full of blessings

So an update.

In February I applied for a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) job at an assisted living. In order to keep my certification I had to work eight paid hours. I had zero and my deadline was a month away. Procrastination. I. Am. The. Worst.
Talk about a huge blessing when I got offered a job. Originally I was just thinking temporary. I had a job that I loved at the public library. But, after much thought and prayer, I took a big leap of faith and quit my job…before my first day at the new job. For a day or so I had a few, "Oh my gosh, what did I do!" moments. Haha!
But I love my new job. I'm helping people. Everyday. I'm doing what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. And, icing on the cake, I am able to get more hours and I get paid more for what I do.

In March I turned nineteen. I can't believe that in less than a year I will no longer be a teenager.
For my birthday I did something I've thought about doing for, gosh, probably about a year. I cut all of my hair off. Well, I say all…most of my hair.

It was a huge change. But I love it. It is so easy. So so easy. And it's me.

In May I went to see The Lion King Musical. Oh. My. Goodness. No words. It completely exceeded my expectations. I would put it up on my "top ten best experiences of my life" list.

In May I was accepted into my college's nursing program. Part of me was so excited. I was finally getting a real, tangible start on my career. Then, part of me was freaking out about starting school in August. Don't get me wrong, I really want to be a nurse. It has become my passion. But nursing school is tough! And as much as I desire my degree, it was still way out of my comfort zone. Could I really do this nursing thing?

I am half way through my first semester of nursing school. Yes, it is tough. But I'm doing it. And I'm loving it.

Twenty-thirteen is nearly over. We're already half way through October. So much has changed. I've learned so much.
Life can be hard.
Unemployment.
Divorce.
Tension.
Finances.
Death.
Losing friends.
Tears.

