Pondering the New Year (and a recap of the last)

Today is New Year's Eve, which means it is the last day of 2010. Here's a little recap of the last year of our lives:
January: Erik got in a car wreck that totalled his car and forced him to look for a new one
February: Erik turned 23 and my aunt's grandpa turned 90. Wow!
March: Erik got a new (used) car and we were only one month away from getting married.
April: I turned 23 on the 7th, and Erik and I tied the knot on April 17. It was one of the best days of our lives. We also went on our honeymoon to Cozumel, the first time either of us has left the country. April was an eventful, but amazing, month!
May: We were adjusting to married life and also decided we were going to move to Florida so Erik could attend graduate school at UCF.
June: We told our friends and family about our plans to move and were grappling with that decision.
July: My cousin Jamie got married and we had a lovely "reunion" of sorts with my dad's side of the family. We said goodbye to them and to my Aunt Tammy, Uncle Steve, and cousins Joe and Tyler.
August: We said (a temporary) goodbye to Illinois and drove across the country to our new home in Florida. Erik also started his first semester of grad school.
September: We were adjusting to our lives in Florida and I spent the month unemployed, looking for a job.
October: I received the news that I didn't get the job I was hoping for and remained unemployed for this month. We continued to adjust and make new friends.
November: I started a job at Applebee's in Maitland as Erik wrapped up his first semester at UCF.
December: Erik finished his first semester with a bang! He got straight A's and made his wife proud. We also travelled to Illinois for Christmas and were reunited with our families and many friends. My mom went into the hospital and gave us all a scare. (More on our trip home in a future post.)

I'd say 2010 was a pretty eventful year, wouldn't you? The year 2011 is coming, full speed ahead, and I have absolutely no idea what it will bring. I've been thinking about how the last two years I had an idea of what was ahead. On New Year's Eve 2008, I knew I would graduate with my Bachelor of Arts the next year and I was pretty certain Erik would propose to me that year as well. Last New Year's Eve I knew we would get married in 2010 and that it would be the year Erik started grad school, which most likely meant we would move out of state. But this year I don't have any milestones planned and I have zero idea of what the year will bring. I have to admit this kind of scares me. I know things can't always be planned, but part of me thinks "why not?" I love having a plan and not knowing what will happen is intimidating and scary. Last year at this time, I knew the upcoming year was going to be challenging, but I also knew it would be amazing because it was the year I would say "I do" to my best friend. But then again, on New Year's Eve 2007 I had no idea that 2008 would be the year I met my future husband or the year I started a job I truly loved at the Daily Vidette. Come to think of it, 2008 was a pretty great year and I had no clue what it would bring me. Maybe this whole not knowing what will happen thing isn't so bad after all. Here's to a new year full of surprises (both good and bad), blessings, and joy. How are you feeling about the new year? Anyone else want to share a recap? I'd love to read about it!

Well I am off to go spend my last day of 2010 with my husband and some wonderful new friends. Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!

Our Little Thanksgiving

I know it's a little late, but I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Erik and I had a nice day at home, just the two of us. I didn't want to make a whole turkey and the turkey breasts were kind of expensive, so we made two cornish hens. My mom used to make them for Christmas and I remember always enjoying them, so I thought I would try my hand at cornish hens. They turned out really good, as did the rest of our sides. We made mashed potates, green beans with bacon, corn, and rolls. It was the perfect amount of food for us. We were stuffed afterwards and didn't have too many leftovers to clutter up our fridge and spoil (we're not always the best about eating leftovers). I also made a pumpkin pie, which was really yummy! We just finished it last night and I wish there was more!

It was kind of weird not being with family on Thanksgiving, but we did get to chat with both our families on Skype, which was pretty cool. I miss them all so much! My computer had been acting up a lot so I asked a friend to fix it. He finished it last week and we got it back just in time to Skype with our families!

We're doing pretty well down here in warm Florida. It's consistently been in the 80s lately, and it's so weird to think that this is not normally how I experience the end of November. I heard it is snowing up in Illinois right now, and it's almost hard to even imagine that with the weather we have had.

We're going back up to Illinois for Christmas and we're really excited to see the people we miss and love. We'll be there from the 22nd to the 29th and are trying to figure out the best option to see people. We're flying in to O'Hare, but we need to make it down to Peoria and Bloomington too. I'm sure the week will fly by, but hopefully we'll get to see as many of you as possible.

Well I hope you all had a great holiday and that your week is just as good!

Our wonderful feast, complete with flowers my sweet husband got me!

My delicious plate of food.

Erik and me before our meal. It was 82 outside that day!

