" I believe America is destined to remain as it has been since the birth of the Republic- the brightest hope of the world. And for that belief, I do not apologize"
Mitt Romney
Monday, April 26, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
A new Job, house, family, State, first week
Well I have now put in my first solid week at Paradigm Tax Group. My feelings are so mixed about so many aspects of this change. It is so freaking hard to leave my daughter everyday until dinner. I suppose she will go to school in three years but that knowledge does little in keeping away my jealously of the role many women play out in this life. This first issue is such a big deal to me and it always haunts me that the whole world basically lives and dies away from the home. And that is without divorce or any other factors keeping parents from their children. I trust Cari will do an excellent job raising my family but I wish I was there. I envy farmers, writers and anyone else who figured out a way to spend a majority of their work time in and around their family.
As for the job itself, I am very surprised at the nature of the work. I knew going in that the company was a little more laid back than most and was doing quite well. However I was shocked to learn that I grossly underestimated just how relaxed an environment it is. This will be both a blessing and a curse. It looks like most of my motivation will need to be self generated. I don't consider myself a lazy person, but I am certainly no stranger to trying to find the easiest path in things. Over the coming weeks and months I think I will fall in love with the nine or less hour work day generally observed here. I just hope I can keep from becoming lax and not progressing.
Phoenix is a gorgeous city. I love the sky more then anything else and am enthralled by the different shades of blue seen everyday. Its nothing like snow capped mountains, but it still has an enigma of grandeur. Playing basketball three days a week is an excitement I haven't felt in many years since being on one or two intramural teams. By far the strangest change in everything is my age difference in all those around me. I won't point out all your ages because everyone would probably get offended:-) But I am the youngest employee by far at Paradigm, seem to be one of the younger Elders in the ward and it feels strange.
The house is wonderful and maybe more so because of its rent cost. We got our couches this week and other than a little picture hanging and such, I finally feel like it is home. We have only lived there a few weeks and already I wonder how I ever lived in less than 1,000 sqft. The house does feel empty and one room still is completely empty. The endless to-do list that comes with any house is a pain, but at the moment procrastination and excuses are still working just fine on the lady of the house so I can relax and enjoy the property.
Change in general is so very vital towards this life experience. Without it life is stale, lacks meaning and we get very little chance to work on bettering ourselves. This move was a very big step for the Jacob and Cari Wall family and so far it has proved to completely renew the feeling of life and adventure. The trials that are sure to follow will be small in comparison to all that we have gained and the future benefits Phoenix has to offer.
Here is a shout out to Bret and Tevia for making us feel so at home in a new State and the continued help of traversing this adventure together.
As for the job itself, I am very surprised at the nature of the work. I knew going in that the company was a little more laid back than most and was doing quite well. However I was shocked to learn that I grossly underestimated just how relaxed an environment it is. This will be both a blessing and a curse. It looks like most of my motivation will need to be self generated. I don't consider myself a lazy person, but I am certainly no stranger to trying to find the easiest path in things. Over the coming weeks and months I think I will fall in love with the nine or less hour work day generally observed here. I just hope I can keep from becoming lax and not progressing.
Phoenix is a gorgeous city. I love the sky more then anything else and am enthralled by the different shades of blue seen everyday. Its nothing like snow capped mountains, but it still has an enigma of grandeur. Playing basketball three days a week is an excitement I haven't felt in many years since being on one or two intramural teams. By far the strangest change in everything is my age difference in all those around me. I won't point out all your ages because everyone would probably get offended:-) But I am the youngest employee by far at Paradigm, seem to be one of the younger Elders in the ward and it feels strange.
The house is wonderful and maybe more so because of its rent cost. We got our couches this week and other than a little picture hanging and such, I finally feel like it is home. We have only lived there a few weeks and already I wonder how I ever lived in less than 1,000 sqft. The house does feel empty and one room still is completely empty. The endless to-do list that comes with any house is a pain, but at the moment procrastination and excuses are still working just fine on the lady of the house so I can relax and enjoy the property.
