When did Joe become a cheerleader?

I don't know. I think it's been happening gradually, culminating in a display of acrobatics and too-cheerful good mornings when he woke me up just minutes ago. Really. Way too chipper to be my normal husband. With my head screaming at me like a bad hangover, his howdy-doody hellos left me numb, except for the desire to slap the smile off his face and out the door. I told him so and he happily blocked my only free arm from its goal. Oh well. I didn't have the energy for a good swing anyway. I just hope the aliens come back and replace the cheerleader in my bed with my real husband. Otherwise I may be collecting life insurance sooner than expected. And by the way, good morning.

Halloween in D.C.

Saturday we had the chance to visit Washington D.C. with some new friends from our ward. It was a blast! They showed us the ropes of downtown site seeing. We rode the metro to town, which was awesome! I love that it's easy and there's no traffic. When we arrived I saw all these signs for "the mall." Imagine my surprise when the mall turned out to be this huge stretch of land from Capitol Hill to the Washington Monument.

This is a pic of Joe with Annie & Matt (our guides and life savers!) on the mall. Annie even packed us water and lunch for the day (with some killer homemade bread). She knew we were total tourists! I'm so grateful to her foresight. It made the trip super cheap and loads of fun!

Our first (& major) stop of the day was the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Joe was a kid in a candy store! There were a ton of great exhibits. I think the Wright Brothers were crazy! But thanks to them and the forward thinkers following, we have the technology we do today. We also enjoyed the many war exhibits dedicated to those who have fought for our country. Fascinating! (More than I thought it would be!)

The Air and Space museum took up most of the day. It's nice when you know you can come back anytime. We weren't rushed to pack in a million museums at once. So after the fabulous lunch (care of Annie) we decided to head over to the archives for a glimpse of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

This is Joe infront of the Archives building.

The only other picture I took inside (as "no flash" meant really horrible pictures) was a wall plaque of the Rosa Parks arrest paperwork and a diagram that was used in her hearing. I actually had never heard of Rosa Parks until I met Katie Armga Larsen. Thanks girl, for setting me straight on some important U.S. History!

We decided to end the day with a quick visit to the White House. On the way we found this cute little nook in the EPA building. I couldn't pass it up!

Finally! Our last stop of the day. Our feet were so tired!

We look forward to MANY more trips to D.C. It is awesome and a little sureal having our nation's capital so close. Next time Joe promised a whole day at the Art Gallery because I was such a good girl at the Air and Space Museum. Woot!

The only thing missing that day were all the costumes. I didn't see a single trick o' treater until on our way home. All in all, it was happy Halloween!

ELLIE is BACK!

I am SO excited to announce that ELLIE is back! Thank you for hanging in there, loyal fans. And thank you for your encouragement and prodding. I've re-written chapters 1-2 and then added chapter 3. I have other chapters written, but I need another day to make sure it all makes sense. Feel free to head over to ELLIE and leave some feedback. I understand it's been so long you may not remember the oringinal ending. No worries. Just let me know what you think of the current stuff. I realize chapter 3 is short, but I promise you won't want to miss chapter 4! It's my fav so far!!!

Sister Hazel Night!

One of the great things about being back east is access to all the fun stuff! Even before we knew we were moving here Joe bought tickets for a Sister Hazel concert (his favorite band). They usually only play in smaller venues, so they've never come to Salt Lake. Needless to say, Joe was STOKED! So on October 23 we headed to downtown Baltimore for another little adventure. I was glad we had already been there once for the Raven's game. We were able to park in the same parking lot, which spared us a lot of stress and yelling at each other, hehe. We spent a little time around Inner Harbor seeing a few sites. Joe said no to bringing my camera so I stole his iphone and forced him to take a couple of pictures. (He later made the comment that we should have taken MORE pics... see! Sometimes I actually know what I am doing!) Anyway, after HOURS of pre-band openers, we finally got to see Sister Hazel. It was awesome! And well worth the wait. Can't wait for the next opportunity!!!

P.S. We even got to see a high speed car chase through the city! Some car came screeching around the corner and full on hit a construction sign (the kind with the lights that make an arrow). He sped away. Seconds later sirens went screaming through the same area after him. It was awesome! I wanted to stay and watch but Joe was worried we might get shot so we left. Everyone here confirms Joe made the right call, so I guess I'll give it to him. (But I still think it would have been fun to witness all the excitement up close!)

