Just wanted to show off...

my ADORABLE son AND my sister-in-law's AMAZING talent!

We spent Christmas with the Dorffs and while there Mark's more than talented sister, Evaly, took pictures of Parker. You can see them on her photography blog here.

Remembering

Six years ago today I was in Naperville, IL a western suburb of Chicago, my companion was Elder Dixon. We were laughing while drinking hot chocolate excited by the presents under our tiny one foot tree. The phone rang and I answered. It was the Mission President, he had talked to my family and my Grandpa Dorff had passed away.

It was back in August of 2002, that I sat alone with my grandfather and his wheelchair and oxygen tank. My grandpa told me how proud he was of me for wanting to serve, for putting the lord first and to make these years count. We both knew he probably wouldn't see me come home in two years. As we hugged I said I loved him, and said he loved me too.

I know it's ok to miss him, but there is so much more I would tell him. All about Christy and little Parker, how I'm doing in school and what I'm trying to become. I'd tell him all about my mission and ask him if he wanted to weed the garden and just talk. While I know this would all be very special to me, I'd just like it if I could say one more time... I love him, and he'd say he loved me too.

Movin on Up!

So, this kind of made me laugh because more than once as I've presented myself at the doors of families I've been asked how old I am. One time, when scheduling an appointment over the phone with a new family I told her I couldn't do a certain time because I would be in class. When I arrived at her home she asked me what my credentials were becuase she thought I was a high school student doing some sort of volunteer program. She felt somewhat silly upon discovering I was working on a masters degree, not a high school diploma. None the less, I was the youngest in my masters program, and now I will be the youngest in my new position- by about 10 years.

I've been offered and accepted a position to move into management for the program I currently work for. I took the position on Monday and haven't really slept since because I've been so excited. The most exciting part is that I'm building a team from scratch. We didn't previously serve the Apache Junction area, BUT we will now so we're putting together a new team. I get to train five new social workers! That's like getting to do five times the amount of good in this community. (Well, if you consider AJ part of your community.)

So they held all the interviews in one day, and I was the first one. They had an applicant in mind, there were applicants with the same amount of education as me, and applicants with more years of experience... apparently, I said something right.

As if the holidays aren't busy enough I've just gotten about twice as busy. I'm wrapping things up with the families I've been meeting with for over three years now (very emotional work) all the while working with my new boss to put together a new site and team.

To help in the coordination we've decided to make my Christmas present a new phone. Its a bit more than we usually spend of gifts so Mark's considering it a Merry Christmas/Congratulations present. This'll be my new lifeline in a few days:

Check your reflexes

Like many other American’s I was proud to see our president “bob and weave” avoiding size 10 shoes flying at his face out of mere instinct. Could you imagine that picture if a shoe had smacked the middle of his face? That would have been damaging to the American image. Before you know it, rouge nations around the world would be hurling shoes at Americans taking advantage of our poor reflexes. Nevertheless, our president held his own.

The whole incident reminded me of a Friend’s clip of Joey vs. Ross. I scoured the whole internet to find you it so you better watch it! While there are a bunch of joke’s during the clip I just love Ross’s deer in the head lights faces as they remind me of my own lack of reflexes :)

Little of This, Little of That

I'm posting pictures of the things that have kept us from blogging lately.

The little things that have put a smile on my face!

my favorite: