Trying to Be Thankful

Seeing as how we just had the Thanksgiving holiday, it feels more appropriate to list things to be thankful for right now, rather than jump right into complaining about how depressingly, frustratingly tiny our apartment is, or how depressingly, frighteningly huge Salt Lake City is. Though I am sorely tempted...


~I'm thankful that, due to traffic issues with the U-Haul center in our town, we were able to rent one from the neighboring town, because to make up for the inconvenience they gave us an extra day and 250 extra miles at no charge. We picked up the truck early, and were able to get everything packed in a timely manner.

~I'm thankful for my sister Janelle, who spent every day this week at our apartment, helping us clean, pack, load the truck, and watch the kids.

~I'm thankful that my whole family came over, in two batches, on Friday to help us finish up getting ready for check-out, and to say goodbye.

~I'm thankful that we had a safe journey. I'm especially thankful that I didn't have a panic attack as we were driving into Salt Lake on that insanely huge highway.

~I'm thankful for the Wendy's value menu, and for all the ketchup that makes Thomas eat anything we put it on.

~I'm thankful that the manager was at our apartment when we got here. Her office is in another building, so she came over hoping to catch us at the right time. She did, and we were able to check in right away.

~I'm thankful that Jeff's sister Joy and her family were able to come and help us unload most of our stuff from the truck.

~I'm thankful that our new apartment has a dishwasher and kitchen sinks that actually drain.

~I'm thankful that we have our very own covered parking space, right next to the door.

~I'm thankful that the heaters in the apartment work well, though we probably won't run them to their full capacity, to save money!

~I'm thankful that we rented a utility dolly along with the truck. Loading and unloading has been so much easier than it would have otherwise been.

~I'm thankful that, even though I'm too scared to actually drive to it by myself, we have a Wal-Mart Super Center very close.

~I'm thankful that we're in an old, historic part of Salt Lake, with lots of beautiful buildings to look at and photograph (once I get brave enough to go outside!).

~I'm thankful that we finally have internet again!

~Lastly, I'm thankful for the fact that even though this move has been hard, physically and emotionally, and even though I feel terrified, lost, and completely out of my element in this big city, I have this opportunity for personal growth and progress. Challenges are given for a reason, and I hope I'm up to the task.

Lest you all think this whole situation is just sunshine and roses, I will say that my "kitchen" is so small that it barely fits two people, and there is practically nothing in the way of drawer or cupboard space. Tell me, how can I be completely happy with a kitchen as tiny as that?

Got a Lot Done Today

Yesterday it hit me that, while we're not moving until Friday, we're planning on loading the truck on Wednesday so we can have a worry-free Thanksgiving. Which means everything needs to be boxed and ready to go by Tuesday evening. Yikes!

So this morning my sister Janelle came over to help me out all day. This help was especially wonderful today because, not only was I packing and cleaning, but I was also watching my friends two adorable little girls, and four little children require a lot more supervision than just two. Anyway, we all had a great time together. C kept calling Janelle cute names because she couldn't quite remember her name. One in particular was too funny, "Vanilla, can you help me with this?" C and L really liked Janelle after they adjusted to her. We watched some movies, and the kids played together a lot, and I packed up a whole bunch of stuff. I took down the space saver in the bathroom, and I packed up almost everything in our kitchen. We did all the dishes, and then thoroughly cleaned all the counters. I even wiped out several cupboards. Janelle is going to come back tomorrow to help me clean some more. I think I actually will be able to have everything ready on Wednesday when we pick up the U-haul - woohoo!

I'm going to miss my friends and my ward here. I feel like we were finally really getting settled into this ward, and getting into our groove with this apartment, and this job, and basically this life. It'll be hard to move on again - I don't make friends very quickly because I'm really shy, so I'm just not sure how long it will take me to really adjust to a new ward and a new neighborhood. I'm nervous about it... okay, I'm just plain scared about it! I don't like things to change, I like things to stay the same. But I know that this will be a good change in many ways, and that I will find a way to adapt and things will settle down and feel normal some day. And by the time that happens life will change again, because it just has that nasty habit of doing that. Sigh. Guess I'm just feeling introspective and thoughtful tonight.

