Long time no blog.....

This is Manhattan at sunrise, from about 30,000 feet above....

I wish there was a better reason for the blogging hiatus, but the only excuse I can offer is that I was just too lazy. Tiki Farm on Facebook has kept me sufficiently obsessed at night when things are quiet at work, so I end up staring at that screen and waiting for my crops to blossom so I can harvest them and buy all sorts of fun things, like a Tiki tent, surfboards, cool tiki statues, etc. It's a real waste of time, but surprisingly entertaining!

To say that I'm excited that I am starting the first of my last 2 weeks working the night shift is a severe understatement! I thought, when I got the shift 4 months ago "Ok- that's cool- I'll work at night, and be able to get tons done during the day!" W-R-O-N-G!!!! Working all night does funky stuff to your body, so I have been feeling more and more tired every day, even to the point that doing something as simple as FOLDING LAUNDRY seems like it takes too much energy to do. I'm excited, because starting June 8th (after a 4 day weekend with the Smiths in PA!) I will work Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7 am until 5:30 pm. Not so excited about working on Saturdays, but at least I'll be off early enough to still have a date night or be able to do fun stuff with friends. I'm just really excited to join the world of the day-livers again. This night life stuff is WAY overrated!
Paulo and I had a fun spur-of-the-moment overnight date this last weekend. Since Paulo hadn't ever been, and the flights looked good for going there and coming back, I offered to treat him to a slice of New York pizza pie- in NEW YORK! We hopped on the plane in SLC, flew through the night, and landed in JFK at 6am Saturday morning. After an adventurous ride on the subway, we had a marathon walking day of seeing all sorts of fun sites: Times Square, Rockafeller Center, Radio City Music Hall (Where the Dali Lama was speaking that morning), Manhattan Temple, Little Brazil, and then we zoomed back to JFK to catch the flight at 3:00 that afternoon back to SLC. It was a little scary at the airport- the flight was very full, but luckily (for the standby passengers!) some people missed their flight, so we got on! I was praying like crazy that we would get on, because I had to be back at work on Sunday night, and we certainly hadn't planned to pay for a hotel room in Manhattan. Heavenly Father heard our prayers, and not even 24 hours after we had left, we were back in good old Salt Lake City! I'm really grateful for this new job with JetBlue, and the opportunities it is going to give us to see different places and have some really fun memories through the years.

My miracle for the last month has been Paulo. He is a great example of humility and patience and I love him so much!

April Showers

. . . . . . ... bring fear to the hearts of little Yorkie Doggies who haven't heard thunder in a long time. . . . . .....

My little miracle today was that I (almost) got the yard mowed before the thunderstorm came in. Here we go again . . . . it's gonna be a long summer!

Being Tough

Paulo suggested that we get out the lawnmower and garden gloves and work on the yard yesterday. After picking myself up off of the floor and trying to hide my shock at such a gesture, I said "Sure!"

Then I almost swore when it started snowing.

THEN, when he suggested we try it again today, I almost asked him "who are you, and what have you done with my husband?!?!?" Luckily, I was smart enough not to tease him and bruise his ego. Today's weather cooperated and we got the lawn mowed, edged, and lots of weeds pulled out/ decapitated. Paulo was so cute watching me pull out weeds- he started talking about how they don't have weeds in Brazil and he honestly thought that a lot of them (the dandelions namely) were actually plants that BELONGED in the flower beds! I gave him a quick lesson on the correct technique to picking a weed vs. decapitating it. My theory is that if you just decapitate a weed, it comes back, with an ANGRY vengeance! So it's worth the sore back to get them out by the root if you can! He was really intrigued. It was cute.

I was glad to see that one of my bushes in the front of the house is actually making a comeback this year. After last year's negligence I thought that this one bush that produces some of the prettiest and most tropical looking flowers that you can get on a plant in Utah was certainly kapoot. I mean DONE. DEAD. DONE FOR. MUERTE. All of the above. Imagine my surprise when I saw this:

Well, it turns out that Mr. Tropical Flower Maker was only mostly dead. I looked at the bush, pulled off some of the left over and now hardened remnants of the weed that I thought had taken over the plant last year. Then I kind of had a moment. I looked at that bush- it was covered in weeds last year, to the point that it probably couldn't breathe very well. If plants have thoughts, this one was definitely thinking "man, I should have taken out a life insurance policy or something!" But here it stood in front of me, 6 months later, proving that even though at one moment you may be covered and drowning in something that feels like it might even do you in for GOOD, it's possible to recover and have a rebirth.
I've been through some pretty tough moments over the last few months. Some of them felt like they were getting close to doing me in for good. But, like this plant- I've had someone come and pull off all of the schtuff that was suffocating me, and now it's time for me to start showing my pretty flowers again!
My miracle today was family. I love them all so much and am grateful for a Mother and Father who worked so hard to teach us all to love each other, and always help those in need when we can.

