Rejection and the Wait for Something Better.

Well guys, once again it's time for another update of my super exciting, ever-changing life! Ha! Jokes. My life is definitely not that stimulating. In fact the exciting parts of my life seem to come in waves. And of course the rare time I actually do something fun and out of the ordinary, is the time when my co-workers don't decide to ask me what I did on my day off. Pfft. People only seem to ask me about it when it was a fun-filled day of scrubbing toilets...eating...grocery shopping...pulling out the long hairs from my vacuum cleaner head...and Netflix. Therefore making me appear to be just another run-of-the-mill-boring adult. Haha. We're all the same, aren't we?

Anyway, a couple of months ago I wrote a blog post about how I applied for a job (Click here to read)--one that I really really wanted. I experienced a very thorough interview and a high-hoped waiting process, only for it all to end with a crisply-folded rejection letter in the mail. Although your resume and qualities were impressive, we have decided to go with another candidate.Ick.

Whilst reading that letter and the few moments that followed, I was fine. OK, it's all good. Obviously this wasn't meant to be and now I can move on because God has closed this door, and now I don't have to think about it anymore!

BUT I DID. It was all I thought about for the next month. I'd been trying to ease my way out of the food industry and I thought this library job would be the PERFECT start to a new career. It's comfortably indoors, the environment is quiet, I get to wear nice clothes and do my hair every morning, be surrounded by books all day, interact with people, no more early mornings, and get paid to execute my obsession with organization! I even had the perfect Instagram bio already written out in my head: "librarian by day, baker by night". (LOL, not really.) Sigh. But those words of rejection stung, and of course I took it all a little personal.

God, am I not meant for something more? Is this my lot in life? To work at a job I'm unhappy at, one that makes me both mentally AND physically exhausted every single day? Am I no better than this?

To My 18-Year-Old Self

I'm seeing graduation posts pop up left and right on Facebook of my friend's younger siblings and my little cousins--who aren't so little anymore. Last month was their high school graduation and it's left me feeling a little sentimental and reminiscent. Trust me, I don't want to go back to high school, I'm perfectly fine being in this mid-twenties post-college married chapter of my life, and have zero desire to move backwards. But with all these high school graduations happening around me, my mind can't help but take me back to that beautiful time in my life when every choice I made was going to majorly impact the direction of my life. Oh nostalgia.

I'm 26 years old now and have lived exactly 8 years since my high school graduation. (Um, wow; this is a hard pill to swallow, considering I still feel like a teenybopper sometimes.) If my 26-year-old self magically showed up at my graduation and pulled my young-platinum-blonde-haired-bright-eyed-18-year-old self away for a few minutes to tell me what the next 8 years of my life were going to look like...I would not believe a word of it. There's no way! Would I be totally happy and pleasantly pleased with everything I'd hear? Honestly no, and that's only because I had such different expectations for my life at that time. I didn't know how much I was going to change the following years after high school and I especially didn't know the hardships I was going to face.  And I can't imagine being told in advanced the exact struggle I'm going to experience in a few years. I think it'd be the same concept if God laid out our entire future on this earth in front of us, our future according to HIS plans. I imagine there'd be some disappointment and/or confusion as it definitely wouldn't match up to our plans, but God knows best you guys. "The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

Besides a little shock and disappointment, some of the things I'd hear would absolutely blow me away! I mean, if I could I'd give myself a huge high-five! Way to Go, self! How'd you ever manage to pull that off?! WHO ARE YOU?!

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With that said, things I would say to my freshly graduated 18-year-old-self regarding my future:

One day, you're gonna wish you hadn't tanned so much. Look at those crows-feet next to your eyes! You should have listened to your mother, Jennifer. Tisk tisk.

That guy that you're pining over right now, the one who never showed up today, he's actually gonna break a little piece of your heart this summer. Hard to believe, I know. Of course you'll go through some healing over time, but then...he's gonna come back into your life and break off another piece and you'll feel the hurt all over again. I wish you weren't going to give him so much of your time and thoughts. Even though I wish you would have just kept your standards high from the beginning, this season of heartbreak you're about to endure will teach you so much not only about yourself, but about the qualities of a guy you're looking for in a future husband, the man that you're going to choose to spend the rest of your life with. I know you're not going to listen to anyone and you'll ignore all the red flags because you're so hung up on him, but just know that God's got you throughout this whole thing.

Your huge princess high-school-graduation dress cost more than your wedding dress. Isn't that funny?!

Baking My First Wedding Cake.

Hello friends! Guess what? I baked my first wedding cake! OK, I'm sort of lying. Technically, this isn't my first wedding cake, per say. I have done one once before but that was alongside a friend (a.k.a I had someone to share all the stress and balance out the crazy emotions with).

Whereas this time around, it was all me, 100% me. (Note: I did have some help at the very end, but I'll get to that later!)
Plus, the first wedding cake I did was completely different from this one! It was an 8" round cake with fondant, sugar flowers, and cupcakes on the side. The wedding cake I did this time around was made up of TIERS, frosted with buttercream, and decorated with real greenery.

I wrote this blog entry so that I could share with you what this wedding cake journey was like for me, and perhaps encourage a fellow baker or two that you don't have to be a "professional cake designer" to execute a beautiful wedding cake. If I can do it, so can you!! So, let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Back in the Fall after our good friends got engaged, I received a pretty little card in the mail from the future-bride-to-be that said: will you do us the honour of baking our wedding cake for our wedding on April 1st, 2017?

Change.

Isn't it interesting how we're always changing? I am not the girl that I was 6 years ago, the girl who had visions of one day living in tiny apartments in big cities, walking to class everyday pursuing a career in journalism.
People who know me now, probably read that sentence with MUCH confusion. Even as I just typed that it felt almost out-of-body-esque. Me? A journalist? The 5% of me that is an insane-grammar-freak is like "YES! I LOVE that career choice!" but the other 95% of me is like "no thank you, that sounds like an anxiety-inducing nightmare".
And small-town-country-loving-Jenny living in a city?! I think if I had plans to have absolutely zero children, then maybe, just maybe I could chance a life of city living (I'm no Amber Fillerup, believe it or not). :P

I did 4 years of Bible college/university/school for many reasons but a large reason was to find a husband find some direction in my life career-wise. Half way through this schooling I had visions of pursuing some type of counselling career. And hey, as an INFJ personality type, I have counselling written all.over.me. Even the other day my co-worker told me that I have the gift of listening and I was like, "thank you!" and he was like "don't thank me, thank God for giving that to you!" (I appreciate the fact that I know how to listen, but truthfully...somedays I wish I had the gift of talking. I feel like it could take me places, you know?) :P But something about picturing myself with a 9-5 office job listening to clients heavy life stories for five days a week, didn't sit well with me. Believe me, I wish it did. One of my really good friends is a therapist and her job sounds incredibly rewarding and fulfilling and she's doing amazing things in people's lives but I am just so confident that it's not my calling.

