A Hope and a Future

Happy Birthday TJ!

2011-05-07T09:53:00.008-05:00

What's this?? I am blogging??? After over a year?? :) I have a good reason today! (And it is my goal to start doing this regularly...but we will see!)

It is my TJ's birthday today! 26 years! :)

I tease him that when he turns 40- I'll still be 38...he says he doesn't care...but I think he will then.

Happy Birthday my love! I am proud of you, and love being your Annabelle. I hope your day is wonderful! I am blessed to be yours.

The Man Cub with Kada Girl in our blizzard this winter.

Tim and Jay Thorpe climbing clifs and exploring caves in our Colorado trip this past February.

It has been a big week for him! Poor guy always seems to be studying or in the middle of some big section of school during his birthday, and this year is no exception. Last Friday the guys all had their last day of class. Year 2 is almost done! This week was full of end of year finals. They finished on Thursday. Year 2 down! Boards to go!

I am so proud of Tim, and the rest of the guys! They have worked so hard, but have still managed to have a blast!

Enough said! :)

We are headed to BRGR tonight with our KC family to celebrate Tim's birthday. I'll post pictures later.

Happy Weekend!

Hello There!

2010-03-27T15:25:00.009-05:00

It has been a really long time since I have posted. I have been slacking in keeping up lately, but I am hoping to get caught up with all of you in the next couple of weeks. Life has been busy here in Kansas City. I think we might have just had our last snow storm for the winter/ spring... I THINK (HOPE!) :)

The past few months have been busy and a challenge! I am thankful it is officially spring here. Just to give you quick updates on things-

I have to brag on my man for a minute. Tim is doing wonderful in medical school! I am beyond proud of him. He is in the top quarter of his class, and was invited to join an honor's society because of that! He also made a 93 on his last test. God just affirms over and over again that this is where we are supposed to be, and medical school is where He has us right now. Not to mention, he is also doing well while getting a dual degree of a Masters in Business Administration/ Healthcare Leadership. There is a school here in Kansas City called Rockhurst that works with KCUMB to offer that dual degree. He and Andrew Brochu are doing this together. They have a class once a week that goes from 5:30 to 9:30ish then this summer they will have those classes rather than having the summers off.

Work for me is wonderful! I still love my job! I work for my three reps, and try to keep their businesses running as smooth as possible. We have alot of fun. It is a challege some days, but I am learning alot, and I feel like God has placed me in an area where my talents and ablilities can really be used. I have made some fun friends at work too- which has been such a blessing!

Another fun thing is, I think we have found a church! It is called Redeemer Fellowship. Some of our Kansas City friends (Andrew and Jenny, Jacob and Jetta, and Ben and Aly) have been going there for a few months now. We visited there after we got back from Christmas and really liked it. The teaching is wonderful, and we have left every Sunday really feeling like we learned the Word of God. Church has probably been the biggest challege of moving for us. The Summit Church will always have a special place in both of our hearts, but I really have struggled with leaving that church family! Anyway, I think we have found our church home. I think Jetta and I are going to start working in the church nursery together. I am really excited about that. I need some little kids in my life. :) More fun stories about church later.

The past three weeks have been especially busy for us. I made a quick trip home the weekend of the 12th. It was a study weekend for Tim, and I was missing some loved ones in a bad way! I left work early on Friday and made the drive. It was wonderful to come home, but it absolutely flew by! I made the drive back on Sunday, and went back to work that week. Then Kari and Hudson came to KC on that Friday. Back in November we found out that John Mayer was coming to KC on March 22, so her and I found out that Hudson's spring break started that weekend. We bought tickets for us and our men, so they came up for the weekend. The got here on Friday just in time for it to start sleeting/snowing. We had a slow morning on Saturday cause of all the snow, but still had a blast. We all went to church on Sunday, lunch with our KC friends, the Plaza, and cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory. Tim and I got up and went to work/ class on Monday- then JOHN MAYER that night!

