Do I even dare start writing again!? Many, many things have changed since I last posted in February 2013!! A lot of life lived!
We welcomed our daughter, Coralynn Neva, to the world on May 18, 2013 in Indianapolis. Shortly, thereafter, Blake began applying for graduate school, and we traveled several places for his interviews.
We found out in January 2014 that we would be moving from Indianapolis, IN to Cleveland, Ohio for him to being schooling at Case Western Reserve University to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
On May 1, we were surprised to learn that Baby Hawk #2 was on the way!!!!
At the end of May, we packed up our home in Indianapolis, said "goodbye" to our friends, church and our home of 3 years and moved to Cleveland, just in time for Blake to start school on June 2!
Slowly, but surely, Cleveland is becoming our new home.
Our pace of life, routines and daily habits have changed and morphed to fit into Blake's school and clinical schedule. I have adjusted to being a stay-at-home mom/household manager, and Blake has class and/or clinical at The Cleveland Clinic every day. As soon as we get used to his schedule, it changes. Such is the life of a medical professional, I've learned!
2014 has been a year of adjustments and really learning to trust the Lord and know that his plans are best. He has provided in so many ways, beyond what we ever could have imagined! We are so looking forward to what He has for us this coming year!
There are so many things to look forward to. We are returning to Indiana to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. Blake's family will be visiting us in Cleveland over the Christmas holiday. And, our SON is due January 6!
Though we are counting down the months that remain in the CRNA program for Blake, we are doing our best to live intentionally in this season of life. There are many transitions ahead for us, but we draw peace from the fact that our God is good. He is faithful. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Hosea 6:3 Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Sunday, February 17, 2013
nash-vegas baby!
Blake and I are spending our much-needed vacation in Nasvhille, TN this weekend. We traveled on Friday and are leaving to go back to Indianapolis tomorrow. It's a baby-moon of sorts, I guess you could say.
I was a little worried about our trip at first...
When we checked in at the hotel, had to wait in line for 20 minutes and everyone else in line was drinking (at 3 pm) and carrying on. It seemed like some sort of twisted, overnight, high school reunion. Once we got our room keys and were on our way through the maize of drunk people in the lobby, I dropped his iPad on the floor of the lobby, where it crashed to the floor, slid several feet and the cover promptly fell off. It didn't turn on after that.
That didn't really start our vacation out on the right foot...it was an expensive foot, but definitely not right.
Once we got to our room on the 9th floor, our keys didn't work, so I quietly (and submissively) rode the elevator back down to the lobby to get new keys.
Needless to say, we had a moment of testing...where we both had to choose our attitudes toward each other. Luckily, we both chose correctly.
After we recharged in our hotel and rid ourselves of the sickness of a broken iPad, we met our friends, Andrew & Joy Patton for dinner. We had a wonderful dinner, catching up, dinner AND dessert, hearing about their lives and updating them on ours.
Since Friday night, we've had a ton of fun together! We toured the Country Music Hall of Fame and visited the famous, historic RCA Studio B.
I sat at the piano in Studio B, which is claimed to be Elvis' favorite piano and also where he recorded How Great Thou Art.
We walked up and down the streets of downtown Nashville. Of course, we hit up Broadway Street. And ate the best BBQ of our lives at Jack's. (No need to be dramatic about it.)
We have spent all day in two different coffee shops, Casablanca Coffee and The Well, studying, reading and writing. We had gourmet Mexican at Cantina Laredo in The Gulch. And I am anxiously anticipating an Italian feast for dinner tonight (and so is the baby).
And I am excited to declare, that next time we come to Nashville, I will return with my very own cowboy boots. They have made it onto my birthday list. :)
I love spending time with Blake, and his company never gets old. What a time we've had...and it's not over yet!
I was a little worried about our trip at first...When we checked in at the hotel, had to wait in line for 20 minutes and everyone else in line was drinking (at 3 pm) and carrying on. It seemed like some sort of twisted, overnight, high school reunion. Once we got our room keys and were on our way through the maize of drunk people in the lobby, I dropped his iPad on the floor of the lobby, where it crashed to the floor, slid several feet and the cover promptly fell off. It didn't turn on after that.