And then...Pinterest came into existence and opened my eyes of a whole new world of cooking, baking, food styling, and food photography. THAT looks beautiful, fun, practical, and intriguing! Finally a career choice that my creative gene could latch onto and actually attain. Now, four years of practice in the kitchen and one culinary certificate later, I've found myself with a "9-5" job in the food industry as a cook/chef.

And now, after almost two years of working in commercial kitchens I'm finding myself wanting to get out of it. Yep. Spending 8 and a 1/2 hours a day, 5 days a week at a physically-demanding job is really starting to wear on me. What I really want is to pursue baking and it's hard when your full-time job is robbing you of all your energy. Truthfully, an office job looks pretty good right now. I wonder what it would be like to come home from work (an office job) and still have the physical energy to spend all evening in my kitchen on my feet working on my baking skills? I do wonder if this is even a plausible idea or would my mental energy then take a tumble?

So back to my first statement: isn't it interesting how we're always changing? I went from wanting to be a journalist to being a counsellor, to being a chef, to now dreaming of baking cakes, cupcakes, and all things pretty! It all sounds drastic when you lay it out like that, but the more I think about it, the more I feel like I haven't really changed that much. Yes, I let the dream of journalism go, but I've still held on to my love and passion for writing--with this blog of mine. I let the dream of counselling go, but I still have a huge place in my heart for people, friendships, encouraging, loving, and listening--with this blog, but more-so in my everyday life with those I interact with. I'm considering letting the dream of being chef in a commercial kitchen go--quite gradually--but I'm for sure going to hold on to everything that I have learned about the food industry; because much of what that skill and knowledge can be carried on into the business of cake decorating.

I'm curious to see how much I will have changed five years from now! Will I have dropped cake decorating for something even more attainable, like...bioengineering? (Kidding.) I'm also excited to see how much Jarryd will change in five years--maybe he'll finally pursue his long-time dream of country music singin'. (Kidding, I think?)

Change is good. I'm telling myself this as I just realized in 5 years I will be 30 years old. Gulp. Change is good, Jennifer.

Groceries.

Life has been BUSY you guys! Jarryd and I both work full-time jobs with pretty similar hours. After work he's got his soccer-coaching gig and I've got my cake-decorating gig. It's a GOOD kind of busy because we're busy doing the things we love! It's pretty sweet how we've both learned so much about each others' passions in the short time we've been married. Jarryd didn't know how much work actually went into baking and decorating cakes and cupcakes, and I certainly didn't know how much thought and strategy went into being a soccer coach. I've never heard so much about 4-3-3 and 4-3-2 and 2-3-1 and 9-0-2-1-0 formations in my life! {HA, I totally made that last one up.} ;)

Whenever Jarryd and I have a spare moment together it's usually spent eating our supper in front of the tv and enjoying some Gilmore Girls, and then occasionally pausing it to talk about how our days went. We just can't get enough!! Besides bedtime, that is absolutely our favourite time of the day! <3

I can just feel that Fall is right around the corner because I'm gettin' that undeniable craving to listen to all of Taylor Swifts' albums, new and old. It can't be stopped, you guys! The second reason that I know fall is around the corner is because the grocery store FINALLY released Pumpkin Spice coffee creamer. Apparently I missed the memo because the first time I checked, all they had left was the Sugar-Free version {blech!}. But the second time, they were fully stocked with extra-sugary Pumpkin Spice creamer. Mmm... I'm drinking it as I type actually.

It's actually a good thing I bought that creamer because it saves me money in the long run. For example, the thought of dropping by Starbucks on my commute home from work lingered in my mind UNTIL I remembered I had Pumpkin Spice creamer waiting for me at home. Why buy the milk when you already have the cow at home, right? {HA! Did I butcher that "saying" or what?!}

But then I'm seriously conflicted inside because the Starbucks PSL won't be around forever, so why wouldn't I just get it while I can, right?! Sigh...

Speaking of the grocery store, I am there ALL THE TIME. For real! It's because every time I get a cake order there's always some type of ingredient that I need to stock up on. Well, yes that's true, but it's not the whole truth. Whenever we run out of chips I head to grocery store. Yes, chips are the only reason I need to go grocery shopping. {Lately I've been really into Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili--but you didn't actually need to know that...unless you feel the need to send me some in the mail?! Yes?!}

Also, seeing as I am person of routine, I really wish I had ONE grocery store to shop at. You know? Like one that has every single item that you need, all at a great price. But I don't! I actually jump around four different grocery stores. Not in ONE trip, silly. In one trip I'll jump to a maximum of two stores. I alternate depending on what I need.
1) Aldi: They have spectacular prices that just can't be beat! Also, they have the cart system where you need a quarter in order to take a cart out, and then when you put your cart back in, you get your quarter back. {I like this because it reminds me of the grocery stores back home in Canada!} Despite all these great things, they don't have much selection, a.k.a they don't have the chips I like.
2) Safeway: I really like Safeway because it's nicest looking grocery store around and they have a fantastic produce selection. It's where I like to buy mangos and apples. ;) They also have a Starbucks right at the entrance....so yeahhhh. {need I say more?!} There's nothing better than grocery shopping with a PSL, right?! Anyway, I was going here pretty frequently until I read in the news about someone getting assaulted right outside in the parking lot!! I'm kind of hesitant to go grocery shopping there now, especially since I usually go alone! :S
3) Food Lion: They're the closest grocery store to us, so when we're in a pinch we go here. But it's definitely nothing special...like I honestly have nothing to say about it right now...
4) Wal-Mart. I know, I know, how could I?! Bring on the haters. Trust me, I don't like Wal-Mart either. BUT they're the only store near me that sells cake decorating products at a pretty dang good price. {They also sell the Pioneer Woman kitchen brand, which makes it feel a little more "Targety" inside} But let me tell you, Wal-Mart in this area is super sketchy, like incredibly janky. I purposely dress down when I go just so I don't stand out too much. And then there's Wal-Mart in Canada, it's just absolutely gorgeous. {I take that back, "gorgeous" is a strong word...}. It's more decent and clean-looking I should say. Also, people get shot at this Wal-Mart here, and yet I still go. It must be the cake-decorating motivation inside of me that just can't be bothered, you know?

