Going to the Big D (Maybe)

With Devon graduating this spring, September began full-time job hunting season. The season started off a huge success. Devon was getting interview after interview and even some second round flybacks with a couple of our favorite companies, all the while we were thinking it was a huge possibility we could return to Denver to work for Western Union. Unfortunately, the momentum shifted. It was one rejection after another. It, also, became very clear that Western Union was not planning on extending any offers to last summer's interns. We were devastated! Then January 26th (exactly one year to the day, that Devon got his internship offer), AT&T called and offered Devon a job in Dallas. After all the rejections it was great to know that someone liked him! Not only did they like him, but out of the 11 people they flew out to Dallas to interview, he was the only one they were authorized to, at that time, extend an offer!

So, now we have a lot of thinking and praying to do. We have to accept or decline the offer by February 24th. Since Devon has the whole week of Presidents Day off, we decided to plan a trip to Dallas. Everyone insists I'll love it (and I'm sure I will), but I want to check things out before I fully commit myself. Devon's already sold, I mean it's pretty much the Mecca of College Football. The only problem he sees is choosing what team to cheer for ;).

On a separate, but related note, we put our house up for sale. Since moving to Dallas is a huge possibility, we wanted to get a head start in this housing market. We understand the market is tough right now and we might have to rent it out, but I'm really hanging on to the hope we'll be able to sell. I have a HUGE emotional attachment to this house. It's my house. I picked out the flooring, the wall colors and  the cabinets. I installed the sprinkler system and laid the sod. Devon & I had our first kiss in this house, he proposed to me here and we brought our first baby home to this house. I'd rather officially pass this house on to a new family, so they can start to make their memories here.

A lot of changes coming for the Blacks, but we're really looking forward to our next adventure!

Bowl Update

An update for all of you out there that are anxiously waiting to see if I won my bowl picks... I'll tell you it's not looking so good. The BCS Bowl Games are worth six points, where as the rest are worth just one point. Since Clemson decided to bend over for West Virgina (sorry for the phrase, but it's all I can think of to really convey my feelings), I have been shot down to 13th place. I was a little bitter and a little disappointed, but I figure it's all for the best. Devon and I have a little tradition of getting a Papa Murphy's Pizza and eating it while we watch the BCS Championship Game, if I was still in the running for first place I just wouldn't be able to enjoy tonight. I guess there is still a slight glimmer of hope that everyone ahead of me picked LSU and my pick, Alabama wins. It's a long shot, but just in case ROLL TIDE!!!!

College Bowl Season

This fall Devon introduced me to the Deseret News College Football Grid Picks, where you vote on which teams you think will win on a particular week and the person with the most corrects picks wins a prize. During the season my ranking fell between about 400th-1,100th place. Even though there was no hope of me winning I continued with my picks because having a team to cheer for helped me get more involved with College Football. When Devon told me they had Grid Picks for the bowl games, I was all over it.  A few weeks ago I sat down and made my picks. Much to my surprise, I've been incredibly accurate! Since the beginning I've been ranked first overall. It started out with about fifteen people ranked first, then it got knocked down to four people, then the other day it was down to just two of us and as of Saturday I am the only one in first place. I am enjoying this because I now have bragging rights as the College Football expert in the family and there's a $100 Amazon gift card on the line. But I'm beginning to think that the bad outweighs the good. I am developing an ulcer watching these games, I text continually to get updates, I even listen to the games on the radio in the car and worst of all, I yell at the TV (it's gotten so bad that even Devon thinks I'm out of control).  Luckily, I've only got six games and one week left. Maybe I'll come out of this thing $100 on Amazon richer or maybe I'll just coming out understanding my husband's obsession a little better. Either way I'm just ready for this to be done!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving in California this year. Since we've been married we've always spent Thanksgiving in Utah, so it was a nice change.

Tuesday
We spent most of the day driving. It was our first road trip to Cali with West. Despite having to make a few more stops, West was really good in the car. He did get a little antsy about Barstow, but Devon says that's where I start to get antsy, too. We made it home just in time for a nice lasagna dinner. Then Ricky took Devon golfing and I went to the movies with Shannon and some of her friends. My mom was stuck watching West ;).

Wednesday
While Devon caught up on some sleep, my mom and I took West into her work, so she could show off her grandbaby. Weston got enough attention to last him another year. After running some errands, we met Ricky and Shannon at Domenico's for dinner. It's still my favorite place to eat when I go home :)

Thursday
Thanksgiving was a little out of the ordinary. We went to my uncle's house in Central California, but due to a family emergency, extenuating circumstances and an appendix removal it ended up just being my uncle and our family. Despite the low numbers we still had a great time!

Friday
Devon and I were able to spend the morning at the Los Angles Temple, a much needed trip! My mom, was once again stuck with West. ;) Then Friday night we had some fabulous panini's over at Ricky and Shannon's!

Saturday
We took West to the beach for the first time with my mom, Ricky and Shannon.

That night West went to his first USC game!



 Since it was a late game, I was a little worried how he would act, but he was perfect! He even made some new friends...

