I spoke too soon...

Well, I wrote my last blog post bragging about my Odyseuss still being alive a day too early. Yesterday afternoon, Jeff and I saw that my precious little fish had died. I am kind of happy that he finally kicked the bucket since he hadn't eaten in 2 months!

This week is a busy... and "social" week for Jeff and me. Jeff has 3 interviews this week for internships. Monday night, Jeff and I attended a beautiful social for Grant Thornton at the Historic Provo City Library. It was beautiful and fun for Jeff to see some of his old friends from the Junior Core. Jeff loved talking to people about why they chose to go to Grant Thornton and was impressed by their focus on family life and work-life balance. He had his interview  with them yesterday and loved the experience of an official interview. He said that he thinks that things went well and he hopes the interviewer felt the same way.

Last night was my first (team 3rd) Drizzy football game of the season. We played hard. We lost. We have to practice at 8 AM on Saturday.... more to post when we actually win :)

Tonight, we have a social up at Thanksgiving Point with Ernst & Young. We are really excited for this opportunity not only because it is one of the "Big Four" but also because Jeff's cousin and his best friend both work there. It should be a fun night...especially since I can just talk to Ciara (Austin's Wife and my best friend) instead of having to mingle. Jeff will have his interview tomorrow, so hopefully he can pick up some tips tonight to woo the firm.

Tomorrow, Jeff's bank location is closing. I will miss being able to ask him to bring home groceries after work since his branch was inside of the store. I will NOT miss the working until 6:30 on Saturday Evenings and til 7:30 every other day. It will be bitter-sweet, but Jeff is excited to go to a new place and work with some old friends.

Tomorrow night, we have our last social of the week with Deloitte. This one should be really fun since there might be people that know my dad. Jeff was able to meet one of the senior partners at Deloitte a few weeks ago and we hope we can bump into him again to get even more interviewing tips for his interview on Friday.

This weekend will hopefully be empty. With NO working for either of us (at least that is my goal). Here's to a great week.... and Happy Wednesday!!!

Summer is Over

This summer has gone by SO fast. All of a sudden, the leaves are orange and the brisk air is warranting jackets and boots. Here is a quick rewind on our summer. Back in April I finally graduated from BYU! 

My family came out to visit and we really had a blast. We made SEVERAL trips to Provo Beach Resort. And ate our hearts out. We went to La Jolla Groves one night and it was absolutely delicious. When they brought out the food, Jeff was a little taken back by the smaller than average portion size. Once he finished he said "Wow! I feel full but not sick... It's kinda nice!" It was funny to see that he usually associated being full with gorging himself. I am so glad he realized that the right portion sizes are better. In May, we went to Lake Powell with Jeff's Family. It was so fun to spend a long weekend with Jeff's siblings and two of our nieces and nephews. Jeff was so excited to build Legos and swam with this nephew and had a blast. When we got back, my good friend Annie had her beautiful baby girl! It was really fun because it was the first time that I had been really close friends with someone while they were pregnant and had the baby. Jeff and I hung out all night with Tyler and Annie until the Dr came in. 30 minutes later, Miss Halli Ann Anderson was born. She was (and still is) so so perfect and I love her.

After Halli was born, my dad and Hayden came to visit. For Hayden's birthday, he wanted to go to some MLS soccer games and chose to come to Salt Lake to was the Real Game against the LA Galaxy. We had tons of fun. We spent a day in Park City on the Apine Slide, Coaster, Zipline, etc. It was beautiful and great weather. The next day we went to the Real Game where the Galaxy won (Hayden was happy).

After Hayden and my dad left, we headed out to San Francisco for Jeff to donate bone marrow.

We arrived in San Francisco and took BART out to the coast so that we could be touristy and visit pier 39 and eat our hearts out. We walked around Fisherman's Warf and bought souvenirs. 

While we were there, we also visited the aquarium. It was so cool and fun. They had lots of tunnels where the fish would swim all around you.

