Quick Post..Please Pray!

Hi Everyone! I just received an email from the Pregnancy center that I work at concerning a call for prayer. Lately the center has been sending out emails to the employees with tid-bits about some of the women's stories and situations. I like getting these emails because I haven't worked there in a couple weeks and it keeps me in touch but this last email was pretty sad, however there is still time to pray for her!
This specific 16 year old girl that is 5 weeks along is very scared to tell her mom. She even has asked for information as far as contacting a judge so that she can bypass telling her parents when she gets an abortion.
A little background information, the state of Nebraska requires girls under the age of 18 to have their parents permission before getting an abortion at any clinic in Nebraska. This is an amazing law that I  believe every state should have however just with any law there are loopholes. If a teenager goes before a judge and justifies that it would be dangerous to her health to tell her parents (meaning she would get beaten or severely punished) the judge can waive her need to notify her parents. I think this would also be in the case where parents are unfit such as into drugs and alcohol but the teen would have to have some substantial evidence to back her up. 
As of now this scared young woman has an abortion scheduled for TOMORROW! So please please pray for her and let her know there are people that are willing to help her and that God has a plan for the precious being inside of her!!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

I thought it would be neat to text my mom and dad separately asking them 3 things that they thought attributed to a long and happy marriage. This way on their 50th Wedding Anniversary I can remind them of the advice they shared so long ago ;)

Mom said...

1) Make sure to have fun together. Have a date night once a week

2) Rember that you need to compromise

3) Of course the obvious..Praying & God has to be a big part of your life

Dad said...

1) Make your partner feel special as often as possible

2) Find ways to have fun being with each other

3) Forget about the notion you had of a perfect marriage, just work things out.

His fourth piece of advice was remember "the grass always SEEMS greener.."

I think these are great pieces of advice and I'm not surprised that both of them said to have fun together. They sure know how to do that! The above picture was taken in Okoboji where they like to attend concerts, water ski or chill at bar foot bar. Plus it is easy to have fun when your children get you tikets to Hawaii for your 25th Wedding Anniversary ;) haha. I love the way my parents show their affection for each other by doing sweet things. One year my dad surprised my mom by flying her to Chicago just for one night. He had a limo waiting there when they landed and had a whole evening planned! My mom is always doing little things for my dad and is constantly his "patience" when he can't find his own! I know these two would do anything for me and they know that the most important relationship in a family is the relationship between the mom and dad! They have given me a great example of what compromise, dedication and committment are!

TGIF

After a couple days of work I was ready to get back to my projects and have a little time to relax for a few days! I started off Friday by going to my Aunt's garage sale to hand out some business cards and do a little thrift shopping of my own! I ended up with quite the steals and can't wait to get started on refurbishing my new items! I will be sure to post the finished product of each item!

Favorite find! Large dresser with mirror for $60

Even with only 4 hours of sleep that day I surprisingly managed to get a 2 mile run in and completed this workout from IGE. I liked it because it is sort of the cross fit feel that I have been going for lately and it keeps you distracted by doing only 20 seconds to 30 seconds of the same workout at a time. But by the 30 seconds plank at the end, my arms were wobbly and my legs were shaking! 

I enjoyed a quiet evening with a few episodes of King of Queens and Friends with a few too many honey roasted peanuts while I chilled on the couch. I have to also say that it was my parent's 27th wedding anniversary on Friday and I'm so blessed to have them as an amazing example of what marriage is all about! Alex and I have grew up with great examples of love and I'm sure we will celebrate many more anniversaries with our parents :) 

Clockwise - 1) Okoboji 2011 2) 25th Anniversary Party 3) Kendra's Wedding 4) Party again 5) Packers Game 2011

Happy Friday!

Hey Everyone!
Just wanted to share some fun news..I am currently working on getting an ad made for my etsy shop and when I do I will be helping sponsor Hope Engaged which is an awesome and inspiring blog by Katie who documents her travels and faith in God. I'm really excited to get the ball rolling on advertisement for my shop! I am going to have a Morningside friend hopefully design an ad for me :)
Today after work I will be traveling to West Omaha where my Aunt Julie is having a garage sale. I am going to pack up all of my etsy shop items and business cards and set up a little table at her garage sale. My hope is that if people see my product in person they will really fall in love with it. Even though I will be pretty tired I always love garage sale seasons and might try to do my own browsing in her neighborhood. She lives in a very nice part of town so they always have decent stuff on sale ;) My goal is to find some thrift items to re-do and feature on my blog!
Another new tid-bit is about going back to school for my masters. I have been throwing around this idea for a few months now and have decided that right now with all the new endeavors in my life like my shop and working at the pregnancy center that I will hold off on grad school. Luckily grad school will always be there and they have not changed the requirements for Nurse Practitioners yet because they were going to make all future NP's get their doctorate (which is very silly)
I eventually want to become a nursing professor and teach at the Bachelors level. I really enjoy teaching (even though I haven't done much of it..haha) and would like to have my very own class of aspiring nurses. And then many years down the road I would really like to become a nurse practitioner in mental health so I can diagnose, treat and perscribe medications to people suffering from anxiety to bipolar disease. And of course I would like to get started on on at least my master's degree before a little Baby Williams arrives :)

Found this idea from The Sweet Season blog and have seen a lot of bloggers doing it so I thought I would give it a try.