November News

Well I am now in my third week of working at Applebee's and it is going all right so far. I haven't been getting as many shifts or making as much money as I had hoped, but I have faith that it will get better as I am there longer and become more established. It's easy to remember how much they valued me back at the Applebee's in Bloomington and feel discouraged, but it took time for that to happen. Even though I am a transfer and not brand new, I still have to prove myself. Plus there are a lot of people who have been there a long time and of course they're going to get priority in scheduling. It's nice to be productive and making money though. Overall I am enjoying myself.

I have also been keeping myself busy by reading. In the last two weeks I have read five books. I've got one more to get through and three more on the way. The Orlando Public Library lets you order books online and then they ship them to you for free. It usually takes a week or two, but it's totally worth it. I've been reading Meg Cabot and Nicholas Sparks. Any suggestions on some other books I may enjoy??

For those who don't know, I decided not to take the sales position at David's Bridal. I put a lot of thought and consideration (even some research) into it, and I feel at peace with my decision. Apparently in order to even get a commission, I would have had to make $12,000 in sales per pay period. That's pretty high, especially with the low prices David's offers. If I was only working part-time it would be even more difficult, especially until January which is when the busy season starts. Until then I am almost positive I never would have made commission (which is only 8% after the $12,000 sales mark). If I didn't hit that goal I would just make minimum wage ($7.25/hour here). Not only would I have had to work every Saturday and Sunday, but that is a busy store and I have a feeling it would have been really stressful. I would have taken the job if it was my only chance at making money, but I would much rather work a job I am more familiar with, and I certainly don't need to be overloaded on stress by working both jobs. We don't need the money that much. I appreciate all the comments and help I received though!

Thanksgiving is coming up, can you believe it!? Erik and I have been looking for some good recipes. Is cooking a turkey hard? Lol, I'm afraid I'm going to ruin it. Why has no one ever showed me how to make a Thanksgiving dinner before? Although it'll be sad not being with our families, we're really looking forward to being home at Christmas time. We haven't booked our plane tickets yet, but right now we're thinking about flying in December 22 and heading back here the 29th. We weren't necessarily planning to stay that long, but those happen to be the dates with the cheapest tickets. Hopefully it'll be okay to get that much time off of work. Erik will have a whole month off for winter break AND he will continue getting paid, which is a huge blessing! The semester is wrapping up for him and he hasn't had a ton to do, which has been nice.

My grandparents (mom's parents) and me on
Easter Sunday when I was probably 7 or 8.

Yesterday marked the one year of my grandma's passing, and it was pretty sad for me. She was a really great person and I loved her very much. She was my last living grandparent, and probably the hardest to lose. I miss her a lot and can't believe it has already been a year since I received the terrible news of her passing. It was especially hard to hear because I had been planning to go home to see her just two days later. I resent not being able to say goodbye to her and the fact that she missed my wedding by just five months, but I know she is up in Heaven with our Lord, and that is very comforting to me. My grandfather has been gone for almost 10 years now, which is even more unbelievable. I wish I had gotten more time with him, but I will always cherish the memories I have with both of them.

Thanks for reading my long update, everyone! I guess I should post more often so these don't have to be so lengthy. Who's seeing (or has already seen) Harry Potter this weekend!? We're going tomorrow and I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!

Job Dilemmas

Hello friends! I will be talking about my job situation today, so I thought this comic was appropriate. Snoopy is always a good one.

For those who don't know, I started working at Applebee's last week as a server. I trained for two days (normal is five, but they sped me through since I have worked at Applebee's before) last week and served on my own for the first time yesterday. I don't have very many shifts this week, but I am hoping that as I start to prove myself I will get better shifts.

We've been talking about work ethic in church and I've been really challenged to adjust the way I think about and act at work. I've always had a great work ethic as far as being efficient and doing what I am asked, but I must admit I do not always have the best attitude about what I am doing. It is especially hard on days where guests leave me no tip or constantly refer to me as "waitress" and imply I know no more than a first grader. I want this time to be different though. I want to impress my employers and co-workers with my positive attitude and be the one person who doesn't complain or gossip. I want to be an example of Christ and spur others on. No matter what I'm doing, I should be able to do this. I'm sure it would have been a lot easier if I had gotten the job at the Jesus Film Project where I enjoyed what I did and was surrounded by other believers, but maybe that's why I didn't get it. Maybe God wants to challenge me, and I want to accept that challenge. (I can't help thinking of Barney in "How I Met Your Mother." Challenge accepted!!)

