It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Lots of cheeful news in this blog :)

Kerry has completed his first semester of anesthesia school with...get this...a 4.0 average! All A's for my brilliant future anesthetist! I'm so proud of him and the effort he's put into this, and that he's found something he trully loves to do. One semester down, six to go. Two years from right now I believe we'll be SO happy we won't be able to stand it.

Since he's not having to study for a huge test, Kerry came with me this morning to Freeport, FL to run in a race. I ran in a 10k (6.2 miles) and he did a 5k. BOTH of us finished first in our divisions! That's pretty cool. For all the races I've participated in, I've never taken home a medal. Felt pretty good if you ask me. ;)

And for some very encouraging, much needed, long awaited news...I started my new job Monday morning! And I gotta say, so far, so good. We're so thrilled. God is good!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Against the Wind

I ran my first half-marathon yesterday! Talk about tough, everything was going against me. The weather was mean (40 degrees with a 15 mph wind that gusted even higher at times), but I felt fine once I got moving around and what not. I went to program my iPod with my list of awesome music I compiled just for this event, and despite the fact that I had charged it, it was DEAD. I still have NO clue how that happened, so for the entire 13.1 miles I was forced to entertain myself...scary, I know. To top it all off, at the turnaround point, my plantar faciitis in my left foot came screaming back despite the fact that we taped my feet for extra support. SO for at least 6 1/2 miles I had to slow down and even hobble a bit. Pitiful. I'm not totally happy with the whole experience, but hey, I DID IT! That's the longest distance I've ever run, and I'm pretty proud of it. I trained intensely for 10 weeks, which for dumpy little me isn't all that long. Now I need a new goal, and a new pair of running shoes...I think these have about had it! ;)

With many thanks

This Thanksgiving was definitely one we'll never forget. Last Monday started out like any other, Kerry getting up and going to school, me tending to Otis and doing some chores. We got the call from home close to lunchtime that things were taking a turn for the worse with Kerry's papa, so the split decision was made to pack hurriedly and zoom up to Andalusia/Red Level. We made it in time to say our goodbyes and hold hands with papa for a few more hours before he was gone, and we are so thankful. Close to 9pm, it was finished. It was a tearful week, but a joyful one at the same time. We were with family and friends laughing and crying together, and eating way too much as usual ;). We will miss him terribly, but everything is going to be ok. We know who holds tomorrow.



Kerry and Austin even went running with me Thursday morning! It was great to have company on the run. I'm getting nervous because it's crunch time! My half marathon is this coming Saturday morning. I sure hope I can at least cross the finish line. I've trained pretty hard for this, and I'm looking forward to it...that and the many pasta meals we'll have this week ;)



Please continue to remember us at this time. God bless.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Ok so I caved in and put up our trees. But ONLY a week early. My excuse is that we don't know what the plans are for the coming days, so we went ahead with things, and who knows, maybe I'll get to help my mom with hers next week. I'm very excited about one of mine! It's a beach tree in honor of our move to PCB. Blue ornaments, sand dollars, starfish, etc. SO pretty to me. The other tree is our classic red and gold that we've had since our first Christmas, plus our extra ornaments we've been given as gifts over the years (Auburn, Alabama, etc.) That should do it for trees since our space and funds are limited ;)

Take a peek! Check out my favorite ornament, too. Looks just like my little O!

A year after...

A year ago today we lost my dear, sweet Grandaddy. I say lost...he passed away. He had a far better place to be. It was tough, and I miss him so much still, but I'm confident that I'll see him again.

What's strange is that at this time Kerry and I are dealing with a very similar situation with his Papa. He has pancreatic cancer, and will most likely not be with us for very much longer. It's a heartbreaking time for us, so please remember us in your prayers. This is putting a strain on Kerry as well because he's juggling his studies and trips home to spend some time with his Papa before it's too late.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner! 2009 is almost in the books. I have nothing more profound to say about it just yet, isn't that sad? Today I only wanted to focus on Grandaddy and the things he taught me, and the things I still strive to glean from my relationship with him. That should be enough. =)

Happy Halloweenie :)

October is here, and as of Friday evening fall is finally in the air! Brr! We love cuddle weather around here though, and were well past ready to get rid of the humidity. Here's hoping it stays away awhile.

What a busy month it has been! Kerry is still working hard in school and doing quite well, so the prayers are working! We need more though, so keep 'em coming. We were able to go home this weekend for the first time since he started classes, and it was awesome to see everyone. I made him get up early with me on Saturday morning to go running, of course. I made it 6 miles this time. Not a personal best, but getting there. This half marathon will be here before I want it to! My only goal is to cross the finish line in a respectable amount of time...so that leaves me plenty of flexibility right? Homecoming at Mt. Zion was also this weekend, so we were able to see some of our church family and my extended family as well. It was a great day!

