Brushing my teeth at 3:23 AM

So I'm sitting here (as you can tell by the title) brushing my teeth at 3:23 AM. Just took my last shower and I'm getting some final things in order before I go in tomorrow morning...rather in 3 1/2 hours...to get my central line placed. I haven't updated my blog the past two days, so I figured I would give a short synopsis of what has gone down.

Saturday (January 1st): Woke up, went to lunch at First Watch with Lynne and Amber. We had a yummy meal, then headed to West County Mall. After some shopping, we went to DSW shoes to try and find Amber some cute boots. That girl has got the most adorable shoes. Sadly, we drove through Sunset Hills and saw some of the tornado damage...wow... We then went to Texas Roadhouse for a tasty dinner. I had a blast just sitting and chatting with two of my favorite ladies, enjoying delicious food and putting stressful things out of my mind. After TX Roadhouse, we went back to my apartment. Amber and I changed clothes and got ready to go dancing. Although I may not seem like a stellar mover and shaker, I love going somewhere to enjoy music, dance, and have fun with my friends. Since I won't be able to move very much in the coming months, I figured I should make the most of it. We had a blast and saw a couple of my friends from Webster. I missed Frank and Angie! Amber and I came back home and hit the sack.

Sunday (January 3rd): Amber and I woke up, got dressed, and met Alex and Brett for a minute. Exchanged gifts, then Amber and I randomly met Lynne at Milagro. We enjoyed some more yummy food and laughed about the random happenings in our lives lately. After lunch, Amber and I met up with Gretchen at 141 and 44 to pick up Elly. We took her down to the Arch and bought tickets to go up in the tram. Elly held on pretty tight as we climbed up and up and up. She was a pretty brave girl. We looked out the windows, saw Busch Stadium, talked about Illinois being right across the river, and met some nice people from New York. Eventually we came back down and visited the gift shop. This was Elly's favorite part. She bought presents for her parents and brother, refusing to buy herself anything. I love that girl! We then went back to my apartment, said goodbye to Amber, and headed to Gretchen's. My wonderful sister was nice enough to take me, Elly, and Wilson to the Melting Pot. Enjoying a filling four-course meal together was one of the best times I've had in a while. Isn't it crazy how family and friends can make the most daunting situations seem like a piece of cake? I know that I have a huge support system and I can never fully express how grateful I am for that. After finishing off the dessert fondue, we went back to Gretchen's. Mandy Hanson stopped by with her speciality spine cupcakes. That girl is amazing. I miss her and feel so blessed that she is a part of my life, and has been for the last four years. We hung out, played some Headbanz (card game) with the kiddos, and decided to head back to my apartment. I had a pretty great conversation with a good friend, discussing the events ahead and talking about how to stay positive instead of whining about it. I am so appreciative of his strength and support, and hope that he (as well as all of my friends) knows how much it means to me. I then took a shower, blew my hair dry, and here I sit. It is now 3:39 AM and I have to get up pretty soon. I'm not super tired but I know I will be in the morning. I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight, so I'm going to try to sleep and not think about how badly I want water. But you know what? God provides. I am asking for his strength even in silly little situations like this, not being able to have a drink of water when I want one. It's teaching me that He is good and His grace is sufficient for my problems, tiny or huge. Too many people on this Earth are thirsty and don't get anything to drink. I can handle it for less than a day. That's all for tonight (this morning?) and I'll update later on. Love y'all!