Days go by...

Okay. You know I'm a fan of the list-posts. So here goes.

• I started working at the Jr. High library again, this time for PAY. I'm the Substitute Librarian while Linda is in Ethiopia for the next two months. Her daughter and son-in-law are living there, helping to start ranches, etc. They recently decided to adopt 5 of the Ethiopian kids from an orphanage. Linda is going to help her daughter and her husband is going to help with the agriculture stuff. This is her daughter Alyssa with the Ethiopian people.

• When she left she gave me the keys and said, "This is your baby. Have fun with it!" I work from 10-2. I've been having fun with the kids. One kid, and eighth grader has told on several different occasions that he's going to be a ghost hunter (we found him several 'nonfiction' books on ghosts), criminal investigator (he has his own website already), and creator of an "extreme reality video game" (the only problem there is he has to figure our how to simulate the feeling of death). Needless to say, it's a blast.
  
• I've also been working part-time at Melaleuca. I enjoy it, even though I go home exhausted. I work from 4-9. I just got my 2nd pay check this weekend, and BOY was that nice.


• I ordered my wedding dress, and it's all finished! They should be shipping it to me sometime this week. Here's a sneak peek:

• Zach and I got our engagement pictures back, and we were very happy with them! Here are two of the better ones:

I designed our announcements and we ordered them last night. Hopefully they're coming soon!

• I've been acting like this guy:

• Only not so creepy. Lol. I've been reading up a storm during slow hours at Melaleuca. I can highly recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Roar by Emma Clayton, and The Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. To name a few.

• It's finally Friday!! Tomorrow is the 6 month mark for Zachary and me. We're going to have a special date night. But shhhhhh! That's a surprise.

Ups and Downs

It's way too fast for me. We're in the last days of January already! Let me sum up the biggest news so far:

• I had a pretty successful job interview with Melaleuca on Wednesday, and I'm just waiting to hear back.
  
• I tried to teach a bread class for some extra income. Unfortunately, the girls who signed up ALL forgot about it, or decided not to come. On the plus side, I now have a 25lb bag of flour to cook with, cause they didn't need any of it. lol. I left the offer to teach classes online, in case someone decides they want it again. It's at www.baking101.weebly.com
  
• I found a posting on the bulletin board for a 2 bedroom mobile home for only $350 a month! Washer and dryer included, only utilities not covered are gas and lighting. I've called, e-mailed, and called again! I'm hoping soon they'll get back to me because that would be PERFECT for us. =]
  
• Tuesday's devotional was AWESOME, Russell M. Nelson spoke! And tonight there is a university fireside (?what's that about?) and Elder M. Russell Ballard is speaking! I got a ticket for the front center section. Sweeeeeet.

So, keep your fingers crossed for us! We've got lots of good opportunities we're trying to grab by the horns!

In the meantime, I have been enjoying these books:


Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine
It was pretty cute, except I kept imagining that Aza looked like the poor chubby girl from The Tale of Despereaux. That kind of ruined any good imagery Gail tried to use.


The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma, by Trenton Lee Stewart
I'm still in the middle of this one. It's the third in series. They're so fun! (Thanks to my sister Sarah, who got it for me!!!) I highly recommend them.


Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
I normally love Robin McKinley books, and my roommate recommended this one. It's about vampires. Actually, it's about a girl who lives in an altered America where things like vampires, demons, goblins, etc. are real. I have to say, it's MUCH better than Twilight because it has a believable fantasy to it. For example, the vampire look like aliens instead of Abercrombie models, and they don't go to high school. *gasp!* I know. However, the character's good, honest voice told me things I didn't want to know about her boyfriend, etc. So I put it down. But I do love Robin's writing style. I recommend her books Rose Daughter and The Hero and the Crown. So good!

Anyway. Happy Saturday to you all!