The Last Five Photos

Here are the last five photos from my phone.

Firm Fun Day at Angel Stadium - gorgeous day and the Angels won!! And it sure beats an afternoon in the office.

Huntington Beach Surf City Nights street fair. We decided to be spontaneous and it served us well. I had a great time with these ladies and I'm so grateful for these two friends who radiate the joy of the Lord. Love you Christy & Ali!

DSAOC Fundraiser at Los Coyotes Country Club. R2D2 joined us to the delight of the little ones.

Wowzers

It's been almost a month since I last blogged. And I don't even have the excuse of tax season. Oh well.

Let's see what we've missed...

1. I had some Canadian friends, Amy & Dana, come visit me.

2. I flew to San Francisco for a work conference.

3. Bridal showers.

4. The season finale of Bones -sniff, sniff!

5. A weekend at BEAUTIFUL Harbor Island in San Diego.

6. Earl participated in, but won't move on to Districts, in the Guitar Center King of the Blues competition.

7. We moved to a new office suite and I got my own office.

8. We started up the second round of Hope's Heroes running club at the Village of Hope. We have about 20 runners gearing up for the Long Beach Half Marathon!

9. Today is Beachside Summer Fest (watch online here: http://beachsidesummerfest.com/)

10. My mom's chemo was delayed due to shingles, but we are praying for healing in time for the newly scheduled chemo date. And June 28th is the day of her post-treatment scan. And we are praying this will show that there is nothing left! 

I just got home from run number three with the new group. I'm hitting the shower so we can head out to Huntington Beach. The AVP Pro Tour is happening as well, so it's going to be a busy day at the beach!!

Tax Season Stats

I got back last night from a short getaway to see the family and there are lots of fun stories from the trip, but I thought I would take a moment and give a short post on the 2010 tax season statistics.

• Between January 1st and April 15th, I worked 882.10 hours.
• There are 106 days between January 1st and April 15th, so I averaged 8.32 hours a day (including Sundays)
• I worked every day between March 1st and April 15th - including Sundays.
• I worked about a ninety more hours than the other staff during the same time period, and for the first time ever, worked more hours than the partners.
• The most I worked in one week (from Monday to Sunday) was 77.70 hours. Just shy of the 80 hour mark, but I decided to go home instead of going big.
• I probably gained 5 pounds from eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at my desk most days.
• I am so glad that we are officially past April 15th!!

Tomorrow, I'll post some thoughts and stories from my trip, but now I'm back to work! PTL it's only 8 hours today :)

Three...Two...One...Happy Tax Day!

And today tax season ends.

This one seemed to fly by.  I worked over 70 hours for each of the last 3 or 4 weeks and I worked at least 65 hours each week for the last 8 weeks. I am exhausted physically and emotionally.  It's amazing how working so much can make you so cranky, but there were some days when I just wanted to snap at everyone.  But it's all behind us now and I will be putting in ONLY 40 hour work weeks for a while. 

Tonight we are having our post-tax season party at my boss Paul's house.  The taco man will be coming and making tacos and we'll play some Wii, some ping-pong and the kids will go swimming. It should be a nice relaxing time. 

Tonight I am flying out to Thunder Bay for some Mommy-time! Hannah has planned out each waking moment for baking, but I've got a book or two I'm looking forward to swapping with Mommy and maybe a few TV episodes. Either way, no matter what I'm doing, I'm looking forward to being there!

Mommy just had another dose of chemo and is feeling pretty sick from it.  I think all the radiation sessions (my count has us at 16 or 17 done!!) and the chemo are making it worse than other chemo sessions. Please continue to pray. And pray for my friend, Raquel, who's tia is in the hospital with cancer. 

I'm Melting! I'm Melting!

It's only Tuesday and I'm already tired. I had a mini meltdown last night when I got home from work.

Three 60 hour work weeks can do that to you.

Especially when you have a month and a half to go.

And you know it's only going to get worse.

But this too shall pass.

