I know I haven't blogged in a while. I was going to post pics from when the inlaws were here, but they haven't quite made it from the camera to the computer yet.
So heres What's Up on Wednesday
1) Happy Anniversary to my parents! Today marks 31 years of wedded bliss.
2) It is getting hot and humid in Virginia. yuck. Thankfully the pool at our apartment complex opened this weekend, so we're planning on hitting that up. We stopped by yesterday and the people said it was cold, but were used to rivers and Georgetown Lake, so I'm sure it will be fine. I stuck my feet in and it felt great.
3) We are down to one car: We sold the truck, and then had to trade in the little honda for a new 06 Honda Accord in Bobcat Blue! The old one was dripping fluids and the mechanic didn't suggest we drive it back to montana.
4) I can't believe this summer is my 10 year class reunion. It doesn't feel like its been 10 years. I'm getting old.
5) For Memorial Day we went to Luke's mentor's house. He and his wife are in their mid 70s, then there was a couple that is 80, and another lady who is probably in her 60s. We had so much fun! They were all making fun of eachother and we laughed a lot and ate wonderful food. It was a great holiday. We also drove part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is beautiful. Very lush. Unfortunately we didn't think to bring the camera.
6) And the most exciting Whats Up: We're moving back to Montana! yay! The last day of work will be June 18th, then a romantic weekend at the beach, finish packing, and leaving the burg on June 26th. Thats in exactly 24 days. Only 12 days of work left. Luke is looking at a job in Missoula at a Church. Once we get back to the Big Sky state we'll stay in Kalispell with Vicki and figure out about the job and then either move to Missoula, or try to find jobs in Kalispell. I was hoping for living with Vicki in Kalispell for awhile but it is kind of sounding like we'll be in Griz country. I'm looking forward to seeing the family, going to Georgetown Lake, and a new ministry opportunity.
Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Big Changes!
Guess what?! I am gainfully employed. woo hoo! The massage thing wasn't working out based on the fact that a) the economy downturn means more people are giving up the leisure activities such as massage, and b) arthritis does not allow me to comfortably and without pain do the amount of massages needed to make money. So now I am working as a temp-to-hire receptionist/admin asst. at Parker Integrated Sealing Systems (parker.com) I'm definitely over qualified, but its a job, with a steady paycheck, and the promise of benefits upon hire. yay! What more could a girl ask for? Today is day 3. And a little slow. But thats okay.
The weather in Virginia has been very Montana-like. We've had three big snow storms, plus its been cold. When there is snow they close down schools and government and churches and Luke and I just laugh. I don't ever remember a snow day growing up, and these kids got all of last week off of school because it snowed on the weekends and a country road may not be plowed for a bus to get down it, so they close the schools. Its craziness. Plus, luke's school has had a 2 hour delay the past two days because of the promise of snow. Not even blizzarding, just snow. But, I will say, the snow days have allowed me to get a lot of quilting in! I spent most of Friday and Saturday sewing and watching Gilmore Girls on dvd. It was pretty much awesome!
The weather in Virginia has been very Montana-like. We've had three big snow storms, plus its been cold. When there is snow they close down schools and government and churches and Luke and I just laugh. I don't ever remember a snow day growing up, and these kids got all of last week off of school because it snowed on the weekends and a country road may not be plowed for a bus to get down it, so they close the schools. Its craziness. Plus, luke's school has had a 2 hour delay the past two days because of the promise of snow. Not even blizzarding, just snow. But, I will say, the snow days have allowed me to get a lot of quilting in! I spent most of Friday and Saturday sewing and watching Gilmore Girls on dvd. It was pretty much awesome!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
New House: Take 2!
We put another offer in on a house (first didn't pan out). Its cuter, cheaper, and in WAY better shape. Were super excited about it. The contract is signed, the home inspection went well (only minor problems), so now were just waiting on an appraisal.
Here are some pics:
Cute bathroom!
master bedroom
big kitchen with lots of counter space!!
living room
The house.
