plenty of them to go around.

Horseback riding at Chase's was great too. Ashley and I were both very sore for the next few days, but it was so worth while. (I'll get a few pictures up soon. . . but they're all on facebook.)