July 30, 2012

Ten Reasons I Love My Job

10. Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. and is the only cause of death among the top 10 in the U.S. that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed.  I hate this stinkin' disease and am proud to raise funds and develop programs to assist in ending Alzheimer's. 
9. I get to wear lots of purple and it's becoming one of my favorite colors.  ;)  Silly, but true! 
8. I get to meet lots of new, fun people and travel across Iowa! 
7. I have the opportunity to plan events, lead committees, and take our plans out to execution. 
6. I get to meet tons of neat elderly people and help them through tough times.
5. My co-workers care about each other and work well as a team.
4. The variety of my everyday tasks rock- I never get bored!  :) 
3. I have flexibility.  The company understands that we have families and things happen.  Just as long as I'm getting my work done, they allow flexibility in when I come in and leave. 
2. My boss is the most consistent, respectful, tactful, and caring woman in the world.  I am proud to call her my supervisor and mentor!
1. Did I mention that Alzheimer's disease stinks hardcore and we need to work hard to end it!?!

July 21, 2012

My Gratitude List (In No Particular Order...)

Travis, Small Towns, Pinterest, Eye Sight, Dave Ramsey, Cell Phones, Lucas, Big Hugs, MomBooks, Soft Blankets, My House, Jesus Christ, My Boss, My Church, Danielle, Shoes, Dogs, Cars, The Sun, Lungs to Breathe, Coffee, Smiles, Ashley, Music, Rain, Air Conditioner, Toothbrush, Nail Clippers, Laughter, Famous Daves, Roads, Calculators, Community, Memories, Safety, Freedom, Scrapping, Wisdom, Warm Showers, Health, Deodorant, Encouragment, Spring Flowers, LOVE

July 20, 2012

Dear Lucas,

To my precious baby boy; I hope you never forget how much your Mommy loves and cherishes you.  The day you were born was full of excitement and joy and an overwheming sense of love for you. Over the past year, I have seen you grow and develop into a curious and happy toddler.  I love your sense of adventure and pray that you hold onto this throughout your life.  Mommy wants you to learn about the world and see how other people live.  Yesterday, your daycare called me at work to say you were sick and someone needed to come get you.  I jumped right in the car and swooped you into my arms.  I will never forget the joy I felt as you snuggled into me in the waiting room and on the couch.  Turns out, you have double ear and a throat infection.  I'm sorry I didn't take you to see Dr. Larson sooner.  You must have a real high pain tolerance like  your Daddy, because I would have been more grumpy if it was me.  Nope, not you!  You're always smiling and silly, even this morning when Grandma Sharon came through the door to watch you- you brought out that big smile.  So precious!  Lucas, I just want to remind you how passionately I love you.  Never forget it!  I know in the future you will push my buttons, cause many sleepless nights and more drama than I ever could imagine, and bring tears to my eyes because of hurt words; But there is nothing you can ever do that will cause me to stop loving you.  As I grow old and possibly start to forget you, remember that you will always be my precious baby.  Forgive me when I fail you as a parent, because I'm sure there will be moments when I'm inconsistent, crabby, or impatient.  I will try my hardest to be the best example possible for you.  I love you dear Lucas. 
Love always,
Mommy

July 16, 2012

Travel

My second week on the job requires me to attend a two-day training in Des Moines for new staff orientation.  Today, I woke up around 5:30 to get ready, drop Lucas off with Grandma Sharon, and drive to Des Moines.  I make it here without any problems and even 10 minutes early.  I had a wonderful time learning more about my new position.  I am so excited by the variety and intensity of my tasks!  This week, my boss is taking paid-time-off and therefore when I get back to the office, I will finish the week out by myself.  My goal for this week is to recruit at least 5 Walk teams!  I have my list made of team captains to call and now I just have to put aside time to call them.  I will dive in head first on Wednesday morning!

Tomorrow, I will finish up orientation here in Des Moines and go home to see my guys... I sure am missing them tonight!!  This is really the first time I have been away from Lucas for more than 24 hours.  I know he is being well taken care of though.. Mom and Grandma took him to the circus after daycare.  I bet he had a blast!  :)  And his Daddy will get him to bed and up for his day tomorrow.  It sure will be nice to give him big hugs tomorrow night though! 

I am also expecting a big phone call tomorrow at 1:00!  Dave Ramsey will be calling me to interview me on our experience with Financial Peace University!  Yay!  I'm not sure if it will be live or recorded to air later, but I am super excited to have the opportunity to be an example for other young people! 

Anyways, I have a big day tomorrow and I'm ready for bed (yes.. at 9:00).  Have a wonderful week friends!  God bless,
Alicia

July 13, 2012

A Week to Remember

Today wraps up my first week as a Program & Events Coordinator for the Alzheimer's Association.  It was a wonderful week, to say the least.  I have completed a great deal of training on what Alzheimer's Disease is, what research is currently being completed in order to add to our knowledge of this disease, and how the Alzheimer's Association makes a difference in lives of millions of caregivers and person's with dementia around the world!  I won't go into details right now, but if you are interested in learning more visit our website

I am very blessed to have found this position!  My boss is fabulous; she is a Christian and we have a deep connection based on this alone.  We openly talk about our churches, faith, and prayer lives.  We also discovered that we have both completed Financial Peace University, which brings us closer together also.  She is a powerful and dynamic woman of God and I am super excited to have her as an example and mentor! 


