Friday is my friend

I have Fridays off, so I had big plans for this Leap Year Day.

*Random piece of trivia: According to The Debster, about 24 years ago, she was supposed to give birth to a sweet little Leap Year babe, as my due date was February 29th. Yet, I was born 20 (!) days later at the end of March. Poor Deb. I'm sorry, Mama. I love you. I hope I have made up for all that discomfort I caused you back around this time in 1984. Oh, and you're pretty.

First and foremost on today's list of to-do's was the issue of sleeping in. I have been staying up way too late and getting up way too early these days. Getting up early is a fact of life that I am willing to accept, but at this stage of the game, I am really not ready to give up my late nights. I am certainly willing to forego a little sleep to hang out at Meg's, watch TV, read non-school books, and/or sit on my bed with my laptop until midnight and beyond. It's all about sacrifices, people. They make the world go round.

So due to some lack of sleep, my plan was to use this Friday off to sleep until about the time my stomach would be asking for some lunch and go pick up some Subway.

(FYI: Subway and I are back together. I broke up with him a couple of months ago because I really didn't think he was right for me with all of his carbs and his meal deals and his 32 oz. diet cokes. But I have come to my senses. Reunited, and it feels so good.)

So, I am happy to report that this part of the plan came together, and by about noon I was back in the bed, tummy full, and ready to take part in the rest of my to-do list. Next up: catch up on emails, leisurely read blogs, and update ole JennaBabe.blogspot because the days gone by with no posts are causing much trouble in my heart.

:::insert record player screeching sound::::

*Random piece of trivia: Over the years since this whole wireless internet thing has taken off, I have learned something about myself. Technical difficulties are the bane of my existence. Perfectly good wireless connections going bad in a blink of an eye with no rhyme or reason make me certifiably crazy. Why? Why does this happen?! You better believe I have threatened my computer more than once by telling it I was going to throw it across the yard if a reconnection was not made asap. I never really would, of course, because I definitely learned my lesson doing that to an unruly cell phone once. RIP Nokia.

But alas, this morning we had the very situation mentioned above. Honestly, I kind of saw it coming because last night my wireless connection was acting a bit peculiar. Still, I am optimistic by nature, so I brushed it off and figured it would be up and running by the morning. Optimistic nature, I rue the day I ever listened to you.

I spent the next hour or two nicely asking my computer to please reconnect. I won't go into the details, but it finally cooperated with me, and I was able to keep it going as long as I didn't look at it, didn't move, and stood on one foot. But at least it was working and I am so thankful. Hey, welcome back, optimistic nature!

So, Leap Year Day has not been a total bust, and I have gotten several very important tasks completed. One big issue I really need to deal with next is the cleaning of my room so that I don't end up on Oprah like that woman whose house was up to the ceiling with clothes. Hmm, that reminds me, I should probably add watching Oprah to my list for today. And what do you know, it looks like I did just in time because it is just about 4:00! I guess all that cleaning will have to wait.

*Random piece of trivia: Sometimes I am very lazy on Fridays.

Somebody's having a Bday!

My family of origin (watch out, social work term coming at ya) is made up myself and three other crazy, hilarious, and loving individuals.

It is no secret that I am crazy about them.

But, I am also very lucky to have some wonderful extended family members who have been a part of my life since I was just a twinkle in the eyes of Al and Deb. One of those people is my aunt, DD, who is beyond cool and smart and fun.

28 years ago today, this amazing woman gave birth to a very sweet and equally cool, smart, and fun daughter.

Larisa has always been like the sister I never had. And for about the first 10 years of my life, I'm pretty sure I was the sister Ris never wanted. You know, the kind that is loud, demands attention/laughs at all family occasions, AND reads your diary.

What's not to love, I ask you?

Anyways, after I stopped snooping through her room and driving her insane, we really solidified our bond. It's probably safe to say I'm still loud and obnoxious, but after 24 years of knowing me, she's used to it. Now we spend most of our time together making fun of our mothers who are basically the same person--all the while knowing we are on the fast track to being exactly like them.

We are going to need each other in the days ahead when that happens.

