What a full October! Here are some clips from this month's updates!

 10/3/25

Hello everyone,

Some warm fuzzies and lots of good things:

Shared with my chorus about the musical and got so many supportive, kind replies. Here’s to growing and supportive friends!

https://ichabodthemusical.com/

I'm so proud of you! Way cool! Oh my goodness-this is so exciting! Congratulations and enjoy every second! Way to go Rachel I am thrilled for you, Rachel, have a blast! That sounds like fun! You will be amazing way to go Rachel! that’s so cool! Very cool! You’ll be great! So excited for you!! You will be a star in this  You already are a star in SkylineCarry that positive energy with you and you will SHINE Fantastic Rachel! I grew up very close to Sleepy Hollow. Some great spooky memories. How exciting! Have a great adventure! Have a great time exploring another side of yourself! WTG, Rachel!!!! I think this is great, Rachel!

I have a friend who is in this production! She's been posting good things about it! Good for you!!! I love this! That's awesome!!!   Good for you, Rachel!! Proud of you!

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Andrew got this amazing review ❤️

posted 09/30/2025 Andrew was absolutely amazing! We had our wedding ceremony on one day and the reception the next, and he was able to accommodate us for the split days. He was such a joy to work with, and as a scattered bride he kept me on track with remembering what kind of photos we wanted and kept me focused. Our ceremony was out in the mountains, and he picked burrs from my mother's dress and just generally went way above and beyond. I absolutely love both our portraits and the in the moment photos. It's so special to have photos of our loved ones smiling and having a good time! His eye for finding the perfect lighting and spots is truly special for a photographer to have. I've already received several compliments that our photos are some of the best people have ever seen. He really captured us as a couple despite my terrible explanations. During our much bigger reception, I was amazed to see how many photos he had from all over the venue and of so many of our guests. It's like he has special radar to know when a perfect photo moment is happening and would appear there. His assistant at our ceremony was also amazing! Both were kind, professional, and took photos we will cherish forever. Thank you so much, Andrew! - Chelsea and Ryan

Here’s to lots of good things,

Rachel

10/11/25

Hello everyone,

What a packed week! I’m going chronologically.

Glorious time with my bestest bud in Connecticut including visiting the park where Andrew and I got married and lots of exploring our old college haunts and so many games and chats:

We were both around 18 starting college, so I think it’s about thirty years that we’ve been besties

Quiet chat with Andrew’s dad and a delightful evening with his parents.  Mellow morning and a cozy walk with his mom.  Got to pick some of his grandmothers costume jewelry to bring home… lovely connection. 

Yay for Andrew! Review from one of his students:

Oh my gawd! Andrew is the kind of manager and mentor I've BEEN looking for ever since I started my journey. Honestly, I think if I knew him sooner, I would have avoided some of the mistakes—well, not mistakes, but I think I would have been on a clearer path as a software engineer. His patience is a godsend; his understanding and empathy make him a great communicator, listener, educator; and he’s also incredibly knowledgable about being a software engineer, and writing beautifully clean code. It’s so funny—and I don’t mean to be too dramatic—but my experiences thus far as a software engineer in the finance space has definitely left me a bit jaded to the idea of finding a manager who cares about individual growth and development. I wasn’t giving up hope just yet, though, because I really did and still do believe there are engineers who care about individuals as well as care about doing good, interesting work. I mean that’s why formation stood out to me lol. And as someone who has never fit the mold or demographic of the finances spaces I’ve occupied in my career, meeting someone like Andrew who was not only as empathetic as a friend but as a professional, it was such a breath of fresh air to feel seen, understood, and very supported. Even though I’ve been here for just a week, Andrew Miner has stood out as the kind of mentor I hoped to find in a program like Formation.Dev. Thoughtful, engaged, and genuinely invested in our growth, he embodies the qualities I admire in what I have often imagined to be a great manager—and quite frankly he’s very inspiring. Inspiring in the sense that he’s tangible proof that people like him exist in this industry, and that kind of presence reminds me that the mentors and leaders I’ve been hoping to find—ones that lead with integrity and care—are very much still out there.

Yay for my mom:

Day before 22nd birthday, Cameron giving the puppers love and enjoying the brownie bowl (multiple cups of honey milk were enjoyed too)… lots of favorites

 

Birthday morning presents (and a feast of bacon, biscuits, berry smoothies, and brownies)

And an evening of so many games… he crushed me at Hollywood Gin twice and learned how to play Casino

  

I brought him back to college today and I’m catching up.

