The sun always comes up again -

Hi. :) 

So I've been out of touch for a little bit...I think it seems much longer than it really is, being only 8 days. It's been a long eight days. I got sick last Wednesday with a respiratory virus thing, I'm calling it that, because it doesn't really have a name, I don't think. All I know is that it kicked me hard and is staying too long. 

Wednesday my chest was tight and my throat didn't feel right; Thursday I felt like a truck had hit me. Severely sore throat and fever and aches, complete with me calling my Mom in a panic because I couldn't even open a bottle lid. I was in full-blown-meltdown mode. The fever was bad, and that night I'm so thankful to whoever invented ice packs and freezers because keeping ice packs on my spine and neck and face was the only way I stayed sane. Friday wasn't much better, except the fever went down. And since then, it sloughed into a bad cough, and then on Sunday, went into cold mode, with wheezing coughing fits, this morning I woke up with a severe earache, and my chest so tight I could barely breathe or eat or drink. I'm still fighting off those two symptoms, and thankfully, now have 3 meds to help with that. ;) Normally, we don't do meds, but we tried to jump right on it, because I had a full weekend. 

Guess what I didn't have.....a full weekend. Friday I was so excited to 2nd shoot a wedding with Lauren, and Saturday was Georgia's 1st birthday party, which I told Emily I'd be at unless I was dead or on the moon, to which she replied that I could send G a moon rock, probably proving to be the best Auntie ever. 

But after getting up on Friday morning feeling like there was no way I could drive or take photos, I cried my eyes out on the porch for 5 minutes, and then tearfully called Lauren and told her I couldn't do the wedding. And then Saturday morning I got up and couldn't even talk without coughing, and I knew I was going to have to miss G's party. You can bet I cried all over again. 

So I missed 2nd shooting Lauren's wedding gig, and also Georgia's 1st birthday party. The disappointment was incredibly sharp. I was pretty sad last weekend. So that's where I've been or not been, really. I'm hoping to get well really soon!! I'm very tired of being sick. 

Tonight I couldn't stand not to put something up here, so if you read all that boring sick stuff, good for you. Here are some FUN photos of Labor Day (September 2nd) at New Smyrna, I took my GoPro in the water, and had lots of fun with it. :D 

Just before duck diving - 

It was a brilliantly warm and gorgeous day. 

I love how old this one looks. 

Floating on my back, staring at the sky. love.  

Underwater shot!!!! So cool. I'm so glad I bought my GoPro!

This is what my summers look like. I'm so crazy-blessed to live here. 

Just me and the ocean, and probably a zillion sharks out there somewhere. 

The ocean will always bring me a God-given-peace I can't get anywhere else. 

So that's my life lately. Sad to miss out but also blessed to be alive. How are you? Doing well? :) 

With love always,

~ Jean Marie ~