Introducing Lucy Lu Who

Do you ever get sick of me creating so many crazy and bizarre blogs? Well, if not, here is another one--The Mind Adventures of Lucy Lu (Who). This one is completely kicks and giggles. I'm having SO much fun with her right now. And for those of you who are attached to Ellie, never fear! I've been working on her too. I've re-written chapters 1 and 2 and have completed chapters 3 and 4. I want to get a little farther ahead before I begin posting again. That way I won't leave you hanging like I'm doing right now.

Thanks to everyone who is actually reading the stuff I put out here in Cyberspace! I love you!

Home Sweet Home

I don't have many pics of the house yet. I'm still trying to clear the area of boxes and junk. Even though I sold or DI'd a ton of stuff before I left, I'm finding more things to get rid of. The place just isn't big enough for "extra baggage." But here are a few shots of the area around our place. We are tucked away behind the Columbia town center. I like it because we are minutes from the mall, theaters, a billion restaurants, and grocery shopping and yet it feels like we are so secluded. One wonderful thing about Columbia is the city planning. They have walking paths almost everywhere and dogs ARE allowed. On paths and at the parks. So it's been great for Joss and I to get out and do some walking. I'm still working with him on greeting other animals. His method is to bark first and ask questions later. The poor squirrels aren't sure what to make of him! But it is beautiful and I love it! I can't wait to share our little place with any of you who want to venture this far east. I promise you won't fall off the end of the world!

Raven's Game!!!

Joe's boss gave us tickets to the upcoming Raven's game. Our first NFL experience! It was a great break from the stress of trying to find a place to live. And boy did he spoil us! We were so close to the field I could see the players faces! I don't think the pictures do our seats justice, but hopefully they'll give you a good idea. The energy of the crowd was overwhelming, to say the least. I couldn't believe the crush of people the closer we got to the stadium. I wore something "sporty" but figured out too late that I should have just worn something black or purple. There was NO other color in the stands (unless you were the crazy Browns fan that wore brown or orange). I wouldn't risk upsetting a stadium full of crazy (yet delightful) fans. On our way in I took some pics of they "boy/girl" signs. I thought it a little weird at first but soon discovered that the reason for the split is because you get frisked before entering the stadium! But once inside it's a great atmosphere. I loved slapping hi-fives with perfect strangers after every touchdown or amazing play. The air was electric! I hope we can experience more things like that while we're out here. But, as Joe put it, we've been ruined. How can we go to a game like that again and sit in the nose bleeds when we know what it's like to sit almost on the field? Guess we'll just have to suck it up, lol.

We are actually hoping to make it to a Washington Caps game (hockey) in December so Joe can see the NJ Devils play. We'll see.

Road Trip Day 4: On the Road Again (to Maryland)

I think day 4 was the roughest. We'd been driving for so long and we just wanted to be there already. I took some shots of the road. It's amazing to drive for hours in down tree-lined highways. Joe's phrase of the trip was, "It's so green!" He couldn't believe the color. It was fun sharing these moments with him. The journey was pretty uneventful (except we were run off the road by a sleeping semi... but that was day 1). The worst of it was driving the Pennsylvania Pike. NIGHTMARE!!! It was ugly, under construction, and crowded. We drove 45mph through most of the state. Happy does not even begin to describe my emotion when we entered Maryland and left Pennsylvania behind! And imagine my delight when I finally saw the hotel! (This was a wonderful gift from my sweet step-sis, Sandy. She was able to swing an extraordinary rate for us... Thanks, Sandy!)

The next couple of days were filled with frustration and rejection. I really thought finding a place to live would be a breeze, but I was wrong. Lots of places accept dogs, even large ones, but no one wanted to rent to a Pit Bull (big surprise). It wasn't until Monday afternoon that we finally received approval from a private landlady to rent her town home. Until then, I wasn't a very nice person to be around. But I'm jumping ahead...

Road Trip Day 2 & 3: Chicago

One would assume the bulk of my pics would be here, spending time with my dad. This was Joe's first trip to Chicago and we could have done a million things. His words as we drove into Illinois were, "This is my first time here so I want to do something really cool and memorable, like seeing all the places where you grew up." Isn't he the best!!! Anyway, pictures. I'll admit that I was so busy enjoying time with my dad and Joe tripping down memory lane that I didn't get very many pictures. My dad has more, but I haven't gotten them from him yet. But even though we don't have pics to mark the occasion, it was still so much fun to take Joe to all the places where I lived. He now can relate each house to a different family story... like where Jon pushed Jason down the stairs in handcuffs... where I had my finger cut off in a door... where I had my hand smashed in the garage door... where I had my hand smashed in a car door by the babysitter... and where I ran away from home. Many, many good memories, lol. My step-mom, Debbie, was a sweetheart and we had a wonderful time hanging with her and my step-brother Jason and his girlfriend. It was a great way to spend a couple of days.

