Getting fit

So this week was long. This week was orientation for Richard and by extension, me. We started out with separate classes. One for med students and another for spouses of med students. It is basically a support group to help each other through the hardships of med school. It was really nice to meet new people and to talk to people who understood what we are going through. They mentioned about a million times that they weren't trying to scare us, but in my head I'm thinking, "you are not succeeding...". However, I happened to already know what I was getting myself into, so it didn't bother me....cause I already knew. ;)
Richard went to orientation all week and learned about what to expect in med school, suicide prevention (for real. not even joking), sexual harassment, and good study habits. He learned other stuff too, but mostly stuff I don't understand so if you want to know, ask him. ;) What was hilarious to me was they were put into groups for some of orientation and Rich was put into a group of six girls while being taught about sexual harassment. I couldn't stop laughing. I can't tell you why, but I found that hilarious. he he he..:)

Also this week we were able to start exercising now that we could get into the gym. It is awesome! It's not huge, but it has everything in there and it is fantastic! We've been able to go every morning, but unfortunately my hip started acting up. Soooo that made me angry cause I was really excited about getting back into shape, but my hip is making it so I can't. The worst part is that the women in the ward go walking/running nearly every morning and I go, but I can't do more than walk and even then, after a while it hurts. Awesome.

I was able to get a few job interviews in with the Greenbrier resort as well as a librarian assistant job at WVSOM. I did get the job as a concierge at the Greenbrier. (Basically an information desk/customer service) and I had an interview with the library. I will hear back about that tomorrow...hopefully. I'm hoping for the library job to be closer to Richard and home. The Greenbrier is about 30 min. away and the school is like 10 min. So I will keep in touch about that.

So we have officially started school and we are excited. Richard is excited to learn more and he has already found a study partner that is just as techy as he is and basically thinks and studies the same. Not to mention they have worked out together. This happened without planning. They literally went to the gym at 6:00am at the same time and didn't know the other was doing it. It may become a bromance......I'm slightly concerned....?

This last Sunday we were invited to give a talk (predictable) and were given a calling to be a teacher in the primary of the toughest kids in the group. (also predictable) So we're excited all the same cause we love our ward and that's cool. This Sunday we also had a Cafe Rio night with the med school students in the ward and their spouses. It was amazing even when we all found out that all the cilantro was taken off the shelves because of a bacteria that was found. It made for an interesting night, but it worked and it was fun!

Anyway, haven't had any of the feelings of terrible loneliness yet which everyone says happens so I feel like I'm on top of things here. :) Other than that, just kickin it and having fun! Catch you up later!:)

Ikea and other fun things

This week was awesome.We played basketball with the guys in our ward who are also students at WVSOM. Most of them are either third years or first years. Most second years tend to go home during their break which makes perfect sense. :) I was the only girl that played with all the guys and may have made a fool of myself, but it was fun and I got a pretty good workout out of it. Next time however, I will probably go to workout in the other room with some of the other wives. :)

We spent Sunday at church and then that night had dinner with one of the third years and his wife and the missionaries. It was really nice to get to know them a little better and their two big dogs, cat, and kitten. :) Dave (third year) quickly found out how fun Richard is and came together over their love of movies and medicine. He made it quite clear how upset he was that Richard did not come three years sooner! They made quick friends. The wife I found was a fan of Smallville. Those of you who know me, know that I am a fan of Smallville. I have found that is how I make most of my friends. They usually are Smallville fans. Strange, but incredibly true.

On Tuesday, most of you know, Rich and I took a trip to Washington, D.C., which is the closest temple to us. It was a four hour trip, but it was worth it.We listened to Harry Potter on the way their (which is my favorite. Rich was such a trooper.) We visited the temple which was beautiful and spiritual. Afterwards we made our way to Ikea. Now to confess, I have never actually been to Ikea before. I know very sad. I have only heard amazing things about this place and I tell you, it did not disappoint! I loved everything about it. Rich and I went crazy over this place and started planning out our future home. :) The reason we were there in the first place was because no where in Lewisburg did they sell a decent coffee table. We tried Walmart, Lowes, and Goodwill. Some of the places we thought we would find one. Yeah. No doing. So we went and it was amazing. I would live there if I could. We then made our way back home and got home around 11:00pm. Another time we will have to make another trip to see all the historical sights.

