For such a time as this...

Home Updates

2008-08-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

We've had a rather productive weekend when it comes to our house. We spent Friday evening finishing our Crate and Barrel registry. I spent all day Saturday doing laundry, putting new bed linens on our bed, unpacking and washing all of our Crate and Barrel stuff, grocery shopping, and cooking a delicious meal in our kitchen.

Our new bed that we bought just a week or so before our wedding along with our new bed linens:

The meal we cooked together - chicken lettuce wraps. They were a new recipe, something we will DEFINITELY be eating again in our house:
And while we're at it, here's a good shot of our new dining room furniture. We got our table for a great deal the same time we bought our bed, and just got our chairs from Ikea a little over a week ago:

And today Kyle was able to put up the curtains that go in our dining/living room. My sister Amy made them as a shower present and they look perfect in our house. She also made curtains for many other windows in our house, and as we get them up I'll post pictures:

We not only did house work this weekend, but I had a very social Sunday. I was able to eat lunch with Kate and Katie, two really good friends from college. It was the first time I had seen Katie since she left for Bosnia a year ago on a year-long mission trip. It was so exciting to catch up and I'm ready for her to live back in Atlanta. Unfortunately it also meant saying goodbye to Kate, who is leaving for architecture grad school in Cincinnati in a month.

After lunch and hanging out with the two of them, Kyle and I headed to a barbecue cookout on the river by two of our good friends, Jen and Jared. It was fun to just relax outside before we had to come back and get busy. I had studying to do and Kyle had work to do this evening.

Another good weekend come and gone....

Silver on Tuesday - Gold tonight???

2008-08-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

I went over to my sister's house to watch the women's team finals on Tuesday night. It was disappointing, the only goal for our team was gold, and we fell short. For the most part our gymnasts were solid, especially at the beginning, but it didn't stay that way.

However, China's gold has been mixed with controversy. Several news reports have supposedly found evidence that a few of the girls are likely younger than 16, the required age to compete in gymnastics at the Olympics. I remember when this rule was first put into place and I wasn't a huge fan of it. It doesn't allow gymnasts who might be 15 the year of the Olympics, and at their peak, to compete. And very often a 15 year old gymnast at her peak won't be at the same point four years later, when she is 19. Not that it's not done - there are several very talented 19+ gymnasts, but there are lots of gymnasts who hit their prime at 14/15/16. So while I'm not necessarily opposed to having gymnasts younger than 16 compete, I am opposed to a team possibly cheating. And my main reason would be the uneven playing field. If one team can have gymnasts of any age, and another team can only choose gymnasts 16 or older, then the second team's pool of possible gymnasts is smaller than the first team's. There's a good chance every country has several extremely talented gymnasts under 16 - and would possibly have used them - but didn't, because of the rules.

So anyways, all I'm saying is that whether or not their passports say they are 16 (which I personally don't trust), and whether or not the IOC believes they are 16, their gold will always be a little clouded by suspicion. It only takes the casual observer to be seriously doubtful that they are 16 (And to put this picture in perspective, I know all gymnasts are short and small, but I have read in several sources the shortest Chinese gymnast is 4'6", and the 3 smallest all weight around 70 pounds.) The last 3 are the ones I personally doubt. We'll probably never know.

Now for some pictures that matter - here's our team winning silver, followed by my personal favorite performances of the evening: Nastia Liutkin on bars and Shawn Johnson on beam. Nastia because her bar routine is so beautiful, difficult, and she does it flawlessly (she scored a 16.9 - one of the absolute highest gymnastics has seen this Olympics) and Shawn because she nailed that beam routine. Having been a gymnast, I admire confidence and rocksolidness on beam more than anything else. I know what that beam is like and I could barely do a cartwheel without some kind of balance check. She can do tumbling passes down the beam without the tiniest wobble. Both of these girls are favorites to win gold tonight in the All Around finals, and you better believe I will be watching.

The joys of home ownership

2008-08-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

This weekend was much fun - had my parents, my brother, my sister and her husband over for dinner on Friday night since my parents were in town visiting. Then Saturday night we hung out some with Kyle's sister and her husband. And then on Sunday night we spent the evening eating a delicious dinner cooked by Kyle's good friend and old roommate Daniel and Daniel's current roommate.

Those were the evenings. The days were spent busy being working outside. And this is what we accomplished between the two of us working all day Saturday and me working all day Sunday: It doesn't look like much, especially since I don't have any "Before" pictures to point out the difference, but we managed to pressure wash all of the top of our driveway and front door stairs. It looks much better than it did and puts a smile on my face every time I walk outside. Its not easy owning a house and having so much work to do on it, but the feeling of accomplishment and pride that comes along with ownership is worth it.

Kyle also spent Sunday afternoon using the weedeater we just bought with our wedding Home Depot gift cards. He was able to destroy the jungle that had built up in our backyard and the sides of our house. There's still more lawn work to do, and I will definitely post pictures when we get around to it.

The Olympics

2008-08-10T20:14:00.001-07:00

I had a very eventful weekend - but I'll get to that in a later post.

For now, it's all about the Olympics.

I've always loved the Olympics. I just love to watch hard core athletes finally making all their work worth it. And it brings out national pride - its so much fun to cheer on the US, regardless of the sport.

I wasn't quite as excited about the 2000 and 2004 Olympics. I don't know if it was because the media attention wasn't as strong, or if I just didn't care as much, or I just didn't have as much free time. But the last Olympics I've been this excited about were the '96 Atlanta Olympics.

Back then I was 12. I had just quit competing gymnastics, due mainly to the fact that the gymnastics home I had grown up in was closing and the only other gymnastics option seemed cold and impersonal to me. I was still coming to terms with the change in my life from spending all my time at the gym to having much more free time. So watching gymnastics that year ws bittersweet.

I watched every second of the womens gymnastics competition. I jumped up and down in my living room crying when Kerri Strug landed her vault. We were able to actually attend the Women's All Around finals since they were in Atlanta. I was completely caught up in the Atlanta spirit.

It is so hard for me to believe that was 12 years ago. So hard for me to believe that the young gymnasts now barely know who Dominique Moceanu and Shannon Miller are. That moment when our team won gold is still the ultimate Olympic moment for me. I will never forget this scene:

Twelve years later the USA is once again a gold medal favorite in the women's gymnastics team finals. I watched the prelims today and as I watched Shawn Johnson nail every single pass on her beam routine, I can't help but feel that same excitement. When gymnastics is on, my eyes are glued to the TV. I am so excited to share in the Olympic spirit again and I can guarantee you that if you come over to our house, Olympics will be on TV, regardless of the sport. And I promise that whenever women's gymnastics is on it is being TiVoed just in case I am busy that night.

Another wedding

2008-08-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Prior to moving into our new house in May, I lived in a large 3 bedroom/2 bath apartment in Buckhead with awesome roommates, Julie and Chrissy. When we all moved in I was already dating Kyle but not long after Chrissy started dating Chad, and then not too long after that Julie began dating Matt. Last December is when Kyle proposed to me and within 3 months our whole apartment was engaged and planning weddings.

Julie's wedding was this past Saturday night. It was always fun to hear about all of the planning for a wedding, being around for all of the important decision making, and talking to each other about our weddings. I think some people could feel slighted, wanting all the attention to be on them, and wouldn't enjoy being surrounded by other engaged girls. But I think the 3 of us enjoyed it. We all made sure to not get caught up in our own weddings but were geniunely interested in the others.

So getting to be a part of Julie's wedding was a lot of fun - it was fun hanging out with some friends Kyle and I haven't seen for awhile, there was great food, it was gorgeous, and it was even more special since it was the first time attending a wedding being a newlywed couple.

Here's a picture of the happy couple:

One Happy Island

2008-08-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Now that we've had time to get settled a bit, I thought it would be a good chance to put up honeymoon pictures. I already can't believe it's come and gone - and I already feel like I need another vacation.

Relaxing on the beach. Our typical day consisted of sleeping til 11, heading to the beach for the afternoon, sipping a margarita, a cold Caribbean coke, or an Amstel Bright (best beer for the beach - only in the Caribbean) and reading underneath our personal lanai. Time to head back in around 4 or 5 to get ready for dinner out, taking a taxi to one of the many fantastic restaurants we went to, and then heading back for a happy hour drink and more sleep. Trust me, that is the life.

Our first nice dinner out was to a fantastic steakhouse. I do love some filet mignon!

The sunset sail came as part of our honeymoon package. It was just plain gorgeous.

The gorgeous view we had every day while lounging on the beach. This was taken before the tiny jellyfish larva got to me. On this particular afternoon we decided to swim in that gorgeous water. It was wonderful - completely clear, blue all around, the horizon was this cool looking purpleish-blueish, there wasn't many people around. Best ocean experience ever. Until I got back to our spot on the beach and began to itch. Then began to sting. I tried not to scratch but it was the worst itch ever. I noticed a rash-like redness spread all over my right arm, halfway up my neck, and all over my collar bone. Pretty soon I couldn't take it anymore and literally ran to our room to take a shower for some relief. You will notice in the next pictures that I'm wearing a short sleeve turtle neck. This is for a couple of reasons: 1) Because my neck and collarbone looked so bad, my vanity kept me from showing them to the world, and 2) Because all the salt in the wind and air irritated my skin and the best way to ensure I enjoyed the evening was to cover myself up.

The next day we went kayaking (no pictures because I didn't trust us to keep our camera dry). The salt water splashed all over me while kayaking and caused quite a bit of misery after getting out of the water. I stayed in the shower for at least 2 hours because the fresh water massaging my skin was the only way I could keep from going crazy. Kyle and I used one of the computers with free interntet to research what could have happened to me and the best answer we could come up with is tiny jellyfish larva that you can't see in the Caribbean. They end up clinging to you but don't sting until you get out of the water and you put pressure on them somehow. This made sense because Kyle got an actual jellyfish sting on his chest (the mark is still there now). We both agreed though, that his one real sting definitely beats the tiny little stings all over me.

Now back to pictures...
Our private dinner on the beach while watching a gorgeous sunset. I couldn't stop taking pictures because the view was so breathtaking. Our God is one amazing Creator.

Only real picture I got where you can see the tiny stings. Look at my right arm, collarbone, and neck. It looks more like a sunburn but you can tell it's different. Unfortunately it took almost two days for it to get down to this. It was much worse before.

Our last, amazing dinner out. This place was highly recommended by everyone we talked to and it definitely lived up to the praise. If you are ever in Aruba, we highly recommend a nice dinner at Madame Janette's. They even gave us free dessert and champagne cocktails...

Minus the jellyfish problem, we really couldn't have asked for a better honeymoon. It's been tough to come back to real life, but God has been so good to us. Now I'm ready for our next vacation together! Where will we go? Napa Valley? Ireland? Italy? Skiing? There are way too many vacations that are high on my list for the two of us...

Catch up on a few things

2008-07-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

I feel like life has been so jam packed with the kitchen and the wedding, and there are a few things I have never really updated on:

Exam 3F
The ridiculously hard actuary exam I took back in May I found out I passed. Miraculously. With the just-barely score of 6. But the results of a 6 are the exact same as the results of a 9. I passed. I never have to test that material again. I get a bonus for passing on my first try and an automatic raise. And I get to move on to the next test...

For which I have already created a schedule for and ordered my study materials. They should come in tomorrow and after that it's hard core study time for the next 3 months. Back to the books... and once again, in a strange way, I am really excited about it.

Peachtree Road Race
I began training for the Peachtree (the world's largest 10K), applied and was accepted, made it to about 4 miles of running, and my knee just couldn't keep up. I began limping and dealing with serious knee pain and went to the doctor to get it checked out. Got sent to a sports medicine doctor, who diagnosed me with Iliotibial Band Syndrome. After rest (although I was by no means resting it like I should - since we were in the middle of kitchen renovations and I had to get walls painted and floors tiled) the pain subsided but a return visit to the dr. told me I was still no where near running again.

So, to get me back into running condition, I'm now going to physical therapy. I've learned all about how I stand, walk, and run incorrectly. And I'm re-learning how to stand, walk, and run. We'll see how it goes.

Just a couple of updates of my life. I'll try to do a better job of updating from here on out. Hopefully I'll have more time. :)

I'm married!

2008-07-30T05:03:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten around to a quick post to update you on what everyone knows already - I'm finally married! Life is still busy as ever, plenty of things occupying my time, but nothing nearly as stressful as right before the wedding. I'll leave you with some of my favorite pictures from the wedding:

This picture shows off the beautiful back of my wedding gown, done by none other than Amy Zimmerman Designs. My sister really is wonderful - I'd give anything for her talent.

Bet you didn't know we caught all of you on camera as well...

Posed pictures aren't my favorite but I love our bridal party so much...

And our families:

My family

Kyle's family

I love that you can see how beautiful the reception hall was. And I always love the first dance. We danced to "Better Together" by Jack Johnson.

One of my best friends, Erin, is currently serving our country in Iraq so she couldn't be at the wedding. We were lucky enough to get her on the phone though.

I love my Daddy

I just think this picture is really cute

I love Stephanie soooo much. She got married last year and I stole my reception from her - hers was at Maggiano's and I liked it so much, I did the same thing! Not only do her and her husband win the prize for travelling the farthest for the wedding (from Seattle!), they are also due to have baby Madelyn in October. That baby will be the cutest ever.

