Just for fun...

Only b/c I love the Family Guy so much! :)

What a slap in the face...

So as I sat in my office this morning feeling sorry for myself b/c of my circumstances at work, I had to ask myself a question: Why did I take this job in the first place??

Great question. I'll be honest. Before I ever even interviewed for this job, I had every intention of not taking it. Ab and I had discoved that it was bit more of a commute than we liked, and the offering salary was.. decent at best. I left the interview feeling content that I was making the right decision to just pass and continue with all of the interviews I had planned. Within 30 minutes of leaving the interview I received a phone call with the job offer. I told them I would be in touch and headed off to my next interview. Before I pulled into the parking lot, I received a call from my interviewer saying he was sick-- stomach flu and we'd have to re-schedule.

The next day, Saturday, I received an email from the church people. They knew I had health benefits through Ab's job, so they swapped out health benefits for a HUGE jump in salary. Sweet! Ab and I decided this would be great.(I turned down roughly 6 other employers for this chance) I mean.. money does talk, regardless of what some people say. We talked Monday and worked out the details.

All of that to say... I believe that God had his hand in my job search. My heart and head may not have been in the right place, but God is the puppet-master. I don't mean that disresectfully either. He helps guide us to the decisions he knows we will make, but helps us come to them.

After deciding how I came across this job and what lead me to work here, God and I had this conversation. It began with his question in his Oh So Loving and Fatherly tone:

God: But WHY did you take this job?
Me: I guess I wanted to serve..
God: So... Aren't you doing that?
Me: Yes, but..
God: What?
Me: It's hard, there are a few people that suck, and I hate the drive, and ..
God: *yawn*
Me: Hey! That's valid!! (pathetic huh?) And THAT is when I felt as though I had been slapped in the face.

It's not always about what we can gain from our surroundings. I'm serving. I love the feeling of knowing that I helped. In every situation in life there are going to be people who make us want to strangle them. In some instances more than a few, but it is SOOO rewarding and SOO worth it to know that you helped someone. And believe it or not.. There is SOMETHING here I'm supposed to learn, and someone here I am going to help. God will not prepare me to move forward until I have accomplished the "right now" task he has for me. Crazy huh?

It's funny looking back. It was that way in OK too. I let a couple of people SOUR my feelings for my job, for my work. I couldn't look past how miserable they made me. The day I wrote my resignation letter (the first time.. in Nov) I had it printed. I was soo pumped to turn it in and walk away... then I was called into a meeting. They wanted me to be P Mark's new assistant. Really?!? Wow. I shredded the letter. I knew that there was somethign I was SUPPOSED to learn, to accomplish, help with. Working for Mark was one of the MOST FUN jobs I've ever had. Any of you that know him... know this is a true statement. He LOVES people. He lives, breathes, and walks in faith and love. Working for him helped me realize what true service is. Someday, I wanna be like Mark. I hope to be.. maybe not in the pastoral sense, but I want that drive, that passion. I want to influence people in a positive way.

So with that slap in the face came surrender. I'm going to do my job. Do it as best I can, and when my "right now" task is finished here God will open a door for me elsewhere.

Holy Holiday??

In honor of the Mormon's Holy Holiday- Pioneer Day. I present you with a video. I heard this song on the radio this morning. I found it fitting. Enjoy.

It's the unsaid "I'm sorry's" that tear us apart...

Now. I know that Ab and I have only been married for three months, but I do realize that he and I have a few things that a lot of failed marriages are missing:
1) A relationship with Christ- It's amazing the peace that can come over you and how much more intense your love can be by having this influence and guide in your life.
2) Communication skills- Since day one, Ab and I have been very open and honest with each other about our feelings. Mad, sad, excited, scared, etc. We have both vocally communicated that it is our desire to know and share these things with each other.
3) The words "I'm Sorry"- It is AMAZING how these two little words can change you. Either by hearing them, not hearing them, or by saying them. People should never EXPECT you to know that they are sorry. If you feel it.. say it. By never resolving stupid little fights, or hurtful words, or even big fights, you never heal. Without healing, you continue to put up a tiny wall between you and your spouse.. lets call them bricks. To start with they don't seem too bad. Just a tiny stone on your heart that you or your partner might forget is there. Over time though, these bricks get built taller and and wider and with each argument are cemented into place. After too long, the wall is so built up with anger and frustration that people begin to resent, despise, and "stop loving" one another.

My husband just sent me the sweetest text ever, and it was an apology over a spat we had before work. I love that man to death, and I want to do the best I can to make sure there are no walls built up between us and on our hearts. I'm sorry can mean the world to someone. My advice (and then I'll end my "sermon" for the day) say I'm sorry. Mean it, and move on to love and cherish the person you chose to spend you life with. Time isn't worth wasting being mad with each other.

Now.. for all of you out there who are marriage veterans it might be easy to say "Awww cute, you can tell she's a newlywed" I'm sorry. NO. It infuriates me to hear that. You should ALWAYS love and care for your spouse with the same if not more, respect and admiration as the first day you were married. Otherwise... what are you doing???

Just a quick update...

So it's almost 7am and I've been sitting at my desk at work for well over an hour. My morning started by waking up at 4am to make sure that Terry got to the airport by 5. Terry's leaving to go home and do his annual 4 weeks of training with the Guard. Sometime in the next few weeks he'll be receiving orders for when he's going to Iraq. I'm hoping it's later.. later than the end of November.

