february photo a day challenges: green, night, something i ate, money, something i'm listening to

 

green: i really struggled to find something green. until i remembered my awesome green toms i wear all the time that devin got me for christmas to replace my grey ones that were so worn out. i love toms. by far my favorite go-to shoes. even my wedding shoes were toms, remember?

 

night: this is my nightstand. so it sort of counts. plus all of these things are what my nights have been consisting of lately. tons of water and medicine. vick's vapor rub. tissues. and a good book (great book. you should read it. you'll LOL the whole time. it's that funny.)

something i ate: these cough drops. constantly. eucalyptus flavor. i think they have something in them that also make me totally relaxed. they help me fall asleep. the relieve all the pain in my throat. they are my new favorite. although, i admit, the strawberry ones do taste better.

 

money: devin and i sat down last night and officially planned our trip. we "high-balled" all of our expenses to get a savings goal in mind and we planned out each day with what we will do. i. can. not. wait. may will be here any day now, and i am so excited to finally go on a big trip. like i've been wanting to do for... ever.

something i'm listening to: our humidifier makes a quiet humming noise. 

february photo a day challenge: inside my bathroom cabinet

Didn't have any time to blog yesterday. I went to miss Kelsey's bachelorette party right after work, and when I got home around 8, Devin and I went to taco bell and my parent's house and hung out with my mom (how cool are we?). Anyway, here's my bathroom cabinet. It's not very full. Devin's side has even less stuff. But I was pretty proud when I thought to put all my make up brushes in a small mason jar.

february photo a day challenge: my shoes

it was a boots sort of day today. i love these boots. they're the most expensive shoes i've ever owned, and i only slightly regret it. they look exactly like my sister's cute $30 pair. bummer, dude. oh well. i love them, and hopefully the extra $$ spent will result in longer lasting wear. i should probably be more careful about the leather, eh? they aren't this orange-y either in real life. this isn't a very good picture of them, but it's too late now.

february photo a day challenge: where you work

i thought i published this yesterday - whoops!

i am ashamed. i had every intention of at least snapping a photo of my cubical today, and it just didn't happen. it was my first day of actual work (not training anymore), so I started out pretty high strung, but quickly realized that it was more manageable than I had anticipated, and I felt very confident about it. when you're new in this department, your goal is to get 8 of what we call "intakes" - and 8 is supposed to be a challenge. I got 10. in fact, most of the other kids I trained with did, too. we were all very relieved! and we all felt the same: that we had scared ourselves into thinking it would be much harder, and when it wasn't, it was a very pleasant surprise. i love this job already.

anyway, i totally screwed the pooch on the picture thing. but maybe it's a good thing i didn't take a picture of my cubical, because right now it's hideous. there is a computer with a headset on the desk, and the walls have some papers with important referencing info. the walls are also upholstered (is that the right word?) with fabric (?) that looks like it was bought in the clearance section of the ugly fabric store that nobody shops at because it's ugly. but that's okay. i love it anyway. because it's my cubical. devin asked me last night, "will you put a picture of me in your cubical?" of course, dev. of course i will. haha!

regardless, here's what i found when i google image searched my office:

nothing.

at least nothing that made sense. there were lots of pictures of random people? and even a few of our "logo", but still. maybe after i have a picture of two, i will feel more inclined to take pictures of my cubical.

to make up for it, though, here's my "welcome to Myler Disability" gift. plasticware. i was immediately reminded of the Sabre water bottles on that episode of the office. it's pretty sweet. i mean, not just everyone gets handed a water bottle with the company's logo on it on the first day of work.

i also realized that this is a good time to describe what I actually do, since last time i talked about it, i was absolutely unsure. the deal is: I am a Legal Assistant. I contact people, or they call me -- they have all expressed/ are expressing interest in applying of Social Security Disability Benefits.

Our office sets a little bit tighter criteria then the social security administration, because of course, we want the best clients, right? so I make sure they meet our criteria, and if they don't: I refer them to the SSA, and if they do, I start the application process with them. It's a long process. I spent about 45 minutes on the phone with each client, asking a lot of questions. Since it's all social security stuff, it's all pretty confidential, so that's about it. The rest probably wouldn't interest anybody else anyway. I love it though. The people I work with, and for, are all awesome. The company is awesome. The work I do is awesome. I feel good about it, because I'm helping people with big things that can make big differences in their lives. It's a good feeling.

anyway. i'm really glad i got this job. i love it already. i know i'll be here for a long time. and i feel pretty confident about what i do. i haven't had this kind of a rewarding feeling... ever? in different ways with other jobs, yes, but not in this way. it's a good day.

february photo a day challenge: a fave photo of you

i know i just posted this with a bunch of others, but i don't believe in having any one "favorite" of most things (except for husbands, maybe. just kidding, i promise.) that being said, this photo is my favorite right now... it will probably change. fairly soon. but for now? i love this photo of us. and i love that man. and his smile. and... passionately. (office quote. did you catch it? haha)

february photo a day challenge: handwriting

pages and pages of notes today at work. 2 days to learn practically everything about social security disability benefits. i love this job already, but definitely a little overwhelmed after 8 hours of law today!

