Look out on the road...

I now have my driver's license! Finally! Yes, I know I'm four years late...but my family didn't think Chris and I needed to be driving when we were 16, and Chris ended up getting his license first. So until now, I haven't really needed to drive. And to be honest, I was scared to drive. Too many people try too many crazy stunts while driving...texting, putting on make-up, flossing (totally serious...I saw someone flossing on the freeway a few weeks ago). And it's not just the other drivers...I wanted to make sure I feel responsible enough for others' lives whenever I get behind the wheel. So now, here I am, four years late but starting to feel a little more confident on the road.

Kind of a funny story, although I didn't think it was too funny at the time...I went last Friday morning to the MVD in Tempe. I felt good and ready for the test, so I wasn't too nervous. I guess I went to the European-style MVD, though. First, the guy who would be with me for the test was Russian. I couldn't understand him when he was telling me where to drive the car for the test, so I kinda had to wing it based on the little bit that I did understand (luckily, I ended up at the right spot). The first thing I had to do for the test was the parallel parking...with the cones on the left side of the car. Of course, I'd only been practicing the normal parallel parking, by backing up and pulling in on the right. If I didn't hit a cone or jump the curb first, then I got three tries to get into the cones and get my wheels on this yellow line that was about 8 inches away from the curb. The first time, my back wheels touched the curb and I was scared I would jump it, so I asked if I could try again. The second time, I got in ok and I think my wheels were on the line (I'm not positive), but I thought the Russian guy had said that once I was in the cones, I had to pull forward once and reverse once, but it turns out that he'd actually said I couldn't adjust at all. Oops. Third and final try. Once again, I got in the cones ok. I looked around, looked up at Vlad to see what he thought...he was just standing there, staring at me, so I asked if I'd gotten it...he shook his head at me and told me to open my door. I was about 6 inches away from the line. I didn't even get on the road. I was completely devastated, but luckily I waited until he was far, far away and my dad and I were back in the car to start bawling my eyes out.

So back to today. Since I've decided to avoid the Tempe MVD at all costs, my dad and I drove out to one in Mesa instead. Compared to how calm I was before the nightmare test last week, I was terrified this morning. But obviously, I passed! Yay!! It was a piece of cake; I got the 3-point turn on the first try, and the worst thing the lady said to me was that I have to stay stopped at stop signs for at least four seconds before I can go. Um, no offense, but who does that? Especially here in Phoenix...you'd get run over.

I never thought it would be like this, but I really do feel like I have more freedom. If I want to get with some of my friends, I don't have to coordinate with my family's schedule to make sure I have a ride. I can go to the temple whenever I want to, not just when one of my friends asks if I want to come along. I can drive myself to church stuff...to go shopping...to work...

Add another check on my to-do list. :)

Grand Canyon University

They just called to offer me a job.

:D :D :D :D :D

I'm going to be an Academic Counselor in the College of Education.

I start training on August 31.

Excited much? You have no idea...

:D :D :D :D :D

GCU, here I come!!!

One year and forty-five posts later...

My blog is a year old today.

:)

It's fun to look back on old posts, but today it's especially fun to look at the very first post that started it all...

It turns out that blogging isn't as addicting as I thought it might become. And thankfully, my GPA did not suffer...yay! :D However, reading other blogs and keeping up with my friends through the wonderful world of blogging is a lot more addicting than I'd anticipated. I hope that doesn't make me sound like a creepy stalker...I just don't always have something as interesting to say as my fun and fabulous blogger friends.

I am a year older than I was when I started this blog, and I am no longer a student at Arizona State University but a college graduate. Woohoo!!! I still don't know exactly what I want to do when I "grow up"...but Dad says that he doesn't know what he'd like to do yet, either. So that makes me feel a little better. I still live with my family and our four cats in Scottsdale, but we're getting ready to move. Where to, we shall see...

I no longer work for my brother and I'm pretty sure I'm no longer "on call" at Hallmark, since the last time I was asked to cover a shift was in January. But now I'm looking for a full-time job. I've had several interviews, and the last one was a phone interview with a recruiter from Grand Canyon University; it went great, and I have an in-person interview scheduled for this week! We'll see what happens!!

I am still Christian, and my faith is still the most important part of my life, but there is one big difference: a year ago, I was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wow, crazy! I'm so thankful for the answers to prayer I've received, and the decisions I've made within the last year have helped me to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and my Savior each day.

Since that first post, I have met lots of wonderful new people. My family and friends are absolutely amazing! They have each helped me to grow into the person I am today, and I am so grateful for their (and your, if you are reading this!) love and friendship.

Now, onto another year of blogging!!

Missionary Moments

Last Friday, Sarah and Lyndee hosted a girls' night filled with those things that bring out our girly side: chocolate, pink finger nails, facials, a chick flick, and a clothes swap! It was way super fun!! We watched Confessions of a Shopaholic...it was sooo cute!! I also liked it because the main character was named Rebecca! ha!

Another fun thing is that I invited one of my real good girlfriends, Joan, and...she came!! She had a great time and loved everyone! And on the way home, I told her about my baptism (mostly how my family took it and how happy I've been) and about how I'm planning on serving a mission. It was so cool! And it was fun getting to hang out with her and catch up!

And yuppers, I have decided to serve a mission!! Yayyyy!!! My family has warmed up to the idea a lot. It makes me incredibly happy to know that I have their support in this!! Now I need a job so that I can start saving up...it'll be good, though! :) I had an interview with Verizon last week, and it was going good...until I heard that I'd have to work Sundays. :( Sooo I'm still looking, and I have another interview scheduled for tonight. It'll all work out the way it's supposed to.

My Happy Place

Marvelous Madison...

...got her mission call!!! YAYAYAYAY!!!! I logged onto Facebook on Thursday afternoon and almost immediately saw Madi's status update: "it came." Of course, everyone who knows Madison knew what that meant, so I texted her right away, asking if she'd opened it, and she texted back right away, saying that she had! I'm not gonna say where she's going, though, because that's her special news to share. But I was so happy and excited when I read where she was going, I had to call her! I was pretty much crying and laughing and crying, lol! And I had to give her a big hug at church this morning!

Madison is one of the most amazing people I know. Sadly, it seems like we don't get to talk as much as we used to, but I am really going to miss her while she's gone (thank goodness for good ol' old-fashioned snail mail!). She has been such a huge example to me, and I hope every day that I can be more like her. Her testimony, confidence, and zeal for life are inspiring, and she is going to be a super sister missionary!! I'm so thankful that Heavenly Father allowed our paths to cross again.

lol+blonde Moment of the Day

I was checking my e-mail a little while ago, and the first message that caught my eye was the daily newsletter from LDS Living. I read the heading: "Order Men With a Mission and Save."

...umm, what? I didn't know you could buy a man, with or without a mission...I open the e-mail, trying to figure this out, and at the top of the message are the words, "Family Products." Wow, they even have family men!!

Then, my eyes go down to the rest of the message.

Turns out that Men With a Mission is a book.

Oops-a-daisy.