...happiness...

Today has been one of those days...you know those Mondays that you'd rather not see happen.  Those Mondays where everyone at work (including yourself) woke up on the wrong side of the bed...by the way I never understood that saying. :)  Those Mondays where you're ready to call it quits by 8:30am and you got to work at 8:00am!  Yep, today was definitely one of those days. 

But this past week and weekend was definitely NOT like today.  It was fun... :)  Last Monday I was invited to Sarah's for supper and we had one of my favorites...pinto beans, cornbread, and turnip greens.  All I needed was a big cup of sweet iced tea!! :)  Tuesday I found out that hail damage has caused my car to be a total loss...okay so that isn't good news...but it happened last week so yeah.  Wednesday, I did nothing!  :)  Thursday I went to Life Group and that was a lot of fun.  That group always makes me laugh!!!  Friday I worked, came home and went for a run...8 miles.  Whew!
Saturday I got up early and took some friends to the airport, and drove through a CRAZY storm! (What's up with these storms??)  Saturday night/Sunday morning we had another storm...trees down, power off...not a fun way to start a Sunday morning.

Sunday afternoon I hung out at the Harvey house...then I was taken to Ted Drewe's.  It's a frozen custard place here in St. Louis. 

It was okay.  I'm not a fan of custard...still like my frozen ice cream from the good ole' Darie Dream (where I worked for 8 1/2 years!)

It was definitely an experience though...so I wouldn't trade going for anything.  And I would probably go back if others were going...it's just not my top pick.

Even though last week was fun, and today was not so fun.   Life here has been hard the past week.  I really miss my family and friends.  I'm not really sure how to express it to people here, cause it makes me sad to really think about my family.  Part of me feels like I've let them down by moving, and part of me is jealous that life is going on in SC without me, and part of me just wants a big hug from my daddy.  

PS:  11 days until I get to see 2 members of my family, and then one more day until about 25+ Arledge's are all together!!!!  Oh.My.Goodness. I am sooooo EXCITED! :)

Long overdue update

Okay, so maybe I'm not the greatest at keeping up with this blog...but I'll try to get better :)  I promise! :)

Let's see, my last post was in March, and it almost the middle of June...so much has happened!!!

In April I got placed into a department with my job...so I officially 'graduated' from the ONTAP program.  I absolutely LOVE my job.  I enjoy everything I do with it.  God has totally blessed me with this position.  For Easter I traveled 7 hours down to Fort Smith, Arkansas and spent the weekend with my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin!  That was super fun, but I left my camera at home so I have no pictures. :(

The week before Easter we had a tornado touch down about a mile from my house.  Thankfully, there was no damage.  Good Friday, there was another tornado that touched down at the St. Louis airport.  The weather here is changing every 10 minutes!

Let's see...highlights for May...I GOT TO GO HOME!  I was super excited to get to travel home over Memorial Day Weekend.  My travel plans got completely messed up because of a flight cancellation, but after 11 hours in the St. Louis airport; 6 hours sitting on two different planes; 3 of those hours actually in the air; 2 hours in a car; and a terrible thunderstorm in Charlotte diverting my flight to GSP---I FINALLY made it home to Chesnee!  My flight back was sooo much better though!

Other news...we had an earthquake last week.  That was pretty crazy.  Waking up at 3AM to your room moving back and forth thinking you're in a dream...but you're not.  It was for real!! :)

Things are going pretty good.  I feel like I'm starting to get settled in.  I knew I would miss SC--friends and family--a lot when I moved here...and I'm not sure I was completely ready for that.  But, I didn't know God would put a family in my life that would make me feel as welcomed, cared for, and loved as I have by Sarah Harvey and her family (she has 8 kids--18 to 2 years old)!!!  Getting to know this family has been so fun, and so encouraging to me--there is never a dull moment.  I actually met Sarah my first Sunday here in MO at the church I visited--Eagle Point--which is now where I attend.   We joke that she snagged me up and would not let me go...I am soooo very thankful for that.  Getting to know this family has made my transition to Missouri a lot less stressful.

