A Reason To Praise

Okay, so you must be wondering why I posted a picture of me holding a Walmart receipt. Let me explain!

I have been blessed to join a bible study at our new church which meets on Tuesday mornings. I have only been going the last 3 weeks and I have already been so blessed by it. We are reading "What Happens When Women Walk in Faith" by Lysa Terkeust. This past week one of the chapters we read focused on praising God more. Lysa writes, "What is distracting you from praising God more often, and how can you make praising him more often a priority?" The very day I read this chapter Tyler and I had a big reason to praise God!

When Tyler and I first got married we lost our health insurance (we were both on our parents). Tyler was only working 30- 35 hours a week at The Grove (he needed to work 40 for us to qualify for insurance). I was only subbing the first year of our marriage so I did not qualify for benefits. We quickly decided to look into private health care plans and assumed we would find one that would fit our needs. Little did we know that because of my health condition, the medicines I need, and previous surgeries I have had, etc, I would be denied by every insurance provider except one. The only insurance provider willing to take me on wanted an astronomical amount for coverage per month. Don't even get me started about turning down someone for insurance because of a pre-existing condition...I have strong feelings.;) For the past year and a half Tyler and I have had to pay for all of our health care costs out of pocket, including all of my medications. My insulin resistance injections cost $300 per month by themselves. $300 a month for just one medication! We have had no choice but to pay for my injections every month, as well as for my other medications and doctors visits. There was no way around it; I have to have the medicine. The month before we moved to Moses Lake we spent over $400 on my medications.

So where does this praise come in? Tyler got an awesome new job and we now have awesome new health insurance! Instead of paying $300 a month for my injections, we now only have to pay $40! Praise God! Tyler and I both praised God after we picked up my medicine and that is the reason for the picture of me with the receipt! I have been praising God all week for this blessing and for his provision.

I must also praise God for providing for all of our health care needs the past 18 months. Although the cost for my medications has been astronomical, every month God provided has provided for my each and every one of my needs. I have never gone without any medicine I have needed. He is good.

What praises do you have for God this week?

I Found This...

Every once in awhile I like to look back through pictures taken over the past few years. I often find ones that make me giggle and take me back to a sweet memory. Tonight I found this one...

My dear roommate Meghan snapped this picture one afternoon in March of 2008 in our dorm room. Tyler and I had only been dating for a few weeks. Tyler and I have had a playful relationship from the beginning and this picture proves it! We still play like little kids...I swear we are never going to grow up. Just a couple weeks ago, we played a game of tag in our apartment...yep, pretty sure our new neighbors love us.;)

I love that Tyler is a kid at heart just like me. I love being silly with him.

It's Okay....

It's okay to feel sad right now; I have to keep reminding myself of that.

Today I felt sad. Today I felt bad for feeling sad. I need to stop that. I felt sad today because I missed "the familiar." I missed our family, our town, my job, and my precious little kindergartners. Tyler came home for dinner before we headed off to youth group and in the middle of eating my chicken salad I started crying. Then, I started apologizing for crying. Seriously, I was a mess. Tyler once again reminded me that it's OKAY to feel sad right now. Of course, I feel very happy and excited to be here, but I also feel a sense of loss and sadness. It's hard to explain. I felt so much better after I got some tears out; therapeutic I tell you. I felt even better when we went to Baskin Robbins after church and I had chocolate ice cream. Ice cream: it works every time. Don't worry, I am not really an emotional eater.:)

I Miss These Faces...

Sweet Sadie Joy at just 2 weeks old.

Auntie Tiff with her girls:)

It's no secret how much I adore my nieces. Leila Kate and Sadie Joy bring me so much happiness. They are lights in my life. We have lived in Moses Lake 3 weeks today and it's really sinking in that I won't get to see my nieces on a weekly basis. I know Leila Kate knows who we are since we have been around the past 2 years of her life, but I am afraid since Sadie is so teeny-tiny and we won't be close as she grows up, she will not feel bonded to us like Leila Kate does. I know Tyler and I need to be very intentional about sending the girls cards, treats, etc so they will know who we are. I never lived close to my aunts or uncles, but the ones I feel closest to now are the ones who were intentional about keeping in touch with me regardless of distance. My dad's sister, my Aunt Janet still sends me birthday cards and I am 25 years old.