What the....

So, Paulo and I have been trying to do something outside the normal 'go to the store, get a movie at the Redbox, come home and go to bed' date nights. Last night we went on a walk up in Bountiful around the temple. Tonight, we broke out the crayons, markers, and coloring pages. Sounds funny, but you would be amazed at how wonderfully therapeutic coloring is. I bet if you took my blood pressure and heart rate while I was coloring, it probably was the lowest it's been in a LONG time tonight. We put the ipod on shuffle and sat for about 2 hours making our creations.

Here's one of the pages I colored:

And here's the one that Paulo colored:

So the question, now, is this: Should I call this "creativity," or should I call a therapist? :)
My miracle today was this simple childhood activity and the great effect it had on both of us. I think sometimes I expect too much of whatever can help me bring things back down to normal.

Clusters of Crocus

I planted crocus bulbs in my front yard about 5 years ago and every year they come popping up around this time. I can see them from my front window, and they make me happy every time! At the same time, however, I always want to yell to the tiny, delicate flowers "Hold on! Springtime isn't here yet!" Because, no matter how hard they try to wait until Springtime is actually here, they always bloom, and then get snowed on. Last week, these two little gems were covered in snow. Today, while the sun shines, they are soaking up the rays and loving it!
I've got other gems coming out around the yard too- tulips, irises, and daffodils are the ones that I know about. I'm really excited to work in the yard this year and make it a pretty one again! Last summer was really busy so I totally neglected it.
Yardwork- making things grow and bloom- it's my summertime miracle!!!

Return To The Heart

I reunited with an old friend today. I've known this friend longer than I've known anyone but my family. Unlike other friends, this friend has moved from city to city, and state to state with me. As I approached my old friend today I felt a little guilty because I hadn't spent much time with my friend for a very long time. Time together was well over due.

I started playing the piano when I was 8 years old. I took lessons from a lady in our ward, and HATED it. I can't remember how long I lasted, but it wasn't much longer than 6 or 8 months. I stopped taking lessons until I was about 12 years old, when my younger brother who had been taking lessons decided piano wasn't for him. It makes me sad that I can't remember my piano teacher's name at this point, but I will never forget our lessons together. Playing the piano quickly became not only a hobby or skill that I was developing: it quickly became a passion. I loved sitting down at the piano and playing for hours sometimes. I would play for so long sometimes that I didn't realize how long I had played until my hands literally started cramping up. When we moved to Puerto Rico, the main thing that broke my heart was that I wouldn't be able to take piano lessons any more. But, I didn't let that stop me. The piano was in my bedroom, and I continued to practice and develop as a player. We moved here to Utah and I started taking lessons again, and did until I graduated High School. I loved it so much! Went off to college and kept playing. Came back from school and nothing changed- I loved playing the piano, and it was when I was sitting in front of the piano that I would relax and unwind. When I went on my mission I was able to share my talent and teach other people how to play. I came home and bought my home, and the piano came with me of course! It was actually the first piece of furniture that I put into my home. I love my piano. Even though it's a little out of tune, and every time I play it I seem to find a new key that sticks, it's mine. An old friend who I could never get rid of.

Today I sat down at the piano as a test for myself. I wanted to see if the one thing that I know makes me feel happy and peaceful inside would still do it. So I sat down and started playing one of my favorite songs by David Lanz, "Return to the Heart" I played it over and over and over. It was beautiful. I felt happy, calm, complete and relieved that I could still find peace and calm in something.

My miracle today was music. And it wasn't a small one. Music, along with a few other things like family and friends, will keep me safe and secure in a life full of insecurity and doubt.

Patience

I'm not even lying when I say he sat frozen in this position, looking at the behind-neighbor dogs, for 15 minutes.

