Pics of Rice!

I also managed to take lots of pictures of our new kitten Rice! We got her from a shelter just recently, and she has been so much fun to have around. She acts crazy sometimes and runs around the apartment for no reason at all, but she loves to cuddle and loves to be petted, and loves to have lots and lots of attention! She is a very high energy cat, but Ben and I really like her and she has made life really fun. She is about 8 months old and so sweet.

Apartment Pics!

So, I've been super busy with work and doing training and everything, but I finally managed to make the apartment look clean and cute enough to post some pictures. Take a looksie:

My walk-in closet!

So there ya go! Some new pics of our new apartment! Enjoy!

I got a JOB!!!!!

Yes, that's right. After my long blog posts about how you never know if an interview went well, etc, it finally happened to me. I got a job. And I am very happy about it. Today was my first day training, and it went really well. My boss bought me lunch and I got to chat with her and start finding out about everything I'll be doing! I am really looking forward to it. A lot of it is data entry, and a big portion of it is calling people and making sure they are going to attend their medical appointments. It's not being on the radio, and it's not doing anything involved with broadcast, but I am still so happy nonetheless. I feel like the Lord has really blessed me and rewarded me for all my patient waiting, praying, and fasting. I am so grateful for the opportunity and grateful for the fact that it pays well. It's nice to know that now Ben and I both have jobs, and we're a double-income family again. :)

On another note, this purple beauty is currently in the shop:

The van went into the shop today to get looked at, and it looks like it's going to need some major repairs. So, we're carless for a while. It kind of reminds me of when Ben and I first got married and when we moved into our apartment...except that time we were carless for two weeks, and this time we're hoping it's a lot shorter than that. The mechanic said he should be able to have it repaired by Friday, so let's hope that he was being honest. It's really nice having my parents around to help drive me to work and everything, but it kind of reminds me of what it was like before I had a license. And I really like driving.

New Apartment!

Ben and I are officially moved in! We love it and I have been working like crazy for the past week and a half to make it all beautiful and color coordinated. Pictures to come VERY soon. :)

Job Interviews

So, I know that this is probably the situation a lot of people are in right now. Looking for work and having to do about a million job interviews. I've read so many articles that say things like, "If they show you around the office, then that's a good sign" or "If they introduce you to their employees, then you're in!". Well, I am just going to say that I disagree with all of those bits of advice and I don't believe you can ever truly judge if an interview went well or not.

Here's why I think that:

Ben and I have been in Austin for about a month and a half, and I have interviewed for about 8 positions. Usually I have come out of every interview feeling like it went well. I'll get all excited and think that it's the perfect job for me, and start envisioning myself working there. Then, a couple of days later, I'll get a call from the company and I'll be told that I didn't get the position. It's so frustrating when this happens, because it makes me think that even though I thought I did my best, I wasn't what they were looking for. I have decided I will no longer get my hopes up. But I will have a positive attitude. I am going to smile and be cheerful and go on about my merry little way. I am not going to sit and ponder about how an interview went or rewind all the details in my mind and remember everything that was said. I know that's going to be challenging, seeing as how when I get back to my parents' house everyone is going to be asking, "So, how did it go?" but I know that if I have a realistic and optomistic perspective, that will be enough. I refuse to get all excited and hyped up about something until there's a job offer on the table.

For those of you who were wondering where I am in the job department, I had a job interview today with ESPN Radio Austin, and a job interview last week with Mavin Exams. Still waiting to hear back from those.

Good News

So, Ben and I are moving into our first apartment in Austin in just two weeks! I am so excited and really, really, ready. It's been a lot of fun spending time with my family and hanging out, and the free rent and free food have been great, but I am very ready for Ben and I to have a place of our own and for me to be able to start decorating and making the place look all cozy and nice.

Also, some other good news...I have a temporary two week job that starts this week, and I am excited to be able to do something different and feel like I'm useful. Even though I interviewed for a full-time job with the company and didn't get the job, I feel like Heavenly Father has blessed me with this opportunity to get my foot in the door and see what happens. Anyway, things are going good, Ben's job is going good, and I think I can finally say that I do miss Provo a little. But it's not really Provo that I miss. It's the people in Provo. Just to be clear.

And...I'm officially obsessed with LOST. Ben and I have been watching all the seasons starting with Season 1 since Christmas break, and I am totally hooked. We're almost done with the fourth season, so I feel like maybe I can catch up in time to be able to watch at least one or two episodes of the sixth season on TV.

In Austin and Loving It!

So, it's been over a month since my last blog post, but for those of you who know me, (which I assume is everyone reading this blog) I needed some time to hang out with my family and enjoy being home before sitting down and telling everyone what we've been up to. When Ben and I got to Austin, we thought we would both land jobs really quickly and be able to settle into a new apartment before the end of the month. Well, things didn't exactly turn out that way. For the last few weeks, we've been struggling and applying for as many jobs as possible, but not having any luck. I had a couple interviews, but nothing ended up working out. So, it is with so much happiness that I can blog and say that Ben found a job! My dad referred us to a guy who was in my stake all growing up, and he said he was looking for people. So Ben and I both went in and interviewed at the company, and Ben got the job! I am so happy for him, especially since being jobless was especially hard on him. So now, we are finally planning on signing a contract for an apartment this next week, and hopefully moving in a couple weeks.

So, things are good. I'm still looking for a job, but now that Ben is starting work on Monday, it takes a lot of the pressure off. I had an interview on Thursday, and they said they would call me by Monday or Tuesday, so I am praying and hoping that I got it!

Here are a few pictures that we took over the break when the whole family was here: