Happy Halloween!

My sister Jayna joined the blogging world just in time to post some pictures of her Halloween get up. She looks so strange and scary and so wrong, but so funny. I am so happy that she decided to jump on the blogging bandwagon, I'm sure there will much more hilarity where this came from!

www.mikeandjaynamiller.blogspot.com

Farewell Video

Josh (our friend and co-worker) made this awesome video for Cammie! (This is Bethany)

A Fond Farewell

Bethany hit the nail on the head when she said "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times." She was referring to my last day of work, which was today. After scampering around to get my final things in order, I had an exit interview with my boss. During the interview I couldn't help the tears from coming. My time with University Health Care has been wonderful, challenging, and the staff is second to none. I don't think my boss was ready for the tear fest and recommended that I regain composure, because my fellow co-workers were throwing me a surprise party.

So there I was surprised, and honored, shocked, and red faced from crying. When I entered the room everyone yelled SURPRISE! Then they started to clap. I tried to hold it in, it takes a lot to get me crying, but once I start it's hard to stop. So there I was again, squirting tears in front of all my co-workers. I was truly overwhelmed with their support and appreciation.

Of course, my wonderful sister was there too. She grabbed my camera and started snapping pictures and passing out her world famous sugar cookies. It really was the best and worst of times. Here are some pictures from this memorable event!

No Wednesday or Friday would be complete without a lunch break with my sister. Pay no attention to my bawled out eyes, I really tried to get my act together.

My work friends: Rudy, Scott, Josh and Isaac {quite possibly the best guys ever!}

My mentor and hero Margo Beecher.

Change Change and More Change

When Christian decided to accept the position in Wyoming, I was faced with the reality of having to quit my job. Quitting a job may be easy for some, but not for me.

I've worked for the University of Utah since August 1999. When I was hired there I was just barely 19 years old. My supervisor, and future best friend, Nicole took a chance on a young newly married student and we had the best time. I worked for in the Registration/Records Office of the Registrar's Office for four years:

August 1999-March 2000: Data Entry Clerk
March 2000-May 2001: Assistant Supervisor
May 2001-September 2003: Supervisor

When Cali was born in July of 2003, I had every intention to stop working all together. However, I was approached by Ralph Boren {The Registrar} to accept a part-time position as a consultant on the upcoming electronic grades project. I accepted the offer, and in October 2003 I started doing the research necessary to start the project. After the project was completed I took a permanent part-time position in the Student Systems office.

October 2003-June 2004: Egrading Consultant and Coordinator
June 2004-November 2005: Tester, Trainer, Functional Expert {all things technical}
November 2005-January 2006: Time off with Carter!
January 2006-March 2007: Tester, Trainer, Functional Expert {all things technical}
March 2007-September 2007: Registrar's Office Process Analyst

Last October I made a huge change and expanded my knowledge base of the campus from academics to health care. I had worked with Rolene Coulter on hundred's of student related projects, and she recommended me to Teri Olsen at University Health Care. After some chatting and reviewing my resume, she offered me a position as a Project Coordinator in the Education and Development Office, where I have spent the past year.

October 2007-October 2008: Education and Development Project Coordinator.

Now you can see why it was hard for me to leave. I've spent close to a decade at the U. Through all of this I finished my degree, worked with the smartest people, made the most wonderful friends, and felt like I made a difference in the lives of students, faculty, and staff. Now you can see why today, my last day, the tears flowed. In fact the tears started Monday, and I may shed a few more tonight.

I have never been one to fear change or oppose it, I've had some very wonderful changes happen in my life and have been grateful for all of them. I have recently found out that sometimes doing what is best for your family, isn't always the easiest thing to do personally.

Sunday Evening

Sometimes there's nothing better to do on a Sunday evening, than perform cheers from Jr. High. Go Bulldogs!

Drugs?

As a kid I remember participating in Red Ribbon Week at Castle Dale Elementary {Go Cougars}. We had Peer Helper assemblies and other activities to remind the kids of Castle Dale to stay drug free. Fast forward 20 years.....

Cali's school is having red ribbon week this week. The kids get to wear a red ribbon and bracelet, and there are even free and discounted items at local stores if the kids wear their ribbons to the store. I fully agree with the concept of keeping kids off drugs. But we have run into a few snags this week {imagine that}.

