2010... 2011

This past weekend my mind keeps looking back on the past year.  Unfortunately the thoughts have been more about what I haven't accomplished this year.  This year has been full of so many good things and changes, but there are still things that I wanted to accomplish.  For example, I have always read my Bible, but I have never read the entire thing.  Therefore I have already set my resolutions for this next year.  I can't believe it's already 2011.

My resolutions are as follows:

1. Read the entire Bible

2. Prayer everyday

3. Start scrapbooking: goal of one page a week!

4. Working out at least 3 times a week... no excuse the gym is right across the street! :-/

5. and blogging at least once a week!

These are personal, but I'm posting them publicly as I will be more inclined to hold myself accountable if I know that other people know about them!

Just got off the phone with my husband... the working out one starts tonight! Ahhhh soreness here it comes! ;)

Cheers everyone to a year of great memories and to a new year full of promise!

More wedding pictures!

So I just realized while looking at my last post is that I didn't include the links to look at ALL the pictures.  Better late than never here are the links to all of my wedding pictures:

• http://picasaweb.google.com/dmkbbe/BethanyGettingReadyForHerBigDay#
• http://picasaweb.google.com/dmkbbe/KevinBethanyPart1#
• http://picasaweb.google.com/dmkbbe/TheWeddingPartyPart2#
• http://picasaweb.google.com/dmkbbe/TheBurrusWeddingPart3#

Sorry again for being so late on getting these to you guys! :)

Getting ready!

My bridesmaid's beautiful flowers!

The girls that did my flowers did an AMAZING job!
Thank you soooo much Kristen and Bailey!

Make sure he can't see me! :)

Here he comes!!!!!

Sooooo handsome.

At this point he still hasn't seen me.
Afterwards he told me that he was so nervous!

The moment of truth... I was nervous at this point too.

Oooohhhh mmmmyyyy ggggoooodddnnneeeesss!!!
We're getting married!!

Our first wedding picture as a couple.

I had to include this picture in this post.
These cows are on a billboard right above where we took our pics.

The Burrus and Mosser families!

The wedding party.  A very handsome and beautiful group of people.

The Foley family!

Oooo... the overhead!

He sang to me!!!!  :)

Pastor praying over us before starting the ceremony!

I don't think there was a dry eye in the church when Kevin gave his testimony.
Sooooo powerful how God has moved in his and his family's lives!!

My testimony.

The vows have been completed and pastor is now praying over our marriage!

FIRST KISS!!!

I believe the best part of our entire wedding was Kevin's best friend got SAVED!

My cake was amazing.  My cake topper "climbed"
the cake and took a break on the top of the cake!  Sooo cute!

Kevin's brother-in-law said our cake cutting and eating was "boring"!
Sorry Eric... we agreed prior to behave ourselves! :)

Our rings

My pastor is hilarious.  In this picture he is telling me how much he loved
the maple sugar candies that we had! :)

IT'S OFFICIAL!!! :)

And we're off to start our married life! 

I hear the bells!

This is just a really quick post to simply state that 1 MORE DAY and I will no longer be Ms. Bethany Rae Foley.  During tomorrow nights service I will be Mrs. Bethany Rae Burrus! :)

Perfection

In today's society there is a constant striving for perfection.  Perfect body, perfect hair, perfect job, perfect family, perfect marriage, perfect car, perfect house, etc.  The list could go on forever.  I believe this need/desire for perfection hits girls and women in our society the hardest.  We are surrounded by pictures, videos, classmates, etc that portray perfection.  When we compare ourselves we always find some area in which we fall short.  We're not skinny enough, white enough, dark enough, hair not blonde enough, brunette enough, athletic enough.  This is something I struggle with daily, bringing to God in prayer.

Yesterday was one of those days that I sought help from God on this very issue.  Then of course as we are faithful to cast our cares upon Him the devil is just as faithful to listen and attack our weaknesses.  Kevin and I went on a hike yesterday and it hit me.  You wouldn't think a group of sweaty hikers would cause my insecurities to rise, but it did.  There were a tone of women that didn't have one ounce of body fat on them, fit, trim, and not even out of breath.  While here I was gasping as if I was to keel over at any minute, with sweat pouring out of every pore, and extremely self-conscious.  We finished the hike, went to our own homes, and went about the rest of my day.  Yet these feelings of insecurity stuck with me for the remainder of the day!

