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kimana83
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Name: *bethany*
Country: United States
State: Florida
Metro: Jacksonville
Birthday: 5/23/1983
Gender: Female
Interests: Photography, acting, reading, the internet, graphic design, going to the beach, LiveJournal , watching The Amazing Race & NCIS , listening to music, walking with my husband, shopping, adoption, etc. Want more info? Check out MySpace .
And yes, I have a lot of weblogs...
Expertise: Unjamming my church's copy machine, splashing in puddles, forgetting to do my devotions, loving my husband, reading fiction, solving the Wheel of Fortune puzzle of the moment, yelling at liberals through the TV, writing long LiveJournal entries, and proving that not all people who were home-schooled wear jumpers.
Message: message meEmail: email me
AIM:  magia16
Member Since:
1/16/2005
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| Let me guess--as you see this entry pop up on your subscription page, y'all are wondering, "who is this again?" After all, that's what happens when people don't write--or read--their Xanga stuff for half a year. Well hey, in case you've forgotten, this is Bethany, married to Isaac, and you probably know us from Word of Life in some form or another. I suppose since I have gotten several comments wondering where we disappeared to over the past several months, I'll give you an update.
Probably our biggest news is that Isaac finally finished his Bachelor's degree through Liberty University's long distance program a few weeks ago! And good riddance, too--that place is expensive. I'd say he gets to have a bit of a life now, except that tax season started today and he's got 4 months of 60-hour work weeks to look forward to. (In case you've forgotten, he is an accountant at a small, Christian-owned tax accounting firm. January-April is insane for him.) Good thing he likes his job and his coworkers, hmm?
My brother Aaron and sis-in-law Angela had their second child in June, giving Isaac and me our first niece. Her name is Chloe and she is absolutely adorable. Here's a pic from Christmas: 
And here's one of AJ, Chloe's older brother:
That reminds me: we also finally convinced our beloved church to try a WOL Olympian Club this year. We started late so we don't have very many kids coming, but it's been really good so far. I'm the leader of the Conquerors (3rd & 4th grade). If you think of it, pray that we'll get more kids and that the ones we do have will do their best to memorize their verses and keep up with Quiet Time. And hey, pray that I will keep up with QT because when you get out of the habit, man is it hard to get back into it.
I'm still working at church 10 hours a week and Steak 'n Shake 3 days a week. Today was my first day back at SnS after 2 weeks off because I had such a busy holiday season. I've pretty much decided I'm going to work there till the end of April. Then Isaac will have to work only 40 hours a week and unlike the past several summers, he won't have schoolwork when he gets home. I'll probably wimp out and quit sooner, though. I always dread going, but once I'm there it's fine. I just always forget when I'm not there.
Life has been insane the past few weeks. I didn't send out a single Christmas card this year because there just was not any time. So if you were expecting one and didn't get one, that's why. It stinks, though, because I like sending them out.
We had a great Christmas here in Jacksonville with my family. It was actually probably one of the best Christmases in my adult/teenage life. It was just a really good time of fun with my family. It was great.
What else? Well, Isaac and I were given tickets to the Christmas Eve New England Patriots vs. Jacksonville Jaguars football game, and that was totally awesome. Of course, it helps that the Pats won! We had so much fun, even though it sprinkled rain on us nearly the whole time. That's the first time I've seen my other husband Tom Brady in person. Here are some pics from my cell phone camera:
(The pic makes it look like we were far away, but we really weren't. We had great seats!)
 
Well, I suppose that's enough for now. (I say that like I'll actually post again soon. Ha!) At least you know a bit of what we've been up to. I trust you had a great Christmas and that your new year has started out well. Have a great night!
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| No, really--I do exist!I just haven't been into Xanga lately. "Lately" being the last 2 months. Sorry. It's not like I haven't warned you I'm frequently absent from this inferior blogging world. 
