Weddings, Pottery Painting Places and Adoption

Since moving to AZ, I've been attending a few "Meetup" groups.  On this website you can find groups in your city that gather together to attend local events, dinner, or movies.  It's very popular for people who are new to any given area.  It's been so much fun getting to know various people who have attended the get-togethers.  There is a small group of girls who have been pretty regular in attending several of the recent meetups.  We have all hit it off!  SO, the four of us will meet monthly to have dinner and some of the great places around town to talk and catch up.  It's a blast!  This past Thursday we met at a local pottery painting place.  One girl did a candle holder, another a candy dish.  I decided on a bowl.  I'm simple.  I don't do knick-knacks.  I also don't do stuffed animals.  (that was for you Cara, Roselia and Shan)  I think the skull and cross bones I picked out as a little ornamentation works rather nicely to compliment the bottom of the bowl, don't you?



Side note: **My secret santa, Mike (as pictured to the right, sporting the Christmas vest), has excellent taste, I must say.  For my final gift he picked out a beautiful, snowman covered, Christmas Cardigan.  I'm already for next year's party!!

Last weekend I was privileged enough to attend a sealing at the Portland Temple.  It was wonderful.  Short and sweet.  Jared and Emily were married on Saturday, December 20, 2008.  They were both so calm and collected.  I guess that's how things go when it's in the right place, with the right person.  I'm so happy for them!!!  Now she can get freaky... finally, after waiting so patiently for so long!!!!  CONGRATS!!!  Yee-haw!

(Come on, it's me, did you honestly NOT expect that?????)

The weekend was quite an adventure.  In fact, I think today people are finally returning home to their respective cities and states.  The weather in Portland this weekend was a bit out of the ordinary for the area.  They got about 9 inches of snow and after that they were blessed with freezing rain.  Then, more snow.  And it was Southwest and Alaskan who couldn't get people where they needed to go.  Alaskan, HA!  That's irony for ya!

The two beautiful women are Kristen and Tamara, the owners of Family Partners.  Then we have Brenda and her sweet little Chloe, she works at the front desk and is fabulous!  At the bar we have Stephenie and her husband, Mark.  She's in charge of the Early Intervention program.  Cedric is in the background of that photo and Kristen's husband, Scott.  Then we have Chino and others just chatting!

Christmas Party!

Tis that season!  Time to break out the Borden's Egg Nog, the mint M & M's and the red sweaters.  This year I have decided to steal a tradition I know many people have been practicing for some time now.  "The Ugly Christmas Sweater" has brought laughter and smiles to so many for so long.  I told my supervisor that for our Christmas party at work I was going to find the ugliest, gaudiest sweater I could find and wear it.  She begged me not to, but following orders has never been one of my strengths, especially when it comes to ugly sweaters.  I can count on one hand how many people actually appreciated the chosen combo.  I think others just thought I needed help with my wardrobe or simply thought I REALLY liked Christmas.

It was a great evening!  Macaroni Grill catered, prizes were handed out, kids received gifts and, after everyone left, a few of the staff had shots!  

I am so lucky!  I love the people I work with, Tamara and Kristen are very generous with the fringe benefits we all enjoy.  Best of all, everyone cares deeply for the people with disabilities and the foster families who care for them.  I am so inspired each and every time I talk with these compassionate families.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

New Cars, Pedicures and Christmas.

So about 2 weeks ago I bought a new car!!  I got an '09 Honda Civic, she is so pretty!  I did it to save money and I'm glad I did.  The parentals have the Sexy Suby and are really enjoying it.  It all worked out very nicely.  

I also had a pedicure done a few weeks ago.  I've never had them do a flower or anything before.  I thought it was fun and so very cute, you should all look at my feet and enjoy it like I do.

