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| Polly the Pepper. Her siblings include Ollie the Oregano, Tommy the Tomato, and Bertie the Basil. |
Our garden is growing! I can’t help but see it as a metaphor for all that God is doing in our hearts and marriage while here in Houston. I’ve recently been reading a book that has challenged me to see God in everything, and to learn to praise Him for everything with which He has blessed me. The book is called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and it’s all about living exactly where God has you with deep gratitude and thanksgiving. Voskamp is a very poetic writer and she uses Scripture to explain the biblical truth of this practice. The truths of the book have helped me to realize that I have a difficult time living in the moment because I’m always looking to the next step in life, yet I’ve realized how important it is to enjoy and truly appreciate where God has me. My eyes have been opened to the sin of ingratitude by not naming the blessings God freely gives each day. This has been quite a challenge for me; however, I’m starting to name these blessings which produces gratitude which then produces joy. I’m only into chapter 6 and am looking forward to where it’s headed.
The school year for Michael is starting to wrap up. He had a couple of busy weeks in April as it was crunch time before the big TAKS exam (it’s the Texas version of the ISTEP). Thankfully, it is now finished and we’re just waiting on the results. I am so proud of him and of all the work he has put into educating and pouring into his students. We are excited to find out the results! Work has been going well for me, too – I’m now into my circulating rotation and am learning how to “run” the room. The biggest challenge is seeing the whole picture. I’m starting to understand the intra-op process (wheel the patient in, position them on the bed, prep their surgical site, document, etc.), but there is more to being an OR nurse than just skills. It’s important to look at the patient as a whole, get all the pieces of their assessment, and determine how that is going to affect the surgery and the patient’s outcomes. I still have much to learn, but I would appreciate your prayers that my confidence would come from who I am in the Lord, not in how I perform in the OR.
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| Celebrating Easter at the Stroms' house with our dear friends, Kyle and Beth Goins! :) |
The most exciting experience this past month was getting to celebrate Easter. Seriously, each year Easter becomes more and more important to me – even more important than Christmas. After forty days of prayer and reflecting on my deep need for a Savior (Lent), it was so cool to truly rejoice and celebrate the resurrection of Christ – death is no more for He has conquered the grave! Though we were far from family and friends, we had a beautiful Easter celebrating at church, having lunch with friends following the service, and then swimming and eating dinner with Paxton’s family. Also, our friend, Eddy, who we mentioned in our last post came to church with us and enjoyed it so much that he’s coming back this week!
So, I thought I would take some time and share some of the interesting things that I have observed or experienced since living in Houston:
1. Kolaches are a big deal. They are delicious pastries filled with egg, cheese, sausage, etc. I had never heard of them before and I was looked at like a crazy person when I asked what they were.
2. “Y’all” is said a lot.
3. Margaritas are better here. This is true since I hated margaritas prior to the move.
4. Mexican food is better here.
5. This is the weirdest thing, but birds RARELY fly; they walk and they aren’t afraid of people.
6. There is a lot of Texas pride.
7. Traffic is horrible. I actually don’t mind it too much, except when I need to get somewhere in a hurry. Michael HATES it.
8. Traffic is probably so bad because you have to have a car to get around. Seriously, you can’t go on a walk, hike, or bike ride without having driven somewhere first.
9. “Ma’am” and “Miss” are said a lot which is so different from the north where women feel old when they’re referred to with said titles.
10. Almost every apartment complex is gated, as are a lot of housing subdivisions.
11. Your vehicle registration is a sticker on your windshield versus a card in your glove compartment/console (hence why we were pulled over within a week of living here – the cop didn’t see our registration stickers because we had yet to get them).
12. A/Cs are on full blast EVERYWHERE.
13. It either rains or shines, which means lots of pool time. :) Also, I don’t think it’s rained in over a month.
14. Cockroaches are huge. And fast. Ew.
15. Crawfish boils are frequent.
16. Like kolaches, breakfast tacos are also a big deal.
17. Whataburger has the best ketchup I’ve ever tasted.
18. We absolutely love our church.
19. You don’t have to drive to another city to shop. This is awesome. And IKEA is huge and wonderful.
20. Yogurtland is my favorite.
I think it’s pretty funny that the majority of the things listed have to do with food. What can I say? I love food and Houston is known for its many restaurants and delicious food, so I guess that’s to be expected. :) Some other fun things we’ve experienced this month include watching our friend, Lauren, perform at Comedy Sportz, having a picnic with friends at Hermann Park, encouraging conversations with friends over coffee, helping friends move to their new home, attending a going away party for friends who are moving to New Orleans, and cheering on the Astros at Minute Maid Park. It really has been an enjoyable month (and the weather has been beautiful!) but be prepared for a long update in May as we reflect on this past year and celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY! :)
P.S. We want to recognize two amazing fathers who are both celebrating their birthdays this month! Also, we want to wish our incredible mothers a Happy Mother's Day! We love y'all sooooo much and are sooooo grateful for you!!
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| Diddy - May 5 |
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| Dad - May 20 |
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| Happy Mother's Day, Momma! |
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| Happy Mother's Day, Mom! |
