Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween
This was Haven’s last Halloween parade at school since he is in 6th grade and Junior High doesn’t appreciate displaying good costumes on Halloween. The drawback was that Haven is old enough now that it is cooler to hang out with his friends than to pose for a picture for your parents. Oh well, he looked great as a grim reaper and had a great time with all the school activities that day. He went trick-or-treating with his dad and their family. Halloween wasn’t quite the same at our house since he was gone. In fact, we put out a bowl of candy on our doorstep and only a few pieces were taken by the end of the night.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Hockey and Home Surgery – Not a good mix…
Kenny and a few buddies have grown up playing hockey. In fact, Kenny continued to play hockey after high school in various adult leagues and drop-in tournaments. He is really quite good! So these buddies got bit by the hockey bug and decided to go to a drop-in session at the Peaks Arena in Provo. Drop-in starts playing at 10:30 PM and they play through the wee hours of the morning.
So, I’m sitting at home doing homework and I look at the clock and its almost 1:00 in the morning. All of a sudden I hear the door creek open and Kenny comes walking downstairs. At first, he looks normal – just a little flushed from the exercise and cold ice. Then I take another look at him and he has a HUGE gash in his eyebrow from a good knock to the head with a hockey stick. It definitely needed stitches. Of course Kenny was too tough to get stitches so he goes in his hobby room and grabs some super glue and hands it to me. I get to be the surgeon – the one responsible for the scar that will remain on his eyebrow. Was I willing to do this???? Heck yes! I was very nervous but after a few drops of glue were in the wound I squished the skin together and let it dry. I didn’t consider that I would adhere to the wound and as I pulled my fingers off, it pulled the skin apart and the glue quickly re-dried with the skin separated.
Next time you see Kenny and notice the huge scar on his eyebrow you can laugh at both of us. Laugh at Kenny for not getting professional medical assistance and laugh at me for not thinking through the procedure well enough and leaving my husband with a funky scar on his eyebrow.
So, I’m sitting at home doing homework and I look at the clock and its almost 1:00 in the morning. All of a sudden I hear the door creek open and Kenny comes walking downstairs. At first, he looks normal – just a little flushed from the exercise and cold ice. Then I take another look at him and he has a HUGE gash in his eyebrow from a good knock to the head with a hockey stick. It definitely needed stitches. Of course Kenny was too tough to get stitches so he goes in his hobby room and grabs some super glue and hands it to me. I get to be the surgeon – the one responsible for the scar that will remain on his eyebrow. Was I willing to do this???? Heck yes! I was very nervous but after a few drops of glue were in the wound I squished the skin together and let it dry. I didn’t consider that I would adhere to the wound and as I pulled my fingers off, it pulled the skin apart and the glue quickly re-dried with the skin separated.
Next time you see Kenny and notice the huge scar on his eyebrow you can laugh at both of us. Laugh at Kenny for not getting professional medical assistance and laugh at me for not thinking through the procedure well enough and leaving my husband with a funky scar on his eyebrow.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Halloween at the Atkins
Are you ready for Halloween? Haven seems to be...
Okay, this was too much fun to watch Haven do and not participate so I jumped in on the fun. Haven and I had a BLAST making these freaky pictures.
And then Kenny saw how much fun we were having and he also joined in the fun.
Aahhhh...good, wholesome family fun. Happy Halloween everyone!
Okay, this was too much fun to watch Haven do and not participate so I jumped in on the fun. Haven and I had a BLAST making these freaky pictures.
And then Kenny saw how much fun we were having and he also joined in the fun.
Aahhhh...good, wholesome family fun. Happy Halloween everyone!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Haven’s First Drum Performance
Haven has taken drum lessons for about a year now. When I signed him up for lessons I didn’t think he would stay interested this long but I am VERY VERY glad he continues to play because he is SOOOOOOO good!
Haven had his first drum performance today with 10 other students that take lessons from Haven’s teacher (Danny). We saw all levels of talent and a wide range in the ages of the students from 6 - 40 years old. Haven rocked the house! He played Black Dog written by Led Zeppelin. If you have ever listened to this song in detail, you will notice how hard the drum part is. The drums don’t go along with the rhythm of the guitar and the breaks between the choruses aren’t evenly timed so the drums are played in all these crazy ways. Haven played the song flawlessly. He did an awesome job!! Great job Haven!!! Keep up the good work and we’ll keep paying for lessons!
Haven had his first drum performance today with 10 other students that take lessons from Haven’s teacher (Danny). We saw all levels of talent and a wide range in the ages of the students from 6 - 40 years old. Haven rocked the house! He played Black Dog written by Led Zeppelin. If you have ever listened to this song in detail, you will notice how hard the drum part is. The drums don’t go along with the rhythm of the guitar and the breaks between the choruses aren’t evenly timed so the drums are played in all these crazy ways. Haven played the song flawlessly. He did an awesome job!! Great job Haven!!! Keep up the good work and we’ll keep paying for lessons!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
21 years later........
Katie's dad, Boyd, bought a radio control airplane in 1987 (I know this from a receipt). He spent time building, covering, installing, tuning, and...never flew it. Katie remembers him working a lot on it while Andy helped to get it ready for flight. I have been flying for about ten years now, and I know how to fly pretty well. Finally, after eight years, I got up the courage to ask Boyd if could buy the plane from him. I don't know the whole reason for him not flying this beautifully crafted plane, but 21 years later it finally came off the ground. I was shaking a little bit when it first took it off but after trimming it out so it would fly straight and level, it flew flawlessly. Here are a few pictures of the dusty airplane.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Well, I made a big change....
I haven't kept to my standard of posting every Sunday. Primarily because I've been going through a transition in my life and 1) I couldn't let the cat out of the bag too early and 2) it was a change that was very hard. Okay, you may be wondering what the heck I'm talking about and here it goes (put on your reading glasses and plan for a few minutes of reading).
I have moved on from AdvancedMD. I know, gasp, catch your breath, reread what I just wrote, etc. It's unexpected for most of you because you know how committed I was to my job. I wasn't looking for a new job but one came to me.
See, for those of you that may not be aware, I worked at AdvancedMD for 7 years 10 months. I started working there about a month after Kenny and I were married. Haven wasn't quite 4 when I started and now he is 11 years old. I've worked with Michele Hilton (the best boss in the world) the entire time as well. She took a chance by hiring me as the Controller for AdvancedMD. And, well, the last 7.83 years has been an amazing personal growth opportunity for me. And I was so privileged to work with Michele as my mentor - teaching me all she knew. We had some really difficult times in the beginning years of the business but things turned around and the business flourished. AdvancedMD is an incredible company to work for and I am so glad I had the opportunity to be there for so many of the critical years. I made a difference. I know that and I'm proud of it. I worked my tail off every day and it made a difference for not only me but the rest of the company.
So, why did I change? (In no particular order)
First, my family needs me more these days and commuting well over an hour every day was taxing on my relationship with Kenny and with Haven. Not to mention all the long hours I put in over the years. The new company is in Provo so there isn't a commute. Anyway, I need to be a mom and a leader in this family and I've been doing the minimum and it shows. I am also in school full-time which is sucking up a lot of my time. So, that was a big reason - more time with my family because there isn't a commute to the new company.
Second, I have an ultimate goal in my career of becoming a CFO and that wasn't possible at AdvancedMD because Michele does a fantastic job and they will keep her forever meaning my options were limited. At the new company I'll have more options for growth and advancement expecting to be the CFO in a few years. I only see this type of advancement as a benefit as long as I don't have to sacrifice my family to get to this position. I told the new company this up front so there are no questions where my priorties are at - meaning the hours and workload will have to be reasonable to me so I can still be a wife and mom to the fullest of my abilities.
Third, the company that offered me a position is a smaller company right now. This is a very fun part of business that I really enjoy because the business isn't so big that you can't make decisions or make changes - it's the time for developing processes to be more efficient and set the standard for the future. (kinda hard for me to explain :))
Fourth, I get to work with friends I've had since I was in my very early teens. More specifically, I get to work with my best friend, Melinda, and her siblings. This is not to say that I didn't have friends at AdvancedMD because I made some awesome friendships with people I worked with (Michele, Amanda, Jenn, etc - you all know who you are). I will always cherish my friendships and stay in touch with my friends from AdvancedMD.
Well, these are a few of the things I thought about while I made my decision. On the flip side, I was very saddened at the thought of not working with my co-workers. I worked there so many years. I mean, how can someone just up and leave a job that is such a huge part of their life? This is where it is hard for me to communicate my feelings. See, I'm the type of person that emotionally invests myself into my work and in the people I work with. This change has been hard for me and I sense it has been hard for those that I worked with.
Friday Sept 12 was my last day and the accounting department, along with a handful of managers and other co-workers, had a farewell lunch for me. We ate tasty Mexican food and we enjoyed an episode of The Office. It set the mood of happiness and laughter. After the Office episode, Michele presented me with a memento from the company. A bowling pin with the company name on it and a plate with a cute saying (refer to picture below). I had everyone at the lunch sign the bowling pin. I was also given 3 cards that had been sent around the offices for everyone (165 employees) to sign and write me some words of wisdom.
