Currently, if in America, one could tune in on NBC and watch Season 7 of the Biggest Loser...Will, Kirsten and I are addicted and I feel like those guys are my friends. Anyways, since we are 1000's of miles away we decided to have our own competition..
We each paid in $50 and in 16 weeks one of us will win the lucky money ;) We also made a rule that for every pound you gain you will have to pay $1 to the pot.. penalty..
So, calorie counting has consumed us. I'm forever on the internet for low-calorie healthy foods and yummy alternatives. Doing this in a different country where half the items I'd like aren't available makes it tough but we prevail.
Today is the first weigh in and I've lost 3kg..6.6 pounds! That is on crutches ;)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
a set of stairs
Yesterday, Will and I decided it was time for me to try going down and up the stairs. I'm learning that I live in a lot of fear.. not of others or things but in myself.
I got down them hesitantly but it was much easier. When it was time to hop up the stairs I got really scared. I looked at Will and said, I can't do this.. that is a long flight of stairs. He was amazing and encouraged me and said, Joanna, You can do it, We can do it!
The first step was the hardest, he spotted me at my waist and helped me with the first step.. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be but it was still hard.. He then spotted me for the second step. Then I did the rest on my own.. one step at a time till I got to the top.
The look of pride on my fiancee's face and my excitement was priceless.
It made me feel more confident in this whole situation. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going anywhere..:) Not teaching yet but, I am going to go out to dinner tonight with friends and I can't wait.
It's always the first step, the first day, the first of anything that is always so scary but once we do it.. then it is much easier..
This is true for me in prayer right now.. I've learned a lot of praying and the first couple of times is so hard but as I've learned to rest and spend time in prayer, its gotten much easier as time has gone by ;)
I got down them hesitantly but it was much easier. When it was time to hop up the stairs I got really scared. I looked at Will and said, I can't do this.. that is a long flight of stairs. He was amazing and encouraged me and said, Joanna, You can do it, We can do it!
The first step was the hardest, he spotted me at my waist and helped me with the first step.. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be but it was still hard.. He then spotted me for the second step. Then I did the rest on my own.. one step at a time till I got to the top.
The look of pride on my fiancee's face and my excitement was priceless.
It made me feel more confident in this whole situation. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going anywhere..:) Not teaching yet but, I am going to go out to dinner tonight with friends and I can't wait.
It's always the first step, the first day, the first of anything that is always so scary but once we do it.. then it is much easier..
This is true for me in prayer right now.. I've learned a lot of praying and the first couple of times is so hard but as I've learned to rest and spend time in prayer, its gotten much easier as time has gone by ;)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
one legged...
It's been quite the road in healing but I'm learning lots and resting even more!
I still don't move much only hobbling to the bathroom, grabbing breakfast and coffee and that's about it. We have placed huge water bottles precariously around the house so that I'm never without water ;)
I just started watching the BBC Pride and Prejudice and knitting a gift for a friend! I am hoping that through my time sitting I will be able to start the Stich and B*tch group again in Budapest. It seemed that it was on hiatus but some of the girls have responded so I'm hoping they will come to my home this weekend for a few hours! HOORAY!
Caroline came for a visit and I got to see my favorite little Ukrainian man! Yippie! Love them and can't wait to make it to Ukraine for a visit.
Will & I are praying about our future here and how many years we feel led to stay. He's been an amazing help, cooking, cleaning, folding, moving things and doing anything that I'm not capable of doing! I'm a blessed woman.
Wedding plans of course are in full force since I've lots of hours to dedicate to this! It's been good to get things done!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
broken ankle
I can't believe I fractured my ankle.. I am sitting here with a large white cast on and I'm quite immobile.. me..who is always mobile and on the go.. I've learned a lot from this process but that will be another blog post.. I want to recap the story.
I was babysitting for my friends and they have three boys. We were having a good Saturday and I decided that since the sun was out, we would go sledding to get out some energy. So we drove to this park about 10 minutes away from their house. We were sledding and the boys fell a few times but nothing big. Well, Nathan and I decided to go together so we started down the hill and about 3/4 of the way down we crashed and rolled. I felt pops in my ankle and I knew immedatley something was not right. So, since Nathan was crying, I calmed him down then took off my boot and knew that it was not normal. So, the other two ran down the hill to make sure we were okay. I told them that I could not walk and that we would need to call for help cuz I definitley could not drive them home. Seth bravely approcahced a family and they came over to help. They spoke nearly fluent English and the dad went to fetch the car, the mom engaged the boys in soccer so that they would be distracted. Meanwhile, I called Will and in a panic he rushed over in a taxi to where I was. When he got there we decided to call an ambulance and he would drive the boys home. I called Kirsten to take public transport to the Newell's house so that she could watch them for the rest of the afternoon till their parents came home (they were in Salzburg, Austria). The ambulance finaly came and they cut my sock off and put a blow up cast on my leg. They drove me the hospital and Will & Kirsten took care of things. The only time I ever cried was when Will came!
