There's a point in every person's life when his or her doctor mentions behaviors that need to change (i.e., eat lower-fat foods, workout more, cut down on the sugar). My moment happened a few years ago, in the midst of being a full-time employee and full-time grad student. My doctor mentioned that I should lower my caffeine intake, but she acknowledged my "need" for it, considering how much I was running around back then. I took that acknowledgment as my excuse not to change my habits, and I continued partaking in Mountain Dew, Coke, and all those other yummy, caffeinated beverages.

Fast forward a few years to my doctor's visit last winter. I'd been exhibiting some symptoms of stress, so part of my doctor's prescription was to cut down on the caffeine. This time, I took the order seriously, immediately switching to decaf coffee and only buying caffeine-free Coke or Pepsi. (I didn't like lemon lime or root beer, so those were my two options.) After a couple of days with a withdrawal headache, I was doing well--until I decided to stop by Sonic for their vanilla Coke. Little by little, my devotion to a caffeine-free diet lessened, and I found myself using more excuses to drink that good stuff. I no longer needed it to keep me awake; I just really missed the flavor of those drinks.

Up until recently, I was drinking more caffeinated pop than was probably healthy for anyone. I was back to drinking Mountain Dew, Coke, and Pepsi almost every day, and I'd often grab a second can or another refill if I was out. My heart was beating faster, my sleep was suffering, and my mind was anxious and going 100 mph every moment of the day--all signs that the caffeine was getting to me and that I needed to cut back once again.

So I did. I went for nine whole days without a bit of caffeine. I remembered to order a decaf gingerbread latte at Starbucks. I declined pop when I was really craving it. I was doing sooo well, until a coworker stopped by my office with a Vanilla Coke when I was in the middle of writing this here post. I couldn't say no to a Vanilla Coke! So, ever the believer in moderation, I enjoyed it without guilt.

I am, of course, back on the no-caffeine wagon. Sprite and Fanta Orange are my new friends when I eat out, and milk is accompanying many of my at-home meals. I'm learning that an (almost) caffeine-free life isn't so bad.

My grandpa passed away on Friday morning. He'd been fighting a lung infection for the past year, and he'd been put in the hospital again last week. As soon as I saw that my dad had left a message on my phone, I called him without listening to the message. I just knew that something had happened to Grandpa.

It is difficult to lose any loved one, but knowing that Grandpa isn't here anymore has been especially difficult. He and my grandma lived in Chicagoland until they relocated to Florida the summer before I turned 16, and they lived with my family every summer until this last one. In some ways, they were a second set of parents for me and my brother during those summers. This was sometimes a source of tension, but now I realize what a blessing it was to spend all that time with them. I have many fond memories of Sunday dinners at their house with chicken kiev and mashed potatoes, late-night Christmas Eve services followed with spending the night at their house, and the annual trip to the mall to pick out a Christmas present. Once they moved to Florida, we created memories by going to Disney World for my sixteenth birthday, swimming in their subdivision's pool, golfing at the community par-3 golf course, and visiting the beach for sunset and shells.

Grandpa felt strongly about certain things, and he made sure you knew about it. He would talk to cashiers about Jesus, and we always knew he looked forward to going to heaven one day. One thing he encouraged me to do was pursue education. I remember how, the day I graduated from Olivet, he asked me if I'd be going to grad school. At the time, I hadn't thought much about it, but a little over a year later, I began classes in pursuit of my master's degree. (Of course, as soon as I finished that, he started asking about a PhD. Haha!) I have my grandpa to thank for that master's degree.

Grandpa was an active guy. Even after he retired to Florida with Grandma, he kept himself busy with side projects. During the summers in Illinois, he worked on remodeling different rooms in my parents' house. There were many summer mornings, when I woke up to the sound of hammering, sawing, or drilling. Grandpa faced a number of challenging health problems, but he always bounced back. With the latest challenge, I never quite believed that this would be the end. Grandpa was supposed to be around forever. But the Lord had chosen Friday, October 1, 2010, to call him home. We miss him here, but we're so grateful that he made sure we knew he loved Jesus and would be spending eternity with Him in heaven.

The last time I saw Grandpa was on Labor Day 2009. We were celebrating his birthday that day, and I sat next to him as he opened his gifts. One of my parents took a picture just before he opened my gift for him (books, because my grandpa loved to read).

Today, I am so grateful for that picture. It wasn't taken because it might have been my last chance to see him; we were merely recording that day. But, now that Grandpa is no longer here, I can look at that photo and remember all the good times with Grandpa.

