John and Rachel Zincke

Happy Christmas, New Year, and One Month

2012-01-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

I can't believe all that we've done in the last month! The holidays were wonderful and we had a white Christmas here in Colorado. I never did get out tree up in our new apartment, but I'm ok with that - I had a few other things to do!

We had the Zincke's come to visit in early December and we were able to bless Zoe in church that Sunday. John did a beautiful job and I was so touched by this amazing daughter we've welcomed into our family.

Zoe turned one month old on December 29th so we had a birthday party! Mostly it was just an excuse for me to make cupcakes... We had my family over for lunch and cake then we played Mario Kart on the Wii. Zoe's first party was a hit!

I think I'm finally settling into motherhood and I can't believe what a challenge it has been! I've learned and changed so much in the last month. Here are just a few things I've discovered since Zoe arrived:

I have more respect and love for my own parents
Being a mom is harder than I ever imagined
Being a mom is more amazing than I ever imagined
Having a baby involves a lot of pain but it's worth it in the end
Nothing melts your heart faster than your child's smile
Even 10 minutes of sleep is to be cherished
John is totally smitten (I wasn't sure he would be)
Family really is the most important

And now the pictures! (For the full album you can go here.)

Welcome Little Girl!

2011-12-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

Zoe Mae is finally here! I was hoping she'd come early or at least while my family was in California for Thanksgiving, but she made us induce.

John and I went to the hospital at midnight on Monday night and they got me started. It was a long process and definitely one of the hardest things I've ever done. Thank heavens for epidurals! Zoe did great, though, and greeted the world at 6:37pm on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. She weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces at 20 inches long. John and I were both teary eyed as we met our daughter for the first time. Grandma and Grandpa Woodbury were both very excited, too.

The next day John met the movers at our apartment to supervise the packing and we left town from the hospital the next day. Fortunately, my mom and dad traveled with us the next couple of days and helped out. Then we got to visit with Mom and Dad Zincke and they were also a huge help! I was really nervous about the move so soon after giving birth and it was hard but all the help made it easier.

We made it to Colorado and John started his new job. I've been getting used to my new job as a mom, too, and it has been interesting. Sometimes I look at this little girl and it still doesn't seem real! I worry about all sorts of new things now and I feel like an entirely different person - a person with a baby. And she's just so stinkin' cute!

Denver, Colorado...

2011-10-11T11:03:00.000-07:00

... here we come!!

John found out that we will be moving to Denver for his last rotation and we couldn't be more excited! This really works out perfectly for us because we'll be moving right after Zoe comes (in 6 weeks... what?!) and we'll be so close to Mom and Dad Woodbury. I have been madly searching for an apartment in the area that's close to John's work and soon-to-be Grandma and Grandpa's house. We'll have some buffer time of living in a hotel, which is nice, but I'm so anxious to have things planned and settled so we're ready to go when the baby comes.

Speaking of that little girl, she's been less active recently, probably due to her quickly tightening quarters as she grows. But today she's been dancing around and kicking her momma in the bladder... I'm doing well but still feeling very tired. Fortunately, things haven't been too crazy at work and John has been wonderful about helping out around the house.

Now that we finally know where we're going I'm looking forward to things happening - it's hard to wait when there are such great things on the horizon. But I've got to wait a few more weeks for Zoe to finish up in there and we still have a few things to do to get ready for her.

So exciting!!!

Happy 22nd!

2011-09-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Today is the 22nd which means I am exactly 2 months away from Zoe's due date! I can't believe we're so close already. I am getting so big and I know I'm only going to get bigger from here on out. I can't wait to meet this little girl and see what she looks like.At the same time, I am also nervous. We're going to have a new little person in the house who it totally dependent on me. Our lives are going to completely change. And it will be wonderful. But it's also a little scary, this next step.Zoe's doing great - I love feeling her move around in there and having her with me all day. I like knowing her little heart is beating right next to mine.

Need a Smile?

2011-09-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

My sister Julia shared this with me today - I thought it was so fun!

New Discovery

2011-09-13T10:52:00.000-07:00

While Steve and Jessica were in town last week, Jessica showed me a new website. I am now totally hooked on Pintrest! It's a social networking site where you 'pin' links and pictures to things you find online. Each person has different 'boards' or categories when they pin their pictures/links. You can follow all of one person's boards or just specific ones you're interested in.

I've found the coolest recipes and craft ideas on this site! And some really beautiful pictures as well as some fun things to make me laugh.

So check it out and let me know if you decide to join!

Whew!

2011-09-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

I'm all caught up! I've discovered that once I upload pictures to Picasa it is fairly easy to post them to the blog...

We have so enjoyed having our family come visit us this summer! Thank you for coming and getting John and I out to see all the great things Los Angeles has to offer. We also had a wonderful time seeing friends and family during the weddings last month. What an amazing experience to be in the Temple with so many of you and take part in such momentous events!

Now we're looking forward to the arrival of Zoe Mae. She's still on track to be born November 22 so we're excited for a memorable Thanksgiving this year! I am looking very pregnant these days, which you can tell from the pictures in the last few posts, and Zoe has been very active. John has felt her kick a few times and Mom and Dad Zincke both got to feel her moving as well. Thank you to everyone for the many beautiful gifts! I love all the girly clothes, especially the ones with the ruffles. In fact, we've already come up with a nickname for Zoe based on all the cute little pants and outfits: Ruffle Butt. Yes, say it out loud - it really flows nicely, doesn't it?

Just a couple more months to go!

At the Beach with Steve and Jessica

2011-09-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

Steve and Jessica came out to visit for Labor Day weekend and we had a lovely time! It was a relaxing weekend and we went to the beach almost every day. We went down to Redondo with them on Monday but somehow I didn't get any pictures of us on the pier... So here are some of our beach pics! (You can go here to see more.) (And you can go here to see Jessica's pics - she got some amazing ones of the beach and fun ones at Redondo.)

Mom and Dad Zincke in Cali

2011-09-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad Zincke came out to visit for 10 days and we had a fantastic time! We went to a Padres game, down to the beach, out to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (which was so cool), up to Griffith Observatory, and over to Redondo Beach. Thanks for coming, ya'll!

And here's the link to the rest of our pictures from their visit.

Sisters at the Beach

2011-09-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

Lauren and Julia drove down after the wedding in Oakland to spend a couple of days with us. It was too short, but we did make it down to the beach!

There are a few more here in my Picasa Album.

Can't wait to see my sisters again in November!

Wedding in Oakland

2011-09-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

A week after our trip to San Antonio my cousin Mark married Neeley in the Oakland temple. We drove up to attend and had a fantastic time visiting with family. And we got to see Dave and Kristy Tibbs, too!

And here you can see the other pictures of our trip.

Wedding in San Antonio

2011-09-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Srun and Val were married in San Antonio at the end of July. It was quite the trip for us, but we are so glad we went! We stayed in a house with the Golden's and did some great sight seeing. It was my first time to San Antonio and I had a lovely trip!

Click here to see the rest of the pictures from our trip!

Baby Shower in Utah

2011-09-06T17:51:00.000-07:00

We drove up to Utah for the 4th of July and Mom Zincke hosted a baby shower/open house. We had a great time, even though we didn't know we were having a girl yet.

Click here to see the rest of the pictures from our trip to Utah.

Christmas in September

2011-09-06T17:31:00.001-07:00

So I'm a little behind in posting pictures... here are a few from Christmas that I never got around to... Click here to see the whole album.

It's a...

2011-07-12T22:34:00.000-07:00

We're expecting Zoe Mae Zincke right around Thanksgiving and I can't wait! It was amazing to see the images of her brain, spine, and tiny little face on the ultrasound. I've been feeling her move around a lot, but so far John hasn't been able feel her kick at all. Hopefully that will happen soon! I'm 20 weeks now and finally looking pregnant. I think I'll add a little calendar on the side here...

Happy News!

2011-06-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

I've been so excited to share this news (many of you already know):

I'm pregnant!

Yay! John and I are so excited and we are having so much fun celebrating this news. I'm at 15 weeks and due November 26. We've had a couple of ultrasounds and the doctor said the baby looks perfect. We find out the gender the first week of July and in the meantime we're still getting used to the idea of being parents. We've started shopping for baby gear and furniture and we're feeling pretty overwhelmed, but mostly excited.

Our lives have been centered around this news for the last few months, but life has been moving on. Our jobs are going well, we're looking forward to seeing friends and family during upcoming vacations, and we're having fun in SoCal!

Settled and On the Mend

2011-04-18T10:40:00.001-07:00

John and I have been in California for a month and a half and I have been sick for most of that time. I came down with a cold/flu thing a little over a month ago and now I have a cough that has been lingering for 4 weeks. Yes, I'm drinking plenty of fluids and getting as much sleep as I can, but it made my lungs sore and my back tense up. I did go to the doctor and he said I just need time to heal...

Fortunately, my employer has been very understanding and I was able to work from home for a few days when it was really bad. Every day is just a little bit better and I have learned to be grateful for all the little things - like each moment I'm not coughing. John was also sick for a few days and he still has a bit of a cough, too, but it didn't hit him quite as hard. I'm grateful for that, too.

Meanwhile, we've moved into our new apartment, found our grocery stores, walked along the beach, and even tried one of the local restaurants. We've still got a lot of unpacking to do, but I think we're feeling settled in. The weather is moderate and beautiful, the traffic in our area isn't too horrible, and I think we're going to manage for the next 7 months!

We're looking forward to visitors! Our apartment is a 2 bedroom, so we've got space and an air mattress! Let us know when you're stopping by!

Cross Country Move Days 3 & 4

2011-03-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

We left Louisville early the next morning and drove to St. Louis, Missouri. We stopped by our old neighborhood there to see our house. It looks the same as it did when we lived there, which was a strange feeling. It brought back a lot of memories to see everything look the same.

We had dinner with the Makowski's and the Losli's. We had a wonderful time catching up with them and hearing about the things they've been up to in the last few months. It was too short, though.

The next morning we got up early again so we could visit with the Gomes and the Taylor's. It was so great to see everyone again and we're sorry we couldn't spend more time with everyone. On our way out of town we stopped for lunch at Rich and Charlie's, a Zincke family favorite.

Then we left for Kansas and saw an awful lot of this:

Cross Country Move Days 1 & 2

2011-02-28T19:22:00.000-08:00

It has been so nice to relax and just sit in the car. John and I are trying to make the most of this time off by seeing friends and family along our journey across the country.

We left Herndon, Virginia behind on Saturday morning and our first stop was to see John's Uncle Doug just outside of town. We had a wonderful visit and then headed to Tennessee for dinner with Joseph and Mariah. It was so nice to hang out with them and catch up on the last few months. (And I did say hello to JMU for you ladies out there!) I'll admit that I don't know if I could live in Tennessee, but it sure is beautiful country! We drove through lovely rolling hills, passed a Christmas tree farm, and saw the most amazing castle-like house. I wanted to take a picture, but we had already passed by the time I got my camera out.

Our next stop was Louisville, Kentucky to visit with Uncle David and Aunt Roxanne, which is always a pleasure. We're excited for Amanda's upcoming marriage and all the happiness that will bring her. And we hope Nicole and Clayton get to experience the DC area and enjoy it as much as we did!

Didn't get any pictures from our first couple of days, which I regret, but I'll have some to share from the next few days!

Almost 3 Months Later...

2011-02-27T07:28:00.000-08:00

We are catching our breath after a few crazy months. At this moment we are in transit to Los Angeles, California. John's next rotation is in west Los Angeles and we have said goodbye to all our friends in Virginia to move across the country. John is looking forward to his new assignment and I will continue to work for Booz Allen Hamilton in California.

We were sad to leave Northern Virginia - we really became comfortable and happy there - but we are excited about our new adventures on the west coast. And we get to see a lot of our friends and family on the way!

Catching Up

2010-12-29T20:22:00.000-08:00

As you can tell by my sudden increase in posts, I'm catching up now that I have had some down time. My job at Booz Allen Hamilton has been a great blessing and I am very grateful. And I have been really busy.

John and I have had a great time living in the Washington D.C. area and we are looking forward to our next adventure. We should find out the possibilities of our next location mid to late January and we will most likely be moving again in March. While we have really become comfortable in Northern Virginia, we are excited for what comes next.

Right now we are in Utah visiting the Zincke's for Christmas and New Years. Christmas was lovely and we've had a great time hanging out. We're going to get together with our friends from ASU on Friday, which will be awesome. Then my little brother Paul gets home from his mission to Chile in a couple of weeks so we'll be going to Colorado for a short visit to see him and the Woodbury's. So far it has been a very happy holiday season!

We hope you've also had, and will have, happy holidays!

Giving Thanks

2010-12-29T19:54:00.001-08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving this year at our house. Shea and Jeremy Wilch came over and we had dinner and watched football. I forgot to take pictures of dinner, which is a shame because it looked great, but I did get dessert. I planned much better this year so I wasn't hardly stressed at all. Plus, John was a lot of help.

And we setup our Christmas tree for the first year since we've been married. It hasn't ever made sense to have one because we aren't ever in town for Christmas, but we found one on sale last year. It makes me so happy!

Phun in Philly

2010-12-29T18:37:00.000-08:00

In October John and I took an overnight trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We have never been before and we figured that we had better go before we leave the east coast. We stayed in a hotel on Friday night, which ended up being an adventure in itself when the fire alarm went off at 11:00 at night. It really wasn't much of a surprise. There was a big group of high school students staying overnight for a sporting event. We overheard the fire marshal say that someone had been smoking illegal substances...

The next day we drove into downtown Philadelphia. We went to the Museum of Art to see the Rocky statue then headed over to see the historical parts. It was really fun, especially because there is such a different feeling from downtown D.C. The Benjamin Franklin house was probably my favorite. The house isn't there anymore but they have a museum underneath where it used to stand.

To complete our Philadelphia experience we went to Pat's for authentic Philly cheese steaks and they were awesome.

Woodbury's Come to Visit

2010-12-29T18:28:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad Woodbury came to visit at the end of September. We had a great time with them visiting Mount Vernon and hanging out. And we had leftover cake for several days after they left... We love you guys!

Quick Update - Happy Fall!

2010-11-13T13:47:00.000-08:00

John just checked our blog, for the first time in forever, and complained that I haven't posted anything for a long time. So this is me posting a quick update.

We are loving Northern Virginia in the fall - the colors out here are amazing with all the different trees. It's also starting to cool off, which I love. We've used our fireplace a couple of times - I also love that. And I've made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies a couple of times, too, which we both love.

We have both been really busy at work. They are giving John lots of projects and he's getting some great experience. I also got an increase in my workload recently, which is great, but has been pretty stressful the last couple weeks. But we're both grateful for our jobs, despite the craziness and stress.

I am doing NanoWrimo again this year, but I am painfully behind. I hope to catch up and make the 50K mark in a couple of weeks.

John has recently discovered how to make split pea soup from scratch so he's been spending more time in the kitchen. He also got to take a couple of trips for work in the last few months.

I've still got pictures to post from when Lauren and Julia visited and when Mom and Dad Woodbury came through. We took a quick trip to Philadelphia so I've pictures from that as well. Wow, I've got some blogging to do!

Zincke's in D.C. - All Pictures

2010-09-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

Mount Vernon - George Washington's home

Rangers Game

Updates

2010-09-09T17:47:00.001-07:00

Okay... so the last couple of months have been a little busy, but a lot of fun.

We moved out of the hotel and into our apartment in August. We live on the fourth floor of an apartment building in Herndon. Its close to John's office, which is nice. But we still haven't gotten used to all those stairs!

John enjoys his job, I think. He likes the people he works with - they play volleyball every Thursday - and they're keeping him challenged with lots of projects. He comes home tired, but generally happy. And that's always good!

I got a job as an Account Manager with a technological manufacturing company. It was a little rough for the first couple of days and I felt extremely overwhelmed. I tried to be positive, and some days were actually pretty good, but when I got a call to interview for another position, I was excited at the opportunity. They offered me the job about 15 minutes after my interview and I started my new job 3 days later. I am now a Recruiting Administrator at Booz Allen Hamilton. I've been in training for a week now and I think I'm going to like it.

We've already had visitors! Mom and Dad Zincke came for almost 2 weeks. Then my sisters Lauren and Julia were here last weekend. They're on their way out to the United Kingdom for three weeks of frolicking in England, Scotland, and Ireland. We took tons of pictures, which I will post shortly. The best part about having company is that we've had the chance to see most of the great stuff downtown in Washington D.C. I don't think we would have done the White House tour if Mom Zincke hadn't gotten us tickets (thanks!).

Coming up next: Mom and Dad Woodbury are stopping by for a weekend and then we'll see Lauren and Julia again when they come through on their way back home from their British adventures.

I am finally starting to feel settled.

Getting Settled

2010-07-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from our first round of sightseeing out here. We went to a park nearby for fireworks on the Fourth. We went over to the National Air and Space Museum the next day and saw some very cool things, including the SR-71 Blackbird (the fastest jet in the world). Then the next weekend we went downtown to the National Archives and the Museum of Natural History. We're excited to see more stuff and I'll keep posting pictures.

John is getting settled in at work and I'm still looking for a job. I've had a couple of interviews and I have a couple more lined up so hopefully something will pan out soon. We got callings this week, too. I'm teaching the CTR 6 class in Primary and John's is the Duty to God Specialist. And we're moving into our apartment on Friday so we'll be all settled soon. Woot!

We Have Arrived!

2010-06-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

We have officially arrived in Virginia. We drove into town last Thursday and we've been getting used to the humidity. We are staying in a very nice extended stay hotel for the next 3 weeks and we'll move into our apartment in the middle of July.

Road Trip Round 2 was awesome because we got to see so many of you but it was a lot of driving. And I didn't even do any actual driving! But thank you to all of you who made time to visit with us - it made the trip worth while.

We're excited to be here, despite the mugginess, and although John is a little nervous to start work tomorrow I think it's going to be great.

And we welcome visitors - for reals!

Moving Stress

2010-06-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

John and I flew out to Virginia on Sunday and we've spent the last couple of days looking for an apartment. I forgot how stressful it can be! It is so hard to find something that we both like, that has all the things we want (like washer & dryer in unit), and is still within our price range. And will have enough space for all our stuff...

But we found something and I feel good about it. It's close to John's office, it has the washer and dryer, it's in a lovely area, it has a fireplace, the kitchen is big, and it was the best price per square footage. And we have a second bedroom... sort of. They call it a den because it won't fit more than a double bed, but it means we have space for visitors!

So when are you coming to see us?

But before we get settled in our new apartment we have to pack up our old one. The movers come on Friday and then we'll be heading out on road trip round 2!

Change is good, change is good. Sigh.

Summer of Road Trip

2010-06-06T23:18:00.000-07:00

My last day of work was May 28 and we left at 3am the next morning to drive to Colorado. We could have left earlier but we didn't want to miss the last, last party with our friends to celebrate Cooper's birthday.

