Random stuff I never posted... Part 2:

My friend Christy and I went to a local pumpkin festival.  It wasn't quite as exciting as I expected, but we did manage to get this gem of a picture, haha

One of the things I love about Sarasota is all of the art!  In the fall there was a chalk festival...

Random stuff I never posted... Part 1:

On "National Museum Day" we visited the Ringling Museum of Art, Circus Museum and Ca d'Zan (John & Mabel Ringling's mansion).  It was pretty awesome (and even better that we could go for free)! 

 

  Ringling was kind of obsessed with everything European, so he modeled his home after a Venetian palace and brought European art over for the museum.

 

The grounds were amazing... my camera was running out of batteries, so I didn't get a lot of pictures, but I did manage to snap a few of the Banyon Trees...

The house is literally right on the water!  There was a wedding on the patio while we were there...

Here we are at the Circus Museum :)

One year ago...

This was me a year ago... me and the last gluten that I have eaten (intentionally at least... there was that pretzel M&M that I thought was a peanut one and a few other "oops" moments).

Ah, look at it, so fluffy and soft! haha.

But, then I look at myself in the picture and realize that giving it up is worth it. Whew, looking pretty rough...of course, this was just a couple hours after coming out of anesthesia (hence the ghostly pale face)

I have learned a lot this year!  I'll write more about that later.  But, for now I'll just leave you with a quote that I read this morning... it was very appropriate and encouraging for me today:

“Our bodies shared the ruin into which sin brought our race. Mortality and corruption took possession of them. They became subject to pain, and weariness, and disease—in every organ and limb. The one drop of poison coming from Adam’s sin has spread itself out and pervaded every part of us. Our flesh, from the cradle to the tomb, is feeble, broken, ready to faint—the cause and the inlet of a thousand sorrows.
All this shall yet be reversed. Former things shall pass away. This head shall ache no more; these hands and feet shall be weary no more; this flesh shall throb with anguish no more. ‘God Himself shall wipe away all tears from these eyes; and there shall be no more death; neither, sorrow, nor crying, for the former things are passed away.’ ‘He will take these vile bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like His own!’
He who once hung upon the cross, but now sits upon the throne, says, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ ‘This corruptible shall put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality, and death be swallowed in victory!”
— Horatius Bonar
The Revelation of Jesus Christ 

I can't wait for that day!! 

Here is a picture of me after a year without gluten!