After 18 months with no computer, will this change?

74 words

Typing Test

WoW Embroidery

I received this amazing gift from Janine Boyce in my ward!  Check out her other very cute items at her etsy shop- Words of Wisdom Embroidery! Personalized gifts are always a great way to go.  Thank you!

Ducks in a Row

So, while I loved the firm I was with this summer, I didn't enjoy so much the auditing that I was doing. I interviewed a couple weeks ago to intern with a different group within the same firm when I get back from my mission. This group is more finance focused and offers more intuitive and complex work earlier on. Loved the office, the location (13th and K St. downtown), the people, everything.

This is one of the first interviews I've come out of really feeling unsure of the verdict. The interview was a little more than behavioral, though I didn't get a brain teaser like some of the other candidates. Also, the group is quite a bit smaller making it much more competitive. After settling with the thought there would be other options if this didn't work out, I received a rather pleasant call from my spunky recruiter informing me they would like to make an offer for the summer of 2010.

I am happy to be joining PricewaterhouseCooper's Structured Finance Group in the Washington, DC office in the summer of 2010 and hopefully full-time following graduation!

Yay for getting my ducks in a row!... A row that I'll actually enjoy.

Gas

I am going to miss tagging along with my mom as she runs errands. Today we made a trip to our favorite thrift store in Laurel, MD and filled our tank for $1.97/gallon! I love cheap gas because you don't feel so guilty taking scenic drives. Two of my favorites are along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and the Nebo Loop in Payson, UT.

Something Fun...

(Click on the Link...)

Delectable

Sunkist Fruit Gems.... the way to my heart. Miriam and I would joke about buying a 32lb order of these online because for a long time we could not find them anywhere! Not even in the plastic tubs at Costco. They are soft and chewy and citrus-y. Anyways, while in Provo "going to school" about a month ago, I was with Missy and Miriam waiting for a wedding gift to be wrapped at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and lo and behold, right there in the middle of their huge candy display at the customer service counter was a nice box of these precious things. It was a shallow tray priced at $6! In spite of the price, Miriam quickly grabbed a few boxes. A day later I was doing a little grocery shopping at Days Market on Canyon Road. (I shop there because it is cute and homey, I like to feel like a local and not a college student) I found a large stock of these hidden in a crate about knee level on the end of a produce display. I brought Miriam back within a couple days and I think she bought half of their inventory. Anyways, if you are ever in Days, pick up a bag of these delectable treats. Their freshness lasts forever because of the individual packaging.

MODO

I recently got a new pair of glasses.  I absolutely love them.  I made my Dad come and watch me try on hundreds of frames after I had gone by myself and decided I just couldn't pick.  He picked a winner.  The frames are by Modo. The quality is impecable and I am blown away by their collections displayed online.  There is just something about the way the hinge springs the arm into place or the texture of the frame... I just don't know.  They do have an online shop. But it is only sunglasses. They are still fabulous.

Imagine Me!, A Missionary Traveling Through the Land...

Does anyone else know that song?

Found this. Dad is a cute little missionary. He told me that his first companion was Tongan so he didn't know until his second companion that it wasn't standard to eat 4 meals a day.

One other reason I love missionaries.

Thursday night I spent overnight downtown and came home yesterday afternoon to find our whole-good-sized-yard-with-leaves-up-to-your knees had been nicely raked. Ironically, as Mom and I were leaving for the metro on Thursday we saw the threesome of elders in our ward, who we have been "running into" quite frequently lately, turn onto our street in their car- wearing t-shirts. We thought they were just going to visit our neighbor friends who they are teaching.

Short trip to the Islands...

I spent this weekend at BYU-Hawaii visiting Clarissa before I leave on my mission. I stopped in Seattle on the way and spent a night with Sara Hyer, a good friend of mine and one of the most amazing people ever. We had such a fun time!
It was a short trip but I had a great time seeing old faces and old places. I stayed with my good friend Dustin and his wife Hiva in their TVA apartment. I love Dustin and Hiva. They are the most adorable and selfless people I know. The first thing I did when I got in was curl Clarissa's hair for Fall Ball that night. Luckily my dress that I had mailed to her got there in time. She looked stunning.

I was also able to attend a session at the Laie Temple. It was in Tongan. I loved it.

I am now convinced I am going to marry a Tongan. Dustin and Hiva got a kick out of how serious I am.





