Easter

We were excited to finally have a little kid to do Easter with this year. Ben and I had to go to the storage unit to grab our Easter baskets, the eggs and the rest of the decorations. I spent the few weeks before Easter going to the Dollar Tree grabbing goodies for Easter baskets. Some people are harder to shop for than others. I go through this every year, and it sucks. I asked if everyone was okay with having BBQ chicken and everyone was good with it. Beans, fruit, potato salad and chips would be served with it. Mom said she would make cupcakes and provide some Cutie oranges.

Ben and I assembled the baskets about a week before Easter. I made sure everyone had a couple things in their basket. We kept them in the extra bedroom so the kitties wouldn't get into them...because they would, if we didn't put them away.

I went to the store to grab the final touches for the Easter baskets and the stuff for dinner. Grocery shopping always takes a huge chunk of the day away. I hate traffic, lines and wandering around the store with people in the way. Shopping shouldn't take that long, but it does. I went home and Ben helped me unload and put stuff away. We spent some time cleaning out the grill since it sat all winter long with the cover over it. It's another job I hate doing but it needs to be done.

I was hoping that we would be spared from rain on Sunday. There was a chance of it, and I hope that chance was slim to none. But with my luck, it will only rain when we were outside looking for baskets and eggs. I got together with Dad a couple days before Easter, so he could get some change to put in the plastic eggs. I had some change set aside and he brought over a sack of quarters, nickels and dimes while I was working one afternoon. Later on, that day, I got the eggs out and divvied them up into the eggs along with the candy eggs. Mom contributed a couple gift cards for our big prize eggs. Those would be harder to find.

The day of, we got up, ate a light breakfast to get us through the morning and started finishing up the house. Ben got the BBQ all fired up and started cooking the chicken about an hour before everyone started to arrive. I got the serving table ready and put the tablecloths on the tables. I put the Easter baskets outside on the back table and now we were just waiting for people to arrive.

Trish, Ed and Amy arrived with the potato salad, Mom and Grandma Karen brought their stuff, Erika, Zac and Brian arrived next and then Dad, Doug and Sonya. The chicken got done as soon as the last people arrived, so it was still hot. I told everyone the food was ready and to come grab a plate. The food frenzy began.  We chatted about all kinds of stuff. I shared more information about my new job that started later on that week, Doug was still trying to find work and had some leads, and I really need to get a highchair for Brian when he is at our house.

We finished up food, Trish and Grandma pitched in with the dishes while Ben and I went outside to hide the Easter baskets and the eggs. We were all excited for Brian to push his wagon around looking for eggs. He was getting better at walking but still needed something to keep him steady. Erika had also put a cute bunny button up shirt on him. I found some bubbles in our garage that Grammie bought years ago. 

Ben and I finished hiding everything and went back inside and got everyone's attention since somebody didn't listen to the rules last year. I explained the rules and made sure everyone was crystal clear on how we were going to do it. I gave them the yard boundaries and told them nothing was hidden inside the vehicles. We all went outside and of course the only time it rained was when we were looking for our baskets and eggs. Luckily, it was brief.

Brian was adorable pushing his wagon around. We made sure his basket was easy to get while Erika helped him find eggs. Sonya brought over some real eggs that she filled with confetti (cascarones). You smash them over your head to bring good luck in the upcoming year. This is something she did with her family growing up and decided to share it with us this year. It was fun and there were confetti pieces everywhere! I pushed Brian around in his wagon on the cul-de-sac and he had a blast! We also played with bubbles!

We gathered for the family picture before it was time for everyone to head home to get ready for the upcoming work week. It should be an automatic day off for everyone after a major holiday on a Sunday. Everyone came into the house and unloaded their eggs and basket into a bag. I put the Easter baskets back into the large garbage bag and everyone thanked us for a good time.

Ben and I cleaned up afterwards and put everything away. The late afternoon was nice, so I took a post-Easter walk around the park. It was nice to get some exercise after spending the last few days getting the house ready for a family gathering. 

I am excited to see how Brian will respond to Easter next year. Happy Easter everyone!