Road Trip Day 1: Utah to Chicago

I love the excitement of being on the road. This time was a little different as we knew we were leaving for a new place. We were sad to say good-bye to friends and family, but super excited for the new life awaiting us in Baltimore. The first day we drove Layton to Lincoln, Nebraska. Along the way we stopped to have lunch with Mr. James and Marla. (I was so happy for the chance to see them one more time before leaving). I had intended on driving straight through to Illinois before Joe implemented the "no one sleeps while the driver is awake" policy. Which I totally understood after driving 1.5 hrs while he slept. It is so BORING having to drive without any interaction. Anyway, we decided to stop in Lincoln the first night. I was sure we could find a great room at a great rate, neither turned out to be true. I wish I had pics of our hotel. It was AWFUL!!! I know I'm used to the Marriott treatment (thanks Dad Burns!), but this really was a dive.The front desk guy in a crumpled, stained shirt and sweat pants should have given me my first clue. But we were tired and just wanted to sleep. Our hotel room came complete with peeling wallpaper, too much moisture, and things that go bump in the night. I didn't really sleep as I was sure we would be murdered in our beds! Boy was I happy to be on the road the next day!

Swing and a miss!

So Joe and I have found ourselves WAY more involved in church activities now that they are pretty much our main source for adult interaction and friends. Crazy part is that I'm loving it! (I know, shock... gasp.) But it's true nonetheless (I think that's all one word). So last night was the ward Trunk o' Treat. I previously signed up to bring cupcakes and even had Joe on board for the idea. I was totally prepared (I thought) and tried to give myself enough time to bake, cook dinner, get ready and make it to the church by 6pm. I think I might even had made it except I received an unexpected call from a family member that last 45 minutes. Needless to say I was soon rushed to finish all the aforementioned activities in less than 90 minutes. Cupcakes were flying, potatoes frying, and dishes were piling. By the time I finished eating, icing cupcakes and individually packaging them (as requested) it was 6:40p. We arrived at the church at 7p only to find everyone cleaning up. I couldn't believe it! People are actually on time out here! They started right on the dot at 6p and were done before we even arrived. I had to laugh. If I had skipped the cupcakes we could have been on time sans cupcakes. But in completing my assignment we arrived too late and they didn't even use them. However, I did slip them quickly onto the table were the carcasses of previous cupcakes remained and, to my delight and pleasure, they all got eaten! And we were back home before 8p. It was crazy! And I definitely felt like I struck out in my endeavors to be a full activity participant. But, as Joe said, at least we're trying... and honestly, I don't think anyone even noticed. Maybe next time I'll start around noon so I can actually finish on time!

Yay for Sunday!

Joe and I attended our new ward today. I can't believe how excited I was to go! Not even a night of "upset tummy" could keep me away. I just HAD to go. And I am so glad I did! Everyone was SO nice and welcoming (at least all the people who introduced themselves and made us feel at home... I didn't get a chance to meet anyone mean today, hehe). It started just after Sacrament and continued through Sunday School and Relief Society. By the end of church I had so many names swimming in my head I couldn't keep them straight, I was excitedly invited to choir, and the sweetest sister in RS invited us over for dinner with her family. We said yes to everything. Normally (content with my situation and proximity to my family) I would (maybe) have declined (thought maybe not because this gal is totally ADORABLE!), but desiring interaction with others (beside Joe, whom I love... but really, it is nice to talk to other girls) accepted all of the above.

Choir was fantastic. A cute little assembly gathered at a new friend's home. Relearned some names and gathered more new ones. Found out we're singing next week in Sacrament but I'm not worried. I just loved being with people who are so fun and welcoming. Dinner was a blast! Eve and Jeff are a great couple (with SIX fun boys). They also invited Ryan and Emily, who are also freakin' hilarious. I laughed the whole night! And the Lawson boys will be happy to know they also make fun of Canadians. I couldn't believe it! I travel across the country only to wind up at a dinner table with more guys poking fun at the maple leaf. I told them I'll give them a few weeks until I open a can on their butts (need time to make them friends before they get to know the feisty side... that way they can't return me).

