3 more days...

In 3 days.. the surgeon will decide whether or not I will get to take my cast off or whether or not I will keep it on to help it heal some more. It will be weird to have the cast come off. I've had it on for about 6 weeks now and I've learned how to sit with it, to sleep with it on, to cook standing, to bathe with it. It is always with me and I don't think I'll miss it when it is gone ;).

In the last 47 days I've been thinking, contemplating, and praying about what God's been teaching me as I've been home all this time. One of the biggest things that I've seen happen is realize how much closer Will & I have become. We do spend a lot of time together and have also started our pre-marital counseling book so we are getting to know each other deeply. I've learned to "need" Will in a healthy sense as well.

I'm sure that none of you know that I'm not often very "needy" or rather.. I'm too prideful to ask for help from others for most things. Well all of that changed drastically 47 days ago when I couldn't not even go to the bathroom without assistance or get a glass of water. Now, with team work a lot of the times, I'm able to do some things with Will's help and sometimes he does them. It's a lesson that I'm learning that just because it is not done my way doesn't mean its not good ;) I've started meditating on verses which teach me to be humble, to not be prideful because this feeds into a lot of things in my life..

So for now, I leave you with a verse I read.. this is more of a prayer..

Faithful Father, Thank you for giving us more grace, You oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. (james 4:6)

I love him

bored...and wedding fast..

It's been 1 month exactly since I came home from the hospital.. amazing that it was one month ago. Part of it has gone by fast and part of it has gone by like molassssssses. Speaking of Molasses.. one way I've been passing my time is by watching.. Little House on the Prairie. This was one of my favorite shows growing up as a little girl. I downloaded a season and watched it and now I'm on a different season. I love the wholesome, good ol'fashioned TV of the late 70's and early 80's. OH MICHAEL LANDON :)

Since I've been on house arrest, after reading, working out, browsing the internet I've gotten bored. Thankfully I've had a lot of wedding stuff to do..but I decided that for this upcoming week I was going to take a break from wedding planning. Things can wait. I don't even read my favorite wedding blogs ;)

Sometimes, things can become "too much" in your life and you need a break from it.

Lent will be here starting next Wednesday. I usually fast from something during this time, I want to prayerfully consider what I might fast from this year.

Blueberry Boy Bait..made healthy

There is a recipe that I love called Blueberry Boy Bait..except when you make it with the regular ingredients it's super unhealthy full of lots of calories.. how many.. 500 per serving to be exact..

Here is how I modified it..
Serves 15

1.5 cups whole-wheat flour
.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
6 tablespoons canola oil
1.25 cups of baking splenda
1 tsp of molasses
3 large eggs
1 cup skim milk (though buttermilk, which was all I had on hand, worked just great)
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter)

Topping
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

When you make it like this.. there i no sugar and less flour so it only contains 200 calories per serving!! DELICIOUS :) And you can work it off in one work out ;)

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. With electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl. Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

For the topping:
Scatter blueberries over top of batter. Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up). Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)

Budapest Biggest Loser

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 ;)

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 ;)

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!