Brandon and I had the weirdest realization the other day, one that, at some point or another, we thought would never come: we have officially been graduated for a whole year. A year ago, we took our last finals, and here we are, working full time and living in a completely different city. A year ago, I started a full time job at the library at Utah State, and now, I'm in a middle school library absolutely loving it.
Needless to say, we are pretty darn happy with our new lives here in Boise. I just can't believe that in another two and a half months we will have been here for a whole year! We feel like we are settling in a bit more, which is nice. I know I probably say that in every single post, but each time I say it I feel like it is true. We enjoy spending time in our cute little (literally) apartment, and have a few "regular" spots in Boise. It is nice being able to call such a great place home.
I talk about how much I love my job all the time, but seriously, I fall in love with it more and more every day. I am working on my application for grad school because I am hoping to start in August (for real this time) and I am so excited to add my experience at this job to my paper and interview. It has instilled so much more passion in me to work with students on a deeper level because you guys, the amount of potential these kids have and the light in their eyes for all things new and unexplored is incredible. I don't know at what point in life we lose that excitement, but these kids have helped me find it again, and I love them for it. It really is the best.
Some recent happenings:
--Brandon's parents, older brother and wife came to visit us last weekend and we had the best time! We ate tons of great, local food, showed them around Boise, and looked at a ton of Christmas lights. We hadn't seen them all since October, so it was really nice to spend time together and catch up.
--This is fairly unimportant, but Brandon and I have been working on a stupid Christmas puzzle for 19 days now. It is 1000 pieces and so. freaking. hard. My dad loves puzzles, and I always start out thinking that maybe the puzzle skills were passed down to me and have just been lying dormant and that this time they will arise, but guess what: it never happens. And not this time. Last Friday I literally fell asleep in the chair trying to work on it. So yeah, I hate puzzles.
--We still miss all our friends in Logan.
--Since we are leaving on Tuesday next week for our trip (four days!) and my parents are leaving for Hawaii on Monday, we are having Christmas this weekend. Saturday will be Christmas Eve, and Sunday will be our Christmas! It won't be the same being in Florida for Christmas, but we definitely will still have a great time!
--If you are ever basing your job off how much food is served around the holidays, I highly recommend working in a public school. I am pretty sure I have gained about six pounds this week from all the student gifts and faculty potluck. It's amazing.
Next post will be about our trip to Florida. Have a Merry Christmas!!!
Friday, December 19, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
about today.
Life throws us through the ringer sometimes, that's for dang sure. Between feeling like I never see my husband, financial things, and just feeling unfulfilled in life, the last few months have been pretty terrible. The thing, and it's a sad thing, is that ever since a strong bout of depression four years ago, bad days just seem to be the standard. Sometimes people give me a hard time for getting excited over little things, but if I don't get excited about stupid, little things, all the bad things take over and it sucks. I feel like the hard stuff builds and builds until I break and literally can't do it anymore.
Which brings me to the past few weeks. Like I said, the last few months have been hard. Brandon has been stressed with work, I have been stressed with life (as usual) and we hadn't taken a lot of time to just do us and really communicate. Last week we decided to eat dinner at the kitchen table, rather than in front of the tv. Growing up family dinner was always so important to my mom, and I didn't think it would really make a big deal with just the two of us at home, but after doing that for a few days Brandon and I both commented on how nice it was just to be able to sit and talk. Of course we always talk about our days, but for some reason it was just different sitting and talking for a while.
Friday last week we went on a date night that included dinner and a movie. We love dinner dates because a. food and b. good conversation. Then we went to Big Hero 6 and laughed like the little kids we are. Saturday Brandon only had to work for four hours, so afterward we drove 20 minutes to our favorite Costa (again, food). That night we were planning on going to a tailgate party at our apartment complex for the BSU game. We made some snacks , got all geared up, but when we got to the clubhouse, the only people there were old people. Don't get me wrong, I love old people, but we were planning on going to the party so we could make friends, and this wasn't really our crowd of people. So rather than stopping for the party, we continued through the clubhouse out to the car and went to my parents' house instead.
I've said it before but I'll say it again, I love how strong my relationship with my family has gotten since we moved back here. Watching the BSU game (and a terrible movie, sorry mom) with my parents was so fun. We just sit and chat and have a genuinely good time. Not to mention we are all super evil at heart and have made hiding the cardboard-cutout Sheldon to scare people a new hobby. I'm obsessed with my family.
On Sunday, Brandon and I set out on a mission to take our own Christmas card picture. And let me tell you, it looks amazing. If you are one of the lucky people who receives one, you'll see what I mean Monday we had an in-service day at school. I love the kids at this school, but it's always nice to have a little time to bond with the rest of the staff. I still feel like the new kid sometimes, so I like getting to know people more. Brandon and I both had Tuesday off, and took the opportunity to celebrate our 4 years of officially being together. We slept in until 9:30, had crepes for breakfast, then didn't leave the apartment until like 3:30 when we went to go get Costa (yes, twice in four days). It felt amazing to not do anything all day!
Onto today, the real reason for this post. I woke up in the best mood today. Like I said, I get excited about little things, but this morning I was happy for no real reason at all. It was supposed to snow later today, but when I left for work it was already lightly snowing, and I didn't even hate it. I spent my time at work today listening to Christmas music, drinking hot cocoa, and painting snowflakes on the windows into the library. It has been a super freaking good day, and I am so happy and grateful for today.
