New Job Info

I thought I would say a few things about my new job. I work at AmeriBen. I took a quote from the web to explain it.

As a full-service TPA with 50 years of administration experience, AmeriBen/IEC Group (“AmeriBen”) is the largest group in the Northwest possessing both human resource consulting and benefit administration services.

So basically the job I do is quote benefits over the phone to people. The pay is good and the company culture is amazing. I am amazed everyday I go to work how much I enjoy going and being there. I have learned so much in the last 2 weeks and have been told I am quite a bit ahead of the others in my class. There are a ton of things to know and figure out but it is a good fit for me right now. The benefits through the company are amazing and will support the needs of our family. Waiting for this job has been difficult and stressful. 

I met the CEO Thursday and he knew me by name. He had already read about me and could say my name correctly. This company believes in education and family. The CEO gives Leadership Forums every Thursday to help teach his employees to become better. Sitting in his presence was quite awe inspiring. Then I found out he is a Stake President (for those who dont know he is a leader over 9 or so wards in the LDS church). The topic of his speech was It Must be Destiny! We are where we are because of the choices we make and the burdens we carry in life. We carry those burdens and become better and stronger because of them. We find ways to become strong or we fail. Becoming strong and moving forward is our Destiny. 

Today a letter came in the mail from the company. Welcoming my family to be a part of the AmeriBen family. This is amazing what kind of company does this? The focus of this company is on the family. I am grateful for this fact. This week coming there is a company picnic lots of games, food (provided by AmeriBen) and just learning about everyone. Over 900 people are going to be there and the word is that the CEO knows every ones names.

I am excited, as this job seems to be the one our family has been waiting for. The COO of the company started in Customer Service and worked her way up. There is a whole side of AmeriBen which is a Human Resources consulting group. I am excited. I am willing to work hard and show my worth.

I am glad to be at this place, to be at the start of the rest of our lives. Maybe now Shane can start slowing down?! Whatever that  means.

Cake, cinnamon rolls and Hugh? Yup!

It s the end of a long week, I wish I had the chance to get to my blog more. I find myself thinking about it often. I have a bunch of random stuff going through my mind and randomness this blog may be. To start out here is an awesome cake that Jake made for a scout activity

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I wish I could say I got a bite of it but alas I did not. I had to have a blood draw the next day and couldnt have any. The next day I ended up with the bottom layer and some frosting. Sad I know but I probably didnt need it anyway. 

My friend came to me in a panic a few weekends ago and needed her hair done. I quickly swooped it up and it was lovely. Stunning actually cause she is pretty darn stunning. In return she brought me some of her delicious cinnamon rolls. These are amazing!!! My step mommy makes some good ones (i am talking DELICIOUS,  these ones remind me of hers)

We eat a lot of peanut butter at our house. Shane found a good deal hence this tub of peanut butter. 

Ya sure I was surprised but then I remember its Shane and he is a deal finder. What to do but start baking I guess. 

This  is beautiful Gwen. Her mom and dad are super fantastic people and musically talented. One sunday a bit back they had to share their talents so Gwen got to hang with us. Of course Shane put her to sleep right a way. She is a chunky little money and super sweet. Her mom is 5 foot nothing and slender I am still trying to figure out how she carries this baby around. Needless to say she is stinking cute. 

Sometimes playing a game on a Holiday afternoon makes the night fun and exciting?! The boys found a ball that is used for handball and we decided to go out and play handball. Of course I take pictures so that is that....Children had a great time with dad, penalty for messing up you stand against the wall and get hit with a ball...say what you will it was fun to watch. 

Oh wait how did this get in here????!!!

So after all of that I am still chomping at the bit to get to see the new X-men film. We have tried to go the last 2 weeks but something else always wins out...you know typical stuff, but life is life it will happen soon. I guess it will be amazing when I do get to see it. For now I will wait and dream of Hugh mowing the lawn and serving me lemonade.....

