the one about my first day of unemployment

First of all, THANK YOU to all of you who have left me such wonderful comments and words of encouragement. Except for yours, Chad! ;) Just kidding, it was awesome too!

I am so grateful for all of my fantastic friends who support me and don't think I am a creepy harasser. I actually am a little bit of a harasser, but only to those that I love. Never to the super prev-o freak of the universe. ANYWAY...... Thanks again for standing behind me.

My first day in the wonderful world of unemployment consisted of many crazy things. I would like to share them with you.

I started a contest with Tara to see who could go the longest without showering before their husband finally comments.

I waxed, plucked and tweezed my eyebrows for 2 hours. They are perfect, symmetrical, swollen and bright red.

Watched the Sex and the City movie twice and Juno once.

Dodged the J.W.'s

Started another contest with Tara to see who could go back to sleep after the kids were gone and sleep the longest.

Compared laundry piles with Tara to see whose was the biggest. (She won only because she has more kids than me!)

Watched my stories.

Began another contest with Tara where we both ate an entire can of corn for breakfast and we will see who SPOTS it first, if you know what I mean.

Be-Dazzled some stuff.

Put my Holiday Inn name tag in the garbage disposal.

Called a plumber.

Started singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" to Tara. She told me, "Don't quit your day job." Then we paused, looked at each other and began to laugh.... BECAUSE WE DID QUIT OUR DAY JOBS!!

Made up this crazy list of things, most of them being false, and blogged it.

I think I am actually going to enjoy not working. Tara and I have big plans of all of the things we want to do. Kandice and I are ready to hang out again. In fact, we have a "date" Tuesday. She has a Doctors appointment in Roosevelt and I am going with her. We are going to have lunch and go to Alco! Yeah!! I ran into Leisa at Wal-Mart today and I was telling her that since Quayd went to Kindergarten, I have been working. Besides occasional days off, I haven't really been home all day while he has been at school. I have been so afraid that I would freak out while he was gone. I think I underestimate myself. I am a very busy person and I have so many things I love to do. I never really get bored. I think I will be just fine. I don't want to work anymore. Not for awhile, anyway. I am excited to get back into my card making, scrapbooking and digital scrapbooking. I have a pile of books I want to read and I need to get back in the habit of working out. I have several home improvement projects I need to start on, and 2 unfinished quilts. I am so excited for all of the free time, that won't really be free time since I already see my schedule filling up. Thank you again everyone for your kind words and encouragement. I love you all!

the one about good deals at Holiday Inn Hotels

This is the new promo that Holiday Inn is doing. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT!!! Pass it on to any one you know!

Great News! I've enrolled in the IHG Friends and Family program and am now able to offer you discounted hotel stays. As a friend or family member, you now have access to special hotel rates only available to friends and family of IHG employees! Information and rules for booking the rate are available on the program web site accessible through the link below.

CLICK HERE

Getting started is easy:

* Click on the link to enter the exclusive booking site
* Book a Friends & Family rate by May 31, 2009 at any of the over 4,100 IHG hotels anywhere in the world - including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites hotels.
* Download the voucher - which you must present at check-in
* Enjoy your trip!

*The Friends and Family rate is only available through the above link. You must use the link provided to make your reservation or you will not get the discount.

Feel free to share this with other friends, but if you forward the email to anyone else, please make sure they know to use the link to get the discount.

Regards and have fun traveling

the one about being employee of the month

I have to brag just a little bit. I feel kinda stupid for talking about it though, but I am pretty excited and proud of myself so I am going to do it anyway.

I am Employee of the Month at the Hotel! The way you get selected is by your co-workers nominations. So that makes me feel even more special. Tara and I made a poster, had it laminated and every month we just change the name, month and pictures. So this month, I get to see my name and pictures on it. Here are some of the things people said about me.
"I would chose Mandy for her humor and the way she treats everyone."
"Mandy. she always has a smile and says good morning as you walk through the door. She's awesome"
"Mandy for employee of the month. She made me feel really comfortable and taught me a lot!"

