Is This Real Life?

I'm continually amazed at the miracle of life.  I feel so blessed to have been able to watch this miracle from the very, very beginning!  Not many people can say they have a picture of their kid when they are literally five days old.  It is insane to not only realize that a clump of cells becomes a child, but that this specific clump of cells becomes my child.  How great is God?!

Last Day :(

I've known for a long time that my insurance would terminate at the end of March, due to me not meeting the hours requirement during the fall.  I decided to have my last day be March 1st so that the insurance would carry through to the end of the month.

My store had a change in management and a lot of the employees left at the same time so the last few months have been crazy.  There have been a ton of new hires and even though I'd only been there a year, I was one of the veterans...weird!  Due to so many new people wanting hours and me not really needing (or really wanting...) a ton, the new manager was only scheduling me for 4-8ish hours a week during the end of January and February.  So when my last day came, it wasn't really a big deal shock to not be working anymore.

I didn't actually get scheduled on the 1st so I had to take someone else's shift.  I was able to get an opening shift from 4:30-9:30 so I could open with my favorite shift manager, Sydney, one last time.  She has been a huge supporter of me during this journey and also is just really good at her job so I obviously liked working with her ;)

It was a regular Friday morning, with all the regulars coming in for their morning coffee and pastries. The biggest decision I had to make was what would be my last free food markout!  I ended up opting for a blueberry oatmeal.

The last day at any job usually comes with mixed emotions and this one was no different.  I'm grateful to be done with the 4:30am shifts and really grateful to be done with 8 hour shifts on my feet all weekend.  I'm grateful I won't come home smelling like stale coffee anymore (and Nate is so grateful of this as well)!

But, I'm sad to be leaving this place that's given me so much.  And I'm sad to be leaving the people that have become my family.  Each one of them is so special to me and has lifted me and cared about me through a difficult year.  Every one of them, from the 16 year old high schoolers to the grandma of the group, has a unique situation and story, as do we all!