Suffering and Scars

A few years ago I met an amazing woman. She has been quite an inspiration for me although I am not sure she knows it. I know she doesnt. After about a year of knowing the family her husband (who was quite amazing himself and could pronounce my name correctly the first time I met him) died unexpectedly. Going to his funeral brought back so many thoughts of my mother I could not hardly hold in the tears. This mans good friend had come from Scotland to give the eulogy (dressed rather smartly in his Scottish garb) and made me feel the presence of my mother and her father for the most of the funeral. The loss of this womans husband was devastating to say the least for her. We werent best of friends by any means but within a few weeks she had hidden in her house and would only see a few people. Well I made it my mission to go and have some contact with her.

I got up one day and decided that was the day she was going to let me in, she was going to let me talk to her and cry with her or whatever but I had to connect with her somehow. So with much trepidation I went over to her house and her lovely daughter answered the door and told me basically to go away. I told her I understood and I would as soon as I could give my friend a hug. And so I knocked....and I waited....and waited...and knocked again. The door opened slightly, my friends daughter opened the door smiled and nicely told me to go away. She was sweet about it and I love her for it but I explained I wasnt leaving. I was allowed in. Tentatively I spent some time with my amazing friend and told her how much I loved her. I cannot remember if I cried with her or just told her how much I loved her. I just have sweet memories of the spirit and love. From that time I think of her often, we chat periodically and she was kind enough to bring me some Scottish Sweets for my graduation! Having watched her trial of faith through the years and knowing her sons and daughter I have grown to admire this woman and love her more than I can ever tell her. She is a delight to talk with and she is convinced that I have her other daughter. Brenda is her long lost daughter.

Death is something I dont like talking about, it tends to be a touchy subject with me. I have already written about my brother, Malcolm. That death came a bit after my friends husband. Every year I have the thoughts of my brother and mother and wonder when it will get easier. Some days it feels so recent. I sometimes feel like a tortured soul. I feel like the scars are so evident that people can see through me. Then I realize others arent looking at my tortured soul, they are not even looking at me most of the time. When people find out my secrets ( and there are few that actually know them all aside from Shane) they understand why I am the way I am. It has only been recently that I have actually explained to Brenda some of the reasons I react the way I do.

There is a lovely lady I know who has recently experienced death in a way which as I see has made her stronger, on the outside. I know she is strengthened by Heavenly Father and her lost love, but some times when I see her, I see her tortured soul. I see the sorrow, the pain, the anguish that she attempts to cover. I know she is an amazing person and living for the children which she has now entrusted to her. BUT I see how she consistently tries to hide. Maybe others dont see it, but I have seen it before, I know what it looks like. She is amazing in her faith and devotion. I do not question her strength in faith, devotion, love of the Lord, I just see the torture. I decided to day I need to find a way to look beyond that for her. I cannot even talk to her for fear that I may say the wrong thing, which I know I will. I admire that she feels the strength and survive with it, but being alone will come when her family leaves and it is just her...alone.  It will be good for me to watch and see what happens, maybe then I can find a way to talk to her, to learn about her and her talents, maybe become a friend.

So what it comes down to is that we all have scars, we are all tortured in some way, suffering brings the scars of the world. Some of the strongest souls I have met in my life are some who have endured some of the hardest of hardships, they have the scars to show it as well. Some of the people I have met who say they have hard lives have no scars, no torture, it is a means for attention. For those of us who have lived a life and cannot find peace, we hide...in humor, work, hobbies anything that will make it not so hard to talk to people.

So just remember when you see me, I let you see what I want. We all do that put up a facade to make others comfortable. I think that is okay. If you know about me, keep it to yourself, or between you and I, nobody else needs to know.....speaking of that here is a song I love listening too...A bit of hard rock...a bit of Dave Grohl on the drums.

Recovery and stuff

Sometimes this is how I feel. I found this on the internet this week after a long day of trying to deal with angry people on the phone. This week has been exciting, amazing yet I have been so sick all week long. I realize that I am not the healthiest person in the world. It is frankly quite annoying. I can be working out, eating healthy and taking vitamins and still get sick. Certainly can bring me down.

So I got a new job which starts on Monday with an insurance company here in town. This company has been in business for 30  years and has a great track record as well as awesome financial standing (yes I am a nerd and check out financials). The HR lady called me to put in my resume, I did, then did a phone interview, then face to face interview. Hire the next week. I start working on Monday. I only had one week left at my other job. The people at Intelesure are amazing and wonderful, the actual business is not that great.

