To My Blue Eyes! Where has the time gone.......15 years and counting!

In my marriage devotional yesterday one of the activities they suggested doing was reflecting back to your courtship or dating time with your spouse and writing down one of your favorite memories during that time. When thinking back, there are so many that come to mind. But probably my favorite was the first time we kissed. It makes me think of the Brad Paisley song "Then". Standing there it took you 3 whole weeks to kiss me, but you knew from the beginning I was the one you loved and wanted to spend forever with. God had laid it on our hearts early on that he made us for each other and there was nothing that was going to break us apart. Reflecting on that special moment still brings back the butterflies I had in my belly and the sweaty palms as we kissed for the very first time. It would be the last first kiss we would ever experience and one that was well worth the 3 week wait. I didn't really realize at that moment the journey God was going to take us on. 15 years....WOW is all I can say!!! What our love has endured has been priceless. Job loss, the economy, suffering 5 miscarriages, 3 pregnancies on bedrest, the loss of both of our dear friends in a 3 month period of time and having to start completely over after 9/11 has made our love grow stronger than it ever could of. It has made us lean on each other daily for strength. You have been my rock, standing tall when I couldn't stand any longer. When all I wanted to do was cry, you were there to tell me it was going to be alright, and better days were ahead. You're heart is bigger than the world itself and you are so unselfish. Always putting me and the babies first before your needs. For that I am ever grateful :) Words could never express how my heart truly feels. 15 years is quite a accomplishment. Our love is truly a fairy tale, my mom reminded me not so long ago. We have something so special, that others, see it from afar. The times that I've wanted to throw in the towel (and let's face it, we all have at one time or another) and call it quits, you have gently reminded me why you love me. And it makes me realize that I am not a quitter, I am a fighter, and I will continue to fight for our love in the best of times and in the worst of times. You have become an amazing father to our 4 beautiful children, I wish every girl were as lucky as me to have a hands on dad for their kiddos. You spell LOVE with TIME with our little ones, and God will continue to bless you because of it. Your example of love to our children is something I always prayed for. Thank you for always loving them and me unconditionally :)It makes our world go 'round, YOU make our world go 'round. As we continue on this journey called life, I pray that we continue to grow as one together. You are my Uh-MAZING, my beat in my heart, my stars in my sky and the love I feel from my head all the way down to my toes. And YES, I still get that nervous feeling every once in awhile when you touch my hand or brush my hair back. Just tells me I Love you still as much today as I did 15 yrs ago when I said "I do." I love you....YOU, my love, are my everything! Happy 15th Anniversary, babe :)

WOW.........HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Can you believe 2010 is almost over?!?!?! It seems like yesterday we were making plans to ring in the 2010 new year. 2010 has definitely had some hills and valleys for our family, but nothing we couldn't conquer with God on our side. Each seems each of those valleys had something to teach us as we went thru them.
I am so excited with 2011 upon us! So many goals to set and accomplish as well as a new life to look forward to. I hope I can continue to be a light to those women around me as I continue to work toward the dream God has given me. I pray each of you are dreaming as well and letting God direct that dream in the facet he has for you and your life.
May each of you have a prosperous New Year :)
Love,
Jas and Melissa

Christmas......and the end of the year is upon us!

As I sit year reflecting on what all we have accomplished this year as a family, it astonishes me. We have so many blessings to be thankful for! We have a beautiful home God has given us, 4 very healthy beautiful children, 2 cars that run like new, family that love us beyond what we could ever imagine, friends that are amazing, and a love for each other that still burns so deep. I can't imagine a life without Jesus in our home. As I think about this amazing season of the year, I am so thankful for his love in mine and my family's life.
As we close out the year with BIG goals I am reminded of the love that surrounds me. Its the support of my family, friends and my many wonderful customers that keep me moving in the direction God has planted in my heart. I have such a desire to change the lives of women around me.
I will close by saying each and every one of you are loved so much by us. We love having you apart of our life and apart of this amazing journey God has us on.
Be blessed this Holiday season and remember it's not about the gifts we receive, but about the gift that was given to us 2000 years ago.
Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year for you and yours,
Love, The Whitmore's

Paci Fairy has come!

So yesterday while sorting through all the clothes to change them out for the season, Isabella declared she was paci free. SO she went and collected what we thought was all her paci's and preceded to throw all of them in the trash. Right before we left to go run some errands she came out of her room with a paci in her mouth. He explanation was she would keep just one. So we let her keep that one paci until she went to bed and then took all the rest we could find and got rid of them. She had a pretty good night, only getting up once to ask for it. This morning though was a completely different story. She cried for about 20 minutes asking for it. We explained that the paci fairy had come and collected all of her paci's while she slept. I think if I can keep her mind off of it today it will be a good day. At least we know that when we head to Disney world this next fall she will be broken of it and we won't have to search the parks for lost paci's......LOL

November is here....and its a NEW MONTH!

WOW....can you believe November is here! It feels like 2010 has flown by so fast. Only 8 more weeks til Christmas. So much to get accomplished between now and then, for sure. Baking, decorating, Christmas Band concert, Dance Concerts, LOTS and LOTS of Mary Kay parties, and tons of family and friend gatherings. This truly is my favorite time of year. The aroma of pumpkin spice and apple pie in the air makes my heart very warm. Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions make this season a very bright season in the Whitmore home.
So this is what is going on with all of us crazies in this house :) Noah has made 3rd chair in his coronet/trumpet class, he has private lessons going on once a week and seems to be doing very well. He loves his music! I am so thankful God gave him that wonderful talent. He now has another girlfriend, and has asked her to the dance at school. I was a very proud mom when he actually told me and didn't keep it from me for 8 mos. LOL
Grace is dancing alot of hours a week right now in preparation for Christmas performaces and competitions that will be held in the Spring. She is doing great in school, and keeping up with her grades with as much as she has going on. It seems like every weekend she is gone with friends. She is quite the social butterfly, for sure.
Jonah is doing very well in school. He has voiced that he wants to play baseball in the spring so we are currently looking for a league to put him in. He is now in the Big Kids children's church and is doing wonderful in there. He loves Jesus so much. He too has started taking an interest in music, but his is more with his voice. I love to listen to him worship. Makes my heart melt with joy.
Isabella is just Izzie! Playful and talkative ALWAYS! Not sure where she gets that from. She is going to be 4 so soon, seems like yesterday when we were waiting for her to arrive safely. I just can't believe how fast time flies. She is home full time with me and keeps asking when she gets to start dance with Gracie. So I guess she will be starting this next year.
Jas and I are doing great....just busy as ever! Keeping each other sane every day :) He is recovering really well from his surgery. Thank you Jesus! Getting back to his old routine for the most part.
I am running wild with Mary Kay, with HUGE goals to attack this month. I know it can be done, because I am walking in God's will. And when we are in his will all things are possible, as long as we are doing the work.
So here we are....NOVEMBER!!!!!! And a happy, busy one it will be :) Enjoy your month and remember to take time to reflect on what you are thankful for this joyous season. Love, Melissa

Back on the Road to Cadillac!

So if you have read the following updates you know how hard it was to get into nursing school and all the hoops I had to jump through. So in my mind I'm thinking is that really what I was supposed to be doing? God answered that question very quickly and loudly for me. On Sept. 10th I was removed from nursing school. I know, I know, everyone always wants to know what I did wrong. I did nothing wrong, just didn't pass one of my classes. The university I was attending has a very strict policy on failing classes. So I was removed from the nursing program.

I say all of that to say, when God closes one door most generally he opens another. So in my case, throughtout the summer my Mary Kay business just kept creeping back into my life without me wanting or needing it. Little did I know how much I did need it. It's really amazing to me to see how God works in and through things. You see I am a believer and I know that "God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." You see since I was about 7 years old I have known I have wanted to be a doctor/nurse. I wanted to change peoples lives, make an impact. But God said, wait, I have somehting so much more grand that I am going to use you in. I surely didn't think it would be by vehicle of Mary Kay. I thought I was done with that, I had resigned by Directorship 3 years ago, why in heavens would I want to pursue that again. But then God said to me "I'm not finished with you". That was enough right there. Because I want to please him and be in his will, so we are on the road again.

It was amazing to the first week fully out of school what God actually did with my business. The first time I was a director, I was still pretty timid in talking to women. Oh boy, don't ask God for something you are not ready to take on. Because he will either show you how to deal with it or he will give you the courage to conquer it. Which in my case he did :) And I am ever so thankful for it!

So with all that being said, we are back on the road to Cadillac. One I never, never thought we would be back on. I am happier than I have ever been, because I know that me and my family are following God's will. Will it be hard work? Heck yea!!!! Will I want to give up at times? You bet! But with God on my side all things are possible in his sight.

So December 1st we will be back in DIQ (Director in Qualification) and we will be well on our way to earning that prestige Pink Cadillac. The ultimate goal is NSD(National Sales Director) by 2020..........and we WILL hit it then or before, because that is the dream God has laid on my heart!

JR. 1 Semester.....almost complete! Whew

So I said I would be blogging every week during the first semester. Ummmm yeah, that didn't happen!!!!! I can not stress how busy these last 11 weeks have been with Jr. 1Nursing, I myself had no idea. So I will try to recap the past 11 weeks in a nutshell for you. There have been some hilarious moments and then some not so hilarious moments. I have had some amazing clinicals group friends who I feel, I have spent more time with, than my own family. Each of us on our own journey, learning more about ourselves than we imagined we ever would.

So the first week of Nursing School was a breeze other than the 29 assignments that were due. Yes, you read that correctly, 29. I think because this is an all online program the instructors feel the need to bombard us with useless paperwork :) Most of it is really helpful when it comes to testing weeks, so I really can't complain.

Second week is where it starting getting pretty interesting. This is the week we started taking patients with our PCT's and Nurses and really learned the ART OF NURSING......and if any of my Clinical Buddies are reading, you will definitely hound me about that one......LOL. But its true, this is when and where we learned our nursing skills to be able to take patients on our own earlier this past semester. First week we took our own patients, passed our own meds, and charted on our patients was quite intimidating. But it was the weeks earlier with our nurses that we learned what we needed to know to become competent in what we know.

So the weeks have gone by, tests, quizzes, and projects all due in conjuntion with 4 classes during a 13 week period. I know, crazy right! Well it is!!!!!! Most days in the beginning 4 weeks, I seriously did not know whether I was coming or going. Not to mention that I had to be up at 4 am in the morning to be at Clinicals. So I have had very little sleep the past 11 weeks. It is getting better though, I think I am getting more than 4 hours a night now......LOL! That is an improvement, for sure. Oh, did I mention I still am working 2 nights at the hospital, 12 hour shifts. There goes 24 more hours of sleep I could be getting....LOL Therefore there is not much time for much anything than school. Any free time has been dedicated to my sweet, supportive family. Not much friend time, needless to say!

So all skills I have had to perform to pass clinicals i.e. foley catheter, ng tube, and sterile dressing were all performed and passed with flying colors. I also had to perform a full head to toe assessment on my Clinical Partner Kara, first time I did not pass. Second time PASSED!!!!! Then we had to do another one for our exit for Clinicals and guess what I PASSED first time.....and my Clinical Instructor gave me such a positive remark, saying I had improved on my skills and my stage fright. For those of you who really know me well, know I do not do well at all in a teaching situation where I have to get up in front of people. So this in itself was a HUGE improvement. I have grown tremendously in the past 11 weeks thats for sure.

What's left.....well 2 more weeks and 3 more tests! A LOT more stress I guess, but as long as I have God as my partner anything is possible :)

My patient experiences have been amazing. I have had some funny patients, some grumpy patients, and some patients that just needed someone to listen to them. Each in their own way have taught me something about myself. My grumpy patient taught me that sometimes a person may look grumpy on the outside, but deep down they may just need a tender, loving touch and a quiet moment to talk to someone who will listen. My patient that just needed an ear to listen, well, WOW is all I can say! What a story this patient had. When your patient reaches up and says "Hey, can you just sit here with me a while longer" it touches your spirit. It makes you realize that not everyone has family, friends or a support system to come and be with them while they are sick. I may be the only person they have to support them.

Many times it can be a very sad situation, but more times it is so rewarding and heart felt. Nursing is one of those AMAZING fields that you must love to enjoy your daily duties. Do I love cleaning up poop and vomit! HECK NO......but because I love the journey I am on and the love of people, I don't even think about it. And yes, I know many of you think I am completely crazy, but its so true.

No matter what, God put a dream in my heart and I'm so stinkin' excited about the rest of the journey. I am 100% completely in LOVE with every aspect Nursing School has thrown my way so far. It is teaching me more patience, more love and causing me to reach out and find who I really am within myself. I can not wait til God reveals to me where he has a place for me to specialize. I know exactly where he doesn't want me.....LOL

In his time he will reveal it to me!

Until next time....keep me and my family in your prayers as we finish out this amazing journey :)