I have also been offered a sales position job at David's Bridal. When I applied I thought it would be full time and offer benefits, but neither of those things are true. I feel like it's foolish to turn down an extra chance to make money and an experience I could really learn from, but I'm just really wary about having two jobs. It's always sounded so stressful to me. I realize how grateful I should be. I go from having no jobs to two...that's awesome news, right? It is, and I don't want to deny that. There are just a lot of things to consider. It's hard enough one when boss can't get my schedule straight, but happens when two bosses mess up? What if I am scheduled at both places at one time? What if I get scheduled at one place on the days I had off at the other place and then I am working who knows how many days in a row with no days off? I can't just work AM at one place and PM at the other for five days because then when will I have time to see my husband, grocery shop, clean, etc.? Oh it just all sounds like a nightmare. But for some reason I couldn't bring myself to tell the lady at David's Bridal "no."

Please pray for me friends. Pray that I can be a good example at any place I work and learn to not complain or gossip but to be grateful that I am working and glorify the Lord. Please also pray that I can gain some wisdom about on whether or not I should accept both jobs. Any advice would be accepted as well. Thanks, and I hope you are all having a great week!

Happy Halloween, From Past to Present!

This is the first year since 2006 I have not dressed up for Halloween and I can't say I really mind. I miss the fun Cornerstone parties, but dressing up was always somewhat stressful for me. There was pressure to have an awesome costume and I always felt like I wasn't creative enough. I did win a costume party in 2008 when I dressed up as Tina Fey impersonating Sarah Palin. I was particularly fond of that one because not only did I decide to do it two days beforehand, but it was cheap and super easy to find. Plus I really looked the part. In honor of Halloween, here are some photos from the years of Erik and me in costumes. Enjoy!

Me as Big Bird with  my mom and grandma.

Erik and his brother as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Me as a leopard with my grandma.

Erik as a leopard/cheetah?

And jumping to the college years...Me as Belle (from Beauty & the Beast) with Katie (Cinderella) and Dunny (Snow White) in 2006.

Malibu Barbie! (2007)

Me as Tina Fey being Sarah Palin with some friends in 2008.

Punky Brewster last year, 2009.

Erik as Captain Kirk last year.

Us with our sweet "Harry Potter" pumpkin this past Friday.

Even though Erik and I didn't dress up or go to any Halloween parties, we still had fun participating in a Halloween-themed event. Our life group got together on Friday to grill and eat dinner together and carve pumpkins. We chose a slightly difficult design, but it turned out fairly well. We carved "Harry Potter" into our pumpkin and it turned out being a lot harder than we anticipated. We had help from a few friends though and it ended up being better than I thought. Most of all, we had a great time with friends! So, what are some of your favorite Halloween memories, or some favorite or most embarrassing costumes you have had throughout the year? How are you celebrating Halloween this year? Are you dressing up or just doing something laidback?

Whatever you do today, I hope you have a great day and a happy Halloween!! I can't wait to see pictures of everyone dressed up in their costumes.

Keeping the Faith

Hello friends! No, I didn't disappear. I'm still here, just haven't written in a few weeks! My computer has been acting up, making it difficult to write. I also must confess I haven't really wanted to write, because it meant I would have to share some sad news with you all. About two weeks ago I found out, one month after my first interview with the Jesus Film Project, that I did not get the job. I was assured that it was really close and they wished there had been two openings, but they decided to go with someone else. My heart really did feel like it was breaking. I had waited for close to two months, hoping and praying that I would get this job. It seemed like the only option. It was a great job and I am still fairly confident that I would have enjoyed it and done well. Now I am tossed back into the unsure and scary world of unemployment. Unfortunately it looks like I may have to get another serving or retail job so we can make ends meet. That is sad for me because we were really hoping that one of the benefits of moving down here would be me getting a "grown-up" job that offered a steady income, benefits, and allowed me to use that college degree I worked so hard for. I am trying to remain faithful that there is a job like that out there for me, it's just so frustrating not knowing when it will come.

I am still on the hunt though, and refuse to give up hope! Erik has been a busy bee working on lots of schoolwork...group projects, mid-terms, and papers galore! I've been keeping busy with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I started reading the 7th and final book not only to brush up before the movie comes out (Nov. 19, woo!!!) but as a way to keep myself busy while Erik is doing school work. Since my computer has been on the fritz, I haven't been able to be on while he's working because he needs his. Unfortunately, this plan is not working out so well because I am close to the end of the book and I just started it a few days ago. I knew I should have started on the 6th! Haha oh well. My library card came in the mail last week though, so hopefully I can check out some new books. Any suggestions?

