The Akron Marathon!!!

Race Day!! 

The shuttle was leaving from our hotel at 5am. So we got to bed as early as possible which was around 11pm for me. We got on the shuttle with four other marathon runners and headed to one more hotel to pick up another group. The bus dropped us off just a few blocks from the start line, which was nice...but we didn’t know where the start line was. We made an educated guess and started walking. We did have two hours before the race started, so we eventually would find it... right? 

We realized all the other runners were following us. Nobody else knew which way the start line was either. Ha! We found a volunteer who told us to turn around and walk four blocks down and take a left and we would see the start. We had a good time laughing at ourselves since we all assumed someone else would know where to go! 

As we walked up to the start, there were lights in the sky, music playing, and lots of excitement in the air! It felt like a giant party outside at 5:30am! There were three starting points for the runners, Group A, B & C. 
Group A was for runners running with a 8:58 pace and faster.

Group B was 9:30 and faster.

Group C was 13:44 and faster. 

I was in Group B and Hannah in Group C. I was happy to let all the faster runners start ahead of me! 

I found my pace group (4 hours with a 9:15 pace). The pace group leader was Amy, she had run 83 marathons in 6 different countries! The pace group was great because I didn't have to worry about my pace and keep looking at my watch or listen to my phone for my time. I just had to trust Amy would get us there on time! All I had to do was run and watch for her little bobbing blonde hair. Amy did most of the talking and told jokes to keep us entertained. She knew the course well and could tell us what to expect. Her plan was to be two minutes ahead of schedule so when we got up to the big hills we could take it a little slower and still keep our time. Her goal was to cross the finish line in 3:59:30. 

Everyone was starting at the same time, all relay runners (1300 teams), half marathoners (4500 runners) and full marathoners (2000 runners). A total of almost 13,000 runners! Needless to say it got a little crowded at times. 

Before I knew it, the race had begun! We jogged until we got to the start mat and then we were off! A sea of bright colors bobbing up and down was all I could see! Thousands of runners all going the same direction. It was exciting! 

The excitement, the adrenaline, the rush! 

I was feeling pretty good except I started to get very warm. I had gloves on that I threw off to the side at mile 5. The weather was started in the low 50’s quickly warmed up into the late 60's. That may sound nice and cool but it got pretty warm. I ate half a bagel around mile 3 and ate a cream pie at mile 6. Our pace was under 9 minutes and I was feeling really strong. The whole course was up and down but it didn’t seem to bother me or my stomach! :)  

The city of Akron was alive at 7am! Everyone was cheering, holding signs, ringing cow bells, and making all sorts of noise! High schools had their bands and choirs out performing. A lot of the volunteers were dressed up in fun hats and outfits. And the whole course would be this way! 

One of the runners was an older man and he was carrying a full size (heavy!) American flag! He said he had run in 48 marathons in 48 states with this flag and had two more states to run with it in. What American pride! Our group thanked him for his dedication to proudly carry our flag. 

I had asked James to be around mile 13 and 21 since that would give me something to look forward to. I knew the beginning of my race wouldn’t be bad, and it would give me something to look forward to! 

Miles 1-11- Feeling great! We were keeping a pace of 8:48 and it felt good!

At mile 11, the half marathoners broke off to head back to the finish line. Soon I would get to see my guys!! I was so excited when I saw him! And I was still feeling strong! I ran by too quickly to see Jacob :( but he was there! I couldn’t wait to see them again! In the mean time, I pretended everyone else holding signs was cheering for me. :)

I was good to refuel and hydrate myself along the way. Something I had thought would be difficult running a faster pace but it wasn't! 

Mile 16 was the dreaded half mile long hill. We ran through a trail which was nicely shaded and felt really good! At the end of the trail there it was the hill! I was ready for it! I had run it once before and knew what to expect. I took it nice and easy. I walked for about 15 seconds since I was ahead of my pace group and picked up when they reached me. Phew got through that!

Mile 18, I began to feel pretty tired. My headband kept falling off my head and I was going to take it off and put it in my pocket, but it felt secure to have it on my head (which sounds weird but it was like a security blanket- it just felt nice) so I kept putting it back on. There was another hill on mile 18 and I didn’t know how much longer I could keep my pace. I wanted to be careful and conserve my energy for the end of the race but my energy was fleeting fast. 

