Columbus Blue Jackets?

Buddy and I went to the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets game this past Tuesday. Apparently they are an official NHL team. We had never heard of them. We think they meant to call themselves the Yellow Jackets and just got confused. We didn't care because our seats were 7 rows from the glass! The game was very close but the Lightning managed to pull it off 2-1 in overtime! Buddy and I both had a ton of fun!

On March 20th and 21st my Mom and I went to Time Out for Women in Orlando. It is put on by Deseret Book and has become an annual tradition of ours since the event started back in 2003. There are inspirational speakers and song writers and it truly does feel like a time out from life. For those two days you rememer why we're here and where we're going and what is important in life. You also remember that, no matter how you were feeling when you first got there, we are all daughters of our Heavenly Father and are stronger than we think. There are still a few events left this year and, if you've never been, I can't recommend it enough. Here is a link to their website to see if there are any events in your area: http://deseretbook.com/time-out

This year, there was a new presenter there by the name of Mark Mabry. He is a photographer who did an entire series on the life of Christ. His pictures are amazing, but, the stories that go along with each of them are equally amazing. The presentation he gave was very humbling as was his own personal story. It reminded me that we each have internal work to do and that we each have talents to magnify. Here is a link to his website and more information about his photographs which have been assembled into a book called "Reflections of Christ": www.reflectionsofchrist.org

New Job!

I started a new job about two weeks ago, on March 16th. I work for USAA in their Member Relationship division. I love my new job! Here are a few of the perks:

On Site Gym: This is not just any gym. It is amazing, state of the art! All the treadmills/stair steppers/elipticals have their own flat screen tv's with headphone jacks and DVD players, so you can watch whatever you want while you are working out! They have work out clothes there for you that you just throw down the laundry shoot when you are done. They have a sauna and showers with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair spray, hair gel, blowdryers, straightners, q-tips, cotton balls...you name it! They said they don't want anyone to have any excuses not to work out! Plus they have group fitness classes before work and a few during the day so you can go on your lunch breaks. Two days last week, during lunch, I took a yoga class. Too cool!

The Cafeteria: Yes, yes, I love food. But this is not regular cafeteria food. This is gourmet, fresh salad and pasta bar made exactly how you want it! The menus change all the time and there are always healthy options. Plus, the healthier you eat, the cheaper it is! For example, there are three fresh soups everyday and the healthy soup is always cheaper than the other two. Even in the vending machines, the water is cheaper than the Diet Coke which is cheaper than the regular Coke. They said they want to encourage people to make healthier eating choices. If you don't feel like eating in the cafeteria, you can eat in one of the two break rooms on each floor that overlook the lake.

Covered Parking: There is a six story garage with plenty of parking for everyone. This may not seem exciting to some people, but for those of us that have walked out to our cars in the middle of July in Florida only to have our skin melt the second we got in, you know how exciting covered parking is! Plus, during the rainy season this summer, I will not need my umbrella! Yay!

Flexible Schedule: Once my training is over I will be moving to a four day work week. I will go from driving over 300 miles per week to only driving about 160 and I get a whole extra day off!

So those are the highlights of my new job. In this economy I am very thankful to be employed, but even more thankful given my new working conditions!

4 Years and Counting!

February 18th marked our 4th anniversary. We both agreed that it feels like we just got married yesterday but at the same time feels like we have been married forever, if that makes any sense!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day this year started with Jesson surprising me with a beautiful bouquet of yellow Tulips and a very sweet card that said "I Love You".

That evening Jesson and I went to a cooking class with my parents. The class was a ton of fun and the food was amazing! Below are pictures of each of the courses.

We started with an oyster shooter. It was a single oyster in a cream sauce. I am not an oyster fan but I thought it was fantastic!

Next was a round of Camembert cheese that had been warmed and melted in the oven with sauteed wild mushrooms and walnuts on top. We ate that on top of a thinly sliced french bread.

Our first main dish was a pasta with a lobster cream sauce. Those are fresh chunks of lobster on top of the pasta, they just melted in your mouth!

Next was a thinly sliced, herb rubbed steak over a bed of arugula with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice with fresh shaved parmesan cheese.

For dessert there was a chocolate cupcake with creme fraiche, a balsamic reduction, and fresh berries.

We all had a great time and will hopefully be going back for another class soon!

Big Cat Rescue

Jesson has started volunteering at the Big Cat Rescue right here in Tampa. Their website is: www.bigcatrescue.org and their purpose is:

"Big Cat Rescue, a non profit educational sanctuary, is devoted to rescuing and providing a permanent home for exotic (i.e. wild, not domestic) cats who have been abused, abandoned, bred to be pets, retired from performing acts, or saved from being slaughtered for fur coats, and to educating the public about these animals and the issues facing them in captivity and in the wild.

The sanctuary is home to the most diverse population of exotic cats in the world, with 16 species and subspecies of wild cat represented among more than 100 residents. These include tigers, lions, liger, leopards, cougars, bobcats, lynx, ocelots, servals, caracals and others, many of whom are threatened, endangered, or now extinct in the wild."

Below are some of the new "friends" that Jesson has made at the rescue:

Sabre the Black Leopard:
Aspen Echo the Cougar:

Zeus the Siberian Lynx:

Cheetaro the Leopard:

China Doll the Bengal Tiger:

Grace the Ocelot:

Zabu the White Tiger:

Cameron the Lion:

Hockey Night in.....Tampa?

Jesson and I have had the chance to go to two different hockey games here in Tampa recently and have had a ton of fun! The first was the Islanders vs. the Lightning (Tampa won!). The second was the night before our 4th anniversary, the Lightning were playing the Chicago Blackhawks, who were Jesson's favorite team growing up. The Blackhawks won in the end, but not before Steve Stampko's of the Lightning scored a hat-trick!