Good morning, world. I haven't written on this blog in a while...actually since the day I got engaged..., and I remember when I was in high school (.cough.3yearsago.cough) it was my heart's outlet...I wrote about everything: boys, school, my spiritual journey and struggles, friends, my college choice, music, family, well, you get the idea. Then college happened, and busy busy busy nursing school happened, and I met the man of my dreams, and somehow xanga got placed on the back burner. I have missed you, blog-friend and I'd like to think that I'm going to start writing on here more often.

So much has happened in the past three years, and I have grown up so quickly...yet I feel so fearful of the future because I still feel like a five year old girl who only cares about barbie dolls and I Love Lucy. This coming fall will be the beginning of my last year in nursing school...WOW! I can remember when I was in first-year Chemistry and I couldn't even see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am participating in an externship this summer where I will follow a nurse in the ICU and hopefully in the ER for ten weeks, how exciting! In 182 days, the love of my life, Devin, and I will be getting married and committing the rest of our lives to each other. I can't believe that either...I'm so excited...and we have a ton of the planning done but at the same time we have a TON of details yet to address. I can't believe I have been with Devin for over two years now....time flies and I just keep cherishing the memories we have while being at Cedarville. Right now Devin and I are in the process of being accepted by the United States Public Health Service to work in the Federal Bureau of Prisons system as registered nurses when we graduate, it is an 18 month commitment, and for that commitment they pay us $30,000 each during our senior year. Wow, I can't even fathom making that much money, much less working in the prison system! I'm really excited, though, because it will be a great ministry opportunity! That is everything big that is happening right now...I just can't wait to get married and I can't wait to get through senior year of nursing school...

As of late, I have been spending time at home with my family, which has been such a blessing! My dad just had back surgery a week ago, so he is recovering and it is a very slow process. He won't be able to drive for 6 weeks, and he has to wear a brace for 3 months and he can't do anything during that 3 month time period. He is in a lot of pain now so I am just praying for him and praying that he can have at least an ounce of joy during this difficult time.

Woke up this morning...and you have to know that I am a BIG coffee person, but there was only a smidge of coffee left, enough for a cup, and I poured it and it tasted awful...not really sure why...so I'm having a glass of diet coke at 10 in the morning...which is not normal for me at all. I'm just relaxing, doing laundry, and cleaned the house a bit earlier...

My dearest friend (and bridesmaid), Abby, is moving to Boston for the summer for an internship at an Art Museum and today she is having a "Boston Tea Party", a going away party, if you will, to send her off...I'm so happy for her because she is pursuing her dreams! Can't wait to celebrate with her today...

SO EXCITED because I'm taking Devin on a surprise trip tomorrow for an early-birthday present....!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And so excited about my sister, niece, and nephew visiting in a week!!!

As for spiritual stuff...I've been in a rut most of college for some reason...I think because in college you get so busy with school and social stuff and life and it's hard (at least for me) to really pursue Christ like I need to. Pray that I grow and learn and pursue Him like a Daughter of the King really should...

I'll end with some photos that were taken this past school year....

Dad and I at Uncle Joe and Aunt Jen's wedding last summer

Devin and I...engagement pictures.

Gotta Love THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY!

I love this one!

Picture we used for our Save-the-Date magnets!

CAMO!!!

I LOVE HIM!

Devin's mom, Robbin, and I at my 21st birthday celebration!

Mom and I!

Happy 21st to me!

Sam, Abby, Devin, me, and Becky...only missing 1 bridesmaid and 1 maid of honor :)

US!

Dad and I!

Family!

Anne and I!

On that note... I will leave you to whatever you are doing and go and pain my toenails :) ...

hannah.

i had to take a quick break from reading my psychiatric nursing book to tell you all that God is absolutely amazing. i find myself more and more amazed the more i study nursing. i often get afraid because i am learning about every single thing that can go wrong in the human body, but i have to realize that He is in control, and that His creation [us.] is truly incredible. i am learning about the structure and function of the brain related to psychiatric nursing and psychotropic medications. i find myself more and more interested in neurology and the study of the brain. and i'm finding myself more and more interested in gerontology [geriatrics/nursing and the elderly]. what does neurology + gerontology equal? well, in some cases it may equal Alzheimer's disease. my grandmother was diagnosed with this disease a few months ago, and her husband just died a couple of months ago. God is placing in my heart a passion and desire to study this type of nursing and to minister to the elderly. it was no mistake that He placed me in the pulmonary unit this summer as a nurse's aid because the majority of my patients were over the age of 60 or 70 and most of them were struggling with terminal diseases. i believe that this population is often forgotten about/avoided by not only people in general, but by Christians, because we are afraid of relating to those who have nothing in common with us. but, the elderly are so wise and have experienced so much more than we have, i think we can really learn a lot from them. i am so excited about what the Lord has in store for me in my nursing ministry. it's hard not to want to just graduate now and get my schooling overwith so i can put this into practice, but i need to be patient and give glory to the Lord by studying the best that i can and by giving all that i have to learning what i need to know for nursing. the part of this chapter that i'm reading now is talking about PET scans and other different types of tests that neurologists can do to figure out how each part of the brain functions. it is SO cool!

PET scans detect the highest blood flow and glucose flow in the brain during certain activities. the parts of the brain that are red indicate higher blood flow and glucose flow, which means that that part of the brain is being used for that activity.

Wow, God has given us such an amazing ability to study and learn this information. i am standing in awe right now.

on a different note, i'm excited about today! devin and i are going to john bryan for a while once he gets back to school and then we are going to my house to watch the Ohio State vs. Penn State football game. O-H-I-O!!! i'm excited...hopefully we win!

have a splendid day...

-hannah.

i am really not sure how often i will even keep up with this, but i know i have not posted since my freshman year of college...and i'm now a junior...wow, time flies!

i never really thought that i'd be this far in the nursing program at cedarville. it is a tough program and it takes up a ton of time, but i'm learning that it is worth it because this is what i want to do with my life. it has been a struggle since coming to college to keep up with spending time in the Word. i know the Lord said it wouldn't be easy, but man when college and academics gets busy, it's really difficult to allocate time to everything that i want to do, including spending time with Jesus. i really need to work on that and get better at that. since i posted the last time a lot has happened, a whole lot! i have a boyfriend named devin, and we have been together for over a year and a half now. he is a junior nursing major as well and he is just wonderful i could go on and on about him but i won't do that right now.

do you ever just really wish that it were a whole lot easier?
...i definitely have a lot of fear in my life that i struggle with letting go of. and i worry too much.
....i definitely need to spend more time with Jesus.
.....i get stressed out way too easily.
......sometimes i struggle with having motivation.
.......i often wonder what others think about me.
........sometimes it's difficult being social at cedarville because academics often consume me as a nursing major.
.........i miss my high school friends and friends from home quite often.
...man, i think life during high school was a whole lot easier.

but, i really am blessed. i am truly blessed beyond belief.

i need to be praying about my future, and praying about ministry opportunities for next summer.

i'm not really sure if anyone is going to read this or not. but i feel like writing on this will help me out some.

i just need the motivation to keep writing...

ahhh...

-han.

devin and i last christmas :)