Time flies

   Man...it's amazing how time can get away from you isn't it? Well all is well here, busy but we are doing well. Glen is still working at Vandergriff Toyota, and the Spring semester is getting closer and closer to being over which I think he is excited about. After that Fall semester is his last semester, which means we will be going to Idaho in December so he can walk the stage, which I think I want him to do more than he actually wants to do it. But he's worked hard and deserves that! But I have been told that I am not allowed to make banners or engage in "whooping" of any kind. But here's the catch in that...he'll be on the stage aka in no position to stop me. :). I am still at Nordstrom Rack which is going well. It's always better when it's busy because then my shifts go by fast. It's kinda hard right now because Glen works 10 and 12 hour days, and lately by the time he gets out of work, I am only half way through my shift so we usually don't get to be back together again at the end of the day until about 11 o'clock at night. That's kind of hard, but we still have our solid weekly date nights which I think we both soak in. So we're working hard, or hardly working. I suppose that's up to your discretion. :).
   We are very excited because we have an apartment here that we will be moving into in 10 days. We are both very excited. We have been so blessed to have wonderful family that has been so willing to help us and be patient with us the past several months. But we are excited to have our own space, and give my parents back their space as well. Our apartment hunting is one more thing that tells us we are not in the "Rexburg Bubble" anymore. A lot of the housing in Rexburg has utilities included in the rent; here we are going to have the new experience of paying utility bills. I have said before and I will probably say again in the future, I am incredibly cheap. Some call it frugal, I am not afraid to admit that it is just plain cheap. So I foresee several nights of sitting in the dark (by choice). I am also a planner, sometimes to a fault. I do all my research before I make a move so I have talked to probably every electricity provider in our area for prices and all the details. I think they'll probably start to warn each other about me. But I am all for not spending anymore money than absolutely necessary. Anyways, (sorry...I got side tracked) I will be going to look at our apartment tomorrow morning to make sure all is well and good, then we will dot the i's and cross the t's and we will be all set! We are intrigued to see how our Charlie does adjusting to the new space, and the fewer number of people to play with him but we have been directed to bring him with us when we visit my parents' house. He's kind of like our baby right now. :)
   After that we will be working to save the money up to go and get our stuff from Rexburg. My dad has been awesome to volunteer is time and service to help with that. So while everyone else is looking forward to the onset of summer, we are looking forward to the end of it because that means we are all settled here in Texas and can get more normalcy which I think is exactly what we need. I will post pictures of our new place and post them at a later date.
   I am still loving my calling! Those kids are so sweet and it makes me so happy to see them so excited about the songs they're singing. This last Sunday they sang in Sacrament meeting for Father's Day and it was so fun to see how proud they were to sing to their dads! Also, in looking through the primary songs I noticed how much I loved the simplicity of the gospel principles in the primary songs. I think Heavenly Father understands that my mind works and is taught quite similarly to a child's, and I am relearning all of these sweet simple principles that I think sometimes get lost in the shuffle. 
   We looked at each other the other day and realized that we have already been married for almost a year. We can't believe how fast this year has gone. We have agreed that we have changed a lot over the last year and have loved getting to know each other, and getting used to each other.
   We are so so grateful for all of our supportive friends, and especially family. We have definitely been blessed and that is not lost on us. We're learning, working, and tryin' to have some fun in there too! We've got a lot of big stuff coming up for us and are excited for the upcoming stages of our lives together!

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude"

~Cynthia Ozick

Everything is looking UP :)

   I have been super slacking with this! I am sorry! I will pick up where I left off. I started my job at Nordstrom Rack and have been there for a little over a month and it is going well! I love shoes and I really enjoy working with and helping the customers. One benefit also that I hadn't thought of before was that I am constantly moving, so I get plenty of exercise. The interview that I had mentioned before did not work out like we planned...BUT "as we speak" Glen is at an orientation for his new job! He is working as a car salesman at Vandergriff Toyota. The wait on the job for him was definitely a test on our patience, but this job is without a doubt an answered prayer. Glen is a little nervous because this is something he hasn't done before, but I know that he will do great! So the next step for us is to get a little in the savings account for cushion, then move toward an apartment of our own! My parents have been awesome to let us stay here with them! We figure that Glen's first couple checks will go toward savings for an apartment, and mine will knock out some of the medical bills that we have. So we are excited to have a sense of normalcy.
   Glen is in school this semester as well (he will be a busy man!) and he is working hard and doing well. He's got three science classes that he's taking right now and that's challenging for him because both of us struggle with that kind of stuff. But we had a lot of fun working on projects for his DNA class.He had to make one out of modeling clay, and one with candy. It was a lot of fun! But he has been working very hard to keep his grades up.
   My calling is going well, I am learning different ways to teach the kids and I love doing it! I think that that has been a definite blessing.The combination of work, my calling, and trying to keep up with other stuff that I need to do combined with the medication that I am on wears me out pretty thoroughly and Glen has been very patient.
   Last weekend was my niece's birthday and I was aching to be in New York, but I got to Skype with her and my nephew and wish her happy birthday. This made it a little easier. It was also mother's day and we would like you say thank you to all the wonderful moms that we have had the privilege of having them impact our life. Particularly our moms. Thank you to all you selfless women who give everything that you have to your children, it really does make an impact. Things are looking up, and we are continually plugging away!