So this was a long-winded post just to say how awesome today has been, but basically today I realized that while life can suck a lot of the time, somehow the good times always pull through for me. I thought of this while I was doing random things around the library, and it's super corny, but I'll post it anyway: the man can get me down, but at least I have my man to get me back up.
Which brings me to the past few weeks. Like I said, the last few months have been hard. Brandon has been stressed with work, I have been stressed with life (as usual) and we hadn't taken a lot of time to just do us and really communicate. Last week we decided to eat dinner at the kitchen table, rather than in front of the tv. Growing up family dinner was always so important to my mom, and I didn't think it would really make a big deal with just the two of us at home, but after doing that for a few days Brandon and I both commented on how nice it was just to be able to sit and talk. Of course we always talk about our days, but for some reason it was just different sitting and talking for a while.
Friday last week we went on a date night that included dinner and a movie. We love dinner dates because a. food and b. good conversation. Then we went to Big Hero 6 and laughed like the little kids we are. Saturday Brandon only had to work for four hours, so afterward we drove 20 minutes to our favorite Costa (again, food). That night we were planning on going to a tailgate party at our apartment complex for the BSU game. We made some snacks , got all geared up, but when we got to the clubhouse, the only people there were old people. Don't get me wrong, I love old people, but we were planning on going to the party so we could make friends, and this wasn't really our crowd of people. So rather than stopping for the party, we continued through the clubhouse out to the car and went to my parents' house instead.
I've said it before but I'll say it again, I love how strong my relationship with my family has gotten since we moved back here. Watching the BSU game (and a terrible movie, sorry mom) with my parents was so fun. We just sit and chat and have a genuinely good time. Not to mention we are all super evil at heart and have made hiding the cardboard-cutout Sheldon to scare people a new hobby. I'm obsessed with my family.
On Sunday, Brandon and I set out on a mission to take our own Christmas card picture. And let me tell you, it looks amazing. If you are one of the lucky people who receives one, you'll see what I mean Monday we had an in-service day at school. I love the kids at this school, but it's always nice to have a little time to bond with the rest of the staff. I still feel like the new kid sometimes, so I like getting to know people more. Brandon and I both had Tuesday off, and took the opportunity to celebrate our 4 years of officially being together. We slept in until 9:30, had crepes for breakfast, then didn't leave the apartment until like 3:30 when we went to go get Costa (yes, twice in four days). It felt amazing to not do anything all day!
Onto today, the real reason for this post. I woke up in the best mood today. Like I said, I get excited about little things, but this morning I was happy for no real reason at all. It was supposed to snow later today, but when I left for work it was already lightly snowing, and I didn't even hate it. I spent my time at work today listening to Christmas music, drinking hot cocoa, and painting snowflakes on the windows into the library. It has been a super freaking good day, and I am so happy and grateful for today.
So this was a long-winded post just to say how awesome today has been, but basically today I realized that while life can suck a lot of the time, somehow the good times always pull through for me. I thought of this while I was doing random things around the library, and it's super corny, but I'll post it anyway: the man can get me down, but at least I have my man to get me back up.
Monday, October 20, 2014
The thing I miss the most.
When Brandon and I first moved to Boise, people would ask us if we missed Logan. And at first we did a bit, because it was our home for a long time, and we missed the familiarity of it. There are definitely still certain things we miss about it, but we have done a good job of making Boise are home, and after a few months here we felt settled and let ourselves fall in love with it (not that I ever fell out of love with it, but I love it way more now than I did when I lived here before).
Being back here with my family, after they have lived here for 14 years, it seems like everywhere they go they see somebody they know, they have friends they hang out with regularly, and they have specific things they like to do. Brandon and I are slowly developing that list of things we like to do often, but we are still lacking in the friend department. When we lived in Logan, we had that life where we would see someone we knew basically anywhere we went. Our coworkers weren't just coworkers, they were friends, people we could hang out with outside of work and have a genuinely good time with. We had traditions with friends, friends we saw multiple times in a week, or friends that we only saw a few times a month but each visit was just as special as our time with other friends.
Honestly it kind of breaks my heart to think that we left all that. I mean everyone has to move on at some point, but I am getting to the point where I have been friends with some of these people for five years, and that seems like a really long time. It makes me sad to think that there is a possibility that in another five years the only connection we will have with these people will be Christmas cards. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a hard time with losing people, but I have learned that it just happens, and while it is sad, eventually everything is always okay.
This isn't supposed to be a sad post. It is just something I have been thinking about the past few days. I just am super appreciative of the friends I have had in my life, especially those Brandon and I will be seeing this weekend when we go to Logan. Seriously guys, our living room floor is always open.
Being back here with my family, after they have lived here for 14 years, it seems like everywhere they go they see somebody they know, they have friends they hang out with regularly, and they have specific things they like to do. Brandon and I are slowly developing that list of things we like to do often, but we are still lacking in the friend department. When we lived in Logan, we had that life where we would see someone we knew basically anywhere we went. Our coworkers weren't just coworkers, they were friends, people we could hang out with outside of work and have a genuinely good time with. We had traditions with friends, friends we saw multiple times in a week, or friends that we only saw a few times a month but each visit was just as special as our time with other friends.
