Update and another six month review...

I have slacked for quite a while now. Between planning and preparing for a wedding, working in the singles ward, going to school, moving to an apartment, and spending time with my sweetheart, writing here became a much lower priority. I do believe that I'm overdue for a six month review, but first, I'm going to start with an update.
I don't believe it was too long after my last post that Kayley and I found the perfect apartment. We wandered around Utah County looking at four-plexes, duplexes, single family apartments, and even a mother-in-law apartment or two. Now, the first mother-in-law "suite", (if it can be called that), was situated above a garage. The garage was full of junk and garbage. To get to the apartment, one had to open a door that was hanging by a single hinge, the other two having long since given out. That's not to mention that the house was located in a very isolated neighborhood near some farm fields. I would've taken a four-plex apartment over that place. The feeling was just awful.
We wouldn't let this get us down, however. There were still two more apartments for rent that we had pulled from KSL. The next one took a little work to find the address. The address was at a beautiful home in an older, quite, developed neighborhood. Just knocking on the door, we felt so much better spiritually. The difference was certainly a night to day one. We walked into the apartment, this one also a mother-in-law set-up, and just knew that we wanted to live there. We put in our applications, said a prayer, and crossed our fingers. A week or so later, the landlord called me to give me the green light, with one condition. At least one of us had to move in sometime in February. My aunt, Cristy, was moving right around the first part of the month, so I volunteered to move on the 1st of February.
Later after being called about the apartment, I received another piece of good news. eBay was calling me to say they wanted me to come to work for them. I would be in a training class for 6 weeks, but they didn't have enough people to fill the class yet. The recruiter wanted to let me know that I would have a job at eBay and that she would call me back as soon as they had a start date for the class.
The rest of January was filled with stuff. Kayley surprised me with a cake and a thousand pieces of paper wishing me a happy birthday. We posed and posed for our engagement/invite/announcement pictures. I was still attending school. I filled out job applications like a madman just looking for something to do while I waited for eBay to pull through on a date.
In February I executed a move of my own, helped Cristy with her move, sent out a bundle of wedding announcements, spent a weekend in Smithfield, took Kayley to the Orem Institute Valentines' Dance, worked on my car some more, and spent time with Kayley.
Now March was eventful. eBay finally called with a start date that worked for me. I stopped in Bountiful to see my American Greeny, Chris Yates. I was married in the temple to the love of my life. We missed a flight to New York, so we spent a week in California instead.
Thus far, I'm loving married life :D
So, the last six months really shook things up. From proposing to getting married. Moving into my own place. Fixing my car numerous times. Getting a new job, which I am loving. Yup, life is good around here.

Updates

Much time has passed since I last wrote and much has transpired since my last entry. It has been nearly two months. Allow me to catch up and then I am overdue for a six-month review.
First, a beautiful relationship with Kayley Downs has developed. We have made church and temple attendance a part of what we do together since we started dating. We have also mingled in there service, travel, dining out, and reading. Things are going very well, to say the least. We speak open, and frequently, of marriage.
Second, my work with the city of Saratoga Springs has come to a close. My employ with them was but a seasonal job and as such they can only keep me for a total of six months in a year.
Third, I have spent a large amount of time working on my dad's farm. I am striving to complete a project for him. After considering the amount of time I have spent there (and realizing that much of that time could've been spent searching for a job in Utah county) I have decided that tomorrow it's do or die. I have to finish the project or I won't be doing more work on it. My desire is to remain in Utah county for my own schooling and to stay close to Kayley and so that when we do marry she can be close to her school (Salt Lake Community College at West Jordan).
Fourth, I read a couple of books. The most moving book I read was The Holy Secret by James Farrell. Love and recommend this one. I also finished reading (at long last) the Sherlock Holmes books. A rather quiet and disappointing yet appropriate end to the mast sleuth's career.
Now let us review my last six months. I have now been home from my mission longer than I served. I attended General Conference at the conference center, went on several dates, fell hard once and with the help of the Lord recovered, and finally I'm settling down. The past months have been instructive, challenging and rewarding. Now I look forward to what the next ones will bring!

It's time for another six months in review

Last week when I posted on my blog the fact completely fled my mind that I had then been home a year and a half. As has been my custom, I shall write a brief review of that half of a year.
Frankly, I thought not that I could grow more nor did I surmise that my situation could change in the manner it did. I worked in the fierce snow and freezing cold. On a couple of occasions my gloves and hands were wet during the whole day of work. The wind howled and dragged me some 20 feet while I held onto a sheet of plastic. I decided that I no longer wanted to go ice fishing. After working in this bitterness, who would really be willing to sit on a frozen lake under the same conditions? Yet through this hardship I struggled to hold my tongue and not murmur. There were many out of work at the time and eventually I joined them.
I became one of the 10% of the American population without work. Luckily I had a "vacation account" with my union and family to offer moral support. I spent several days working on the farm with several purposes in mind. Firstly I wished to help my father since I had an abounding measure of free time. The second reason was to occupy my time. Finally, doing work has always made me feel like a contributor to society. Even the most menial of employs yields to me satisfaction that I have done something.
A new challenge arose when I felt compelled to stay in Saratoga Springs more than I had been. The trips to Salina and elsewhere diminished. Sadly I began to idle away my time playing video games, watching TV and sitting on Facebook. I spent some two weeks in this vegetative state. While at institute a friend asked for my help in her classroom. I gladly accepted to do what I could to help out. This possibly saved me from myself. Leaving my home and doing something to serve others reignited that flame which produces in my restlessness and dissatisfaction with mediocrity. With the flames growing out of the coals I looked for work. When in disappointment I found the construction companies had whom they wanted for the job I looked elsewhere. I put in several applications online and in person. When the call came for me from the city's public works department I became elated. I accepted the work, despite the much lower pay. Work is work. It may not be the greatest work but there is worse to be done. I'll not complain.
Dating also took a new twist for me in the last while. Some time ago I decided that I wanted to marry within two years of returning from my mission. During the most recent period I engaged in more casual dating, or simply going on a date to get to know someone without expecting anything more to come. Interest in one or two people came but also left. I cannot exclude mention of the episode which brought forth my four posts on relationships either. This small era produced questions and doubts and eventually answers and understanding. I received two valuable pieces of advice in this transitional stage: 1) you cannot put a date on getting married while you're still single; 2) when I find someone I want to be with I need to mold myself to fit into her life (while, of course, not sacrificing my standards of conduct). Since then I've become a little more relaxed about dating.
All this considered, I've learned and grown in those six months. One last item worth mentioning. While volunteering at the elementary school my love for reading was rekindled. Since I began volunteering I've consumed the following books: The Give, Gathering Blue, and Messenger all by Louis Lowry; The 39 Clues by Gordon Korman; and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.