Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Few Months Ago...
The other day Sean and I were talking about our friends back in Utah. Before we moved down here to Texas, our friends put together a little going-away party. It was sooooo nice! Our neighborhood consisted of 3 blocks of homes and then another side street. I would have to say that we had anywhere between half of our neighbors to 3/4 of our neighbors there. It makes me feel so good knowing that we were/are loved so much. Friends are so important in everyone's life, and we just hope that we are the kind of friend to others, that others are to us.
Dress Size
I know I just submitted a post about how much weight I have lost over the past few months, but I have had a lot of people ask me how many sizes I have gone down. I haven't been really paying much attention to it, so I thought I would go and check. In pants, I have gone down 3 sizes, and in my skirts it has been 4. I feel so good and am so happy with my results. It is also such a great example to my kids to be active and they love exercising as well.
Sean's job
Everyone always asks what Sean does for work. Here is a little snippet that was in a paper explaining what his company is.
Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy and technology consulting for more than 90 years. Every day, government agencies, institutions, corporations, and infrastructure organizations rely on the firm’s expertise and objectivity, and on the combined capabilities and dedication of its exceptional people to find solutions and seize opportunities. Booz Allen combines a consultant’s unique problem-solving orientation with deep technical knowledge and strong execution to help clients achieve success in their most critical missions. Providing a broad range of services in strategy, operations, organization and change, information technology, systems engineering, and program management, Booz Allen is committed to delivering results that endure. With more than 20,000 people and $4 billion in annual revenue, Booz Allen is continually recognized for its quality work and corporate culture. In 2009, for the fifth consecutive year, Fortune magazine named Booz Allen one of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For,” and Working Mother magazine has ranked the firm among its “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” annually since 1999. To learn more about the firm, visit www.boozallen.com.
Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy and technology consulting for more than 90 years. Every day, government agencies, institutions, corporations, and infrastructure organizations rely on the firm’s expertise and objectivity, and on the combined capabilities and dedication of its exceptional people to find solutions and seize opportunities. Booz Allen combines a consultant’s unique problem-solving orientation with deep technical knowledge and strong execution to help clients achieve success in their most critical missions. Providing a broad range of services in strategy, operations, organization and change, information technology, systems engineering, and program management, Booz Allen is committed to delivering results that endure. With more than 20,000 people and $4 billion in annual revenue, Booz Allen is continually recognized for its quality work and corporate culture. In 2009, for the fifth consecutive year, Fortune magazine named Booz Allen one of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For,” and Working Mother magazine has ranked the firm among its “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” annually since 1999. To learn more about the firm, visit www.boozallen.com.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A Dream Has Come True
What an amazing day! How far this country has come! I don't care what your political views are, today was a day for all of us to remember and to be proud of. I like to judge whether the things I am doing or not are good by the things my children say or do. Tonight Benjamen prayed for our new President and his family. He also thanked Heavenly Father for the first brown man to be president. You cannot get more honest and true than a child. Benjamen does not care where a person is from. He does not care what color skin they may have. He doesn't even care what religious affiliation, if any, one may have. All he cares about is what he is hearing is good and nice. We hear a lot of ideals. We all have them, but I think when they are spoken of on a large scale, most of us tend to be cynical and shoot them down. I love how children rejoice in goodness and have hope for a brighter tomorrow. I wish we could all embrace that as easily as our kids do.I also wanted to make mention of how gracious the Bush family seems to be. This is a great photo of how sincere I believe it to be. Just look at the girl's faces as the former President is speaking to them.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Home For Sale
Well we finally put our home on the market. It sure is rotten timing, but we are hopeful, and VERY prayerful. This is the ad I ran. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please give them my info!