Sure. Life is hard.
But life is also so full of blessings. You just have to stop and look.
Hugs.
Family.
My sweet, sweet residents at work.
Encouraging words.
A beautiful sunset.
Friends at school.
The Word. (Have you ever read the book of Amos? New favorite.)
Answers to prayer.
Understanding.

~~~

Tell me. What's been up with you?

looking back at 2012

{january}

--joined pinterest

--saw beauty and the beast in 3-D...twice

{february}

--bought my new mac computer...Minnie

--my brother Logan turned twelve

--started writing in a journal again

--my brother Zachary turned sixteen

{march}

--started straightening my hair

--turned eighteen...official adult! O_o

{april}

--my beautiful sister, Annie, turned fifteen

--read the hunger games

--my car, Waldo, was given to me

{may}

--graduated high school...!!

--watched a sunrise

{june}

--played mini golf for the first time...let's just say it's not my thing

{july}

--helped lead a middle school church trip and got to go zip lining and white water rafting

--colored my hair for the first time

--watched Annie play softball...she is one awesome catcher

{august}

--fell in love with the doctor 

--rode my first roller coaster

--started my first full-time college semester

{september}

--my sister and i painted our bathroom...doctor who themed

--went to my first drive-in theater

{october}

--took a huge family vacation to Florida

--met my amazing dear friend, Emily

--was a pink lady for Halloween

{november}

--helped host a great Thanksgiving

--made my muscle head model for anatomy class. i call him Herman and he seriously boosted my grade in that class. i owe him.

--put up our Christmas tree

{december}

--my grandma went to be with Jesus

--survived school

--went to see the hobbit

--had a very blessed Christmas

There were a lot of firsts this year. And a lot of lasts. I will admit, 2012 was a tough year. But that doesn't mean there were not good memories made. It's the first day of 2013 and I want to pray for a peaceful new year. But most of all, I pray that God's will be done in 2013. 

It's Christmas

Christmas has come and gone. The new year is approaching fast. My holiday was different this year. But still blessed as ever.

One of my most favorite parts of the holiday is our Christmas Eve service at church. It was beautiful.

We spent Christmas Eve dinner with my grandparents, uncle, aunt, and cousins. Christmas Eve night always means lots of family jokes, presents, food, games, and getting home late. It's a blast!

On Christmas morning we all woke up around 7:00 (which is early for me folks) and headed downstairs to see what Santa had left us. And boy was it a sight. People, over my two days of Christmas, I've never seen so much Doctor Who merchandise...and it's now all found its home in my very own bedroom. *happy dance*

After all our presents were unwrapped and we'd all made a thorough mess, we got ready for our day. This year we hosted a big Christmas day brunch and invited multiple families from our church and home school group. Our house was packed! This was my absolute favorite part of Christmas this year. Serving these people, my friends, on Christmas Day...what a huge blessing!

{Photo credit goes to my dad.}

Dear Florida,

Dear Florida,

We're back!

{Photo credit goes to my dad.}

I've got something to say.

"You are heaven's Haley's Comet; we have one shot at seeing you shine.  You offer a gift to society that no one else brings.  If you don't bring it, it won't be brought."  --Max Lucado

Senior Banquet

Graduation

 Instead of picking one gown color, we decided to be a rainbow.

It happened.  I graduated.  I am officially a high school graduate and a college freshman.


My weekend was amazing.  If I tried to thank every person individually here and now I know for certain I'd leave somebody out... So, thank you to everyone who attended my graduation; you are the bomb.  Thank you to all the behind the scenes people that made this thing happen; everything was beautiful.  And one big thank you to my parents who put in so much hard work and dedication these last many years to giving me the best education possible.


What an incredible journey I've had up 'til now.  It's been so fun...and gone by so fast.


Am I ready for this growing up thing?  I think so.  God'll be with me.  I can do it.


The song below was kind of my theme song for graduation.  It says that if we're living and breathing, we have something to say.  That if our heart is beating, we have a message to share.  God's love is in us and speaks through us.  That is my hope for the coming years...that the Lord will shine through me.  


  


Philippians 2:13 & 15, "For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to will and to act for His good purpose. ...so that you may be blameless and pure children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars."


{Photo credit goes to my daddy.}

when you feel magic

The other night I up and decided, "You know.  I think I need some ice cream."  Zach and I hop in Waldo and take a DQ run.  Dairy Queen is all of two minutes from our front door.  This can be amazing...at times.  Until you realize that your pay check can very easily dwindle to nothing because you gave it all to Dairy Queen in exchange for blizzards.  But this particular night, I didn't care.  I just wanted some ice cream.  Some rich chocolatey goodness.

We swing through the drive through and I order my blizzard.  Medium Chocolate Xtreme.  The usual.  As we head back towards our house, I look over at Zach.  "I'm not ready to go home yet.  Wanna go someplace else?"  {Sidenote:  When I started driving, I made a discovery.  There are not very many places to hang out in my town.  I mean, you can only go to Books-A-Million so many times, folks.}  I decided I'd pull over in a small back road and just sit.  So I parked on the roadside and turned off Waldo except for the radio playing faintly in the background.  Zach opened the sunroof and I rolled down my window.  I ate my blizzard and just sat.

It was almost magical.  Scratch that...it was magical.  At least for me it was.  I felt like I was in a story book.  Peering through the sunroof at the clouds and the birds.  Feeling the slight breeze as I stuck my head out the window.  Beautiful.

Waldo

You know those books?  The "Where's Waldo" books?  I love those books.  In fact, I was nicknamed by a friend one time for that very reason.  But, I'm getting off subject...

God gave me Waldo.  And I wanted to tell you how.

As many of you know, I'm approaching my high school graduation.  In the fall I'll be a full time college student.  It's no secret that I'm really excited.  And also a bit nervous.  One of the reasons I'm a bit nervous is because of my schedule change.

For the past two years I've attended our community college with my brother and we have been truly blessed to be on the same time schedule with our classes.  This coming semester, though, will bring a change to that.  I'll be taking four classes, verses his two.  Which means I'll be out there a lot longer.  We both have different jobs.  My sister has a job.  My mom has a job.  We only have one vehicle.  To share.  I started getting a bit frantic.  "How is this going to work?  I can't keep the truck for the entire day while I'm at school.  What if Mom's in a meeting and I have to get to work?  Or Annie has to get to work and Zach has to be picked up from school?  This is going to be crazy!  How is this going to work?"

I started thinking about my options.  And, me being me, I worried.  A lot.  I thought that maybe I could get another part-time job in the summer to cover the expense of buying my own vehicle.  "But what if I can't get a job anywhere?  What if this doesn't work out?"

"God, I need a car!"

One Sunday morning in late March I sat in church and listened to my pastor talk about being satisfied.  And, more than that even, trusting God with everything.  And through that complete trust, how peace follows.  I decided that day to give it all to God.  That my worrying wouldn't change my circumstance.  That it wouldn't bring me a vehicle.  I realized that I thought I needed a car.  I don't need a car.  I wanted a car.  Sure, it would definitely make life a bit easier.  But I'm sure we could probably figure out a way to get by without one.

"God, I trust YOU.  I trust YOU."

The very next day...and I'm talking the very next day, my daddy tells me my aunt has called and that she suggested I borrow Grandma's car.  She's unable to use it anymore and it's just sitting in her front yard.

God is just overwhelming sometimes, you know.  The way He works in and through us for His glory.  It's overwhelming.  And completely amazing.

My grandma and some other family members gave the okay (Big, huge thanks to them!  *hugs*) and my parents brought Waldo (My twelve year old brother, Logan, gave the car it's name.  He said it sounded like Volvo.) home.  It needed a bit of work done.  Due to a sunroof leak there was some mold and water under the carpet.  It went to get cleaned...for over two weeks.  Which was a definite test of my patience.  But whenever I got stressed or anxious about the situation, I could hear God whispering to me, "Katie.  Calm down.  I've got it.  I'll get you through."

We brought Waldo home to stay on Wednesday.

 My little flip flop air freshener.

Waldo is my blessing.  My big, amazing blessing.

{Thank you to Annie for taking some of the photos.}