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.

A Passport

Yesterday I went to the post office and applied for a passport. While I don't yet have a place to go, I realized that I couldn't just pick up and go if I wanted to. One of my co-workers got a great deal on tickets to France. He and his wife were able to go on a trip on a few weeks notice because they both had passports. Since a passport is good for ten years, why not get one now? It should arrive within three months and I can't wait to go someplace.

Last weekend (John's birthday dinner & other fun)

I think it's kind of sad that I am just writing about last weekend since I had so much fun. On Friday, my mom called and said that she could use some help with some work. So, on Saturday afternoon, I drove to K-town. I helped my mom with some work, then had a lot of fun with Isaac, who was spending the night. We colored and played. I sang to Isaac and read some books in order to put him to bed. I had forgotten how fun it can be to put a child to bed. After Isaac went to bed, I continued to help my mom and then completed my taxes. On Sunday, Mom, Dad, Isaac, and I went to church. Afterwards we got ready for John's birthday dinner. Isaac was a big help to his Poppy when he was wiping off chairs. Dinner was a lot of fun and it was wonderful seeing all my kids (and their parents.) Lauren, Isaac, and Sidney loved running around. The only sad part was the Britnie and Wyatt couldn't make the festivities because Wyatt had a fever. At least we were able to send ribs, beans, salad (both green and potato,) rolls and cake home with Jeremy so that Britnie could partake of some of the fun. I am constantly amazed at what an amazing cook my mother is. I have posted a few pictures of everyone and I can't wait to see everyone again next week when we get together for Aaron's blessing.

IT flow chart

At work, I have a pretty good relationship with the IT department. They are all nice guys. One day I noticed Jake had a flow chart on his white board. I thought it was so clever that I took a picture of it. Enjoy.

Five things you might not know about me

In a tribute to Jeremy's lists of five, I present five things you might not know about me:

1) I like whiteboards. I find them useful to map out stories, draw diagrams, keep lists on, and tape stuff on. I especially like whiteboards that you can use magnets on. I have a rather large one at work. If I had the money and permission from Sarah, I would put a 6x10 foot whiteboard on my bedroom wall.

2) I really dislike the mornings. Since I can remember, I have been a night person. I seem to do some of my best work at night. My perfect work schedule would be 12-9pm. It isn't that I don't like the sun, I just like sleeping in more.

3) I occasionally get the feeling that I wasn't supposed to live this long. It isn't that I want to end my life or that I dislike my life in any way, it's just that I feel like I was supposed to die before the age of 25. It's almost like I was supposed to get hit by a car but that it happened to someone else instead. Not to worry, I love my life despite my crazy work schedule, and don't care to leave this world anytime soon. Who else would spoil my nieces and nephews? (Try not to be too shocked.)

4) I frequently remember my dreams. I used to not think this was anything remarkable. Recently, while talking to others, I have realized that many people only remember one dream every week or two. I remember several each week. I am not sure why this is.

5) I would willingly walk in front of a bus for any of my nieces and nephews. While many of my family members know this, not many other people do. I would live or die for any of them.

She Loves Me

If any of you have the chance to see She Loves Me at the Hale Theater in Orem, I would highly recommend it. It has the same plotline of The Shop Around the Corner, of which She's Got Mail is based. She Loves Me, however, is a musical. This, of course, made me very happy. The female lead had an amazing range and such clarity. Most of the other actors did equally as well. I was very impressed. Scotty and I went to the play and then to Mimi's Cafe for food afterwards. I didn't get home until 11:30pm and didn't fall asleep until almost 1:30am. All in all, a wonderful 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.)

Lauren's Sudoku book and cat

On Thursday I got to leave work early and drive to Salt Lake. The occasion was my chance to babysit Lauren while Jen, John, and Dad went to the theater. I met them at John and Jen's house. We then went to The Bombay House, where Lauren proceeded to clean her mother's plate. She then tried to clean out my purse, draw on my place mat, and read my Sudoku book. It was so much fun. She now says Poppy and Nana in her cute little voice. After her parents and Dad left for the play, Lauren and I ran around. After a minor accident, we changed her clothes. Lauren cleaned out my purse; taking time to write in my Sudoku book. She and I also talked to her cat, Meow-meow, and read several books. I think it is funny that she has an attachment to that cat since it used to be mine. It was one of the few stuffed animals that I kept and I love the fact that she has nicknamed it and sleeps with it. She also said the word "Poppy" every time she saw my camera. (I couldn't help but laugh since Dad is known for his camera.) By 8:30am, she and I were worn out. She went to sleep fast. It was wonderful to see her. Although I didn't realize it at the time, Lauren kept my Sudoku book for herself. Jen found it the next day. It amazes me what can bring joy to a child. I plan to let her keep it. Why should I keep a book that cost me a few dollars when one of my nieces or nephews finds such joy in it?

