Who doesn't love a care package?

Have you ever received a package in the mail that you weren't expecting? Isn't it a great feeling to have your name written across the cardboard?

I just stumbled across this: anysoldier.com. And I don't see any reason why I couldn't put together a fun package for a few girls overseas. I actually think it would be kinda fun. It was fascinating looking at their wish lists. I keep thinking, "I could do that." A lot of them want things I love myself: stationary, fun pens, magazine, personal items.

Think about it.

Thankfulness

I survived two days of rising at 4:00 a.m. Barely. I am feeling the effects today, and am doing my best to keep myself sitting in front of my computer working today. Jim is skiing his heart out for the first day today and I am sure he's as giddy as a school girl.

Lately I am so aware of how grateful I am for everything in my life.

1. My job. I get to work from home in my pjs at a job where I get to encourage, motivate and build relationships with people. Something that I really do love.

2. Jim's job. He's the new Associate Sports Editor at The Salt Lake Tribune. He loves it.

3. Income. Although it seems we never really have enough money, I am certain that we truly have more than enough.

4. My health. I know that I am able to make choices to make myself feel better than I already do. But I feel pretty good to begin with.

5. Friends who love me for who I am. Who appreciate me. Who choose to be my friends.

6. Family. Family that stays in touch, loves us unconditionally.

7. God. Seriously. The God of the world loves me, wants to know me, have a relationship with me, regardless of what I have done, will do or will leave undone.

Jim and I both seem to be bursting with gratitude lately.

What are you grateful for?

Seriously.

The alarm clock went off at 4:00 a.m.
I left the house at 5:00 a.m. sharp.
Picked up Janette to carpool at the Southtowne Mall at 5:45 a.m.
Arrived to my destination -- Provo City -- ready for work at 6:20 a.m.

And all I can think for the whole day is, "People do this every day." Get up, get ready, get going, get home and repeat.

It's assessment season at Health Behavior Innovations and this means I get opportunitites to go out and meet prospective clients, and do my best at schmoozing them into working with a health coach.

And that's what I did today.

In another twelve short hours my alarm will go off and I will do it all again.

Thankful All Around

The first guest arrived about 11:30 a.m. and the last didn't leave until 9:30 p.m. I'm not quite sure how a holiday full of people you work with could be so good, but it was. It felt comfortable and normal, almost as if we were with our own families.

We had an eclectic blend of food on the spread -- including lasagne for those allergic to poultry, fried rice and this amazing green bean casserole. I called it green bean goo.

The kids played in the backyard. The grown up boys threw the football around. And the dogs even behaved themselves. There was Trivial Pursuit, Taboo and Spiderman 2.

Josh and Karenna and four year old Ally are eagerly awaiting a baby boy in January.

Maggie came with her boyfriend Taylor, who came all the way from Tahoe. Chhun is pictured in the middle, and spent his first Thanksgiving away from his family. He brought the fried rice as this is his family's tradition. It was a hit.

And then there are the boys being boys. Jim's here with Brian, the other designer from work, who stopped by briefly with his wife, Rea, to enjoy a plate of food.

More Friends for Whom to Be Thankful

Here are our friends the Gillespies. Jim literally works right next to Joe at the Tribune. Here you see his wife Lori, their new little guy Ben, who is six months old, and Michael, the almost three year old. I used to babysit Michael two days a week upon first arriving here in Salt Lake.

As you can see, Joe's a very proud Dad, hanging out on the family room floor with is cute offspring.

It's beginning to smell a lot like turkey....

Preparations for the big day were almost as fun as the day itself. Tom Turkey was in the oven bright and early at 7:00 a.m. in his fancy new roasting pan that Mom sent all the way from Minnesota.

The "beverage station" was fun to put together. Brittany lent me a few bowls and serving spoons as I didn't have enough to go around. In the background you can see me being just like my Mom -- she would be proud to know that the butter dishes and salt and pepper for each table were ready early in the morning.

And I was reminded of how much I am like my Dad, too, in that I was moving vehicles around in the driveway, wanting the best case scenario when guests arrived!

I find that having friends over is a good way to get the house cleaned. I would have never washed the windows like I did three weeks ago without the knowledge that I would be having a house full of people.

We set up dinner in the front room, thinking it would be great to have everyone in the same general location to eat. I didn't have much in the way of centerpieces, so I used what I had with small pumpkins and votives. Gotta go with what works, I guess.

The Guests Cometh

Here is the first of our Thankgsivings guests to arrive. The photophobic Gizmo.

Duke didn't raise a ruckus when he came in the door last night, but Giz is yet to seem comfortable here. He seems to only be happy around Jimmy, his owner, who is a photographer at the Tribune is traveling to Nebraska for the holiday.

