One Year

One year ago tonight I was preparing for my first day in my new career.  It has been one of the best decisions of my life. Just yesterday I was chatting with our Regional Director. She asked me what happened at my last job.  She said that sometimes there are little things where she can tell that they almost broke me.  I told her a few general observations I have made in retrospect. I told her I probably should have seen a therapist when I left.  Slowly, I have had this cathartic experience of being in a career that I love. I'm so fortunate to be in the position that I am.  We are breaking records with our numbers and on target to far exceed my wildest dreams for placement success. I work for a Christian based company that honors me and I happen to love the work that I do! That is a winning combination. 


What else has happened in the past year? Let's see...after accepting my new career we took a couple of trips over the summer and hosted some family/friends at our place.  We traveled to Iowa and Montana over the summer.  We also finished a major gardening project and I have beautiful raised beds that produced so many wonderful treats! We also replaced all of our interior doors and most of our appliances. On our trip to Montana in August those horrible back spasms started again. Fast forward to me meeting with a neurosurgeon last week. The surgeon isn't opposed to doing back surgery, but doesn't know if it will give me the pain relief I desperately need.  So, I'm in limbo (not literally, because I could never bend my back that far, ha!). We were also incredibly blessed to be a part of or attend five beautiful weddings. We celebrated my golden birthday and I was so touched by all the people surrounding me! We traveled back to Montana in January to grieve the loss of my grandmother. I think about her often and there are still little moments that make my heart sad...like when I went to address her Valentine. I'm so excited for what she has experienced in Heaven and glad she is no longer in pain. On Valentine's Day our nephew made his way into the world. He is an incredible little boy and his sister is adjusting well.


What does the next year hold? I don't know. I'd hope breaking more records. I have certainly been put in a position to grow in my career and was selected to attend our Leadership Academy. I should graduate from that in February of 2015.  I am planning to visit Montana in July for a ten year class reunion, if there is even enough interest to host one. I still work toward my weight loss goal...it's a slow moving endeavor that requires a lot of focus.  Our house project this year...taking out the carpet to restore our hardwood floors. After that, we just have the guest bathroom to refinish. That's it, that's all we have planned.


Much love until next year...just kidding, hopefully sooner than that!
N

A New Chapter, Complete with a Fancy Letter

Today was my first day in my new career. My first day in the world of for-profit work. My first full day in the field of education.  Today was the start of a new chapter in my life. Last night a friend sent me a message and said that she imagine this new chapter to start with a big, fancy letter just like you were reading a beautiful story.  I think she was right. Scratch that, I know she is right.
I started the morning off at 8:30 in my cute new aqua blazer, white camisole, a black skirt, nylons, a long string of pearls and black heels.  I felt in my element.  I have enjoyed dressing business casual, but I think I actually like dressing up.  I knew no matter where I went or who I saw today, it didn't matter, I looked great! I walked in to my new office for the first time. We started the day by setting up my computer, then moved to a classroom for some one-on-one time where we went over the big picture. 
One of the highlights was that the owners of the company are involved...they have an open door, for real. I can walk in and give suggestions any time.  This is such a change from feeling like I have to go through one person who is a gate keeper.  They also mentioned that if I want to talk to someone, I can. I can directly talk to whoever I want to. They believe in transparency. It hit me at some point that I should not be surprised by these gesture. These are all based in common respect and decency.
Next, we went to lunch.  I got to pick. So, I offered three places and my boss thought sushi sounded good. That was an extra win! It was great to get to know her over lunch and spend some time not talking shop as much. 
After lunch I got to do a little bit of my new job. I ENJOYED every second of it! The work I am doing is the type of thing I would do for a friend or do for fun.  I researched job leads for a student, then talked to the student about what they thought would work.  That shifted the research I was doing, but we were able to narrow it down and zero in on a few options.  The afternoon just kind of flew by.  I listened in on a meeting with another campus.  It was nice to hear my supervisor interact with the staff. She gave praise and when she had feedback, she was direct and explained the importance of the process. They told me I could leave at 3:30, but I stayed and chatted with another member of my team for a little bit. 
They want me to be able to absorb what I am learning, so have me working 9 to 4 for the next two weeks.  Next Thursday I might do my first "late day".  On late nights, I will work until 6:30 or 7:00.  They also emphasized that even though I am salary, they want me to just work 40 hours.  They don't want employee burn out and encouraged me to leave when I could.  Also, if I work over 40 hours...they will still bump up my paycheck for overtime! What salary employee gets overtime?! I do have to get it approved in advance, but still...just knowing there is that option if I really need it, speaks volumes to me.  Gone are the 60-80 hour work weeks.
Life is good. This chapter is good. I can't help but think about all the opportunities that didn't work out.  They led me to where I am suppose to be in this moment. I am suppose to be right where I am, right now.