My phone started to ring and I answered it. I smiled as my little nephews and nieces were cheering me on! They were saying “Run Aunt Amber!!” It helped me over that hill and kept my little legs going! My niece, Gracie loves running with me when we visit. She would always say “My body is saying No, but I’m saying Go!!” I kept thinking of that cute phrase! 

I had begun to pray for my family about mile 14 and would think of them with each mile. I would dedicate a mile to my brother and finish that mile for him, and then my sister and so on. Mile 19, I managed to turn on my music while I was still running and hoping that would distract my mind from the number of miles left.   

Mentally my goals were: After I got to mile 11, I wanted to get to mile 20. Then my next goal was 23 miles and then to finish strong! However...

Mile 21, came and went and I didn’t see James. I was really itching to see Jacob too, but I didn’t see them. They were there cheering me on and I missed them in the crowds. By this point my head was feeling super light headed and I felt almost faint. I had no energy to even put my hand to mouth to drink. I had taken a 30 second walk break at mile 20 and kept on pushing. Up until that point all my miles were under 9 minutes (Mile 20, was 9:40 and Mile 21, 9:02 Mile 22, 9:30).

Mile 21-22, I ran out of water and it was hot! I made myself eat my last oatmeal pie hoping for an energy boost. I had to drink from the fluid stations, which I didn’t want to do, but it was hot and I was thirsty. I grabbed for a Powerade and tried drinking it down while running and got most of it on my face. Ha!

And then at Mile 23, I started to walk for a couple of minutes. My pace group was now ahead of me and I knew I wasn’t going to make my goal. I thought I could walk and rest a minute and then be able to pick it back up and finish strong. I saw a couple others in my pace group that had also fell a little behind which made me feel better. I wasn't discouraged that I wasn't going to finish in under four hours like I had hoped but I was determined to still finish close to the four hour mark. Nothing was going to get my spirits down! 

I still felt really sick, head spinning and light headed but at least my stomach wasn’t upset! 

Walking felt so amazing! Haha I try hard to never walk in my long distance runs because it makes my body feel like I’m finished, so it doesn’t ever “help” me. But not today, it felt like manna from heaven. 

Then an angel was holding out a bottle of water in his yard for the runners, and I ran to grab it! I kinda ran over another runner (who was going the wrong way) to get it. I was so thankful! I hope I said thank you, but I can’t remember. I’m sure I muffled out a thanks and a head nod or something.  It’s much easier to drink from a bottle while running then from a little baby dixie cup splashing in your face. Thank you, Lord!

I drank a good amount of water down which gave me a burst of energy. I think I drank a little too much but I couldn’t help it, it was so delicious. 

Mile 24, I threw up a little- just Powerade and water. I just kept going. (Okay maybe I chugged the water too quickly.) I had the tired sick-look on my face and was just wanting to finish. I was feeling weak and a little delirious. I kept praying the Lord would give me strength to finish. I had run tired plenty of times, and even ran throwing up once, but I never felt light headed and faint before. I knew I could push through and rest after I crossed the finish. 

Then...

I heard someone say “Hey, Amber! You’re doing a great job!”

I thought it was another runner ( my name was written on a bib on my back) trying to cheer me on. Then I looked over, and saw my friend Peter! I can’t explain to you the excitement from seeing someone I knew and he was running beside me. He asked how I was doing, I told him tired and tried to put on a “pretty” face (not the nasty tired-sick face). He asked me if I had run the whole time like I wanted, I told him no. ( He ran the Cleveland Marathon in May and had qualified for Boston. He also walked a little which he didn’t want to do and knew I was trying to run the whole thing. He ran the Akron Half Marathon that morning and finished before 9am). He kept cheering me on and said I was doing great! He told me he had just run with someone else to the finish. And I asked if he was going to run with me to the finish. He said if I wanted him to he would. Yes!! I wanted!!  He asked if he could hold my bottle for me, so I gave it to him. We were approaching another fluid station and he grabbed me a Powerade. He reminded me it was okay to stop a second and drink it down, so I did, better to get it in my mouth than all over! 

Mile 25, came and my body was so tired. I stopped to walk for about 15 seconds and pressed on. 

Mile 26, there was another hill..kill me... I ran up it and walked for about 15 seconds to catch my breath. Peter was encouraging me the whole time. Then right as we approached the stadium, he bid me farewell, and I mustard up the rest of my strength and sprinted across that finish line! I threw up my tired arms and saw my family cheering me on! Time 4:04:23!!!! 

