Check Another Off the List!

My life seems to be turning upside down lately. So many changes!

Go here to check out what I asked Santa to bring me for Christmas.

Three days after I wrote that post, I signed up for Match.com. The next day, I "met" Sam. Now Sam and I are dating. I'm thisclose to calling him my boyfriend. Darn trust issues. If not for them and the fact that he's acting a little "different" (according to my darn trust issues), I'd probably find it easier to call him my boyfriend. Close enough. Check off "A Boyfriend". Thank you, Santa.

Christmas night, I flew to Paris. I had a wonderful trip. It was everything I could have ever hoped for in the fulfillment of this lifetime dream. I swear I'll write a post someday telling you more about the trip and will post some pictures. So, trip to France...done. Check that off the list. Merci beaucoup, Pere Noel!

Yesterday, I was offered a job at the local university in the HR department. I accepted it and will start February 1st. It pays less than what I make right now, but the benefits are absolutely awesome. I'll have health benefits for the first time since I was booted off my mom's insurance. I'll also have retirement, life insurance, and free tuition for classes. I'm going to apply for the MBA program and start taking a class at a time starting this summer or fall. And, now that I have my foot in the door, so to speak, it will be easier to get a position that pays more. So, check yet another item off my wish list! Santa, really, you've outdone yourself. Thank you a million times over!

I'm not holding my breath for the maid; however, because of my decreased income, I'm going to start looking for a roommate. Maybe she'll be a clean freak (in a non-obsessive way) and will be almost like a maid...that pays me rent. :) And, I didn't get Mario Kart for Christmas but I got something that is even more beneficial...Wii Fit! I've used it several times so far and really enjoy it. It's not mega difficult but I can still get a good workout.

Seriously, I've been blessed.

Hope you guys are all being equally blessed!

Year in Review - 2009

What a difference a year makes! So much has happened, my life is different in so many ways, and I've accomplished a lot this year. It's been a good year in many ways. Let's go into more detail. *grin*

Places Visited: (new places in italics)
Casper, WY
Laramie, WY
Price, UT (I know, try to contain the excitement)
Beaver, UT
Milford, UT
Page, AZ
Bullfrog, UT
Delta, UT
Richfield, UT
Panguitch, UT
Logan, UT (woefully left off the first edition)
West Valley City, UT
Spanish Fork, UT
Springville, UT
Provo, UT
Mapleton, UT
Salt Lake City, UT (multiple times)
St. George, UT (lots of times)
Las Vegas, NV (several times)
London, England (really, just Heathrow Airport, but I'm counting it!)
Paris, France (that's right!)

Guys I went on dates with: 3 - one was an ex, one is a new guy, and one guy was in Paris.

Number of Boyfriends: 1 - though I'm still not sure I consider him my boyfriend...but we're getting there.

Guys Kissed: 5!! Don't judge. Especially don't judge that this number was 0 until the middle of December. And, don't judge that 4 happened in Paris and 2 of those were the same day. Finally, don't judge me because this number doubled my lifetime number!*grin*

Biggest Accomplishment: losing 140+ lbs. This has made the biggest difference in my life.

My Proudest Moment: Sitting down on the airplane to London; didn't have to use a seat belt extension and I fit into just my seat - no creeping over to the seat next to me! Woohoo!

My Least Proud Moment: A stupid decision I made in Paris that I'm not going to explain further. Sorry. :)

A New Experience: shooting a gun for the first time ever.

Weight Lost: 142 lbs as of December 25th, which was the last time I weighed myself in 2009. As of today, though, it's 150 lbs!

Number of Books Read: 40. This number is a little suspect...I think I forgot to record a few. Oh well.

Favorite Books Read: Terry Pratchett books (especially Witches Abroad), Fablehaven 1-4, and Lisey's Story by Stephen King (the only one of his I've ever read).

Fun Memories/Activities: Shakespeare festival, cousins weekends, car shopping with Aly, running, making new friends, hiking the "Blood Trail" in Logan, trip to Paris, volleyball with Cardine, buying smaller clothes, New Years kiss, walking the whole canyon trail, tennis with "the guys", teaching Primary, my nephew's baptism, riding the carousel in Paris with Cardine, kissing on the banks of the Seine, "dancing" with my youngest nephew - we have a special dance that he does whenever he sees me, spending lots of time with my family and friends - I've been blessed with the most wonderful people in my life.

Happiest Moment: standing in front of Notre Dame cathedral in Paris and feeling the impact of finally realizing a dream I've had since I was 14.

Toughest Moment: this fall there were a couple weeks of misery where I felt trapped - unable to progress, to change, to move on. I was so unhappy! The cure: I booked a trip to Paris. It gave me something to look forward to, then everything else seemed better and brighter, and I returned to my normal happy self. :)

Most Unusual Decision: joining Match.com; however, it's turned out great so far!
Runner up: joining Facebook. Still don't know how I feel about it.

