We lately haven't been feeling the "blogger" love and have created a wordpress blog...This new blog is a permanent change and we promise it will be awesome :)

The new blog: joshandshanna.me

This year has flown by just as my elders had always warned. I find my self saying, "I can't believe it is already December, where on earth did this year go!" I guess that just comes with the aging process. Here is what 2009 has brought us:

Josh has been busy with school and will graduate in about a year with his bachelors in computer networking. He also just accepted a new job! The company he works for sells web domains and also build websites, he will be doing tech support. From the sounds of it, he should be able to find a position that fits his degree after graduation. He is very excited for the career move and excited to work for this company.

Beckett, our English Mastiff just had his second birthday. He is officially a teenager in dog years!! He continues to be our delight. Beckett often can be found laying at Josh's feet rooting for his favorite football team or trying with his large pouty eyes to lay on the couch with mama. He is Josh's biggest fan, my shadow and Roxy's stalker. He has had a pretty great year.

Roxy is four and she is just up to the same old. She lays up in a plush cat bed on a ledge and looks down on us all. She loves to rile Beck up and then pay the martyr card, but of course we have caught on. She is still my little love, she is sweet with a sour side that only Trina and Josh sees.

As for me I have been in school as well working on my masters of nursing education and I should be done May 2011. I have also been working on day shift at the hospital on the medical surgical floor for two and a half years now. Starting in about March I will be working on a new project at the hospital to educate staff on the new computer program that we will be rolling out in the summer of 2010. This will be a nice change from bedside nurse and an opportunity to get some educational experience.

Josh and I added to our numbers and the house in July by inviting Trina to come and live with us. She is a joy to have with us and very helpful. She and Beckett are two peas in a pod. We are excited for her because she has a good job and we are excited to see where the road she is on will take her next.

At the beginning of December Josh and I got the opportunity to join Josh's Mom and her husband in Mexico for a nine day adventure. We had so much fun!! We stayed in a beautiful condo over looking the ocean. Some highlights consisted of Deep Sea fishing, snorkeling, para sailing, and lounging on the beach. It was a trip that will hold in our memories for a lifetime, it was very fun!! (Slideshow below, along with some random pics:)

Now that we have updated you on 2009 we would love to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!! Here is to a bigger and better 2010 for all!!

Love,
Josh and Shanna

Yesterday I ran my very first 10K race! Last month I ran a 5K race which is 3.1 miles and I was dying I did not think that I could finish, or that I would be able to run more then three miles in my life. I am here to say that I know feel the same about the 10K, I was very tired and wanted to quit the last mile and a half of the race, but I finished. Learning from experience has taught me to press on, and now my new feat will be the half marathon!! I will keep you posted!!

One day when I was at work there was a lady at the nurses station that was looking for me. I was in a patient's room and I was watching her dialogue with a co worker. She was strangely familiar, but I could not place where I had met her. She was a plain woman, but was very beautiful. I came out to the nurses station and met her. She told me that she was a patient in the hospital a couple months ago and I had taken care of her on another floor. She had been thinking about me and the kindness that I had showed her when she was sick. She had been looking for me through the hospital so that she could show her gratitude by giving me the a beautiful quilted bag. She had been quilting the bag and remembered me when she was making it, and wanted me to have it. She was full of gratitude and praise for the care that I had given her. I could not remember her name, or her illness, but she was fondly familiar, and this strange feeling overcame me. I thanked her and hugged her, I looked down at her beautiful craftsmanship and looked up and she was gone.
I know that angels are all around us, and I feel as the Lord brought this lady into my life that day to give me some encouragement. I am thankful for this lady, whoever she may be, and I am thankful for the Lord for the little blessings that he brings into my life when I need them the most.

Today marks the very first time I ran with others to support a cause. I ran with a good friend from work to support Breast cancer. I cannot even tell you how many people were there, even though we tried to guess. There were multiple events and the 5K walk was is where the numbers of people baffled us. However, I was so excited for my even the 5K run, I could hardly sleep last night, and when we were standing behind the start line the feeling didn't change. When the starting horn rang, Diana and I weaved in and out through the masses of people. I was amazed that the more people that we passed, the more people were still in front of us. We were jiving to our music, and I was smiling like a fool at all the support and love the people I was running with had for people that they had known with breast cancer. When I reached the two mile mark, I did hit a low, we had been speeding our pace at the beginning of the race I got a tremendous side ache and slowed my pace way down. I had to play a mental game with myself, because I had been training and looking forward to this race for a long time and I did not want to stop. This game lasted till the last quarter mile of the race. I reached for Diana and said in needed a second, we walked about ten steps and I told her that we need to keep running. We started to run and turned the corner, there it was the huge pink finish line, with crowds of people lining the last stretch of the race. I looked at her and said, "Lets book it the rest of the way," and we did. We sprinted to the finish line. Our final time was 36minutes, which she had done this before and was thrilled with her new time, and this being my first made me filled with joy!!! It was an amazing experience and I am thankful to Diana for encouraging and pushing me through the entire race. Check back to see more to come on the running front.

P.S. I dedicated this run to all my patients that I have served that have had breast cancer!

Last week we headed out west to beautiful southern California for Bryan and Nika's Wedding. Josh and I were able to spend some quality time with the Bride and Groom at Disneyland and it was a very special time that will cherish. The festivities included A Bachelor Party, Rehearsal Dinner, A Wedding and an Awesome dance party. Josh and I were able to spend time with great friends that we miss from the Northwest. We were able also to spend some good and refreshing time with just each other. All and all this trip was to support and cherish the marriage of our good friends!! So Congrats Bryan and Nika, we love you and thanks for the excuse to have an awesome trip to California!!