Dallas & PAC

Last month I had the opportunity to visit Dallas, Texas for the PrideStaff Annual Conference.  It was also a great opportunity to spend an extra day in "The Big D" and visit our Texas family, the Sullivans.  I feel so fortunate that much of my work travel (as rare as it is) takes me through the American Airlines hub in Dallas -- I've been blessed with lots of extra time with Lindsey as a result!  

We had a great time.  Lindsey picked me up when I arrived in town on Wednesday and we had a few hours to spend lunching and shopping.  We also decided to visit "Reunion Tower" downtown and get a view of Dallas from the air.  On Sunday when my conference was over, we enjoyed a leisurely brunch at one of their favorite places, then they took me to see their brand new house that is almost move-in ready.  We spent the afternoon out at Lindsey's parents' house, hanging out with her whole family.  It was a rainy and lovely day with some of my most favorite people.  I didn't have to fly home until 8:00pm so I really felt like I got the entire day with them -- just wonderful!

PrideStaff Update

I'm continually grateful for my career at PrideStaff.  So much has changed in the past 15 years, and it's been wonderful to watch it all grow and develop -- the company, my department, and my team members.  Since my return to work in June (after maternity leave), we've added 2 new people to the Risk Management Team, for a total of 12!  That means I now manage 10 people, which I never would have believed back when I started (after all, it was just a temp job!).  My role has changed significantly since the early days...it used to be that I handled any new "issues" that came in (employee complaints, employee injuries, unemployment claims, safety concerns, HR needs, etc.). Now, I train the people on my team to handle those issues effectively.  I help develop everyone on the team, and manage the flow of work within the department.  I also do a lot of project work and help ensure that we are providing the necessary information and resources to support all 65 PrideStaff offices across the country.  (When I started, we only had about 15 offices!)

As I've always said, the best thing about working at PrideStaff is the people I get to spend every day with.  This part just keeps getting better and better as we add more talent.  We have a culture of dignity, respect, and teamwork, and we have FUN working hard together!  The more we grow, the harder it is to get to know and appreciate everyone.  I suppose this is a great problem to have!

This weekend is our annual Home Office Christmas Party at Fort Washington Country Club, and this coming Monday we are having a special holiday party for our Risk Management Team.  I'm looking forward to celebrating the season together and reflecting on all we have accomplished
this year! 

Back To Work/Daddy Daycare

June 23rd marked 15 wonderful years at PrideStaff, and also my return to work from maternity leave!  I was blessed with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from the executive team and a little donut celebration with my department.  I was so ready to get back to my PrideStaff friends and the challenging, fun, and important work I get to do there.  Leaving baby Kate in Daddy's capable hands for the Summer months made it so much easier!  I am back to my "old" schedule of three days a week, and loving it.  Thank you, PrideStaff, for giving me the opportunity to have a fulfilling career that I can balance with my precious family! 

Chicago & Family - Two Favorites!

One of the best things about my career at PrideStaff is the opportunity to travel -- just enough and not too much!  I especially love the annual trips to Chicago, and the times when I get to visit family there.  Last week I attended a Board of Directors meeting downtown -- my first "winter" trip to The Windy City, brrrr -- and then took the train out to the suburbs to see my stepsister Kristin and her family.  It was a quick overnight stay at their beautiful home in West Dundee, but a good opportunity to shop, talk, have delicious food (no trip is complete without a meal at Geno's East Pizza!), and spend time with her kids.  Jack and Nick are both 15 and probably could care less about a boring old aunt, but I thoroughly enjoy time with my now 10-year-old niece Sophia. Thank you, Kristin, for always making me feel so welcome in your home.  Sitting at your kitchen counter drinking coffee and talking with the family is one of my favorite places to be!

Memphis Redux

Shortly after my return from New Orleans, I was asked to make a team visit to our Memphis, TN office. This February visit was much different than my (very hot) August visit, and it included more delicious food, better weather (even some cool rain), a trip to see "The King" at Graceland, and a 2:00am hotel fire alarm (hey, you win some; you lose some). Below are some pics from the trip, including work stuff and Graceland. I was really excited to see Graceland, especially for the $33.00 ticket price....but I was underwhelmed. It looked small and hokey, and the museum attached was just bizarre. There was absolutely nothing that told of Elvis' drug abuse, health issues, or untimely death....not a single unflattering photo....all glitz, glamour, and good times. I was, however, super impressed with the 4 or 5 gift shops on the property, not to mention the kitschy tourist shops surrounding the Graceland property. ANYTHING you want with Elvis' face or signature on it can be found here. Anyway, it was nice to balance out our work with a little bit of fun! I believe I've had my fill of Memphis, though.....thank you; thank you very much.

