My First Week

I realize I haven't been very good at blogging this week. Unless you wanted to know that I broke down a gazillion boxes, made almost as many trips to the dumpster, and have been trying hard to get everything organized...that pretty much describes each day.

I have done some exploring of Springfield and the surrounding areas. I must admit most of the exploring was need driven. For example, my apartment does not have a pantry. I have a lot (and I mean a lot) of kitchen "stuff", so I needed to find something that would could be used as a pantry. I have been in every "hole in the wall" place in Springfield in an attempt to find something within my budget. (For those of you who can hardly contain your excitement, yes, I have found something. No, you can't see it. It is in need of some major work or TLC as I like to call it. Don't worry I have taken some before pictures and will post those and after pictures once the renovation is complete!) I also needed a Target and Dick's Sporting Goods fix, so I found both of those stores in the next town.

To close this exhilarating post, I will give you some fun facts on Springfield:

Population: between 16,000 and 20,000
Established: 1798
Location: app. 30 miles north of downtown Nashville
Major crop: dark-fired tobacco
Other crops grown: hay, corn, and wheat
Home to: NorthCrest Medical Center, Electrolux Home Products
High School Mascot: yellow jackets

Welcome to TN!

I woke up to this view from my balcony this morning.

By the end of the day all the snow was gone off the street.

I guess I should have taken these boxes to the dumpster last night. It was a weird feeling to sweep snow off the balcony so I could make a path to the storage closet.

It actually wasn't a bad snow, but I don't think my car is very happy with me at all!

Checking In

All my family is gone and it's just me. The day started out a little iffy to whether or not my parents flight would get cancelled. While there was tons of ice every where, the roads were clear. I even managed to get back from the airport with relatively little drama. I missed an exit, but it was not traumatic, more annoying than anything.

I was pack at my apartment nice an early since my parents had to be at the airport by 7:45 am. I unpacked some more boxes and put away a lot of "stuff". I don't know where it all came from.

Comcast came and set up my Internet and cable this afternoon. Then it was off to the hospital to fill out my paperwork, have a physical, and take a drug test. That all took much longer than I anticipated, but it was nice not to be unpacking for a while. When I got back home, the Internet and cable was out. Apparently not all the paperwork had been filed correctly, but an extremely nice woman helped me out and I am good to go!

Tomorrow will be another day spent indoors working on getting settled. The temperature is steadily dropping outside and won't get out of the 20s tomorrow. It has rained the live long day, so tomorrow should be very icy, plus there is a couple of inches of snow in the forecast! Sounds like a good day to stay inside with a cup of coffee.

Once I get everything put away and ready, I'll take pictures of the apartment for you all to see.

Made It

742 miles later, we made it!

Headed Out

The truck is loaded. We are all up and ready. We should be headed out in the next 20 minutes. I'll check in again as soon as I can.

Goodbye Florida, hello Tennessee!

Today

1. Worked
2. Packed

Tagged

I didn't post last night because every idea in my head was too complicated. I packed until 11 pm when I finally called it a night. However, if I had read Claire's blog I would have realized she had tagged me.

So, I am supposed to choose the fourth folder and the fourth picture from my folder file and post it. Let's see what we have...

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This was taken April of 2007 when Stuart, Michelle, and Jacob came to visit me. Jacob had been asking if I would teach him to play the guitar so here is our lesson. I wish you could see how small the guitar is that he is playing...it is a Baby Taylor, but he could still barely get his little arms around it. I bet now he would have no problem.

Weather Report

Each morning I check The Weather Channel's website to get an idea of my daily forecast.

This morning:

When I travel I check the forecast of the city where I am going. For fun this morning, I checked Springfield...my new home in about a week:

I don't know if I am ready for this!!!

Progress?

You be the judge?

Most nights you can find sitting right here on the floor.

Where do you put all the boxes once they are packed?

Birthday Weekend

On Saturday morning my friend, Blair, picked me up and had Dunkin Donuts coffee and breakfast in the car. From there we headed to Orlando and spent the whole day at Epcot.

It was a gorgeous day. I also highly recommend taking up Disney on their offer to let you in free for your birthday. I actually had a ticket that I needed to use before I moved, so I received a birthday gift card (valued at the price of an adult admission).

This Saab convertible was outside one of the rides...I told Blair she shouldn't have...she just laughed!

We spent the night right outside of Downtown Disney and then headed back to the parks on Saturday. Our goal was to hit the other three parks, but we did not quite achieve our goal. We started at Hollywood Studios were we hit the three main attractions: Tower of Terror, Rocking Roller Coaster, and the new Toy Story ride.

That would be runners in the Disney marathon behind me.

Then we headed to Magic Kingdom and stayed for the 3:00 parade.

Jeff, this picture is just for you...it was taken January 11th.

