Stones round 2

It's been awhile! I am now a NIU graduate with my Master's of Fine Arts degree and a real job at NIU recruiting students to come experience the School of Art! I can't believe that the day has come, well 3 weeks ago, that I finally have just a job, no school to go along with it. It's amazing how I feel like I need to be doing something for work all the time because that is how I felt at school. I feel guilty that I don't do everything I didn't finish during the day at home that night. I am still getting familiar with that idea.
Ryan finished his first semester at NIU with great grades and is still working at UPS in the morning then stays to pick up hours driving until about noon each day. I love that I married a man that is willing to work hard, even when he doesn't like the work, to provide the means for us to save and give!
Over Memorial weekend we traveled to Kansas City to see our good friends! It was a great time! Ethan has grown so much and is the funniest kid I have ever seen! I think my favorite times were him making MMM sounds eating garlic and herb cheese spread and pulling Ryan out of his seat to go to the park! HOW CUTE! Meeting Titus was also amazing. How different he is than his brother, already! Titus is really laid back and generally happy no matter what's going on. Ethan definitely was more curious at 2 months than Titus seems to be; Titus is just fine doing nothing. Elizabeth looked great and is such a great mom! How beautiful is was to see her raising her kids to love and respect her, Trevor and our Father! All-in-all I had such a good time and really miss having their friendship close by! (Sorry that doesn't mean we are moving to KC anytime soon) :(
While we were getting in the car to leave KC and Ryan tells me he needs to go to the doctor when we get home. Ryan is never the one to say that, usually it's me telling him we need to go because he doesn't feel well. This time he knew what was going on though...Kidney stones, again. We have made it 1 1/2 years since the first experience with these things. This time Ryan had two large (5mm and 7mm) stones stuck in the kidney. We scheduled lithotripsy for this last Friday and the night before one of the stones moved in the ureter. This is somewhat painful, but more annoying because that meant the doctors could only target the stone in the ureter to be broken up. So that's what they did, but after hitting Ryan 2500 times, the doctor wasn't sure he got the stone broken enough. Needless to say, Ryan has been in bed for the last two days, getting up to eat and for church but has had a fever the whole time and just doesn't feel well. Please pray for him through this process. We don't know what they are going to advise for the other stone still in the kidney, but so far we are just hoping this first stone passes and they don't have to go in and get it out! Ouch! Ryan also begins school on Monday the 15th of June. Pray that all this is healed before than as well!
Other than the never-ending health issues, we are doing great! I am working out again, trying to lose some weight and tracking calories on livestrong.com and taking vitamins. Ryan and I are figuring this whole being healthy and getting into a routine with meals and school thing out! I can say I am truly blessed.

The Finish Line

Okay, so the end of the semester is upon us here at the Wells household! I have finished the writing part of my documentation and am now on to the laying it out and making sure all the required text is where it needs to be! Basically, I am DONE! My students are not though. Finals begin next week for my 3D class and they are slightly stressed out. I am super excited, but they really do have a lot going on right now. (Other exams and studio classes) Ugh- I remember those days!
Ryan is feeling the pressure as well. He is doing great, but as a perfectionist, he wants to do better. So studying is in the near future for him over these last two weeks of school. Then break time! Not from the 3am wake-up calls, but at least from classes.
We are both still waiting to here about job possibilities. Mine is the recruitment position at NIU and Ryan's is the possible graduate assistantship for accountancy. Hopefully, I will be able to post here soon that we both received something! Please pray for these opportunities in our lives, but no matter what happens, we know that God is good and has a plan for us!
Next week we are watching the Brandon kids and Ringo while they are away. We will have a 10 and 13 year-old boys...I am excited and curious to see how the week goes. They are great boys so I expect to have a lot of fun with some homework in there!
The month of May is already getting so busy! My friend Anna is having a bridal shower on the 2nd, there is a youth retreat the 1st and 2nd, the 8th is a show opening in Chicago, the 15th is my show opening here in DeKalb, the 16th is Hannah's bday and Anna's Bachelorette party, the 19th is my Lia Sophia party and then Ry and I are traveling to Kansas City for Memorial Weekend! Hopefully, I will get to go home at some point during the first part of the month! I really miss Louisville and my family!
Hope everyone is doing well!

Easter Photo Essay

The blur of the morning

Ryan and Troy goofing off like usual!

Dave, brightening the morning for many!

Jessica and me prepping fruit

Nick and Andrew taking care of the pancakes

Carbs and protein, what else do you need?

The ensemble that sang beautifully!

Pastor Steve getting into the Word!