Another thing we did recently, was visit the resort we heard so much about, The Greenbrier. We went to check it out to see what all the fuss was about. Again, it did not disappoint. It was huge! and so beautiful. We went inside to look around. In the one wing we walked through, their were tons of little shops. It was like a mini mall inside. Toy shops, clothing stores, jewelry, sports wear, etc. We also saw the spa, pool, bowling alley, bookshop, etc. Everything was so elegantly decorated and clean. I later found out that it is a five star hotel (psht, no duh) and was given the five diamond award. (Well deserved.) This place also had a golf course, Christmas shop, hiking, horses, etc. It was incredible. I have applied for a couple of jobs there. I really hope I get it because not only would it be awesome to work there, but I am genuinely curious to see the rest of the hotel and be able to do so without looking like a creep and like I don't belong. :)

Well, that's all the excitement for now folks! See you next time! ;)

Ocean to Ocean

It has been a long haul! We have had a busy year and even more to come. Richard and I are going to try to keep everyone updated through our blogs. So here it is. It may not be terribly exciting, but I love it. ;)

This past year as most of you already know, I taught third grade and Richard worked at Premier Performance Products where he was the supervisor in the returns department. It was a hard, but rewarding year teaching and working. I definitely helped us prepare for the big move and to get things together. Richard found out around August or September last year that he was accepted into West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). We took this as a chance to prepare. I got a year of teaching under my belt and we were able to look at apartments and scope out other things in the area to know about.

We finished work in June and took the opportunity to spend time with family and traveling a little bit. We first went on a family reunion with the Newman side up to ocean shores, WA. It was a blast! We did all sorts of activities like swimming, playing in the ocean, horseback riding, going for a walk in a beautiful forest, go-kart riding, fishing, and visiting little shops in the town. It was really nice to connect with the whole family together again for a few days.

After the end of the reunion, Rich and I decided that while we were in Washington, we should go and see Seattle. It was a city I had never been to before and it was a fun adventure for us. So we drove there and found a hotel to stay in and immediately hit the ferry across the way to Seattle. And coming in, it was a beautiful sight.

You could see the city as you came in and for the first time seeing it, it was enchanting. We got some lunch and looked around for a while before the Mariners game started. The only thing I have found so far that I did not particularly like about the city was that there were a lot of hills and stairs everywhere. And not short ones. No, no, they went on for hundreds of stairs and hills. ughahaha....

Everything else was wonderful. 

We went to a couple of museums too. One of the coolest ones we went to was the EMP museum. It had the actual costumes from the Star Wars movies. (and yes I am a total nerd for star wars)

The last thing we did was see the space needle. Which explains itself. 

After Seattle we went to Utah for my family reunion with the Crandell's. Also a blast! We did the Hogle Zoo and went on a bike ride to Utah lake. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was such a beautiful ride. There was also great food, a water fight, and of course, star wars movie. :)

Lastly, we made the drive to Ronceverte, West Virginia. It was roughly 30+ hours in two incredibly full cars and one frightened cat. It wasn't as bad as I expected. We were able to make it without a hitch. The cat was frightened and found a little cave to hide in the entire ride, but we made it. We quickly found just how humid it is here, but making it work. The first two days we put the house together, the next two days we bought all necessary items like food. :) Now we are making friends and just kicking it. We are excited to be here and are can't wait for the adventure to begin!

Thanks for reading and I promise they will not all be this long! Had a lot to cover! :)

Still in Limbo...

Graduation Day from BYU-Idaho!

Life after graduation from college is not exactly as fun as you might think... in our situation anyway. It is a time of reflection about your life and where you want to go from here. The only problem is, we're not exactly sure where that is yet. :) Richard has sent in his medical school applications and have received the 'go ahead' for secondary applications which involves a whole lot of essays. He has now sent in about six school's applications and have roughly seven more to go. Not too shabby, but definitely expensive just to send in a piece of paper! It has been quite the learning experience and it will become increasingly difficult for both of us as it continues on. However, I am excited for the road ahead, despite the challenges and trials that come with it. Aren't we glad that our doctors today DO go through such a rigorous process so that we only get the best care that there is? On the other hand, I feel bad for the wives especially with children at home. It is not an easy process and you are practically a single mother in this process because of the insane amount of hours that the husband has to go through for school and residency. (or for the wife) I have a new appreciation for super-moms. There are some amazing women out there and I hope to be just like them one day. (This is not an indication that I am pregnant. Not quite there yet. :))

Wouldn't he make a great Dad? I think so!