Change in general is so very vital towards this life experience. Without it life is stale, lacks meaning and we get very little chance to work on bettering ourselves. This move was a very big step for the Jacob and Cari Wall family and so far it has proved to completely renew the feeling of life and adventure. The trials that are sure to follow will be small in comparison to all that we have gained and the future benefits Phoenix has to offer.
Here is a shout out to Bret and Tevia for making us feel so at home in a new State and the continued help of traversing this adventure together.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Cooler Weather
Nearly 14 years ago I married my sweetheart here in Mesa, AZ and it was around 106 degrees. Today it is in the 60s – as was yesterday. And it might even rain. What great weather we have had. And though I look forward to the 100s (swimming weather) I have enjoyed this cooler spring. Last year was similar – so if this is the effect of global warming/climate change then I am totally for it!
Life has been so wonderful lately. The only negative has been seeing Tevia sick, though today she says she is getting better. But the boys have been so fun and it seems we are constantly doing fun things. Enok has been especially fun the last week or so. He has been craving attention and loves to wrestle with me. He laughs and laughs (sometimes I think he is fake laughing) and makes funny faces. He is getting to speak well, too, and says some fun things. Yesterday when some eggs with ketchup were put on his dinner plate he cowered from the table and said “I can’t eat that! You eat it!” It made me chuckle.
I have also been able to play tennis more since Jake arrived. His arrival is good timing as Tevia and I had just started playing with some of our friends last month. This means I have played almost every week for the past month or so. Tevia was sick on Tuesday so Jake graciously filled in. Tennis is so fun and I feel like I am slowly getting the feel of hitting the ball – and my serve is coming back (though much slower!). I am hoping to keep up the trend of playing at least once a week. Between basketball, tennis, and working out I have been doing well on my weight goals and should look great for Tevia when we go to Mexico next month. I cannot wait for that trip, by the way. Thanks to a very nice bonus from Prudential and this being our 14th anniversary (this would be our second 7-year itch) I wanted to get to a beach and snorkel and swim. We went to this same place for our 10th anniversary, so we’ll see if we like it as much this time around.
This summer should be super busy. With next month having a trip to Mexico and then Hong Kong, June having a rafting trip on the Colorado with the young men, July having a trip to NY and then London, and then August going to Paris – it should keep me very busy. We are hoping to throw in some additional trips to go camping and perhaps our annual trip to Mexico in there as well. It is odd – just 10 months ago I had thought I would be living in London this year. Nearly a year later we are in Phoenix with Jacob and Cari here – Kathy and Jimmy on the way – and a life full of family and fun. Too bad I still have to work!
Life has been so wonderful lately. The only negative has been seeing Tevia sick, though today she says she is getting better. But the boys have been so fun and it seems we are constantly doing fun things. Enok has been especially fun the last week or so. He has been craving attention and loves to wrestle with me. He laughs and laughs (sometimes I think he is fake laughing) and makes funny faces. He is getting to speak well, too, and says some fun things. Yesterday when some eggs with ketchup were put on his dinner plate he cowered from the table and said “I can’t eat that! You eat it!” It made me chuckle.
I have also been able to play tennis more since Jake arrived. His arrival is good timing as Tevia and I had just started playing with some of our friends last month. This means I have played almost every week for the past month or so. Tevia was sick on Tuesday so Jake graciously filled in. Tennis is so fun and I feel like I am slowly getting the feel of hitting the ball – and my serve is coming back (though much slower!). I am hoping to keep up the trend of playing at least once a week. Between basketball, tennis, and working out I have been doing well on my weight goals and should look great for Tevia when we go to Mexico next month. I cannot wait for that trip, by the way. Thanks to a very nice bonus from Prudential and this being our 14th anniversary (this would be our second 7-year itch) I wanted to get to a beach and snorkel and swim. We went to this same place for our 10th anniversary, so we’ll see if we like it as much this time around.
This summer should be super busy. With next month having a trip to Mexico and then Hong Kong, June having a rafting trip on the Colorado with the young men, July having a trip to NY and then London, and then August going to Paris – it should keep me very busy. We are hoping to throw in some additional trips to go camping and perhaps our annual trip to Mexico in there as well. It is odd – just 10 months ago I had thought I would be living in London this year. Nearly a year later we are in Phoenix with Jacob and Cari here – Kathy and Jimmy on the way – and a life full of family and fun. Too bad I still have to work!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Ultrasound Pics of Speed
I'm sure not going to complain when my OB recommends an ultrasound. :) Enjoy!
