Amazing Changes! :)

Hello Everyone! Well, I thought we have had enough happen this week that it was time to write a post. Of course, it's 1:15am in the morning, and I can't sleep, but I don't mind. I can catch up tomorrow. Overall, I am sleeping better. It seems like if I have stuff that goes late into the evening (online grad school meetings or work obligations) that is when my insomnia kicks in. Usually, once a week I only get two or three hours of sleep before I have to get up for work at 4:30am. However, my schedule allows me to catch up during the day, so it's not too bad. I am just thankful for the other six nights that allow me to sleep like a normal person! :)

The first piece of big news is that on Monday, Brian received a HUGE promotion. He will now be a Senior Accountant at his CPA firm. His manager said that he was the first person in the history of his company to be promoted to that position after only 1 1/2 years. Yay!!! Have I mentioned how amazing he is???!!!!! :) Words can not describe how proud I am of him! He works so hard, and God has blessed him abundantly with this wonderful gift. His review went amazing, and they were so impressed that Brian will be done with the CPA exam by Christmas. That is Brian's goal, and he is working hard to complete it. They wanted him to be finished by December 2012, but Brian will finish one year ahead of time. That's Brian for you! He sets a goal and always accomplishes it. They are so impressed by his ambitions, work ethic and talents. I know he will be AMAZING at this new position.

The second piece of news is that we found out that Brian passed the third section of the CPA exam!!!! Yay!!! Only one more section to go! :) That is so exciting. He is set to take the last section on July 8th. Please be praying for this. It's the hardest section of the exam. He still has a lot of studying to do in the next two weeks. Please pray that God would give him clarity of mind, and that He would multiply his time!

The third piece of news is that my work has promoted me to trainer. This is not a full-time position, and probably won't even be a part-time position, but when they hire new people, I now get to train them. I can't tell you how exciting this is for me. This is what I LOVE to do. Teaching is my passion. I used to think I only liked teaching little kids, but I actually really enjoy corporate training. It's challenging and yet so rewarding. I started working with my first trainee tonight, and it brought so much joy to my heart. To have the opportunity to help others succeed is such a blessing. I will still be tutoring in the mornings and afternoons, but I will train the new employees as they are hired. Also, for awhile now, I have been trying to switch tutoring programs for my afternoon shift because of the lack of students. I found out today that it is in the works, and hopefully, I should be able to switch in the next week. Please pray for that! My current tutoring program has to release me so I can change. My manager is working on it, but we aren't sure if it will happen without some major finagling.

Health-wise, I am doing better. I think we are finally getting the Candida under control. I have lost a lot of weight, but I don't mind. :) I have learned I can't cheat on the diet though. I have to be very careful to only have fruit once or twice a week, and mainly stick to vegetables, meat and a little bit of yogurt. I have been able to have a little bit of carbs in the form of brown rice, but I have to be careful with that too. Thankfully, the fatigue is SOOOO much better!

I have been successfully taking the full dose of Rifampin for 2 weeks now! Yay! I am getting some herx-like reactions, but they are minor compared to what I used to get. As long as I make sure to detox, I am okay. Which brings me to my next prayer request. We are still trying to find a replacement for the current detox supplement that I am taking. It's very vital that we find something that works in order to keep my symptoms under control. I am going to be ordering something that was recommended by my doctor tomorrow. However, it has a few ingredients that are pretty strange, and I am not sure how well I will tolerate it.

We are actually going to try going to church one week from Sunday. I have to train some students who live on the East Coast for work this Sunday. Unfortunately, because of the time difference, it will run right into the time we would be at church. So, we had to push the date out. To be honest, I am quite nervous to go. It's been a VERY long time since we have tried to do this. For about a month now, I have been going grocery shopping with Brian very successfully. However, that is a situation where I don't have to stay in one place for a really long time. My chemical sensitivities are still present, so we don't know how I will react. However, we still want to try! Please be praying for this! It would be such a blessing to be able to worship with other believers and to once again get some Christian fellowship. I don't expect to be symptom free, but I am praying and hoping that the symptoms that come are ones I can push through!

The last piece of news is a fun one! In August, I will be graduating with my master's degree. When I was battling the intense IV therapy and also trying to complete my graduate work, my parents decided to bless me with a goal/gift. They said that they would buy us a second puppy as they know I have wanted one for awhile. He will be the same breed as Toby, a Cavachon ~ hypoallergenic and non-shedding. I am not sure why I am not allergic to dogs when the rest of the world makes me react, lol. However, I have to say that I am SO thankful! I have included a picture on the left. He is SO cute! :) His name will be Jackson. We will get him on July 8th as he is flying in from Iowa! :) I am ecstatic. These little guys are so much fun and bring a lot of joy into our house amongst all the health and life stuff.

Well, that's all for now! I have to say I really like this post because there are so many positives. It's nice to be able to celebrate for once! :) We serve an incredible God, and we are so thankful for all that is doing in our lives. I hope you have a wonderful weekend! July is almost here! :)