I am so thankful that we have a lifetime of fun memories together and so many more coming up in the crazy years ahead. I simply adore this girl, and I am so thankful for her in my life!

Happy Birthday, RiRi!

I definitely hit my word limit

I feel like I have literally been talking all day long.

It all started this morning when I had a meeting with a lady about some possible future planning stuff. It was my first time meeting with her and we had a lot to discuss--meaning I had to be cute and really talky REALLY early. After the meeting, I called both of my parents to tell them the entire story of what all was talked about, etc. Of course, the were both at work, so I had to tell it all twice. Between the two of them, I talked my way to work which is 30 minutes away (plus about 15 minutes finishing up with Daddy on the phone in the parking lot).

When I finally got inside the first order of business was to catch up my intern friend, Blair. There was much to discuss about the 4 long days we had been apart. About the time we were finishing up, a co-worker came around the corner announcing that everyone was going out for an office birthday lunch. Never one to turn down time out of the office for the sake of food, I loaded up and headed to celebrate the lives of G and H. I did so by spending the next hour and a half chatting with a table full of women who, incidentally, are not meek by nature.

I got back to the office just in time for my weekly meeting with one of my supervisors. Basically, it is a time for us dumb interns to discuss our clients and get answers to any questions we might have from someone who actually knows what she is doing.

Questions? Um, yes, I have quite a few actually.

I also like to use this time as personal counseling for myself. Yes, it's mainly supposed to be about my clients blah blah blah, but I have issues and can't afford a professional. Plus, my supervisor is required by law to help me. It's also in the Bible. Anyway, I like to use this time to talk about what's going on in my life, irrational worries and fears, and anything else that might be weighing heavily on my chest--like how much my supervisor's daughter is charging for Girl Scout Cookies.

These are hard times and a couple of boxes of Tagalongs could make all the difference.

So, all of this to say I spent the next hour LITERALLY talking the entire time about myself and the latest developments in my crazy life. I think C threw in a couple of sentences here and there, but I tried to bring it back to me because hello, we're on the clock here, C.

After supervision, I headed back to our little hole-in-the-wall intern office and made phone calls to parents for the next hour. Talk talk and more talk. In between calls to other people's mamas, I called my Mama to ask her random questions and consult on various issues. By the third call, I asked her if she wished I'd get a friend and stop calling her so much. She said no, but I could have sworn I heard a tinge of yes in her voice. At that point, I made a call to my cousin, Risa, to plan a weekend trip to visit her and my aunt. Oh yeah, I'm all about the chatting, especially for a good cause like weekend fun.

Finally, the clock struck 5, and I happily jumped in my car anticipating a nice, quiet ride home. That lasted a good 5 minutes, but then I remembered I needed to call Bri and ask her some wedding questions. Bri was smart and didn't answer, so I tried Meg. Nothing. Forget you people, I am moving on to my sweet friend Karen because I sure have been missing that girl. Kare answered and as luck would have it, we had a lot to talk about. I talked to her the whole 30 minutes home and for a good 20 minutes sitting in my apartment parking lot. Loved it, loved it.

Once inside I had a nice, laughy, 30 minute conversation with Meg. Bri called back shortly thereafter, so I happily gabbed with her for another 30 minutes about all things weddings and life, as well as what we would do if we won the lottery. After we bid our goodbyes, I let my jaw rest for about half an hour before I took a call from Marsha to discuss how she almost beat someone up the other day for being mean to another friend. That woman is loyal.

Whew, I'm tired. And thirsty.

As of right now, I am waiting for Mama to holla back, and then I am shutting my mouth until tomorrow. Or at least until the next call comes in. :)

Fun Family Weekend

It was a great weekend at home with the fam. It was so fun having Larsen visiting as we took part in our normal routine of eating, lounging, watching TV, eating, piddling around, cooking some dinner, and eating some more. Larsen fits in quite perfectly as she is a big fan of all of the above.

Hey Daddy, make a weird face if you are happy I'm home for the weekend and that Larsen is coming to visit...

On Saturday night Daddy grilled out hamburgers. He also whipped up some green bean casserole, baked potatoes, and layered salad (mmm, good). While he worked his magic in the kitchen, the cute couple looked through some photo albums.

