Okay, so I’m legit

If you happen to be connected with my on Facebook, about a month ago you might’ve seen a post where I mentioned that my supervisor named me the Speaking on Business employee of the year during a luncheon we held.

Since we’re a department of two (her and me), I thought it was really cool, but not something to take too seriously. I was touched by the gesture because it always feels nice to be appreciated. And after my status update, I thought that was all there was to it.

Nope, I was wrong. And here’s the proof:

Yes, we had an entire luncheon with a few close friends from the office (as an includer I pretty much wanted to invite almost everyone on the floor, but we do have budgets to consider, so it was just a few people), complete with a lovely lunch, celebratory cake and this plaque. I didn’t expect the plaque, believe me. Again, I think it’s really cool, and it was so kind of her to do that for me. Pictures from the luncheon:

We waited a few weeks after the fact so it could be a congratulations/birthday lunch. So here’s my congratabirthday cake with large candles. Aren’t they cool? It tasted great too, in case you’re wondering. I enjoyed sharing it with my family last weekend.

 

Finally, the woman who made this all possible, my supervisor, Chris. She’s been my supervisor for a year and a half now and my work experience has improved dramatically in that time. Where once I felt trapped, bored and that I was getting nowhere fast, now I feel appreciated, valued and that I am a talent. So, for that I thank you, Chris, and promise to always do my best to live up to the trust you place in me.

Do we have a birthday here? Yes, we have a birthday here!

So, anybody who has read this blog at all knows that I LOVE my birthday. And this week was my birthday! Yay!! To kill any suspense, I will start off by saying it was a lovely day.

Because I love my birthday so very much, I usually want to make a big deal about it. This year . . . not so much. One of my big problems was that I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do. Did I want to organize a party for myself? Usually I do, but I found this year that I didn’t want to. So it was a low-key birthday instead, which is fine.

It started the Friday before when I had a congratulabirthday celebration with friends from work. (More on that in my next post). Here’s me with my cake:

Then I went home and had a birthday celebration there on President’s Day before I came back. KK enjoyed the banana cheesecake. Yes, I know it sounds weird, but it was really good! The thing I’m holding in the second picture is an ornament that celebrates shoes. My mom and I found it after Christmas, and it was perfect for me, so she bought it to give to me for my birthday.

On my actual birthday I took the day off work. My original plans didn’t quite work out, but what happened instead was great. I went to the gym (a great way to start your birthday) then had the longest manicure/pedicure ever (three hours!!!), then had lunch with a dear friend and her darling little boy and ended the evening with a dinner and a celebration at my aunt’s house. Yes, it’s recorded in photos, so here they are.

As I’m sure you can see, it’s been a lovely birthday. I have made a smooth transition into the 29th year of my life and look forward to making this year the best yet. Great things are in store for me, I can already feel it.

Thanks to everyone who made the day special for me! I don’t know if you all read this blog or not, but your love and support means a lot!

Queen of Picture taking

So today (or it might have been last night. I can’t remember because it’s been a busy weekend, but I digress.) my nephew accused me of being the queen of taking pictures. He was telling me about how many pictures he has on his Facebook page, most of which came from me. He even said as much in a status update during Christmas break.

And I confess that he’s not wrong.

I do take a lot of pictures, and I do post a lot of them on Facebook. My  reason for doing this is to share my adventures with friends and family. As a journalist, I strongly believe that a picture is most often worth 1,000 words. So, why not save my wordy self the trouble of writing a bunch of words (which people don’t read anyway) and instead post pictures? So I do. Sometimes my siblings tell me they get to live vicariously through pictures that I post.

Here’s the other important reason why I value pictures so much and am not likely to stop taking or posting them anytime soon: these pictures capture memories, moments in time that can never be repeated. In the case of Miss Sassypants, each of the hundreds of pictures I took throughout her life are now a priceless treasure. They help me remember all the wonderful times I had with her, some things which I may have even forgotten if not for the pictures. They help me remember her dear face, the sassy smile and other things that made her who she was.

All this is possible because I was constantly taking pictures. Sometimes it’s painful to look at them, but for the most part they bring me comfort, and I’m never going to be sorry I took so many.

So, to the Gamer’s accusation, yes, I am the queen of pictures, and I’m proud of it. And I don’t have plans to change anytime soon.

Each life that touches ours for good . . .

I found out last Monday night that my bishopric is going to be released this coming Sunday. I must admit that I was sad to hear it.

It’s taken me a little while, but I have truly come to love and respect the three men called to lead our ward flock. My bishop is hilarious, and the other two counselors are right with him. I’ve worked closely with one of them for my Temple Committee calling, and it’s been a great experience. They are truly men of God, and I appreciate their service. It took me awhile to figure out just how much I love my ward, but now that I have, I’m sad to see a major change.

Once again as I did when I moved a year and a half ago (when my last bishopric was released), I wish these men the best as they move on to something new in their lives . . . and get used to being in a family ward once again. I suppose it could be a hard transition, but I’m sure they’ll do great.

My heart was truly touched last week at home evening when the bishop broke down in tears telling us he would be released. I could feel the love he has for all of us, and that made me realize that a lot of that love is coming straight from Heavenly Father. It was a humbling thought.

As I’ve contemplated this change, it’s made me reflect on people who have touched my life in various and sometimes unexpected ways. Some things become even more meaningful with the passage of time, even if they meant at lot when they happened.

I had the opportunity to get together with friends from one of my old wards this weekend, and I spent time talking to one of them about many of the ward members whom I’ve lost contact with but still care about. Again, I thought of how these people have all had an effect on my life and how I’m sad they’re no longer a direct part of it, but I’m grateful for the time I had with them.

I’m sorry to wax philosophical and perhaps a bit sad in this entry. It’s just confirmed to me, once again, that nobody is an island, and our lives touch others in so many ways, sometimes in ways we can’t even see until much later. So to those who’ve played key roles in my life (even if you don’t know it), I thank you and hope I’ve been able to touch your life as much.