Candy Cane Reindeer

Who wouldn't want these reindeer pulling their sleigh?

An Inexpensive Christmas

For the last 4 years, Steve and I have had Christmas on the run. Consequently, we haven't had a tree together (I'm not counting the tree he won at a work Christmas party that we didn't decorate). We usually don't need to get a tree because we travel home every Christmas to California where there are TWO Christmases with TWO trees.

But before we leave for Cali we have to have something, so Christmas at our house currently looks like this:

It will be a very "Charlie Brown" Christmas until December 19th!

A close up of the presents (mostly for family) and our "tree":
A close up of our nativity:

Oh, and don't forget our old favorite from last year - the wreath hanging on the inside of our front door:

There are also lights outside but I wasn't able to take a very good picture.

Celebrating Christmas in my own house is another reason why I look forward to moving to Fresno!

Homemade Applesauce

There have been a lot of free apples in my life this season. A co-worker gave me some of his surplus apples. I made a pie. A family in my ward gave me some more apples. I made cinnamon applesauce. I put the applesauce in my fridge and it disappeared in a few days. I love that I can cook yummy food and I don't have to eat it all.

I am looking forward to the day when I can give food away and I don't have to buy fruit ever again!

Happy Halloween!

I have spent three Halloweens at my work, SirsiDynix. My job has taught me that Halloween can actually be kind of fun. This year I spent about 1 1/2 weeks making a costume my co-workers hadn't seen before.

I am proud of my scarecrow costume. I hope that everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Things I Love about BYU/Provo, Part II

Going to BYU sports games.

We attended a Woman's Soccer game last Thursday. We lost. Oh well.

Go Cougars!

new job!

So this is Steve--don't worry, Suzanne still has her awesome tenured job. After returning from Fresno for my summer internship I have had the hardest time finding a job for the school year. I recall searching for jobs here in the past, and I can safely say that there are fewer openings and more applicants these days. On multiple occasions, I would get a mass BCC email response saying that they received 100-200 applications in just one day, so to have patience in the mean time. Hummffff. Well I stuck in there and applied to anything feasible. There were several perfect jobs that I didn't get until a couple days ago.

Last week I had a stellar interview that I knew would land me a job, and sure enough, this Monday I got a call with an offer. The company is called Tax Hawk and they are located in south Provo (State Street towards Springville, by cemetery). The company runs an online tax preparation program, and I will be helping clients with any questions they have while filling out their taxes online. The job is just for tax season, so January through April 15, but I do get a few weeks prior to the holidays to get trained and re-learn everything I have tried to forget about taxes.

The pay is good and the job function is intelligent, but most of all it is a relief to just have a job. This semester has been boring with only 3 classes and nothing else to occupy my time. Next semester also has only 3 classes, but this job should fill my schedule and help restore my sanity.

--Steve

Things I Love about BYU/Provo, Part I

There is a tradition at BYU where students, alumni and lovers of BYU can hike up to the white "Y" on the mountains above BYU and turn on the lights that trace it for Homecoming weekend.

Once in Fresno, Steve and I will never be able to hike and light the "Y", so we did last Tuesday. I didn't get a picture (grr), but I promise we hiked the "Y". I was sore for days afterward and every aching muscle was worth the experience. I love BYU!