We tried to go to the Hall of Presidents before "change" occurred...we were too late!

Then we boarded the bus to head to Animal Kingdom only to be informed that it was closing in a little over an hour...we ended up coming home. Of course that gave me time to get a few boxes packed.

The Rest

Sorry for the delay. I spent my birthday weekend at Disney World and got back earlier this evening. I'll post some pics later, but here is the rest of my list:

1. Training and completing a half marathon with a good friend three years ago.
2. Going to a water park in Taiwan...oh the stories I could tell! (With the same friend from above)
   
3. Having the coach for Baylor show up at a high school basketball game.
4. Watching my parents drive off and leave me in Mississippi at college. I wasn't sure whether I was scared or excited.
   
5. Attending Centrifuge after my high school graduation...it was a week that stands out in my Christian walk.
6. Getting cowboy boots for my 13th birthday.
7. Praying to receive Christ.
8. Going to the Olympics in Atlanta...oh the disaster that trip turned out to be!
9. Seeing a two friends in China come to Christ as my friends and I used a nativity scene to share the Christmas Story.
10. Seeing my niece's 4-D ultrasound.
11. Snorkeling with the sharks in Thailand.
12. Christmas 1996- Received a gold wrapped package with a green bow...inside was a scholarship offer to Mississippi College.
    
13. Spending 5 weeks at training for the IMB in Virginia...so many memories and so many friends made during that time.
14. Para sailing in Thailand.
15. Finding out that I passed my RN license exam.
16. Receiving the phone call that I was going to be a BSU summer missionary to Australia.
17. Realizing that God had much bigger things in store for me than playing basketball...I was in my first semester at MC and was planning on walking on the team there.
18. Watching God open the many doors that He has in the past several weeks!
19. Spending my 30th birthday at Disney.
    
20. This past year...I've learned so much that I am not even sure I could begin to put it in words!!!

Well that is it...30 memories from these 30 years!

Birthday Eve

So it might not be a national holiday or even known by most, but this Friday night has me a little reflective. Tomorrow is my thirtieth birthday.

Over the next few days I will highlight thirty of my most memorable experiences in life.

1. Waking up in China for the very first time...I heard horses outside my window.
2. Whitewater rafting with my entire family on our trip to Yellowstone.
3. Kangaroo hunting in Australia.
4. Holding my nephew just minutes after he was born.
5. Being in both of my brother's weddings.
6. Running out on the court of my first varsity basketball game and being announced as a 6' senior...I was a 5'10" sophomore.
7. My grandfather teaching me to drive...the first Saturday after I turned 15...I thought he was so cool!
8. My dad handing me my high school diploma.
9. My family coming to China to visit.
   
10. Being at my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary party and then this summer when I attended their 65th wedding anniversary party.

Oh and Abbey thanks for my first birthday present!

Change of Plans

Sometimes I have really good posts, but I can't quite come up with a fitting title. Sometimes I have something important to say, but I can't find the perfect title.

I am not sure which category this post falls in, but the perfect title is just beyond my reach tonight.

You see, I have some news to share. And since I am tired and not sure exactly how to begin, I am just going to be direct. Direct is best, right?

Earlier today I accepted a job at hospital outside of Nashville, TN. While this is definitely not something I saw coming three to four months ago, I honestly am very excited about this opportunity and move. Things have "fallen together" rather quickly...from making the connections at the hospital to getting my nursing license in TN. To top it off, I will be moving in about two and a half weeks.

I do ask that you all pray as I wrap things up at work and in my life here in FL. I also have a lot of packing to do in the mean time. I am still working on my living situation in TN. I thought I had found a house to buy, but that door appears to have shut. There is another one (and of course a better one) that has opened in its place...if of course requires me to be patient and wait.

It's a good thing, I have some experience with patience and waiting!

De-Christmasing

The ornaments are all individually wrapped and put in the ornament boxes. I have wrestled the tree back into its box. The nativity scene is back in all its boxes. I will admit that I had a little trouble getting all the animal back in their right spots, but the Internet helped me out. For some reason I always want to the camel with the wise men, but he goes with stable animals.

The apartment looks different...I love Christmas, but I guess I'll have to wait another 11 months to drag all that stuff back out. I know some people have very strong feelings about Christmas decorations out in January.

Tomorrow brings the alarm going off way too early, a jog, and then back to work. It was all fun while it lasted.

Home Again

I made it home this evening. I would love to share all the photos that I took during the last week and a half, but I did a lousy job of taking pictures.

Anyway, I had a great time in Nashville. As always, it is great to catch up with the Land Family. There was lots of laughing, story telling, and just catching up. Of course there was a marathon game of Apples to Apples on New Year's Eve, a movie on New Year's Day, and stamping on Friday night. (Just Abbey and I went stamping in case anyone was worried.)

I guess it is back to the real world of work and other responsibilities.