Feeling Blessed!

With my junior year of college coming to an end, I thought to myself....SO much has happened throughout my third year of school. I thought I would reminisce on a couple of those memories... :)

Starting in August, Katherine and I started teaching Public School Religion class to 3rd-5th graders. Talk about PATIENCE. The kids we teach are some of the goofiest, fun-loving kids ever. Although, my patience was tested at times, I am grateful to have the opportunity to teach young children about God and the Catholic church. I am excited and interested to see what next year has in store for Katherine and I.

Katherine and I with our PSR students. We performed the Stations of the Cross - live!

This past fall I was promoted at my job in the Southeast Admissions Office. This has been such a blessing! I love the fact that I get to work with prospective families along with college students my own age. First, I was hesitant to even apply for the position, but couldn't be happier that I did! This job has opened many doors for me and I cannot wait to see what else is in store.

Student Ambassadors at Show Me Day! Love these people!

I also received the presidency position of the Homecoming Committee at Southeast. I am beyond excited to be working with the people on my committee. I have two amazing advisers helping out and 25 members to help plan next years Homecoming festivities. It has been an adventure and I cannot wait to see what Homecoming will be like in October.
 
I found out that not one but two of my sisters are expecting! Suzanne and Brandon are having a boy, and Sarah and Gabe are having a girl. I am beyond ecstatic to be an aunt AGAIN! Along with this, Becca and Josh have their son, Isaiah. I cannot believe he is already six months old.

Darn it, he's such a good lookin' kid!

Also, my niece and nephew are growing up way too fast. It amazes me how much they know. Every time they visit mama and papa's house, they have something new to say or show me. I swear they're going to be the next Einstein. ;) Brooklyn is almost done with the school year and Rolen will be in Kindergarten this fall. I can't wait to spend the summer with them going swimming, watching Rolen play t-ball and lots more! 

This past January, I started my internship at KRCU Radio as a reporter. This experience made me realize how different the radio side of mass media is compared to public relations. I have definitely realized that PR is my passion and that my writing skills need improvement. I had the opportunity to write short stories and record them to be broadcasted on the radio. SOOO much fun...although the writing part was a struggle at times, I am proud of myself for sticking to it and trying my hardest.

Although many would not look at this as a positive memory: I am. My precious sister and neighbor, Cheryl, passed away this March. She is now in heaven, watching over us all. Aren't we lucky?! :) I have learned so much about myself because of this. In the last few months of her life, Cheryl taught me how to be strong and to not give up. She also taught me that it's okay to be afraid and let my guard down. I will forever be grateful for that.

In less than a week Becca and Josh are FINALLY moving back to the big M O. I miss them so much! Virginia is just too far away. I can't wait to be able to take a weekend trip to visit instead of driving 13 hours.

This past semester I have realized how AWFUL people are at parallel parking on campus. I think these pictures speak for themselves....

People and their parking, never fail to amaze me...

Always and forever, our angel you'll be!

It's almost been four weeks since one of my dearest neighbors passed away. Actually, let me rephrase that...she's more of a sister than a neighbor. Her name is Cheryl. I have never lost someone so close to me like this and it hasn't been anything but hard. Although, she's not with us now, I know that she is rocking our world up in heaven!

Have you ever met a person that can literally light up a room and put a smile on your face?  Someone that can love you unconditionally without judgement? Someone who can make you laugh and forget about all of your problems? Someone that can show you how to not set limits for yourself? Someone who can reassure you that everything will be alright?....these things explain Cheryl's characteristics so well. She was not only an inspiration to the whole community, but she was a huge role model for me and the one's who spent time with her.

To tell you a little bit about my relationship with Cheryl it started out when I was born! Haha, of course! She was about 20 years older than me and has been my neighbor ever since I was born. Coach T and Pat (Cheryl's parents) are considered a third set of grandparents to me. They have seen me grow up and have supported a lot of the things I do in life. I love them dearly! Growing up with Cheryl, I will be honest, I did not know how to act towards her: she was handicap. Many look at this as a negative thing, but it wasn't at all. As I got older, I realized that it didn't matter if she was handicap. She taught me a lot about myself and how to accept others because of that.

