I've been Tagged!!
I've been tagged by Julie Groff
In 1988, I was seventeen years old. I was going to school at the Utah Valley Technical college working towards a degree in Fashion Design/Fashion Merchandising. I was also going to hair school at Von Curtis in Provo, Utah. I spent my free time hanging out with my best friend Michelle Horton & Melinda Allen, and Chad Allen and Dave Allen. I was dating Lyle Carbajal (I met him at Plastiques, a dance club we went to every week, he is now a famous painter), and a return missionary Jeff Abbott (I met him at a concert where he was the lead singer) I really thought he was the one until 3 years later when I met John, the perfect one for me.
I remember being very stressed out because I was approaching adulthood and I was worried that I may not ever find that right guy. Some of my favorite things to do was go to "Plastiques" a local dance club where my friend Dave Allen was the DJ and dance all night long!
I got my first car in 1988, a 1976 Peugeot, I was so proud of my little white car, (even though it did not run most of the time). I actually drove it from Springville where I lived to Provo one day and it decided to die in the middle of the road. A car pulled over to help me push it out of the way and I couldn't believe who it was, it was Jimmy Osmond and our friend Mark (he was his roommate), they pushed my car to the gas station where it sat for 3 days until my grandfather towed it back home. Later that day Jimmy Osmond asked me out on a date!(this has been a great story to tell Jaidyn) (We actually saw the Osmonds on tv not too long ago, and I told her the story, she was so cute, she said "but you love daddy more right?")
10 years ago...
June 1998, I was 27. John and I had just bought our first home in Double Diamond. We had been married for 5 years. We were so excited to finally have our own home. The day we got the keys, we didn't even bother to move all of our furniture in first, we had no neighbors since were the first and only ones in our development, so we packed up our blankets and slept on our Master bedroom floor looking up at the stars and the moon the entire evening, we had huge windows with no coverings so the moon lit the room the entire evening. What a great night that was! The smell of OUR new home and the beautiful view of Mount Rose, we woke up so excited to move in, John was still in shock and said "I'm still waiting for them to come knock on the door and say we've made a mistake please give us our keys back".
John was working at Reno Engineering and had been there for about 6 years and I was working as an Office Manager for an Insurance Adjuster and the Reno Police Department as a Transcriber for about 5 years. We had been trying to start our family for about 3 years by this time and decided that it was probably time to go to a fertility doctor. We started fertility treatments, while we also submitted our paperwork to LDS Social Services to hopefully adopt. I was a Beehive Teacher and later called as a Girl's camp leader (which I loved) and John was a Seminary Teacher at Galena High School (which he loved very much).
We also went on my first trip to Kauai, with some friends and had a great time, some of the highlights were taking a helicopter ride through the beautiful canyons near waterfalls, riding a catamaran with dolphins and sea turtles nearby, attending my first luau and experiencing the roasted pig and having my first massage (I was too nervous to have a full body massage so I had a facial and it was wonderful there was no roof at the spa and so all you could hear were birds, the ocean, and see the beautiful blue sky (ahh it was so wonderful, I think I need a little of that now).
3 years ago...
In June of 2005, we moved from our 1st home (sad to leave) with intentions of a larger family and bought our current home. It was hard to leave our old neighborhood, we had such great neighbors and friends and we would often sit on the front porch late at night and listen to the frogs in the ravine directly across from our home. We love our new home and hopefully this will be the last move for us until we retire.
Our ward split from the Foothill ward and I was called as 1st Counselor in Relief Society until November where I was called as Relief Society President. John was called as Gospel Doctrine's Teacher.
Jaidyn started 1st Grade (this was really hard for me, I miss having her with me all day). We also started our Foster Parenting classes and became Foster parents 2 months later. Our first Foster children were 1 and newborn, and we had them for 3 months. It was hard to let them go, but then we got Luis and Luhanie who we have had now for 11 months. They certainly filled our year with many things, they taught us patience, unconditional love and more than anything more about ourselves, they have made us stronger, more loving and appreciative for our many blessings that we have.