Duke will be visiting Giz at his own home when we travel to Minnesota in December.

Enjoy the attempts of our photos. Giz whined, cried and carried on and acted like I was pointing a water gun at him.

A Day in the Life

Duke feels he has been patient enough. He apparently can't understand why one would want to hang out on the couch for so many days in a row. I mean, c'mon, wouldn't you rather be in the yard with me, throwing tennis balls?

I'm still under the weather, fighting some unknown viral infection. That's my diagnosis, anyway. Low-grade fever high enough to make me ache everywhere.

I tried to work a bit from home today and was somewhat successful. I'm a bit overwhelmed these days with work. I'm heading into a very busy time of year as we have new contracts coming on therefore have hundreds of new clients to work with. Lots of time on the phone for me.

Jim's heading up the mountain tomorrow for some long-awaited time on the slopes. I'm bummed to not be going, but any energy I have is being saved for Turkey Day and all its preparations. I'm afraid even a few hours on skis would wipe me out completely.

Didn't anyone think my "Why Dogs Bite Their Owners" post was funny? C'mon!

Why Dogs Bite Their Owners

Why Dogs Bite Their Owners, Part II

Grilled Cheese and Duke

These are the things that sustain me as I lay in the couch with a fever. No other symptoms, just a fever of unknown origin.

In my head I am busy preparing for Thanksgiving Day when there will be 15 of us celebrating here together at our place. We have the space, we love to host and we trust that the other Salt Lake Tribune transplants will enjoy having a place to enjoy the holiday with friends.

The bird is thawing as I type and I just found Jim's Mom's famous stuffing recipe from her years in Pennsylvania. Add to that the fancy roasting pan my Mom and Dad just sent in the mail, and voila -- Thanksgiving! Now I just need to clean the house, set up the table and grocery shop. We're looking forward to it all. Jim's not really a helper -- he's more than that. He's happy to be responsible for any part of the day, including the gravy. He'll work hard to duplicate Grandma Jackie's famous concoction.

Well, my neck is having a difficult time sustaining my head. I think a few strands of licorice would do a better job!

Until next time....

Standing Order

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

I went to the ever-trusty bible last night. I was needing some words of wisdom and encouragement on the process of forgiveness. And this is where God brought me. Corinithians 13. The famous passage that so many have read at weddings. Why would God point out this schpeal on love to me when I was really seeking his input on forgiveness?

I was surprised. I read it a few times. I even went on to find more forgiveness-specific stuff. But I came back to this one. And here I am again this morning.

I think it's all I need to know and believe right now. Love is patient. It is kind. It keeps no records of wrongs. It always perseveres.

I am struck that it does not say that love is easy. It does not say love is fun. Certainly these are the images we are to have when we attend wedding cermonies, right? Love is gushy, feel-good, right?

This that Paul wrote to the people of Corinth so many years ago continues to be a tall order. It gives me encouragement as I work towards being the loving person God wants me to be in all areas of my life, with friends, family and those I work with.

Adversity and Perspective

I was routed to Stephanie's blog by my sister-in-law a few weeks ago. She is a 38-year old mother of two who is fighting against breast cancer. I don't know her. I don't know her whole story. I don't know where she lives.

But I can relate to what she writes. Today she talked about feeling like she was lucky. Lucky because she is being forced to reexamine her priorities. And it reminds me so much of my battle ten years ago as I fought Aplastic Anemia, Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria and all that chemotheraphy, radiation and one bone marrow transplant handed me.

Her blog is not for the lighthearted. But for those of us who invite perspective on daily struggles, it's an amazing lesson in zooming out and focusing on that which really matters.

Click here.

Thursday, Thursday

It's been a very busy week for me. Running here, there and everywhere. When is it going to be over? I just want to spend time at home, cozied up by the fire with a chai latte in my hands.

Turns out I am a home-body. But most of you knew this already. Jim and I learned it very early in our marriage. When we have time off together he wants to go, to do things. I just want to stay at home and hang out with him and Duke.

I was offered a full-time job at Behvavioral Health Innovations, where I work as a health coach. It would include being in the office each day and working more on the business/administrative end of things, instead of being hands-on with the clients. I currently work about 15 hours from home, coaching about 100 clients. I promptly turned them down. I mean really, seriously: an eight hour day [at least!] + 1.25 hours drive time + office politics and drama + the need for a wardrobe and a packed lunch every day = no thank you.

