Oh the Changes Life Brings!

Change: to transform or convert

2010 brought a number of changes in my life...all changes that brought transformation. Let's revisit a few of those big things:

I got engaged.

Ok, technically that was in 2009, but I did all of the planning for the big day in 2010. He proposed the day after my birthday-thanks to my lovely night class, it was a day later than planned. There were so many people in on the plan and I'm impressed at how many people said nothing to me! Luke planned the perfect birthday surprise for me and I am so thankful for the friends and family who helped!

My parents sold my childhood home and moved to Minnesota. I knew this would happen eventually because let's be honest, most people don't want to live in Hot Springs forever...I knew I didn't! May was a crazy month already with finishing up a semester of school, moving to a new apartment, and getting married-so my crazy family decided why not pile on some more and decided to move! It's been so enjoyable to have the people you love most live 10 minutes away instead of 10 hours. Although, I do sometimes miss that 10 hour drive to clear my head!



We went on an Alaskan cruise for our honeymoon!

I got married. I mean that's a pretty big deal, right? I've been uploading our wedding pictures to Facebook finally, and it has been so fun to relive that day. Most of it seems to be a blur to me, but I know that Luke and I were both so blessed that day. What could be better than having your family and closest friends celebrate with you? It was wonderful. It's been fun and challenging to figure out marriage together. It has its own ups and downs just like everything else in life. I find myself in awe sometimes when I walk through the door of our apartment and think that it's our stuff, our home, and our life together. It's fun...I would recommend it!

We got a kitten. Kota. Luke brought her home from the Humane Society on June 22, 2010. Yeah...our deal was that once all of the boxes were unpacked, we could get a kitten. We didn't want her to accidentally get thrown away with all of the boxes! She's a beast...a small beast, but a beast none the less. This cat has brought some big smiles to our faces. I know that I might be a crazy cat lady already at 22, but I'm ok with that. Kota is a crazy cat who maybe thinks she's a dog sometimes. I could write a number of stories about the times Luke and I have just sat and laughed at her. She does the craziest things. She entertains herself with our socks (which are now spread all over our apartment), she owns the bathroom (typical girl I suppose!), and she still finds time to snuggle up and be a normal cat. We throw her in the car and take her down to Iowa so that her grandparents can enjoy her silly self also. Overall, I think it was $150 well invested!

I graduated! I now have a Bachelor's degree in Marriage and Family Psychology from Northwestern College. I'm proud of that. It's weird to think that I'm a college grad. As I sit and look for jobs, I really don't feel qualified to do a lot of things. After all, I'm only 22. It doesn't seem like that long ago that I was starting high school...or graduating from high school. I'm excited for where God will take me over the next few months and I job hunt (and hopefully am hired) and start a new career.

That's the big stuff that's coming to mind right now for 2010. It was a roller coaster of a year. I loved some moments of it and really hated some others. I learned a lot about what trusting God meant. I was stretched and challenged and forced to cling to God so many different times. It's funny how change hurts so bad sometimes, but in the end it's always for the better. I'm really struggling to come up with a change in my life that wasn't somehow used to make me a better person. I wish that I remember things like that in the midst of big changes. Instead, I freak out and think that the worst thing in the world is happening. Silly me because the changes I got this year were an amazing husband, a family who is close, a fun kitten, and a whole new perspective on life.