2 Birthdays and a Party!

Currently recovering from a birthday hangover. Read on and you'll understand why. 

Andrew's Birthday--Tuesday, February 20

Dinner of choice: Chubby's peanut butter burger and homemade cinnamon rolls. I didn't know it was possible to marry someone who likes peanut butter more than me! Andrew will eat peanut butter by the spoonful. Even I don't do that. The stars aligned-- Chubby's monthly special happened to be the PB burger and Andrew regretted not trying it last year. In his words:  "There were moments where the flavors blended together very well and there were moments where they all clashed terribly." The peanut butter burger will not be ordered again. The tasty beer-battered french fries were amazing and it took lots of will power to skip the banana cream pie shake (for the cinnamon rolls). Although, my stomach was still touchy from food poisoning, so I was a cautious eater. We went around the table and shared what we love about Andrew. Jill joined and gave Andrew a birthday gift. The game "Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza" is wonderful! Even Izzy can play.

Tuesday, February 20

Activity: Andrew went to an escape room with friends! He had a blast! Aaron Hanich, Michael Bradshaw, Trevor Hendricks, Brad Nelson, and David Wicken went with him. Andrew's good friend Nick Humrich wasn't able to make it. Let me just say that I was glad I escaped going. Escape rooms aren't my idea of fun.

Saturday, February 11

Experience: Instead of gifts this year, we each chose an experience. Andrew's favorite band (Yellowcard) is coming to Utah this summer. We got tickets to their concert! I've learned many of Yellowcard's songs throughout the years and am looking forward to losing our voices at this event in June together!

My Birthday-- Sunday, February 25

Dinner of choice: Steak! Andrew has become quite the chef. His steak was top-notch. He also made loaded tater tots and cut up a delicious pineapple. He even stopped by the store and got Root Beer.

Activity: Date night. We went out to Mi Ranchito and then did sealings. We also left Penny with a babysitter for the first time. She protested. She was okay during dinner, but while we were in the temple, she wouldn't stop crying. The babysitter's mom had to come over and save the day. I felt so bad. Also, I ended up getting food poisoning at Mi Ranchito and got extremely ill. I was so sick I considered going to the ER. My eyes were twitching, hands went numb, throw-up, diarrhea, the whole gambit. Happy birthday to me! We had a neat and powerful experience during sealings though that I won't forget. I wish I could forget the food poisoning, but I doubt that will happen. I don't know that I can go to that restaurant again which is tragic. It was one of my favorites.

Saturday, February 17

Experience: I chose a cooking class at Harmon's cooking school! I've always wanted to do a cooking class together and am counting down the days until the gnocchi pasta class on April 13. 

Birthday lunch at Cafe Rio with Grandma. Friday, February 9

My Birthday Party! 

My birthday party was everything I hoped it would be! There were 3 kinds of cookies (Smore's, salted peanut butter cup, and chocolate chip), 2 kinds of Costco cake (chocolate and vanilla), ice cream, and lots of candy. I have wonderful friends! Several offered to help and bring things. One brought cookies, another picked up the cakes, someone else brought a water jug, and one even offered to make the cake. 

I couldn't have pulled the party off without Jessica and Jill. Jessica facetimed me multiple times and told me how to decorate, what to put where, and what to buy. It looked so cute! Jessica also picked out a new light fixture for my family room to replace the monstrosity that was there. (An old ceiling fan caked with inches of dust). Kudos to Andrew for stopping in the middle of the work day to come put up the light fixture hours before my party. He's gotten to be quite the efficient electrician. Jill helped get my house in tip-top shape before the big event. She re-tiled my fireplace, picked out a new clock to replace the hideous one I've hated since the moment we moved in, and made many home depot runs to ensure the new light fixture was up in time for the event. My sisters also helped me narrow down the party favors. 

The new light was up with 5 hours to spare

New tile

Old clock-- so not my style

New clock also moved locations and is above our pantry! 

If I do say so myself, the party was a smashing success. There were 23 of us-- Jessica Morton, Charlotte Smith, Amy Hanich, Rebecca Humrich, Sara Fisher, Alison Boone, Stephanie Smith, Ashley Hollis, Krista Perry, Anna Goldsmith, Kristina Anderson, Becky Roosevear, Mary Bates, Kirsten Stonebrink, Alysee Johansen, Malia Ditto, Camille Young, Lisa Blaylock, Elisabeth Larsen, Katelyn Blancahrd. Jill was in town from Cape Cod which made it extra special. 

McCall, Andrea, Meagan, Mikayla, Mandee, Sage, McElle, Kaitlin Lowry, Hailee Langlois, Hailee Sandford, Lucy, Allison Robbins, Kira, and Valerie didn't come.