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Now I get it....
The loneliness of empty-nesting is finally sinking in, after a year or so of freedom. At first, I thought I was just going to love this forever, this feeling of no one else here but Don, so I can kind of do what I want.
But, especially with the goings on in AZ, and the being layed up sitting on a couch for a few days, it is all hitting me. I miss you all, each one, and everyone.
Sunday is my favorite day of the week, but it is now becoming my longest. If I didn't have 2 big callings to keep me busy, I would have to start having people over every Sunday to keep from being sad.
Lucky for me, we have plenty of church stuff to do, and good friends. Suzanne brought soup and biscuits and pie over and then they stayed and ate with us.
Our girls camp theme is Mission Possible this year, so I am making all kinds of cute passports, secret missions, etc.
I am also glad Bret is so diligent at calling, and I got to talk to Jarek. Yeah! Now Kathy is talking to dad.
I love our family, and am glad we are getting closer to all being closer together.
I am trying hard not to be jealous of hiking and rattlesnakes and swimming and mexican food and coloring Easter eggs.
Dad better play a game with me!
But, especially with the goings on in AZ, and the being layed up sitting on a couch for a few days, it is all hitting me. I miss you all, each one, and everyone.
Sunday is my favorite day of the week, but it is now becoming my longest. If I didn't have 2 big callings to keep me busy, I would have to start having people over every Sunday to keep from being sad.
Lucky for me, we have plenty of church stuff to do, and good friends. Suzanne brought soup and biscuits and pie over and then they stayed and ate with us.
Our girls camp theme is Mission Possible this year, so I am making all kinds of cute passports, secret missions, etc.
I am also glad Bret is so diligent at calling, and I got to talk to Jarek. Yeah! Now Kathy is talking to dad.
I love our family, and am glad we are getting closer to all being closer together.
I am trying hard not to be jealous of hiking and rattlesnakes and swimming and mexican food and coloring Easter eggs.
Dad better play a game with me!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
surgery
It's 9:35 and I finally am getting a little hungry. I am still a bit loopy. My mind just won't concentrate on any one thing. It just kind of keeps moving around. Weird. I can't for the life of me figure out why someone would ever pay to feel this way. I forget what they gave me. I let dad go to his Stake meeting tonight cause I am basically just laying around watching tv.
I have no pain yet, so I don't know how much pain meds they gave me. I am supposed to take a percuset tonight, but I am afraid to. I may take 1/2 of one.
It is so weird coming out of being under. It takes some time to figure out where you are, and why, and then I kept falling back asleep. I can't even remember when dad came in the room.
The doc said I had a tear in my meniscus and my acl, and a bit of arthritis starting. that part he couldn't fix.
3 cheers for getting old....
fyi-on Amy Christensen's blog today, she said that she hated our government and how is it possible that if you kill someone you get put in prison for 7 years, but if you download something, you get life. ouch.
love you all, and glad I made it through the abyss and back to the living.
thanks for all your prayers.
Friday, April 09, 2010
Family in AZ and more
After years of imagining and planning and scheming I finally was able to trick somebody to move to Phoenix! I really do love Phoenix and it has been such a great experience to see Jake and Cari and their kid(s) move down here. I’m sure at some point the honeymoon period will wear off and they will get sick of seeing us, but for now I am enjoying spending time with them. I especially love playing basketball with Jake – and hope to play some tennis with him tomorrow (after we paint the house). Though they have only been here a week it already seems like they have been here a long time. I have already asked for Jake to be added to the young mens program (with approval so far). Now we just need Kathy and Jimmy here so we can dominate their lives enjoy having them around. After conference last week I am more convinced than ever that family is so important and such a key to our happiness in this life and the next.
We have had another wonderful weather year in Phoenix so far. It hasn’t even reached 90 degrees yet, which it usually does in March. Though I have been in our pool once, by April we are usually spending the weekends in the pool. So far that hasn’t been the case. And though I look forward to swimming days, I am okay with another month or so of these fantastic temperatures.