So we drove all day Saturday and made it just in time to catch Lauren's show Stage Fright. It was awesome and I am so glad we got to be there. Unfortunately, I caught a cold and had a sore throat for almost a week. Not usually a big deal except that our health insurance coverage ended when I quit. We stayed in Colorado for a few days and had a fun Memorial Day with the Woodbury's then we drove to Utah.

We've been here for almost a week and we've had a great time hanging out with the Zincke's, seeing friends, and generally relaxing. And my throat finally feels better!

It still doesn't feel real that we'll be moving to the east coast before the month is over and John will be starting a new job. We're looking forward to this new adventure! But we sure will miss all our AZ friends... We'll meet ya'll in Utah for the holidays!

2010 ASU MBA Graduation

2010-05-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

We loved having our parents in town for graduation - thanks for coming, ya'll! And we loved celebrating with all our friends - we'll miss you guys!

The News We've Been Waiting For...

2010-05-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Next month we will be moving to Washington DC for John's first rotation with Raytheon! We're both pretty excited and I think it's going to be a great adventure. We'll be there for 8 months and then we'll move again for his second rotation. We won't know where else we'll be going until it gets closer, but for the next 8 months we'll be on the east coast.

We're expecting lots of visitors so let us know if you'll be one of them!

Coming soon: pictures of graduation.

Recovery

2010-05-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today marks one week since we found out that I am not actually pregnant. I had surgery last week and I'm on the road to recovery, both physically and emotionally.

Thank you, all, for your thoughts and prayers. I was especially touched by the stories that you all have shared with me about similar experiences. It is good to know I'm not alone. While a part of me was sad that we had to tell everyone the bad news because we told everyone the good news, I was glad that we could talk about it and I could lean on the support of friends and family.

In other news, John had a call with Raytheon today and we now know that we might be going to Washington, DC, Tucson, AZ, Los Angeles, CA, or Boston, MA. We'll know more after the next phone call next Monday.

Loss

2010-04-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

John got the news a couple of weeks ago that his Grandma Kerley had passed on. Her health had been declining for the last couple of years and she had been fighting Alzheimer's so it was not totally unexpected.

Grandma Pinkie, as she was called, lived in St. Louis so John and I got to spend some good time with her while we lived there. She was a beautiful and wonderful woman and I am so glad that I got to know her.

John was able to attend the funeral this last weekend and he said it was good for him to be there.

He got back on Sunday and we went to have my first ultrasound yesterday. Unfortunately, we received more sad news. I have had a miscarriage.

I knew it was a possibility since this happens to many women, but I never thought about how difficult it would be to deal with. My life has changed, yet again, and I think this will be a little harder to get used to. It seems that we will have to wait a little longer for baby Z.

We are heartbroken, of course, but trying to be hopeful and faithful.

"Que sera, sera," as Grandma Pinkie often said - what will be, will be.

Life Changing News

2010-04-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

We are going to have a new addition to our John Zincke family in November!

Yep, I'm pregnant with our first child. And I'm so excited and so totally overwhelmed. John's excited, too, but still focused on finishing school.

We've known for about a month but had the first doctor's appointment this last week. It went well and everything looks good. I'm only about 10 weeks along so it's still very early but I'm excited to spread the news.

This is a big change for us and I already feel like my life has totally changed. It's going to be an exciting few months!

More Trips to Utah!

2010-02-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

My cousin Nicole got married January 16, 2010 in the Draper, UT temple. John and I drove up from Arizona - gotta love the road trip! We stayed with Mom & Dad Zincke again, which was great. It was good to see so much family again so soon after the holidays.

Nicole & Clayton's marriage celebrations were wonderful! She looked so beautiful and they are so much in love... It was fun to remember my own wedding, too.

And I got to go watch Ju and Dan climb at the Quarry. They've been going regularly for the last few months and it was so fun to watch them climb up the walls.

Promised Pictures - Christmas 2009 Edition

2010-01-20T19:09:00.001-08:00

First, our award winning Gingerbread House. Then pictures of Rachel's family. Then pictures of John's family. Then us with the loot. It was a great holiday and one are now sad is over. John's back at school and I'm back at work and Christmas seems so far away...

Thanks everyone for you hospitality and generosity. We love you all!

Promised Pictures - Halloween 2009 Edition

2010-01-20T19:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Halloween 3 months late! We went as a lounge act - John was the piano player and I was the singer. Mostly it was just another excuse for me to wear a new dress I bought for my New York trip. I think my favorite part was probably John playing with Jocelyn while everyone else was carving pumpkins and I was taking pictures.

And now, the video of all the carved pumpkins!

Back to Life...

2010-01-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

Back to reality...

I don't know anymore of the words to that song.

We were in Utah again at the end of last week for my cousin Nicole's wedding. She and Clayton had a beautiful wedding and I am so glad we got to go. The best part of the trip was that we got to see all the family. We stayed with John's parents (thanks so much for the hospitality and the pillows!!) so we got to see them and Steve & Jessica came over so we got to see more of them, too. Plus, my whole family was in town for the wedding so I got to see them and my Grandma, several aunts and uncles, and lots of cousins. I love my extended family. At one point I just stood in the kitchen of the house where everyone was staying and just watched all the bustle and I just smiled at the feeling of home.

Today John and I went back to school and work. John, as you can imagine, was less than enthusiastic about going back to class. I had a hard time getting up this morning, too, I won't deny it. We are looking forward to graduation and new adventures in new cities but John isn't sure how he feels about going back to work.

I promise I have more pictures... I promise I'll post them tomorrow... or at least this week sometime...

Safe Travels

2010-01-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

We're back from vacation! Colorado was fun and cold. Utah was fun and cold. Arizona is not cold...

I have lots of pictures to share so stay tuned!

I Heart New York... for reals

2009-12-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

I went to New York for a business trip back in October and I am just now getting around to posting them. It was the best trip ever! My sister Julia came out and stayed with me plus my parents came out as well because my Dad had a business trip, too. We had a great time and I can't wait to go back.

Our hotel was right next to Bryant Park so I have lots of pictures there. We went to the library, the Museum of Natural History, and the Met. Then there's a picture of the dessert I had at dinner that night. We went to Mary Poppins, which was great, and the last is the picture of my mug that actually has a sticker on it rather than real writing - very disappointing. Guess I'll just have to go back to get another one!

This one's for you, Kristy Lynn Phelps Tibbs!

2009-11-12T10:20:00.001-08:00

I suppose it was only a matter of time before I gave in and did one of these...

What are your middle names? Bernece and Douglas... I'll let you guess which belongs to who...
How long have you been together? Around 4 years
How long did you know each other before you started dating? It took me 2 and 1/2 years to convince him he wanted to date me.
Whose siblings do you see the most? Probably mine just because they're more mobile.
Do you have any children together? Not yet...
What about pets? I want a cat really bad but John's allergic.
Did you go to the same school? Same college.
Where do you eat out most as a couple? Anywhere we have a coupon for! Or Jack in the Box.
Where is the furthest you have ever traveled as a couple? For Christmas one year we drove from St. Louis to Orem. There was a big blizzard in Colorado though, so we had to take the long way around. Turned into a 32 hour drive... I was behind the wheel for all of 4 hours...
Who does the cooking? Rachel does most of the cooking unless John is in the mood. He is a really good cook and enjoys it but school has just taken up too much of his time.
Who is more social? We're both pretty social - we love hanging out with our friends. But I would have to say John is more social just because I get in moods where I just want to stay home and I don't think John ever feels that way.
Who is the neat freak? I like things to be neat but I hate cleaning so John is sometimes the one who has to say something...
Who is the most stubborn? John. No. Contest.
Who wakes up earlier? Rachel. No. Contest.
Where was your first date? IHOP - John had his waiter friend make me a napkin flower.
Do you get flowers often? I have gotten flowers three times in the 6 years I've known John, including the napkin flower.
Who sings better? Rachel, but only because John is so shy about singing. He actually has a great tenor voice but doesn't like people to know it...
Who does the laundry? Rachel - laundry is my nemesis.
Who is better with the computer? John - electrical engineer, you know. (Actually the two are only somewhat connected, but everyone thinks he knows more than he really does.)
Who drives when you are together? John - he gets nervous when I drive which makes me nervous.
Who picks where you go to dinner? Neither of us. We have the hardest time deciding where to go so the choice is usually made based on coupons in the drawer or friends we're going with.
Who is the first one to admit when they are wrong? Usually me, but John has had his moments.
Who wears the pants in this relationship? John. But they sure look good on him!
Who eats more sweets? Rachel. John would rather have another burger for dessert...
Who cries more? Rachel - big surprise!
What's your best day together? Sunday.
Where did you honeymoon? Park City, Johnson Mill, and Keystone, CO. We had a week in between 2 receptions so we did some traveling.
Favorite date night? I have a lot of favorites because John is really good about making time for me. I like going to baseball games together - John loves it and I like them because they're so relaxing.
Favorite TV show to watch together? Frasier
I tag: Whoever wants to volunteer!

New Apartment Happiness

2009-09-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures of our new apartment as previously promised. The first is our second bedroom, which I have setup as my writing room. All the office boxes are neatly stacked in the closet so the room looks really spacious. The next picture is of our bedroom but it doesn't show the lovely walk-in closet with all the extra space I can't fill up. So great. The last picture is the throne room. We are in the handicap-accessible apartment so this bathroom is HUGE. I don't know how to even begin decorating it so that it doesn't feel so cavernous.

This is home for at least the next 10 months and I love it!

