First Blog Anxiety

Being a newbie, not only to the Philadelphia area but also to the bustling life of a big city, has opened my eyes...mind...life...to the reality of so many different things! Eight months ago, I was just a small town, southern belle, dreaming of a simple life with my husband and lots of land, kids, and animals. You know, growing old together while watching the sun set behind the mountains from our front porch rocking chairs...sigh. Then life happened.  Like a whirl-wind that blows out of no where and leaves just as quickly as it came, so it was with our lives in Georgia.  And that sly summer wind just happened to carry us 800 miles from all we've ever known, to a city larger than we've ever known, to a pace of life that's faster than we've ever known.  Talk about the shock of a new experience. But after a finding a job and settling into a new routine, things began to move a little closer to normal. Whew!

Amidst the shock of the newness and a degree of information/sensory overload  I have felt pretty disconnected from all of friends and family back in the South.  So, this blog is mostly for my friends and family who aren't in Philly, to help them feel connected to my life through picture sharing and story telling. And for myself, to help me sort through all the of the experiences and things that I see and do and to feel as though my family isn't quite so far away. I am sure that most of my posts will be positive, however, in the event that I really feel like railing my boss at work (or not) or the neighborhood animals that keep stealing my strawberries, please just bear with me...don't call PETA when I threaten to buy a BB gun to protect my crops.  I am sure the vengeance will subside (eventually).

That being said, I have been trying really hard to come up with something really cool to write my first blog about....but after weeks and weeks of deliberation I still have nothing! I have been trying to keep photographic records of all the things I do and see north of the Mason-Dixon line and so far I have a lot photos to share...some cool, some not as cool.  I have come to the conclusion that regardless of whether or not I have anything profound to say, it would be a really cool to just barf a post of photos.  I mean, who doesn't prefer picture books over text books. Here goes nothing!......

Philly Family

This is the gang....we've been together for 2 years now, (we miss you Brent, Andy, & Renee!)  and boy! the things we have learned about each other and ourselves.  I love these guys!

The Biggest Blizzard Ever!!

This was definitely the most snow I've ever seen (and I think it was the most snow that anybody up here has seen over the course of the winter!)

Family Visits!

So far my mom, sister and mamaw were the first to come visit in less than a month after I moved up here.  My dad came in mid-March right after the blizzards hit.  We had a lot of fun exploring the city and eating way too many cheese steaks!  I love them!...my family of course, then cheese steaks!

Well that's enough for one blog...I know I will have more to post soon!