Thursday, December 27, 2012

It's a Wonderful Life♥

Happiness is a form of courage...Before I tell you all about my Christmas, I'd like to update you on my health.

I went to the doctor last Friday and he did an ultrasound and found a small nodule on the right side of my thyroid. He took a biopsy from it and I have to wait ten days(less now since it's been a week tomorrow) and I will find out what it means. Prayers are needed as I await the results.

My bloodwork came back good overall but now I'm mildly hypothyroid so I was placed on Synthroid or Levothyroxine until my thyroid turns hyper again.

When I had the thyroid scan, they gave me radioactive iodine and 24 hours after the test, I started having pain while urinating. I looked this up and it is rare but happens. You know me, I always end up with the rare-ities. lol.

Thankfully, it seems to have passed.

My Christmas was lovely. On Christmas Eve, we had a nice dinner and Jayde's boyfriend Dakota came over to join us.

 Christmas Eve Dinner. At my house, it's always Sausage and Pepper and Ravioli. Yum. :)

 Geni after dinner. She's stuffed. 

 Before dinner with Mom and Jamie.

 Dad and Hazel cuddling after dinner. :)

Hazel and Geni together. :)

 Jamie, Mom, and I.

 Getting silly! 

Christmas morning we woke up and opened presents, as ush.

 Celebrating my favorite holiday with my BFF and my baby Hazel in the background. ♥

 Jamie got new Hollister perfume.

 My parents got us 21 Jump Street and Titanic on DVD.


 I got my sisters an inflatable couch for their room and my mom got them an inflatable chair.

 My mom got me Joel Osteen's book I Declare and Joyce Meyer's Change Your Words, Change Your Life.

 My mom got my Dad a new DVD player for outside.

 My sister Jayde got me a book called Fangirl.

 I got Geniveve her own Dog wine.

Hazel got so many new toys that she needs a toy chest for all of them. lol. She was so happy.

 My dad was not feeling well but Hazel was listening to his stomach and comforting him. Such a little nurse.

 Justin Bieber's new book and a JB calendar...Swaggie.

 I got my dad slippers. 

 Here's the chair from my mom.

 Jayde got a Niall poster for her wall.

 Jamie got a new IHome.

 Geni and Hazel got Fortune Cookies for dogs from me. :)

 Hazel and I on Christmas :)

 Kisses for Niall. lol.

Overall, it was a very Blessed Christmas! We also got Chocolates by Michelle and money for clothes.


I just finished this book yesterday. I highly recommend it.

I'm almost done with Justin Bieber's book. He's such an inspiration and so smart for such a young man.

Also, before I end this, please Follow Hazel and Geni if you have a Twitter:

Next blog, I will update you on the new year and my health.

Have a Grace-filled New Year!

Until next time, The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.- Psalm 121:8♥

Love Times Infinity,
Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless!

~Just Keep Swimming!~




Saturday, December 15, 2012

A Christmas Miracle♥

Happiness is a form of courage...Before I begin and let you know the Christmas miracle, I've recently witnessed, I just want to say my heart goes out to all the families affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting yesterday. May love and peace surround you at this tragic time.♥

   It all started last Friday. I called up Student Accounts to start a payment plan or at least find out the terms of mine such as how much my down payment would be and how much my monthly payments would be.

The caller pulls up my account and goes, "It seems you still have some financial aid pending. Let me see what I can do about that." After a quick explanation of my payment plan, I hang up and log into my student account and cannot believe my eyes. I was given almost $1000 dollars out of nowhere. Financial aid literally told me that I wouldn't be given any more aid so I just accepted it and knew God would provide the money for me to make my down payment.

That $1000 dollars that just appeared in my pending aid was absolutely the favor of God on my life.

So that was Christmas miracle number one.

Christmas miracle number two didn't directly involve me but it was still a blessing for the rest of my family.

My sister Jamie two weeks ago had entered one of 93.3 FLZ's JingleBall ticket giveaways and then she forgot about it.

Then, Friday night she gets a text from one of her Facebook friends telling her, "She's so lucky 'cause she wins everything."

She didn't understand so she went on the computer and it turned out she won the ticket giveaway and only had an hour left to claim the two tickets.

At first, she thought she was also going to get meet and greet passes to meet Justin Bieber (I started crying), but it turns out she only got tickets. She decided to take my mom because she felt she would feel most comfortable going with either me or my mom. I figured my mom should go because I'm not good in places with open heights. They make me feel disoriented.

Before I show you the pictures of all the fun and shirtless Biebers, let me continue onto Christmas miracle number three.

Christmas miracle number three came Monday when I finally visited a new specialist for my thyroid and he actually was efficient in his knowledge and is having me get bloodwork (which I had done Wednesday) that not only checks my thyroid hormones but my cholesterol levels and such, but he's also having me go on Tuesday for a thyroid scan and uptake which is a two-day process where they give me an iodine pill and then the next day take magnetic images of my thyroid to look at how much hormone it is or isn't producing, etc. Pray for me this week as I undergo this test and that good results await us when we return to his office for a follow-up visit this Friday the 21st.

