APX

JT and I are both working as APX employees this summer. The weather's been more rainy in Little Rock than spring-time though. Wish there was something we could do about that. Last Saturday there were multiple tornado warnings but none close enough to cause concern. On the the family update:

JT

Jonathan has been doing REALLY well. He's been very consistent in his sales and is in the top 14% of the entire company! But more than that, I love how well he's acclimated to this. Selling door-to-door is hard and it's not easy to keep a good attitude on a rough day. He's handled it wonderfully though. I do my best to make sure he feels no pressure. It's the thrill of the challenge that makes him work so hard. It's a blessing to be both successful and happy. He's going to end up doing really well this summer. He's also making some friends while he's out here! One man he sold an alarm to liked JT so well he invited him to go duck hunting with him in September! Needless to say, we weren't going to be around for that. Another woman couldn't purchase the alarm system but gave JT a crocheted drink coaster to remind him of his Grandma Pace. People can't help but succumb to his charm. :)

Kasaundra

I started out our time here being the ultimate little housewife. JT LOVED it. Clean house, good food, and a happy wife to come home to. I kept plenty busy with grocery shopping, post office runs, maintenance issues, animal care, photo album, scrap book, guitar, art, TV shows, etc. I don't like a lot of down time and can't mentally handle it after finals. I just can't go from 100 to 0. I also started working as the office assistant for APX on a part-time basis. This only lasted a week before the full-time position landed in my lap. It doesn't leave me as much fun time, but this summer isn't about vacation. It's about obtaining our goals of debt-free living and owning our own home. Things are looking good! So what does an office job entail, you ask? I sit at a computer refreshing 2 screens: one shows recent credit checks and the other looks up account information. I take phone calls from the sales representatives and place the order for installations with our technicians. The hardest part is not getting any of it mixed up. It's easier early on because I just go down a list of technicians. But after a while the techs finish jobs out of order and the chaos of remembering who goes where ensues. It's alright though. I like to be busy. Today is my first full day as a full-time office assistant.

Snickers

I must admit, the drive from Utah to Arkansas traumatized her a little bit. She's taken to hiding under couches when there's a knock at the door. She's never done that before. I had to create a trail of kitty treats leading into the open to get her out when the cable guy came by. She still yaps as much as ever. But the new love of her life is our BALCONY. She's a 100% indoor cat and wishes with all her might she wasn't. I'll leave the balcony door open and she will go and lay out in the sun watching the birds fly forever. We're 3 floors up so there's no chance of her making a break for it. Although, we thought she had taken the plunge on Sunday when Stephen and Nathan were over. We found out we were wrong when Stephen discovered a bulge in the underside of the couch. Snickers had climbed in a hole and made a little nest for herself INSIDE the couch.

Mija

I had a difficult time getting Mija to adjust to Arkansas. She forgot all training she had ever learned. She was soo excited to find all the new sights and smells! She almost knocked me down the stairs with her enthusiasm!!! We haven't been the best of friends. I like order and she wants play. She also forgot her potty training. She was fine at my parents, at my Aunt Traci's, and at Aunt Connie's......but that little apartment in Little Rock was too much to handle. I had to tie her to my waist so I could catch her in the act. It worked. We are slowly coming up to speed. Sweet dog. Change is just hard.

Sundays

All week the reps and techs work themselves until dark. Sunday is their one day off but most still choose to drag themselves out of bed for 10am church. Our ward is awesome! The people have welcomed us in and even know the group of us collectively as "The Trouts". We have been accepted immediately and I've even already gone out with the sister missionaries! After church we come back for lunch and nap. I cook an actual dinner (GASP) and Stephen and Nathan come over to use our washer and dryer. Either on Sunday or some other time during the week we get an invitation for fun time with Brandon and his wonderful girlfriend Anna. Family definitely makes this all easier and a lot more fun!

Anna made the brownies! Yum!!!

Conclusion

Lastly, APX treats us out to weekly dinners as long as the reps have reached their selling goal. Last night we went to a sushi bar! JT and I were to weak to try it though. We wanted our first taste of sushi to be with experienced friends in a state a little closer to actual sea water. Call me crazy. The food we did eat though was wonderful and the group had a lot of fun! It will be nice to get to know these people better this summer.