Weekly Update - 9/23/07

There hasn't been much excitement lately...still working, still studying, etc. The studying is rapidly coming to a close and I'm getting some sort of pre-test anxiety. Will I pass? Am I studying enough? Will I remember everything? Is all this studying really worth it?! Some day,s I feel like I'm on accounting overload and other days everything is going along great. From what I hear from the other CPAs in the office all the craziness is normal. That makes me feel better, but then again it sometimes doesn't!

I had my birthday the other day...and all I can say is I'm glad it's over. I had a great day - work decorated my office and bought me flowers and a balloon, we went out to lunch (not just for me, but for all our September birthdays...3 out of 8 of us) and we had Marie Callendar's pies. I didn't take the day off of work, since I took last year off and I figured how much fun is taking a Thursday off when you have to work on Friday? Besides, I need to save some vacation time for pre-exam cramming and then post-exam celebrating that it's over. Well, at least part one will be over... :) After work, the family and I went out to dinner and for ice cream. THEN we had to have cake too! The cake was delicious - chocolate with white buttercream icing and decorated with pink flowers and 10 pink flamingos. Too cute and too me...and it was very delicious too!

The babysitting kits went over wonderfully with the AD girls, but they wanted to decorate the bags - plain canvas in desperate need of some decorating. We thought about decorating the bags, but we only have a couple more activities until they are splitting up our stake, so we had to adjust our plans... There were too many activities we had already planned for and too few meetings to have them all! It is sort of sad, since we had planned the remainder of the year out already. We just had to pick the activities that we had already prepared for by buying the supplies, making copies, etc. So, the next activity is bandanna aprons and our last activity will be watching VeggieTales A Snoodle's Tale and making red beaded bracelets (the color for YW value Individual Worth).

The ward splits are happening the weekend of General Conference, so the next couple Sundays could be the last ones we have in our current ward. We live too close to a couple of boundary lines and good divider streets, so I am completely prepared to be attending a new ward in the next few weeks. It makes me sad, since our ward is so wonderful and friendly. I have had the opposite type of ward here, so it was a nice change to actually be welcomed and not treated like a leper since I am single... Not to mention I LOVE being with the AD girls, so hopefully I can stay with that calling. I guess that is up to the new ward leadership, but a few hints here and there can't hurt either. :)

And for your enjoyment - Kitty Pics

This is what Holly did while I was trying to study for finals this spring...she's way too cute to resist!

This is Hermione asleep, since that is what she is always doing...

The kitties together, which is a very rare occurrence.

Holly thinks she is a shoe and loves to snuggle with weird objects, this time it was in the shoebox with the root beer bottle!

Holly channelling her inner panther - she loves to sleep in the plant (which is way up high on a shelf!)

Weekly Update - 9/9/07

The most exciting thing that happened this week was...I paid off my car! Finally!!! I paid it off just in time for me to get my feet itching for a new car, figures. I do not intend to get a new car until I at least have some $$ saved up that I can pay cash and won't have a car payment again...and that will take awhile since my next car will be a Toyota Prius. That much I do know, so I know I better start saving now and saving lots. I know that is not a "cute" car by any stretch of the imagination, but it is fuel efficient and that matters more to me than having something "cute." :)

I did lots and lots and lots of studying this week (6 days worth into 5 days - I took an extra day off for the 3-day weekend). I'm over halfway through my study schedule and will be starting day 50 of 80 tomorrow. I'm at the discouraging point right now, since it seems like all the topics will not fit into my brain and there's no way I can retain everything. I know the best thing I can do is not give up AND just keep at it, but it sometimes seems easier to give up. Pathetic, since I've worked so hard to get here, I know... This week seemed to go like this - get up, work, study, eat dinner, pack lunch, get ready for bed, repeat...which didn't help one bit! Typically, I try and put everything away by 8:p so I can have a little downtime before I need to go to bed, but that didn't happen this week since I played catch-up. :P

Anyway, I went and bought some watercolor paints this week. So, I will try my hand at painting here pretty soon. I have no great expectations that I'll uncover a great artistic talent or anything, but it seems like it might be something fun to do. Besides, maybe we can do something with painting for Activity Day sometime...I always have to keep my ideas flowing for that too. :) The book I got just shows some basic techniques, so it leaves a lot to the imagination. When I get some of my masterpieces painted, I'll have to post them for all to see...just don't expect too much!

We're getting ready to file our annual report at work, so I might just start getting off on time after this week. :) Whoo-hoo, since that will free up a little of my time. This time of year is my least favorite at work since we're so busy and everyone is stressed out and it just seems like we're not a happy accounting family during the summer. I think it doesn't help that our busiest time is the summer when psychologically we should be on "summer vacation" and having some lazy days of summer. Oh well, at least this way we aren't so busy during the holiday season, so I guess it evens itself out.

Weekly Update - 9/4/07

I haven't been up to much of anything fun this past week. I'm still trucking along with my studies and continue to work 2-3 hours a day for this sole purpose. Also, I listen to review CDs in my car while I'm driving to and from work every day - it makes good use of the time I would otherwise be doing nothing...or maybe just listening to the radio.

I have been reading fluff lately - I have found some Christian "inspirational romance" and "inspirational romance suspense" books at Sam's that are really easy reading and take no brain power. I don't think my brain could handle anything more. The funny thing about the books is they are designed for book groups and have "discussion questions" at the end of every one. I have never been to a book group, so I had no idea...

We had Activity Day this week. I did a class on "organization" which was to help the girls get organized for the new school year. The suggestions were to get clothes ready the night before (for school or church - we have some home-schoolers in our group), pack lunch the night before, make sure everything is together in a bag/backpack for the next school day (which includes homework, permission slips, etc.), writing things down or using a planner and planning "down time" to just be a kid! Mostly, the girls just wanted to talk and catch up; since we took the summer off. I can't blame them though, I was just as excited to visit with the girls as they were with each other. They're such a great age!

I'm on a crafting binge these days and am trying to keep my local Hobby Lobby in business. :) I have been making bandanna aprons, since they're quick and easy. I can use some creativity, but then the project is completed in less than an hour. We will be doing these aprons for Activity Day in October.

I also have taken up beading again, nothing fancy just beads and stretchy cord. These are another quick and easy project that I can complete in a few minutes. I guess I need a creative outlet since my energy and brain power is going to stuffing my brain with as much information as is humanly possible! OR maybe it is because it takes different parts of my brain, who knows? Maybe I will have to take up painting too one of these days, since I know crocheting or knitting are out of the question! I have tried many many times to take up "yarning" and it has been an exercise in futility each time, unless you count crocheting snakes as successful... ;)