Easter Memories

This Easter Morning my husband and I were talking about our Easter morning childhood memories.  I remember my Mom would make my sisters and I matching Easter dresses for church.  I also remember my parents would hide our Easter baskets around the house sometimes in tricky spots for us to find. I told JP  about when I was young my Easter basket was hidden behind a curtain and I could not find it so I started to cry.  He shared his memories with me about hiding hard boiled eggs around the house for his siblings to find and then they would drive up to Logan to see his Grandparents and roll the eggs down Old Main Hill.

I don't know exactally how the conversation developed from here but then we started talking about the Easter Bunny and it went something like this:
Me: The Easter bunny poops out the eggs.
JP:  Ha ha ha ha ha!  That's why it is a platypus.
Me:  What?
JP:  That's the only mammal that can lay eggs.  When I was young my logical mind was thinking why is it an Easter Bunny?  Bunnies don't lay eggs.  The only mammal that does is a platypus. The Easter Platypus.
Me:  Ha ha ha (for a long time) THE EASTER PLATYPUS!?!?!
JP:  So we can tell our future children about the Easter Platypus instead of the Easter Bunny.  It makes more sense.
Me: No!  You were so logical as a child it scares me!

                         Although there are some cute pictures of platypuses out there.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love Easter egg hunts, eating candy, making children happy, and celebrating.  But most of all, I love my Savior.  I love that I can be a better Wife, Daughter, friend, Niece, Aunt, and Cousin because of Him.  As my thoughts turn to the Savior this Easter morning my heart is full of gratitude for Him.  Because of Him my life is full.  Because of Him I can learn.  Because of Him I am happy. Because of Him I am whole.

I do not like dogs or cats

Most of you who just read the title of this blog post raised your eyebrows, sighed, or rolled your eyes because you feel the exact opposite of me.  I have come to the conclusion that I am one in a million and I married the other one in a million because my husband feels the same way about animals that I do.  We never want to own/will never own a cat or a dog we do not like them one bit! And I can promise you with all my heart that it is not going to be a green eggs and ham situation.  When finally at the end of the book Sam gets the grumpy man who tells him through the book that he does not like green eggs and ham to actually try them and then he likes green eggs and ham.  NO, it will not be a situation like that.

YUCK!

I should not say that I do not like dogs and cats one bit because there have been about 2 dogs in my entire life that I have come into contact with that I will pat on the head or tolerate.  But I will not let them sit on my lap or cuddle with me.  NO!!!

I was attacked by a dog when I was young and was always afraid of them as a child.  Some of my childhood friends had dogs but I never liked them and would always push them away when they came near me (except for 2 of them).  I have a whole huge long list of why I will never own a dog and why I do not like them but most people do not care to hear about that.

I know that dogs have those senses to know when people do not like them and I swear every dog owner can sense it too no matter how hard I try to hide it.  I think the Lord really blessed me on my mission to tolerate dogs.  No, I did not like them even then but I was trying to build relationships with my investigators so I pretended my best to like their animals, let them even sit on my lap and sometimes even pee on my skirts.  (Yes that did happen, and made me very angry on the inside but Heavenly Father helped me and I just would laugh about it with the investigator and tell them how it was not a big deal)  Seriously, the Lord can work miracles!

So what brought on this blog post is what happened to me on Friday while driving to work.  I was minding my own business and drove out of my neighborhood to turn left onto a busy street.  I saw this dog about 100 feet away from me.  It started running towards my car and I just thought to myself "stupid dog".  I was hoping I could turn left quickly before the dog came closer to my car but traffic did not clear.  So the dog continues to run towards me and my car and does not stop.  I started getting scared and wondered what was happening.  The dog ran up to my car and jumped up and put his front paws on my drivers side window.  I screamed and stared knocking at the window to get the dog off of my car but the dog would not move.  Feeling annoyed, I pulled forward slightly to get the dog off of my car.  The dog jumped off and then darted toward the front of my car.  AHHH!!  I honked my horn. Luckily the car that was coming down the road slowed down (because of my honk) and the dog ran out in front of that car.  I gasped and covered my eyes because I did not want to see the dog get run over because I hate dogs and blood!  Luckily, the dog did not get hit and ran back by my car.  But this time jumped up onto my passanger side door window.  Feeling really annoyed at this point, I pulled forward again to get the dog down off of my car hoping to get out on the road and make my left turn.  There still was not a gap in the traffic for me to go.  I realized that I needed to back up because the nose of my car was now sticking out a little too much because I was trying to get the dog off of my car.  So I start backing up and realize the dog is now towards my back tires.  AHHH again!  Finally there was a break in the traffic, and I slowly pulled forward and made me escape!  Conclusion:  I don't like dogs or cats!

