Missy's Engaged!!

Misha proposed this past weekend to Missy after about 10 months of dating!! They've known each other exactly a year now where they met on a mission trip in Ukraine where Misha is originally from. He's been planning this for weeks and got me in on it about two weeks ago... it has been SO HARD keeping it from Missy. First because I tell her everything and second because she can read me like a book. But we managed to keep it somewhat a suprise.

So Misha's sister, Natasha and her fiance rented a condo in Weeki Wache which is right outside of Tampa for the weekend. There were 10 of us that went down to hang. Me, Missy, Misha and a bunch of our friends. The house was amazing! There were 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, a closed in pool, jacuzzi, game room, big screen TV, pond in the backyard... everything!

So Saturday night Misha was diligently working on the fireworks (which is not unusual seeing as he is a Nuclear Engineer) while we were all hanging out and eating. Finally about 11 o'clock we all walk outside in front of the house to shoot of the fireworks where Misha's show was set up. There was a huge board with fireworks strapped to it and Misha pressed his ghetto-rigged remote control to start it. It said 'Will you marry me?' in fireworks... but it didn't quite work the way he wanted it to... Here are some of the pictures I took from that night.

The ring box

The ring

This was the start of the fireworks.

This was suppose to say 'Will you marry me?'

But it kinda blew up and caught on fire...

She never really said 'yes' by this point,

but we all pretty much knew her answer.

Admiring her ring :)

I love this picture of them!!

Poor Misha was so nervous he

had to change shirts because

it was soaked in sweat!

Missy's friend Alona

was SO happy for her

and Misha.

Missy & Alona

Missy, Alona, & David

I think she may like it just a little.

They were both glowing :)

Misha & Missy

The hefer got a manicure right before

we left for Tampa. Said she wanted

to be 'prepared.'

Going to check out the scene of the

fire the next morning.

Thought this was cute.

The proposal site.

This is the condo we stayed in.

Absolutely beautiful!

Missy & Misha

There was ash EVERYWHERE! They

even had to bust out the fire extinguisher!

It's still alive!

My orchid is still alive after one week!!  This is a new milestone for me!  It's gotten even more blooms!  Started out with two and now it has four.  Now granted, the man did give us detailed instructions on how to keep them alive, but still.... pat on the back for me.   Lets just hope it survives another week.

Farmer's Market in Gainesville!

Last Saturday, I was down in Gainesville hanging out with Missy for the weekend and we decided to go to a Farmer's Market right down the road at Haile Plantation. It was too cute! The small street was lined with vendors from local counties and farms selling all of their produce. They had everything from organic vegetables to spicey hummus to plants to fresh fish and even guitar lessons... random, but very cool. We got there a little late so I'm sure most of the vendors were already packed up and gone. But they have it every Saturday in Haile Plantation from 8 to 12. We will most definitely be going back!

Me and Missy bought these beautiful orchids for

only SEVEN dollars and they usually go for eighty.

Lets just hope I don't kill mine... Missy is totally the gardener

of the family. I've been cursed with the black thumb... which

has been known to kill even cacti.

Me and Missy possing at the Farmer's Market

Missy & Lyuba!

This is the street with all of the vendors and

the cute little shops! So adorable!

Changes

My plans have changed.... yet again.  Shocking, I know.  But over the past couple of months I have been comparing and contrasting, creating pro and con charts, analyzing the best possible ways, and debating in my head what I am going to do with school and my living situation!  All while I am suffering in complete and utter horrible agony about whether or not UF was going to accept me or not!  My first plan after applying to the University of Florida was to also apply to Santa Fe Community College as a sort of back up plan in case I didn't get in (which I figured I more than likely wouldn't) and I would study Graphic Design there and just re-apply to UF after I got my degree from Santa Fe.  Then I started re-thinking and analyzing that plan.  I thought maybe going to Santa Fe with OUT OF STATE TUITION to get a degree that I could get at Valdosta State University for FREE in probably a better program, wasn't exactly the smartest financially or academically.  

So plans changed.  I made the decision to stay at Valdosta State and get my Graphic Design degree, continue working at the courthouse, and continue living with Earl then re-apply to UF for architecture later on.  It was definite!  I made up my mind (as hard as a decision it was to make) and told my parents.  They were relieved of course.  They hate to see their baby go sooo far away.  Parents!  I told my friends and co-workers.  Everyone was happy.... except me.  Although I had made the decision, it was a hard one to make because I had wanted so badly to begin studying architecture.  And when I get something in my head, it is very hard to change it and I usually want it done right then.  As I told my parents, I had to make a 'big girl' decision.

Well all of that decision making happened within a three day span at the beginning of one week.  That very Friday, as I was talking with a co-worker about the pros and cons of possibly taking on a full time job at the courthouse (I love me some pro/con lists.  Can you tell?) when I pulled up the Application Status check on the University of Florida's website.  I had been checking the status of my application  almost religiously for the past four months and I had stopped for several weeks because I was tired of the overwhelming and disheartening disappointment of my unchanging 'application status.'  But as I pulled it up that morning, expecting to see the same status of 'still processing' the first word that I saw was 'Congratulations!'  My heart pounded, my hands began to shake.  I'm sure my eyes widened in complete and sheer bewilderment.  I stopped talking in mid sentence.  I had been accepted!!  I was so shocked and so completely ecstatic! 

I immediately called my parents and sister to tell them the good news.  Needless to say, my parents were a little confused because they thought I had just made the decision to stay at VSU... well, duh!  That was because I thought for sure I wasn't going to be accepted into UF!  But now I AM!!  That changed everything!  So, now I am working on Financial Aid, getting an apartment to rent with Missy and a friend (the cottage ended up being WAY too expensive for a middle class college student's budget), and a job!  I'm praying everyday that God helps me follow whatever path He has for me.  He has already opened the door for me to study architecture at UF so I know that He will provide.

It's all finally sinking in!  I thought for the longest time after I checked my computer that day that I was eventually going to get a letter in the mail from the admission office that said, "Yeeeeah.  About that being accepted and everything?  We were just kidding!  We take it back."  Well, luckily, I haven't received that letter.... yet.  I'll keep everyone posted if I do.  

So I am officially a Gator now, much to my family's dismay.  But I just ask that everyone keep me in their prayers because I know this process and this degree is going to take a lot and it is going to be very, VERY stressful.  But I know that it is something that I want to do and that I will be good at.  

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."  -Anatole France