Best friends from college, Kate and Tricia. They also helped me TREMENDOUSLY by setting up everything at the reception. Our other best friend in the group, Katie, couldn't be there because she's doing mission work in Bosnia. We missed her!

There was SOME dancing at the reception! But I mainly wanted to get a picture of Laura Anne since we unfortunately didn't get a pic of the two of us that day. She was in charge of keeping everything running all day, and did a wonderful job. I can't imagine having gotten married without her help. Anyone need to hire a wedding planner should try to convince her to go to work for them. Seriously!

And it's time to go - leaving in the Ramblin Wreck. Finally free!

I'll post honeymoon pics soon. :)

Just a little busy...

2008-07-10T16:08:00.001-07:00

So it's been a couple of incredibly busy weeks since I last posted. And now, here we finally are, just 40 hours from the start of our wedding. I can't believe it's almost here - I can't believe all the festivities start tomorrow.

What an adventure the past few months have been - I did such a poor job of chronicling everything! From getting engaged, to starting a new job, to studying incessantly for (and PASSING - I just found out last week) a really hard test, buying a house, renovating the kitchen, moving into a new house, training for (and making it to 4 miles) the Peachtree only to be sidelined by a knee injury and not be able to run it, to showers and parties and wedding planning and now to a wedding and a honeymoon in Aruba. Sometimes I have the misconception that I can do everything without going crazy and I definitely tested that recently. It turns out I can do everything - but not without stress, exhaustion, and sickness. But I survived and did it all. And I could not have survived without all the amazing people surrounding me who helped along the way with anything I asked for. Whether it was Randy or Emily at our house almost every night of the week helping us get the kitchen done, or my sister sewing my wedding dress and letting me borrow anything I might need, or wonderful friends planning such fun parties for me without letting me stress about any of it.

But most of all - I could not have done it without my Jesus. I have had to cling to Him so many days for the energy to conquer my To Do list. I had to rely on Him to help me recall all I had studied for the test and help me pass my third actuarial exam in a row. I've had to trust Him when things don't go perfectly as planned for the wedding. I've had to cry to Him when I was all alone in the house trying to finish everything I could before Kyle came home from Hawaii. Praise God for this time in my life - and praise Him for carrying me through it.

And in less than two days I'm about to marry the love of my life! God has brought us together, and I couldn't have asked for a better husband-to-be. We grew a lot the past few months too - although I don't know if I recommend buying a house and renovating it in the months leading up to your wedding :) We've conquered this huge project together (now don't start thinking it's ALL done - haha, it's not quite completely done yet, just mostly). But we've grown so much and could not possibly be more ready to get married.

And on that note... I WILL post some wedding/honeymoon pics eventually. And hopefully update more as my life has more free time.

It's finally officially our turn

2008-06-22T18:10:00.001-07:00

We attended our last wedding before our very own this past weekend. Joseph and Emily were married down in Columbus in a very beautiful ceremony, which was followed with an extremely nice and extremely fun (for both Kyle and me) reception. It was especially fun for Kyle to enjoy going to a reception at the Country Club where he spent most of his weekends valeting during highschool. He can recall many many of these wedding receptions and parties that he had to valet for... and finally he got to attend one.

Congratulations Joseph and Emily!

And.... only 20 days until our very own!

Construction zone

2008-06-19T07:55:00.000-07:00

The church we are getting married at called us a few days ago and requested that we meet them one evening to talk about construction going on at the church. So we met with them yesterday.

When we first decided to get married there we were told the construction would be done by April, and figured that would give them plenty of time to actually get it done by mid-July. If you have driven by the church lately though, you would have noticed the big green fences in front don't seem to be going anywhere. They confirmed this during our meeting yesterday, showed us the alternate route our guests will have to take to get to the sanctuary, and seemed sincerely apologetic and did all they could to make it up to us.

Needless to say, we will be getting married in a construction zone. Just can't get away from them. I'm living in one, getting married in one, hopefully I'll soon be done with them. I could make a big deal out of it - go all bridezilla. It's just not worth it. We're getting married regardless and that's all that matters.

So if you are looking for the church - it is really easy to spot. The big white one with the big green fences. You can't miss it.

23 more days!

Add cherries to the list...

2008-06-15T19:39:00.000-07:00

of things I'm allergic to.

Along with apples.

Most people who know me well know that I have long had a thing against all "erries" (All kinds of berries and cherries). I just have never really liked them. But to appease Kyle, and prove how open I am to trying new things, I tried a cherry as he was snacking on them today. My initial reaction was, "not too bad. Maybe I could give them another try." I shared my opinions to Kyle and all of a sudden, my opinion completely changed. Just a minute or two after eating one cherry, my top lip began to get really sensitive. And then swell. And sting. I asked Kyle if he could see a difference and at first he was like, nope. Give it five more minutes and he is making fun of my lip and the lip injections I had apparently gotten with the cherry. Fast forward 30 more minutes and it is still super-swollen and feels extremely odd.

Same thing happens when I eat apples. For a long time, no one believed me when I said my lip would swell if I ate an apple. Finally my mom was present when I tried one and has believed me ever since. And now I know Kyle believes me about cherries. For some reason when it comes to apples, though, if I eat something with apple cooked (like apple pie) it doesn't bother me at all. I wonder if I can eat something with cherries cooked.

If you have any idea of what could be the common denominator between apples and cherries that might point to what exactly I am allergic to, I'd like to know any ideas! I just might have to go see a doctor to really figure it out though.

On another note... all kitchen appliances are installed now. As well as light fixtures. And we bought stools for the breakfast bar today. I'll probably post pictures before it is TOTALLY finished, just because there are a lot of little things we will still be working on. It'll all get done eventually. And soon I have to move on to decorating our master bedroom.....

Love love love this cd

2008-06-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

I currently have a new favorite c.d. (I don't really know what I would say was my previous favorite cd - but I can now say this one is right now)

The Format - Dog Problems

Kyle owns an earlier cd by The Format, which I always enjoyed listening to, and was excited to purchase their most recent cd. And after the second listen, I fell in love.

There is something catchy, and yet musically mature in this album. I am by no means a music expert, or reviewer, but I can honestly say that I am incredibly impressed.

Kyle is borrowing it right now, and it is in his cd player, and every single time he drives me somewhere and I hear it all I want to do is turn it up and get lost in the world of The Format (it really does feel like a different world). I enjoy it very similarly to the way I enjoy my Shins cd. I wasn't expecting to love it so much, but there is something so addictive about listening to these albums.

Anyways, all that to say, I highly recommend giving it a listen.

I'm just a little behind...

2008-06-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

It's storming and Kyle just left, and I can't fall asleep while it is storming, so here I am watching one of my new favorite shows (Jon and Kate plus 8), and updating.

I wanted to keep updated on the showers and other various wedding-planning activities going on, but I always end up waiting awhile before posting about it. Oops.

However, about a week and a half ago one of my bridesmaids, Corrie, threw me a shower here in Atlanta. It was so much fun - we even ate all of my favorite foods as the snacks. I can't think of any other shower I've gone to where I completely filled my plate up with food and wanted to eat EVERYthing that was there. Hope everyone else liked it though...

Me and my wonderful host, Corrie.

We are down to one month to go til the wedding. There are so many things to get done before then, but I just can't wait for the next 30 days to fly by. And I hope I get it all done!

Only 35 days...

2008-06-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it is only 5 weeks until we get married. I just have this feeling that those 5 weeks will fly by... I hope so, anyways!

So as I sit here typing this entry, our cabinets are being installed just a few feet away. They did about half of the installation yesterday and are finishing everything today... and I am so excited about seeing the finished product. It looked great yesterday, but will look even better today. AND our appliances are being delivered tomorrow (except for our dishwasher, which has to wait on the countertops). Countertop people are measuring on Tuesday, installing a week from Tuesday, and then the dishwasher is being installed on Thurs, June 19. At that time the kitchen will really be completed.

I'm so glad we can at least breathe now - the amount of work WE have to do is minimal. There are lots of last little projects (like putting up new light fixtures, another coat of paint on our back wall, installing the faucet after our cabinets are in, renting a dumpster for a day and getting rid of the huge pile of trash next to our house, etc) The major projects are being done by others - installing the cabinets, appliances, countertops.

So, now that we are nearing the finish line of the kitchen renovation, there is something I want to stress about our project. We could not have done this AT ALL without the massive amounts of help we have received. So here is to all the people who spent an afternoon, a night, a day, several days, weekends, etc, helping us out. Thanks goes out to: Eric, Daniel, Amy, Corrie, Jason, Trevor, all who helped us out at different times.

Special thanks goes out to a few more people:

The Travelers: Leah and Kristin made the 2 hour drive up to Atlanta to spend the weekend helping me paint - at a time when I REALLY needed best friends around. With the price gas is right now, this help is even more amazing - thanks guys!

The Super Travelers: Like I said, considering gas right now, a huge thanks goes out to my parents. They drove up to Atlanta THREE weekends in a row. They provided invaluable help painting and moving everything I own. All while my mom was in the midst of finishing her last year of teaching, so she had enough of her own work to do. I love my family and the sacrifices they would make for me during the busiest, most stressful time of my life.

The Expert: Kyle got massive amounts of invaluable help and expertise from his uncle, Dave. He is the expert on all things plumbing and electricity in our kitchen and with him we were able to save thousands not having to hire someone to do that work. He spent several long days with Kyle that are amazing.

And - last but CERTAINLY not least - the SUPER COUPLE: Without Randy and Emily, I really don't think this could have gotten done. Randy spent several late nights working in our crawl space, lots of time teaching Kyle a bit of the construction knowledge he has gained, while Emily helped me pick out colors and paint. They both are the main reason our floor got tiled, and that we are able to have our cabinets installed right now. Kyle left for Hawaii and hadn't had time to finish tiling the floor, so it was up to me to get it all done. Which I could NOT have done without the help of Randy and Emily (since they know what they are doing and I do not). They are the most helpful, accomodating, godly couples I know - and we love them for it.

I can't wait to post pictures of the finished product - eventually, they'll come :) But trust me, it's looking gooooood.

And now I'm off to order my wedding cake from Publix. Now that the test is over, and Kyle is back from Hawaii, I don't have to spend every spare minute of my time on the house. I can concentrate on what I need to - the fact that we are getting married in 35 days and there is a LOT to do! :)

Score one for McCain

2008-05-30T08:56:00.001-07:00

Obama continually calls out for immediate withdrawal of troops in Iraq despite progress that is actually being seen there. And I must say, I give major props to McCain for calling him out on his ignorant judgments of the success of the war - stating that, while McCain himself has been to Iraq and seen the war at ground level, he notes that Obama has not been to Iraq in over two years.

Do we want a commander-in-chief that makes judgments on war-time efforts and progress without the consultation of those who know much more about it and without actually doing the field research?

This quote from a Mike Gallagher comment made me chuckle out loud:

"Sen. McCain knocked it out of the park when he publicly invited Barack Obama to join him during one of his many visits to Iraq. I can picture it now: Sen. McCain showing Sen. Obama the ropes, saying things like, "Now that's what we call a Marine" and "See, young man, that's a tank." And so on."

Just had to laugh.

Kitchen update

2008-05-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ever since the day after my test, we have been going non-stop on the house and the kitchen. That first weekend we painted for hours and hours and hours - the next week Kyle continue constantly working in the kitchen and I spent every spare hour after work painting and packing. Finally, this weekend my parents helped me move in so now I am officially residing in the house we own.

It's been exhausting. I keep telling myself - just keep going. Stay strong for just a few more weeks. We are both exhausted but know that it WILL be worth it when it is done. The progress is starting to become very obvious though...

Kyle is starting to tile soon - which is exciting, because it will be the first new-looking part of the kitchen to go in. The cabinets are being installed sometime June 5-8. We ordered all of the appliances today (hooray for Memorial Day sales at Lowes - saving us hundreds of dollars!) and they will be delivered June 8. We will go order the countertops sometime right after Kyle gets back from Hawaii and they will go in about a week after the cabinets. There is light at the end of the tunnel...

But for now, it's nonstop tiling and last-minute working for Kyle before he leaves for vacation (I must say - I am extremely jealous and in much need of a vacation as well - but I have to wait 7 more weeks for Aruba). For me, it is continuing to unpack, patience with living in a construction zone, and painting the kitchen while Kyle is in Hawaii. (Any volunteers to help???) I just can't wait to see the finished product - when the whole house is ready to show off.

I've been so busy I haven't even been thinking about the time left til our wedding and somehow it has been minimized to 47 DAYS! Less than 7 weeks - wow!

Horrible...

2008-05-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

... would be the perfect word to describe my test on Thurs. afternoon. I think it was best said in a post to an actuarial exams message board, "You know that great feeling you get when you solve a problem and see your answer in the choices? Yeah, me neither."

I could go on about how ridiculous the SOA is, or rant and rave about the actuarial exam qualification process and how it is set up not to prepare you for an actuarial career but instead piss off half of the students who then quit and therefore keep the profession small and elite. But I won't. I'm still trying to keep an optimistic attitude about my newly chosen career and I don't want to become quite so bitter only 1/5 of the way through the exam process. Wait till exam 8 or 9 and I might be writing long, raving, ranting, complaining, bitter posts. But for now... let's just say I'm extremely upset with myself.

