..11 days..

In 11 days ...

I, Brittany Gohring, will be an alumnus of UMHB!!!
Praise The Lord!!!

After countless hours of studying and projects, my time in the CON is coming to an end! I could not be MORE excited! I am, however, a bit sad at the thought of never seeing some of my classmates again; but I guess those that are important will hang around! ;)

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There has been a lot going on since the last time that I posted. I'll get you all up-to-date!

Life in the Gohring house is going pretty smoothly! We are getting ready to begin the process of purchasing our first home. We are SO excited! After renting for so long, Stephen has decided it's time to OWN our own place. I've only lived on my own for a short while so any place on my own is exciting - ha! I can't wait to get a place that we can make our own! We are OBSESSED with HGTV ... So many fun design ideas as well as remodeling ideas! :) He loves that kinda stuff!

As far as jobs ... he's still trucking along at good ol' BBY. I don't have a definite job lined up yet ... but I do know that I will be staying at Hillcrest. Since I have worked there for 6 months as a NT I automatically get a job in the hospital after graduation. I would LOVE to go into L&D so that I can go back to school in a few years ... BUT everyone is trying to get into those areas .. so we'll just have to be patient and see where God places me! :) I've been offered a position in the Emergency Department but I haven't formally accepted yet ... I guess I'm kinda waiting to see what happens in the Women's and Children's department! The NR told me there could POSSIBLY be a few openings in the next month! **Fingers Crossed**

The family is doing well. My mom and dad are enjoying life with an empty nest. HAHA! :) Both of us girls have moved out so they are enjoying life and spending time together. Momma G and Papa Steve are doing well also! We are continuing to pray for Momma G. Some more of the tumors showed back up! That cancer is a vicious monster! We are praying the third time is a charm! SO if you would please keep Momma G in your thoughts prayers AND Papa Steve's nerves (since he is her biggest supporter!)! :) They have been an amazing new addition into my family. I could not have asked for better in-laws! Also, please check this out and leave some kind words of support! ;)

As many of you know, our sweet Makenzie lost her battle with cancer last month.



It was extremely hard on her those last few weeks. We went to see her on the Thursday before she passed and it was absolutely heartbreaking. It's so hard to grasp but we all know that this sweet baby is now dancing with the Angels and has the most beautiful long hair. She's running, picking flowers, making music, and most of all, CANCER AND PAIN-FREE! We sure do miss that sweet girl but we all know that we will see her again someday. :)

I just wanted to share a little motto with you that my Aunt Wendy has adopted since the Make-A-Wish foundation sent Makenzie to Disneyworld.

"Celebrate Today"

You may not always have tomorrow. Celebrate what you have today, right now, right in front of you. Makenzie knew she didn't have many tomorrows so she welcomed each day with a smile and an appreciation many of us never show. My outlook on life and death have completely changed all because of this sweet Angel that God sent to us for a short time. Thanks for all of those who prayed for the family and for my friends who supported me and gave me a shoulder to cry on. It was so hard to just accept that it was happening and I couldn't have made it through without my friends. So please, carry this motto with you everyday and live by it ... life is so much sweeter when you appreciate what you have in front of you! :)

xoxo!

Fall Favorites!

While I'm sitting on the couch feeling the effects of this weather change ... I'm going to list some of my fall faves! :)

-Pumpkins - not necessarily eating them .. but I love all of the pumpkin decor
-leaves crunching under my feet
-the colors of fall - reds/rusts, browns, yellows/golds, oranges ... love it!!!
-roast, carrots, potatoes, rolls ... I know it can be eaten year 'round but there's something about a roast in the Fall that makes it super yummy!
-sweaters ... so warm and comfy ... && boots! I want to get a new pair of UGGs
-Halloween - there's something about kids in super cute costumes begging for cavities. haha
-fires in the fireplace/firepit
-football :) food, friends/family, fun times
-apple cider - yummo!
-apple PIE!!! (I LOVE LOVE LOVE apples!!)
-caramel apples
-the heart o' texas fair and rodeo! :)
-outdoor concerts where you aren't sweating your body weight off
-Thanksgiving and thanking the Lord for all of the many blessings in my life

So, what are your fall faves?

