Nathan's Story // Personal

I've talked to so many people who tell me that they are able to keep up with what's going on in my life through this blog and through social media. While there has been some big news I've shared that's involved both Nathan and I, oftentimes this space ends up being about my big adventures, thoughts, and dreams. Today, I want to share what's going on with my other half, and his journey through recent changes.

The last couple of years have had some major highlights, but overall they've been difficult for a lot of reasons. We've had health struggles, from surgeries to kidney stones to a couple other emergency room visits. We've had some other life situations that have not been very pleasant. So when it came to December 31 last year, we said (in some regards), good riddance to 2014. In no way am I trying to be negative, because we've had countless blessings over the past year, too - we were just really ready to move on!

This year has brought some enormous changes for us, and we have high hopes that 2015 will be especially beautiful, after 2 more difficult years. I've kept you updated on our adoption news and my recent job news, but Nathan has some big changes coming up soon, too!

After working at the same company for almost 5 years, Nathan is leaving his job for a totally different field this April. He's going from Mechanical Engineering at a very large government contractor to an IT specialist at our church! We've been thankful for a steady job over the last few years, but recently have been feeling like it was time for him to move on. The plans for the new job quickly fell into place, and the other jobs on our list just didn't pan out. Sometimes, God shows you what to do by closing every other door, and that's exactly what happened!

Our other bit of news is still a little tentative, but I want to share it anyways. Nathan has applied to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina. Right now, his plan is to pursue a Masters of Divinity in Apologetics, and to start online this fall. The degree might change, but pending his acceptance, Nathan will take classes in the evenings and weekends starting in just a few months. A number of people have mentioned the idea of attending seminary to him over the past few years, but until now the timing just hasn't been right. So we are anxiously awaiting an acceptance letter, and then we'll take the next step we need to!

As you can see, there are so many changes for our little (but growing) family. Next week we will attend a weekend adoption training, then complete our final home visit in the next couple of weeks after that. We're grateful for great jobs, adoption progress, and new possibilities this fall - and I couldn't be more excited for and proud of a husband who's learning to embrace these big changes!

Nathan's Journey to Seminary

(This is from Wednesday, when Nathan got the opportunity to speak to some students at the BCM at ODU)

Maria Grace Photography

My name is Maria, and I am a wedding and family photographer based out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, but I am always excited about traveling. I love families who truly enjoy spending time with each other and living life together. I love couples that are looking forward to their wedding day because they are so excited to finally be married to.