Long Overdue Update

Last time I wrote, I hadn’t graduated yet.  Since then I have turned 23, received my Master of Accountancy degree, moved out of my condo in Auburn where I’ve lived for four years, moved to a new city and state and finally begun my very first big girl job.  Wow—what a run-on sentence!  But that only begins to capture the whirlwind that is my life lately! :)

  We never managed to all look at the same camera! :(

Just got my copy of the creed.  We get the real diploma after the ceremony.Just shook President Gogue’s hand.

I found Uncle Mark and the camera!

It wouldn’t have been the same without Morgan

The night of graduation, most of my things were loaded onto the truck.  We thankfully had help—two of my wonderful next door neighbors helped when we found ourselves in a bind.  They worked as hard as possible and wouldn’t even take a dime.  I certainly would not have asked them if I didn’t intend to pay them.

Tuesday morning we finished packing my last few things and started the long drive north.  I was alone in Mom’s car and headed directly to Nashville while Mom, Dad and Emma had to stop in Florence first to pick up some furniture.  I got here, signed my lease and started unloading the car around five.  Everyone else arrived around six and it took until 10:30 to finish unloading the truck.  That was a day!

Wednesday Daddy had to leave and Mom and I had lots of boxes to unpack.  Honestly, Mom did most of the work and I will be forever grateful to her for making this place comfortable and as much like home as possible.

Dad came back late on Friday.  Things were pretty much done here except for hanging curtains and pictures on the walls.  We only hang things with the Engineer’s help! :)  Mom and Dad left Sunday afternoon and Emma and I were on our own for the first time in our new state.  I went to Church on Sunday (It was so huge, btw) and did a little shopping before the cable man came to hook up my cable and internet.

Monday was the big day—my first day of work!  Of course, it was also the first day of school in Davidson County, so traffic was a nightmare.  It took an hour and fifteen minutes to go fifteen miles.  Coming home was slightly better at about an hour.  Mom was here when I got back to pick up Emma and do a few more things.  We had dinner and then I went to bed.  Mom and Emma left Tuesday sometime after I had to leave for work.  The drive has gotten a little better—especially since I’m leaving before 7 now.  I get to work really early compared to everyone else, but I get things done!  I’ve gone to sleep between 8:30 and 9 every night and I have to finish this so I can get ready for bed!  I can’t function at 5:30AM without lots of sleep!

Well, I think that just about sums up what’s been going on lately.  I hope to take some pictures of my apartment soon, but I’ll have to be here sometime when the light is still decent first! :)

Changes

This weekend most of my life for the last four years was packed up.  I’ve lived in the same house for four years and now it’s time to move on.  I’ve lived here longer than any other place besides our home in Florence.  Well…to be honest, I’ve only lived in two other places…one semester each in two different dorm rooms.

I’ve got five days left here before I go home for a short break.  After spending a little time at home and celebrating my birthday, we’ll come back here one more time as a family and I will graduate and finally receive my Master’s Degree.  The very next morning, the next adventure starts as we will drive up to Nashville and move me into my new home for the next year.  It’s almost a waste to fully unpack since I’ll be moving into my own home next year.  Hopefully the next move will only be a few miles instead of across state lines!

I’m excited about Nashville and work, but I’m also getting a little nervous.  I also am starting to realize that things will never be the same again.  I think it’s just part of life, but when I finished high school, I was so ready to move on.  Once I got here, I finally realized just how good I had it living at home in Florence.  I’m afraid the same thing will happen when I leave Auburn.  I think what I will miss the most is not having extended Christmas holidays anymore.  I haven’t had a summer break in three years and I worked the two summers before that, so I don’t think I will miss the summer “breaks” so much.  I think it’s going to be a rude awakening that I might just take Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off.  I think it’s going to much harder to get into the Christmas Spirit if I’m working up until the holiday.

Well, I have a project, a research case and two finals between me and Graduation.  I think I can do it! :)

Current Events

Sorry for not writing in forever.  It’s been busy lately with school and I haven’t had much interesting to say.

