4 years!
8/24/2009 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments

4TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER!
It's hard to believe that four years ago Michael and I were sitting on the beach in Hawaii, soaking up the sun and barely believing that we were married. Here we are with four years of marriage under our belt and a load of blessings that we couldn't have ever imagined.

Here's a list of a few things we've done in those four years:
1. Moved five times- Bryan, Kentucky, Fort Hood, Harker Heights, and Breckenridge (not to mention a short pit stop in Kansas)
2. Survived and triumphed through a 15 month deployment
3. I graduated from college and started my teaching career
4. Traveled to Hawaii, Canada, New York, California, Colorado, Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia, Mexico, DC, Maryland, and all over Texas
5. Learned to love each other unconditionally
6. Rehabed from two knee surgeries and a broken elbow
7. Signed up and began preparing for a NOLS course
8. Made some major life decisions- stay in, get out, stay in, get out?
9. Learned Army lingo- FRG, MWR, orientated, SCO, AO, AAFES, APO, PX, DFAC... ug!
10. Made bunches of new friends while staying in touch with our old ones
11. Transitioned from active duty to the Reserves
12. Started looking for jobs as ski instructors... and the list goes on
I am so thankful that the Lord has guided us through these and so many more decisions. It's quite a transition to go from well-taken-care-of college students, who have not a care in the world (except passing semester exams), to being responsible, self-sufficient adults who have to make hard decisions in life.

I've learned in the past few years, and especially over the past few months, that not all decisions are cut and dry; there's not always a right and a wrong answer. Sometimes it's choosing the difference between two very good options or trying to chose the option which causes the least amount of damage. It's like those adventure books I used to read as a kid- the "chose your own ending" kind. You never know exactly which is the best answer and it's not always possible to see all of the repercussions of your actions until you've actually made the choice. Luckily in life, unlike in those adventure books, that's where the Lord comes in. His guidance through His Word, prayer, and wise counsel has seen us through some of the toughest decisions of our early years. And I know He will continue to be faithful. Just as David says in Psalm 103:
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;

3 Who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases;

4 Who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

5 Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
He has proven over and over that He has our lives in His hands and will continue to provide for us just as He already has. One thing I know for sure, in spite of all the other decisions I have to make in life, I'm thankful every day that I made the decision to marry Michael. He is my best friend and every day I find something new to love and enjoy about him. Happy Anniversary, Bub!



To Texas and Back Again
8/18/2009 - Posted by Nicole - 0 comments
Michael and I spent the past week in Texas while my best friend from high school, Michelle, got married to her beau Miles. It was a blast!! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and as an added bonus, we were able to spend quite a bit of time with both of our families. Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Miles Terry!!!
We were planning to drive back to Colorado on Sunday, but after an eventful weekend that involved staying out past midnight three nights in a row, we decided to stay an extra day. It's amazing how quickly I have gone from being able to pull all-nighters in college to barely being able to function after a few nights out on the town. Guess that's what growing up does to you. We got back late on Monday, but luckily had a smooth, uneventful drive.
Today, I returned to the orthopedist for a check-up on my elbow. They took another set of x-rays and determined that everything is still in place and healing quite nicely. I am still relegated to wearing my sling for one more week, but after that, I'm good to go. Over the past week, I have regained quite a bit of movement in my arm- evidence this post. I am finally able to type without having to use the hunt-and-peck technique with just my left hand. It's not fun- I assure you.

I also started physical therapy today. For anyone who has ever attended physical therapy you know just how fun the visits can be, but right now I'm only working on "gentle" therapy, so that means that when it starts to hurt, I can tell them to back off a little. THANK GOODNESS! Because boy do they like to crank down on you. In about two weeks we'll start working with weights and really "punching it up" as my doctor likes to call it, but for now, it's pretty easy. I can only go twice a week- thanks to Tricare- but they gave me a bunch of exercises to do at home so that will help as well. We have exactly one month until we start our NOLS course, so I have a specific goal in mind which will help me to grin and bear it through the pain.