Nursing!

I have always wanted to be a registered nurse.  As long as I can remember I have had a heart for mission work and thought what a better way to help people then medically.  As the years went by my dreams started to change, I adore children and was given an opportunity to volunteer at Madigan Army Medical center in their NICU.  I fell in love, and although I still have a heart for missionary work, one of my biggest dreams is to become a NICU nurse.  One day I plan to go to Africa and work with sick chlidren and their families, but for now I am working on becoming a RN.  I have one class to finish before I can apply to nursing school (hoping to get in fall 2013) and am working on some nursing classes outside of the program to try and get ahead as much as I can, I have also just been offered a job in the ER as a Nurse Aide and am very much looking forward to starting this October.  Im excited and proud to be pursing my dream and can't wait to see where God takes me.

Trip home (March 2012)

I know this post is a little late but considering this blog is mostly for me anyways I don't really think it's a big deal.  As you may know I have an older brother and younger sister, Mandy and Steven.  My brother is married to Ashley (whom I love) they had their first son in December 2010.  His name is Kaden Wallace Jones.  Mandy gave birth to baby Jack in March 2012, he looks exactly like his mamma! So cute.
These two little boys mean the world to me.  I absolutely love being an aunt.  Kaden is full of surprises, he's growing up so fast, and baby Jack is rolling over now.
I flew home about a week or two after Jack was born (same with Kaden.)  I got to spend about a week back home and although it was not exactly how I had expected it to be I was still overjoyed to be able to spend that time with my family.  Family is the most important thing I have, and even though Stephen and I will be starting our own family in the next few years I will always be a daughter, sister, and aunty Im so blessed to have such a wonderful, loud, thoughtful, ever surprising family, I couldn't ask for anything more.  I love you all.
Here are some pictures of when I flew home to meet baby Jack!

Life In Midland Texas

Well here we are in Midland Tx.  I never thought I would call Texas my home, but the Lord has blessed Stephen with a great job here.  So for the time being this is our home.  It has been a roller coaster ever since we moved here.  We lived in a hotel for about a month and a half (which is very common here) housing is very limited so finding a place to live was a challenge.
It's a miracle that we are living where we are now.  A friend of a friend was relocated for work and our friend called about this apartment.  Luckily we were the first to call because later that day he had over 50 people interested.  We moved in about a month later.
Stephen works just about everyday.  He is working for a company called ProPetro.  It is an oil servicing  company here in Midland, he is currently working in the cementing department.
I decided to go back to school as of this January.  I took one class in the spring while working full time, it was very hard to juggle work, school, baseball and a new puppy.  So as I continue my education working toward my nursing degree I have cut down my work hours and am now just working as a nanny three days a week.  This way I am able to take more classes and focus more on school, Brandy and being a good wife.
There is not much to do here.  When we are not working or in school we take Brandy to the dog park. I finally have time to sketch and play guitar again.
Stephen's baseball buddy from Tech moved in last week (Nick Popescue) and is working in the same department as Stephen.
We are still looking for a church and may have found one last Sunday.  We have plans to come back to Washington for the Christmas holiday and are very much looking forward seeing our friends and family again.
We are thankful for great jobs and school, to have a roof over our heads and friends close by.

Family.  So many people view "family" in different ways.  For me family are people you can not picture your life without, people who are there for you threw out  the good and the bad, who support you and help you in your time of need, who give you advice, and share some in some of the most intimate moments of your life, giving and receiving grace, forgiving and letting go without looking back... loving unconditionally.  I have been blessed with the best family anyone could ask for.  I have been raised is a God fearing and loving home, with morals support and discipline.  Growing up I never would have dreamed those things would mean what they mean to me today.  I would never take any of it back and am thankful for the lessons I have learned.  We have been blessed by the time we were able to be in Washington, spending time with our close friends and family.  We went camping with the Hagen’s at West Port, and camping the the Jones’s at Dash Point.  We love you all! 

7 moves, 3 years

Stephen has been offered a job in Midland Texas. Praise the Lord!  We have now become professional movers.  We are looking forward to finally starting our life in a place we know we will be staying for a few years.  Stephen will be working for a company called Propetro.  I will be able to finally go back to school and slowly work on my nursing degree, hoping to start nursing school next year after we get settled.  God has blessed us with work, friends, and family to support us in this new chapter of our life.  There will be trials along the way but we know this is where God wants us right now and we are excited to see what he do with our lives, and how he will use us to serve him.

You see, you spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball, and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time. ~Jim Bouton, Ball Four, 1970

Baseball has been our life for three and a half years.  It's been Stephen's life for as long as he can remember.  We are excited about this years baseball season, being able for the first time in awhile to focus on having fun and treating it like the game that it is.  There will be ups and downs, as always, but as Stephen's final year approaches we thank the Lord for the blessings he has given us throughout his baseball career .  It has paid for his school, gave him opportunity to travel all over the country, has taught us both valuable lessons and given us has some of the greatest friends we could ever ask for.  

Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.  ~Ted Williams

This statement is so true.  Stephen has worked his butt off to get where he today.  His hard work and dedication is inspiring to many, none more then me.  He deserves the best that this life has to offer, he has earned that.  Finding joy in a game based around failure takes a strong and confident person.  Being able to let go of something that has consumed your life for 20 years with a peace of mind knowing you are following God's plan for you life, well not many people can do something like that.  I couldn't be more proud of him then I am today.  God has big plans in store for our life and we are looking forward to following Him wherever he may lead us.  

Peninsula High School

Eastern Oklahoma Baseball 

Megan and Tory!

My parents 

Texas Tech first basemen 

Stephen's parents 

Texas Tech

Double! 

Last game

 Stephen's last game 

The Redmen's 

Kathy and I watching Stephen's last at bat

Megan and Jared 

Stephen and Mr. Altobelli 

3 of the 4 roommates 

Stephen, Bo and Nick

 Roomies!

 Stephen and his mom

 After Stephen's last game, with his dad

Playing in Alaska 

Ironmen, in Ohio

Texas Tech!

Proud girlfriends and sisters 

Mommas 

Tech playing the Bailer Bears

The best of friends!