This was definitely a year for Family and spiritual growth for us.
I am still serving as Relief Society President. I often feel someone else is much more qualified and would do such a better job, but I am constantly reminded of the growth that I need to stay focused on the gospel and this calling helps keep me focused when life has been so crazy with three kids, 2 jobs & a small business (Bella Vita) I often forget what is most important, but constantly I am reminded when the various activities of my calling are placed on me and I am forced to refocus once again on what's most important.
John and I have personally baptized over 60 different family members, one of which was my father (Raymond Rolando Swederofsky), my grandfather and grandmother and John's grandmother and great grandmother. What a wonderful experience that was. We were also able to seal these family members to each other.
We have planted our first garden and have actually been successful in growing all that we have planted, we have 6 fruit trees, 4 berry bushes, 18 different kinds of vegetables and 22 different kinds of herbs. Our yard is finally beginning to serve a purpose other than growing weeds and a lawn full of clover.
NOW I tag Emily Fowler, Michelle Bills, Rachel Hamrick, Christy Stephensen and my Hubby John
20 years ago...
such the 80's girl.
check out that hair!
check out that hair!
In 1988, I was seventeen years old. I was going to school at the Utah Valley Technical college working towards a degree in Fashion Design/Fashion Merchandising. I was also going to hair school at Von Curtis in Provo, Utah. I spent my free time hanging out with my best friend Michelle Horton & Melinda Allen, and Chad Allen and Dave Allen. I was dating Lyle Carbajal (I met him at Plastiques, a dance club we went to every week, he is now a famous painter), and a return missionary Jeff Abbott (I met him at a concert where he was the lead singer) I really thought he was the one until 3 years later when I met John, the perfect one for me.I remember being very stressed out because I was approaching adulthood and I was worried that I may not ever find that right guy. Some of my favorite things to do was go to "Plastiques" a local dance club where my friend Dave Allen was the DJ and dance all night long!
I got my first car in 1988, a 1976 Peugeot, I was so proud of my little white car, (even though it did not run most of the time). I actually drove it from Springville where I lived to Provo one day and it decided to die in the middle of the road. A car pulled over to help me push it out of the way and I couldn't believe who it was, it was Jimmy Osmond and our friend Mark (he was his roommate), they pushed my car to the gas station where it sat for 3 days until my grandfather towed it back home. Later that day Jimmy Osmond asked me out on a date!(this has been a great story to tell Jaidyn) (We actually saw the Osmonds on tv not too long ago, and I told her the story, she was so cute, she said "but you love daddy more right?")
10 years ago...John was working at Reno Engineering and had been there for about 6 years and I was working as an Office Manager for an Insurance Adjuster and the Reno Police Department as a Transcriber for about 5 years. We had been trying to start our family for about 3 years by this time and decided that it was probably time to go to a fertility doctor. We started fertility treatments, while we also submitted our paperwork to LDS Social Services to hopefully adopt. I was a Beehive Teacher and later called as a Girl's camp leader (which I loved) and John was a Seminary Teacher at Galena High School (which he loved very much).
We also went on my first trip to Kauai, with some friends and had a great time, some of the highlights were taking a helicopter ride through the beautiful canyons near waterfalls, riding a catamaran with dolphins and sea turtles nearby, attending my first luau and experiencing the roasted pig and having my first massage (I was too nervous to have a full body massage so I had a facial and it was wonderful there was no roof at the spa and so all you could hear were birds, the ocean, and see the beautiful blue sky (ahh it was so wonderful, I think I need a little of that now).
5 years ago...
