Woohoo!!!!

I'm just slightly excited and dazed for several reasons:

a) the weather took a turn for the sunny today. That's always energizing.

b) Sarah just had a big change take place, I will let her spread her own news. :-)

c) I finally got my car washed... it's shiny and clean.

d) the sunny weather coaxed me outside long enough to spruce up the yard. It's nice to clear away some of winter's gray from the garden beds and see more green.

e) the house is clean, and even though it's a home day for me, I don't have to spend it all cleaning. Yay! *lame celebratory dance*

f) there have been several good changes in the material, communication, and relationships that I'm affected by and/or are in charge of in the high school ministry. I'm becoming more comfortable and assertive in my leadership position (certain details, planning, and policies are becoming second nature and it's freeing me up to focus on taking leadership and making decisions more authoritatively). I also feel that it's being recognized and respected by those I'm working with. *satisfied grin*

g) I'm starting a new job!!! It's a receptionist position that I actually interviewed for a year and a half ago, but due to a missions trip that took place the same month that the old gal would be leaving, they couldn't hire me. A friend from church, who is the unofficial office manager and had recommended me for the job the first time, approached me two weeks ago to inform they were hiring again. I wasn't terribly sure if it would work out as I nanny for a family two days a week, some other scheduling stuff was up in the air, etc., but there were many pros to taking it up, so I applied again. I talked to Dad about it last Tuesday or so, verified that the position was still open on Thursday, emailed my resume on Friday, went in today for an informal interview, and start work this Thursday at nine. Aaaaaagh!!!!! The family that I work told me that they're very flexible for whatever ends up happening, the clinic is willing to work with my schedule, the clinic opens at nine which means I'll be able to be home to get Dan off to school in the mornings, and it's a less than five minute drive away which allows the option of walking to work on nice days such as today. Wooooooow!!!! It's just now starting to sink in. Sooo, yeah, I'll start all my training and such this Thursday and we'll see how it goes! Oh, the business is All Family Vision Care, in case you were wondering. :-D

and h) I'm just slightly wired on a Starbucks double shot and coffee. Hehe.

Correction!

On my last post I put the incorrect date for Nicole and Christopher's wedding!!!
It's really on February 22nd. :-( A horrible mistake on my part.

A no-frills update

For those that like to keep up on what the Hazleton's are up to, here's an unimaginative, to-the-point post to fill you in:
(though, I myself can rarely keep up on everything we're doing, so hopefully I'll be able to properly relay correct information)

Robert is:
-playing basketball during baseballs' off season, and enjoying it
-He's keeping up with schooling at home
-is involved in 4-H and Thursday School
-helps out with Children's Church at Suburban
-keeps getting taller
-"Sleeps. Eats."

Sarah is involved in:
-the ProMusica Orchestra (with an upcoming concert)
-a debate workshop in which she gets to research all sorts of alternative energy
-is also keeping up with schooling at home
-also does 4-H and Thursday School
-sings on the worship team at church
-helps with the Children's Ministry at church
-turns sixteen on the 18th
-is too smart for her own good

Daniel:
-does the Wings program and gets to ride "bus!" to and from school everyday
-does Special Olympics Skills Basketball
-acts very much like a nineteen year old boy
-still loooooooves movies and Odyssey tapes

Myself:
-still housesits occasionally
-plays violin at church
-coordinates weddings at the church and for friends for a high price :-) jk
-is the girls discipleship group coordinator (and whatever else they need) for the high school youth group at church
-provides "nanny" care for two families
-feels very short and too old
-wants a few hundred thousand for a sweet new ride and three week trip to Paris

Dad:
-still works at the hospital as Materials Manager (he buys everything and uses his skillz to save the hospital loads of dough)
-is a very strong, supportive, Godly leader for the family
-keeps showing off his skills in the kitchen (we like it)
-is the best Dad in the world
-is still the one to blame for our quirky humor

and Nicole and Christopher:
-are ......married.
-Nicole still works at Industrial Pipe and Supply as their accountant and sole female in the office
-Chistopher.... (I think this is right) drives fertilizers and lyme to fields in extra big trucks... it's manly
-are hoping they can find a lovely first home to move into
-will be celebrating their first whole year of marriage on Feb 9th (woohoo!!)
-are in-laws :-)

That 'bout wraps it up! I'll probably have to post some corrections if the rest of the family reads this and discovers any mistakes.
"Duh, Valerie! I graduated from high school in 2004! I've been researching molecular deformations and telekinethisaniomysm at Swansea University for four years!!! Get with it!"
It wouldn't surprise me.

Out of the mouths of babes

Recent conversation with a five year old boy:

Place: his play room
Scenario: I just noticed his finger suspiciously close to his nose

Me: "Are you picking your nose!"
Boy: "Hehehehe!"
Me: "Don't pick your nose. That's gross."
Boy (in all earnest): "But sometimes" *breath* "when my nose gets blocked up," *giggle* "I have to stick my finger up there to get out the snot!" *giggle, giggle, giggle*

I didn't do a very good job keeping a straight face as I informed him that you're supposed to use tissue to do that.
:-)

More silliness

I don't even like Frappuccinos and the only thing I like about Micheal Buble is his voice. But it just made me enjoy this all the more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRlgc6GA924

Priceless advice

Really funny. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out how to just post the video right on the blog. Sorry. :-p

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1389/saturday-night-live-dont-buy-stuff

*Disclaimer: I do not endorse Saturday Night Live as they are known to get nasty fast. This is a totally clean sketch but I can't say the same for the others out there.*

16 Random Things

This went around on facebook as a chain letter type thing (about four friends "requested" that I do it, so I finally did), but for those of you who have better things to do than keep up a facebook page, I decided to post it here as well. It's as it's titled: random. But a quicker read than that 100 Questions post. So, with no further ado, for your amusement and education, here are sixteen completely random things you'll wish you never bothered to take the time to read about me. :-)

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

1. I hate chain letters. :-)

2. I used to be of the opinion that black didn't count as a color and didn't like it. Now probably one third of my wardrobe is black and I think it's classy.

3. My style icons are Jackie Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, and the like.

4. My pets over the years have consisted of a black and white cat (Zeba), a rabbit (Tinkerbell [no, I'm not a fan of Tinkerbell, I was young and don't know what I was thinking]), a goldfish, a beta fish, a dove, and a Shetland Sheepdog (Frisky). In that order. Though, the cat was the first and managed to outlive them all. I currently have no pets of my own.

5. I used to think it was impossible and useless to make shoes "cute". I currently own at least four pairs mainly because they are cute.

6. I am a proud aunt and mother though my niece, nephews, and daughters have no blood relation.

7. I only had to have three wisdom teeth removed. The fourth was simply non-existent. (These are supposed to be random, right?!)

8. I chose to never attend a church high school youth group, though I'm now a leader in one.

9. My hair was practically black as a baby.

10. I hope to play the bass guitar one day.

11. I play violin. Not fiddle.

12. I've never eaten a Twinkie... and hope never to falsify that statement.

13. As a preteen, I wanted to be called by my middle name, Frances (after my grandmother). I'm now quite content with my first name.

14. I prefer my full name, Valerie. Only a few people can get away with calling me Val. Other nicknames include Valerina and/or Ballerina, Valgal, Larry, and Tea Snob. There's more, I just won't bore you with them.

15. My favorite composers are Bach and Mozart.

16. I'm the second born child out of five and am now second to shortest. Only my younger brother with downs syndrome is shorter than me.

drum roll.....

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYBODY!

2009 HERE WE COME!


(Please don't look at the post time. Ahem...)