Baby Surprises

So if you saw my Facebook last night, you will have noticed that we announced we are having a baby girl!! Here is our story :)

Back in August, my family was planning a trip up to Utah in October to visit us and go to a doTERRA conference. We were living in Heber at the time and were very excited to have them come stay with us. My sister mentioned that she wanted to have some family pictures taken since it had been over a year since the last time we had pictures taken, and we had a new member of the family to add, my niece Aubry. I thought it was a good idea and started to look for photographers in the area. August 26th, we agreed on a photographer and my husband and I found out that we were pregnant. I immediately emailed the photographer and let her know that I wanted to surprise my family with the news while we were taking pictures. She LOVED the idea, and we were all set.

I didn't tell my family or John's family at all, and that was very very hard. I never had really bad morning sickness, but I just felt nauseous all the time. My coworkers knew because I found out I was pregnant at work and kinda freaked out a little (in a good way!). So here I was, newly pregnant, feeling sick all the time, and could only talk to my husband and coworkers, who don't have kids. I couldn't ask for advice from my sister or my mom, and that killed me inside. 

The month and a half went by, and my family didn't have a clue that we were expecting. I was just hoping and praying that my nausea would subside and I would be able to keep it a secret while they were there. They arrived on Tuesday and we weren't taking pictures until Saturday, so I had to keep my mouth shut for a few days. The whole week I had worked so hard to lead them astray and kill any thought or idea that we were pregnant or planning on getting pregnant any time soon.

And it worked!

Saturday rolls around and we get ready for pictures. We arrive to the location and start shooting. I wanted to tell them in one of the group shots, but I was just so nervous!! We took pictures in a few group settings, and we were about done with group shots, so I had to do it now! We get situated in the position below, and the whole time my husband keeps whispering to me "Okay Caren. Any day now. Are you going to tell them?"

Finally, I turn to them and say "Oh yeah, mom? I don't know if I told you, but we're pregnant." Just very nonchalantly dropped the bomb. And you can see how they reacted...

NOW, it finally sunk in. First thing out of my older sister's mouth? "SHUT UP!"

 Commence the hugs.

And tears of joy.

Of course, my mom thought I was a stinker. But it was so worth it! At this point, I was a little over 10 weeks along (I can't remember how far along exactly I was). It was such a relief to finally let them know and not have to keep it quiet any longer. It was a very perfect day :)

Fast forward two months, and here we are! I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday to find out the sex of the baby. Long story short, I thought I was a week farther along than I was, and my doctor wouldn't do an anatomy ultrasound for another week or two. Oh boy, I could already feel Mama Bear coming out. A few of my friends announced they were pregnant and what they were having at like 13 or 14 weeks. Here I was, 17/18 weeks along and she said that they could still miss things if they did one, and we had to wait until around 20 weeks.  

Bull. Crap.

 She had me come back in for a different ultrasound on Friday to double check some things, and I told the ultrasound tech that I just NEEDED to know what we were having. Amidst so many changes and challenges in my life right now, I needed something to look forward to. So, she went ahead and did the anatomy ultrasound (against doctor's orders) and we found out we are having a girl!

My family knew I was supposed to find out on Wednesday, but I didn't want to tell them until after we went through the temple on Saturday and most of our family would be there. (By the way, we went through the temple!!) So I call my sister, and I tell her the bad news that I didn't find out on Wednesday and had to go back in on Friday for another ultrasound. Of course, with everything that has happened thus far with the baby, she didn't believe me. Same thing with my mom. They thought I was just holding out for the perfect time to tell them, but they wanted to know now!! Haha.  Friday rolls around and I talk to them about the other ultrasound I had to go in for and explained that the ultrasound tech wouldn't do an anatomy scan because that's not what the doctor ordered and I had to go in in two weeks to have that done. They were a little hesitant to believe me, but I pushed it pretty hard, so they had no choice but to believe me.