PrideStaff In The Big Easy

This year's PrideStaff Annual Conference took all of us to New Orleans, where we spent a week at the Sheraton Hotel right at the edge of the French Quarter. What a rich city -- food, music, culture, nightlife, and diversity abound! (As does powdered sugar -- definite hazard if your outfit is within 25 yards of Cafe du Monde!) There wasn't much free time, but it was wonderful to see all of my PrideStaff friends and family and explore Bourbon Street after hours. We made many fun memories and I enjoyed a variety of new experiences, including oysters on the half shell! I continue to be so incredibly grateful for my career with PrideStaff and the opportunity to be so involved in the growth and expertise of this company. 

 

Here's a picture of those of us from the Risk Management Department who attended PAC -- Dani, me, Nathan, Beverly, and Shirley.  And below are some pics from the trip!

Happy Holidays 2012

As usual, the Haydens enjoyed a busy holiday season full of gatherings with family and friends.  I have always felt like we were light on tradition, but as I wrote this I realized just how many holiday traditions we do enjoy each year.  We are certainly blessed as we head into 2013!

December 3 - Junior League Holiday Social at Piazza Del Pane.  Below is a pic of me with the rest of the 2013-2014 Board of Directors.  Next year I take on the role of Board secretary!  This was a fun little social designed for girl time, cocktails, and a "favorite things" gift exchange.  A great way to kick off the holiday season!

I'm in the back row, second from left, in red!

December 7 - PrideStaff Christmas Party at Fort Washington Country Club.  This is our favorite holiday party every year -- PrideStaff never disappoints!  Somehow I missed getting a picture of Chad and I together, but I got a few with the girls and PLENTY with our special entertainment: Elvis!  Local Elvis impersonator Jeremy Pierce has been a regular at the PrideStaff holiday parties for at least 10 years and he never gets old (literally and figuratively)!  He's also an old debate buddy of Chad's, so it's fun to say "We knew him when...."

Sarah & Dani. Love the dress she loaned
to me...and then GAVE to me!

Elvis in the house!

December 9 - Gingerbread Houses with "the cousins."  We are really enjoying this holiday tradition that we've graciously been included in!  Each year we get together with my aunt/uncle/cousins (and their spouses/kids) to decorate graham cracker "gingerbread" houses.  It's super fun despite the fact that our structural integrity and artistic flair are devolving as the years progress.  Year one we had the standout house, year two our roof collapsed, and year three I spent so much time working on a house that would stand up that we lost precious decorating time.  OH WELL!  Although next year I'm going to suggest that we all come with our houses pre-made, blank on the outside, so that we can concentrate on eating candy decorating them to the hilt.  Here's a pic of this year's masterpiece, omplete with half-marshmallow pseudo-snow tufts on the roof.

December 14 - PrideStaff RiskManagement Department Christmas Party at Nathan and Trish's.  Since our department has gotten so big in the past year, we thought it would be fun to have our very own Christmas party.  Nathan offered to host it at his place, so we made it into a potluck.  His wife, Trish, planned out some very fun games and prizes for us and when we finished "Christmas Pictionary" we were all sore from laughing so hard.  It was a really fun night and we came home with a super plush "sherpa" throw for our couch that matches our living room perfectly.

Clockwise from top left: Nathan, Danielle B., Danielle H. (Dani),
Beverly, Me, Shirley, Maribeth, Rachel.

December 21 - Forensics Christmas Potluck at Christiana's.  How do you know you're a fantastic teacher?  When your students still want to hang out with you over the holidays and/or long after they graduate!  This has turned out to be a new holiday tradition for us -- a get-together with all of the forensics students from class of 2011 (those who graduated and also those who were on the team with those who graduated). This year instead of going out to a restaurant we had a potluck and white elephant gift exchange at the home of one of Chad's favorites, Christiana.  She's a sophomore at Duke this year.  (This is a totally separate topic, but MAN these class of 2011 kids are SMART.)  We had a great time catching up on their latest college adventures and I brought home a Mr. Potato Head for Tess!

The group, minus a few who couldn't make it.

With Christiana ~ she captioned this photo "Two people I really
look up to." Aww! She's about as great as they come!

December 23 - Holiday Open House In Hollister.  We had a last-minute opportunity to spend the Sunday before Christmas with Chad's extended family (the Drydens) in Hollister.  We enjoyed great food and great company, got to hang out with some of our favorite cousins, and Tess got to see her great aunts/uncles and great grandpa.  (On the Dryden side of the family we are up to 6 great granddaughters and 2 great grandsons!)



Here's Great Grandpa ("Pop") with 5 of his 8 great grandchildren.



 December 24 - Christmas Eve Cookie Baking.  Holiday sugar cookie making/decorating is slowly becoming an annual tradition with my Mom (Grandma Melody), and this year we got together at my house along with her sister (my Aunt Debbie) and cousin Valerie.  Tess enjoyed eating the dough and playing around with all the supplies....at one point her hands and mouth were completely red from getting into the sprinkles!

Tess wearing her first little apron and helping
press out the shapes with the cookie cutters. 

December 25 - Christmas In Reedley.  Another Christmas tradition for us is spending Christmas morning in Reedley with the Unruh parents and Uncle Dick, Aunt Debbie, and cousin Valerie.  We typically open our stocking stuffers first (all individually wrapped!) and then have breakfast before opening gifts.  Each year Valerie makes a delicous "stuffed blueberry french toast casserole" with homemade blueberry syrup.  YUM!

All dressed up for Christmas Day.

A tired Christmas Tess enjoying one of her favorite gifts.

December 28 - Christmas With The Eastons.  Our dear friends Michael and Sara Easton were in town for the holidays, and they threw a fun little holiday get together that included a variety of mutual friends we've met over the many years we've known them.  Many guests were people we hadn't seen in years so we thoroughly enjoyed catching up.  We had a delicious dinner, played "tele-pictionary" (hilarious!) and took turns sharing about 2012 highlights and 2013 hopes.  I took my camera but was having too much fun and forgot to take pictures!

December 29 - Christmas Tea At American.  Cousin Valerie just returned from about 3 months in Germany, and a few weeks ago she mentioned she was having a tea party with some of her girlfriends.  I thought it would be fun to put on a tea party, too, so we decided to have one with our mothers and picked the Saturday after Christmas to do it.  The table was set with china and serveware that is full of family history and while we ate we talked about where each piece came from and why it was special.  On the menu: salad with a variety of flavored balsamic vinegars and olive oils, homemade yellow split pea soup, homemade cranberry scones, lemon curd and clotted cream, and Christmas tea from Germany.  Tess was with us and managed to make it through the meal without breaking anything, and ate almost an entire scone by herself!

Table set for beautiful Christmas Tea.

December 29 - Christmas With The Haydens.  Chad's brother, sister-in-law, and our nieces came down for the weekend so that we could celebrate Christmas with the parents on that side.  Although I couldn't make it to breakfast at Geoff and Toni's, we did share a meal with Chris, Kristi, Elise, and Everlee at Paul and Barbara's.  Whenever we do Christmas dinner at the Villescas home we spice it up with Mexican food!  This year was delicious taco salads.  Tess got to play with her cousins and open presents with them.  It was a fun night!

Tess in her Christmas outfit from Grandma V.

The little cousins having dinner together - so cute!

December 30 - Christmas With The Suiches. Our Fullerton family made a day trip up to Clovis to share a holiday meal with us and exchange presents.  Chad and I made a delicious pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans and garlic bread for dinner and we had an assortment of holiday goodies for dessert.  We had a quiet day around the fireplace television and enjoyed each others' company. Thank goodness for low-key holiday events, because we were approaching burnout!

December 31 - New Year's Eve With Friends.  It's been several years since we went to an actual NYE party where we could cut loose and count down with other people.  This year we marked the occasion with some dear friends made through PrideStaff, whose daughter is also Tess's favorite babysitter.  We ended up staying night at their place (all three of us) and spending a relaxing New Year's morning recovering together.

Happy New Year from the Haydens!

January 1 - New Year's Day With The Unruhs.  Each year the extended Unruh family (all 30+ of us) gets together on New Year's Day to eat up the last of the holiday goodies and do a name-draw gift exchange.  We started doing this many, many years ago when we got too big to get together on Christmas Eve/Christmas day due to other family commitments.  It really works out well because it guarantees we all see each other and is a nice finale to the holiday season.  This year we got together at my Uncle Dave and Aunt Gloria's new home in Sunnyside, and every single family member was present (a rarity!).  We managed to get a group picture without too much trouble, but we're so big now that it's hard to get time with everyone in just a couple of hours.  Even so, it's a wonderful way to start the new year.

This is ALL OF US!  Wow.  Shocking we fit into one pic, and we didn't have to use the wide-angle lens!

Tess has a thing for hats...so cute!

Walking In Memphis

Right after Tess's birthday, PrideStaff asked me to make a somewhat last-minute trip to visit our Memphis office.  Our office there just landed a huge, new account and the team was in need of some special training.  I got to travel with my dear friend Danielle and we had a great time helping the office and soaking up Southern culture.  Highlights were visiting Beale Street, driving past Graceland, and eating at the world-famous Gus's Fried Chicken.  The song "Walking in Memphis" makes so much more sense now!

As a fantastic added bonus, I got to see my dear friend Lindsey during my Dallas layover on the way there.  Then, on the way home, both Danielle and I got to have an extended layover in Dallas and have brunch with the whole Sullivan family -- Randy, Lindsey, Brynlee, and Degan.  What an unexpected blessing!

Below are some fun pics from the trip.

Back To Work!

In June I returned to work at PrideStaff as a "temp" while Chad was off work and could stay home with Tess.  It was interesting to come full-circle, since I started as a temp there back in June of 1999 -- thirteen years ago!

It was absolutely wonderful to be back with my work friends, doing what I love, and truly making a difference with the Risk Management team.  I felt like part of me that had been hibernating was slowly coming back to life, and eventually, thriving.  Within a few weeks it started to feel like I had never been gone -- all of the critical thinking and technical skills needed for the job were fully functioning.  Meanwhile, Tess had a wonderful Summer spending her days bonding with Daddy....while Mommy made some really great money!

While I was there under the auspices of a 6-8 week "assignment," PrideStaff made me a part-time return to work offer.  At the time I resigned to stay home with Tess, I truly believed that a part-time schedule with PrideStaff (as a permanent employee vs. a "temp") was not an option, at all.  We felt very strongly that we needed to make the sacrifice of my full-time employment, at least temporarily, while Tess was a baby -- and so we did.  It was financially challenging, but not impossible, and allowed us to experience a type of fulfillment that we hadn't known before.  I had no idea that exactly one year (to the day) after going on maternity leave I would be back -- with my same title and job duties, this time in my own office, and with a team that had grown to include new people that I thoroughly enjoy working with!  And, honestly, with an amazing part-time salary.  It seemed too good to be true. 

We didn't just jump at the offer.  We took almost a month to pray about it, talk about it, and get counsel from family and friends.  We also knew that finding trustworthy, reliable child care for Tess for three days a week was our priority, and accepting the offer primarily depended on her being well-cared for.  But we truly sensed that God had provided this opportunity for me to be with my PrideStaff family again, at this particular time -- just as Tess was turning one, walking, and ready for much more stimulation and interaction with the world around her.

Within a few weeks everything was falling into place.  Chad's mom, who is an incredible and involved Grandma to our sweet girl, said that she would love to watch Tess on Wednesdays, which meant that Tess could continue participating in the childrens' program at Bible Study Fellowship (where Grandma is a childrens' group leader).  Then after making just one phone call we were blessed to be offered a 2-days-a-week spot in the Child Care Center at New Harvest Church.  We decided to do a "trial run" with the New Harvest program to see how Tess would like it and if she did well in that type of setting.  As it turns out, she did great!

So on August 16th I "formally" returned to PrideStaff as a permanent employee, their Risk Manager, and I am absolutely LOVING it.  After about 6 weeks we have definitely settled into a "new normal" and it seems we are all thriving.  We feel so blessed to have this opportunity, at this time, and all that goes along with it for our family and for our Tess.  Most of all we feel supported and affirmed in this new chapter by pretty much everyone in our life, and that feels good. 

What's up next for us?  Whatever it is, we are hoping it includes a bigger home, and a bigger family!

 

Back To Work

Oh, the perks of working for a temp staffing company!

