Footprints

Someday I will update this with a picture... that I wish I would have taken when Riley said this wonderful sentence.

Riley was walking in the snow today and looked over her shoulder and said:

"My Footprints Follow Me Everywhere!"

I am not sure why, but it was the most adorable thing ever!

Puerto Rico, by way of Announcement

I know, we have all been waiting for JT to come home from work, open the Mailbox and find a Giant Envelope and whole bunch of Marshmellows saying that he has been accepted to Chattham's P.A. Program in Puerto Rico.

Well, I am here to announce that on Saturday (after a VERY LONG few days of work) he opened the Mailbox to find the THIN Envelope that felt like DeJa Vu even to my fingertips.


(I am saying HE DID NOT GET IN, incase anyone is confused out there in blogland)


SO, HERE WE GO AGAIN.

man, I am TRYING REALLY HARD to think of SOMETHING WITTY to say right now.

Is it the fact that I am STILL sick from my run in with Mastitis?
Is it the fact that I am tired and distracted by Macie who is not down for her afternoon nap?
OR am I just plain OUT OF FUNNY THINGS TO SAY ABOUT REJECTION??


So- go ahead and pass it on. (that will make this easier on me)

I guess I will take some QUESTIONS from the AUDIENCE now.

Q: HOw did JT handle the news?
It was pretty rough. I think he is still in shock. And I am LAME at being Sympathetic. I should be a better wife.

Q: What will you do next?
probably NOT go buy a ton of Sunglasses like I had originally planned.

Q: What is Plan B?
oh, you mean Plan J,
I Don't Know.

(this makes me feel like After my Mission, when people are excited to see you and ask What you are going to do next, and I am still closing my eyes to hear the sounds of Madagascar and smelling my clothes to remember the smells and HOPING to NOT have to enter reality yet because I am not ready to let go of the mission... let the poor missionary tell you about the mission before you bug him about BYU!!!)

Q: How is KT handling the news?
I am surprisingly OK. I think I was being prepared for this, somewhere in the back of my mind. So, I get it. I am just HOPING that JT comes up with a Plan J soon.

Q: What can all of your FANS in the Blogosphere and around you DO for you guys?
Fans? why thank you, I had no idea!:)
well, I think JT could use a few prayers for some direction.
I think KT could use a few Hugs. And maybe even the other way around. :) And as cliche as it sounds- I DO appreciate it when you all say that you are glad that we will be staying here. If Puerto Rico doesn't want me- at least you guys do. :)

And if anyone wants to go out for a Virgin Pina Colada in Honor of What Might Have Been- I would take you up on it!


SO, there you go. That's All She Wrote.

Consider Yourself Warned...

A poem about breasts

by katie tyler

Some say it is from Pregnancy

I’ve read it could be Nursing

My Doctor says Hereditary

But either way, I’m cursing.

How is it that at Seventeen

They were perky and in place.

But now at Thirty Two

They sag like a Disgrace?

It’s bad enough I’ve got “Fine Lines”

And that my Waistline’s Shot.

But do They have to flop like this

And everything go to Pot?!

I feel like I have been Betrayed

Shouldn’t we Girls stick together!?

But no, they sag, and shrink, and shrivel-

And NOTHING makes it better.

It would not be Sooo bad,

If sagging was all there is.

But here I am in just two months

With another case of Mastitis!

Oh, Girls, the things we go through

The Pains that we endure.

This has to be another sick joke-

Played on us by Nature!

(WAIT A SECOND! Mother Nature?? SHE’s BEHIND ALL OF THIS???—I think we better blame SCIENCE!)

all joking aside- this is SO lame! puking, fevers, headaches, burning, pain, enough already! isn't this girl weaned yet??

somewhere i have never travelled

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
by E. E. Cummings
somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond any experience,your eyes have their silence: in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me, or which i cannot touch because they are too near your slightest look easily will unclose me though i have closed myself as fingers, you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens (touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose or if your wish be to close me, i and my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly, as when the heart of this flower imagines the snow carefully everywhere descending; nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals the power of your intense fragility:whose texture compels me with the color of its countries, rendering death and forever with each breathing (i do not know what it is about you that closes and opens;only something in me understands the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses) nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

This has always been my favorite poem. (who wouldn't love phrases like "snow carefully everywhere descending"?? and e.e. cumming lovely disregard for punctuation!) I use to hope that it was written for me. I think this was because as a child my Mom always told me I had the Tiniest Hands. I thought that was an endearing feature to have.