You may have noticed a theme in this blog; we were with Shannon and Ricky everyday! It used to be that I was lucky to see Ricky once during a vacation home; marriage/Shannon has sure changed that guy ;)

Sports

I don’t have an athletic bone in my body, but I enjoy playing sports. I love the competition, the friends you make and that it’s fun exercise. The spouses association for the MBA program Devon is in, gets involved with the campus intramural sports. I wanted to join them last year, but my pregnancy precluded me. So this year I decided I was going to sign up. I originally wanted to play soccer, but was told the team was pretty competitive. Since I don’t want to be the one everyone hates, I decided to just sign up for flag football. It was a blast! We ended up playing the same (amazingly advanced) team three times in the regular season, due to forfeits, and got killed each time. We played two other teams and had the same result. Finally, during the tournament they matched us to a team equal in ability, but out of the eighteen girls on our team, only five decided to show up. Since you can play up to seven on the field, we were two men down. It took us the first half of the game to figure out how to defend their seven. Unfortunately they capitalized on our confusion and got two touchdowns. We finally got everything figured out the second half and shut them out, but we only had enough time to get one touchdown. As a funny side note, when we scored our touchdown, we were ubber excited, so all of us were hugging and jumping in the end zone. The referee came over and we pulled him right in to our huggy/jumpy circle. He actually just came over to ask if we wanted to go for one or two extra points, but he was a really good sport.

But that’s not all…an e-mail came out to the spouses association that one of the soccer teams was in dire need of more players. I responded by asking if they were super competitive and stating that I had no athletic ability, but I would love to join. They said that they just needed more people and would love to have me. So, I showed up and got my bum kicked!! First of all, I had no idea how much running soccer involved. Second of all, I had no idea I was that out of shape! But, even though there were times I felt like I was going to throw up, I still had a great time! Unfortunately, because of conflicts, I wasn’t able to make the next two games. But, since they won their first tournament game, I am able to play in another game this Thursday night. Wish me luck!!!

Halloween

I was SO looking forward celebrating Halloween this year with my little boy! Luckily it didn't disappoint...

We started off the festivities by visiting a pumpkin patch



Weston loved getting buried in the corn box...



But, not as much as he loved trying to eat it!

The petting zoo was great, but West was terrified of the goats!

We all had a great time on the hay ride...

And taking pictures in the hay!



But my favorite part of Halloween was dressing West up! As soon as I found out I was pregnant with a boy I knew he was going to be a referee for Halloween, just like his dad! In August I started looking for a ref costume, but could not find anything! So, I decided to ask a friend of mine to make one out of Devon's old shirt. She did an AMAZING job!!



See, isn't he the cutest little referee you've ever seen!!!!

My boys!!



I just can't get enough!!!

This is with West's little friends at our MBA Babies playgroup.

 West and I out Trick-Or-Treating with his cousins, but no treats this year...

All the cousin! (Almost)

Before you leave, I'd like to add a little plug for my friend who made West's costume. As you can see, she is super talented and sharing that talent with everyone in her new Etsy shop. If you want to check it out, here's the link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/sharedjelly?ref=si_shop





Myrtle

In July of 1998 I decided I wanted a kitten. I combed through the classified and found someone nearby selling them for $5. I took my friend Caren with me and we picked out Myrtle. Most cats march to the beat of their own drummer, but Myrtle took that saying to a whole new level. She was weird, to say the least, but she was a loving cat!! I had to leave Myrtle in California when I moved to Utah, but I loved seeing her every time I went home. No matter how long since my last visit, she always knew who I was. Devon became quite the Myrtle fan, he even wanted to bring her back to Utah with us, but Myrtle was old and set in her ways, so we figured it best to let her stay in the place she knew.

Well, my Myrtle died this week. As a tribute to my kitty, here are some of my favorite memories of her...

* Every time you pet her, she wanted you to pet her, she didn't want you to pet her or just because, she would let out a VERY loud 'RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROW.'
*She always had her spot, a place she would lay all day and all night. Her spot would last for about 3 weeks, then she would choose another spot. Some of these spots included; a chair at the dining room table, the corner of my mom's closet, the rug under the toilet, the bottom of the stairs (this was, by far, the most dangerous spot) and my drawers.
*She had dry patch of skin on her back that she loved to have scratched. When you scratched it she would do this licking/biting thing. One of my favorite things to do was bring her to my mom saying that Myrtle wanted to give her kisses, so my mom would put out her cheek. I, in turn, would scratch her spot and she would start biting my mom's cheek. About the 100th time I did this my mom started to catch on.
*She LOVED to be loved! She would come and sit on your lap and you could squeeze her so hard and she would just sit there loving every second of it.
*Once I realized I hadn't seen her all day. Thinking she was just hanging out somewhere weird, I didn't think much about it. Later that night I was in bed and I kept hearing this faint 'rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrow.' I opened my drawer and out she popped. That was her new spot, but I didn't know it and shut the drawer. She had spent most of the day in that drawer.
*She loved to lay on you, no matter how inconvenient it was...

You could move her off 100 times, but she would always come right back. At night she would try to balance on my side (she was pretty big, so this was a difficult task), whenever she lost her balance, she would dig her claws into me. I found it was safer to just sleep on my stomach, so she could sleep on my back.

Going home to California just isn't going to be the same any more. I'm going to miss my little Myrdles!!!