Next Adventure: Friday: Girl's Weekend - Leavenworth

Val's DJA

Late August 2024, I was given an amazing opportunity to work in another business area doing a Developmental Job Assignment (DJA). It came from an unlikely person from my past. I met her years ago at work and we became friends but had a falling out (of which I still don't understand fully on what actually happened) but we worked it out. She asked me if I wanted to do a DJA with her unit and without even thinking or hearing the rest of it, I blurted out, yes! I told her the only hang up would be getting my supervisor to agree to it. She said she would get some paperwork together and set up a meeting with my supervisor. I told her that I appreciated her thinking of me and thanked her for calling me.

My mind literally exploded and I was jazzed the rest of the day. I was getting a chance to try something different! I was excited to see where this went and the new skills I would learn along the way. I was not excited about bringing this up to my supervisor, but I had to bite the bullet and get it over with.

I met with my supervisor the following week, and she did not sound that excited about it but somehow, I said the right combination of words. She said she would consider it and meet with the potential DJA supervisor and the program manager. I crossed my fingers that everything went well.

Everything went well except a few bizarre things that were said during their meeting. I got the great news and all we had to do now is sign the paperwork and agree to a start date. I would be doing my actual job in the morning and then after lunch my DJA work, Monday through Friday. I was to go into the office on Thursdays. I was stoked this was actually happening!

My first day was October 14th and my DJA supervisor eased me into everything since I had no prior experience with anything that program area had to offer. I was going to be exposed to a lot of stuff and I was! The unit was months behind on just about everything. A lot of changes happened to the unit since 2020, and it was slowly recovering. I was brought on board during a weird time, and I was able to help bring the unit to a reasonable turnaround. Between the four of us (until one of the gals left in January), then there were three, we got a lot of work done.

Each piece I was given, I tried to learn as much as I could about it. I asked questions, I double checked to make sure I was doing it correctly, I asked for help if I came to a roadblock and I even asked other people in the other units we worked with for advice. My DJA supervisor kept giving me more challenging things to do but keeping it within the parameters of our paperwork. I felt like I was positively contributing to the team.

I was only supposed to stay until the end of January, but my supervisor asked me if I wanted to extend it out to March 31st. I thought it was weird because she was adamant about the end of January when she originally spoke to the DJA supervisor and the program manager. I agreed. Of course, I wanted this opportunity to go as long as possible.

Sadly, all good things come to an end. I was with my DJA team for 96 working days, and it really did end on March 31st. I had this to say:

"Today marked day 96, making it the conclusion of my DJA, working from home, in my sweatpants. I believe it is a fantastic program for many reasons - each experience depends on what the three parties agree upon (length, money, scheduling, etc.) 

This opportunity allows business areas in need to educate potential candidates about their work. At the same time, it gives candidates a chance to explore the field without fully committing to a job. It's a low-risk experience that offers valuable exposure to the work, collaboration, and integration with a new team.

Participants can gain new skills, learn new programs and expand their professional network. If positions are available, there's even a potential for advancement. Essentially, it serves as a working interview to assess the fit. And if it doesn't work out or isn't the right fit, there's no harm, no foul - you return to your job with additional experience for the future. I believe everyone should experience it if they find themselves needing a change or wanting to try something different.

I actually had a conversation with someone about this a few months ago and we both agreed - it's a great way to see if you want to actually work there.

I created an exit report, a daily schedule of what I worked on and a list of my pending items. At the end of the day, I had a quick chat with my DJA supervisor. I hope to learn more in the future.

I appreciate everyone who put the time, effort and the patience into making this happen for me. I learned a lot about stuff I didn't know, put it into practice and was able to refresh my memory on stuff I used to do many years ago."

I felt a little lost that first full day back at my old job because I was going back to not having enough to do. However, earlier that month, a job opening in that unit came along and I applied for it. I was nervous that I wouldn't get the job even though, I just finished doing a part of it for the last five months. I mean, there could be better candidates than me that also applied for the job. I submitted my application, resume and cover letter after working on it for several months and having a few people look over it. I'd say, I had a pretty good chance, but nothing was guaranteed.

What seemed like immediately, I got an email from human resources, letting me know that my materials made the cut and they were being pushed through to the supervisor to look over. I knew it would take a couple days to look all of them over to select who was going to move onto the interview process. I hoped that I would get an interview. Near the end of the week, I was notified that I was selected for an interview and was directed to go and pick a slot for the next week.

