Pondering.....

Sunday afternoons are a good time for pondering....

 

Pondering about life as it is, the things we are grateful for and have to enjoy and then ponder about our futures and what we want to accomplish or become.

 

I wish I could say I came to some sort of "conclusion" in all my pondering, but rather I simply had a plethera of thoughts and ideas, creative sparks, and overflow of scattered planning.

 

Just as a way to list my mess of thoughts I'm going to note some of the things that crossed my mind today.

• Be kind and never criticize. Try to see things from other's perspective.

• Life is FULL.  Focus on that rather than what you think is missing.

• It is important to dream about the future and create a plan, but don't always be looking toward "the next step" otherwise you will miss the here and now.

• Engage in something active.  Do something you LOVE.  Whatever that may be. 

• Creativity is only limited by what you dare to put together.  Don't let "practical" ideas keep you from creating something unique!  We all have talents that are DIFFERENT that's whats so great!

• Remember the rule of  "opportunity costs".  We've probably all taken statistics and heard about those right?  So the next time you see something you want, take the time to think about it.  You can get "this" or "that" and even when you think you can get both, just remember there are always costs...when in doubt...WALK AWAY.  Take that money you were going to spend...and save it....you might be suprised how good it feels to not buy what you want all the time.

These were not the only ideas that I toyed with today, but I wanted to note these as a gentle reminder for anyone reading and also to myself when I need a refresher on these simple but important ideas that crossed my mind today.

Las Vegas

I had the priveledge to go to Las Vegas to help with a Dealer Meeting at the end of October.  It was the first time I'd ever traveled for work!  I was very nervous and very excited!  I worked half a day at the office then flew out that afternoon and met up with some co-workers at the airport to share a cab to our hotel. I was so excited when I checked in and saw my room! I think it was the nicest hotel I have ever been in. As soon as I got there it was time for work.  I assisted with the set up and running of the meetings and helped to make sure everything was going smoothly. It was such a neat experience and at the end of the first day after all the meetings we went out to Hard Rock Cafe and even got to ride in a stretch hummer! (it was the first time I had ever been in a limo...so cool!) On the last day I was scheduled to fly out on the same flight as my boss, the area manager, the district manager, and one of the territory managers. Since we had to wait at the Las Vegas airport for a few hours we all went to California Pizza Kitchen and ate dinner.  It was such a great experience! I feel so lucky to have gone on this trip and help out in this huge event! :) :)

This is what we rode in when we went to the strip :)

Ours wasn't quite this crazy on the inside...but similar!

This was the bed in my hotel room :)

This was the bathroom I got all to myself...large counter space, bathtub...

...and glass shower! I was pretty excited about it :)

First Day Back at Lennox

Today was my first day back in over 3 years, and it was quite the experience.  I woke up early because I was excited and nervous.  I had the feeling of an elementary aged child on their first day back to school.  There were butterflies in my stomach for the new experience and new people I would meet, but looking forward to the friends I would see and the familiar place.   

It did not end in disappointment.  My day was, in fact, better than I anticipated!  It was probably apparent I was excited to be there, because I showed up 30 min before I was scheduled.  My first day started off by having a meeting with the boss, creating my new "home", and sitting in on the job as a trainee.  I completed some orders, went over product, and realized I remember a lot more than I expected I would!  It was amazing to me all the things that came back.  It's such a wonderful feeling.  A lot has changed, but a lot has remained the same.   The office still smells of freshly made coffee and printed paper with a comforting smell that reminds you of home.  Familiar voices surprised me as I listened in on the calls.  It was reassuring to hear the sound of people that remember me and excited that I'm there!  I enjoyed being able to recite model numbers and recall details in ordering and tonnage that I didn't realize I still knew.  

I grew ever more confident of my opportunity and how grateful I am to be here. Even though these things are all familiar one thing is different.  Before, I was just a temp, today I am part of the Lennox team.  Today was the start of a new beginning for me; it was the start of my Career...and I couldn't be happier :)

New Job Opportunity!

I will be the new Area Sales Administrator for the Portland Market of Lennox Industries!  I am very excited for this opportunity.  For those that don't know, I worked for them over three years ago as an administrative assistant through a temp agency.  I put forth a lot of effort there and somehow because of that they remembered me three years later!  So, when this position opened, one of the managers looked me up on facebook and asked me to apply!  After some time and a near loss of hope that I was not what they were looking for after-all.  I was surprised with a call from Corporate to offer me this position!  I am now getting ready to start my new position this week! So this is proof, working hard does pay off!  Even when you don't think anyone cares or notices, you'd better do your best because you never know who's paying attention and what it can do for you or someone else later in life!

Moving!

Our time here is up!  We have lived in our Midvale apartment now for almost a year and a half, we re-signed twice, but now our time is up!  We are ready to move on out!  Ian and I are both excited for this change.  For now we will be staying with family in Draper, but in a couple of months or so we will be off to another adventure somewhere in a new apartment of our own again.  Well...time to keep on packing! The end of the month is almost here!

