Now and Not Yet

The Holidays and My Bearded Man

2012-01-25T20:44:00.006-06:00

Jon and I had a wonderful 1st holiday season together! I just realized (in looking for a picture) that we didn't even take a picture of us together on our first Thanksgiving or Christmas together! For Thanksgiving, we cooked our own turkey. It was quite an experience! Jon was kind enough to pull out the gizzard and giblets for me and we went right to work. It was quite a feast. We couldn't make it down to Iowa to visit his family because I got really sick, which was a bummer :(

For Christmas, we were able to make it down to Iowa to see his family. Our little niece is growing so much. We are her godparents and adore her!!! She is so cute. We also had fun with my family celebrating Christmas. I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by their kindness and generosity. I think the cutest gift was Joe's present to Jon - you'll have to ask him about it sometime. We also enjoyed Hope's Christmas Eve service. My favorite part is when they light the little candles for us to pass to each other during Silent Night.

Now that it's January, we are taking a Perspectives class together on Sunday evenings from 5:30 to 8:30, so Sundays are my busiest day! We go to church in the morning, I go straight to work, and then we go straight to class from my work. I love the class though - it's about the Christian World Movement and Missions - right up our alley!

Today Jon left for North Carolina for a business trip. I'm really glad that he gets the opportunity to travel, but I sure miss him when he's gone! We got to eat a nice breakfast together - scrambled eggs with onions and cheese, sausage, Chobani yogurt with blackberries and blueberries, and chai tea lattes.

I had a good day working on some tax documents (I'm a true adult now!), tending to our cute kittens, doing laundry, homework and I even surprised myself by doing some scrapbooking! Nothing too fancy - but it's been a LONG time since I've done it!

Usually Jon and I watch Biggest Loser on Hulu every Wednesday night. So tonight, he called me up and we started it at the same time and watched it semi-together. Although I enjoyed the episode, I realized that it's not so much Biggest Loser I like as I like that time with Jon, relaxing, kicking back, and being inspired by the contestants.

I really miss him!

And so I'm taking to my blog to post something that I've been wanting to do for awhile. Jon grew out his beard from the end of August to the end of December (4 months) and finally shaved it off after Christmas. We had a lot of fun shaving it off and I gave him a hair cut to boot. Here he is!

At the very start:

With his beard poofed out:

With a fresh hair cut and beard poofed out:

Beginning the process:

I don't quite know what to call this one. Look at how proud he is though!! Bardia agreed to make a cameo appearance:

Not to be outdone, Millie photobombed this clever rendition of the beard in the previous photo:

Jon was quite delighted at how this beard turned out. I'll even say it - I was the one to suggest this style!!

Confucius say...(My mom used to tell us sayings of Confucius when we were little as part of our homeschooling - thanks mom!)

What a chipper fellow! I'm trying to ignore the mustache though - not one of my favorites!

Here's another mustache shot. Jon makes fun of how I say mustache. According to him, I say MOOstache. Judge, judge? We need a consensus.

This is my absolute favorite shot of my dear husband:

And tada!! Finally done! :) This is about what he looks like these days :)

Come home soon Jon!

Love,
Bethany

a relaxy monday morning

2012-01-02T11:58:00.003-06:00

Today both Jon and I have the day off work. I can't believe it! I can't remember the last time we both had a day off together. Here are two pictures of us in our matching fleece pajamas from our best man Seth. Thanks Seth!!

the view from here

2011-12-08T14:17:00.001-06:00

the kitties are taking an afternoon cat nap.
i think i might join them!

Bardia the Inquisitor, Millie the Escapist

2011-11-22T06:16:00.004-06:00

My husband calls Bardia "Bardia the Inquisitor" because he's always into EVERYTHING! He always wants to know what's going on. And, according to Jon, "He has the cutest little inquisitive face!" Here is photographic proof of his inquisitiveness. One of his favorite things to do is to attack the pillows on our bed non-stop. They all have little baby teeth and claw marks, courtesy of Bardia.

And then there's Millie. Who often chooses to take a completely different spin on the world. We call Millie "The Escapist". When we adopted her from the Golden Valley Humane Society, her paperwork said that she had been previously adopted, but that she had been returned because of her propensity to "escape". However, as I psycho-analyze my cat on a deeper level, I realize that Millie not only has the desire to escape and brave the outdoors, she just wants to escape the routine of life in general. And how can we blame her? Everyone's an escapist! Here is the definition of escapism:

"an inclination to or habit of retreating from unpleasant or unacceptable reality, as through diversion or fantasy" - dictionary.com

Earlier this morning, while Bardia snuggled up next to me, purring like a motorboat, Millie chose a different stance. I think in this instance, Millie is sending a clear message. "Mama. When you wake me up at 4:45 in the morning to play, I will employ escapism as a method of coping with this unacceptable reality."

I know she loves me.

Bethany

But Mama!

2011-11-18T15:23:00.005-06:00

Here is a series of photos in which Bardia discovers the joys of watching Psych via Hulu with Mama since she was home sick from work.

Wow, Mama! What is this? I LOVE it!!!

Hmmm. This story line is kind of dragging. Might be a good time to catch a cat-nap!

Woah, Mama! Is that man really going to hurt Gus? He scares me!!

It's too much! I can't watch!

What do you guys think of me?
Am I cute or what?!

Love to all,
Bardia

Major Life Update!

2011-11-15T09:33:00.002-06:00

A lot has happened since July 21st! I'm happy to be back in the blogging world now that things have started to settle down a bit! First of all...

Jon and I got married! We got married on August 19, 2011. It was a beautiful ceremony and a very fun reception. We so enjoyed seeing so many dear friends and family and feel so blessed! This is a picture of us right after Jon sang me a song he wrote for me!

We took off to beautiful Florida for our honeymoon. Our cruise was cancelled because of Hurricane Irene, but we enjoyed ourselves anyway! Here are two of my favorite pictures of us on our honeymoon. In one of them, we're on the carousel at Universal Orlando - my favorite part was visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and drinking the butter beer - it was delicious! We also enjoyed taking the water taxi around Ft. Lauderdale, FL. There were gorgeous mansions and beautiful yachts - we had fun looking at them all!

September 19th was Jon's 25th birthday, and we had a blast celebrating it with family and friends! Dear Jon - I love you so much and am so happy to be your wife! I'm so proud of you for everything you've accomplished this past year and am looking forward to where we'll be by your 26th birthday! Your vigor and pursuit of the Lord and his word encourage me every day and I am blessed to be your wife! Love, Bethany

On September 19th (it was a big day), I also started my full-time sales position at The Shane Company in Minnetonka. The Lord really provided in an amazing way for me to get my job and I absolutely love it! It is nice to have a break from nursing, which was so intense. I'm sure nursing will be in my future again at some point, but for now, I'm SO happy to be at The Shane Company! I love the company, I love the store, I love the co-workers, and of course...I love the diamonds! Here's a picture of me all dressed up for work with my first paycheck!

September also brought the 2011 Desiring God National Conference which was on Missions this year. It was a very inspiring conference and Jon and I made several key connections there. One man in particular had a big impact on us. We met James by divine appointment! He is the VP of Mobilization for Pioneers (a missions organization) and we were able to have a very sweet time of prayer and discussion with him.

In October, Jon surprised me with a trip to the Chateau St. Croix - it's a beautiful winery in St. Croix, Wisconsin and was part of his wedding present to me! It was such a beautiful day. We strolled the gorgeous grounds and even got to see a wedding take place. We bought a bottle of our favorite wine and are planning to drink it while we watch our wedding video!

One of our favorite parts of October was hanging out with some dear friends who are home on furlough raising support. I've known this family since I was 12 years old! It was fun for Jon to meet them face-to-face, as he'd only met them through Skype previously. They are dear, dear people and some of our best friends!

And then...drumroll please...on our 2 month wedding anniversary, Jon and I adopted an 8 week old kitten and a one-year one-month old cat from the Golden Valley Humane Society. We'd been waiting for awhile to welcome some warm, fuzzy snuggle buddies into our home, and the combination of our two-month anniversary and the celebration of me being done with counseling (I've been seeing a professional Christian counselor since March of 2009 and am now in such a healthy place that I/we (Jon came with me too) don't need to go anymore) seemed like the perfect reason to bring them home!

