**2 Dozen in 2 BIG ways**

With the passing of the entire month of September nipping at our heels, I have turned 2 dozen years old as well as 2 dozen days away from my wedding!

Last weekend, I got to go to Hilton Head Island with most all of my bridal party. The occassion: Bachelorette/Lingerie Weekend! I had the most fun that I have had in a really long time. We got to kick back, relax, not think anything wedding, and enjoy the sunshine. We all got very good sun and most of us got a little bit red.
We all had the time of our lives.

The days keep getting crossed off of the calendar and yet there's still more left to do. Garters, sheetrock, unity candles, and sconces. Take a moment to read over the last phrase. Yes, I said sheetrock. We have been very busy building a garage apartment for our first home. It has been fun but full of decisions to make and yet there are still many more left to make.

I turned 24 on September 19th, 2010. This is a milestone for me as each and every birthday passes. This year I was very surprised. Caleb and my parents got me MAC book pro computer. I was soo shocked I actually started crying when I opened the box. I did want a new computer. I actually nicknamed my old computer "Della". Della is about 6 years old and is missing a key on the keyboard. She has gotten me through alot and I will be honest in saying that I am a faithful microsoft user. That is the only thing I know and its hard to venture too far from that.
Going along with that statement, Caleb and I will be joining our lives and everything we have, which at this point is not alot. Our house will be quaint and our lives will be guided always by our forgiving and all powerful God.

God is Love in Good Times and in Bad

I have RED hair?!?

We had a fabulous day today!! Caleb and I went out with Abbie from Carterelite for our engagement picture shoot! We had an absolute blast.

We just shot at Calebs grandparents house and then moved up the driveway to his uncle Darren's woods. Then we left Copeland farm and went to the road to take some daring pictures and finally we headed to town for the finale. Just a few around town. And in the blink of an eye it was all over.

Now that its all over I can really appreciate it. Abbie was fantastic she directed us mostly and of course we added our own little flair as we always do.

Theres only one thing that makes me a little apprehensive.....As Abbie was showing me some of the pics she took I started to notice that my hair was a little more red than I have EVER noticed before. Usually in the summer my hair does change colors with sun. But never like this before!! I am sooo scared that the pictures are going to show me with RED hair!!! How horrifying!

So, I cant really do anything about it now because that is all said and done with! But, I think I will make a hair appt and get it colored just to apease myself and calm fears. Even though I cant really do anything about it now!!

Skipping onto other things....
Our church has been in revival this week and what a revival we have had!! This is by FAR one of the best that I have ever been too. We had a three hour long church service on the first nite! We have had a couple saved and several join the church!! WE are very blessed that we get to serve such an amazing God!

Wedding Planning is rolling on by me and we are less than 3 months away!! It seems like it was yesterday that we had a year!! BIG things are falling into place and little things need decisions! I guess thats how these things go.

I have a long day at work tomorrow 10 hour day!

~God is Love~

Sometimes I'm Just A Little Bit ADD

In case you don't really and truly know me, I have ALOT of anxiety. Now, I know what your next question is. Do you take medication? Well I will be honest and say no I dont. But there are truly times when I really think I need something to keep me under control. I can snap at the blink of an eye. I get hung up on the smallest of small things.

Anyways I have alot on my mind all of the time. My co-workers probably thing I am wired 220 for all of you handymen out there. I am over the top and always thinking and will randomly move onto the next thing and forget what I was doing previously. I am also easily distracted.

There are just soo many little minute details that go along with planning a wedding. I sat down with Boots who is Caleb's grandmother and also our florist. I finalized alot of the flowers! That makes such a difference in all of the plans.

I can't believe its been like 2 or 3 weeks since I have blogged!! I have some showers planned and that is definately exciting!! With all of the excitement going on brings more decisions and more tasks. Tomorrow, Caleb and I have the day off and we are going to Atlanta to get ALOT of stuff checked off of our lists. We will hopefully be buying wedding bands! We will keep our fingers crossed for mine! I have a custom ring and I am going to see if I can just get a band thats already made or will I have to have a custom band? Then, we are hoping to get a few other things off of our lists!

Wish us luck!!
God is LOVE

Oh My Gosh! What Am I Doin?

Okay, So I will start by admitting that sometimes I think to myself and on occasion out loud, OMG what am I doin? I have always had the rule that you NEVER make life altering decisions nor shop when a girl is on her period. And I have stuck by that rule for many years now. That's one of those live and learn type things.

Anyways, this week has been a hectic week. I have been behind at work the entire week. I feel as though I will NEVER get caught up! And another on my mind is the bridesmaid dresses for my wedding. It all started on Tuesday this week when the bridal shop called to verify my bridesmaid dress order and then I had that infamous dream. That dream that says they are ALL wrong!!! Now, even through college I have always been one to second guess myself. And now its carrying over into my wedding. I am not sure where this stems from but it can be very debilitating and frustrating to say the least.

