29 December 2010

My First Nike+ Run

Though it's 40 degrees and raining, I decided to go out for a run with my new iPod nano and Nike+ device. It was a great run considering I haven't ran in about a month. I'm so excited about training for the Half in April! I feel like I've found my second wind after the holidays. Let's get running!

28 December 2010

This Christmas Season, Part 4

-Christmas with the Copeland's...James and I met with with James' parents, sisters and brothers-in-law for dinner at Shogun last Wednesday night. After dinner we went to Culver's (never heard of it until then) for ice cream. I got a peppermint milkshake...yum!

We stayed with James' fam for the past six days. We relaxed, spent time together, watched movies and ate and ate and ate some really delicious meals prepared by James' mom. James went hunting with our brother-in-law Matt and killed a deer! Now we'll have a full freezer for the next year or so. I'm so proud!

We enjoyed a long and fun Christmas day watching our niece and four nephews open their gifts and play with all their new toys. Some of the "big kids" got some cool toys too. My mother-in-law knows how to "shop 'til she drops" and she really went all out this year. Here are a few gifts that she and James' dad gave me:

My First Vera Bradley Handbag





Vera Bradley Wallet


Vera Bradley Watch

Amazon Kindle with Skin
Kindle Sleeve
(Side note: James' sister Casey bought me the Kindle skin and sleeve.)
My First Pandora Charms 





James bought me a 16GB (PRODUCT) RED™ Special Edition iPod nano that's engraved with "I love you Lexie Copeland" on the back. He's such a sweetie! He also bought me the Nike + iPod Sport Kit for when I start training again for the half marathon in April.




I bought James The Pacific DVD set (something he's wanted ever since he caught a glimpse of it on tv last spring) and a comfortable pair of Clarks (also something he's wanted for a while).



Talk about being blessed! James' mom and dad bought him a Sony hand-held video camera, boxers, several church shirts with matching ties, two video games, Star Trek The Next Generation Season 1 and a Star Trek movie collection, etc. We definitely do not deserve any of the gifts we received. In many ways, James and I both wish our families would change up the regular tradition of exchanging gifts and place more emphasis on spending time with each other and on celebrating Christ. Not that we don't do these things, but it's easy to lose focus when stressing over what to buy who (I did this a lot this year) and when overspending on items we never really needed (though perhaps wanted) in the first place. Even still, we are so very thankful for all the presents we received. We are even more thankful for our dear families and the sweet friends that God has given us. Above all this, we thank God for His Son Jesus who remains the greatest gift we could ever receive! To God be the glory!

20 December 2010

This Christmas Season, Part 3

-Finals...Not really Christmas-oriented but still a major part of this season when you're a student. James and I both took our final exams last week and made it to the other side of this semester in one piece! He ended up making three A's, a B, and a C, and I made two A's. We're both very happy with our grades, and we look forward to continuing on with our programs in the spring.

-Annual Caroling Party...Every year my friend Heidi and her family host a caroling party where their friends from all sorts of places come together to sing Christmas carols around their neighborhood. I've been several times in the past few years, but this year was the first that James could come. We walked around their neighborhood singing for about an hour and a half. Afterward, we went back to Heidi's house where we warmed ourselves by the fire and filled up on delicious finger foods and desserts prepared by Heidi and her mom, Mrs. Deborah. The group then played a couple rounds of a game called "Four Men on the Couch." We played guys against girls, and the guys won both times. We had such a great night making new friends and spending time reminiscing with old ones (well, not old but you know what I mean).


-Britt's 21st Birthday and Christmas with My Family...It's not easy separating the two because Britt's birthday comes only ten days before Christmas. This year James and I decided to spend this past weekend with my family and Christmas weekend with his. I know my mom wasn't keen on the idea, but it was for the best. My mom cooked an amazing meal of baked ham, hash-brown casserole, fried corn, baked green beans, and rolls. After dinner, we opened presents (which, by the way, we all said we weren't going to buy and did anyway). We drew names among the siblings. James got Britt's name. We combined her birthday and Christmas gift into one by getting her a gift certificate for a hair cut and style, a pedicure and a manicure. Eric drew my name, and he (actually my sister) bought me a 2011 Runner's Log Calender and earrings. I drew James' name, but I already gave him his gift. He insisted on wearing his new shoes before Christmas. Britt drew Eric's name, but the rest of the family wanted to wait until Christmas to exchange their gifts. My mom bought me a gift card to JCPenney, an iTunes gift card, and a lovely black, white and grey sweater wrap. Dad bought me a nutcracker (my first ever), a candy jar, and a really neat Galileo liquid thermometer to put in my office. Mom bought James a navy pull-over, a JCPenney gift card and an iTunes gift card, and my dad bought him a huge tool box with assorted tools and a faucet for his bathroom in the apartment (which he requested). Needless to say, we got way more than we asked for or deserve. My parents always outdo themselves to make us happy. God bless them for it. James and I bought my mom a calender and my family a blue-ray player. They were really excited (though I think they expected a Wii gaming console...maybe next year, guys).
 

-Cole Family Christmas Dinner...My dad comes from a big family that gets together at least twice a year for Independence Day and Christmas. The whole Cole family met at the family life center where James and I had our wedding reception for a get-together on Sunday night. There was a wide array of finger foods and desserts. Mom and I made sausage balls. It was all very tasty and enjoyable.

   

12 December 2010

This Christmas Season, Part 2

-Hanging of the Green...Our church holds a "Hanging of the Green" service on the first Sunday night of each December. We learned through skits and songs how Christmas decorations symbolize Jesus' story, power and love. With each explanation, another decoration was hung or displayed. We sang Christmas hymns and lit candles that illuminated the sanctuary. It was quite beautiful (until, of course, candle wax dripped on my hand, and that wasn't pretty at all).


-Stiletto Christmas Event...This marked my second time helping out with our church's girls' college ministry Stiletto. The volunteers included Nicole, Christa and me. We helped the Stiletto ministry team serve desserts to around 40-50 girls, and afterward we helped with the clean-up. We participated in an ornament swap, and through the process we got to meet a bunch of the girls. I think every young women there had a great time of relaxation, fun and fellowship. While we were busy serving and cleaning, Nicole, Christa and I bonded together in a way that only God could have arranged. We discussed the idea of starting a women's small group Bible study together! I am definitely excited about it!


-Christmas Party...James and I were invited to two parties this weekend, but since he had drill, I was on my own. Bradley, a friend that I met at the BCM during undergrad, hosted the first party at his house on Saturday night. At first I was the only guest, but steadily other friends began to arrive. We enjoyed some great food and fellowship. I really liked getting to see Bradley's black and white room and watching Toy Story 3.


-Sunday School Christmas Party...Even though church was canceled today due to the weather, our Sunday school class still decided to meet together at Erica and Daniel's at noon for our Christmas party. Erica made four different types of soup and chili. It was delicious! I tasted three of the four, and let me just say that you can't go back to Campbell's after that! I enjoyed getting to know the people in our class outside of our typical Sunday school environment. We played "Dirty Santa" where each couple/person brought something they didn't want anymore from their home. I got an old paint roller, two baby toys and a small candle. One of my friends got a rolled-up diaper. We were all afraid to ask what was inside it. Thankfully, it was clean and filled with Christmas candy. Other gifts included random wall hangings, a bottle of Rain-X, a snuggie that was re-gifted from last year, and a dvd copy of Napoleon Dynamite.
 

10 December 2010

"Eye" Can See!

For those of you wondering what Lasik surgery is all about, read on. If you'd rather be spared the details, you may want to skip this post. I'm a very detail-oriented person, and I often blog to record memories for myself in addition to the enjoyment of my readers.



As mentioned in a previous post, my Lasik appointment was scheduled for yesterday at 11:00AM. We arrived to the surgery center early, and I began to become a little less anxious after, not one, but two 0.5 mg doses of Xanax. I was tense needless to say. Ms. Becky, my nurse from the consultation, led me to a examination room. She showed me the three post-op eye drops I would need to use and gave me instructions on how and when to use them. Thank goodness James came into the room with me, because I was already zoning out. The doctor then performed a wave-scan on my eyes. I basically just looked into a device and stared at a red design of light. The scan results gave my doctor the green light to go ahead with my surgery. He then explained the details of all I would experience in the operating room. He asked me if I had any questions, and of course, I couldn't think of a single thing even though I felt like I should have. Oh well.


A nurse who I'd never seen before instructed me to wear a blue hair-net type covering and blue shoe coverings, and she led me into the operating room. She then told me to sit in the high reclined chair positioned in the middle of the room. She leaned the chair all the way back until I felt as if I'd slide off. She assured me that I wouldn't. I didn't say a word about it, but perhaps she sensed my hesitation. The nurse put numbing drops in both my eyes and then covered my left eye with a pad. Her job from then on was to hold my hand and rub my arm to support me during the surgery. This was surprisingly calming even though I didn't know her from Adam. She never even told me her name. Regardless, I was thankful she was there for me.


The doctor came in about that time and placed a tape-like material on both my upper and lower eyelids. He then put the eye speculum into place on my right eye. The doctor told me to keep looking at the red blinking light no matter what. I felt the strange pressure that the doctor had told me about beforehand. It didn't hurt at all, but it definitely did not feel natural either. I'm not exactly sure what was happening at that moment, but I do know that was when he cut the flap in my cornea. Everything faded to black. He told me this was supposed to happen, so I just kept looking for the red blinking light to return. When it did, I felt so much relief knowing that my vision wasn't gone for good. The stammering noise I heard next indicated that the laser was working its magic. After the noise stopped, the doctor doused my eye with water and replaced my cornea flap. I did not feel any pain or see anything other than the red blinking light.


After he finished my right eye, he removed the eye speculum and tape-like substance and asked if I'd like to go on with my left eye. I said, "We might as well." I was glad I could somewhat joke with him despite the awkward circumstances. At this point during the surgery, I remember hearing techno music on the radio. I wanted to ask "Who chose this station?", but I decided against it so I wouldn't distract anyone. When I go to my next appointment, I may suggest they play something a little more soothing and a little less disco dance party.


The left eye procedure matched the right one exactly. The entire procedure took no more than 10-15 minutes. As soon as I stood up from the reclined chair, the nurse tried to show me how different my vision was by telling me to look at the clock hanging on the wall. I struggled to do so, because the light in the room was so bright. I couldn't keep my eyes open for more than a second. The nurse led me back into the examination room where the doctor checked my eyes once more. He said everything looked great, and they sent us on our way.

I felt pretty miserable for the next hour. I told James the day before that I wanted a peppermint shake from Steak and Shake after the surgery. He drove us around to the drive-thru window, and we ate in the parking lot. There was no way that I could have gone inside. The sunlight was too much to handle. It reminded me of what it must have been like for Paul when he was blinded by Christ on the Road to Damascus. I literally pulled my coat over my head and stayed that way until we got home. My eyes poured with tears during the drive back to Martin. Thank the good Lord for Hydrocodone though. It kicked in somewhere around Milan, so I slept most of the way.


When we arrived home, James put me to bed with my "sleep goggles" and I slept for the next several hours. I haven't slept that good since my foot surgery back in 2006. When I finally woke up, I felt so much better, and I could see! Even though I wanted to watch tv and hang out with James, the doctor instructed me to keep my eyes shut until the day after the surgery. James was adamant about doing what the doctor said, so to follow protocol, I popped some more pain pills and slept until 6:30AM on Friday.



Today I woke up amazed that I could actually see. I felt well rested and ready to go to my last class of the semester. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I attended my final 8:00AM class the day after my Lasik surgery. Honestly though, I couldn't really see the Smartboard because my eyes haven't completely healed. After class, I drove (doctor's orders) to my follow-up exam where my doctor said my eyes look perfect. I have another appointment next week where he'll test my vision to see how well I'm improving. He says my vision will continue to improve over the next three months. I've already seen a difference since this morning. It truly is amazing that I can see right now! 


With the exception of the uncomfortable drive home from the surgery center, I am extremely pleased so far with the results of my Lasik experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to improve their quality of life by lessening their dependence on glasses and/or contacts.

07 December 2010

This Christmas Season, Part 1

Here's a look at what my Christmas season looks like so far:

-Black Friday Christmas Shopping Trip...James and I left my parents' house at 6am to meet his mom, sisters and a family friend in Memphis, and we did not get home until 10:30pm. As crazy as it sounds, we had an amazing day amidst the hustle and bustle. We found some great deals, and we enjoyed some good bonding time.


-Christmas Wrapping...I already wrapped the few things we bought on Black Friday. Since then, we've made some other purchases, and I look forward to finding the time to wrap. Wrapping presents is one of my favorite things to do this time of year.


-Christmas Music...My Pandora Christmas stations have been playing almost nonstop at work since the Monday after Thanksgiving. Love it!


-Bunko PJ Christmas Party...It was my second time playing bunko with the girls from church, and we had a very festive, fun time. I wore the purple owl pajamas that Tammy (my MIL) bought me last year for Christmas. Only two other girls wore pjs though because the others either forgot or were not informed. No matter though, I was comfortable and received a lot of compliments.


 -Christmas Decorations...James and I went to Paris this past weekend to collect my three huge boxes of Christmas decorations. I spent Sunday afternoon sifting through everything and finding a place to put it all. I decided to donate some of my older decor to We Care Ministries because we just do not have the space for much these days. I also took a few things to work. The faculty members have been commenting on how good my Noel-scented WoodWick candle smells. Mmmm...


-Christmas Cards...It's taking me a while to get them put together this year, but I hope to have them stamped and mailed sometime next week.


-CENS Christmas Potluck...Today we had the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences potluck where I ate way too much (and it was so good). The faculty, staff and their families gathered together to eat and mingle for a couple hours. I made banana nut bread and Snowy Chocolate Baby Cakes. Mine didn't look nearly as good as these.