New Life

How do you start blogging again when it's been so long since the last time you did anything?

I've been staring at my blog off and on for the past week or so, trying to figure out how to get it going again. I failed miserably at keeping it updated last year, and so many things have changed. It's like I'm living a completely new life and I feel like I don't know how to come back to this blog and write and get it up and running again.

But then I decided I just have to do it!

Here's a little rundown of what happened the remainder of 2010:

• Beginning of May - AWESOME managers at NY Grill got fired. I was very upset about this.
• May 22 - Came home from vacation as a graduate of VCU, holding a BS in mass communications with a minor in English
• May 28 - Found three stray kittens at work, a couple of whom had been injured by (probably) another animal. Took them home to try to take care of them. One I kept and named him Westley after the hero in The Princess Bride.
• May 29 - Went to something called The Appleseed Shoot and learned about riflemanship. It was interesting even though I was a horrible shot.
• June 12 - My sister Kristin graduated from high school exactly 6 years after my HS graduation day! We had a blast that weekend hanging out with friends and partying.
• July 23-August 2 - Took a roadtrip down to Florida with my sister Tonya. WE HAD THE TIME OF OUR LIVES. Went to Hollywood Studies (formerly MGM) and Universal, the beach, hung out with friends and family, and general just enjoyed the Florida atmosphere. Also visited briefly with friends in Georgia on the way down and back.
• August 3 - Bought my dad's car - a little red VW Golf stick shift.
• August 14 - Saw Inception. (Just had to put that in there because it was an amazing movie.)
• August 28 - Finally was able to see my musician friend Ben Berumez (look him up on MySpace and Facebook!) play since my busy schedule had calmed down after I graduated.
• August 31 - Had a phone interview with Union First Market Bank after sending in my application and resume 2-3 weeks prior.
• September 1 - Had an in-person interview with Union First Market at their downtown Richmond office. First time driving in the city with my new stick shift car!
• September 3 - Had another in-person interview with the Ashland Union First Market Bank branch manager.
• September 11 - Civil War lantern tour at Meadow Farm - always awesome.
• September 21 - Don't remember exactly what date, but somewhere around this time I got a call from Union First Market Bank saying I GOT THE JOB as bank teller in Ashland.
• September 27 - A friend from PA and her husband came down for the weekend and I met them for lunch. Always nice to see friends, and most of mine live far away.
• Setpember 28 - Last day of work at NY Grill! (My last day at Martin's was Sept. 23)
• September 30 - State Fair! I always enjoy it, but this year was a little disappointing compared to other years.
• October 2 - Protesting Eric Cantor's Republican Round-Up held at a place not allowing guns (Innsbrook Snag-A-Job Pavilion)
• October 3 - Honor Society concert at the State Fair - amazing!
• October 4 - First day at the bank! I had a lot of training - several weeks - so I didn't actually start doing teller work right away.
• October 23-24 - Celtic Festival. LOVE LOVE LOVE
• November 6 - Mom and Dad were away this weekend for their anniversary so my sisters and I had a movie night at our house with friends (Toy Story 3 and Prince of Persia - both great!)
• November 20 - BALL! My sister Kristin and I went to a Fall Ball that some friends held in a church gym. This was an old-fashioned ball, like from Jane Austen times, and we learned dances and had, well, a BALL.
• November 25 - Thanksgiving. First year in as long as I can remember that I didn't watch Macy's Parade because the channel wasn't coming in!
• December 3-5 - Sewing weekend at our friends' aunt's sewing shop, getting our outfits started for the Renaissance Faire.
• December 25 - CHRISTMAS!
• December 29 - Saw TRON. Amazing music.
• December 31 - New Year's Eve! Karaoke party with the family, and a couple of friends came for a little while, too.

So, as you can tell, a lot happened in the remainder of 2010. One of the most exciting of those things was that I got a "real job" (as my grandma called it) as a bank teller for Union First Market Bank! I work 40 hours a week, have benefits and paid time off, and I LOVE IT. The people I work with are great, the customers are so nice, and the company is a good one. It's hard to believe I've been there 4 months already.

Big news in 2011...

My best friend Christina got married! I was a bridesmaid, so my sister Tonya and I drove down January 6-7, were there for the wedding January 8, and drove back January 9. It was the best weekend in a LONG time. I met some great people and got to hang out with friends.

I went with my sisters and some friends to see the latest Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, on January 22. It was better than I was expecting from what I'd heard from other people, but they changed [i]so much[/i] from the book. I still enjoyed it, but I wish they'd stayed truer to the original story, like they did in the first two.

So that pretty much brings you up to date, I guess! I can't believe it's February already; it seems like the year just started yesterday. So far 2011 has been pretty great, and I'm excited to see what else is in store. I might go to Georgia again President's Day weekend to visit, there's another ball February 25, my family is going to the beach again in May - so much exciting stuff is going to be happening!

Bring it on!

2010

Happy new year, ladies and gentlemen.

I would love to have something inspirational and great to write, something that could be quoted throughout the year and even in years to come.

But I'm too tired.

So for now I'll just say that 2009 was a great year. It had it's down sides, but something good came out of them. I've grown a lot spiritually, and I realize more than ever before that I have a lot more growing left to do. I think the more I grow, the more I realize that. I was able to go to New Hampshire for the first time in years with my mom and sisters, and I went to the 9/12 March in DC in September. Both of those are events worth remembering, along with all the other smaller events I was involved with. I finished up the first half of my senior year at VCU, I got over my fear of driving a stick shift, and went camping in the snow. I lost a friend that I thought was one of my closest friends because of a difference of opinion; I was reminded how much that hurts, how difficult it can be to stand up for what I believe. I've had to reassess how important certain things are to me and what I'm willing to compromise on.

The list goes on and on and on. I guess the point is that each year (each day, each minute) is a gift from God and shouldn't be taken lightly. Even when something happens that seems to be bad, God is working it all for my good.

The future, as a rule, terrifies me. But that's when I look at it just through my own eyes and my own perception. When I rest in the Lord and remember that He is sovereign, suddenly it seems a whole lot brighter and I'm excited to see what He will do with my life. I'm not naive, I know it won't be easy. However, I will make it through because the Lord is on my side. If He is for me, who can be against me?

In conclusion, I'm eagerly awaiting whatever 2010 brings my way. Life's not always easy - usually it's not - but it's almost never boring. I have my family and my friends and, above all, my Heavenly Father.

2010 will be a good year.