No matter how many other people I know who thought the test was insane and impossible, it still doesn't seem to help me take the blame off of myself for possibly failing. No matter how I can KNOW that I KNEW the material as well as I possibly could - KNOW that no amount of extra studying would have done any more to prepare me for the test. It doesn't matter. It was my first test at my new job, and I clearly have not proven myself like I was hoping to.

Yes, the questions were esoteric and impossible. Yes, there were quite a few questions that came from absolutely no where. But... if I was truly smart enough... I would have passed. That's what just keeps going through my head.

It is still possible that I might have passed. We'll have to wait 8-10 weeks to see. For now I am going to enjoy it being over and prepare myself for studying all over again for the same test. It will be OK - I can handle failure.

But I am still glad I changed jobs. :)

Oops!

2008-05-15T07:01:00.001-07:00

It sure has been a long time since I last posted. I apologize (to my 2 readers)... the internet in my apartment has been out and I just don't feel appropriate posting at work. A lot of things have been going on including:

1. I had my very first shower on April 26! It was in Columbus, hosted by Erin's mom - even though Erin couldn't come because Alaska is too far away :( In attendance were my best friends from Columbus (minus Erin), Kyle's mom and my mom, my Aunt Pat, and my grandmother.

Kyle's mom, me, and my mom

Sallie, Leah, me, Erin's 14 year old face on a balloon (she was there in spirit), and Kristin

Present time! How convenient that Sallie wouldn't give me just a waffle maker, but the mix and syrup to go with it - now I just can't wait till we have a kitchen to make waffles in!

2. Kitchen demolition and renovation has begun and is in full swing! Kyle has been hard at work (with a lot of help from wonderful friends and family). The cabinets are out, the countertops are out, the flooring is out, the washer and dryer hookups are in as well as electricity stuff that I know nothing about, and I left him and Randy last night putting up sheet rock. Painting begins THIS WEEKEND and we have finally decided on our colors: Yukon gold for the kitchen (a light yellow/gold), Planetarium for the back wall that connects the kitchen and living area/dining area (a dark, pretty blue), Creamy Chocolate for the living area, hallway, and entryway (a dark, creamy taupe), Serenity for our master bedroom (a light blue), and Brick Dust for the office (a dark, deep red). The bathroom and guest room are escaping painting this time around - but we might get to them eventually. The colors all look great together and I think they will look great in our house - I can't wait till we paint and it feels much more like our house.

3. Erin came down from Alaska to visit one last time before she is deployed. I was able to make the trek down to Columbus one Wednesday evening after work to see her. I took half of Thursday off, met the girls (and Chuck) for breakfast, and drove back to Atlanta to work. I'm trying not to think about her overseas - it's a scary though t to realize one of your best friends might be in harm's way. And I'm trying not to think about her not being at my wedding - if I think about it I might just cry. But here are some pictures from her time here. We miss you Erin - move back to the Southeast!!!

Leah, Erin, and me at Country's barbecue

Kristin, Erin, me, Leah outside of Cracker Barrel. If we look tired it's because we met for breakfast at 8:30 and that's just plain early!

4. My wedding dress is well on its way! My sister and I went shopping for details to go on the dress and I am REALLY EXCITED about my dress. I think the wedding dress has always been my favorite part of weddings and what I have looked forward to the most about my wedding. And I am so lucky and blessed to have such an amazing designer and seamstress as my sister, making my dreams come true and creating the perfect custom-made wedding dress.

5. And what is on my mind the most RIGHT NOW is my actuary test that is in a mere 3.5 hours from now. Why am I on here posting when I have a test so soon? I need to get my mind off of it! I have been studying, stressing, thinking way too hard for the past week and I don't want to push my brain into overload. I'll have time to do some review before taking the test but I'm just ready for it to be over. It's been an incredibly stressful week, cramming for the test. This test has been so hard to study for and I've been waiting so long for this day, when it would be over. I just pray that I am able to pass - I always worry about my ability to pass. I know all the knowledge I need is in my head somewhere, I just pray that God helps me recall it quickly enough to do well on the test. But right now I'm at the point where I've done all I can. Any prayers would be much appreciated!

And off I go to do a final review... I'll let yall know how it goes! (if we have internet...)

Engagement pics!

2008-04-21T20:53:00.001-07:00

A couple of Sundays ago Kyle and I walked around Georgia Tech's campus and Piedmont Park taking engagement pictures. A fraternity brother of his, Michael Schneider, is a fantastic photographer and I am really excited about the pictures he took. Here are just a few of my favorite:

I love pictures - I guess I just love capturing memories and moments in people's lives, and what better way to capture the time you are engaged than with professional pictures? I couldn't be more excited about them. Thanks Michael!

My views on ... politics???

2008-04-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

I feel like my life has changed a lot recently - the activities I spend time doing have rearranged themselves. There are a few things I have quit doing as much as I used to, some of which are productive (watching TV, wasting time on Facebook, etc) and some of which I wish I would once again spend more of my time doing (reading, sleeping, studying the Bible, etc). There has also been a plethora of things I have picked up recently that were never really part of my life before - which include cooking, running, planning a wedding, and ... staying up to date on news and politics.

I have talked before about planning a wedding (and will continue to until July 12), and about running (as a side note - I am setting a new record for myself every week now - yesterday I ran 3.5 miles for the first time ever), but I haven't really spent much time talking about politics or news. And that would be for several reasons.

First of all, I feel as if I am a "newbie" to this world. There was such a long period of time in my life that I did not keep up with what was going on in the world and in this country, and I have had such a short time to catch up on things. I don't like to talk about, debate, or share opinions for which I am not wholly confident in my ability to answer intelligently and thoroughly. And I'm not there yet.

Second of all, I am much more confident in other's ability to communicate similar views of mine. This is most evident in my relationship with Kyle. If anyone has views most aligned with mine, it would be him. And if anyone our age has the knowledge of politics, and keeps up constantly with what is going on in the world and in our country, it would be him.

It would also be Kyle that has the largest influence on my growing interest. He is an avid reader of all kinds of newspapers, blogs, etc, and is full of interesting conversational topics at any given time. I feel most successful in this new interest of mine when I can carry on a conversation with him about any topic, and not feel left behind or unknowledgeable. Because I can bet you he has an opinion, can fully explain and reason out his opinion, and can back his opinion. Maybe one day I will be there.

Regardless of that, I am here to say that I have become increasingly interested in being informed instead of ignorant. Talk and news radio have become the norm during my half hour commutes to and from work. I spend half an hour every morning checking the major news stories and reading respectable blogs. And tonight... I actually TiVo'ed the debate between Clinton and Obama.

