Stop with the Drama please!

I deactivated my Facebook account just barely. If you are interested at all why, here goes..

1.  I am trying to burn through my online training to get my RBT and keep checking my FB everytime I see there is a new notification. DISTRACTING from my goals!

2.    Drama. Holy cow, a lot of people are so full of it. I am as guilty as the next guy for wanting to get some attention, but all the belly aching, and whining and refusal to accept responsibility is getting to be too much. 

3.    I like my job. I don't want anything to interfere with my career. Yes, I said career. You know that thing that helps me me feed my kids, clothe my kids and just living. My job has a lot of ethical demands. Some people don't seem to want to respect the boundaries and then question my friendship when I set clear boundaries.

4.    Like the rest of the world, I have become addicted to social media. I over share, like everyone else. I enjoy catching up on my friends and family. I love bantering back and forth about my Broncos. Time to detox!

5.    Text is the easiest way to misunderstand people and ruin friendships. I feel judged, belittled and like people are condescending towards me. I know it is in my head, but it sucks to feel that way.

There it is. You know why. I will go back as soon as I am done with all my modules for the training, and feel comfortable enough to believe that it will be fun. It's time to live life again. What did we do before the internet came into our lives? 

TATTOOED!!! Finally.

Well, I finally did it. I got my first tattoo. I have always wanted one, since I was a teen, but you see, I have this weird fear of needles. Not an "oh I dislike them cause they are inconvenient." But an, "OMG, that thing is going to kill me! Someone shoot me now!" absolute fear. I know it is irrational, but even a flu shot requires a dose of Xanax.  But that didn't deter from the longing and admiration for the artwork created. I have had this particular one picked out for years. As in, shortly after my now 7 year old was born. Actually before then. I just added his name to it. I am not into the funny, or comical ones. I wanted one with meaning. And this one sums it up. I have my kids names wrapped in a ribbon around a heart and a cross. Because my kids and my faith are what is closest to my heart. Cheesy I know, but hey, it works for me and I am loving it. 

I was expecting this horribly painful experience, which would require a 911 call because I fainted and hit my head. But the hardest part was sitting down. The wait, the anticipation, the agony! I knew I had to just do it. It did require my Daddy driving me there. How cool is that, Dad and I getting tattooed. Now that is bonding! I was shocked at how non-painful it was. It didn't feel great, but far from the excruciating pain I was expecting. I think my Dad might have been disappointed that I didn't have a crazy meltdown. After all, he was the one I locked out of HIS truck because I was freaking out over a shot when I was 19. But, it wasn't bad. I can't believe I hadn't done it before. 

So here it is... my gorgeous...to me anyway... tattoo. Exactly what I wanted. Simple yet meaningful. What do you think? 

What do I do?

Ok, I suck at this. Seriously. Two days I have missed. Nothing exciting except my work gave me the week off and I am doing online training for my Registered Behavior Technician certificate. (RBT) Autism is so complicated. More so than I thought. People ask what I do. It's a form of therapy designed to help redirect problem behavior. It takes a lot of time and patience, but wow, when they respond and learn, it's so rewarding!! Never in a million years did I think I would work in the SPED or with people with disabilities. Never did I think I would enjoy it so much. They have done so much for me. These kids have taught me patience, and understanding. I knew a long time ago that I could never do "office work". It's killing me to sit behind this computer for this training. I like to be active and moving around. My Mom works at a bank, and all I know is that I would probably be shooting from a rooftop if I had to do that kind of work.
Anyway, there it is. Now back to my training.

Catch up time

I realize, it has been over two years since I updated. I recently was discussing life with a therapist friend I know, and he suggested that to help work through the muck in my head, I should keep a blog and update once a day for thirty days. After that a minimum of once a week. In these blogs I should talk about whatever I am thinking about. World issues, life, kids, work etc. I decided to try it. For those of you actually reading, thank you! Input and comments are always welcome. So for today, I will do what the title says, play catch up.
2013 -
Completely single mom mode. I left my job as a preschooler. It was a mutual decision between an administrator and myself. In a nutshell, she didn't like me and was making my life Hell, and I wanted to be back in Cedar anyway. So we parted ways. I spent the summer job searching in Cedar to no avail. Then a friend called me out of the blue and offered me a part time job running an after school program. I LOVED IT. It was around my kids' schedule, and my kids could come along. However, I was financially drowning. But we did adopt a dog from the pound. I call him Ugly Dog, but my kids call him Axl.