In the meantime, I am working part-time at Dillard's in Idaho Falls. I work the Customer Service desk on the second floor. Literally behind a desk all day answering phone calls and solving (or at least trying to) any problems that may arise. Not exactly exciting, but it is work and I will take it gladly. Not to mention that in my spare time waiting to answer a call (which is quite a bit) I get to sit and read a book. I haven't had the opportunity to just sit and read for a long time. (or at least a book I want to read and not just a textbook.) Now I do it on a daily basis and I love catching up on all the books that I have been missing out on. :)
As the process continues with Richard's applications, I've been trying to figure out what to do with my time while we are...wherever it is that we are going. :) I could either get a teaching certificate in the state and start teaching (hopefully), take this time and get my masters degree and then start a family and/or teach, or I could just start raising a family. I know I definitely want a family and I know I will have one eventually either way, it will just be on my own for a while if we choose to have kids now, while Richard goes through medical school. It is no fault of his own, but because of the amount of time they require, he just won't be home as much as he would like when we do decide to have a family. So what if we are both in school and get a higher education together? We will be in debt for a while either way, but it is a possibility since I will need a masters degree sooner or later. So why not now while I do have time? (sigh) such a dilemma. If anyone has any advice, I am definitely open to it. :) In the meantime, I am just enjoying life with the time I do have with family, friends, and my husband while I still can. Just living life in limbo. :)

Passing time...

So it has been a while. Not a whole lot has happened, but that is just kind of my life right now. :) I finished my student teaching last semester and graduated with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education in April. Richard also graduated the same semester in Exercise Physiology. Richard took his MCAT test at the end of April and we are supposed to find out his score tomorrow sometime! Then we start the grueling process of medical school applications. It is grueling because each application is a couple $100 a pop. So very expensive especially when nothing is a sure thing.
I also recently (like 3 weeks ago or more; lost count) sent in my application to become certified as a teacher. It has yet to come in, but I hear it can take months...oh joy. There is just something satisfying about holding that paper in your hand and waiting for it is a pain. But we did finally get our diploma's in the mail so that was nice. :)
So now we are looking at medical schools and applying for jobs like crazy. We both have had a couple of interviews, but no dice. Thankfully Richard has two jobs he can work right now, but we are hoping for something different. I think the lord has something else in mind for us, or at least that is what it is starting to feel like. :)
Other than that, we are just hanging out with family and friends and doing our best to stay afloat. For me especially because without a job I would need a hobby to keep me from going insane. I'm reading books and cleaning and looking for projects to do. Right now I am trying to learn about cars. I checked out a book called "Auto Repair for Dummies." That would be me! I thought I might actually try to understand cars in any event that I would need to if Richard or anyone else weren't around especially since we are traveling more and more. I'm thinking about teaching myself Spanish. What do you think?

What? It's only been five months!?

