Newlyweds: The DeWitte's: January 2011

Friday, January 28, 2011

Everything I Need

What a week it has been.

Clinicals started up this week. We are going two days a week to Integris Southwest on the OB floor.

This rotation is turning out to be everything I had hoped it would be and more. I previously worked for a family care doctor who also specialized in obstetrics. So going into nursing school, I kind of had an idea that I may be interested in working in OB one day.

But I have kept an open mind in all the areas we have been in and to wait until the OB rotation got here to really decide.

And now that it's here, my mind just might be made up. It is such a different world compared to Med-Surg floors. I never felt a strong desire to work on a Med-Surg floor, and after experiencing this...that lack of desire is confirmed. OB is where I can see myself working in a hospital setting, for sure.

I didn't get to see any babies born because I was assigned to the postpartum area of the floor. So I got to take care of all the new mommies and see the babies after they were born.

OB is a great fit for me in many ways. One, the mothers are usually healthy. No huge medical concerns or time consuming needs. All they want is to have their baby (and their pain meds) and they are happy.

Which brings me to my next reason it is a good fit; the patients are generally very happy! It is such a special time in the lives of these women that they are overjoyed about their new baby and thus are very pleasant to take care of.

And lastly, which I can't speak for all OB staff, but the staff on this particular OB floor are awesome. So laid back, easy going, caring and most of all they love their job. Such a difference from other floors. Most floors we have experienced so far, the staff complains a lot and generally just seem to hate life and hate their job. Now that's something I want to be around every single day....absolutely not! I want to not only love my job personally, but I want to work with others who feel the same. Makes for a much easier 12 hour shift.

So it has overall been a very refreshing experience so far. I just might have found my "nitch" in nursing.

Aside from nursing school, this has been a tough week for Wes and I.

Wes found out early this week that he is going to be reassigned to a different station starting Saturday.

Right now, he is stationed at the post office not even 5 minutes from our house. Very convenient for when he has to be at work at 6:45 AM. And in the 6 months he has been there, he has really enjoyed his supervisors and the other carriers.

And just when you get comfortable...change happens. No one likes change and so it has been hard on Wes. He is going to miss the people he has worked with and doesn't really know what to expect from this new station. Change is never easy but we have realized you just have to make the best of the situations you are given.

Wes starts at his new station tomorrow. We are keeping a positive attitude and trusting God that this change is for the good and will possibly open up doors for new opportunities.

This scripture comes to mind:
Romans 8:28
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the GOOD of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. "

What a wonderful reminder from God that He will make everything to work together for the good. When we are having a hard time understanding the meaning behind the things that happen in our lives, we can stand on His promise that no matter how negative the situation may seem, God will always produce a good outcome out of any and all situations. In those hard times and in times of change, all we need is God.

As Wes has been battling this new change in his job, I have been battling constant headaches, all week.

Now that I am in school, I don't exactly have time to stop and let a headache keep me from doing the things that I need to do. It's been hard this week to get school work done while being in constant pain. And doesn't do much for my mood either.

I made the decision to get a massage this morning, hoping it would help relieve some of the pain. And thank goodness it did! The lady said my neck (tension headaches) was pretty bad but she was able to release some of the tightness. Even though my head is still hurting a little bit, there is relief. And after a full week of pain, even just a little bit of relief is great.

Through the tough times this week, Wes and I have been encouraged by this particular song: "Everything I Need" by Kutless.

When I found myself grumbling or upset, I have turned on this song and felt such a sense of power within the words. That God is my strength in my weakness and everything in my time of need. We definitely had times of weakness this week and are in a time of need.

So powerful. From headaches to job changes...He is everything we need to make it through.

The first clip is from the singer of Kutless explaining the meaning behind writing this song. And the second clip, is the actual song with lyrics.

We all are needing something. But where are we looking to fill that need?

