toilets.

i am finally almost unpacked!  

whew.  right in time to start my new job.

which, by the way, i am nervous about.

please pray, pray, pray!

i know they want me to succeed and do well, but it's still going to be a lot of adjusting and getting used to new things the next several weeks.

i am praying to remember everything i've learned and to be a help, not hindrance.

i got a txt from bishop asking if i wanted to go on a walk around gvill, and since it's summer and i have nothing better to do,we did.

it was so so nice.  i just love her.

on our walk we saw like 4 toilets out by the curb.

we came to my house for a bit, then we went to mitch's house.

brook had brought a toilet, with dog poop inside, into his living room.

it was hilarious.  and really smelly.

it is nice to be home :)

{so cute}

{silly faces}

{bhaha}

hello, summertime :).

catan night 2.

just got back from a long night of settlers of catan!

me, the ortens and mrs. clark played and it was fun.

i did awful, as usual, but i still enjoy it.

i give up about half way....i need a better strategy LOL.

i made 2 new recipes tonight.

one was cauliflower pizzas.  they were good but they are made in muffin tins and i for some silly reason thought they would rise haha.  well they didn't so they were real thin.  there's room for improvement!

next i made this spinach and black bean brownie mix. 

ummmm it was better than i thought and i can't believe i've waited so long to make it!  

it taste so good and has no flour--your gut will thank you later.

they're also gluten free.  

not that that really matters, but scooore! 

they were also a hit during the game.

2 nights in a row of settlers...it must be summertime :)

no homework for 4 months?! heck yeah!

its been a busy busy 24 hours, but i am home.

everything packed up from school and my current room looks like a bomb went off.

but i'm hooome.  and that's a great feeling. 

no homework for 4 months?!  heck yeah.

yesterdays theory exam was super rough!!  

and that was the general consensus, which makes me feel better.

i didn't do too well on it, but still passed the class.  yay!

the night before the exam i spent it at brian and abbeys house.

i just needed to sleep well.

i will miss them so much, and already do.

it hasn't really hit me that it's summer--i feel i'll be back after the weekend.

but when it does hit me, i get all sentimental.

it's sad to say goodbye to everyone for the summer

{and since i live 2 hours away, i don't really see anyone other than maybe once}

and they'll all be living off campus next year.  boo.

at dinner last night it kinda hit and i hate it.

i hate saying goodbye, packing, unpacking, studying, and finals.

all of which i had to do this week!

it's crazy to think that i almost didn't choose Malone.

and how i hated it the first year (mainly due to my depression).

now i can't imagine my life anywhere else.

the friends i've made make it all worth it.

side note this this is already so random:

as abbey and i study the women of the bible, i am loooving it!
i never really knew the story of ruth or hannah.

now i am even more certain i want to have ruth in my daughter's name {my gma's name is ruth, too, but this confirms the want!}

and hannah?  oh man.  her man's love for her is amazing.

even though he had another wife, and she was barren, he loved her.

it just blows my mind to see that kind of love!

and how she was so raw before the Lord in her barrenness pains.

what a great example all these women are.

{love these girlies}

tonight the fam played settlers of catan.

love that game!

we quit early cause everyone was bored, but dad and i tied for leading.

i hope they enjoy it more in the future :).

AND i officially got a job at the pediatric office!

i am super nervous cause it will be lots of new learning, but i am praying that it is a great opportunity.

OH, and i was reminded of this time a couple weeks ago at clinical.

we were playing spades and at one point i said:
'heather, did you just renig?!'

'yes i did'

so matter of fact.  it was hilarious.

ok.  enough random stuff.  off to bed!

it meets us where we're at.

today i got to eat lunch with one of my besties, rachel w.

she just got back from spending 10 days in africa.

man, do i love hearing about her trips! 

and i just love her heart for the Lord through nursing.

she got to deliver more african babies and i couldn't be happier for her!!

i put something on facebook the other day about how i am so blown away at how intimately the Lord knows my heart and what i need before i even ask.

friendships like her are reasons i have those thoughts.

i also heard the song 'colder weather', by zac brown band, the other day.

every time i hear it i think of the K-L family.

it was one of rachel's favorite, and we would play it on repeat often.

