It's Official!

I am officially graduating in May!!! I took my huge COMPS test last Friday and needed to pass in order to be allowed to graduate. Friday night I received an e-mail that said I passed! Thanks to everyone who prayed, called and sent messages while I was preparing for my big test!

Tag! I'm it

I've been tagged by Kristin

Ten years ago...
I was 13 years old and an eighth grader at Briarhill Middle School. I was a proud member of the Briarhill Band and rocked out on my bass clarinet. I had just realized bangs were no longer in style and was desperately trying to grow mine out as fast as possible. I was also sporting an amazing set of braces! Those were not my best years :)

My to-do list today
Wake up late and snuggle in bed with my husband
Make a morning run to Starbucks
Go grocery shopping
Buy computer paper
Go to Jess's baby shower
Finish laundry
Study for my COMPS test (aka Two-years-of-grad-school-mean-nothing-if-you-don't-pass-this test)

What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire
Buy Craig a new truck and season tickets to the Mavericks
Pay off school loans for my sister and me
Buy my parents new cars and finish remodeling their house
Buy a house
Adopt ten kids
Open a pediatric clinic with speech, physical and occupational therapy for kids without insurance.
Give to the Denton Campus so we could finish renovations
Go shoe shopping

Five jobs I've had
Children's Ministry Intern at Highland Village First Baptist Church (now known as The Village)
Fashion consultant and cash register operator at Old Navy
Clerk at Dry Clean Super Center (Hooray for free dry cleaning!)
Filed papers and typed stuff on the computer at Paradigm Engineering
Resident Assistant at UT
** In two months I will be able to add Speech Pathologist **

Five things people don't know about me
1. I never let my gas go below a quarter of a tank because I have a huge fear of running out of gas. I always check the amount of gas in any car I'm in. So if you ever give me a ride, please fill up your tank :)
2. I stole Barbie clothes from my next door neighbors when I was little. Yes, I've repented and asked for forgiveness.
3. I'm very self conscious about my head size. I never wear my hair in a ponytail because I think it makes my head look bigger. I also make Craig lean forward in pictures so my head won't seem huge compared to his. God just blessed me with a big brain and he had to create a large head to house it. (That's what I tell myself to make me feel better)
4. I strongly believe that one day I will just wake up and no longer be tone deaf.
5. I can't stand anything underneath my nails and constantly pick at them.

Three of my worst habits
1. I drive like a grandma -- always go exactly the speed limit
2. I hate putting my clothes away. Craig will lay my clean clothes out on the bed, hoping that before I go to sleep I will put them away, but I just move them to the dresser or the chair or even the floor of my closet. Today I finally put away last Saturday's clothes.
3. I took sign language in college and sometimes I still sign when I talk.

I think all my blogging buddies have been tagged but if you haven't... you're it!

Snow Day!

Yesterday Craig and I came home to a Winter Wonderland! We couldn't believe the amount of snow around our apartments.





Who do you think won the snowball fight?

Down but not out

It's been FOR-EVER since our last blog and I'm sure many of you were wondering if the Northcutts had abandoned the blogging world. But have no fear -- we are back! The last few weeks have just been a little crazy:

Craig started back at school in January and has been working hard to balance his job and school work. Last semester, Craig found out that he would not be allowed to graduate in May. He only had 13 hours left but two of the classes could not be taken simultaneously. It was a big disappointment when we found out he would have to go two more semesters and graduate in December. I know Craig was frustrated and so anxious to be done with school but he kept saying that God is sovereign and He had a reason for allowing this to happen. Well, now we know the reason! Craig is taking two very demanding classes. There is no way he could've handled all 13 hours. At least once a week, one of us mentions how glad we are that his schedule got messed up. I guess Garth Brooks said it best... Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

I started an internship at Our Children's House at Baylor and am working there full time this semester. This had created a change in our home life since I am not at home much anymore. I worried about being able to have job and get everything done around the house but my husband has been INCREDIBLE. He always has dinner ready or at least started, he helps with laundry and doing housework, (He's going to be so embarrassed that I posted this but I felt I just had to brag about him)!

My internship has been a great learning experience and lots of fun and also A LOT of work. I have learned that working full time is not as glamorous as I thought it would be and that college life was pretty good. I leave the house about 6:45 am and don't return until 7 at night, physically exhausted and emotionally drained. It has been a challenge to get use to this schedule but I am learning more than any class or textbook could teach me. My greatest lessons have been about God's grace and the undeserving love He has for me. I have always felt blessed for the things God has given me -- family, friends, a place to live but I have never thanked Him for myself. I now realize that He created a miracle in me. I am grateful for every breath I take because it's breath taken without the assistance of a ventilator. Grateful for every step I take because it's a step without the support of a wheelchair. Grateful for every word I speak because I can say them freely without struggle. The body He created for me is not what I deserve and His love overwhelms me.

