What's new & old?

Oh boy! What an adventure I'm on. I'm currently juggling 20+ hours of school in Seattle, a part-time job at Old Navy - that is on the verge of going full-time if I get any more hours, and tutoring on the days I'm in Seattle. I love working at Old Navy but it's getting to be super exhausting not having any days off and trying to keep up with all my homework, all the while tutoring. It's a lot to complain about but in a weird way, I'm loving it, too!

Also, I recently made the Dean's List with a 3.8! I was so excited. I made Honor Roll for Fall Quarter but I didn't want to call and tell mom unless I made the Dean's List! I'm super duper excited about it, too!

So, recent plans to move out with my friends Katie and Michelle have thus far fallen through. Michelle is no longer moving in with us and Katie isn't sure whether to stay in Seattle or move to Spokane with her sister and niece. It's extremely hard to find places and I'm not really sure where I'm going to live or how I'm going to afford it! I'm a little stressed about it. One of life's many blessing I guess.

I've been having this real urge lately to just skip town - aka the United States - and go to some foreign country. Just pack up my stuff and move and try out a new place. It is absolutely NOTHING wrong with Seattle, I love it here! I just want to see the world and be well-traveled. I guess I have all of my life for that though.

My beautiful nephew was recently born :) Levi Allen Nick. He is so amazingly beautiful. It's incredible to be able to live all of my life up that point without him and now I shudder at the loss of never having him. He is so unbelievably amazing. I miss seeing him grow up but him and Chelsea are going to come and stay for a few days and then we're heading back to Montana together for graduation. I'm excited to be home but I'm glad that I am staying for school and work this summer. I really love the people at ON.

Well, that's about as much of an update as I can do. I am in class right now and we're getting back into doing our stuff. Signing off <3

~Bucket List & Other Adventures

  I have been actively looking for a job forever now! Me and a friend spent about 4 hours filling out 13 applications a few weeks ago and have yet to hear anything back. I am moving to Issaquah at the end of the month to live with Kaytee. Her sister offered free rent in agreement to pay for my own food and help out around the house. Thus, saving money for when I can move in with Kaytee and Michelle in a 3 bedroom at the end of June. As to that, I'm extremely excited! We have a lot of fun together and they bring out the fun in me.

  School has been going really well lately. Although, I am not a huge fan of 3/4 classes that I have this quarter. Oh well, midterms have passed and it's only a matter of time before I get new classes! In other news, I recently started a bucket list. Not only a personal bucket list but also one for me and one of my best friends, Derek. Though I don't think that most would be excited to hear it, I feel I need to post what I have of the personal one online now just in case I lose the hard copy. So here it is! Enjoy and have a great week! :)

1. Attend an opera
2. Visit Berlin, German
3. Bunji-Jumping
4. Jog a mile without stopping
5. Write a novel or novella
6. Star in a movie, even if just as an extra
7. Attend a Blink 182 Concert with B
8. Meet Mark Hoppus, or any other Blink member
9. Have a son named Cooper
10. Visit Amsterdam
11. Learn "hello" in 10 or more languages
12. Learn to salsa dance
13. Ride in a hot air balloon
14. Sky dive!
15. Scuba diving
16. Get a pilot's license
17. Visit Rome, Italy
18. Visit the Luvre
19. Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany
20. DisneyWorld or DisneyLand
21. Visit all 50 states
22. Earn a photography award
23. Earn a web design award
24. Learn to read tarot cards
25. Not care what others think
26. Wear size 10 or smaller
27. Graduate college
28. Have a street named after me
29. Be on Oprah/Ellen
30. Visit a live taping of a favorite TV show
31. Build a Habitat for Humanity home
32. Make a difference in at least one person's life
33. Read all of Jane Austen's novels
34. Read all of Janet Evanovich's novels
35. Join a Big Brother, Big Sister program
36. Make a million dollars
37. Audition for American Idol
38. Audition for a Broadway Play
39. Shop on Rodeo Drive
40. Invent Something
41. Try Sushi
42. Create a college fund for my child/children
43. Adopt an animal from an animal shelter
44. Visit the Giraffe Manor
45. Stay at the Space Hotel
46. Create a "Things/People to Photograph" list
47. Finish List from #46
48. Participate in the "La Tomatina" food fight in Spain
49. Break a Guinness World Record
50. Try Southern-made gumbo
51. Adopt a child
52. Get a tattoo
53. Watch WWE Live
54. Bike from Seattle, WA to Libby, MT
55. 
    

more to come hopefully :)

Baking!

I have been baking sooo much lately!

My favorite thing to bake has been Pumpkin Spice Rolls.

I made two over Thanksgiving and another tonight for my roommate.

I also made chocolate chip mini brownies yesterday night.

I'm thinking about baking some more for Christmas while in Libby over vacation.

The cool thing about baking is that I feel like it really takes stress off my back.

It was nice to not think about homework or finals and just bake today.

I can really use that to my advantage in the future.

Learning more recipes then hopefully more food recipes in general.

I'll be a self-made chef in no time! ;)

Love and hope you're all doing amazing!

Thanksgiving Day!

