Long Over Due Update

Someone once told me that I should start a blog because I have a "blog-able life." Well, I may have a blog-able life, but I sure as heck do not have the dedication like some people to post all the time. So one of my resolutions this year was to begin posting again, and to actually be more consistent with it. We'll see how it goes... but drum roll please... the long awaited update and kick off for 2009 is here! Sorry that it has almost been an entire year since I last posted!!

Oh where to begin? How 'bout June 2008... I graduated from nursing school and actually got the job that I wanted at Emanuel Children's hospital in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This is where I did my senior practicum and learned how to take care of really sick infants. Once I found this out, all I had to do was pass my nursing boards and I would be all set.

Well, yes... I passed my boards on July 1st and 19 days later Gavin and I got married! Yep, I was pretty insane, planning everything all at once like that, but we made it to the happiest day of our lives with careers guaranteed. I moved into our really cool and rather large apartment in July, which for me was the first time I had moved out... really fun! We got all of our stuff moved in just in time for the wedding. Our special day, July 20th, 2008, went perfectly! Thanks to all of you who were a big part!!

We spent a week on our honeymoon in Montego Bay Jamaica, and it was A-mazing! Our resort was beautiful and we got to relax after all the stress of graduation and wedding planning. It was a fun time together before coming home to the reality of our new jobs...

Gavin went off to the academy in August after we had just started to get used to living together. We spent the next four months apart during the week, but together on the weekends. It was a rough start to our marriage but we made it through, and before you knew it......

It was time for our first Christmas! This year's Christmas in Oregon was covered in white, and really made our first holiday together quite different. Travel time took extra long due to us both having to use our chains on our little honda civics, and I even had to stay overnight at the hospital in order to work the next day due to the snow and ice! But our white blanketed town was so pretty and it gave us a little time together just being stuck at home.

Since Gavin has been home and working for Gresham, we have both been adjusting to the daily grind and the setbacks of being "new hires" at our jobs. We both love what we do, but we rarely get to spend time together due to our crazy and ever changing schedules. Luckily we did manage to get away for a bit for a trip to the Sasser beach house in Long Beach, WA. This was our first trip for just the two of our at the beach and we had a fun time.

..so after 7 months of marriage, we are still adjusting and trying to enjoy the little things in life, but have much to look forward too. We are currently on the hunt for our first home and it has been stressful and exciting all at the same time. With house prices at their lowest, we know that it is a great time to buy, but it has been hard to come to an agreement on a house that will suit us for the next 3, or 5 or maybe even 10 years depending on our economy. So wish us luck in this new process!!

I think that's all for now, but I will try to keep the posts coming...

What's going on?

Do you ever feel like this? Like your always saying, "Huh???" Wondering what's going on, or what's next? This is a face that my sister's dog, Roxy (above), always makes, and she seems to always look confused. She always makes me laugh with the way she cocks her head to the side, and lately, I feel that I have been making that face a lot too. There have been so many changes in our lives and also still so many unknowns. It's the end of March, tomorrow is the first day of spring, and I can already feel the season of change! Well, we're sorry for not keeping you very informed in our ever changing lives, so here is a needed update.

We have been continuing on with our wedding plans and trying to figure out where we are going to live in July, all while both of us have been wrapping up our winter terms at school. I have been feeling more and more stress as I am preparing for graduation, only 76 days away, but who's counting, and for my licensure exam coming up.

This past term I have been completing my senior practicum in the NICU at Emanuel, and at first I wasn't so sure about taking care of newborns, but I am actually really loving it. I turned in my first real RN job application on Monday this week for a spot in either the NICU or in another pediatric floor at Emanuel!!! It is all happening so fast! This is the point where I say "Huh??" and just sit and wait to see what my future holds....

Gavin has been writing his final papers this week for his term, about 25 pages total, and he has been working very hard. At the beginning of this month however, we got some amazing news... Gavin had passed his background check and was offered a position with the police department!! WOW!! Once again, it is all happening so fast!! And, not only did Gav get his dream job offer, but they agreed to postpone his start date until after the wedding, allowing us to go on our beautiful honeymoon in JAMAICA! You can probably imagine how hard it has been for him to find the motivation to keep trucking through school, now that he has his dream job that his business degree isn't helping him get at all!! But he is a trooper and is still planning on finishing school.

