Living for the Moment & Trusting in God's Plan

I try to rush life sometimes. I wake up thinking, "what's next?!" Instead of living in the present, I feel like I am always trying to make the future happen quicker. I remember doing that in college, constantly thinking, "When this is over, where will I be?" And even before my husband and I were engaged, I was ready to be married. Lately, I'm anxious to start growing our family, but I also want to enjoy married life as just the two of us. I feel like my brain is traveling at a rate of 100 miles an hour, but all I can do is sit back and wait.

And what's wrong with that? Isn't that what we are supposed to do? Enjoy life as it happens. Embrace the unexpected. Plan for the future, but live in the present. I trust that we will have a big family in the future, and I am excited for those days. But, right now, enjoying time just the two of us is more important. We love to travel, and that will be harder when we have little ones. We have so many interests that are worth pursuing. I'm starting back at school to obtain my PhD. My husband is still in training for work. There is reason to wait. I've just never been great at waiting.

God has a plan that is much greater than we could ever imagine. When I was having medical issues throughout high school, I couldn't see His plan. I questioned him, and I regret having done that. I know now that those experiences made me into the person I am today, and now I can share my story with others as encouragement that they, too, will get through those hard times.

God had a plan when he took my cousin a month ago yesterday. And while I know His plan for her is incredible, we have to also remember that at this moment, He has a plan for the rest of us down here on Earth. Living in her memory. Living every day with joy and hope and courage. Honoring her memory.

Life may not be going the way we thought it would. But it is happening the way God intended it to. If you trust in Him, He will never leave your side, no matter how many storms try to get in your way.

Also, Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you to all those that have served or are currently serving. Your sacrifice is absolutely inspiring, and we only wish we could offer enough gratitude. Freedom isn't free!

Meal Planning & Couponing - Part 4 (FREE DOWNLOAD!!)

I've had so many of my friends ask about my weeknight recipes. I think it's because I really am into the whole "being a wife and cooking thing." Now don't get all riled up on me. I don't think it's the job of the wife to stay home and cook, clean, and take care of the kids necessarily. I believe the husband and wife should share responsibilities, and I probably won't ever stay home, even when I have kids (yet who can predict the future?!). I'm very into my career, and I'm all about women being able to have the freedom to do what they want. On the other hand, I LOVE coming home from work and putting a quick meal together. I find myself able to relax in the kitchen, and experimenting with different recipes makes me happy. My husband does a ton of the cleaning, so it's a 50/50 split.

I also love being organized. I'm happiest when I know things are in their place, and that comes in handy at work because I am constantly in the midst of expensive chemicals, proteins, etc. If you're not organized, money is lost, and my boss doesn't necessarily appreciate that. I might not have always been organized, but now, it's natural to me. Places like The Container Store make me so happy! My husband thinks my obsession with buying dividers and baskets is a problem. I think it's a solution. :)

With our busy schedules, the way I have stayed organized in meal planning is to create this handy excel sheet. It lists all of our meals in sheet 1 (but for your purpose, it has the 16 meals I will be sharing the recipes of), the ingredients, and any savings, coupons, and rebates for those ingredients. I go through it every week and update my shopping list (found in part 2 of the excel sheet) and change the sales and coupons for the week. All I have to do is copy and paste the ingredients (and savings, coupons, and rebates) into my shopping list and remove the ingredients I already have. I also use the handy Excel Feature called "Sort By" for this. When I've gone through all the meals in order, I randomize it, so I'm not making the same thing over and over or necessarily the same days. It's so easy!

Abbreviations To Know:

PC - Paper Coupon

DC - Digital Coupon

CYO - Check Your Offers

PYOO - Pick Your Own Offer

On Sheet 2 is my shopping list. It's not my exact shopping list because I find that kind of weird for you to know exactly what I buy every week. But it has some of the staples from our house, and I add to it like I stated above. Since you buy things that don't necessarily go into the meals planned (and I'm just including dinners in the one I'm providing for you), I have also updated some of the savings, coupons, and rebates for some staple items in the household, such as orange juice, milk, etc., that may not be an ingredient in the meals (some are, though, since I did this before updating all of the meals).

For the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing the following 16 meals:

Chicken Spaghetti, Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches, Beef Broccoli, Pineapple Pork, Meatloaf Muffins, Enchiladas, Chicken Florentine Pasta, Taco Pizzas, CBLTs (Chicken, Bacon, Lettuce, & Tomato Sandwiches), Grilled Steak with Chimichurri, Grilled Pork Chops with Carmelized Peaches, Baked Tilapia & Vegetables, Maple & Soy Salmon, Enchilada Casserole, Shrimp Gumbo, & Oven-Fried Chicken

You can already see what ingredients are needed, and I will follow up with a detailed description of how to make them. They're some of the quickest and most delicious meals, and most are healthy (or have healthy substitutions)! Three are also crockpot meals, and I use those on nights when I'll be home later than usual. I also have other favorites on my personal excel tracker (like spaghetti and meals that everyone has their own recipes of), so feel free to add your family recipes and build a huge index of meals and make it suitable to YOU. Another suggestion would be to add another sheet of breakfast and lunch ideas, though I usually just add those quicker items to my shopping list since we are pretty basic for those meals. My goal is to help others simplify their meal planning!

I hope you'll stick around to see the recipes I post!

So DOWNLOAD your FREE Meal Plan & Coupon Tracker now! Here is your link to view and edit!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q7t87SaE3MZKNxH_eagczyPv7JFfcirJQAFUAtX9GXM/edit?usp=sharing

Happy Meal Planning!

Meal Planning & Couponing Series: Combining Sales with Coupons (Part 3)

Remember when I said I would show you how to combine sales with coupons? Well, I know it's taken me a bit longer to get there than I would have liked due to a busy few days at work, but today's the day. If you shop at Smith's, Kroger, Dillon's, Fred Meyer, or pretty much any grocery store where they sell Kroger products, the prices are usually the same (but please note they do vary based on state sometimes), as are the items they sell. Which means this is the post for you! Since I'm planning on what I'm going to be purchasing this upcoming week, I'm highlighting some of the best deals you can get from these stores, as well as a few from Wal-Mart and Target (but I'm sure there are many more).

MAKING THE MOST OF A SALE:

Kroger Stores:
Note: Almost all of these can also be purchased at other stores except for the specific Kroger brand products. These just reflect prices at Kroger Stores.

Quaker Protein Instant Oatmeal, On Sale for $2.00
Coupon here for $2 off
Bottom Line: FREE

Silk Almond, half gallon, On Sale for $2.99
Sunday Coupon: $1 off 1 Silk Product Half Gallon
Sunday Coupon: $0.75 off 1 Silk Product Half Gallon
Promotion: Free Simple Truth Cage Eggs when you buy 3 Silk or Kashi Items
Bottom Line: $1.24-$1.99 minus the cost of eggs
*This would be a time when I would stock up on items!

Kroger Greek Yogurt, $0.79
$0.50 Cash Back from Checkout 51
Bottom Line: $0.29 each!

Jennie O Ground Turkey, On Sale for $2.99
Digital Coupon here for $1 off 1 Jennie Ground Turkey, limit 2
Bottom Line: $1.99 each

Kroger Cream Cheese & Sour Cream, On Sale for $1.00 each
*Another instance in which I would probably stock up for the holiday baking because this is the lowest price I've seen offered. I have been able to buy Challenge Cream Cheese for free before, but those coupons and promotional deals do not come around often!

