Happy Festivus!

Some more photos

Internet, meet Jimmy.

To be thankful..

Nothing like trying to close a deal while boarding my flight to Utah.

I am thankful for a job to wake up for in the morning..

Co-workers who get me through my crazy days..

Clients who make it all worth it.

My family...who for right now..is healthy and out of the hospital.

Friends who love me and I can't live without. They may be close or far away. The love is there no matter where they all are.

I normally don't get all religiousy but I am thankful for my testimony. It has grown leaps and bounds this year and I have been able to rely on it during this crazy year. I am so thankful for my church and the strength my ward has given me.

I have much to be thankful for. The list grows- every.day.

Life as a real estate agent...

The things I see and am learning.....just amaze me.

Sometimes what people have a listed in the MLS isn't always what is it.

Let's pretend like a house is really suppose to be 3 bedrooms/ 2 baths. Then you go and look at it thinking it was a 3 bedroom/2bath BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS.

Turns out it has 6 bedrooms, 2 kitchens, and 3 bathrooms. And the electrical outlets are SIDEWAYS. Permits? NOT SO MUCH.


When you walk up to a house and see that the garage is nailed shut- means it is a converted garage. Lesson learned.

And "partially converted" really just means CONVERTED. There is no difference.


BTW- If you are even remotely thinking about converting your garage..GET A PERMIT. makes our jobs easier.

Also, why does a house have 5 downstairs closests? REALLY PEOPLE? FIVE?


I really like the agents that call me back..and email me back. You rock. Keeping fighting the good fight.


and last but not least..

I refuse to go any further if the house smells. I'm looking at you bank owned properties.

In other news:

Can my nana get any more ADORABLE?

Sipping wine through a straw. Because that's how princesses roll.

Engagement photos

Had a photoshoot in Benicia :) A sneak peek!

Im in Utah

I'm in Utah.

Went to General Conference, hangin' out with my friend from Canada and my family in Provo. There were protestors, but some really cool ones! I have more photos coming. But here are a few for now.

Coming out of afternoon session of conference. Whole lotta Mormon in this photo!


This was a cool protestor from Alaska. She was walking around with this sign in the middle of the protestors who hate Mormons.

Took some family photos for my friends while I was there!

C.O.P.S

Was a fun and successful night for the Northern California chapter of C.O.P.S- Concerns of police survivors. We sponsored this fundraiser in memory of Brad Moody- fallen Richmond officer.

18 days

and counting..

Until my first weekend off since June. So.Excited.

I am heading out to utah for General Conference and will be seeing some amazing people whilst I am there. I'll be staying with my family in Provo and will hopefully see all of my friends while I am there!

Family history

I am a history geek at heart. Every now and then I plug away at my family geneology. I made a huge breakthrough the other night (stayed up till 4am) because of this website:

John Shepherd, Jr

I emailed the site administrator and we filled in the gaps. I had what he didn't, and he had what I didn't.

SUCCESS! Now I just need to add some photos my grandpa's sister had and that side will be complete. He has updated his website to include the info I gave him. My goal next year is to visit my family cemetary in Illinois.

Next up is my grandpa's mom's side..I'm stuck at her grandparents. And my nana's dad's and mom's sides. I'm stuck at her dad's parents (although I have a copy of the 1930 census ..pretty rad seeing their names and what they did) and her mom's side. Nana is a bit shakey on details. I dont think she liked her family much lol I'm going to hit a road block with her family because her grandparents are immigrants from Germany.

A Re-do...

I have been very busy as of late...

We have tons of new rentals (had to take pictures of)..like this completely remodeled home:

BEAUTIFUL work was done, new EVERYTHING.

A few things in escrow (YAY!)

I don't think we've ever been this busy at the office. Sometimes I stand there and looked dazed before 10am hits.

And rearranging my life physically.