The next day, Jeff had his surgery. He was in surgery for 3 1/2 hour while I tried to work... The way the surgery works is that the doctors drill four holes on each side of the pelvic bones (if you put your hands on your hips, they drill where your thumbs are). After the surgery, Jeff was really sore. We flew home the following day and Jeff lounged around and recovered.

In July, we went to St George to visit Jeff's family. Jeff's dad was called to be the Bishop of his ward. It was fun to be with family for a weekend. It was the first time that all of Jeff's siblings and their wives and kids had all been together in several years.

We saw Brave with the nieces and nephews (Ashlyn is a little diva)

Grant played with Noah's Ark

Jeff cuddled with the first girl he ever loved...Sadie (he has called me Sadie before)

 My birthday was at the end of July. For my birthday, Jeff got each of us Betta fish. Mine hasn't eaten in 2 months and is miraculously still alive and his is doing great!

Achilles (Jeff's)

Odysseus (Mine)

For my birthday, My girlfriends (Kyria and Courtney) took me to Wendover, NV. I was so excited because I had been practicing my BlackJack skills. If this wasn't an indicator of how the weekend would go, I don't know what would be?

 I found $20 in an empty slot machine so I used that to play some blackjack. 2 hours (and 8 blackjacks) later, I cashed out with $108.50...enough for all of our dinner and breakfast... It was such a fun weekend and I can't wait to go back.


The month of August consisted of me working 80 hrs/week and Jeff golfing 35 hrs/week. He has become quite proficient between me working so much and his golfing class.

In September, we got to go to Virginia! Jeff had a Lunch with some people my Dad works with and I got to spend lots of overdue time with my mom. While we were there, Jeff also got to golf 18 holes (a first for him) with my dad and Hayden. Along with those 18 holes, Jeff got to utilize a Caddy! He was so excited and had fun having someone telling him which clubs to use and someone who ran after his awry balls.

We had a great summer and loved doing so many things. We are so excited for fall and the excitement that it brings.

Generous

Jeff is by far one of the most generous and giving people that I know and this has only grown lately.
Last summer, we went to a Real Salt Lake soccer game. At this particular game, something special was going on. Extreme makeover home edition was there on behalf of a huge soccer fan from South Jordan. This "fan" was a little boy named Jonah Gomez.

"Fun-loving, impish Jonah Gomez is like any loveable, mischievous little boy in the first grade with hopes and dreams of becoming a professional soccer player. His love of life has not been diminished by the fact that he has a blood disorder that has caused him to undergo open-heart surgery. Mom Jessica and younger sister Ellie have made every effort to help Jonah live his life to the fullest." 

At the game DKMS (a company that works with bone marrow donors and recipients) had booths up that said "Get Swabbed... Save a Life." Of course Jeff wanted to get swabbed. A few months ago, Jeff was contacted as a potential donor and he was told he needed to get a little more blood work done. We went to the doctor where they drew blood and we found out that Jeff wasn't needed. We forgot about the whole thing until last week.
 Last week Jeff got an email saying that the last donor fell through and that now Jeff was the best suitable match for this sick person. We have received lots of packets to read and phone calls to discuss the logistics but Jeff decided to go with the procedure. Because of the type of cancer this person has, Jeff will need to have an invasive bone marrow donation taken from his hip. The closest donation center is a little ways away... DENVER to be exact. We will be going to Denver next month for a physical with the surgeon and again in June for the full procedure.
I am so honored to have such a giving and generous mad for a husband and he is so excited to help this person out.

new new new new new

Since my last post SO much has changed here in the Drew house.

First, I got a new job. A perfect job. I am a Client Service Coordinator for FranklinCovey. I had been really stressing about what I was going to do with myself once I graduate and I just couldn't find anything. Well, as I was looking, I remember that my good friend Kylee works for FranklinCovey and I decided to see if they were hiring and they were. I submitted my resume and asked her to put in a good word. 6 interviews later, I was the newest FranklinCovey employee. As the CSC, I am so lucky to work with the education team. FranklinCovey mostly does workshops etc. related to their AWESOME book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (and many other books and curricula). I am working with elementary schools that use a program called The Leader in Me (essentially 7 Habits for kids). I am so excited to work with the schools especially regarding such an awesome program.