Larsen spotting yet another hairstyle her boyfriend has sported over the years. There are many.

Pretty Grammy came for lunch on Sunday. She was looking quite snazzy.

Gram was all out of pear salad, so Zaxby's was on the menu for the day.

Except for me and Larsen, my kindred spirit. We both chose my personal favorite.

After lunch, we set out for a little photo shoot. Brother was all smiles in the beginning, but it wore off shortly thereafter once he realized this was going to take longer than 2 minutes.

The kids.

Gram joined the "We Love Larsen Club" :) Welcome, Grammy!

Mama and Larsen discussing how awesome they think Matthew is. He is just one of their shared passions.

Matthew's biggest fans (plus the girl pictured below, of course)

L-bug and J-bug showing everyone how to pose for a picture. We weren't in sororities for nothing, people.

The parentals

And finally, me and The Debster. Mama, you're pretty.

It was a great weekend, indeed :)

And we're not even Irish

I am home this weekend (again) because my brother's girlfriend/my friend Larsen is coming to town to visit me and my parents. Oh yeah, and to visit my brother, can't forget him. Here are the lovebirds now! So I hit the road this morning, and when I rolled into town, I made a quick stop by Mama's office. I needed to print off an application for a job I am applying for as well as my resume to work on this weekend. I am currently planning my future, have I mentioned that?

Anyways, as I sat down at the computer this is what popped up.

I mentioned in my VDay post that The Debster and holidays are BFF. We recently had the conversation in which she assured me that her spirit was not crushed even though all the heart decorations from Valentine's had to be put away. Because hello, St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner. I give you exhibit B:

Hmm, what's this on the bottom of the monitor?

Nothing like decorative shamrock confetti to really give the computer area that special something.

Once I saw the confetti, I starting hunting for the rest of the festive items and came across this little Irish fellow offering what else but his POT O' GOLD to all passersby.

I didn't see anything else on the desk area, so I assumed that was everything and told Mama it was all very cute. To which she told me, "Well thank you, but I think you may have you missed something."

So I scanned to the other side of the room to the bookshelf but didn't notice anything at first...

Hey, wait a minute, what's that there on the second shelf??

Sorry, mate, didn't mean to overlook you! But don't feel bad, because you are definitely my favorite leprochaun in this office. See, your luck is already changing--it must be all those 4 leaf clovers scattered around you.

As I was riding home, it occurred to me that Easter was going to be on March 23 this year, and I wondered if Mama was aware of this. I felt this could really throw off her universe if she could only have Easter decorations up for 6 days. I addressed this pertinent issue with her when she got home:

J: Mama, you know that Easter is on March 23rd this year.
M: (Stunned) You have GOT to be kidding me.
J: Um, I wouldn't joke about that. What are you going to do about your decorations?
M: (Serious contemplation going on) Well, I'm not going to just have Easter up from the 17th to the 23rd that is for sure.
J: Well, just be aware because you'll probably want to go ahead and decorate the house with Easter. And you might just have to have St. Patrick's and Easter up at the same time at the office. (She has trained me well, it seems).
M: Oh yeah, March 1st I'm decorating. That still only gives me 23 days. But we're just going to have to make this work.

Way to persevere through these hard decorative times, Mama. You are my hero.

Lobbyist vs. Pajama-ist

Last night I went over to Meg's to eat some crock pot chicken and watch American Idol. It was so very fun as always. We got to voice our very strong opinions about the singers, watch her husband and dog chase each other around the house, and overdose on sour apple jelly beans. Which if I did the math correctly adds up to a perfect evening. I came straight home afterwards, but still went to bed really late last night all the while knowing it was not a wise decision. When will I learn, I ask you?

I had to be up way before the sun this morning in order to meet my supervisors and fellow interns at work for a trip to the State Capitol for a Children Advocacy Centers (CAC) Lobby Day. I would explain more about that, but even now after going, the name of it is really the extent of my knowledge.

But from what I have gathered, it is basically a day where CAC-ers go and talk with state legislators about policies and laws so we can save the world one child at a time.

