Nooo....I'm STILL not married!!

I'm beginning to rethink my future teaching career.

I had the pleasure of filling in this morning as the K-1 bible class teacher. Me against nine 5 and 6 year olds. Not too bad...considering I will be having at least double that amount in my class in a few months...right?? Most of these kids don't know me....as I'm only in my third week at church....so they were curious about my life. Here's how the conversation went:

1st kid: Miss Amber, are you married?

Me: No, I'm not married.

2nd kid: How old are you?

Me: 24 years old

ALL 9 kids in UNISON: WHOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAA

Me: *Laughs in surprise*

3rd kid: And you're STILL NOT MARRIED??? My momma's 28, and been married a LONG time!

Me: *Laughs due to my speechlessness*

I never considered myself to be "old". And DEFINITELY not past my marriage peak. LOL Kids have a funny way of looking at things. It made me laugh a lot....but then made me realize I should make sure my self-esteem is in tact before I begin a full-time teaching career. :)

Anyway....I've realized how much I'm still in the Nederlands mindset lately. Last night, I went to the movies with 4 girls from the youth group, and was 1)surprised to find no subtitles on the movie screen, and 2)shocked I could understand what people were saying about the movie around us! Then today...I needed to run by Wal-mart for something, and thought to myself "Wait...I can't! It's Sunday...the stores will be closed!" Haha....wow. Wal-mart NEVER closes. Nice one, Amber.

So I begin my training for Red Robin tomorrow...should be a professional waitress in about 2. :) I'm starting to help out with activities with the youth group at church...going to Carowinds on Saturday as a chaperone...and have been asked to lead a devotional at "Ladies, Faith, and Stuff" this Friday. At the last one they had...there were 41 women in attendance. Yikes! Nerve-wracking! I hope I do okay! I've never led a devotional in front of women older than me. Am I really an adult now??? I'm having a hard time coming to terms with that idea! Where has time gone???

It's raining blessings!

I'm telling you...Helen Street Church of Christ members are pieces of gold. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that my father is the preacher...but God has blessed my life so abundantly through these people....and I don't even know most of their names!!!

In the past WEEK alone....someone has helped me find out that I can begin teaching in a public school this next school year (YAY!!)....someone literally handed me the keys to one of their cars for me to use until my Mercedes is ready (and I didn't even know their name!)....3 other families have asked me to house-sit for them....at LEAST 3 people have handed me information on available job opportunities....another family has asked me to tutor their 7 year old son....an elder's wife has asked me to contact a non-Christian to encourage them to come to church....another elder's wife brought me a Starbuck's coffee on Sunday morning....and ANOTHER church member has recruited 2 of his employees at work (as well as himself) to help me and my roommate move into our new apartment on Thursday. U-N-BELIEVABLE! I did nothing to deserve all this trust...all this love. I am dumb-founded. Literally. What an amazing group of servants. They have not ceased to impress me since I've gotten here!

With that said...I think I've applied to at least 20 jobs! Anywhere from an Administrative Assistant to Barnes and Noble and everything in-between. It became complicated when I realized that I will be quitting whatever job I get in 3 months to become a teacher! Not every employer wants to hear that. :( I am actually hoping to get on at Red Robin. It may sound silly...but I've always wanted to be a waitress...and they sure can make a lot of money! I went in today for an interview...was asked to come back on Friday for an hour of "trial"...and will find out by Saturday if I'm hired or not. The people there are fabulous...it's a 3-minute drive from my new apartment...and is something I'll actually enjoy doing! I also have an interview tomorrow at noon for another nanny position. It's something I would also enjoy doing...but the hours are awkward...and it would be much more difficult for me to quit in 3 months. But I'm keeping my options open. I know God will put me where he needs me!

On another note....my friend, and new roommate, Rachel is totally awesome! Not only does she have a rather wide collection of movies (I LOVE movies!)...but she created this surprisingly accurate 3-D floor plan of our new apartment on the SIMM's game! How cool is that?? And yes...we got the apartment shown in my former post. An 1188 sq. ft....2 bedroom, 2 bath...full kitchen...patio....all brand new appliances (including washer and dryer!)....tennis courts...swimming pool....24-hour access gym....gated community....what else could you need?? We were so impressed with the place....and the staff! Higher priced apartment, for sure....but if I get on at Red Robin...finances shouldn't be a problem at all! The layout on the right is exactly how our apartment is set up....although the carpet isn't green!! You can click on the pic to see it better for yourself! You are all invited, any time you want....just come on over! I will take more pictures on Thursday, to give you a better idea! I'm so excited!!

Okay...I think that's it for now. Hopefully, the next time I write...will be with a new apartment and new job!! Keep your fingers crossed!!

I don't wanna grow up!

This past week has brought exciting news and some fun times!