Kroger Extracts & Spices, 50% Off All
*This would be the best time to obtain all those spices you know you will need for Thanksgiving and other holiday meals! Not to mention things like peppermint extract for baking. :)

Mountain Dairy Milk Gallon, $2.99
$1.00 Cash Back from Snap
$0.25 Cash Back from Ibotta (Accounts differ, check yours!)
$0.50 Cash Back from Checkout 51 (Accounts differ, check yours!)
Bottom Line: $1.24

Bartlett Pears, On Sale for $0.99/lb
20% Cash Back from Saving Star
Bottom Line: $0.79/lb

Tresemme Shampoo & Conditions, 32 oz bottle, $3.99
Sunday Coupon: $5 off 2 Tresemme Products
Bottom Line: $1.49 each
*Same thing for Tresemme Stylers, 9-11 oz!

Wal-Mart:

7UP, Fanta, Mug Root Beer, 2 Liter, On Sale for $1.00
Coupon here for $1.00 off 1
Bottom Line: FREE

Target:

Dove Go-Sleeveless Anti-Perspirant Deodorant, $3.89
Promotion: Free $5 Target Gift Card when you buy $15 worth of Dove Products
Coupon here for $0.75 off Dove Women Item
Bottom Line: 1.89 each

Classico Pasta Sauce, $2.19
Coupon here for $2 off 2 Classico Items
Bottom Line: $1.19 each

It is also important to note it is no longer difficult to save on healthier options. For example, I frequently have coupons for Jennie O Ground Turkey & Silk Almond Milk, so those are two staples in our house. We also use Costco for items that we need in larger quantities, especially if coupons are not readily available for them. LouAna Coconut Oil saves us over $5 if we buy in bulk at Costco. Plus, Saving Star and the other cash-back services frequently offer money back on fresh produce! Target Cartwheel also offers savings on produce if you add these offers to your cart.

OTHER WAYS TO SAVE:

Check for online coupons or offers at retailers that you visit often. For example, if you love shopping at Target and know they have a 20% off any online order and also have free shipping with no minimum purchase, then it definitely makes sense to purchase from Target online.

Coming from a previous retail employee, most retail stores will offer free shipping as it gets closer to Christmas, so it may save you money to wait a little longer, form the lists of items to get and bookmark them, and then buy them when shipping is free! This is especially true if you live far away from family like we do! :)

Take advantage of "cash-back" opportunities. Snap, Ibotta, Checkout 51, Saving Star. These are all places to get money back on items you would have already been buying. Your redeemed total adds up until it reaches an amount when you can cash it out. It may seem like it takes a while, but if you are consistent about redeeming your receipts, it adds up quickly! Plus, this is a way to save for the holidays. You can save up your redemption money and then immediately use it for holiday shopping.

Though there may be a membership fee at Costco and Sams Club, these bulk shopping places offer great discounts on not only food but also vacations, purchasing a car, household services, etc. You'd be amazed at all of the discounts they offer if you asked. :) We bought our Samsung Galaxy 5S phones from Costco at significant savings! It is definitely worth the membership fees.


I'd be interested in doing more posts highlighting the deals I have been able to get with coupons and sales if there is interest. Please comment if you would like this. If you have any questions, please comment or email (genlynne330@gmail.com) me!

Check back later for my Weekly Meals & Savings Excel Sheet!

Meal Planning and Couponing Series: Part 2 (Couponing Basics!)

People seem surprised when I tell them I started couponing. I'm not sure what it is about it that makes it surprising to everyone. Maybe it's the fact that I'm young, don't yet have kids, and lead a very busy lifestyle, so they think it's crazy that I take the time to do it. But then, I share details like I bought 5 packages of cream cheese for $0.00 two weeks ago. Or the fact that I bought 2 packages of Halls Cough Drops and actually earned money ($0.18) back. I'm not crazy about couponing (or an "extreme couponer") by any means. But if I can save 40-50% off my grocery bill each week, I'm all for it. :) Below, I'm sharing the couponing steps I use that ensure I don't take too much time out of my busy life each week but are still effective enough to save us money on our grocery bill! :)

Couponing Steps:

1. Browse digital coupons for store that you are planning on shopping at. After you have loaded all of the coupons to your preferred shopper's card, print out list of coupons that are loaded to card.

