Chicken Soup for the Soul

Hi loves, I came back to Sydney with renewed energy and put together a bit of a blog schedule as I had so many things to share with you. Yesterday and today I planned to write some big ol' posts and I was so excited to share them with you - but life had other plans. 

On Monday morning, I sent my husband off to work feeling pretty blah - but he was okay, it was just a headache and a bit of nauseousness. I'd felt nauseous the night before and got over it really quickly so I thought it was nothing. 

Then the text messages started coming in, Jesse was feeling worse and worse - cold, feverish, nauseous, just generally yuck. By the time Jesse walked in the door at around 3pm, he looked absolutely awful. He was pale, sweaty, and looked absolutely drained. 

I sent him straight to bed with some medicine for his fever (which at that stage was just under 39 degrees Celsius/102 degrees Fahrenheit) and made him some chicken soup for dinner later that night - but he just kept getting worse. 

Monday night was spent awake, making sure Jesse was okay - if he wasn't running a high fever and feeling absolutely freezing, he had a chill and was shaking uncontrollably and then the nausea hit and he tossed and turned and tossed and turned for hours. 

Monday morning I woke up early, called Jesse's Mom to check to see if he'd been vaccinated against measles, which he had (there's been an outbreak of measles in passengers traveling to Bali lately) and told her I was taking him to the doctors as he just wasn't right. I had a full day of meetings planned but I wasn't comfortable leaving Jesse at home because I knew something was right.

After waiting for over an hour at the doctors office, we finally got in to see the doctor and after checking Jesse's blood pressure and finding it was incredibly low, she began to panic. Jesse was hooked up to ECG machines, having every check under the sun and before long she was on the phone to the ER asking me if I'd rather Jesse got taken in an ambulance or whether we could drive to the hospital. 

We left the doctors with a referral note and jumped in Mum's car to head to the hospital (luckily grabbing food and water before we left as Jesse was super dehydrated). Then a miracle happened and we were through the hospital waiting room and Jesse was in a bed in under 30 minutes.

At the hospital they ran some tests and put Jesse on IV fluids as he was super dehydrated. The results of the tests came back inconclusive - some were fine, but his blood work showed signs of an infection (which they're not sure of exactly at the moment). 

After 5 hours at the hospital, we finally got discharged with some high dose high strength antibiotics for Jesse and an order to drink more fluids. 

Jesse is still feeling absolutely awful - but a little bit better. His fever has broken, for the moment, and he's able to drink more fluids. I'm hoping that he's feeling quite a bit better by this afternoon as he is absolutely miserable at the moment. 

But, being the positive thinker I am, I decided rather than getting down on our run of bad luck lately, we needed some Chicken Soup for the Soul - as it really is the little things that make us feel better. Often times we go searching for that huge moment or event to make us happy - maybe even a thing that we think will make us feel fulfilled - but the truth is, we have to find happiness in the things we already have.

One of my favourite quotes is this one from Sarah Ban Breathnach; 

"All we have is all we need. 

All we need is an awareness of how blessed we really are"

And so my post today is going to be a little lot different than planned, but I think an even better post. I thought I'd share the simple things that are making us happy at the moment, despite all of the negative things - and I want you to share what's making you happy at the moment!

Here are just a few of the things we're thankful for right now..

 Chanel - our sweet little bunch of fluff. Jesse says all the time that he never thought he'd be able to love a dog as much as he loves Chanel and it's true, she has us wrapped around her little paw. We missed her so ridiculously much whilst we were away in Bali and she was so so happy to have us home. It definitely makes you feel good when you walk in the door only to have your pup fuss over you for the next couple of hours and not want to leave your side. Chanel can brighten up anyone's day and she always knows when someone is sick or isn't feeling well.

Our Family - It's odd that we live at home with our family even though we're married, however, it's actually a real blessing. Jesse and my family are so close and it's incredible to witness. We are truly blessed with a family who love us - and so lucky that technology allows us to stay in contact with Jesse's family too. Our family is super close - on the weekends we spend time together (and love spending time together), we joke around, always look out for one another and just genuinely love each other. I know some families - and especially some in-laws - don't get along, so I am truly grateful that we all fit together so well.

Our Home - Our big yellow and blue house is truly where we feel most comfortable - I cannot tell you how good it felt to come home after our honeymoon. Vacations are amazing, but home is always so much better. I'm so grateful to be home where we're safe, can cook our own meals without worrying about getting sick, can brush our teeth with tap water without getting diseases, can spend lazy weekends snuggling on the couch and do whatever we like. It might be chaotic at times living in a house of 5, but I wouldn't change it for the world. 

One Month of Marriage - Yesterday marked one month since we were wed and I can't believe it's gone so quickly! Everyone keeps asking us how it feels to be married - and honestly, it's the same except for the title. I think when you marry the one it just feels right - and it's felt right for quite some time before then. People talk of marriage as a huge commitment but the truth is, you should already be completely committed to that person before you even consider marriage. I have an absolutely incredible husband and I'm so glad I get to spend the rest of my life with him.

Morning Walks - Oh how I missed thee! I was itching to get back home to my park because I missed my morning walks so much. Lately it's been raining and miserable in Sydney so I haven't been able to walk, however, this morning the sun was shining and I was racing out the door to get down there. My morning walk is my morning ritual and how I start my day off on the right foot (literally) - it's a time where I can clear my mind, pray, think, be thankful and relax before a busy day ahead. 