Cornerstone's Fall Retreat was this weekend, and the for the first time in four years I did not attend. It's sad to think how that time in my life is over. The time of fall retreats, winter getaways, living near all my best friends...it's over. I'm not envious of the weather you all had to deal with, but I do wish I could have been there. I urge you to not take what you have for granted and to be grateful that you are still able to go to events like the fall retreat. I hope you all had a wonderful time! We're also missing the wedding of two of our close friends next weekend, and we're both pretty bummed about that too. We hope to be back one day though...whether or not it's for good, we don't know. But we will at least get to visit, hopefully this winter.

Well I'll try to be better at keeping this updated. Thanks to those who are still reading! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend, and enjoy the week before Halloween. I am leaving you with the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. It gave me goosebumps! I know there's a large chance the movie will disappoint me, but I can't help but get super excited for it!! :)

To Write Love on Her Arms

I'm guessing most of you have heard of To Write Love on Her Arms. If you haven't you should check out their website. I first heard about TWLOHA about three years ago. It is a non-profit organization that was formed in 2006 as a way to reach out to a young girl who turned to drugs, alcohol, and hurting herself as a way to cope with her depression. Now it is "dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide." They exist "to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery."

To Write Love on Her Arms spreads the message of love and hope to people everywhere. In the last four years, they have responded to 150,000 messages from people in 40 different countries. According to their web site, two out of three people struggle from depression, which is the leading cause of suicide. "In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 18-24 years old."

Although I have never been diagnosed with clinical depression, I think we can all agree that we've had times of deep struggle and heartache. I'm fairly confident that most people can say that if they haven't harmed themselves, they've at least thought about it. I was telling my husband just the other night how I can think of five people I have been close to - just off the top of my head - who have self-harmed. I don't know about you, but to me that's a lot. And those people are not alone. This organization exists to bring them together and let them know that they are loved. TWLOHA is currently working with PostSecret (another cool organization you can check out here) and the Kristin Brooks Hope Center, to launch a project called IMAlive "the first online crisis network with 100% of its staff certified and trained in crisis intervention" to reach these millions of depressed people.

I recently joined the TWLOHA Street Team, which is a way to promote and raise awareness for the organization. I have a strong passion to help and reach out to depressed, lost souls and even if it's just by doing some small things via the street team, I'm proud to say I support an organization such as To Write Love On Her Arms. It gives hope to those who think they are hopeless, love to those who believe they cannot be loved, and support to those who feel unsupported. It is an amazing organization that has helped thousands of people, and I hope one day I can be involved in more ways than just being on the street team. If you think you might want to be a part of the street team, you can join here. And if TWLOHA sounds like an organization you want to know more about or desire to support, visit their website. You won't regret it!

Welcome to Our Home!

The long awaited photos are finally here! I've posted a select few from each part of the apartment. You can view more in my Facebook photo album.

Please follow me for the royal tour....

This is the view when walking in.

Our office. Standing at the door, looking to the right.

Standing at the door, looking left.




Looking at the dining room from the living room.

Looking into the kitchen. It looks small, but there's lots of cabinet space!

Another view of the kitchen



Bathroom



 

A view of our bedroom from the door. It's a little bare, but it's a work in progress.

View of bedroom from the bed.

My favorite part of the bedroom: TWO CLOSETS!!

Looking out our sliding glass door/window in the living room.

Our view from the balcony...pretty nice, huh?

Looking into the apartment from the balcony.

 

Please Excuse my Absence...

...but there has just not been much to report. I still haven't heard about the job yet. I did e-mail the HR woman (my main contact) and all she said was that they are still conducting testing and interviewing and haven't made a decision yet. I've got no idea how much longer I can expect to wait though...sad news!

We have been connecting with some more people here, which is definitely worth reporting. A couple weeks ago we attended a gathering for newlywed couples. It was really fun! We weren't even the newest married couple either...score! We played the newlywed game and heard from two couples who have been married about 4.5 years and one who's been married 6.5. It was really fun and a great way to meet some new people and have conversations with folks we've just met once. We even met one couple, Andrew and Becky (they have been married 6.5 years), who invited us over last Thursday for a homemade dinner and Settlers. Yes, we finally got to play Settlers of Catan!! Oh and even better news...I won for the first time on my own!!! Woot woot! :o)


We even got to play with the old board!

We have finally got the apartment looking pretty good and have hung up most of the things we've wanted to. We even somehow managed to store the things we didn't think would fit anywhere! I took some photos today, so look forward to those in the next few days.