Here are some pics:
Cute bathroom!
master bedroom
big kitchen with lots of counter space!!
living room
The house.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
23 Days and Counting...
The countdown has begun! In exactly 23 days we will be leaving Montana behind and heading to the hot, humid land of Virginia. We are SO excited. Things are super crazy busy right now, with packing, work, getting things ready in Lynchburg, and trying to see/hang out with everyone here. Our house looks like a bomb went off because there are packed and half-packed boxes everywhere. We have reserved a moving truck and will take off on August 1. Were still homeless but are trying to buy a house. We put in an offer on a house in Lynchburg, it was accepted, but the home inspection turned up a need for a new roof, which we just can't take care of. If the homeowner will put a new roof on, then were good to go, but if not, were back to square one. We have found a cute house to try to buy if the first one doesn't work. Its been completely redone in the past couple of months and is more convenient to school and work. We'll see what happens. My job as a massage therapist (not "masseuse!")is ready to rock and roll. I got my first sets of scrubs in the mail the other day, and ordered more yesterday. My new boss is WONDERFUL and is very excited to have me. I think it is going to be an awesome experience. It will be so nice to work for myself in an established business doing what I'm passionate about with other professionals. Luke is still kicking around a few jobs, but we should have an answer on what hes doing before we move. He might just telecommute from Virginia.
Twenty-three days seems both long and short at the same time...
Twenty-three days seems both long and short at the same time...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Were still alive!
I know, I know, Its been a looongggg time since I've blogged. I wanted to tell everyone about our amazing trip to Lynchburg, but I wanted to include pictures and I never remember to download them, etc etc so I just kind of didn't get anything written. I will try to catch up with everything...
Lynchburg, VA- We love Lynchburg. Its so beautiful there and it feels homey. Like for example, I wasn't freaked out about being mugged by scary people like I was when we were stranded in Atlanta. We looked at lots of houses but have not made a decision yet. Our realtor is amazing. She met with us twice while we were there. Were still looking at stuff online, but its hard to tell from pictures. We might have to go out for one more weekend to look again.
Liberty U- The campus is ginormous and gorgeous. Everyone was really friendly and they pulled out all the stops. Plus, the new bookstore opened while we were there. Its a Barnes & Noble with a clothing section and regular books and a little cafe with food and drinks, then all the school books and school supplies are downstairs. We went on a sunday afternoon and they had live music at an open mike. Luke got to meet the 2nd in command of his department and he was super nice and very helpful. He gave luke his cell phone number and told us that if we needed anything we should call, and if I needed anything I could call his wife. (!)
Tourism- We went to Appomattox, Roanoke, Monticello, and just kind of drove around and checked things out. We like the area a lot. One thing was weird though. In Montana we have little coffee kiosk stands on every corner and in Virginia we didn't see any. (?!?) What? Weird. Just a few starbucks and a local coffee shop. This is so weird to me. Probably because Bozeman is like the coffee drinking capital of the world.
Job - I have a really good lead on a job doing full-time massage at a local clinic. I have talked to the owner several times and it sounds really promising. I still need to meet her and give her a massage, but things are looking good. :) They have a great reputation and are really busy. Luke hasn't heard anything on internships, but we should know sometime this summer.
Lynchburg, VA- We love Lynchburg. Its so beautiful there and it feels homey. Like for example, I wasn't freaked out about being mugged by scary people like I was when we were stranded in Atlanta. We looked at lots of houses but have not made a decision yet. Our realtor is amazing. She met with us twice while we were there. Were still looking at stuff online, but its hard to tell from pictures. We might have to go out for one more weekend to look again.
Liberty U- The campus is ginormous and gorgeous. Everyone was really friendly and they pulled out all the stops. Plus, the new bookstore opened while we were there. Its a Barnes & Noble with a clothing section and regular books and a little cafe with food and drinks, then all the school books and school supplies are downstairs. We went on a sunday afternoon and they had live music at an open mike. Luke got to meet the 2nd in command of his department and he was super nice and very helpful. He gave luke his cell phone number and told us that if we needed anything we should call, and if I needed anything I could call his wife. (!)
Tourism- We went to Appomattox, Roanoke, Monticello, and just kind of drove around and checked things out. We like the area a lot. One thing was weird though. In Montana we have little coffee kiosk stands on every corner and in Virginia we didn't see any. (?!?) What? Weird. Just a few starbucks and a local coffee shop. This is so weird to me. Probably because Bozeman is like the coffee drinking capital of the world.
Job - I have a really good lead on a job doing full-time massage at a local clinic. I have talked to the owner several times and it sounds really promising. I still need to meet her and give her a massage, but things are looking good. :) They have a great reputation and are really busy. Luke hasn't heard anything on internships, but we should know sometime this summer.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reasons to Love Lynchburg #1: Weather
Its 25 degrees in Bozeman. When I came to work this morning it was 14 degrees and there was a fresh coat of snow.
In Lynchburg, its 43 degrees. The average for late March is 49 degrees.
By comparison, the average for late March in Bozeman is 37.5. 37.5 is still quite close to snow termperature & weather. 50 is like a spring day. Imagine that, spring weather during spring!
