I love...

all of my sisters...

And the countdown begins...

4 Weeks until school is out!!!! YESSSS!!! I am almost done with Anatomy and I'm passing with flying colors! I guess marriage agrees with me! This class was so hard for me before and now... ok it's still hard but I'm passing it this time! I'm looking forward to not having to study every waking moment outside of class and work. I'll have about a month's break and then I get to start the next Biology class... PHYSIOLOGY! So excited... kind of. This is one step closer to applying for the LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) program and being able to work as an actual nurse... woo!

1 year ago....

We got engaged! Boy how time flies! I can't believe all the things that have happened in the last year.... Well, one year ago was a great day! And we've had many more great days and many more to come <3 I'm so happy he asked me to marry him!

snip snip

Kaleb cut his beautiful curls and he still looks handsome! :)i think he's going a little a-wall now Obama is president! As soon as he got home it was straight to the bathroom with the scissors! yikes I hardly had any warning! but it came out great I really do like it! he's a new man!


before


during



after

for dana

Pretty drives, good coffee, & lots of relaxing!

So this is a little late, but I wanted to share our weekend getaway with you guys.... Carmel is beautiful, a little weird but it was nice to get away for a couple of days. We spent all day Friday taking our time driving up the coast on Highway 1. We stopped in Cambria for lunch and coffee, and pulled off on a couple spots to take some pictures and enjoy the views. On the way up I realized that I had forgotten the directions to the hotel but thought we would be okay. I was wrong.... we got lost and it took us over an hour to find it! Both of our cell phones ended up dying on the way up and we couldn't even find a coffee shop to plug into so I could call my mom for help :) We finally found a random plug outside of a grocery store, and the hunt for directions began. I'm just saying, the hotel DID NOT have an address and when we called the hotel they told us we didn't have reservations there so we thought we had the wrong phone number. That was an adventure...ha.
Saturday we walked into downtown Carmel and walked around all day had lunch, didn't buy anything because everything was so expensive! But we enjoyed looking at all the cool buildings and just being together. It was really nice. We left Sunday morning and decided to take our time driving back. We stopped in the tiny town of Gorda for breakfast. The most expensive french toast we may ever eat :) It was fun though. Kind of felt like something you would see in a movie with the weird small town waitress and only like 5 other people in the restraunt, but we really enjoyed it! So all in all we had a really good relaxing weekend that was very much needed. We had our own little private cottage to stay in with a fireplace which was nice because it was really cold at night....
We drove through Big Sur and decided that we are definitely going back for some camping and hiking. It was incredibly beautiful! The trees up there are amazing...
Now I need to go study for my test that I have in the morning, and from there I need to study for my other test that I have next week! Yikes it never stops :)

Tears to laughter

The last couple of weeks have been pretty hard emotionally.... God is growing me in more ways than one, and of course it's painful! I am so grateful for times like these that reveal my true heart, and reveal things I didn't even know about myself! Bringing things to light that need to be fixed and dealt with. I am a selfish sinful person! I am realizing more and more as I grow and life changes, my need for Christ. Without Him I am unhappy and empty inside. I can't imagine life without Him. I'm pretty stressed out with work and school... school is hard and work is just frustrating! Trying to get through this on my own is just stupid... I will just continue to be stressed out, and constantly worrying about everything. Surrendering is often the hardest thing to do, but in the end so worth it. Nobody wants to admit failure and imperfection, but no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes. In the end the growth that takes place is worth every tear and time of distress. I am so grateful for my relationship with Christ....

I have been pretty irritable by the people around me and the situations I am put in. Mainly at work, which is very wrong of me. I need to extend grace to people just like grace has been extended to me. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes! I think that work is a test of my patience and very humbling at times. Working in a place where no one shares the same beliefs or even standards of what is appropriate is very challenging. I am trusting Christ will change my attitude towards the people I am placed with. I want to be a light in a dark place and allow Christ to shine through me.... lately that hasn't been the case, and I am ashamed of that... I am so blessed with this job!!! We get great health insurance, it pays really well, and is so flexible with my school schedule! I couldn't ask for a better job. (well until I get my RN :) )

So I am learning and growing and am constantly in need of prayer....

my poor husband has to deal with me... but I love him more than words can explain.