New Job!

In case you haven't seen it on my Facebook or you want more details, I have an announcement to make! I got a job! It's a job I've been working for and waiting for a long time and I'm so happy I finally got it. I am now the new Program Coordinator of New Student Orientation at Utah State University! So exciting! I'll now describe what that means.

It's basically the job my boss used to have. Our department went through a lot of changes this year and my boss got put in charge of a lot of other responsibilities. To help her out she decided to hire someone to take over SOAR (orientation) and the A-Team (the orientation staff). I first heard of the possibility of this job back at the end of the school year. The summer months came along and the decision was made to hire a new person. Then, the process. It took forever for HR to finally post the position and then it had to be open for 30 days. When it finally closed I believe there were still a couple weeks before interviews took place. That was last week. I was told a decision would be made at the beginning of this week. The beginning came and went and I was very nervous and stressed. Then it was Thursday night. I was helping to work the Cache Valley Recruiting Open House (for high school seniors). I knew my boss was going out of town for a conference on Saturday and wouldn't be back until next Thursday. I was really hoping I would find out the next day so I wouldn't have to wait a whole other week! I just needed to know! Because if I was going to get the job, wonderful! End my suffering! If not, that's fine. I just needed to be able to start making plans for getting another job.

Back to the open house: I was standing there and Lisa (my boss) turned to me and said "Well, I don't know if you've heard, because it's been buzzing around the office today, but we've decided to hire you". I had NOT heard anything! Which is quite the feat A) for the A-Team to keep anything a secret and B) for me to not know about something going on in that office when I spend 9 hours a day there. I was so excited!!!! I had to keep it hush hush for another day until everyone who had applied had been notified but then I posted it, which was my technological way of yelling it from the roof tops. And that was the journey of me applying for and getting this job.

Starting November 1, I will officially be over new student orientation at USU. I will also be the boss over the A-Team, including the Student Coordinators that work in the office. That's at least 44 employees to my name. Crazy!!! I will be in charge of coordinating everything to make sure that all new students to USU are oriented and then as many as possible retained at the university. I also am in charge of making sure the A-Team gets hired and then trained correctly and then do their job right! I'm not really sure on all the nit picky, day to day things I'll be doing quite yet. For right now, I have quite a few trainings and an orientation to attend. I have to clean out my office, which is currently being used as the office storage room (...did you catch that....MY office!!!) and then making sure A-Team hiring gets off on the right food this next week.

I'm not going to lie, I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of so much responsibility but I know that I can do this! I feel like I was meant to get this job right now and that with Lisa's help I'll be able to do this, no problem. The first year of a new job is always the hardest, so I know this will be tough, but good. I'm just so grateful to have a job and to have it be with people I care about and a program I'm very familiar with.

Here's to growing up!

Sicky

So there I was this morning at work, wearing a cute outfit I'd thought out and even taken the time to iron the shirt. Big deal, I know! Then I realized I was freezing. Sometimes the office fluctuates in temperature so I didn't think anything of it. After a good half hour I was still freezing and I said so out loud and put on my coat. My boss looked at me and said "YOU are cold?!" You see, usually I am the one in the office who is dying because it's so hot and everyone else in there is freezing. As soon as she said that I knew what it was. I must be getting sick. Within the next hour, I went home because I started to feel the same way I always do when I get my version of "sick". My stomach felt gross, I was super tired, my head got fuzzy...it was coming on! So my kind, kind coworkers sent me home so I could get better today and not get even more sick. I spent the day in bed thinking I was an idiot for going home. I feel like it makes me look stupid to go home sick when I'm not puking or something. But I know my body and I know I'm my kind of sick. Usually I'm in bed a whole day with it. I think it's a type of flu maybe? That's what I've decided. Then I woke up from a nap and I feel a little worse. Yup. I'm sick. Good thing I came home! But my good friend Deborah stopped by and brought me some yummy soup and banana bread, so I can't really complain :)

I'm still waiting to hear on that job I talked about earlier. It's really stressing me out. I just want to know! Even if I don't get it (as sad as that would be) I need to be able to start making other plans. Stressful, stressful.... Could be adding to my body shutting down. Thank you to all of you who have been rooting for me, even if you aren't ever going to read this post. It really makes me feel loved that so many people want to see me stay where I'm at and even be their boss. I take it as quite a compliment because these are people I respect very much. Guess we'll see what happens! Whichever way, I've been very blessed these last four years! I'm a lucky girl.

