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:

Leaving in Two Days...

I have a lot of mixed feelings before our crazy road trip and move to Texas. I think even though I say right now that I'm not going to miss Provo...I will. And even though being in Texas again is going to be so awesome, it's going to be a lot different without a lot of the people who make it what it is. There are some things I won't miss, like the crazy rushed marriages and the corny BYU memorabilia, but I am sure I will still hear those stories from my friends in Provo and I can always buy stuff online from the BYU bookstore if I start missing it. I'm going to miss my co-workers, my great boss, Classical 89 in general, our awesome apartment, the lack of humidity, and I'm going to really miss not getting to see Adrienne and Andrea. Ben and I have spent so much time with them and I feel like all of us have gotten really close this semester. I will miss my favorite restaurant in Provo:

Lots and lots of great memories at this place. I will also miss the amazing cheap dollar theatre with all the fun Friday nights it has provided to us over the past few years. I'll miss all of my amazing friends that have made Provo and going to BYU such a fun place. But, I am excited and ready for our new adventure. I would list all the things I'm excited for...but...I think that would take too long. Besides, Ben is done studying for his final and it's time to continue our Smallville marathon! Next post...probably when we're in Texas...

Countdown

10 days until Ben and I are back in Texas!

Laura Bow and the Dagger of Ammon Ra

So, lately Ben and I have been playing old computer games from our childhood days and it's been a lot of fun. Yes, we're kind of nerdy, but when you think about it, there aren't too many board games that are that fun or interesting to play with just two people. So, Ben told me about his favorite game as a kid, "Day of the Tentacle". I played it, (with him giving me lots of hints), and I totally dominated if I do say so myself. So, we decided after that we would play my favorite computer game, "Laura Bow: The Dagger of Ammon Ra". I remembered this game so difficult my dad had to help us out a lot, but also being a lot of fun.

Well, playing this game a second time around was not only difficult, it was practically IMPOSSIBLE! We had to look at the walkthrough almost every time to figure out what to do next. Here's an example:

This Act is really fast paced, so you better be on your feet! You are in the mastodon room with the murderer chasing you. You have to run away fast or be killed! Run to the pterodactyl room and shut the door behind you by using the hand cursor on it. Wrap part of your wire on the door to temporarily seal it shut. This will help to slow down the murderer. Run into the medieval armor exhibit, close the door, and slide the bar across it. This will also help slow down the murderer. Go to the locked room that had the faded "Employees Only" sign on it. Let's confuse the murderer. Move the nearby chair in front of the locked room's door. Stand on the chair, and open the transom (window) above the door. Now run into the ancient Egyptian exhibit and hide in the empty mummy case. The murderer will enter, not see you, and head for the locked door. The murderer will think you climbed through that little window that you opened, and will decide to break down the door.

I mean, c'mon! This is supposed to be a kid's/teen's game. Anyway, we made it through the game all the way to the last act, only to find out that we didn't have enough snake oil to kill the king cobras, and...we died. Thank you, Sierra Games, for making this game so difficult. And thank you, to all the contributors on YouTube, who were kind enough to put up a video of what happens when you get past the snakes and win. That was the only way I was able to get closure.

1950s Christmas Party

On Saturday Ben and I got all dressed up and went to my friend Brittany's Christmas/Birthday party. It was 50s themed, so we did the best we could to look authentic. I honestly just wanted to wear my new pencil skirt that I got for $10 at Dillards, so I tried to make my outfit fit the theme. There was a lot of bubbly (Martenelli's of course) and it was really fun. We took tons of pictures, but here are some of my faves:

Almost a Christmas card photo.

My sister Adrienne and I

First time ever kissing under REAL mistletoe.

Posing with the birthday girl.

I think themed parties are always the best ones.

Thanksgiving!

So, I would have blogged earlier, except that my computer has been going wacko lately...and I haven't been able to get on until now. I took my laptop (MacBook Pro) to the "simply mac" store and they told me I need a new computer battery and a new power cord. So, I'm using Ben's power cord for the time being while I wait for my lovely new gifts in the mail from Amazon.com. Anyway, Thanksgiving was an absolute blast! Ben and I went to the Gordons' house in Queen Creek, Arizona and spent hours and hours of fun eating, laughing, talking, and relaxing. Here are some fun pictures:

Me and Andrea

All the boys playing "Medal of Honor"

The best part of being in Arizona was forgetting about life for a little while and just being able to spend time with people we love. Thank you everyone who made Thanksgiving so much fun!