June 2011 update

Slowly but surely I am publishing the life and times of the Singing Librarian. Here is the June 2011 update:

June sped by with lots of work. While one of my bosses went to Germany, another went to Spain. Keeping track of people in foreign countries (that are 7-9 hours ahead of us) can be difficult. Luckily, my bosses are pretty good about not calling me when it is morning for them and very late/early for me.) I was able to go to a children's book fair on June 4^th with Jen, John, Lauren, and Emily. Emily was a little shy around the book characters but both girls were able to get free books and play games. Lauren especially liked the blow up slide. We ended the afternoon at an ice cream parlor, which is always a good way to end a visit with Aunt Jess.

On June 11^th the family went to Lagoon. We went for Dad’s company summer party and were able to celebrate the birthdays of Lauren and Isaac. I made sure to take something to stop the nausea of riding on rides. Sid and Wyatt were unable to make it so I rode a lot with Isaac and Lauren. It was a lot of fun and it seems strange that Dad will be retiring soon (as we have been going to his annual work party for as long as I can remember.) Dad managed to get a picture of Emily and I on the Merry-go-round.

On June 25^th a friend (Rob) and I went up to Salt Lake to see Ira Glass, host of This American Life. He talked about radio and the impact it can have on us as well as how the radio program is produced. After wards, we (along with my parents, Jordan, Alison, Clara, and Aunt Renee ended up at The Bakery for dessert. The conversation and food were excellent.

Emily's blessing

My darling youngest niece Emily was blessed last Sunday, April 11th. I drove to Salt Lake and heard John pronounce a wonderful blessing on his daughter and welcome her into the church. After the sacrament meeting we went to Emily's house where her mother had put together a great spread of food. The kids had fun playing downstairs and outside. Sid borrowed my camera and took some great pictures.

Emily and her paternal grandmother
Of Poppy
Of Aunt Jen

Of her brother

And of Lauren

A visit from Lauren and Jen

On Saturday morning Jen and Lauren came down to visit. At 10am on the dot, a little girl in a red coat and her mother were on my doorstep. We first drove to Springville to go to the museum. Lauren had fun finding the horses, camels, and other things in the paintings. In one of the rooms were drawings from Utah illustrators. They were all from children's books and I recognized about 2/3 of them.

On the way home we stopped by Gloria's, an Italian restaurant off University Avenue in Provo. I highly recommend it. Lauren ate like a pro and I liked my pasta as well. We then stopped by the Orem library so Lauren could see the boat, ride the elevator, and I could pick up some books. She got to sit at a little table that was just her size. We then returned to my place and Lauren and I went down for an hour nap while Jen read. When Lauren woke up, she and her Mom came to wake me. Jen and I then talked while Lauren played, then I realized I needed to go to the store. After we got home, it was time for Jen and Lauren to go home so they could get home in time for Lauren to get a shower before bedtime. I had a lot of fun with both of them.

