Niagara Falls

To end our Sister Roadtrip, Abby and I stopped at Niagara Falls. We chose to explore the Cave of the Winds. We were disappointed to find out that it wasn't actually a cave, but that quickly vanished once we saw the views. The Cave of Winds was at the bottom of the Bridal Veil Falls. The beauty of these falls was breathtaking. I have never seen, nor imagined, anything so incredible. It was all a huge reminder of how wonderful and beautiful the creations of our God are. I could have stayed all day just soaking in the scenery.

xoxo,

April

Sister Roadtrip

Last week, my little sister Abby and I made the 1700 mile/26 hour trip from Fort Worth, TX to Albany, NY. It was a long but wonderful three days. From Texas, we drove through Arkansas to Tennessee where we stopped for the night in Nashville. Next we went through Kentucky, Ohio, a tiny portion of Pennsylvania and into western New York. We stayed in Buffalo for the night. Finally, on Thursday we made it from Buffalo to Albany. Let me tell you, it is a pretty boring drive. I'm sure all these wonderful states we drove through have a lot to offer, but just passing through makes you wanna snooze. At first the trees and mountains and fields aren't bad, but after that many hours in the car you start going a little crazy! Here's a recap of our adventures for you.

Day 1: Texas to Nashville, TN
Day 1 went well. We were refreshed and excited about the trip and the drive seemed to go by pretty quickly (or as quickly as 10 hours can). There was nothing exciting to see in Arkansas, so you only get Tennessee pictures!

1// Tennessee state line 

2// View from our rooftop dinner in downtown Nashville

3// Beer flight at Rock Bottom Brewery, Nashville

4// Sister & I in downtown

5// Sister & Elvis

6// Tootsies bar in downtown

Day 2: Nashville to Buffalo, NY

Day 2 started off good. From Nashville it was only about 45 minutes into Kentucky, where we drove through rolling green hills filled horses and barns. I loved the views there. We also passed many stops of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail which I would have loved to stop at, but for now it just got added to my bucket list (PS- I'm a whiskey girl). After Kentucky, Ohio was nothing too special as far as driving goes. We did stop off in a cute little town for lunch, but other than there were lots of corn fields. By the time we hit Pennsylvania and New York, we were ready to be out of the car. Twelve hours of driving was enough for us! We stayed in Buffalo, NY for the night but only ate dinner and went to sleep, so no fun pictures.

1// Start of Day 2

2// Barn in the middle of nowhere, Ohio

Day 3: Buffalo, NY to Albany, NY
We started Day 3 by visiting Niagara Falls. It was absolutely amazing! I have never seen anything like it. I wish we would have had more time to explore but we were anxious to get into Albany. The drive across New York was again boring until we hit central/upstate New York and began seeing views from the mountains. And finally we made it to Albany! Also, as I drove through the mountains, I got a call for a phone interview and job offer! Things are finally coming together!

1// New York state line

2// Awesome shoes we got to explore the Falls

3// Top of one of the Falls
4// View of the Falls from the Cave of Winds

5// State Capital in Albany

6// Dinner & drinks at City Beer Hall

I'm so glad the trip is done, but Abby and I definitely had some great sister bonding time on the way! 

PS: More Niagara Falls pictures to come!

Hello from Albany

I'm back, and so thrilled to be writing this from Albany, NY! I've been here for all of four days now. It's starting to settle in that I'm not here for a vacation this time, but I'm actually living here. Aside from getting a parking ticket (already!) and asking for ranch at dinner, it's been a good start. (By the way, who knew ranch was mostly a southern thing and not every place has it here? Not this girl.)

But the best part of the last few days-- being reunited with my forever roommate Casey! We're once again roommates, along with her hubs. They are so amazing for letting me live with them while I'm here. Prepare yourself for the shenanigans we might will get into!

I'm keeping things short and sweet today, but come back later this week for a recap of my Sister Roadtrip from Texas to New York!

New York Bound

Happy Monday friends! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Just giving you all a heads up, I'll be MIA from the blog this week. I'll be starting the road trip from Texas to New York tomorrow! Three days of throwback music (thanks to my friend Amanda), road trip snacks, sight-seeing, and quality time with the little sister! 

No worries though, I'll be updating you on our adventures once I get settled in Albany!

Xoxo, 

April

The End of a Chapter

Yesterday was my last day of work in Texas, and next week I'll be moving to New York. It's hard to believe that this time is finally here! 

I started working on a liver, kidney, and pancreas transplant unit right out of nursing school and have worked there for the last three years. It's definitely a trying place to work at times, but it can also be so rewarding! Seeing people's lives change from receiving a transplant is truely amazing! The amount of gratitude these patients and families have after transplant is beyond words. Transplant nursing had my heart from day one! 