Since we're still on the topic of grocery stores, I'm actually a huge fan of the whole "self-checkout" ordeal. I love avoiding any possible chance of awkward small-talk with cashiers. Seriously, I never know what to say when after asking a cashier how they're doing and they reply with in the most depressing tone "oh you know, hangin' in there" or "as good as I can be for being here" or "it's Monday, so enough said". Like, what am I supposed to say? "Thank you for making me feel guilty for asking you about your well-being..."?
Oh well, I feel I'm allowed to comment on cashier-etiquette only because I used to be one. Good times!

Why am I a Cook?

As most of you probably know, I LOVE learning about personalities and doing personality assessments is one of my favourite activities. {Myers-Briggs is the best!} I have this habit of when meeting someone new, I read them and fit them into little personality boxes with labels such as thinker/doer/logical/passionate/emotional/risk-taker/shy/outgoing for example. And because everyone knows that first impressions are never reliable when it comes to making judgements about someone, this person will do something out of that little personality box I made for them and completely surprise me. And then I'm all out of sorts and have to figure out a new box for them. It's as if I'm just asking to be surprised. {It makes me wonder if I ever surprise anyone about my personality...}

And it's rare that I'll meet someone and think "wow, what an awful personality"; 99% of the time I think to myself "wow, I love their personality--I sure hope it rubs off on me because I really admire ______ about them".

^ Oh man, does anybody else do this?! And why do I do this to myself, you ask? I have no idea. It keeps my mind entertained that's for sure. I just find people and their little quirks so interesting.

I read somewhere that one of the worst jobs for an INFJ personality such as myself, is being a cook. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I DO FOR 40 HOURS A WEEK. How does this even make sense?

I think when it said "cook" it was most likely implying culinary jobs such as "line cook" or "sous chef"--something extremely high-pressure. I work neither of those jobs. My position at work is more along the lines of "assistant to the chef/prep cook". My top priority at work is prepping ingredients for the fruit and salad bar (which means alot of chopping--which I LOVE!}.

BUT, just because my position isn't extremely-pressurized doesn't mean I'm free of that. In fact, I am surrounded by co-workers whose positions are that way. I am surrounded by high stress.
And anybody who knows INFJ's we loathe pressure, stress, negativity, feeling rushed, loud distracting environments, chaos, and too much social interaction. These are all of the things I experience at work--this is exactly what goes on in a commercial kitchen.

In regards to other people surprising me about their personalities, in this area of my life, I completely and totally surprise myself! Seriously! I often wonder if my friends or family can even picture me being a cook because I don't fit the personality type of a cook. {I'm not one to swear like a sailor, you know?}

I also wonder how I've survived this long in the culinary industry. It's been over 3 years of food-service jobs for me and that's actually a long time. In all honesty, I don't dread going to work. I truly enjoy my job and what I do. Absolutely, there are things about my job that I wish I could change; but the positives outweigh the negatives by far.

Positives About My Job:
Routine full-time hours
Routine tasks of working with my hands and still room for creativity
Small team of co-workers (6 of us in total)
A great boss!
Benefits/Vacation Pay/Sick pay ect.
Constantly learning new things/picking up new skills
Eating delicious food and trying new foods
I get to wear a white chef jacket. Woo!

Negatives About My Job:
Loud environment so it's hard to carry meaningful conversations
On my feet the entire time/actually quite physically demanding on the feet and legs {this is the worrrrsssst!}
At times stressful/chaotic/negative
Lack of privacy and socially draining
Waking up at 5 AM {actually this one is the worst!}

I still think it's interesting how I ended up being a cook. Sometimes at work when I am tired of standing and socially drained I find myself day dreaming about what it'd be like hidden from the world in a little cubicle, sitting in a comfy office chair, typing random numbers with my keyboard, with cheesy family photos pinned up all around me, a hot coffee next to my own computer, and my hair and makeup all done wearing a pencil skirt and high heels, and easy access to myself cell phone all day long. Sometimes I think I may have been better suited for a data-entry type job...

Oh well. Often our jobs and careers hold alot of weight in what we consider our identity to be. People might think "Oh she's a cook, so she must be ____, ____, and _____". Yes, I'm a cook but believe me, I'm soooo out of the norm when it comes to chef personalities. I cannot fit into a little chef box. I do not connect my identity to my career; to me they are separate. The only connection there is FOOD--I love food and working with food. Being a cook has never been my dream job and it never will. Is it so wrong for me to say that I'm really only working at my job for stable paycheck and the benefits?

Haha, it sounds wrong in a way...but I'm just there for the money. This doesn't negate the fact that this job is a HUUUUUGE blessing and that I'm incredibly thankful for it! Not at all! God is providing for Jarryd and I and He chose this job for me in this season of life at this time for His specific reasons. He Has me right where He wants me and I am quite content because I make a DAILY decision to live a life of thankfulness and gratitude which lead to contentment. :)

P.S- What is my current DREAM JOB? I would LOVE to be a foodie/baker/dessert blogger. Have a baking business, take photos of my creations, and blog all about it. AT HOME. {Hermits and homebodies for the win!} I'd also like to have a cat, a very very very affectionate and loving cat. Who knows, maybe I'll get there one day. :) <3

The New Normal.

^Making new Saturday morning traditions, blogging, bagels with cream cheese, and COFFEE in my new mug!!

Hi blog friends!! Eeek! I miss you, so so much.

I have officially completed my first full 3 weeks of work and the accomplishment feels great {and so does the paycheck}. ;) My eat and sleep schedules have finally adjusted; now, I'm not saying I get 8 hours of sleep every night {because I DON'T and it tears me up inside!} but I find myself getting sleepy and ready to retire into the bedroom between the hours of 8 and 9 pm. *thumbs up*

Does anyone else ever feel simply inadequate when it comes to time management?! That, is my issue right now.
It's Saturday morning and the apartment is an utter mess. {I apologize, I feel like my messy apartment is all I blog about anymore!} And I JUST remembered now that I have to get some laundry done. BRB (that means "Be Right Back"--for those of you living in the stone age)...

OK I'm back! Where was I...? Oh yeah, the apartment mess. Literally every room needs to be cleaned up. It fascinates me--in the most annoying way--how quickly a mess can form. And there are only TWO of us living here. What is going to happen when kids come into the mix? Yikes. Perhaps I'll have my time management skills down by then?

The "new normal" right now is that I wake up at 4:50 AM, leave the apartment by 5:20 AM, arrive at work at 5:45 AM, leave work at 2:30 PM, and arrive home at 3:00 PM.
With that said, for 10 hours out of the day, I am away from home. {This feels like such a long time to me.}
If I do get home from work before Jarryd, then I gotta get dinner started right away. Then, we eat. And the last thing either of us wants to do after dinner is clean. Especially in my case because I am standing all day at work, all I want to do is sit down. Sit anywhere and everywhere!