Back from Oregon!

Just some of the pics from our trip to Oregon!

 Burnside Bridge Portland, OR

 Just West of Cascade Locks, OR

Multnomah Falls

Moss covered trees!

Voodoo Doughnut Portland, OR (Featured on the Food Network)

 Eating the Goods

The Newport to Portland Drive

Portland, OR Temple

Waterfront Portland, OR

Just below Burnside Bridge Portland, OR

On the dock at Mo's in Newport, OR

 Newport Bridge

Road Trip!

Well, its almost Ian's Birthday....which means....time to celebrate!! What better way to celebrate than go on a vacation?!  So...in spirit of the summer and vacations we decided to take a ROAD TRIP!!!!  Wanna know where we are going?  Well, I'm not sure what will be in store...

maybe hiking to see this.....

or driving into here ....

to try one of these....

Then stop by for a visit here!

You think 5 days will be enough?  I guess we'll find out!!! See ya all next week! 

Happy Early Birthday Honey!

Hazel-Kipper

This is Hazel Kipper Potato Fisher

  

aka "Kipps"

The newest addition to our family

Our Jeep

This is our 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee

We LOVE our Jeep.

As you can see, we drive it everywhere! We can't get enough of it!

This is what we found on one of our MANY outings in our Jeep...

First we came across some deer, so I jumped out to get a picture with one.

 THEN we ran into three large moose! THREE! Right next to the road!

 If you look closely you can see one of them crossing the road in front of our Jeep!

We are SO excited to have our jeep :)

May we have many more adventures like this one in our wonderful new jeep!

Second Hand Shopping

Some of you may know this about me already, but I just have to say, I LOVE second hand shopping.  I would say majority of my closet is second hand clothes.  That may sound weird to you, but I will happily admit I bargain shop.  I always like the variety I find at second hand stores and I love how fun it can be to match outfits and accessories.  There always seems to be something to go with what prize I've found there vs. when I got to the mall and have to shop through four different stores to find what I want and then I've spent $70 on only a few items.  So if you're not already a thrift store shopper, maybe it's time you give it a shot.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  I promise I won't tell anyone you got your outfit for less than what you would pay for dinner ;)

flowered tank top $3, animal print dress/top $8, black purse $4

elegant tan flats $9, gold bracelet $3, gold necklace $3

total for everything you see here $30

Going to dinner knowing you didn't spend a fortune and feeling glamorous?

Priceless

(It's a good feeling not having to use a credit card to look great. Let's get back to spending only what we have. In cash. Who's with me?)

 Don't know where to shop? try my favorites.

Plato's Closet

Savers (Monday's are $.99 days!)

Moab Pics

Well, I finally got our pictures developed from Moab, so here they are!

This was on top of the Indian Ladder we climbed it was so high up!

Ian climbing the Indian Ladder

Me almost to the top!

 me jumping off the cliff next to the waterfall (approx 25ft. high)

 Ian trying to climb up the small part of the waterfall

 Along the trail

 Look at the beautiful rock along the trail!

 The Red Rock Wall :)

 Starting the Trail

 Pumped up and ready to go!

Our Tent site

New Hiking Backpack!

Ian and I are stoked to hike the Narrows at the end of May, and in preparation for this....We bought Ian a new pack and I got my old pack from my folks! Check out the goods...

Ian modeling his glasses and headlamp

The pack...in motion.

Modeling the headlamp :)

My old pack. So excited :)

It's still 4 weeks away, but seriously we are stoked! Oh wait, did I already mention that? Okay well...you get the idea! Happy Camping!

Babysitting the Niece and Nephew

Last Friday night we got to babysit Talia and Soren....these were our adventures all in our one bedroom apartment :)

 Tali loved the miniature tent out on our balcony and with a flashlight she had so much fun!

 For a little snack...nothing better than a little life cereal!

 Soren was such a good baby! Just chillin, playing with his book and watching cartoons with us!

 Last thing we got to do before they left is listen to Uncle Eeb read a book.  Tali was so interested!

We very much enjoyed being able to spend a little quality time with our niece and nephew!

Purse Finds

I found some...

work keys

disposable camera from our trip to Moab

cell phone

calculator (necessary for trips to the grocery store!)

Zupas Menu

Cafe Rio mint and some gum

Frooties won from Nickel Cade tickets :)

Sunglasses

Visa gift card with only $1.61 left on it! lol.

 What's in your purse? Tag, you're it!

Sunday Barbeque!

So....in celebration of a little spring fever Ian and I decided to BBQ!

 On the BBQ...

Finished Product!

Your mouth is watering right? Trust me...it tasted even better than it looks!

Special thanks to my hubby for doing the grilling :)

Bring on summer! Am I right?!?!?!?!?!?!