Favorite things

 I think about blogging all of the time, but then I never take the time to do it.  Maybe because I bought this shirt for my husband

 

 and I feel like he and Scott Krumm are judging me every time I blog.  Perhaps I should learn how to get over that and just blog more often.

With the Christmas season coming upon us people get busy with parties, family, presents, and stress.  I have heard of people throwing a "favorite things" party.  At the party everyone brings their favorite items, recipes, blogs, make up, cleaning product, etc. and shares or sometimes gives samples to everyone else of a few of their favorite things.  

A few months ago I attended a favorite things Relief Society party.  (Although I was about 45 min. late because of work) I came with about 5 different items to share.  While everyone was going around the table sharing their favorite things, I was slightly confused as to what about half of the people were sharing.  One lady showed us some of her books (okay got it), another lady shared with us her favorite Indian food recipe book (perfect . . .I wrote it down), then next lady brought her stuffed animal from when she was little and shared a story about the stuffed animal (um. . .okay), the next lady read a LONG poem that she wrote (I lost interest after the second line) but then she started crying and I felt bad for not listening.  The next lady told us that her favorite thing was Christmas (thanks for sharing), and the next one told us about her love for musicals (um. . .did we totally miss the whole point of this activity?!?!?!)   

I was the last person to share what my favorite things were.  I had a pile of things to show and share.  While I was sharing, I felt like everyone was starting at me like I was some sort of freak who liked dry shampoo, Burts Bees lip balm, some maskara, a slanted liquid measuring cup so you could look at it from the top, and a few more things that I really enjoy.  Oh well!

After leaving I thought to myself, "I should throw an actual favorite things party".  But then I don't know if I know enough people who would be willing to come to actually make it successful.  Maybe one day I will try to throw one.

In the mean time, I wanted to share my newest favorite thing (besides my husband and I am not sharing him!)

Introducing ting mobile!  SERIOUSLY THIS IS THE BEST THING OUT THERE!  After my husband and I got married we decided that we should grow up and get off of our parents cell phone plans.  But we had to wait until our lovely contracts ended or else we would be charged a HUGE fee if we ended our contracts early.  My contract ended before my husbands so I was shopping around for cell phone plans. 

Everywhere I went I told the sales people that I just wanted the basic talk and text plan with no data (mostly because all of the data plans were outrageously expensive and I would just use the internet at home).  Everyone looked at me like I was from the stone age.  Some cell phone stores did not even offer those plans.  The only cell phone carrier that I could find that had the talk and text plan who did not charge me MORE for the basic plan than a plan with data was at Cricket.  So I signed up with Cricket and paid my monthly bill. 

My husband then heard about ting mobile from one of his teachers at school.  She said you only pay for what you use, and that their plans were CHEAP!  We quickly hopped onto their website and checked it out. 

/https://ting.com/

We thought their rates were too good to be true, so I started to look at reviews online.  EVERYONE said they wished they would have known about ting earlier and they could not believe how much money they were saving.  The only bad thing people had to say is that if your current phone was not compatible with what ting uses then you would have to buy one of their phones.  (We ended up having to buy phones from them BUT it is going to be worth it in the long run because of how much money we are NOT spending on our phone plan).  Other companies give you phones for "free" or for $1 but the truth of it is, you are paying for the phone in your outrageously high cell plan every month.

So we switched to Ting and both bought smart phones.  Neither of us had a smart phone before and were trying to figure out how they worked.  :)  Our bill is so low!  We are paying just about as much as I was alone on Cricket once a month for a "dumb phone".  Scratch that I am paying about $11 less for 2 smart phones.  Our current bill ends in 12 days and so far our total for the month is $29.00 that's right not a typo $29.00 for our 2 smart phones for 1 month.  Sounds like quite the deal to me.  You only pay for what you use.  

 Ting uses sprint towers and has great service.  Neither of us have had any problems with the service.  Call quality and everything has been fantastic!  We are very pleased!  

I just wanted to share my new favorite thing!  AND if anyone switches to Ting or is thinking about it, let me know because I can get you (and me) a $25 discount.  I am not just sharing this because of the $25 discount, I really like what the company does and think that more people should jump on the Ting wagon!

