Alesha Hussey Update

Hey, everyone!! Well, after Jake's intimidations and threats, I figured I better jump on this and add my update. ;-) I did more than just cut and paste - I even changed it up a little.

After graduation, I attended Northeast and then Ole Miss and received my Chemical Engineering degree in Dec. 1993. While at Ole Miss, I renewed an acquaintance who later became my husband - Preston Knight. Preston grew up in Holly Springs but his family was from Corinth - the Biggers (Preston and Jimmie Lee, who have both passed away now were his grandparents - you may remember Preston Stafford the gift shop/hardware store. That was owned by his grandparents - anyway.) I finished school on Dec. 17, 1993, got married January 8, 1994, and started work on Feb. 1, 1994. We moved back to Corinth where I went to work for Kimberly Clark right out of college. I had interned with them for five summers after high school and through college. I worked in engineering and later went into human resources and environmental (not at the same time). After nine rewarding years in the corporate sector, I quit to stay home with my two precious girls, Emma Kathryn (Emma Kate), 8 1/2 and Olivia Grace 5 1/2. Emma Kate is an A student at East. She is a great student - loves learning and reading (doesn't like math so much). She is very much a little lady. She loves playing the piano and is very artistic (she did not get that from me.) Olivia is a little bundle of energy. I know they say children are very different, and that is so true in this case. Olivia is in Kindergarten at First Baptist and is into everything animals - especially frogs. We raised 8 from teeny tadpoles. We still have 4 of them plus a hermit crab and a dog. I guess you could say she is the closest thing to a little boy I'll get. She is a girly girl at times but also loves to get dirty. She is so laid back and doesn't let too much bother her. She also is recently into "reference" material. She loves picking out books from the library that features nature. In fact, at the recent Book Fair at East, she chose a children's encyclopedia. Honestly, it weighs as much as she does but she just puts it in a roll around back pack and takes it with her. When given the choice between that and a bottle cap crafty thing, she chose the encyclopedia because "it can teach me something" she said. I haven't quite figured her out yet. I have no idea what direction she'll take in life - she seems to love to learn and read but doesn't take things too seriously at the same time. Oh, well. It'll be an interesting journey.

Since staying home, I've been doing the professional mommy/volunteer thing like Kelly mentioned (although not as much volunteer as Kelly). This year I am President of the Junior Auxiliary - that probably brings back memories for many of you. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in JA. I have one year left then on to other things. We've got the annual Charity Ball coming up in about a month - lots of work but lots of fun. I am very involved with First Baptist still, and I am currently employed part time at Wait's Jewelry store which was reopened by Sandy and Rosemary Williams last September. I just work two days a week and love it. My husband, who is a professional engineer in Civil Engineering (also graduated from Ole Miss), just quit his job as a construction division manager for B & B Concrete to start his own construction company, Knight Brothers. He can do everything from residential to commercial to industrial - so those of you in the Memphis area and in between, if you hear of something, he is willing to branch out (another shameless plug - oh, well!). Anyway, I think he'll do great. It is what he has always loved.

My sister, Jennifer (4 years younger than us), graduated from medical school almost two years ago in Ophthamology. She returned to Corinth to set up her practice. She has added Lasik to her services and there has been a lot of interest in this area. She married Brett Garrett from Central (and Corinth until about the 4th or 5th grade) in July before she entered medical school in August 1997. They are expecting their first child, a boy, in April. Meredith married in 2001 and had a little boy, Cooper in 2003. She divorced her husband last May and moved back to Corinth. She is working for WIA at the ICC Tupelo campus and is currently working on her PhD. So...if you caught that, my WHOLE family is back in town. There is just something about this place, huh? Plus Preston's mother and brother are also here. Yep! that is a lot of family, but we enjoy visiting. It's just like old times - all three of us sitting lined up on the pew at church talking during the service and my daddy sitting at the end of the pew making "be quiet!!" gestures. I know people get a kick out of seeing the 3 Hussey girls all back like we were 20 years ago.

Corinth has been great for us - both living, working and raising our families here surrounded by family. I got to talk to Mrs. Smith yesterday (at the East Corinth open house), and we shared some memories from when I was in her class. So much has changed, but so much has stayed the same. I look forward to seeing everyone at the class reunion. If you are ever in town on a Tuesday or Friday, come by Wait's downtown. I'd love to see you.