Happy Tuesday!!

I'm so behind on writing on this blog. It seems I keep saying that when I write. One of these days I may get back in the habit of writing. Work is still crazy. I hardly have any time to do anything outside of work these days. I logged on to the computer tonight trying to win a Home makeover from Wendy's.. tragically I had no luck. (surprise, surprise) This entry is going to be short and sweet since it's already 10:00 and I'm exhausted.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

So, I clearly haven't written much lately, but I actually do have news to share. I was released as 2nd Councilor in the Stake YW and was just called to be 2nd Councilor in our Ward Primary. What a change in callings. Our Primary is a mix of our Ward kids and the Spanish Branch kids. (all totalled- about 50 kids). We were called right before the Ward Primary program so there was a whole month of practicing and getting that ready. Now we're back to regular primary and trying to fill callings and get things running smoothly. It's pretty fun. The kids are a little rowdy, but fun to be with. I've got the day off today and have a ton to do. I was so in the mood to organize the front bedroom 2 nights ago.. but the feeling has left me now that I have the time to do it.. What a mess. It will get done though.. the disorganization is killing me. Well- I'm off to pay my bills and balance my checking account. Wish me luck!- I'm hoping I have some $$ left after the bills.. but not really counting on it.

Working Saturday

So, I had to work today. There weren't many people there so I was able to accomplish quite a bit. Few interruptions which was really nice. I have had a terrible headache all day which stinks. My plan was to go over to Mom & Dad's & help Leah paint the family room but that didn't happen. I hope she was still able to accomplish a lot without me. I'm excited to see the end results in that room.

I NEED A MAID

I really wish I didn't have to clean all the time.. OH wait- I don't and that's 1/2 the problem! I want the clean house without all of the work and effort it takes to get it that way. I came into the office today to set up my computer and laptop and straighten up a bit... well I set up the printer and the computer.. then got sucked into the computer.. it's ridiculous! So, I figured if I was going to waste time on the computer I might as well update my blog. I've decided that my house is the perfect size for me.... but start adding people to it for dinners and girls nights and get togethers.. it sure does start to feel small. I'm excited about Leadership Training tomorrow. Being so new to my Primary calling it's the perfect timing to start learning right away. I'm especially excited to be on the learning end and not the teaching end this time. Looking forward to Stake Conf. Sat night and Sunday. Just found out that OT is mandatory this weekend.. One of our main doc-ing systems is down on Saturday requiring most of the OT to be on Sunday. I'm covering the Saturday shift 7am-1pm. since I don't work Sundays. Anyway.. I really better get back to Laundry and cleaning. Until next time.....

Happy Sunday

So, after spending the last 2 hours trying to successfully install Norton Security on my computer- I am finally done.. Wahoo!!! Had some random system issues. Finally feel safer using my computer. OK so- here's my quick update about me before I head to bed it's already way past my bedtime: My new church calling is Primary 2nd Councilor. I'm totally excited. Our new Pres is totally on the ball and I'm sooo looking forward to working with her. I Get to learn all about the Boy Scout program too since I'll be over that. That should be interesting for me.. I'm exhausted so I think I'll go to bed now. I'll post more later.

Oh Happy Day....

So, today I was able to replace my laptop. I LOVE having a computer again. It was awful without one. I forgot how much I relied on my other one. I am absolutely in love with this new one. I no longer need a docking station to hook it up to a separate keyboard and monitor.. this new one has a great monitor and the keyboard is just like a regular keyboard so it's perfect. Kent is now benefiting from my lack of need of the extra items. Not to worry it's going to take me 2 years to figure out all of the things that it does. Although, really of all the things that they took (laptop, cameras, all my jewelry.. the one thing I'm, still DEVASTATED about is the fact that they also stole my Mission Scriptures.- they are irreplaceable.... You can't even buy brown scriptures anymore. I know.. I've looked. But forget about the color.. the notes and quotes inside I'll never remember them all.. I did get a new set of scriptures today.- Burgundy.. it was either that or green, blue or black. I also got a new mini hymn book. I got a new calling this week that isn't official yet.. so I was also at the bookstore looking for little "helps" and "aids" that will help me in my new calling. I'll let you all know what it is after it's announced on Sunday. - I know you're all dying to know what it is now. Had a FANTASTIC weekend at the Ranch for the family reunion this last weekend.. Had today off too so took advantage of it by doing my running around to the bookstore and to Fry's Electronics. Now it's past midnight and I'm exhausted. I would have gone to bed earlier, but Leah and Kent were here checking out the computer and of course Leah was trying out the games that are on it. lol! Now that I have the new computer I'll try to update this blog more often. Ha! Famous last words.. I think I've said them before. Anyway- goodnight!