Which got me thinking about patience. I used to think I was a pretty patient person. HONESTLY- I did! But then I had a few experiences that held the mirror right in front of me and helped me see that my bucket of patience wasn't as overflowing, or even as full (or empty? depends on how you look at it I guess) as I nearly imagined. I'm trying to take advantage of the experiences that I am blessed with to develop more attributes that help prepare me for future roles and responsibilities. Unfortunately for me, PATIENCE seems to be one of those that constantly eludes me. But I will keep on trying.

I have missed the last 3 days for posts, and I know it. I purposely didn't do anything on the computer on Tuesday, since it was our Anniversary. We had a lovely dinner out and just relaxed at home. It was nothing like the day we got married. Even though that day was so much fun, it was exausting. Wednesday was a stressfull day at work with lots of anxiety levels high. I tend to feel other people's emotions, especially when they're really strong, so it gave me a headache. Thursday night was..... can't remember what happened Thursday. Oh yeah- I was putting together a book for my work (which, consequently, has landed me some extra spending cash- that story in a post yet to come). Yesterday night we worked on making more of the books (the extra spending cash came from people literally BUYING my book of notes from me, even though I offered to just email them the file) and here we are at Saturday. My hair is fabulous again, Paulo is just about to get off of work, and I haven't done ANYTHING as far as house work goes. I'm really thinking I need to strike it rich so I can have a personal assistant that I can call and have do my stuff, like blog, email, etc. Until then I guess I'll just have to dig in and get it done. Oh well.
Tomorrow brings the start of my new adventure...... and if you can't tell by my smile in this picture, I'm pretty excited about it.

just in case you were wondering....

I'm not perfect. I know, I know- that comes as a shock to most of you, but I'm not. And so I figured I would miss the last 3 days of entries to prove it to you.

The weekend went by so fast that I hardly even had time to think about how I hadn't blogged each day. It was good though- I got to relax and clean on Saturday, then go out with the hubby. Sunday was full of 11 year olds that think they're too cool for Primary any more, and then a delicious dinner at Mama and Daddy's. It's always so fun to go and visit with them.

Today was a frustrating day in training for the new job, but not because I wasn't understanding things. The technology wasn't loving us so much today, so most of the day was spent by sitting around while some IT guy was trying his best to figure out why our systems weren't running the way they were. It reminded me of the good old days with the suckers at Zions when we would spend anywhere from 30 minutes to on one occasion about 11 hours trying to fix things that had mysteriously broken. I'm so grateful to not be there any more. In just in the 2 weeks that I have been with my new job, I have made more friends than I did in almost 2 years at Zions. I guess IT people and I were never meant to be.....

I'm looking out my kitchen window and remembering one of the reasons I love this time of day. Not just because I'm home and get to spend the rest of the night with my best friend and man's best friend, but also because we can be witness to some of the most amazing sunsets from our back deck. My Miracle today is sunlight. All it takes is a little bit to get me feeling happy again.

Thursday

I passed! Got my test results for my first 2 weeks of training and I have passed! I'm officially not getting walked out to my car for not learning my new job quickly enough!!!! IT'S A MIRACLE!!!

Not that I really thought that I would fail, but after my humbling experience last year with Zions, you never can be too sure...

free advertising

The internet, thanks to Al Gore, has changed how everything works these days. Information is available at lightning speeds, people who went to nursery school suddenly reconnect after a lifetime of no contact, and now know EVERYTHING about each other- the credibility of a business is widely based on their 'web presence'- it is truly Big Brother out there watching us and keeping his hand on us! (ok- enough conspiracy theorizing, etc)

I ran across a post on my friend's blog today- a posting about a contest for free stuff that a company is giving away- if you will just advertise it on your BLOG, Facebook, etc. It's amazing how the internet is now getting companies (big and small) free advertising, just by creating a buzz about something, nothing, or everything.

What I'm trying to say, is that even though I think I've used it before (did I set any non-repeat rules or clauses at the beginning of this thing?)- technology and the advances we have seen even in the last 10 years alone is my miracle today.

I remember working at Marriott as a reservation agent about 13 or 14 years ago, and having a customer call asking for help because they were trying to book "online." I helped her all I could, and when I hung up I leaned over to my friend and said "can you believe they're LETTING CUSTOMERS book online!?!?!?!?" It seemed like a surefire way to put yourself out of business at the time, but now it's a one way ticket to the soup line if your customers CAN'T book or access your services online. Crizzzayzeee if you ask me.

