Being Sick = Not Fun.... and guess what....

I am sick! Jeff caught a cold earlier this week... I must have caught it from him. I started feeling it in my throat yesterday afternoon. My colds almost always start in my throat. And I feel the worst when I first wake up... my throat hurts really bad and my throat and ears hurt when I swallow. When the day progresses, my throat feels a little better, but I can still feel that I'm sick. And I'm extremely tired because I'm not getting the sleep I should be getting and my body is fighting this cold.

I hate being sick! Last fall had to have been one of the worst. Around the end of September, I caught a cold. Then I started getting better and Jeff caught it. Then I caught another one, which was followed by a lingering cough. Then in mid-November on a Sunday afternoon, I started getting achy muscles. Later in the evening I became VERY cold, to where even a jacket, 2 light blankets, and the heater on wouldn't warm me up. Then I threw up that evening and again in the middle of the night. All the symptoms I was getting seemed like flu symptoms. But then the next afternoon (Monday), I noticed my skin getting red... some parts looked like a rash and others looked like a sunburn. When Jeff came home that evening, we immediately went to an InstaCare place. They said my white blood cell count was double what it should be, but they couldn't do all the blood work that the ER could, so they sent us there. They gave me fluids and antibiotics through an IV and I also got a prescription for some antibiotics. We were there till after 3:00 a.m., I think. It turned out to be a staph infection. Yes, NOT fun! But the antibiotics helped a ton and the only good thing that came from that was that it got rid of my lingering cough from the colds before. :-)

Anyway, I think I need to take vitamins more often. And get more sleep. Hopefully this cold won't last too long. Since I worked on Monday, I'll have a 3-day weekend to hopefully recuperate... and spend time with Jeff since he has today and tomorrow off before he starts his new job. I also get to leave a little early today because I worked a little extra a couple other days.

So.... I came up with a conclusional equation (or equational conclusion?, hehe... I just made those 2 phrases up) ....

Being Sick = Not Fun

I have a good job.... and Jeff will have a good job starting Monday!

I deleted a post I typed at work yesterday. I was bored at work because I couldn't work for a few hours because of server problems, so I was just typing about how I couldn't work. I re-read it and it seemed kinda boring, so I just deleted it. I'll just say how grateful I am for my job. Even though I get burned out sometimes and it gets stressful sometimes and I'm tired a lot, staring at computer screens all day, it's been a good job.

I'm excited for Jeff to start his new job. His current job can get stressful at times, so I'm hoping his new job will be less stressful for him. At least tomorrow is his last day at his current job, then he'll have Thursday and Friday off before he starts his new job on Monday. I made Jeff a contributor to this blog, so hopefully I can get him to post about his new job and what he does (since I'm not exactly sure). Anyway, I worked yesterday (on Presidents Day, which is a paid holiday), so I could have Friday off to spend with him. I can't wait! :-)

My Sweet Husband!

Okay, now I'm stealing this idea from both my sisters, Melissa and Rebecca. :-) But I like the idea, especially on this Valentine's Day. I'm also using a different title than what they had (one used Wonderful and one used Awesome... and although both those words fit my hubby, I decided to use Sweet). This picture was taken almost 2 years ago, on our wedding day. I have a lot more pictures from that day, but want to save them to post on our anniversary.


