year 22.

today is my 22nd birthday.

honestly, where has the time gone?

i got to spend it with those that mean the most to me.

{but not till after a full day of clinical!}

and those that love on me like i don't deserve.

my best friend came to stay and that made it perfect right there.

i can't wait to share pics and stories about the day.

i love birthdays {as i said before}

its a great time to be able to reflect on all that i've done and accomplished.  i have lived an amazing life.

and it's amazing to see the amount of time the Lord has blessed me here on Earth.

some highlights from the year:

i went to Passion 2012.  incredible.
i met the allerdings.  what a blessing!

this year i ran my 4th half marathon.  i'm crazy.

i went geo caching for the first time.  so fun!

several of my girlfriends got to turn 21 and i got to celebrate with them.

i also ran the warrior dash and the color run. {both awesome}  i hope to add the tough mudder soon.

i worked a 'semi' real job.  loved every minute of it.

with that, i discovered a love of nursing i never knew.  it was so encouraging, let me tell you.

i followed the Lord's calling and went to Haiti. changed my life.

and in haiti, met the mentor i've been praying about for years, brenda.  she and jerry loved on my like i haven't been loved on in a while.

and in that, i was able to experience God's love on a much deeper level.

and my favorite accomplishment thus far this year was starting senior year of college!

each and every year i've been walking with the Lord, it has gotten better and better.

He has stretched me in ways i never thought possible.

and showed me He is sovereign more times than i should need.

and i am SO beyond excited to get to live another year {Lord willing} for Him.

looking forward to all He has in store this next year.  

one of those hopefully being college graduation :)

saying goodbye to AHN

this time last week i was still working full time and loving it.

it almost seems so long ago!

as i reflect on this summer i can't help but think how awesome it was.

the Lord no doubt knew exactly what i needed.

working at AHN pediatrics was one of the best things that has happened to me.

the people (loove those people!), the skills, the laughter.  it was awesome.

they taught me so so much.  it's unreal.

and guess what we're about to learn in clinical?

immunizations.  how to give them and when they're given.

guess who spent all summer doing that!?  this girl right here.

see?  God totally had His hand on this like WOAH!

saying goodbye to them on thursday was horrible.

it was so unreal and i didn't want to go.

i even started crying, which is a bit rare.

these women?  they are just so special.

they were such a blessing to not only my nursing skills, but also just life.

they cared and poured into me.

i just miss them.

traci sent me a facebook message tonight which made my night!

i hope the time goes FAST between now and when i see them again!

tomorrow's my 22nd birthday.  

i looove birthdays.  here's to mine!

SENIOR YEAR!

well, since being back from haiti i've been awful at blogging.

i just got used to being off it and it's been hard to transition back on.

first things first, i started my senior year of college.  

what the heck!?  how did that happen?  

as we were at dinner for the main event, i kept having flashbacks of freshmen year. 

i remember it so vividly!  who i was with (deana, kayla r., and jasmine) and what i wore (black strapless shirt). 

we took pictures and enjoyed the college life before homework started.

now here i am at my last main event!

and last first day of classes!

it's all so bizarre and sometimes it's hard to believe.

the year has been great but lack of sleep is setting in.

ive been up at 6 am every morning, and in bed between 12 and 1 am.

uh this has got to stop or i will die!  so so tired.

but i'm confident i will get into the swing of things and into a routine soon.

my roommates/suitemates/hall mates are awesome and i love them.

can't wait to get to know them more.

we had our presentations on haiti the night before class which was 9 hrs.

it was loooong but went really fast. 

it was so neat to see where everyone went and what they did!

i will have a lot of reading to do for theology and my gen 460 (holocaust) class but really like the professors and think they will be great classes.  

and word on the street is that nursing is 'easier' this year so let's hope that's true!

i have nothing tomorrow so will sleep a bit and do homework/catch up on stuff.

oddly enough i am looking forward to it!

some pics from the beginning of the year.  so excited it's finally here!