On Wednesday, I got a call from one of my high school friends, letting me know that she was going to be transferred for her work to my city! Exciting! I haven't seen her in at least 5 years...and she asked if I wanted to live with her. Now before you jump to assumptions...living with my parents has been going surprisingly well! But there is just this side of me that desires to be truly independent and be able to take care of everything on my own. Is it realistic? No. Is it smart? Probably not. Is that going to keep me from doing it? Not a chance! :) So she (Rachel is the one on the right...in Times Square, too!) is going to be coming down this week, and we're going to look at an apartment together. We've already got one picked out...as shown to the right...is ready for immediate move-in...and is in a great location! She will be transferring here on May 1...so things are moving fast! I'm not 100% sure I'll be able to live with her until August (due to my outstanding financial status!)...but we're just going to have to see what happens. Either way...May or August...she's leaving the spot open for me!

Anyway....aside from that fun surprise...I turned 24! Today, in fact...for those of you that were kind enough to remember. :) Friday, one of the girls from church that I have only known a week picked me up, took me out to lunch, and took me shopping for my birthday! It was fantastic! I barely know this girl, and she was determined to make my birthday a joyous one. And she did good! :) Then yesterday at church, they all sang to me, and today was more of a family day. Dad grilled HUMONGOUS steaks...which we had with baked potatoes, salad, and carrot cake (do they have that in Holland?). It was amazing. And I'm sure I'll pay for it tomorrow....lol...but right now I feel pretty good.

I got an email from one of my students, asking me to put more pictures from America up on my blog. Lol...funny thing is...I don't even think about it! But he's right...I should! So I'm going to attempt to be more mindful of taking pictures when I'm out doing something....even if I don't personally think it's that interesting. For starters, though...I was going through Rachel's pictures and found this! The Nederlander Theatre...in New York! Anybody else know about it?? Not me! She saw the musical "Rent" there...and loved it. So I'm assuming it's a pretty good place. :) If you look closely...or click on the picture to make it better...you can actually see the words. I thought it was cool! Guess it's about time I take a trip to New York!!

And a quick update on the job status and car....

It seems I will definitely begin teaching in the fall...now I'm just looking for that filler-in job until then. The nanny job is still a possibility...but I'm continuing to look around for something else. Getting the car has been delayed...which has delayed my job search possibilities. As soon as I get those keys...I'm gonna be applying like crazy! Right now I'm just online everyday, looking for possibilities...and talking to as many people as I can! I just have to continue looking...and be patient!!

References please?

Before I go into the mesh of jobs I've been applying for...I had the most fabulous day yesterday!

As most of you know...my father is a preacher. But not JUST a preacher. He's great. His lessons are energetic, passionate, realistic...and in English! Ha! Unbelievable that I took that one for granted for 23 years! :) And I'm not just biased, either. I've lived in Oklahoma for 5 years....Eindhoven for 1...and been to many different churches. Never have I listened to another preacher that has been able to make each lesson applicable to my own life like my dad does. I say this because I was at church for 4 1/2 hours yesterday morning...and enjoyed it! At our church, they have two worship services in the morning. One at 8:30, bible class at 9:45, and second service at 10:45. I was ready for church at 7:50.....7:50!! Haha...I don't think I've ever been ready that early in the morning for anything. :) But considering I don't have my car yet...I had to ride to church with my parents. They told me....and continue to let me know....that they don't expect me to attend both services. But surprisingly enough....I want to! Aside from the fact that I think a preacher's family should be visibly supportive of him while he's preaching....I get to meet everyone in the church and go through it all twice! Same songs, same sermon....Lord Supper two times. So if I missed anything the first time through...I'm bound to catch it by the second time! ;) And 4 hours after we got home, we had about 20 church members in our home for a small group bible study. I'm loving it! It's encouraging, it's personable...it's just what I needed!

Anyway...on to my future career! It's been a crazy day today. On Saturday, I called to inquire about a nanny position, but had to leave a message. Last night, I spent about an hour filling out an application to be a substitute teacher. This morning, I went to take a skills test for a Census Bureau job (and scored one of the highest in the group), and then spent the afternoon at Coastal Carpets being trained and getting a feel for the place. Before I left, I was offered a job there. Then about 15 minutes after I arrived home, I got a call from the family seeking a nanny. After talking to the mother...Tara...for 30 minutes...she told me that she wants to hire me....and that she felt at peace talking to me. Believe it or not....she wants ME to decide how much I want to be paid. Ha! She prefers to have a live-in nanny...but will still hire me if I decide to continue to live at home. We're meeting for lunch tomorrow to talk some more and discuss details. She has 3 boys...one 3-year old and 18 month old twins. Aren't they adorable?? I haven't actually accepted any job yet....as I wasn't expecting either of these opportunities to come up so quickly. If I take the Coastal Carpet job...I can start immediately...but a lot of my pay will be based on commission. If I take the nanny job, I won't start until May 1. And it's still very possible that the Census Bureau will call me with an offer after my background check is complete. I've pretty much chucked the substitute teaching application, though. I need a more reliable job to keep that Benz! :)

Life never gives you what you expect....why did I think mine would be any different?? :0)

Un-benz-lievable!