I was expecting to feel excitement, but all I felt was exhaustion and my head still spinning. My family was in the stadium and I was now in the “finishers circle” were there was food, first aid, and a band. Photographers were around taking pictures of everyone that wanted their picture taken with their medals. I could care less about everything going on (which isn’t like me at all!) I just wanted to sit and fall into James arms and hold my baby! 

I went in got my medal and finishers towel and headed for the food tent. I figured I would want to eat later. I felt nauseated and knew I had crackers in my bag that I had checked before the race. 

It felt like an obstacle course trying to get out of the stadium! I found the exit and made my way to it. I now had to find the baggage check and pick up my bag. ( I had placed my coat and extra food in my bag for after the race.) I threw up a couple more times along the way and was able to find the bag check. I went to eat a cracker and couldn’t even swallow it, I felt so sick. James came to my rescue and found me just outside the stadium. I had no more energy to try and navigate where to go. He helped me along and got me a sprite. After finding our family, we finally sat down. I was so excited to see my boy and he was just as excited!! He squealed and reached his arms out for me and just snuggled on my shoulder. It was the greatest reward!! 

It took me about 40 minutes to get my bag and make it back in the stadium. Sitting was my magical cure. I felt so much better after about fifteen minutes of sitting down. My stomach had settled, my head stopped spinning.  ( I later realized it was my head band that was too tight on my head causing me to feel faint!! I couldn’t believe it! They say never do anything new on race day! And I did! )

We received a text alert to let us know how Hannah was doing. She had now fallen behind her pace group and wasn’t going to finish on time. The whole time I felt weak during my race, I kept praying for her too. I thought if I was feeling this bad she may be feeling sick too. 

I told James we needed to go see her. I knew I needed encouragement along the way and it would help her too! I could barely walk without waddling! Ha! But I knew we had to go cheer her on! James, Bobby (her hubby) and I got up to go meet her around mile 24. Our lovely family, Aunt Jackie, Aunt Jane, and Sharon watched the kids for us. 

We pulled in to where mile 24 was and we stood there waiting. I saw pacer Chase (the 6 hour pace group) run by with no one in his pace group. The police car and shuttle with other runners who couldn’t finish were just behind him and I still didn’t see Hannah. I was starting to worry. I decided I was going into the race to find her and run with her the rest of the way. 

Say Hi to Pacer Jim, everyone! This was Hannah's pace group leader and he  was now walking at mile 24 to the finish. The Pacers have a challenge with each other to see who can make it to the finish closest to their goal time. And apparently he had time to kill! Haha he was also all alone, no one was with him. Poor lonely Jim.

I finally saw her running along the sidewalk a few minutes later. She was feeling good but just getting tired and bored. We started to make little goals to get to, our first goal was to get in front of the police car and back in the race! We waved at her hubby and James at mile 24 and told them we would see them at the finish! I knew with the police car behind us we could still finish on time! There were about a dozen other runners spread out. There were still plenty of people outside cheering on the final runners. All the police were cheering too. It was exciting! I had my energy back and was cheering her on! During my last couple of miles, I just wanted to hold on to another runner for a little bit and let them help me, so I grabbed her hand and helped her up the final hill. 

She was looking good!! 

James called me just outside the stadium and said they were going to close the race in 4 minutes! We were totally going to make it!! Bobby was at Mile 26 cheering her on again! Hannah ran with all her strength into the stadium and crossed the finish line!!!! I wanted to cry and so did she! I was so proud of her!!! We picked up her medal and some food and went and found our families! 

It was such an exciting accomplishment for both of us! I was reminded of how important encouragement is both physically and spiritually. When Peter ran along side of me, he helped carry my load. He cheered me on and gave me the confidence to finish strong! 

During my training there were times I would have bad days, and James would encourage me to keep at it, to stay strong. After all he was the one who convinced me to sign up for the marathon. He believed I could tackle this challenge and do well. I never thought I would run a marathon, but my husband believed I could and he cheered me on every step of the way! 

And that’s just like life! You may think you can never run a marathon or get up that giant hill (trial or obstacle); but with God, anything is possible. 

Who can you encourage today to finish strong? To run along side of them and let them know you are praying for them. Let them know they are not alone and help them finish strong!  

