WOW!

I haven't posted ANYTHING in awhile and there has been A LOT going on since the last time I posted so let's see...

1.) Halloween was amazing! I made the choice to go trick-or-treating with Dakota and our dad at my dad's parents' house (for old time sake) INSTEAD OF going out in the Vista/5 Points with my friends...you know a girl loves her family to blow of her friends on HALLOWEEN! but my friends understood and still love me all the same :)

2.) 2 weeks before my birthday, my dad had to move to West Virginia with Terry. That tore me apart but I understood that he had to do what he had to do. It tore my dad apart too.

3.) My 19th birthday: WELL THAT could have gone better. I spent my birthday with a very FABULOUS person though (KRay), but the day before my birthday and the day OF my birthday, I had a seizure. The day before my birthday I had to be rushed to the ER. So yeah not a very good place to spend your birthday and not the greatest condition either...and not having my daddy here for my birthday killed me too...so yeah probably the WORST birthday ever! but hey at least it wasn't my 18th birthday (WHICH IS A BIG ONE I KID YOU NOT!) or at my Sweet 16...I think I would have cried! lol

4.) The last few weeks were very hard on me! Exams were tough when I didn't know some of the materials from being out so much because of my seizures. But in the end, I did well except in my Reading class.

5.) The last few weeks before Christmas Break, I had decided to take a leave of absense for the Spring semester because I just didn't want to go through another awful semester with my seizures (awful as in I had 22 seizures JUST in the month of NOVEMBER!). But they told me to think about my decision over Christmas Break which I thought to myself that there was nothing to think about because taking a leave of absense is what I NEEDED to do for myself. I strongly tried to fight against it, but I just couldn't.

6.) CHRISTMAS BREAK WAS AMAZING! I got to spend time with a lot of my family and friends. The first day of Christmas Break, I go to spend the afternoon with KRay and Pocahontas (aka Mrs. Ray and Mrs. Moore if I've never mentioned that in this blog). They are totally amazing and support me 110% in everything I set my mind to do, and I love them both SO much (AND EQUALLY). :) The second day of Christmas Break, my mom's dad side of the family had a family reunion so those are always fun getting to see all of my family that I don't get to see on a regular basis. (My mom's side of the family is HUMONGO!!! my grandpa is one out of I believe 9 or 10 boys? and my grandma has 2 sisters and then I think 6 brothers? I seriosuly can't keep up with everyone lol, BUT I love them ALL!) Christmas was amazing! We made a little change-a-roo this year (which I don't like changes when it comes to holiday get-togethers because I like everything to be the same every year, but they did change after my parents got a divorce so hey! change is a good thing I guess, but still...NO!!! lol) BUT ANYWAY! THIS year the adults weren't going to exchange presents (and when I say adults I mean OLD PEOPLE tehe!) but you know how family goes, everyone feels bad and winds up getting or making everyone A LITTLE SOMETHING! Instead of opening up presents that our grandparents gave us; me, Dakota, and Amber opened up presents from them on Christmas Eve (when my parents were together, we'd always go to my dad's parents' house and have Christmas with them and my aunt and uncles and sometimes cousins, but they changed after my parents got divorced and then when my dad and stepmom got divorced). So yeah, it kinda felt strange just a tiny bit. But nonetheless, it was so nice spending time with my family! Christmas morning, we all opened presents from my mom and then went to my mom's parents house (again) to eat Brunch with my grandparents, aunt and uncle, and cousins. Then 3 days after Christmas, my dad drove down from West Virginia to spend Christmas with us! He stayed here for 3 days and played with Dakota, so I'm SO glad my dad got to do that. Honestly, I don't think my dad has seen Dakota for 3 straight days since my dad was with my stepmom. I'll be honest, it tears me apart that I don't get to see my dad's side of the family for holidays anymore. I still talk to them and have relationships with them because they're my family and NOTHING'S going to tear me apart from my family. Everything changed once my parents divorced and then my dad and stepmom divorced. I don't think I would have as strong of a relationship with my dad's parents like I do now if it weren't for my stepmom. I never knew this (always sensed it but guess I didn't want to believe it) that my stepmom was the one who kept my family together (as in she's the reason my dad saw us every other weekend like he was scheduled to get us and she's the reason why my dad talked to his parents while my dad and stepmom were together....and I guess that's because my dad was so ashamed of leaving my mom that he couldn't face his parents....so I'm SO thankful that my stepmom pushed him with the time she had with him and I'm glad she's still here for me 110% TO THIS DAY! I LOVE YOU TAE!)

7.) Christmas Break cont.: NEW YEAR'S EDITION :))) I spent New Year's with my stepmom, Tammy, and her family. and ok EVERYONE asks me, "is that weird?" and the convo goes something like this: random friend: "isn't that weird?" me: "what's weird? (acting like I have NO clue what they're talking about when clearly I do pshhh)" random friend: "that your dad and stepmom are divorced, but you STILL have a relationship with HER AND HER NEW FAMILY?!?!" me: "...." haha that's pretty much HOW IT GOES! and the only thing I HONESTLY say is that YEAH! it WAS weird when Tammy asked me the Summer of 2008 to come spend a week with her (and her "new" family). And again, I'll be honest, I was awkward and she knew it was a little awkward, but they made me feel comfortable and they didn't make me feel like, "oh she's the EX stepdaughter!" NO! they welcomed me into their family like I'm one of theirs (even though they're clearly PECAN TAN as Michael calls it...and well, me? I'M CHALK WHITE! haha! pshhh SO IS TAMMY SO THERE! lol). But yeah, when I think about someone else asking me if it's weird, I totally udnerstand how it's weird TRUST ME! BUT ANYWAY!!! (I talk too much so yah!) So yeah, I HAD A LOT OF FUN at her house but will not discuss the content of the FUN! bahahaha Tammy knows what I'm talking about tehe! :)

