School, Work, Hobbies and Friends

So we've been busy busy busy lately and I figured it was time for an update. I am FINALLY at the tail end of my degree. The beginning part of the summer I was in four super intensive condensed classes and I wasn't sure I was going to survive it. But not only did I survive but I conqured and now I just have ONE class that I'm working on to finish up. It's called Traditions of Christian Women in Religion and has thus far been an overview of the history of Christianity. It's a distance class so I watch it on the TV and I don't even have to go into campus to finish. Sometimes it's harder to do it distance because I'm sitting on the couch thinking "I'd MUCH rather switch over to Cake Boss or Charmed right now...FOCUS, focus, focus..." Eventually I get through it but between episodes I generally reward myself with a snippett of another show we've recorded...I love DVR. Anyways, the class will be finished mid-August and I will officiallybe a degree holding adult. We are both totally psyched, Ryan moreso because I'll stop driving him crazy with my perfectionist tendencies that keep me up until 3 or 4 in the morning fiddling with lines in papers, designs for websites, schedules for events, etc.

In other news I also quit my job at the Delta Barrington Hotel and am moving on in the world. After two years it was time for me to move on and after this came to light a little while ago I began seriously job hunting. I'm actually going to be working with Ryan at Admiral Insurance working in their sales department. I'm excited for a new start but nervous at the same time. The company has been great to Ryan over the past year and a half and there is room for growth within the company to perhaps a more PR oriented position in the future. Everyone wonders whether Ryan and I anticipate a problem working together and it was certainly a conversation we had before I applied. However, at the end of the day we decided the only real problem would be if Ryan ended up as my boss (since he's in management) and we were assured this would never be the case. Truthfully I can't wait to work with him. Some of our greatest challenges throughout our marriage have been finding time to be together when our schedules were totally opposite. While our schedules may not always be identical in this job they will always fall within several hours of each other and hey, we'll, hopefully, get to each lunch together most days. What more could a wife ask for?!

Ryan has officially enrolled for full time classes for the fall. He's a bit anxious about the whole thing but I think he's looking forward to really getting his degree(s?) underway. And I'm looking forward to giving him the opportity to do it.

Ryan has also recently taken an interest in carpentry. Some of you may know my papa Charlie Grant. For those of you who don't he's like a "wow" incredible carpenter. In an effort to become more of a handy man Ryan has enlisted Papa to teach him to start building and fixing things. He's hoping to learn the basics of carpentry so that eventually he'll be able to build cool things. His first project is building me a nice sturdy book case (unlike the one we have right now). I'm currently working with Papa learning how to restore my incredibly sad looking coffee table. We are so lucky to have such a talented generous teacher amongst our family. Plus, it gives us more time with him. I'll post pictures when we're all finished our projects.

We did just have a friend from the states come up for a visit. My best friend from high school and beyond, Lisa, came up for a Canadian adventure a couple of weeks ago and stayed for 2 weeks. We took her all over and we think she enjoyed it. Amongst our adventures were Peggy's Cove (of course), a tour of the Alexander Keith's Brewery, a ride on the Harbour Hopper and we even got a chance to check out the free Virgin Mobile Offspring concert. It was a blast. Mostly though it was just nice to have an old friend in my (not so) new (anymore) life here in Nova Scotia. Here are som pictures from her visit.