It's finally that time...

In less than 2 weeks I will be a college GRADUATE! Can you believe it???? I never thought the day would come. I can celebrate now because I have completed my last term papers and given my last presentations! All I lack before walking across that stage is 3 final exams... and I honestly am NOT worried about them at all. One is for an online class (that is open book), one is for a class that I have an overall average of 101.5... don't ask how that's possible... and one is for Senior Seminar where we have to take 8 different tests over Communication or Mass Media courses we've taken in our time at ASU. I'm pretty sure even if I don't study for them, there's no way I could fail the class and not graduate. And that's all that really matters anyway... graduation!

I walk the stage Saturday, December 10th at 2pm. After that, Ryan and I are driving to Dallas to have an early Christmas with my mother-in-law's side of the family. Our friend from the Christian Campus Center, Christene, is going to ride to Dallas with us because she doesn't have a car and her parents were going to have to buy her a plane ticket to get home for winter break. It was so sweet when she told her mom that we were going to give her a ride. She had her speaker phone on, and all I heard was "Well, praise the Lord!!!!!!" So sweet.

The only slightly stressful thing about graduating early is the time of year I'm looking for a job! I haven't had any luck (yet... I'm not giving up completely!) at any radio stations in town, and that is definitely my dream job. It's just the time of year, I think... no one is hiring during the holidays. At least not for the work I'm looking for... please pray for me though! At this point, I just need a job. I applied at Michael's craft store online today, which would probably be a last resort, but it will be good to have options. I also just submitted an online application to be a bank teller at Wells Fargo. I'm hoping this college degree will help me out a little! I'm willing to wait to hear back from a radio station, but I need income in the mean time. Today was really trying, but I'm not giving up. God's hand is in all of this, and I know He will work this situation out for good, because I love Him and I am called according to His purpose! (Romans 8:28).


I am so excited to be done with this chapter in my life and open a new one (whatever that may be)!

I want to learn to crochet

Yes, I know that may make me sound like an old lady, but I don't care. I genuinely want to become fantastic at crocheting. My nephew and his wife have a little girl, and my niece Ashley is pregnant, and I feel like this is the perfect opportunity for me to learn how to make super cute things for the babies to wear!

I have another week before school starts, and I'm working on getting this stinkin' apartment cleaner. I'm going to schedule a time for a carpet shampooing... which is really desperately needed... and I feel like I need to scrub EVERYTHING... like really... I have this urge to scrub the walls for some reason? I just want this place to be perfect and clean... even if it is for just a short amount of time. :)

ALSO, I really need to hang up all of our paintings and pictures and what not. I got the okay from the landlord to put nails in the walls, but I'm afraid I'll put something somewhere and decide that I don't like it there after all.

We've been married for a little over a month now, and I'm loving every minute of it. I do find that I'm getting lonely while Ryan is at work though. I'm used to having at least my dog around for company, but no such luck here at the apartment. I think if Misty (my dog) wasn't so old, we'd move her over here with us, but my parents' house is her home... she'd freak if we put her in a new environment. Alas, I want a puppy. I think I'll try convincing Ryan of this in December when I graduate. :)

Ooh, wonderful news, by the way! We found out that I received nearly $3,000 in grant money for this semester, and that on top of my $1500 scholarship means that I'll get a REFUND of something like $939! Such a huge blessing! I jokingly said that "maybe we should have gotten married sooner!"... but I still think we waited just the perfect amount of time. Still pretty amazed that I will be getting PAID to go to school... what a crazy thought! Ryan received the same amount of grant money, but he doesn't have the scholarship that I do, so he'll still owe a little, but my refund will cover it. SO glad that we won't need to take out another loan for him. I'm not sure how far in debt he is, but I'm honestly not too worried about it. I mean, ASU is a fairly affordable school, considering our other options, and our God is in control!

I'm getting a little nervous about the idea of graduation and getting a big girl job... but I think I'm probably more excited than anything!