The final verdict!

Let me start out by saying, I survived cuts with Pfizer this week! What an amazing glorious day it has been.

We found out approximately six months ago that changes were going to occur at the beginning of the year, but we had no idea the kind of hit we would take from it. We all assumed it would be 25% across the field force and a bit more in management, but we found out a couple weeks ago that it would be more like 50-60% across the board. It has had me and my best friends in an absolute state on concern considering the market is not in a condition with many other opportunities to retain other positions. I am a woman who loves consistency, but take it as it comes and view it as part of God's plan. So, my husband and I have been praying for the last couple months as His will to be done and that we would trust and follow.

I received a call this morning from my manager informing me (reading from a script) of my fate and letting me know that I was retained and will be covering the Seattle North district. This is great news because number one I have a job, and number two my territory will be closer to home. I have no idea what exactly my territory will be or what my product portfolio will consist of, but I don't even mind .... I have a job :) It was a state of shock, had to wait for her to announce it twice for it to sink in, and then waited for Gabe to start shaking his hands in excitement. He was so wonderful as a support system to consistently reinforce I am great at what I do and have faith that it will all work out. That is comforting and all, but this is the second massive layoff I have survived, as well as two other restructures. It gets to a point where it is overwhelming!!

I had prepared myself for worse case scenario since we knew great people were going to be displaced/deselected. I am so thankful for maintaining my position along with my best friends. It would have been very traumatic if one of the group lost their job, and we got so lucky that my best friends were retained as well. Obviously, many close people I have worked with were let go, but they have opportunities to post for a few openings and hope to be hired back on. I will be keeping my fingers crossed.

A friend reminded me of this verse as comfort through times of tribulations. Romans 5:1-5

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us

Thank you all for your love and support. The prayers were much appreciated, and I cannot thank you enough. Gabe and I are sending our love from Seattle!

What Happened!

Being a true Texas girl, I am a big fan of Jessica Simpson. Whether it was wasting my time watching Newlyweds, listening to her pop music go country, or reading about her dating life with Tony Romo ..... I am always following along.

I saw this picture today on the Popsugar blog, and I was not too impressed. What happen to her cute figure and taste of style?! Is it just me, or what do ya'll think?

44 Odd things about me

1. Do you like blue cheese? no, but I love goat cheese
2. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? never and never want to
3. Do you own a gun? no
4. What flavor of Kool Aid was your favorite? red
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? not really
6. What do you think of hot dogs? I don't prefer them and will only eat one charred, but I love a good carnival corn dog
7. Favorite Christmas movie? ELF ... I think of Ally Ferrell everytime!
8. Favorite thing to drink in the morning? extra hot non fat cinnamon dolce late from Starbucks
9. Can you do push ups? yep
10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my wedding ring
11. Favorite hobby? hanging out with my husband and girlfriends
12. Do you have A.D.D.? yes
13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? popping my knuckles 50 times a day
14. Middle name? Brooke
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: 1) I'm sleepy and need to go to bed 2) glad tomorrow is a holiday and I get the day off  3) I am exciting to get my permanent retainer put in tomorrow at the ortho
16. Name 3 drinks you normally drink:  diet coke, coffee, and water/propel/costco vitamin water (0 calories)
17. Current worry? I am hoping to survive the next round of layoffs and will know at the end of the month --- please say a little prayer!
18. Current hate right now? the gym being so crowded
19. Favorite place to be? relaxing by the beach, reading a book, with my husband
20. How did you bring in the new year? it was low key at a friends house
21. Where would you like to go? I would love to go to Dubai
22. Name three people who might complete this: Arrie, Abby, Meredith
23. Do you own slippers? I wear my Uggs as slippers
24. What shirt are you wearing? Adidas dry fit long sleeve tee
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? absolutely not!  I had my worst night ever sleeping on Marjions sheets at the Gill house :)
26. Can you whistle? slightly, but not a distinct whistle and don't ask me to follow a tune
27. Favorite color? blue
28. Would you be a pirate? I would not be able to survive as a pirate, ha
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't really sing in the shower
30. Favorite Girl's Name: Brooklynne 
31. Favorite boy's name: Caden and Jameson
32. What's in your pocket right now? No pockets
33. Last thing that made you laugh? My sweet puppy clawing at my head for attention
34. What vehicle do you drive?  Ford Freestyle - Abby calls it the "dragon" which stands for drug/waggon with all my work samples, but I do not acknowledge it as being a wagon!
35. Worst injury you've ever had? Broke my nose in high school cheerleading and had to wear a white cast to school
36. Do you love where you live? Yes - I love Seattle, and it was actually sunny today!
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 1

