Career Step Christmas Party

Aaron and I spent 2 nights last weekend at the Zermatt Hotel in Midway Utah for the Career Step Christmas Party.  First off, I have to say that Andrea is the most kind and generous woman.  Just to give us a weekend getaway was wonderful enough but the weekend continued to get progressively better.  We had Jenny Kellis, who is a student at the Y who works for Aaron, watch the kids for us.  It was nice to know that we had someone we could trust and feel good about watching the kids.  When we got to the Zermatt, we found an enormous goody bag on our bed, filled with chocolates, baked goods, a DVD, a Christmas mug and a really nice Career Step Hoodie Sweatshirt.  

Once we were settled in our room we went to the opening reception where they had a chocolate fountain dessert bar and hot cocoa and hot cider.  The Team Building activity for the evening was a game of bingo where we had to get as many people to sign our card and fill it up.  We had to find things like someone who's lived East of the Mississippi, youngest child, hot wheels collector, ever been to jail (this one belonged to Gene-Andrea's husband--I'll have to get the story behind that later. . . ), etc.  Karin Marie and I finished first!  She was so excited that we had to go find her and tell her that her 1st two employees won first! For this game there was a large table with various prizes to choose.-- DVDs, cookbooks,bath gels, truffles, etc.  So, the advantage to being first was having more to choose from.  I got a Nestle cookie cookbook with a cookbook stand and Aaron got Truffles.  We then went to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, but they forgot to put our order up so we had to wait a LONG time so they gave us a free dessert.  We chose an Eclair to Share.  I wish I had taken a photo! I t was enormous.  We couldn't touch it that night.  We put it in the freezer in our room and invited Karin Marie an Luis over on Friday night to help us eat it and we still didn't finish it it was HUGE! It was also delicious!

I have to say that seeing KM was so awesome!  I don't get to see her much but whenever I do, I always feel so good.  She is someone who I love to be around!

On Friday, we had the day completely to ourselves, so Aaron and I decided to go outlet mall shopping in Park City.  I've never gone to them before.  It was a lot of fun.  We just strolled around, got our Christmas shopping done and also bought a couple things for us.  I got a really cute $3 dress from the Gap.  And a cotton white shirt that Aaron LOVES!  We started watching Pirates of the Carribean at World's End  but didn't have the chance to finish it so I just bought it the other day so we could "finish" our date at home.  

Friday evening was the big party.  We had a very lovely buffet style dinner.  After dinner there was dancing (I thought the band was just a little too loud though).  After dinner and dancing,  Andrea began a presentation.  She started off with a little company history and said some extremely nice things about me and KM and talked about how we had been with her for so long (I had forgotten exactly when I started but she said May 1996)  and had us come up together and gave us these enormous lollipops, plus a free night stay to come back to the Zermatt.  That was SO nice.  It made me feel so good.  She also recognized several other people in the company who have been with her for a long time.  

Next, the client development department brought out several locked treasure chests.  Andrea started pulling names out of a cup to determine who would win the grand prizes that were located all around the room.  If your name was drawn you got to choose a key and see which box it belonged to.  Inside the box were clues to help the winner determine which prize they had won-- The prizes were a Canon Rebel EOS SLR digital camera pack, a projection screen TV, front load washer/dryer with pedestals, a King sized bed with all the bedding,  a plasma TV, a trip to FL, trip to Boston, trip to Alaska, an outdoor adventure pack with a tandem bike,an ipod pack with speakers, and itunes gift card, $1500 cash and a kitchen set.  Let me say too that anyone who walked away with anything less than these prizes was quite blessed too.  The "regular gifts" were the likes of ipods, Wiis, Little Giant ladder, PSPs, etc.  Everything was EXTREMELY NICE!  

