I get to go home!!!!

That's right people! I have Christmas off!!!!!!
WOOOOHOOOO!

So I will get to work in a minute...remember back when I asked if you had any opinions on living with someone that you didn't know??? Well thankfully that didn't work out for a couple of reasons...

1. I found a place where I could like on my own for just a little more $$/month
2. The girl actually had someone else interested in the apartment who she had the opportunity to meet ahead of time, and things worked out

I am actually kind of enjoying living on my own! For some reason I thought it was going to be harder than it is, but it's nice to be able to do everything your own way :) Of course that doesn't mean I don't miss Jared! I would take living with him than by myself any day...but I think that living on my own is just one of those experiences that I really needed in order to become a better version of myself ;)

So here are a few pictures of my humble abode...

When you walk into my apartment, you walk straight into the living room, and if you look to directly to your right this is what you see.

Yes, I am using a twin mattress for a "couch". LOL.

My deck...

The view from my deck...

My kitchen is opposite of my deck, just off the living room

My little, tiny bathroom that is perfect for one

The door of my bathroom swings halfway shut. It is super annoying to try and blow dry your hair with a door resting on your elbow!!! So I fashioned this little device so that it would stay open when I wanted to the door stay open, but takes about a second to release the door when I want it to shut. Hairbands are more than one use!

My bedroom.

...and the closet that makes me depressed. I need to go shopping.

And finally, the second bedroom, which I only use the closet for storage.

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Now to work...there isn't much to report. This week I have about 36-40 hours of classroom and computer orientation. There are three other RN's orienting to the hospital with me, but none of them are going to be on my unit. So I really haven't had the opportunity to get to know anyone from my unit yet.

I DID get my schedule for the next six weeks though. Like I already said, I have Christmas off, yay! In fact, I actually won't be working any holidays until I am off orientation which lasts 16-18 weeks. (YEAH, it is that long...) The problem is, the way things are I have to work at 7 AM the day after Christmas, but I asked the lady who did my schedule if I could maybe rearrange my schedule a little and have the weekend off and she said that shouldn't be a problem. (I felt a little bad asking because I don't want to be difficult, but this way I would also get an extra day off without loosing pay).

I wish I had something more exciting to report...but I guess that's all I've got for now!

All by my lonesome...

I'm still alive! I have been really bad at blogging and commenting this last week because I have been so busy, and of course I wanted to spend as much time as possible with Jared...

So I am living in Morgantown, WV now, but this whole last week I was staying in Pittsburgh, PA with my Aunt and Uncle for a lot of reasons....

1. It was a lot cheaper then getting a hotel
2. I wasn't able to view the apartment I am living in until last Tuesday
3. Then I had to wait another day to move in because the carpets needed to be cleaned
4. My Aunt and Uncle were generous enough to lend me one of their twin beds for my apartment, so I had to make an extra trip before I was able to get all of my stuff in one place
5. Because I only have a twin bed it is more comfortable to stay with my family because they have a nice guest bedroom
6. My cousin (who is my age) and her husband were in Pittsburgh for the weekend
7. We got AMAZING tickets to the University of Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame football game!
8. Jared flew out of the Pittsburgh airport this morning

So yeah...Jared is gone now so I am all by myself. I don't know if it has really hit me yet- the fact that he is no longer going to be around to help me with the little things, talk to while we go about our daily activities, or fall asleep next to tonight. His schedule has always been so erratic that it isn't unusual for him to be gone before I wake up, or get home after I am fast asleep...but I'm sure in a few days I will begin to notice the change. All I know is right now I am doing okay. I don't know when I am going to see him next, but hopefully sometime around Christmas.

I'm pretty exhausted so I think I am going to go to bed early so I am well rested for my first day of work tomorrow!!!!!

In the East

Jared and I made it out East safely.

Right now we are in Pittsburgh, PA.

Tomorrow I have business to take care of in West Virginia.

I'm not sure how regularly I will have access to the internet.

I will update more when I get a chance.

Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes! It really means a lot to me :)

Less than 48 hours...

In less than 48 hours I will be moving to West Virginia.

I don't know if I am just at peace with this decision, or if I am just in denial.

Here are a few things I am going to miss most about Minnesota.

• Chipotle
• Knowing my way around the city I live in!
• My church

I've been back-and-forth about how I feel about my church in the last year. I desire for something a little more tradition, but the truth is...EVERY TIME I go to church on Sundays, I feel like the message was designed specifically for me. I know that I can still listen to the sermons online, but it just isn't the same. So I really hope I find a good church out in West Virginia!

