Crazy month of December!!!

Hey all! I am sorry it has been so long since I've blogged. The month of December (as I'm sure it has for many of you) has been IN SANE!! It has been a month with a lot of new beginnings and ends. December started off, by taking a trip over to Pullman, WA to GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE!!!!! My mother in-law, father in-law, mom, and Justin (as well as myself) rented a car and road tripped it for the day. It was about a 7 hour drive and when we got there, we checked into the Hotel and then went to this restaurant in Moscow, called Sangria. It was soooo yummy, I'd say pretty close to the best food I've ever eaten.. After that, my dad got to the motel, with his wife and my grandma, and I went over to Applebees with them and got a drink. While we were there, my sister, Shannon and her husband got into town from Santa Barbara and joined us. It was so great to see everyone and I was so grateful that everyone came all that way for my big day. At that point, we went back to the Hotel and went to bed. We woke up early on Saturday (Dec. 10th) and got ready for Graduation! The ceremony was very well done and there was a total of about 1500 graduates. I was actually pretty surprised that there was that many, because Winter semester is typically not a popular time to graduate! After the ceremony, we went to this calezone restaurant and ate, and then Justin, Shannon, Michael (Shannon's husband) and my mom drove around and went to this really cute little coffee shop downtown Pullman. For dinner that night, we all went to a restaurant called Swilly's, which also had AMAZING food! There, I opened my graduation presents and we had cake. I got some great presents that included a watch, necklace, money, and a certificate for a manicure, pedicure, and a message! The next day, we headed back to Vancouver and ended that chapter in my life. School (especially at WSUV) was such a great experience, that I still have mixed emotions about graduating. It kind of feels like leaving a job that you LOVE....
After I finished school, it was onto looking for a job to pay back those WONDERFUL school loans! I swear, I must have applied to 40 different jobs, some in my field and some not. I went to a couple interviews, but didn't feel right about any of them. Finally, I got a call from a job that I REALLY wanted. It was at OHSU in Portland, as a research assistant for a neuro-psychologist. Anyways, I went and interviewed and instantly felt good about the position. About 2 days later, she called and offered me the job! I was so excited about it and I am praying that it works out well! The only down-side, is the commute, but I can deal with that. :)
Next on the list was Christmas shopping, and traveling down to California for the holiday. Justin and I went to Santa Barbara, CA on Dec. 22nd and stayed at my sister's place that night and the night of the 23rd. We went to a Christmas party at an AMAZING home (had to be well over 4 million dollars), but to be honest, I was somewhat disappointed. Not with the home, but more with the company. To be more specific, the owner of the home was not humble AT ALL about what she had. She had to show us how "rare" the items were in her home and how "expensive" other things were. I don't mind people who have nice homes and nice things, but it was the attitude she had that I didn't appreciate too much. Besides that, we had a great trip! It was about 70 degrees and it was so great seeing my sister and other family on my mom's side. We spent Christmas day down in Orange County and there was about 35 people at my Aunt's house. It was really great! Justin and I flew back into town yesterday evening and I started my new job today!
Needless to say, I haven't had a lot of time for blogging, but now that I don't have to worry about school anymore (for the moment) I hope to stay caught up more. Hope you all had a very wonderful Christmas and that this is finding you all well! Good night!