But things have changed.

Now when I read this poem I don't see a Hansom Prince reading me Poetry outside my window.

I see a little girl.

I see somewhere I have never travelled... somewhere I couldn't have even imagined in my wildest dreams. A place where I never even existed 5 years ago.

Motherhood.

I see Her as a baby, beautiful beyond any description. Which I "cannot touch" because it is too near to my heart, too amazing to fully comprehend.

I never thought I could be opened and closed or that I would be at the Mercy of Spring and it's wishes. And here I am. Her happiness is everything. And I am enclosed in it.

I never understood the "Power of your intense fragility" until I held her crying from a broken heart or a bruised knee. Or really what it could mean to be "compelled by the color of (her) countries" Until I saw her in all of her WONDERFUL COLORS and EMOTIONS. ONLY the word "Countries" could describe all that she possesses.

I would "render death and forever" for each of her breaths!

And although she is only Four Years Old, I feel like I understand the "Voice of her Eyes."

What a Beautiful Blessing it is to hold in my own the Hands that are even Smaller Than the Rain's.

I know she will grow. I know she may change. But I know her Hands Will ALWAYS be Smaller than the Rain's to me.






I love you dearly, Miss Riley Kate. I never expected to find a Best Friend in my Daughter, especially at such a Young Age! I never expected to find so much in someone so little. You are so special to me. I love the smell of your hair when I Kiss you Goodnight. I love the feel of your breath when you whisper funny things in my ears. I love the sound of your laugh. And the Joy you find in making others laugh. The light in your voice and eyes. And the GLOW that surrounds you. Ever since you were a Baby, you stood out. I felt like it took hours longer to go shopping with you because strangers HAD to come and see your infectious smile! They loved you too. More than once I had people I had never met tell me how you made their day. You have a Special Gift. THANK YOU for being all mine. I love you.

Marshmellows

Waiting to hear back from Puerto Rico... Jt mentioned that he thinks we should have heard back by now...

I guess I feel like I am STARING AT MARSHMELLOWS....

Mormon Messages

(that will ONLY make sense if you click on the link :)

to be Better than I am

Jt and I just joined a 90 Day Goal Group
oh, you have never heard of a 90 Day Goal Group? it is AWESOME :)

Here is the idea--
you and a group of friends/strangers get together. individually you set personal goals in 5 categories that you will work on for the next 90 days. one of those friends/strangers will be your Accountability Partner. their job is to check in with you TWICE a day to help you achieve your goals while you do the same for them.

( i hear a lot of you snickering thinking "good luck getting a hold of Katie TWICE a day!" she hasn't called ME back in months!!)

but it is part of the Rules- so yes, i answer my phone twice a day. (and sorry, all, that fills my quota)

this partner idea is amazing. it helps to have someone ASK you IF you actually DID your goals. (especially someone who is not your cute spouse) and give you some great ideas. it also helps for day 37 when you feel like giving up and they won't let you. it also feels good to help someone else reach their goals.


Ever since my Mission I have been a little Obsessed with being "EFFECTIVE". For anyone who has ever read the old Missionary Guide and remembers page after page of comparisons between "Effective" and "Less Effective" Missionary Work they know what I am talking about. It was drilled in to us to use our time wisely, to Be Effective. (after all- we are on the Lord's time)

The other thing I picked up on my Mission was the LOVE of GOAL SETTING. (I guess I should have learned this with Personal Progress- but regretfully I did not) I LOVED setting Goals with my Companions. Especially STRETCHING GOALS. The ones we knew we could ONLY ACCOMPLISH with the HELP of the Lord. The ones that pushed us. That kept us working hard and feeling exhausted yet successful.

