Labor Day Weekend, a taste of the Blue Ridge.

So, as you all probably know, the Appalachian Trail begins (or ends, if you rather) at Springer Mountain, in Georgia. This area is known as the "Georgia Blue Ridge". All you Virginians out there, don't be offended, we all know where the REAL Blue Ridge is...

However, seeing an opportunity to check this out over the long holiday weekend, Karsten and I and some friends of ours set out to camp in the Georgia Blue Ridge...

Toccoa River~ Reminded us a lot of Goshen, Virginia

We camped out at the Toccoa River Campground. Enjoyed swimming in the Toccoa River, hiking a trail with waterfalls, and exploring historic downtown Blue Ridge. But our trip was cut a little short by the tropical depression that dumped a ton of rain on us. We stayed dry with a tarp that covered our entire campsite.

 

The campsite, complete with the hammock, and classic Subaru outback :)

The guys enjoying some pipe smoking, and coffee. 

On the trail with Abigail

Remembering God's Faithfulness

God is faithful, in the biggest and smallest things.
Today I am remembering God's faithfulness to me over the past year.
Karsten and I have been living in South Georgia for the past 13 months. When we got here last July, we had only 6 weeks together before he started the Pipeline. I was in a new place--a place I'd never even heard of or seen on the map before I found out I was moving here. I was newly married, new to the military life, and my husband was about to leave me. I didn't know anyone. I didn't have a job.
It was a little scary, but I was able to remind myself that God is faithful, and he would take care of me. One of the ways He did that was by providing me with a job:

On this day one year ago I interviewed for an RN position in the busiest Emergency Department in a 2 hour radius. I basically had no experience--up to this point my life had been full of volunteer jobs and waitressing experience.
They offered me a 3pm-3am shift. I didn't want to work night shift and potentially ruin my chances of meeting people outside of work, of being involved in a church or Bible study. I didn't want to isolate myself even more...so I turned down my only offer. But then, only 2 hours after that phone call, I got another call, and another offer. The 11am-11pm shift. I couldn't believe I not only got another chance, but a perfect shift!
I've been working just shy of a year in the ER. It has been the most challenging and most rewarding job I have ever had. In the past year I got certified as a Trauma Nurse, as well as in pediatric and adult advanced life support.
It was great for me to have something to keep me busy with my husband gone 8 out of the past 12 months, but on the flip side I have seen a lot of tragic things: a 15 year old girl killed in a 4-wheeling accident. A 4 year old boy accidentally shot in the foot by his brother, a 50-something man with severe PTSD after serving in the Gulf War. I helped pregnant teenagers, rape victims, chronic alcoholics, drug abusers, infants with pneumonia, heart attack and stroke victims...it was tough. But it is exactly where I wanted to be.
I  am so thankful for God's faithfulness! Not only in providing me with a job that challenges and excites me, but allowing me to have an impact, if even in a small way, on so many people's lives.

My last day of work was on Monday. In a couple of weeks I will move out to Albuquerque, NM with Karsten and start new--at least for 6 months. I hate to leave work, but I am excited to have a fresh opportunity to learn and to serve. I am excited to see what new doors will be opened to me. I know God will be faithful, no matter where He leads me. He has plans for me, and He will carry them to completion as long as I am a willing follower.
That is what I long to be.

Life at Moody

So, I realize that I kind of fell off the face of the earth for the past few months. But, I'm back!
SO much has happened since April and my last post.
I got married. Moved to Montgomery Georgia. Met lots of great Air Force friends there. Moved to Valdosta Georiga, where we are now stationed for the next several years. Karsten and I had about a month together to get settled into our new house--see Facebook for pictures, and I'll try and post some more on here soon.
Karsten is now in Texas for the next 2 months for his first training school in the Combat Rescue Pipeline (called Indoc) If you're interested in what it is like, watch "Surviving the Cut" on Discovery 10pm Wednesday nights.

Oh there is so much to say, but I should really just post pictures and tell our stories that way.

