December at a Glance (thus far)

December has been a busy month so I will update you on the highlights.

*  The first of December Rob gave his notice at Wright Financial Express and took a job with Marlin Business Bank as the VP/Chief Risk Officer.  This is a great move for him with a company that has tremendous growth opportunity.  The headquarters is located in New Jersey so he will be spending a week a month in the Garden State.

*  I followed suite and gave my notice after working six years for Alta Internal Medicine.  In October our private medical office was purchased by HCA and I was not comfortable with the direction the office was going and decided I would rather work full time for Olsen, Jesperson & Company as a wife, mom and TamTam.

*  December 8th I had back surgery.  Because of my scoliosis the lower part of my spine is pushing on the nerves causing me severe back pain.  The surgery involved the doctor going in and severing the nerves by burning them.  This was a much more painful procedure than I had ever imagined.  The surgery usually takes about 45 minutes but because of how bad my back is it took twice as long.  Also the recovery has been much longer than I had planned (but then again I had only planned on it taking a few days)!  As of today I am two weeks post surgery and am still experiencing alot of pain.  I had a dear friend that was dieing of cancer and she always said "Act the way you wish you felt" and I have tried to follow her motto and not whine about the pain. 

*  The Friday before the surgery I was able to get together with the wonderful women that I worked directly with for a Christmas party.  It was fun to laugh, play games, eat a yummy meal and get to know each others "other half" a little better.

*  Rob's family has always gotten together Christmas Eve so for the past 8 years (since Brandy got married) my kids have not been able to spend anytime with the Olsen family during the Christmas Season because they get together with their in-law's Christmas Eve.  So this year they had a family gathering prior to Christmas so our entire little family was able to attend.

*  Pain or no pain there was no way I was going to miss the Christmas Party with the cute ladies that I go to lunch with once a month.  Brandy and Cooper were even invited to join the festivities.

*  Christmas would not be Christmas if we did not get together with Myrna and Ernie, Grandma Carole and the cute Selin Family (we thought it was funny that Dawson was calling Carole Grandma)!  We were also so excited to have Lisa (Sarah's sister) join us this year.  Rob's sister mentioned that they had a young couple who had become apart of there family and it made me think that we all seem to "adopted" special friends to become part of our own individual families.  I couldn't imagine our little family without Grandma Carole, the Selin's and the Floyd's.  We are so blessed to have them in our life!

*  Well that brings us up to Christmas Eve.  This year Rob and I are beginning a new Christmas Eve Tradition.  It will just be the two of us and we are looking forward to a nice relaxing day of going to a movie, dinner and preparing for Ole Saint Nick to arrive tonight.  So to one and all a very Merry Christmas from our home to yours!!