2012 in Retrospect

So 2012. Good times. We had our ups and a few downs, but we made it through and we're very excited for 2013 and future accomplishments.

Work 

I got my License of Social Work and got to start signing my name with LSW after it (which becomes a problem because since I sign my name a dozen times a day for work, when I sign my name for anything else I accidentally put LSW after it lol). I started with as a full time Substance Use Disorder Case Manager and very part time Psychosocial Rehabilitation Specialist (PSR) at an agency in Idaho Falls. I also weaned off of working at the juvenile detention center and ended up quitting. I wish that I could have continued working there but there really wasn't anything for me to do with my license unfortunately.

I worked very hard for this piece of paper

I got furloughed in March and was without work for a few weeks before my employer was able to give me more work in a different job .. which she then took away later in an attempt to make me quit because she didn't like me, much as she made others quit many times before (and after) me. I did quit and got a job in April at the agency I'm still at, also in Idaho Falls. I'm doing predominantly PSR, but also do case management. It's been good, though I will be very ready to move on once I get my MSW and become a counselor. I have been trying to gain as much in the way of certifications under my belt as possible as well and did Moral Reconation  Therapy (MRT) training in October as well as did the test for the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS).

Jed was working at a the local computer/appliance/tv store until February when I "made" him quit so he could focus on school and not have to be super stressed with basically two full-time jobs (work and school). He has been doing a lot better, retaining information easier, and making better grades. He has been happily jobless since except for a 45 hours in 3 days stint in August for the same computer store for the county fair.

School

Jed slaved away all year and pulled off all As and Bs like a champ. He is finally done with his general education courses (which he had to completely retake when they bumped him on catalog years) and is finally able to enjoy upper division courses, which are so much more interesting and engaging than introductory courses, even in your own field (am I right?). He is doing really well and setting himself up for success when he graduates in July 2013! We're very excited to be done with the chapter of life that has kept us in Rexburg and ready to see what is next up for us.

I got in to grad school! I started my Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree at Northwest Nazarene University in September and will graduate in December 2014. I'm doing a triple concentration in Addiction Studies, Mental Health Counseling, and Community Organization/Administration. Long story but it's not as masochistic as you think it is: I got a large quantity of classes waived from the first year, but didn't have good enough grades to get the whole year waived, so I am taking those unwaived classes as well as many classes for second year ahead of time. I'm actually carrying a normal course load all semesters, if not a little light. So I worked pretty hard and pulled off a 4.0 (so far anyway, 2 classes haven't posted yet but I have As so far and feel pretty confident) for the first time in college history for me (actually since jr high, let's be honest).

..and the interesting stuff 

We moved apartments in April and got our very own furniture!! The new apartment is a major upgrade and we're very thankful we moved. It's just way more comfortable here and we feel less depressed about our living space. Seriously, high ceilings, carpet, white walls, windows, and central heating/AC do wonders for those predisposed to depression, lol.

so beautiful!!

click on the comparison chart to make it bigger and see what an insane different the new place it

I busted the Envoy by jumping the alternator and frying the main computer instead of jumping the battery in February. We had several other fixes on the Envoy but the Neon is still strong! I've never had to have work done on her since I got her in summer 2009 (knock on wood)! We also got hit and run in October and haven't yet fixed that one..

a "ding" we never got fixed from a hit and run

We got a few gadgets this year. Jed got a Sony S Tablet and a Nintendo 3DS. We both got Galaxy S3s (which are flipping amazing!) and a free Nintendo Wii! Much technologing was had .. and we can't get enough!

We didn't get to travel as much as we usually do or at least like to, but we did get to go hiking a bunch. We got a bunch of new gear in the summer and went up to Palisades to camp several times. I got some ridiculous blisters and a bruised toenail (that fell off in June and is still growing back in). We went geocaching a little and went on some great walks around town. We've decided that the Rexburg area is very tolerable in the summer.

Upper Palisades Lake

Bear Creek Trail

This summer we got a 10' x 10' garden plot at a local nursery and were there pretty much every weekend from early June to first snow fall in September. We planted tomatoes, yellow squash, cabbage, bell peppers, serrano peppers, eggplant, lettuce, spinach, radish, cucumber, and zucchini and got a pretty good crop throughout the summer. But really it was worth it for the catharsis of spending time outside together on a project. We plan on gardening again this next summer and on having a nice big garden when we get some property one day.

the nursery staff over-watered a little..

a very small representation of our harvest this year

We did, however, get to take one big trip to San Diego in April to go to Daniel and Maddy's wedding! We also got to see Jed's parents and grandparents, go to Disney Land, see a world-famous lute player, eat some random vegan food, and generally bum around San Diego and Canyon Lake area. It was way nice to spend time in a city on the coast. Can't wait til we end up on the west coast like we dream of.

During the year we got lots of visits from family! My mom came in May, Jed's grandparents came through in July, we went on a spur-of-the-moment weekend trip to Utah to see several of Jed's cousins and family when his first cousin once removed got baptized that weekend, we met Jed's parents in Jackson WY for Fourth of July, and my dad passed through in August.

bunches of first cousins once removed!

We hung out with friends .. shooting rifles with Brendon, philosophical conversations with Justin or Matt, birthday dinners with Daniel and Maddy, poker nights, fish taco parties, and so many trips to Adalberto's & Costa Vida ..

We got a dog in late October. We had wanted a dog ever since we got married (well, before too, let's be honest), and we finally got a Pembroke Welsh Corgi puppy we named Nova who was a pain in the butt at first but is now calming down to a really awesome dog even though she's only 3.5 months old. We think she's gonna make an excellent companion .. once she is consistently peeing outside!

Really, in short, 2012 had a lot of ups and downs, as most years do. We have been trying to make the best of our time here in Rexburg, but we frequently feel trapped. We are blundering along but we're making it just fine. We each celebrated our 27th birthdays this year and our 2nd wedding anniversary. Life's not perfect but it's enjoyable when we chose the right things and people to spend our time on and with. 

We very much look forward to 2013 .. to moving from Rexburg to who knows where (Jed will start looking for a job in the next couple months), to having Jed graduate, to having two incomes again (having one part-time income while paying for 2 degrees hasn't been the easiest thing we've done), to hiking and being outdoors again, to having an adult dog, and to spending more quality time together to celebrate life and small victories.