Competitor Schools

I finally took David to my former school - it only took more than a year of marriage before I finally "dragged" him there.  Seriously!  But he was a good sport eventually :)  We went really to see the Carl Bloch pictures (famous paintings of the Savior from Denmark flown in for an exhibit) and it was Amazing!

I took the opportunity to walk around campus and soak in the memories.  I had some really great years there and while I'm glad I'm not back in school, I do miss those fun times a bit.  David had about enough that he could handle, it's not that he doesn't like BYU as the school, just some of the people who live there are a bit quirky to him...  Hello! I was living there for 4+ years!!  And he married me :)

A month later David took me to his school, I haven't had the grand tour yet (I know it's coming soon...) But we celebrated an accomplishment from his school too!  He has one more year till his U of U graduation, but he's finished with his Institute classes so we attended that event!  (Lucky it was only an hour unlike some school graduations huh?)  I'm proud he made it a priority to attend institute classes while attending school; we even had the opportunity to take a couple classes together - it was a nice date nice...

Way to go David!!  

And it's nice that even though we did go to schools that absolutely hate each other, that we're bigger than that and support them both - right? :)  Except during the games where they are against each other...

Wise Man or Foolish Man???

I taught a lesson in Primary about building upon the ROCK of the gospel.... They've heard the story and sung to it lots and lots so it was easy to show the symbolism especially with a big rock on the table! he he.  But the best part for me was I had them write down why Christ is their rock and how they can stay firm on that rock.  Going around the room they shared the most precious statements about how they are loved by him, they want to follow him and it just touched me!  Awe!!  I guess Primary isn't horrible some of the time...
* Did I mention that I teach a class of 8-11yr olds and David comes in and helps teach too?  Yeah hopefully we don't get too scarred by this or they aren't too scarred by us...

Sort of related to that... all that singing of "the rains came down and the floods came up..."  And now its surely flooding over here in the desert state of Utah.  Actually it happened last year but again we're having lots of rain with really high and then low temperatures which means the snow will melt and run down and then flood the valleys!!  Last year David helped with the sandbags, I'm guessing we'll need to get out those muddy shoes again huh?

Where is the real Spring??  I can't handle all this wind and rain and cold for much longer!  But there have been a few days that come out a bit brighter...  David and I went to a wedding reception up at some gardens, it was beautiful but yet I couldn't help thinking - these aren't all the flowers are they?  Maybe they just haven't popped their heads out yet?  I guess it's not East Coast DC huh? Here's us with the patch of beauties that smelled wonderfully!

Okay and sort of related... I was planning to put this picture up but didn't.  Below we took this conference morning on April 3rd.  Can you believe it keeps snowing here?!!  Like this morning it did too, and then by the evening it was sunny and totally different.  Yeah, I just can't wait for the real Summery weather I guess...  But the tulips are still beautiful at least :)

Teeth Studying

Well, just an update on David's life... He's studying extra hard for the DAT (Dental Test), besides the fact that he still has regular undergrad classes, working, and trying to figure out what dental schools to apply to...  He's signed up for Friday May 13th to take the dental test.  And yes... I totally encouraged Friday the 13th!!  Hopefully it brings good luck :)

I'm so proud of my baby and all that he's doing.  If you happen to be thinking or praying and want to add him to your list, I'd appreciate it!  He's going to do GREAT with all of the studying and practice tests that he's doing.  What does this mean for me???  Well, it means I don't get to see him much or almost at all...  But the little free time he does have, he gives it all to me!  He should take some time for Wii Mario but unless we do that on the weekend nights (date nights) together, he doesn't even remember we have Mario games too much.  Yeah, that definitely proves he's very focused right now!!

So for me I get to work on projects around the house and find other activities to do, I'm doing okay with my independent time, but I can't wait to have my David back!!!  One project completed was combining all our emails and journal for the before and first year of marriage and putting it into a book - that has been a long project but definitely worth it!

If you need a girlfriend to hang with... let me know :)  And if you happen to have passed the DAT recently and want to help a brother out... do let David know he's going to do just fine! :)

Happy May 13th!!  And next up... June 1st we will be submitting our applications to our top dental schools ---- the list of schools we've picked ---- to come later this month -----

Crazy Work

So you think that my work would have calmed down a little over the past few months with having enrollment over with and the company settling down with their new owners.... well, you or I was wrong!!