I am thankful for all of the time we had with the girls before we moved. I am so happy I got to be around for the first few weeks of Sadie Joy's life. I am also very thankful for Facebook, blogging, email, text messaging, picture messages, mail, and Skype! These are all ways Tyler and I can keep in touch with our family. Last week we Skyped with Scott, Christina, Leila, and Sadie; it made my heart happy. I think Leila was a bit confused about what was going on because she kept saying "Follow me guys!" like we were right there and could follow her. So cute.:) Christina told me that the next day Leila asked to watch a movie. When Christina asked her which movie she said, "Uncle Ty and My Tiffy." I guess she thinks if she can see us on the computer, she can also see us on the TV!

Even though we are far away now, it will just makes the times we get to see them so much sweeter.

My Birthday

So, I know it's March and my birthday was at the end of January, but I am a bit behind in blogging. So, pretend I wrote this blog about 6 weeks ago.;)

I had the most fabulous birthday. I think it's no secret by now that I am married to a romantic. Tyler is so very romantic and ever since we started dating in 2008 I have been utterly shocked and surprised with some of the things he has come up with.

For my birthday I just assumed we would go out to dinner and have cake; I was totally okay with that plan! Every year since I was little it has been a tradition for me to have an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins and it may sound silly, but I look forward to that treat for a couple months prior to my birthday! Cake+ice cream=a happy me. About a week and a half before my birthday Tyler told me that I needed to request a half-day afternoon sub for my birthday. He told me he would pick me up from work around noon and that's ALL he told me up until about 2 days before when he told me I shouldn't plan anything for Friday (the day after my birthday). I asked and asked and asked about what we would be doing, but Tyler wouldn't even give me one stinkin' clue. It was killing me! He is so very good at keeping secrets and it makes me crazy!

Tyler picked me up from work on my birthday, we grabbed lunch at Panera, and then we started driving. After driving for about 20 minutes I started figuring out we were headed to San Diego. I kept asking where we going over and over, but Tyler wouldn't say anything except "You'll see." So, long story made short (well I guess it's already pretty long...sorry!), we ended up in beautiful Cardiff by the Sea (a few miles from San Diego) at a beautiful bed and breakfast! What a wonderful birthday surprise! What impressed me most was that Tyler had packed my suitcase and didn't forget one thing! He even had an ice cream cake for me in a cooler! We enjoyed a delicious birthday dinner at a local Italian restaurant and of course we enjoyed ice cream cake later that night. On Friday we woke up and did our couple devotion overlooking the ocean. It was beautiful and so serene. We walked to Starbucks after we got ready for the day, walked along the ocean, and ate lunch at a fun burger place before we headed home.

Our beautiful room. It's called the "Paradise." So fun and tropical!

Pretty view!

Opening presents! I love prezzies!
Presents!

My cutie husband being silly after dinner:)

Morning devotions overlooking the ocean
Before heading to the beach


I had a great 25th birthday!:)

New Apartment

Tyler and I have spent the last couple of weeks settling in. Our boxes are finally all unpacked; I am stoked to longer be suffocated by boxes! When we found out Tyler got the job in Moses Lake we needed to find a place to live within just a couple of weeks. We weren't sure if we should try to find a house to rent or just get an apartment. We finally decided to get an apartment (which is on the same street as our new Church; talk about convenient!) until we learn more about the area and where we would like to live. Moses Lake housing is so much more affordable then Southern California, so we are actually hoping to buy a house within the next couple of years. :) There are some beautiful developments in Moses Lake and so we look forward to learning more about each development and where might be a good place to settle more permanently.:) For now, we are enjoying our new apartment. We have upgraded from a one bedroom/one bath in Riverside to two bedrooms/two bathrooms in Moses Lake. The extra space is nice! We also have a laundry area in our new apartment which is a big blessing. I love being able to do laundry in the comfort of our own warm, cozy, space. The thing I am probably enjoying the most is having a bathtub. We didn't have one in our last apartment which was a bummer since I love taking baths. I am thankful for the new place the Lord has provided for us (have I mentioned it's only 3 minutes from Starbucks?!...God is good!). Here are some pics of our new place; some of our walls are still looking a little too bare (our walls are also white, which I don't like, but hey, it's not forever right?!) for my liking, but I know with time I will collect some new additions for our walls.:)

Living Room

Dining Area
Kitchen

I won't bore you with pics of my laundry area and washer and dryer, but I just had to show you the shelves Tyler built for me in our laundry area. I can't even reach the shelves in the laundry area, which makes getting simple things like extra linens, detergent, and the iron inconvenient. Tyler built these 2 shelves so I can have easier access to everyday things. I love being married to a handy guy!


This is our 2nd bedroom...office/guest room. Still working on this room and finding some decor for the walls!
Guest Bathroom
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom