Gabriel Kole was born January 24th at 7:37pm by C-Section after 12 hours of labor. He was 6 pounds 12 oz and wasd 20  1/2 in.

Well...its offical....September 29th Eric and I are getting married!!!!!!

So....I suppose its time for an update....a very over due update I might mention. I must say a lot has happened in the last year....and I'm rather suprised looking back at all that has happened. This time last year I was living in Mexico, Doug and I were engaged and I was planning on going to nursing school as soon as Doug and I got married in October of 06. Well....as most of you know....none of that happened!!!! Which looking back at it now...its all worked out for the very best. I returned from Mexico in May of 06 and very soon after that Doug and I broke up. Although we tried for almost 4 months after that to work things out, it got pretty clearn in September that things were over. Although it was very hard to move on from someone I loved with all my heart....I wouldnt change anything that happened!!!!! It all happened for a very special reason. When we broke up my mom told me that it just meant there was someone even more wonderful out there for me. And at the time I thought she was crazy, however, now I know how right she was!

When I got back in May I started looking for jobs and considered going to school for cosmotolegy and then joining the Marines when I got out of the 2 years program for that. But once again....none of that has happened. Instead, I got a job at Wal-Mart!!! And let me tell you...warm fuzzy feelings went through my body when I got that job!!!! LOL.....it was a job but I didnt intent on being there for more then 4-6 months. Well, I"ve been there for over 6 months and it looks like I"ll be there for awhile longer! About 2 months ago I had the oppurtunity to get into the lower end of managment(CSM....Customer Service Manager) and I took it!!! I honestly didnt think I would like it or want to take it any farther then that. However, I really love it even though I work long hours and put up with rather annoying and often times down right rude and retarted people...but its all part of the fun!!! The goal is to be an assisant manager within the next 2 years. In July I should move off the front end and into a deparement and then 3-6 months after that move to department manager and then into assisantmanger. I'm very excited about it and I cant wait to July so I can really get the ball rolling.

The past year has had a lot of excited oppurtunity but at the same time, I've made my fair share of rather stupid and costly mistakes!!!!!!! One being my car....2 months ago it broke down and I've ended up putting close to $1,000 into repairs...which I"m still paying off!! Thankfully my dad has been allowing me to pay him back or other wise...it would have been a very, very bad deal!  

Not long after I got my job I started partying....ALOT!!! I also moved out on my own which made it a lot easier for me to party. For several months I was drunk almost every day and on the weekends you could garantee I would be drunk by 11!!! And my choice in friends wasnt exactly the best either. I was rather proud of the fact that I could go into Caddies (the bar in Columbus) and no one ever ID'd me but then...like most things in life...it caught up with me and it wasnt so fun with I went to jail!!! Yes...you read it right....I went to jail!!! Not juvy either...I'm talking about cellblocks and stripes!!! December 15th I was at a big party (now mind you I had bronchitis and should have been home sleeping instead of partying) and when you're drunk you dont always make the best decision and that night was one of them. Its a long story but the short end would be that cops got called on us. I heard that knock on the door and I knew the party was over...and it was!!! Everyone else was over 21 besides me so after I was ID'd and given a breathalizer test and failed it (I was 3X over the legal limit) the cuffs went on and I got a free ride to in the cop car!!!! My bond was set at 5,000 but 10% would be $500 to get out or I had to say for 48 hours. So....I stayed for 48 hours!!!! And I wasnt in a holding cell either...I was in an actual cellblock in stripes with girls that were going to prison for a long time for some pretty messed up things. And I have to say....it scared me to death! And calling my parents at 1:30am saying I was in jail almost killed me!!! I was so ashamed and dissapointed in myself I wanted the floor to swallow me up! I got lucky though honestly because it was a first time misdeminer offience and as long as I dont mess up in the next 2 years I'll be fine. However, if I do its 3-9 months in jail, probabtion and a felony that wont roll! And to top all of that off...the night I got out I found out there was coke at the party along with parthernaia and other drugs. Which basically means everyone at the party would have spent a very long time in jail if they had found it and we all would gotten a felony...no nugosuating it!!! So....I got lucky...very lucky. But...it taught me a very important lesson so once again, I'm glad it happened now.

So the last month I've spent getting my life back in line. And its not easy either...but I'm looking down the road and I know it will be worth it...very much so. Through all of this though I have met a very wonderful man named Eric and I couldnt be happier. I met his parents about 2 weeks ago and he met mine last weekend and so far so good. Meeting him has been very good for me, gives me someting to invest in and put my energy into. He has two beautiful boys and its excitng as we start a life and family together.

I'm not telling you all this because I'm proud of what has been going on...but I'm very grateful at how much God has spared me and how he has protected me from myself and my stubbroness!!!! Its kinda crazy because I'm starting to see that so much of what mom and dad have taught me is right and I wish I had listened to them along time ago. But once again, I'm lucky because they are still on my side and havent given up on me yet. Its crazy how when you dont follow God what a mess you get in!

Well I gotta run for now...but I'm sure I'll update it again...and hopefullt it will be a little sooner then last time. My number is 812-374-6669 if anyone would like to call me!!! Good luck getting ahold of me though....if I"m not at work I'm sleeping or with Eric!! Well...I'm out for now!

When it rains....its pours!

Yes yes I know...everyone starts out by saying how terribly sorry they are for updating sooner!!! So as to not break tradition...I do applozige for not blogging in a more timely fashion! Its hard to believe its the middle of October already!!! WOW!!!! Indiana is soooo beautiful this time of year and I absolutely love it! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here!!!!

On September 20th I got a phone call at work saying that my step brother Adam had died on the 16th! I was shocked!!! And thats all I can say...because I really couldn't say anything at the time...I couldn't even cry!!!!! It was quite a shock to all of us especially my sister Tirzah. Due to some complicated circumstance his body wasn't cremated and returned to Indiana until Monday and we had the funeral Tuesday. A lot of people showed up and I think we were all suprised with that. It was rather intense and very sad yet I know there is a reason it happened...even though I cant see it.

And...to top all that off...this morning I got a call saying my Uncle has passed away!!!! I was very close to him and I have to say that hit me a lot harder then my step brother! The funeral will probably be this weekend up in IL. I am sure it will be quite big as we have a rather large family and I believe everyone is coming in for it. So yeah, things have been rather rough lately I must admit.

Anywho...things have been going ok besides all that. I am starting to move up at work and might be going into management sometime next year. Anyway, I gotta get going! Love and miss you all!!!!