feeling blessed in so many ways

When I was offered this job in Virginia, I was very apprehensive about moving that far away from family. Kaitlyn said she felt like I was abandoning her. Wells said he expected random packages to show up on his doorstep (now that he is only 1.5 hours away).

However, I felt like I was being led in this direction. Everything seemed to just work out. I took a deep breath and accepted the job knowing that things were never going to be the same. I am now in week four of the craziness that is 2014. Here is an update.

1. The job is very interesting. I'm working with some great people. The proposal process (my first assignment) is a complete mess but not unmanageable. I know what to do and how to do it. I am now just working through the many processes and trying not to get overwhelmed. This is always the fun part for me, the part when I never lack for things to do, the part where I can see huge improvements by making small, simple changes. The part where I am challenged.

2. I have been so worried about moving into an apartment complex. I just didn't like the idea...at all! All those people crammed together, noise above and below, 2-3 flights of stairs just to reach the door, the expense...all of it. When visiting with a family I know in VA, the mom talked about how she found a basement apartment for her oldest daughter. It got me thinking. Maybe I needed to find a room and not an apartment. I found several listings and even went to look at one place and just didn't feel good about any of them. I had decided to quit trying to find a share and go back to looking at apartments. Then one morning, I had the thought "check the listings today." I talked myself out of it because I was leaving the next day to go back to Utah. Again, "check the listings today." And there it was, the perfect listing. A studio apartment over the garage of a "empty nest" couple in a home neighborhood (not an apartment complex) about 1/2 block from the rail trail (45 miles of paved cycling!!). I texted them but they couldn't meet until Saturday and I was flying home on Friday. Then, they agreed to show me the apartment over skype. I didn't get a great view of it but I loved what I saw and I seriously feel in love with the landlady. I have a private entrance. I have 2 skylights. I have access to 1/4 acre backyard. I can grow a garden if I want. I can hit the trails and get lost on my bike for hours. And, only about $100 more than what I am paying for housing in Logan.  Perfection! Here is my new crib ...

3. My company agreed to pay the rent and utilities for the next five months (Feb - June). Woot!

4. I am blessed beyond compare. I know the next five months are going to be completely insane but I also know that everything is going to work out. How can it not? I am being helped every step of the way. I must have a Grandma Guardian Angel telling me to ...



You know who I'm talking about! :)

new year ... new adventures ... new me

To get caught up.... December was a whirlwind of emotions and decisions and pure craziness. After six weeks of unemployment, I found myself employed again! What a blessing to find a job so quickly. The new company is based in Virginia and since I want to do project management/process improvement kind of stuffs, I need to work in the office. In Virginia. I am very excited about this job because I will basically have a new job every 18 months (or so). My professional life will look like this...be assigned a process, work it, improve it, hire and train people to take over, move on. How perfect is that?

And yet, this is me....



Looking at what looks like a long road. This year of 2014 is going to include a few adventures.

Adventure #1: Start my new job with three straight weeks in VA. This time will let me get to know the office, visit some apartment complexes, meet my soon-to-be SCA group, and go to church in a ward (probably not THE ward) a couple of times.

Adventure #2: Use the limited time I have in Logan to pack up the house and get it ready to rent by the end of April.

Adventure #3: Get Kaitlyn on a mission.

Adventure #4: Fingers crossed I will spend Christmas in Germany.

I can't plan other adventures right now but I know they are coming!

This is going to be an amazing year. I can't wait to share it with you.

grateful for ... good friends and colleagues

I know it is not November but I still have so much to be grateful for. Four weeks ago tomorrow, I was let go from my job of over nine years with no warning. Just walked in to work, received my papers and left about an hour later. It was an interesting Friday to say the least. I took the weekend to process it all and hit the emails on Monday. I was talking to two different companies within 24 hours about job opportunities. That just doesn't happen! I have such great friend and colleagues who look out for me.