Honestly it kind of breaks my heart to think that we left all that. I mean everyone has to move on at some point, but I am getting to the point where I have been friends with some of these people for five years, and that seems like a really long time. It makes me sad to think that there is a possibility that in another five years the only connection we will have with these people will be Christmas cards. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a hard time with losing people, but I have learned that it just happens, and while it is sad, eventually everything is always okay.
This isn't supposed to be a sad post. It is just something I have been thinking about the past few days. I just am super appreciative of the friends I have had in my life, especially those Brandon and I will be seeing this weekend when we go to Logan. Seriously guys, our living room floor is always open.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Fall is here?!
I was pretty accurate in my last post in saying that it would be about two months until the next post. This time the lack of posting isn't because we haven't done plenty of fun things, it's more because we have been way too busy having fun! Seriously, life has been so nice without having to worry about homework and tests, sometime we don't even know what to do with ourselves! I'll back up a bit and do a quick recap of life the last six weeks or so.
At the end of August I started my new job. I haven't been this happy with a job since I worked at the movie theater (I loved my internship at Sky View this much too, but that doesn't really count as a job). Brandon just keeps telling me how happy he is that I am so happy. I made him a cake on Friday just for fun, and apparently that's a big deal and shows just how happy I am. But seriously, I look forward to going to work every day, love the eight hours I spend at school, and go home in the best mood full of happy stories to share. I always swore I would never work in a middle school, but I'm so glad I didn't write this job off before even applying for it. The kids are hilarious, and the staff here is awesome too. I am the youngest staff member here, and there are only like three people here who are close to my age, and they are all guys. There are a few people I really click with, but making friends is a slow process. So in other words, we still don't have friends here, but at least I'm happy with my job!
Microsoft is still going well for Brandon. Hours are going to start picking up here in the next month or so with all the holiday shoppers, so that is both good and bad. Bad because that means less time together, but good because money and more time I can spend at the mall visiting him/shopping. He is also still doing work for Campsaver, but that is starting to wind down a bit more. He used to do his Campsaver work when he had days off at Microsoft, but now that the work is dwindling he has more time to just hang out at home. Rather just than playing Xbox the whole time (though there's plenty of that going on) the kid cleans, runs errands, and pretty much does anything that I would do to keep the house clean after work just so we have time to hang out. I appreciate him so dang much, especially lately, for some reason (hence the cake).
A few random things:
-Some of you might have seen the pictures we posted the weekend before Labor Day of our quick trip to San Diego. Our anniversary was on August 20th, and every year we have been married so far we always take a trip for our anniversary. This year, we hadn't planned one, but the Friday after our third anniversary we decided to do something we never do and be spontaneous. So Friday night at 8 pm we booked a trip to San Diego. We left Saturday after Brandon got off work, spent Sunday and part of Monday exploring, then came home Monday afternoon. It was a super quick trip, but so much fun! We went to Sea World, the beach, a place called Seaport Village, and even got sunburned, which is all I really wanted.
-We found some kitties and their mama in a field next to our apartment about a month ago. When the found them the mom was super underfed and most likely not able to feed her kitties, so we have been feeding them ever since. They are getting more comfortable with us, and we are hoping to catch them this week and take them to a family we found that wants. Brandon's manager is taking one kitten, and his neighbors (farmers) are taking the rest of the kitties and the mom! I will miss them when they are gone. This morning Brandon tried to convince me to bring them all to our house to get them out of the rain but I (for once) was the logical one and told him no.
-At the beginning of August I asked Brandon if we could watch lots of football this season. Then, and especially now every single time we watch a game he tells me I've changed and asks what is wrong with me. But he hasn't let me down! My youngest brother plays on the JV team for his high school so we go to those games every week and it's awesome. I have never been so into a football game as I get at his. There are times when I'm jumping up and down screaming "that's my brother!" and I love it. I also have gotten to spend time with his cute girlfriend before and during the games. She hangs out at my parents house before the games so we usually spend our time watching TLC and talking about girl things. Anyway! In addition to Adrian's games, we always watch the Boise State games on Saturdays, and even went to the homecoming game last weekend. We watch the Utah State games when they are on tv, and we generally watch the Denver Broncos games with my fam on Sundays. Seriously guys, so much football.
-Blake Shelton came to town on Thursday so we finally were able to put the tickets I bought back in May to good use. Dan+Shay (my faves) and The Band Perry opened for him, and it was an amazing show. After the concert we got to meet Dan and Shay (swoon), and while it was wonderful, it was nothing compared to meeting Cassadee Pope. It was a super late night, and I had been sick all week, so Friday was a bit rough, but totally worth it.
-This isn't anything exciting, but the awkward slump of no good movies coming out is finally coming to an end! Our Tuesday movie tradition has had to slow down a bit due to lack of good movies, but we're making up for it!! We have seen three movies in the last nine days, so yeah, I'm a happy girl.
-Also, it was dreary and cold here this weekend. Not super cold, but 65 degrees, so it's officially fall here in Boise! I miss summer much already, but I'm not going to lie, I have been looking forward to wearing my leggings and long socks since April, so I'm okay with this.
