Christmas Break: Good or bad?

Isn't it weird how everything can be going to wonderfully and then take a turn for the worst? So much has happened since I last logged in to create a post, so here's your update...

The boyfriend and I decided to end our relationship. I honestly think it's a good change for both of us, though, because we need some time to reevaluate everything in our lives. We're both busy, and I know that if we're meant to be together, it'll happen. If not, it's cool, too. Either way, it just takes time.

On a good note, I was asked to help form an 80's cover band. We're going to try to perform in local bars and restaurants starting in February-ish, and we're going to be doing songs by Bryan Adams, Def Leppard, Pat Benatar, etc. It's going to be pretty cool! :)

Back to the bad stuff... Around the beginning of November, CeCe (our dog) started having seizures. We found out that it was basically due to her food having too much protein for her because she was 11 years old. It made her liver not process correctly, which created ammonia that was sent to the brain. We started to get that under control, and then she turned a corner weirdly, fell, and popped her hip out of socket. She was in so much pain, so my parents rushed her to our vet. She couldn't stand on her own, but after we started working with her, she finally was able to stand after about 2 or 3 weeks of home therapy. Her strength enabled her to be ready to have surgery to correct her hip, and she began to recover fine from the surgery, but once she returned home, she started having bad seizures again. We took her back to the vet, and she kept having worse seizures. It was horrible because she went into a coma with no chance of survival, so we had to put her down. It was an extremely difficult time for all of us... she was my "sister" and was there for all of my memories from the past 11 years. My parents were, and still are, having a hard time with her passing because she was what kept them sane when I was at school. It's weird to come home without her greeting us or hearing her bark when the hot water heater turns on... but I know she's not hurting anymore. That's definitely a comforting thought even though we miss her so much. This was also a time that made me truly appreciate the "small things." During CeCe's rehabilitation time at home, she had trouble standing up, walking, going to the bathroom or doing any other small things. I remember one time where she finally "went," and we were so proud! Then, when she stood up for the first time, I felt like I was a parent watching my kid stand for the first time. It was a great moment, and it made me realize how important those things were, even though we always take them for granted...

Well, 8 days after CeCe passed away, my grandfather (my dad's dad) passed away. He had been battling prostate cancer for a while, but he went downhill really fast the past month or so. He was in and out of the hospital and the nursing home, but it was really weird how fast everything happened before he passed away. Just a few days before he passed away, he went out to eat with my dad... but he started having more problems, and the cancer spread to his spine and eventually into 4 liters of fluids that were in his lungs. When I went to see him, it was difficult to think that it would probably be the last time I saw him on Earth, but it was also comforting to know that he was a devoted Christian, so I knew I'd see him again someday. The doctor came and talked to my dad when we were there to tell him that he'd have to make a decision about Papa if he didn't improve during the night, but luckilly the Lord took him naturally without my dad having to give any orders. He said he'd prayed that he wouldn't have to make that decision. Anyway, though, it was just crazy because we didn't even have any time to cope with CeCe's passing, and then Papa passed. It was a crazy few days, needless to say.

Then... we received word 5 days after Papa passed away that his second wife passed away. She had been in the nursing home for a while, and we were kind of close to her. My dad went to see her to give her some Christmas flowers, and he told her about Papa. She cried and was upset about it... but just a few days after that, she was with four nurses at the breakfast table in the cafeteria, and she said, "Lord, thank you for letting me live this long," and then she just passed away at the table. It was really weird because it was almost like she was waiting on Papa to pass to allow herself to go to the Lord. She once told my mom that she still loved Papa and always would, so I'm sure it was great for her to get to see him once again in God's house.

It seemed like my time off of work has been filled with grief, but there was one instance at the hospital the last time I visited Papa that gave me chills after I thought about it. My mom and I were in the waiting room by ourselves when this guy in a wheelchair came in the area. He wheeled himself in there and noticed some homemade cookes that my mom made for my dad. The guy said, "Ooh, are those Christmas cookies? I haven't had any homemade Christmas cookies since my mother made them before she passed away in this hospital two years ago." Of course, we gave them to him and he thanked us several times for giving them to him, but that wasn't the weird part... as he was leaving, he made a random comment. He said, "2009 is going to be a much better year." And he wheeled himself out and left after he gave us a slight smile and nod. At first I thought it was kind of odd, but I got to thinking about it and I wondered if that guy was an angel. You never know how God puts people in our lives to comfort us or who speak to us with His word, so I'm totally convinced that guy was an angel. We weren't sure where he came from or where he went after he left that room. He said he was looking for some good magazines, but all of the waiting rooms have the same boring magazines... so I think we were meant to be in that hospital in that room at that time to hear and see that guy in the wheelchair. It was very comforting...

So, I'm hoping that guy is right - 2009 is bound to be a fantastic year.

Powerful

"To serve as vice president beside such a man would be the privilege of a lifetime, and it's fitting that this trust has been given to me 88 years almost to the day after the women of America first gained the right to vote. I think as well today of two other women who came before me in national elections. I can't begin this great effort without honoring the achievements of Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, and, of course, Senator Hillary Clinton, who showed such determination and grace in her presidential campaign. It was rightly noted in Denver this week that Hillary left 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America. But it turns out the women of America aren't finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all."

- Sarah Palin, Republican National Convention, September 3, 2008




What a powerful statement. Her entire speech was this way, and I can honestly say that she is one of the most confident, charasmatic, and classy politicians I have ever seen. And she plays so many different roles: a mother of 5 children, a mother of a soldier, a mother of a special needs child, and the list goes on... How cool.

