Something new

Hello friends and Family, it is I, Candace. I had realized that I haven't been as good with updating all of you, so I thought it would be nice to try something new, hopefully something that won't congest your inboxes. This is my blog--life is a highway. I will try and update it fairly regularly, but with two jobs and full time school, I can't make any promises. Life has been pretty good as of late. Here is just a little Catch up from the past year.

When Bethany got married in December, I decided that I didn't want to get left behind so I moved out myself into the foreign language housing. I have lived there since January in the French house. We have done fun things like go to Disneyland and concerts together. One of the greatest endeavors I oversaw was a masked ball for the entire French House (36 people). It doesn't sound like a lot, but with a budget of $200, we had to improvise a

lot. We put everyone into couples and prepared some fun food, and decorations. We had a blast! Most of that was done with my friend Borel from Cameroon. We really out-did ourselves. A lot of people even asked me if I would plan another. We are always having parties in the French house. Everyone is very social, and outgoing I love it. I am sad to be moving out, but I won't be going far. This fall I will be living in the Portuguese house. I don't speak a word of Portuguese, but I am excited to learn. Most of all I really love my church group here. The whole ward is people from the foreign language housing or FLSR as we like to call it, so there are all kinds of interesting people and cultures represented. Everyone here is so talented and amazing. I really love it!!!

In January, I also started working at LDS Family Services. I am a receptionist there, and I work about 17 hours a week which has worked really well with my schedule, and the extra money has been nice when I have wanted to go on trips and such with friends. For those of you who don't know LDS Family Services is a licensed adoption agency, but we also offer counseling services for those who have been abused, who suffer from depression, or addictions etc. We do individual, marriage,family and group counseling. It is a really great resource and a great way to find help with a gospel centered perspective. I love all the gals I work with andthe counselors I interact with.

I get kind of attached to the clients too since most of them come in on a weekly basis. Theenvironment is really good, and so far it has worked really well with my schedule, so well that I decided to stay the Spring and Summer terms so that I could keep my job.
Staying meant getting another job, and so in May I was hired as the Office Assistant in the FLSR, and in the Fall I will be promoted to Resident Assistant. Balancing two jobs and school isn't easy, but it has been a very good experience for me. Maybe I will be able to save enough money to go back to France one day. One of my hi-lights this year was having my family come visit me at school, and chilling with them, and although it was expensive, I am glad I got to see them for Ericka's graduation because I won't be able to go home before Fall. Life just doesn't slow down does it? Talking about slowing down...I originally had plans to graduate next April, but I decided to be more normal, but even so I think I will only have three more semesters of school. Right now the plan is to serve a mission after that, and see where life takes me from there. Life is so good, and I am as happy as can be.
Love you all!!!
Candace Lorraine