He did it!!!

Whoohoo!  I am still celebrating!!!!  This past Saturday, Wesley graduated from CRNA school and received his Masters of Science degree in Nurse Anesthesia AND not only that, but he graduated with a 4.0 GPA and received an Academic award!  I couldn't be any prouder of him.  While I am celebrating this week, he is studying for boards....which he will hopefully be able to take this week before my baby sister's wedding this weekend!  Here are a few pics from the ceremony!

Since the day Wesley started back to school, his Grandma said that as long as she was well enough to travel, she wouldn't miss his graduation!  God is good and blessed her with the health and the ability to make the long drive to watch Wesley graduate!  She was such a proud Grandma!

Wesley getting hooded!

Wesley 's fan club! 

God blessed us with such great friends to go on this journey with! We are so glad that Nick, Joy, Jillian, and baby Emma Joy (who should arrive in a few weeks) will be in Dothan with us as we begin this next chapter!

I'm still here!

I didn't realize how long that it has been since I have posted anything!  Time is going by so fast!  I seriously cannot believe that Wesley is graduating in 4 weeks!  I told him the other day that I feel like I have wished away the past 2 and a half years.  Not that they have been bad, but I have been counting down the months until he would be done with school and would no longer have to study.  Well, graduation is approaching fast!  Wesley only has 2 more clinical days as a student.  He is getting to use up his vacation/sick time and will have 3-4 weeks off to study before boards.

Here is a quick update on what we have been up to since my last post:

I started my new job at Flowers Hospital in the nursery!  I LOVE it!  Everyone has been so welcoming, and it has been nice to be around healthy babies for a change....although we have had our share of sick ones too!  I definitely think it's a MIRACLE when a baby comes out and is perfectly healthy and can go home with it's mom in 48 hours.  Working in the NICU has definitely changed my perspective on healthy deliveries!

We had Sarah's bachelorette weekend in Watercolor.  It was so much fun getting to know all of her friends better!  She got some beautiful lingerie!  I'd say she is all ready for the New York honeymoon!

Wesley and I spent one Sunday afternoon in October at Aplin Farms picking sunflowers. (They also had a corn maze, hayrides, and a pumpkin patch....but we figured that we could wait til we had little ones to participate in all of that!)   It was such a beautiful fall day!  We got way more sunflowers than we could ever use!  We made 3 arrangements for our house, gave some to my mom and some to our next door neighbor.

Nick, Joy, and Jillian were here for Halloween!  Jillian was a "Jag-wire" as she says it!  She was adorable and had a diet that consisted of candy the whole day!!  I can't believe she didn't have a tummy ache!

Wesley and I spent 2 weekends ago back in PC.  He had to work his last weekend at Bay Medical Center, so I decided to go with him and see friends in PC while he was in the OR.  It worked out for me to be there for Kelly's (one of my co-workers at GCMC) bachelorette spa day.  And I loved going back to our Sunday school class there and seeing church friends.

So that's a quick update....or not so quick! 

Playing house!

Well, I finally found my camera cord! Here are some pics of what we have been up to recently!

The previous owners had this sitting on the kitchen counter when we walked in the door last Friday.  A sweet welcome note with flowers from our garden!  It was so sweet!

My parents were a lot of help the first few days....they stayed busy lining kitchen shelves....

assisting with hanging ceiling fans....

Ta-da!

and recovering kitchen chairs!

I can't wait to post before and after photos as we finish decorating rooms!  Right now the only room that is close to being finished is the kitchen.  We replaced the brass hardware with brushed nickel and think that it gave it a new look.  I LOVE the lighted kitchen cabinets.  Now I have the perfect "home" for our fine china and crystal.

Before

After

another view of the kitchen

and I FINALLY have the counter space for my mixer!

Ok, that's pretty much all for now.  The rest of the house is "un-done" at this point, but hopefully I'll have more "after" pictures to post soon!

Our house closing experience

On Monday morning, August 27th, Wesley and I closed on our first house!  It was so exciting....and just a tad overwhelming that we are responsible for paying for the house until 2042 if not sooner!  After closing, the sellers asked if we could meet them at the house for them to show us a few things in the house and yard.  They have the most beautifully landscaped front and backyard and every plant has a special meaning to them.  Most plants and trees came from clippings from the wife's mother's home, which made it even harder for them to say goodbye to the house.  Somehow we mentioned that we felt a peace from the Lord that this was the house for us, and they asked us if we were believers.  After we finished learning about how to turn on the fountain in the back yard, replacing the filter on the fridge, and other little "tid bits" about the house, the husband asked if he could pray before we said goodbye.  He prayed the most wonderful prayer.  He prayed blessings over us, our marriage, our future children and grandchildren.  He prayed that the home would be a safe haven for us and that we would be able to minister to others in the home.  It was unbelievable to buy a house from owners who loved the Lord and prayed a prayer of blessings over us, the new owners.  They bought the home when they were 26 (my age) and have lived in the home for 32 years. It has been hard for them to sell the home since it is like their "baby," but they are moving to ATL to be closer to their son and 5 grandchildren.

We are slowly but surely getting settled.  There are still several boxes that need to be unpacked and a lot of painting and furniture buying needs to happen in the next few weeks and months, but we are both surprised how fast that this house is feeling like home.  Wesley and I have a 100% peace that we are exactly where the Lord wants us.  He lead us to this home, and we are so thankful!  

I'll post pictures soon!  Well, as soon as I unpack the box with the cord that goes from my camera to the computer!

News

It has been so long since my last post. The past few weeks...or I guess I should say months...have been super busy, but super exciting! A LOT has happened since my last post. I'll just put it in chronological order:

-June 4th- Wesley received call from CRNA manager at Flowers Hospital in Dothan and they offered him a full time position after graduation

-June 7th- After praying about it for a few days, Wesley called and accepted the position!  He will finish his last semester of clinicals at Flowers.  He starts on August 27th and then will graduate on December 15th.  He won't officially start working until the first of the year after he takes boards.

-June 23rd- We met with a realtor for the first time to start looking at houses in Dothan

-July 7th- Met with realtor again to look at more houses...but kept comparing everything to the first house that we saw!

-July 12th- We got preapproved based on my salary to go ahead and buy a house!

-July 13th- Made 1st offer on our favorite house

-July 15th- Our counter offer got accepted!!

-July 19th- Home inspection done by my Uncle Sherrill!

-July 26th- I went on 2 interviews at Flowers Hospital- one in the outpatient pain clinic and one in the     newborn nursery.  Should hear from Human Resources tomorrow about my job!

There is now a big SOLD sign in the front yard instead of the for sale sign!  We are closing on our first home on August 27th....2 weeks from today!  There is just something about this house!  It was the very first house that we went into with the realtor, and we compared everything else to it.  It has such a "homey" feel to it!  It's 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and is in a great location!  We cannot wait to get moved in and settled!  We are so incredibly thankful for all of the Lord's provisions!

Mr. and Mrs. Turner Burton

We had a great time on Saturday at Jenny and Turner's wedding. It was at Jenny's aunt's lake house in Wilsonville, AL, and God certainly blessed them with the most gorgeous day for an outdoor wedding. Wesley and I both had a great time and enjoyed seeing so many sweet friends! I know that Jenny and Turner are having a wonderful time in Italy this week on their honeymoon!! Here are some pics from the wedding! Enjoy!