Shocked.

Monday, I kept getting a thought that I was going to get fired. I couldn't figure out why because I think I'm a great, reliable employee. I really put my all into my job. I'm supporting Steve and I while he goes to school. So it's super important that I have a job.

Tuesday, same thought. So I started getting a little nervous. What in the world did I do to possibly think that I could get fired? Maybe I'm just going crazy-I don't know.

Wednesday, the first thought I had was I have got to start applying for jobs. So, that's what I started to do. I started applying for other jobs. Within one hour of applying I got a call back and they asked me to come in on Friday for an interview. WOW! That was fast. I started to get mixed emotions. I don't want a new job!! But here I am, applying for new jobs, and than get a call back. So I decided, it won't hurt to take the interview and find out more about the job..

Thursday-Today. I get into work and the entire office is quiet. Everyone looks really sad. My manager tells me to not get on the phones because we have a mandatory meeting that we need to listen too. My heart starts pounding, and my chest starts feeling heavy. Oh. my. gosh.

My company decided that they would close the entire health division. WHICH would be MY job. I generally don't go into detail about my political views on this blog, but today I am. I'm getting on my soap box...I know a lot of people are completely PRO Obama and his new HealthCare Reform ideas, but it's going to wipe out a lot of insurance companies. I know for a fact that my insurance company is/has gone out of busy because of this. A lot of people put the health insurance as the bad guys and the cause of increased of health cost. When in fact the health costs are due to all the healthcare providers and the inflated cost of healthcare. The new HealthCare Reform law that is taking place raises the premiums (cost of insurance that you-member pays), limits insurance company's profits (limiting to a 3% profit, which won't allow any business to stay a float). It really limits your own coverage because the insurance companies can't and won't be able to afford the calendar year maximum's on a plan (generally for durable medical equipment there is a 2500 cym). For example. If a person needs a CPAP machine (a machine that helps a person breathe) generally cost $6,000. Just for the machine. Insurance companies have a calendar year maximum for the year that we pay out. So that we don't go bankrupt ourselves. If we have to pay 6,000 for every single person that needs one of these machines, there is no way that an insurance company is going to survive. That's only one example. SO my point is. Eventually the healthcare becomes worse because insurance companies can't afford to pay out. You as the member get upset because your premiums sky rocket and then YOU won't be able to pay for private healthcare. On the other hand, if you want to go through the governments' healthcare system you will still be paying high premiums...which is HIGHER TAXES!!!

Okay. I'll get off my soap box and explain a little more about today.

It was a really sad day. I have a lot of friends at work who are single mom's, one just bought a house and just moved in today(she's the bread winner of the family too), my manager has cancer, there are husbands and wives that work together there..with a family. The list goes on and on. I care about the people I work with. It was so depressing to see everyone wonder "What am I going to do now?" Thankfully, the company has giving us until Nov.1 before they start terminating employees. There is no actual date of termination yet...but, it could be really any day...for me and my friends/coworkers. I'm just so extremely thankful to heavenly father for prompting me to apply for other jobs and that I already have an interview. I know without a doubt that heavenly father was watching out for Steve and I. It's amazing to know that he does know me and my circumstances and that he does care about what Steve and I have going on in our lives. We really feel so blessed.

I better get going to bed..I have the interview in the morning. Wish me luck!:)

We...

This weekend we....

*Went to Tepanyaki and "Wall Street" with Corey and Rachelle Bruse

LOVE,love,LOVE Tepanyaki. "Wallstreet" was alright...maybe I'll have to see it again

*I went to a Boutique :), Shade clothing and Target w/mom

* I went to General Relief Society Meeting at the conference ctr w/Carrie

LOVED it! President Monson is so funny! All the talks were inspiring. I always have things to improve on.

*Dinner at mom and Dad's

Delicious, and lots of fun playing with Carson. Steve taught him a game called "Bam!"

*Papa John's and Chuck night. Just me and Steve.

Fun weekend!

Fall.

I'm getting ready for the FALL to come. I can't wait to start putting up my fall decorations. Smelling pumpkin. Seeing the leaves change. I am even starting to miss my fall clothes & boots.

I love that when the fall comes more holidays start coming..Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love decorating pumpkins. ooh and it means I'm getting closer to our vacation to Disney. Fall foods. Steve's Birthday. Corn Mazes.

Fall I'm ready for you.

What a Sweetheart.

Steve made my day. I just got back from one of my breaks and on my desk I saw these beauties!

What a sweetheart. How did I get so dang lucky?

The cutest thing though was the cute card he gave me. I love how he always speaks from his heart. He always knows how to give me butterflies!

I'm so happy that I get to spend the eternities with my sweetheart. I sure love you Steve! So happy that we have spent 4 years together!

Happy Anniversary Weekend to US!

