Sarah and me.

Some things that I probably would have never accomplished if Kim hadn't come into my life.

1.)Gotten married
2.)Had the guts to start a family after 5 years of marriage
3.)Gone to Italy
4.)Pay off all my debt
5.)Bought a Subaru
6.)Gone back to school after we got married and finished nursing school
7.)Buy a home
8.)Went to school AGAIN and finished by Bachelors of Science in nursing
9.)Grown up...

These are just a few things that come to mind as I sit here and reflect on the past seven years of marriage to Kim. I can't imagine what the next seven years will bring, but whatever they do...I'm looking forward to spending them with her and our family. Happy 7 year anniversary Kimbot. I totally fricken love you.

Love-Josh

Christmas thought

So...Kim is pretty much addicted to decorating our house with Christmas stuff. It has been like this for our entire marriage, and this year promises to be bigger, badder, redder (is that even a word)and even more fashionable than years past. Stay tuned for pictures, details, cookies, Nat King Cole, and cinnamon dreams.

I've finished...now what?

Some of you may know that over two years ago I began what has become a VERY long and ardous journey of completing my bachelors degree. Huh you say? I thought Josh finished school in 2004! Wait, isn't he a pharmacist (Yakima shout out right there). I did finish school in 2004 and recieved my associates in nursing science which made it eligible to get my nursing license and to become a full fledged...Registered Nurse. I have always wanted to get my bachelors degree, and to be quite honest, I have always been envious of my brother in law Dan who has like 7 bachelors degree...no joke. No really, there has always been something down deep inside that has told me that I need to do this, even though I'll MAKE NO EXTRA MONEY with a bachelors degree....no joke.
Anyways, I'm done. I did it. I spent the last two years of my life writing papers, constructing power point after power point, and online discussion forums. I'm done. The university didn't teach me how to be a nurse. I mean, they didn't teach me how to better empty a bedpan or instruct me on the proper way to assess for diabetic ketoacidosis, no, Indiana Wesleyan University taught me a little more about paying back my financial aid. I am currently excepting donations as I type this. I can't believe how much it cost. I am an idiot.
So here I am. I'm done...and I don't know what to do with myself. I used to spend my days off typing away on the computer or other things revolving around school. If people would ask me what I was doing for the weekend I'd always say, "Oh, I have a paper due", or, "Oh, sorry, can't make it, I have a power point due on nursing management". As you can see, the last two years have been interesting. Although when's the last time you talked to someone who went back to school, had a child, and bought a home...all at the same time? That's right sucka...Joshua Meals, RN, BSN.
So, what's next? At least six months off for sure and picking up extra shifts at the hospital. I have a lot of time off now that was once spent on school. Not anymore though. I'm thinking about going to grad school to become a nurse practitioner. This has always been my dream and I'm thinking if I was able to move to Alaska, get married, attain my nursing degree, buy a house, and have a beautiful little girl...how can I not start and finish my graduate degree? I guess only time and money will tell.

Jane likes Mike...do you?

One night a while back Jane decided to put on Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album. Jane scored the vinyl album one day in Eagle River while carousing a thrift shop. She immediatly fell in love and has not stopped boogying since. We're thrilled to say the least...just didn't know she was such a fan.

I voted McCain/Palin

So, here we are. Post number two. I'm still dumbfounded how to work this thing, but maybe if I put more than a few minutes into it I'll eventually figure it out.

We stayed up last night watching the election results. I made a sweet potato Moroccan chicken dish for the occasion, though I was too busy watching TV and it was difficult to finish making the meal, but it happened and Kim liked it.

The election results were pretty hard to watch, although we all expected it. It was amazing to see the crowd reaction to Obama at Grant Park in Chicago. People crying, saying, "Yes we can!" over and over again, almost like a gospel chant of sorts. I haven't bought into Obama, and I didn't vote for him. Think I'll be labeled racist? Think I'll be ridiculed for my conservative beliefs over time? Hey, I want change just like everyone else and I'm ready for a new president, just not Obama. The main reason? His abortion stance. End of story. What's more amazing to me is how Christians can support our President Elect even when his stance on abortion is, well...pro-choice! What? Do these people NOT see what is REALLY the single most important factor about this? If someone doesn't value life (and I say this because that's what it really is), then how can they value anything? It's the dumbing down of our societies morals...doesn't that scare you? Listen, Obama scares me and so does McCain, but at least McCain and Palin stood for a factor of morality. Yes they are politicians and more than likely corrupt, but really, who cares! Does it matter? Does it really matter as long as they back the notion that abortion is murder and not someones individual right? Like water, fire and earth, life is the fundamental landmark of society and mankind, and this reality is slowly floating away from current thought...does that not scare you?

As Christians, or anyone who believes in the right to life, how can they support Obama? Isn't that a double standard? Maybe he's got some good ideas that people like and he seems like nice guy who can liven up a crowd, but really, really, really, look inside and ask yourself a DEEPER question, one that goes beyond our economy, that goes beyond the housing disaster, that goes beyond the Iraq war..do you get it yet? If we don't value life how can we value anything at all? More importantly, how is the right to life less important than the economy and the war in Iraq? How can they put this issue on the back burner as if it's not there? Yeah, the economy is terrible and I want out of this horrible war, but really...you've just elected someone who wants to make abortion even MORE accessible (I wonder if they even know what the Freedom of Choice Act is, or what President Elect Obama's stance is on it...) Look at what happened in the state of Washington yesterday. Euthanasia is now legal in Washington and Oregon now. Does that not scare you? Please, think about this, and then think some more and when your done thinking about it, re-read this post...and then think some more. We have become a society of personal freedoms. "It's my body, it's my dying grandfather, it's my increased financial burden..." It's all about me anymore in our nation, and it's pretty scary. Anything goes anymore, including murder. Abortion is not a woman's or man's issue, it's a mankind issue. If people, especially Christians, can't see this, then truly, hope is lost.

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Post #1

Hey all...

Josh here trying to figure this whole thing out. It seems that I should get on the bandwagon with all the rest of my hip and married with children friends, so here goes....more to come soon.