Normal-Towners for Two More Years!

Perhaps the biggest update to my life within that past couple blog-less months has been that God has answered a long-awaited prayer for T's next step in his career and I would love to fill you in.

We spent the last 2 years focusing and investing towards him attending PA school. He went back and took pre-requistite classes at night while working full time. He worked for a year in the ER as a tech to gain more experience and add hours to his application. He shadowed PA's, retook the GRE, rewrote his essay and applied to schools all along the east coast. To say I wanted him to enjoy the fruits of his labor would be a complete understatement.



Around this time last year, both Taylor and I started new jobs that allowed us more time together on weekends- which perhaps seems trivial, but when your spouse works 2 weekends a month plus holidays, it's not. His new job, although not the best fit for PA school, gave him managerial experience that sparked an interest neither of us anticipated. Taylor shared the idea of going to business school and pursing a MBA. While supporting the idea, I still held onto hope for PA school and an opportunity to be in Atlanta, closer to my work and family.

Months rolled by without answers and then hard answers came. No interview. No chance. One early morning, alone in my car on Milledge Avenue, I simply asked begged God for a "Yes!" but unintentionally did not give specifics as to where I wanted the yes to be for…and God can be funny with things like that if you didn't already know… The week before Thanksgiving Taylor received his "yes"- from the Terry College of Business. At the University of Georgia. In Athens. A week later he received the last no- from a school in Atlanta that I had my heart set on. It was bittersweet for me, but I quickly got over my pity party and rejoiced in Taylor's acceptance into a prestigious program.

It's amazing to look back on the process and how God had something better in mind all along (i.e., the new job with managerial experience that we thought was just a wise choice for our marriage...). And now the better plan will be to stay in Athens as Taylor pursues his MBA for the next 2 years. As a side note it's not that I did not want to stay in Athens! I just assumed my work would best be done while living in Atlanta. And I assumed T would be a great PA. And I assumed (wrongly) that our time in Athens was for nothing.

Although this journey tested our faith, I know that it pales in comparison to the struggles and hardships others are going through. And I'm sure T and I will go through harder things. I'm just grateful we made it through  together and can laugh over that memorable waiting game now. I am even more grateful we are staying in our little house, in our little city, as we strive to make an impact on those around us. I truly believe 2014 is going to be our best year yet!

xo

// image via things i haven't done; sunsets i haven't seen //