That didn't really start our vacation out on the right foot...it was an expensive foot, but definitely not right.
Once we got to our room on the 9th floor, our keys didn't work, so I quietly (and submissively) rode the elevator back down to the lobby to get new keys.
Needless to say, we had a moment of testing...where we both had to choose our attitudes toward each other. Luckily, we both chose correctly.
After we recharged in our hotel and rid ourselves of the sickness of a broken iPad, we met our friends, Andrew & Joy Patton for dinner. We had a wonderful dinner, catching up, dinner AND dessert, hearing about their lives and updating them on ours.
Since Friday night, we've had a ton of fun together! We toured the Country Music Hall of Fame and visited the famous, historic RCA Studio B.
We walked up and down the streets of downtown Nashville. Of course, we hit up Broadway Street. And ate the best BBQ of our lives at Jack's. (No need to be dramatic about it.)
We have spent all day in two different coffee shops, Casablanca Coffee and The Well, studying, reading and writing. We had gourmet Mexican at Cantina Laredo in The Gulch. And I am anxiously anticipating an Italian feast for dinner tonight (and so is the baby).
And I am excited to declare, that next time we come to Nashville, I will return with my very own cowboy boots. They have made it onto my birthday list. :)
I love spending time with Blake, and his company never gets old. What a time we've had...and it's not over yet!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
pinterest recipe copy cat
today was a pinterest day. we have some friends who recently had their second child. i love feeding people and i love danielle and simon and their two girls, so i am taking them dinner saturday night. it's pretty easy to cook for myself because if it totally flops, we can just grab something quick. if you are taking a meal to someone, you don't exactly want it to be a disaster. so i turned to the one resource that i have come to depend on for tons of no-fail recipes -- pinterest.com.
on the menu -- mini meatloaf and smashed potatoes with cream cheese. and for dessert, chocolate filled strawberries -- to be clear, NOT chocolate COVERED strawberries. I'm not one for following recipes, but the rough ratio is an 11.5 oz bag of chocolate chips to 15-20 large strawberries. I used milk chocolate this time, but I want to try dark chocolate next time. here's how i did it:
next, i washed the strawberries. i rinsed out the inside and outside and let them dry on a paper towel upside down. (aren't those strawberries just gems?!)
while the strawberries were drying out a bit, i began melting the chocolate. the original recipe that i read said to use the microwave to melt the chocolate. i melted the chocolate in a regular saucepan on the stove instead.
melting the chocolate is my most challenging part of this process...because it requires enduring patience. if you heat the chocolate too quickly, it becomes dry and chalky. so melt slowly...if it starts to look dry, add a small scoop of lard or some butter. this will help smooth it out and makes the chocolate look shiny.
now, here's the controversy -- some people use egg cartons to hold the strawberries upright, but apparently you are at risk for contamination from people's dirty hands and salmonella poisoning. i used mini muffin tins that i had laying around because i don't keep empty egg cartons. you could also use tiny dixie cups.
put them in the fridge for about 10 minutes so the chocolate hardens a bit. then ENJOY!!
Monday, May 14, 2012
on mother's day...
I wanted to celebrate Mother's Day this year. No, I mean, I wanted to be celebrated as a Mother this year.
But instead...I eavesdropped.
(On a non-related note, my sisters could tell you stories of my professional eavesdropping they have observed. If you'd like a good laugh, talk to them.)
Yes, you read correctly. Eavesdropping vs. Mother's Day.
My husband, Blake, and I took road trip this past weekend to South Carolina to visit some of our very dear friends. It was a great trip, by the way.
We had dinner Saturday night at a pizza place and were seated outside. Soon after we got our food, I noticed a nearby table where a family of five was sitting. It was a couple and their three, tween-age boys. As I took a bite of my delicious, flatbread pizza, I mentioned, quietly observing, "Wow, three boys! Wouldn't that be something?!"
I turned my attention back to the conversation at hand. We talked, laughed and then quieted, as to focus on our grub.