Steve is so cute. Super funny too. He told me since our anniversary falls on a Monday this year and I'm working all day, that this weekend is our Anniversary weekend. The entire weekend.

He surprised me yesterday morning with a couples massage. He reassured me that he scheduled me to have a lady this time. Thank goodness..(the hairy beast of a guy that I had last time wasn't relaxing at all!!)

The second go round was HEAVEN. I absolutely loved getting a massage. It didn't seem so creepy and awkward. I could feel the stress and knots in my back melting away. ha ha. Totally corny, but true. I'm glad that Steve scheduled another one for us and that I could have a different opinion on getting these.

Oh I can't believe I almost forgot about this. Towards the end of the massage I hear this deep breathing noise. I'm thinking oh my gosh Steve (thinking it's him). I start laughing. I tell my masseuse that she tickled my foot to cover up why I was laughing. When both of the ladies leave, I bust up laughing. Steve asked me if the lady really tickled my foot. I then say "Steve you really must of felt relaxed with how loud you were breathing." He than said "It was the lady when she was rubbing my back. She was getting tired and just starting breathing louder and louder." OH MY GOSH!! Seriously? So funny!! Poor thing though. I got a good kick out of that...Steve was laughing pretty hard too. BUT the whole thing was seriously so nice.

After our nice and relaxing morning we went to a matinee and saw "Despicable Me". Super cute movie and funny too.

After I cooked dinner we played games, took pics on photo booth and than did some Salsa dancing in the kitchen. :) This month's dance class is Salsa. I absolutely LOVE it!!

Here's some photo booth pics:

we are trying to do happy, sad, mad and than goofy faces...

I'm so grateful to Steve. I love him so much! I had a wonderful Anniversary weekend babe!

I can't believe that it's our 4 year tomorrow!

St George get away.

For the weekend we went to St. George to visit my good friend Erin and her fam! It was so fun spending time with her and being able to hang out! Steve and I needed a nice get away!

Friday I had to work, so we left later in the day. We met Erin and Easton at the Hurricane football game since Chet coaches the team. Steve was thrilled. He LOVES watching football. I on the other hand could pass anyday. BUT it was fun. I reallyjust talked with Erin the whole time. It was the first time I officially met baby Easton too. He's super cute. He's like a little man.

After the game we went over to Chet's family's house and just hung out there and talked and got to know his mom and dad. Super sweet people, and way caring.

We went over to Chet and Erin's after and stayed up until 2am talking and laughing about youtube video's. They showed us this video on Antoine Dodson. SO Funny. Not the actual story line, but the interview he did was HILARIOUS.

Saturday we went shooting. I had fun shooting the tiny gun... ha ha..i don't know the real name of it.. but it was SO loud. Erin was loaded up on allergy medicine so she was a dud. (inside joke)HA HA totally kidding Erin. After shooting we went out to "Olive Garden" hmm..my fav. with Chet & Erin, lil' man and than Nicole and her family met up with us. I went to high school with Nicole so it was fun to see her too with her fam! They were driving to Disneyland!!

AH I CANT WAIT until next month for our trip to DISNEY!!!:)

Sunday we went to church with Erin and her fam. Than we all just hung out at her place until we drove home!

It was such a nice little getaway! Oh and I seriously LOVE Easton. He's such a cute little guy!

Old-Fashion Movie Night!

Hello Blogging World, it's Steve signing in. I know it's not common of me to add a post, but I have been studying non-stop and need a break. So here it goes.....

Last night Keira and I went to my parents house for dinner and a movie. When my dad heads out of town on business, my mom and sister always want Keira and I to have an old fashion movie night (because my dad doesn't really like the old fashion movies unless it's a western). It is at these times that I get exposed to some of the classics movies that have stars such as Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Tony Randall, and Cary Grant.

After Keira got home we headed right over for dinner. My mom and Whitney made stuffed peppers and got them cooking (they were so good). While they were cooking Keira and I showed them some of the dance moves we've learned in our dance class. I think they were impressed that a big lug like me can move his feet :) (It sure makes it easy when your dance partner/wife/eternal companion is so dang beautiful!) Anyway, after that it was fun for me to watch the three of them talk about the latest and greatest, dance to music, and laugh until their sides hurt. Observing the three of them, I thought to myself I'm so glad that they have so much fun together.

After dinner we started the movie. Last night's feature film was Pillow Talk. The movie was pretty funny especially when one of the main characters gets caught in his entanglement of lies while trying to win over the girl he likes. At the end the main stars end up together creating the "happily ever after". In addition to pillow talk, here are a few of the other old fashioned movies we've watched.

So, that was the night. Now I'd better get back to studying :)

Great Grandma L.

oh how I miss you.

Grandma has passed away 3 years ago now. This was the last picture I have of her.

I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Her birthday is on September 11. A day Ill never forget, now the world won't forget that day either.