IT'S AUGUST.. REALLY??

SO.. A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE APRIL. I HAD MY HOUSE BROKEN INTO A FEW WEEKS BACK AND OF COURSE MY COMPUTER WAS TAKEN. DANG IT ALL. LOST LOTS OF PICS AND WELL- MY WHOLE LIFE WAS ON THAT THING.. PRACTICALLY. THE REST OF MY LIFE WAS IN MY MISSION SCRIPTURES THAT ARE - I JUST KNOW- BEING READ BY SOME HOODLUM ROBBERS AS I TYPE. I'M SO GRATEFUL TO KENT WHO FIXED THE BROKEN WINDOW AND REPLACED THE BACK DOOR AND INSTALLED A SECURITY DOOR AND THANKS TO DAD TOO WHO HELPED. WORK IS STILL CRAZY- BUT I LOVE HAVING A JOB. I'M UPDATING MY BLOG ON LEAH'S COMPUTER THAT I BORROWED TO PAY MY BILLS.- THANKS LEAH! HAD A GREAT TRIP TO CALI LAST WEEK FOR MY NEPHEW MICHAEL JR.'S WEDDING. HAD FUN SEEING THE FAMILY AND BEING TOGETHER.. ALSO L-O-V-E-D THE WEATHER.. WHO WOULDN'T LOVE GOING FROM 110 DEGREES TO 78. WELL.. I BETTER GET THE COMPUTER BACK TO LEAH. UNTIL NEXT TIME...

WEDNESDAY...

So today I spent 4 hours in training on the new computer system we will soon be using. It's web based so it is much more user friendly. I'm kind of excited to have it roll out. My morning was spent setting up the temps with their computer access.. making sure they could get into everything.. which of course they can't. After work today I went to Home Depot to pick up some filters for my air conditioner. It's been far too long since it's been changed.. so I got a "years supply" of them. (4 of them that are supposed to be good for three months each...- ps.. why do they cost $17 a piece? wow!) I paid my bills today.. WAhoo!! I love it when they're all paid and I have at least $100 till the next paycheck in 2 weeks. Which is a very good thing this time since I signed up to have the missionaries over for dinner on Saturday after Conference.. which means feeding the block-lol! Yeah, we might get something other than Spaghetti. Oh, yeah, and I still need to do my taxes. What a mess. maybe I'll do that Friday night when I have some time to sit down and think about it all.- the paperwork is all put together, it's just a matter of doing it at this point. nothing like procrastinating until 10 days before the due date.. I'm usually done in Feb!. Alright- so clearly I had a fun and exciting day. lol! Hey the fact that I was able to leave work by 6:30 was enough to bring great happiness to my heart today.

OLD POST INFO

So, I need to keep track of what the blog was.. now that it's been changed.. It used to be called "HOME SWEET HOME" THE START OF MY NEW HOME. And it had the following quote on he page: "In a very real sense, we are builders of eternal houses. We are apprentices to the trade—not skilled craftsmen. We need divine help if we are to build successfully" -Pres. Thomas S. Monson . Now that I'm in my house and things have started to settle a little- I'm focusing on different things and wanted my blog to reflect that.

Starting again...