I'm thankful for:
~Christian wives in Karsten's unit !
~A job in the ER starting in October
~Going home to Virginia in under a week
~Supportive family and friends, and prayers for me and Karsten during this time
~A great home!

Moody here we come

We just got official orders today for Moody Air Force base! I'm so glad to finally have something on paper--and just 3 weeks off from the wedding!
We'll be reporting June 7th, so that gives us an extra week after we're married to pack and get down there.

Moody is in south Georgia, near Valdosta. I'm excited to be going somewhere warm and not terribly far from home.

The military is all new to me, so anyone out there with advice for newcomers, military wives, etc. it is always welcome!

A lot of change is happening at once, but I'm ready for the adventure to begin and am going to take on these challenges with God's strength! (Philippians 4:13)

~

Quality Time

I realize that I am a terrible blogger. Or, perhaps it is because I am getting married in a month, and have been keeping so busy with wedding plans on top of work and spending time with my future husband!

One thing Karsten and I learned in one of our marriage counseling sessions with our Pastor is that our primary love language (same for both of us!) is Quality Time. Which means, whenever we are given the chance to spend time together--we need to take it. It also means that we have to fight for this quality time when it is in short supply. Sometimes all that we are able to do is have a nightly phone call. Most of the time we spend about 30 minutes talking to each other on the phone, but we have to fight to make sure that is actually quality time, and not just talking about wedding plans or logistics--it is easy to spend 30 minutes talking logistics and not getting into deep, intimate, relationship-strengthening conversation.

So, with this new found knowledge of how one of the main ways we express love to each other, Karsten and I have since made it a point to have dates. Our first "date" was a couple weekends ago. We went down to Maymont Park in Richmond and played Frisbee, walked around the gardens, and sat on the edge of a pond and people watched. After that we went to Carytown and shared some Sushi. It was awesome taking this time to do something special with Karsten, and get away from the business of life. I love that we can be happy together doing most anything--whether it is a high-energy activity, sitting in a park watching people, or enjoying a meal together. Karsten is undoubtedly my best friend, and the best friend I've ever had.

This past weekend went out and hiked together on the Appalachian trail. We hiked over 26 miles. It was awesome. I love that we love doing the same types of things! It was probably the most fun I've had with him in a long time. I can't wait for the next adventure we will have together, and a life full of fun trips and memories. I realize that it will take an extra effort on our part, because we will be away from each other so much with his job in the Air Force (especially in the first 2 years) but, I think it will make all the time we do have together all the more special.

One year ago...

Today Karsten and I have known each other 1 year.

We met last March 1st on a very cold snow day and headed up to Massanutten with some friends for some skiing/snowboarding.
Neither of us could ever have imagined that this is where we would be just one year later...

About to be married!


Karsten has gone from being an acquaintance, to a cycling buddy, a good friend, boyfriend, and now the man I love and will spend my life with! God has been at work all this time in incredible ways. The adventure has already begun, and I can't wait to see more of how it will unfold in the years to come!

Engaged!

Saturday morning started off dark and early. Karsten woke me up at 5:45 to try and catch the sunrise. We drove up to the Blue Ridge parkway only to that it was closed due to the lingering mounds of snow. It was also a very cold morning and the sky was overcast, no sunrise to be seen. We walked from the car over to a stone bridge and sat on a blanket to try and catch a good view. We took some pictures to document our time, and then hurried on to the next stop on our winter morning adventure.

Next Karsten took me to the South River in search of some waterfalls. We passed the waterfalls the first time around, but found a nice bench beside the river and sat there while the sun tried to burn through the clouds. Snow covered the ground and the mountains all around. The water was an icy teal blue. It was all so beautiful. I was enjoying spending time in the outdoors with my best friend, not sure whether to expect something more or just be content with how the morning was going...

