Happy New Year!

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know. It's been awhile. But we've been BUSY. So busy. And then when I finally did have the time and energy to get on here, the blogger box wasn't working so I couldn't. Figures.

Anyways. Christmas came and went very quickly and we headed to Michigan to celebrate with family. We had a great time - it was so nice to see everybody again and get to spend some quality time with them. Christmas didn't really feel like Christmas this year though...it was weird. We went to church and did all the things we usually do at Christmastime, but it just didn't feel like Christmas. I feel sort of bad that I wasn't more excited about it, but I think it was that way for pretty much everyone this year. At least for a lot of people I talked to. 

After Christmas we headed home to start the craziness of moving....we picked up Kyle and Erik and they were kind enough to come help us all week get packed and moved and somewhat settled in the new place. Our plans kind of get all messed up since we didn't end up closing til Tuesday the 29th...but it all worked out in the end, and even better, we didn't have pay anything for closing but actually got money back!! Not a ton, but better than paying! So as soon as the keys were in our possession we got started with the first of many trips back and forth. My Mom came down Wednesday, and then Dad came down Friday and stayed through the weekend. It was sooo nice to have family and friends here to help us move and get things situated. We never would have been able to manage by ourselves!

Almost a week later, we are pretty much all settled in. Josh is upstairs working on getting his office area all situated the way he wants it, and other than that we really don't have that much to do. The closet in the second bedroom needs to be organized, but I've been waiting to do that til we are officially done getting everything in its place, otherwise stuff just keeps getting added to it and it will keep getting messy. But other than that, it is pretty homey here :) Our dishwasher gets delivered on Saturday, and then as long as Josh can get it all hooked up, we'll be good to go in that department. I can't even begin to tell you how nice it is to have a washer and dryer again!! Oh man. So glorious!

We are definitely glad that we are here. The day we did the bulk of our moving, we rented a U-Haul to pick up our appliances and move some stuff on our own, and then the next day we hired movers to do the bulky stuff, but anyways. We also rented a dolly to help maneuver the appliances around, and in the short span of time it took Josh to run up to the apartment and ask one of us to help him back the trailer into a spot, someone got into the trailer and stole it. And then while the boys were packing the mover's truck (I had gone into the city to pick up my Mom from Union Station) a few of the neighbors were going in our apartment looking around and said some questionable things that just made us really glad we were getting out of there. Not a nice area. I feel so much more comfortable here than I ever did there.

Another exciting thing: my parents are letting me borrow their keyboard! So I finally have a piano to play again!!!!!!!! I played for a little bit the other night, but I've been limiting myself because I know once I sit down to play, I won't get up til a looooong time later and there still is enough to do that I can't let myself do that yet! Soon though.

I sometimes can't even beleive this is really our house...we are so blessed. We are so excited about everything because it is like our first 'real' house almost. The house in Otsego was a good first house, a good starter house I guess. But this one has a garage and a second floor and it's just a real house! And we are so thankful and happy to be here :)

The only downside to all the good stuff happening....

....that happened. Poor Betty. Josh and my Dad were coming back from Menard's and got in an accident. Josh was going straight through an intersection, and another person was turning left from the opposite direction, and they both were going through a yellow light and crashed. The crash pushed Josh and my Dad into a guardrail (which was thankfully there, because just past it was a utility box and a telephone pole!) but thankfully they were not hurt. They had gotten a ladder at Menards, and that came up and cracked the windshield, but missed their heads for the most part (it brushed the side of Dad's head, but that's all). 

This picture doesn't even do it justice...we went to see it at the body shop the other day and it is pretty pathetic. The whole grill is missing from the front, and once that pile of tires is out of the way, the damage looks a lot worse. In fact, it is over $11,000 worth! And that isn't even the final total, they had to wait til they got it up on the frame wrack to see how badly the frame was damaged.  Thank goodness we have insurance! Unfortunately, they said it could be up to 22 business days, if not more...and they haven't even started working on it yet...so it could be awhile.

