I am a pediatric nurse at a Portland, OR children's hospital and after 3 years of working on an acute care floor, I transitioned to intensive care (PICU) and I love it. I feel so blessed to have a job that not only do I love, but I have the opportunity to serve families and make an impact on their lives. I want my patients and their families to feel Jesus's love through my care of them. Knowing I'm serving more than the little lives in my presence is a humbling, awesome experience!
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| You can read more about my Haiti experience by following the links under the "About Me" section to the right. |
During my Junior year of college I spent a semester abroad in Nottingham, England. Those five months were some of the most exciting and challenging ones I had experienced. Being a world away from everything familiar stretched my faith and changed my heart in ways I never would have imagined. Also something I never would have imagined, would be meeting my true love while oceans apart. I never dreamed I would meet the man I would eventually marry while abroad, but I did.
In a moment of loneliness, heartache and fair share of self-pity, I clearly heard the Lord tell my heart "I have you right where I want you. Just wait - I have him for you, but for now, dwell here and feed on my faithfulness." I was filled with a peace and contentment I had never felt before, and I knew the "MusicLover" who sent me an email two weeks later would make a profound impact on my life.
Ben and I emailed for five months before finally meeting for coffee in February of 2006. We had the opportunity to get to know each other through our written words before ever hearing each other's voice. Neither of us carried any romantic notions as we were writing, though we both knew something big was behind our relationship. It took little time after meeting in person, however, to become smitten.
By Christmas of 2006 we had met each others families (his in Montana and mine in both Southern Oregon and California) and on February 26, 2007 (my 24th birthday and our one year anniversary), Ben asked me to be his wife.
Three months and one day later (the day after my graduation from nursing school!), on a rare rain-free and sunny spring day, we were wed aboard the Sternwheeler Rose, a paddle boat on the Willamette River.
After the wedding we settled into life, but the changes didn't stop there: I started my first nursing job and then Ben began school full-time.
Shortly after our second anniversary, we welcomed our very first baby:
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| Our tiny little ball of spunk, Bridger |
Though Ben is an Industrial Design student hoping to someday design outdoor equipment, his first true love is music. He is a bass and piano player and now plays with a local band, Painted Grey.
While I'm not working and rocking scholar isn't either playing music or hitting the books, we take any opportunity to explore our beautiful backyard, the Pacific Northwest! We love hiking, backpacking and camping in and around our beautiful state!
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| Even Bridger - he's our little adventure dog! |
We love finding new restaurants to try, and we certainly aren't complain about the NW's selection of wine, microbrews and gourmet coffee! As much as we love being outside and exploring, we also love cozying up in our little home and just being together. I can't say I ever dreamed my life would look like it does now, but I can say that whatever visions I had for myself sure didn't live up to my reality!
No, we're not perfect, but we're so totally loved by a very perfect Saviour and his grace is so evident and present in our life and for that (and so much more!), I am so thankful and so very, very blessed beyond measure!