This is a very necessary process, and all of my love and respect and applause and kudos and pats on the back go out to people like my supervisors who work and fight so hard to advocate for these kids. It's truly amazing, and I stand in awe of what they do. Mostly because I could never do it--evident to me by my strong desire for the day to end as quickly as possible pretty much as soon as it started. I am not and shall never be a lobbyist. It's ok. I own it.

So my day was spent endlessly walking around the Capitol looking for senators and representatives to talk to (well I didn't talk, oh golly no) and persuade to give CAC's like the one I work for a bunch of support and well-wishes. Oh, and money. Preferably lots, thanks. And I didn't see the final numbers on this, but I feel certain that today marked the day the Capitol broke their record for the MOST VISITORS EVER. I think the number was in the millions. There were people everywhere. It was lobbying run amuck.

After we hit all of our stops, we headed back out in the very cold and rainy conditions to make the treacherous hike back to our car. I won't lie, these were not my finest moments. It was freezing, it was way past a normal lunch hour, and the rain was coming in at a nice, hard diagonal. In addition, my peep toe heels offered a nice opening for the waterfalls streaming down the sidewalk to make their way right into my shoe--causing me to slip around and ultimately take on a walk reminiscent of peg-legged pirate. I had some low mental moments during that walk, but I persevered by telling myself I had so much to live for--like the diet coke I was going to order when we got to our lunch destination. This thought really kept me going and it did not disappoint a little bit later when I took that first sip. Mmm, good.

So, all in all, I wouldn't say it wasn't the favorite field trip of my life thus far, but it was definitely a good learning experience. Once we got back, I left to help my friendtern, Janna, at work for what was supposed to be the remainder of the afternoon and evening. But because Janna sometimes doubles as an angel from heaven, she told me she didn't really need me and that I could go home. I love that girl. I gave ole Jannie a big hug, drove home (picking up some Subway for dinner), and have been in my pajamas ever since.

It's amazing how your perspective changes when you have your pajamas on. All of a sudden all of the memories of the hectic day have started to fade--leaving me with only the thoughts of the random, funny moments with my co-workers. Now, the thoughts and sounds of a hard rain outside seem so cozy, as opposed to miserable and inconvenient. And even my peep toe shoes I cursed earlier and dropped haphazardly in the corner look cute again.

The lobbying I can't really get into, but the pajamas--now there's my passion.

Tuesday Happenings

Some fun things happened today:

1. The replacement camera cord I orderd FINALLY came in the mail. Oh, glorious day. Not having a way to connect my camera to my computer and download pictures has really been a thorn in my side since Christmas when it went missing. You can only look at your pictures on a 2 inch screen for so long. And as thankful as I am to this lady for letting me borrow hers when I am home...
...sometimes driving 3 hours is not the most convinient downloading option. So, I ordered the cord online a while back and was really starting to think it might never make it. But alas! I checked today and recieved this nice prize in the mail.

And once I saw the package, I realized why it took so very long. I present to you my camera cord coming all the way to my little mailbox from CHINA! And because I am mature, I had a good laugh when I saw the name of the fella on the return address.


Thanks for the camera cord, Ding Dong!

2. Today was also fun because I had one of my weekly lunch dates with this pretty gal.

We have class on Tuesday mornings and we always go grab a bite afterwards because well, we hunger easily. And as usual, we spent a nice chunk of the 3 hour class writing notes back and forth about where we should go for lunch. Which reminds me, please remember to vote for us in the "Students of the Year" competition!

I'm not sure why we even discuss where to go because we always end up at our favorite Mexican place (and Meg's old stomping ground)--La Cazuela. Or as I like to say, The Bowl.

Mmmm, SO good. Our friend Brittney also joined us, so that made the lunch extra lovely. And obviously the Lord wanted to send us a sign from the heavens that friendships really do deepen over chips and queso because I found a heart-shaped black bean in my taco salad.

I can't make this stuff up, people.

Even Meg thought this was neat until I told her that I often see random objects in the shape of hearts. Seriously, just yesterday I saw a nice heart-shaped banana pepper at Subway. Upon hearing this, Meg proceeded to roll her eyes so hard that they got stuck in the back of her head.