Please keep praying for Kerry, his grandfather (who is going through some serious testing), and for me! I've made the startling decision to switch careers. Sounds crazy, I know, but I really do believe that God is leading me elsewhere. My struggle is with faith in His plan and guidance right now. Things will fall into place, I'm sure, because they always do when I let go of what I think is best.

Happy Halloweenie! Like my Doxie pumpkin? I'm still a little creative right? haha ;)

2 and 8

Today is a great day!

Today, 2 years ago at 4pm, I married the man of my dreams, my best friend, and the most handsome man alive. Two years have flown by! I'm happy to report we're right on track for our plans, but then again, how can we ever really plan anything? We're achieving our goals right and left, and sometimes it helps (me at least) to step back and realize that!

ALSO 8 years ago today, Kerry took me out on our first date ;)

We celebrated this weekend with a big dinner that I (gasp) cooked. I recreated some of the menu from our reception with a few changes...pork roast, twice baked sweet potatoes, asparagus salad, and a tiramisu for dessert! Not bad if I do say so myself! Nothing burned, and the house and kitchen are still intact, so I call it a success! We went out for dinner at our favorite restaurant tonight for our actual anniversary and reminisced on the last 8 years. It was fun to remember football games, Kerry's old truck, movies, college, and all sorts of memories we have already made.

Kerry is doing extremely well with his classes, I'm happy to report! All A's so far! Keep praying him through this! It'll only get tougher. He's loving it, and that's very important. Work is work for me. Training is never fun, and it takes time and effort (whine, sob, cry, boohoo). I'm secretly counting down the days until I can go back and get a second degree, or a post-grad...haven't made up my mind yet.

No pictures from today to post, but I may have some family photos to post soon!

Life is Good =)

It's been a while since I posted a blog, but things have been a little mundane, so I thought it would be a pretty boring read unless I waited around a little bit ;)

Kerry started school today! He came home with a smile on his face and a pretty good bit of reading to do, but that's pretty much expected. He's super excited to get started, and I'm glad it's finally here as well. We've waited for this for a long time. 28 months seems like forever and not very long at the same time. Now we can get on with the show!

I've started working, as well. Right now, I've got 2 jobs (yikes)...I'm training at Gulf Coast Medical Center for a PRN (as needed) position, and have been for the last 3 weeks. Next week I will start training for my full time job in Sandestin at Sacred Heart on the Emerald Coast. Unless something changes, I'll be keeping both jobs...but with the way things have been changing around, you never know! GCMC is a great place so far, and I love my co-workers. I hope SHEC treats me just as well.

Otis is still loving the lazy beach life! Every now and then I get on a kick of wanting to adopt another dog to keep him company, but when I look at the vet bills, that pretty much cures me of that ;)

We've committed to attending Woodlawn UMC here in Panama City Beach, and we're so excited about that! We've really enjoyed the 9forty contemporary worship service and our newlywed small group that meets every Sunday. It's good to have the support of these folks during this potentially stressful time.

Nothing new to report on the headache situation as of now. I'm up to taking 4 Topamax a day, and should be contacting my neurologist soon for a consult on where to go from here. My next UAB appointment isn't until December. Then we'll do another MRI and re-evaluate with the neurosurgeon to see if our current care plan is good. The pain management isn't really working out for me too well, but then that's to be expected.

Remember to pray for Kerry as he adjusts to his new schedule, and me as I adjust to mine!

Headache Update

Just a quick note to let you know what happened yesterday...

We took a trip to UAB to consult a neurosurgeon. Don't get all worried, it was just to discuss options! She didn't see any reason to jump in and operate right now, which is good news to me. She will follow my case and do an MRI every 6 months to see if what she called "key features" develop. (She did say that other doctors might go ahead with the surgery at this point, but given her experience and such, she was hesitant...) It's an answered prayer, but at the same time I still have no headache relief. The medicines my neurologist put me on aren't really doing the trick. She suggested maybe a massage or something of that nature might help...and that is something I'm willing to try!

The Arnold-Chiari malformation is fairly common, and most people that have it never even know it. Why mine gives me headaches is a mystery to me. This picture shows what's going on...in the top one, the cerebellar tonsils are herniated through the foramen magnum. The bottom picture shows the same patient after the decompression surgery. I'm not a fan of surgery...especially on my head...but we'll have to wait and see if it ever comes to that. Pray that it won't!!!

So fresh and so clean!

WHEW! What a whirlwind couple of weeks this has been!

We are finally all moved in and settled in Panama City Beach. We LOVE our new house, and I can't wait to post pictures of it, but I can't do that just now. I'll update later and let you see. :) I'm getting used to the city as well. I've never stayed down here longer than a week at a time, so I really think it will be a blast for us until Kerry starts school.

Both of our parents came down with us last Saturday to help move the furniture and such. We couldn't have accomplished such a task without them! Mom has stayed with me since then to help hang curtains and pictures, and Kerry has gone back to work in Montgomery for the week. He'll be back in PCB with me on Wednesday, and we'll have a week together to finish up the little nit-picky things that need doing.

