More Family Visits

Last week Jon's family came to visit us here is California! (Sarah didn't come, but everyone else did). They stayed for a few days but Jon still had to work, so it was just me and them for most of the week/weekend. They got here on Wednesday night and we went to Six Flags on Thursday. I really wasn't in the mood to go to Six Flags again, since Jon had been there only 2 weeks earlier, but I did, however, want to spend time with my in-laws. I am really glad that I decided to go. We had a good time and it was nice to have the bonding opportunity.

On Friday we just hung out during the day and went to the pool for a bit and Jon was able to come home early from work, so we went out to dinner together. We went to this great restaurant called Wasabi. It's like Teppenyaki and Benihana where they cook in front of you. The food was great! Jon's family had never been to a restaurant like that before so it was fun to see them enjoy it for the first time. Our cook was pretty creative too, it was fun!

On Saturday we went to the park to have a picnic for lunch. It was amazingly hot outside and I felt really bad that Jon still had to be out there all day in the sun talking to strangers. We played Frisbee for a bit until we couldn't handle the heat anymore. We spent the rest of the day inside until Jon got home. We had chicken fettuccine alfredo for dinner and then went to the park again (this time with Jon) and played some more Frisbee. Jon and I took off our flip flops and our feet started to turn orange. I'm still not sure whether it was just the dirt that was under the grass or whether is was something else, like some sort of pesticide or something... Jon ended up getting a charlie horse and left with Ben to play Nintendo while the rest of stayed to play. We played until the sprinklers turned on and we were forced to leave. It was a good time.

On Sunday, his parents made pancakes for us for breakfast and then they went to Sacrament meeting with us before they left. I'm really glad they came. We had a really nice time!

Jon and I are planning on taking a cruise in August! It's about halfway through the time that we will be out here and it will be such a nice vacation! No stress at all, just fun. We got it officially booked a few days ago! We are leaving on August 8th and coming back on August 13th! The ship is going to down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! I'm so excited! Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before! It's going to be fabulous!!

Also, I didn't pass my medical transcriptioning test. I did well on the first section but I have to take the second part again. So, now it's back to studying for at least another week before I can take my test again. I really hope I pass this time, I only have 3 chances and that would REALLY suck if I didn't pass... so we'll see...

My Terrific Father

I know that Father's Day was yesterday, but I still wanted to make sure that I spent some time thinking about my Dad.

I was really worried about what Father's Day was going to be like for my Daddy this year and, unfortunately, I know that it was not the Father's Day that it could have been. For the first time that I can remember, our family is really scattered at the moment. Jon and I are in California; my Mom, sister, and brother are in Utah; and my Dad spent his special day in Arizona with my other sister. I knew that this year had to be different and I spent a lot of time wondering what I could do to let my Dad know that I loved him. Jon and I bought him a book and I called him yesterday, and now, I want to give him this blog post. This is for him:


I love my Dad with all of my heart! He has always been a fabulous Father, even when I didn't think so. Sure we got in our fights when I was younger. Who doesn't fight with their parents at least occasionally? But looking back I have realized that he really just wanted the best for us. He wanted to teach us and to protect us. He wanted us to learn what was right and what the Lord would have us do. All he wanted was for us to be able to grow up and be happy with our lives.

My Dad had to work a lot and often went out of town for work, but I always remember getting post cards from him when he was gone. He let us know how much he cared and that he loved us and that he missed us. I still have mine, along with the little gifts he would bring home. They always meant so much to me. My Dad loved to take us on Daddy-Daughter dates and they were always so fun! In fact, we still go on them occasionally.

He has always had the priesthood and was able to use it in our home. He blessed me as a baby, baptized me as a child, gave me blessings every year before school started and when I was sick, and worked really hard so that he could be there in the temple when I got married. That meant so much to me, it wouldn't be the same without my Dad there.

He has always been so supportive of me, even when he didn't really like the decisions I made, he still wanted me to happy and let me know that. He loves to make jokes and to make us laugh. He is so silly and I just love it! I love to see him smile and to hold his kids and look at them the way that he does, with so much love and admiration and pride. He always lets me know how much he loves me, how much he loves Jon, and how much he misses us. I really miss him too. It's hard to be married and away from my family, though I enjoy the time we get to grow as a couple, of course I still miss them.

