Happy Birthday!

It's my nephew Preston's 1st birthday today! Yay!

He is the cutest, happiest little boy and I love him so much! I hope he knows when he gets older how much happiness he has brought into everyone's lives, especially his mommy and daddy! He has been such a special gift to them, and I know that he is the most important person in their lives. I am such a lucky aunt to have him! I can't wait to see him at his birthday party this Saturday!

Happy Birthday Preston!

Pinocchio No More

Living life as a college student can make you feel like you live in a perpetual fantasy realm and are not part of the "real world" at all. I've always felt that I would not be a "real" adult until I had my first, real job. Although I've worked full-time before, it was never at a place I would seriously consider for a career. I mean, "Sandwich Artist" and "Collections Agent" aren't exactly what I envisioned on my business cards.

Well, how does "Auditor Evaluator" sound? That's right, ladies and gentlemen, this college puppet has secured not just a job, but a career.

I received the job offer on February 1st, which was the end of a process that began in October and involved two oral exams, one written exam, and one on-site interview. I had my final interview with the Bureau of State Audits on January 27th, but had to temper my hopes with the knowledge that for each position they fill, they interview 30-40 candidates.

Well, a few hold-your-breath days later, I heard the great news. I will begin my real adult life on June 1, 2009, and will be working at this lovely building in Downtown Sacramento:

This is a fantastic opportunity, and I know that I will love the work. I'm so relieved and grateful to have secured a job well before graduation, especially in this economy. However, it is difficult to stay focused for the remaining weeks of the semester!

Michael and I are thrilled to be officially moving to California. Now if we can just get the state budget balanced...

Happy Birthday Karl!

Today is my oldest brother's birthday. Seeing as he lives all the way in OREGON, I figured any delectable cake I made and shipped him would just wind up smashed beyond all recognition. However, I love making and decorating cakes for loved ones on their special days, and so I decided to create a cyber cake for him (i.e. rip off pictures from other people's websites).

There are a lot of amazing cakes out there, and I couldn't narrow it down to just one. So, without further ado, here are the top picks Which do YOU think is most appropriate?

Sunny California and a Sweet Homecoming

I just got back from a week-and-a-half in California to do some job-hunting stuff and hang with my family. While it was fantastic to be in a warm climate with loved ones, it was difficult to be away from Michael so long. It was the longest we've been apart since our wedding last August. We managed to pull through, though. Thank goodness for free night and weekend minutes!

Part of the time I was there I spent with some classmates from my master's program, touring different state agencies and nonprofits to get career ideas and "see what's out there." We went to places in Sacramento, Davis, San Francisco, and plenty of places in between. It was inspiring to see how many women run nonprofit organizations and do a fantastic job at it.

I won't bore you with the rest of the details, suffice to say it was a busy five days filled with expensive parking.

The highlight of the trip was definitely spending time with my family and friends, especially my little bro Colin, my grandparents, my Aunt Janet and Uncle Don, and of course, my brother Nathan, his lovely wife Becky, and their ADORABLE little boy Preston. He gets cuter every day. I just love that little guy!

The best part was coming home. Michael greeted me with two dozen longstemmed roses, dozens of glittering candles, exquisite chocolate truffles, and sparkling cider. I am so lucky to have married the most wonderful man in the universe for me. He is so romantic, caring, sensitive, thoughtful, and every good thing a person can be. How did I get so lucky?