Elizabeth, Mary, and N

It has been a while since I last posted.  Let's see...what has been going on...Well, I have been teaching. Lots. I love teaching! I have also been unseasonably busy at work.  It feels like what January normally feels like, so I don't know what to expect the rest of this month.  I had shared with a few of you that we were preparing for another round of IVF the end of this month. I have since taken my name off the calendar. Even though the doctor donated his professional fees, we still had to come up with $10k in lab fees. Uff da. We don't have quite that much saved up.  We were at a crossroads of what to do next and just decided to take a break.
What has been incredible through this whole experience is that I feel like God is still whispering to me. When I hear the incredible stories of Elizabeth and Mary in the Bible I am awe struck.  I know my faith in the Lord continually evolves, but recently I find that I have more faith than ever before.  This break from IVF will allow me to continue on my weight loss journey, save money, and just put all of our faith in whatever the Lord has planned for us.
What else to update you all on? Let's see...my sister has been here for almost two weeks! Such fun!!! We have gone shopping, gone through my closet, gone to a comedy club, played games, and just relaxed. My friend S asked me to a reader and bridesmaid in her wedding in April! We are so excited for S to marry K! We also had a nice little milk and cookies party with our friends over recently.  It was quite delightful. That's all for now...maybe more in the near future!

Abundantly Blessed

This morning when I got to work, my friend D had a surprise for me. We walked out to her car where she carefully got out a candle she made just for us! It is a tall, white, pillar candle that they added gems and blue butterflies to. She gave it to me today, because it is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day. I was so incredibly touched by her thoughtful gesture of love.  We are going to burn the candle tonight and have our moment of peace.  I was so touched!
I was at work for just a few minutes when I got the call to schedule our next round of IVF. I was so happy to share with the clinic that I'm on track with weight loss and excited for round 2.
Fast forward a couple more hours and I got a phone call for a phone interview!
Soon after, we were able to book tickets for a family member to come visit for Christmas.
Life is good. We are so blessed. I am so at peace and I am so happy. Thank God.

That awkward moment where...

This evening was the last night of my first class.  For the last five weeks I have enjoyed teaching, getting back into academia, and getting to know the people around me.  In fact, I have been eating dinner with another instructor.  We usually chat, laugh, and he tells me about his wife and kids.  In exchange of course I tell him about my wonderful life.  Jerry has been very nice to me and kind of filled me in on important pieces of information that everyone else forgot to tell me...like the code to get into the faculty work room and the fact I don't need a parking pass.  Needless to say, we have gotten to know each other. This evening I walked in to our work room to sit at my cubicle and my hubby called me at the same time. Of course I answered the phone (he has been so sweet to call and talk to me before I teach every class, which helps since we don't see each other on Mondays and Wednesdays). I'm talking to my hubby, but Jerry, who has headphones on, keeps answering.  Finally, he looks over and realizes I'm on the phone. Haha, he let out a big laugh and went back to work.  After I hung up with Jason, I looked over and Jerry was working hard, so I got back to work.
A few minutes later, Melissa walks in. She has also been very nice to me and has talked to me every Monday and Wednesday for the past five weeks. She is telling this story to anyone who will listen about how her treat for her class shattered and as she was telling another staff, they randomly walked away.  She tells this story about three times in ten minutes.  She was clearly flustered.  Finally, Melissa sits down and starts signing a stack of cards. She flips through them and says loudly, "I don't even know who some of these people are...like who is N?"  Jerry now says, "I don't know who that is either."  I pause for a moment stunned.  Then I turn my head and say, "Did you just say you don't know who N is?" Melissa says, "Yeah." I of course say, "I'm N!" Melissa's face turns red and she begins apologizing. At this point Jerry is now laughing again.  I point out to Jerry that we have had dinner together every Monday and Wednesday for the last five weeks and he didn't even know my name!  Melissa is still apologizing, but it gets better.  She says, "Wow, I just shoved my foot right into my mouth. I'm so sorry Amy."  I giggle.  Clearly, my name is not Amy.  Jerry and I both correct her.  Fast forward two minutes.  Melissa, "I am so sorry Amy." She called me Amy no less than three times in ten minutes.  Finally, I said, "Should I put my name badge on to help you learn my name?" 
It was really awkward and really funny.  Good news, I'm getting a birthday card. Bad news? Apparently, there are only like four staff who know who I am.  Previously, just two knew my name. Now we are up to four. At that rate, I'm really making friends. At the end of the night Melissa went to say good-bye to me, she made sure my name was still N.  I said it was and just for fun replied, "Good Night Jamie." Haha.  Before I left for the night she smiled and said good night Amy, I replied with a good night Jamie.

