Here's to 2011

2011, what a year. Many things have happened... plenty good, and if I must say, our fair share of bad. Here, as for what I can remember, are the highs (and some lows) of my year

January - I went on a college retreat... little did I know the man of my dreams was on this trip. One of my friends was abducted... and almost killed... We all look at life a little differently now. I started my second semester of graduate school. This was one of the hardest and trying semesters, I thought after my first semester I would have a little know how and things would be easier. Boy, was I wrong, but I worked through it, and I am almost finished!

February - I turned 23, a blah number as I had to leave my favorite number 22 HAHA! And I celebrated working 6 months for UA

March - I was able to celebrate mine and my best friends (belated) birthday's with a beautiful trip to DC for Spring Break. I had so much fun going to work with her, and just hanging out. This was my first time flying alone! What an experience. Without Mary-Anne, I wouldn't have my 'culture' :D

April - the town I have come to know and love was devastated by a deadly and fierce tornado. I went home with, and spent the night with perfect strangers because I was unable to reach my home... Tuscaloosa learned to live again and through many weeks of hard work, we are still fighting. Hunter, a boy I had dated less than a week, drove through the night 5 hours to help with the storm, and to see if his friends and family (and me ;)) were ok. The end of the semester for UA was cancelled... something I had no idea could happen... and we work to rebuild our city every day....

May - Two great friends of mine got MARRIED!! :) And we celebrated one year of being college graduates. Mary Allison and Brandon are GREAT!! I remember rebuilding and cleaning Tuscaloosa and that this was the month that Hunter left for basic training. This is when our fairytale romance began. I have piles of letters from this time... An experience not many get to have... letters as communication, no cell phones, no texting, VERY FEW phone calls. Only letters. Wow.

June - I started my graduate research in late May and early June, it is throughout this month that I would see it almost to completion. My friend Lauren left for Afghanistan.... I am so thankful for her service, and pray continually for her safe return home!

July - I started a summer class, on top of research and work... and this class almost killed me. These were the hardest four weeks of my life, and something I will hopefully never have to do again. It was very different walking back into the walls of the University, after being trapped in a bathroom by the tornado that changed us all... An eerie feeling...

August - I drove to Arkansas, and then Missouri to watch Hunter graduate from basic and AIT. It was an amazing experience, and after 106 days without him, it was a much needed trip, even if just to see his face! We started school again in the fall and the tough times began. Time, money, work, school. But as always, God pulled us through. Praise Him!

September - Football, tailgating, school in full swing. Another dream season for the Tide was beginning.

October - This month... I cooked and couponed a lot. My one test of the semester was Oct 31... and that was scary. This past fall... my grades hinged on very little... just two tests in one class... and only a semester long project in the other. Graduate school was very crazy... and this semester stressed me a lot, but also blessed me. About this time... I also began playing for my church praise band.

November - I won my first EVER contest... by random draw, I got a beautiful necklace! An man who could be my father, blessed me and my sister with a beautiful gift! :) I also got to attend a Chris Tomlin concert with my cousin Tori, and got to meet Chris Tomlin!

December - The semester came to a close, and both Hunter and I ended with great grades. I got an A and a B and Hunter got four A's and one B. :) Go, us and my roommate graduated from UA! During my break, I have been home... and to Hunter's family... and will make another trip at the beginning of the new year. It has been a great, and crazy, break. But... I love my crazy life. My friend Stephanie went to the Mayo Clinic to hopefully find answers to her peculiar disease.... And we are still praying for relief.

Happy New Year!! 

May the year 2012 bless you and bring much happiness and joy to your family.

The end of Fall 2011

Wow. The semester is over and I came out ok. I got one A and one B. Next semester begins my final semester as a Mathematics Masters student.

This semester has been a tad less stressful than semesters past. Could you say I am finally getting the hang of this? (of course, right before I am finished) The past few weeks have been just as stressful as they could be. I worked and studied, worked and studied.. took out my frustrations on Hunter (yeah... sorry, love!) and studied and worked some more.

Thankfully all my studying payed off, and I was willing to walk away from my last final with a huge smile.

What a journey the past year and a half has taken me on.. it is amazing to look back... see what I have been through, and where I am today. I look forward to beginning a new chapter in this life, as I journey to a teaching job, and life after working full time and going to school. Wow, what a change that will be!!!

I am enjoying a few days, cleaning up around the apartment, catching up on a few things. I also took a nap today after work! :) I am so glad that I planned ahead, and finished my Christmas shopping early. All I had to do was finish wrapping this weekend, and I am all set.

Now, for the rest of the year.. home for Christmas, and then headed to Hunter's home for new years. Working out the last few days of work, and then after the new year, going with the college group from church to Passion 2012.

Wow... it is almost 2012 already?!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2011!! 2010 will definitely be a year that I will not soon forget as I continue my journey into the 'real world' of life after college graduation.

A few blessings from 2010

• I experienced friendship like never before, I learned who my true friends were and spend the time of my life making memories with them my senior year of college
• I was able to have a life changing experience by interning/teaching at Pike County High School... the lessons that I learned and the friend that I have gained.. the trails that we both went through that semester and the struggle that still carries on is something that has truly changed me, forever.
• On the same token, I have loved and lost, and also seen what it was like for someone so young and so dear be diagnosed with cancer, and two months later, lose the battle that would ultimately break a young girl's heart. 
• I experienced the 'real world' of moving to a completely new city, knowing absolutely no one and nothing
• I have found a church, a place to worship and call my home
• I found an amazing job... I honestly never thought my job throughout graduate school would be so AMAZING! 
• Did I mention, I went to graduate school?! Haha, a concept that I had only dreamed of came true in shocking fashion! After setting up interviews with around six school systems I ended my job search to pick up my life and move. Tuscaloosa has become my home, and God has so richly blessed His path for me.
• I ventured out and have now tried out two, very different, hairstyles and love the joys of growing up and becoming my own person.
• I watched a friend lose her true love to cancer, another friend have a dangerous surgery hoping that she might one day be able to live a normal life, a friend lose his job, and another friend struggle to find a job... But, with all this hardship and heartache God is still in control and is continuing to work in the lives of these people.
• I am learning to trust God more and more each day... After all, my life has been turned upside down this year... But God's ways are not our ways, and I firmly believe, when we make plans, God has a good laugh; because in the end, He's got it all taken care of.
• I ALMOST FORGOT!! I ran, yes, ran, a 5K!! Talk about something I never even thought about doing... and loved it!

I, and my coworkers, have been so blessed to have a week off from my job. I was able to come home on the 23rd and I will return to Tuscaloosa tomorrow to go back to work on Monday. Having this time to spend with my family and catch up with a few old friends has been wonderful! I have even slept until 7:30am most days!! (I know, I lead a sad, sad, life! haha) Sleeping in, reading a good book, just spending time at home with my family and visiting my friends has made this Christmas vacation one of the best. The new year has already started with a wonderful Crimson Tide Bowl victory with a school record and a BCS record being set. ROLL TIDE!

I am excited to see what God has in store for 2011, and I am praying that each of you are richly blessed. May God bless you and keep you.. you are a wonderful creation of His! Seek His will diligently and daily, and above all, choose to spend some extra time this year with your Father... after all, He longs to be with you!