The best part is we got to the Sprint Center and went up to our nosebleed seats, and this lady came up to us and asked us if we were big John Mayer fans. We were like, "yeah!" She asked us what our favorite songs were, and then she told us she worked for John Mayer, and how would we like front row seats?? I was just sitting there waiting for the catch- but she pulled out 4 tickets and handed them to us, but asked us to keep it quiet. We were SO excited!! We couldn't believe it, but sure enough...we went down to the ground floor, handed them our tickets and we were right there! :) Pictures below!

All the people behind us!

So excited for the concert!

I'm excited too! Can't you tell?

Our happy little group.

This is the guitarist for Michael Franti & Spearhead. We loved them, and he was so much fun! I think his name was Joel?

Michael Franti- he didn't wear shoes the whole show.
They were SO much fun! We got to talk to all of them afterwards!

Then, it was John Mayer time! He is a character, but the concert was great!!

Tim got some really good pictures!

We missed Uny!

Our picture with the guitarist! :) And our favorite security guard!

We had so much fun! :)

Ok, I am going to wrap this post up. I know it took forever. Thank you for sticking with me.

I love you all! Thank you for your love and prayers as Tim and I are on this adventure. You cheered me on through the crazy winter! :)

Everlasting Arms

2010-01-10T14:23:00.004-06:00

Deuteronomy 33:26-27, 29

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in His majesty.

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.

Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword...

I think that is enough said. Thank you dear Lord. You are my refuge and my helper!

Christmas in KC

2010-01-07T15:14:00.010-06:00

I know it is past Christmas and New Years, but I wanted to post pictures of our little home all decorated. I had SO much fun decorating! It also gives me an excuse to do some furniture rearranging, which I love to do!

:)

I love how the Christmas tree looks at night! So cozy.
It makes it feel not quite so cold outside.

These were already up, but I added some snowflake ornaments to make them a little more fun.

I think stockings are my favorite part of opening gifts!

Our living room

The bookshelf- had fun with it this Christmas!

Welcome!

Love my nativity scene. My Aunt Karen got it for me for Christmas last year.

I am going to add to it every Christmas.

One of my favorite Christmas decorations! It says, "If a kiss were a snowflake I'd send you a blizzard."

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was amazing! We got to spend some good time with friends and family, but there were still people I love who I didn't get to see. It is amazing how time just flies. We left Kansas City for Little Rock on Wednesday the 23- just in time to miss the big snow storm that came through! Tim was kind of bummed about missing the white Christmas, but I did not mind a bit!

We spent Christmas Eve with my family. SO fun! I have so much fun with my siblings. We took Kada over there too. Jake (the Grissom chocolate lab) was not quite sure about her being in his house, but they did pretty well!

Christmas day was at the Dietrichs. That was a fun day too! Andrew was able to fly in from Salt Lake which was so fun! Kada and Kobi had a blast playing outside all day. They would just be exhausted at the end of the day.

We came back to Kansas City on the 2nd. There was snow everywhere. And It has not left since. I have been trying to have a better attitude about the weather. I've been praying that God would help me see the beauty in winter and snow....I'll keep praying....I feel like my love for spring and summer is being reinforced. There is a season for everything.

Well, I guess I should wrap this up. I love you all, and hope you are having a wonderful beginning to the new year. I am excited to see what God does this year. He sure is good!

Catching Up

2009-12-20T15:19:00.008-06:00

I have so much to post, but so little time.

The days seem to be flying by lately. We have been busy ever since we got back from Thanksgiving in Arkansas, and we are getting ready to head back there on Wednesday morning. We are all looking SO forward to going back. From the looks of the weather, me might be missing a white Christmas. I am not so sad about that, but Tim is kinda bummed. Personally, I have had my fill of snow for at least a couple of weeks.

We had a WONDERFUL time in Arkansas for Thanksgiving. Our dear friends -Andrew and Jenny Brochu- came home with us. It was a fun/interesting drive home. We took the Camry. Tim and Andrew sat in the front. Kada, Jenny, and I sat in the back. It was up close and personal, but Kada was an angel in the car. I was so thankful!