Will I run another marathon? YES! It was so exciting to finish my first marathon and I can’t wait to train and run my next one! I want to do better next time! And they do have marathons in Russia, both in Moscow and in Siberia! The Lord truly is good! I couldn’t have finished the course if He didn’t give me the strength. I’m so thankful God has given me my husband who is my life time encourager cheering me on every step of the way! 

There were also be a guest post by my sister in law, Hannah, about her journey to the start and finish line of her first marathon! Coming Soon!! 

I love these verses! These verses my twin sister, Amanda, and I claimed as our own a long time ago. Very fitting! 

Ecclesiastes 4:9,10

⁹Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

For more race photos check out the album on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151617841536836.1073741845.704116835&type=1&l=289f15a266

I think I can, I think I can!!!

On September 28, my sister in law Hannah and I became part of the 1% of American people who will have run a marathon in their lifetime. It was quite an amazing experience! I’m so thankful, Hannah was crazy enough to do it with me! 

This post will discuss about my training and what got me to the start line! 

First, why would I do such a crazy thing? 

Well, I am crazy in love with the most wonderful man in the world! And he believes I can do crazy things like running a marathon! He is my inspiration for running. I had originally signed up to run the Akron Half Marathon, but James thought I was doing so well with all my miles and running that I should challenge myself and sign up for the full marathon instead. My heart began to beat fast as I thought about actually running  a full marathon! I asked him if he really thought I could do it, and his answer over and over again was yes! So I swallowed a dose of crazy and called the Akron Marathon and switched to running the full! Yikes!!!

My Training:

I followed the Hal Higdon Novice 2 marathon training plan, ( http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51138/Marathon-Novice-2-Training-Program) but I added my own variations. Heres my basic training plan during the last 3 months: 

Sunday-off

Monday-Speed Training 6 miles of Yasso 800’s (sprint for half a mile (pause timer & slow jog or walk .25 mile- I would just catch my breath and keep going). Do ten reps of this then take an easy mile for cool off or no cool off. Your average time during your sprints should give you an estimate marathon time. 

My time would be around 3:55-4:12. 

Tuesday-Off (Monday and Tuesday would alternate for my off days and speed training days)

Wednesday- Mid long distance 8-12 miles 

Thursday- Strength Training ( I would run 6 miles with ankle weights) 

Friday-off 

Saturday- Long Distance 16-20 miles

On the plan, I was suppose to run 20 miles only once and it was three weeks before the race. Instead I ran 20 miles about 8 weeks before. I ran 20 miles three times, 18 miles twice and the full 26.2 once. I wanted to build up my endurance for race day. Your body doesn’t know “miles” but it knows time. My thinking, I could build up my time to perform well and really push myself on race day. Akron was a very hilly course, so when I could, I hill trained, but with traveling it was a little challenging. 

It was a huge confidence booster to had already run the distance. I finished in 4:12:34 (without stopping) and my hopes was to finish in 4:00 on race day. 

To fuel along the way, I eat bagels (they also help settle my stomach) and oatmeal cream pies (simply for the sugar boost-it gets a little tiring running for four hours! :) I put the bagels in ziploc baggies, and oatmeal cream pies. ( I would cut the bagel in half and put each half in a baggie and tuck the baggie around my hydration belt. I would run with two whole bagels and three oatmeal cream pies. Two pies fit in a pouch on my belt, I carried a 24oz sports bottle of water plus the two 6oz bottles on my waist. (I can’t eat the sport gels because those really bother my stomach and nobody wants the runs while running!)  I would do exactly the same thing for race day.

I had run 950 miles and was getting very excited about the marathon! I had confidence in all my training and hard work; but I was nervous about going a faster pace and conserving my energy the whole time to finish strong. My plan was to join a pace group and break off around mile 23 and sprint to the end.  

Three weeks out from the race starts the taper. You cut back on your miles and allow your muscles in your body to heal so you can really push them on race day. 

Sounds easy, right?

Wrong!

Those three weeks were brutal. Why? Because your suppose to take it easy. Easy?? I’ve been training hard for months and now I’m suppose to take it easy. I would get antsy not being able to run as much as I wanted. And with all that free time, one can go crazy. 

Well I did a lot of reading on how to properly taper. I found out if you rested too much, it would have an adverse effect and I didn’t want that. To properly taper you’re suppose to cut back on your mileage about 20%, then 30% then 40%. My average week would be about 35-40 miles. Week three, I ran 40 miles (with 20 miles being my long distance day.) Week two, I ran 30 miles (12 miles on my long distance). And race week, I ran a total of 16 miles before race day but I did easy runs nothing exhausting. Which worked perfect for me! 