Finally, I will finally find out the correct diagnosis for my thyroid and get the proper treatment. ☻

Christmas miracle number four came on Thursday when I called up to make my down payment so the hold would be taken off my student account and I could register for classes. I'm still awaiting to be officially registered for the classes I want to take (which all remain open despite how long I had to wait to register) and it appears I will have enough for my textbooks as well for this semester.


God's favor abounds in my life.♥

Without further ado, here are the picture illustrations from JingleBall Tampa Bay 2012 as taken by my sister:

 The girls were surprised by Jillian's mom who provided a limo ride to and from the concert.


 Everyone inside the limo.
 Bridgit Medler outdoor concert.
 

 Ke$ha



Justin performing "Beauty and A Beat."


 Justin performing "Boyfriend."


Fall/Be Alright acoustic






Overall, it was a good show and just more proof that God's favor not only abounds in my life but in my family's life as well.

This year I went through a lot and at times to anyone who just looked at what I was going through and not the big picture, they would have called my life done fore and defeated. There were times this year depending on the situation where I believed I could not go on but God's grace restored my life and led me through the hell I was going through only to make my situation even better than it appeared before the storm. 

I was supposed to die this year but I didn't. -God's favor
I had someone close to me leave me without a word when I needed them most only to be blessed with true and worthy new friends. -God's favor.
I was supposed to take a semester off because it looked as though I wouldn't do so good because of my health, but I ended up passing three of the five classes I took. -God's favor
I made less this year in my work study job and couldn't buy as much as I usually do but ended up making it through the semester with more than enough. -God's favor.
I wasn't supposed to even be able to register for spring semester even though I have two-three semesters left. -God's favor
I never thought anyone in my family would see Justin Bieber in concert let alone for free, and they did. -God's favor

God's favor abounds in my life, no doubt whatsoever. ♥

Next blog, I'll update you on my health and how blessed my Christmas was.

The DeVries Family would like to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!


Until next time,
We went through fire and water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. -Psalm 66:12♥

Also, check out my poems page for two new poems.

Love Times Infinity,
Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless!

~Just Keep Swimming~ 
We 



Friday, December 7, 2012

End of Semester Blues

Happiness is a form of courage...Alright, hope you're seated all nice and comfy because I have quite a story to tell you.

Since I last wrote, a lot has happened. Well not a lot but look at you. You're all excited now! Woo!!!!

Basically, this may be my last semester at Leo.

             It's all because financial aid messed up my money this year. I was supposed to get more than I did last year but they gave me less and with more classes and upgraded housing, the bill wasn't cheap. Therefore, as of this moment, I owe Saint Leo 2167.00. I'm still trying to get aid but they are being difficult and not giving me a straight answer.

-________- (in case you are not up on emoticons, this basically means ultimate whale face aka a "are you serious?" face.)

I would love to come back next semester and finish up but without the bill paid and the hold removed, I still cannot register for classes. I have two semesters left. This is really wrong. Especially with all my health concerns and such.

Basically at this point, I either need your money or your prayers. Whichever you feel you should send my way.

If you would like to help pay this bill, please contact me via Facebook or Twitter DMs.

Anywho, I'm looking to God and know that he wants me to fulfill my destiny and I don't believe my destiny includes me leaving Saint Leo before I graduate. Yet, if it does, I trust him. He's the only one with the answer and the solution. God grant me peace during this stressful time.

Recently, I went to Saint Leo's annual Winter Formal with my sisters and my roommate Genny.


 Don't we look fabulous♥
 My sisters and I before the formal.


 Jamie in her dress.

 Jayde and I.

 Jayde in her dress.

Overall, the most fun I had at formal was buying a cocktail at the bar and then having a buzz feeling pumped. One of my guy friends asked me to dance and as soon as I was on the dance floor suffering from CRD since there wasn't much of a dance floor. Then, the music just stopped. Literally, I heard crickets.

Yep, I wasn't meant to dance at this year's Winter Formal.

And if I stay at Leo, I won't be going to another formal again.

Overall, this semester was both good and bad.

The good things I will remember about this semester are as follows:

1. Coming back to Leo and everyone was happy to see me.
2. Realizing what it means to be roommates versus friends.
3. Making new friends (Rose and Janette to name a few).
4.  Realizing I started at this school without a boyfriend and I don't have to finish up at this school with one either.
5. Realizing how great of a person I am. (Not bragging. Just found myself.)
6. Making my friends laugh and staying true to my standards.
7. Going clubbing for the first time
8. Buying my first drink myself at Winter Formal
9. Airheads
10. Despite my health, making it through this semester.

That's just a few of the many things I will always cherish about this semester.

 Last night I came home and Max sent me his autograph. If you don't know who Max Schneider is, google him. He's so talented and super duper cute. It was such a blessing.

As I finish this blog, I found out I will be coming back next semester. I just have to come up with $300 dollars and then I can register for classes. Yay :D Senior year, here I come! Internship over the summer. Here I come, also. Yay!

Until next time,
Luck is for those prepared to lose. Grace is for those who are prepared for victory. 

Love Times Infinity,

Chelsea
xoxo
God Bless!

~Just Keep Swimming~


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