Updates Galore

I'm ever amazed by how life can march on, then in a matter of days or even seconds change.  I realized tonight that I felt like I had lots of updates and they were all from like the past couple weeks. So, here they are...
1.) As a result of a co-worker going back to earn his MA, a promotion came available. I took a leap and applied. It would mean more nights and weekends, but I would become a director. It's a natural career progression and would set me up for larger roles in the future. That being said, I'm hesitant to get my hopes too high.
2.) Two other jobs opened up and I applied for them too. I of course didn't share this with my supervisor.
3.) I started teaching two nights a week at a local college! I'm enjoying it so far.  The students have complained I give them too much homework, but I gave them an hour of homework and they had 5 days to get it done.  I was also relieved that after grading their first test, they all passed.  I think I was almost as nervous about it as they were!
4.) I interviewed for a job here in Greeley (over the phone) while I was in Wyoming visiting my friends T&T and their baby J! I turned the job down due to pay. I had so much fun visiting T&T and the little pork chop (that's my special nickname for baby J). It was also relaxing to get away for a week and do something totally different.  I'll always treasure the time I spent with the little pork chop while he was two months old and of course the time with my friends!
5.) We went to Montana to visit my mom and sisters! We had a fabulous vacation. It was difficult to come back, because we just had such a nice trip.  We also got to see W&K and their kiddos! We spent time in Glacier Park, at the Electric City Water Park, and had a nice bbq.
6.) A co-worker resigned on Monday morning...so my event season feels like it has started over. Mentoring events, covering for staff, etc.
7.) I visited Dr.Bachus today! My insurance covers more than my old plan, so I decided I needed to make use of the additional coverage. I specifically wanted to know if he thought I should pursue a surgical procedure to have my tubes unblocked.  I'm not quite ready for IVF...I want to lose at least 30-35 more pounds minimum. With the difference in insurance he suggested I have some testing repeated. Specifically, the HSG. That test was the one that stands out as a day in my life that was one of the most challenging. I don't remember the whole day, but I remember a few parts. I remember prepping to go back in for the procedure.  Next, I remember the moment where I watched the screen as the doctor injected dye into my uterus and the dye stayed there in a triangle like shape instead of passing through my fallopian tubes.  I remember feeling like every emotion was drained from my body.  Finally, I remember going back to the recovery room where my hubby was waiting and sharing the news.  Dr. Bachus came in within moments.  I'm sure we grieved the rest of the day, but I know the grieving lasted longer.  In some strange way, I'm looking forward to re-doing the test. I already know what my worst case scenario feels like, so at this point, I can only be pleasantly surprised.  The doctor was happy with my continued weight loss, but obviously I still need to go farther.  He came back to suggesting bariatric surgery and suggested the name of a doctor he trusts. 
I have pretty mixed feelings about bariatric surgery...I've already shared that on here. I'm losing 1-2 pounds per week all on my own. Keeping track of what I eat is just a part of my life.  If I opted for lap-band, I would still lose 1-2 pounds per week, but have side effects. I'm not sure I'm ready to sign up for that, but on the other hand I know how easy it is to regress.  I also don't think insurance will cover it. I've checked in to it before. Dr. Bachus offered to read my insurance policy and see if there were any loop holes.  I'm not going to really worry/think about it until I know about insurance. Besides, I adore my little Weight Watchers plan.

See, I told you I had a ton of updates. I'm sure I will hear about the jobs slowly over time. One of the three said I wouldn't even hear about an interview until the week of the 27th of July.  The HR department sent me a personality assessment for the one that would be a promotion. It was DIFFICULT!  The e-mail thanking me for taking the assessment said I might not hear anything for two more weeks. So, I'm just going to wait. I won't have the HSG done again until my cycle starts over...so that is a few weeks out as well.  For now we are in a holding pattern and I'm okay with that!

Remodel Photos

I've been so slow at posting these! Here they are...

The grand remodel begins...