Well,  My name was called and I won the kitchen stuff!  It is so awesome!  I love my kitchen!  I now have a brand new heavy duty professional style Kitchenaid, A breadmaker, a new crock pot, All new dishes and silverware, all new kitchen utensils--whisks, spoons, can openers, potato mashers, food chopper, etc A LOT, All new corning ware, pots and pans, mixing bowls, and a buffet.  Below is what it looked like at the party:

 

And here are some pictures at my house.  I have to say-- I love the way it all looks!  I literally emptied out all of my cabinets and am giving most of the stuff I had before to DI.  My kitchen was quite a mess for a few days while I shuffled stuff around!  So much fun!  I haven't received the buffet yet.  When it arrives, we're thinking of putting the TV on it since we have such a small kitchen.

The party was so fun!  The weekend alone with my husband would have been wonderful on its own,  but this is truly amazing.  Andrea, you are wonderful!  Thank you for letting me work for you and for all the kind things you have done for me over the years!

Ingrid Michaelson-The Way I Am

I just discovered this song and I LOVE it. Such a sweet song-it makes me think of my relationship with Aaron!

The Way I Am lyrics

If you were falling, then I would catch you.
You need a light, I'd find a match.

Cuz I love the way you say good morning.
And you take me the way I am.

If you are chilly, here take my sweater.
Your head is aching, I'll make it better.

Cuz I love the way you call me baby.
And you take me the way I am.

I'd buy you Rogaine when you start losing all your hair.
Sew on patches to all you tear.

Cuz I love you more than I could ever promise.
And you take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.

Ada's in the News!

Ada was in the Newspaper last week for winning the reflections art contest in the category of visual arts. We're so proud of her! Way to Go Ada!

Gotham City

The winners of the Career Step Halloween Decoration Contest!

Me, Chris Dunn, Amanda Walcker, Darren Hansen, Nate Ingalls, Matt Christensen.

Batman in his Batcave!

Poison Ivy in her Lair!

Alfred in his Study.

The Joker!

The Penguin!

The Evil Catwoman infiltrating Batman's Lair with her new-found sidekick, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz!

Which Type of Scent Makes Sense for You?

One of my favorite magazines to read is Real Simple. It always has such handy hints and tips for my home and life. This month it is chock full of good stuff. I learned how to make my hair look fancy with some simple up-dos, they have some AWESOME Thanksgiving recipes which I will be trying out this year and lots more. One of the fun things they did was a quiz to figure out what type of perfume you should wear. I think those type of quizzes are fun, but what I thought was fun about this was when I finished the quiz the results said my Fragrance category was "Fresh" and the perfume they listed was my all time favorite L'eau d'Issey. I love that scent and it is the only perfume I have worn in the past 13 years. (That sounds sad and limited, I might want to branch out and try new ones but, I really like Issey.) I discovered it as a missionary. I had a companion, Clarisse, who felt naked without putting perfume on before we left the apartment. She had a whole collection. I loved her to death (still do) and she took me to many a pafumerie where we gathered samples and what not. L'eau D'Issey has a fresh clean scent about it. I think now I know what to do with my Nordstrom gift cards! Replenish my supply! The quiz isn't online unfortunately and I'm too lazy or tired or something to type it up here. But next time you're in Nordstroms go by the perfume counter and sample L'eau d'Issey and think of me.

Halloween

This is me as catwoman. Yeah, that whole diet thing to look absolutely fabulous as cat woman didn't really happen. Oh well! But I still think I looked pretty cute AND the marketing department won the contest for the best decorations! Woo Woo! They did awesome! I only have some photos so I will post them when I get all of them! We had a work luncheon and then the contest. After the prizes were awarded, I brought the kids over and they got to trick or treat at all the department offices. It was great fun! And the kids had all their candy loot they really needed there. We only went around to visit a few friends and family after that. This was probably the best Halloween Ever. It was laid-back and stress-free. The weather was gorgeous. It usually rains or snows on Halloween, but this year it was beautiful! The kids had fun and so did I.

Kids Halloween Costumes

Here Tessa is as a princess with Teacher Lynda as Captain Hook.


