My first day

I started my new job today, and I must say, it went very well.

I was greeted this morning by 3 growling Taco Bell dogs (they looked just like the one in the commercials). After a quick scolding from their owner, they settled down on their respective pillows. Joking about their security system, my new bosses, Jim and Diann were happy to see me.

Right off the bat, I got to take another tour of my new workplace. Several orders had come in within the half hour of their opening, and many supplies needed to be pulled from the shelves. I played shadow as I followed Diann around, grabbing bags of Saliva Ejectors and boxes of Lidocaine. Once all of the loot was gathered, it was time to learn the software that keeps track of all these parts.

I sat down with Diann, and she started to show me the ropes of the software. I have a lot of training in Quickbooks, thinking that if I learned that program, it'd take me far in my career. Of course, Dental Supply doesn't use Quickbooks - they use a program called DacEasy. It's a pretty simple program, that tracks all of the inventory and invoicing. A few of the commands are new to me, but the basics are pretty straightforward. After doing the few invoices for the orders we pulled, I discovered a shortcut that Diann didn't know about. At that point, I got to hear her brag to Jim about how I just taught her something new, and she was so happy I was there.

The day progressed with lots and lots of orders, boxing up orders, invoicing, receiving inventory, and showing my new bosses the joys of looking up how much postage an envelope would require on the post office's website. (The office is located less than a block away from the post office, but they were relieved that there was a way that would limit their time in line). Before I knew it, it was lunch time.

I had a very uneventful lunch, a drastic contrast to working at Pro Video. I'm used to my lunch being interrupted several times each day with phone calls and customers. Today, I was able to sit at a table and eat. That's all. I'm thinking I may bring a book to work with me, and take advantage of that time to catch up on the books I can't find the time to read otherwise.

The afternoon was just as busy. Lots and lots of things to learn. I think if I wore a pedometer today, I'd be pleasantly surprised with the amount of ground I covered in that office. There wasn't much sitting happening. In between showing me the ropes, Diann and I were able to chat some about our families. I learned that she and Jim have a daughter, son-in-law, and grandson in Florida, as well as a son that lives here in town. I also learned about what she bought all of her family for Christmas so far, and how she was so happy that Jim finished installing a new bathroom countertop and medicine cabinet over the Thanksgiving break.

I blinked, and my day was over. By the end of the afternoon, I was using DacEasy without assistance, and the dogs were begging me to be pet. I was complimented on how quickly I've picked up on things, especially for my first day. I left the office very encouraged in God's plan in this season of my life, and very confident in the decision to change jobs. I think I'll really be a big help to Jim and Diann, and serve them with the talents that God has given me.

I'm looking forward to the holidays.

It's been a while since I've blogged anything. Michael has been really great at it, posting videos and pictures. I've been somewhat silent these last few weeks. I have no excuse for it, I just haven't taken the time to write.

This is the time of year I look forward to. I love the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been steeped with tradition for me. My side of the family hasn't always been tradition-filled. Up until the recent research done by my mom, I didn't even know the facts of my family tree. Thanksgiving and Christmas, however, were consistant each year. It was the time of year I felt closest to my family. It's the time of year I still look forward to, with new traditions.

Christmas, especially, was the most enjoyable for me. When I was much younger, Christmas Eve was spent with my extended family. My dad's siblings and my family would gather every Christmas Eve at my Grandma Thornton's house. We'd all exchange gifts (gift certificates to the skating rink were always my favorite), and have lasagna on the good China. The house would be filled with lots and lots of talking and sharing, and everyone got along. Keep in mind, we weren't a family that got together very often, so this was a real treat - especially for Grandma! I've come to appreciate how much she loved those times. When she got sick, it was around Christmas time. While she was in the hospital, my parents decided that it would honor her if we all had Christmas together. All of my dad's brother's were there, and we all shared a meal together. Shortly after the last guest went home, Grandma passed away. It felt as if she was waiting for us all to be together, one last time.

Now that I have a family of my own, I cherish the traditions we've come to enjoy. We still celebrate Christmas Eve with my family, carrying on the joy that Grandma started so many years ago. I'm blessed to have that gathering at my house now. All of my siblings, parents, and remaining grandparents file into our house, and we have lasagna. I now have Grandma's good China too. It's still packed up, waiting for a hutch, but it feels great knowing that I have momento of a part of my grandma's favorite evening.

Thanksgiving has it's own tradition now too. We travel to Kansas, to spend the weekend with the Deeter side of our family. After enjoying a nice meal with everyone on Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I wake up the next morning before the sun. Somehow, JoAnn Fabric has become a tradition for us! We found out a few years ago, that they have amazing sales on the day after Thanksgiving, and if you don't get there early, you'll miss out. You'd be surprised at how busy a craft store can be! This has become an activity that I look forward to. We laugh at the seriousness of some shoppers, giggle at the thought of those who felt the need to wake up even earlier than we did, and come home with some really fun loot. We have a new addition to the family this year, which may affect the tradition a bit. Having a newborn may make it difficult for my sister-in-law to go shopping so early on Black Friday - but then again, he may help her wake up in time to get the great deals!

I'm especially excited for this Thanksgiving. I start a new job the Monday after Thanksgiving. It will be a whole new adventure! I'm sure this will be a year to remember.

Camping - well, not really.

We recently went here...


...with some friends...


... we ate some pizza... the cabin had an oven.


There were leaves...


... a big pile of them....


... and a lake...


... with a beach...


... that even the dog enjoyed.


There was also a...


...it kinda stunk...


... but the boys still had a good time.


We walked the trails...


... and there were lots of places to climb...


... a lot...


... all along the trail...


... many places to climb...


... even in the trees...


... the boys had a really good time...


... We all had a really good time...


... even the dog.


We even found some strange alien testing facility.

We don't do Halloween, but costumes are still fun.

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Wii Party

We celebrated Kevin's birthday the other night. We had a lot of fun playing the Wii - the cake and ice cream was excellent as well.

Happy birthday Kevin!

Watch the video!