I think her words especially hit pretty hard because of my affiliation with The Women's College. Not that all women who attend there turn out to be feminists, but I definitely feel like a much stronger, more confident woman than I was the day I first stepped foot on the campus. I never realized how much the world has changed just in the last three decades when it comes to the roles of women in the business world, but that change is truly something that is going to continue to increase in strength. I think that Palin is definitely a fantastic advocate for this change, and she's exactly what this country needs right now.

Rocky went Muddin'

Kevin and I took Rocky muddin' tonight, and it was AMAZING! We went on a trail for utility trucks, and there was a majorly huge puddle of mudd. I ran smack dab through it really fast and got the Jeep all muddy. It was so much fun... I uploaded the pictures to Facebook, so here's the link to it:

Rocky Goes Muddin'

Go check them out... I promise it'll be worth it. :)

It just hit me

The rainy weather definitely reflected my mood tonight as I left the Gainesville campus. It finally hit me that I'm really not moving back into the ZTA house for this upcoming semester, and the fact that I never will be able to do that again is so surreal. Just being able to hang out with everyone tonight, especially with a couple of extremely close friends, made me miss being there with everyone. I know this feeling will pass soon, but it's just crazy that it took this long for me to be sad about leaving Gainesville. I guess it's just because the semester is beginning, and everything is changing. It's crazy, just crazy...

Long time no see

So, and I do mean SO, much has happened this summer.

My mom, Kevin, his mom, and me all went to England for Little #1's wedding. It was way super fun, and I took over 620 pictures while we were there. Here are a few of them...

I uploaded all of the best ones to Facebook, so go check them out. Even if you aren't a Facebook member you can look at them by clicking on the below 5 links to all of the albums:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011659&l=02ca6&id=138400090
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011660&l=939ed&id=138400090
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011661&l=39651&id=138400090
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011662&l=67cd6&id=138400090
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011663&l=d6d73&id=138400090

Once I got back, I officially transitioned to the Atlanta Brenau campus. It's definitely been a change, but it's a good one! There aren't as many people working there as there is in Gainesville, but they're just as awesome. So many people said I'd get tired of my job after like a month, but I'm still loving it just as much as I did the first day. It's simply amazing.

And... I was awarded a quite large graduate student scholarship from my sorority. It was totally unexpected - I even forgot that I applied for it - so when I received the award letter, I was stoked. With that being said, I'm starting my MBA on the 27th of this month. I'm planning on getting it with a concentration in Project Management, so that will definitely be fun. This fall semester is the first time Brenau has ever offered this concentration, so it will be cool to be able to say I was a part of the first group to ever have the chance to take classes in that subject. Yaay for more school!

I got my yearbook today, and it is seriously the best one I have ever seen. The pages are absolutely amazing, and it's really impressive. The yearbook staff should win an award or something! It was cool looking through it and remembering all the great times we had this past year. It kinda makes me sad that it's over, but when one door closes, another one opens. That's definitely the case, so I'm looking forward to all the future opportunities that will become available.

Well, that's life right now. I'm going to try and update this more often so it isn't as choppy, but we'll see how that goes. :)

Summer

It seems like it's been forever since I graduated, but in reality it's only been almost 2 months.



Graduation was so surreal. I don't even think it's set in yet that I won't be moving back into the ZTA house this August, but I know this is a much-needed change. It was great seeing all of my family and friends, and I realized how blessed I truly am with such an amazing array of people surrounding me.



After graduation, I went to Guntersville for a while just to chill out before I started working. Kevin and I played on the lake, went jet skiing and water skiing, saw movies at the Monaco in Huntsville, and just hung out. It was great to finally be able to relax after such a busy year!



Then, I started working. Like, I'm-a-big-girl-now-and-have-to-get-up-every-day-at-6:45-am type of working; however, I absolutely love my job so much that I don't mind getting up early. For those of you who don't know, I am an Admissions Representative for Brenau University. I'm currently training at the Gainesville campus, but later I'll move to the Atlanta campus to recruit for the Evening and Weekend College. The first day I went to work, I expected that people would probably teach me some information here-and-there and just go their own ways, but in reality, it was the exact opposite. I got there and it was non-stop learning... and still is! I was welcomed with such enthusiasm and joy that it seriously stunned me. My coworkers are so passionate about what they do, and that type of atmosphere simply makes you love it, too. I enjoy everyone's company, and they're all super awesome. I'm really going to miss all of them when I move to the Atlanta campus, but it will be all good - we'll find some way to keep in touch!



I was totally on Cloud-9 the week of May 27 - I started work on the 27th, Kevin and my 1-year anniversary was on the 29th, and I bought a 2008 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 on the 30th. It was definitely a great week.



As you can probably tell, I am absolultely loving life. God has blessed me in so many ways, and I could not ask for anything more. It almost feels like everything is going too smoothly, but this is just what is in God's plan for my life right now. I feel like I am getting to where I need to be spiritually because there's no way that all of this would have happened so flawlessly otherwise. I met a person who has become a mentor-figure, and this person just inspires me because of the vibe that is given off. It's like a genuine spark of energy that fills the room, and I hope to absorb as much of that passion as possible. It's like I was meant to meet this person while I have been going through all these changes with graduation and starting a new job. It's just... perfect.



I am so thankful that God has been so great to me, so look for new updates soon! :)

Word

Hey everyone! I somewhat stole this idea from another friend (thanks Melissa Short!), but I thought it'd be cool to have a blog with updates in my life. Not that I don't want to talk to each and every one of you every day, but with the internet so easily accessible, I thought this would be a great communication tool. Anyway, this is going to be a site for me to inform everyone about what's going on in my life, including aspects such as work, family, friends, boyfriend, and other things I feel the need to talk about. I'm going to post a for-real update pretty soon, but I just wanted to go ahead and put this one one the board right now. Hope it's interesting to you since you're reading it! :)

Later...