Busy Bees

We finally moved to Salt Lake- we have everything unpacked and the apartment is looking really great. We took Brad and Mandy to Ikea last weekend and got everything else we needed, plus some, including three bookshelves for Scott and I and our collection (but really, mostly Scott's collection).

We also got to spend the day at Liberty Park which was a lot of fun, and we found a new sushi restaurant with 50% off sushi all day every day. We got 5 amazing rolls for under $30, and that was getting all fancy rolls, a simple tuna roll cost 2.00 so you could really go cheap if you wanted to. I also got my Costco membership and have been using it a bit more than I probably should, but who can pass up Spinach Artichoke Dip and Sweet Potato Fries?! I mean, c'mon Costco, you have hooked me with your a-little-bit-cheaper-than-Smith's Bolthouse Smoothies and Various Assorted Cheeses- HAVARTI, I love Havarti- and you knew it. So just about $300 later and two weeks into our apartment, we are stocked up and the freezer is protesting. (I used some mad tetris skills to get it all in there)

We are doing great though, having a fantastic time. We have already watched the first season of Three's Company (sounds impressive but since there were only six 30 minute episodes the first season, it is a pretty minor accomplishment) and are super excited for our Jack-Chrissie-Janet lifestyle. For those of you who aren't clued in, my very wonderful and lovely friend Mandy has so graciously moved in with Scott and I and we are all being roommates to save a bit of money in expensive Salt Lake (compared to Logan- which is dirt cheap) and to have a lot of fun. Scott and Mandy keep each other company while I am at work, and Mandy will keep me company in the fall when Scott commutes to Logan. We all enjoy games, food and fun. Most people think it is weird, but it works for us, we all get along quite well and this will be a great temporary situation for all of us while we get our feet fresh out of college.

Work is still going really well, I feel very blessed to have found a job in this economy with such a great company. Scott is still trucking along with psychology, loves every minute of it, and is working to find volunteer opportunities this Summer because with all of the events in our lives there is no way he can get a job, but we are fine financially with my job, so him building up his resume a bit more will work just great.

I am not kidding about the busy Summer part- I was thinking about it this morning, and our new church members are going to either forget we ever existed from our first few attendances, or they will think we have gone inactive. We have family reunions, weddings, baby showers, vacations, etc. It is going to be a lot of fun, but literally almost every weekend is planned from now until August. With my new camera in tote I will be sure to document all of these events and more, and hopefully, by the end of the Summer I will be a better blogger. Considering where my starting point is at, I don't have to reach too far to achieve that goal, but hey- if you set low expectations you can't be disappointed!

Things I want to do this year: Number 1

http://seddy5.typepad.com/blog/2010/05/how-to-make-marshmallow-fondant.html

See that link? It is how to make marshmallow fondant! Now, I have never been a baker, and I have most definitely never decorated a cake, but with this amazing recipe, I am going to try my very best to make an awesome cake. I don't know who my victim will be yet, but I am very excited to try it!

Two years

Well, it has been officially two years since Scott and I remet. I am such a lucky girl to have him in my life, he is so sweet, all the time, I can't ever think of a time when he put me down or said something to make me feel bad. He treats me so well, and I know I am so blessed to have that. I don't think I deserve it all the time, but he gives it anyway.

My friend Morgan introduced me to the best blog I have ever seen, you have to check it out. The blog Love Actually (http://loveactually-blog.blogspot.com/) has the cutest ideas to make every day special with your special someone. My belated new years resolution is to do that more often.


My last blog was about spending quality time with my husband and making every day count. For christmas my mom bought me a frame that I had been eyeing for awhile, with my favorite quote ever: "Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you will look back and realize they were big things." I am trying so hard to learn to love every day, especially in this time in my life when I just want to fast forward and get to the good parts.

I have to sit back and remind myself to enjoy the moments because time flys by way too fast. I still remember the first time Scott and I got together for dinner, we had so much fun, and it has been so much fun ever since. I am working hard to enjoy every moment that we get together and see that I am lucky for every day I get with him. I am so grateful for the last two years, for the love and joy that they have brought me, and as I do reflect on all the little moments, they have made one big thing that has made all the difference in my world.

Quality not Quantity

Well, what an exciting few weeks. For starters, the holidays were fantastic, got to see lots and lots of my family, which I always enjoy. Scott's parents also returned from England, but with my crazy schedule I just barely saw them this week (they have been home for two- it took me two weeks to see my in-laws!)

Scott and I spent the night in Salt Lake together last night. Since we only get to see each other a few days a week, we have decided to make every moment count. It has actually been really great for our relationship, we really appreciate each other more. All of our predecessors (parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) are worried that we aren't seeing enough of each other, and his parents even asked us tonight, "Do you two even like each other?" and we just laugh, because it really is a fantastic set-up. Our new motto is "quality, not quantity."

