Today is a Good Day

I found my camera cord and a G2 pen. Today is going to be a good day. Check out some of the goodies found on my camera.

First up: my birthday. I can't believe pictures haven't been downloaded since then.

This is a self portrait I took, in my car, to document the day. I do believe my age is showing.



Our kind-of-sort-a tradition is to go to Sundance right around my birthday to enjoy the changing leaves.

Here we are on the ski lift.



The Mster loved it.

My toes - a fresh pedicure.

Somewhere right about here I got a nose bleed. And all I had with me was a post it note. Mr. Mster thought it was pretty funny that I had a post it note stuck up to my nose.

A couple of weeks later we enjoyed a hike to Tarzan's Bathtub. That's not the real name of the place, but that's what my dad calls it. We hiked to a lovely little waterfall in Pleasant Grove. Mr. Mster and the CMan did great, expect when that dog came on the trail.





Another kind-of-sort-a tradition is to go bowling on my mom's birthday. Why we choose to go on her birthday is beyond me. This year, I made everyone strike a pose after they got a strike or a spare. I do believe everyone got at least one strike or spare.

Mr. Mster had a great time.


Ams gave us a run for our money with her mad bowling skills.



Jar wasn't bad either.



Grandma Carol does hold the record for the most gutter balls in a row, but I do believe she had a spare in there somewhere as well.



No, I'm not drunk. It's just hard to pose for a self portrait.



I'm pretty sure the CMan "kicked the pants" off of everyone again this year.



Keiko, the original poser.



Obviously that bowling class Papa Chuck took in college is paying off.



Coach was there too, but for some reason I don't have a picture of him. Either he didn't get a strike or a spare (which is possible since he was in the running for the most gutter balls) or he dodged the camera (which is actually more plausible).

In other news, baby LizBit has finally decided to stop growling at me. We're making progress.

This Much I Know

There are few things I know in this life to be absolutely true. I know the sun will rise in the morning, no matter how dark the night is. I know winter will turn to spring, no matter how frozen the ground may be. And I know, without a doubt, that we have a loving and gracious Father in Heaven. He loves each of us, perfectly.

Sometimes, life doesn’t make any sense. You may think you’ve had an answer to your prayers, only to discover later on down the road that everyone has agency. You may think you have life all figured out, only to find out that you know absolutely nothing.

Sometimes, you wait patiently for blessings to come into your life. Sometimes, you even wait years for that blessing. And right when you think, “Oh, maybe this blessing is really going to happen for me” something changes.

Sometimes, jobs are lost and you are left feeling like a failure (check).

Sometimes, boyfriends fall out of your life and you are left wondering what you did this time, even though you are certain it really isn’t you (check).

Sometimes, your dreams have to be put on hold (check). And sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith to really discover what your true dreams are all about (check).

But through it all, no matter how discouraging and frustrating life can be at times, I know for certain that I have a loving Heavenly Father. I know that He loves me and I know that He knows me, individually.

He knows the intents of my heart. He knows what I really want in life and He knows that I’m doing everything I can to follow Him and be obedient.

He knows that there are lives I need to touch and people that need to know what I know. He knows that those hearts and those souls can only be changed by something I will say or do. He knows that I may be an answer to someone else’s prayer.

He knows and I know.

I also know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for me. I may not be able to see the forest through the trees at the moment, but He has a perfect plan for me. He has promised me blessings, here in this life and in the eternities. He will do what He has said He will do.

Now it’s just time for me to trust His words.

It's Called Compromise

I'd like to share a little bit with you today about a concept called compromise. I believe in any successful relationship (family, romantic, friends, work) you have to have a little give and take. You make compromises for other people to make them happy and they in turn make compromises for you.

Let's say I really want to go out to dinner tonight. But there's a Jazz game on. So, let's make a compromise. We'll go to dinner first and then watch the Jazz game at home. Sounds reasonable, right?

Well, last night I made the ultimate compromise. Any one who knows me well knows that I am deathly afraid of dogs. I've never liked dogs, been afraid of them my entire life (thanks mom), and will avoid dogs at any cost. One day when I was training for a 5K race (don't laugh) we had a little encounter with a huge dog. I was sure we were going to die that day.

And then, just a couple of days ago, I was at my friend's house and her little yapper dog decided he wanted to take up residence in my lap. I was a little nervous, but I was very brave. But once the dog wanted me to tickle him with my feet, I had to put an end to this little love affair.

