Congratulations to the Class of 2010...

As the day draws to an end, I have SO much to be thankful for! I am now an officially a UGA Graduate or rather a UGA Alum!! This road has been one of many bumps and turns and a couple of wrecks that I was lucky enough to walk away from...what's most important is that I did it! I graduated!! And what might not mean a lot to others, overwhelms me with joy.  I am so proud of me and the other graduates that are now among the some of the top in the country... I couldn't be happier!

As I head out into the great wild yonder (lol), I want to thank everyone who made it possible, and you all know who you are!!  These people picked me up, motivated me when I thought I couldn't go any longer and pushed me through many nights of sweat, blood and tears to make it through...but I can promise you, today made it all worth while and I wouldn't have had it any other way!  This experience has helped mold me into the woman that I am today and I want everyone to know that I appreciate your help, your prayers, your love and your support mean so much!! THANK YOU!!!

As a college graduate, I look forward to nights with nothing to do, having a social life again, actually talking to people about things OTHER than grades, papers, professors, etc...it no longer consumes me and I look forward to stress free days, nights and weekends :) That is until I start grad school...if I choose that path.

I look forward to thoroughly enjoying every minute of my life and what I have to offer this big, amazing world...SO LOOK OUT WORLD....HERE I COME!!!

Moving On...FINALLY (Part 4)

FINISHED WITH FINALS....GRADUATING ON FRIDAY!!!

"Free at last, Free at last, Thank God all mighty I'm free at last!!!" ~MLK

Moving On...Stress (Part 3)

If things go wrong, don't go with them.  ~Roger Babson

For YEARS, I've been taking it all home with me, work, school work, group problems, etc. and that's not including the other things that I was ALREADY dealing with.  The older I get I have to come to realize it's not worth it - none of it.  Why should I use my free time to stress about things that I can do nothing about...why am I worrying my life away and giving myself anxiety attacks?

No longer will I bring home the stress of my days into my household, its over.  If I want to get something out, I'll need to take it somewhere else (possibly the gym? lol). I refuse to let the small and petty things of others issues and worries take a toll on my life and my relationships, its not worth it.  At the end of the day, do you want to be that person who worked their life away? I don't!!

After my final tomorrow, I pledge to leave the unimportant things at the door when I get home and then I can pick them back up the next morning on my way out.  I want to live as stress free as possible, so that I may fully live life to its fullest in every way possible and cherish all the times in my life to come.

If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.  ~E. Joseph Cossman

 

Worry and Stress bankrupt the spirit

Moving On....Time (Part 2)

I'm movin' On
At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me
And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone
There comes a time in everyone's life
When all you can see are the years passing by
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone...

 

 I movin on...from the past to the present and looking forward to the future.

As we grow older, there are parts of us that miss the 'Good Ol' Days' and we constantly try to get back to that or fill that void where those good times once were.  What we don't realize is that by constantly looking back, we are missing what's in front of us and therefore it passes us by.

I don't regret my past, each and every part has been an enormous growing experience for me and has ultimately made me the person I am today.  However, I'm tired of dealing with the past. I'm letting it go.  Letting go of the ones who hurt me, the ones who made me laugh, cry, made me angry, sad, happy and all other feelings.  I letting go of the times and places of things that try to haunt me, either good or bad.  I'm letting go of all toxic things, I'm letting go of grudges, I'm letting go of pain and sorrow. And I'm moving on to bigger and better things, even if only in my eyes.

Moving on isn't about forgiving and forgetting.  It's about accepting and letting go.

I can't wait to see what's in store for me and making new and exciting memories is what's waiting on the other side.  Looking straight ahead and looking up are the only places I'll be watching for a while. The more I write, the more I look forward to my future and what it holds in store for me and I've got to let it happen instead of holding myself back...and for that, I'm letting go and moving on up....(to the east side - hehe)

I'm Moving On...Friendships (Part 1)

As my college (undergraduate) career comes to an end, I have begun to think about my life and where I currently am and what I'm doing (which sucks by the way).  Although I have always thought about myself as an adult, the time has come for me to put on my big girl panties and finally be a part of the 'real world' (as most people like to call it).  I'd like to take these next few days to talk about several parts of my life that will be moving on...

See what I think is that the real world will be WAY better than the current one where I work AND go to school.  Now I get to just work, come home, watch tv, go to the gym, go out to eat, etc.  All without worrying about homework, test, group projects, etc.  I get to be a functioning member of society without all the extra effort....oh oh oh and I get my SOCIAL LIFE BACK...HELLO FRIENDS :)

As for the cons of this situation, I have also come to realize that as we get older, things change.  Friends change, family change, we change and not all of it for the better. I feel as though at this point in my life I have been given the opportunity to evaluate my friends and how what role they currently play.  I have always believed that people come in and out of your life as you need them to and each one brings something new; whether it be a new experience, a new opportunity, or just new fun.  Each person always leaves a piece of themselves with you no matter what the situation, your life will be better knowing these people.  But what really sucks is knowing that you do what you can, but as you get older, relationships change and coping with the fact that it takes two to keep this relationship going.  

What I'm really trying to say is that you REALLY find out who your friends are at this point in your life.  As we move, start families, get new jobs, etc.  You find out who your friends are, the ones that will stick with you at all times.  These people have changed over time and as friends, you have grown with that person and not left them behind.  We have to grasp this and understand that this happens to everyone and that it's okay to let go and move on.

One thing that I constantly remind myself of is that you never know what lies ahead.  So lets not mourn the past, but look forward to the future and the new relationship that it holds.

Thankful

As we leave Thanksgiving holidays and zoom right on in to Christmas, I felt it necessary to enjoy this time of thankfulness and share the things that I am most thankful for this year.

First and foremost I am thankful:
      that I am saved by the grace of God
      that I can continually wake up every morning (walk, talk, think, hear, touch and feel - that my heart beats)
      that I have friends that really and truly love me for me
      that I have family that love me for me
      that I am going to graduate this December from the University of Georgia
      that I have a job
      that I have a roof over my head and food on my table
      that I have a dog that loves me unconditionally
      that I have a man in my life that loves and supports me through thick and thin
      that people still surprise me
      that I am able to forgive
      that I am able to be me and live my life as I so see fit

If I have learned anything this year, it is that it's time for me to be thankful for the things I have, for the things I don't have and for the opportunities that I have been given in this life.  I may not always have the best, the most, the greatest or the one and only, but I do have a God that is merciful and people who love me and without those I am nothing, but with them I can be great.

Thank you for touching my life this year, there have been many that have come and gone and I am thankful for the chance to have so many mean so much to me.

I love you all....

Visit from above...

Love symbol meanings come in many forms. Many times certain things come into our lives with a message of love and these special things serve as a symbols or an icon and convey messages specific to compassion, ardor, passion and tenderness.  For the past week I have been visited by a number of ladybugs,( now please consider that it is the middle of November and that Ladybug's shouldn't be out this time of year) at 1st I didn't think much of it until I started noticing them everywhere I go and not just outside, I have found one in every room of my house.  So I decided to look up the sybolic meaning of the Ladybug and here is what I found....

Nearly ALL cultures believe that a Ladybug is lucky. 

Killing one is said to bring sadness and misfortune. 

In France, if a Ladybug landed on you, whatever ailment
    you had would fly away with the Ladybug.

In some Asian cultures, it is believed that the Ladybug understands
    human language, and has been blessed by God, Himself.

During the Pioneer days, if a family found a Ladybug in their log cabin

    during the winter, it was considered a "Good Omen"

 After reading all of these good things about Ladybugs, I began to think about how lucky I am and how lucky I was to know a very special Bug, Haleigh, and after everything that has happen this year, I can't help but think that this week, she was with me.  The whole week to show me how lucky I am to have such a great group of friends and family, how lucky I am to be Graduating from UGA next month, how lucky I am to be alive.  I want to thank her for showing me that this week and also thank her for being my Guardian angel in my time of need.  Its when you least expect it that God shows you the great things in your life and with Haleigh they were able to show me how lucky I am this week....

Thanks guys, here's to you....xoxo

Gratitude

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone.  ~G.B. Stern 

Gratitude: the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

      It seems as though these days that we are a generation of selfishness.  We live in a day and time when "thank you" is hardly murmured for opening a door, passing the salt, or any time when we should be thankful that others took the time to help us, no matter how minute the task may be.  We hardly take the time to even notice or be aware that others are even doing things to make sure we succeed in our lives.  

      What's worse is that it's not only children who are selfish these days, it's adults and parents.  Each and every one out for number 1; not caring who they hurt on their way to the top - or to their happiness. 
       What we need to be aware of is that what we do, how we act, how we treat others, affects the way others, who are constants in our lives, act on a daily basis.  What happens is that this trend continues to carry on with those people, constantly affecting another, and another and another; to the point that everyone might say, "why should I care?" Why should I help others when no one is helping me?"  This statement is NOT the way to look at our lives, we should be thankful, gracious, caring and FULL OF GRATITUDE, towards those who have helped us along the way.  
        If I have learned nothing in my life besides the fact that gratitude is needed, gratitude is earned, deserved and to be respected, then all is okay.  Because I have learned that those who love you most, help you the most often in ways you never even think really matter, in the smallest ways possible, really deserve the upmost gratitude from you and need to be told how gracious you are and that what they are doing has helped you become the person you are today.
        I hope that in the future I am able to help do for others as many have so graciously done for me in these past years of my life and that one day I can make a difference for someone who needs that little extra help, no matter what it may be.  
        So THANK YOU, you all know who you are and I hope you all know how much you mean to me. Gratitude is memory of the heart.

 

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.  

~John E. Southard

      

Oh Deer...

Seems like everyone is getting into hunting these days...now mind you, I've been hunting for years, probably since I was old enough to shoot a gun.  So in honor of deer hunting, I've decided to share some new hunting experiences that I've experienced so far this year...

This is me in the tree stand, waiting for the deer to come out.

Unfortunatley, I missed last weekend :( some deer hunter right?

 

BUT....MY BABY BRO DIDN'T

 

TJ's 1st Buck!!!

Also my daddy, being the deer hunter he is, he decided to show off last weekend and bag 2 buck's out of my stand....Thanks Dad... 

To lessen the pain to the sight above, my Uncle David sent me the picture below

 

Can't beat this cutie - This is my cousin Audrey - Can't get much better than this!!

Since I'm not going to be able to get back into the stands until Thanksgiving, I'm expecting my other Uncle...Scotty that is, to bring home the big one in this stand below...or his condo as Agan likes to call it, although Agan's really just jealous (hehe)

Nice eh? :)

So in one last effort to honor all you deer hunters out there, please enjoy the following song 

Da Turdy Point Buck

(: Happy Hunting :)

Hey Pumpkin...

Last night I had some of the most fun I've had in a while.  With school, work, and homework, I barely have enough time to eat and sleep.  So after 3 papers and a test this week, I decided to take the night off to enjoy it with some great friends and my pumpkin.  NO NOT AGAN......                                                                     This pumpkin!!!!

 

We had several of our couple friends over and enjoyed some pumpkin carving, a few drinks, some good food, and just a plain ol' great time!!

Below are some pictures!!! Enjoy!!!

 Boo (My Pumpkin), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Emily), Chucky (Andy), Jaws (Agan) and Jack the Pumpkin King (Keegan and Olivia)

My Pumpkin!!!