How do you tell someone to "live drug free", if they don't even know what drugs are? So, in order for Cali to get in the spirit of Red Ribbon Week, we have had many many talks about drugs. She's still a little confused. She told her class that her neighbor smokes, and I had to stop her from going to that neighbor's to tell him not to do drugs. On more than one occasion this week I have muttered under my breath, "damn you red ribbon week...."

To Infinity and Beyond {All Day Long}

After eight straight hours of wearing his Halloween costume, and after referring to me as "cowboy doll", "child's plaything", and "Woody" all day, I was able to pry Buzz Lightyear from Carter's sweaty body. Buzz is now wearing toothpaste, chocolate milk, and macaroni and cheese. I'm not entirely sure if we {Buzz and I} are going to make it all the way to Halloween in one piece.

Family Pictures

On Thursday my friend {and fellow Castle Dalian, Aimee Wright} was kind enough to take some family pictures for us. It's been just over two years since our last photo shoot, and we thought it was time for some updated pictures. She is great with kids and did a great job, we especially liked the way she captured each personality. Here are just a few of our numerous favorites.

{Insert Clever Post Title Here}

There is something that I've been needing post for a few weeks now, but have struggled with what to title the post. Here are some of my ideas:



1. Wrangler Butts Drive Me Nuts

2. You Can Take the Boy out of the Coal, but You Can't Take the Coal out of the Boy

3. Sweet Home Wyoming

4. It's Really Only 2.5 Hours to Park City



Well, as you can see I could quite come up with the right words to say that we are moving to Wyoming. The shock. The gasps. I know it's a little crazy, and so are things for us right now.



Christian applied for a job with Bridger Coal Company in August, later that month he had a phone interview, and in September we took a lovely all-expense-paid trip to Rock Springs for a final interview. In early October he was offered a position as their Purchasing Manager. He likes to tell everyone that we're moving to Wyoming to become coal miners, which being from Carbon County doesn't sound too far fetched. The truth is, it's a great opportunity for Christian to expand his career and move out of the retail market. It's also a great opportunity for our family to experience a schedule that doesn't involve waking up at 3am everyday and working every single holiday.

So we're off on a new adventure. It's scary, hard, fun, exciting, and I'm sure it won't be the last...

Most Likely to Become a TV Talk Show Host

Last Wednesday Bethany and I had an interesting experience. We were asked, rather tricked, into performing a vocal selection for an instructional video. Everyone in our office received an Outlook appointment entitled, "sing". Bethany thought it meant to go watch someone sing, so she accepted the appointment. I, on the other hand, asked the sender what "sing" meant. He said that he needed people to sing a song which would be recorded at the Eccles Broadcast station. I declined the appointment.

However, when the appointed time and day came for the "sing". I gave Bethany a ride to the broadcast center, and then decided to support my sister/co-workers/and the project by participating. How bad could it be? Right? In an office of 30+ people surely we would be singing in a big group. Not so.

The "sing" consisted of me, Bethany, and three other guys from our office singing a rendition of the Utah fight song {Utah Man}, with the words changed to Utah Nurse. After several attempts at laying down the track, we finally got a take that was sufficient. They ended up having to lay several tracks over one another to make it sound like there were more people singing.

On our way out of the Eccles Broadcast center the technician asked if we would like a small tour of the studio. He took us to the set of Utah Now. If you are familiar with KUED you may have seen the show and/or flipped past it while channel surfing. We took the opportunity to have our picture taken posing as talk show hosts. While we were sitting there Bethany informed me that when she was in high school she was voted most likely to become a TV talk show host. Good to know!


Bethany also had the opportunity to meet Big Bird, so it wasn't a total waste of an hour!

I Looked Out the Window......

and what did I see. Seriously!

A Boy, His Trumpet, His Sister, and Weezer

We arrived at the ECenter promptly at 5:30 p.m. We received our tickets, we were searched, and then proceeded to wait.

All of the musicians were required to sign their name, instrument, and contact info....that took a while. Then we waited about another hour until finally the rep from the record label took the musicians into a super-secret-back-stage practice room. Then the ushered all of the musician's guests to their seats. Where we sat and waited....

After about an hour {it's about 7:30 p.m. by now} the musicians returned. Backstage passes slapped on their shirts. Brandt said it was a fun and amazing experience to practice with the band. Well, technically there was only one band member there for the practice and it wasn't Rivers.

These cut-out album covers kept us entertained for hours. We took advantage of the photo-ops during the first opening band's set. I don't know their name, but the were no good.

The blue album is my favorite and most likely to make me nostalgic for 1994.