2014 -
We aren't going to even talk about the Broncos football season. All I will say is they made it to the Superbowl. The job ended as the school year ended. This is when dark season in Jamie's World began. I was not working, CS was sporadic, and then I got notice that my house had been foreclosed. I am not going to go into how or why, cause many people know. But in a nutshell, I was jobless, soon to be homeless and was relying on food stamps to feed my kids. Jobs in Cedar were scarce and hard to land. My parents offered to take my kids and I in until we could get on our feet again. We cleared out our home, :(, and moved to St. George on July 5th. Within three weeks of moving to St. George I had managed to get three job offers in one day. I took a job at a local school in the SPED department,  then as an activities director at a retirement community. I worked a lot and lucky for me and my kids, Grandpa was able to be my "nanny". Nothing is more relieving than knowing your kids are in the hands of someone that loves them when you can't be there. Dylan started 8th grade at the middle school that I attended, Chloe started 5th grade and Colton began 1st.

2015-
I became disenchanted with the way things were going at the retirement community. I loved the job but so much BS, and not enough hours to make it worth my time. I saw an advertisement for a job working with autistic kids. I applied, they called me that night for an interview the next day. I went to the interview and they called me. THAT NIGHT! I began work as a Behavior Interventionist. The job is amazing. Between the two jobs I was working about 10.5 hours a day. It was so weird to go from no work to a lot of it in such a short time. Exhilarating, challenging and exhausted. I had become so blessed and grateful at the lessons God taught me. Now that the school year is over I am down to one job. But I going full time next week. I also realized that my children are geniuses.... evil laugh. Chloe got straight A's and Colton is way  above level in Language Arts and Math. Dylan is doing so well and has found what seems to be a good place. He is an annoying teenager, for that I am thankful.

There it is, in a nutshell. I am sure I will touch on other subjects in the coming future. I am still crazy. I am childish, and refuse to believe I am almost 40. I am still single, and my kids are awesome. LIFE IS GOOD!

Resolutions vs Goals

2012, will not go down as my favorite year. I failed in marriage, my Grandmother passed away, dealing with Middle School issues vs a very sensitive child.. Yet I look back and realize that some great things happened. I lost some relationships but gained some new ones that I will treasure for a lifetime. I have an amazing job with wonderful coworkers and I get to watch young children (including my son) grow. I realized how strong I can be when all I want to do is crawl into a ball and cry. I learned how amazing and supportive my family is and I couldn't make it without them. How supportive real friends are and how I do care for all of them. I had some great experiences, (ice fished, repelled for the first time.) And I didn't gain any weight! BONUS!!! I still hate that saying, "I wouldn't change a thing cause it made me who I am today." Nah, I would change quite a few things really. But I can't so what do you do?   

I don't believe in resolutions. I do believe in goals. My goals for 2013 is to be happy. To remain positive and look at even sad situations and find the beauty in it, if possible.  Surround myself by people who will support me and have a positive influence on me. And most of all, DON'T make me sad. So if you fall into the category of "true friend", thank you. You have no idea how wonderful you are. If you have a problem with me, dislike me or are going to stab me in the back, just bow out of my life now please. I don't have the time or energy for that right now. Most of all, please don't hurt me. 2012 had enough hurt for quite a while.

Oh and how AWESOME is that jersey?!?!!?!?

Next item on my resume: Preschool teacher

  What a difference a year makes. I went from a SAHM to three kids, to Special Ed mentor (unofficially I was a teacher, I prefer mentor :)) to now a Preschool teacher. All in just over a year.  Don't get me wrong. I LOVED my job at Cedar High.  But circumstances made a change necessary. 

  First off, my divorce was finalized mid July. It is weird, and I hate that this is the way my life went. But it is what it is as they say, and there is always good that can come out of a situation. 

