Well first, let me just start by saying we are in the middle of this HUGE thunderstorm right now and I am loving it!  It started hours ago (like 2 am), the storm didn't wake me up, but the very scared beagle wanting to hide under our covers did wake me up.  I think it is starting to fade at this point, the thunder isn't quite so loud.  I'm glad that the storm happened today when I can stay inside and enjoy it, instead of having to go to work.  Which brings me to the actual topic of today's post... I got a new job!  I am now officially working for Farmers Insurance as a claims adjuster.  I will have months of training before I actually start processing claims, however, I am really enjoying everything so far.  We just started this past Monday, and right away I connected with a couple of people in the class (which is such a blessing!).  And now, one week into it I am very comfortable with most of the people in our training group, and a lot of them are really nice and quite fun.  It makes it so nice to have people to talk to and laugh with.  Some of the training material can be pretty dry (for instance, all this past week when there wasn't anything else being presented we had to take an online course about residential construction basics... I'm talking everything from foundations to types of doors and everything else you can imagine about building a house.  It's somewhat interesting, but it's just a bunch of construction terms that I've never heard of so I have to spend a lot of time reading everything to try and understand it all.)  I found out yesterday that Farmers was named one of the best places to work in our area (maybe in the country, I'm not sure) and is the largest employer in the city it's in (Olathe, KS), also that they haven't had a lay-off ever.  I'll tell you what, I believe it all.  The building I work in is beautiful, the people are amazing, and the opportunities seem endless.  I am just blown away by this company.  It is evident that they care about their employees from the moment you walk in the door.  I won't go on and on about it, I don't want to seem like I'm bragging, but it's really a great place to work.  I'm very happy to be there.  I am really busy right now though because I am still teaching a class for H&R Block on tues/thurs evenings.  So it is a challenge to balance the two jobs.  As far as continuing to work for H&R Block this next season, I am torn.  I don't need to do it, and I don't even particularly want to, however, I have put a lot of time and effort into that job and I would hate to think that I would just lose all my certification and years on the job.  We'll see.  It really depends on if I believe my time at Farmers will be for a short while or if it will be for many, many years.  If I never intend to leave Farmers then there is no reason to keep up with H&R Block, but if when we start a family I want to move back into something that is much more part-time and allows me a lot of flexibility then maybe I want to try to keep it up.  We'll see.  At any rate, this job is a huge blessing.  For the first time since graduating college I feel like I am doing something with my life career-wise.  Don't get me wrong, I owe a lot to H&R Block... they taught me so much and provided an awesome opportunity for growth and development.  But it wasn't the type of job that I pictured while in school, neither is working in insurance, but having a year-round, full-time job is.  I am not depressed anymore, I feel productive and fulfilled.  I feel like I am doing something that I can be really good at. 

In other news, we are loving our church here!  We started attending Olathe Bible Church about a month ago and ever since we have been hooked.  I think we may be getting into a small group in the very near future, and we'll start attending an ABF for young-marrieds after we finish the introduction to the church ABF.  It has been awesome to get connected so quickly and really feel like we belong there.

Ryan has finished his volleyball season and is enjoying his abundance of free time and the ability to get home before 9pm.  (We are both enjoying that!).  He is also enjoying being a teacher, he loves making connections with the students and just overall being a teacher.  It's still challenging, being his first year and all, but he knows that part will get better with time.

So apparently there really is, "no place like home." (Home being Kansas that is).

So we're all packed up... we did better this time than ever before!  I didn't have to stay up all night long to get everything packed.  We've worked so hard these past few days, but we made it.  We are picking up our Uhaul truck tonight, and we'll load it tonight and tomorrow and we'll take off first thing Friday morning for Kansas.  Then on Monday my parents are going to bring our other car and some things that won't fit in the moving truck.  They will spend the holiday with us and help us get set up.  I am currently here at work for the last time.  It's a very strange feeling saying goodbye to people I've known for three years.  I will definitely miss them.  It will be weird to be at H&R Block without all of these people.  I still haven't decided what I'm going to do career wise, but I think I will just stick with H&R Block while I figure out what I want to do.  I like the idea of having a lot of time to be able to get involved in a church and the community and also focus on some personal goals.  I'm really excited to move and set up the new place, but I'm also nervous to be farther away from my parents.  We really are close to them.  But this is where God wants us, so I'm sure it will all be okay.  Just the transition process is never easy.  Okay no more worrying.  I could keep rambling for a long time, but I won't.  I probably won't post again until mid-July at least, after we return from our Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio trip. (Yeah another one of those see almost everyone we know kind of trips).  I'm especially excited to see Sally & Doug's new house in Fort Wayne(they just closed on it this week!!).  I'm going to get back to "work."  Actually I'm not working because I'm training my replacement who is doing all the work for me.  Which works for me.  More to come, I guess I need to change the heading of the xanga page.  I don't know what yet though.... maybe next time.