We have re arranged the downstairs living room so that a corner of it is my home office area. Since the switch not everything fits into the office I am currently in so it's kinda like overflow. I have picture frames up- with pictures finally in them. My dad's stuff from when he passed away finally framed. When he died I recieved letters from our state and assembly rep- they closed their sessions on the floor that day in his memory. They gave me a cool booklet from that days session and a letter and a couple other things. I worked for the best people ever. Anyway, that's finally framed.

When I have everything finally done (just need to shampoo the carpets) I'll take pictures.

Next project is my room. I will be painting, taking things down etc.

It also looks like we may be moving offices!! so that will be a fun move in project. I will get my own office!!!!!!! Desk shopping time!

My nana is home from the hospital and is fine. Now the drama is to get them to move closer to me. Like...down the street closer. It's an ongoing discussion (read: shouting) with them.

My annoying neighbors have put their home up for sale. Short sale. I think they are taking all the doors with them. niiiiice....

Oh and...

WHY IS IT SO EFFING HOT.

Boyd's Homecoming and family photos!

Boyd is home from his mission!!!!!! It's been two years since we've seen him and he's BACK! His family took the opportunity to have some family photos taken. He is one of 6 kids and his nieces and nephew adore him!

Here are just a few for right now until I am finished with the rest.

can't even think straight

My nana is in the hospital..

I can't even think straight right now....

numbers

1. Sarah Palin is an absolute idiot. Thought that before she ran as VP..and still think that. Good job just completely backing out of YOUR JOB.

2. CSPAN is the love of my life. I haven't been able to sleep lately and have been catching up on all the senate committee hearings (banking etc). Wow, is anyone else watching this crazyness?

3. Our neighbors cat has fallen is love with us. She even hops in the car for some quality time. we've caught her propped up on the little window bench looking in.

4. Bella doesnt know what cats are. She just knows SOMETHING IS IN OUR BACKYARD

5. My bird fishy died over the weekend. She became eggbound. nothing I could do. way sad about that. She died warpped in a towel in my arms. Bella was a good midwife and laid down next to use the entire night..snoring.

6. Bella has been on prozac for a few weeks now and her seizures are pretty much gone for the most part. Her OCD- eh i dunno. She was fixated by a magnet on the fridge and then jumped on the fridge.

7. loving my pink blackberry!

That is all.

About turning 26

Turning 26. This year has been the craziest ever.

My grandpa always tells the story of how when I was born (almost 3 months early) he knew I would live because I gripped on to his little finger. The roles were reversed this year with him being in the hospital. I knew he would be okay when he held my hand and said "My grandbaby". I have learned a lot in my 26 years of being alive. Many of them I learned this year.

My grandpa did not take being stuck in a wheelchair for 6 months very well. He was all of a sudden stuck. in the house. with. The Women. You can take the man out of the military but you cannot take the military out of the man. He never really had much patience to begin with but it REALLY was non existant now, he would bark out orders all the time. My grandma was very unsure of herself at first. For so long she has always been the one we worry about. She was diagnosed with early stages alzhiemer's. Since then, her confidence has been shaken. When papa came home she was so scared she wouldn't be able to take care of him. But that changed after awhile. One day my grandpa was being a complete JERKFACE. Auntie was asleep. I was kinda in and out. The dogs were snoring. I see her wheel him into the den. And she took his remote. She closes the door. I asked "where is papa?" She says " oh dont worry, he's learning to say please and thank you in the den with no remote"

Even with Alzheimer's my nana is still the smartest person in my entire family. Lesson learned.

Even with all of this going on, life goes on..drama still ensues. We started having problems with my dog Bella. We go back and forth to UC davis. We get no answers and no one answers us back. Finally my papa said "ENOUGH". And we went back to our regular vet and we have since started her on prozac and she is okay. She still has seizures but they aren't nearly as much.

Even though he was stuck in a wheelchair, my grandpa can still put the smack down and bring us back to reality. Lesson learned.

