... my new bff...

sunscreen. because clearly my skin is no friend of the sun.  my dermatologist so graciously removed 4 freckles/moles from me, and 2 of them were evaluated as "severly dysplastic nevus'"- basically moles with severe cell changes. this is the stage before they turn into melanoma. 

so unfortunately for me, one of those dysplastic moles was on my jawline.  when the doctor got the results back, they showed that the mole had already begun changing the healthy skin around it and the borders weren't clear (meaning she hadn't removed all of what needed to be removed.)  she referred me to a surgeon, and my appointment was made.  

i should have gotten a final picture of my face the way i knew it.  never again would i have an unblemished, unscarred face (or jawline) again. bummer. i had no idea how much skin she would remove!  steve went into the surgery with me, and he was enthralled with the procedure. he was quite the trooper! he got a disgusting photo with my camera phone during the surgery, and i'm SO tempted to post it.  any of you know how i can post it by getting people to click on it only if they want to see it? it's a bit too disturbing to just post straight-out.  some of you with weak stomachs would not be happy with me. (if you really wanna see it, just message me and i'll send it to you over email :))

i left her office with a gynormous bandage (see below) and was instructed to treat my wound very gently. no laughing, eating burgers (no prob), smiling, chewing gum, or doing basically anything that moves my jaw for the first 2-3 months. this area is a difficult place for a scar to heal well and the least amount of movement for the area the better.  hmmm. i just might be in trouble...

DAY ONE:

(i'm really excited in this picture). they gave me flesh colored tape to cover the dressing- doesn't it make a difference? you can hardly see the mound of gauze and tape on my face. 

here is the actual wound during the first week:

i'm posting a pic that's a bit like a mug shot- kind of goes with the gnarly scar, don't you think? i'm trusting there will be a dramatic improvement over time...

here is a picture at ONE WEEK:

 

this one was taken yesterday.  it's about 2 inches and it's here to stay. ugh. it is definitely improving, though, so that's good. maybe next week (or like in one year) it will be unnoticeable! regardless, i'm choosing contentment. so there!

...the craziness of life...

i'm the worst blogger EVER.  i've blogged a total of 6 lousy times this month. sorry for any of you actually checking this thing often!  

i've thought many a time about posting something, but i've been ridiculously busy along with being unmotivated.  we've been out of town this month for 3 weddings, as well as fitting in a trip to india this month too.  last week i had half my jaw chopped off in surgery to remove an area that was in the beginning stages of cancer (i have the nastiest surgery picture ever which i am extremely tempted to post), and my oldest daughter was taken to the hospital ER on friday night (by her grandfather- we were in florida!) for a staph infection on her leg. we've also kicked in high gear with the church plant, and are beginning to meet every other week as of this past sunday.  we have found beautiful and convenient office space which we are working on getting set up and furnished, but we are still in need of a place for our church to launch in april. help us pray that God gives us somewhere quick!

check out our logo.  isn't it fab?  the font might change but the design is pretty much final.  i'll be back soon with an explanation of the logo, but i need steve to remind me of a few details. especially because it's brand spankin' new and my brain is turning to mush at 11:30pm. anyone have any thoughts?

hang in there with me. i'm gonna get better, i promise. grace?

...scarf tying 101...

do you have a shopping weakness? do your knees go weak looking at shoes? or do you have to avoid the purse section, knowing that you'll get yourself in trouble if you even entertain the idea of getting a new bag?

well, for me this season my weakness has been scarves.  the fabulous thing about having this obsession is that scarves are CHEAP and oh-so-stylish these days.  and now that i live in the artic land of georgia i figure i need to have at least 6 or 7 various styles and colors to choose from.  right?? now that i have all of these scarves, i've been on a quest to figure out how the heck to wear these little gems.

i know all of you are just DYING to learn new ways to tie your scarves as well (can i get an "amen"?) well, you need to wait no more.  i'm linking to a video from one of my all-time favorite bloggers today, BigMama.  she's super cute and writes "fashion friday" posts each friday, which i anxiously await each week because i'm not afraid to admit i am always up for some good fashion advice! check her out, internets. and let me know your favorite way to tie your scarf.

p.s. i always tie my scarf using option 4, but i'm into incorporating option 1 after watching this video.

... welcome to this world!...

... calling all bloggers!...

wanna apply for the best job in the world? check out this story on fox news.  if i were single, it would be a no-brainer.  can't wait to see who lands it!

...we're BAAACCCKKKK.....

from a whirlwind trip to visit a friend in India. it was such a short trip that we weren't even affected by jet lag! we left thursday and arrived back in atlanta last night. 

our friend annie watched our girls, and she posted some amazing videos each day. she's a hoot! the girls had an awesome time with her, and although they are thrilled we are home, i'm certain they are gonna miss Nanny McAnnie. who wouldn't?

if you need a smile, check out her posts from days 1, 2, 3, 5, and the last day

... an explosion of the taste buds...

if you try ONE new recipe this year, may this be the one. a little warning-- it ain't weight watcher friendly by any stretch of the imagination. 

*BUT* they are to die for!  one recipe made 9 pans for me... GREAT gifts and great for the freezer for guests or lazy saturday mornings.

one more warning-- it's quite an ordeal to make these. lots of waiting, etc.  the entire process took me about four hours. BUT it made 9 pans and the taste was oh-so-fabulous so it was worth it!

here is the link to the recipe:

Pioneer Woman Cinnamon Rolls

i check her blog daily, and have gotten several amazing recipes from her. i've tried a handful, and all were yummy. 

... for your viewing pleasure...

sorry for the blog hiatus. i have to confess- i've been extremely unmotivated to blog. i'm thinking it's due to NaBloPoMo i did in november (i posted 24 times that month!)

for now, here is a video for your viewing enjoyment~~

(before you play this, scroll down and press "pause" on the gap video ad a few postings back or you'll be listening to both songs at once)

this is their duet of jingle bells-- an attempt to copy the gap merry mix it ad posted on december 15th (notice the arm motions and the phrase AK attempts "saint nick got kicks like fire")

i'll try to get back into the swing of things soon.. maybe after my trip to india on thursday...