I could come home every day, sure the commute would kill me, but honestly if I did it wouldn't be my tiredness that would keep me from Scott, it is simply that he has so much to worry about in his own life right now getting his degree and working his butt off to be a competitive grad school applicant. I am so proud of him, and wouldn't change that, and so, whether I stayed in Salt Lake or came home, he would be working on homework most nights, and we wouldn't really be spending time together, I would be sitting on my butt watching TV, while he sits on his butt at the computer. Instead, we have opted for our current situation. Scott will get all of his work done on nights I am not home, so that we can really spend time together when I am, not just physically in the same room while mentally on separate planets. We have really come to appreciate each other more, and our relationship has become a lot better because of this.

So, last night we stayed at the Peery Hotel in downtown SLC, this is where we had our honeymoon, and it was so nostalgic and fun. We just relaxed, ate some good food, saw a movie and reconnected. We had so much fun we are going to try to make it a monthly ritual. Because I am making so much more money through the "commuting" and "not seeing Scott everyday" sacrifices, we feel that this is completely justified, and do not feel guilty at all about the splurge- we deserve it. I am looking forward to next month, should be a good time.

So for everyone who is worried that my husband and I don't see each other enough, you can stop. We have more deep and personal moments this way than we would ever have if we saw each other more. We get to have that giddy dating again feeling of seeing each other, have something to look forward to, and I get an awesome job to boot. Life couldn't be better, we are loving every minute.

I feel like a lame butt because I never have pictures, I am just not good at that sort of thing, but I will make it my new years resolution to take more pictures!

I just want to say a special thank you to all of my friends, present and past- I have been so blessed in my life to be surrounded by such outstanding individuals, and while I feel like I no longer have time for anything or anyone, and will stink at keeping in touch, which I was already the worlds worst at, I want you all to know that I think of you daily, and keep you in my prayers. I wish that I had all the time in the world to kindle these wonderful relationships, but my new lifestyle has really put things into perspective, and right now the most important thing I need to do is focus on my husband. I love you all, but more than the majority of my minimal free time goes to him, and I hope that you can understand that this isn't because I don't love you, I just love him more.

I hope you are all doing well, and if I don't post again anytime soon, which is very likely, I hope you all have a very merry Christmas.

Happy

Well, the first week of my job went well. Trying really hard to just learn all that I can, coming in as someone with little to no knowledge of the inner and outer working of insurance, but I feel that I am getting the general hang out what they throw my way.

All of my co-workers are very helpful and friendly, and I am really enjoying my team. We get an hour lunch and it is tradition to play cards, apparently, and I am super cool with that. My coworkers threw a pizza party for me my first day, and they all signed a card that was waiting at my desk- super nice people.

The benefits are out of this world- I have a 401k, pension plan, retirement bonus, christmas bonus, full health plan (nothing deducted from my salary, just a cafeteria plan on top of my salary), the standard vacation-sick-personal days, etc. I love having a real, big girl job!

The commute is a bit long, but so far I have listed to two very great stories, and I did come home midweek, so all and all it wasn't so bad. The worst part is coming home to a house that, in my opinion, was not at all what I want my in-laws to come home to on Thursday. I leave the house spotless on Sunday night, and it is a boy's version of clean by Wednesday. Scott really does try his best to keep things clean, but it is big job for one person to handle- I should know, it has been driving me nuts!

Rod and Gaye get back from England on Thursday, so Scott and I have begun our preparations to move out- it is going to take a few weeks still, but the renovation has begun! We went and picked out our paint colors on Saturday, and painted the wood paneling "whisper grey." I also painted some older pieces of furniture we found upstairs in this color- one side table and a dresser. I removed all the knobs from the drawers and am going to buy some wallpaper to cover them with and some knew knobs- they are doing to turn out super cute, I am so excited.

The other two walls of the room were coated with wallpaper- we didn't realize that this would mean five layers of wallpaper with various consistencies of glue and sticky matter inbetween....all put on sometime in the last 60 years. Fun. It has been a monsterous pain in the butt, but we have removed 80% of the stuff, so we feel pretty good.

Rod says he will help Scott remove the rest, and then we are going to have to get some kind of plaster paint to level out the wall, and then paint. After that it is laying the new carpet (naturally getting rid of the hideous pink shag) and then moving in. We are looking for a new mattress, and I am going to make a new headboard for us.