A few minutes later, the same table caught my eye. The father and sons raised their glasses of Diet Coke, sweet tea or Mountain Dew for a toast. I didn't hear how the toast was initiated, but my heart melted when I heard what came out of their "cheers!"
Each of the three tweens were completely engrossed in the toast, as the father said, "To the BEST Mom in the world!" The boys shook their heads in agreement, and the family toasted their mother and wife.
When I heard this, I looked at my girlfriend, who was sitting beside me and had been observing the same scene, unbeknownst to me. We both burst into tears, quickly wiped them away with our napkins and giggled at each other for being so sentimental to a stranger's celebration.
I wondered why my reaction was so emotional. But I quickly realized how much I want to be celebrated as a Mother. I desire and long to be celebrated as a Mother. But more than that, I long to raise children that love the Lord and love others well.
Jesus met me in that moment and reminded me that I AM celebrated. Mother or not, I celebrate the woman you are. I celebrates the woman that you are becoming. Lean into me. Let me take you to places where I can change who you are. Let me write stories in your life that will create you into a better character than you would be if it was easy.
I AM celebrated. And God is the same God regardless of who I am. He is creating, molding, pruning and growing me into who he wants me to be, so that I might reveal His glory in all that I do...Mother or not.
To those of you who are Mother's...Happy Mother's Day, a couple days late. May you continue to grow more into the woman, wife, daughter, sister, MOTHER, that God has created you to be. Love well and live passionately.
But instead...I eavesdropped.
(On a non-related note, my sisters could tell you stories of my professional eavesdropping they have observed. If you'd like a good laugh, talk to them.)
Yes, you read correctly. Eavesdropping vs. Mother's Day.
My husband, Blake, and I took road trip this past weekend to South Carolina to visit some of our very dear friends. It was a great trip, by the way.
We had dinner Saturday night at a pizza place and were seated outside. Soon after we got our food, I noticed a nearby table where a family of five was sitting. It was a couple and their three, tween-age boys. As I took a bite of my delicious, flatbread pizza, I mentioned, quietly observing, "Wow, three boys! Wouldn't that be something?!"
I turned my attention back to the conversation at hand. We talked, laughed and then quieted, as to focus on our grub.
A few minutes later, the same table caught my eye. The father and sons raised their glasses of Diet Coke, sweet tea or Mountain Dew for a toast. I didn't hear how the toast was initiated, but my heart melted when I heard what came out of their "cheers!"
Each of the three tweens were completely engrossed in the toast, as the father said, "To the BEST Mom in the world!" The boys shook their heads in agreement, and the family toasted their mother and wife.
When I heard this, I looked at my girlfriend, who was sitting beside me and had been observing the same scene, unbeknownst to me. We both burst into tears, quickly wiped them away with our napkins and giggled at each other for being so sentimental to a stranger's celebration.
I wondered why my reaction was so emotional. But I quickly realized how much I want to be celebrated as a Mother. I desire and long to be celebrated as a Mother. But more than that, I long to raise children that love the Lord and love others well.
Jesus met me in that moment and reminded me that I AM celebrated. Mother or not, I celebrate the woman you are. I celebrates the woman that you are becoming. Lean into me. Let me take you to places where I can change who you are. Let me write stories in your life that will create you into a better character than you would be if it was easy.
I AM celebrated. And God is the same God regardless of who I am. He is creating, molding, pruning and growing me into who he wants me to be, so that I might reveal His glory in all that I do...Mother or not.
To those of you who are Mother's...Happy Mother's Day, a couple days late. May you continue to grow more into the woman, wife, daughter, sister, MOTHER, that God has created you to be. Love well and live passionately.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
letting go.
i have worries, fears and burdens. my life is filled with struggle, disappointment and darkness. in the moment, it feels just fine to carry all those hard circumstances, difficult situations and broken dreams with me, like a burlap sack full of feed. throw it over my shoulder and walk. keep. going. step. by. step. don't. slow. down.
my mind is a trap sometimes. subconsciously rolling the same concern around and around, like a marble in a never-ending maze.
that's when letting go just might feel better. maybe.
but i don't mean letting go in a nonchalant, apathetic, indifferent way.
