so sew

So, this christmas Josh and I are making our christmas gifts, and so I attended some relief society nights, and realized how much of a hopeless sewer(?) I am. I can't sew a straight line to save my life. Thank goodness my mother was there to bail me out and fix things for me. Im still trying to do most of the sewing on my own, but with mom looking over my shoulder, and I might have these done by christmas.. the other projects we're working on are a little bit easier, and more universal(is that cheating?).. hopefully everyone likes them. One thing I have realized in doing this is that I love Cash n Carry..(Ive been doing alot of breadmaking, and I use big bags of flour)... seriously, they have Everything!! We are going back sometime soon and getting the odd ingredients for Miso soup.. which I love.. I am going to have it on my stovetop always. It is an appetite suppressant too (something about the seaweed in the miso).. with tofu, and prawns--ok-- can't afford to always have prawns in it-- soo good and really filling. Im so excited about not having to go to a restaraunt for MISO!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see the finished projects.. maybe I will post pix after christmas.. can't really do it before hand and spoil peoples surprises. I guess Miso soup is my present to myself :)

Little victories

Definitely mean alot. After my wii fit was collecting dust for a while I finally brought it down to do some things, and stepped on it, did a body test, and alas, I lost 10 lbs since Mid-July. While 10 lbs seems like nothing to some, to me, it is reassurance that what Im doing is working, steadily and slow. I could amp it up, and lose weight more quickly, but may fall into gaining it back faster, wheras this is more of a life style change. I am making it to the gym more regularly, but not overdoing it. I also had a job interview with the child welfare office, and one coming up on the nineth for chemeketa(albiet its a custodial position), but I should hear something in 2 weeks about the state job. keeping my toes and fingers crossed.. I miss being able to go to church.. and I want my weekends back. It also is looking grim for coming to kfalls for christmas unless I get a new job. New job new job new job no whammy!

Our newest member

So since Josh and I don't have any children (yet), our family is made up of our black lab Bowie, our black cat Neimi, and our latest member Sirius Black, Neimi's all black son. He has been such a fun kitten to watch. He also is quite mischievous. We have discovered that one of his favorite toys is a fresh roll of toilet paper. Oh its so much fun to shred when josh and I are sleeping. The other day I caught him carrying a brand big roll out of the bathroom. I really wish I had a camera because even though this habit is wastful and makes a mess, seeing him carrying a huge roll of tp was just too cute- of course I took it away from him the second after I saw it. He is best friends with Bowie, they snuggle and sleep together, and play. I think he thinks he is a dog..hence the name and nod to harry potter. That and he's all black(yes, there is a pattern to our choice of pets). Its nice having a cat who isn't afraid of strangers, and loves being held and purrs so loud when you put him near bowie or just pick him up. After he's out of his kitten playfulness he should be an amazing and wonderful cat. He also likes sleeping on the monitor, probably because it is warm and cats have a thing for that. I feel kinda like a dork for blogging about our cat, but I just wanted say welcome to our clan Sirius Black.

have you ever

Did you ever think you were fat in high school? Only to see yourself now and think, Why did I think I was fat? It happened to me. I even thought I was fat when I was in the Army and prolly in the best shape of my life. I sort of regret feeling that way, and when I think about it, it makes me angry- Yeah, I wasn't the skinniest girl in my class, but I could still shop in the juniors department, and dresses looked ok on me. I started working out again, and working on my cholesterol- and it is helping my work be a little less painful. There is a lot of bending, stooping and lifting in my job. I have been saving money on not eating out,and learning new delicious recipes and earning extra $$ working on my parents yard projects with Joshua. That was my arm and back workout yesterday. I ripped up tree roots, dug holes and planted bamboo starts. I have to workout to keep up my energy for my new schedule up.
I work now Fri, sat and sun, 4p-10p fri, 6a-10p sat & sun. Sat and sun are pretty rough, I don't get to go to my new awesome ward- if I new this building was so cute I would of had our wedding there instead of in monmouth. But working 2 16 hour shifts is very draining, and monday feels like a recovery day. During the week I cook, clean, paint (feels so good to be doing that again), and now force myself to go to the gym. Next term (winter) I might look at going back to school, and take some psych classes. This term doesn't seem feasable. I need my body to be more used to this shift. I also might seek a different shift/house when one is available so I can actually go to church. That would be nice

About time

I got the promotion I so diligently jumped through many hoops to get..I found out last friday, and now I am PCL's latest Service Coordinator,aka house manager. I will soon no longer be working graveyards, have a company phone(ooh lala), and will be a salaried member of the leadership team.. that means lots of meetings, overnight conferences, and of course, delightful responsibility. I don't know what house I will be in charge of yet, and probably won't know til after my honeymoon. I know I don't start til after the 1st of April. I will be on an 8-5 schedule, with of course oncall hours, so not too bland of a schedule.
march is a pretty good month.. Im getting married in 4 days (wow), I got the promotion, josh registers and starts school, the network technologies program, and my friend becca landed the job at walmart. yay! i also get to go to Rancho Oso for our honeymoon, its a dude ranch in SoCal, and we are staying in a covered wagon.. I hope its warm down there now. It is kinda cold up here now. I also get to see my sisters in 3 days. That makes me pretty happy

down to the wire

So, The wedding is almost here, and it still feels like there is so much to be done..