When I was working part-time hours, I actually enjoyed cleaning. Makes sense right? I have more energy, and more time to turn up my music and make something fun out of it.

NONETHELESS, I have honestly enjoyed my new job. Really! I have definitely gotten into the swing of things, and I know my job well. I love love LOVE the routine of it all. My quirky personality just loves the organization of it all.

I hate to compare, but at my old job every single hour of every single day was a surprise. I can't remember if I have shared this on my blog before or not, but at my old job I struggled with SO much anxiety. Writing it out on here does not do justice to the feelings at all--in fact, seeing my words across the screen, they appear silly and elementary.

For those of you who don't know, at my previous job I was a cook at a hotel/resort/conference center. Sometimes I'd have to cook for over 200+ people on my own, which was a nightmare in itself. But it didn't matter how high or low the guest numbers were, it was the fact that I didn't know the numbers half the time. Nobody there understood though; when I'd tell people "Hey, I feel like I never know what is going on here!", I would receive a "that's just the way it is" laugh-it-off type of reply. It was the constant unknown that caused the stress and anxiety. I would have shifts where my heart wouldn't stop racing and I'd be unable to take a full, deep breath. I would take multiple trips to the bathroom just so I could be alone and close my eyes {and sometimes cry}.

{Can any of you relate to my struggle with anxiety at all?}

Perhaps I was just a lone routine-organizational-craving personality surrounded by thrill-seeking-challenge-craving personalities? Am I the only person on earth who loathes disorganization in the workplace? Whatever it may be, I am so thankful that God hears/heard my prayers at brought me to where I am now: a workplace where everyday pretty much looks the same. A workplace where I only have 5 coworkers {instead of 50+ coworkers whose names I can never get right}.

This job is a huge blessing in that we'll be able to pay off our debt in a quicker fashion! In comparison to most, our debt is quite small. But comparisons aside, we have debt and it needs to be paid off. I guess I'll hold off on the Target shopping sprees then, sigh... :P

Also, nobody tells you how quickly the two-day weekend goes by. Sure, they always say "that sure went by fast", but they never really tell you how fast. It's literally gone in the blink of an eye. I feel so deceived!

Anyway, do any of you full-time-jobbers/time-management-experts have life advice for this girl? ;)

Hello Weekend--A Recap Of My Week.

Hello blog and friends! I've missed you so. I just completed my very first week--of full-time, Monday to Friday--at my new job. And wow-wee, by Friday afternoon I was T I R E D.

I have felt all sorts of disoriented since I signed onto this new job. My normal routine of using my midweek mornings and afternoons to do laundry, baking/cooking, cleaning, and BLOGGING have totally disappeared. :'(

The beauty of part-time work is that you have soooo much time to conquer to-do lists and endulge in endless hobbies. But the downside of part-time work is a substantial drop in income (of course), and in my former case, sporadic hours of work throughout the whole week (including weekends).

With this full-time job, by the time I get home at 3 pm I have to get dinner rolling. Then when the hubs gets home an hour later, the rest of the evening is history! (Can anyone tell me how weekday evenings seem to fly by so quickly? Is it because I'm continuously checking the clock, counting down the hours before I have to go to bed obnoxiously early?)

In regards to blogging/writing, I have always found it easier to do so when I am alone and my surroundings are quiet. But you know what? I think with my alone-time cut down to practically non-existent, I need to force myself to write even when I'm not in "introverted mode". Does that makes sense? :)

Today, (Saturday), we woke up to see the apartment in shambles. The natural bright light of the morning really reveals everything, doesn't it? Laundry piles all over the floor...dirty dishes all over the kitchen island...garbage can overflowing...and clutter everywhere. It's the WORST waking up to a messy home. At least to me it is. We then spent the morning getting the laundry done, picking things up, and running the dishwasher. I feel like this is the worst way to spend a Saturday morning. Blech.

I'm just excited to adjust to this new work schedule and get my weekly routine down. I have to remind myself that the apartment isn't always going to be this messy and I'm not always going to be this tired. I just haven't found my groove yet, you know? In time, in time. :)

So I'm sure y'all are dying to hear about my past week--the suspense is killing you, right?! Haha jokes. I have myself a wide open Saturday afternoon so I finally have time to write a recap of my week. Here goes!

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Jarryd and I attended a conference for our church last Saturday. It was a morning filled with time to get to know the pastors/elders from the churches different campuses, spiritual gift assessments, and--my favourite activity--personality profiles! By learning these things about myself, I'm able to see where I'd best be suited to serve in the church. We did the DISC personality profiles and I was HANDS DOWN an "S", also know as "Steadiness", also known as a golden retriever. :P

^ I mean, look at that! This is totally me. The highest you can score per section is 25 and my "S" was 25. Can any of you guys relate to this??

Jarryd of course was a "D" for "Dominance". I could have done his quiz for him, and he for me. ;)

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This Tuesday was the start of my very first women's "Freedom Group" meeting, and it was awesome. Not just the ladies that I met, not just the content that we dug into...but the timing of it all.

I honestly had such a bad day that day. I definitely won't get into it on my blog, but emotionally I was a wreck. I cried the whole car ride home from work, I cried during my shower, and I cried telling Jarryd about it later. I was tempted to skip the Freedom Group all together, seeing as I wasn't in the "mood" for it. But I pushed that low-life temptation aside and arrived, happy to be there!

And, it was great. It was all about Jesus. JESUS. It's like because I had forgotten about Jesus, all of my problems seemed so much bigger than they actually were.

We touched on Romans 5:8, a verse that even now I can't seem to get out of my head.

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

Not after we had sinned and asked for forgiveness, but WHILE we were sinning; in the midst of our sinning He loved us and died on the cross for us. While we were mocking Him and spitting on Him, He died for us!

We took that verse to an interpersonal level and asked ourselves, "is this how we react to those who are hurting us? Do we show love to them while they are hurting us? Or do we wait until they beg for our forgiveness?" Wow. Talk about a wake up call. I realized then and there that I need Jesus so badly. I need His strength to help me love those who hurt me and I need His eyes to show me the bigger picture; to see the world through not through my narrow view, but through His vast perspective. 

This meeting was exactly what I needed because it renewed my mind for the week (and hopefully for the rest of my life)! I no longer felt hopeless and defeated, but I felt refreshed and joyful. I for real woke up the next morning incredibly happy! (Happy at 5 am, impossible! Not anymore!) God is so good. Because of Him, I didn't let anything negative get to me; He kept my spirits high.

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As for work, overall it has been good! My first full week has been a success. I have definitely gotten the hang of things and have even stepped outside of my comfort zone. The job is not perfect, it's not my dream job, but in all honesty I prefer it to my old job. (Which is a HUGE relief!!)

The food shown above is just one of the perks of working in a cafe. I get to try new food and drinks! And when I say drinks, I mean Starbucks Frappucinos. At least once a day...sometimes even twice. Hehe!

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My morning and afternoon commutes have been filled with Bethel Music's album "You Make Me Brave". Oh. my. If you don't have this album, I highly recommend it. I can't stop listening to it. It brings me so much joy. It's my daily reminder of why I'm on this earth and who I'm living for: Jesus.

The song "Forever" by Kari Jobe always moves me and brings me to tears. (It also sounds SO good cranked up in the car!)

The moon and stars they wept
The morning sun was dead
The Saviour of the world was fallen
His body on the cross
His blood poured out for us
The weight of every curse upon him

One final breath he gave
As heaven looked away
The son of God was laid in darkness
A battle in the grave
The war on death was waged
The power of hell forever broken

The ground began to shake
The stone was rolled away
His perfect love could not be overcome
Now death where is your sting?
Our resurrected King
Has rendered you defeated

Forever he is glorified
Forever he is lifted high
Forever he is risen
He is alive, He is alive!

We sing hallelujah
We sing hallelujah
We sing hallelujah
The Lamb has overcome

--------------  --------------

By the time Friday afternoon came around, I was too tired to do anything. Well, anything other than watch the first season of "Fuller House". (!!!) You guys, I was so impressed! It's JUST as funny as "Full House" was, and the little jabs at Marykate and Ashley Olsen are priceless. I am 2 episodes away from completing the whole season, and then I am going to watch it all over again. That's how much I love it!

--------------  --------------

So that was my week. To sum it all up, it was a rollercoaster of a week, filled with bad emotions, good emotions, JESUS, early bedtimes, great worship music, adjusting to the new normal, Freedom Group, sleeping in this morning, Fuller House, and the TV show Kitchen Nightmares. All I'm gonna say is that watching Gordon Ramsay throw up into a trash can was the cherry on top of an interesting week. ;)

ALSO, at the grocery store we decided to pick up a pineapple. I couldn't help but think that pineapples are one of the most beautiful and interesting fruits! Seriously! It's so unique looking. I have now decided that this is going to be my next drawing project:

Yippeee! I can't wait to get started on it! :)

Thanks for reading, everyone. I really appreciate all of the feedback and advice. :) <3

Goodbye & Hello.

On Friday I said goodbye to the workplace I have spent that last 10 months of my life at.

And tomorrow I say hello to my new Monday to Friday job! :)

This new season of my life feels so great and I'm excited for the change; as one of my previous co-workers pointed out, this new full-time job with hours that coincide with Jarryd's hours, is exactly what I have been praying for. God has answered my prayers and I never want to forget that or take it lightly. All praise to Him! <3

I'd better get to bed soon. 5 AM is gonna be here before I know it!

Wish me luck! ;)

Thankfulness Amid The Exhaustion.

Hey everyone! I started my new job on Tuesday and so for the past three days it has felt like one big blur. Wake up at 5:00 AM, get ready, drive 25 minutes, and start work at 6:00 AM.
Then, once work ends, I go out and run errands.
When Jarryd gets home at 4:00 PM, we eat, talk, and watch a WHOLE lot of Gilmore Girls. {We are reaching the end of season 7, things are extra juicy, so it's literally impossible to watch just one episode you know?!}
OH, and then we try to go to bed at 9:00 PM. Wow. What has my life become? In the first year of our marriage Jarryd and I would stay up till 2, 3, 4:00 AM most nights. And now we go to bed at 9:00pm?! Trust me, I'm not opposed because I value sleep more than most, I'm just shocked and slightly impressed at my ease of adapting to change.

This may sound silly after just three days of work, but I am exhausted. A new job comes with so much listening, observing, learning, and follow-through. I have just been on a constant stream of taking IN, IN, IN, with no giving OUT. Writing is 100% my outlet, and with all of this I haven't had the time nor energy to write. Even responding to all the texts I've received from friends asking how my new job is going, is tough. It's hard to respond to other peoples questions when I haven't even allowed myself to assess, mull, and process how my past three days have gone. {Introvert issues, right?} :P
I finally have a few hours this morning before I need to head into work {my old job}, so I am choosing to use these hours to unwind as much as I can and write my little heart out!

I am working every day starting from last Tuesday until the afternoon of next Monday. Seven days in a row, with two of those days being 10 hour days. And one of those days is Valentines Day. {Speaking of Valentines Day, I was weirdly looking forward to it this year. I pictured myself making chocolate covered strawberries and just having a fabulous day with Jarryd. But reality showed up and I am working that entire day.} I never should have agreed to work at this new job while finishing up the two weeks of my old job. Why do I do these things to myself? Thank you to my sister who reminds me that the paycheck at the end of this will be glorious. {Perhaps once I'm on that shopping spree at Target I'll be extraordinarily pleased with all of the hard work I put into the past two weeks. LOL!}

But, I have been missing something. Throughout all of this I have been forgetting something so important. I've been so overwhelmed and exhausted just thinking about how I still have 4 more days of work ahead of me, that I have forgotten the One who provided all of this work for me.

I found the above picture on Pinterest a few weeks ago; it was relevant then and it is relevant now. Truthfully, it will always be relevant! I remember it was only a year ago, after I had received my EAD card in the mail {Employment Authorization Card--that comes before your Green Card}, all I wanted was a job. I just wanted to WORK! It is so agonizing not working.
Then, when I finally got a job last April, all I wanted was more hours. More hours = more money! The summer was crazy at my old workplace, I think the only thing I even did last summer was work. And then, when Jarryd got a full-time job with perfect hours, and no weekends, I wanted that too. So I prayed to God, please help me find a job with the same hours as Jarryd! Full-time with no weekends so I can go to church again!
And as undeserving as I felt and still do feel, God provided me with this new job: a job with perfect hours, full-time, NO weekends, and even benefits too! I was SO thankful.

And because I am a ridiculous human being who is never satisfied, and is always wanting more, more more. My thankfulness to God has been polluted with exhaustion. Here, God has provided me with SO many hours. He is providing for our financial need {He always has}, and yet I've totally neglected to keep thanking Him.

Yes, I was SO thankful when I got hired for this new job; but I believe that thankfulness is a daily thing. I can't just be grateful to God for one day and that be it. I need to live with a heart of thankfulness; it makes everyday so much better, more fulfilling!

