Lessons I Learned From A Childhood Favorite

A little steam engine had a long train of cars to pull.

She went along very well till she came to a steep hill. But then, no matter how hard she tried, she could not move the long train of cars.

She pulled and she pulled. She puffed and she puffed. She backed and started off again. Choo! Choo!

But no! the cars would not go up the hill.

At last she left the train and started up the track alone. Do you think she had stopped working? No, indeed! She was going for help.

"Surely I can find someone to help me," she thought.

Over the hill and up the track went the little steam engine. Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo, choo! Choo!

(I'm so grateful for the support of my wonderful husband and family and friends. You know who you are and you rock. The girl nights, the date nights, and the phone calls of encouragement have meant the world to me!)

After a while she came to a little steam engine just like herself. She ran alongside and said:

"Will you help me over the hill with my train of cars? It is so long and so heavy that I can't get it over."

"Yes, indeed!" said this little steam engine. "I'll be glad to help you, if I can."

So the little steam engines started back to where the train of cars had been standing. Both little steam engines went to the head of the train, one behind the other.

Puff, puff! Chug, choo! Off they started!

Slowly the cars began to move. Slowly they climbed the steep hill. As they climbed, each little steam engine began to sing:

"I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I think I can - I think I can - I think I can I think I can--"

I think I can crank out two more papers...

I think I can still wake up at the crack of dawn to go to work...

I think I can ace my Pathophysiology final...

I think I can clean the house before we leave...

I think I can still see my husband this week...

I think this is what I will be saying at the end of this week...

And they did! Very soon they were over the hill and going down the other side.

Now they were on the plain again; and the little steam engine could pull her train herself. So she thanked the little engine(s) who had come to help her, and said good-by.

And she went merrily on her way, singing:

"I-thought-I-could! I-thought-I-could! I-thought-I-could! I-thought-I-could! I thought i could - I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could - I thought I could I thought I could --"

Nope. I know I can. Just a few more days...I'm almost over that hill

Tis The Season To Be Jolly!

Do you have that song stuck in your head now? I do.

This is a great month for our little family. We will be celebrating a lot of little important things that we think are awesome.

First-Trevor succeeded in passing all of his classes. We survived the first semester of Podiatry school! Whoohoo! We think that is a pretty big accomplishment.

Second--We have been able to save a lot of $$. We have worked hard to be frugal and it has taught us so much about the needs we have vs. the wants. Overall, a humbling experience but we are better because of it. Hooray for being poor starving students!

Third--I am almost done with my first semester back at school. I have to constantly remind myself the "whys" of finishing my degree. Sometimes I also have to eat ice cream to get me through the massive amounts of homework. Whatever works right? Oh and I am pretty sure I am getting all A's...and a B.

Fourth--We get to go home for Christmas! We will be taking an extended vacation to visit both of our families. We head to Denver for a week and then fly out to Portland to spend another glorious week of family festivities. We can't wait!

Fifth--We will be celebrating two years of marital bliss on December 29th. Pretty great.

Oh and here is this little goody for a stroll down memory lane as Trevor and I prepare to celebrate our wedding anniversary...check it out. here. This is a video that was put together by our wedding photographer. It was filmed in GORGEOUS Jackson Hole, WY. DISCLAIMER: I am a bit of a dork in this film and I really miss my long hair after I watch it.

We have so much to be grateful for this holiday season and I can't wait to see what the new year brings! I am starting to compile some of my resolutions and will be posting them publicly so that I am more accountable. We will see how that goes. :)

How Have I Seen His Hand In My Life?

The pies are baking and my feet are aching but I am overcome with peace.

Today is the day that I am supposed to express gratitude for the things that I have been blessed with.

Today is also the first Thanksgiving Trevor and I have spent away from family since our marriage.

I was watching a wonderful video about gratitude and recognizing it in in our daily lives. So instead of listing what I am grateful for, I am going to list how I have seen the Lord's hand in my life.

1. I have been blessed with a wonderful, caring, and patient husband. He understands my needs and is quick to serve others. He is a wonderful example to me.

2. I have supportive family members. They may not be close to me in proximity, but I know that I can rely on them for anything.

3. Our recent move to Ohio has been a smooth transition. I have met wonderful people who inspire me to do better.

4. Our cozy home is not much, but it is affordable, comfortable, and pest free. Such an improvement from our last place!

5. I have my health.

6. I have trials. I know that sounds strange but if I am going to recognize the Lord's hand in my life, I need to understand that the trials I experience in this life are nothing more than opportunities to grow.

7. I have a job! I know that my job at the daycare is evidence of God's love for me. I get to work with some very sweet (and some not so sweet) children who teach me the value of the family in God's plan. I can't wait to be a mother some day.

8. I have a testimony. It is nothing spectacular in comparison to others, but it is mine. I am also given the opportunity to share it frequently.

