Just a little boredom

I'm sitting here super bored watching Grey's Anatomy like always and i decided to should blog.
I'm not quite sure what i am going to write about so here it goes..

A couple weeks ago i decided that i need a change and i needed to "broaden my horizons" (haha i always wanted to say that). Truth be told i wanted to do something different, i wanted to work in a place that challenged me everyday, somewhere that was changing, a place that i might need to adapt to my surroundings, but mainly i wanted a place and possibility of advancement. I spoke with my boss (for the nanny job) and told her i was thinking about quitting and looking for something different. We worked things out and i am staying with them until about Christmas then i am saying my good byes. After deciding this i went out on the hunt looking for a new job...

Easier said than done..

Well i found out a spot was open at Nordsrtom Rack (where Jen works) but the position that was open was in the shoes department. And Jen works in the Womens department.  So i applied... And guess what!! I got an interview and it went really well and i was called back for a second interview and then the waiting began... After a couple days i got a phone call.. I thought it was going to be THE phone call but i was wrong. I got a call from the manager in the Womens department wanting to know what my schedule looked like and if i would like to work in the Womens department. Of course i said yeah but i let her know that my roommate already worked for her. She said she knew that and would still like to consider me for the position. And then i waited some more.. A day later i get another call. It was the women's manager again and she said the position in shoes had been filled :( but she said she would like to hire me for the women's department and you know what i said...

Well i said YES. I am now the newest member of the Nordstrom Rack team! :)

I'm basically excited i officially started last wednesday with orientation and i will start working on the floor this up coming Tuesday! All of you wonderful people should come a visit! :)

That's what's new in my work world! And with school.. Well the semester is over and i did not finish as well as i would have liked but i passed all of my classes and did the best i could so that is all that counts. But winter session starts in a couple weeks so i am going to try and party as much as i can before it is back to the grind of school and work.

On an awesome note, the roomies in LB got FISHIES!!!!! I am so freaking excited!! :) There are three fish named Big Belly Lucielle, Samson, and Tim. And an awesome water frog named Willy Wonka!
These fish are amazing! And i think are going to fit right into our little family.. Haha

Something to be Thankful about

So i decied for thanksgiving break i was going to make it into a mini vacation. So Tuesday after school i packed up my stuff and started driving. And 10 hours later i made it to.... Sandy, Utah.
The drive was really long but i drove through the dark so it did not feel to bad. It really didnt feel like i was in the car by myself for 10 hours. Ive basically decided that all of my long distance trips will now be drivin through the night lol.

Well Wednesday i just hung out around my  sisters place and we did some shopping then went out to dinner  noting to crazy happened. Althpugh i did get them addicted to the game Phase 10. Which is an amazing game everyone should play it!

Then Thursday, good ol' Turkey day, i spent the day helping to prepare dinner. Which was super fun because we went to my brother in laws parents house. The day before i made some dessert to bring because it is a tradition in my family to do and it was a HUGE hit at the party everyone loved it and it was almost all gone befcore dinner was even sereved :)

After dinner and a quiet time because of a huge food coma, i went to the movies to see Pitch Perfect! Which i have to say it was one of the best movies i have seen in a long time. After getting out of the movie i checked my phone like always and found out my cousin that lives in Idaho was staying with my other cousins like 20 minutes from where I was. I had a mini freak out session.

So needless to say i spent the rest of my weekend hanging out with the Cousins. Both Emily who is living in Idaho and Justin and Melissa and their family who live in Salt Lake City.

On Friday we made it a girls day and Melissa Emily and Myself went to the movies and saw Breaking Dawn Part 2. Which was amazing! I must say BRAVO to the creators of that movie. They did a phenomenal  job! We also did some shopping t the DI and Nordstom Rack. I am absolutely in love with Nordstrom Rack and i found some awesome stuff but i restrained by self from buying anything because i would have bought the whole store. Haha.

Saturday i traveled down to Provo for a few hours to see the lovely Jessica Allen. Yes you all should be very jealous that i got to see her. Se is doing amazing and is loving BYU Provo. I am so happy and proud of her for the decision she made to go to BYU. She is a new Convert to the church and she has so much faith and so much love for the church. It is just so inspirational to me. And i am thankful to have her in my life. I love friends!

Saturday night i stayed at my cousins house and just had a movie night with Emily. We watched some awesome random movies! And worked on homework.

Then Sunday morning it was time to travel home. I was a long week away from home and i was ready to get home.. But was not ready for the 13 hour drive that was ahead of me... While driving through Filmore i was pulled over and i got a lame speeding ticket and a nice long talking to about how i shouldn't have tinted windows.. I tried so hard to talk my way out of it.. It didn't work at all. So that was a little set back and then the traffic getting out of Vegas was absolutely terrible! I felt like i was driving for days..

Notice the rear view mirror >.< 

Then finally after 13 hours i made it home just to realize... I left my backpack in Salt Lake ... >.<     This would be my life haha!! So my sister had to ship it back to me.. And on Wednesday it finally arrived.

After this long week away visiting family. I have come to realize how absolutely blessed i am. I live in an amazing town with some of the most awesome people i have ever met. I am fairly healthily and have been able to do all of things i have wanted. I have and have known all four of my grandparents which some people only get to know one or two. I have amazing family who at the drop of a hat will leave everything they are doing to drive hours on end to be with sick family in the hospital. I an truly blessed for all of the experiences and opportunities that have been placed in my path and i am grateful for everything and everyone in my life. I don't know what i did to deserve this but i am truly grateful.

The view from the drive home <3 just outside of Las Vegas 

Finals...

So.... sorry neither one of us has posted in a while. But we have both been extremely busy this semester with school and work. This has literally been the semester from h-e-double hockey sticks. And the best part is right around the corner. Heaven help us. Just to detail out for you, and to make myself panic just a little bit more, here's what I have to get done in the next two weeks.
Monday 12/3:
Math Final Part 1
Work from 10-4
Class from 5-6
Tuesday 12/4:
Presentation in History and Theory class on some historian I know nothing about
Class from 12:30-3
Work from 4:30-10
Wednesday 12/5:
Math Final Part 2
Work from 10-4
Political Science Final
Thursday 12/6:
History of the Holocaust Paper due (5 pages)
History and Theory Historiography Paper due (7 pages)
Class from 12:30-3
Work from 4:30-10
Friday 12/7 through Sunday 12/9:
Work more 8 hour shifts and try to find time to sleep.
Monday 12/10:
Work more... and study for finals
Tuesday 12/11:
History of the Holocaust Final
History and Theory Final
Work even more... probably.




and then......



FREEEEEDOOOMMMM!!!!!!





..... until I have work. Which is every day from here until I die. Jk. Here's to hoping I make it to the 11th! Pray for me -_-

9 days of work straight!

Long time no post. I figured it was time to update everyone. Today (Halloween) is my first day off in 9 days!! Yeah you read that right. 9 days. And i am so happy my day off is finally here. I have been fighting a cold/flu and been so tired i could barely stay awake in school that i was excited to sleep in a little and try to kick this col in the but!!

So about two weeks ago i had a theories paper due in the Communications class. I was really nervous about it because i didn't really understand the concept of the paper or how my teacher wanted it written. She didn't explain much about it so just had to write it and hope for the best. After we turned it in i was talking to some of the students in the class, and those how had turned in the paper already were failing the assignment. So i was a wee bit nervous to say the least.. We got our papers back yesterday... And i got a B!!!!!! And my professor wrote on the paper, "Great view of the theories, and your concept was a view i hasn't seen yet." I was quite pleased with myself. So you know what i am doing now, well i am going shopping and taking the day off of studying and homework!! I think i deserve it! :)


The other day i went to see Jen's store and of course did some shopping. I ended up hanging out long enough to have dinner with her during her lunch break. We walked over to Johnny Rockets, and i have to say it was mighty delicious. She works in Downtown Long Beach shopping district. And i have to say after going and seeing the area i am 100% jealous she gets to work in that area. After i took my trip to Seattle earlier this year, i totally fell in love with the city atmosphere. I love the big business buildings and walking everywhere! So it is going to be one of my goals to work in Downtown Long Beach at sometime.

