Saturday, January 26, 2013
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Merry Christmas 2012
Well here we are just before Christmas and I'm just slowing down to realize I haven't taken time to reach out to friends and family this holiday. This is mainly because David and I took a much needed vacation, the likes of which we never have done, to Kauai for a week, and we got home just a few days ago. It was a gift from my very generous employer, and it was a very special, amazing experience.
I hope to write more about the details and post a few pictures, but that will wait for a future post. I know this is sent automatically to many of my friends and family, and I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all of you and how blessed I feel to have so many people to love and who I know love me.
The end of this year marks the end of a very long, stressful time for our family. I would not have believed a few years ago that the end of 2012 would find us in our own lovely little home, David working his dream job, all the children doing so well in school and turning out okay despite my inadvertent efforts toward the contrary, and that I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who has been my best friend and companion for 24 years. In fact, we celebrate a marriage of 20 years this January.
We have been extremely blessed, and we have been taught a lot, even though much of it has come the hard way--we are slow learners sometimes. I come into this new year with a new desire to be really converted to Christ and to make Him the center of my heart and home. My desire is there, but I need much more diligent to bring about the change after 40 years of more or less selfish habits.
David and I were blessed to hear David Bednar speak recently, and he gave a very powerful witness that our only key to real happiness is to overcome selfishness and truly follow Christ. The adversary would have us turn inward and attend to our own needs, and lick our own wounds, and pity ourselves in our time of trial. But the Savior showed the example and continually turned outward, even in his greatest suffering. It seems like so much to ask when we are suffering, but the Savior knows the truth, that only in losing our life in loving service to others do we find ourselves.
I see now that only when we become a vessel of the love of God are all of our inner holes truly filled. No amount of personal attention, from ourselves or others, can fill any emptiness inside us, but when we allow ourselves to love others and to be God's hands, His love fills us as it moves through us to others, and only then are we made whole.
I can't say I am living this principle very well yet, but I'm only just coming to see it and understand it's truth. But this is my goal for the coming year, to start living the principle more fully.
I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and pray each of you will grow closer to the Savior over the coming days and years and rely on His strength to help you in the trials that come.
All my love to you and your families,
Valerie
I hope to write more about the details and post a few pictures, but that will wait for a future post. I know this is sent automatically to many of my friends and family, and I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all of you and how blessed I feel to have so many people to love and who I know love me.
The end of this year marks the end of a very long, stressful time for our family. I would not have believed a few years ago that the end of 2012 would find us in our own lovely little home, David working his dream job, all the children doing so well in school and turning out okay despite my inadvertent efforts toward the contrary, and that I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who has been my best friend and companion for 24 years. In fact, we celebrate a marriage of 20 years this January.
We have been extremely blessed, and we have been taught a lot, even though much of it has come the hard way--we are slow learners sometimes. I come into this new year with a new desire to be really converted to Christ and to make Him the center of my heart and home. My desire is there, but I need much more diligent to bring about the change after 40 years of more or less selfish habits.
David and I were blessed to hear David Bednar speak recently, and he gave a very powerful witness that our only key to real happiness is to overcome selfishness and truly follow Christ. The adversary would have us turn inward and attend to our own needs, and lick our own wounds, and pity ourselves in our time of trial. But the Savior showed the example and continually turned outward, even in his greatest suffering. It seems like so much to ask when we are suffering, but the Savior knows the truth, that only in losing our life in loving service to others do we find ourselves.
I see now that only when we become a vessel of the love of God are all of our inner holes truly filled. No amount of personal attention, from ourselves or others, can fill any emptiness inside us, but when we allow ourselves to love others and to be God's hands, His love fills us as it moves through us to others, and only then are we made whole.
I can't say I am living this principle very well yet, but I'm only just coming to see it and understand it's truth. But this is my goal for the coming year, to start living the principle more fully.
I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and pray each of you will grow closer to the Savior over the coming days and years and rely on His strength to help you in the trials that come.
All my love to you and your families,
Valerie
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Happy #11 Birthday to Sophie!
Favorite color: light purple
Favorite food: fish, rice, asparagus and mango with French bread
Favorite activities: Cheerleading, dancing, ice-skating, singing, shopping, cooking, drawing, reading, looking in the mirror
Favorite thing to cook: cookies and cake and ice cream sandwiches
Favorite music: music theater and pop, artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Bella Thorne, and zandea (?)
Favorite movies: Mamma Mia, Grease, Hairspray, Good Luck Charlie
Favorite books: Dork diaries, Secret language of girls, boxcar children, Twilight series
Favorite class: musical theater
Favorite teacher: Mr. Langlois and Mrs. Gabbitas
What she wants to be when she grows up: a star in Broadway musicals or a famous singer
Goals for improvement in the next year: dancing, singing, and grades
Of course mom is hoping most for the latter, although she is doing much better.
I LOVE YOU SOPHIE!!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Ben and Mom at Flaming Gorge III
Brigham City Temple Open House
Monday, August 27, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
A new phase.
Thanks to Siri and a little bit more spare time, maybe I will do better at my family journal otherwise known as my blog. You'll have to forgive dictation mistakes, I'm talking and multitasking.
Last Friday was my last day of full-time employment. I have given my company until October 31 to keep me on as an employee, and I am technically still at my normal salary and have to cover whatever needs to be covered, but I can work the hours I have and go in only when I have to. This means I can be with my kids anytime they are not in school.
Even better, my company is going to continue to use me in the future. I am starting an independent marketing firm along with a fantastic designer that I met through this job. We together have a lot of contacts, and although I am not completely ready, work is already coming in! So I will still do things for my company as their agency of record, primarily strategic planning and creative production, as well as event planning for their annual conferences. I hope to find some good subcontractors so I can keep my hours down and really keep the commitment that I have made to my family to always be available whenever they are out of school/work.
So today is my first day where all my kids are in school! Ben doesn't start for two weeks, but he went to scout camp early this morning.
It definitely is a new phase of life.
If I really do some soul-searching, I need to be honest with myself that the chaos and the intense work schedule of the past years has been necessary, but also a very handy excuse for not accomplishing my goals, parenting the way I should, and truly investing in my home and family in a way that would help us all. There is part of me that is nervous that now I have no excuses.
If I go all in on the homefront, and everything turns out horribly, there is nothing else to point the finger to--it is all on me. But it always was, whether I accepted it or not. When I was homeschooling and people would say, "I can't take on the responsibility for all of my child's education!" I would think, you already have that responsibility, whether you delegate part of it or not. I still feel that way, although I do delegate much of it myself now. I am still the one who is responsible at the end of the day.
So really my responsibilities have not changed, I just feel the concern that I will fall short. Franchise marketing comes more easily to me than being a mother in Israel, which I guess is a little bit unfortunate, since what I am best at is so much less important. But thankfully, I know that the Lord is with me in this, and with him as a senior companion, I can have trust that it will turn out as it should.
Last Friday was my last day of full-time employment. I have given my company until October 31 to keep me on as an employee, and I am technically still at my normal salary and have to cover whatever needs to be covered, but I can work the hours I have and go in only when I have to. This means I can be with my kids anytime they are not in school.
Even better, my company is going to continue to use me in the future. I am starting an independent marketing firm along with a fantastic designer that I met through this job. We together have a lot of contacts, and although I am not completely ready, work is already coming in! So I will still do things for my company as their agency of record, primarily strategic planning and creative production, as well as event planning for their annual conferences. I hope to find some good subcontractors so I can keep my hours down and really keep the commitment that I have made to my family to always be available whenever they are out of school/work.
So today is my first day where all my kids are in school! Ben doesn't start for two weeks, but he went to scout camp early this morning.