Finally, as Kevin and I were about to head home later in the day from our various wedding errands it all poured out.  It is soooo hard for me to admit weaknesses in my life to anyone.  As I want to appear strong and everything is just fine.  Yet many times it is when we allow ourselves to open up to those around us that God is really able to speak or minister to our bruised hearts.  We may bring our concerns and worries to God in personal prayer yet He will surprise us with the way He answers.  In this situation He answered through the kind words and advice of my amazing fiance!  I am thankful for the man of God that He has given me.  As Kevin says, "we're good for each other." :) I thank God for the men and women that He has placed in my life that are able to speak words of wisdom into my life.  Many times it is the words that are spoken by those people that form the string that keeps this balloon from taking off into the atmosphere.    The insecurities are not gone, but now I have the words of wise men and women to bring to remembrance when they start raising their ugly heads.  Ultimately holding them at bay.  Prayer, God's word, and Godly men and women surrounding me reenforces my cardboard-like shield called self-confidence.

Note to all my friends that are holding Kevin and I accountable: all time spent together was in a public place with a TON of people around. ;)

Oh and by the way... 33 days until our big day!!!! :)

Updated

Hello ladies and gentlemen!

My wedding website has been updated! :)

www.mywedding.com/kevinandbethanyburrus

Autumn

The word autumn can denote death, dying, change.  For example, one of the definitions of autumn is " a period of incipient decline."  In layman's terms, getting old! :)  Some associate:

and

with autumn.  Images of death, grayness, and loss of hope.  Looking into the near future of snow, ice, coldness and depression.

Yet when I think about my favorite time of year I picture:

and

and

Now that a very special day is fast approaching and to occur during an autumn month there are other pictures that will come to mind in addition to the others.  Visions such as:

,

,

,

and

.

Not only is the landscape beautiful, full of life and vibrancy, but there are all the delicious fruits from the landscape.  Then there is the additiono of my own personal hope for my future in relation to Kevin and my upcoming nupitals on NOVEMBER 14th!!!!  :)  Fall was my favorite holiday growing up... now it carries that much more meaning! :)

64 days!  9 Sundays (not counting the 14th)/10 Sundays (counting the 14th)! ;)

Back to work I go! :)

Background

So I know it's not fall yet, but since I'm getting married in the fall I really wanted a fall background.  When I found this one with the heart and fall leaf I couldn't help myself!  ;)

Story

So I promised that I would tell the proposal story and so here it is... finally! :)

On Sunday June 27th after lunch Kevin and I were supposed to go look at a house for sale.  I was following Kevin as he drove through little side streets of Tempe.  There were multiple cute houses for sale, but as we drove by it became apparent that none of them were the house Kevin had been talking about the day before.  We finally parked one of the street corners and got out of our cars.  We made our way to the corner of the street and my lovely boyfriend (now fiance) began to look around appearing lost.  He kept insisting it was right here at the end of Dateland Dr (the name of the street).  Being blonde I kept saying "ooookkaaayyy".  Finally he said, "WE'RE at the end of Dateland Dr."  At this point if finally clicked... OH MY GOODNESS HE'S GOING TO PROPOSE!  Kevin then pulled a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket.  I glanced at it quickly; saw an "M" and "Ln" and my automatic assumption was that it said "Marriage Ln" (I later read it again and it actually said "Marry Me Ln").  The best line the entire story was "Bethany, will you turn with me off of Dateland Dr. onto a new road?"  Then he proceeded to get down on one knee, pulled the ring box out of his pocket and ask me to MARRY HIM!!!  Of course I said yes and now the rest is history!

I know this is WWWAAAAYYYY overdue, but I finally got it down! :)

Wedding Website!

I found this awesome website where I can create a website that compiles all my wedding details in one place for all my family and friends! It's really bare bones right now, but I will slowly begin developing it within the next couple of weeks.

http://www.mywedding.com/kevinandbethanyburrus

Future...

There are times when one wonders what the future holds.  Since becoming a Christian this continues to be an uphill battle for me.  No matter what anyone says it is REALLY hard to place your life in God's hands and trust that He will protect you.  When I moved to Tempe I was content on working, going to school, getting back to my relationship with God, and really becoming involved in church.  In other words, I was content.  I have learned that when you are truly content with where you are (not to be confused with complacent) then that is when God really begins to move in your life.

As the months quickly ticked by as I slowly began to notice a certain young man in the church.  He was a fairly new convert that had an amazing testimony, was on fire for God, and was faithful in the small things.  That is just naming 3 of the many qualities that caught my eye, but if I was to name them all we would be here all night.  No he was and is not perfect, but he was and is a man of God.

