A lot has happened since the last time I blogged. I'm expecting changes in the next year, how major has yet to be determined. My office is closing July 1, 2010 so I'm in search of a new job. I've actually been really stressed out over the past few months and I couldn't figure out why. I just felt like something was coming that was going to require me to make some changes. Now, that I know what it is, I actually haven't felt as stressed since I feel like it's something I can handle. I hate looking for new jobs, but it's not the worst thing in the world. It's not exactly what I would have chosen to happen, but I'm trying to look at it as an opportunity for better things. We'll see if I can even stay in Salt Lake. It's not the best job market here. I'm trying to explore all my options right now. I feel guided and blessed by the Lord and am honestly surprised that I haven't felt more stressed out about this.
Winter has definitely arrived in Utah. Gabby loves the snow in theory. We spend more time getting bundled up than we actually spend in the snow. I guess she's my child. Gabby doesn't last more than 5 minutes before she's ready to go inside because it's too cold. I never press the point to stay outside.
We had a fun Halloween. Gabby was Daphne form Scooby-Doo. It's her favorite show. We went trick-or-treating with the Baileys, Toregersons, and McCabes. It was a lot of fun. Gabby only likes two kinds of candy, M&Ms and Smartees so all the rest was left for me. It's kind of nice that Gabby won't eat any other candy.
I love her big smile!
I celebrated Thanksgiving with the same crew from Halloween. Gabby spent it with her dad. We had so much good food. I love Thanksgiving and I loved cooking for it. It's been a few years, since I did any cooking for it. I did the turkey, dressing, and a couple of pies. All the food was great and it's nice having a couple of extra days off work. Gabby and I got our tiny tree up and decorated. There is so much that I'm thankful for, but mostly that I'm just happy. Even with my life not being exactly as I'd choose, I'm still happy and feel so blessed.
We've been having further unwelcome adventures with rodents. There is an infestation of mice in the townhomes that we live in. At least on my street. My backyard borders a field and it seems all the field mice have decided to find warmer accommodations for the winter. I discovered our first house guest a few weeks ago while watching tv one evening. I was sitting on my loveseat and look to my right and there is a mouse a foot away on my loveseat with me. I screamed and jumped over my loveseat. I don't know why mice freak me out, but I hate them. I went and bought some sticky traps and hoped that it would find the de-con that Brownie did.
A few days later, I was in bed trying to go to sleep when I hear a rustling in my room. I hoped it was just the trash settling, but the next sound proved that there was a rodent in my room. I worked up the courage to turn on the light and investigate. I cautiously leaned over my trashcan and the nasty critter jumped up just at that point. I screamed because I am a wimpy woman. I then found a book, covered the trashcan and threw it out in the dumpster.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only mouse that took up residence with me. Gabby spotted them around and her proposal was to capture them and keep them as pets. She even had a discussion with Whitey about it. I emphatically rejected the idea. Three more eventually were given a new home in the dumpster. Two of them came out and died in the open which I was glad they were dead, but I just don't like handling dead things. I seemed to be toughening up and was able to dispose of them without any drama. The third got stuck on a trap.
I hoped that was the end of it. I doubted seeing as most my neighbors caught more than four. The mice really freaked me out and I think I see them all the time. Unfortunately, I found another one in a rarely-opened drawer while I was trying to bake my pies. My built-up toughness had disappeared and I did a lot of squealing and hand wringing getting it out of the drawer. I was mentally giving myself a pat on the back for taking care of it myself as I threw it in the dumpster when a psychotic cat sprung from the dumpster scaring me like nothing else. It took about an hour for my hands to stop shaking. I scare a little too easy!
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