Meet Millie and Bardia. Millie is a fireball of life and energy and is SUCH a talker! She loves to jump onto the kitchen counter at any possible opportunity. Right now, she's fighting a virus, but takes her medicine like a champ! She meows incessantly whenever she is behind a shut door (for meal-time and bed-time). Bardia was such a tiny little kitten when we first got him - only two pounds! But I am proud to report that since coming home with us, he has gained .4lb. Go Bardia! Every night, Jon holds "Forced Cuddle Time" with Bardia in the effort to make Bardia purr! When we first got him, he purred all the time, but now is silent! Don't worry - we'll keep working on him! We love our little kittens and they bring smiles and laughs to us every single day!

At the very end of October, we went down to Des Moines, Iowa (where Jon's family lives) to celebrate the birth and baptism of our first niece, Leighton! She is adorable. Jon and I are her godparents and we were so happy to meet her for the first time. We pray that she will come to know the Lord at a young age and will always seek him first!

At the start of November (we've been keeping busy!), we flew to Boston, MA to visit Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Jon has been feeling the Lord's calling on his life to become a pastor for about two years now and we took a weekend to check out Gordon Conwell! We were very impressed with the amazing, encouraging people we met there and are so thankful that we had the opportunity to visit. We fell in love with the beautiful grounds, the surrounding cities, and of course...the tire swing! Please pray for us as we seek the Lord and his timing in our lives!

I love November. I love basketball. I love the University of Minnesota. I love Hopkins High School. So while Jon was in Miami on a business trip (go Jon!), I went with my mom, dad, and two sisters to a Gophers Basketball game to cheer on Joe Coleman and the rest of the Gophers! Joe played at Hopkins and he's so fun to watch. Here's a picture of me and my mom at the game! I love you, mom!

And last but not least, we have quite an exciting development here...

Jon's beard! It's received many accolades and praises since he began growing it out a couple weeks after our wedding. He's now had it for almost two months and is planning to grow it out at least until the end of November. This picture is from this past weekend, when we had two weddings in one day! It was so fun to celebrate with two of our couple friends as they tied the knot!

SO! We've been keeping quite busy, but are so happy and are loving life.
Signing off for the first time as a Mrs.,

Bethany :)

summer

2011-07-21T23:47:00.003-05:00

This summer is going by so fast! Jon and I are staying busy with wedding planning, especially now that it's less than one month away! When we're not wedding planning, you'll probably find us doing on of these fun summer activities:

- walking/running around Lake Calhoun
- playing softball
- cheering for Jon, who is playing softball
- reading
- cleaning, organizing, and getting rid of stuff!
- hanging out with friends and family
- laughing
- going to our premarital counseling sessions - so helpful!
- cooking together - Jon and I love to cook together!

Here are some summer things I'd like to do before the summer is over:
- go swimming at a lake
- lick a popsicle
- read a book in the sun
- leave the windows open on a day when it's not too hot
- listen to loud music with my car windows down - it's been too long!
- finish my summer Spanish class - the last one I need to finish my Spanish minor! While I love Spanish, there's nothing that says "not summer" like a summer class!

What are your summer happinesses?

Bethany

36 days! and harry potter!

2011-07-14T13:55:00.002-05:00

The time is flying by. I can't believe it! It is 36 days until our wedding. Today I ordered our Rehearsal Dinner invites on Shutterfly. I really like how they turned out! I'm also studying for my summer Spanish class midterm which will happen tonight.

Last night, Jon and I went to the Sonshine Music Festival in Willmar, MN. We got to see Lecrae and Switchfoot, which was super fun! It was also fun to meet up with some of our cousins, who were also there. And later tonight...

We're going to see the midnight showing of Harry Potter! Our small group from church is going together and we're both so excited. I've waited for this movie so long and can't believe it's finally here! This will be my first midnight showing ever.

Happy Summer Everyone!
Bethany

drumroll please......

2011-06-28T13:42:00.007-05:00

I'm a Registered Nurse!!!

I passed my NCLEX on June 23, 2011 and am now a official Registered Nurse with the Minnesota Board of Nursing since I got my license in the mail! I'm pretty excited and very grateful to the Lord that I passed the first time! It took my about one hour and twenty minutes and I answered 79 questions. I'm grateful I got such a short exam! The NCLEX can range from 75 to 265 questions. The computer instantly evaluates the percentages of wrong/right answers and the difficulty level of the question. If at 75 questions, the RN Candidate does not have a high enough passing percentage of difficult-level questions, the computer will assign more questions until the passing percentage is reached or until the RN Candidate has such a low percentage that he/she can no longer pass the NCLEX, even with the remaining questions. I also applied for my Public Health Nursing License and hope to receive that soon. When I receive that, my nursing signature will be as follows:

Bethany Hedstrom, RN, PHN, NA (for Nursing Assistant).

But not for long! Once I get married, my last name will change and I will have to submit documents to the Minnesota Board of Nursing to make the proper adjustments on my license.

Since the NCLEX, it's been very busy around here! Jon's cousin got married in Iowa, and we enjoyed visiting there. The next big to do is wedding invitations! I hope to get them out by the end of this week. Jon and my family are being amazing helpers.

Nothing new on the job front - I'm hoping to find one as soon as I can and have about 6-8 applications in at different hospitals/clinics.

Bye for now!

Bethany

NCLEX tomorrow!

2011-06-22T16:47:00.002-05:00

I'm heading in to take my NCLEX tomorrow! I'm feeling really good about it and have reviewed a lot of material since I've graduated! I'm really thankful that I took a Kaplan NCLEX Review course as it's helped me focus my review and given me a wonderful contact to email with my questions! I'm praying that the Lord will help me tomorrow and that I will pass the first time!
Signing off as a student nurse for the last time,
Bethany :)

NOT liking nclex studying

2011-06-20T20:42:00.003-05:00

Hopefully, I will pass the NCLEX this week and then be done with studying! I'm not liking it so much anymore...Today Jon installed internet in my apartment. It's so nice to be able to work in my own apartment! Yesterday, he led worship on the praise team at our church. I always love worshiping when Jon is leading - it just feels extra special. As I was sitting there during the sermon, I realized that in two months to the day, we would be getting married in that same church, at that same time! I got chills up my spine. I'm so excited!

Signing off on day 60,

Bethany

liking nclex studying

2011-06-17T12:20:00.002-05:00

At first, it was really hard to study for the NCLEX. It's not easy now, persay, but I'm actually enjoying it. Completing the practice tests is a challenge - I love challenges! Refreshing myself on information that I've learned in nursing school makes me happy. I take the NCLEX in about a week. I know it will be hard, but I'm still excited to take it, pass it, and get my Registered Nurse license from the MN State Board of Nursing!

The only thing that would improve my studying experience would be if I had one of my cats (Lilly or Nelly) with me. Unfortunately for me, Lilly didn't move with me - she stayed with the family. I miss the little toot so much!

I'll have to visit her soon.

~Bethany

busy

2011-06-10T15:03:00.002-05:00

It's a busy time!

I'm studying for the NCLEX, looking for a job (still haven't found one yet), and preparing for the wedding. This morning I had my dress fitting - I love the woman who's working with me. She's going to do an amazing job, I can tell! It was so fun to put on my dress and play with different hairstyles while she pinned away. I'm slowly unpacking in my apartment as time permits.

Very exciting!

What's new with you?

Bethany

77 - a post for joe

2011-06-03T19:48:00.002-05:00

my younger brother joseph loves the number 77.

so in honor of his favorite number, here is a picture of jon and me, 77 days before our wedding.

we love you, joe!

jon and bethany

new apartment and 87 days

2011-05-24T16:21:00.005-05:00

I'm officially moved in to my new apartment now! This is me sitting in a wi-fi zone, wedding planning like mad. A huge thank you to Jon, my family, Seth, and Byron for helping me move - I couldn't have done it without them! Thanks so much guys!