I do this once a week because our store changes their coupons or allows you to add previous ones if they're still available after you've already used them once.

2. Cut out all coupons that you think will be useful from Sunday paper. Set aside.

Make sure you only keep ones that you are at least fairly certain you will use. Otherwise, the stack of coupons becomes too big to handle! For instance, I used to keep alllll of the coupons when I definitely did not need Pampers (no kids yet!). It just adds to the hassle!

3. Browse apps such as Checkout 51, Ibotta, and Snap (from Groupon) for possible rebates.

4. Once a month, go to Coupons.com and BettyCrocker.com (under Coupons) and print all coupons that would apply to you.

You can print each computer coupon twice! That is the maximum it will let you, so there is no use going back to print it again (at least on the same computer) until the coupons have regenerated (on the 1st of each month).

5. Make two piles of coupons to use for grocery shopping for meals this week and coupons to use later based on your grocery list. I place the coupons to be used later in an organized basket. For example, mine are divided by categories: food, beauty products, home supplies, restaurants, general and then subdivided by expiration date, so I can pull them out if they will be applicable for later grocery trips.

6. Make a running list* of all items you need and applicable coupons that you have, including the ones from the apps on your phone, computer, Sunday paper, and digital coupons. Note date that is expired and date that you are planning on using it. If you decide not to use it that day, simply erase the day when you get back from the store.

*Add to this list each week.

An example of my written running list before I started doing it on the computer.

Keeping the list on the computer is very helpful because you can just delete them after they are used or when they are expired. Plus, this will tell you which ones are expired, so you can go through and throw those away. I will be providing an Excel Sheet that is the easiest way of keeping track of everything (for me) in Part 4 of the series!

I'm not a huge fan of the binder/baseball card collector method because it takes a lot of time to put each coupon in there (and you have to lug it around), but by keeping the running list, you can see what coupons you have when you are making your shopping list, combine it with the sales, and then pull them out from the basket under the appropriate category.

Try to combine sales with coupons for the best prices! I will show you how I have done this tomorrow! :)

Compare your list of sales and coupons with http://www.grocerysmarts.com/. This is the best website, and it has all the local stores in your area. It lists the sales that week, as well as items that have coupons for them from either online, Sunday papers, or just random coupons that the product's website might be offering.

7. Place all coupons that you will be using for the week in an envelope. I print out a list of all of my coupons (but keep a master copy at home) and circle the ones that are in the envelope and bring that along with me to the store.

You can just bring a written master list, as well, but I find it easier to have it on the computer, and it takes way less time. If I don't buy something I had planned on, I can easily browse through the envelope and take it out and don't have to worry about checking anything off my excel sheet/master list. I also usually go through the envelope quickly while in the checkout line to make sure I have bought everything on my coupon list and take out any coupons that were not used.

8. After shopping, remove coupons from master list that have been used to keep the list current.

It's as easy as that! :) And trust me, while it does take a little bit of time, it can save you sooo much money! I will be showing examples tomorrow!

Now... for some tips to go along with these newly-learned steps...

Couponing Tips:

1. Buy in bulk, but don't go overboard.

This means that buying in bulk is good in some cases because that allows you to be able to get the best price on items. If you run out of an item, obviously you're going to have to settle for what ever price it is at the time. But if a coupon comes around, and there's a sale, you'll be able to get the item for less and have some to last for a while. I usually buy 3-4 of each product when there's a great deal. But remember, you don't want to have to be finding places to put all of your items, so only buy what you have room for and items that you will actually use!

2. Know the store's policy!

Some stores allow double couponing. Others don't. Smith's allows digital coupons, but you can not combine digital with manufacturer coupons. Target allows you to combine a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon. The more you know about the policy, the easier the process will be. Plus, if you know they are not following protocol, you can ask for a manager and point out the flaw.

3. Be kind and courteous to the cashier.

Let's face it: ringing up coupons take a lot of time, especially if there are any issues with any of the coupons (bar code is faded, not ringing up correctly). Being patient and respectful can go a long way.