Kudos to Kirsten for writing a bill that got passed by the Legislature!
In Lynchburg, its 43 degrees. The average for late March is 49 degrees.
By comparison, the average for late March in Bozeman is 37.5. 37.5 is still quite close to snow termperature & weather. 50 is like a spring day. Imagine that, spring weather during spring!
Kudos to Kirsten for writing a bill that got passed by the Legislature!
Monday, March 2, 2009
On Being Replaced...
Even though I am super excited to move to Virginia, it will be really sad to leave Bozeman. It will be hard to leave my job as well. I have been at Intermountain Financial Group - Montana for 3 years. Thats a record in Kelsieland. The only place I've worked longer than that is for my parents and Im not sure if that counts. (I'll probably never work anywhere for longer than I worked for my parents.) Anyways, I gave Elizabeth and Jurgen like 6 months notice because I figured I owed it to them and I couldn't keep a secret any longer. That was Friday, February 6th. By Monday, Elizabeth had spoken to someone about my job. Fast forward one month: They've already pre-interviewed two people, had a group interview with one girl, and posted my job with LC Staffing. She received another resume today and will interview that candidate soon. Its so weird to be replaced while Im still here. The goal is that the new Kelsie will start on June 1 and I will train them for two solid months. So that gets us to August 1. What am I supposed to do then? I suppose the move will be quite near at that point and I will be packing like crazy, so maybe it will be okay. I just want to make sure that the person who replaces me will take good care of Elizabeth. Its like Im leaving a family. I can't really describe how I feel about being replaced. Its so weird. Its sad and exciting and worrisome and just hard to explain.
On Friday, before our big interview, Elizabeth decided that she wanted the candidate to write an essay on the five most important aspects of teamwork. I made the mistake of mentioning that immediately my mind starts thinking of what I would write. So guess what? I got to write an essay too. Elizabeth was like okay, it's ten o'clock, you have until 10:20. Go!
Here is what I wrote:
Being a Team Player: Remembering there’s no “I” in TEAM
One could argue that being a team player is one of the most sought after characteristics of a good employee. Unless you are a sole proprietor, you will have to interface with others in your job environment. This can make or break an employee and a business. Here are five characteristics that will ensure a great team player.
1) The ability to pull your own weight. In any recipe, each ingredient has a specific purpose or flavor into creating the finished product. A team is the same way. Every person must be responsible for their task, and doing the best they possibly can, in order to make the team’s finished product the best it can be. Just like leaving the flour out of a batch of cookies can ruin it, a person’s lack of responsibility and follow through can have the same effect on their team’s production.
2) Having a vested interest in the finished product: Each person must not only be responsible for their “ingredient” but they must care about their ingredient and the finished product. If a recipe contains all organic, high end ingredients and one item is dollar store quality, the finished product will not be the same as if all ingredients were high quality. The more a person cares for their finished product and their place of employment, the more that care will shine through unto the finished product.
3) Having a vested interest in the other members on the team: The more you care about your team members both professionally and personally, the better your relationship will be, and that caring will show through on the final product. Just like members on a basketball team’s incoherence would severely inhibit their chance of winning a game, if individuals on a team do not respect and care about each other they will decrease the team’s unity and performance. This will also show through on the final project, especially when another member may need help.
4) Having a common goal: The vision of a common goal will have a giant impact on a team’s performance. If one team member is only interested in getting the project done, and one person wants the project to be the best project ever, the project will be of varying degrees of quality or success and that will reflect negatively on the whole team. However, if all team members want the project to be of utmost quality, it most surely will be.
5) Walking the talk: A person may say they are interested in a coherent team and their team members and the finished product, but if their behavior and actions are contrary to that verbage, it will have an effect on the team and its product. You must be willing to put your money where your mouth is and be true to your words and yourself and your team. You must be sincerely interested in all of the team qualities and members and let that sincerity show through in your behaviors.
The true following of these five characteristics will have a large impact on your success as a team and as a team member. Be a team player, and remember, there’s no “I” in team.
She probably shouldn't have made me do it, because now she said she has perfection and everything in comparison will be not as good. She sent my essay to Jurgen and he wrote back "Quick! Hire her!" Maybe I could get a job writing essays...
On Friday, before our big interview, Elizabeth decided that she wanted the candidate to write an essay on the five most important aspects of teamwork. I made the mistake of mentioning that immediately my mind starts thinking of what I would write. So guess what? I got to write an essay too. Elizabeth was like okay, it's ten o'clock, you have until 10:20. Go!