I think I need to go to bed.

Now That's More Like It!

Dear Shoe Monster,

Thank you, shoe monster, for returning two of the missing shoes. I was pleased, though not too surprised, to see my sneaker in the kids' room this morning. I wasn't really expecting you to keep that one - sneakers are notorious for smelling funny and tasting bad. But I must say that I was definitely surprised this afternoon to find that you had returned the little black Sunday shoe of Zaylee's; you know, the one that you took several months ago? That must have required a great sacrifice on your part - it's such a cute little shoe and you've been keeping it for such a long time. I really am impressed that you were able to keep it from me for so long. So thank you so much, shoe monster, for being so cooperative. I look forward to the return of Jeff's black dress shoe and my comfy sandal in the next few days.

Thanks,
Stephanie

p.s. Yes, I understand that I won't be needing or wearing that sandal for many months to come; but with the move coming up it really would be more convenient for you to go ahead and return it now. Unless you want to come all the way to Utah with us. But of course you don't want to do that, do you? It would be a dreadful inconvenience on your part to have to go all that way just so you can return a shoe later that you could so very easily return right now.

Something's Eating the Shoes

There seems to be some sort of shoe-eating monster on the loose, and it has taken up residence in my home. Actually, I think it's been around for quite a while, and has started to get more hungry lately. A few months ago, one of Zaylee's little black Sunday shoes went missing. It has never been recovered. A couple weeks ago, Jeff discovered that one of his Sunday shoes had been eaten as well. For a while one of Zaylee's brown shoes was missing, but I guess the monster decided it didn't like the brown flavor and it gave the shoe back. Many months ago one of my sandals went missing, and hasn't been heard from since. Pity, those were my comfy sandals. Now, just yesterday, my sneaker disappeared. That monster had better cough those shoes up quick, because we're moving soon, and it just won't do to move into a new house with one big black dress shoe, one little black girly shoe, one sandal, and one sneaker. It just won't do!

Conjunctivitis and other woes

You know what is absolutely no fun at all? Well, lots of things, but the one I'm thinking of starts with "pink" and ends with "eye" and makes your eyes pink. Go ahead, take a guess - that's right! Conjunctivitis, also known as "pink eye." Zaylee somehow contracted this horrible infection and started showing symptoms on Wednesday, had it for a couple days, and spread it to me. I think I got it when I let her poke me in the eye repeatedly. What was I thinking?

So I got it in my right eye yesterday, and now it's spread to my left eye. My eyes are goopy, and crusty, and swollen, and irritable, and watery, and irritated, and scratchy, and pink! I'm not supposed to wear my contacts so I have to wear the glasses that I wore in high school, the ones that were already old six years ago when I first got contacts. The ones that have a falling-apart frame and lenses on which the coating is cracked in about a billion places. And the prescription expired years ago - so I can barely see anything. And they make my face look fat and nerdy. And I had to wear them to church and it messed up my piano playing in Primary because I couldn't properly see the notes, the keys, or my hands. And I felt ugly.

On top of all this, I can't sleep at night, my joints ache, and I think I have a cold. My throat hurts, my nose is runny, my head feels like it's going to explode, and I've got aches in my fingers, elbows, back, hips, and knees. Gosh, I sound like an old woman! A cranky old woman who is really tired and sore and just want to get better. Or die.

Life Experiences

Saw this on Melinda's blog and thought it looked fun.

For you to do: copy and paste this to your blog and bold the ones that you HAVE done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance - just before Jeff and I got engaged - it's a fun story
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain - Jeff and I have decided we need to do this next time it rains
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper - technically it was just my finger. And a very small newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - does a fish count?
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

35 out of 99 - not too bad!

Boxes Everywhere!