38. Who is your loudest friend? hmm ... we can all be loud together, but I don't have one particular obnoxiously loud friend.
39. Do you have any pets? Two dogs:  Harley(yorkie) and Willis (lhasa apso)
40. Does someone have a crush on you? probably not ... I'm taken!
41. Your favorite book: The Bible
42. Do you collect anything? Not really, maybe I will start to collect more things over time
43. Favorite Sports Team???  Mavs, Cowboys, Seahawks, 
44. What song do you want played at your funeral?  I have not planned out that far yet and hope to not have to think about that for awhile!

The wedding planning has begun

The wedding planning and festivities have begun! Katie is one of my very good friends (the one to the left of me in this picture), and she just got engaged a couple weeks ago. I had the honor to hang out with the lovely Sweeney ladies and brainstorm for the big day! Her two sisters, Mom, and Grandmother came in from California to make some headway on the planning. They already found her perfect dress that she looks stunning in.

Thanks for letting me spend spend the weekend with ya'll, and I can't wait for Cabo .... to create so many more memories together. Hopefully we will all be celebrating even more exciting news too (*especially for Mollie, Katie, and me if we all keep our jobs through this downsize in our industry).

My husbands big birthday!

Gabe's 31st birthday was this past week, and we had a wonderful time attempting to extend the celebration as much as possbible. Friday night, we went to dinner and had an absolutely fantastic time at Capital Grill downtown. I had eaten there back in the day in Dallas, but I never realized how great their service was.

They were so accomadating, and I still can't believe how above and beyond they went. We got to the table and there was confetti with a hand written card (I told them it was his birthday when I made reservations). Then, the chef brought out a palate cleanser of shrimp and asparagus with yummy champagne! We ordered calamari, which was to die for smothered in peppers. But, our favorite part of the dinner wasn't even the steak or my swordfish, it was the sides ..... lobster macaroni and cheese and au gratin potatoes. They had to take the mac' and cheese off the menu because it is now required to put the amount of calories on the menu, and they assumed it would not be as appealing with the calories listed. Crazy!! (Is this a new rule for just WA or are they doing it in TX too?)

Lastly, the server stopped by while Gabe ran to the bathroom to see if he preferred chocolate or coconut desert. I said he is a chocolate, chocolate, chocolate guy. So, he brought Gabe two kinds of chocolate deserts complementary, and he took our picture with the restaurants camera without us even asking! Wow, what amazing service!!

He was a satisfied birthday boy who was full as a tick by the end of the night!

We went to Benihana's Saturday night to celebrate Gabe's birthday and our two good friends, Cassy and Nate. We always enjoy hanging out with this group of friends, and it was a really fun night downtown. Yes, two nights in a row in downtown Seattle is bigtime for us :)

New Year's Resolution

Is anyone else ready for the gym to become less crowded?! I asked the manager at LA Fitness how many new members have joined in the last week, and he said 400 .... holy cow!! I feel like all 400 people have begun working out at my exact hour, and I wish it would go back to the less crowded and more enjoyable days. The second I leave one machine to continue on with my circuit of going to a different one, it is then taken. Plus, I had to stand and wait for an elliptical and/or treadmill because every single one was being used. That has never happened before, and it is a little awkward staring at people while they workout insinuating that you would like to use their machine!

I figure it will only last another couple weeks, and then my life at the gym will go back to normal!

Speaking of losing weight and getting fit at the gym, is everyone watching The Biggest Loser? This is our households favorite show of the year, and Gabe and I are so glad we only had to wait a couple weeks for the next season to begin. I have turned many people on to this show, and if you haven't watched an episode before ... please give it a chance and start. It is reality TV, but real issues of families changing their lives and taking care of their bodies. I get teary eyed, multiple times, every episode. Weird, me crying?? ha

Visiting my favorite 36 week preggers friend

I got to drive my Momma's brand new Smart Car, which she likes to call her "Blue Bug." Arrie calls it a wind up car, and I would have to agree because it warms up as if you just twisted the key and it's going to take off. I got lots of stares, but all in all it is so fun to drive and a great means to meet Abbdae in.