So for now we have been sharing Josh's car, which actually has worked out well. I am training in Niles, and I go right past his exit so I've just been dropping him off and picking him up everyday. And once I start training in the branch, I am all of 10 minutes away from his work, so it is just a matter of scheduling really. I feel bad because I drop him off around 8:15 and he doesn't start work til 9, and then I don't usually get there to pick him up til after 5 (stupid traffic!!!) and he's done by 4. He doesn't mind because it's easier for him to get stuff done when everyone isn't there bugging him, but still. It is nice being able to ride together though, that part has been fun!

It has been interesting though...Josh is totally different when it comes to driving now. He's always been almost fearless when it came to driving, but now, he's overly cautious. Which is probably good that something opened his eyes to it, but it just is weird that he is completely opposite now. He doesn't even drive if he doesn't have to, which is not like him at all because he hates being the passenger. He said his heart beats faster and he freaks out every time he comes to an intersection, and especially if he is turning left. But he is physically okay - so I guess I can deal with having to drive more if it means I still get to have my husband :) 

As I said, I started my training this week. It has been going okay...it is hard for me to be excited about it because I am way more excited about the possibility of the job at the Vet's office. And it's even worse now because I have my 3rd (and final) interview schedule for the 15th, where I will go in and actually stay there for a few hours to observe and see if I fit in and if the staff likes me and whatnot. So I just really want it to be the 15th so I can know! Plus through all of this training, I am realizing how much I really do not like 'corporate banking'. It is ridiculous!! They say they are so 'customer focused' but all they really care about is their bottom line. We were just talking about scenarios the other day where the customer is unhappy about something, and already I could feel anger rising up and I was incredibly annoyed. I don't want to start a job feeling that way. But we'll see.

I've been feeling anxious every day about it, because I am already nervous about what I will tell the bank if I do get the job at the vet. Like why I would waste their time and money going through the training process just to quit right away...but I guess I just have to keep telling myself that I have to do what feels right to me. I don't know. I don't like this feeling though!! Blah.

This 9-5 thing is definitely kicking my butt, that's for sure!! I am so not used to it after 4 months of not having to get up every morning and go to work! Josh and I have been in bed by 9 this whole week, tonight being the exception. But I am sitting in my bed....so I'm halfway there. We're getting old and boring I guess!

Speaking of sleep....I think I am going to go do that now. It all the sudden hit me and I got super tired. So if some of this makes no sense...that's why. My brain isn't used to working this hard!! Ouch.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend :) As soon as I find batteries for my camera I will try to get some pictures of the house on here :) 

Oh! And just for fun....

Things I Have Learned This Week:

1. Illinois does not have no fault insurance like in Michigan. This makes the process after an accident much more time consuming, especially when no one was technically faulted, because neither insurance company wants to take the initiative to figure out who should have to pay for the claims. We have to wait until they get an arbitrator to determine who should technically be at fault, and then go from there. So, more waiting. Yay.

2. It is completely normal for banks in the Chicago area to process single transactions over $100,000 several times a day. Without blinking. Yikes. This seems really weird for me, considering at the credit union we had to verify and get managers initials on all checks over $1,000...and here they don't even blink unless it is over a million. Yes, I said MILLION. Whatttttt?!? That is scary. I don't know that I want to be responsible for that much money!

3. I am definitely NOT cut out for rush hour driving in these parts. I am training in Niles, which is an hour from here, northwest of Chicago. So I get to go on 3 very busy interstate/expressways (whatever you want to call them) and spend a good hour (if not more) in traffic every morning and afternoon. And I don't just mean lots of cars, by traffic I mean 5 lanes of cars going 70mph then stopping, then flooring it, and going and switching lanes and cutting people off like crazy as if they have somewhere sooo important to be that they better risk their life and mine to get their. I hate it. I dread the drive more than the 8 hours of training I have to sit through all day!! That's sad. 

4. I don't miss school.

5. I really, really REALLY love my husband. That's at trick one, because I already knew that...but after his accident scare and everything going on lately, I am just so thankful for him and excited to see what is next for us :)

GOODNIGHT!!!!