I'm so grateful for all the wonderful people I've met today! Especially for the dinner invite. It made us feel so special. I just hope they want to stay friends!!! LOL. Missing my peeps in Utah. Lots of love (and more to come... I need to find my camera cord so I can upload pics of our place and our road trip).

Final Hoorah

Ok. So for those that are available we are having a final hoorah at our house from 4-8pm on Saturday, Sept 19th (dinner served at 5p). We'll have volleyball setup for anyone who wants to play. I'm looking for 5 people to each bring 1 pizza (I was thinking Little Cesar's $5 pizza), a couple of people to bring drinks, and everyone else bring something to share. I have cups, plates and napkins and will finish supplying the pizza. Let me know if you have questions or need directions. We hope to see you there!

P.S. Josser will NOT be attending as he'll be spending the night at the vet's. Just in case you were worried my dog might eat your kids. Thanks!

Thank you and Good-bye (to Utah)

First, thank you everyone for your support. I felt so peaceful and calm as I took the stand yesterday. I was confident in my answers and only got flustered once. I know it wouldn't have been as easy (for lack of a better word) without your thoughts and prayers on my behalf. I don't have any updates from the trial at this time. I know I did my best and feel that I am ready to accept whatever happens. I have my fingers crossed for a plea but am willing to move forward with a full on trial. Worst case he walks and gets arrested again for some other stupid crime. I think it helps knowing I won't be around to see it.

Which brings me to my really good news... we are moving to Maryland! Joe just accepted a job offer and we leave in one week to find a place to live. I'll leave him there for work and head back to Utah to finish packing and moving our stuff. I also have to prepare the house to rent. If I can git-r-done without having a nervous breakdown it will be a miracle! But, in the end, I truly believe it will be worth it.

Calling All Pray-ers

So tomorrow I have to testify against the man who robbed me last year. And as strong as I like to pretend to be, I am scared spitless (if I even knew how to spit, lol). But really, tomorrow brings with it a lot of fear and anxiety. Will I be a good witness? Will my testimony be sufficient? Will I say everything the right way and give just enough but not too much information? Will the defense attorney rip me apart on the stand? Will it be enough to push this into a real trial or will I walk away wondering why I said this but didn’t say that? Too many variables. Too many for peace of mind.

So the point? I could really use your prayers and your love. So if you remember, please send a prayer my way tomorrow. I need peace in my heart (and some calming presence to keep my food in my stomach instead of on the stand).

Thank you!

Screw You Fear (any WoW peeps will get that...)

So today I decided to wage a little battle against FEAR. Let's say it's part of my own personal "12-Step" program. I am really working toward building a stronger self-concept and through the journey of self discovery I realized (not to the surprise of any one else) that I am a perfectionist. I am so strongly a perfectionist that I am afraid of trying or doing anything new for fear I'll get it wrong or that the result will be less than perfect. For any normal human being out there that wouldn't be a big deal. Try/fail. It's the process of life. For me it is the end of the world. Except today. I'm still on a pretty good high from hypnotherapy and so I thought it would be a great time to say "screw you fear!" and so I tackled a couple of crafty projects that I've seen other's do but which I have always been afraid to try.

Project 1: Paint the Lamps

I have HATED these brass lamps since we got them for our wedding. Sorry to any out there who love brass, but I think the are so ugly they are FUGLY! But they were FREE.99 so I've kept them for the last 8 years. I always thought I would paint them (or buy new ones) but I never made time for either option. The former because I was afraid to fail and the latter because I have better ways to spend my money. Today I dove right in, took the lamp by the shades, and transformed them into something presentable. To tell the truth... I kinda like my new little chess pieces!

I figure I'll buy some more modern lamp shades after we move. Until then, I like the result... imperfections and all! Best part was that I realized that any huge mistake could be fixed. Not enough paint? Spray on another coat. Don't like black with ivory? Spray the ivory black too! Don't like the gloss finish? Use matte next time. So simple. Why have I never done this before?

Project 2: Paint the Board

This was a gift to me from Joe's mom years ago. All the hard work had been done. All I had to do was paint the darn thing and hang it anywhere I wanted. Oh, and buy some magnets for it. But, worried I wouldn't get it "just right," I've put it off for years. I almost gave it away, too. And I am SO glad I didn't. With some quick taping and spray paint, I went from au-natural to beautiful black!

And then, on a roll from these quick wins, I decided to spruce up the board a little bit more. I had some Stampin Up rub-ons that were perfect. Snip, rub and few moments for placement and voila!