Besides being with family and friends, one of the BEST and most entertaining parts of going home was watching Kobi and Kada play! They just had a total blast playing with each other. They would wake up at 6:00 and be ready to go for the day.

They were stinking cute!

We had lots of fun with the Dietrich family and the Grissom family at the Thanksgiving dinners! We got to spend some good time with Grandma and Granddad Borden too.

We even got some updated family pictures while we were there.

(Susan, Joanna, me, Jenny, and Abby)

A bunch of my girls met at our favorite breakfast restaurant Delicious Temptations on Saturday morning. We had so much fun, and laughed alot! My sisters were also there, they just weren't in this picture. I have some of the best friends a girl can have! I have missed those girls.

We also got to go to our church in Little Rock, The Summit Church, while we were there. I have a special place in my heart for Summit. I love so many of those people. This was after church on Sunday before we made the roadtrip back to KC.

We came back to KC and decorated for Christmas. (I'll post those pictures next time.) Tim and the guys proceeded to study away. They had four days worth of finals. Ironically, that week of finals was also when it decided to have some winter weather...so much fun...as well as a little allergic reaction for Kada which resulted in a trip to the emergency vet at 1:00am the night before Tim's biggest final. Icy roads, late night, early morning, a precious dog with a very swollen face, a stressed Tim, and a worried Anna. Oh the drama of it all. Kada is doing just fine now ($150 dollars and 2 shots later), and Tim passed his tests with flying colors! He finished his first semester of medical school with two A's and a B+!

The past week has been just as crazy even with Tim done with school for the semester. After Tim finished with school, Operation Issue began for me at work. Operation Issue is crunch time at Northwestern Mutual. Everyone is trying to meet deadlines and production goals for the end of the year. It has been kind of crazy this week, but I just keep loving my job more and more. Since I work for 3 reps, there are times where I wonder if I can do it all, but thankfully, I am getting a part-time assistant at the beginning of the year. I am so thankful!

Well, I guess that is all for now. I will post pictures of our apartment all decorated for Christmas soon. Tim and I are having our Christmas on Tuesday night, and then Wednesday morning we will drive back to Little Rock for the holidays. My boss is being so gracious and not having me come back to the office until January the 4th. I am so thankful. We will get some more good time in with our families and dear friends!

Can't wait! :)

Things I'm Thankful For

2009-11-30T19:49:00.003-06:00

It was so wonderful to get to be HOME in Little Rock this past weekend. I'll post more details about the fun weekend later, but I just wanted to share some of the things I am thankful for. So of them are kind of silly, but oh well! :)

road trips with friends
our new puppy- Kada (and the other two puppies in Little Rock. Jake and Kobi)
that we got to see both of our families for Thanksgiving
for my DEAR DEAR friends
laughter
time with grandparents
my pillow
The Summit Church
our new home in Kansas City
my job at Northwestern Mutual
Tim doing so well in medical school- I am beyond proud of him!!!
Dr Pepper :)
that I got to marry my best friend
my friends and family at the Rice Lewis Clinic
for little kids
Delicious Temptations and Senor Tequila (my favorite places to eat in Little Rock)
quality time over a cup of coffee from Starbucks
my Dad
hugs
introducing new friends to old friends
the book of Psalms
Beth Moore books
cameras to capture memories
safety
my sisters who make my stomach hurt from laughing so hard
my brother who would do just about anything to protect me (and visa versa)
the peace and protection of my Savior
praise and worship music

I am just overwhelmed time and time again with the love and provision of the Lord. He is so good and so faithful.

Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,

and establish the work of our hands for us.

Psalm 90:17

SNOW

2009-11-21T14:47:00.004-06:00

Yup, it snowed. Before Thanksgiving even. It's not winter yet, and it snowed!

