Summer Update

One of my dearest friends (Nicole Shiffler) keeps telling me to update my blog so here it is! Her blog is INCREDIBLE and very inspiring. Every time I check it I leave feeling refreshed, happy, and absolutely uplifted. She definitely has a gift for the finer things in life and I am so grateful she shares her talents with others. Plus, she always has the best pictures on her blog that she takes herself. They are so professional! I absolutely LOVE her little girls, and next to my nephew Jack they are probably my most favorite kids in the world.:) Do yourself a favor, check out her blog here.

Anyway, I figured I would update this blog with the goings-on in my life recently. First of all, I got a job working at Gymboree!

I had originally started out the summer with the plan to work at a temp agency, but after calling several weeks in a row and them not having any work for me, I decided it was time to explore plan B. One day back in May I went on a crazy job hunt and applied to 6 stores in one day. It was truly a marathon! When I came home that day I was exhausted but had this feeling I should look online and see if Gymboree was hiring. I called the store and they told me they were, so I filled out an application and delivered it the next day. I know now looking back on it that it was inspiration beause they set up an interview with me for the next day, and by that weekend I had gotten the job. Hearing the stories from several of my friends about how hard it is to find a summer job I know it was a blessing from the Lord. I have come to realize that there are no such thing as small coincidences. Every event in our lives can ultimately be traced back to a loving Heavenly Father who is eager to bless us. Often times it means doing everything we can and then we receive the inspiration that leads to what we are seeking. So far the job is great. It is pretty low-stress and the clothes are absolutely adorable. I find myself walking around and sighing as I straighten and fold the itsy bitsy little clothes. Since I am a new auntie, being an employee comes in VERY handy.

Gymboree also opened a new store called Crazy 8 at the beginning of June. It is very similar clothing but the prices are lower. It also fits bigger kids (up to size 14). I will be working at both stores this summer. Come in and visit me!!!

Amber and I had a great time in Florida. We left Wednesday June 9th and got back Sunday June 13th. We saw Cirque du Soleil, went to Epcot, the Orlando LDS Temple, and Cocoa Beach. Despite our best efforts to stay sun-burn free, we got a bad sunburn at the beach...which luckily has turned into a nice golden tan. It was nice to have a break from everything and we loved spending time together. It was definitely a great memory we'll share forever.

When I got home on Sunday, I had less than 24 hours before I had to leave for girls camp the next day. This year they asked me to go as a leader to our church girls camp, which quite honestly I was less-than-thrilled about. It turned out, however, to be a really good experience...both for me and the girls. I was one of four leaders over the second-year girls (age 13) and they were just about as adorable as can be. It was miraculous how well each of the 18 girls got along. There was no drama, very little complaining, and they just had the best attitude. I also became very close to my other co-leaders. Wonderful women. The camp that the girls stayed at was called Camp Tuckahoe, which ironically is just 10 minutes from my house. I had the luxury each day during free time to come home and take a hot shower! This made all the difference.:) Although camp is always exhausting, I was suprised at how well things went.

So life has been really busy for me over here. Things have definitely settled down quite a bit and I am assuming the rest of the summer will be pretty smooth sailing. Any of you mothers out there, I am available to watch your sweet little kiddos! At this point I don't have a lot of hours at work, so any time you need a date with your husbands, just let me know.:)