Happy New Year!

I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions but I thought it would be good to give an update on my 29 @ 29 goals so here goes:

1. get in great shape before I turn 30 -- Still working on this one.  We did get a Kinect and I've been doing the Biggest Loser workouts on it which I think will help.  
2. be a better wife and show more unconditional respect for my husband -- Talk about a lifelong process ;), but again I'm working on it.  
3. finish the Warrior Dash without keeling over -- Done :)
4. go on vacation somewhere besides Jamaica (although I love Jamaica) -- This is actually pretty hilarious considering we just booked a vacation for after I graduate to none other than Jamaica.  It was the cheapest option and I do love it there.  We'll see if I end up going anywhere else before the big 3-0.  I am planning on going to Honduras for school but I'm not sure that counts as a vacation ;)
5. grow out my hair (at least for a while) -- I'm accomplishing this one.  I even recently discovered that I can curl my hair now as long as I have a curling iron that heats up to ridiculous temperatures.  
6. be more grateful for all I've been blessed with -- I'm definitely a work in progress on this one
7. get professional pics taken with my hubby that aren't wedding pics (especially since we never had engagement pictures taken) -- This one hasn't happened yet but hopefully it will
8. be a more consistent journaler (especially since I got 6 journals for my birthday), and hopefully blogger ;) -- I am an epic fail on this one (as you may have noticed).  I'll try to do better.
9. cultivate a passion for God's Word that I have been lacking lately and be more consistent in reading and studying the Bible -- I'm improving but not where I want to be yet.  I did just finish reading Romans with my sister and then found out that we will be starting a series on Romans at church so I'm pumped about that.  
10. make an effort to build transparent, authentic community and relationships -- Still not the greatest at this one. There are going to be some changes coming up in our community group that  I hope will help push me outside of my comfort zone and into a more authentic place.  
11. get back to my crafty roots and spend more time doing creative things -- I've definitely achieved this one! It was so nice to be able to make a lot of my Christmas gifts (both for me and my wallet).  I have been sewing again, making photo journals and just recently re-learned how to knit and I love it!
12. get better at using my camera and the external flash Jamie bought me -- Funny story, the external flash actually malfunctioned and we had to send it back to get it repaired but I'll keep working on this one once I get it back.
13. become more financially responsible -- Absolutely still a work in progress.  Jamie resigned from his job so we are learning to budget the money he got for his retirement until he finds a part time job to supplement that.  I am also hoping that in the upcoming months I will be able to work some more to help us out financially and hopefully start paying off some of our debt.  
14. attempt to actually enjoy cooking (aside from making desserts) and learn more healthy recipes -- Can't say I've done too well on this one, especially with all the traveling we've been doing for my residency interviews.  But, thanks to Ashley, I'll be getting a subscription to Cooking Light which I think will definitely help once we get back from these last two weeks of interviews.  
15. get a Mac (so ready to get rid of my crappy laptop) -- This one is definitely not going to happen until graduation money/gifts come around, but I am blessed that my sister and brother-in-law gave me a working laptop that actually doesn't have to be plugged in all the time.  They rock!
16. get some cute winter clothes (my winter wardrobe has been lacking since my Houston days) -- Done and done!  I got a TON of cute winter stuff for Christmas, thanks to a pre-Christmas shopping trip with my mom....sweaters and cardigans and boots, oh my :)
17. drink more water (and less diet soda) -- I'm surprisingly doing pretty well on this one, especially as a result of working out more....working out always makes me crave water.  
18. read more books for fun -- I've been doing okay on this one.  I have to admit I'm moving pretty slowly through "Eat, Pray, Love" but I do have several books waiting in the wings once I'm done.
19. go to the shooting range again -- Hasn't happened yet
20. go skiing -- Hasn't happened yet although we're hoping to go sometime around Jamie's birthday
21. go camping with my hubby -- This one is not happening until the weather gets warmer...you can call me a wimp if you want ;)
22. start a photo journal -- I've picked out a bunch of photos just haven't printed them or put them in a journal yet
23. eat healthier -- I'm so so on this one. I ate really crappy when we were on the road and have been doing somewhat better since we got home. I'm going to try to make some better choices during this next round of traveling and then when we get back, let the healthy cooking begin!
24. be more intentional about making sure people in my life know that I love them -- I hope I'm doing okay on this one.  Guess I might have to take a poll to find out.  
25. complain less, encourage more -- I'm a work in progress on this one, so give me a little grace :)
26. run a half-marathon -- Not even close yet.  Hoping to do this in the summer sometime.
27. get my house more organized and less cluttered -- Overall, I think this one is going okay.  Jamie has been a HUGE help around the house now that he isn't working but we still need to tackle our "storage area"/mess in the basement. 
28. live generously, in the knowledge that everything I have is God's anyway -- Working on this one and on being more consistent in tithing/giving.  
29. finish (or at least start...ha) making my t-shirt quilt that i cut the pieces out for probably at least 5-6 years ago -- Haven't even thought about starting yet...good thing I have 9 more months :)

Sorry this post has been a little wordy.  Guess that's what happens when I take a month long blogging hiatus.  So since you've endured all the words, here's a little something for you to watch....a slideshow I made of 2010.  I wasn't planning on making one this year but then I watched the ones from 2008 and 2009, which made me laugh, cry and decide it was worth it to capture the memories.

