Getting to know you: 8 Facts about Amy!

Since I have some new readers to Amy’s Avenue Blog I thought that I would do a quick “8 Facts About Amy” post!

1.     I am a completely disorganized organized person! Confused yet? My clothes/laundry are just never put away. I try, I really do. It is just not a huge priority to me. However, at work and with my daily planner I am always working a color coded system and I am super organized. Just don’t worry about my “floordrobe” (or the backseat of my car for that matter!).

2.      When I was 15 I found out that I have a sister who is 9yrs older than me. Michelle immediately took me in and we have been very close ever since. Not only did SHE take me in, her wonderful mother, my step mother Robin also took me in and has loved me as her own ever since.

3.      I do not like seafood, at all! It grosses me out. I also have a hard time eating meat products. I do eat chicken once in a while and maybe once a month I will have ground beef. I have never once had a steak (Except for a disgusting bite here or there). I could go months and months without meat and I would be perfect content!

4.      I am not at all a fancy girl. I own 10 pairs of shoes and 1/2 of those are flip flops. I have only gotten high heels in the last few 18 months with my new job. However I come to work in boots or slippers and I take the heels off as soon as I possibly can after work. The most expensive pair of jeans that I own were maybe $70.00! Most of my of my other pairs are $19.99- $24.99 from Old Navy. I just can’t bring myself to purchase expensive clothing! This also goes with purses! My most expensive one is maybe 30 dollars, and I PONDERED over the cost! I would rather take 100 dollars and purchase 10 things for 10 dollars each, than get 1 thing at 100 dollars. However, I will spend any amount of money on sheets. I absolutely love sheets. My current favorites are 800 thread count and I just adore them!

5.      My top favorite shows of all time (in order) are 1. Lost, 2. Breaking Bad, 3. Private Practice, 4. The Office and 5. Greys Anatomy

6.      I have lived in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Wyoming. The last 6 places I lived was within an 8 year period. My ex-husband was in the military so we moved… a LOT! I am back in Pennsylvania now and I am loving it! My favorite place that I lived besides PA was Wyoming. I thought I would hate it there, but the views were just breathtaking! I would love to eventually live in Colorado/Wyoming again.

7.      Due to a family history of alcoholism and my own struggles in the past, I made the decision to not consume any alcohol. On February 13, 2016 I will have 18 months without anything to drink – something I am very proud of.

8.      Since college I have worked in Human Resources and I was a stay at home mom for 5.5 years. My passion though is counseling and working in the world of addiction/recovery. I currently do volunteer work for a local rehab facility and I hope to gain my certification in Addiction Counseling in the very near future.

So that is just a little bit about me! I would love to hear more about my readers. Comment below and tell me an interesting fact about yourself! 

"And she's back in the game"

Welcome to the new Amy’s Avenue Blog! 

I took a blogging hiatus for about 18 months when a huge change of life happened for me. For a while I was not quite sure how to address what was new and happening in my life. For a long time I felt like I had failed at the life that I had. Only now, through 18 months of prayer and reflection, do I see that the life that I had was not the life that I wanted. On the outside it looked pretty perfect. However, I was not being true to myself and true to the woman that God intended for me to be. 

When we mold ourselves into someone that we are not we may look fine from the outside. However, we have to deal with the consequences of not being true to ourselves. For me, one of those consequences was a divorce. While the end of my marriage was in no way entirely my fault, I do take ownership for my role. I do not plan to go in to a lot of great detail about this, but it has shaped the woman that I am today. 

One huge thing that has changed for me in the last 18 months is gratitude. I did not have proper gratitude in my life. I choose to take a victim mentality a lot of the time which is a very sad place to be. I did not take gratitude in the things that I had, but only chose to be upset about my difficult childhood and circumstances that were not making me happy. Without gratitude, there is no joy. 

Today, I can honestly say that I am grateful for the struggles in my life. A year ago I do not think I could have said that. The hard times have only made me stronger and have made me a better person. I know that I am a work in progress, but as long as I keep doing the next right thing, all will be well. 

I plan to share some of my more difficult moments on this blog, in time, with the hopes that they can help others. I believe that God gives each experiences to build us and grow us stronger; so that we may use those tolls one day for the greater good. Today, I can honestly say I have gratitude in that!