time for a little thing called an update!

Yes, Yes, I am still alive. I just haven't really had much to write about lately, so I just, well, haven't! ;-) But I will share with you what has currently been going on in our lives!

We both are still thoroughly enjoying our jobs. Seriously, we are so happy and satisfied with them. It is such a wonderful feeling to ENJOY going to work. While I am SO excited to continue moving up in my career, I will be sad for the day when I am no longer a bedside nurse. I love touching peoples' lives in the way that I do. However, I am way too excited about touching their lives in a more technical way. I gain confidence daily that I am heading toward the right path and my calling is to be a nurse anesthetist. I just love the challenge it will bring me on a day to day basis. For now, I will sit back and enjoy the ride that these next few years bring me before the application process begins.

Eric is also enjoying his job. He LOVES working in the hospital setting. Not to mention, this job is bringing him opportunities he never thought would be there. He is finding more about who he is and where he wants to be career wise years down the road. We have come to realize that it is true that all things are possible. He is also being patient, sitting back, and enjoying the ride for the next few years to see where his career leads him. I am so thankful that we are both satisfied with our jobs. Such a wonderful feeling!

This next month we start paying on our student loans and we are actually excited to start knocking them out. We are doing the Dave Ramsey program and a little thing called debt snowball. We cannot wait to get started on this! It will be such a comfort to get some of this debt out of the way. We are SO thankful that God has provided us with jobs that are enabling us to do these things. Through Him all things ARE possible. I never thought we would be comfortable (financially) with the loads of student loans we currently have. But surprisingly, we are and I know we owe it all to Him. PRAISE HIM!

We continue to love South Carolina more and more. Not only South Carolina, but Columbia itself. When people ask us how we ended up here, it is really hard to go back and truly think about the exact way we decided on Columbia. I think it was a God thing. Now we are here and we couldn't imagine being anywhere else and loving it more than we do here. We have met some wonderful people through work and church. We are right where God intended us to be. We look forward to the years to come in this place we now call home.

Eric's brother came last weekend for a last minute visit. We didn't do a whole lot (I worked all weekend), but we did enjoy his company. I love that we are still so close to him. This is the second time he has come to visit and I know Eric has really enjoyed it. God has blessed me with one wonderful brother. He is my one and only sibling (even if he is an in-law...) and I am so grateful for him.

Oh yeah, and I guess the last time I posted, we were expecting Eric's parents soon. We LOVED having them here and showing them South Carolina. We enjoyed a day in Charleston, which was fabulous. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we will work on that next time they come to visit. We also showed them some of Columbia. It was nice to have a relaxing visit with them. It was a little weird though that we were hosting the parents rather than the parents hosting us. Not something that is easy getting used to! Nevertheless, it was a great visit and we look forward to them visiting again!

We have a busy next few months ahead of us. As we all know, a week from today is Thanksgiving! Eric and I are going to give the whole Thanksgiving dinner a shot since we are both off work! We need to come up with a menu (hah!) but I think we both have a good idea of what all will be on the menu. It should definitely be interesting to say the least. It will just be the two of us and we are completely okay with that! This will be the first holiday away from family so I am sure it will be a bittersweet day for us.

A week after Thanksgiving (first weekend in December) we are heading to Myrtle Beach for a Christmas Shopping expedition. Myrtle Beach has some amazing shopping and we have planned on going Christmas shopping there for quite some time. We may make this a yearly tradition, who knows. But we landed an awesome deal on a room at a resort on the beach for an unbeatable price. We cannot wait!! It is SO awesome living near so many wonderful destinations. Just another reason I love living in South Carolina!

Thennn the week after that, my best friend, little miss Mandy loo is coming to visit from Knoxville!!! I have not seen her since the wedding and I cannot wait for her to come visit! She was suppose to come visit in October, but the timing was off, so alas, she is coming in December! She will be here the 10-14. We probably won't do a whole lot more than just hang out, but we will probably make a girls day trip to Charleston. I am so so so excited!

Then Christmas is right around the corner! I cannot wait to pick out a Christmas tree (we are going to buy a real one this year) and decorating it, driving around and looking at Christmas lights, and spending our very first Christmas together. Eric and I both work Christmas day (by choice). Luckily, I am off Christmas Eve though. We will make the best of it. I rather my coworkers that have families spend the day with their children, because when we have children, I will want to do the same. Afterall, Christmas is about giving, and it makes me feel wonderful that I will be touching the lives and hearts of my patients on Christmas day. I hope God works wonders that day and helps me touch some lives and hearts.

Shortly after Christmas, we are heading to Chattanooga for Eric's birthday. This will be our first visit since the wedding and we look forward to spending some time with friends and family. We will only be there 4 short days, but we know it will be a wonderful trip!

Well this post turned into a really long post and I could have gone on and on about other things. I guess I need to start updating a little more often ;-) Have a Blessed Day!