Moving out and Moving it all in!

As you all know I have been living at the Grove for the past year! It has been...interesting to say the least. I am not one who functions well without a "HOME." Our family is really close and I have been blessed to have an amazing home and family to come home to. So, as you can imagine living in an apartment has been a big transition.

I have been trying to find somewhere else to live for a good while now. Prayers are answered!! I am moving in with my cousin, Haley, this month. She owns a house in Chickasaw with an extra room. I am so excited to finally be in a home and not an apartment. If you know Haley and I you would know she and I are polar opposites. While I am more of an extrovert: loud, hyper, and talkative Haley is more of an introvert: quiet and modest. So, say a prayer for Haley she can survive me!! :) I am really excited to move in with her though. We have just recently have been able to start hanging out and I am getting more excited. Though opposites, I think it will be fine. We seem to bring out the best in each other. We went shopping this past week and I seem to make her open up more, cut loose, and have some fun. She tends to make me slow down and enjoy the moment instead of rushing through the day. I am able to let my guard down with her like I am with Rachel and Cari. I have not laughed like I did that day in a while.I have always thought of her more as a sister than just my cousin anyway. Like Sarah and Christina, she is one of my other sisters.

Mom and Cari came down to help me move out of the Grove. Right now my room looks like a tornado has come through. Hopefully this week between myself, Bridget and Haley I can get things in order and settle in to my new home.

New Job!!!

Hey everyone! Sorry about the long wait! There have been a lot of changes since I last wrote.

One of which is a new job! I no longer work at Pulmonary Associates. I was notified that my job at Pulmonary was being made into a full time job to try and include of four of our offices. I was worried about finding another job with the economy the way it is. If this didn't show me that God is in control and make me stop in aw in my tracks I don't know what would...I received a phone call that same day (while at work) for a Mr. Haven Fields asking me if I would be interested in a job. I thought is was a joke and I think he probably heard it in my voice when he said, "Ms. Raymond this is not a joke I promise." :) The next day I missed my Biology class for an interview. My car was broke and I was car less so he laughed and came and picked me up on his way to the office. I was so embarrassed but all he did was laugh. Four days later I received the call that I got the job as I broke out in dance in the middle of campus and started my new job two days later. I now work for the Assistant Athletic Coordinator for South Alabama, Haven Fields!! He used to play for Auburn. I also get to work with Dameyune Craig (big time AU QB) and Kurt Crain and the new head coach, Joey Jones! The job is amazing! One of my favorite guys is Mr. Jeff. He is the equipment director. He is me, just in man form so we have fun. He is a big nut.





One work day I had a few short meetings and then we went down to watch spring training at Ladd Stadium! I was able to meet more of the staff and even almost got tackled. Haven made sure to keep me out of the line of fire after that. Another day I had a meeting with a phone company and then had to present my information and price break down to the SPORTS DIRECTOR!!! I was so nervous but he said I did a really good job! There are so many great opportunities that come with this job. It is really an opportunity of a life time. I get to handle anything from contracts to meetings! Well, pretty much anywhere I am needed. I was told I could get as much exposure as I wanted and can even get a meeting with the Director of Sports Medicine if that becomes something I am interested in. Once the field house is finished in the summer, I get my own office over there! YaY Haven even told me I would be working Game Day Operations. So, if you make it out to any of the games in the Fall I will be one on the people running around on the field and in the stadium with a 2-way radio attached to me. LoL I am really looking forward to this coming school year and my new job. I plan on keeping this job a LONG TIME!!

So make sure yal come out to watch the Jags play their first season! It's going to be exciting and I look forward to seeing yal sitting in the stand cheering on the Jags!! Make sure you find me too!