For those who feel so inclined, if you could continue to pray that I will get a job (specifically the one I have interviewed twice for, at JFP) we would really appreciate that. Bills are adding up and it's getting pretty tough with just Erik's 20-hour-a-week graduate assistantship for income. And please also pray for us as we are still transitioning with living in Florida, away from all our friends and family, and with Erik being a student again. Thank you all, and I would love to hear some updates from some of you! If any of you have blogs I don't know about, post it in the comments section...I would love to read them!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Nope, I am not another year older. But today is my birthday...my spiritual birthday. Today marks the day in 2006 when I was born again.

Four years ago today, I laid my life down for Jesus Christ and accepted him as my Savior.
Four years ago today, my heart was captured by a loving and wonderful King.
Four years ago today - at about this time - I was heading to my first "large group."
Four years ago today, I decided to stop drinking until I turned 21.
Four years ago today, I made one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Four years ago today, I completely changed my life, and it hasn't been the same since!

Katie and I got saved on the same day! This is us our sophomore year at ISU, the day after.

And here we are almost four years later, celebrating my actual birthday.

I am so thankful and feel very blessed to be able to share such a special day with my best friend! We've had quite the journey full of lots of ups and downs, but God has really brought us through. We became friends as non-believers and God managed to save us on the exact same day. We've been in each other's weddings, wiped each other's tears, laughed for hours, and have had so many wonderful times. I love my best friend, and I love our wonderful Lord!!

Although He has taken me a long ways in four years, I know I have so much more growth to do and so much more to learn. I look forward to the next four years and so many more honoring and glorifying God. Praise the Lord for His loving mercy and grace, and praise Him for awesome best friends like Katie!

A Photographic "Weekend Update"

Happy Labor Day, everyone!! I got to spend the day with my hubby who would normally be working and at school most of the day and night, so I'd say it was a good day. =) We had a good weekend too. First, I want to start off with a few pictures from last weekend, thanks to our friend Mick Haupt, via Facebook.

A really cool shot of Orlando at dusk. Taken by Mick Haupt.

Tears for Fears! Taken by Mick Haupt.

Taken by Mick Haupt.

This Saturday, we had the pleasure of getting to see Anberlin (one of our favorite bands) do a FREE acoustic set at this cool CD store in Orlando. Erik went the night before to see a band he likes. This could become a favorite place of ours!

Stephen Christian, lead singer of Anberlin, looking right at me!!

He really is amazing.

Erik and me after the show.

They played about six songs, but because they are from Orlando and love us so much, they decided to do something special and play a song from each CD they have out, including an old EP. It was awesome and made me love them even more! We were also the first crowd they ever played one of their new songs for. We've got it on video. =) They stayed after to do signings and kept saying that they wanted to meet everyone, but the wait was long and we had adult-like things to do.

I've been working on some things for H2O this weekend. I am helping one of the pastors create discipleship studies. The studies are already written, I am just helping with the design. It's been fun, but VERY time-consuming.
Saturday night, we went over to a new friend's house for a wine party. She has been fasting from alcohol for about six months and decided to break her fast with a big celebration. She has been around H2O for a long time and works at the GCM office, so she knows a lot of people. There were quite a few there, including a lot we don't know, so that was fun. There were even a few guys who were on staff at Illini Life (Chris Ridgeway and Mitch Jackson, for those who may know them) so we had fun talking about our friends from back home. Angie made a huge spread of delicious appetizers and desserts and you can tell she spent all day and stayed up late the night before preparing. Everything was amazing! There were tons of bottles of wine there, as everyone was supposed to bring one. We had a lot of fun and got to try some new wines!

We had a great weekend, thanks for reading about it! My testing at Campus Crusade for Christ is tomorrow, so please pray that goes well! If I impress them, I will get an interview on Friday. I'll keep you updated!

Us at the party, compliments of Angie's photos on Facebook.

A New Perspective

Well I have some good news today! This week has been much better than last...but let's start this post with the weekend I ended the last post with. The Tears for Fears concert was really fun. We had a great time with our new friends and the band really rocked! We got stuck behind a bunch of people who were standing and we couldn't see the band very well, but we were able to push our way through for a good portion of it. They were just as good as 25 years ago, and I know a good portion of their songs. They even did my favorite, "Woman in Chains." It has a guest female vocalist and I really didn't think they would perform it, but they did it as their first encore song. It was amazing!! Unfortunately, I forgot to put the battery (which I charged specifically for this event) in my camera, so I have no photos. =(

In the beginning of the week I was feeling very discouraged and kind of defeated. I called the Applebee's in Orlando on Tuesday and let's just say, no good news. Needless to say, that really got me down. I hit the internet for some hardcore job hunting and ended up applying to four jobs. Lucky for me, only one allowed a cover letter. I was planning to spend some time at the pool, but the time whizzed by me as I searched and searched for jobs. As the hours ticked away, I started to feel a cool sense of relief. It was almost like God was whispering to me to just be calm and stop worrying...He gifted me with a new perspective, if you will.

Then, late in the afternoon I received a phone call from a woman with Human Resources at Campus Crusade for Christ in regards to the position I have been on the edge of my seat about (read my last post for details). She asked if I had time for an interview and I spent about 40 minutes chatting with her. It went really well! Now it's kind of confusing, but let me try my best to explain. The woman who is doing the hiring in the department had this HR person go ahead and do the first phone interview with me, and if that went well I was to go in for some testing. They will be measuring my skills with Microsoft Word and Publisher, which are the programs I will be primarily be using to complete the job functions. The woman I spoke with wanted me to e-mail her a few samples of my work, which she would forward on to the other woman. Less than an hour later, I got an e-mail asking me to come in for testing on Tuesday, September 7!! If the testing goes well, they will let me know right after and I will return next Friday for an interview with this HR lady and one other HR person. If that interview goes well, I will stick around for a second interview with the woman in charge of hiring for the Jesus Film Project.

It's not like I feel as though I have this in the bag, but I am feeling pretty confident about it. I really, really want this job, and I know I would do well in it. Not only would I use the skills I spent four years (and thousands of dollars) cultivating and learning, but this job would put me in a faith-based setting and allow me to grow in my spirituality. As I told the woman interviewing me on the phone, I never could have imagined such a wonderful opportunity. Please pray that I do not become too complacent or overly confident. Pray that if this is in God's plan, He would give me the words and wisdom to achieve this goal. I am going to go over both programs and look over some interviewing techniques so I can be as prepared as possible.

Have a blessed weekend, everyone!

Still Struggling

Hello my wonderful blog followers! Sorry if I've disappointed anyone by not posting in a while. I guess I just haven't felt like there's a lot to share. This was a hard week. Erik started school and his 20-hour a week graduate assistantship. That means we've had a lot less time together, which is difficult after getting used to spending all day, every day with each other. Plus, I still don't have a job so this was a rather lonely week for me. Erik has his assitantship from 9-2 on Mondays and Thursdays and 12-5 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. He also has class from 6-9 Monday through Wednesday, so this means on Tuesday and Wednesday, I was really bored being home alone all day. I've been applying to jobs and even had an interview on Thursday, but so far it is not looking so good.

I received a phone call Wednesday night shortly before Erik got home from class from a gentleman over at Full Sail University, where I had applied for a job. He did an on-the-spot phone interview, which I think went pretty well. He asked if I could start Monday because they really needed people so I agreed to another interview with his bosses the next day. I went on an hour-long tour of Full Sail and then sat around for a half an hour waiting to be interviewed. At the end of the interview, they said their training course that starts on Monday is all full, but that if they decide to hire me I could start at the end of September. That's a long ways away! I didn't get that great of a vibe after it was over, so I'm not too hopeful. It could be for the best though because the hours were from noon to nine and I would have had to work some weekends, so I wouldn't have been able to continue going to our church small group and that would have meant even less time for Erik and me.

The job I really want is at Campus Crusade for Christ in their Jesus Film Project department as a writer. They're taking forever though, so who knows how that will turn out. I think I am going to really pursue getting hired at Applebee's just so I can have something to do during the days and make us some money. Please pray for me, because I am really not looking forward to working there again. ::Sigh.::

We've been going to H2O every Sunday and their small groups on Friday nights. It's going pretty well, and we're starting to make some friends. We really like the services and although the Friday groups are different than what we're used to, we like the people and are starting to fit in a little more. We're actually going to hang out with a few of them in a couple of hours. I found online that Tears for Fears (you know, the popular 80s band) is playing in downtown Orlando for free tonight! We were planning on going because I enjoy their music and it would be something fun (and did I mention free!?) for us to do together. Some people from our home group were talking about it last night, so we're going to go with them. It should be a good time! I'll post some pictures later.

Speaking of pictures, the apartment is really starting to come together. I finally got some photos printed to fill the frames we got as wedding gifts. I still haven't taken pics of the apartment yet because it's not quite as "together" as I'd like, but I will get that done eventually...I promise! Thanks for reading, all!

An Ocean View

Tuesday was four months Erik and I have been married! Even though it sucks being unemployed, the nice thing is that it has allowed kind of a second honeymoon. He hasn't started school yet, so we've had plenty of time to do things together. In honor of being married four months, we decided to take our first trip to a Florida beach!

We went to 27th Avenue Beach in New Smyrna Beach, about an hour from us.

It's beautiful, isn't it?

After weeks of just sitting around indoors or running errands, we were excited for a day of fun in the sun!

The tide was pretty high and we had lots of fun splashing and getting tossed around in the waves.

This is definitely the coolest beach I've been to. The beaches in Mississippi were dirty and boring. The beach in Mexico was just boring, and the water even a little dirty. But the water here is so active and provides a great time! Volusia County does a good job of keeping the beaches safe and clean. I had a little bit of a scare...got knocked down by the waves and sucked in for a minute, but I think I was just extra spooked because I didn't have my ear plug and wasn't supposed to go under. Oops, I'll be sure to bring that next time.

After the ocean, we stopped at a small ice cream place in town. Then we went home, ate some homemade burritos, and watched "Finding Nemo." We got a little sunburned in random places, but nothing terrible. Lesson learned: spray sunscreen should be applied inside, away from wind. All in all, it was a great day!

Shivering in the Heat

With the heat index it is almost 100 degrees, and yet here I sit shivering and covered in goosebumps. Apparently, Starbuck's likes to keep their stores at the same temperature I keep my refrigerator. And of course I can't step outside for a blast of heat because it's pouring outside. Boo hoo, right? At least it won't snow in the winter. Blah blah blah.

Even though I signed up for an appointment on the 12th to get internet installed, we somehow got signed up for the 15th. That's right, they're going to install our internet on a Sunday. So much for the Sabbath, huh? At least I won't have to keep crashing coffee shops.

I've been feeling discouraged lately because I haven't heard anything about jobs. It's only been a couple days, but I'm getting antsy. I'm just really worried that I will have to work at Applebee's again. I know everyone keeps saying, "At least you'll be bringing money in!" Those people don't understand just how much I hated it there. I'm not complaining and I'm not trying to whine. Really. My job wasn't all bad, but after a year I just don't think I can continue taking people treating me like dirt. The money is so inconsistent, and I just need to find something better. Please continue to pray that I can. I've applied to a few jobs that I think I will like and am confident I will do well at. Let's just hope they think so too, and at least call me for an interview.

On to happier things...we are attending a Home Fellowship tonight for H20. I'm excited. I hope we can meet some really great people who we feel comfortable being in a community with. Maybe I'll even make some friends. =)

Thanks for reading everyone! Hopefully my next post will be from my own home with my own internet...and I'll try to make it a little cheerier, I promise. Love to all of you!

Taking a Drink

Hello everyone! Here is another update, as promised! As many of you know, Erik and I were active members of a ministry at Illinois State that belongs to Great Commission Ministiries, a global missionary organization. One of the reasons we decided/were excited to move to Orlando is that GCM's headquarters are in Winter Park...just minutes from our new apartment! We heard they had a pretty cool church called H20 in Orlando, about 15 minutes away, and we couldn't wait to check it out. We attended this Sunday's service and we were pretty encouraged by it. We were excited about attending a more community-based church. There is a wide variety of ages, and we seemed to fit in. We were introduced to one of their pastors, who introduced us to a few people before the service. The service was very similar to the ones at Cornerstone's, and the worship band was great. I can't wait to see their second band next week. There were even two baptisms after the message, which I always love to see. After it was all over, we met more people and even went out to lunch with a few couples. There is a life group (kind of like a home group, for you Cornerstoners) that meets on Friday nights for young singles and married couples that I think we will attend this week. There are other options, but we're kind of limited because of Erik's nighttime class schedule. We got to know the leaders of this life group a little bit though, and I think it will be a good place for us. I'm excited to find a community! I can't imagine it will be as great as our previous one, but all I can hope and pray for is that we find a place that will invest in us and where we will feel like we belong.

In other news, we bought a couch yesterday! We decided to get a brand new one and even got their five-year protection plan. We're so grown up! We also got a coffee table and end table at Ikea for a great price! We've still got some de-cluttering we need to do to make room for the couch, but as I think about friends who have recently moved and how long settling in can take, I think we're doing well. We're pretty much down to all the little where-should-this-go? stuff. Those things are always the worst to pack and unpack. Once we get some furniture and decorating done, I will post pictures. We still don't have internet, but I've been at Starbuck's again for a few hours (thanks to free wi-fi and a gift card we got for our wedding). I even managed to apply for two jobs. In addition to prayers about us finding a community, please also pray I can find a job that will not only provide for Erik and me, but fulfill and satisfy me.

Thanks for reading and for your thoughts and prayers! We love you all!