Friday, September 27: 

It was here the day before the marathon! My stomach was doing lots of flips and flops! 

I had my chicken pesto pasta made with lots of veggies and home made rolls all set in the fridge. Ready to carb load! 

Hannah and I were so excited! Our families were sharing a two room hotel room, and we headed to the expo to pick up our race packets! 

Who’s Hannah? 

Glad you asked! 

Allow me to introduce you to Hannah. Hannah is James’ beautiful oldest sister who is one of my best friends. She turned 30 this year and has three adorable kids and one awesome and crazy fun husband, Bobby. Along with loving the Lord completely, she is super talented in all things music and enjoys the freedom running gives her! 

I invited her to run a 5K Color Run with me back in May and she hasn’t stopped running since! She had only been running for 5 months before the marathon. She trained super hard and was hoping to finish in 5:30. She had had an injury a few weeks prior and decided to try and finish in 6 hours (the max) so she wouldn’t injure her leg. She also planned to run ahead of her pace group at the end to finish in just under 6 hours. I don’t know too many people who would sign up for a marathon only weeks into running! She is one committed woman!!   

Okay, so it was the eve before the race...  

Check back tomorrow to read how our marathon went! 

Was I able to sprint the last three miles like I planned? Did I run without stopping? Will I ever run a marathon again? Did Hannah make it to the finish? Find out tomorrow! 

Training was much more enjoyable knowing I had a friend training just as hard along side of me. Even though we weren't able to train together, I knew she was out there on those hot brutal days working hard too. We were running the course no matter how difficult to prepare for race day! Some days, I wondered if all my training was even worth it. Was it really helping me? Some weeks I ran even slower than before and I thought how could I get slower?? But it was all preparing me for race day. My body would be tired and sore but it would soon heal and be stronger than ever. I thought of these verses in I Corinthians 3: 

⁶ I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

⁷ So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

⁸ Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

⁹ For we are labourers together with God...

Hannah and I labored together, just as God labors along side of His children. We may not have always seen the fruit of our hard work right away but it was there like a seed planted in the ground taking time to grow before it sprouted. So may I encourage you, Christian, keep on laboring for Christ in whatever area He has called you to. Your labor is never in vain in the Lord! It is God that gives the increase! 

This blue line would take us from the start to across the finish line! 

The Elevation Chart- Sure it looks harmless! But hilly the whole way! 

Our Awesome Signs! Gabriel was our sweet nephew who passed away this year- only a year old. We love you, Gabe, and can't wait to see you soon! 

Dinner! And our jackets we got! 

This car had all 13,000 runners names on it. 

Ready or Not?

As most of you know, I'm training for my first marathon on September 28 in Akron, Ohio. I have been following a 16 week marathon training schedule and let me tell you some days are tough! This week is my last week of hard training then my runs get lighter leading up to the race. 

During my training, I was really excited to start the plan. Then as weeks progressed a few months into it, it became less exciting and more work. Then summer hit and the heat was brutal, disgusting, painful,exhausting-well you get the idea.

 There were days , I wanted to quit early and not finish my miles. And some days I did due to sickness. I felt like a failure on those days. But I got up the next day and kept working on my running. 

I thought, if I could endure the summer heat, just maybe it would pay off when fall came around. 

I learned to endure a 20 mile run without stopping and to press on when I was exhausted. I knew these workouts although they were not my personal best, would hopefully produce a stronger runner in the end. 

Today, I finally saw great results with my speed. (And the weather was 59 degrees!) My hard work during the summer has paid off. 

6.25 miles with an average pace of 8:30. My last mile was my fastest at 8:09. And let me tell you, it's hard to run the last mile as your fastest. But come race day, I want to finish strong. (Something James has taught me to do since I started running.)

So it got me thinking...

In life we run a spiritual race.

When a person first accepts Christ into their life, they are so excited about living the life of a Chrisitan. They are ready for a life change! No longer to live the way they did before but to live for something much Greater than themselves. No longer to walk on the broad path but the path less traveled- the straight and narrow. 

But then something happens along the way. Maybe a trial or tribulation and life gets tough. They start to look at their situation and not to God. They slowly lose the joy of their salvation and begin to cut miles out from their daily run, and spend less time in prayer and Bible study. 