Here’s to joyful times,

Rachel

10/18/25

Hello everyone,

Sharing loveliness from the week:

“Ichabod” rehearsals twice a week now and moving to daily next week… intensifying toward the home-stretch. (10/31 was canceled, so three performances: https://ichabodthemusical.com/)

Loving fall colors above where I park each day… just looking up into the tree during my 10min morning/afternoon breaks

Chinchillas getting much more snuggly (glad to hang out for half hour now instead of a couple minutes)

Glowing annual review with the 5% raise, max I think for the company 

Loved by students today… kept needing to split my hours as one or another of them needed me (usually we stick with one student for a full hour)

For those who happen to have a few minutes this is an impressive overview of some options of inner work modalities.

(I have never purchased one of this lady’s programs, but I have enjoyed her free content roughly once every month or two for about a decade and I have never found her content inaccurate in relation to the research about cognitive science and behavior change. I can’t say that about many experts. Highly recommend these ten minutes if inner work is of interest.)

Time stamp 1:30min - 12:40min

Lovely chorus singing and connecting for the Komen walk this morning

Hugs,

Rachel

10/24/25

Hello everyone,

Happy birthday to me :)

Quick good things:

Ichabod rehearsals continue and they have up a cast page https://ichabodthemusical.com/cast-crew

Coordinated a chinchilla and snake visit to work which was greatly appreciated by kiddos

So many things down at work for the Amazon Web Services outage but we got through it

So many birthday songs today including from my upper elementary literature students

Sonnet from my boy:

My mother is very hardworking.

Her days consist of determined effort.

Toward tasks she hasn't dreamed of shirking.

And people she would never desert.

She does this in the name of principle.

A considered code of commendable conduct.

With a dedication that is truly unequivocal.

That no obstacle may obstruct.

A dedication that is far from untested.

Many challenges have come before her.

Yet none have left her bested.

In completing the tasks she must incur.

Determined principled acts define this gal

In spite of the challenges to her rationale.

I started my day with opening presents!

Here’s to lovely, special days,

Rachel

P.S. More love from my work:

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

Happy Birthday, Rachel! I hope that your day is full of delicious chocolates, laughter, and family! I hope that you have a birthday that is as full of magic and joy as you bring to this learning center every day. We are all so grateful to work with you! - G

Have a truly happy day, Rachel! -L

Happy birthday to the person who makes us all feel special on OUR birthdays– now it’s your turn!! Rachel, it’s difficult to imagine this place without your sparkle. The way you celebrate and honor the uniqueness of each person who walks through these doors, is such a gift. I hope your day is stuffed full of chocolate, animal cuddles, and all the warm fuzzies you deserve! - L

Happy birthday, Rachel! You take such good care of the students – and everyone else! Thank you for being a welcoming, cheerful presence. I hope you have a great day! - G

Happy Birthday Rachel! Thank you for everything you do for the kids, and for us! I hope you have an amazing and hopefully relaxing day!- I

Happy Birthday Rachel! Thank you for all your mentoring and making everyone happy here! D

Happy birthday, Rachel!! I hope you have a birthday just as awesome as you are! :) 

Happy Birthday Rachel!!!  You are such a ray of sunshine to have around the learning center.  You bring so much fun and positivity everywhere you go and I am glad I get to work with and learn from you. - A

Happy Birthday, Rachel! You are such a wonderful presence in the center. I am so glad I have been able to know and work with you for almost 7 years now! I hope you have a wonderful birthday with sweets and lots of relaxing fun. -E

P.P.S. Cameron is thoroughly enjoying his auditing class and shared an essay he wrote about a scandal that changed the field.  He’s considering continuing for a Master’s degree and will be meeting with the advisor next week to discuss options.

11/1/25

Hello everyone,

Tired and successful with so much thoughtful self-care during this intense week of: work, musical-participation, sleep… repeated all week with almost zero downtime.

Tracker had a tough week. He had a tiny seizure at the groomer's which is apparently common with older dogs and indicates that they can’t tolerate the dryer any more. It took a few days and some GI distress, but he seems like he’s back to old dog comfiness:

One rehearsal photo from me and a few of Andrew’s amazing photos of the first performance 

  

Great new Renaissance class online and Andrew is loving it too. We’re doing it as a date each Sunday morning:

Wow, October 28th memories over ten years… video conferences used to be a surprising thing (one way for me to get education when Cameron was seven years old):

     

Here’s to joyful living,

Rachel

P.S. Some sweet notes from that work review:

Rachel is a thorough, thoughtful, productive, and professional Principal Consultant for the Denver Learning Center. Her strong work ethic and drive to learn and succeed serve her well in her daily role. 

Despite now having additional center-wide responsibilities on her plate as a Principal Consultant (some assigned and others identified independently), Rachel's time management skills, her honed ability to prioritize, and refined efficiency within other areas of
her role allows her to consistently produce thoughtful and strong work.

Rachel is an excellent team player and has fallen into the duties and responsibilities of the Principal Consultant role naturally. Her expertise with behavior management and program pacing is respected and recognized across our whole team.