Friday, April 29, 2011

Murderer, Weddings, and more

So first things first: My husband thinks I'm a murderer. Looky at what we found yesterday:
A birds nest right in our garage above our door connecting our backyard to the garage. Ummmm...I really didn't feel malicious when I said, "So you're gonna take that down right?" But that comment brought on some fierce accusations that I was in fact, a murderer! Apparently, I would not only be killing a bird, but a family. So pretty much, a bird is living in our garage and will soon be laying/hatching eggs in there. I told Clay one day he'll get pooped in the face and it will be funny.

Next on the agenda- this also has to do with Clay! Ha..you know the news has been NOTHING but THIS lately?:
Royal Wedding. I cannot believe how this has affected Clay! Sentences like this have come out of his mouth, "I don't understand the big deal?! Why do we care about this?! Are these not the people who wanted to enslave us forever?!" haha. Clay HATES celebrities. He hates hollywood. He hates people caring about celebrities. "They are just people. They are not any more special than you or me." It's true, but I'm human..and polar opposite of him. Kate's pretty, and this is dealing with princes/princesses...so yeah, I'm interested! And of course, I'm OBSESSED with celebrity gossip- I'm pretty sure you all knew that. Anyway, it's been pretty humorous. I told him to just not look at any news sites for a few days.

One thing I did last weekend was paint this old mirror turned chalk board for my kitchen! I've had this for like a year probably and JUST got around to doing it. I love it!

I also painted our table.
We got this counter height table (cause Dante basically could sit on our last table) and it can sit more people- it has a leaf missing in the pic. But anyway- Clay and I disagreed on what to paint it....again, like a year ago. So he wanted it brown (eck), I wanted it white. We compromised and did the table top brown, and the chairs and legs white. Let me tell you- it was HIDEOUS! I was so embarrassed when people came over. And trust me, Clay hated it too! Finally we decided to just paint the whole thing white cause the brown idea was just nonsense! I LOVE IT! It looks so much better now. Except for the fact that in certain lighting it looks like one spot on the table could use another coat of paint. Which isn't so great...but I'm kinda lazy and don't want to do it so I'm fine with it looking just okay in certain lighting :)

I have this major to-do list today. Don't worry, blogging is on the list! So I'm actually being quite productive right now. A few things on the list are...cleaning bathroom top to bottom (literally, I'm going from ceiling to floor today), clean floors, clean kitchen, study, and really a bajillion other things too. I'm excited though! I love having Fridays off.

Oh- incase you don't like the place you live, here's a little something to change your mind.
Yep, this was my morning wakeup view. April 29th. Oh, what? You don't think of snow when you think of that date?

Today I'll just hang with this cute dude.
He's a good pup. I love him lots. Oh yeah, another thing on the list is to wipe up slobber off the walls :) Just one of the many perks of having a Great Dane in the fam!

Overall, things are going really great. I mean- I made dinner two nights in the past week! Which is pretty impressive for me right now. I made chicken kebabs, and german pancakes. Not together! Two separate nights :) It made me happy to make dinner. I think I am going to try and do that a little more.

Studying is going good. I haven't gotten behind yet, which is great! I still have little mini freak out sessions in my mind, "What if I don't' pass this one?!?!!?" But I try to quickly push that idea from my mind and just say, "Of course I'll pass". I know that seems silly- you guys probably think, "If you don't pass, just take it again". Well...this test is expensive, and takes months to study for, and changes year to year, AND I have a deadline. So it's kinda pressure-packed. Oh well. I'm just trying my best and that's all I can do I suppose!

Alright, I think it's about time to go look up some Royal Wedding pictures and scandals. Then I'm off to my to-do list!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Wanna know a secret?

Okay- so before any of you freak out thinking I'm a CPA, I'm not...yet! This letter is informing me that I passed the Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR) section of the CPA exam. For those of you who don't know much about becoming a CPA, here's the rundown:

There are 4 sections of the CPA exam. Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR), Business Environment & Concepts (BEC), Regulation (REG), and Auditing & Attestation (AUD). Each test is 3-5 hours long, depending on the section. The one I took was 4 hours. These are basically the hardest tests in the entire UNIVERSE! I'm not just saying that either! For the test that I took, only 45% of the people who took it passed it (I was one of them! Yay!). The test overall basically has around a 48% pass rate...meaning over half the people who take this test FAIL! I'm not kidding when I say it's like the hardest thing ever!

