Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing...

...on May 24, 2009. Yes, we've finally set a date!

You know, people seriously underestimate how difficult the task of setting a date is. You have to consider family conflicts, out-of-town guests, school schedules, work schedules and venue availability. And how do you know where you're going to have your wedding after only a few days of being engaged? I'm not sure because that is quite the involved process as well. To know where you're going to have your wedding depends on how many people you anticipate having and how much money you're planning on spending. And you can't know that without having written your guest list and established a budget, which takes quite a bit of planning and research....so pretty much I planned my entire wedding in 2 weeks just to nail down a date!

P.S. Our wedding website is http://www.mywedding.com/johnandjackiedodson

WE'RE ENGAGED!!

On October 24th, John proposed...and I said "YES!" He took me to Columbia, a restuarant in Celebration, FL. It was so cool because at the end of dinner our waiter told us that an anonymous friend called in and paid for our meal. John had no idea that that was going to happen and it really blessed him. After dinner we took a walk around the lake next to the restaurant and John proposed on a bridge under the stars. He got down on one knee and pulled out the ring. All I heard was "Jackie Horyza, will you..." and I was already saying "Yes!" He did finish the question and then put the ring on my finger. This picture was right after the proposal.

The next day we went to lunch and when we got to the restaurant, my mom, stepdad, sister and sister's friend were there! It was a huge surprise. They flew all night on Friday and arrived Saturday morning. John and my mom had been planning it for the last month. It was so special to have them there! That night there was an engagement party with both of our families and some friends. It was such a whirlwind weekend that I will never forget! :)

A Day at the Beach

On Sunday, John took me to Clearwater Beach for the day. It took us about 2 hours to get there but definitely worth it! We walked out on the pier and took this picture where I cut the top of John's head off (as usual).





Then John took a picture of me talking to my mom. I think it turned out decent...my mouth isn't in a weird position or anything and my hair looks pretty good. :) We called my mom to tell her that both of us are going to be able to go out to California for Christmas. Yay!




After the pier, we went and sat in the sand...well really we sat on a beach towel, but you know what I mean. It was such a beautiful day. There was a breeze which kept it from getting too hot. We also went and put our feet in the water and walked along the shore line.




But this is the main reason that John took me to Clearwater Beach! Isn't it beautiful? We sat and watched the sunset over the water and loved every second of it...except for the second when a lady stood right in front of us and blocked our view. Other than that, we loved it! :)




After watching the sunset, we went to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. Yum! I got to eat BBQ seasoned crab with a bib on and it was delicious. It was John's first time at Joe's Crab Shack and he really like it. Maybe that means we'll get to go back again soon. :) The entire day was so relaxing and we had a great time talking, laughing and spending some extended time together. I just love my boyfriend!!

This is Where I Work

McDirmit Davis is on the 6th floor of the Day Building right across the street from Lake Eola and right by Panera. :)



This is the view from our elevator - Lake Eola in downtown Orlando. Pretty nice huh? Too bad my office is on the backside of the building.


And this is my office...big and bare, but 2 monitors! :) What do you think I should bring in to liven up the place?

New Job!

Two weeks ago I started my new job at McDirmit Davis in downtown Orlando. I work as an accountant in the tax department. Basically we prepare individual and corporate tax returns for clients in Central Florida. My first few weeks have included some training and a lot of hands on learning. Some days the learning curve seems insurmountable, but I know I am making progress, even if it's slow. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

The firm is pretty small. I think there are about 12 staff and 4 partners. But the firm is solid and growing. The environment is "work hard and have fun". People get along and have a lot of respect for one another. I feel very blessed to have gotten a job here.

I'm getting used to rush-hour traffic and early mornings. I typically leave my house between 7:15 and 7:30am to try and get in by 8:00am. There is a bit of flexibility on the start time and right now we're only working 40 hours (no overtime) since it's pretty slow right now. It takes me about 30 minutes to get to/from the office. It's not horrible, and it definitely could be worse. Orlando is so spread out that it's not uncommon to drive 45 minutes to the otherside of town.

Dress code is business professional. I'm not required to wear a suit, but professional clothes are expected. It's been fun to shop for new clothes and shoes. :) I found this white blouse with purple stripes and ruffles on the collar...I seriously love my new shirt!

I'm really excited about my new job. I know it's going to be challenging but I also know that the Lord will be with my every step of the way.