update

has it really been 20 odd days since my last post?! well friends,time for an update! i'm probably going to do this in pieces, so bear with me.

first and foremost, i am employed again--or will be come monday. it's both a blessing and a miracle, and i couldn't be more grateful. when i found out in june? july? i would be laid off, i immediately began my job search, and the results were of some concern. there simply weren't very many opportunities. though i diligently sent my resume off whenever one would pop up, and began networking like never before, mostly i just prayed:) i also began getting my financial house in better order to prepare for the possibility of being out of work for an indefinite amount of time.

imagine my surprise and pleasure at receiving a phone call for an interview on my first official day of joblessness. the company was one i had applied at nearly two months prior, and to have that one phone call turn into a job offer within two weeks, was beyond my wildest imaginings. perhaps now you understand my gratitude.

i'll be doing events for a pet insurance company. don't laugh. alright, if you must. but truth be told, it's a pretty good fit for me. i am one of those crazy pet owners who would sell my car to pay for doggy chemo if needed, so for the first time in my career, i actually feel like i will be working for a company who not only better aligns with my own interests, but also makes a difference in people's lives. okay, stop laughing now.

i'll be honest, it's not my ideal job. though still in my industry, the bulk of my days will be spent coordinating the company's trade show presence throughout the country. in my mind, trade shows are the red-headed step child of event planning. but i also can't deny what a natural fit the company seems to be, and the warm fuzzies i got from the people there. and mostly, i just feel so fortunate that in this economy and in my industry, i was able to find a job so quickly. particularly as i was informed that 1) the company had already been through a round of interviews a month prior, but they did not find what they were looking for, 2) they received literally hundreds of resumes, some with a great deal more experience than me, and 3) the raised their salary level nearly 20k for me. if that is not a miracle, i don't know what is.

immediately upon accepting the offer, i made a very spur of the moment decision to take a road trip. i called jae in cedar city to ask her about hosting a house guest for a couple nights, and upon her acceptance, i started packing on got in my car.

about 6 hours later i arrived to find the door unlocked, and the air mattress blown up. i promptly crashed (as it was 3am) and the next morning awoke to three sweet faces.

virginia, calli, and deseret are jae and brady's adorable triplets, and i have to admit, not what i was expecting. for one thing, i expected noise, and these girls are the quietest shyest little ones i have ever met!



jae did a great job of recapping our time together here, but i will say that it was a fantastic way to start the trip. given that the last time we were in the same room together was at her wedding, there have been many changes since then! it was so nice to have an opportunity to spend time together, and of course, getting another stamp in my national parks passport was a nice bonus:)

cedar breaks national monument
(my friend accused me of having the same smile in every photo, so i tried something different here)

after bidding farewell to jae and the fam, i headed north to salt lake, not sure how long i would be there or what that time would hold. so completely out of character for me!

okay i'm tired. more later:) but there are tons and tons of pics here that you can start checking out!