The 29th of every month (and in February the 28th is just as special) is very special to Burgess and I.  First of all, Burgess was baptized June 29, 2003.  He has been a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for exactly 5 years today!  I have seen so many wonderful changes in him during these past few years.  He has completely turned his life around from one that was much more self centered to a life that is truly centered on Christ.  He is a solid testimony of faith, hope, and charity.  Burgess is obedient, loving and is always looking for ways to serve other people.  I am so proud of him for all that he has accomplished and I am so grateful to him for the powerful example he is for me.  I know he will pass this strength on to our children and I am also very grateful for that. 

Today is also special because it marks exactly a year to the day that I returned home from my mission.  I CANNOT believe that I have been home for one whole year.  It doesn’t feel like it could possibly be that long, but then when I think about everything that has happened since coming home it feels like it could have been a couple of years.  I am very grateful for my mission.  My mission experiences built my personal testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ more than any other experience in my life.  I know that Jesus is the Son of God.  I know that He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane taking upon Himself all of our sins, pains, sicknesses, temptations, afflictions, trials, tragedies, and everything and anything else that would keep us from living with our Father in heaven after this earthly life.  This knowledge has lifted me when limp, has filled me when lifeless, and saved me when hopeless.  I am grateful for the words of the prophets that have been recorded and passed down as scripture in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  I gained this testimony from testing the word just as Alma teaches in the book of Alma chapter 32 in the Book of Mormon and also in the book of John chapter 7 recorded in the Holy Bible.  I am also extremely grateful for the Mormon pioneers.  They are so near and dear to my heart and always will be.  They are my motivation and inspiration so many days because they were real people living normal lives and they gave up everything for the sake of the gospel.  They suffered in body and spirit with their whole souls to be obedient to God and to serve one another and they have shown me that I can do it to.  I am so grateful for my mission and can never accurately describe the many ways the Lord poured out the blessings upon my head during those 18 short months.

One more reason why this day is special….Burgess and I were married exactly 6 months ago today.  We have made it half a year and have never been happier.  We have never been more blessed or more in love.  Five years ago we never would have imagined that today we would be married for time and all eternity, but the Lord knew it.  He led us to one another and we are just glad that we listened. 

I just wanted to give an update really quick on the new job.  I have only been there 2 days so far, but it has really been great.  It A LOT of information to learn and it is a little bit overwhelming but I am excited to expand my knowledge in this field.  I feel really blessed to have this opportunity.  The people at iMS are really nice and fun to work with.  They are also very knowledgeable in this field and most of them have said that they started out not knowing anything just like me so that makes me feel better.  So anyway, I have had a few people want to know how it’s been going and the answer is…

Everything is looking good

I need to thank everyone who said a prayer for me while I have been looking for a new job, because I GOT THE JOB!!!!  I just recently interviewed with a Mortgage Service company called iMortgage Services.  It’s a pretty new company (only about 8 years old) and it’s growing really fast.  iMortgage Services is not a lender but provides products and services to lenders, appraisers etc.  Basically we do all the work for the customers ensuring that the mortgage process is quick and easy.  I interviewed with them on Friday last week and I was really impressed with the company and really wanted the job but wasn’t sure what my chances were because there were only three positions available and there were a lot of other people interviewing (as far as I saw on the sign in sheet).  I had three separate interviews and it took 2 1/2 hours!  Needless to say I was tired after it all.  I was told I would hear back by the end of the week…but they called back today and said they’d like to offer me the position.  YAY!  I will be working on the customer service side of things and I am excited because it pays a LOT better than Blockbuster!  It also offers full benefits, weekends off and paid holidays.  I also get 12 personal days per year….and they promote from within so I will have the chance to work my way up.  I am really excited that I decided to take the chance and leave Blockbuster and look for something different.  This job will give me totally different experience and knoweldge in a field I would like to learn more about.  I am very excited and I feel very grateful to have this opportunity.  Thanks to everyone who helped me get this job! (especially my mom who helped me with my resume, and my mother in-law who helped me prepare for the interview, and most especially my amazing husband who had faith in me and supported me 100% through out the whole process..I LOVE YOU BABY!).

P.S. I start on the 23rd….wish me luck!!!

Ok, so for those of you who don’t know, the film making business is branching out and leaving CA.  Tons of production companies are looking for anywhere else to film movies because it is a million times cheaper to film outside of CA and NY and plus for places like Pittsburgh it is good publicity and good for the economy.  There are TONS of movies being filmed out here this summer and that was a huge reason we wanted to come out here.  Burgess applied for internships and/or jobs on just about every set that was going to be filming in the summer and for a long time we didn’t hear anything from any of them.  So we just kind of said, “oh well…we tried..” Burgess got two jobs and has been working hard as we save money for school…well last week he FINALLY got a call back.  He got an internship on the set of a movie called Shannon’s Rainbow (family movie).  He will be interning there on Mondays this summer.  He came home yesterday after about 11 hours (LONG HOURS ON A MOVIE SET!!!) and was glowing!  He was so excited about it.  He said he basically just did everything that no one else had time to do but it was so much fun!  He said that the production manager explains pretty much everything that is going on so they are learning all the time.  I am so happy for him and we really hope this will open more doors to make it behind the camera into directing!

As for me, I just quit my job.  We have been feeling for a while that it was time to move on but we have been nervous to leave the job because of the insurance.  But I FINALLY DID after much prayer and yesterday I got a call about my resume from a law firm in Pittsburgh.  I REALLY HOPE I DO WELL IN THIS INTERVIEW BECAUSE I REALLY WANT THIS JOB!!!!

I’m so tired and have to work in the morning, but I have to give a quick shout out to my pens!  They just won game 5 in the stanely cup finals.  We scored with only 30 seconds let to go and tied it up, and then fought to the death and killed the Red Wings in TRIPLE OVERTIME!!!!!!  MVP was absolutely no doubt Marc-Andre Fleury with 55 saves!!!!!  This kid was amazing!!! We had Ryan Malone hit in the face with the puck and came back to play with a plug of tissue sticking out of his nose!!!! and Gonchar come back after being hurt and out for 3 periods and helped score the winning goal!  All I have to say it when we thought we had lost the game I literally closed my eyes and asked the Lord to please let us stay in the game and as I was saying AMEN we scored the goal that led us into overtime.  I knew we would win this game.  I am convinced that the Lord cares about his children who LOVE sports and he truly blessed the Pens tonight!!! WHOO HOO!!!!!!!  Bringin’ it back to the Burgh!!!!!