Busy couple of weeks....

I didnt realize how long it had been since i have blogged...and I mean ACTUALLY blogged...my tagged/retagged thing didnt count!

The next few weeks are going to be very fun...but they are going to be hard too....I feel like all of my posts turn sad at some point...so I wont make this sad note long.
June 18th is my grandfather's bday...he passed away April 2007....so that is a day of rememberance for our family.
June 21st is Father's Day....I love having my father around and being around him as much as possible...and although this is a day to celebrate him, it is still very hard on us because his dad is no longer around to celebrate...
June 30th is my cousin Brent's bday...he passed away November 1st, 2008....suddenly from a brain aneurysm (however you spell that)....he would have been 36 this year....he left behind two VERY young daughters and a family who loves him very much...

Okay...that is it for the sad portion of my blog....

I have been so busy lately with getting hired (part-time) here at the VA in Memphis....packing up my apartment for the move...and enjoying my last few weekends to spend in Memphis.

I will be working part time (Mon-Wed) here in Memphis (PRAISE THE LORD), but the reason I am moving is financial. I work with a lady/girl/woman who owns a home and is willing to rent a bedroom out to me for $350 a month!!!! There are a few things I dont like to discuss....two of them being money and politics...money is embarrassing and politics just gets people feisty (in my group of friends at least)....I dont like talking about how much things cost...etc, but in this case....I HAD to make this decision.

My current rent is $750 (NOT including water, electricity, and cable...so add another $150 or so, depending on the season)....which is not a bad deal at all....BUT when you are newly graduated, only making 60% of what you should be making with your Doctorate....budget cuts are in order. Im due to start making HUGE loan payments in November and so I had to tighten the belt in some areas in order to make bigger payments NOW instead of wishing 20 years down the road I had done that.

PLUS...there is really no point in me paying that much to have an apartment in Memphis I will only be staying in 3 nights out of the week. Ive lived here a year and only 3 people have actually come to stay with me...and 2 others drove all the way here to help me move in last year (shout out to the Doose's)....so moving out became the best choice!

All that to say...ive been packing up my beautiful apartment (that only a few people have actually seen) and splitting up all of my belongings between three different locations...my dad's, Brad's and Lisa's....

All of my tableware will go to my dad's, all of my useful kitchen cookware and bakeware will go to Brad's (so I can cook for the boys when im home), my bed, chest of drawers and BIG tv are going to Lisa's.

Ive moved some small, breakable stuff home during the weekends....but this week is the pictures of my friends, decorative candles, candelabras, paintings, etc etc etc....and it SUCKS...my apartment is going to be SO bare the last week I live in it....*tear*

It is so strange...hopefully within the next 2 to 2.5 years I will be getting married, so there is a good chance I will be living like this for a good amount of time. I am glad for all the money I will be saving (not really SAVING because it will all be going to make loan payments, cell phone payments, etc etc) but I have loved living in my OWN place with my OWN things and I am gonna miss the alone time, the weekends in Memphis with Brad and the pups, and coming home to my HOME, not someone elses....but once I am married, I will have my own home again with the man I love....it is worth the sacrifice and the wait!

Its true...im a little sad about moving out of my apartment, but I know it will be a good decision in the long run.

OHHHH...and another drawback....Reagan (my furry butt princess, boo dawg, Tooter bear) will NOT be staying in Memphis with me...that is another hard thing to swallow. Since I will only be here Sunday night through Wednesday afternoon, it is easier for me to keep her with Bradley (and Patton) so when I get off work on Wednesday I can jump right in the car and head home...that is going to be quite an adjustment. My dog seriously is one of the greatest things that has happened to me....some people dont understand it...but that baby girl literally saved me from a HORRIBLE relationship and for that, I am thankful....so I dont care if other people dont understand my attachment to my baby dog....they dont have to. I digress....she and I will be separated Sunday night until Wednesday night and that is going to be hard....that is hard for any dog owner. Ive been away from her before...but that was for a week at a time...this is going to be EVERY week for who knows how long...SO SAD!

My last day at the VA is June 30th....I will officially be on VACAY July 1st through July 19th. My start date is July 20th and I am looking forward to laying out by the pool, reading, sleeping in, getting a tan (hopefully) and just having fun until then! July 4th weekend Brad and I will be down at the lake...then we have a few special birthdays to celebrate July 19th (CB and Jessie)...we are so excited for all the fun times ahead.

Sept 4th we leave for the BEACH....we are going to officially be there Sept 5th-12th....and we can not wait for a week long VACAY on the BEACH with some of our GREATEST friends (and we will miss the ones who couldnt come this year)....

All in all, ive been a pretty busy chica and ive got more busy times coming up...but I will TRY to post in between laying out, swimming, and reading my cheesy murder mysteries....lol