Goodreads.com and reading

A few days ago I received an e-mail from Alison that invited me to join goodreads.com. I joined and look forward to finding out what other people are reading and getting recommendations on what to read next. I bring this up because I have recently been reflecting on how my life has changed over the past year. In April, I will have worked at Prosper for a year. In the month and a half before I started there, I read a lot. I was looking for a job and, in my spare time, I read a lot of new books. Over the past few months, the number of hours I have worked has steadily rose. Last week, due to circumstances beyond my control, I worked 56 hours. I also have started attending a HR class every Tuesday night. So, on Tuesday, I work from 9-5:30pm and then attend class from 6-9pm. It makes for a long day. A year ago, I read three or four books a week. Now I'm lucky if I finish a book every two or three weeks. I supposed that's what happens when you grow up and get a grown-up job.

Tanner turns 1!

On Sunday I was able to go up north to meet with my family to celebrate Tanner's first birthday. I drove up, spent a little time with my parents, then we drove to Brooke and Josh's house. We had great pulled pork sandwiches with salads and beans. The chocolate cupcakes and cookies for dessert were wonderful. I forgot to bring my gift for Tanner and have to mail it. Josh and Brooke's house is wonderful. They've done a great job decorating, especially with photos that Josh has taken over the past few years. Lauren seemed especially fascinated with a little chair that belonged to Tanner. It was so nice to see everyone (minus the Jordan/Alison/Aaron/Isaac family) and wish I could get together with family more often. I hate living so far away and working so much. Luckily, I got some good pictures. It was especially funny to watch Tanner eat the icing off his cake. He never really dug into the cake part, but he seemed to love the frosting and got upset when it was taken away.

Training and a return

The training that I attended in Phoenix was from a company called ADP. They have an HR database program that works hand-in-hand with a payroll system that Prosper uses. Unfortunately, the class was designed for people who hadn't been using the system very long. I have been using the system since April and have learned a lot through trial and error. While I did learn some new things, I sat through 15 hours of class to learn 1 and 1/2 hours of new information. Phoenix was beautiful to walk around in, since I opted out of getting a rental car (I won't make that mistake again.) The greatest thing about being in Phoenix was the weather. It was beautiful. On Friday, it was clear and 70 F. Every chance I got, I went outside. On Friday afternoon, I sat out on the grass while I waited for my cab. I even took it a picture of it because it was so nice. I got to the airport early and ate dinner at the Wendy's inside the terminal. I got home at 9:30 pm.

Getting out of Utah

I have decided that I hate trying to get to the airport. In Utah, you never know what the weather is going to be like or what maniac will forget how to drive. With an 11:15 flight on Wednesday morning, I thought that leaving Orem by 8:15 am would give me enough time. A normal trip to the airport takes about an hour. While it had snowed a little the night before, the roads were fairly clear. Unfortunately, people forgot how to drive. An accident at the point of the mountain and another on 54th South put traffic at a standstill, then a slow crawl. From Thanksgiving Point to 72nd South, I did not achieve a speed over 15 MPH. When I finally got close to the airport, I was so frazzled that I missed the turnoff for the Park N' Jet and had to park in economy parking since covered parking was full. I caught the shuttle, where I gave up my seat to a mother with three children under the age of 8. I couldn't believe she was taking them on a trip alone. She is braver than I. Due to some excellent advise from my mother, I had checked in the night before and had printed off my boarding pass. Since I was running so late, I didn't have time to check my bag. Because of this, the security officer threw away my shampoo, conditioner, face wash, lotion, face moisturizer, and toothpaste. I ran to the gate, only to find that the gate for my flight had changed. I raced to the other terminal just in time to hear the final boarding call for my flight. I was seated five minutes before they closed the doors. The flight only took an hour and 15 minutes and we were met in Phoenix by a temperature of 68 F. I caught a taxi to my hotel, where I checked in and watched some tv. I then ended up having dinner at Marie Callender's and spent the night preparing for my first day of classes. The mattress at the hotel was horrible and I only got about 4 hours of sleep. All in all, the first day of my business trip was a bust.