So back to yesterday. I've been seeing man-friend for almost 6 months now (really? Sheez, time goes by way too fast). Man-friend has a rather large Yellow Lab. Now I know what you're thinking...Labs are very friendly dogs. And yes, they are. However, this particular dog is barely a year old. So while he looks like an older dog (did I mention that he's huge) he's still a puppy and likes to jump and lick...a lot.

Man-friend knows I'm not a dog fan. For the most part, he's been very patient, but I know that my lack of affection for dogs was bothering him. So I bit the bullet last night. And I went to Man-friend's house. And I spent time with the dog.

That dog, for some odd reason, decided to like me. A lot. He jumped all the way up on me and gave me a kiss...on my face (gross). Then, decided he wanted to play fetch with me. I sat down on the couch, dog sat next to me. I got up and went towards the door, dog followed. Dog ate a bone and had the stinkiest dog breath ever, and came over right in front of my face. All night long, the dog was right where I was. Man-friend says he's never seen the dog act quite like that. Should I be flattered? Or frightened? I haven't quite decided.

So you see, I made the ultimate compromise last night. I let go of my fear and had a dog all up in my business for a few hours. Man-friend said I was a good sport. I mean, I suppose it was time that I at least try to like the dog, but I'm going to consider this a good compromise.

Man-friend owes me. Big time.

How I Spend My Time These Days

You may be wondering, "How does Jen spend her time now days?" Well, let me enlighten you.

I spend a lot of time gooeing over this little girl.



In case you are wondering, that is the face she usually makes at me. She likes to "growl" at me. Got to work on this favorite aunt bit.

I pick pumpkins.



I found out that BYU and Utah football players can indeed get along with each other.



And I go on hikes.



I also watch a lot of baseball (Go Giants! Not because I'm a Giants fan, but my beloved Yankees are out of the series and the Giants are currently ahead 3-1. The sooner the Giants win, the sooner baseball season is over.) I make lists, but rarely cross anything off. I try new recipes, although some have been less than delicious. And I type. A lot.

It's a good life!

I Have Goals

So, things have changed a bit since the last update. As of last Friday, I've joined the ranks of the unemployed. But don't worry, I'm fine. And I feel good about it. Plus, I know things are going to be alright because four people at church said to me, "You look really good!" So see, I must be feeling just fine if I'm looking just fine.

But, with that said, I've decided I need some goals. Here's what I'm going to be working on:

- Deep clean my house. Oh, I cannot wait for this one!
- Watch every single movie that I own.
- Read Little Women.
- Create an online portfolio.
- Exercise everyday. Hopefully outside if the weather holds up.
- Purge my Facebook account. Not get rid of it, but purge my friends list. This is going to be fun.
- Oh, and perhaps look for a job.

The future is bright and good and I'm at peace.

An Update of Sorts

Since I’ve had some people ask and since I haven’t been very good at posting, here’s an update of my life. Exciting, I know.

Work: It’s still here. Sometimes I wonder why, but then I just realize I’m thankful to have a job. Most of the cool kids are gone now and I don’t get trashed balled anymore. It’s just change and I’m not always the best with change, but I’ll be fine. No worries. I’ve also been a freelancing fool, which is good, but makes me tired.

Personal: I don’t mention it on here often (OK, pretty much never), but yes, the man-friend is still around. And things are moving along just fine. I’ve heard my dad say to my mom, “I told you I love you when we got married. If things change, I’ll let you know.” I’d like to adapt that policy to the man-friend. If things change, I’ll let you know.

Church: My stake split and I’m in the new stake. Which means I’m currently calling-less. And it feels very, very strange. I’m hoping for nursery. Seriously, treats, toys and nap time…awesome!

Dreams: I’m still dreaming and slowly, but surely, working on my dream. I’ll get there eventually.

Pandora: I have a love/hate relationship with Pandora. Today, a Carla Bruni song came on. Really? But then it redeems itself with Glee's version of "Don't Stop Believing."

Did you know there’s only 71 days left until Christmas? Just thought you might want to know.

On My Way to Work

On my way to work this morning, I noticed how beautiful the surroundings were. Timp had a light dusting of snow, the clouds were low, and the air was crisp. Oh how I love fall!