The Battle Intensifies

Hello my friends,

It has been too long since my last update. My apologies! I'm in denial that fall is here, in spite of the trees in my yard changing colors and the cooler temperatures. We had such a late start to summer, and I have felt sick for so much of it, that it just doesn't seem like it should be over! It reminds me that we aren't always prepared for what happens in life. 


This summer my parents got a new puppy. He's another English Bulldog, like Quigley, and his name is Harley. He's adorable and already won a photography contest! This is the winning picture, taken the day we brought him home. 

Harley has been a challenge. He was the only pup in the litter so we were the ones who had to / have to teach him how to not bite and be a good boy. He is very different from Quigley in many ways. He's healthier, has a ton more energy, and is incredibly inquisitive. It reminds me that not all great things are easy! 

I hosted a Salad Supper for the ladies of my church and that was so much fun! It was great to use my home for hospitality and have a lawn party on a beautiful evening. My best friend from childhood even surprised me by coming. It was great to see her and catch up! 

Me and Jess

Dad, mom, grandma, and I visited grandma's sister in North Dakota. It was so much fun to drive around and see all of the places where they grew up and hear stories I hadn't heard before. I learned a lot of things about family history and it was a really special time for all of us! 

Great Grandpa Sando's Bar (the family lived upstairs)

A very old cabin (restored in 1981) that my family has ties to

This was the first time grandma and Addy had been in it!

"Meeting" my great grandma Josephine

Many relatives are buried in this cemetery; the church is beautiful

Fun suspension bridge

LaMoure, ND has a beautiful courthouse

We watched the fireworks on Lake LaMoure

Dad, Addy, Me, and Grandma Margaret

I am thankful for all of these good times that God has allowed me to live this summer. Looking back has been good. It's a reminder of God's faithfulness. 

This past week I was in Nebraska again for medical treatments. They went well for the most part and God continues to heal my body. While we were there, we got to go to a book signing that one of my favorite authors, Tosca Lee, had for her new book. It was so much fun :-)

Dad, Mom, Tosca, and Me

There have had many difficult days this summer. Getting healthy is miserable! I find myself in a place where I am a few months away from going on “maintenance” with my doctor. Lord willing, I will be well enough to only have to see her 2-3 times a year instead of every month. Yet I feel as if these last months will be the hardest yet. I’m in that place where I’m so close to the end of the war, but the battle has intensified. However, God has called me to this and I need to rise to the occasion. The war will be won and God will be glorified. As my days of pain and misery continue, I know there is an end in sight and a new adventure ahead. I still don’t know what it is that God is preparing me for, and I fear I will never be ready, but I trust that He is equipping me for the life He is asking me to live for Him. Ahead of me lies a new adventure as a healthy person. It is something I have never experienced and I can’t quite imagine. It’s scary, but oh so exciting!

Thank you for walking alongside me on this journey, and sometimes carrying me. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Keep them coming! The battle belongs to the Lord, and we know that He is already victorious! 

"Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, 'The Lord be magnified!' Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God." ~Psalm 40:16-17 (NASB)