Too Young to Die

I have been working later the last few weeks, but I work at home, so it's no big deal. However, I've been training at work this week, so I've been leaving at 8:15ish by myself when the building is scarce.

It's not bad enough that I'm walking to my car late at night as a pretty girl, but this is what I got to see last night in one of the world's sketchiest elevators... I would have taken the stairs, but that's just as bad in my mind (how do you outrun a pyscho in the stairwell?!). I spent the entire time praying the bag would not start moving.

Life as We Know It

5 1/2 Months.  Five and a half.  I'm aware that despite previous promises to step it up on my blogging, I have fallen short.  

Those who missed us, I'm sorry.  Those who doubted me, take a minute to gloat...

Okay, we're past it.  Allow me to let you know what has gone on in life, and a little of what is yet to come...

Johnson Family:

We moved out of our super cute apartment and into the basement of my brother and his wife, Moriah, who were gracious enough to let us take over the place with our... stuff.  This is only temporary.  Our game plan WAS to buy a home, so we didn't want to renew our lease in case we found the home we wanted.  Now, who really knows?  

I miss my old ward, and my tv, and I miss my organization, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices in order to get what we want.  (That was 100% Chris speaking.  I would never have said that on my own.  I'm immature and childish and impatient.  He's a better person than I am.)

We're figuring our game plan in the long run as far as living situation, education, etc.  We've had a lot of bumps along the road in our original game plan, but we're figuring it out.  And we're going to be just as surprised as you will be once we get it all together.

My beautiful, big sister, Meghan got married August 11, 2012, and Chris and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary on August 12, 2012.  Isn't that wonderful?!  (It's not like we planned that or anything...)

We (Chris and I) really like her husband, and could not have picked a better guy for her.

Megh got married with just over a 1 month engagement, so one brother wasn't able to make it out, but this is all the  rest of the ginger siblings on the day my sister married her best friend for eternity.
(Pictures from Megh's wedding are from Two C's Photography.)

Chris:

School.  And work.

I wish I could tell you there's been more, but he's just too busy with the two to squeeze anything else in.

I wish he would cut his hair, but I won't
 fight it until school is out.

He's working on his FINAL YEAR of school for his degree.  (I love his desire to learn and to share everything he learns with every person he speaks to.  I'm also secretly hoping he'll take a break for a while before furthering his education.  Of course, I see the benefit of earning a Master's Degree and on, but I want my husband.  Sue me.  (Don't really.))  He is ridiculously smart.  This allows him to be a bit lazier when it comes to his studies.  There are weeks when he'll have 5 hours of homework to get done.  There are also weeks when he has no assigned homework, but 5 major tests (ie, finals week).  

This is how Chris prepares for tests during weeks when homework is not assigned:

Wake up at 7:45 am.  Ride bike to 8 am class.  Take test with no studying.  Ace test.  Ride bike home.  Go back to sleep.

Anything wrong with this picture?  Does it bother anyone else that the hardest work he does in that scenario is riding a bike?  Gaaaahhh!  I love him.

This is what he looks like today.

Alli:

I work for OtterBox.  Best.  Job.  Ever.  Be jealous.

I work from home, with only a few exceptions where I have to go into the office.  If this were the office YOU had to go work in, would you be miserable having to actually get dressed?  (Yes, that is a slide.)--->

I.  Don't.  Think so.

I also work with the coolest people ever.  I love, love, LOVE my coworkers.  I love the company.  I love the customers (most of them).  I am just pretty happy about it all.  I feel incredibly blessed to have landed with such a great company and even better people.

This is just a glimpse of what I get to do at work when I DO go into the office.  (I'm in the back making the weird face.  Thanks for the heads up, guys...)

I was in a softball league with some OtterBox coworkers, and now I'm playing volleyball with a few of the same people and a few different.

I also had the pleasure of making it to another birthday.  Chris surprised me with a whole weekend of Elitches, dinner plans with friends, a new bike, and a SURPRISE PARTY!  He is the greatest.  He knew how great that combination of activities would make my big 22.

This is a picture my friend, James, sent me while I was enjoying my delicious ice cream cake at Cooper Smith's!  I have the best friends, and an even better husband.  I would also like to add that I am not wearing sunglasses.  That's simply the way the picture looks.

