Moved to Myspace

For more recent updates, visit me at www.myspace.com/amandaangl.

Changes

Since I last wrote, I have 1) Taken my last exams 2) Received two Masters degrees 3) packed up everything I own and moved to Mississippi 4) Unpacked half of my things at my fiancee's house and half at my new apartment...among other things.

Today is another important milestone in my life. It is my last day before I begin my first full time job. I am thrilled about my job and very excited. I will be working as an adult therapist at Community Counseling Services in the small town of Eupora, Mississippi. Who would have thought it? Tomorrow is the first day of two weeks of training. I am excited but also nervous. I'm wondering if the seven years of college education have actually prepared me for my job. I am sure that I will have much to learn, but I feel prepared to counsel at least.

Today is also important because my future sister in law and I are going to try on bridesmaid dresses and I will actually order the dresses today. The time between now and the wedding seems like nothing at this point. There is so much to do! My dress has been purchased and will need many alterations but those will not be done until closer to the wedding. For those who are interested, I tried to find my dress online, but there are no pictures of it...not even on the designer's website.

Pictures of the Ring

Below are a few shots of my ring for those of you who are interested:)


Engagement Ring


Engagement Ring


Engagement Ring


Side View


Blurry Shot

The Proposal!!!

Saturday, March 12...A day that will forever be remembered for Phillip and I...It was an unusually warm day for March with a temperature of about 70 degrees. The sky was bright blue with no clouds in sight. The birds were singing and the wind was blowing rather strongly. Phillip and I stood at the end of the pier overlooking the usually calm lake that on this day looked more like an ocean. Phillip and I clung to one another as we soaked up the beautiful sunshine. I could feel his heart racing and thumping as he told me he needed to ask me a question. He got down on one knee on the pier, took a beautiful diamond ring out of his pocket, and asked me if I would be his wife. I knelt down beside him, wrapped my arms around him exploded with a gleeful "YES!"

Since that time, we have been busily making phone calls to share our happy news with loved ones, making plans for our wedding, and enjoying our time together. Thanks to all for your thoughts and prayers:)

Excitement in the Air!!!

Well, I found out quite by accident that my wonderful boyfriend paid a visit to my mother and father on Friday night to ask their permission to marry me! I can't even begin to communicate how excited I am about this. We have been discussing in more detail wedding dates and honeymoon destinations:) This is definitely getting to be fun! I'm waiting (somewhat impatiently at this point) to announce our official engagement.

Reality Television

I have a confession to make. I am addicted to reality television...shhh. It all began with the first season of Survivor. An old camp friend sent out an email to several of us announcing that a new show would be coming out where each person was allowed to take only a few things onto an island where they would live for 39 days. We all began to discuss what we would choose to bring if we were going to be dropped off on an island. By the time the show finally aired, we were so committed to watching the show that we actually would make predictions from week to week on who we thought was going home. That season of Survivor wasn't my favorite, but I couldn't afford to miss it because I had to know who was voted out.

Unfortunately, my interest in Survivor has only increased over the past several years. When I moved to Texas and finally made friends, our social events were centered around our Thursday night viewing of Survivor (and Friday game night). My roommate soon managed to get me hooked on watching American Idol and the trend has continued. I have gone from being a girl who NEVER even turned the television on to one who has a lineup of shows that I watch every night. The good news is that I never got into The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, The Intern, For Love or for Money, etc. I manage to stick with my favorites - American Idol and Survivor. I think my interest in Survivor stems from my own desire to be able to actually go out into the wilderness and be able to make it on my own. I used to seriously want to be on the show, but then I realized that I would not enjoy the challenges. I could handle the sleeping outdoors, eating funky food, and not getting to take a real shower; but I would get voted off at the first challenge for my lack of coordination and slow speed. My partiality to American Idol comes from my love for singing and my old dream of being a country music singer. It's fun to watch people see their dreams come true:)

Now, you can begin to see my dilemma...how do I find time to do all of the things that I need to do? I'm in graduate school full time, working part time, have a full time boyfriend out of town (which requires A LOT of telephone time), have reading assignments and papers due daily, have a social life, have to find time to watch my shows, and also try to keep my grades up. Well, let me explain to you how it is done. School and work are permanent on my calendar of things to do. I go to classes in the mornings and I go to work in the afternoons. Most days, I get home from work around 5:40. This leaves all work to be accomplished between 5:40 and bedtime. Usually, I quickly fix supper (or pick up) and talk to my boyfriend while I am eating. I then get off the phone with him to watch my shows (I know, he LOVES this...) I open my books and sit in front of the TV, reading on commercials and during parts of the reality shows when nothing important is really happening. After my shows are over, I work really hard on reading, studying, or completing assignments then I call my boyfriend back and we talk until we both fall asleep.

For those of you who have known me for years and years, you are probably quite surprised to hear about how I am now managing my time, for I used to micromanage (and I still do, only my priorities have changed). Sometime over the past several years, I realized that my relationships with friends and family were much more important than any grades I will ever make. That was a major accomplishment for me!!! Rather than focusing on making a 4.0, I now focus on learning the material. I do not mind making lower grades (so long as they are not so low that I get kicked out of the graduate program) if I feel like I have a good grasp on the material. What's great about seminary is that they use a plus/minus grading scale. So, when I do happen to make a B-, all I have to do is make an A+ and I can still have a 4.0. Isn't life wonderful!

Hope that provides some insight into why I rarely post to my blog. I fill my time up with other things, not necessarily more important or more productive things, but other things nevertheless. I feel a bit ashamed because of my newfound love for television, but then I realize that it's my LAST semester of school and SENIORITIS has set in again!!! Oh, and how could I forget my precious puppy dog Lexi. Much of my time is now devoted to taking care of her:) Look how cute! Can you blame me???


Lexi

Coming Full Circle

This past weekend, I had a wonderful visit from my boyfriend. Despite my running fever on Sunday night and Monday morning when he left my apartment, we were able to spend quality time with one another as well as spend some time with my friends. Saturday afternoon, we actually went ring shopping together. It was one of those moments that I've always imagined but never really expected would happen to me. Our shopping excursion was unsuccessful but that isn't really the point.

While we were out and about, I began to think about how we reached this point in our relationship. Last April, I finally agreed to meet this guy that my best friend was dying to introduce me to who she claimed was my "future husband." I laughed at her and for once actually agreed to meet this guy just so that I could say I did it... and to make her happy. I'd had numerous blind dates up to that point in my life and I expected my meeting with him to be just as horrible as the blind dates in my past. Oddly enough, we clicked instantly and began talking as if we'd known one another forever. My best friend Amanda confessed that she'd been wanting to set us up for about three years, but the timing was never right. On the evening we first met, we actually drove to the grocery store to buy ingredients for me to make banana pudding because I had been craving it for quite some time. Phillip actually went to the store with me then helped me in the kitchen with making the banana pudding. What an odd way to begin a relationship. Well, that relationship has grown since last April and we are still together and planning on getting married someday soon. Neither of us are sure when that day will be, but it will come when the time is right.

Thank you Amanda for being there for me through my horrible relationships, tears, and stupid mistakes and for having a vision for my future. Thanks for believing in me when I no longer believed that love was possible for me. Thanks for introducing me to my prince charming! Here's to hoping Phillip and I will end up as blissfully happy as you and your wonderful new husband:)