Good or Bad? I Love Surprises!!!

Yesterday seemed like I was tumbling back and forth. I was set to work another 3:30pm to midnight shift. I was ready early and I sat down to read my e-mail. Yes, I'm sort of a nerd. I even check my work e-mail at home. It was worth it. I received an e-mail I wasn't expecting and it turned the day into a smile producer. As you all know I answer the phones and take reservations at Marriott. I love it! I talk to so many wonderful people. My co-workers and I have made reservations for NFL referees, NBA players, FEMA workers rushing to help those who live in Atlanta and have been flooded from their homes. There are so many different people from different walks of life, but my ultimate love is booking a vacation people will never forget. Therefore, once I learned of the Resort Desk. I was hooked and wanted so desperately to get my teeth into it. Planning honeymoons, family reunions, weddings and specializing in vacations at 13 particular properties, one of which is a mere 20 minutes from my house. I've been thrilled. Once I talked to the Resorts Manager, whom I met while I was still in training I explained to her I was planning to make it into her group as quickly as possible. She talked to me a bit and told me exactly what she was looking for and asked what I brought to the table. When I revealed I was a former travel agent her eyes brightened. She took my name down. I've been working hard and I received an e-mail just as everyone else in the office did. An opening has occurred in the Resort's desk and they were looking to hire. I smiled slightly knowing full well I hadn't made it through my first month on the sales floor let alone 6 full months of employment which was required. Then it hit me...Remind her of who I am. I sent a quick e-mail. "I know I don't meet your requirements as of yet, but I look forward to the next opening." It was shot and simple...I had no idea why I pressed the "send" button and felt like a fool afterwards. It all boiled up until yesterday. I received an amazing e-mail from Nilay...the Resort Manager.

"I'd like you to apply for the position. I've talked to the general manager and have gotten you an exception. You are now considered qualified to take the test and interview. Please stop by HR to apply."

My jaw dropped


I danced around the apartment like a kid on Christmas.


I had a chance. I nearly teared up when I relayed the information to my hubby who was overjoyed.

"I'd say leave now and apply today. Go get 'em! I know you can do it!" he smiled while his eyes twinkled. You know the look...The "my wife is amazing" look we all get from our husband's from time to time.

I quickly e-mailed Nilay and told her I would be in the office in 30 minutes and will head straight to HR and thanked her profusely for going out on a limb for me.

As I arrived I was greeted by the HR manager who had hired me back on August 15th...less than 2 months before.

She greeted me warmly and at my down at the computer. I was to take a test, apply for a job I'd dreamed of for the past 4 weeks. As I finished the application and test I walked away feeling confident and stunned.

Can it be?! Are they really going to give me a fair shake?! This is a dream.

Will I get the job? That is unknown, but what I do know is that I have many people supporting me and cheering me on. What could be better?!

The bad news? I received my new schedule for next month...6 hour days. I'll be desperately trying to pick up any overtime I can to break even. I trust in Heavenly Father though. This pathway will lead me where I need to go.

Guess what?! I still love surprises!!!

Do You Ever Just Want to Scream?!

No, nothing is wrong really...it's just everyday life. In all honesty, I am so wanting to write and yet I find myself with little or no free time. I spend my waking moments trying to de-fog my mind from lack of sleep and on my two days off a week I spend much of my time attempting to catch up on sleep. It's simply not fair and I don't like it! {Insert stomping foot like a two year old here} Honestly, I love my job. I have so much fun talking to most people...others...well let's just say I help them the best I can and try to grin and bear it.

So, how do you find the time to do what you really want?

For me writing is an outlet. While I'm writing my mind clears and stress melts away. Is it wrong to crave that? I don't know for sure, but writing has always kept my head level and my course true. Funny how we find certain things in our lives that do that for us. For some it is service, others baking, and even more others, who shall remain nameless...shopping.

I've found the need to prioritize my life. I need to do certain things more than others. Laundry?! So unnecessary!!!! Cooking?! Why bother....Junk food for dinner again kids!!! Cleaning?! Now that just means your place is presentable for company to arrive...P-Shaw!!!!!