Thanks, but no thanks is what I said. I was thrilled that they have confidence in me to do the job they were offering, but I want to stay home in my pjs, with Duke at my feet. Please do not let me forget that this is actually my own choice when I am complaining about how hard it is to work from home!

My inner ramblings have quieted from the other day, but they're always still there. I'm currently focusing on planning Thanksgiving dinner for 12 adults and three kids. We're having the crew from The Salt Lake Tribune over; they're all transplants like us. We're happy to host because we have the space, plus we like doing it. Now if I only knew how to make a turkey....

A Day at the Park

Brittany, Kambree and I have been hanging out at the park lately. Kambree just turned two years old and is all about climbing. She just loves it!




Brittany and I have really been enjoying the friendship we've been developing since meeting when we moved in across the street in April of this year. Girl stuff, but mostly just enjoying sharing the day-to-day trials of life, love and the pursuit of something seeming to be just out of our reach.



The weather here is still really nice, as you can see lots of sunshine, yet snow on the mountains.

Shane and Jim get along like peas in a pod too. If I were to post pictures of them playing together, it would be sitting on a couch with XBox controls in their hands. Boys will be boys!

Inner Ramblings

Today was supposed to be the day when Dr. Broadwater would say, “You’re done. Let’s get these braces off.” Instead it turned into, “This is not the day. Come back in two weeks and if you’re teeth have behaved themselves, we’ll be sure to get them off before you head to Minnesota for the holidays." You see, he promised me that when I saw my Mom for Christmas, I would have a new smile. So he’s doing what he can.

So here I am, with a sore mouth yet again. He really cranked again today. Probably won’t eat much for a day or two. I would really think twice before doing this again. Braces as an adult has not been any sort of walk in the park.

I’ve caught myself feeling down lately, comparing myself with other people. I get caught in the trap of looking at other people’s lives and perceiving that they have it all together. And everyone who knows me knows that my ultimate wish in life is to have it all together.
Having it all together mainly comes in the form of being organized for me. Having clean, neat closets. Meals that are planned and ready to prepare. Laundry that is actually finished. A neat planner with a great variety of work and personal things on it. The books I want to read, read. Relationships that are neat and tidy, without hurt or frustration. People who like me, appreciate me, and tell me so. Is this too much to ask?

Instead I see a messy house, a planner that is full of too much of the wrong thing. I see other people with more friends, with better photos on their blogs, with heavier-visited blogs than mine. I see the eight pounds I have gained, the recent bad haircut and these damn braces still on my teeth. I would bet that getting braces was just one of my attempts at becoming more perfect, of having more of it all together. Just an attempt at getting others to take notice of the improvements I try to make in my life.

So, on the off chance that any of you look at me and think that I have it all together, think again.

It's Broken

Somehow I have disabled the option for all of you to leave comments on my blog. Can't quite seem to figure out how to fix it.

So, thanks for your patience!

And if you have any idea, let me know.

I'm am off to work at The Salt Lake Tribune -- helping with getting election results from all of the polls. I was promised pizza and cash. What else does a girl need in order to feel a part of something bigger than herself?

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is Dad's 60th birthday. Somehow it doesn't seem odd that he is in a new decade. It just seems to make him seem even more handsome and gentle. He does have such a gentle spirit. I can hear his laugh and see his big smile as I type this. He's quiet, comfortable and strong.

One of my favorite memories of him is the way he acted when I would come home from Duluth all those years. He was always greeting me at my car and carrying in the umpteen loads of laundry and other stuff I always deemed necessary to bring home for the weekend. And when I would leave on Sundays, he always walked me out and stood in the driveway, waving until I was out of sight. I don't once remember him going back into the house until I was really gone.

He changed my oil religiously and was always quick to start my car on cold winter days. He's always been eager to hear about what's going on and has never said, "I think that's a stupid idea, Amy" even when I would lay out one of my cockamamy ideas. He's always been behind me in his strong yet gentle way.

I admire his work ethic and am thankful he taught me how to get things done. My perfectionist tendencies come from him, but this makes us who we are, and most importantly, makes me like my Dad.

So, Dad, here's wishing you an amazing day. Although I'm more than a thousand miles away, I hear your laugh, see your smile and am thankful that you are forever my Dad.

For everything there is a season....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... Well, at least it's starting to look more like ski season around here. The mountain peaks are full of snow and we recently had our first accumulation. Of course it didn't stick, our days are still in the 50s. But, our ski resort opens up the week of Thanksgiving. See you on the slopes!

Happy Halloween

Our first of many trick-or-treaters last night was Kambree, our favorite two-year old who lives across the street.

Everything makes its way back around, including the adorable Care Bears.

We had around 20 groups of kids knock on our door and it was fun!