Laugh Often... Love Much!

Blessings by Snail Mail

2012-01-25T08:45:00.009-06:00

Welcome to my Snail Mail Station... I LOVE sending cards, especially the unexpected ones. I think the reason I most love sending them is because of the joy I feel when I receive a surprise note in the mail. I mean, you can't really help but feel joy when you get home at the end of the day and drudge over to the mail in anticipation of bills, ads, and other not-so-friendly pieces of mail, and are surprised to find a piece of mail that has a hand-written address with YOUR name on it! Seriously... do you not instantly smile???

Well, I was lucky enough to catch wind of this great opportunity to expand my card collection over at (in)Courage, one of my favorite online communities for women. They offered to send me a pack of cards to send off to others! Seriously?!?! That means ME receiving a PACKAGE, and then being able to Pay It Forward... Wahoo!! I'm IN!
To my surprise, the package not only held these bright and beautiful cards, but it also contained a surprise thank you gift of a card organizer! As you can tell by the picture that started this post, my Snail Mail Station could use some help, and now it is tidy and organized! Another Wahoo!

But, what really got me was the label on the card organizer....

I have always tried to be very aware, and open in acknowledging the constant stream of blessings in my life. I also have a heart prayer to be a blessing to others, whether from my words, my actions, from behind my camera, or in front of my students... I love that this little reminder is right there on the front of my new Snail Mail Station to remind me that every time I pull out a card, I have the opportunity to be a blessing to someone in my life. I can't count the number of times that I have received the perfect card, filled with the perfect words, right at the perfect time. I know that it happens because my eyes almost always get teary. I also know that the sender didn't know the impact they were truly having. Many thanks go out to my mom, my grandma, my friend Mel, and my dear friend Jensine, who have all sent just the right note at just the right time.

This week, I sent out a couple of the cards. This one, I sent to a new friend. I met her two weekends ago on "Girls Weekend" - which was a blast, and was with a group of women that changes and grows from year-t0-year. This particular woman was filled with such grace and joy. I was drawn in to her genuine energy for others. I was blessed by her presence, if even for just a few short days.

However, I made a mistake with my words in a conversation, and think I may have hurt her a bit. Nice work, huh? I apologized, and I meant it, however, you know that lingering ache when you make a mistake and feel a bit embarrassed by it? Yep... the ache came home with me. So, as I looked through these new cards and this one just seemed perfect. The weekend was a joy-filled reminder that life is marvelous - I mean, really - a four-day weekend with 11 wonderful women, and meeting this new "friend" that was so genuine and real about her faith and her mission in life. She was a reminder to me that God is good, and he provides blessings for me in the most unexpected, perfect moments, even when I make mistakes.

Thank you, (in)Courage for touching my life, again. Thank you, New Friend, for being a blessing to not only me, but to others. Thank you, God, for working through me.

So... who can you send a card to this week???

:) j.

Disclosure: (in)Courage provided me with a dozen encouragement and thank-you cards, along with a card organizer as part of their (in)spired deal review program. However, like anything and everything else you read here at this blog, all opinions expressed are my own. I don't review for companies I don't like, and I most certainly don't share things with my friends unless a.) I believe them to be all things good, and b.) would feel comfortable with you spending your hard-earned money on it.

Another Crazy Christmas is Over...

2012-01-24T20:33:00.016-06:00

Yes, Christmas was a month ago. Yes, I hold on to it for as long as possible, and this year, with no snow until January 19th, it has been a miserably Un-Christmas kinda year! So... now that there is a bit of snow on the ground, I was feeling motivated to start catching up on the events of the past month or so.

I think I made quite a few "discoveries" this year through our very fast, whirlwind of Christmas. One of the things that I am always reminded of is that I just LOVE my family. I LOVE spending time with them. I love when we are all locked up in mom and dad's house without any of the outside forces getting in. I don't know what those forces are all of the time, but I think sometimes they might be stress (or any stress-inducing agent, like money, rumors, work, bills, health, ya know... the stuff of life that aren't anyone' favorite), or lack of time, or getting caught up in "today" (ie - Internet, TV, iPads-n-Pods-n-Touches, and the list goes on). But, for the few hours that we get to JUST BE... all together... just BEING.... I cherish these times more than I can explain in words... obviously... :)

So, this year, while we started, hopefully, a new set of traditions, I loved up every minute of it... here is a brief rundown:

Nothing new here, that we all show up HUNGRRRRY! :) So, a new tradition this year is that we decided to have our Christmas on the 23rd, and we made home-made individual pizzas, and had an ice cream sundae bar for dessert. Yum, and YUM! :)

While we waited for our pizzas to bake, of course, we got our wrestling out of our systems... Double-team against Auntie Amy!

This isn't a full view shot, but yes, this is my sister, jumping on my brother... apparently, some people just never grow out of the need to wrestle a bit before dinner!

Then, the most stressful part of Christmas is upon us... the required pictures, prior to presents. We tried to get them out of the way before dinner this year... can you tell everyone started off on a great note?!?!

Don't worry... they get better....

At least the adults didn't need bribery, or threats.... me and my sister...

My brother and his wife.... I must say.... aren't they beautiful? I just love taking their pictures. They are cute.

And they make cute kids... seriously... a family of six and not an ugly one in the bunch! Gotta love that! ;)

This one's for mom.... her kiddos.... yep! We sure are growin' in to fine young men and women, if I don't say so myself! :)

And this is probably why.... aren't Ma and Pa adorable?

This picture was taken after dinner, rather than before. We took it because I told the kids they were NOT ALOUD to open a single present from me (and there were plenty) until I had an "Aunties Pictures"... yep... I'm that mean. And it's totally worth it. I don't see these kids often enough, and they are growing too quickly (do you see the one that's ALMOST taller than me???) and I need this cuteness to look at as often as possible!

Of course, in the excitement right before presents, there is always a little entertainment from Mr. Entertainer himself. This year it was dancing and pseudo gymnastics. :)

Finally - ON TO PRESENTS! It's fun to watch people open presents that they are truly excited about, and I am blessed to be part of a family where giving presents is important and thoughtful. Love it! And... I love their joy...

On to dessert!

Gracie would live on ice cream if she could... this dessert had her name written ALL over it.

Then, my favorite part of the night: GAMES! The kids are now getting old enough to play, too, which is SO FUN! It takes a bit of work to figure out which games are perfect for them, and which are not. QUELF is where we started, folks, and I believe in the end, we decided maybe it wasn't the best for them, but in the process of figuring that out, we sure did laugh a lot!

Everyone went home and slept in their own beds, and then came back to mom and dad's for brunch and an early visit from Santa on the morning of Christmas Eve. We spent the mid-day playing more games and just enjoying our time together.

After Christmas Eve church services, we head on out to "The Farm" - where I believe all but one of my 33 Christmas Eves have been spent. Of course, after dinner, before presents, there is another round pictures in every imaginable grouping - each family, grand kids, great-grand kids, in laws, parents and their kids, etc. etc. It takes a while, and the kids don't absolutely love it, but they sure were troopers this year!

And then, the presents.... My grandparents work SO hard to make sure everyone gets what they want from their lists. They work toward perfect brand, perfect color, perfect size, perfect price, and to be honest, they do a pretty darn good job, given they both celebrated their 80th birthdays in the fall. I sometimes wonder how many hours they log in Santa's Workshop for just one Christmas season. As you probably all know, I sure do adore my Grampa...

I found myself trying to soak up every detail of him at Christmas this year, even down to his handwriting on the gift tags... priceless memories.... absolutely priceless...

Jay got a new tractor from Great Gramma and Great Grampa... I am pretty sure my brother was jealous!

John got some 3-D boxers from his great aunt and uncle, and Gramma sure enjoyed checkin' 'em out!

Then, another round of games... John started a new one this year called, "Hairdresser".

I think the kids lasted one hand of Hand and Foot....

I believe there was a heavy duty game of Pinochle going on at the big table... maybe Amy's first?

And some Will Dance games in the teeny tiny den.

I don't know what time we left "The Farm" - I believe my brother's family headed for his in-law's around midnight. We know we can't sleep until hearing from them that they are safe and sound at "The Lake", so we usually hang out for a bit with Gramma and Grampa and then take off. When we got home, however, we did twist dad's arm (which wasn't TOO difficult) into playing another game or two before we all crashed for the night as well.

Christmas Day, Mom, Dad, Amy and I didn't even get dressed. We played games ALL day - literally - even when our butts got sore, we just played standing up, or walked between hands of cards. It was a marathon day, and it was AWESOME. (Not gonna lie - Christmas Day without the kids is pretty quiet and bland, so it just turns in to a great day to relax, knowing they are having a blast at "The Lake" playing ice hockey, opening more presents, and playing with Gramma Karen and their cousins, which, apparently, Amy and I are failing miserably to provide.) :)

I hope each of you that read this had a wonderful Christmas as well. Cherish the memories... they truly are priceless.

Hoping that 2012 is off to a blessed start for each of you, and that I am back here real soon with the next catch-up post!

:) j.

First Post of 2012, and.....

2012-01-06T00:10:00.003-06:00

It is all about my current passion.... catching the tiniest moments for families like this sweet family whose Mama is a co-worker of mine, and whose baby boy was just four days old when I got to take these sweet pictures...

especially the glimpses into roles that I don't yet know...

like the precious moments in the first week of a new baby's life...

the first few days of life as brand new parents for the first time...

I am in love with my camera...

in love with the stories it helps me tell...

in love with the drive that I find to keep learning...

keep growing, improving, and developing...

so... my first post of 2012 is driven by my desire to grow as a photographer in the year 2012....

there is a giveaway over at a Crave Photography right now to start the new year...

grand prize is an amazing lens, and the runner up prizes range from mentoring to gift certificates to the design store.... I'm a realist (most of the time) and I know the odds are not in my favor to win any of the prizes, but seriously... if I am going to get better, I am going to need some help, and I will do whatever I can to help myself, starting here! :)

So, if you are a photographer friend, go over and help yourself to the odds (see how nice I am to share the opportunity?)... and if you are a non-photog friend, can you send up a little prayer that the win might go in my favor on Monday when the winners are determined?!?

And then, watch for new posts this weekend. I have LOTS of catching up to do! Ya know... Christmas... New Year's... Li'l G's birthday... pictures, pictures, and more pictures... some writing... ya know... a whole-lotta-bloggin' needs to be done! :)

~ j.

Tis the Season!

2011-12-08T22:43:00.005-06:00

I worked from 8 this morning until 9:40 tonight. However, I had my camera with me because I wanted to drive by THIS beautifully lit house on my way home from work tonight...

It was so pretty that I just stopped and stared for a moment first. I turned on my Christmas music, probably way too loudly, and just took a couple of deep breaths.

After I took a couple of pictures, I drove on... All of a sudden, I was on a search for lights.... singing along to my music, driving around alone... it was peaceful and wonderful... and I found this....

And, finally, I found the Mother Load. I have seen the glow of it from the highway several times, and so tonight, I finally found it...

Now THAT is some kind of wonderful!

Happy Holiday Season, everyone!
:) j.

30 Day of Thanks: 30

2011-11-30T22:21:00.000-06:00

So thankful for the renewal that comes from acknowledging the blessings that I receive daily.... the ones that are little, the ones that are big, the ones I don't deserve, the ones that are the fruit of hard work, the ones that are surprises, the ones that I hope for, and all of the others that I don't even notice throughout my day. Thankful for a time set aside every day to reflect and notice the things that may have otherwise slipped by.

30 Day of Thanks: 29

2011-11-29T23:59:00.006-06:00

I just can't put into words how fun this night is each year. I have joined a group from church, and this is the second annual trip to volunteer for a night with Operation Christmas Child to get shoe boxes full of goodies ready to be sent off to a child for a Christmas gift. This year, the boxes are being sent to India, and should arrive there in mid-February.

The work is done in assembly-line fashion. And, of course, these pictures are all out of order... But, first thing is first... the boxes that have been donated full of goodies need to be screened for any cash donations, or inappropriate items. And, if there is any extra space leftover in a box, we make sure to fill it.

After the boxes have been checked and double checked, they get taped shut, nice and tight, and the labels are checked for accuracy and scanning, if necessary. Scanned boxes are registered via email accounts from the sender so they will be able to check and see where their box goes and when it is received. Very cool. Obviously, being an extrovert, being with some fabulous friends makes this night that much more perfect. Mindy and Cheryl, below, are two of the girls from my small group. Love these ladies. Wish we would have taken a picture of all of our small group members that participated tonight... since that just popped into my head, it is a bit too late. :)

The boxes are filled with all sorts of things, but the recommendation is to include, at the very least, a pencil or some other school supply to encourage the recipient to continue forward with studies; a comfort toy of some sort, like a stuffed animal, so the child will have a toy, making him/her less likely to be enticed into trafficking of any sort by a stranger offering a toy; and a personal hygiene item, like a toothbrush/paste or soap/cloth set. Then, the box gets filled with other fun things as well. It is so fun to see how creative people get with their boxes. And, lots of people include little personal notes/letters/pictures, which are so incredibly heart-warming... especially the ones from the kids, like the one above! How cute is THAT?!?!

The boxes truly seemed never-ending, and this is obviously why...

This is the big group from our church that came out to help. We had a great time... I think everyone would agree. What a cool experience to be a part of to be the hands of a blessing in the works.

Then, when I was driving home, I was marveling at all of the Christmas lights, and my heart was filled with joy. I mean, mostly from a great evening of volunteering, but the Christmas lights just made the joy dance inside me, I think! When I pulled up to our house, this is what I saw....

That tiny bit of blurry red/blue/green lighting is a mini-Christmas tree upstairs in the window.

However, leading up to our house, THIS is what I saw... (forgive the blur. I was cold and standing in the middle of the street in the dark and there was a car coming!) The neighbors' FRONT YARD:

And their BACK YARD - garage and back stairs:

Yes, yes we have some work to do, but until we have time to do it, I will enjoy every second of the neighbors' lights!

Blessed...
:) j.

30 Day of Thanks: 28

2011-11-28T22:11:00.003-06:00

Tonight, I am definitely thankful for the blessing of girlfriends, but specifically, tonight, I want to share a friendship that is relatively new, but such a blessing. My friend, Lorna, is one of the lead photographers at the studio. However, she is here from England (Lorna - what country is that in again??? haha - JUST KIDDING...) for one year to help us get the studio up and running, since the brand originated in the UK. Well, our year is almost up.

I can honestly say, I am SO grateful that I got my job in January, because that is basically when Lorna came. She had come for a few weeks prior, from what I understand, but her extended stay began just after I started working at the studio. Our friendship has been quite steady ever since... maybe a bit more like sisters than friends, as we have had our moments of banter, our quarrels, I suppose, and a WHOLE LOTTA LAUGHING.

I wish everyone could have the opportunity to meet her. She is kind, straightforward, lovely, sweet, helpful, hard-working, loyal, committed, funny, and she has a brilliant accent. (Lorna - did you notice which words I have picked up from you?!?!?) :)

Yes, she is a friend I hope to have for life (if she'll have me back). I am not exactly sure what I will do when she leaves, but I am sure it will start with a few tears, and lots of "stop-n-catch-myself-before-I-pick-up-the-phone-to-call-her" moments. But, I am SO thankful for the year we have spent living in the same community, working in the same studio, eating out (a LOT), shopping, working out, hanging out and laughing, and just chatting.

I love you dearly, Lorna. I am honored, and proud to call you friend. I am thankful for you.

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 27

2011-11-27T22:29:00.003-06:00

Today, I am thankful for my faith. Rightfully, I probably should have written this daily, or at the very least, on the FIRST day. However, I chose to save it. I knew there would be at least one day in the month where I would NEED to proclaim it. That day, apparently, is today. (Funny how God works, but lovely just the same...)

Today is the first day of Advent. If that is a new word for you, the word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent.

Today, I drove back from Fargo to Minneapolis, and with traffic, it provided me a good 3.5 hours in the car, physically alone, but with Christmas music filling my heart and soul, and the comfort of a God that gives me life.

Today, I am thankful for the anticipation that wells up inside of me EVERY time I am headed home to see my family; every time a family member, or two, or all of them, are headed here to see me. We have been counting the sleeps between visits for at least 15 years. In the past, when I lived in Seattle, those trips only happened about twice/year, so the anticipation was almost unbearable, as were the departures at the end of those trips.