{brandon worked out of state most days of the week at that time}

i just love that music can meet us where we are.

it can so intimately match our emotions that we don't know ourselves how to put into words.

and i love how i can associate songs with those friendships that i love.  

it makes the song so special each and every time.  

one of the big reasons that i love music more than a lot of things.

and songs are a lot like God--in the sense that He meets us where we're at.

He said, 'i love you most' no matter what i do.

He earnestly desires my time, attention, and affection.

but at the same time, He tells me to come just as i am.

broken, bruised, not put together, and all worries or stressed about life.

He meets me just where i am at.  not where i want to be.

but He so amazingly brings me to those places i want to be, if i let Him.

ah.  it's so so good.  and i am so undeserving.

He is faithful in so many areas, can i brag about just one more?

i got a call today from the pediatrician office i wanted to tech for.

at first they said that they only needed part time.

so i started looking at other job opportunities.

but today they said they need someone 36-40 hrs a week!

how amazing is that?!

while i was excited about possibly nannying for this family, this will allow me to have much more experiencing.

it is with a clinic and i would get to do blood drawl, urine sample, throat culture, wellness visits, ect.

i am so blown away at this answer to prayer.

praying that it all works out!

but not my will, but Your will, be done.

last day of clinical: junior year!

this past friday was the last day of clinical for junior year!

what an amazing feeling it was.

psych rotation was my last rotation, so it was nice to have a chill rotation.

my patient, johnny, was so sweet and i enjoyed getting to know him better.

we played cards a lot and even yahtzee a couple times.

i forgot how much i loved playing cards.

plus, i really liked our clinical group.

they were so fun and i always enjoy getting to know some people who i didn't know before.

{jess m., gretchen, brook, me, sammy, jess b., lisa, heather}

{so long junior year....almost!!}

today, i was going to study allll day but hat didn't happen as planned.

oh well.  life goes on!

so glad clinical is over, and only THREE days separate me from being home.

that is so insane to me.

how did this year go so quickly?!

i'm excited for summer....but let the finals begin :).

all spiffy.

yesterday, as alluded, i went to miriam's house for dinner.

it was soo good and nice to have a home cooked meal.

then, on a whim, we decided to go to the malone dance.

nothing i wore was mine.  

i got 100% ready in heritage!

miriam did my hair so beautifully and the dress was sarah's.

we said we would stay for half an hour....but then we stayed a couple hours.

we were just dancing the night away.

it was such a nice stress reliever.

{in our shades}

{it was in the 70's yesterday....a whopping 40 degrees today}

and today, i was going to study all day.

well, that lasted about 2 hours.

i had a CA reunion brunch, which was awesome.

then abby, rhett, jon, alex s. and i went to dinner 

abby and i went to giant eagle after then we also went to burean book store.

then i ended up in her room for hours talking.

about life, boys, relationships, CA stuff.  everything.

i know i've said it so many times, but i really could not be more thankful for her.

she is just one of the most amazing women i've met.

and was so encouraging when talking about boys {and my lack of}

i am beyond blessed by her relationship in my life.

God is so good.  and tonight i was reminded of that.

{me, alex p., kaylee, rachel w., miriam, kelsey h.}

{kaylee, me, miriam, rachel w., alex p., kelsey h}

{all spiffed up}

i am excited to live in community with many of these women next year.

they are wonderful.  my heart is so full of love for them!

dancin' the night away

tonight, i spent a good chunk of it dancing the night away at a malone dance.

it was so so fun, and i can't wait to post more about it and share pics!

had the last clinical of junior year today.

how did THAT happen?!  i can't believe it's all coming to an end.

but then again, i am so so ready for it.

studying for exams will be rough.

prayers would be awesome!

off to bed so i can run tomorrow before a CA breakfast reunion.

see ya tomorrow :).

fireworks

tonight there were fireworks in the quad. 

and then some ladies streaked in a fat suite.

ohhh tis malone!  haha.

before that, i went to pastor randy's house for dinner.

went with miriam, janet, rachel w., and kaylee.

it was sooo delicious, and they are the most amazing people.

then i spent till 12: 27 am talking to kayla.

we got together earlier to walk and talk on the track cause it was so nice out.

tomorrow is the last day of clinical!

today we did a cookie activity and i gorged myself on cookies.

i have an issue with sugar....it's not healthy.

i need to do no sugar, and need accountability.

wanna be my accountability partner?!  let me know :)

gotta get up early...and typing this in the bathroom. LOL.

night!