I have returned to work for the summer, I'm happy to say!  I am so blessed that when I resigned from my full-time position as Risk Manager at PrideStaff, I didn't have to cut ties completely.  Because the company is growing so rapidly, there has been a lot of opportunity for me to do a few hours of project work from home each week while taking care of Tess.  Now, with Chad being off work and home for the summer, I'm thrilled to go back to the office full-time for about six weeks (minus days off here and there for trips/vacation)!  My "temp assignment" started just a week shy of what would have been my 13th anniversary with PrideStaff.  Ironically, I started out as a temp....and now it seems I have come full-circle. 

My dear friend Danielle had my
desk ready with pics of Tess!

My back-to-work title: Risk Consultant. What I'm working on: putting together a training plan for the newer team members in Risk, coordinating and giving most of the training they need, updating some company policies and processes, updating the employee handbook, drafing a "Risk Certification" program for our field offices...for starters.  It's SO GREAT to be back in a professional setting, with the opportunity to have a single focus during the day -- and a lunch hour all to myself! 

Chad is thoroughly enjoying his time at home with Tess, too.  He seems to do a better job "tiring her out" during the day, which results in hearty meals and solid, lengthy naps.  He is so sweet to send me pictures of my sweet girl during the day -- and in some surprisingly adorable outfits!  The general consensus is that this is a good "break" for everyone involved -- Mommy, Daddy, and Tess. The summer is already flying by....I'm sure I will be back to my "new normal" job ("Domestic Goddess") before I know it!

Seattle Trip & Tess's First Travel Adventure

While Daddy was away at a weekend debate tournament, Tess and I had our own little adventure in Seattle!  We spent the long weekend up there, along with my dear friend Danielle and her fiance, Cory.  Interestingly, Dani and I both have an aunt/uncle/cousins in the Seattle area -- who live less than 3 miles from each other and actually even know each other.  (We've been friends for about 7 years but just discovered this about a year ago!)  So, thanks to a fantastic deal on airfare from Alaska Airlines, we were able to take a trip together that included visiting our respective families. 

We arrived Thursday morning and spent the day adventuring around Bellevue and Mercer Island and visiting the PrideStaff office in Tukwila.  We also took a very fun and much-anticipated trip to the Glassybaby store -- this was super exciting for me, since I am a proud owner of 3 Glassybabys but had never been to any of their retail locations.  (Most of you are probably wondering, "What the heck is 'Glassybaby'?" They're beautiful, one-of-a-kind votive candle holders made ONLY in Seattle. Sales proceeds benefit various nonprofits.) On Thursday night we had dinner with our good friend David Brown, who we've known for years through PrideStaff.  Danielle's fiance, Cory, joined us on Friday morning and we spent the day doing "touristy" stuff downtown (Pike Place, Space Needle, etc.). On Friday evening Dani and I parted ways to spend time with our families.  I was so grateful that my cousin Heather drove all the way from Spokane, with her 2 1/2 year old daughter Gabby, so that she could spend the weekend at her parents' house with me and Tess. On Saturday, Heather and I did some shopping and joined up with Danielle and her Aunt Tiff for some wine tasting (in the snow!).  Tess and I spent Saturday evening enjoying a lovely dinner at Dani's aunt and uncle's house, where I got to meet Barcelona's lead singer, Brian Fennell, and his lovely fiance, Marion.  On Sunday, Danielle, Cory and I visited Crossroads Bible Church in Bellevue, where Dani's uncle is the worship and media pastor. (Also, her uncle -- Timothy James Meaney -- is also pretty big in Christian music circles, for those of you who are interested.)  We spent Sunday afternoon hanging out at the Meaney's house, watching football (that fantastic 49er's playoff game!) and watching the snow fall. Little did we know that our flight out on Sunday evening was just in time for a record-breaking snowstorm in the Seattle area!

And now a word about traveling by plane with a 5-month old baby, without her Daddy... Our little Tess did SO great! She is SO inquisitive that looking around kept her pretty preoccupied during the short flight.  Everyone on the plane fell in love with her, of course.  She was not fussy and was just talkative enough to be super cute.  Having Danielle with me was a HUGE help -- I can't imagine taking my first trip with a baby ALONE! I had been really nervous about all the logistics of traveling with a baby (from what to pack to what I should carry on the plane to how to deal with sleeping away from home) and all my worry was for nothing.  Have baby, will travel!  It turns out that people are much more kind and understanding and helpful when you've got an adorable kiddo with you than they are otherwise.  Although I have to admit, even with the fantastic help, spending 4 days as a "single parent" -- especially away from home and all of our usual baby "stuff"-- was pretty exhausting.  We had a wonderful time but were so glad to be home!

