The next phase

Hello everyone and Happy Sunday to you. I hope this sunday finds you healthy, well, and having a restful sabbath. For the last few days I have been in relaxation mode and loving it. I am coming up on my first week of Grad School and I am getting nervous, excited, challenged, motivated, driven, and mostly prepared. Wednesday will be my first class and I only have one until next week. I have Clinical Foundations I on Wednesday and luckily it's with a professor I had as an undergrad student so I am fairly familar with her at least. I have decided that Blogging will need to become a more regular part of my life again as I chronicle what is happening with one of the hugest phases of my life.

My birthday was absolutely magnificent and I spent it with people I love dearly. My friends and I gathered at Dave & Busters and just had a great, fun night together. I was truly blessed to spend it with people who love and care about me and people who are so much fun. Anthony and I just celebrated 2 months together on Friday. We have had a great first 2 months and are really enjoying the relationship and all of the peaks and valleys it creates. I think we are learning a lot about each other and ourselves through this newness. He is spending the weekend with his family and enjoying their company since some relatives of his are in the country from Germany.

On Thursday of next week I get the privelage of going to a taping of the Dr. Phil Show and it couldn't come at a better time the day after I begin graduate school in Psychology. I am so excited about this and it was one of my birthday gifts from my wonderful, gorgeous boyfriend. Work is going very well as Christopher and I start up our 8th grade year together. I am learning all of the things I missed while being a 12 year old idiot and not listening in classes. I found out I know way less about history than I wish to.

My friends are all moving in different directions and doing marvelously. I find they are more and more amazing every day of my life. My friend Nick from Indiana is actually leaving Sept 5 or 6 for Iraq to serve another couple of months in the marines. He was in iraq last year as well and is being sent back. His son Calvin just celebrated his first birthday so I would really appreciate your prayers for Nick to be safe and strong while he is in Iraq.

My family are doing ok but my mom is still recovering from a recent stroke so she needs your prayers to be able to return to work or be allowed disability so that she can survive. My little sister needs prayers for a job while my older sister has just begun being a caregiver for some mutual friend's children. She is making a little money at least to be able to meet her needs. I am so proud of the changes and steps she is taking to be independent.

Today I am heading down to San Diego with Heather to visit her brother, his wife, and their kids. I love her neice and nephew so I am very excited to see them. I was going to spend the day just chillin at the house but it seems I have an opportunity to get out and enjoy my friend so I am jumping at the chance. Tonight I am heading to church and out to starbucks so that should be great and then I get to see my wonderful boyfriend again! :) I miss him already!

Things here are changing and wonderful. Some of that is anxiety ridden and other parts I am just trying to enjoy. There are many changes and many new goals but God has always been here to push me and take me through the hardest journeys of my life. Here goes nothing. Have a great week and I will try to write on here more often.

All of my love,

~e~

The countdown is on.

Hey everyone. Today is only 4 days until I turn 26 years old and last night I was close to a meltdown. I think there are some issues with what I "think" I should be doing or have accomplished at 26 years old. I think that sometimes I forget all that I do have and focus on the things that I do not have. Examples of these items are a husband and a child or children. Today I decided that I am going to make some resolutions for my 26th year. These are things I wish to accomplish and establish for myself before I turn 27. Some of them will be small and relatively easy to accomplish while others are completely difficult and are a personal struggle. For your viewing pleasure...

1. Lose 30 lbs

2. Follow my diabetic plan complete with medications, doctors, specialists, etc...

3. Clean up my eating habits

4. Finish 1 year of Grad School and do it well.

5. Establish a healthy dating relationship with Anthony and treat him with respect.

6. Really commit to a church as "church home" and attend as often as possible.

7. Read through the Bible yet again.

8. Make prayer a daily commitment.

9. Pay of all debts in collections.

10. Get a secured credit card and start repairing credit.

11. Pay back people who have been there for me through financial crisis.

12. Realize how much I have at 26 and not what I don't have.

13. Exercise my body at least 3 times a week.

14. Actually study for tests, assignments, projects, etc...instead of pushing until the last minute.

15. Make my mental health a top priority.

16. Take advantage of health/dental/vision insurance and take care of me!!!!

17. Keep organized, don't let paperwork stack up.

18. Work on my domestic skills (cooking, organizing, etc...)

19. Make a few repairs on my car.

20. Have a date with me once a month equaling 12 at least by next birthday!

~E~