• My house
• My friends
• My family

Other than that...I don't know what else there is to miss. The weather where I will be living is going to be similar in the sense that I still get to enjoy all four seasons (which is important to me), but better because it is slightly warmer!

I am sure my list will get longer once I realize what Minnesota has that West Virginia doesn't...but truth be told, because I have been so busy with school the last six years I've felt a little cooped up and unable to do anything for lack of time, and/or money. So hopefully that will change a little.

WAIT! There is one more thing I am going to miss...

• My husband...I'm going to miss that dude.

However...the closer my moving date has gotten, the more he talks about moving out there with me. So we'll see what the future brings! Maybe in a few months my partner- in- crime will join me.

This picture was taken in 2006 in San Diego, CA. We went on a dinner cruise with another couple, and we had so much fun we talked about eloping the next day! Ultimately we decided not to...but it was one of the best nights of my life. About two weeks later, Jared left for Iraq.

My Theory about Soul-mates and Marriage

I don't believe in soul-mates in the in a traditional sense. That is, I don't believe that two people are destined to be with each other. Instead, I believe that relationships are about timing, hard-work, and that soul-mates are created through marriage, over time.

Let me explain this a little further...I believe soul-mates are created when two people are married because that is when God calls us to leave our families and create a new life, and new family with our spouse. At the same time, he declares that at this time we become of the same flesh, and this doesn't just happen in a physical sense, but I believe becoming of the same flesh also "means the sharing of life, not just bodies and material possessions, but thoughts and dreams, joys and sufferings, hopes and fears, successes and failures. In short, it's being one soul as well as one body." (Source)

Marriage takes a lot of hard-work, and to truly succeed you have to open up more than just your heart. You also have to open your soul and be willing to experience life not only from your own perspective, but also from your spouses as well. This deep understanding and commitment to loving and understanding another person is what I believe leads to the marriage of the soul and creation of a life-long bound with your mate.

So let's apply this concept in another way...think about how you care for your own body/flesh. If the only thing you consume is water, your body isn't going to function properly for long because it also needs food for nourishment. As time goes on, your body slowly begins to shut down and eventually it dies. However, if you fill yourself with healthful foods you have the potential to live a long and fulfilling life.

Marriage is like body in need of nourishment. You need to make sure that the needs of both individuals are being fulfilled otherwise it is going to begin to breakdown. So how do you prevent your marriage from dying? Well, you can begin by becoming soul-mates. Commit to sharing your life, discovering your common interests, developing traditions, finding a way to communicate effectively, go on a date, try to experience joy and pain from your spouses point-of-view, etc. Develop a history, and connect in a deep and intimate way.

Challenge for today: What can you do today to fulfill your spouses needs? How can you show them that you love and appreciate them?

November Challenge

This month I am challenging myself to more consistently read the bible.

During the month of November I am making a commitment to read one chapter of Proverbs a day, and I don't mean just spending five minutes with my bible...I mean spending enough time reading and praying that I actually begin to understand the word of God.

The reason why I have chosen Proverbs is because there is not only because there are enough chapters to cover every day of the month, but also because the purpose of the book of Proverbs is to give us the wisdom we need to live godly lives.

My goal is to do my daily reading right away in the morning because I don't think there is any better way to start the day than with prayer, and God's word. Plus, I know if I wait until I go to bed, there is a chance that I will be too tired to dedicate the time and attention required of this challenge.

My bible: NIV Life Application Study Bible. I love this bible because there are footnotes that help explain what some of the verses actually mean, and give you ideas on how to apply what you read to your daily life.

If you are interested in joining me know!

Christmas & Pumpkins

Despite the fact that Jared and I have been married for over two years now, we have never put up a Christmas tree together. This was something that we were both looking forward to this year because we are now homeowners and have both the space and desire...but because I am moving in ONE week, and am not sure when I will be able to make it home, we decided that there was no better time then the present to start decorating for Christmas. So we put up our tree.

Of course we would prefer to have a real tree, but because Jared is not from Minnesota, we will likely be spending some Christmases out-of-town...and frankly, a real tree isn't all that safe to have when you spend a fair amount of time in another state, so we decided to purchase a "fake" tree to use for the years that we travel.

Then...the very next day we decorated pumpkins.

I took to easy route and used Mr. Potato Head-like push-ins to decorate my pumpkin.

Jared tried to make an eyeball, and failed...his buddy thought it would be funny to call it his "third eye," and as a result this was the only picture I would get of him and his pumpkin. Sick, I know...but what can you do? Men will be men never really grow up as long as they are around other men.