California - Day 1 & 2

Saturday

We flew to California last Saturday. The flight went well and Ella slept most of the time. When we arrived and got our car we checked into our hotel and decided to go get a bite to eat at Red Robin. Then we went to a near by Target to get some food, snacks and some stuff that we had not packed. We then we headed back to the hotel and went to bed excited for what the next day would bring.

Sunday

We woke up early and were at Disneyland by 9:00. We started out by going to Adventureland and rode the Indiana Jones ride. My parents and Kaiya also went on the Jungle Cruise. We explored the New Orleans Square and road on the Pirates of the Caribbean. People were taking their babies on the ride so we decided to take Ella. She was NOT HAPPY. Kaiya was also scared. I spent most of the ride comforting Ella so I didn't get to enjoy it either. We then headed over to Critter Country were we met Pooh, Tigger and Brier Fox.

We all rode the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride and Ella liked it a little better but was still not 100% convinced.

We headed over to Fantasyland were we met the Fairy Godmother.

My parents and Kaiya rode the King Arthur Carousel and Cirdan, Kaiya and I went on the Tea Cups.

Kaiya loved the Tea Cups and wanted to ride them over and over and over again.

We took a train ride around the park and then continued onto Mickey's Toontown.

This was one of my favorite areas. We played in the Chip 'n Dale Treehouse and toured Mickey's house.

Everyone but Ella and I went on the Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin. Here are some more pictures of Toon Town...

Next we went to Tomorrowland and happened to be sitting in the terrace at the right time...the Jedi Training Academy started. It was something that I would have never went out of my way to see but enjoyed every minute of it! The guy who played Luke Skywalker was hilarious!

Fantasmic...a show about Mickeys dream started at 8. It was a super cool show....fireworks, special effects, all the characters, boats, lights....all the good stuff.

We ended the day going on Autopia, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, and Space Mountain (Cirdan and my mom). We left the park at 11:00.... exhausted! The girls did great all day and we all had a lot of fun!!

Bon Voyage Corporate World!

I have worked for the same company for 12 years. I started when I was in 16 and a Junior in High School. My friend Melissa got me the job...both her and her dad worked there. Her and I would drive to work after school to fold invoices and stuff envelopes. I thought I was so cool because it was a big company and I got paid more than most kids my age. My Senior year I would leave around noonish and would get a school credit for working and making money! I moved from being invoice girl to sales support. I had a blast with that job....then I got promoted to Administrative Assistant to the Customer Service Manager. That was the year that I met my ex husband, got engaged and ended up leaving that job to move to Arizona (where my ex lived). I got a job at the same company in Arizona and started out as customer service rep/backup receptionist/back up mail room clerk. One day as I was standing by the printer a co worker of mine stopped to tell me that I should apply for the Division Account Coordinator (fancy name for the person who sets up and does maintenance to the accounts). I applied and got the job. I LOVED that job and the people I worked with. Unfortunately I lived about 45 min plus away from the office...fortunately they opened up a sales office about 10 minutes from my house. There was an opening for an assistant to the 2 Sales Managers that would work out of the "east side" office. I applied and got the job. That is when I got pregnant with Kaiya, had her and then decided to move back to Washington to be closer to my family. The first week back from maternity leave I talked to a friend who worked with the company up in Washington. She told me that there was a job opening as a Strategic Account Assistant (which was a step up from the Division Account Coordinator but pretty much did the same thing). I applied for that job and got it! That meant we had to move back to Washington!!! I was so glad to be with my family again. I was back where I started and loved to catch up with the people that I had worked with a few years back. My boss ended up getting fired and they promoted me to the lead....then an Account Implementation Manager. I managed 2 people...1 of them is still a wonderful friend. They did a bunch of lay offs and the president, customer service, accounting/credit, my boss, my friends, and the people I managed got laid off. It was pretty much sales, operations and ME. The company had changed at that point and it just wasn't the same without all the people I had become friends with and who I cared about. At this point since my boss was gone I reported to someone in Colorado. I really loved my job and loved what I did. I spent 3 weeks in Colorado during the spring/summer of 2007 helping out with the migration of a group of people that would take over the jobs that the people that I managed had done. It was bitter sweet.

I had a feeling that the AIM (account implementation manager) job would be going away soon so I applied for an Account Manager in sales. I started my sales job the summer of 07. It was something completely different than I had ever done since I was now out meeting with potential customers. I worked with a great group of guys and had a lot of fun. Last July the company I worked for got bought out by a bigger company. It definitely changed things. They moved the group of guys I worked with to the other companies office and ended up laying off some people including the inside sales team and my boss a few months ago.

Where is this long story of my work life leading to???!?!?!?!?!!?!?



I GOT LAID OFF!!!!



Last Wednesday night I got a meeting request with my boss and his boss for the next morning. At that point I new my day was done. I had been around long enough to know what that meant. I got ready Thursday morning thinking this would be the last day of work. It felt really good. I have been so burned out and my heart wasnt in it anymore. I went into the meeting excited and just like I felt...another girl and I got our 'notice'. I would have almost been bummed if I was wrong and hadnt been laid off. One nice thing is that they gave us 60 days to work and transition our accounts to other reps. I was VERY happy about that because I truly care about my customers and hope that they get taken care of. My last day is March 9th and after that my severance will start.

I feel like a HUGE burden has been lifted. I am truly happy. I am SOOOOO excited to be able to be with Ella all day...and to be able to help out in Kaiya's class! My house will finally be cleaned and organized! I will be able to go grocery shopping and make dinner (or learn to make dinner)! I want to go for walks with Ella during the day and go to play group. I am going to take a cooking or photography class. I was in the corporate work force for so long that I really don't know how to be a stay at home wife/mom. I CANT WAIT!!!!!

Cirdan has been so supportive and wonderful. We are both ready for this new world.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!

Grandma and Grandpa Imbler sent Kaiya and Ella a really cool puppet show stage with puppets for Christmas. Kaiya had a few friends over and was able to put the puppets to work. Kaiya makes up the cutest stories, she is very creative.

Christmas Day

Christmas
I was in a deep sleep when Kaiya came and woke me up. She had slept until 8:00 which I was grateful for. She was so excited to see what Santa had brought her! Cirdan got the video camera ready and I got the digital and we went out to the front room.

We opened our stockings first...

Kaiya played Santa this year and handed out the presents to everyone. 

Ella wasn't very interested in opening her gifts and only wanted to eat some snacks she had received in her stocking.

Kaiya got a lot of fun gifts...

Ella got cool toys...

Grandma and Grandpa Imbler sent some really nice gifts...

Everything was opened except for 2 presents in the chair. One was for Kaiya and one for Ella. Kaiya opened both...she received a tigger and Ella a Pooh Bear. She was pretty confused. Then she noticed a piece of paper with the tigger. It said...

Dear Kaiya,
You and your family is going to Disneyland. (Santa was tired and the grammar was horrible). I will email the tickets to Cirdan. Have Fun! Love, Santa
At that point Cirdan got an email on his blackberry with the itinerary and it also said that 2 other people would be joining us on our trip!
Her eyes immediately lit up! She could not believe it! She wanted my phone so she could call and tell her dad and meema.

We then loaded up in the car and drove to my parents house where we would exchange gift, eat breakfast, play games and relax.

Kaiya, Meema, Nathan and Kaylee ventured outside to make a snowman and have a snowball fight.

P.S. My mom and dad ended up getting the same letter from Santa. They will be joining us on the trip to Disneyland! Kaiya was SUPER excited about that...

Christmas Time!

The week of Christmas we had neighbors bring holiday treats to us which was very nice. At one point last Monday night Santa came to our door unexpected! The neighbor across the street who is in our ward dressed up and visited the children in our ward who live in the neighborhood. It was a nice surprise.

Christmas Eve

This year my mom had to work until 9:00 pm so we invited everyone over to our house for Christmas Eve dinner. Cirdan made us chicken, rice pilaf and green beans. The girls wore their Christmas dresses and I took pictures like always. We ate, visited, watched some Christmas movies, and left some reindeer food outside...

My mom got to our house around 9:30 and a little while later we heard some bells out back. Kaiya went over to the sliding glass door and saw Santa coming down from the woods in the backyard! She was sooooo excited! We invited Santa in and took some pictures with him. He gave Kaiya and Ella a present which was Minnie Mouse pajamas.



Notice...Nathan is missing from the picture below...(kind of)

After Santa left we read the Birth of Jesus in the bible. It was nice to refocus on why we do celebrate Christmas.

My parents and siblings left and it was time to get ready for bed. Kaiya and Ella went to bed and Santa's Elves stayed up till about 3:00 getting ready for Santa to come.