-Last thing, I bought a piano! I have been trying to teach myself a few things, but it is slow going. I had one lesson with a guy who taught my brother guitar, but it didn't work out. I have my first lesson with a different guy tomorrow, and he is the orchestra teacher here at Lewis and Clark, so it works out nicely. I have always wanted to learn to play the piano, and it will be helpful when I write songs to be able to write the music in addition to the lyrics! Don't worry, when I'm famous I won't forget any of you.
At the end of August I started my new job. I haven't been this happy with a job since I worked at the movie theater (I loved my internship at Sky View this much too, but that doesn't really count as a job). Brandon just keeps telling me how happy he is that I am so happy. I made him a cake on Friday just for fun, and apparently that's a big deal and shows just how happy I am. But seriously, I look forward to going to work every day, love the eight hours I spend at school, and go home in the best mood full of happy stories to share. I always swore I would never work in a middle school, but I'm so glad I didn't write this job off before even applying for it. The kids are hilarious, and the staff here is awesome too. I am the youngest staff member here, and there are only like three people here who are close to my age, and they are all guys. There are a few people I really click with, but making friends is a slow process. So in other words, we still don't have friends here, but at least I'm happy with my job!
Microsoft is still going well for Brandon. Hours are going to start picking up here in the next month or so with all the holiday shoppers, so that is both good and bad. Bad because that means less time together, but good because money and more time I can spend at the mall visiting him/shopping. He is also still doing work for Campsaver, but that is starting to wind down a bit more. He used to do his Campsaver work when he had days off at Microsoft, but now that the work is dwindling he has more time to just hang out at home. Rather just than playing Xbox the whole time (though there's plenty of that going on) the kid cleans, runs errands, and pretty much does anything that I would do to keep the house clean after work just so we have time to hang out. I appreciate him so dang much, especially lately, for some reason (hence the cake).
A few random things:
-Some of you might have seen the pictures we posted the weekend before Labor Day of our quick trip to San Diego. Our anniversary was on August 20th, and every year we have been married so far we always take a trip for our anniversary. This year, we hadn't planned one, but the Friday after our third anniversary we decided to do something we never do and be spontaneous. So Friday night at 8 pm we booked a trip to San Diego. We left Saturday after Brandon got off work, spent Sunday and part of Monday exploring, then came home Monday afternoon. It was a super quick trip, but so much fun! We went to Sea World, the beach, a place called Seaport Village, and even got sunburned, which is all I really wanted.
-We found some kitties and their mama in a field next to our apartment about a month ago. When the found them the mom was super underfed and most likely not able to feed her kitties, so we have been feeding them ever since. They are getting more comfortable with us, and we are hoping to catch them this week and take them to a family we found that wants. Brandon's manager is taking one kitten, and his neighbors (farmers) are taking the rest of the kitties and the mom! I will miss them when they are gone. This morning Brandon tried to convince me to bring them all to our house to get them out of the rain but I (for once) was the logical one and told him no.
-At the beginning of August I asked Brandon if we could watch lots of football this season. Then, and especially now every single time we watch a game he tells me I've changed and asks what is wrong with me. But he hasn't let me down! My youngest brother plays on the JV team for his high school so we go to those games every week and it's awesome. I have never been so into a football game as I get at his. There are times when I'm jumping up and down screaming "that's my brother!" and I love it. I also have gotten to spend time with his cute girlfriend before and during the games. She hangs out at my parents house before the games so we usually spend our time watching TLC and talking about girl things. Anyway! In addition to Adrian's games, we always watch the Boise State games on Saturdays, and even went to the homecoming game last weekend. We watch the Utah State games when they are on tv, and we generally watch the Denver Broncos games with my fam on Sundays. Seriously guys, so much football.
-Blake Shelton came to town on Thursday so we finally were able to put the tickets I bought back in May to good use. Dan+Shay (my faves) and The Band Perry opened for him, and it was an amazing show. After the concert we got to meet Dan and Shay (swoon), and while it was wonderful, it was nothing compared to meeting Cassadee Pope. It was a super late night, and I had been sick all week, so Friday was a bit rough, but totally worth it.
-This isn't anything exciting, but the awkward slump of no good movies coming out is finally coming to an end! Our Tuesday movie tradition has had to slow down a bit due to lack of good movies, but we're making up for it!! We have seen three movies in the last nine days, so yeah, I'm a happy girl.
-Also, it was dreary and cold here this weekend. Not super cold, but 65 degrees, so it's officially fall here in Boise! I miss summer much already, but I'm not going to lie, I have been looking forward to wearing my leggings and long socks since April, so I'm okay with this.
-Last thing, I bought a piano! I have been trying to teach myself a few things, but it is slow going. I had one lesson with a guy who taught my brother guitar, but it didn't work out. I have my first lesson with a different guy tomorrow, and he is the orchestra teacher here at Lewis and Clark, so it works out nicely. I have always wanted to learn to play the piano, and it will be helpful when I write songs to be able to write the music in addition to the lyrics! Don't worry, when I'm famous I won't forget any of you.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
I'm so bad at blogging.
You would think that between just 35 hours of work and Brandon working most of the weekend that I would be able to find time to give a small update of our lives more frequently than every other month. The truth is though, there just really isn't anything to talk about. Not a lot that I don't feel like people don't already know. The people who do read this blog probably already know everything!
In June we went down to Logan to go to Brandon's brother's wedding. It was a super special day, especially since I finally have a sister-in-law, and let me tell you, she's the best.
We moved into our apartment towards the end of June and it is magical. We live pretty close to my parents still, the location is prime so we couldn't turn it down. We live right next to this shopping center that has stores, restaurants, a movie theater, and live entertainment at least three days out of the week. It's basically the best. We walk over there all the time just for something to do.
Brandon went to Seattle a few weeks ago to work at a Microsoft conference called TechReady. They had product advisors (that's what his position is) from a few different states go and work at a store in the middle of the conference so they could show and sell product to all the tech people that were there. He was there for about five days, and had a good time! It was a great opportunity for him to get to network with people outside of his store. Hopefully he made some good connections that will help us out when we are ready to move!
I start a new job on Tuesday next week! I was offered the position at the end of May, but haven't really told many people about it. Turns out when you are an adult, one job is basically the same as another, at least that's how it feels until you actually get into it. I will be working as a library assistant in a middle school here, and am super excited about it! I had such a great experience at Sky View last fall that I am 100% looking forward to being back in a school and working with the kids. The staff seems great too, which always makes thing easier. The principal at the school was my vice principal when I was in eighth grade, so that's fun! I will still be working at my current job for a while. They haven't hired someone to take my spot yet, so I will have to come in and catch up on things and train for a few weeks after I start the new job. They also asked me to stick around and take care of insurance payments and billing, so that will be nice! (some people are confused at my job. originally we moved here so i could be an advisor at an online school, but i was offered a receptionist position in a counseling office three days before i was supposed to start the advising position and i accepted).
Something else that some people might not know is that Brandon and I chose not to attend grad school this year. He turned it down because he wants to gain work experience for a few years, and I turned down my program because it is a three year program and I don't want to lock into anything when we most likely will be moving soon. Because Brandon didn't get the full-time position he originally applied for with Microsoft, it didn't make sense for me to start school when he will be applying for positions elsewhere very soon. Our apartment lease ends January 31, so Brandon intends to start applying for jobs in November. It's scary and exciting all at the same time to think that we could be somewhere new by this time next year, or even in less than a year from when we moved here.
I think we are settled for the most part, but I'm still having a hard time with the whole no friends thing. I was brave enough to ask some girls from high school to go to dinner, and lucky enough that they said yes, but I'm still just the awkward married friend. I have definitely been missing our friends from Logan lately, so if any of you are reading this just know that we have a living room floor that is available for short or long (or indefinite) periods of time.
Especially you, Alyssa and Jake, this whole long distance dating thing is getting out of hand.
That's really about it for now. Probably for the next two months actually haha. Summer is winding down, and we are excited for the changes that the fall and winter might bring!
In June we went down to Logan to go to Brandon's brother's wedding. It was a super special day, especially since I finally have a sister-in-law, and let me tell you, she's the best.
We moved into our apartment towards the end of June and it is magical. We live pretty close to my parents still, the location is prime so we couldn't turn it down. We live right next to this shopping center that has stores, restaurants, a movie theater, and live entertainment at least three days out of the week. It's basically the best. We walk over there all the time just for something to do.
Brandon went to Seattle a few weeks ago to work at a Microsoft conference called TechReady. They had product advisors (that's what his position is) from a few different states go and work at a store in the middle of the conference so they could show and sell product to all the tech people that were there. He was there for about five days, and had a good time! It was a great opportunity for him to get to network with people outside of his store. Hopefully he made some good connections that will help us out when we are ready to move!
I start a new job on Tuesday next week! I was offered the position at the end of May, but haven't really told many people about it. Turns out when you are an adult, one job is basically the same as another, at least that's how it feels until you actually get into it. I will be working as a library assistant in a middle school here, and am super excited about it! I had such a great experience at Sky View last fall that I am 100% looking forward to being back in a school and working with the kids. The staff seems great too, which always makes thing easier. The principal at the school was my vice principal when I was in eighth grade, so that's fun! I will still be working at my current job for a while. They haven't hired someone to take my spot yet, so I will have to come in and catch up on things and train for a few weeks after I start the new job. They also asked me to stick around and take care of insurance payments and billing, so that will be nice! (some people are confused at my job. originally we moved here so i could be an advisor at an online school, but i was offered a receptionist position in a counseling office three days before i was supposed to start the advising position and i accepted).
Something else that some people might not know is that Brandon and I chose not to attend grad school this year. He turned it down because he wants to gain work experience for a few years, and I turned down my program because it is a three year program and I don't want to lock into anything when we most likely will be moving soon. Because Brandon didn't get the full-time position he originally applied for with Microsoft, it didn't make sense for me to start school when he will be applying for positions elsewhere very soon. Our apartment lease ends January 31, so Brandon intends to start applying for jobs in November. It's scary and exciting all at the same time to think that we could be somewhere new by this time next year, or even in less than a year from when we moved here.
I think we are settled for the most part, but I'm still having a hard time with the whole no friends thing. I was brave enough to ask some girls from high school to go to dinner, and lucky enough that they said yes, but I'm still just the awkward married friend. I have definitely been missing our friends from Logan lately, so if any of you are reading this just know that we have a living room floor that is available for short or long (or indefinite) periods of time.
Especially you, Alyssa and Jake, this whole long distance dating thing is getting out of hand.
That's really about it for now. Probably for the next two months actually haha. Summer is winding down, and we are excited for the changes that the fall and winter might bring!