Below is a slide show of my pics from the trip.  Next up for Tess is a trip to Dallas over Spring Break, to meet her "Uncle" Randy and "Aunt" Lindsey.

Bon voyage!

Mom's Big Career Move

On January 4th my life changed pretty dramatically... I said goodbye to my full-time career of almost 13 years at PrideStaff. 

This was a HUGE and difficult decision, of course, and one that I really procrastinated on making, although I've had an inkling for a while that my heart would tell me I had no other choice.  The thought of leaving PrideStaff felt like cutting off a limb, almost.  I mean, I've spent probably about 26,000 hours of my adult life with these people, and my professional identity has been a majority piece of who I am since I was 21 years old.  Until my Tess arrived ~ and now, for me, my identity as her mother needed to take priority for the time being. 

But my PrideStaff family was GREAT about it.  I couldn't have asked for more support and understanding from them.  And my fears about "cutting the cord" were met with the very generous opportunity to continue on with my department in a temporary capacity, doing project work here and there as my time allows.  What could have been a very traumatic experience for someone else working some place other than PrideStaff, was instead met with appreciation and grace. To be part of a work family that supports such a decision, and then provides me with the opportunity and means to stay connected and engaged after the fact, means more than I can express. I am so appreciative to still be able to "come to work" at PrideStaff, in a sense, even if in a different capacity, and even if only occasionally. I'm grateful that I can continue to use my skills, continue to grow and contribute, and continue to be part of the PrideStaff family.

I'm not sure it's possible to condense my almost 13 years' experience at PrideStaff into a simple blog post. I came to the company in 1999, fresh out of college and a newlywed, with a solid foundation (strong communication skills, a good work ethic, lots of energy and initiative), but there was nothing built on that foundation yet. To get where I am today, I needed a plan, I needed tools, and the right people to guide me. My mentors at PrideStaff recognized my talent, cultivated me, believed in me, invested in me, coached me, and spent a lot of their extremely valuable time with me. They gave me everything I needed to become successful -- and not just in terms of my title or my salary. They taught me skills that have helped me become a better and more well-rounded person both at work AND at home (as a wife, friend, daughter, community citizen, and even as a mother).

I have been reflecting on all the things I've learned "on the job" at PrideStaff that I still use every day, even though my work is much different right now.  These skills, which I'm continuing to develop and refine, will stay with me the rest of my life, and are a direct result of PrideStaff's dedication to my growth as an individual.

The company culture at PrideStaff is truly one of a kind. Where else would a 21-year-old kid (that was me, a "temp" back in 1999) get one-on-one training and coaching from the CEO of a national corporation? George has never allowed successes or struggles to distract him from being fully engaged with each of us. And Tammi, my true mentor, has poured an immense amount of knowledge into me over the years (everything workers' comp, risk management, employment law related, etc.). She has been a fantastic teacher and has always been willing to stop what she's doing to help me learn -- not just the HOW, but the WHY. And when it was my time, she invested in me as a manager of my own team. Being a team leader has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my professional career, and I was able to do it with confidence and success by following the example that she set for me.

So, as much as I am full of gratitude to PrideStaff for the past 12 1/2 years, I am so thankful for all they have done for my future as well. I'm glad that my "goodbye" was really only a "see you later." Although I joke that I now work for "TessStaff," PrideStaff will always be family to me!

Yes Sir, She's Our Baby!

Well, it's been just over 5 weeks since little miss Tess's arrival, and as we have always heard it would, our life has changed dramatically.  We find ourselves asking the usual questions: What did we do with our time before Tess?  How is it possible to love something so small, so much?  (And, of course, how many poopy diapers did she have today?) Anyone who is a parent knows all that we are feeling and how profound it is, and it's probably too much to try and put into words here.  Suffice it to say, I (we) feel fulfilled and completed in a way that we didn't know was possible and our hearts have expanded beyond what we thought they were capable of.

