Giving Thanks

See my post over at Sittin' in a Tree.

Another 48 Hours

OK, less than that even. Am went through the Temple for the first time last night. There are so many teeny little things to do, but everything is still coming together. I'm glad we changed our minds to go down to Cedar City. We both need the rest, and driving out to, and then up the Oregon Coast and back would have been so draining. It's funny though, when people at school ask where we are going and I say Cedar City, they initially give me a funny look. Like, why we would we go there of all places? But when I explain it to them, they realize it's not a bad idea at all. And better than most people do. At least we'll be sane when we get back. However, I'll have a stack of work to catch up when we get back. At least Am has another week off from teaching.

Less Than Five Days

I don't know how much it has set in yet that my world is completely changing in less than five days. I started trickling my things over to Am's condo a few days ago. Hopefully it won't take too long before it feels like OUR place. It'll be SO nice to cut the small commute out of our schedules. And to settle into a married schedule. While dating and including the engagement we've tried to spend as much time together as we could, and our sleep habits have gotten wonky. It'll be nice to be together AND get a good night's rest. But there are so many other adjustments to be made and discussions to have. But I am ready to get into it. I don't think I'll miss being single too much.

School is going well. My classes are fun and challenging, and are definitely learning experiences. I am seeing that my time at S-H was good preparation for UVU, but I still have a lot to learn.

We've decided to go down to Cedar City instead of the Oregon Coast. Less driving, more resting, less cold, more warmth. Oregon will come at some point for us, I still think it will be fun, but we don't need to have a second vacation to recuperate from the first.

12 Days

Am and I have just attended our last 3 hour block at the singles ward. There are a lot of good memories there. I have had the privilege of being in one great singles ward after another for the last 8 years, but the last 3 that I spent more than 3 months in have really stood out. Bishops Petersen, Davis, and Roberts have been phenomenal! They set the tone for their wards, but there have been so many friendly and faithful people in those wards that were just as responsible for the atmosphere at church. I'll miss them all.

But now I am (finally) moving into the next phase of life. If it is possible to be both ready and woefully unprepared at the same time, then I think that describes me well. But I know that I have found a "one", and I'm making her my "only". I've never been happier. And yet, I see greater happiness still to come. It seems like I am seeing the world with new eyes. The possibilities are endless.

And then there is this endurance thing we have to go through. The next 12 days will be an endurance test for sure. I can hardly believe that I am getting married, and that I have found someone so amazing to share the rest of my life with. At times I feel like I don't deserve the blessings I've been given, but I'll never turn them away.

Countdown to M-Day

There are less than 15 days to go! Picking up the marriage license and going in to pick out a tuxedo. Then we are going out to eat tonight on one of our last dates as singles.

I've been trying to track down someone to talk to about having our ring ceremony on the church grounds across the street from the temple. I can't look up leadership numbers on the Church website since I'm not a member of the ward or stake in Daybreak. Hopefully I'll hear from someone by Sunday.

It's funny, a year ago I didn't even know Am existed, and now I can't think about life without her. I hate to see her sad, but especially when I have had some part in it. Thankfully, she forgives me, and thankfully she is happy the majority of the time.

I can hardly stand the wait!

Choices Update

It's easy to make choices when the choice isn't presented.  In other words, I didn't get the job. School's in session!

Choices

Hello intrepid readers! So it's been awhile since last I posted. I've been hard at work getting ready for a wedding that is about 6 weeks off still. In the same time I've enrolled at UVU and done some job interviews. My first feeling has been that if I got a job offer before the last day to drop classes, I would accept the offer. But I've talked to the director of the Graphic Design program at UVU and he has reviewed my portfolio. He saw some interesting things but felt I still needed a lot of work. This was a bit of a bitter pill to swallow. I worked hard at Stevens-Henager, and did really well there. But I realized that while I learned a lot at S-H, what I didn't get was in-person hands-on advice and critique of my work. I learned quick turn-around times and short deadlines, and the use of the computer programs to do the work. What I didn't get was the time to hone my craft as a designer. I'm still waiting to hear back on an exciting job I interviewed for a couple of weeks ago, but I'm also excited about the classes I'm in this semester. So I may have a bit of a choice on my hands. If they do offer the job, do I take it, or do I stay in school?

Me working full-time in a graphic design job has a lot of benefits. Bringing in money and possibly benefits will take a lot of financial pressure of us as Am and I get married. It will also be good to have real-world experience to add to my resume. Being in school means that I'll only be able to work part-time. And I'll still be super busy with only very little money coming in, for three years, but it'll seriously benefit my craft as a designer. Choices, choices...