Monday, May 19, 2014
Finally an update.
You're all going to think I'm crazy for saying this, but after two months I finally feel like things are slowing down and we are getting into a routine. I think we finally feel settled, and that is only going to improve within the next five weeks or so. So here's what happened since the big move. We moved up here for a job for me as an advisor for an online high school. The Saturday before we finally were up in Boise for good, I got offered a different job with more hours, but I was able to start the exact same day as I was supposed to start my other job. So I am a receptionist at a counseling office, and its a pretty good job! They have had me do some of the billing and insurance side of the job (and when I say some I mean all), and that is something that I had no experience with going into the position. Luckily, they have been super impressed with me. I feel like I have been kicking butt the last few weeks doing things I have never done before, so that is super great!
When we moved up here, Brandon didn't have a job yet. He had put in his two weeks at CampSaver, and was just going to move up here with me and find a job super quick. Right before we moved though, the guy who was supposed to take Brandon's place at campsaver put in his two weeks as well, so the management there asked Brandon if he would continue fulfilling the duties of his position until they found someone to take the position. Well luck was seriously on our side, because Brandon didn't find a job for six weeks. I feel bad for kids our age entering the work force alongside us because the job market sucks. He finally found a job, a great job for him too, but it wasn't without its drama of course. Most of you who will actually read this probably already know the story, but I'll share it anyway.
So Brandon had applied for a position as the Assistant Store Manager for a Microsoft store that was opening here. He went through the entire interview process, and got called and offered the job. Needless to say, we were thrilled. We went and put down a tiny deposit on a lot so we could build the house of our dreams, and basically just got super excited about a lot of things. It was full time salary with benefits, so there was a lot to be excited about. Well a week passed and he hadn't heard anything else about the job, so on Easter he called the lady who had offered him the job, and she said that everyone they had hired for management in Boise was already on their way to training. Long story short, there were two Brandons that applied for the position. One got the phone call offer, one got the official email offer. In the end though, my Brandon ended up getting a position at the store as a Product Advisor, so all is well still. He loves his job, and it is the perfect tech-nerd position for him to be in. Seriously, I went and stood in line at the grand opening for a bit and could see that he was in heaven being able to talk to people about technology all day.
We are still currently living with my parents, but last week we signed a lease for an apartment. We decided to forgo the house, because with the full-time position not working out here, we feel like maybe we just aren't meant to be in Boise for a long time. I'm still holding out for Southport :) We move into our apartment on June 20th and are super excited about it! We will be living right next to this big outdoor food/shopping/entertainment complex in Meridian, and we are stoked to be able to walk over there all the time.
Brandon turned the big 26 a few weeks ago. 26 may not seem like a big birthday, but we consider it a milestone as he had to get his own insurance for a few months until his benefits kick in.
We finally made friends last week! The other Brandon that works for Microsoft is married and about our age, so we hang out with him and his wife and another kid that works at Microsoft. I love my family, but it has been so nice to hang out with people our own age!
We made friends right after I spent probably the best weekend ever with my girlfriends in Salt Lake/ Las Vegas. I flew down to SLC Thursday night and hung out with Alycia, Chelsea, and Jennika, and then in the morning Alycia, Chelsea, and I made out way down to Vegas for the weekend. The weekend was full of dancing, girl talk, and all the best things that happen when I'm with those two. We weren't even all the way home yet and were already talking about planning another trip down there. I love Vegas. I don't even think I can say that enough times and trust me, I have said it a ton.
Last week I sent in some pictures hoping for a role in a new Nicholas Sparks movie. Non-speaking roles obviously, since I have never acted before, but I have always wanted to, so I thought this would be an okay start.
Candis, Brandon's brother's ex-girlfriend, came to Boise this weekend with her sister and bro-in-law and I got to spend some much needed quality time with her. I'm still trying to convince her to move to Boise. So Candis, if you're reading this, just remember how much fun we had :)
My oldest baby bro, Anthony, graduates from high school on the 31st and I can't even believe it. I feel so old. Brandon and I had to skip out graduation ceremony because he had to go to training in Denver for Microsoft, but I am excited to watch my bro walk across the stage!
This was a long post, but I feel like there is nothing really exciting happening over here! Hope everyone is doing well! Here's some pictures.
When we moved up here, Brandon didn't have a job yet. He had put in his two weeks at CampSaver, and was just going to move up here with me and find a job super quick. Right before we moved though, the guy who was supposed to take Brandon's place at campsaver put in his two weeks as well, so the management there asked Brandon if he would continue fulfilling the duties of his position until they found someone to take the position. Well luck was seriously on our side, because Brandon didn't find a job for six weeks. I feel bad for kids our age entering the work force alongside us because the job market sucks. He finally found a job, a great job for him too, but it wasn't without its drama of course. Most of you who will actually read this probably already know the story, but I'll share it anyway.
So Brandon had applied for a position as the Assistant Store Manager for a Microsoft store that was opening here. He went through the entire interview process, and got called and offered the job. Needless to say, we were thrilled. We went and put down a tiny deposit on a lot so we could build the house of our dreams, and basically just got super excited about a lot of things. It was full time salary with benefits, so there was a lot to be excited about. Well a week passed and he hadn't heard anything else about the job, so on Easter he called the lady who had offered him the job, and she said that everyone they had hired for management in Boise was already on their way to training. Long story short, there were two Brandons that applied for the position. One got the phone call offer, one got the official email offer. In the end though, my Brandon ended up getting a position at the store as a Product Advisor, so all is well still. He loves his job, and it is the perfect tech-nerd position for him to be in. Seriously, I went and stood in line at the grand opening for a bit and could see that he was in heaven being able to talk to people about technology all day.
