Florida

We are relaxed. We are rejuvinated. Thank you Florida! We had the time of our lives on this vacation to say the least. It was a much needed relaxing, fun, spur-of-the-moment type of trip that we will never regret doing. Here are some favorites.

Favorite #1: Our resort and top floor 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite. Complete with a kitchen, living room, and balcony with this view. It was beautiful.





Favorite #2: Devotions from the top floor balcony with a view, and smell, of the ocean in the background. I loved the time I spent in quiet reflection with God, and the many conversations we had. One in particular I remember was a devotion about God being our refuge. I cried from that balcony from missing our baby and Wade & Alissa's baby. I felt God's presence come because for the next ten minutes there were two absolutely beautiful, graceful birds that just flew around right in my view. Was that a sign of God telling me that they are okay? I think so. God is great.




Favorite #3: Laying out by the pool or ocean everday. Another favorite - palm trees! We had beautiful weather during our stay. Thank goodness for SPF 30, we definately needed it!





Favorite #4:Walks on the beach with the love of my life. We needed this, God knew we needed this. I think I fell more in love everyday we spent there. The memory of walking hand in hand along the beautiful ocean while picking up seashells will remain with me forever. Thank you God for my amazing husband.





Favorite #5: Game nights complete with Long Island Iced Tea, Scrabble and Uno with Wade & Alissa. We had way too much fun.





Favorite #6:The rescue aquarium we visited. Complete with sea turtles, sting rays, otters, and dolphins. Good find Alissa :)





Favorite #7: The amazing and delicious restaurants we ate at every night. This included "Gators" and "Bubba Gumps". While we were sitting on the pier at Gator's we saw 3 dolphins swimming around in the ocean.

Hows that for ambience.





Favorite #8: John's Pass. A whole little village of beachy shops. We enjoyed more dolphin watching on the pier and did a little shopping. Oh, and I can't forget the humorfous and delicious ice cream cone I enjoyed - chocolate with peanut butter, I've never had anything like it! YUM!





Favorite #9: Sunrises.Brady and I woke up early one morning to go lay on the beach and watch the sunrise. It was heaven-sent.



Favorite #10 :Sunsets in Florida. They are breathtaking and we loved enjoying them first hand.

Treasure Island Here We Come!

The suitcases are being packed and soon we will be off to the beautiful Sunshine State to make memories of a lifetime.

Spring Has Sprung

Today was beautiful. Today was one of those "normal, everday" types of days that I look at and smile. I had the day off. Brady got off work at 4:15. Beautiful. I sat outside with Maya for quite some time this afternoon and we both basked in the sun. I ran errands with my amazing husband and when I looked at my life I felt well...

Blessed.





I looked around and couldn't help but notice the beauty in life. The beauty in this life I get to call my own. I am a planner and things haven't exactly gone "as planned" these past few months, but today I felt at peace with everything. I have been praying for that peace for quite some time now and today when I sat outside and had some "Me and God" time I felt peace. It felt as if His arms were wrapped forever around me, His loved child. Beautiful. And then I realized things have gone just as planned...

Just as God has planned.





Iowa is a beautiful place to live. I don't think I'd appreciate spring as much if I didn't have to go through winter. Just like sometimes in life we don't appreciate beautiful things until we've gone through some not-so-beautiful times. God is good in all times.





Brady and I enjoyed a barbeque for supper. I love grilling nights. My husband is a master griller. I'm serious, he's the best. These are the nights I will remember forever and when I think of them it makes my heart...

Oh so happy.





Spring has officially sprung and life is beautiful.

Live it, breathe it, enjoy it.

Happy April 15!

It's finally here! Tax season is officially over and the party is tonite, complete with our favorite - Archie's peppered steaks. My mouth is already watering! April 15 means having my husband around a lot more which always make me glad. I'm very proud of him and how hard he works, but we love to relax and have fun once it's all over.

With the warm weather and sunshine came the idea to plant a new Juniper pompom bush in the front. We had ripped out a couple old dead bushes last fall and this fills that area in nicely. It still looks sort of bare in the front but once the other bushes grow back it will be perfect.

Enjoy the beautiful sunshine and spring weather.

Uveitis

"Inflammation of the uvea of the eye"

...Maya has uveitis.

Who knew a dog could get that?! After getting her vaccines a couple of weeks ago and I noticed her eyes started to get very red, and she was itching them all the time and would "wimper". I brought her back to the vet and she had an eye exam and was prescibed eye ointment. The vet put the first dose in. Of course, Maya behaved perfectly for her and held still. The vet told me, apply this ointment three times a day for 10 days. The nurse in me thought, "easy enough" I've certainly done more difficult things in my life as a nurse.

...Or so I thought!

Have you ever tried to hold down a 18lb cockapoo and apply ointment to the lower portion of its eye? Oh, and of course, there are TWO eyes. So if you get lucky on the first one you can kiss your luck goodbye for the second eye. And, once a day, that would be a piece of cake; but THREE times a day for 10 whole days.

Maybe I'm being slightly dramatic, but this is really hard.



Sometimes in the midst of Brady and I attempting, yes attempting, to apply this ointment I just look around and laugh. It really is quite the sight, one of us trying to hold her down while the other goes in for the attack. LOL. I'm sure this will be funnier after the 10 days are over. Lets just hope this is our only encounter with uveitis.

Spring Splurges

He Got:



A brand new golf driver.


She got:




A brand new stampin up "big shot".

My Miracle Blessing

"For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mothers womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them"
Psalm 139: 13-17

You're in my thoughts forever little one, I love you so very much.