It was a fun Christmas, and although we missed all our siblings and their families we are grateful for such goodly parents. This video is for my Brothers and Sisters that were away from us this year. Enjoy!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Okay, there is nothing better than coming home at Christmas time and smelling my home! You walk in the door and you are hit with a christmas pine, sweet cooking smells and it just makes you feel like "there's no place like home". Even better is coming home to falling snow...this doesn't come around all that often for those of us in Eugene, but when it does...ohhhh it's fun!
Christmas came a little early....
Many of you know that one of my favorite things right now is being a part of my little neighbor Alexander's life. I feel so blessed to have Alexander and Zac next door, and we have had some really fun times this past year. This year I was leaving early to go home to Oregon for Christmas but I didn't want to miss out on Christmas with Alexander so Zac and I decided to have our own little celebration.
We started the evening with Zac grilling his amazing hamburgers, then I had them listen to a book called Silent Night, a true story about soliders during World War I. Finally Alexander was able to open his gifts and he was so excited. We started off with my family tradition of Christmas pj's. Alexander opened up his pj's that came from Zac's parents who are in Montana. Zac received his traditional boxers and red shirt (traditional as we just started this last year), and I in my Christmas pj pants. The rest of the evening was a lot of fun, especially my gifts from Zac. You will note that I received a Life Jacket, you are probably wondering why? Well, Zac likes to tease me about my desire to "be prepared", apparently my 72 hour kit didn't come with one of these. Who knew? :) He also answered my christmas wish with a hand potatoe smasher (yes, I wanted one of these), and my all time favorite gift was a Homemade coupon book where I can redeem these coupons anytime. The best part of the evening was just seeing Alexander get excited about Christmas, and spending time with two people that I have continued to enjoy getting to know better and better.
We started the evening with Zac grilling his amazing hamburgers, then I had them listen to a book called Silent Night, a true story about soliders during World War I. Finally Alexander was able to open his gifts and he was so excited. We started off with my family tradition of Christmas pj's. Alexander opened up his pj's that came from Zac's parents who are in Montana. Zac received his traditional boxers and red shirt (traditional as we just started this last year), and I in my Christmas pj pants. The rest of the evening was a lot of fun, especially my gifts from Zac. You will note that I received a Life Jacket, you are probably wondering why? Well, Zac likes to tease me about my desire to "be prepared", apparently my 72 hour kit didn't come with one of these. Who knew? :) He also answered my christmas wish with a hand potatoe smasher (yes, I wanted one of these), and my all time favorite gift was a Homemade coupon book where I can redeem these coupons anytime. The best part of the evening was just seeing Alexander get excited about Christmas, and spending time with two people that I have continued to enjoy getting to know better and better.
Merry Christmas
Monday, December 15, 2008
The good and the bad...
I really didn't want to share this information until after Christmas, but it seems like it gets out faster than expected and I don't want anyone to feel left out.
So....here is the good and bad
On Friday I was laid off from my job (This is the bad)
On Friday after I was laid off from my job I once again find that Heavenly Father is ever mindful of me (us) in our trials of life. (This is the good)
So here is the whole story...enjoy...
For about a month rumors were going around and around. About two weeks ago the rumors were getting worse and worse. Then it got really bad on Tuesday, I received an email from my HR VP asking that all HR Reps be in in their office on Friday for mandatory calls that we needed to be part of. On Wednesday majority of my Managers started telling me that their meetings were moved to Thursday, so I emailed my HR VP stating that the "buzz" around the office was that these meetings were taking place on Thursday and should we be present. She writes back with a really short and weird response, something to the fact that I was not to be part of the calls. It seemed really strange, and then on Thursday the same Managers that where talking up a storm became very silent. I came home with a very sick feeling in my stomach, and I just felt like I wasn't going to make it through the night. I decided to take it to the Lord, and I told him "okay, I think we are going to have a mass lay off and I think I am going to be part of it, so if this is what is happening I need to be prepared as I have done this before and I need to have peace". It was at that moment that I received the very peace that I was asking for and then I said, "Okay, I need you to help my parents with this information because they need to be prepared for this, so PLEASE help them know this is coming and that they will be able to handle this information".
Friday morning I got a box and put it in my office and started packing it up. I kept it in the closet so no one would know what was going on. The lay offs started and I awaited my turn, and when the moment came I was prepared and felt at complete peace. I guess the truth is I look back and realize that two years ago I had nothing and within those two years the Lord blessed me with abundance, more than I could have ever imaged. So the truth is, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Not that he will, but I really think He has been preparing me for this for a while now, and I kept thinking it was just my insecurities but really it was him letting me know that things were coming. I look back and I am amazed at how many blessing are in place for me right now. It's a crazy time to be out of work, but I guess I just feel like it needs to be this way.
GOSH...I hope I still feel this way in three months when all the money is gone. :( :)
I have done this before...a couple of times. So, I guess for the most part I feel like I can do this...again.
As for my parents they are amazing! The Lord answered my prayers and they had a feeling it was coming.
So...for those of you in Arizona...if you hear of any Human Resource jobs available please let me know, as I am looking. :)
So....here is the good and bad
On Friday I was laid off from my job (This is the bad)
On Friday after I was laid off from my job I once again find that Heavenly Father is ever mindful of me (us) in our trials of life. (This is the good)
So here is the whole story...enjoy...