Today, I spent time thinking about the entrance into my favorite holiday season, the Christmas season. It seems lesser this year, most likely due to the fact that our weather is still hitting the high forties and we have no snow. And yet, that has NOTHING to do with the season. Funny, huh? I also spent time, though, thinking about what lies ahead. What does this really mean for me? It means that in a few short weeks, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus, the birth of the One Who came to protect us all; the One Who lived and died so that I could live in full faith that I would be provided for and protected.

Today, as always, I got nervous as I drove away from my family. It is weird, admittedly, but the "what ifs" always run through my head. Did I tell everyone I loved them? Did they really hear it? What were my last words to everyone, just in case?

Today, as always, about five minutes into panic mode, I remembered... this is not what I am called to do. "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10 I am not called to fear, but to trust. To accept and cling to the precious gift that was sent for me, and for everyone, so long ago on Christmas morning.

Today, as I am reminded that this is the start of the Christmas season, and as I am reminded that the Birth of Jesus is the reason I should have no fear, I am thankful for my faith. It is growing, and for that I am thankful. It is my own, and for that I am thankful. It sustains me, and for that I am thankful.

Today, and everyday, I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 26

2011-11-26T23:28:00.000-06:00

Thankful, today, for a family that loves to play together. :) And, time to play.

My most special memories with my Grampa will be our card-playing moments. We are partners about 98% of the time. We win about 50% of the time, I think. So, this weekend, we stopped a game doubling our opponents score (but we didn't finish the game, so I can't call it a win), and we beat my parents TWICE in two very close games. SO FUN!

We were raised playing games. When I was little, we used to spend Christmas Eve playing games until well after midnight. Yes, it made for a rocky Christmas Day (probably much more rocky for my parents, than for us), but it was always something we looked forward to. Being at my grandparents' farmhouse, putting on our jammies after dinner and presents, and then playing games for as long as we could stay awake. As adults, we rarely play games other than card games nowadays. However, with the kiddos getting a bit bigger, we are starting to play some games with them, and looking forward to playing more. Although, we have already gotten them hooked on a few card games, so who knows!?!

:) j.

30 Day of Thanks: 25

2011-11-25T21:36:00.002-06:00

Black Friday, Black Friday! Everyone loves Black Friday! :) (That is a little diddy from a current commercial, and it has been STUCK in my head ALL day... just ask my sis-in-law.)

For the past few years, we have LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Black Friday shopping. Every year we spend the latter part of Thanksgiving Day mapping out our plan... reading the ads over and over and over again... constructing a timeline... mapping out the fastest routes for the driver.... building anticipation!

This year, we were a bit disappointed at the lack of "Gotta Have It!" items in the ads. We spent the entire evening, seriously - the ENTIRE evening - looking through the ads in the hopes that SOMETHING would jump out at us that we HAD to have. Boo. At 1:00, we finally decided to go to bed, since we missed the midnight openings anyway. :) But no worries, it wasn't a complete loss. We got up at 3:30 and headed out on the town WITH our driver - MY BROTHER! :)

We left the house at 4 and returned at 9:30, after breakfast. It was fast, furious, and fun. I am wondering whether or not we have gotten my brother hooked... I don't think I will ask him quite yet... maybe next fall. ;)

We did have Auntie Vi's funeral today, too, so the sleep was pertinent. The funeral was absolutely beautiful... lots of music... family... friends... and love, most importantly, LOTS of love. And, I KNOW that Vi loved the fact that we did some serious shopping before we went to the funeral. :)

For someone who hates shopping, I sure do LOVE Black Friday! I think that shopping when I know I can get so much accomplished SO quickly and know that I will have SO much LESS shopping to do between now and Christmas makes it GREAT! I love a good adrenaline rush! :)

So... today, I am thankful for all of the Black Friday memories that I have been blessed with in the past, and all those yet to come! Also thankful for my family that supports this annual addiction. :)

blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 24

2011-11-24T21:34:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is THE day... THE day we are supposed to eat a lot.... THE day we are supposed to watch football and parades... THE day we are supposed to spend with family... THE day we are supposed to be thankful for all that we have been blessed with...

I believe I met the expectations for THE day....

However....

Why today??? I mean, really... why not EVERY day? That is my question for YOU (and myself) today.

:) j.

30 Day of Thanks: 23

2011-11-23T23:37:00.002-06:00

Tonight I am thankful for memories and story-telling. We heard several stories tonight about Auntie Vi. I told the story of the last time I visited her, when I asked what she was reading and her response was, "Don't tell your grandmother (her sister) but I am reading a trashy novel about sisters!" And then she laughed her joyful laugh. Now, we can all agree that Vi's definition of trashy is probably quite mild, but the moment was priceless just the same.

In the past few days, as I have looked for the pictures of Vi and I, and for the letters and cards she has sent me over the years, I have come across SO many little tidbits of life that have brought back memories and stories and have made me smile, laugh, and cry. I have watched at least twenty home videos of my brother's kids. I have read cards and letters. I have looked through hundreds of pictures.

Truly, there is nothing more priceless than being able to relive priceless moments.

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 22

2011-11-22T23:40:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for my dear friend, Jensine. She is so many things, but mostly, she is a reminder of what I strive to be as a friend. I love her, and I am thankful that God brought her, quite randomly, back into my life a couple of years ago. I am thankful that we have reconnected and that I can even more truly call her a friend now than I did so many years ago when we first met back at Red Willow Bible Camp. I have been thinking of you all day, my friend. I hope your day was blessed with love and happiness!

Joyful heart
Ellie and Betty's mommy
Nurturer
Speaks truth
Imaginative
Nature-loving
Energetic spirit

I am SO glad to call you friend! Happy birthday, Jensine!!

blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 21

2011-11-21T21:37:00.003-06:00

Today, I am thankful for the presence of Auntie Vi in my life. Everyone deserves an Auntie Vi. She was the "crazy lady" that dressed up EVERY Halloween... we have to have pictures somewhere... we aren't talking normal old witches costume. She meant SERIOUS business when she dressed up. Elaborate, thoughtful costumes that everyone wanted to see. The anticipation for Halloween was usually doubled when we started to think about what Auntie Vi might end up dressed as.

She was my backyard neighbor, my piano teacher, and my crazy Auntie Vi. I was NOT the best piano student, for sure. She hounded me about practicing. I am slightly impressed that she never came out in the back yard and drug me in to her house from the sand box to make me practice in front of her! I am sure the only reason for the lack of attempt on her part was that the steady stream of students coming in to her front room and sitting at her piano kept her way too busy to watch out the back yard and catch me out in the sand box. :)

Tonight, as I chatted with my Gramma, Auntie Vi's sister, about her, we laughed at what a story teller she was. In all seriousness, there were stories that I never really did know whether to believe or not. She even taught music through storytelling... anybody remember EGBDF? I am PRETTY SURE she had a story for every song she taught.

I am going to miss this wonderful woman. However, I am so happy to know that she is at peace, playing piano, and probably teaching her dear grandson, Kevin, how to play. Love you, Autnie Vi.

feeling blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 20

2011-11-20T23:55:00.004-06:00

Today, I am thankful for time spent with my family, and safe travels between my ND home and my MN home in the winter months. They are my favorite months to be with my family, and so that is where the thankfulness for safe travel comes in to play.

I spent a great weekend home with my family... as yesterday's post shared, we had Grampa's birthday party on Saturday. Today, we celebrated John's 18th, a bit late, but I think he is ok with better late than never. :) We had a yummy lunch of enchiladas made by Mama Erin Rae, and then watched John open 18 presents (plus one from Gramma Karen). I think there were more smiles out of him than I have seen in a long time... I was happy to capture so many... Lots more pictures of the weekend, but wanted to get a few of these up so far-away family could see...

John and his 18 presents...
We warned him that our goal was 18, but our budget wasn't any different than normal, so not to get too excited... this one was a coupon for Gramma's almond bark crunch, one of his favorites.
18 pennies... I think Jay was most excited about these, but John was a good sport about them...
Uncle Byron sent the Legion news write up about his state championship this summer and his MVP award, so mom and I framed it for him. Very cool keepsake.
Gramma Karen bought him some great moccasins, which he was pretty excited about. He was pretty sure that Gramma Karen got them because he remembered her hearing him say he liked Papa Jerry's... a special one for sure.
And, hidden within two boxes, wrapped three times - which he secretly loved, even though outwardly, he let me know my wrapping drives him batty - was his iPod Touch. Spoiled kid. ;)
Like I said... LOTS of smiles today... isn't he handsome?!?! And even a great family picture to wind up the celebratory day. Love this clan!

blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 19

2011-11-19T23:59:00.000-06:00

Happy 80th Birthday, Grampa!

Another great dinner with lots of the family present - just sadly missing a few, which is always noticeable!

I learned, tonight, that Grampa has kept every detail of life on his calendar for YEARS! Seriously - the temperature, the rain/snow fall, what he did (Fargo with Mom - aka - Gramma; fixed piece of machinery X; worked on a puzzle all day; hair cuts; purchases; etc. - Seriously - EVERYTHING) and we had SO much fun reading through just the last two years! I can't wait to get my hands on more of them. Priceless.... seriously... and now I know where I get that trait from, too!

Not only do I love my Grampa, but I love when his family is gathered around him. Again... priceless.

After a wonderful evening of celebrating, he was still smiles. This man is one of my favorite men... he is my card partner; my Bachelor partner; he makes me laugh; he is interested in the lives of those he loves; he is a hard worker; and today, he is 80. I love him dearly.

So, Grampa, today, YOU are who I am thankful for on Day 18. Cheers to you!

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 18

2011-11-18T23:29:00.002-06:00

I MADE IT!

Since last January, I have been working two jobs... mostly a 7-day work week, with a random weekend off here and there, which is usually prompted by a need to drive to ND for a family festivity. This fall, I stopped working Sundays, which was wonderful. However, being a team player, I have covered the past several Sundays for a co-worker, which made for a 26-day work stretch. No big deal. :)

Honestly, it wasn't that difficult, until this past week or so. I think knowing that I was almost to the finish line made me want it to just be done. No worries, while a bit more weary than I would have liked to have been, I made it.

So... tonight... I am THANKFUL for the two jobs that provide me with work... which keeps my bills paid, which keeps my stress level down. But, I am even MORE thankful that I GET TO SLEEP IN TOMORROW! (Secretly, I think it would be WAY cool to sleep until Sunday... we'll see...) :)

And, to top it off, I made it to ND to spend a weekend with my family, and with no big plans for tomorrow, I get to combine sleeping in with family time! Yahoo!

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 17

2011-11-17T22:04:00.003-06:00

Parent-teacher conferences.... not my FAVORITE days of the school year, given the prep work, and the potential pressure, etc. etc. However, today, I am thankful for parents that feed their children, hug their children, listen to their children, talk to their children, and come to their child's parent-teacher conferences.

I feel especially grateful today, because I have felt the warmth of a parent who THANKS their child's teacher for the hard work that is going in to making their child a success. That is a PRICELESS Thank You... and today I heard it several times, I got hugged, I laughed with and had a tear or two with a couple of parents, parents confided in me, smiled at me, glimmered tears of pride in their children... it was such a blessed day! While I don't necessarily look forward to conference days, especially given the fact that I usually work with "struggling" students, which brings a whole different dynamic to the table, I ALWAYS end the day feeling incredibly blessed, albeit also incredibly tired. :) One of the greatest gifts in my job is that these parents trust me with their children. I do not take that lightly.

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 16

2011-11-16T23:02:00.002-06:00

I got hurt today. Repeatedly. It happens, I know. I am not the only one... not the first, not the last... And, I hurt people. I get that. I own that. I try to learn from my mistakes and handle them with integrity and maturity... (now - who defines integrity and maturity might be questionable, but today, I feel like I am in a good place with my own definitions and decisions). Ironically, here is the passage from small group tonight:

"Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich. Having nothing and yet possessing everything." 2 Corinthians 6:4-13

And so, I face my challenges. I was accused of being a hypocrite this morning on my blog. You can read the post HERE, along with the comment. It caught me off guard. It hurt. However, ironically, my first reaction wasn't to fire back, but to re-read my post... several times... to think about what degree of truth lies in the comment... to decide what I needed to own, and what I needed to just let go of.... to think about why it was written.

Then, I struggled... all day... how to respond... delete the comment? (Over analyze: does that look like I am hiding something? No need to do that. Is it the "right thing" to ignore a critique? I don't believe so.) Fire back the first thoughts that come to mind? Wouldn't have been hard, it was seriously, "Wow." Put together a thoughtful response to reply with right there on the comment section? And a host of other questions and options flooded my brain, stealing me from work and the places I really wanted to have my focus today.

However, I knew I needed to go back to that post, so here I am...

I asked a lot of questions in that post. I answered only a couple of times... with each answer, I was admitting my faults, without shame. I am human, and fully aware of that. The irony that I found is that the readings I was talking about were from the Bible. I have recently become more engaged with daily devotions, weekly engagements in conversations to grow my faith. I have found that the more time I spend in The Word, the more trust I invest in God for everything big and small, even in the day-to-day, the more confident I become in who I am, and who I was created to be. I don't think I will apologize for that.

There is a broken relationship in my life right now. I hurt someone. I have been hurt. However, I have been thoughtful. I have not jumped in to conversations that I later regretted. I have not said or done anything to be intentionally hurtful. I have not had to take back any of my words. (Don't get me wrong - I have said things that were probably hurtful, but they were said honestly, and truly out of care.... again, probably not perceived that way, but not ill-intentioned, and definitely not after my first, best options failed.) I have used lessons I have learned in the past to handle this conflict in a more mature manner than I would have in the past. I have learned a few new lessons, one of them being that maturity and integrity are self-defined, and when two people are in conflict, and they have differing opinions of what those two concepts look like, there is a disconnect; I don't know if there is a right or a wrong, but there is definitely a disconnect. What I might have thought to be a good idea, wasn't what someone else may have needed, so where is the line between setting self aside, and taking care of self? I haven't learned the answer to that one yet. And when is it ok to be done? When is it ok to know that a relationship has ended, and there is no quick fix to healing and moving forward?

But, I stand by my original post. Life is a journey filled with lessons... hard and easy. I am on a mission to live out the plans that God has put in place for me. I am at peace, even while hurting. I am embracing joy, rather than harboring anger. The growth in me, that I was talking about in my original post, has brought me to this place, where I can take an accusation and read it as a critique. I can take a critique and reflect on it for a lesson.

Jonah 4:4 says, "Do you have a good reason to be angry?" and I do not. I am hurt, not angry. I am sad, not angry. I am comforted, thanks be to God.

I didn't have this understanding even a few months ago.... and I am not a horrible person. "For I am fearfully and wonderfully made," (Psalm 139:14) and God has a plan for my life. That plan may have bumps along the way, but I do not face them alone. And for that, today, on Day 16, I am thankful.

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 15

2011-11-15T21:53:00.003-06:00

Thankful for unconditional love tonight. Specifically, I am thankful for the unconditional love that I have learned from and experienced with my family. Seriously.... priceless. Through thick and thin, ups and downs, good and bad, my family is the type that is all in, no matter what. Sometimes, that makes everything super easy and fun. Other times that makes things hard and painful. But, in 32 years, there has never been something we haven't gotten through together. And so... the journey continues. I love each of them more than words can say, so tonight I am thankful for the love I get to share with:

Mom and Dad
Kid Sister Amy
Big Brother Joel and Sista Erin
The three bestest nephews: John, Jerrin, and Jay,
and of course, the bestest niece EVER: Gracie Rae.

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 14

2011-11-14T22:18:00.003-06:00

Today, I am thankful for the role that running has played in my life these past few years. I ran home from work today... seriously... me... I did that. 5.04 miles... which could have been 4.8 miles, but per the norm with a new route, I got a bit lost. Oh well... just more exercise, more calories burned, and more time to myself.

I also had to be thankful today for the beautiful weather. Seriously - it is NOVEMBER 14th, and we haven't had a single snowflake drop and land. We haven't even had much wind. It has just been beautiful. And, while it is getting dark earlier, I made it through almost my whole run before the sun set. I would have made it through my WHOLE run, if I hadn't gotten a bit lost.

Having a friend that will drive me back to my car after I get home, is also a blessing... since my purse, my gym bag, and my lunch bag were still in it, and I need to get to work tomorrow. And, even more happy it makes me that I don't just have ONE friend that would do this little favor for me, but several.

Finally, I am most thankful that another run is over. 1:17:15 - don't get me wrong, I ran in 15-minute intervals with 3-minutes of walking in between, but still... it was a LOT of running for me, the girl who doesn't love running, whose knees hurt, and who has only trained for 12 days over the course of the last three weeks. I was happy to be in my home putting yummy food in my belly at the end of this one.

I am blessed...
~j.

30 Day of Thanks: 13

2011-11-13T22:14:00.002-06:00

I had a VERY productive day today. I had to work this morning, but when I got off, I came STRAIGHT home WITH my TO DO LIST. (Usually, I either find a way to avoid coming home, or when I get home, I need "just a minute" to chill out and the minute never ends. Not today!)

When I got home, I accomplished the following:

1. Re-organized my storage portion of the garage to ensure that the grill will fit for winter, the snow blower will be able to get out for winter, and to pull out my winter clothes and put in my summer clothes. Lots of maneuvering of plastic totes done today!

2. Laundry... does it EVER END?

3. I haven't fully unpacked, so I have lived amidst lots of boxes and chaos in my bedroom since moving in to this house. Today was the start to the end of that! I worked on my room ALL evening. I started out by filling a garbage bag with anything and everything I could find to throw away, while I watched the movie, "Something Borrowed." Then, I started unloading one box at a time, and putting things where my instincts told me to (rather than putting it in piles to put away later). By the end of the evening, I had a beautifully organized dresser, with a newly organized jewelry box on it, and I had hung all of my jewelry, plus a picture on the wall, plus all of my belts on the wall, plus my calendar is up. Just enough to get me excited about what the finished product will be! Hopefully, I will get closer on Tuesday.

4. I ran to the grocery store so that I wouldn't miss out on healthy meals for the next few days. As much as I hate going at the end of the day, I was very happy I went. I never regret it.

So... what am I thankful for today? Well, yes, I love a productive day, but honestly, today, from the time I got home around 3:00, until about 9:00, I was mostly home alone. So, aside from the hour-and-a-half when I was watching the movie, it was REALLY quiet in the house. Not a peep could be heard. It's weird for me to not have the TV or music on, but I didn't today. Today, I took in the silence.

I usually don't love silence. I find it a bit eerie. For example, last night I was home alone and I was reading, and it was creepy! I kept hearing so many noises in the vents, and scratching on the windows, and all of the stupid things we tell ourselves we're hearing! But today, it was calm and peaceful, and I enjoyed just being alone and quiet. Even my mind was quite still; aside from asking myself where to put something every now and then. Maybe I am too tired for my mind to be racing these days, but it felt good. It was a good day, and it felt good to have a still heart and a quiet mind today.

I am blessed.
~ j.

Catch Up 2: The Kid Turned 30!

2011-11-12T09:25:00.005-06:00

I made a quick trip home to help celebrate my Kid-Sister's 30th birthday in mid-October. It was a pretty low-key celebration, but that's kind of our family style. My sister, Amy, is one to be so proud of. She's smart (and a bit sassy), she is responsible, she is independent, she is stylish (and yes, I can be proud of that and hate how long it takes her to get ready to go anywhere, all at the same time), she is a hard worker, she is stubborn, she loves her family, she enjoys laughing, and the list could go on and on...

She had plenty of help opening presents, which I know she loved every minute of....

We enjoyed a yummy dinner, and lots of great conversation. At the end of the night, I did manage to get both of us up and out of the house to go up to one of the bars for ONE quick drink. I mean, it seemed inappropriate to even consider not buying her a drink on her 30th, right? We missed my brother, since he was driving beet truck that night, but we still made it uptown. (Last year, my brother and I drove home from Minneapolis together in the late evening, and when we got home, we drug her out of bed and drug her uptown for a drink for her birthday. One of my favorite pictures of us is from that night, and I wished we could have recreated it, but maybe next year.)

The highlight of her night may have been when her childhood bestie, Carl, walked in the door with his beautiful wife, and two lovely daughters. They don't see each other often, but I know that they are bonded for life, and it was SO fun to see him, and watch them reconnect as if no time had passed.

So, dear sister, even though it is a bit late, I do truly wish you a wonderful year. The year I spent as a 30-year-old was the best year of my life, and I hope it is the same for you. Continue to grow, challenge yourself to become who you were meant to be, love yourself, let others love you, and come home often so we can hug you and love you, too!

Much love to my first sister....
~ j.

Catch Up 1: Grandma's 80th...

2011-11-12T09:05:00.002-06:00

I committed to blogging all of the birthdays for this school year, and it didn't take me long to fall behind in that goal. Gramma B. turned 80 in September, and it was a beautiful day.

Of course, we went to Red Lobster, Gramma and Grampa's favorite restaurant. She was showered with love via cake, flowers, and most of the family being able to join her for a special dinner.

Those that couldn't join gave her phone calls to ensure that she knew she was in their thoughts and loved by all of them, near and far.

We enjoyed time chatting and catching up, which is a rarity with a clan that is widespread and on a spectrum that keeps us all from having wildly busy lives with little time to connect outside of our own immediate families.

All in all, I think this last picture sums up the day. It was special for Gramma. She smiled, she laughed, and I think it was a birthday that made her feel special and loved.

Hoping this step into a new decade is one that is met with good health, good rest, and many more good memories for this Gramma B.

:) j.

30 Day of Thanks: 12

2011-11-12T08:35:00.002-06:00

He's growin' up, folks! My first nephew is officially of adult status TODAY. 18. Wow.

It's all a bit surreal and a LOT crazy. A bit like him. :)

I have loved this boy for 18 years, more than I ever knew I could love someone. And now, he is a man. I pray for a life of happiness for him. I pray for success. I pray for character that stands strong and a life lived with integrity. I pray that while he ends his senior year of high school and moves on to college, that his experiences would be rich and positive, and that he would handle all that comes his way with courage and wisdom.

Bottom line? He's a keeper, and I am glad that he is one of mine. Happy birthday to my first nephew, and a young man that I love to the depths of my soul. Love you, Pal.

I am blessed....
~j.

30 Day of Thanks: 11

2011-11-12T00:36:00.002-06:00

Tonight, albeit very late, I am thankful for this girl....
This is Jess, and she is my friend that married my friend, Karl. If you are wondering the chicken-n-the-egg question, Karl actually came first. We worked together at Bible camp in high school. However, I LOVE Jess.

You see, Jess and I have not at the kind of relationship where we were instant best friends, or inseparable since meeting, etc. Instead, we have had the kind of mature relationship where I instantly saw potential for a friendship with her, but needed to make sure Karl was going to keep her around first so that I didn't have to worry about any impending loyalties. :0) As soon as I knew Karl was sunk, :) I knew it was safe to invest in a friendship with Jess. I am SO glad I made the leap.

Tonight, Jess and I had dinner and a few drinks and conversation that warmed my heart, made me laugh, lifted my spirits, calmed my fears, made me think, made me smile, and mostly, made me grateful.

Thankful for you, Jess, for being open to taking me on when you took on Karl... I'm so much easier, aren't I?!?!? :) tee hee... loves.

I am blessed.... (PS - this post is pink ONLY because Jess has a not-so-secret-love-affair with pink, and I am honoring HER tonight... not me.)
~ j.

30 Day of Thanks: 10

2011-11-10T22:34:00.005-06:00

Thankful that when the Devil is trying to interfere with my day, and my stream of thankfulness, God intervenes and provides me with a LIST of things to be thankful for:

- A superhero roommate, Colleen, who rescues me by bringing things to work for me when I forget them, and leaves me funny messages on my phone

- hugs from several students, "just because" as I walk down the hallways

- ALL of my third graders passing their weekly progress monitoring tests with FLYING colors

- some great conversation with my dear colleague, Shannon, as always

- a yummy lunch

- a Caribou treat

- witnessing my family lovin' on each other (even if it kind of makes me queasy, as my sister-in-law wrote a lovely tribute to my brother on Facebook this morning)

- beautiful weather

- a group of Kindergarten students that make me LAUGH

- little bit of chocolate

- crossing a few things off my to-do list

- a CC volleyball regional championship

- a peaceful, happy shift at the studio

- catching up at the end of the night with the same roommate that made me laugh at the beginning of the day... thanks, Colleen! Again! :)

And.... again... still....

I am blessed.
~ j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 9

2011-11-09T22:58:00.003-06:00

This is my sister, Erin. And her brother, Barry. One year ago today, their lives changed forever, after a long procession of ups, downs, questions, fears, and the list could go on and on...

A year ago today, their dad went home to Heaven. After several weeks of fighting, he let go, and they said goodbye. Since that day, I have seen some thing in these two that I had never seen before. Don't get me wrong, Erin has been strong, determined, courageous, and forthright every since I met her. However, since her dad passed, I have seen her embrace her family even tighter - her mom, her brother, her brother's family, and my brother and their four kiddos. I have seen her look at her children and her husband with a grateful appreciation that just wasn't quite the same 366 days ago. Of course, she has always loved them, but in a moment of debilitating sadness, what you love the most becomes very clear. I will never forget, a year ago tomorrow, when I hugged her slightly tighter than I had the night before during the waiting phase, and she knew that all she really wanted was to get home and hug her babies.

I am so thankful for this sister in my life. She listens to my teacher stories. She takes care of my brother and their four beautiful kids. She takes care of my parents when they need her to. And, most importantly, she loves her family, and she is totally OK including me in it. She has taken on our family as if we have never known life without each other, and she has allowed for her family and our family to become family. So, thank you, dear sister, for allowing me to have a Gramma Karen, a Papa Jerry, an Uncle Barry and Auntie Jenny, and a couple of extra rugrats. :) I am thankful for you.

I am blessed.
~ j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 8

2011-11-08T21:35:00.003-06:00

"God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up inside your heart"

I saw this this morning on a friend's Facebook status. It just filled my heart immediately. It made me realize how amazingly malleable God is. So, I spent the day thinking about all of the big and small places where I could see God. Here is the list I came up with... all of the places I am thankful that I can see God, when I am looking, and even when I'm not....

Small: in my alarm clock every morning, when I can be thankful for a new day, a new breath, another day to experience the fullness of a blessed life

BIG: in traffic (of all sorts, actually), when the craziness and chaos of fast-paced commuting kicks in, and safety ensues

Small: in the calm of a morning meeting where everyone is engaged and working like a team (and sometimes, this is BIG, too....)

BIG: in the rush of kids on the playground, and filling the cafeteria and the halls, and in the laughter that is constant

Small: in the moments where I really get to connect with a student about who they are, or what they are reading, or anything or nothing

BIG: in the hot pink sky that he is even bigger than

Small: in a dinner with a friend to just catch up

BIG: in a moment of silence that washes over my entire being and reminds me that He is big, and small, and I am just small, all the time, and in Him, I find comfort and peace.

I am blessed...
~ j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 7

2011-11-07T22:58:00.003-06:00

This is the view out of my big window in my little office at school. I love it. The fall colors are gorgeous, however, they are starting to lose their vibrancy, the sky this morning was clear and calm, and the way the flag was blowing in the window just caught my eye and mesmerized me for a brief moment. I truly AM thankful for my freedom. Not just on Veteran's Day, or the 4th of July, or any other momentous day when I am "supposed" be thankful for my freedom.

Having worked on the military base when I started teaching, my awareness has been heightened for about a decade. Having developed some wonderful friendships with some amazing people that are part of the military, my understanding of the costs of their works has grown.

I am a lucky, lucky girl to be able to dress however I want, speak my mind, drive a car to work every day, eat whatever I want, listen to any kind of music I want, feel safe in my community, and the list could go on and on.... thankful for our troops, our veterans, those who have gone before us while serving, those who have lost loved ones on our behalf, those who support an immediate family member by staying home and holding down the fort while their loved one is deployed, and the list goes on and on...

I am blessed.
~ j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 6

2011-11-06T23:26:00.002-06:00

As much as I hate talking on the phone, today I am thankful for it.

Today, I got to catch up with my dear friend Kimee for the first time since her newest li'l man was born two weeks ago. I loved hearing his little squeals in the background every time he lost his little paci. I loved hearing her talk to her sweet daughter and "play Mommy" as she gave her permission to get down off her chair. I loved hearing in her voice that she is doing well as a mommy of two, and I loved hearing her huz in the background, reassuring me that he is taking care of her, as he always does so well.

Today, I got to catch up with my dear friend Christy for the first time since her newest piece of jewelry was put on her well-saved ring finger on her left hand. I loved hearing the sweet story of how her Prince Charming professed his love and started the journey toward committing his life to hers from now until forever. I loved hearing her talk about the upcoming plans, and hearing the joy in her voice.

Today, I got to say, "I love you" to two special people in my life, and I know they heard me. It wasn't carried by the wind. It wasn't in a note that may or may not get there in time. Nope... today, I was thankful for my phone so that in the moment that I was thinking of two of my favorite girlfriends, I could actually tell them so.

I am blessed....
~ j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 5

2011-11-05T23:35:00.002-05:00

Do you ever stop and just listen to the conversations around you?

Do you ever stop after you hear someone you dearly love and think, "Good grief, I hope I NEVER sound like THAT!"

Do you ever make a quick judgment about someone else's tone or word choice?

I am sure we can all say "Yes" to each of those questions at some point in time, in some way or another.

However, do you ever stop and think, "Wow, it seems as though that person is not having the best day, I wonder how I could help?"

Do you ever wonder if the way you perceived something could have been all about your own perception, and nothing about ill intentions on the part of another?

Do you ever feel thankful that someone else graced you with an open mind when you mis-represented yourself?

Again, we could probably, most of us, nod our heads to some extent about each of these questions.

But my favorite still remains...

Have you ever read anything that made you go, "Hmm... interesting..." and then you pondered that interesting concept until you embraced it, potentially changing something that you "have always known"?

Have you ever overheard a comment, question, or musing that was profound and changed your day?

Have you ever been engaged in a conversation that put your heart at ease, answered a nagging question, or stretched you to a point of pride in your own willingness to be stretched?

Today, a co-worker said to me, "I think that is what life is all about... learning lessons.... being given opportunities to grow." And, I agreed. I think that life is all about perspective, and in our world, whatever world it is, there is always room for that perspective to be developing, changing, and growing.

I, for one, am ecstatic when I feel my perspective growing, when I embrace discomfort in order to be stretched and grown; when I know the stretching and growing is leading me to a place where I can better understand and love others, better do my work, and be a better member of society, friend and family member.

I am thankful...
~j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 4

2011-11-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

"Sing and make music in your heart, to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:19b-20

I was raised in a musical family, and I feel blessed by that. We were always encouraged (maybe forced is the word I would have chosen long ago, but now, in hindsight, as you can see, I consider it a blessing) to take piano lessons, play an instrument, sing in the choir, audition for selective choirs, etc. etc.

I have to admit, I am the weakest link when it comes to being a musician in my family. My mom can pretty much play or sing anything. My dad is a singer. My brother has an amazing voice, but I am always even more impressed by the way he can hear a song once and then sit down at the piano and figure out how to play it, if he wants to. My sister can listen to a song once and have every word memorized, as well as each part of the melody and harmony. And then there is me. I can practice, and practice, and PRACTICE, and STILL not get a part right. It's not for lack of trying, though!

However, what I do have is an ear and a heart for taking in the music of others and allowing it to speak to me. Whether I am listening to a live concert, or a church performance, something on the radio, or Pandora... music speaks to me. I have had moments in my life where I haven't known just quite how to communicate something, and then I hear it in song, and I have the start of what I need to say to express myself. I have had mornings when I have been grumpy, or groggy, or a host of other not-so-pleasant moods, and the right song will come on the radio at exactly the right moment, and all of a sudden I am singing and dancing.

I have endless musical memories in my life. While I might not be very good at retaining song titles, or artists, or lyrics... I can get caught up in a song title, or lyric in a split second, and it can change my mood, my outlook, or my thinking, in a heartbeat.

I am thankful...
~ j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 3

2011-11-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me." - John 9:4a

Today, I am thankful for work. I have two jobs. I work between 60 and 75 hours each week. I sometimes have 15-hour days. I sometimes deal with very crabby people. I am often exhausted. I don't get much time for myself. The list of negative truths about my work situation could go on and on.

So... what is there to be thankful for?

I have a job. Actually, I have two. In a time when SO many have NO job, or not enough money from their job(s), I have more than enough. I have enough money to pay my bills, house, feed, and clothe myself. I am blessed to be doing more than just surviving.