After finding the waterfall and stopping on the side of the road to take some pictures, we continued on in search of Lake Merriweather. But instead of finding this lake, we came across some caves! This was a big surprise for both of us, but a lot of fun (We're definitely going to have to go back with flashlights and explore them more extensively) 

By this time it was bright and sunny, and it was getting close to lunch time, or at least it felt that way. We were both hungry and tired, and ready to go home to eat and take a nap. But Karsten had one more stop in mind. On the way back to Lexington, he drove through Goshen and stopped by the river. This spot had special significance for both of us because we'd gone on many rides together through Goshen this past spring, and it is one of Karsten's "favorite spots in the world". It was there on the snowy banks of the river that Karsten told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life having adventures with me, and then asked me to marry him. 

I said yes! 

The ring is absolutely amazing. It was worth every bit of time I waited. It is so special. And even more amazing is the fact that Karsten will soon be my husband! He is such a gift from God, I am continually so amazed at God's provision and blessing on our relationship! I couldn't be happier or more excited! 

Registered Nurse

I took boards on Wednesday and found out yesterday that I passed! Which means, I'm officially and Registered Nurse!

This actually means something now: 

College and Nursing School felt like a long journey at the time. But I'm finished now! I learned an incredible amount--far more than nursing--during the past 4.5 years. Mainly I learned to be flexible (still working on that), to overcome huge challenges, to prioritize time, deal with stress (also still working on that, but I've dome a LONG way), and to value and cherish life in a new way. 

I could write a book about all the experiences I had. Stories from clinicals, from class, from my time working in the ER... but if I tried to post that all here, it would take too long. Right now I'm just happy to say that I am a Nurse! 

Proud of these girls, too! 

Transitions

These past few weeks God has been teaching me a lot about patience. I have so much to learn. I am so far off the mark when it comes to this. He has tested my patience in many ways: taking care of 2 little kids for 10 days with little help, job hunting, waiting to hear if I got a job after an interview, hearing that I didn't get the job and back to waiting, waiting to know if and when I will be moving out west, when I will be getting married...

This time in my life has certainly be characterized by waiting. Waiting on God. Waiting on direction. One of the things I have the hardest time doing is waiting. I always want to be moving. Pressing on. Doing. When I have an idea, I want to go for it and make it happen. Make it happen--that has been my mindset for so long. But God wants to teach me how to rely on Him, wait on Him, and let Him make it happen.

He has proven Himself faithful over and over again in my life. But I, in my impatience and selfishness, still try to take over and do things my own way.

Right now I am waiting to take NCLEX. I am trying to focus my energies on studying for this big exam, while not worrying about my lack of job. It is hard, because I hardly have the money to pay for gas and my cell phone bill. But once again, God always provides just what I need. I do not know what job he will provide for me. In my limited vision I can't see how I will be able to get a decent job for only 3-4 months. Again, I am back to waiting and trusting Him. He does have something good in store for me.

I am so thankful that God has blessed me with a partner in life who knows Him, loves Him, and desires to follow Him in his ways. Karsten has been a huge support and anchor in my life these past few weeks. We have both gone through times of frustration, exhaustion, worry, and fear, but God has used us in each other's lives to provide peace, confidence and re-direction to our Lord. I could not be more thankful for him. I know that God is at work in our lives and in our relationship and I am excited about what lies ahead for us

!

This weekend I escaped to the beach with some of my favorite people: Karsten, Anna, Timothy and their sweet baby Leah.

Friday Karsten and I got down to the Outer Banks in the afternoon and spent it on the beach reading and resting. It was warm enough to lay out in bathing suits but not warm enough to get in the water. The sun was great though.

We ate delicious pizza with Anna and Timothy. Timothy came all the way from New York that day. Good sport.

Saturday was a little colder, and it rained in the afternoon. We went to the Barr-ee tent sale. Everything was $5. I stayed within my budget. :) Saturday night we ate Salmon and shrimp kebobs (with bacon and pineapple mmmm) for dinner. So good. And then we played pictionary--one of the most frustrating games. I really struggle drawing. I was pretty fun though.

Sunday morning we went out to the beach to take some family pictures for Anna and Timothy. It was windy! But we got some good ones. And Karsten insisted we get some pictures of us as well... even though I had just woken up, and was still in my pajamas...