It definitely is a new phase of life.
If I really do some soul-searching, I need to be honest with myself that the chaos and the intense work schedule of the past years has been necessary, but also a very handy excuse for not accomplishing my goals, parenting the way I should, and truly investing in my home and family in a way that would help us all. There is part of me that is nervous that now I have no excuses.
If I go all in on the homefront, and everything turns out horribly, there is nothing else to point the finger to--it is all on me. But it always was, whether I accepted it or not. When I was homeschooling and people would say, "I can't take on the responsibility for all of my child's education!" I would think, you already have that responsibility, whether you delegate part of it or not. I still feel that way, although I do delegate much of it myself now. I am still the one who is responsible at the end of the day.
So really my responsibilities have not changed, I just feel the concern that I will fall short. Franchise marketing comes more easily to me than being a mother in Israel, which I guess is a little bit unfortunate, since what I am best at is so much less important. But thankfully, I know that the Lord is with me in this, and with him as a senior companion, I can have trust that it will turn out as it should.
Sophie's first day of junior high!
She turns only 11 next month, but I feel like I have a full-blown teenager on my hands already! She is a gorgeous little sweetie and I'm lucky to be her mom.
First day of school, second year at Jefferson Academy
The school used to be called Oquirrh Mountain charter school and emphasizes American Heritage and history, using classical and core knowledge curriculums. We have been very happy with our first year here. They had to change their name, since there is a school out actually near the Oquirrh mountains with the same name, whereas our school only has a view of the Oquirrh mountains. But Jefferson is a nice namesake.
Oma came out of retirement to be the school interim director, which was a fun surprise! Oma is aunt Jessika's mom, and Oma is grandma in Dutch, since Oma is from the Netherlands. My kids love going to her house for Easter egg dying and our Halloween pumpkin carving parties every year! She has been a school principal for a very long time and had a full year of a retirement break before coming to help our school while they search for their new director.
Here's to a great year!
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Back to School!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
I'm again overdue for an update--it looks like I'm quarterly now, so much for my 2011 resolution of weekly posts, but I will continue to strive.
I read my last post and here is what has changed. First, I am now the Vice President of Marketing and Franchise Development (Sales) for my company, although between you and me, rarely a day passes that I don't wish I was still just a lowly Marketing Director. However, it sure does help to get staff and vendors being more responsive to have those two little letters after one's name. I took this job 8 months ago as a stop gap, but it has turned into a huge responsibility. And since it is a large, yet very flat organization, and the two owners want to start pulling back, their next in command, my boss, and my brand new counterpart, the VP of Ops, and myself are responsible for almost everything that happens within the company. I was working 80+ hours a week, with my top week during our annual conference in Scottsdale where I worked 120 hours, including one 42 hour shift without sleep! For a while you go on adrenaline, but then it gets old, and you just don't want people to know you are working like a madwoman--it stops being a badge of honor and starts being the badge of a sucker.
After that February conference I was given three new staff members, who have been a big, help, but I still find myself very behind after 10-hour days. Monday I got one hour of sleep preparing for a presentation, and it's hard not to just wonder what it is all for. There are 200 offices with 1500 employees who rely on me to do my job, and there is and was just so much work to be done just to get the basics done, and I'm well-suited to the job and like it when I'm not too tired, but there is nothing of lasting importance. But that is what a corporate job is, I guess. I need to stay there until we've caught up from the chaos of the last few years.
As I write this I am actually in San Diego touring hotels to decide which to use for our next convention. Talk about wined and dined! I can never complain about my job again. You know you've arrived when you get off an airplane and a limo driver is holding a card with your name on it!
David has gotten his dream job and is now an attorney for the Federal Defender. He is based out of the Phoenix office and travels down there once a month or so. He teaches priesthood. I teach RS and do the ward newsletter once a month.
Ben is doing fine in 7th grade at the local Jr. High--he likes it and enjoys trumpet and plans on summer band and possibly jazz band in the fall. He's a good, enterprising kid who works hard and primarily spends his money on longboard improvements.
Sophie is in 5th trying out for cheer this week, as she goes to a charter school that has a middle-school structure for the 6-9 graders. She has been enjoying dance and tumbling. She's sweet but has been very moody and temperamental lately, I'm gearing up for puberty.
Noah is a sweetie who is wrapping up 1st grade and just enjoys the simple things--toy cars, the trampoline, snacks, and the rare dinner that he doesn't hate. He is fun to snuggle.
Lucy has all sorts of opinions and is generally fun to have around. She's finishing up Kindergarten and has had a good year. Both her and Noah are about the same level in reading (in part due to neglectful working parents). She also enjoys dance and tumbling wants to switch to ballet.
I love these kids so much and want so much to give them all they need to be happy and enjoy life. I rely heavily on the Lord to help me with this, as it appears to be a very complicated job.
So, after ten years we are finally out of the constant drama and chaos and in to "normal." I'm working hard on gratitude, joy and peace and relying more on the Savior rather than my own very mortal self. I see so many tender mercies in my life and am hopeful for a bright future.
I really will try to post more often. I actually started this post a month ago--that tells you about how things are going!
As I write this I am actually in San Diego touring hotels to decide which to use for our next convention. Talk about wined and dined! I can never complain about my job again. You know you've arrived when you get off an airplane and a limo driver is holding a card with your name on it!
David has gotten his dream job and is now an attorney for the Federal Defender. He is based out of the Phoenix office and travels down there once a month or so. He teaches priesthood. I teach RS and do the ward newsletter once a month.
Ben is doing fine in 7th grade at the local Jr. High--he likes it and enjoys trumpet and plans on summer band and possibly jazz band in the fall. He's a good, enterprising kid who works hard and primarily spends his money on longboard improvements.
Sophie is in 5th trying out for cheer this week, as she goes to a charter school that has a middle-school structure for the 6-9 graders. She has been enjoying dance and tumbling. She's sweet but has been very moody and temperamental lately, I'm gearing up for puberty.
Noah is a sweetie who is wrapping up 1st grade and just enjoys the simple things--toy cars, the trampoline, snacks, and the rare dinner that he doesn't hate. He is fun to snuggle.
Lucy has all sorts of opinions and is generally fun to have around. She's finishing up Kindergarten and has had a good year. Both her and Noah are about the same level in reading (in part due to neglectful working parents). She also enjoys dance and tumbling wants to switch to ballet.
I love these kids so much and want so much to give them all they need to be happy and enjoy life. I rely heavily on the Lord to help me with this, as it appears to be a very complicated job.
So, after ten years we are finally out of the constant drama and chaos and in to "normal." I'm working hard on gratitude, joy and peace and relying more on the Savior rather than my own very mortal self. I see so many tender mercies in my life and am hopeful for a bright future.
I really will try to post more often. I actually started this post a month ago--that tells you about how things are going!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Still here
I always mean to blog but there's just no time. In July I went back to work, I'm the Marketing Director for a national franchise that has about 200 residential property management offices. It's a very intense job. Even better, in October, David got his dream job doing criminal defense at a small, well-respected firm in downtown SLC. It's busy and he has an intense schedule also. Kids are also busy, in school, doing after-school 4H club, Sophie's in a million plays and Ben is busy with trumpet and swimming. Noah and Lucy are just going with the flow--although our "flow" is more like the Snake River's rapids in June.