The thing that has made me happy this last week or so was seeing Google pull out of China. I have always appreciated Google – and was happy to see them make the right choice and give up on revenue/marketshare and make the right decision to pull out of a country that can be oppressive and cruel. I love China from a cultural and people point of view. But I think sometimes we forget it is a communist country. It may have given in to trade and capitalism, but the fears that communism brought are still there. I think Google (and many other countries) entered China not only looking for people to sell products to, but to make a change in that country. But after years of seeing no change, I was happy Google pulled out. It will be interesting to see if other companies do. Probably not.
Finally, I want to put on record that my wife is such a wonderful person. This year she has made some small changes that have had a big impact on my life. One of them is that she usually makes me breakfast now. It is a small gesture that I have never asked for nor expected, and when she first started doing it, it almost bothered me. But now I love this small gesture of love and usually we take the 5 minutes to eat together (or at least have her sit near me) and talk before I go to work. Little things can make such a big difference. I am a lucky man.
We have had another wonderful weather year in Phoenix so far. It hasn’t even reached 90 degrees yet, which it usually does in March. Though I have been in our pool once, by April we are usually spending the weekends in the pool. So far that hasn’t been the case. And though I look forward to swimming days, I am okay with another month or so of these fantastic temperatures.
The thing that has made me happy this last week or so was seeing Google pull out of China. I have always appreciated Google – and was happy to see them make the right choice and give up on revenue/marketshare and make the right decision to pull out of a country that can be oppressive and cruel. I love China from a cultural and people point of view. But I think sometimes we forget it is a communist country. It may have given in to trade and capitalism, but the fears that communism brought are still there. I think Google (and many other countries) entered China not only looking for people to sell products to, but to make a change in that country. But after years of seeing no change, I was happy Google pulled out. It will be interesting to see if other companies do. Probably not.
Finally, I want to put on record that my wife is such a wonderful person. This year she has made some small changes that have had a big impact on my life. One of them is that she usually makes me breakfast now. It is a small gesture that I have never asked for nor expected, and when she first started doing it, it almost bothered me. But now I love this small gesture of love and usually we take the 5 minutes to eat together (or at least have her sit near me) and talk before I go to work. Little things can make such a big difference. I am a lucky man.
Monday, April 05, 2010
Conference: fav talks?
I was glad to hear that YW personal progress was mentioned several times, by several people
I thought the theme was families, and I was glad we are on the right track of gathering closer together.
fav line: "many blessings are missed because worldly judgments are made for spiritual decisions." Some guy name Swichzey? Last session on Sunday.
fav analogy: Uchdorf, and the worth of a $20. bill
fav talk: Elder Cook: "we live in a noisy world, slow down, listen, ponder, pray... go to the higher ground....
I hope Tom got to listen. Kathy, so many talks reminded me of you. I loved the mother-daughter one.
What a wonderful feeling dad and I get when we know you guys are out there somewhere listening to conference. Thank you for the peace you give us by your righteous living and choosing to raise your families in the Gospel.
I thought the theme was families, and I was glad we are on the right track of gathering closer together.
fav line: "many blessings are missed because worldly judgments are made for spiritual decisions." Some guy name Swichzey? Last session on Sunday.
fav analogy: Uchdorf, and the worth of a $20. bill
fav talk: Elder Cook: "we live in a noisy world, slow down, listen, ponder, pray... go to the higher ground....
I hope Tom got to listen. Kathy, so many talks reminded me of you. I loved the mother-daughter one.
What a wonderful feeling dad and I get when we know you guys are out there somewhere listening to conference. Thank you for the peace you give us by your righteous living and choosing to raise your families in the Gospel.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Thursday, April 01, 2010
New Computer Problem
I don't know what happened last night. This morning, letter I type types a different letter, and when I opened gmail, I had over 100 funny sex jokes. Of course, hotmail was fine. Then, when I tried to do a map of our new house on google maps, I put in the address and an easter egg appeared. Do you think Google is doing some kind of prank?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)