Growing Up Girl

MFA Show

Framing Costs: 879.96
(After a rushed order for frame parts): 927.87

Mat cutting costs: 156.44

Photo paper cost: 200.00

Printing Images: 35.00

Storage boxes for extra prints: 53.85

Website design fee: 250.00

Website domain and hosting fees: 55.54

Show Postcards and business cards: 100.00

Cut vinyl for show title: 20.00

Food for reception costs: about 300.00

Total to have an MFA show: 2098.70

Being one step closer to finishing my MFA degree and not stressing out: Priceless!

No News

Okay well, I have been back to the doctor twice, once for another urine analysis and the second for a CT Scan with and without contrast dye...and still no news! It is very frustrating to have to wait, in pain, for an answer because your doctor doesn't work on the weekend! So Monday morning I am calling to find out if I need further treatment or just have to suck it up and try to live through the mysterious pain. AHHHH

I am currently sitting at my computer writing my senior comprehensive exam responses...well procrastinating at writing them...They have been started, which is the hardest part, but I have a hard time focusing my thoughts when it comes to my own artwork. I foresee a couple late nights tonight and tomorrow :) :( Other school news is that I dropped off some images to the framer today! YAY! MCR Framing is cutting all the mat board and backing for the images and should be finished next week when I begin the framing process! So the show stuff is coming right along! I will soon have my own website too. A friend is helping me build the site at a slight fee and I am super excited to have it! Can't wait! I will post the link when it is complete.

Did I mention that I would really like a puppy! A goldendoodle would be perfect right now.

Update!

It's been awhile. Life is still humming along...my show is about 3 weeks away and I though I would be super stressed about it. Either I am in denial or have faith that everything will get done! I like to think it is the second option :) I still have my moments of freaking out, but not too bad at all.
The recent news has been that Ryan and I are sick! We both got the flu this past weekend, mine seemed to be a cold that just wouldn't go away & then turned very bad whereas Ryan has just caught what I have and Dayquil seems to be helping. I went to the doctor for my body aches plus my "cold" that hadn't gone away after 2 weeks of mucinex dm. The doc gave me a prescription of a z-pack and 800mg of Ibprofen...my body feels better, but the doctor seemed concerned that my back had been hurting for 3 weeks when I hadn't injured it from working out(another pain in my life :)...so she ordered a urine analysis...well I just got the call that I don't have a UTI, but there is blood in my urine. So I go back Monday to see if I have kidney stones or a kidney infection! I think it is because I married Ryan and God wanted me to have sympathy for him when he gets his stones in the future! So I am on fever watch right now and am suppose to go back if my fever returns before Monday.
No news on the job front other than it is still a possibility...so still waiting to hear anything about interviews and such. I will keep everyone posted when I know more.

Ellie only has about 3 weeks until Titus James is born!!!!!!!! Can't wait to meet him!

Truckin' Along

So 2009 is moving along smoothly so far, but you know how when that starts happening, you have a tendency to just let it move and aren't intentional with ANYTHING in your life...Well, I am there! Realizing this, I plan to step away from the contentment monster and get back to work!
List of things to do:
- Continue to photograph! Show coming very soon...less than one month to prepare!
- Keep sending out job applications and constantly update the resume!
- Continue my walk with growing closer to Christ! Prayer time is a must!
- Design my show postcards and build a website
- Stay up-to-date with friends...proving to be most difficult right now
- Stick to my new workout routine
- Encourage Ryan in work and school! He is such a big help and a great partner for me!
- Play some and laugh a lot

The playing some hasn't been too difficult to maintain, but I can feel that sense of laziness coming back :(

On a good note, I have a show opening in Gallery 214 at NIU next week! It is sort of an impromptu' photography show that Kim Strom is curating! She is awesome and I love being in her shows! The show, Foto 2009, is up from February 2-15 with a closing reception sometime around the 12th! Can't wait! I am in the process of looking for more shows around the region and writing some show proposals for hopefully a spot in Louisville. I will keep you updated on that front.
Pray for a potential job for me. I don't want to give too many details, but there is an amazing opportuinty that I was approached about to gage my interest, but not a job offering, at NIU. It would be a full time job starting soon that would potentially delay my graduation by a semester, but it would give Ryan and I a much needed increase in funds to help pay down my school loan and save for his upcoming semesters. And maybe save for some other future plans as well! We are in-waiting right now about where the university is going and what kind of person they are wanting to hire. Please pray!
Not much else is going on...Ryan and I started p90x, a workout routine, that is kicking our butts! My brother gave it to us for Christmas and so far so good. You workout at home, but wow...I can feel it! So maybe that next time you see us in bathing suits we will be buff! At least that's my hope :)