I love my Dad so much and I want him to always be happy and I want to let him know that I am always there, I'm just a phone call away and I'll always be happy to talk.

I love you Papa, you're the best!

Your favorite daughter (jk), Shalay

Bowling and Baseball

We have had a lot of good times this summer! The other night Jon and I went with a few other couples to go bowling. We went at 12:30 at night because it's cheaper. It was fun, even though we were tired! I did okay, not great, but okay. The point was that it was a really good time and we got to spend it with some great people!

Last night we went to the Giants baseball game with everyone in the office, okay, almost everyone. They guys had earned it in a competition with another office! It was so much fun! The Giants really sucked though. There was this guy behind us that kept doing cheers/chants. He was really funny and we ended up having a really good time with him. There were lots of laughs and it wasn't quite as cold as it usually is when we go to San Francisco! On the way down we listened to a variety of music that Ethan and Misty were introducing us to. It was great!

Also, my snake is starting to shed for the first time since we got her! I'm really excited about it! She's the coolest! So, things are going fabulously. I've been thinking a lot about my family and I hope they are doing okay. I worry about them a lot.

It has been 2 weeks, as of today, since I took my test, so I should find out how I did any day now! I can't wait!

Family and Summer Time Fun

My family came down from Arizona to visit us last weekend!! I was really glad to see them! They sure had a busy schedule and I'm glad they took the time to come and see us! The weekend did not go exactly as I had hoped but we still had a good time!

On Sunday we went to San Francisco! We stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge and then went to the park to have a picnic. It was such a nice park! I really loved it!! After that we went down the windy street and then drove over to Pier 39 to stroll around the shops and look out at the ocean. It was pretty fun, even though it was super windy that day!! That evening we played Rock Band with my sisters and had a blast. The end of the evening did not go very well, but the rest of the day was great!

On Monday we went to Old Sacramento and strolled the boardwalk. We went into some fun shops and had a good time looking around. We ate lunch at In 'N Out which was, of course, fabulous!! After that we went and played some arcade games! We had a blast and won 601 tickets total! We got our prizes and then Kira, Jon, and I went on the Scandia Screamer!! It was really fun, but dumb that we weren't allowed to scream.... on the screamer.... lol! We then went home and had some dinner and played some games and watched The Office! It was nice.

On Tuesday we went to Six Flags!! We had such a great time and went on tons of roller coasters! We also got a flash pass so we didn't have to wait in line! It was SO great! We also got stuck on one of the roller coasters and I got scared, but we didn't die so it was okay. Haha. It was a nice day, not too hot, and it was nice to have a break.

On Wednesday Jon went back to work since my parents were no longer there. They started selling early so they could take a mid afternoon break to go indoor surfing! Some of the wives, including me, went to watch them. It was really funny to watch. A few the guys were pretty good, but the majority of them didn't do very well, they sure had fun though! Jon hurt his shoulder a bit, so that kinda sucked, but it isn't too bad! We also had a baby shower for Misty that day! It was so much fun and everyone was so helpful! We had a super good time.

We have been having a fun time! We played Rock Band with Ethan and Misty and plan to play with a bunch of other people too. (Jon got a Wii and Rock Band and a bunch of other Wii games as one of his incentives.) Jon is doing absolutely fabulous when it comes to his sales! I'm really proud of him! He works so hard!

This morning we also bought the plane tickets for our Italy trip!! It was very exciting! We are leaving on December 14th and coming back on January 14th! It is really going to be the trip of a lifetime and we plan to do it right!! We are very excited about it!

Graduation Gifts and The Office Nights

Jon surprised me with a graduation present! He told me a few days before I was going to be done that when I finished school he would buy me a snake!! We ended up getting it a few days before I was done though because we had to work around the crazy summer schedule!

I LOVE SNAKES!! I have always wanted one and it was such a great gift. It does kinda make me feel bad though, I'm terrible at giving gifts and I'm always afraid to spend too much money since it is Jon that is making it. Hopefully I'll get better at giving Jon gifts!