I hope you will listen to this song and find the blessing and encouragement we have.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Random Thoughts

My first week back was SO busy and long. Every day was completely FULL of topics and guest speakers, back to back. Yuck. We even had a "snow day" on Thursday and classes were cancelled. It really wasn't the snow that was the problem, it was the crazy layer of ice that was coating the streets at 7 AM. Ice? Umm.. no thanks!

I have always decided that school is never worth possibly losing your life just to get to class. So even before they called class off, I had already decided to stay inside where it's warm and safe. It was really nice though to have the chance to get assignments and reading done. They packed our week so full, we barely had time to breathe!

This is another day when I wish Wes wasn't working a job that requires him to be outside all day. But, he survived the bitter cold with the help of two layers of socks, two layers of gloves, toe and hand warmers, earmuffs, gator, long johns, and spikes on his shoes to keep him from slipping on the ice. I would say he was pretty prepared! (I should have gotten a picture of that one, huh?)

Not much else has been going on in the DeWitte household though. Just a full week of class for me and bitter cold week for Wes at work. It's so wonderful to have someone to come home to after a long, tiring day and just relax and unwind. Marriage is wonderful.

This is what I got to look at ALL day for three days...

I'm pretty sure we sat in the same spot for at LEAST 12 hours total.

Day two of class..Hollie, Jessica and I all had the same idea with the glasses this day so I had to take a picture. LOVE these girls!

I recently downloaded four new albums from Amazon. I can't even tell you how long it's been since I have downloaded music so I figured it was time.

It has taken me about a week of listening to these albums, in the background of whatever it is I'm doing, before I have found quite a few songs that are really amazing.

Wes and I both had the discussion last night that we both have to listen to an album sort of "unconsciously", like in the car driving or for me it's listening to it while I clean the house, before songs start to actually tug at your heart and make you want to listen to it over and over.

So I was cleaning yesterday and had Addison Road playing and the song "Change in the Making" really stuck out to me so I listened to it again and again yesterday. Every time I listen to it, God speaks to me through the lyrics.

It is refreshing to know that God is continually shaping our lives and the person we are in Him. We always say things like, "I wish I had more patience" or "I wish I wouldn't have made the decisions I have made". This song tells us that God knows who we are and He is always molding us, each and every day, into the person He wants us to be. It is our job to have faith. Faith that He will never give up on us no matter how torn up and beat down we feel we are. God can change that and turn it around. Like this song says, we are "under construction" with God. We are His work that is yet to be completed. Have faith that God is making a change in you.

I honestly don't know what I would do without music. Music is my way of escaping reality and leads me to a wonderful place of worship.

And how wonderful it is so be able to share that same unexplainable joy of music with your spouse. Our love for music definitely brings us closer every single day. And for that, I am grateful to God for putting the love of music into our marriage.

I hope I can find time during the crazy weeks of nursing school to update the blog more often. It's amazing how much the details of the week become a blur by the end of the week. So when I actually get time to sit down and blog, I can't even remember what happened.

But I will do my best.

Oh, and meal planning....is officially "on hold". ha

I barely found time to go to the grocery store last week. And when I did go, all I wanted to get was milk.

It really does take time to plan and even more time to go to the grocery store without forgetting something. But it did keep us from going out to eat and spending money. We have already gone out I think three times in the past four days. Ugh....

Hopefully I will get my second wind on the meal planning. Our budget would really appreciate it for sure!

So instead of meal planning, I am going to spend my Sunday afternoon relaxing, watching a movie, and maybe catching up on some reading for school. (I don't think the words relax and reading for school are meant to go in the same sentence...) But gotta get rested up before another full week of school; clinicals start Tuesday! Maybe I will get to see a baby be born! SO exciting!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Back to School...Break is Over!

Oh yes, the day I have been waiting for, time to go back to school!

Wow, what an awesome break it has been!

Our first newlywed Christmas, the big debut of our wonderful blog, a new car and of course a brand new year!

And now back to reality...

But before I do, a quick post.

The new car is AWESOME! I absolutely LOVE it! We made such a great choice and continually look at each other every time we get in the car and say, "Man, we got a great deal, this is a really good car!".