I've applied for jobs at 3 different places now, so please pray someone accepts me! We really need it for the health insurance in particular. Oh and some income would be nice as well (haha).

I took Otis to the beach for the first time on Wednesday. I think he hated it! He's not much for water anyway, but every time a wave would come up he would bark at it and try to bite it! SO cute and funny. I have a video of it, but it would only hurt your ears, so I won't post it. :)

Headache update: the 2nd MRI was good. No cervical syrinx was noted, which is a definite plus for this situation. I have an appointment in Birmingham with a neruosurgeon Tuesday morning...not real sure what that will accomplish, and it's a LONG drive from PCB, but I'll let you know what she says. I have actually felt better the past couple of days with my new meds, so we'll see how this turns out!

Almost there!

We are roughly a week away from the big move to PCB! The last couple of months flew by so fast. Now we have boxes and clothes thrown all over the place in this cute little house we've called home for just over a year. BUT, we're moving to an equally cute home in a place we both have always wanted to live, so maybe we'll enjoy it even more! I'm still on the job hunt even though I'm licensed in Florida now. Please pray that I find something soon! It's a daunting feeling knowing I will be the sole income provider over the next couple of years. We do have savings, but we'd rather not touch those, and we will have loans to help, but that's just more debt. At least my car is paid for! Kerry's should be soon, as well.

My last day of work at Chilton Medical Center is this coming Wednesday! SO SAD about that. I have met some awesome people, and I love them all. My time with them was too short, but we knew it would be a possibility. I can only hope that I will find another "dream job" like I have there someday down the line. I don't have much faith in that, though. ;)

An update on the headache thing...

As most of you probably know, I've been suffering from pretty rough headaches for nearly 6 weeks. After a really bad spell last Sunday night, I went to a neurologist on Thursday and had an MRI of my head. Still don't know the results yet, but the doctor seemed positive it was a fairly common case of migraine headaches with a bit of an odd presentation (in that they've not gone away for more than a couple of hours in over a month and no medication is touching it). Please continue to remember me during this frustrating time period.

I'm going with my Jenny today for her bridal portraits! So exciting! She's less than a month away from her wedding now, so I'm getting nervous with her. Chris is an AWESOME match for her, and I wish them tons of happiness. :)

I'll post some things after the move and show off the new nest.

Peace.

Bark in the Park '09

While the boys went to Tuscaloosa for A-day, mom and I took Odie to Bark in the Park out at Cooter's Pond! It was a beautiful spring day, and there must have been at least 75 other dogs out to enjoy the sunshine. Otis met several other weenies, as well as 2 Great Danes, a Weimeraner (sp?), a Bull Mastiff, a Great Pyrenees, 3 Pugs, several mutts, and even a Chinese Crested. He had a ball! There were games, relays, and treats for all the pups.

It was good to spend a day out with mom shopping and talking. I miss getting to do that with her! Maybe someday we'll make it back to good ol' Covington County so that we can stay as close as we'd like to. Kerry and I only have 2 months until our next move. Yikes! Keep us in your thoughts as we pack and get ready for the next chapter of our lives.

Martha Stewart, look out!

Finally a night to relax! I love not working weekends right now. Kerry's at work and Otis could care less what I'm doing because I gave him a rawhide to chew on, so I hit our local Michael's store and got creative. After weeks without a wreath on our door, I finally have a pretty spring one. I'm kind of proud of it, if I do say so myself. Check it out!

Hope this post finds everyone well. God bless. :)

We are so very excited! Kerry got the call that he was accepted at the Gooding Institute of Nurse Anesthesia in Panama City, FL. This is a huge thing for us! We've prayed and dreamed that this was the school for him, and now the choice is made. We would have been in Nashville if not for this, and if you know us you know how great this news really is. We want to be close to home. And to live in Florida?! How great is that!? Life seems to be falling into place all around us and we are just SO excited and SO blessed beyond belief. The only downside is another move. In the first 2 years of our marriage we will have lived in 4 different places. Yuck. You'd be amazed at just how much junk you accumulate and how NOT fun it is to pack it up and put it in a U-Haul and pray nothing breaks. At least this time we know it will be longer than a year (which when we leave here it will have been a little more than...). He is slated to graduate December 2011. Sounds like a long way off, but it also sounds like music to our ears! We plan to settle after that and build a house, hopefully in Covington County. Continue to pray for us! This is immensely wonderful and scary at the same time. A new place, a new job, new everything is all just around the corner again. Everyone we know already in the program promises that this is the toughest 2 1/2 years, but if we survived this long, we'll make it through anything I fully believe. And in 2011, the year he graduates, we will have been together for 10 years. WHOA. We also found out that Misty will be doing her residency in Little Rock, Arkansas, so that's at least 3 more years for Jonathan and her to be away. Maybe someday we'll all land back in the same general area. Until then, we'll keep on like usual!