Jess got to come and visit for a few days! We've had a lot of fun while she's been here. I hate that she has to go back to Floriday soon.

Steven started school this week. So far, he's off to a good start. He has been diligent about his reading and really wants to work ahead so hopefully he will get the chance to do that. I am so happy to see that he is excited about school. Especially since it was like pulling teeth to get him there!

Not sure if I've mentioned this before but Steven got a pseudo promotion. And I say pseudo because you have to attain a certain amount of time in rank to be promoted, and he won't have enough time until December or so. However, his commander didn't want to wait until then to give him responsiblities of a SGT. So he is still a Specialist but he's doing the work of a Sergant (spelling?!) He is really excited about this especially because that means he'll be all the more likely to get the promotion once he is eiligable for it! My little over achiever, I'm so proud!

If I slack off with this updating thing again, then let me know!

Steven starts class today! He's aiming right now for a Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. Taking classes online from Liberty. It was a nightmare trying to get all the paperwork done on time (since the military pays for his education, there is a TON of paperwork and imaginery hoops to jump through) but it finally got done in the nick of time! I think he's going to knock out most of his reading/note taking during work since he has so much downtime riding in the truck. Which is good because then his evenings won't be filled with school! I think he's going to do great, I'm so proud of him going back to school!

I got a temporary job to hold me over until I can a graphic design position. I'm working reception at a Volvo dealership in time. It's boring, but I get a lot of reading in, and I can sometimes work on other things while answering the phones. It's a paycheck though!

We've decided to take a vacation for our anniversary this year. Going to Gaitlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Asheville/surrounding area. We are really excited and have a lot of things planned to do, including going to the Biltmore (it's supposed to be decorated for Christmas!). My Granddaddy was extremely gracious and allowed us to use one of their timeshare weeks/places so that we didn't have to pay for a hotel stay. We are really grateful and we can't wait!!

Wow, it's been a LONG time since I've written anything here! I need to try and do better. Here's the catch up:

*Liz and Quinn got married several weeks ago! It was a beautiful wedding in the rose garden, way super hot, but still beautiful. Steven and I had a lot of fun that weekend hanging out with his family and grandparents (whom we hardly ever get to see because they live so far away). 

*My sister's job in GA is going well and almost over. I think she's had a lot of fun so that's good. She's actually coming home briefly tomorrow so that she can go to Mary Hannah's wedding Saturday. We moved all of her things into her new apartment at school the other day, without her, which was entertaining.

*Tyler is excited about starting his senior year soon. He is going to be one of the bus captains for band, perfect! 

*Jimmy graduated from high school last month. Steven had to miss it due to training at Fort Bragg but I got the chance to go. It was still the same as when I graduated! 

*I am still jobless but still searching. The unemployment funds quit flowing in a couple of months so this is crunch time. I've decided to start teaching piano lessons, not because I can't find a job but rather because I've been wanting to since I graduated college. I just never did have the time between planning a wedding, working full time, and trying to be a housewife to a husband who works so much I hardly see him! Since I have more time than I know what to do with now, I thought it looked like a good time to start. Who knows, maybe I'll never have to work full time again! I've done a lot of work contacting other piano teachers that I know as well as churches (schools are next on my list) to try and get people to pass along my information whenever someone inquires of them. Hopefully when school starts I'll get a few takers! I'm also going to try and bump up the freelance business. It's slow taking off also, but I've already got two semi-regular customers so hopefully once they start talking about me to their friends I'll get a few more. 

*Steven has decided to join the Special Forces, not sure if I've mentioned that one yet or not. As of right now the plan is to sign up after Christmas, and then whenever training starts he'll be gone or at least semi-gone for about two years. I know, it sounds crazy but it really doesn't bother me that badly. I've been away from him before while we were dating and I'll do it again. It's just part of the life that I signed up for and I'm really okay with that. I have a husband who LOVES being in the Army and is proud of what he does and I couldn't ask for more! 

That's all for now, I'll try to update more later!

Today has been interesting and it's only 10:30 in the morning! I have to explain what happened last weekend in order for this to make sense. Steven's drill schedule indicated that he was supposed to be at Brag for drill LAST weekend and therefor he went. But... nobody was there! He finally found the Sergeant who told him that drill had been moved to THIS weekend. Nobody called to inform of the change, nobody e-mailed to inform of the change... Steven was NOT happy. So he came home thinking that he was supposed to be there tomorrow (Saturday) since drill ALWAYS starts on Saturday's and nobody (including the Sergeant) had indicated otherwise. 

