For the Bible tells me so.....

Ok, so here's the deal. Today stunk.....a LOT. Same issues, still rehashing them. I haven't really been in the mood for blogging. I don't know, I guess I am nursing some wounds, and then once the wounds begin to scab over, then someone rips them open again and poors salt and lemon juice in them. I know, it stinks, right?

While I was more than a tiny bit tempted to use the blog as a venting post (although without names) I thought there may have been a better angle. And so, now I will share some scriptures that I find encouraging. The "religion" angle is one I am still finding my comfort level with, but what I do know is that it makes me feel peaceful - and so - here we go.

Romans 8:31 - If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:18 - consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who strengthens me.
Psalms 121:2-3 - My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - he who watches over you will not slumber.

And on that note, with some of the previous circumstances that have been troubling me for a few months. This is the appropriate scripture to finish on-

2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

And so, whatever lesson was supposed to reveal itself through this mess will still be unfolded to me, because what I know right now is that my emotions and feelings are still in the way a little bit. However, I can be patient, I have all the time in the world.

Jen

the reason I have been "quiet" on the blog

The fall off the blogging bandwagon.....ouch!

Oh, the world of blogging. How I love it. However, mostly how I love to read the blogs that i follow. But then, of course, I came to the realization that I want to do as well with my blog as these "super-bloggers" do with theirs. However, the fact that I have a whopping four followers and probably about that many regular readers, well it pees on my parade a little bit - but I shall not get discouraged.

An update on the highs and lows of life in the land of Nate and Jen since the last blog update has included:

Highs: continued b-day celebrations, including my hubby-love and my dear friend Robyn; an amazing trip to French Lick/West Baden as a treat from my lovely grandparents

Lows: the death of another friendship under similar circumstances to the troubles/woes of the last year. Without bloody detail on this one, I am just really, REALLY sick and tired of this. I will more than recognize the fact that I have made mistakes and am far from perfect, but really hurtful things have been said and done to me/us both to us directly and behind our backs. Perhaps the lesson a person takes out of this story is something to the effect of "tough times make people show their true colors, sometimes those colors are rosy pink and lovely, sometimes they are the color of bile and vomit, and some people really seem to actually get pleasure out of kicking you while you're down"......OUCH - and so, yes, I am still recovering from more than a little hurt in some of these circumstances, but I need to continue to see the positives (and there are a TON of them) and not focus on the negatives or hurtful things. This is something I have to remind myself of often.

Hunnie love is on his Spring Break. He is using it to get some things done - and I am sure appreciative of it. He is doing a little bit of study, but not too much. He has a good attitude about it and wants to go back in to school on Monday really refreshed.

On a super-fun note, my momma and I are going to be seeing Tom Petty live in Indy in July. I am so pumped up about it I can barely stand it! It is going to be an amazing concert, and mom and I are going to have a GREAT time.

Gram and Gramp will be visiting this weekend for a few days. Momzie (Nate's sweet mom) will be making a visit next weekend. My mom and Mike are planning a visit at the beginning of April for Mike and Nate's b-days (they are pretty much b-day buddies)

Oh, and did I mention that it is beginning to feel an awful lot like spring? Oh, how I am happy about warmer weather and sun! Chin up-attitude check! And now, let's move forward, onward and upward!

I will make a continued effort on the blog!

A 24th birthday.....the girls version

Wowser, I have the most AMAZING friends! I have really gotten to bring in my 24th birthday in style, thanks to a variety of amazing ladies whom I am lucky enough to call my friends!

Let's move the train back to Thursday night to talk about my birthday - come with me if you would like (but be warned, there is a whole lot of awesome in these stories!!!!)

On Thursday I left work and went up to Carmel to meet my dear friend Amber. Amber is a super-cool friend of mine, and we have a very interesting start to our friendship. In November of 2008, I decided I couldn't live without hightlights in my hair. Considering that we are on a budget, I decided I would try the beauty school. Little did I know that it was my lucky day! I got to the beauty school and just happened to be placed with the ever amazing Amber! Over the next number of months, we just got to know each other while she was doing my hair. When she graduated from beauty school, the little gem said she would continue doing my hair, and at each other's houses so that we could do it "on the cheap." Now, don't get me wrong, we have done other things, not just hair together. We had some adventures at Conner Prairie and when we get together for hair, we always make a day of it. Also, I sold the poor girl on Twilight, so even though I am SO OVER Twilight, it is sort of one of our "things" - so we enjoy Twilight! I went up to her place on Thursday and she even got me some hair products as a birthday gift! We enjoyed Qdoba for dinner and had a lot of laughs. We even had to watch some of Twilight on Blu-Ray - and yes, I will admit - Edward is on a whole different level on Blu Ray! Suffice it to say that I left with great hair about 7 hours later!

