gotta love being college students

The two pictures on the right are very sad pictures. This is what your fridge would look like on a college student's salary. That is until today.
Today, we got to go grocery shopping! And our fridge looks much better than this now.
Now, I don't want anyone to think that we are going hungry, there is still a lot of food you can't see in the cupboards and freezer so believe me we are not starving! It's funny though how long you can actually go without buying groceries. I think the last time we went was a couple of weeks before spring break, which was the first week of March. Oh, don't you all wish you were college students? :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

me and my car

Now I know that I do not have a good track record with the cars that so happen into my life...but I'd like to think that as I get older, I drive more carefully, I wash her when I can, I just cleaned all of my junk out of her, I play good music when I drive, really for the most part, my car has it pretty good.

But all that is right and good in the world does not apply to me and my car. Somewhere on my short trip to or from school I mananaged to deeply lodge a broken off razor blade into the tread of my rear passenger tire. I almost drove all the way to work like that and but a nice gentleman at the convience store hollared at me that I had a flat tire and offered me his air pump. I looked at the tire and then thanked him, but an air pump wasn't going do me any good.

So I drove home (3 mins away) traded cars with Jason and made it to work on time.

We have road hazard coverage on our tires through Discount Tire. So we would maybe at the most have to pay $20.00 for a tire, the only problem is that the closest Discount Tire is in Traverse City. Ahhh!!!!!!!!! So for the time being my car and my spare tire are only going to school and back until we figure out what to do about a tire. :)

Anyway. Other than my car hating, me things are going good up here. It was really nice over the weekend but the last couple of days it has only been in the 40's. But no rain! It has been very sunny everyday and you will not hear me complaining about that!

Tonight we indulged in the simple childish pleasure of standing in the rain.

crazy husband of mine

I don't know what I did to deserve someone like Jason, but I am one lucky girl. I also don't know why it took almost two years for "us" to feel so good and so right, but now that it has come I wouldn't want to trade this for the world.

Friday night we attended the graduate writers poetry/fiction/non-fiction reading at the Landmark Inn down town. Jason and I have only attended two of these readings, but we look forward to them every month. It's a very informal yet respectful night. The poem that did me in was about a girl's 10 month old nephew she has been babysitting and taking care of as only an auntie can do. As she read I could only think of Emily and how much I miss her and how terribly sad it is to me to miss her growing up. I immediately went outside and called Amber, crossing my fingers that Emily would still be up. Amber gave her the cell phone and she said "hello" and "stacey" and "iloveyou" which was about the cutest and dearest thing I have ever heard. She gave up on talking to me and begged to take her bath, but it was good enough for me.

It's a strange feeling to me being so happy and so content with my life and where I am heading, and on the other hand to feel this deep desperation and yearning to be where my roots are. I wish I was home, if just for a day to see all who are dear to me, to soak them in, and take it all back with me.

I have been having a hard time getting time off work to come home. Let alone have a single weekend day off to be able to do nothing or everything, and going to church has been out of the question for so long now. My dilemma is what to do about it. Do I leave my fellow co-workers in the lurch? Do I search for something else that will offer me even just a wee bit of flexibility when it comes to scheduling? Do I stick it out and be thankful for what I have and just deal with it? Do I give up trips home, camping trips, lazy summer days, and everything else that gets pushed to the side when I have to work every single weekend?

I don't know. I will figure it out, I always do.

On Friday night Jason and I also had the chance to go out after the reading. We had good conversations with new friends that are becoming good friends and most of all after they had left, and it was just the two of us we talked and talked and talked.

