its been a while...a long while

hi guys! obviously i am really bad at blogging....but now that i have some free time on my hands i figured i would get back into it! just a few updates on life lately....

i will be graduating from santa fe college with my associate of arts degree on friday! this is such an accomplishment for not only me but my family. my cousin and i will both be graduating on friday, and we will be the first of the grandkids to finish at least two years of college! yay for us! i recently passed a big exam that was going to make or break my entrance into the university of north florida, in jacksonville. i am waiting patiently on a decision from unf...i have called several times this week to get updates and they keep telling me i will be hearing from them soon! i am persistent if you can't tell! michael just finished his first semester as a unf student, and has decided he is going to stick with sociology and become a guidance counselor. he really would like to help coach baseball and golf!

my sister is still with us now...her official leave for boot camp date is september 21st. she will be leaving for lackland air force base in texas where she will be training for 8 1/2 weeks. after that she will be stationed in mississippi, where she will be attending tech school for close to six months. this is sad and exciting all in the same.

my summer is filled up with absolutely nothing and i could not be more thrilled...i have been in college for 2 years straight...no breaks...so this free time is going to be wonderful! i am going to be very lazy and lay out by the pool, sleep in, stay up late, and watch movies all summer! i can't wait :)

freedom isn't free.

I have heard those words my entire life growing up in a military home, but today those words hits so close to home it hurts. At 3 o'clock this morning I heard my sister getting up. In less than in hour she would be driving herself to Jacksonville. What's in Jacksonville at 4 am? She was headed to MEPS to have a physical done so that she can officially become a member of the Air National Guard. As of now she is actually still waiting to be processed all by herself. The hardest part for me is that today signifies her first day of being an adult. For so long I have hovered over her like a mother hen making sure no one looked at her wrong, said something mean about her, or hurt her in any way, shape, or form. Now I can no longer protect her, I must let her go. I think that this is as hard for me as it is for my parents. Yes, I know that she will only be a weekend warrior, but that is for now. Soon enough she will be moving on up into the full blown Air Force. She will be leaving very soon for boot camp which is in Texas and for 6 weeks my room will be empty without her. This situation is so bitter sweet. On one hand I hate to see her growing up and moving on in life, but on the other hand I am so PROUD OF HER! I have always been one that has been proud of our troops, after all my daddy did serve for 20 years, but now I am so willing to stand up with millions of other Americans in the face of opposition and say that our troops are what makes our country free. Something Sarah Palin said on Wednesday night during her speech stuck out in my mind,"I'm just one of many moms who will say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way." My sister may not leave for Iraq in the next year, she may never leave for Iraq, but this statement reminds me that there are people's sons and daughters, mommies and daddies, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and husbands and wives that are setting foot into dangerous territories every single day. With that I challenge you as you sit in your nice comfy couch, watching your nice big t.v., and eating your dinner to remember that it is men and women like John McCain, my daddy and now my sister that have given some or maybe even all so that your luxuries, rights and freedoms would be protected. And I say God Bless America.

the beginning of our future....

Less than an hour ago Michael received a letter from the University of North Florida congratulating him on getting accepted there for the Spring 2009 term. We are absolutely thrilled! A couple of weeks ago we found out that UNF has a pre-med program which includes pre-dentistry! Amen! They also have the highest transfer rate from their pre-dentistry program into UF's dentistry school! What a blessing! Here are some pictures of Michael with his letter I forced him to take :) He wants me to tell you that we will be posting better pictures of him later! Please keep us in your prayers as Michael starts this next stage in his life!

summer's end...

Since I haven't blogged a whole lot since the summer started I thought I would give you guys a summary of what we did this summer.....here it goes!

Michael and I went to Disney for a second time in July. We had an absolute blast! We usually do! This time we rode everything we didn't the first time we visited and revisited some of our favorite rides from the first time. I would have to say our favorite ride of them all is Space Mountain. We love all the parades and shows as well.....Disney lets us let our hair down and act like little kids again!! Here are a few pictures from our second Disney Trip:



We also had the privilege to be counselors at Refuge Camp. Our church hosted its very own youth camp this year in Norman Park, Georgia. It was a huge success in which we owe the praise to God. So many youth's lives were touched through the ministry of this camp. We truly had an amazing time. Here a some pics from camp:





These were really our big events during the summer. With me in school for most of the summer we really didn't do too many things. But I would say we really enjoyed our time together!!!

A quick little upcoming event...On September 20th Michael and I will be celebrating one year of dating!!

finally

After a solid year of working and going to school I have finally been able to catch a break. Last week was actually the first week I had the chance to come home and do nothing. I am so relieved. I also got my grades from my two summer classes and was very impressed that I pulled off an A and a B. As hard as this first year of college was for me, I can honestly say that going through everything I have been through this year, there is not a task or class I can't master. I am kind of glad I put myself through some of the toughest classes because now other classes will hopefully seem like a breeze. I am keeping my fingers crossed!