So I am going on Saturday as soon as the dress place opens and going to make a few changes! I also will be trying on my dress for the first time after all of the changes I made to it. Its a custom dress now! I am very nervous but very EXCITED!

Tonite everyone say a prayer for me that I will be able to keep it all together and go head strong into all of my future endeavors. I will need all the prayers I can get. I have many more decisions to make! This is just the beginning.

God is Love!

Some People Can Speak From the Heart and Others Well......

WOW!!! I have had an exciting weekend! Friday I was off from work all day long, which is something that I haven't done since my Christmas trip to New York! It was great to get away but I know that I will have plenty of work when I get back to my desk tomorrow.

Friday I got to hang out with all of my friends from home because we were all in Jessie's wedding! I was sooo excited! I am soo happy for her!! We got to hang out by the pool and get a little bit of sun. Janice is always entertaining. She always thinks of the funniest things to say and I just can't stop laughing! After the pool, we all got ready for the rehearsal an the rehearsal supper. That was sooo fun and it was a great feeling to see it all coming together. Did I mention how super organized Jessie is? Well, for those of you who don't know she's a school teacher and naturally most school teachers are super OCD about organization. She had thought of everything and since I am very detail oriented I notice those kinds of things. :) You see I have the tendency to only look at the minute things and not at the BIG picture. The thing is that I do know this about myself and I just can't really get past it.

Anyways, the wedding was Saturday at Big Canoe and it was beautiful!! Everything ran soo smoothly and everything was well thought out as far as planning and timing goes.

I have come to the time where it is now MY turn!! I am about 4 months away from my Wedding!! I am soo excited and nervous at the same time!! I want everything to be very classy rustic chic, if you will!! I can finally get everything going and start solidifying things. Now don't get me wrong it does frighten me a little but in the end I know it will all work out and everything will be okay. Everyone please say a few prayers for me and my family for we will all need it as we progress from this point forward! God is Love!!

What is Happiness?

Happiness is on my mind tonight and lately. Today, I have felt very blah. Ya know when you have a case of the blahs. You just cant really explain how it feels.

But I do have one question...I mean what is happiness anyways? Pardon me a minute while I get pretty analytical. Happiness literally means: a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. I see people in the doctors office all of the time because they are depressed. Does this mean they arent happy? How do they know they wont be happy in an hour or even the next day? I know there are things, people and places that can make one happy. Any kind of food or that extra fizzy coke that the Japanese restaurants serve make me happy. But......happiness is just a temporary state. Its one of many more emotions that a person can have at any given time. What if you never achieve that happiness? Do you own your own happiness? Sometimes on occasion, no one can help, or say or do anything to make me happy.

What I do know is what happiness is not. Happiness is not always a smile because there are some people out there (myself included) that can fake a smile like a champ. Happiness is not a tangible item. Happiness is not normal.

So what makes me happy..you mite be thinking? Ill start with just a few things I guess. It makes me happy when people actually do listen to what I have to say and don't just blow me off as if what I do have to say is not important or doesn't matter cuz trust me sometimes I do have valid arguments. I do like the extra fizzy coke at Osaka. I love a pair of great fitting jeans and yes sometimes to find those you must spend a little bit more than most people. The smell of a new luxury leather purse or anything leather for that matter. Country music and great makeup also make me happy. The sunshine beating down on me while I sit on the beach and just relax is the ultimate. So, of all of the things I listed off, those things can't happen every single day. How can one feel the emotion of happy everyday? Or even sustain it for a day or longer? I do not have the answers but I was just thinking about all of this.

Thanks for listening and I will have more wedding updates and thoughts to come.

There's A Full Moon

It's a full moon out and you know what that means......

So, tonight I heard someone tell me that a full moon is when emotions run hot and certain things begin to go awry. (Yes, I spelled that correctly, look it up if you dont know what it means) Tempers flair, people cry, women often have babies earlier than expected.

Anyways, the North Georgia Softball who was 51-0!! Just lost their first game of the year!! They got beat by Valdosta State. I can't even believe it! I do not think that Valdosta is any better than us. Its just that on any given day any team can win and thats why softball and baseball alike are equally as interesting to watch and be a part of. I think I will chalk that one up to the full moon!

Caleb and I and his family attended Lumpkin County High School graduation tonite because Caleb's cousin, Katie Copeland, graduated. Congrats Katie! Enjoy these times because you will never get them back!! The graduation took me back once again to when I graduated! I was nervous, excited, and proud all at the same time. As I sit and think about it all now, I realize just how privileged I have been raised. I have had the newest and best of whatever it is that I wanted. In high school it was all about Abercrombie & Fitch, the coolest clothes, and vera bradley of course. Then, when you go to college its all about wallabees, kavu, having the best designer bag and of course the shoes to match and not to mention sororities like PHI MU, the best of whats around!! Now, as I have been out of college for a year and on my way to marriage, in about 5 months and the time is ticking fast, all its about is Calaphalon Cookware, Leather furniture, Rod Iron Beds, Simplicity vacuums, and the best household products that money can buy all to make married life a little bit easier. My parents have always given it all to me. They still would today. It is going to be a hard adjustment to depend on Caleb to "give it all to me" I'm just not sure how I will cope with not having it "all"? Have I ever had to go without? Nope not at all.
I'm not saying that I will have to go without now that Caleb will be taking over but I am just a little apprehensive and nervous to give him the reins as I am sure he is nervous about taking them. And frankly he would probably kill me if he knew I was writing about him in my blog.

I am giving a shout out to my parents for the wonderful and lavish upbringing that I have had. And also I am thankful that they taught me how to manage when the times get tough. I didnt deserve any of what they have done for me and yet they just keep on giving and doing. I hope that one day I can treat my children as they have treated and done for me because they go unnoticed frequently. Love you both Mom and Dad!

End of One Chapter and Just the Beginning of Another

Taking it back a little bit old school. But, alot of things are happening around me right now. I am reminded that I have been graduated from high school for 5 years now!! And even more unbelievable, I have been graduated from college for 1 year!! Where does the time go? I seems like yesterday I rushed to get ready for graduation and head to the school to take this picture with my friends. I have since begged them to please let me take another picture similar to this one to have a 5 years out of high school picture and then maybe 10 and 20 years!! Just to see how we all change and age. Even though its scary to think about it would definately be an awesome memory and tradition to keep up with.

I finally got my save the dates in and out of my hand in the matter of 2 days!! I am soo excited it finally feels like I have accomplished something and have something to show forth for my wedding.

Well, this is very well my last night in my house in the little mountain town of Dahlonega. This house is sentimental to me. I am a very emotional person. It's where Caleb and I first met. On the back porch of that house to be exact. Who knew it would turn into what it has. We will be married in 5 months!! I have lived here for 3 years now. I do not even know what to think or where to begin. I have stuff everywhere!! It overwhelming to say the least. I hate moving but then again I dont really know anyone who likes to move. I will be patiently awaiting the construction of our garage apartment. I truly hope it will be up before my birthday!! Though that maybe wishful thinking on my part?!? Who knows what the future holds and then again who would want to know anyways. I'm glad I can leave it all in the Lords hands. I lean on him for strength, guidance, wisdom, and courage.

Here's to my last days and night in a place very near and dear to my heart. It will be so hard to leave but I'll treasure all of the memories I have had here forever.

Long Week in Review

WOW I have had one of the longest weeks of my life it seems? I am usually a very punctual person but this week was definitely an exception to that statement. I was late to work twice this week. That really threw my entire day off and also affected my work ability and confidence.

Friday, Caleb sent flowers to my work. Nothing special just to say that he was thinking of me and to remind me that he loves me. It was really sweet since I was having a rough one.

I finally satisfied my mother and ordered the save the dates. They will be here soon and then she will be on me to address them and get them out!! But, I was a little disappointed in myself because they come in increments of 100 and 200 and I was thinking that 100 would be enough and I just wouldn't send any to my family (since I know they are coming anyway) But I guess the good Lord was like NO! you need to send one to everyone because right when I was about the place the order it asked me if I wanted to order additional ones and I thought it was going to let me choose a quantity. But no it didn't it just bumped the order to 200 and processed the order. SO needless to say I will have 200 save the dates and I only really needed about 110 maybe 120.
It sure does feel good to have one thing checked off of my list!

Last night, Jessie had her Couples Shower/Fiesta. The food was great as always and everyone was skinny, stylish, and happy. I love my friends from home! It makes me miss them that much more when I have to come back to Dahlonega. I just don't have the same friendships in Dahlonega as i do at home. I guess that saying is true Home is where the Heart is. Now don't get me wrong, I do have friends in Dahlonega but there's nothing like my ones from home. It seems more and more we grow similar even though we don't talk or see each other everyday. Some of us have more things in common than others but that's what makes us, well....us.

Speaking of friends, I went to Elliay on Tuesday and got to see my best friend Amy and her baby Callie. Callie is getting sooo big!! Gosh it seems like every time I go to see her she is laughing, rolling over, smiling, eating her big toe. She is such a cutie. I will keep her in my prayers this week however, because she has a clogged up tear duct on her eye and she is going to get sucked out (as I call it). Well, if you think about it they really are going to take a vacuum of sorts and suck out the clog so why not. They are going to suck out the blockage in the duct. There. Thats the short version.