A flood, fights, and some fun

First, I make my apologies to any readers of my blog. I know it has been quite a while since my last post. Perhaps an explanation of my last week will somehow explain my lack of posting. Last weekend was one of little sleep. I can't really explain why, but I could not sleep worth a darn. On Friday night I was only able to get a few hours. On Saturday night, I managed to get four. I saw the sun start to rise before my eyes closed for sleep. On Sunday night, I luckily got six and so was able to go to work the next day. I was a little grump and had a very busy day. I had to work late to work in the team list and entering the new hires. I went home and did my best to get some sleep. On Tuesday I awoke from almost seven hours of sleep refreshed and alert. Little did I know that I was in for a fight. While I can't go into it, being the confidential HR issue that it was, I can say that I was extremely annoyed and let my annoyance show to my boss and co-workers. I'm afraid that no one at work could ever accuse me of being unopinionated or nonverbal. Anyway, by 6pm I was pretty tired.
A little after 6, Sarah called me to ask if I had noticed anything strange about the water that morning. I hadn't. I was then informed that we had a miniature flood at our house and Sarah was worried that the water heater had decided to become a water fountain. By the time I got home, the problem was discovered. Our next door neighbor's pipe and burst and had flooded both her townhouse and ours. Sarah used the wet vac and I used the mop and we cleaned up the best we could. The owner of the neighboring townhouse came by to say that he would be calling disaster clean-up and being paying for the whole mess. The kitchen, bathroom, hall, and over half of the front room was a wet disaster. We moved some furniture upstairs and to a neighbor's house (thanks Scotty for babysitting the chairs and a table.) At 8pm, I decided to finally sit down and have dinner. Just after my mom called, listened to my day, and then proceeded to give me some bad news. Since it is not my news to share, I won't. Needless to say, I was in tears and decided that this was a horrible, no good, very bad day. I fell into bed expecting immediate sleep but was kept awake by my concern for another. Finally I got to sleep at midnight. The next day I was tired, emotional, and not in the mood to talk. Sadly, the Facilities manager asked how my day was going and I, unfortunately, told him. The poor man looked at my tear-stained cheeks marred by the horrible bags under my eyes and promptly offered me chocolate and a listening ear. The rest of the day did not go well.
On Thursday, I had another strong disagreement with my superiors. Not to worry dear readers, I won't regale you with the sorry details and thus turn your brains to mush. By Friday, I had decided that the week couldn't get any worse. Luckily for me, I had decided to go home for the weekend to see my sister and her dear daughter. I left work at a decent hour and went shopping for Sidney's birthday gift. I got to Kaysville too late to see Lauren before she went to sleep but managed to have a good talk with my mom and sister. Jen and I talked a little more as we lay in in the dark in the twin beds downstairs. It kind of reminded me of when we were younger and I went to visit her house in Salt Lake before she was married.
On Saturday, we decided to go to a little water park in Ogden after Alison suggested it. Josh called to see if Dad wanted to go to the movie that afternoon and ended up being invited to the park so his son could play in the water. Sadly, Britnie wasn't feeling well so we didn't invite Wyatt and Sidney. Only later did I realize that I very easily could have gone and picked them up, leaving Britnie to rest in peace. (Honestly, I think my brain is working slower these days.) It was a lot of fun and we ended up at a little sandwich shop for lunch. Isaac is getting more and more adventurous and Tanner is walking quite quickly these days. After we went home, Lauren and I went down for a nap and then got up in time to play outside. Jen left for dinner with some friends and Poppy and I took Lauren for a walk. I then bathed her and Nana and I put her to bed. Lauren is getting very good at singing "Old McDonald" and "The ABC song," which I can only attribute to good genes and having a great mother. Thus ended my week. Luckily, I knew that the new week would start out well because we were going to be celebrating Sidney's birthday. Thus ends the horrible week.

Babysitting Lauren

On Thursday I went up to babysit Lauren. We had a great time. Lauren helped me take a picture of her mommy and I managed to get a pretty good picture of John, Lauren, and Dad. After wonderful meal made by Jennifer, all the other grown-ups left for the theater. Lauren and I took a walk around the block. We saw a dog, at which Lauren barked, and stopped to look at some rocks. Even though it was kind of cold, she wouldn't keep her mittens and hat on. Every time she ran, she said "fast." It started to get really cold so we went back home. Lauren and I then ate some bread, sang, played the piano, read books, and I chased her around. After a very messy diaper, I got her ready for bed. She now brushes her teeth (sort of.) She helped me read Goodnight Moon, Goodnight Gorilla, and The Going to Bed Book. She was pretty tired so it only took her about five minutes to fall asleep. I then had a hard time staying away. It was another wonderful night.

Jen's birthday

On Sunday we celebrated Jen's birthday at my parents house. I had a lot of fun, despite the cursed drive. I got Jen a book and Mom made a wonderful meal. The best part about Sunday was seeing my nieces and nephews. All the kids were so funny. Sidney had fun running around and putting grass on Josh's and John's heads and playing catch with me. Wyatt had fun giving flowers to people and playing with the balls. Isaac seemed slightly obsessed with the toy car. He even tried to get in the wrong side. Lauren enjoyed walking around while Tanner enjoyed his time on the grass with his parents. (Oh, and the adults had fun too.) Happy Birthday Jen! I hoped you enjoyed it.

