Frenchbraiding

So, I have several friends that never learned to french braid and I am always so surprised by that. They have also asked me how I learned to french braid and I always say that I don't remember. That got we wondering.......Who taught me how to french braid?  Surely one of you might know!?!  Maybe I'm just totally awesome and didn't have any thing else better to do then to teach myself, but I'm guessing that's not the case.  So any info would be greatly appreciated.  This mystery might soon keep me up at night. :)

Well I'm back in the swing of things as far as the eating goes.  I don't know why but I kinda "fell off the wagon" I guess. Back to eating healthy and portion control.  It feel much better then the alternative.  Who wants to feel bad about eating food? Not me. That's why keeping track or your food is very helpful. It takes the guilt out of eating foods like taste really good.  I'm sticking to an 80/20% rule. 80% of my food is really good for me and the other 20% are the foods that I don't eat to much of because they make my gain weight. So NOT FAIR! :)  Tantrum over...........................now.  Also, I'm trying not to be sooooo obsessed with the scale. So if I don't post weight loss, that's why.

I'm excited for the reunion and to see my cool fam.  I can't wait to play all day!

Bathroom Remodel Pictures

I have had a hard time fitting these pictures on the page, and I think I'll just leave them as they are now! But ta duh....here are the pictures that I know you have been waiting for. :) Shelves above the washer (2) and drier (3).

I want to ask for your opinion about the curtain that I made for the window. Lisa, I took your suggestion of a complimentary color and chose blue. I like it really well but it is 100% cotton, I'm wondering if the fabric seems
out of place with the shiny shower curtain right by it. Please let me know what you think about the curtain fabric. I think dad did a great job mounting the fixtures/painting.

Little and Big Trials

John and Marilyn were here for the weekend. It was nice. Easter was great, the kids were happy with their gifts from the Easter bunny. Addy was sad to go to school on Monday with Nana and Papa here. One of the hardest things I have to do is send a crying little girl on the bus. Ugh....that one hurts.  But she managed and soon was home to pick up where she left off.

Since Kevin and I started our new business things have been a bit more stressful. Certainly we didn't think that it would be easy but it's all the things you can't prepare for until you dive right in. It's been comforting to know that it really is what we are suppose to be doing. The Lord told us to do it and we keep that in mind and provides comfort in hard times. It could be so much worse. Thankfully we really have been blessed.

On another positive note....I truly believe I am witnessing a miracle. Piper's eye is looking BETTER!  I have truly been preparing myself for the worst but I can say without a doubt that Piper's eye is getting better. I am so grateful that the Lord is hearing and answering our prayers. There have been quite a few of them, from us and others and we appreciate them so much.  We will go back to the Doctor with her in late April and I'm expecting better news.  I'm anxious to go.

I ran 6 miles on Tuesday. I woke up this morning and ran 1 mile and my shins were hurting so bad that I had to stop. I think I'm going to have to ice them and take a few days off. Not happy.

Life is good.  Hope you all are too. Much love.

Jen

Happy Easter

Today is Easter Sunday, and I miss coloring Easter eggs, buying Easter candy and making up pretty baskets, getting a new outfit, or not getting a new outfit and buying something new for you kids. I miss sitting down with my family and talking about the true meaning of Easter. I did make a batch of Easter sugar cookies this morning with the shapes of eggs, flowers, bunnies, and flower baskets. I think that Cory and Dad liked them along with the simple but nice dinner that I prepared. (I confess I ate 1 cookie.)
     I wish that you three could have joined our choir for the Easter Sacrament Meeting...the women (all 4 of them) needed more volume, but they all did sound nice and the spirit was there in abundance. That is all that really matters.
     Dad and I worked very hard on the bathroom yesterday. The shelving got built yesterday above the washer and the dryer. We replaced the tubing from the dryer to the vent outside after we dismantled the tubing, cleaned it, then reassembled it. After 20 plus years, there was a lot of lint in there! We attached a new hook, a new toilet paper holder, new garbage can, new white toilet seat, and dad will paint the shelves tomorrow. and then all that is left is for me to make a window curtain. It looks so incredibly nice. I just walk in there and say..."Ahhhh."
     I love you all so much. I am overwhelmed, really, with the love that our Savior has for us. I am filled with gratitude for his love, mercy, and the atonement.

The Struggling Musician

You know your desperate when you are super stoked about an opportunity to play guitar and sing on a street corner. I've heard countless "judges" on reality shows say, "that was a wedding singer performance" or "you are just another hotel singer."  The truth is, if I was a hotel singer I'd practically feel little Celine Dion singing at Ceaser's Palace in VEGAS!  It's like when Addy was 3 years old playing at the park and introduced herself to a random Mommy and said, "Hi, I'm Addy. I'm 3 and when I'm older I'm going to shoot a deer."  This is me.  "Hi, I'm Jennie. And I sing at hotels,  illegitimate weddings and street corners and I didn't even have to pay them to let me do it."  (Hopefully.....about the last part.)  Yes, it's so secret, I'm a struggling musician. Okay, not really but it's kinda fun to act like it. But in all honesty, I'm SUPER excited that I got accepted to play at the farmers market 4 times this season!!!  So, on May 26th, I'll be playing on the corner downtown and I want you ALL there in spirit! And I'll have my guitar case open for tips so if you want to imagine throwing in a $100 bill.....well then I'd TOTALLY accept your fake money. :)  Wow.....it feels great to have finally "made it." (Hopefully you get the sarcasm.)