Right??? :/

60 Hour Work Weeks

Tax season has officially begun. We had our first firm family dinner night. I worked three 11 hour days in one week and worked a total of 59.10 hours. My right upper back is getting sore and tight from sitting at my desk all day and wielding my mouse.

But tonight is the ladies study at church so I will only be working about 9 hours and then I'm heading over to be refreshed!

We are waiting on the MRI results from my mom's scan that was done on the 12th.  Please be in prayer that it comes back CLEAR! (that's me shooting for the moon, but He can do more than I ask, think or imagine so I'm asking for no cancer!!)

Round 2, Day 4

Today is the last day of chemo for this round.  We get two more rounds - Yipee! (??) It sure does seem strange to be excited that my mom is going to go through two more rounds of chemo, but this is our life now. Go figure.

She and Tony have left Lisa and Marion's and are on their way to the final day. After the appointment they will be driving to Tammy and Morley's and then on Saturday they will make their way back home to Thunder Bay.

Something special I forgot to mention was that Mary got to go to Winnipeg and see them for a couple days. My heart was warmed knowing she would be there with Mommy to hold her (other) hand.

I have lots to do today (I'm teaching a training seminar at work!) and packing and a couple items to pick up at the store. And a surprise later....

Psalm 28

Blessed be the Lord,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

And with my song I will praise Him.

The Lord is their strength,

And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.

Save Your people,

And bless Your inheritance;

Shepherd them also,

And bear them up forever.

Katherine made it safely to Thunder Bay last night. She'll be staying through Sunday and then heading back for a week of classes. Then next weekend she'll make the trek north again.  I am leaving Saturday morning and I'll be there until Thursday morning. And Mary drove through the crazy weather and is with Mommy and Tony in Winnipeg right now. Today I am trusting in the Lord for great strength to get through the next two days of work. I'll be bringing work with me (it is tax season after all), but I'm hoping to get most of it done before I leave.

Random Thoughts

This Friday my brain is feeling a bit random.  Lots to do, lots of thoughts, not a lot of time.

Work is starting to get busier. While we aren't officially in TAX SEASON, we are only about two weeks out. It's so strange to know that in two weeks I will start staying late, working weekends, coming in early, and cutting my lunch short. And it's normal. And I expect it. And strangely, I don't hate it. *shivers*

Tomorrow we are running eight miles with the OC Rescue Mission running club. At 6:30 am. Last week we did seven miles but we started at 7:30.  This week the residents/students decided it would be better to start at 6:30 and since only two of the four volunteers prefer the extra weekend hour of sleep, we got moved to 6:30am. Which means I am waking up at 5:30 tomorrow morning.

Earl and I are starting to think about how we want to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary. It's two months away (although we might not celebrate until after April 15th, but we may squeeze it in in February) and we have a few ideas floating around. Some of our thoughts were a Mexican cruise, staying at a B&B in Napa and see the Redwood forest, and a trip to Seattle. Feel free to leave some suggestions for a four day celebration.

My mom just finished up her first week of chemo. I'm waiting to hear how today went. They are going to be making their way back to Thunder Bay by way of a short stopover in Dryden. Praying for those drugs to bring about healing and kill all those cancer cells!!

Operation Christmas Child

A little while ago Mommy said that cancer wasn't going to define her, so in honor of that statement, I am going to post some non-cancer things.

Today at work we did something so cool. I have participated in Operation Christmas Child for about 12 years. Whether at school or through church, every November/December we gathered our shoeboxes and stuffed them full of goodies and then sent them off to be distributed. Today, we arrived at one of six distribution centers in the US and helped sort through the boxes and prepared them for shipment via plane, boat, train, canoe, bike, and camel.

They have scheduled 400 volunteers each hour from the morning until 10pm at night. Since Monday of last week this distribution center boxed and shipped over 400,000 boxes. They are expecting 8,000,000 boxes to go out worldwide this year! We were put through an orientation and got to see how the boxes are brought in, sorted and filled to the brim and then packaged for shipment. It was truly incredible.