Back on the Chatahoochee

Today we went back out on the Chattahoochee. Georgine, Todd's wife, and the kids wanted to take a friend so we went too. This time Matt, there son, was able to go too. This time we went further up the river. We were closer to the Dam so the water was running fast. This time Mom and I remembered to wear our hats! :) They made me go first so if I tipped then they would know not to go there.But we made it through all of the rapids with no problem-and NO Cari did not tip over this time. We came to one that real fast and oh my gosh it was soooo fun. The water was so fast and the waves so high that as you went through the rapids water would come over the front of your kayak. There was a place where you could paddle over and pull your kayak over some rocks and go again. I think I probably did it 4 times and would have continued to if they were not yelling at me to come on. LOL One funny thing was AJ, Todd's daughter, and Alysa, AJ's friend, were going to try it a agian. So they followed me up the rocks to go in after me. After I go down I paddled around and see those two stuck on a log and tipping over and they are both screaming. After 2 tip overs they finally got off the log and made it through the rapids. :) Later on down the river Matt was trying to tip them over and instead tipped himself over. He had an in the water kayak so it filled with water. And he tipped at a place where there was no shore so get the water out so he and Mom were standing on a log trying to get him back in. It was too funny.

This time our 2 hour trip took us 3 hours!! :) Hey, we are getting better! This one was much more fun . I want to go back so bad!! And this time we saw a bunch more ducks AND Canadian Geese!!

Rock'n Out

This weekend we are going to the the Kenny Chesney concert at Turner Field. I do not know how dad does it, but he really surprised me with this one! And I do not think anyone was more than the crazy country music fan in the family, Cari. Mom, Dad, Cari, Christina, and I took on the rain and went to the concert.I did discover though that Kenney Chesney was actually short--shocker I know!! It was awesome!!!! It was LeighAnne, Brooks and Dunn, Kenney, and a bunch of other artists. I think dad even had fun- he was actually up on his feet clapping at one point. But I do think the funniest thing was Cari. Lord that child was on Cloud 9 that whole night. She was screaming so loud the scruges infront of us moved, but Christina and I were happy and threw her a few high fives! We left a little early to try and beat the traffic because that place was PACKED full of people. It was another great night spend with the family in Atlanta and memories made!! ":)

Taking On the Rapids...and the snakes!!

Today we are heading out to take on the Chatahoochee River with Todd and his family and Uncle Jimmy and Christina and Rachel (Chris had drill). ( I really like them) We packed up the coolers, greased up , and headed up the road an hour to go kayaking. Mom went to Wal Mart and got us all cool, matching water shoes (they really came in handy). We chose to go on the 4 hour trip-there were only level 1 and 2 rapids so we could start off easy. We loaded up our kayaks and got in vans, more like rollercosters, and went to the water. We let in close to Buford Dam and we found out the hard way that water was COLD because the water in the river comes from the bottom of the dam!! That day the water was a wopping 52 degrees, but it felt good on a hot day.

We started out that morning with a fog over the water. It was so scary when you can hear the water rushing infront of you but you can't see them. Poor Care Bear, our first set of rapids she his a rock and tips over. I have never seen her move so fast. She hit that cold water and popped right back up LoL We had the above the water kayaks so it was not hard to get back in once she fell. We, of course being girls, broke into song singing Pocahontas..."Just around the river bend." After a few miles we pulled off and took a break. Oh man I should have seen this coming. I had my back turned to everyone talking smack to dad and the next thing I know I am in the freezing water adn trying to swim to the shore. Todd had come behind me and tackled me into the water, but he did not know it dropped off so we went completely in!!! :) Dad was high fiving him of course!

It was so peaceful on the river! We saw a bunch of hawks, eagles, and fish on the way down but I think the best thing we saw was a snake. Todd HATES snakes so the whole time dad was messing with Todd telling him he saw a snake but with the water so cold I did not really think there would be any. Dad, Jimmy, and I were all kayaking together with mom just a few feet infront of us when the next thing I hear is, "SNAKE!! SNAKE!!!" A water mocasin a come slithering out from some brush Right Infront Of Mom! It was so funny. I have never seen her move so fast before. She was paddleing so fast backwards I think she might have been hovering over the water. :) It did not bother us though. He just kept right on.

Our checkpoint was the third bridge. However by the second bridge I think everyone was slowing down. We had started the trip sitting straight up and racing and by then we were all pretty much LAYING in our kayaks just taking it slow. Rachel had even hooked on to the back of my kayak for a while-that was hard pulling 2!!

