Thankful.

This is a word I have been thinking about and using a lot lately. There is so much sadness in the world. Poverty, hunger, disease, death, and the list goes on and on. I hate it all and I wish I could take it all away from people, especially my loved ones. Right now, at this very moment, there are 4 people in my immediate / extended family with some form of cancer. It is heart breaking for them and everyone that loves and cares for them. People face that everyday. I have some very close friends with their loved ones sick and dealing with some form of disease. It saddens me and my heart goes out to all of you who are dealing with some form of sadness.

I follow so many blogs of people I do not know that have children that are sick or babies born with hearts that are broken and need lots of repairing - if not a new heart all together. Some of their little bodies are not able to withstand the fight and go to be with our Lord, and it is so sad. It is so upsetting and makes me wonder why? The infamous question. I just wish we could all be saved from sadness. I know we cannot and it is part of life, but I still hope for a world without it. I do find comfort in knowing the Lord is there for those that need Him, including me and my loved ones.

I have been thinking so much lately about being thankful and how I have so many people and things in my life to be thankful for. I complain and moan and gripe just like anyone else does, but there are so many times lately that I reflect on what I am really complaining about...I always think of others out there that are dealing with much more difficult circumstances and it reminds me of how fortunate I am. If I wake up in the morning, I am thankful a new day has arrived and I am still here....I have a job...I have family and friends that love me...I have a roof over my head...and the list goes on of what I have to be thankful for.

Speaking of being thankful...I am especially thankful for my very special niece, Emma :)

One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today, our family changed forever. I became an Aunt. My sister became a Mother. My brother-in-law became a Father. My parents became Grandparents. My grandmother became a Great Grandmother. One year ago today, Emma Layne came into our lives and blessed my family. She was born at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham, AL into a very loving family who could not wait to meet and love her with all our hearts. Ever since that day, that I remember like it was yesterday, we have all been in love.

Emma is amazing. I never realized how much love could fill ones heart, until she came along. I now often wonder what I did without my niece. I often wonder if I love her this much, how much will I love my own child, immeasurably. My sister and brother-in-law amaze me too. They are wonderful parents, in a world where it is not easy to be parents these days and it is really hard to just make it sometimes. Luckily things have fallen into place for my family. We are all so happy to be together as a family in Tampa, just together. We are realizing this is all we need in life – each other - and our love for one another, especially Emma Layne.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful niece who turns 1 today, you amaze me & Nanny loves you so much! Here is a slideshow of some of the good times we have had over the past year - enjoy everyone!

Emma - making a free slideshow

Silence for Cohen

Getting Settled

Ahhhhh, the joy of being home. Tampa is just perfect right now, it is the honeymoon phase I am sure, but all has been perfect since I arrived a few days ago. The weather could not be better, my family is so excited to have me back and my best friend is being the bestest bestie a girl could have! I have unpacked everything, painted rooms, cleaned...HAHAHA...yea right! I wish it was all done, but really today it is all beginning as I sit here procrastinating writing on my blog. But I thought you all needed an update now that I am here!

Things are all unloaded except some things still in my car, but painting my room is just starting today and then the next few days will be spent getting settled in my room. My Dad is coming to paint my room and a couple other rooms in the house. Hollie and I picked out some great paint colors this weekend and bought them at Home Depot (yes, we actually did get some things done this weekend), so we are ready to get things moving so I can be settled.

The weekend was so nice. I spent lots of time with my family and Hollie, of course. I got to hang out with my other besties too, Jen and Julie, and some other really good friends of ours. We popped champagne to celebrate me being home for good, watched movies and just hung out. It was so nice to see everyone. My parents got takeout for dinner last night from one of my favorite places, The Colonnade, and we had a nice time just being together. Usually my parents have going away dinners for me and now it was a welcome home dinner, which I think everyone enjoyed much better, especially Emma! When I arrived at my house Friday afternoon, my Mom had a sign on the house for me with Welcome Home! That is just the kind of cute and fun loving family we are...and frankly, I love that about us. I am just so excited about being able to spend more time with everyone here that I love, it is surreal that I am finally here.

I am not sure when I will be starting my new job because I actually was contacted by the company and they asked me to fill a different position for a little while because someone is leaving and then I will move into this other role over the next year or so. I will be working on the legal side of things at the company now and working with those types of accounts that have gone into bankruptcy or automobile accidents. This is nothing I have experience in, but we are confident with my skills I can learn anything, and I am really actually excited about getting to work with legal issues. I have kind of always thought I would be a good attorney...hmmmmm...haha. So, I will probably be starting work earlier than expected, as I need to train with the person leaving so they make sure I am adequately prepared to know how to perform my job. I cannot wait to start working, but I also was looking forward to some time off, so the company told me I can have a week off after I train with the person leaving to continue getting settled if I need to. Since they offered that up, I may just take them up on that!

