Ah... The Cruise

I must apologize for my lack of effective communication skills as of late. This week, my parents are going to Hawaii and I am moving out, so all of that is just really good. Also, I will be able to talk a lot more, and be a mom a lot less. Be looking for a phone call. Oh my goodness I miss you girls way too much! I cant even say. I NEED to see you all! Maybe I should just get married now so that we can all have a reunion. LOL. JK... kinda. 

So the cruise was amazing. I didnt really take any photos, Chase's little sister Mackenzie was the official documenter of the trip and she has a lot of really good ones, so they'll be on facebook soon. We had a phenomenal time. It was really incredible. I finally got to go to Catalina! LOL. It's nice, I think we all would have enjoyed ourselves there :). Then we actually got to go to Mexico, Ensanada to be exact. Speaking Spanish was fun. Chase's older brother Brandon kind of wanted to practice though so he did most of the talking and would ask me how to conjugate some verbs. That was fun. It was great to see how easily I fit in with the Moss family. It was always so so comfortable for everyone and I think really reinforced in everyone's mind that Chase and I are going to get married at some point. We got to go to Sea World on Thursday. I love that place! The dolphin petting area was closed though so that was a HUGE disappointment. On Friday we saw "The Taking of Pelham 123" and it was SO good. It has a lot of the "f" word in it, but other than that it is phenomenal you have got to see it!

So anyway, today I am going to go paint my new room. My very own room in a grown up house :) I am stoked. I dont know what color I am going to paint it though, so I need to figure that out!

Again, I love you girls SO much and I cant wait to talk to you!

Love,

Shayla

A quick post...

OK...this will be a short post because I have to go do the dishes. I really only have one comment...I really wish I was there the night those pics that lindsey posted were taken. I feel like I need a little explanation to give me context...

Oh, and one more comment: I am so impressed with you Ellen Anne that you blogged!

Love you girls so much and miss you like crazy!

P.S. I am actually interviewing with two schools right now. One is in so cal and one is in China! Would anyone be willing to come visit me in Shanghai next year??!!!! Haha

Okay girls,

So to make up for my lack of blogging I posted tons of pictures from freshman year from F with an accent. If I remember correctly EA was balancing a can of soup on her breast, chipped a tooth, and went nuts.

I love you all. and miss you all. There will be more to come.

Linds

Round 3!!!!

Round 2 of pics

Making up for lack of blogging

So far....

OH MY GOODNESS!!! EA wrote a blog! I love you guys and i loved reading your blogs!!!

I can't tell you how much i have missed you all. I actually had my first of what i know will be many breakdowns on Monday. It was oughfully and my heart hurt so much AND i wasn't even PMSing! Anyways, home has been good. Its been great to be with family and get to hang out with some friends. Although, i think that California has messed me up. I mean, we are so chill and so laidback and that is not really the case in Nigeria. Hence, i find that i get overwhelmed with all the hustling and bustling.lol. Work has already been crazy and i haven't even gotten to the crazy part yet. I have a deadline and so that doesn't help. On Monday, the whole idea that i am now an adult, a college graduate and working really hit me. It was like i was being told to forget college, grow up, suck it up and deal with the real world. I missed you guys and i didn't know who to talk to that would really understand how i felt. My friends at home are great but they don't really know me or understand who i have become. Sometimes, they joke about certain things that make me upset but i can't tell them because we are now thinking differently; and i know they mean no harm. It hurt me because i felt alone and i just kept calling out to God. I would have done anything to be back in school with you guys. It hit me how much harder this adjustment is going to be but i know its all good. I do believe that God is in control and He is working things out. I need to remember that its only been a week and everything can't just change in a week.

Sorry for being such a downer. On a brighter note, its looking like i'll be moving to the UK next year for my masters so i get to be closer to Becca! That means that we need to have a reunion either in the UK or in Paris. I can't wait to come back and visit in Aug. I love you all and i am praying for you. I know the God we serve has never failed us and He is not about to start now. This is just a phase/chapter in our lives; and its gonna have its ups and downs. I pray that you find a job real soon Tomkat. Becca, i pray that you love your work and are also able to raise money for Tanzania. Shayla, i am praying for grace and strength from above for you because i know you are being such a rock for those at home. Please don't forget to lean on the strongest rock we've got, Jesus. EA, i hope you feel better soon and get to eat some food:)


You all mean the world to me.
Toms

Faint and Pass Out...I did it!

