(3) Oh the Places You'll go...

This time last year, when I thought about "a year from now" it was a big dark question mark.
Not necessarily scary- just unknown. 

This time last year I was in China, and saying goodbye to Nanjing China, we had spent the last 5 weeks there and were on our way to Shanghai.

That summer was one of the hardest, rewarding, six weeks of my life and I needed Shanghai to regroup, to process, and to get ready to come home.
But before we left China we had packed up our home. Our sweet little Kearney duplex we had spent the first 2 1/2 years of marriage. We had three weeks back at my parents and then onto Florida. Where we would live for the next 3 years.

I was excited- I love adventure. 
We were certain this is was the next step, we had found a place, we were off...

Little did I know

[I must stop here. There is this quote in the movie, Stranger than Fiction, which talks about the phrase "Little did he know" that I find hilarious, a little English Major humor. 
Dustin Hoffman plays an English professor and meets a guy, Harold, who hears the phrase 'Little did he know" spoken by a narrator who he is constantly hearing narrate his life in his head. He goes to the English professor for help and Dustin Hoffman's character responds:

"Did you say 'Little did he know?!'.  I've written papers on 'little did he know' I used to teach a class based on 'little did he know'. Son of a bitch Harold, I once gave an ENTIRE seminar based upon "Little did he know' . 'Little did he know', That means there's something he doesn't know, which means there's something you don't know, did you know that?"]

 I, too, love the phrase 'little did I know' or any variation of it's kind.

B/c after the romance period of being with my love in Florida wore off, it got dark for a month or two. I had a job that was not best for me, I had left the city I had lived in since 2nd grade (that's over 15 yrs people!) and things were not how I imagined.

I had to make decisions based on what was healthy for me and I began to learn how. And I think that was huge for me. HARD but huge.

And eventually it got better. And eventually I got a new job which was SO much better for me. I began to take classes. I applied for the counseling program and GOT IN! I began to make friends.

And almost a year into living in Florida. It seems like I have lived a LIFETIME and not just a year. And I am excited about this upcoming year, getting my Master's In Counseling and how the Lord had provided. 

What a sweet year.

Last year the little I did know before I moved was romanticized and when reality hit- it hit hard.

But little did I know I would make it through, and come out stronger, healthier.

Little did I know it would make my marriage so much stronger, healthier (I am beginning to see a theme here)

Little did I know that not only would I love the weather in January, but Florida would begin to feel like home.

So I am thankful we are here. And I am excited about what this next year will bring. I start my Master's Program July 8th. We got to Florida July 27th last year. My, the things that can happen in a year! 

Sometimes when you take a step of faith you can rest on the fact that God had a plan all along, even when it seems romantic, then looks bleak....

(Little did I know)

(2) introduction to finality

Long time no see blog world. Apparently my "Blog More 2013!" campaign since last post was kind of a dud- but now I'm back!

and I've got some news.....

Ya girl got into the counseling program at RTS!

How exciting right?!

It was a very anxiety driven experience waiting to see if I got in.

You see it is so attached with something I feel called to that it was literally hard for me to give it to the Lord. It definitely was a time of God prying my fingers open one by one as I learned to have an open hand to whether this counseling program (and ultimately being a counselor) was His will for me. 

Waiting sucks.

The waiting is what caused me to tweet things like "Trust in the Lord... ain't nobody got time for that! (I kidd... but that is sometimes how I feel!)"

 as well as find comfort in the Alabama Shakes song:

So, bless my heart and bless yours too.I don''t know where I'm gonna go don't what what I'mgonna do.Must be somebody up above sayin' "Come on Brittany, Yougot to come on up!""You got to hold on..."YEAH! YOU GOT TO WAIT!YEAH! YOU GOT TO WAIT!BUT, I DON'T WANNA WAIT!I DON'T WANNA WAIT...
That song was cathartic.  As well as Psam 39 which I had to write a paper on for a class during the waiting time:
¹² “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;
    do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner,[IN OVIEDO]
    a stranger, as all my ancestors were.
¹³ Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”*letters in red added by blogger ;)
It was kind of a dramatic time for me. Waiting. (and i don't wanna wait!!)Not to mention 3 of my good friends down here were applying as well and we were sure as heck that we all three wouldn't get it, which kind of made us sad b/c we knew it may change our group dynamic. 
I got a letter a month after the interview saying that they would get back to me after they evaluated the 2nd review weekend. We all 4 got those letters.I mean it wasn't a NO (which I was thankful for)but it still meant more of that 4 letter wordWAIT.2-3 weeks ofWAITING (is what the first letter said i should expect until they made a decision)and then unbeknownst to me a week later I randomly check my email to find this in the inbox 

I ran to Tezar, told him the news and fell on the floor very dramatic-like to take it all in (Tez rolled his eyes at all the drama but it's quirkiness like that that keeps him in love with me... so i like to tell myself)

So come July- I start the Master's of Counseling  Program and I couldn't be any more excited. 

It's an awesome program and while I have heard it's hard work ( a 3 year program shoved into two, super intensive and hands on) I CAN NOT WAIT!

I'm 27 years...old?...young? 

But I've been around the block enough to know that I want to do something in my life that helps people. Counseling has helped me in my journey in more ways that I can adequately explain and to have a chance to learn to counsel people and it be what I DO as a career or whatever is like finally finding something I am made for. At the risk of sounding cheesy it feels like a calling... like destiny and I am thrilled. 

So there that is. 

A little update.

Who would have thought all of this would happen a year ago?!  I sure as heck didn't!

 But I'm thankful...

So thankful

P.S All three of my friends got in too. It made happy news even happier!

2013 (1)

 SO I have every intention of being a regular blogger in 2013... we'll see ;)

Christmas came and went here in good 'ole Florida and a lot of changes were in the works!

First, Tez and I had our three year anniversary. I meant to post something sweet and romantic but... I didn't. We celebrated in high fashion. First a lunch at the Cheesecake factory and then, well, I'll leave you with this savory picture of what we wore later on that day- at a Christmas party- to compensate.

Some say you can't put words to beauty and I believe the picture above is a testament to that saying...
(Yes, we made those ourselves)

Also, I am no longer a pre-k teacher.

Change of plans.....

I'm going to go back to school and apply for my Master's of Counseling... it's a highly selective program and I'm putting myself out there by telling the world I am applying (big chance I won't get selected but I have made it to the 2nd part of the process- the Weekend Interview)

Until I figure out if I get in I can still take classes towards the program (and they're free seeing as I am the wife of Tez and wive's get to take classes fo free!) (and if I don't get in, well I will more than likely still take Master's classes- try again next year?) but for that to be done I have now started a new job as a .... 

WAITRESS!!!

Were you to tell me I'd be waitressing when we moved to Orlando I might have laughed (or cried)
You see, I have something called a DEGREE...
it was pretty expensive and I plan to put it to use...
but that was then and this is now.

TO be honest, this is the only job that will work with my class schedule
and to be honest....
I LOVE IT...

really!

I am a social person and while you do have to eat crow sometimes (people, please be kind to your waitresses!) I really have found myself surprised by the generosity of people I serve, and the familialness of everyone I work with.

(and no tantrum throwing three year olds...my previous job seriously pushed the baby making back a year or two past thirty)

So there you have it. That's what's going on these days in our little corner of Florida.

One day I'll be a real grown up... but probably not in 2013.....

Thanksgiving festivities...

We spent thanksgiving visiting the in-law...in Hawaii!

I had never been and I was looking forward to a change of scenery as well as seeing Tez' parents who we hadn't seen in quite a while.

They, of course, made the trip wonderful. Here are some pics of what we did!

It sure was a lot to pack into 5 days (did you know Hawaii is a 10 hr flight from FL and 7 hours time difference?!) so needless to say when we got back we needed a vacation from our vacation but I just hack it up to living... young and wild... and free.... 

(and help from his parents)

Aloha

For your listening pleasure:

So if you know my husband you know he prides himself on being the first to find things, tell people about said things, hoping to have people love them as equally as he does.
(Ask him his fave shows on Netflix and you're bound to be converted)

When Tez and I were mere acquaintances one of the moments that I thought "This guy is kind of cool I might have misjudged him" was when we were standing in front of a bookshelf of movies picking which ones were "quality", we both picked very much the same titles and then the night ended with him playing "Such Great Heights" on the guitar by Iron and Wine... I may have swooned a bit....

I write all that to say we've been playing a couple of songs on repeat these days (I can attribute all of them to his findings).
 The one's I have found myself putting on repeat are as follows:













Are you sensing a theme here?

Catching up...

Sometimes when I attempt to write a blog post it has been so long I don't know where to start...

I guess I'll start in Oviedo...

But I can't talk about Oviedo, unless I talk about Memphis:

In Memphis fall weather is starting to surmise. 

It's blowing up all over my newsfeed.

This time of year, for some reason, even I crave a pumpkin spice latte with all the chilliness excitement!

(Have I mentioned that I do NOT like pumpkin spiced latte's no matter how hard I want to)

Autumn is my favorite season. Not too hot.. not to cold. It reminds me of college days, and football and throwing couches in bonfires procrastinating the night away, doing nothing....

Just last Tuesday, at community group, we spent about 15 minutes reminiscing about college. It was nostalgic and fun and all of a sudden I felt old. I know 27 is not old but I honestly forgot what it was like to have a schedule of 2 classes and then working from 2:30-6 only to head back to the dorms. And the freedom to wake up and think:  "I can skip class today it's nice outside"- WHAT?!  Maybe since Tez and I no longer hang with the college group we did in Memphis it's weird to even not be around college students anymore. Maybe I am just nostalgic for that.

To say that I am unhappy to be here in FL is FAR from untrue. 

I know this is exactly where we need to be, we're adjusting nicely, I have a job and we're making friends. I get excited about what will happen within the next year (NO, not pregnant, grad school wise) 

But living here has been the most bittersweet experience of my life. Words can't adequately describe and I can't say enough about it without sounding like I have ADD b/c there is just so much I am learning that can't be charted and graphed into little groups.

Tez and I have grown so much closer. I feel we really are creating the foundation to our marriage right now. I told my mom that, of course I have always felt married to Tez, but here away from family and friends I am really starting to understand the "leave and cleave" thing. We are a unit. He is my best friend. And I am thankful for him more with each passing day.

To be honest, God has "shattered some of my dreams" here (I say it like that b/c I just got done reading a book, Shattered Dreams, by Larry Crabb- Amazing) But I am realizing that a lot of my dreams are demands. My whole theology feels as if it is changing and as a result so am I. I'm not getting my way in a lot, life can be hard, and God continually proves to me that He is worth it and in spite of unanswered prayers He still loves me. I am learning to really ask of the Lord, and to know that He knows best. In Memphis, I had so many other things to go to apart from God. I'm not saying they were bad, heck I miss all my friends, my parents, financial security etc. But here I also feel like God and I have grown closer. It's been a bit of a wrestle. But I'm limping along.

I kind of miss Memphis like I miss college. 

But, we can't stay in college forever,

And there is a beauty in growing up....