Just over two weeks ago, as we were beginning our Financial Peace University class at church, I told Dave that life was looking a lot like it did last winter when I started exhibiting scary symptoms that were diagnosed as stress. Back then, work was busy, we had just joined a small group that made our weekends a bit busier, and some other little stressors were floating around in the background.

Ooh, if only I had known what would happen the next day! In addition to the busyness with church activities and growing workloads at my day job and side gig, we were faced with a hugely stressful situation. (I'm sorry I'm still being so vague about it, but I'm waiting until things settle down before I share more details.)

With all of the same pieces in place to send me back to where I was last winter, I caught myself getting nervous about those pesky symptoms reappearing. I wasn't ready for the heart palpitations and chest pains to befriend me again. Fortunately, I caught my wayward thoughts in time to stop them and prevent their damage. Instead, I dug in my heels and prepared to get the work done and work through the difficult situation.

That's worked for now, but I find myself struggling with finding balance with everything going on. I've let exercise go, and my eating habits are nothing I can be proud of. I've worked about 10 hours a day going on 3 weeks, so I don't feel like I've had much time to rest. And speaking of rest, it's difficult for me to fall asleep at night because my mind is still working hard after working all day. It's just a crazy cycle that I can't seem to stop.

I'm going to spend the next few days being intentional about the all-elusive balance I need, and I hope to find some ways to find rest and relaxation during this crazy time.

I've begun a daily routine of coming home from work by 4:45/4:50, sorting things around the apartment, then sitting myself down on the couch to watch an episode of The King of Queens at 5 on TBS. It's become my way of relaxing after a busy day at the office. Sometimes, if it's been an especially busy day, I'll stay on the couch for another episode at 5:30.

Did you know that in Chicago, The King of Queens is also on at 10 pm on a local station? As a matter of fact, it's on my TV right now as I'm typing up this blog entry. I felt the need to get another dose of the show tonight. (Ooh! I just saw that it's on again at 10:30!) Is it sad that I'm about to round off 2 hours of watching The King of Queens?

Because CBS in Chicago had the weakest signal during my formative years, I never really got into the show when it ran on primetime TV. I'd watch it once in a while in syndication, but it never developed into a habit like it has now. I enjoy the chemistry between Doug and Carrie, and I love the shenanigans of Carrie's dad!

Anyway, I have nothing else to say on the Friday night. I'm off to watch the rest of the episode!

I don't know about you, but when I look back at the last few months, all I see is a blur. This summer has been filled with many good things, and we've been keeping ourselves busy enjoying them. Here are some of the highlights:

The in-laws come for a visit: We have been blessed to be able to see Dave's parents each summer, and this year, their visit landed in June. I felt bad for them because this year was much hotter than their last visit; they spent much of their time at the community pool. We all suffered from the heat when our old a/c completely broke down! Fortunately, for all of us, it was completely replaced, and we've been enjoying a cool apartment for the first time since moving in two years ago.

Dave and I celebrate two years of wedded bliss: I can't believe we've been married two years! Dave and I decided to go to White Fence Farm, a restaurant that I had grown up going to and wanted to share with Dave. It did not disappoint. Dave surprised me with dessert at Cheesecake Factory, the beloved restaurant we went to on our engagement date more than 3 years ago. Of course, I had Kahlua Cheesecake! (Yum!) Our gifts for each other was a browse through the nearby Barnes and Noble and one book of our choosing for each. (My husband knows my love language--books!)

Dave is hired to be a teacher: When we took a step of faith with Dave's career change a year ago, I would have never guessed that he'd already be teaching at this point! The school he'll be working for is a perfect fit with his educational philosophy, and we couldn't be more thrilled about the learning opportunities and growth this place will provide for him as he begins his teaching career.

We head to the lake for vacation: Sadly, my brother and sister-in-law were unable to join us this year, but Dave and I enjoyed the time at the lake with my parents. Dave discovered his new favorite hobby of fishing, and he managed to catch a few bluegill in his initial attempts. I enjoyed swimming every day and being out on the lake in our rented pontoon. The most exciting part of vacation was Dave's seeing a live raccoon one night. Raccoons are known to sneak around the resort at night, but Dave never saw one last year. Fortunately, he spotted one on our way back to our room after watching the news in my parents' room. Dave and my dad followed the raccoon down the sidewalk quite a ways. You could tell he was excited!

That's our summer in a nutshell. What has been the highlight of your summer?