Today Mom and Janelle came over to help me pack. We got lots of boxes packed, we're trying to box up everything we won't be needing in the next two weeks. Yup - we're moving in two weeks. This has all happened so fast! It seems like it was only yesterday that Jeff told me he wanted to apply to work at the reference lab. I had no concept of how fast it would all happen - Jeff's application, phone interviews, waiting to hear back from the lab, finding an apartment, getting everything all worked out with our current apartment managers, planning when Jeff would start working and when we would move, and now we're packing boxes.

Anyway, the three of us worked for quite a while, boxing up everything in the closets, pantry, the stuff on the walls; we got a lot done. Then when Jeff got home from work this afternoon, he brought home lots and lots of nice big boxes for us to use. so now the apartment is full of boxes, full and empty. The empty ones, we'll pack up in the next couple weeks. The sooner the better! We plan to fill the U-Haul on the 26th, the day before Thanksgiving. Then we'll spend Thanksgiving with my family, at Mom's parents' house. Then on Friday morning we'll finish loading the last of our things, check out of the apartment, and head off to our new home, and our new life!

And I'm still scared.

UFO Sighting

Now, I'm not normally into the paranormal. Ghost stories, Big Foot, UFO sightings - I find these things amusing, but not believable. But how can I deny what my own eyes have witnessed? Today as I was visiting with my family, I happened to look out the window absently, and that's when I saw it.


Hovering in the air above the distant fields was the unmistakable shape of a UFO. Here's a closer look.


Isn't it amazing! Sure made a believer out of me!



***Disclaimer: I am fully aware that the pictured object is, in fact, not a UFO but a cloud. I just thought that it was way awesome that it was shaped like a UFO, and wrote this post for the purpose of being humorous.***

Boys and Their Owies

Something about little boys, or little kids in general, is that they always seem to be drawn to ways to injure themselves. Even something as supposedly harmless as a big plastic box with no sharp edges or corners becomes a weapon of destruction when a little boy falls on it just right.


I really don't know how he does it. Seriously, the box is all rounded corners! Well, I'm sure he'll grow out of his accident-proneness someday. :-)

Lovely dessert

Today was one of those days where you just need to have a pretty dessert after putting the kids to bed. It was a nice day and all, the kids weren't any more unruly than they usually are. I just wanted to indulge in something sweet and pretty. So we broke out the fancy glass ice cream dishes, raspberry sherbet, and sprinkles.


Doesn't that just make you want to smile?

Our Big News

I can post now that, as of yesterday, Jeff has been officially offered a position as Immunologist at the reference lab in Salt Lake. His first day will be December 1, so we are planning on moving the weekend before, just after Thanksgiving. We're still working on getting an apartment, but have found one that we think will work out. It will cost more than our current apartment, since it's not subsidized. But we were pretty much counting on that anyway; it will be doable.

Jeff is very very excited about this new job. Immunology has always been his favorite, so he's thrilled that he will get to specialize in that. He's also glad that he gets to work in a big reference lab - he prefers that type of atmosphere over that of a small hospital lab. He has been doing really well at his job here, and gets along well with everyone, but he is excited to move on to do what he's been really wanting to do.

As for me, I'm excited for Jeff, and very proud of him. I'm still nervous and scared about the move, and have a ton of packing and de-junking and cleaning and all-around preparation to do. But this is an exciting thing for us, and I support Jeff and his new position 100%.

Haven't Posted In A While ...

... because I really can't think of much to post. Well, I do have one exciting thing to post, but I'll do that later.

We have been living in a mess for quite a while, because I hate washing dishes and Jeff hates washing dishes, and so we just don't do them, etc. but today we were informed that maintenance was going to come by and look at our sinks (they don't drain), so Jeff and I very quickly got to work and were able to clean up the kitchen really well. It looks great. I wonder how long it will stay that way.

Anyway, a promise is a promise - the manager promised that the guy would look at our sinks, and he did just that. He came in and looked, wrote something in his clipboard, asked a few questions, and then said he didn't have the right equipment today and he would come back next week. Well, it's a start. We're hoping that it will get taken care of as soon as possible. And they're going to work on fixing the pantry door sometime in the possibly near future as well.

