Blake and I went shopping today for our apartment, and we made our first big purchase as a couple :)

We found a desk that we both really liked-- good height, long desk top, and sufficient drawer space. Yay! We're building a home!!

Oh! By the way, I think we decided on January 17th for our wedding day!

Blake and I just got back from spending 4 days in Detroit, Michigan, for the National LPA Conference this year. There were about 1,900 people in attendance, so it was a pretty good turn-out considering a large number of people opted out in order to save up for next year's conference in NYC. We had such a great time and were able to get to know some new people this year. When we walked into the hotel, there were about 3 people lined up to congratulate us on our engagement. Ha ha. We both felt so much joy and excitement from a multitude of people in LPA throughout the week. Some girls I didn't even know where grabbing my left hand to look at my ring :)

Originally, we weren't planning on even going, but then Blake was awarded a major scholarship and LPA offered to fly him out there for the conference. He received $5,000.... and I was surprised with a $2,000 scholarship that I didn't even know about until I got there! So that makes $7,000 total, which will be a major help for our first year of marriage!

I also tried out for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Show (an off-broadway), and I felt AWESOME about my audition! We'll see where that leads, but... my goodness... what a help that would be too! Plus, it's something I've always wanted to do. Why not pick up acting for a semester? Blake loved it last year. I think it would be good for me to do it because it would keep me busy, so that Blake can get through his first semester of med school well, and then I'll start up my nursing program in the spring.

The last night was definitely my favorite. They had a live band playing for the dance, and they played lots of popular oldies and classics. I love to dance with Blake. He can spin and dip me like a champ :-)

LPA has such a special place in my heart, as cheesy as that might sound. I always come back feeling so grateful to know all of the people who are a part. I love meeting new people each year, and keeping in touch with the long-term friends. The kids are my favorite. I remember being so excited to meet other little people like me, and I see that same excitement in their own little faces. Blake and I both see LPA as such a blessing. This year we came back talking about the possibility of us joining the National Medical Advisory Board and what opportunities might be there. I just keeping smiling in amazement of God and the way He has perfectly matched us up as a team. I love Blake so much. Ah! And I'm actually going to marry him!!!

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera back at home, but I'll try to get a few from my friends and put them up.

If you wanted to see more photos from our engagement, here's an album I have online.

About a week and a half ago Blake and I went on a trip to Sweden. It was wonderful! Well, what started off as a trip to fun Sweden ended as a fairytale engagement story. That's right-- I'M ENGAGED!!!


I'm sorry it took so long to put these pictures up. Here are just a few of my favorite.


Here's the story...


Blake and I had been biking on a small island off of Sweden, Gotland, for a couple of days. It was absolutely beautiful there, and there were wildflowers EVERYWHERE. It was right on the Baltic coast (which hit close to my heart since I spent a semester on the other side of the sea), and there were swans and white stone all along the shore. There were also wild ponies and bunnies on the island. On the day he proposed, we stopped at this small town to grab something to eat. We were both starved! All of the Swedes were really friendly, and they let us fill up our tea 2-3 times. In the town was a little trail that led down to the coast, so we went exploring. We came into this little forested area and when I walked in I said, "hey Blake, I think this is where fairies come from!" Haha. No joke, this place was like a fairytale. The ground was covered in white flowers, and there was a wooden bridge and brook. I could not get over how beautiful it was.Blake had been filming a lot of our trip, and so I did not think it was strange when he told me that we should set up the tripod and video us skipping through the flowers. We are both cheesy like that, so I didn't think twice :-) So we were just being cheesy, and I started to walk away because I thought that was all we were doing. Well, he kept pulling me back (and I kept walking away, ha.) Then he finally pulled me back and asked me to stay put for a second. He was telling me that he loved me and being all sweet, and then I started freaking out when he reached into his pocket. I could definitely tell something was up when I saw tears building up in his eyes. He got down on one knee, asked me to marry him... and there was lots of jumping and high-pitched squealing that followed ;-)