Counting today, I have nine days of school left.  Next Thursday I have my Tax Research final and next Friday I have my Advanced Investments final.  I also have two cases and a quiz for Tax Research and one project for Advanced Research to get done before then.  I’m going to try to do one of the cases, the quiz and the first half of the project tonight and, if I’m lucky, I can start packing tomorrow for the BIG MOVE!!

I’m going home for a few days next Friday so I can celebrate my birthday with family and then it’s back down here for Graduation and moving day.  Starting August 10th, I’ll be a Tennessee resident. 

Emma is doing well, but is suffering with the South Alabama heat.  She’ll be much better when we get home and she gets a haircut!  I’m hoping it will be obvious that she’s gained a little weight when her hair is shorter.  Last time she was groomed, I was scared by how thin she was.  We have since visited the vet and changed her food to something with much more fat in it.  I would love if she had gained a few ounces before her annual vet visit at the end of August.

Anyway, I guess that’s all for now.  I’ll try to put up Graduation pictures and pictures of my new apartment in Brentwood once I get settled.  That reminds me that I need to call Comcast or I might not have cable or internet for a while! :)

Big News

I GOT A JOB!!! :)

It’s in Nashville and I start much earlier than I honestly expected…less than seven weeks until I start the next part of the journey.

I feel like humming “I’m a big kid now” all the time!

More details to come…

Happy Birthday (A Day Late)

My sweet Grandaddy celebrated his 91st Birthday yesterday!  What an accomplishment is that!

Grandaddy and me after my undergraduate Graduation last August

It was a HOT, humid day and I don’t know why I didnt’ take my sunglases off. 

I sure do love the person in the picture with me though!

I talked to Grandaddy and sent him a letter through Mom.  I’m not good with the post office and realized I didn’t have enough time to send a card and it arrive on time.  Oh well…I’m sure he liked my note just as much as he would have a card.

Happy Birthday Grandaddy!  I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck*!

*Our saying when I was little*

Weekend Plans

Emma and I are going out of town tomorrow afternoon.  We’ll drive to Florence to spend the night and then Mom, Dad and I will drive up to Nashville on Friday.  Emma is staying home with a babysitter since she doesn’t like car rides.  I don’t blame her, but she needs to learn to be a better rider.

I have a second interview at an accounting firm in Nashville.  Hopefully, there will be good news after my interview.  We’re also planning on doing a little apartment hunting Friday afternoon since I won’t really have many more opportunities to look before I have to make a decision.  Really, M&D may have to preview places for me and then I’ll make a final decision.

We also get to visit with G&G this weekend.  I didn’t plan on getting to see Grandaddy again before his birthday, so this will be our little birthday celebration.  We won’t be celebrating, per se, since there won’t be any cake and ice cream (or Grandaddy’s and my preference, watermelon), but we can enjoy each other’s company just the same.  I’m always grateful to spend time with him.

Sunday, we’ll say goodbye to our Senior Minister and his wife as they move on after 8 years to another church appointment.  This is going to be particularly hard since they live down the street from us and have been such good friends.  D especially has been a godsend (literally) for our family and a dear friend to Mom.  New ministers are part of being Methodist, but we will especially miss D&G.  They are one of a kind!

We’re going to have a busy weekend, but I hope to get everything done with a little time to breathe worked in there.  Maybe I can stick my feet in a pool too—if I’m lucky! :)

Happy Birthday to Emma

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday Dear Emma

Happy Birthday to you!

Baby Emma is TWO today!  I can’t believe that the tiny little 1.5 pound puppy that we rescued from the woods and snakes is now a 3.5 pound bundle of preciousness that has been with us for the last 21 months.

When we first got Emma, I thought I would never connect with her and I thought she would never develop a personality.  I was so wrong.  It took a while, but now I can’t imagine my life without her.  I can look at her and tell what she wants and she’s so attentive to my moods.  Her sister couldn’t stay with me any longer so she picked a sweet baby to help heal my heart and let me love again.

I’ll post pictures of Emma’s birthday weekend photo shoot later.  I’m going to try to get some more tomorrow if the weather cooperates so I’ll have more to choose from.