Good evening! As I have been taking pictures of our remodeling project and seeing our progress, I have decided I don't want to give everything away! I want to keep the grand finale as a surprise to share on here and on Facebook for our far away friends, but for our friends in the area...or those who want to come take a Colorado vacation, we are going to have a basement unveiling party! I also think it is more fun to to be surprised all at once. With that said, I will share a few things. Like our before pictures. I want you all to see what we are working with! If you haven't been to our home before, you will see below why I am so excited about this project. I also decided to share what style our furniture is and some of the accent pieces.

This is before.  Although, we have already taken out the old furniture, our TV, games, movies, other home gym pieces, etc.  Notice the banister, pretty wood paneling, and the shutters! Not to mention the floor. We had already replaced the light fixtures in this room about a year ago.  So, those are updated.

This is after J started doing some demo work, like taking out the banister.  It is a gorgeous piece, originally from the University of Northern Colorado, but difficult to decorate around! Not sure what to do with it yet. Also, my weight machine is very difficult to get out of this room, it will happen, but has to be taken apart and as one may guess, it is heavy! You can also see the "creepy" room.  Actually, there is a window to it that they used to use to do projection through.  There is a screen built in at the other end of our basement. It's warped, but I dream that some day I will use it for something fabulous.

The shutters are also gone and I believe the trim is also gone in this picture. Below is the guest bedroom. What you don't see is the burlap like wall in the other corner, hope I got pictures of that for later! We (really I say we, this whole project is thanks to an amazing husband who is doing ALL of the work, seriously!) also took down shutters in this room and took out the queen size bed and captain's bed, for now anyway.

Here is a sneak peak of the carpet we chose! We got two different bids. The first one was a different carpet, but twice as expensive. The second bid was half the price of the first.  We offered the competition a shot at doing a second bid for us and it was still higher! So, we went with Lowes!  Below you get a sneak peek at the furniture we chose. Yes, I went with red! Okay, so the color scheme is gray and white with black and red accents.  I've always wanted a really fun piece of furniture, like a cool chair.  Purchasing a whole set in red, is mind blowing...and so much fun!!!

Conveniently for me, target happened to be selling some home decor in the proper color scheme.  By the way, if you have ever done a full remodel that did not include beige carpet, it is a difficult decision of where to start...do you buy furniture first? Carpet first? Pick your colors first? Ahhh, where to start. We started with furniture, then filled in the rest.  I bought the two canvas you see pictured above. I wanted the accent pillows really bad, but they are EXPENSIVE! So, I will make my own! That's kind of fun anyway. Below is the last sneak peek.  The windows in the basement hadn't been washed the whole time I lived here. Partially because they had shutters over them, partially because they are in the basement, and partially because I have never felt compelled to wash them.  For fun I did a before and after.  Pretty drastic in the amount of light that can come in when you wash a window that we figured hadn't been washed in 8 years!  Well, that's all for tonight. Stay tuned for more in the very near future! Carpet should be laid this week and painting is nearing completion!

What's new in our house?