Second, I got a new (to me) car. We calculated that if I were to drive the Xterra ONLY to and from work, (and if gas stayed at $3/gal [no way]) We would spend 10,000 on gas alone in the next two years. I sold my car, and, after much research and deliberation, bought a Nissan Versa. It has been perfect and I have more than doubled my fuel efficiency!

Third, I just got a new calling. I am the new Girls' Camp director in my ward...meaning that I get the privilege to organize camp for my ward! I found out today that we have only 6 young women...and of those 6, only 1 is active. It should be fun... but will be hard.

Fourth, Jeff was promoted at work to a Lead Teller, which was a nice pay increase especially after all his hard work and dedication over the last 2 years.

We are so grateful for all of these many blessings and are so excited to keep going with our new endeavors :)

New School Year

Jeff and I have successfully completed day 1 of our new semester. Classes seem great...but coming home and not being in class is so much nicer. I think all the time about how happy I am to be completely done with school. The downside to this is...what am I supposed to do in April? Will I have a job? Will my four years of college be in vain? I love the classes that I've taken but it seems like I'm just graduating at a time where the economy has other plans.
The other day I realized what my parents were talking about when they said they learned something in high school but didn't remember it any more. When I was in high school, I thought, How on EARTH can you forget this important stuff?? Well, I was trying to remember something I learned and I did not remember how to do it AT all. It was embarrassingly awful and I knew I was getting old. The worst part is that this happened less than a week ago and I can't even remember what I forgot!
As school is starting back up, here's to learning things that we will inevitably forget in just 4 years.

happy everything.

I have decided if i only make one resolution this year, it is to blog more. Hopefully it sticks since the last time I blotted was in May. 2011 was such an amazing year for our small Drew family. We moved, visited New York, Jeff started the accounting program, played intramurals (and jeffs team made it to the semifinals in football), went to St. George for Thanksgiving and Virginia for Christmas. We have been so blessed and are so grateful for the opportunities we have been presented with this last year.
On new years eve, Jeff and I caught the spontaneity bug. We knew we would hang out with Eddy and Miken but we just assumed we would stay home and play games...that afternoon they suggested we go to Salt Lake, eat dinner and stay in a hotel. Before we left we had to decide which hotel to go to. Jeff and Eddy remembered seeing a hotel with a waterslide on the way to the airport so of course that's where we stayed...I mean justifiably Jeff is still only 5 and 3/4 years old!!! We checked in, went swimming, then had to get ready for dinner. Happy sumo and then we headed back to the hotel for games and watching the ball drop.
School starts tomorrow and I am so ready for my final semester as a college student to be over.

new home and hobby

Back before Jeff and I got married...well even before we were engaged... We put our names on a waiting list for these amazing apartments. A year later here we are. Almost a week and a half ago our dream finally came through and we moved in! We are SO in love and never want to move... at least not while we have to live in Provo...

Right as you walk in

Other View

Down the Hall

Kitchen

Dining Room...more on my new "center piece" later

Upstairs/laundry closet

Second Bedroom/office

Our Bedroom

Dressing room

Closet

Bathroom

Our apartment has almost tripled in size and we are SO thankful for our new home.

In other new news... I got a new job at the bank in beautiful Springville. I love it.

ALSO I have a new hobby a la cupcake wars.

CUPCAKE MAKING!!!

Fudge Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Fudge Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting.

In the last week I have made 6 dozen cupcakes....on the bright side I give most of them away instead of eating everything? I have also learned that from scratch is SO much more delicious than from a box or tub. If anyone needs cupcakes. Let me know and, more than likely, I will have some fresh baked for you!

Heres to our new home and my new hobby :)