Saturday rolls around and we go through the temple. We all got together afterwards to eat dinner, and to tell them the great news! We were all sitting around reading menus, and I again, nochalantly, tell my mom "So mom. You'll need to dry clean the baby blessing gown. Because we're having a girl." It took her a second to finally realize what was just said, but at this point my sister was celebrating and was so excited! The rest of our family was very excited. The Memmott side of the family needs more girls, as we have mostly boys. The Allred side of the family, needs more boys as we have 14 girls, and 2 boys. But we are so very excited to have a girl. All I know is girls, so I'm excited to spoil her :)

Moral of the story, I'm a great liar and keeper of secrets ;)

Something that everyone should know

After hearing some news from today, I just thought I would post this talk given by David A Bednar in 2006 that is oh so important. I really wish that everyone on this planet would read and/or listen to this talk and make it a part of their lives. Without further ado, here it is!

This afternoon I pray that the Holy Ghost will assist me and you as we review together important gospel principles.

One of my favorite activities as a priesthood leader is visiting members of the Church in their homes. I especially enjoy calling upon and talking with members who commonly are described as “less active.”

During the years I served as a stake president, I often would contact one of the bishops and invite him to prayerfully identify individuals or families we could visit together. Before traveling to a home, the bishop and I would kneel and petition our Heavenly Father for guidance and inspiration, for us and for the members with whom we would meet.

Our visits were quite straightforward. We expressed love and appreciation for the opportunity to be in their home. We affirmed that we were servants of the Lord on His errand to their home. We indicated that we missed and needed them—and that they needed the blessings of the restored gospel. And at some point early in our conversation I often would ask a question like this: “Will you please help us understand why you are not actively participating in the blessings and programs of the Church?”

I made hundreds and hundreds of such visits. Each individual, each family, each home, and each answer was different. Over the years, however, I detected a common theme in many of the answers to my questions. Frequently responses like these were given:

“Several years ago a man said something in Sunday School that offended me, and I have not been back since.”

“No one in this branch greeted or reached out to me. I felt like an outsider. I was hurt by the unfriendliness of this branch.”

“I did not agree with the counsel the bishop gave me. I will not step foot in that building again as long as he is serving in that position.”

Many other causes of offense were cited—from doctrinal differences among adults to taunting, teasing, and excluding by youth. But the recurring theme was: “I was offended by …”

The bishop and I would listen intently and sincerely. One of us might next ask about their conversion to and testimony of the restored gospel. As we talked, eyes often were moist with tears as these good people recalled the confirming witness of the Holy Ghost and described their prior spiritual experiences. Most of the “less-active” people I have ever visited had a discernible and tender testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. However, they were not presently participating in Church activities and meetings.

And then I would say something like this. “Let me make sure I understand what has happened to you. Because someone at church offended you, you have not been blessed by the ordinance of the sacrament. You have withdrawn yourself from the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Because someone at church offended you, you have cut yourself off from priesthood ordinances and the holy temple. You have discontinued your opportunity to serve others and to learn and grow. And you are leaving barriers that will impede the spiritual progress of your children, your children’s children, and the generations that will follow.” Many times people would think for a moment and then respond: “I have never thought about it that way.”

The bishop and I would then extend an invitation: “Dear friend, we are here today to counsel you that the time to stop being offended is now. Not only do we need you, but you need the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Please come back—now.”

Choose Not to Be Offended
When we believe or say we have been offended, we usually mean we feel insulted, mistreated, snubbed, or disrespected. And certainly clumsy, embarrassing, unprincipled, and mean-spirited things do occur in our interactions with other people that would allow us to take offense. However, it ultimately is impossible for another person to offend you or to offend me. Indeed, believing that another person offended us is fundamentally false. To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else.

In the grand division of all of God’s creations, there are things to act and things to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:13–14). As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we have been blessed with the gift of moral agency, the capacity for independent action and choice. Endowed with agency, you and I are agents, and we primarily are to act and not just be acted upon. To believe that someone or something can make us feel offended, angry, hurt, or bitter diminishes our moral agency and transforms us into objects to be acted upon. As agents, however, you and I have the power to act and to choose how we will respond to an offensive or hurtful situation.