Joy and tears in the journey

For those of you who do not know I am now an ABA therapist for children with Autism.  Most of the therapy sessions I do are out of the client's homes.  Since the sessions are 3 hours long sometimes I like to take them out on walks to break things up a bit.  Practicing our neighborhood safety crossing the street and holding hands skills.

So today I took one of my clients on a walk around the block where he lives.  I intended for the walk to be about 10-15 minutes.  Ya know the routine, making a circle or square around the neighborhood until you end up at the place you started.  Today,  I think I found the hexagon/star/who knows what shape those blocks were in of Bountiful because they did not connect!  The walk ended up being about a 45 minutes instead.  He was being a champ through the whole thing.  But I was way lost!

This client is non verbal so I was trying to make the walk as entertaining as possible for the both of us.  I was singing songs, skipping, running, trying to help him not eat grass and leaves (sometimes non successfully) until I realized I have no idea where we were!

So we kept walking and walking and walking and I could not figure out what happened.  As time went on and I had to kind of drag him along. I was coming to a (hopeful) familiar street.  I could tell he was getting tired of being dragged and I said quietly "If this is not (insert name of familiar street) then I am screwed."  I intended on saying the sentence really quietly but apparently I was not quiet enough because once I said that this boy started laughing really hard, jumping up and down, and became really excited.  I don't know if he was excited because I was getting frustrated and he thought it was funny, but it made me laugh.  About 20 paces later after he stopped laughing at me, switched modes quickly and started to cry.  I think he thought we were never going to make it back home.  Although we were only a half a block away from his house because I could not convince him that we were almost home.

Grandma came out of the house and met us down the road.  She told us she was so worried that we got lost that she sent out her husband on his motorcycle to look for us.   I tried being as professional as possible without telling her that I got way lost but I think she figured out that one.  She told me that the blocks where she lives do not connect.  I told her we found that out the hard way.  So lesson of the day.  When you are lost just remember that it is only funny for about 20 paces.  And sometimes it's okay to just cry!

Joy in the journey!

The girl I don't like

Confession:  sometimes I blog stalk this girl that I don't even like.  That was mean, I should not say "don't even like".  Let's just say that the few times I have interacted with her she rubbed me the wrong way.  And yet, at least two years later without having any contact with her (because she was just an acquaintance in the first place) I am still checking up on her life.  Why?  I don't know.  I told JP one day as he walked into the room and I was blog stalking her what I was doing.  He laughed at me pretty hard and asked me why.  I tried giving him some sort of logical explanation but I couldn't come up with one.  So I just smiled at him and kept reading.  I am sure that if I got to know her better as in having real conversations with her, I would actually like her.  But since I don't see that happening I will just continue to blog stalk the girl I don't like.

Sometimes I feel like a creeper

A few weeks before the school year ended I told my boss (at Early Head Start) that I was going to be looking around at different jobs.  I felt like I just needed something different and the school district would once again be cutting days for the next school year.  At first, I was kind of surprised about how supportive he was of my decision.  But then surprise turned into thanks as he told me that he would recommend me to anyone.  I left his office also telling him that I would most likely be back next year. The first week of my summer break consisted of sleeping, cleaning, watching Switched At Birth on Netflix, kissing my husband as he went off to work or summer school, and applying for jobs.  I had only applied to three different jobs so far thinking that I would most likely not hear back from any of them.

A few days later, one of the jobs called me asking me to come in for an interview.  I had set everything up and then sheepishly at the end of the conversation, I had to confirm which company I was accepting the interview from.  (I know super professional) the lady on the other end of the phone just kind of laughed at me when I confirmed.  But hey, at least I was right!

I went in for an interview and was kind of relieved that it was a group interview.  I think most people hate group interviews but I was thankful because I did not know what was going on in the first place.  I knew I was interviewing to be an ABA therapist for children with Autism, and that's about all I knew.

As the questions went around the room I felt more confident and the two ladies that were conducting the interview made me feel really comfortable and welcome.  At one point they asked me to explain my background.  I told them what little experience I had working with children with Autism and that ABA was new to me.  They both kind of smiled at each other and became really excited telling me that their company is growing and they are hiring like crazy and that they could teach me everything I needed to know.  At the end of the interview they said they would call me tomorrow letting me know if they wanted a second interview.  (Which was a job shadow to make sure it would be the right job fit).

I came home, and was telling my husband about how the interview went. . . and the phone rang.  They offered me the job even without the second interview, and I accepted.