The past month has been kind of crazy.  The same day I posted about my review, I had a job interview. It went really well, but I didn't get the job. I know God has an amazing plan for me, so I am okay with it.  They were very kind when they told me they offered the position to another candidate.  They also didn't have any feedback, darn it!  Sometimes it is nice to get some helpful feedback. Oh well, I'm just happy there were so kind to me. About the same time as that was going on, J and I decided to put a contract in to build a brand new house about 20 miles from our current home.  I had also scheduled a doctor's appointment with a dermatologist to check a small spot on my back. Additionally, my allergy medication had stopped working again to treat my allergies to our cats.  Finally, I was anxiously awaiting the birth of my friend T's baby. 
A week after putting a contract in to buy a brand new house, we pulled our contract.  Our new home purchase was contingent on meeting with our real estate agent.  The reality of the situation was that we would lose a LARGE chunk of money selling our current home.  Neither of us were willing to make that sacrifice, so we backed out.  I can't explain why, but this was one of the most peaceful decisions I have ever made. I am just very at peace with our decision.  In my gut, I feel like we made the right choice.  What's kind of odd, is everyone seems more disappointed than we are.
The very same day, a friend posted on Facebook that she was going to take her little girl to the pound to adopt a cat.  With a heavy heart, I sent her a message and told her we needed to re-home our cats.  I hadn't said much to anyone about it, because it was such a painful decision.  I didn't know if everyone would understand what it was like to already have asthma, but not be able to breathe on top of it, even with medication.  I had to make a decision to put my health first.  After some conversation, our friend took both of the cats and they are in the process of adjusting.  Please pray they continue to adjust and love their new home.  They are in a huge house with a family who has kids home all day long to play with them.  They will be well loved and taken care of.  We did say if for some reason things didn't work out, that we wanted to be the first to know.  What has been amazing is that I have started sleeping again. I can breathe again. I feel so much better and it has only been a couple of weeks!
My friend T had her sweet baby boy on April 10. I haven't gotten to meet him yet, but am working with my crazy schedule to make some plans to go meet the new little family member. He is absolutely adorable!!! Momma and baby are doing good.  He already has my heart and I haven't met him yet.  I love being an auntie...it's the best job in the whole world! Seriously...best job ever!
This past week I saw the dermatologist for the spot on my back. She did not like what she saw, so removed it that day.  I have stitches and a bandage that can't get wet for two weeks. Pretty tricky to wash your medium length hair when you don't have a hand held shower nozzle. The best part of the story is, I don't have skin cancer! Woohoo!! She said it was atypical, but not malignant. Now I just get to heal and be happy!
Since we decided to not purchase a new home, we had a small amount of money to decide what we wanted to do with.  We decided to remodel our basement and stairwell! Remodeling has commenced...I will post more on that project later. It's quite fabulous though!
I flew to Las Vegas for the first time in my life for a conference for work. I got to work on training and even got to give a speech, LOVED every minute of it.  Plus, it was my very first trip to Vegas. Interesting city. Nice place to visit, but just for a couple days. 
This morning I knocked one of my four events out of the way! Another great accomplishment.
Oh, one more thing about April...I hit my 25 pound mark at Weight Watchers and earned a Weight Washer.  Say it out loud, it's funnier.  I feel like for the first time in my life the changes I am making are really sticking.  I just live life with Weight Watchers.  I actually don't feel like I do anything very differently from most Americans, I am just aware of what I am putting in to my mouth and the portion sizes.  My next hurdle will be to add in physical activity and just make it a part of my daily routine. Not there yet, but it's coming...I'm sure it is! 
How is that for a whirlwind update of April? Tomorrow is my first full day off of work in 20 days straight. Oddly enough, I am actually enjoying my job in small amounts again...that's refreshing. Okay, I will post again very soon with remodel photos...prepare to be amazed!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T...

Usually, I think I handle feedback pretty well.  I usually listen when I get feedback, think about how I could improve my skill set, and spring into action.  I am always willing to learn, in fact, I enjoy learning.  Out of my desire to please everyone...I am always willing to work on me.  Well, maybe I should not say always.  I had my mid-year review this week at work.  I was prepared to get feedback on things like how I focus on relationships more than income.  I'm a relationship driven person, but I work in a field where numbers make or break you.  While great relationships should in theory yield high numbers, I end up falling short of making my income goals, but people usually have really good relationships with me.
I was prepped for the same old feedback.  I have worked really hard this year at being more numbers driven and balancing my relationships with people.  The result? I'm working more hours than ever before and am more short on my income goal than ever before.  At least I can document all of my steps to raise money.  So, what was the feedback they gave me on this review? That I'm too respectful.  My respect for others gets in the way meeting objectives such as income.  (Please, please, do not take this as a bash on the organization. I am certain this is not an organizational statement, but rather feedback from one specific person who happens to be my supervisor.)
When I was given the feedback, I just listened.  Then I said that was very challenging because I believe, at my core, believe you win more bees with honey.  I believe in the power of treating one another the way you want to be treated or better. I believe in the power of people and relationships.  I believe in giving every single person who wants to volunteer a chance at it.  There is a way for every single person in our community to help if they so desire.  Apparently, this is not a shared value.  I was also criticized for having people on my committee who aren't important enough.  This really rubs me the wrong way.  If the people I am working with are not important enough, what am I?
This feedback all kind of makes my head spin, my heart hurt, and makes me realize I have to find a new job.  I interviewed this week. It felt like it went well, but time will only tell.  I know that interviews are just as much about finding a good fit personality wise as it is about skill sets, etc.  I'm just ready to check out of work, do my exit interview (the information above is all signed by my supervisor, so will be easy to point out verbatim when I leave), and thrive in a new environment.  I'm ready for change.  Ready for a place where being respectful is, well, respected.