8.) OK! so everyone probably wondering what my decision was about school: to stay at CC or take a leave of absence? WELL! I decided to go back to CC for the Spring semester. I thought I was ready to go back, and I was SO excited to go back! BUT over Christmas break, I decided to change my majors (notice the plural!). I decided to DROP my math major and just stick to my photography major! And I actually have been talking to The Art Institute of Charleston and trying to get into that school...BUT OK MORE DETAILS IN LATE NUMBERS :)

9.) ok SO! This semester was going well. I scheduled all of my classes and since I was unable to change my majors at CC, the LOVELY Dr. Hopkins scheduled me in classes that were defined as me being an undeclared major even though my records still say I'm a math major. But yeah, so I love all of my classes and they were going very well. UNTIL! the 2nd week of classes, I passed out in the BACK hallway of the music hall! (and when I say BACK hallway, I mean the hallway that NO ONE ever take yeah lucky me!) So, no one found me for a good 15 minutes. The girl who found me was in my class, she was new to this class and didn't know where the bathroom was, and found me lying in the hallway and I'm SO thankful because we had at least 30-45 min. left of class when I looked at the clock and went to the bathroom. I felt perfectly fine and I thought I had made it to the bathroom GUESS NOT! So yeah I was rushed to the ER because I hit my head on the floor and I was unconscious so yeah not a very pleasant Wednesday that was! I felt fine but wasn't allowed to go to any of my classes until the next Monday, but I went that Friday like a stubborn little bug and went anyway because I just couldn't get far behind. Well the weekend approached, I felt fine, I got all of my assignments that I missed from my professors, and was being very deligent in my work throughout the weekend. On Monday, I woke up SO pumped and motivated. I was SO busy that day but was motivated to get everything done. I didn't feel stressed or under any pressure and I was taking one thing at a time. Tuesday night, I felt a little weird. I couldn't breathe that well, but fell asleep very early. Wednesday night, I felt EXTREMELY weird! I couldn't breathe which kept me up all night! But when I woke up Thursday morning, I felt well enough to go to class. I got ready, got my books and headed out of my dorm. Usually, I go straight down the stairs (our dorm room is right next to the door that leads to the stairs, so no walking down the hallway junk). Well, something kept telling me that I needed to go fill my waterbottle up in the waterfountain that's DOWN the hallway and on the opposite side of the stairs. So I went back in my room, grabbed my water bottle, laughed at Melissa because her mouth was wide open as she slept tehe!, and then I was out the door again. But this time, I headed DOWN the hallway instead of down the stairs. Something kept telling me that I needed to get water from THAT fountain. I was going to go downstairs and hit the last water fountain I saw or just get water in the building my class was, but NO I had to go to THAT waterfountain down the hall from my room. So I did, but half-way down I collapsed out of no where and with no warning at all. And no one found me for a good 20 minutes. I was having a seizure and I hit my head on the floor again, but this time the left side of my head. But then I stopped having a seizure and was perfectly still, but I was unconscious and not breathing. The ambulance got there and I was still unconscious. And they told me after about 15 min. of them being there I was responsive. Then I was rushed to the ER. I couldn't talk, like nothing was coming out of my mouth when I tried to talk and it scared me! They gave me some medicine through my IV that would help me relax and when they were taking me to xray (they thought I did something to my neck and back because I complained a lot about it hurting really bad), I saw my grandma and I told her that I didn't want to go back to CC....that afternoon, I talked to Dr. Hopkins and we both decided that it would be a good idea to take a leave of absence and withdraw from my classes. I was devasted because that was the last thing I wanted to do because I LOVE CC and EVERYONE there! I've met SO many great people and became friends with everyone there! Everyone I have met there have been supportive towards to and my difficulties (especially Alexis Murdock, my LA 100 instructor from Fall semester, and Dr. Johnston, my chorus director for both semesters...these 2 women are AMAZING!)....but I knew that this was the right decision no matter how I felt about it.

9.) SO! on February 5th, the day after I was rushed the ER, I packed up all of my stuff and moved out on February 6th. I couldn't stop crying. Melissa (my roommate) has become my best friend and CC has become my home and it was very hard to leave! But Dr. Johnston, Alexis, and SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE have given me courage, strength, and support and are with me every step of the way. Dr. Johnston said this to me and it will stick with me for the REST OF MY LIFE: "...but don't give up on your dreams. This is only a change of direction, not a beginning or end. Whatever your dreams are, they are of value, and you can achieve them. I believe that with faith all things are possible. I believe that of you as I believe it of myself, and of the world we live in!" GOSH I LOVE HER!

10.) EXCITING NEWS!: TODAY: February 16th! I GOT ACCEPTED TO THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHARLESTON! I AM SO STOKED!!! I seriously cried when they called me and told that I was accpeted because this means EVERYTHING to me! I have decided to major in photography. I want to be a professional photographer AND a photography teacher! KRay has told me for so long to never give up my dream to teach because that's one thing I would absolutely LOVE to do! I'm so glad that God has shown me His path for me once again, and I'm always blessed to have such great family and friends behind me to support and love me! I love them so much words can never describe! So thanks everyone

11.) ok WOOO! that was a mouth full! Well I'm heading out! Bean (Jessica MO Moyer!) is picking me up soon so we can go pick up KRay to do movie night tonight! SO EXCITED! Today's gonna be an awesome day! :)

I hope everyone has a blessed day and a wonderful week! I'll try and post more details of my awesome life more often! ha! Love you all! :)