Gratitude Overdue

I haven't really spent much time online over the past week, so I didn't post this yet, but I really wanted to show how grateful I am for friends in my life. I've received quite a bit of service last week, and it was just really wonderful.

You know, so many of the pregnancy tips out there talk about accepting help when people offer, and every single month as we visit teach each other we give opportunities to serve, but rarely do we actually accept the offer of such service. I think that's because we LDS women as a whole tend to feel like we have everything under control (or at least look like it), and that there really isn't anything that others can do for us. Well, when my visiting teacher asked if there was something that she could do, all I could think was that I wish there was someone who would come help me clean up my apartment a bit. I didn't need them to do a full-out spring cleaning type of job, but just to help me get on track. I was starting to worry about the baby coming before my mom arrived, and I still wanted to have a clean apartment before she got here...added to the facts that I was still working full-time and I was so tired at nights... cleaning was such a stress for me at the time. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Well, last week on Tuesday my visiting teacher came over with her husband to help clean my apartment. She cleaned the bathroom while he did the dishes. Mark and I were folding and putting away laundry. She swept and mopped both the bathroom and the kitchen while he helped vacuum the living room. By the time they left, I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. It was really a special gift of service that made all the difference in the world. Thank you so much, guys!!!

Then, last Thursday a couple friends wanted to take me out to dinner. Neither one of them was able to make it to my baby shower in September, but they really wanted to celebrate with me. Since Cassie was moving to Chicago, we needed to do something pretty soon. Crystal, Cassie and I all met up after I got off of work in the Back Bay. We decided on going to The Cheesecake Factory in the Prudential Center. It was just so much fun to hang out as friends, just a night on the town with the girls. We really did have fun, even though we didn't do much other than the restaurant. Thanks for a great time ladies!

The following day was my last day at work before going on maternity leave, so the office took me out to lunch. I got to choose wherever I wanted to eat. I originally wanted to go to Uno's, but they don't really have enough room to seat a party of 15 or so. We ended up going to The Cheesecake Factory. I know, I know, I was just there the night before. It's not like I go there often, nor that I've been craving their food this pregnancy. It was just a convenience thing and I like their food. So it was fine for me. It was really nice for the office to be so congratulatory, wishing me well...and Tanya let me go home a little early. I don't really think that I could've asked for a better last day! After all the griping I've done about my job on this blog, I do have to say that I really do appreciate the job I have/had at HIG Capital. There's always the possibility that I won't be able to go back to work after my maternity leave ends, but as for now I'm planning on returning for the sake of our finances. Now, if only we can get all the stars to align to make that happen!

Life really is good. So far, I'm still pregnant, but I'm having a good time with my mom in town. Just getting ready for the show to get going!!

Random Pieces of an Update

So, there are a few things going on, but not many are worthy of an entire post on their own.

I've got only one more week of work left before I go on maternity leave (unless the baby comes sooner than that). I know that the office is planning on hiring a temp for while I'm on leave, but I'm not sure when they intend to bring one in. I think they were going to wait a little while, until Tanya feels like she really needed the help to get one, but I have no idea, really. Also, my mom is coming for a visit next Saturday. Mark and I have been working to figure out how to arrange our baby's room (to keep the guest bed or not to keep the guest bed?) and get everything purchased that we're going to need for little Canon. I think we're in a place where I feel like I'm just about prepared for his arrival. YAY! I discussed all that on my baby blog, so I don't really need to go into too much detail about it here.

Mark seems to be enjoying school this semester, but it's not really what he was expecting. He's doing a clinic that requires certain classes and additional weekly projects (which is basically unheard of in law school). He only has classes Mon-Wed, and they don't start until the afternoon, but he is constantly busy with all the work he has to do. He's also still spending time applying for jobs. He's had a couple of interviews in the past weeks, and both of them were more informational- requiring him to continue his application with more documents if he's still interested. Right now, anything looks better than nothing. The law market is so horrible right now, and it looks like a good option (if it happens to pull through) is for him to join the Army JAG Corps. It would be a great (wide-range of) experience with good benefits, with the chance of being deployed for months...but there's no guarantee that would happen. In fact, there's no guarantee that he would get a job with them either. We're just still praying and searching for places to apply. It would sure be nice if Mark could have a job when he graduates!

Work for me has been a little out of the ordinary, not crazy, but busier than normal. My manager Tanya's mother passed away last week, so the duties that she usually would've performed I had to take over...including expenses. I know how to do expenses because I do a couple myself, but I don't handle nearly as many as she does on a regular basis. That required some overtime hours to complete, but I was able to get it done without too many mistakes. The mistakes I did make, caught by the accounting dept., were easy to remedy and they were understanding in that they know I don't normally do those reports. Tanya has been in and out of the office, but since it's often quite slow, it really hasn't been a big deal. I know it's a hard time for her, so I'm glad that I'm still around to be able to hold down the fort while she takes the time off that she needs. (Admittedly, it does get more difficult to go to work everyday, and I'm forbidden from climbing ladders, so I'm constantly interrupting people to ask them to help me get things off high shelves.) So far, the office hasn't burned down, so I think we're in good shape.

Oh, and one more thing... Mark is so excited for the Utah Jazz season to be starting up. Last year he really wanted to go see the game where they came to play the Boston Celtics, but it was during finals...so there was no way that he could make it. This time they're coming on Nov. 11th, and Mark just couldn't pass up the chance to see them at an away game. When he told me he bought the tickets, I told him, "Well, it's a good thing my mom will still be in town to watch Canon. That's only 10 days after my due date!" To which Mark replied, "Oh yeah! I forgot we were having a baby!" Now, I'm sure he didn't actually forget, but I'm pretty sure he forgot that the baby would play a factor in our evening plans...silly hubby! So, just in case I'm really not up for a night on the town that shortly after giving birth- I'm hoping that I will have given birth by then- are there any Jazz fans here in Boston that might like to go with Mark to the game? :)