How do you prioritize?

Half Empty...Half Full?!

Apparently I'm tired and more than a bit grumpy for my co-workers. At break a fellow rep was complaining he could not understand a gentleman's horrible accent. He looked to me for commiseration. He was sadly disappointed. I told him I had a guest with a beautiful accent that I could not understand.

I've discovered that we choose how our day is going to go. To this man he was going to have a miserable day because he chose to be that way. I felt sorry for him. After just finishing training he also received another job offer. He has chosen to accept it. I was surprised to find myself more than a little irritated with this man because he truly was not thinking this through.

One month of training at Marriott cost the company $5,000. They've invested this money in people they've chosen. It was harder to get into my training class than to get into Harvard for goodness sake...numbers don't lie. They've found worth in his character and yet he tosses it to the side to earn 10% more in each paycheck. Perhaps it seems a great deal more and to him a job is a job. Perhaps I'm a bit to sensitive as I had to hunt for a job while he had the luxury of jumping from another job to this one. However, for me to think he took up space in a training class where another person who would be grateful for this job to feed their family. It's all perspective. Every call has a chance to be remarkable, just as every encounter with another person has a chance to be remarkable. my challenge to you all today...

Make every encounter with another person special today. Smile...and mean it. Love at them through heavenly eyes, not just disgruntled earthly eyes. And please share your experiences. I'd love to hear any experiences of looking through rose colored glasses for one day!!!

Before my head hit the pillow...

I don't know what happened except several passengers were stranded in Atlanta and scrambling for hotel rooms...My job? to find somewhere to lay their heads...ahem...within the Marriott system of course. Last night was a challenge in maneuvering people to make it to one property or another. These wonderful businessmen and women were exhausted, frustrated and just needing a dry room and a fluffy pillow to comfort them. One gentleman called me 20 minutes before my shift ended at midnight. This man HAD a reservation with a confirmation number and yet the hotel had lost his reservation. He was rightfully frustrated and I understood that. It wasn't me...it was the situation. He told me the gentleman at the counter was scrambling to find him a room and was coming up empty. After relaying all the information I set my fingers to work, hurrying to find a room nearby for this worn gentleman. At midnight, yes I was off, but more importantly at the strike of 12 I would be unable to see the inventory of rooms available to this gentleman. Just 4 minutes from my cutoff time I found a room for him and the front desk took it from there. The now relieved and weary traveler asked me to stay on the line with him until the front desk verified with the other property a room was available. After all was said and done my customer, once irate and undeniably frustrated thanked me for staying with him. Yes, I was unable to make reservations and increase my rating with my coworkers, but more importantly I knew before putting my head on my pillow he would have his settled on his own pillow. A few of my fellow co-workers were surprised I would take that tie with the gentleman, but what it boils down to is this...if I were in his position...wouldn't I want someone there for me to help make things better?

I think sometimes in life we find ourselves rushing our lives along without taking the time to make a difference in others lives. I'm guilty of this more times than I can count....however, I'm starting to change my attitude to think of others again more than myself. It is that selfless service that brings us closer to our goal of being more like the Savior and less like the natural man.

Nobody Puts Baby Toe in the Corner...

There's no real way to combine these two, but why not?! I was sad to hear yesterday about Patrick Swayze losing his fight with pancreatic cancer. I truly loved him on both Dirty Dancing and Ghost. He will be missed.

AND...

I broke my baby toe. Is there not a more useless bone to break?! And yet it causes such pain. I was visiting with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law yesterday when I rose form the couch to use the little girl's room. While rounding the ottoman...I'd actually done this successfully a mere hundred times before...I apparently forgot to maneuver my monstrous size 10 feet around the furniture and caught my baby toe. I heard the snap and felt the throbbing, but at that point there is nothing you can do. In all honesty I never thought I broke it. I later slipped my feet into my loafers for work and though it was a tighter fit I figured I'd just popped the little toe ad it was a bit swollen. By the time I made it to work it was hurting being stuffed in my shoe. When I looked at it on break 2 hours later it was literally black and blue all over. The only other bone I've ever broken was my big toe. How weird is that? There's nothing to do but let it heal. No casts to sign at all!!! It's simply taping it to the toe next to it. Weird...

