Festival of Trees 2015, part 1

My mom created another amazing tree for Festival of Trees this year. Every year I say this tree is my new favorite and every year it's true! Mom keeps out-doing herself with her creativity; she is a visionary.
The title of the tree is "When Calls the Heart", named after Lesley tried spreading her obsession with the Hallmark Channel show to the entire family earlier this Fall. Lesley also inspired the reclaimed wood tree "skirt" made out of a wood pallet.
What made this year extra special is my grandmother was able to come help decorate. Grandma and Grandpa are snow birds that fly south for the winter. They usually leave in late October but this year they are leaving until early December so Grandma got to come see the tree in person. I usually send her lots of pictures but trees are more magical in person.

More details forthcoming.

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

I have so much to be thankful for this day and every day.
I am thankful for my Savior, the Plan of Salvation, the restoration of the fullness Gospel, and my temple covenants.
I am thankful for my eternal family and the knowledge that our relationships here in mortality can continue on in the eternities.
I am thankful that I have a good job and I feel valued by my employer. I am also SO grateful I no longer work retail at the holidays!
I am thankful for my cute apartment that is filled with 2 of my favorite things, art on the walls and cats on the couch.
Which brings me to my last item, I am so grateful for Millie and Fiona. They have brought so much happiness and love into my home, even when they wake me up at 3:30 AM by sitting on my face like they did this morning.
Now let's celebrate this amazing day with good food, great family, and PIE!!!

PS:
Now I can watch Christmas in Connecticut!!

1 year Anniversary

1 year ago today I started my job as a benefit advocate. It has been a fast year!! Who knew a year ago that I would be a senior benefit advocate and a certified pharmacy technician?!! So exciting!!!
It's amazing where God leads you, little by little and step by step. I'm so blessed and loved!!

Sent from my iPhone

Happy Halloween 2015!!!!

Flu Shot

Today was a big day: I got my first flu shot!!
I have had the FluMist several times before but the reason getting the flu shot is a big deal is because I am VERY afraid of needles.
My family knows all too well how terrified I am of needles and shots. When I was 15, it took my mom sitting on top of me and two sisters to hold down my arms when I had to get a tetanus shot. I was crying, screaming, kicking, and basically acting like a 2 year old in a room full of people; it was awful.
My brother is a pharmacist and he has been teasing me for years about him wanting to give me a shot. Today, I finally let him and it was great! He kept me calm by talking to me. When it came time for the shot, I grabbed Lesley's hand but it was over before I could squeeze. My brother worked magic and it truly didn't hurt.
Miracle!!!

PS: I'm still petrified of needles but it is nice to see I can still face my fears every once and a while.

Sent from my iPhone

CPhT

I am now a Certified Pharmacy Technician!!!
I started my online training on 8/19/15, finished the courses on 9/8/15, and I took my national certification exam on 10/17/15. All together, it took me just under 2 months- yay!!
I am really proud of myself for not procrastinating and getting it done so quickly while still working 40 hours a week.
I am still not licensed in the State of Utah but I hope to get that done this coming Spring/Summer.
My day-to-day job will not change now I am a pharmacy technician, but I can add the certification CPhT to my email signature.

It is amazing to see how much my life has changed in the past year. This time last year I had just come down with Mono and was SO sick. I was so sick that I had to talk to HR about my options and they suggested I apply for a desk job in the office. I transferred to the office in November and was promoted to a Senior Advocate in August. Now I am a certified pharmacy technician. Wow!!
I have been so blessed. I am grateful for the promptings of the Holy Ghost and I know God has answered my prayers.
Our Heavenly Father is amazing and I know He has a plan for each of us. We need to be willing to be led and always trust in Him.

The Glitter Army

I was initiated in to Vickie's Glitter Army today.
My amazing sister in-law had two strokes just over a year ago. Her journey through recovery this past year has been inspiring to watch and I am amazed by her constant perseverance. She has worked her butt off and exceeded all expectations.
While she was in rehab, there was a 5K charity walk with the American Heart Association of Utah and my brother pushed Vickie in a wheelchair when she got too tired to walk. This year, both Vickie and my brother ran the 5K! It is amazing what can happen in a year.
The family and friends joined in the 5K fun this year and our team name was Vickie's Glitter Army. We all covered ourselves in glitter and sparkles and had a total blast. I want to make tee shirts and make this an annual tradition. #actFASTandbeFEARLESS
Vickie has always been awesome and now she has her own Glitter Army to prove it.

Pharmacy Technician Training

I am currently in the process of becoming a certified pharmacy technician. Yay!!!
I completed the online course work in 3 weeks and now I'm just waiting to take the pharmacy technician certification exam call the PTCB. The test is only offered a few times each month so the earliest I can take it is in October.
I am really proud of myself for getting the online course done so quickly. It was really challenging to make myself do "homework" again and some days the last thing I wanted to do after a long day at work was do more computer work.
Lesley and Cameron were really supportive of my progress and I truly appreciate Lesley's constant encouragement.
Now I'm studying what I have learned by doing practice PTCB tests. Part of me is really glad I have over a month to prepare but the other part of me just wants to get the whole thing over with.
Hooray for learning!!!!

What Happens When Your Sister Has A Baby

I LOVE my Nieces and Nephews and acted like this with each and every one of their births. I'm very lucky to be Auntie Alli.