Beautifully updated 1957 Rambler on a .21 acre lot in a family friendly neighborhood close to BYU. 2700 sq.ft. with 6 bedrooms, with one having built in desk and built in shelves. 1 1/2 baths up and 3/4 bath down. Two car garage with extra built-in storage. Bright and open interior with full-size windows throughout, including basement. Spacious kitchen with tile, granite and updated appliances. Basement is 100% finished with R1.6-A zoned mother-in-law apartment. Large covered deck with fully-enclosed backyard. Fully-landscaped with automatic sprinklers. A Must See! This is great for a professor, parents looking for a place for their kids, and for a new homeowner needing the extra income from the basement to help pay the mortgage. By appointment only--(801)-885-0405. No agents please.
Matthew--fast asleep
Every day after lunch, I put Grace to bed for a nap and Matthew and I come into my room. This is the time I usually check emails and do blogging. I read my scriptures and do calling things as well. Usually Matthew will play or read for a while and then he will fall asleep. Today I couldn't get him to go to sleep though. Finally, after about 2 hours, he quieted down and fell asleep. He had slept in our room the night before becuase he wasn't feeling well, so I just assumed that he was sleeping on the floor again. When I got up to go out of the room, this is what I found...
Can you tell what this is? He is in our laundry basket!!! Hilarious
3 more pounds
I am so excited. I weighed myself the other day at the gym, and I am 3lbs shy of losing 20 pounds since I started going to the gym. I can't believe that! That is a lot. I actually would think that I would look quite stick-like with a number that big(pounds lost), but I guess I had quite a few pounds to shed when we moved here. But I will say that I look pretty good. My body is very in shape and very firm. Sean is actually quite impressed with my bicep size:) I feel great too. This really is quite exciting. And I know I have more to lose, so I will let you know when I get to the "ideal".
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Grace is a Girl
OK. So Grace is going through a stage of burping. She has learned this wonderful habit from her brothers I have tried and tried to break them of this habit, but nothing seems to have worked. That is until tonight maybe...
Grace let out his really loud belch(I wasn't aware such sounds could come out of such little ones). The boys of course were laughing so hard and Sean and I were trying to keep our smiles in check. Well Sean gave Grace this stern look and said "Grace we don't do that." Upon which she immediately stuck out her lower lip and started crying these huge crocodile tears. Sean felt soooo bad, andI just had to turn my head and laugh. So I guess this is what our friends have warned us about when it comes to girls:)
Grace let out his really loud belch(I wasn't aware such sounds could come out of such little ones). The boys of course were laughing so hard and Sean and I were trying to keep our smiles in check. Well Sean gave Grace this stern look and said "Grace we don't do that." Upon which she immediately stuck out her lower lip and started crying these huge crocodile tears. Sean felt soooo bad, andI just had to turn my head and laugh. So I guess this is what our friends have warned us about when it comes to girls:)
Friday, January 9, 2009
Are You Prepared?
Most of you know that I am big into preparedness. I found this link on my facebook page and wanted to post it on my blog. It looks like you can do simple things each month to have your name placed in a drawing to win preparedness things from this company. I checked out their website and am impressed, so please feel free to do the same. It is blog.TotallyReady.com
Monday, January 5, 2009
Sean's Company is Doing Well
We got this note from Sean's CEO at work. We felt very blessed when we got this job, and after reading this, we feel even more blessed. We always have known and know that Heavenly Father will take care of us, but I just find it such a miracle to have gotten this job when we did and to be working for such a great company, especially in these trying times. It is a long note, but worth reading. If any of you have questions about the company, please let us know and we can pass on some info.
Dear Colleagues,
Last year at this time, with the impending separation of Booz Allen’s core businesses and the change ahead of us, we naturally wondered how things would turn out.
Our tremendous success this past year — evidenced by 18% revenue growth, strong brand recognition, and industry-leading benefits programs —attests that Booz Allen Hamilton today is stronger than ever. In 2009, as we enter our 95th year in business, Booz Allen’s place in the world is significant and secure, and our institution exemplifies the spirit of service.