I'm still looking for a word or phrase to run across the top. Any suggestions? I haven't decided whether this will be a board for photos, lists, or misc. But I definitely want to hang it somewhere visible!!!

I am SO excited everything turned out and that I was able to git-r-done all by myself (with LOTS of inspiration from my dear do-it-yourself friends). I've even gonna try my hand at making my own magnets to match the board. Thanks for inspiring me, ladies! I had SO much fun today!

Uhg!

So I just found out I didn't get that job. It was rejected at the highest level. We tried to backdoor it by hiring me as a temp, but HR rejected me. Honestly... am I even employable anymore? Frustrated and unsure.

No really... I had a BLAST!

I know it won't sound very fun to many, but Saturday I had the chance to help clean out my in-laws' garage. Actually, it didn't sound very fun to me at first either. The little event was the brain child of Jimmy and Marla, I believe (let me know if I'm wrong), as a gift to the parents for Mother's Day, Father's Day, their anniversary and birthdays. I'm always into service instead of presents so I thought it was great idea.... except for the part where his parents have been storing "memories" and "necessary items" for the last 18 years. I wish I had some before pictures! I knew we had our work cut out for us! Joe and I arrived a little late and were AMAZED at how much Jimmy and Jake had accomplished. I remember thinking "this may be possible after all!" Jimmy was our go-to guy. He had a vision of what he wanted to accomplish and also made sure we weren't throwing anything away we shouldn't. Jake helped convince Jimmy that some things just had to go (actually.... he wanted to toss everything, hehe). Throw Joe into the mix with his natural "pot stirring" abilities and we had the recipe for GOOD TIMES. I laughed the whole day from the "Jim Jr." comments (because Jimmy wouldn't let things go) to the jokes about all of "Aunt Lucy's" stuff (did we ever find out who she was?). It was a wonderful day of service and family. Marla stopped by a couple of times to visit and check our progress. She was perma-babysitter for the day and crucial to our progress. It's SO much easier to get things done when you aren't worried about little ones finding dead rodents or cutting themselves on the endless sea of tools and raw sheet metal. And we missed Natalie, but school first! She had a rough day of idiotic instructors. (Who makes a group assignment on Saturday--due Monday--without assigning groups? Honestly?)

Anyway, Saturday turned out to be super enjoyable. It was hard work (my body shutdown Saturday night and didn't start working until this morning), but we are pleased with the results! Eventually Joe's mom just might be able to park her car in the garage! It's only been 18 years, right? So what's a few more months, hehe.

From the back. That is a picture of hope... that someday a car might be parked in here!

One of the treasures we took away was a freezer from the 1960s. It was so bad you had to put weights on the top to keep the lid down. We expect to see their electric bill decrease dramatically!

From this view all you used to see was stuff. Wanted to get to the back door? Forget about it! Now there is not only a path, we could have a picnic in here.... well, maybe not a picnic (hantavirus and all), but you get the idea.

This 20ft trailer is FULL of stuff from the garage. Unloading it will be another day's project. Until then, no peeking Jim!!! What goes on the trailer, stays on the trailer!

Publishing Your Blog in a Book

I promised some of the girls a link to my friend's blog who is AMAZING about publishing online. I love that she tries it out and then I am blessed by the fruits of her labor! Anyway, here is her post http://marcelacamille.blogspot.com/2009/07/officially-obsessed-with-blurb-books.html regarding publishing your blog in a physical book. The actual site is blurb.com, but I like her post because you get to see the final product as well as get some great tips from her. Thanks Daisy!!!

FOR SALE: 2003 Ford Mustang GT

2003 Ford Mustang GT

Price: $10,500 (NADA retail is $11,500)

Mileage: 61,784+

Body Style: Coupe

Exterior Color: Black

Interior Color: Charcoal

Transmission: Manual

Drive Type: 5-speed

Fuel: Regular Gas

Gas Mileage: 15/City & 23/Hwy MPG

Doors: 2

We are happy to offer this EXCELLENT FORD MUSTANG GT. This is a NON-SMOKER with LOW, LOW MILES and would make a GREAT CAR for a GREAT VALUE. It's perfect for crusing the canyons this fall!!! This Mustang has all the right stuff including: V-8 ENGINE, LEATHER SEATS, 6-DISC CD CHANGER, AM/FM RADIO, MACH STEREO SYSTEM, BACK FOLDING SEATS, and MUCH MORE. We are the only owners of this Mustang and have performed regular maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, etc). ZERO PROBLEMS. Call with questions. Please leave a message if I don't answer. 801.678.7505.

