A New Year...a New Job

It's a rule that with the New Year some big change or changes have to come too right? Well - my current position with PepsiCo was meant to be an interim role and my end date was 12/31! I had been waiting for the right opportunity (as instructed by my boss' boss who said there was one coming around the corner) and it finally came last week! I was able to submit my resume for the new position (still with PepsiCo) last Friday. I had three interviews all within the space of Wednesday morning - 9:30, 10:30 and 11 AM...good times! The interviews (if you could really call them that) went great...considering I knew all of the people I interviewed with and have worked with two of them quite a bit. I had a job offer by Thursday morning and an official form sent today. I love it when things work out and work quickly at that!
My old role kind of separated me from the core business side of PepsiCo and placed me full time on an ongoing Project that is occurring in waves. This new position moves me back towards the business where I can have a bigger impact on optimizing current business processes and will be able to get more exposure to the corporate side of life. I haven't decided whether that is a good thing or not...haha. We'll see! The new position is part of a brand new team - so I don't have anyone before me to train me on my tasks - I get to plow my own way through which is at once both exciting and a little scary. Many of the people on the new team are people I have worked with in the past so we get to all help each other feel our way through the learning process. Hopefully it all turns out great!
I can't complain about the new job (yet) - it gave me a significant promotion and better than that allows me to continue working from home the majority of the time and travel when necessary. I officially start my new role 12/28, but I don't have a team meeting until 1/9...that doesn't mean I have free time though. In the mean time I was just in California to support one of the project waves (or releases as we call them) and will be heading to Carlisle, PA and Seattle, WA for the same reason. Good times!
California was great - not only were the people I was training fabulous and easy to train, but I was in Southern California. I didn't realize how much I missed the West until I was driving from Burbank to Ventura and was able to see the mountains again! The weather was uncharacteristically cold, but it was still pleasant weather on all accounts and I could see both the ocean and the mountains from my hotel balcony! Besides my trip to Montana three years ago I haven't been back to the West in almost 10 years! I think I'll have to work up reasons to frequent the west more often...starting with Seattle in January and for sure a trip to Reno, NV in September for our Family Reunion! YAY! I took some pics with my cell phone - so the pics didn't turn out all that great but I thought I would share anyway!

See the ocean back there? See the mountains back there?

She's Alive!

Okay - it's been awhile. A long while since I have posted anything new on my blog. I am posting now only because I haven't posted in so long, not necessarily because I have anything to post about. Though, I am sure I'll find plenty to catch up on!

Starting with September: Devon came home for three weeks - for his R&R. He had been gone for 3 months already. We didn't do a whole lot for those three weeks other than spend time with each other and the boys at home. We did play tennis several times which was a lot of fun. We also won a trip through some contest that I randomly submitted our names for at a mall. We had to drive to Austin and spend some time with the Windham crew while they pitched their not-quite-time-share deal. We had to decline, but in the mean time submitted enough family and friends' names to get some raffle tickets and we won another trip. :) We know we will be using one of those free trips to spend some time in the Reno/Lake Tahoe area before the Family Reunion next year. Devon has never been to the place where I grew up and has yet to meet many of the family that lives there. I am really looking forward to that trip! We did take some family pictures while he was here, but we took them on his camera so I don't have the pictures! I have this one from tennis though! Not the most flattering but it will do.

Devon's Dad also came to visit us with his at the time soon-to-be wife! They are now happily married and living in Arkansas. We have yet to get any pictures of them, but we are happy to have Barbara as a part of our family now! It was great to meet her and see Dev's dad and Molly too. :)

My mom, sister Amber, and her friend Melissa came to Texas for the yearly road trip. Mom and Melissa were happy to be new road trip companions for Amber and I this year. :) We were happy to have them as well! Mom flew into Killeen to see the new house and the new city I live in. I drove her on Post so she can get a small sense of what Army life is like...a very small sense. Then we drove south towards San Antonio - though we made a detour at the San Marcus Outlet Mall....amazing Outlet mall - best I have ever seen. Great stores and amazing prices. :) I look forward to another visit there. From there we headed to San Antonio - checked into the hotel, visited the temple, then picked up Melissa and Amber from the airport. We had an amazing weekend visiting the Alamo, Sea World, and walked the River walk. Mom had to leave Saturday, so we took her to the airport and had a sad farewell-til-Christmas.

We then headed to downtown again, ate dinner, then experienced some of the fun attractions, including a mirror maze, Guinness World Record museum and "the vault" which consisted of us trying to get through laser alarms...very stealthily. :) The next day we slept in really late :) then went to the San Antonio Zoo. The next day we made it to the Waterfall Caverns and then I took Amber and Melissa back to the airport and then headed North home...but stopped at the outlet malls again to pick up some trunks I just couldn't resist! :) Not swim trunks...decor trunks ya know? Anyway! Here are some pics!

In November, Rebekah and I decided to host a Thanksgiving dinner. Neither of us had ever been in charge of the turkey before so we did a practice session two weeks before Thanksgiving. The turkey ended up being the easiest part. Thanksgiving dinner two weeks later turned out to be a lot of fun and all of the food was great! The only thing that would have made it better was if Devon was there.

Did I mention the weather is so nice outside that the boys don't want to come in until they are entirely too exhausted??

Jonas is actually resting his head in the water bowl...this was after he was drinking while laying down...Scout is mid-bark in the picture on the right - Jonas won't let him play with the big ball that wears Jonas out.

Now I have a short span at home - next week I'll be in California for work, home for 2 days, then to Indiana for one week over Christmas, then home 1 day and on to Carlisle, PA for 3 days. Lucky me. I am looking forward to seeing family for the holidays! I am also looking forward to some relaxation after the holidays! Hopefully by that time I also find out what I will be doing with work! I role off my current position December 31st and have yet to figure out what is next in line. Hopefully something great!

Until then - I'll just keep enjoying my boys and looking forward to word from Devon!