WEEK ONE....

Week one.....the new job, new city, new everything!
I started out day one at my job meeting my new boss Joan.  She is an older lady probably about in her 60's really passionate about her job!  If anyone knows anything about me and passion, it's that I strive and learn off passion.  So this is a good fit for me!  I went to my new office, where I have my own office!! Yes my OWN office!  Pretty cool!  I can't express how grown up I feel!  I have my own phone number extension as well! (so call me maybe!)
I believe that God gives us signs and when we see these signs (I call these GOD WINKS) this means that we are going in the right direction!  When I sat in my office day one, up on the bulletin board I saw this pin and this was what I would call a GOD WINK!  A white dove!  OOOO I had chills and tears in my eyes!  It's just one of those things that have been a significant symbol in my life for a long time!  I even have one tattooed on my wrist. This just confirmed that this was right for me!

So the first few days we went to the office learned somethings about my new clients and families.  For anyone that doesn't know what exactly I am doing I have figured it out this week as well so I can give you a brief synapses here.  Basically I, as the AASK worker will monitor children that are taken from their birth homes (this would be like the home you grew up in) and put into foster care.  If a point comes where the child is not able to go back into the birth home, I will be asked to step in and find a family that would be willing to adopt the child.  Sometimes family members of the child will adopt them, or the foster parents will adopt, if neither are an option then we will try and pair a child up with a good home where the parents would be able to care for the child.  What is neat about this process is that I get to watch it from start to finish.  We as social workers would like to see all the children go back into the birth home but as we all know that is not possible.  However the most loving families are the ones we get to pair the children up with! And when I say loving.....I mean loving!! I have met two families so far in person and they are just wonderful people!
Each child that is adopted will get a blanket and a teddy bear!  The bear is so soft!  Here is the one we gave away on Wednesday!

I also went a couple places with Joan.  She took me to the Community Center (workout place kind of like the YMCA/Sanford Center).  We went to a Ukrainian store where they decorate eggs and serve meals once a week.  She showed me the court house where an adoption was finalized!  Which was so cool to see!  Nothing like a happy family!

Joan kept saying she was going to take me to the church for lunch.  Now when someone says that in the FM area that usually means like a potluck type of deal or the church serves lunch for people at a certain time a day.  So I was like OOO geez!  What am I getting into here!  Anyway long story short it was an old church that was renovated into a coffee shop called the brew! So neat and NOT what I was expecting!  Random fact about the church for all you history buffs out there....The one and only Teddy Roosevelt went to church here!  AAAwwwww Yeah that's right TEDDY ROOSEVELT! I know you are all sitting in disbelief right now....CRAZY!!

Outside of the church (red door is the entrance)

A cool stain glass window inside

This is inside, right below is where you order 

 So ironically Joan and I were in the church having lunch when the white smoke was blowing and the Pope was announced!  Pretty cool!

Here is the bird that we got to put on the table so they knew where to bring our food! 

All in all each and every day is reassuring me that I have made the right choice!  I am starting to like this little town of Dickinson!  I would have to mark week one a successful one!  I am told all the time that it is OK that I feel a little bit lost in what I am doing, due to just starting out!  I also will be sent back to Fargo for an orientation on a Friday some time in April so that will be nice to get to meet some fellow colleagues on the Eastern side and to learn more about what I am supposed to be doing.

As far as my first weekend,  I packed my bag and headed north to my mom and Atati's!  I got this picture on Thursday and I mean how could one say no to this cute face?!?! Seriously!

I took a different route up there and it was BEAUTIFUL!  I found mountain type hills and got to drive up and down them!  I felt like I was in a different state.....until I was cut off by a truck :(  But such is life when you are out here in the WILD WILD WEST!  YEeehaw! (I felt that was necessary right there)

I'll leave this post with something I thought was quite funny!  My emergency escape route!  "Kristin" is my office and this is what I will do in the event of a fire.....Stand up walk out my office and walk out the door of the office!  WHEWWWW am I ever glad they posted this I don't know what I would have done if there were to have been a fire and I didn't have this sign! haha!  I love it! (I don't have any other options for doors or windows, for anyone that didn't see that in the Route diagram!)

The song of choice is Soar by Christina Aguilera.  It just seems fitting for a change and for what I have been feeling!! 

Thankyou for all the phone calls/texts/messages/fb/twitter/etc....Means more than you all will know!!

So Much Love,

Nicky