You're looking at our celebration dessert we devoured the evening I accepted my new job. Starting October 26, I will be working for Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in the Human Resources department. I am beyond excited and anxious to start. After two interviews, multiple phone calls to discuss references and background checks, I was finally able to put in my two weeks notice at Target, something I had been wanting to do since January of this year.
It has not been the easiest journey since graduation in May to get to this point. I have had "ups and downs" all summer concerning my post-graduation position in life. While I have always been happy and blessed,I was anxious to begin this new chapter, something that I had been waiting to do for over three years, and it felt like it just wasn't happening fast enough. Before GCISD, I had been to three different interviews which didn't turn into jobs, and so I was feeling pretty beat down. On top of that, everyone I encountered wanted to give me career advice. I had people telling me "You should really go into finance, that's where the money is going to be at after everyone has lost all their retirement in the economy crash" or "Ya know, it took my daughter/son a year to find a job after graduation" or my personal favorite "You should really take some education courses while you are job hunting. You could always fall back on teaching". Sure...after three years of graduate school the first thing I'm going to do is re-enroll in school to take some education courses. NOT!!!!!
Through all the rejection, disappointment, waiting, impatience, frustration, screaming and crying fits (not my best moments), I was blessed with a supportive and steadfast husband and a Father who had it all under control. This position at GCISD is absolutely perfect for my lifestyle, for our financial goals as a couple, and for my personal goals for a career. I received encouragement from many likely and unlikely sources, and was supported by prayer from our church family.
To make this experience even better, a few days after accepting my job, Dave and I packed up and took a much needed relaxing vacation to Mom and Dad's house in Arkansas. We love going to visit his parents for many reasons. They live in small town Arkansas, so it is quiet, relaxed, and slow paced for us...a much needed change from our day to day routine in Grapevine. Plus, they always seem to find fun and different things for us to do. This time, we watched some killer volleyball games at the college and, of course, at dutch oven cobbler. They manage to "spoil" us without even trying, and we are so thankful for the rest that being at their house provided. This was the first time we were able to visit them while there were students on campus. I managed to snap a few pictures of their volleyball team, of which the coach and his wife are good friend's of Mom and Dad Norvell.

I must close by saying Thank You to all my family and friends who have prayed for me and encouraged me during the summer and early fall. I am so thankful to my Lord for the blessing of family and friends who want to see me succeed and will walk the path with me.