I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

So much snow!! I work in the Riverwoods, near the mouth of the canyon. It's a great place to work, except in the winter. It seems that we just get dumped on every single day.

Right now it is only 11:00am. It started snowing at 9:00am. So far we have a half a foot of NEW snow. We actually went out and measured the snow on my car to make sure. To document this event, we decided to take pictures out of our windows.

We are actually kinda worried that we aren't going to be able to get home tonight. Oh well.

Merry Christmas!!!

While the Enemy Assaileth...

I have been having some rough times lately. We have been going through some trials that have really put us through the wringer. Doubt, fear, and anxiety have been plaguing my mind and I have often felt myself faltering with the emotional and physical weight I feel has been placed upon me. It seems that all the powers of darkness have assembled themselves at my door and are simply waiting for me to give up. Unfortunately, instead of rousing my courage and fighting, I have felt my faith failing me and leaving me in a pit of despair.

This morning I began speaking with a friend who is engaged to be married. She was filled with all the usual fears and anxieties that most people have when they are doing something new and risky. As I offered my famous anti-anxiety advise, I realized that perhaps I needed to hear this more than she did. The words that tumbled out of my mouth were exactly what I myself needed to hear. I was relating to her the time when I was also engaged, and the how hardships that I faced assured me that Satan was pulling from all sides to bring us down. I also explained how I reacted to these trials. Recalling these experiences, I was brought face to face with a time when my faith was much stronger. The words I spoke to her were not from the current Anna, but from a younger, more faithful Anna.

The words were a testimony I have always had but had recently forgotten.

"This is where your trust in God really counts though. The way I see it, God knows what the future will bring. I know that if we stick close to Him, He will make sure that we are okay, no matter what happens."

Hearing this, I felt that a prayer had been answered, that I wasn't left alone in the cold of the world, but that perhaps I had just turned my back to the warmth of Our Savior.

At this time when so many are engulfed in the fears and the uncertainties of the world around us, let us remember to keep the faith and know that miracles are still happening daily. Even the small miracle of remembering past assurances was enough to make this day easier to face.

She's Finally Married!!!

I had a crazy busy weekend! My little sister Jen got married on Saturday and it was my privilege to be the wedding decorator. I took Friday off of work and spent the entire day decorating the church. It was nuts, but in the end I think it looked alright. The reception was held at my church-house which is an older design with a very interesting foyer. Jen had her "line" in the foyer and then guests were invited into the cultural hall where the food was served and where tables were set up, so there was a lot of space to decorate.

I have posted a few pictures for those of you who weren't able to attend.

THE CULTURAL HALL:


THE BACKDROP IN THE FOYER:


THE FRONT ENTRANCE, OPPOSITE OF THE BACKDROP:


CUTE TANNER AT THE BOOK TABLE:


THE CAKE TABLE AND MUSICIANS CORNER:


CLOSEUP OF CAKE:


TABLES:


AND FINALLY, MY HANDSOME HUSBAND:

Halloween 2008!

I love Halloween. It's the one day a year that I can dress up like anything I want and people will smile and say how cute I look. It's like being a little kid all over again.

I found out that Halloween is a big deal at work. Nearly everybody dresses up and there is a big party and costume contest. We had a lot of fun and got absolutely no work done.

This year we got ready for winter early as I dressed up as the Ice Queen and my adorable husband was Old Man Winter.

October Bridal Fair

I'm a little late in posting this, but better late than never. The Provo High Bridal Fair was on Saturday, Oct 18, and I, of course, went all out. It was so insane but also a lot of fun. My booth was decked out for winter, which was perfect, as the majority of the brides I talked to were getting married in December and January (that's a crazy time of year to plan a wedding).

I got quite a few compliments on the decor (which is good since that IS my business) and a lot of great leads. Melissa provided the lovely flower arrangement which was also very popular. Consequently we handed out a lot of her business cards as well. (For more of Melissa's lovely creations, please see: www.tickledpinkfloral.com)

All in all, I think it was a grand success. Now is the busy time of following up on leads, sending mass emails (YAY!) and really pushing my business. If everything goes well, I could potentially have a wedding every weekend in December and January. I already have someone very nearly signed up for the first week of January, and someone else in February, so things are going really well.

