Christmas break

This break has been amazing. I love family road trips. And not that anybody actually reads this blog, but here are some pictures to sum up what has happened so far:


lots of Cracker Barrels


lots of driving


lots of beautiful scenery


farm life


quilts


Bethel


Uncle Jim


Christmas Eve pj's


lots of family time


snow!

We're leaving my Grandpa's house tomorrow to head to Nashville for a few days. So I'm sure there are more fun adventures to come!

done!

Bring on Christmas break because I am officially done with this semester!! And I could not be happier about it! This semester has been so good, but it has also been challenging. And now, I get to celebrate the fact that I have officially made it halfway through nursing school! Hallelujah!

I can't express how excited I am that I have two whole weeks to hang out with my family, visit extended family, read books and watch movies, and most importantly, to have two whole weeks of not having to think about nursing school!

Christmas break...here I come!! :)

countdown...

the countdown to Christmas break has officially begun! Actually, I began counting down a long time ago, but I'm happy to say that we are now into the single digits. Hallelujah. This semester's work has been kicking my booty, but I think I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

5 days and makeup clinical work, one last clinical day, 3 finals, and 3 Christmas parties stand between me and Christmas break! It's time to find some motivation and conquer this semester! :)

thankfulness

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." -G.K. Chesterton

Top ten things I'm grateful for in this Thanksgiving season:

1. grace and mercy. I am so incredibly grateful that the Lord has redeemed me from the pit of my sin.

2. my family. I'm thankful for two parents who love the Lord and love each other. I'm thankful for my younger brother and his example of perseverance.

3. my friends. God has given me some good ones :) I'm so grateful for friends who both encourage and challenge me.

4. my church. I am so blessed to have been raised in a church that is founded on the Word. I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to be surrounded by people who deeply love the Lord.

5. the UP Women RA staff. These girls have been such an amazing blessing to me. I have found some very dear friendships in those girls.

6. CBU. The Lord knew what He was doing when He sent me to CBU. It has been the perfect school for me. I'm also grateful for the nursing program. Although, many days I'm not sure why I'm in nursing school, I'm grateful for the opportunity to be in a program when the field is so competitive. And I'm confident that the nursing program at CBU is exactly where God wants me to be :)

7. my roommates. This year has been so much fun. Paco, Whitters, and Shelbs keep me sane. They always make me laugh and encourage me on my difficult days. I'm so very thankful for an apartment that's drama-free and so much fun to live in!

8. the opportunity to be an RA. It's an incredible opportunity that a lot of people want to have. It's been an awesome experience that continues to grow me as a person.

9. the ISP program. I am beyond grateful that the Lord has used this program to completely change my life. This program is the program that sent me to Africa, not once but twice. The Lord used Africa to completely rock my world and broaden my view of the world and of God. And this summer, this program is giving me the opportunity to go to South Asia :)

10. my freedom. I am eternally grateful for the people who fight to keep me free everyday.

11. Bonus! I am thankful that this break gave me a chance to breathe. This semester has been (and will continue to be) pretty overwhelming. This break gave the chance to sleep and spend time with family. I got to visit the Sagers! I got to sit and do nothing but hold a baby for a few days and it was glorious.

Thank you Jesus for everything you have given to me!

And now...it's time to tackle the homework that I've been putting off all week :)

today

is a sweatpants and sweatshirt, peppermint mocha, stay inside, homework, Pride and Prejudice kind of day. And even though I had a rough morning...maybe this kind of day is exactly what I needed :)

this girl

got MARRIED today!! I have been so blessed by Kristin's friendship. She and I met while serving as RAs in the freshman dorm during my sophomore year. We quickly became friends and Disneyland buddies. Kristin is an amazing woman of the Lord. She has been such an encouragement to me these past couple of years and I am blessed to call her one of my closest friends. And today, I was blessed to watch as she and Chris started their new life together. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful celebration of Chris and Kristin :)

family

This is my family.


We take awkward family photos. (And yes, I'm great at being awkward.)


We have family fiestas.

This has been a rough week (more on that later). But, this week is TWIRP week at CBU, so the girls of the family threw a fiesta for the guys. And I must say, it was exactly what I needed. So all of this is to say, I'm thankful for my family who picks me up when I'm having a rough week :)