Honey Do Jewelry Organizer

For months I have wanted to find a way to organize my jewelry. I have looked at gobs and gobs of ideas.  Finally, one weekend my sweet hubby and I stopped at Home Depot to purchase a towel bar and pick up some shower hooks to hang my necklaces from.  Right when we walked in, we saw the cutest little bistro mirror that had three sets of hooks on it.  We decided right then and there, that would be a great option! We could choose between a mirror or photo frames, we went with the frame option.  We also went to the hardware section and found some hooks to match the three that were already attached.  We brought our purchases home and I didn't think much about it.

I was delighted when I returned home from a business trip to Seattle to find J had added my additional hooks and mounted the bistro collage on the wall.  All I had to do was print my photos and start hanging my necklaces! I still have more to hang, but here is what we have so far.  I think it turned out really nice.  I was also surprised to realize the top of the wall hanging was a small shelf, perfect for my bottles of perfume!

While we were printing photos, we decided to use one of the collages we had in our storage room.  I wanted to display some of the professional pictures we had taken over the summer.  We needed 4 horizontal and 4 vertical photos, but I was having a hard time finding exactly what I wanted.  I had seen an idea to create a wall hanging out of the words to the song you danced to at your wedding.  I decided to do one vertical photo and one horizontal photo with words.  I chose our song and our vows for the words to hang up.  I think it turned out kind of cute!  Now we just have to get it hung up above the buffet.

About time...

Sometimes, I get so caught up in work and life that I forget to take care of me.  I know the mantra...if you love yourself you can love others better.  It's not that I don't love me, it's just that I seriously need to write myself notes to remember to do things...like cut my hair. Anyway, I had been wanting to cut my hair for weeks.  I also needed to get my eyebrows waxed.  In my free time off of work I have been going to the dentist.  I had a root canal that went bad (I didn't even know that happened) and resulted in an infection. I almost cancelled my original appointment with my dentist because the pain went away, thanks for all the love and support to tell me that meant I REALLY need to get my rear to the dentist.  I had been exhausted for weeks and running low grade fevers, I just thought I was worn out.

Anyway, this morning I went in for an extraction.  I think as an adult the tooth fairy should leave you like 10 times the amount of normal, because the dentist REALLY had to yank and pull to remove the tooth.  The tooth root broke, but the procedure went well.  It just took a few hours.  They started prepping my mouth for a bridge, that will happen in 3 weeks once I'm healed up a little more.  I slept all afternoon, which my body probably needed.  When I woke up, I worked for about an hour before J came home from work. 

We went to get our hair cut, only to find out the wait time was over an hour.  (I know, I know, most women actually make appointments, but I just go to Cost Cutters. I'm pretty relaxed about my hair.)  We wrote our names down on the list and went to a new BBQ place for dinner.  We came back to a short wait and it was time to get down to business.  I was so glad we took a before and after picture, because I had no idea how badly I needed a trim! I kind of look like a 13 year old skater boy in the before picture. Which is youthful, but not super professional.  I also got a different cut than normal. I didn't do the layers as usual, I was really happy with how it turned out.  It feels good too.

Now if my lost tooth and hair cut amounted to anything on the scale, we'd be in business.  I suppose my confidence and feeling better when that infection is gone will all help this week though. Anyway, thought you might enjoy the picture.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

As mentioned previously, I have a strange addiction to Pinterest. I am always pinning recipes to try.  I have tried a number, but occasionally, I will pin one, then go to look at the ingredients and think they are insane.  Such was the case with this sandwich recipe I pinned.  I got to thinking about it and decided I could easily make my very own recipe.  So this was inspired by Pinterest, but really has very few of the ingredients, if any, that were in the recipe I saw. Here is my very own recipe for 2 servings of Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches:

1-5oz. Can of Chicken
1 Tbsp. Light Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
5 Sprays of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
2 Deli Thin Slices of Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp. Reduced Fat Blue Cheese Dressing, I used Wish Bone.
4 Slices Sara Lee Delightful Bread

Preheat George Foreman grill or a lightly greased pan or a griddle. Toast bread on medium setting in toaster.  In small bowl mix canned chicken, mayonnaise, vinegar, hot sauce, butter spray until well mixed.  Spread mixture on toasted bread.  Spread 1 Tbsp. of blue cheese dressing on top of each partially made sandwich. Top with a slice of cheddar cheese. Top each sandwich with remaining piece of bread.  Place sandwich in grill or onto pan or griddle.  Cook for just a minute or so and flip to continue cooking until cheese is starting to melt. Slice each sandwich in half and enjoy!