Apparently, this is the 6th year in a row that it has snowed before Thanksgiving. No one told me that before we moved here. (Which is probably a good thing.) We made it to work/class just fine though, and to make things even better, the snow was gone by the time we got home from work/class!

I guess God is trying to break me into this winter thing early. It is beautiful...if it were only not so cold... :)

Some of the pictures didn't turn out quite so well, but I still wanted to share them.

In other news, we are headed to Little Rock on Wednesday for Thanksgiving! Tim and I are SO excited. Kada is making the trip with us, as well as our friends Andrew and Jenny Brochu. Their families are in Texas which is a little far for a roadtrip...even if it is a long weekend.

Andrew and Tim go to KCUMB together. They actually had classes together at Baylor, but really weren't close enough to really keep up after college. They both walked into med school the first day and were surprised to see each other. Jenny and I met and clicked pretty quickly. She actually is how I got my job at Northwestern Mutual (NMFN). She had worked for a rep there since her and Andrew moved here after they got married this summer. She connected me with the office manager at NMFN, and God worked out the rest of the details.

There is also another couple, Jacob and Jetta Perry, who we all met at a KCUMB social function. At the event everyone was supposed to wear shirts from their college. (It was like a sports social event.) Jacob and Jetta both had University of Arkansas shirts on, and so Tim went and started talking to them. Tim, Andrew, and Jacob have been inseparable ever since. When the boys get together to study, usually the girls head to the plaza to shop or watch a movie! We have so much fun together! I am so thankful. It has been so fun to see how God works in the details.

Anyway, we are headed to Little Rock this coming week. Our families (and the 2 family dogs) haven't met Kada yet either, so it should be an interesting week! SO excited!!! :)

Home Sweet Home

2009-11-11T19:50:00.006-06:00

I have been telling some of you, for a while now, that I would post pictures of our new little home. I am sorry it took me so long, but here they are! :)

Our bedroom

The Grissom siblings!

The furniture in our room is a set that Tim has had since high school. It was a lighter wood, but I wanted the furniture in our room to be dark. Tim was so sweet, and spent hours sanding and re-staining all the furniture this darker color. I think it turned out awesome!

My favorite part of this room is the chocolate brown wall! I think it just makes the room so much warmer.

Our little bathroom. The picture hanging there is a gift from my dear friend Rebekah Holloway.

Other side of the bathroom.

This is the second bedroom in our apartment that we turned into an office. This room is a work in progress. We are going to put some floating shelves and Colorado pictures in here...eventually.

If Tim is not studying at his beloved Starbucks (the employees there know who we are if you can imagine that), he is sitting here. We got this awesome desk from Grandma and Granddad Borden (Mrs Dietrich's parents). I think it might be my favorite piece of furniture in our apartment.

My area in the office. It looks small, but I love it!

Our dining room area.

Looking from the hallway to the dining room-kitchen area.

Hallway from the living room/dining room to the bedrooms and bathroom.

Living room. Love my chocolate brown wall in here. Still working on finding curtains that I love for this room. And you can see Kada on her balcony too! :)

Love my wedding pictures! :) The vase is one-year anniversary gift from Grandma Borden. It is a family heirloom. Priceless.

Other side of the living room.

Our built-in bookshelves. I have a love-hate relationship with these things. I love having them, but I can never get content with how to decorate them.

Out little kitchen.

I love fall decorations.

A gift from my Suzy! :)

I hope you enjoyed the little tour. I'll post more pictures up once I decorate for Christmas.

Catching Up

2009-11-08T10:46:00.004-06:00

I have meant to update the blog for weeks now, but I am just finally getting to it. Our little Kansas City world has been very busy lately. Since my last post alot has happened. Good things that have helped us get even more settled in our new city. God just continues to confirm that this is where we are supposed to be. I am going to try and catch you up in this post, and I'll give more details later.