We were put in charge filling the candy baggies to be put in each box. We also filled boxes with shoes, socks, pouches and toys. I have included a few pictures (we weren't allowed to bring in purses or use our phones on the distribution lines) I managed to sneak during the candy bagging time.

One of the coolest things was that we stopped every hour and laid hands on the boxes, candy, etc and prayed over who was going to receive the boxes and the gifts the boxes would bring. One thing a pastor prayed was that while they would find gifts inside, he prayed for the children also to find hope, encouragement, strength, love, joy, peace in the boxes. That these boxes would provide those words in reality to the children.

One great story was of a kid who received a box and told them he didn't want it. They asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he said a family. Then told him they couldn't give him that, but would he please take the box. In the box was a picture of a couple and their address on the back. They began corresponding with him and have since adopted him. He did indeed get what he wanted that Christmas.

Temporary Home - Edited

This morning was day 2 of the OC Rescue Mission Running Club.  We may have settled on a name: Gunner's Runners.  One of the volunteers, Beth, brought her Weimaraner, Gunner, along for the runs. He is seven years old and in need of some exercise. A sweet dog we are all starting to fall in love with. Everyone was excited to be back out running this morning. It was cool and foggy this morning - pretty neat running weather. Everyone is already improving in their abilities. It was very neat to hear from various people that they have never done this before: "I can't believe I ran all three sets of 5 minute running this morning" and "We went 2 miles today!" There was a lot of excitement this morning!

Carrie Underwood's third album just came out today. I eagerly downloaded it this morning after the run and synced it to my iPhone and left for work. Exept, I forgot my headphones at home so I can't listen to it. But one of the main reasons I was so excited for this album is her song: Temporary Home. Temporary Home is a song about more than just foster kids, single mothers and dying grandfathers. It is about how this world is our temporary home and we are passing through to eternity. As much as I was excitedly waiting for her album to drop today, I am anticipating heaven so much more!

Tomorrow we are going to a luncheon at Olive Crest. My boss, Paul, is on the board of directors for Olive Crest. I am excited for this luncheon and so glad that our firm partners with such a great organization. Paul and his family serve as respite foster parents and have had numerous children through their home. Go to their website and check them out. Pray for them as they continue to serve those in need and pray for homes for all these children.

Running With A Mission

At the beginning of 2009, we revamped our work mission statement at the firm I work for. One arm of the firm we created was a charitable service committee. We meet once a month and have established multiple projects for the firm to take part in: food drive for the OC Rescue Mission, Buddy Walk for DSAOC, supplying Bibles for James 1:27 Ministries, and a running class with the OC Rescue Mission. We will have our own booth and play games at the Buddy Walk next Sunday. This should be a lot of fun, although contributions were down by 2/3 of last year's amount last I heard. These contributions fund the staff's salaries and are going towards building a pediatric clinic in the OC area. In case you feel so inclined, you can donate here.

Now, tomorrow morning, bright and early, I will be driving to the OC Rescue Mission and meeting up with 2 coworkers, a client of ours, and 18 to 20 "students" of the OC Rescue Mission Village of Hope. The Village of Hope is a one- to two-year program for individuals, families, and single parents who are currently homeless. They go through job training, education, counseling, and work at the VOH. One of the partners at my firm, Steve, thought it would be valuable to basically train 20 or so individuals to run a half-marathon. Tomorrow is our first day of training.

We will be spending four mornings a week for the next fourteen weeks working together as a team to prepare to run the Huntington Beach Half Marathon in February 2010. There are a number of ways we feel this will be so beneficial. First of all, the weekly encouragement of going farther and doing something you have never done before. Secondly, on the day of the race, everyone at the starting line is equal. We all put in the effort to train; we all are there with our shirts, shorts and shoes. There is no indicators of class or status. 15,000 people will be running this race. Finally, there is something for saying "I have run a half-marathon, 13.1 miles. What else can I do?" We are hoping to reinforce discipline and teamwork in each student. The director at VOH - Nathan Bates - said that this is the first time any group of volunteers has ever spent such a concentrated and long time with their students. He is thrilled at the idea of what type of ministry could take place.

