The last few weeks...

The last few weeks have been such a roller-coaster...so much life has happened and it all seems such a blur.
I turned a year older, wiser and also crazier, and had a wonderful birthday...
I was able to spend it with my family and to have my mom sing "Happy Birthday" to me was just a plain ole miracle. We have been on quite the whirlwind emotional ride and when I think back over the last few months from where we were the beginning of April to where we are today...it is very different windows of experience...We were thinking this was going to be the last few moments...making very adult decisions and making sure last plans were what she wanted...and now to have her back home, being her travel partner from Florida to Minnesota to get her home, and to have her sing the birthday song to me...a true miracle. She is truly an inspiration and an example and model of drive and passion... to just breathe and live and persevere forward...life lessons for us all.




I was able to spend much needed time in Omaha with friends and family and to reconnect with why I love that place so much. To be able to see theater as it should be, to spend quality time with family and friends, to reconnect and share life stories, and to go back to a place I dearly loved and share fond memories with my brothers...it was an awesome weekend.

I was able to finally share a life decision that I have been struggling with for quite some time. It is no secret that I have been experiencing a few hurdles when it came to my job and the struggle inwardly and outwardly over the past few years...I won't go into this any deeper but let's just say that life took a turn for the better we hope...Justin and I finally decided that a job offer was too good to pass up and we will be moving to NW Arkansas in August. I accepted a job with the Bentonville School District and will get to be a part of one of the top competitive speech programs in the state of Arkansas this fall. I am excited about the possibilities. I am sad to leave behind so many sweet students but know that I will see them on the competition circuit. I am sad to leave behind such dear friends...but it is never goodbye and truthfully, Bentonville is only 3 hours away from them and Dad and Pam and the sistahs still live in Little Rock...so there will be plenty of visits back. This knowledge certainly buffers the sadness.

I am getting the opportunity to teach professional development for teachers across the central part of Arkansas this summer for the Department of Education. I am super excited about this opportunity and to get to meet super cool teachers from across the state and share new ideas and concepts with them. Has been a fun experience and one hopefully I will be able to do more of in the future.

I had the opportunity to begin another bucket list experience...I will be playing the role of Albin/ZAZA in the musical La Cage Aux Folles at the theater I played Emcee in Cabaret at FOUR years ago. The publicity process has begun for it and I cannot say too much more about the latest publicity turn...but suffice it to say I got to work with an astoundingly talented team of folks...one cool photographer...an awesome make-up artist...a crazy cool photo concept...and know that it will be on the cover of one of the high society mags this coming July....
SUPER COOL Experience!!! More to come...











So life has become packing, getting the house ready to sell, rummage sale and donations to Goodwill, memorizing lines and learning songs and dance steps, teaching, reflecting and trying to take time to relax and recoup from a busy year, and begin to look forward. I am grateful for these life experience's I am grateful to be on this life journey.
I am grateful for the friends and family I have in my life.
I am excited for the future.
I am overwhelmed by the next few months but am grateful for the roller-coaster ride.
44 years and counting...
Carry on my fellow sojourners...