Dad’s Birthday
Happy 55th Birthday to my incredible father!
Here are just a few things of the many things we love about you:
-your giving heart
-your wisdom and advise
-your constant support and encouragement…every since I was little I remember you saying, “never let anyone or anything stop you from going after your dreams and pursuing what you want in life.” …I am where I am today because of those words you continually said to us kids.
-your strength and knowledge in handling difficult situations
-your awesome dance moves
-your hard work and provision for our family our entire life
-how you always like to have FUN and making people laugh
-your daily hugs
-your love
You truly are an amazing man and we are beyond blessed to have you in our lives. We cherish all of our times together and special memories made. Cheers to all of the years to come!
Thankfulness
I am thankful for…
1) LIFE: a God who breathes life into us and allows us to breathe. It’s easy to take for granted each breath, and what our bodies are capable of doing and instead focus on the pains, aches, and things our bodies cannot do.
2) Jon: every day I am blown away by his strength, his continual love, his wisdom, and incredible work ethic. Hopefully only 3ish more weeks left until he comes back from Japan!
3) Nursing school: with having such a rigorous schedule it is easy to just want to be done with school and take for granted what a privilege it really is to be in college and getting an education. So many people in this world will never have that opportunity. Even though my brain feels like it is exploding with material and I will never grasp these intense concepts (and I just want to relax and settle down a bit…if that ever happens!), I am trying to enjoy each day and am continually reminded just how incredible God is with making our bodies so intricate.
4) Family & friends: I am beyond blessed to have you in my life and I am so thankful for you. Even though we’re far apart know that I am always thinking of you, I miss you, and love you so very much. To those few close friends that are there no matter what–you know who you are and that I wish there weren’t so many miles that separated us. Thank you for your love, encouragement and support. It means the world to me.
5) Faith: when things are completely out of our hands, God is in control and sees the bigger picture. His plan for our lives are immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine.
Friday Letters
Dear Friday, I wish we could have a normal Friday like most people and enjoy the fact that it’s the end of the week and the weekend is here, but instead third quarter of nursing is about to begin and I’m having to study for my med/math exam day one of returning to class instead of going on a hot date with my husband as he is currently overseas (sigh….someday). Dear husband, you are such a strong man and I’m beyond blessed to have you. Even though you’re currently in Japan and going on 48 hours without sleep you still manage to show me that you love me and take care of/help me understand all of this house stuff we’re dealing with. You’re amazing…counting down the 6 weeks until I get to see you again. Dear future home, we’re excited to move into you and make you our own. It’s still pretty surreal. We’ll have a dance party once the loan approval goes through and papers are officially signed. Dear Tiff and family, it was so refreshing to hangout with you all for one week. My heart needed that and is feeling more refreshed. Dear Becky, thanks for being there always and calling to check in on me…especially during this lonely week for me. Dear sissypoo, I always love our skype dates and getting to see your pretty face. Dear nursing school, I am so not ready for another quarter to start already. Where did the break go?! Please don’t kick me in the butt too much this quarter…but with cardiac, renal, peripheral vascular, immune, urological, hematological and lymph systems in store it’s definitely coming.
Happy Friday everyone :)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Did you wear your green today?
Did you do anything fun to celebrate?
Our morning started out with waking up bright and early in order to be at our favorite new breakfast place when the doors opened. It was soooo worth it! The Home Skillet has the best biscuits and gravy from a restaurant and your own personal cast iron skillet full of goodness if your heart so desires. Bubba, mom, dad, Jon and I all enjoyed a delicious breakfast together.
My close childhood friend Kylee Cowden (now Visser) became a mama yesterday 3.16.13 at 5:56am to sweet little Brielle Ryan Visser. 7lbs 3oz, 19 1/2 inches long. We all stopped in at the hospital to see Darrell and Kylee and meet Brielle. She is so little and adorable. Being int he birthing center wing of the hospital made me even more excited for what part of nursing I’ll end up working in! Would love to work with neonates (birth-4 weeks), labor & delivery, NICU, etc. We’ll see what God has in store.
