Ashley and her New Nashville Adventure

How many of you have had children move away? How many of you wish you children would move away?

Ashley, our 27 year old daughter, has made a decision to and has moved east to Nashville to go to school and prayerfully, in a few years, begin a career in nursing. Nashville is not too far from us but in the eyes of a mother, it is a million miles away. I knew it was coming but if you know me and it is NOT in my face, it is not happening. Well, it happened all during the week of Christmas and New Years.

Now, who moves in the middle of a Holiday? Ashley does. There is shopping and wrapping and holiday parties to attend. But Ashley is moving. There is baking and cooking and hiding gifts and family visits and decoratingto do, but Ashley is moving. I can say that now since she is gone but I swear, I wanted to SCREAM! (As she more than likely did too) Bless their hearts, she recruited help from her friend Hope, her sister Natalie, Natalie's friend Lisa, myself and her Poppa, friends Jake and Chad and Andrew, who helped moved a washer and dryer (Andrew weighs 68 pounds soaking wet). At one point, her Untin John even showed up with a trailer! So even after all the fussing, she did have help. Please do not even let me forget her Aunt Victoria...the cleaning queen who was there with rags, cleaning supplies and the vacuum cleaner that Mike threatened to do bodily harm to her with. No one died in the process but the cats absolutely thought we were doing an reinactment of Hiroshima.

Mom and Dad and Andrew Waving Bye Bye to Ashley

After finishing the packing, Ash finally pulled down I-40 on Tuesday, the 4th of January. We met and cried and I made her promise to make all the right decisions and giving her the "I know this is the perfect opportunity" talk. I do know this is right for her, but I dont like her being three hours from her mom. As she left, she handed me a Jared's bag (SHE WENT TO JARED'S) with a charm called Lotsa Love which I think she just wanted me to cry more.

Luckily, both she and I have great friends in Nashville who sent their phone numbers to her "just in case" so she really does have a million eyes and helping hands in her new adventures. Her BFF Patty is 2 1/2 hours from her and her sister Kinsey will be attending MTSU in the fall which is 1 hour away.

The most important hands around her are the hands of our Lord and Shepherd and I ask that everyone continues to pray for her and her focus.

Be warned my friends..... your child will go from tiny to an adult with a HUGE Margarita in a blink of an eye.

Good Luck, Congratulations, God Speed and here's to you Baby Ashley!