So you may be thinking, "geez, their futures are pretty much planned out".... BUT that is not the case. Gavin still doesn't have a hire date, and his job offer is contingent on available funding in August, and I still have to pass my exam in order to become an RN. Plus, the job that I applied for starts on the day we are flying home from the honeymoon, so I would have to miss the very first day. Don't know how well that will go over with the boss....

So all in all, yes, things are looking up for both of us, we are very blessed to have gotten so far and to be in the positions we are in, but there is still a lot to come. From wedding plans, to finishing school, to gettting our jobs in order, and finding a place to live, we're staying busy. It is now up to the Lord to calm my heart and take over in our planning. He has blessed us both, and we couldn't be more excited for the future.

I guess I have been making that "Huh?" face a lot because I keep wondering "how did we get here?" Guess we're just growing up.

A Tribute to my 'lil' Gracie May!

A little photo album of our little niece, whom we love and adore!!

Gracie May meets Auntie Em for the first time April 8, 2007

"Uncle Gav" holds Gracie for the first time

Just Grace Face

Playing at Grandma's House

Gracie and Roxy on Halloween as Bumblebees

Proud Mommy and Baby

Gracie loves squash, unlike her Auntie

Auntie Em and Gracie lookin' at some fish on Christmas Eve

"MMM Water! I sure love water!"

Merry First Christmas Gracie!

Gracie loved the pillow that we bought for her mommy, so she crawled over to it and took a snooze!

"Fisher Price Little Superstar" is the coolest toy ever, now Gracie can learn to sing like her mommy and Auntie!

We love you Gracie May Heath!

The Beginning of Our Lives Together!

We're Engaged! Gavin (finally) proposed and we are getting married in July!!

The short version of the story, ha ha, happened on a very dark and stormy night, like most wonderful stories do, October 19th, 2007. Gavin had made reservations for my birthday dinner, something he never does, and also wanted us to dress up, which we rarely do. I was very excited, and had wondered if this could be "the big day," but reminded myself not to get my hopes up. I had suspected that he would have proposed in Prague over the summer, but that didn't happen....

He picked me up, looking tall dark and handsome, and I had on the outfit he had chosen for me. I had not known that our dinner would be at the beautiful View Point Inn in Corbett. We were able to take pictures together outside by the pond before we ate, and our waiter helped us out so much. The food was expensive and delicious, I had the Duck and Gavin had the Breast of Fowl. After the photos, a tour, dinner, and surprise birthday desert (with a candle Gav had brought from home), I wanted to sit by the big fire place and just enjoy this wonderful night, but Gavin wanted to go home and watch "the office." So we left.....

Yeah, that's right we left, but we didn't go home. Gavin preceded to drive to crown point as the wind roared and the rain poured. I gasped as we watched all the leaves tossing to and fro across the road, but that didn't stop him. When we got there, I thought he was crazy for wanting to look at the city lights and anjoy the oh so cliche "make out" spot, and I really wanted to go home at this point. But Gavin didn't. He got into the trunk and brought me my birthday present. He had made a book of the picture from our dating over the last 3 years. The first page read: "This book is a flashback of all the things we have done, the things we love to do, and the things we will do for the rest of our lives." I knew something was up.

After I finished looking through the pages of countless memories, Gavin told me to trust him because I was "gonna get wet". What?!?! He jumped out of the car as the rain poured in behind him, and ran to my side of the car to pull me out. He took me to the ledge of crown point and told me how he had pulled many surprises on me lately and had one more for me. He turned me around to look down over the east end the gorge, near Rooster Rock and there on the ground were two words written in Christmas lights: "Marry Me."

He handed me binoculars and asked me if I could read what it said (of course I could!!) He got down on one knee, ring in hand, and told me how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and then asked me to marry him!!!!!!!!! YES YES YES!!!!

So there you have it!! He is such a creative guy. I think I was in such shock of just how cool the whole thing was, and how surprised I had been, even though I had seen some of the signs along the way. I never thought that Gavin had the romantic side to him, but he sure proved me wrong. I guess he had been planning this for months. What a sweetheart, and how lucky am I to have him!?!?!

We are getting married on July 20th, 2008, so mark your calendars.

We hope you will enjoy reading our blog as we begin our new life as a married couple. Although we have about 8 months to go until the "really Big day," I'm sure you will hear a lot from us until then. Now, as I am trying to finish up with Nursing school and prepare for my State Board test, and as Gavin continues taking courses through EOU and gain experience with Gresham police, somehow we will plan this special day..... We can't wait!