Blake and I went out to celebrate at a restaurant in the neighboring town. We ate lamb and this really delicious chicken salad. I was telling every Swede I came across. A few, I'm not sure if they understand, but they smile and look really happy. At the restaurant we told the waiter, and he told the whole kitchen and our cook came out to personally congratulate us :-)


I am over-joyed, and I cannot wait to begin a life with Blake! I had a chance to go for a run that same day, and I was singing and crying and dancing in praise of God. It hit me on my run that a year ago I was on the other side of the Baltic Sea also running and praying... and now I stood on the opposite side having had those prayers answered in such a humbling way. I feel so undeserving that God has heard my many, many, many prayers for a husband and he has answered those exact prayers (and more) by Blake. There are things about Blake that I couldn't have even prayed for because I never knew it was something I needed in a spouse, but God has so perfectly matched us together in a way I don't even have words to describe. He's everything I need in a man. I'm still trying to grasp the idea that we're actually going to get married... and that I'm going to live with my very best friend! It all seems surreal to me, and all very, very exciting.

Blake and I made it to Sweden. We flew up to Newark, and then had an 8 hour flight. We are running on only 3 hours of sleep, so we are exhausted. However, the weather is beautiful and hopefully after a nap in the park we can enjoy more of Sweden!

I couldn't be more proud of him.

Blake was accepted to Mercer Medical School for the fall, and hopefully in 7 (long) years he will be a doctor :-) I am excited for him beyond words. I think he will be a wonderful, wonderful doctor.

So here's the story:

Friday was a horrible day for me. I got out of class and saw that I had a voicemail. I listen, and it was a message from MCG (another nursing school I had applied to, as well as another med school Blake had applied to.) They offered me a spot to begin my program with them, and they told me-- "do you think you can give us an answer by Monday? Classes begin in 3 weeks."

Now for those of you who don't know, I have gone through a long process of waiting and waiting (and hoping) and waiting to hear back from Blake's schools. My top choice was to stay where I am now, GCSU, and for Blake to get into Mercer, which is 30 minutes away. I think we both recognized those schools to be the places we'd be happiest and most stimulated. GCSU has been wonderful for me!

So back to my phone call, I started to fall apart when I heard this message. All I could think was-- "how am I supposed to make a decision not knowing what's going to happen?? What if I turn down MCG, and then he ends up getting in? Then we're 3 hours apart!!" Ultimately, I was feeling frustration and anger in the way that all of this had been coming together. Why had Blake not heard anything yet? It's not supposed to be like this?

I immediately threw on my running shoes and went for a long, angry run. I hadn't run that hard in a long time; it was a literal wresting match with God. I was just pounding out all of my emotions into that asphalt, praying bare-hearted.

Blake was at work, and now back at my house, I knew I needed to talk to someone. I called his mom, and now I laugh thinking how she could barely understand my words. I was a mess. She just listened to me and reassured me that everything will be alright. Well, apparently once she got off the phone she called Blake at work at said, "look, you've got to tell her. She's falling apart."

Blake came home, dressed nicely, asked me how my day had been. Awful. He suggested that we go for a walk. We walked to the center of campus, where there's a huge fountain. Yet again, I cried. All the frustration poured back into me.

And as I was staring into blank space, Blake grabbed my hand and said, "stop crying. I got into Med School."

I went from having heavy eyes and a blank stare, to wide eyes and an uncontrollable smile. I didn't even say anything, just screamed. My first instinct was to jump into the water, so I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him in with me. Ha ha.... his phone doesn't work any more... but it's a good memory?

Blake said he was waiting to tell me in his own time (he's known for almost 3 weeks now), but he couldn't stand to see me like I was. He wanted me to know that everything really was going to be OK. Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!! I can't stop smiling :-)

I feel like I am living my own dream. I still keep asking myself-- He really got in? I can stay here at GCSU and he won't be too far? Blake's really going to be a doctor?

I want to tell the whole world. I am so so so proud of him!