Thomas B. Marsh, the first President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in this dispensation, elected to take offense over an issue as inconsequential as milk strippings (see Deseret News, Apr. 16, 1856, 44). Brigham Young, on the other hand, was severely and publicly rebuked by the Prophet Joseph Smith, but he chose not to take offense (see Truman G. Madsen, “Hugh B. Brown—Youthful Veteran,” New Era, Apr. 1976, 16).

In many instances, choosing to be offended is a symptom of a much deeper and more serious spiritual malady. Thomas B. Marsh allowed himself to be acted upon, and the eventual results were apostasy and misery. Brigham Young was an agent who exercised his agency and acted in accordance with correct principles, and he became a mighty instrument in the hands of the Lord.

The Savior is the greatest example of how we should respond to potentially offensive events or situations.

“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men” (1 Nephi 19:9).

Through the strengthening power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, you and I can be blessed to avoid and triumph over offense. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165).

A Latter-Day Learning Laboratory
The capacity to conquer offense may seem beyond our reach. This capability, however, is not reserved for or restricted to prominent leaders in the Church like Brigham Young. The very nature of the Redeemer’s Atonement and the purpose of the restored Church are intended to help us receive precisely this kind of spiritual strength.

Paul taught the Saints in Ephesus that the Savior established His Church “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12–13).

Please note the use of the active word perfecting. As described by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, the Church is not “a well-provisioned rest home for the already perfected” (“A Brother Offended,” Ensign, May 1982, 38). Rather, the Church is a learning laboratory and a workshop in which we gain experience as we practice on each other in the ongoing process of “perfecting the Saints.”

Elder Maxwell also insightfully explained that in this latter-day learning laboratory known as the restored Church, the members constitute the “clinical material” (see “Jesus, the Perfect Mentor,” Ensign, Feb. 2001, 13) that is essential for growth and development. A visiting teacher learns her duty as she serves and loves her Relief Society sisters. An inexperienced teacher learns valuable lessons as he teaches both supportive and inattentive learners and thereby becomes a more effective teacher. And a new bishop learns how to be a bishop through inspiration and by working with ward members who wholeheartedly sustain him, even while recognizing his human frailties.

Understanding that the Church is a learning laboratory helps us to prepare for an inevitable reality. In some way and at some time, someone in this Church will do or say something that could be considered offensive. Such an event will surely happen to each and every one of us—and it certainly will occur more than once. Though people may not intend to injure or offend us, they nonetheless can be inconsiderate and tactless.

You and I cannot control the intentions or behavior of other people. However, we do determine how we will act. Please remember that you and I are agents endowed with moral agency, and we can choose not to be offended.

During a perilous period of war, an exchange of letters occurred between Moroni, the captain of the Nephite armies, and Pahoran, the chief judge and governor of the land. Moroni, whose army was suffering because of inadequate support from the government, wrote to Pahoran “by the way of condemnation” (Alma 60:2) and harshly accused him of thoughtlessness, slothfulness, and neglect. Pahoran might easily have resented Moroni and his message, but he chose not to take offense. Pahoran responded compassionately and described a rebellion against the government about which Moroni was not aware. And then he responded, “Behold, I say unto you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves my soul. … And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart” (Alma 61:2, 9).

One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. A thing, an event, or an expression may be offensive, but you and I can choose not to be offended—and to say with Pahoran, “it mattereth not.”

Two Invitations
I conclude my message with two invitations.

Invitation #1
I invite you to learn about and apply the Savior’s teachings about interactions and episodes that can be construed as offensive.

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. …

“For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

“And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:43–44, 46–48).

Interestingly, the admonition to “be ye therefore perfect” is immediately preceded by counsel about how we should act in response to wrongdoing and offense. Clearly, the rigorous requirements that lead to the perfecting of the Saints include assignments that test and challenge us. If a person says or does something that we consider offensive, our first obligation is to refuse to take offense and then communicate privately, honestly, and directly with that individual. Such an approach invites inspiration from the Holy Ghost and permits misperceptions to be clarified and true intent to be understood.

Invitation #2
Many of the individuals and families who most need to hear this message about choosing not to be offended are probably not participating with us in conference today. I suspect all of us are acquainted with members who are staying away from church because they have chosen to take offense—and who would be blessed by coming back.

