It's been a while!

Holy Smokes!!! My last post was in 2012!!
  A lot of stuff has happened. We both graduated from BYU-I, then we were both just kind of stuck in working mode while mark was trying to find a graduate program. I became a manager at Taco Bell, not sure if you all already knew that or not, and Mark became a correctional officer. Then last spring/summer, Mark (and his best buddy Perry) both got accepted into the same Masters program for Social Work at NNU, so we are now currently living in Nampa Idaho. Mark is loving the program, and has even gotten a job as a CBRS, and is getting internship credit for it. Gotta love those paid internships right?
  When we moved her last July, I immediately got to work on a CNA program, and am now an official CNA in the state of Idaho. I've decided that I want to be a nurse when I "grow up", so the first step was the CNA. Now I am going to Boise State to get all of my pre-requisites done so I can apply to the nursing program there. I am also registered for an EMT course that starts in June, and I will eventually apply to a Paramedic program as well. This is all super exciting for me, because when I first started college, I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life, but now I have a goal, and I am taking school more seriously. I am determined to get my GPA up, (2.5 now, which isn't really all that great), and to get into that program.
  Later on in the year for Mark's program, he will need to start doing clinical counseling (I think), which he is excited about because he gets an office! I'm really happy for him because there are times when he comes home and he feels like this is what he is meant to do.
  In other news, we have two dogs now. Kaia (pitt bull), which I think I may have already mentioned, and Ghost (white american shepherd. think german shepherd, but all white), our newest family member. If you picture John Snow's wolf from Game of Thrones, then you'll know why we named him that. (I'll show pics!) We live in a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house, with a pretty big backyard, which the dogs love! (sucks to mow though). I was able to get a transfer to a Taco Bell out here, and I'm still working as a Shift Lead. In June, Mark's parents will also be moving out here. They have fallen in love with the area! I am excited for them to live close by!
  It's all happening so fast, but it's worth it! More to come later (hopefully)!!!

Picture Time!!

Lots of Catching Up!!!!

 Well, it has been a long while since i last wrote. things have just been busy, and it is hard to force myself to just sit and write. As you have read in my last post, we are very excited about school, and graduating soon. But i do have an update on that. I am graduating on Friday!!!!! (12/14/12) Let me explain what changed. After I registered for classes back in September, i was denied financial aid, because i had too many credits for an associates degree, (high credit limit is 70, and i had 76), and so they sent me on a wild goose chase to get the aid i need. one of the things i needed to do was to go to my adviser and make up a grad plan with him. he took a look at all my credits and classes i've taken and pretty much told me that i can graduate right now. he put together a custom cluster with some classes i've already taken, and told me to drop my classes and apply for graduation. and now i am graduating on Friday. i am so excited!!!!!
 With Mark, he will be graduating in April instead of July. he figured out how to get the credits he needed in one semester instead of two. he is registered, and ready to go.

Some more stuff:
 A lot of stuff has happened since i wrote last in June. in August, it was our 2nd anniversary, Marks 27th birthday, and my 21st birthday. for that week in August, we went to California. while there, we visited family, went to the aquarium in Long Beach, and went to the San Diego zoo. we also went to the beach in San Diego with Mark's family for "The Family Beach Trip" and it was really fun. we then went to a fish market afterward to eat, and it was delicious.
 For Halloween, we were allowed to dress up at work, and i did a paint job on my face of a sugar skull. (pictures to come). lots of people loved it. It was also our friends birthday and we treated him to dinner at Texas Road House.
 We went down to Phoenix to have thanksgiving with Mark's family. His sister Kari hosted, and everyone was able to make it. i got to meet my niece and nephew on Marks side for the first time. we did some family photos, and some black Friday shopping. my nephew (Ty), was born on November 22nd, so we got to celebrate his birthday as well. we had his cake for thanksgiving dessert.
 For Christmas, we will be going to Colorado the spend the holiday with my family. I haven't seen my little brother and sister for two years. i am so excited to see them!!!!!! i have made blankets for them and i'm excited to see them open their blankets on Christmas day.

Now, time for pictures!!

The whole de Jong family during Thanksgiving!!!

All the ladies

Halloween face paint

She just touched a shark!!!
(My Mom-in-law Terry)

Sharks tank at Long Beach aquarium

For some reason the rays liked to stick their heads out of the water.

Sting rays always have the happiest looking faces.

Blankets for my little brother and sister for Christmas.

I will be posting later about graduation and Christmas. 

BYE!!!!!!

-Selina.

Good News!

  This morning I had to get up at 6am to register for classes (which sucks by the way. I am a night owl, getting up at 6 and properly functioning is hard for me.) But anyways, on to what my point is. The past few days I've been looking at what classes are available and planning out my schedule. In doing so, I have found that I will be able to graduate with my Associates degree in April 2013!!! I only have to take 4 more classes. I will take 3 this semester (fall 2012), and the other one the next semester along with some filler classes. This is exciting for me and Mark. Once I get my degree, it will be a sigh of relief. I can then move on to taking classes for a Bachelors degree, but wont have to worry about transferring problems that usually happen with general education classes when we eventually move. (We are planning on Arizona if you were wondering.)
  The classes I'm taking are all sewing classes. I took a couple of sewing classes a little while ago, and I enjoyed them very much. To get an Associates degree here at BYU-Idaho, you must complete the foundation requirements (known in other schools as general eds), a cluster (sewing), and any other classes you want to take to get you up to 60 credits. I have 76 credits, so all I have to do is complete my cluster and I'm good to go! Mark, I think, has 2 semesters left as well, but we are on different tracks, so he will graduate in July 2013.
  I am so excited for this coming semester, I love sewing, and because of that, I know I will pass my classes with good grades (fingers crossed). But, I got to get through summer first, after all, the semester doesn't start till September.
 ~Selina
 P.S. I still owe you pictures!!!

Whats happening lately

So, as you all know, I have not posted anything for a while. SORRY!!! After going full time at taco bell, I don't really have much time to do anything at all. In my last post, I promised pictures of the picnic blanket I'm working on, but I haven't even worked on that lately either! Goodness! There will be some subtle changes around here soon as well. Mark will be done with work on the 24th of this month (next week!), and wont have to go back to work until August. He also deferred a semester, so he won't go back to school till January. I myself wont have classes again until September. So, long story short, we have a long summer/vacation time ahead of us.
 Going full time at Taco Bell, means I'm working a 40 hour work week, which is kicking my butt. I'm not used to this many hours, but I'm going to have to get used to it if I want to get a real job in the real world. Speaking of which, Mark has completely changed his career path. He now wants to be a therapist. He already has his plans set in motion for his goal. As for me, I don't remember if I've mentioned this or not, but my ultimate goal is to become an elementary school principal, and a high school biology teacher on the way. I think it would be really great to help little kids in their education. Plus, they're just so cute!!
 In other news, we have a friend who is on his mission in Argentina. After about a year of us writing to him, and not getting anything back, we FINALLY got a letter from him today. His English is horrible now because he only speaks Spanish, plus none of his companions spoke English at all. But all is good. He is a zone leader! I'm so happy for him!
 Well, I must go now. BYE!!!
   ~Selina

P.S. My plants are growing!!!!!!!

Tomatoes??

So, my mom is bugging me about updating my blog, so here I am, updating.
 I am now work full time at Taco Bell until September when I go back to school. 40 hours weeks are kicking my but! I come home after work and all I want to do is sit on the couch and do nothing. Although I'm lazy, I do have some goals for the summer. I am currently working on a picnic blanket (pics coming soon) and have 5 different crocheting projects I need to finish. I also currently have some seeds growing on the back porch. My little garden consists of baby carrots, cucumber, peppers, yellow pear tomatoes (I'll tell you later why), and various flowers.
 Now the reason I'm planting yellow pear tomatoes instead of regular ones. First of all, regular ones are nasty! Second: On our honeymoon, we went to Disneyland, and there is a restaurant inside the park called Blue Bayou, and there you can get either a salad or gumbo with your meal. I got the salad and it is amazing! In this amazing little salad, there were these little yellow pear shaped tomatoes. They are sweeter than a normal tomato and complimented the salad extremely well. If you ever get that salad, you'll understand. After the honeymoon, I went to a couple different stores to see if they sold these tomatoes like they would cherry tomatoes, but they can't be found anywhere. But, good old Walmart had seeds for them. So I decided to plant them. And viola, we have come full circle.
 Alright, I am tired. So going to bed now.
 Bye!!!!!

Miracles are among us!

  Today, I got a call from our apartment manager. She told us that someone (An anonymous donor) had come and given her $100 to help pay for our rent. She wasn't allowed to tell us who it was or why, but that we now have $100 off this months rent.
  Of course mark was taking a nap when she called, but I woke him up anyways. At the moment, the only people I can think of that would do this is marks parents, but they already help us with our rent. So it can't be them.
  My husband and I are taking this experience as a blessing. We're thinking of things we've done lately that could have made way for this blessing and the only thing we can think of is that we are finally caught up on our tithing. We haven't gone to the temple lately (with me working nights, its kind of hard) and we haven't really done any service or anything. So tithing is what brought us this much needed blessing (which we are going to put toward paying off our credit card).
  I believe that if we go through each day following the lords commandments, and doing our best, we wont regret it in the long run. God put trials in front of us for a reason, and he knows we can overcome those trials. All you have to do is have faith in our Father in Heaven, and heed his words, and nothing, not even Satan himself can bring you down.
  Miracles truly are among us! Don't question them, just accept them and let them happen.
-Selina

My Lil' Girl

This is me and my little girl, Kaia!! She's the cutest dog in the whole wide world!!!!!!!!