i'm talking about taking that burlap sack filled with dirt, rocks and ugliness. digging out each rock, pouring out all the dirt, burning the burlap sack and leaving it all behind.
write it on a piece of paper and leave it at the wailing wall. give it to God. let the Lord worry about it and carry it for you. surrender the deepest, darkest parts of your heart to Jesus. let him carry the sack.
i'm realizing, that what i worry about, fret over and can't get off my mind, doesn't have to be packaged just right or made into a fancy product for the Lord. he hears me just the same. he hears me. he remembers. he knows exactly when to act.
so i'm letting go...day by day, each and every day, giving all my burdens over to the King. trusting that He hears and cares for me. believing that he will not abandon me. burning up my burlap sack full of grief, brokenness, shattered heart, disappointment, jealousy, anger, bitterness, loneliness and isolation. He can handle it. no matter what i feel.
so breathe in and breathe out. and let go. again. and. again.
here by david leonard, kari jobe, leslie jordan
come and rest here
come and lay your burdens down
come and rest here
there is refuge for you now
you'll find his peace and know you're not alone any more
he is near
you'll find his healing
your heart isn't shattered anymore
he is here
breathe in breathe out
you will you will find him here
i will rest in you
my mind is a trap sometimes. subconsciously rolling the same concern around and around, like a marble in a never-ending maze.
that's when letting go just might feel better. maybe.
but i don't mean letting go in a nonchalant, apathetic, indifferent way.
i'm talking about taking that burlap sack filled with dirt, rocks and ugliness. digging out each rock, pouring out all the dirt, burning the burlap sack and leaving it all behind.
write it on a piece of paper and leave it at the wailing wall. give it to God. let the Lord worry about it and carry it for you. surrender the deepest, darkest parts of your heart to Jesus. let him carry the sack.
i'm realizing, that what i worry about, fret over and can't get off my mind, doesn't have to be packaged just right or made into a fancy product for the Lord. he hears me just the same. he hears me. he remembers. he knows exactly when to act.
so i'm letting go...day by day, each and every day, giving all my burdens over to the King. trusting that He hears and cares for me. believing that he will not abandon me. burning up my burlap sack full of grief, brokenness, shattered heart, disappointment, jealousy, anger, bitterness, loneliness and isolation. He can handle it. no matter what i feel.
so breathe in and breathe out. and let go. again. and. again.
here by david leonard, kari jobe, leslie jordan
come and rest here
come and lay your burdens down
come and rest here
there is refuge for you now
you'll find his peace and know you're not alone any more
he is near
you'll find his healing
your heart isn't shattered anymore
he is here
breathe in breathe out
you will you will find him here
i will rest in you
Monday, April 9, 2012
On prayer...and more
Lately, I have not really known how to pray. How do you pray in accordance with God's will if you don't know His will? I started Anne Lamott's Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith today. She quotes Kathleen Norris, "Prayer is not asking for what you think you want, but asking to be changed in ways you can't imagine."
Today, I don't really like that. I might like both parts separately...but not together.
I want to pray for things I want (and believe God hears me). But sometimes, I don't want to be changed. I want to sit in my junk and be. I want to be sad, angry, bitter, disappointed, discouraged.
Tonight, we studied John 9, the story of the blind man Jesus healed with spit and mud. The disciples ask WHY? Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sin?
Jesus' reply was that this happened so that the power of God could be displayed in him.
Once again, that shifts my mentality and perspective in the midst of difficult circumstances.
It reminds me that my struggle, the desert, the darkness in my life is here to draw me to Him for HIS GLORY.
I love that. It makes this hard season worth it.
Evermore - Hillsong
And as I look upon Your name
Circumstances fade away
Now Your glory steals my heart
You are holy.
Evermore my heart, my heart will say
Above all, I live for Your glory.
Even if my world falls, I will say
Above all, I live for Your glory.
Today, I don't really like that. I might like both parts separately...but not together.
I want to pray for things I want (and believe God hears me). But sometimes, I don't want to be changed. I want to sit in my junk and be. I want to be sad, angry, bitter, disappointed, discouraged.