I love my husband.
I love how just how much he loves me.
I love that he kisses me every time either one of us goes out or comes in the door.
I love his mind and how it is constantly working and processing and asking for more.
I love how much he encourages me, or just lets me be.
I love that he strives to be closer to the Lord.
I love his musical talent.
I love much much more about him than these.
I love you Jason.
I would be so bored without you in my life.

season of change

It is officially spring and that means lots of change in the world. The snow melts, trees start to bud, flowers poke their delicate heads through the muck, birds start chirping, and important decisions are made.
Today I finalized a decision that I have been mulling over for a while. I have realized these last two semesters that life is too short and my sanity is too important to pursue a career that although will bring me financial stability and job security, in the end will it really be the right thing to do. Are all the perks of nursing really worth it if it's not something I really love to do even if I would be good at it?
I have come to the conclusion that no it's not worth it.
I have been mulling this over in my heart and my head for a while now and today the weight was lifted off of my heart and my shoulders.
Today I met with the Christine Flavin, she is going to be my new advisor and a professor of photography at the art and design school at Northern Michigan.
Today was the first in many steps of changing my major to Photography and I couldn't be happier! After meeting with my new advisor and looking over the classes I need to register for I looked at them and realized that they were ALL art classes and I was happy as a clam about it. This is a HUGE step for me, but something that I know I have to do in order to stake my claim on the happiness that everyone deserves.
I know that it might not be the most stable profession, but I do know that it is a direction that my heart has been begging and begging me take and finally I had the courage to step in the right direction.
I will admit that I'm a little scared, a little apprehensive and little worried that I'm not going to be creative enough. BUT I am sure that it will be a challenge and when it comes to challenges I thrive! Most of all though, I am excited to see what my options are and what my creative juices will come up with! Ahhh the possibilities!

I am going to be taking courses in Graphic Communications which will hopefully give me a lot more options when i finish school (which by the way i have no clue how long it will take to finish, i'll have to figure that out)

In the mean time this summer I am going to take a black and white photography class which will put me a little ahead of the game.
I am so excited and couldn't be happier. It's such a good feeling knowing that I will be doing something I love to do.

Today I became an Art and Design student! Wow is that scary or what!



-I almost forgot to mention this,(sorry jason) but Jason was offered at Teaching Assistant position next fall. This means he will teach his own class...by himself, we will get a financial stipend to live off of AND the school pays for his tuition. We are both so excited for this! Both of our changes are answers to prayer and a confirmation that we are still on the right path and heading in the right direction (everyone needs that once in a while!)

what to say.....

Well, it's tuesday and I am at a loss of words of what to say on this blog of mine. I don't think the fact that it's Tuesday has anything to do with it though, I was just making a statement of truth. Maybe something will come to me as I sit and stare at my screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nope. Okay then everyone have a great wednesday!

HAPPY ST. Paddy's DAY!

-edited to add pretty in green photo

left to my own devices

Jason is home for the weekend, so I get the WHOLE bed to myself! When left by myself though, I get a little goofy. The picture of me was today after I looked at the mirror and decided I was just too cute not to take a piture (ok...a few pictures). The sunset picture I took last night. Jason had left a few hours before and I had a impromtu chicken pot pie just getting done in the oven, and coffee in the coffee press brewing, when I happened to look out the one shade that was open and saw that the sky was so beautiful and the sun was almost done setting. So i threw on shoes, took out the pot pie, turned off the oven and hurried out the door. The pictures didn't turn out the way I would have liked them to, but there is something so awesome and moving in the sunsets that hold me captive and just begs me to come back.

the seaguls think it's spring....

So why can't i? Just wondering. I know it's false hope and I know that a little over a week ago I was excited to finally have a lot of snow in the UP and the prospect of a snow day, but 50 degree weather, sunshine and melting snow has a girl hoping. I opened our windows in the apartment and let the breeze and fresh air in. I didn't wear a coat today and I am trying my hardest not to be depressed when the snow comes back...as I'm sure it will. I just love spring. I think the warm weather and sunshine makes everything seem better. So I will enjoy the "high" temps and sunshine and the privilege of opening my window and when the snow flies again I will hopefully remember that spring is not that far away.

post vacation report

It's Sunday today, which means that tomorrow is Monday, and that means it's back to school, work and everything else that goes along with it. Vacation is almost over. I don't really thinks it's over until my alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning. Jason and I made it home safe last night after a bumping landing and are currently adjusting to being full time students again. We loved Arizona and had an amazing relaxing time there, but as we walked onto the tarmac last night the sun was setting and we both realized that being home feels just as good as going on vacation. Today I cleaned the apartment, did all of our laundry and read 2 chapters for my mythology class tomorrow and drank a lot of coffee. The picture below is not one that I would normally care to share, but it shows how tan i am! If you look closely, it's really a picture of my face on SUN. my forehead, nose, cheeks and basically my whole face is peeling, and i have a fever blister on my lip...and all i wanted to do today was sit in the sun some more! Vacations are very good and very needed, but it's also very good to come back to our home, sleep in our own bed, and not worrying about scorpions. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma. We had a great time.