Lights in Las Vegas

2009-09-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

The weekend before John started school while Mom and Dad Zincke were here we took a trip to Vegas. Steve and Jessica happened to be there the same weekend, too, so we had fun hanging out with them. We walked the strip, watched the fountain show at the Bellagio, stayed at the Stratosphere, had breakfast at Palace Station, and then saw more of the hotels. Things sure have changed in the last three years since we were there last and they will change even more when the City Center opens by the end of this year. It looks to be pretty impressive, too, so we might have to plan another trip back! And now, the pictures:

Catchin' Up

2009-09-04T16:30:00.000-07:00

We are finally settle back into the swing of things, I think. John's already bogged down with school work and this week has been up and down for me at work. The best part is that we have a new home! I haven't taken pics yet, but I'll post them soon.

Meanwhile, here are some pics of our end-of-summer adventures. Mom and Dad Woodbury came to see us in CA and we went to Sea World - my favorite!

Grandma Tripp came with us, too, and we all had a great time watching Shamu, seeing the flamingos, dolphins, sharks, and the cute little VW Shamu Beetle! (I can't make these look good...)

We also had Mom and Dad Zincke come out for a visit. They helped us move and I really couldn't have done it without them. Then we went to Vegas and took some awesome pictures which I will post shortly. This is just a teaser.

The Battle Commences

2009-08-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

John had his appointment with the apartment manager lady today and went in fully armed with documentation and plenty of support to back his case. Problem was, the surprise was ruined and she saw him coming. So she went on the offensive right away and didn't give John a chance to even speak his piece. When he did get a word in edgewise she wouldn't listen and maintained the position that she was right despite the fact that she was in direct opposition to the law. It was like a smack in the face when she handed him the 30 day notice to vacate.

So I get a call from John while I'm at work and he says "we're movin" which I thought was a joke at first since we've been saying that for a month. Then I freaked out when I realized he was serious as he told me this story. Fortunately by this time he had already been out and seen a couple of other complexes and had an idea of what was out there. He picked me up from work and we went to see a place that is closer to campus, way nicer, way bigger, and much newer. Plus, they were running a deal right now so the rent was great. So we have an application in and we'll hear from them tomorrow.

So, you ask, who is the victor? One could say the manager witch, I mean lady, wins because we are in fact vacating the premises. Or, as I am choosing to see it, we win because we don't have to stay in a place that neither of us really liked, we don't ever have to see her ugly face again, and she lost a tenant that paid on time and kept the place nice because she was belligerent and rude right from the start. Yeah, the only cookies she's getting from me will be thrown through her window. You decide who you think wins. But I'll tell you what, I cannot wait to move into this new place because it is luxury after this hole!

You Complete Me

2009-08-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am complete once again with my other half home with me from California. I flew out last Thursday and we stared packing up John's stuff and cleaning the room and bathroom he was living in this summer. John was glad to be done, but he had a good internship experience.

My parents actually came in to town on Friday night to start their anniversary vacation. We met up with them and had dinner together which was so much fun! I've missed them the last couple of weeks so it was nice to catch up.

Saturday morning we woke up, packed, and loaded up the car. We said goodbye to Sue, who has been just great this summer, and headed off to my Grandma's house to meet up with Mom and Dad again. Then the 5 of us drove down to San Diego and spent 5 wonderful sun-filled hours at Sea World. It was crowded and hot, but it was so much fun, too! At least, I thought so. We didn't do any of the rides and just went to the shows and animal exhibits. I will admit that the Shamu show brought tears to my eyes - I love those whales! Then we got to go see my Uncle Dale and Aunt Teri and visit them in their new house which is just beautiful.

Sunday we had a lovely waffle breakfast that Grandma made us and got to go to church together. We came home and had some dinner then John and I had to leave to drive home to Arizona. The drive was uneventful, which I think is the best kind.

I'm so glad to have John home again - it made it easier to get through the day and I was so excited to come home! So welcome home, honey!

Apartment Update & Other Fun

2009-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

So we are just a few days away from signing our renewal contract to stay at our apartment complex. And John has been furiously researching and making calls about this program that supposedly says they will kick us out if we make over a certain amount. Let me just tell you, this is war.

John has found out that not only did the apartment manager lie to us on several occasions in this whole situation, we could sue her for the things she's told us. John has all the supporting legal documents and policies which he will bring when we go to sign the contract. And I don't know if I want to be there because it's going to be rather awkward. But John's excited... The manager is just lucky we're not litigious people or she'd be in real trouble. As it is, I think I might make her cookies just to ease the sting a little.

The lessons I've learned from this is to always be as honest as you can, don't be afraid to say you don't know, and be careful when dealing with people because you just never know who you might be offending.

On a fun note, I discovered this blog last week and it made me so happy. First, because I love baking and cakes, and second, because it is freakin' hilarious. Check out Cake Wrecks.

On an even better note, John has only a few more days to go at his internship and I'll be bringing him home with me this weekend. It's almost over! Yay!

And then I think about all the things I was going to do while John was gone and realize that I haven't done hardly any of them... but I'd rather have him home. I will be a happy wife next week.

M.A.S.H.

2009-07-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

If you are even close to my age it is likely you have played the Mansion, Apartment, Shack, House game. On the four sides of a square you write MASH, names of boys (or girls) you could marry, number of children, then a city or place. Based on a number you pick the choices are eliminated until you have one of each. I always thought a shack would be the worst type of habitation, but I am quickly learning that an apartment isn't much better. At least, not one owned by someone else and 'managed' by some random assistant.

It is time for us to renew our contract so we can keep living in the apartment we've been in for the last year. It is not my favorite place, as most of you probably already know, but the price is right, the location is good, and the pool is close by. When John and I went down to the office last weekend to sign our new contract we were surprised by a 'bond program' we apparently signed on for last year. We remember signing the papers, but the office girls who explained it to us neglected to tell us that if we exceed a certain income we would have to move out of our apartment. That's right, I make too much money so they were going to kick us out. Seriously?! Seriously.

Long story short, we've figured it out, but it has been a huge hassle every step of the way. If one more thing had gone wrong or if they had made me jump through just one more hoop we would be moving somewhere else. As it is, John and I are both bitter about the whole thing now. Fortunately, we aren't planning on being here much longer than a year so we won't have to go through it again. Hopefully. You never know...

Visitors Welcome

2009-07-14T21:59:00.001-07:00

That's right, Lauren and Julia came to visit this last weekend. I always have a fantastic time with my sisters but this time was great because it's been so long since we've all been together. We went to dinner at Macaroni Grill (it was dark in there and the pic didn't come out great), helped Lar with her A1 Sauce contest entry, went shopping where John found some awesome shoes, and had fun just hanging out. It reached record highs here in Phoenix this weekend, but they didn't mind - Ju said the heat was 'exotic.' They might think differently if they actually lived here, but maybe not. I was so glad to have them here - I absolutely adore my sisters. We really are three peas in a pod although maybe differently shaped every now and then. We're hoping to get together again the end of August cuz fun like this needs an encore. There's no one like sisters!

Happy 4th of July in CA

2009-07-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

It was so nice to be in California for July 4th because the weather was lovely. We got to see Srun and Harry, too, which was fun. We went to an Angels game and they had a really good fireworks show afterward. It was even better than the show we saw the next night at Disneyland. We also went down to Laguna Beach and John got to go swimming in the ocean for the first time. The lifeguard actually came down to make sure he was okay after a really big wave.

On the holiday we visited with Srun and Harry and their family which was so much fun. We sat around talking and ate great BBQ. John got his pic taken with a monster truck and we watched fireworks. It was actually quite cold out and I had to wrap up in a blanket while we ate chocolate pudding snack pies. It was a great weekend.

Thanks Srun and Harry! And thank you California!

Visit to San Diego

2009-06-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

This last weekend John and I did some exploring in San Diego. I hoped to go to the famous Zoo but when John woke up feeling sick and I woke up with a headache we didn't get up in time to make it worth the admission price. So we started at Balboa Park and figured we'd see what it was all about. And it was awesome! I loved the architecture and all the museums plus we saw a guy playing the diggery-doo (or however you spell it).

After the park we went to a Padres game. Petco Park is absolutely beautiful, probably the nicest one I've been to. It was great to just hang out together and watch a ball game. Unfortunately, traffic was horrible on the way home and we got back pretty late which did not help John feel better. But he's doing better now. Side note: he's almost halfway done with his internship now.

*I discovered Picasa and I think I like it... what do you think of my collage?

It Was a Happy Birth-week

2009-06-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am another year older. My only consolation is that I am still younger than John!

I feel like I've been celebrating my birthday all week, which I am definitely not complaining about. The actual day was Wednesday the 10th but some of the girls took me out to dinner on Monday. Annika couldn't come on Monday so she and I went to dinner at Tipps 88 Thai (my absolute favorite thai restaurant ever) on Tuesday night and had a fantastic time. Thanks again to all my friends for remembering and making me feel so special on my birthday week!

I woke up Wednesday morning thinking "Happy Birthday, Rach." (Yes, when talking to myself I do use nicknames). And, guess what? It was a very happy birthday! My coworkers all remembered and we celebrated with ice cream novelties (lovin' the eskimo pies) and a lovely card they wrote to me. I won a gift card to Wildflower Bread Co. and free tickets to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on stage at the Gammage by entering contests on Twitter. Then the lovely ladies a church took me to dinner and ice cream. When I got home after all that fun I had to quick do laundry and pack for my trip to California. My Mom called me from Hawaii and the family all sang me a little ditty over the phone which just made me miss them terribly. And I talked to my husband who also had wonderful birthday wishes for me.