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."

-Frank A. Clark

 

Things are getting better!

   Hello, hello everyone! We will try to update you with everything that has happened since we last wrote. A lot has happened!
   I wrote last time about my Aunt Linda. She passed away the day after I wrote that post. It was and is very hard for those of us who are left behind, but there is comfort in knowing that she is with my Uncle Gary again and my Grandma Friday. Both of which she missed terribly. My sisters and I were not able to go to NY for the services but my parents were able to set up their cell phones so we could listen to the memorial service. It wasn't quite the same but we were able to be there in a smaller way. It still seems surreal that she's not here; I never realized how much I thought about her and wanting to tell or ask her something until now.
   Other than that, Glen and I are still pushing through. We have had a lot of stuff dumped on our plates the last few months but I think we are handling it pretty well. I got a calling at church which I am having so much fun with! I got called to be the Primary chorister and as I said...I am loving it! It makes me miss home sometimes because I would love to be able to do that with Justin in the primary and Lucy in the nursery. I do singing time with the junior and senior primary and the nursery kids. It's a lot of fun!
   As of Saturday at midnight the semester is over and we have a little break, which is great. It's even better because our best friend Kassy is coming for a visit. Glen is doing spring semester as well, I am focusing on working and will start school again in September. Speaking of work, Glen had an interview yesterday that he feels went really well so we are keeping our fingers crossed. I had an interview last week with Nordstrom Rack in our local mall and I just found out about an hour ago that I got the job! MY first day is Monday! We are so excited because this means we have some income that we can put into savings and that we can get into our own apartment. So now we're hoping that Glen gets one very soon because that would be amazing! So we're excited about the things coming up and there's a lot coming up for us! Thanks to all the love and support from our friends and family!
   Oh! I almost for got to introduce the new member of our family! This is our Chiweenie (part chiwawa, part doxen), Charlie!

So when I said "New Challenges"... I wasn't kidding.

   Well...I think to say that this past month or so has been a whirlwind would be a huge understatement. I think this has been one of the most challenging times that I alone have had to face, not to mention Glen and I as a new couple. We're both doing full time school which takes up time and we're both looking for jobs. Glen actually had a job not too long ago but they had him working from 3-11:30pm and he was on mandatory over time for the following six weeks at least. This wouldn't have been a big deal however it had him working almost 60 hrs a week, 7 days a week and when you are a full time student that doesn't work. Glen started seeing his grades slip which was not okay with either of us, so we both felt that him getting his degree was our priority so we decided that he needed to find a more 9-5ish job. So the job hunt continues...
   Aside from that in our family and personal lives have gone absolutely batty. The past month or so Glen and I have had to be apart for about two and a half weeks which of course is nothing compared to military families but it was not easy. I have an Aunt back in New York whose cancer became terminal but got rapidly worse which inspired an emergency trip to New York. My sisters and I had to say goodbye to her which is one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. It was even harder because Glen was still in Texas. It probably would've been slightly easier to take if I could've had a Glen hug.
   About a week or so before I had to make my emergency trip to New York I had to have laparoscopic surgery for possible endometriosis. They did find some but were able to cauterize the spots pretty quickly and efficiently; I was very blessed to have an incredibly understanding and intuitive doctor who listened to all the things I had been complaining about for months and give us answers. I had been feeling sick since about a month or two after we got married and we complained about the myriad of symptoms to several doctors in Idaho all of which were essentially useless. They all basically threw their hands in the air and chalked it up to a hormone imbalance. About 2 or so weeks after we got to Texas my symptoms got worse-frequent dizzy spells, exhausted, and abdominal pain. After a late night visit to the emergency room for intense abdomen pain we finally got a hint at some answers and a few weeks later we knew what it was and had the solution worked out. I was a combination of grateful for the doctor and medical staff who helped us here, angry with the medical staff we saw in Rexburg, and relieved. So now I am fully recovered from the surgery and from here we start the medicinal treatment. For the next six months I will be going through rounds of shots to treat it and prevent it for a little while. I got my first one today and it wasn't that bad (thank goodness!). But we did find out that this would be something that I will be dealing with for the rest of my life. So we will take it as it comes.
   So we're going to be constantly on the move and there's a lot coming up the pike for us so....stay tuned!!
Hope you're life is a little less hectic than ours...and if it's not...we hope it's crazy in a good way!

