After much to do... I now have a Virginia driver's license. So official. And horrible. I can't believe I'm actually an official Virginian now. Oh well, it won't be permanent... hopefully! I also got my license plates for my car, the new title and registration for my car, and registered to vote in VA for the upcoming election. Super important. Part of me likes Obama... but then I remember that I have absolutely no idea what he plans to do once he's in office. He hasn't given much details. Which worries me. Either way, I'm voting for McCain. I've been supporting him since 2006, I can't give up now. I think he'll make a great president. He'll do great in our current military situation since he's been there-done that- and survived. He has good stances on the other conservative issues that are prominent today. And he's a good family man, which is important to me. I can only do my part and cast my single vote.

Matthew and I also merged our bank accounts today. So I am currently without a debit card or checks. Scary. Well, it will help me from spending too much money I suppose. P.S. getting a new driver's license and registering a car are expensive! And I have to go back and get a horizontal one in a couple weeks since I'll be turning 21. Ridiculous. More money. Ah well. There's the government for ya. Back to the bank accounts. The very helpful lady wanted us to open a his-hers-ours account, but we said that really wouldn't be necessary. It's all going to the same ends. As long as the bills are paid and we put the set aside amount into savings each month, I don't much care what else he spends our extra money on. We'll always ask each other. And pretty much everything nowadays is returnable anyways. So it shouldn't be a problem.

Today is turning out to be a good day. We got the rest of our wedding pictures so I can organize them into our book. And most everything else is taken of that needs to be as far as Iveson-ing me. I still have to take care of Social Security, but I'll do that sometime when Matt is at work. I can be a big girl and do it by myself.

I still need to call the IRS and try to get copies of our tax returns. Hopefully I cna get through this next time.

Yesterday I realized that on accident I had begun four books and was still in the process of reading them! I have been reading a lot since our wedding (I've finished over 10 books since then!) so I was astonished to find some books with bookmarks that I had forgotten about. Two of these I was actively reading and the other two I had begun a little before the wedding and put on hold until I had more time. Naturally, I forgot about these first two. Yesterday I read more than I care to at one sitting. I finished two of the books. Wicked: A good read. I enjoyed the background and the new perspective on Oz. The only problem being, as I have up till this time been a huge advocate of Oz and such surrounding stories... it is difficult for me to quite appreciate the entirely new setting in which Maguire has placed his story. A lot of change to handle. While the book is a pleasant read, I would recommend the musical to anyone wanting a slightly differing view of the world over the Rainbow. It's far less tragic. On to the next book. Sacred Marriage: A great read for pretty much anyone. It held a lot of insights for me personally as a newlywed. But if I had read it during the engagement period it would have been beneficial and I even believe it would have been during the dating period. It would help me understand Matthew better and prepare my heart to be a better wife in advance. It could even help singles with everyday relationships. One piece of advice I have, if singles or those who are nearing marriage read marriage books prior to marriage, re-read these books after the wedding. You have a whole new set of eyes with which to see the truths these pages hold. Everything looks different depending on your point of view. And your point of view changes much more drastically than you would think after marriage.

I am now working on finishing the other two books I had forgotten about. First I want to finish Boundaries in Marriage. My sister gave this to me as a birthday present last year. I have read most of it and only have the final few chapters to finish. It is a good book. I'll probably buy a few more of the Boundaries series. This sisters is facing a separation and possible divorce and she recommended it to me. I trust her judgment in this area since I know she only wants the best for me and doesn't want my marriage to take the unfortunate direction hers did. Of course, our situation is very different from theirs. The second book is Children of the Mind. A Sci-fi in the Ender series. If you haven't read Ender's Game, go buy a copy now and begin immediately! One of the best books I've ever read. So much so that I read it twice in the span of a few months. I am working my way through the rest of the series. I can't believe I forgot I was midway through this great piece of work. I started reading it on our honeymoon. In all the packing, moving, and unpacking craziness I put it aside in a drawer and forgot about it. I am excited to see what Wang-mu and Peter find and what will happen when the Starways Congress finally arrives.

I like to think that I am extremely well read. The only problem being, that a lot of the books I read in high school are beginning to fade from my memory. Meaning I must re-read these. But there are so many more books I still have yet to discover! I am an avid reader. The day my eyesight fails will be a sorry day indeed. Of course, I hope to never grow that old. Jesus will come. You just wait and see!

Cheers,
Rebecca Iveson