Awesome & Awkward

Awkward

• Setting the smoke alarm off in our apartment 2 nights in a row before work. Oops! 
• Feeling like I'm on reality tv with some of my patients these past few weeks. If only I could divulge more... Sure keeps things interesting. That's all I'm going to say. 
• A bold slew of birds (this one pictured above was part of the clan) who grabbed Andrew's sandwich out of his hands during our snowshoeing day. They were i.n.s.a.n.e. & had zero reservations. Ruthless. 
• The left over mashed potatoes that stayed in our fridge for one month too long... did that just make you gag, because I definitely did. 
• One of my patients interrupting "bedside RN to RN report" to ask how old I am. Rudely, might I add. That sure put me in a great mood at the start of a shift. Not.

Awesome

• Dance parties with Andrew... they make getting the house cleaned so much more fun
• Breakfast dates with sweet friends 
• Car shopping... except my eyes are bigger than our budget...
• Paying off my school loans!!! Feels so good! 
• Grapefruits.... I'm literally obsessed- Can't get enough. NINE for $3. Thanks Freddies. Yeah buddy.

Call me auntie...

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Great News to share... I'm going to be an AUNTIE! I simply cannot wait to meet my little nephew and furthermore can't wait to see my dear sister and brother-in-law become parents. Oh, how a babe will change their lives and oh, how they will be the perfect mom and dad for this little bundle of joy. I must admit that it has been difficult for me to keep quiet for so many months. So, thank you sis, for letting me publicly disclose my genuine excitement! Can't wait to meet you and spoil you with the countless onesies I may or may not have been stockpiling for future babies. Speaking of stockpiling onesies... I think I have a problem. Anyone else? Though, I'm kind of proud of myself for going 2 whole months with no baby purchases. Yeehaw...

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Dream home talk...

 We started talking about our dream house the other night. Dream home. Home. 

You'd think that I would be thrilled to have this conversation, and it was actually quite enjoyable to wish and dream about our future. However, it really got me thinking. It surfaced fears that I didn't know I had. You see, in my nearly 25 years of life, the longest I've lived in the same city is 7 years. Otherwise, I moved frequently due to either my father's work (growing up) or due to school and my job/Andrew's school. Furthermore, the next decade includes more frequent moves with the Air Force. Moving is all I've ever known. My life seems to cycle in 4 year stints. 4 years here, 4 there, 2 here, 2 there. I don't even know what it's like to live in 1 home, 1 town, 1 place for good. That concept is so foreign to me. 

Parts of it are exciting, other parts are scary. There's always been an "end in sight," a "light at the end of the tunnel." What does it look like to not have an end in sight. To be truly settled? Is it settled or stuck? Part of me loves the adventure of moving, discovering a new city, new people, a new set up. The other part of me hates the question, "where are you from?" It's never an easy answer.

 Each town, home, culture, neighborhood, has inspired me, taught me, widened my world view. It's made me who I am today. For each of those places and homes, I am thankful.

Being such a planner, I struggle with letting go. I have a hard time trusting that God will provide the perfect future for us. Honestly, it's ridiculous that I struggle with this. It's incredibly silly because God has done just that all of my 24+ years. He has provided time and time again. Abundantly so. I'm in awe with how perfectly he has provided for me. What makes me think that He won't continue? "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Mat. 6:26. 

Here I stand, a grateful heart. Humbled by my Father's love for me.

 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. Jer. 29:11

Thank you Lord for laying my fears to rest. For loving me regardless of my sometimes lack of faith. I look forward to our future and someday dream home. I look forward to being settled wherever You lead us.

Anyone else have similar struggles? 

Up hill both ways...

 A "day off" for both of us is rarely wasted. We do our best to take full advantage of such bonus days (like yesterday's MLK day). With beautiful weather in the forecast, we headed to the nearby, majestic Mt. Hood with my younger brother, Jensen; aka, Mountain Man. He came fully prepared with a pack full of gear to include a jet-boil. We had great intentions of making some hot cocoa as a mid-trail treat but instead made a stop at DQ on the way home for a refreshing sugar boost.

We chose to snowshoe a 5 mile lake loop and enjoyed our packed-sandwich-lunch part way through the hike. 