I've been going a bit crazy for the past few months dealing with all the CHANGES that come with a company spinning-out and becoming on their own independent. It would work if the company was ONE person, but with all of the different opinions, new hires coming in to make changes, advisors, management changes... it's just HARD. I could think of a lot of other words that also aren't nice, but I'm trying to be optimistic. "It will get better, just give it a few months" "Someday people will see that their ideas aren't going to work" "Just ignore the annoying people Andrea argh"... Wish I could say that these thoughts were helping. By the end of March I was fed up. The hardest part has been the new finance department. Remember how I graduated in Finance?!?!?!? Yeah well watching that department in chaos I'm glad I'm not doing finance now :) Basically they are creating new rules, each person different rules/forms etc and then not communicating it out and expecting us all to know what to do. And then for paying bills they come to us and ask us a million questions before paying.... Frustrating! Anyway I was so fed up that I asked my boss to help fix it... which she may have tried but the day after I found out...

She's quitting!! Yeah, my boss of 3 years just quit!! Well, she's been there over 6 years, making good $$, but now changed her manager to the CFO and within a few months she's DONE. Yeah, guess that says a lot about our company at the moment. Anyway, it's just hard. Plus I have liked my boss and with her moving out that's just another change I have to adjust to, and the potential VP's so far aren't promising and I don't work well with them....

So I'm in a funk and hoping to either successfully persuade myself that things will be looking up soon or option 2... find something new. Guess we'll see what happens...

90 Years

Grandpa Clark turned 90 years old a couple months ago and I am barely posting the photos...  We definitely celebrated more than once for this feat!  With my brother and sister in law we took him out to Bennihana's - we always seem to find an excuse to get us that good food!  He loved watching the cooks and getting out of the house.  Later that week we invited him over for dinner and a movie at our home.  See, last August he moved in with David's parents and while it has been a better situation with a heated home and grandkids all around, he still needs to get out and have his own life still right?  I would!  He requested vegetable soup and so I attempted that, actually with cans... ha ha.  And next he picked the movie the Inception - which we had to explain the whole way through.  But it was great to be around him and hopefully brighten his day.  He's just the cutest older man EVER!  I love his stories and his attitude on life.  We also celebrated with the Clarks for a Sunday dinner and a surprise party for him and those who are still around, he loved it.  Being around our grandparents lately has been great to learn from them and laugh together.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Clark!!

Visiting Grandma

Since living in Utah I've been lucky to live a lot closer to my Grandma in Bountiful.  I probably haven't visited her as much as I could throughout the years...  But they're always good visits and usually funny memories.  Many times it's when my dad's visiting Utah himself or with some of our family.  Other times it's to pick Grandma up so we can fly to AZ together.  And even other times I just stop by when I happen to be around Bountiful or when I owe Grandma a trip to Sizzler :)  She loves that place!

It's always great to visit because it really brightens Grandma's days.  I recall when I'd call just to chat she'd always ask when I was coming to visit.  And when I'd visit she'll pull out her many projects or show off her flowers just like visiting when I was a kid over the summers.  David & I even visited Grandma on one of our first dates after a wedding reception in Bountiful.  I could tell Grandma liked him, probably because she told me over and over what a handsome man he was :)

Anyway, lately I've tried to stop by a bit more to check on Grandma for one reason or another.  She's losing a lot of her memory but still loves a visit.  I honestly can't believe she lives alone at 94 (?) - she really does need some in house care or something, but until then her son in Utah visits and when he can't I do.  Last time I took off a whole day of work, slept in while David had spring break, and then I headed out to see grandma in the afternoons as she seems to go to bed so early these days.  I check to make sure she has food, take out the trash, check her pills, and take her out for a real meal.  Last time I visited she had itchy arms and we washed and put cortisone cream all over.  This time I realized her phone wasn't working (which her sons call her like daily so that's not going to work!) so I proceeded to search for a Target and buy a cheep corded house phone.  Grandma was funny asking me if we should ask a "man" and was so surprised that I could "install" it.  hehehe.

Even though grandma may have to ask me who I am, or where we are when we're driving around Bountiful, where her keys are or she may have even cut down the neighbors tree - lost memory - it's great to visit her!  I know that service makes everyone feel good, and when it's your family that you get to serve and help or just make smile and laugh sometimes - it's worth it.  I know within a day she may not remember I stopped by, but I think it makes her time a little brighter at least.  It makes my time a lot brighter.  I wish I could hear more about her past life, but the smiles and laughter we have is enough for now.  Grandma, you're the best!

Whoops...

Just had to add this to our many memories... The story: We pulled up to our home but needed to move the green car off of the driveway and swap with white car in the middle of the street. One of us was rushing (as the other requested) and left the white car in the street and got into the green car to back it out. While backing out that one person still rushing, accidently crunched the side mirror into the tree! The other person watching from the street... hoping all was okay and yep all was... except for the whole side mirror!!!! Glad everyone was okay though, easy mistake.

Nothing that can't be fixed. Poor green car... now though it's new and beautifully painted, it looks a lot better than the rest of the car!

Which one of us did it?? Well, lets just say he won't be named :)