Our weekend

This weekend we got to break in our new (Christmas money) snowshoes with our awesome friends Jess and Jenn. We hiked for about 4 hours. The first hour was hard work, but after that, a ton of fun!

 Jess and Jenn

 Finally getting up above tree line

 Jenn and I

 My love and me! And the beauty God created!

 Jess and Jenn and their awesome snow dog :)

 Stephen skiing down on his snow shoes

And last but not least, the latest edition to our Zerlang family :) All the houseplants were 33% off at the awesome greenhouse down the street. 

Last week was test week for both of us so we ended it with a little fun. 

This week is study week for both of us. The studying never ends.

Your prayers would be appreciated for us as we study and yet continue to do our best to keep our eyes on eternity. 

Its a busy week ahead but we are looking forward to it.

Thanks for your prayers,

Hannah

Pictures from last weeks shower

Here are some pictures from the baby shower I helped host last week :)

 Yummy treats (it was fun to pull out all my decorative and party ware.)

The mommy on the far right is the one we were celebrating :) Heather's baby is coming any day!

After much frustration, I succeeded in making a diaper cake. Its a lot harder than I expected! 

Oh Denver

So lets see, its Wednesday. Monday it was 56 degrees and sunny and today it snowed :) awesome! I have to say though, I really enjoy the snow. It new, its cold, and it BEAUTIFUL! I have dreaded the weather here in Denver since last January when we got the acceptance call from Rocky Vista, but I really am liking it. I know, seems crazy.

Thats it :) Its 9:30 which means bedtime in the Zerlang house!

Love you all,
Hannah

Sun and Snow

So I am currently sitting outside on our patio trying to soak up some sun into my white skin (and when I say white I mean it! This skin no longer resides in Southern California) and this is my current view

Yep folks, that's snow I am looking at. Although its melting really fast, its still pretty thick. Needless to say I am outside in shorts and a tank top :)

Haven't blogged for a while because its been a little hectic around here. Stephen and I both had tests on Tuesday after only being in school for a week and I co-hosted a baby shower last night for one of the women in our young marrieds group. It was a blast! I was able to share a little devotion and decided to focus on Mary's prayer of exultation to the Lord in Luke 1. (side note: giving a devotion at a baby shower to 26 moms is really nerve racking, but I made it) Anyways, while thinking about this passage while leading up to last night, the Lord opened my eyes to some things. Here's part of the passage

"And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my sipirt rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Might One has done great things for me - holy is his name" Luke 1:46-49

A few things to point out:
1. We usually think, "Well of course she is praising God, she just found out she is bearing his son!" but in reality she was facing a lot more than that! She was going to persecuted, looked down upon for the rest of her life. She was going to possibly lose her fiance or even her life. These are a few of the many things that Mary could have been setting her mind upon these first days after the angle brought her the news. But she chose to focus her mind elsewhere!
2. The irony that she says "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"... God her savior was a microscopic being inside her tummy.
3. She is completely humble before the Lord. So although she is not focusing on the trials that come along with this pregnancy, she is also not thinking she earned this in any sence.

So how does this apply? Well how often has God chosen us for a task that, although might be really cool, also comes with many trials, much persecution, and possible death? And how have we responded? In worry? or in praise, adoration, and complete trust? Mary didn't know what the rest of her life was going to look like. The angle didn't tell her anything beyond the birth of her child. But she trusted, she praised, and she chose to set her mind on the glory and goodness of her savior!

Anyways, still pretty thrilled with this example laid out in God's word!

Other than that...
Nursing schools going good. Getting more in the hang of things (including public transportation). Meeting some other Christians in my class, but at the same time beginning to build relationships with unbelievers.
Stephen's doing good! finishing nephrology on Tuesday and then on to endo/repro.
Looking forward to dinner tomorrow night with T Jeffcoach and his girlfriend (who we can't wait to meet!)
And that's it folks :)
Much Love,
Hannah

Conquoring Downtown Denver

Monday morning, standing in the dark and below freezing temperatures waiting for the light rail (very nice above ground "subway" that exists in Denver), I realized that not only was I starting nursing school, but I was becoming a city girl, out to conquer Denver. Why? because to me, being a regular of public transportation is about as city as it gets.

My nursing school is located right downtown in the heart of Denver. Don't fret though, Denver is the cleanest and "safest" felling downtown I have ever been in. Its been a hard journey to grieve leaving Biola's nursing program and all that I loved about it, but there is not one doubt in my mind I/we are where we are supposed to be. (but that doesn't negate the need to grieve :). So coming up to the start of school at this new place that does things different from Biola and is filled with all kinds of different people and professors, I was having a hard time having any excitement about starting school again. (Also, "school when your married is more like work", thanks mom for always verbalizing what I am realizing but can't put into words) but PRAISE GOD, sunday evening I started feeling a little excited about it! I know this was God and the prayers of his people.

So through the teaching on the premordial soup, the "fact" that our amino acids came from aliens, and plenty of other evolution, I am Excited to be back in nursing school again! I love learning! I think online classes last semester made me forget that. And I get to study with my HUSBAND! :) i meet him at his school library and we sit across from each other and study all afternoon! And even when not a words said, we're still hanging out :)

And today I discovered that right next to my nursing school is a sweet cooking school that has a cheep and really good coffee shop with discounts for nursing students! Mhhh that coffee was good!

I could go on and on, but its time to hit the sack. I am pretty sure we got to bed earlier that all our parents and grandparents :)

Thanking God for his goodness,
Hannah