Onto other things, Caleb and I are moving out of our house in town in 2 weeks!! AAHHHHH. I am very nervous. We will both be moving to his parents farm. I will be moving in with my future in laws and I hope its only for a couple of months while we get the building done! Don't get me wrong, I like Connie and Tim but I really like having a place of my own so this will definitely be a change thats for sure. I really need to like at this like a temporary home. Sorta like the carrie underwood song. This is not permanent but just interim for now. That makes me feel better and calms me down. I mean I will really only be there to sleep anyways. I have a lot going on with the wedding just those fine details and sorts.

Today is May Meeting at church and Homecoming. Caleb has had a blast this weekend. In case you don't know, the North Georgia Softball team is 47-0!!!! They are the #1 team in the nation right now. North Georgia got picked to host the Super Regional at our home field!! So, Caleb got hired by the college to run the video equipment for the NCAA website. They are broadcasting all of the softball games on the internet for all of the family and friends that couldn't come to the game. There are 3 cameras and Caleb is the one that gets to pick which angle is best for this shot and who got the better shot for that play. I know he is loving it!! It just lights up his face. Now, Friday night was a different story! North Georgia got the last game of the night on Friday night. They started at 7:30. A 2 and a half hour lightening delay later and they finally finished at midnight. Caleb then had to do the post game interviews and then come home and edit them so he could put them out on the website. Whew! He finally went to bed at 2 am. That was a long day. Yesterday, Saturday, He got there around 10 am games starting at 2:30 and North Georgia had the first game and then WON!! So, now they will advance to the championships. Well the other two games got rained out. i haven't seen that bad of a storm during the day in Dahlonega in a really long time. The wind blew tents over and the rain soaked the field. So yesterdays games will be played this morning and then the championship will be played at 3. If all of the rain holds out. I think its 75% though so I am not sure we will get all of them in or not? GOOO SAINTS!!!

I could really see Caleb in a job similar to what he is doing this weekend. He is the kind that likes to have his own idea and work somewhat independently. He loves baseball and technology and this is kinda combining the two. I know the lord has a plan and I will stay out of it for now.

Have a great Sunday!

Save The ......Date?!?!

This week has been a busy one and it seems to be flying by in the blink of an eye. Monday started off terribly. I had the worst headache I have had in about 7 years. I couldn't do anything to make myself feel better.

Tonite, Caleb and I invited Will and Carmen over for supper and it went well. I cooked cube steak, mashed potatoes, and we had salad.

So my mom is all over me about my save the date cards. I know that we are about 5 months away and I need to get going but I am having changes of heart. I have already taken some pictures of Caleb and I in the last big snow that fell in Dahlonega. I changed them from color to black and white because I didn't really want to send out pictures of us in the snow when it is 80 degrees outside!! But, on the other hand most people will keep them until the wedding in October so it would be appropriate. I know that I really need to make a decision its just not an easy one.

Also, I am getting very anxious about my wedding band. As I mentioned before, I am going to have to have a band custom made. But before it can be custom, I have to find someone who is willing to at least give me a quote on the band. There are some jewelers that do not even wanna tackle custom stuff.

Last week at work and on into this week at work, I have taken a page out of Nancy Drew's book. Ya know when something just doesn't seem right to you. You are supposed to go with your gut people. The truth of the matter is that in this world there are people who abuse prescription drugs as well as illegal drugs. It is a sad thing and I just can't understand why people do not just follow the law? Is it really that hard?

This past weekend was a sad one. It rained all day on Saturday so I cleaned and packed up some of my things to get ready for my big move to nowhere for now. I will be moving at the end of May and I am not sure just yet where I will be moving to. I would love to rent something in town I will only need it for 5 months. It just makes sense. I work in town and I really honestly do not know how to live out of town. Sunday we went to a wonderful church service at Yellow Creek Baptist (caleb and my home church) Then we went to a friend's grandfather's funeral. This man was a stand up citizen of our community. Please say a prayer for the Smith family. I do not know what it is like to lose a grandfather because I have never had one in my life.

This blog is all over the place. Kinda like my life for right now!! Continue to keep Caleb and I in your thoughts and prayers as we will be learning a lot more about each other in the near future as we look to make our separate lives together as one. O and Save the Date October 23rd !!!

"O When The Saints Go Marching In"

In the spirit and song of Melanie Davenport, "O When The Saints Go Marching In, O When the Saints go Marching In....." well you know the rest. Congrats to the North Georgia Softball Team! They are 45-0! Melanie sent a mass text out to everyone on Sunday nite to welcome the softball team home from winning the conference championship and their amazing record! No other team in the country has that record! They sure do have ALOT to be proud of. They are doing BIG things in this small town. Caleb and I went and watched the games on Senior nite and the girls are all amazing. They are always so consistent, like clockwork. I look forward to catching some regional action at North Georgia and hope to watch those girls well into the summer! Go Saints!!

More action from this weekend. Saturday morning, Josh killed the first turkey of the season for the Copeland boys. Caleb got it all on film and he was excited. Caleb is overdue for a turkey because he has put alot of early morning hours and belly crawling. I just know that it wont be long now and he will have his own. If you haven't seen a turkey up close make sure you get around to that. In fact, add that to your bucket list. They are so beautifully colored and everything on them has a function. They are a pretty animal created by our AMAZING God.