I'd like to start off by saying the things I'm thankful for:

My amazing family - my outgoing and hilarious mother,

my quiet and silly father, my wonderful, beautiful, fun sister,

and my intelligent step-dad. My distant family as well - including

my amazing cousin Amanda and her wonderful family and Autumn

and her wonderful family. [I sure do wish we lived a lot closer!] I'm

so thankful for all the amazing friends that I've been given as well.

Thank you all for being my support system and always being there

for me. If you ever need me, I promise to be there for you to the best

of my abilities!

_________________________________________________

I spent Thanksgiving with my family today in Libby.

My dad is home from El Paso for the holidays but sadly to say,

he made a prior commitment to another friend.

We're hoping to spend a lot more time with him before I drop

him off at the airport in Spokane on my way back to Seattle.

On Tuesday, we went to my sister's ultrasound.

She is 19 weeks and we found out that the baby is a beautiful

and very active baby boy :) I cannot wait to meet him on 4/20/10.

I need to get a job so I can spoil the crap out of him :)

Speaking of nephews, my brothers two kids - Ethan & Trevor

as well as him and his wife, Ashely are coming to spend a weekend

with us over Christmas. I'm very excited! We don't get to

spend a whole lot of time with them because they live far away!

Overall, I'm trying to enjoy the short amount of time I have left

before I have to head back home. I sure do miss being around my

Sister, Mom, and Dad! Life is tough after high school!

Yet, I still look forward to the future and the amazing things that

are planned for my life! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Why yes, I DID update TWICE in ONE week!

Autumn might be really proud of me.

Or she might be annoyed by this fact.

We'll see!

I am currently in class - Integrated Info. Design

where we are, YOU GUESSED IT,

creating a blog! :)

I'm excited that schools are "integrated" the

idea of blogs and such into their programs.

It's good way to keep up with technology!

I took my first commute today :)

It took me roughly an hour and a half

to get from Auburn to downtown Seattle.

I arrived to class JUST in time.

I'll be staying in Seattle on Wednesdays

until my night classes are over on Thursdays!

Thus, to save money on commuting as well!

Miss you & love you all!

UPDATE!

Yeah, Yeah, I suck at updating this! It's been quite a long time. I've decided maybe I'll start updating every other Thursday or something! I even marked it on my calendar :)

A lot has happened recently! I took a quarter off from school and worked at Aitken's in Libby for the summer trying to make some money. Needless to say, I didn't do a very good job at saving any of it. I had planned to move in with Kaytee but that didn't work out for some reason or another and so I ended up finding a place in Auburn with two new roommates Kelly (the owner of the really nice 3 bedroom house) and Dana. They're really great ladies. They're both late 30's/early 40's but have such a young spirit! They're both fun & sweet women!

Here are some pics of the place!

It's such a beautiful place! It's 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and has a 2 car garage. It's also on a cul-de-sac :) (Mandy will be so thrilled! haha.)

Not a whole lot else is going on. I start classes again on Wednesdays. I dropped down to 4 classes in the mean time. Two on Wednesdays & Two on Thursdays - Afternoon then Night classes. I'll probably be commuting by bus because it's so much cheaper and just staying in downtown Seattle with Michelle or Bri on Wednesdays! I'm happy to report that I am beyond excited to get back to classes and I've truely missed it!

Ohhh something else new, for my first year ever, I am going to have trick-or-treaters! Kelly said that a lot of kids come so I am looking forward to handing out candy all night :)

Well, I'm exhausted! Can't wait to see you all again! Loves & see you soon!

Sleeping in Seattle

Moved In.

Loving every bit of Seattle.

Even the rain.

Miss my friends and family.
Excited for the new changes & opportunities that lie ahead.
My room went from a disaster to an empty blur of my past.
My new apartment is a look into my future.
It's neat & tidy.
Everything is kept in one spot.

(Keep in mind the above picture was taken WHILE I was unpacking still)

The view from our room is obstructed
Obstructed by a huge building.
Yet, there is a magnificent splendor in the building.
Lit up by the ambiance of the ocean.
Beautifully Obstructed.

To either side however,
The city is clearly shown.
Cities which hold their own beauty and splendor.
Old & antique like are the buildings.

Even each person holds their own magnificence.
A new roomy being the newest of this type of person.

Katie. A common name. A unique person.

Loud, Exciting, Fashonista.

She's someone new.

Someone different and completely new.

She's great.

Most importantly,

to go along with everything else that is new in my life,

I have a new attitude.

A new excitement for being alive.

A new-found idea of what I want for myself in life.

(and a new-found shirt :))

Overall,
The experience is exactly what I asked for.
I'm enjoying my time here.
I'm enjoying what I'm learning.
I'm enjoying what I'm living.

Miss everyone back home.
Libby is a great place to grow up.
But spreading your wings is much more invigorating.

Mr. & Mrs. Nielson

This isn't fully related to my journey to Seattle.

However, it has given me a new perspective on the love of family.

Cjane (Courtney)'s sister, Nie, and her husband were in a private plane crash on August 16, 2008.

She has since been taking care of their children as well as her newborn.

She has also been faithfully updating her blog, as well as her sister's blog.

This is the true love of sisterhood.
Isn't family amazing?

You're an inspirational and beautiful person Courtney!

God Bless & I hope all turns out for the best!
The Nielson family, as well as yours, are in my prayers.