Sick Day Survey ...

Since I'm home sick .. I figured I would do a little survey! :)

What do you really want to be doing right now?
Hanging out on a beach somewhere ...

How many colleges did you attend?
So far 2 : MCC and UMHB

When is the last time you had to REALLY dress up?
Ha my wedding? :)

Do you miss being a child?
Yeah - bills and responsibilities are NO fun

Get up early or sleep in?
I HAVE to get up early - but prefer to sleep in!

Beach or lake?
Beach!

What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Umm .. let's see ... Taylor Swift - I think we'd be best friends! LOL!

Ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No - thank goodness!!

Ring tone?
Some generic iPhone ringtone ... I lost all of my ringtones in the restore.

Favorite band?
Hmm tough question ... I love a lot of bands at the moment.

Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Church? haha for my wedding

Do you go to church?
When I can -CABC

Are you where you want to be in life?
No .. I want to be DONE with school and working and bringing in that money!!

Growing up, what were your favorite cartoons?
Scooby Doo ... Ahh why am I drawing a blank?!?!!

Looking back at high school, were they the best years of your life?
Heck no! I hated high school ... too much drama and I made some pretty dumb choices! lol

Were you the type of kid you would want your children to hang out with?
Definitely :)

How do you like your steak?
Medium-Well

What is your favorite TV show?
GREYS!!! :) :)

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
In the country here in Texas!

What is your favorite cuisine?
Mexican ... I could eat it every meal of the day! Chips and Salsa are staples in my food pyramid! haha

What foods do you dislike?
brussel sprouts, cabbage, fish, seafood.

Favorite Place to Eat?
Lake Brazos Steakhouse, Baris, Trujillos

Favorite dressing?
Ranch or Caesar or Baris' house dressing

What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Pontiac Grand Prix for now

What are your favorite clothes?
SCRUBS!

Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Europe with my husband

Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
full :)

Where would you want to retire?
in the country ... still! haha

Favorite time of day?
Right before the sun sets :)

Where were you born?
Waco TX

What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football, Baseball

What did you want to be when you were little?
A veterinarian ... astronaut! haha

What is your best childhood memory?
San Antonio trips, family meals at holidays :)

Are you a cat or dog person?
both but only have dogs because I'm allergic to cats!

Any pet peeves?
People who only talk about themselves, skinny girls who think they are fat, 18 wheelers in general .. lol

Favorite Pizza Toppings?
pepperoni and black olive

Favorite Flower?
Daisies of any kind!

Favorite ice cream?
The Great Divide

Favorite fast food restaurant?
Chik-Fil-A

Like your job?
Havent worked in a while but yes

What was your favorite vacation?
Umm Jamaica for our Honeymoon .. Hands down :)

What are you listening to right now?
Cooking for Real on Food Network

Coffee Drinker?
Not usually but I will have the occasional white chocolate mocha from Starbucks! :)

98 days and counting..

Well, I am now done with my first two weeks of my last semester (as an undergrad!)!!! It's been extremely stressful but I am so excited about some of the experiences that I will gain these last three months. I will be doing most of my clinical rotations here in Waco which is a HUGE blessing. I am so worn out from the commute - and I won't miss it at ALL! I will miss a few things, though. I have built some amazing friendships with some people in my class and I hate to think that in 3 months all of that will just disappear. It's almost like high school graduation. You swear you will keep in touch .. and for a while you do ... then life happens and you lose track of people you were once incapable of being separated from! I know one or two of those people will be lifelong friends. I hope we get to plan a reunion of some sort. These people are my second family. It felt like I was missing a huge part of my life this summer when they weren't around.. haha.