I work with amazing people that I wouldn't want to give up spending time with. I am using my talents - many of them - to serve others. I am constantly growing as a person because of the work I get to do. I smile A LOT. I laugh A LOT. I feel loved, and I feel like I am contributing to the community around me.

So... today... I am thankful that even when I am exhausted and wishing I had only one job, maybe even one part-time job that just paid me like a millionaire - that I actually have two jobs that I thoroughly enjoy. I am thankful...

:) j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 2

2011-11-02T22:01:00.002-05:00

Today, I spent my day being thankful for rest. Ironically, a few times, while the thoughts about rest were floating through my mind, I was nodding off. Not good while at work. Anywho...

I woke up this morning thinking I was thankful for my bed. However, it's bigger than that. I realized that since I had taken the morning off from the gym to go this evening (because of my commute pattern today - I'm such a nerd), I got to just lay in my bed and breathe a bit before running off into my day. I drifted in and out of consciousness. I had a few fleeting thoughts. I said a little prayer. I got up when I was ready.

I realized how much I appreciate and am thankful for REST. Not sleep. Not time in bed (however, both count at times). Rest, for me, is more about time for my brain to slow down. I am sure we all experience rest in different ways, but throughout the day, I collected a mini-list of ways that I experience rest. I am thankful for rest, whether it comes to me for an entire day, or a fleeting moment... for example:

- Sitting in the dark, listening to a Wood Wick candle burn
- Standing in the shower for an extra five minutes, just standing, under hot water
- Running (yes, it is restful to let the mind go, to let the stress and tension out)
- Curling up on the couch under a blanket watching out the window (especially when it is snowing.... soon, my friends! Soon!)
- Reading a book
- Watching mindless TV
- Sitting in a comfy chair with a cup of tea
- Taking a nap
- Getting a massage
- Lying in the grass looking at the clouds
- Lying by a pool, or on a beach
- Rocking a baby, or a small child
- Going for a walk, alone
- Listening to music (not background music, but actually just listening)
- A trip to Barnes & Noble
- Stretching
- Sleeping while someone else drives

Just a few of the ways I can find some rest... How do you rest?

:) j.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 1

2011-11-01T21:15:00.002-05:00

Here we go - committing to another 30 Days of Thanks run. I LOVE the way I feel by Thanksgiving Day when I have spent the month with eyes wide open to the things to be thankful for - big and small - in my life. And so, today, on Slice of Life Tuesday, I begin by being thankful for my health.

I am not always the most healthy of people... I get injured regularly, and randomly, albeit nothing uber major very often - just minor setbacks here and there.

I get sick - what with all of the kids that cough, sneeze, spit and sputter in my face day in and day out - that shouldn't be so surprising.

I get tired... ya know... working 7 days a week for 2-3 weeks at a time and then having one half-day off will do that to you. Did you know I am counting down the days until December 21st because I will then have TWO WORK-FREE WEEKS! Woot!

BUT - (enter Thankful Heart) - this morning I got up and stretched my body, and it felt GOOD. I walked through my house on two legs and two feet that worked without a hitch. I sat on the FLOOR (and got up again) with my students all day long. I went to the gym and hopped on the treadmill and walked and ran on Day 6 of my 25-day running plan. I stretched some more, and it felt GREAT.

I am blessed. I pray for good health, for myself, my family, friends, and all of you readers.

Going to bed with a happy, healthy heart.... looking forward to another great run tomorrow morning.

:) j.

Compound Words... Or... ???

2011-10-25T10:49:00.002-05:00

I was introducing compound words to a group of struggling third grade students yesterday. I had a list of words on a small white board and I asked them what they noticed about those words. Now, these four little angels have been working on "Chunking" to tear down big words, and they need to start looking at bigger parts of words. So... very quickly (Thank you, God!) they all had their hands waving in the air to tell me what they noticed.

"All of the words have two small words put together!"

YES! They noticed what I WANTED them to notice! (That doesn't always happen, ya know!)

My next question, apparently, was more of a challenge than I had anticipated it would be.

"So... do you know what we call words like this, that are made up of two smaller words put together?" I give a bit of wait time, and then hands are waving, and I am excited that they already know!

I call on a little mr. - "I know! I know!" exclaims.

"Do tell!" I encourage.

"They are 2-DIGIT WORDS, Miss B!"

And, in all of his joyful glory, I had to be the monster that bursts his bubble, and laughs gently so as to not crush his spirit, and I say, "Oh my friend, how you are so in love with math that you KNOW great math vocabulary, don't you! But these, well, these words are simply called compound words, even if 2-digit words is so much more fun!"

:) j.

Fear of Death... Wind and Waves

2011-10-24T21:27:00.003-05:00

I LOVED this chapter, again. :) I start out by saying, after I read the whole chapter, that I am blessed by the title. It offers a sense of peace to me about how human life goes, but a beautiful reminder that God is in both and bigger than both, always.

And - a quick disclaimer before I go any further - this is probably one of the most personal posts I have ever written. However, I feel the need to post it FOR ME. I feel the need to keep it so I can turn back to it over time and continue to acknowledge the way God has grown me through pain and sorrow, just as much, and probably even more than He has done through joy. Oh - and PS - this post is LONG... :) fair warning.

p. 84 "I am tempted in my own life to feel as though if I had seen Jesus face-to-face I would never doubt Him or His love for me." -- Seriously! I wonder how many times I have said, "I wish God would ACTUALLY speak to me!" with a belief that if we could have tea together, or maybe even a beer, that THEN, I would trust Him as the be-all, end-all. REALLY, Jen?!?! You REALLY think that's what it would take?!?!? Don't give yourself so much credit, ya little control freak! :) I should know better.... and doubt is OK... it grows my faith every time I have to forge through a moment of doubt.

p. 88 "I know people thought I was brave but I knew the truth: I was terrified and I was weak." -- It has been rare in my life that I would admit this, but often that I have been in this place. For some reason, by the age of 32, I have not only experienced, but facilitated the healing process through more traumatic, life-altering, fatal scenarios than I ever would have dreamed of for my own life. I grew up feeling quite at peace with death, actually. I remember a few years ago, when one of my friends told me nobody close to her had ever died before. I looked at her like she was crazy! We were in our late 20S! When I told her that I couldn't even count the number of funerals I had been too, remembering them from a very early age, to include the earliest most significant loss happening just after my ninth birthday, she looked at me like I was crazy. We lived in an aging neighborhood, and I went to the funerals of each of the neighbors as they passed - four that I can remember before I left elementary school, I believe. The family friends that were our best friends growing up lost their three-year-old son in a snow mobile accident when I was in third grade. I had several great aunts that died over the years of high school and college, and you didn't miss family funerals - they were part of being family. I had a cousin killed in a snow mobile accident, leaving behind her four children and her husband. I had another cousin brutally beaten to death. All of these deaths, while painful, just seemed to shape in me the understanding that death was natural (even when it wasn't?!?!) and not to be feared.

However, in college, I experienced death in a new way - the in-your-face, your-not-so-invincible-afterall kinda way. There was a campus shooting, where we lost the most beloved music professor on campus - and on a small campus, everyone knows everyone. It was traumatic and unexplainable (even though it was clearly explained with a motive, etc.). Within a month of that, we experienced an earthquake, which was the first of my lifetime - given that I grew up in farm country in ND... no deaths there, but the word "shaken" could be used in about any context possible after that. And, also within the same month, a college party gone bad, when a deck collapsed killing a fellow student. For all three of these college experiences, I was a senior, and I was a Resident Assistant. I remember, vividly, the screams and the students that were more directly impacted at any given moment, coming to get direction, support, comfort. I remember thinking, "How do I support? How do I comfort? How do I provide direction? when I have no idea why this is happening, or what it is going to lead to." I remember being part of a small team that had to execute emergency plans, three times in one month, and put on a front that everything was going to be OK, even while wondering if I really believed it myself. I remember graduating a month later, so exhausted, and relieved, and yet so INCREDIBLY connected to that place and those people, that I was afraid to leave.

However, you leave... you move on, knowing that growth has happened, and will continue to, sometimes for years to come. And, each time, you are more prepared for the next unknown - and yes, I have stopped wondering "What's next?" and just started to convince myself that "What's next" doesn't matter RIGHT NOW, because I can't change it, and I won't be experiencing it alone anyway.

So... I moved on. I started teaching.... the year that the Iraq war started.... on a military base... with 31 3rd grade students... 29 of them had parents deployed... 14 had BOTH parents deployed. And so, again, I stood in front of a community, not fearing what death would do to ME, but what it could do to those children that I was so deeply in love with. Ironically, I was in a relationship that had lasted many years, and it ended that year as well - honestly, doesn't that feel like death sometimes? I mean - losing the "one" and everything/one that comes along with it. Well - it felt as painful (and sometimes I think it was worse because my experiences with death had been so peaceful, and I just KNEW I couldn't see them on this earth again. However, with an ending relationship, it is like death by choice - choosing to end, rather than having it not be an option... anyway - I digress....) So - I will never forget that one of my students came to my desk on that first day I was at work as a single woman (such a tragedy, right?!) and she somehow knew exactly what was going on and in her 9-year-old dramatic way, she said, "Miss B. if you need to cry, you can cry on MY shoulder. I KNOW what it feels like to have your heart broken, too." Seriously... the innocence and simplicity of children - she knew - what I needed was a shoulder to cry on when I wasn't willing to use God's because he took away my Plan A.

And so... I moved on... again. I fell more in love with my job, and with developing relationships to strengthen teachers. I became a mentor teacher to two amazing young women. For one year. At the end of the year, we were exhausted. We decided to take the month of July off and reconvene in August to plan all of the ways that our next year together would be bigger and better. And then, I got the call. My first-year mentee, 23-year-old, Emily, had died in a mountain climbing accident. She had made a novice mistake, even as a professional climber. It was unexplainable. It was PAINFUL. I was in ND with my family when I got the call. I flew back to WA, all the while in touch with Emily's family in NJ. With the help of our third team teacher, we planned a memorial service for our students. We were asked to speak at the memorial service at her church. We chose to spend time with her family when they came out to collect her things. We sorted through her classroom. We ached. It wasn't death that I feared. It was the pain that encompasses everyone around - the pain that seems to suck the life right out of me because I love so deeply, which is so often a blessing and a curse all in one. My fear is that the pain I feel can't compare to the pain a mother and daddy live when they lose their daughter in a senseless accident.

And then, you move on. You simply continue to live - maybe not gracefully. I trudged for along while. I cried, a lot... I still cry, even as I type, knowing the pain that seems to ache from the unknown. And then, you get the next call...

Emily's younger sister, and only sibling, was on vacation in India. She was loving on children in orphanages. She went for a swim and was attacked by a crocodile. Another life taken unfathomably, and the wounds are ripped open and exponentially grown. And the conversations with those two parents who have now lost both, all, their children. And the visit to hug and to show them love, even though it feels SO incredibly tiny, is painful. It hurts. And that hurt is what I fear.

But... you keep moving forward (and growing). And a year ago, as I watched, side-by-side, my sister-in-law unexpectedly lose her dad, it was the FIRST time I can honestly say I FELT a fear of losing someone directly in my immediate family, because all of the pain I have experienced for others, my guess is, won't compare to losing one of my parents, a sibling, a niece, or a nephew. And so, I don't fixate, but every now and then, that WAVE of fear does wash over me. Sometimes, I get caught up wondering why God hasn't brought me a husband, and fearing that my grandparents (becoming more real every day) or maybe even my parents, won't see my wedding day. And what about grandchildren? What if I don't get to have my mom there when I have my first baby? Or my dad to let him or her sit on his hand, high up in the sky, trying to touch the ceiling? And, those what-ifs are the ones that have washed over me in recent months, but because of the faith God has grown in me, I do not fixate. I let go. I trust... even if I have to repeat OFTEN. :)

I am a bit envious of all those that have gone before me, however. Not in a suicidal way, mind-you. I love my life. I am completely blessed. I am living each day as best I can to honor the gifts God provides me with. However, I do live with a little bit of fear not about "What's next" but more like a dread of experiencing that pain AGAIN. And sometimes, I catch myself thinking, "Seriously, God! Enough already! PLEASE!" and I remember Job, and I know that I am blessed.

I know that God has grown me through every experience of pain that I have been blessed with. But, I will never forget the day when I was done planning Emily's memorial and a co-worker said, "When are YOU going to let your guard down?" and I said, "I think right now" and sobbed in her arms. And there, in that moment, was God. The same God that provided me the strength, courage, and wisdom to put on the brave front and provide others with a place to mourn was providing me with the comfort of arms around me and a place to hurt where I was not afraid, rather I was doing the only thing I could - living through the pain.

A few more favorite quotes from the chapter:

p. 90 "At its core, it is the recognition that I do not have control of life." Again - for me, it isn't a fear of not knowing when my last day is going to be. It is a fear of being sprung into the super-painful place. It's not a place I like to be... anyone disagree?

p. 97 "We choose to believe in heaven in the same way we believe in God when the phone rings in the middle of the night or the plane bumps in the sky. Not because we can explain it in our humanity, but rather because we trust in His divinity."

p. 97 "There is great sadness in the valley, and there is confusion, but I can say with certainty that I trust Him more than I did before having and losing..." - I can say with certainty that I trust God more intensely, and more easily, after every single moment I have spent in the valley. And, maybe my fear is really about admitting that and having it act as an invitation, or be heard as a prideful claim to "bring it on". Don't get me wrong, that is NOT the case. But, I have come to a place where even in the valley, I am clinging to an all-powerful, all-loving God, and I am leaving the story-writing up to Him as much as my little brain can, because He will carry me through. I don't just believe that, I KNOW that. I have experienced it several times.

Luke 8:25 "Where is your faith?" -- I was raised having this question thrown at me in any instance where I was worrying about anything. Thanks, mom! While it drove me nuts and I vaguely remember rolling my eyes in a non-stop twirl of adolescent ridiculousness, it has become an unexpected mantra. Where IS my faith?! It's here. Alive and well. And, I pray for you, in the moments when Satan has a grip on it, that yours would swell and rise up to carry you as well.

:) j.

Fear of Abandonment...Gulp.

2011-10-13T00:13:00.002-05:00

Today, Bloom Book Club posted the video discussion for chapter 2! Take a look at it HERE if you are interested. This chapter kinda made my guts hurt... :) so many emotions!

p. 32, as discussed in the video: "It is a terrifying thing to put your full weight into someone, only to be exposed as the fool"... and even more terrifying? When you find out you have allowed it to happen over, and over, and over again...

p. 37: "It is so hard to love people in full expectation of them loving you back. You put it all out there, knowing that the other person always has the decision of what to do with your affection." And we can sometimes put it out there over, and over, and over again to the SAME person, thinking, "this time will be different... I have lost enough weight... I have gotten a big enough raise... I am taking better care of my bills, my house, myself...." and... that other person may STILL not receive you for all of the beautiful worth you were made of.

p. 39: "I've done plenty in the way of trying to make someone love me for the wrong reasons." What about simply because you THOUGHT he was the one?!?! Maybe the reasons didn't seem so wrong at the time.... I mean... who really knows exactly whether or not the "love" that you are feeling IS love??? the real, long-lasting, LOVE?

p. 40: "She made the conscious decision to stop trying to please man and pursue what she desired in favor of praising God for blessing her with children." (Talking about Leah, from the Bible, if you don't know her, and you are a woman, you should go meet her... in Genesis) Conscious.... it takes a long while for this decision to become CONSCIOUS... but when it does... THAT is when the redemption begins to unravel... when the decision is made to be open, to listen, to be patient, to be Loved by a God that desires our hearts... a God that WANTS to heal our hurts... a God that will not abandon or forsake us...

In my small group Bible study, we just began studying 2 Corinthians. Tonight, we discussed chapter 1, vs. 20: "For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ." NO MATTER WHAT. The problem? God doesn't promise to give us whatever we want, or to have things always go OUR way. God promises to never abandon, He promises to provide, He promises LOTS of things (have you checked a concordance for the word promise lately? It's a BEAUTIFUL search)... but, the hardest part for our human brains, is that we don't get to determine how His promises are fulfilled. We just have to have faith that it will all lead us to a day of glory.