With this new position also came the day I have been dreading since giving birth to Lucas... the start of daycare. After careful planning and a great deal of prayer, I dropped Lucas off on Monday and not one tear was shed.  That is, until about two hours into the day when he realized that his Mama was missing.  The teacher said that he was quickly distracted, though, so I didn't worry too much.  While dropping him off on day two (Tuesday), he immediately knew what was happening as soon as I handed him across the half-door to his aid.  Mommy shed a few tears on her way to work that day!  Seeing him like that absolutely broke my heart.  On Tuesday when I picked him up, and the next day also, I noticed that he was in the baby swing hanging from the ceiling.  My son is 11 1/2 months, mind you.  I was sort of bothered by this and became even more heated when the aid told me that he had a good day and only threw two tantrums.  I questioned how often he threw tantrums and she said that he had been very unhappy throughout the whole week. Now, if you know my child he is the happiest baby you will ever meet.  He only gets unhappy for a very few moments- when he is tired, when he is hungry, when he is bored, or when Daddy tells him no.  Lucas simply never throws fits!  And this is not just me being a biased mom; he truly is a well mannered baby and anyone that knows him would attest to that.  Wednesday night, after venting to my Mom, Travis, Danielle, and Ashley about the situation, I decided that I needed to speak to his teacher about this in order to get it taken care of.  Well, Sarah was not in yet, as she comes in most days right at 8:00am, but the Director of the whole daycare was back from her vacation and was willing to talk.  She could tell immediately that I was upset.  I spoke sternly to her about my issues with his activity, naps, food, and the attitude of one of her staff members.  She agreed with many of my points, admitted that she had been gone and would talk to his teacher about the issues, and would get to the bottom of it.  She also assured me that in August, he would be able to start in the 1-2 year old room, where they have more schedule in their day.  Well to make a long story short, when I picked Lucas up on Thursday evening, I peeked in the window and he was on the floor playing and laughing with his teacher and peers!  :) Yay!  I hate to be 'that Mom,' but standing up and being your child's advocate is why God called us to be Moms in the first place!  I am glad that his daycare is so willing to listen to parents' concerns and check into issues! 

To wrap up our week, Travis received a call from a local body shop known for their good work that he had applied at and had an interview with last month.  They loved his honest cover letter so much that they told him on the spot that they wanted to get him in there.  On Thursday night, he had a second interview and they offered him $3 more per hour and full benefits to be their new body technician.  What makes this position even better is that the shop is right across the street from my new job!!  :)  Woohoo!  God really knows what he's doing, huh?! 

Our week has definitely been one to remember!  Thank you all for your prayers through this transition time.  We are grateful for such wonderful family and friends! 
God bless,
Alicia

July 7, 2012

Past, Present, Future

Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Our lives are constantly changing and evolving; we graduate, get married, have children, lose loved ones, change jobs.  Having the ability to deal with change effectively is vital in this fast-paced, evolving world.  In my own life, I can reflect back on how I have changed over the years- my faith has deepened, my political beliefs have taken shape, my goals and vision for my life have been set, I became a wife and then mom and my whole outlook on priorities changed, deeper friendships have been formed, and I developed a passion for lifelong learning. All of these changes have been beneficial and have allowed me to become a better capital "C" Christian woman.  Whether the changes were positive or negative at the time, I developed and grew through these experiences.  However, sometimes changes just simply stink; churches change their beliefs, loved ones die and leave family to make tough choices, and friends slip away.

I don't know about you, but it brings me comfort to know that our Best Friend, Savior, and Lord is constant.  We don't have to worry about what Christ expects from us.  The Bible says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He never changes!  Wow!  When I ponder this thought deeply, it takes my breath away... Think about it.  Your Creator, the One who formed you in your mother's womb, who created you to develop into more and more cells until eventually you had the human genetics you presently possess; that God never changes! 

You ask, why does it matter that God never changes.  Why does that matter- so what?  God does not compromise or change His values.  He does not have mood swings.  God's plan is unchangable, it existed at the very beginning of creation and still exists today.  And you and me are part of that plan!  Ephesians 2:10 says "We are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."  He has a plan for each of our lives.  We have nothing to worry about because our lives are in His hands and He knows us better than we know ourselves.  While things may change here on earth and we may worry about the future, we must cling to Christ and have faith that everything will work out to the glory of Him!  He will guide us in our decision making, as long as we will listen to His call. 

As I move into my new position on Monday, I ask for God's guidance for both my family and FOCC.  I trust that, because this path is what I feel God had planned, He will continue to bless us for our faithfulness.  I look forward to the future with excitement and peace, as I know that "Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."  Thank you Jesus! 
God bless,
Alicia