New stamps

My talented brother, Jordan, has created two new stamps for me. I've always wanted a stamp with my name and I commissioned two from him. They turned out great.
The simpler one was my idea and the checkerboard stamp was Jordans. The man's talented. I'd be willing to bet he'd carve one for you if you commissioned it (his prices are actually quite reasonable.)

My stamp

My siblings are very talented in both intellectual and artistic spheres. Each of my siblings has their own talents. My youngest, Jordan, has the ability to carve things. This started years ago. His latest creation was a commission for me. It all started over a month ago when he borrowed a book from me. He saw me write my name in a book and asked why I didn't have a book plate or stamp. I explained that years ago I had bookplate stickers to identify my books as belonging to me but I had run out. He then offered to carve me a book stamp if I gave him an idea of what I wanted. I eagerly sent him some ideas and this is what he made me:
It is carved out of rubber and mounted on a piece of wood. He did a great job (and I, of course, paid him for all the materials and his time.) Here is what the stamp looks like on paper: Thanks Jordan; you rock!

Excellent pasta and company

Have you ever wanted to be in two places at once? I did on Friday night. I wanted to have fun with Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and Aaron and I wanted to be taking pictures of it. While I did have fun, I did not take one single, solitary picture of any of us. I probably made the right choice.
Earlier in the week I received an e-mail from my youngest brother informing me that he had a few days off and he and his family wanted to come down to see me. It was decided that Friday was the best day. He and Alison decided to cook dinner and I offered to buy some ingredients for the occasion. Jordan told me what to buy, which I did that very night. At work on Friday I could scarcely think of my work as I was preparing to see my family. I originally wanted to leave work at 4:30pm but didn't get away until almost 5pm (darn that busy boss of mine; I couldn't abandon him in his time of need though.) I stopped by Gloria's to pick up dessert and then raced home. On my way there I spoke to Jordan and discovered that they were running late due to rush hour traffic. They arrived at my house just a minute or two ahead of me. The whole family got the grand tour and the dinner preparations began. All in all we ended up with amazing mushroom pasta, salad, garlic bread, broccoli, and cake for dessert.
After dinner, which was excellent, Alison went shopping while Jordan and I took the boys on a walk through the park to the library. We walked around looking at books, movies, and the various pieces of art. We also ran up and down a small hill and checked a statue's ears to see if they were dirty or. (They were. Isaac told a reference librarian who promised to clean them with a Q-Tip.) We didn't leave until almost 8:30pm, which is past the bedtime of at least one little boy. The boys were changed into pajamas once we returned to my house and began jumping on couch cushions. They were then whisked away by their parents, much to the dismay and sadness of their Aunt Jess.
It is times like these that I hold precious. My one regret living down here is that I don't get to see my nieces and nephews as much as I would like. The closest one is 40 miles away. While 40 miles is nothing to someone who lives several states away from their family, I think it a very long distance. Despite the time and effort, I think I am going to make more of an effort to visit all my nieces and nephews. What a great night.

Meals with others

I will admit that sometimes I get so busy that I forget to eat. This week however, I have had the chance to eat two meals with people I love. The first one was Monday night. My friend, Jen, had a birthday. One of her roommates contacted a bunch of us and arranged for all of us to meet at Wingers to surprise her. When she rounded the corner, her face was priceless. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of it. I did, however, get a picture of her eating popcorn. We had good food and great conversation. It was fun. After dinner, we went to a great Gelato place on center street in Provo. I highly recommend it.
On Tuesday afternoon I was able to go to lunch with Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and Aaron. I had such a wonderful time. I wish all my lunches were so great. Usually I eat at my desk while I'm eating. On Tuesday I walked over to Macaroni Grill to meet everyone. Isaac drew on the table, talked up a storm, and was generally darling. I wrote his name on the table. After eat letter, he would look at me and say "more?" He also enjoyed sharing the whipped cream off my drink. Aaron slept, ate, cried, had a dirty diaper, and looked around. In an act of charity, they offered to walk me back to work. I held Aaron while Jordan held my purse, jacket, and food. (I think Jordan and Alison realized how much I love spending time with their sons.) Isaac got some of his wiggles out while walking on grass, crossing a bridge, and looking at a river. They came into my office. While Alison used the restroom, I introduced the boys to my co-workers. I gave Isaac an apple juice for the road. For the rest of the day, I had a smile on my face. Even my co-workers noticed the difference. I wish all my meals were so much fun. Speaking of fun, tomorrow night I will go to my first play at the Hale Center Theater in Orem. Thanks again Mom and Dad for the great Christmas present (the tickets.)