Anna and Timothy left before lunch. Karsten and I stayed a little longer and relaxed, ate leftovers for lunch, cleaned up and headed home.

On the drive back we stopped for a little while at Bass Pro, and then made a quick dinner stop at home.

So good to get away and spend some time at the beach. October is one of my favorite times down there--despite the unpredictable weather.

Now Block 2 schedule has started. I am back to regular clinicals, and even have a class this block. Very different schedule than I have been on. I woke up at 7:30 this morning. It's been a long time since I've had anything to do that early in the morning. But this will be good, I look forward to getting back on a good day schedule. Maybe I'll actually get to spend more time with people. I was starting to get a little lonely...

I read Stepha's blog today and she was talking about how it takes a brave person to live in the country because you have to face yourself, your own thoughts, your own interests, your own relationships. and i thought about the city, or even the college life (whether in the city or the suburbs or a strange mix of the two that I find myself in) and how there is so much busy-ness and traffic and distraction. and i wonder, what really matters in life? what do i want to matter in my life?

I know that I at the heart of it i love the country and i a most comfortable there, but i wonder what it is at the root of that? and when i think about it... i think it is the quiet that i like. I like to be alone with my thoughts. I don't like to be literally alone away from people, but i like to be able to have a conversation that is real and meaningful and uninterrupted. i like to do normal, everyday things like cook dinner, go on a walk or a bike ride or swim in the river or run errands--and share it with someone i love. i crave peace when i am away from home in the country for too long. here in harrisonburg I hear traffic all day long. out my window i see cars go by and people walk by and i wonder where they are all going. sometimes when I get home from work at 3am I just sit on my front porch for a few minutes and take in the quiet. sometimes this is the only quiet time i have during the whole day. and i miss this. i find that i get so overwhelmed to the point where i cant think. and in order to think i have to get out. and get away. and i dont want my whole life to be like this. i dont want to have to "escape" my present circumstances just to think. but there is this, this great contrast i live in. i work in one of the bussiest places in the city, the ER. and while I love it, the pace and the excitement and the unpredictability of it all, after 12 hours of that i want to get away. i want to go home to something peaceful. somewhere where i can think. where i can pray without distraction. where i can look out my window and see grass, fields, trees, mountains...not pavement, cars, exhaust, people...

i want my life to be filled with things that are true and real. and i dont know, maybe some people find that in the city. maybe i could find it in my work if i looked a little closer. there are so many people in the city to have potential relationships with. and relationships are one of the must fulfilling, real things in life. but. for me, it is so hard to...focus and enjoy life in a simple way. can you find simplicity in the city? can you find yourself?

may we be bold enough to go into the deeper places of our hearts and face who we are, letting God's light illuminate every aspect of our lives. whether in the business of our everyday lives, or in the quiet, alone places...

I want to pursue what is true, and satisfying... even if it means being bold enough to face who i really am. being bold enough to give up myself for others and invest in relationships. and even if it means remaining in a place that is sometimes overwhelming. for now, i know this is where God has me.

I was reading "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years" (Donald Miller) in Barnes and Noble last week. And while I was curled up on a comfy chair, I had an interesting thought. Memories. How many memories do I remember? I mean, how much of my life do I actually remember? How much is lost?...years. I can't even remember all my birthdays, and I have only had 22 of those. I started to worry that I am losing so many important memories as I am always looking ahead to the future.

I'm a pretty avid journal writer. I love writing, and even though I have completed over 10 journals, they are often void of daily memories. They record ideas, thoughts, prayers, but events? Not as much as I would like.

So, in effort to not lose memory of all the exciting, or not so exciting daily events that happen in my life, I am going to try to write more of them down. I'm going to try to write more about what happens, and how it affects me, than about what I am thinking. We'll see how this goes.