But as children of God, we are called to endure the race. Finish strong. The tough days are preparing us to run even stronger in the days to come. God will be our strength when our energy left us at mile 14 on that huge hill. 

Sure there are hot and humid days that will be tough but thankfully those days don't last forever! 

(Well unless you live in Florida...) 

Fall is just around the corner and race day for me is only 25 days away. I'm ready for race day and to cross that finish line! 

How about you? Are you ready to cross the finish line? If God called you home today, would your race be a strong finish or barely crossing the finish line? 

Stay strong and finish strong in God's strength. You never know who you'll influence to join the race! 

Romans 5:3-6

"...but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. "

Hebrews 12:1-2

"... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

My experience with LASIK surgery

LASIK surgery- does it hurt? what exactly do they do? Is the procedure long or painful? 

Many people have asked these questions to me lately. I was also very curious before my surgery and couldn't find much information online. So now I share with you my experience and exactly what I went through pre, mid, and post surgery. 

Pre-Surgery- "The Consultation" Do I even qualify for LASIK?

Yes, you have to qualify for LASIK. Some people may not be eligible for one reason or another to get LASIK done. Personally, it kinda felt like a marketing ploy to me, waiting to hear if I qualify for the procedure. 

Who is a good candidate? Anyone with bad vision. 

However, your eyes need to be healthy enough to undergo the laser treatment. 

Luckily, "my enormous pupils and juicy corneas" passed the test. (These were the words of my eye doctor, Dr. Oldenburg. He was a little eccentric and full of energy!) The thicker your corneas are the better to undergo the laser treatment. 

After the consultation, I had one more extensive eye exam where he wrote down all my measurements for surgery. 

The LASIK Process- How LASIK corrects your vision. 

First, what causes blurred vision?

Glad you asked!

Simply, the light coming into the eye is not focused properly on the retina. The light either falls short of the retina (far sighted) or goes too far beyond the retina (near sighted). 

LASIK corrects this problem by allowing light to bend (refract) light rays to focus more precisely on the retina. The laser reshapes the cornea to allow light to properly pass to the retina resulting in clearer vision. (That's why my "juicy" corneas were good candidates. Haha) 

Day of Surgery:

I arrived at 7:45 and surgery was scheduled at 9:15 ( I ended up not going in for surgery until 10:30 but no big deal.) I was prescribed two medicated eye drops and a Valium to take right before the surgery. I decided to not take the Valium since it was only a ten minute procedure, I figured I could get through it and stay relaxed. ( If I could stay relaxed during child labor, this would be a piece of cake. ) 

I had my surgery at the Novus Center in Tallmadge, Ohio by Dr. Beyer. He and his staff were wonderful! They operate like one big happy family and make you feel a part of it. It was nice to joke around and talk to the nurses while they were preparing me for surgery. 

Before surgery, a nurse went through five different eye exams with me double checking my doctors work and making sure everything was still on tract for surgery. When they did the eye exam with me ( you know when they ask " Better one or Better two? Three or Four or the same?") I was nervous! Talk about an eye exam of your life. One wrong answer and there goes my chance at perfect vision! Okay, not really. But I still didn't want to answer wrong. So after that was all done, they took me in a room where I got to put on a pretty hair piece and shoe covers. 

Pretty, I know! I was a bit hyper (maybe my way of not being nervous) so I found the hair piece to be enjoyable. 

There was a man in front of me who was pretty nervous but stayed pretty relaxed with his Valium. The woman going after me was totally slumped over from her Valium, it worked a little too well. I was happy to be awake and alert. I did my best to keep the morale high and calm their nerves. When it was my turn, I walked into the room and laid down on the table. 

The nurse asked me my name and birthday, so I told her. Then she asked me what kind of surgery I was getting done, and I smiled and said foot surgery. She wasn't laughing...apparently she took a Valium too. So like a good patient, I said LASIK eye surgery and she was satisfied.

 They swung the table under the laser and then my heart started to race a little. Now I was getting a little nervous. I knew The Lord had calmed my nerves thus far and would help keep me calm. 

(Dr. Beyer, also a concert pianist, played his music for me to listen to which was nice and relaxing.)