Then slowly but surely this young man began to talk to me around October.  We officially started talking November 8, 2009.  This time of just talking really gave us the opportunity to get to know each other and to if need be end the relationship before we got too involved.  Although I knew in my heart refused to entertain the option of ended our relationship from the very beginning.

February 5, 2010: this very same young man drove to Yuma (where I'm from) to ask my parents if we could move to the next step; dating.  Just the fact that he felt that I deserved such a sacrifice meant not only a lot to me, but even more to my family.  I believe that this is when I truly began to fall in love with the man I now call my fiance!!! :)

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly.  As of Sunday June 27th, 2010 I, Bethany Rae Foley, am engaged to be married to Kevin Daniel Burrus.  I hate to leave you all on the edge of your seats for the proposal story, but I took Benadryl a little while ago and am quickly fading.  Therefore, I do not believe that the story would be completely comprehendible anyway.  Please tune in shortly to get the rest of the story.  I will leave you with one more fact:

Wedding date is planned for November 14, 2010 :)

Now I'm really going to bed.... zzzzzzzzzzzzz! :)

Recap

Even though May is officially over I still want to recap the amazing month that it has been.

The beginning of the month started out with Tempe's May conference.  First, I was blessed to be able to go to 1/2 of the morning seminars. Due to my work schedule I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to get the time off. There were so many amazing sermons both morning and evening.  I would say the sermons preached by Pastors Savarese, Sims, Rubi, and Campbell were the ones that really spoke to me the most.  Second, I had the privilege of working in children's church for this conference.  I did not understand or fully comprehend the amount of work that went into making sure the children were fed spiritually throughout the week as well.  Our theme was farming based on the main conference theme of "Passion for Planting".  The CC room was made into a barn and the workers dressed up like farmers and cowboys/girls.  It was sooo much fun even though the girls lost the offering competition.  The result was pie in the face for Kayla and I.  Third, I have the privilege to be a part of a church that believes in reaching the nations.  On Thursday night the conference body planted 3 new overseas works into Bangkok, Thailand; Moldova; and Ensenada, Mexico.  Overall the week was amazing and we have since hit the streets running in evangelism.

To be continued...

Catch up!

It has been a very long time since I've updated the blog.  I said I was going to post as often as possible, but that is easier said than done.  I know the posts don't have to be deep and profound, but I hate putting superficial things up here.  Yet what is going to be included in this blog is going to sound pretty superficial, just the events that have made up my life the last couple of weeks.

The first major even that took place was my roommate and sister got married on April 25th, 2010.  For all those who know my family know that Alexa Hermes (now Benninger) is not my actual blood sister.  Yet over the last year and 4 months I feel that is the type of relationship we had formed while living together.  She is such an amazing woman of God who married her prince charming.  The wedding was gorgeous and screamed Alexa in style and decor.  It wasn't the ceremony, decorations, or even the attire that made their wedding so special.  What made their wedding so special were their testimonies.  They were able to stand before the church and their families and say that they were pure and this would be their first kiss!  The fact that they could say this is so unique in our generation, but definitely an encouragement for the next generation of young people in our church. Congratulations Alexa and Jason Benniner!!  It still feels weird to say that, but I love it at the same time.  I haven't seen much of my Lex since she got back from her honeymoon, but what I have seen makes my heart happy.  She is such a radiant, happy, adorable newlywed!

To be continued. . .

What does RN stand for?

Each nurse that you encounter throughout your life will have a different story about why they decided to pursue a career in nursing.  Unfortunately some decide on a nursing career because of the money.  There are some that had memorable nurses in their lives that inspired them to become one as well.  No matter the differences in each nurses' story there is a common theme of caring for people. 

My journey towards nursing started my sophomore year of high school.  I had just moved across the country and up until that point I did not have a clue about what I wanted to do with my life after high school.  I did know that doing God's will and being a part of the ministry was to be a major part of my future.  Part of God's will included getting married, yet I did not want to be someone who worked a minimum wage job until Mr. Right came along.  It was not until I was sitting down with the school councilor at my new high school that I realized that I wanted to do something that involved taking care of people.  My counselor then recommended nursing as a possibility.  I immediately latched onto the idea and it slowly began growing roots, becoming part of who I am.  As the years in high school slowly ticked away I began to really think about what I wanted to do as a nurse.  By the time I graduated I had determined that I want to be a pediatric nurse!