Anyway! My snake!! She is so awesome! She is a Taiwan Beauty Ratsnake! She is yellowish and black. Her pattern changes from her head to her tail, it's really cool!! We had her sexed so that we know she is a girl! We originally wanted a boy but then we found out that the girls get bigger, so we went with a girl instead. Her name is Legion! She is named after the demon in the bible that Christ cast into the swine. "I am Legion, for we are many." It's pretty much awesome. Before we even considered getting a snake we decided that when we eventually got one we wanted a name that had to do with demons or the devil. It makes sense since Eve was beguiled by the 'serpent' to eat the fruit in the Garden of Eden.

Anyways... I really like her! She is awesome! She is about 4 months old so she is pretty small, but she will get to be about 6 to 7 feet long. She won't get as fat as other snakes, but she'll definitely get bigger. We fed her a mouse for the first time the other day! It was the coolest thing ever! She ignored for a while and then started to follow it. She stuck out her tongue and got a little taste and that was all it took. She lunged and grabbed its foot and then wrapped her body around it and suffocated it until it died. After she was sure it was dead she let it go. After that we got a little worried because she didn't eat it for a while. So Jon got out the pliers and picked up the mouse so the movement would get her attention. It worked. She kept striking at it until she grabbed it by the head and then swallowed it! It was funny to see the big lump in her body after she finished with it. We put her back in her cage and in seconds she got herself stuck because the lump wouldn't fit through the small space in her branches that she was trying to get through. It was really funny! She's awesome and I love her so much!! Thanks honey for the fabulous present!!

Jon also got me a new desk and a new chair so I can be happy and comfortable when I start working! This gift was going to be after I got a job, but we decided that we needed a place to put the snake's terrarium, so we got it as a sort of second graduation gift. We had a lot of fun putting it together! Jon just loves to do stuff like that, it's like a special set of Legos, he just adores it! The desk is great, it's really nice to have a better place to work and to sit instead of at the kitchen table, that was getting a bit irritating! Thanks again babe!

Also, me and a few of the wives out here for the summer have decided to start a weekly 'The Office' night! We started today and watched the first few episodes of the first season! The first season is only 6 episodes long, so we'll be done come next week. Today was really fun. Misty, Lindsey, Heidi, and Alison came over and Lindsey brought cookie dough so we could make cookies too!! It was really nice to hang out with so many other people, especially because everyone of them except for Misty and I have babies, and Misty is pregnant. It's was nice to get out of the 'clique' feeling of the two groups. Wives that have babies and wives that don't. I'm glad we got to mix it up! I'm really excited to start this weekly thing! We decided that we'll probably do a potluck sort of dinner on those nights as well! I'm super excited!

The summer is going great! It's great to be done with school and Jon is doing well selling! He has also been training other guys and it seems to be helping them too! I'm really proud of him and I can't wait for my family to come visit me this weekend!!

I'm Done!!

I finished taking my final test today and I am officially done with school!! I think I did alright on the test. I'll find out in about 2 weeks. I'm pretty nervous, it was kinda hard. It feels so good to be done with it though! I had until September to finish and I'm glad that I was able to finish a few months before that. It will give me extra time in case I need to retake my final... though I REALLY hope that I won't have to do it over again! I have to get 85% on both portions (separately) in order to pass. I am pretty nervous about it, but I'm trying not to worry. I have 2 weeks until I find out and I don't want to waste that free time worrying about my test!

I'm so grateful for Jon. He was super supportive and very excited for me! I really appreciate the encouragement that he gives me. He always believes in me, even when I don't believe in myself. After I find out that I passed the test (if indeed I did pass it) I will start looking for a job. I am pretty nervous about that and I hope it won't be too hard and that I will do well. Right now though, I just want to concentrate on the good feeling that I'm done with school!!

Fun Times Coming Around

Jonathan had an AMAZING week last week!! He sold 15 systems! The week before he only got 5! He never had a day where he did not get a sale, and he didn't even have any days where he sold only 1! It was just wonderful! I'm so proud of him! It is definitely encouraging and makes the thought of the rest of the summer even better! It also makes us a lot more confident about our choice to stay out here for another year! It is really going to be a good opportunity for us and I am excited for this next year!! Jon also already has 2 sales today! He has not had a day where he didn't sale anything for the past 9 selling days! That is so awesome!

Jon also decided that since we'll have the extra time, he wants to extend our Italy trip in December. He said it would be cheaper if we left a week earlier and came back a week later due to the holidays. So, we have extended our trip so that we leave on December 14th and come back on January 14th! A whole month vacation! It is going to be absolutely amazing!! I am really glad that we have the opportunity to do this, to be able to look back on our lives in 50 years and know that we got to do something like this, we might not ever get this change again! We still need to actually book everything, but we have a lot of it planned. We'll fly to New York for a few days, then spend a few days in Paris and a few days in London before heading to Italy! We'll be taking the train all of the time, except for when we take a boat to the island. We'll be spending Christmas and New Years with some of the members that Jon knew on his mission. I am WAY excited for our trip and I'm planning on spending a little of time figuring out the best way to take pictures so that we can remember it all well!! We are also planning on taking a road trip sometime around Octoberish when we'll be getting ready to move so we can start working with a Pinnacle year round office. That's going to be really fun as well!

My family is coming to visit in a few weeks! They'll be here June 6th and I can't wait. We still aren't entirely sure what we'll do with them while they are here, but I am so excited to have them here! I really miss them! They decided to move back to Utah, which they hope to do by the beginning of July. I'm a little surprised that they decided to do that, but I know they'll be happier! I just wish they had decided that while I was there to enjoy them! Haha. But we have great memories down in Arizona that I wouldn't trade for the world!!

I'm having a great time out here in Elk Grove! It's so fun! The schedule is hard to get used to, but we work hard and play hard. School is going well. I should be done is a few weeks! I just hope that finding a job won't be too hard. Our kitties had a hard time getting used to being out here. Zephyr got real quiet and shy for a while and Asrielle could do nothing but wander around and cry for attention. They are doing better now though. I'm having a good time with the people out here! There are all amazing!! I've gotten to spend a lot of time with Ethan and Misty! I am SO glad that they decided to come out with us! We have so much fun with them! Misty is due to have her baby in 6 weeks! I'm way excited for them! I've also enjoyed spending time with the other wives and ladies! They're the greatest and I'm glad I get to spend the summer with such wonderful people!!

OH! And thank you so much Mom and Dad Peterson for fixing our laptop! I had spilled a drink on it last summer and lost everything we had on it! Including pictures of our first year of marriage! I don't know how he did it but Dad fixed it! We took it to professionals who couldn't do anything with it! Now, not only do we get our files back but the laptop works just fine! I can't wait to get it back!! I'm just amazed! I'm so glad they tried to fix instead of just giving it away to D.I. like we asked! You're the best!!!

So, lots of fun things to look forward too and I feel really blessed that they get to happen!

Time For A Change

I decided recently that I was really in need, or want, of a change. I really want to change up my style. No more t-shirts... okay, at least not for going out. I want to actually have some style. I want to have nice clothes that I look really good in. I want to do stuff with my hair instead of throwing it up in a ponytail all the time. I'm tired of looking like a teenager. I need to change my style so I can look and feel more my age. So, if anyone has any tips on how to dress stylishly, find good clothes, and change my daily hairstyle, I would REALLY appreciate it!!

Jon is doing really well. He sold 4 yesterday and was #19 in the company for that day! It was awesome! His first sale was just amazing! He sold it to a couple who just moved into a new 3-story home! The guy was pretty rich because he had a family member that worked at a company... I can't remember the company... It's kinda lame, because he never had to really work for his money, but still. It was a 45 point system!! And for those of you who don't understand how big that actually is, they usually give out between 5-10 points, so it was huge!! Jon got to charge them a lot of extra money and made at least 2 or 3 times more on that sale than a normal one! It was great! It also took the technician 6 hours to get it done!! And then to get 3 more... yeah, it was a great day for him!! Good job Babe!!

I am almost done with my medical transcriptioning program. I sat down today and figured how much work I have to do before I get to my final. I'm in the last stretch and have 165 more dictations to transcribe. That's a pretty big number to look at, but I split it up. I am hoping to finish with it by June 5th. My parents will be here on June 6th, so it's a perfect time. That's about 16 days, including today, that I have to actually work, so minus Sundays. So really, I only have to do about 11 a day!! That's awesome!! I can TOTALLY do that! I'm way excited about it and feel a lot more motivated to actually work! Wish me luck!!

Jonathan's 24th Birthday

Jon turned 24 yesterday!! It's always weird when his birthday comes around. The rest of the year he is only 3 years older than me. But during the summer he 4 (in numbers) years older. I'm 20 until the end of August.

I have always been bad at holidays. Any day that I have to get Jon something or celebrate in one way or another; Christmas, Valentines Day, his birthday, our anniversary, etc.... I just dread it. I never know what to get for him or how to celebrate. I am getting a little bit better though.

Jon came home from selling to find that I had decorated the house "The Office" style. I had decorations up, including pictures of Hilary Swank, the pervert Dwight poster, the H.E.R.O. lesson, the poster of Dwight (D- determined, W-Worker, etc), the Dwight Schrute Workplace sign, crossword puzzles, the diversity day cards, and, of course, The Office sign!! We bought pizza for dinner (from 'Alfredo's Pizza Cafe'). We had ice cream sandwiches, M&Ms, Altoids, tuna sandwiches, grape soda, and brownies. Yes, every single one of those things has to do with The Office! It was pretty fun and he got a good laugh out of it! We had our friends Ethan and Misty come over. They are fans of The Office too. We then watched the new episode of The Office. I'm pretty sure it was the season finale! 'Company Picnic!' Great episode! Anyway! We had tons of fun!!

I got him a few small gifts for his birthday, but we are having mail problems. I got everything off of ebay or the internet, and NOTHING got here for his birthday. It really sucked, but he didn't seem to mind too much. He'll get them eventually!

Anyway, I think I did a pretty good job this year! Now I need to start thinking about next year so I don't screw that one up either! lol!

Also, we decided to defer Jon's acceptance to medical school. We'll go next year instead of this year. In the meanwhile, Jon will get to stay with Pinnacle and make some really great money. The main reason we decided to wait was for the experience, not the money. It's going to be great to spend this extra time together to prepare in order for us to really enjoy medical school and each other. We feel good about it and are ready to start kickin' our butts working!!

Medical School/Pinnacle Dilemma

Jon and I are trying to decide what we should do. We got an offer that allowed us the choice to take a year off of school, which would mean that Jon could not only work for Pinnacle for another summer, but for the rest of the year in between as well. It's a great opportunity and we are not sure what would be best for us. We have made a list of pros and cons for both and have numbered them in order of importance.

Pros For Going to Medical School Now1. Jon would be a doctor faster.
2. We would have to move less and get to settle down.
3. Jon is already in 'school mode'.
4. Jon would be done selling.
5. It's a good time to buy a house.
6. We would be settled in before I got pregnant.
7. It is what we already had planned to do.

Cons for Going to Medical School Now1. We would unstable financially.
2. Our schedule would become busy more quickly.
3. It would be harder for me to find a job (in order to buy a house/condo).
4. We might not be in a position to buy a house/condo.
5. We might not get to go on our Italy trip.

Pros for Waiting a Year and Working for Pinnacle1. We would make more money and be financially stable.
2. Medical school has a rigorous schedule and it would be nice to have the extra time to prepare.
3. Jon would able to focus on school better because he wouldn't have to worry so much about money.
4. We would have a higher quality of life.
5. It would give me more time to find a job.
6. It would be great to have the extra 16 months to spend together.
7. It would be less stress to deal with right now.
8. We would get to go to Italy.

Cons for Waiting a Year and Working for Pinnacle1. Jon would have to sell for an entire year.
2. Jon might lose his Pinnacle fire, burn out, and have a hard time selling.
3. It would be longer until Jon is a Doctor.
4. Jon might not get the grant money that he would for this fall.
5. Jon might lose his medical school fire.
6. Jon might forget stuff he had already learned in school.
7. We would have to do more moving.
8. It would be longer until we would buy a house/condo.
9. We would have to move while I was pregnant.
10. We wouldn't know immediately where we would be moving.

We are still trying to decide what to do and we only have 1 more day to do it. So hopefully we can find an answer. Wish us luck! If you have any opinions we would be happy to hear them!