This week

I had an unfortunate event happen with a coworker. I'm not angry with her, nor angry at my boss. But sadly, some personal boundaries of mine were crossed and I will not subject myself to further abuse by continuing to work with her.

We had a mediation yesterday, where my boss sat down with the two of us and tried to work things out. It's sad to see a fully-grown woman maintain such nastiness and stubbornness that she can't even participate in an exercise to find a solution without resorting to name-calling and finger-pointing. My boss was trying to be neutral beforehand, but the blatant bad behavior and mistreatment that happened in front of her own eyes changed that. She was in total shock at the way things happened, especially right in front of her. She could only imagine how it was the day she was gone. She gave me a hug, apologized for nasty lady's behavior, and told me to go home so I didn't have to deal with it anymore.

I feel very sad that it all had to happen at all, and bewildered thinking of what I possibly could have done to avoid such a run-in. 

It's not really part of my nature to just say someone is a nasty person and leave it at that. I don't think she is a nasty person. But she has a very nasty way of handling stress and of treating people. 

Since we planned on this position being temporary at the start of it, I volunteered to be the one to leave so we didn't have to leave this poor woman job-less right before Christmas. Do I still think it would be best for the practice to no longer have her as an employee? Yes, I do. But that's the doctor's decision and I'll be interested to see what they end up doing.

Either way, I will no longer be working there.

Sad week, right? I know. Very draining. I think I will just sleep this whole weekend. And play the piano. I would say a manicure/pedicure/massage... but I'm currently out of a job. So that isn't exactly in my budget. 

-Kristina

Rain rain go away

but do not come again another day. 

I have had WAY too much rain this week. I can't handle much more of it. Seriously.

-Kristina

I just got in my car

and this is what I saw:








I'm so sorry, sweet Tucker. I'm sure you are a very sad puppy today without your best bud. We never should've taken him with us yesterday to run errands!


I hope your new squirrel friend is keeping you good company while cow-pig is away.


We will be home soon.


-- Post From My iPhone

Holler.

Hi friends. I'm glad you missed me. Calee, I wanted to give your post the maximum amount of face-time before I blogged over it. I almost blogged over it that day as a joke, but figured you wouldn't think it was funny. :)

Life is terribly wonderful right now. I am super happy and busy but my down moments are getting the tiniest bit longer as the days go on and holidays come and go. I think I've figured out my plan and what I'm doing, but I'll hold off a few weeks before sharing it. Some things are in the works and we will see what happens with that. As a side-note, I may be looking for work! If you know of any openings, (I'm even okay with a little secretary job somewhere - prefer it, actually), then let me know. Either in San Diego or Utah.

Here are some recent iPhone photos for your enjoyment:

I seriously took this because her bum looked cute and I wanted to send a picture to Shaun. Ha ha :) This is in the dressing room at the Poway Performing Arts center before my mom's big show. We sang and it was not as terrible as I thought it would be. So that's something.

We took tucker to Balboa Park for my mom's show, and he started FREAKING out for no reason at one point. I turned around, feeling confused, until I saw this guy. He is oddly similar-looking to somebody.
... haha. :)Tucker was so excited and on sensory-overload that day at the park. He saw so many people and smelled so many smells and barked at so many other dogs. It was such a fun day for him. After we got home, he plopped on the couch and slept ALL DAY. Seriously! Our little ball of energy. He is so cute.

The beautiful stage with the cute little kids singing! They were awesome and adorable. Every year Balboa park has a huge event during December with all sorts of booths, food, performers, etc. You also get into museums for free on certain nights! It is sweetness. You should really check it out if you're in SD.

Kara's hair, as I was sitting behind her at the multi-stake choir practice last night. I want mine to do this, but Calee says I need lots of layers. Is my hair too thin for this? I want it. What do you think??
(P.s. The choir is LEGIT. Seriously. The show is going to be so incredible this year. For tickets, go to the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. They are $6 each, there will be two shows on 12/22. I hear there are still good seats available for the 8 o'clock show.)

That's all really. (Calee you need to put up pics of Tuck's bday party.) I don't have much going on right now, besides Christmas presents prep and work, and church stuff. Blah did you see that the vegas bowl is on the 22nd? So much for that. :( Same night as the multi-stake Christmas concert. Bah. I wanted to go.
I can't get this to stop doing center-alignment and it's bothering me.
Anyway. Good to catch up. I missed you. I am in serious need of a distraction or two - so if you have any distractingly-good-looking men, please send them my way. For real.