In 2003, Jaidyn was born 2 years earlier and we were still living in our home on Boulder Creek. I had quit my full time job as an Office Manager but was still working for the Reno Police Department. John was a Young Men's teacher and I was Enrichment Leader (which I loved and served for 4 years). We took a trip back east to visit John's dad and brothers and sisters during Thanksgiving, and they met Jaidyn for the first time, Jaidyn loved all the horses and goats and couldn't get enough of Grandpa Bill.
3 years ago...Our ward split from the Foothill ward and I was called as 1st Counselor in Relief Society until November where I was called as Relief Society President. John was called as Gospel Doctrine's Teacher.
1 year ago...
My parents finally decided to move to Reno to live closer to us, for 15 years we have been trying to get them to move closer and July of 2007 my dad got a job here and he moved in with us, mom followed shortly thereafter in October. We love having them close by and part of our ward.Jaidyn started 1st Grade (this was really hard for me, I miss having her with me all day). We also started our Foster Parenting classes and became Foster parents 2 months later. Our first Foster children were 1 and newborn, and we had them for 3 months. It was hard to let them go, but then we got Luis and Luhanie who we have had now for 11 months. They certainly filled our year with many things, they taught us patience, unconditional love and more than anything more about ourselves, they have made us stronger, more loving and appreciative for our many blessings that we have.
This was definitely a year for Family and spiritual growth for us.
So far this year...
We took Jaidyn to Disneyland, Sea World & San Diego Zoo for her first time.I am still serving as Relief Society President. I often feel someone else is much more qualified and would do such a better job, but I am constantly reminded of the growth that I need to stay focused on the gospel and this calling helps keep me focused when life has been so crazy with three kids, 2 jobs & a small business (Bella Vita) I often forget what is most important, but constantly I am reminded when the various activities of my calling are placed on me and I am forced to refocus once again on what's most important.
John and I have personally baptized over 60 different family members, one of which was my father (Raymond Rolando Swederofsky), my grandfather and grandmother and John's grandmother and great grandmother. What a wonderful experience that was. We were also able to seal these family members to each other.
We have planted our first garden and have actually been successful in growing all that we have planted, we have 6 fruit trees, 4 berry bushes, 18 different kinds of vegetables and 22 different kinds of herbs. Our yard is finally beginning to serve a purpose other than growing weeds and a lawn full of clover.
Yesterday I...
took Luis and Luhanie for a visit with their birth parents. Then John and I went to Lake Tahoe for a friend's wedding. We had a great time visiting with old friends and coworkers, and enjoyed the view of Lake Tahoe from the Clubhouse. My mom and dad watched the kids for us and when we returned home, we all watched a movie together and then went to bed.Today...
We cleaned up the backyard and took a trip to one of John's projects the DREADED TRI (this is where we got stranded not too long ago with a flat tire). We went out there to pick up some dark rock for the backyard edging. While we were there we saw so many wild horses, a few were walking right along side the road with a brand new baby colt. We picked out our rocks and came home and placed them in the backyard.Later tonight...
We took Luis and Luhanie to the Baldwins, while Jaidyn, John and I went to see Billy Idol at the Grand Sierra. What a great concert it was, it was Jaidyn's first and she absolutely loved it! I'm convinced we've got a Rock Star in the making!! Tomorrow...
We have church, no meetings so I don't have to get up early.This year I hope to....
Have the news that we are able to adopt Luis and Luhanie. Start attending the temple at least 2x a month. Continue with my genealogy and hopefully fill in the blanks on my Venezuelan heritage on my grandmother's side. Start classes at the Community College and finally figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Take a trip as a family back to Virginia to see John's family again and take the kids to D.C. and NYC. Continue with my food storage preparations and build that food storage room that we have been hoping to finish. Do some more canning and fill my pantry with home canned goods from our own garden. Oh, and also finally get myself in a routine of working out, taking time for myself. I'm with you Julie, Here's to hoping!NOW I tag Emily Fowler, Michelle Bills, Rachel Hamrick, Christy Stephensen and my Hubby John
Comments
That's a lot of writing - I'll see what I can do.