Welcome to arbees!

I figured I would try the blogging thing, since I enjoy reading them so much. AND I figured it would be a good way to keep in touch with people and let them know what is going on in my life since I'm terrible at e-mail!

Lots of stuff has been going on in the last year or so. I went to classes full-time this spring to finish the requirements I need to take the CPA exam...surprising to me too! I thought I was finished with all the requirements, submitted my paperwork to the state board and they rejected some of the classes I though would be counted. Needless to say, I was not happy that I had to take more classes, but at least I am finished and can now take the CPA exam.

Currently, I am studying for the first of four parts. It is taking up most of my free time, so there is not much time for "fun" stuff. The good part about this is my work is allowing me to work part-time (30 hours, but it usually is more like 35) while I am studing - however long it takes! I have a whole new respect for people that are studying while working full-time, since some weeks I study 20-24 hours. ICK!

This summer, I was lucky enough to go to Anaheim, CA for a week...

• I got to go to Disneyland for a couple of days. This was interesting, since I had never been there, even though I had been to Disney World many, many times! I didn't take any pictures, even though I had my camera both days. I guess I just got too caught up in the excitement of trying to see everything, that I didn't take the time to stop and snap some pictures. Oh, well, there's always next time...
• Another day, I got to go on a quick tour of LA and got to see some of the more popular tourist attractions. I will post the few pictures I took in a later post...once I can figure out how. And that evening I got to see an Anaheim Angels game (vs. Kansas City Royals). It wasn't too exciting, but their stadium was cool. I think the game got good after I left, since I heard lots of cheering as I was walking out of the staduim. Figures!
• I even got to go to Newport Beach for a few hours another day. A few hours was plenty, since the water is COLD in the Pacific. Nothing like what I'm used to here - Gulf water is warm like bathwater. Anyway, I ate at a nice restaurant on the Balboa Pier just for fun.

I completely understand now why millions of people live in California though. The weather is perfect and it is gorgeous there. I needed to wear a sweater in the evening though, since it was quite chilly with the breeze that came in. I'm not at all used to that, since in the summer it just stays hot and humid all day and then just a little less hot at night here. The part of California that I could do without is the smog! That was a little weird, since from certain parts you can see the smog over LA. It was gross thinking I was breathing that in...

At church, I am working with the Activity Day girls that are 10-11. We have a large enough group in our ward that we needed to split the 8-9-year olds from the 10-11-year olds. This calling is a blast! I love it!! We have done lots of fun things over the past 9 months I have been in. They are just a great age. And now niece E is in my group, I missed having niece Z in my group by just a few months... (niece Z is 13 now - it boggles my mind!)