Here are some pictures of my booth:

Shameless Promotion

As many of you already know, I am a co-host on a gaming podcast called PolyCast. This is an entertaining 45 minute show devoted to discussing the latest in the gaming world, specifically the Sid Meier Civilization world. (Yes, I also think it's weird that I'm a co-host for a gaming podcast.)

PolyCast has just been announced as a competitor for the 2008 Podcast Awards. Hundreds of shows were nominated, but out of all of them, PolyCast has placed in the top 10 in two categories: Best Produced and Best Gaming PodCast. The voting for the winners has just opened and people are welcome to vote every 24 hours until November 6.

If you are interested in voting for my podcast please go to: http://www.podcastawards.com/ and vote for POLYCAST in both the Best Produced and Gaming Categories.

If you are interested in listening to snippets of the PolyCast episodes and hear my embarrassing performances, please visit: http://polycast.apolyton.net/polycast/
If you listen to the most recent, entitled "Episode 55: It's Expulent!" you get a bonus as my wonderful husband, Alexander, is a guest co-host and he's really funny.

Ich spreche Deutsch...just a little

I have a new challenge for myself! YAY!! I am learning German for my sweet German husband. Because I don't have a lot of free time, we have decided to kill two birds with one stone by reading the German Book of Mormon together every night. It takes me forever to read a verse and translate it, but I am learning. I am sort of proud of myself as I have been making progress even though we just started a couple nights ago.

I'd like to be able to speak it so that if/when I ever have children we can teach it to them so that they will truly be able to take advantage of their German heritage and citizenship. We are having fun doing it, and it feels good to be stretching my mental limits a little. Hopefully I will be able to keep it up. :)

Just One of Those Blah Days

Lately I've been just a little bit bummed. I feel like I don't really fit in anywhere outside of my home. There are all these little groups around me and I am by myself. I'll give you a few examples:

In my ward: I am one of maybe 5 women in the ward (and that includes the very newly married) who doesn't have children and is not pregnant. Plus, most women don't work, so they find it inconvenient when I tell them I can't help cause I work full time. They have their little click-ish play groups and spend all day talking and eating homemade cookies while they watch their kids play.

In my family: My sister is getting married in November. All the girls (except me) are bridesmaids and my brothers are groomsmen and they are all wearing matchy matchy outfits. I was told it didn't matter what I wore, and by that I take it to mean it doesn't matter if I am even there. I understand that married women are not bridesmaids, but I still feel incredibly left out.

My friends: Okay, first of all, I don't see my friends very often but when I do the talk is all about babies and kids etc. Which is fine, I love babies and kids, I just don't have any of my own to proudly display and discuss.

At work: I just feel awkward. I feel like people don't get my jokes or my personality and my comments are not funny and fall flat. I also feel like my opinions don't matter and that I don't have enough experience to be taken seriously.


I don't know, maybe it's just been a blah day and the craziness of this week is wearing me down. I may be overreacting, but I don't feel like I am.

Today's Self Awareness Moment

Do you ever find that there are things that you need to do that you absolutely dread and then when you finally get around to doing that horrible thing, you realize how much you love it?

Weird, huh? So what was all the fuss about? I think it has something to do with the lies that we tell ourselves. You know, those little things that you convince yourself are true but deep down you know they aren't?

This weekend was very progressive for me because I had two separate self realization moments about things I was dreading but turned out that I really enjoyed. Once I realized the truth I was able to inspect why I had been telling myself the lies. It appears that they were lies of convenience, it is just easier to believe the lies than to face the truth. Sound familiar to anyone else? Now that I have the awareness of the lies, I can obliterate them from my mind. It won't be automatic, they are ingrained in my mind and my habits. However, very few things are actually impossible, so there is a good chance that I will succeed.

I wonder what other lies I am telling myself?

Opinion Leaders

My company has a new book out entitled, "Influencer". In correlation with this book, they are also offering trainings on how to become an Influencer. Everyone in the company must take the course, and last week was my turn. It was a good class, focusing on goals and changing something you haven't been successful at changing (there were many things on my list). You can pretty much count on hearing more about this topic later. However, one of the concepts that stuck out to me the most wasn't even a main topic. It was all about convincing Opinion Leaders to go along with your idea, and thus change something in your company, family, etc.

Okay, so I honestly didn't care much about convincing opinion leaders, I just wanted to become one. An opinion leader is someone whose opinion is valued by everyone around him. An opinion leader is sought out by his friends and colleagues and is highly valued and respected.

Wouldn't it be cool to be someone that everyone goes to for ideas, input, and opinions? It's not really the idea of being popular that appeals to me, it's the idea that of being perceived as being knowledgeable and wise in your circle of influence.

If you are like me, you will want to know how to become an opinion leader. Here are some steps to achieving that goal:
First, you have to possess a great deal of knowledge in the issue at hand. Second, you have to be trustworthy and care more about other people's best interests so you are not seen as manipulative. Lastly, you have to be generous with your time. Take time to talk to others and be accessible.
If you do these things correctly, you will be both respected and connected. :) *(Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, Switzler; Influencer; pg 153-154)



**By the way, these authors are experts. They are also my bosses, the top CEO's, or as we call them, "The Authors". On Monday, two of them took me and 2 other new people out to lunch to get to know us and see what we thought of the company. They instantly won my respect and it was nice to see people practice what they preach.

Onward and Upward

Yesterday was my twenty-fifth birthday (let's just take a moment to say that I am feeling old). Upon reviewing the state of my life, I realized that the majority of the goals I had set for myself had already been accomplished. Thinking this, I wanted to feel amazing, and to an extent I am a bit surprised at what I've done lately. However, I am also afraid that perhaps the best of my life is behind me. Have I hit the climax of my life? These are some of the goals I have accomplished in the past two years:

-Graduate from college with honors
-Buy a NEW car
-Buy a home
-Become a gourmet cook
-Travel to Europe
-Marry an amazing man
-Start a small business

Now I need some new goals for the new phase of my life. While teaching student success I told my students that a goal not written down and not shared with others is non-existent. Therefore, I am now writing down and sharing some of my new goals that I want to accomplish in the next two years (hopefully sooner):

-Become respected, well-liked, and a desired member of the team at work
-Have my small business pay for itself
-Learn how to make wedding cakes
-Be more of a contributing member on my podcast
-Make a real quilt
-Sing in front of a real audience again

With these aspirations in mind and hoping to find success, I am reminded of a paragraph from one of the best books I have ever read:

"Don't aim at success -- the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run -- in the long-run, I say! -- success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it."

~ Viktor Frankl, from Man's Search for Meaning

History May Be Taught: Part V (Final Installment)

Sunday, June 22, we were a tuckered out by then and we accidentally slept in instead of going to church. We had a lazy morning and finally made our way to the British Museum. It felt like we had taken a trip around the world. We explored artifacts from ancient Egypt, Assyria, Babylon and other places all around the globe. It was marvelous!

Alexander with an Assyrian Guardian-Diety:


The Gates of an Ancient Assyrian City:


Jen with an Egyptian Sarcophagus Lid:



Monday, June 23, was our last day in London. We trooped down to Trafalgar Square just to see it, then we got on a bus to go to St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was amazing! It has a huge dome in the center, and the interior is covered in gold and colorful mosaics. This was the building that Truman Angel studied to get ideas on how to build the Salt Lake Temple, and interestingly, I could really see the similarities on the interior on the building. Many of the patterns and coloring were the same as in the temple. Jennifer hiked up the hundreds of stairs up the dome to the tip top of the building while Alexander and I enjoyed watching the Anglican version of the sacrament preformed by the priest. I was very grateful for how we do it, with individual cups and pieces of bread.







After a meal that was way too expensive, we went to Harrods, the world’s most famous (and possibly most expensive) department store. We wandered around just long enough to get sick of the heavily perfumed air and left to attend what Jennifer had been looking forward to for years: “Wicked”.

That’s right, we went to the London musical hit, “Wicked”. It was amazing! We got our tickets from an official discount vendor for half price and had awesome seats. The show had us spell bound. I highly recommend it.





We flew back home on Tuesday, June 24, spending about 20 hours either on a plane or at an airport and arrived home in the middle of the night, completely exhausted.
We had a blast, but we are also so glad to be back home. :)

History May Be Taught: Part: IV

Saturday, June 21, we hopped onto the Underground (which was about 50 ft from our hotel) and rode into central London for our first day in the big city. We went everywhere! We walked out of the underground station and were suddenly confronted by Big Ben directly in front of us! It was the best welcome I could imagine!