We are expecting more snow again this week so this will be the RAV's official winter "test". I'm sure it will conquer the snow with ease and cause us to realize, once again, how happy we are we made the choice to buy a Toyota.

Now since I got my new toy (the car), Wes decided he needed his new toy as well. We have been going back and forth on this purchase but finally made the decision to go forth with it.

Wes's work schedule and just the general physical demand of his job has not allowed him to get out to his studio to do his recording stuff as often as he would like. Therefore, I so graciously (like the choice of words?) allowed Wes to transform our converted garage to his "studio away from home" space.

There has just been one thing missing to allow him to really utilize it like he needs to and that was a new computer. The software he used to do his recording/mixing requires a Mac and so we made the purchase of a new Mac.

Now he can do what he loves most, all from the comfort of our own home!

It is such a joy for me to see my husband happy. No better feeling.

My mom came up for a night this weekend. And as usual, we did a little shopping. :) Check out my new purse! TOO cute!!

I really love having my mom here. It's so nice to have a mom that is not only your mom but your best friend. I know no one else, besides my husband, that I am able to confide in about anything and to have so much fun no matter what we do. We always make each other laugh at only the things her and I can understand. Precious memories I will always, always cherish.

Great husband. Great family. BLESSED!

School starts up full swing tomorrow morning. Aside from getting a week off during March for Spring Break, this is it until it's all over. No other breaks until graduation July 31, 2011!

I love starting out a new semester. It's somewhat refreshing because you have a "blank slate" so-to-speak and can chose to make it a great semester, right from the start. And after one week...you forgot you even said that or maybe just can't believe you actually thought it would happen.

Life happens, things get stressful, and all of a sudden you are behind on studying once again and are doing what you can just to hold your head above water. Ahh..the joys of nursing school.

But I'm staying optimistic!

It has been a great experience thus far though and I really am enjoying it. This semester I will get to see what OB & Delivery and Critical Care (Ped's) is all about. Hoping I find my "niche" soon so I will have a better idea as to what I want to do once I am licensed.

So please pray for me now for a good semester. I am confident and hopeful. It will be good. :)

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Blessings

And verdict is... we have a new car!!!

The loan went through with the bank with ease, Wes signed the paperwork last night, and I am going to pick up the car today at 1:00!

I am SUPER excited!! I can't seem to say "thank you" enough to my wonderful husband for choosing to buy ME a car and put his up for sale.

Wes always says that he is a selfish person. And that marriage has been a hard concept in regards to "it's not all about me anymore, it's about us". He feels that he still struggles with not being selfish and thinking of us more often than himself.

Really?! And he just bought ME a car..that to me is one of the most selfless acts a husband can do. To ensure his wife's happiness over his own.

I really get teared up thinking about how incredibly lucky I am to have Wes as my husband. He is so perfect for me in so many ways. So perfect that there is no doubt in my mind that God created him just the way he is, exactly for me and no one else.

What a great feeling it is to wake up every day happy and confident in your marriage and to go to bed just the same way. I am blessed.

Here is a picture of the new car. :)

God is GOOD!

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Snow and Cars

This might be my first rambling post because I really don't have one specific thing to blog about. So try to stick with me... :)

Oklahoma's weather always amazes me. I've lived here all my life but still think our weather is most bizarre at times. Like yesterday...Just last week we had temperatures in the mid to high 50's and yesterday...it snowed! Now I realize an "arctic blast" came through many states but only in Oklahoma does it snow and then one hour later look like it never did.

It was pretty snow, unlike around this time last year when we had a blizzard! So I just stayed at home and watched the snow from the comfort of my office chair, watching the flakes fall from my window.

Monday, January 10, 2011

During the cold months, I LIVE with this space heater on ALL the time. I really don't think I could survive without it. Okay, a little extreme but it does a great job of keeping me warm!

Here is my "haven" for school and blogging! I LOVE my spare bedroom/office.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011- Where did all the snow go? BIG difference in weather from one day to the next. Welcome to Oklahoma! It is still really cold though, unfortunately.

So here I am, nice and warm inside, as my husband was out working in the cold elements trying to stay warm... I called him several times to make sure he was okay and he assured me he was (except for the fact that he could no longer feel his toes...but..no big deal, right?).

It was days like this that I wish he had a different job so I wouldn't have to worry about him being okay. I know...he's a big boy and will be fine but that is what a wife is supposed to do, right? Be concerned about the well being of her husband at all times?

And now you can see why I am becoming a nurse... it's in my nature to want to care for people, that's for sure.

Since it was a cold night, we decided to have the Texas Chili again for dinner. This batch wasn't as good as the original, but it was still pretty tasty! I think it was the ground beef I used that made it taste differently.

Anyone else had this problem with ground beef? It just didn't even look the same really. I don't know, probably no difference but I will probably buy a different kind next time.

After we ate dinner, we headed to Norman to test drive a car.

Yes, Wes and I are in the market to buy a new-used vehicle.

It is a long story but basically his snazzy Subaru has to be parked in the street in front of our house because it is too low to get into the driveway without taking off the entire front bumper in the process.

And because we have such lovely neighbors across the street who don't seem to pay attention (we aren't bitter or anything), his car has gotten hit more than once due to someone backing into it.

Pretty much the Subaru does not need to ever come back to our street once it is fixed. Having to pay a $500 deductible every time it gets hit is just not an option for us right now. So we decided, once his Subaru is out of the shop, to sell it and buy a nice used car in its place.

Pretty good deal for Wes right? Well, here's where Wes would want me to mention that I will be the one getting to drive the new car and he will drive my '99 Honda Accord (which is in great condition). So really it isn't an even trade since I will get the new car instead of him.

And this is where I mention how wonderful, amazing and selfless my husband is. :) To give up his sports car so we can buy a new car for ME to drive.

I married a GOOD man!

So we go to check out this car. We have looked at a few other cars but either have been completely disappointed in the condition of the vehicle or it was a little more than we are willing to spend. But Wes continued to look online and found a 2006 Toyota RAV4 for sale through a private seller.

We had been looking at used cars coming from dealerships so this was the first private seller car we had looked at.

It was a GREAT car!! Really good condition and drove great. The owners have taken really good care of it, you could tell. The interior was pretty close to perfect, no exterior damage and the engine sounded and ran great.

We are waiting on a few things to go through before we will know for sure if we are going to buy it.

Fingers are crossed! We'll see what happens soon!

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Stop and Listen

Every morning while I am getting ready, I turn on Pandora. I can't imagine my life without music. I grew up in a home where music was and always has been the center of our home. My dad is a musician and is the driving force behind why I love music the way I do.

After majoring in music in college, he toured with a Christian music group called "Wings of Light" and now he currently owns a music store in Lawton, Oklahoma. All growing up, I always remember my dad playing piano at some event at least once a week. He played at church, weddings, community jazz ensembles and was also a part of a duo group with just him and a guitar player playing weekly at restaurants around town. I have never known a life without music and I am so grateful for that.

Wes also grew up in a home where playing music was a daily occurrence since he, his dad, and brother are all musicians. Wes's dad plays drums, as does Wes. And his twin brother, Dave, plays guitar. Wes and Dave were a part of a local secular rock band called, Stone Cold Sober, for about two years. However, as life changed for many of those in the band, they split up (still a sore subject with the twins). But that didn't cause the music to stop. Dave is currently playing with an 90's cover band and Wes is continuing to play drums at church. And of course, Wes's love for music runs deep with his love for music recording. There is no doubt that this family lives and breathes music.

God knew what He was doing when he brought Wes and I together. He knew our love for music would build such a strong bond with each other. To be able to understand the passion and joy of music is something we can share together and it is special part of our relationship.

When I listen to music, particularly Christmas music, I am always inspired. It has a way of taking ahold of your heart and takes you to an immediate place of worship.

This is how I want to start each and every day of my life; in a place of worship and music takes me to that place.

I have recently been listening to Bethany Dillon. She is a young, 20 year old, aspiring and very talented Christian artist. Her newest album, Stop and Listen, is wonderful. Her lyrics have blessed me every time I listen to them. I have noticed it is a great album to listen to as a new year begins. It causes me to think about my walk with God and the ways that it can be strengthened this new year. This album has simply said to me, just as the title says, stop and listen.

Wes and I always talk about how we need to spend more time in the Word of God. We know how powerful His word is and how much it can strengthen our faith in Him. Then why don't we do it?

Too busy...Right?

Yes, this is true. Wes works full time and I am a full time student.

Things are busy.

But in all the things we make time for during the day, why does time with God never seem to make the list? When we know how much it can change our lives if we make the commitment to Him?

We need to just stop...Nothing in our day can even come close to being as important as time with God.

There is time.

And we need to listen...

Wes and I always wonder: Where are our lives are going to lead? What does the future hold? Are we making the right choices? Are we doing what God has called us to do?

The answer to all these questions lies in our faith. And "so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". (Romans 10:17)

In order to hear from God, we have to listen.

We take on the challenge of taking more time to stop and build a personal relationship with Christ and to be still and listen to the things He is speaking into our lives.

So now I encourage and challenge you to "stop and listen". Take a moment to listen to this song and listen to what it is saying to you.

Meal Planning Week One Results

Well here it is at the end of the week and therefore I need to update everyone on how my meal planning went this week. Just this morning, as I was preparing tonight's dinner in the crock pot, I realized that it IS the end of the week and now I need to make next weeks meal plan. Oklahoma is also to be expecting snow the next few days which means going to the grocery store might be limited. Therefore, I need to get working on next week ASAP.

Anyone have any good recipes they would like to pass along? This would definately help in the planning process; less to think about! :)

Back to this past week...We did really well. And when I say that I mean we didn't eat out at all except for the pizza night on Monday. Other than that, we stayed home and either ate leftovers or cooked a meal.

This is a GREAT feeling for me. As I mentioned before, I am the one who looks at our expenses and attempts to "budget". I have gotten so frustrated with how much we are spending eating out. So this is a HUGE breakthrough for us. I hope it pays off at the end of the month when we look to see how much we saved by not eating out.

After this week, I'm pretty optimistic.
Most of the recipes I made this week were out of the Bride and Groom cookbook (see previous post). And I have to say, I am SO impressed with every single dish I have made! There isn't one single recipe that has left us more than impressed and very satisfied. It makes me not want to use any other cookbook, but I know I will need to branch out and try new things. But it is so hard when everything is SO good!

Wes and I decided to start rating the new meals that we try; basic scale of 1 to 10. This way we can either throw them out to never try again or make sure they become an addition to our "dinner recipe database" and use again.
So I am going to be sure and let everyone know how the rating turned out on each dish. Maybe it will cause you to want to try it too! Wes seems to be a very picky eater, so if you see a high rating, you can know that it MUST be good!

Here it is, our week's dinners at a glance....

Monday: Pizza Night!

Tuesday: Mexican Casserole

Wednesday: Leftover pizza (our schedule got crazy, so we had to make it quick)

Up to this point in the week, nothing spectacular and hadn't tried anything new. But Thursday started it all!

Thursday: Texas Chili (B&G Cookbook) It all can be summed up in one word: AMAZING!!

Rating: 11/10!!!

Note: Wes LOVED this recipe! He even said it might just be better than his Mom's chili. Whoah! His Mom makes some great chili, so this one must be a winner and a definate repeat. (maybe even next week!)

Friday: Pasta with Pesto, Shrimp, and Cherry Tomatoes,
Side: Roasted Asparagus
(Both from B&G Cookbook)

Rating: 9/10

Quote from Wes: "This tastes like something you would order at a restaurant! SO good!"

I think that is a good sign that he liked it. It was really good and SO flavorful!

Tonight: Slow Cooker Pot Roast w/ Carrots and Red Potatoes

Rating: No rating; yet to be determined.

**In the crock pot as we speak, slow cooking it's way to wonderful goodness!! We LOVE Pot Roast!

That's all I have as it relates to food. Wow, my past two posts have been about nothing but food. Hmm... And the only pictures I have taken have been of food... I am going to have to try and work on that. There really is more to Wes and I's life aside from food. :)

Until next time...

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Meal Planning to Save Money...Resolution #1

I think I may have found a New Year's resolution. Another fellow blogger, Megan, wrote a post about meal planning. And the more I read, the more I realized, I need to do this too! Not only to have something planned and have less to think about, but to also save us some money.

Since Wes and I have been married, the subject of money has come up quite often. It's crazy how you can try to prepare for such things in premarital counseling or just by talking it out with each other before the wedding and it is still a hard subject. I am lucky that we are both the type to be able to talk about things like adults and not let it get out of hand. We always come to an agreement that we are both happy with. And for that, I am a lucky woman to be married to Wes and to have the wonderful marriage that I do.

So, a few months ago, being the organized one, I decide to go over our expenses and create a budget. I know, I said it...budget. We both realize the importance of sticking to a budget but when it comes down to actually implementing the budget...we tend to "fall off the wagon". All good intentions, just can't seem to stick to it. Anyone else have this problem?

After looking at what we currently spend our money on, I found the culprit to all our money woes...EATING OUT! In a period of one month, we had spend almost $500 on eating out alone! Whoah!!! That is just craziness to me! I didn't feel like we were going out to eat that often, but I guess the numbers never lie. So I immediately break out the budget form and get to work on balancing out our expenses a little more appropriately.

Now this was..oh...last month that I wrote up our first budget. And did we stick to it? Nope. We didn't eat out as much but by no means were we trying to stick to an actual budget. Long story short, I have done probably two more budgets for us since then and still no luck in following through. Work in progess.

But I do know where our weakness is and that is still eating out. So when I read about others making a resolution to meal planning, I thought that would be a great way for us to save money and eat out less.

I spent all morning yesterday creating our first week of meals. (I am only attempting dinner so far..we are lucky to see breakfast or lunch on a regular basis) I got a great form for meal planning that has given me a good start to trying to plan ahead.

I pulled out my new cookbooks that Wes and I have gotten as wedding gifts and started planning!

I chose to stick with a few meals that I have already done before but also add in a few new ones to try. Wes and I also decided that we will have a "buffer" for one day of the week that can be pizza night. And thanks to a crazy evening last night...we already used up the pizza night. Starting out well aren't we? Ha

Here is my first week meal plan!

Once that task was accomplished, I had to make a trip to the grocery story to buy all of the goodies we would need for the week. One and a half hours later and $160 spent, this is what one week's worth of groceries looks like....

Wow. What work it is to shop for a full week. What was even harder was having an official list to shop from. Why this would seem easier having a list so you can go right in and out, it wasn't that type of experience for me.

Here I am in the grocery store, trying to read my list, check things off, keep track of how much I'm spending, and every person in the store (really..every single person) was running into me, trying to push me along. Ahhh!! Let me shop in peace people!! It drove me crazy! This doesn't seem to happen when you don't have a list and a predetermined agenda. But the second you have a list to guide you along, the people will get impatient with your wandering around trying to find what you need and just flat out make you want to give the list up all together. But I stuck to my guns and finished my shopping successfully. Success but nerves were a little bit shot.

Okay, I had a bad first full week meal planning shopping experience. Luckily, I get to do it all again next week. Yay! We will see how it goes.

No meal planning is complete without an organized binder to store away all the meal plans and wonderful recipes we will try. So I had to make a trip to Office Depot too.

And it turned out like this!