 



 

Dear Summer Can you hurry up and get here already. I'm in the mood for hot&humid runs, mixed drinks by the pool, bronze skin and Okoboji trips. This rainy weather, although helpful when I need to sleep during the day, is way too depressing! Dear Husband Can I please see more of you! Sometimes I worry I will forget what your face even looks like. Seeing you for five minutes while you are waking up and I am heading off to bed after a long night at work is just not enough time together! I'm ready for a good 5 days in the black hills with my family so we can spend more time as a couple and not just roomates ;) Dear Theresa You work on the night shift with me and always make Folgers coffee right when I need a pick me up. And Folgers is just so much better than that Maxwell House coffee the hospital has. Thank you for making me a cup of joe to get me geared up for more charting! Dear Patients Please understand that it is nice to treat your nurses and care techs with respect and makes our lives that much easier. Also know that IV catheters and foley catheters come in sizes that WE choose and you can either get the big guage or the small one...the choice is yours ;) and 80 year old unsteady dementia patient - you scare the Shit out of me when you get out of bed by yourself and peek your curly haired head out the door! Get back into bed and don't try that crap again! Dear Etsy Shop congrats on your first sale from a complete stranger and good luck in futures orders!! Dear women of AAA I thank God over and over for bringing you to our center so that we can educate you on your pregnancy and hopefully pull at your heartstrings so that you choose life! Please be strong and know that many women are praying for you. Know that you have a safe haven at the center and that God has BIG plans for you and your precious baby Dear Blogworld Thanks for always giving me something to do during my slow night shifts and for inspiring me to add new things to my blog. Dear Tanzania I miss you...Oh boy do I miss you! My sister posted a picture of her time there with a sweet african girl and I want to go back to the land of Mt. Kilimingaro and spend time with your heartfelt people! I miss all the beautiful nature and the warm feelings in my heart that your country gave me! I will be back soon! Dear hot glue gun I promise I won't underestimate how hot your glue can get so that I don't end up with another burn blister on my finger..OUCH! I have a love hate relationship with you but I must say you do come in very handy. Dear Lord Thank you for this week and for all of its blessings. Thank you for #SRT and the lovely ladies that post daily on the devotionals there. Thank you for keeping my family safe and healthy and please continue to be with all the people affected by the Oklahoma tornados. I love you Lord and I pray that my life is lived as an example of how you love us!

~ Thankful Thursdays ~

Psalm 30:11-12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; That [my] soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.

I went to look up bible verses online that have to do with "thankfulness" and this one happened to be the first one that popped up. What a great reminder from God because Psalm 30:11-12 just so happens to be my confirmation verse :) Oh the little things! I can still remember flipping through my bible looking for a verse to have to commemorate my confirmation way back in my 8th grade. I wanted to find something that had to do with dance because it is so dear to me and I always thank God for my talent of being a dancer.

I wanted to write a short post of the things I'm thankful for Today. These are a list of both big and small blessings that make me want to shout to God how truly thankful I am for what He has given me right this moment in my life.

My Husband: As you can tell from my previous post we have a great relationship going on. And even on the hardest days of our marriage I am so very thankful that he is by my side. He is my encourager, protector, and best friend for life! He never lets me leave the house without saying "drive safe" and his hugs mean the world to me :)

Caribou Coffee: Since I have given up Starbucks for the month of June I have relied on brewing my coffee at home and I always choose Caribou. I got hooked on it while in Sioux City for college. I especially like the atmosphere in their coffee shops because it has a rustic cabin feel and am just sad there isn't one in Omaha...Who wants to open one up with me?!?!

My funny Patients: It never fails that I get a good laugh every shift at work. I like how my patients (usually) appreciate my humor and despite being ill they usually give me a few laughs. Sometimes they don't know (dementia patients) just how funny their comments really are. Today one of my patients' friends was talking about how the patient has to have catheters all the time in order to urinate. She said "And she can pee just like the big boys, even write her name in the snow!" Oh the funny image in my head!! Laughter really is the best medicine!

My Family: I know this seems like a given but I can't emphasize how much I adore my family and just how wonderful they are! My family is very close, I grew up on a farm and we always took a big family vacation every year which made for some interesting car rides. Each member of my family adds a perfect piece to the puzzle of my AMAZING family! My sister, who I am extremely proud of, had her first day at her Mayo internship and is also studying to be a nurse. My brother just graduated from high school with "high-achievement" and will go to ISU in the fall but more importantly he is a strong Christian guy that always makes me laugh! My mom is the sweetest person and even though she can have her "blonde moments" she really is one smart cookie! And my Dad is the Rock and Provider of the family. He works his farmer butt off so us kids can go to college but more importantly he has taught us values that you can't learn in any classroom. He raised us in a Christian family and has been my biggest supporter through every aspect of my life! (and even though I know he reads this blog I'm not just saying those things to get brownie points..haha)

Running: Whenever I go on a run I'm reminded that not everyone has the ability to run for miles and miles. There are people who don't have the money for tennis shoes or can't run because they have lost a limb. So I always try to run a few laps for them! God has given me this ability and even though sometimes I have a love-hate relationship with running I always feel great after my workout. I love that in the spring & summer I can multi-task by getting a tan and run in at the same time ;)

AAA CPC: I'm very thankful for my job at the pregnancy center and for the wonderful women I have met there! This job was just what I needed to fill some gaps in what I wanted as a nurse. I love that I can reach out to troubled women and have the best co-workers ever!

Kobe: I'm so thankful for this lil furball! He constantly makes me laugh by the way he plays fetch like a dog or goes spastic over birds outside. When I think about the horrible conditions he was in as a kitten I am so thankful that God crossed our paths and I was able to take him home and call him mine!

M&M's: Tonight at work I really wanted some chocolate so I went with good ol' M&M's and when I had my first taste of the yummy chocolates it instantly reminded me of times at my Great Grandma Marie's house. She always had a container of M&M's in her kitchen that was a go-to anytime we were there. It's funny how something as simple as the taste of that certain type of candy can send me back into the past! I still have memories of playing Chinese Checkers or taking a nap on her cough curled up in her afghan blankets. She was the sweetest most caring woman and you just felt better being in her company. I miss her a lot and like many Great Grandmothers she was the tie between two families that now rarely see eachother. We all adored holidays at Grandma Maries and she got such joy out of watching her grandchildren grow up!

Funny Moments from Our First Year {9 Months} of Marriage {Link Up}

Hello All!
 If your reading this from an area that does not have as beautiful weather as Omaha,NE today then I'm deeply sorry. I'm writing this post from my deck, basking in the spring breeze and watching Kobe Kitty swat at bugs! I've got coffee brewing (because it is morning for me) and my sister on my mind today because it is her first day at her Mayo Nursing Internship. Mayo is an amazing hospital that my sister has the wonderful opportunity of working/learning at this summer for 10 weeks! And even though I miss her very very much, I know this is a great step for her future career as a nurse {she does follow in some great footsteps} This week I will have 2 days off- 2 days on - then 2 days off again and I am kinda liking that schedule. It has given me time to post 5 new items to my shop!

But on to the Link Up! This comes from the new blog I follow Wifessionals and even though we haven't been married for a year yet, I thought I  would document some of our funny moments in our first 9 months. But first I wanted to give you a little background on our relationship if you don't know us that well. Alex and I met about 7 months after I had moved to Omaha. I was busy with my first nursing job at The Nebraska Medical Center on the night shift and pretty much just had time to sleep and go to the gym. Luckily (and I thank God all the time for this) I had chosen to become a member at 24 hour fitness instead of the YMCA. And 24 hour fitness does play a role in our relationship because we met at the gym at 2:00 AM! He was helping his friend Richard train for the marines and I had was just stretching following my workout. {I love telling this part of the story} He came up to me and said "Hey I was watching you workout and just wanted to say I think you are gorgeous" I was pretty dumbfounded and replied with "Even when I'm all sweaty??" Haha! But we struck up a conversation and the rest is history...Not a very long history mind you because that was in December 2010. By June 2011 we were engaged at Yellowstone National Park and Married at Heartland of America park in September 2012  :)