We walked past the Houses of Parliament to Westminster Abbey where we saw the tombstones of Britain’s most famous individuals.





We then walked to Buckingham Palace just in time to see the changing of the mounted guard, which wasn’t as great as Jen had expected. There were a ton of people cause they were waiting for a parade.





We then went to the Tower of London and had a tour with the most amazing Beefeater I had ever heard of. He reminded me of a Shakespearean actor and was highly entertaining. We saw the Crown Jewels and the torture room and all the neat things in between.





After the Tower we got on a boat and rode down the Thames underneath Tower Bridge to the O2 (a super cool hangout with clubs, restaurants, shops, concerts, etc) in Greenwich. At the O2 Neil Diamond was giving a concert and we were just in time, except. We decided to pass that up and instead we went to the King Tut exhibit which displayed the treasures of King Tut’s tomb. It was a once in a lifetime kind of thing.

History May Be Taught: Part III

Friday, June 20, we said goodbye to Nanny. It was quite sad to see her crying as we pulled away from the curb. I think she is worried she won't see Alexander again as she is 88 years old and her health is continually getting worse. She is a quirky lady, but we will miss her.

Alexander and Nanny:


We traveled with Aunt Valerie to Arundel Castle where we toured the old ancient keep. We were able to ramble and climb where we wanted and I quickly decided that climbing up and down the tiny narrow staircases all day would have ensured my death by falling down the stairs. Arundel castle was the site of a siege during a civil war in the 1640’s so the castle was decked out as it may have been back then. It was fascinating.

Arundel Castle from Below:


Jen on the Railing Inside the Keep:


Looking Down From the Walls of the Keep:


Later that day we traveled in the greater London area into a suburb called Hounslow where our hotel was. We arrived on train to discover a deserted train station in the middle of nowhere. Hounslow is a hodge-podge of Indian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European ethnicities. We were about the only white people in sight. To our dismay we wandered around for an hour hauling all of our luggage until we finally stumbled through the door of our bed and breakfast. We were thankful to find a tidy, clean room with three little beds and friendly staff. We were so exhausted we didn't even venture out to find dinner, we just sank into our beds and slept.

History May Be Taught: Part II

Wednesday, June 18, we went to STONEHENGE!!! Words fall short of the experience, but the weather was perfect for the brooding atmosphere.





We also visited Salisbury, home of the famous cathedral. Interesting tidbit: the cathedral was spared in WWII because the German bomber pilots used the tall spire as a reference point to turn and go up to the industrial parts London. The cathedral was beautiful as was the entire city. We had a grand time eating traditional Cornish pasties (which are pot pies folded in half so you can eat it with your hands) in the rain.

Salisbury Cathedral:




Thursday, June 19, Uncle John took us to see Portsmouth, the home of the Royal Navy. We saw three historic ships from three different eras. First we visited the Victory which Alexander and I had seen before, but this time they let us take pictures. Victory was the flagship on which Admiral Horatio Nelson fought Napoleon in the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Nelson died in the battle and the ship became a memorial to England's most popular mariner. He was very much a national hero. Interesting tidbit: On our trip we saw where he was shot, where he later died, and his most famous national monument in Trafalgar Square.

The Victory:


Alexander on the deck of the Victory:


We also visited a ship called the Mary Rose which was Henry VIII's favorite warship. Sadly, the Mary Rose was sunk in battle and lay on the seabed for 400 years just barely out of it's port. In 1986 it was discovered that half of the ship had sunk into the sand which had preserved it. The ship was raised and is currently in dock in a specially built building with a preserving substance constantly raining on it. It has a uneasy feel about it, like perhaps it should have stayed where it had fallen.

Lastly, we visited the Warrior, built in 1860 and quickly outpaced by the new technology around it. Built with both a steam engine and sailing masts, it marks a transition in history.

The Warrior:


Me Taking the Wheel of the Warrior:


After Portsmouth we went to Fishbourne, home to an enormous Roman palace during the Roman occupation of Britain in the early first century AD. All that remains of the glorious site are the exquisite mosaic tiled floors which were laid in every room of the building. Complete with heated floors and immaculate gardens, the palace seems like a place I would have gladly called home. ;)

The Dolphin Mosaic:


Jen in the Gardens at Fishbourne:


Striking a Pose with an Urn in the Gardens at Fishbourne: