The Oklahoma Chapter Comes to a Close

Six months ago my husband accepted a job in Florida. Six months ago, we knew a chapter was about to close and another to begin. So many emotions come with life changes. We were so excited. For years we’ve been planning our move- we just did not know where, and I certainly would have never guessed Florida. My husband pulled away from our house, jeeps loaded, in mid-January. I cried… for hours. It was agreed upon that I would stay in Oklahoma while we figured out housing arrangements. It was, financially, the best solution for us, but at the time, I never knew how hard it would be for me. I am independent. I am FINE being alone for a week, weekend, but… the plan was never 5 months. Two months, at most, and then we’d be together. February turned to spring break in March, then March turned to April, and then April turned to June. Now... here we are, end of May in two weeks this chapter will officially close. 

The Oklahoma Chapter:

I remember coming to Alva, interviewing with the Division of Business and Division of Nursing for a secretary job. The Division of Business asked me to accept the job. I also remember I had no voice- allergies had caused my voice to go away. Oddly enough, as I get ready to move, I have lost my voice again- I'm assuming to allergies, but even more coincidental, I am taking a position in the College of Business. My life seems to have come full circle.

Alva is a place that has left an impact on my life-  not necessarily because of it's historical "beauty" (like Savannah) or it's nature (like Clarkesville), but I think the small-town living has caused me to appreciate things that I never would have thought about. For example, I appreciate walking through a mall, or going out to eat, or getting dressed up and going to a night on the town. These were all things that I had access to during my 7 years in Savannah. Although it seems like small things to be appreciative of, you begin to appreciate other things as well. Being close to friends and family, being a part of big events in friends and families' lives, attending weddings, showers, and birthday events. All things that I haven't been able to attend (frequently) due to my time in Oklahoma. But then, there is the other side; I have been able to see my cousin get married and my two cousins graduate. My uncle and his kids live in Oklahoma, and I am so grateful that I was able to share those milestones with them. I have met people that I will never forget; I have worked at a wonderful institution, where I feel accepted, loved, and appreciated for being me; I have embraced small-town living - again (and... don't mind it). I have come to love so many things that I thought I never would. Alva, OK will always hold a special little place in my heart.

What will I miss?

•      I'll miss the people the most. So many people that have touched my heart and will  
       be in my memory forever.
•      I'll miss NWOSU. I accomplished so many things working/schooling here. I came in     as a secretary, I wrote and photographed for the local newspaper, I photographed for     the athletic program, I was head cheer coach, an assistant soccer coach, an advisor, a     director, a master's student, a Comp II instructor, and a Ranger Connection    
      Orientation instructor. I served on multiple committees and won various awards  
      during my time as a student. I cannot thank NWOSU enough for building my  
      resume and giving me so many opportunities. I'll also miss walking across campus
      and being able to talk to EVERYONE because... there are NO strangers working at
      NWOSU.    :)
•     I'll miss Rialto's $5.00 movies...and their popcorn- yum!
•     I'll miss last-minute dinner plans to Pizza Hut or El Maya- with friends
•     I'll miss the sunsets and sunrises- I've never seen so many beautiful open skies        
      painted with colors
•     Lake trips with my Uncle Craig and Aunt Robyn- or just being able to visit them, and     lake trips with the Cooks!
•     Sherryce and her mad-hair skills
•     My dentist and eye doctor...I always hate finding new offices
•     The coffee truck! Vanilla Bean!!
•     Girls' nights with my Alva girls
•     Photographing the football games
•     Coaching
•     The (cost-effective) vet! 
•     The kind "folks" of Alva- everyone here is so friendly- even the postal workers!
•     Watching the storms come in
•     The list could go on and on... but I'll stop here, for those that are actually taking the
      time to read.

What will I not miss?

•      Driving 2.5 to 3 hours to get to "civilization"
•      NOWHERE to stop and go to the bathroom on these drives!
•      36 hrs in the car over Christmas to visit family
•      The smell of cow manure when going to or leaving El Maya or Wal-Mart
•      Daily trips to Wal-Mart
•      Not having a dishwasher
•      Alva closing up at 9 pm
•      Smoke in bars
•      Only have 1 bar to choose from
•      Anniversary/birthday dinners at Pizza Hut (I mean... I 'm a simple girl, but I do like      a nice meal for      special occasions)
•      The RIDICULOUS size of spiders in this place!
•      The CRAZY wind (averaging at 25-35 mph each day)- especially in the winter
•      Places that still don't accept debit cards
•      Limited food choices
•      Crazy/Cold winters!

I could sit and go on and on about the amazing memories that I have from my (almost 5) years in Alva, but I'll let them be just that- memories. Now, it's time for a new chapter. Stayed tuned, folks, the Florida Chapter is about to begin!

Walk by Faith- my mantra.

2 Corinthians 5:7 -For we walk by faith, not by sight.

          This verse has led me through life, through the good, through the bad, through the unknown. When I began college, I had my life planned out...so I thought. That plan drastically changed as I experienced my first (real) heart break. I thought my world was over-literally (I was 19, what did I know!?). I prayed so many nights that the Lord would heal me and lead me to where I needed to be. I was then told by a friend about Armstrong, a university in Savannah. I had never been to Savannah, but as I applied, everything fell into place. Savannah became my second home. I loved Savannah, still do. It will always have a special place in my heart. A place where I earned my first degree, a place where my heart healed, a place where I met friends that will always be in my life, a place where I grew closer to the Lord- closer than I'd ever been, a place where I found a church where I could thrive, a place where I had my first "big girl job", a place where I experienced the ups and downs that made me who I am, and the place where I met and fell in love with my soulmate- my husband. 

          I excitedly said "yes" to him on the top of the Eiffel Tower in Vegas. We had both discussed that although Savannah was amazing, we felt our time had expired, and we both ready for new adventures. I prayed and prayed for God to take us where we needed to go, and two short weeks later he accepted a job as the Head Athletic Trainer in Alva, OK. Our lives were about to change, drastically, and we had no idea how. He moved to Alva while I stayed with my parents. A month later, I accepted a minimum wage job at NWOSU, I'm not going to lie, when I rode into town, I thought that God had (maaayyybe) made a mistake (I know, I know... He doesn't make mistakes...), but as I looked at this small town, with a 2000 person population, I thought, "I can not do this." 

          Four and a half years later, we are on the move again (well, Steve is... I'm again... walking by faith). If you follow my blog, which I'm terrible at keeping up, you probably read how miserable I was, how I thought I couldn't make it in this town, and how I didn't know why God has chosen Alva for us. I now know that there is no place that would have given me exactly what I needed. See, in these past four and a half years I have earned a master's degree, tuition free. I have been the head coach of a collegiate cheerleading squad, I have assisted in coaching a college soccer team, I have been a photographer for the athletics program, I have written for the local newspaper, as well as assisting as a wedding photographer, I have moved into a director position of a federal grant, advising students, and I have experience teaching in a face-to-face and online college classroom. I've worked for a wonderful university that has shown me how much I truly enjoy working in higher ed. I have made contacts with fellow faculty and staff, and I have met some of the most amazing people- again, more friends for life. 

          Now, here I am again. My husband has an amazing job opportunity, and I'm waiting for God to place me where He thinks I should be. Is this easy? Um...NO, it's incredibly hard. As each door is closed, or each "no" is said, I will be crushed. I will be wondering what I'm going to do, and by default of being a human, I'm going to be stressed. However, as I sit here typing this, I see that God provided exactly what I needed, when I needed it, even though (at the time) I didn't know I needed it. Taking a minimum wage job after having a nicely paid teaching position was hard, but that job allowed me time to coach, and wedding plan, and go to school, and write for the paper, and take pictures for the school. Yes, I did all of that within my first two years. God knew I needed to "plug in", and once I accepted His plan, He never let me down. I KNOW God will give me the job that I need (and I'm selfishly hoping it's also the job I want), but for now, I will continue to walk by faith because I have learned that there's no better way to walk than with the Lord. Please pray for my husband and me as we embark on this exciting, new journey!