Jen and I at Johnny Rockets in Downtown Long Beach on her lunch break.

Ok i know this is a short post but i promise there will be more soon! :) 

Potato Chunk Fries.. I think??

I feel like I start all of my posts by saying, "It has been a long week".. But it really has been long week this week.

Sunday morning I woke up to a text that my grandpa was in the hospital. So I went down and spend the day at the hospital with my gramps. He went in for chest and back pains. And because of his previous heart surgeries his chest pains made him a little nervous. So they did a stress test, a cat scan, and an angiogram (a small surgery). After a couple days in the hospital they sent my grandpa home and said what ever was wrong had nothing to do with his heart and he was good to go for his cruise this upcoming week. The two years i have been out here in Orange County my grandpa has gone to the hospital a couple of times but i have never gone down to visit him in the hospital. I think me being at the hospital and in the middle of everything that was happening and watching the doctors conduct some of the test made it very real. But i am so glad that he is ok and is back home where he belongs :)

My Grandpa and I at my sister wedding last December

If that wasn't stressful enough, i had one of the biggest papers of my college career due this week. I had to write a paper for my Communications class about rhetoric. The paper was absolute madness. I started it early because i knew it would take me a long time to finish it. I had to compare and contrast two scholarly journals then express my opinion on them. I know this sounds relatively easy already... But if you can't understand what you are reading or studying it makes it a little difficult  for writing about it. I have to say i think i pulled it off nicely. I had it finished way before it was due and i am pretty confident with the end result..

Wednesday night was the only day both Jennifer and I didn't have work. So we decided to whip up a delicious roommate dinner! It was this orange chicken and rice with veggies. And Jen made this potato chunk fries, i guess you would call them. Idk how to describe them, i don't think we cooked them long enough but  we still ate them all. They were really good! Haha.. One of the things i really enjoy about living on my own is being able to decide when, where, and what i am going to eat!! Its makes dinner time a surprise every night! Hahaha

Making the cause and veggies

Jennifer working on the potato chunk fries

The finished product!! SOO DELICIOUS!!! 

Aside from doing homework and cooking i also had work all week. Don't get my wrong, i love my job but sometimes little ones can be so annoying. So we definitely played The Quiet Game ALOT this week. 

Rian and I

But other than that it has just been one average week in the life of a college student, studying and working long hours, and trying to make a life here in Long Beach.. 

Sunday...

Just hanging in our room both quietly doing homework then all of a sudden

Jennifer: I want pudding

Me: Do we have grapes?

This is the perfect example of the randomness that is our friendship.

Aren't we so attractive?? 

My Saturday Off

So i have decided i really need to remember to take more pictures. This whole blog is already amazing but it would so much better if i had more pictures to document the awesomeness of my days! :)

So today was the first time in about two months i was finally able to make it out to Lake Elsinore. My babysitter when i was a kid is having her first baby we i made a special trip out to Elsinore to attend her baby shower.
I got out there a little before the shower so i could hang out with my mom and do some shopping. I made her take me to Costco haha (there are just some things you have to buy at Costco that you can't get at a normal grocery store)

Any who, we made it out to the shower a little early, which was great because we were able to have a little one on one time with the mommy to be. And since i haven't seen her in about 10 years it was an awesome little reunion.

While i was in Elsinore i wanted to see some of my most bestest friends. So of course i had to make it over to see the lovely Susan Yokshas. I haven't seen her since August so we had a mini reunion and were able to chat it up.  I love our friendship, we can go weeks/months without talking and the second we get back to chatting it is like absolutely no time has past. It makes me really happy :)

Susan and I when she surprised me in Utah :)

So after hanging out with Susan i went over to my friend Mark's house. I used to work with him when i was doing the police explorers and i haven't seen him in probably a year. And i decided today i was going to hang out with him. He is another friend where so much time can pass but we will start right where we left off. We have always had this little game between us where we would make fun of each other. And i have to say that game did not end when i graduated high school and was in full swing tonight. I didn't realize how much i missed him until i saw him tonight. it really made for a great end to my Elsinore day :)

Then a final end to my day, watched some of The Spice Girls movie with my roommate, and got just sit and hang out with some of the greatest girls in the world.

Have i said how much i love my roommates and my new life. I am not going to lie there are some things i miss about my new life and i try hard to keep those things with me and keep them active in my life. But my new life here in Long Beach is better than expected.

I was over at my grandparents house for my grandpas birthday on Oct. 12th and after talking to my grandma for a little while she looks at me mid sentence and says "Stephanie, you look so happy".

And you know what guys, i am happy and i am super excited for this new chapter in my life. I am excited for this fresh start i have been blessed with and i am not going to take it for granted.

Things are great here in the LB <3 

Loving Life

Hey all! Sorry you haven't heard from me in a while. But I have been CRAZY busy with school and work! That's right... after 4 very long months of searching I finally got a job! I am the newest sales associate in the women's department of the Nordstrom Rack in downtown Long Beach. I just finished up my second week of working there and I absolutely love it!! My duties consist of regular retail sales associate duties: cleaning rounder and fixture areas, putting clothes back on the rounders and fixtures, running the fitting room, sorting clothes, colorizing, sizing, and once in a while helping a customer find the perfect outfit for an event they're going to. The other day I got to help a lady find an outfit for her "very important" date :) Too much fun! Most people aren't huge fans of their retail jobs. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE my job!! Don't get me wrong.. it's not like I absolutely adore hanging clothes on hangers and picking clothes up off the floor. But I love the people I work with. Everyone is super friendly and helpful and really cared about getting to know me. That makes SUCH a huge difference in the work place! My last couple of jobs I really did not like and I think it's because I didn't really like the people I worked with. But my Rack family is amazing! Today I worked an opening shift for the first time. I didn't think I would particularly like it because it meant getting to work at 8 in the morning. But all my coworkers were super high energy, super excited to be there, and it turned into an absolute blast! Not to mention it's kind of fun working in a department where I would totally buy half the stuff there! Well.. maybe that's more of a curse than a blessing..

                                   Here's my store! Nordstrom Rack in Long Beach. Come visit sometime! :)
Since I started my new job I felt a strong urge to update my wardrobe. All of my coworkers dress super cute at work. We have to wear these neon green t-shirts that are kind of hard to dress up but my coworkers find a way! So after a week of feeling really frumpy at work I had a little shopping spree.. Normally I would have bought everything from the Rack because we have some SUPER cute stuff for way cheap, but I literally have no time for anything anymore so I went to the Ross within walking distance from my apartment. I didn't have a ton of time to shop but in that small amount of time I was able to find so many cute things to wear to work! Here were my spoils :)

Besides working 25-30 hours a week, I'm about halfway through the hardest semester of my college career. Whew! I barely find time for any kind of a social life. I'm taking a full load of classes and my upper divisions are starting to get pretty intense. What's life without a little challenge though?? I count myself extremely fortunate however to be able to be doing what I am in my life right now. I have an amazing job, go to an amazing school, live in an amazing apartment, and have a bunch of amazing roomies. What more could a girl want in life??

                                                      Girls night out! Love my lovely roommates!

                                                                        Recent of Steph and I going to a dance

<3

A Long Week, but A Conference Weekend :)

Last week i finished up all of my midterms. So i am in the clear for another couple weeks, then all of my tests start up again! -.-
On Sunday September 30th my cousin got married! She oh my goodness she looked so lovely!

The Bride Sarah and I :)

I never really get a chance to hang out with my dad's side of the family and it was so nice to spend the entire day with them!

My Cousin Shaina and I (She is too cute!)

Well this week i worked all week and studied studied studied. You know the usual week of a full time college student.

