Job Musings

Note to Readers: This may be boring to you :( I did this to reflect for myself, so if you stop reading, I understand :) Lately, I have been thinking about all the jobs I have had and what I loved, disliked, and learned about and from all of them. Of course, jobs started out for me as allowance--getting a quarter or so for doing random things around the house like unloading the dishwasher and setting the table, and sometimes I wonder if at that age I was really helping--my poor parents. Then, I hit the age of twelve where I babysat for my family and for many others in our ward in CA. I loved babysitting and playing with the kids. Hitting the age of sixteen, the babysitting bubble pops and you start wanting to hang out with friends more than little kids on a Friday night, even though you still love them. Then the era of moving smack in the middle of the summer the summer before my junior year and before my senior year prevented me from looking for steady summer jobs in high school, and so I did a little bit of babysitting through those years. As high school graduation approached, I knew I needed a REAL job, the kind with a steady pay check. It was then that I began my job career :) 1. I prayed that I would find a job where I didn't have to work on Sundays (hard to come by in Washington state where my family was by that point) so I could keep the Sabbath Day holy. My prayer was quickly answered as Subway, one of the many places I applied, hired me and allowed to keep my Sunday commitments. The Subway I worked at was the busiest Subway in eastern Washington (prestigious, I know!). My manager was tough and expected that we could make a sandwich in thirty seconds or less or we would be "punished." I quickly memorized all of the sandwich formulas, practiced, and was timed, so that when that line was ten feet out the door, I could help the customers get their tummies filled quickly :)

I was surprised with the dear friends I made who were so different than me, and yet I found myself loving them so much. I was known as the Mormon girl, and everyone was so kind to respect my beliefs about swearing even though it differed from theirs. I can truly say the Subway diet worked!! Maybe it was because I worked ten hour days only sitting for a few minutes on most days, running around like crazy, and all I ate all day was a free foot long honey oat veggie sandwich with cheese, most of the time, (and a cookie or two--they were to die for), plus I was carrying freight of frozen bread over my head on ladders--sometimes I want to work at that Subway again just to get in shape! I worked there for the summer before BYU and the summer after my freshmen year. The summer after my freshmen year I had a different boss and all new co-workers except my dear friend, Mindy.

We had ice cream at that Subway and when things would settle down a little Mindy and I would make milkshakes, throwing in some Subway cookie dough--bliss. There are so many good memories at that Subway. I still have a soft spot for it, and it will always rival Quiznos because of my biased memories. 2. After helping my family due to some medical emergencies the summer after my Sophomore year, at the end of winter semester of my Junior year I was offered a job to tutor two high school girls and one eleven year old girl adopted from Russia in Orem. I loved it! It was my first time tutoring English, and I learned much about myself and English through that process. I continued to tutor the eleven year old twice a week throughout that summer. We developed a bond as shown by this picture of us :)

3. While tutoring my Russian girls, I was offered a job at Special Collections, BYU. So for about four months, I did both until it became too much, and I had to quit my tutoring job. I must admit Special Collections was my favorite job of ALL time, and it is hard to rival. I mean look at this trailer promoting it: It really is that exciting! I worked for the 19th and 20th Century Western and Mormon Americana curator. I would "process" or read, digest, and summarize, old diaries from the pioneers, letters, photos, etc. For me, it was like heaven being around all those old things! I loved the people I worked with, and I loved immersing myself in that history. I would catalog the information and program it into HTML coding so it would be available on the online library catalog, and I would submit names into the Library of Congress database. I worked there my whole senior year at BYU, and then sadly, once graduated, you are forced to leave. However, it did make me consider going into library science or curatorial work.