For the book exchange, I had people grab a number, and we went in number order, white elephant style. When it was your turn, you could either open a new book or steal from someone else. I introduced each person when it was their turn. Jill brought up our family tradition which is to say something nice about the birthday person. After I introduced each person, they said something kind about me and then gave a 30 second summary of their book. People made me feel so loved. My heart was full. My competitive nature was brought up, my polite mannerisms, my calm home and self (ha), my grandma driving, facial expressions, cooking, and more. I learned I'm known as a "Disney princess" in one home and can't stop laughing about that. 

It was a late night. The last group of friends left at 11pm and then Jill and my cousin Sara stayed and talked until after midnight. I felt the late night the next day.

Book List:

I've already read 14 of the books on the list, but am looking to diving into these new recommendations/titles.

The last time I threw myself a birthday party was a karaoke party in February of 2020. It's now February of 2024. I have no regrets and am so glad I did the party. I will say that my next one probably won't be for 4 plus years unless someone changes my mind. Parties are a lot of work. I'll always remember how I entered my 31st chapter and am hoping for the best year yet! Pizza is calling my name, so I'm off to make dough.

Accepted Allio's Offer!

Andrew accepted a job offer! The offer was technically sent almost a week ago, but Andrew never received it. It has been tough to play the waiting game over the extra-long, holiday weekend, so Andrew could actually see the offer. The offer was finally sent to the correct email--woot woot! I'm sure you're astonished to hear that this company is a startup. Cue dramatic music. Hopefully it doesn't mean another layoff is bound to happen. I won't hold my breath. The company is called Allio and there are around 20 employees. 

What does Allio do??

In Andrew's words: "Allio is a personal finance and investing app that allows users to set their investing goals, and then manages those investments for you." 

How much funding does Allio have or how are they supporting themselves?

This was my first question when Andrew got the job offer. The company seems to be in good shape financially and has already had a round of funding that include several million dollars.

What is Andrew's job title?

Andrew's new role is "the head of quality assurance." He is giddy to have this title and it is great for his resume. Andrew gets to start the QA department. He can set things up the way he likes them run. For those who don't know all the tech terms you might wonder what the QA department does. Andrew says: "The QA team makes sure that a company's product is high quality with minimal bugs. QA engineers also help improve processes for ensuring better, faster delivery for customers." So if a website or app is glitchy or slow, they lack Andrew!

Where is Allio located?

Currently, employees work fully remote. Allio may acquire office space at some point (maybe in Provo) and then employees would come in a couple times a week. There aren't definitive plans for this to happen soon which I am a-okay with. Leaving napping Penny home with Andrew is a convenience I'm not ready to part with. 

When does Andrew start?

They would like Andrew to begin soon (March 7 at the latest). Andrew needs to give 2 weeks notice to his current employer. We'll see if they want him to work the full 2 weeks. If not, Andrew will begin at Allio earlier.

How are the benefits and pay?

Working with Medicaid has been an absolute nightmare! I could write pages about our awful experience. We have spent hours with Medicaid on the phone the past few weeks since I was randomly kicked off the plan (only me-- everyone else in my family still has coverage) without given any notice. It doesn't make much sense and I am trying to avoid paying out of pocket for the OBGYN follow-up appointment I went to in January.

Enough about Medicaid. I don't have the energy to get into more. We will get to officially say goodbye to Medicaid. If there are tears, they will be tears of relief and joy. Andrew's new job has insurance coverage, three cheers! Next time I have mastitis (hopefully there won't be a next time), I'll be able to go to the doctor (didn't have insurance last time)! Andrew's insurance coverage is awesome! Insurance coverage for his dependents is so-so. After talking to Allio, Andrew learned he will get an HRA card with money on it which made us both feel better about insurance for his dependents. 

The pay is a bit of a raise which is nice.

What about time off/holidays?

Andrew's new job includes paid holidays! Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah! His current gig doesn't have any paid days off. There are 5 mandatory holidays at his contract job that Andrew has to take off with no pay. We learned this the hard way.  Andrew worked on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January and he wasn't supposed to, so he did not get paid that day. 

Allio follows bank and federal holidays. It will be excellent to get back to a more normal schedule. On President's Day, Andrew was stuck working. I was violently ill with food poisoning. Thank heavens my sister happened to be in town. These situations will hopefully be avoided in the future.

Adios Corteva

Andrew has been working remotely for a company based in Iowa called Corteva. It's a contract job and hasn't included benefits. He started there on January 8. He gets paid hourly and is not allowed to work more than 40 hours weekly. While we are extremely grateful he has had this job and income during this time, we always knew it wouldn't be long-term. Andrew will no longer be writing tests for their irrigation mapping software.

Andrew has been saving a Martinelli's drink in the fridge since the layoff. He finally opened and drank it with lunch today! We appreciate all the check-ins, thoughts, prayers, pizza deliveries, gift cards, and more. We have felt them and have seen God's hand. We're hoping to end the layoff era and are enthusiastic about this new opportunity. We are finally out of the woods and in the clear! Wahoo! 