Why am I blogging mid-day at work when I have ten hours of work to fit in the next 72 minutes? Because our crazy hurricane-force winds yesterday were so exciting that Ben got on the news! It is only 3 seconds at :39
http://connect2utah.com/news-story/?nxd_id=185267
All is well here, no damage or lost trees for us, but a day or so without power, a fun sleepover at my mom's for everyone last night, and a lot of yard clean up to do tomorrow (balanced with whatever work I don't finish today). Love to family and friends far and near. Here is my advance apology for not sending out Christmas cards this year, again.
xoxoxo
Valerie
Why am I blogging mid-day at work when I have ten hours of work to fit in the next 72 minutes? Because our crazy hurricane-force winds yesterday were so exciting that Ben got on the news! It is only 3 seconds at :39
http://connect2utah.com/news-story/?nxd_id=185267
All is well here, no damage or lost trees for us, but a day or so without power, a fun sleepover at my mom's for everyone last night, and a lot of yard clean up to do tomorrow (balanced with whatever work I don't finish today). Love to family and friends far and near. Here is my advance apology for not sending out Christmas cards this year, again.
xoxoxo
Valerie
Friday, August 19, 2011
Milestones
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sunday Update
You know it's been a long time since you blogged when you don't even recognize the Blogger interface when you log in.
I have exactly 23 minutes of silence before I need to head off to the first Utah Chamber Artists rehearsal of the season--the family is at my nephew Kadin's 17th birthday party. I remember watching Kadin overnight as a tiny baby when I was just a young know-nothing. I didn't know what to do with him and didn't understand why he wouldn't just sleep! I was 22. I can see now why the Lord had us wait another five years to have a baby of our own.
If I blink too fast I know my sweet Ben will be following in Kadin's footsteps. He passed the sacrament for the first time today and was ordained to the priesthood last Sunday, on his birthday. I'll send pictures from the phone in a minute. I have felt so proud of Ben and what he is becoming--so full of hard work and drive. He has started his own lawn mowing business this summer and has just been earning up a storm--often mowing lawns of houses wherein kids his own age are on the couch playing video games.
After last Sunday he woke up and went to his first scout camp for a week. He came home very weathered and happy--he caught a fish! I'm so grateful to good leaders and an especially good group of boys in this ward. He had a great time. I'm just so proud of him. He has a strong testimony and a serious approach to the gospel. He finished the Book of Mormon before he was ordained and had lots of long talks with his dad about what it means to hold the priesthood. It's exciting to have two priesthood holders in the home now.
David is working still on his own practice and is starting to emphasize working for lawyers more--he loves research and writing and he's had a few good opportunities come his way where he can do this kind of work more regularly.
Meanwhile, I am back in the workplace, I've been a month working for a fast-growing national property management franchise based out of Layton--it's a 25 year old company that needs help keeping up with how fast they are growing in this market of increasing rentals. I was hired by a new president who was brought in to turn everything around and prepare them to go global. I'm his right hand as the marketing director and am tasked with putting a lot of new programs in place, a lot of web-based franchise support. The good news is I don't have anything on my plate that I haven't done before, so even with the intense pace I don't have to worry about not knowing what I'm doing. And, at the same time, they've never hired well in the past, so my normal is their Quetzalcoatl. That's always a plus.
From the first day it was an intense, career-minded position. In the spirit of stability and paying off student loans and the house, I think I'll be working a long time, so I might as well claw my way up the ladder, right? They've never had a woman in management before, but my bosses like me and things are going well. I'm very grateful that David is so supportive and that we've been able to be such a team keeping the family going. Before I got this job I was working hard to build my freelance clientele, so for good or bad, that means I often come home from work, eat dinner, and then work until bed on side jobs.
I feel very calm about the kids, because we prayed for the right answer--oh did we pray!-- and this was the only real option that presented itself. I think the kids will do well in school and are happy simply because normality is being restored.
Lucy is going into kindergarten in a couple of weeks. She's scheduled to go to the local elementary mornings and a play school in the afternoons, but I'm hoping she'll end up getting the lottery into the charter school that Sophie and Noah have gotten into. As much as I love Capitol Hill, having them on the longer, normal school schedule and the whole free thing is what we need, and I really like this school--I can take them in on the way to work. They are so excited--they actually start school this Wednesday. Ben, of course, will stay at Capitol Hill and bus down there each day. We're going to try out two afternoon classes in addition here at the local Jr. High--trumpet and art.
David and I both got called into teaching--I'm in RS and he's in priesthood. We both had to teach the chastity lesson today. A good laugh was had by all.
That's us in a nutshell. I do hope to write just a bit more often on Sundays when I get a moment to breathe.
Love to all,
Valerie
I have exactly 23 minutes of silence before I need to head off to the first Utah Chamber Artists rehearsal of the season--the family is at my nephew Kadin's 17th birthday party. I remember watching Kadin overnight as a tiny baby when I was just a young know-nothing. I didn't know what to do with him and didn't understand why he wouldn't just sleep! I was 22. I can see now why the Lord had us wait another five years to have a baby of our own.
If I blink too fast I know my sweet Ben will be following in Kadin's footsteps. He passed the sacrament for the first time today and was ordained to the priesthood last Sunday, on his birthday. I'll send pictures from the phone in a minute. I have felt so proud of Ben and what he is becoming--so full of hard work and drive. He has started his own lawn mowing business this summer and has just been earning up a storm--often mowing lawns of houses wherein kids his own age are on the couch playing video games.
After last Sunday he woke up and went to his first scout camp for a week. He came home very weathered and happy--he caught a fish! I'm so grateful to good leaders and an especially good group of boys in this ward. He had a great time. I'm just so proud of him. He has a strong testimony and a serious approach to the gospel. He finished the Book of Mormon before he was ordained and had lots of long talks with his dad about what it means to hold the priesthood. It's exciting to have two priesthood holders in the home now.
David is working still on his own practice and is starting to emphasize working for lawyers more--he loves research and writing and he's had a few good opportunities come his way where he can do this kind of work more regularly.
Meanwhile, I am back in the workplace, I've been a month working for a fast-growing national property management franchise based out of Layton--it's a 25 year old company that needs help keeping up with how fast they are growing in this market of increasing rentals. I was hired by a new president who was brought in to turn everything around and prepare them to go global. I'm his right hand as the marketing director and am tasked with putting a lot of new programs in place, a lot of web-based franchise support. The good news is I don't have anything on my plate that I haven't done before, so even with the intense pace I don't have to worry about not knowing what I'm doing. And, at the same time, they've never hired well in the past, so my normal is their Quetzalcoatl. That's always a plus.
From the first day it was an intense, career-minded position. In the spirit of stability and paying off student loans and the house, I think I'll be working a long time, so I might as well claw my way up the ladder, right? They've never had a woman in management before, but my bosses like me and things are going well. I'm very grateful that David is so supportive and that we've been able to be such a team keeping the family going. Before I got this job I was working hard to build my freelance clientele, so for good or bad, that means I often come home from work, eat dinner, and then work until bed on side jobs.
I feel very calm about the kids, because we prayed for the right answer--oh did we pray!-- and this was the only real option that presented itself. I think the kids will do well in school and are happy simply because normality is being restored.
Lucy is going into kindergarten in a couple of weeks. She's scheduled to go to the local elementary mornings and a play school in the afternoons, but I'm hoping she'll end up getting the lottery into the charter school that Sophie and Noah have gotten into. As much as I love Capitol Hill, having them on the longer, normal school schedule and the whole free thing is what we need, and I really like this school--I can take them in on the way to work. They are so excited--they actually start school this Wednesday. Ben, of course, will stay at Capitol Hill and bus down there each day. We're going to try out two afternoon classes in addition here at the local Jr. High--trumpet and art.
David and I both got called into teaching--I'm in RS and he's in priesthood. We both had to teach the chastity lesson today. A good laugh was had by all.
That's us in a nutshell. I do hope to write just a bit more often on Sundays when I get a moment to breathe.
Love to all,
Valerie
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