Normal wear and tear should be anticipated. Sale is "AS-IS" with no warranty.

Pics of my Josser

After spending so much time working in the yard, I decided Joss and I needed some time to enjoy the fruits of our labor (he's my little helper when we're outside).

I LOVE this close up of him. He is so handsome!!!

But my favorite, by far, is this one of he and Joe. My two boys. Gotta love 'em!

One more down... so many more to go!

Yard work is never ending. There always seems more to be done than time in a year. Add big projects to weekly yard work and it is no wonder our grass has a tendency to get a little long! But today I finished another project and finally snapped some photos of everything I've been working on. Today was the park strip in front of the house. The "green waste" facility at our city dump has become my new best friend (and Joe's truck my new love). I have had such a blast hauling stuff around and completing some minor landscape projects on my own. As mush as I hate the never ending to-do list of yard work, there is great satisfaction in looking out your window and seeing the results of all your hard labor. Instant gratification. I love it. So here are some pics. I decided to include some before an afters as well.

BEFORE
So last year our yard looked like this. Lots of trenches waiting for me to back fill with sprinkler pipe and dirt.

Even after everything was laid and buried, I still found myself in an eternal battle against weed infestations and a sinking RV pad! Before shoveling 2.5 truckloads of dirt into the truck and hauling it to the dump, most all non-grass areas looked like this.



AFTER
To fix the RV pad situation, I built a little retaining wall and filled it with dirt and mulch. Those who know me well know that one of my favorite tools is a level (it goes with the whole annul retentiveness personality disorder). Anyway, each stone is leveled on the Y-axis and X-axis. I had a really great time (once I figured out the process) and was so satisfied to see the final result. Mind you, it isn't the Great Wall of China, but I am pleased.

Then I moved over the park strip in from of the house. Here again is the before...

And the after...

Next I need to create/prep flower beds--design the layout, dig out any over grown grass, and move lots of dirt and mulch. Good thing we have the truck! And then on to the backyard dirt pile. Like I said, never ending. Maybe I should make some time to hook up the sprinkler valves to the timer. My beeper is telling me it is time to manually change the water. Oh dear.

Sisters are the best!

I love my sister. We didn't always get along, but the older I get the more I value her (and the more I wish I wasn't so mean growing up). I am SO glad we are friends now!!! Yesterday I was super sick. I started throwing up around 2am and kept throwing up every couple of hours until about 11am or noon. Needless to say I didn't each much the whole day. I just couldn't bring myself to put anything in my stomach. Around dinner time I could tell I needed to eat but the only thing that sounded good was Grandma's Potato Soup. I never mastered this one (because we all know I'm not a cook) and I wasn't about to ask Joe (because his idea of cooking is pouring a bowl of cereal), so I called Suzanne. Not only was she totally cool with cooking dinner for me, but she went out of her way to bring other things she knows I can eat when I get sick like this. She also called on her way over to see if I needed anything from the Pharmacy. Can I just say, I LOVE this girl!!! The soup was wonderful... like love in a bowl. And it was very easy on my tummy. While I was slowly eating it last night, I just kept thinking about how grateful I am for my sister. Grateful for her willingness to help me out, for her love and friendship, and for the fact that we live so close right now. Anyway... thanks Suzanne! (And thanks for making enough that I can have leftovers today!!) You are the best!

Debbie's Job Update

Well your prayers are working! A few posts ago I mentioned that a manager wanted to hire me but had to get approval from upper management. Well, the approval passed phase 1. (Don't worry, I didn't know this was a multi-phase approval either). Anyway, I should find out if it passed phase 2 next week. Again with the waiting! I think someone is trying to teach me patience! And how does this fit with our plans for Maryland, you ask? It doesn't. Somewhere along the blog train I mentioned the conflict... how I felt good about both, so which is right? I just moving forward in life as if both ARE right. So I'm still praying and hoping for Maryland while I continue pursuing this lead in Utah. We'll see what happens. I figure I'll just do what I feel prompted to do and the Lord will make sure it all works out. Well, that is my plan anyway. Hope it's a good one. Time will tell.

To answer your questions...

I don't have the final word yet (It's killing me waiting!) but Joe has a somewhat firm offer for a job in Baltimore, MD. We should find out sometime this week (hopefully... because I'd really like to get back to planning my life). Hence the need to shed a few moving pounds. I'll let you know when we know. And if anyone wants to throw us into your prayers, I wouldn't mind at all! Love ya!