4) Feeling withdrawals for my Special Collections job after my two days of absence, I looked for a new job for the summer before I would leave to Ogden for grad school. The day before graduation, I applied for four jobs; the morning of graduation I was called by Deseret Book in Provo to come in that morning (THE SAME DAY AS GRADUATION), was interviewed, and was hired. Luckily and as an answer to prayer, I had a job by the time I received my diploma. I felt so lucky to be working in such a wonderful atmosphere surrounded by books that I loved. The only thing I did not like about this job was the pressure of selling platinum accounts. Every morning they posted how many each employee had sold the previous day--talk about pressure. I loved the Lion House orange and caramel rolls that were imported daily--I had to learn how to stay away from those quick! I loved having the Deseret Book library which had many books and CDs the employees could check out so they would be able to recommend products to customers. Having access to all of those books and DVDs was bliss! I made some dear friends at this job; almost all of the employees were girls so we had lots of fun girl talks as we went around straightening displays. Leaving Deseret Book was necessary as I had to move to Ogden to pursue the rest of my education.

5) After one semester in my Master's program, I realized that working and going to school would be possible with my schedule. I was referred by a friend to look into the Weber State Writing Center. This was a pivotal change in my life because for the first time, even after having already graduated in English from BYU, I really came to understand grammar and writing. At BYU, I had focused most of my attention on British lit and history and not as much on editing and grammar. This job forced me to KNOW what I was talking about in writing. I worked with students in all levels of college from Bio Med to students from India or Pakistan (there were actually MANY of these students because Weber has a deal set up with the King to send students to Weber). I learned so much tutoring many students one on one. I had this job for about two years. The last year I taught grammar workshops to groups of college students, which helped my teaching of grammar any more. Definitely, a blessing. I even had publishing opportunities because of this job. The best part of this job was that I met Kelsi, who I needed so much right when we met, and through my co-worker, Josh also known as Yenta, met Ben! There were some hardships in this job that I had never before experienced, but it was all worth meeting Kelsi and Ben :) This photo was taken at a work party:

6)Last but not least, what do I do now? I will explain that. Later.

April 20

Today is my best friend's birthday!!!! Today, Ben turns 28! I am so proud to call him my husband :) This is my first time being with him on his birthday as last year at this time, I hadn't met him yet (think Michael Buble because I am pretty sure I really liked that song around this time last year). I am so grateful Ben entered my life when he did. In fact, a year ago today, I received my endowments in the Draper Temple--not knowing I would meet my future husband a month later or that it was his birthday.

Even though it's funny to think I could have waited a few months longer to go through with Ben, I think it was the perfect time for me. A year ago today, I was going through the temple, and the day after, I was graduating with my Master's Degree in English the next day, knew I needed to complete student teaching for a teaching certificate so would be in Ogden for a few more months, and then it was "Who Knows?"



It is scary to graduate with a masters degree as an unmarried girl, and thinking, "When will I ever find him after going into the working world?" I thought of moving back to Provo in an area where older young single adults were, or perhaps Washington D.C. where there were some strong LDS members. There were so many unknowns and being able to go to the temple provided much comfort.





Even though it didn't happen the way I anticipated, my family, aunts, uncles, a cousin, Kelsi, Sheree, Erica, Russ, and my bishopric from my singles ward and their wives had driven all the way to the Draper Temple to be there for me that day. I felt so special knowing that I was going into the "unknown" with so much love and support. Last spring term, I worked twenty hours a week so I had time to go to the Bountiful Temple weekly for a few months and was able to learn so much--that was a blessing. It's hard to believe that that was a year ago today. My husband's birthday! Sometimes Heavenly Father has us wait for the perfect timing (even if it seems last minute to us).

Enough about me, Ben's the birthday boy! So that was my life one year ago today. Then enter: Ben Browning.

He inspires me to be a better person in more ways than I thought possible. He did so from when I first met him. He was definitely worth the wait! I love my Ben!

