I spend so much time there, I should just live there

Just got back from a 7 hour day at church!! It was pretty long but good.

Oh, and for the record... I'm getting REALLY involved in my ward. Man!! I am SURE proud of myself.

Working 9 to 5... What a Way to Make a Living

I'M A WORKING GIRL AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got placed in a position tonight at Ryder in Fort Worth through an employment agency. I met this lady on Thursday and she learned all about me and by Friday she had found a position for me, but it didn't work out, and then today (Tuesday) she called me with another. I start tomorrow at 8 tomorrow morning!! That is a really fast turn around and I had NO time to prepare and get used to the thought, but I'm really just so excited and I am so very grateful to have a job again and not have to worry and stress about it. The commute will be long and I'll need to get a place to live closer to where I work cause thats gonna get old REAL quick, but I can't complain. I will be making about twice what I was making in Utah and word on the street is there is a ton of room for advancement and growth in the company.. So I'm pretty stoked.

More to come when I've started and actually know what the position is like. I'm so excited!!!

So... Tonight after dinner Carolyn was going on and on about how she was craving sugar cookies. And I mentioned something about how we had had a bunch at my branches dinner last night and I would have grabbed one if I'd known. Luckily for her, we had the leftovers at FHE tonight and I totally swiped one for her. Am I the greatest or what?!?

So I come home and I go, "Carolyn!!! I got you a cookie. And look!! It's a temple!! It'll nourish the body and the soul!!!" She takes one look at it and goes "It's a cake.. Like a wedding cake." My response, "Uhhhhh, thats embarrassing!!!"

Back Story:

Whenever there is a fireside, my branch feeds us. We have church really late and so they have dinner to hold you over so that you can go to the fireside. I actually think its pretty awesome. So yesterday, not very many people brought food, but there were all these desserts from a wedding that had taken place over the weekend. So there were all these sugar cookies and I could have sworn they were little temples. Like cause they got married in the temple. So I know that in at least 3 different conversations, I called them temples. Now, 24 hours later, I'm learning that they were wedding cakes. That is SOOO embarrassing. Who can't tell what's a cake and what's a temple?!? Looking at it now, it is obviously a cake.. but hopefully it's close enough that whoever I was talking to yesterday doesn't think I'm a total idiot?!?

Living The Single Life

Ahh the singles ward. I HATE starting new in a ward. HATE it. But I also know its necessary. So I have been doing my darndest since I've been here to go to as many things as I can and actually meet the people in my ward and make friends and put myself out there. Historically speaking.. I've done very poorly at this. Thats not to say that I'm completely at home in this new ward or that I'm friends with everyone, but I think I'm doing better than I have in my previous 2 wards.

So at first, I did not feel good about my singles branch AT ALL!!!! I was convinced that I would never return and that it was a complete dud. But luckily, I've kind of stuck it out for a few weeks and I feel like its starting to get better. If nothing else, I no longer feel like the kid all alone at the lunch table with no friends.... which is how I was feeling at first. So while Its been baby steps.. At least I'm taking steps!!

Oh, and I got called onto the Activities Committee. Usually I might complain about how that can be a lot of work and a lot of stuff can end up on your shoulders, but I actually feel like this is the perfect opportunity for me to remain completely involved and not let myself slack about going to stuff and continue to meet new people and build eternal friendships... or something like that....

No you Can't Take the Honky Tonk Outta the Girl

So I have been kind of MIA when it comes to this thing lately. I just haven't been in the mood.. so many apologies. I'll sort of get you caught up. I spent most of last week in Gilmer. I just kind of decided for a change of scenery while I'm not working I would spend a few days with the folks on the farm. It was excellent and totally needed!! On the way down there I was talking to Carolyn and Bryan about how I wanted to drive my dad's tractor. Carolyn made some comment like, "Do you think he'll let you?" And me reply was like, "Please, he'll totally let me." This was less than an hour after we arrived..... And this was just the beginning of my redneck weekend!!

