two little boys!

i got to spend the day with my two favorite babies.

today i didn't do much babysitting, but hung out with abbey and the boys.

we went to wooster to get some of their family pics {which turned out awesome!} and then had dinner and did our bible study.  and then watched the biggest loser.

but today, we took several pics of me and the boys!  about time, eh?

abbey has most of them, but i had her send me one of them.

i'm in love.  my heart is so full.

and man am i gonna miss these faces when i'm home for summer!

so much love for these two little boys!

it's kinda crazy, but i wouldn't have it any other way!

IV experience.

yesterday, elizabeth said she would let julia put an IV in.

well, it didn't quite go as planned but it was entertaining! haha.

{getting ready}

{smile!}

{putting it in...}

{....fail}

those red marks are blood....from the first 3 times she tried to put it in haha.

she would poke elizabeth and then someone would flinch and she would take it out.

when she finally started to go in, there wasn't blood return :(.

oh well.  we're learning, right?!  haha.

maybe next time!

geocaching!!

yesterday i went geocaching for the first time ever!

if you don't know what it is, go to their website.  it's pretty cool.

i'm not very good yet, so i'm hoping to have some improvement next time LOL.

me, rachel (roomie next year!) and abby went and it was a blast!

we were able to get through 2 and then i had to be back for dinner with rachel w.

the first one was so fun, and we went into the woods and onto a trail.

we found out at the end that there was a nice trail all laid out, but we entered too early.

so we spent some time wondering through a wooded area.

it was actually really fun :). 

the first one we found was a medium size, and looks like these pics.

there are things inside and you put something in, and take something else out.

i got a nametag from giant eagle that says "matt".  yes haha!

the other one we found was microscopic, meaning it's in a pill bottle.

so you just log your name and don't put stuff in.

either way, both were so fun!

i can't wait to do more geocaching this summer!

{the box!!}

{a bit of the inside}

{looking inside}

{fun fortune}

{we found it!}

{me and abs}

{me and my first geocaching experience!}

{the three of us.  love them!}

i had a blast and am so glad we got to go :)

thanks ladies!

be thankful.

as i had my quiet time today, something really stuck out at me.

in a lot of the pastoral letters {i think that's what they're called--romans, 1 and 2 corinth., galatians, ephesians, philippians, colossians, ect} Paul talks about giving thanks.

several times he mentions that he is giving thanks for us and the work we've done (or the people of those locations he was visiting).

and i thought, 'do i spend that much time thanking God?'

and chances are, if i have to ask that question, the answer is no.

being thankful is an amazing quality, and i lack it more than i wish.

i wan to be thankful for the little things in life. 

for the simple things that might not seem like anything bug.

but to many people all over the world, is more than they dream of having.

so my heart is convicted, in a good way.

i want to be more thankful and give the Lord all the praise that He is worthy of.

and one thing i am extremely thankful for is the fact that even though i do nothing to deserve it, He loves me and forgives me again and again.

and i am also thankful that i got to get together with one of my besties, rachel w.

we got together a week late to celebrate her birthday!

i love her so much and couldn't ask for a better friend.

she is leaving for Africa in just 10 days!  woot woot.

i love that we share a passion for not only nursing, but also medical missions.
i miss her so much and seeing her tonight was so good for my heart!

went geocaching tonight for the first time :).
will share more about that experience tomorrow!

malone meme.

there is this page on facebook called 'malone meme'

it is a page that just has funny things that are so stinking true about malone.

who knows how long it will late, so i'm going to share a couple.

these make me laugh every time i read them!  i love it.

so here is a little sneak-peak of malone, my other home! :)

'oh you're a nursing major?  tell me more about how hard your life is'

'AVI...why you serve all good food on same day?'

'45 degrees, 2 lights, and all 4 feet....or you'll nazi the floor of a boys room again'

'empties dryer lint....throws on floor'

'so, howd it go?

she said God is calling her to be single right now.

looks like you've been...WWF'd"

'back to campus after midnight....gate still open!'

 

 ''gates to campus closed....drives on sidewalk'

'alert the others!  chocolate chip cookie day is here!'

'woolman, why you smell like car piss?!'

'if you hate malone, why you no leave?'

 

'trees with while flowers?  must smell nice!'

'malone, why you no have spring break in spring?!'

'not sure if exam was too easy, or just didn't know anything'

'oh you're a junior?  tell me about engaged life'

'long line for buffalo chicken wrap.....takes two plates'

these are just a few!  

they are all so funny and i love them.

there are several more but i need to be working on this 10 page culture paper.

oh.... ya gotta love malone :)

oh the TB test.

TB test.  oh how i hate them.  mainly just cause i hate needles.

i have to get them every year because of nursing school and will have to every year forever.

until now.

i got my TB test taken on monday and when i went in on wednesday, it was not exactly negative.

the nurse questioned it asked me to come back today so the dr. could look at it (coming today would keep it still within the time window of checked between 48-72 hrs.)

so i went in today and it was not looking so good.

the dr. measured it, and my TB test was certainly positive.

it was red and raised.....all 18 mm of it!

{normal used to be under 10 mm.  this year they raised it to 15 mm.  and i'm still above that!}

it does not mean i have TB, just that i've been exposed.

i could never exhibit signs and symptoms and probably will never have problems with it.

however, somewhere along the lines i was around someone who had it (and probably didn't know.  or just was rude and didn't tell me they were exposing me haha).

good news is: once you're positive, you're always positive.

this is awesome because i never have to get another TB test done!  woot woot.

bad news is:  i now have to get blood work and a chest x-ray in replace of a TB test yearly.

this stinks seeing i hate TB tests because of the needle.  

blood draws are a million times worst!  ughhh.

so goodbye TB tests.

of the several i've had, it's been real fun.

but i don't think i'll miss ya! :)

oh, and while i'm sure it's nothing serious, please pray that the blood work and x-rays do come back negative next week, confirming i don't have active TB.  for that would totally stink! LOL.

hello God. it's me, margaret (or ann.)

recently i have been struggling.

just with little life stuff and is all adding up.

i feel down, blue, just not myself.

when i think of why, i know exactly why.

recently?  i haven't been taking the time to read my bible DAILY.

but oh wait. i find time to work out 5 days a week before my classes even start.

priorities here are seriously messed up. and i'm having trouble fixing them.

if there is one thing i am certain of, it's that the Word of God never changes.

it is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

it is constant and replicable in every single situation.

it has wisdom and knowledge that i cannot gather everywhere else.

but yet, i have not been reading it.

sure, i read it every couple (or 3 or 4) days.  when i have 'time' or it's convenient.

but the importance of reading every single day is something i cannot stress.

the Bible is the book of LIFE. 

and life is what i'm living....or trying to.

i need accountability, encouragement...something.

i blame this on the fact that i share a room and to pull out my bible and read would be too hard because i'm distracted that there is another person in my room ruffling papers around (and studying for that test i should be studying for. LOL).

when i'm with God, i really need to be with just Him.

it's hard for me to focus when others are around and i know others are watching.

so i make excuses {much like the Biggest Losers.  'no excuses' is their theme this year}

and because i'm not in the Word and with the Lord daily, i feel the consequences.

i feel burdened, down cast, lost, confused, just a bit out of it.

i feel the need for my Savior and the only One who can fill that spot. yet i quench that desire.

(which, by the way, is one of the worst things you can do).

so i feel the emptiness it leaves. and yet don't change it.

so i need to re-prioritize some things.

if that means tomorrow my Bible reading gets done in the morning but NOT my workout, then so be it.

is my physical body going to last?  no sir.

my Spiritual life and relationship is going to be the only eternal thing that matters.

don't store up treasures where moth and thieves destroy.  what is the use?

i hear the analogy at church that putting focus on things in this life is like writing a long paper--10 or 20 pages--and knowing at the end of it that it's not going to be saved.

that would just be silly to keep adding to the document.

why waste your time, energy, efforts and everything on something that won't even save?

well this life is the same way.  nothing here gets saved.

the only thing that does matter is our relationship with the Lord.

and while i know all this, i'm clearly having trouble putting it into practice based off my actions.

so pray for me please. 

that i may change this habit and focus on what truly matters in life.

i want to live completely for Him.  and need to pursue Him with ALL i have.