Isn't that so nice?? I am sorry to sound boastful. This was just really exciting for me. My job is so fun and I am so happy to be recognized by my peers for the work I do. THANKS HIEx!!!!

the one about Valentine's Day

Brett and I are not super duper lovey dovey kind of people. I like snuggling, holding hands and all of that stuff, but only in the privacy of our own home. We are TOTALLY not into PDA's (public display of affection). I much rather have a little note or something than flowers. I don't like all of the cheesy teddy bears and stuff either. I like to eat out sometimes, but I hate crowded places and I really hate waiting a long time. Brett would say ditto to all of the things I just said. So when it comes to Valentine's Day we just don't really get into it. We usually stay home and I cook a big, super fancy dinner for all three of us. I can't imagine taking Quayd to a sitter while Brett and I have fun without him. We always get him a little gift, but don't like to spend money on each other. (This year Quayd got the movie "Space Buddies," a new BIONICLE, and a huge Hershey's kiss.) Anyway, this Valentine's was going to be no different. We had some movies to watch and we were just gonna veg out. I had to work from 8-3. At three, my replacement was supposed to come. 3:00 came and went. 3:30... nothing.... 4:00, 4:30.... Nothing. I realized I was gonna be stuck there all night. I called Brett and told him and Quayd to come to the hotel, we would stay the night and hang out. I had to be to work again at 8:00 the next morning anyway. Quayd had been playing with Amelia and he wanted her to come too, so they loaded up all of their stuff and joined me at the hotel. We called Wingers, Brett picked it up and we ended up having a pretty good night, considering the circumstances. When I got off work, I was so tired! We had asphalt pie from Wingers that we put in the freezer, so we ate that, exchanged our gifts (I'll tell you about that in a second), took a shower and went to sleep. It was a nice, quiet evening at the hotel so that was nice. Brett and Quayd were able to come into the back, eat with me and hang out. And we only had a few interruptions. Not the way I had planned to spend Valentine's Day, but it was ok.

Now let me tell you about our gifts. A few weeks ago, my friend Alison posted on her blog about 6 word memoirs. It is basically summing up your life in 6 words. It is so much fun. These can be silly, sweet, sad, anything. Just stick to 6 words. Here is a little snippet from the book.

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Starting in 2006, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking our readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).

Our newest book, Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak, is a roller-coaster ride through the complexities of the human heart. It's just $10 — bring it instead of a bottle of wine to your next party.

Click here to read Alison's post. Also, you have to check out this website. SO COOL!

Anyway, Brett came home the other day and asked if I had read Alison's blog yet. I had not, so he told me all about it. He was so excited about it and insisted that we do this for each other this year. I was all for it. Brett doesn't like people to see his soft side. Of course, I have seen it. I promise it is there! But he has written me some beautiful letters before. He is VERY good with words. Before he had talked to me, he had already started writing his. The deal was that we had to write 10 for each other. These are the rules. At least one had to be funny, and at least one had to be serious. And because we are us.... at least one had to be dirty. ;D So on Saturday night, I got finished with work, and headed for the hotel room. I ended up getting adjoining rooms, so Quayd and Amelia were in one, us in the other. We got the kids all settled down for the night, then we shared our 6 word memoirs. We just took turns. Some of them were awesome, so I wanted to share. Don't worry. I will leave the dirty ones out!! I have to warn you though... Brett's are SO much better than mine. He was SO good at this. He is a man of few words. I, on the other hand... well, woman of MANY words, to say the least.

Mine:
being mother to your son... extraordinary.
disliked, liked, married. fell in love.
baby boy. greatest blessing. toughest trial.
carried baby. gave you a gift.
big boobs. small brain. your wife.


His:
I only have one true friend.
a promise to never ever leave.
measuring my love in light years.
only one kid. please stop asking.
days spent crying. can't parent alone.
new baby. death bed. true love.
days spent laughing, lifetime spent together.
best thing for me since me. (that is SO Brett!)

Aren't his so great! He rocks.

