What's New?

Since we have moved to Wooster, our lives have settled down quite a bit compared to what they were six months ago.  However,  I want to give you an update on what has been going on with us!  

Night shift. . .Woof.  

As many of you know, I started working night shift in November.  I knew that it would be difficult, but I didn't know how difficult it would be.  The the past two months I have tried to switch back and forth with my sleeping schedule.  After I work, I sleep during the day, however, when I am off, I have attempted to sleep at night with Alex.  Well, after two months of not sleeping well and feeling terrible, that ended up not being a good idea.  Lack of sleep  = grumpy wife = not nice wife = apologizing to Alex. . .many times.  Fail.

I have attempted to switch to a different shift multiple times, but so far it's just not working out!  And there is a reason, I know there is.  I love my night shift co-workers.  We work well together as a team and they are more than willing to help out a newbie.  Since I have been unable to switch off of night shift, Alex and I decided that it would be best for me to stay on a night shift schedule at all times.  Therefore, I try to stay up until at least three so that I can sleep better and feel rested.  So far, this week has been going well!  

Becoming a one car family! 

Driving a five speed might become the death of me. . .Really.  However, it must be done.   We can both walk to work, so it makes sense for us to share.  If Mere and Jon can do it in Boston, we can do it in Wooster!  With this money we will pay off the rest of my student loans (yayy!!!) and then continue with Alex's and get rid of them asap!  

p.s. if you know of any one that would like a 2002 Toyota Corolla V6 with 112,000 miles on it, let me know.  I have the hook up.  New tires, breaks, and serpentine belt since the summer.  

Pelotonia

Alex and I officially registered for Pelotonia!  I am pumped.  This is a grass roots bike ride that will help raise money for cancer research.  Our goal is to ride 155-180 miles this year and raise a total of $4,400.  I am seeing too many people suffer from this disease and my heart breaks for these people.  If you want to donate, go to www.pelotonia.org and search OW0002 or AW0022.  

Wooster Church

The Lord has blessed us with the Wooster Church of the Nazarene.  We have begun to root ourselves in this church and I am thankful.  The community we have found has been wonderful and we have developed life long friends within just a few short months of living here.  We also have committed to serving in the children's ministry (the one year old room) so I can get a kid fix every now and then.  These kids are adorable and surprisingly independent!  I cuddled with one of them for about ten minutes in the rocking chair just because I he wanted to.  I am thankful for Joel and Lisa, the young adult pastor and his wife, who have poured into us and cared so well for us.   And lastly, we are in a small group every Wednesday night with other married couples and families.  They are such wise people!  

That is all for now!  This was my favorite verse of the week from the book of James.  It hit home to my heart and was an encouragement:  

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 

Encouragement from the Village Church...What is God doing now?

        Lately, I have caught myself focusing on my relationship with Jesus while I was in college.   It was different.  It feels like it was deeper and different then.  I could literally see more fruit from my life and more growth.  And at times I crave that.  I crave the deepness that I had with the Lord.  I crave seeing fruit like I did when I was leading Young Life.  But currently, the Lord has us in a different place in life.  However, I trust that this is where the Lord has us in life right now.  I don't feel called to lead and I don't feel called to a certain ministry right now.  I feel called to just be.  


        When we first moved, I felt that the Lord just wanted me to be with him.  And I will.  I pray that this would be a season of growth.  I pray that while the Lord has us here, that we would understand the Lord's holiness and righteousness.  I continue to struggle with what that looks like.  But I want to know.  I want to know what it looks like to fear the Lord and what it looks like to give my whole life to him.  


           To me this is a scary thought.  But I want to understand just a glimpse of his holiness and depth of Jesus.  I know that I am only scratching the surface of who Jesus is.
  
           So no matter where God has us right now, I am learning that it is good.  We cannot keep looking back.  We need to look at what God is doing right now.  And what he is doing is for His glory and goodness.  He is running this race with his.  

I am thankful that the Lord is. . .

-strengthening Alex and I as a married couple

-providing fellowship for us

-providing mentors for us who are digging deep into our lives

-sticking with us when we are disobedient

-leading us to a place where he will be glorified

"Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"

Your face, Lord, I will seek."

Psalm 27:7-8

A Year In Review!

What a crazy and busy year we had for 2011!  We traveled (who knows how many times), there were a couple of additions added to our family (Nugget and Jens!), attended 7 weddings, bought a house, Wooster became our new hometown, I became an ER nurse, and we celebrated our first year of marriage!

Here are some great pictures from the year.  The first couple of months, we were getting settled with married life, so nothing exciting happened.  With that being said, we will start in March!

March: Headed to New Hampshire to surprise Meredith for her baby shower!!  It is wonderful to have a sister and I am thankful to have her in my life.  She is such a beautiful woman. The surprise crew:  Sandy Bolster, Julia, Kathy and myself!

My surprise birthday trip was in April!!  Alex surprised me with a fun trip to North Carolina to go see Cirque Du Soleil.  This was also when I bought my amazing bike!  These shoes make me official.  

May:  Happy Mamma's Day!!  Yes, my mamma and I were matching that day, not planned. For Alex's birthday we went to New Hampshire to see the baby for the first time!!  She is such a cutie.  

Alex continues to claim to be Nugget's favorite Uncle.  He is a very proud Uncle :)  

June was a big month for us!  We found our first home, attended the Neike wedding, and started training for Pelotonia!!  

July 4th weekend on the boat!  Steve and Shana came up to the boat with us.  It was such a wonderful and relaxing weekend with friends and family.  

August was another busy, busy month.  I was a part of the Schellhause wedding, we went to our cousin's wedding, closed on our house, bought a puppy, and participated on a 102 mile bike ride in one day to help raise money for cancer research in Pelotonia.  

September and October were filled with nothing but working on the house.  That might have to be another blog in itself :)  November was a fun month of family.  We had an impromptu family reunion!  We had family come from Colorado, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and South Carolina.  There were a total of 24 people for Thanksgiving!  Here is the crew:

December was Christmas in New Hampshire! A couple of co workers switched their schedule with me so that we could enjoy a full seven days with family.    Nugget has grown so much and has a lot of personality!  Alex's grammy and grampy also came up from Florida for the week and it was joy to see them!    

Here's to 2012!  There will probably be just as much traveling, but we are staying put in Wooster :)  The Lord has been so good to us.   I pray for a healthy year where we grow deeper in Jesus.