Do-do-da-dooooooo!!!!

That's me tooting my horn. Or blowing my trumpet. Or something like that. We received some good news yesterday!! I don't recall how much of this I've posted on the blogosphere but we've been at a fork in the road for a few months now and have spent a lot of time waiting, praying, hoping. As I'm sure you are ALL aware, Graham is in grad school, enrolled in the Clinical Nurse Specialist track (I'm dumbing this down a lot so my apologies to all you CNSs out there but basically he would work a lot with hospital policy and as a nurse educator, making sure all practices were evidence-based and up-to-date). He chose this path for a number of reasons, one very important one being that his employer would contribute a small (but significant!) amount of money to cover his tuition. The Monday to Friday schedule was also quite appealing as was the ability to specialize in one specific area. 

Over the past year, he has realized that his passion and career desire is actually to be a nurse practitioner. He is so wonderful with patients and their families and has received an overwhelming number of compliments from them in the course of his 5+ years at his job. He has realized that this interaction with people is what invigorates him (trust me, it can also drain him!) and reminds him that he is making a difference in the world. He also will have a much wider degree of opportunity as an ARNP (nurse practitioner), including the potential of traveling abroad to third world countries with me as a medical/nutrition duo, something we have always dreamed about since we started dating.

All this to say, he began the long and somewhat confusing process of attempting to switch tracks, in hopes that there would be room for him in the nurse practitioner part of his current program. We were quite doubtful at times as he's had a few setbacks but we remained hopeful and continued to pray that God would lead us in His direction.

Well, yesterday Graham attended an orientation for next year (when he'll be doing his clinical rotations) and found out he can make the switch!!!!!! I was elated!! I'm pretty sure Graham was excited too but it just wasn't very evident as he's only on day 10 of Spring quarter and is absolutely up to his ears in reading and complicated assignments. He's taking an advanced clinical assessment class this quarter that in his words is "gonna kick my butt." I know he'll do well as he's always been a little smarty pants but it'll take a lot of readjusting as I think he's going to have to spend every waking and free hour reading the mother-of-a-textbook cuddled here beside me.

There are still a lot of uncertainties and unanswered questions (like whether he'll still be able to graduate "on time" -- June 2012-- and where the tuition money will come from since his employer does not pay for nurse practitioners) but we are so very thankful that the Lord continues to guide and provide.