abby and food

3 topics:

first one is abby.  oh how i love her!

the other day we studied together at starbucks. 

we sat on the patio and it was so relaxing.

then we went to dinenr at chipotle.

and at one point, spent a good 5 minutes laughing so hard over the fact when you sing a little too early during a church song.

you all know that and don't act like it hasn't happened to you before! LOL.

there was one song '10,000 reasons' by matt redman that we sang, and apparently i wasn't the only one who was a bit confused during that song.

nearly everyone in our row at some point started too early.  it was so funny.

and then we talked about how you delay every time before the next line to make sure you're not early.

plllllease tell me you know what i'm talking about!!

we were full on belly laughing, and tears were streaming from my eyes.

i love times like that where i just so intensely laugh.

second one is food.  mainly, my lack of discipline with food.

1 corinthians 6:19 and proverbs 21:21 have been two scriptures i've been meditating on lately.

my body is a temple, and i need to be more mindful of that.

my body was bought for a price.  and i need to treat it like that.

i need to do a mini sugar-detox i feel.

cause it's really hard for me to eat deserts in moderation.

so i've been 2 days without desert.  think i can make it 30 days?

not sure about that long, but i'll be eating minimal deserts and being more cautious.

lastly, today i did my first IV stuff on brian the dad i babysit for.

he brought IV stuff home from work and it was fun!

he was a great teacher.

i got it in the first time but blew the vein.

but practice makes perfect.

which, speaking of them, i am going to miss them.

they got me a present since i wont be babysitting them again before summer.

i'm hoping to be with them next week one more time for the biggest loser and such.

they have been such a blessing in my life!

the only thing i have left to do is study for finals.

praying for motivation to make it through this next week and then i'll be HOME!!

happy day colleen: 21!

last night was colleen's 21st birthday.

i had to bbsit and miss the dinner at bravo, but meet up with them after.

we went to a restaurant/bar thing and it was fun!

they had a small dance floor so we got to bust a move.

i headed back a bit early, due to church, but had a great time while i was there.

she was certainly feeling the alcohol and said some funny things.

the pics are super blurry, but better than none :)

{colleen, me, susannah on the dance floor}

{katherine, colleen, julia, rach, elizabeth, me}

{katherine, colleen, julia, susannah, rach, me}

{me and the bday girl!}

{me and rach.  bitsy's hand was over the flash haha}

{me and susannah..my passion buddy!}

happy 21st colleen!!

hope it was so wonderful and a night you'll never forget.

thanks for your friendship.  you are truly a blessing in my life!

and i love that you always pick my black heads like it's no body's business.

my clearer skin thanks you immensely! :)

the dusty

last night a group of us went to the dusty.

it is a line dancing place and pretty much awesome.

since i used to be a dancer, i can pick up the dances pretty quick

{some, mind you.  some are super hard and i give up after  around for a while haha}

i was reluctant to go at first cause i had clinical this morning at 7.

and then got CPR certified this evening.

so needless to say it was a busy day, with little sleep going into it.

but i survived.

talked to a family today about nannying this summer and just not sure what to do.

i don't know if i should get experience as a tech in the pediatricians office or make money.

lots of praying to do.

we didn't get a group pic last night, but elizabeth and i took some before we went out.

i wish i had more time to go to the dusty and learn all the dances!!

{before. weird lighting but i'm lacking in photo options.}

{my armband saying i'm 21!}

{us again.  love her}

this is what college life should be about.

going out with the ladies and having fun.

can i get an amen?!

and no...i didn't have any drinks last night...aside from water :)

haiti updates.

can i just say that i am so excited for my rooming arrangements next year?! 

cause i totally am.

and i know i've said that before, but i'm hoping this is different!

i've been starting to question my judge in character LOL.

nah. not really.  it's just life.  gotta roll with it.

some things on Haiti...

1.  i have already received 2 donations!  i'm hoping that more come in as the Lord provides but am so tickled pink already!

2.  i received this in an e-mail a couple weeks ago from a women who i'll stay with when i am down there for a work weekend, and think it makes me so much more excited--not sure if i already shared, but it's worth sharing again.

"Looking forward to being with you on your first Haiti mission....God will change your life during this time..!  It will never be the same, so get ready!"

i am so excited!

rachel w. left for africa today so keep her and her team in your prayers.

i can't wait to hear what she does there and how she changes lives through nursing.

busy week ahead....prayers would be appreciated!

{me and mr. p}

Easter: part 2 of 2012

yesterday we all had dinner at my house for Easter.

it was so fun, and i was exhausted driving back to school.

at church i got to sit with cassie and josiah and eden.

they are seriously such an amazing family.

she is one of the few people that asks me to sit with them.

although i asked yesterday, she has asked in the past so i feel not so bad.

i always feel weird cause its family time, and then i sit on in.

but i need to get over this!

so enjoy some Easter pics at the gardner household :).

{kel and tim}

{lori and dave!}

{gma, me, molly}

{me and kel}

{all the kids}

{the ladies}

{don't mind kelly....the little ham!}

{me and my main man}

love Easter and what He did on that cross.

thanks, God. 

'and i remember the nails that you took for me.

when you died in my shame, iniquities.

Jesus, you have set me free.

the thorns of my pain you wore in the crown,

when you bowed your head, your love was poured out.

my chains hit the ground.'

--my chains hit the ground, leeland

Easter 2012: part 1

this morning, i spent brunch with karen c. and her kids.

she had them for Easter today and i was honored to be invited.

i got to meet their other bbsitter from Denison, and the tallentires were there too.

it was so fun to just chat and catch up, and see the kids.

{although, i didn't have a whole lot of time to be with them.  they were all wound up with people in teh house}

regardless, it was such a fun way to spend my saturday.

then i got to spend the afternoon with bishop at RR coffee.

and while there, i ran into everyone and their mothers.

jess w., kailee k., marie m., olivia hos., clint h., and many others.

it was like a little granville reunion fest!

AND kailee, jess, and bishop got to talking about africa!

they both have been to the same spots.  it was so cute to see them all talking about this place they love. 

i got most of my politics paper done, and just have to do some final editing stuff.

i tell ya, i am not a fan of this paper!  

usually i love papers.  but not this one.

i just am past the point of caring. LOL.

{me, reilly, mrs. t., karen, justin, emily, sarah, mr. t.

and why i felt the need to stand in the back?!  no idea.

i should have stood to the right of reilly haha.}

{me, justin and sarah!}

i tell ya. one of the best things about my job is that it's not just a job.

i form families.  and i wouldn't want it any other way!

mrs. t at one point was talking about dances {reilly is going to prom next weekend!}

and then asked which dance i went to with alex, her son.

the answer was sophomore homecoming.

anyways, she asked if i knew that was the only time in him and greg smith's friendship that they got in a fight.  to which i said 'no, what over?'

the obvious answer was me. say, what?

i guess they both wanted to ask me, so alex rushed to ask me first.

that didn't make greg too happy.

i can't believe i never knew this. especially since gville is tiny.

but i am so so flattered....all 5 years later.

they are both great guys, but i'm glad alex beat him to the punch :).

in honor of going to hc with alex, here are some throwback pics.

{i love this.  i was so giddy}

{pretending i knew what i was doing}

{allll the group! scott/susan, david/jess, alex/me, jameson/alex, patrick/marie, amanda/michael, taylor/dillon, anna/sam}}

{and it wouldn't be hc without a bathroom pic! haha}

{all the ladies--marie, amanda b., anna c., taylor h., alex n., me, ty}

{one of my favorites.  so so pretty}

oh i miss high school sometimes.

i am thankful for the fun times i had with great groups of friends!

fear not.

fear not...i do not have TB!  haha.  

not that i thought i did, but x-rays confirmed that.

i lost my bracelet somehow before i got a pic....darn it!

got to spend some time with aubrey today while b and rach were in the hospital

it was fun to spend time with her.

at one point she decided to hide from me.

scariest. thing. ever.

i was trying to find her and when she came out she said:

'i was just hiding!!'  so innocently.  oh gosh i nearly died.

then i came back to take the boys to get whit's.

aubrey and i brought them lunch and so i put two notes on their lunchables saying:

rory/aidan, i hope you have a great day!  i love you!  love, ann.

rory kept his note after his teacher read it to him. 

how stinking sweet is that?!  i love that child.

and when i arrived the first thing he said was:

'you're still my favorite babysitter, you know'

and when i said 'oh yeah?  why's that'

he told me it is because i take him to whit's a lot.

then aidan said i also play the most games with them.

oh to be almost 6 and 8 haha.