4. Don't always stick to a certain brand.

Sometimes the off-brand is cheaper (even without coupons). Sometimes the name brand is the cheaper product. You're not going to get the best deal if you are particular to a certain brand name.

5. Shop during non-busy hours.

I know this is hard to predict, but if you can get to the store when there's not a million people running around, that's ideal. The cashier is more likely to take time to make sure you get the bang for your buck and less likely to be cranky doing so.

6. It costs as little as $2 each week to implement these steps, but it could cost even less with a newspaper subscription! Most newspapers allow only Sunday subscriptions for a lower cost, so check it out!


Hope these steps have convinced you that it's so easy, you need to give couponing a try! :)

Meal Planning and Couponing Series: Part 1

I'm alllll about making things as easy as possible in life. Don't get me wrong. I work very hard, but when it comes to making meals that are delicious and wholesome, I don't have a lot of time to spend because of other priorities. And I know that's how many other people view it as well. When it comes to meal planning, I try to pick only dinners (and breakfasts & lunches) that are quick and easy to prepare or can be cooked using a crockpot while I'm at work. Pinterest is also an addiction a love of mine, so I use recipes I have pinned from there, as well, each week. If I don't find one that I can cook quickly, I reserve that for a weekend when I have more time (like weekends aren't usually booked, too, but we can dream).

Steps to Meal Planning:

1. Set aside one day a week to focus on preparing meals and making a grocery list for each week. It should only take about an hour to get organized and complete all of these steps (except for the actual meal prep, if applicable).

2. Purchase a Sunday newspaper. You don't need a subscription to the entire week, if you don't want it, and you can also buy them for $2 each on Sundays at drug stores, convenient stores, and grocery stores. You'll want the coupons for later steps!

3. Browse through ads and circle the best prices of which to take advantage. You may shop at different stores, but due to time constraints, I try to stick with one store that I know has competitive prices! My choice here is Smith's! Sometimes, I try to make a trip to Target, as well, if they have great sale prices that can be combined with coupons. More on that later! :)

4. Browse Pinterest board (or websites you love, if applicable) and select any new recipes you'd like to make, especially if they use ingredients on sale. I try to make one new recipe each week! After I've made it, if I think it should be added to the rotation, I move it to a "Tried and Loved" board, so I have the recipe at my fingertips if need be.

5. Keep a binder of all recipes that are used frequently, so you have them on hand and do not have to spend time printing them out each time or pulling them up on your phone. Plus, you'll find that your list of loved recipes just keeps growing! If you find that you have tried a recipe, have it in the binder, but don't particularly enjoy it, just remove it (and to be discussed later, take it out of excel sheet).

6. If trying a new Pinterest or other recipe, print out said recipe and place it in binder. I'm going to end up having several of these! I don't have anything fancy. I am hoping to make nicer printable dividers and index them soon, but for now, I just have a plain $2 three-ring binder from Wal-Mart, dividers, and sheet protectors.

7. Write down three meals for each of the seven days of the week, as well as snacks. Make sure to include leftovers, as well, if you are planning on having them (especially for lunches)! Try to choose meals that have not been prepared for 2+ weeks to give variety and at least one crockpot meal, if preferred.

Note: My list of rotated meals (15+ will be shared) will be coming soon, just a little later in the series!

8. On the same worksheet (provided for you later in the series!), list all ingredients needed for meals, checking your cabinets to make sure you don't already have them. Beside them, check the box to indicate if on sale. This will help to compare with the coupons in the next steps to achieve the best deal!

9. Make note of meals planned for that week somewhere (a chalkboard, whiteboard, piece of paper) to remind yourself what needs to be done for the next day and the week ahead. For example, if you are planning on preparing a crockpot meal, usually they are frozen and need to be defrosted the night before you place in the crockpot. It always helps to have the reminder somewhere! :)

10. It will also take some more time to prepare ingredients for crockpot meals, dinners that can be prepped ahead of time, lunches, etc. I find that spending more time one day a week (usually it's Sunday for me) saves much more time during the week. I usually chop and prepare all ingredients for the crockpot meal planned and place in a ziploc in the freezer until the night before. Then, I have the crockpot ready to go, so I can just place the meal inside for the next day! All ready when you get home, except for any sides you might plan.

