steppin' out

this morning when i woke up, i proceeded to don khaki slacks, dress shoes, blue button up shirt, and belt. after feeling like a duck out of water i then began my commute to the office building where an interrogation was about to begin with me as the guest of honor. the interview time was at 8 am so i got there around 7:45 with several copies of my resume' in hand to give out to the interrogators, i mean interviewers. finally at 8 am i was called into this really small room with a table surrounded by chairs. with a gut full of butterflies i took the seat front and center. i could feel my heart pounding in my throat and was wondering if puking during an interview would be a bad thing. well, the first question began and for whatever reason the nerves went away and i took off. i absolutely at my most uncomfortable worst during interviews. however, halfway through it, i started to actually enjoy it. i realized that i was prepared and there wasnt anything they could ask me that could rattle me. it lasted about an hour. when i walked out, i felt the best ive ever felt about an interview. my thoughts were, "how could they not hire me?" no matter how it turns out, i know i gave it 100% and i left it all on the table for them to decide. if i dont get the job, ill be able to tip my hat to the person that does get it and be able to do it with peace in my heart because i know i did my best. thy will be done. i know that without the help of my wife helping me practice with the interview, dressing me, and my supervisor giving me the material to study, it would have been a disaster. the whole purpose for me applying for the safety job is so that i can have some normality with my family. ill be home every night, work 7-4 monday-friday and have every weekend off. also, our safety program is the worst ive ever seen in any place ive ever worked and i honestly feel that with my experience i can turn that around. we shall see. thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers

World Traveler

I feel like P and I have become quite the world travelers even if our "world" only includes traveling to one state. We were in Sacto for a few days. Then came home long enough to regroup before heading to SD. We went down there to visit family and friends and enjoy the So Cal sunshine (which was hiding for most of the time we were there). To me, the vacation was busy yet relaxing. We fit fun sight seeing into every day but also had time to relax due to P's naps and early bed time. I got to spend lots of time with my parents, brother and sister in law. We got spoiled beyond belief and ate some great food. I also got to see a few close friends that I hadn't seen in awhile, which is always a plus. It was a fun trip full of lots of fun memories. Here are a few pics from it....

New Season

When I married Rob I knew he was a lineman and a part time bull rider. I knew that and was okay with that (well, not the bull riding so much but I got used to it). He's also not one for changes, something I knew but struggled with myself. BUT, that being said, Rob has made some changes in his life lately. As I blogged before, he's taken up golf. He loves it and is constantly striving to become a better golfer. He's also decided to step out of his comfort zone, one he's been in off and on for 17years, and walk away from direct line work and into a management position (if offered to him after his interview). I am so proud of him for trying something new, for being open minded, for stepping out of his comfort zone, for having the confidence to do it all and the faith to know that his job is in the Lord's hands. Whatever happens with his job is okay with both of us. I know he'll do well with his interview because, when he wants something, he goes after it with 110%. He's been studying about the company, reviewing potential interview questions and asking my opinion about the whole thing. He is ready for whatever lies ahead. But, hey, even on the very off chance he doesn't get offered the position.....there's always GOLF!

Beautiful Day

Simply put, today is a beautiful day! We started the day by going to church as a family. We stepped out of our comfort zone and put P in the nursery so we could enjoy the service as a couple and not as parents. After church we came home to watch the NASCAR race. However, I kept dreaming about trains last night and didn't sleep well. So I took a nap instead of watching a great race. After my nap I felt refreshed so I took Ruby for a run. It was a little cool outside but a beautiful afternoon, perfect for a run. Ruby was a little difficult to run with because she has "heeling" down a little too well. But we found our rhythm and I enjoyed getting exercise. Rob has to work tonight so I took P to the park to give Rob a little rest time. P had so much fun collecting sticks and playing in the mud. I promised him a blueberry muffin so we took our date into town. Unfortunately we just missed the bakery being open by a few minutes. So we went next door to the candy shop. P was so excited to get a piece of candy...a rarity! We're now home and we're going to have a mellow evening. The ACMs are on as is Army Wives so I'm looking forward to an evening with my boys. Like I said, today is a beautiful day!

Boo....Motorcycle

We've long since learned that P is one smart lil guy. On top of being smart, he's Personality Plus. His new thing is trying to get people to laugh. A couple days ago he and his daddy started a game together where they try to scare each other. They'll catch the other one off guard and yell, "Boo!". P doesn't care if he's the scarer or the scaree. He laughs either way! After dinner last night he kept "scaring" Rob to the point where Rob was flopping all over the ground. P was laughing hysterically every time he scared his dad enough to fall on the ground. Then we were watching TV when a motorcycle commercial came on. Clear as day, P said, "motorcycle". Rob and I looked at each other, shocked. Then we burst out laughing. That got P really going. The rest of the night he alternated between "boo" and "motorcycle", trying to get us to laugh. All 3 of us were belly laughing because of how cute P was being. This morning he's not into those words as much as he is into growling every word he says. Oh, the lil jokester!

who'd of thunk it?

ive always said that the day hell freezes over is when ill take up golf. well, the devil must be ice skating! i went thursday and although i got really frustrated, i had a blast! so, jen and i went again on friday. i did worse my second time than i did my first. we played 9 holes and i shot a 72. terrible! every single time i tee off, i hit it over 200 yards...... to the other fairway! ive learned that if it goes left its a hook, right is a slice, and straight is a miracle. however, today i went and bought a decent set of used clubs and hit the driving range. i hit 105 balls, to the right. dadgummit! so, i came home and watched some pointers on you tube and went back out there. low and behold, it went straight! i have to work tomorrow night but if i didnt you can bet id be back out there tomorrow. i never thought id enjoy it cause i figured any place that wouldnt allow me to wear boots and a t shirt wouldnt be any place that i needed to be. im addicted! ive discovered that all it takes is one good shot and that is enough to bring you back the next day. when i get back to dixieland, im gonna con my momma into playing at castlewoods!

On a Peak

I've long since learned that life's full of peaks and valleys and, for many reasons, I like to share those with whoever reads our family blog. Lately it seems that I'm living on life's peak. We've been so blessed and I don't take for granted all that God's given us. Yesterday I got to spend the morning in beautiful Tahoe with a friend. We snowshoed to the top of a mountain that overlooked Lake Tahoe. After enjoying the beautiful scenery we hiked back down and went to lunch in town. The weather was so nice that we took our sandwiches to a local park to enjoy the sunshine. From there Rob and I met up after he got off work and enjoyed a 2nd round of golf together. I was so exhausted that by the time we got to the 7th hole I didn't know how I was going to finish the game. But I did and thoroughly enjoyed my time on the course with Rob. When we got home I relaxed while Rob finished installing our new dishwasher. I've wanted a new one since we bought our house but we've never had the financial means to splurge on one. This year we were blessed with a tax return so we used a portion of it on household stuff. It was SOOOOOOO nice to open the dishwasher this morning and find clean dishes! Before I would have had to handwash half the dishes AFTER they'd been run through the dishwasher. It's things like the ones that I've listed that make me realize how good life truly is. As I've said before, this break has been awesome and promises to continue that way!