"ALWAYS {give} thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." {Ephesians 5:20}

Our apartment might be disaster zone, laundry is piling up, social life is nonexistent, and this weekend/Valentines Day might be a bust, but I have so much to be thankful for.
On the plus side, after Friday the 19th, my "two weeks notice" weeks will be over and I'll be officially a Monday to Friday workin' woman! YAY!! I'm so close! :)

OH my new job is going great! So far, its pros far outweigh the pros of my previous job. I am certain that I made a good choice in pursuing a new job.

 I even get to wear a white chef's coat! :)

And this is where I get to take my breaks! Isn't all of the natural light just beautiful?!

Thanks for reading and I'll try to keep you updated when I can. Please keep me and my sanity in your prayers! :) <3

I Got The Job!

Hey everyone! So, remember how exactly one week ago I went in for an interview?
Well, I am pleased to say, I got it! I got the job!!

I will now be a cook at a cafe/restaurant in an office building; I will even get to wear a white chef's coat! (Eeep!)

Truthfully there wasn't much of an anxious waiting period, because as we were finishing up the interview, my future-boss said to me, "the job is yours if you want it".
And because I'm not one to make rash decisions as I need my precious me-time to mull it over/and pray about it, I replied with, "Great! I'll think about it and get back to you". ;)

As I wrote last week, I drove straight to the mall, and beelined it to Barnes & Noble. I sat down at one of their little tables--with a Caramel Brûlée Latte in hand--, feeling super tingly and called Jarryd. (I love that excited tingly feeling!!) He was SO happy and excited for me but said "why are you calling me?! Hang up right now and tell him you're accepting the job". (Haha!)

I was nervous! It's a big deal calling your future-boss and telling him that you're choosing to commit to a new job! Isn't it?!

Needless to say, my future-boss was so pleased to receive my phone call. So, after a week of background checks (these always take way too long for me to fill out, as I have 8 different address in my short 25 years of living), drug tests (I got to pee in a cup for the first time in my life!), and giving my present employer my two weeks notice, I start my very first day: TOMORROW!

(Because my present job is part-time, I have a few days this week where I am free to start at my new job, which is nice seeing as I don't have to wait two whole weeks to start!)

Aside from being nervous-outta-my-mind about tomorrow, I am truly very excited. It's a big decision saying "YES!" to a new job, but it's not so scary when it feels right.
A few reasons why it feels right are:

• I felt so much peace about giving my two-weeks notice, and I just feel at peace overall.
• The pay is better than my current job. More money is always a plus!
• It's full-time!
• The hours are A-MAZING! Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM-2:30 PM. (This means NO WEEKENDS!)
• Awesome benefits! Seriously!
• At my interview I met some of the employees and they gave off a good vibe. They seemed very friendly, as if they actually enjoyed their jobs. (It is extremely difficult to work with people who hate their jobs!)
• This job screams "routine". Other than the hours being consistent, I'll literally be seeing the same people every single day because we are a client of a huge banking/financial service company who serves their office workers. I love routine!!
• The commute is about 25 minutes. Not too shabby.
• I was told I'll predominantly be working in the BOH (back-of-house), which were the magic words for me accepting this position. I always prefer to be behind-the-scenes.

When I started at my present job ten months ago, I started out as a prep-cook. A few months later after I got the feel for things, I was working more as a "cook" than a "prep cook"; for instance, I was no longer preparing things for the cook/sous chef, I was now the one in charge of things. I was now the one who'd leave the kitchen to go outside and talk to guests about their meals or special diet requests. I was the one making meals for 200+ people by myself. I was now training and teaching other new co-workers. And at first I hated it. I absolutely had no desire to be in charge of the kitchen, or any superiority for that matter. I was perfectly content being a prep-cook.

But as time moved on, being in charge and preparing meals on my own became second nature. I'm definitely no expert at it, but it just became easier. So when it came to job hunting, six months ago I only looked into the job postings that were titled "baker" or "prep cook". I was stubborn. I was only interested in either my dream job of working in a bakery or a prep cook position that required hardly any challenges or responsibility. Yikes, it feels quite shameful to see that typed out on my computer screen. :/

But this past January, something clicked inside of me. I KNOW how to cook. I then proceeded to give myself a pep-talk that went something along the lines of:
I have a year of culinary school under my belt, I have almost 4 years of employment experience in the food industry, and this past year of work has been incredibly educational for me. I have learned SO much. I can do so many things in the kitchen and know so many things that most people don't.
I finally had the confidence to say to myself what everyone else had been telling me: I am so skilled!

This then resulted in non-stop job hunting under the category of "cooks", and I applied to an abundance of nursing homes, hospitals, and other health-care centres.
I am convinced that if I never would have discovered this confidence in myself, I would still be working part-time at my current job with no hope whatsoever.

I definitely didn't think landing a new job would have happened this fast. I feel incredibly blessed by God for giving me this opportunity. I seriously could not stop smiling after the interview. Like for the first time in my life I finally have a full-time job, with amazing hours, and amazing benefits. (This is seriously so rare for a culinary career!) This job is going to help Jarryd and I in so many ways. I can't even tell you how excited I am to have the same hours as him! We can now sleep in together and experience lazy Saturday mornings on a regular basis. I'll never have to miss church for work now! AND we can plan travel adventures for the weekends too without having to take any work off.

It definitely all seems too good to be true. I'll admit I am the kind of person who after such a blessing as this one, I try to find any sort of "catch". Like, there has to be something terrible about this job that I just haven't found out yet. Perhaps the "catch" is that I'll never get to watch "The View" with bagels and cream cheese and coffee in hand on a regular basis. If that's the case, it's not so bad then. I'll survive I think. :)
But I really don't want to be that way. I want to let go of all that negativity and just rest in the goodness of God.

{Source}

Thank you to everyone for reading this and keeping me in your prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for me as it's typical of me to be super nervous for new jobs resulting in a horrible night's sleep. Tomorrow is my big day and I need all the rest I can get. Also, I hope it like it!! :)

What Month is it Again?

Even though this is my second December spent in Maryland, I'm finding myself growing in confusion more and more each day.

Inside, I see a fireplace going. It is surrounded by beautiful layers of Christmas wreaths, ornaments, Poinsettias, ect.:

{My workplace has been decorated! How pretty!}

Then I go outside and see sunshine, green grass, flowers, clear skies, leaves, ect.:

{My attempt at some Panoramic action. Don't laugh.}

What on earth?!

And get this! This afternoon I spent an hour outside my workplace...sunbathing.
It is December, right?
I'm sunbathing...in...December...

