an overdue thank you

Well, a crazy thing has happened, I realized that I know nothing and God knows everything.

The blatantly obvious truth of that statement is easy to dismiss when you are just saying it,...or reading it. Of course that's true! But sometimes when you are living it, the truth in that statement isn't as obvious. I had a plan, and as I am always learning, God doesn't feel confined by my plan for my life. I think sometimes He humors me by letting me think I know what is going on, but in reality I don't.

Anyway, I have realized that I thought I wanted one thing...a job in a design studio then maybe one day I would have my own design business. I thought that was what I was waiting for, a job to open up. But turns out, God has had me where He wanted me all along...and now I am starting to see that it is a much better place for me than the one I thought I wanted.

I've been so blessed. I fell into doing freelance,...not really thinking much of it. And suddenly, I'm busy with work. It seems the moment I finish a project and start thinking "ok, well,...what now?" something else comes along. I realize this could sound like I am "tooting my own horn" but I am not...I am just so thankful.

"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

Even when I am unaware of it, God is always looking out for me. He leads me to where I need to be. When I am earnestly following Him, He guilds my path even when it doesn't seem to make sense.

"I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.

My soul will boast in the LORD;

let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Glorify the LORD with me;

let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears."

Psalms 34:1-4

Often these days, our lifestyle is on a day-to-day basis, which if you know me, you know I like to have plans. But, I have been learning, in real-life experience, to trust the Lord...and He has never failed me.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday! This is a particularly special friday because it is the END OF TEST BLOCK!!! The end of test block is simply the best time ever! I get to be with Jeffrey and whatever we do, if it is something or nothing, we just do it together and it is perfectly fabulous! I don't know about you, but for me it has been a loooong week.

Isn't Jeff just the prettiest when he is sleeping!?! I don't know if he minds that I took this picture (on a trip years ago) or if he minds that I posted it. But he is just so beautiful, I had to share. Isn't he the cutest! I foresee a lot of sleep happening over the next few days and better yet, lots and lots of cuddling!

It is only hours away and I simply can't wait!!!

Easter!

Sadly, this was a very weird Easter. Due to the awful demands of test block, Jeffrey was unable to attend Easter festivities with my family or his. He went to church in the morning then after that the poor dear was home alone studying while I was having fun with our families. It was so weird to not have Jeff there. I really missed him. My nephew, Smith, loves Jeff and I mean absolutely loves him! I had to stop saying Jeff's name entirely because anytime I said "Jeff" Smith would start freaking out and go "Jeff? Jeff? JEFF!!!" and look so sad. That is how I felt too, but he is two, so it is ok for him to say that out loud.

But I kept coming home and checking on him and telling him all that he missed. I made him food to have at his disposal. Both of our families were happy to send food home to him as well. (Which is great because he eats us out of house and home while he is studying for test block...but right now my frig is full of leftovers and it is great!)

I even made Jeff an Easter egg hunt in our living room. I figured if he couldn't come celebrate Easter with our families, I would bring the festivities to him. So, I made him search for eggs as a study break. I know he didn't want to do it and thought it was silly, but he graciously humored me (and I think he kinda had fun too!) Each egg had a special message in it. The last one had a clue to an Easter surprise!

Oh I can't wait til test block is over!!! It is absolutely the best we just spend much needed time together...sleeping, eating, talking, and a lot of sleeping! It is great! The whole time leading up to test block when I barely see him, barely talk to him, sleep by myself, eat by my self, and don't have someone to tell all my stories to I am reminded just how much I love him and how much I miss him. The great part is I get this reminder without actually having to loose him. And then one day, all his tests are over and it is like Christmas morning!!!! I get my Jeffrey!

picking colors

I have blogged before about our second living room with the lime green carpet. Well, I am soon-to-be renovating that room and...I am thinking about doing the walls purple. So the room would look kinda like this picture. It would be one of the 3 rooms that I used a non-white color in. I don't know. I am still thinking; but I think it would be fun. Maybe even with a subtle pattern or design in the paint job (i.e. matte/gloss design, or hue/tint design). Who knows, however, I have picked out the color scheme for that room and I am excited about it! It (well, the plan for it) is the only room that will embrace mine and Jeff's funky, fun, bright, cheery styles. This may very well be my favorite room of the house when we are all done!!

ALSO, what do you think of this chair? I haven't decided. For now, I just say "...interesting."

ice cream, oh my!

Well,...today we made magic in the kitchen. (And no, I was not being dirty for you dirty minds out there). We created a new ice cream delicacy, that was healthy, fat-free, sugar-free, and tasted sinful. Believe me, you wish you had something that tastes this good in your mouth. WOW!

Anyway, let me just say, we both had the hardest time not eating the whole batch (I had to keep saying "but don't you want to save some so we can have something that tastes this good tomorrow")...we almost ate it anyway. Oh,...it was cookies and cream by the way...YUMMY-in-my-tummy!!!!!!

What a Merry Christmas!

Ok, well it is time to finally get back into the swing of things.

To catch you up, we had a truly wonderful Christmas! AND for our first married Christmas, we had a perfect, beautiful, white, snowing Christmas. I have never seen this much snow in Oklahoma in my life. And oh, cuddling up by the fireplace with Jeffrey made it the absolute best!

Isn't our little home absolutely precious!?!

year-in-review

Well, it is that time...to reminisce and think of the future.

We have had simply the BEST year. I can't tell you how perfect it has been...it sounds like a fairytale. Jeffrey and I have been so blessed!

First, I finished my last semester of college! CRAZY!!! I graduated May 16th, and we were married one week later...it was a whirlwind of a May.

May 23rd was simply the best day! Everything was PERFECT, absolutely perfect (and the things that weren't just made our day more unique and special). I married my BEST friend and I could not contain my joy at doing so...I ruined all my pictures by smiling too much, but that is ok, we were happy. (He was SOOOO cute too!) I couldn't wait to see him/talk to him...I missed him so much, which is silly because I was only away from him for a day. But the moment I saw him....OHHH, I was so excited! Let me tell you about the butterflies...all I can say is we are lucky I didn't skip all the way down the aisle. I haven't seen the video yet, but apparently my "I do's" were funny. Our minister almost forgot to have him kiss the bride, but after my sister, Jeff AND the entire audience tried to "whisper" it to him, he finally realized his error. And oh, what a good kiss! I thought I would plan how we would kiss and I forgot to until right before. But it was perfect. And he was perfect in every way! Then we had a perfect reception and we were off for a perfect night in the Presidential Suite of the Sheridan downtown, and then back to OUR NEW HOME to hide away a pretend we knew no one around. What a glorious week!

After that, we were blessed to go to Italy for over 2 weeks!!! This was our absolute DREAM, I never thought it would happen, but last minute (I mean, two days before we left the country) we got a great deal, grabbed our bags, and were off. We didn't have any time to properly plan a trip, so we winged it and it could not have been more perfect! I will always look back on that time with the very highest of affection. Oh my goodness! I can't even begin to explain the utter joy and amazement... We spent HOURS in museums...we both love ancient culture, and both took two years of Latin. Jeff is so into history, geography, and art. I took lots of "classics" courses, got a minor in art history, and was a fine arts major. All of these reached their zenith in Italy, so...needless to say we were having the best time of our lives. I came back inspired, exhausted, and sore in ways that I didn't even know was possible, but I wasn't going to waste one second of valuable time...and I wouldn't change any of it! It truly was the trip of a lifetime! It would take me days to even describe all the wonderful, amazing things we saw and did...I can't even pick just a few things to highlight. AMAZING!

We wound up having a honeymoon summer. We got our week staying in together, then our time in Italy, then the full month it took us to recover, and the rest of the summer we just spent together being sublimely happy! We will probably never get to do that again, but we sure did make the very most of it. He is my best friend and I love him with all my heart. So, you can only imagine how wonderful everything was.