Tessa had 2 opportunities to dress up. First on Tuesday, at preschool and next on Wednesday for Halloween. Since we hadn't completely pulled together her outfit yet she told me that she would be willing to be a princess for preschool and Hermione Granger for Halloween. Such a sweet girl, conceding to her Mother's imperfections. I could have pulled it together in time for preschool but since it was her idea and the princess thing was easier I went along with her plan (plus I think secretly she wanted to be a princess along with 2 of her friends at school and she wanted to tease her teacher whom she had told she would be Hermione Granger.)


Ryan was Harry Potter. He chose the clothes for his costume which is essentially what he wears every day. We just added the scar, glasses and wand. If he's happy and I don't have to put forth much effort that is AWESOME!



Kielle was a hockey player. She has a nice shiner around her eye. It was fun doing her makeup!


Nathan didn't dress up for school for Halloween. Nor did he participate in their Halloween carnival or go trick or treating with us at night. However he did want to trick or treat around Career Step, so he threw on this vampire cape for a couple of hours so he wouldn't look out of place. He also wanted a photo wearing it to "document Halloween 2007" What a kid!

Ada as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. She was giggling the whole time time we were taking pictures! What a silly girl!

The Go Game

As promised here is my Marilyn Monroe impression. Not quite like the original but it sure was fun to do.Below is my team: Brett, Brian, Cameron, Susan, Rebecca, & me!

Kangaroo Kid

Ryan's preschool teacher from last year just gave me this photo of him holding their baby kangaroo. The preschool my kids go to is like a little zoo. They have turkeys, chickens, llamas, reindeer, etc. I thought this photo was just adorable and it's certainly not every day that you get to hold a kangaroo!

Reflections Winner!

Kielle and Ada both entered the Reflections art contest this year at school. The theme was "I can make a difference by. . ." They both received participation awards and Ada earned a first place blue ribbon which means she gets to go on to Council. That's pretty exciting. Kielle's drawing was titled "I can make a difference by not polluting" and Ada's Painting was entitled "I can make a difference by planting trees and flowers" When we get her artwork back I will post it.

Finis!

After less than a day of working on the Trade Federation MTT, Nathan has completed it! This set has 1,326 Pieces! I am impressed. He just worked on this non-stop. He is a true Star Wars Legomaniac!

Nathan's 10th Birthday

We enjoyed a really relaxed birthday for Nathan this year. He is saving up for a Nintendo DS, So he mainly received contributions to that fund. He's pretty close to the goal now. Here he is trying on his new Webelos gear. He is eager to be with other scouts again, as he has been the only one in his bear den since June.




















































For his birthday we made something that he has been asking me to make for a while. They are Gaufres de Liege or Gaufres Liegeoises. There is a little stand at Gare du Nord in Bruxelles that sells the MOST delicious Gaufres but until I ever get back there, homemade will have to do and I must say they are pretty delicieux! Do not be deceived by the picture these are NO ORDINARY WAFFLES! These are not even American style "Belgian Waffles." They cannot be described only experienced! MMM!The secret to really GREAT gaufres is pearlized sugar. My mom gave me some. I don't know if she got it in the U.S. or on one her jaunts overseas but it is fabulous!Sugar Waffles from Liege (Gaufres Liegeoises)

Batter 1:
1 1/4 ounces fresh cake yeast or 2 1/2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk, warmed to 100 degrees F

Batter 2:
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup pearl sugar or 3/4 cup crushed sugar cubes

Prepare Batter 1: In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water with 1 tbsp. flour and the sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy. Sift the remaining flour into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture, egg and
milk. Mix well with a wooden spoon to make a smooth batter. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place until the batter has doubled or tripled in volume.

Meanwhile, prepare Batter 2: In a medium-sized bowl, mix the butter, flour, salt, vanilla, bakingpowder, cinnamon (if using), granulated sugar, and pearl sugar into a paste. With your hands, work Batter 2 into Batter 1 until well mixed. Shape the dough into 10 balls, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 ounces
each. Flatten each ball into a disk and dust lightly with flour. Bake in a medium-hot waffle iron. Don't let the iron become too hot or the sugar will burn. Bake until the waffles are golden brown but still slightly soft, 3-4 minutes. Serve the sugar waffles
lukewarm or cooled to room temperature on a rack. Sugar waffles will keep well for several days in an airtight container, if you manage to have any left over.