My future is unknown but I know I am being guided toward something amazing. Life is good.

grateful for ... essential oils

Yeah, I know. Essential oils are just voodoo magic stuff. They really don't work, right? Wrong! I love essential oils. I am fighting all my illnesses of late naturally and at a fraction of the cost. I love that treating a UTI only costs me about $5. I love that I can treat it at home and don't have to call or go to the doc. I love that I have control over what goes in my body. I love essential oils!

grateful for ... lectures

As part of my "foundation of fitness" goals this month, I have been tracking what I eat in myfitnesspal, an app on my phone. I've tried several apps for tracking food and really like this one. What I love even more is that the pedometer app I use to track my steps, distance, etc automatically updates myfitnesspal with every step and calorie from the day. Less for me to do. Woot!

I know I need to eat better and fuel my body better if I am going to run this half marathon in May. Part of getting better is knowing where you are. Apparently, I'm not in a great place. On a regular basis, I get this notification (lecture if you will) after tracking my caloric intake and outtake for the day.

Based on your total calories consumes for today, YOU ARE EATING TOO FEW CALORIES. Not only is it difficult to receive adequate nutrition at these calorie levels, but you could also be putting your body into starvation mode. Starvation mode lowers your metabolism and makes weight loss more difficult. We suggest increasing your daily calorie consumption. 

Well, there you have it. Lectures from electronic means to tell me that I'm not eating healthy enough. My new goal for November is to NOT see this message again for the rest of this month. I'm rocking it today. Now, I'm off to walk a full 5K. Yup, I'm healthy. :)

grateful for ... excuses

Normally, I would say excuses are a bad thing. I am a master at using excuses to get me out of doing things I hate, buying things I don't really need, and generally doing stuff I shouldn't be doing. :)

Today though, one of the girls that went to Belize with me this summer went to the Logan Temple for her first time. She asked if I would like to go with her. Of course! This is one time an excuse was a great thing. It get me back to the temple after too long an absence.

I'm so proud of Nicole and her decision to go on a mission. I was ecstatic to get the invitation to go to the temple with her. I am really hoping that I will be able to go to her talk that is not a farewell. She is going places and doing great things. Yay for Nicole!

Another girl who went to Belize is going on a mission as well. Two others have signed up to go on an expedition next year. I'm waiting for these boys to grow up so I can see great things from them! Love these kids. There will also be a special place in my heart for each one of them.

grateful for ... leverage

Let me just start by saying I love, LOVE, cuban sandwiches. All those rich flavors smashed together in a sandwich that is grilled and served warm is just pure bliss. I think it is the pickles. I crave things with that vinegar taste. You know...pickles, potato salad (homemade like my mother makes it), fry sauce (the kind from A&W that has chunks of pickles in it), A-1 steak sauce...that kind of vinegary thing. In fact, vinegar is what I craved most during both of my pregnancies. We ate so much steak those months. Ah, sweet vinegar, how you brighten my life.

Which is why I really love cuban sandwiches, who wouldn't? One day, this craving just got to be too much and, being the careful consuming I am trying to make myself be, I decided to make one (or two or three) instead of going out to eat and buying just one. If I did this correctly, I could spread my bliss out over several days and maybe, just maybe, kick this cuban craving to the curb for a couple more months. I went to the store, purchased all the ingredients, and went home with thoughts of melted deliciousness for lunch. It was a good dream.

And then this happened...



And this....



And then I put the jar of pickles on the cupboard and walked away, for my own sanity. For three days, THREE DAYS, I would try again and again and again to open this stubborn jar of pickles. I looked like this.... But maybe with a few tears.



Then suddenly, the windows of heaven opened up, the sun streamed through the windows, choirs singing the Hallelujah chorus filled the air, the jar of pickles finally opened.



Ahhhh! success. Sweet, sweet success. I may have made three cuban sandwiches on the spot, one for each day that jar of pickles was keeping me from my goal.

Marlene 1, Pickle jar 0.