On another note, I ran more than 7 miles a few days ago. This was my longest in awhile and let me tell you...I jiggled and wiggled that whole darn run. But...jiggled a little less than last month so we're making progress and that my friend is....FAB!

And while we are on the topic of running, let's take a stroll down memory lane.  After I had lost weight before (about 10 years ago) Mom asked me if I did face exercises because my face was thinner. I remember Mom making some up on the spot. (smile really BIG and then act like you are going to kiss someone, do 25 reps, 3 sets) Ha....too funny. What a laugh.  And by the way, I know you all tried it just now!

Well, gotta run. Brinley's ready to play outside.  :) love you all.

Jen

Sick, Movie Stars, and Bottom Lines

We have been crazy busy (I know....who isn't, right?) and it's been a while since I last wrote anything. We've had our first run with stomach flu and kids, and I have to say it is a horrible combination. I'll skip the juicy (pun intended) details, and thankfully E didn't get it. Keith and K came down with it about 12 hours apart. I got something a week later, but I certainly wasn't as bad as the other two. Hopefully the house has been sterilized enough and all those nasty little germs are GONE! 

I went to work yesterday morning and met Charisma Carpenter....okay, not really, but she was there....and maybe saw me, maybe.  Apparently, the small town of Vineyard has been "discovered" and a movie is being filmed around town (and at other locations in the area). (Look at imdb.com - Gateway to Heaven.) Dean Cain (Superman), Joanna Cassidy, Connie Young (Single's Ward), and David Nibley (Best Two Years) are also in the movie. I understand they are hoping it will be a Hallmark movie maybe coming out for next Christmas season. I'm not in it, although I passed up the opportunity to be an extra (with kids work schedule and kids it just wasn't going to happen), but I'm pretty sure my car, my desk, and the office will be! Woohoo!

So, now to the real reporting - I AM DROWNING! I haven't been doing very good getting regular exercise. I just do NOT have very much time right now. The only things I've been able to fit in to my schedule are the exercises that Jennie posted earlier. (Thank you!!!) I know it helps to get up and do something, no matter what that something is, but I need to be more consistent with it. Mom and I were talking last night (I love our chats!) about the fact that people have to keep moving when they're younger if they want to be able to move when they're older. You can't live a relatively sedentary life and then expect to be fine when you're older. I don't believe that I live a sedentary life, but I certainly need to be more physically active. Yes, being active is great for weightloss, but my main motivation is my kids. I want to be able to play, keep up (as much as possible), and be physically active with my kids. We've started our family later in life for various reasons, and it's important to us to be able to play with them, not just watch them play. Wow, I make it sound like we are geriatric (and we aren't!), but you know what I mean. The bottom line is that I need to move more so that I can play when I'm older and improve my "bottom line" while I'm younger.  :)

Now, with that little tidbit out of the way, I am happy to report that I am about 10 lbs away from the pre baby weight. My first goal is to just get to where I was before. I'm really excited about it, but I know I have a lot of toning and reshaping to do. I know the last 10 can be the hardest, but here we go! This is me recommitting to getting up, moving, and improving that bottom line!

• 
  

  I love your description of children, Jennie. They are generally so trusting, humble, and wanting to please. It reminds me of several scriptures that tell us we adults should become more like our children. Here's one:
  
  

  Matthew 18:4

  4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
  
  
• I think you've got some great goals, and certainly I think the rest of us share some of those, if not all,  with you. I don't drink any soda, but I do need to drink more water. I could use more scripture time. I personally feel a need to get back to compiling our book of family history. Have you been thinking about writing about your family for 2010 and 2011? I wanted to have it done before the weather got nice but I am not going to make that timing. When do you think reasonably that you could give me what you want to contribute? I do want every family represented and no one left out, but I can't wait forever.  How about June 15? 
       I attended a photography workshop presented by Nevada Weir, brought in by the inland empire chapter of PSA (Photography Society of America) on Saturday. It was SO good. I'm really glad that I went, and I'll be sure to listen or read all conference sessions like we have in the past. I truly wanted to go again on Sunday. I know! I really was tempted.  Dad said that a member of the Stake Presidency wanted to see us after conference at 11 a.m.  Oh! Thank you...suddenly my desire to go to a photography seminar diminished somewhat. I've always felt that one needs to be at the right place at the right time, and when you choose to follow the commandments, blessings come. I truly was blessed in that my photographer friend Adrianne took such excellent notes on Sunday I actually can read them and know what was presented. She gave me about 12 pages worth on Monday. 
       Our bathroom is almost done! I'm so excited. LIsa, I can't wait until you come over tomorrow! I'm mad that it snowed today! I know the girls won't want to be outside. 
       Did you know that the Church is inviting members to go online and express their feelings about  Jesus Christ Friday - Sunday? I'll forward the email I got about it.
       Love to you all.   Mom