Here's 28 things you may not know about him:

1. His family has two llamas!
2. He loves playing soccer, and has played most of his life.
3. He has an amazing voice (I keep telling him not to hide his light under a bushel :)
4. He is amazing with kids! Our next door neighbors have four children who run out when they see him and want to play with him for hours.
5. He was an EFY counselor for 5 years and loved it!
6. He played ultimate frisbee, inter-tube water polo, and soccer on Intramural teams at BYU.
7. He loves Brazilian grills.
8. He doesn't like desserts as much, but he loves candies.
9. Ben LOVES budgeting, which I love that he does :)
10. He graduated in Business: Finance from BYU in 08 (the year before I did).
11. He speaks Portugese and Spanish.
12. He loves the hero-type movies like Captain America, Thor, etc.
13. As mentioned previously, he loves new technology and utilizes all of it.
14. He is amazing at Excel, and his work loves him for it!
15. In high school, he was the president of and participated in many clubs and organizations.
16. He is the newest (and probably youngest) member of Rotary Club, representing the bank.
17. He served his mission in Sau Paulo Brazil.
18. He has been to England, China, Hawaii, Brazil, D.C., and many other fun places :) throughout his life.
19. He knows his grammar very well, which I appreciate.
20. He loves Ogden! He went to Ogden High School and has a great love for the history and community surrounding Ogden.
21. He gives amazing Family Home Evening lessons!
22. He likes to mow the lawn (phew).
23. Ben is always thinking of others before himself.
24. He loves looking at the newest and greatest cars.
25. He can find you an app for just about anything.
26. He built a twine hut with his brothers in their yard when he was young.
27. Ben was involved in a community singing group from elementary to high school (hence lots of his travels).
28. Ben has the heart to eat my cooking!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Are You Old Enough to Drive?

Yes, I was really asked this question by a thirteenish year old boy. I was on my run and this thirteenish year old boy was riding his bike with his dog, and the dog came chasing me. Luckily, I saw this as a wonderful opportunity to pet it! So I pet it, he apologized for his dog running towards me, and I assured him I liked animals.

Then.

He started telling me about trails I could run on, and he asked where I lived (it sounded like he wanted to know so we could "play" sometime). He then asked if I was old enough to dive. I assured him I was, thanked him for letting me pet his dog, and went on my way, sheepishly.

I have been mistaken for being younger than I am for. . . my whole life. While I was conducting parent/teacher conferences, parents were shocked to find I was the teacher, and would say you look just like the students! The student teaching coordinator even asked me if I was sure I wanted to do high school because I looked so young, and she was concerned they might take advantage of me. Many lovely people in our ward have commented that I look just like one of the Laurels. I was asked if I was a freshmen/sophomore when I was finishing my Masters Degree in Singles Wards.


Oh well.

I guess I know how old I am, and that's all that matters.

The House that Built Me

As most of you know, I have lived in many places throughout my life. The longest time I have lived in one house was from when I was eight to two weeks shy of turning sixteen--in Los Ranchitos of Temecula, CA. This is the home and place I think of when I think of growing up, probably because it was the place I was familiar with the longest. It was in our home in Temecula that I carried around zucchinis from our garden, wrapped them in blankets, drew faces on them, and pretended that they were baby dolls, and when they died (in make believe), I would bury them in our pasture. Weird. I know. This was the place I went to elementary (for a while), middle, and high school (for a while). The people of Temecula were people who shaped my life for forever and became some of my family's closest friends. This past week I was able to return to Murrieta, which is right next door to Temecula (the equivalent of Provo to Orem). It was so neat to go back and see people and things that reminded me of growing up. The best part was that I was able to take my husband to see my childhood habitat :)

Right after Seth and Leslie's wedding, on Easter Sunday, we drove back to Ogden, went to church, and then got ready to fly to San Diego with family (except honeymooning Seth and Leslie, who we missed) that night. Three states on one Easter Sunday! Although crazy, it was fun to feel adventurous. We got back at 2 in the morning and took a look at the beautiful house we were able to stay in. The views from this house are incredible! In some ways, it makes me want to move back to CA. The next morning we awoke to beautiful, perfect southern CA weather--I can't even explain how much I love this! We went swimming in this beautiful pool overlooking the valley. My favorite part of our first day was driving a borrowed golf cart around the development we were staying in to look at the beautiful homes and surroundings! I then was able to drive Ben
around Temecula to show him old schools, the old house, churches I attended, and all those dear places of my heart.

The thing I found out very quickly on this trip is that trips sometimes revolve around food. Especially when we travel home, it is so exciting to be able to eat things we grew up on, even food as silly as Jack in the Box, Richie's Diner, Pat & Oscar's, etc. Oh, and of course, Ben tried the Doritos taco from Taco Bell and was smitten. The Browning and Connors affinity for Doritos is dangerous. Yikes!


The next day Ben and I went with Kim and her date, Jake, to Universal Studios! We had lots of fun with them. We went to the Crepe Cafe for breakfast--delicious!

Universal Studios was a fun, slower paced amusement park. We didn't have to rush to get to everything because, honestly, you could see the whole place with the shows in five hours :) Ben and I got camera happy as we waited out some time to avoid LA rush hour
We all decided to go see Hunger Games to further avoid rush hour. That is the kind of movie that I am STILL thinking about, and although I can't say I enjoyed it, it left me thinking of my own values under pressure.

Then to further avoid traffic, we went to London.

Just kidding! Okay, this was taken at Universal :) However, a life goal is to show Ben the sights of London from Study Abroad.

The next day we took it easy, visited Grandma and Grandpa, Dad's office, and saw our old friend, Judy Cook, who made us delicious mud pie! It was a laid back fun day, which ended by Ben and I seeing Mirror, Mirror with Mary.

By Thursday, we were ready for exotic adventures again so the whole Connors shebang went to Coronado island, off the coast of San Diego. This has always been one of my family's favorite spots. The Hotel Del Coronado has been there since 1888 and has the most beautiful architecture. You just feel elegant going inside--I love that! We walked along the beach and basked in the view!

After this lovely afternoon, we went to the zoo, which I sadly forgot to take any pictures of. I love the zoo. This is not an understatement. We didn't stay too long, but I loved watching all the lions, tigers, and polar bears, and especially the monkeys, I just loved the monkey faces and their climbing!

Apparently, we brought Utah weather with us our final day. It was a high of 50, raining and cold.
We took a morning swim while it was drizzling, watched movies, and then I sat out in the courtyard with the overhang and listened to the rain and read. This warmed my soul :) To finish off the trip, Ben and I took a trip to the San Diego Temple. I did baptisms there for four years, but had never done a session. It was the first temple I had ever attended; I even went to the dedication as a little girl. It was so neat to go and feel the sweet spirit there, which once again reminded me that there is a plan for all our lives and God knows us and our needs, and he knows what is best for us. The best part was going with Ben, and thinking that this temple I saw as a little girl, I was now standing inside with my husband. What a week filled with family, relaxation, and fun. We only wished Seth and Leslie were there, too :)

April Love

I love April. It always feels like spring is, finally, here, especially with all the famous April Love! Last weekend I had the honor of going to Sheree Olsen's wedding to see her become Sheree Anderson. Sheree was the picture of a beautiful bride; she just RADIATED. Then again, she is always radiating because she emulates happiness. Sheree and Bryce are such good people and are going to be a powerhouse couple throughout their life, you can just tell. It was so fun to be with Erica and Sheree's family, who I used to visit when I had no family of my own nearby.
It's weird to think that now ALL of my close freshmen friends are married and most have been for a long time. It is fun to have friendships you know will last forever--this one is a definite forever friendship!


After driving down for Sheree's sealing in American Fork, I got in my car, met Ben, and went straight to Idaho Falls for Seth's, my youngest brother, wedding preparations. Are you seeing the love yet :) ? Ben and I LOVED our hotel room/balcony view of the Idaho Falls Temple; it reminded us of our own love and covenants we have made.

Then we went with my family and Seth's friends to see the famous Idaho Falls of Idaho--so fun and WINDY!

We helped set up some things for the reception, came back, I straightened my hair, and a few hours later, Seth and Leslie's wedding day had arrived! Seth and Leslie are an adorable couple; they even look perfect for one another. It's crazy to think my little brother is getting married; however, we love Leslie and are so happy over their happiness! The wedding day was beautiful and sunshiney although crisp and cool. It was perfect!








This was seriously such an amazing, wonderful day--hardly any stress, too! And now, I have another sister :) Waking up to this view outside our window made me again remember how lucky I am to be with my husband for forever and ever because of the temple. Today it has been six months since our special day, and we have an eternity to go.