Here's what I'll say about tractors: Its harder than it looks. I know the boys on footloose make it look like it aint no think when they plan chicken, but it took all the strength I could muster to turn that bad boy around.. and one time I ended up in a ditch which meant I had to go backwards. The one thing freakier than driving a farm tractor... driving it in reverse.

Oh and if your curious about my Indiana Jones hat, well my dad wears it everyday when he tractors.. and I wanted to be a real farmer. So I had to dress the part!!!

At the end of my country weekend, Bryan and Dad were doing some shooting in the backyard before breakfast (Things have really changed at mom and dads house) so of course I wanted to participate!!! We shot Bryan's hand-gun first and then one of my dad's shotguns. The handgun hurt my middle finger and the shotgun put a bruise the size of a baseball on my arm. I LOVE SHOOTING GUNS!!!

This one time, Carolyn wanted Chocolate Milk.... so she got out a cup, got out the milk and chocolate and started pouring... right about that time she realized there were maybe 3 tablespoons of milk left in the carton. But we don't waste food!!!

Have Yourself a Blue Bell Country Day

Week one in Texas... Check!!! Here are some random gems from the last 7 days of my life. Ps.. this is long.. I'm not sure why I'm so wordy....

Its been fun to so far. I have gotten to play a lot with Carolyn and Benjamin and it is a blast. And I was a little nervous that I would become a little lazy when I got here... and I'll be honest I have (Hi its Saturday and I haven't done my hair or make-up since Monday when I had a job interview) but luckily one thing is keeping me on a "normal schedule." I got myself a state of the art alarm clock.

Benjamin = my newmate (Nephew + roommate). When I thought that in my head, I totally thought nephew was spelled NEWPHEW. So it would work. Yeah its not, but I'm keeping it anyway. He didn't like me at first but now we're good friends and thanks to him and I still go to sleep and arise at a decent hour instead of sleeping until some crazy time in the day.

In other news Thursday we went on a little adventure. Carolyn wanted a little table for her living room like she had when she was asian, so we went to little Korea and found exactly what she was looking for. Bryan decided he wanted to just get it then instead of coming back. But the trunk of her car was a couple inches too short. Soo, it came in the back seat with me and the little man.

It took up where your feet would go, So I was sitting Indian style while trying to keep Benjamin happy who happened to be throwing up at the time. It was definitely an experience. Later it was Carolyn's turn.. The worst part about it was not the fact that you couldn't put your feet down, but the fact that it was 200 degrees outside and the darn box blocked the air conditioner and caused you to melt to death. I felt bad for her.

Last but not least... Boot Camp. I sort of lost myself this summer and gained a few lbs... so I put it to my mind before I got here that while I wasn't working, It would be boot camp and I would get myself back into gear. Luckily Carolyn has been game for that. Let me just say this.. it sucks. Every single day when Benjamin goes down for his nap we will do a little video of something. We just finished the Crunch-Fat Burning Dance Routine. It sucked. After a zippy little 45 minutes, we are sweating like a couple of pigs. It sucks. I hate it. Then a couple of time this week we have also both gone to the treadmill and done a bit on there after our video. But I'll be honest, yesterday after doing yoga or pilates or whatever it was where you support yourself with your arms, and then you do lunches for who knows how long, I had a hard time running so I only

lasted for a couple of minutes. But I'm doing better.. eventually maybe I won't hate this as much. Oh but one good thing, Bryan wasn't here the other night cause he was at church, and we made these AWESOME chicken taco salads. They were outstanding.

Blue Bell: The Most Heavenly Ice Cream On The Planet. We had to run to the grocery store last night for milk and I saw this and I almost died. Now I wouldn't let myself get any cause of boot camp, but just knowing that it was there brought me some sort of weird joy. For any of you who haven't visited the great state of Texas and don't know about Blue Bell, I'm sorry that you are not yet living. However, for the rest of you, you know what I"m talking about. When I saw it.. it was like on a cartoon or something when the whole things lights up and music plays. It was awesome. One day Blue Bell... One day....