Thanks.

-Kristina

Dear Kristina

Our blog misses you. It's been almost a week! wth.

Thank you for letting me eat your PF Chang's leftovers (even if I did eat more than you originally intended...).

I think you might have died of hypothermia in the other room...this house is realllllly cold right now. I'm going to go check.

Love, Calee

I'M IN LOVE I'M IN LOVE AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT!

First of all, MOVIE TRIVIA!

Second, I am. And I don't :) I want everybody in on it!!! This post is about to get LENGTHY people. Consider yourselves warned.

Want to hear an adorable story about how I got ENGAGED over Thanksgiving?? READ ON.

Once upon a time, a young man named Shaun Reed decided to ask his sweet (extremely good looking) girlfriend to accompany him to Montana to meet his family for Thanksgiving. She was excited aaaand a little bit nervous about the snow situation...buuuut, ultimately willing to brave the snowy weather for a little R&R with her man. They'd been dating since summer and figured it was about time to get cozy with some extended fam.

Had they talked about getting engaged? Yes. BUT he was in school (and, as most of us know, being a full time student doesn't exactly lend itself to tons of time/money for ring searching/buying/etc...). So she was expecting a proposal would come to fruition ~ January or February-ish.

Shaun's 30th birthday was on the Saturday after Thanksgiving - BUT his grandma forgot and came in with a birthday card on Friday morning that had a cute little poem about him as a little kid -AND- a clue for a scavenger hunt to find his birthday present!

OK ENOUGH OF THE WEIRD TENSE/THIRD PERSON NONSENSE.

I LOVE scavenger hunts (especially when they end with presents!) so I pulled on my boots & coat and went dashing out into the misty Montana morning (aka FREEZING) after Shaun. We went to the garage first (clue #2), which directed us down to the playground (yes - they have a playground [cute!] - clue #3), which lead us to the dock/fishing rock (their house is right on Flathead Lake [amazingly beautiful] - clue #4), which landed us *finally* in the playhouse (complete with electricity and folding bunk beds - also directly on the lake - beaaauuuutiful).

There, on the playhouse table, was a big box wrapped in birthday paper. He'd been asking me the entire time what his gift was, and accusing me of being behind the whole thing! I told him I had NO idea and that I WISHED someone would've clued me in because it was such a great idea and I would've LOVED to have been a part of it. He opened the box and found another box - also wrapped.

He unwrapped it. Another wrapped box was inside. Then another. He was getting REALLY excited and kept saying - 'It's car keys! I just know it! They bought me a car!!' - which made me super excited for him! The smallest box was in his hands, and was just big enough to carry a set of car keys...

...or, a small jewelry box.

When I saw the shiny wood box inside the final gift wrapped box, I thought to myself, "Oooh...sad...he REALLY wanted car keys, and they bought him cuff links instead!!!" (haha, wow, Calee). He looked at it...then looked at me...and turned the box toward me.

"Open it! Open it!" I said. As he did, he got down on one knee. I thought I was going to pass out. What the heck?!?! How the?! What the?!?! THAT is NOT a CUFF LINK!!

He choked up a little bit as he asked me to marry him. I couldn't believe it!! What a sneaky, wonderful, perfect surprise!!! I'm looking at my beautiful engagement ring RIGHT NOW as I type this post!! I love it. And I love him. And we're getting married!!

Here are some pictures from the day after he asked...

I have no idea why the I is blue...BUT this is where he knelt in the playhouse and asked :) Tender.

This is my ring :) He picked it out himself! And I l.o.v.e. it.

This is the diving board on his grandparent's dock - the water was so clear and pretty! And it was freakishly cold outside. This is my sweet, thoughtful Shaun.

(p.s. check the hair length! woot! what did I tell you, people?!)
Photo credits to Joe Johnson. Good eye, my friend.

I absolutely love this shot. Isn't it sweet? Haha we are really ridiculous.
Not sure if you gleaned this from the rest of the post, but I am so so happy and in love with Shaun Robert Reed. Just thought I'd throw it out there in case you missed it.

p.s. are you still wondering if I purposely made a specific typo earlier? hahahahaha

for pickle

This is the video I told you about Nik. I am not a cat fan but I wouldn't mind having this one.