It was so wonderful to see Abby and spend the day doing our thing'. Abby noted in her blog that I immediately "lifted her shirt, pulled down the band on her pants, fully exposing the belly ... within two minutes of seeing her." It is true, and I don't believe in personal space with Abby so I treated her belly as my own :)

By the way, doesn't she look fantastic?

Of course, I had to bring goodies for Colt since I wasn't able to make it to Abby's previous shower!

Then, it was essential to take a "roadtrip" to Royse City to see the finished babyroom. It is only 35 minutes from Abby's mom's house, but 45 from my mom's house, which seems like an eternity to me. Before moving to Seattle, I wouldn't drive anywhere that was further than 15 minutes (and that is even stretching it). Everything in Uptown is just minutes away or walking distance, so normally I am not excited about spending so much time in the car. Now that I drive for a living in Seattle putting approximately 30k miles a year, I am a little more use to it and would drive the distance to see Colt's room.

Blake and Abby are so creative and have pretty much made everything in the baby's room ... with help from family members. Her theme fits them perfectly and can't wait to see pics with Colt poking his head over the crib.

So proud of you Abbdae, and you will be an amazing Mommy in just a couple of weeks!

The Sister I Never Had

It has been a real treat to have Arrie in our family, and she truly is the sister I never had. I didn't get a chance to become very close to her while they were dating at ACU since I transferred to SMU, but we have made up for all that lost time! She is one of the smartest people I have ever met and now writing her dissertation at 26 yrs old. She is so level headed, an ear to listen, and someone who loves my brother more than anything. I am so content talking to her while driving for hours throughout the day, and it just would not seem right without our daily chats. Love you Sister!

So most of all, I love coming back to Dallas and spending time with Jordan, Arrie, and Griffin (Plus Momma and Dad).

Christmas in Dallas

Gabe unfortunately had to stay in Seattle and work since he lost a few days due to our snow last week. The plan was for him to come along, but last minute I decided to take advantage of time off and travel solo. I was constantly "on the go" trying to see both sets of aunts/uncles, grandparents, cousins, friends, and eat at my favorite restaurants that we don't have in Seattle. I was in Dallas for four days and ate at Taco Bueno three times .... which is someone over the top, but I just couldn't get enough of it. It is the one place I wished was right around the corner from my house!

So glad Paw Paw and Granny Gayle stayed an extra day than planned to spend time with me.

Love my new scarf GG!

Griffin loving all the attention.

He was intrigued by my new kitchenware, and who knows, maybe he will become a chef one day.

I made a stop to visit the Brooke family (my Mom's brother) and cannot believe how big the boys are. Daniel, who is 15 and recently got his permit, has surpassed me in height. I don't really notice myself getting older, but realize I am when kids I grew up babysitting are SO big!

Grandmother was in town from Enid, Oklahoma and was staying with Dad's sister, who conveniently lives just minutes away from. I just don't get to see my sweet Grandmother enough ... We ate her famous Italian Creme cake, played Trivial Pursuit like old times, and took advantage of our time together. Next time, I am going to bring the newest version of the game, so I can actually be able to answer a few questions every now and then. I wasn't much help since most of the questions occured before I was born.

Grandmother with her three kiddos - Dad, Tanis, and David (his family is in Houston)

Christmas in Seattle

We had a wonderful Christmas in Seattle before I was able to go to Dallas. One of my best friends, Mollie, included Gabe and me in on their family Christmas. It was a great treat and so nice to have a family adopt us over the Holidays.

At the end of dinner, Mollie and Jason surprised us with a present for Harley .... new stairs to put by the bed! For the last two years, Harley has used all of my fancy pillows as "a ramp" to get on the bed. We have been unable to move the pillows (unless company is coming over) because it is so hard for my 4 lbs rugrat to make it up and down. So, now I have to make my bed everyday since I don't have an excuse anymore :) We are so thankful for our friends to include us with their family, and we LOVE the new stairs. Thank you, Thank you!

Gabe's favorite present would be his De'Longhi espresso machine. Once we moved to Seattle, he has become a huge coffee drinker. After making a trip to Starbucks once ... sometimes twice a day ... I gave in and thought this would be better for the pocketbook! There is a true skill to making a tasty Mocha, and Gabe has mastered a pretty great treat. So, anyone and is welcome to come over to Gabe's coffee shop.