Birthday Surprise

Nathan stayed home sick from school today. It's his birthday and he was home when this package arrived. He was absolutely speechless! He has spent most of the day working on this LEGO creation.

Fence

We painted our fence today. Everybody got in on the action. Ryan and Ada helped mix the paint together. It was supposed to be stain but it was as thick as pudding--maybe THAT'S WHY they sold it to my dad for 10 cents a gallon. We used like a whole can of paint thinner to get it to a workable consistency but it finally worked out allright and all of us had fun painting the fence.
I was able to get a picture of what the fence looked like before. We just had a few planks left to paint when I snapped this one.

General Conference

We got tickets to the Sunday Afternoon session of General Conference. Aaron & I took Nathan and Kielle. Grandma May was in town so she graciously agreed to watch the other 3 while we went to SLC. It was the first time that the three of them have been to conference live. The last time I went was in the tabernacle back in the days when you stood in line in the freezing cold at 3am to make sure you got in and then they packed you in like sardines on the hard benches. For me, the tabernacle was not a pleasant experience. But the Conference center was GREAT! We got there about a half hour before the session began. The seats were very comfortable. We could see who was talking. Since I wasn't distracted by 5 kids I was able to actually listen and retain things I heard in the talks. Amazing! It was rather pleasant. I think Nathan and Kielle enjoyed it too. It was nice to get to spend some time with just the two of them. They were great.

Nathan's Trip to SC

This past July, Nathan got to go visit his Grandma May in South Carolina for a little over a week. He got to fly on an airplane to and from Atlanta all by himself! He and Grandma did lots of fun stuff like visiting the Georgia Aquarium and the Atlanta Temple. This is a tradition Grandma wanted to start with all the kids when they are nine. Kielle is already planning out her trip to see Grandma next summer and the others can't wait for their turn!

Tessa's nickname for me these days is "Molly." I'm not sure if she means Molly Mormon or Molly like the doll on "The Big Comfy Couch" or maybe it comes from somewhere else entirely. I've tried calling her Loonette when she calls me Molly, but she has informed me that her nickname is "Monkey." I suppose that fits her pretty well. She is such a trip. There really is never a dull moment with her around!

Marilyn Monroe

Career Step threw a company party in celebration of reaching 800 sales in one month. At the party we played the GO Game. We went to Center Street in Provo and were given specific places to go, pictures or videos to take or trivia to solve to via text message. Some of our challenges included taking a picture that recreate a famous piece of artwork or pop culture image. We went into Taylor Maid which is a local costume shop and they helped us out by letting us borrow a Marilyn Monroe costume complete with wig and 3 inch heels. I got to pose it was a lot of fun. We also had to go into Juice and Java and use a pick-up line on "Captain Hotpants" and the he would give us a code so we could move on to the next stage of our game. I got nominated to do that one. I walked into the Juice shop and saw the guy who I thought it was and walked out again cause I was afraid of "hitting on" someone who wasn't playing the game, but I gained courage re-entered and got the code after my great pickup line was delivered. There were several more fun missions like this. Afterwards we went to dinner and our entertainment for the evening was a comedian named John Moyer he wrote "the Singles Ward" and "Mobsters and Mormons." He was pretty funny. We were also entertained by the photos and videos we had taken throughout the afternoon and voted on the most creative ones. My team came in 8th out of 12! Woo Hoo! Our Prize was an assortment of false teeth! I love working for Career Step! I think I will have access to the photos within a week or two and I will post them when I do.

Bear Cub

Nathan has been working hard with his den leaders to earn his Bear. I am so glad he had the Johnsons to help him cause we were kind of slackers at home. I am really pleased that he was able to reach this next rank and he is ECSTATIC to be turning 10 next month and join all his friends in Webelos. It has been lonely being the only scout in the bear den for the last 3 or 4 months. Here he is with the "markings of a Bear."