I love this idea. I think it is so much fun. It really makes you think about those defining moments in your life. I wanted to go search for this book for Brett, but I just didn't have time. This was such a good gift! I loved it. It meant more to me than any flowers, chocolate or a romantic evening alone. Our evening was spent just the way I would want it. Laying in bed, Quayd in the next room and us trying not to wake him because we were laughing so hard at some of the ones we had written. Then we made up a few more. So much fun! And that was our night. I was so tired from working a double, so I crashed.

It was one of the most memorable Valentine's Days EVER. Thank you Brett. Will you be mine? Forever?

the one about my career shadow

Several weeks ago, Brayden asked me if he could career shadow me. I was so flattered that he would even ask. Of course, I was ecstatic and couldn't wait for the day to come around. Well, it finally came. It was last Thursday, Feb. 5th. He came to my house a few minutes before 8:00 and we headed off to work. It was just a typical day for me. I have a lot of paperwork and reports to run in the mornings. I also have to check all arrivals, assign rooms etc. So there wasn't a lot of cool stuff going on in the morning so we put Brayd-O to work. We have all of this old paperwork that needs to be organized and shredded. I showed him what to do and he rocked it. He worked really hard and I was so proud of him. Later in the afternoon, I took him to lunch. I offered to take him home after we ate, but he was excited to come back to work. I was able to take him on a big tour of the hotel. I showed him how everything worked, where the laundry is washed, how to make keys and all kinds of other stuff. He said that he was surprised at how much really goes on in a Hotel. He had to do a worksheet at the end of the day telling what he thought of his job. He said he liked it and might consider doing something like that as a career. I had to evaluate him as an employee and he got a big fat A from his "boss!" He really did a great job. I was so proud to have him there with me. He is so special to me. I adore him and I am so glad he likes me enough to want to come hang out with me at work. We giggled all day! He is so much fun. In the morning, my boss was asking him a bunch of random questions. then she said something to the effect of "If she gives you an A, Mandy will probably be your favorite Aunt." He just looked at her, put his arm around me and said, "WHATEVER! She is already my favorite Aunt!" It made me so happy. He is the BEST!

Poor kid got his braces on the day before, so he was pretty sore. He could only eat soft foods, but he did really well. He complained of pain a couple of times, but truly, he did AWESOME! Is he cute or what?

the one about Gavin's Birthday

I feel terrible that I haven't posted this yet. I don't know how I managed to skip it, but better late than never, I guess.

When I first started working at the Hotel, Kandice asked me if I could get her some kind of a deal for Gavin's Birthday party. I told her I could probably swing something. Apparently, Gavin has wanted to stay at the Hotel since he could see it being built. He would ask his mom every time they drove by if they could stay there. Of course it is foolish to pay to stay in a Hotel in your own town so they never did. Well as his Birthday grew nearer, I was able to work something out. One condition, of course.... I could invite myself to the party! The only guests Gavin wanted were his big sister Hallie and my little Quayd. We got adjoining rooms and Kandice and her kids stayed in one, Quayd and I in the other. We had Chinese food for dinner; Gavin's choice. Then the kids swam at the pool, played games, watched a movie, played with Gav's new toys, ate tons of snacks, played with their DS's and just had a great time. The next morning, they went to the Dinosaur Museum. It was probably one of the best parties ever. Kandice and I even had fun!

Kandice is such a great friend to me. I love her more than she will ever know. I treasure her friendship!!!! So that is why I couldn't pass up this opportunity to hook her up. I got the rooms for free so it was no big deal to me. I am just so glad I actually had something I could offer her. She would do anything for me, and I hope she knows I would do it right back for her.

Here are a few pix of the fun night.

the one about the snow day

We had a CRAZY storm that started Sunday evening. We got close to a foot of snow in one night. There was so much snow we could bearly get out of our driveway. The roads were so slick! There was even an accident that involved a school bus and a police car! I got Quayd off to school and headed for work. It took me 20 minutes to get to work! I live less than 2 miles away. Anyway, just as I got there, I heard some news on the radio that we NEVER seem to hear in our neck of the woods..... They were closing school and declaring it a

SNOW DAY!