Sadly, this bliss had to come to an end...well, not an end. We started another chapter. And that chapter is a continuation of all our joy, love, and growth. Jeff started med school at OU. It was certainly an adjustment; and we don't really know where our lives are going, but as long as they go together anything will be simply wonderful. I can see God directing our lives. I know He has a wonderful plan for us and I can't wait to see what it is.

Jeff is doing tremendously in school. He has started shadowing some doctors, doing rotations, and he dissected a human body. I really freaked Caleb, his 11 year old cousin, out when I told him about it at Christmas. That was funny. Jeff has a natural gift for working with patients and good bedside manner. He often does whatever examination he has recently learned on me. We practice doing patient history and background...he says I am a terrible patient! :) Oh well, I try. Jeff played intramural football as quarterback for his team. And now he is gearing up to play intramural basketball, he is the captain. We have made so many lovely friends in med school. We often have small med school parties at our house and I do things for Jeff's mod, like plan birthday parties, make goodies,...that sort of thing. I enjoy doing it, I finally have someone to make desserts for. You know, I love making them, hate eating them, and Jeff eats healthy, so of course he doesn't eat them either.

I have been keeping myself busy while Jeff is at school/studying with renovating our home, cleaning, organizing, and mostly with design. I have been working as a freelance designer, which though that wasn't what I had originally intended on doing, it has been quite nice to have a flexible lifestyle. So, in the precious little time Jeff has to sit, eat, rest, and enjoy things I can be there with him. I am also on the executive board for the Medical Student Spouse Alliance, which has introduced me to many new friends. And, we are still the sunday school teachers for our youth group. I really enjoy that time.

It took a little while to adjust to our new med-school lifestyle, but we have finally gotten into the swing of things...let me tell you though, I was certainly looking forward to Christmas break, and of course, the night of his last exam, I got really sick...perfect! Yeah, I was so mad at myself, but we still had the best time--full of sleep, cuddling, watching movies, going on dates, and doing a ton of other things that time wouldn't amply allow during school. At first, our "over Christmas break, we'll do..." list was full of things we needed to get done (i.e. fixing the house, painting, finishing the bathroom....) but as time progressed, those things were shoved aside for fun things, like just being together.

Now we are having to go back to the non-routine med-school routine, but now we, or at least I am more prepared for what is in store. I can't wait for the next break. I am selfish, but I just want to spend every moment with him. I am hopeful for all that our future holds and enjoying the ride in the meantime.

I will never have any right to complain for I have been far too blessed. (don't worry, I am very thankful) I have constantly been saying, "Oh, look our first..." fill in the blank, engaged Easter, married OU/TX game, married OU home game, married fall stroll in Norman, married Christmas, time to grill on our new wedding grill...I hope we never run out of "firsts"! It has been 7+ years so far, and I think we never will. I celebrate the little things, and let me tell you, it makes life so much more fun! I look forward to all our firsts and the continuation of all our long-standing traditions.

Best to you and yours in this new year!!!!

holiday baking!

This weekend I went to the baking extravaganza with the med school wives. We had a lot of fun! And we made so much food - mint brownies, peanut butter balls, gingerbread cookies, sugar cookies, hot chocolate, wassle, toffee, peanut brittle, chocolate candies...oh my goodness, I can't even remember what else! (above: Logan, Stacy, Rebecca, Aubrae, Callie, me, Darcie, Misty, & Beka)

(the "sig. others" from Jeff's mod: Callie, me, Misty, & Darcie)

living Christmas tree

My parents were in the First Baptist Church of Moore Christmas pageant this weekend. My dad was the lead role and my mom was in the living Christmas tree. They had an incredible light show and it was quite fun. Jeff had to stay home and study...such is life these days.

ornament exchange

Thursday, I went to the ornament exchange with the med-school and resident wives. It was a lot of fun and after a game of dirty santa, and having my ornament stolen a few times, I came home with the cutest ornaments. (above is a picture of the med-school wives that came: Jenny, Rebecca, Logan, Stacy, & me)