Biggest Regret: I don't usually have regrets because I always manage to learn from my mistakes. I did a couple really dumb things this year, but now I know a little more about myself and what I need to do differently in certain situations.

Hopes for 2010: a new job, more traveling, reaching my goal weight, go sky diving, run a 5k, enjoy having a boyfriend (don't stress out like usual).

I hope you all have a great year!

See ya next year!

As today is my last day of work until January 4, 2010 (woohoo!), I thought I'd take this opportunity to wish all of you a

Merry Christmas

and a

Happy New Year!

Bestest Weekend Ever???

If not the bestest ever, this weekend definitely makes the list of really great ones. Here's a quick run-down of why I had such a great weekend.

* Thursday night: Sam told me I'm beautiful. He had seen a picture of me so thought he was prepared for what I looked like, but when I opened the door Wednesday night (our 1st date), he said he couldn't believe how beautiful I am. *blush* Woohoo!

*Friday: it's Friday (which is almost always a good thing) and only one week before I fly to Paris!

* Friday morning: received an email from a guy telling me I'm beautiful. Can't ever get enough of that!

* Friday morning: received a phone call setting up an interview for a new job! I know it doesn't mean I'll get it, but I'm just glad to have a chance to meet the interviewers face-to-face.

* Friday afternoon: a female patient that tends to irritate me asked if I had changed my hair color and style. I said yes, she asked if I'd lost a lot of weight. I said that I had and she said she hadn't been sure if I was the same person, I look so different. She said that she always thought I was a pretty gal but now..."You're absolutely beautiful!" Again, who could tire of that??

* Friday evening: cousin Alyson comes for a visit! We eat at Ninja then play games at my Mom's.

* Friday night: Mom offers to teach the Primary lesson...even though it's my turn!

* Saturday morning: sleep in, ride exercise bike, check email and have one from the guy who called me beautiful the day before and two from new guys - one of them saying my picture is "very cute".

* Saturday afternoon: head south with Alyson, eat at Cracker Barrel, shop, and talk/laugh a lot.

* Saturday evening: 2nd date with Sam. He treats me so well - very respectful, considerate, and attentive. The way my dad taught me to expect to be treated. Oh, and he kissed me. Kissed me very well. *big smile*

* Sunday morning: slept in a bit but still made it to church on time!

* Sunday afternoon: the neighbor guys finally took me out shooting after church! And you know what? I wasn't too bad. Hit my target (Pepsi bottles) the first 4 shots I took with the 22 rifle. And, I took second place (there were 5 of us) in the shooting competition! (Jon won.) I also shot a 45 pistol - talk about power! It was an adrenalin rush and a lot of fun! Here are some pictures.

Me shooting the 22 rifle.


Me shooting the 45 pistol. That's Jon behind me.

* Sunday afternoon: annual candy making with my sister-in-law. This year we kept it to a couple batches each of divinity and peanut brittle, and one batch each of peanut butter cups and fudge. Easiest and quickest session we've ever had!

It was busy - filled to overflowing, in fact - but it was a great weekend! Now, if I can make it through the next few days (which are continuing the filled-to-overflowing-with-good-things theme), it'll be Christmas, then I'll be in Paris before you can say "Enfin!" Woohoo!

A Confession and Sam

A week ago I signed up for Match.com.

Whew. That was like ripping off a band-aid...painful at first but easier as time goes on.

I won't go into the reasons I decided to abandon my previously firm stance of not joining an online dating site. Or why I chose match.com versus any other site, including ones that purportedly cater to my religion. Suffice it to say, it was a spontaneous decision that has led to some surprising results.

For example, Sam! He wasn't the first guy to notice me, but he was the first to email me instead of "winking" at me. I like a guy with initiative, so I was impressed that he had skipped the "I think you're interesting but I'm too shy/nervous/timid to do anything but wink" phase and jumped right into "I'm interested enough take a risk, put myself out there, and email you". I emailed back and for a week we had a nice email conversation.

I felt a connection pretty early on. He seemed intelligent, witty, and kind - traits I look for in a guy. He asked me good questions about myself, which is an easy way to endear yourself to me, or almost anyone for that matter. On Sunday, he suggested exchanging phone numbers and gave me his. I hesitated to give him mine. Not that I wanted to keep things strictly email, in fact, I was happy he wanted to move away from the computer. I worried because I tend to sound like an idiot on the phone. My normal quirky, talkative, charming flirtations sound stupid when not face to face. However, I got over it and gave him my phone number. He called me Monday right after 5pm, but I couldn't talk right then, so I called him later that night. We chatted for a couple hours and set a date for the next night; i.e. last night.