Ye long week...

Well, finals are over. Yeh!!! This past week has been insane. After a final on Tuesday, I went to work. I babysat Wyatt and Sidney on Wednesday because Mom went to Idaho to help with Grandma R. I don't know how mothers around the world do it. Attempting to entertain and feed to kids and get anything done is impossible. The only reason I managed to get dinner on the table is because I started it before Wyatt arrived at noon. I ended up making chicken crescent squares.
On Thursday I took my last final. I was one of the first ones done with my Victorian Lit test, which included a matching part, short answer, and essay. I hope being the first student done isn't a bad sign. I feel ok about it; not necessarily really good or bad. After my final, I went home, changed, and then drove to Provo for an interview at the Provo City Library. I had a hard time getting any feedback from the two women who interviewed me. After the 1/2 hour meeting, I drove the hour back to work and slaved away until 9pm. I was so tired after Thursday I went to bed early.
On Friday, Dad and I went to work at the cannery. We then went shopping and fielded phone calls from Grandma J, Mom, and Aunt Peggy. Dad took me to lunch at Tony Roma's after I got a phone call from the Provo Library asking me to come in for a second interview on Monday. I did some laundry and Jordan and Isaac came over for a little while. When it was time for Isaac to be fed, Jordan and I took him to see his Mom in Ogden. By the time Friday night was over, I was pretty tired.
On Saturday morning, Dad and I went to the temple and then to see Grandma J. at the hospital. She was still pretty upset that she hadn't been moved to the rehab center on Friday. According to a nurse, she had found Grandma on the floor of the bathroom the night before. Grandma doesn't remember anything about it. Apparently the nurse had given Grandma a sleeping pill and left her alone. Grandma then woke up and decided to go to the bathroom by herself. The nurse figures that Grandma fell asleep on the toilet and slid off. Nothing is broken or even bruised though. After a brief chat and blow-drying Grandma's hair, Dad got me home in time for me to get ready for work. I worked until 6, then went to Sherma's house for a party. All the old Kaysville City Library staff were there. It was nice to catch up with people I haven't seen in months. Erica is pregnant with her second child, Nikki is looking for a house, and Mike is getting ready to move away to college. Sadly, Karen, Jo, Eric, Hillary, and Kim couldn't make it. The food was wonderful. I got home at 10ish but ended up staying up much later on the computer. It was nice to know that Mom was finally home after a week of being in Idaho.
Sunday was a nice day of rest for all. Church went well with a Relief Society lesson on unity. The rest of church was equally as interesting, especially the three musical numbers from the choir. I had tithing settlement, then made dinner: pasta, marinated chicken, and salads. The pasta was way too spicy but the chicken turned out perfectly. It was strange on Sunday night to realize that this was the first weekend in months that I didn't have to study for a class on Monday. Dad helped me get the Christmas Tree up and put on the lights. I then decorated it. I decided to put some photos of the family on it and I think it turned out to have a simple and homemade look.
On Monday I had my second interview at the Provo City Library. It went well and the director along with two other librarian's seemed to like me. I went away with a positive feeling. I then picked up some food on the way to work, where we had perhaps the slowest Monday night ever. My co-workers demanded a recap of my interview and gave me their opinion's on the situation. After work I went out to IHOP with Ryan, who I hadn't seen in a while.
My Tuesday morning began with a phone call from the Provo City Library saying that I hadn't gotten the job. It ended up being a contest between me and two other people. Sadly, I didn't win out. I lay in bed thinking about what my next move would be when I heard someone enter the house. It turned out to be Jordan and Isaac. Jordan presented me with a belated birthday gift and then made me a wonderful lunch of pasta with red sauce made from scratch. I got to play with my darling nephew, talk with my wonderful brother, and forget my problems for a while. Without them being there, I suspect I would have sobbed. Anyway, after they left I took a shower and waited for my parents to come home. Dad came home late and almost immediately we left for Salt Lake to pick up Mom. I told Dad about not getting the job and started to cry. Thankfully he let me cry in silence and pretended not to notice. After picking up Mom, the three of us then met up with Jen, John, and Lauren for dinner. The food at Rinos was good although a little expensive. Mom, Dad, Jen, and John then went to see a play at Pioneer Theater while I babysat Lauren. Lauren and I read books, played with toys, and looked at the Christmas tree. Lauren touched the branches and needles but then wanted to eat it. We discussed it and decided that it wasn't a good idea. (Actually, I won out on the argument because I am the bigger of the two of us :) It was dinner time so I warmed her bottle and let Lauren eat her fill. Her night ended with pajamas, another book, and a song from her Aunt Jess. She was asleep by 8:20 pm and I watched a movie since I had left my book in the car. I had forgotten how much I like the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Driving home with Mom and Dad, I couldn't get Monday's interview out of my mind. It is strange to have such a wonderful interview and not get the job. I guess the person they chose must have been amazing. Anyway, it has been a while since I have had a week that has been this crazy. I am hoping this week will be a little less insane. Thus ends the week report.