{kayla hamming it up playing musical chairs!  i didn't even see her when i took it!  score.  she got 12th by the way.  awesome!}

{me and miriam at the main event!}

{janet, miriam, rachel, me, kayleigh, sara on our last first day of school! we survived.}

{my awesome suite!  rachel, me, kayleigh, sara}

i loove college.

and as much as i'm ready to be done, i am getting all sentimental.  

i will certainly miss this place and all these norms when i'm gone!

dreams come true!

last night i had the best dream ever!

i was a contestant on the bachelor.  shut up.  right now!

i don't remember much......like who the guy was!

but i do remember that we were on a group date.

and we were in a pool.

he pulled me over to the side and was talking to me and being all flirty.

then, a girl {i think jess w. from high school!} came and asked if we wanted to go to the diving board.

i looked at him, and when he didn't answer, i said: 'sure'

then he says: 'can you give us a couple minutes?'

she agreed.

pause: you know this is a dream because whenever they ask for more time no one agrees!! LOL.

then, he turns to me and says, 'just when i try to pull you aside, you're already ready to leave me'.

and then we did what everyone does on the bachelor and started kissing.

full on making out.

it was lovely.

then on the way home, somehow we picked up abby c. and jess k. from malone.

and in the car, the bachelor starts holding my hand {he was in the row behind me so it was obvious}.

and abby kept looking at me like, 'oh yeah!  you're on the bachelor!'

it was so weird.

and yet, i was so happy.  

it got me to thinking.  why was i so happy?

to have the affection of a man?  

to be loved and loved on? 

i haven't had that in so so long.

so it got me thinking more. 

and the Lord has been teaching me that i'm just now adjusting from Haiti.

here this whole time i thought i was all adjusted and doing fine.

but the Lord revealed to me i'm not.

having Jerry on the trip was so amazing.

and since i've seen that love he had for me, my heart has been burdened.

i want that love in my earthly father.

i want to feel that loved and cared for.  daily.

and the thing is?  i am.  by my Heavenly Father.

and it's good and i know it.  but i've been having trouble feeling it.

you know sometimes when you just need a hug?

like, i know the Lord's here.  but it would be awesome if he could hug me.

so i need to dwell in His love more.

i need to be able to see and feel it.  cause i so badly desire it.

and that's where i'm at.

it's been a tough couple days.

but i know He is sovereign and will bring me through it all and bring me closer to Him.

p.s. i love my church.

i am going to miss it so so much.

and today i went to the alter cause i feel i need to forgive some people i don't want to.

jamie johnson came up and prayed with me.

and i just so desperately miss how Parkside doesn't have alter calls and times like that.

i need times like that where i get to a breaking point.

cause in those times i feel and seek Him more.

the 'firsts' just keep coming!

for a little while there i thought i might be done blogging.

i was kinda over it, and thought there was no need to put this all online.

but as things have happened, i've realized how important it is to write things down!

so today, there were some more firsts.

i had my first patient pass out while taking his cholesterol.

thank goodness Cleo was in the room or i wouldn't have known what to do!

all the sudden she goes, 'and there he goes!'

and sure enough, he had his eyes rolled back and was out.

but it was only for like 5 seconds.

and just shortly before that, i had another first.

cleo asked if this young man--who happened to be very attractice, and tall!--had a girlfriend.

he was 18 and a bit young but i couldn't believe it!

he said he did, and to which cleo responds:

'darn ann!  i'm trying to help ya out!'

i nearly died hahaha.  but it was so funny.

all i could say was, 'oh, don't pay attention to her!'

but really?!  and then he passes out.

just a bunch of awkwardness.

but i'm going to give cleo a 'bee' {where people go above and bee-yond at work} for trying to hook me up.  i think it will be hilarious because she went the 'extra mile'.  love it.

that's about it.

daniel moved into miami the other day and it's all eyes on me till next week.

this could be good or bad.

i'll maybe be more absent this next week haha.

i'm back.

well, i'm home!

been home about a week now and had a crazy week at work.

the trip was such a blessing in every way possible and i miss it so much.

wishing i could be back with every minute that passes by.

so much to share and so much the Lord taught me.

He is so faithful.  and so good.

He definitely knew what He was doing when He put me with that trip.

and he brought me the mentor i've been wanting.

too bad she is sooo far away!

i spent this past weekend in canton at a wedding, and am a bit ready to be with all my friends again.

i just wish the homework would disappear haha.