New Jobs

Jessica mentioned in an email that she didn't know about my getting a job so I think I will explain a little about that in case you missed that news. --- The end of August I decided to step up my job search. I hadn't had any luck getting interviews for jobs I applied for and I was getting frustrated. I decided to focus on companies I had heard good things about, that were growing, and who I heard treated their employees well. I was also looking at companies whose products I like. I was inspired to check out doTerra and found that they had openings in their customer service department. I applied online and they called me for an interview that day or the next. I went in for an interview the next day and got offered a job in their call center on the spot. The interview was really short and it kind of left me wondering if the only criteria for working there was that you had to be breathing. (I have since been assured that now everyone who interviews gets hired.) I was initially unimpressed with the work environment. I was immediately uncomfortable that all of the employees I came in contact with, with the exception of the division manager, were half my age. But as I went to several other interviews and got offered one other job, it was the job at doTerra that I couldn't stop thinking about. I eventually decided to accept the position and started their training program. doTerra has a very complicated database you have to learn along with a huge amount of information about all the rules and regulations of their sales programs. It is a multi-level marketing company and so they have a complicated compensation plan for their sales reps that we had to learn. Once our training class was finished we had to go through a three part test to see if we were ready to start answering phone calls. There was a computer skills test, a written test that took 1 1/2 hours to take, and they listened to us talk with customers and rated how good our customer service skills are. There was one other lady in our training group who was older than me, everyone else was 20 (or so). The training seemed to always make comments about people in our generation and not being very computer literate or able to learn all that you have to know for the job. It kind of made the other lady and I work harder. In the end, I got the highest grade on the final test and she got the second highest score. Go old ladies. :) I started taking phone calls last Friday and I like it. I really wasn't sure about this job at first but I have come to like it more and more. Going to work everyday was a big change for me. The company is everything I was looking for in a company. This next week is their big convention for 12,000 of their product consultants and all the employees are involved in helping out. I will work extra to help out. I usually start work at 7:45am and finish between 12 and 1pm. I drop Tyler and Jannik off at school on my way to work and Melanie gets herself off to the bus stop. I am home about an hour before the kids are out of school so it is nice I can still be home to do all the after school running around. I don't think anyone is too put out by my working. The house isn't as clean and I still haven't found time to get the fall decorations out from under the house but everyone is getting dinner and the house is picked up.

Dad got hired on as an employee of Monet this last week with a large raise so that is positive. I think he is happy with how things are going there. He has a carpool to get to work in so that saves on gas and wear and tear on the car. The hours for his job are 8-4 so he is usually home earlier than he has ever been with any other job he has had. That is nice.


We are kind of into a school routine around here... not too much "fun" going on. Tyler and Jannik did well at their swim-a-thon this last weekend. They both swam the 200 laps in just over an hour. I think they are excited for swim meets to begin...

Something Wonderful

Jannik and Tyler did lots of swim team workouts. They have a personal trainer who has been coming to work them out. They thought the team captains gave them hard workouts. They are really sore and tired after the trainer works with them. Jannik has taken up saying that he is a "sprinter" not a long distance person. Reminded me of Melanie saying that last year in regards to track.

Melanie is doing great keeping up on her homework this year. I am so proud of her. Jannik and Tyler could use some work on their study skills.

I am progressing in my training at work (doTerra). I am feeling more comfortable and am starting to practice answering the phone. I got my first paycheck :) I get a really big discount on the oils so we are learning how to use them.

Today was stake conference and our whole family (minus Jannik) sang in the choir, so we sat on the stand. We left early to warm up with the choir. We thought we described which church we were at to Jannik but apparently not good enough. He walked all over going to different churches until he finally realized all the cars were at the stake center and decided to try that church. His new church shoes gave him big blisters. 5. We are still doing lots of canning. Last week it was mostly spaghetti sauce and spaghetti squash.

The stake is really gearing up for the youth cultural celebration they are producing this fall. Melanie will tell the story of Grandma Minnie swallowing the snake while others act it out. Melanie has also tried out for a solo singing part.

Labor Day

It is always nice on Labor day to get a few projects done around the house.  Tyler spend his day "laboring" at the swimming pool as a lifeguard.  For the rest of us, the day's projects revolved around harvesting and preserving the vegetables in our family garden.

Melanie loves to chop the onions because her eyes do not water when she does.  She is good at getting the onions chopped to just the right size.

Warren made salsa while Jannik made a pasta dish for dinner.

 At the end of the day we had:

• picked, cut and bottled the green beans from our garden
• picked, cut and bottled the squash from our garden
• picked, de-stemmed, juiced and made jelly from all our red grape
• picked, chopped, made and bottled fresh salsa
• picked plums off the neighbor's tree for eating

After dinner we took a walk along the Jordan River Parkway Trail.