Today, Monday April 19th, 2010 my drivers' side window in my car got off of the track spontaneously. So, of course it hasn't rained in about 8 days and it is due to rain tomorrow. I hope I can get it fixed before all of the weather!

Connie, Caleb's mom, and I had a great hour long walk today. I really enjoyed walking Ridge and making him stay right with me. He is still a work in progress with that but he is learning quickly.

Connie booked cabins for all of her family and the boys for the wedding. She also booked the place for the rehearsal dinner. One of the hardest things is trying to keep my mouth shut about that because the rehearsal is about the groom. It does not matter where it is and what it looks like. It's kinda like a wedding but instead its for the guy. I know the food will be delicious, everyone will be happy, and satisfied and that's really all that matters.

On more of a random note, ask yourself this: Have you ever been truly let down? Ya know when your parents say, "I am not mad at you but you just let me down." Well, I can honestly say that today I feel let down. I have let myself down. Sometimes I wonder what it was like to be a 20-something year old about 25 years ago. It seems that you could almost do whatever it is that you wanted and do it all with ease. Nowadays it seems that everything is twice as hard and takes twice as long. I have a really hard time understanding where I am supposed to be in my life right now. I have been out of college for a year now. I just can't even believe that!! I thought that I would already have almost a year of PA school over with which would be close to halfway done. But look at me now, I haven't even gotten in anywhere. I know it's that dreaded Organic Chemistry that is holding me up. I just know that I cannot sit through that again. That class altered my mental state a little too much. I mean, I can't help that I take things seriously and I want to always do my best and strive for the best. Rite now, I feel like I am second best or even second to last.

I have decided that in order to not be so let down by myself I think I will make a bucket list, as I spoke about above. I think that if I can write down things I wanna do before I die, I will begin to check them off and put more things in perspective. I will update my blog as to how I am doing with that. Also, I realized that I can add pictures to my blog and I will definitely do that soon.

That's it for tonight! Go Saints Softball!!

A Lil Bit of This & A Lil Bit of That

I promised myself when I started blogging that I would try to write once a week. With this post, I have obvisously let myself down and the whole purpose of this blog.

Alot has happened since my last post. Okay, I will just start with a week's worth of recap. Caleb's travel baseball team that he coaches is on spring break (with everyone else and we are stuck here in Georgia, working!). Needless to say it has been a nice week without Caleb "the coach".

On Thursday, my mom, dad, nana, caleb and connie and I went to Brasstown Valley Resort for my first tasting of the food for my wedding and rehearsal supper. Brasstown Valley is a really nice resort and it was Caleb's first time there in a long time. I think he was impressed and even got a little bit excited.
I thought the tasting went great. We had a ton of food and my mom and I had a ton of questions. I think by the end my wedding coordinator, Renee, was exhausted after answering all of our questions and entertaining all of us. We can be a hard crowd to please at times. And I think I will need to set a meeting with only renee and myself so that I can make sure that my wedding will be all of my expectations and more.

My mom is hounding me about the bridesmaid dresses currently. I think I have a style and a color picked out but I want to go back to the store and bring the pictures of what my flowers will more than likely look like so that I can get that nailed down. I was informed that currently I have alot hinging on the bridemaids dresses and colors. I am very nervous to actually get it all nailed down. I will make the decisions in due time.

Gettin' Things Done By Working Hard

I think the title of this post pretty much sums up the last couple of days. I have interviewed two photographers and just made a decision on one of them. I am very excited to check that off of my list of things to do for wedding planning. I also have a cake baker and that is very exciting also.

Today, I finally got all of my work caught up. I didn't think there was such a thing as "caught up" in the medical field but I only have a few little odds and ends to do for the morning. I hope that I can finally get a systematic approach to my new job responsibilities and tackle those each day as to not leave anything for the next day. We will see how that goes.

I have already gotten all of my things together for Jessie's bridal shower that we are throwing her on Saturday. That is a sigh of relief. But, I just don't know what I will wear? I am usually pretty tan by this time of year because of spring break but since I don't have a spring break and due to the fact that I work till 9 pm every nite but Fridays I haven't had the time to tan and take care of myself. So, my pale skin is definately limiting what I will wear! UGH! I HATE LIMITATIONS!!

Caleb is in Alabama on my family's property hunting. He left Sunday afternoon while I was at Pottery Barn decorating class. He is supposed to be coming back tomorrow night but he always changes his plans and wants to stay longer. He just had to be in Alabama for the opening day of turkey season. Boys will be boys is all I can say.

