Decade in review

So it has been a crazy ten years. In the past ten years, I have grown up and met many people that have changed my life. I became a follower of Jesus. I met my soul mate. So many exciting things. Here's a rundown:

2000- The start of this year finds me as a junior at Pearl High School. I have made a lot of good friends in south Jackson and Byram, including meeting one of my best friends, Dorothy. I have recently become a follower of Jesus Christ. I'm finally finding out what interests me and carving my own way in life. This year, Emily and I have become great friends as well. That summer was mostly uneventful, doing the usual teenage things. Screwing around with the guitar and skateboarding. I didn't really date anyone this year.

2001- I graduated from high school and had a brief relationship with one of Lindley's friends. We break up before the school year ends (and after he wrecked my senior prom-if you don't know this story - get ready for a ten minute explanation). The summer was fantastic and I went on a couple of trips. I've become a mentor for the youth group at my church and we volunteered at a music festival in Atlanta.
September 11 happens. That was my 19th birthday. I was a freshman in college at Hinds. I don't think anyone will ever forget what they were doing that day.
In November, I had the priviledge of going on a mission trip with my college group to New York City (this was planned prior to the terrorist attacks). I was there the weekend of thanksgiving and got the chance to work with an amazing, down to earth, and diverse group of believers in Brooklyn. I got to visit a lot of amazing places. I even saw Ground Zero in person, which was very disturbing.

2002- I started attending Hinds CC in Raymond and moved into the dorms. This was my first time to move out of my parents' house, which was 45 minutes away. I met a lot of amazing new people, friendships I keep to this day. In January, I met David Randall Perkins and I fell hard. He was the cutest thing I had ever seen, but I never thought he would notice me. He ended up giving me his phone number, and on February 12, we went to the Waffle House following a BSU meeting on campus. On February 14, we went on our first official date to a swing dance party at the Gravity coffee house. By April, we were engaged. That spring and summer, we took a lot of fun trips (Dallas, New Orleans, the gulf coast, Hattiesburg- anything for a good live show!!) Dav's first niece is born in August. Her name is Katie. I love being an aunt.

2003- Dav and I were wed on January 17th. We eloped to Pensacola. His brother and his brother's wife, Dorothy, and Dorothy's brother was present. We honeymooned that weekend and spent time on the beach and visited the Gulf Breeze Zoo. It was amazing. When we got home, we settled into our first home - a duplex in Belhaven Heights. Soon after, we adopted a beautiful stray chow/german shepherd mix, Gilda. We had a family.

2004- we adopted my big orange fat cat, Rameses. We continued to live in Belhaven and I took a stab at online classes. Good good times. My beloved niece Maggie, the child of Dav's brother Brian and his wife Stacey, is born.

2005- we moved to Pearl briefly and then to south Jackson. Our little family is very content.

2006- we continue on, happily in south Jackson, near where Dav grew up. I decided that fall to try nursing school full time, but we were not in a position financially to where we could survive on Dav's income alone, so I work part time too. This causes me to fall behind and have to repeat the semester. I take an indefinite hiatus.

2007- a tough year. Dav and I are having some problems and we decide to separate that summer. We move out of the house in south Jackson. It only lasts for about five months, but it was the hardest thing I've ever gone through. I am working a couple of random part time jobs, but am looking for something full time that pays better. Dav and I reconcile by November. Our nephew, Kaleb, was born in august.

2008 - a much better year. I am hired full time at AT&T (where I work now) and Dav and I rent a house in Pearl. We are very happy. Dorothy lives with us for a bit. This was a fantastic, wonderful year for us. By the end of the year, we move out again because of the rent increase and in with Dav's brother, who is going through a divorce.

2009- a very tough year. Dav lost his grandfather in July and the month prior, I had to have a second back surgery, to remove a small metal rod from my first procedure in 1997. It was causing debilitating pain. Someone hit me and totalled my car that february as well, and I had to finance a new car. A very, very tough year. Dav and I moved into our apartment in Pearl in March.

2010- too soon to tell. But so far much better than last year already.