Hello 25!

It has been another wonderful year, a year of growing, loving, and living. Another year of being married, of being a nurse, and in learning to be fully content in who God has made me to be.

I am coming up on my 25th birthday in November. 25. Wow! Time flies! I am amazed by thing things I have seen and experienced in the last 5 years! I have truly grown up. The first 5 years of my twenties have brought me stretching and more joy than I ever could have imagined! I was truly a time of soul searching, and a time of discovering who I really am. I started out my twenties living at home working at Starbucks and wondering what on earth I was doing. I had just come back from YWAM, living the dream and now wondered what was next. That was when a wonderful woman put the bug in my ear for Tanzania. I dreamed of adventure, of elephants, far reaching horizons, and the beautiful faces of children. My dreams were grand, but I had not idea it would defy all expectations. I arrived on that beautiful continent excited for adventure, but what I found was so much more than that. I felt a deep connection with the Kuria people and met the man to whom I would give my heart. I found love. Those six months were some of the most enchanting, difficult, soul wrenching days of my life. But I felt more love and gave more of myself that I probably ever had before.

After those extraordinary days in Africa, I came home and began to follow my dream of becoming a nurse. An apartment in Lancaster, my head in my books, and coffee fulling my passion to learn. There I met my true soul sisters, Elya and Camille. They listened to my dreams of Africa, my heart for Mwita, and my struggles with the hardships of nursing school. I shared my heart with them and they shared theirs with me, and we were the best of friends. I owe much of my sanity during that time to them. Two passionate women with a desire to help those that are hurting and a longing to serve the Lord.

During this time I learned about perseverance and joy from my parents. Though their plans changed and they had to adjust, the did not give in or give up. They put a smile on their faces and a song on their heart. I have never met stronger people or people I admired more. Strong and determined they carried on, and I sat back in awe of them all along the way. I also applaud them for allowing me to follow my dreams. Though at times my plans seemed impossible, they never told me that. They encouraged me and helped me to make those dreams a reality! The best parents in the world!

During the last five years, I also became an aunt, one of the greatest joys of my life! Natalie, Amirah, Brielle, Xander, and new baby Ryder! They are my pride and joy! Their parents aren’t too bad themselves :)

The most beautiful thing that has happened in the last five years has been embarking on the greatest voyage of all, marriage! We have learned, grown, laughed, endured hardship, and loved one another all along the path of these last two years. This July we celebrated two years in lovely Williamsburg! Two years of love. Two years of joy. I am convinced that marriage is the best thing there is!

These past five years have also brought me some of the most stretching and at times, sad days of my life as I learned what it meant to be an oncology nurse. I have laughed with some patients, cried with others, and have held some people’s hand as they said goodbye to this earth. I have had to deal with my emotions up close and personal and have had to work through some very serious things on a daily basis. I am proud to be an oncology nurse and love everything about it, especially watching how my patients refuse to let cancer steal their joy. I hate cancer, but they are my heroes and I am privileged to fight alongside of them. This August I was so proud to take my test and become an Oncology Certified Nurse. I am proud to wear that title, because I am proud to fight for oncology patients. I have absolutely found my calling.

These are just some of the highlights of these past few years. The joys and triumphs of life. I look forward to saying hello to 25. I cannot wait to see what the next five years have in store. Stay tuned, there will be many more adventures to come!