In my extra time I now have I have absolutely become obsessed with Jon & Kate Plus 8. I love love love this show. I record all the episodes on TiVo and watch all of them some times twice. I am so amazed at how well the two of them can handle eight kids. Watching the show kind of makes me want to have multiples. Michael would kill me if he knew that, but I am so amazed by Kate and all that she does it inspires me to be just like that. I know I am cheesy, but I really feel like I know their family just by watching their show!

I have also picked up on the tail end of the Bachelorette. I watched a couple through the season because Michael's cousin, Graham, was on the show. I am not really into the whole Bachelor/Bachelorette show thing, but last night I did want to watch the finale for some reason. As I watched the show I realized exactly why it was I don't like the show. The entire show is about one guy or girl who kisses, hugs, dates, whatever several other guys or girls in pursuit of the perfect one. I am so sorry if I offend anyone when I say this but that is absolutely the most pathetic and desperate thing I have ever watched. I cannot imagine being one of twenty-five girls in one guy's life and know that what he is telling me is exactly what he is telling twenty-four other girls. I just don't understand the concept behind the show. I know that I am probably the only person who doesn't like the show, but I am willing to stand alone on this one.

Michael just showed up so I am going to go watch some TV with him and I will catch up here a little later. See you guys soon!!

geez.....

So I haven't been keeping up with my blog lately......Mostly because I have not had an extra minute in my day to do anything leisurely. School has been so time consuming these past six weeks. I never would have imagined I would be doing this much school work in my entire life. I look back on the last five weeks and wonder how in the world I have made it this far. Needless to say, I am doing surprisingly well in my class considering the work load required and the short amount of time to complete it. I have been so stressed and tense the past couple of weeks. I cannot wait until I have one day I won't have to sit down and write and paper, take a test, and read read read. After the summer I will have six more classes until I will get to leave Santa Fe and move onto UNF. That day cannot come fast enough!

Last Friday Rachel, my little sister, became an official alumni of Bradford High School. We had a great day! All the girls and their moms went out to a little bistro here in town for lunch. Then it was on to get pedicures and manicures. We rushed around Thursday setting up for the huge graduation party her and twelve of her friends had. The party turned out so nice...we had some very yummy chicken and rice and chocolate covered strawberries. I was very impressed by the kids that spoke at the ceremony. Almost all of them spoke of their faith in Jesus Christ, and I thought were an enormous encouragement to their classmates and our community.

Other than school I have been working mostly and volunteering. I have the AWESOME opportunity to volunteer at the Women's Resource and Medical Clinic of Bradford County. We do free pregnancy testing, sonograms and post-abortion counseling.It is an amazing ministry that we have needed in our town for way too long. Our clinic is hosting it's annual banquet in Gainesville October 4th. I am so excited! I love the volunteer work I get to do. My mom has taken on the position as chair of the banquet committee so I get to help out a little extra than usual.

Michael and I are doing wonderful! Just trying to make it through all of this school stuff so we can get on to the more serious stuff....Engagements, Weddings, House the usual! Michael hasn't heard from UF yet as far as whether or not he will be starting there in spring of '09. We just keep praying that doors will open for what God would have him to do with his life. We are planning another trip to Disney as soon as I get out of school. We absolutely love theme parks and I think Disney is our favorite because we can really cut loose and act like little kids! :) I can't wait to go back!

Well I guess that's all the not so interesting stuff we have going on now. I have to run and do some school work now....Ugh!

school, school, school.

So the picture below was some practice at putting some pics on this thing. Thanks to Kaitlyn I finally know how to do it! Thanks girl : ) ! Yesterday I took my last exam for this semester. I actually did pretty well for myself this past semester. Only bad thing is I am taking 2 maybe 3 classes this summer, and they start on May 12. They are only 6 week classes so I will get out on June 23rd so its not too bad. I am taking General Physcology and Ethics......They both require quiet a bit of writing which I am absolutely no good at! I am kind of nervous about taking both at the same time in such a short semester. I guess I just won't have a life for a couple of weeks and then it will be over!

I only have 6 more classes after the summer before I get to graduate from Santa Fe and then it's on to UNF. I really really can't wait to get all this schooling over so I can get married ;) I know it will be worth it for at least me to be graduated before Michael and I get married. I know how stressed out I get now with school, I couldn't imagine having school, a house to maintain, and bills to pay! Kudos to you girls who can make it work! I am just not quiet grown up enough yet to be a wife! I am still trying to get this girlfriend thing down!!

Anywho, just thought I would give ya'll a little something to read!


Peace, Love & Chicken Grease