One of the blessings of Texas...

My fabulous Sister-in-law who my oldest had a great time having her hair and make-up done. She works wonders and I carry a baseball bat...

DOWN BOYS!!!!
She's only 14!!!!


Remind me to thank the prophet for the dating age!!!

Sunday Sweet Sunday...You should've seen his face!!!

All I wanted to do was sleep...Sleep Sleep Sleep the day away. I know, I know...church. I love being there. It recharges my battery and sends me of for another full week. As we arrived the kids and hubby headed towards the chapel and I wound my way around to the bishop's office to pick up a tithing envelope. That's it! All I had planned was to pay my tithing and rejoin my family. As I sat, to fill in my slip one of the brother's approached. "We were going to ask if you could wait after church, but since you're here...do you have a moment to talk?"

"Absolutely."

We then chat and I receive a calling, my first in Texas. To be perfectly honest, this calling is one that is among the most difficult for me. If you know anything about me this is it...I'm not good with toddlers. I never have been. I'm the woman you ask to hold your baby while tie your shoe and I literally hold the little one out away from me as if it were an alien. Having all three of my children in three years their toddler years are a blur. In fact, I've blotted most of the terrible twos out of my memory completely. The teen years are my favorite and I'm loving the age my kids are at right now. They're awesome and it was worth enduring the babyhood years to reach this time.

Back to the point...I receive the calling as assistant nursery leader. A little different than most wards we have three nurseries. Our ward here is littered with medical, dental and law students and their young families. My job as assistant nursery leader is to basically set up nursery and give support to the teachers, occasionally doing a little hands on work. Now, I'm breathing again once this is explained. With my crazy work schedule, not knowing from month to month where exactly I will end up it was also understood if I could not be there the world would indeed continue as I am not in a pivotal role. As I stumbled back to my family the organ music started and I had no chance to let my sweet husband know before sacrament meeting started about my new calling. In fact, he found out as everyone else in the ward did. The look on his face was priceless. My father did the same thing to my mother, of course he had known a lot earlier than I did.

After church, I was given a beautiful blessing by the bishopric member over primary and I felt happy with my calling. I was instructed that all I was to do in this calling was to find joy in serving the children. That was it. A few more lovely words were spoken of my current employment and I was instructed with that as well. Another piece of the puzzle known as my life has been laid into place. In the end we will make it to where we need to be. I am grateful for my new calling and I can hardly wait to fall in love with these little ones.

Where Was I?

I've had the question asked to me...Where was I when 9/11 happened? Time fades many people's memories as the struggle to remember where they were on that horrific day. I've not forgotten. I am blessed to have a reminder in my home each and every day. Let's go back, shall we?

9/11/01
I began waking up Corinna and Bryan for school.Corinna was in first grade, Bryan kindergarten. They took the time to wipe the sleep from their eyes. Molly jumped around at my feet, never one to separate far from us. Don woke up in a Seattle hotel room, several hours from home, geared up to start another day with his current employer. I turned on the television...unheard of in my home while trying to get the kids ready for school, but for some reason that morning things were different. I instantly saw the news coverage of one airliner running into one of the towers. The word I recall was tragedy...not terrorist. And then it happened. To my utter horror I watched as a second airline approached and crashed. Was this a joke?! This could not be serious!!! My oldest daughter saw the second hit and asked me what happened. All I could say was "I don't know, sweetheart. I don't understand." And truly I didn't. It was hard for em to drop my daughter off at school, but was reassured by teachers and principals as we walked through the doors. Everything was going to be kept as normal as possible for the children. I felt a slight calm, but rushed home with Molly to find out what was happening. I watched as the towers fell that day knowing, feeling the pain of the people trapped inside. This couldn't be serious. I remember wondering if it was a cruel practical joke. My husband arrived home a few hours later...sent home by his employers as life was at a standstill. He struggled more than anyone. The unnecessary deaths in this case enraged him and his desire to join the military to help fight these demons grew. He talked to several recruiters, but his age held him back. I supported him because I knew what it meant to him.

9/11/06
We stepped off the train in Venice, Italy. Though our hearts were drawn to the memory of those who had served and lost their lives along with those who perished in a senseless attack, we had to continue to walk on and live. And in that living 13 Americans on tour through Italy stood united on the piers of Venice looking at a beautiful offering by the Italian people. Encased in plexiglass, a copy of the famous Pieta housed in the Vatican, Jesus Christ being held tenderly, by his mother, Mary, after his crucifixion. Beneath Jesus laid draped an American flag. A small offering of love and support 5 years later by a city of beautiful people filled our hearts. Tears flowed as I remembered back to what had occurred and the unflinching support of the Italian people. What I remember most was not the statue or display. What I remembered was the smattering of small empty aluminum tea light casings sitting in front. There were perhaps 20 or more. The thought that people from another country could honor the victims filled me heart and forever cemented in my heart the love of the Italian culture.

9/11/07
An American flag is raised in Iraq to honor our fallen. A friend lost his life over there in trying to help the Iraqi people gain their freedom. He will forever be missed.

12/25/07
The same flag which had been raised over foreign soil sat under our Christmas tree. A beloved nephew who is in the Air Force sent it to us asking us to hang it in the store. It was touching....And it was hung in the store...after I encased it in a shadow box, giving it the respect it deserved.

9/11/08
Documentaries begin to emerge about 9/11. I watch to feel the experiences of those who lived in the area, but find I become physically ill watching the footage again. I left the room with tears in my eyes. Much to fresh in my mind.

Today
To my left as I type I see the same flag, still wrapped protectively in bubble wrap from the move. Such a treasure I am not sure I trust to the walls of an apartment. I am still contemplating, but I see it everyday. I pray for the safety of those who serve. I pray for world peace, like many beauty queens, but moreover than that...I pray for peace of mind and honor those who had fallen. They will be forever in my heart.

I did it!

Something I've never done before. I've been blessed to be in a position to always have a car to get me from point A to point B. No questions asked. We made it happen. These days the distance to work is rather far....maybe 20 minutes to drive with no traffic. Unfortunately, hubby's hours don't add up to mine so we were left in a quandry. How do I get to work. Hubby would gladly take the bus...but it doesn't run from his work to mine. So again we are left with confusion. Yesterday , I left early and walked down to the bus stop, clutching tightly to my monthly pass. I was excited to try soemthing new in the big city.

the bus pulled up and I found a seat quickly...sticking near the entrance of the bus. As we drove on I watched the world around me pass by and what a beautiful world it is. I had the leaisure of watching ducks splash in a pond, preening their feathers while someone else drove. I saw beautiful neighborhoods....a little older, but beautiful nonetheless. I admired the bus company for not only incredibly wonderful air conditioning on the bus, but honoring Rosa Parks with a specially covered yellow leather seat on each bus embroidered with her name to honor her courage. I watched a mother bring her two very young children and a stroller onto the bus with two hands and then get off a few bus stops later. She carefully unloaded each of her babies and began walking the rest of her trek. I watched a man and woman standing at one stop. The woman clutching both her cane and the bus stop pole with white knucles. Her husband carefully loaded her then ran back outside to pck up their goods. Victim of a debilitating illness she smiled with the face of courage while her husband looked on with admiration of that courage. My heart had warmed as I watched on that ride an elderly gentleman help another man find his way to the local VA hospital. Truly incredible. On my last bus the seats were full and I was left to stand the final portion of my ride. I didn't mind as the group was a large group of handicapped teens going on a field trip to the air force base to be toured around. In the end I transferred twice and walked the final half mile to work with my heart full. Such an experience. I'll never forget. I wonder what will happen the next time I ride the bus?