My sister is far away, but never too far that a text or a phone call from her can make me smile. Or a facebook chat at that matter.

My auntie is my best friend. She always has been. This year her world was rocked. In my 26 years of breathing- I have never seen her go through so much before in such a short amount of time. I have never been as proud of her as I am now. She recently became one of "Those" teachers. The displaced teacher due to schools closing. In a blink of an eye the school she taught at for 12 years, the teachers who she teaches with who are her best friends, the students she adores- GONE. We aren't a family that does particularly well with change. This was a biggie.

Auntie can still laugh it all off. I don't have to worry about her anymore. Lesson learned.

My uncle scotty..aka my other dad. - He has been with me every day of the 26 years of my life and that will never change. This isn't something I learned this year. But I've felt it more this year then any other year.

My family all talk to each other about once a day. I wouldn't have it any other way. My grandparents have gotten very use to seeing us every weekend since my papa's ladder accident. We haven't been up as much since he can now walk around a bit and he can drive again.

They recently called and mentioned we should come up for my and nana's birthday. It doesnt matter if things are already planned. If they say they miss you and want you up there with them- that is what you do.

Family is most important- lesson learned.

My friends- I'd be completely lost without their love.

I honestly can say I've never been happier. I have changed jobs, gone through every emotion possible this year. And it's only July. But it's been a long 26 years as im sure my family can testify to. I don't think we'd have it any other way.

I have cut all my hair off. All 8 inches.

I have learned the forgiveness can sometimes be about the OTHER person. I recently forgave the woman who gave birth to me. After she got out of prison she called me a couple months ago. She now has no excuses in front of her. It's up to her to get her life together. I want no part of it. I'm 26 years old, the last thing I need is a crazy mother calling me every day. I've never had a mother. Im okay with never really having one. It's cool. I forgave her for HER. not for me. I've been over it for a long long time.

Yay for turning 26.

It's aaaaalive!

Holy crap, I haven't killed it yet.

Meet my new office plant. It was just little seeds a few weeks ago.

She was trying to tell us something

Since we have been moving boxes, cleaning etc there has been a constant pile of blankies and pillows (we loooove a good blankie and pillow in pretty much every chair/couch I have). I have caught bella sleeping on the HUGE pile almost every night before I finally leave the computer and pass out on the chair. She eventully joins me.

she was trying to tell me something " I DON'T SLEEP ON THE FLOOR"

HRH Arabella Donna now has a princess bed.

ps...

I'm turning 26 in two weeks.

holy crap!

Success

Well, I did my first open house. Everything is so crazy I haven't even had time to get new business cards or anything so I just used my broker's. This truely has been the craziest two weeks of my life. Everything has been turned upside down. There have been lots of crying and screaming but I am okay with everything with the switch to the other side of the business. I am getting settled in quite nicely. I also have a listing as well. My broker's family has been through a lot as well with death's in the family.. I have a bad feeling I am going to have to cover for him this weekend and miss seeing my sister.

Speaking of my sister, she will be in california this week and im heartbroken I can't see her. Plans were cancelled a few months ago to see her, and i fear they will be again. If things didn't get so messed up with my other job (being let go so quickly) it wouldnt even be a problem. Grr.

Update on my dog- we have been back and forth to UC Davis. Don't ever take your animal there. The only thing they were good at was telling me it wasn't a tumor (she's had MRI, blood work, the whole shebang). They keep pushing behavoiral things and wanting her to have an EEG but then they never get back to us. We have decided to just go back to our regular vet. We were pretty sure they wanted the EEG because they thought she had epilopsy. So, our vet thinks she has slight OCD and been having seizures since she was a puppy. The prozac the vet put her on has lessened the seizures to the point of how they were when she was a puppy. She's back to sleeping a lot. We might up her dosage a bit though. Her mood swings are still a bit difficult.