My boss, Tara and I all decided to avoid the confusion later and just go pick our kids up. We set aside a couple of rooms at the hotel and brought all of the kids here. I even picked up Brayden and Brennen. They were so excited! They got to swim, we ordered pizza and they just had fun hanging out. Tara and I were still able to work, and it is a good thing. We were so busy. So many people had to change travel plans because of the storm. The kids did come to visit us at the desk. They wanted treats and Quayd needed Q-tips. Our buddy Spencer even came down to enjoy the fun! These are taken in the breakfast roon during our pizza party.
And these are some pictures from their room.

They took a snow day at Airgas too so Brett came down to swim and play too.

the one about "shark boy" and the Dentist

My title sounds like some kind of a superhero cartoon episode! After you hear all about this... you will agree with me that my little shark boy IS a superhero.

Let me explain "shark boy." Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about Quayd's freaky teeth? I got a few comments telling me that it is not all that uncommon. I googled it and found some information. Some people call it "shark teeth" when that happens. Ever since I read that, we have been calling Quayd "Shark boy." I took him to the Dentist a couple of weeks ago, but since Quayd is so scared of the dentist, and he had a good amount of work to be done, they referred us to a specialist. Our Dentist was able to send all of the x-rays and stuff to the specialist, so we only had to see him once. That was so great to not have to travel out of town twice. Our appointment was Tuesday morning at 7:00 am. We went out on Monday and stayed, WHERE ELSE??? Holiday Inn Express. This is pretty funny... When i was checking in at the hotel, I asked if they had any King beds available. Quayd and I LOVE to sleep together in a nice big bed. The cute girl upgraded us to a King Suite. When we got to our room, Quayd looks around and noticed a nice big jetted tub. He immediately stripped down and hopped in the tub! Then he said, "That girl really hooked us up!" He had a nice big bubble bath going, then he realized that he could see the tv from the tub, so he had me turn on Sponge Bob. He sat in there watching cartoons until his water got cold.
Anyway, we made it to the Dentist bright and early. This guy was SO amazing, by the way. We loved him!!! The anesthesiologist was great to. Because Quayd is so scared, we decided to knock him out and get all of the work done. It only took about 45 minutes for the actual surgery. They took him to recovery and I was able to go sit with him. I HATED seeing him all knocked out. He was hooked up to monitors that kept beeping and stuff. Everything was ok, but it was still stressing me out. They told me it would be another 30-45 minutes before ho would wake up. They had the recovery room loaded with snacks and drinks for mom! I was too nervous to eat, but it was nice to have an ice cold bottle of water! I felt like I couldn't leave his side. I really hated that part. I was able to take my camera to recovery. (They wouldn't let me sneak into surgery, so sorry. No gross pictures on this post.) Here he is in recovery, before he woke up.
Sad, huh. They had to extract a molar. They packed it with gauze and tied floss to it so he wouldn't swallow it. As soon as he woke up, they took it out. Actually, he spit it out! It was a sick tooth. It has been for a long time. He has had a root canal and a few fillings, but they finally decided it couldn't be saved. The new tooth won't come in for awhile, so they had to put in a spacer. He also had to get some "silver teeth." While they were in there, they pulled the baby teeth in the front. So he had 3 extractions.
The big one was so nasty. You can kind of see all of the decay. He was so funny in recovery. He was saying such funny things! he is such a goof ball, even when he is drugged up! Before he started to wake up, they told me to talk to him and try to get him talking to me. He hadn't really responded much. I told him that I was there and that I had Bear Blank. I rubbed his face with Bear Blank and he smiled. It was so cute! And funny. He still loves his Bear Blank! He woke up a few minutes later. Shark boy was excited to leave his teeth under his pillow. He was worried that she wouldn't find them all though, so he put the in a ziplock baggie. The tooth fairy was excited!!! This was her first visit to our home. And boy, did she deliver!!! He got one 2 dollar bill and one gold dollar for each tooth. Nine dollars total. He was so excited! When he woke up, he looked under his pillow, but didn't find anything. He thought she must have forgotten. I asked if the teeth were still there but he said they weren't. I told him to look really good. Well, the money had fallen behind his bed. He found it and was so excited. Later, he was telling Brett how he couldn't find the money. Then he told him, "I thought 'What a rip off!' She took the teeth but didn't leave a payment!"