* What is his name? Jeffery Bruce Hoggard
* How long have you been married? Almost 2 years (on Mar. 4)
* How long did you date? If you count engagement, exactly 10 months (not counting engagement, 7 1/2 months)
* How old is he? Just turned 34 last month (Jan. 14)
* Who eats more sweets? I do!
* Who said I love you first? He did... because of my broken hearts in the past, I wasn't ready, but then I did soon after (not sure how soon after, though)
* Who is taller? Jeff (as you can see in the pictures I post)
* Who can sing better? I sing around the house more than he does, but I don't like my voice and I think he's better
* Who is smarter? I think Jeff is (but he keeps saying I am, too, although sometimes I think I'm not)
* Who does the laundry? Mostly me, but he does some, too
* Who pays the bills? I do (Jeff puts me in charge of our finance stuff 'cause he says I'm good at it)
* Who sleeps on the right side? Depends on where you are... if you're standing at the foot of the bed facing the bed, I do, but if you're in bed lying on your back, he does
* Who mows the lawn? What lawn? We live in a condo! Actually there is some grass and the maintenance people (whoever they are) takes care of that
* Who cooks dinner? Both of us (but once Jeff gets paid more at his new job to where I can work part-time or not at all, I'll be doing most of the cooking)
* Who drives? Who drives where?... I drive to my work. Jeff drives to his work. And it's about half and half if we drive together (sometimes he'd drive us, sometimes I'd drive us)
* Who is more stubborn? Probably me (gotta work on that)
* Who kissed who first? I can't remember... but it was this one night and we knew it was going to happen, but I kept stalling because I didn't want to get my heart broken again... but after I quit stalling, it happened and now look where we are!
* Who asked who out first? Funny story... our VERY first date was about 2 years before we starting dating... we went out once and didn't really hit it off. I don't remember who asked who out then, but we had each other on MSN Messenger and said hi once in a blue moon, then about 2 years after our first date, we were talking on Messenger and I was saying how we were having a hard time finding a date for my brother and Jeff said something like "i can so empathize" and then I said something like "i'm available", then after that, we started going out (first slowly 'cause he was finishing up a semester, then more often)
* Who proposed? Jeff did! I knew it was coming since we had picked out my ring, but I didn't exactly know when. We went to Jeff's work Christmas party at Thanksgiving Point. It was a nice dinner and dancing and it was semi-formal (we just wore our Sunday best), then I think we drove through the lights up there, then went to the Mt. Timpanogos Temple and we walked around to the back of it and he proposed to me there. It was a sweet moment that I'll never forget!
* Who has more siblings? We both have the same amount, even the same amount of brothers and sisters... I have 1 brother and 2 sisters and he has 1 brother and 2 sisters
* Who wears the pants? When we go to church or to the temple or some other thing where I have to wear a dress, Jeff wears the pants... any other time, we both do :-) (actually we both do now)
* Who is the most affectionate? Most of the time, he probably is, but other times, we both are!
* Who cleans the house? Read the answer to 'Who cooks dinner' above (except substitute the word 'cooking' for the word 'cleaning')

Even though we both have our little quirks, we are both very patient with each other. I'm grateful for Jeff and how patient he is with me. I love being with him and the fun times we have together. I'm grateful how hard he works at his job and that he got this new job (that he'll start in 1 1/2 weeks) that will hopefully make it to where I can work just part-time or not work at all for when we start having children. I'm grateful that he wants to make enough for me not to work and to support the family that we'll have. I'm grateful that he works so hard in his church calling (as Elders Quorum secretary)... the Elders Quorum President has said that he's grateful for Jeff and all that he does. I'm grateful that he has such a wonderful family. I'm just grateful for Jeff and the wonderful man he is!

Here is another picture from our Disneyland honeymoon trip from almost 2 years ago....


I love you, Jeff!!!

Jeff got a new job!

Jeff was going to school and working part-time last semester, but he's taking this semester off because we can't afford it. We paid for last semester, but we need some sort of loan or financial aid (or something!). He went back to full-time at Dentrix (his current place of work for a couple more weeks) so we could save more money and because we needed his benefits... Dentrix has out-of-this-world benefits and if we had had his benefits this past November when I had a staph infection and had to go to the ER, we would have paid about $100 something instead of $800 something (without my insurance, it would have been $1,200 something). Anyway, sometimes Jeff gets stressed at Dentrix. The Elders Quorum President in our Ward works at this one place (I forgot the name of it) where there was a job opening, and a month or so ago he told Jeff about it. Jeff applied and went in for an interview a few weeks ago. He was told he'd make about $12 (or $12 something) an hour and that they'd be moving from Lindon to Draper in about a month. He wasn't sure about commuting from Pleasant Grove to Draper. Plus, he wasn't sure about their benefits (since Dentrix has awesome benefits). He got sent an application through e-mail to print out and fill out and he took it back earlier this week. Well, to make a long story short.... wait a minute, it's already a long story, so never mind the short story. :-) A couple days ago he got 2 e-mails, one from the lady that interviewed him and one from Brandon (the Elders Quorum President). Brandon just told Jeff a couple more things about the job, that it would actually start at $13/hour ($2.25/hour more than what he has been making), what the benefits are (which aren't bad at all), and that maybe 2-4 weeks out of the year he would get to go on business trips, even international. The lady that interviewed him said he was accepted for the position and that he could start whenever. It also sounds like maybe it would be a lot easier to move up in the company than at Dentrix. After praying about it and getting a strong impression that he should take this job, he called yesterday morning to accept it and he starts on the 25th. He also put in his 2-week notice at Dentrix yesterday. We're both very excited for this opportunity of Jeff's! And we'll see what happens with this new job. I might make Jeff post an entry on here one of these days, saying what he does for the company (and the name of it). :-)

Enchanted - That's How You Know

This has to be one of my favorite parts of the movie! I love it when Prince Edward jumps off the bridge and gets run over by bicyclists. :-)

Enchanted - Happy Working Song

I absolutely LOVE this movie and can't wait until it comes out on DVD to watch it over and over! I think it's one of my favorite movies.

Our Kitty

Here are a few recent pictures of our kitty, named Callie. I thought that name fit her well because she's a calico. :-) She's funny ....




She likes to be in our window sill, sometimes looking out the window or sleeping. Our condo is on the 2nd floor, so it's fun when we're outside and we look up at her when she's in the window sill.




Another thing she likes to do is play with our DVD/VCR player. We'd pop in and out the DVD tray and she tries to play with it. We don't do it a whole lot because we don't want to wear the player out, but it's just so funny.

My American Accent

Seeing as how I grew up in Missouri, these results are pretty accurate. Although I'm not so sure that I have a good voice for TV and radio. Maybe I should be a radio deejay or an actress..... nah.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
The South
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

5 years ago today ....

5 years ago today (Jan. 20, 2003), I started my job at Backstage Library Works. It was called MarcLink when I started, but the name was changed near the end of 2003. I started out working in Orem (just east of the University Mall... within walking distance so my sisters and I had lunch there about once a month). Then in April of last year, we moved to a building in south Provo. It has been an awesome job for me and I'm sure the management at Backstage really appreciate me there. Here's proof that they appreciate me. :-) Below are some pictures of awards I've received ....

2003 ....

2004 .... (I tried to take a couple pictures of this to see if it would turn out good... it's sorta like a rock that you can see into with the writing... it says Backstage, Vicki Higginson, Top 5 DT, 2004)

2005.... (Our kitty is so funny and likes to see what I'm doing sometimes, so I had to get her in this next picture... and then there's a picture without her)

2006 ....

2007 ....

I didn't really get an award I could take a picture of like the ones above, but there were still top 5 awards and those who were awarded got a Backstage Christmas card and a $25 gift card to the mall in south Provo (the place I work is also in south Provo). I would've taken a picture of that, but I can't find it at the moment. ;-) I need to find it so I can use it.

Anyway, so 5 years at my job... doesn't quite seem like I've been there that long, but it's been a good job.

Honeymoon at Disneyland - Mar. 6-11, 2006

I don't really have a lot of recent pictures, so I'll post some of my favorites from our honeymoon at Disneyland from almost 2 years ago. This first one is one of my favorites ....

This is me and Jeff on the teacup ride ....

And finally, this is us at the Pacific Ocean... we rented a car for half a day and went to a beach along the Pacific Ocean ....

It was my first time ever going to Disneyland and the Pacific Ocean and I had so much fun that I REALLY want to go back (as soon as our finances will let us).

This was also my first time posting pictures, so it took a little while to figure out and hopefully I can get better at it.