While I could have a nice wedding tomorrow if need be, I was just reminded today of things that still need to happen. Like getting josh's suit, license, wedding bands, and Thank you cards. We received our first present today, and it came to mind. I also need to get gifts for my maid of honor and bridesmaids (who are throwing me an awesome bridal shower, thank you soo much you guys!!!) I don't have my hair person confirmed, or even know if I am going to have her do my hair(i can do it myself if it comes to it). I have no shoes yet for the wedding, and I think I am going with a traditional shoe.. nothing funky like chucks or docs. Im not sure how we are going to do the music.. I know the church has a system.. and I have an mp3 player.. and Andi and her sisters have incredible music talent, and I really want there to be music.

More people are invited than I had originally planned on, I hope there's enough wedding cake :) And I know my mom has been sewing like a mad woman, altering andi's dress, and working on the little girls' dresses. She has also been running around borrowing lights and decorations from other people.. she's wonderful. I can't wait for the honeymoon, not cuz we're going anywhere, but i have approved PTO, and I am going to need it. I have worked almost everyday for the past 2 weeks, and will prolly have to work more (extra) before the wedding.

I would like to thank all others who are helping put this shindig together, including my sisters who are taking time to help with food and other things. I know they are going to be incredible! My inlaws who are sewing, putting things together, and hosting the rehearsal dinner. Those who are lending us lights and decorations, and other various items. I would also like to thank my bosses for giving me almost two weeks paid time off, even though we are understaffed.

Im getting married in like 15 days!!!! Im excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The hoops I must jump through

How long in a job should a person have to work before any sort of promotion should happen? I have been asking that for about 2 months now. I have worked at PCL since June 14th 2007. I was in the Army for 3 years and managed to get promoted 3 times. I am vying for a position within PCL called Service Coordinator. A service coordinator is a house manager, making sure all the books are good, staffing issues are taken care of, that there is money for food, and household, and that the clients are properly taken care of by direct support staff (what I currently am).
One of the things i have done to try to stand out is ask for more leadership opportunities, and being graveyard, there isn't much, but I was given the task of end of month paperwork! I think I did it correctly. I also lead meeting sometimes, but the most annoying thing I have to do is be dependable. When you are dependable, you are the one they ask to work on your day off. You get the most over time, whether you really want it or not. Your personal life suffers.
Sometimes it feels like the most I can do to impress the higher ups at work is do an outstanding job cleaning the house, and in my year and 1/2 of being there, I have had 3, soon to be 4 different service coordinator. It can get exsausting trying to impress people all over again. Well, I am finally getting the letter of recommendation from my current S.C., and that with my written letter of interest
will hopefully lead to great opportunities for me, and with my ability to support my family.

Speaking of family matters, My sister-in-law-to-be had a little girl on monday, jan 19 2009. Her name is Serenity Lynn, and she is a beautiful little baby.

Things my dog has destroyed

For anyone considering getting a puppy, especially a lab puppy, you should know, they have insatiable appetite(If I let her, my dog will eat til she barfs, eat the barf, and then eat some more), strong jaws, and not very discerning taste. Before I had a kennel for her, I came home to some unsightly destruction scenes. The apartment had been ransacked..Pieces of unidentifiable(until I located the destroyed product) garbage lay everywhere, and there, usually in the middle of my bed, there she lay with whatever it was she felt like destroying..all with the most innocent expression a guilty puppy can muster. I have no photos of the remnants, but here is a list of everything I can remember her eating:


My Zen stone mp3 player (while it was docked to the computer)
at least 5 bras.. she still will try to get them if she sees them
2 sets of headphones, including josh's wireless ones
underwear.. she still tries to get my undies.. I know, Gross.
a Spatula
plastic elephant bank
most of my old stuffed animals
half full waterbottles( those are what she likes to eat on the bed.. fun stuff)
she has tried to eat the wooden legs off my wingback chair
a phone charger
a laptop power chord (while it was still plugged in..she didn't chew it for long)
some of my plastic orange tupperware containers
circle k cups, again while with liquid still inside them
3 ps2 controllers (and she almost destroyed a Wii mote and chuck, but we caught her on that one before any real damage was done)
my 'best of friends vol. 2' dvd
the cat brush
at least 7 pairs of shoes (between josh and I)

That is what I can remember her eating off the top of my head. Some would get rid of the dog at this point, but Bowie, as hungry as she is, is a wonderful dog. She is sweet, a huge cuddlebug, smart (she really does want to please)playful with kids and the cat, a good watchdog, and I couldn't imagine getting rid of her, despite my loss of personal property. Her chewing has improved, and she does better with her toys now (while she was chewing everything in sight, she did have toys.. just wanted to make that clear), and really tries not to chew what she isn't supposed to. Labs make wonderful pets for those with patience and not too much attachment to their things. She is a part of the family and we love her.. our chewy naughty little puppy :D

Decorations buildings and bishops

So, the wedding is less than three months away and things are getting pretty well organized. Saturday my mom and I found really pretty green tall vases' and fake -oops- I mean silk, purple gladiolas and matching tall accent flowers. We also found deals on properly colored pebbles and stones. Yay!! Decorations are pretty much taken care of..A friend of my parents are 'gifting' us a wedding cake. She does really elegant wedding cakes, so I am excited. We have decided on appetizers and desserts in leu of actual meals, the wedding is at 3 so I don't think people expect salmon or steak dinners, but at receptions, having things to nibble on are nice while meeting all family and friends. I still need to call my sis and ask if she can bring up some cake plates *hint hint* Whenever I remember I should call her, its usually too late.. The bishop is booked, the building is booked, most of the decorations are aquired or promised to us, and i have the dress.. Its finally coming together..now, about the invitations ... the last real worry on my mind, we have the blanks, just not the announcement or all of the addresses I need.. The people I really want to come anyway should know where and when it is without one.