Once I got to the hospital, they did all the hospital things and they got an x-ray of my leg. There was once nurse who spoke English because she had lived in America for 8 years but she wasn't my main nurse. Most people spoke a few words but God increased my Hungarian ability, I'm sure of it. We got x-rays and it was determined that I would need surgery. Now, I might have understood some but a lot of my time was a bit unknown, what's happening, I hope everything is okay..but I did have God's peace. They wheeled me down to the cast room (gipsz in Hungarian) and the had to put pressure on it and it hurt.. I had to relax the whole time.. yeah..while in pain.. so as the guy was putting the cast on, I said, do you have pink? purple? how about Louis Vouitton or Gucci?! They laughed and I did too. This was a temporary cast so that I wouldn't hurt it again.. and I'm still in the same cast. Anyways, they took another x-ray to make sure everything was good in the cast then they put me in a room on the 1st floor to wait. I was in a room with 3 other people. The man who wheeled me around spoke French so we spoke French together. It was nice, plus then I saw him again and we talked a bit.
Once in my room, my dear friends and leaders of our Home Church Group came to bring Will some sandwhiches and water, poor guy hadn't eaten and they took him to my house to get things for the hospital. You have to bring your own of everything, fork, knife, spoon, cup, straws, water, snacks, towel, toilet paper, etc. So, Will & Kirsten collected things and then Susan and David drove him back to the hospital. It was great to see them. Will stayed with me till the end of visitors hours about 9 and then I was awoken at about 2 am to have surgery.
The surgery was quick and pretty painless, they put screws in my legs and I was awake for it all, I just got an epiderhal for the pain. The doctors were nice and so were the nurses. I went back to the room and slept it off. Will came in the morning and he sat by my bed everyday. I'm so thankful for an amazing man as him!
My roomates, nurses and the doctors that I met were great. We had one roomate who was a not all the way there mentally and was in a lot of pain and would cry through the night. This was probably my most miserable thing. On Tuesday, I was moved to the room next door because we weren't getting any sleep. I was thankful for a new bed, new company and I stayed with Marika, an elderly lady who has become a wonderful friend.
I went home via private ambulance ($35) and it has been nice to be here! I go back in 10 days to get my stiches out and a full cast on. I'm hobbling around on crutches and it has been nice to be home!
Thanks for praying my friends. It was an experience but much has changed in my heart!
I was babysitting for my friends and they have three boys. We were having a good Saturday and I decided that since the sun was out, we would go sledding to get out some energy. So we drove to this park about 10 minutes away from their house. We were sledding and the boys fell a few times but nothing big. Well, Nathan and I decided to go together so we started down the hill and about 3/4 of the way down we crashed and rolled. I felt pops in my ankle and I knew immedatley something was not right. So, since Nathan was crying, I calmed him down then took off my boot and knew that it was not normal. So, the other two ran down the hill to make sure we were okay. I told them that I could not walk and that we would need to call for help cuz I definitley could not drive them home. Seth bravely approcahced a family and they came over to help. They spoke nearly fluent English and the dad went to fetch the car, the mom engaged the boys in soccer so that they would be distracted. Meanwhile, I called Will and in a panic he rushed over in a taxi to where I was. When he got there we decided to call an ambulance and he would drive the boys home. I called Kirsten to take public transport to the Newell's house so that she could watch them for the rest of the afternoon till their parents came home (they were in Salzburg, Austria). The ambulance finaly came and they cut my sock off and put a blow up cast on my leg. They drove me the hospital and Will & Kirsten took care of things. The only time I ever cried was when Will came!
Once I got to the hospital, they did all the hospital things and they got an x-ray of my leg. There was once nurse who spoke English because she had lived in America for 8 years but she wasn't my main nurse. Most people spoke a few words but God increased my Hungarian ability, I'm sure of it. We got x-rays and it was determined that I would need surgery. Now, I might have understood some but a lot of my time was a bit unknown, what's happening, I hope everything is okay..but I did have God's peace. They wheeled me down to the cast room (gipsz in Hungarian) and the had to put pressure on it and it hurt.. I had to relax the whole time.. yeah..while in pain.. so as the guy was putting the cast on, I said, do you have pink? purple? how about Louis Vouitton or Gucci?! They laughed and I did too. This was a temporary cast so that I wouldn't hurt it again.. and I'm still in the same cast. Anyways, they took another x-ray to make sure everything was good in the cast then they put me in a room on the 1st floor to wait. I was in a room with 3 other people. The man who wheeled me around spoke French so we spoke French together. It was nice, plus then I saw him again and we talked a bit.
Once in my room, my dear friends and leaders of our Home Church Group came to bring Will some sandwhiches and water, poor guy hadn't eaten and they took him to my house to get things for the hospital. You have to bring your own of everything, fork, knife, spoon, cup, straws, water, snacks, towel, toilet paper, etc. So, Will & Kirsten collected things and then Susan and David drove him back to the hospital. It was great to see them. Will stayed with me till the end of visitors hours about 9 and then I was awoken at about 2 am to have surgery.
The surgery was quick and pretty painless, they put screws in my legs and I was awake for it all, I just got an epiderhal for the pain. The doctors were nice and so were the nurses. I went back to the room and slept it off. Will came in the morning and he sat by my bed everyday. I'm so thankful for an amazing man as him!
My roomates, nurses and the doctors that I met were great. We had one roomate who was a not all the way there mentally and was in a lot of pain and would cry through the night. This was probably my most miserable thing. On Tuesday, I was moved to the room next door because we weren't getting any sleep. I was thankful for a new bed, new company and I stayed with Marika, an elderly lady who has become a wonderful friend.
I went home via private ambulance ($35) and it has been nice to be here! I go back in 10 days to get my stiches out and a full cast on. I'm hobbling around on crutches and it has been nice to be home!
Thanks for praying my friends. It was an experience but much has changed in my heart!
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