Leaving on a jet plane

I will be leaving tomorrow morning for a business trip to Arizona. My work is sending me for training in a computer program that our HR department uses. After two days of training, I then get to come back and help teach others to use the program. I can't help but be nervous, as this is my first business trip alone and out of state. This will also be my first time alone on a plane. Thanks goodness my parents took us on trips, or this would be my first time on a plane. Even though I am an adult, this trip is making me feel a bit small and insignificant. Anyway, I fly out tomorrow at 11:15am and return Friday night at 9pm. I will have a full update when I return, but I now have to pack.

The passing of President Hinckley

I learned of President Gordon B. Hinckley's passing on Sunday night through a text message. (For those who do not belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, bare with me.) At first, I couldn't believe it. Then I was sad at the passing of a man who has had such an influence on my life. I am still a little sad; but I have to say that the strongest emotions are ones of joy and gratitude. I am happy that he is finally with his beloved wife again. 97 years is a long time to live and he is now at peace; free from worldy cares and physical pains. I am grateful for all the talks and guidance that he gave to myself and millions of others over the years. After hearing him speak, I always wanted to be a better person. My cousin Megan has a great video on her blog that is a tribute to President Hinckley by Glen Beck. To see it on YouTube, click here. I don't know much about Glenn Beck, other than he is a conservative radio/tv host who has a program on CNN, but his tribute to President Hinckley was moving and reflected my own feelings. President Hinckley's funeral is on Saturday.

Concussion (yep, more brain damage)

Concussion: from the Latin concussus ("to shake violently") is the most common and least serious type of traumatic brain injury.


On Thursday morning I hit my head. I was leaning into my car and thought I heard Happy say my name. I stood up fast, but had not actually come out from the car. I hit the back of my head on the door frame and saw stars. I then went to work, where a headache developed. I soon developed a sensitivity to light and my pupils became different sizes. They have been different sizes in the past but they were very noticeably different on Thursday afternoon. I left work early and drove to Salt Lake to babysit Lauren. I loved it, although every squeal killed me and I was really wishing that Jen and John's house was full of dimmer lights. Driving home was painful because of the headlights coming towards me and driving behind me. The whole time I was popping Aleve and Tylenol. I went to sleep on Thursday night, and woke up groggy and with a horrible headache on Friday morning. During the day on Friday I was nauseous, light sensitive, had a slight ringing in my ears, had a horrible headache, and actually fell into a wall. I also was the butt of a few jokes by a co-worker, since I kept forgetting words. I described my computer as the "box with that typy thing." Luckily, my pupils were returning to normal (or at least my version of normal.) After much cajoling from my co-workers, I decided to visit the Instacare down the street. When I talked to the front desk guy, he almost yelled at me. He could not understand why I had not had a CAT scan or a CT within hours of hitting my head. He told me to go to the ER to get checked out.
I called Sarah to let her know what was going on and by 6:30pm I was sitting in the waiting room of the ER, trying to not look at lights or listen to the whiny woman next to me. (Apparently, she thought waiting for more than 15 minutes was the end of the world.) I got checked in and layed down on the bed with the lights off while I waited for the nurse. When I explained what had happened, the nurse asked me why I hadn't come in sooner. I gave him the excuse that I was too busy and received a mini lecture about caring for myself.
The doctor looked in my eyes for a while, had me follow his fingers, and asked me some interesting questions. He diagnosed me with a concussion, but decided not to do a CAT scan or CT since I had already slept on it for a night and managed to awaken safe and sound. Also, my head hurt less and my balance had improved. He told me to take it easy for the next few days (I guess I should only work 8 hours on Monday.) If I don't improve over the next week, I am supposed to go back or see my family doctor. On my way home, I checked out a few videos and have not had too much fun this weekend. My headache has lessened, my balance has almost come back, and am less light sensitive. My memory is still a little off, but continues to improve. According to the doctor, I now have to be more diligent about hitting my head. I am now more susceptible to having problems with head injuries. The one good thing is that I get to make brain damage jokes and I will be getting off early from work tomorrow. My biggest problem now is insurance. On the back of my insurance card it says to contact the insurance company within 48 hours of being in the ER. I called every number on the card, and the insurance broker, but no one answered. I will call first thing in the morning tomorrow.

New bathroom faucet

For the last month, the hot water handle on our bathroom faucet hasn't worked. When I woke up this morning, Aunt Diane, Uncle Larry, and Sarah were replacing the faucet. The picture on the top is the old one and the picture on the bottom is the new one. Way to go Sarah, Aunt Diane, and Uncle Larry!

Saying "hi" with Lauren

On Thursday I was able to go up to Salt Lake to babysit Lauren. After we (Jen, John, Mom, Dad, and I) ate an amazing dinner cooked by Jen, I got to play with Lauren. I chased her around like a puppy dog and snapped at her heels. She thought I was very funny and couldn't stop laughing. She showed me how she could use a broom and push a shopping cart. Mom introduced Lauren to the art of licking beaters. It was funny to see Lauren try to figure it out. Once she did, she kept saying "Mmmm." Luckily, John and I were on hand with cameras. One of the funniest moments of the night was when I recorded Lauren saying "hi." I had forgotten that my phone had the ability to record voice notes. Lauren was playing with my phone and got into the program. I pressed record and said "say hi." She said "hi" and I hit the end button. When I played it back, she looked shock to hear her own voice and then waved and said "hi" to the phone. I about died laughing. I then played it again and she waved and said "hi" again. I didn't get her to bed until 9pm since we were having so much fun. Despite the raging headache I had, I wouldn't have given up one second with her. It is amazing how much I love my nieces and nephews. I wish I lived closer to all of them.

Snow and cold

On my way to a work lunch this week, I walked through a park and couldn't resist taking a picture or two. When I crossed the bridge to get to the Riverwoods shopping area, I heard a swishing sound. I looked down to see a fisherman in the river. I called hello and reminded him that it was 25 degrees outside. He laughed and said that he knew he was insane. I love how pretty snow makes everything look but I hate being cold. I took a picture to show to my co-workers.

Weekend of talking

On Friday night I received a call from Sarah, asking me if I would like to join Happy and herself for a movie. I got off work early (6:30) and went over to the theater. 27 Dresses is cute, in a chick-click, formulaic kind of way. Sometimes, that's just what a girl needs; a mindless chick-flick to take your mind of reality. On Saturday I slept in, ran errands, and went to work for a little while. I missed the ward activity of sledding but met up with Sarah and the rest of the group for a birthday dinner. We nine of us went to Macaroni Grill. I bought Sarah a two year subscription to Real Simple for her birthday. After dinner, an event that lasted a while, Happy, Sarah, Aaron, and I returned to our apartment to engage in stimulating conversation. While some of you might think that I'm being sarcastic, I assure you that I am not. Our conversations with Aaron always end up in deep conversations on various topics including religion, living in foreign countries, relationships, politics, and art. We talked until 2:30 am. I was still awake so I read for an hour. After several hours of sleep, I arose to go to church. Sarah and I made it to sacrament meeting and I made it to Sunday school. By the time it ended, I was exhausted and had a headache. I went home to join my roommates for naps. I was awakened by Sarah, who announced that Aunt Renee had arrived. We talked for a while and agreed to meet later for Sarah's birthday dinner. At 5pm we went to Aunt Diane's for great food and conversation. Even though I left early, I still didn't get to bed until 12:20 because I was in the middle of a good book. All in all, I didn't get a lot of sleep this weekend but I had some great conversations.

Saturday with Isaac and Aaron (and other people who aren't as little and cute)

On Saturday, I was able to drive up to my parent's house to see Isaac and little Aaron. I managed to arrive by 10:15, after passing through many a fog bank in Utah county. Isaac was awake after spending the night with his grandparents and we played for a couple of hours. One of the funniest moments was when he discovered my boots and decided that he needed to wear them and walk around in them. He could barely lift this feet and couldn't really keep his balance without holding on to a wall or person's finger. Later that day, Mom, Dad, and I took him shopping. We took a little shopping cart from home and he pushed it all around Sam's Club, much to the amusement of all the rest of the shoppers. He and I also danced in the music aisle. He went down for a nap quickly after all the fun.

I got to see Aaron for a little while in the morning before we left to go shopping. When we took Isaac home to his parents, I was able to hold Aaron for an uninterrupted 40 minutes. I was in heaven. I can't believe how light he is. I am used to holding Tanner, who is almost a year old. There is quite a difference in length, activity level, and weight. Holding an 18 lb baby is much different from holding a 7 lb baby. Aaron slept the whole time and I had to do my best to wake him up so Alison could feed him. I then drove back to Utah County, my arms aching. I do love my current life, but there are times that I can't help but yearn for a family of my own. It will come in time, but it can be hard to be patient in the meantime.