Despite all of my hesitation on speaking my opinion, I will say that the first 30 minutes of the debate had me questioning my newfound interests. I have always disliked people that talk about things they don't know about, or vote for someone blindly and without considering all aspects of an election. I am a registered Republican, have always identified myself as a Conservative, but in order to avoid being one of the ignorant voters or blind followers I dislike, I decided that I should listen to what Clinton and Obama have to say.

I wasn't impressed.

Birthday!

2008-04-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday was my 24th birthday (man, I'm getting old) and, although I didn't do much on my actual birthday, I had the chance to celebrate with family and friends beforehand. Last Wednesday my parents came up to visit, and we all went out to dinner at Mellow Mushroom. Afterwards we ate cheesecake (my favorite) for dessert at my sister's house and I got to open presents!

Friday night I went out with a small group of friends to a restaurant called Seasons 52. It was delicious food and great to hang out with people I don't see nearly enough! Here is our group:

PwC friends - I miss working with these people!

Friends from college

Weddings!

2008-04-14T16:36:00.001-07:00

Saturday night we went to Brian and Lindsey's wedding (see photo above). It was a beautiful wedding, a lot of fun, and great because BOTH of us knew a lot of people there.

After going to the wedding I began reminiscing all of the weddings Kyle and I have gone to. So here is a quick recap of the weddings the two of us have attended since we've been dating. Only one of these couples have made the jump to parenthood so far - can you guess which one???

Zach and Sallie

Adam and Jenny

Steve and Mirinda

Kyle and Amanda

John and Carol

Chris and Ashley (I couldn't find a wedding picture of them - so here is an engagement picture)

Jason and Mariah (I also couldn't find any pictures of them)

Caleb and Leah

Marc and Cris

Chris and Naureen

Ben and Stephanie

Trevor and Katy

Grant and Heather

Randy and Emily

Derik and Kristin

We are homeowners!

2008-04-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

We closed on our house Friday morning! It felt great, and is definitely the biggest purchase I have ever made, along with the largest check I have ever written. So late Friday night we were able to go over to the house for the first time - with it being OURS.

Which house did we choose?

THE BLUE HOUSE! It is just right for us. The kitchen is outdated but we are very excited about remodeling it. The blue is not what we want - and we will definitely be painting the exterior. But the price was right for all the renovations we want to do - and we love the character of the house. It feels like home!

Here are our Friday adventures in our new house:

Us with our new key in front of the fireplace

Kyle surveying his domain

The only furniture we have there right now. Eventually there will be more - but I won't be moving in until May (after most of the renovations are hopefully done) and Kyle won't be moving in until our wedding in July.

What better way to celebrate than with a glass of delicious champagne?

We couldn't be happier :)

Delicious food

2008-04-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

We had our tasting for our reception at Maggiano's on Sunday afternoon and it was absolutely delicious. We were joined by my sister and her husband, and one of Kyle's groomsman with his wife. Everyone gave insightful input and helped make my decisions as easy as possible.

It put a smile on my face to hear Randy, Kyle's groomsman, respond to a comment I had made about him "having" to come to the reception - "This isn't a have to, Meg, I GET to come to this reception." THAT is that attitude I want people to have towards my wedding. I know not everyone has that attitude towards weddings and receptions, but at least I know one person who is excited about it. And I can guarantee you... the food will be GOOD.

Decisions, decisions!

2008-04-06T17:28:00.000-07:00

I feel like my life is way too full of decision making right now. Deciding which house to buy, deciding every single detail for our wedding, and now deciding what we want to do to our new house...

Being that we close on our house in less than a week, and will be doing a good amount of renovating and painting once Kyle graduates, we spent a fun Saturday evening walking through Home Depot last Saturday and came home with these:

Knowing how bad I am at making decisions, how will we EVER choose between every imaginable shade of color? And not just for one room! Wish us luck and pray our house looks good when we are done!

Get me out of this apartment...

2008-04-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Less than 2 months left living in an apartment. PRAISE GOD! Last night I crawled into bed a little after 11, exhausted and with a headache, and about 5 minutes later heard the TV from the apartment upstairs blaring. I took a few deep breaths, turned on some of my own music, and prayed for sleep to come.

It seems like at any time of day I will either hear loud music coming from the apartment to our left, loud music coming from the apartment to our right, or loud music/TV coming from the apartment above us. And its always at the worst times - like after midnight, or when I'm trying to study, or when I have a really bad headache.

I am so ready for a house - which is good because we CLOSE IN A WEEK. I know, I know, I haven't answered the question of which house we chose, but I'm waiting to get that perfect picture. You'll just have to keep waiting a little bit longer to find out...

Let's try this again...

2008-04-03T19:58:00.001-07:00

So, after my Friday in the ER, I had a cardiologist appointment Monday morning. As expected, they couldn't do anything since nothing was showing up on my EKG at that time. They sent me home with a 30-day heart monitor, which makes me look like I'm always carrying an old-school pager with me, in the hopes that my heart will go crazy again but this time we can get a recording of it.

Sigh. I did this last year. Let's just hope and pray it can help us somehow this year.

This is what I have to wear for the next 30 days. It's not as easy as you might think to deal with for a month. Time to suck it up and be a good sport :)

My day in the Emergency Room

2008-03-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I had quite the eventful Friday.

I woke up feeling fine - nothing out of the ordinary. Exhausted, as usual, but ready to get the day at work over so I could enjoy the weekend. However, after about an hour or so at work, my jaw started hurting. This was strange and random, but didn't seem to be anything besides a toothache. I kept wondering about it though, and at the same time started feeling a little funny. I decided that getting some water might help so got up and headed to the office kitchen. On the way there all of a sudden my heart started racing, I started feeling really faint and dizzy, short of breath, chilly but sweaty, and had to sit down as soon as I got to the kitchen so that I wouldn't faint. I was skaky afterwards and didn't quite know if I should be concerned at all. For about 15 minutes or so my heart kept beating fast, I was shaking and freezing but sweating, but was sitting at my desk thinking "I'm ok. This is nothing." Then my heart started racing again - so I called the office manager on my phone and she decided to take me somewhere to get checked out.

On the way we ended up getting a fire truck to pull over and check me out. They did an EKG, took my blood pressure and checked my blood sugar level. All seemed to be pretty normal (and of course, by this time my heart had started beating at a normal speed and I was feeling less shaky). So we drove back to the office and I was left to decide what I should do. So, since I have no idea when something might be serious and I hate to be one to overreact, I called my cardiologist. The doctor was out but a nurse was in, and after she consulted with a doctor, told me I should go to the ER to get it checked out because an EKG wouldn't necessarily pick up on anything going wrong. And she went ahead and made an appointment for me on Monday morning.

