Changed my blog look around a little.  Needed a little sprucing up, even though I don’t update it like I used to.  I lead a pretty boring life lately.   

So like everyone else and their brother, we took pictures in the snow last night.  Loved having a lazy day laying around with the blinds open and watching the snow.  Knowing I didn’t have to go out in it if I didn’t want to made it even more fun to watch.

I registered for hopefully my last semester at Georgia State last week.  I’ll be taking a Maymester class and two summer classes.  Then I will hopefully be able to take the Becker CPA Review course through DeVry for 9 more credit hours to fulfill the requirements for not only taking the CPA exam but be eligible for my CPA certification once I pass.  I’m ready to be done with school, that’s for sure.  It’s going to be a tough year but at least once it’s finished I can move forward. 

My dad, stepmom, and I are competing in our own Biggest Loser competition.  I’m getting my rear ended handed to me.  It was my brilliant idea before tax season started.  And once I got in the thick of it I lost time to work out like I know I should.  I’m visibily losing the bet and money is at stake.  Our weigh date is May 16th.  I got a few work out DVDs and I’ve been running.  Jillian Michaels has been kicking my rear end lately.  I got the 30 Day Shred DVD and she doesn’t play around. 

Craig’s brother was in town this weekend to visit us.  I’ve been working like a mad woman so I didn’t see him much, but I’m so glad they got to spend time together.  I know Craig misses him a lot.   The double teaming that goes on between them when we’re all together isn’t so bad knowing that it makes Craig happy to be hanging out with him.  They stayed up til four almost every night playing video games and hanging out.  It was good for just the two of them to spend time together. 

I’ll update more soon when my life consists of more than tax season and Accounting courses!

Craig and I had a date night last night.  Lately with the hours I’ve been working, the time we can get in to spend together means even more than it usually does to me.  We went and saw Gran Tarino with Clint Eastwood.  It was awesome.  It had me in tears from laughing and tears from crying by the end of the movie.  Craig liked it, too.

I haven’t had time to blog about this lately.  So I wanted to make sure I got it down tonight.  For Christmas my dad gave us in 1987 Ford Mustang.  In a few more years it will be considered an antique.  And once we have a little extra cash, we’re planning on putting a little money into it for a paint job, etc.  Right now it is a little rusty, but that hasn’t stopped us from taking it everywhere we go. 

I love it because it is sentimental to me.  My dad and I would take that car everywhere when I was a little girl. I remember sitting at stop lights and putting my head back in the seat so it wouldn’t jerk back when he took off.  Or when he switched from first to second gear.  I remember him wiggling the gear shift to get it into the right gear before taking off.  I remember his hands on the gear shift.  And seeing Craig driving it and doing some of those things makes me feel like I’m nine years old again.

If you know Craig, you know how much time he has already spent getting it in better shape.  I’m really excited to see what it can become.

And because I can’t post without a picture.  Here is a picture of my dad with his Pontiac GTO, taken in 1970.

On our way home from our friend Bill’s lake house this afternoon.  Out in the middle of Nowhere, Alabama on a country road.

Kristen:     Craig look at how pretty that is. (Pointing out the passenger window at the pasture land and mountains.) It reminds me of Montana.

Craig:        Really?  When was the last time you were in Montanta? (Knowing good and well I’ve never been.)

Kristen:   Well I mean I’ve never actually been to Montana, but it reminds me of what I think Montana would be like.

Going back to school.
Snow in January.
Coming home to heart shaped candles for Valentine’s Day.
2 new jobs.
To the cabin 2 times. Once for our 2nd anniversay, once just because.
Trip to Destin for “Spring Break”, crazy to have one of those again.
Losing a member of our family. 
A pregnant best friend.
A brand new nephew, who I cried over for weeks. 
A bi plane ride.
A 25th birthday.
Lunches packed by a sweet husband, with our names on the bag to make sure there is no mix up.
2 trips to Lake Mitchell.

Overall, 2008 was really good to us. I’m excited to see what 2009 has in store!

Today I am thankful for:

• 3 A’s, 1 A-, and a B in my classes for this past semester
• cuddling on the couch with Craig before he konked out after a long day
• a full time job again
• gingerbread cookies decorated as Edwards and Bellas (obsessed much? I think so)

Thank goodness!  I can breathe for the next few weeks.  It’s going to be nice to come home and be able to spend time with Craig and not feel like I need to be working on school.  This time next year I will have all the classes necessary in order to be eligible for my CPA license.  And then I can begin to study and take prep classes to take the CPA exam.  It’s within reach!

I can’t believe how fast this past year has flown by.  A year ago I was about to work my last days at Gwinnett County and scared to death about not having a job to fall back on and going back to school after being out for two years.   So much has changed in the last year.  I’m happy.

So, one of my new years resolutions was to blog more.  Which didn’t really happen.  But I’m thinking for 2009, I’m going to blog every few days on things that I am grateful for.  Or the small things that made me smile that day.  Because they really might not mean a thing to anyone who reads my blog, but I’ll remember them.  I came across this post a few days ago and it made me so happy to look back on that day.  Between remembering Craig and I two stepping in our living room (or my no-rhythm attempt to) and how nervous I was about starting school in a few days.  It made me smile. 

So today in particular I am thankful for:

1. Having another semester of school behind me.
2. My comfy pants on a rainy day.
3. Craig and I had a date night tonight to celebrate being done with school.
4. A puppy that can sleep in the same bed with me all night, but when we both wake up in the morning she is as excited to see me then as she would be if I had been gone for weeks.  Everyone should have a Sadie.  She does my heart good.  Total ego booster.
5. A day off tomorrow.  From school and from work.  To paint and scrapbook and finish my Christmas shopping and wrap my presents.  And whatever I want to do.
6. Sitting here updating my blog in our living room with all the lights off but the ones on the Christmas tree.

When Anna got married, I cried like a baby while trying not to make eye contact with her mom on the front row, who might have made me cry harder.  I tried explaining what that day felt like from a best friend perspective and I don’t think she quite got it til my wedding day.  And I don’t think she will quite get what this feels like until I’m popping a baby out of my own a few years down the road and she is itching to get in to the room with my family to see the new addition.

Anna and I have been friends since tenth grade, and we’ve experienced a lot together.  We’ve pulled each other out of some really crappy times and we’ve seen each other through good times.  I didn’t just become friends with her, I became part of her family.  And we’ve gone through these different stages of life together.  Side by side, or not too far down the hospital corridor waiting patiently (or not so patiently). 

It is amazing to me to see her as a mom.  As someone who thinks the world of the person she is, I know this is what Anna was born to do.  She is by nature a nurturer.   She’ll show up at your door when you’ve had a crappy day with a bouqet of your favorite flowers because “they were two for one at Publix” or she’s fix your favorite meal for you at your house because your boyfriend deployed that morning.  She thinks of the things to do for people that they didn’t even know they needed at the time.  She’s always been like that.  She takes care of people. 

Dylan is a lucky little man.  And I feel so lucky to be able to be a part of his life.  When I think of all the changes that have come about since Anna and I’ve been friends and look at the women we’ve grown into, it makes me even more excited to know I’m going to be able to watch her child grow into the man he is going to.

The soldier at about 2/3 through makes me tear up every time. How selfless of this man to spend every morning doing this.

I will be so glad when the election is said and done.  I know it is important, don’t get me wrong.  But I get too stressed out over it.  Everyone is entitled to their opinions and everyone is entitled to voice those opinions, but to be honest I’m tired of hearing them.  What really bothers me is those people that think their opinions are the right opinions, the only opinions.  They are opinions.  Not right, not wrong…just opinions.  Everyone has a different set of beliefs.  Different backgrounds.  Different life events that lead them to believe and act the way they do.  Just because you believe what you believe doesn’t mean I have to.  And you can talk to me about it or post your facebook status changes as much as you want, and you still aren’t going to convince me of your opinion.  That is what is so wonderful about living in this country.  We’re entitled to those.  I have my own, but I don’t feel the need to blog about them or post messages about them.  Because what I believe is what I think is right for me.  And me writing about it isn’t going to convice someone otherwise.  It bothers me how divided our country seems to get during this time every four years.  I’m ready for it to be over and done.  Enough of that.

The good news is that I will be going full time with my job on December 15th.  My current semester ends on December 12th.  I’ll be cutting school to part time and going to work full time.  It will now take me until December of next year to be completely finished with the classes I need.  But I am totally ok with that.  I can’t tell you what a difference this job has made so far.  I come home every day feeling accomplished and happy.  I get up in the morning ready to go to work and get my projects (of which there are many!) checked off.  I feel like in just the 2 short weeks I’ve been there I have already learned so much.  And it is so nice to take my book knowledge and apply it in real life.  I finally feel like I am on the right path and it feels awesome.

Last night Craig and I went to my boss’ house for a low country boil and it just gave me even more reassurance that I am in the right place.  They have a big event like that every year for all the clients to come out to Ricky’s (the CPA) house to hang out.  And it was nice to put a face to the files I’ve been working on.  I had a really good time getting to know everyone. 

We spent today eating brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Rotagilla, and roaming around looking at houses.  I’m glad we have the luxury of doing that and getting ideas of where we might want to live when that time comes.   Plus, for us, it’s a fun way to spend the afternoon together.

I was supposed to start my new job on Monday at the investment firm near Perimeter.  I gave my two weeks and worked through Friday afternoon.  But I’ve had a change of plans and I couldn’t be more excited about it!  I kind of had an opportunity fall into my lap.  A friend of a friend who owns a business told me Tuesday or Wednesday last week that her accountant was looking for someone.  On a whim, I e-mail the friend my resume but explain my situation.  My need for part time work right now, starting the new job on Monday, but them not gauranteeing me anything that could lead to full time.  It was just an opportunity to actually get some accounting work experience, even if it was specialized. 

Well Friday before I headed to my last day of work at my current job, I got a phone call from the accountant.  Long story short, she asked me if I would come in and talk to her a little more Saturday morning at the office in Auburn.  I was there for 2 hours and 45 minutes, and I came out with a job as a Staff Accountant.  If things go well these next few months (which I will make sure to bust my rear end so they do go well) there is the potential to go full-time January 1st.  

I had a feeling going over there on Saturday morning.  I’ve struggled lately with feeling stuck.  This is what I want to do with my life.  And I am going to take every opportunity I can to soak up as much as I can from this experience.  I feel blessed that it just kind of presented itself the way it did