One of our Engagement Pictures in Grand Teton National Park

I think the funny moments in our relationship started right away from ordering pizza late at 1 AM on our wedding night to the crazy start to our Honeymoon. By my fault completely I thought I had reserved an All-Inclusive resort for our honeymoon. (Please use a travel agent folks!) I should have known by the price but I guess I was just so excited to book our honeymoon to Aruba that I brushed past that. Well as you can imagine I was very frustrated and in tears when we got there and found out our specific room was not part of  the all inclusive part of the resort. Alex tried to pick up my spirits and said "It's ok hunny we can just go to the grocery store and make our own meals, plus we don't drink that much to get our money's worth out of all-inclusive anyways" This is the part where I whine and exclaim "I don't want to COOK on my Honeymoon!!" After our first trip to the grocery store in Aruba we found out that things were pretty pricey and I was very frustrated and kicking myself, thinking that we would probably spend all of our wedding gift money just for food in Aruba for a week! But Alex's stomach had another plan. He was very hungry on our first night there and we decided to just go for a walk around our resort and maybe find a restaurant to eat at. His keen nose sniffed out some steak and seafood at a buffet on our resort. We walked in and Alex immediately grabbed a plate and said that we would probably just pay at our table afterwards. I was hesitant but all the food looked so good so we filled our plates and sat down. When we sat down I explained to Alex that I had noticed everyone was wearing green bracelets on their wrist. And I will never forget what he said "Hunny just hide one of your wrists under the table, this won't be very romantic but we are going to eat fast and get out of here!" Folks I don't condone our behavior and I don't want you to think of us as some Midwest cheap moochers but it was our Honeymoon.....and I did think we got the all inclusive.....and we were pretty hungry ;) We of course just ordered water (we didn't want to press our luck) hid our wrist under  the table and walked towards the dark shoreline with our bellies full!
I felt bad about it, and was like, ok we got one free meal now we will just explore restaurants for the rest of the trip but Alex was like "We could do this EVERY night!" with a big grin on his face. And yet again Alex's stomach won and I was a compliant wife. By our fourth night of mooching I was ordering wine and going back for seconds on dessert! Again I feel bad about this but if you tried their chicken nachos you would probably side with me ;)

My Hubby and the Beautiful Aruba Coastline

Shopping Downtown Aruba..Store named after me of course ;)

Squid Suctioned to Alex's Shoulder!! 

On the Snorkeling Catamaran cruise in Aruba 

Aruba was an amazing and exciting trip but that wasn't the end of our funny moments. I lot of our hilarious moments stem from being first time homeowners. Alex is not so handy and I am a DIY-er so I try to make everything "my little project". Which ends in many projects laying around the house, Alex frustrated and making fun of me for all my little messes and a LOT of help from friends and family to get our home in tip top shape. Just last month we were fighting over using the lawn mower! Alex was taking pride in the mower he bought and I was helping him bag the grass. Now I have mowed a lot of grass in my day (being a farm girl and all) and wanted to try my hand at mowing. I was watching Alex and starting to get bored so I motioned for him to hand over the mower and let me drive! He quickly replied "I want to do the first mowing!" Oh Brother!!! After convincing him to let me try I was mowing but not to his standards I guess because he said I looked like a Grandma driving it! I'm use to a riding lawn mower not this dinky lil push mowers!

Our First Home!!

 The second topic that always stirs up some hilarious comments have to do with our cat Kobe. He is always doing something that irritates Alex but those same things I just find are adorable :) From the way Kobe cuddles with us to me telling Alex I was going to start toilet training him...Kobe adds a lot of enjoyment to our (mostly my) lives. 

Snaggle Tooth!

Bring on the many many more funny moments in our marriage! Things that I am more likely to find much more funny than Alex ;) Hope you Enjoyed and Have a blessed rest of the day! I'm off to catch in a quick run before work!

Not So Manic Monday

Hey Everyone! Wanted to share with you a little bit about my day. I am excited to announce that I received my first sale from a stranger for my Etsy Shop! This makes the shop seem very real and she even bought 2 items. She did purchase my favorite item which makes me a little sad that it has to leave my home but I will get over it ;)
 I ended up having to go into work last night because they were getting a lot of admits so I worked from Midnight - 0700 and slept the rest of the day. I got up for a zumba class at 24 hour fitness and then went for a nice little run on Keystone trail which is right next to 24 hour. Then I stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up some random things.  Oh how I kick myself every time I go to Wal-Mart in my gym clothes. Today I happened to be wearing my spandex leggings and got a disgusting comment from a man that was following me in the shopping aisle. {Shutter...} I hate that feeling and I really wanted to turn around and say "EXCUSE ME?!!?" with a sassy attitude but I refrained and just quickly turned my shopping cart down another aisle. But anyways, I picked up some supplies for some craft projects since I will probably be staying up most of the night. When I came home Alex and Zach were watching the NBA game and I started looking at random blogs.
I came across a really neat one through Blogs by Christian Women. This woman's name is Cassie and she is from Arizona. She recently wrote about some controversial things in the christian community and this post I thought was AMAZING! She explains her frustration about how the Christian community sometimes (lots of times) shuns homosexuals from the church. I have always been angered by this too because the Church is about spreading the word, gaining members and loving others the way Christ loved us but when it comes to homosexuals they do the opposite. Some churches even have courses you can take to become "un-gay" ...like it is a choice or something?! My opinion is that you are born gay, you don't have a choice in the matter and you fall in love with a person not a gender! But that is just my opinion and I sometimes struggle with explaining that to people because it is such a hot topic. I'm open to others' opinions but I am NOT open to treating others badly because they are different than you!
{stepping off soap box}
That pretty much wraps up my day and I hope your Monday wasn't very Manic ;)