So how've all you lovely people been? Life's been good here in Jacksonville. I'm still working 3 days a week at Steak 'n Shake and 3 days a week at my beloved church. SnS is okay. The people I work with are awesome, but we've been really slow for the past 2 months or so and it's really hurting our income. I've picked up another application for Texas Roadhouse, and this time I think I'm going to turn it in. Even though the hours I'll have to work are not even close to what I want, I think it'll be worth it to make more money and get to wear jeans and dangly earrings instead of the Evil Red Bow Tie of Death. But I will dreadfully miss my favorite manager Viv and some of my other coworkers. Ah, the price we pay for money. Heh.
I would get a real graphic design job--or at least try to get one--if it didn't mean I'd have to quit working at the church. I really like being there for Pastor Ken and being involved behind-the-scenes there. I do miss doing design, though. Alas--I can't have it both ways.
Isaac is also doing well. Tax season really ended May 1st for him, so he can breathe now. Unfortunately, another round of Liberty Distance Learning Program classes started that day, but classes are far less stressful than doing taxes. (Bet you've never heard anyone say that before, right?) He also started teaching the book of 1 Peter in our adult Sunday School class today. He'll be doing it for the next six Sundays. It's quite an honor to be asked to teach that class, considering the normal teacher is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and is probably one of the most intelligent people I've ever known. So his first class was today and he did a good job, but if y'all would pray for him, I know he'd appreciate it. Thanks!
Random notes:
+ No hurricanes yet. Not that one has hit Jax dead-on for 40 years anyway, but that probably just means we're due.
+ I *love* Jacksonville.
+ I also love my house.
+ My garden (consisting of 4 tomato plants) is coming along quite nicely, and ever since I gave the rosebush over to Isaac it's stopped dying. (Evidently the only thing I can grow or care for successfully are tomatoes. *shrug*)
+ I went to Universal Studios for my birthday (May 23) and my mom took me to see the Off Broadway Phantom of the Opera two days later. (It was fantastic.)
+ I went to a Kutless, Falling Up, and Stellar Kart concert on April 8. It was AWESOME. I got within 3 feet of Jon Micah Sumrall and discovered that he is rather good-looking.
+ My first niece will be born any day now, to my brother Aaron and his wife Angela. (They already have a son, AJ, who is crazy adorable.)
+ I also love my husband, more every day. So for those of you who wonder if Isaac and I are still fond of public displays of affection, the answer would be yes. 
This has been a rather boring entry. I apologize. Now, let's see if I can make a dent in some of your entries...
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| Dude. Y'all write a lot. Or maybe I should come on Xanga more often than once a month...
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| Well... okay, so it's only been a month and 11 days since I updated. That's not too bad, right? Hehe. Lots has happened. Let me try to fill you in.
I got a job at Steak 'n Shake, I started 3 weeks ago, because they gave me the exact hours I wanted. The first day was rough, as I had the side work I hate the most and I only brought home $27. (That, added to the crappy server per hour pay came out to about $9.50 p/h. That's a lot of work for $9.50 p/h.) That night I picked up an application from Texas Roadhouse! But then things started to get better at SnS. I really like everyone I work with (I almost always work with the exact same people because there are only like 3 day servers + me), even the managers, and I've been bringing home at least $40 each day (so a minimum of $12.30 p/h, usually more like $14). That makes working there much more bearable. Even if I do have to wear that stupid bowtie. (If you want to see pics, click here.)
The hardest thing about being at a restaurant again is that it's kind of like I forgot what a secular work environment is like. Since Isaac and I got married 2 3/4 years ago, I've worked at WOL Florida and my church, and that's it. When you're out of the world for a while you forget how lost people are. Not that you actually forget, I mean, I still knew people were lost, but it has little personal application. The 2nd day I was at work one of the girls I work with told me she had to leave early to go get "an abortion pill". She realized she was getting an abortion and that she was going to be killing a baby, but she'd rather do that than have her mom find out she's having sex at age 17. It was so sad. I had no clue what to say when she told me. Would you? I'm doubting it. But yeah. Just pray for me when you think about it, that I would be a good influence on them and have opportunities to share Jesus with them. Thanks!
I used my first earnings from SnS to buy us a portable dishwasher! It's so nice not having to wash the dishes by hand anymore. *happy sigh* Hehe. We also made a (very) little garden in our backyard and planted some tomatoes and strawberries, and some roses up front. Knowing my inability to get plants to grow, I'm guessing only the tomatoes will make it. Too bad, too, because if the roses grew where we planted them they would be beautiful.
Isaac is still crazy busy at his job. He works 55 hours a week during tax season. Unfortunately, tax season for the pros doesn't end until the beginning of May. But soon he'll be back down to 40 hours a week and that will be awesome.
The most random WOL people have been finding me on MySpace. Some of them who've recently added me hardly even knew me when we were there, but I don't mind adding them back. It's cool to have friends all over the place. MySpace is kind of boring though because there's not so much to do once you've laid out your profile the way you want. I haven't figured out how people spend so much time there. LiveJournal, definitely and Xanga, yeah, but MySpace? Uh, okay.
Anyway, I better get ready for work at the church. I sure hope the maintenance people for the copier have brought us some toner by now, or it's going to be a rather hard to read bulletin this week! Have a great day, all!
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I guess Isaac and I
are an old married couple now since we didn't actually do anything for
Valentine's Day. Really, though, it's not that we're an old married
couple (ask anyone who knows us...), but some would say we're cheap and
impatient. So we bought stuff half off on the 15th and went to dinner
that night instead of waiting 2 hours for a table on V-Day itself. You
say cheap and impatient, I say logical and thrifty. Hehe. Anyway,
dinner was at Carabba's, which we had never been to before and we
thorougly enjoyed it (especially since we had a gift card that I got
from my boss for Christmas). The bread they give you that you dip in
olive oil... mmm.... I could eat my weight in that. Seriously. We also
tried a martini for the first time. I had an apple one and he had a
raspberry one. They were both good but we definitely like margaritas
better. So there you have it: Bethany's critique of cocktails. I'm sure
that was absolutely enthralling to those of you who work for WOL,
right?
I've had a cold since Thursday the
9th (this is undoubtedly the longest cold I've ever had. It just won't
go away.) so I didn't get to go in and apply at Steak 'n Shake until
Wednesday. When I walked in the first person I saw was a girl I used to
serve with at the other Jacksonville SnS I worked at for a year and a
half before I got married. Turns out she's a manager now at this one
and since she knows I'm a good server, I didn't even have to interview.
She just took my application and said, "When can you come for
orientation?" Unfortunately, they only do orientation one night a week,
and that night was when Isaac and I celebrated V-Day. This week I'm
going to be working extra hours at church on Wednesday (I'm my church's
secretary) because I'm leaving for the Women of Faith conference in Ft.
Lauderdale Thursday morning and that's gonna push everything I usually
do on Thursday and Friday to Wednesday. So I can't go to orientation
till March 1st, which means I won't actually begin serving till the
6th. It's okay though because it gives me time to get my lazy butt used
to the idea of working 5 days a week again. So to any of you who may
have offered a prayer on my behalf regarding the job situation: a big
thank you. They're even giving me the hours I want. So I'm happy.
Isaac's mom and sister had been
saying for months that they wanted to come visit us but they're the
type of people who really need motivation to actually do something like
that. My getting a job was motivation enough so they're going to be
here in less than a week, before I start working at SnS. I'm so
excited! I love having them here. I've been blessed with a great
mother-in-law. In fact, both Isaac and I were. We both get along great
with our MILs who, ironically, have the same first and middle names. No
joke. And their moms have the same first names!
Yesterday our temperatures finally got back to what they're supposed to
be - high 70s. So Isaac and I made the most of it and headed to the
beach in the afternoon after he got off work. We didn't get in the
water because it's still very cold, but it was so great just to lay on
the sand and walk along the water. Yesterday was just a really, really
good day. I can't even describe it, really. You know those days where
just everything is perfect? That was my yesterday.
Anyway, I hope you're doing well and having a great Sunday... even if
there isn't any football on. *sniff* Have a great day! Tchau!
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