Monday was probably my favorite day of the week!! My good friend Giovanni Marone and i went out to dinner. We went to this place called the Boiling Crab and I was a little nervous about it, but I have to say it was FABULOUS. So it was this sea food place and we ordered a TON of shrimp. Well at this place you eat right off the table, they brought us our shrimp in a baggie and you have to rip off the shrimps head and take off their shell thingy and then you eat it. I have to say it was totally weird at first and it took a lot of getting used to to be able to rip off their head while the eyes are looking at you. haha it was a super fun experience and i am happy i went. It was so fun to see Gio and get to chat about old times. I sure have missed that kid! 

When i stated writing this blog there was so much i wanted to say about this past week, but i am going to be super honest. I can't remember the rest of the week and what i did! Hahaha All of the days have just slurred together. I never thought that would happen.. But it did!

So i am loving this whole living on my own and doing what I want when I want. It is super awesome. We have been moved out for over a month now and i still can't believe i actually moved. It has been a great experience so far. And for those out there who are wondering, Jennifer and I have not killed each other and i would say we get a long REALLY well as roommates and besties!!! 

Conference was this weekend! And OMG it was amazing i hope all of you watched it. I missed most of Saturday's conference because i had to work all day but Sundays Conference session was amazing and so inspiring. I am so thankful for conference. It made for a nice relaxing Sunday. A day i have needed for a long time! 

Conference and Cupcakes! :)

I didn't have a cupcake pan so i used a circle pan and put in the cupcake foils then i put in the batter and they all came out in different shapes. Ohh the life of a college student living on my own improvising when you don't have the things you "need". hahaha

Long weeks of Long Beach

So it’s super late but I cant sleep do what do I do? I am going to blog about the longest week ever. Three midterms, one paper, a very long doctors appointment, a full workweek, and trying to have a social life makes for a long and stressful week.

When I moved in I just got an old mattress from home that I have to say totally SUCKED, so on Monday I got a new mattress (YAYY) I was just going to put the new mattress on the old one so that I wouldn’t have to find a way to get rid of the old one. Well with both mattresses my bed came up to my hip. So Jennifer and I decided we were going to through my mattress in the dumpster.

Not knowing what our apartments rules are on what we can and cant put in the dumpsters; Jennifer and I decided we would bust a mission in the middle of the afternoon to get rid of the mattress.  Well the mattress was freaking heavy and Jen and I were laughing way to hard. We finally made it to the dumpster and so far no one has seen us, then we couldn’t get the mattress into the dumpster. (I wish I had video) So we were laughing and we turned around and we saw a kid just staring at us. Finally we got it in the trash and ran back to the apartment. 

So for i have to say this was by far the best experience of living with my best friend. We couldn't stop laughing the whole time and it gave us a small break of studying and a  hilarious  memory we will have for a long time haha. 

Most of the week I was stashed up in my room studying, studying, and studying. Gotta love college life.

But in the end I have a new mattress and I got some pretty stinking awesome grades on my midterms! J

Then…

 The weekend finally came!! 

Greetings from Jen!

So I finally got Stephanie to invite me to be a contributor to this blog. After all, the title of the blog is "RoomIES in LB" ;) So here's my first post! Stephanie has pretty much covered all the exciting stuff so far. Things have been going pretty well from my side too. Before I moved to Long Beach, I thought I would have a super easy transition into the new life. I think it's safe to say I was quite wrong. Both Steph and I had some trouble adjusting to the new life for the first week or so. But I believe that now all the move in jitters have gone away and we're settling in comfortably to being roomies :) I could not have asked for a better person to be sharing a room with. OR two better people to be sharing the apartment with. I absolutely love our other two roommates Courtney and Caitlin. We all get along really well and love to spend time with one another. School for me has been pretty hectic this semester so it has been AMAZING to be so close to school. It's literally a 5 minute drive. Score! The only downside so far is the parking. If you come home later than about 6 at night.. good luck trying to find a spot. I think I'm going to start riding my bike around. Save my parking spot and get my exercise on. Wohoo!
Well, I think that's about it from me on my inaugural post. Stay tuned for more adventures from the roomies in LB :)

Who knew Thursday was a fun day??

