A Decade in Review

I saw this idea on another blog and loved it...so I have to borrow it.. It is amazing to think of 10 years and what changes have occured in my life! God is so good and faithful!
(disclaimer: this is long, once I started got excited about documenting milestones! more for me than you!)

2000

Adjusted to life in the real world with first job as a Registered Nurse

Learned how to deal with the stress of working in ICU

Bought my first home (a townhouse)

Realized living on my own was lonely even though I was still 15 min from mom and dad

Met the man of my dreams and realized he would one day be my husband

2001

Jan 26th, got engaged to my prince charming and started planning a wedding

Wanted to marry in may, got talked into september for "financal reasons"

Realized my future husband was brilliant and full of potential

Signed him up for the MAT without him knowing then drove him to take it so he could go to graduate school (his dream but needed a kick in the back side)

Start the application process for john to go to anesthesia school

Prayed for guidance in so many life changing areas

Sept 8th- marry the man of my dreams

Sept 11th- watch the twin towers fall while on a cruise ship on our honeymoon.

Try to get in touch with family from ship, no luck.

Feel sad and scared and try to enjoy the honeymoon anyway

sept 20something- get on a plane for interview to Duke for john, near panic attack flying so close to the terrorist attacks

dec-john interviews in kansas for anesthesia school

I don't go because "God would never send me to Kansas!"

John gets accepted to KU immediately.

I tell my family and new hubby I can't go to kansas

God starts revealing His plan for us to go to where?KANSAS

2002

John interviews at UAB, knowing he had KU to fall back on

I hope to fall in love with birmingham while there, hate it

March-put house up for sale to get ready to move to kansas

thinking it will take a while, sells in 2 days

Move in with mom and dad for 2 months while getting ready for move to kansas

May-move to kansas, john starts school

I stay behind to finish working and become and aunt for the first time!

I join john in kansas. hardest move of my life.

Have to totally rely on GOD for everything.

Find amazing job with nursing agency at 2 great hospitals

Make enough to support john going through school and live in 2 bedroom apt.

Realize how stressful it is to bethe breadwinner, move away from home, get married, and start feeling alone and lost

Homesick and depressed

Realize the honeymoon is over and had no clue how hard marriage really was going to be

Take a much needed vacation to the beach following john's first semester in grad school

Pack my bags for home and tell my hubby this is too hard (didn't ever make it out the front door)

decide to "stick it out" and adjust my expectations

Find an amazing church and start going to a couples bible study in kansas

2003

John starts in the OR for anesthesia school and stress levels reach an all time high.

Marriage is tough and my prayer life gets an overhaul.

Start longing for a family and the desire to have a baby burns in me

Realize we hadn't gotten pregnant and had been married almost 2 years.

Countless doctor's appointments and a diagnosis of infertility

Depressed, devistated, exhausted

Cry myself to sleep for weeks

mourn the loss of not conceiving and start praying for a miracle (along with hundreds of other people through prayer chains)

may- travel home for hubby's best friend's wedding

June- get in-vitro payment plan in the mail and again grieve over the thought of not having children

See 2 faint lines and realize God loves me

Take 3 more tests and know a miracle has taken place

Hospitalized for hyperemesis and find out pregnancy is tough

Stress out about not being able to work while so sick and being the bread winner.

Meet and get to know my best friend through work

Continue to enjoy new and growing friendships through church and small group

Go to marriage counseling

Found out we would be having a BOY

2004

Working way too much, days, nights, weekends, ICU, labor and delivery all with agency, trying to keep up with bills and pregnancy

Blood pressure goes up and swelling starts. pregnancy does not agree with me

Feb 27th-induced and deliver a healthy baby boy after a very trying and painful labor

Bond with my miracle

Hubby excells in school and looks forward to a dec graduation.

realize my hubby is the best father I could ever have hoped for for my son (and more)

Baby blues set in

Have to go back to work

Gramma (my mom) makes a trip to kansas 9 times in 9 months to watch jackson while I work and sleep

Aug-trip to louisiana to house hunt and look for a job, realize family is what matters

Spend every penny we have to put a contract on builing our dream home

Dec- john finishes anesthesia school after much blood, sweat, and tears for both of us

Move home to louisiana and back in with my parents as our dream home finishes contruction

Jackson learns to walk and we are amazed everyday with our miracle and how wonderful he is

2005

Jan- john studies every waking minute for boards

John starts new job

11month old jackson is rushed to the ER with anaphylactic reaction to eggs (scariest few hours of my life)

Feb-move into dream home

Jackson turns 1

March- realize that God has a wonderful plan for us and that includes blessing us with another miracle baby

Aug 29th- Hurricane Katrina changes life as we know it forever

Again count our blessings-our home was spared

Endure another sick pregnancy and watch blood pressure go up

Realize it's hard to be pregnant and take care of a 1 year old

Nov 16- Logan Maxwell is born and my life is filled with joy

2006

Jan 1st brings God's faithfullness in john's job transition to new employer

Adjust to life with 2 boys

Settle into roll as stay at home mom and love it

Vacation back to kansas to visit dearly missed friends, didn't go quite as planned

Still adjusting to living in hurricane ravaged town

2007

John gets idea to write a book, I never knew he could write

Boys start mommy's day out

I lose 70 pounds of baby weight

Start making deeper friendships at church through couples small group- open up our home for meetings

Continue to learn that marriage is hard work and adjust to the demands of 2 kids on our relationship

Vacation in pensacola and realize how blessed I am

Enjoy hours of boating, swimming, and good ole' louisiana living with parents and sisters close by.

Realize family get togethers are crazy with 7 cousins under the age of 6

2008

My hubby spends hundreds of hours writing, editing, and ultimately self-publishing his book about anesthesia

Worry our oldest may have autistic traits, start evaluations and countless therapy session with multiple disciplines (ST, OT, etc.)

prayer life again gets revved up thinking about wanting only the best for our boys

Head back to the beach for our favorite vacation spot.

2009

Watch Jackson excel in school and progress through speech therapy and occupational therapy enough that our fears and concerns diminish

Train for and complete my first ever triathlon

I go back to work for first time in 5 years

Take a trip to Branson, Mo with in-laws

Boys meet mickey mouse!!! great vacation to disney with my parents

The most perfect beach vacation yet with crystal clear water and perfect weather. The boys love the sand

Can't shake the desire for another baby

Pray about adopting

Sign up for half marathon to race in 2010

Struggle with finding out who I am and what I'm here for...