We served ours with no sugar added applesauce, which was delicious!  The sweet apple sauce made up for the kind of spicy sandwich.  If you keep track of your Weight Watchers Points, this sandwich is 6 points.  You could even get creative and add some chopped up celery, which would be delicious! Also, the hubby doesn't love blue cheese, so we left that out on his sandwich. He just had some ranch on the side. We both enjoyed the sandwich so much, hope you do too!

The Confessional

A couple random thoughts of the season...
1.) I think I'm addicted to Pinterest. Why would I think that? Well, I was in church on Sunday. We were sharing the peace and one of my Pinterest friends said she was having a hard time keeping up with me, I giggled and said we'd have to catch up after the service. I turned to shake hands with another church go-er and instead of saying, "Peace be with you..." I said, "pinterest..." I'm sure I turned like 6 shades of red. Perhaps I should pin more about God? Or...I could just focus on being at church! Sheesh, lol.

2.) I drive by this one house on my way to and from work.  I've been worried because I can't see baby Jesus in their nativity. I have been worried that maybe someone stole baby Jesus. Seriously...where could be baby Jesus be?  It occurred to me tonight that maybe everyone, Mary, the wisemen, etc. are WAITING for Jesus to come...as in Advent. Duh...I bet they put Jesus out on Christmas eve or Christmas day. It was like a riddle in their front yard. I get it now.

3.) I was listening to that song, "A Baby Changes Everything"...I was thinking, how did Mary know when she was pregnant? Sure, she'd have the normal symptoms, but how would she know how far along she was in her pregnancy? Like was the moment she saw the angel the start of 9 months?  What was her pregnancy like? Low and behold the gospel in church on Sunday said something to the effect to when Mary would be pregnant.  Hmm...all very thought provoking.  Also, I wonder if she wanted to have more babies or if she was content knowing she carried the Lord, Our Savior, to term?

Okay, those are my meandering thoughts of the day.  Some comical, but the Mary thing is perplexing to me.  I like to wonder what it'd be like to interview Mary. Anyway, hope you are enjoying the holidays!

*image from: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/deaconsbench/2011/12/marys-pregnancy-test/

Tupperware Bonanza

I had a Tupperware party before we went to Hawaii.  It was by far the easiest party I have ever toasted, I only provided a few ingredients, and the rewards were amazing!  If you want Tupperware, you should really consider hosting a party to get it.  Products with a lifetime guarantee aren't always inexpensive, but my party made everything super affordable.  I was able to get lots of credit, half off items, free items, etc.  I paid very little and now my pantry is ready to go. It was just like Christmas morning opening up my giant box of hostess items.  Here is what I got...which doesn't include the gift I got for booking a party or the hostess rewards I didn't take like another half price item or another item that was offered...still this is so much fabulous Tupperware:

A couple of these items have some really cool features...

This is the spaghetti keeper.  I am terrible, really, at measuring out spaghetti.  So, I was so happy with the little measuring feature. Woohoo!

This is the microwaveable lunch dish I bought.  It has a special lid that you can vent when you microwave.  What I also loved was the cold cup! It slips inside the left divided area and can come out before you microwave, how cool is that? I got one as a thank you gift with my party and ordered a second one, because I loved it!

This little container actually holds 2 oz.  I'm so excited to use it for taking dressing, mayo, cream cheese, etc. to work.  Also a perfect size for a small serving of peanuts. 

This is a 4 oz. container which came with the freezer set I bought (see the cute snowflake?), but I got some extras for snacks...like making my own lunchables! I'm happy I can save money on using plastic baggies and stop losing money buying cheap stuff at the store that doesn't last.

This is the lid to one of my microwave n serve containers.  I like the instructions on the back...and the valve.  You don't do anything, other than put the container in the microwave and it does all the venting!

So, with my new kitchen additions, I had to use them.  I decided to make a recipe.  I vaguely recalled that you could take a cake mix and mix it with a can of pumpkin.  I was guessing I could bake the cake in the microwave just the same.  At my party, we made a chocolate cake in the microwave, so I had a general idea of how long to bake it.  I mixed one yellow cake mix with one 15 oz. can of pumpkin.  Then I added 1/4 cup of mini chocolate morsels.  I sprayed the inside of my 6 1/2 cup microwave n serve with cooking spray. Then spooned in my batter.  I microwaved for 9 minutes (in our ancient microwave) and voila...cake!

I had some caramel topping in the fridge, so I decided to pour 3 tsps on top, kind of like a glaze.

I sliced our cake into 14 pieces and served up a piece with a little dollop of whipped cream.  Delicious!!