Merry Christmas

So maybe I'm a little behind at blogging about Christmas but the last month or so has been a blur of traveling so cut me a little slack.  Christmas was no exception in the traveling blur but it was truly a great holiday for us.  Jamie and I were blessed to be able to spend time with both of our families -- we celebrated with his family on Christmas Eve and my family on Christmas Day.  Here are a few pictures from the festivities:

Jamie and I exchange ornaments every year and these are ours from this year

Jamie opening his WVU throw from his mom

The kids opening gifts at Jamie's mom's house -- the one facing the camera is our super cute nephew, Dylan

Jamie helping my (also super cute) grandpa open his gifts

Jamie modeling his new coat from my parents (technically an early birthday gift)

Jamie modeling the scarf Tiff made him

Me opening my Wonder Woman shirt from my parents...in case you didn't know, Wonder Woman has been one of my favorites since I was a kid...I used to wear my mom's bracelets around and pretend to be her.

Jamie opening his Keurig...he was so excited!

Jamie with the new coat hanger/picture frame that my parents got us...can't wait to hang it!

Even though the gifts aren't the point of Christmas, I am thankful for all the wonderful things we received and the generosity of both of our families.  I also love the tradition that we have with my sisters and brother-in-law  to get each other gifts that don't cost anything.  It's always fun to see what creative things they come up with and I got lots of fun handmade gifts out of the process.  And even though Jamie and I aren't supposed to get each other gifts (other than ornaments), Jamie got me a new phone for Christmas.  I am now the proud owner of an HTC Evo and I love it!

I hope your Christmas was as good as ours and that in the midst of all the chaos you were able to reflect on and celebrate our Savior, the real reason for the holiday.

thoughts from Romans

"Modern 'idols' don't look like ancient ones; images served today are often mental rather than metal.  But people still devote their lives to, and trust in, many things other than God."

This quote came from my ESV study Bible as a commentary on Romans 1:22-23, which says..."Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal men and birds and animals and creeping things."

While we think it preposterous today to worship images made of metal, I, for one, struggle constantly with putting things before God....school, work, my marriage, material things, friendships...you name it.  In my human nature, I tend to trust in these things, and in myself, first and often God as an afterthought or last resort.  It's humbling (and embarrassing) to think about the things that I "exchange the glory of the immortal God for."

In this season of thanks, I am so grateful that God has given me grace upon grace for the many times I have failed Him and for the ways He has blessed me in spite of the fact that I am completely undeserving.  Friends, please pray that I can trust and devote my life to God above all else and that He will reveal to me the idols I have set up that are standing in the way of my relationship with Him.

29 @ 29 update

I started this blog almost a month ago and somehow am just now getting around to writing it thanks at first to an internet malfunction and then to a busy rotation.  Just thought I would give an update on my 29 @ 29 list and how it's going so far.

Things that aren't going so well
#1 and #23-- These two go hand in hand for me and thanks to my last rotation, my workouts have been pretty much nonexistent and my diet has been hit or miss at best.  Looking forward to starting a new rotation tomorrow and becoming more consistent in working out and fixing healthy meals again.  I definitely miss it.
#8 -- As you may have noticed, the consistency in blogging hasn't been there, nor in journaling.  Hoping this is a step in the right direction. ;)
#9 -- I wish I could say that I've been doing better in my relationship with God and in reading His Word, but I haven't.  I finally got to go to church this morning for the first time in weeks and boy was that refreshing to my soul.  It also gave me the kick in the butt I needed to confess and work some things out between myself and God, which I think will help a lot with the barriers I've been putting up in pursuing Him.

And on the bright side...
#11 -- I have been crafting more lately when I get the chance.  I have been doing some card making, journal making and sewing.  Hoping to be able to make some gifts for the holidays and maybe even sell some of my crafts around the holidays if I can get the time to make enough.  Something else I would love to do is start an etsy shop....might be a little ambitious but we'll see.
#3 -- I finished the Warrior Dash!  My time wasn't the greatest ever, but I was just happy to make it through without breaking something or dying.  The course was WAY muddier than I expected and the second half I was mostly just trying to stay on my feet.  Check out the before and after pics below to get an idea of how dirty we all got during the race.

Here's hoping my next update will have more positives than negatives :)

i love 4th year!

After 3 somewhat brutal years of medical school, I am loving 4th year!  No tests and lots more free time have given me the luxury of actually getting to do some things that I enjoy.  Here are just a few things I'm loving about 4th year so far:

• Getting to read FOR FUN.  After 3 years of reading mostly notes and medical books it's nice to read some fiction.  The next book on my list is Eat, Pray, Love, which my sisters and brother-in-law got me for my birthday.  
• Doing some crafty things that I never had time to do before.  My latest venture has been card making, which is fun and also saves me some money at Hallmark.  I found a bunch of rubber stamps and ink on sale for $1 each at Michaels and have been stamping and card making ever since.  I'm hoping to have time to do some more crafting, especially as the holidays approach.  If anyone has great, DIY Christmas gift ideas let me know!
• Guilty-pleasure TV watching and internet surfing.  My favorites as of late have been Family Feud on Facebook, the always popular (with me at least) People.com, and watching lots of TV and movies on Netflix.
• Actually getting to spend time with my husband :) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!  He even took me on a surprise lunch date today.  It's been nice to use some of my breaks and free time for impromptu coffee dates, runs or just time at home together.  I know that next year is going to be busy so it's nice that we have this time together before the craziness ensues.  

Here's hoping the rest of the year is as enjoyable as it is right now!

the big 2-9

It's officially the last year of my twenties. I turned the 29 about a week ago, just one year away from the big 3-0. I'm not sure what my 29th year will hold, but I know it will be a year of transition with me finishing school and starting residency, Jamie likely quitting his job and going back to school and the possibility of us relocating. If I've learned anything, it's that there is no way of predicting how a year will turn out, no matter how many plans you have. I'm excited to see what God has in store for the year ahead.

I was inspired by Ashley's blog to make a list of 29 things I want to do in my 29th year. Here they are:

1. get in great shape before I turn 30
2. be a better wife and show more unconditional respect for my husband
3. finish the Warrior Dash without keeling over
4. go on vacation somewhere besides Jamaica (although I love Jamaica)
5. grow out my hair (at least for a while)
6. be more grateful for all I've been blessed with
7. get professional pics taken with my hubby that aren't wedding pics (especially since we never had engagement pictures taken)
8. be a more consistent journaler (especially since I got 6 journals for my birthday), and hopefully blogger ;)
9. cultivate a passion for God's Word that I have been lacking lately and be more consistent in reading and studying the Bible
10. make an effort to build transparent, authentic community and relationships
11. get back to my crafty roots and spend more time doing creative things
12. get better at using my camera and the external flash Jamie bought me
13. become more financially responsible
14. attempt to actually enjoy cooking (aside from making desserts) and learn more healthy recipes
15. get a Mac (so ready to get rid of my crappy laptop)
16. get some cute winter clothes (my winter wardrobe has been lacking since my Houston days)
17. drink more water (and less diet soda)
18. read more books for fun
19. go to the shooting range again
20. go skiing
21. go camping with my hubby
22. start a photo journal
23. eat healthier
24. be more intentional about making sure people in my life know that I love them
25. complain less, encourage more
26. run a half-marathon
27. get my house more organized and less cluttered
28. live generously, in the knowledge that everything I have is God's anyway
29. finish (or at least start...ha) making my t-shirt quilt that i cut the pieces out for probably at least 5-6 years ago

We'll see how accomplishing that list goes for me. I'll try to keep you guys updated, especially in light of #8 ;).

where has the year gone?

I realize it's only March, but I also just realized that this will be my first blog post of 2010. I'm not sure where the past three months has gone other than the fact that my life was swallowed up by my surgery rotation for the first bit of the year. Honestly, I just haven't had much to blog about or maybe just not time to process things enough to share them with the world (or the two people who probably read this blog).

One of the big questions that has been looming larger and larger these days is what I am going to do with the rest of my life. I know what most of you are thinking "you're in medical school. you're going to be a doctor" and you would be right about that, but I'm still undecided on what area of medicine I want to pursue. It's true that I don't have to decide right now but seeing everyone around me decide on their specialties and having to make my schedule for next year has put the pressure on. Some things that are going through my mind in the decision making process are doing something that will glorify God, using my gifts in a way that will most benefit others, my desire to do medical missions and how I can best accomplish that, and the fact that I would like to have a somewhat normal life with time to devote to my marriage and eventually family. Right now, my top three options are: emergency medicine, internal medicine or psychiatry. Stay tuned to see what I decide and pray that God will give me direction on how I can best serve Him.