SO- OF COURSE I LOVE THIS 90 DAY GOAL GROUP!

So- in case anyone wants to know what I will be doing for the next 90 days- Here you go.
Feel free to ASK me anytime how it is going. (preferably in Spanish...)

SPIRITUAL GOALS

• Attend the Temple Twice a Month for 90 Days
• Take a question to my Scripture Study Daily and write about the answer and experience in my Scripture Journal
• Pray before I leave my room every morning

PHYSICAL GOALS

• Train for a Half Marathon
• Work Out at least 5 days a Week
• Only ONE Candy/Treat a Week :(
• Eat TWO yummy Veggies a Day

MENTAL GOALS

• Study Spanish a minimum of 4 hours a Week
• Initiate a Conversation in Spanish 1 a Week
• Spend 5 minutes a Night Planning for the Next Day

FINANCIAL GOALS

• Attend the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Program Every Week
• Have a Monthly Budget Meeting with JT - followed by kissing :)

PERSONAL GOALS

• No Social Internet until the kids are in Bed (email, fb, Blogs)
• Organize and Archive the Mess that is my Family Pictures (4 hours minumum per week)
• Wake up at 7am Daily

So, there you go. WISH ME LUCK! I am really excited- a little bit overwhelmed- but I plan to Blog about the experience as I go:)

Jenni's Fitness Challenge

At the beginning of the week as I was EATING my VALENTINE'S DAY CANDY while BAKING CUP CAKES and WAITING for my LEMON CHEESECAKE to finish setting, I started to think about this post.

Mostly because I was thinking I needed to GIVE AWAY a little bit of this deliciousness before I CONSUMED it ALL, SINGLE HANDEDLY. But EVERYONE I could think of was doing JENNI'S FITNESS CHALLENGE! Bleh!

I started to laugh to myself at all of you crazy people- not eating AFTER 7pm, not eating treats like CUPPY CAKES, having to tell yourself NO! Ha ha ha ha! (that is my Evil Villain Laugh in case you couldn't hear it)

I started to think of taking pictures of ALL of my YUMMY TREATS and then POSTING them on my blog!
(don't worry, you all know me, I would NEVER get around to downloading them off of my camera!)

AND THEN I WENT TO THE GYM.

I go to the gym almost EVERYDAY. I work my butt off. I lift weights. I do spin. I run miles. I swim. I do yoga. I do kick boxing. You name it, I do it.

BUT as I went to WEIGH IN - before my session with the Personal Trainer- something STRANGE HAPPENED. The scale was OFF. Right? It was DEFINITELY HEAVIER than I remember from a few weeks ago. "It must be broken" I tried to brush it off- telling myself my FAVORITE MOTTO:

I WORKOUT SO I CAN EAT WHAT I WANT

But today- I pulled out a pair of jeans I haven't worn in a few months...

Back in September I bought my FIRST BELT. (that is right- I NEVER wear BELTS. I don't like the idea of something that goes around my waist and is CONSTANTLY MEASURING MY WAIST- so I don't wear them) Back in September, my jeans were TOO BIG and I was FORCED to BUY A BELT.

ANYWAYS, back to TODAY. I pulled out the OLD JEANS and zipped them up as I looked for the BELT. (which really IS a Four Letter Word to me) But something STRANGE happened again! Suddenly, I did not NEED A BELT! The TOO SMALL JEANS were SNUG!!

WHAT?!! (YOUR TURN TO LAUGH AT ME! Ha Ha Ha Ha!!)

I CAN'T EAT WHATEVER I WANT? EVEN IF I DO WORKOUT EVERYDAY?

SO- THE JOKE IS ON ME.

Jenni, sign me up for that Challenge- I don't care that I am month late- I need to make some changes!!
(but, I don't have to give up my cup cakes do I????)