my handwriting gets so sloppy when i have to write fast.

february photo a day challenge: something i hate to do

when we got married, we didn't register anywhere. mostly, because we thought people would realize it meant we just wanted their money (that sounds so insensitive... but we were already packing like, 5 muffin tins from the bridal shower, and plenty of food storage and weird pot holders...) but, we did end up with probably 15 gift cards for bed, bath and beyond. which was awesome. i love that store. 

also, since we didn't register, we didn't get any pots/pans/knives, so we used all of those gift cards on a nice set of cookware and knife block. it was a good decision. devin had talked with his chef-brother brandon, who said the best way to keep your knives and cookware nice is to keep them out of the dishwasher. and we really don't want to have to buy new cookware in like 3 year. we want it to last awhile. so we agreed to never put them in the dishwasher. and i'm glad we're doing this.

but i HATE (that's a strong word. i just dislike it the most...) washing dishes by hand. and we use that cookware often, so there's almost always a pot or pan in the sink, needing to be washed. and i will avoid them for days, and then i'll catch on that devin is avoiding them as well, and eventually, one of us will break down and do them, or we'll get to the point where there are lots of other dishes to do anyway, and just tackle the entire kitchen together. but seriously. i'm not a fan of washing dishes with my hands. i love having a dishwasher. it's a luxury. 

I took this photo as we were cleaning up dinner (devin made amazing pork, homemade biscuits, and of course, i made some rice to go along with it). i probably looked weird taking pictures of dirty dishes in the sink, so i told him it was for the february photo a day challenge, and explained to him that today was a picture of something i hate doing. he said, "well, i'll wash the dishes, and you can dry them," what a sweet man i have. he's a gem, i tell you. 

february photo a day challenge: drink

I didn't post for the challenge yesterday, because we were gone all day skiing, and then went grocery shopping (which is when we bought these cool new glasses) and by the time we got back, the internet was down. this is sort of a weird picture. but it's devin's glass of apple juice and my glass of water. in our brand new glasses. 

february photo a day challenge: time

and I don't feel like doing anything...

february photo a day challenge: something new

lots of new today.

but first, and most importantly, I GOT A NEW JOB! it's been 2 weeks since I stopped working as a nanny (which is a heck of a lot better than the 2 months I went without a job after Stores Online laid us all off).

I am the proud new employee of Myler Disability. They are a Law Firm - Social Security Advocates, really. We help people get disability claims (I think? I just barely interviewed and got called today. I know basically nothing about social security, but the awesome lady that interviewed me (she was seriously the coolest), assured me I would be trained and learn a lot. Fwew!) My job will be Legal Assistant / Case Manager (I'm really not sure at all what the job title is... I'll get back to you. It's possible that I'm totally false.) The firm seems AWESOME. Full of great people, closer to home (AF), and best of all? I get my own desk. That is probably the most exciting part. I guess there's benefits and bonuses, too, but I was overjoyed when she said I get my own cubical. Now we're talkin', HR. I don't have a picture of this though. That would've probably been a bad first impression. But it's new. And it's very exciting. I start training on Monday. I'm thrilled.

Also new? Devin broke his backpacking tent on his Canyonlands trip, so we found one for a really great deal, and just got it in the mail today. Naturally, we had to set it up in the living room. At this point, it's tradition. We bought a tent while we were engaged, and Devin was living at his parent's during that time, and when the tent came, we set it up in their basement and watched a TV show about the B-2 Bomber. So we've gotta keep this going. Although, he won't let us sleep in it in the living room. Something about an extremely comfortable bed being 20 feet away... whatever.

Also new? Devin and I got cards for a free yoga class at 3B yoga. Which we've both done before, but not together. So it will be a new thing to add to our really long list called "Fun Things We Can Do Together,"

Another new thing? I started working on 5.8's tonight at the climbing gym. I just sort of skipped over 5.7's. As I was doing a 5.5 to warm up tonight, Devin decided to teach me some more technique, which made a world of difference in saving my energy while I climb, and I was confident enough to go straight to the 5.8's, which was probably a mistake, considering the throbbing pain in my forearms that hasn't gone away, and the calluses forming on my hands. But I can do it. I can't flash it (which means finishing it without falling or taking on the first try), but I can do it. I climbed hard tonight, and I'm proud of myself for the first time on the wall (well, for the first time since I did that 5.6). Devin is a genius. Seriously. If not a genius, he is at least spiderman. At least. I want to video tape him climbing and post it on here, but you have to use 2 hands to belay... And my video skills will definitely not do his climbing skills any justice at all. I'll figure something out. He is amazing. I can't believe he's my husband. I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Also new? I cried for the first time today because I miss Carter and Aria so much. Those kids are so great. I'm so sad I'm not their nanny anymore. They seem so grown up, and it's only been 2 weeks! They were the best. 

february photo a day challenge: phone

I have the... Samsung "Impression"...? I think?

