Funny "Firsts"...

As many of your know, I get really excited over "firsts"... The past couple weeks have been full of them-- my first apartment being the biggest!!  First time cleaning my own place, first time decorating my own place, and unpacking my own place, and tonight--my first time cooking in my own place!! Just in case you were wondering--the smoke alarms work!! ha ha!! I decided to make sloppy Joe's for dinner... nothing too difficult. Well, just as I put the meat on, there was a knock on my door. I opened to my cute neighbor from down the hall. She and I stood and talked for a minute before I realized I left the stove on HIGH... and the room started to fill with smoke!!  The meat was burning, the alarms were going off, her dog started barking and we were laughing!! As a side note-- I really CAN cook, just sometimes get distracted :) 

Moving Day!!

Yes, it's true. I am officially a "Utahn!" I am excited to be here. I love it already!

 Saturday I was up at 5:30 am to load my car and get ready to head out. I don't have a lot of stuff, but still had 10 guys from my ward come to help me load the truck. I am so impressed with my ward, and the love they showed to me before I left. As excited as I am for new adventures, I will definitely miss them. 

My family was a HUGE help in the move, and now I have been here three days and am already all unpacked and settled in. Today I even got to explore the area and find things that will be useful. It has been a busy week, but I am excited to start my new job tomorrow and continue to find out what the Lord has in store for me in this new chapter of my life. I am so excited to be closer to Melissa and her family--not only for the decorating tips she has given me, but also to become close with her again. Asher has already given me the nicknames of "Sully" and "Cow" ha ha.. she either things I am a giant green monster or a heffer! 

This is my cute apartment!!

locking my apartment for the first time!

washing dishes

Garn and Josh moving in my new bed

Tired after a long day of moving!

My bathroom

My Cute living room-- My mom made me curtains and the pillows.. notice the PLAIN lamp before I decorated it :)

Look Mom! I can be crafty!!

I must say I am pretty proud of myself right now! Something about being on my own has made me want to be domestic! My sister and I were out shopping all day for things to decorate my new apartment with, and other things needed for my kitchen. I got home tonight and had a headache so instead of going out I decided to be a little crafty, and am quite excited about the results! My mom and I bought this lamp before I moved here, but everything in my apartment is SO white I decided it needed a little color. I actually bought a glue gun (I am so Relief Society!) and put it to work. These are the results:

Friends!

I have THE best friends. 

My sister is quite sneaky. She can never keep a secret from me, but when she found out I was leaving she immediately started planning a party! Tonight I was told would be just us--as our last sisters night with me in town. I was so excited all day! We went tonight and got pedicures (which I must say has to be on the top ten list of best things this world has to offer!!) Then we went to TGI Friday's for dinner. We talked and caught up and it was great fun. When we got home she went a different way than she normally does, but I didn't think anything of it. We had decided tonight to watch girly movies and swap CD's and I was excited to do just that--and put on PJ's and eat Ice cream!! When we pulled up I thought it was a little weird the lights were off-- I knew I had turned them on when we left the house. She opened the door, and as I walked in someone grabbed me and I let out a shriek only dogs could hear I am sure it was so high pitched. Worse than my roller coaster scream!! I thought I was getting robbed... until I realized it was her boyfriend. I asked him what he was doing there and how he got in our house, when I realized others were there too-- they all yelled surprise!! They were throwing me a surprise farewell party!! I looked around at the streamers all over the house, and half my ward friends standing in my living room and started to cry! I didn't realize I had so many friends! It was fun to see everyone and have my moments to say good bye. The mama's as I like to call them (the bishopric's wives) bought me a table cloth--we have had a joke for awhile you can't be a good relief society president and NOT have one so they sent me on my way with them! ha ha.

I have been truly blessed with friends, and a GREAT ward that I love, and that loves and cares about me. When they found out about the move all I have heard since is "what can we do to help??" My Utah ward will have a tough act to follow!! I am really grateful for great friends in my life, and though I am so excited for opportunities awaiting me at this new adventure in my life, I am sad to leave these behind. 