"Fall seven times, stand up eight." 

-Japanese Proverb

New Year & New Challenges

   Happy 2012 friends and family! I hope it has been a great start for you! So the last time we posted it was finals time and we were getting ready to move. So I will go from there.

   Glen and I both did pretty good when it comes to exams. I am very much a perfectionist so I didn't do as well as I wanted but Glen convinced me that my best was enough. This worked for now but, next semester I'll do tons better! ;) During finals week we got ourselves packed up and everything with help from some very nice priesthood members from our student ward (it was a very nice ward, we were very fortunate). Moving is so stressful and causes so much contention in life in general, which is one major reason I super don't like it. Anyways, We drove to Texas in two twelve hour days, only four of which my sweetheart let me drive. We stopped for the night at Brett and Corrine's (Glen's parents) after our first day drive and stayed there for a day. We were very lucky to be able to spend some time with both sides of the family during the holidays. We spent that Saturday and Glen's parents and just relaxed. We participated in Glen's family tradition of building a cookie train. This apparently makes me officially a Parmenter. I got to see some old pictures of Glen, which is always fun but next time I will definitely insist on videos. :) We watched a movie and rested up for our next day drive. We headed out Sunday morning at around 8 am. I was sorry we only had a brief time at Glen's parents but I was super anxious to see my family. It was a very long day and there is not much of anything on the route we were driving. Not to mention, I have this terrible inability to stay awake in the car (unless I am driving of course) so poor Glen was driving a lot of it alone. But we had a lot of good conversations and we laughed a lot. I usually am not a huge road trip fan, but this one was pretty good.When we finally got to my parents' house Glen made me wait to get out of the car until it was completely stopped (go figure :) ). But I ran inside and almost took out my Dad when I opened the door (he was putting on his shoes). It felt so good to be there! We slept a lot because we were so exhausted and then got right on the job hunt the next day.
      Now I guess it's on to talking about Christmas, which I never mind! Christmas is my favorite holiday and it was particularly special because it was our first Christmas as Mr. & Mrs. I was dying for Glen to open his gift from me, I think I was more excited than he was! We had a great Christmas with my family, but it was a little strange having no little ones here for Christmas. They always make it so much more fun. But we did get pictures from my brother Chris of Justin and Lucy opening their gifts. It was a nice relaxing Christmas.
   New Years was just as relaxed. We went to see a movie as a family then just spent time together eating and drinking the tasty Shirley Temples my daddy made. The clock turned to midnight and we brought in the New Year with some sparkling grape juice and a kiss :). What's better than that?
   We've done tons of job applications and Glen and I actually both got responses expressing interest. We're hoping and praying for interviews and employment to come. Things are already looking up though. We've been in Texas two weeks and are already closer to a job than we were in Rexburg, definitely answered prayers. We've done some looking at apartments and we think we found the one we're looking to get into, now it's about getting the jobs and then going and getting our stuff from Idaho (thank you Daddy and Glen). We've been staying at my parents and they're so nice about us being here. They insist we aren't getting in the way but we're trying to help out so we really don't. The semester starts tomorrow and Glen and I are both already about a week ahead because we've already done the introduction week stuff. We're such geeks, but we both want to keep boostin' our GPA. That's all for now. But I'll post some pictures. I'll write more next month! :).

This is Justin with the gift we got him.

We all tried to fit on the couch...this worked for a brief time. :)

Our niece Lucy opening the dog we got her.

Meg bought us all hats and matching shirts. Ha. Christmas with the Sykes :)

Glen opening my gift :) :D

My gift from Glen. Vera Bradley! :)

In our Sunday clothes.

Merry Christmas from the Parmenters!

The home stretch...