I am definitely ready for all the new adventures coming my way!!! But, I must say I am really missing people back in ATL (you know who you are), so a shout out for everyone there and I cannot wait to see some of you soon! Lovees!!!

Here Comes Goodbye

This is how I am feeling now after this weekend, it is all real to me that I am leaving Atlanta to move back to Tampa. A couple of my good girlfriends took me out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant in Decatur, Wahoo (it was amazing), and then to an amazing Chocolate Bar. It was so sweet of them, Steph and Caroline, you are two beautiful women and are great girlfriends that I could never replace and I will miss you so much. It is so wonderful to have people in your life that truly love and care for you, and you know not just by their actions, but by who they are - beautiful souls. It is a pretty awesome feeling.

I was working to try to get back to Tampa and knew within the year that is probably where I would be, but I really didn't think it would happen so fast. But, it did. So here I am and here comes goodbye to my job, my life in Atlanta, my friends in Atlanta aka the family I have grown to love and care for so much...here it all comes...goodbye.

This is so hard for me, but so happy at the same time. I am a ball of mixed emotions. For five years I have been here in ATL and I have grown into a beautiful person here with the help and guidance of my family and friends here and my job. It was my first job out of college and has meant so much to me and the people at the company mean so much to me too. It was so hard to say I am leaving to move on, to move back to Tampa after 8.5 years of being gone from my immediate family and best friends. It is more than time, but it doesn't make it any easier. I am ready to start this new chapter of my life, a new job at a great company, living with my BFF again, and being close to the family and most importantly be close to my niece Emma. I want to watch her grow into a beautiful little girl. I need to be there for her, for me, for all my family and friends; and while I couldn't be more excited about it, I am so sad to leave all the things here in Atlanta. If I could take it all with me or be in two places at once, I would, but I cannot - none of us can, but realization has set in for me and my friends here in Atlanta and now it is all a reality for my job here too.

I told my boss Friday that I was leaving and I tried so hard to hold it together and not cry, but of course, surprise, surprise I could not hold it all together. I was shaking slightly and crying, telling my pregnant boss I was leaving to move to Tampa with a new career opportunity. I was just hoping she did not go into labor early...she is due in about a month or less now. In all honesty, she saw it coming, we had discussed it over the weeks that had recently passed, but I do not think she knew it would be so soon. Lots of us did not. One minute I thought the job was going to happen, one minute I thought it would not happen and it would be July (when my boss returned from maternity leave) that it would happen. But, life, it is unexpected and throws you some curve balls and opportunities you cannot pass up. This is one of those times that if I did not jump on something and make it happen I would've felt stuck until July when my boss returned from maternity leave. I knew deep in my heart that I could not do that to myself and I had to make a move sooner rather than later. I hope people understand, I hope my job understands why I am doing what I am doing. I know they do deep in their hearts, but I am sure that doesn't make the sting any better, they thought they had commitment from me for longer than this I think, but it just happened.

This time I really just stuck myself out there and thought about myself only and what I felt was best for me. I have a tendency to be "comfie" in something and feel like I can stay forever, but I needed to allow myself to do this and feel good about it overall. And I do. I was rounding my five year anniversary in my company - what an achievement, what an accomplishment and I feel like I have given my whole self to my job during these years and I thank them for all they have given me in return. I wish them nothing but the best and know our paths will cross again. I have definitely made many lasting relationships at this company and I plan to continue those as I move to Tampa, just in a different capacity.

As much as I am going to miss my job, I am excited for something new and adventurous. In the medical field, something that I have always wanted to get into, it just wasn't the right time when I got a job offer from McKesson a couple years ago. Now, I will be working for a company that does billing for tons of Pathologists and it is going to be so exciting to work in a different role and use my skill sets to help mold a new position they have created for me to work in. It is stressful to know this is a new position, but it is also wonderful to know I have the chance to really take something and run with it. That is a dream come true.

I plan to really work on ME when I am back in Tampa. I am ready to focus on my health and ME overall. I need to focus on me and getting back to a good place. I have always been a happy person, but I noticed that I need close family and friends around to help support me in achieving some of these goals and I think being back in Tampa will help my happiness and help me plan for a happy and healthy future. I want to find that special someone, of course I do, but I need to work on me first and be happy with me before I can make someone else happy and have a family. Being around Emma more has really reminded me how badly I want a family of my own one day. I love being an Aunt and I love being happy for all my family and friends getting married, having children, but I want that for me too. I am 28 years old and have really not dated anyone too seriously in 5 years now and it is time to get back in the saddle again as soon as I am 100% good with myself. I hope as soon as I back into a routine and getting healthy again, I will feel complete and things will fall into place even more. That is really the key to all of this, things are starting to feel like they are falling into place and I see the light at the end of the tunnel - the first step being getting back to Tampa. I know, I know, people say - the grass is always greener, but that is not what this is about. I know nowhere is perfect, but Tampa is home for me and it just took me a long time to figure that out. I fought it and fought it, but you just can't fight fate.