...I'll take it!! :D

The Life of an Anxious Cook.

Isn't my workplace beautiful?
Sometimes I find any excuse I can to take the collapsed cardboard boxes to the recycling bin outside, just so I can breathe in the fresh morning air and allow time to stand still for just a moment.

It's always nice to escape the chaos of a busy kitchen.

Last Saturday evening, just before dinner was about to begin, I brought out a pile of cardboard and put it in the bin. Rather than going back inside right away I decided I wanted to look out onto the water. The other cooks will be fine without me, I'll only be gone for a few minutes. ;)

Next thing I know I stumble upon two elderly ladies who claim to be "a little lost" and are wondering where the doors are to get back inside. They are both so friendly and adorable that I cannot help but strike up some conversation with them.

This place is absolutely beautiful, you are so lucky to work here! They said. But I'm sure it's not always perfect all of the time...

In my head: Hmm...you're absolutely right. The anxiety I dwell in sometimes pushes me over the edge here. There are some days I leave the kitchen at the end of my shift without saying goodbye to anybody, because I've just plain "had absolutely enough" and never want to talk to another human being again. I get tired of asking questions that I deem important only to be responded with "you're smart, you'll figure it out". (Perhaps I will figure it out, but I'd rather figure it out in the most efficient fashion possible)! Not to mention the stress of cooking for over 200 people by myself weighs heavily on me. And 14 hours is just too many hours to work in one day. There are some days when my shift is over I drive home in complete silence with no radio on, because I can't stand anymore noise. Some days I get home, draw the curtains shut, and pull a blanket over my head so that I can somehow unwind. "I need to unwind" is a sentence I say much too often. My brain is like a plane flying that can't escape the turbulence. Sometimes I'll just stand in the freezer room just to escape and cool off. Other times I'll run to the bathroom, text Jarryd with a "I can't do this anymore" while letting a few relieving stress-tears glide down my cheek.

Out loud: Yes, working here definitely has its good and bad moments, but I just never want to forget how good I have it. You're right it's soooo beautiful here and I never want to take it for granted.

And that's the truth. There really are some seriously--bad--moments here (to say the least), but for the most part the good outweigh the bad.
Now that I've been working here for exactly six months now, every day I feel like I'm getting closer to my co-workers. We have some really good laughs, which honestly makes up for soooo much. When I returned back to work from my two-week-long Canada trip, I was actually missed! As a relationship-oriented person, this feeling of belonging somewhere really "takes the cake".
And at least once a day, "Canada" comes up, and once again I get to talk about my homeland with a little twinkle in my eye. I love it. I'm practically the ambassador of Canada down here. I even whipped out my Canadian coins and 5, 10, and 20 dollar bills and gave a "show and tell" to a bunch of people. Your money is so colorful! You have the Queen on your coins?! When will Kate Middleton be on there too?
I'm also learning so much and have learned so much about the culinary world. My confidence is rising and I like it. Even six months in, I am STILL learning something new every day.
It's also great to be working in a Christian environment that is instilled with morals and values that I believe in. How many people can say that their boss shared a Bible verse with them today? I can. I especially appreciate a Christian environment because I know for a fact I wouldn't last a day in a more secular kitchen...I mean, picture Gordon Ramsay as your expeditor. Terrifying!
Yes, I really do have it good, and right now it seems like it is where I am supposed to be. No, it's definitely not my dream job or anything (keep your fingers crossed that maybe I'll stumble into a bakery one day, siiiigh), but God has given me what I need. (Emphasis on the need).

Today is Monday and I do not go back to work until SATURDAY. I am the happiest girl in the world right now, only because I have the next four days to "unwind" (haha!) and focus on some hobbies of mine. I am so excited for days filled with baking pies, sketching in my new sketchbook, watching The View, having friends over, eating bagels with cream cheese, BLOGGING, and binge-watching Parenthood. Yippee!! <3

Back in the U.S. of A!

Well, I'm back!

My very first trip to Canada as merely a "visitor" has come and gone. Eleven days sure fly by. Eleven amazing days, actually. ;)

While in Canada, I was really excited to get back to the US. I was missing Jarryd, my apartment, and my routine; but I was more excited to get back with new goals in mind and to start things afresh here.

I'm currently on my third day back here in Maryland, and I have already been flummoxed in whirlwind of emotions. I was so happy to see Jarryd, but sad at the thought of no longer being able to call up my best friends and hang out at their house or invite them over. I was sad I couldn't see my parents on a weekly basis, or anyone in my family for that matter.

Without a doubt the biggest sacrifice of moving to a new country have been my family and friends. Nothing could ever top that. I love Canada, and my family and friends are what Canada is to me.

I'm happy, I'm sad, and I'm also fearful.

I'm scared that nothing is going to change. I'm scared that I'll be living in this restless state of mind forever, working at a job that isn't my dream job, and longing for a depth in relationship with family and friends that I may never achieve here.

Take it one day at a time, I suppose.

“Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” Luke 12:22-26

P.S.- A blog post about my Canada trip is in the works! Stay tuned! :)

The Weekdays Are Here!

My weekend is over and I am SO happy about it.
I'm definitely weird in the way that I look forward to the weekdays more so than I do the weekends.

Weekends = chaos.
Weekdays = routine.

Don't get me wrong, the weekends are normally alot of fun because they are filled with exciting experiences all shared with friends and family. Fortunately I would estimate that a good 8/10 times my weekends turn out to be more fun than I ever expect them to. But it's just hard for me to cope with not knowing exactly what to expect, how late will we be staying up? How early do I have to get up? What time do I work? Will I have time to shower between this and this? Who are we seeing? Where are we seeing them? Ect.

What I love about the weekdays is that I have a general idea of what to expect from Monday to Friday. Jarryd always works 7-4. If scheduled to work--I know that I will always work from 6-2. I know that if I'm not scheduled to work, that I'll most likely be spending my mornings with coffee, Rachael Ray, and The View. And I know that my evenings will always be free for whatever we so desire! And I know that we'll always be shootin' to go to bed by 10 pm.

I heart routine almost as much as I heart NYC. Almost. ;)

Friday: I worked from 6-2. Then did some serious shoe shopping for new work shoes. I ended up choosing $65.00 memory-foamed shoes over non-slip shoes, so I will probably break an ankle one of these days at work, (but at least my feet will be incredibly comfy whilst doing so). Then we watched the season premiere of Shark Tank, because that show is AWESOME.

Saturday: Was my 14 hour work day, 6 am to 8 pm. It was agonizingly long, especially when you know it is a Saturday and all of your friends and family are enjoying themselves at home without you. What made it even longer was the fact that my co-workers and I nailed out the prep-list the day before so besides cooking off the meals, we didn't have much else to do. Sigh.