Old siblings and friends

On Friday night I went over to Jordan and Alison's house to have some fun. Jordan fed us some wonderful pasta, we watched Practical Magic, and then were joined by Josh and Brooke. We played a fun game called Abstract. Brooke is getting that cute pregnant belly and Isaac was adorable (except for the brief moment that he spit up on me.)

On Saturday I got together with some old friends. In my first years of college I belonged to a sorority. Lamda Delta Sigma was a big part of my life. This group of people that also belonged are still important to me even though I don't get to see them very often. We met at Dave and Suzie's house. In attendance were the following: Dave, Suz, Jen (and her date Dan), Ryan, Jacq and Travis, Brit, Toffer and Michelle (and their two girls). We were hoping to see Hali and Marc but they were out of town. We ate, talked, played games, and had fun. While most people left by 11 pm, a couple of us ended up staying until 2 am. It was nice to see everyone.

Cedar City

On Wednesday, Jordan, Alison, Isaac, and I left for Cedar City to go to the Utah Shakespearean Festival. After four hours in the car, we barely made it in time for Jordan and Alison to see their afternoon performance of "The Merry Wives of Windsor." Isaac and I lay on the grass. While he caught up on his beauty sleep, I crocheted a blanket and read from a book of short stories by Garrison Keillor. Isaac woke up with a messy diaper and a need to wander. (Ok, it was my need to wander.) We walked through the gift shop and then Isaac decided to have yet another dirty diaper that happened to leak on his shorts and my shirt. While changing him I made a colossal mistake of leaving his diaper open while I searched for a wipe. He proceeded to create a small fountain all his own, some of which made my pants wet. After these trying situations, I was rewarded with a wide smile which reminded me how cute he was and that I shouldn't drop him off with the closest group of traveling gypsies. He started to get hungry and tired just as his parents exited their play.
We checked into the motel and Alison and I placed our sandwich orders with Jordan. While Jordan did his familial duty and hunted for food, Alison washed out Caleb's soiled shorts and I entertained the now very tired little boy. After eating an ok meal, J & A went to see "Hamlet" and I tried to get a very tired little boy to sleep. He wanted to stay up and play. Being a wonderful aunt, I gave in. Eventually I gave him a bottle and he went to sleep. This was the first time that Isaac had ever had formula. Although he made protesting noises and funny faces, he drank and was relatively happy. I watched tv and read until Jordan and Alison returned after 10:30. They brought some excellent chocolate cake with them which I dove right into. By 12 we were all in bed.
The next morning, Jordan went for a swim in the motel's pool and returned tired and nauseous. Alison and I remained in bed and we barely made our 11 am checkout. A friend of Alison, Melissa, managed to get us free tickets for a Thursday afternoon showing of "Room Service," so we decided to stay instead of going home. After an interesting barbecue with Melissa's family, we went to see "Room Service" at the Randall L. Jones Theatre while Melissa babysat Isaac. The Randall Theatre has an awesome bench with a seated statue of William Shakespeare on it. I ended up taking a picture of Jordan, Alison, and Isaac on it. Before we took the picture, Isaac required a diaper change and then was changed into his "Got Shakespeare?" onesie that Melissa had purchased for him. I managed to take a picture of Jordan and Isaac before his diaper was changed (the diaper of Isaac, not Jordan.) The Randall L. Jones Theatre has some very interesting statues around it. "Room Service" was a comedy set in the 1920's. and I highly recommend it. I saw a former co-worker, Kim, there and we exchanged brief hugs and hellos. After the play, we left for the four-hour drive home. We stopped in Provo for dinner at The Pizza Company. Jordan still wasn't feeling well so we didn't linger. We arrived home after 11pm. Despite the drive, I had fun. It was nice to spend time with Jordan, Alison, and Isaac.

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.