Brave...

That is the word that I feel like I've heard the most since moving to St. Louis.  After hearing that I left all I knew in South Carolina, to come to St. Louis for this job, I always hear "You are so brave."  And some will even add on "I could never do that" or "That's too hard for me to do."

Some definitions of brave are "possessing or exhibiting courage or courageous endurance" and "to face or endure with courage".  Yep, so NOT me.   I am not brave.  I wish I had time to sit with each of those people and tell them this has not been the easiest thing for me to do.  On my own I could NEVER do this. 

I do know one thing though.  God is so very good.  He brought me here.  I truly believe that.  I also believe that whatever trials, joys, heartaches, sadness, bad time and good times I face, He will be WITH me!  I trust Him!  He will get me through it.  I really don't see it as me being brave, because if you knew me, you would know I am not.  Yes, I love adventure.  Yes, I do love to travel.  Never in a million years would I have thought the Lord would have sent me 11 hours away from everything I knew.  But He did!  And I am forever grateful.  My times with Jesus have been sweet and very encouraging the past few weeks.

I see this as a time for me to trust in the Lord completely.  His timing is perfect, and my life is completely in His hands.  

A New Start

Around the beginning of February, I made a decision that has changed my life...forever.  I took a new position with the bank.  I was definitely ready for a change with my job.  This decision has changed every part of my life.  At the end of February I packed up everything I own, left everything I knew, and moved 650 miles away to St. Louis, MO.  This was something I felt I needed to do with my position at work, but emotionally it was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made.  Many nights on my knees before the Lord, asking for wisdom.  

So, here I am...sitting in my house in Festus, MO.  I've been in training for my new position for seven days now.  I've met my neighbors, who are both families with lots of kids.  And I LOVE IT!  I love the people I'm in training with.  I love the possible positions I could have with my job.  I love my home.  I love the area I live.  I love my life!  I really do love it, but by all means that doesn't mean that it is easy.  This is probably the hardest thing I've ever done.  I've cried a lot.  I've laughed at myself a lot.  I've prayed a lot.  I've spent a lot of time with Jesus.  I miss a LOT of people.  Thank you Jesus for leading me here!

 

Since I've moved here, there's been a couple of first's for me so far.  On Saturday it was a beautiful 75 degree day, Sunday it was a little chilly, and on Monday without warning, it was SNOWING!  This weather is crazy here. :)

Here are a few of my firsts:

First time:

--living outside of SC

--having to drive in a snow storm (okay, maybe it wasn't a storm, but for this southern girl, it was!) :)
--having to use my GPS to get to work for at least a week

--buying a washer and dryer :) (my brother had given me his, but they wouldn't fit in the trailer!)

--living in a 2-story home (I definitely get my exercise)

--not living withing a 8 minute drive of a Chick-fil-a

--it's taken me longer than 4 days to unpack and be settled 

--I've moved somewhere and didn't know a single person within a 5 hour drive

--I've really felt very alone

--I've lived somewhere where there's a fish fry every Friday

--I've had to find fellowship on my own...and it's really hard

--I've been in training for a job and thought..."I'm gonna LOVE this job!"

--I've had a kid--a little girl--someone I don't know--ask me to sign a paper if I would join her and her friend for a sleep over :)

--I've not lived on a college campus, or within a 5-10 minute drive of one

--I've had a hard time finding SWEET tea at a restaurant

 It's been hard, it's been fun, and I wouldn't change a single minute of it!!!

 

funnies from today...

There are days at the bank when I am really stressed out because we are so busy, customers are just being ridiculous, or coworkers are just being ridiculous.  But then you have a day like today.  Today was one of those days when all I could do was just smile (and sometimes laugh out loud).  I thought it was going to be a stressful day because we were short handed, but it wasn't.  Praise the Lord!  So some highlights:

-Rose came to help us out today!!  I just love the lady!! :) (this brought a huge smile to my face!)