Tonight, we studied John 9, the story of the blind man Jesus healed with spit and mud. The disciples ask WHY? Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sin?
Jesus' reply was that this happened so that the power of God could be displayed in him.
Once again, that shifts my mentality and perspective in the midst of difficult circumstances.
It reminds me that my struggle, the desert, the darkness in my life is here to draw me to Him for HIS GLORY.
I love that. It makes this hard season worth it.
Evermore - Hillsong
And as I look upon Your name
Circumstances fade away
Now Your glory steals my heart
You are holy.
Evermore my heart, my heart will say
Above all, I live for Your glory.
Even if my world falls, I will say
Above all, I live for Your glory.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Promises
First, it's important that you know that I finally got an iPhone. I know, I know, I'm a little bit behind. In fact, I was pretty sure before I got it that I am an old soul, but now I know for sure.
On my new iPhone, I can access my Bible anytime through my Biblegateway.com app. I joined a reading plan called "God's Promises." It's a 7-day plan, and they email me the passage of the day.
Today's reading is from Hebrews 10:35-36 and verse 39. I don't really like reading chunks without a context, so I backed up to Hebrews 10:1 and started to read, but I didn't get far.
This reminded me of some promises that I claimed in my journal several months ago. I went back and re-read them and as I claim them in my life, I also want to share them with you.
God is for me. Romans 8:31
The Lord answers and sets me free. He is for me, so I will have no fear. Psalm 118:5-7
The Lord will work out his plans for my life. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 138:8
The Lord directs my steps. He delights in every detail of my life. Psalm 37:23
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8
God listens and pays attention. He did not and will not ignore me or take away his love. Psalm 66:19
I will not be abandoned by God. 2 Corinthians 4:8
I have placed my confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue me. 2 Corinthians 1:10
He has overcome the world. John 16:33
I have confidence in approaching God. If I ask anything according to his will, he hears me. 1 John 5:14
Neither my fears for today nor worries about tomorrow can separate me from God's love. Romans 8:38
I will see the goodness of the Lord, when I patiently wait. Psalm 27:13-14
These verses...and so many more...have been a place of truth and confirmation about my God, when I don't necessarily feel Him near or have a hard time trusting His plan.
These promises help me reaffirm that I can go into His presence, fully trusting him. He can be trusted.
So I will not worry or fret. My God is the God who will never forget. All of His goodness and all of His promises. He's holding my world in His hands. (Kristian Stanfill's Holding My World)
On my new iPhone, I can access my Bible anytime through my Biblegateway.com app. I joined a reading plan called "God's Promises." It's a 7-day plan, and they email me the passage of the day.
Today's reading is from Hebrews 10:35-36 and verse 39. I don't really like reading chunks without a context, so I backed up to Hebrews 10:1 and started to read, but I didn't get far.
Hebrews 10: 22-23
Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. ...Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
This reminded me of some promises that I claimed in my journal several months ago. I went back and re-read them and as I claim them in my life, I also want to share them with you.
God is for me. Romans 8:31
The Lord answers and sets me free. He is for me, so I will have no fear. Psalm 118:5-7
The Lord will work out his plans for my life. His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 138:8
The Lord directs my steps. He delights in every detail of my life. Psalm 37:23
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 16:8
God listens and pays attention. He did not and will not ignore me or take away his love. Psalm 66:19
I will not be abandoned by God. 2 Corinthians 4:8
I have placed my confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue me. 2 Corinthians 1:10
He has overcome the world. John 16:33
I have confidence in approaching God. If I ask anything according to his will, he hears me. 1 John 5:14
Neither my fears for today nor worries about tomorrow can separate me from God's love. Romans 8:38
I will see the goodness of the Lord, when I patiently wait. Psalm 27:13-14
These verses...and so many more...have been a place of truth and confirmation about my God, when I don't necessarily feel Him near or have a hard time trusting His plan.
These promises help me reaffirm that I can go into His presence, fully trusting him. He can be trusted.
So I will not worry or fret. My God is the God who will never forget. All of His goodness and all of His promises. He's holding my world in His hands. (Kristian Stanfill's Holding My World)
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