It begins

So about once every month while we are driving somewhere, I always think to myself, "you know, we need to get a blog since that is what married Mormon people do." I then mention my brilliant idea to Deanna, who always responds with that sweet disdain between her smile that we already have a blog set up and that she told me this already the previous month. Well, after the 13th time that she told me this, we have decided to actually blog to record our ever exciting lives since journals are SO dawn of time-1990's!

So what has been going on this last little while, you ask? Well, to begin Deanna and I are currently living in Knoxville, TN where I am attending law school so that I can successfully sell my soul to the Devil, or at least that is what I hear you have to do if you want to win cases. Law school was quite a shock at first, but it has gotten much better. When I sat in my criminal law class for the first time my professor asked everyone to write down their favorite alcoholic beverage while adding that if you want to be successful in life, you need to learn your alcohol. It was at this moment that the bubble created while at BYU shattered all around me. But not being the boy in the plastic bubble anymore has been quite liberating. Many of my classmates ask me questions all the time about my faith and why I do or do not do the things that I do, and I love being part of the minority.

Speaking of minority, since Deanna and I moved to Knoxville we got a black and white cat (so I guess he really isn't a minority in the true sense of the term) named Leroy. He is more like a dog than a cat. He drinks from the toilet, loves to chase you while you run up the stairs, carries his toys around the house in his mouth, but his favorite pastime as of late is to nibble on my leg and toes while I sleep, as if he is a zombie-cat. Now, I know you are all thinking how I could agree to such a thing, but you should know that it did not just happen all at once. First it started off with a certain someone changing my desktop background to kittens, then it was the constant showing me youtube videos of kittens, then the "I don't want to move into an apartment that does not allow pets." Then when Deanna was still looking for a job while I was at school, it was the "I want a cat to keep me company." Needless to say, I finally got the hint on the condition that I would not have to clean the litter. Deanna has so far been good on her promise….most of the time :)

Now speaking of Deanna, after much praying, fasting, pleading, and even bribing, Deanna got a job teaching 2nd grade. If there was ever a testimony experience of good things come to those who wait, this is it. Deanna applied to over 150 teaching jobs during the winter and summer, and all of them were taken. This was not part of our plan and we were not sure what to do. We almost lost hope and Deanna applied to a day care job down the street that was part-time. During the interview they had her read Bible stories to drooling one-year olds who could not speak, and yet she was supposed to get them to not only recognize, but say the different animals that made it onto Noah's Ark. This put us in the lowest of lows, but then a light beamed on us and a phone call came asking for a Deanna DeVore.

A principal from a local elementary school called Deanna and asked her to interview for a new teaching position since they had a bunch of kids register for school after it started. Turns out she nailed the interview and got the job! There was much rejoicing in the DeVore household and we were thankful to have money come into our dwindling bank account. Deanna loves teaching, and learning how things are done here in the South is always an adventure. Deanna has 12 students (2 of which do not speak english), and from what I hear, they have a lot of personality. It is funny because when they get in trouble they always say "yes m'aam" and when they spell words they always add the letter "y" according to how the words sound with a southern accent e.g. "whayle instead of whale." You would never have thought that this would be an issue, but it is. We also discovered that there is even a difference between a southern accent and a country accent. People make fun of those with country accents, but they both sound the same to us and we can't tell a difference. We just don't tell those who speak with the southern accent that.

Before I close I just want to add that Deanna and I have callings in our ward. I am in Elder's Quorum instructor and Deanna teaches the Miamaids. Life is fun and I think I can speak for both of us when I say that we are enjoying our time here in the dirty South!

-Devin & Deanna