I grew up 'babysitting' Cheryl around my early teen years. Playing wheel-of-fortune, listening to 92.9 'The River' and watching movies laying on her bed upside were some of her favorite things to do. One of my fondest memories while being there was when it got close to bedtime, I would be in the front room watching television (keep in mind the front room is pretty much on the opposite side of the house, nowhere near Cheryl's bedroom.) Low and behold, I could hear her snoring away alllll the way in the front room with the TV on...that's usually when I knew she was definitely asleep. :)

As I got older, being around Cheryl became more of a privilege to me. That sounds awkward, but I feel like a lot of people missed out on getting to know her and how incredible she was. Fortunately, I didn't and I couldn't be more grateful for that.

Some fond memories I have of Cheryl was playing 'POW.' Anytime she said the word pow! you fell to the ground and played dead. The more dramatic the fall the better her reaction would be. Only if I could hear that laugh of hers one more time... I also remember when she'd tell me to get out of her room. Anytime I visited or even when I was over at the house watching her. Man, if I didn't get out of her room the first time she told me, it was bad news bears. Many times she would shoo you out of her room and lock the door. In those cases, you would tell her you are calling Dr. Fenton and she'd immediately unlock the door. Another phrase she used a lot was 'Go home!' She said that to you whether she wanted you around or not. Most of the time to aggravate her I'd stay around even longer. ;) Another memory of her that I will always miss, but definitely will never forget is her breath-taking hugs. Literally you would have to catch your breath once she let go. Cheryl would squeeze you as hard as possible when giving hugs (if you got an extra hard squeeze, it always meant she really loved ya.)

Once high school hit, I got to spend even more time with her. Her dad being the athletic director at my high school meant that she tagged along with him to many sporting events. Being an athlete meant that I got to hang out with her at track meets, basketball games, etc. Along with these instances, I rode along with her to many football games (Pat always offered to drive my mom, my sisters and me.) During these sometimes long trips, she would watch many episodes of Life Goes On and we never failed to stop at a McDonald's before the game.

Pat, Cheryl, me and Coach T on my 18th birthday.

Throughout my high school years, Cheryl was battling cancer....let's just say she definitely kicked cancers ass, many times! She handled it very well. Many times doctors would say she wouldn't make it passed this age or that age...she not only proved many people wrong, but she proved a lot of doctors wrong! Cheryl was so content with life and the flow of things, that pain seemed to never be a problem. That was another great trait about her, I swear she was like a super human, that girl!

After high school, my time was somewhat shortened as far as visiting with Cheryl. I didn't have all of those opportunities to see her like I did in high school. Although I went to a local college, I spent a lot of time there my first two years. This took it's toll on me once I realized how much family time I was losing with not only my actual family, but Pat, Coach and Cheryl too. Towards the end of her life, I would try my best to visit them quite often. Even if it was just for five minutes, it was still nice to see them and see how Cheryl was doing.

The last week before she passed was probably the most difficult to grasp. Family and friends had been told many times by specialists that she wouldn't make it this far. When she came to the end of her life, it was hard to handle reality. Everything happened so quickly, it was a huge blur. I remembered the day of her passing to a T. My sister came in my room around 5 AM with tears in her eyes. 'If you want to see Cheryl one last time, you need to go to Coach T and Pat's right now,' she said. I woke up immediately, my heart racing...in complete shock. It was definitely not something I wanted to be woken up to. In disbelief, I rushed over next door trying to hold myself together. Coach, Pat and the rest of their family was there. My sister, mom and I went into her room to see her. We spent a couple of hours there, reminiscing on the memories we had with her. Before leaving, I went back into her room one last time to say my goodbyes. I stood beside her bed holding her hand and gave her one last kiss on the forehead.

