Dad,

I think you are one of the few that actually check up on this blog so I just wanted to give you your own personal shout out!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

You are an amazing man, father, husband, worker, church member, and an all around great example to all of us! You emanate selflessness. Even on your birthday you are off all day working to provide for your family and gone all night serving others, fulfilling your church callings, and supporting your children.  

I am so grateful for you and all you have done for me! From raising me to love baseball, and always taking me with you to the different ball games, no matter where we are visiting.  To always showing interest in the things we enjoy, taking us to plays, sporting events, movies, shopping, etc.  For always honoring your Priesthood and being available to help us whenever needed.  

Remember when I was looking to purchase my very first car? You would spend your entire weekend with me looking at different cars, making sure I got the best deal and a good vehicle.  Those moments test driving $1,500 cars will always be a great memory for me.  Thank you for taking the time out of your already bust weekends to just BE with me.  

I love you Dad and I hope you had a great day!  Thank you for letting us spend a small part of it with you! 

ugh... 2011

2011 was suppose to be my year!
After all the ups and downs of 2010, I was certain that 2011 was going to be smooth sailing.  We made our New Years Resolutions, mapped out our goals, and planned out how to make this one, fantastic, year.

However, the first week back to work sure did slap me in the face.  All the goals and plans I had made for work were quickly trampled on.  Apparently everyone had a different agenda for me than I had originally planned and everything soon spiraled out of control.  I think that a fault of mine is that I get to emotionally invested in what I do, it makes me a good employee, but at the same time it can make my life a living you know what.  Before I knew it, I was sick over work, more stressed out than I had been in years.  I've been emotionally and physically exhausted, putting in way over my 40 hours a week, causing me to loose weight, having no appetite, feeling nauseous, and crying all the time.  Now I don't mean a little tear here and there but sobbing uncontrollably at least once a day and not always in the best situations (e.g. The Apple Store).

This week I decided that I either had to quit and move on or turn things around and start over.  Since the only other job I would want to do right now, involves training dolphins, I figured I had better figure out a way to make it work.  

So I'm back in, back on board, maybe not necessarily as thrilled about my employment as I was before, but I'm here to stick it to them at least. Show them that I do know what I'm doing and I am good at it.  It may not be on my terms any more but hey it's not forever.  I have a dedication and pride in this brand, and the owners.  No matter what.

So heres to 2011, lets just erase the past 3 weeks and go from here...

Best day of the year so far:  Chilling with this dude yesterday.  

Love him! 

We played game after game after game and after he warmed up to me again, we laughed and laughed.  I couldn't stop smiling the entire time! It's a good thing I had that little doctors mask on or he would have thought I was a complete idiot for how much I kept grinning at him. 

Thanks again Skyler, for reminding me whats really important in life. 

2010: the year of the SWITCH

Start off the year in Michigan... 

Switch, we are now in Utah

 Jason started the year as the VP of Marketing in Michigan... Switch, he is now a full time student

I started my year off at my favorite job ever, Goldfish... 

Switch to my "dream job" as the Event Coordinator for  Blue Lemon

Start off the year with great friends... 

Switch, new great friends in South Jordan

Start off the year planning trips to the beach and rain forest... 

Switch, we now look forward to getaways in the snow

We got hooked on LOST... Switch, we can't stand how much time we wasted watching LOST

We started off the year eating a lot of junk food... 

Switch, who am I kidding we still eat A LOT of junk food.

We went from our own Michigan apartment... Switch, living with the Parents... Switch to my favorite apartment ever

Started off the year with 2 new Mazda's... 

Switch, we now own "used" vehicles again.

We went from teaching obedient adorable 5 year olds in Primary... Switch, 11 year olds? Seriously?

Talked about buying bikes... Switch, we finally bought the bikes we so long talked about

Lost a brother (Eric left for Korea)... Switch, gained a brother (Jayden came home from his mission) oh and Eric came back eventually too. 

Went through heartache and despair... 

Switch, we witnessed MIRACLES!

Started out with Jason not wanting anything to do with Harry Potter... Switch, after a Harry Potter Marathon he now loves it (or at least tolerates it with me)

We started off with the hopes and plans for an amazing year in Michigan... Switch, we created new hopes and plans for an even more amazing year in Utah.  

It has definitely been a year of change and it has definitely had its ups and downs. But we have learned patience and trust in the Lord.  Their was a reason we needed to quit our jobs and move back to Utah.  School, Family, New Work Opportunities, Friends, Skyler, the list goes on and on.  

2010, it's been a good year and 

it's good to be home.

Our Christmas Vacation...

When I found out that my vacations days expired at the end of the year, I said "alright see you next year!" and Jason and I decided to make the best of our 12 days with no school and no work.

We did lots of last minute Christmas Shopping and stayed up past 9:30!

We got to spend some time up at the hospital with this little dude.

And had a great second "married Christmas" together.  Since last years Christmas was spent in another Country (Canada counts) and that's not a very realistic tradition we tried to start some of our own little family Christmas traditions.  

We spent Christmas Eve looking at Christmas lights, getting take out, watching movies, reading Luke 2, and cuddling on the couch.  Jason's Mom always gives everyone Christmas Eve pajamas.  This year ALL of us got "Super Skyler Jammies"

Christmas morning we woke up, opened presents together and headed off to Bountiful to spend the afternoon with Jason's Family.  We opened more presents, ate tons of yummy food, and played with Todd and Brittany's new Kinect, (what ever happened to the good ole easy Atari games!?) 

That night we headed off to the Airport to meet up with my Family and pick up my brother.  Calvin Klein (AKA Eric) had been in Korea teaching English and breaking little Korean girls' hearts for the past 4 months.

Eric coming home was a pretty big deal for our family.  Jayden and Eric overlapped on their missions/adventures and this was the first time we had all been together for Christmas in 4 years!

We went to church the next Sunday with my family in Morgan.  It was so neat to look down the row and see all of us sitting their together.  I loved it.  Santa came to my families house on Sunday so we had more presents and more yummy food and fun games.  

Jase and I got very spoiled by both of our families this year.  Thank you so much for making this Christmas such a fun and memorable one.  We love you all!

We had a Beckstrand Family party on Monday at Flips.  Where I found out that my husband was apparently a gymnast in a past life.  His first time every using one of these things and he was doing all sorts of flips and fancy tricks.

We also got to play in the snow (thanks again Dad and Mom!).  It had been a couple years since I've boarded and Jason, as always, is amazing.  

This was also the first time in 6 years that my brothers and I snowboarded together.  We were all dead the next day but had a blast.

Thanks to my Uncle Randy, and the snow storm preventing him from coming to Utah to use his timeshare, Jason and I also got to spend a night up at the Wolf Creek Resort.  Love little getaways.

Topped our vacation off with a fun New Years Eve, with more Chinese food, games, movies, and friends.  

Wow, I'm really not looking forward to going by to work on Monday and entering into another Semester of school and never seeing Jason.
Here we go 2011...