Here is what I wrote:
Being a Team Player: Remembering there’s no “I” in TEAM
One could argue that being a team player is one of the most sought after characteristics of a good employee. Unless you are a sole proprietor, you will have to interface with others in your job environment. This can make or break an employee and a business. Here are five characteristics that will ensure a great team player.
1) The ability to pull your own weight. In any recipe, each ingredient has a specific purpose or flavor into creating the finished product. A team is the same way. Every person must be responsible for their task, and doing the best they possibly can, in order to make the team’s finished product the best it can be. Just like leaving the flour out of a batch of cookies can ruin it, a person’s lack of responsibility and follow through can have the same effect on their team’s production.
2) Having a vested interest in the finished product: Each person must not only be responsible for their “ingredient” but they must care about their ingredient and the finished product. If a recipe contains all organic, high end ingredients and one item is dollar store quality, the finished product will not be the same as if all ingredients were high quality. The more a person cares for their finished product and their place of employment, the more that care will shine through unto the finished product.
3) Having a vested interest in the other members on the team: The more you care about your team members both professionally and personally, the better your relationship will be, and that caring will show through on the final product. Just like members on a basketball team’s incoherence would severely inhibit their chance of winning a game, if individuals on a team do not respect and care about each other they will decrease the team’s unity and performance. This will also show through on the final project, especially when another member may need help.
4) Having a common goal: The vision of a common goal will have a giant impact on a team’s performance. If one team member is only interested in getting the project done, and one person wants the project to be the best project ever, the project will be of varying degrees of quality or success and that will reflect negatively on the whole team. However, if all team members want the project to be of utmost quality, it most surely will be.
5) Walking the talk: A person may say they are interested in a coherent team and their team members and the finished product, but if their behavior and actions are contrary to that verbage, it will have an effect on the team and its product. You must be willing to put your money where your mouth is and be true to your words and yourself and your team. You must be sincerely interested in all of the team qualities and members and let that sincerity show through in your behaviors.
The true following of these five characteristics will have a large impact on your success as a team and as a team member. Be a team player, and remember, there’s no “I” in team.
She probably shouldn't have made me do it, because now she said she has perfection and everything in comparison will be not as good. She sent my essay to Jurgen and he wrote back "Quick! Hire her!" Maybe I could get a job writing essays...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Virginia is for Lovers...and Fraziers
Big news! We're moving to Virginia this summer to go back to school. We have both been accepted to Liberty University for the Fall 09 semester. Luke has been attending Liberty U Online for a year and is working towards his Masters in Divinity. He wanted to finish his degree on campus to get a better education. I recently decided that I wanted to go back to school as well - I will be studying to get a Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy. Eventually I would like to work with kids and help them to be better adjusted and more confident and to deal with their disfunctional families better. I would also like to try to incorporate massage with counseling. I think it could be really powerful since massage is sometimes indusive to emotional releases.
We're both really sad to be leaving Bozeman and our friends and family and our jobs, but were excited for the new opportunity and to go back to school. Liberty is located in Lynchburg, VA. Its one of the most popular retirement communities in the nation, and has 6 colleges and universities. The area is especially known for its rich history. General Lee surrendered the Civil War not too far from where we'll be living. And speaking of living, housing is really cheap, so were excited to BUY a house. We can buy a house for about $100,000. Thats cheaper than renting. I am excited to buy a house and be able to paint and make improvements. I've been watching a lot of HGTV to gear up for playing interior decorator. Last weekend I fixed up the "Bobcat Hotel" (the spare room my parents stay in when they come for Bobcat football games) into an office.
Were going to Virginia in April to visit the campus and look at houses. It will be nice to spend a few days just checking out where our new home will be.
More details to come...
We're both really sad to be leaving Bozeman and our friends and family and our jobs, but were excited for the new opportunity and to go back to school. Liberty is located in Lynchburg, VA. Its one of the most popular retirement communities in the nation, and has 6 colleges and universities. The area is especially known for its rich history. General Lee surrendered the Civil War not too far from where we'll be living. And speaking of living, housing is really cheap, so were excited to BUY a house. We can buy a house for about $100,000. Thats cheaper than renting. I am excited to buy a house and be able to paint and make improvements. I've been watching a lot of HGTV to gear up for playing interior decorator. Last weekend I fixed up the "Bobcat Hotel" (the spare room my parents stay in when they come for Bobcat football games) into an office.
Were going to Virginia in April to visit the campus and look at houses. It will be nice to spend a few days just checking out where our new home will be.
More details to come...
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