James Goes to Alta - FIRST TURNS! - November 26, 2008

As this is the week of Thanksgiving, I'll start by saying how grateful we are for James' new job. In Boise, James was working temporary labor jobs to help us meet expenses - for very low wages. James is a hard worker and very thorough and likes to do a job right-the first time he does the job. So he was often requested to come back to the same job site time after time. For the last couple months James was working at a remodel of a Fred Meyer - even as the job finished up and the remodel company didn't need any temporary labor, they still asked James to work for them until the end. We are grateful that he had work to keep us going, but we are even more grateful for a full-time job with benefits and better pay and perks like "discounts on outdoor gear".

James in the Fred Meyer parking lot.

James in the backcountry.com parking lot.

James got some suprize days off around Thanksgiving from Backcountry.com. He got Wednesday and Friday off because sales are slow and they had to cut a few hours. So we counted that extra time off as a blessing and James got in his first day on the slopes. James is grateful to have the time off to spend with his sister, Kathleen, who came down from BYU-Idaho for the weekend and grateful to get in his first turns this season!

One of the benefits of working for backcountry.com is their "Gold Points" system. If you have a 'gold point' from your manager, you can check out one of the Ski Utah Gold Passes - a pass that is good at any Utah ski resort. If you don't have any gold points, you can still check out a pass at 8 a.m. - if they're not already reserved for that day. James checked out a Gold Pass at 8 a.m. today and headed for Alta - extremely early season skiing, but he never complains about a free ski day - especially when we didn't have to buy the pass! Another blessing!





The snow report from James: "The snow was like frozen spring conditions. There was some chalky snow in non-sunny aspects that was pretty good. Some spots were thin crust and skiiable. Other spots were "Stay Away" Death Crust. I did jump some small pine trees over in the Alta Ballroom where the snow was chalky and pretty nice. By the fifth round, I was even landing more centered instead of in the backseat. The coverage was better than expected, but we still need lots of snow. Do a snow dance everyone!"

After I got off work and James came down from the slopes, we met the Rexburg - SLC shuttle and picked up Kathleen and headed back down to SLC for the Utah Jazz basketball game.

James' 30th birthday is on December 4th, so I got him Jazz basketball tickets for his early birthday present. Three tickets to the Utah Jazz vs. Memphis Grizzlies tonight - The Jazz won!

Happy Early Birthday James!

And two tickets to the Jazz vs. the Boston Celtics - in February.

Happy Belated Birthday James!

Life in fastforward! - September 30-November 3, 2008

This has been a super crazy month. My mom had emergency abdominal surgery on Tuesday September 30th. She's very tough and recovering so well! She only spent 5-days in the hospital - she says it was family prayers & priesthood blessings that helped her heal so quickly.


That same day, James had a really good interview with Inland Surf in Boise, ID and was contemplating a full-time job with them. It was for 'ski swapping' - pretty much every weekend in Oct/Nov/Dec driving to ski swaps around the northwest and selling skis. And then going turning into a position at their retail shop in Boise.


That same day, I got a phone call from my former supervisor at Life Flight in Salt Lake City, UT. Robyn said they had an opening and would I PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider applying.



After days of pro's and con's and prayers and back-and-forth, James and I decided we would move to Utah! James turned down the position with Inland Surf and applied with Backcountry.com in SLC. They sent an email with an invitation for open interviews on Wednesday afternoons. We went to Utah for Conference Weekend (thank you Grandma and Granddad for letting us stay with you!) and some refresher training with Life Flight, but we had to leave SLC on Monday afternoon to get back to our Boise jobs for Tuesday.



While in SLC on Monday, James did some job searching and resume placing and managed to get an early interview with Backcountry.com. And he got the job! He starts on November 3rd, the same day I orient with Intermountain Healthcare. Actually, James got his job offer one week before I got my official job offer, so he landed his job first! He'll be doing inventory in their warehouse with potential for much overtime through the retail holidays, but the part he likes (besides employee deals and working with skis and outdoor equipment and the potential for cheap lift tickets) is that after awhile he could change positions and maybe work in customer service as a 'ski expert' or another position. He is interested in learning everything he can and getting experience in different positions.


