Exam 2

Since I took the first actuarial exam in March I've been trying to study about six hours
per week for the second exam. Then for the last two weeks I stepped it up and studied a TON.
I did every question from past years' tests that have been released. I even timed myself on the
May 2005 test and got 88%. When I went to the U of U testing center on Friday to finally take
the test, I felt good about it, and I felt ready to have it over.

Once I started the test, my heart sank. The first question was easy; then I had no idea on
the next three questions. As I went on, I kept hoping that the hard questions would end and
the easy ones would start, but they never did. With about fifteen minutes left, I realized
that I had probably failed. I finished it up, took the little survey that comes up after the test,
and then braced myself for the worst. To my surprise, the message that popped up was,
"Congratulations! ... you passed."

When I left the testing center, the girl at the desk printed out my results and used a
little clamp to emboss them. As she handed me the printout, she glanced at it, did a little
double-take, and said, "Hey, congratulations. No one has been passing that one." That made me
feel a little better about myself; I wasn't the only one who thought it was a hard test.

(Here I am telling Lina the good news as I walk out of the testing center)

Now that I've passed that test, I can start applying in earnest for actuary jobs.
Hopefully we'll have good news soon.

On Saturday, we went to the house of my friend Dustin and had breakfast with him and
Cynthia, his fiance. This was partly because we will be in Norway when they get married,
and we wanted to do something with them before the big day.
Then we had a pleasant day visiting with our families and relaxing. Several people have
asked me, "How does it feel to be all done with school?" and for the last week, the answer has
really been, "I don't know." I had put off celebrating graduation and relaxing until after
this test, but now I'll go ahead and say, "It feels good."

What do we do now?

Ironically enough this picture was right at the end of Nathaniel's college graduation
pictures in the file. I decided to post it just for fun. Here you see two of his best friends ever:
Bryce Hayes, N-Dog, and Kris Bennett.
Nathaniel graduated... Magna Cum Laude. It rained, but at least it didn't snow.
Really it was a very pleasant day. The graduation ceremonies were generally enjoyable.
We were able to squeeze a nice gathering of family into our apartment and eat
surprisingly yummy Hawaiian Haystacks.

Oh, and we got a picture with Big Blue! Wahoo!It is a little weird now that we have both graduated. We have both LOVED
being students at Utah State University. We've been in school for most of our lives (and I now try
to teach school), but I was most grateful to ease out of the college world as a student spouse.
Now what?
Nathaniel has been studying, studying, studying this past week for his 2nd actuarial
exam this Friday. Hopefully he will pass and then we'll be one giant step closer towards finding a job.
Then he can be busy a house-husband as he looks for a job.
I have another long and hard month at work. I have SO many extra meetings and
responsibilities at work this month... not to mention SO many kids! Then they are going to
make me move my room for the 3rd time in less than one year. I have to do it after school
gets out but before I leave for my trip. School ends June 4th, we are planning to head to SLC on
June 5th and jump on our plane to happiness and bliss on June 6th.
Hmmm... makes things interesting.

Aerobics and Bewitched

Since Jazzercise has ended I've been trying to exercise at home, at least until it warms up some more.
Audrey lent me some sweet 80's aerobics videos and I found a "Hooked on Aerobics" VHS at my
parents' house. The hair, leotards (sometimes matching), headbands, leg warmers and music are
very entertaining. They all make for a pretty good workout, but some are better than others.I've also been watching the first season of the old "Bewitched" series over the past few months.
I have really enjoyed it. Many/most of the episodes have a plot along these lines: something
(a disagreement, another person, too much work, etc.) tries to come between Samantha and Darrin
and their marriage, and then they work it out. It is so good and so clean, I just love it! It is
funny and entertaining. It doesn't have all the crazy camera work and special effects that you
see today, but it is just as entertaining/appreciated knowing the manual labor involved
"behind the scenes" to make her magic. You can laugh at the jokes because they are part
funny-ha ha and part funny-cheesy 60's humor (if not just regularly funny).
Hooray for DVD's that my kids can watch, no questions asked.

Finally his final finals!

Nathaniel is currently in his last undergraduate class ever!
I'm not sure how he feels about it... probably bittersweet, as most of us
would/did/do feel. Next week he has finals and will be done by Wednesday.
Then he'll have a week and a half to finish his studying for the
second actuarial exam which is on May 8th.

We had a nice, nearly final little bit of time on campus together today.
We tried to sell back some textbooks, but he decided to keep them after finding
out how much he would get for them. We browsed through the bookstore hoping
last week's sales were still going on. They weren't, but we ran into Kris Sanders.
Maybe we'll get something next weekend after graduation...

The Quad on A-Day

We stopped at Hazel's, a bread and pastry shop, located in "The Hub"
one final time. (I've only been there a time or two before. In order to redeem my
free-slice-of-bread token then too). We each got a free, thick slice of bread using
the coupons we won last week at A-Day. Yummy. I just found one more free token.

Then we walked through the BNR and went across the walkway
that connects it to the Natural Resources building just for fun. Our last stop was the
"Quad-side Cafe" to use our coupon for one free specialty drink. We had
white caramel hot chocolate. Neither of us were quite sure where we got
that coupon, but figured it might have been playing Bingo during the
"College of Education Week" just before I graduated. We won quite a bit of stuff there too. :)

I enjoyed the students and the flowers and remembered how I would walk through
the BNR and NR buildings all the time when the weather was especially cold and snowy.

We also picked up our final copy of The Utah Statesman.
This is my secret and my suggestion to any current or future USU students.
Get involved in something and pick up the Statesman every time it is printed (3x/week).
This is the key getting the most free Aggie Ice Cream, food, and stuff, and
knowing what other fun/free events are going on.

We still have four tokens for free Aggie Ice Cream that we have been saving forever.
I definitely look forward to using those in the next few months too!We LOVE USU!

What "A-Day"

Every year at the end of spring semester, USU has "A-Day."
Basically it is a celebration of Aggie Pride. There are a lot of fun activities,
True Aggie night, a dance, Robins Awards (awards for professors, student, organizations, etc.),
and a big event on The Quad. There are dozens of tables or booths set up by
university organizations, programs and clubs, community organizations,
restaurants, stores, live bands playing, and even giant inflatable toys to play on.
In years past, I spent the day out on The Quad a couple times trying to recruit
people to volunteer for STICKS and/or the Service Center.
Yesterday Nathaniel told me that it was going on and asked if I was interested.
Even though I've graduated I totally wanted to go. Most booths have a sort of game
you have to play to win something free. Some booths give things out for free and
others may charge, but we were very lucky and successful.

-Nathaniel won a $5 gift card to Macey's from a football throw.
-We both won a coupon for a free slice of bread at Hazel's with the frisbee toss.
-I got a free coupon for ice cream at 10th Street Grill even though I missed the shot.
-I won a USU water bottle after playing Plinko.
-We each got a free banana from the Wellness Center.
-We each got a free Moose Bar from Macey's.
-We each got free fruit from Lee's.
-Nathaniel won a protein bar and I won a banana after answering
a health question and spinning their wheel.
The fun doesn't end there!
Nathaniel got a "Class of 2009" sticker from ASUSU.
We ate a wonderful and free catered dinner at the
Department of Math & Statistics Awards Ceremony. There, Nathaniel was given the
"Outstanding Undergraduate Actuarial Science Award;" complete with a gift card to Borders
Then we used our student ID cards (I have a spouse card) to get into
"The Madwoman of Chaillot" for free!
And today we got free lunch from our ward after going to the Temple this morning!
Not only was it fun to get all that free stuff, but every little bit helped because
we're trying to stick to a VERY tight budget to sacrifice for our trip.

I LOVE USU!

NO WAY! NORWAY!!!

We are going on a Norwegian cruise in June!

My grandparents came to the US in 1948 after WWII. We have several Norwegian
traditions, especially around Christmas. We make 8 kinds of Norwegian cookies
(over 150 dozen cookies total) including krumkaker and marzipan. Whenever I had
to do a country report in school, I wanted to do mine about Norway. I know this sounds
like a slight obsession ;), but I have wanted to go to Norway longer than I can remember. This is a picture of Farfar wearing his Norwegian flag hat

I thought it would be a little entertaining to include some further evidence.
In 3rd grade we would write "journals" all the time. My teacher would put a little
starter sentence, question or scenario on the board, and then we would write.
Here are a few examples that don't necessarily make perfect sense and are a
little embarrassing. I'll leave in the grammar/punctuation errors for authenticity
(sadly I've lost some of my favorite ones):

"I am sitting in my classroom and my mind begins to wonder. And I was dreaming
about going to Norway and they had a dance set up fore me, and they pulled
me on to the stage and taught me a dance it was the funnest thing in history it was so fun
I got wako and started going real fast and they all cleard off stage and I was going
coco all by my self well the crowd was chering." A Traditional Norwegian Dance at the syttende mai Celebration in SLC
(17th of May, Norwegian Constitution Day)

"On my vacation of track I want to... go to Sea World and Norway and Hawaii
(so there is a little competition) and have a sleepover and I will not have to do jobs
in the afternoon and instead I will play the rest of the day and it will be my best of track
ever especially if I take my friends and Mrs. Bruns (my teacher). THE END"

This one doesn't make sense hardly at all...
"Imagine that I have a hidden bottle in my closet. Inside the bottle lives several little people.
And I ventured with the gymnastics girls and Nancy Keriggan. Just in case you did not know
my uncle and grandma and grandpa. Sorry back to the little people, they took my family
and I to Norway it was the funnest thing I ever did. The End."

"I am in favor of going to Norway because I have seen wonderful pictures of Norway
from my Farmor and Farfar the r's are silent. Farmor means Fathers Mother and
Farfar means Fathers Father. if you went to my mothers side of the family her mom
would be Mormor, remember the r's are silent and my moms dad would be Morfar.
I want to go to Norway because it is beutiful. In winter it is like a winter wonder land.
My Farmor has been a gymnist in Norway. My dad go's everywhere but Norway.
One time he went to Hawaii and it was around Halloween and brought Val a hola outift
for Halloween. I want to go to Norway! The End."Geirangerfjord

I also found a list of "My Main Goals" that I wrote after graduating from highschool.
One of them reads, "If I ever have the opportunity, I will go to Norway."

This all came about when my sister-in-law gave my brother cruise tickets for Christmas,
and they were kind enough to invite the family along. After several months of debating,
seeing the prices for the cruise and plane tickets drop drastically with the
failing economy, not having kids even though we want to, Nathaniel not having a
job lined up after graduation, having been really good about saving money since before
we were married, and just recently finding a way to cut a few hundred dollars out of our
budget each month for the next few months, we finally decided to go.

The cruise actually starts in London so it somehow ended up that we are flying to Paris,
spending a few days, taking the chunnel to London, spending a few days, hopping on the ship
for the 12-day cruise and flying home immediately from London.

Coming Soon...

Hopefully I'll post something very exciting in the next week or so,
so stay tuned all 2 of you. :)
I've thought a lot about posting but haven't had much to say.
I was going to blog about Than's b-day but that was almost two weeks ago now...
I got him a pressure cooker and he LOVES it!
Work was better today than yesterday.
Maybe because the new little boy slept most of the time.
Should I have woken him up? I tried to gently, but let him alone after that.
The opthomologist said Nathaniel's retina is partially detached.
We're seeing a retinologist tomorrow.
The snow is WAY past annoying. It is really getting to me. :(
But yea for General Conference and family time, I am excited!