He lives 45 minutes south of me and offered to drive to my town for our first date. I appreciated that. In fact, I appreciated all the little things that he did throughout the date that were chivalrous and gentlemanly. We ate dinner at one of my favorite restaurants and had a lively conversation about all sorts of things. He's really easy to talk to and has interesting stories to tell - he's had some pretty cool life experiences. Afterward, we drove to the bowling alley but were turned off by the 45-minute wait to get a lane. Instead, we went back to my house and played Wii bowling and tennis. I killed him at both. Bwa ha ha! Eventually we partnered up at tennis and killed the computer's team multiple times. Bwa ha ha! We started getting pretty silly and almost lost a match, so we decided to stop and just talk before he headed home.

When it came time for him to go, there was that awkward "what's going to happen at the door" moment. He leaned in, I went for the hug, he went for the kiss. D'oh! He stuck around, though, so I knew he was going to give it another try - I'm really impressed that he didn't give up. At one point while we were chatting, he put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close, keeping me there for a bit while we talked. I had to look up (because of how I was leaning against him...he's actually barely shorter than me) at him while we talked and noticed him glance at my lips several times. I mentally prepared myself for a kiss, but he moved too slow. When he moved in for the kill...I mean, kiss...he did it so casually that I wasn't sure he was really going to kiss me, and I went for the hug again. Double d'oh!

Hello. My name is Julie. I'm 32 and a total dunce when it comes to kissing. I've been promised opportunities to practice...*blush*. Ahem.

He left this time, though at one point, as he stood in the doorway, he made a move that looked like he might make a 3rd attempt, but then he stopped himself. I felt stupid, so I emailed him as soon as he had left, knowing he wouldn't get it right away. I apologized for being so nervous at the end of the date and assured him that I wasn't opposed to him kissing me, if he wanted to. He emailed back awhile later and said that he did want to and that I shouldn't worry about what had happened - he hadn't wanted to rush me and would totally wait until I was ready if it made me feel better. I replied that it wouldn't. I told him that it has been awhile since I've been kissed really well, so I'm just a tad nervous that I won't know what I'm doing. Waiting would only make me more nervous. This is when he wrote back and promised to give me lots of practice if I wanted. *cheesy grin*

Hello. My name is Julie and I'm a bit of a hussy.

Before the whole scene at the door, Sam asked me if I wanted to go on another date with him. I said I did and we set a 2nd date for this coming Tuesday. Even though he offered to come up again, I said I'd go down for this date. I'd like to see his place, and he offered to cook for me. :)

So, even though I'm still cautious about this whole online dating thing, I'm glad I did it. I can't imagine how I would have ever met Sam otherwise. I'm not saying he is The Guy...it's way too early and there's a lot more to find out about him, but he has potential, especially for friendship if nothing else works out. And, there are a couple other guys, one especially, that have potential. Both live within a couple hours of me and one has already given me his email address and phone number and hinted at getting together. This is a lot more fun that I thought it would be.

*cheesy grin*

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

How are you doing? Staying busy up at the North Pole? How's the weather? Is Mrs. Claus still in good health? Please say hi to her, the elves, and all the reindeer - and you might mention to Blitzer that I didn't appreciate his...ahem...on my porch last year.

Well, it's that time of year again, believe it or not. I must say that I've been an exceptionally good girl this year. While helping my mom with her new kitchen, I only swore a few times when I touched the sides of the outlets and electrocuted myself. I didn't do a single April Fool's Day prank this year - that hasn't happened since 1993! I've made new friends, managed to keep old ones, and have even gotten in touch with some long-lost ones. I have stayed out of jail and in church, the latter being harder to do than the former, as usual. In short, I'm pretty proud of myself and hope that I turn up on the appropriate List this year while you're checking it twice.

Speaking of lists, in order to facilitate your Christmas present giving, I thought I'd write you up a quick list of things you could leave under my tree...just because I know you're busy and could use a time saver.

MY CHRISTMAS WISH LIST:

1. A New Job. One with a decent salary and health benefits would be a plus.

2. A Boyfriend. One that is attractive, funny, thoughtful, and who likes sports. Oh, and who likes me.

3. Mario Kart for my Wii and two steering wheels. It's ridiculous how much I enjoy this game! And, I'd really like to get better so I could beat my neighbor Jon a time or two.

4. A Maid. No, I'm not too lazy or too busy to keep my home spic-n-span...I'm just trying to do my small part to help the local economy. Jobs are scarce around here! *sheepish grin*

5. A trip to France. Oh wait...I'm already going!!!* Feel free to leave a trip to somewhere else under my tree then. My top 3 picks would be Denmark, Spain, and Alaska. And, it would be super nice if you left a similar trip under the trees of my cousins Aly and Cassie. Thanks a million!

In all honesty, I don't need a lot this year; I already have some amazing gifts: a wonderful family, amazing friends, a comfortable home, a good job, the Gospel, and a healthy body, among others. Anything else would just be the cherry on top.