Everything about my being went into anxious mode and it stayed until I was contacted whether or not I got the job. It was on my mind all the time. I had a hard time relaxing to go to sleep. As the interview got closer and closer, it got worse and worse. I listened to podcasts in the park as I walked off my nervous energy...it helped a little, sort of. While I wasn't working making dinner or sleeping, I worked on interview questions and came up with answers to just about anything they could ask me. The day before the interview, I was out of my mind and wanted it to get it done and over with. It was slowly eating away at me. I couldn't prepare for it anymore. 

The day of my interview was difficult. It was hard to focus on my job and I got distracted easily. I called Ben's mom for some advice and for her to calm me down. She did the best she could, but it was nice that she took the time to talk to me before I put on one of my nice shirts. Yes, this is my first interview since 2018 and my first virtual interview in the comfort of my own home.

I did the best I could during the interview. It was so hard to not let the anxiety get the best of me, but it did. I answered all the questions the best I could and when the interview was over, I criticized myself all day long thinking I could have answered a question differently or I should have said this instead of this. I tormented myself for days. I still went into the office on Thursdays just to see if the DJA supervisor had anything for me to do in the afternoons. 

The rest of that month I played seesaw with my emotions. The interview panel had great poker faces when I did see them around the building on Thursdays. There are days I convinced myself that I got the job just to turn around the next day to second guess myself. It was a cruel ongoing battle that finally ended on that last Friday of March. That is another story, but I can tell you that I did get the job and I was looking forward to April 25th, when I start my new career path. I am forever grateful.

Next Adventure: Easter

Ben and Grandma Karen's Birthday Party

Since we were gone during Ben's birthday and life was crazy when we got back, we decided to combine Ben and Grandma's birthdays, since they were both belated. I had just got done with one of the busiest weeks of my life. For some reason coming home from vacation is harder than it sounds. I was fresh off of being nominated and won, to be the Southwest Chapter Rep for the WSGA, and being absolutely miserable preparing and anxiously surviving a virtual interview for a job I really wanted. I really could not wait until life slowed down a bit, but I don't think it will any time soon.

I asked the both of them what kind of food and dessert they would like to have and they almost didn't care what it was. Ben obviously needed it to be gluten free. After thinking about it for a few days, Grandma said she wanted ribs, mashed potatoes and salad. Ben likes food so he agreed to that menu. Desserts are hard when it comes to gluten free, so I decided to make pies since "Pi" Day was close to the party date.

I called, messaged and emailed everyone to let them know we were having a birthday party, where it was, what time and what kind of food we were going to have.

I've had some success with my Key Lime Pie, which isn't gluten free, (I would have to make my own crust) and found a gluten free Blueberry Chia on the internet a couple months ago and this party gave me a reason to make it. That Friday after work, I went to the store to grab the ingredients I would need for dinner and the pies. Just about everyone messaged or called me to ask what Ben wanted for his birthday. I had no clue and had them message him to find out. I deal with this during Christmas too. It's like people are afraid or don't want to take the few minutes to ask the person. It's weird.

Ben and I spent Saturday cleaning up the house and doing laundry. Later on, that afternoon, I made the pies so they would be ready the next day and I wasn't trying to rush. I put them both in the freezer to set. We did a few last-minute things before going to bed.

The next day, we got up and finished up the rest of the house. Ben prepared the ribs because they were going to have to be in the oven for a bit. He took the membrane off of then and rubbed them down with our pork rub seasoning. He wrapped them up in foil and stuck them on a sheet pan and threw them in the oven. As it got closer to 2:00, Ben helped me peel the potatoes so we could get them cut up and in a pot. I had no idea how many potatoes to make so I just cut up the whole bag of them and hoped for the best. The salad, I dumped it in a bowl and added some shredded carrots, some cheese and called it good.

As the food got closer to being done people started to arrive. We finished up the food and put it on the table. Once everyone arrived it was game on. We all nabbed some food and sat down. People asked us how our trip went since we haven't had a lot of time to share it with our family. We shared pictures and everyone passed Brian around. He is getting more rambunctious and is not too far away from walking.

We cleaned up and I grabbed the pies. We sang Happy Birthday to Ben and Grandma and dished up some pies. They both tasted fantastic! Both Ben and Grandma opened their presents and thanked everyone for coming and their generosity. 

Everyone gave out hugs and headed home to get ready for their upcoming work week. Ben and I spent some time doing dishes, vacuuming and putting the tables and chairs away. It was great to get together and hang out with family.

Happy Birthday Ben and Grandma!

Next Adventure: Val's DJA