My last day of work at The Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine - Halloween! I'll be training one of our new hires for the last week. I also get to help w/ interviews. James will be thrilled to be done working for Labor Ready - a temporary labor agency. He's had a wide variety of jobs and all his 'employers' have been complimentary about his work ethic. His last job (for the last few months) has been helping to remodel a Fred Meyer. As things are getting completed, James is the only Labor Ready guy they've asked to come back. Thank you James for working so hard at low pay and early hours to help us make ends meet. Thank you for job searching and taking school classes and working toward your career goals and our family goals. Thank you for supporting me in my various activities and for coming along when I want to spend time with my family - you're so adorable when you're rough-housing with the nieces & nephews!



We're very very blessed to have generous grandparents. G&G are letting us stay with them in Ogden for a month or two - since we haven't had time to even think about apartment hunting in Salt Lake! We're so thrilled to spend a little time with them, even if the commute from Ogden to SLC is 40 miles each way. Big incentive to keep the apartment hunt on the front burner!

To Do list:

The next two weeks:

pack everything

clean everything and leave the house in good condition - THANK YOU Mom & Dad

for the generous use of the house!

October 19 - teach my last lesson to the Beehives - "Loving Yourself"

October 23 - Family Pictures - 12 adults and 14 children (ages 11 - 1 month)

October 24 - drive a load of 'stuff' to Utah - Thank you Dad for the use of Big Blue.

October 25 - paperwork and drug test prior to new job. See Warren Miller's "Children of Winter" at Peery's Egyptian Theatre in Ogden. CORDOVA, AK is the first section of the movie!

October 26 - drive back to Eagle for our last week in Idaho.

October 28 - dessert party w/the ward - thank you Mark & Jenny Miller

October 29 - YM/YW Halloween Dance

October 31 - Halloween - last day of work in Boise.

November 1st - Treasure Valley Derby Girls - Go Cell Block B!

November 2nd - Move to Utah. Thank you G&G for a place to stay while apartment hunting.

November 3rd - James & Jessi have orientation with our new jobs.

James' To Do List:

finish winterizing the house.

finish winterizing the lawn and garage

keep up with on-line class w/UVU - Aircraft Identification

pack everything

fix anything that can be fixed

work for Labor Ready

take the pop cans to the recycling center

get The Outlaw's belts changed and some much needed maintenance

Last Sunday Dinner in Eagle - November 2, 2008

Mom Kurt Bree & James

We went to church, turned in our books for our callings, finished packing our cars and drove to Mom & Dad's for Sunday dinner. It was fun to spend a last hour or two with my parents, Kurt (his family was in Idaho Falls), and Kim & Deven, McKayla, Carter, Bree & Ellie.

McKayla, Jessi & Carter - self portrait

Uncle James helps Bree say good-bye to Drifter.

All my nieces and nephews were very good fish-sitters (thanks to their parents too!). In fact, everytime any of the kids came to our house, they'd ask to feed Drifter. Happy fish.

The Treasure Valley Roller Girls - November 1, 2008

All Female, Flat-Track, Full Contact Derby - B-Town Battalion vs. Cell Block B

My best friend at the Center for Wound Healing, RaeAnna, is a Roller Derby Girl! I'm so impressed with the time and effort and practice and rehab she puts into skating. They donate part of the proceeds from each bout to local charities.

RaeZer # 316

I'm an unofficial team seamstress - the team decided to change their uniforms and I ended up sewing four uniforms - for RaeZer, La Furia!, Olga von Bonecrusher, and Coffin Kitty. I think they turned out pretty well - especially for being homemade by a non-professional seamstress!

Jessi, RaeZer and La Furia!

RaeZer, Jessi and Olga von Bon Crusher

James & I finally went to a bout on the 1st of November - and Cell Block B won! What a riot - there was half-time entertainment and a whole group from the Center for Wound Healing went to cheer RaeZer on - it was fun, but sad, because I had to resign as team seamstress and say goodbye to my friend before moving the next day.

RaeZer (the Pivot) at the front of the pack.

Mr. RaeZer (Chris) cheering on his wife!

James, Jessi, Rae & Chris

Jessi and James at the Roller Derby Bout.

YES, THERE ARE RULES!

• The Bout consists of three 20 minute periods.


• The pack consists of four skaters from each team.


• The skater in the front of the pack with the striped helmet cover is called the pivot (RaeZer's position). The Pivot controls the pace of the pack.


• The other three skaters behind the Pivot are called Blockers. The Blockers job is to keep the opposing team from scoring and to assist their own team in scoring.


• The final skater from each team - lined up behind the pack - are called Jammers. The Jammer is the only person on the team who can score points.


• SCORING: In order to score, the Jammer must first break through the pack (without going outside the track lines). After their first pass through the pack, each opposing skater that the Jammer passes legally (inbounds, without committing penalties) is one point.


• PENALTIES: Players accumulate minor penalties for things like illegal blocking, false starts and unsportslady-like conduct. Major penalties are given for larger offenses like fighting. Every major penalty results in one minute in the penalty box (called the Sin-Bin) to be served by the skater. Once a player has accumulated four minor penalties it equals one major penalty and they must serve their one minute in the penalty box.


• There are almost as many referrees as there are skaters on the track. One for each Jammer and another three to watch the pack.


• http://www.treasurevalleyrollergirls.net/

Jessi 'tagged' - October 29, 2008

Rules: 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, and 3 facts about yourself. tag 5 people @ the end of post by leaving names.

JOYS

1. road trips and entire days spent with my James
2. playing with my nieces and nephews - I LOVE it when they come running to the door, hollering my name, and running into my arms for a big hug. I LOVE it when they argue over who gets to sit next to their Aunt Jessi.
3. my mom's great attitude and prognosis for future good health.

FEARS

1. breaking my leg / getting hit in the shins by a line drive softball / not being able to ski...
2. being silly / ungrateful / insensitive / reckless / frivilous ... I SHOULD be more fearful of being tardy too!
3. letting familiarity and comfort replace passion and romance

GOALS

1. future family
2. realizing James' school and career goals
3. zero credit card debt

CURRENT OBSESSIONS / COLLECTIONS

1. crochet snowflakes and stuffed animals - my last project was making baby "Ellie-phants" stuffed elephants for Ellie, Bree, Carter & McKayla
2. I have almost finished my 50-State-Quarters collection - should be able to finish up this year!
3. packing up our stuff and 'packing out' our junk

FACTS ABOUT MYSELF

1. I am a butterfly for Halloween this year.
2. I'm definitely not a morning person.
3. I show James I love him by getting up with him in the early morning to be sure he gets breakfast. That's true love.

Tag! You're it! - McKayla D., Rachelle T., Kim W., Sarah H., Cami W.

Warren Miller's Children of Winter - October 25, 2008

James was cleaning out his wallet (old receipts, used up gift cards, random email addresses & phone numbers) and he came across a gift card for a FREE ONLINE PHOTO which was taken at the Warren Miller movie in October. We were in Utah, moving a load of stuff and doing some pre-employment stuff, so we went to the movie at Peery's Egyptian Theatre in Ogden.

Warren Miller movies usually have all sorts of booths promoting ski/snowboard gear and ski resorts. This was the first time I'd seen a picture booth. Before the movie ended, I'd already forgotten that we'd had our picture taken. Luckily, James kept the little gift card in his overstuffed wallet - 4 months later I was able to download our picture.

James didn't enjoy this particular Warren Miller movie as much as he likes the older ones - the ones where Warren Miller was actually involved in the movie and editing and narration. But Children of Winter does begin with a section filmed out of his hometown - Cordova, AK!

Simpson Family Photos - October 23, 2008

High on my mom's priority list was an up-to-date family photo. No one is pregnant and all the adult kids are married, so except for how quickly the smallest kids grow, it should stay current for a while. We spent an evening near the Boise River in Eagle and ended up with some great pictures!

Simpson Family

• Left Side: James & Jessi / Kurt & Carlee with Jake, Tyler & Christy
• Center Left: Clay & Kristen with Emma & Aspen
• Center: Gil & Kathy Simpson
• Center Right: Jed & Maria with Tucker, Hannah, Hallie, Stella & Zoe
• Right Side: Deven & Kim with Ellie, McKayla, Bree & Carter

Jessi & James

James & Tyler & the line to be launched - Stella & Carter

James & Stella

Throwing Rocks

Jessi & Ellie - my youngest niece - born September 19, 2008 - here she's just over 1 month old.

After all the picture taking we went to Mom & Dad's for some soup and dessert and the kids had their pictures taken in their halloween costumes. We'll really miss being close to my immediate family when we move to Utah - James said he'll also miss hiking for turns with my brothers!