I decided to send in my application for the exam back in September, and figured it'd be fun to keep it a secret and tell my Dad (who's a CPA incase you didn't know) after I passed all sections. Well, about a week later we saw our doctor, Clay started treatment, I kept studying, took the test in Nov, found out I had Lyme disease, and the same day of my diagnoses, found out I passed the exam! I decided to keep studying, but then tax season started, and I was just starting treatment myself, and I pretty much thought I might die of exhaustion and stress. So I decided to hold off on studying or taking any exams until after tax season, and I also decided I would tell my Dad about the first exam, and my plans to take the rest, on his birthday (today!). He's pretty happy:).

I decided to tell everyone for a number of reasons. First, this blog is pretty therapeutic for me in sharing my feelings and what I'm going through. It's hard to not share this ginormous thing that's going on in my life. Second, Clay has been the most supportive husband EVER in this. He didn't pressure me to do it, he didn't pressure me not to. When I finally decided I was doing it, and on long days when I studied some material, and none of it made sense, and I cried and cried and said, "I'm so stupid- why would I ever think I could pass something like this?!?!" he would comfort me and tell me how smart I am and how I can do it. He seriously helped me through a bazillion break-downs. He also supported me when I decided to delay the other exams when I was feeling too run-down. That being said, I can tell he is wearing thin! If I have a breakdown or need someone to boost me up, I now have so many people to help and remind me how worth it it will be. Lastly, and kind of embarrassingly, I think I need more people to know so that it motivates me not to fail! I obviously don't want to fail...but I'm pretty prideful...and so if everyone knows I'm studying for this- my pride wont let me give up.

Only a few people knew about this. NO one was supposed to know...but I forgot to put my study book away when Patty came over once. So Clay's family knew pretty early on which actually was a good thing since we see them so much! They were really understanding when I said I needed to study. And a few select close friends knew too...that we see often as well. But none of my family knew! I'm telling you that was so hard to keep a secret. Especially cause our family reunion was right after I took the test!

I never really wanted to do this mostly cause I wanted to get pregnant and have a baby more. I still do! But the truth is, I can't. Not for 3 years probably. I have been so depressed the past few months feeling like my life is pointless. I realized I am the type of person that needs to be working on something or towards something in order to be happy. If I can't start a family for 3 years, I might as well do this!

My goal is to have passed the exam by September. The whole thing. My next test is May 19th. BEC.

After I pass, I still have some stuff to do before I am licensed. I have 18 more credits I have to take in school...but I can do those online. I also have to take some ethics test or something. And then of course a bunch of paperwork and such. I would LOVE to say by the end of the year I'll have it all done. But 18 credits in 4 months, while working full time? Probably not. But I do think I'm safe to say that by this time next year, I'll be a licensed CPA! Wish me luck!

Monday, April 11, 2011

Sick sick sick...

I think that my big lesson I need to learn in this life is Patience.

Seattle sucked. I mean...it was good...we found more answers...but the answers are what sucked.

Clay is way sicker than we realized.

I'm way sicker than we realized.

Parasites that probably some of you have, and your bodies can handle, kind of have taken over our bodies cause we are already so sick. This can be taken care of with time and the right medicine, but it just complicates the whole Lyme treatment.

Doctor thinks that with this new revelation of how sick we really are, we probably shouldn't think of having kids for 3 years unless some miracle happens and we are better so much quicker.

So...not that I want kids because of other people...but...probably by the time I'm thinking of getting pregnant, my friends and sisters will have at least 1 if not 2 more kids! Clay and I will have been married like...8 years.

A couple weeks ago at church I had to leave after sacrament cause I felt so nauseous (I think a reaction from our iv treatment the day before) and so I told my Primary president so they could get someone to cover my class. Of course, later she asked if I'm pregnant. This is probably something I'll just have to get used to for the next 3 years. Don't get me wrong...I'm grateful at the same time. I mean...can you imagine if we did have a kid? With Lyme Disease? While we are in the shape we are right now? Probably a bad idea. There are people with multiple kids that have Lyme, along with themselves. I honestly don't know how they do it. There MUST be angels living in their home. I can barely handle me and Clay.

I think I need to post more pictures of myself up here. hah! Talk about boosting my spirits! Thanks to everyone who was so nice about my pants-alteration dealio.

There's obviously so much more details about our health that I don't mention on the blog. But it's just boring. And depressing. Seriously parasites are just part of the complicated equation. Oh well. I know this is all depressing and everything but I kinda just need to get it off my chest...and maybe it'll explain why I haven't really commented the past few days on anyone's blog! I already knew that we were looking at around 2 years for having a baby...but I don't know I guess I was just all hopeful that we would get better faster than she thought...but then we go and she adds another year to it and tells us how bad of shape we are. I just need a bit to accept it I guess.

PLEASE- don't tell me how young I am. I already know that. I know it's a blessing. I know I will still be in baby-making age...so no need to tell me that. The thing is, I want babies now. I don't just want...i ACHE for them. So you know...telling me how young I am doesn't really do much anymore. And I know that 3 years is so short. And I know that when I look at my entire life, this is such a short time. That in 5 years I will probably have a baby and look back and think, oh if only I knew it would all work out for the best. I know, I have faith in the Lord's plan and I know that this will all work out just fine. That's why I say I just need time to accept it and move on. It's just this immediate after-fact reaction that I'm dealing with.

On a lighter note, a week from today is tax day. What a relief. Have you gotten your taxes done?

Another thing- Pia got kicked off. Which everyone's freaking about. But honestly? Clay and I talked about this...the next day after Idol, did anyone think of Pia's performance? I sure didn't. I always forgot about it. She's amazing- one of the best singers for sure...but boring. But, I still wish Stefano or Jacob went home instead. I had a dream that Haley was in the top 2! Which I would LOVE! Her and Casey are my fav's.

Okedoke...till next time. I promise the next post will be happier.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Pants Alteration

So in my last post, I mentioned the pants alterations. The before was horrid cause every pair of shoes I wore with them they looked like high-waters. You can't tell very well in that pic, but really- they did. So I used this video tutorial and made them into skinnies! I love them!

Hello! How are you?

I know I haven't posted much. It just seems like such an effort sometimes.

What have we been up to?

PRISON BREAK! Holy Cowsers? Have you seen this? Clay and I are addicted. Michael Scofield is da bomb. This show is pretty crazy and creepy though! It's definitely not one for the easily scared/obsessive compulsive/anxiety prone people (hint hint...you know who you are). But Clay and I literally just lay in bed and watch like 3 episodes in a row. It's fantastic.

BIRTHDAY! I'm 23 now! Pretty cool pretty cool. I got some great gifts and have some play money, so I am happy. Patty made me this scrumtious Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake. And let me tell you- it's even better than it sounds! She did a great job.

WEATHER! I am sick of this bi-polar personality of Idaho weather. One day it's spring, next day winter. Decide already! I just want summer. Everyday of my life, please.

WORK! Busy...but soon over. Tax season, anyway. Which means I will switch to the whole...only working every 3rd Friday dealio. YES! This makes life so much better. Having an extra day in the weekend really brings joy to my life :)

PANTS! I altered these pants and I got like...lots of compliments on them! Yippee! I barely ever get compliments ever anymore, so this made me feel great. Then I come home and Clay says he likes my outfit, but isn't quite sure on the pants. Oh dear. I'll put on pictures later...

LYME DISEASE! Clay and I are truckin on with our hundreds of pills (literally). I take over 400 pills a week! Meaning almost 2000 a month. That's pretty impressive. Clay and I have been talking and we both feel like we are getting better. So that's always good news. However, it's still such a slow process. I'm feeling very motivated right now to get better. I want to have a baby so bad and in order to get there, we both have to get a LOT better.

BIKE! I think I want a bike. I used to have one and I loved it sooo much. I think it'd be good for me too! So if anyone in the area knows of a good bike for free or cheap, let me know! You know what I really want though? A cruiser. Yum. Those bikes are just beautiful! I was thinking I could possibly ride my bike to work once it's officially nice outside. I'd have to ride on some pretty busy streets though...which isn't too fun...but I would always ride on the sidewalks. And be careful.

Well, I suppose that's all for now. I will try to be better. Sorry there's no pictures.