I have moved on from AdvancedMD. I know, gasp, catch your breath, reread what I just wrote, etc. It's unexpected for most of you because you know how committed I was to my job. I wasn't looking for a new job but one came to me.
See, for those of you that may not be aware, I worked at AdvancedMD for 7 years 10 months. I started working there about a month after Kenny and I were married. Haven wasn't quite 4 when I started and now he is 11 years old. I've worked with Michele Hilton (the best boss in the world) the entire time as well. She took a chance by hiring me as the Controller for AdvancedMD. And, well, the last 7.83 years has been an amazing personal growth opportunity for me. And I was so privileged to work with Michele as my mentor - teaching me all she knew. We had some really difficult times in the beginning years of the business but things turned around and the business flourished. AdvancedMD is an incredible company to work for and I am so glad I had the opportunity to be there for so many of the critical years. I made a difference. I know that and I'm proud of it. I worked my tail off every day and it made a difference for not only me but the rest of the company.
So, why did I change? (In no particular order)
First, my family needs me more these days and commuting well over an hour every day was taxing on my relationship with Kenny and with Haven. Not to mention all the long hours I put in over the years. The new company is in Provo so there isn't a commute. Anyway, I need to be a mom and a leader in this family and I've been doing the minimum and it shows. I am also in school full-time which is sucking up a lot of my time. So, that was a big reason - more time with my family because there isn't a commute to the new company.
Second, I have an ultimate goal in my career of becoming a CFO and that wasn't possible at AdvancedMD because Michele does a fantastic job and they will keep her forever meaning my options were limited. At the new company I'll have more options for growth and advancement expecting to be the CFO in a few years. I only see this type of advancement as a benefit as long as I don't have to sacrifice my family to get to this position. I told the new company this up front so there are no questions where my priorties are at - meaning the hours and workload will have to be reasonable to me so I can still be a wife and mom to the fullest of my abilities.
Third, the company that offered me a position is a smaller company right now. This is a very fun part of business that I really enjoy because the business isn't so big that you can't make decisions or make changes - it's the time for developing processes to be more efficient and set the standard for the future. (kinda hard for me to explain :))
Fourth, I get to work with friends I've had since I was in my very early teens. More specifically, I get to work with my best friend, Melinda, and her siblings. This is not to say that I didn't have friends at AdvancedMD because I made some awesome friendships with people I worked with (Michele, Amanda, Jenn, etc - you all know who you are). I will always cherish my friendships and stay in touch with my friends from AdvancedMD.
Well, these are a few of the things I thought about while I made my decision. On the flip side, I was very saddened at the thought of not working with my co-workers. I worked there so many years. I mean, how can someone just up and leave a job that is such a huge part of their life? This is where it is hard for me to communicate my feelings. See, I'm the type of person that emotionally invests myself into my work and in the people I work with. This change has been hard for me and I sense it has been hard for those that I worked with.
Friday Sept 12 was my last day and the accounting department, along with a handful of managers and other co-workers, had a farewell lunch for me. We ate tasty Mexican food and we enjoyed an episode of The Office. It set the mood of happiness and laughter. After the Office episode, Michele presented me with a memento from the company. A bowling pin with the company name on it and a plate with a cute saying (refer to picture below). I had everyone at the lunch sign the bowling pin. I was also given 3 cards that had been sent around the offices for everyone (165 employees) to sign and write me some words of wisdom.
This picture has my 5 year anniversary clock as well as my 4 corporate awards (Extra Mile award, Scholar award, Opportunity award, and Triple Play award) as well as some $2 bills Jim Pack gave out as recognition of "doing an amazing job" on a project and for being an "outstanding employee".
When Michele gave me the memento and the cards, she praised me for the work I had done. She said I left a great legacy - wow, little old me. She also wished me the best in my future endeavors. We shared some tears and then I got up and gave a few farewell comments. Man, that was hard to do. But my goal was to have people understand how hard it was for me to make this change and what an amazing experience it had been to work for AdvancedMD. I think I got my point across.
So, farewell AdvanceMD. I've moved on and you will always be a huge part of my career and of my life. I am thankful for everything AdvancedMD has provided for me and for my family. I'm thankful for the experiences and growth and I'm thankful I was part of the team. You are an amazing company with amazing employees and I will miss you all.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
FYI...
I've posted our engagement and wedding pictures to the blog. Since they are in cronological order, you will find them at the very bottom of our blog. Check them out!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Clive, the count-down caterpiller
Okay, the name may be silly but so what! I am ebullient that I only have 26 class periods left before I am finished with my Bachelors Degree - FINALLY! So, join me in the fun of counting down the final days of this semester. I'll tear off one link of Clive after a day of class (Tuesdays and Thursdays). I'll post a picture of Clive periodically so you can see how much time I have left. And feel free to send me some great ideas of how to celebrate this accomplishment.