I am not married. I have never been betrayed by a husband, or even a boyfriend, for that matter. However, I worked extremely hard to be loved, and to be good enough, and in the end, I was abandoned. And, at the time, I was devastated... and I was devastated for a LONG time. I fear ever feeling that way again. I have avoided dating ever since. I long to be a wife, and a mommy. However, I fear giving myself so wholly to a man, that I forget that God deserves to be (and I only thrive, when he is) the center of my heart and my life.

When my relationship ended, I fought to understand. However, I continuously wanted my ex to be the one to explain it. It took months, if not a good couple of years, for me to ask God to explain. It took even longer for me to be open to His answer. But, the answers have come. My life is in a place it NEVER would have journeyed to had that relationship not ended. I still consider the what-ifs. I still miss that friend and many things about that partnership. But, now, several years later, I have a peace I never expected. I understand things that only God could reveal, and only over time that I spent relying on Him. It has, albeit difficult, been a beautiful journey.

And now, when I wonder where my husband is, and how I will ever find him, and how I will keep my eyes on Jesus even in the midst of falling in human love... I pray... because God keeps His promises, and He will allow me to prosper. I thank Him for the brokenness that has brought me to where I am... I thank Him for growing me and preparing me for a life spent glorifying Him.... I thank Him for being my everything... especially when I need it the most.

Another Book Study With Incourage!

2011-10-05T23:00:00.002-05:00

Today begins the next Bloom Book Club that I so love to be part of online! The video for today covered the Introduction of one of the organizers new books. So far, I love it, it has me excited, and nervous and eager all at the same time. I was so eager to get started that I had finished reading the introduction TWO days early! (If you know me, you know I finish VERY FEW things EARLY!) I set my alarm this morning and got up 30 minutes earlier than I have in over a week, thanks to this nasty cold. I showered, got ready for work, brewed a cup of tea, curled up in our new comfy chair with my book in-hand, and watched video number 1. I seriously felt like I was at the table with the three ladies filming the video session. I love that. I love the many forms that community takes.

Anyway - as for the introduction, here are a few of my favorite little snippets:

The first line that REALLY hit me is on page 4:

“I believe fear is the natural response to the question Satan whispered, and I find that every day I have to adjust my footing consciously to move toward Jesus.”

I get the “adjust my footing” but I had to have some serious reflection about whether I adjust my footing to “move toward Jesus” or to “hold on to control”? It is a perfect little sentence for me to hold on to daily as I continuously adjust my footing…. and then, I realized, I might just need to adjust hourly some days, rather than daily...

And on page 5:

"The more we tap into a life balanced by Christ, grounded in knowing Him and His Word, the less we have to worry about falling off."

This is in regards to walking a tight rope and having God be the net below in case we fall, rather than being the pole in our hands to help us balance. I love the imagery. I reflect on how often I crave "balance" but don't include God in my attempts to create it... instead, I focus on what I can do to provide time for work, exercise, cooking healthy food, running errands, and socialize with the good people I am surrounded by. It is not ingrained in me (yet) to stop and ask God to provide me with balance, and to start with HIM. (And why, as I type, do I want to just scream, "DUH!" ?!? It sounds so easy...)

Page 13:

"We have a very real enemy who thrives on our silence.
He doesn't want us to be in fellowship, sharing our hearts and seeking wisdom on how to live lives that glorify God in spite of the darkness we feel."

So many thoughts.... like, "No wonder why women tend to hurt one another and be so easily hurt... there is Satan just working at tearing us apart!" "No wonder why I question and doubt how or if I should answer when the conversation turns to faith when I am at work.... there is Satan trying to hold me back!" "No wonder that even sometimes in front of my OWN family, I fall silent, afraid of the consequences of sharing the truth.... even if Satan's truth playing out in my silence will hurt far greater than anything I could speak in the light of Christ...." Satan is working SO hard, and when I give in to silence, and I pull away, I am letting him win! And, especially for an extrovert like me, it is NOT when I am at my best, happiest, place! (We all know!!! I LOVE to be in fellowship!) :)

And finally, on page 14, I came upon my new daily prayer:

"My deepest longing is for you to run after tomorrow like there is something waiting there for you, possible through the kind of love that sees past our fear."

I am blessed beyond belief with a love that I cannot begin to understand the depths of. I am blessed just to know that. I am blessed to know that there is a God great enough to have something waiting for me every day.... I am blessed with an opportunity to trudge through the fears - those that I already know and those that are going to be uncovered - that keep me from running after every tomorrow with abandon. I am blessed to do it with a community both near and far.

I hope to continue to share as the journey unfolds. If you are interested, feel free to get a copy of the book and join me and the rest of the Bloomers. I'd love to share the ride!

:) j.

Did I Miss Something?

2011-10-05T11:03:00.002-05:00

Do tell... WHY did I NOT enjoy this book?!?!?

It took me FOREVER to get through it.

I had to FORCE myself not to abandon it.

I couldn't keep the characters straight.

I didn't feel like I wanted to really be-friend any of them.

I wasn't intrigued by the plot.

I have NEVER struggled with a book like this before.

I have NEVER wondered why a book received a Newberry before.

So tell me... what did I miss???

~ j.

Cookin' up a Storm!!!

2011-10-02T22:06:00.006-05:00

So, my friend Karl got married to this great girl, Jess. And, I am really happy that he did, because I get a new friend out of the deal! That just makes happiness for sure! However, the other happy part about this new friendship is that we are going to give it a try to share some cooking. We got together a couple of weekends ago for the first time and each made a couple of things that were freezer-friendly, to share. Jess made some awesome bread, and a great Fettuccine dish. I made my favorite chicken enchiladas and a different kind of Fettuccine dish.
We did some serious cooking while we enjoyed some casual chat, and the whole while, Karl enjoyed some uninterrupted TV watching. He isn't very excited about our adventures in cooking together.... something about his fear of us trying to hold each other accountable for healthy eating makes him worry that the food will be gross. What a guy.
In the end, we had LOTS of food. I still have some in the freezer, and I ate well for a week on some of it. I might just be taking another pan of enchiladas out of the freezer this week. The biggest relief, though, is just knowing I have food on hand... no stress about running to the grocery store or finding time to cook when I am busy and tired. Yippee!
It is also my favorite time of year for cooking: FALL! Fall means I can cook with the windows open and feel a nice, fresh, crisp breeze while I cook. It also means that a trip to the apple orchard is in the near future so I can make some applesauce for my freezer! Finally, it means that it is SQUASH season! Yay! I have already tried THREE new squash recipes, and one old-faithful! I did two last week, and two today....
My least favorite part is getting the guts out.... but... I suppose it is one of the most important parts. A new trick I learned this year was to rub olive oil over the inside and outside of the squash before cooking. It is amazing how tender the squash cooks by doing this. YummY!
I just have to say, I am SO thankful that my brother was BORN a FARMER. Seriously. I swear the boy came out with a red tractor in his hand, and his first word HAD to have been something like, "harvest". All details aside, for whatever reason this came to be, I am supremely happy with the outcome. I mean, seriously, the guy's garden is bigger than my entire yard. Therefore, all of the squash in all of the following pictures, and all of the squash I will eat for the entire winter??? FREE... from my brother.... because well.... we know that farmers don't just take care of their land and their animals... they take care of their people.... so... thank you, brother.
Anyway... back on track... after oiling, I baked them, cut-side down, at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. They were mostly soft, but could still use a few more minutes in the oven, when I took them out.
While they were baking, I mixed up the innards. The first one was really simple. Just spinach, ricotta (however, I got the wrong ricotta. I got crumbled, and I am pretty sure it should have been the ricotta that is textured more like cottage cheese. The taste was still delish, but the texture was a little dry... not as bad as I thought it would be, but if you don't like spinach, it would be tough to swallow), and a little bit of Parmesan - like a tablespoon, which I thought was weird... ya know... a little pointless... :) A pound of spinach and 5 ounces of ricotta, and a measly little tablespoon of Parm. Whatever....
The other filling was a package of Cheddar Broccoli rice mix, chopped up apple, some coriander, and a pound of ground turkey (obviously previously browned).
When I took the squash out of the oven, I flipped them and stuffed them, covering the rice-filled squash with some shredded colby-jack cheese.
The recipe calls for ONE squash for the turkey filling, but the filling was definitely enough to fill two squashes.
Tossed them back in the oven for about ten minutes, to melt the cheeses, and Voila!
After they are fully cooled, I wrapped them in heavy duty tin foil, then put them in freezer bags. Well, all but one of each kind that I left out for lunches. The rest are in my new freezer! :)
And today, I moved on to a whole new ball game. Squash Apple SOUP! It might be a new favorite soup, as well as a new favorite squash recipe. I sauteed a carrot, a celery stalk, a yellow onion, and some garlic in some olive oil. Then, I added an entire chopped up squash and a chopped up apple, with three cups of chicken broth. I brought it to a boil and then simmered until the squash was squishy soft.
Next step, which was totally new for me, was to puree all of the veggies and the broth.I can't find my blender... it's still packed somewhere. So, I took a chance and used my Magic Bullet, and IT WORKED! I couldn't do it all in one batch, but I scooped veggies and broth in and blended and dumped, and I think it only took four cups full. It worked JUST FINE.
I dumped it back in the pan, added a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and DONE! I was seriously shocked at how tasty this soup was. I can't wait to eat more of it tomorrow! It doesn't make much, so next time, I will probably double the recipe.

So, there ya have it. A few ways to use up the fall squash that is at an abundance right now, and a re-cap of a great day of cooking with a new friend (which, honestly, if you know me, you know it is an answered prayer to have someone that might be interested in cooking and sharing frozen meals!)

:) j.

Fresh Tomatoes + Shrimp + Pasta = YUM!

2011-10-02T21:11:00.004-05:00

Thanks to my sister-in-law, I had a bag full of fresh tomatoes that I didn't know what to do with. Excitedly, I bought a new freezer for the garage, and have been trying to freeze "extras" to cut down on time spent cooking during the week. I froze green beans from my brother's garden. I froze enchiladas that I made (YUM!). I have chicken frozen that I bought on sale. I am EXCITED about FREEZING! While I was going to freeze tomatoes, I didn't know why. So, I decided to cook them instead. I had enough for one recipe, with two tomatoes leftover.... any ideas what to do with two tomatoes? (I don't really eat raw tomatoes....btw.) Anyway... on to my new recipe!
I diced up the raw tomatoes until I had FOUR cups of them! I heated up about a tablespoon of oil in a wok, and added three teaspoons of minced garlic (the equivalent of three cloves). I heated them for a few minutes. Then, I threw in the tomatoes, plus one cup of dry white wine that my roommate, Molly, had on hand for me. I got that to a little boil... then simmered it for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
I took one pound of shrimp out of the freezer and thawed it in warm water... took the tails and skins off, and then heated up another tablespoon of oil. Threw the shrimp in and cooked it threw, turning it to cook it evenly, which takes about five-seven minutes.
After 30 minutes, I added two tablespoons of butter to the tomatoes, along with a bit of garlic salt, salt, and pepper. I tossed the shrimp in, too. Meanwhile, I had started boiling water for a small box (12 oz) of whole wheat thin spaghetti.
When the spaghetti was done, I drained it and then added it to the wok and stirred. The one ingredient I forgot? The frozen asparagus I had taken out of the freezer. Oops! So - I added it after I took the pictures and ate my dinner. So... in my leftovers, I also have asparagus. YUM!

What a GREAT meal. It makes six servings that are 390 calories each. So, obviously, bigger portions would mean more calories and fewer servings, but may also come in handy at times.

Let me know if you try it sometime!

:) j.

Girlfriends....

2011-09-28T06:15:00.000-05:00

I read THIS post last night, by Ann Voskamp, an author I fell in love with this past summer... see HERE to read more about that. As always, it sparks a space inside of me that deserved some attention. I didn't have many real girlfriends growing up - rather, I was literally followed home by the popular kids, as they threw rocks at me. Sounds cliche, right? Lucky me to have lived it. :) (Lindsey - I KNOW what you are thinking right now... so... let me clarify - YES, you were my friend.... starting in sixth grade, right?!? :) But that is ONE girlfriend, and the post is about being surrounded by a community of women - go read it, I promise! And, besides, the type of community to be surrounded by just wasn't available in our small town, back in the day... agreed?)

As an adult, I can look back and list an infinite number of blessings and lessons learned from my time growing up as an unpopular, lonely girl. It has made me compassionate (almost to a fault, at times), patient, sensitive, aware, and the list could go on and on.

It wasn't until college when I wondered at the thought of having girl-friends. It was a long road to try and figure out how to trust them, or if I even wanted to. Was it worth it? Did EVERY girl-friend walk away when she found a new boyfriend?!?! :) And so, college came and went with a few great friends, but not the life-long friendships I had hoped for. However, I did not give up on what I knew God would provide for me. He chose to wait, and luckily, I chose to continue to seek and be patient.

Post-college, God provided some life-long girlfriends. Ironically, and luckily, a few of my acquaintances from high school and college have become part of that beloved community of women! They also came in the form of roommates, colleagues, and even a karaoke partner or two! But there they were. They would not give up on me. They would not walk away from me. They held on tight when I was pretty sure we should part ways. These are the girls that God provided FOR ME. The ones that HE CHOSE FOR ME! I couldn't asked to be more blessed by them. And, he grew my heart so that I would feel just as compelled to stand by them, support them, and not walk away, no matter what.

Over time, many of these relationships have become long-distance. However, God has provided the time, the energy, and the means for us to continue to be close on a level I never imagined. He keeps us strong. He keeps us steady. We are blessed.

Just today, I finished reading the book, "The Girls From Ames" (Jeffrey Zaslow) and it was one of the most beautiful, touching books I have ever read about female friendship. Yes, because I am a woman, I compared myself and my friendships, to those written about in the book. However, it brought me to my knees as well - singing praises for the friendships I have, begging for mercy for the friend that I can sometimes forget to be, and asking for eyes wide open to the relationships on the horizon.

We forget, often, what blessings women can be in our lives. However, I find that when I am forgetting, it is because I am forgetting to live in a state of praise, mercy and with eyes wide open to the blessings He is providing me with in the women around me.

Thank you, Jesus, for blessing me with women that understand me, care for me through thick-n-thin, love me unconditionally, and are willing to call me friend, even in my utterly human moments. Continue to bless our friendships, both those that are old, and the newbies; grow them that they may honor You. Grow me, so that I may be the friend to the women in my life that You have created me to be.

blessings, dear friends!
~ j.

Inspired...

2011-09-27T18:53:00.004-05:00

At lunch one day last week, a classroom teacher sat with me to discuss one of our mutual students. She told me that he had brought in his personal writing to share with the class, and she was quite impressed with his collection.

She asked if she could encourage him to bring it to our small group and share it with me. Of course, I was happy to have an opportunity to build up a student in any possible way. So, when he showed up at my door, I excitedly asked if he brought some writing to share with me. Immediately, he started laying out his treasure.

There is only one other student (another boy) in the group, so we get to have some really great conversations. The writing that this student brought happened to be his collection of comics that he is writing. (If you know me, you may or may not know that I struggle to love comics. They are not my favorite. However, I remind myself incessantly that some kids really love them, and even comics support reading and writing development!) :)

Now, let me explain a little bit about this collection of comics. It is a series... each of the pages that you see in the picture above is a "volume" in the series. Even the pad of sticky notes is a volume (number 3, actually, and it is the author's favorite), and it is written in flip-book form, rather than strip form.

This collection includes several characters, and a key to explain who the characters are and give their names. So, what do I already know about this writer? He is a planner; an organized thinker that does not make even the simplest decision without calculating it very carefully, considering how each little detail fits in with what is previously written, and what is to come.

As you can see in the picture above, there aren't a whole lot of words in this collection, and some of them are definitely choice words. However, pictures speak a thousand words, right? And you have to start somewhere. And, well... he's WRITING! On his OWN! And he is writing a LOT!

Furthermore, his peers were excited about his comics. The other student in our group is one that doesn't engage with reading very well (or anything academic for that matter). For the 15 minutes that we were exploring the comics, this student was COMPLETELY engaged. Not only did he read EVERY volume, but he also started expressing his own interests in writing - explaining why he loves to write stories about his own summer travels. (Cha-ching! I have an in!)

So, now I have two boys that were relatively apathetic to anything that had to do with small-group-reading-or-writing-instruction, who have now connected with one another over a piece of TEXT! I have topics that they are interested in writing about! I have genres that they are willing to explore!

I have also witnessed they way students engage in text written by other students. I have never doubted this, but I love every opportunity of proof that I can capture.

So, what was the brightest bit that I witnessed in this exchange? Well, as I looked at this writing, in a genre I don't love, with students that have proven to be challenging for me for the last year...

I didn't see elaborate sentences, creative details in words, growing vocabulary, or even a supremely enjoyable plot...

what I DID see, however, was a PASSION that I had not seen before, from two students - the author, and the student audience...

And that, is INSPIRING.

My 10th First Day :)

2011-09-06T20:22:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it is my TENTH first day of teaching. Crazy how the time flies. Crazy how the job has changed in just a short decade. Crazy how I have changed. Crazy how much I have fallen in love with all things literacy, and wanting my kids to fall in love with it as much as I have.

I wish I had a picture of my room the very first moment I set foot in it to get it organized this year. In this little room - formerly the principal's office, I guess - there were three of us last year. I don't have a picture of that, either, but let me just say, I was a reading teacher that didn't even have children's books in her little reading room. When I found out that I would have the space all to myself this year, I was elated! I would guess most teachers know that it isn't the amount of space that is important, but what you do with it that matters most. So, even my tiny little space last year was comfy cozy, functional, and productive. However, this year? Probably the best space I have ever created, and I'm not done yet!

Anyway - my parents deserve a LOT of credit for this newly defined space. I have a long book shelf that mom found at the end of her neighbors' driveway this summer, and she and dad hauled it home and stored it in the garage until I could bring it to my own garage, where it was sanded and painted before moving on in to the school and being covered with books.

I brought in the rocking chair that I bought for my classroom several years ago, but have had no room for until now, and I LOVE it! Mom made me a little valance for the window, along with seven pillow cases for the kids to either sit on or against when they lean against the wall. Mom and dad bought me a "back to school" present, which is a cool lamp with multiple arms, each having a different colored shade. I chose all of the material myself, however, and I am quite proud of that because that is totally not my thing. :) I stuck with blues and greens, so then I bought blue and green carpet dots for the floor from Ikea. I added a couple of plants, and it is like a private little in-home library right there. LOVE it.

More importantly, though... so far... the kids LOVE it, too! Every staff member, and every student that has walked by my "new" room has stopped and gasped at the difference a little "mood lighting" as it has been called, a little color, and a little re-arranging (and a little more space, don't forget) has made. The best story yet, though, was when one of my "favorite" students stopped by today.

Li'l Mr. is a 5th grader this year. He is a student with behavior challenges and has a one-on-one para-educator with him about 95% of the time. For some reason, Mr. and I hit it off last year, and I never once had an issue with him that I felt significant. Sadly, and yet joyously, his reading scores sky-rocketed last spring (probably because I told him if they did, he wouldn't have to come to these "special reading classes" any more), and so, I won't be teaching him this year. However, today, he came strolling by with his para, and stopped at my door, gave the now-expected gasp, and stared in. I smiled and replied, "You can come in and check it out if you'd like."

He came in and made his way to the rocking chair immediately. I asked about his summer, and he told me about all of the field trips he went on with the summer program he was enrolled in. He rocked. I asked what he read (he is an avid reader, as long as he gets to pick out what he reads - no real surprise there, right?). He told me all about the books he read. And, he rocked. I told him that I was so proud of him for getting his reading scores up, and proving himself, but that I was so sad that I wouldn't get to see him every day in my room. I told him that he could come "hang out" any time it was OK with his teacher, and he smiled.... and rocked.

Then, he said, "Well, I could probably be your substitute when you have to be gone, ya know."

I smiled and said, "You are definitely a good enough reader, however, you would probably have to go to school to be a teacher first." :)

He smiled the biggest smile I have seen on his face in the year I have known him... and then, quietly, for just a few more moments, he rocked.
And when he he got up to leave, he said, "I'll be back, Miss B."

I simply smiled and replied, "Glad to hear it."

My goal is to have a reading room that kids want to spend time in. So far, I am off to a good start, and I feel good about it!

:) j.

Road Trip Read Aloud: Book 8 of 10!

2011-08-22T11:38:00.003-05:00

I read the first Sisters Grimm book last summer. You can read about it HERE. I never got around to reading any more in the series. However, I found the series, "The Sister 8" last spring, and so I wanted to read a couple of each series to compare and determine which books to recommend for which of my students in the upcoming year.

Anyway, I downloaded the second book in the Sisters Grimm series onto my Nook prior to the road trip last month, in the hopes that I would have some time to read while mom was driving. However, after working on all of the baseball pictures, we arrived in Seattle and I had yet to take my Nook out of my bag. And, of course, there was too much running around to be done to take time out to read while I was actually IN Seattle. SO... that left the trip home. I took out my Nook and began reading, and then realized, I had a perfect audience, duh! A third grader and a fifth grader sitting right there in the back seat would be able to tell me what age the book would be appropriate for... right?! :)

So, I began it as a read-aloud. Both my niece and my nephew seemed to engage with Sabrina and Daphne Grimm. They enjoyed Granny Relda as well. The twists and turns of the story captivated them, and at the end of each chapter, we had some great conversations about the whys and what-ifs of this book. However, one downfall to this series is that the chapters are extremely long. So, not ideal for struggling readers. And, somewhat difficult for a read aloud (I learned that we were quite lucky to be stuck in a car with nothing else to do...) :)

I didn't get through the whole book with my niece and nephew, and I struggled my way through the last few chapters on my own. This book definitely wasn't as gripping as I remember the first one in the series to be. The length of the chapters made it almost stressful to pick up because each time, I knew how long I was going to be "stuck" to it before I would come to a good stopping point. That isn't really the way I want to feel (or want my students to feel) about books.

There were fewer sneaky references to the fairy tale characters in this one, and more overt references. I still think this would be a good series to read aloud while introducing students to the classic fairy tales. In this one, the Pied Piper was introduced, as well as Rumpelstiltskin, the Frog Prince, Miss Muffet, and Snow White.

In my opinion, this series is best suited for grades 4-7...

:) j.

My Roommate is Amazing Me Today!

2011-08-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to BE the guest poster for the first time today... my roommate Molly started the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure for Breast Cancer today, and I had the honor of taking her to the opening ceremonies. What an amazing experience! I will post more about it, with lots of pictures, later. But, for now, jump over to Molly's Blog and check out the start to her morning! :) j.

SEVEN! Woot! Woot! :)

2011-08-16T18:21:00.002-05:00

I will start with my confession: Yes, I listened to this book on CD in the car over the course of the 4400 miles I just finished perusing. :) And, another confession? I wish I could have been actually reading the actual book. It was a bit harder to keep track of and be gripped by when I had a couple of days here and there where I couldn't listen... I think I would have loved the book even MORE had I had the pages in my hands.

That being said, once again, Jodi Picoult has impressed me with her development of plot, character, emotion, and reality. I feel like I always learn when I read her work. I know that she does extensive research, to the extent that she lives amongst the culture that she is writing about. This time, the Amish. I respect her, and trust her, for that.

I first fell in love with Picoult when I read My Sister's Keeper, and then I was floored by her skills in Nineteen Minutes (which I wasn't sure I was going to even make it through, given it was so quickly after I had lived through a college shooting, and started teaching in a classroom in which I had a parent flash a gun at me at the parent-teacher conference)... Because I connected so intensely with the characters in each of these pieces of work, I couldn't put them down, I nearly cried when they ended, and I have never forgotten them. Plain Truth fits the Picoult mold in that regard.

When Katie, an Amish teenager, goes on trial for murdering her newborn baby that nobody knew she was even pregnant with, Ellie Hathaway takes on her case in her defense. The case was good, I was curious and in suspense about what really happened to that sweet baby. However, when Ellie has to live with Katie on the Amish farm, it was the inside look at the way of the Amish that gripped me at my core. It made me envious of "living plain". It made me envious of the level of faith and the understanding of forgiveness that are a way of life in Amish culture.

The other exquisite element of the book was three different perspectives of motherly love. There are three mothers in this book, and each has a different experience as a mother. Each has a different perspective of motherhood. And yet, each seems to grasp at the deepest level, putting daughter first and doing anything to keep a child safe.... to love unconditionally.

I feel as though I am being vague, but I also feel that this book would be easy to give away, if too much detail is given. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, because I recommend you all read it!

Have you read it? If so, I would love to hear what you thought of it! If you haven't, I say, get on it!

:) j.

PS - as far as the countdown: I am partially done with book 8. I have started what might end up being book 9. However, any recommendations on a MUST read before school starts? I have about 2 weeks until my schedule will be back to crazy, so it can't be anything outrageously long, but I would LOVE to hear what YOUR favorite summer read has been this year! :)

First Guest Poster EVER: Gracie Rae

2011-08-03T11:47:00.005-05:00

I am on the go, so I have asked my niece, Gracie, to stand in for me today. I asked her to write a bit about our drive from ND to WA, as well as our first day in Seattle visiting the waterfront, feeding seagulls, and checking out Pike Place Market. Thanks, Gracie, for keeping us updated! (I will add pictures at some point, too!)

hi my name is Gracie. the drive from ND to WA it was so much time in the car.Win we got to Seattle. we feed the seagulls and we ate clam chowder. but the seagulls wood try to eat our food.

next we went to Pike Place Market.we saw people throwing fish. they had all kinds of fish .

on are way to walk the beach.

Hiccups and Heartbeats

2011-08-02T11:12:00.002-05:00

My stomach was growing uneasy as I registered that it was "deer time" - almost dusk, beautiful pink and blue sky, and calm. However, with the winding roads, forested tree-filled mountais, and a bug-covered windshield, the beauty of it all was mildly overtaken by greater awareness for the potential of road-invaders. I said a quick prayer, "Dear God - please keep us safe as we get the last leg of today's drive over with. Amen."

In my family, hitting deer while driving is like a personality trait. It is in our blood... something that all of us, except for one, have experienced. I am not that lucky one. Therefore, I am more aware, more nervous, and hopefully, more prepared (but also more paranoid).

As we sit here arguing where we were - was it the very western edge of Montana? Or had we already crossed the boarder and made it in to Idaho? Nobody knows, and really, at this point, nobody cares... but, as we cruised along, at speed limit (which happens to be 75), I was in the left-hand lane, where I feel more comfortable taking the S-shaped curves of the mountains. We weren't fully in the mountains yet, but in a slight reprieve (which is why I was driving the speed limit). I looked in my rear-view mirror and saw a semi-truck barreling up behind us. I knew I would have to change lanes, but would be safe to make it around one more curve in my preferred lane.

The kids were lost in their entertainment - drawing and DSing. Gramma had just put her head back in an attempt at a slight nap. After the split second glance in the rear-view mirror, my eyes shifted back to the road and that's when I saw it. Not one, not two, but THREE beautiful, large, scary deer. A buck (that the boys in my family would have loved) and two doe. In a matter of a hair of a second, my entire leg was fully locked and stiffened on the brake. My elbows were fully extended and locked on the steering wheel. My gasp bolted into my lungs and froze. I swerved to the left, extremely aware of the guard rail that was less than three feet away to begin with. I was aware of the semi-truck that was still barreling down the decline behind me, wondering if he saw the chaos that was unfolding in front of him. I was aware of the three animals that seemed to think standing in the middle of the lane was appropriate.

At the last split second, the deer decided to bolt -- Gramma is quite sure they were within two inches of her passenger headlight. I was quite sure the guardrail was within three inches of me, and I was also quite sure that the semi would be within three inches of my rear-end within a few more seconds. SO - I hit the gas and changed lanes... not the kind of hit-the-gas where you are doing 0-60 in seconds. More like the granny kind of hitting the gas - I think I got to 40 mph.

The conversation that ensued once my hearing returned?

Jer: That gave me the hiccups! Thanks a LOT!
Gracie: And my heart is beating FAST!
Me: Well - at least we all still have heartbeats.
Jer: Yeah - YOU are lucky that we all still have heartbeats, because if we didn't and you did, you wouldn't have one for much longer when my DAD found out!

Gee... thanks. Gotta love the mind of 10-year-olds. :)

Anyway - safe and sound are we... And once again, God not only moved me to pray, but He answered the prayer He put on my heart. I am blessed.

And today? Back on the road for the last five hours today, and already making plans for the return trip to avoid driving after dark...

:) j.

NUMERO SEIS!

2011-07-29T12:33:00.003-05:00

I had plenty of time to read yesterday, in the car, and this morning, while sitting at the hotel by myself while dad went golfing. So - thoughtfully, I picked a short book yesterday, and finished it this morning! I'm on a roll!
I am not much for smutty novels, and I apologize, Janet Evanovich, if that is not how you would categorize this piece of work. However, every now and then I do read one and get hooked on the suspense, usually of the mystery at it's core. And, of course, in order to get to the end of that, one must skim through all of the smut as well.

This one, by title even, was quite predictable. She lives downstairs, he lives up. They know every detail about one another because the walls are paper thin. Based on that fact alone, she hates him, he is sure she is prude. Then, they meet, and fall madly in love. Basically.

In the process, they uncover some fraud by a senator, dodge a few bullets, escape from a pitbull, and do some undercover work together.

That about sums it up. It was a quick, painless, mindless, enjoyable read. Will I read it again? No need. Do I regret reading it? Not really... I mean... I did get to spend the morning in the sun, next to a lake. That makes any reading worthwhile.

:) j.

He Wrote Back! TWICE!

2011-07-28T09:16:00.003-05:00

Last week, I finished a book called, "How Fargo Of You" and posted about it HERE. When I finished posting, I followed the request of the author and sent an email to him sharing the link to the post, so he could read my thoughts on the book. Well... HE WROTE BACK! I was so excited yesterday when I got the email... I think the biggest reason might be because it is a testament that what he wrote was genuine! Seriously... he could have totally blown it off... however, I believe, that his response truly shows that Fargo has gotten under his skin. Not that he couldn't have been a appreciative person before, or detailed, or polite, or anything else. Obviously, I wouldn't know. However, his response made my day....

Dear Jen,

Man, does my book cover look great on your blog!

How Fargo of You! Loved what you wrote.

And thanks so much for your wonderful email!

Sorry I took so long to respond -- How unFargo of me! It's been a wild summer!

What part of Minneapolis are you in? I've heard that the Eden Prairie region to the southwest can be pretty Fargo.

Right now I'm getting ready to spend most of the fall in the Cities area promoting How Fargo of You. It's a big undertaking -- the Cities area is seven times the population of all of North Dakota -- you have 22 Barnes & Noble stores within about a ten mile radius of Minneapolis!

For this PR and distribution push I have a Third Edition coming out -- same as the second edition minus some typographical errors and plus a whole new Preface written mainly for people who've never known Fargo.

I believe, like you, that our example could do the rest of the country a lot of good.

As my plans firm up I'll keep in touch, Jen. Write me back at XXXXXXXXXX, which is the email address I use for daily correspondence.

Thanks again for writing, and the fantastic blog! You are VERY Fargo!

Marc

Seriously! Being VERY Fargo might be one of the greatest compliments I have ever received! And THEN, he wrote AGAIN! This time, he wrote to other people ABOUT my post, and cc'd me! How cool is that?! Take a look:

To all my most Fargo friends...

Here's a GREAT blog written from Minneapolis just last week...

http://jenbaum-laughoftenlovemuch.blogspot.com/2011/07/3-down-still-long-ways-to-go.html

Looks like there are a lot of latent Fargoans in the Cities just waiting...

I love everything about this post. Clearly Jen knows Fargo...

But for those of you helping me get the book into Minneapolis this fall, I want you to check out her last line first!

Marc

PS Also for those of you helping me get the book into Minneapolis... How Fargo of You!

PSPS I don't know Jen. Just learned about this blog when I checked my How Fargo email this morning and read her note to me about it.

I love when my blog has a positive impact on someone else's day! Even better? When the positive impact was returned to me.... and so, I will continue blogging (and of course, continue love being a girl from just outside of Fargo).

Thanks, Marc!

~ j.

Living a Life of Thanks... In Order to Be Blessed with a Joyful Life.

2011-07-26T23:25:00.003-05:00

So, I got all excited that I finished BOOK FIVE, which I have been slowly, and carefully, working on all summer.

Then, I looked at my introductory post for this book and realized I counted it as NUMBER 1 before I even finished, which means it CAN'T be Book Five! To read my introductory thoughts on the book, click HERE.

And, just NOW as I went back to get the link, I found that I actually recorded TWO books as book one of ten, so this actually IS number FIVE! Woo Hoo! :) Now that we have all of the minor details out of the way, let me share a piece of this book with you.

