Uncle Gene's 80!

I am very, very, very busy right now with school but wanted to post a few pictures from Uncle Gene's suprise birthday party. It really was a blast! I also posted his "speech". Hope all is well with everyone and I will give a full update soon.

Yours,

Amy

My First Big Girl Job!

So....this summer has flown by and so did my first day as an "instructor" at PRCC. It feels like yesterday when I was talking to my father about my future. He told me to really think about this question before answering—what do I see myself doing in the future. I felt like a little kid because I answering him with tear-filled eyes saying "to be a community college teacher like Mama." I didn’t realize how bad I wanted to do that until the question left his mouth.

Now fast forwarding to August 11, 2008 I am accomplishing a goal I didn’t know I ever had. Reality hit me on August 11th at 6:15 in the morning that I was doing something a lot of people my age aren’t able to do and that is to teach at this level. My mentor teacher tells me everyday how "lucky" I am. I know it. But, it did not come easy. I really did bust my tail for this. I can tell you this though, it was worth every tear. It was worth every bit of stress, too. I now wake up every morning and think, "I love my job." Yes, I know I will have some bad days, but as Ben told me yesterday—“Every bad day teaching at a community college beats a good day teaching anywhere else."

After my first day was over, I called Mama to tell her about it and after telling her everything went well, she responded that she was worried that I may feel like I did about nursing. I never thought for one moment that I would hate this job. I write this blog not only to tell you how my first day went but to challenge you to experience this feeling. If you haven't felt it, it's worth finding and feeling. It's remarkable.

Yours,

Amy

The Smokies

The parents and I went on a much needed vacation before school starts. So, why not go to a quaint place like the mountains, right? We decided on Maggie Valley, North Carolina which is about a nine hour trip for The Perry's. Now I know what you’re thinking, “It can’t possibly take that long.” Well, you are correct. It was planned to be a 7.5 hour trip but ended up being a 9 hours long due to a few wrong turns. Wrong turns=The Perrys. HeHe..

I really had a relaxing time and I know Mom and Dad did (which they really deserved it). I posted some pics so be prepared to take in some beautiful scenery and of course—ENJOY!

Yours,

Amy


The Biltmore Estate



So I made her pose...


Dad pointing to the amazing view



So Dad threatened to shake Mom's lift and you see where that got him--alone!

The only bear we saw

Born on the 6th of July!

Olivia "Larkin" was born a little over 4 lbs and 18" long on July 6, 2008 around 3AM.

Dear God

I am a sucker for touching stories and I want to share this one with you. I don't want to ruin it for ya so I am just going to post it below. Enjoy!

Yours,

Amy
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Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words:

Dear God,

Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick.

I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her. You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her.

Love,

Meredith
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We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies.' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:
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Dear Meredith,

Abbey arrived safely in heaven.

Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away.

Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by.

Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you.

I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much.

By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love.

Love,

God

Family Reunion 2008

Well, I am posting the much awaited pictures from the reunion this year. If you don’t see yourself—don’t worry. I ended up making pictures of everyone. We had around 35-40 people attend with relatives traveling from all over the Southeast and some even coming from Chicago. I really had a blast and am looking forward to next year. I am posting a few pictures below(and did not upload the Rook winners--boo!). It's really amazing how the camera took so many pictures of all the babies. Ha! I miss ya'll already! See you in a year—if not before then!

Love,

Amy

My 1st Deep Sea Fishing Experience

So, I was talked into going to Alligator Point, FL for Memorial Day weekend with Ben. His cousins have a townhouse right on the bay—which leads to the Gulf. I had a blast! I caught my first grouper while I was trying to catch a snapper. I also watched Ben's cousin reel in a 300 lb. shark. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

I am posting a few pics from the trip and so ya'll get a glimpse of the fun I had. I am also posting the video of "the shark."



Love,

Amy