(This is just a taste of the silly/funny things that I do that make Kenny roll his eyes-but I get a giggle out of him in the end 8^))
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Holdaway Family Reunion
We had a great time at the Holdaway family reunion this weekend at the Heber Vally Camp Ground. Friday night was lots of fun. We had Devon's delicious dutch oven cooking, fresh watermelon, salad and treats. As the sun went down, we gathered around the camp fire and listened to Kenny and Adam play the guitar as we stumbled through the lyrics of some songs. To no one's surprise, we all knew the words to Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Here are a few pictures from that night:
We woke up Saturday morning to a "bwekfst bwedo" buffet. It was tasty (great work mom)! After breakfast, we headed down to the challenge courses. Haven was the first one to brave the giant swing. The movie starts out sideways but straightens out.Kenny and Katie both did the giant swing as well. Katie did it hands free the whole time which nearly resulted in her being dumped on her head. After the giant swing, we did some team building/spiritual challenge activities. Some were very challenging and we all learned some valuable lessons.
After the first set of challenge courses, we went back to camp and had lunch - yummy chicken sandwiches, fresh corn, and baked beans. Delicious! Once our tummys were full, we went to the next challenge course which was a zip line. You had to climb up this tall log pole, shimmy your way across a metal line and then zip down through the trees. Kenny and Haven both did it - and Katie took the pictures.We can't wait until the next reunion. It is always so much fun to see cousins, aunts and uncles. We love all of you!
Monday, August 18, 2008
Haven starts 6th grade
Haven started 6th grade today. He had a great first day at school and he really likes his teacher, Mr. Swallow. He is excited about having his own computer in class and he likes his Mr. Swallow's sarcasm. Haven also met some new students and made some new friends. It feels like Haven is off to a great year.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Our Weekend in Wyoming
Around 8:00 Thursday night we left our house to travel to Seminoe Reservoir in Wyoming to spend the weekend with Jason and Tonya and their family. Our truck was full and so was the boat. We had Haven and the dogs. The sun was going down when we left so we knew it would be a long night of driving.
We arrived at the camp ground around 2:45 in the morning. It was very windy as we put up the tent, unloaded our stuff and settled in for the night/morning. After a few hours of sleep, we woke up to a frigid morning wind and light rain. As the day progressed, the wind and rain was unbearable so we decided to drive into town. This was not what we expected our weekend to be like...
After a few hours in Rawlins shopping for warm apparel and rain gear, which was an adventure in itself, we decided to go back to camp and have some lunch. Tonya packed a lunch for Kenny and Jason and sent them on their way fishing. Haven went with them for a few hours then he came back and joined Katie for a late afternoon snooze. Lets put it this way - Katie booked close to 15 hours of nap time on this trip.
Katie and Haven helped make dinner which was very, very tasty. Tonya did an amazing job at selecting the menu for this trip. The boys came in from fishing and we had dinner and sat around the fire until we were so cold and wet that we decided to go to bed.
Friday night the wind howled and it rained cats and dogs ALL NIGHT. Saturday morning was still cold but the sun did show itself occationally. It was windy but the boys went out fishing anyway. Katie and Haven took a late morning nap with the dogs and woke up in time to help make lunch - Navajo tacos...YUM!
After lunch the wind settled down enough for us to take the boats out with the kids. We drove over to the dam to show the kids. It was fun and the water was pretty calm - for a little while anyway.
When we returned, the boys didn't quite know what to do with themselves so they developed a game. The game consisted of one person getting in Jason's boat while another person stood on the shore with a paintball gun. The person in the boat would make five passes while the person on the shore took as many shots with the paintball gun. It was pretty dang funny! Okay, see for yourself:
Saturday night was a nice night with very little wind. We ate the fish the boys caught and made homemade french fries. Tonya made an amazing peach pie - delicious!!
Sunday morning we packed up our things, went for a short tour of the lake, and then headed home. All in all, it was a great trip. Since the weather was bad for most of this trip, it motivates us to go again next year and hope for better weather.
We arrived at the camp ground around 2:45 in the morning. It was very windy as we put up the tent, unloaded our stuff and settled in for the night/morning. After a few hours of sleep, we woke up to a frigid morning wind and light rain. As the day progressed, the wind and rain was unbearable so we decided to drive into town. This was not what we expected our weekend to be like...
After a few hours in Rawlins shopping for warm apparel and rain gear, which was an adventure in itself, we decided to go back to camp and have some lunch. Tonya packed a lunch for Kenny and Jason and sent them on their way fishing. Haven went with them for a few hours then he came back and joined Katie for a late afternoon snooze. Lets put it this way - Katie booked close to 15 hours of nap time on this trip.
Katie and Haven helped make dinner which was very, very tasty. Tonya did an amazing job at selecting the menu for this trip. The boys came in from fishing and we had dinner and sat around the fire until we were so cold and wet that we decided to go to bed.
Friday night the wind howled and it rained cats and dogs ALL NIGHT. Saturday morning was still cold but the sun did show itself occationally. It was windy but the boys went out fishing anyway. Katie and Haven took a late morning nap with the dogs and woke up in time to help make lunch - Navajo tacos...YUM!
After lunch the wind settled down enough for us to take the boats out with the kids. We drove over to the dam to show the kids. It was fun and the water was pretty calm - for a little while anyway.
When we returned, the boys didn't quite know what to do with themselves so they developed a game. The game consisted of one person getting in Jason's boat while another person stood on the shore with a paintball gun. The person in the boat would make five passes while the person on the shore took as many shots with the paintball gun. It was pretty dang funny! Okay, see for yourself:
Saturday night was a nice night with very little wind. We ate the fish the boys caught and made homemade french fries. Tonya made an amazing peach pie - delicious!!
Sunday morning we packed up our things, went for a short tour of the lake, and then headed home. All in all, it was a great trip. Since the weather was bad for most of this trip, it motivates us to go again next year and hope for better weather.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sunday at home
This week was pretty calm around home. It was good to have Haven home from his vacation time with his dad. We didn't really do much - a lot of work, a little play, and some preparation for our trip to Wyoming which we will post pictures and details about next Sunday.
Today was a chill day. We slept in and then went to church. For those of you that don't know, we have been teaching primary for a few years now and we really enjoy our calling. I think we learn more from our kids than they learn from us. Maybe that's why Bishop Larson took a chance on us - we needed to learn a lot.
After church, Kenny and I finished taking care of some very important preparation items for our trip - life jackets for the dogs. They look darling! And when they wear their little hiking shoes with their life jackets, they look like they are off to do a serious expedition.
After our walk with the dogs (to show them off, of course), we came home and made scones with the Coons. This is the second week we've done this but we won't do it for awhile because we ran out of dough. Anyway, they were very tasty with Melanie Rammel's homemade buttermilk syrup on them...yummmyyyyy!!
After scones, Kenny and Jeremy retired into the front room where they serenaded each other. I'm not kidding. See for yourself:
Well, there is only one week left until school starts for Haven, and...maybe for me. I guess I should check and see when I have to go back :). I've been finished with my summer classes for about...36 hours and I'm delighted to not have any homework this weekend. At least I won't have any guilt for spending time blogging - at least until school starts :). I'm not really looking forward to having homework in the coming weeks but I am looking forward to this being my last semester of school. I'm not sure if I can handle any more full time school after December. I am very ready to be done. School has been a great experience but it is very hard to do when working full time(+) and having a family. I don't really recommend it to anyone that wants to keep their sanity.
For those of you who are reading our blog, have a great week!
Today was a chill day. We slept in and then went to church. For those of you that don't know, we have been teaching primary for a few years now and we really enjoy our calling. I think we learn more from our kids than they learn from us. Maybe that's why Bishop Larson took a chance on us - we needed to learn a lot.
After church, Kenny and I finished taking care of some very important preparation items for our trip - life jackets for the dogs. They look darling! And when they wear their little hiking shoes with their life jackets, they look like they are off to do a serious expedition.
After our walk with the dogs (to show them off, of course), we came home and made scones with the Coons. This is the second week we've done this but we won't do it for awhile because we ran out of dough. Anyway, they were very tasty with Melanie Rammel's homemade buttermilk syrup on them...yummmyyyyy!!
After scones, Kenny and Jeremy retired into the front room where they serenaded each other. I'm not kidding. See for yourself:
Well, there is only one week left until school starts for Haven, and...maybe for me. I guess I should check and see when I have to go back :). I've been finished with my summer classes for about...36 hours and I'm delighted to not have any homework this weekend. At least I won't have any guilt for spending time blogging - at least until school starts :). I'm not really looking forward to having homework in the coming weeks but I am looking forward to this being my last semester of school. I'm not sure if I can handle any more full time school after December. I am very ready to be done. School has been a great experience but it is very hard to do when working full time(+) and having a family. I don't really recommend it to anyone that wants to keep their sanity.
For those of you who are reading our blog, have a great week!
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