March 16, 2011

Couldn't ask for a bigger compliment ....

            This is my daughter's English paper --

                                                        My Mother…
       My mother is such a wonderful and inspiring person. She had a difficult time as a teenager because her father passed away when she was only 18 years old. He died of a massive heart attack at the age of 43.
      My mother married my father at the age of 19, he was 20. They moved from The Dalles, OR to Chehalis, WA the very next day. Shortly after getting married, my mom gave birth to my brother, Chris. I came along just under two years later. During this time my mother worked as a waitress at a restaurant called Kit Carson’s Restaurant & Sports Lounge. She worked at Kit’s for about eight years until she decided she wanted something more in her life.
     She searched all over town for a job that seemed fun and more professional. She began to clean houses for a few people that we know. Since my mother is practically OCD when it comes to cleaning, she thought this was perfect. She started her own cleaning business called TJ’s Cleaning. She had a wide range of clients throughout Chehalis and Centralia, WA. She had the company for five years before she wanted something new.
     She searched the news paper for something that caught her eye and came across an ad for a customer service representative for Corwin-Rey Farmers Insurance. After working as a customer service representative for about two years, she started taking a class to become a licensed insurance agent. She worked night and day reading for the state licensing test. I am so proud of her. In 2009 she became the office manager of both the Corwin-Rey offices.
     In 2009 she also decided to dedicate her free time to fitness. Since her father pasted from a heart attack, she had her mind set to be as healthy as possible and hopefully make it passed her 43rd birthday. To do this, she set herself the goal of riding in the STP. The STP is a two day, 206 mile bike ride from Seattle to Portland that happens every year in July. It took her months of riding her bike all over Washington. She first began riding inside the house on a bike stand and eventually ventured outside. Forty-five days before the race, my mother road the “Flying Wheels” in Seattle, a 70 mile ride.
     When the day finally came for the STP, my mom was very nervous. The first day was 106 miles. Day one took my mom 7-8 hours to ride starting at 7 am. Riders go directly past my parent’s house to the park down the street to camp for the night. This was lucky because my mom got to sleep in her own bed after 106 miles. Day two was the home stretch. The last 100 miles was harder for her than the first since it was so close to the first 100 miles, but it was totally worth it. As she got close to the finish line, which was located in the park next to the Portland mall, she could not stop crying. She was so happy that she had reached her goal and that she had so much support waiting for her when she got done. Everyone was so proud of her for even wanting to do the STP let alone for finishing it. Her total time was 17 hours.
This was the first of many things my mother has pushed herself into doing.
     Since the STP she has done a half marathon, convinced my cousins to run 10 miles uphill in one day, and a marathon/marathon relay race.
     My mother is such an inspiration. She refuses to let anything get in the way of her goals and encourages others to do the same. I wish I had the conviction she does to live everyday to the fullest. She truly is my one and only hero and I love her so much.

                                                        Samantha Wiley   


I love my daughter so much and I can't tell you how
PROUD
 I'm of her and feel so blessed to have gotten her as my daughter.
I Love you Sami...



                My niece Brooke's English class  
                        (she wrote this several months ago)  
                              
             AUNT TERI

I am also proud of my Aunt Teri or “Aunt T” as we call her. She is the one person who has inspired me to work out and eat healthier. As a 43 year old woman she has completed a half marathon, the STP bike ride, a 6 mile run, a 10 mile run, along with many other challenges all in two years time. She showed me what it meant to have dedication. I remember when my aunt, my uncle and I ran our first 6 miles. After the 3 mile mark we had to turn around and run back to the starting line (which would then be the ending point). And of course, since I am much younger than my aunt and uncle, I was ahead of them by at least 20 minutes. However, on my way back I passed them and it made me feel really proud because they weren’t that far behind me and they had the dedication to keep pushing themselves to run more. I first actually started becoming proud of my aunt after she finished the STP last July. I realized how great she actually is. Her life seems pretty flawless and she worked for everything in it.
 I’m glad I have her as an aunt.
Brooke Lutman


Brooke I love you...
You are turning into a beautiful young woman.
I'm proud to have you as my niece.
Love ya Aunt T

March 3, 2011

Vegas Girls 2011

Feb 18 - 21
OMG...
that's sums this trip up
Karina, Kim, Yesenia, Renee, Heidi & I
all went to Las Vegas.
It was a payoff for reaching our goals for 2010,
Renee treated us all to a wonderful and amazing trip.
There are no words to say how much all us girls enjoyed it.
But THANKS RENEE.

We stayed in Portland the night before at the Best Western.
We had a early Saturday morning flight.

I had made shirts for each of us to wear on the flight
 down and we all
 wore our hats from our girls beach weekend.
We split up into teams
Renee, Karina & Heidi -- Purple Team
Me, Yesenia & Kim -- Green Team
We each had matching beads

Front
Back

Bambi our other co-worker couldn't come with us so we brought her in spirit.

We had Bambi on a stick LOL


Karina & Yesenia

Bambi & Kim

Me, Bambi & Heidi
on the way to the airport

Bambi & Renee checking into the airport

Going through security (she got a pat-down)








Karina and Yesenia had never been to Vegas.


 Our driver to the hotel,
Micheal
Renee and I knew where we were staying but the girls didn't.
Micheal did a great job about not giving away our hotel until the last minute.
He even drove longer then he needed to and pretened to pull into other hotels.
He was great.

Well here we go we stayed at the
"Venetian"




Renee and I made the girls stay downstairs while
we took the luggage to the rooms and
got everything ready for them to come up.
The rooms were adjoining and beautiful.


We made gift bags for each of us.
With snacks and hangover stuff.

This is the girls coming into the room for the first time
I think their face's say it all




Of course we had to have a toast with champagne

Then gift bag time


Renee gave us each 50.00 to gamble with and we were going to get a silver dollar for each of us but Renee and I forgot so we all have a rice cracker in our hands.


The rest is just some pictures of our trip.



Going out for dinner

After this some of us went dancing and some of us went and gambled.
We all had a great time.

 The beginning of day 2.

All of girls agreed this is my shirt.

Bambi in Kim's back pocket



I love all the different designs
The fountains at the Bellagio Hotel
None of the girls had really seen them before.
We spent about an hour there,
the fountains go off every 15 mins to music.
Each show is different.

















Now off to dinner

Our last night in Vegas,
the girls had never been to see the dueling piano's
Everyone had a wonderful time.


And of course we meet other crazy people like us.

We dedicated the song
"Pretty Woman"
to Renee and what an
awesome boss she is.
Ya I think she enjoyed the dance

I just want to let the girls that I work with...
I couldn't imagine working with a better group of girls.
We all get along so well and enjoy each other.
I love you all tons.
Thanks for everything each of you bring to our office life.
And Renee there are no words that I can say to tell you
how much I appreciate you and
all you have done for all of us but most of all me.
Love you!!!
Thanks for another GREAT vacation.