Wow, can you believe that 13 years ago today I was celebrating my graduation from CAC...celebrating out on lake Greenwood. Good times, but I don't want to go back. I love where my journey has taken me. After high school I went on to Lander University, though in my day, it wasn't was beautiful as it is today, and well we had a few more hole in the wall bars...that yes, I did travel through, work at, laugh at lots of people, and well I am sure I was laughed at too! I went in thinking I wanted to be a Nurse...which I did and do. But my better subjects are English and History, Science and Math were never on the list...so naturally that scared the crap out of me, and I changed my major to Elementary Education...I absolutely love children, their innocence, just like Ansley said to me the other day about our friend Tucker, mommy, they can put a band aid on his head and then he can wear his helmet and be okay....A reminder that to them a band aid can fix just about anything. Gosh I love her. I cried when she said that...because she truly meant, if only life were that easy. Okay...so back to my story...I had a full academic scholarship to Lander. I was very happy, definitely had happy parents...as at this time I was the first to attend college in my family, and complete it. Now I am proud to say that many others have done so too!!! So proud my little cousin Erica!!! And of course my other big brother Eric...he is in the military but he also finishing his bachelors degree. What can I say, we Ashmore's got it like that...lol Okay so that was off subject again...Okay, so I changed my degree path to Elementary Education, loved all my classes, made great friends...though a lot were not happy that I wanted to teach in a private school setting...now, I would just love to be in the schools. So, I took all of the education classes that I could before I could get into the program...and now it was time for the Praxis...now remember I told you Math was not my strong suit!!! I took that dang test 3 times, and all 3 times I failed the math section by ONE point, yes you read that correctly...ONE measly little point...I was devastated. I had to change my major again...mind you my dad was not happy about the first change, the second change and not thrilled about the third change, but it happens...you have to truly discover yourself in college, because all the dreams you wanted, sometimes aren't the dreams that God has for you. So, I finally chose Mass Communications with an emphasis in Mass Communications instead of Theatre. I absolutely loved it from day one...loved all of my professors, even the ones that others complained about!!! Frank Jackson was my advisor, love him...he was always there when I had questions...and Robert, excuse me Dr. Robert was the bomb! I loved writing. I finally found my passion...writing papers about topics that I liked, directing, doing interviews, putting stories together...everything was hands on! And I love hands on!!! But I must tell you that this is a hard industry to break into...unless you want to live at home for a while when you first start working. But today studios are becoming so sophisticated that they don't need production, the producers are controlling the cameras. Technology is amazing. But anyways, I loved it...I was so interested in becoming a reporter, little did I know. Not saying I am lazy, but well I am not one to move all the away to "nowhere" just so I can report. I also loved writing. I had stories published in our school paper often. I graduated from Lander in December 2002...what a great day...my good friend Corrie, was late, she was coming from Gville and they lost power...it was funny...my Aunt Nancy was following me around with a camera...it was a great day...I was so happy to walk across that stage and receive my diploma...but of course the party that night was the best...My childhood best friend, Tiffany was there, Corrie and my best friend Ashley, my dad and my cousin Erica. That was the last night that I ever sat in my dads lap and the last time we had our picture taken together. He told me how proud he was of me, and how happy he was that my mother and I kept him in the dark about a lot of things...lol It was a great night...one of the best ever! My mother didn't attend for whatever reason, but that was the usually. We still had a blast.
I loved college. I got a job in traffic upon graduation, it paid $18,750.00 a year....yep that is all...but I loved it...I was on several different stations reporting traffic. But soon another pretty blond came and well they liked her more...so I became a nanny! I freaking loved it. I had the best boys every...very handsome, well behaved and great parents...that I still try and keep in touch with. The boys are growing up, just another reminder that I am too...but then again I have 2 kids of my own, and well though I don't feel 31, I am...but so be it! I love my life!
I was a nanny when I received the phone call about my dad...but we will come back to that in another blog...this one is supposed to be about school....hahahahaPTC for nursing. And I am going to brag a little here...remember I told you that Math and Science were NOT my area...well for the first time in my life I made an "A" in Anatomy and Physiology! WHAT!!!! I was stoked...I was looking forward to nursing...I did great my first semester, had to repeat my second semester, aced my third semester...and well, I was beginning to get burned out...which those of you succeeded know what I am talking about. I had talked to Nick and decided to take a break, and go back to work for a semester, then back to school. I had 2 job offers, one was as Dr. Erickson's CMA, a job I would have most definitely taken had they called just one day sooner...but I accepted a position with News Channel 7 here in Spartanburg as an Assignment Editor....I answered phones, listened to scanners, gathered information, sent reporters information, producers too...it was a great job...and I was very lucky and blessed to get it...but well I learned you can get burned out quickly in the business...and there was no way I was going to become a reporter in this market....and well I wanted time with Nick, we were only married 7 months when I took this position. And that my friends is how we ended up in Woodruff. It is in the middle, we are close to Spartanburg, Greenville, Laurens, Clinton, Greenwood and 96...plus the school system is in the top 500 in the Nation.
But anyhow, today I am a SAHM, stay at home mom...I love it. I love seeing my beautiful babies go to sleep each night, and wake up in the morning, and like right now, as I sit here typing, Ansley is playing with her babies and feeding my Krabby Patties...lol...yes she should be in bed, but this is our time...Though now we are in the planning stages of what to do with our days now that school is over, but we are making some friends and hopefully there will be some play dates in our future! Plus, a lot of people that we went to college with are also here and that helps, but I do miss "home", and all my friends there, tho I can count you all on one hand, I still love you all so much! And I am so thankful that our journey's through life have brought us back together. And I don't care if our children are the same age, ladies, there will be some play dates in there...they just might benefit us a little more...lol.
But now I find myself thinking all over again...what do I want to be when I grow up? Do we ever really know? I love staying at home, but know there will come a time when I have to go back to work part time...but doing what? I seriously don't see me utilizing my degree...though I would love to be on the radio...and was once...even wanted to buy that station...and I would love to own my own consignment shop, a mommy and me...basically, as you can see I want to be my boss...and more than anything I would love a job that I can take my kids too....and i have thought about cosmetology...doing make up, manicures, possibly pedicures, facials...all that...again, I seem to like jobs that I can set my own hours...but truthfully the one that keeps coming back to me is the mommy and me shop. As a mom, I know how expensive all of this baby stuff is...and I want to help new mommies started out, and let them know that gently used is just as good as brand new...and I have no shame in saying that! As of right now, I have 3, yes 3, bouncer seats in my dining room, one that Adam used for 3 months before he outgrew it...one I had for Ansley as an extra, and one that came from my in laws...I have boxes upon boxes of baby clothes...boys, toddler clothes for girls...books, toys, and I could go on...I have enough to start my own shop, but well that takes money and we all know to make money you have to spend money...and that money tree in my back yard is DEAD...it is no longer growing...Though I am not letting my dream die. We have some good friends that are also looking into the estate sales and then turning them over and selling them. Pretty good idea...I mean we all want nice things, but do we want the Macy's price tag or the consignment tag...umm, you know where my vote is on this one.
Okay, so enough rambling, because I think I may overdid it tonight...let me know if you actually get to the end of this one!!! HAHAHA!!! And please pray that one day I will have my own little shop, where all of my friends can have a section to sell their art...because they can all do wonderful things!!!
Thanks for reading!!!
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