INTRODUCTION
I was born Kayla Juanice Emfinger to Randy and Cheryl Emfinger on a Memorial Day. My arrival happened to cancel a fishing trip my dad had planned with a buddy. He said he didn't mind though! :) I attended Brookhaven Public Schools and graduated in 2005 with honors! I happened to meet Daniel my senior year of high school through Danica and Jason. I attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College my freshman year of college while my eyes were set on Oxford, where Daniel was of course. After much persuasion, I talked my parents into sending me to Ole Miss my sophomore year. I graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2009 with a bachelor of science in elementary education with endorsements in math and english. I married Daniel June 20, 2009 and we lived in the Jackson area during our first year of marriage. I taught at Byram Middle School and Daniel and I attended Country Woods Baptist Church. While we were in Jackson, I made some of the best friends that challenged my walk with the Lord, and encouraged me to be a better teacher. I know God placed us in Jackson around those friends. It was a great experience for both Daniel and me. Daniel's first job brought us to Jackson and his third job moved us back to Brookhaven. He was laid off in the second round of lay offs Horne. I had very hard feelings about that company. They took care of Daniel until the day they laid him off. I just had to understand that business is business and with Daniel being one of the last ones hired, he was one of the first to get to boot. He worked for a small company in Gallman keeping the books for a few months. Then Daniel received an email from an accounting firm in Brookhaven. And a few weeks later we packed up and moved home. From the day that the email was sent from Corey in Brookhaven, everything just fell into place for us to move back to our hometown. We bought our first house in October 2010. We've adjusted well into our home. I'm now teaching 7th grade math at Alexander Junior High School in Brookhaven. Daniel is an accountant with Miller and White (side note- if you need a trustworthy accountant to assist you with your taxes I can give you my husbands number). I admire my husband and the work he does. He has access to peoples financial information and won't breath a word to me about it. And if you know me, you know that I'm a nosy rosy. The queen of nosy rosies! And can you believe this... he won't tell me what anyone makes in this town! I mean I'm married to an accountant who sees all this information and he won't tell me. As much as I wish he would give into my nosy desires, I'm glad that he doesn't because it shows that he is a very honest and loyal employee. I love my husband! Whew, okay, I guess I got carried away on the introduction part.
RECENT PICTURE
Yuck! I don't like pictures right now! But here's my facebook pic right now although I'm not terribly fond of it either. It's Cooper and me!
15 INTERESTING FACTS
In no particular order:
1. I dropped a bowling ball on my foot the summer of 2008. That was excruciating pain that caused an all night adventure in the ER in Oxford.
2. My precious Peppy poodle was run over this fall. He came into our family the summer after my freshman year. He was right beside me while I studied in high school, while I cried over silly breakups, while I had dramatic arguments with my parents like any other teen! I loved that Peppy poodle!
3. I am a STRONG supporter of Brookhaven Public Schools. After all, I teach there. And if your child isn't going to school there then shame on you! Just kidding, I won't hold it against you (too much)!
4. I lived in 4 different places in 2009. In the spring, I lived in an apartment complex in Oxford as I finished up my senior year. I moved in with my parents for a month before the wedding. I moved in with my husband and a bug infested apartment on the reservoir. In October, we moved into an apartment complex in Byram that was much bigger, cleaner, and closer to my work. When we moved to Brookhaven the summer of 2010, my parents said they were not moving us again for AT LEAST five years. I can agree with that.
5. Racism disgusts me. Sometimes it sucks to live in the south. Several (not all) whites still aren't fond of blacks. And recently I've realized that several blacks (not all) quiet frankly don't like whites. I hate, yes hate, both cases of racism.
6. Movies aren't really my thing. I have not seen a single Star Wars, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Twilight movie.
7. Nor have I read any of the books.
8. My two best friends live in Oxford. Oddly enough, they do not hang out with each other for whatever reason. When I go to Oxford I spend a weekend with Amy, then go another weekend and spend it with Danica. I feel like a child visiting divorced parents. It's not that they ever had any type of fallen out, they were just never as close to each other as I was to each of them. I love Danica and Amy both, nonetheless.
9. My college roommate married Daniel's college roommate.
10. I have no desire to leave the country again. I've been out only once, while on my honeymoon. While I was away I just had a sense of insecurity. It was weird. I'm not saying I will never leave the country again, I'm just saying I would definitely have to put A LOT of thought into leaving the American borders.
11. I long to have a closer relationship with God. Friends, acquaintances, family, enemies, strangers, and anyone else that does not have a personal relationship with God is truly missing out. It saddens and scares me to know that some people that I know and don't know do not have a relationship with Christ.
12. I LOVE my profession. It is tough. It is challenging. It is stressful. But I would NOT change it for the world. I love helping middle schoolers find their way in this scary world. I also LOVE teaching MATH.
13. I collect crosses for my wall of crosses. I also have got a pretty large collection of scarves lately. Both make me happy.
14. I love to sit in a book store. It's such a cozy place. It's a good place for me to soul search. Today I was in there and wrote letters to a few students. The letters were simple words of encouragement to let them know I believe in them. While sitting in there today, I had the time to reflect on 2010. Boy was it a year!
15. A boy or a girl? Sometimes I wonder when God is going to bless me with a child. How will they fit into my schedule? What if they are due during the school year? How will we afford all of his or her needs? What if Cooper doesn't like the baby? What if I can never have a child? What if? What if? What if? I guess I need to just sit back and enjoy nesting in my new home for now.... and trust the Lord.
That's all folks!
Kayla