February- The Best Month

"February is the best," said no one ever. Except me. February is known for being a cold and dreary month. This year, it has been especially warm. At our house, February is crammed with loads of fun thanks to Valentine's Day, Andrew's birthday, and my birthday. Additionally, we have been busy with the Monster Jam, a field trip for Isabelle, and a school Chinese New Year celebration. 

Monster Jam

Andrew and James kicked the month off strong by going to watch the Monster jam. James has been into monster trucks lately and going to the show was a dream come true for him. Andrew found a good deal for tickets on Groupon. James had to earn going by filling up a jar full of marbles. He cut it pretty close, but ended up filling the marble jar up the morning of. The show was deafening. Andrew said at one point, he couldn't even hear himself cheering or clapping and that the seats vibrated due to loudness. During intermission, Andrew bought some ear protection for James. James was more comfortable the second half, since he didn't have to plug his ears. The first thing Andrew did when they returned home was take some meds for a splitting headache. They had a great time though and took some cool videos.

Saturday, February 3

Isabelle did not fill her marble jar up in time to go to Ninja kids (an indoor trampoline place). Instead, she had her friend, Cantrelle, over for a playdate during the monster jam.

Isabelle's Field Trip

Going on a field trip was nearly as exciting as Christmas for Miss Isabelle. Her preschool class went to the fire station. Izzy was fascinated. When a fireman asked for a volunteer, Isabelle demonstrated to everyone how to "stop, drop, and roll." She was beaming for the duration of the fieldtrip. She later told Andrew she wishes he was a firefighter.

Thursday, February 8

She got a sticker from the firefighters

Look at Izzy's face-- radiating joy.

Chinese New Year Program

James got to perform at Bingham High (my old high school) with all the other students who are in the Chinese immersion program. Each grade sang a song in Chinese and it was very cute. I was impressed that students announced the names of the song and talked to the audience in Chinese. (And then a student interpreted and said it in English too). Isabelle intends to do the Chinese immersion program as well and she has a head start. She likes to sing the Chinese songs along with James. I was a little hesitant about doing this program, but having James participate was absolutely the right decision. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of James in his costume. The students returned them before the end of the snow. 

Thursday, February 8

Valentine's

This day filled my cup. I woke up to a very sweet email from my mom. Every year on Valentine's, she writes what she loves about us. She wrote kind words about Andrew, me, and each of my kids. My parent's also had a Valentine's treat delivered to us-- fresh fruit and some was dipped in chocolate. We devoured that!

I created a scavenger hunt for the kids. They did that fist thing in the morning. There were 9 clues that led the children to random areas of our house. The prize was in the ottoman. They both got a pair of shoes, some markers, and root beer to go along with our dinner. I got Andrew some Teva hiking sandals and some new slippers for me. (My feet are rarely warm.) 

Throughout the day, Andrew sent me sweet texts that led me to find treats around the house. He knows me well and 3 of the sugary surprises were Reese's related.  

I was proud of myself for not sending candy Valentine's for my kids to pass out at school. James gave out cars and Isabelle gave popper keychains. Izzy got some Valentine's at dance class and one happened to be lip gloss. Her day was made. "Don't worry, I'm going to put on more lipstick to make me more dazzling." She cracks me up. James claimed Valentine's was the best day of his life. It's easy to please kids.

For dinner, we had pizza. This year we didn't eat it after the kids were in bed, but let them join us. We ordered Via 313 and had chips and dip and Root beer with it. Izzy said the peak of her day was the chips and dip. For dessert, we got ice cream. The kids ate ice cream we bought at the grocery store. Andrew and I had Handel's ice cream without children while we watched a chick-flick as per usual. We watched, "The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight." It was darling and even though I fell asleep, I highly recommend it. (I blame Penny's bad sleeping this week.)

I love our Valentine's traditions. This year we skipped decorating sugar cookies since we had done that recently. A neighbor brought some delicious cookies by though. 

Speaking of Penny, she is now 4 months old! She can start eating food! So far, she has tried applesauce, banana, yogurt, and avocado. Eating real food might take some warming up.

Penny has had some rough nights. In fact, I ended up taking her into the doctor 3 times because I thought something must be wrong. She is usually a wonderful sleeper. The first 2 times she did not have an ear infection like I suspected. The third time at the doctor, Penny had pink eye and a virus. Penelope had green diarrhea for about 12 days and it did not stop in the middle of the night. Poor girl. Thank heavens that's behind us. Bath time is life for her. We left Penny with a babysitter and she protested. We learned Penny has stranger danger. She's still everyone's favorite and tends to be "the peak" that both kids talk about at the dinner table everyday.

Her month 4th appt.

Penny ran some errands with me. Strangers love her. At least 6 ppl stopped me.

Stay tuned for our birthday post! A peanut butter burger may or may not be involved.