I miss just being able to call her up, or getting a card from her in the mail. She had the softest hands in the world. I loved when she would hold mine. Or when I would kiss her soft cheeks.

Little things remind me of her still.

The smell of coffee brewing. Or her contagious laugh.

Grandma showed me all the old fashion movies. Tonight I watched "Pillow Talk." My grandma would always watch it with me. I love watching old movies. I think just because I have so many good memories that go with them.

So this post. Is dedicated to my Grandma.

Labor day Party 2010!

Theme this year: Chinese New Year!

Grandma let Petey (Preston) choose what theme he wanted for this year's party since he just got home from his mission. Why he choose Chinese New Year- I'm not sure, but it was a BLAST!!!

How lucky are we do have such amazing grandparents? They do a themed party EVERY year for Labor day. Every year we all look forward to it.

Grandma always decorates the house with lots of cute stuff to go along with the theme! (I took pics mostly after all of them were being taken down..dang.)

We all met at grandma's on Sunday and had a great Sunday dinner and than after dinner the games began! All the old folk-yep, that would be us too. Any one who is married is considered in the category. We all come up with a game for everyone to play.

Here are some of the games we played...

1. Chinese Jumprope

So fun!! It was super hard for me though. I don't know HOW in the world some of them jumped over the rope with the rope up to the waist. Are they really Frogs? Jack Rabbits? I don't know..but the Fords are good. Game by the Wilson Family.

2. Tour of China

This was a relay race. You have to put rice in your straw and shoot it at the tinfoil on the wall, you have to hit it. No matter how hard that wind is blowing, and doesn't really give you a chance..you still have to it hit before you can move to the next obstacle. You have to jump over the great wall of china (boxes with a lovely sign that says "The Great Wall of China"-love it!) and then with a racket hit this ball around this Chinese famous public square..blast, I can't remember the name. THAN you need to put on somewhat traditional sandals and a Chinese hat on your head while balancing a ring on that hat and carefully putting it in a bucket with a Chinese bow.

Tidwell Family...you are so creative and brilliant.

3. Chopstick Relay

Chopstick relay where you can only use chopsticks to pick up marshmallows (worth 1 point),

smarties (worth 2 points) and marbles (worth 3 points) and than quickly put them in a bowl without dropping them. The team with the most points at the end of the relay wins!

Cute Grandma came up with this game. She was super excited for all of us to try it out.

4.Ninja

Steve and I used this game. I wish I could say I created it, or was the fancy pants who came up with it. BUT I was not and I don't know who came up with it. Here's the jist of the game. Everyone stands in a circle and before you start you take a bow and than step back. You then say "High-ya!" and get in a karate stance and freeze. You go clockwise and each individual tries to get another person in one motion to try and hit there hand, you have to stay in that same stance. If you hit there hand then it's out of play. The ultimate goal is to get every person's hands out and then you win the game.

Here's some of the other games that were played without pics (since I don't have them)

5.Ellen came up with Chinese Stars. She bought these replica's of chinese stars and you had to throw them at a target. These stars had to be thrown at the target within a certain amount of time. You also wanted to get the most points.

Super creative and fun pretending to be a Chinese ninja. bahaha... (evil laugh)

6. Shannon Ford did a game called Dragon's Tail. Super fun! We had to get in a human train and the end person puts a red handkerchief in there pocket or belt loop. The person in front of the human train tries to catch the red handkerchief (the dragon's tail) while the train of people are blocking that person from doing so.

7.Josh and Shannon taught us how to write/draw Chinese characters that are common phrases. I learned two things from this. #1-so happy I don't live in china. It would take me FOREVER to write two words. #2- I'm not a very good artist. We all had fun though!

8.Michelle and Travis were creative too! They came up with Egg drop soup. This was also a relay race.

Everyone gets in a line and is holding a spoon. They gave us a plastic egg and we had to pass the egg from the back to the front of the line without dropping it. The person in the front of the line on each team had to carry the egg on the spoon (while spoon now in the mouth) to the bucket and drop it in the bucket without dropping it.

We all had a blast! Seriously love this.

Grandma bought these Chinese cut outs...

Then we had some fun with the umbrella's that Ellen brought...

We couldn't get enough of the games..SO we went back inside and played cards, Catchphrase and Leaping Louie-the airplane game. :)

Everyone sleeps over at grandma and grandpa's...some of us inside but most outside.

We all had a breakfast casserole-Keish and Sweet Rolls and than went and played some sand volleyball. Okay, more like gravel volleyball.

After we won, and kicked the other's booty's..ha ha. Kidding Jason! We had a fun couple of rounds.

To end our Labor day fun we went back to grandma's and had a Chinese lunch. Complete with your choice or using chopsticks or not.

We seriously love you Grandpa and Grandma Ford! We love your annual Labor day party! Can't wait for next year!!!