Okay, so I realize I haven't posted anything since April when Richard left for Virginia. What can I say, it was a depressing time for me.... and then it got really busy then. :)
So let us go back about four months. Richard left for Virginia in April to sell security systems for Pinnacle. (Virginia was just where they were selling at the time) It was a fun time for him. I can't tell you how excited he was to do it. Not to mention getting a little money in the bank. At this time, the Newman's or my in-laws, had finally sold their house. We were living in their basement at the time. Therefore, we get kicked out as well.  Since Richard was leaving, (as well as his sister and her husband, that is how we found the job in the first place, Andrew was already doing Pinnacle) I was to move upstairs with the in-laws and help with the move and I wouldn't be alone downstairs. It was not my best day. The love of my life was leaving for three to four months and I was uprooted from a place of many very happy memories. We had lived there for exactly a year. (well April to April...so sort of exact) So many tears shed and I said goodbye to Richard. I moved upstairs and went on with school which was the reason in the first place for not being able to just go with Richard. I talked to him nearly everyday over the phone or on Skype. He was excited for the new adventure. As time went on however, I could tell he was becoming more and more depressed. He was not making any sales. There were so many that wanted the system, but because all of them had bad credit, he couldn't sell it to them. I kept encouraging him that tomorrow was another day and to keep his head up. I believed in him.
One month into the job he called me one night and basically said he was taking the next flight and coming home. I was shocked and frankly, relieved. I was sad for the reason he was coming home, but I was glad all the same. His moral was just going down the drain and I hated feeling helpless from the other side of the country. I just knew that if he was here or at least with me, everything would be okay. So the plans were made and he got not only his old job back at the theater, but another job that was offered by a co-worker to work in satellite and GPS instillation. So things were looking up for us here. The only downside is that we had a month of nearly no income. He had made only one sale. It was that difficult. Nonetheless, I was happy he was home.
So I drove to Salt Lake and picked him up from the airport and drove all the way back to Rexburg that night. It definitely gave us enough time to catch up. Happy reunion. :)
After that, I kept going to school and he was working really hard. We needed to catch up on a months worth of income plus some. We still rarely saw each other, but it was still more than we had had before and we were okay with that.
During this time, the whole family had been working frantically to get the new house ready to move into by the beginning of June. And it needed the work let me tell you. Just imagine the worst 70's decoration you can think of and that was the house. Yeah, scary doesn't really cover it. We're talking red and green plaid for carpet in one of the rooms and amber colored windows. So in order to have the house ready, every wall and base board needed to be stripped of the wall paper, sanded, primed, and painted. The kitchen was completely torn out and rebuilt. Had to make sure the electricity and the wiring worked as well as the water. There were just so many things going into this house. So May was an incredibly busy month. Not to mention all the packing and cleaning that needed to be done at the old house. Did I mention I was near finals at this time in school? Now you know why it's been five months!!! :)
So it's come beginning of June, we finished at least the minimum that needed to be done in order to move in and got everything moved. It was a happy and sad time. The old house is where not only Richard grew up in his entire life, but also his fathers entire life. So that house was lived in by this family for a very long time. Not only that, but our sweet little cat Gus disappeared a week before the move. I can't even express how unique and adorable this cat was. He really was like a kid to us. We had him for about nine months which was just too short for us. We don't know what happened to him, but we are about 90% sure that he was sent to the pound and put down. It was a really hard couple of weeks for us.
Since then, we have nearly finished all the details of the house (it will take a few years before it is exactly how they want it but you have earn some money first don't you know) but the place is beautiful! They really did a fantastic job. I love living here. It has been a very nice place and neighborhood. I finished another semester pretty well and passed all my exams that were required for me to take another step toward student teaching. Which means I only have Fall and Winter semester left and then I will be graduating! Winter semester being my Student teaching! So basically April means freedom! Woohoo! This September I will take the Praxis exam and graduate in April, get certified as an elementary teacher, and either start teaching or possibly start my masters degree. Haven't looked into it yet, but it's been on my mind. Kind of a scary thought but exciting. :)
Rich has been doing well too. He still does all three jobs. Right now he is on a business trip doing instillations all over the west side of the country. About a week and a half ago he left for training in Seattle, Washington and made is way through California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Right now he is in the southern part of Texas. He still has another week and a half to go before he finishes. He will travel through Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, and back to Idaho. So after being to Virginia and a couple of the states there and his three week trip, he will have been to nearly every state within a five month period. And yes he drove on both occasions Virginia and this trip. One crazy man! Once he arrives back, we will do something relaxing and a little closer to home....start school again. :) Rich will have one class this semester and he will be finished and I have about 16 credits. Go us! One exciting couple!
We've been through a lot this summer, but I think we have become stronger together because of it. Whether we are together or thousands of miles apart, we love and support each other in our goals and our dreams so that one day we can have a family that we can support financially and emotionally. Thank you to all of those who have been there for us to help and support us! We really appreciate it and we love you. If we have been distant lately, well, now you know why! Hopefully I can keep my blog updated more often from now on!
Love you all!

April fools? ...Please?

So some may not no this already, but Richard got a new job working at Pinnacle Security selling security systems in Virginia. I will be in school this summer which means...you guessed it, we won't get to see each other for four months starting April 9. So. Not. Excited. It is a good thing though and a great opportunity to get a little more moneys. In the meantime, his parents sold the house which means I will be moving as well. They have found a nice little home within Rexburg and I will be living with them while Rich is gone. I love my in-laws. They have been so wonderful to me and I feel like they are my family. I feel incredibly blessed to have married the greatest man on Earth as well as marrying into the greatest family. As much as I love summer, I hope that it will go quickly and not so lonely without my man. I have yet to be away from him for longer than two weeks. We'll see just how insane I become.

I am so grateful for good friends who will keep me company and a wonderful family to be with at this time in my life.