Working Woman

I am trying to get back to journaling about myself, and one of the questions was what was my first job with a paycheck. I started thinking about it and decided I needed to document my working life.

My first job that came with a paycheck was filing for my Dad at the dealership. I started doing that the summer after I turned twelve and worked there almost every summer/holiday after that when I was not involved with sports. I had to clock in and out...the whole bit. I hated filing, but I did it anyhow. I did not think much of it then, but now 12 seems so young.

The last couple of summers I worked for my Dad I washed cars with Chelsey. We had to drag the hose from the front of the building to each car. We scrubbed it good and made it shiny and pretty. I was actually quite boring and very hot. To keep ourselves entertained we got in a few tiffs (the sales people always got a kick out of it) and memorized about ever price and color of the cars (who knew there were 15 different ways to say white...well I do!)

At some point in there I worked after hours at a little place that did matting and framing for artwork. I had a key, I would let myself in, turn the music on, make a cup of hot chocolate and get to work assembling frames. The frames would be ordered and come to me in pieces of wood. I would assemble the frames, staples them, fill in all holes and cracks (that was my favorite part mixing the colors to match the frames perfectly and making it look seamless.) I would cut the glass, clean everything, put it together, back it and get the wire hung properly. I loved that job!

The first summer after college I got a job as a teller at First National Bank. That was my first full-time job. As much as I hated wearing dress clothes, I loved playing with money.

Back at college I got a job at a place that right now the name has escaped me. I fulfilled orders. I would get a list of what people ordered, pull it off the racks, package it in boxes, print the shipping label and send it on it's way. I worked there full-time in the summer and then part-time when school started. It payed the bills.

After the mission I got a job working at the children's place, but that only lasted about a month and a half when I was offered the job I really wanted at the MTC. I taught Dutch and religion. That job was amazing (even though I had to wear a dress.) I had to leave that job a year later because I graduated BYU and was getting married.

My first job as a married lady was a teller at a credit union. Once again I got to play with money. The cool thing about this job is it really helped me and Grant to manage our finances and have a system that would allow us to live financially smart (at least we think) to this day. I learned a lot while working there!

When I started my graduate program it was difficult to work there so I got a new job at Cardon health care. I started out as a data entry person (my nightmare job staring at a computer all day without human interaction) but eventually evolved into an account rep where I learned a great deal about health insurance and its workings. This would later help us when we had our million dollar baby and future medical situations. I ended this job back as a data entry person after I had Jamison and they allowed me to work there part time to help make ends meet while Grant was still going to school.

During my employment at Cardon I also did two years of practicum (internships) that payed minimally. The first year I worked for Goodwill Initiatives on Aging and County Aging, and the second year I worked for LDS Family Services.

When we moved to Farmington I got a job working just a few hours a week at the LDS Family Services here. It was difficult, but I felt like I needed experience in case I ever needed to work to help support our family. If nothing else, I feel like I have learned a lot about being a parent through my experiences counseling others. I quit that job just before Asher was born because it was getting to be too much.

Just after Caleb was born I started doing some simple accounting for my Papa. I have always loved numbers and wanted to give it a try and see if I was interested. I have done that for the last four years and have discovered that I really like it and would love to get more training in that direction.....someday. I have come to the point now, that my most important job (which does not come with a paycheck) needs my undivided attention, so this week I no longer will be doing accounting.

So what I thought was going to be a quick little post has practically turned into a novel. As I think about my working history I am so grateful that my parent instilled a hard work ethic in me. I did not always love working (who am I kidding, I rarely liked it) but I can look back on my experiences and see how each job has taught me so much and what I have gained as a result. I hope I can teach our kids to work hard for what they need and want, and become contributing good people as a result. I am a better person for having worked hard for things we have!

Ummmm, excuse me Miss

Miss Miquelyn, I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to grow up so fast...just please stay my baby for a bit longer! You started crawling not all that long ago and you are already standing up to everything. You are even trying to stand up on your own in the middle of the floor. This weekend you stood up and balanced for a few seconds, why do you think you need to do that? We took you swimming for the first time and you were putting your own face under the water blowing bubbles...even Asher would not do that. Today I was upstairs doing something, knowing you were downstairs happily entertaining yourself. I walked down and found you crawling up the stairs ALREADY???? Can you please stop trying to be so grown up and keep up with your brothers and sister and just be my little one a bit longer.....please!

Another reason why I love my gorgeous husband

There are so many reasons to love this man immeasurable amounts, but I have yet another reason! I wanted to do a 10K run here over Memorial Day weekend (Riverfest) and gently persuaded him to run too. He has not run, (or as he puts it walked fast )since the half, so he opted to do the 5K instead. We started the run together. He slowed his pace down so he could run with me. I have been doing the P90X program for the last three weeks along with running...so my body is pretty fatigued. I did not feel all that great during the run. I wanted to run it under an hour, but but the end of 3 was thinking it was virtually impossible the way I was feeling. Grant finished at the 5K and I continued on to do another 3.1 miles. I never felt great, but running with Grant pushed me to do better. As I had about a 1/4 mile left I came around a corner to see Grant running towards me. He was coming to find me to help me finish my race. He ran the last bit with me telling me I was almost there and helping me finish strong (even though I felt far from!) I cannot tell you how much it lifted my spirits and will to have him come to finish it with me. What a good man! As if it wasn't enough for him to run with me even though he does not love it, and to slow down so he can be with me, he came to my side to finish it off. I have to admit I fell even harder for him in that moment. What can I say, I am the luckiest girl alive!

P.S. I ran it in 55 min but the best part about that was how Grant kept telling me how proud he was of me...I feel incredible when I hear those words from him!

Things my kids love to wear

As I was folding laundry (what seems to be a daily chore) I was thinking about the things my kids love to wear and why...and needed to write it down.

Jamison: Green, she loves to wear green because it is the school color and she loves spirit day

Dresses, any fancy dress, I think it adds to feeling like a princess...that is all she wanted for her b-day!

White salt water sandals, they can be found on her feet almost any day of the week.

Caleb: RL Polo shirts he loves to be just like his dad and wear a shirt with a "horsie" on it

A suit and tie, he looks forward to being a big boy and passing the sacrament more than any kid I know

Crocs, he loves his crocs, they are easy and comfy

Asher: Red T-shirt, he loves to wear red because that is what Tiger woods always wears on Sunday

No shirt, he would often prefer to strip down and if told to put something on he will wear his blanket

Flip-flops, he loves to be a big kid and wear flip flops like his siblings (his sausage toes are too cute.)

Miquelyn: Little missy is too young to show her preferences, but I do know she likes to wear her food

She is a sport about wearing whatever shoes I put on her toes, and I have a lot of shoes for her...she will be trained young!

Each of their personalities show through their choice of apparel, note to self, never forget how they are!

Take the Challenge

So, I have a problem...If something seems impossible, or someone tells me it cannot be done, I will set out to prove it wrong. This last Christmas my mom found these boots at Dillards that she wanted to get for Mikael, but when she went back they were gone. She looked online and could not find them in her size and especially not in the right color. She was ready to give in and get something else...so here I come. I was on a mission. it took me a day, but I eventually found several stores that not only had it in stock, but found a pair that was way cheaper than my mom would have originally paid. Very satisfying I must say. So on to my most recent challenge. The other day Harley and Jamison were painting their nails. Asher got a hold of the bright glittery maroon color and spilled it all over his shorts. I was not happy. I was pretty sure I would not be able to get it out, it was really dark, dried in and on khaki shorts. The next day I asked all the moms at play group if they knew how to get nail polish out of clothes. The overwhelming response was it was not going to happen, I better just get a new pair of shorts. I would probably spend less money buying a new pair. Okay now I am really on a mission, I was going to make it happen. I got home and read a bunch on the Internet. The magic ingredient was....off skintastic, sounded weird, but I thought I would try it.

I scrapped of the excess polish with a knife and started to spray it on. It faded the color, but it was still there. I did it over and over and faded it a tad.

Next I tried my all time favorite chocolate and blood stain remover, but that did not cut it either. I was not giving up yet though. I moved on to my other all time favorite all purpose stain remover Biz.

I made a paste and left it on over night. It pulled out a ton of the color of the polish, but not the fabric. I sprayed off on it again and scrubbed it with a toothbrush. There was almost no stain left. I soaked the shorts over night in water and biz, and alas....no more stain!!!!! I know it is silly to be so happy about something such as this, but I am....I did it, and all with item around my house and no expense to me.

You want to hear the ridiculous part, I bought these shorts at a consignment store for about 3 dollars and couple of weeks ago, it was not like they were made of gold, but I loved them, and now I saved them. I know, I have a problem!

We are Home!

Grant's Aunt and Uncle gave us a wind chime for our wedding. At the time I thought it was a cool gift (I love wind chimes) but I did not realize the significance it would come to have. We have lived in many homes in the last almost 9 years, and we have always found a place for our wind chime. When things started to wrap up with this house we looked to hang the chime. Grant said, "We need to hang this, when I hear or see it it means I am home." The chime is getting worn by weather and time, but it's music is a sweet reminder of our wedding day and our wonderful life together at "home!"

It is FINALLY ours!

As of Friday the house is finally legally ours! The funds all came in and it recorded. Now when my kids ask, "Mom, can we stay here forever?" Instead of saying, "I hope so...." now I can say, "Of course we can!" It really is such a relief to not have to worry about it anymore! We still have not hung any pictures, but to celebrate we bought a shed on Saturday and put it together. Our security system is now in and we happy!

I want to write down our timeline so I can remember how it all went down:

February 28: Got an offer on Dustin house

February 28: Made on offer on Sunrise house

March 1: both offers accepted!

March 27: 1st cheduled closing date

March 24: start moving into house...word that we closing would not happen for at least two weeks.

April 15: 2nd scheduled closing

April 13: word that we needed to extend another week

April 22nd: 3rd scheduled closing

April 21st: word that is was once again not going to happen and another extension

April 2? (it all started to blend together) forth extension

April 30: signed on Dustin house

May 1st: Signed on new house

May 8th: funds finally all in and the house is ours!

Powers

Asher talks about powers, I am pretty sure it all developed after spending an afternoon with Noah. He is so cute when he talks about it, but the main reason I had to catch this on video is I love his inflections, the way he talks with his hands, and the looks on his face. One of may favorites is when he says, "I don't know." He can be such a sweetie!

Art Contest

Every year at Jamison's school there is an art contest. There is a winner in each grade for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and kid's choice. Four local artist's come and judge and then the kids judge their own grade. Jamison won kid's choice for Kindergarten. I could not see her face when they called her name, but it was so cute because she walked right up to the table to claim her prize in front of the WHOLE school, without batting and eye. She has been so proud of the bag of goodies she got (colored paper, glue stick, crayons, markers, scissors, and water paints.) It was fun to see her get something fun after a difficult year adjusting. We had fun doing the art project together too. Side note, of the of the 24 awards given to the whole school, 6 were awarded to members of our ward.

She's off

Miquelyn started crawling this week. At first I was not ready for her to be mobile (that would mean she is growing up) but then I just wanted her to get on with it so she would stop crying at me and get what she wants herself. She is no on the move. She looks so cute when she scoots along. She is still pretty slow and often keeps her left leg straight because it gives her more leverage, but at least she is moving. I think this is the earliest any of my kids have ever crawled, I love it!