Espanol

For the next 3 months I will be working at our satellite location.  I have had some very mixed feelings about this, but in the end I trust it is for the best.  I get to meet new people, and I have a new job to learn, and a LOT of work to do as this location is very understaffed.  One of the things I love most about my job (at both locations) is that I get to use my Spanish--everday!  When I left for my mission to Ecuador in 2003 I knew that I would have a wonderful and unique opportunity to learn fluent Spanish and I wanted to take advantage of that blessing to the best of my ability.  I prayed and asked Heavenly Father for the opportunity to use my Spanish skills to bless the lives of others for the rest of my life, but little did I know how much they would end up blessing my own life.  I always try my hardest to speak Spanish perfectly, but I know sometimes I mess up-using the feminine article for a word instead of the masculine one, or vice versa-as well as other similar errors.  I also know I speak with an accent-it is pretty much impossible to learn a new language as an adult and not speak with an accent.  (But I always figure that if I can speak Spanish as well as President Uchdorf speaks Engish then I'm in pretty good shape!)

Often my native Spanish-speaking coworkers will ask me if my dad is Mexican or if my parents speak Spanish (I think its funny that they always assume that my dad would be Latin-American and my mom would be white but that always seems to be how they imagine it).  I always feel flattered when they ask this!  If I can't speak perfectly at least they think I speak well enough to be a first generation American who grew up with a lot of Spanish at home!

Today I got the ultimate compliment.  A coworker just flat out asked (in Spanish of course)
"So, what part of Mexico are you from?"
WOW!!!!
"I'm not from Mexico.  What makes you think I'm from Mexico?"
"Because you speak Spanish so well.  They have white people in Mexico too."
"But I speak with an accent, don't I?'
"Yeah."
"A little bit, or a lot?"
"A lot."

Oh bummer.  Well, at least I was on cloud nine for a little while.  Other people have told me that I hardly speak with any accent of all. (Yes, I'm always trying to figure out how I sound to people when I talk.)  I do know that when I'm tired my Spanish gets worse.  I still feel flattered that he thought I was from Mexico, even if he thinks I talk with a heavy accent.  I just have to remember President Uchdorf!

I'm back!

Whew, it's been a while, but here's what I've been up to the past few months:

-I got a seasonal job at a retail nursery.

-The season ended and I'm GLAD to be back home!

As much as I said that I wouldn't let the fact that I'd be earning $5.50 LESS per hour than my last job get to me...it did! It was also a strain on our marriage with not one but two people coming home exhausted and with high tensions every day.

-I planted a garden on my patio.

That's my dad with me!

-The garden grew!

And I have been thoroughly enjoying the fruits of my labors.

-Re-started my Mary Kay business and LOVE it!

And I have so much to say about this fabulous company and how it can empower women to be WOMEN-but that will have to wait for another time. (By the way, if there's anything you need I do keep an inventory. So for those of you who are local to me-I can get you your products that day, and for those of you who are not local I offer free shipping. You are welcome to visit and order from my website here.)

-Went to a couple of ball games.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is my new hero. He was the one who finally ENDED a 14 inning game carrying a score of 0 to 0. My husband would have insisted we stay there all night long if Ken Griffey, Jr. hadn't rescued me!

-Dealt with car trouble a couple of times. (Hang in there just a little longer, car!)

-Helped my husband with his algebra homework.

I always struggled with math in school. I never imagined the day would come when I'd actually be able to help my husband with his math homework! Goes to show what a little bit of hard work and persistence will do.

-And finally, I'M BACK ON THE BLOG!

See you all soon!

Working

For the past few weeks I've been taking my resume to the nurseries and garden centers in the area.  As much as I love to be at home their has to be a balance in life too.  Our home (apartment) is small and it's easy to run out of things to do, and being new to the area I don't know a whole lot of people.  My husband often works 60 hours a week and I start to go a little stir crazy with nothing to do.  Sure, I can find stuff!  I quilt, I read, I blog, etc...I still get a little crazy though.  

Well, today I started my first job as a married woman.  I'm working at a local garden center/nursery and I think I'm going to LOVE it.  I've always felt the importance of mother's being at home for their children but had been of the opinion that a couple without children could always benefit from the potential to save-up some money.  Finding a job after being married though has definitely had some changes in mentality:

1.) I really don't care how much money I make.  I want to do something I enjoy and have fun with it.  (In fact I'm earning over $5.00/hour LESS than my last job that I had when I was single and I really don't care.  I'm glad I don't have all that responsibility that I had before!)

2.) I'm not there to show my boss that I'm the best there ever was (which is oh, so stressful), I'm there to be myself, have a good time, and of course do the best I can do without comparing myself to others.  I already feel a relief of stress.

3.) Part time is perfect.  I'm not torn between wanting to go home and feeling that I have to stay for a billion more hours, or see if I can get some overtime to support myself!

4.) It's a boost of confidence because my employer still wanted me to work for them even after I laid everything out on the table (part-time, not available Sundays).

5.) I honestly feel I can do a better job because I feel more comfortable and relaxed, not like before when I felt like if I make one little mistake it would be the end of the world and I NEEDED that job so I had to constantly BE perfect, even though this was impossible. 

6.) Because spring-time is a busy time of year for gardening, and they need extra help in the spring, I don't feel like I've signed my life over to them!  I don't owe them my soul, my money, or my first born child-just my summer.  When it's time to quit to raise my family I can, and they won't hate me for it.  (Contrast that to my last job and I felt like a criminal because I quit after only being there 7 months-even though the only reason I was quitting was because I was getting married and moving to a different city.  I felt like I owed them at least a year or two.)

I can see that this really is what is best for this stage of my life right now.  Sitting at home alone all day is depressing.  I admire women who can do that, but quite frankly, I don't think any of them actually sit at home alone all day (at least not the happy ones).  I think they go visit family and friends, find some volunteer work, pick up their kids from school, go to school activities, go to their kids activities, etc.  

Unfortunately I don't think working will be a cure-all for my loneliness (because I did work today and here I am still lonely for my husband to come home in 3 hours), but at least it gives me something else to do in the meantime.