Significant — Booz Allen is front-and-center helping clients solve the most pressing issues of the 21st century — securing our homeland, combating global terrorism, providing vital citizen services, and protecting the environment. Our ideas on topics such as cloud computing, cyber security, and health reform are having broad reach in the press and at major conferences, and recent books by Booz Allen authors on Megacommunities and Wargaming for Leaders have received critical acclaim. In recognition of our impact and stature, Booz Allen was named Contractor of the Year in the government services sector. Again in 2008, we were named a Best Company to Work For by FORTUNE, Working Mother, Business Week, and many others.
We take pride in this external recognition, but what you tell us matters most. To me, this quote from a staff member captures why we have such impact year after year, “No matter what level, you never stop improving at Booz Allen. The talent is amazing to start with, yet people are always trying to get even better.”
Secure — Reading the headlines and stock tables, it’s hard not to worry about the economy, but I want to assure you that Booz Allen Hamilton is strong and secure. Our performance this year, in both revenue and profitability, would be exceptional at any time – but in these days, it is nothing short of astounding.
You’ve made this success possible by selling and delivering important, high-value work, and by ensuring that we manage utilization and expenses. As a result, Booz Allen has a backlog of sold work in excess of $2 billion and a cash position that enables us to easily fund all of our business costs as well as ECAP and investment programs. The Washington Post, not known for flattery, called us “a jewel of a company with proven management, steady cash flow, and a valuable brand name. “ Over the past two decades, Booz Allen has done even better in years following a change in Presidential administrations. This isn’t surprising because we’re in the business of change. As a result of our growth and success, Booz Allen is hiring in many areas and I hope you’ll refer others who are looking for a rewarding career with a company as secure as ours (see https://erp.bah.com/hotjobs.htm) .
Spirit of Service – This isn’t a marketing slogan at Booz Allen — the words come from our founding partner James Allen, and it’s how we conduct our business and serve our communities. During the past year, Booz Allen’s service and impact have reached a new level, even by our high standards. We were honored by the Points of Light Institute with its coveted Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs award, just one of the dozens of recognitions we received in 2008. We established a major partnership with USO and launched a program in 12 cities called “FIRST Robotics” to support science and technology education. In 27 locations across the country, we fixed homes for the poor and elderly through Rebuilding Together, and we sponsored 48 Relay for Life teams, raising over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Those of you who live in the Washington area may have read the recent news story which said, “Among the hundreds of submissions received from non-profits for this annual column on corporate philanthropy, one name came up time and again: Booz Allen Hamilton.” Well beyond the Beltway, Booz Allen is making a difference in Colorado Springs, where we won the Outstanding Corporate Philanthropic Program award, in San Diego, Atlanta, Dayton, Southern Maryland, Rome, NY, Charleston, SC and so many other places.
How will we ensure that Booz Allen remains significant and secure, and committed to the spirit of service in the future?
Every day, each of us needs to do excellent work and perform it with integrity. We’ve seen too many people in the news who have not done so. Our profession is vitally dependent on excellence, ethics, and compliance by every individual. At the institutional level, we will continue to invest leadership attention and funds in our people programs, market development, and thought leadership. We’re responding boldly to the needs and opportunities ahead – in financial reform, health reform, cyber security, and infrastructure programs, to name just a few. In this, our 95th year, Booz Allen brings clients the wisdom and experience of age combined with the creativity and energy of youth – ensuring that we, and those we serve, will always be ready for what’s next.
Today, when so many people are facing hardship, Booz Allen’s success brings both reassurance and responsibility. Thank you for your extraordinary dedication to our clients and the firm, and thank you for your generosity to others. I wish you and your loved ones health, happiness, and success in 2009.
-- Ralph
Dear Colleagues,
Last year at this time, with the impending separation of Booz Allen’s core businesses and the change ahead of us, we naturally wondered how things would turn out.
