Can Work Get Any Better? Probably Not!!!!

We have had a great time at work lately. Jenny Fosdick, our food buyer, had to take another job with more hours and more pay. It was sad to lose her. She had done an excellent job and had really streamlined the purchasing and dividing of food. Judy Sumsion was hired a couple of months ago. She is great. She has fit in well. I really like her. She's a mom of 5 girls. One is on a mission and another has her mission call. They live in Springville and she is friends with Starlyn. That's not how she got the job, though. She was the best fit of all the applicants.

Mat, our only male TA, has been applying for jobs. He graduates in April. He had to miss some shifts and sometimes had to leave shifts for a bit to have interviews, either in person or via phone. He was really networking and working hard to find a job. He finally got a job offer and it's in TEXAS, his home state. He and his wife, Kat, are so excited. She's from Texas, too. In fact, Kat is a 6th generation Texan. She is so excited that their kids will be born in Texas. To celebrate and thank us, Kat and Mat insisted on taking us all to Tucano's for dinner. We told them that it was too much, but they wouldn't take no. It was a blast. There were 15 of us. Kat and Mat, me and Keenan, Starlyn and Lee Hjorth, Judy and Grant Sumsion, Ali and Steve, Ann Hardman and her husband, Nikki Sue Larkin and her husband, and Annie. After eating, a bunch of us went back to the lab to play games. It was so much fun. We met at 2:00 for lunch/dinner and didn't finish games until after 7:00. I love my co-workers.

Starlyn and Me, playing the Dutch game Sjoelback

The Tucano's crew...Steve and Ali, Annie, me and Keenan, Judy and Grant, Lee and Starlyn, Mat and Kat, Ann and Jay, The Larkins

We had also gone earlier in the month to do sealings on a Friday night with dad as our sealer. Ali and Steve, Judy and Grant, me and Keenan and Starlyn and Lee were there. Annie had her mission call, but hadn't gone through the temple yet. Mat and Kat were gonna come, but Kat had a last minute emergency at work that she had to attend to. By the way, Annie has now gone through the temple. In fact, Keenan and I were able to go to the session last Wednesday. She just beamed. A lot of young adults, going through the temple for the first time seem overwhelmed, including myself. Annie was just in her element. That girl is awesome! It was great to be there with her. I realized the last time I had gone to an endowment session was with Ali, who had gotten married at the end of December and was hesitant to go back alone, so I went with her. What a blessing to be able to share church stuff with work associates. I think that's why we love each other so much.

Last Friday we had a bit of a celebration for Annie, whose birthday is coming up, and for Mat. Both of them are leaving us. Since Annie loves donuts and regularly celebrates Donut Friday, we made a donut cake. Basically, we stacked a bunch of donuts and topped them with a cupcake, another of Annie's favorite treats. I had made a pillowcase for her to take on her mission and we all signed it. I also got Dean Ogles, the dean of the college, to sign it. He's her stake president and she really admires him. Then we got the crazy idea to see if President Samuelson would sign it. Starlyn took it over there and he wrote a note and signed it! It was awesome to see Annie's reaction. We also had a favorite student sign it. I had made Mat a BYU apron (with a Texas touch) for him to take with him back to Texas. He can wear it when he bbq's. We enjoyed pizza, salad and donuts, all while still helping the lab that was going on and dividing food for this week's labs.

The LAST time for these crazy kids (Ali Clarkson, Annie Christensen and Mat Williams) to pick up the Macey's delivery at the dock together. Thankfully Ali is not leaving us. 

Former TA, Jessica Lewis, and her son Jack came to help celebrate! Note the donut cake in the background!

I'm blessed to work where I do with the people I work with!

At our last party before Winter 2014 ended. Our food lab babies, Jack Lewis, Lincoln and Lydia Byrd

The gang! Front: Julia, Lincoln, Lydia, Me, Jack, Jessica. Back: Jenny, Judy, Ali, Annie, Mat, Starlyn, Charity