I love planning our wedding and am so grateful to all of the people who are helping us prepare for our big day! Jon's been so good and involved in everything too - I love it. We just started our premarital counseling yesterday with our pastors, and it was really good and helpful.

I accompanied Emily to her Senior Picture photo shoot - she's so gorgeous and photogenic. It was a sissy blast!

I've also finished my last clinical hours, so I'm officially graduated now! (As soon as my grades post). This last weekend was super busy and filled with lots of hours so I'm very glad to be done, but also kind of sad, as it marks the end of my time as a nursing student. I was at Fairview Riverside for my final hours and absolutely loved it. I'm job applying there now - we'll see how it goes!

Signing off for now on day 87,

100 Days!

2011-05-11T09:26:00.004-05:00

Jon and me at Jeff and Ashley's Rehearsal Dinner - Spring 2011

Only 100 days to go before our wedding!
100 days!

Jon and I are very excited and are so looking forward to that day.

This weekend, we will be going to the wedding of my cousin, Susie, and her fiancé, Jesse.
I love family weddings!
They are so much fun.

Congratulations, Susie and Jesse!

We love you guys!

Bethany

tornado sky

2011-05-10T19:37:00.001-05:00

such a change from chillier days,

it's hot and muggy outside.

little rain speckles are splattering my window.

it's a tornado sky.

so close!

2011-05-06T19:50:00.005-05:00

The light green means "In Progress" and the dark green means "Completed".

I'm so close to finishing up my Senior year at the U! Remember around this time last year when I posted this post? Look at how far I've come since then! This is what I have left to do:

-One final paper for Spanish

-One final paper for Nursing Leadership

-One final exam for Nursing Leadership

-Two clinical reports for Clinical Immersion (and some clinical hours)

I already took my Professional Issues final exam today, which means I'm done with that class! Woohoo! I don't have anything to do for Ethics either, since I finished the homework early. Woohoo! It's fun to see how my school "to-do" list is growing smaller and smaller!

I can't believe I'm almost about to graduate. I love making lists like this, so I can cross things off when I'm done with them. It feels so good!

Yay!

Bethany

all the way my savior leads me

2011-05-05T23:28:00.006-05:00

by Fanny Crosby

All the way my Savior leads me;
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my Guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,
Cheers each winding path I tread;
Gives me grace for every trial,
Feeds me with the living Bread.
Though my weary steps may falter,
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the Rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me
O the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father’s house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages—
Jesus led me all the way.

Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-01T23:08:00.005-05:00

New York Times Story

My mom just called me upstairs to watch the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan by U.S. and Pakistani troops. I remember watching the 9/11 attack in our unfinished basement when I was 11 years old, sitting on the old brown and orange woven couch, wondering what it all meant and feeling very sad.

It was a historic day.

Now, I'm 21, sitting on the striped carpet in my parents' room, watching the breaking news that one of the most prominent terrorists has been brought to justice. I'm wondering what it all means, and experiencing mixed feelings. I am elated that he has been brought to justice for the blood on his hands, relived that those who have lost loved ones during these past 10 years will have some closure, and sad. I shudder at the thought of where Osama Bin Laden is now. President Obama's speech was strikingly beautiful and hauntingly powerful. I have goosebumps all over from watching clips of the gathering of people outside of the White House. People just keep streaming in from side streets to join the throng, waving American flags and chanting, "USA! USA!" I thank all those who have served our country and protected it.

This is a historic day.

the end in sight: a post without pictures

2011-04-30T14:33:00.004-05:00

It's been so busy lately with the end of school coming so quickly! There are so many pictures I have on my camera that I wish I could share, but I just haven't had the time to upload them lately!

Here's what's new and exciting:

- I officially graduate from the University of Minnesota School of Nursing BSN Program on Friday, May 13, 2011! I've been working a lot of overnight shifts to finish my Senior Immersion. I'm on a labor and delivery/postpartum unit and am LOVING it. Working in labor and delivery/postpartum would be my dream job. It's so amazing to be with women as they meet their babies for the first time.

- Jon and I have spent a lot of time looking for an apartment and we finally found our perfect new place last Saturday! The Lord was really gracious to us in answering our prayers for a place in our price range, with amazing amenities, and close to the bus lines for getting into work in Minneapolis. Lord willing, I'll be moving in sometime soon! I'm looking forward to it :) The location is very close to Lake Calhoun, which is a definite bonus!

- Jon is starting to play softball through our church this Sunday. Go Jon!!!! He's doing really good at his job - I'm so proud of him.

- I went to my first Twins' game in the new Target Field this past week! Jon received some tickets from his work and they were great seats! It was so much fun to sit, stand, cheer, clap and of course, buy some tasty treats. The new stadium is so gorgeous!

- I was in a car crash on Monday, 4.25.11. I was rear ended and my car was totaled. Because of the force with which I was hit, my car smashed the car in front of me and that car was totaled too! Thankfully, I wasn't more injured than I could have been!

- I'm somewhat stressed about finding a nursing job since they are so tight right now. I have good times where I'm happy and trusting in God to provide and other times when I'm discouraged and overwhelmed with the lack of prospects there are right now. Hopefully I'll have better news in this area in the coming weeks! Your prayers are appreciated :)

- I think we're in the lull of wedding planning right now. It was crazy at the start, we know it'll be crazy at the end, but right now, there's not really a whole lot to do! It's nice to have a little break, but at the same time, we're so excited to get married. The wedding day is now officially 111 days away!

- Nursing finals are a week earlier than the other majors at the U, so that means this weekend will be filled with studying for my last undergrad finals ever!!! Woohoo!

What's new with you?

~ Bethany

FOUR MONTHS!!!

2011-04-19T11:33:00.004-05:00

Jon and I are getting married in four months to the day.

FOUR MONTHS!!

I can't believe it. The time is truly flying by.

In other words, my brother Eric just had knee surgery yesterday and is on a pretty high dose of Vicodin. I must say, it's pretty fun to see him so loopy. Don't worry, I'm taking good care of him.

bch

21!!!

2011-04-01T12:39:00.004-05:00

a picture jon took of me on our daytrip to stillwater

On March 30, 2011, I turned 21 years old! Here's a link to my sister Emily's blog: click here. She captured it in beautiful photographs and with beautiful words. Thanks for the beautiful post Sissy!

And thank you to all of the aunts, cousins, grandparents, friends, family and one very special fiancé who made it such an incredible, memory-saturated day! I'm thankful to the Lord for you all!

~Bethany

day trip to stillwater

2011-03-28T11:36:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, Jon and I took a daytrip to Stillwater. It was a wonderful time to connect, enjoy each other and explore this beautiful town. We wandered around Main Street and stumbled upon this amazing little shop: The Stillwater Olive Oil Company. They sell delicious imported olive oils and balsamic vinegars. You can taste as many samples as you want before deciding which to purchase. You can order online here.

Jon and I found a beautiful antique book store. Here he is, in his glory:

We found a very early edition of Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. It has beautiful, detailed illustrations.

Jon and Bep :)

Then we ate our picnic by the river. The water was already rising and there was an area of sandbags ready to go. It was a beautiful, cloudy day that was actually pretty warm! A huge bald eagle soared overhead during our picnic.

Thanks for a great day of adventure, babe!

It was just what I needed.

Love,

Bethany

new piercing!!!

2011-03-25T15:05:00.002-05:00

my sister emily paid for my cartilage piercing for my 21st birthday that's rapidly approaching (march 30)! I LOVE IT. it didn't hurt at all when it was pierced (I got it at Claire's). it feels a tiny bit sore if i lay my head down on it, but other than that it's been completely painless! emmy got hers pierced too. the sparkle catches my eye every time i look in the mirror - how lovely! i've been wanting it for 3 years now, and if i would have know that it wouldn't hurt i would've gotten it 3 years ago :)

thanks for the sweet present sis!

i'll have it forever! :)

J + B

2011-03-18T23:28:00.002-05:00

Happy One Year Anniversary, babe!! One year ago, Jon had me over to his apartment for our first date ever. He baked two delicious lasagnas, garlic bread, and cut up a huge bowl of delicious strawberries. I brought some salad - an epic failure because #1) Jon doesn't like most salads, at least not the ranch dressing one I brought and #2) the lettuce was slimy and rotten. The night, however, was a raging success. And here we are, one year later. I'm so proud of Jonny and I love him so much. He is such a gift to me.