Yeah, I really can't think of anything interesting enough to post. Oh well. It was worth a shot.

The Most Random Thing I've Said All Week...

..."Just a minute Zaylee, I'm cleaning your pee off of Thomas' head!"




























Just let that sink in a moment...























Zaylee had an accident this evening, and she got it all over the couch. I don't know if she actually peed on Thomas' head, or if he somehow rubbed his head on the couch where the pee was. But the fact stands that I couldn't help Zaylee get her dress off right away because I was, in fact, cleaning her pee off of Thomas' head.

I Voted!

On this cloudy, windy, and blustery day, Jeff and I took turns braving the elements all the way to our designated voting place (the whole block and a half) to vote for the leaders of our district, county, state, and country. Looky, they gave us stickers!


We were lucky, in that we went early and are in a small town - there wasn't even a line and everything went very quickly. I had thought I wouldn't be able to register to vote, because I believed that I had to have some sort of "official" proof of residency - power bill, phone bill, driver's license with our current address, that sort of thing. But I had Jeff ask about it when he registered, and he found that all I needed was something that had been in the mail and had my name and current address; it didn't have to be all that official at all. So I was able to take a letter from Mom, and register and vote. Yay me!


When I looked out the window this morning, here is what I saw:


The leaves have finally abandoned their posts on the trees and decided to take up residence all over the ground. There sure are a lot of them!

A cute video

I've just got cute little video I wanted to share. This is Thomas playing peek-a-boo. He would pull the blanket over his face, then pop out and say "Da!" which is, I guess, his version of "boo." At one point the blanket got caught on his head, so when he tried to pull it off, he ended up pulling himself down. I love his closed-eye laugh!

Halloween stuff

We spent yesterday (Halloween) at Mom's house, helping with William again. We were excited to learn that Nathan was recovering great. He was able to go home yesterday, which was nice. I was glad to get to see Michelle in the afternoon, and hang out with her for a while. She and Mom and I had a little shopping trip at Wal-Mart and had fun, just us girls!

We went to the trunk or treat at my parents' ward last night. Here's the fun costumes:

Marie as a murdered gypsy...

Rheanna and Zaylee as princesses...

Thomas as a guy with a beard and mustache (we ran out of creativity. Anyway, he thought it was great)...

Me as a medieval maiden...

Jeff as "Sleepy Dad" (aka he didn't really dress up but wanted in on the fun)...

Costumes I didn't get a picture of - Samuel as a prince and Janelle as a cowgirl. Marie's costume was the funnest and most time consuming. She looked up online how to make wounds and fake blood, then she and Janelle spent most of the afternoon making it look like Marie had been brutally murdered. It was fun. There was fake blood getting smeared all over the place, because some rubbed off every time Marie brushed against anything (or anyone - I got some on my t-shirt). I think they did a good job of creating the grisly effect.


It looked so realistic that Marie claims her arm really started hurting as they were making it. Wow.

Zaylee had a fun time at the trunk-or-treat. She got really good at saying "Trick or Treat!" and "Thank you!" But she said it so quietly that I had to say it with her so that the people would know she was saying it. We only gave her a small bucket to collect candy, and we left when it was full. We didn't want her to have too much. She had already filled up on pumpkin seeds, eating them all day long! I did let her have more candy than I normally would though. It was Halloween, after all!

Fast forward to today. Zaylee was sick today, because of all those pumpkin seeds. She threw up this morning, and has had diarrhea a few times more than I care to remember. Clean-up for that kind of stuff is no fun at all! Zaylee got to have her first shower ever this evening after a particularly messy episode. She thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't enjoy it quite so much as she did.

The Relief Society had Super Saturday today, and I went and had a good time (leaving Jeff to deal with Zaylee, who remained in good spirits despite not feeling well, and Thomas). I signed up to make a Christmas apron, and the quiet book that I drew all those pictures for. I didn't finish either project there, but I will be able to finish on my own in the next few days. I got all the quiet book pages cut out and everything, I just need to get them laminated and bound. And I have a little bit more sewing to do on the apron. I'll post those when I finish them.