the pile of Clean laundry, that still needs to be folded

my suitcase, that is only partially unpacked, i wonder how many days it will sit there? :)

hi Linda

Linda, i just wanted you to know that Jason and I were thinking of you all the way up on the top of Mt. Lemon! This was a sign for 1 of the 2 open shops up top. I thought of you right away. I miss you and think of you and your little bambino growing in your tummy often.

I had other pictures to post, but after this sunset, they all pale in comparison. Jason and I drove to a spot where we could see the sun set better than at the condo and after I took some we headed to dinner. On the way I kept looking at the sky while looking for street signs and all of the sudden I told Jason HE HAD TO PULL OVER!!!! THE SKY IS PINK! His new name is boy who chases the sun. He found the perfect road to turn off onto so that I could get these pictures. It was so beautiful, I couldn't stop staring at it. These pictures are beautiful, but don't do the actual sky justice. I will post more pictures later, but these just need to stand on their own for a while.

Catalina State Park

jason and i at the pools

pools that were up in the Catalina mountains

a lone flower on the side of the trail

Gram, Megs, and Necie hiked a little ways with us, I was looking down at them when i took it.

the pools, where the water carved out the rocks

the view

Jason overlooking the Oro Valley (where we are staying)

On Monday we all got up early had some coffee, made sandwhiches and filled our water bottles, and took the 10 minute drive to Catalina State Park. Gram, Meg, and Necie hiked for a while with us and then Jason and I blazed ahead. It was only 2.8 miles to the pools so we decided to go for it. The climb wasn't too bad, rocky at parts, but when you finally get to water in the middle of desert mountians, it was worth the hike. It was very hot on the way down and we were glad that we started when we did. Later we sat by the pool and fried a little more, had some really good burgers for dinner, and then us girls went to the mall. Vacation is wonderful!

greetings from Tucson

I hope everyone is enjoying the snow! It's so beautiful here. Today we laid by the pool, jason took a long walk, (and a nap) I sewed and just sat outside for a long time enjoying the fact that i could be outside. Tomorrow we are getting up early in the morning for a hike in the Catalina State Park which is about 10 minutes from where we are. We'll try and bring some sun shine back to us when we come back.

why i hate living in an apartment

When I got home from work, the realty company that just left us notices saying that over spring break we couldn't leave our vehicles in the parking lot we pay to use because of plowing. When the plows come they want our cars out of the lot. Well not only were our cars out of the lot this morning, but they failed to plow the new 6 inches of snow that fell last night, AND jason got a 50 dollar ticket for parking on the street. They also failed to shovel the walk to the apartment, so with the drifts there was about 12 inches of snow on the walk way. (yesterday I went to target to get a shovel but they didn't have any so I bought a new shirt instead...makes sense right) So as of 3:00 today when I came home I still did not have a shovel and being the inovative independent girl that I am I decided that I needed to shovel the walk some how. So i got my dust pan and went to work. I was just about done when who would happen to show up but the shovel man. So anyway. Not a great time in apartment land.
That being said, our plane is still on time and we will hopefully be in Tuscon tonight! I will update when we get there. (p.s. if anyone wants to buy us a house....yeah that'd be great!)

........dreams do come true!.....

dreaming

Dreaming of a snow day! Hopefully I will not have to go to classes tomorrow. In my mind if I say "there's going to be a snow day tomorrow" over and over again it will happen. "They" have predicted up to 16 or so inches tonight, but knowing the snow luck we have been having we will only get an inch. So here's to hoping!

Update: it's 11:23pm and there is at least 4 inches and possibly 6 out side!

update: updated: Still snow'in like crazy! The snow is above the door to our apartment! Snow day! Snow Day! snow Day!