So, it's been while since I last posted.. it feels like just yesterday- the days are passing so quickly lately. It seems all I do is work myself to exhaustion each day and my one day of "rest" in a week just isn't enough. But even as I sit here wishing I didn't have to go in to work tomorrow, I am SOOO grateful to have a job. When our Bishop said today that he had lost his job this week my heart sank. All of the old memories and feelings I had as I was without a job for 8 months came back to me. As I look back on that time now, I realize that it effected me more than I realized at the time. It was great to have extra free time, to accomplish projects, spend time with family, be available to serve others... but even as I see those things now as a good thing, at the time it was overshadowed by the worry and stress of finding a new job. These are definitely days of trial and testing. In an effort to re-prioritize and refocus myself, I've changed the name of my blog to Happiness... I need to work on being more dedicated to the things in my life that really bring happiness. And although I am happy to have a job, that's not what brings me true happiness. Although the amount of hours I have to work won't be changing, what I'm focused on throughout the day/night will be. So, wish me luck... it's going to be a FUN week!. PS- I can hardly wait for General Conference.. I went to the Young Women broadcast on Saturday and it was fantastic.

SICK AND TIRED.

I started getting sick last week.. I slept most of the day Sunday- thanks Myrna for doing my talk for the CB1 branch. I had to go in to work on Monday still feeling sick. I cleaned up my desk so it would be work able for other employees who are already swamped and overworked.. making it as easy as possible for them to cover then spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week home from work because I'm sick. The 80 hour work weeks finally caught up to me. Little to no sleep, bad eating habits etc. it took it's toll. I even had to resort to drinking a red bull to get me through the day I worked until 3am. and then had to go back in the next day by 9:00- Those drinks are no joke- it's the only thing that got me through. I went into work yesterday- still not recovered, but feeling bad because it was the last day of the month and I knew everyone was busy and didn't have time to work my desk and theirs. So I worked my 8 hours and ended it with a coughing fit. I have a lot of files to work on Monday when I get in, but I'm taking today (Saturday) to stay away from work and enjoy life for one more day before I'm forced back into the 15 hr days. I'm also taking advantage of the day by cleaning up my disaster area of a house that has been sadly neglected for the last 2 months because I haven't been home to take care of it. OK- so basically I'm focusing on my bedroom because well- it's been a sick room for a week and I need it cleaned. (*we won't talk about the pile of Kleenex overflowing from the trash can that definitely needed attention) So, other than work I haven't really been able to do anything lately. I gave a talk in the Osborn ward 2 Sundays ago for High Council Sunday.- The Microphone broke so I basically yelled the whole talk. It's all good though. Yesterday I went to the Church distribution center to get some new g's, and guess what? They sell some food storage stuff now. So, I got a starter kit which equals a box with like 2 #10 cans of wheat, a powdered milk, a pinto beans and something else.. It comes with a video and a little cookbook. it's a start... alright- I've distracted myself from my work long enough. Hope you're all doing fantastic!

SATURDAY IS A SPECIAL DAY....

WHATEVER. Just kidding.. I'm sitting here at work - yes, you read that right.. at work. I'm working for more than 6 hours today so I have to take at least a 30 min. lunch so that's what I'm doing. Sitting here eating my lunch and updating my blog. Fun times. So, I spent WAY too much time on Facebook last night. I found a ton of new friends.- well, to me passing 12 friends on there was a miracle.. I think I might be at 40 now! yeah me! I have friends! lol. It kills me when I go on to peoples profiles and they have like 200-400 people on their list.. good gravy! I don't even KNOW that many people let alone have them as my friends. I did join the Maryland Baltimore Mission club, but it's mostly made up of newer missionaries.. not many of us Oldies who have been home (will be in May) for 10 years! For crying in a bucket.. I had one of the sisters from the mission add me as her friend and she asked what I'd been up to since the mission.. hmm... here's my reply.. "I've been working.. Oh, and I just bought a new house that I finally moved into..." wow- It's a good thing I bought a house because otherwise there really isn't anything to tell as far as accomplishments. Where have the last 10 years gone?

