10 years of Me

Ok, so I am a HUGE copycat of my friends Dollie and Annie......but couldn't resist doing a review of the last 10 years of my life. It is truly amazing to see the ways God has molded me into the person I am today just by looking at the ast 10 years! Hope you enjoy:

10 years ago (age 19): I was nearing the end of my first year of college and was preparing to apply for pharmacy school. A weekend would not have been complete at this point in my life without consuming large amounts of beer which more often than not turned into drunken drama by the end of the night

9 years ago (age 20): I had applied to pharmacy school, but was unsuccessful. Even though my denial of acceptance had most to do with the lack of completion of a few prerequisites it nevertheless crushed me and made me question the purpose of college and what I was doing with my life. At this point, much of my identity was found in my success and when I didn't succeed I went down the depressing path of being a failure once again.

8 years ago (age 21): By the point, I was well into my Junior year of college at the University of Iowa (which was pretty much the college binge drinking capital of Iowa). AND, I was finally of legal drinking age........this meant that alcohol would always be available to me, SCARY!! On top of being in a relationship that was pretty much unhealthy in every way possible, I would also go out to the bars every weekend starting on thirsty thursday.

7 years ago (age 22): The drinking continued and the relationship that I was in crumbled and cheating on both ends was a huge part of it. Do you think I would learn from this relationship, take some time as a single lady, and reevaluate the person that I was apart from a boy defining me? Oh, no.......I would jump right back into another relationship with a boy that would treat me right, but that I foresaw no future with. I decided at this point in my life, that being a pharmacist was what I really wanted to do and since I would finish my biology degree soon, I would apply again.

6 years ago (age 23): This year brought tests, applications, and pharmacy school interviews which meant a lot of stress. But in the end........SUCCESS......I was accepted to pharmacy school at the University of Iowa. I was one of the 109 accepted out of 700 applicants. Needless to say I was on cloud nine and was starting to regain confidence in who I was (which I will remind you all again, was defined solely by success)

5 years ago (age 24): This year of my life was VERY hard with many ups and downs, but looking back on it I realize how crucial this time of complete brokeness was in my path of coming to Christ. My relationship ended with cheating and once again I was starting to look at myself and why I wasn't lovable enough........I found my identity far too much in who I was as a girlfriend. The first year of pharmacy school was hard, and many of my weekend nights ended by blacking out after drinking WAY TOO MUCH! I realize now the hedge of protection that God placed around me at this time in my life even before I recognized my need for a savior.

4 years ago (age 25): The summer of 2006 was the summer I came to know Christ and actually LIVE. I moved back home with my dad, whom God used as a crucial tool in my steps to salvation. I was finally fine with just being a child of God and finding my identity in him and not in my success, my relationship status, or any other earthly thing. And just when I was fine with just being me God brought my amazing husband into my life. We began dating in the summer of 2006 and God used him (who was also a baby Christian at the time) to help me grow in my walk with Christ. The start of our relationship wasn't EASY PEASY, but was necessary for both of us to let go of things in our past and move on with the relationship that God intended for us to have.

3 years ago (age 26): I was just finishing up my third year of pharmacy school and was engaged to be married to my husband. What an exciting time.............4 months from engagement to marriage is all!! We were ready to be married and since we didn't live together and strived to keep our relationship pure, we didn't want to have a long engagement. We were ready to be husband and wife.

2 years ago (age 27): By this time, I had been married to my husband for almost a year. I am so incredibly blessed to be married to a man that will always stick by my side and never give up! I can be a real pain in the butt sometimes and birth control didn't help matters. We decided at about this time 2 years ago that it was time to start trusting God with the timing of starting a family and so the baby making practice began:-)

1 year ago (age 28): And then there was our Baby Hart #1.........almost a year ago Owen Patrick graced us with his presence in this world and even though the pregnancy wasn't easy emotionally and his birth outcome was unknown..........we knew God was taking care of him and he came into the world bright eyed and bushy tailed with NO problems at all even being 3 1/2 weeks early. PRAISE GOD!

NOW (age 29): At the present time we are beginning 1st birthday party planning for Owen and awaiting the arrival of our Baby Hart#2 in September. We feel convicted presently to let God determine our family size and therefore by this time next year we will be a family of 4!!

I am so thankful every day for the journey that has brought me to where my life is at right now. Even the hard times brought me to Christ which brought me to my husband and consequently made me a mom..............what a great thing to think back on the last 10 years of my life!