Anniversary, Easter, and the ED

Not much new here in the Birmingham Head House. Adam has been working, I've been studying and going to clinicals. I've gotta say, I've loved the emergency department -- lots of different and very exciting things that I've seen and done. They may not be too exciting to the average person, but the fact that I've been able to do a lot of this stuff is just awesome to me! I would be very happy with this as a career, and that's a good thing because it pays really well. :)

We celebrated our three year anniversary a few weeks back, which is of course always special, but being the broke graduate student that I am, we didn't do anything too exciting. Just dinner at home and it was wonderful. I can't even believe it's been three years since our wedding. My facebook status from our anniversary was referencing the fact that I've been in PA school for the majority of our marriage, which makes me sad a little. I hate that I've been hugely stressed for a large majority of our marriage, but I have a wonderful and understanding husband who knows that it will all pay off in the long run. And we are so looking forward to the long run. It's not too far away now ... 7.5 months! Unbelievable.

Easter is tomorrow, and I actually have to work the night shift tomorrow night. Adam and I have decided to have an Easter dinner tomorrow evening, which should work out with my sleeping schedule. It's been interesting flipping back and forth between shifts, but I really haven't minded it. My schedule for the ED has been easy-peasy compared to some of the other schedules I've heard my classmates complain about at other hospitals. I'm certainly not complaining. In my opinion, I've got it made. ;)

So anyway, not much has been going on here, other than bunches of cuddling. :) I'll leave you with a few fun pics. Take care! Happy Easter and have a great week! Tomorrow, He is Risen!

 Lindsay, Marley and Sadie

 Marley and Lucy

 The girls and me

Adam and Mar

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Georgia, Georgia, Christmas, ...Georgia, and Clinicals!

Oh my goodness, it's been quite a long time. So much has happened since then, so here's a very quick recap:

After Adam's actual birthday, we drove home for a surprise 30th birthday party for him that Tammy and I had planned. Although I don't think he was 100% surprised, I know he thoroughly enjoyed seeing and visiting with everyone.

This is the only decent photo that I got. :(

After Adam's birthday, we came back to Birmingham for another two weeks before we trekked back to Georgia for Christmas. During this time I finished the didactic phase of PA school. Holy mother, there is no better feeling. I really think this deserves it's own line, so I'll say it again.

I finished the didactic phase of PA school.

 For a while it didn't even seem real. Like it hadn't clicked yet or something. I was excited ... kinda, but I guess I was also distracted by Christmas crafting and things of the such. But after the new year, it really started settling in. And it feels real, real good. I'm pretty sure I've said that PA school for me feels analogous to climbing a mountain. Well, I really think I've made it to the top. I know that most may see graduation as reaching the top, but in my opinion, coming back down is half the battle. Clinicals = traveling down the mountain. Real life will continue once I've accomplished and attained this monumental mountain known as PA school. Real life starts on the other side. Adam and I are so ready for it! Less than a year!!

 (This is our "holy $&!%, we're about to treat real life patients??" face.)

So after school let out, I had LOTS of crafting to get done. What better way than to do it with friends?? So I had Katie and Casey over. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of Casey, but she helped me with my wreaths again. I was pretty happy with how they (and everything else) turned out!

These are Katie's craft projects. I think they turned out great!

I made these a few days after our crafting party:

I guess it's hard to tell what's going on with the wine bottles. I sprayed them with adhesive and put Epsom salt on them to give them a snowy effect. 

So I was pretty busy during my break before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we made our way to Georgia for what felt like the billionth weekend in a row. Christmas morning we started at my parents' house and then went over to Adam's parents'. Adam sent me on a super cute, super fun, and super creative treasure hunt for my Christmas present from him. I loved reading his little rhythms and solving the puzzles which ultimately lead to my new pearl stud earrings! I love them. :) He's been watching a lot of White Collar, the TV show, lately so he might have been prompted to do this because of that show. Either way, I loved it!

We came back to Alabama the weekend after Christmas, and then (surprise, surprise) drove back to Georgia the next weekend. We had not one, not two, but three parties to attend. We made it to all of them! And we had a great time. We drove straight to Bryan and Whitney's Friday night for Bryan's 30th birthday party and spent the night. Then on Saturday we drove home to my parents' and that evening we went to a wedding reception and ended the night at Lindsay and Jon's engagement party. We had a great time at both events!

On Sunday we came back to Birmingham and that next day, I started my clinicals! I'm already a week in! It's been terrifying, exhausting, empowering, amazing, exciting ... tons of emotions. This next year is going to be so different than what my classmates and I are used to, and we're all looking forward to that. Can't wait to continue and try out all the different specialties. It'll be a new job every five weeks! Very exciting. 

One of the gifts my mom gave me for Christmas is a daily devotional book called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I'm only on day 12 (because it's only Jan. 12th...) but I'm absolutely loving it so far. Every day I find that it definitely applies to me, and I'm excited to see how it continues to line up with my life right now and in the future over this next year. I know it'll make clinical year even easier and more enjoyable. Less than a year left! It's exciting to think "this time next year..." because this time next year I'll be finished with school and will either already be in, or will be shortly moving to Charleston. Woo!! Exciting things to come!

I'll leave you all with this photo of my sweet niece, Emma-Grace. She had a wilms tumor, but has been cancer free for two years! :)

Have a good evening, friends.

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Day 6

I'd like to start this one off by saying that my 30 days of thanks posts are not ranked in any way. I write them based off some sort of inspiration each day.

So last night, my cousin Kevin called me. During our conversation (not knowing that I am participating in the 30 days of thanks "challenge") he informed me that he is not participating. His reasoning was that he is thankful every day of every month, not just during the month of November, which happens to hold the holiday where we all give thanks.

He's absolutely right. It's very important for us to be thankful each and every day for our blessings. One thing I am very proud to share, despite my downfalls as a christian, is that I give thanks to Jesus Christ every time I pray. It's not hard for me to be thankful. Every morning and afternoon when I walk the dogs, I have a beautiful scene to view here in Birmingham. From the back of our apartment building and also from our patio out front, we have a perfect view of a ridge that's currently full of colorful fall trees. They remind me every day of God's powerful creations. It sparks a series of other thoughts of all that's good in my life and all I have to be thankful for. I'm so thankful for my health, my husband, our family, our dogs, our friends, our apartment, our cars ... and most importantly, I'm extremely thankful for my ever deepening relationship with my lord and savior. Which brings me to day 6. Today, and everyday, I'm thankful for Him.

"Do not be anxious, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

- Philippians 4:6-7

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Day 1

Sooo, I've felt moved to do the 30 days of thanks this year, which of course starts today! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with it since it's really only a small blurb each day. So here goes!

Today, on day 1, I'm thankful for opportunities. Especially the opportunity to follow my dream and go to PA school. God never fails me. He's so amazing and so divine and so wonderful. And I am so thankful.

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He is risen!

Jesus is risen and alive!

For reasons that I'll explain in just a moment, Easter this year is more significant for me than ever before. Last year is definitely a very close second, but this year takes the blue ribbon. Where do I even start to share this journey? Well ... I guess somewhere close to the beginning.

All my life I've been taught to treat others as you wish to be treated, to be kind and honest, sincere and giving. I've always had God in my life someway or another but I never attended church regularly growing up. I would go with my cousins to vacation bible school, and I'm pretty sure I said the "come live in my heart and save my soul" prayer at least 5 or 6 times. When I turned 15, I started attending a baptist church that some of my aunts, uncles, and cousins attended and it was here that I completed my first actual bible study. Shortly after, I asked my parents to start coming to church with me, but I knew if they were going to come they'd want to go to an episcopal church. We had visited one a few times over the years during my childhood, so that's where Mom, Dad, and I started attending regularly. Not too long after we started going, I decided to join the youth group and signed up to go on a service mission trip with them to Equador. Mom and I were baptisted in this church, which made us members, and I became an acolite for some of the services. Unfortunately, sometime after that, the minister left and weeks following, we all found that we didn't enjoy the services quite as much as we did before he left. We stopped going to church eventually.

There's a huge gap in my story here. I went to college and forgot about God, like many young people unfortunately do. I remember there was one period in time when I applied for a part time job as a medical assistant. I knew this would be the perfect job for me to gain experience for PA school and I needed a job for some extra money, so it was perfect! Well, I didn't get the job. I was so angry with God for letting this happen. He knew how badly I wanted and needed it and He still didn't give me to me (but reflecting back, why should He have given it to me? I hadn't made Him a priority in my life. Now I see that God had his perfect plan and perfect timing all laid out for me. I didn't need this job to get into PA school -- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11). I stopped praying and I didn't care anymore. Maybe I was depressed, but I remember life sucked around this time. Adam and I started fighting more and things just fell apart. Finally, I decided to give in and apologize to God. I remember it had something to do with a friend's facebook "about me" section. She mentioned that she loved being so aware of God and all of His blessings and her prayer was to never lose sight of that awareness. It made me sad in my heart that I wasn't experiencing that, so my prayer at that time started out as me asking God to mold my heart and help me to want him in my life again. I honestly can't remember how long it took, but my heart did change. God was working in my life. He helped me find another part time job in college that I learned so much incredible information from. More life lessons that anything, but I'm so thankful for that time and that experience. 

After I graduated college, I was still praying, but I never opened my bible, only went to church on occasion (read: maybe twice a year?), and still didn't really have a strong relationship with God. I knew that it was growing, and I could recognize that it was stronger than it had ever been before, but it really just wasn't what it was supposed to be.  Cue Adam and I getting engaged. I had known for a long time that I really wanted Father Peter (the minister that my family loved from the episcopal church) to marry Adam and me so I emailed him and asked. He required pre-marital counseling but he agreed to performing the ceremony. I guess that's neither here nor there, but it's was still sentimental to me. :)

Anyway, two weeks before the wedding, I flew to Kentucky for a business training, and at the end of the week I went to visit a good friend and meet her husband and baby boy. Before I knew it, the three of us were having a pretty intense conversation about our testimonies and our relationships with God. That night was one of the most profound and shaping conversations I have ever had in this regard. I realized that night that although I had absolutely no doubt in my heart, mind, or soul that Jesus Christ was my personal savior and that I was going to heaven after death, my relationship was still at a level of infancy. I was not shining the light of our Father and showing the way for others. They both strongly recommended that Adam and I find and join a church. As some point in this conversation, my friend (Whitney) mentioned Athens Church (Whitney's brother was a student at UGA at that time, and he had mentioned this church to her). Meanwhile at work, I had been having some conversations about church with two of the girls I worked with and one of them was attending Athens Church. One of my parents' neighbors also went there, and they had suggested that I check it out as well. 

Fast forward a year. Adam and I are already married and have been for maybe 9 or 10 months. We still hadn't joined a church, but the conversation I had with my friend and her husband in Kentucky was still weighing heavily in my mind and my heart. I finally decided that Adam and I were going to visit Athens Church. Man oh man, we have not looked back since!! Although we don't still live in Athens, there is a church here in Birmingham that shares Andy Stanley's messages. It's called Redstone Church. But when we can't attend Redstone, we watch the messages online.

Andy Stanley with Northpoint Ministeries is SO incredibly gifted with public speaking, sharing God's word, helping people live meaningful lives, and being the salt and the light of the world. I realize that I don't have much experience with churches in my past, but hands down these messages are the best, most delightful, most spiritual, most meaningful messages I've EVER heard. Every single Sunday I learn so much about God and the bible from Andy. My prayers are more meaningful. I can feel that my heart is changing, not because I want it to, but because once again, God is shaping and molding me. I find myself thinking about his sermons throughout the week ... they don't leave my mind at 12pm on Sunday as soon as church is over. I know that I still have many struggles with things that I don't understand, and I still have much growing to do as a disciple and follower of Jesus, but I also know I'm on my way. God is always on time with his perfect plan. My story is still being written. 

(Back to the top) ... So yes, thanks to Andy Stanley and his teachings, Easter is more significant to me than ever before! As I was saying, I still have struggles understanding God's plan and His timing but this is really something I shouldn't question. He has never failed giving me everything I've ever wanted, but these things aren't always received on the timeline that I want, therefore, I have to practice patience during these opportunities. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Luke 11:9. 

Adam and I both think that everyone should watch this particular series called "Christian." I can't even begin to explain it's meaning, but I strongly encourage you to at least go read the synopsis! Here's a link for you all. Click here and enjoy!

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Our first kiss -- Nine years ago!

I'll never ever forget the emotions I experienced as I was walking down the isle to marry my husband. I really don't remember looking at anyone (except for one friend who reminded me to smile :/) but I DO remember having some legit concerns. Here are the true memoirs of a bride (well, of this bride, anyway). I was worried SICK about two things: 1. making the ugly-cry face ... because let's be real. I'm extremely emotional, and 2. falling as I walked down the isle. Thankfully, my dad lent a good arm. But I kid you not, the very moment I saw Adam as I was walking towards him, literally all of that washed away. I knew in that very instant that everything was perfect in my world. I was making the right decision -- scratch that -- the best decision of my life.

So, this year on our dating anniversary (today!), Adam and I have been together for 9 years! It's fun to reflect back on how much he and I have grown and matured into the people we are today. In honor of this special day, I've decided to write a tribute on why my love for him continues to grow stronger and stronger as time passes by. Here goes...

Adam loves to read. He reads all the time. He's definitely smarter than me. Maybe the fact that he's smarter than me isn't much reason to love him more and more every day, but I do love an intelligent man and Adam certainly qualifies as one. In truth, he should be the one pursuing a higher degree ... I'm doing it only because I'm studious and interested in the medical field. Adam is naturally good at school and learning and understanding.

Adam has a sense of direction like no other. You could pick him up and put him anywhere and he could find his way home. I don't know how he does it and I'll never understand it, but I'm immensely thankful for it because I panic when I'm lost.

Adam lets me know regularly how much he loves me and he always makes me feel sexy an beautiful. I love the way he loves me.

He values my health and constantly checks me on it. Adam knows the importance of exercise and eating healthfully and honest to God, without him in my life right now, I have no idea what I would look like in this regard. He honestly saved me all those years ago!

Along those same lines, Adam can cook! I mean like ... for real. Do you know how much of a blessing that is?? Because although I'm learning s-l-o-w-l-y, I still consider myself a non-cooker. I'm very thankful for this. All of my PA school friends are very jealous. :)

Adam genuinely takes interests in things that I do. He loves spending time with me and doing things with me and encouraging me. And I love him for that.

He puts up with me -- and knows how to handle me. I can be pretty hard headed and hot headed (I get it honest) and sometimes just a straight up bitch. At times I'm moody and at times I'm overly emotional/sensitive/hormonal. But thankfully, nine years later, he's still around. He's learned what to do or not do, say or not say and almost all of the time I apologize for how I've acted and thank him for pulling us both through -- alive.

Adam loves to whistle and sing and dance and play guitar and trombone -- he's very entertaining and talented and fun! Somehow he's just very musically inclined. During almost any conversation that he's having with anyone, if something that's said reminds him of a song, he'll start singing away. He has such a huge music library in his brain (head ;) that it's common "regular" people don't know what he's singing. Adam just shakes his head at them and continues on with the conversation.

Adam has made huge sacrifices for my happiness and success. This one is a true testament of his love for me. Literally everything that Adam has done in the past year has been for my benefit directly. It started with him closing his gym, which he poured his heart and soul into for several years. He then moved to Bham 2.5 months before I did and started a job at a bank, which was completely unrelated to any of his interests or experiences that he'd ever had before. And thanks to his job, he's paid for almost all of our living expenses while I've been in school.

He and I are growing individually-- and together -- in our relationships with God. Shortly after our wedding we found a church (Athens Church -- a strategic partner of Andy Stanley's churches in Atlanta) that we both love and, I don't know how to stress this enough, our lives have changed immensely for the better since then. Unbelievably, after we started attending Athens Church in Athens, we found out that there was also a strategic partner in Birmingham which also delivers services from Andy Stanley. It's called Redstone Church. The fact that Adam enjoys these churches as much as I do means a whole bunch. In fact, it was at Redstone Church during a Compassion Sunday Service that Adam suggested we become sponsors for a little girl in Peru. We've been in communication with and praying for Maria ever since.

This coming April will be our second wedding anniversary. I will forever be thankful to be married to this man that I literally prayed to God for more than 12 years ago. Adam had my heart shortly after I met him my freshman year of high school, but for reasons that no longer matter, Adam was preoccupied. I prayed and prayed, and finally God delivered ... it wasn't until my junior year of high school that he kissed me for the first time, nine years ago today. :) And Lord knows, we've been through some pretty heavy stuff since then -- amazing, good, bad, and real ugly -- that has brought us to where we are today. We've learned a lot about each other, from each other, about ourselves, and about what it means to love and be loved. Although it's been hard at times, I wouldn't change a thing. I love you, ATH! With my whole heart.

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I needed this today ...

My friend and cousin, Brittany Fouche, posted this a few weeks ago on facebook, and I knew it would come in handy for me at some point. I've really needed to improve my prayers and conversations with God. They've felt so meaningless lately. Hopefully this will help. Oh, and church this morning.

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