The book: one thousand gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
The author: Ann Voskamp

I could, and probably should have, written a post for each chapter. However, this book was one that just felt more right to keep to myself. There was a LOT to think about with this one. And, with each chapter, I watched the video book talk, HERE, and had even more to think about. However, I do have a FAVORITE chapter in this book... Chapter 9. It is all sorts of underlined, starred, noted, and loved. And, to be honest, timing had a lot to do with it.

I read this after a week of weather in the 100s, thanks to the humidity. I learned that a lot of Minnesotans don't have much appreciation for that weather, and that's fine with me. However, what I found that I don't love, and not that I found, but I guess it was more of a confirmation of something I already knew, is that whining and complaining drive me batty. They are selfish, ungrateful, painful methods of expression... in my opinion. I finally stated my opinion to a group of friends, as they complained about the weather. I believe my words were something like, "Seriously! We really have NOTHING to be complaining about. Actually, we are quite blessed to have air condition in our homes, our workplaces, our cars, every store we go in to. We are blessed that we are living through a FEW DAYS of this weather, not that it is our EVERY day climate. We are blessed that we are healthy and can survive it. Seriously... we have NOTHING to complain about." Something like that... I just couldn't handle it, and if you were there, and you are reading this, I wasn't meaning to be unkind, but I was feeling that from the heart, for sure.

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, I would hope that you have seen growth in the area of having a thankful heart. In the past few years, this has become something I have really striven for, and it is a daily choice that I make. Do I fail sometimes? Of course, but I do try REALLY hard. I think that Chapter 9 hit home because it reinforced that this is a life-goal I have and I am very passionate about, and it is one that has changed my life, and continues to do so regularly.

One of the kick-off questions for the chapter was, "How to live in a state of awe when life is mundane and ordinary?" This coming after examining how to live thankfully in times of crisis, trauma, and/or heartache.

I can't express the power behind living with eyes wide open to seek the goodness of God's gifts and his grace in life - in the big, the bad, the good, the ugly, the mundane, the minute - whatever it is.... what's the gift in it?

Some of my favorite excerpts:

After sitting in an emergency room full of hurting people, "I was a woman who saw what her life could well have been, a woman who didn't live by a deathbed or in a refugee camp or a war zone or the rubble of an earthquake. I laughed at the surprise of dishes in my sink and the wild surprise of turning on the stove to boil water and I swished toilet and I was healthy and I got to be here and do this!" (pg. 168) (Oh how often I find myself thinking about how lucky I am because life could be SO much worse! Or, noticing the things I take for granted and trying to be more appreciative of them, which is often one of those - NOTICE; APPRECIATE; FORGET; BE REMINDED: REPEAT kind of deals.)

"In that place of humble thanks, God exalts and gives more gifts and more of Himself, which humbles and lays the soul down lower. And good God responds with greater gifts of grace and even more of Himself...He must increase and I must decrease - not because that is burden but so that my joy might increase with more of Him!" (pg 172) (I love this, and I have seen it hold true in my own life. However, one of my philosophical questions then becomes, "Is it that I am being given MORE gifts when I am in a place of humble thanks? Or, is it that I am just MORE AWARE of the billions of gifts I already have been given?)

"While I may not always feel joy, God asks me to give thanks in all things, because He knows that the feeling of joy begins in the action of thanksgiving... Joy is God and God is joy and joy doesn't negate all other emotions - joy transcends all other emotions." (pg 176) (This has definitely been the HARDEST life-skill for me to develop, and I am definitely not good at it yet. But, I can say that I have suffered lots of unexplained death in my life, and the WHY never gets answered. However, when I turn my focus to celebrating the moments, the blessings, that come from those relationships - that did and still do bless my life - the WHY doesn't seem nearly as urgent to know, the peace slowly washes over me, and the comfort envelopes me. It is an amazingly cool blessing, which one might think would make it easier to have as a constant in life, but for some reason, it is a decision I have to make often.)

"Only self can kill joy... Pride slays thanksgiving... A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves. Dare I ask what I think I deserve? A life of material comfort? A life free of all trials, all hardship, all suffering? A life with no discomfort, no inconveniences? Are there times that a sense of entitlement - expectations - is what inflates self, detonates anger, offends God, extinguishes joy? Thankfully, God never gives what is deserved, but instead, God graciously, passionately offers gifts, our bodies, our time, our very lives." (pg 177-178) (Sometimes, in my own life, I can equate this to self-pity. Man when I am feeling sorry for myself, there is NO joy in sight! I also see this in others sometimes, and it makes my heart ache for them. I wonder, do they KNOW they can CHOOSE to see things differently? Do they know they can CHOOSE to record the blessings rather than dwell on the disappointments, the struggles, the burdens? Is there a way I can ask for help with this? Is there a way I can help others with this?)

"This is the way a body and a mouth say thank you, Thy will be done." (pg. 180) (A beautiful image, isn't it? A beautiful reminder. A simple sentence. A daily challenge. I wish it were as simple to live out as this sentence, and yet, I am so thankful for the grace that allows me to give my best attempt over and over and over again.)

And so, I am left with a debate within myself... start putting my one thousand gifts more consistently on my blog? Or continue to allow them to land where they fall - on a random sticky note, in an old journal, in the margins of my Bible, in a random note of encouragement and love to a friend or family member, occasionally on my blog... Luckily, I don't feel the need to count, as I think this practice is one that I am consistently engaged with. However, maybe I should make a point to re-read this post on a more regular basis to be reminded of the growth, the joy, the blessings, and the gifts that come along with living eyes wide open for gifts.... hmmm.... maybe that will lead me to a place where the joy can spread. THAT would be AWESOME.

:) j.

FOUR!

2011-07-22T10:08:00.002-05:00

I am sure EVERYONE else has already read this one, but I hadn't. It has been on my list for a long while, and I finally got to it. Although, I feel a bit guilty because I struggle with Books on CD REALLY being the same as Reading A Book, for me. However, it took just the same amount of time and commitment. I did feel a longing to have the book in my hand, though, except when I was listening and driving. :) All-in-all, I have to believe books on tape are fair game, as long as they are balanced out with books in hand as well (unless, of course, there is reason for the inability to read with a book in hand, which is a whole different story).

OK - So, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Wow. What a host of moral dilemmas in this book! This is one of those kinds of books where I have a love/hate relationship with most of the adult characters. I spent timing screaming at them (in my head) for the stupid, hurtful choices the made, and then feeling an ache of understanding in my heart for them as I realized that I could completely understand how they came to those same decisions. I felt the haunting of lies that came out of innocence, and the thought of doing what was best in a single moment, and the anger that made me wonder how one person could ever know what is best for another. My heart broke for the distance that was created, not from lies, but from pain, fear, and all of the feelings that we can so often get caught up in and bottle up inside because our pride won't allow the necessary vulnerability to live through pain and move toward healing.

I think because it was on CD, I didn't find it to be overly gripping until the last third of the book or so. Had I been reading it on paper pages, I probably would have had a harder time putting it down earlier. I definitely recommend it, if there is anyone out there who hasn't read it. :) If you HAVE read it, I would LOVE to read your thoughts and opinions of it! And, as always, any other recommendations based on an understanding of this one being a worthwhile read???

:) j.

3 Down.... still a long ways to go!

2011-07-20T22:12:00.003-05:00

de Celle warmed my heart, brought tears to my eyes, made me LOL, and provided me the opportunity to make more connections than I ever have in any other text in my entire life. Seriously... I don't even think I am exaggerating!

I think this might be my favorite excerpt from the book:

"Because my five years here have taught me it isn't about being married to some way of thinking or some belief system. It's about taking care of each other without thinking too much. It's about paying a lot more attention to caring behavior than to other things, all of which, I've concluded from living here, are mere trifles by comparison."

Having grown up on the outskirts of Fargo, and in the heart of Fargo culture, this book couldn't better describe the life that I know and love as my first true home; the place where the core of who I am was developed. The place where it was impressed upon my heart, not solely by my family, but by every person and experience I was blessed with, that relationships are at the core of who I am. Not money, not things money can buy, not a whole lot of things that seem bright and shiny on the outside, but PEOPLE, people that I love, even people that I don't love, but PEOPLE, are at the core of why I exist.

When I moved to Seattle, I think the biggest culture shock was not the constant fore-warnings of potential gangs, or drugs, or rapists, or sidewalk peddlers. Actually, it was the shock of learning that not EVERYBODY lives in a "More the Merrier" world. It was a bit shocking to hear horns honking within a split second of a red light turning green, if a driver didn't hear tires peeling... seriously!!?? what's the point of all that raucous?!?! If you are in THAT big of a hurry, you should have left home earlier!

When I decided to move back near my REAL home, I looked forward to knowing my neighbors, not being afraid to ask them for a cup of sugar, or a shovel every now and then. I looked forward to back-yard-bbq's, impromptu, with neighbors, rather than always having to plan every detail and send out invites.

However, my next culture shock came when I moved to Minneapolis and found that it isn't Fargo. :( I don't know my neighbors... actually, my neighbor wouldn't even look at me when he was on his ladder and I was moving boxes in and out. I waited patiently for him to so much as glance my way so I could say the first Hello. He had no interest, and actually, I am pretty sure he was DETERMINED to ensure that I knew he had no desire to meet me whatsoever. And, actually, I haven't met a single neighbor on the block yet... 4 weeks in.

The first piece of advice I received when I moved to Minneapolis came from a principal I was working with. In summary, she said, "Yeah - have you heard of Minnesota Nice? It doesn't exist. I have lived here, from Montana, for 12 years, and to this day, I will tell you, there is nothing here but Minnesota Ice. Don't waste your time looking for the Nice." Ouch. Boo.

In the three years (as of this week, by the way!) that I have lived in Minneapolis, I have found that to be true more often than I would like to admit. I have REALLY had to WORK HARD to find good people to be around... Seattle was SO much EASIER! When I left Seattle, I SWORE I would NEVER go back near Fargo - too small. However, reading this book reminded me of all of the things I would have, I did have, I miss.... about living in FARGO.

(Please be assured - I know good people exist everywhere, and good things happen everywhere. And I have met LOTS of good people in my Seattle life, AND my Minneapolis life, but in Fargo, even the strangers on the streets feel like friends, or at the very least, acquaintances... people I could count on... people that would do good things for me... just because. And maybe it is because it is what I grew up knowing, but seriously, I feel like if more of the world was just a LITTLE bit more like this, man would we be living a different existence.)

In closing, here is a little example of the Fargo in me... and a couple of little girls at the mall. Last week, I went to see a movie, and afterward, as I was sitting down in the food court with a sandwich and a friend, my wallet tipped and all of my change went flying. Surprisingly, the woman at the next table told her daughters to help me pick it up. I was happily shocked at that, as I think stranger-danger has taken over, and even I, a school-teacher, am eyed as a risk. So - I saw a little bit of Fargo in their cute little quickness to help out an "old lady". :) That made my day, so in turn, I decided to happily make theirs when they handed me the change and I said, "You keep that. Thank you SO much for helping me, it was so nice of you that I want you to keep that and remember how good it feels to help others." (Doing something Fargo doesn't usually come with an explanation, but I was concerned that without one, I would be questioned, given that I am outside of Fargo territory. I did feel a bit of a need to protect myself against any potential questioning.) :)

Now - there is a slight downfall to my story in that the two sisters ended up in a heated argument over whether or not they should each get the money they collected, or if they should split it evenly between the two of them. Obviously, the girl on my side of the table had a head start, and she was very well pleased with that. The other girl? Not-so-pleased with her lack of coins. However, their mom had stepped away to get napkins, and in the end, I was quite impressed with the way the girls solved their own little dilemma... they split it evenly by number of coins. I am not sure if they realized that the sister who actually collected the least, ended up with the highest value of coins. Aren't kids GREAT?!?!

All this to say, I think I might have found THE Christmas gift for 2011.
:) j.

take me out to the ball gameS!

2011-07-18T19:28:00.015-05:00

It's that time of year, again.... BASEBALL SEASON! I have made two trips home to ND, and have gotten to watch all of my favorite ballers! There were some new additions this year:

Mommy started coaching, and she rocks it!
Because Mommy is coaching, Jay gets a bit of between-the-game batting practice this year, and he LOVES it! And... he's really quite a little hitter already!

Gracie Rae is quite a little player, too! She still has her moments of kickin' around the dirt in the outfield, but her batting was quite impressive, for sure!

Jer has come a long way this, in my opinion. He has worked hard to improve his hitting, and I think it is paying off. I saw a few great hits outta this kiddo, and I can't wait to see them fly farther and farther!

John's hitting blows my mind! I don't know what his home run count is at this point, but I am impressed every time I get a text telling me he has hit another one. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to see one for myself... yet. I am keeping my fingers crossed, though! I have seen some pretty great hits, though, and every time, I hold my breath from the time he walks up to the plate until he is safely on base. I can't help it!

Now... do you see any similarities in their batting form???

:) j.

Beautiful Belly!

2011-07-17T21:48:00.004-05:00

I was completely blessed when Mariah and Evan agreed to let me take some maternity pictures for them! Evan, as some of you may have read about before, was my personal trainer for the past few years. Now, however, with a baby very nearly approaching, he has moved on to a career in Financial Services. (I still trust this guy with my life, so if you are in the area and are up for an overview of your financial situation, in need of life insurance or any kind of retirement prep, he's your guy!)

Mariah and Evan were SO patient with me, and I feel like I really got to try out some things that I have only gotten to think about previously. On top of that, Mariah has the most BEAUTIFUL belly I have ever seen! Not a mark on it. Just absolutely perfect! Take a look:

Thank you, Mariah and Evan, for letting me share in your pregnancy journey! Good luck with the arrival of the little miss! :)

~ j.

2 Down 8 To Go!

2011-07-05T15:51:00.002-05:00

I finished my second book of the summer... I have several books started, so hopefully the finishing process will quicken up pretty soon! :0)
I was given this book from a former teaching partner and told, "Oh my gosh! You HAVE to read it!" We were teaching 4th grade at the time, and my partner said her kids were enamored by the book.

In this book, Turner is a pastor's son in a small town during times when the pastor's life was completely driven by the congregation he led. It was also a time when inter-racial communication was forbidden. Turner, when meeting Lizzie, challenged all of these precedents. Not only did he befriend her, but he looked out for her, and even genuinely cared for her. His efforts to do the RIGHT thing, slowly won-over his father, albeit with grave consequences.

I don't want to give away any more of the book, but there are so many themes, and underlying conversations just waiting to be had in this one. Have you read it? Did you, or have you, or would you read it with your students? What grade level would you use this book for?

What else are you reading this summer???

:) j.

2011-07-03T23:57:00.004-05:00

I love the Fourth of July for so many reasons....
I am thankful for the freedoms that I have as an American....
for the blessed life that I live.
I am appreciative of the veterans that fought to make these freedoms our reality...
and the troops that continue to do so every day.
As I sit in a state with a government that has shut down, I wondered tonight on my drive home from the fireworks show...
"What if our troops just shut down? What if they decided to stop and go home to their families? Their loved ones?"
I am glad that they don't, but I don't think I have what it takes to make the decisions that they make every day.
Thank you, to all of the military people in MY life, and to the rest that indirectly provide for me daily!
I spent last night with great friends, watching these amazing fireworks...
I am pretty sure that fireworks are my FAVORITE part of the Fourth of July....
Yes...
Yes they are. :) Isn't this one PERFECT for me?! :)
What a beautiful evening...
What a beautiful tribute.
(And I just had to include the picture above and below - they are taken of the reflection of the fireworks in the office building across the street from where the fireworks were being lit. Cool, huh?)
Happy Fourth of July to ALL!
Enjoy the day.... and of course, BE SAFE! :)

1 Down 9 To Go!

2011-06-24T20:55:00.002-05:00

Not the book you were expecting, eh??? Don't worry, I am still working my way through "one thousand gifts", too. The difference? For every chapter of OTG, I watch a video book club, which takes about 10-13 minutes. I also have SO much to think about with every sentence in that book, that I KNEW I needed to be reading something else at the same time if I am really going to get through ten books in the next eight weeks!

In all honesty, I was a couple of chapters in to this one... from spring break. Seriously. I NEED to get better at reading for fun during the school year. I really DO enjoy it when I get into it.

This book was a very entertaining read. I have seen Jeff Dunham live before... you can read about that experience HERE. I am trying to decide if that influences my opinion of the book. I mean, since I like him, did that make it easier for me to like his book?

I tend to like autobiographies, too. That was probably another leg up for him in this one. I find other peoples' lives fascinating. I am not sure if it has more to do with me being nosy, or me being a Sociologist. Either way, at the very least, I really appreciate learning about other peoples' lives from themselves, more than from others. I think that is a result of growing up in a small-gossipy town.

All-in-all, this book kept me entertained. It was not only interesting to read about how each character was developed, but what the road to success looked like for a ventriloquist. It is a life I had never considered before this. It was also a great thing to read about a man who lives a life of laughter, but is real about both the joys and trials. This might be the single girl in me talking, but there is something to be said for a man who is confident in his vulnerable and emotional side. And that is something that Jeff Dunham portrayed quite well.

If you are curious about other peoples' lives, and looking for a simple, summer read. This one might be worth checking out.

:) j.

Breath of Fresh Air...

2011-06-21T14:51:00.002-05:00

There really are very few ways that I would say "perfectly" end a week full of busy-ness and work. However, any time I get to spend with dear ones, especially these days, when that time seems too rare, thanks to a 7-day work week, three weeks out of the month, is time that I don't take for granted. On Sunday, after work, I made a quick trip out to Wisconsin to visit the B family. They are one of my favorite families to spend time with when I can't spend time with my own family. Daddy B grilled a yummy supper (even though it was Father's Day!) Mommy B is always fun to keep company with - full of laughs and good conversation, for sure. And, Little E and B have stolen a part of my heart just like my own biological niece and nephews have! And, they let me read to them, which we all know, melts my heart! :)

Thanks for letting me come for a visit, B Family! I love you to pieces!!!

:) j.

My Favorite Anniversary of All...

2011-06-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Anniversary to my parents...
The ones who have endured....
The ones who have modeled making it last....

The ones who started all of this... Which I love more than any words could ever do justice!

Thank you, Mom and Dad... We are blessed by your marriage. I pray for many more blessed years together to celebrate the love you have grown.

:) j.

Perfect Timing...

2011-06-14T20:58:00.007-05:00

A few days ago... I started reading one thousand gifts, by Ann Voskamp.
(picture taking at 9:00 at night with NO flash, because my camera can...)

Yesterday, I bought my new camera and snapped my first few pictures. None that I would want analyzed, or am uber proud of or anything, but I did feel the need to document my FIRST pictures from my FIRST "real" camera... :) (plants... living plants... in my home... breathing... reminding me to breathe.)

Today, I read, "The lens is my ink,(summer... lush... brilliant... summer)

for cameras have sensor eyes, and pixels record."(rest... peaceful time for rest and relaxation)

This, as Voskamp discussed how some days, her camera records her thanks, bringing her joys...(a home... warm, cozy, safe, comfy... home)

Recording her praise.

May my days of recording my eucharisteo (thanks) with my camera be many!

:) j.

Landmark Moment!

2011-06-13T21:57:00.000-05:00

I bought my FIRST DSLR camera TODAY!

YIPPEE!!!!

WAHOO!!!

I am SOOOOO EXCITED! I already spent a bit of time outside (after the Bachelorette, of course - probably only because that is how long it took the battery to charge, but it could be a toss up!)

Anyway... I KNEW I was going to buy one for the summer, and I knew I deserved to do something for myself - other than eat, drink, or buy shoes - after the year that I have had. Working 7 days/week is paying off, and I decided to pay myself back. It feels good. Yay! So... now... if you are up for... MODELS WANTED! I have a LOT of practicing to do! :)

~ j.

Book 1 of 10.

2011-06-09T21:44:00.003-05:00

I set up a challenge for my students. I am already starting to think, "WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!"

I challenged each of them to read TEN books this summer. For some, that may seem too few. However, for most, that seems like too many. For me, it has always seemed like too few, but proven to be too many.

The thing is, as a teacher who tries to be a realist, I really do try to set expectations that are fair and real-world. So, in order to do that, I have to be able to commit to what I expect of my students. Therefore, I have to commit to taking on the challenge that I am hoping they take on. (Secretly, maybe a little part of me is hoping that not all 73 of my students take on the challenge, because that would make for a VERY expensive pizza party in the fall... but, God-willing, all 73 will succeed, and God-willing, the funds for a massive amount of pizza will appear!)...

And, so it begins with Book 1:
Technically, I am 4 months late in getting to this book. I purchased it in January to start with an on-line book club in February. They have been done for months, but, lucky for me, the videos are all still posted and I can go and watch them as I read. Tonight, I watched the trailer and the intro, read Chapter 1 and watched the video for it.

UH-MAZING.

Actually, quite a good example of Divine Intervention. As I sat on my bed tonight, in what could have easily turned in to a pointless pity party about how I finished one more year of teaching, and still fall in to the "single, childless teacher" category, something tugged at my heartstrings to read. As I thought about what to read, I remembered that thrown in to the back of my car (not sure why...) was this book. The book that I been holding on to, but hadn't opened yet. The book that, tonight, was meant to be opened. This book, is the book from where I can memorize this reminder,

"There's a reason I am not writing the story (of life) and God is. He knows how it all works out, where it all leads, what it all means." (pg. 21)

And, hopefully, so many more!

If you have read it, I would love your thoughts as I read through the chapters. I don't know that I will post for every chapter, but I have a feeling there will be many post-worthy opportunities as I read. If you haven't read it, and want to join me, I would love the company!

Here is the link to the trailer: http://www.incourage.me/2011/01/come-take-the-dare-to-live-fully.html

Whether you want to read the book or not, the trailer is worth watching and pondering all by itself.

Many blessings...
~ j.

Mi Familia...

2011-06-05T18:39:00.004-05:00

Here is a little snippet into the photo session that my family partook in when they were here a couple of weeks ago. This was done at the studio I am working at, by one of my favorite photographers, Amanda. She did an AWESOME job! :) We had a great time, and have some GREAT images to prove it!!! The images are a bit blurry, as the size isn't right. But, hopefully you get the idea of what they style of photography is! :) j.

Welcome, Baby P!

2011-06-05T00:29:00.003-05:00

Friday, June 3, at approximately noon, my time, I received a text from my Seattle roommate, Amy's husband. It said, "Just wanted you to know, we are at the hospital. We have been here since 2AM. Amy just got out of the shower."

I thought to myself, "That's weird.... but exciting!" I responded with some exclamations and I think I said something like, "Keep me posted!" or "I can't wait to hear the updates!" something to that effect.

11:00 PM, I get a text from our other roommate, Shannon, that said, "Have you heard anything yet? Should we be worried or just keep waiting?"

11:01 PM, I sent Amy's hubby a text, "Is everything going OK still?"

11:15 PM, Ryan responds, "Everything is going fine, she is just about ready to push."

11:20 PM, I call Shannon and report. Shannon says, "So if we haven't heard anything by morning, we should be worried, but thus far, all is well." I agree, we hang up, I go to sleep.

This morning (SATURDAY, JUNE 4th, 2011), my alarm goes off at 7:00 and I grab my phone... nothing.... still not a word about the arrival of a new little nephew in my life... my heart beats a little incessantly, and I get a wee little tummy ache. I have a minor panic attack while trying to decide what to do. "It is 5 AM in Seattle..." I think to myself, "If they had him, they might all be sleeping; if something is wrong, they might not be ready to talk!" Ugh... I go to the gym.

When I leave the gym, I can't handle is ANY LONGER. I send Ryan a text, "Is everything still OK?"

Not soon enough for this lady who lacks patience, I get a response:

"New Peterson baby! Born June 3 @ 10:53pm, 7.7lbs, 20.5". Name: TBD. Both mom and son healthy, everyone tired."Isn't he perfect? I did go to work today, so instantly I sent my love and congratulations, and tonight after work, I called to find out what my newest little man's name is.... Welcome to the world, Mr. Cody Alan P! What a great strong name, right?!?! And isn't he so handsome? Amy told me he has a whole lotta hair under that cap, too! She also said there have been many-a-picture taken already! YIPPEE! :)

Amy sounded AMAZING on the phone... she said things like, "Labor really wasn't that bad" and followed that with, "I did tell my doctor at one point that she was trying to kill me" and then, "It is amazing that all of a sudden, I am not tired any more!" I am not positive, but I am wondering if she was still under the influence of some drug or another while we were talking! haha...

Well, Congratulations to Amy and Ryan on the arrival of their first-born son. He is one lucky little boy, and I can't wait to meet him, as well as hug his parents, who are two of the dearest people on the planet! Best wishes for an exciting and blessed journey into parenthood, my friends!

hugs...
~ j.

New Roommates!

2011-06-02T18:01:00.003-05:00

Meet Molly (on the left) and Colleen (in the center, duh)...

They will be my new roommates, as of the end of June.

Currently, I am staying with a friend, Lesley, and sadly, I just realized I don't have a picture of us... I have a new mission...

I know Molly from church, and Colleen from work. I am REALLY excited to live with them! (However, sad to be leaving Lesley - she's great, I LOVE her place, and I would love to NOT move AGAIN. And, I wish I would have known all of that a couple of months ago. Oh well, I am sure there are good things in store!)

Anyway... really, here is what I know about the girls... their birthdays are a day apart... in August (the 13th and 14th, I believe.... or is it the 14th and 15th??? I'll get on that, too.) Molly works in insurance, and Colleen is going back to school to get her teaching license. They are both aunties, like me, only Colleen JUST became an auntie to baby boy TWINS! I can't wait to have them over! :) Colleen and Molly are both funny, funny girls, and extremely sweet. I am quite excited to get to know each of them better! Yippee!

When the move occurs, my new address will be headed your way.... well... that is, if you are already on my "new address" email list....

:) j.

Twins vs. Mariners!

2011-06-02T17:14:00.006-05:00

My family came to town - all of them, including my sister from TX, and my aunt and uncle from UT (formerly from WA). We had a GREAT time at a Twins vs. Mariners game. It was a special night, as it was the first home game after Twins super hero, Harmon Killebrew, passed away. The pre-game ceremony was very well-done, as was the 7th-inning-stretch video collage.

I have watched and listened to a lot of the coverage since "Harm" died, and it has seriously made me wish I could have met him. Everyone goes on and on about what an amazing man he was. Sounds like someone that everyone should have the opportunity to meet!
Prior to the game, mom and 3/4 of the kids sat in this Golden Glove. The glove is in honor of all of the Golden Glove winners, and it is placed the approximate distance from home plate that Harmon Killebrew's furthest home run landed (520 feet).
Of course, the youngest peanut stayed awake for the whole four-hour car-ride to Minneapolis, and THEN he fell asleep on the way to the game. As an extra workout, I offered to carry him from the car to the game. :) Little did I realize how HOT it was outside!
It was SO fun to have everyone in MY city! Very fun! You can see... Jay was OUT COLD. Nothing was going to wake him....

I laid him down under the bleachers we were sitting on, and he didn't even flinch. (Remember how I said it was hot? Yep... it was hot. I had sweat marks through my shirt in the shape of Jay when I put him down.) :)
Mommy and Gracie went to get some autographs before the game. They weren't successful, but what a great picture, right!?My friend, Angie, who I usually go to games with, was also at the game with her daughter... She and Gracie hit it off right away and spent a good part of the game running for autographs, dancing, and comparing stories. :)
They are both pretty cute! Like father, like son! :)
It cracked me up, how once Jay woke up, he was obviously full of energy. So, we went for a walk. As I watched him walk through the crowds, I was laughing to myself, because you would have thought he owned the place. It didn't seem to bother him that there were thousands of people, nor the fact that he was so short, nobody even noticed him. He just kept on keepin' on... he was on a mission...
The mission took us to the VERY top of the stadium. He had his mind made up that we would go to the TOP. We got to the first row of the top deck, and that's where I drew the line and got this adorable picture. :)
John (17 - can you believe it??? He is going to be a SENIOR! Ugh.) and Amy...
The WHOLE family.... (back row: Amy, Gracie, Mom, Aunt Cynde, me, Uncle Byron... front row: Dad, John, Joel and Jay, Jerrin, and Erin)

I had a great time... I think we all did... and, just so everyone is reminded.... The M's did win, in overtime. :)

~ j.

Easter Re-Cap!

2011-06-02T16:36:00.007-05:00

I was blessed to spend Easter with one of my favorite families, since I couldn't spend the day with my own family. I got to spend the day with my newest god-daughter, to see her be baptized, on Easter. How perfect!

I drove out to the B home on Saturday evening after work. That meant I got to wake up to the sounds of a toddler on Easter morning. E was on the hunt for eggs...
Hmm.... Where might I find another egg????
Grandpa can help me! Look, E! Over there!!! Yay! Thanks, Grandpa! I'm on my way!
E found her basket.... AND a whole bunch of eggs (filled with candy, of course)! All the while, my beautiful god-daughter, Betty, watched very carefully!
E enjoyed every moment of opening her eggs. She didn't even eat the candy. She was just too excited to get them all cracked open!
After all of that hard hunting work, E and Grandpa snuggled and watched a bit of TV before getting ready for church.
When Kuncle (aka Uncle Karl) shows up, they are instantly the center of his world, and vice verse.
He plays with E for a bit, and then checks in with little B. And, he thinks he is pretty cool because he can get her to sleep.
I think she just happened to be WAY tired. ;)

After all of the resting is done, and everyone is dressed, we took a few pictures before we left for church.
The dresses that the girls were wearing, and the skirt that mommy was wearing, was made from fabric made by women that were escaping sex slavery, I believe. (Correct me if I am wrong, J!)
The service was great... baptism went very smoothly. I don't have any pictures of the service because I was standing up front.... but, after church, of course, we took a bunch of pictures!
The sponsors, the minister, and the B family...
Little B wore the gown that her mommy, and grandpa wore... it was BEAUTIFUL!
Mommy's parents with the B family...
Daddy's parents with the B family...
Mommy and her girls....
Just the B family.... (Of course, the only picture I DIDN'T get was a picture of little B and me, while she had her gown on. That happens when you spend so much time behind the camera.)
After lunch, back at the B residence, of course, there was an outdoor egg hunt for ALL of the visiting kiddos.
Mommy and I did sneak in a couple of seconds for a picture and a hug. Seriously... everyone should have a friend like this one! She's the greatest!
Once again, after finding all of the eggs, they need to be opened and emptied! :)

Mid-hunt meltdown... it got to be a relatively LONG afternoon without naptime! Oops! :)

Overall, it was a wonderful day, and I was so happy to be a part of it. I am blessed to have another beautiful god-daughter, and for her, I pray for a life full of good health, blessings, and the undeniable love of a God that is unexplainably good.

:) j.

Another Birthday Girl! :)

2011-05-26T21:56:00.002-05:00

I've said it before, and I will say it again... I LOVE my sister-in-law. Usually, I don't even go to the pointless effort of adding, "in law"... rather, I simply call her my "Sister". She doesn't replace my biological sister, but she is a GREAT addition.
I love her because she has given me a beautiful niece and pretty great nephews. I love her because she makes my brother happy. I love her because she listens to me when I need her to. I love her because she shares her life with me.
And, today is HER day. It is HER birthday. And, as we celebrated her, she spent her day making her family happy on vacation. She rode the duck, rode a horse, and was headed off to the water park when I left her this evening.
Erin Rae - I love to call you my sister. I am SO glad you are part of our family. I know that you missed your call from your dad today, but I know he celebrated you ALL day up there in Heaven. :) I hope you had as best of day as you could have. Know that you are SO loved! I hope this is the start to a MUCH better year!!!

loves... j.

First "Engagement Shoot"!

2011-05-22T23:06:00.011-05:00

Meet Jess and Karl! Karl and I worked at camp together years ago, and he is the brother of my dear friend, Jensine, who let's me use her babies to practice my picture-taking fetish! Jess was happy to let me practice on her and Karl... Karl may not have been so happy about it, but he went along with it to please a few women, I think! :) The quality of these isn't the greatest as I look at them on my blogger screen, and it was my first attempt at "sharpening for the web"... maybe it was a failed attempt!??!

Jess - I reassure you, I have the full version of all of them, so if you like any of them, we can make any necessary adjustments, and you can have at 'em for printing and displaying! Thanks so much for entertaining me for an afternoon! Sorry these are long overdue!

Many best wishes to Jess and Karl as they prepare for their upcoming wedding! I am looking forward to August!

:) j.