Friday my friend Amanda came to my house for girls night to watch Gone with the Wind. I made some dinner and she offered to bring dessert. Now, don't mistunderstand me - I was not trying to underestimate Amanda, but when she said "bring dessert" I had expectations of a $5 cake from Kroger. Not that there would have been anything wrong with that, at all. BUT NO! She shows up with a 4 layer chococolate cake from a REAL, delicious bakery in Fishers and "Cake bites" (yum, they looked like truffles, but have moist, dense cake in the middle!) I nearly died at that amazing cake. You can just ask her. Once I saw the cake I didn't really want anything to do with the dinner I had made (note to Amanda and any other friends for that matter - DO NOT show me dessert before I eat dinner :) We watched Gone with the Wind - btw - that movie is like 4 hours long, but totally good, although a bit depressing. Poor Amanda didn't get home until about midnight - she lives about 30 or 45 minutes away. Amanda made my Friday night, that much is a given.

Saturday we must discuss in two parts. The day began with my traditional breakfast out for my birthday with my dear, sweet hubby-bug. Long, long ago in a land far from here, my Bapa used to take me out for breakfast every year on my birthday. My sweet Nate has carried on the tradition past when my Bapa could do it, and so - we had breakfast out. I came back home and Nate went off to the city to get some hard-core study done for his exams this week. A little while later my dear Marty called me and sang me 2! birthday songs. Then we chatted for a while. After talking for about 25 minutes, dear Marty and I got off the phone. About 2 minutes later my doorbell rings.....It was Marty and Micah with hugs and a present! Can you even believe that. That rotten stinker didn't even tell me that she was going to come over - what a hoot! Micah was a really big helper with Hansy and fed him. They played a little bit and Marty gave me my present. There is a very long story involved in this one, but Marty gave me a waffle iron, waffle mix, and syrup - as well as a handmade card from her and Micah!!!!!!! I was amazed! Nate is going to be making me a lot of waffles with that waffle iron!!!!

Meanwhile, my dear friend Rachel had called and invited me to hang out with her and my other friend Megan (both med-school wives). With Nate studying, it seemed like a great way to spend my birthday! I went up to her place and took Hans with me (Hans is pretty much in love with their dog, Gigi!) We took the pups on a walk (about a mile - I was impressed with Hans! - He was showing off for Gigi!) Then, all three of us girls drove up to Carmel and went to a place called Ted Montanas. They have the BEST buffalo burgers on the face of the earth. Yumm!!!! The girls even treated me to dinner, what great friends! I had some of Amanda's tasty cake left over, so I took it to share with the girls!

What a birthday it has been!!!! I feel so loved! I never in my entire life have had this many close friends, and I am SO GRATEFUL for each and every one of you. I got lots of cards and love on facebook as well.

I haven't even had my birthday with sweet Nate yet - that is for tonight, but as usual I am clueless because my clues have been cryptic. Hopefully tomorrow I can update on that!!!

Love and thank you to everyone who has helped make my birthday so memorable. I can easily say I can't remember a birthday like this one! If it is any indication of what the upcoming year holds, I am pretty pumped up!

Bedlam in the land of Indy......

Oh my goodness......seriously? More than a week has passed since my last post - wow! Time sure flies when you're staying super-busy.

Nate = CRAZY BUSY. We are looking at exams next week for him. And, of course, we must not forget that this weekend is my birthday - and Nate is not one to let me down with my birthday.

I have been busy with work, but in a GREAT way! I am in the midst of doing a series on chocolate, which began on Friday and will last about 3 more weeks. Also, today my intro to a series on Recession Gardens was the lead! Not too shabby, if I may say so myself!

In between work, school, housework, cleaning up the messes that The Magnificent Hans makes, and anything else that makes its way in to life - we have been BUSY! And yet, for that I am extremely grateful!

In my spare time I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert's newest book - Committed. I have really enjoyed it. I enjoy the local library. Know what is amazing about libraries? You get to go there and take as many books as you like!!! You have to give them back, of course, but thank you for the miracle of libraries!

A cardinal has been ruining our mornings. If you visit our house right now there is actually a kiddie pool in front of our bedroom window - it looks tacky and awful, but the cardinal has been quiet for a few days. After about 10 days of that stupid bird running itself in to the window for at least an hour - I don't really care if the kiddie pool looks tacky - it is saving my sanity!