Last nite, I had the WORST night of sleep I think I have had since I moved into this house which was 3 years ago! Also, I think we have renters for the house so Caleb and I will be moving out to separate residences in May. That is exciting for the new beginning but it makes me very nervous because I know what my life will be changing. I will no longer have a 1 mile commute to work and that is definitely going to be hard! Speaking of hard, we have a couple of hard decisions to make. First, we went to look for a wedding band for me and my ring is custom so I thought I would be able to find something that could at least kinda go with my ring but that is not the case. I think that I am going to have to have a band designed and that is going to be more expensive. Secondly, we have to make a decision in the next couple of months as to if we are going to build a house for ourselves or if we are going to let Caleb's parents build an garage apartment and us just live in it for a year or two till we want to build us a house. There are soo many things to think about and to consider I begin to feel overwhelmed with the uncertainties.

I can't wait for Caleb to return from his hunting trip because there is a lot of work to be done here. I also miss my friends from home and can't wait to see them all this weekend! I miss Amy too!! I haven't seen her in like a month! I want to see how baby Callie is growing! I know she is growing up before our eyes! There is not enough time in the day to do everything that I need to do.

On a happy note, my grandmother who has been battling severe stage 4 breast cancer for a year now got a good report last Friday. Praise god for the "vanishing spots on her lung and spinal column". She still goes once a month for the infusions and takes the breast cancer pill everyday but she is a survivor. She's 80!! She comes from the time when people worked hard everyday for what they have. I don't think many of us work physically hard and are really physically, emotionally, and mentally tired when the day comes to an end. If we were this world would be a much better place! So, I promise that I will always do my best everyday day in and day out. I always treat patients like I would want to be treated if I were in their situation.

Praise to God for the good report and thanks to all who are praying for my NaNa!
FIGHT LIKE A GIRL!

Keeping It All Together

Ya know, I really wonder how some people keep it all together. As you may know, I work in a busy family practice doctors office. I see a high volume of patients a day and work pretty long hours. I am not sure how to make it all work. When I get married, (its only about 7 months away!) I am just not sure if I will be able to do all of the things that I want to get done in a days time?!? Cooking, cleaning, ironing, and washing clothes is exhausting after you have worked and been on your feet for 8+ hours most days.

Today, I awoke to snow falling down fast in the North Georgia Mountains. If I am going to be perfectly honest, I didn't think it would snow at all but Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me. I went about my normal morning routine and left the house earlier than usual to go to the bank and get some breakfast. I got to work and we wound up only working until about 12ish. It was a pleasant and nice surprise to get to go home early! Caleb brought me lunch from Gainesville. He left his work early too. We packed bags and the dog, Ridge, and headed to his mom and dads house outside of town. They always have fun stuff to do on their farm especially when it snows. Caleb and I went off roading and looking at the pretty snow all around the farm and saw many beautiful picturesque places. The land is beautiful with a couple inches of snow on the ground. It is then that we discovered that it really wasn't the hard kinda snow we are used too. It was more like a slushy snow. Needless to say it quickly turned to mud and it was EVERYWHERE!! Lumpkin County school was out today and they are out of school again tomorrow. I think they may be making up some school at the end of the year. Caleb and I finally headed to his mom and dad's house and warmed up and talked and talked. We then took a trip down the road about a mile to a little brick house that has been for sale for a few months now.

The house is quaint and cozy. We didn't get to see the inside but Caleb was elated to say the least because this house has a "shop". The shop is basically a free standing over sized garage for those of you who don't know what a shop is. He has made so many plans of what he would do with it. It has a nice size yard and is a great school district. It is also only a mile from the Copeland farm so if we one day did decide that we wanted to build there we would be literally right around the corner. I am a little bit leary of this house though because the bedrooms are small and I think it will need a little bit of my touch to actually make it feel like home. Don't get me wrong we will have plenty of help with that. My dad owns a wet saw and can tile just about anything and everything. He has a lot of experience with my mom. I am just unsure of this house and our future. My goal is to go to PA school and I really wont let anything stop me from doing that except maybe organic chemistry that was miserable and I don't know that I could bring myself to do that ever again but only time will tell. '

I guess I wrote a lot tonite?!? I think I have a lot on my mind with my decisions that I have to make about my job offers that I recently received. I got two within about 2 days. They are both great but its just those hard decisions that will alter my life path that I am afraid of. So, instead, I have told myself that I am going to keep it together and let God do the rest. I will do my best, as always, and He can guide me.

Lord, Please give me the strength that I need to make the right decision for me and my future. Let no one's feeling be hurt and no harm nor foul committed. Lead, guide, and direct me in the days to follow. As always, watch over my family and friends.

Alot of Change

So, I haven't blogged in a while because there has been alot of changes going on in my life. Since I last blogged, I have gotton a job offer, prayed hard about that offer, caleb's dad got laid off....again, we started a new software program at my current job, interviewed duane jones for a bid for photography for my wedding, and looked at invitations and save the date cards for my wedding. Whew!! I don't know about all of you but that has been down right exhausting. While doing all of that, I have been working my can off. I have worked 45-50 hours a week at my current job. I got a job offer TODAY from Northeast Georgia Medical Center. It is only a part time position. I really feel that I should work part time in the office that I am still in now and also work part time at the medical center. I think that would be a great move for me and I would not have to work as many long nites like I have been currently working.