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/_el2yDWWAlY


Sent from my iPhone

70 Years Since V-J Day

This weekend marked the 70th anniversary of Victory in Japan Day (AKA V-J Day). The Empire of Japan surrendered to the United States on August 14, 1945 and officially ended World War II.
I asked my grandparents where they were when they heard the news.
My grandmother was leaving work when she heard the war was over. She worked at a bank in Logan, Utah that was on the town square. She says she came out of the building to people celebrating on Main Street and making lots of noise. I bet it's a day she will never forget.
My grandfather heard the news over the radio as his ship was approximately 5 miles out of San Fransisco. My grandfather was a merchant marine during the war. His ship was carrying army supplies on its way Okinawa when news of the war came in. When the ship got to Okinawa, the army no longer needed the supplies so Grandpa and his crew were sent to The Philippines. They unloaded the supplies in The Philippines and then were sent to Japan. Grandpa said his ship was retrofitted with bunks and started transporting soldiers back home to America. He was "stranded" in Japan and staying with the Army for 6 weeks but as he was not a regular solider, he could come and go and explore some of Japan. I remember Grandpa telling me he and some friends would get their daily rations and sell whatever they didn't need or use to local Japanese, like cigarettes. It must have been a very interesting time to be in Japan. After 6 weeks, Grandpa was sent back to America and he said that was the worst trip across the Pacific. The soldier in the top bunk got sea sick and made the trip miserable so Grandpa found a spot on deck and never went to his bunk again. Grandpa never got sea sick as a merchant marine.
I am so grateful to have these stories told to me by my grandparents. They have witnessed so much history in their 87 years and I love to hear their eyewitness accounts of major 20th Century events.
I want to write down all of their stories so we never forget them.

Sent from my iPhone

VRx Summer Party 2015

(see full image)

I had so much fun at the company annual summer party this evening. 

I love working for Veridicus Health. I came to this company because of the company culture and I have not been disappointed. I feel so lucky to work with such wonderful people and be part of a great team. 

One of my coworkers is moving to St. George next week so we snapped a quick picture to commemorate our last VRx company party together. We'll miss you Rachael!!!

Sent from my iPhone

Our Vegas Weekend

W spent last weekend in Las Vegas.
We had a high/low trip where we started low at the $63 a night Golden Nugget on Fremont Street and the spent two night high at the $999.99 per night (don't worry, we had a massively huge discount to $200) suite at Encore on the Strip.
Both hotels were great and allowed us to lay in the sun by the pool and eat yummy food.
Vegas is always a good idea!!

Little Pieces of Heaven

We are spending a long weekend in Vegas with Cam, Vickie, and Valie.
Lesley and I LOVE to travel with our siblings and today has been filled with little pieces of heaven.
We started out lounging at the great pool here at the Encore Hotel. We got a nice spot right under an umbrella and spent the morning swimming and relaxing.
Then we got cleaned up and went to a late lunch buffet at the Wynn. We ate for so long that they turned over to the dinner menu and we got a whole new menu to eat from. The food was great and so was the decor. The filled the room with flowers and chandeliers in vibrant colors and arrangements.
Then we came back to the room and I took a luxurious bubble bath while everyone else went to M&M Coca-Cola World. I miss having a big bath tub to soak in and our bathroom at the Encore is my dream bathroom.
A low-key day filled with little pieces of heaven.
Love!!!!

July 14

I made it all the way to 10 pm without crying, a new July 14th record.
My dad died on July 14, 1984.
Every year I try to pretend that it's just another day but it's not. It is a day my family was changed forever.
I am so grateful to know my family is a unit that will last for all eternity and this brief mortality apart will only be a short period of time in the giant scheme of things.
Because of the atonement of my Savior Jesus Christ, my family is eternal and we will all be together some day.
I am grateful for the blessings of the temple that help me gain an eternal perspective.
I am grateful to know how loved I am by Heavenly Father.
July 14 is a day of gratitude and a day to feel very blessed.

Sent from my iPhone

4th of July 2015

We had a fun evening with my favorite tradition with my favorite people. I love Independence Day and I love that it is a day filled with community, family, and friends.
My favorite part of the day is lighting sparklers and seeing large fireworks. It was kind of stormy today but we didn't let it get in the way of our fun. Even when it started raining during the firework show, it was still lots of fun.

Happy Birthday America!!!

June 6

I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints 23 years ago today. Today is also my nephew's baptism day. I am so happy I get to share this special date with him (and my twin Lesley, and my cousin Jenny as we three were baptized together in the Tabernacle on Temple Square).
I am so grateful every day for my membership in this church and for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I feel guided and protected daily through my covenants that I have made with my Heavenly Father.

Other milestones to celebrate on June 6: I graduated from high school, D-Day, and my grandfather's birthday.
Grandpa turns 87 today!! We took a picture of him and his great grand children through his daughter Gloria. Grandpa is so loved!!!!

Happy Birthday to my Fellow Cat Lady!!!

Yes, our birthday was a week ago but I still wanted to document the occasion. :)
I am so lucky to be an identical twin and that my twin is my very best friend. We often joke that we are the same person in two bodies!
This picture was taken around Easter at our house on Scottish Drive when Lesley and I were 3 or 4 years old. I remember loving this dress and wearing this teddy bear necklace (I felt so grown up!!).
Lesley is holding our beloved cat Berkely. This picture is proof that we a love cats for as long as we can remember! He ran away while we were in Disneyland in 1989.

Birthday Brunch

For our 31st birthday, my mom hosted a yummy brunch at her house. It was all of my favorite food with my favorite people!
Mom made it really special with her fancy China and crystal glasses filled with fresh squeezed orange juice. It was really special.

Last Day as a 30 year old

I feel so special today.
First- my desk was decorated with streamers and a banner when I got in to work this morning.
Second- my boss brought me flowers and a Happy Birthday balloon.
Third- my brother in law surprised me with gorgeous flowers and balloons at my desk in the afternoon. Thanks Haley and Steve!!!
Fourth- I went to the Salt Lake Temple after work.
Fifth- I saw a great movie called The Woman in Gold. I had not heard much about this movie but it was wonderful.

Tomorrow is going to be fun!!