We got a dog! Last time I blogged- we knew we were getting Kada, but hadn't gotten her yet. I took a last minute road trip to Little Rock to pick her up, and I got a few hugs and some quality time with LOVED ones while I was there. We have had her for about 5 weeks now. It took a little bit, but we are all settled now. Tim and I both just adore her. She is very sweet and cuddly, but has enough spunk to make things interesting. :) I'll post some pictures later. I made a photo album of her on Facebook, but I know some of you can't see that so I want to share on here too!

I got a job!! And I love it! :) I started at Northwestern Mutual as a Associate Financial Representative at the beginning of October. It was actually right after I brought Kada back, so it was a big week for Tim and I! I had a couple of interviews with them, and really liked everything I heard and saw. God was so good too. Throughout the whole process I just had a complete peace about everything.

To give you some details about what I am doing- I work as an associate for a Financial Rep named Jared Wirsig. Northwestern sells different kinds of insurances (like life and disability and a number of other things that I am still learning about.) Basically, my job is to keep things running smoothly at the office while Jared goes and is out meeting with clients. I keep the process going, from Jared meeting with clients and taking information to applying for certain policies to when the policy gets delivered to the client. It is alot of detail work and multitasking- which I love! Jared's strong point is not details and organization, and that is where I come in. He can't do his job without me doing my job, but I can't do my job without him doing his. I am not a saleswoman, by any means. ;) I also do some work for 2 other reps who haven't been doing this for very long. I work about 5 hours a week for both of them, and I think I am about to add another rep too! More details to come!

God's timing is just so perfect. I had been struggling with becoming restless, and was kind of feeling useless. God in his perfect wisdom had the timing all down. Jared had been needing to hire someone for a couple of months, but had just been so busy he had not taken the time to look. Over and over God just keeps confirming that this is a good fit for me. I feel challenged and some days I am pushed out of my comfort zone, but at the same time, my strengths are being used! It is a good feeling.

Kada and the new job are the biggest things that have happened. Tim is still doing awesome in med school. He has finished the Foundations of Medicine and Musculoskeletal sections, and is currently in the Cardiopulmonary section. I am beyond proud of him!!! His grades have been excellent, which has encouraged him and given him more confidence. God is SO good!

We have had some visitors since I last posted as well. Susan came to visit me about 6 weeks ago. We had so much fun just catching up and laughing. Tim had to study all that weekend so we just played. The weekend got topped off by Susan and I getting rear-ended. Sadly, it was in her car so we had to do a quick bandage to her Honda with some duck-tape for her drive back to Little Rock. We ended up being ok, just very sore for a couple of weeks. There has been some drama with the other driver, and him not being entirely honest about what happened. Susan and I are just thankful that God is in the details, and praying that it all works out ok.

Kari (my youngest sister) and her boyfriend Hudson just came this past weekend. We had a blast! There was A LOT of laughter which was wonderful! :) We went to the Cheesecake Factory in the Plaza last night and had Pumpkin cheesecake. So good.

We will be headed to Little Rock for Thanksgiving in the next couple of weeks, and are SO looking forward to it. Kada will be making the road-trip with us. She will get some quality time playing with Kobi (the Dietrich's German Shepherd) and Jake (my family's beloved Chocolate Lab). This will have been the longest stretch I have been away from my family and Little Rock, so it has been a challenge. But I am so grateful for how God has carried us through, and for how He continues to show us that this is where we are supposed to be. He keeps reminding us that He has our footsteps established. I love the peace that comes from just being able to rest in that knowledge.

Well, I think I have kept you long enough! I finally took pictures of the apartment so you can see our home, but I will post those next time. I figure this post has been long enough! :)

Love you all so much. Thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement. God is SO good!

We are getting a DOG!!

2009-09-22T10:17:00.003-05:00

It is finally happening! We are actually getting a dog. I still can't believe it. Tim and I are really excited.

Her name is Kada. She is a 1 and 1/2 year old Husky mix. Some family friends had her, and couldn't keep her anymore so we are adopting her.

Isn't she beautiful?