So, since I have no shame, and love free stuff too, here's the site that's giving away cute stuff for little girls' hair:

http://katelynandco.com/blog/

and tuesday will not defeat me!

Even though the morning commute was just as ugly as yesterday (maybe even a little uglier), and EVEN THOUGH the forecast is for snow just in time for the morning commute.... AGAIN, I will gladly drive to work tomorrow.

I haven't mentioned how amazed and really inspired I have been as so many people have rallied around the people of Haiti to try to help them through this unbelievable tragedy. Human goodness can indeed work miracles when we tap into the power of it.

a love note for monday

Dear Monday:
YOU SUCK.
Especially when you come with a yucky snow storm right in time for the morning commute.
ESPECIALLY when everyone around me is a blubbering idiot behind the wheel when they're driving in the snow.
EVEN MORE ESPECIALLY when I forget to replace the windshield wipers on the car that are barely functional now.
And ESPECIALLY TO INFINITY when I forget to write my blog entry because of it. D'oh.




Training is going well. I'm enjoying learning more about the company and getting more excited about my future there. My miracle (even if I've used it already) is this job. It has come as such a blessing at a perfect time in our life.

It's gone!

Put away the Christmas deco FINALLY today. That was my miracle- that it didn't stay up another week. Why is it that I get it up so quick, but then it takes HOURS to take it down and put it away?

aw man!

I missed the post for yesterday, January 16th. I worked overtime for work and then went to a movie with my friend so I totally spaced it out. We went to see "The Blind Side" and I totally loved it. Loved the story, the characters, the message- LOVED IT!

The main character, Michael Oher, is a homeless teenager who is brought into the home of a Southern Family and eventually becomes an All American football player and first round NFL Draft. When he is being shown his room, he makes the comment "I've never had one before." The mom asked him "what, a room to yourself?" He simply replied "No- a bed."

My miracle today (which was actually yesterday) is my home- providing a roof over my head, a furnace to keep me warm, and pantries full of food. I am so blessed.

learning a new language

wow- is it REALLY FRIDAY?!?!?!??? Time is flying already this year!
Tonight we went to a friend's birthday party. This couple is really special- one speaks Portuguese and a little English while the other speaks English and a little Portuguese. They're working so hard to learn the other's language, and it really is a miracle how they are learning to love each other and grow close even though they're still learning how to communicate. It was so sweet to watch them!

I passed!

today, I took the first test that I have taken in a loooooooooooooong time.





And I Passed!!!! It's a miracle that I can still learn things and be smart!

it does a body good

Paulo had 2 days in a row off yesterday and today. It's amazing to see how different he is after getting some good old fashioned rest! My miracle today is rest- by just slowing down our bodies and minds, we can keep going at the daily grind for years on end! We are the ORIGINAL Energizer Bunnies!!!

i can't breathe!

It's a miracle we can breathe in Salt Lake City. The air sucks. It'll be a miracle if the weather ever blows this smog out of the valley.

It's also a miracle that I didn't crash while taking this picture.

Attention Span....

Today I started my 3 week training for my new job. It's a miracle that I was able to sit through hours and days of classroom lectures while going to college, and actually GRADUATE.

Sharing Time

Today during Sharing Time, which is during the 3rd of 3 hours of church for us, I witnessed the miracle called "reverence" That 50 plus children between the ages of 6 and 11 can sit and listen for any length of time is amazing. Put it at the end of 3 hours when it's time for lunch and they're all hungry and have probably gone without a nap (if necessary), now that's miraculous!!!

I had to include this picture- I was taking a picture and Rex was really curious. He's so funny!

Endless Love....

Today the husband and I went out and had a great time. Eternal marriage is my miracle today.

TGIF

Even though I haven't worked an entire work week for about 3 months now, there is still something sweet about Fridays. Everyone is happier and more willing to go the extra mile. I'm excited that it's Friday, and this is the last Friday of my unemployment.

YAAAAAAAAY!!!

My miracle today was . . . . . . . . . . . . ice Cream. There is a new Ice Cream place in Centerville called "Sub Zero"- if you haven't been there, you should check it out. They make your ice cream for you right in front of you. It was heaven.

Time is a gift

The average length of official unemployment increased to 24.5 weeks, the longest since government began tracking this data in 1948. The number of long-term unemployed (i.e., for 27 weeks or more) has now jumped to 4.4 million, an all-time high. (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124753066246235811.html)

Today, my miracle is that I am back to work after a (relatively) short 12 weeks.

You and I Were Meant To Fly

I started my new career with Jet Blue Airways today. I was so excited I almost couldn't go to sleep last night! Today and tomorrow I will attend orientation where we will drink the proverbial Jet Blue "Kool Aid" and indoctrinate ourselves with the Jet Blue Airways mindset. It was actually really inspiring to hear about core values that I agree with, and to see people who have worked with the company for less than 5 years share their stories of promotion and growth within the company. I'm really excited for this opportunity!

What was truly miraculous today was that there were 119 other people at this orientation that are starting a new job today, and that according to what they told us in the orientation, another 280 people will be hired by Jet Blue Airways in the next few months. It's exciting to see a company hiring so many people in this economic climate. Perhaps these tough and tight times won't last forever!

PS: Part of my homework was to tell everyone I know that Jet Blue offers 3 daily flights from Salt Lake City: 2 to Long Beach, California and 1 to New York's JFK Airport. Try us out and see how Jet Blue is putting the Humanity back into flying!!!

Long Distance Phone Calls

Paulo called his mom from his cell phone today while we were in Wal Mart. Modern technology is truly a miracle. Yes, I will now break into the song that Napoleon Dynamite's Brother sings to his new bride at the end of that classic movie. (If you can't remember it, click here)

Always and forever . . . always and forever

One is silver, the other is gold

At girls camp I used to sing a song "Make new friends, and keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold." I saw an old friend from high school at the store tonight. My miracle today is friendships that last through years, marriages, and now growing families.
I couldn't resist scanning a few of my personal favorites from back in the day when we thought we were cooler than anything ever created.... enjoy!

Here Comes the Sun

Those of you who are dog owners, and especially those of you who are familiar with Yorkshire Terriers and their strong will know that it's a miracle that my puppy just sat in the sun and let me take these pictures of him. I guess all of the work I'm doing with him with treats and discipline are starting to actually pay off. Isn't he so cute though!?!?!?

Click on the second picture down to magnify- I love this one because I caught him with his tongue out. He loves to sit in this spot of sunlight during the day and do what, I'm not sure- relax and ponder life's big questions I guess!

Sunday: Day of rest- BAH

Whoever said that Sunday was a day of rest obviously has never taught primary class. We are teaching the same kids as last year- we moved up one year with them so we'll have a lot of fun watching them learn and grow for another year.

Today, my little miracle was letting my husband, who has been waking up at 5 am for the last 6 days straight to go to work, sleep in until 9:30, then getting to make him eggs and croissants for breakfast.

2 for 2

As the closing credits were rolling for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" I thought to myself 'Self, you haven't found a miracle today.' Then, in the fashion of one of my nieces (can't remember who at the moment), I exclaimed "OH CWAP!"

Then I went and took the final load of laundry out to fold and put away, and realized that my miracle today was those two wonderful machines that sit in the dark most of the week, except one day when I make them wake up and work their tails off all day long.

Here's to NOT having to beat any stains out with a rock!

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

One goal I have set for this year 2010 is to get better at keeping a personal journal again. I also want to start learning more about photography and the cool things you can do with cameras, so this blog will serve as the proof of my success or slackiness (if that's a word) when it comes to those two goals.

I started with great ambition- I was going to make the first picture that I took this year of sunrise on January 1, 2010. My body had other plans. I have been attacked by a horrible cold, and I fell back asleep after I took Paulo to work and slept right through the sunrise. This was my sunrise on January 1, 2010 (no need to be an astrologist to know that this was WELL past Sunrise- I think I took this snapshot around 10:00):

So you're going to start hearing and seeing more of me this year via this blog. Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, etc. In an effort to keep the blog from becoming a daily "this is what I did" that will bore you and me to death, I decided that this year I will look for miracles every day. I've been inspired by messages from great men and women that remind us that miracles are easier to find than we would think. I am praying for the miracle of life to bless our family this year, so I figured that it would be good to have a daily focus on what I'm asking and looking for.

Today, I found the miracle of both modern medicine and the medicine that God has given us through healthy foods that will heal our sick bodies.