We finally made it to our checkpoint and still with smiles on our faces! A trip that was supposed to only take us 4 hours took us 5 and a half hours, but it was fun. The only thing we did wrong was not wear hats and not reapply sunscreen. Our heads were fried and we had "cute" short and shoe lines where we got burnt! :) I can't wait to go back!

See Ya Later Gators

In June I said good-bye to Satsuma and hello to Atlanta!! :) I decided to take the summer off and spend time the family while I can. It was quit a challenge unloading everything and finding a place for it all. You know, you never REALLY know how much stuff you have until you have to pack it up and unload it--and that was after we threw stuff away...twice!! Mom, Cari, and I had problems getting started, but we finally got our game faces on and took on the job while Dad took on his new job at the base.

Thank goodness for family! Aunt Dana and Sarah came up to see the house and help us unpack. Rachel came too. I think she just did not want to miss out on any fun. lol Their first day here Sarah, Cari and I got inside some empty boxes and roled down the hills. Poor Sarah, I landed on her head at least once. We got a little braver and took on Pine Straw Surfing-Sarah's brilliant idea. The first time I went up I found out the hard way it was slippery when you stepped on the box and I took a face-plant to the ground. They all had a good laugh. Todd, dad's bestfriend (aka Dad's boyfriend) came over and got a kick out of us. He has been such a help to us and really to dad putting up fans too. They all watched from the back window and the whole time dad is worried about us messing up the pine straw. It was so much fun; cuts, bruises, mud, grass stains and all! Fun time was over though the next day and Cpt Dana was on a mission so we were put to work. I am convince that if she had not come up those days we would have NEVER gotten this house unpacked. In the time she was here I think she unloaded and organized the kitchen and then organized it again. LOL We are still having to open every cabinet before we finally find what we are looking for.

A couple of weeks later we were sick of unpacking boxes. It was like every time you unpacked one there were 50 more behind it. Cari and I were laying around the house and mom bust in the door and told us to go pack like we were goin to the beach and pack a lunch and drinks. She wouldn't tell us where we were goin. . . So what do I do? Hit up Dad for some clues. Obviously mom forgot to tell dad it was a surprise because it took me two seconds to figure it out- he got in trouble :) So, we loaded up the truck and headed off to John Wagner State Park for the day. The place was so pretty! There was a lake with picnic tables and a walkway that went around the lake. However, less could be said about the people there. Going there made you feel like high class. I can saftly say that we were the prettiest people on that beach :) We walked away that day with a few sunburns but I think it was worth it. I had so much fun and it was a good change from unpacking.

It was So COOL!!

OH wow it was so amazing!

Last week I was given the opportunity to shadow a dermatologist. This office does more cosmetic treatments like I want to do! I was able to watch mole and wart removals, chemical peels, injections, laser treatments, and even a biopsy! (for the biopsy I am sure I watched with my mouth wide open in amazement) I have always said I wanted to do dermatology and that day confirmed it for me. I was able to sit down with Ms. M and discuss the steps I would have to take to achieve my goal. I have such a passion for this and I know these next (NINE) years are going to be rough but I know it will be worth it in the end. And with this job I can do what I love and still have the family that I want and be an involved mother. I just cannot wait to see what these next years hold for me. I have already learned so much in just this past month! Thank you all for standing by me. Your loving words and encouragement me so much, even when you don't think so! You have been there through it all and I know you always will. I have an awesome family and I love you guys!

FYI- I am going to be all over yal about taking care of your skin and wearing sunscreen after seeing all of the people, some as young as 30, being treated for cancer and pre cancer spots for not wearing proper protection. Sarah, No More Tanning In Tanning Beds for you and I. Now it's all natural or spray tans. I was so scary to think of how common skin cancer is! They told me of a woman that came in for a spot on her arm and was dead 6 months later. So wear the proper protection so we don't have to see you go through it too.

**Oh yeah, AND I chopped all of my hair off! I will post a pic asap!