Month 8 Update

I really can't believe that tomorrow Bill and I will have been married for 8 months. Before we know it, we will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary, and that just seems so crazy! It feels like yesterday that I was planning every wedding detail with my mom in anticipation of the big day. Every detail came together so perfectly, and Bill and I could not have been more pleased with every aspect of our wedding and the events surrounding it. I've jokingly told Bill that I would like to renew our vows every year just so I can relive those special moments and plan a huge party with family and friends. He wasn't too keen on the idea, but I think it would be great! :)

I feel like I should write a quick update on what Bill and I have been up to these past 8 months in Lubbock. When I moved to Lubbock in January, Bill was just beginning the second semester of his second year of med school, and I had no idea what on earth being married to a med student would be like. I was definitely a bit fearful and nervous in the beginning, but all in all, it's been less crazy than I had originally thought (minus the 2+ months that Bill was studying at least 16 hours a day for his Step 1 test.. that was a crazy time!). Getting used to Bill's schedule, starting a new job, raising a puppy, and just adjusting to being married and living in Lubbock has been challenging at times, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We've had a blast getting to know new friends (I've become close with the wives of several of Bill's friends in school), spending time with Scarlett (it's amazing how a puppy changes your life so much), and of course just hanging out with each other and thinking of cheap, fun dates to go on. I am enjoying this chapter of life with Bill, and I know we will look back on this particular time in our lives with such wonderful memories. I definitely have a tendency to look to the future and long for that next stage in life, but I'm trying my best to live in the moment and make the most of this special time in our lives. I know it's really a unique time.

This brings me to the reason behind the title of this blog, "Now is the time!" Anyone reading this blog is probably aware of my family's intense love for Disney World. We've been going to Disney World on vacation since I was probably 4, and 20 years later, it's still just as magical. There's a particular ride a Disney called the carousel of progress and the title of the theme song is called "Now is the time!" Part of the lyrics say, "now is the time, now is the best time, now is the best time of your life," and upon returning home from our trips, my dad would cheerfully wake us up in the morning singing this song. Since we first heard it years ago, this phrase has stuck and has become kind of a key quote/theme for my family. I can't even count the number of times in which I've been worried or stressed about something in my life, and I've gotten an email or call from my dad saying, "Kate, now is the time!" In other words, don't sweat the small stuff and just try and make the most of this moment. In whatever season of life I am in, it helps me to have the mindset that "Now is the time!" Now is the time to faithfully trust God, now is the time to show love to those around us, now is the time to laugh, now is the time to pray, and now is the time to enjoy yet another day that God has blessed each of us with. So that's the story behind the title. It's amazing how just four little words can make such a big difference.

Blessings,
Kate