So, at 6:20 tomorrow morning we begin. We will be taking video footage and pictures to update everyone along the way. Stay tuned!

Free at Last, Free at Last!

Ahhh.... Earl is soundly sleeping (and snoring!) next to me.  It's almost 11pm on Wednesday, October 14th, and I am getting ready to drift off to sleep without waking up off and on throughout the night because my mind is still going when it's supposed to be sleeping.

Hello, October 15th.  You came, we conquered!

I checked my emails at class tonight and two of the last three projects on my list were marked off as completed and the other one is sitting on my desk waiting for my approval and a partner's signature. And then, my friends, I am done with the 2008 tax season.

Oh, 2009 tax season is a mere two months away? At least I'll enjoy it while it lasts!!

Here are a couple pictures from Earl's trip to Miami.  Is this boy not just so precious?!

Ignorance is Bliss

Usually I don't agree with such a statement, but after yesterday's lunch conversation I am loving it. 

There was a time when I knew every bit of celebrity gossip and juice. And I hated it.  Earl hated it.  Why in the world did I care if Britney's weave was looking like a rat's nest or that Nicole Richie was having a girl or that Jennifer Aniston really didn't hate Angelina.  I mean, these people mean NOTHING to me.  And yet, I was drawn to the websites and magazines. It was like a plague.  I couldn't shake it.

Fast forward about a year and many days of praying and yesterday at lunch we were discussing baseball and I was asking questions ("What's a goat?" "How many games in the series?") and then someone mentioned a joke from SNL about A-Rod and Kate Hudson.  I knew they were dating, but I didn't know she is supposedly with child.  I didn't know that Michael Buble has some celebrity girlfriend. I just DIDN'T KNOW! 

And I am still smiling because I don't have a clue.

In other news, it rained last night...I am hoping for some more. It's been MONTHS and MONTHS since it's rained out here.

Where, oh where did my sanity go???

I hate October 15th.

I thought I hated April 15th, but then October 15th came around. 

I hate October 15th.

This is the last deadline. El fin. It doesn't help that I am taking two of the hardest accounting courses (cost accounting and intermediate accounting, thank you very much).  While I am thrilled that Earl is in Miami celebrating the Mergelsberg birthday month (and if they think I can plan my future child's birth to fall in October they are crazy!), but I like him home to console me when I get home from a long stressful day at work.  You know, how he brings me my apple juice and waits on me hand and foot. Like I used to make my sisters do.

So, I am excited that October 15th is almost over.  I am just hoping I can hold on to a few brain cells until then.

It Has Arrived

After I received my promotion last week, Earl decided I should treat myself with a "promotion present."  Never one to turn down a present, I hopped online and ordered the JCrew Eden jacket I put on my Christmas list last month.  It arrived today in all its darkest indigo, velvet plush glory. 

Earl is heading up to the mountains for a few days at Forest Home for a camp and he left before it arrived, so I swung by home before class to rescue it from sitting outside in the dark until I got home tonight.  It is now sitting comfortably in the truck of my car waiting for me to get home and slip it on.

I like promotions.

Oh wait, that's right, I'm stressed to the max with work right now.  Two 401k audits, an amended partnership return, multiple individual returns - all to be done before October 15th.  In 15 days. Do you realize how much work is involved in an audit???

Maybe I don't like promotions.

But I do like promotion presents and celebration dinners of steak and scallops and so perhaps I do like promotions after all.

Playing Catch-Up

The last few days of the trip were a blur.  We toured Lensahn and Groemitz some more, said good-bye to Uncle Peter, Aunt Petra and Herbert, went on walks through the countryside, took Mary and Jenni to the airport, said good-bye to Gudrun and Uncle Holger, had lunch in Denmark and toured Kiel.  A bit exhausted, I started falling asleep as soon as the car started.  I had the hardest time keeping my eyes open.  I have to say that the northern Germany countryside is absolutely beautiful.