Lunch with Jen, Mom, and Lauren

On Friday I got to eat lunch with Mom, Jen, and Lauren at Macaroni Grill in Provo. It was a nice break from a busy day at work. It was so nice to see them, have fun, and relax. Work has been a little stressful lately and I needed a small break. I hope they, and anyone else who want to come, can come down and meet me for lunch again. As a small note, I would like to encourage everyone to order what they know they like on a menu and not be swayed by others (ie a mother or a server.) Luckily, I had chocolate cake after my strange pasta to make up for it. :)

A visit to the doctor (and Jen)

Last Wednesday, May 16th, I left work at 11:15 am to go to a doctor's appointent in Salt Lake. Dr. Katz is really nice, for an opthomologist, and I really like the new Moran Eye Center. He said that my eyes are progressing at a little faster than normal but it will still be a couple of decades before I go blind. Yeh! We did the regular eye exam, a visual field test, and a pressure test. I took a picture of the sign in the waiting room but it didn't turn out as well as I would have hoped. Before my appointment I had lunch with Jen and Lauren. We went to an excellent bakery, of which I cannot remember the name of. We then sat on the grass and talked a little. I love talking to Jen. She can comfort me when I am upset, give me good advice, or make me laugh. It was also a joy to be around Lauren. With her lovely blue eyes and wrinkled nose, you can't help but smile at her. She was charming people in the bakery. I took a couple of pictures of them before I left. Lauren wouldn't look at the camera because cars and grass are more interesting. I didn't get back to Orem until 4:15pm. I was so tired that I just went home. Even taking off most of Wednesday, I still managed to work 42 hours last week.

Friday

I awoke on Friday with a stuffy nose and slightly sore throat. I got ready for my interview in Orem and drove down while listening to music. After what seemed like a rather short interview, I stopped at the apartment that I will be living in after February 4th. I measured my room and tried to decided what to take from my current room and what to leave. When I left Orem, I called Mom to discuss the interview and Alison answered her phone. It turns out that Mom and Sidney were still at the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. They had been joined by Alison, Isaac, Jen, and Lauren. I stopped by for some fun at the museum. I did my best not to touch the babies, although I did hold Lauren for a little while. I was careful not to kiss either of them or their hands. I spent most of the time running around with Sidney.

By late afternoon, I was exhausted and my throat hurt more than it had in the morning. I decided to not go out and play and stayed home, packing up books and some clothes. After watching an episode of Greys Anatomy and taking some cold medicine, I went to bed.

