Leap Second...remember to set you clocks...

FYI - Because this was leap year, the planet's official timekeepers will be adding on one additional second tonight. So remember to set your clocks to add an additional second to correspond with the Universal Time.

Here's the story to find out more information: Leap second: More time added to 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

I think this may be my very first Christmas card. What a great way to end my year of trying new things. My sisters have demonstrated that there are some great new ways to create a year in review. I decided to "do something new" and put together a smilebox Christmas card to share (and of course it's with hoops and yoyo). Here are just a few random things I have been able to experience this past year... as I was putting this together I realized I did a lot of things this year. It's too bad I could only put in a few things.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Thank you all for a memorable year. I hope you have a wonderful New Year!

Saying Thank You...

For some reason this holiday season feels a lot different than past Christmas times. I have not figured out why yet (maybe a ton of life changes going on at once...) but I have been trying to find more giving opportunities than receiving. I was just informed of the website: "Let's Say Thanks" (http://www.letssaythanks.com) where xerox allows you to pick out a card, provide a message and then they will send it out to one of our troops overseas. So if you are in need of a fast service project for today, check it out!

(FYI - I checked this out on snopes.com and truthorfiction.com - they say it's legitimate)

It's TIME!!!....to Update!!!!

I realize that one blessing of having a cold is that you find time to update a blog that has been neglected for over 2 months.

So a very condensed cliff note version of my life in the past 2 months....

1. I flew my dad up to Utah and he with my sister's family, and cousin's helped me pack and move to Arizona. It was an interesting drive down as my dad had to drive the moving truck as I drove my car. We took a "detour" through the sand dunes in Southern Utah. I've never been to the sand dunes before. I don't think I would recommend your first time going to the sand dunes be while you are moving. The drive took over 14 hours, but it was a success!

My sister helping me pack up my kitchen

Everyone was helping out in someway... even through babysitting :)

Finally done with phase 1 of the move.... now to phase 2 - Arizona
Taking the sand dunes detour in Southern Utah

2. I started working for a hospice company and Higher Octave Healing (agency for working with children with Developmental Disabilities) as a music therapist. After about a month of working with the hospice company I was laid off due to low census of clientele. This was a good thing though as I was working more than what was good for me during these big life transitions.

3. I was introduced to “Veggie Tales” (I know I’m a late bloomer on this) and experienced a rockin' Veggie Tales party with my nephews every night. Everyone should check out “His Cheeseburger,” “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything,” and “Belly Button Song.”.... or I may eventually post them on this blog one day....

4. I started out living with my parent's but then moved in with my sister, Jen and her family (in Gilbert) as there was more room in their home. This has worked out well, and after talking it over with them we've decided to make it a bit more permanent. Let me say, it's never a dull moment here :)

5. I purchased a therapy harp that I am able to utilize more in my music therapy career. I am excited about this new path that is opening up for me. This is something that I have wanted to explore more, but haven't really been given much opportunity yet.

6. I purchased my first laptop to use for work (of course it was Macintosh). This has been really helpful and also a lot of fun. One of the programs I have is called "Photo Booth." One Sunday, my niece came to visit me in my room and we sang and recorded some songs. She liked being able to watch herself after it was recorded. This is the first video we made. It's of Popcorn Popping. This was a lot of fun to sing with her as she has been improving so much with her speech. She talks a whole lot more than I remember previously. (it's also nice to be able to try out music therapy songs on her before I use them on my clients...) I tried to explain to her that she needs to look up instead at herself but this hasn't quite been understood yet.

side note: be aware that I have a slight problem with remembering words correctly to songs... but this tends to make songs new and interesting every time... unless of course you are teaching primary kids the songs....

Waking up...

For the past, oh say....25 or maybe more years, I have noticed that my body likes to "wake up" early. I've decided that this can be a good thing... like when I am wanting to exercise or go for a run early in the morning... and it can be a not so good thing... like when you get to bed at 2am, but for some reason still you wake up wide awake at 5:30am. I think I am part rooster. That and I really like the sun.

During my "moving" experience, I have noticed a shift in waking up though. Instead of 5:30am, it has been 4 - 4:30. (perhaps my body is trying to get adjusted to the new time change I will be experiencing in Arizona?) This has become the most frustrating. Luckily for me the past week I have been able to sleep in till about 5:30 though. But I am excited when Tuesday will come. Perhaps, eventhough I will probably still be waking up early. I may be able to take 1 - 2 or even 3 - 4 naps, as I am starting to feel a bit tired...

Utah Memories...

This is my last week in Utah, and I've been reflected the past few days of all that I have learned and been able to experience during this adventure in my life. I'm really going to miss this place. I've decided in this post to reflect on memories of when I lived in Utah before. I was born in Utah and my family we moved to Arizona when I was four. I don't have as many memories about living in Utah back then... just the basement, play room, dog house, indoor pool, the dogs, and for some reason my dad's office. It's interesting on the things we tend to remember.

Here is a picture of the first day of school (for my two older sisters)

Here we are in Vernal, Utah... I wasn't able to relive that memory again these past two years.. bummer

Here is, I think my 2nd Birthday, with cousins at my party! In Arizona we didn't have any close relatives nearby... or any relatives nearby. That has been one nice thing living here.

I think I'm 2 here and enjoying my birthday breakfast.

Easter in Utah, near a fireplace that we were able to actually use!

My best friend in Utah... my brother....

Sorry, there are no pictures of my sis, Lindsay. She wasn't able to join our family until after the move to Arizona.

Furntiure Stains Tip

As I am busily packing, I couldn't help but notice quite a few finger marks on my wood furniture that I have not been able to get rid of. No matter how much polishing or rubbing I did, it never seemed to get rid of any of it. I was kinda down about it, as this was nice furniture, and still fairly new. As I looked up information regarding this issue on the internet I found a site that wrote how to remove water stains on wood furniture you just place a medium iron on it with a soft cloth for a few seconds. Wipe and then repeat until it goes away. I decided to give it a try. I was amazed at how quickly it took the stains right out. Plus it was cheap and no chemicals were used to hurt me or my furniture! I'm going to be doing this on my coffee table tonight, so I'll try to take before and after pictures to show everyone. Here is the link to the website with the information I found.