went to good friday service tonight and it was so good.

makes me realize how undeserving i am and how worthy He is.

got to chat with cassie and all that's been going on with her husband in the services.

and got to catch up a bit with others, too.

man, i miss my home church.

i feel so disconnected being away.  so out of the loop.

i am just ready for summer when i can join back in again!

happy good friday.

one thing that struck me tonight was that for in the garden of Gethsemane, the Lord was sweating blood.

it is a medical condition when you're so stressed out that you sweat blood.

and Jesus knew that this cup (which was our sins) was upon Him.  and He knew that for the first time ever, He was going to be separated from the Father.

so he was stressin'.

i have heard this before, but it stuck me tonight.

it got me thinking, 'how do i feel when i'm separated from the Father?!'

{which, is a lot, because we sin constantly}

cause Jesus was literally sweating blood, in agony.

oh, how i want to be so dependent on Him that i get there.

that i literally can't function just at the thought of not being in union with Him.

i am so thankful for the sacrifice that He made on the cross.

without Him, i would be nothing and life would be pointless.

His love fulfills and satisfies in ways i could have never imagined.

thanks, God.

 

'while we were still sinners, Christ died for us'

you guys aren't dressed for this.

some fun things that happened this week that went undocumented:

last sunday, abby c. was really low on oil.

we discovered this at church, when her check engine light went on.

so, after much deliberation, her and i headed to get oil.

we're all decked out in our dresses from church!  and boy we looked good.

as we're there, the guy at the store let us borrow their quality funnel because:

'i'm so glad to just see people like you filling your own oil'

bhahah.  how funny it was!

and then, a guy came out and asked us if we needed help.

i think he worked there, too.

he told us we certainly weren't dressed for the job, and helped make sure everything went good.

and it did.  and abby and i felt like such grown-ups!

then, later in the week, elise c., elizabeth and i were driving back from teh cafeteria

{elise drives everywhereeee on campus haha}

and 'big girls don't cry' by fergie came on and we blared it!

we were yelling at the top of our lungs and it felt awesome.

sometimes you just need a good sign to an oldie but a goodie.

also, jonathan (abby's bf) showed me a txt from mike k.
{it took a while to get him to show me. jonathan had asked if he was getting to know me as a friend or had intentions of dating me.}
it read: "that is my desire [to the question about dating me].  i would consider it an honor to be able to date her purposefully"
wow.  nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. ever.
he really was a great guy and i pray he finds an amazing woman.

i'm home for break now.

i love home!  it's awesome and relaxing.

 

tonight i went to a maudy thursday service. 

it was so powerful. awe did a reading session where it broke the crucification story into chunks and after each one, a candle got blown out.  then we had a feet washing.

it was wonderful.

then i get a txt (after asking to see the KL boys) that they're in the ER.

and i'm extremely hurt they didn't tell me sooner.

i would give ANYTHING and EVERYTHING for that family.

and they can't even contact me in times of need (someone else is with the boys).

please pray for whatever is going on, and more importantly that i be a blessing in the situation.

we bought a zoo!

have you seen the movie, 'we bought a zoo'?! 

if not, you should go see it right now.

it is quite possible the cutest movie i've EVER seen.

and the little girl it in is one i want my daughter to look just like!

i went to see it on monday night with jess w. and jess k.

at the dollar theatre, with 3 or more ppl  on mondays, movies are $.75.

since when are movies EVER that cheap!?  i love it!

certainly beats the almost $10 prices at other theatres.

anyways, we went to see it cause we don't have class on tuesdays and it was a great decision.

my favorite part is when the dad talks about all you need is 20 seconds of courage.

it is a consistent them in the story. 

and i got to thinking that is so so  true.  

all you need is such a short amount of time to dial that phone number, say those words, and be vulnerable in order to change things forever. 

like i said.  cutest. movie. ever. 

and i can't believe i waited so long to see it!

{it's backwards....sorry}

i got asked to bbsit by a women in pilates class, leslie.

i am super bummed it's the one saturday night that abbey and brian need me.

drats!  doesn't that always happen!?

leslie seems like an amazing lady and i am hoping and praying for the opportunity to meet her kids and babysit them in the near future!  

tomorrow, right after clinical, i head home. 

oh my, i can't wait to be in my own bed!  

get some good sleep, and do some homework {of course}

can't wait for Easter!!