 And just when I thought they were ready, they had to change something in the laser since my eyes are smaller than the person before me. (Big pupils, little eyes- sheesh I'lll be self conscious for the rest of my life. ) 

While I was waiting, One of the other nurses asked me if I was nervous because he thought I was shaking. Then he realized he was shaking not me. Very reassuring.

After everything was all set up they began. 

They taped open my right eye and he was about to cover my right eye when one of the nurses asked, aren't we starting with the right eye. 

Again, very reassuring. 

So he covered my left eye, and put lots of drops in my eye causing it to go numb and blurry. There was a blinking light, I was suppose to look at. Then they put something in my eye which felt like a contact lens then there was a little pressure and everything went dark for about 6 seconds. (which I knew was going to happen). Then the laser started for about 10 seconds and shut off. Then it seemed like he was polishing my eye with something like a nail polish brush. My eyesight was blurred the whole time so I couldn't really tell what was going on. Then more eye drops went in and they were done with the right eye and did exactly the same thing to the left eye. I could feel a little more pressure or discomfort on the left side but nothing painful. I kept reciting verses in my head and trying to relax my body. I also sang a couple Russian songs in my head to help keep my mind elsewhere. After about ten minutes, it was all done! 

They sat me up and put on these awesome goggles to protect my eyes. 

Today was not a day for family photos. :) I had to wear them the rest of the day and could take them off in the morning.

 I felt super light headed and began to feel nauseated after we left the clinic. My eyes stung just a little and were very sensitive to the bright sun outside. Even closing my eyes didn't help with the brightness. It drove me crazy to have my eyes burn a little and not be able to touch them. Most people take a four hour nap after the procedure since the Valium makes you sleepy, but it took me a little while to fall asleep. 

After I ate some lunch and got home, I was able to fall asleep. My eyes felt much better after I woke up. I wasn't allowed to text or be on the computer all day but watching tv was allowed. 

The next day, taking off the eye gear was awesome! Since the eye gear had holes all around it, I couldn't see perfectly out of them. But now my vision was perfect!! Everything was in focus, my son looked even cuter and my husband even handsomer. The only down side to taking off the eye gear was getting the medical tape residue off my face. My husband recommended eye make up remover and it worked! Definitely beat scrubbing my face for hours. :) 

The end result- clear vision! 

I went to my eye doctor the next day and my vision was already at 20/15. He said my vision will continue to get better as my eye continues to heal. 

In the end it cost me around $3000. We were quoted $3250; but somehow it ended up a little cheaper. We were recommended to get this surgery done since we will be moving to Russia to start missions work soon. It's hard to keep up with prescriptions over there. 

We are very thankful The Lord opened this door for me to get this done. I would highly recommend this surgery and my doctors to anyone interested in getting LASIK done. 

Hope this informed you a little bit about LASIK and all it entails! 

Together Tomorrow

As some of you know, our family has had to say goodbye to a very special little boy, Gabriel Michael Pranger. The world was blessed on June 10, 2012, with his arrival. And early on June 29, 2013, the Lord saw fit to call him home to heaven.

Lately, I have been reading a lot about the promises of God.

Promise "ground for hope, expectation, or the assurance often specified of eventual success." or "A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that guarantees that a particular thing will happen."

II Kings 8:56 "...there hath no failed one word of all his good promise." 

 The Bible is often called God's Word, in other words it can also be called "God's Promise". God always keeps His word, He can not lie. Simply, what He says, He will do. I'm so thankful that God keeps his promises. It's from His Word, His book of Promises, we find hope and strength in our daily needs. Our family has definitely experienced God's grace and strength in a mighty way this past week. We have clung to many of His promises this week, that have given us hope and peace. 

Gabriel was born with a genetic disorder called Nonketotic Hyperglycinemia. (NKH) is an inherited condition in which the body is unable to breakdown and process some of the building blocks of protein (amino acids). Gabriel and his daddy, Amos Pranger, went to Cincinnati Children's Hospital in hopes to find out some answers as to why he would go a few seconds without breathing. His sister, Annabeth, also has the same genetic disorder, and it wasn't uncommon for them to make trips to the hospital. We had all thought, this was just going to be another trip to the hospital and then he would be back home. 

The doctors concluded Gabriel was having small seizures but they couldn't find out what was causing them. By Saturday, the had him stabilized and he seemed to be doing better. However, over the next 48 hours his little body took a drastic turn for the worst. 