We are still currently living with my parents, but last week we signed a lease for an apartment. We decided to forgo the house, because with the full-time position not working out here, we feel like maybe we just aren't meant to be in Boise for a long time. I'm still holding out for Southport :) We move into our apartment on June 20th and are super excited about it! We will be living right next to this big outdoor food/shopping/entertainment complex in Meridian, and we are stoked to be able to walk over there all the time.
Brandon turned the big 26 a few weeks ago. 26 may not seem like a big birthday, but we consider it a milestone as he had to get his own insurance for a few months until his benefits kick in.
We finally made friends last week! The other Brandon that works for Microsoft is married and about our age, so we hang out with him and his wife and another kid that works at Microsoft. I love my family, but it has been so nice to hang out with people our own age!
We made friends right after I spent probably the best weekend ever with my girlfriends in Salt Lake/ Las Vegas. I flew down to SLC Thursday night and hung out with Alycia, Chelsea, and Jennika, and then in the morning Alycia, Chelsea, and I made out way down to Vegas for the weekend. The weekend was full of dancing, girl talk, and all the best things that happen when I'm with those two. We weren't even all the way home yet and were already talking about planning another trip down there. I love Vegas. I don't even think I can say that enough times and trust me, I have said it a ton.
Last week I sent in some pictures hoping for a role in a new Nicholas Sparks movie. Non-speaking roles obviously, since I have never acted before, but I have always wanted to, so I thought this would be an okay start.
Candis, Brandon's brother's ex-girlfriend, came to Boise this weekend with her sister and bro-in-law and I got to spend some much needed quality time with her. I'm still trying to convince her to move to Boise. So Candis, if you're reading this, just remember how much fun we had :)
My oldest baby bro, Anthony, graduates from high school on the 31st and I can't even believe it. I feel so old. Brandon and I had to skip out graduation ceremony because he had to go to training in Denver for Microsoft, but I am excited to watch my bro walk across the stage!
This was a long post, but I feel like there is nothing really exciting happening over here! Hope everyone is doing well! Here's some pictures.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
A small dose of fear.
To everyone who has ever been upset with me for saying I hate Logan or that I won't miss it when I'm gone: Sorry.
But only a little bit. I mean really, this town is sort of a drag sometimes. The fact that it's freezing cold and extremely miserable five months out of the year makes it a little unbearable. When a majority of the people in Logan hang out at a Wal-Mart on a Saturday night rather than attending some fun event (which is a rare occurrence in the town), you know there's a problem. And trust me. There have been plenty of weekends when we've had nothing to do, so I check the calendars of events for Logan, North Logan, Wellsville, Providence, Smithfield, and the university and there is literally nothing going on. But I'm still alive and still here, so it obviously hasn't been too terrible. But still. You all understand my feelings, at least a little bit.
All that being said, I'm almost a little bit frustrated at how internally resistant I'm being to the idea of leaving Logan. I have made a lot of memories in Logan, good and bad. I spent so long wanting to run away from the bad memories, and it has finally been long enough that they don't bother me that much anymore. And now, more and more good memories keep resurfacing and keep being made, and I don't really want to leave them. I made a lot of good friends since I have been here, found the best husband ever and married him here, surprisingly enjoyed attending Utah State (despite their lack of efficiency in certain aspects), and had a lot of great experiences with working and an internship. Each year has held so many special memories for me that I won't ever forget, even the times that were covered with a little bit of darkness. I'm comfortable with my life here. I don't know if "happy" is the right word, but I could live here and be content for a little while longer.
I honestly don't intend for this to be a dramatic post, but with my job interview in two days, I can't help but feel a little more anxious than usual! I wasn't sure how this job was going to work out, because I thought it was just an hourly position with no benefits (which we would like since Brandon turns 26 in May and will no longer be on his parents' insurance), but this morning I found the job posting for the position I am interviewing for, and it says there is a possibility of full time. This job is something I am sincerely interested in, especially if it means that I get to work with students in a school. If everything plays out, we could be moving to Boise in less than a month. Those of you who know me well know that I'm a planner, and that a lack of structure makes me go crazy. Reality is starting to hit today, and guess what, there is no structure. None! Ahh! I have been struggling to just stay in my chair and not just sit under my desk curled up in a little ball.
But it's all going to be okay, at least that's what everyone keeps telling me. And to some extent, I know they are right. Okay, I completely know they are right. We aren't moving until at least one of us has a job, we always can stay with my parents if we need to (which we probably will, so mom, prepare yourself), and in the end, I always have Brandon. One of my biggest fears is that we won't make any friends. But at least we have each other. And my family, they don't have the option to be our friends, its practically mandated.