Today was a beautiful sunny day out so even though we’re both extremely busy (me: trying to study for my cumulative final I take Tuesday– Jon: getting prepped for a 6 week job to Japan– us: figuring out house details since the house is currently “pending” while we get inspections done) we took time to enjoy the weather and shot guns and clay pigeons. A short but fun break.
About St. Patrick’s Day…Jon recently became a fan of celebrating St. Patty’s Day when he was on a job in Maine two years ago and had the chance to drive to Boston with his crew to celebrate. So today he rocked his green shamrock t-shirt and we made Shepherds pie, soda bread, drank beer, and danced around the kitchen while listening to Irish tunes on Songza. We laughed and had a lot of fun (and enjoyed these moments of forgetting just how much stuff actually needed to get done…it was glorious).
Hope you all had a fun St. Patty’s Day!
Time Flies
Merry Christmas!
Happy New Year!
Happy Birthday Jon and Mom!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
and since it’s here in a week…Happy St. Patty’s Day!
Seriously, where does the time go? As you all know, this blog is a journal of our lives, capturing the highlights of what is taking place in our lives; an outlet–whatever we desire to post, whenever we’re able to post. Totally random with absolutely no consistency in posting. ;)
Jon has been on shorter jobs lately and home more than normal so that has been very refreshing for both of us. Christmas was a wonderful time spent in Montana in a gorgeous house right on Flathead Lake with Danielle’s side of the family. We got to see Micah and Jenn (Jon’s brother and SIL) that live there so it was nice to see them, his parents were visiting so that was an added bonus, Aunt Renee, Uncle Gordy and the VanHeldens! Christmas break was cut short as Jon got a call saying he had to fly to Bahrain the day after Christmas (this happened last year too!) for 15 days. New Years was spent apart, Jon in Bahrain and Danielle in Bellingham but we had a nice skype date in two different time zones. January, we celebrated mom’s 50th birthday and Jon’s 31st! It seemed like only a few months ago we were celebrating Jon’s GOLDEN birthday (here, and here)! February, Jon was in Virginia for 10 days and stopped in Cincinnati to see his parents for a few days on his way home. We celebrated Valentine’s Day on a double-date with mom and dad at Mambo Italiano.
Now it’s March–I only have 10 more days left of second quarter of nursing school! So soon yet so far away. Clinicals have been an amazing experience at Island Hospital and I’m fully enjoying this quarter on OB, perioperative (before/during/after surgery), cancer and pediatrics but break is much needed. We just found our our medication/math exam (that we have to get 100% on or we’re kicked out of the program) is day one of third quarter so there goes break I guess. :-/ Jon is home now and it has been so nice, he’s supposed to be leaving to Japan soon on a big job coming up. We’ll see how it all pans out. Well that’s the latest for us in a quick update.
Hope you’re all doing good!
Love, J&D
(P.S. Jon and I have been looking at homes and hope to buy a house sometime soon! Exciting, nerve-racking, stressful, exhuasting and fun dreaming about our own home. Praying for God’s clear guidance and perfect home He has for us.)
We’d love to hear from you because your comments brighten our day. Comment away! :)
Long Overdue: August Re-Cap
better late then never….here’s our AUGUST re-cap!
it was a very busy but fun month for us as we were traveling what seemed like everywhere that month. it was a long awaited month (over a year) knowing we’d being taking a Johnson family vacation to CANCUN! A trip to Cincinnati, OH got added to it, along with Nebraska and a road trip home in our new Mini Cooper! A crazy, busy, exhausting and fun month. Click here to see a re-cap of it!
Thanksgiving & A Birthday
Today we celebrate Thanksgiving along with Danielle’s 25th Birthday!
A fun and relaxing day with family. We hope that you all have a wonderful day and reflect on all the blessings in your lives. We are so thankful for all of our amazing family and friends! Love you!
Thankful Thursday
Today I’m thankful for:
- God’s goodness and grace in all situations
- True and deep friendships
- Health
- A husband who loves me unconditionally
- Family: their love, encouragement, laughter, prayers, and random texts to check in on me (it means so much)
- My sissypoo and brohoe…thank you for dropping everything to read one of my papers for nursing school and giving me awesome feedback last night
- Sunshine that decides to sneak out after a thick foggy morning
- A study/coffee date at Caffe’ Adagio with Jon
- Passing an exam that was the breaking point for me in nursing school (the most stressful 2 weeks thus far in school)
- Discovering the group “Elenowen” thanks to Becky Gribble (I’m loving their Pandora station!)
At Your Limit
Have you ever been so overwhelmed with the things you’re facing that you feel like quitting? You just want to drop everything you’re doing and run the other direction. Ignore what must be done and do whatever it is that will bring joy and encouragement? Being so overwhelmed you don’t even know where to begin?
The past two weeks have been like I’m climbing a mountain. Tripping and falling every step of the way, finally getting to a flat spot for a second to breathe and then another steep incline is in front of my face. I’m out of breath but I must keep going. I want to quit but I know I can’t. I feel like I’m going to fall and have fallen so many times already but I know that God is there by my side, ready to pick me up and hold my hand. He is faithful when I am not. He believes in me when I don’t. He sees what’s in store and I’m blinded by the worries of my day. So many times this week I’ve just wanted to stop in fear that I won’t make it through the next portion of the climb. I’m tired, exhausted, overwhelmed, sick of pushing forward. I want to go to a new place and have an easier life. Bake, travel, have babies, be close to all of my family. Spending time focusing on things that I can’t have right now will not help me in any way. It only distracts me from putting another foot forward, and taking one more step to the top of the mountain.
The summit. When will I get there? Will I always feel this tired? Probably. God is faithful and has an amazing plan in store that I can’t even fathom. He has opened every door to where I am today, revealing His perfect plan to me (in His perfect timing). I must keep my eyes on Him, not on things of this world–things that are empty and unsatisfying. I must dig in deep, staying focused and powering on. My life is different than everyone else’s and always will look that way. It is ok to be different. I am learning to not care. Yes, that may sound bad but for me it’s a good thing. My ongoing stress stems greatly from a constant battle of comparison (even when I don’t mean to) and caring about things big and small. The small cares are what get me the most. Tightness in my chest. Needles in my stomach. Please go away. In learning not to car, staying focused on the Lord, taking care of myself and what I’m facing each day is all that matters.
I will not give up. I will press on. I will reach the top.
-Danielle
“set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” Colossians 3:2
“…as your days, so shall your strength be” Deutoronomy 33:25
“but they who wait for the Lord shall RENEW their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” Isaiah 40:31
Nursing School: Year One!
I know I left you all hanging without getting to see pictures of what our August looked like but life goes on and is crazy for us. Don’t worry, that post will come eventually but as of now it’s saved in “drafts” until I get time to upload all of our pictures!
Why has life been so busy? Good question. Well Jon left immediately after our amazing 4 week vacation together in August and was in San Diego for 6 full weeks. Then was home 50 hours and is currently in Virginia. In the mean time, I (Danielle), started nursing school.
Yes, you heard me right. Nursing School! I officially began my first quarter of nursing school September 26, 2012 and am finishing up week 4 right now. It has been an incredible experience so far. Stretching, fun, exhausting, and exciting all at the same time. I got blessed with an amazing study group as well as group of nursing students that will be together the next two years. God is so good in answering our prayers and caring about the littlest of details.
-The first week of nursing school seemed liked a month…we had our first exam within 6 days of beginning the program!
-The second week…hit us hard with exhaustion and feeling completely overwhelmed with all of the material and reading that had to get read and comprehended (11 chapters a night).
-The third week...we passed our CNA proficiency exams, took exam #2, and learned foley catheters.
-The fourth week…we learned enemas, head-to-toe physical assessments, vitals, along with 40+ medications. Four days seemed liked 4 weeks!
As exhausting as the past four weeks have been, it has been a wonderful experience thus far. My professors are amazing and make the learning process so fun. It’s tiring but extremely interesting and is so refreshing to finally be learning what I have been longing to learn and have hands on experience.
I will try to continue to update when I can. In the mean time, please call or text me because I would love to hear from you all and could definitely use a study break! Thanks everyone for all of your love, prayers, support and encouragement.
P.S. I’m definitely missing two massive books in the picture above! :) My lovely drug book and nursing diagnosis book.