On Thursday both Jen and i had some friends over. She had Belinda come over (a long time friend back home) and my friend Valerie stopped by after class. It was so nice having some friends stop by and hang out with us. Well Jen and Belinda went off to the little shopping center that we live next too. Valerie and i were just chatting and hanging out when Jen and Belinda got back. Then once again our room became the hang out place. :) After a while, our roommate Cortney came in to hang out with us as well. We ordered in pizza and OMG was it amazing. We ordered this awesome family pizza Big Box haha we thought we were finish all of it.. That did not happen we had so much left over. But after dinner we just hung out and chatted, Valerie went home and Belinda stayed over, the first sleepover in the apartment, it made for a super fun Thursday night. 

Favorite Part of my Day

So the past couple of days i haven't been feeling good, running a fever on and off and a huge head ache. I spent most of yesterday and today sleeping. And i have to say i am feeling so much better but am still a little under the weather. So i went off to school this morning, and only made it through one class before i went home and slept. Then i went over to work and the girls got home. I am making it one of my priorities to sit and work with the girls everyday on their homework. I remember that was something my mom did with me and i think it really helped me in my school career and since the girls don't have their mom home with them during homework time i am going to try my hardest this school year to be there and help them.

Well i was sitting at the table with Rian and Riley and i thought to myself "wow this is my favorite part of my day" and it just made me really happy. Well they finished up some homework and i went off home. When i got home i was not in the mood to work on the paper and homework i needed to do so i just hung out and was chatting with Jen and making fun of each other when i decided that helping the kiddos with their homework was not the favorite part of my day but definitely making fun of my best friend/roommate about her day at school or about the way i talk, then having a fashion show of my shoe collection is definitely my favorite part of the day. Haha i still can't believe how much fun it is to live on my own and with some of the coolest girls in the world!!

After a while we started to calm down when our roommate Cortney came in to hang out with us. It is so fun getting to know my roommates more than just saying hi in passing or when we are making food in the kitchen. Things really are going great here. I feel like all of us are getting along so well! There are some quirks here and there but that is to be expected. We were all raised very differently but it is so fun getting to know these wonderful ladies, i have already learned so much from them!! And i am extremely grateful for that!

Calling this HOME!

So i have been in the apartment for two weeks now. And i thought when i first moved in that this apartment was just somewhere i lived at and slept at night. A place to hold my stuff. But i have to say my attitude about things have really changed. I drive home late at night from work and i think "man i can't wait to get home". I am so excited to be calling this wonderful place my home. I didn't think that would happen. But i have absolutely fallen in love with where i live. I live right next to a shopping center and i walk almost everywhere! I love being able to walk over to the grocery store or walking over to get some dinner and walking home. I brought my bike with me out here but i haven't used it yet :/ sad day! But everything has been great. All of us as roommates are getting along so well. And at least twice a week we have little roommate hang out sessions which i think help a lot! Calling this new place home feels great and i have to thank my roommates for helping with that! Oh, and have i mentioned how awesome my new ward is!!! I have been there three times and already have my records there, and i have been called, sustained, and set apart to THREE callings!! They mean business there!

September 1st, Ahh the move in!!

So on September 1st i moved into my very own apartment! It is my first time living completely on my own and i am super excited to be living with my best friend Jennifer and two of the best roommates ever! So for the months prior to September we knew we were moving and we started buying little nick knacks here and there so that we wouldn't have to go out on day one and buy everything. So i have to say before i moved i  was pretty stocked with just stuff. Haha. Well September 1st came around out of no where and it was time to move in!! I had my room already all packed up so it was a matter of just moving it. I loaded up my car, my moms car, and my grandpas truck and we headed down to the new place :) (I promise i really didn't have that much stuff) We had everything moved in and my bed and one bookshelf set up in just under two hours. By the time i was all finished getting settled Jennifer and her Dad showed up to get moved in as well! While she was getting all moved in i ran and got the last of everything i think i would need from the store. We spent most of the day at the apartment by ourselves just trying to unpack and get settled. I have to say it was not a stressful day at all and everything went super smooth :) which made me super happy! Well thats the move in day!!