SWAT

Russell left for SWAT School today. It has always been his dream to join a tactical team, so we are proud of him for having this opportunity, especially so early in his career. Although he misses the big city, we are both grateful for the opportunities he has had in a small department. Who knows how long it would've taken to get this far in Raleigh.

Please keep him in your prayers so that he will have the energy and willpower to complete all of his training!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is my dad's birthday. One thing I always notice on both of my parents' birthdays is that they are young compared to everyone else's parents. And I love it. My dad was never too old to go hiking with us, play in the yard, wrestle, or ride snowmobiles. He still has the energy to work out regularly, scuba dive, and just play around with the kids or the dog.

I went to a very interesting forum/lecture at BYU about a week ago from a visiting professor, Phil Gardner, from Michigan or Michigan State. He spoke about students in my age demographic as an interesting product of economy, baby-boomer culture, and parental and societal messages and the impact this has had on education and careers. Unfortunately, a lot of what he discussed was the entitlement, "I am special," "The world owes it to me" type of attitudes many of my peers share. He discussed things like young adults lacking direction, being unwilling to commit to an employer, refusing to do something because it's "not fun," and playing the victim when someone thinks work is subpar. Perhaps all individuals who hear this lecture in my age group think they are not a part of this group of people, but as I sat and listened, I truly believed that I was not a typical fit for most of these issues.

Sure, I remember learning about how special I was and self esteem throughout elementary school. I do get caught up into wanting nice furniture and a decent sized home and cars with all the luxuries--then I realize how long it took for my parents to get their own matching bedroom set or a home with enough bedrooms for everyone. I do sometimes feel like people giving me feedback are the bad guys instead of me being the one with the problem. But, for the most part, I know how to work hard, how to dedicate myself and my integrity to an employer, how to set goals and follow after them, how to be dependable. I know that I don't have to have cable tv or brand new clothes because that's what I had at home. And I trust that my parents are fair and it's not a competition with my own siblings to see who got more from mom and dad than another.

I paid for my own undergraduate degree, without student loans, parent assistance (thanks for lunch, Dad!), or debt. I graduated from BYU in three years, cum laude, and independently moved to NC (barely 21 years old) because I knew that decision would further my career and educational goals. I graduated with my masters degree from a top, prestigious and accelerated program, completing 60 credit hours and a 9-month long internship in 13 months. I took initiative to seek out a scholarship for grad school and was one of 10 people selected nationwide for my essay on accountability in school counseling. I have worked ultra-full time in the middle of no-where, 90-120 hours per week, with delinquents and critical supervisors for 22 months--outlasting over 100 other counselors. And I am now married, have a full-time career as a career counselor and have helped over 210 students, with an average of 2-3 follow-ups per student. I have co-chaired and spear-headed three campus events, serving over 1,800 students and increasing participation by over 400 from previous events. My husband and I have paid off one car, and will shortly pay off the other, over 1 1/4 years early.

I don't mean this as a brag sheet, but rather a tribute to my dad. As I look around at so many of my peers who fit the profile of the students spoken of in the lecture I attended, I see that they didn't have a dad like mine. I owe all of my success to both my parents, but particularly, my work ethic, sense of integrity, flexibility, ambition, and determination to my dad. As I get older, I realize the courage and drive he has instilled in me--that I should go after excellence and not settle because I am scared of failure or the world or because I merely do not feel like it. Thanks Dad! I really appreciate all you have done to help me become the woman that I am. Happy Birthday!

Update

Although Russell did not get promoted, he did very well in his interview. Three supervisors from outside agencies interviewed him and they ranked him #1, #2, and #2. Looks like the biggest thing he needs to be promoted is simply more experience, which will obviously come with time. No shame in that! Pretty good for his first time. I am very proud of him for taking the risk and showing his interest in developing new skills and leadership. We'll see what happens in the future. It sounds like everyone is pretty optimistic about his potential for advancement and leadership.