More photo fun while sitting in our seats.

And yet, even more photo fun. The second band to go on was Angels in Airwaves. They were OK. the lead singer is Tom from Blink 182, and he still can't sing.

Finally Weezer arrived on stage in all their crazy glory. Note: Rivers has a strange scary ski mask thing over his head.

One wardrobe change from their white straight jackets into some funky red track suits. They played lots of their classics and lots of their new stuff too.

At 10:50 p.m. it was time for Brandt's debut. He's right in the middle of the stage standing next to a big guy in a red shirt. I am working on posting the video right now.

One encore and a final bow and we were on our way at about 11:30 p.m. It was such a fun night, and one that neither of us will be forgetting soon.

A special thanks {as always} to Bethany for watching my kids until Christian could pick them up. They had the most fun playing at "Bethany's Playground."

Beverly Hills

Brandt rocked the house at the Weezer concert last night. Here is a little video of the song featuring Brandt's crazy trumpet solo at the end. He may be a little hard to see, but that's him standing center stage next to a big guy with a red shirt {saxaphone player}.

O-R-E-O

According to Cali

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you

2. What makes mom happy?

When we obey

3.What makes mom sad?

Like, if I went over to a friend's and she never saw me ever again.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Let me think here....like she says something really goofily I'll start laughing so hard.

5. What was your mom like as a child?

She was like me.

6. What is her favorite thing to do?

Go on dates with me.

7. What does your mom do when you're not around?

Type

8. What is your mom really good at?

Computers

9. What is your mom not very good at?

Keeping track of me and Carter.

10. What does your mom do for her job?

I don't even know what you do for your job. I guess type on a computer.

11. What is your mom's favorite food?

Chicken Enchiladas?

12. What makes you proud of your mom?That when she brought home from work sometimes she would give me some jelly beans.

13. What do you and your mom do together?

When Carter's asleep play games and have fun.

14. How are you and your mom the same?

We both have blonde hair...but yours is kind of brownish...

15. How are you and your mom different?

I go to a friend's house and she has to stay home and work.

16. How do you know your mom loves you?

Because she loves me.

17. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?

Wingers.

His Name is Jonas

Not really, his name is Brandt, but he is going to be playing with Weezer in concert at the E Center on Tuesday night. And it's all because of me {Oh, and his crazy music talent}. I was listening to X96 this morning as I was stuck in a huge traffic mess on I15. Weezer is coming in concert on Tuesday and has requested that 30 local musicians play with them on stage for one or two of their songs. I thought it sounded pretty cool, so I called Brandt. I gave him the phone number and told him about the contest. Our conversation went something like this:

Cammie: Brandt, what are you doing?
Brandt: Oh, just laying in bed like an old cat.
Cammie: Do you play an acoustic bass?
Brandt: No
Cammie: Do you play a wind instrument?
Brandt: No, I just play my trumpet.
Cammie: Do you like Weezer?
Brandt: I love Weezer.
Cammie: Good enough. You HAVE to call x96 and audition for this contest. The winners get to play with Weezer in concert on Tuesday.
Brandt: OK, Bye.

Traffic finally started moving and as I approached Foothill the contest was well under way. I was wondering if Brandt was able to get through when I heard this......



Score! He totally wailed on the trumpet, won a spot to play with Weezer, scored two tickets to the concert, plus backstage passes! It was a very funny, not to mention random, way to start the day.

And who oh who will he be giving his extra ticket to? Why, me of course! So I'll be jammin out at the Weezer concert on Tuesday night.

A very very big thank you to my friend and co-worker, Josh Anderson. In less than a few minutes he spliced the audio from the pod cast, snagged a picture of Brandt from Bethany, and created a photo montage. If you have any audio/visual needs let me know and I will pass your info onto Josh. He's amazing.

Dancing with the Stars

Heirloom resident Gus Pollastro of Helper dances to accordion man James Eaquinto of East Carbon

This is the picture and caption from the front page of the Sun Advocate (the Price, UT newspaper). Gus Pollastro is Christian's Grandpa Gus, and possibly the best dancer in all of Helper. He was very excited to see that his moves had made into onto the front page of the paper. The man playing the accordion is grandpa's long-time friend and former co-worker. It just goes to show that friends, accordion music, and killer dance moves know no bounds!

We love spending time with grandpa Gus. He is full of wisdom, stories from the old days, and good old fashioned Italian charm. He has been a very influential person to everyone in our family, and continues to be the life of the party!