His brain activity had gone down to almost nothing, and he wasn't able to breath on his own. When we heard the news of his sudden decline, we began to pray even harder for his healing. We knew God could heal our little Gabriel if He choose to. 

Tuesday came, and I was praying so hard for our little nephew. His mommy, Liberty Pranger, was on her way to be with her son. He was making some improvements, but not much to make a difference in his fragile condition. The doctors were clueless as to why he was declining so quickly. They could only assume one of the seizures had lasted longer than a few seconds and caused the brain damage. 

By Thursday, his kidneys and liver were shutting down. We were losing our little Gabriel. My in-loves, Jim & Laura Pranger, were on a flight back from Hungary in hopes to see Gabriel before God called him home. Their plane was scheduled to land on Friday. (Unfortunately, a bad storm kept my in-loves from making it on time to see him.) 

Friday came, and we were told if we could, to make our way to Cincinnati to see Gabriel one last time. James and I immediately packed up the car and headed to Cincinnati. I had hopes to take some family pictures for them and to capture little Gabriel's last few moments. 

We pulled into the hospital, and went up to Gabriel's room. There were many friends and family gathered around and nurses in the room. One of the nurses was making "sweet memories" with Gabriel and his three sisters, Annabeth, Deborah, and Breanna. They made some hand prints, and molds of Gabriel's hands and feet. And she was finishing up by taking some photos of the family all together. I was right behind her with my camera. When the nurses all left, the kids were a little restless, so we agreed to take more photos in the morning. I went about taking candid photos of everyone with Gabriel. 

His oldest sister, Annabeth

Breanna, Jacob and Deborah

I got to have some time with Gabriel, kissing his sweet face, holding his hand and talking to him. James came over and was playing with his ear, as he loved on him. Later that night, I went back in the room with Liberty and her sister, Bethany. Everyone else was now gone or in the waiting room. I wanted some photos of Jacob and Gabriel, like the ones we had taken back in December when they first met. I'm so thankful I did, because the opportunity to take more photos in the morning never came. 

As we left that night, I said good night to Gabriel and kissed his sweet face. I told him Grandma and Grandpa were on their way to see him, and to hang in there. 

That was the last time we saw our sweet Gabriel. A phone call later that night told us Gabriel had gone home to be with Jesus. 

My heart felt relief and peace when I heard he had gone home to heaven. Relief in knowing he was no longer suffering, his body was now made whole. Peace in knowing that we would see him again in heaven.

When Gabriel took a turn for the worst, the Lord flooded my heart with promises from God's Word. With those promises I found hope, peace, and strength.

One of the verses God gave me on Tuesday was from Isaiah 40: 29, 31

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. 

In our darkest of days, we don't have to have strength- God will be our strength. I know this has been true for Liberty and Amos as they said their goodbye's to their son this week. How can someone go through a trial so hard? With God, that's how. 

"O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is the victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

But thanks be to God!! (this gets me excited) which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:55,57

Death has no victory over God's children! Death is merely a stepping stone to heaven for all those who have put their faith and trust in God. God has given us the victory over death through Jesus Christ. How?

"But God commendeth his love toward us, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

Jesus Christ paid the penalty of death for our sins so we can spend an eternity in heaven. 

"...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10
"Every good gift and perfect gift, is from above..." James 1:17a

Our Gabriel was truly a special and perfect gift from the Lord. He is now experiencing life more abundantly with Jesus Christ. He has whole and perfect body now and is leaping on the streets of gold. Sure our hearts still hurt from losing him here on earth. "...weeping may endure for a moment, but joy comes in the morning." Psalms 30:5b 

We rejoice in knowing that we will see our Gabriel again in heaven. We will get to spend an eternity with him which far outweighs any time here on earth. Gabriel along with his mommy and daddy would want nothing more than for his death to bring about life more abundantly. If you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ, won't you make sure of that today? Gabriel's short life is a testimony, that we are not always promised tomorrow. Death may come at any moment. Are you ready for eternity?  

We would love to share how you can know for sure that heaven is your home. Please feel free to email me or message me. 

Lastly, this is my favorite promise. 

"...one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2Peter 3:8

It's because of this promise, that we can say to Gabriel, We sure do miss and love you but we will see you tomorrow. 

Together Tomorrow. 

Here is a post I wrote about when little Gabriel was first born. May it be a blessing to you. 
http://simplysiberia.blogspot.com/2012/06/uphill-battle.html

Gabriel when he was just a couple weeks old.