  So what would make me decide to give up a job that I loved? And frankly I felt I was quite good at? Because I wasn't ever allowed to go over 15 hours a week .  When I got divorced, I lost my health insurance through Tom's work. And frankly I can't survive on that little. So I went searching for full time work. I really started searching around April. I spent a mind boggling amount of time filling out paper work and cover letters, resumes and getting friends to write me letters of recommendation. Going on interviews *YUCK* and getting the "thanks but no thanks" calls and letters. In this economy, I was relieved that I even got interviewed!!!! I expected it to take at least a year before I found anything. 

  I found this advertisement for a special needs pre-school teacher in St. George, about an hour away. I strangely enough had all the qualifications necessary, a degree with ECD as a minor and experience with special education in a school setting.  I got called in for an interview and told that they would contact me in a few days. A couple of weeks later I never got the call nor even a letter. Which I found strange, because HR would usually send me a note or email for a position with the school district. 

  Then I got a call from a lady who said she really wanted to talk to me ASAP. I knew it had something to do with preschool but it was a different program. I later found out that she saw my paper work with the special needs preschool and pulled my file. I got taken into an interview. When I got there I saw about 20 people waiting for an interview, and a steady stream of people coming in and out of there with resumes in hand. I thought to myself, "Oh great, another waste of time. Let's get this over with." I started chatting with other people waiting and realized I was interviewing for something completely different. I got taken aside and talked to the lady. She basically told me that the job was mine. She loved my background, my enthusiasm, (I hear that a lot lol), and my education. Only one catch. The school they wanted me in is only 2/3 time. BUT, if the full time position opens up at another school, I get first consideration and they are working hard to make Washington Elementary full time anyway.  I realized that this was an opportunity that I needed to grasp. Especially in this economy, in three months I managed to find a professional position that will eventually be full time with insurance and they wanted me! BADLY! I can't tell you how good that felt. To have someone say, "I want you here. I would love it if you joined us!"

  So I took it. I am now the preschool teacher at Washington Elementary. It is twilight zone sort of moments tho, I went k-3 there! I am passing my old classrooms on a daily basis. It is a fun, warm, fuzzy feeling. Nostalgic and makes me long for that certain simple and magical time in one's life. 

  The job is GREAT. I work with the greatest most supportive people I know. I hate getting up in the morning, but I love going to work. I will write more about it later. But figured it is time for an update. Anyone that used to attend Washington, we should have a mini reunion and go visit our stomping grounds!!!

  

Simply the best

With her Rocky Daddy

Today my Grandma, Anna Cecile Coleman Hamblin went on to be with her true love. My Grandpa. I can just picture her right now, in his arms. So happy to forever be with her soul-mate I would be lying if I didn't say I was a wreck right now. Tears have been flowing all afternoon with no sign of stopping. I was in the process of driving from St. George to Cedar when I had to pull over a couple of times. It got so bad, I had to call my Mom so she could talk me down and I could drive the last ten miles.  I really don't get it. I knew it was going to happen, and it needed to happen. She wasn't well at all. Most of the time she had no idea who anyone was, and she looked horrible.But then again I guess I do know. She was like a best friend to me. I could always count on her. For a handful of years, it seemed like it was just the two of us. And to tell you the truth, I liked it that way. I liked being her lunch date, or the one who took her to her Dr. appointment, or shopping for a new sweater. She loved to dote on me when I needed a hand. Like when I was so sick with morning sickness I had to go to the hospital and get IVs. Who sat there in the room with me while I slept and just watched me? Yep her.  

Great Grandma loved Great Grand-babies

She really is the greatest Grandma to have. I remember watching the Lorax with my kids. When the Grandma had faked having difficulty playing a game so her Grandson could go do what he really wanted to do, that was her. She would do anything for anyone. She was always putting other peoples happiness above her own. When we would mess up, she didn't judge me. She was a nurse by trade and was always helping out. She would volunteer gladly and enjoyed it. She had a true giving heart. She had a small family, an only child. 3 kids of her own and 4 grand-kids, and 5 greats. She had a special relationship with all of us. She made us feel so important. 

