Chapter one in the "Chaos of 2006"

Our story. I really should be a better journal-er. I'm sure our kids would love to read about all of the drama in our life someday. In our short (almost) 5 years of marriage, Brad and I have been through some pretty stressful situations. So far, nothing tops the months of April-July of 2006.

The following is me, the night before I got induced with Mallory. Sorry about the goofy look. I usually make that face when my dad is taking my picture. Not sure why, but I do. Anyway. Check out the gargantuan belly!! I included the picture to go along with the post just so you can have a clear picture in your head.


This day last year, I was 39 weeks pregnant, had HUGE cankles, and was crying like a baby, saying my goodbyes to fellow employees. It was my last day of my first "real" job. I really loved my job. I worked as an RN in the emergency room for almost 3 1/2 years. It kept me on my toes (literally with 12 hour shifts!), was different everyday and I truly enjoyed the people I worked with. Unless I was working crazy overtime, I never dreaded going to work. I would say that is pretty unique. Occasionally, I still miss working as a nurse. I think I miss interacting with the patients the most. I have some pretty crazy and sweet stories stored away in my brain somewhere about the patients I took care of.

Now that work was over, and Brad was done commuting back and forth (which he had been doing since April), it was time to pack up our house, and get ready to close in the next 4 days. Not only did we have to pack up our house, but we were also putting all of our belongings into a storage unit for a month. We also didn't really know where we were going to be living after we had Mallory. We were staying in a hotel the whole week of the closing, and had 2 nights at the hospital covered. But that left about 4 weeks of homelessness (is that a word?). We just prayed that something would come up.

I remember sitting on the floor of what would have been Mallory's nursery, packing up all of her stuff. Brad came in and said that Mark and Anissa (a couple in our Life group at church) were needing someone to house sit for them while Mark was deployed and Anissa went to Nebraska to be with family. She had heard about our situation through other people at church and wondered if we'd be interested. It was perfect. We had an actual home to come home to after Mallory was born. We could feel normal and eat real meals and I could "nest". Mark and Anissa let us stay at their house until our new house was ready to be moved into. It was a total answer to what we had been praying for the whole time. And it was an answer to what they had been praying for as well. Isn't God funny? Every now and then I still feel jipped that Mallory didn't get a "proper" nursery to come home to and that I didn't get the complete pregnancy experience (like decorating the nursery, nesting etc.), but that thought ends really quickly when I realize all of the details that the Lord worked out. It may not have been my ideal, but it was His plan in the end. I am so thankful!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:27-29