time flies

so it has been a while.

this i am well aware of ... sorry.

i know i'm not the first to say that life has a thing for getting in the way.

sleep

eat

work

...

not even on my days off do i get break:

laundry

cleaning

paying bills

grocery shopping

picking up extra shifts

and trying to catch up on some sleep.
therefore, all i have time for tonight is something short and sweet.

so going on my third month being in des moines, things couldn't get much better.
of course i miss my family and few friends back in alta and storm lake, 
but this move has been working out for easton and myself.
we get to spend a lot of time with keifer and daisy, and even dillon and baylor.
though i see them way more now than ever before, i feel as though i still don't see "the blakelys" enough.
i've met some possible candidates for new friends... i say possible cause everyone knows how miriah and "friends" go.
libbie and i had a chance to get together and catch up - 2 years of catching up to do... overdo one might say.
we found a walking trail/park two blocks from the apartment, so now that the weather is somewhat cooperating, that'll probably be our new hangout.
not only am i a full time server at joe's, i have taken on the title of the "retail guru" as well - i'll be in charge of inventory of all retail products as well as placing orders weekly and monthly, and keeping the gift shop in order, which will be no problem for me, right?! so i'll be working thursday-tuesday at the wonderful joe's crab shack:)

my mom, the twins, and the step dad will be here over easter weekend - finally they will get to see the new apartment and join me for lunch at joe's.
i'm babysitting jovee and journee for a couple days in a couple weeks so erin and shane can get away - couldn't ask for a better way to spend my days off:D yay!!!
but as for tonight, keifer and i will be stuffing our faces with cheesy enchiladas, cheese sticks, a beer or two, and watching a movie before bed - for tomorrow is my monday, which came all too quickly.

until next time my friends!

"i got crabs..."

"...at joe's crab shack."

ok, no i didn't really get crabs - duh.

it's my new job!

YAY!!

yesterday was only my second day of training, which is intense.

and i have a whole week of "crab class" - yes, it is really called "crab class".

i have to take a test after every classroom session, passing with a 90% or better, or i have to retake the test - from the handbook to basic concepts to the menu.

the difference with the menu...

it has to be known like i know the back of my hand.

i have a final test at the end of training over it and if i don't pass, i have to retake the menu portion of "crab class" over again.

god lord, i NEVER studied this hard in school - i even have notecards made.

other than that test...

i already like it:

it's a laid back and fun atmosphere.

my co-workers all seem nice.

and being that seafood is not cheap, tips are $$$$.

i will be full-time there, until i find a full-time job elsewhere and then i will be part-time there (i guess that is a BIG if i find a job).

my new journey is finally in full swing:

new apartment

new roommate

new job.

and i couldn't be happier - maybe i little less stressed (seriously if you want an idea of how stressed i am, quit your job for a month with zero income... while trying to find a new job with zero decent work experience... and heads up, BILLS DON'T STOP COMING just because the income stopped coming... yicks).

but still, couldn't be happier.

so if you are ever in des moines,

stop by joe's crab shack on south jordan creek parkway next to jordan creek mall, and request me as your server - unless you don't plan on tipping me well, then you can request someone else... please. ha.

2014 goals

not something i usually do.

but i've had some change to my life right at the beginning of the year.

and i'll be the first to say it,

my life needs a little order to it now.

the number of interviews i have been having, and the wide range of questions i have been asked, have really got me thinking about both short term and long term goals.

keep in mind: this is just goals for 2014 - so obviously the short term goals.

some being a little more serious than others.

(this is a list i am sure i will be adding to here and there for when life brings changes, it brings new goals)

1. get a job

seriously though, i need a job, ha

2. pay off credit cards

yes, plural... don't judge me

3. get a gym membership - tanning included

i don't need those "you are thin as a twig. what do you need to workout for?" comments - dr. oz says i am 13 years older than i actually am.

4. shop less

5. build up some savings - at least $1000

a thousand may not be a lot, but that on top of all the things that i want to pay off this year is quite a bit of money

6. read at least 1 book

ok, 1 book may be NOTHING to some of you but it would be a huge accomplishment for me

7. pay off loan

8. prepare to go back to school beginning of 2015 - part-time.

9. learn how to cook more than box, frozen, microwavable meals

10. get a new bed

mine has turned into a hammock; it's so old

11. be positive

this one is my new year's resolution which has been going extremely well

12. keep up with my blog

13. go on a tennis road trip with keifer, jason, and emily in august

14. watch all seasons of dexter so i can start watching a new show

15. keep my relationship alive

16. go to a football game

our body changes our minds

for those of you that aren't aware,

interviews are my weak spot

and just so happen to fill a large part of my schedule lately.

ugh.

i have one on wednesday.

i have one on friday.

two in one week... shoot me (i don't mean that literally).

some may say that's a good thing.

as for myself, anxiety is eating me alive.

so, my roommate, whitney, and i were talking last night and she showed me a video she has found to be helpful for herself.

"Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are" with Amy Cuddy on TED Talks - here is a link to the video if you're curious.

and what did i learn?

i have some a lot of work to do.

so today, 

positivity is in the works.

 standing in front of a mirror, like so:

 (because it is empowering, bold, positive, ect.)

i will tell myself all the positive things that i can think of, about myself -

aside from repeating "you are more beautiful than cinderella, your hair smells like pine needles, and you have a face like sunshine," (thank you bridesmaids) - 

why i am a better person in general.

and why i am a better person for these jobs.

part of being a better person for the job, will be the knowledge of the company, and potential position, i will possess - also in my schedule today, googling and studying all that there is to know.

TIPS (i have come up with) for preparing for an interview:

1. be positive.

2. make a list of why you are better than the next.

3. repeat that list to yourself...

4. ...[while] standing in a mirror like Superwoman.

5. research the company and position and study your findings.

6. print a clean copy of your resume and references (and cover letter).

7. and last, plan your outfit (meanwhile, repeating steps 1 - 5 in your head, or better yet, out loud).

so with that being said,

(oh, if anyone has any pointers or helpful tips to add... greatly appreciated)

not that blogging isn't productive or positive,

but i should probably hop to it.

wish me luck.

i'm going to definitely going to need it.

(those last two lines weren't positive at all... this goes to prove i have some work to do)... yicks!

interlude

moving.

i hate it.

especially when you have to start over on everything:

new apartment.

new job.

new city.

new friends.

ok, it's more so fun and exciting...

...but that is if you got everything in line, and boy oh boy, that was far from being where i was at. 

but it is starting to fall in place (now that i am actually here and it has to).

friday

i was aware there was a storm headed to des moines saturday morning so keifer and i decided to drive down to osceola that night after we got all loaded up.

(again, a huge thank you to those that helped me out: kalvin, casey, shelby, keifer, and even angie, with the tv stand)

we started loading the truck about 5:30pm and keifer and i were on the road a little before 8:30pm.

i was exhausted, 

but knowing my car was sketchily attached to the back of that uhaul that was going 65mph at points, and driving on bumpy road, i couldn't be more wide awake - anxiety at it's worst!

i know it is hard to see, but following keifer, who was driving the uhaul, pulling my car, can you imagine the thoughts running through my head?

if anyone was wonder everything fit that i needed except for my two end tables, and i forgot my bed frame and a few pillows.

we got to keifer's apartment at 11:00pm, but to park the uhaul, we had to take my car off the dolly and park that, take the dolly off the uhaul and park that, and finally park the uhaul. 

we got to bed by 12:00am, which was plenty of sleep.

saturday

whitney and i had to meet at the leasing office to sign our lease and pay our first months rent.

we got our keys...

and it was official.

YAY for us:)

we stopped by they apartment before picking up keifer and the uhaul to fill out our move-in check list - we were thorough that is for sure; we even took pictures.

after that, keifer and i got subway before we started unloading what we could by ourselves.

jarael and josh (huge thanks to them as well) stopped by to congratulate me on my new place by helping keifer move my two sofas, a dresser, and my "aggressive" tv stand all the way up to my second floor apartment. 

jarael obviously had the easiest side;p

whitney didn't move much in on saturday besides dishes - oh my gosh i have never seen so many glasses - so keifer stayed over. call me a baby, but i didn't want to spend my first night in des moines alone (and thank heaven i didn't).

we got breakfast pizza from casey's as well as those new aluminum, twist top, 16oz cans of bud light.

we did a little r&r and unpacking while the cyclone game was on.

after, we thought we would watch a movie and scratch some scratch tickets.

just as we are about to start the movie, a loud ringing/buzzing noise started coming from the hallway.

i'll just make this long story short:

1st floor neighbor called 9-1-1.

she knocked on our door and told us to get out.

there was smoke all over the first floor.

firetrucks were on scene in less than five minutes.

we sat in the car with the dogs for over an hour until they cleared the apartments - keifer was rather irritated that night.

now, yesterday i finally found out that the apartment the fire started in was completely empty and should have been locked up. 

well, it was not.

can anyone say, "sketchy"?

as erin put it, "if this doesn't prove this was meant to be, then i don't know what will." - jokingly of course.

but really, great welcoming we sure had.

[super bowl] sunday

for starters,

GO SEAHAWKS!!!
and no we weren't the ONLY ones cheering them on - i got proof (sorry emily and jason)

keifer bought a cable splitter and moved his bedroom tv to the living room so this is how we got to watch the game.

yes two televisions for three people - keifer, whitney, and myself - to watch football ha.

and i made cheese dip as well to snack on during the game,

which of course was delicious, and keifer had the brilliant idea of adding veggie sausage patties to it!

snacks.

beer.

football.

perfect sunday.

monday

keifer and i went down to osceola to say our "until next time"s to dillon.

that butthead is leaving us all again.

i know i'm not the only one that is going to miss him - those 2 months with him being back we were definitely all spoiled.

we all played some cards and pool.

and i got to cuddle with miss journee some more.

yes, i bought her that outfit.

and whether her parents like it or not, jovee and journee will be packers fan.

i love getting to see "the blakelys" more.

and i can't wait to spend nights with the girls.

even with all the stress of starting over, beginning new, i am also excited and happy it is finally happening and in "play".

[sneak peek]

love the fireplace, even if i never use it ha.

 i got my own bathroom.
not that i would care if whitney and i had to share...
...but we are girls, and bathroom time and space are critical to our beauty.
sharing bathrooms can be a hassle working around each others schedules. 
so a definite plus to the apartment.

our movie collection is quite large.

many movie nights to come (whitney has a popcorn popper too... SCORE).

more pictures, projects, updates to come.

but for now that is all i got.

happy hump day:)

mixed emotions

before i go into full details, 

i should start with some updates.

last weekend,

i was down in des moines to meet up with whitney (my potentially new roommate).

we sat down over supper at legends and got to know each other  a little.

i'm not so sure how much she would agree with me on this, but we have a lot in common.

after an hour of chit chat, we decided we are a good match for each other, and apartment searching would begin.

i know there is curiousity stirring about how dillon and i were planning on being roommates, so where did whitney come into this picture?

simply put,

we all thought this would be the better fit for me.

i'm one hundred percent sure this is what i want to do, and dillon is a little less sure.

so saturday morning,

we got together and drove all over des moines.

oh my gosh, how annoying is apartment searching. especially on a saturday when most leasing offices are only open until 4 or 5.

we viewed two that were definite possibilities, but the cons out weighed the pros at the end out the day.

on sunday,

we had a lot of time to process everything.

our requirements of our potential apartment were adjusted based on what we saw the previous day,

and more online searching began.

so by monday night i had a list and a route of five different places to view on tuesday morning.

it was narrowed down to three places - that worked out great because i got lost which stole an hour of my time - and after viewing them, it was narrowed down to two potentials.

i then had my interview at verizon wireless, which went well, and was on my way back to storm lake.

while i was working and packing all week.

whitney was viewing another apartment.

and this is where it all falls into place.

meadow ridge apartments

includes:

1100 square feet

*2 bedrooms

*1 3/4 bathrooms

wood burning fireplace

*water, sewer, and trash included in monthly rent

*cetral air and heat

*cable and internet bundled at a low rate

*pets allowed - even dogs.

(*met our requirements)

just exactly how excited am i?

freaking out excited.

but oh lordy,

the stress can go away any time now.

so our appointment to move in is on saturday at twelve o' clock.

luckily for us, 

weather is supposed to be nasty with approx four inches of snow - there is a lot of sarcasm in that.

but no really... yuck.

anyways, i'm picking up the u-haul today at ten o' clock this morning.

keifer is driving up when he is off work to help load everything up, and kalvin is going to help as well - thank you so much to the two of you (and possibly casey, shelby's boyfriend).

keifer will be staying the night and we will be taking off first thing in the morning. 

he doesn't know it yet,

but he is driving the u-haul that will be pulling my car and i'll be driving his car;p

once there and all checked in and paperwork is signed and paid for, 

erin and shane are lending a helping hand to help unload.

did i mention this apartment is on second floor? 

i'll say my prayers now for those at the bottom of the stairs while moving the tv stand...

hopefully, saturday and sunday i can get all unpacked and settled in.

monday, i am supposed to start my job at the maids,but i'm also to have a final interview with verizon sometime as well sometime next week. that is a cluster f...

but friday will be a nice relaxing getaway.

keifer and i have the luke bryan concert.

yay:)

well that is where i will leave off for now.

there will be pictures to come of the moving tomorrow i'm sure. 

so keep a look out!

have a good day for it is friday!!

watch me grow

i was looking at my baby book the other day,

which i've seen a million times,

but i couldn't help but laugh while going through it this time.

so i came up with this brilliant and embarrassing idea to share some photos.

i'll start at one week old, or "the ugly duckling", and go from there.
i was 10 lbs. 14 oz. and honestly the ugliest baby i have ever seen.
i mean look at that face.
you know how when it's your child or family the baby is cute no matter what?
i can't imagine anyone thought i was:/
so you know what strangers were thinking...

thankfully by nine months i lost some weight and gained some cuteness.

and my hair went from black to blonde.

now i don't care who you are,

admit it.

i was a doll!

(that could have been mistaken for a boy with long hair, right?!)

and at one year...

why would a mother put her child in such an ugly outfit?!

this is still at one year,

but i have to share.

for some reason my parents thought this was ok and even took a picture.

two years old

and absolutely adorable

as are kalvin and ashley as well.

(does anyone else think i look like michelle on full house?)

three years old.

dressed as a cowgirl.

i have always said i was going marry a cowboy and live on a farm with lots of horses.

yeah, that dream is far from my life today.

though, angie doesn't ever forget to remind me from time to time of my dream... that is now hers.

four,

and i just keep getting cuter.

angie and george sure did good:)

...and of course, ashley is still cute too.

five years old.

the year i forgot how to smile.

also the year ashley and i participated in bv county little miss pageant.

neither of us won.

needless to say, you don't win based on looks, that's for sure.

age six.

there isn't a doubt in anyone's mind that i'm angie's daughter at this point.

or any point after.

seven.

the year my hair was no longer down to my butt.

(anyone noticing how blonde my hair was naturally and how tan i was?)

eight years old.

this is the year the twins had arrived.

and i was no longer the baby of the family.

age nine.

ten.

eleven.

four through eleven almost all look like the same year.
and now at twelve years old,
the "ugly duckling" starts to show again.

thirteen.
(this is the time the giggles start for me while looking at these photos...
well besides for the "huge, ugly baby" pic up top)

fourteen.

fifteen.

sixteen.
i believe this was the first year i actually put any color in my hair.
and started tanning.

and finally seventeen.

my senior year of high school.

in my opinion the "ugly duckling" has left the building again by this point.

but that's also a huge thank you to photoshop!

well, there you have it. 

you've seen me at my worst and

it can't get much worse than some of those.

at least i sure hope not:/