Idols

Hi friends! It's been another month or so since we've shared, time to catch up!

Do y'all struggle with idols? Over here at this house, at least for me, the struggle has been real. The things that I have made into idols are not inherently bad things, but becoming fixated an letting those things consume my thoughts and dictate my happiness have turned some inherently good things sour. 

People close to me have probably heard me rave about these books: quirky "off the beaten path" things to do, see, eat or stay in fun towns across the country, grouped into weekend stays. Instead of continuing to buy each region, I went ahead and bought the whole US book after I found out we were going to Boston. I was so excited to travel and explore a new area again. 

Fast forward to a couple weeks later. My dream of our next fall in Boston was gone because of major delays in obtaining my Massachusetts nursing license and an extremely inefficient Board of Nursing in multiple states. Skimming the pages of this book now makes me very sad. I have made an idol out of traveling: what we've done, what we've seen, places we've been- I have put my self worth in it and it left me broken-hearted.

What was once a sincere desire to see different places and do different things (and it still is there somewhat) has become efforts to impress others and myself. The fact that our plans were deterred to Orlando only a 1.5 hours away seems less impressive than Boston to me. And it doesn't quite add to the variety of places we had hoped to see while I was pursuing travel nursing. 

Things have not turned out the way we have hoped this summer, and our level of disappointment reflects the hope we were putting in our finances. Austin has not had any work since April and multiple unplanned events (a trip to the ER for my kidney stones, apartment fees/woes, failed nursing licenses) have taken their toll and left us worrying about money.

At work I am convicted once again when I think of the time I spend worrying out what other people think (Am I a competent nurse? Am I doing a good job? Do people think I'm lazy?) While I should be motivated more to do a good job for the sake of my patients and their families, I have let being in an unfamiliar environment create anxiety. 

All summer our study at church has been concentrated in Colossians where we are learning what it means to live "the good life." So many teachings in these verses ring true for my issues: 

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. - Colossians 3: 12-17

Be thankful. Work hard in the name of the Lord. Let peace rule. Here is scripture telling me how I should deal with these idols.

So our plans have changed, and we still don't know what the future holds. Please pray for Austin and I as we figure out where we want our careers to take us and what our goals are.

I am excited about Orlando because I will be working days for the first time in my nursing career. Yikes! I'm hoping I will feel better physically and be a more productive human being.  

My mom was able to come for a few days last week (yay!) And she helped us fix up the apartment a bit and we also got the chance to explore and do some things we haven't done in Gainesville yet. It was a fun and relaxing visit!

I have 2 more shifts at the hospital here in Gainesville, then a week off before we start in Orlando. We are busy planning and packing, making sure we can fit everything in the car and we aren't forgetting anything. While I finish out the work week, Austin will be cleaning and packing the apartment. We have one last small group with our church here in Gainesville on Tuesday, my last day of work on Wednesday night, and then an all day drive (while I sleep- thank you Austin!) to my good friend Claire's bachelorette party at the lake house.

So excited for Claire- and a weekend at the lake!

Almost there, folks.  

Forsyth park in Savannah, GA visiting Jonathan a few weeks ago

Out to eat on Tybee! 

A super fun (and frugile!) visit to Disney world with Andrew and Melissa. No parks, just pool hopping! 

I rocked at this game of mini golf. Little did I know that kidney stones would take me down later that afternoon 

My mom came to visit, and it was the best! Popsicles, pizza, cookies, farmers markets, antiquing, Blue Springs (cold!) and of course Gracie Lou came too!! 

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Miami Wedding weekend

We have been preparing all summer for the wedding of 2 of our close friends from Auburn Nic and Stephanie. Part of the reason for taking the Gainesville assignment was so we could be close for their big day in Coral Gables, FL. It was still a 5+ hour drive!

Austin's ready

Austin was asked to be one of Nic's groomsman for this black tie affair. We met Nic and Stephanie during our time at the Auburn Wesley Foundation, the methodist campus ministry at Auburn. We are so thankful for their friendship and we were also thankful for a weekend where we could relive the good times with so many of our friends we met at Wesley. These are good people.

