I'm Back! {And a link to a giveaway!}

Hi Blog Friends,

It's been a while!  I stepped out of Utah for a little over a week for a MUCH needed vacation.  We were able to go to Washington state and visit my family.  It was amazing.  I will post all about it {pictures included!} when I have a chance to catch my breath.

Until then...

2 Guys Loans {A local Utah company and my employer} has entered into the world of social media.  Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.  And check out their website to see what they're all about.

If you are friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Instagram you have heard about how much I love my job.  I truly work for the greatest people and I wholeheartedly believe in the products they offer and their stellar business ethics.  These guys really are the best.

Have I mentioned how lucky I am to be a part of the 2 Guys Loans team?  I am!  So lucky!

Now for the fun stuff...

2 Guys Loans is doing a GIVEAWAY!  Are you interested in tickets to x96's Big Ass Show?  Just like 2 Guys on Instagram, re post the giveaway photo, and like them on Facebook for a chance to win!  Good luck guys!

Xoxo, Tonja

Day 08 - A Moment

Day 08 - A Moment


I'm not exactly sure what this means.  There are hundreds, thousands...so many moments!  So I will tell you about a nice few moments that I get to have every morning.
 
I get to work around 7.  It's early.  I'm tired.  I am NOT a morning person.  Luckily, the sales team isn't really awake and selling (making work for me) until around 8:30.  This gives me time to enjoy my coffee.  Catch up on blog reading.  Update my own blog.  Catch up on Facebook.  Emails.  Read a book.  Day dream.  Etc.  I like this time to sit at my desk and keep to myself.
 

Day 06 - Your Day

Day 06 - Your Day

Seeing as it's only 7:49 AM, I'll tell you about my day yesterday.  And seeing as it's a weekday, today will probably be exactly like yesterday, so it's ok.

February 22nd, 2011.
6:00 AM- Wake up, get ready for work.
7:06 AM- Roll into work 6 minutes late.
7:06 - 12:45 PM- Enjoy my job as a scheduler at Pinnacle Security.
1:05 PM- Get home. Talk with Joseph for a few minutes.
1:15 PM- Joseph goes to work.  Sit Ayla in her high chair and feed her chicken nuggets.  She loves them.
1:15 -3:00 PM- Deep clean the kitchen.  Reaarange cupboards, organize, scrub, sweep, etc.
3:00-4:00 PM- Ayla and I go jogging and visit the duckies.  Ayla has a snack.
4:30-6:30 PM- Ayla and I nap.  Oh wonderful napping...
6:30 PM- I whip together some seriously amazing enchiladas and they bake for 20 minutes. Then cool.
7:00 PM- Ayla and I enjoy a dinner of enchiladas and sour cream.  Ayla also enjoys a banana.
7:30 PM- I turn on a Sesame Street DVD to occupy the girl and I clean the living room. take out the trash, and vacuum.  Ayla squeals like a little girl when the vacuum is on.  Not a cry/scream like I'm used to, and actual squeal like a scared child and I love it.
8:30 PM- Ayla continues to watch Elmo while I hop in the shower.
8:45 PM- Ayla gets to take a bath.  She splashes and squeals and laughs until I drain the water and then she cries, scurrying to the other side of the tub trying to get away from me because she doesn't want to get out.
9:30 PM- Ayla and I read a couple of books, sing a couple of songs, and chase each other around the living room.  She has a small snack to go to bed with a full tummy.
9:55 PM- I tuck Ayla into bed. We read her "Goodnight" story that we read every night, with the fuzzy animal pages.  She pets each animal with her hand AND her foot, laughing each time.  She tucks the baby in at the end. Kiss goodnight, lights out.
10:00 PM- "Resolve" any dirty spots in the carpet. Looooove getting the carpet clean.
10:15 PM- Joseph comes home.  We finish watching "How I Met Your Mother".  Catch up on our days.
11:15-11:30 PM- Get into bed.

12:00 AMish- Fall asleep.

And that is my day, Monday through Friday.  Some days there will be a little more lounging, some days a little more running errands, but always spent with my girl!

Hello, old friend.

It has been far too long since I have truly updated my blog. HERE WE GO!


Life has been c-razy lately. Joseph started a new job a month ago. We were really excited because it is great pay and a seemingly great schedule. The only problem was that it conflicted with my schedule at Stevens-Henager where I was the evening receptionist. Long story short, he was offered the job, accepted the job, and I resigned from SH within a matter of days! It was a super quick rush of events. Not being able to work at SH was a little rough, but luckily my good ol' boss from Pinnacle Security hooked me up with a morning position working with Inside Sales. If you remember, I worked at Pinnacle for 2 1/2 years before reluctantly leaving due to wanting to be a full-time mommy. When I decided I wanted to again enter the working world they didn't have anything that worked around Joseph's schedule, which is why I went to SH. I am so beyond happy to be back at Pinnacle. I truly feel like these people are my family. I can't even explain how much happier I am working at a place where I actually feel like I belong! I work 7am - 1pm Monday through Saturday. Getting up early has been quite an adjustment. (UGH.)

Joseph's training for his new job is 6 weeks. His schedule for those 6 weeks is 3pm - midnight. MIDNIGHT! What in the world?! So lately I come home from work around 1:15-1:30ish. We have some lunch with our girl, catch up a bit, and Joseph takes off for work just before 3. And then I don't see him until the following day until around 1:15. We're both doing the single parent thing. Joseph in the morning, myself in the afternoon/evening. It's rough, but it sure is nice to spend so much time with her. I cannot express in words how much fun she is lately. I love coming home from work, sneaking up to wherever she is, having her finally see me and go, "EEEE!!!" She either runs directly to me with her arms up high in the air or runs the opposite way giggling, trying to start a chasing game. I must say something along the lines of "She's soooo CUTE! We have the cutest baby in the world! Isn't she CUTE? SHE'S THE CUTEST!!" at least 10 times a day. Really. Maybe even more. But doesn't every parent? But seriously, she's the cutest.

Ayla has finally decided that she loves to walk and that she no longer needs to crawl. Oh this has been fun! Not only walking, but she loves to RUN! I love her little walk. She stands up so straight and she holds her right hand to her chest with her left arm straight out to the side for balance. I can't help but laugh at her silly stance and the concentrated but proud look on her face. The smile on her face reminds me of one of those ever-smiling older women that say things along the lines of "bless her heart!" and who ask you "How ARE you?!" and genuinely care about the response. Just a happy, content smile.

Our girl talks when she wants to. No sentences or anything huge, but she still says the occasional "mama, dada, MALKY!, no, baby, Ayla, Elmo, 'bwanket', hiii!, etc." I imagine the full-on talking will happen much like the walking did. I'll wonder if she will EVER do it and then one morning she'll wake up talking! I must say I like when she calls me "mom". She's always saying "maaama", but every now and then she'll say, "MOM!", very serious and to the point. I say, "What?" just as serious and she says, "bre-wikiwikiwiki-bebe-brrrreeeebreee-dadadaaaaa." And she says this with a very straight, concerned expression on her face. I can't wait for her to be able to actually use her words and to know what is really going on in that little head of hers.

Last night our good friend Curtis stopped by and when he walked in she said, "Hiii!" Curtis said, "Did she just say hi to me?! I just saw her this week, when did she learn to talk?!" She surprises us all. :)

My mom got me a new camera for my birthday because mine broke just before Christmas. Now we are in the process of repairing the hard drive on our laptop so that I can actually upload the photos and videos! If it's not one thing it's another... So here are a few iPhone photos and one video!

Here Ayla is riding on a car with her best friends Elmo and Zoey.  She loved it until the thing started moving!

My cute girl sleeping peacefully in her car seat.  Her hair is getting out of control long again... Time for a second haircut?!

This picture is terribly grainy, but it was taken in the dark with only the light of the tv.  Late night snuggles with a baby girl who wasn't feeling well.

Bath time!  Ayla looooves her baths lately!

This may be bad parenting, but yesterday I needed a nap!  Sometimes Ayla decides not to sleep and she goes CRAZY (like I explain here.)  So I set up our laptop with Elmo playing to keep her company because I was about to lose my mind.  She loved her little set up and actually fell asleep within minutes and slept for over 3 hours! HALLALUJAH!  I needed that.

Here's a video of Ayla walking at her favorite play area!  She loves to go interact with the other kids.  She's totally obsessed with any other child and runs around aimlessly squealing and exploring.  SHE IS SO CUTE!

New Chapter.

I have made one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make.  I'm leaving my job to be a full-time mother.

Now I know you can say, that's a no-brainer, your child is the most important thing, it's not a hard decision.  Or you may say, don't be old-fashioned, be a working woman, day care isn't a big deal.

I've thought about each side of the spectrum.  Thought about each side for hours.  Talked to Joseph for hours.  Talked to my mom.  It was a really hard decision for me.

Now before I go on, let me say that I love my daughter more than I thought I could ever love anything.

Having said that, my job has become a part of me.  The people I work with, the things I do every day.  It's become who I am.  It doesn't define me, but I take great pride in the fact that I do what I do SO WELL.

I have been very fortunate to have a generous boss who has become much more than that.  He's a great friend.  He really cares about Joseph, Ayla, and I.  I look forward to our daily conversations about furniture, jack in the box, shoes, people, you name it, we talk about it.

And then my co-workers... they're my FRIENDS!  I care so much about them.  I hate getting up in the morning, but I've never once been upset about going to work.  I look forward to it.

The work that I do!  I eat, sleep, drink, and breathe these accounts!  I can't sleep at night because I'm wondering if a specific install went in.  I wake up and check my emails in the middle of the night to see if I missed anything.  I can't wait to get into work and check that days installs that are scheduled to be going in.  It's like I get high on solving problems and having things go exactly the way they are supposed to.

I feel like I am losing a part of me and it's going to be so hard.  I couldn't even talk to Mark. I handed him my letter and burst into tears.  He was so good.  He gave me a hug and he told me that there was nothing wrong with the choice that I was making.  He said that being a mother is the most amazing job that one could do.  He told me that society today makes it seem like a negative thing to stay home with your children, but there is no shame in being a mother.  He said the team will miss me, but that he supports my decision.  After I stopped crying I was relieved.

It's official.  I get to spend my time - all my time - with her!

My beautiful Tiny girl.

She is perfect.

She is my world and I can't wait to giver her everything I have every day!

Here goes motherhood...

Carlos should not have missed work....

Carlos is the only guy that wasn't at work today so Daniel and Cassidy had a brilliant idea. Why not astro-turf his desk? They recently laid astro-turf in our gym next to the basketball court for football conditioning and they had some left over. Here are the results:



I actually like how it turned out and I wouldn't mind having the green grass at my own desk. Grass doesn't look like this in Utah unless it's fake. :)

Trafalga with the Sales team

Here are some pictures from last night at Trafalga with the Pinnacle Security Inside Sales Team. We had a lot of fun! The pictures are small, but if you click on them you should be able to pull up a bigger version. Below the pictures I have listed what is going on in the pictures and who is in them.



1. Mini Golf, Mark Smith with Aaron Young on the side.

2. Another Mini Golf Shot. Brandon Buckner's wife and daughter are in the grass and Brenton Water's wife is the blonde one with the grey shirt.

3. Adam Young trying to make a difficult shot.

4. The group ahead of us. (Adam Young, Stephen Jett, Emma Smith, Cassidy Moss, Adam's fiance, Matt McDonald, Daniel Young, Melissa Lindsey, Aaron Young and Megan Young.)

5. Diedre Smith, Mark's wife

6. Mark Smith

7. Diedre and Mark

8. Stephen Jett off the course, trying to get back on

9. Adam Young and Matt McDonald

10. Aaron and Megan Young

11. Daniel Young and Melissa Lindsey (Yes, we have 3 Young brothers on the sales team)

12. Go karts!

13. Ian Bustamante (Guillermo's son) and me.

14. Audrey Bustamante and Ari Bustamante (Guillermo's wife and daughter)

15. Our group about to get started (Ian and I are #10)

16. Daniel Young and Stephen Jett

17. Melissa Lindsey and Daniel Young

18. Ari Bustamante playing Dance Dance Revolution

19. Ari Bustamante posing for the camera

20. Ian Bustamante

Honest to blog?

I have decided that now would be a good time to start a blog, although Joseph strongly disagrees. (Mainly with the fact that I would post pictures of him for everyone to see.)

Right now is an exciting time for us. Joseph is working in Pittsburgh, PA installing alarm systems for Pinnacle Security. He is having a blast. He's always wanted to go to Pittrburgh, and what better a time than when the Penguins, his favorite hockey team, are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs?! I'm having a hard time adjusting to life without him around. During the week I am occupied with work and exhausted in the evenings, but the weekends are when it gets rough! He gets a call from me every Saturday, sometimes Sunday, where I cry and tell him how bored I am and how much I hate taking the bus. He of course feels guilty and says that he'll come home. I, at that point, have to pull myself together and make sure that he stays out there! At least for the summer!

Here's a photo of Joseph driving around in Pittsburgh.


I'm at home in Orem, Utah. I work at Pinnacle Security as well in the corportate office. I work with the Inside Sales team and I love everyday of it. You couldn't pay me to leave right now!
Here's a photo of me and some guys from the Sales team in the box at a UVU baseball game in April.




I'm also 15 weeks and 1 day pregnant! We're very excited to be starting our family, and feeling a little unprepared! Some days it still doesn't feel very real to me, though I have a small bump that seems to get bigger everyday. I think it will feel much more real to me when I have my first ultrasound and finally get to see the little guy (or girl)!
Here's a current picture of my baby belly!




Overall we feel very lucky to be where we are right now. We're excited for the future and I am excited to be blogging about it every step of the way!

p.s. Here is an update of the baby at week 15.

Week 15 of Pregnancy
You might not yet be feeling it, but your baby is kicking those little legs and flexing those elbows, while — higher up — you may be coping with some dental weirdness. Pregnancy hormones are pretty rough on your body, especially the teeth and gums, causing inflammation and making them more susceptible to plaque and bacteria. Your formerly healthy gums may have become super-sensitive and prone to bleeding.In addition, you might be coping with a chronic stuffy nose or even nosebleeds during pregnancy, also brought on by progesterone surging through your system. Fear not — it'll all pass. In the meantime, focus on how much is happening with your baby. She's about the size of an orange this week, her ears have migrated to the sides of her head, and her eyes are moving to the front of her face. Plus, your little smarty-pants can now wiggle her fingers and toes and make breathing movements in preparation for life outside the womb.