Update

Hello Everyone! After nine days in bed and 2 trips to the ER (complete with IVs, ultrasounds, and lots of waiting) I am finally feeling better. The doctors say it was a virus and that the virus that is going around takes 2 to 3 weeks to get through your system. I've lost 8 pounds and am eating a very bland diet again.

Of course, I feel better today and John left a little while ago for his very first AirTran flight. He looked so handsome and I am so proud of him. Even though Atlanta has not been very good to me, I am very glad that it has been good to John!! He is a wonderful pilot and I can't wait to hear all about his first day!! Here's a picture of him before he left...



I have 4 days alone - that hasn't happened for a LONG time. We are getting our Christmas tree when John comes home, so I have that to look forward to! I am also going back to work tomorrow which is kind of exciting. The most exciting thing I am looking forward to is going to Disney! Since we couldn't go this week, we are going to try to go when my sister and her family go in December. My mom is coming, so it is going to be a blast! I am also trying to figure out when I am going home for Christmas, so I have plenty to keep me busy!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and that you will enjoy every day of the Christmas season!!!!

This Week Stinks

I am very frustrated right now, and I know that it is all trivial and it all has a bright side, but I just need to vent for a little while....

I have been sick in bed for 6 days - yes, SIX!! I spent the day in the ER yesterday, was given medicine and an IV (I have a love/hate relationship with the IV), and was told to rest and drink lots of clear fluids. I am feeling better, but not so great that I can leave the house.

Because I have been sick for 6 days, I have not worked (which means that I don't get paid) and I did not get to go home last weekend to see my family and eat our Thanksgiving meal together.

John's parents arrived here yesterday and are staying in a hotel 5 minutes from our house, but because I am sick, I haven't seen them, nor did I get to go to the mall with the Orr girls today (as was planned before I got sick).

John and I will be celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary on Sunday. We had planned on going to Disney next week for 4-5 days to celebrate. He found out last night that his 4-day in-flight training starts...you guessed it, Sunday! So much for Disney and our anniversary.

Needless to say, I am sick, homesick, sad, disappointed, annoyed, and FRUSTRATED! I know that God has a plan hidden in here somewhere, but it seems like I have been searching for it since January with no luck. I love my husband and I love that he is reaching all of his goals - I am just dealing with a lot of personal disappointment that all came to a head at one time.

Ironically, this week is Thanksgiving, so I guess I should cheer up and think of all that I have to be thankful for instead of complaining. I do have so much to thank God for and hopefully I will be thanking Him soon for working behind the scenes on something that I have yet to even hope for or imagine!

A Visit From Mom

Last week, my mom came to visit us for the first time since we got here. I was ultra-excited and could not wait to show her all of the things that made me think of her here (and there were tons!). My mom and I were always VERY close - from high school all the way through college - and I loved it! Once grandchildren (for her) and a new husband (for me) were added to the mix, we developed a different, yet still close relationship.

We hit the Cyclorama, Stone Mountain (which I could go to every night and never get tired of its charm), and the Georgia Aquarium. It was amazing to share the weekend and some of my favorite spots in Atlanta with 2 of my most favorite people. John loves my mom and she loves him, so it was really cool to hang back and watch the two of them walk and talk and laugh and just enjoy each other.

Here are some pictures from our weekend - and did I mention that it was COLD???


Grandma Joan and me at Cyclorama :)


My mom and I at Stone Mountain - yes, we like to try on funny hats!


John and I at Stone Mountain - isn't it gorgeous???


John and I at the Aquarium

We had a great weekend and I am ready for more visitors! John's family is coming next week for Thanksgiving and we are really excited! Who are you going to see or who is coming to see you soon???

Starting Over

There's nothing quite like a fresh start. I have been given the amazing gifts of a new city, state, home, job, car, church, and neighborhood. At first, I tried really hard to hang on to the old while trying to embrace the new - let's just say that it didn't work! Ever tried to drive two cars at once? Of course not!! It is hard to be in two places at once and it is really hard to move forward when your focus is on what is behind you. After wrestling with reality for the past few weeks, I decided that it is time to look forward and time to get excited about what lies ahead instead of dwelling on what has been left behind.

Some things have changed dramatically and others have only changed slightly just because of geography. Thankfully, family and friends fall into the latter category, so in order to help bridge the gap that the miles put between us, I plan on using this blog to share the new things that God is doing in my life and to celebrate the amazing future He has planned for all of us!

So, as Walt Disney said, let's keep moving forward!!