Why pediatric nursing?
First, I love children.
Second, I hate seeing children sick and want to fix them, make them better.
Third, the following story is what really tipped the scales towards pediatric nursing.  Growing up in NH there was a family in our church that we were very close to.  Jane, my little sister, was especially close to their youngest boy at the time.  Isaiah was a blonde haired, blue eyed, little guy that enjoyed monster trucks and miniature industrial equipment (i.e. the back hoe was his favorite).  This little angel of a child was diagnosed with a fatal form of leukemia, a type that was normally only seen in adults.  By a miracle of God he survived and went into remission.  About a year later we were informed that the cancer was back and even stronger than ever.  The doctors at Boston Children's Hospital gave little Isaiah a dim prognosis, there was very little chance of remission this time.  Some of my fondest memories of Isaiah were during this second bout with cancer.  I can still hear his little voice saying, "When I get to heaven I want a hamster and a backhoe".  This statement was said with a smile that lit up his pale face; making the observer look beyond the bald head, oxygen tubing, and gray sunken cheeks.  Every time I saw Isaiah, he knew he was not going to make it through this time, but he had such a peace and a joy.  This is what I want to bring to each child's bedside and to each family member standing there beside me.  I want to bring a smile to a sick child's face.  I want to build hope within the hearts of each family member.  I want to comfort the dying child; chasing away all the scary dreams.  I want bring comfort and peace to the families as they travel the journey with their child.  It's not about the pay or the recognition, it's about the young life that has so much more to live for beyond that hospital room.  It's about seeing the soccer field with the child with the broken leg.  The concert stage with the child with the blind kid sitting beside you.  It's about seeing graduation with the adolescent cancer patient.  It's about getting a shot at reaching the all important first birthday with the preemie in the NICU.  This is what I am striving for, what drives me to be the best nurse that I possibly can be.

A Special Day

This day at 2PM 23 years ago a little girl was born with blonde hair and blue eyes.  Her parents were overjoyed at the arrival of their 9lb 4oz, 21" long first born.  They did not know what they future held, but they knew that God held their Bethany Rae firmly within His grasp.

Boooorrrrreeeeeed!

So I have to work late tonight due to coming into work late (lab work took longer than it was supposed to).  Due to the fact that everything is caught up in the office I am just sitting here with nothing to do.  So I decided to update my blog.  I said I was going to do better keeping everyone updated, but didn't think I would do this well!  Don't get too used to it though... this will probably be a once in a lifetime thing.  :)  Oh and mom if you're reading this I am not going to wash a toilet because I said "bored".  Background: growing up if we said the word "bored" we had to wash a toilet or some other disgusting chore that no one wanted to do!

While sitting here I have some time to think.  The subject that keeps popping into my head is birthdays.  This might stem from the fact that mine is next Thursday!  I can't believe that I am going to be 23!!!  My mom got saved when she was 21 and she got married when she was MY AGE!!!!  Crazy!  But it's not just my birthday I keep thinking about... I realized that I know A LOT of people who are born in March and I am trying to keep them all straight!  I would say that one of the most important would have to be my beautiful cousin Janine!  She is going to be 20 in 2 days and I want to wish her the biggest happy birthday ever.  She is no longer a teenager.  This girl is so resiliant and wants to do the will of God above all else.  I am so proud of her for making the right decisions and really seeking God's will in her life.  I know that I have struggled myself in the past with really surrendering and letting God take control.  This is why I give major kudos to Janeeny Boppers!  I will post a pic later so that way you can see what I mean when I say b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!

I just thought of another post idea... I will save it for later.  It was triggered by a question posed by a young friend trying to decide what to do with her future.  So you can thank her for a future post on why I decided to go into nursing and ended up here in Tempe, AZ. :)

Later... finally time for me to go!  In desperate need of church!

My beautiful cousin Janine!!!

Happy Birthday!  I Love You!

Finally a new post... one month later!

So I'm back!! I haven't written in a long time and don't quite know what to write about. First I want to say how proud I am of my sisters. Each one of them inspires me in a different way. For example, Jane pushes me to be physically active. Anne's creativity makes me want to start scrapbooking. Then there is Emily who calls me Sunday night to discuss that night's sermon; which causes me strive to be a better Christian. The Potter's House in Yuma has been going through a transition; as Pastor Foley (my uncle) left for McMinville, OR and Pastor Scarry came in. As Pastor Foley had been in Yuma for a little less than 10 years the people of the Yuma congregation had grown attached to him and his family. This includes my family, especially my sisters. The transition is hard for everyone, but as one very special lady (Kim Badillo) said, "They church seems to be on the cusp of something great." Everyone that I have spoken to, friends and family alike, have been reiterating that statement. With the new pastor and his family a renewing and freshness has arrived, carrying the church towards breakout revival! I am so excited for the church and my family. There is nothing like hearing the excitement of revival over the phone when talking to your family members. It is infectious... I can't wait to see what the future holds for the Yuma church and myself! There is one thing that I know of for sure in the near future... The DARK CIRCUS IS GOING TO YUMA!!! This excites me not just because I'll get to see my family and friends, but it excites me because the Tempe church and I get to have a part in the wave of revival that is coming to Yuma!

