The story continues.......

So it's almost been one year, I love my new job, oops, not really new anymore. It great, something new to work on all the time, still lots to learn. And I get to travel. Everyone seems to think that is the down side to my job, but they must be kidding cause thats a big @$$ perk.

Lots of changes happened in the last 11 months.

I became an empty nester, strange feeling, not to have "son" running in and out, friends all over the house. I see him regularly, and we have reached a new stage in the mother son relationship. I enjoy this as much as all that came before. Being a empty nester mom is the best, he isn't always around, just enough to have a good time together and then he is gone.

After 11 years I bought a new old car. I own a gas guzzler. GASP! GG is will always be my favorite car, she is everything a 40 something could want in a car, seats galor, electronic everything, cup holders I would have killed for 8 years ago. Cargo space out the you know what. I LOVE my car.

Finishing my MBA finally. I made up my mind that if I stayed at my current company, I was going to do everything I could to get this done. I have three semesters left, YIPPIIIEEEE. I can't believe it and can promise myself no more school. Although I have already started thinking about what I can do when I retire. There will be a nursing shortage, hmmm, that wouldn't be that much more time in school. Plus good retirement, I can work part time or work and travel. Wouldn't that be great. It's either that or farming.......

I transformed my empty bedroom into my art, craft, scrapbooking, making a mess room. I love this room. I have been buying bits and pieces for a long time, thinking about how I wanted to decorate the room. This would be the first room, where I can afford to do whatever I want. So I am going with a neutral, pink, black and cream scheme, with a Paris "fashion" theme. Why Paris or fashion, I suppose shoes started it. There was a lot of neat stuff with shoes on it in those colors and I do love shoes. Then of course there was the matching decorating stuff at Hobby Lobby which brought in the rest of the fashion element, which had some Paris stuff on it, and that opened up the whole Effiel tower thing. My mom and dad were here earlier this year and they helped me get things hung up on the walls and sorted out. Took me awhile to find everything, cause I had stored things everywhere, but when I would find something, that would remind me about something else and I would have to go digging to find it. I still don't have everything totally neat and tidy but I am getting closer and I love my room, it is a place where I can be totally happy making stuff.

Weekend trips- I have always longed to take off and do what I want to. So now every month, I have something special planned either a day long thing with friends, or a trip away or scrapbook classes. I started the year off right, family vacation at Disney at Christmas time, I will spend the whole year smiling thinking about this trip. Scrapbooks were done ahead of time, (3 sets, Mom, Natalie and me, I must have been crazy) pictures are printed out, I only need to journal. Gainesville is coming up and then the convention in Arlington.



All in all, I have enjoyed these 11 months more than just about any period of my life. Things are definitely great!

SBD