9. I have an education and knowledge. I am no genius, but I love to learn.

10. I have direction. I know who I am. I know what my purpose is. This knowledge makes life much more simple.

Here is that clip I was referring to. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Please leave a comment on how you have seen the Lord's hand in YOUR life?

Autumn and Amish Amazingness

Hello everyone! There has not been too much to update you on which is why I have not blogged recently.

This last month has been great. Trevor is really digging into school and I have kept very busy with my job at the daycare and full time school. I had the opportunity to go home and welcome home my little brother Ben! He recently returned home from the Orlando Florida Mission. It was so awesome to spend time with him and the rest of my family. I missed them a lot and really enjoyed seeing everyone. (For those of you that I did not see while I was in Oregon, I apologize. Family comes first!)

While I was there my sister did my hair and I really like it! I am tempted to go even shorter next time. Who knows?! It rocks having a super talented sister who does hair! I just wish she lived closer!

I was at my parents for ten days and Trevor stayed in Ohio to study. This was the longest we had been apart since we have been married. When he picked me up at the airport we both experienced a little deja vu. We missed each other a lot so I consider that a good sign. :)

I love the fall. A lot. It is my favorite time of year by far. The weather, the colors, the smells, the clothes, and of course the amazing food. Who doesn't love apple cider and pumpkin flavored goodies?! Anyway we went to visit Amish country. I have been DYING to go because we heard about how amazing the food was. Amazing is an understatement. Man, those people really know how to cook. We enjoyed a wagon ride, picked our pumpkins, and saw how resourceful and hard working the Amish are. I have a new found respect for them.

Here are some pictures from our little Amish Adventure! Enjoy and have a great week everyone!

Perfection

Hello everyone. I apologize for my absence in the blogging world. I would say I have been really busy but then I would be lying. Kind of. First off I found a job! Yay for me! I had been applying to everything under the sun and was not having much luck. I finally got an interview for a local pediatric clinic but left pretty sure they were not going to hire me (I told them I would be gone practically all of December and apparently that is a deal breaker!) So after a few more weeks I got a call from the Parma School District. I had applied for a position as a substitute daycare provider before and after school hours. When they interviewed me they asked if I would be interested in a regular position (um, of course). So they hired me for both a substitute and a regular employee AND the school is within walking distance AND it works perfectly with my school schedule AND I get every dead president's birthday off. How awesome is that? BLESSINGS! I start my job on Tuesday and I am so grateful!

Yesterday Trevor and I went to the temple in Columbus, Ohio. Gorgeous and peaceful as always, despite the long drive. Totally worth it.

Then Trevor found a really cheap bike on craigslist about 30min south of Parma. So we bought it.

Then we had this amaaaaaazing dinner at Main St Cafe in Medina, Oh. Seriously. Amazing.

Finally we ended our evening slow dancing under the stars listening to live big band music in the middle of a park. We felt like we had stepped into another decade. Perfect. It was perfect.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

So last night I experienced something that I have never experienced before. A professional sporting event. How sad is that? Pretty sad, I know. I'm twenty five and deprived! Well...not really.

We had a GREAT TIME! The game was actually pretty entertaining. Indians VS Twins: Final score: 3-2. Wahoo! We went out with two other couples we have met out here. Following the game and the UH-MAZING fireworks show what did a bunch of adults in their mid-twenties do? A midnight taco bell run of course. The only downside to the whole night was the theme...Elvis night. I have nothing against Elvis but I do not think I am a fan of the tacky Elvis impersonator bringing shame to our Nation Anthem. It was pretty awful but did not ruin the overall experience.




My first "ballpark" hot dog!



Trev and I getting ready to root for the Indians!



Awesome stadium!



Amazing Fireworks to finish of the evening...it was actually pretty cool. They timed the boom and bang of the fireworks to some of Elvis' songs.



In the words of Elvis...Thank you, thank you very much.

White Coat Ceremony

Two weeks ago (wow I'm behind) Trevor participated in his white coat ceremony. Basically the students receive their white coats, strut across the stage and take an oath promising to be really good doctors. Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment. I am one proud wife!






Here is to a long and happy road! :)

The Ohio Chronicles

We have been keeping busy here in Cleveland! Trevor made an unexpected trip to Iowa last Monday to help out a fellow first year podiatry student and his wife. This couple was driving to Cleveland and hauling a trailer (just like us) and the tire blew on the trailer causing the trailer and truck to flip. Fortunately nobody was hurt but their stuff was left stranded for about a week so Trevor volunteered his time to help them out. This put a little hiccup in our plans. We really wanted to visit New York or DC but felt so blessed to have made it out hear safely (which is a miracle considering I drove) so we put our plans aside to help them. Plus while Trevor and JT drove out to get the trailer, Olga and I got a little better acquainted. Turns out she is pretty awesome!