We attempted to do Miami two ways: cheap and with a dog. This was a tall task and not easily accomplished. We found a place to stay on airbnb.com and gained a new friend in Jim, the Miami local whose (cozy but cheap!) backyard apartment was ours for the next three nights. Austin and I can now say we shared a twin bed.

I didn't really know anything about Miami going into this, but I now realize This city is probably the opposite of a place that we like to vacation. Expensive, overcrowded, dreadfully hot, arrogant, and difficult to understand.

I did enjoy this afternoon at the pool, let's focus on the positives 

I'm pretty sure that I am one of the few people that has driven around South Beach for a hour ugly crying because there is no place to park and no dog friendly beaches to be found any where. When we did find the dog friendly "beach" the next day, it was smelly, full of trash, bugs and on the bay. Not for human swimming.

On to the wedding!

Our campus minister David who performed our wedding, he did a great job at this one too!

The wedding was beautiful, and Austin and I had a great time attending our first black tie event celebrating our friends. It was held at the Westin Colonnade in the heart of Coral Gables, very swanky. One of my favorite parts of the day was getting to wear this dress I rented on renttherunway.com (what a genius idea!) It is one of my favorite things I have ever worn, second to my wedding dress. We had fun looking fancy! 

I had to return this dress today and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do 

We are so blessed to have friends like these. We may not see each other but once or twice a year, but you can always count on their support and love. Wedding after wedding I have seen how our Wesley friends are the last ones to leave, keeping the party going until the very end, and cheering the bride and groom out the door. This weekend was no exception. They were all there to support and love the bride and groom, who have shown that same support and love countless times to their friends as well. These are some amazing, talented, loving people and I thank God for their friendship.

The Groom and Austin

So congratulations Nic and Stephanie, we are so happy for you and thankful we could be a part of your big day!

But I probably will never go back to Miami.

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Happy birthday Tucker Melton!

As you might have gathered from last week's tweets, we celebrated Tucker's birthday last Saturday! It has been 2 years since Tucker was born in Montana. We celebrated with swimming, a bath, and some pupcake:

Geez we are obsessed with this dog. He has brought us so much joy, introduced us to new folks and stirred up conversation wherever we go. Thanks for helping us make friends Tucker! I thought I would tell you all the story of how Tucker became a part of our family, with lots of pictures of course! 

We both knew we wanted a dog early in our marriage. Austin was game for anyone he could play frisbee with, while I needed a dog that wouldn't make my allergies go nuts, which is what happens with any shedding and animal hair. We had found a great solution in the goldendoodle (poodle + golden retriever) because they did not shed and had a playful and loving personality. My family had their goldendoodle, Gracie for about a year at this point and we loved her! That is how we were first introduced to our breeder Donna at Suwanee Goldendoodles. 

Our one big hurdle was the price. As newlyweds we didn't really have $1500 to drop on a dog. We decided we would have to save up and wait for a dog. I contacted Donna anyways, voicing our desire for a goldendoodle and asking about upcoming litters and payment plans. Donna then asked us if we were interesting in becoming guardians. 

I had no idea what this meant, but I was thrilled when she gave us the rundown: we would pay for a dog at a discounted price, then spend the next year getting Tucker medically cleared and AKC certified in hopes that he would become a Suwanee Goldendoodles stud. If he sired a successful litter, we would get paid a fraction of the earnings from that litter. We said yes! We would love to be Tucker's guardians. 

Tucker had his first litter of puppies over Christmas with his girlfriend Scout. There were 5 boys and one girl, because "the Melton's only make men" (Austin's words). 

We have loved being Tucker's parents! We take him everywhere we can so he can meet as many people as possible. This summer he has loved playing frisbee on the beach! He starts up good conversations with strangers wherever we go. 

Because of Tucker we have been able to meet new people, share his story, and share our story. "Designer dog" or not, this boy is loved and will provide that same relationship for other families who receive his puppies. 

Lots of hugs to our dood! 