New job has a pay increase and good benefits for our family. I will start out in Customer Service but I have the ability to work my way through the company to other positions after 6 months. I explained that my goal was to move through the company to other positions utilizing my degrees at some point. This option is available with this job. I am so grateful for this job. I know I havent started it yet but I am grateful to Heavenly Father for providing a way.

In other news having a sinus infection through this week has wiped me out. I didnt get nearly enough sleep and i still feel exhausted. My niece Julia graduate from college today and I did not go. My girlfriend graduated from college as well and I didnt go to her party either. I made it down the road to the church for a few hours and came home to sleep. I feel like catching up is a tough thing when i have to work as well. But it will all work out...maybe....

This is a short one and I have so much I want to write about but again...still attempting to recover....

Sick and surprised

Its terrible to get sick and then have to work. I have decided that work is not my forte! Ok that is a joke. I like to work but I have not found the right job...more on that in a minute.

Mothers day came and I was sick but forced my way through church and our last Sunday serving at the Marquis Center. For those of you who dont know we have been going to a local senior care center for the last year and doing a sacrament meeting. Its short about a half an hour but my children have gained a new sense of what service is and how it can be a part of your life in a small way. My children have learned how to love those who cannot communicate well and those who have passed on. It has been a complete pleasure to watch my children grow and serve the loving souls at the Center.

For mothers day I asked for bacon and sausage and waffles. It was one of the most delicious meals I had eaten in 2 days. It gave me a terrible stomach ache but it was so worth it. The night before I came home to this:

I have been wanting a lap dog for a few years. Shane does this sometimes, he will get me something I have asked for when I least expect it. This little treasure is Tikka. We started out calling her Remington but Tikka was agreed upon by all when the name of Remy didnt work. Yes Tikka is the name of a gun. We figured if we were going to have a small dog she needed to have a big name. 

She is a good puppy so far. I would have liked to not have had a puppy but surprisingly she sleeps through the night and does well with Jill. Jill tolerates her now but she is getting to know Tikka well and working on it. They actually played in the yard today. 

Oh house training, she does great not peeing in the house just poop we are working on, her poop isnt that big so eh we will keep working on it. In the mean time here is her favorite spot

This is my chair and there she sits. Her cute little self. She is super adorable. I am pretty excited to have something I want and like. After many years of not having, or giving up, or putting aside what my needs are my husband thought of me and something I would love and want. Not quite sure how I feel about it yet but the kids like her and the hubs makes fun of her so he likes her too. All the while I was still sick struggling to make it through the partial training (good thing I have Laura)

Oh and just as a side bar Shane is still a baby whisperer this was him with one of the babies from our ward

Her name is Gwen and she is super lovely! Her parents were doing a musical number for us on Sunday (which was amazing) so she got to sit with us and promptly went to sleep. Must be the beard.No more babies for us, grandchildren are next on the list, take that Dad and Sal!

Memoirs of a Day

My lady friend Rachelle took some awesome pictures of our family. This post will be chocked full of them. It was a tough choice on which ones to put up but here goes. Ifns any of yous wants one shoot me a message and I will see about printing one for you.

 this one is a favorite of mine......

 makayla looks like a pin up girl

 Me and my girls all beautiful

 Brenda with her mouth closed and with her awesome hair

 girls all have necklaces and are (going to be) best friends

 NOT admiring the beard but my sweet hubs

 and he is pinching my butt i am sure

 love that guy

all my fam looking amazing!!

Those are the cool ones I have some others which are typical of our family here they come

 beard on the head of the boy

 booty shot with the brother in the back

 Laura Fab, the others questionable

 be cause why not

 this one the kids say Jake looks like he is pooping

 I dont think Laura ever takes a bad picture

 Makayla on the other hand...well

 Rachelle told us to pose and John happened to be in front of her so here it is

 Laura doesnt like people in her bubble

 we tried to put Jake in the fire place

 and the pose

 Brenda everytime EVERYTIME

The end....Thanks Rachelle for being so amazing we can pose for you anytime