MIAMI stINKs

Get it? Ink? Haha . . . I just crack myself up :)

But yes, Miami stinks. Maybe not literally, I do not know, as I have never been and guess what?! . . . I probably never will.

I don't want to go into details, but, Miami is not happening. I've known now for a good week and still it hasn't sunk in totally. I was prepared for this huge move - mentally, emotionally, physically and even financially. It fell through, for a good cause, which I'll tell later, but indeed it did fall through.

I totally 100% believe in things "not being in our hands" and that "things are meant to be" and that "God in in control", but I also believe that it's ok for me to be sad and ok to be a little angry. However while feeling this way, I do still know that good things are to come. I just have to pick myself up slowly from this letdown, how ever long that may take and in whatever way that is. And I have to think positively and have hope that there really is an awesome future for us somewhere. I can honestly say, though, it's not here on Westlawn, so we are figuring out what the next months and years might hold. Cross your fingers for us.

Now it's time to pick myself up, to get my business back up (I had not booked hardly any weddings for 07) and to enjoy life how it is. We never know what tomorrow will bring, but we also never know if we will even see tommorrow. So we have to enjoy every single moment and hope for sunny days ahead even though they might not be on those white sandy beaches on the coast of Miami anymore.

Miami blog welcoming . . . me

So I went to my Technorati page and saw that I had been linked by Rick, a writer at "Stuck on the Palmetto". He wrote an entire blog entry about me and my moving to his city. Um, what?! Weird but so very nice of him . . . I guess? While he and everyone else are welcoming me with good intentions, they are also a bit too brutally honest. But, like so many people have said, life is how you make it to be, just like wherever you live, it's what you make of it.

Decatur isn't the best city. It's been called off the record as the "Stinkiest City in America", has been noted to have a high crime rate, not-so-great school system, a declining population, etc. If you ask anyone living outside of Decatur in the state, they will probably not have many positive things to say ("Decatur? So what is that smell?", or "Decatur? Is there anything to do there?" or "Decatur? Didn't they just get a Target there?). But I live here, and have lived here, for 27 years. There are plenty (well, ok, maybe just a couple) of positive things about Decatur. I have tried to make the most of it. And I really feel like I have. Now it's time to explore another part of the country. Never had this opportunity before, so I'm embracing it 110%.

There are always going to be good and bad things about every place a person lives. There's going to always be good in bad in all things we experience in life. That's just a part of life. I'm only going to be a Miami resident for a couple years. I need to (no, I must) milk it for all it's worth. This journey is too short not to. Life is too short not to.

So thank you, Rick, for your help. Thank you, too, to all your comment-ers. I'm going to try and go into this move with an open eye. I have to. And you'll be happy to know that, I already robbed a bank AND I am going to sell my car so I don't have to deal with the bad drivers. I mean, since I am going to be living in my million-dollar home on the ocean with entertainment at my fingers and no reason to leave the house, I think I'm probably set. Don't you?

No, seriously, I know it's going to be different. And I think I am ready.

I think.

The News

Ok, so I can't wait any longer. And some of you are antsy. And no, I'm no pregnant. that won't be happening again! So here's the deal. I'm going to be sinking my toes into beautiful white sand . . . A LOT.

WE

ARE

MOVING

TO

MIAMI!

For someone who has never moved but to Carbondale and back for college, this is big. Here's the scoop.

Neil has been offered a new position with his company to run an oil processing plant in Miami. He's going to accept it and by the end of February, he will be working as the manager of this place! Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening but we feel like this is what we are suppose to do. We both feel incredibly at peace about the decision.

I am so very excited and happy but really scared too. Going to a new state hundreds of miles away, 20-some hours driving a car!, where over half of the people speak Spanish and use it as their first language, where the city is so crowded they can only built up, where it's a mandatory evacuation zone in hurricanes - these things are a bit frightening to me! But on the flip side, there are so many exciting things that I don't think I can list them all here. But what an experience it will be to live on the ocean, to learn Spanish, to be in the mist of celebrities, pink buildings, art deco everywhere (!), to be able to sink my toes into the warm sand every single day. I am so excited. So very excited.

I am very sad that we are leaving our family and friends. I hope people will come visit us. And thank God for the internet now and all the other technology that makes moving so much easier on everyone. Also, we are not going to be gone for long. 2-3 years max they tell us. Long enough to get use to the Florida sun and not want to see snow (or ice - sarcastic "haha") again!

So, when is this happening? IN FEBRUARY. Yep, that soon. So we have a gizillion things to do between now and then. It's less than 2 months away! (What have I gotten myself into?!) Our house is a disaster. So many things to organize, throw out, put into storage . . . If anyone wants to come help me, feel free! I am sure I could use the help, and if you don't want to help, maybe someone to just drink a glass of wine with (hint, hint). I'm really excited about this but it's really overwhelming and I am going to miss everyone a lot. I don't think that part has sunk in yet. I am also really going to miss my house. We've been here 6 years and I think it might even miss us.

So, that's my news. How's that for news from ME! Off on a new wonderfully fabulous journey. Come see me . . . February will be here so soon . . . *tears*

Breaking news . . .

We have some huge news. Stay tuned in the coming days . . .

And, quote of the day:
You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
~ unknown