Her visitation and burial were nothing but unique, just like her. Flowers, pictures and people crowded the high school gym. The amount of people who came to see her made me realize how many people she touched. Whether they had met her once or had been in her life for awhile, she had an impact on so many people. Cheryl's burial was really something special. She showed up at the cemetery taking her last ride on Tyson's bus. (The bus she rode to many sporting events.) It was a gloomy, chilly day; the sun wasn't out. While at the burial service, everyone gathered around for the service. Once he started to wrap things up, it began to snow...quite heavily. Not only did it snow, but as soon as everyone started to leave, the sun came out and the snow stopped. Everyone looked at each other and just smiled. We knew she was up there...that was our confirmation.

It has taken me a lot of thought and time into writing about Cheryl. This blog post does not do her justice, but I really felt like I needed to get these thoughts off my chest and write this. Words cannot express how amazing this women is and all of the positive changes she brought and still brings to this (sometimes) mad world. She will always be in our hearts and certainly never forgotten. And I do know one thing...that I cannot wait to see her smiling face once again when I make it to heaven someday.

Getting to know me!

I got so caught up in starting my blog, I realized I never really posted much about me and who I am. So here goes! I come from a rather large family from a small town in Southeast Missouri. I am the youngest of six kids and let me tell you, there was never a dull moment at home. Someone was always bound to knock over a drink at the dinner table....and let's just say, it was usually me, haha!

My parents have been happily married for over 35 years. We just celebrated in Destin this past summer, it was a blast! Being in college I have realized the importance of family and how much they mean to me, especially since some of them have moved away and are having children of their own.  It's bittersweet, but I always have a place to travel to and those much needed phone calls to look forward to.

My siblings and me! Yep folks, there's one boy and five girls. Poor James right? ;) He survived!

All of us girls with mom! I'd say we all take after her good looks! :)

Becca and Josh, my brother in-law. They got married about a year ago and
had their first kid a couple months ago! Exciting stuff!

Suzanne's wedding in Destin this past summer. It was nothing but simply beautiful that day!

My other sister, Sarah's wedding. It may have been hot that day, but it was a blast!

This seems like a lot to take in at once, but it's been nothing but uneventful these past two years. My parents are soaking in the fact that they have become grandparents not three times, but two more times in just a few months. My oldest sister Becca and her hubby have gotten married and had a child. Suzanne and her husband have gotten married and are starting their own family too! Sarah and her husband have also gotten married and have a bundle of joy on the way too! Along with all of this happiness, I already have a niece and nephew who are growing up entirely too fast! My other sister, Katherine is a cake maker. Her talent blows my mind and I can't wait to see the path God has in store for her! As for me, I'm still in college pursuing my degree in public relations.

This is pretty much a sum up of what my every day life is about. Weddings, babies, cakes, and lots more! I am truly blessed with what God has given me. My days are never dull and that's all because of them! :)

Rest and Relaxation!

While everyone is enjoying their spring break at Panama City Beach, I've been enjoying mine at home, with my family! I've been catching up on some zzzz's and working at the country club quite a bit. Although the beach sounds great, being at home for these past few days has been nothing but great! Tomorrow is my sisters big REVEAL for her and my brother-in-law on their firstborn! I cannot wait! :-)

Spring!...Why aren't you here yet?

Today, I was woken up by the sound of ice hitting my bedroom window...at 1:30 AM. We have never experienced anything like this (at least that I know of). I would call it an icy thunderstorm, or something like that? So what did I do to help get me through the cold, boring day stuck inside the house? Finally started on my t-shirt quilt. Yep, folks a giant stack of t-shirts have been taking up space on my bedroom floor just waiting to be cut up, so I finally got to it! How to instructions and photos of the final project will be posted soon!

My first blog ever!

This is my first blog! I am finally getting to check something off of my bucket list: to create and maintain my own blog. I am super excited to enjoy this experience with anyone who reads it. :) There will definitely be more to come when I figure this whole thing out.