So...yeah

So much going on and so much to talk about! But some things will have to wait just a little longer for the blog...

I stillllll haven't finished documenting our Italy trip. I'm sure my sister thinks I forgot. I didn't. 

J got a new job! Da, da DA! He is now my rockstar Network Analyst at San Diego State University. So we are becoming Aztec fans by default. He is so happy to work for great people and a larger university and I am so happy he is happy!

J and I just got back (last week) from a little trip to Seattle, Portland and Roseburg, Oregon to see our besties. We always love Oregon, the Ritters are our faves, and Pike Place Market is sure a fun place to explore.

Every time we visit Oregon, we say we want to move there tomorrow. It's so stinking beautiful up there! But this time, along with the 'it's so amazing here' thoughts, we also felt a new sense of peace and contentment with our lives in San Diego, and are incredibly thankful for where we are at. We don't have plans to move to Oregon for quite awhile, if ever. We've decided will love our home city we are blessed to live in, give thanks that our family is so close (S and V, move here darn it), and make Oregon the family vacation spot.

Fall is here, which might be my favorite season. Well, I love winter, and Spring is pretty nice. Just not summer in El Cajon. Ugh. the heat is not my friend. But there's something about the anticipation of the upcoming holidays and change of seasons (even though it's still 86 degrees outside here) that makes my heart happy. I've failed at bringing out my fall decor this year, which I'm bummed about. But we did get two little pumpkins and I have a harvest sign that are happily sitting on our mantle and my desk. I also have yet to make anything pumpkin related, while last year I had pumpkin bread and cupcakes and muffins and cookies and pancakes going by now. Some years it just doesn't work out. But that's ok with me.

We did make a trip to Target and visited the fall Halloween section, which is not our favorite section by any means. (seriously, when did October turn into skulls and goblins month? what happened to harvest time and preparing for a heart of thankfulness?) But we did get quite a kick out of the gigantic skull heads larger than J. It was his idea to document it. 

I love my husband.

I'm sick as a dog (where in the world did that phrase come from?? It doesn't even make sense, my dogs aren't sick...) with most symptoms you can imagine, including crazy allergies, which is making looking at this computer screen a tad tricky. When I feel better, I'll upload my pics from our trip and also the rest of Italy (it was only 6 months ago...). 

Life feels crazy...doesn't it always?...but good. I'm feeling extra thankful this morning and that's a good thing. 

Lord, make my heart thankful every morning.

The next chapter

My sister surprised me this weekend and brought me this balloon from my mom and her.

Why?

Because I got a job!

I will be working as an RN doing private home health, taking care of a seven-month-old little boy.

I am humbled by and excited for the challenge.

It's different than I was thinking, but I am so thankful for the opportunity to use my RN license and learn.

Orientation was today, 

I meet the family tomorrow, 

training starts Monday, 

and the little boy goes home from the hospital [enter me] next Thursday.

Ready or not...

I'm a real nurse now!

"And now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, 

according to His power that is at work within us, 

to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever!"

[Ephesians 3:20-21]

Overshadowed by blessings

Yesterday was a rather frustrating day in the job-world... or lack there-of.
It included standing in one line at a job fair for 40 minutes to hear "set up a job search agent online."
Because I haven't already done that. Oh wait - yes I have.
And "your file is not complete because you have not uploaded cover letters to our system" of another job location.
But I did! Apparently I didn't save them right.

This job search thing is a bit discouraging at times.
How in the world will a piece of paper... and I'm lucky if they will even accept a paper resume... separate me from all the other incredible new nurses? Because that's the truth - there are a lot of good nurses looking for jobs. So why aren't there job opportunities for us? I guess because there are 2500 new grad RNs in San Diego. And there are anywhere from 0-30 jobs. At most.

But I know that God is bigger than a little job, and that He is the Provider.
And so, I continue to trust that His plan is better than mine.
And then I move on.
Because really, what does worrying do? Nothing.

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" [Matthew 6:27]

Anyway. That's all I can say of the job search.

On the up side, I got to meet my good friend for dinner last night... at Costco. Love those hot dogs! I love her for meeting me at Costco. We went on a hunt for a few things in a rather twisted Costco, and then she gave me a tour of her newly acquired home. I'm so excited for them! Then we sat in the car in the Costco parking lot and chatted about life until it closed.

That's what I call a great friend. We can do the little things together. And it feels totally normal. Well, sort of. :)

I like Jessi for a lot of reasons. But one is because we get each other. Like when we were eating hot dogs. In the middle of the conversation, we both became antsy to photograph the sunset. Because we had to capture the moment! So this is how it looked through the Costco panels...

I'm so thankful that God gives us glimpses of His majestic and creative spirit.
And I'm thankful that He blesses us with good friends.