We don't have her yet because she is in Little Rock. I think Kari, my sister, is going to use Kada as an excuse for a road-trip to Kansas City. Right now the plan is for them to come up not the first weekend in October (in 2 weeks). Kari has been precious, not only did she find Kada for us, but she is so sweet to drive her up to her new home.

It is neat how God has just worked the details out for this. Tim and I have really wanted to get a puppy for a long time now, but we weren't able to at our apartments in Arkansas. When we made the move up to Kansas City one of our criteria for apartments was that they had to allow big dogs. We have talked about getting a puppy ever since we moved in, but we didn't know when I was going to get a job. We didn't want to have just gotten a puppy and have to leave it at home all day while I was at work or Tim was in class.

Kada is an answer to prayer for us. Not only has a Husky been my dream dog since I was a little girl, but she has already been spayed and house-trained. She is great with little kids, which will be a blessing in the future. :) It just seems like the perfect answer to our situation. Thank you Lord! I just can't wait for her to come. Tim and I are currently discussing what color collar she should have. He doesn't want anything too girly so that when he takes her running he won't be embarrassed. ;)

We will have her soon, but this weekend my BEST friend Susan is coming up to see me! I can't wait for her to see our home and our new city.

I still haven't heard about the interview yet. The office manager did contact me yesterday and asked for my references, so I guess I am not out of the running yet. We are just praying for wisdom and direction.

Love you all!

Ready or not...here I go!

2009-09-18T14:08:00.004-05:00

Hello all!

I have been saying I was going to start a blog for a while now. The blog has been up for a while, I just haven't really known where to start. I have been trying to keep up with many of you through emailing, but I think this will be wonderful because it will be easier to share pictures and everything.

Where to start...

We have been in Kansas City for a little over 2 months now. I can't believe we are here. Every once in a while I look at Tim and say, "We live in Kansas City." I think I am still working on convincing myself that this is home. Our apartment is wonderful. I got to pick a couple of walls to be painted an accent color, and I love them. (I picked chocolate brown.) One of the walls is in the living room, and the other is in our bedroom. They make the apartment feel more homey. We have so much more closet space too which is wonderful! It's the little things in life.

At his White-Coat Ceremony

Tim is doing wonderful with medical school. He just finished his first 6-week section which was Foundations of Medicine. He did very well on his tests, and was above the class average. The section he is currently in is Musculoskeletal. He had his first day in the anatomy lab yesterday with cadavers...I got too much information when he got home. I guess that is be expected when you are married to a future Doctor. I'm so proud of him. He is working hard. Many hours are spent at his beloved Starbucks! :) Sometimes I will take a book and join him, but for some reason I just can't seem to make myself last as long as he does. We have started a tradition of going to Panera for breakfast every Saturday morning. He will study and I try and catch up on emails, read, or do my quiet time. It has been a fun way for him to study, but me to still get to be with him.

We are still on the church hunt and the job hunt. Thank you for all of the prayers! We are ready to get plugged in somewhere, but trying to be wise in making our decision. I am also still on the job hunt. I actually had an interview yesterday. I am anxious, but I also know that if this does not work out- God has something better for me. He laid this verse on my heart yesterday morning, and I want to share it with you.

Psalm 90:17

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us;

establish the work of our hands for us--

yes, establish the work of our hands.

I felt like God was reminding me that no matter what my view is, He has the big picture in mind. He knows where I will work- and when. I just have to rest in that.

God has been good. I have struggled with being away from friends and family, but I have had some precious time with the Lord. I decided that while Tim was studying, I should try to do some studying of my own. I have been journaling and reading alot. I recently finished Beth Moore's Get Out of That Pit. It was something I needed to read. I love me some Beth Moore. She writes just like she is talking to you, and I love that. I recently started reading Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I am not very far into it yet, but it is good so far. God is really using this slow time for me to encourage me and strengthen my faith. It is is a challenging but very sweet time!

Well, I guess that is enough for now. I'll post pictures of the apartment soon, and I'll let you know what I hear about my interview.

I love you all! Thank you for your love, prayers, and encouragement. :)