So this weekend I will be an old lady........24! Well, 24 is not old, but I am pretty joyful for another birthday. Goodbye 23! I am sure whatever the hubby-bug has planned for my birthday will not disappoint, so I will be sure to update after the weekend!

NOT dead......

Nate's "little" (ha!) try 14! sis, Kylie.....Nate, and Jen!

Nate, Dad, Uncle Tom, and Matt

The BEAUTIFUL bride and her sweet little girl, Ashlynn

You know, I would seriously hope that no one would assume we were dead due to silence on the blog......but geez......where have the last few weeks gone?

Into being crazy-busy - that is where the last few weeks have gone. As I sit here right now, let me think a little bit about what we have been doing.

To begin with - that cute little hubby-o-mine......the one and the only, Nate! He is doing well. He has been super-duper busy with school. He is currently in second semester, well into the mud. For those of you who haven't had the med-school lecture - second semester of second year is the WORST. It is the worst because in ADDITION to awful, busy school, the students are responsible for preparing for boards. Boards will be pretty soon after school wraps to license the students for work with real humans and not just countless hours spent with books......

And now, for the FUN stuff.......Life in the land of JEN!!!!!!!

Work: work is seriously awesome, I LOVE it. It is pretty much a history-nerd's Disney Land. I get to research, look at and experience history. It is the stuff I was in love with in college, but now I get paid for it and don't have to do homework or all the not-fun parts. I am working three days a week. It is pretty fun, Nate and I get to carpool together, so that is super-nice.

House: oh boy, well the house has been tended better to, as a matter of fact, for about the last year.......So here's the deal - I have been doing most of the housework while not working as makes perfect sense. I mean, poor Nate - so busy with school, he shouldn't have to to housework. It has been a (good) adjustment back to work, even if only part time. Sometimes the housework has fallen to the wayside, but I am working on it!

The magnificent Hans has been good. He hasn't had any potty incidents while we have been gone for 9 hours. I think he sees what kind of trouble he can get in to (trash, anyone?) and then he naps.......Man, that dog has THE LIFE! On Thursday of this week he even got to go to work with me......that was a pretty fun adventure. He was a bit of a snot in in the morning, but he was super good in the afternoon. I feel safe in saying that on occasion the Magnificent Hans will be welcome to join me at the Awesome Saturday Evening Post.

I guess the other big event for us was last weekend's trip to the North (the last trip, mind you, for quite a long, LONG while) for Matt and Laura's wedding. Matt has finally decided to follow Nate's awesome example and choose a girl to settle down with! Haha! It was a big trip up for us, but one we wouldn't have missed for the world. Welcome to the family Laura, dear. You can't say I didn't warn you......because I did.....and now you are stuck! Even if you showed lack of better-judgement - we are glad to have you! On a way sadder note for me.....I guess I'm not the only Mrs. Stewart anymore, but I am glad to share the title with Laura!

Happy Valentines Day to everyone! Love!

And the award goes to.......

Jennifer Stewart, as the "world's biggest history nerd!"

While some may think that this is a bad thing, in the land of Jen, this is a good thing, a VERY good thing.

Do you know that for almost 2 years, I have thought I was broken. My little grammy loved her job as a nurse. She looked forward to work. She used to give her vacation days to other people, who in her words, "needed them more!" This is what I have been thinking is "right."

When I got the job at SPS, it was a blessing, however, from the get go, in no way, shape or form did I love it, as a matter of fact I didn't really like it. Please tell me, why would I like getting reamed out on the phone by people who bounced checks and then yelled at me because they could not keep a checkbook?

I have only been at the Saturday Evening Post for a week, but let me tell you, "I GET IT!" I LOVE this job. This is going to sound cheesy and corny and everything in between, but quite honestly if I were doing this job for no pay, I would consider the opportunity to be around this much history a privelege. In this case, it is NOT about the money, although I won't lie at all, this helps support me and Nate. I love the history this magazine has. Quite frankly, The Post reads like a "who's who" of American history. This magazine has been published for over 100 years. It traces its roots to Benjamin Franklin. There are history treasures to be found in every corner. There is original Norman Rockwell art hanging in the corridors. Honestly, what The Post can offer is something no other magazine in history can offer.

It is also a current magazine, published 6 times annually. It is a great magazine (and I am totally not just saying this!) It has a lot to offer anyone. It has a lot of variety......and it is COOL!

It is much cooler than school because I am allowed to write about and pursue things that I am interested in!


Man, I am LUCKY to be working for this company. They won't be sorry to have brought me on board!