Will you please prayerfully identify a person with whom you will visit and extend the invitation to once again worship with us? Perhaps you could share a copy of this talk with her or him, or you may prefer to discuss the principles we have reviewed today. And please remember that such a request should be conveyed lovingly and in meekness—and not in a spirit of self-righteous superiority and pride.

As we respond to this invitation with faith in the Savior, I testify and promise that doors will open, our mouths will be filled, the Holy Ghost will bear witness of eternal truth, and the fire of testimony will be rekindled.

As His servant, I echo the words of the Master when He declared, “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended” (John 16:1). I witness the reality and divinity of a living Savior and of His power to help us avoid and overcome offense. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Keep raking your leaves

The leaves of trees provide so much beauty and many blessings that we might not recognize. During the spring and summer, they provide shade to protect us from the sun. During the fall they change colors to give some beauty in this world, then fall off to allow the sun to shine through and create warmth during the winter.

You will often find fathers and families raking the leaves that have fallen during the fall to beautify their lawns, only to have more leaves fall to create more work to be done.

Why don't they just wait until all the leaves have fallen and rake only once? While meteorologists help us prepare for possible storms and future weather, they cannot know exactly when winter will hit.

If you wait too long to rake your leaves, snow will start to fall and will freeze the leaves to your grass, making it very difficult to clean. Come spring time, the leaves will start to decompose and turn to mush, creating a mess.

Such as in life, we need to continually "rake our leaves".

“And now, as I said unto you before ... I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed." Alma 34:33

If we wait to repent of our sins to "kill two birds with one stone", it might already be too late. The night might already have fallen and our to time prepare has ended.

There is a beauty in the atonement and the weekly opportunity of taking the sacrament that we might not see. We have the chance to beautify our lives daily, to correct the wrongs that have been made, and to prepare now to meet our Father in Heaven. We don't lead perfect lives, but we can strive to have a marvelous and magnificent one.

So be grateful for the liberty we have to continually rake our lawns and make them glorious.

Brownie in a mug WIN.

I'm sure many of you have tried some form of cake or brownie in a mug. But I bet you haven't tried this one! If you have, you already know how amazing it is.

It seriously took me no more than five minutes. I did make a few adjustments from some of the comments made. I used milk instead of water, added 1/2 Tbsp more of cocoa, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. I mixed all of the dry ingredients and slowly added them to the wet ingredients, mixing with a fork in a large mug to get all the lumps out. I ended up having to add a little more milk until the mixture was shiny, but probably wasn't more than 1tsp.

Off to the microwave you go! I started at 50 seconds, and then did increments of 10 seconds until it was not so glossy on top, which ended up to be around 1:20. I added a little vanilla ice cream and this hit the spot perfectly! Not to mention it was super easy clean up as there was literally no mess.

You can't really see the actually brownie in the picture, but it was extremely moist and wasn't dense at all. I'll need to stock up on cocoa powder for the future!!

Let me know what you think!

Dreams vs Goals

Many of you know that I played the piano growing up. I LOVED it! It was always my dream to play in Carnegie Hall with my family sitting in the front row. Now, many years later, that dream was just that. A dream.

A little background.

My mom said that when I was little I would always be playing on the piano. Unfortunately, the teacher my sister was seeing only took students when you turned 8. So. I waited. After taking piano lessons from her for a few years (I think), my grandpa took me to a lady in his ward that taught piano lessons when I was in 6th grade. She currently wasn't taking any students, but after playing that piano for her as kind of an audition, she was able to squeeze me in. I can't remember how many years I ended up taking piano lessons from Tina, but I learned as much as I possibly could. And I loved every minute of it. I have so many songs ingrained in my memory thanks to her. After learning everything she could teach me, I moved onto a different teacher. And I learned even more. It took me around 6 months to learn two pages of the song below, which amounts to a measly 45 seconds. Granted, I was never able to play it this fast. And probably never will. After taking lessons from him for a few months, we took a break for the summer. Upon return, my parents decided to take me to a college professor that a friend recommended. I only went to her for a few months because I was still in high school and the demand was too much for me to handle. I mean come on, how am I supposed to have a social life in high school when I am expected to play the piano for at least 5-6 hours a day?? (Total wish I could have changed my mentality there...) Yeah, so that didn't last very long. Unfortunately, after leaving her, I didn't go back to any teacher. I just. Stopped. 

