So I got a job!!! I wasn't exactly looking for the job, it popped out of nowhere and now I start work in a week! God provides!
A year ago Adam's boss (who shall remain nameless) met with me to look over my resume and give me suggestions on where I should look for a job. Adam and I were both surprised when he encouraged me to apply for a software engineering job at Harris. I have 25 hours of undergraduate computer science course work (5 hours short of a major), and yet because I quit the Bioinformatics program my senior year and went on to do graduate work in biology, I felt like I had no business looking for a programming job. I gave Adam's boss my resume to pass around, but like a week later Harris put a hold on hiring new grads. So for the first half of this year I pursued a job in the field of biology with no luck. I think last June or July Harris began hiring new grads again. So in one last ditch effort to find a job before I completely committed to nursing school, I turned in another resume to Adam's boss. In the middle of October HR from Harris contacted me to see if I would be interested in an interview. I let HR know that I was interested. Two weeks went by and I heard nothing back from HR. In early November Adam's group at Harris had a party. Adam and I walked in and began talking to this vaguely familiar looking man (Adam's boss, although I didn't realize it at the time). We were making small talk and he mentioned how Harris needed to hire experienced people with security clearances (it was starting to dawn on me that this guy has to be important, but I still had no idea who he was). I made a side comment to Adam about how that must be the reason HR never got back in contact with me. Then Adam explained to his boss how HR had contacted me a couple of weeks ago. Adam's boss became very interested and asked me the name of my point of contact at HR. I told him the man's name and Adam's boss was like "Maybe I can give him a little nudge and get him to contact you next week." After he walked away, I was like "Who was THAT?" and Adam was like "duh, my boss" (OK so he didn't really say it like that). I was so embarrassed, because I wasn't sure if I seemed too forward about getting the job and also, I was in a TERRIBLE mood. Yet sure enough, the following week I had an interview set up. I had a gut-feeling I was going to get the job and yet I'm surprised that I actually got the job. I'm so excited and determined to do well, although I'm EXTREMELY nervous about programming (rightly so! It's been 5 years since I've written a line of code!). But man, talk about knowing the right person at the right time! I start a week from Monday. I can hardly believe I'll be working and making money like a real grown-up. Wow I'm nervous... but a BIG 'OLE THANK YOU goes out to Adam's boss!!!

So it's been forever since I last updated.
Not a lot has happened, and yet a lot has changed.

So here is a brief history of my life since february:

Feburary - I worked hard and finished editing my thesis and sent it in for submission.

March - I began looking for a job. I applied to: most private christian schools in the county, Brevard Community College, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Scripps Institute in Miami, some cancer institute (Moffit?) in Tampa, Midwest Research Institute in Palm Bay, Wuestoff Medical Center, UCF, and FIT. Meanwhile, my committee reviewed my thesis and basically said "boo you suck. this paper SUCKS." I ended up getting interviews with: Brevard Community College, Covenant Christian High School, and Midwest Research Insititute.

April - I made the second interview process with Covenant Christian High School and Midwest Research Institute. I thought my interview with Midwest Research Institute went well (one of the senior scientists said my answers were the best he had ever heard and that he had made his decision on hiring me). I got a part-time job with Target. I started editing my thesis again. I went to visit my family in Jackson.

May - I had a thrid interview with Midwest Research Institute. I quit Target to focus on my thesis, and because I also believed that I would be working at Midwest Research Institute soon. I started spending all my spare time looking for a house. Adam and I found a house and decided to buy our first house (AHHHHHHH!)! We went to Birmingham to and Texas.

June - Adam and I bought our house! Midwest Research Institute said "thank you NO." I interviewed with several public high schools in the county.

July - I found out that I am obviously not qualified to teach high school through more interviews with public and private high schools. I sent in a several more job applications to different companys around the area (a pathology lab, some biotech company near NASA, water companies, another hospital, Midwest Research Institute), although I never heard back from any of the companies. I decided that I have just enough education to get me absolutely nowhere in life. While working on my thesis, I finally was able to step back enough to see that parts of it really do suck and need work. And, I decided to change careers even though I don't technically have a career.

August - No looking back! I started taking my prerequisites (nutrition, psychology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II) at Brevard Community College. I applied to and got accepted to UCF and have everything ready to apply for the Accelerated-Nursing Program in November. I started volunteering at the local hospital. I started playing my violin again with the Melbourne Community Orchestra. I'm one of its youngest members! =)

September - My parents finally came to visit us!! They helped us with some house and yard projects, improving the overall look of our house. While they were here we went shark fishing off the Cape, dancing at the Melbourne community center, attended a lecture on how to raise healthy trees, watched the sun rise, bar-singing at Meg O Malley's, and window shopping (literally) at Vero Beach. Fun was had by all and we look forward to their next visit.

Now -

Life was... well... for a while there, rough. I struggled and cried a lot. I've been humbled and felt like a failure in every area of my life. I had a plan for my life and was ready to put my plans into action. I figured I would graduate with my master's in May, have no problem finding a job (because everyone would think "wow. she has her master's. she must be good! I'll hire her!"), start working and climbing the corporate ladder at a $50K job as an Associate Scientist at some research company, work for a couple of years before having my kids at age 28. I still don't think there's anything wrong with that plan. But I guess (I mean, I trust) that God has a better plan. I'm just learning to let Him work it out while I go along for the ride. So, life is working out... not the way I planned, but where's the fun in that?

So not much else is going on here. Even though I'm ready for this semester to end, it's been good and I'm glad I took the plunge and started classes towards a career in nursing. I'm stoked about nursing school. Now we all just need to pray that I'll get into the program because if I don't.....
One day at a time.

not much going on in the land-o-florida.

adam and i had fun at christmas with my family. there was plenty of laughter and food to go around. this year, my family decided to join the harders in throwing a gag-gift party. it was new years eve, so Jumbo's Chinese Restaurant delivered (to satisfy adam's and my tradition of eating asian food on new years). ash and i ended up with fake african art, while my aunt vicki ended up with jeeves the vacuum butler who is garunteed to change your closet, if not your life as well.



i'm still editing my wretched thesis. it's a MUCH slower process than i anticipated. i'm really ready to be done with this thing and working, although i'm not yet employed, nor do i have any prospects. adam's company could hire me... and as much as a programmer's salary entices me, i'm not yet sure if that is the right job for me. so i'm still praying and waiting to see what else turns up.

melanie and walker hall came to visit us around new years. it was GREAT to see them again. i've missed melanie so much! we spent the afternoon on a picnic at the beach. i think it was january 3rd and it was 80 degrees out. i love florida.

adam celebrated his 26th birthday. he's becoming an old man. 30 is too close for comfort. i made strawberry muffins for him (a tradition now), we went to church (his birthday was on a sunday this year), then we attempted to go sailing, but showed up 30 minutes too late. so we ended up walking around downtown melbourne and the beach. then we ate out at Thai Thai II restaurant (another 5 year tradition of eating at an asian restaurant), and coming home and watching the Godfather part II.