I also try to make batches of grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables to quickly stir fry together (or make a salad or sandwich out of) on Sunday, so I can prepare them easily in ten minutes the morning the lunch is needed. It saves so much time and MONEY! Making enough for leftovers is great, too.

I don't generally prep for dinners, however. The meals I make are fast enough (usually 30 minutes or less) that I can get it ready without starving waiting for dinner.

For breakfast, I sometimes prepare a batch of waffle/pancake batter and have it ready to go, so I can make it quickly. But most of the time, my husband and I have cereal, or I prepare some scrambled eggs with veggies fast. Simple and delicious!

My easy steps to couponing, post 2 is coming up next! :)

Meal Planning and Couponing Series

It's still hard to get back into the normal routine of life after losing a loved one. It's even harder knowing that she was around the same age, just a few years younger. All I keep doing is wondering why, and it's been tearing me apart. But, slowly, we have to get back to our lives. We have to keep living and loving for those that are not here with us anymore. We have to honor them in our everyday lives. I have a post I want to publish, but it's not quite ready yet. I still don't have the words, but soon I will, and it will help to write. For now, though, I thought I would instead get back to what I had planned for this week on the blog: my meal prep and couponing series.

When I was younger, my mom was diagnosed with a condition called Syringomyelia, Not many people have heard of it, but it's a syndrome in which a tumor grows along the length of the spine. Due to the position of the tumor, most times it causes extreme neuropathic pain because of the pressure it puts on the nerves that extend from the spinal cord. It can result in loss of motor function, nerve sensation, etc. In my mom's case, it affected all of these things. They can not normally remove the entire tumor because it is too dangerous and could cause paralysis if the spinal cord was touched. They removed as much of it as they can, but it still resulted in horrible, chronic pain that she lives with everyday. Long story short, she was on bed rest for over 6 weeks after the surgery, and I was the one that took care of my three little siblings, with one of them being less than 2 years old. I tried my best to help cook, organize, and clean, and I went obsessive with cleaning. It was the way I could contribute to my family and relieve stress at the same time. I was good at it, and I was even asked to help clean other neighbors' houses that were having hard times of their own.

When I entered high school, however, I didn't care as much. I had a disaster-zone closet, tons of stuff under my bed, and a messy room at any given time. I completed retreated from my organized state.

Now, I'm back to the mostly organized and clean freak that I was during my younger years. I want to be a good wife, but I also love the feeling of everything having a place.

I'm also very organized when it comes to meal planning. I try my best to stick to a budget, watch the sales, and use any coupons I can. Just the other day, my husband and I went on a big shopping trip (our cabinets were mostly empty--I try to make meals out of what we have around), and we saved almost 40% on sales and coupons. That's money we can put towards better things, like purchasing new things for our home since I'm obsessed with constantly changing and updating things in the apartment. Anybody else like that? My husband might just get annoyed with it every once in a while, but sheesh, I'm just trying to make it better! Boys...

Many of my friends are constantly asking for cheap and easy weeknight meals, and I pretty much only have those types in my rotation. I don't get home until 5:30 from work, so I try to either have a crockpot meal planned and ready (I have several to share!) or a meal planned that I can easily and quickly put together. I will be sharing my meal planning strategies and steps, tips on how to coupon effectively and fast, sticking to a budget with grocery shopping, and best of all, an excel worksheet that tracks the ingredients for 15+ weeknight meals and organizes them according to sale and coupons for each item (and I'll be linking the worksheet!). I will also be posting each of the recipes for the weeknight meals that I rotate through each week, as well as some dessert and new entree recipes that I've been trying! I hope you'll stick around as I share these tips and tricks that work best for my family, and maybe they'll work for you, as well. Since I love to write, as well, there will still be other life postings, as well, of course. Thank you for reading!