So this week I have been playing catch-up at work working on audits, personal tax returns and having my annual review.  I always get a little nervous beforehand, but walked out with a smile.  I have been promoted to senior accountant at our firm.  This new role will include some management and leadership, so I'll be stretched in new ways.  I am excited and looking forward to all the changes though.  I am so grateful for this job.  I work with great people and feel valued as an employee and friend.  It is a great environment.

Now, I am off to play catch-up with some friends.  I haven't seen two sweet friends for a couple months, so Ali, Christy, Lindsay and I are all meeting at Ruby's for some breakfast and fellowship, oh yeah, and COFFEE!!

Wish List

A couple weeks ago I tweeted that I had a mile long Christmas list that kept growing.  And it really is. In fact there are three things on it that seem so wonderful if I only got these three things I would be pretty happy.

1. The Pioneer Woman cookbook.  (You can pre-order it here.)  I'm sure everyone else knows about her, but I have just recently fallen in love with her blog, pictures, recipes, etc etc.  Unfortunately, since I have three years of catching up to do, it is proving to be a total time-suck.

2. J. Crew has a good thing going - when the President's wife wears your clothes and all everyone can do is talk about them and take pictures of them, you know you have a good thing going.  And boy have they sucked me in.  I was almost exclusively a Limited girl because the clothes fit and with a good sale and a coupon the price is usually alright. But then I bought a pair of shorts off of the J. Crew website for $15 and they fit and made my summer, summer.  And I got their catalog in the mail. And I saw this.  And then Earl (the sweet sweet man that spoils me) took me there to try one on and we saw it in Indigo Blue in a size 4 so I can wear a light sweater under it if need be. And I searched and searched on Ebay and could not find one.  So, now I wait for Christmas. Hopefully the price will drop.

3. And then the next J. Crew catalog came out and I saw this.  And I haven't been able to try it on, but most likely a size 4 as well. (Just in case anyone wanted to know). Hopefully there will be some crazy sale and the price on this will decrease by 70%. That would be nice.

And my list is growing, because after reading The Pioneer Woman's blog, I want a digital SLR camera.  I wonder if Earl knew I had "caviar tastes" when he married me.  I know Katherine is shaking her head at the thought of owning a jacket that costs $200.  That's why I haven't bought it KB.  It's too much even for my caviar tastes.

Now, if you excuse me, I have some stuff to get done since the PW blog has stolen all my time this weekend!  

Ps - I will be packing up our stuff and learning how to run a farm, because after reading said blog all weekend, all I want to do with my life is raise four children on a cattle farm, minus all the laundry. Life in the country sounds so inticing as I realize tax season is merely months away. 

What's Left

I've got three days to finish up ten essay questions, two papers and three finals.

I'm a little stressed and I still have a full day of work to do tomorrow.

Just taking a little break to solicit prayers!!

Back to the books!!

Worth It

I had a CRAZY day yesterday. Earl's alarm went off at 4:15am (YES IN THE MORNING!) and because it was that early, I ended up turning my alarm off by accident. So, while I was not late, I was definitely not as early as I wanted to be. I knew I would have to put a few extra hours in yesterday and I wanted to start early so I wouldn't get home super late. Twelve and a half working hours later, I came home around 9pm. But the major project I was working on should be finalized today. So that is GOOD news!! Earl got home around 11:45pm, so his day was slightly longer :o) He had a music video shoot for their new song, Deliver Us (you can hear it at the website). He was quite tired when he got in last night.

Now, while juggling work, school and home has been a little rough and stressful for me the last few days, it really has all been worth it. Even working until 9pm so I can have one more day with them!!

We are using this day to head over to LA so we can visit The Getty Museum and drive-by some homes where famous crimes/deaths occured. I am really looking forward to seeing the Getty - I have heard a lot of great things about it. Then tonight we are having dinner with Earl. Earl leaves tomorrow for a three week tour visiting Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Missouri, New Mexico and Arizona.

Better get the rascals up and moving. Here's a funny picture I took this morning of how Hannah sleeps!!