I have fantastic friends, loving family, great coworkers, and an amazing husband. What more could I want on my birthday!?

Nothin Special

2009-06-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been pretty normal, for me anyway. This last weekend John flew out to Arizona since I had an event for work on Saturday. I was actually a little sad not to be able to go to California and missed the lovely weather, but I was glad to have John home. I worked a half day on Friday so that gave us some time to run errands and hang out with Brandon. We went to a movie that night at the real theater. We usually only go to the cheap theater but since our friends were going to see the new X-Men movie, and I really wanted to see it, we tagged along. I liked it, so I was glad we went.

I worked the morning on Saturday and it wasn't too bad. Our event went great and John got to come up at the end and have lunch since there was food left over. He helped me clean up then we went to a movie at the cheap theater (State of Play was pretty good) and shopping at the outlet mall (I got 2 new pairs of jeans and shoes - Happy Birthday to me!).

Sunday was a very lazy day, but we had a wonderful time together. John left that evening and I had the apartment to myself again. It was strange this time because the weekend made me feel like things were back to normal and then John had to go back to California. So it was kind of a hard goodbye. I really shouldn't complain, though, because not all of the MBA wives get to see their husbands so often.

So it's back to normal life again - work and stuff. John is working hard out in Cali on his projects and I'll get to see him again in a few days. Meanwhile, I went out with the girls last night for dinner at Pita Jungle, which was awesome. I got this amazing salad that was so big I brought home 3/4 of it for lunch today. And I had a great time with the girls (thanks Mel, Kristy, & Jen!).

I'll be sure to take more pictures in CA this weekend - I think we might explore Laguna Beach some more. Mostly, I'm just grateful I get to see John as much as I do and that life is treating us so well right now. Thanks life!

Memorial Day in CA

2009-05-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

Since John and I both had Monday the 25th off we decided to spend it exploring more of Orange County. I left work an hour early and hit the road heading to CA. This was the first time I've done a road trip on my own since college but I wasn't worried because I used to do the drive from Provo to Denver all the time. I will admit this was a little scary, though. It was a holiday weekend so there were a ton of people on the road, plus the normal California traffic, so it was pretty stressful for the last couple of hours driving in the dark. I was so relieved to reach my destination and so tired that we just went to sleep.

Saturday we ran some errands and got John set with more groceries and fresh produce. We had lunch at a pizzeria in Lake Forest called Empanada Man which turned out to be really good and decently priced after our Restaurant.com certificate. For our Saturday night date night we found the Irvine cheap theater and finally saw Taken - great movie by the way, and I love Liam.

Sunday we went to church and then had a very quiet day at home. Sometimes it's nice to be lazy.

Monday we went down to San Juan Capistrano mostly because John found a BBQ joint and got a certificate to eat there. But I'm glad he did because it is such a great place! We drove over to Dana Point, took some pictures by the Marriott resort there then walked down to Doheny State Park to stroll along the beach. It was a great time and John had fun taking pictures of the beach and the water. He's still really excited about the beaches out here. We headed over to Bad To The Bone BBQ in San Juan Capistrano for an early dinner and it was awesome. The picture is of the pulled pork nachos we got - awesome. And we came out with tons of leftovers - also awesome.

John went back to work on Tuesday and after sending him off I drove back to Phoenix. But it was a short week and now I'm back in Irvine! I feel like I have two different lives right now; one in Phoenix where I am a single woman working full time and one in California where I am always on vacation and have great weekends with my husband. And we have 10 weeks to go...

Welcome to Irvine, California!

2009-05-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

That's right, John is living in the O.C. and I think he fits in great. In fact, I think we both would and would love to move there!

I took a furlough day last Friday to get everything ready and have one last BBQ with all the friends then we left on Saturday. We drove most of the afternoon and arrived in Irvine at about 5:30pm. The house where John's staying is beautiful and the people who are letting him live there are wonderful. We had a great time getting to know them and I feel really good about how it all worked out. John is only about a 10 minute drive from his office and their house is close to shopping, grocery, and Laguna Beach. We had a fun time Saturday evening driving around to find all the places John will need to know about for the next couple months.

His first day of work went well, I think. It's only been a couple of days so John's doing a lot of orientation and meeting new people. He's still getting the info on the project he'll be working on, so I guess we'll so how it goes. So far I think he's most excited about having a tv in his room that gets cable - he's already watched 3 baseball games and caught up on all the Fox News.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to get used to living by myself. With 4 younger siblings and then always having roommates in college I have never lived by myself. Sometimes I don't mind, like last night when I decided I didn't want to do dishes and that I wouldn't feel guilty about it. But it's also really hard - the worst is waking up in the morning and getting ready in an empty apartment. It's going to be a long summer. Fortunately, I've got some great friends who are here alone this summer, too. I foresee some quality girl time going on!

If anything, I have a great excuse to go on vacation every weekend! I'm driving out this Friday for the long weekend since John and I both have Monday off and I was able to get furlough on Tuesday, too. It will be an amazing weekend, I'm sure, and it can't come soon enough!

Bittersweet Endings

2009-05-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

John leaves for California next Saturday so this was his last weekend here in AZ with me until next fall. On Friday we went to a dinner organized by his school and got to see lots of friends. I took some pictures but none of them were very flattering so I won't post there here. And I forgot to take pictures of the Chinese food which was the most interesting. We had lots of new things and I have to admit not all of it was to my liking. John wanted to go get something else to eat after we left but when we got home I crashed. I was just going to lay down for a minute and next thing I new it was dark and the clock read almost midnight! I felt bad that I wasted so much time on our date night, but John didn't wake me up so he couldn't complain. We watched some Frasier together and went to bed late. Saturday was good - we got some things done and then had BBQ with friends. It was fun for all of us to get together before parting ways. We're hoping to do something this next weekend but we'll be driving to CA this Saturday so I'm not sure if we'll get to see everyone. We stayed up late again on Saturday night. I was reading a great book plus my stomach was pretty woozy and I had a headache. It still hadn't gone away by the next morning so we stayed home from church.

John was studying for finals off and on over the weekend but other than that it was pretty relaxing. He had a final this morning that he did well on and then he has a presentation this afternoon. Just a few more tests to go and he'll be done with his first year of Business School! And then he'll be gone to California. Bittersweet to say the least.

Free KFC 2-Piece Meal

2009-05-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

By now everyone's probably heard about the free KFC coupon that Oprah somehow has been able to offer. A free 2-piece grilled chicken meal for every family in America. Well, John and I have redeemed our coupons and I have to say it was a very interesting experience. I almost wish I had taken pictures to post here.

There's a KFC right down the street from us and I had printed the coupons yesterday (see unthinkfc.com) so we drove over a little after 6 last night. The small restaurant was full but not over-crowded when we got there and we figured it was worth the wait. The wait ended up being 30 minutes, but I'm not complaining because it was free. And the people watching was prime!Not all the customers felt the way I did about complaining, however. There was one rather interesting gentleman, who I will call 'Mr. 74,' that was in quite a rush. When we ordered they were calling out orders in the 50's and we were #82. Mr. 74 couldn't stand still as he was just so excited to get his free chicken! He flitted from one side of the counter to the other, watching the employees in back carefully and constantly asking how much longer until order number 74. When it finally arrived Mr. 74 had to make sure that they had gotten his order right so he pulled everything out and examined it on the counter. John and I just smiled and shrugged - free offers bring all sorts of people out of the woodwork.

There were several families there as well as your standard poor college student crowd. And by the time we got our meals it really was a crowd. I felt bad for the people who hadn't heard about the offer and just came in for some good old traditional crispy fried chicken - they actually paid for their food but still had to wait just as long. But mostly I felt bad for the dear KFC employees, bless their hearts. Mr. 74 didn't help their stress levels one bit and I'm sure they're already sick at the sight of grilled chicken.

John and I walked out with a total of 4 very small grilled chicken pieces, two biscuits, mashed potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, wedges, and two drinks. I was quite impressed with it on the whole - like I said, can't complain when it's free - but John was still hungry. All that standing in line made him hungry!

I think the deal is you can print 4 of the coupons before 9:59pm tonight so we might have another free KFC experience before the week is done. Next time, I'll take pictures, promise!

Tucson in May

2009-05-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's May already! Only a couple more weeks until John starts his internship - he's nervous and I'm a little sad because I'm going to miss him lots. Silver lining: I'll get to visit California a lot this summer! And maybe Sea World... still working on that.

John's parents were visiting Dave & Charity in Tucson for the last week so we drove down to participate in the fun both this last weekend and the Saturday before. It's a decent drive of about 2 hours (this coming from the person who slept in the passenger seat most of the way there and back) and well worth the trip both times. The thing I love about my in-laws is that we have the most fun just hanging out talking. We eat occasionally (thank you Charity for fantastic meals) and then we talk some more. And laugh - I love the laughter! It was a nice and relaxing weekend and John and I both came home feeling a little better about life. Isn't that what family is for, after all?

Work has been busy but good for me - we had a couple of events last week that went really well and I have another one this week. I still like it well enough and it definitely keeps me busy.

School has been stressful for John - he pulled another all-nighter last week working on a Real Estate project and he has another one, the last, due tomorrow. Then finals coming up and a big move and a new job. Poor guy - it's going to be a hectic couple of weeks! We found a lovely older couple in California who are letting John use an extra bedroom that's off their main house for the summer. We're lucky they had it available since the house is so close to John's office and they are charging a very reasonable rate, especially for California. We'll be driving out May 15th and he starts on the 18th.

