Twenty Years

June 16, I completed my twenty year anniversary working at the University of Utah.

A colleague in the ER had recommended the job for me. I met with the manager and she hired me on the spot. I hadn't filled out an application, so she had me complete the application while I was in her office. I remained working at SLRMC ER part time and later moved to PRN.

Halloween on the 6N unit

I began my time at the U as a HUC (Health Unit Coordinator) on the inpatient orthopedic floor. I learned a lot about myself. I learned to stand up for myself. Looking back, I couldn't be paid enough to do that job again. Maybe it was the nurses, the doctors or the unit, but the HUC was everybody's stepping stone. Everybody yelled at her. Back then, we documented on paper. The HUC received the admission or post surgery orders and had to decipher the handwriting, then transfer them to the appropriate location on the unit.
I left my position as a HUC in a flaming blaze of glory; burning bridge and all! It's super funny now, but I was at a pretty low point back then.

1999 - Catwoman costume

I changed positions from inpatient and moved to work in a registration call center: Pre-registration. We'd call patients for their outpatient visits and register them on the "new" computer system. A system I would one day train to other new users. A system that feel ancient now.
It was during my time in preregistration, where I met my mentor. I was so angry during that time. Going to therapy and learning to stop hating myself. It was a hard time and I took out my anger on a lot of people. My boss, who would become my mentor, nearly fired me during that time.
I learned a lot about accountability from that boss.

I left preregistration and moved to billing. Billing was...about as exciting as it sounds. *yawn* I stayed there for about a year and a half and learned billing procedures and insurance rules, That's about all I can say about that time.

After billing, I moved to help open a new department. I was fortunate to be hired by that mentor/boss. He was creating a new department to improve the insurance authorization process. I moved from clinic to clinic working through their existing process and creating improved ways of authorization and working through deposit processes. I enjoyed working in the clinics and stayed in this position for nearly four years. I loved working in the clinics, meeting physicians, nursing and other clinicians.

From insurance auth, I moved to financial counseling. A pay grade increase position. A position I was terrible at! I could not make this work for me to save my life. I was beginning to worry that my position would be eliminated when the training team opened a new position. I applied and interviewed and was offered the job on April Fool's day of 2004. A huge relief!

I've been training since that time. Our training group has moved from department to department but now report up through IT. I have loved working as a trainer to the various audiences.

In those twenty years, I've met and married the love of my life. Celebrated achievements with my family and friends and mourned the loss of some of those family and friends.
I decided a long time ago that I would chose not to live with regret. It has helped me push to be honest and compassionate in my dealings with myself and others.  Looking at the past twenty years at the U, I'm grateful to have been fortunate to work in jobs I both loved and hated, with some of the most gracious people. I'm grateful to have a mentor who helped me learn and grow into a contributing team member.
Some of the days in the past twenty years:

2008 - taking a daily self portrait (before "selfies" existed)

2009 - Thanksgiving in LA

2010 - I have cut my hair every year. I usually cut between five and eight inches.

2010 - July 24 with Andrew

October 2011 - A visit from Leo

2012 - October - The Patriots game! Yay!

2012 - November - A back injury took me out of commission. This day I had the first of two back injections.

Feb 2013 - Eric and I at a charity dinner

April 2013 - Playing with the kiddos. They always bring me so much joy!

2013 - Halloween. Remembering my cousin who'd passed away weeks before. 

July 2014 - Iceberg with these nuts!

May 2015 - Feeling rejuvenated.

Jan 2016 - This girl! 

Nov 2016 - Another visit to see the Patriots. 

2017 - returning home from a camping trip. They look exhausted. 

May 2015 - Celebrating 20 years!

Three Year Hiatis

Who knew time could just pass by in the blink of an eye?

I suppose I was working through the pain of loss when I stopped writing. Bradley. A tragic accident. An honorable man who we miss to this day.

Our hearts were broken. I struggled to make sense of it all. Words were fleeting.

I used photos to document the passing of time.

Because pictures help me remember the good times more than the bad times, and help me see and feel the blessing of this life, it's how I see the passing of time.

2014 favorite photos:

Lori with her father and son. A joyful day!

Salt Lake color festival. Eric, Evan and Samantha.

The smiles say it all. Echo has always spoke to the deepest joy in our hearts.

Pride Parade. 

A visit to California. My sisters and I took a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway.

A moose feeling our noise in Idaho's back woods.

2015 
We were happy to see the stress of 2014 end. But we knew what the year would hold for us.
Cocoa Pebbles had a cancer that spread dramatically and painfully and we had to make the tough decision to end her pain.
Later in May, our Casey Jones would pass.
Eric lost a cousin who was in his young 20s.
We struggled to help our 17 year old  husky girl, Tamika Jones find physical strength. She passed in September.
Through the heartbreak, we did find joy and happiness. Such is life. Pain and Sorrow mixed with Joy and Happiness.

We adopted a new Siberian Husky. Our crazy girl Ahsoka Jones. She brought youth back into our home. We'd had a geriatric dog home for so long, we hardly knew how to cope with her energy! But we sure did welcome her energy.

To sum up 2015 through photos, I'd share these:

Me and my sweetest Cocoa Pebbles.

The handsome boy Casey Jones. He was so loving!

A quick trip to LA for James' first birthday. 

Seriously one of my favs! Miss Tamika Jones teaching the ropes to Miss Ahsoka Jones.

Thanksgiving in LA and a last minute trip to Disneyland.

2016
It was really a year to recover from pain, sorrow and decompress from the shocks of life from the previous three years.
We recognized we are greatly blessed through the pain and sorrow. We worked hard to enjoy life's blessings.
We have worked to heal our hearts.
We enjoyed our families, Utah's surroundings, traveled to Boston with Collin, and we adopted another Siberian husky. The demon boy, Bridger Jones.

Summing up 2016 through photos:

The Mittens just inside the Arizona boarder.

11 years with this amazing man!

Spanish Fork color festival.

June road trip through Yellowstone.

Mr. Bridger Jones and the day he joined our little family.

Ahsoka and Bridger

A visit to the "Promised Land" of Foxboro, Massachusetts. 

Candles on New Years with my family.

That is the best way I can catch up the past three years as quickly as possible. And now I'm ready to move into 2017.
Not sure how I feel about returning to Blogger. I know there are other sites to better use, but I'll stick here for now.