Segment #2

New Stuff

We got a beautiful new car!

And I received my very own laptop for school!

It feels so nice to finally have a computer that can keep up with everything.  A big THANK YOU goes out to those that helped us obtain these much needed items. 

School

As of the moment that I am writing this post I have completed this session of classes and now have a 2 week  break before my next session begins. It's a much needed break too! I took my final math exam on Thursday and missed only 2 questions for a 94.8% which is an A.  I also completed my touchstone project essay for English Comp I and received an A.  I am very happy with how it turned out.  I have had to work on one final assignment for each class due by tomorrow and that is all for this session.  I am very happy with my grades and believe I will continue to receive a 4.0 GPA once the final grades are posted next week. 

Kyle & Domonique

We are very blessed to have Kyle and Domonique living with us and are so glad that we can help them get back on their feet.  We are so proud of them and all that they have accomplished.  Within two weeks of being here, they had both secured full-time jobs.  Kyle is working for Montana Maintenance Company and Domonique is working for Spring Creek Inn, an Alzheimer's care home.  They are also working towards continuing their education in the near future. 

It is really nice to have family closeby.  They are really great kids and do so much to help around the house.  It's just been nice.  However, it is kind of strange to have every person in my house (except me) working night shifts.  I'm the only NORMAL one who works during daylight hours!  The rest are VAMPIRES!  Ha! 

Work

My job at O'Reilly Auto Parts is going well.  I'm a driver specialist who delivers auto parts to all of our installer customers.  I didn't know if I would like it or not, but I really do.  It's a job that works perfectly while I am going to school.  When I go home for the day I can leave my work at work and not think about it again until I go back.  I get to drive all over the place which keeps me out and about and not under the nose of a supervisor all day long.  Plus I have met some really terrific people.  I also get a nice discount on auto parts which helped a great deal when we were fixing up the spare car for Kyle.  I'm very greatful for my job and what it provides.  It's a good feeling that I am finally able to pay my child support. 

The only thing that I don't like about having to work is that it sure gets in the way of life!  I can think of so many other ways to spend my time if I didn't have to work.  I really need to win that lottery!

I promise!

I promise I am around and have not fallen off the face of the earth.

I promise I will be updating my blog soon. I have lots of stuff to share. But first I have to get through finals week. I'm sort of freaking out about that right now. Lots to do by Monday.

I promise I will be back to give you lots of information and lots of awesome photos very soon.

But before I go, just want to tell the world that I am typing this post on my NEW Laptop while in bed.  I've never had a laptop before so I am thinking that this is really awesome.

Tell you more later!  I hope all is well with all of you.  I have been missing you. 

Still Around

This past week was a bit chaotic and I hate that I haven't had the time to update my blog much these days.  But I am still around. 

This past week was just a bit crazy.  I go to school full time and that is my priority right now.  I am also working again for another couple weeks with the U.S. Census Bureau.  And then this past Sunday I was asked to speak in church on agency and so I spent all last week preparing for that when I wasn't doing the other.  Oh... and I also had a birthday last week too!  Yup!  I am another year older..... Eeek!  I don't feel older though and that is what counts, right? 

I am still not completely operational with a computer yet as far as I have to wait until I get my new computer and an external hard drive before I can upload any of the recent photos from our camping trip and other adventures.  I just can't add any more programs to this computer that I am currently using.  I am just waiting on some funds to be released from financial aid through school so I can get that computer.  Hoping it will be soon.

I am still just sick over losing all those photographs over the past 8 years.  Everytime I think about it I realize what a stupid uncaring thing I did by not backing up my files onto an external source or printing them.  I remembered yesterday that I have lost all my wedding photos except for the few that are saved on FB and my blog, but that doesn't even come close to what I had.  It's just sickening! 

As far as school goes, I am loving it!  I am learning so much already!  I am getting A's in each of my classes so far.  I may not be saying how much I love it in a few weeks when I begin math classes though.  I am so thankful for my DH who is so supportive of me.  I know without a doubt that this is the path I am supposed to be on at this time in my life.  Everything was leading towards it and everything is working out nicely.  I just have a really good feeling inside.  I hope that through my example, my kids will look up to me and be proud of their mommy! 

Oh and before I forget.  DH and I finally upgraded our cell phones.  We each got a Blackberry.  Now we are somewhat up to speed in the technology world.  I am amazed at all the stuff I can do on this thing.  It's going to take me forever to figure it out.

I hope all of you, my dear blogging friends, are having a wonderful summer and all of your dreams and wishes are coming true. 

Since I have absolutely NO pictures on this computer and I am tired of posting without some kind of picture, I went to the internet and pulled up this nice photo that makes me happy and feel at peace.  It just happens to be taken here in Montana.  We went on a hike yesterday and saw some really beautiful wildflowers just like these.  I hope you enjoy!

SCHOOL BOUND

Hi Folks! 