Last night was supposed to be my final night of my capstone internship in the Emergency Department. The fact that it turns out that it is not in fact my last night, is not really the point. The point is last night was crazy. We were short staffed, which is never a good way to start off. In addition, everyone in their uncle thinks they are dying of the flu and decided to come in to the ER to be checked out (I can't blame them though, last week I thought I might die of some strange virus too) But besides the flu we had a suicide, an attempted homicide (gunshot wound), a ER lockdown, hallway patients everywhere, squad patients one after another, drunk patients, psyc patients trying to escape, and countless elderly patients with abdominal pain... On any other night this would not be much out of the ordinary, but with only one nurse handling all this...it's no less than overwhelming. 3am could not come fast enough.

I was telling Britt the other day that I am learning to deal with just about anyone. Nothing really seems to shock me anymore. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. (I am leaning toward bad thing) I have had to communicate and care for drug seekers, alcoholics, pregnant teenagers, domestic abuse victims, bipolar and pyschotic patients, frantic mothers, homeless men and women, not to mention people of all different cultures from mennonites to muslims...and this is "normal" in the ER. I am wondering now what really is normal... All I know that it makes dealing with housemates, family members and friends a much easier task. People that I know seem so agreeable in contrast. Conflicts and arguments seem so much more trivial. Discussions are not life and death at home, they are more about who forgot to take their laundry out of the dryer, who's milk was left out on the counter, who forgot to do their chore, etc. Trivial.

I have also been called every name in the book in the past 8 weeks, and have had to learn not to take it personally, but let it slide. I think every day I become more flexible and tolerant. Flexible is good, but tolerant, again, I'm not so sure about...

My favorite newly learned vocabulary word to date is "absodamnlutely". Used in context:

A 90-year-old female patient has been in the emergency department for 5 hours and is very anxious to go home, however she is too sick to drive, and has no family or friends in the hospital with her. After calling a friend to come pick her up, she no longer has the patience to wait for her discharge papers, and so decides to discharge herself.

I notice this old lady walking fully dressed out of her room down the hall toward the doors.

"excuse me ma'am, are you leaving?"

"yes! I'm going home!"

"Well at least let me take your IV out before you go..."

"I already took out my IV" she says pointing to her arm

"You pulled your IV out?!"

"Abso-damn-lutely I did! I'm going home"

I laughed at that word with Brandi for at least 5 minutes after. I don't know why it struck me as hilarious, but it was definitely more on the refreshing side of the vocabulary I hear from some patients. Absodamnlutely.

A Little Bit of Spring Break

Even though my spring break was a total of 4 days, we did get to go camping. And it was beautiful weather!
Britt and I went to visit Nikki in North Carolina, and we decided to drive to the beach to camp...






We found a nice trailer park with an ocean view to camp in. We were the only tent campers...it was great.











Yay camping!








It was a little chilly, but the beach was beautiful.

Snowboarding

The Perfect day for snowboarding. We got 4 inches of fresh powder, and it was a beautifully cold day.



Courtney and I on the lift.





Josh on the lift. Love this picture.


Some of the group skiing. snowboarding



The view from the top at dusk. So beautiful. I love Harrisonburg.


Josh (looks like a terrorist), Karsten, Me and Jared.

Baby Leah

Anna went into labor at 8:30am on Saturday February 7th. Not until 6pm did she and Timothy decide it was time to head to the hospital. I left work early to get to the hospital. I was really excited! And a little nervous...
I got to the hospital around 8:30pm. Both Anna and Timothy's parents were there, as well as Matthew and Kendall and their baby, Timothy's younger brother, and Amber. I got to see Anna, and she was doing great with her Lamaze breathing! Then Aaron and Ashley got there, and I waited with the siblings for a few hours...At 2:00am, after sitting in the room with Anna and Timothy for a while, I decided to leave and let them get some rest before delivery time. A little over an hour later I was back in there to see a brand new baby, and very proud parents! And then Amber, Ashley and Aaron arrived to see their new niece... And there were some happy grandparents too! Anna and Timothy took little Leah Kaylynn home on Monday. I got to the hospital just in time to see them before they left!



<3

Britt's Birthday

Britt' turned 20 on January 24th!
We went out to Taste of Thai with a bunch of friends and she ate a whole fish (literally bones, eyes and all)...Here are some pictures