start blogging again??

I've been watching my rss feed on everyone's blog list drop... drop... drop... lower and lower on the list.
Jenni and Lisa took it up on themselves to tag me... in an effort to raise my blog up higher on their lists. :) Thanks Ladies..

Tag #1: Where were you?

20 years ago: 1988, really?
1. I was a sophomore in high school. I guess I was probably really wrapped up in all the things that go with being in high school-- wanting to fit in, but never really finding my niche. I was enthralled with all things marching band, choir and orchestra.
2. My family had moved to South Jordan just two years earlier. I think I was still adjusting to living in a new neighborhood and making new friends.
3. My sister, Lorie was at Ricks College and I missed her horribly. We were pretty close. I actually came across several letters from her and remembered how much fun it was to hear about her fun and exciting life at college.

10 years ago: 1998
1. My third year teaching school. Middle school home economics in Heber City Utah. I think this was about the time that I decided that I was ready to do something different from teaching school, but was scared silly to even think about doing something besides what I was specifically trained for. I decided to stick it out one more year.
2. I worked as a volunteer at This is the Place Heritage Park that summer. I got to dress up in the old fashioned pioneer dresses. I was stationed at the first house as you walked up the street.. they demonstrated how to spin and dye wool. I learned all sorts of things about one of the things I'm really passionate about.. fiber and fabric. I learned how to spin wool, and later actually purchased a spinning wheel. I also learned a lot about hand dying wool, and the different colors you get from different natural plants. I think this is where I really learned to love lavendar.
3. I was also diagnosed with Grave's Disease at the end of this year-- probably the following spring, but it's close enough. Grave's Disease is a Thyroid condition that affects every possible facet of life you can think of. It was kind of devastating at first, but under the care of an extremely competent doctor, I was treated and medicated and life was pretty much back to normal after a 1 year nightmare.

5 years ago: 2003
1. I think this was my true adventure year. I started working for a private institution of higher ed. It seemed to be everything that my previous job wasn't-- an opportunity to make drastic and quick changes to methods and policies to reform an outdated correspondence school into a dynamic and cutting edge online university. It was fun for a little while, but lost its luster when the quick changes and cutting edge technologies weren't as easy to obtain as we had hoped.
2. One of the perks of this job was the opportunity to return to school to obtain my masters degree of Education. What a fantastic experience it was. The program was a totally distance program administrated out of Logan, UT. Each semester I took 2-3 courses online and 1 course via a closed circuit television system called EDNET. It was a great opportunity to expand my mind and gain greater insight to the process of education. Even made me reconsider returning to the classroom so I could implement the new things I learned. -- Hopefully I'm using those skills in my current job to inspire other faculty in the classroom.
3. One of my personal goals at this time was to expand my social circle. I was tired of being single and knew the answer to finding the man of my dreams was in expanding my circle of male friends. I met several friends through a local Singles Ward of my Church and made concerted efforts with some existing friendships. One of these friendships was with a man who helped me find my inner athlete. I don't think I've ever been, nor ever will be in the kind of shape I found myself in that year. It started with a kickboard doing laps in the swimming pool and progressed to running several miles a day. Another friendship took me on lots of road trips and self discovery. Wow, the more I think about it, this was a great year!!!

3 years ago: 2005
1. This was the year that I decided the private institution was not in my best personal interest and I was fortunate enough to find a postition back at Salt Lake Community College. I was able to use my brand new M Ed as an instructional designer, helping faculty adapt their classroom materials for online delivery.
2. I was really quite involved in my singles ward-- serving in the Relief Society and still trying to expand my circle of friends.
3. I was also trying to sell my condo during this year... oooh.. kinda blocked all of that out. The whole condo experience was kind of a nightmare. While it was good to be out on my own and build some equity, the condo association was not set up in the ideal way and I found myself in the thick of trying to straighten it out. I thought I had a buyer for the condo, and naivly allowed them to move in with a rental agreement until they could secure financing to purchase the condo. It never materialized and I moved in and out of that place a couple times in the next couple of years.

1 year ago: 2007
1. oh.. what a wonderful year...I met my husband at an ad hoc church activity. We were on the same team for a local "Amazing Race" and while we won the "sightseer's" award for being the last team to complete the competition, we really enjoyed ourselves. We didn't start dating until later that summer after had left the ward, but it was a great time in my life.
2. I sold my condo-- at a profit-- the last thing I was expecting and moved to Holladay to rent half of a duplex. I'm finding that the equity that came out of that sale is a blessing in more ways than one.
3. John and I got engaged in October of that year and married in January of the following year. I could go on and on about all the wonderful things that happend that year, but that would make for an even LONGER entry than I've already got. He is the most wonderful blessing in my life that I've ever experienced. He is everything that everyone promised me my husband would be.

This year so far:
1. John and I went on a Carribean cruise for our honeymoon. 7 days on the high seas. It was a great experience-- one that we'd both like to repeat as soon as time and finances permit.
2. I've been working working working and learning how to balance that part of live with my new role as a wife-- and trying to be a housekeeper. You'd think it would be an easy balance cause I was keeping house as a single person, but it doesn't quite translate the same...
3. I'm also learning how to support my husband through school. One of the benefits I enjoy as an employee of the College is free tution for my immediate family-- and we are taking full advantage of that for John. He's studying his pre-pharmacy courses so he can continue on to become a pharmacist-- unless..... :P

Yesterday:
1. Work-- I had several meetings with faculty and colleagues working on the various projects that I'm assigned.
2. John and I go to school/work together-- lots to save on gas, but also because we are just at the same place all day. It's nice to eat lunch with him, or take a break between his classes. It also makes it easier to take some time after work/school to visit our families. I love going to visit and having my neice and nephews proclaim my name as we walk in the door and run to give me hugs and kisses.
3. I had lunch with three ladies from my previous job. We used to get together at least once a month, but it's become less and less as time goes on. We really bonded during the time we worked together. Of the four of us, only one remains working there. She's a trooper. It was wonderful to catch up with them and learn what each of them are doing.

Today:
1. hmmm.. work again.. more meetings
2. Grocery shopping-- our cupboards were bare.
3. Oreo cookies and milk for a treat when I got home from shopping.

Tomorrow:
1. the weekend!!! John's sister and her husband are in town from Cleveland, OH for a friend's wedding and we get to spend some time with them on Saturday.. That's not really tomorrow, but close enough.
2. Work-- no meetings.. I finally get some time to do some focused design work-- probably on a nursing course and a chemistry course.
3. oooh.. la la... one of john's good friends is dating a gal he really likes and he wants to go on a double date with us. John is trying in vain to keep my enthusiasm reigned in.

Next year:
1. wow.. this is hard. we'd love to have a little baby- only time will tell though.
2. We'll probably be applying to pharmacy schools for John... anticipating where he will get accepted and where we get to settle in for a few more years.
3. barring moving to far flung regions for school, I'd really like to purchase a home of some sort-- townhome, condo, single family home, and enjoy the freedom of a place of my own again.

I'm going to tag..... Austin... Tabitha.... and MaryJO!!! :D