And then this morning happened. One of Steven's friends started texting him at 7 this morning wandering where he was... APPARENTLY drill started TODAY on a FRIDAY! So take a Steven that was already irritated about last weekend's mix up and multiply that times about 150 and you have the irritated Steven this morning. He got up and started going through the file box for his official orders which, of course, indicated that his two week drill didn't start until Monday. Then he turned on the computer and checked his Army e-mail again which, of course, had no correspondence from the Sergeant to tell him that he needed to be there today! So I got up and grabbed the packing list he had been given for the two week stint and started gathering things just in case he needed to leave right away. He FINALLY got a hold of the Sergeant and promptly relayed the whole thing, informing him that he would be there in the morning. The Sergeant said that was fine, he wouldn't be in trouble, and could just make today up some other time.

CRAZY! The disorganization is astounding! Now I see why Steven always complains about the Reserves!

I've decided not the let this whole unemployment thing get me down. I know God has some kind of plan for Steven and I so I just have to wait for it to unfold. However uneasy that may be for me to do! I decided to focus on the good things that have come from my being at home lately instead of the bad things. For instance I get to go and babysit/watch my niece at least one afternoon a week which allows my sister in law to get housework done without having to worry about watching Holly. Can't do that while working! I've also been able to dedicate a whole lot more time to my online store: making new designs and coming up with new ways of promoting. Also can't do as much of that while working! I have even had more time to do things like practice the piano and focus on my artwork which I was having trouble scheduling in while I was working. I'm not saying that I want to stay unemployed... God only knows how much I need and want to be working... but it has been nice to take a break and focus on more important things! 

I have been helping my brother with a project for school. Every year the band has an end of year banquet that the junior class puts on for the seniors. Well this year my brother is a junior and his job in the process is to put together the senior slide show... and I got asked to help. Since I LOVE my brother dearly I couldn't say no. So he has been over almost every day for a week and half now trying to get this thing put together. Problem is, there are WAY TO MANY seniors! Almost forty of them and at three pictures a piece that's at least 120 pictures that have to be scanned in and then put together in a cohesive slide show. Whew! Hopefully it will get finished soon.

Liz and Quinn (and Holly) are coming for dinner Saturday night. It'll be the first time that they have been to our place and we're excited to have them over! Their wedding is coming up in June, the day after Steven gets back from two weeks of training! We just found out a few weeks ago that we are actually IN the wedding party. I tried on my dress yesterday, it's pink!! Almost sun-dress like which is nice since the wedding is outside at the end of June, much more comfortable to wear a sun-dress than some nice fancy one. It's going to be a beautiful wedding, I am sure of it!

Taking a brief break from the job searching to update! 

No job prospects yet. Lots of resumes/portfolio links sent but no result yet. My mother in law asked a friend of theirs who is in the design business if he could help out in anyway. He suggested I sign up for Linkedin (which I've already done!) and that if I send him my resume/portfolio then he'll pass it along to as many people as he can! Awesome! So thankful that he is willing to help me out! Applied for unemployment benefits the other day, still trying to figure out how all of that is supposed to work. 

Steven and I went to Lynchburg this past weekend for Jess' graduation! We had such fun! Ben Stein was the commencement speaker and he did a great job, we thoroughly enjoyed listening to him speak. Stupid me forgot to bring sunscreen so I ended up with burnt shoulders by the time graduation was over. Oh well, I won't make that mistake again! Pictures to come later.

Hopefully this weekend we'll get a chance to go with the Volker's out to the lake and take the sailboat out for the first time this spring/summer! Can't wait! 

I get to watch my niece again soon! That is probably the only nice thing about not having a job. I get to periodically play with Holly during the afternoons so Liz can get work done. So much fun! Steven got to play with her some this weekend. He is so funny with her! At first he's all cautious and then he just starts to have a ball! Too cute! 

I had a marvelous birthday! Steven took a personal day from work so that he could spend the entire day with me and still get paid. He made me breakfast and then we took a little day trip and had a blast. 

My dad's surgery went well the other day. He's not allowed to lift anything for a while but he'll be be just fine! Kristin is finishing up the school year. She got an amazing summer job with a Duke program, similar to governor's school except kids pay to attend. Anyway, she'll be teaching a class for high school students at UGA. She's gonna do great! I hope she has fun too. 

Still no job prospects yet but I'm still looking. I've been attending seminars and researching how to sell online so that maybe I can start making more of a profit from my etsy store. I figured I might as well take advantage of the time! If you're interested in helping me advertise, let me know!