Reasons why I love my phone:

// It's a good size. 

// I get pretty good service.

// The battery lasts pretty long (mostly because I hardly ever use my phone.)

// It's easy to text on.

// It lets me get these (it works. that's a bonus.):

Reasons why I am DITCHING it out of HATRED in April:

// It isn't a smart phone. I can't even send or receive PICTURES. And also, if someone sends me a really long text message, those usually become Multi-Media messages, which I'm also not able to receive...

// It's my 3rd replacement phone (all the same phone. it's just so bad, that I've had to replace it that many times.), so it's made up of several other phones. How can I tell? The battery cover piece that comes on and off? Is black. The rest of the back of the phone (like where the [crappy] camera is? Is dark blue. And the front? Is dark brown. It's pretty ugly.

// The keyboard buttons are SO loud.

// I don't know how to change hardly any of the settings, which means my ringtone is the super annoying AT&T jingle that gets progressively louder the longer it rings. 

// It's not this (which I will get in April. which is like, a year later than everybody else.):

In April, when my contract with AT&T is up, Devin and I are getting on our own phone plan with Sprint, and each getting an iPhone 4s. It's pretty much the only thing keeping me from breaking my phone every time I have to turn it off and back on, just to get it to send a message. Getting an iPhone is scary. I've never had a smart phone before. And it's so pretty, that I know I'm going to break it. I'm terrified. But... I can't wait to meet Siri. She'll probably become my new best friend. She's just that cool. 

february photo a day challenge: heart

Devin was pretty up front with me from the beginning that he wasn't a very big fan of Valentine's Day, and I don't mind. He still seems to find his ways to do sweet things and make me feel a little spoiled. I, on the other hand, am a pretty cheesy person, and tend to go overboard with that cheesiness daily, so Valentine's Day for me tends to include spoiling him just as much. Last year, he got me pink roses and we went to Wing Nutz.

This year, we're going to The Banff Mountain Film Festival, and probably Wing Nutz. I had recommended we make reservations somewhere, because everywhere will be packed, and we will be hungry anyway, but I think we'd both rather carry on that tradition anyway. I gave Devin his present early. But only because I had ordered it on our joint-account debit card, in hopes it would be here on time, but I knew he would see it early anyway on the card's account history, that he's so good at keeping up on. I got him a 2 year subscription to Outside Magazine, which I know he's been mulling over doing so for himself for awhile now. I also made him this:

(this is what I was talking about earlier. I'm really cheesy)

Last night we decorated sugar cookies. I wanted to try royal icing. I've never used it before. I followed Emily's instructions on Cupcakes and Cashmere, but the frosting came out a lot more runny then I anticipated, which made for some interesting looking cookies. I'm not even going to post the picture of pretty lace/doily icing patterns I was going to try, because our cookies will look like they were done by children compared to that. But it was a lot of fun to do together, very messy, and now we know next time, we need to add more powdered sugar.

(did you notice? their hearts).

Happy Valentine's day, Dev. Thank you for being my Valentine.

february photo a day challenge: blue

my new necklace. a whole $1.50 at forever 21.

just like my wedding earrings.

february photo a day challenge: inside your closet

we have the closet split right down the middle. my side of the top shelf is lined with high heels (it's dark up there). there are shelves of shoes, a cubby of shoes, and that shoe shelf... i love shoes.

and yes. my clothes are color coordinated. i don't know why. i don't really care. but that's just the way they are. easier to find stuff maybe? whatever.

february photo a day challenge: self portrait

february photo a day challenge: front door

it needs some cleaning...

February Photo a Day Challenge: Sun

The sun is not shining in the valley today. It's been overcast, but still not bad weather. For February. Unfortunately, I didn't see any of it. I was helping Kyle all day. Readjusting pillows very carefully. Switching out ice. Giving him pain pills on a very strict schedule. Answering his every beck and call, and watching a ton of movies. It was a good day.

So.. how about just an awesome picture of the sun I found on pinterest while I sat and wished I had seen it today, and daydreamed about the few short months that are keeping me from all it's hot, burning glory? The way I see it, because of the weather, I wouldn't have been able to get a picture of it anyway. Since it was incognito. Plus, we really didn't think I would actually make it through an entire blog challenge without missing a day or fudging a little bit, did we? No. Because that would be ridiculous.

 

february photo a day challenge: button

the sparkly bling buttons on these jeans are the main reason why they're my favorite. and by favorite, i may or may not mean that I wear them practically every single day... literally... but jeans never get dirty, right? not in my house!

february photo a day challenge: dinner

mixing these yummy things with a few others...

 

to make a dinner of this:

recipe here

february photo a day challenge: 10:00 a.m.

at 10:00 a.m., we were sitting in sacrament meeting singing this hymn