Sunday: Worked 6 am to 10 am. Then I finally went to church! Finally!! It's been much too long! After, we watched football at our place with Tim, then we all went to the in-laws for Jarryd's birthday crab fest.

Oh. My. Goodness. These were the best crabs I've ever had! Their flavour was absolutely impeccable. Eating crabs with Jarryd's family is one of my favourite things to do. We all sit around the picnic table under the shade of the magnolia tree, grab a ton of paper towels, dump a whole bushel of crabs in the centre of the table, grab hold of our mallets and get to picking! Eating crabs together is really just a social bonding experience, and if Jarryd and I ever move away from Maryland, this is one thing I'm really going to miss! Might I add, for a central-Canadian, I am pretty darn good at picking crabs! But in comparison to a Marylander, my crab-picking skills is absolute garbage. :P
Believe me, I wish I had a photo to show you but it's literally impossible to take photos while eating crabs because your hands are like elbow deep in Old Bay seasoning. It's glorious.

Oh and on top of that, my father-in-law grilled us an incredibily delicious dinner of mushroom-swiss burgers, chicken thighs, baked corn, garlic-butter green beans, and apple crisp. Can you say: bloated with pure glee? I know I can.

Monday: Worked my usual 6 am to 2 pm, and then Tim and Jarryd surprised me with tickets to my very first Baltimore Orioles game!!!! (Or as I call them, Baltimore Oreos). It was an awesome experience! Anyone who knows me, knows that I love living like a tourist in my own town/city/region/state/country/world. Camden Yards was on my mental list of ball-parks to visit (with #1 on the list being Fenway Park), and I'm so happy I finally got to see it. It's a beautiful place.

What sets it apart from other ball-parks is its abundance of brick. Doesn't it resemble a historic American university to you?

The moment you enter through the gates you find yourself on what feels like a normal city street, where you're surrounded by shops and restaurants. But really, you're inside a ball-park! How cool!

We all know I gotta wear my glasses so that I can actually see the ball.

Panorama never fails to please.

The three amigos!!

Tuesday (Today): I didn't work this morning, I got to sleep in until 9:45 (although I probably could have slept longer if I hadn't have set my alarm), I drank my coffee, and I watched my tv shows. I am without-a-doubt happy as a clam because I finally have some alone time. It has been 6 days since I've had me-time but it may as well have been 6 months. I've been over-stimulated this past weekend (it's a struggle), and I am just so content to be here in my cozy apartment by myself blogging, dreaming, planning, learning, and praying. :)

A New Normal.

Good morning, friends!
I am writing to you at 10 AM. That is right, 10:00 in theeee morning. Two weeks ago this early in the day I was in the midst of my deepest sleep. But now, as Jarryd and I are going through some job/schedule changes, my wakeup is 6 AM.

The absolute worst part about getting up this early is that throughout the day I'll go through these hour long periods of total exhaustion. I'll sit on the couch in the oddest of positions and won't be able to move because my mind is in a fog and I can't think straight.
I really have to go to the bathroom...I need to get up NOW....nah....I think I'll just lie here for another hour or so and suffer.

The absolute best part about getting up this early is the morning news and talkshows on TV. I was seriously missing out on life before. I thoroughly enjoy drinking my creme brûlée coffee whilst listening to Rachael Ray yelling at her audience (in a fashion that only Rachael Ray can pull off) and the six, yes SIX, ladies of The View bickering at one another.

Do they really need six co-hosts? I mean, is it necessary? Although, I am super thrilled with the two newest co-hosts who are both believers in the Lord. Firstly, I am a huuuuge fan of Candace Cameron Bure. She is like super mom to me; confession, I am even a subscriber to her daughters Youtube channel. I am all about the Bure family. :P

Secondly, on yesterday's show Paula Faris explained what it meant to be a Born-Again Believer and she totally nailed it. It makes me so happy to see these two strong Christian women standing up for their beliefs on national television.

Anyway, in a week my work schedule will be changing from 3pm-8pm back to a 6am-2pm schedule. Lord, help me. For most, these are the dream hours; for me, not so much. At work what happens from 6-2 is that I have to prepare both breakfast and lunch, not to mention prepping ingredients for the next day's meals. It's so stressful and I'm not really looking forward to it. I mean, it's unfortunate because in general my least favourite meal of the day is breakfast, so it's hard putting love into a meal that I don't actually enjoy as much as the others.

BUT the upside to this schedule change is that Jarryd and I will have our evenings free. Meaning, we can actually make plans with anyone and everyone of whom we choose. I think this will make my new work schedule all worth it in the end. :)

Gotta go, it's time for The View.
Ciao!

Moving Day!

Hey y'all!

I am SO excited to finally be able to say this: tomorrow is moving day! Fiiiiiinally.

I have been counting down the minutes, the hours, and the days like a total crazy person.

Thankfully packing for this move has been a breeze. I think I get more stressed out packing for trips and vacations than I do for actual moves (especially when your vacation is in the spring/fall months...those darn sweaters and jackets that you don't know if you'll actually need take up way too much space).

As soon as Jarryd and I decided that we wanted to sign the lease at the end of this month, we started packing things up, taking things to the Goodwill, or throwing things out. We definitely started early on this one (which is totally unusual for us). Most of the time we are those "last minute" type of people. So I'm pretty proud of us.

It is such a busy season for us right now. I am working 40+ hours at work, Jarryd just got a promotion  at work (praise God so much!!) which means longer hours for him. We are packing, moving, and all the while dead tired. I just had my day off and I am still exhausted. I'm so excited for the busy season at work to come to an end. I love my job, but more than one day off a week would be greatly appreciated. I also can't wait to see Jarryd more!!

The tough part about this move is that tomorrow I'm working 6 am-12pm, then we're immediately going to the apartment to sign the lease and go through the orientation. Then we plan to move all of our furniture and things as quickly as we can, because Jarryd still has to go into work in the evening. Phew! I get tired just thinking about it.

It's gonna be hectic, which isn't quite how I envisioned it. In my head we'd move during the day, and after conquering the move we would celebrate by poppin' a bottle of wine, ordering pizza, and watching Netflix. Sigh, I wish. Turns out I'll be on my own with probably no internet yet. Perhaps this is what real adult life is like? Two people with two jobs living under one roof?

Oh well, I am just so thankful and grateful that we get to experience our second year of marriage in a brand new apartment!! :)

And the next time you hear from me, I'll be in my new home!! YAY!

Until next time, (or until we get internet access), cheers! <3