The best part of where I worked was my coworkers. I was lucky enough to work with some of the best nurses in Fort Worth. (I can say that because it seemed like all the VIP patients and doctors' families requested our unit!) But these nurses are much, much more than that. They are friends that became family. We spend multiple days a week together taking care of others. We laugh together, we cry together, we celebrate birthdays and weddings and babies together, and when one of us is down, we stay strong together. They are what I will miss most about leaving Fort Worth. (That, and the dinner dates to Torchy's!) I know that they will always be my family, no matter where life takes me. 

And because I love transplant so much, I have to ask. Are you an organ donor? Head on over to donatelife.net to learn more and sign up to be an organ donor! Recycle yourself and save a life!

Xoxo, April

Weekend Recap

This weekend was a busy one and I feel like drove all over the place! I spent the weekend enjoying time with my family in east Texas and then at a going away pool party for me with my sweet girlfriends. I'm definitely surrounded by some amazing people! 

Here's a photo recap of the last few days:

Enjoying my dad & stepmom's numerous gardens.

My favorite pups Blue & Lucy.

The Hunt's. (Back: Dad, me, Aunt Val; Front: Grandpa & Granny)

My amazing Dad & stepmom Shane. 

They are so wonderful and supportive of all that I do. I am going to miss them terribly while I'm gone. 

Pool Party

[Katie, Amanda H, Ali, Danielle, Liz, me]

                     [me, Amanda T]                                [Brittany, me]

The wonderful host and dear friend, Danielle, and sweet pup Jaxon

These girls are my rocks. They all have such a special place in my heart and I cannot imagine a day without them! I know that the miles between us won't change our friendships, but luckily they are all planning to come visit me once I move! 

How did y'all spend your weekend? Hope it was a good one!

Currently

Currently I am...

Reading// I'm ashamed to say nothing. I have a growing list of things I plan to read but life has been so hectic lately that I have yet to start one. I promise to do that soon.

Enjoying// As much time with my friends and family as I can get. Soon I'll be moving 1700 miles away to New York and I've been trying to squeeze in as many dinner dates and pool days as I can! Being away from everyone will be the hardest things about the move. There will be plenty of Skype dates and facetiming and snapchats in the near future. Thank goodness for technology!

Listening to// Texas country. I can't seem to get enough of it lately. And it's really making me want to go out for a night of two-stepping! Any takers?? You should definitely go listen to my absolute favorite here.

Photographing// Oliver. He's now living with my mom (sad day!) so I tried to take as many pictures of him as I could before his big move. Luckily my mom and sister have also sent me pictures of him almost every day since then. The last 15 or so pictures on my phone are of him… does that make me a crazy cat lady?! Oh well.

Feeling// Discouraged. The job situation in New York is not working out as planned. I keep getting my hopes up only to take one step forward and two steps back. Today was no different. My emotions have been getting the best of me but I'm trying my hardest to stay patient and remember that God has a plan for everything.

Linking up with Jenna and Anne today!

Happy Monday!

I'm a little late to the party, but today I'm linking up with Erin at Two Thirds Hazel for the awesome Blogmopolitan Quiz! Enjoy!

xoxo,

April

Where you invest your love, you invest your life

Today I went for a walk/jog outside, at noon, in August, in Texas. And I didn't die from the heat. It was 75° and amazing! Is this real life? This is rare nonexistant during a normal Texas summer, so I definitely had to take advantage of today. I love being able to get away with nothing but my music and a trail ahead of me; it really lets me shut out the world and focus on my thoughts. While I was jogging today, the Mumford & Sons song Awake My Soul came on and one specific line got me thinking.

Invest your love in God. 

"And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength." //Deuteronomy 6:5

The Bible tells us that this is the greatest commandment of all. If you truly love God with all your heart, soul, and strength, all else will fall into place. One of the most important ways to love God is through obedience. Our desire to obey God only grows the more we love Him. When we obey God, good things happen in our lives.

Invest your love in yourself.

"…for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

//Psalm 139:14

We must love ourselves for the way God made us. He knew exactly what he was doing when he made each and every one of us, and we are perfect in His eyes. Loving yourself includes loving your body, mind, and soul. We must make sure that all three have healthy intake and plenty of exercise to maintain grow to the places we are meant to be in our lives.

Invest your love in others. 

"Let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God."

//1 John 4:7

Love is a gift from God that we must give to others. Teaching others about his endless love through our words and actions is a prime example of sharing His love. It's a wonderful feeling to freely give God's love to others!

So where are you investing your love and your life? Are there areas that you feel you should invest more love?