Happy One Year, babe!

May the Lord grant us many more :)

Proposal Pictures!!

2011-03-16T11:44:00.003-05:00

Jon took me out to eat at a delicious Mexican restaurant in Minneapolis. I had no idea what the night would hold. He did an AMAZING job surprising me!!!

He suggested we do a puzzle after going out to eat! He told me the puzzle was part of my Valentine's Day present. I was so excited to do a puzzle with him. We did a puzzle together on our first date together. He cleverly hid the "Apple of my eye" pieces until the very end.

After we finished the puzzle, he pulled out the ring, got down on one knee, said many beautiful things, and asked me to marry him. I was so happy and surprised. I said, "YES!!!"

We drove to McDonald's to get an ice cream cone to celebrate.

The next day we had a family engagement party. What a blast!!!

My beautiful ring. He did a GREAT job picking it out!!!

I love you so much Jon!!! I'm so excited to be planning our wedding with you and to have you as my fiancé. You are an incredible man and the ways you love me and encourage me astound me every day.

Love,

Bethany

thankful

2011-03-06T14:40:00.004-06:00

Today I am thankful for a peaceful afternoon with my Jon and for this delicious tea:

some exciting news!!!

2011-02-24T14:29:00.004-06:00

I'm engaged!

As of Saturday, February 12, 2011, I am engaged to my amazing fiancé Jon!

He completely surprised me :) I am so excited to be engaged to him and am enjoying planning our wedding together.

I love you babe!

bethany

books

2011-01-27T20:47:00.003-06:00

I spent a wonderful amount of my winter break reading! Here are some of my recent reads and new faves!

'Kiss' by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

I was sucked in and intrigued the moment I saw the cover of this book (which was a Christmas present from my amazing boyfriend Jon). This was a total thriller and page-turner. I could barely put it down!!

'The Council of Dads: My Daughters, My Illness, and the Men Who Could Be Me' by Bruce Feiler

This book really shook me up since the theme was so sobering. It was filled with poignant moments and made me cry more than once. Here is one of my favorite quotes:

(A key character talking about the loss of his own father):

"I miss his voice." He inhaled deeply. "I can still hear it." Ben was sobbing now, like a boy. Watching a man of such measure reduced to such essence offered a glimpse into the private conversation the two of them had shared…"He had such a wonderful voice…if you weren’t here, I would want your girls to be able to hear you and your voice. And not in the saddest moments. That’s not when I miss my dad the most. In the happiest moments. The times of greatest joy are the times that are bittersweet because my dad’s not here to enjoy them. To witness them. And to add his voice" (page 159).

The third book I read was 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

This book is written about the time period of World War II. I absolutely love reading about war time and that is what originally drew me to the book (besides it's interesting name!) This book was so entirely charming. It's written as a series of letters and at first seeing the different letters back and forth from different people bothered me. But as I grew to know the characters I loved it more and more. I felt like crying when it was over. I couldn't believe it. I highly recommend it!

The fourth book I read was 'I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy' by Angie Smith.

Oh man, this book was such a tear jerker. I just let them flow out as I read. Sometimes the tears were because of the sorrow so eloquently and rawly expressed. Other times they were because of the sheer joy woven in between the grief. Angie and Audrey's story seem so real and I am grateful to her for her openness in sharing what was going on in their family during this difficult time. Here is a quote that really stuck out to me:

"I curled up in my bed, and I invited the sorrow in. She came swiftly, deeply, consumingly. And she whispered to me in the dark of night. I am here to stay." (page 114)

I hope you'll have the chance to read one of them soon!

tropical

2011-01-16T14:02:00.003-06:00

I just can't bear to end this tropical theme that's taken over my blog.

So here, before your very eyes, is a brilliantly-colored tropical parrot:

dad's perspective on palm trees

2011-01-11T10:26:00.004-06:00

As we're driving down the Pacific coastline, dad says,

"I think palm trees are cute!

They're just cute!

They just stand out there.

They're just tall and skinny.

They don't give much shade.

God made 'em.

They blow over in hurricanes."

I love hearing his thoughts on things :)

California!

2011-01-09T09:16:00.006-06:00

Dad at the airport making his, "I just found out that I could've packed more in my luggage than I did!" face.

The beautiful palm trees outside of our hotel. It is so refreshing to see green and tropical things!!!

At a rest stop, we saw this sign. It kind of sends a thrill through your body!

One of my favorite pictures from Newport Beach. I love how my dad is staring out at the sea, the surfer is floating in, and Emily is running out.

I love the moment of pause this surfer took before plunging into the waves. I also love how he's a bit older, but still surfing!

This is typical dad, goofing off at a pizzeria.

This is my favorite picture from Laguna Beach. Sissy and Dad were so cute together and the gelato sign was adorable!

Dad and Emmy on the gondola ride at the San Diego Zoo. I'm so glad we saw the zoo - it was amazing! There were so many animals there!

Me and Emmy (also on the gondola ride). It was a nice restie time.

We saw this picture at the lion cage, and were very impressed.

And oh my, the baby-carrying daddies at this zoo. There were so many of them! Each one more adorable than the last. Babies left and babies right, all conking out on their daddies' shoulders, in their arms, or on their chests or backs. So cute! Here's one of my favorites:

Sissy Em, hard at work. She is so cute.

The polar bear! (Or one of them at least). I was so excited to see the polar bear exhibit. They were all lazing around.

Yet another baby-carrying daddy.

Our last stop of the day was the petting zoo, per dad's request. There were little goats, big sheep and several other animals. Here's Emily posing with some little gemelos (twins).

One thing I couldn't take a picture of was all the gorgeous languages being spoken at the zoo. I recognized Spanish and several others but there were also so many that I didn't know. I wished I could speak them all so I could greet all of the lovely people I saw there.

One of my favorite parts of this vacation was waiting in a bathroom line (at the rattlesnake rest stop) with women from all around the world. Even though we didn't speak each others' languages, we had no problem communicating.

The potty dance is universal.

A spanish-speaking lady laughed and spoke the woman beside her, who was from India. She gestured that her clothing wasn't warm enough for this cold weather! That she had to wear thicker clothes - see? Like this! Her sweatshirt! The Indian woman laughed and shrugged her shoulders in return. Several Asian grandmothers whispered and cackled to each other about who knows what - they weren't gesturing very much. Sissy and I smiled at these beautiful women around us, and watched them laugh at our own potty dances and comments. I felt that if we could've formed a club right there and then, there would be immeasurable richness in the collective life experiences of these seasoned women. How I would've loved to sit down and chat with them all. It was such a lovely experience.

Finally, in closing, I'll leave you with a picture of my very own wildcat..the one who wouldn't leave my bed the morning I was leaving - Lily.

Beautiful Flowers

2011-01-05T16:24:00.002-06:00

I'm not feeling well today and my sister Annie brought me some beautiful flowers. See? They're bright and cheery Primulas.

Thanks, Annie!

Love,

Beppie :)

Thanksgiving 2010

2011-01-05T12:44:00.003-06:00

Grandpa, Grandma, Emily, Andrea and delicious food!

Me and Jonny

Me, my mom, Emmy

My Grandma and me

Hedstrom family, Huerta family, Seth and Jon

A New Year

2011-01-01T13:01:00.012-06:00

1.1.11

This closing year of 2010 has been such a wonderful and hard year. Joys and sorrows are so often connected so intrinsically - it is hard for me to separate the two of them sometimes. Talking and being with my boyfriend Jon is so wonderful. He helps me see and realize things that I don't see or realize myself. Over grillled cheese sandwiches (so yummy!) we discussed varying events of this past year. We each chose three highlights of 2010. Here are mine:

1. Dating Jon

All dressed up for a double date with my parents on New Year's Day. Thanks to my sister Emily for taking our picture! I'm so thankful to God for Jon's presence in my life. One of my family's favorite teasing jokes is coming up to me when I'm grumpy or bent out of shape or sad about something and saying, "Joooonnnnnnyyyyyy". They say it never fails to make me smile - I think they are right. One of my favorite things that Jon and I do together is reading. Whether it's reading separate books, the same book, or reading something out loud together, it doesn't matter to me. I love all of it! He's helped me remember how much I love reading and stories and history, even when I'm feeling swamped with school reading.

2. Southeast Asia

My summer trip to SE Asia stretched me in ways I've never been stretched before. It was such an intense and rich time in my life and I'm grateful to God for that amazing opportunity. Not a day goes by that I don't think about my time there and the dear friends I have who are still there. This is me and my team: Isaac, Steve P., Matt, Laurie, Steve W. (and me), riding a local ferry between two islands. At this point in time, we were all extremely tired, worn out, and letting some silliness out.

3. Going to counseling

I told Jon that between 2009 and 2010, I think I changed a lot. In many ways, I think they were changes on the outside - not bad changes, still good changes, but outside ones. Between 2010 and 2011, I've changed even more. And many of these ways are deep changes on the inside: how I see myself, how I see the world, how I see those around me. Although I don't have a picture to post for #3, I'm okay with that. A picture would not do justice anyway. I love my counselor. He's amazing. He has helped me in many ways, and I will always be grateful to God for giving me and my family access to such a wise and insightful man. I'm also thankful to Jon and to my family in supporting me and encouraging me as I learn and absorb and practice new things from counseling.

On my cousin Sarah's blog, she posted her year in pictures - I really like that idea, and think I'll do it myself! I chose one of my favorite pictures from each month.

January 2010

This is me, Michaella, Katy and Reed on our first day of clinical as junior nursing students. You can't tell by the picture, but it was really very early in the morning!

February 2010

Me, Emily, Lauren and Andrea at the Lecrae "Hope for Haiti" concert at Club 3 Degrees. It was great!

March 2010

Me, Andrew, Eric and Taylor. I love these guys.

My 20th birthday party with the fam :)

April 2010

I'm pretty sure this is the first picture Jon and I took together. I think he looks so cute!

May 2010

Emily, Gabby, Micaela and me. I love these girls. They are such dear friends. Here we're visiting Perkins - debatably our favorite haunt.

June 2010

My cousin Joanna and me. I always love hanging out with Joanna! We have a lot of fun together :)

July 2010

Southeast Asia. This is me. And a shark. Enough. Said.

Me and my dear friends who live in Southeast Asia after delivering a baby at a local hospital. It was QUITE the experience!

August 2010

Jon and me on a ride at the Minnesota State Fair. It was so good to see him again after coming home from Southeast Asia (and his return from Campus Outreach's Summer Training Project). We'd been apart for almost three months!

September 2010

My little sister Annie holding a kitty at the Apple Orchard. I love going to the Apple Orchard in the fall!

October 2010

Nannying, nannying, and more nannying. Here are three of the little dollies I spend time with (Extra appearance points go to Eric and Andrew who are gracing the background).

November 2010

This is Lilly - my kitty (she's the family kitty too). Here she is lounging on the basement couch, looking rather cross-eyed and disgruntled.

December 2010

My dad and mom at the hospital after my dad's heart scare. We're glad he's doing better now.

So there you have it! My 2010 review...complete with pictures :)

Hope your start to 2011 is a wonderful one!

Love,

Bethany

Merry Christmas Eve!

2010-12-24T14:42:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! :)

this early sunday morning

2010-12-19T06:07:00.005-06:00

adorable baby A :)

when i was a little girl, my parents would come into my room on sunday morning and whisper softly, "this is the day that the lord has made! let us rejoice and be glad in it!" i would wake up groggily and peer down from the top of my bunk bed to watch them snuggle in and say the same thing to my younger sister. their excitement and genuineness was contagious. i could rejoice and be glad because mom and dad were modeling it so well for me. after we rubbed the sleep out of our eyes, we'd all traipse our way down the stairs to eat cereal in the kitchen...captain crunch if we were lucky.

i'm 20 now, and realizing that those sunday morning memories are some of my most precious memories.

it's almost christmas. babysitting a baby when it is almost christmas makes me think of mary, and her little baby jesus. it also makes me think of one of my favorite christmas songs of all time by michael w. smith called, "welcome to our world". these are my thoughts on this early sunday morning.

Love in Condition Yellow: A Memoir of an Unlikely Marriage

2010-12-16T13:04:00.005-06:00

Love in Condition Yellow: A Memoir of an Unlikely Marriage

by Sophia Raday

"Sometimes at the oddest moments, like when we are driving to get more propane for the grill or going to Costco for gas, I will look over at Barrett and feel a surge of joy. The feeling throws me off balance, like a gust of wind that rips my hat off and makes me chase after it. It's in those moments of unexpected exhileration when Barrett threads himself through me. But what happens when you've entwined yourself with another and your beloved dies? You can't pull down just one single vine climbing up a sunny wall. If you pull one down, the whole web comes down together."

(on the death of a comrade, page 91)

I just finished this book last night. Earlier on, I had gobbled up the words, charging toward the last few chapters, eager to discover the story's end. But as I neared the final pages, I began reading more slowly, savoring the words individually, not wanting the story to end.

It is a beautifully-written memoir about the relationship between a police officer and a peace activist, which also weaves in many threads of family, politics, parenthood, going to a therapist's office, miscarriage, adoption, government, war, and the strains that accompany all of those things. It is realistically raw in its descriptions of marital stressors and familial growing pains. It is rough around the edges as it deals with real emotions and convictions. I could not help but be swept up into this alternate universe of this family's life.

The author is completely vulnerable in revealing her fears, doubts, angers, frustrations, questionings and confusions about the world in which she lives and the people in it. Her writing style is clear and compelling, rich and welcoming. It is a beautiful reconciling of two people who come from opposite background, the chronicling of a journey of self-discovery that led Sophia to surprising realizations. This book has been good food for thought these past few days. I highly recommend it!

Happy reading!

last class

2010-12-14T15:45:00.003-06:00

Today marks the last day of class for this girl's semester.

What a day!

I can't believe I am so close to this semester being over, and to school itself being over. Granted, I know I have one more semester left, but if if flies by like this one did, college will be over in no time.

I don't think I will ever feel fully grown up, and I don't ever want to feel fully grown up.

But somehow, these days I am feeling more grown up now than I have before. What an ambiguous statement. Growing up is not easily measured.

A Winter Day

2010-12-13T15:24:00.003-06:00

Today at work I was able to organize all of our bookshelves and get some boxes ready to donate to a cool organization called Books for Africa! It looks kinda messy still, but believe me...it's way more organized than it was before!!!

This project was so exciting to me, but I am glad it's almost over :)

Hope you all are staying warm in this snowy weather!

In closing, here's a picture of Jon shoveling this weekend. We had pretty good "stuck" statistics for how much we were out and about :)

Bethany

Item of the Week #2

2010-12-10T13:53:00.001-06:00

Item of the Week #2.....

The Target brand (Up&Up) of Flexible Fabric Bandages (the picture shows the knuckle/fingertip version).

These bandages are incredible.

1. They never fall off (unless they get wet repeatedly).

2. They stick tightly.

3. They provide enough flexion to allow for easy finger movements.

4. They are inexpensive compared with their name brand counterparts.

5. I have had recent experience with these bandages due to a slippery knife a rock-hard bagel and a sleep deprived college student (namely, me) - but don't worry! Everything's mending up just fine.

Happy bandaging!

Bethany

Oh Joseph, My Brother

2010-12-09T17:35:00.007-06:00

Oh Joseph, My Brother.

He is always full of excitement, vim and vigor. He is so energetic. He is so contagious (in the best way possible). He is so generous. This morning, when he woke up, he had $24 dollars. Now he has $0. Because all day today, he begged my mom to take him to Target. "Please, mom. Please! I needa buy some presents for my family for Christmas!"