   As anyone who has been following our posts knows, this has been a crazy semester for us both. But we can see the end in sight and we are giving it all the steam we've got until the end. We realized over Thanksgiving break that we have a few weeks until our move to Texas and so we're doing some finals prep and packing too. I've got an awesome visiting teacher who said she could get us boxes (one of them works at Wal-Mart and the other works at Broulims). This is a fabulous blessing! We've called and gotten our storage unit reserved now all that has to happen is getting the stuff in the unit and packing up the car and going! We are excited to see almost all my family over Christmas and then hopefully not too long after be able to go to New York to see the rest. But I am jumping the gun a bit.
   Since our last post we've been busy, like I said. But we've also had a lot of fun too. Glen saw how stressed I had been getting so he told me one Wednesday that our upcoming date night would be particularly special and that I definitely could not being my homework. He sent me away that Friday afternoon to spend some time with my best friend and a few hours later texted me telling me he was waiting for me outside. So I go outside and see him at our car with beautiful flowers which I loved. But I also learned that I have to get a vase because while the pitcher worked okay this time....I don't think they will next time. He then took me to dinner and we stayed the night at a hotel where we could just relax. Which was great! It's hard to think about what else happened when it feels like forever ago. It was our best friend's birthday so we had a little party of sorts for her. It was a lot of fun!

The flowers Glen got for me :)

Kassy and the birthday present we got her.

  We spent Thanksgiving in Dillon, Montana with Glen's family. This is the first time I met his sisters in law, his (now our) nieces, and any of his extended family. I was super super nervous but it went tons better than I anticipated (I don't consider myself to be very good with first impressions, I have a tendency to be incredibly awkward).  The family was really nice and made me feel comfortable right away. His nieces were little sweethearts and I loved playing with them and getting to know their awesome personalities. It made me miss my side of the family a lot too. I missed my parents and my sisters and brother in law but it was a lot easier knowing I'd see them in less than a month. I really missed my brother, sister in law, Justin, and Lucy. I called them but it was a busy day for everyone so I didn't get to talk much. I missed my grandparents and aunts and uncles but the Parmenters made it a lot easier because they were so nice to me. Glen was so excited to see and spend time with his nieces he was practically flying out the door when it was time to go, it was great to see him get that time. We got to drive Frank, Hilary (sorry if I didn't spell that right), and Darby to the airport which was cool cause we got a little extra time with them. We got back to our apartment and it was quite literally freezing. We only turn the heat on when we're home mostly because we're cheap and don't want to pay for it. So we came in, dropped our bags, and wrapped ourselves up in blankets until we felt the heat kick in. We didn't take many pictures because Glen's mom took like a million, so we may steal some of hers and post them on here later. :)
   That's pretty much it for now. It's coming down to finals and move time like I said so we probably won't be able to write on here again until almost the new year. So have a great Christmas! Enjoy the time with your families and friends!!

"Our greatest glory consists in not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." 
~Oliver Goldsmith

When the tough gets going, it keeps going....and going...and going!

   So it would appear that we will be posting on here about once a month or so. Things have gone nuts!! Glen and I are all over the place trying to get various different things done! We are both in school, as I have said and I have homework up to my neck regularly. We have set a rule for ourselves that we are not allowed to do homework at all on Friday nights because those are our date nights; we focus only on spending time together. This is difficult because it makes my inner super geek cry a little. But Glen gives me sweet little reminders whenever I ask to make my to do list for the following day or do "...just a little bit of homework..." I get a "honey...this is our night." And darn it, I just can't say no to that face!
   Well, when it comes to everything else we are having a tough time. Rexburg is so so small and there are an ever increasing number of people coming in that it makes finding a job nigh unto impossible. Glen and I have applied to pretty much anywhere and everywhere and are having no luck. We're squeaking by alright by being creative with date nights (i.e. making so they cost no money) and definitely using our leftovers! As a result of this and finding out that approximately 1100 more students will be coming in come January we have decided to reevaluate our original plan. The original plan was that Glen would graduate and then he'd work while I finished up school then we were planning on moving to Texas. However, a key part of that plan was the whole working thing. So after a lot of thought, prayer, and fasting we have decided to change that plan a little. We are verifying that Glen can finish his degree online (which we are pretty sure he can) and then we will be packing the car and moving to Texas this December. I am planning on transferring to University of Texas-Arlington and finishing my degree there and coming back when Glen graduates so he can walk the stage. While this isn't what we wanted to do initially we have experienced some little confirmations that this is what we need to do. This is where jobs are and where Glen will be able to most actively pursue careers that are most closely related to his major. It's a scary but exciting new experience for us. We will miss Rexburg and especially our best friend Kassy who will be here but we will see each other lots. We are however grateful that we will be so close to family. We know this won't be easy, but we know it's right.
   We enjoyed watching General Conference and celebrating our 1 year mark of knowing each other. Isn't it crazy how much things can change in a year? I think it is :) This is super brief I know, but that's because we've always got something that needs to get done, so I'm going to go do it! Just for fun let's add some comparison pictures! The first is from October 2010 and the second is from the same event October 2011!

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome" ~Samuel Johnson