Out of my hands

I just dropped off my nursing application at Calhoun. UAH's application was due last month and I should be hearing back from them soon. I really hope that I get into UAH's nursing program but I am not encouraged about it since they accept people who did all of their undergrad there over transfer students. I am really looking forward to knowing what's going to happen in the Fall. I am ready to get back to school. Actually, I am ready to be FINISHED with school. Ben and I were talking about my schooling the other day and we were thinking about what I would do if I did not get into either program. If I don't get in I'm pretty sure that would be a closed door on nursing all together. But like I said, it's out of my hands and I am so thankful for that. God knows exactly what school I will be going to, and exactly where I will be working afterwards. I should rest in that. Easier said than done for me sometimes. I will let you guys know when I hear something, good or bad.

I just read great news! Friends from church have their little girl! They have been in Ukraine going through the adoption process and now have a beautiful little girl named Sophie! PRAISE GOD for his faithfulness during this time of ups and downs for their family! Scott, Amy, and Noah-she's beautiful! We can't wait to be a part of her life!

On to sad news...our friend, Ben, from Florida passed away last night. This was expected, but it is still so hard for his friends and family. He had cystic fibrosis. I am so thankful to know that he is home right now and has been given a new body with perfect lungs. That picture makes me smile!

Ben has been in "class" this week. He is getting some of his licenses to sell more stuff. That's about as much info on what he's doing that you will get from me. I know no clue. If you are curious, ask him. That banking world is foreign to me.

Oh well

I can now go to bed. Memphis just lost. My bracket is shot. This probably means Ben gets to decide where we are going to eat out for date night. I hate losing, especially to my husband. At least I can now focus completely on the fact that baseball season starts in less than 2 weeks! GOOOO BRAVES!

MM bday

No we are not awkward, we were just leaving a space for Caylen. Happy bday MM, and that cake was AMAZING!

Good Day

Today was a much needed good day. I needed church, and the encouragement I receive every single week from my church family. I am so thankful for everyone there. After church we went to lunch with Ben's family, and then headed to my parent's house so I could give Jen a hug before she left me for Auburn. I'm definitely ready for her to be home for the summer. After we left my parent's we stopped by to see my grandparents at their assisted living facility. They moved in on Friday and it was encouraging to see them happy and settling in. Then we headed to Bridgestreet to spend some gift cards that Ben won from contests at work. I'm so glad that I tagged along, I got a free hat from Mountain High out of it! Isn't Ben sweet...? After that we came home and got some stuff done around the apt, and went outside to throw the frisbee around. I felt like I was back in Auburn. Made me miss friends and the time in my life that I could just go to the intramural fields and play whenever I wanted. I realize that makes me sound old and maybe a bit dramatic but you know what I am talking about. Good ol' college life. Now Ben is asleep and I should be, but I am distracted by Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel. Is it too late for me to change my major from nursing to...welll...whatever you major in to be able to study that?? I am in total awe of God's creation. How can you watch this show and not believe?

Like I said, this day was needed. I feel like a lot has been going on recently. Ben's medication made him feel REALLY sick so his doctor had him taking half a dose the last two weeks. It still made him sick but not nearly as bad as the first time. He goes back to taking the full dose on Friday, but we are hoping his body has had time to get used to the drug and he does not react to it as badly as the first time. A friend from work has a sister diagnosed with MS around the same time as Ben so we have been talking a lot. Last week her sister had an attack and was taken to the hospital because she could not walk. That scared me. Ben and I have the policy to only focus on the symptoms he has now because only God knows what will happen in the future with his MS, if anything. We have been good at sticking to that and not stressing about the "maybes" but when I heard about her sister I was upset. Also, a close family friend from Florida is back in the hospital and not doing well. He has cystic fibrosis and now has pneumonia and a collapsed lung. We were told that he may not leave the hospital this time. He is a few months younger than me and is so special to my family. He was especially close with my sister Jen. Please pray for him and his family (his name is Ben too).

Now it is way past my bedtime, and after seeing a screen with thousands of jellyfish on it I decided to stick to nursing. I'm looking forward to Mary Martha's birthday dinner tomorrow night and I might even take some pictures to put up. Speaking of Mary Martha, SHE GOT INTO COVENANT AND I AM SO EXCITED FOR HER! Road trip to St. Louis anyone?? Caylen-I will pick you up from the airport. In the fall, it's a date.

March Madness

I wasn't going to do it. I was going to let March Madness pass me by this year for the first time since the 8th grade. There isn't a pool to put my $5 in this year so I figured it would be a good time to give it up. Wellll....oops. I panicked and filled it out. I had not done any research so it will not be pretty. Now that I think about it, my bracket doesn't look good even when I do tons of research. I picked Memphis to win it all in honor of my Memphis friends. That being said, if you need me the next few weeks I either be working or watching basketball...

Ow.

Today I had the chance to see what my future weekends will look like when I have older children. Ben and I went to Birmingham for his lacrosse game at Spain Park. I love watching him coach. I felt like a mom in the bleachers, cheering for my team! Unfortunately while I was watching the game the sun decided to destroy my skin. I have not been in the sun in about 5 months so I completely underestimated how much sun I was getting. Thankfully I was wearing a tshirt so I now have AWESOME tshirt tan lines. And raccoon eyes. I would take a picture to show you how extreme this burn really is, but I wouldn't want to intimidate anyone with pictures of my muscles. Just trust me, I'm in pain.

We had such a fun weekend hanging out with friends! Oh, just in case you were thinking about going to see The Watchmen....DON'T. I'm just warning you because I care.

Prayer request

Hello friends! Ben and I are humbly asking for your prayers. Ben was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, or MS. It has been a long process of doctors, MRIs and all sorts of tests that started about 2 years ago. If you were like us and didn't know much about MS then check out this website... http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/DS00188

Of course this is not the news you want to hear as newlyweds, or ever for that matter, but we know that we have a powerful God who is in control and we rest in that. A verse that I repeat to myself often these days is Isaiah 46: 4 "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."

A few specific prayer requests...

-The medication that Ben will be taking is an injection. Ben does NOT like shots. Pray that it is painless as possible and that he does not pass out when I have to give him a shot!
-The medication has possible side effects that Ben does not have to deal with on a weekly basis.
-The "disease process" slows and the numbness in his legs goes away.


Thanks in advance for your prayers and support.

Job stuff

I just realized that I have not made it "blog official" so I wanted to share the news with all of you, I have a job! And even better news: I love it! I am working at First Baptist Preschool as a substitute teacher. At first I was worried that as a sub I would not get the hours I wanted/needed but I've been working every day since I started. Unfortunately that also means I have to be ready for 6:15am phone calls from someone who can't work because her child is sick. That happened this morning. Ben laughed at my attempt to sound like I was awake. Have I ever mentioned I hate mornings?