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Gainesville life

First off, I want to tell you all thank you for your prayers and support during this time in our lives. It isn't always easy to be away from our friends and family and we are thankful for those of you that reach out while we are away. We are humbled that you are reading about our adventures here on the blog! 

While there have been several low points here in Gainesville, we are determined that we will make it through the summer! It seems like everyday there is something that isn't working, another fee or amount we are being charged for, or something that has taken longer than we thought. It has left us feeling frustrated, on edge with each other, and wondering if our luck has run out. 

Austin has been looking for work since we moved here because extra projects with SCS (his Alabama company) have dried up for the most part. He has looked for odd jobs on craigslist and the like and had an interview with a company for a part time job of restocking and organizing greeting card displays at stores around town. It has taken several weeks for the interview, the subsequent hiring, and the actual training to take place. As more time goes by during this process the time he will have to actually work has dwindled down, leaving us wondering if it was worth going through all the trouble. Valuable lessons in time management! 

My work has been different than what I have experienced in the past. While I am learning new things and gathering new skills, some nights I feel like the PICU is over my head. It has led me to some serious thinking about my future in nursing: Do I want to work in a PICU, or stick with general pediatrics? Do I want to go back to school and pursue my nurse practitioner degree? Would I like to continue to work in acute care and night shift, or would I like something else like a clinic with a set (days) schedule? 

We both have time now to think through and talk through these things with each other, and we are still interested in pursuing travel nursing assignments until we make more decisions about our future. We ask that you pray for us both as we seek God's will for us in our perspective careers. 

We have been so blessed by our new church home, City Church in downtown Gainesville. We were able to start attending our small group a few weeks ago and it has brought joy and much needed community in our lives. Again we are so thankful for those that are willing to reach out and share their community with us and make us feel at home. We have loved getting to know you, hanging out with you, and talking through the gospel with you. 

I think it's so amazing that new city like Gainesville can feel so cold, big, and lonesome until just a few folks reach out and create a space for you. It has made me see the city differently. Friends suggest new things to do or restaurants to try or invite us to things and all of a sudden this place has memories and moments that are special to us. 

My contribution to a poetry contest at a museum night we attended with new friends

The view from atop the St. Augustine lighthouse, a super fun day trip! 

Watching the USA match with some new friends 

Beautiful Rainbow Springs- We are loving all the springs, (a secret I didn't know Florida was keeping until we moved here) they are amazing! 

Thank you Florida and friends! 

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Learning to Love our Story

Our story has been one of frustration lately. For me, anyways.

Our new assignment has brought frustration in a lot of ways and left me feeling like a major grumpy cat. Crappy medical insurance. Another dinner that didn't turn out right because of our lack of kitchen supplies. Tough nights at work that leave me crying in the elevator. Austin's unsuccessful job search. New expenses popping up everywhere we turn. I feel like I'm walking around with a rain cloud over my head, wondering what bad thing will happen next.

All this has left me wondering: is this all worth it? What are we doing? What are we going to do now?

My mother-in-law shared a devotion with me this morning that spoke to exactly the way I was feeling. I am so thankful for her, and these words.

"But I love my story. I love my story most of all.

Why? How?

Because I pre-decided that I would.

I decided I would look at it all through the lens of noticing the rich evidence of life through each mess and mishap.

Did I do it all perfectly? Nope, not at all.

But even if we choose to be noticers with thankful hearts just once today, we'll start to look at our stories in a different way.

A more beautiful way.

I remembered our key verse, Philippians 1:3, where Paul says "I thank my God every time I remember you." I have plenty of reminders each day to thank God for the people in my life. To rejoice over every piece of my story. 

So I whispered, "Notice. Be a noticer. See all the fun represented here and thank God for these moments." 

So I'm gonna be a noticer! Well, at least I will try. I'll start by telling you all about some really great things that happened in the past few weeks.

We went on vacation with my family to Pawley's Island, SC in the middle of May. The week started out with a wedding of the daughter of some dear family friends. My parents met the Grahams when they had first moved to Virginia and started attending church where Mark was the pastor. I met Mark the day I was born (which just happened to be his birthday too!) and our whole family is still blessed by our friendship with Mark, his wife Rena, and their two daughters Kate and Emily over the years.