I called Kyle and he met me at the hospital. By the time I got there I was feeling mostly normal, just a little shaky still and a bit freaked out. I forget sometimes how bad it felt until I remember driving around in the car, praying to God to keep me safe and alive. I really felt that bad and that scared. Kyle got there and it was all I could do to hold back my tears from being scared and by myself - and he sat there with me for the couple of hours while they took blood and x-rays until we got a room. Once I got into a room they made me put on a hospital gown, hooked me up to oxygen, hooked me up to a heart rate monitor, and gave me a couple of blankets because I was freezing. We sat there for awhile watching TLC on the TV and just chatting. Kyle was such a good sport - even though I know it wasn't his idea of the perfect Friday afternoon. We watched my heart rate, but the more I laid there and relaxed, the more normal and consistent my heart rate became. The doctor came in and told me they believe it was a certain kind of palpitation that can often cause those symptoms and seem really scary - many people do faint, because they get really freaked out with what is happening. They sent me home with instructions of what to do if it happens again, told me to come back if it happened again and lasted longer than 15 minutes, and gave me a 24-hour heart monitor to wear:

Now, all I have to do is wait and see what the cardiologist says. I know it will be something along the lines of "well, everything seems fine now. If it happens again, let us know." It's good to hear that - and yet frustrating, because you know that the heart palpitations will never be recorded - they will be over before I would be able to get to any EKG monitor. And it's good to hear that - but also frustrating because of how SCARY what happened felt. If that is something that is just going to happen, isn't dangerous, and I just have to live with it - how will I ever know if I'm actually having some kind of cardiac arrest rather than just these palpitations? I'll just have to not worry about it.

The only thing I can think that caused this would be all the stress I have put myself under lately. I decided to take Saturday off and relax - which I did, for the most part, except for studying 4 hours because I simply could not take the day off of studying. And then today was back in the full swing of things - I've been going nonstop all day, getting things done I had to do. I don't know how to relax right now - it's just not possible. I just need prayer - and right now, I really pray the cardiologist can tell me something more.

On a very random note - my sister and her husband spent Friday afternoon in the exact same ER as Kyle and I did - and we never knew it. They got there probably right around the time we were moving to my own room, and by the time we left they had moved to a private room. My brother-in-law was really sick, and my sister was taking care of him. (You can read her account here) I had called her on my way to the hospital, but she didn't pick up, and when she called back they were already taking my blood at the hospital. So I decided not to worry her since I knew Kyle was on his way, and I would just call her if it was something serious. Now I wish I had - they were probably only a few feet away from us for several hours! Not a good day for our family... but praise God we are all OK!

It's been awhile...

2008-03-26T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely in the middle of busy season for my life. Each day I make a To Do list, and I'm happy if I can cross out half of it. I need to somehow take a deep breath, quit stressing over how much I have to do, and ENJOY it.

This past weekend was Easter - what a great holiday. I had the chance to drive down to my parents house Friday night, spend some good time with best friends and my parents, and then down to Kyle's parent's house and spend time with his family.

At the risk of sounding corny, it's amazing how much more you grow to appreciate and enjoy time spent with your family as you get older. I was able to go to the park with my mom, walk around with her, and just enjoy the beautiful weather with the woman I admire more than anyone else. It was 4 years ago at this time of year when she had her stroke and had to spend several weeks at Warm Springs recovering and learning to walk again. I never want to relive that spring again, but I will never forget that Easter - we visited her and went to the Easter service at the chapel on the premises. Until then, I never fully appreciated preachers who spend time at small chapels like that - where there isn't a consistent congregation, but there are people who need that refreshment more than anyone else. We spent time outside - it was another Easter with beautiful weather - and cherished the life God had continued to gift us with more than any other Easter. What better time is there to celebrate life than on the day we are celebrating Jesus' resurrection. And praise God that now, four years later, we can still enjoy that life together.

"Christ the Lord is risen today - Hallelujah!"

Study study

2008-03-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy lately, I can barely keep up with everything. All of my days are filled to the brim with studying, working, working out, and buying a house. I'm studying before work, during work, after work, and I must say it has been the toughest to study for this test than either of the two before.

For those of you who don't know about the actuarial exam process - here's a quick overview. I am working to become a certified FCAS, a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society. There are two actuary societies, but my job is in the Property & Casualty field, so that is the path I am on. I have a total of 9 tests to take, of which I have passed the first two already - both on the first try, with good scores. The third test is split into two parts and I decided to only concentrate on one of the parts this May, because I knew I'd be so busy with the other huge life-changing events in my life. The portion I'm studying for is a 2 hour test and covers Financial Economics. Each test requires hours and hours and hours of studying (I'm not kidding here - at least an hour for each minute of the test), and the only way I can accomplish it is to set up a study schedule plan and stick to it. Luckily with my new job I receive paid study time. For example, this week I'm going to leave work two hours early on Wed. and Thurs. to study. I haven't had this before, but it is helping me a lot.

So this current test is only a 2 hour test, the shortest one I'll ever take. Why am I having such a hard time studying for it? It's not one of the most challenging. It's just that my mind is in a million different places. I'm typically pretty good at focusing, but not right now. It has become a real challenge. But hey - I don't doubt my ability to plan a wedding, buy a house, train for a 10k, AND pass a test. But by the time our honeymoon rolls around and I am done with all of those milestones - I will be enjoying MUCH needed rest as I lounge by the beach. Only 122 more days... well, 123 more till the honeymoon.

And on that note - off to bed I go. I must wake up at 5:45 so I can study for an hour and a half before work. Yes, that is the life of an actuarial student. Anyone want to join me???

House Hunters

2008-03-06T19:15:00.000-08:00

In honor of one of my current favorite TV shows to watch, HGTV's House Hunters, here is our very own version. We looked at houses all day last Saturday, and went back to our favorite three on Wed. night. Which one will we choose??? Here they are, in the order we very first saw them last Saturday:

House #1:

PROS: Renovated kitchen. Slightly bigger rooms than the other houses. Nice curb appeal. Separate laundry room (although it still needs to be finished). Deck out back.

CONS: Bathroom has been renovated, but it's ugly. Wood paneled walls. Really small living space. Many little details need to be fixed and changed.

HOUSE #2:

PROS: Great character. Entryway into house. Vaulted ceilings. Gorgeous fireplace with gas logs. Best pricetag. Perfect bathroom - big for houses of this size. Larger living area. Good size kitchen

CONS: Older kitchen. Steep driveway. Less curb appeal. No laundry room.

HOUSE 3:

PROS: Garage. Extra half bath in master. Large living area. Good curb appeal. New appliances in kitchen. Laundry room (except that it is in what used to be coat closet). Deck out back.