After returning home, as he ran exclaiming through the house, crowing over his Christmas surprises, whipping his red Target bags around just fast enough so that no one could see what was inside, my mom told us just a few of the exuberant comments he made during their trip.

While they were exiting Target, Joseph, ever the animal lover, could not contain his excitement as he saw a bumper sticker on a mini-van in the parking lot. The bumper sticker had a picture of a kangaroo, a koala bear, and a wombat (which, I mean, come on, he's eleven years old...how does he know what a wombat is?!? I'm twenty years old and I wouldn't know what a wombat was if I saw one!!!)

He grabbed my mom and exclaimed, "Look!!! A marsupial freak!!!"

What a little gem! I'm perpetually amazed by his vocabulary.

He's currently settling down a little bit...

"I guess it is more blessed to give than to receive." he says, as he sits down to supper with the fam.

"Joe! You're going to be late to your basketball practice!" someone comments.

Unfazed, he replies, "No, I'll be fine. It's only 5:40. It's okay...family before sports."

As he gets up to prepare for practice, he says, "Mom, I think I want to miss my basketball game on Sunday so that I can go to Sunday School."

I pray for this littlest brother of mine. That he continues to be filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit and Jesus' love for the lost of the world. He is a tender spirit and I get excited when I think about what God has in store for him in his life.

Here's a picture of him with my mom after he gave her a poinsettia (something she's been wanting):

Psalm 23

2010-12-08T15:32:00.006-06:00

~Jonny feeding the goats at the Apple Orchard this fall~

~ They were so ravenous and desperate, it was funny~

Part of my reading in Hinds' Feet today focused on Psalm 23. How often did I glibly recite those words as a youngster? How often do I fail to truly believe them in my heart now? I am posting it here mainly as a reminder to myself, but hope it also encourages you today:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

Hinds' Feet on High Places

2010-12-07T11:04:00.006-06:00

I've been meaning to do a post about the books I've read/have been reading lately for awhile. The one I'm posting about today has been one of my absolute favorites: Hinds' Feet on High Places. My dear friend Gabby referred me to it this summer, and I've been working through it ever since. It's written by Hannah Hurnard and was published in 1975. It's an allegory about a young woman named Much-Afraid journeying to the High Places, where her Shepherd, the Savior, is preparing a place for her. I love allegories! They are so rich and thought-provoking. Hinds' Feet is based on a passage in Habakkuk 3:19, "The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me walk upon mine high places." (A hind is a female deer - I didn't know that when I began reading it and had to look it up).

I'm an underliner, meaning when I read a book, I interact with it by underlining passages and scrawling my thoughts in the margins. Well, some pages of this book are so underlined, that the parts that aren't underlined stick out more than the ones that are!

Without further ado, here is the passage that really hit me hard this morning. It's from Chapter 11 and is Much-Afraid, thinking about her companions and guides, Sorrow and Suffering:

"She found, too, that now she was accepting their companionship in this way she seemed more alive than ever before to beauty and delight in the world around her. It seemed as though her senses had been quickened in some extraordinary way, enabling her to enjoy every little detail of her life; so that although her companions actually were Sorrow and Suffering, she often felt an almost inexplicable joy and pleasure at the same time."

How very true those words are. They are sweet and comforting to my soul.

I'd highly recommend this book. It's easy to read and the chapters are the perfect length - not too short, not too long. Happy reading!

Bethany

Thankful Day

2010-12-06T21:43:00.007-06:00

Today is a Thankful Day

Thankful for the nice lady who gave me a free lunch at school today right when I needed it because I didn't have a lunch:

(Stuffed Squash)

Thankful for a healthy, loving family that enjoys each other.

(Me and my amazing brother)

Thankful that my final research paper is done.

Thankful for beauty all around me.

Thankful for eyes that see and feet that walk.

Thankful for money for medicine when I need it.

Thankful for a job with flexible hours and kind co-workers.

(Me and my supervisor, Nicole)

Thankful for dear, dear children and the joy they bring.

Thankful for my wonderful boyfriend who daily points me to the cross.

(Me and Jon on his birthday - September 2010)

I thank Jesus for all of these gifts in my life.

Item of the Week #1

2010-12-02T10:40:00.000-06:00

I am now starting a series entitled, "Item of the Week", wherein I will blog about one of my favorite items. I'd like to say I'll do it every Thursday, but reality is...I won't. But I will do at least one a week! And now...drum roll please......(a little louder please)......(thanks, that's better)....I drop the veil on Item of the Week #1!

Johnson's Body Care Melt Away Stress Lavender & Chamomile Lotion

"Helps you unwind and feel at ease" (It says that right on the bottle)!

Oh lotion-with-the-abnormally-long-name, how do I love thee?

Let me count the ways:

1) The scent - so delicious! If I could do a scratch and sniff right here and now, I would! It's pleasant and mild, not too overpowering, but it lasts a long time! If I put it on before bed, I can still smell it in the morning.

2) The inspirational vignette on the back of the bottle - it gets me every time:

"She approaches life with a quiet sense of calm. You instantly feel at peace in her presence."

"She loves this relaxing lavender & chamomile lotion because it does more than just moisturize. Its unique formula, with an exclusive blend of soothing essences, helps her unwind and feel pampered as she massages her cares away."

(and my favorite part, the conclusion):

"Her skin is beautifully serene. Her skin loves JOHNSON'S."

3) It's light and non-greasy, but does the job and leaves my hands feeling silky smooth.

4) The color of it - It's a purply shimmery without leaving actual glitter or sparklies on my skin (always a plus, unless you're a seventh grade girl).

5) The price - I think I paid about $3 for it at Target. I just found out (thank you Google!) that Target has a baby powder by Johnson in the same scent! If I ever have a baby someday, I'm totally going to buy it to sprinkle on its little bottom.

And that, my friends, is Item of the Week #1. It had me in its clutches ever since my nursing friend, Jenn, lured me in by applying it right next to me in class every week and then giving me just a little bit to try it out. It wasn't long before I rushed to Target to track down this lotion-ary wonder. What do you think? Will you try it? Stop by the comments and let me know!

four pictures

2010-12-01T19:59:00.007-06:00

Me and my friend Michaella in one of our nursing classes - we have spent so many hours in those roll-ie chairs!

Me and Jonny - we steeped our tea too long so it tasted absolutely disgusting!! We called it dirt water, waited for it to get cold, and dared each other to drink it. Which we did. And then we gagged and blucked (as you can see).

Me and my study buddy, Lily. Never mind that she is turned as far away as she possibly can be from me. I know she loves me. And she knows it too. Sometimes she just lives in denial. But I know the true story:

See? This is Lilly - getting so konked out and tired that all of a sudden her neck muscles stop working and she flops her head down on the blanket right next to me, starts purring, and falls asleep. Nice try, Loll. I called your bluff.

And this, my friends, is my life of late in pictures. School, friends, studying, cat.

Oh!! And one more thing. My dear sister Emily updated my blog layout! I thought that was very nice of her. Thanks, Emmy! Check out her blog - she's a fabulous photographer!

O Jesus Thou Hast Promised

2010-12-01T11:11:00.003-06:00

I'm sitting here in the Nursing Lounge at the U of M. Today has been a hard morning. I looked up on the "Students" board and saw this paper posted up:

O Jesus

Thou hast

promised to all

who follow Thee,

That where

Thou art in glory,

There shall

Thy servant be;

And, Jesus,

I have promised

To serve Thee

to the end;

O give me grace

to follow,

My Master and

my Friend.

I don't know who wrote it, or who placed it there, but this morning, I am very grateful for these words of truth and comfort.

Heads up, yo!

2010-11-25T16:52:00.003-06:00

Hey, Ya'll! This is a guest post from THAT'S Interesting. I'm helping B out by sharing out information about Shutterfly. This year, they are hosting a GREAT opportunity for bloggers. If you are a blogger, you can apply and get 50 Christmas cards for free! If you are interested, click here. I've looked through their Christmas cards and they are really great.