Looking forward to all that God is going to do!

This is twin A aka Anne Bananne... the beautiful second oldest 

with our friend Lily

My lovely sister Emily and 2 beautiful girls from Yuma!

This is the gorgeous "little" sister Jane!

Ok time to sign off for the night!  Hopefully this next month I will be better at keeping you all updated!

A Roller Coaster Weekend!

This weekend was full of many happy and sad memories. I will admit that in my mind the happy events outweigh the bad. It all started on Friday afternoon. I got off of work and got ready to go to Yuma. Seeing my family is always a joyous occasion that ends with many new fond memories. This time it was special... there were friends coming with me!!! Those accompanying me to Yuma were: Alexa, Jackie, and . . . . . . . Kevin. As my stories tend to become long and in depth with many unnecessary details I will cut from the car ride scene to the goodbyes in the parking lot. In this scene there are many hugs and happy congratulations. This is because Kevin and I are officially dating. I must admit that it is still odd to say that I am dating! Aaaahhh!!! I don't know who is reading this but I will include a picture so that those who are reading will be able to put a name with a face.



Then on Sunday I found myself back on the road to Yuma. This time for a bittersweet event; the my aunt, uncle, and cousin's farewell service. We moved to Yuma almost 8 years ago to be under the wonderful headship of Pastor Kevin Foley (who also happens to be my uncle). I will admit that I was completely against the move at first as I was leaving my entire life on the east coast. Yet as the years have passed I have come to love and cherish my time in Yuma. It wasn't always easy, but I consider the place where I found myself. Where I discovered who I was as a person and as a Christian. Even though I no longer am a part of that congregation I am looking forward to all that God has for them under the leadership of Pastor Adam Scarry and his family (Stephanie, Logan, Connor, and Sage). We were sad as we said good-bye to not only our beloved pastor, but also our family. Also rejoicing as we welcomed an amazing family into the Yuma congregation.

Family

Just a little background... I grew up in a family of 4 girls and 2 lovely parents. I am the oldest of the 4, with twin sisters in the middle. When living at home one can easily take for granted the importance of the people around you. Whether that be friends, co-workers, but most importantly family. Just over a year ago I left my family and home in Yuma, AZ to pursue my education at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ. At the time I knew I would miss my family, but I did not understand fully the emotions that I would experience over the next year. At first it was ambivalence, I missed them, but I was too busy getting adjusted to a new culture and environment. In other words I was having too much fun being on my own, no longer under my parents rules. Then came the pang of homesickness, here one minute and gone the next. These pains would hit me at random moments. For example, the first time I gave my testimony in the music scene. Afterwards just thinking of how proud my parents and sisters would have been of me. Then comes the feelings that they are missing some of the most important events in my life. Passing the NCLEX, graduating university, meeting a guy, exploring new relationships and moving into future. Yes some of these they have been able to experience in person, but it is not quite the same when they have to leave the next morning. So here is to my family!! Cheers! I love you all and miss you greatly! I can't wait to see you all Friday night and then Sunday. Both will be times of growth and new beginnings for us all, but I'm looking forward to the journey ahead with you all by my side. That journey may not always be physically possible, but I know you are just a phone call away!

Photo: Thanksgiving 2008 at Kevin and Janet Foley's (uncle and aunt) house. From left to right around the table: DADDY, Conor (cousin), Anne (twin A), MOM (hiding), Jane (little sis), Janet (aunty), Emily (twin B), ME, and amazing Uncle Kevin!

First Blog

Hello everyone! This is Bethany and my first attempt at blogging. I was trying to stay away from blogging, but I have been inspired by family members and friends to take it up. This first entry will be short as it is almost 0300 (sorry military time, thanks healthcare). Just an FYI, a 1.5h nap and caffeine are not conducive to falling asleep at a decent hour! :) So due to the fact that I have to get up and get ready for church in 5 hours I will turn in. Looking forward to where this blog leads and what happens.

Good night all,

Bethany Rae