As always, my best wishes to you and yours and full-hearted appreciation for your generosity and kindness.

Merry Christmas!

Julie :)



* I fly out of Vegas two weeks from today! Woohoo!!

The Driver's Seat

I knew the first time I got behind the steering wheel of my dad's truck that I wasn't a natural driver. I was 14, it was Christmas Day, and I had gone with him to run an errand. There was snow on the ground and no one on the streets when he asked me if I wanted to try driving. I didn't but said yes anyway. I drove for probably 5 minutes then was finished. Didn't want to do it any more. What was the big deal? Driving, schmiving.

I graduated high school and moved away for college, sans automobile. I walked or rode the bus everywhere and enjoyed the freedom of not driving. When I drove with others, I barely paid attention to what was going on in front or behind the car - I looked out the windows at the shops, people, and landscape around me, content - no, thrilled! - to not be in the driver's seat.

Most of my mission, I didn't have a car, just the last few months. I preferred being without one. I loved walking to appointments, sitting next to people on the bus and metro and talking to them about them, me, the gospel, politics (rarely - heated discussions seldom coincide with the presence of the Spirit, a missionary's main goal in life), and didn't mind the occasional sprint to the bus as it was about to leave our stop - it kept me trim...I gained almost 10 lbs when I had a car. Also, winter in Canada = ice storms = slippery roads, which, combined with my inattention while driving = a couple scary moments filled with prayers consisting of ohpleasestop, ohpleasestop, ohpleasestop!

I still dislike driving, even though I'm a professional driver (yeah, it sounds funny to me, too). I'd just rather not if someone else is willing.

And yet, I insist on being in the Driver's Seat all the time.

Without a second thought (usually), I can relinquish my safety and well-being into another's hands when driving in a metal box on wheels traveling at 75+ mph, but I really struggle when it's my Life and the "other" is the all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving Master of the Universe, aka God, aka my Heavenly Father. I mean, really. Some of the people I drive with are crazy drivers, especially...well, that doesn't matter. My point is, if I can trust them to get me there and home again without incident, shouldn't I be able to trust Him even more to do the same?

I think it's the planning that gets me. I'm a planner. When I'm driving Bertha and The Beast and going to a destination I've never been to before, I first go to Mapquest to get driving directions, then I turn to my handy-dandy fuel guide that a nice trucker gave me after this incident (please, for my sake, skip over the Shawn details!) that tells me where to find gas stations big enough to hold my rig and, very importantly, that have diesel. I'm able to plan where I'm going to stop all along the way. No surprises. When I drive with people...same thing, no surprises (rarely, that is). I know the route we're taking, no problems whatsoever.

Not so in Life. When I plot my course, things happen that take me somewhere totally different than where I thought I'd be. To be fair, I've generally been quite pleased with where I turn up, which should make me a lot more relaxed, but I'm not. It's not that I don't trust Him, I just want a hint or two about where I'm going and when/where the next stop is. I wouldn't care if I don't get married until I'm 64 (like my great aunt on my dad's side) as long as I knew this and could plan accordingly. Or, if I'm supposed to be the Next Food Network Star, it would be nice to know that I'd better book-it to culinary school!

I have several options for my future but have no clue what's going to happen - if anything! I could go back to school and get my Masters, then on to get my PhD so I can become a professor of Economics. Like I mentioned above, culinary school is another option, the one I'm leaning toward currently. However, neither of these options will happen if I don't figure out something to do with my home (i.e. rent or sell it). Or, I could stay here (and not have to worry about my home) if a) I find a new job, b) I get married (chuckle, chuckle), or c) neither happens, my house doesn't rent or sell, and I have to stay at my current job f-o-r-e-v-e-r. *shudder*

I'm not one that believes that God does all the steering. I doubt He's up there playing a grand game of Chess with all our lives. I believe that He allows us to make big and small decisions that impact our lives and the lives of those around us. I don't think He expects me to always sit in the passenger seat, it's just that I tend to never let Him sit in the Driver's Seat unless He hits me over the head with a 2x4 (which He had to do in order to get me on a mission).

So, with all the uncertainty* about what's going to happen next, I'm going to try harder to let Him steer a little bit. To have a little more faith that He knows where to take me and what stops I need to make to get me where I'll be happiest.

Wish me luck.




*One thing is for certain, though - I'm finally going to France! Woohoo! I fly out of Vegas around 8pm on the 25th of December, arrive in Paris around 6pm on the 26th, and arrive back in Vegas sometime on January 2nd. I'll spend a few days there by myself - I have lots of fun things planned - then will meet up with Cardine on the 30th for the remainder of the time. I'm so absolutely thrilled about this trip that it makes all the uncertainties a little easier to bear. Whew!