Tess is such a good baby!  At 5 weeks, she is sleeping 5-6 hours at night, and she's alert and smiling.  Naturally, we think she is the sweetest and cutest baby ever.  Tess means "harvester," and true to her name, she is bringing up so much joy and love -- not just for us, but for our family and friends as well.  It's quite impressive how many people have invested in knowing and loving her -- she has at least 2 visitors a week, it seems!  We've already had some memorable "firsts," most notably her first "official" bath in her tub and her first "real" smile. Then there was Mommy & Daddy's first "date night" and her first photo shoot (newborn pics and birth announcements coming soon!). Oh, and the first diaper blowout.... There have also been a few trips out and about, and visits to both PrideStaff and Clovis North. 

After about 4 weeks, it felt like life had started to take shape into the "new normal." Each day brings a new lesson about how to care for her, how to schedule our time, and how to incorporate chores and errands into the mix.  Occasionally I even get to do frivolous things like update this blog.  

I have yet to download all the pics from our camera (frivolity!), but here are more pics taken with my phone over the past month (the iPhone is always handy to snap a quick photo!):

 I wonder what this blog will look like now that Tess has arrived and has consumed all of our time, attention, and devotion.  I hope everyone is prepared to see a lot of her!

Back To School At PrideStaff

From February 28th through March 11th I got to go "back to school" at PrideStaff and attend our 2-week long "212 Training" course. It was lots of hard work and a total blast!

The class is designed for all new PrideStaff franchise owners, and provides detailed training on all aspects of our operations and sales processes. It's held in our high-tech training room at the corporate office ("Home Office"). This new training was rolled out in 2007, and I'd had yet to participate but felt it was important for me in understanding the "big picture" of PrideStaff. I had so much fun doing all the mock sales calls, as it really got me out of my everyday routine! Typically I am a presenter during the training class, but this time I got a new perspective that really made me proud of what we have accomplished as a company in the past 4-5 years.

The toughest part was 2 straight weeks of NO BREAKS for me. Anytime we had a short reprieve from class, I was back at my desk tending to the incoming emails and phone calls at my "real job." It was as exhausting as it was rewarding.

Below is a link to a fun slideshow that our admin staff put together, showing pictures taken with my class over the 2-week period.

http://animoto.com/play/pTXy2sSVacRijUADPlS9EA?utm_content=escape_link

Also, here is the "212 Movie" that was used as the inspiration for creating the training class. It's really good -- make sure your speakers are on!
http://www.212movie.com/

Viva Las Vegas!

This year's PrideStaff Annual Conference was held in LAS VEGAS from February 16th - 20th. It was a GREAT week of reveling in our success, hearing fantastic keynote speakers, and catching up with our associates from around the country. Our conference was held at the Monte Carlo hotel. Below are just a few pics of me with some of my favorite PrideStaff people!

Okay, so Las Vegas is definitely NOT the ideal destination for a pregnant gal! But I managed to make the most of it, and got to fit in several Las Vegas must-do's: shopping at the Forum Shops at Ceasar's Palace, gambling (blackjack and roulette) at the Monte Carlo, staying out late (I made it to 2am!), walking The Strip in 3-inch heels (ouch!), and hitting up the newest, hottest nightspot -- Marquee -- as a VIP, thanks to the friends in our PrideStaff Las Vegas office! I also think I inhaled a pack or two of cigarette smoke while I was there, but thankfully baby is just fine. Oh Vegas, I'm sure I'll see you again someday, but for now I've had my fill!

First Christmas Party Of The Season

We had a blast this weekend at the PrideStaff Christmas party, held at Fort Washington Country Club! Great food, free drinks, fun music, DANCING, and lots of wonderful people!

Chad got a new suit for the occasion...

With Danielle and Andreana, who came as her date!

PrideStaff At City Hall

Yesterday I felt so honored to accompany PrideStaff’s entire Executive Team to Fresno’s City Hall so that we could present our company to the City Council. Apparently the Council has put together a new program that will feature locally-owned businesses at each Council meeting throughout the year. Many Council members had no idea that PrideStaff is a Fresno-based company, started here in 1978, that has grown into a nationally operated and recognized franchise system. The presentation resulted in our Council representative suggesting a partnership between PrideStaff and the Council to identify economic recovery trends in the Fresno area. Way cool! Check out pics of City Hall and me with the Execs below. After 11 years at PrideStaff, I’m still having a GREAT time working there and can’t imagine doing anything else!

Merry Christmas From Risk Management!

Below is the holiday picture of the Risk Management Department at PrideStaff: me, Shirley, Nathan, & Danielle (Dani). These are the people I spend every weekday 8-5 with! We have a fun time and they help make my job one that I really love!