Settling In

I'm sitting in the nearest Starbuck's as I type this update. Thank goodness Starbuck's now has free wi-fi, because we don't have internet yet. I just set up the install date though, yay! Bad news: they can't come out until next Thursday, the 12th. I should be able to get on to Facebook and stuff for short amounts of time, but no Skype til late next week. =(

Anyway, Erik and I are doing pretty well. We slept in our new apartment for the first time last night. We both agreed this morning that our bed somehow seems much comfier than it was in our Bloomington apartment. Good news? I think so. =) Our kitchen is all unpacked, as is the bathroom and the bedroom is mostly done. I've even made the bathroom look "appropriately feminine" as Erik would say. We've still got a few boxes and random stuff in our living room, but we've made good progress so far. It's starting to look like a home. I can't wait to get some pictures printed and start hanging things on the wall. I finally get to decorate; I am so excited!!

We went out looking for a couch today, but didn't have much luck. We were hoping to get one today because we have our Penske truck until tomorrow. We decided that we want to get a new couch though, so we will be able to have it delivered. We're finding that we are a little limited in the size we can get, but we don't want just a loveseat. Hopefully we will find something soon!

For those wondering about the weather, it is HOT. According to weather.com, it's currently 91 degrees but feels like 100. I don't think I've sweat this much in my life. We're both soaked after standing outside for 5-10 minutes. Luckily we have central air. Plus this Starbuck's is overly air conditioned, so nothing to complain about here. The good news is we keep hearing July and August are the hottest and worst months here, so it should be getting better in about three weeks.

Still no job but  no worries, I will post as soon as I get one! Speaking of jobs, we got some really good news about Erik's job. Because he is an employee of the university he is considered a resident of Florida, and will only have to pay in-state tuition!! PLUS, his assistantship will pay for a portion -if not all- of that tuition. The Lord really does provide! Since he is a student, all of his loans are being deferred, so all we have to pay right now is my loans, which are very manageable.

Well, I think that's all there is to report right now. I'll wait to post pictures of the apartment until everything is looking nice. I'm hoping that will be by next week, so hang on just a little longer!

Welcome to the OC

Well, we made it to Florida!! It was a long trip and there were definitely some bumps along the way, but I am pleased to announce that we found an apartment!!!

We got to Atlanta, GA at a little after 1 AM (EST, so midnight in IL) late Sunday night/early Monday morning. We left at a little before 11 AM Sunday morning, so it was a long drive! We stopped along the way to eat and get gas (that truck is such a gas guzzler) but we were exhausted by the time we checked in at our hotel. We all took a long nap and were back on the road by 7 AM. We made it to Florida in pretty good time, but got stuck in traffic once we hit the Orlando area. We parked our truck at Judy (my aunt's mom)'s house and hustled over to two properties we had already applied to and been approved at. One of them was priced well, but a little rundown (all of their cool amenities won't be ready for 4 months!) and just didn't seem like a place we would fit in. The other place was nicer, but more expensive even though the apartment was smaller. The first place was very pushy about us deciding by 6 PM if we wanted to live there, and it was already 4:30! We were sooo overwhelmed that we decided to just go back to Judy's and sleep on it.

We had a rough evening and even shed some tears, but we got plenty of encouragement and even got a tour of the area. Judy's friend drove us all around UCF, where Erik will attend school, as well as Orlando and Winter Park. It's a really nice area, and we're excited to explore it ourselves and to make this our home.

After being very discouraged, we did some more researching last night and came across a property that had great prices and decent resident reviews. We went there first thing this morning, and although it took us all day, we got approved!!! There were plenty of glitches in the process and we weren't sure if it would work out, but it did and we are so grateful! It's very affordable and seems like a nice community.

We decided to go with a one bedroom because it is still very spacious and a great way to save money. I still don't have a job so we can use all the extra money we can get. There's no washer and dryer in the unit, but it's got a laundry room super close to our apartment. There's also a swimming pool, exercise room, tennis courts, volleyball courts, gazebo, and even a playground. Safety was one of our top priorities, and this place has nightly security guards as well as a 10 PM curfew. It's also a very manageable distance from UCF. Traffic is pretty much unavoidable in this area, but the commute shouldn't be terrible, even in traffic. We can't get electric turned on until Thursday, but we'll be able to move all of our stuff in tomorrow, which is super exciting. Hopefully we'll even have enough time to go look at furniture while we still have the moving truck. The apartment community is called Santa Barbara and is located in Winter Park, which is part of Orange County. I live in the OC now...how cool is that!?

We are very grateful that we found a place, and we hope we continue to love it. Thanks to everyone who's been cheering for us, you are all so great!! I will leave you with some photos on the web site. I will try to take some of my own and post them in the near future.

Pool, complete with palm trees!

All of the units have screened in porches!

Workout room that I'll probably never use, but it's nice to have the option. :)

Pretty property!

Here's our floorplan!