Looking back...

The past five years have been so full of change that it blows my mind. 2006 was one of the most life changing years I have ever had. Five years ago this week I graduated college. After must stress and hoping and praying my Senior year of high school I was accepted into Birmingham Southern College. I don't know why I wanted to go there, but I did. I wanted to get out of Florence. Needless to say after a semester I was ready to go back home. This all proved to be a God thing to me. At the time I had no clue what I wanted to be or do with my life. I had a boyfriend who wanted me to stay at BSC, because it was a better school than UNA. What did he know?!?! So on the last day for late enrollment at UNA I enrolled. The woman who advised me (who I have tried so hard to figure out who she was so I could thank her) told me all about the GIS program at UNA. She told me about her nephew who had majored in that and what a great job he had and blah blah blah.... Well she convinced me that I should give it a try. So I started with Dr. Strong's world geography class, and the rest is history!

I also enrolled in some other generic classes, and the one thing that gave me a sense of calm was that on my first day at UNA a girl walked in class and sat down next to me with her big ZTA letters on her sweat shirt. I was a Zeta, but none of the girls in this class knew that for a long time. These girls were nice to me and I was scared to death! I felt like God put these Zetas in my life that semester for a reason. The girl with the big ZTA letters on that day was Laura Hill. Laura proved to be one of my dear friends throughout college. She was always there for me when I needed her, and she is about to marry one of my childhood friends. That's another story for another day. Let me get back on track. In May of 2006, 3.5 years after this life changing day I graduated!


Here is a picture of me and two classmates at Graduation. Little did I know I would later take Flavia's (The girl on the left.) job at IFDC. The next picture is of the all the GIS graduates from Spring of 2006. Sorry for the horrible quality. I stole these from someones facebook lol.

One week later I started my job in Huntsville. I remember May 21, 2006 I packed as many clothes as I could in my car and got ready to drive to Huntsville the next morning. I didn't have a clue what I was doing! I was moving in with a girl I didn't know ( I did know her sister), and I only had one friend in Huntsville. This friend was really more like a friend of a friend at that time so I was totally alone! On the morning of the 22nd I woke up at probably 4am and got ready for work. I still remember what I wore, and gosh I wish I had a picture! I didn't even know where to eat lunch that day. I had no clue where I was in the city or how to go back to University drive. I had my directions to my office, and my directions to the house I was living in. The Lord was definitely with me! I went to dinner that night with MarLa, the only person in Huntsville I knew, and then she helped me unpack my car. This day was the start of a great friendship as well as my career.
Had you asked me on May 22, 2006 where I would be in five years I probably would have said some of the following:
1. Married to Jordan
2. We might have a dog
3. We might be starting to look for a house
4. in Grad School
5. Either right here in Huntsville or maybe somewhere farther away. I thought I would work as a Defense Contractor forever.

The things I wouldn't have said
1. Expecting my first child
2. The aunt to 5 of the most wonderful gifts from God
3. Living in Florence
4. Completed Grad School last year!!!
5. Owner of two fur babies. One of which lives INSIDE!!!!!! GROSS!!!!!!!!!
6. Oh yeah and we are now the owners of our second home and we have two cars that WE PAY FOR!

I never thought I would be such a grown up in five years! I can't wait to see what the next five years hold. I'm assuming we will be getting ready to send little Seth off to Kindergarten :( omg I can't even think about it. The time has flown by since college, and there are times that I would give anything to go back. These times are rare, because for the most part I am super happy with my life. I would just like to get away with no bills and no responsibility sometimes :) I wish I could think of things that I would like to accomplish in the next five years, but honestly there isn't much I haven't done that I wanted to do. The only things I can think of is have baby number 2 and be debt free except the mortgage. I think those are pretty good tasks! Of course ask me again in a few weeks if I want baby number 2 haha I may change my mind!