My dream that I wanted so badly to come true ended. If you were to ask me to play any of the songs that I learned so many years ago at the level I was able to play them at, I'd laugh and then go cry quietly to myself in my closet.

I think the kicker in this story is that my grandparents paid for most of my piano lessons. And what do I have to show for it? A lousy version of Claire de Lune and Mary Had a Little Lamb. (I don't think I'll ever let myself go for letting them down.)

Moral of the story. If you have a dream, make it a reality. Make it a goal. And don't ever give up. Because if you stop, you're going to wake up 10 years later and think "What have I done?" It's not worth it to give up on something you love so dearly. 

So dig your feet in a little harder and show the world that you can. And that you will.

Bountiful Baskets

Recently, my Co-worker told me about Bountiful Baskets. And then I read on Facebook more about them from someone who uses it. So I figured I'd give it a try. You never know what you are going to get, aside from pure yumminess. Here is what I got today! And I'm so excited to do it again :)

1 pineapple
1 honeydew
7 bananas
7 tomatoes
1 green onion
6 GIANT potatoes
3 yellow zucchini
1 cucumber
1 head of lettuce
1 head of cauliflower
1 box of mushrooms
2 stalks of celery

Also, this time I opted in for their sourdough add on and got 5 20oz loaves of sourdough bread.

They request that you volunteer every 6-8 weeks since this is a non-profit gig. And to be honest, I'm really excited to go volunteer! I can't wait to use all of this goodness and do it again! You should join in on the fun! Go to their website and see where the closest location is to you. (there are TONS)

My husband

I just wanted to make a quick post about my husband and how grateful I am for his strong testimony in the gospel. Often times when we are sitting in Sunday school, I will follow along and occasionally, I might answer a question or read a scripture. John on the other hand, participates as much as he possibly can. Not only am I grateful I married sometime who isn't afraid to speak in public, but I married someone who has an unshakable testimony of the church. Everyday I learn something new from him, and every Sunday (if not more throughout the week) my testimony is strengthened by him. I like to think it's from going on a mission, but I know it's from how he was raised; to read scriptures, attend church and seminary, have family prayer, and most of all, respect his parents. I'd like to think it also helps that his dad has worked for the church most, if not all, his life. I'm just so glad I have someone (in the flesh) to help me through when I have doubts our questions that need answering and discussion. I'd be lost without him.

Film vs Digital

Yeah, it's nice having a digital camera to take pictures. But there is something so simplistic and natural about a film camera. I love the depth that you get from your roll and how "perfect" they look. Yes, they might have scratches, or film spots, but that's the beauty of it all. And it sure does teach you patience, not being able to see the image right away. I'm hoping one day I'll have my own dark room to develop my own film instead of having to run down to Walgreens. One day...

A friend of mine offered to have her husband look at John's broken computer in exchange for me taking pictures of their little family. Since I no longer have a digital camera, I knew it was time to break out the film again.

These are some pictures I took tonight when we were out on a short walk looking at the sunset. I hope you enjoy and can see the character that film photography brings! [If you click on the picture, you can see a larger, better image ;)]

(None of these have been edited and are straight from the camera)

Mumbo Jumbo

As I sit here on my lunch break eating left over macaroni and cheese with hot dogs, there are so many things going through my mind! So get ready for a cocktail of missteps and randomness and just plain life.

Do you fit in or stand out? I had a hard time with that one in high school. I wanted to fit in with the "cool kids" only to find out that they weren't true friends and would drop you like a rain drop falling from stormy skies during monsoon season in Arizona. So I went the majority of my high school existence without real "best" friends. Sure, I graduated with acquaintances and people that I grew up with and would say "hi" to in the halls. And some people I thought were my best friends went and hung out with their group of friends that I didn't really click with. Do I regret being alone? Eh. Regret is a strong word. Would I do things differently? Who knows. If I had any advice for my high school self, it would be to say sorry to those I burned bridges with, to not care about the "cool kids", and to really think about the choices that I would want to make and how they would effect my future family.