A long update

Circumstances being what they are, I haven't really had the time to update my blog in the past two weeks. I will try to summarize what has happened and hit the high points for my readers.
I got a flu shot on the 17th which caused my arm to hurt quite a bit. On Friday night, the 17th of November, Roberts and Lowe women alike met to help Alison with the Festival of the Trees project. We cut, sewed, and frayed stars. There was good food, good conversation, and two adorable babies to entertain us so the time quickly sped by. The next day I worked from 9:30 to 3 pm, then went to a late lunch with Ryan and John. I went home exhausted with flu-like symptoms. Sidney and Wyatt came over to have fun with their Grandma and Poppy. I spent most of the time upstairs trying to shake the flu-like symptoms caused by the flu shot I had received the day before. I did come downstairs in time to see Wyatt taking a bath in the sink. What a funny boy! On Sunday morning I felt even worse and did not go to church. I slept quite a bit but still managed to get a paper written for my History of Christianity class.
Work and school followed for the next two days. On Wednesday, the 22nd, I was awakened by my darling niece who showed me the hole in her smile since she had lost a tooth. I had breakfast with Mom, Dad, Sid, and Wyatt, then went to school for one class. (My other two had been canceled but Dr. Francis would not relent on his grilling class schedule.) After a rousing class in which donuts were served, I returned home to help with my niece and nephew and clean the upstairs bathroom. Jen and Lauren came out to help with the Thanksgiving preparations and a good time was had by all. I ended up watching two episodes of an interesting show called Numb3rs and cleaning up the basement in anticipation of Aunt Renee and cousin Mark's arrival.
On Thanksgiving the following people came over to eat: Grandma and Grandpa Roberts, Jen, John, Lauren, Josh, Brooke, Uncle Mike, Renee, Mark, Timothy, Roxanne, Doug, John D., Jen D., Jason, Jacob, Emily, Michael, Ethan, RJ, Nathan, Diane, Larry, Amy, Sarah, Nancy, Jordan, Alison, and Isaac. Jeremy, Britnie, Sidney, and Wyatt came over later. We had three turkeys and a ham along with some other great food. Three tables of people made for fun madness. We ate, talked, and then ate some more. After 3 pm, we had a baby shower for Brooke. Jen and I went together on a gift of books and baby blankets. By nightfall, the aunts were in the living room talking while Brooke, Josh, Alison, Sarah, Amy, and I played a game. It was fun. Amy and I were crushed by the other two teams. (It is nice to be humbled every once and a while :) Jordan and Dad went to see Grandma, who seemed to be better and appreciated the Thanksgiving feast they brought her.
On Friday morning, Dad and I went to the temple. Afterwards we went to see Grandma. When entering Grandma's room, a person is required to put on gloves and wear a face mask. Her cough is still horrible but the pneumonia seems to be getting better. After we went home, I headed off the Alison's house to babysit Isaac while she worked on the tree skirt for the Festival of Trees. Isaac had just gone down for a nap so I studied for a while. I finally decided to take a nap myself when Alison's parents arrived. Her dad played with Isaac while the two ladies sewed. I then took a nap only to be awakened by my mother and Aunt Renee stopping by. All in all, I am not sure how much sleep I got. When Alison and her dad left to buy wood for the signs, I took over playing with Isaac. What a darling baby. I helped introduce him to the blanket buddy that Grandma Roberts made for him. It is a bunny. He seemed to like it once he realized that it couldn't hurt him and that he could eat the ears. After putting him down for a nap, I helped Alison and Pat finish the tree skirt and then headed home to get ready for a night out. Ryan and I ended up at Mikey's house where we watched the end of the Jazz game and then hung out for the rest of the night. Once in a while it is nice to just hang out at someone's home and watch movie previews, listen to music, and talk.
On Saturday I was awakened by my mother telling me about a job that Aunt Diane had seen on the Provo Library website. I decided to apply for it because it pays more than my current job and it would be a nice change. I finished the book I was reading, 84, Charing Cross Road, and took a shower. Later that night I went to dinner with Jen Evans and her friend Erin, who seems really nice. We ate at Mimi's Cafe and had fun talking about life, men, traveling, school, and other interesting topics. We then went to the theater to see Stranger than Fiction, which I would highly recommend. Will Ferrell isn't his usual goofball self, Emma Thompson is brilliant as a tortured writer, Maggie Gyllenhaal is great as an angry baker, and Dustin Hoffman is the typical odd literature professor. It follows the life of Harold Crick, an IRS agent who begins to hear a narrator speak about his life. I won't ruin any more of the movie for those who plan to see it. I would give it 4 stars out of 5. Since there are only about 15 movies ever made that get a 5, that is pretty good. As a person who occasionally writes short stories, the idea that a character from my story could be walking around is amazing. Anyway, I got home about 12:30 pm but couldn't get to sleep until about 3 am. Cursed insomnia :(
Today I went to school and work. School was fairly uneventful. I got a paper back that my Victorian Lit teacher wants me to re-write. Grrr. In my History of Christianity class we discussed the beginning of the Baptists and Quakers in the 1600's. Good stuff. Mom took the day off to help Alison decorate for the Festival of the Trees which is this week. I included a picture that Mom took with some of the background blacked out. The stuff in the background was very distracting and I wanted to have the phocus be the tree. Alison, Emily (her sister), Aunt Diane, and Mom were the decorators. The theme of the tree is taken from a poem by Robert Frost. Tonight, work was completely crazy. Mondays after holidays are always insane. I guess I should try to go to bed now.

Weekend report

This weekend I saw the movie "Man of the Year." It was a really interesting look at a our political system. Robin Williams plays a John Stewart type comedian who ends up as a presidential candidate. The preview makes this movie look like just a comedy but it has a serious side. It has an interesting, if slightly implausible, conspiracy theory. Anyway, it was worth going to see in the movie theater. I stayed out a little too late considering I had to work on Saturday morning.
I attended Stake Conference on Sunday. It was wonderful. It was sort of a regional stake conference. All Davis County residents were invited. I went to a stake center in Fruit Heights to watch it on the Satellite. Elder Bateman, Pres. Packer, and Pres. Monson spoke. It was two hours of spiritual food. I ended up taking three pages of notes. On Sunday night, Jen, John, and darling Lauren came for dinner. Lauren hadn't had a decent nap and was a little grumpy. We had a wonderful dinner, thanks to Mom and Dad. Dad and I took some cute pictures of Lauren before she became too grumpy. (I put some of mine on the family flickr sight.) It was a fun night. Lauren especially responded to her Grandma tickling her and playing with her feet.

