Where has the time gone?

Yep, it's definitely been almost half a year since my last post. Isn't that ridiculous when you say it? We've been as busy as ever, though we have definitely learned when to just rest and love each other instead of feeling obligated to do everything we are invited to. Mostly that translates into having not finished painting our house yet. We have been done with the kitchen and den for a long time now, and recently finished 3/4 of the hall before we ran out of paint. And of course we have not been back to Lowe's to get more. But oneday, it will be done and we will invite people over. It's not like I even mind painting, because I don't. I actually enjoy painting, once I can make myself get started. But we will deal with my procrastination later; on to more important and more fun things.

I have had a birthday, David has had a birthday, and we have had our 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY since my last post! We went up to Pigeon Forge for a few days and stayed in a cabin and took in the sights and had so much fun. My favorite thing was going to Dollywood. Since I was a little girl I have loved Dolly Parton, so I loved every part of Dollywood. David had fun too, but with a little less enthusiasm than me. We ate a ton of good food in Tennessee and took tons of pictures. We also had a lot of time to just be together. I feel like we do a good job of communicating, which is big if you knew me when I was younger, and I love just talking and sharing and snuggling and dreaming with David. I am so blessed and truly REDEEMED in my marriage, and its only been a year. People say that the first year is the hardest, but ours hasn't been very hard at all honestly. Of course there have been a couple of bumps, but we weren't broken or bruised from them, we just got over them and came out stronger and more unified and ONE on the other side. And so I am thankful for the foundation we have built during this first year, and that it wasn't hard. But I also wonder if that hard year is somewhere else down the road. Sometimes I try to tell myself that its not, that since the first year is supposed to be the hardest and ours wasn't that we're home free, but I know that is not reality. So then I just have to say a little prayer that God would continue to draw us into Him and into each other, and that the foundation we are building would not crumble when things get hard.

On another note, I am moving departments in the hospital. I will still be working nights, but only for a little while longer. I will be on 6th medical and there are a lot of people closer to my age there, so who knows what could happen. I will miss my friends on Neuro, but its just time for a change. I am going to be cutting it close for our vacation this year, so pray that I can get the week of July 4th off. We are planning to go to the beach with Erin and Brandon and mom, and I have the time off, but my request will be last minute since I don't start until May 13 and I can't ask off until I get in that department. Our schedules are for 4 weeks at a time, so that means that on the first full schedule I work, I will have to be off for a week. So pray pray pray that I can get the time off, otherwise it'll be like last summer and we won't go anywhere again!

Here's some pictures of our trip; enjoy!



Riding the sky lift in Gatlinburg, Tennessee



Dolly was waiting for me when we checked in to our cabin



Such beautiful scenery-one of hundreds of pictures



Happy first anniversary Davey-I love you forever!