The little gap in the front is so cute! Of course, there are already teeth there to replace them, but they aren't up where they are supposed to be. Just since yesterday though, they have moved WAY forward. He just looks so cute and big! Here is a picture of when we first noticed the teeth coming to the surface. (See the rotten one at the top left? That is the one they pulled.) Here they are a few weeks later. And here he is being annoyed with his mom for taking so many pictures! Here are the shark teeth the night before surgery. Here is the after picture. I feel so bad that he has had so much trouble with his teeth already. I promise we brush twice a day!!! And do fluoride!! I have been so proud of him. He has been so tough and brave. He has not really even complained about pain or anything. He is such a good boy. Cute little shark boy.

the one about the New Year

Happy New Year!!!
I know, I know. I haven’t been very good about blogging lately. I don’t know what it is, but my life just hasn’t slowed down. I keep thinking that it will any day now, but it’s just not. Anyway, blogging is truly one of my favorite things in the world so I am trying so hard not to get too far behind in my blogging world.
I don’t really have any good reasons, but I am excited to start a new year. 2008 was a good year for us. I was so excited for 2008 to start, because 2007 was so rough. Mike passed away, Brett had his motorcycle accident and I lost my wedding ring. So 2008 came and now it is gone. I know this might seem weird, but I have always welcomed change. I love to experience new things and I don’t really freak out when big changes come my way. I look forward to the future and anxiously await new things. I am not really big on “resolutions,” so I don’t generally set them. Of course I have the standard ones… Lose weight, get healthy, be more organized, blah blah blah. But instead of worrying about what I will and will not do in 2009, I would like to reflect on 2008.
Here are just a few things that happened in our little world last year.
Quayd started indoor soccer, and later started AYSO soccer. He found a new love for this sport and really has no desire to try any others.
We got TONS of snow in 2008. It was the longest winter in the whole world!!
I joined the working world again. I hadn’t worked since before Quayd was born, so it was a huge lifestyle change for all of us. It has been good though. I substitute taught for awhile, worked in lunch lady land and now I am at the Holiday Inn Express. In fact, I remember mentioning a few months ago about a possible promotion. I got it by the way. I am the Front Office Manager. It has brought many new responsibilities, but I am loving it. Schedule is still good. I am home before Quayd gets off the bus.
We had major construction in our front yard this summer. They filled in our ditch and we got a sidewalk, grass and our own driveway.
I got a new bike!!!
Brett took and passed the EMT class. YEAH Brett!
I got my very first iPod. I have since upgraded from an iPod shuffle to and iPod touch.
I went to the Panic at the Disco concert in SLC.
Quayd rode his 4-Wheeler ALL SUMMER!!!!!
My friend Janice moved clear across the country to Kentucky. L
We took a weeklong vacation to Lagoon. We took our camp trailer and Brayden and had a blast!!
We all loved watching the 2008 Olympics.
Quayd started first grade.
My Great-Grandma Karren passed away.
Quayd turned 6!!!!
Brett and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary.
Brett spent 10 days in Washington DC.
I turned 30!
Ga got super sick and spent weeks in the hospital. It took quite a toll on all of us, especially her, but I am glad to say she is doing much better now.
Brett’s brother Brandon and his wife Brynn had a new baby, Brycen. And he is SO cute!!!!
Itty Bitty Kitty. Nuff said.
So that is kind of our year in a nut shell. We are excited to see what 2008 brings our way. Thank you for reading my blog. I promise that in 2009 I will try to be better about keeping everything current. But that is not a resolution!!!!

the one about some Christmas happenings

Holy crap. I am so sorry to all of my faithful blog fans that I haven't posted in 2 1/2 weeks. I think that is the longest it has ever been in between posts. I am super sorry. I have been so busy. Like so busy in fact, that I have barely had time to stalk all of you. So now that I have spent a few days catching up on all of your lives, I can catch you up on mine.