Not Your Life Plan, But His

In a year and a half, it will have been 10 years since I graduated high school. As insane as that is to think about for me, it is even crazier to realize that things didn't turn out the way I had planned them. Not to say things are done changing. I know there are tons of changes that will happen in the future, and maybe some things will work out the way I envisioned they would. But, when I graduated high school and thought about myself almost ten years in the future, I never thought I would be in Utah, living with my husband (that part, though, I did hope for :)), and working as a researcher. I definitely didn't think I would be in research. I always said I would get bored working at a lab bench and wanted to be in patient care. Little did I know...

So, as I think back on the plans and dreams I had, I thought writing a letter to my past self would be fun. I also plan on writing a letter to my future self at 20 years post graduation, so I'll post that soon. Life changes, and you just have to enjoy the ride! God will make sure you get through any challenges you might face, and His plans for you are even better than the ones you had for yourself. I guarantee it. :)

Dear Me, Recent High School Graduate,

Hi there. Right now, you're just excited to be done with high school and can't really believe that those four years of never-ending doctors' appointments while struggling to keep up with your classmates is over. You worked your butt off to have such a high GPA and a good ACT score, so you could go to the college of your dreams and get away from the small town life. Don't be too eager to get away. You'll miss it one day and realize what a great place it was and how lucky you were to be surrounded by amazing family and friends.

You're probably already thinking of how you are going to decorate your dorm room and making a list of all of the doctors you need to shadow in the next few months. Don't worry so much. It's a great dream you have: to be a physician working in pediatric cardiology. But, it's not the only thing that might be out there for you. There's a whole world beyond that in science. You have brains, and who knows, you might realize you want to be developing the concepts that physicians use in their practice. It's God's plan, not yours.

I know you're worried about dating and finding a relationship. It seems like every girl is eager to meet someone or at least have fun dating throughout college. Just enjoy these years. You'll meet some of the best people, and you'll have a great group of friends. Cherish them. Have great nights and days with them. Trust them. Respect them. Soon enough, you'll all go your separate ways, and it's a lot harder to stay in touch than you think. People grow up, get married, and have families. Priorities change, and these days won't last forever, so make sure you enjoy just being a college student. Go to parties and social gatherings. Study hard but not too hard. Stay up late, and enjoy those late-night rides just talking with the girls. The love of your life will come around when you least expect it, so just be yourself and enjoy every day. He'll love you for who you are, and that's the most important thing.

Sometimes you can be a real pain around your family. It's just the typical teenager attitude, and I know you're ready to be out on your own, but with all the medical issues you've been facing, it may not be time, yet. Thank your family because they are the ones that have been there for you through all the hard times. They're the ones that stayed up with you at night when you were so sick to your stomach from one medication or another. They're the ones that drove you to the hospitals, hours away, to make sure you received the finest medical care. They even took you all the way to Houston, TX, so you could have surgery by one of the finest surgeons this country has ever seen. They'd do anything for you, and you should show your appreciation and how much you love them, even if you're not having the best day. It hurts them to see you in pain, so try to be as positive as you can.

You get discouraged with not finding much relief from the pain you're facing, and that's just fine. But know that one day you will understand that you were given this struggle for a reason. You might not know it yet, and it may be many, many years before you know why, but you're strong enough to face it with courage, so keep on keeping on. It'll all make sense someday, and you'll be better off for facing it head on.

Enjoy every moment. Spend time with the ones you love. Work hard but not so hard that you miss out on things. I know you don't always feel well, but try to do fun things and have new experiences. Travel. Have long, meaningful conversations. Get outside and just be grateful for the life you've been given. You're a lucky girl. And just accept that things may not turn out the way you planned, but they will all be for the best, and you'll live a happy life.

Love,
Me, Age 26