Overall, I'm busy.  And neglectful of this poor blog.  Someday I'll be really good at this.  Until then, let's be honest, you should not get too attached.  Ha ha ha.

Emmi:

She loves being in our temporary home with her cousin puppy, Choco.  They play and play and play and bark and play.  I haven't asked him how he feels about it, but she LOVES him; she follows him everywhere.

Her hair, however, does not love him.  I would bathe her and brush her regularly, but she would get very matted areas of hair.  I would cut huge chunks out every week after he bath, but there was no way to stay on top of it, so I had to just take her to the groomer and have her shaved very short to get rid of the huge matted areas, and will have to keep it just barely longer than this until she's an only puppy again.

$10 says Emmi did not win that round of tug-o-war.
(That's an unfair bet because I was there to
witness the loss.)

This is what she looks like today.  I had to add two pictures because she was literally falling asleep as I was taking the pictures.  She couldn't keep her eyes open.

Emmi was getting ready for her Aunt Meghie's wedding.

As of right now, we plan on saving up just a little bit more, and moving back into an apartment temporarily because poor Paul and Moriah have hardly had their home to themselves since they moved in.  After that, once we have a better idea of where Chris will be working, we'll start looking around for homes, starting a family, etc.  Basically, life as we know it is a mystery.

Bah!  Game plans.  What a waste of time...

The Best Way to Appreciate Your Job is to Imagine Yourself Without One

I've spent the last year nanny-ing for various families on the side of my job at the school last year, and basically decided that I would just pick up more work and do that all summer because that's what I LOVE (babies, toddlers, children, you name it... unless you name "adults"... not as much.).  This has been the most fulfilling thing I've ever done, and all I had to do to be fulfilled was play and laugh all day long!  Honestly, how difficult could that be with a cute little guy like this:

Do you see what I mean?!  Best part of my whole life!!

Since becoming married though, it has been brought to my attention that I don't work consistently enough, which can be a bit scary when there are consistently enough bills that come.  Every month.  Like clock work.  Lame.

Chris and I talked about it, and decided that it was time to get a consistent job- part time or full.  Just consistent. So I've continued to temporarily watch America's cutest kiddo while looking around.  (Goodbye fantastic work.  So long great little guy.  Ta-ta happiness.)

I continued to look around, but only working a few days a week (depending on the week) allowed me much free time (where I would clean the house and cook great meals with perfect hair, a cute apron, and my most comfortable pumps), and in said "free time", I managed to fit in a tan session here and there, which is my second favorite part of the day because of Gary-Michael.  Gary-Michael is amazing.  (He's the very stereotypical "gay", so you can only imagine how loud and perfect for me he is!  The gay friend that every girl wants.)  He's the manager of my salon, and he is my favorite person outside of my family because he's so great!

We got to chit chatting away one day, and he said, "What do you do now that you aren't working at the school anymore?" which was followed by, "Why don't you come work for me?"  The heavens opened and choirs of angels were singing!

Training started, and I was off to the races. 

The first week of training was 8-5 Monday through Friday in Denver, so I had a 2 1/2 hour commute both ways (thank you, traffic) and I was miserable in the drive.  My daily company, however, was fantastic!  We weren't all going to be in the same district, but we had fun through the week we had together.  There were only five of us, so we basically spent all day goofing around.

So week one came and went, and week two of "in-store training" began.  Luckily, Gary-Michael is my district's trainer, so I had no awkward introductions, and Charley (Charlene) is in my district, so... PARTY!

Charley and I are both fast learners, so we have lots of time to mess around, and Gary-Michael is right there in the action with us.  I was cleaning one of the VersaSpas (spray tan), but didn't want to ruin my shoes, so Charley suggested I put on the shoe covers, which we discovered double as excellent floor skates; they have a smooth glide followed by an abrupt halt- you can imagine our joy!  And we work until 11 at night, so we were already pretty slap-happy.  

Charley (left) and Me (right)

I love love LOVE this job.  Love it.  

Also, check out our cute washer and dryer.  We love them.  More specifically, I love them.  (The closet situation is still working itself out...)