Well, this is it, here comes goodbye and here comes a new chapter of my life that I am so excited to start and share with everyone. I am so lucky to have so many wonderful memories to carry with me forever from living and working here in Atlanta. Thank you to all my friends and family who made my life here in Atlanta so wonderful and enjoyable. I carry all of you in my heart and will be back to visit lots! Thank you to everyone who has been there for me through everything and believed in me and who I am. Most of all I appreciate everyone being there and happy for me in starting this new journey in my life.

It Has Been Too Long

First off, I must give a big shout out to the New Orleans Saints!! What a Super Bowl!! I am so happy for the city of New Orleans and all my extended Cajun family :-) GEAUX SAINTS!

Yea, so I admit, I am not so good at this blogging thing. I had every intention to blog once a week or once a month at least when I first started this blog, but I really don't think I was committed enough. I would like to change that and become more committed in 2010 - but not off to a very good start considering it is the 2nd week of February! But, alas, here I am and want to tell you all what I have been up to!

I moved! Yes, I moved out of my lovely one bedroom apartment in Dunwoody to my Aunt and Uncle's house in Vinings. I cannot complain though, it is so nice to be there with them and I live in the Master Bedroom (I can post pics later) with a lovely bathroom and bed. I am however missing one important thing...Maddie! Maddie has gone to Tampa to live with her Grandma and Grandpa for a while. I just really was not sure how Maddie would do living at my Aunt and Uncle's, so I thought it best for while I adjust to my new living arrangement she go to Tampa on "vacation." I plan to bring her back at some point, I just do not know exactly when yet...

I had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's in Tampa with family and best friends and it was perfect. Emma is growing up so fast and she is just adorable...she is 6.5 months now and on the move! She is all over the place and into everything!! It is so hard to leave her after my visits, she screams now when I leave the house, as she is in the "attached" stage and she wants her Nanny to be there all the time. I wish babies could understand why you have to leave them.

But, since I am living with my Aunt and Uncle now and saving money, I plan to visit as much as possible. I already went down to Tampa the day after my move and spent a few days there and then I am flying back down the 19th to be with the family and Maddie (and the other pups) for their 4th birthday! I cannot believe my baby will be 4!!! She is so precious and I love her and miss her so much, but I know Grandma & Grandpa & Aunt Layne & Uncle Jeff & Emma are taking good care of her! Oh, and her Nanny Hollie picks her up for weekend play dates with her brother, Cane and her Doggie Mommy and Daddy :-) It just melts my heart they can all be together!

Here are a few pics of Miss Emma to show you how much she is growing up and doesn't even look like she did as a baby...it is so crazy how that happens!!!

Roll Tide Baby (and doggies)! Emma was ready for the SEC Championship...little did she know we would also win a NATIONAL TITLE!!! Woo Hoo...ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Our little Elf at Christmas!

This swing was Emma's big Christmas present from Santa! She loves it!

One of Emma's 6 month pics...adorable!

Holding Mommy & Daddy's hands...too adorable!

Some other things going on...lots of friends getting married this year - one of my best friends Katey and her fiance Tommy are tying the knot on May 8th. Some other friends, Melissa and Chris are also getting married on May 8th! Ben and Kristen have a beautiful baby boy that arrived on December 18th - Tyler Davis and he just melts my heart! My boss is also pregnant with another baby boy, my VP is pregnant again (not sure yet what she is having), and then Steph and Pat are having a baby boy!!! So excited I will be an honorary Aunt again to Steph and Pat's baby! They are not positive on the name just yet, but Dylan Matthew is what I think they are leaning towards and I just adore it. Such a strong Irish name.

I get to throw Steph a shower in Tampa on March 28th and I am so excited about that. My Mom, sister, Hollie, and I will be the hostesses with the mostesses :-) We will have it at my Mom and Dad's house in Tampa and I am in the process of picking the invitations out with Hollie and then we will get them in the mail ASAP! Majority of Pat's family is in Tampa and they have a lot of friends there, so it will be a fun filled day for Steph and we are happy to do it!

Well, I guess that is all I have for now, but hope you all are having a wonderful 2010 and I wish you nothing but happiness and dreams come true this year and always! More posts to come soon...and this time I mean it :-)