Oh my goodness, I can't believe that I am actually doing this right now. First of all, I just checked my email and facebook for the first time in two weeks I think...so sad I know. But let me explain, like miss Becca I am a hick and I don't have Internet at my house, so I have to go to my mom's office. In fact we just got running water about a week ago. OH THE 21st CENTURY...gotta love it!

Well, where do I even begin? Lets start with the road trip. Like Ashley, I am in love with Twilight and I read those dang books for 40 hours...mind you our trip was 43. You do the math-my mom and James hated me because I would not talk to them...but the real reason why I was mad was because they would not let me drive....I have been driving for 4 years now people....COME ON. Anyways, my mom hates loud music so James drove silent for 40 hours. I was ready for him to break up with me no joke once we crossed the North Carolina line.

Once we got home it was straight to work. I have been SO busy. I have not been out of camp since graduation, unless it was to run an errand or go to the grocery story. YUCK. I need a break.

As of a week ago, I had the privilege of getting my tonsils out. It sucks...y'all know that I love to eat...and I haven't eatin' anything except for liquids and Popsicles since last Thursday. Talk about an instant diet, its terrible, I lost 7 pounds in 5 days and I still can't eat for another week. I could never do the anorexic thing...my body was made to eat. And be curvy. Y'all also know that I am a grump when I don't eat...but they gave me meds for that. So I am a loony starving person with white scabs the size of Texas running down my esophagus. Gross.

Besides all that jazz...home is refreshing. I wish I could transport all of you here to sit and drink coffee by the lake, and breathe in that beautiful mountain air. It's beautiful and reminds me of what my place is going to be like in heaven. A boat house...y'all can come visit :)

I can't even begin to tell you what you all mean to me and how much I miss you all so much. Life isn't the same without you here with me...but I know that the Lord has got a plan for all of us to stick together. I miss your lovely faces...your hugs...and our laughs. I cherish the memories everyday, and think and pray for you all often.

God is good...no, he is GREAT!

I love you all to pieces...can't wait to do this again...it's fun:)

EA

my life as of late...

Hey lovelies. 

So I have been absolutely terrible about answering my phone for the last week. Life has been... well... not fun, to say the least. My dad has some wicked kidney stones. He gets them a lot but we actually had to take him to the hospital for them last week. My mom has not been doing well either. She has been totally out of it most of the time, leaving me to manage three kids on my own. I am not a mom. I did not procreate. The experience has actually gotten me thinking that I may never decide to have my own children. They would just always be there. I could never sleep in. EVER. 

My cousin passed away last week. He had been very sick for a very long time, and it was expected, but still very sad. I have another cousin who is living in Korea who had brain surgery last week as well. Our uncle passed away after he had the same surgery when I was 13. Needless to say everyone is on pins and needles. 

Beyond that, my ex-sister-in-law is being shady and it pretty clear that as soon as my brother gets back from Iraq there are going to be some pretty bad legal battles ensuing between them. My mom has not been a very nice woman about all of it. She is very angry a lot of the time, and rightfully so, but still, I feel like there is a better way to handle all of it.

Anyway, everything is starting to settle down now. I got the job so I will be teaching middle school Spanish and elementary school PE. Chase's dad used to be a PE teacher and he gave me a book last night called "Team Sports for Girls and Women." I died laughing. He is so sweet. 

So that has been my life. I am now trying to recuperate but it's slow going. My nieces will be here soon. Their summer camp hasn't started yet. For whatever reason, that responsibility always falls on me. I often wonder just how lost my family would be if I hadn't moved home. Speaking of which, I am moving out of my parents' house in July. I just cant take it any more. Moving my room downstairs seems to have made my mom believe that she has license to begin sticking her head in to tell me things beginning around 6:00am. It's just not working out.

I love you girls so much. There will never be people in my life that are as great as you. I hope you know that.

Love,

Shayla