Other then the crazyness that is my life- things are going....well. I think? i love teaching in church. It's fun so far! we are completely rearranging the front room in the house to be a home office as well. Auntie and I are so sore from packing and moving the entire room around but we love it! I can now move the rest of my things out of the loan office I had and keep it all at home. There isn't really a lot of room at my new office. So the home space will be overflow I think. I am lisitng a short sale this week too. The market here is moving SO FAST. It's hard for me to find homes for my clients!

My birthday month!

With all the drama and changes going on- I almost forgot:

IT IS MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!

I celebrate my birthday all month long.

Let's the fun begin!

A couple more photos

I was hit with an office emergency when I got back from Utah so I have been here 24/7 to help cover for the Boss Man. His brother passed away. I haven't been able to edit my photos as much.

I have some exciting news after the weekend and some fun stories about being in Moab with Callie. Hopefully I'll be back out there in October.

Have a great 4th of July!

A quickie!

I'm hoooooome!
Just a couple photos until tomorrow!

and the other shoe drops

This week has been one of the most emotional in my life.

i have a long post to write about it but short story is my mortgage career is over. I am switching sides to the real estate side and hanging my license as an agent. Im just a huge ball of emotions right now over why. The big loan company we were under decided i wasnt closing deals to their liking- as in if you dont close so many loans within an allotted time..120 days -then they let you go. In an automated email :( i was crushed, my branch i was under was crushed. we had no idea they had this policy when we decided to be apart of them. And with the market being so busy no one is going to hire a newbie loan officer who still needs traning.

And the kicker- most of my clients are going into contract next week again. I say again because some have already been in contract but fell out because of random reasons like sellers backing out etc.

I am in Moab right now and am loving it. it has been a great ending to what was a rollercoaster of a week.

i am taking pictures of the sunrise over the canyons tomorrow and hiking to the arches then flying home sunday.

i am up right now because i have so much going on in my head..and thats a good thing. i have so many ideas for what lies ahead.

Morning in Oakland

Holler.

My roomie and I wanted to go to the Mormon bookstore and the distribution center and since it was my first time - seeing the Oakland Temple! It's huge compared to the Sacramento Temple.

Sorry in advance for the crappy photo quality. Camera phone FTL

Ward Hike and Summer Plans

A couple weekends ago we went on a ward hike in the El Dorado National Forest. It was about an hour and half away. It was a beautiful drive, a beautiful hike. There was still snow on the ground! I am still downloading some of the photos from it but here are just a few until I'm finished.

We had a blast! It was my first time doing something like this with my ward. I am having a lot of fun. I now have a calling too! I will be teaching in relief society! SO EXCITED to take on the challenge.

I leave next week for some hiking in Moab, Utah. I cannot wait! I will be spending some quality time with my friends, take some amazing photos.

I also have 2 trips in July planned- one to LA to go to Disneyland possibly and visit my family who will be coming down from Utah. I will also be going to a family reunion..which im still trying to figure out how I am related to them but it means I get to hug my sister. I think I might cry..seriously. It will be in Manteca..camping will be involved.

In August I am taking a trip to Calgary, Alberta. CANADA!!!!!!! My best friend Steve is going to Afghanistan and he won't be able to make it down to California like last year. SO-I'm going up there instead. Going to see some of my friends and surprise Elder Davis who is serving in the calgary mission.

My summer has exploded.

Note to self

Must finish and post photos from the hike!

The first post

I still can't figure out how to fix my other blog..so I'm over it and decided to start a new one. I like to photo blog so yah..be prepared for that!

To recap the last few months since I've been gone- nothing new really. work is work. We have had some issues with my dog bella and have been back and forth to UC davis. More on that later this week.

So- for my first post:

Carolina, Hailey and Sammy (the dog).
The past 2 weekends I have been babysitting these two little girls. So Saturday I decided to give them a photo shoot! Carolina's family recently adopted a new dog from Marin. They dog Rubi passed away a couple months ago. Carolina and Hailey are god sisters. They are both 3 1/2.