So, we're doing a Secret Santa thing at work.  I love that!  My Secret Santa kind of sucks at this game.  He asks me almost daily what I want and finally came into my office the other day and rehearsed to me the whole story behind how he got my name and why and that he's bad at these kinds of things.  Kind of takes the fun out of it.  He's funny.  He keeps leaving me things on my desk like chapstick that they've made in the Day Program to sell, or candles they've made.  I told him he owes me big time for all these cheap gifts AND because he's totally cheating!!  He has promised he will get me something good...  we'll see, I'll keep you posted!!

I just love this holiday season!!  I love you all and wish I could celebrate with ALL of you, in one state, one city and one place!  Enjoy it!!  

Last Monday for FHE we went to see the lights at the Mesa Temple.  I just love that place!!  And the lights are beautiful.  My favorite part were the decorated Palm trees, weird. (you can kind of see them in the background in the picture with the girls.)

Palm reading

So, I had my palm read this past weekend.  One of my most favorite mission companions was in town for a conference and one of the ladies she came with has a gift.  One of the neatest ladies I have ever met!  She happens to have terminal cancer and I haven't laughed like that in a while!  She's so happy and FUNNY!  All of these women work at a summer camp for kids with cancer.  Such an amazing experience!  Throughout the year they attend plays, games and funerals for their dear campers.  

Anyway, I know you are all curious as to what my future holds.  Well, I will have a marriage late in life... surprise, surprise.  I will have 4 kids.  I will have one or two really close friends for my whole life, although along the way I will have many meaningful friendships.  My family has a very close relationship.  I fight dirty and hard.  I will have a very deep and happy marriage and even though there will be disagreements, they will NOT affect our marriage.  I am very stable and reliable.  

There you go!  I have always wondered what would be said in a palm reading, now I know.  My reading happened to be very similar to my Kasia (my mission comp).  We were meant to be friends.

On Friday night we all went out to dinner after their meetings were over.  It was so great!  We laughed so hard!  A waiter was totally hitting on my friend and the women (all married and more mature than we) we were with were loving it!  They kept looking for reasons for him to come to the table, asking him to meet up with us later.  It was awesome!  Then on Saturday night, I crashed their conference and we did a little Square Dancing and then had a sleepover in their hotel room.

It was a great weekend!!!!  I am exhausted... still!  But couldn't be happier!

Kasia, I just love your guts and your breasts!! 

"It makes me feel big and strong."

I love Election Day (the good ED).  On the radio this morning a listener called in and said his mom told him to "go vote, it will make you feel big and strong."  I had that feeling as I walked away from the Church of Christ this morning.

I love going into the gas station or the office or returning home and talking with a neighbor, all wearing a sticker with those three simple words "I voted today".  It's a unifying day in these, the United States.  It's suddenly so easy to relate to strangers.

Ya know, I thought all polls were electronic by now.  This is why I was surprised when I arrived at my place to poll and found I would use the tried and true pen and paper to make my voice heard.  Even with these simple instruments, there were still hold ups and snaffus.  I guess it's just like death, change and taxes, one of the guarantees in life!

I love memories

Aren't memories fun?  Don't you love taking trips down memory lane?  I was looking at these pictures my good friends so kindly sent me to remind me of all our laughs together AND to remind me of how truly photogenic I really am!  

Last night I went out to dinner with some family members.  My parents were in town and we gathered to feed our faces at Golden Corral.  I realized last night why I am the way I am.  Genetics.  I'm not sure if an appreciation for the cruder things in life is actually genetic, but after hearing the stories I did last night and sharing the stories I did last night I have come to the knowledge that it is.  I am so grateful I have an excuse and people to blame when I say things that are shocking and inappropriate.  I relish the smiles, the looks of awe and the laughter from those who know me well when things leap from my mouth.

I think this is what life is all about!  Making memories, laughing, building relationships with those we love and will come to love!  It's the people in our lives that give it meaning!

I am grateful for all the wonderful people in my life!  I am more grateful for their forgiveness and love in spite of my "immature" sense of humor (as I learned from my aunt and uncle, the educators). 

Enjoy the pics!  Please, will you still be my friend?