So for now, life is crazy, unpredictable and at times, so wonderful!

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve will always be a special night for Craig and me. Three years ago tonight, Craig asked me to be his wife. It's a night that I'll never forget and a story that I love to tell. I wish I had pictures of the occasion but I think everyone was too excited to get a camera. The whole event is captured on film but I'm not technology-savvy enough to figure out how to get it on the blog. Plus, I had just donated my hair to locks-of-love and my chubby checks with short hair did not equal a good combination. Anyway, Thanksgiving 2004, Craig and I were at the mall when he asked me if I wanted to look at rings. Trying not to be too presumptuous, I asked, "Rings? What kind of rings?" To my excitement, Craig replied, "engagement rings." Now, Craig and I already been dating for about 3 1/2 years by then and of course the topic of marriage had come up but we were both still in school and dating long distance so I was definitely surprised when he wanted to look at rings, but there was no way I was going to question it! After looking at rings and telling him which ones I liked, I didn't want to push the issue. But I couldn't help getting excited inside -- I mean this had to be it! I remember telling my sister that I just knew Craig would ask me at Christmas. I mean, what guy wants to spend money on an engagement ring and a separate Christmas present? Now, I am by no means a patient person. I was the kid that went searching for Christmas gift early and I spoil surprises because I always try to figure things out. So every time Craig and I talked, I tried to pick up on any clues to when he would ask. One time Craig mentioned he was going out to eat with my dad and I just knew they were going to have "the talk." This may have seemed like a pretty good clue, but Craig and my dad hang out all the time so it was really nothing out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, I was sure it had to mean something. I pictured all these scenerios in my head of how he would ask me. I even practiced acting surprised and saying "yes" in the mirror. Well Christmas came and went, without a proposal. I was so disappointed but I couldn't let Craig know what I had been hoping for. On New Year's Eve, Craig's parents had their usual party at their house and both of our families were there. We started playing Pictionary and Craig went up to draw. He picked up a card and said, "Angela, you should be able to get this one." He started drawing a ring with a diamond and two stick figures. I guessed every engagement-proposal-diamond related word I could think of, never picking up on the hint. My competitive nature was too concerned about winning the game than a marriage proposal. He laughed and said, "I don't think you are going to get it" and then pulled out a ring. I was completed shocked. After weeks of anticipating this moment, he had caught me completely off guard. I was so surprised that I don't even remember every thing he said, just that he asked and I said "YES!"

Once upon a time...

Last night, I had the privilege of baby-sitting for Maggie and Linley Phillips – two of the sweetest little girls ever! They are such a joy to take care of and being around them reminds me of growing up with my little sister. Well, last night was especially fun. Maggie has this little suitcase full of wonderful girly goodies, like dress-up clothes, necklaces, tiaras, and fancy shoes – everything you need to be a princess! She put on each outfit about three different times and then decided that I also needed a makeover. She combed my hair, painted my toenails (don’t worry – it was with pretend paint) and gave me lots of necklaces and hair bows to put on. Once she was finished, she looked at me and said, “so pretty.” So us two princesses started twirling around the room when a song came on. It was “The Way You Look Tonight” by Tony Bennet. I couldn’t help smiling to myself and thinking that inside every woman is a little girl who wants to put on a fancy dress and twirl around to music. God created a woman’s heart to long to be the princess and He is our Savior, our Prince of Peace and the Ruler of our hearts. So here is to little princesses in all of us – I hope you are all feeling “so pretty!”

New Discovery

In honor of the first Thanksgiving and the Pilgrims discovering how to cook and live in new land of America, I would like to share my latest discovery. Let me set the scene: Craig and I wandered out from our comfortable homeland and embarked on a journey to a new land, we call Walmart. After a slight delay in the air freshener aisle and a wrong turn by the shampoos, we found what we were searching for... nail clippers. It was then that I discovered there are two kinds of nail clippers -- fingernail clippers and toe nail clippers! I never knew the small clippers were supposed to be used for your fingers. Craig asks, "What in world did you think they were for?" I said, "You know, when your make-up bag is so full and you can't fit the big clippers in there." Craig was surprised and probably a little embarrassed that I had no idea there were two separate clippers.
Now that I seem to be the dullest crayon in the box, I have to give my defense. It makes perfect sense to assume the little clippers were for traveling. I mean there is now a whole aisle at Target devoted to travel-size products. And if we are all perfectly honest, there is no need to have two different nail clippers. The big ones work just as good on your fingers as they do on your toes. It's just one more thing to clutter up the bathroom counter. Enough excuses, I guess I just have to face the facts that I am lacking in street smarts. Well in this case, street smarts = common sense.