An update on the interview process

While I was in Hawaii I got a phone call about the job.  They decided to open it up to external candidates, but didn't have any who met the qualifications.  He asked me a couple of follow up questions...like where I want to be in five years and if I could do the customer service piece day in and day out.  Then let me know I was still a top candidate and that I'd hear about a second interview the end of this week or beginning of next.
Yesterday, my supervisor called to let me know she had received a reference check from the person doing the second round of interviews.  She said she gave me a good a recommendation.  I believe it's between two of us to get the job.  Thanks for your continued prayers, I will keep you updated.  It'd be so nice to know before Thanksgiving, but that seems like wishful thinking. 

All that's going on

Do you ever have days where you are so anxious that you feel shaky from your toes to your fingers?  Today was one of those days.  I'm not even sure with where to start about why I am so anxious.  I have been praying for a change.  Praying for God to continue to take care of us financially and to take care of a situation with my back.  I am still waking up every morning and going to bed every evening in pain.  I am so thankful that my back pain is not as intense as it was, nor is it to a point that I need pain killers.  It's intense at times, but I can tolerate it.  When I visit with my doctor, he wants to put me on a permanent lifting restriction.  I'm not suppose to lift more than 20 pounds.  To do my job, I am suppose to be able to lift 50 pounds.  What might be shocking to some is that I actually was lifting that amount on a frequent basis until my last back episode.  My doctor doesn't want me to lose my job, so has been writing me temporary restriction notes.  I know that this can't go on.  I need to find a job that I can thrive in and give my back a chance to get stronger, etc.  I have been praying and praying and praying.  I prayed that God would somehow take care of my career, take care of my back.  Within a couple days an opportunity came up.  I was asked to apply for this position.  The more I heard, the more excited I was.  It's like I have fallen head over heels for this opportunity.  I feel like it's more than coincidental. 
Today I had my first interview.  I think it went well.  I'm just nervous from my head to my toes.  I feel so vulnerable.  Like I have bared it all and I've put it all out there.  I know that if this doesn't work out I'm going to be crushed.  I feel like there is more at stake than ever before.  I also am worried that I've counted my chickens before they hatched.  What if I read too much in to what they said when they asked me to apply?  I was incredibly flattered, I just hope they still think that I'm a great candidate.  A second interview will probably happen while I am in Hawaii.  Which means I could also get an offer or be told I wasn't selected while I was on vacation.  The opportunity is amazing and I'm excited to do whatever it takes to move my career forward, but I'm so nervous about what will happen if it doesn't work out. 
I need to let go and let God. Let go and let God. Let go and let God.  Trust that it's all in his hands.  Breathe in and breathe out.  All will be the way it is suppose to be.  For now, I'm just a ball of stress. Hopefully, I can sleep tonight and hopefully I can relax, breathe, etc.

Twenty Six.

When my dear husband started working on publishing a game, I started thinking about what kind of game I would create.  I have one idea that has been lingering in the back of my head, I'm not sure how to execute it, so I sat on it.  Recently, a new game struck me.  It's a combination of poker and a word game.  Immediately, I knew what I wanted the cards to look like. I wanted brown cards with distressing, lots of words, a typewriter font, and swirls.  Almost like magic before my eyes, J had designed the cards I was describing.  We were able to play test rounds of the game, which went pretty well.  I chose to call the game Twenty Six, because that's how many letters are in the alphabet.  I also wanted that to be the part of the game that was kind of risky.  Score as many points as possible, but go over 26 in your round and you get a zero! We have changed the letter counts, changed points values, and added in some fun bonus point opportunities.  When all was said and done, the game came together beautifully! I am hoping that it's been published in time for holiday gift giving and more importantly for families to spend quality time playing games together over the holidays!

So, without further introduction...you can check it out and purchase it here! 

Fallinter

While we have been enjoying the colors of fall, we were graced with over 10" of snow in the last twenty four hours.  We ended up being without power or heat for 16 hours.  Despite the cool weather, I loved seeing fall colors poke out behind tufts of white snow.

Our source of light and heat!

Halloween Costume & Potluck

1.) Should I be a leperchaun or should I be a flapper (with tights and a long sleeve shirt under the dress)? Believe it or not I have everything in my closet to pull off both of these costumes. I could also go as Barbara Bush with a mask I have and suit.
2.) I am bringing a main dish to the potluck. One of the 8 attendees cannot eat bread or pasta. So I was thinking of taking an enchilada casserole or meatballs or funeral potatoes, what do you think?