-Having a customer give me a BIG bag of peanut M&M's because I called her to let her know she had left her license. :)  I didn't have the heart to tell her I didn't like chocolate. :(

-Being told by my manager he wished he could clone me and Jason (my coworker) at the same time.  He would have the best tellers then.  One can sell, and one is really organized and can balance. HAHA

-Having a little kid get really excited because I sent him 4 suckers instead of just one! (hey, I don't have to put up with him tonight! jk) :)

-We had this one customer come up and ask for "those sas skwatch dollars." I seriously about bursted out laughing...but I didn't. I held myself together.  She was asking for the Sacagawea dollar coin :).  You know, those gold dollar coins with Sacagawea on them. :)

-Then to top that off, after we gave her the coins, she asked if they were uncircumcised dollar coins.  SERIOUSLY!?!  I almost peed in my pants!  She was really asking if they were uncirculated dollar coins. :)

Okay, so that's just a few reasons why today was a great day.  There are days I absolutely LOVE my job, and today was one of those days! :)

Seven years ago...

Seven years ago, I embarked on a journey to Myrtle Beach, SC...eager to see what awaited me, nervous about the unknown.  Seven years ago, God completely changed my life.  Seven years ago, God placed four amazing, beautiful women (inside and out!) in my life.  My life has never been the same since that day!  Jen K (now I) :), Suzanne, Kari, and Amy...I love you all like sisters!

Sud-z's at my house in Chesnee :)

This past weekend, I had the privilege of traveling to see one of those friends, Kari, marry her best friend Ross.  Their wedding was absolutely beautiful.   It was at a vineyard in Virginia, and the weather was wonderful!  Kari was a stunning bride too!!!  Kari, I love you like a sister and I seriously can't believe you're married! You mean the world to me girl! 

such a great view!

Ross with his mom

Kari's mom and Brian

Kari's sister Kandice and her daughter Sabrina, the flower girl!! SO CUTE!

Father and daughter

prayer for the new couple

Mr. and Mrs. Ross Klinedinst (LOVE their smiles)

 

Cripe's and Klinedinst's

first dance. love them!!

cute :)

me and Addie [Suzanne's daughter--who I threatened to bring home with me :)]

Sud-z's minus 2

It was a long trip, but it was SO worth it and SO much fun!  Congratulations Kari & Ross!  

all in a days work...

...running late for work because i woke up at 7:45. (fyi i usually leave my apartment at 7:45)
...being the second person there, and still having to open the bank ...seriously?
...realizing ashley wasn't going to be there...down to four people now.
...realizing anthony was leaving at one...oh goodness down to three people. fyi it IS friday!
...being thankful i have two and a half days left till my vacation!!!!!!!!
...realizing i had my cardigan on inside out, only because a customer told me... :/
...loosing keys at work that lock the vault around 11am...stressing about where they are
...being yelled at by a customer.  one of these days can i please yell back?!
...having a customer ask me out cause he saw my name on my truck, and apparently he likes girls who drive trucks
...having a conversation with brian about whether or not we get off july 5th for july 4th (since july 4th is on a sunday)
...finding out the policy states "whenever New Years Day, Independence Day, or Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, your store will be closed the following Monday in observance of that holiday."
...brian realizing "Independence Day" IS the "fourth of july" hahahaha
...seriously slicing my finger open. debating with my manager whether or not i would need stitches. OUCH!
...LUNCH! finally at 2:45
...only a 20 minute lunch :(
...SWEET TEA!
...continuing to train jason on the vault.
...coming in from my lunch, and jason looking at me pathetically "jessica, i screwed up, will you take the vault back? please?"
...being called jessie by a sweet old customer who reminded me of my papa, and being brought to tears
...okay it's now 4:00, and we can't see the end of the line (inside the lobby or outstide in the drive thru)
...surely an hour has passed...glance at the clock, and having to glance again, cause it says 4:15!!!!!!
...finding those keys around 5:15pm, and being able to laugh about it :) gotta love those coworkers haha
...oh did i say i have two and a half days till vacation??!!?!