Pretty much I love this room- it is my big DIY project and I think it is so much fun, it is going to take about a month to finish, but everything is pretty much going to have our personal touch. I will, of course, take pictures- I can't wait. Going to do a bunch of sewing- making pillows, a throw and new curtains. Living with my grandparents three days out of the week makes that very nice- I can glean a lot from their sewing wisdom!

Speaking of which- I love my grandparents. They have been so kind to open up their homes to me, and I really feel welcome. It is fun getting to see them, and I think they like having me around. They have been very hospitable, making me dinners, making room for me, and just making this a really easy transition. It is hard commuting, but it is nice only having to do it twice a week.

Things are good- Scott and I are very happy- we will be happier when we have our own space again, particularly one so tailored to our tastes, and I can't wait to see the final product- it is going to be fantastic!

What can she possibly have to say?

I am at a loss for words. Life is just comfortable, nothing too crazy going on, and most of the time I think to myself, is there anything I could say that would really be interesting? That and my lack of photographs make for one very dull blog. I am not having babies, I am not off on some new adventure in a different state or country, and I am not the kind of person who has random unplanned adventures on a regular basis. I am practical, predictable and all around normal.

So, here are the few things I can tell you

-Starting my new job tomorrow, going to be commuting two times a week. I am going to be staying in SLC on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights, and coming home Wednesday and the weekend.

-My work is right next to IKEA, and with the way I love that store I am going to really rock out our new little space in Scott's grandfathers house. We are going to move into his home in a couple weeks, occupying two of the rooms in the vacated upstairs region of the house. It needs serious tlc, so we are starting our renovating next saturday. We are going to remove the wallpaper, paint the walls, windows, etc., get new carpet in the bedroom (replacing the seriously outdated pink shag carpet) and then I am going to be doing lots of interior decorating. I am going to make my own headboard, pillows and window coverings, and maybe make a few more crafty things to decorate with. Getting pretty darn excited about it too.

-Not much else to say, just planning on living out of my car half the week (well, sleeping at my grandparent's houses) and I have food, clothing and overnight stuff in my trunk, all organized in bins, very neatly. Also arming myself with books on cd for the drive, my first commuting pick: The Penderwicks on Gardham Street. My good friend Mandy loved these books, and I trust her literary judgement, so heres to enjoying my drives!

Glad the holidays are coming up, not much on my wishlist, so far I want a bento box lunch set, a CHI hair straightener and a new Northface jacket. I know, so exciting...maybe I need to throw in a must have toy for the season, or a gift card to IKEA.....that would rock.

CHICKEN- YUCK

So as some of you may know, over the years I have developed a pretty healthy dislike of chicken. It has nothing to do with the taste, and everything to do with running into weird stuff while you are eating it. There is nothing more disgusting than biting into a piece of hard, unchewable chicken parts.

I never thought that this particular quirk of mine would actually get me fired from my job, but it did- crazy I know. Apparently me hating chicken was too much of a hazard for the Avalon Hills facility, and so I took my bow and left. Am I a bit upset? Absolutely, I keep thinking to myself- that was messed up. Will I get over it? Half way there. Although, I do need to brag for a minute on how I have definitely been a very big person through the entire situation.

I was very graceful when my boss told me I had to leave, I didn't even back talk, I just took it, told her if that is what she thought was best for the patients then I would do what I had to in order to ensure their full recovery. When the girls asked me why I had to leave (and let me tell you several of them were very sad, it was hard to leave them, I had really started bonding with them) I just told them that my chicken dislike was too hard for Avalon to accomodate, and that it was in their best interest that I no longer stay on as staff. I assured them it was not a big deal, it had nothing to do with them, and I would miss them very much.

In reality, when I get home and am not at Avalon? I think that I was treated extremely unfairly seeing as I ate the chicken everytime they served it. I hated it but I manned up and ate the stuff. I made a request a few times with individual chefs to substitute something when I knew I was really going to have a hard time eating the stuff, but whatever. Also, my boss said that my last week here I wouldn't have to eat chicken at all, that the culinary staff would provide substitutes- guess who ate chicken twice, and never got a single substitute. I know I know, I can't blame the culinary staff, but really I just feel Avalon really treated me unfairly.

Okay enough complaining and on to the silver lining. The day before I got fired I got a call from an insurance company I put an application into back in the Spring. If I hadn't of gotten fired, I never would have called them for the interview. The job could be fantastic, great salary and absolutely amazing benefits. I feel really good about the interview, still waiting to hear back for sure about whether I have the job, but I feel optomistic about it. I will be making almost three times what I was making at Avalon, so financially it will put us in a really great position, and I qualify for outstanding benefits after just a month of working.

Can I complain and moan about my situation? Yes. But will it last forever? No, I think I move on pretty quickly.