4 Wheeling

Russell and the cutest (and biggest) hunting dog in Utah

See Mom, I'm wearing a helmet!

Jared & Micah are much more daring than I am (not evident in this picture)

Last weekend our friends Jared and Micah took us to their grandmother's home to do some four wheeling near Delta. It turned out to be a really great spot as it was minutes away from both the sand dunes and Fish Lake National Forest. Being the baby that I am, I was a little too scared to enjoy the sand dunes much. I've never been much for jumps and seeing how high one can go up the hillside. But our leisurely ride up Fish Lake National Forest was amazing. As you can see, the views were incredible. I am definitely planning to come camping up here later this summer. Maybe next time we'll see a little more than a fox.

We also brought our dogs up with us which was fun because our dog doesn't live with us--landlord rules. We both have German Shorthairs and Jared and Micah also have a Shitzhu (spelled right?). Our dog Trapper is a beast--probably one of the biggest Shorthairs out there and he loved playing on the 2 acres of land. I was beginning to worry he may not be such a good hunter as Jared's pup is half Trapper's age and is already pointing. But, playing with Trapper last weekend, he sniffed out his hidden ball in a matter of seconds, several times. Plus, he plays fetch quite well. He may give that little pup a run for her money.

Butt of the Year

So a local radio station is accepting entries for the "Butt of the Year." Having the incredible butt that I do, I am finding myself a little tempted to enter. But I am also wondering if submitting pictures of my body for gain is against my principles. Is this the mild equivalent of those women who pose for Playboy to get gain? Would a "tasteful" picture of my butt, shared online and voted upon, devalue the progress of women by objectifying myself as merely a great hiney? Perhaps the value of my morality lies in the value of the prize--which I think is like a week on a houseboat at Lake Powell or $500 in gas and $100 in groceries. Hmm. . .

Anyway, I am sure some may think I am a little pretentious or cocky, defining my behind as incredible. But believe me, that's not my definition. I never knew what the big deal was about butts, until my roommates freshman year told me repeatedly that my butt was awesome. I didn't get it. But then my twin sister's roommates did the same to her--yes, she shares the same endowment. I don't know if people in high school didn't care or maybe my butt developed during the summer. All I know is that ever since, I receive compliments on how perfect my big behind is.

For example:

"Girl, I knew you weren't all white!"--Spain (African American--most black people love big butts)

"Amber, I don't want you to think I'm hitting on you, but you have the nicest butt!"--Natalia (Latina--also big fans of butts)

"Yes, Amber has a great butt!"--Mario (Latino)

And I won't bore you with more. But, my thinking is if I am getting compliments from people that really like butts, it must be true. Maybe I could actually win.

So. . . jeans?

How is it that someone with a master's degree can't tell time!

Last night my husband and I stayed up late prepping for a job interview he has today for a promotion. We spent hours polishing shoes, ironing clothes (I'm awful at ironing those pleat things on pants and shirts--I have to be super careful or I put railroad tracks in the whole thing), all so he could make a good impression. The promotion is a little bit of a long shot, as there are others with over 12 years experience, but this was a good opportunity to show interest and demonstrate potential.

Unfortunately, I definitely made his first impression this morning a negative one. Yesterday our power went off. Right before bed my husband asked me to check my watch so he could reset the alarm clock. I looked at the watch and told him "11:oo on the dot." He asked if I was sure--I looked at my watch again and confirmed. The problem, which we didn't notice until morning was that it was actually midnight. We got a call this morning from his supervisor, clarifying the time when he was already 15 minutes late--and he wasn't even dressed yet. I ultimately made him about 45 minutes late to work. Perhaps in most fields, blaming your tardiness on your wife may suffice, but his work is kind of paramilitary--being late is not really tolerated. The worst part is 60% of the promotion depends on evaluations from everyone else--pretty sure this will be the first thing on their mind today when they think of him. What a dumb reason to botch a promotion!

I think I need to go back to 1st grade. :(