I am not a very good decision maker. I struggle over many decisions in my life. They can be big or just small like everyday things that ordinary people proabably never even think about. It's almost like I just can't shut my mind off. I keep thinking and thinking and thinking. One of the nurse practioners said that I remind her alot of herself. And she says that she thinks alot and that makes her often forget things quicker. Now, I don't often forget things but I could see what she is saying. The decision thing is kinda getting to me because there are SO MANY decisions to be made when planning a wedding. I did get registered at Crate & Barrel though. My mom, sister and I went there and they served breakfast and I got to click and scan away there. It was really nice. It was a private event. Get on their website and check out my registry at www.crateandbarrel.com

This past week I had the opportunity to work with Sonja Chafin. She is the wife of the guy who died 2 weeks ago in the tragic car accident (that I spoke about in my previous blog). She looked good but I could just tell that she wasn't "all right." When I got home around 9:30pm after work, I really felt for her and her children and just began to cry. I can't even begin to relate to her or her children but my heart just goes out to them. The whole family needs our thoughts and prayers now and in the coming weeks. I wish them peace in the coming days and strength to trust in the Lord and he will weather them through their toughest times.

Speaking of change, it's friday night and Caleb and I have a date!!! I am going to change out of scrubs and into date night clothes to hopefully have a good time.

Grateful, Faithful, Thankful And Just Plain Full

Today has been rough! Caleb woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I guess his ankle is playing a BIG part in his attitude. He needs to be thankful that it is not broken, well, at least I don't think it is. But I am also not a doctor. This past Wednesday nite, Caleb and I found out that Megan Chafin's dad, Terry Chafin, died in a car accident on Hwy 400. Megan is a childhood friend and old girlfriend of Caleb's. I know Megan and I also work with her mom, Sonja at the doctor's office. When I found out, I immediately started to cry and I didn't even know the man, although I do know his wife and daughters. Caleb told me that's part of having a big heart. They think he had a heart attack and then crashed the car. I have not heard the official cause of death as of yet.

I left the (4 inch) snow covered mountains this afternoon just to get out of the house. I have had alot on my mind lately. We went to the funeral home today. There were tons of people there just as I had expected. I told myself that I would be strong and not break down in front of many people I knew and some I didn't. But, Sonja was talking to Caleb and telling him how much Megan's dad, Terry, loved him and how he favored Caleb over many other of Megan's boyfriends. Caleb recounts that him and Terry would go riding around and bought volkswagons together. Needless to say, the had a pretty close and good relationship. Then, she told Caleb to make sure he always takes good care of me and that Terry would be proud of him for doing so. That's when I just had the breakdown. I was crying uncontrollably. I guess it was just that I can't even imagine how Megan feels. Megan and I have something in common, we are both daddy's girls. We are also daddy's first girl and that is something irreplaceable and very special. I can't even possibly put myself in her shoes. I think it's because it could of happened to anyone at anytime. Hid death was totally unexpected, unplanned, and yet there's something thats unfamiliar about it all to me. We are not promised tomorrow here on this earth. We will never know when our last sun has set. After giving it much thought, I think it's better that way, though. My destiny is in the Lord's hands. We must cling to our faith to get us through and I know that. And that's alot easier said than done.

We left the funeral home and went to the Valentine's Day Supper at Yellow Creek Baptist Church (our church) . The youth puts it on every year and the money goes to help them go on their Youth retreat to Gatlinburg. This year was my second year going. The first year Caleb and I dated we couldn't go because we were on the road traveling to play baseball. I say we but I mean Caleb was playing and I was traveling to watch him play. Last year, we went and had a blast. This year was no exception. The food was delicious and we left with full stomaches. We also got to eat with Katie Copeland, Caleb's cousin, and Darren, Caleb's uncle. It was good to see Katie and I would love to hang out with her more but she's a senior in high school and she needs to live up those last couple of months because they go by soo quickly and you will wish you could go back. Katie will be playing softball at Truett McConnell on scholarship next year. I am very proud of her and wish her nothing but the best and if she needs anything at all she knows where to find me.

I think that's it for now. I leave this post with a heavy heart tonight for Megan and her family. My thoughts and prayers are definitely with her and her family in their time of heartbreak.

TGIF!!

Thank God It's Friday!! I really thought I would have had more time to blog this week. Well, we started a brand new computer system in the doctor's office that I work for. We only had maybe 4 hours training on the system. Needless to say, we are VERY slow and I am VERY frustrated!! I consider myself pretty technologically savvy and yet even I am slow and have to ask too many questions!