I know its been a while.  This last week or so has been pretty crazy.  Since my computer crashed, I have spent the majority of my time trying to put together another computer for me to use until I can get one purchased.  It's been stressful, interesting, and taking up way too much time.  

When I wasn't doing that I was getting myself registered for school.  Yes!  I  said that right.  I am school bound.  I have spent the last month or so trying to decide if going back to school was right for me, and realizing everything that has been going on in my life lately has been leading me right down that path.  So once I made the decision and decided on what I wanted to do, where to go and getting financing squared away, it all came together really fast. It all happened in about 10 days.  So now,  I am a student even as we speak I write this blog post.  I began classes on Friday.   

I figured that since this year is my 25th year high school reunion and I haven't been back to school since, that I might as well become a student all over again.  Crazy?  Maybe! But why not?  I am excited! Actually I am more excited to getting all the schooling behind me so I can start my exciting career. 

I am working towards my Associates in Accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Financial Forensics.   I will be combining my two loves.  Most of my career has been in the field of doing bookkeeping and accounting and then after spending a couple years working as as Private Investigator, I found I enjoyed doing that as well.  So in about 3-1/2 years I will have a degree and will be able to investigate money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, etc., for places like the SEC, FBI, Financial Institutions, Banks, Law Enforcement offices etc.  I am very excited! 

I decided I have to do something to be more competetive in this economy.  Being unemployed for a year now is not fun and competing with over 800+ applicants for almost every job I apply for is crazy.  So now I am a full time student with CTU- Colorado Technical University. 

In other news, DH and I just got back from camping over the weekend.  It was so nice to get away from everything for a couple days.  I caught a fish!  It's been a few years since I have been fishing, so this is big for me.  We camped along a river and I caught my fish with a worm, before I even put the line in the water.  I was just dropping the line in and the worm barely touched the water before that fish grabbed it.  It's a 9" brook trout, kind of small but big enough to eat. Haven't eaten it yet, but soon!  I will post pictures of our trip later on.

Well I have to get going.  I have assignments for school due this week, a talk I have to prepare for church on Sunday, plus preparing my normal Sunday School lesson and practicing songs on the piano for Relief Society, on top of all my normal day to day stuff.  It looks like it will be another crazy week. 

So TTFN.  Happy 4th of July!

Computer Crash!!!

Well my computer finally died. I mean the hard drive took a dump. No virus, just 10 years old and quit working. This means I have lost 10 years of documents and pictures stored on that thing because I was stupid and did not transfer anything off of it to an external backup drive or other storage places, as other people have indicated wishing they had done when this very thing happened to them. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. My computer was running like a dinosaur. And I had good intentions of getting it cleaned up and stuff transferred, but just never took the time to do it.

Luckily we have an IT friend who came over last night to see if he could get anything off of that hard drive. After hours of work, it looks like it's going to be impossible to get the data recovered. So he got Bill's old computer cleaned up and working so I can at least use it until I can get something else. Problem is that computer is also a dinosaur and doesn't have enough room on the hard drive for much.

This is what I am looking at....

1. I need a new computer ASAP. a) because I am going to be starting school (will tell you more about this later on. b) this computer will not last for much longer either. I don't have the money for a new computer at this moment. I was hoping that my divorce settlement money (from 3 yrs ago) would have come through by now, but NO it is still tied up in a court battle (another story for another day). Now I am just hoping that I can get some educational grant money that will help cover the costs of a new computer because I will definately need a laptop for school.
2. I can get some of my photos from my blog and facebook and what I have saved in Picasa web albums but I still will have lost at least 7 years of photos I had saved. This makes me very sad and very mad at myself for not taking the time to get those pictures saved somewhere else.
3. I had all my employment stuff on that computer that I no longer have access to. This means I have to start all over again in creating my resume, references, etc. Lots of work.
4. I have several years of tax progams that are just gone. I hope I will not be needing those for anything.
5. I also have lost all my banking information that I have on MS Money. Years of history. Meaning I have to also start that all over again from today. No more history. I hope I won't ever need that either.
6. I am sure there are many more things I am not even thinking about.

Basically my computer was my lifeline. I used it for everything. Sad isn't it? How much we come to depend and rely on that little box.

Needless to say, but I have learned a BIG lesson. From now on I will backup all my important data onto at least 2 other places besides my computer like an external drive, SD cards or internet storage places.

I was blessed with one thing. The photos I was sending in to a local photo contest, I just happened to email them over to the company on Saturday. So while I no longer have those photos in my possession, I can get them off my email and I still am able to be in the contest. Had I waited another day, I wouldn't have those pictures. So I am grateful for that.

If you are in the same predictament that I was in and haven't backed up any of your really important documents and pictures to another location, I highly recommend you do this immediately. Don't be like me and think "Oh it won't happen to me". Because it will!

Well enough of my rambles. I have many things to do now so I am off to get to it.

TTFN