Dear Friend.

Dear friend;

You don't read my blog, so I don't think you'll ever read this...
But, I miss you.

With summer here now officially here, every new day that I live, memories of the two of us a year ago keep coming back to mind.

A year ago we were texting all the time, knowing everything about each other, and indulging in our inside jokes.

We were taking road trips, beach trips, going out to eat, trying strawberry beer (haha, that was a one time thing...), and taking millions of photos together.

A year ago we were the best of friends, and now, we don't know a thing about each other.

What...happened?

Please tell me this is just a growing phase and that we'll get over it in no time, coming out as better individuals, because...I miss you. And I'm willing to do anything I can to make things right again.

Dirt.

Just another 8 hour day at the orchard.

I'm a farm girl; I practically grew up in the dirt...no complaints here! :)

Workie Work.

The month of May was one of many ups and downs...a roller coaster, really.

Up: Bought my very first car.

Down: My boyfriend left for the whole month to go back home. Long distance can really suck sometimes.

Up: I moved out of my parents house, into a condo with the two most wonderful women a girl could ask for (!!!)

Down: Despite having applied to over 20 jobs even BEFORE the month of May, no one was calling me back. I tried not to take it personally.

Up: I got a ton of reading done. Karen Kingsbury!! (Even though her stories are super unrealistic, they still reminded me of what's most important in life: Jesus)

Down: ...STILL unemployed.

Up: Worked on my Distance-Learning course and learned so much about the book of Hebrews!! I loved it!

Down: Because of the stress of unemployment and all the accompanying fears such as "I'm going to drain my bank account and I'll have to move back in with my parents before I know it!!"...I gained all my lost-weight back. I try not to care too much though...but it's hard when you remember how you used to be back in January, the fittest you'd ever been in your life!

In case you hadn't noticed, unemployment really took its toll on me. In past years getting a job was a total cinch! I would drop off my resume and get 3 calls from 3 different places the next day! Henceforth, I expected it to be the same this time around.

After applying to so many jobs, I got a phone call back from a job that I just KNEW was the job for me. It was a dietary aide position at a nursing home--full-time, best hours possible (6 am-2 pm), working in the kitchen, and daily interacting with the elderly. The interview went so well and I just knew the job would be mine! Days passed...and weeks passed. And eventually I let it sink in that the position was not meant to be mine after all. I find it funny how I so often think I know exactly what God has planned for me...but my mere human mind cannot even begin to correctly predict His perfect plans for me.

After I accepted the fact that the job wasn't mine to have, I applied at three other places I realized I hadn't yet applied. I immediately got a phone call from the grocery store, and I immediately got an interview at the orchard.

So here I am now, alternating part-time days at the grocery store as a cashier and at the orchard as a vegetable picker. Also, I have interview for an evening position as a waitress!!!

Here I am, just rockin' the temp jobs! And honestly, I love love love love it! I love my job/s, and I love working. Sure it has its sucky moments, such as when I can't find the customer's favourite brand of cigarettes on the shelf as fast as they'd like. (hellooooo do I look like I smoke? How am I supposed to know the difference between a tube and a filter and a carton and a pack and red and blue and silver and Paul Mall and John Players and Accord and 20 and 25 and king size and regular within my first few days of working?!)

Overall, what I love most about working at the grocery store is the constant interaction with people. I met a man who told me he had an autistic grandchild, I talked to a guy who had over 36 piercings all over his face and body (apparently 36 is not enough for him still!), and I LOVE my manager and co-workers. I also love the staff room, where we get comfy chairs and free food!!

God is just faithful to His promises. He knew one job wouldn't be enough for me, so he gave me a second one, and the potential for a third one! Thank you Jesus, so much for not only giving me work, but for giving me work that I love.

Twitter

I got a twitter account!! Actually, I had one back in the day when it first came out and then I deleted it. But now I'm back! And since I got a new one, I have only been on there once...oops!

Come follow me HERE.