So I'm two days in...still working on unpacking my things, already teaching the K-2nd grade bible class next Wednesday night...and I have a car! Technically, my dad and I have a car together. I don't want to get too excited until the car is actually in our driveway, with keys in hand...but it seems like a pretty solid deal.

We were having difficulty finding any decent cars to check out when dad calls from his office and says that a member of the church has a car that he has been trying to sell for a while. While the asking price is higher than we were originally looking at...the guy agreed to allow me to make payments to him for a year on it. I laughed when I found out what the car was. Not quite what I had imagined for myself. It still hasn't exactly sunk in that I'll be driving it next week, either. The thing is...I haven't actually gotten to see the car yet. So why all the excitement, you may ask? Well...coming from ground zero (financially speaking) after a year in the Netherlands...I had a mental picture of my "ride" for the next year or so. Thought I would add a picture to better explain my former expectations (no..this isn't the car we're buying!!).

But in order to get this other car, my dad had to make a down payment (50% of the asking price)...to which I will then take over monthly payments for a year (totally the other 50%). At the end of the year....as my dad explained to me...the party who decides to keep the car (me or him) will pay the other person the other 50% for the car. So I guess that means we will share joint-custody for a year! :) We should have the car by Monday...as the owner is getting all new tires put on, and an oil-change done this week.

So by Monday...if all goes well...instead of the impressionable car shown up above, I should be driving something similar to this! A 4-door '98 Black Mercedes-Benz...automatic transmission...sunroof...all leather interior....brand new tires...98,000 miles...great gas mileage...fantastic body shape....AM/FM stereo...CD player...power lock/seats/windows....just about everything I didn't imagine having! You can now see why my dad is just as interested in it as I am. :) I will make sure to post pictures of it next week...more than likely with me next to it and keys in hand! Can you believe it? Now it's time to find a job to pay for it!!! Ha!

...and the fun begins!

I'm "home"!!

Alright...so some of you know that I had intended to keep up with this online blog during my year-long stay in the Netherlands. And as you can tell...I came up a bit short at the end. :)

So here is my renewed attempt to keep both my old and new friends up-to-date with my latest...and exciting!....happenings in life.

Packing went much better than I had ever expected it would...I only had to leave behind one thing! I got my long-awaited hug from Sheritha before leaving....said goodbye to my wonderful neighbors....and turned my keys in. Getting the airport was a bit stressful, and delayed...but having Willemijn with me helped keep me calm. Not to mention the 5 SMSs and call I received while en route! I arrived in North Carolina, safe and sound, with two new friends (that I met while flying, of course!), a white chocolate mocha from Starbuck's settling in my stomach, 27 degree Celsius weather, and a continued amazement at myself for not having cried! My parents were eagerly waiting for me when I got there. I had met a guy named David on the last flight, and he was helping carrying my bags when I saw my dad down the hall. I looked at David and said "You know...my parents might be wondering if I brought a boyfriend home that I didn't tell them about.". He said "Well I'd be more than happy to pull off a Dutch accent for them, if you want me to!" We laughed as we approached my dad, and I introduced the two of them. Not that I knew David too well myself!! He's actually an American living in Switzerland right now, back in the states for work for a few days. I love meeting people on flights!!

My parents then took me to this crazy/fun restaurant called "Buffalo Wings Grill and Bar". Tuesday night is their special wings night...and they have 15-17 different sauces you can choose to have your wings marinated in. My dad chose 8!!!! So with 40 buffalo wings in front of us, my parents continued to explain the theme of the restaurant. There must have been 20-30 TV screens surrounding the interior of that place. My dad asked the waiter for 3 "game boards", and continued to explain to me that you choose a game to play (that's on one of the TV screens), log in, and compete against everyone else in the restaurant that's playing. There were about 10 people, somewhere in the restaurant, playing a quiz game...my mom, dad, and I included. The faster you answered each question correctly, the more points you earned. I think I did pretty good!! At one point, I was in 2nd place...so I couldn't complain too much! But it was great fun playing a game while waiting for the food. Time went by so quickly!! And I was continually amazed by watching my culture, once again. From flip-flops to the noise level, free drink refills and hearty hellos to strangers...I felt like a foreigner! I think it's going to take me a while to readjust. :)

By the time we got home, it was 4am Netherlands time, and I was wiped! Luckily...I had an amazing king size bed waiting just for me. :) So leaving my suitcases untouched and barely caring to change clothes....I grabbed Prince Googgala and passed out! 11 hours of sleep later...I'm feeling pretty good. :) It's a beautiful day outside and I have a lot to do. I haven't exactly realized that I'm living here now. The idea of unpacking my clothes and hanging them in a closet seems strange. I always live out of my suitcases when I come to stay with my parents. Guess it'll just take me a while to adjust!

Well..tonight I get to see all the church members here again...and I'm completely stoked about that! They are an amazing bunch of people. So many have already sent me their greetings and excitement in my homecoming. Tomorrow my dad and I will probably begin the search for a car...and then it's on to starting my career! Crazy, huh????

Keep checking back for updates and funny stories...which I know I will have!! And pictures to comes! Love you all...wherever you may be!