Bryce, Jamie, Grandma, Lisa, Kirk - Proud Grandma with her Grand-kids

Grandma and Bryce

I went and saw her yesterday. It was so bad. My cousin and I crawled up next to her. I do have a picture of that, but no that will not be posted. She was a very proper woman, and I couldn't ever share that with the world at the cost of her dignity. We told her how wonderful she is. How proud we are to have her as our Grandma. She was unresponsive, but held our hands in a powerful grip.We talked about all the dingy and zany moments she had, and laughed. I told her what my kids were up to, What changes were going on in my life. I vowed to live my life in a way that would make her proud. I just held her, and she seemed to like it. When I knew it was my final goodbye I kissed her, told to hug my Grandpa, and told her I loved her so much. I told her it wasn't good bye, just a long see you later. For some reason I had to see her eyes one last time. Its like she knew it. One eye came open and I got to see the one thing I know I inherited from her, the blue eyes.

In the end she slipped quietly away. Oh how I wish I could see her and my Grandpa reunite.  I know she is better off, but gosh it hurts so bad right now. Rest in peace my sweet, sweet Grandma. It's gonna be hard without you but I know you are here. I love you!!!

Great Grandma and Dylan

feeding Chloe ice cream!

Great Grandma daring you to take Colton away

with Jamie, Chloe, Whitni and Dylan

Un-coolest Mom!

Well it has happened. I am no longer the young hip Mom. I am now crossing over to the "un with it" Mom. I knew it would happen. Just wish I could have prevented it from happening. I don't think I am old or that I have let my appearance go to hell. I am now among the ranks of your average Mama. Where I should be. What has brought this on? A lot of things. The latest is WWE. I remember the days of Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, the Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man, Bret the Hitman Hart, Rowdy Roddy Piper.... My brother, my Dad and I used to watch these guys obsessively when it was the WWF. One of the highlights of my childhood was getting second row seats to watching Andre the Giant take on the Ultimate Warrior. WOW! That man was HUMONGOUS!! My Mom was a poor victim. She gave the sigh/eye roll and accepted the fact that now her Saturday nights would be monopolized to a scripted "sport". Fast forward to now. I am learning terms like the "five knuckle shuffle" and John Cena. My kids run in to tell me that someone is hurt, knocked out or possibly died. I give them a "that's nice dear". When I could care less because I think it is ridiculous. And go about my business. Then there is video games. I remember the days of Nintendo. Bryce and I played for hours. My Mom would come in and give us a "really?" look. She could never understand and I couldn't understand how she didn't enjoy em. I now give Dylan the same look at the games he plays now. The look is a cross between confusion, disgust and "what's the point?" Followed by an eye roll.

I get ditched by Dylan all the time. At the store, at the park, at the swimming pool. I see little or none of my oldest until the moment right before it is time to leave. I mean the SECOND before it is time to leave. Then the quick, "Let's go!" and hurried off since he doesn't want to be seen by the MOM thing. We went to a movie today. I invited my Mom, you know...Grandma..to join. Dylan sat in the row in front of us.

I find myself looking for more comfortable clothing rather than cute things. I would rather be able to breath, bend over or walk without pain than look all hot and sexy. If I can get those qualities AND be stylish I feel like I hit the jackpot. What's going on here?!?! I am only 35!! In my mind I feel like I am 20. UGH.

Divorce

Yes you read that right. Tom and I are getting divorced. It was never an easy decision but it is for the best. Now if you think I am going to get into bashing and telling you how horrible he was to me, you are in the wrong place. I may be immature, but I am not THAT immature. I share the blame. It is too easy for me to sit here and air all my grievances. I have a captive audience here. That isn't fair to Tom. Or my kids.

It is really hard to pinpoint exactly when things started to unravel. It has been a few years I imagine. Brought on so slowly that by the time we got to the point of, "I QUIT!" there is really nothing to be done to fix it. It comes down to, we were both miserable and life is too short to be unhappy all the time. Don't get me wrong, we both tried in our own ways to make it work. But eventually you fall out of love and the fighting becomes too much. It was affecting our children. Chloe even wrote me a note that told us that we needed to get it together.

