A Year of Firsts...

So, in my defense, I suppose I should blog. But honestly, and I truly mean honestly, I HAVE NOTHING TO DO! Can you imagine going from being a college student, working 3 jobs, supporting a family, and saving the world biannually, to not having 3 jobs, not being in college, and saving the world only once every other year!?! It's mind-numbingly boring. I try to fill my time with useful chores and goals that I've set, but one can exercise only so much? ( I mean common, you don't want me to exercise so much that I become one of those sick-looking body builders that have -.004% body fat do you? I certainly don't) ((ok, so I only exercise twice a week, but it's a start.)) I also go to the bank fairly often to deposit checks, open safe deposit boxes, (just once), and get out of the house. I walk our FAT dog Riah. I cook every once in a while, clean house, sleep, sleep some more, play on the computer, and chauffeur people around. But anyway, this year has been a year of firsts for us, some of which I will list off

-The first year I was rejected from all Med Schools (For those who don't know, I'm going to med schools. It is EXTREMELY difficult to get in to med school, and most people don't get in their first year of applying. To give you an idea of how hard it is, I had a 3.74 cumulative GPA, and higher GPA if you consider only my science classes. I graduated magna cum laude, with additionally university honors from the Honors Program. I also had 2 significant research experiences, worked 3 jobs, was president of a club, volunteered often, and a bunch of other things that are boring. But no, I didn't get in. Such is life, there's always next year.)

-The first time Lianna saw snow falling. She was as giddy as a child at an amusement park. She was shaking and jumping up and down looking at it excitedly from the window, constantly saying how cool it was that snow was falling in 37 different ways.

-It is the first time Lianna and I have been in a family ward. It is quite different, but a lot of fun. We have our first calling in our first family ward, and it is great. We teach the 12 year olds, and they are a wild bunch of kids, but we have an activity at the start of each lesson that lets them get all their energy out. Then we sit them down and proceed with the lesson. Like today for example, we baked brownies and in an effort to permanently distill on their malleable souls the importance of being pure in heart, we had a few brownies and we said that they had a small bit of dog poop in them. The others didn't have any, and were quite edible. They loved the brownies, and were disgusted with the thought that the others had dog poop in them ( they didn't really), and grasped the importance of being completely pure in heart, not just enough on the outside.

-I had my first real job interview this year. It was with a company called Aspen BioPharma, a medical biotech company not too far from our home. I am well qualified for the job, but not sure if they found someone else who has more experience than me. So hopefully I will be able to get a job with them and start supporting my family. We should hear back from them soon.

-It was also the first time Lianna was able to meet ALL of my family. She still had not met my older brother Michael or his wife, Stephanie. They love Lianna, and Lianna loved them, obviously. She and I both had the opportunity to meet our niece and nephew, Ally and Logan. HOLY HANNAH are they CUTE! They were so fun to hold and play with. Just adorable.

-Along those same lines, it was a first time that all of the Quillen family has been together at the same time in the same place. What a lovely time it was!

-It was the first time that Lianna and I bought a frozen Tombstone pizza for UNDER $8!!! In Hawaii, they cost $10, but we got ours for only $3!!! It was so delectably delicious, I could taste the money I saved! Yumm!

-And last but not least, it was the first time Lianna maintained this blog when I did not. Guess there's a first time for everything.

We hope you all are great and doing well. Also, Lianna and I will be sending out Christmas (or whatever season it is) cards "soon." So please email us and send us your address. Much Mahalo!