Well, that's all for now. I might go curl up in my warm blanket and watch a chick flick. I hear they're good for sick people you know...

Sister Stalker

This weekend I had the chance to spend some time with my little sister while the parents are off playing in Dallas. Before I left, I dropped her off at work (taking my cousin Sara with me) and Emi so kindly got us a rice bowl and drinks...free of charge! Isn't she great?! (p.s. Emi works at Rumbi's..yum!)

When she left us to go work, I decided to take a picture...or two...or more. It turned into "sister stalking". Here is a documentation of the adventures of Sara and Alyssa while stalking Emi.

There she is..serving a table

Walking away from said table

Still serving this table. They were kind of needy

Still serving them. See what I mean?!

Looking around to see where else she's needed. So good at customer service!

But she eventually did get to help another table!

She wouldn't take a picture with me, so this was the best I could get while she walked by

Sara and I hid any mess we may or may not have made. Rice bowl? What rice bowl?!

My encouraging partner in crime. She made that face on purpose. Silly Sara Lara.

Changing Times

It's crazy how fast time can change things. The number of friends I have getting married has calmed down significantly and now I'm on to my friends having babies. Two of my best friends are due in the next few weeks and I am very excited for them. I'm claiming these kids as my niece and nephew since I don't have any of my own. I'm pretty sure their moms don't mind :)

Yesterday I went to lunch with some girls I was friends with in elementary school. How many of you can say that?! It was a lot of fun. It's interesting to see where all our our lives have gone so far. Alisa is married and her daughter, Reagan, is almost 2 (isn't she adorable?!). Melissa is also married and pregnant with her first baby. Carli just got married this last year. Seeing a trend?? I mean, that's not all they have going on in their lives of course, but I was a little worried I'd be left out since I'm in a drastically different stage of life but it wasn't too bad. They didn't even press about dating, so it was lots better than family holiday parties. haha But really, I had a ton of fun with these girls and I hope that we can get together again soon!

Tomorrow is a big day. I have my interview for a job I really, really hope to get. I'm super nervous about it. It's a really big deal, my first potential big girl job. I know all but one person on the hiring committee and that almost makes it worse to sit there and try to market yourself as a potential employee. I'll let you know if I get it or not but please, if you're reading this, pray for me. Pray for me to be calm, to do the best interview I have the capacity to do, and then for the hiring committee to make the right decision for the program, whether or not that includes me. Hopefully it does though. My interview is at 12:20 tomorrow and they're also interviewing on Tuesday so depending on when you read this, pray for whatever is relevant. Thanks :) Greatly appreciated!

Well, I should go get ready for bed so I'm as rested as possible tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to fall asleep! Good night!

It's an exciting week

I'm sure those people who I see often (namely my roommates and coworkers) are probably super sick of hearing me talk about this, but I can't help it! I'm not even going to apologize because I'm not sorry. Two of my friends return from their missions!!!

Kenzie "Gert" Lawlor is home already! She went to the Omaha, Nebraska, Winter Quarters Visitors Center mission. She even got to meet my friend Stacey Stanger and my cousin Marci Atkin! I was reunited with her this afternoon and it was a joyous occasion. This girl is hilarious and I'm so glad she's back. Here's us like 3 years ago at a Real Salt Lake soccer game. We always have a good time!

Then this coming Wednesday, my bestie Deborah Teuscher comes home!!!! I'm so excited!!! Des and I are driving everyone around us nuts with the excitement, even her mom. haha We're trying to figure out the soonest we can see her. If it was up to us we'd be at the airport, but that isn't going to happen, so hopefully Wednesday night! She is at the Rochester, NY, Hill Cumorah Visitors Center mission. Everyone keeps saying "oh she's back already? That was fast!" but no, folks. This has been a LONG mission for some of us. She's one of my very best friends that I was used to going to for everything in my life, so it's been rough having her gone. It's going to be wonderful having her back!!!

This is us getting ready for the school's Mardi Gras party a couple years ago. It's going to be so good to have her back! By the way, you may recognize her from last month's edition of the Ensign. No big deal.

A lot has changed in the last year and I don't expect everything to be the same, but it's always nice to have your friends home.