Tuesday 6 December 2011

Katie Low, CA

Thats right ladies and gents...I passed the UFE and am now a Chartered Accountant! Look out world! After all this time working towards it I'm not sure what is next? Just...work? The thought of that makes me want to sleep for a looooong time. I need a vacation, good thing Xmas is coming up! I haven't had more than the occasional long weekend off since last Xmas so I am reeeeally looking forward to it, lots! Life is great! More details and pictures to come later when I'm not on the iPad.

Saturday 5 November 2011

Welcome to our first home!

Ok, its not our first home, but the basement we first lived in doesn't count since there weren't any stairs (except on the descent to our one bedroom teeny tiny basement suite).  Like the good picture taker I am, I do not have pictures of our first, and hopefully last, basement suite home.  BUT after living here for over half a year, I have finally managed to take a nice photo tour of our first (rental) home.

the front room



hallway to kitchen or stairs to go up (already so many more decisions!)


main floor washroom



kitchen and eating area




our little yard


now backtrack to the stairs (see above) and walk up them...guest bedroom at the top!


next bedroom has been turned into an office / get ready nook 
(doesn't everyone like to sit on the floor and get ready in the morning?)




upstairs hallway


main washroom
 (we could easily grow old here, someone has already installed handrails in the shower)


our bedroom 
(highest bed ever! it might be as high as the captain bed I had as a child, though things seemed much larger back then)


dallin's side


my side





the end

honorable mentions:  all the closets we get to utilize in each room, the basement which was too ugly to be captured but allows us to store junk and do our laundry in.

Needless to say, we really like our first home.  We really like the price too, so if you are moving to Calgary and don't mind a drug dealing, loud mouth, african american, obese woman living across the way we can hook you up!






Monday 12 September 2011

I write the UFE tomorrow!

This is the last thing I should be doing right now.  BIG exam tomorrow and the next day and the next day. BUT I am having trouble studying, I figure if I dont know it yet I will not know it for the exam sooo not very motivating.  Here is a song that I really enjoy lately that could be my UFE song...apparently you are supposed to have one. It has nothing to do with the UFE, but I like it.


Eisley - I Wish by Benny Fresh


Am I nervous? Not yet. I am betting I will be tomorrow morning once I'm sitting in the big hall with hundreds of other writers. Wish me luck!!

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Summer 2011 Happenings

Well it's been awhile! I am betting that all of my posts will be sporadic.  One thing thats really been holding me back (other than being busy), is that I never take pictures.  Blogs are boring without pictures, so its been a goal of mine to start taking pictures.  But have I yet? Nope. Its really hard to become a picture taker and I don't want to take pictures just for the blog.  I don't think I'm that good of a blogger. Still working on it. 

We have been doing lots of fun stuff this summer, despite the lack of evidence.  No vacations other than long weekends, but we have been making the most of every long weekend we get.  We went to Echo lake with Dallin's family, two trips to Edmonton and hung out with all of our dear friends and family that live there, hit up Calgary Stampede, and visited Vernon BC for a mini Rowe reunion for a weekend too! We have had the best luck with weather, I don't think this summer has been especially warm but each trip we go on has been hot and sunny! So lucky! It would be terrible to have no vacation time AND bad weather, so we are grateful for that.  I should let you know that I have not been avoiding the sun either, I have been soaking in as much as I can.  I can already feel the air getting colder at night as fall approaches :(

We have been getting alot of work done this summer during the weeks.  I finished module 6 and wrote the three day exam last week.  I have been keeping a handle on my stress levels as well. The most stressful week to date was the first week of module 6 for some reason.  Not what I had anticipated. But I imagine the most stressful times are ahead of me.  1 month til the UFE! Lots of studying to do until then, so I am making sure I stay focused. Dallin has finished another two classes as of this week, after he finishes up two papers this week. Then he will begin hard core studies for the LSAT until his 6 classes start in fall semester. 

I also have some exciting news to share! I have been pursuing a transfer into the tax group at PwC and got the job as a Senior Associate in Corporate Tax! So happy about it, as I was dreading being a senior in the audit group.  I am excited to learn about corporate tax and to broaden my skill set! So all is good in the career path rigth now, just have to wait for results for module 6 and write the UFE if all is well in that regard.

I have taken a break from running for the time being. I know they say you should keep exercising etc while studying, but I am afraid I won't have the energy and time to keep up with everything if I do.  So if I do run it will be a spur of the moment decision if I really feel like it.  I will get back into it again after the exam.  How fat can I get in one month right? (don't answer that...)

Well thats all for now, time for bed!

Monday 6 June 2011

I'm not the blogging type. Or am I?

Well...I never thought this day would come, but I didn't even last a full year of marriage before I caved.  So here we are (whether you like it or not Dallin).  Actually Dal doesn't even know about the blog yet.  Early future-Father's Day present? I'm sure he will be thrilled...

I guess I should start off by introducing our little family to the blogging world.  I will try not to list off my entire life's story including all of the pets I've ever had, which would be reminiscent of my childhood journal.  It's probably not as cute when a grown woman does that right?  So I used to be a Rowe and now I am Low. This transformation occurred on July 31, 2010 when I married Dallin, and it was my perfect day.  This blog just wouldn't be complete without some wedding pictures, so expect some of those sometime when I am on a different computer.

 I am a quarter century old but I don't feel like I am.  I am still somewhat shy and intimidated by "adults", even though I am one..I guess.  I chose the nerdy path of accounting at the ripe age of 15 and that is the path that I continue on.  I lived in Edmonton while I completed my Bachelor of Commerce degree at UofA and then got a job articling in public practise.  If all goes as planned I will have my CA by December of this year. Just Module 6, studying and UFE left in my journey.  And has it ever been a journey! Not the exciting kind, but more of grueling, life sucking, wrinkle causing kind. I won't get into that boring stuff though.

 Dallin and I live in Calgary where he goes to UofC and I work at Price Waterhouse Coopers.  Dallin is working on his undergrad full-time while studying for the LSAT, which he plans to write in October.  So we will both be spending most of our summer days studying indoors this year, but that ok because I have embraced my whiteness. Tans are fickle anyways, they just fade (Not saying that I would avoid one or anything). 

Now that I have a short break between busy season and module 6, I have time for hobbies and interests again.  So along with my sudden "semi-interest" in blogging, I have also taken up running and hot yoga again which has been great.  I just ran my first 10K race on saturday and it was great fun!  I have also taken an interest in painting/decorating our place, as well as planting flowers.  These are not typical interests of mine but Dallin and I just moved into a townhouse (still renting) but we aren't sharing a yard etc so it hs been really fun to finally be able to personalize our space.  Our discovery of HGTV might also have something to do with it.  Dallin is still waiting for me to gain an interest in cooking/baking, but at this rate it could happen any day now...

Well I can't promise to be a very loyal blogger, but I used to write in a journal quite regularily until I got married and now I feel like I should get with the times. This is what wives do right? and who knows maybe Dallin will post some treats on here as well!