Thanks for reading and dealing with my stress. Words of encouragement are always welcome, but if you want to just tell me to suck it up, I would understand that too :)
But only a little bit. I mean really, this town is sort of a drag sometimes. The fact that it's freezing cold and extremely miserable five months out of the year makes it a little unbearable. When a majority of the people in Logan hang out at a Wal-Mart on a Saturday night rather than attending some fun event (which is a rare occurrence in the town), you know there's a problem. And trust me. There have been plenty of weekends when we've had nothing to do, so I check the calendars of events for Logan, North Logan, Wellsville, Providence, Smithfield, and the university and there is literally nothing going on. But I'm still alive and still here, so it obviously hasn't been too terrible. But still. You all understand my feelings, at least a little bit.
All that being said, I'm almost a little bit frustrated at how internally resistant I'm being to the idea of leaving Logan. I have made a lot of memories in Logan, good and bad. I spent so long wanting to run away from the bad memories, and it has finally been long enough that they don't bother me that much anymore. And now, more and more good memories keep resurfacing and keep being made, and I don't really want to leave them. I made a lot of good friends since I have been here, found the best husband ever and married him here, surprisingly enjoyed attending Utah State (despite their lack of efficiency in certain aspects), and had a lot of great experiences with working and an internship. Each year has held so many special memories for me that I won't ever forget, even the times that were covered with a little bit of darkness. I'm comfortable with my life here. I don't know if "happy" is the right word, but I could live here and be content for a little while longer.
I honestly don't intend for this to be a dramatic post, but with my job interview in two days, I can't help but feel a little more anxious than usual! I wasn't sure how this job was going to work out, because I thought it was just an hourly position with no benefits (which we would like since Brandon turns 26 in May and will no longer be on his parents' insurance), but this morning I found the job posting for the position I am interviewing for, and it says there is a possibility of full time. This job is something I am sincerely interested in, especially if it means that I get to work with students in a school. If everything plays out, we could be moving to Boise in less than a month. Those of you who know me well know that I'm a planner, and that a lack of structure makes me go crazy. Reality is starting to hit today, and guess what, there is no structure. None! Ahh! I have been struggling to just stay in my chair and not just sit under my desk curled up in a little ball.
But it's all going to be okay, at least that's what everyone keeps telling me. And to some extent, I know they are right. Okay, I completely know they are right. We aren't moving until at least one of us has a job, we always can stay with my parents if we need to (which we probably will, so mom, prepare yourself), and in the end, I always have Brandon. One of my biggest fears is that we won't make any friends. But at least we have each other. And my family, they don't have the option to be our friends, its practically mandated.
Thanks for reading and dealing with my stress. Words of encouragement are always welcome, but if you want to just tell me to suck it up, I would understand that too :)
Thursday, January 9, 2014
January
January has been a fairly exciting month so far. Really, the time that has passed since Christmas has been filled with fun and excitement and the best thing of all: free time to do whatever we want because we have no homework. It still hasn't really hit me that we have graduated from college. That's a big deal right? Why do I not feel like it should be more of a big deal than it is now? By the time the actual graduation ceremony rolls around, we will only have four months of freedom left. I know Brandon can tell a difference. He was so busy during the last semester that he probably doesn't even know what to do with himself now that he doesn't have at least three hours of homework each night. And I can tell a difference because, well, I'm bored. I am working full time at the library now, and as much as I love books, it doesn't compare to how much I loved working with everyone at the high school last semester, students included.
Oh well I guess. Life goes on.
Brandon has officially been accepted to grad school. He got an emailed copy of his official acceptance letter yesterday, the real one should be here any day. He also was awarded a scholarship that will waive half of his out of state tuition! I'm so dang proud of him, he worked really hard these past few years to ensure that we can have a good future.
We have been applying for jobs in Boise like crazy. So far, nothing has worked out, but I have a job interview next Friday up there! The position is a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist with kids up to age 18. That means that I would be working with kids that have mental health problems like depression, ADHD, or have experienced neglect in some form and teaching them the necessary skills to improve their lives. I am super excited for the opportunity. They have contracts with some of the schools in Boise where they have these specialists actually in the school working with students, and I would absolutely love that. In fact I think I would prefer it! So we will see what happens there! We could be moving to Boise any time now!
We recently got gym memberships. Like, two days ago, so that's pretty fun! Really I just wanted it so I would have a place to go running, but for only $10 a month I feel like it is completely worth it!
And that's all I really have for you! The life of a college grad is not much more exciting than the life of a college student!
Oh well I guess. Life goes on.
Brandon has officially been accepted to grad school. He got an emailed copy of his official acceptance letter yesterday, the real one should be here any day. He also was awarded a scholarship that will waive half of his out of state tuition! I'm so dang proud of him, he worked really hard these past few years to ensure that we can have a good future.
We have been applying for jobs in Boise like crazy. So far, nothing has worked out, but I have a job interview next Friday up there! The position is a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist with kids up to age 18. That means that I would be working with kids that have mental health problems like depression, ADHD, or have experienced neglect in some form and teaching them the necessary skills to improve their lives. I am super excited for the opportunity. They have contracts with some of the schools in Boise where they have these specialists actually in the school working with students, and I would absolutely love that. In fact I think I would prefer it! So we will see what happens there! We could be moving to Boise any time now!
We recently got gym memberships. Like, two days ago, so that's pretty fun! Really I just wanted it so I would have a place to go running, but for only $10 a month I feel like it is completely worth it!
And that's all I really have for you! The life of a college grad is not much more exciting than the life of a college student!
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