:)

George Strait

Girl you've had one of those days
Seems like they've been goin' around
You're a long way from bein' where you wanna be

When the world isn't goin' your way
Whatever bad luck is gettin' you down
Honey, I'll be right here for you
With open arms, you can run to me

Baby, love's gonna make it
Love's gonna make it alright
Baby, love's gonna make it
Love's gonna make it alright
Tonight, tonight, tonight

We can go out and paint the town
We can dance your cares away
We can watch 'em all fall out on the floor

And if you want to we can close 'em down
And we can leave whenever you say
I'll chase you down the hallway
Watch the sun come up behind our bedroom door

That's the good thing girl about me and you
There ain't nothin' that lovin' can't get us through

❤ ❤ ❤

Orchard.

My brand new gardening gloves for my job at the orchard!

Who says you can't look cute while working hard in the land of the outdoors? :)

Rainy.

{via}

Mmm...my favourite thing ever is waking up on a Saturday morning to a grey and rainy sky, with the window cracked just a bit so I can hear the soothing rain and thunder.

It is these kinds of mornings that tell me: Breathe and relax. Light a candle or two, read a book (preferably Nicholas Sparks), watch one of your favourite movies...listen to the rain fall and watch the drops glide down your window. Drink a cup of Bengal Spice tea. Spend some time with God...yes, especially that one.

Sigh, I love this morning. Despite how much I love my new job, I am thankful I don't have to work because I have an abundance of time to enjoy all the things listed above. :)

Tim McGraw

"I'm learnin' who I've been ain't who I've gotta be."

Sandals

My new sandals. Thank you boyfriend for surprising me!! :) :) :)

Penguin.

Can you find the time 
to let your lover love you?
He only wants to show you 
The things he wants to learn too 
The hardest parts you'll get through 
And in the end you'll have your best friend 

Love like this may come once 
Baby it's fate 
Like a soul mate he's your penguin 
Baby it's fate 
Baby it's fate 
Not luck 

Can you find the time to let your lover hold you 
He needs somebody to hold to 
His love is strong and so true 
His arrows aiming for you 
And he's the one that you were born to love 

Love like this may come once 
Baby it's fate 
Like a soul mate he's your penguin 
Baby it's fate 
Baby it's fate 
Not luck 

Let go 
Let go 
of time for you 
and I 

Love like this is all I want 
Baby we're fate 
Love like this may come once 
Baby we're fate 
Like a soul mate your my penguin 
Baby we're fate 
Baby it's fate 
Not luck

-Christina Perri-

Eat.

I realized this; when I'm stressed, I eat.
When I'm sad, I lose all sense of appetite.
When I'm happy, boy do I EVER eat!

Last winter, I lost 15 pounds...and I think it was so easy for me to lose all that weight because I was sad. I was going through a really difficult time and the last thing I wanted to do was eat. Frankly, regardless of my weight loss success I had there at that college, I never want to go back.

Today, 6 months later I'm pretty sure I've gained all 15 of those pounds back because a) I was stressed for an entire month of having no employment hope, and b) I'm just SO happy!! I'm living with two amazing girls in a wonderful condo, my boyfriend is out, I finally landed a job (almost two!), I get to see my friends and family all the time, and SUMMER is almost here!!! I love where I'm at. I love being home!

Sigh, oh how I love food.

Chivalry Is Not Dead.

Remember how I said a few months ago that my boyfriend and I's dates for eight months consisted of watching seasons of One Tree Hill with Subway sandwich takeout because neither of us had a car that would've enabled us to leave the college campus?

WELL I am sooo happy and feel so blessed that I am now able to say that things are much different now! We're outta that college, and we each have our own cars!!

Needless to say, we are now date-crazy!! I LOVE IT!! In one day we went to The Forks, Olive Garden for lunch, the Museum of Man & Nature, the Planetarium, and Red Lobster for supper (AMAZING!!). :) It was so fun and wonderful!

The best part of the day was when at both the Olive Garden and Red Lobster, my boyfriend pulled out my chair for me like he always does, and at both places the waiters made the same comment: Wow! He pulled out your chair for you! In all my years of waiting tables I have rarely seen a man do that for his significant other. Your man is definitely a keeper. ;)


Chivalry: the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, includingcourtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.


I'm so happy to have such a chivalrous gentleman in my life who opens doors and pulls out chairs for me (without me ever having to ask him!). Every girl, EVERY girl deserves to be treated like a princess!

❤ ❤ ❤