Yesterday, Thursday, I shadowed for a job at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC). I really like the hospital. I already know many current employees and could easily see myself working there. As I left the hospital, I had kind of a flash forward experience, I guess that is what you would call it. I could see myself working in the ER as a PA (that's Physician Assistant for all of you who arent in a medical career) . I think this "vision" was the sign I have been looking for, for a really long time. It is so hard to imagine that this May I will have been graduated from college for 1 year!! A year ago, I was ready to graduate but worried and scared about my future. A few months later I was hired at a doctor's office in which I had been shadowing. I knew then that I really wanted a career in the medical field I just didn't know exactly where. I really think that I need to do whatever I can to get into PA school.

Today, Friday, I didnt leave the office until 5:30! I seem to always have left over work that never gets done since we have begun on this new computer system. At this time, It had been snowing for almost 4 hours! There was a good 2 inches on my car! I scraped it off and got a phone call. Caleb stepped off of the porch at our house and turned his right ankle very badly. Now I live about 1 mile from the office and yet it took me about 12 minutes to get home. I got behind a snow plow on the way to come and check on him. I think that was supposed to happen so that I wouldn't rush home in the snow and ice on the ground. Caleb's ankle is very swollen and very blue. I called the doctor I know and she said it sounded only like a high sprain. Currently, he is laying on the couch by the fire with his leg propped up and ice on his ankle. Ridge (our lab) is laying on him and "keeping him warm". So, I care for people all day and then I have to come home and care for Caleb! I will always care for people and that is just a part of my caring soul and personality. I have a big heart and I dont ever forsee that changing.

I measured the snow outside and we currently have rite under 3 inches on the ruler. How official! I am going to clean up the dishes and house and take care of Caleb and I hope to blog again tomorrow!

Freedom of Expression

So, This is my first blog. It's exciting but yet scary. I know that it will definitely be a good thing for me. I want to do a little catching up, so here goes. I moved to Dahlonega to attend North Georgia College & State University in Fall of 2005. I graduated in four years with my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology!! I found the man of my dreams here in Dahlonega and have since made this my home away from home. Caleb and I plan to wed on October 23,2010. Hence my blog name of "From Kidd to Copeland". Copeland will soon be my new last name and I couldn't be happier!!

The Many Reasons Why I have chosen to blog: I have moved away from my family, my childhood friends, and everything that I have always called my home. I am going through a TON of change in my life. I will consider my blog a coping mechanism, communication tool, and a way to share my thoughts and feelings with friends that are both near and far.

I want to back-date my blog so I want to start on Friday, February 5th, 2010.

I got a phone call on Thursday nite asking me to substitute teach. I agreed because I thought this mite be a sign that I have been looking for. I subbed at Long Branch Elementary School in Dahlonega, Ga. It was my very first time subbing and I was in a 1st grade classroom. I handled it pretty well with all things considered. The first two hours were great. Then, as we began taking tests, four to be exact, kids began acting up. One put his entire arms in the sink and spun around flinging water on everyone. Another, was throwing scissors, pencils, and crayons. You name it and they threw it. I finally had the school deputy come into the classroom and warn the students. I had a behaviorally challenged child in the room and he proceeded to scream "I hate EVERYONE" one hundred times. I called and he was removed from the classroom but at least I lasted until after lunch! Other than those minor mishaps, I think subbing overall went well for me. It rained all day on Friday and it was just a miserable evening. Caleb and I picked up a pizza in town and went to his parents house for supper. We always have good food, good times, and great conversation there.

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Caleb and I got up and ate breakfast at the Wagon Wheel. Its a local restaurant here in Dahlonega. Caleb worked from 10-1 and then we took my bow to Tritt's to have a peep put on it. I did laundry and cleaned house and then met Jessie and Hannah at On The Border by North Point. We had an awesome time and I love meeting up with my friends from home. They give me comfort. I can always pick right back up where we left off even though I live an hour away! Its a great feeling to have that and I just don't know what I would do without all of them!!

Okay, this is getting long! Today Sunday, February 7th, 2010.

Caleb and I went to church just like we do every Sunday. Chris preached his heart out today!! I always enjoy his preaching. He is a younger preacher with a family and I can easily relate to him. His messages apply to everyone. Today, he preached about not having excuses. You will either go to Heaven or you will go to Hell. Excuses will only get you to hell. (Pardon all of the language) But, that is flat out what the message was about. I love my church family and I am very thankful to have one. If you haven't joined a Church you really aren't living. After I was saved, the Lord led me to join Yellow Creek Baptist Church. Now, it's not some huge church. It's a quiet old country church with southern gospel singing and preaching and it doesn't get any better than that! Check out their website: www.yellowcreekchurch.com Caleb actually designed the whole thing!

I guess that's it for now! I am excited to continue writing and I would love to hear from you if you read my posts and just let me know what you think!