Here are Dustin, myself, and Justin just before I flew out Sunday night. I've had so many fun times with these two!

Before there was Ben.

I absolutely love these two pictures of our very young family. The first was taken just after Rae was born and was sent out to announce her birth with the words "Straight to our arms from heaven above... Another little girl to love" written in my mother's beautiful handwriting on the back. We all look so happy to have another sister. To this day, if you ask each one of the girls which sister is their favorite, we would all probably answer Rae. It's not because she has this gorgeous long straight hair that every girl wants, or because she looks good in almost every photo taken, but she is best friends with all of us- no matter our time zone or current struggles. I love my other sisters too. Soon we will be in Utah, Texas, Hawaii, and Maryland. I miss them dearly. With Ben, it no longer has so much a Ya-Ya feel, but he is amazing.

As I look at the pictures, we haven't changed much. I still have crazy wavy hair. Clarissa still has tiny arms and legs. Emma has lost her curls and Miriam no longer has casts on her legs. But I imagine as all of us girls conference-called not too long ago and we laughed about those people we will make fun of till we die, (in a kind make-fun-of type way) we all had the same smiles on our faces.








One more thing. Derwood, Maryland is beautiful in the fall. Well, all year round actually. But take a look at the the colors.
Fraley Farm just off Bowie Mill... oh the Seminary memories.

The Temple

Friday, October 17th, I received my own endowment in the Washington DC Temple. Going through the temple for the first time was an amazing experience. It was a special day to be there with both my parents as well as a good family friend Joyce Lewis. It was an amazing experience and a huge thing.

We are raised through childhood singing the primary song "I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday..." and I still can't believe that someday has actually come and gone. I am grateful to my parents that instilled a sense of continual preparation to be able to enjoy such an amazing thing. I have about a month until I leave on my mission and I will be returning to the temple as much as possible in that time. This amazing edifice that I would frolic around when I was a young child now has even more importance to me. It is a beautiful place and the blessings of the temple are real.

Lots of News!

I haven't posted in quite a while but I do have several pretty exciting things to share!

I have been called to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Texas Houston Mission, Spanish speaking. I report to the MTC November 19th, 2008 and will return May 2010. I am very excited.

I started classes at BYU this semester just in case I was able to do another semester before I left. My call came to my home in Maryland September 13th and we were able to get my whole family on the phone to hear my Mom read the call. I was staying at Aunt Ann Palmer's house and unfortunately Emma had to leave just before Mom got home to open the call, so we had her voicemail going when the call was read. Dad joined the call from work and Clarissa from Hawaii. I was pretty emotional. I dropped my classes the following Monday and later that week started the drive home to Maryland.

This summer I interned in audit with PricewaterhouseCoopers in their Assurance (Audit) line of service out of the Tysons Corner (Washington DC Metro) office. While I loved the firm, I found myself more interested in a different group called the Structured Finance Group that does securitization and valuation of asset-backed securities. PwC was so great to work with my mission and extend and full-time offer in audit allowing me to go on a mission. I recently just got news that the Structured Finance Group is interested in having me interview with them at the end of this month to intern with them in the summer of 2010 after I return. I am so excited! I'm hoping the interview goes well.

I'm taking the temple prep class at church and preparing to get my endowments and attend the temple with my parents a couple times before I leave on my mission.

I also turned 21 a week ago today! (September 21st) I got my new drivers license this past week. My life currently consists of preparing for the mission. Hopefully my mom will be willing to keep this blog, or another up to date as I go on my mission with updates/emails/pictures, etc.

DC area Accounting intern friends at BYU!

Half-Way Through

I'm more than half-way through the Accounting Junior Core now. I cannot even put into words how happy I'll be when I finish. Valentine's day I'll find out which of the Fab 5 will fly me out for second round interviews at the office for internships this summer. I've been enjoying all of the recruiting events and had some really good experiences doing first round interviews, so we'll see. The whole past two semesters I've been occupied in the library, even on the weekends so I don't have too much to share in the way of new adventures, guys, or whatever. Hopefully, not working this semester will change that for me. My co-workers took me to Sushiya for all you can eat sushi as a farewell luncheon. I've been on the Magic Admin team at the church's IT help desk for about a year now and it was sad to leave. I've found time to re-organize my room and actually help out doing volunteer income tax assistance. Enjoy the picture of me entertaining myself in the library.