All in all, I'd say that my first time snowshoeing was a success; though I reached my limit of walking around mile 4... Okay more like 3. Three miles is plenty, people. Especially when there are hills involved. Besides, with the number of times I stop to take pics, the trek ends up taking far longer than it should. I know, I'm a wimp. Don't get me wrong, it was a great time. But, next time, I'm feeling the sledding/tubing hills! Less work, more reward. After all, screaming and adrenaline always equals more fun.

PS- My brother is so much fun. So glad he came along. Lots of laughter was much appreciated and much needed. He's a hoot.

 

We are walking over a frozen lake here.... Not gonna lie, I was very nervous!

 

Hope you had a great weekend! Thanks for reading! 

Pom

 I ate my first actual pomegranate the other night.  I know, I know... far over due. Eating one/cutting one is quite the process (we did it slightly wrong).

Anywho, the pom was thoroughly enjoyed as was the hour and a half it took to put together our new Ikea chair. Not. That's what husbands are good for right? Ikea is dangerous..... d.a.n.g.e.r.o.u.s.s.s.s.s.ssss... I always spend far too much. With only a couple of screws wonky, we're hoping the chair doesn't collapse. Time will tell.

In other news, during my "week" at work, I'm dead to the world. Gone. Absent. Forget about responding to emails, paying bills, oh please... getting any chores done? Psshhh. There are definite perks to working 12 hour shifts- and even more perks to being young enough to pull off working them all scrunched back to back and getting long stretches of days off- but there's no doubt a price to pay. And on that note, after a long night's work, I'm off to sleep!

Wait, I worked all night and I'm writing blog posts when I have to work again tonight? Does that mean this post contradicts everything I just said? Nope, it was a scheduled post written a few days ago. Fooled you :)

Do you work an 8-5 job? split shifts? night shifts? 10 hour shifts? 12 hour shifts? I always thought that grown-ups just worked 8-5 jobs because that is what I grew up knowing as a youngster. Little did I know the variety of occupations and schedules that a grown up could have & enjoy. I just didn't think that person "working night shift" would be me. Ever. But it is. And I love it.

Most of the time...

PS- I love my macro lens. We're besties.

Lots of little man Isaac

 

 This kid could not possibly get any cuter could he?!? Though he had a cold yesterday and was sneezy-snotty, he let me snap a few pics of him in the morning light. Isaac likes to sit near the window-door leading to our porch and watch the happenings of outside. It usually allows me a few minutes here and there to clean up or take a potty break when I'm babysitting him. The light hits him just right that it's hard to resist practicing some photography. I happened to have 2 white towels folded nearby from the laundry that worked as a great make-shift "studio set up." I could not get him to smile for the life of me. I think this was mostly because wasn't feeling too well. I also had to act quick and wasn't able to grab my best lens; but these will do!

He's going to be such a ladies man. Just check out them eye lashes.

Bonus to me babysitting = You get tons of pics of your kiddo! Good photography practice for me too!

"You talkin' to me???"

"Don't care; I'm over this picture-taking stuff...."

 "My reward was bath time!"

 "Now that's what I call fun! I even splashed all over you and your bathroom Mwahahahaa..."

Newborn Isaac

Baby Isaac

A bit older Isaac (after the oreo chewy bar recipe)

Outside to Inside

 Remember this little table friend of ours from Ikea? It spruced up our patio over the late spring and summer months and provided for some sweet sunset dinners with my man. Having a few extra folks over for a dinner party last month prompted me to find extra seating space, and voila!

I'm kind of in love with this little breakfast bistro space.. though I'll be honest. I've sat here once. 

Until the sun decides to shine again, it will likely stay and be home to the candle that provides the 'scent of the day.' I sure do love candles; but then again, who doesn't. In other news, Christmas is finally neatly packed away until next year. I'm looking forward to the mister coming home to a clean apartment and timing how long it takes him to realize that the Christmas decor has vanished.

 My next apartment project will be finding a headboard (I know, I know... we still don't have one) and working on our bedroom... it's a complete disaster. I contemplated DIYing a headboard, but without the space and tools to do it, I decided against it. Props to all of you wood/nail/hammer handy folks. Maybe someday I'll have the space/time/tools to be like you!