Do you ever get so filled with love that you can't stop smiling or you just want to scream at the top of your lungs? Yep. That has happened quite frequently the past few weeks. I LOVE MY HUSBAND SO FREAKING MUCH! Words cannot express what a blessing and an answer to prayers he has been. Heck, writing this my eyes start to well with tears of joy and happiness. I don't think he will ever know how much I truly love him. I don't think I can even comprehend it.

Do you ever wonder why things happen to some people and not to others? Yeah, me neither. I have to admit, that I LOVE Glee. And if you don't, then that's fine. I won't try and shove it down your throat. But I'm sure if you listen to the radio or watch the news, or have Facebook or Twitter, you've learned that Cory Monteith who plays Finn Hudson died this past weekend. How? Heroin and alcohol lethal combination. I sat thinking to myself, "How the heck are they going to continue Glee without such an important character? They just killed Rachel's last relationship so they could bring Rachel and Finn back together." I can't even imagine what Lea Michele is going through, his real life and on-scene girlfriend. To lose your loved one so suddenly and out of the blue, right before taking your relationship to the next step (moving in) would just be so devastating. What hits home is that Cory was the same age as my husband. That sent me into a loop of "What would I do if John died tomorrow?" and totally freaked me out. I always wonder, and I'm probably going somewhere very bad for wanting this, but why couldn't someone who doesn't contribute much to society have died instead of someone who has brought so much light and laughter and love to millions of people across the globe? I know it's WAY above my pay grade, but sometimes I wish things were different.

Do you ever feel out of place? When I lived in Arizona, I was used to seeing girls wear tank tops and way-too-short shorts, and pretty much nothing. I was used to not very many people being LDS and not being able to talk about your ward at the grocery store. When I moved up to Utah, BIG change. It took me a while to adjust to seeing everyone dress modestly and talking about your singles ward and that cute boy who went on his mission to who knows where. I liked it. I didn't feel like I was an alien visiting some other planet. At my last job, maybe 7 people weren't LDS, so at work I got used to talking about my ward and general conference, etc. Well, since moving up to Heber and working in Park City, HUGE change. It's just like I'm back in Arizona, minus the scorpions and the blistering heat and the nothingness deserts. All the girls needed a little more yardage on their bodies, smoking is pretty popular (but oh so extremely disgusting), and I had to explain to a few co-workers what a mission was and what a ward is. I was so used to living somewhere where everyone knew what I did on Sundays and what it meant to be Mormon. Adjusting is difficult and I kind of don't want to.

Do you ever look up to people and wonder "Why couldn't I have been as smart as you?" As the CEO of the company I work for (which maybe has 20 employees, and that's being generous) was doing some training in my department, at the end I asked him how many businesses he has owned. Roughly 14. When he was 20, he turned his first business into an $80 million company. When he was 23, he turned his next business into a $100 million company. And he doesn't even have a high school diploma. That takes work. Maybe I'm just too lazy..

Do you ever want my blogs to end? Yeah, me too. Too-da-loo!

Changes

Why hello there! These past couple weeks have been SOO life changing! Where to begin, where to begin....

About a month ago, I wanted to move back down to Arizona. Why would I want to leave the beautiful Utah weather and my great job and my incredible in-laws? Because I missed my family. Yes, we have John's amazing family up here. But it's a little different watching your husband's nieces and nephews grow up and not being able to see your own. I had started looking for jobs and trying to plan things out. John was a little skeptical. Mainly because he hates the heat. But who doesn't?? I wasn't too excited about moving back to 120 degree summers that lasted for 9 months. Okay maybe they only lasted 8 months. Anywho, I digress. My brother in law works for GoDaddy and was going to help me get a job there. We would move back in with my parents until we got on our feet again. I was pretty set on moving down there, but John, not so much. So instead of trying to convince him of moving somewhere that he wasn't completely sold on, I decided to start praying and asking my Father in Heaven for some guidance. I decided to put everything in His hands and whatever He knew was right, I would be okay with.