A few days later, and as things sunk in I called my old boss and texted co workers that I had accepted a new job.  I was actually kind of sad to tell them. 

At first, and sometimes even now I feel like I have NO CLUE as to what I am doing. Despite all of that I really appreciate how professional everyone treats me.  Parents actually want me at their houses (therapy sessions are conducted mostly in the child's home), and some of the children even run to me and give me hugs when I arrive.  Some still run away from me because I make them work, but I am working on getting those children to like me!

Anyway, here is the point of the blog post. Sorry for the long background/information it was mostly for my record.

Sometimes I feel like a complete creeper (at work). 

Most of the therapy sessions at work are conducted in the home but we also do field trips and group sessions throughout the week.  During one week I took a child to the park.  We were practicing our social skills as a group.  We get to the park and take a quick stop to the bathroom.  That day in particular was really busy at the park with children and parents everywhere!  So I'm taking this kid to the potty.  He is a boy and old enough to no longer be going into the women's room with mommy.  So I tell him to go to the boys room.  He walks over to the door and pushes it open.  He then looks back at me in concern and I tell him I cannot go in there with him.  He then requests that I hold the door open.  What was I to do?!?!  He looked concerned and I did not feel like dealing with a melt down in the door frame of the boys bathroom.  So I stuck my foot in the door and held it open so he could see me, and that I could see him. Were other parents looking at me like I was a creep?  YES!  Were other children looking at me like I was a creep?  YES!  I tried not looking inside the bathroom too often but then it looked suspicious as to why I was holding the men's door open with my foot.  So after he was done at the urinal (which seemed to take forever) he ran over to me.  I instructed him to go wash his hands. I could almost feel the whole park give a sigh of relief because now they knew why I was holding the door open.

Wedding Day Pictures!

The fact that I have not blogged for almost a year and trying to catch up with a whole years worth of information stresses me out.  So I will will just write a quick timeline of what has happened the past year.  As far as what led up to the most important day of my life so far. . .MY WEDDING DAY!   Have you heard the saying "Every love story is beautiful, my ours is my favorite!"  That's how I feel.

November 2011:  Met in the hallway at church
December 2011:  Jay Paul asked Leah out but told her that he was going to AZ for Christmas and would call her when he returned home.
January 2012:  Jay Paul still never called.  Leah would occasionally text him to make sure he knew she was still alive.
February 2012:  Leah locked her keys in her car.  She called Jay Paul to come rescue her. (She was trying to flirt with him but he seemed not to flirt back.)  She then found out a few days later that Jay Paul had a girlfriend and realized that this is why he did not take her out.
March 2012:  Jay Paul was single again and asked out Leah.  They went out on their first date.
April 2012:  Went out on a second date.
May 17th 2012:  Decided to exclusively date.
July 2012:  Jay Paul told Leah he love her.  Leah did not say anything but just squeezed him tighter as they embraced.  Leah then told Jay Paul the next day that she loved him too!
August-January:  Many laughs, dates, hugs and kisses, and getting to know one another.  Along with ring shopping in November!
January 13th 2013:  Jay Paul Proposed
January-May:  LOTS of wedding planning
May 17th 2013 (One year after they started dating) MARRIAGE!

This is one of the engagement photos that I did not think was 

appropriate to put on the announcement!

Bridals:

 Quick explanation for the above photo Heidi (my photographer) was showing me a picture of a bride doing something with their veil.  She told me to do what the girl was doing in the picture. . .I was trying to copy the picture but was struggling and did not quite get the concept.  I kept laughing because I felt like I was just eating the veil.  I made sure she gave me this picture because I laugh at myself every time I see it.

 P.S. These are not all the pictures Heidi took.  Of my bridals and of the big day.  I only put a few on here.  I did not want to feel too vain!  But then again. . .it was a fun day!

 Only because Annie Hall hates this shot!

 No more Powell Sisters!

 Gotta love Uncle Tiny!

 For our post card Thank you cards

 Grooms Cake

 

 My Dad is a really good dancer.  His tux was a little big and his 

pants fell off while we were dancing!

 

 Me and my husband decided to "mix" up our dance a bit.  In the middle of our slow dance, we broke out into different songs. . .such as Single Ladies. . .

Brick house (Elaine Style)

 

 Some Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Carlton and Will and will style

 Some Hokey Pokey

And back to our slow dancing

 Check out my photographer at  

 http://www.heidirandallstudios.com/