This Week Thus Far :)

I started my new job this past week! It really isn't bad :) There are some quirky people there but I think that is fun and makes it really interesting. Everyone is a nice kid of quirky too! One lady has started calling me "bits" short for "little bits". My boss calls me "Daniella" even though all my letterhead says "Danielle Kanka" and everything that you put your name on is spelled "Danielle". I don't mind it but I do think it's funny and I don't have the heart to tell him any different. One funny aspect of work is how a few people handle stress. It's a busy time right now and so there is a lot to do. In my previous job there was always a ton to do and never enough time to complete everything and that is just how it was, no biggie. Well, some people at this job start to freak out a little bit and seem overwhelmed by the amount of work there is. I find this really funny, it's like "Oh no! We've got work to do!". It really cracks me up :)

I had my hair cut 2 weeks ago. I love having short hair for the sake of ease and it saves me a lot of time in the morning so I can sleep in a little. Here is a picture of my new do!

James has a new change too, his loving Jeep died and now he has a new used Toyota Celica. It's got a sun roof and flippy lights! He likes it a lot but I know he is sad to see his Jeep, "Cecilia", go.

Also this week I've been feeling really busy with trying to prepare for moving too. Buying furniture and paint and trying to account for all the things we already have. One thing we really need to get is a mattress! I can't believe we haven't bought one yet! Oh well I'm sure we will soon enough. We bought a dining room table and chairs for $150 on craigslist! I love using craigslist. It is so easy and a lot of times people are moving and sell their nice furniture for dirt cheap! I love our table and was so happy to get it. Two other tables that I tried to buy for us had been sold within the first hour they were posted. So when this one was posted I jumped on it and was the first one! :) We also bought an amoire for the TV and entertainment center area. My mother-in-law found/got us a slightly used sectional from Crate and Barrel and some upholstery material. Today I think we are going to go look at some paint. This is the first time I've been able to paint in an apartment I am really excited!

Lately I've been feeling heart sick for my girlfriends. I miss them and home so much right now. I know I've neglected calling and hanging out lately. I feel like I have so much on my plate, so many new things and crazy things coming up. But that shouldn't be an excuse and I'm making a point of it to get a hold of people soon.

Well I've definitely rambled on and I've got a ton to do today! God bless!

More news!

Well over the past month I decided to put forth all my efforts into finding a good job. I felt like all I was doing was going to interviews, responding to job ads, making and receiving phone calls, and running all over the place. On top of that I was apartment hunting as well. It was really chaotic and yet in some ways fun to put that much effort into something.

I had talked to so many people and gone on so many interviews that I began to feel very confident with my skills and it became easier to communicate all of this with future employers. My brother had also helped me redo my resume and it seemed like I was getting a lot of notice. It was wonderful, but then came the hard part about figuring out what kinds of companies I wanted to work for, where I felt comfortable, and what kind of salary our family needed.

Well this past week I finally found a great fit job! I am really excited :) It's with a company called the National Energy Management Institute. Honestly I was drawn to the non-profit organization, their benefits, and the 7 hr. work day but I am excited to work in the office as well. The people that I met were so welcoming and inviting it will be great! I start monday!

James also got a job and began working last week! He is a producer at the Washington Bureau. I think it is a marvelous stepping stone for him. Not to mention that he did some great production assistant work with the style network a couple of weeks ago! Things are really starting to take off for him and I love seeing him so excited about one of his life passions!

We signed on an apartment a couple of days ago as well. It is in a young professional community and has a lot of stuff to offer. It is really close to the metro system which James uses to get to work and it is about 7 minutes away from where I'm going to be working. The community is located in between Pentagon City, Crystal City, Alexandria, and Arlington! I feel like it's right smack dab in the middle.

It's a one bedroom and there isn't a ton of room for extra stuff but it's pretty and I am beyond excited to start decorating!!! I just finally feel like James and I can start our little nest and finally can live somewhere that is our own and have it reflect our own style. I am jumping out of my skin to start decorating it and making it into our home! I think it's going to be fun to paint the walls with my husband by my side and to use all of our wedding stuff too!

So, life has been really full lately. James and I are feeling so blessed by all these things that have come our way. We know that God definitely has his hand on us and our lives. Through Him all things are made and accomplished, apart from Him I am nothing. I was reminded about this all month and still am. I feel more at peace lately too. God is Good!