So here is how it goes:
Early in December we decided to call it quits. Yet, it wasn't the right time. Christmas was coming and I wanted it to be a happy time for my kids. We agreed to try one more time. That didn't last more than two weeks. Something came over me on Christmas day. A feeling of total anxiety and on the verge of a breakdown. Xanax was the only thing the kept me from having a meltdown in front of everyone. That led to arguments in regards to my behavior and then ultimately the decision the next day. We just can't do this anymore. We knew that this was only going to get worse. Eventually we would start resenting and hating each other and all that does is harm us all more. Tom decided to give it a few days. Some space between Christmas and the conversation with our kids that was going to change their lives dramatically. On Friday, December 30th, Tom came home from work and we sat them down and told them. Colton didn't really seem to care one way or another. He is barely 4 at this time so he really didn't know what had happened. Chloe's reaction surprised us, "I knew this was going to happen." She isn't thrilled about it but seems to be OK. Dylan is the hard one. He completely came apart. I knew he would react pretty hard but it still breaks my heart. After that, Tom left. I know it was so hard for him. But I also know deep in my heart that we are doing what is best for us and for our children. So I am adjusting to the "Single Mom" role. I think I am doing quite well actually. I was the primary caregiver before so the adjustment wasn't too bad.

The hard part is the feeling of failure. I have made my kids a statistic. Watching Dylan struggle with his emotions has been rough. I eventually put him in with the school counselor. I just don't know how to help him. He is getting so much better tho. I am hopeful that this will get him through it. I have been to an attorney, it is almost a done deal. We went through the divorce parenting classes, WHAT A JOKE!! ACK!!! Tom and I had a couple of struggles at first but seem to have worked most of it out. It has been better for us both. I am no longer bitching and nagging at him and he is no longer angry and frustrated with me. We are both ready to move on. I truly hope he finds someone to make him happy. This is how I know I am ready for it. I would be sincerely happy if he found a good woman. I would even encourage it. Of course I still care about him. We were married for over 12 years and we have 3 kids together. We just changed so much, and we did it apart rather than together. I am so ready for this new chapter. Scared to death about how I am going to be able be financially secure, what struggles are my kids going to throw at me. But sincerely optimistic about the future. :) I have also found out who is truly my friend. Who out there REALLY cares about me. It has been sad sometimes to find out who means it when they say, "I will always be there for you." I have had a hand full of people turn their back on me. Some make me more sad than others, but it is a life lesson.

So sorry if this isn't a bitter rant about how I was wronged. I guess I am growing up.

4 years later

Chloe and Jeff

I can't believe it has been 4 years since my Uncle, Jeff Herrud passed away. Last year on the anniversary of his death, I went almost the whole day without even thinking about it. When I realized what day it was, I was pleased that maybe I had been able move on. Fast forward to one year later. Today. I woke up feeling on edge. Sad and ready to cry. Then I remembered what day it was. I got up and got going thinking, "If I get my day started and keep busy I will be O.K." Yeah right. I got in the shower and completely had a break down. I miss him so much. I want him back. I got out of the shower and started to get ready. Turned on the news to hopefully get my mind off of it. And it didn't work. Great! I had only been up a half an hour and I have already cried hard twice! This is gonna be a fun day. Especially for someone who isn't much of a crier. It took me longer than usual but I finally made it to work. And THANK YOU to the wonderful students and coworkers who kept me busy and kept me smiling. I was able to get out of the funk.

I believe that when someone passes away so quickly and unexpectedly it makes it harder. His death was so sudden. And the day before Thanksgiving nonetheless. I had to dig deep that holiday, and remind myself of how thankful I truly was. He was a good friend to me, and it hurts that he is gone. When my Mom told me I kept thinking, "No, she is wrong!" My Grandfather was dying, surely she meant him. But she wasn't. I think I will take my kids to the Jubilee of Trees here in Cedar tonight. I am really beginning to dislike the holidays. My Grandpas both died shortly before Christmas and my Grandma and Uncle right before Thanksgiving. I need to work harder at making it a happy time for me. Ok, enough whining. :)