New Wheels - On the weekend we headed to Big W after finding out they had a big one day sale on and we managed to pick up two brand new bikes for just $58 each! Saturday afternoon we went for a ride around the streets together and it was so much fun! My bike needs a little fine tuning before we can ride it some more but I can't wait to get out there and ride it - just another fun way to keep active as a couple!

Puppy Snuggles and Our Own Bed - After we got home from Bali I was absolutely exhausted and all Chanel wanted to do was snuggle so an afternoon of puppy snuggles was in order. I'm so lucky to have the cutest most lovable pup who just wants to be close to you. It was also so good to be back to our own comfy bed - there's nothing better than hitting the pillow on that first night home in your own bed. 

Faith - I am so grateful for my faith and my relationship with God. It's something I have developed and strengthened myself over the years - I'm not from a heavily Christian family, I don't have pushy Christian friends - I found God myself and I built up a relationship with Him on my own. My faith is what I rely on through everything - it's the one constant in my life despite any turmoil I may face. One thing I always remember is; God sometimes takes us into troubled waters, not to drown us, but to cleanse us and I really believe that's true. 

Making Memories - Whilst our Bali trip did have its hiccups, we made some incredible memories and had an amazing time together as husband and wife. We definitely needed a break to reconnect with each other fully and spend the entire time with each other. It's so good marrying your best friend as you truly enjoy being together - even when we're doing nothing at all. 

Lazy Weekends - Whilst I love being busy and on the go, I also need time to relax, so I definitely appreciate a lazy weekend. Mornings where you can stay in your pajamas til you can be bothered getting changed, can snuggle on the couch and watch movies or catch up on trashy TV shows (hey Sister Wives and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo), curl up with a good book and just generally do nothing. It's a foreign concept to me sometimes but something I definitely need to do every now and again. 

But tell me, what are you thankful for right now?

And do you have any of your own sick day secrets to share with Jesse?

#SILgivethanks A Thankfulness Project

I'm someone who practices thankfulness every day - it's a huge part of my life. After reading this in my 21st birthday post, Ashley sent me an email asking me; "Isn't there anything in your life you would change?". It's a question that make me think and ponder - and after a while, I decided on my answer.. no. 

I would not change anything in my life if given the opportunity. Sure, it would be nice to have more money or our own home - but would that make me happier? I don't think it would. 

I have a life that is incredibly blessed. 

I have a fiance who would do anything for me who I'm marrying in just a few weeks. I have a family who are so loving, so caring and who have taught me so much. I have a handful of close, true, real friends who love, care and support me through everything. I have a puppy who melts my heart each and every time she snuggled into me and who greets me each morning with so much love. I know and love a God who's blessings are never ending. I have a business which is successful and helping me to grow and develop as a person as well as a writer. I have a blog which allows me to connect with so many incredible people whilst sharing my passion in life. 

In life, there are always things that we feel we "need" - a better car, a nicer house, more money in our bank account, that pair of shoes that so-and-so bought that you wish you had, a designer something-or-other or a trip to a tropical island. Those things are actually wants - and by focusing on those wants, we are forgetting what we already HAVE.

I'm not perfect, by any means - I have flaws, I make mistakes - but I'd like to think my heart is pure. Thankfulness is incredibly important to me. It gives me strength, it gives me courage, it allows me to be respectful and loving and caring. It also allows me to achieve my dreams and help others. 

Each and every morning, I take a walk around the beautiful park by my house. I walk out of the door, down the hill and I take my first steps into the park and leave my worries and petty thoughts at that gate. 

I quiet my thoughts and I listen - to the sounds of the birds, to the rustle of the trees. Once I've stopped the constant buzzing of my thoughts, I pray - but I don't pray for myself. I give thanks to The Lord for all that I have, for all that I've yet to receive - and for the things that didn't turn out the way I expected - because those things obviously weren't in His plan for me. I thank The Lord for Jesse, my family, my friends, my work, this blog, for my knowledge and skills, for my strength and my health. I pray for those I know are in need, for my family, for my friends - and I pray that The Lord hears the prayers in my heart that I may have forgotten. 

As I always say to Jesse, positive things come to positive people and I truly believe that the more you are thankful, the more you attract things to be thankful for. 

Being thankful gives me the strength, courage and motivation I need to go after my dreams - and I'm out there doing that each and every day. 

It's the reason that I'm generally a happy and joyful person, someone who gives until she can't give anymore and someone who generally, wholeheartedly wants to help others wherever possible.

Practicing thankfulness takes mere moments of your day - but just one little thing each day can change your life. 

So I want you to take on a challenge with me. I want you to join us each day as we take a moment to be thankful. You can keep it to yourself - but if you share it with others, you'll encourage them to do the same. On Facebook, Instagram or Twitter each day, I want you to share one thing you are thankful for with the hashtag #SILgivethanks

On the days where you can't think of anything, look to others for inspiration. Look at the posts using the hashtag and reach out for a helping hand to pick you up from your funk if you need it. Together we can change our lives and the lives of others.

But tell me, what are you thankful for today? 

Will you be joining us on the project?!

See all of the #SILgivethanks posts on Instagram

See all of the #SILgivethanks posts on Facebook

See all of the #SILgivethanks posts on Twitter

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