Wedding weekend included dinner and dancing on Friday night, an intense Saturday morning and afternoon of decorating the reception venue, and then a beautiful wedding presided over by Pastor Mark Graham himself at the arrogantly shabby Pawley's Island Chapel. We celebrated (and then helped super Cindy clean up all of her amazing wedding decor) at the reception afterwards. I loved hearing Mark explain each of the Beatitudes as it pertained to Kate and Dave's marriage and seeing the devotion and friendship my mother and Rena shared even though they had not lived close to each other in over 20 years.

Decorating (and testing) the getaway car

These Doods loved the beach

The Sykes family usually doesn't do the beach vacation thing and instead opts for more outdoor adventures, but I think a week at the beach is just what we needed. It was so relaxing spending time with my mom and dad sitting on the beach while watching Austin and my brothers throw the frisbee all afternoon while the dogs chased it back and forth. We stayed at an amazing beach house, watched movies, played games, and helped my mom cook yummy dinner. And there were alligators! I'm so thankful for that time with my family. It had been over 4 months since I had spent time with my brothers!

Enjoying the porch at the house

These guys were everywhere!

A bike ride on the beach!

We haven't spent a whole let of time in Gainesville itself, except for when I'm working. We also went to visit Orlando earlier this week and spend some time with Austin's brother and sister-in-law. We had a great day the next day hitting some fun spots around the city: a boat tour around the lakes in Winter Park, lunch at a trendy coffeeshop, and and afternoon watching wakeboarders navigate the lake at the Orlando Watersports Complex. We ended the day sneaking into some of the pools at Disney Resorts and having dinner poolside- it was awesome!

A very scenic boat tour, indeed!

Stardust Coffee and Video = a very cool lunch spot

The dog cracks me up, and our "36 Hour in the Southeast" has led us to some very fun places!

Orlando Watersports Complex

Using the Port Orleans Swimming pool, quite illegally

I'm certainly bummed to be going back to work tonight. Work has been different from my assignment in Albuquerque in a few ways. Because it is a stepdown unit and I have 1-2 patients instead of 3-4, it operates more like an ICU than the regular floor. I haven't met as many people because we are not going back to a common nurses station to chart, instead we all have our own alcove. The past couple weeks my assignment has been in a corner that has left me by myself with a few visitors. My patients have been challenging, not nursing skill wise but more behavioral and needs wise. Needless to say I miss my ABQ job, and my friends : (

And on that note, I miss all of you! Being away from our friends and family is hard, and we treasure all the time spent in person, on the phone, or using communication of any kind. We love you all!

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Transitions

It has been such a blessing to have these past two weeks of vacation in between assignments. Time has been spent driving, packing, seeing old friends, and completing necessary things before we start in Florida.

As I stood atop furniture in our storage unit and pointed out to Austin the box we needed to get to that had all of our summer clothes (that one, on the very bottom) I found myself wondering if our nomadic pursuits are worth all the trouble.

Not that I don't love exploring the US with my husband and our dog, but not everything has been easy. I miss cooking a home cooked meal with all of my kitchen supplies. The endless red tape and requirements needed to satisfy state nurse licensing boards is something I don't look forward to repeating in 3 months. We are slowing acquiring duplicates of home goods that we didn't have to foresight to get out of storage and now suddenly need. My life feels nowhere near "together" or close to where we want to end up one day.

Nor does the majority of the public understand or sympathize with plight right now. A lady at the farmers market slowly backed away after I casually mentioned that we were living out of our car at the moment. It stinks to not have a place where you are established.

We have been so thankful for hospitable friends and family. Home-cooked meals and a comfy place to sleep are valuable things, especially these days. So thank you to those who made us feel at home. It means more than you know.

This weekend has been spent adjusting to our new town, apartment, and climate in Gainesville, Florida. Our apartment overlooks a lake with trees and hanging moss (possibly alligators? Tucker watch out!) and we have worked hard to use what we have to make it feel like home. For a little while at least.