Way too fast

My friend Stephanie, recently posted about her 1 year old daughter. It brought a smile to my face, because it is her first. I remember how meticulous I was with Dylan. How the magic of it all just blew me away. Not that I didn't enjoy it with my other two just as much, but by then I was used to it. I envy her in some ways. That is such a fun time in my life. Do I wanna go back? uh..no. But now I look at my oldest son who is now 10 and realize how time has flown. He is in fifth grade now. He is learning things from his peers, usually weird things, but boy things. His head reaches my nose. He isn't a little boy! I just picture that sweet little boy who lit up my world with everything. Now he is horrified if I show up at his school. I recently went to join Chloe for lunch at her school. When I asked Dylan if he wanted me to eat with him I got an emphatic, "NO MOM!" and a 'how dare you even ask that question' look. It didn't make me feel bad, or sad. It made me chuckle. Because it made me glad that he is his own person. He has his social group and is thriving. Remember last year when he was having anxiety and barely making it? Well now he is getting straight A's, and is enjoying school. He has a wonderful teacher who supports him and makes him feel special. It makes all the difference. I will forever be grateful to Mrs. Mackleprang. She has quickly turned him around with her enthusiasm and encouragement. I just remember how a year ago, I was so worried about him. Now I only worry a normal Mommy worry. Chloe is growing up too, as a big 7 year old. In second grade. She has a thirst for knowledge and an enthusiasm that carries over to home. She teaches her now 4 year old brother Colton everything she can. That is her baby. Watching them grow and become their own person is the most wonderful thing. I do sometimes miss having a tiny baby around. But I am enjoying this phase a lot too, and am always wondering what will happen next.

My job is going well. I love what I do. I love making a difference in someones life. That is so important to me. I want to make peoples lives better. I have felt so 'unimportant' and 'insignificant' in the world. I love making people smile. I try to make sure that if they don't smile the rest of the day, they got at least one from me. I got into the mindset of, "I am just a Mom." I knew that was important, but it didn't feel that way. My coworkers are great. The students are great and it is an amazing job to have. I do suffer from the guilt of not being here all day. It is hard to do the same thing for 11 years and then change it so suddenly. I feel bad that I send my kid to a babysitter. Even tho it is only for a few hours and he has so much fun that he can't wait to go back. I worry about not being here if one of the other two need me. Even tho they are at school while I am gone. It is an inner struggle with myself. The positives very much so, outweigh the bad. Sometimes I think I should have had a career before starting a family. But I wouldn't have what I have now. And I wouldn't change it for the world.

New Job

I now have 2 weeks under my belt at the new job. I have to say I enjoy it. I am still shocked at how easy it was to get hired, and how badly they wanted me there. These facts make me want to work even harder to make them glad that they hired me and not regret their decision. I saw a waiting room full of people hoping to get this job and only I and one other person got it. I feel a bit guilty about it because there are so many people out there looking for work, and this just fell in my lap. This job is so good for me for so many reasons. 1. It helps me earn a little extra money that we can definitely use right now. 2. It makes me happy to actually be using my degree that has been sitting idle for 11 years. 3. I get out of the house for a few hours a day. Something that helps with my depression and dumb issues. It makes me a happier person. 4. Colton gets to play with his friend for a few hours which is great since his older siblings are now in school. 5. It will look great on a resume. 6. Since it is within the Iron County School District system, I have the same days off as my other kids, so I won't have to worry about what to do with them when they are out of school.

This list could keep going but I will stop there. I should explain what this job is exactly. I work at what is called a POST High School. It is an extension of HS for special ed students, after they are done at their regular HS. They can attend the POST high up until they turn 22 when they age out. What I and my coworkers do is help them develop real world skills so that they can be a bit more functional in society. Dealing with money, work environments, basic math and reading, and how to properly conduct themselves in public. Due to privacy issues I can't be too specific about the students. But I can say that they are a challenge that I love and they make me laugh every day. My only gripe is having to get up early. Not only do I have to get myself ready I have to get 3 kids ready too. Needless to say it is a bit wild here in the mornings. I am happy that it has me on a more steady schedule and I am happy to say that I lost 5 pounds during the month of August. YAY!! So there you have it. I am still crazy, but a happier, working Mom crazy. :o)