I can already tell that the weekly plan will be adjusted quite often depending on Wes and I's schedules. The plan is that the adjustment won't include eating out but simply changing what to eat on what day.

I hope I can keep up with it once school starts back. For now, one week down! Many, many more to go!

Tonight's meal: My Mom's Mexican Casserole! YUM!

(Yes, this is supposed to be Wednesday's dinner. Changing it up already!)

Quick and easy. Here is the recipe for those who want to try it. Thanks Mom! Delicious!!

Mexican Casserole

By: Melanie Jackson

Ingredients

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 (8 oz) can chopped green chilies

3 cans chicken

1 cup chicken broth

1 bag Mexican style shredded cheese

2-3 tsp chili powder (depends how spicy you like it)

3 tsp minced onion

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

Tostito’s Chips

Directions

Combine all ingredients in bowl except chicken, cheese and chips

Layer x 2: chips, chicken, sauce, cheese (end with cheese)

Casserole Dish (9x13)

Bake in oven 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees

Saturday, January 1, 2011

New Year....Stronger Faith

Happy New Year!! I have had all good intentions of writing a new post but have already become lazy in the blog world I guess. So that means now is a perfect time to make a New Year's resolution...

"In 2011, I will be more consistent in my blog posts (school and studying permitting)". Always have to throw in the school excuse. :)

I actually had a great idea for a post the other morning but by the time I got around to sit down to write, I couldn't make anything work. So that post is tucked away in the "saved" files and maybe it will resurface and be published soon.

Wes and I had an uneventful but great New Year's Eve. The night went something like this: grocery shopping for New Year's dinner, dinner at the newest sushi place in NW OKC, one hour nap until 9:30 PM (we wouldn't have made it to see midnight if this hadn't have happened), watched TV until the ball dropped in Times Square, then toasted in the New Year with a glass of wine and a kiss. Pretty exciting for our first New Year's Eve as a married couple huh?

Although we didn't spend the night getting all dressed up and going out on the town, we were just where we wanted to be and that was with each other. It's funny how things change once you're married. (Although this isn't true for everyone) The things that were once so exciting are now not near as intriguing as spending the night in the comfort of your home, relaxing on the couch and enjoying being together. In the craziness of Wes's job and my school, relaxation together is hard to come by. So I try to soak in those special moments as much as I can.

Speaking of school...I start back to nursing school in two weeks. Yuck! I can't even begin to explain how wonderful it has been not having a ton of school and studying to worry about. Thanks to our break, I was able to get this blog started which is something I have wanted to do for a while but didn't have a whole lot of time to do so. As much as I am not ready to go back to class, I am excited that I am only 7 months away from graduation and 8 months from being a licensed RN! Wow! That is so crazy to think about. I never even intended on going back to school after my undergrad and now I have just about conquered nursing school in a short 14 months. I know I am doing what God has called me to do and that is such a peaceful feeling. I look forward to beginning a new career that will hopefully open up many doors of opportunity for Wes and I's future.

2010 will always be a great year for Wes and I. Wes landed a great job at the Post Office that has allowed him to support us financially while I am finishing school, I started nursing school, and more importantly, we were married November 13, 2010. God has been so good and so faithful to both of us throughout 2010. Although there were many challenging times for Wes and I, we have been able to stand strong in our faith in God and know He will continue to provide for us as long as we put our trust in Him.

Below this post you will find a YouTube video titled "My Help Comes From the Lord" by The Museum. The first time I heard this song on the radio, I was immediately touched by the words and began to worship God. The song talks about the promise we have as believers that we do not have to battle life alone. We have someone bigger than ourselves who can help us and lift us up when we need it the most. Even in the toughest times, we can have peace and be thankful for God's provision and blessing over our lives. Life is never free from struggle. But what a peace there is knowing we have a gracious God to go to for help.

I hope this song is a blessing and encouragement to you as much as it to me every time I hear it. God is good! And we are all blessed by the best! I am so anxious to see how God will continue to bless us in this upcoming year. From our family to yours...Happy New Year!!