CONS: Not much character. Steep driveway. Kitchen needs updating. Full bath needs updating (and is very small).

Which one will it be???

I'll tell you after we make an offer and its accepted... until, I'm not going to jinx it!

Congratulations Erin and Chuck!

2008-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends and a pseudo-sister of mine got married this past weekend. Erin and Chuck were married on Feb. 29, Leap Day 2008 :) They are both in the Air Force, and Erin is being deployed this summer (also meaning she will not be able to be at my wedding... huge bummer) so they decided to get married before she left. They are both stationed in Alaska and had the ceremony up there, so the only people that made it were their parents and Air Force friends up there. I'm really sad to have missed it, but they will be having a ceremony and celebration next year after she returns - and we will all get to be involved! Here are a couple of pictures from their wedding:

The happy couple - and I will note that, while I didn't get to participate in this wedding or help her shop or plan, I WAS there when she bought the shoes she wore. I helped convince her they were really cute and I bought a pair myself in a different color. I know you can't see the shoes in this picture, but it made me feel as if I was able to participate somehow in the wedding... I'm strange, I know.

Here we are at the wedding - a picture really isn't good enough though :( But we were there in spirit and in prayer!

WE LOVE YOU ERIN! And welcome to the family, Chuck :)

another running milestone

2008-03-01T05:58:00.001-08:00

2.25 miles this morning. AND I woke up at 8:00 am on a Saturday morning just to run before my busy Saturday gets going. More than a third of the way to 6.2 miles...

Now if I could just get rid of this sickness that keeps coming and going. I still have a sore throat and a cough and my head starts to hurt now and then. I'm ready to be 100% healthy again!

Life as an entry-level actuarial analyst

2008-02-28T19:49:00.000-08:00

I made it back to work today after being sick for two days, and I went ahead and took a few pictures in case anyone was curious to see what my office looks like. Yes, that's right, I have my very own office. It's a pretty sweet deal - so much better than at PwC, where I didn't even have my own cube. Now, it's nothing really special, just a plain office, but it's all mine:

This is the best view I could get of my desk in my office. I know, it's looking a little bit plain. I need to put something on the walls but I haven't figured out what yet. Got any ideas? Also - that monitor does look rather ancient. But never fear, I've already been ordered a new computer that should be set up soon.

And this is the view I see sitting at my desk. Notice the bookcase to the left - I absolutely love bookcases. I think it has something to do with my love of books. However, it's completely empty right now as well. Besides one picture of my family. What should I put on it? I don't have any actuary books yet... I just don't know. Maybe I'll just start storing things here slowly so that I don't have to move it all when I move from my apartment into our future home.

And this is what I am currently working on... it is a huge litigation project that I believe will be taking over my life for the next few months. It sounds interesting, but it is definitely challenging me to read between the lines and try to figure out what exactly my boss wants me to do. I get a little overwhelmed sometimes, but hey - that's to be expected with a new job.

If you refer back to the picture of my view from my desk, you will notice a package sitting on the corner of my desk. That would be my study materials - and today would be the day I started studying for the test. It's back to the grind, but at least now I get some work study time. I already spent an evening at Borders tonight, and have plans to wake up early tomorrow morning to get some studying in before work.

It might be slightly nerdy, but I will admit, there is always a tinge of excitement inside of me when I receive new study materials. I know that studying changes my life, but I just can't explain the satisfaction I get as I pore over the notes, solve problems, and stress myself out for a test. And then the satisfaction of the test being over and having passed it - I guess I was meant to be an actuary. Well, since I have passed all the tests I've taken so far. Just pray the passing continues and when or if I do fail a test - I can still press on. We'll see how much of this attitude changes as I move on to the harder tests later, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the good feelings I get from studying.

Please, remind me I said this when it is test time. And remind me of this when I am on my 9th test (hopefully in just 4 or 5 years), and ready to be DONE.

The training and studying begin....

2008-02-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately for me, I have been stuck in my apartment sick the past couple of days. That puts quite a dent in my running and studying schedules. I'm a few days behind for both. Right now I just feel like crawling back in my bed. I do give major props to TheraFlu though. My roommate Julie is a huge fan of Theraflu, and offered to let me have some yesterday so I gave it a try. I ended up feeling a LOT better yesterday evening after taking one packet, and then slept fine after taking a nighttime packet - to the point where I really thought I'd wake up feeling fine. Sadly that didn't happen, and sadly there are no more Theraflu daytime packets.

As a quick running update - I surpassed a mile for the first time last weekend and managed to run 2.1 miles without stopping (a major accomplishment for me). So I have found 5k and 10k running plans and I'm going to stick to these for the next 19 weeks or so until the 4th comes and the Peachtree is here. And trust me, if (WHEN) I accomplish this goal, it will be a HUGE deal for me. HUGE. And what better way to spend the weekend before my wedding than running a 10k? (Just pray I don't break an ankle or something... that would be horrible). So, here is a short overview of my plan:

By next week I should be able to run 2.5 miles
In 3 weeks I should be able to run 2.75 miles
In 4 weeks I should be able to run 3 miles
In 8 weeks I should be able to run 3.5 miles
In 9 weeks I should be able to run 4 miles
In 13 weeks I should be able to run 4.5 miles
In 15 weeks I should be able to run 5 miles
In 17 weeks I should be able to run 5.5 miles
In 19 weeks, and at the race, I should be able to run a 10k.

So... wish me luck. And pray I start feeling better soon so I can accomplish this goal and get on with my training!

"For such a time as this..."

2008-02-24T20:25:00.001-08:00

I never feel as if I would really have something worthwhile to say in a blog. I tried the Livejournal thing a few years back - decided to grow up from that and stay away from the public-journaling world for awhile. But I read blogs now, interesting blogs about random things in people's lives, and I think that maybe - even if it isn't always profound or the most well-written - my blog can provide some entertainment and some insight into this crazy time in my life. So as an overview of what my blog will consist of, this is what is going on in my life right now:

1. Kyle and I are getting married July 12, 2008 and am in the midst of planning our wedding.
2. We are planning to buy a house and move into it this coming May - so are just now beginning our search for our very first home.
3. I just started a brand new job as an Actuarial Analyst a couple of weeks ago at a small consulting firm.
4. I am studying for part of the 3rd actuarial exam, which I will take in the middle of May.
5. I have made the personal goal of running in the Peachtree Road Race and completing a 10K on July 4 of this year - a really big deal, because I have never been a runner.

So welcome to my crazy world - where I am in the middle of a number of HUGE happenings in my life. But praise God for all the blessings He has given me, enabling me to enjoy this season in my life and help me to continuously remember, "For such a time as this..."