Terry and his wife are expecting another little girl in November, and I really hope he can be here for her birth. He deserves that.

So.. Terry arrived at the airport in plenty of time, and I decided to go ahead and come in to work. By the time I drove home i'd probably get an hour of sleep before I had to get back up and spend another hour in the car... sooo. Work it is. Thank GOD for Starbucks being open at 5:30!! Hopefully I'll be getting out of here around 2 or 3 today. We'll see.

Ab's dad's in town for a few days. He's here for the Investools 3 Day Live event. It's good to see family. I know Ab enjoyed time with him last night more than he thought he would. (not that he doesnt LOVE time with his dad.. if you know Ab... you KNOW he loves his dad), but I think he realized being around his dad that he missed it more than he thought. It's easy to get into our flow of life here and block out the fact that we miss our families and friends (which we do like crazy), but when people come and visit it makes us realize that much more how lonely it can be here. Anywhoo... Al will be here until Sunday, and I'm looking forward to it. Last night he took us to Rodizio (?) that place is AMAZING!! For those of you who don't know. It's a Brazilian steakhouse where the servers walk aroudn with HUGE skewers of meat and serve it to you right off the skewer. Usually they have around... 17-20 different meats, and apparently on weekends they have exotic meat like rattlesnake. Crazy..

Anywho. Nothing to really update on. I'm trying to think of some fun things to do in this city. It's pretty hot here.. even minus the humidity, but it'd be nice to say that I did something "outdoorsy" in Utah.

Man.. I can't wait for ski season.

Antifreeze?

So the guy below us.. or his family.. or whoever are moving out this week. Which thrills me, b/c I have always suspected him of being the kiddie porn guy (see a previous post on my blog for that story), and he and his wife made a nasty comment aboout me about a week ago and they didn't think I heard it.. so ..... GOOOD RIDDENCE.

The eerie part of this move came today when I was parking my car. I saw him and some guys carrying out stuff. As I approached the stairs, I heard one of the guys say... so this is all Anti-freeze? He responds with a casual.. yea. Ok. What?? These guys were carrying a good 10-15, 2-5 gallons each, of anti-freeze? What the crap?? Seriously.... creepy. I know that I now live in a state in which that will be an important fluid to keep filled in my car, but that guy had enough anti-freeze for the whole complex.

SO my questions is this... is he a future or previous terrorist? Child molester? Is he poisoning off his disabled wife (whom I haven't seen since the nasty comment) for the insurance money? Who knows. All I know, is that this guy is moving out, and I am thankful.

Eesh. You'd think we lived in the ghetto... like Midvale... or something. (haha jk Carter family) I don't think there is a real ghetto here.

Quick glimpse at our life in May..

Since, our readers seem to be getting anxious about a new post and I have to put a gun to Ab's head to make him post.. here goes.
You're right Lori, a ton has happened since the last post, but where do I start.

I got the pleasure of going back to Tulsa for the weekend at the first of May for my sister's graduation. I'm so proud of her. College was hard, I think for all of us, and finally being able to say that you're done is such a relief. Congrats Mindi. Now you can go out and get a "big kid" job like the rest of us. Blah. Makes me want to go back to college. Afternoon naps, skipping class if I just didn't feel like it, no "real" responsibility. Ahh. Those were the days. (Yes Mindi, I know this wasn't you the last year.. you put in more hours than almost anyone I know)

Later in May... Adam came to visit. He was OFFICIALLY our first guest. Terry's been here for a while and Amanda was here in March, but nope. Adam was official. It was sooo good to have a visitor, especially for Ab. He has seen so few people since he moved out here, and I really don't think seeing people at the wedding counts since that day was all one big whirlwind anyway. We had a lot of fun. Ab showed him around, they talked a LOT of business, andn we had a great meal that Adam prepared along with some amazing wine from Napa Valley. Good times were had, and I can't wait until he can come back. Adam's a trooper though. Adam arrived the weekend before our couches did and I can't imagine that that would be comfortable or tolerable at all. So... sorry. The couches finally arrived and after 2 days of moving them around we found a place that they fit and actually look nice. So now if you decide to visit us there is a nice place for you to sleep or even sit for that matter. The bright yellow Walgreen's chair has been retired to the patio.

A week or so ago. I got to experience Sushi. I have always steered clear of sushi for the fact that I don't eat fish, but Lori being the persuasive person she is, that whole group being so fun, and Ab and I having nothing to do... ha.. I caved and we went. I'll always try something once (for the most part anyway), but I really should have done like Brandon and eaten before I went. Why on earth would I think that I would like partially cooked or raw fish, when I GAG eating cooked fish!! HAHA!! I swear. If I ever need a good diet. It'll be a fish or sushi diet. blech. We've had some good food in Utah, but .. from now on i'll be ordering cooked food when it's sushi time for everyone else. Haha.

Besides the sushi incident Ab and I have had some pretty good food over the last month. Thai, grilled, German, Mexican (kinda), and BBQ this weekend (which I am looking sooooo forward to) I look also look forward to: Chinese, Italian, etc.

Ok.. I know there's more, but that's all for now. I'd love to post them, but wont. There are some great pics of Nathan and his first beer at Ichiban. 6 months old and LOVES him some beer. ha! (ok NO he didn't drink it.. don't report Lori to child services)

For info on how the job is going.. you can check that out on my blog.