quick update

well here is what's happening lately...

Andrew just got recruited to work at a shoe store in the mall. the name of the store is Tradehome, i know what you're thinking what a weird name for a shoe store right?? so it actually has quite a good story as to how it got it's name, it even goes way back to the depression era. so anyways at the beginning of next year andrew is going to be the assistant manager of this shoe store. so far he likes it and for the time being he is working part time at circuit city and part time at tradehome. andrew's boss, who opened the store here, just moved to boise along with his fiance. we've been out with them a few times and have had fun actually getting to know couples our own age!
Jess is now the color instructor and is loving it. the girls in the program have very strong personalites and it again is a challenge, but she is up to anything by this point.
We are just finishing our chirstmas shopping and barely seeing each other. it's kind of a crazy time right now for the two of us. we have been looking around for places to live and by living i mean actually moving out of my parent's house... WOW i know big step huh? places are pretty expensive here so that's going to be tough on us but everything always works out right?!?! it's finally snowing here and just a few days from christmas it's feeling christmasy... it is such a wonderful time to be thankful for everything. we are just tryng to be thankful that we have each other, a place to lay our heads at night, and such amazing families. i have some pictures of us but my computer isn't working that well, so i'll have to post them later. HAPPY HOLIDAYS ya'll
XOXO

2 years down 77 more to go

well friends only 6 weeks til Christmas and just a few days til Thanksgiving!! well i figure i haven't written in a while so here's what's new. Andrew and i are celebrating our 2 year anniversary on the 22 of this month. i am shocked that 2 years ago all the family was in Hawaii to join us for our big day. we're going to utah to visit andrew's parents, which is exciting since we haven't seen them in a while. on saturday we're headed to salt lake to be by ourselves and to just enjoy each others company.
Some crazy things are kind of happening right now. Circuit city just filled chapter 11 and is closing 154 stores in the US. luckily the boise store isn't closing.. yet. andrew is still looking for advertising jobs and has had a few side jobs like making ads for the Boise Zoo and a couple of other things.
things are progressing at my work and something exciting might be in the works for me... details later to come.
so here are some of our favorite pictures from our big day of november 22, 2006
XOXO

Halloweenie

halloween was sooo much fun! i went to school as a kitty and every called me cat women... or jessi-cat. hmm that was fun! no one really dressed up at school besides the instructors. there was a few students that did. there were even prizes and that still wasn't an incentive.


tato and stephanie as a nerd and devil.. two of my favorite students.

This is one of the instructors... she was a twinkie

this is debbie and she was an evil queen.. also an instructor.
andrew didn't have to work so he didn't dress up but we stayed home and had a rousing game of domino's with the family. we had trick or treaters come by and then we went to see my nephews. chance was dressed as a baseball player, jaxon was bobo fait, and ryker was a tiger.(he also decided to first start walking on halloween.)

well nothing new is really happening. andrew is still working at circuit city but 155 stores are closing so we're a little worried, but honestly andrew hates it so if our store closes it isn't the worst thing that could happen. he's still applying for jobs everywhere, we just are being patient. we've been talking to a few ad jobs and hopefully something will happen.

last weekend we went to my grandpa's cabin in island park and had a really nice time with him! i sure do miss visiting him all the time. we went to montana and went to a small town called virginia city. it used to be the capital of montana back in like 1864. now it's all boarded up and just a ghost town. it was really cool. well that's what's new here.
XOXO

me... ariel??

i don't know what my thing is about looking at other's blog and then taking their ideas for myself but here is what Disney Princess i am...


You Are Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

our twisted lifes

so i found this on a random blog i was looking at and i thought it was so cute so we thought we'd do something fun to share with you!

Jessica's twisted life

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Mickey Areio
2. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR'S NAME: ("The" + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Shopping Wind Tour
3. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Cream and Sugar
4. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) J-Ber
5. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Pink Giraffe
6. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Jolene Boise
7. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Berje
8. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Turquoise Dr. Pepper
9. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Arlie Blaine
10. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Juicy Couture Butterfinger
11. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Lee (my mother doesn't have a middle name)
12. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Schlienz Seattle
13. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Fall Daisy
14. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Grape Sweaty
15. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Protein Birch

Andrew's twisted life

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Turtle Accent
2. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR'S NAME: ("The" + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Picture Rain Tour
3. YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) Moose Track Snicker doodles
4. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) A-Ber
5. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Blue Lion
6. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Redd Shaker
7. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) Beran
8. SUPERHERO NAME: ("The" + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) The Green Mountain Dew
9. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) Wayne Robert
10. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Sun gummy bears
11. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Jon (mom doesn't have a middle name)
12. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Phetzer Phoenix
13. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Thanksgiving Lilly
14. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Mango Shortie
15. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) yogurt oak

appreciation for teachers

so can i just tell you how much more appreciation i have for teachers!!! since i am now an instructor at a barber college i am the theory teacher and the basic class teacher. so let me explain what exactly those classes have me doing.

the theory class is for an hour each morning... there are about 17 chapters that i have to teach and test on each week. did i mention that half my class has little to no reading comprehension. WOW this is the biggest challenge for me. every night i have to come home and plan some game for my class because obviously reading is not something they understand. this is very overwhelming and time consuming. andrew and i have not been able to spend much time together and that is hard since when we were in college we got to have SOME time alone, now we have none. i am always so stressed and feel like breaking down every second i get. so if you have any ideas please feel free to share your thoughts with me!

now my basic class is when brand new students come in and have to be taught the basics, hence the basic class. so i have to teach anywhere from 2-8 students at a time depending at the class size. this coming October 6 the new class has 6 students in it. i've already taught a class of 2 which was easy but 6 is a lot to explain everything to. i'm feeling a little nervous just explaining it. so i am in the class room for 3-4 weeks every month teaching my class and when i feel it is appropriate i release them on to the floor, where they then start cutting actual client's hair. i'm not to fond of being in the classroom that long, but it'll be fine.
basically i have already learned so much here's a few things to share with you...
a) i love teaching
b) teaching is the hardest thing i have ever tackled
c) i have learned to appreciate (even more) my time that i get to spend with my wonderful helping husband and my family
d) i have found and strive to develop another talent that my Heavenly Father has given me
e) i have learned to be amazed at the talents that other people have
f) i am thankful for the awesome teachers that sculpted me into who i am

so enough about that here is what's going on with andrew...
he is liking not loving his job, but man is he awesome at what he does. he is selling 126% of the goal or expectation that he is suppose to!!! he is a little frustrated that he feels like he is always trying his hardest and his co-workers are slacking. i am so thankful for the work ethic that his parents instilled in him because he is always going above and beyond what he is suppose to be doing. he is always helping someone at work and will go to greet someone else and then one of the other co-workers will steal his sell. it's frustrating that no one is honest anymore besides my amazing husband.
he has been helping me when he gets home with anything i need and has been such a blessing to me during this time. i could never ask for someone better. he always teaches me so much and is willing to do what i cannot.

well we got another car just a little Hyundai that my dad gave us but we had to have the transmission fixed but it runs great and we are so thankful for all that was willing to help us out! andrew detailed it and cleaned it up nicely and it looks great. we are just thankful to have a second car so no one has to drive us around anymore.
anyways i have to go do some more stuff for school tomorrow
XOXO

just so ya know what's happenin

as most of you know andrew and i are living in boise with my parents... enough said there.
so after a crazy 2 weeks of family reunions, andrew and i have FINALLY found jobs. andrew is working at circuit city and still applying for jobs worldwide for the position that he graduated in. we have some new jobs that just presented themselves so we are currently waiting on them. hopefully it is something that can take us on another adventure!! we will keep you updated if anything happens... pray for us. andrew really likes working at circuit city and has really enjoyed it. we are realizing that we're going to have to be buying another car so that is a bummer. he has done such a good job selling TVs and has been the top 3 salesmen and has only worked there for 3 weeks, but we all know how fabulous he is so i will stop bragging. (for now)
jess is working as an instructor trainee at a barber college, it's name is boise barber college. it is such a great opportunity for me. i am actually getting paid to do something that i should be paying for. (most of the time if you want to get your instructor license you have to pay a school for 6 months to train you, it sometimes can cost up to 10,000 dollars) so this school is nothing like my cosmetology school. let me tell you a little bit about it. first the state of idaho recognizes cosmetologist, stylist, and barbers. the difference you ask?
a cosmetologist has to have 2000 hours and can do any service besides face shaves with a straight razor.
a stylist can almost do what a cosmetologist can, but they are not allowed to do fake nails, pedicures, and manicures, but do do face shaves. they go to school for 1500 hours.
barbers on the other hand are only allowed to do haircuts and shaves and only have to go to school for 900 hours.
so in this school is a total diversity. we have ladies who are in their 40's, men in the 50-70's, we have young adults who just graduated from high school, a lot of Hispanics and African American men. we have a lot of ex cons who have already been incarcerated and this is basically their last chance to make a life for themselves. it is quite sad, but yet exciting to see them doing something that they actually look forward to doing that will keep them out of trouble.
i LOVE it there. i have already learned so much from them and can't wait to help the school grow and help those in need.
it is such a catch 22 with andrew still applying for jobs. i have never really wanted to come back to boise yet and here we are. i love my job and want to see these people progress. andrew is doing so well and is having a good time. on the other hand we need to be on our own and to find ourselves outside of college life, so hopefully when the time is right we will find that "special" place and be able to grow from life.
XOXO