Why you should get a degree

Any degree. Whatever interests you. As long as it is a legitimate degree it serves you well. I have just realized that. I have been a SAHM now for 10 years. It has been a fun ride, hard and aggravating, yet the best thing I have ever done. Yet, I have this thing inside me that wants to go to work. I have been trying to see if I can help my Mom find a job and in the meantime I have seen a few positions that interested me. I do the, "What the heck, it won't hurt to try!" My thing is, I am a bit picky. It has to be pretty easy to work around my kids' schedule. Because they are my priority. I just figured if I was patient, the right thing will come along. Well it finally happened. In order to be the easiest with my kids' schedule, I knew it would be best to work within the school district. I saw a few positions available at various schools, and 5 minutes before the deadline for the application was due, I turned it in. The following morning, yesterday, I got a call to come in for an interview in the early afternoon. Wow that was quick! I went in and interviewed for the position of "Paraprofessional for students with special needs" position. A part time position, another thing I wanted, working with older high school students with special needs. I had tried for the High School closest to me. They told me if I was selected, they would call that evening, if not then thank you for coming in. I didn't hear anything last night. So I figured it was not meant to be. Oh well, woulda been kind of perfect but oh well. This morning I got up and got my kids ready for the first day of school YAY! Doted on Chloe since it is her 7th birthday, and drove them to school. I went to the gym and worked out, and then went to the store. On the way I called my Mom and she said she hadn't been able to reach me on my phone. It was weird. Oh well, it is fixed now. I chatted with my Mom for a minute and then finished my shopping. My phone then rang. I answered it, and the lady on the other line said, "Jamie! I have been trying to call you since last night!" (seriously? what is wrong with this phone?!?!) It was one of the ladies from the interview. I got the position!! It wasn't at the school I had gone for, but the other one in town, and she was impressed. So tomorrow morning I start working. I have been busy getting everything together and arrangements made. My friend will watch Colton and the other two will just ride the bus to school. I am excited. Not really nervous, but happy that I can contribute to our family more.

Now why did I mention the whole degree thing? Because I couldn't even have applied if I didn't have one. That is becoming the norm. My degree isn't in education. Yes my minor was child development, but my major was Sociology. Proof that it doesn't really matter as long as you have one. I stopped into my step daughters dorm, she is moving here today, and shared with her and her cousin/roomie that, "See? An education does pay off!"

12 week challenge

Recently, I decided to take part in an online weight loss challenge. I figured since I was trying to get my hiney in shape it would be cool to win a prize in the mean time. Well today is the last day of the challenge. I don't know if I won or lost, I will know next week. Win or lose, I will be glad that I have indeed lost a little more. I have been working more on strength training than weight loss. I just don't have the love for Zumba and elliptical machines that so many others have. I had to post pictures up from the beginning, middle and today. I am going to share them here.....still this is kind of humiliating. But it will keep me honest and motivated!

Beginning: Yes, they are the pics from before. I was the same size.





Middle Week:




Final Week: TODAY!

I know, you can't see a real difference. Neither can I. But, let me give you the final official numbers. In 12 weeks I have lost 16 pounds and all over 16.5 inches. So I am pleased. Still not swimsuit ready. But I am getting there!
Oh and if you haven't noticed, I am now in fact, a brunette. I decided the days of bleach blond are over. I am loving this evolvement. I guess I am going for an all over change!

Vacation Day #1 And I am OFF!!!

So to start out the "Vacation" blog I decided to do a day by day. So much happened! Also if you want to see the rest of my pics from this trip you will have to check my facebook page.

My vacation started on March 21st in the afternoon. After Tom got home. I must admit I felt a little sad and a whole lot guilty leaving them all behind. But I needed this. I drove to my parents house to trade vehicles and to tell them goodbye. Things didn't start out so smooth as that night, my Mom had lost her job. She has worked in this same position for 28 years, and they let her go over a ridiculous mistake. But that is a whole story in itself. I finally made it to my Aunt's house and hunkered down for the night. I decided I really wanted to sleep on the plane so I stayed up all night, and I had to leave at about 4 a.m. since my flight was scheduled to leave at 6. My cousin drove me to the airport at the wonderful time and I was off. I flew to Chicago, where it was cold and wet, and then I was off to Philly. I got to Philly, got shuttled to my hotel and then met up with friends that night. I had a few beers, unfortunately I am used to Utah's watered down version so I quickly became "fun". The conversations at the small hotel bar were fun. One gal there said, "I was in Montana once and they have these metal bars in the road to keep cows in!" I said, "Cattle guards?" LOL. I was loving the contrast of our lives there. I hung out and had a good time. But I was also exhausted. I had slept a little but not a lot on the plane and throw a couple of beers in there and I was about to drop! I went to my hotel room and immediately fell asleep. It was about 10 local time, which is 8 here in Utah.