Hives

So two blogs ago I patted myself on the back after a job well done on the cleaning of the apartment. Well, now I'm breaking out in hives simply because I have a mountain of empty boxes in my dining room area. Oh my word! I hate this!! I just want this move to be over and done with!

WaHOO

So I made the announcement on Facebook earlier today that Don and I are buying a house. This literally came the week after I mad-cleaned our apartment so that job took on whole new meaning. We finally got to that last little bit of our apartment that both our junk cluttered and that we had to clean out together (add 2 more garbage bags for JUST the bookshelf...total of 8 bags of junk cleaned out of the apartment and then there are just a few little areas that need yet to be cleaned out). It was then that I realized the enormity of packing up our apartment.

Up until this point in our little house buying and moving journey it had been as simple as 'pick it up, put it in box...' and all of a sudden the whole packing experience included thought, decision making, unanswered questions of 'what if i need this later???', and the dreaded later realizing you've thrown out something important. Now add to the mix we have vitally important papers drifting into our apartment that we absolutely cannot lose (those W2 for taxes, the house papers, the ...).

Don't worry, for all of those interested in them, photos will come later.

Craziness is the name of the game right now.

And if that isn't enough, there is more news in the Ram household: Kelly is now starting a new role (an additional role) at Pine Rest. Well, we're working out the nuts and bolts tomorrow but it is very likely you are are reading words from the new adjunct teacher of the program 'Love Notes' for the GR Public Schools. 'Love Notes' is all about Relationships. Aahhh!!! What could be more exciting than talking about Relationships with High School Students??? This part of PR does a lot of stuff like this (psycho-education) in various places within the community. I'm totally ready for it! Me and a couple/few friends are also working on building a private practice together in the next year or so.

Needless to say, there is a lot of change, a lot of excitement, and a lot of adventure ahead for us and as usual I cannot wait for it all to happen.

T-minus ... days and counting until it all begins!!

[breathe in...breathe out...breathe in...breathe out...breathe...]

On the Prowl

I have been ferociously looking for a job. Not because we "need" it because Don works full time and I currently work part time and this is very suitable for our lifestyle but because I want to work. Don is impressing on me the importance of not getting a job for the sake of getting a job but instead, finding a job that I love. So I have prospects already.

My first choice is this place in town that targets teens and young adults...the age group I love to work with AND I am good at working with. I would LOVE to work here. The hitch?? They're not hiring until summer/fall of 2011.

I have seen a slew — literally 8 or 9 — positions open at Pine Rest, where I currently work. Most of those positions are with the teenage-age group which is great. A few are inpatient, many though are outpatient. I didn't think I wanted inpatient but the more I think about it, maybe I should step out and face that fear. My most favored position in this area is pretty much the same thing I did at YFC so I'm more than qualified to work that position.

Then there is Wedgewood. For those of you familiar with the Grand Rapids area, then you'll know that Pine Rest and Wedgewood are very similar with the programs working with teens and adolescents.

And there is Bethany. Bethany is probably most known for their adoption department but they also do tons of work with refugees, trouble teens, foster parenting, and many other things. They have counseling options and positions too.

Then there are group practices and agencies that are around town. There is this one place, Fountain Hill, that I'm going to talk to about joining. There is another that a fellow graduate started in the Summer of 2010. There are several that graduates have started in conjunction with churches. I feel these are harder to get into but I have nothing to back that up with.

This is all in hopes that one day I will have a successful group practice of my own. Two friends and I are working toward a private practice that we hope to be up and running as soon as possible. I — this is my personal plan — am hoping to work part time or three-quarter time at an agency as the client base for this practice gets built up and going.

So I am on the prowl. Looking for the perfect job now that I have excellent qualifications (thanks to our friends at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary/Cornerstone University and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary), more than enough experience for an entry-level clinical therapist, and a new day with dreams to fund! Pray for me!!

Mad Cleaning Results!

Well, here are the results of my mad cleaning from last week...

Now, mind you, these were taken in the middle of the madness because I didn't think about it until later. This whole cleaning and rearranging episode of my life is two years in coming.

I am SO happy this is now done!!

This is the Living room stuff in the freshly done dining room. The kitchen is off the picture to the right.

This is the Living room - Mid clean/r

earrange. We were previously using only 2/3 of the room and the back of the room was a table with printer, a giant gorilla, and the two bookshelves you see there.

We are now using the whole room and it is GREAT living space! (I've been watching more and more HGTV...can you tell???).

Well, our gigantic message FINALLY made it into the kitchen! Oh no! Watch out...he looks like he could have a huge appetite!

Too late!

And it's done! I had to unplug all the electronics and then hook them all up. I was pretty impressed with the fact that I got them all hooked up and everything worked!!

Now we have space...We're even going to try and have the Bible study here now!

And theres the other side of the room!

On to the bedroom closet...the only part of the bedroom I have talked. Again, I neglected to take a before picture but you have to trust me, everything in there was just thrown in there...and after four and a half years of living here I'm sure you can imagine the mess it was in...especially to my college roommates that know the mess I am capable of.

Okay, turn your head for this one. This is the empty "storage" part of our closet. Half our closet is used for storage because it is 90% of the storage we have in this apartment. It isn't that it is a small apartment...we just have too much junk. Now that it's cleaned out, it seems a lot bigger.

Next one...

Again, tilt your head and you can see the final result. I know...it still looks a little messy. Its not tho.

Until next time...

What have I been doing?

Well, I've been done with my Masters for two and a half weeks now and there still is some sort of a sense of relief. It's hard to say though, because this time of year is always without school.

What have I been doing? Well, my apartment has been neglected for the two and a half years since I started this endeavor and so last week, I spent three and a half days cleaning my apartment. I started with the bathroom, moved in to the dining room and kitchen, migrated to the living room, and rounded the finishing touches in the bedroom. I do have pictures of middle and after (as I forgot to take before pictures) but I will have to post them later.

Among the six garbage bags of junk I found that now belong to the local landfill or a donation center, I also found $0.31, my favorite necklace from Fiji, a $15 unused itunes card, my library card, my closet shelves, stains on the carpet (can't all be good right???), TONS of dust, and my sanity (although, that could have come with the fact that I am no longer doing homework).

What do I do at work now? Many of you know that I have spent many-a-night on my third shifts doing homework. I have written several papers and read entire semester's worth of reading for several classes (including collateral reading) all on the overnights. I have now done 4 overnights without the aid of homework. I have watched 6 movies and have crawled my way through the first half of Moby Dick (part of that was already read).

So what are my plans now? Finish Moby Dick and next on my reading list (which technically I've already started) is "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith" and as you can guess, it's about culture in ANE (exciting!! new term I learned in Seminary: Ancient Near East) during Jesus day. I'm also tackling the adventure of finding a job, filing for licensure, and soon studying for the NCE (National Counseling Exam).

Above all, I'm not only enjoying all the new knowledge I have just downloaded into my brain, I am also enjoying feeling the tension in my body melt away AND enjoying allowing my newly filled brain melt away into mush. One of the lessons I learned outside the classroom was that I did my Masters WAY too fast...not that I didn't learn anything, do well, or that I regret it but if I would have done it slower I wouldn't have been as stressed out (to the point of loosing my hair), would have learned more, and I probably would have done even better.

What an exciting adventure it was! I can't wait to go back to school! ...Stay tuned!!