Our tremendous success this past year — evidenced by 18% revenue growth, strong brand recognition, and industry-leading benefits programs —attests that Booz Allen Hamilton today is stronger than ever. In 2009, as we enter our 95th year in business, Booz Allen’s place in the world is significant and secure, and our institution exemplifies the spirit of service.
Significant — Booz Allen is front-and-center helping clients solve the most pressing issues of the 21st century — securing our homeland, combating global terrorism, providing vital citizen services, and protecting the environment. Our ideas on topics such as cloud computing, cyber security, and health reform are having broad reach in the press and at major conferences, and recent books by Booz Allen authors on Megacommunities and Wargaming for Leaders have received critical acclaim. In recognition of our impact and stature, Booz Allen was named Contractor of the Year in the government services sector. Again in 2008, we were named a Best Company to Work For by FORTUNE, Working Mother, Business Week, and many others.
We take pride in this external recognition, but what you tell us matters most. To me, this quote from a staff member captures why we have such impact year after year, “No matter what level, you never stop improving at Booz Allen. The talent is amazing to start with, yet people are always trying to get even better.”
Secure — Reading the headlines and stock tables, it’s hard not to worry about the economy, but I want to assure you that Booz Allen Hamilton is strong and secure. Our performance this year, in both revenue and profitability, would be exceptional at any time – but in these days, it is nothing short of astounding.
You’ve made this success possible by selling and delivering important, high-value work, and by ensuring that we manage utilization and expenses. As a result, Booz Allen has a backlog of sold work in excess of $2 billion and a cash position that enables us to easily fund all of our business costs as well as ECAP and investment programs. The Washington Post, not known for flattery, called us “a jewel of a company with proven management, steady cash flow, and a valuable brand name. “ Over the past two decades, Booz Allen has done even better in years following a change in Presidential administrations. This isn’t surprising because we’re in the business of change. As a result of our growth and success, Booz Allen is hiring in many areas and I hope you’ll refer others who are looking for a rewarding career with a company as secure as ours (see https://erp.bah.com/hotjobs.htm) .
Spirit of Service – This isn’t a marketing slogan at Booz Allen — the words come from our founding partner James Allen, and it’s how we conduct our business and serve our communities. During the past year, Booz Allen’s service and impact have reached a new level, even by our high standards. We were honored by the Points of Light Institute with its coveted Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs award, just one of the dozens of recognitions we received in 2008. We established a major partnership with USO and launched a program in 12 cities called “FIRST Robotics” to support science and technology education. In 27 locations across the country, we fixed homes for the poor and elderly through Rebuilding Together, and we sponsored 48 Relay for Life teams, raising over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Those of you who live in the Washington area may have read the recent news story which said, “Among the hundreds of submissions received from non-profits for this annual column on corporate philanthropy, one name came up time and again: Booz Allen Hamilton.” Well beyond the Beltway, Booz Allen is making a difference in Colorado Springs, where we won the Outstanding Corporate Philanthropic Program award, in San Diego, Atlanta, Dayton, Southern Maryland, Rome, NY, Charleston, SC and so many other places.
How will we ensure that Booz Allen remains significant and secure, and committed to the spirit of service in the future?
Every day, each of us needs to do excellent work and perform it with integrity. We’ve seen too many people in the news who have not done so. Our profession is vitally dependent on excellence, ethics, and compliance by every individual. At the institutional level, we will continue to invest leadership attention and funds in our people programs, market development, and thought leadership. We’re responding boldly to the needs and opportunities ahead – in financial reform, health reform, cyber security, and infrastructure programs, to name just a few. In this, our 95th year, Booz Allen brings clients the wisdom and experience of age combined with the creativity and energy of youth – ensuring that we, and those we serve, will always be ready for what’s next.
Today, when so many people are facing hardship, Booz Allen’s success brings both reassurance and responsibility. Thank you for your extraordinary dedication to our clients and the firm, and thank you for your generosity to others. I wish you and your loved ones health, happiness, and success in 2009.
-- Ralph
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