Not only does Shutterfly have adorable Holiday cards, they have sweet photo books that make great Christmas gifts. (Click here to see a post I wrote about photo books)

Here's the link to their Christmas cards. A little heads up: it can be a little overwhelming because they have so many different cards but fret ye not- take a deep breath and simply click through the links, and remember to breathe.

Shutterfly also has really fun calendars. They also have mugs. I haven't made either, but they look really promising. As promising as Hubert, here. But I digress.

*ahem*. . . back to Shutterfly. I have been super pleased with the photo books and prints I've ordered from Shutterfly. They really do a great job- promise. Even Hubert promises. See the promising twinkle in his eyes? It's really there. I can feel it.

Hubert and I wish you a good evening.

Check out Shutterfly.

Really.

Right now, actually.

Awesome.

Bye.

-e

what roast?

2010-11-24T10:19:00.004-06:00

Jon and I were grocery shopping the other day

and found this gem in the meat section:

In case you can't read the tiny script, I'll clarify.

It says, "Boneless Butt Roast In The Bag"

Perhaps it has always existed - but I've never known about it before!!

We were both laughing so hard out of the ridiculosity of the title.

It's just silly.

Jon came up with an even better name:

"Bare butt bottom bamboozled roasted backside"

I'd definitely buy some of that if I ever see it -

just to crack up laughing every time I look in the freezer!

"happily ever after"

2010-11-19T09:02:00.006-06:00

"happily ever after"

The curling, purple letters wind their way along the periwinkle wall. "happily ever after": the words that conclude every good fairytale, the words that every soul longs to speak and know as true. "happily ever after": the last words patients and their families see upon leaving the fifth floor of Children's Hospital.

I do not usually stop on the fifth floor, but somehow did this day. "happily ever after": the optimistic words struck me hard and flattened me against the cold, metal, elevator wall, my own hands searching behind me to grasp the metal bar behind me - something solid to hold me up.

"happily ever after": really? Some children will leave, alive and well, but this does not ensure eternal happiness. Some parents leave in the midst of sinking loss, suffocating grief. How would I feel as a parent, leaving the floor after the death of my baby, my child, my own child, seeing those words as I left? I would feel nothing, overcome by shock. I would feel rage and want to scratch it off the wall.

I realize that Children's in in the midst of remodeling, and that the fifth floor has not been renovated yet. I am certain that saying will not remain on the wall. But the question remains: How long has it been there? Who painted it on in the first place? And why has it been allowed to remain so long?

"happily ever after": the empty promise rings dull on all ears, the alive and the dead. That hospital floor knows life and death better than most, and yet the hollow reassurance remains.

Some of the grieving who leave will have eternal happiness. And some of the joy-filled will not. Some of the joy-filled will have eternal happiness, and some of the grieving will not. This deep ironic truth burns onto my soul. It sorrows me. Blows me away. And makes me realize anew, in a fresher, clearer way than I've been reminded for awhile, that I want my life to be an aroma of life and hope, and yes, of "happily ever after" because of the hope I have within me.

And oh, someday, someday in heaven with Jesus the saying "happily ever after" will sound faint and trite and like a grain of sand on the beaches of deep-rooted joy and satisfaction. And yet at the same time, "happily ever after" will be true, and solid and more real and tangible and fulfilling, more than any parent or child or joyful one or grieving one could ever dream.

"happily ever after"

This expression chokes out my breath and takes me to a different world. The elevator doors cling shut, but those words will forever remain seared into my memory.

"happily ever after"

first snow!

2010-11-15T12:23:00.004-06:00

boy is it chilly out!

in my heart and mind

2010-11-12T07:50:00.002-06:00

work accomplished

2010-11-10T10:33:00.003-06:00

now the IV solutions in the lab are all organized!

2 Corinthians 6:3-10

2010-11-09T09:28:00.002-06:00

favorite willow tree - november 2010

"We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything."

What I Find @ Work, Part I

2010-11-08T11:22:00.001-06:00

pretty flowers

2010-11-05T16:16:00.001-05:00

the view from here

2010-11-03T16:47:00.005-05:00

quiet space

some squirrelly boys

welcoming pumpkins

the mother load

jon and me

a stunning sky

on the first day of...november

2010-11-01T00:07:00.001-05:00

Oh summer

2010-10-29T08:45:00.005-05:00

drive to Minneapolis

park play date

Jon and me

3 boys and a girl

my heart melteth

2010-10-27T15:02:00.000-05:00

all in a day's work

2010-10-26T13:12:00.003-05:00

yesterday i moved many pounds of mannequin body parts to their new home in the lab and stacked them in an organized fashion. now my supervisor and i will know right where to find them. yippee! b

family tradition

2010-10-22T14:45:00.001-05:00

every time we go to wendy's we buy a coffee toffee twisted frosty and everyone grabs a spoon to enjoy some bites of the ice cream goodness. and i mean everyone.

fall happies

2010-10-18T18:22:00.004-05:00

cousin's wedding shower

apple orchard

sunday morning drive

jon and me :)

breakfast with sissy

cuteness personified

2010-10-11T19:48:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here at the Library computer lab, studying for my Peds test that is tomorrow. I cannot help but notice the adorable grandpa sitting next to me. He's dressed in dark jeans and a striped dress shirt. Black leather jacket matches his scuffed up shoes. Fingers crooked with arthritis and glasses perched unevenly on his ears. Whitish hair's cowlicks collide with hat hair's swirls and the result is a rumpled style. He bites nervously on one finger as he searches a variety of names on whitepages.com. I notice that almost every one comes up as "no matches found", except for the rare hit. He finds one match - an 82-year-old living in California. 'Who are these people?' I wonder. Old friends? Family members? In my mind's eye I see an old, black and white photograph with a group of smiling, rowdy boys, grinning, their playful jostling captured for one second in time. Perhaps in college or maybe working on a farm somewhere. He breathes heavy, coughing every once in awhile, fingers stuttering across the keyboard. I wish I knew his story.

10.10.10

2010-10-10T22:05:00.004-05:00

en route to the cabin - summer 2010

This date is so appealing that I cannot resist blogging just so I can see it one more time. So here I am, blogging. I feel like I'm learning a lot these days and sometimes it makes me pretty tired. But I'm happy to learn and grow and see God at work in my life. That's all for now.

hope for the future

2010-10-06T23:11:00.003-05:00

se asia - summer 2010

this day has brought much hope for the future.

"strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow;

blessings all mine with ten thousand beside."

t. chisholm

baby, baby, baby oh!

2010-10-05T22:10:00.001-05:00

the child-birthing class i went to tonight made me miss my favorite baby in the world.

oh favorite food

2010-10-04T23:44:00.002-05:00

mie goreng

birdman

2010-09-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

fall is falling at the u

2010-09-22T21:16:00.002-05:00

getting back into the swing of things...

2010-09-20T21:56:00.003-05:00

nursing school is back in full force and i'm just as busy as ever, but i really love it!

i also have a new job in the nursing skills lab. above is a picture of the fruit of my labor from today! one of the poles got really wobbly and started falling over. i caught it just in time!

airplane sun

2010-09-12T15:28:00.001-05:00

home

2010-09-11T11:29:00.000-05:00

Why not. .

2010-07-12T15:53:00.003-05:00

post pictures of flowers?

I mean, come on!

What's not to like about them?

Which picture is your favorite?

What's your favorite flower?

Mmmmmm. Me lovie. (And yes, this is a guest post from THAT'S Interesting)

gone

2010-07-02T19:47:00.003-05:00

I'm going out of town for awhile so it will be quiet here for awhile,

unless my sister stops over to post sometimes.

the newest baby

2010-06-22T21:17:00.004-05:00

everyone - meet trixie.

she gulps down milk from the eyedropper like nobody's business.

three little girlies

2010-06-15T15:51:00.003-05:00

(my phone camera is just not the best)

swinging their little hearts out.

"look bofany! we're not even pushing each other or being mean!!"

that is the victory of the day.

blurry baby

2010-06-08T21:08:00.003-05:00

cool cats

2010-06-03T17:23:00.002-05:00

the wabies are evading the summer heat on the tile floor.

nice, smart wabies.

looking back

2010-06-01T15:25:00.004-05:00

It seems to me that in many literary works, an acceptable, climactic conclusion to a chapter goes something like this:

"She boarded the train and left with nary a backward glance."

"He walked forward without looking back, leaving all he knew behind, face forward to the future, striving for a way to escape the sorrows of his old life."

When I was little, I would read those passages and think to myself, "Wow. He is so brave. He didn't even look back! He is firm, solid, resolute, composed, strong, steady, adventurous, fearless."

But most of all, I was struck with the brave act of not looking back. How brave it would be to not look back, even when someone or something is there, waiting. Someone or something that you care deeply about. Love, even. Someone or something that some part of you, no matter how large, probably doesn't really want to say goodbye to. Someone or something that you might actually really want to look back on, to have one more snap-shot memory or image to cement in your mind's eye.

Today, while the little girl in me still thinks that it is indeed brave to not look back, another part of me, an older part of me realizes that sometimes, the bravest thing one can do in situations like these is to look back. Looking back is a different kind of brave. A deep brave.

Looking back displays the ability to deal with what you see when you look back. It's taking the risk that what you see might make you more sad instead of making you smile. Looking back is facing what's behind full on and being willing to experience what comes with that, draining though it may be. Looking back is making one more connection to the past, while taking that moment to the future and weaving it in to what lies ahead. Choosing how much to let the tinge, or blot, of it seep into whatever happens next.

Looking back is brave.

to sis and brother:

2010-05-16T01:32:00.003-05:00

sis,

when you're not here it's too hard to sleep.

so come back.

love,

your sis

-------------------------------

big brother,

you are younger than me.

but way taller.

and i love it.

plus, i go crazy when you dunk.

come home,

your shorter-older sister

FREE!

2010-05-12T00:05:00.003-05:00

this is me, throwing up my hands, channeling my inner "dr. leo marvin" (down to the crazy, directionally-challenged, chameleon eyes) the crazy doctor who finally snaps when he rids himself of his most clingy psychiatric patient ever: bob. or so he thought.

anyways.

i just turned in my last paper of the semester at 12.00am. it was due at 12.00am.

perfect timing.

since that was the last scholastic duty of the semester, all i can do is replay that scene from "what about bob?" and say to myself over and over again: "free. Free. FREE."

i hope your freedom is coming soon...

come home

2010-05-11T11:08:00.001-05:00

in bloom

2010-05-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

mississippi

2010-05-07T16:56:00.004-05:00

one

2010-05-06T15:19:00.004-05:00

one paper

one powerpoint

one presentation

and the semester will be finished.

hooray!

snicklefritzer

2010-05-03T09:58:00.000-05:00

she tries to escape all day long

When You Are Old - W. B. Yeats

2010-04-29T19:32:00.008-05:00

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true,

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,

Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

what a pair

2010-04-28T18:33:00.002-05:00

just in case...

2010-04-20T10:01:00.002-05:00

if you've never even heard of justin bieber, you probably should.

to help you fulfill your bare minimum of bieber fever knowledge, i am providing a clip to one of his music videos.

so that you will have at least heard of him.

Baby Music Video

on the up and up

2010-04-15T17:45:00.000-05:00

happenings in picture form

2010-04-13T12:16:00.005-05:00

princess party - 3.30

baking - 3.31

easter - 4.4

date with littlest brother - 4.7

ames - 4.9

new day

2010-03-30T14:59:00.003-05:00

ink is for paper, not for skin...neither works for me, apparently

2010-03-29T16:05:00.004-05:00

are you confused about who you are?

i may be able to assist you:

1. do you right scatterbrained letters/symbols on your hand because you never have paper when you need it? if yes, continue, with the beginning diagnosis of a brain-weary, resourceless yet-saving-the-trees-while-chemically-endangering-yourself-with-ink human.

2. do you proceed to let the said letters/symbols wash off your hand before you address their needs? (see the blackish smudge underneath the top B?) if yes, add the secondary diagnosis of potential procrastinator to your previous diagnosis.

3. do you continue to write letters/symbols on your hand even when the first ones didn't work? (see the red B over the black smudge?) if yes, add the tertiary diagnosis of slightly stubborn and continue to 4.

4. do you finally realize that random letters/symbols are simply NOT cutting it and then write words (like slides, on the bottom of my hand) and then realize the next time you look at your hand, that you can't even remember what that WORD is supposed to mean, no matter if you wrote it 5 seconds or 1 day previously? yep. go ahead, tack on the label of sleep deprived, and continue...

5. do you eventually proceed to write novels on your hand to help you remember not only your duties, but who in fact, you actually are? well, final diagnosis: you may be an overwhelmed college student in fact, fresh off of an exam and a paper, both conveniently due the same day.

let's see.

this leaves us with a brain-weary, resourceless yet-saving-the-trees-while-chemically-endangering-yourself-with-ink human, probably a potential procrastinator, dealing with issues such as stubbornness, who is an inevitably sleep deprived, overwhelmed college student.

there.

do you know who you are now?

and please, by all means, feel free to tweak that number 5 to fit your situation, which could very well be frazzled mother, confused boyfriend, etc.

at least i'm practicing developing my nursing diagnoses.

my nursing professors would be oh so pleased.

the twinnies cuteness...it's been awhile

2010-03-27T15:03:00.002-05:00

The twinnies have been so cute lately, I feel beholden to share some snippets of conversation:

"befany."

"yes, squirrelly?"

"i like the jonas brothers."

"okay."

squirrelly: "EVERY girl likes them."

sneaky pipes in. "are they in town? because i would like to see them."

me: "not right now."

sneaky: "but befany, I reawy reawy wike them."

squirrelly: "ALL the kids like the jonas brothers."

also, the twinnies provide the most intense personal scrutinization i think i've ever received. not a dust mite escapes their notice.

"befany. haha. your hair is STICKING UP. haha. you look reawy funny, befany."

and instantaneously, four sticky, sweet-as-sugar hands are patting down the sticking up spot before i can do a thing. and we just laugh.

-------------------------------------

they are very curious about God and Jesus and their questions pop up frequently:

- how did He get up there?

- does He have big muscles?

- are they bigger than Daddy's?

- does God lie?

- is He mad at us?

- how do we get up there?

- did he make all the flowers?

- and all the butterflies?

- and all the colors?!?

- and US?

more spurgeon

2010-03-23T01:04:00.003-05:00

yellowstone - may 2009

Monday, March 22, 2010

Faith's Check Book, Daily Entry

Grace for the Humble

He giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6)

Humble hearts seek grace, and therefore they get it. Humble hearts yield to the sweet influences of grace, and so it is bestowed on them more and more largely. Humble hearts lie in the valleys where streams of grace are flowing, and hence they drink of them, Humble hearts are grateful for grace and give the Lord the glory of it, and hence it is consistent with His honor to give it to them.

Come, dear reader, take a lowly place. Be little in thine own esteem, that the Lord may make much of thee. Perhaps the sigh breaks out, "I fear I am not humble." It may be that this is the language of true humility. Some are proud of being humble, and this is one of the very worst sorts of pride. We are needy, helpless, undeserving, hell-deserving creatures, and if we are not humble we ought to be. Let us humble ourselves because of our sins against humility, and then the Lord will give us to taste of His favor. It is grace which makes us humble, and grace which finds in this humility an opportunity for pouring in more grace. Let us go down that we may rise. Let us be poor in spirit that God may make us rich. Let us be humble that we may not need to be humbled but may be exalted by the grace of God

2010-03-20T15:00:00.004-05:00

Today has been probably THE MOST lazy day I have had in a very long time.

I like it.

And I partially don't like it too.

I think I will go find something to do so that I can feel that I've accomplished something tangible by the end of the day.

they're going up...

2010-03-18T11:02:00.003-05:00

it's family tradition to have a bracket competition.