Leaving Las Vegas...

… When I decide to do something, it seems to happen fast...As mentioned in an entry earlier I have been thinking about moving to Utah for a long time. While we were up for Aunt Ruth's funeral a few weeks back, we went to Holly’s BYU singles ward with her, and during the meeting I felt the spirit so strong that that is where I needed to be. I have had the itch for change for a while, I just didn’t know what needed to change. I had an offer from Kori, my old counselor to move in with her in her new house, which would be totally fun, but I didn’t feel that would quite satisfy the itch. So when we got home from the funeral, I started applying for jobs not really thinking much of it. 

 Last Friday I received a call from Roger Moore at Phonex—a telecommunications company in Murray, Utah. He gave me a brief phone screening and then asked if I could do an interview. I was so excited so I set it up for the following Friday and went to work. That same weekend I was sick as a dog that has eaten chocolate!! I think I got food poisoning at work, so I left early and spent the rest of the weekend on the bathroom floor. Because of this I didn’t know how I was going to get out of work and get to Salt Lake for the interview. I stressed about it for awhile, but I had decided I couldn’t call in sick after just having been really sick, I had already played the funeral card two weeks earlier, and I have no vacation or personal time left. Then I remembered we had two big events on Thursday—a breakfast meeting that I would be going in early for, and a dinner event that would require me to be there until 9 pm. After a 14 hour day-- salary or not-- I deserve a break! Once I realized this; I thought since I want to go to Utah I should try and set up a campus tour at the University of Utah since that is where I am looking to go for grad school. They were very accommodating and offered me not only a tour, but also time with an admissions specialist, a counselor, and a current student. Basically a one-person orientation! I was very excited. So, I went to talk to my boss on Tuesday, and told her since we’re working 14 hours on Thursday I would like to have Friday off to attend a prospective MBA student orientation—I just didn’t tell her where. She is very pro-women’s rights and education so she was excited and granted me my day. I felt good about it because I didn’t lie and she would already know I was not going to be there on Friday. So with that out of my way I scheduled my flight for Friday morning. I decided after working a 14-hour day I didn’t want to drive another 6 for the interview.

Friday morning I arrived at the airport and due to a power outage the night before the conveyor belt that sorts the luggage was broken and they had to sort all luggage by hand. This caused all kinds of delays, and my flight was no exception. The airport was also running on higher security than normal and the plane had to do extra security inspections. Our flight was scheduled for 622 am, and at 750; as I was taking off on a different flight; that plane was still not boarding!! I was glad I changed flights! This delay threw everything off schedule. I called Roger and he was understanding. I finally got the office at noon when I had scheduled originally for 930!! The interview lasted THREE HOURS!! I met everyone in the company and they even took me to lunch. When I sat down with Roger in the end, he offered me the job on the spot!!

Because of the delay, I didn’t get to tour campus as I wanted, but looks like I will be moving a lot sooner than planned as well! That night I stayed with sister Mellen my old companion. It was great to see her after so long. We had a girly night and went to see the traveling pants movie. The next days she had to work early so I was off driving around looking for apartments on my way to Melissa’s. I found ones I really liked, but didn’t think I could afford them. Later Melissa found a special on KSL.Com for the ones I really liked--- $99 deposit and first month’s rent FREE!!! I went to see it and things just fell into place—in the half hour before I drove to the airport I stopped by, toured, fell in love and I signed the lease!! I can move in in TWO WEEKS!! The apartment is tiny, and I will be alone, but I am excited!! It is in Sandy, Utah and right on a golf course. The complex has a 24 hour fitness and laundry center, a tanning bed, and a community theater that shows family movies twice a week! As well as two pools, a park and the golf course right behind us! I have been truly blessed the way things have worked out. They just fell in my lap and into place! I am VERY excited for this opportunity to be on my own and experience new things. Now I just have to tell my boss... 

Curves--Month 2...

I have to take a minute and say that I love Curves! I have now lost 18 inches, that hopefully I don't happen to "find" again! Curves rocks!