I am hosting the Gerhardt family for Christmas. I am loving my break from both my jobs.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I guess it's about time for an update. My instructional design job is off and on. They have a project and then the client doesn't provide the material so it's delayed. Then there's stuff to do and then there's a delay. BYU-I is in its final week and so I'm just trying to push through on the grading-all due next week.
I've definitely been enjoying the holidays. I try to sit in front of the Christmas tree whenever I can. It brings such cheer. Speaking of bringing cheer, our ward will finish its ward-wide Book of Mormon reading on Christmas Eve. It has been a great read, again. I am looking forward to getting back to finishing the OT again when I am done.

In honor of our first snow of the year, I thought I would post a few pictures of the lovely view from the floor to ceiling window in my new bedroom at my parents' place. I've parked my comfy pink chair right in front of this window and get to look out while I read my scriptures every morning. Gorgeous (despite the parking lot).

I'm just about to head over to my former apartment to finish the last bit of moving and cleaning. I have moved into my parents' condo for a year while they are serving a temple mission in Washington DC. I'm the spoiled one, I know.

Before I begin the massive cleaning, I just wanted to share one thing for a flashback to the 80s:

There is no stopping us from doing what we want to do, except maybe the consequences of previously doing what we wanted to do.

These are some really cute and creative videos of kids telling their versions of a family story.

Btw, episode 6 is hilarious.

My instructional design job called me in to work again starting tomorrow! Yay! I've had about a month break and was wondering if they had forgotten about me or something worse. Yay. It was great timing as well. I have been blessed.
I took the break time to get through book 4 of Harry Potter, (mostly unsuccessfully) learn to knit, get a lot of work done for the condo I manage in Provo and the HOA for said condo, have an awesome visit with an out of town friend, and go to the Shakespearian festival. It's been good.

I saw this on awkwardfamilyphotos and couldn't help but have to post it. Hilarious.

This is for all the amazing mothers I know. You are truly amazing women and do so much for your families.

My job is still continuing to go well and I am still enjoying it. August has slowed down a little.
I've had a great month break from BYU-I and so far made good use of the time.
I'd give an update on my plants with a picture, but they no longer exist. They all died. I thought I had a green thumb, but it appears that I do not. Time to investigate another hobby. I did start doing Humanitarian quilt this last week. They have a new method of doing them so you don't need a quilting frame and so I can do them now.
I guess that's about it for an update.

I thought these were a nice trip down memory lane.

5 Seconds of Every #1 Song until 1992

5 Seconds of Every #1 Song 1993-2011-this one is actually just filled with hip-hop except for a few ones here and there, so not so great

I have a family reunion coming up, which I'm very excited about, but it also requires a bit of work that I will be doing for the next week. Then the reunion in Bear Lake. Probably won't see anything here for a while, not that that is out of the ordinary these days.

An update on my plants. One month in:

As for an update on me... Just working really. I need to get another hobby and fast. I'm switching to a new ward, so this is my last Sunday in my current ward. I think it will be a good change.  

So after much slacking and much catching up on my BYU-Idaho job, I discovered a band that I have gotten a glimpse of and like: Elbow. I'll have to investigate further...

Here is two of them that I like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAhgnRSYn08&feature=fvwrel (the Summertime trumpet on the end in brilliant-as the Brits would say)

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNIXPQoz0s0&feature=fvwrel

and

a pretty good cover of "Running to Stand Still" : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CROUAE9bhp8

I'm in love... again. The concert was AWESOME! I loved the energy-filled, newly-nuanced versions of Even Better Than the Real Thing, Until the End of the World, and Get on your Boots, and Miss Sarajevo. Amazing!

In fact Miss Sarajevo is such an amazing song, I'm going to post it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d9NhZ_IuFc

So since I moved back into my apartment I decided to try some herbs again. I love oregano and sage and decided to also do lavendar because it is pretty and smells fantastic.

I decided this time to also try a vegetable, and one that grows easily: zuchinni.





I'm moved back in to my apartment!! Now that all the cleaning and readjustment is mostly done, I can maybe get on with a normal life. Maybe.
I'm really enjoying my instructional design job. It is growing on me and I think it is a great fit.

My students want to write like Stephenie Meyer !!!! ACK! I apparently have my work cut out for me.


Then again... if they write like her they will make a lot of money off of it. Maybe I shouldn't try to train them out of it.

This weekend will be my first since December where I won't have a load the size of an elephant weighing me down. It is so sweet-I can't even begin to describe.
I might even make my own batch of extremely yummy creamed eggs on toast for Easter (hard-boiled eggs cut up into a white sauce and then it is poured over crumbled toast). I think it is my favorite of all holiday foods. I will probably also make custard for dad's birthday on Sunday. It will be an eggy weekend for sure.

Yay! Things have slowed down a bit and the sun is shining.

I saw this funny picture on someone's blog and thought I would repost.

Wow, it's been a while. I guess that's what happens when work takes over your life. I just have 40 papers to grade and grades to submit and the Pines HOA taxes left to do and I will be basically a free woman for a week. Cool. Well, wait, I have to set up my class for next semester, so not really free. It will be so much nicer to know what is going on with the class this semester though-to not be teaching it for the first time.
My instructional design job is keeping me busy. My design lead (the person who checks all my work) loves me, and my new project manager (the person who keeps track of the hours for the projects I am working on and how long it is taking me) and I have not gotten off to the best start. The hours have been over on the projects and she blames me, but my design lead doesn't. Hopefully the relationship will improve.
I still live at Lisa's, which has been both very generous of them and very fun/fantastic for me. One more month until I can move back into my apartment.
I have realized what everyone who has had to suffer around me in the morning already knows: I am not a morning people person. If I have a busy day than the sooner I have to see other people, the sooner my day begins, so ugh. I try to avoid seeing people in the morning for as long as I can. This is one bad habit and one I will have to break.
General Conference was fantastic and I look forward to reviewing the talks. It was nice to see family again. With my working so many hours I feel like I haven't seen them in forever.