So happy May, everyone! And, by the way, today is Star Wars day. Not sure why, but happy Star Wars day, too!

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely yet simple Easter weekend. On Saturday Dave and Charity came up to visit and we all went to lunch at my favorite Thai restaurant (if you're in Tempe you have to try Tipps 88 Thai). We had a nice chat and wonderful lunch plus, we all got sparkled by Ellie's princess wand! It's nice to live close to family so we can see each other more often. But the word is that they might not be in Tucson for much longer. We wish them well wherever they end up.

Easter Sunday wasn't a huge deal for us since we don't have little kids to do an Easter egg hunt or anything. I have to admit, I kind of miss hiding the eggs and then watching the kids find them all. We weren't sure what to expect from this holiday here in AZ since we were so surprised by the huge celebration in St. Louis. Easter is a big holiday out there - they close school on Good Friday and the kids get serious presents from the Easter bunny. It's almost like Christmas all over again. I thought it was kind of neat how much they celebrated this holiday, but it was a little unexpected. It is also kind of a big deal here in Arizona, but not so much as in Missouri.

So we went to the Larsen's for Easter dinner. It was awesome - Jen went all out with a ham, potatoes, rolls, and Danielle brought a fantastic multi-layered strawberry shortcake. It was so fun to hang out with friends and I don't think we should wait for another big holiday to do it again! Thanks again, Jen!

Overall, it was a nice and relaxing weekend, which we really needed after so much work and school stress. And now we only have few more weeks of school to go before John moves out to California. It goes by so fast...

Just Keep Breathing

2009-04-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

The craziness is over at work for a while. Our event last Saturday went well but it was a long time to be at work on a Saturday. Since this was the first time I had experienced this particular event I learned a lot about how my work group handles these big events. It was a good experience overall but I am glad it's over now. We all felt a little thrashed on Monday but there was more work to do so we took a deep breath and got back to our jobs. I feel exhausted and I'm really looking forward to having my weekend to myself.

Meanwhile, John is struggling through classes. His Real Estate class is taking a lot of time and we've been spending a lot of time on campus because we drive together. I'll go home for a couple of hours after work until he gets hungry then I'll take him dinner and hang out until he's ready to go home. I'm starting to feel like the business building is my home and my apartment is just somewhere I sleep occasionally. But we knew it was going to be busy and tough. And I'm just glad I get to see him at all these days no matter where we're seeing each other.

Upcoming news: We'll get to see Dave and Charity and Ellie this week because they're coming up to attend the temple. It will be fun to see them again and catch up. Also, Mom and Dad Zincke are coming down to visit at the end of this month so we'll also get to spend some time with them since I still have some furcation days.

That's about it for us this week.

More of the Same and then Something Totally Different

2009-04-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

So I went to get the car registered again yesterday. After an hour and a half wait I got to the counter only to learn that I couldn't register the car because my name isn't on the title. I had several other errands to run and my frustration just kept growing. I picked up John at school along with a friend and we were headed to meet some other friends but got stuck in rush hour traffic. Then the person in front of me was suddenly stopping way faster than I thought. I stopped in time but the two people behind me did not. My first fender bender... not sure that I'm all that proud of it, of course. We were stuck on the side of the road for two hours waiting for the police to show up and then waiting for them to fill out all the paperwork. It was awful. But no one was hurt and the damage to the car wasn't really that bad, so there is definitely a bright side.

Today was better, though. John had time to go get the car registered and stop by the insurance office to get things straightened out with all the claims for the accident. I was busy at work getting ready for another big event we have tomorrow and then John stopped by to tell me that my new laptop had arrived while he was at home!! YAY!! So I had something to look forward to. The day passed fairly quickly and now I'm home getting to know 'my new best friend.' It's so cute and I know I'm going to love it!

So while one day may seem like the worst ever, the next day will inevitably be better. Cheer up - the sun really will come out tomorrow.

Car Registration Frustration & Life

2009-03-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

So since I had most of the day off from work today because I've been working to much on the weekends I thought it would be a good time to get the car registered. Ok, honestly, John asked me to go get it registered - I didn't really want to. But I just have to wonder if there is a better way to accomplish this task.

First, I have to get the car inspected, which I did today. But I had to sit in a line at the emissions place for an hour and a half. By the time I was out it was too late to go next door to the DMV to actually register the car because they stop doing visual inspections 2 hours before the office actually closes. So I have to go again later this week and get that inspection done. Then I'm going to have to wait in another line and when I finally do get to the window it's likely that I won't have all the right paperwork... I've done this a few times in the last couple of years.

In this world of technology and instant knowledge, there has just got to be a better way to register your car in a new state. I'm just venting here - I know many of you have had similar experiences. Some day, hopefully, it will change.

In the meantime I will spend another couple of hours at the DMV later this week to pay them a lot of money in exchange for a piece of paper that shows I own the car and have let the government know about it.

In other news: my first work event went really smoothly. We had a reception and dinner last Friday night and then our guests visited campus on Saturday for sample classes. It went great and I am so pleased. Even if I am exhausted, too.

Happy Birthday Hubby!

2009-03-10T11:38:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's John's birthday today and he's hanging out at home on Spring Break. Spring break so far hasn't been great; he spent a full day yesterday working on a project for one of his classes that is going to take him forever to finish. But today is his 28th birthday so I'm taking a half day of work so we can play and celebrate. And as much as he claims he's not a dessert person, I'm making brownies!

Happy Birthday, John - I love you, no matter how old you're getting!

Furcation

2009-03-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

I've just been reading blogs and realized that I haven't posted on my own for quite a while. This is probably because there isn't much going on with us right now. John finished his second trimester and had a week break last week. I figured I would take some of my mandatory furlough days while he was off so we could hang out - thus the term 'furcation' which I snagged from my coworker Jen.

It is early March and the weather here in AZ already feels like summer. Since I had last Thursday and Friday off, we spent some time outside and actually got sunburned. We went to a spring training game with friends last Friday and sat on the lawn in the sunshine for over 3 hours. I think I'll be buying some sunscreen on the next trip to the store... and some aloe vera gel!

The down side of having so much time off is that John totally messed up his sleep schedule and then I got sucked into the craziness, too. So we've had a hard time adjusting to normal hours this week and we've both been really tired the last couple of days. It's probably not going to get much better, though, because John has Spring Break next week. And I'll have more furcation on Monday and Tuesday, too! Woot!

Other news:
My laptop died for good a few weeks ago and since it takes an emergency to pry John's from his lap I haven't had much computer time at home recently. Thus the lack of blogging, but I know it's no excuse.

I sang in a Relief Society program last Tuesday - I was really nervous for my solo, but it went ok and everyone was really impressed.

John won a competition and got a cash reward that finally showed up in our bank account last week. But it will probably just go to pay taxes since it looks like we owe quite a bit this year... boo taxes! And we won't even get into the horrible things that are going to happen on that front in the next few years...

We finally made it through all the seasons of Frasier we got for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad Zincke!) so we'll be starting over on those in a few weeks, I'm sure. I finished watching the second season of 24 and started on Heroes yesterday. It's a nice way to unwind after work and now I know what everyone's been talking about.

So that's life for now. Just chuggin' away and hangin' in there.

Crazy Happenings in Tempe

2009-02-06T17:42:00.000-08:00

It has been a long week and it started off kind of rocky.

We went to bed at a decent time on Sunday night but I woke up to strange noises at about 2am. There was someone yelling outside our window. I wasn't worried at first - we live on the second floor and it was Super Bowl weekend so I figured it was just some late-night party people wrapping things up. So I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. Then I heard gunfire.

I started listening closer and it was a guy yelling to someone to let him in. He was pounding on a door pretty hard but I couldn't tell which apartment he was harassing. He shot his gun again and by this time John was awake, too. I'm so glad he was there because I was pretty scared. We laid in bed listening to what was going on and hoping that he wouldn't feel inclined to come upstairs and knock on our door. He shot his gun a couple more times and kept yelling at someone to 'answer the door.' Then we heard the police sirens and the guy got really upset. He yelled some threats about hunting someone down then we heard him take off running.

The police showed up a couple of minutes later and we heard our downstairs neighbors filing the report. An officer knocked on our door a little while later to make sure we were okay and then everything quieted down. Except my stomach which was still in knots.

There hasn't been any follow up incidents this week so we're hoping the problem was resolved. It's strange how just a few minutes can strip you of your feeling of safety for days afterward. But I'm so grateful that the police showed up.

So that was the most exciting part of our week. We have a pretty open weekend with not too many plans and it will be nice to relax.

2 New Discoveries

2009-01-29T17:42:00.000-08:00

I have recently made two new discoveries that I have been having a lot of fun with: Twitter and iGoogle. As you can guess, I've been spending a lot of time online...

I've heard of Twitter before but wasn't sure exactly what it was. I've finally been catching up on all my blog reading since the holidays (not that it really needs catching up on) and Neil Gaiman (author) mentioned it numerous times. I absolutely adore his blog, by the way. So I decided to check it out and I think I'm being sucked in to the world that is online communication. It's basically a simplified version of facebook and focuses on the "what are you doing now" part combined with blogging. You have your homepage where you can post your entries and your friends can 'follow' you. You can also sign up to 'follow' other people. You can post from the web or from your phone via text messaging. My thread isn't that exciting, but I'm following Neil Gaiman and it's pretty entertaining. He's just won the Newberry Medal award for his recent publication The Graveyard Book and he's also involved in all the hype over the movie Coraline coming out next month (he wrote the original book the movie is based on). So he's been doing lots of interviews and phone calls, all of which are documented on his Twitter posts. Kinda fun and a little addictive.

My second discovery is iGoogle which is not so new but I've just finally got on board with my google account. You basically customize your own homepage with links and windows to your gmail, blogger and other google products as well as news feeds from various organizations, games, animations, pictures, etc. I like it because I can now easily access most of the websites I visit everyday all from one page and it gives me other important information like the weather forecast, top headlines in the news, quotes of the day, and even a gadget for Twitter. If you have a google account you should check it out and if you don't maybe it's time to think about joining everyone else on Google. They are going to take over the world, just accept it as inevitable.

Just Breathe

2009-01-26T17:22:00.000-08:00

John and I had a laid back weekend, which was so nice after all the hustle and bustle. Our holidays were wonderful and we so enjoyed visiting family and friends. But this weekend was much needed.

Friday night we went bowling with some friends. I am the first to admit that I am awful at the much-loved pastime of rolling a ball down a wooden lane to knock over the pins, so I did not play. I figured it would be silly to pay for me to do something I probably wouldn't enjoy, especially since I was only there for the socializing anyway. So I did a lot of visiting and I got to hold Jocelyn who is almost 3 months old now. After the game, I don't have the slightest idea of who won, we went to Chipotle for a late dinner. And late it was... they politely let us know it was time to leave by putting all the chairs on the tables. When we got home we watched a few episodes of Frasier (we're on Season 7 of 11 now) then went to bed.

Sleeping in on Saturday was absolutely glorious. We didn't get up until about 10:30. Of course, staying in bed that long came with the usual dose of guilt over being lazy on a beautiful sunny day, bit I managed to push the feelings aside as I argued with myself that a lazy morning was long overdue. And the day ended up being mostly productive anyway - we ran a few errands, did some grocery shopping, tidied up the house, and made a lovely dinner. We also managed to get more Frasier in (I know, big surprise) and some 24. I did spend a few hours reading, too. I've started on a new fantasy book and I had forgotten how much I like being immersed in a fun adventure.

Sunday was also pretty relaxed so it was a lazy and enjoyable weekend all around. One thing of note: John was persuaded to buy fish at the store on Saturday and we had it for dinner last night with rice and acorn squash. Yes, John ate fish... willingly. This health kick of his must be serious indeed!

Go AZ Cardinals!!

2009-01-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Phoenix is all a buzz about the Arizona Cardinals football team - they're going to the Super Bowl! Last week was pretty exciting as everyone jumped on the bandwagon and became instant fans when the Cardinals made it to the NFC and played on Sunday. Everyone has something to say about it and everyone I've talked to watched the game on Sunday - even the lady at the department store who claimed she doesn't like football. John and I were in Tucson visiting Dave and Charity this weekend so we had someone to watch the game with and then celebrate with when our team won. It looks like John and I bring the sports luck with us wherever we go - the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team won the World Series when we moved to St. Louis and now the AZ Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl. Maybe it just has something to do with Cardinals...

This will be one of only a couple years that I watch the Super Bowl for the both the game and the commercials!

Work and Play

2009-01-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

I'm now in my second week of working at ASU in the MBA Admissions office and so far it is going really well. Last week was kind of overwhelming as I met everyone I would be working with and then all the other people associated with the MBA programs. I met with each of the Admissions team members to get to know them better and so they could get to know me, too. By Thursday I was starting to feel more comfortable and settled, almost like I belong here. This week has also been good - I've started working on some projects and I realizing just how fun its going to be to work with all these people. So this change that I was so nervous about has turned out to be a good one as far as I can tell.

Last Friday John and I flew out to Salt Lake City to attend a couple of weddings. John's younger brother was married to Jessica in the Temple on Saturday. We were able to go to the wedding and then we stood out in the cold for a while before taking pictures. Then that afternoon we went to another friend's wedding - Joseph Golden - at the same Temple. I'm so glad we were able to go to both and celebrate with our friends and family. It was a good day, but very long and very cold. We thought we would have some time to visit with the family on Sunday but our flight left at 3 so we didn't get as much time as we would have liked. Brandon and Andrea had us over for dinner that night, which I was grateful for, and then we went to bed early after a long and busy weekend. I've been struggling just a little the last couple of days because I don't really feel like I got much of a weekend. Thank goodness there is a three day weekend in just a few days!

Meanwhile, John doesn't go back to school until next Tuesday so he's been vegging at home. He is recovering from a cold, so its probably good that he's resting up and getting plenty of sleep. I'm just jealous... He had a quick one day trip to California last week to meet the people in the office where he will be doing his internship. He was a little nervous but it turned out just fine and he's looking forward to spending a few months in California this summer. I, on the other hand, will be here in Arizona missing him terribly. But we'll deal with that when the time comes.

With all our traveling and vacations over for the holiday season we're finally settling back down into the regular rhythm of life. Routine is nice after so much craziness, but it was fun, too! So back to business for everyone!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

(The pictures I've promised of our holiday parties and visiting with family.)

Surprisingly I've been ready for 2009 since the end of September - I caught myself writing 09 instead of 08 several times in the last few months. And now it's here! Happy New Year!

John and I are still in Utah enjoying the snow on the ground as long as it's not in the road. It has been pretty chilly and I'm about ready to get back to Arizona and warmer weather. Christmas at the Zincke's was so fun. We had a late start but that was okay because then the Christmas morning magic lasted even longer. Our activities in the last couple of weeks have included lots of Frasier, lots of food, and lots of shopping mixed in with a few movies and meals out. We have a couple more days here in Utah before we drive back down to work and school.

We spent last weekend in Colorado with my family, which was wonderful. Paul (my younger brother) gave a lovely farewell talk in church and we had a great time playing games and visiting with the Woodbury's. It was short, but it was fun and I'm so glad we got to be with the family for a couple of days before Paul leaves on January 7 to go into the MTC. It will be about 3 years before we can all be together again as a family because of my brother's missions.

Our holidays were happy and we're looking forward to a new year of more friends and family.

Almost Christmas

2008-12-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

I can't believe its already Christmastime - especially considering the weather around here is nothing like winter. It is cold today but nothing like what I have been used to in December. And I can't complain.

John is working hard on studying for mid-terms this week and his last day of school before the break is this Thursday. He is really excited to have some time off and see his family for the holidays. His other big news is that he was offered an internship position at Johnson & Johnson in Irvine, CA. It is a 10-12 week internship during the summer and he's just glad that he's got an offer from a really good company.

I got the word that I got the job at ASU! I'll be starting in the MBA Admissions office on January 5th. I'm excited and nervous. I'm really sad to leave Scottsdale Culinary because I've made such good friends here, but I need a permanent and secure job. Change is good, I guess, and I hope this is one for the better. Its always a little scary to start something new.

So this means that I will get 2 weeks off for vacation and we'll get to spend more time with family for the holidays - YAY! And it also means that I will probably be staying here in AZ this summer while John goes to CA for his internship... sad. Fortunately, its close enough that we'll still be able to see each other on the weekends. But, as John reminds me, I need to stop thinking about that and just focus on the nearer future.

Merry Christmas! We've had a couple of parties with friends and I got some awesome pics that I'll post soon.

Welcome to December

2008-12-02T09:26:00.000-08:00

We had both chicken and turkey for Thanksgiving this year. Dave and Charity came up from Tucson and we had turkey/chicken dinner at our apartment. It was a fun day and dinner came out great, mostly. I was a little disappointed in my rolls and the stuffing wasn't fantastic, but we had fun and all got plenty to eat.

I was really excited about finally using my stemware - I love those glasses. It was a lot of hard work all day in the kitchen but it was worth it in the end. And now I can say I did Thanksgiving dinner, even though we didn't do a full turkey. We'll tackle that another year.

I am sad to report that I only made it to 22,031 words on my NaNoWriMo novel before November 30th. I procrastinated too long and didn't dedicate enough time to spend on writing enough during the month. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but on Sunday night when I had officially given up I was feeling rather disappointed in myself. But I did write quite a bit and now I know that it makes a difference to me if I finish or not, so next year I'll plan better.

John flew to Atlanta a couple weeks ago for second round interviews with Johnson & Johnson. He hasn't heard back from them a yes or a no yet so we're crossing our fingers. Meanwhile, he's got two more interviews on campus this week and getting really tired of it all. But I have full confidence in him and I'm not worried - I know he'll get a good internship.

Work is going well for me - I'm still at Scottsdale Culinary Institute and having a great time. They really like me there, too, so I'm hoping that they'll hire me on permanently. I do have an interview at ASU on Wednesday, though, just to keep my options open. I do like it here at the Culinary school so I hope things will work out.

So now we get to look forward to Christmas and the holiday break. And I am really looking forward to more time off - it's hard to come back to life after vacation. I've got the week of Christmas off of work so we'll get to be in Utah with John's family for more than a couple of days. I'm also looking forward to some snow - haven't seen much of that down here in AZ.

So welcome to December!!

NanoWrimo Update

2008-11-13T09:26:00.001-08:00

It's the 13th and I'm supposed to be at 21,671 words by the end of today. I'm at 6771 words at this moment... stress much?! But I'm not too worried - I had a little bit of a late start because my husband had a week off from school and was a huge distraction, but now he's back in the grind I can get down to business. I've been doing about 1,000 words a day every day this week, so it could be worse.