Goals for this assignment/summer include:

• Eating healthier! We do love going out to eat and finding fun restaurants in a new city, but now that we have access to a kitchen and kitchen supplies, we want to be more in control of what we are eating. We are attempting to incorporate way more fruits and veggies, less carbohydrates and less processed foods in hopes of losing weight and feeling better
• Exercising regularly! We have never been apartment owners, but we are super excited about access to a free gym! MELTONS GET FIT SUMMER 2014!
• Gospel centered living- We were blessed to be part of a great church in Albuquerque and we hope that we can find an awesome community here too. That is one of the things I love about traveling, Christ's family stretches everywhere and I love hearing different people's stories
• Sight-Seeing- WE ARE TWO HOURS FROM DISNEYWORLD. But I'm sure we'll make time for some other awesome spots too. Savannah, St. Augustine, Miami- can't wait!

We would love your prayers, as always. Let us know how we can pray for you! If you want to stay in touch, feel free to email me and I can send you our address: ellen.sykes@gmail.com

We love you!

Ellen, Austin, and Tucker

Tucker looking for gators

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Good Eats and the best of ABQ

ABQ was quite an adventure. So very different from the southeast in good and not so good ways. It is definitely the most diverse place I ever lived, and the culture reflects that. 

Going out to eat was one of my favorite ways to explore the city (duh). We often ate out under the guise of 'exploring the city'. Okay, okay I won't cook dinner. 

I have been thinking about this post since we got here and I have made my choices. 

Here are some of my favorites:

B2B Bistronomy

Best burger in Albuquerque, hands down

This place located in the heart of Nob Hill is oh so delicious. We didn't learn about it until the beginning of April from some friends in our small group and we have been twice since then. They have yummy local beers, fun sauces to try with your fries, and all local ingredients for the burgers. Geez it's good. 

Satellite Coffee

This coffee joint local to ABQ has several locations around the city and was a great place to sit and hang out. They made my coffee perfect every time. Ask Austin how many times I asked him to stop there on the way home. 

Standard Diner

You have your fair share of diners to choose from as you drive down Route 66, but after trying this one we didn't see the need to try any others. They make terrific breakfast and Sunday brunch, have an awesome beer selection, and have yummy apps and zerts. LOVE

Golden Crown Panaderia

After eating at a not so good pizza place, some of our friends introduced us to this bakery close to our house. The owner treats everyone who visits the counter to order with a free biscochito, a cinnamon sugar Mexican cookie. Other baked goods include empanadas, fresh loaves of bread, and different pizza crusts (blue corn and green chile). Their pizza has my heart.  

Golden Pride and Frontier

These are two restaurants with the same(ish) menu located at opposite ends of UNM's campus. Golden Pride can boast THE BEST BREAKFAST BURRITO YOU WILL EAT EVER. I will seriously miss NM breakfast. Huevos Rancheros for life. Why would anyone want to eat anything other than breakfast food?

Frontier is like a New Mexican Varsity, serving up just about everything for dirt cheap. Located right across the street from campus, it is open almost 24 hours. This is the first place we stopped to eat in Albuquerque! Don't miss the sweet roll!

Vinaigrette 

For a healthier option, this is a fun and unique spot that serves a variety of salads. While the original is located in Sante Fe, this one was right around the corner from our house. Just because you like salads doesn't mean you hate yourself, and this place is always packed to prove that : ) You could always get the mac and cheese appetizer too. 

Marble Brewery

We visited this downtown brewery while our friends Jon and Natalie were in town and it was so fun! They have lots of beers, live music most nights, and food trucks parked outside. If you don't want food from the food truck you can bring anything you want! They have a special Breaking Bad beer that they make. And Tucker got to go! 

If you are every in Albuquerque give one of these places a try! The one thing we were disappointed by was the Mexican food, ironically. There is no white queso cheese dip to be found anywhere. Also most plates are smothered with green or red chile (spicy!) unless you ask for it on the side. It is an acquired taste, much like New Mexico itself.

Fun game: see if you can find 3 Parks and Rec references in this post : )

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