Well, a few days after I had starting planning our move (Friday), John's friend posted on Facebook about an x-ray job that just became available up in Park City. It is for an orthopedic clinic inside the Park City hospital. He called and set up a job interview for the following Tuesday. All weekend, I kind of put planning our move on hold. Come Tuesday, I was EXTREMELY nervous. The job interview was more of a job shadow, and would work with the techs and do some x-rays to see if he would be a good fit. He went in at 7:30 am and was done around noon. 

The whole morning while I was at work, my mind was on this job interview for John. I had a hard time focusing because I was just so nervous.

Noon rolls around and I finally get a call from John.

"Everything went pretty well! I feel really good about this."

I was so very happy! But me being the realistic person I am, didn't get my hopes up too high. He had felt this way about many other jobs that he had applied for, and they all went nowhere.

He left the hospital and came to pick me up for lunch. We had a nice talk about how things went and what it was like working there. He was really hopeful that this would actually work out. We finished our lunch and I went back to work. About 30 minutes after I had gone back to work, John calls me.

HE GOT THE JOB!!!

I was smiling from ear to ear. This is exactly what we needed! I immediately call my mom and dad and sister and let them know about the great news.

As far as moving or who would commute etc, we didn't really have a plan, but would just play it out by ear. I would continue to work at CirclePix and John would commute to work in Park City until we got some debt paid off and found a place to live up near Park City.

That night, I went home and started looking for jobs up in Park City for myself. There was one job in particular that stood out. It was for a company called Pearl Couture. They make leather and fresh water pearl jewelry by hand. The position was for a jeweler who would make the jewelry in house. It paid pretty well and was different from a dead end desk job. So I applied! 

The next morning (Wednesday) I received a phone call from their hiring manager to set up an interview! I was ecstatic, yet so nervous at the same time! I was to go in for an interview that Friday afternoon and test out the position to see if I liked it and if I would be a good fit. So that night, I went home and started looking for places that we could live in the area so that we both didn't need to commute such a long way. I found a few apartment complexes and I was going to go look at Friday after my interview.

Friday rolls around and off I go to my interview. I arrive at my destination and eagerly wait inside. Apparently it was a group interview, which I wasn't too excited about because I don't do well in those settings. The owner brings us into his office and explains things a little bit, then takes us upstairs to try out the jewelry making part. We go and I LOVE it!! It was fun because it was creative and I loved working with my hands. We go back into his office and he offers me the job, and I accepted! Things were just coming together was too easily. I was waiting for something horrible to happen, because this was just seamless.

From there, I went to the apartment complex to check it out and take a tour. Instantly, I feel in love.  They are on the very edge of town, so you get a lot of the fields and mountain views instead of the city view, which I absolutely love! The big kicker as to why we would move here and no place else was the fact that they allowed pets. I signed some papers and placed our deposit so they would hold the unit, and we would come up in the next week to finalize the papers.

I put in my two weeks at CirclePix. It was very hard. I had been working there for over 2 years. Everyone there was family. I had made many friends and grown so much over the course of my employment. Not to mention that it was an excellent company to work for. If anyone living in southern Utah County is looking for a good job, go apply!! I was very scared about starting at a new company. What if they were a horrible company to work for? What if I didn't get along with anyone? What if? What if? WHAT IF?!!

My last two weeks flew by and before I knew it, it was time for us to move and for me to start my new job. Moving went smoothly, and my first day went great! I wouldn't say that it went smoothly though...

I arrive on my first day a few minutes early to fill out paper work and get things all organized and whatnot. I go upstairs and start making jewelry. When I came in for my interview, they had 3 people making jewelry. When I started, there were 9, plus me. Quite a difference! Anywho, I loved it! I had a lot of fun and got along pretty well with my new coworkers.

Towards the end of the day, I noticed that the owners started calling people in one by one to talk to them. Part of me was hopeful. 

"We are getting raises for sure."

While the other part was not so hopeful.

"Am I going to get laid off on my first day??"

Soon enough it was my turn to go talk to the owners. A little background, the owner (David) started Dye Ties, which is their main business, 2 years ago. They make head bands and hair ties. 3 months ago they purchased Pearl Couture from the original owners in Georgia. When I walk into his office, he starts explaining about how they made a mistake and miscalculated things. Blah blah blah.

"I am going to lose my job on my first day. What kind of company is this?? Don't cry Caren. Hold yourself together. Things are going to be alright."

"I'm sure you're worried that we are going to let you go. We don't want to be that kind of company. We like you and were impressed in your interview. How would you feel about moving into our accounting department for Dye Ties?" (David, the owner)

Whewww!! I accepted the position reluctantly, but didn't leave finding another job out of the picture. Now that I've been in this position for two weeks, I can honestly say that it was for the better. I love my job even more, my days fly by in an instant, and the girls I work with are awesome. Change really isn't so bad, right?

Nothing has ever come together so perfectly in my entire life. Most of the time I have to fight for something to come together and to work. I knew that since everything worked so seamlessly, we needed to stay in Utah rather than move to Arizona. I knew that was the answer to my prayers.

So the moral of this very long and drawn out story, is that prayer really does work!! Sometimes it isn't so noticeable what the answer might be, but you'll get an answer eventually :) Never give up, never surrender....on saying your prayers.

(If you know what movie that is from, you can be a part of the cool peoples club.)

Never Again

First off...UPDATE TIME!!!

It's been a little while since I last posted, and quite a bit has gone on. Well not really, but I'll pretend it's true. John was offered a job within an hour of his interview being done in Park City, UT. So in the next few months we will be moving up to Heber City, UT. I will still continue to work at my current job, because I love it so much and it is worth making the 45 minute drive.

Mo and Bear are doing great. Bear seems to be doubling in size every week. Mo...not so much. For some odd reason, she is afraid to eat out of their bowl. She never had a problem with it before, and Bear eats out of it just fine. We have to put food on the ground in order for her to eat. We think that's the main reason why she isn't growing very much (which to be completely honest, is fine by me because I love how small she is.)

We will be buying a car in the next couple weeks, so any advice on cars or somewhere good to buy (in Utah) would be very much appreciated!!

Now to the good part. Well, more like the sad I-am-going-to-H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks part.

Right outside our door we have an awning. On that awning, a hummingbird built it's nest. 

John and I thought it was pretty cool! I mean, I've never really seen a hummingbird up close like this, nor this often! After a while, it was getting pretty annoying because every time that we would walk outside, the hummingbird would dive bomb and almost hit us. So much to the point that we would just stand inside and look out the screen door when we took the pups outside.

Well, today it was BEAUTIFUL outside and I wanted to enjoy the afternoon. So I sat out on our front steps. Down the hummingbird came, quite a few times, so close that I could feel the wind from it's wings against my face. Seriously?? I can't enjoy my nice afternoon and you have to ruin it?? Thanks dumb bird...

So..I stood inside with the screen door propped open. This stupid hummingbird was so persistent that it almost flew into our apartment a few times!!

So what do I do because I'm so fed up with it??

Knock down it's nest.

I know. I know. "How could you do that Caren?! Do you not care for animals at all?!!"

No, I do care for animals. But when they constantly ambush me and invade my personal space, something has to change. And I'm not going to move. So the hummingbird had to.

Unfortunately, it was so high up that I just had to knock it down. Off I went to go get the broom. With a few smacks, down it came.

"CRACK!"

Uhhhhhh...what???

Yep. There were two baby eggs in the nest. My heart skipped a beat.

"I AM GOING TO HELL!! I JUST RUINED THIS HUMMINGBIRD'S LIFE!!"

As you can tell, I was devastated. I felt so incredibly horrible. I called John immediately and told him the tragic tale of the hummingbird babies. He thought it was funny how sad I had become over the loss of these two birds. I mean, who wouldn't get sad?! That's what I thought..Not only did he think it was funny, he liked to rub in the fact that he wouldn't knock down the nest due to the possibility of eggs being in the nest. Thanks babe. You always were better than me ;)

Never again.

Never again will I touch a bird's nest.