career path...

Halleluiah for my college education! I told my parents the kind of job I would be happy with and they said “are you kidding me? You put all that time, energy, and money into it for that?” Yes. I did.

What sort of job would I be pleased with? Stocking shelves at Gap. Selling cupcakes. Unlocking doors for locked out college co-eds at 3 in the morning. What kind of job do I have? I HAVE NO JOB! Thanks, expensive monthly car break downs and darling sun dresses, for reminding me of that.

I think its time for a confession, in case you didn't put 2 and 2 together. I volunteered somewhere for 9 MONTHS (Heritage), loved every minute of it, and then got turned down for a job. Do they really think that I wasn't expecting anything in return for giving my time? The worst part is that when they hired someone else I was told “Sorry, we decided to go in a different direction, but you should apply for other positions that open. Maybe we'll hire you.” I'm sorry, I don't live my life on maybes. Maybe a horse will kicked me in the head. Clearly I didn't think that one through. Also, they acted like they were really considering hiring me, like they hadn't already made a decision. HELLO, they already knew me. Also, when I asked “what can I do differently,” they really didn't give me any direction, and OBVIOUSLY I could do stuff different if they'd hire someone else. I would so much rather make some adjustments than not be helping to my fullest capability...sorry...this whole situation kind of killed me...I really wanted a job there...

So, point of the story is: I NEED A JOB. Not something that requires me to talk on the phone too much (the phone makes it harder to understand me). I'm in the Provo area, and I plan to stay here for a couple more years. If you know of a job, PLEASE tell me about it. I really do want to work. I'm not very good at sitting around at home. Please, I feel so desperate...Then we've got my husband saying “don't sound so desperate.” Easy for you to say, Mr. Got-A-Good-Job-Right-Out-of-College-and-Didn't-Have-to-Deal-With-A-Recession.

More Graduation Pictures-- thanks Jamie!!

Here are some more grad pictures! I am so proud of myself. I guess you could say I am prideful!

This is my brother Bret and I.



And Eddie and I





And its only right to celebrate graduation with your cousins, right?

Some Things Are Meant To Be Finished

Your college education is meant to be finished, and thats what I did! I am very proud of myself and I know so many other people are too. I am so happy. I was just completely wired about the whole thing. I couldn't really sleep, I would just wake up very early and think about how I am DONE!
Here are a couple temporary pictures. I really don't have many, right now, so here are a few. I'm getting more pictures from other people who took some. But for now, this will have to do.

From left to right, this is my cousin Jamie Everson, me, and my cousins in law Patrick Pfou and Mallory Green. Love them!


And of course, here is Eddie and I. Again, why do I have a double chin thing?

Also, to make graduation even better, BYU just came out with an article about my lovely life (the past couple years of it, anyways) in the BYU Alumni magazine. There isn't a copy of the article online yet, so you'll have to get a hard copy. However, what is online is this video they made for YouTube (funny, because all campus internet blocks YouTube...). You can find that HERE. It has all been so great!

Also, here are some other pictures I'd like to show you.

Where did the time go? How did Miley and Mariah get so freaking big so fast?


I love spring in Utah. Here is a tree in my backyard with its pretty little blooms. I don't even know what kind of tree it is. You probably do.

Good morning BALTIMORE

When I first thought of Baltimore, I thought of that little cartoon of chipmunks talking about Baltimore and apple cores, and then I thought of Tracy Turnblad and segregation. The Baltimore I imagined was a little "ghetto" (no offense, Tracy, thats just what I've been told). But I'm not one to turn down a vacation of celebrating, especially one that was a gift. So I was VERY excited, and I couldn't wait to get away for a weekend. Guys, I LOVED it! I LOVE BALTIMORE!
I remember when I was a freshman at BYU and my cousins, Jordan and Karli, and I would lay awake and play "truth." We'd tell each other what we truthfully thought about such important topics as "what will the guy I marry look like" (he def wasn't 5'5") and "where am I going to live when I grow up." My cousins said I would live on the east coast, which honestly made the west coast girl in me a little sad. But every time I visit the east coast, I want to live there more and more. About that truth, they might have been right.
Also, remember I am incredibly (more than you could imagine) forgetful, and for that reason I really don't have many pictures. In addition, we don't have a good camera for me, and Eddie knows I won't let him take his work camera-- why not is a separate blog post. Here I am again apologizing for it because SOME people might complain.


Here was our hotel room! I do have a dark picture of that. How I have that and not a basic pic of my family and I in front of a Baltimore sign, I don't know.


This was the view out the hotel room window. Baltimore is "B" for beautiful!



Whats up with these trash people? Eddie knows more about what it was. Some transmodern art thing. It was a recyled stuff. When we walked out to the pier we were a little confused until we asked.

Where She Belongs...

The dichotomy of my feelings for my car are incredible. The way that car can make me feel...The pure joy and love I feel when I'm driving my car makes me almost forget the absolute hatred and disdain I feel when it drains my bank account and it makes me wonder how much I could get for it. But my thought process is like this: I've spent SO MUCH MONEY on making it good, and there is no way I could get all of that back if I sold it, so I think its gonna be fine for a while, and I might as well keep it. And then a couple days later, I'm driving it, and I feel like its the best experience I've ever had, and I'm kicking myself for even considering selling it.
This picture was taken on Friday afternoon after a emergency trip to SLC to my favorite mechanic for a new secondary air pump. On Friday morning, when I was real busy at my BYU job, I was checking out dresses and shoes online for graduation. I am SO excited to graduate finally, and I feel like I deserve to reward myself, after 7 years of HELL and unexpected obstacles. But guess where all my money went instead?

SUCK IT, AUDI

Smells?

Is it weird that I really enjoy the smell of bleach. It makes me think of CLEAN. Sometimes, in the summer, I open the bathroom window (close the blinds of course) and put of my old BYU bathing suit, pour some bleach in the shower, and get in and scrub the whole thing (in the winter, I just put some cleaner on the shower floor and bush it hard). I do this just to keep the mild dew and soap scum from building up, but strangely enough, that really reminds me of going to the community pool in Irvine, CA when I was a kid. Why? Because there were so many damn chemicals in that water, and thats how it smelled. And you can hear the birds outside, and the wind, and its so sunny. Not to mention, I'm in a one-piece bathing suit. Oh how bleach takes me right back to my childhood. Or maybe its because I learned to clean the toilet around the age of seven- guys, I'm real good at that. I've got it down.

Another strange thing my senses like....pancake batter. Like bisquick and water. Love it.

Is there anything that you like that no one else seems to like? Sauerkraut DOES count for me.

True Love

Last night Eddie and I were sitting on the couch each holding one of our chickens. We held them in rags so they don't poop on us. I had Miley, Eddie had Mariah. I said to Eddie "They're pretty ugly these days, molting and all. They have half of their feathers, and half their baby fuz. But you know what? I still love them. I love them. Thats true love." Eddie agreed. Some of us have babies to love, some of us have baby chickens.

Eddie talked me onto his "I'm not ready for that kind of commitment" side.

***I KNOW I'm being ridiculous. Just let me have my chick fun and let me make the most of my childless days.***