New Job

I enjoyed working at dillards but I am having a very hard time making my sales quota.  There are some old ladies that worked the floor next to mine and they were like barracudas when it came to customers.  They would lurk on the corner and start fitting rooms for my customers then ring them up.  I just wasn't aggressive enough but at dillards they fire you if your not making enough in sales.  It doesn't matter how many hangers I've straightened or how many ladies I've escorted to the petite section or how many people I have showed to fitting rooms.  All I am is a number, my sales number so I'm heading to greener pastures..... update to come....

I've found a job at Robinsons May (now Macy's) They don't have a sales quota.  They just expect awesome customer service which I'm great at!  I'll be working in Womens World (plus sizes) which is great for me because I tend to shop more than work if I'm surrounded by cute clothes.  The ladies I work with are super nice and my manager is young and nice.  I really wish I could find an office job... This standing 40 hours a week is killing me but I guess its nice for now.  Plus I get a killer discount on clothes!! woot!

Our first house!!!!

With Joe and I both working (Me retail at Dillards and Joe an office assistant at Arm Hauling) We figure now is the time to buy our first house.  House Prices are skyrocketing these day and I feel like if we  don't get in now we'll looses out.  Plus its an investment.  We want to start having kids soon also so our dinky one bedroom apartment isn't going to cut it.  Its 1,539 squar feet and we paid 150k We looked and tons of town houses.  The ones we were interested in would get bought up before we had a chance to even make an offer.  We feel super rushed and felt the need to get into a house right away.  So we found this town home for the price we wanted to spend and jumped on it.  We were the first to make an offer and we got it.  The lady who had lived here previously smoked and had a bunch of cats so we had to remove the carpet and had the vents cleaned out.  Much better!!! That place was filthy!!!! YUCK! I was worried we would never get the smell out.. but we did :) We chose red for the living room walls which I love and brown for the kitchen and other rooms.  Nolans room is a butter color and the den is gray.  We are super happy with our little house.   our goal is to sell in a year or two and get into a nice home with a yard....

Ours is the one story on the left...

Christmas 2004

This Christmas was one of the worst of my life.  I of course had to work because Christmas Eve is one of those black out days, no one can request time off.  So our plan was to go to Joes parents house Christmas Morning.  On the eve of Christmas we had a fun little party at work. All of us girls were working and we all brought different goodies and did a gift exchange.  My mananger cooked some awesome barbecue wings (which were awesome!!)  I left work with a smile on my face and felt good. That night at around 1pm I awoke with an upset stomach and ran to the lou and emptied my stomach of some of its contents.  This happened about six more times before morning finally dawned.  I though briefly of the chicken wings and how even though they had sat out all night we still kept snacking. I imagined other co-workers hunched over their toilets. 

So the next morning being the good wife and daughter in law that I am I faithfully went to my inlaws house.  I was so sick, I had been heaving all night.  Joe opened presents merrily and I just sat with my coat on feeling miserable.  I actually don't remember much of that day.  So the fallowing day I was scheduled to work but called in sick.  When I was finally able to go to work  my manager made a bet that I was pregnant but since I was ON my period I gladly took the bet. (we bet a snickers bar haha) Oh and no one else got sick but me!!!! :(

First time at the singles ward!!! and I found a man!

I have been dreaming about this day my entire highschool career!!!! The infamous singles ward where there are endless boys to date and fun activities!!!! So promptly after graduation I set out to Washington for perhaps my last visit as a single women.  I went on a few fun dates and talked with my cousin about moving up there and finding a job.  I came home and prepared myself for the singles word.  My first preparation was to attend a lake trip with my dad.  There I could work on my leg muscles by water skiing and also most importantly I could further bleach my hair blond by the sun and work on my glowing tan.   I spent lots of time getting ready for church that morning.  I flawlessly did my makeup and blow dried my hair until it was perfect.  I had borrowed one of Summers skirts and in my mind I was a total babe!!!

I walked into the chapel early and immediately noticed a row of cute boys sitting in the last pew.  I made my move and sat directly in front of them.  I'm sitting there thumbing through my scriptures trying to look spiritual when someone hands me a note from behind.  I smiled and read it.....

Name:
Number:
Please return to Joseph Hartzell

I was so flattered! I wasn't even in the singles word for 15 minutes and already I had an interested boy after me! I didn't even know who this dude was but,I gave him my digits anyway. He received our home phone number and not my cell phone just in case he was a weirdo I could have my step dad give him a talking too :)

So after sacrament was over I had about ten different boys come up, shake my hand and introduce themselves.  Then this super cute boy with curly hair came up and said " Hi, I'm Joe Hartzell.  My friend sent you that note but can i really call you?" I says sure! But  By the end of that day I had forgotten what he looked like.

Two weeks later Joe was finally able to get a hold of my mom who gave him my cell phone number.  I guess my step dad kept answering and telling him (in a stern voice) that I wasn't there as I was working and not home very much. So one day I get a call and its Joe!  He invited me to a single adult activity.  It was a fun barbecue at big surf.. our towns big water park.   I was trying very hard to remember what Joe looked like but just couldn't (I have the worst memory)  So after work I met him at his house and lets just say I was not disappointed!!! Joe was very nice to look at! He was muscly and very cute! It also helped his case that he was driving his dads Firebird which I fell in love with instantly.  So we headed off to big surf.  We had SOOO much fun!!!!! I had never had so much fun with a boy before.  We just seamed to click and I felt like I had known him forever! We swam in the wade pool and he gave me a piggy back ride to the bathrooms.   We sat a chatted and just had a genuinely good time.... I went home that night and told me mom that this was the boy I would one day marry!

After that night we saw each other every day that week.  We couldn't get enough of each other at first.  I wanted to know every thing about him and I wanted him to know everything about me.  He even made me dinner one night! I met his parents and his mom took a picture of us together with the wonderful meal He had prepared!  A month or so later We went to Tucson so I could meat his two brothers and he could meat my Dad and his family.   It was fun and we loved each others family! We were all playing games with Dad and the kids when him and Shane kept passing some silent but deadly farts! No one would say anything but there was this death cloud hovering around our circle.  Finally Joe called them out and asked what stunk so bad and dad and Shane started laughing! That's when he knew he could be a part of this family!