Quayd had his first grade Christmas program last week. It was so cute! All of the classes sang some songs together, but then each class did something alone. They were able to perform and make it more personal. Quayd's class did a puppet show to the 12 Days of Christmas. They went through the whole song with their puppets and it was SO CUTE! I don't want you to have to watch the whole thing, so here it is starting at 12 and going down. Quayd is "4 calling birds."

The crazy kid at the end is Quayd's buddy Rylan. He is a nut!!! We love him!

We also had Quayd's class party. I love to help with the parties and stuff, so thanks to my rockin' boss, I was able to leave work for awhile and go help.




Another big event was the Holiday Inn Christmas party. Of course, Tara and I planned it. We wouldn't have had a party otherwise. Tara and I pushed for it, therefore got stuck with it. It was ok though. We had lots of fun. We played BINGO and we even had some sweet prizes. Tara and I went to tons of local businesses and worked out some trades. They gave us gift certificates, we gave them a free night stay. That worked out awesome! We also did a white elephant gift exchange, pot luck, and an ugly Christmas outfit contest. There were only like 5 people that dressed up. Brett and I were 2 of them. I am sorry for the obscenity. Brett "grabbed something" right before the picture was taken, and that was the only picture we got. Yes, we are wearing sequined berets. This is Spencer's hot outfit. He totally won, by the way.
And here are a few more random pictures of the party.



We also had the Galley Christmas party the other night. It was fun, as usual. Santa came and brought all of the kids pajamas. It is always fun to see all of the Galley's and it is such a treat to have the Gardiner's come from Castledale. Poor Amy. She had some weird allergic reaction to something and started swelling and itching everywhere. Rhonda actually had to take her to the hospital and she had to stay over night. It was totally weird. Poor girl. If it is going to happen to someone though, it would be her!!!! Love ya Amy!!!

I don't want to go into details because my heart is totally broken over this, as well as Quayd's heart, but we no longer have Itty Bitty Kitty. She just couldn't get over the peeing on the bed thing. It actually got way worse. We tried EVERYTHING!! Anyway, I don't really want to talk about it so I never will again. Please don't ask. And DON'T bring it up to Quayd!!!!!! End of story. I do want to share these cute pictures of cute little Itty with her brother Winston at the Galley's house when I was helping Tara decorate her trees.



A couple of weeks ago, I was over at Aunt Debbie's decorating her tree. Quayd noticed a picture of Brett's dad. I just watched him, to see how he would react. He stood there staring for a few minutes, in silence. He didn't say a word, but went on playing. I didn't bring it up, but on our way home, he said, "Mom, can we go up to the cemetery and decorate Papa's grave?" Of course I said yes. We had bought some things to take up there, so we came home, got the stuff and headed to the cemetery. I am always so amazed at Quayd's reverence there. He gets it. He is such a special kid. We worked hard to decorate it just how Quayd wanted it. Whenever we go there, and its time to leave, Quayd always kneels down and tells Papa that he loves him. Its so awesome. This is our work. Obviously this was a couple of weeks ago because now we have almost 6" of snow on the ground! Our flags are still there from Veteran's Day. I am so glad that Quayd remembers his Papa. He was 1 day away from being 5 when Mike died, so really, he could have gone either way. I don't think it is coincidence that he remembers him so well. He even remembers a lot about the funeral. We talked about it in the car on the way home that day. So amazing. What a great kid. How in the world did I ever deserve him? Even though there are SO many differences between Mary and I, I always think of her at this time of year and how lucky she must have felt to be the mother of the savior. What a sacrifice she made. Being a mom is the greatest blessing ever, and like Mary, I was blessed with the sweetest, kindest most beautiful son ever.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!