My story so far has taken some wild twists and turns. Not so much strange as far as the story goes, just not what I had in mind at all. I'm going with the flow right now but I am continually surprised by new characters that pop up and entirely new plot lines. I find myself thinking about my characters and what they'll do next while I'm getting ready in the morning, while I'm driving, and during lunch. I guess that's a good sign that my mind is working on it so hopefully something great will come of all the hard work. Hopefully 50,000 words worth of greatness.

Whatever happens, I am so glad to be writing again. I gives me something to work at, something that uses my brain and imagination, and it will hopefully be an awesome accomplishment, too.

John's Week Off & Other News

2008-11-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

John had last week off from school because it was the end of his first tri-mester. He did a lot of lazy and some sleeping on the side... It made it hard for me to go to work, but he came up to have lunch with me a couple of times so that was better. Now he's back to school and the grind and not looking forward to it.

We went down to Gilbert yesterday to go to the baby blessings for Olivia and Kylie Thompson (my cousin Kristi's twins). It was so fun to see their family - Grandma and Dale and Terri came out from California so we got to see them. Those little girls are so cute and they received beautiful blessings.

John and I got new phones - yay!! I've been wanting a new one for a long time and John finally got fed up with not having service in the business building at school. So we got out of our contract with Sprint (after much arguing on the phone) and signed up with Verizon. I love my new phone - very sleek and fun. We spent the evening on Friday programing in all our contacts and the settings.

I'm so excited for the holidays coming up. I head Dean Martin's version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on the radio this morning when I was driving to work and it just made me smile. I love Christmas and I'm really looking forward to celebrating with family this year. We'll be in Utah for Christmas but we're still trying to figure out exactly how that's going to work. And we're still not sure about Thanksgiving... But I sure am excited!

I'll get some pictures up here soon, promise!

Congrats to B-rAndrea

2008-11-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

The Smith's have a new member in their family - Jocelyn. John and I are going to go meet her this evening and see how Mom is doing. Congrats ya'll! (John nicknamed Brandon B-rand and then we just added Andrea's name to the end... silly, I know...)

That's the best news going on right now. We had Mom and Dad Woodbury come visit last weekend (I'll put up some pics later) and Daniel came with them. We had a great time playing Wii and hanging out with friends. It was a good weekend.

John finished his first tri-mester at ASU last week and feels pretty good about all his finals. Now he's got a week off and I'm jealous he gets to stay at home while I'm working. But he's deserved a good break.

I started NanoWrimo on Saturday - I've committed to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. I've done it for the last two years and always had a great time so I didn't want to miss out this year. I'll post frequent updates at Book 'n' a Mug.

So hope ya'll are doing well!

Yay for the Fam!

2008-10-20T18:51:00.001-07:00

Julia, Nicole, and Paul came down from BYU this last weekend to visit and we had a wonderful time! We had lunch at the cafe up at Scottsdale Culinary Institute and we saw a movie and had dinner and the best part was that we got to hang out and talk. And the Ju did my dishes... It was fun to have them meet our new friends when we went to the Larsen's on Friday night. The bummer about the weekend was that we had some car issues on Saturday and had to drive around dropping the car off and picking it up to get fixed. But we still had a good time because we were together.

I miss them lots, now, but I'm so glad they got to come visit. I'll post pictures soon. This next weekend Mom, Dad, and Daniel will be coming out so there will be even more family fun!

Silly Slip

2008-10-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

I was cutting an apple yesterday morning for our lunches and wasn't as careful as I should have been. While I was trying to cut the core out I stabbed my palm with the paring knife. I swore at my clumsiness and then ran my hand under the water. John heard me and came in to see if I was alright. It wasn't a very big cut but I was worried that it was deep because it just kept bleeding. So I started getting really sick to my stomach and feeling weird. I felt faint and it started hurting pretty bad. I was crying and putting pressure on the cut so it would stop bleeding and John was trying to calm me down.

It stopped bleeding pretty quick and it isn't that big a deal, but it's the first time I've done anything like that so it's a big deal to me. I guess I went into shock at the sight of blood or because I was worried. I was pale, shaky, I had fever and chills, and I felt so nauseous. Kind of a scary experience.

John had to leave for school so I laid down for a while then got ready for work. It took a long time with only one hand. It's feeling a little better today and I have more flexibility but it doesn't look very good. And I'm so wishing I could just wash my hands like normal or put on lotion. You never realize how much you use your hands until you can't for a while.

So be careful with knives and be grateful for your hands!

New Friends and More Fun

2008-10-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

So I've made some awesome new friends! We had a baby shower for Andrea Smith (she's due the beginning of Novmber) and had so much fun visiting and eating Sprinkles cupcakes (thank you Kristy!)

The MBA husbands like to watch football on the weekends so us girls go out and do girly things like talk for 3 hours over dinner... We are the MBA Wives. It is so nice to have a support group of others who are in the same place I am.

Just a quick update: I'm still at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in the Career Services department and I'm really enjoying it so far. It is still a temp job, though, so I'm applying for other jobs, too. Hopefully I'll get one at ASU - that would be so convenient. But we'll see what happens - my director at SCI is pushing hard to get me a permanent position.

Talk Like a Pirate Day Sept. 19, 2008

2008-10-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, of course we had a party! Brandon and Andrea Smith and Kristy and Dave Tibbs came over to celebrate. We had fried chicken with all the trimmings and watched Pirates of the Caribbean but we didn't talk like pirates... Maybe next year.

It was also at this party that we discovered Apple Fanta. I sent John to the store to get beverages and he came home with this little treasure - it's fantastic! We've taken it to all the get togethers since and everyone is surprised a how much they like it. Apple Fanta. Try it. And mark your calendar for September 19th next year because Talk Like a Pirate Day is an awesome holiday!

Job Down-date

2008-09-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's a downer - I didn't get either of the jobs I interviewed for this week... Very disappointing. But I should be grateful because Scottsdale Culinary is keeping me on in a different department (Career Services) for the next month. They made it very clear that it is only for a month and there is no possibility that the position will become permanent. So I have another month to find something more solid. I'm just praying that some of the jobs I've applied for in the next month come knocking. But in the meantime I'll keep sending my resume out there (like it isn't already plastered everywhere).

So I start something new on Monday and hopefully the Lord will make it clear eventually why it wasn't right for me to have either of the opportunities that popped up this week.

Job Update

2008-09-25T16:54:00.001-07:00

For the last 3 years I've been working for Simplicity Group based out of Springville UT and last Friday was my last day with them. It was sad to say goodbye to something that has been such a blessing for me but it was a relief as well because I've been working 2 jobs. When I got here I got a job at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in the registrar's office through a staffing agency. It started out as a temporary position but I hoped that I would be kept on as a permanent employee. But I found out a couple weeks ago that they had hired someone else so my job search began again.

Just this last week two opportunities have come up through my staffing agency that are both direct hire. And I interviewed here at the school for a position in another department and they want me to come work for them. So I've had several interviews this week over the phone and in person and things have been going well. I found out this afternoon that one of the jobs decided to go with someone else so my options are down to the position at the Culinary Institute in the Career Services department or at a company called RGU Group. I really want the job at RGU because it's close to my house and the company seems awesome - they do souvenir stuffed animals. I have a second interview with RGU tomorrow morning and I will find out if I got it tomorrow afternoon. Scottsdale Culinary has already offered me the job so I'll have something either way, but I'm really hoping things work out.

So wish me luck and we'll see how it turns out!

Getting Used to the Heat

2008-09-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

We were so happy to come to dry heat after the crazy humidity in St. Louis. It is hot here, but I definitely like the dry heat better. It's supposed to cool off this weekend, but we'll see what happens. We've been told it will be just beautiful for the rest of the year... Here are some more pictures of our first couple of weeks in AZ while we were still getting settled and didn't have school or too much work.

Srun and Harry were visiting their parents who now live in North Phoenix when we got here so we went to In 'N' Out Burger with them.We finally got John to not only eat at In 'N' Out but he admitted it was an ok burger.

The king's chair. We went furniture shopping because we gave away so much when we left St. Louis we needed new stuff. Don't worry, we didn't get this chair.

Then we tried out the cheap theater that's just down the street. It's $3 for any movie all day and it's not too bad of a viewing experience.

So we had some fun when we got here and now we're busy with school and work. But we still get to have fun on the weekends. I'll upload more pictures of the new friends we're meeting and our apartment, too.

Moving and Visiting

2008-09-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

So we just moved from MO to AZ about a month ago and it was a sad but exciting time. Here are some pictures of our last few days in St. Louis and our trip through CO and UT to see family.

We went to dinner with Dan and Mandy Makowsky at Pujols 5 - Go Cards!! We played Mario Kart Wii with Greg and Rebecca Losli - pretty sure John won...

We packed up our house and gave away a lot of our furniture but we can't live without the internet! There was no where left to sit because everything else was packed or gone - I had to get a picture.

We went to a Rockies game with the Woodbury side of the fam - it was a beautiful evening even though the Rockies lost.

And we played Cranium with the Zincke side of the fam - the boys won, but we're convinced they cheated...

The first night we got to Tempe we dropped our stuff off at our apartment and went to (drum roll, please) In 'N' Out Burger.

It was a fun trip because we got to see both sides of the family and spend some time with them. We are enjoying AZ, especially the dry climate after the humidity in St. Louis. And we're making friends really fast, too. We sure miss our friends in MO, though! We realized too late how many cool people we knew and we wished that we had spent more time with them while we had the chance. So we won't make the same mistake here in Tempe.

More pictures to come tomorrow!

Welcome!

2008-09-22T16:36:00.001-07:00

John and I both have our own blogs but they don't follow what's going on in our lives. So this is for our family and friends to see what we're up to. Visit often for news, pictures, and random fun!