In other news, Stephen and I are doing wonderful - still making that transition into married life and sharing EVERYTHING!!!!!!! LOL! :) He is such a trooper... I know I can be quite the pain in the butt! ;) Bailey and Izzy are big as ever! Nearly 85 pounds each - eeeek! LOL! We will be looking into whether it's going to be a good time for us to purchase a home in the next few months and we are so excited! I can't wait to get a home of our own so we can do things we love to do. Stephen is quite the handyman and I'm hoping we can find a little fixer-upper so he can do things here and there! Anyway, I'll keep you all updated on details of that nature! Hope all is well with y'all! :)

PS: 98 days is my countdown to GRADUATION!! WOOHOO!!

Married Life

I know some of you are so curious as to what I'm up to now that I'm married...

Well, I am spending most of my time making this house as homely as possible! :) I know we will only be here until February BUT I need to make it look like a family lives here and not a single bachelor! HA! I have also been spending some of my time at the hospital as a nurse tech. I am still unsure if I am going to be working during the semester but I definitely need to keep that option open! I love following a RN around and doing my assessments and helping her out with EVERYTHING except meds! It's been a great learning experience for me and I really feel like I will be a better nurse because of it! I am also studying for the HESI exit exam I have the week back to school. Yes, the evilness that is UMHB is giving us a TEST on the first week we return ... so much for a relaxing summer! ;)

Other than those things I am spending my time with my wonderful husband! It's been a lot of fun learning how to do wifey things and how to combine everything we own! ha! :) I will post pictures of the house as it comes together! Stay tuned for more adventures in our newlywed life!

10 days...

This is getting to be so surreal! I cannot believe that in 10 days I will be marrying the love of my life!! :) We are SO ready at this point. We got the marriage license and have the plane tickets! I can't wait to get to Jamaica and have my toes in the sand! We haven't been to a beach together before .. you can't exactly count Galveston as a beach- lol! :)

Yes, there are a few nerves .. but none that could change plans! ;) haha. I can't wait to see his face as I walk down that aisle ... I can't wait to spend the morning with my girls just hanging out and having fun ... and I can't wait to get to the reception and hang out with family and friends we haven't seen in a while. :) AHHHH!! I will definitely update again before it gets here and then update when we get back from the honeymoon with lots of pictures! :) xoxo Brittany

25 days ....

I had a friend ask me to update my blog with information on the wedding! I will share as much in detail as possible and some with pictures! :) Enjoy!

First things first ... the attire ... :)

I obviously can't show my dress until after the wedding ... because of obvious reasons! :) But know it's gorgeous and so very "ME"! :)

The bridesmaids are wearing this:


The Guys are wearing this ... obviously black tuxes with these vests:
Stephen:
White vest and tie.

(hard to see on the comforter, I know!)

Groomsmen and Ushers:
it's a champagne color to match the girls.


Dads:
it's a latte color! :)


Flowers:
My bouquet is full of daisies and white roses ... it's custom made so obviously NO pics yet! :)

Here's the bridesmaids bouquets all in pink (light& dark):


The guys will have a single white rose boutonniere!

The CAKES!!!
My cake: take this cake & make it 4 tiers with brown ribbon and pearls at the base of each layer! :) Vanilla with vanilla buttercream icing! YUM! Oh, and no flowers! :)


Stephen's cake:
Chocolate with chocolate icing ... with this scroll work and our monogram on top! :)


The church:

this is the aisle I will be walking down with my dad ... in 25 days!!!!!! :)

The reception hall:

Minus these people ... add my crazy friends and family and some pretty decorations and there's our reception! :)

The food:
George's is catering a variety of snack foods! We are going to be here around 3 so snacking only makes sense!

The music: We are taking requests and hooking up our iPod ... my amazing uncle will be running the music for us! :)

Our get-a-way hotel room:

Yes, this is where we are staying that night ... there WILL be a 'do not disturb' sign and NO you're not invited! ;)

Where we are honeymooning:
Ocho Grande Rios, Jamaica
on the 2nd-4th floors somewhere! :)



Once we return, we'll live in the UN-BACHELORIZED duplex Stephen has been in for some time now! :) I can't wait to start my new life with him and I can't wait to share all of the fun pictures with you all!! If I forgot something - just let me know and I'll be happy to add anything I didn't cover ... :)

xoxo! Brittany