Facebook

So, I just got off of Facebook. I decided that I needed to update my profile picture after adding a friend whose picture was in fact a "scrapbooked" picture. I loved it.. so I had to do a couple myself. And of course, it doesn't matter that at this moment it is 11:00pm and I have to go to work tomorrow.. After all- my picture is updated and I'm adding a comment to my blog.. what could be more important than that? Sleep?- I've been without so long.. my body is beginning to learn to slowly function without it.. lol!

So, here's what I was playing around with today. I added these two pictures to Facebook.

So how FuN is that? I lOvE iT!

When I come upon a day that I have more than an hour of time between the time I get home and when I have to go to bed, I will update this blog with all the latest and greatest. until then- Have a fantastic day!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

So, wow- where did that last part of 2008 go? It was all a jumble of a lot of work for me. Business has picked up which is fantastic, but we are having to work mandatory over-time to help a different department. (on top of the OT we have to do just to get our own work done.) It's been crazy. It will definitely help when the $$ comes in for the OT, but boy is it about to do me in. Even though I wasn't living in the house for Christmas- It was decorated for it.. I'm sad I didn't take a picture of all the Nativities displayed on my buffet- I thought I had one.. but don't. So, anyway- here's at least a picture of the Tree, coffee table decorations and the dinner table nativity.

I made that tree skirt with the Nativity on it a long time ago.

I was a bit too ambitious this year as far as "parties" and "dinners" at my house.. This is the way the table looked for the Christmas party, the Ward Missionaries, Sunday dinner at my house and breakfast for Vanessa, Andrea, Megan, Jared, Kent, Leah and me when they were all over helping Leah set up her Christmas tree. Whew! But it was loads of fun.

My most recent bit of exhaustion has come from finally moving into my house! I know- you don't believe it.. but it's true. It finally happened. There's still projects to do, but the "major" stuff is done. So, I decided to move in on New Years Day since it was my only day off- and will be for quite a while. I had completely forgotten about the multi-stake Youth Dance on New Years Eve. Our Stake YM/YW presidency was in charge of making the breakfast. We served @ 12:20 am. After feeding everyone, and cleaning up, I didn't get home until 2:40am and I had told my nephew Lance that I would be by to pick him up at 9:30am.- Well, that's about the time I ended up getting up. I was exhausted!- but there was work to do. Anyway- Lance was a FANTASTIC help. He did 99% of the trips between the two houses carrying my stuff over from my room. I couldn't have done it without him. Kent came over at about the time I got back from picking up Lance to start the floor molding in the bedroom & bathroom.. (I had told him earlier that all I needed to have finished before I would move in was the new toilet installed and the molding put up in the bathroom and bedroom. The toilet he installed on Monday or Tuesday.) So, all the stuff Lance was bringing over was put in the front room until the boards were finished being caulked and painted in my room.

I know it's ridiculous that I have even more stuff! I've totally run out of room.. Thank goodness most of it really is my bedroom stuff and has gone in there.

Leah painting the floor boards after Myrna had finished caulking them. We had to wait for this to be done before we could set up the room- and if you know Myrna & Leah- they could hardly wait.. that's their favorite part of everything.. he final part- decorating setting up etc.

Here's Lance caulking the floor boards in the bathroom. Those didn't get painted yet, but at least they're in and caulked. He also did the ones in the hall way. I love that boy. He really was working hard for me- and I know he was exhausted since he had been out partying for New Years.- Thanks again Lance! You're the best!

So, here's the room finally put together- ish.. sorry, no closet doors.. another room that has those on the 20 year plan. Thie chunky piece below barely fits in this space.. but we're making it work. I need the extra storage it will provide. It had my TV in it before, but I left that for Leah next door since I don't have cable hook-up in my room, and there's no plug near this wall that is the only place for this to go.

Here's the bed and night stand. This is the only direction the bed would go to fit in the room and still be able to use my night stand.. and get into the drawers of my dresser. As you can see- it all barely fits.. but it fits and I love it. I'll have to go back and do the before/after pictures of this room later.