ANYWAY...on Wednesday I woke up and Trevor had a whole day planned for me. We decided to take a little day trip to Kirtland, Ohio. For those of you who do not know why that would be our first choice click here. It was really a beautiful spot and I was even more assured of the truth and happiness the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring into our lives. Here a few pictures we took...

In order of appearance we have the a photo of the upper room of the Whitney store where the Prophet Joseph Smith taught,Trevor and I in front of the Whitney Store, and a photo of the Kirtland Temple. So cool to be there. There is so much rich history in this area and I am so excited to explore it!





Following our adventure in Kirtland we were STARVING. We both agreed to eat at MELT . Two words. UH-MAZING. For you food network fans, yes this is the same restaurant famous for their grilled cheese goodness. This is on the list of my all time favorites. It is even worth the trip to Ohio. So you all should probably stop by sometime. :)

More to come on the next post!

Best $4 dollars I have ever spent...

Today I did the dishes in my new heels. The best $3.99 I have ever spent.

O-H-I-O

Hello everyone! I am back to the blogging world once again. Let me just give you a little update since my last post.

Trevor was accepted to the Ohio School of Podiatric Medicine which sparked the following events.

We moved to Ohio!

So there you have it. We sold all of our furniture (except a lovely bed frame) and crammed everything else we own into our little pontiac vibe towing a 4x8 trailer. We spent approximately 40 hours in the car divided into four days. That was the easy part! We have been working endlessly to put back together our apartment.

We found some old pieces of furniture off of craigslist and sanded and painted away to make the furniture our own. Was it hard work? Yes. Was it worth it? No, not really. Lesson learned. Next time we purchase everything from IKEA. However, we worked hard and enjoyed it for the most part. Even when I sucked up a shop towel with the belt sander. Whoopsy.

So anyway, I have composed a list of things I like about Ohio so far.

1. Fireflies


2. Here

3. Thunderstorms


4. Air Conditioning in our apartment. YES! :)

5. Being less than 8 hours from the following locations: New York City, Chicago, Niagra Falls, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and various church history sites.

So, in the words of the Drew Carey show theme song, "Cleveland Rocks!" We like our new ward and are looking forward to getting to know new people.

This weekend we are going to Cedar Point! We are so excited! More posts to come!

Oh...and here are the pictures of our new place. It isn't much but we call it home! Enjoy!


Our media cabinet before...


And after...




And the rest of the apartment...

WEDNESDAY

Some days I feel like this...



Anyone else ever feel like that? I remember seeing this book on my parents bookshelf as a little girl. At the time I hadn't the slightest idea how it would ever apply to me. Now that I am an adult I can TOTALLY relate!

So here is the latest scoop on our lives. Trevor and I are in the bottom of the 9th inning of our pre podiatry phase. I have counted the amount of weeks I have left at my work (approximately 9, not including the week I have off for when we go to Colorado). Needless to say I'm really starting to understand how important patience is. Where are we moving? Well that is a fantastic question! We are still waiting to hear back from Arizona and probably wont know if Trev is accepted until the end of May. Cleveland VS Arizona...hmmm who knows?! Can you tell I'm a little eager to get a move on?

Well I better get going before Trevor unplugs me. I am grateful for such an understanding and loving husband. He is so patient with me and knows just when to make me laugh. I love him so much and I am looking forward to all of our future adventures together!






THE END

CELEBRATION

So a lot has happened since my last blog post...here is what everyone has missed!

In December Trevor and I celebrated our 1st Anniversary! It has been such an amazing year together and we are looking forward to many more anniversary's in the future. Here is one of the few wedding pictures we have from our wedding day...along with a few that were retaken.

On top of celebrating our anniversary...I celebrated my 25th birthday! I officially feel old...haha. I had a yucky cold the first few days of my 25th year but other than that my birthday was fabulous. I got Cheesecake factory (delicious) and Trevor purchased me an AWESOME camera....here are a few pictures from that camera. Hopefully I will be able to hone my skills as an amateur photographer but until then enjoy these!

Here is an adorable picture of my nephew Hudson. He is getting so big and I love love love being close to the little guy! What a cutie!

This is a gorgeous pictures of the Oregon Coast...someday, I want a house on the beach!

Okay...so to be honest most of our pictures are of my nephew. I can't help it! He is adorable! Maybe we should get one of our own kids...hmmmm.

Last but not least...GRAD SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!

Yep, that's right folks! Trevor got into the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine. Yay yay yay! He interviewed last weekend and was accepted immediately...because he is that awesome. He will be interviewing in Arizona next week, and possibly Des Moines, New York, and Philadelphia...who knows! The options are limitless at this point! We are very excited for this new chapter to begin in our lives, actually, I'm ecstatic! As soon as we decide where we are going to end up I will look into finishing up my bachelor degree. FINALLY! :)

So that is our blog of celebrations! I hope you all have a fabulous week! Comment, follow, and live your life to the fullest! There is so much to be thankful for!

Love,

The Tippets <3