Red Butte Gardens

After I got out of class today, Mom called to invite me to go to Red Butte Gardens with the family. Since Dad had the day off, he and Mom had invited Alison and Isaac, and Jen and Lauren to go out to lunch and to Red Butte Gardens with them. I drove to Alison's house in South Weber where Mom and Dad picked the three of us up. We then drove into Salt Lake to pick up Jen and Lauren. Both babies were as cute as can be. Although it got a little hot, the five adults had fun strolling around with two cute babies. Isaac ended up sleeping almost the whole time we were there. Lauren only took a short nap but was in good spirits. I included some shots of Red Butte Gardens. If you have never been there, I would highly encourage it. It is a nice place to walk around and talk. By the end of the day, we were all pretty tired (as evidence of a yawn by Isaac that I managed to get a picture of.) For more pictures, see our Johnsen flickr sight.

Tomorrow, we are hosting a bridal shower for a friend of ours. Trisha is getting married in October to a nice man named Kim. Tomorrow night I hope to go to a farewell party for Curtis.Jen and Alison by the Pond

Some scenery pictures of Red Butte Gardens

A birthday celebration

On Sunday we celebrated the birthday of Jen, my sister. Everyone but Jordan managed to make it up to the house for dinner. We had all three babies in one spot so we decided to take a picture.
Wyatt and Lauren were in pretty good moods but Isaac had just woken up. He probably could not understand why so many flashbulbs were interupting his normally calm waking-up period. Mom made great Santa Fe Pasta along with tomatoe salad, fresh vegatables, fruit salad, and rolls. We ate homemade ice cream for dessert. A good time was had by all, especially me. I love being around my nieces and nephews. They truly are the lights of my life.

Crazy Tuesday

Today was a fun, if busy, Tuesday. I was at my sister, Jen's, house by 9:30 so that I could go with her and her darling daughter, Lauren, to a doctor's appointment. Lauren had to get an ultrasound on her hips to see if they were developing properly. It turns out that her right one is a little under-developed (good thing she makes up for it with wonderful looks and personality :) Her doctor will have to tell her parents what he wants to do about it. Hopefully it is a "wait and see" problem instead of taking a more drastic approach. Afterwards we all returned to Jen's house and prepared to go to lunch with Mom. We ended up at the Market Street Grill where I had a very good salmon ravioli. Our waiter was fairly cute, although I think I was the only one of the four of us girls that noticed (Mom and Jen being married and Lauren being asleep.) Mom complained about a bump and pain on the side of her neck that was bothering her. She had an appointment at the dentist at 2 pm to take a look at it.

After lunch, Jen, Lauren, and I returned to Jen's house to take naps. Lauren ate like a champ and slept for over two hours. Her mom fed Lauren like a champ and took a nap as well. With Lauren asleep in my arms, I layed down on the couch and read. It was so relaxing. A sleeping baby, a comfortable couch, and good reading material; what more could an aunt ask for? After Jen awoke, we had a good conversation about dating and life in general while Lauren continued to sleep. I love talking to Jen. She is always full of good advise and a witty comment when appropriate. I couldn't ask for a better sister. (She didn't even complain when I had been holding her baby for over three hours straight.) After Lauren awoke, she ate and I took some cute pictures of her that are included in this blog. When John, Lauren's cute but tired father, arrived home I realized how late it had become. I drove home, took a quick shower, and arrived late at Institute where we discussed marriage and qualities we desire in a mate. Those were easy; I just look at my father, brothers, and brother-in-law to see what qualities I want.

After Institute I met my best friend for a bite to eat at IHOP where we complained about our jobs. Ryan is going to be changing jobs, which can be scary. After food and a hug, I returned home to a mother that was in quite a bit of pain. Although the details were sketchy because she wasn't making a lot of sense, I discovered that sometime today she had gone to the emergency room because of the pain in her jaw and neck. She was given a prescription and a shot of steriods. When I arrived home, she told me that she was taking pain medication and going to bed. Before falling into bed, she mentioned that my youngest brother, Jordan, would be dropping the green car off and would need a ride home. I was only too happy to take over this responsibility for her because I love talking to Jordan. Even after a 16 hours shift (whoa), he still has interesting things to say and is always willing to listen to the semi-boring things I have to say. I never cease to be grateful to the Lord for giving me siblings that I love and who love me in return. Well, I should turn in for the night. I will be working from 10 am to 9 pm tomorrow. A librarian's work is never done.
P.S. Did I mention that I hate getting private insurance? I guess that is a story for another night.