For about a month rumors were going around and around. About two weeks ago the rumors were getting worse and worse. Then it got really bad on Tuesday, I received an email from my HR VP asking that all HR Reps be in in their office on Friday for mandatory calls that we needed to be part of. On Wednesday majority of my Managers started telling me that their meetings were moved to Thursday, so I emailed my HR VP stating that the "buzz" around the office was that these meetings were taking place on Thursday and should we be present. She writes back with a really short and weird response, something to the fact that I was not to be part of the calls. It seemed really strange, and then on Thursday the same Managers that where talking up a storm became very silent. I came home with a very sick feeling in my stomach, and I just felt like I wasn't going to make it through the night. I decided to take it to the Lord, and I told him "okay, I think we are going to have a mass lay off and I think I am going to be part of it, so if this is what is happening I need to be prepared as I have done this before and I need to have peace". It was at that moment that I received the very peace that I was asking for and then I said, "Okay, I need you to help my parents with this information because they need to be prepared for this, so PLEASE help them know this is coming and that they will be able to handle this information".
Friday morning I got a box and put it in my office and started packing it up. I kept it in the closet so no one would know what was going on. The lay offs started and I awaited my turn, and when the moment came I was prepared and felt at complete peace. I guess the truth is I look back and realize that two years ago I had nothing and within those two years the Lord blessed me with abundance, more than I could have ever imaged. So the truth is, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Not that he will, but I really think He has been preparing me for this for a while now, and I kept thinking it was just my insecurities but really it was him letting me know that things were coming. I look back and I am amazed at how many blessing are in place for me right now. It's a crazy time to be out of work, but I guess I just feel like it needs to be this way.
GOSH...I hope I still feel this way in three months when all the money is gone. :( :)
I have done this before...a couple of times. So, I guess for the most part I feel like I can do this...again.
As for my parents they are amazing! The Lord answered my prayers and they had a feeling it was coming.
So...for those of you in Arizona...if you hear of any Human Resource jobs available please let me know, as I am looking. :)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Teens...oh yes...back in the teens...
Okay, so some of you might understand this where some of you were blessed with skinny genes..but for those of us out there that know the challenges of weight I will have to share with you my highlight of the week.
I went into Old Navy the other day to see if I could find any cute PJ's for my little neighbor, Alexander. I decided to look at pants since lately my first pair of "Long and Lean" Gap jeans were getting a little bit bigger (big smile on my face). Old Navy is having a HUGE sale, so I walked over to check out and see if I could find some pants. To my surprise they had a big selection of pants but none of them were my size, but I did find size 18 and decided that maybe I should buy a pair just to have as my new goal pants. You can image my shock when I got into the dressing room and found that those size 18...YES, you heard me...eighTEEN pants fit me. Now, don't get me wrong I wasn't about to wear them the next day as they just felt a little snug, but nonetheless they fit!
I ended up buying 3 pairs, not because they were size 18, but because they were only $9...you can't beat that! I got in my car and immediately called my parents to share the news, and yes...their were tears. My Dad asked, "when was the last time you remember being that size?" my response with crying was "I don't know, I can't remember".
I guess my next goal will be to stay in those size 18 during the Christmas holiday, let's face it...Christmas is always a time of eating.
By the way...I did wear my first pair two days after I bought them... :)
I went into Old Navy the other day to see if I could find any cute PJ's for my little neighbor, Alexander. I decided to look at pants since lately my first pair of "Long and Lean" Gap jeans were getting a little bit bigger (big smile on my face). Old Navy is having a HUGE sale, so I walked over to check out and see if I could find some pants. To my surprise they had a big selection of pants but none of them were my size, but I did find size 18 and decided that maybe I should buy a pair just to have as my new goal pants. You can image my shock when I got into the dressing room and found that those size 18...YES, you heard me...eighTEEN pants fit me. Now, don't get me wrong I wasn't about to wear them the next day as they just felt a little snug, but nonetheless they fit!
I ended up buying 3 pairs, not because they were size 18, but because they were only $9...you can't beat that! I got in my car and immediately called my parents to share the news, and yes...their were tears. My Dad asked, "when was the last time you remember being that size?" my response with crying was "I don't know, I can't remember".
I guess my next goal will be to stay in those size 18 during the Christmas holiday, let's face it...Christmas is always a time of eating.
By the way...I did wear my first pair two days after I bought them... :)
Monday, December 8, 2008
Visitors...I love visitors
One of my best friends from BYU-Hawaii, Robert and his amazing wife Jamie came to visit me with their three cute kids over the weekend. I love having a home where people will come visit me. :)
They arrived on Thursday and stayed until Sunday. On Friday night we went over to our other best friend from BYU-Hawaii, Marilyn and played with her and her cute family as well. It was the best and the memories that came flooding back, oh I love memories!
Rob and Jamie had a work party on Saturday and Sunday in Sedona so I was happy to play babysitter with the kids, I think they made it easy on me as they were so well behaved.
It was a great weekend!
:)
JJ
They arrived on Thursday and stayed until Sunday. On Friday night we went over to our other best friend from BYU-Hawaii, Marilyn and played with her and her cute family as well. It was the best and the memories that came flooding back, oh I love memories!
Rob and Jamie had a work party on Saturday and Sunday in Sedona so I was happy to play babysitter with the kids, I think they made it easy on me as they were so well behaved.
It was a great weekend!
:)
JJ
Friday, December 5, 2008
The Thanksgiving Week
The Thanksgiving Week started on Tuesday with the Family gathering at Richard's and Julie's for Jill late Birthday celebration. Ashlee and Jeff drove all day with those two cute little boys and we couldn't wait to play with them. Thanksgiving was amazing thanks to The Adams and my wonderful sisters who picked up where I left off due to getting the 24 hour flu on Wednesday. I was almost better on Thanksgiving, but at least I was able to sit at the table and enjoy the company. The week ended with us celebrating Amber and Ashlee's B-day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)