These are the priceless moments of friendship I will always cherish.

3. Since Ding Dong finally sent me my camera cord, I was able to download a few random pictures off of my camera that I forgot I had taken. For example, I happily found this:

I think I have detailed my love for VDay pretty adequately on this blog--not to mention how thankful I was to be blessed with a wonderful Valentine date with my friend, Kare. This is a picture of the beautiful flowers she gave me.

People, I am not kidding when I say one of the SWEETEST people ever. I wouldn't joke about that.

I just loved these pretty things, and as a single girl whose flower deliveries are few and far between, these meant so much to me. I even took them home with me over the weekend. And back to school with me yesterday. And there is a chance I may have kissed them at one point. I'm just saying.

4. Finally, another surprise I found was this little piece of heaven that had been highjacked on my camera. I decided one day a while back to teach W the song, "You are my sunshine." Obviously it is was not his first choice, but he humored me because he loves me and because rumor has it I am his sunshine. Please excuse my back-up singing.




A camera cord from Ding Dong, lunch with funny friends, flowers, and a serenade from my boyfriend--Tuesdays can't get much better than that!

Oh, the future...

It has come to my attention over the past few months that I have no idea what I am doing.

I knew these days were coming, but I figured there was no need to worry about jobs and where I should live after graduation when I had a whole year of grad school still ahead of me. Besides, I was way too busy laughing, having TV nights, and enjoying my people. Not to mention taking time during commercials to realize that the degree I was working towards might not even be what I ultimately want to do.

In social work we call that cognitive dissonance.

So all of a sudden it's 2008, and the months are quickly passing by. On one hand I cannot believe it is almost time for this to end, and on the other hand I am SO happy I really don't know what to do with myself. I know the word on the street is that once you are out of school and in the "real world," you always wish you could go back. I guess we'll see if that's true, but I'm going to go against the grain here and say UM, NO. I'm good on the education, thanks.

So here I am, 3 months shy of academic freedom having no idea what is on the horizon. Sometimes I don't even know what direction to face. I thought I was going to grad school to get some clarity, but I ended up becoming more confused along the way. It's frustrating, but I will admit that these last couple years of school really haven't been all bad. Actually, they haven't been bad at all. And despite realizing mid-way through that the profession I was learning about may or may not be the profession I pursue, it has all been a necessary process--one that was fun and excruciating and one that has managed to confirm to me who I am and make me question who I want to become all at the same time. Through it all, I have learned a lot about why I think the way I do and how my life experiences play a part in that thinking. I have been reminded over and over that I am blessed beyond what anyone deserves--and yet many times, I still desire what I don't have. It's a lot to think about and process. Add on a bunch of papers, group projects, and a stressful pay-free internship and a lot of times you've got yourself a recipe for CRAZY.

Yes, being in this place stirs up strange and exciting feelings (with just a hint of confusion and worry). But ultimately I know that it is going to be ok. It is going to work out. It is going to be fine. Actually, it's going to be more than fine because God promises that He's got big plans. I trust Him with that, and I can't wait to look back however many months and years from now and see what kind of crazy road was ahead of me.

I may not know what in the world I am doing--and some days all the thinking about it may make me a little crazy--but I think for now my plan is to just continue enjoying it all as it comes and wait for that moment when it all comes together.

"God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." --Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)

Weekend Fun

I went home this weekend for several exciting reasons:

1. A baby shower for Jennifer, the sweet secretary in Mama's office. The shower was so precious and very fun.

2. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it here, but I am in love with two different boys. Which I guess could get awkward--especially since they are brothers.

I have not seen my little guys since the very beginning of January. Ok, that is just unacceptable. So much to my delight, I was able to babysit Saturday night and forego any more detrimental effects of B and W withdrawl. When I got there, I was so excited, and as I came up to the door, I could see W sitting at the table eating a little snack of Nerds candy. I later told him that I, too, enjoy a good Nerd--to which he asked, "It's your fave-wit?"

No Babe, you're my favorite.

And when you looked up and saw me at the door, ran over screaming "Jenn Jenn!!!", and gave me the biggest hug your little arms could produce, I realized there is no hope for me. I promise to give you anything you want. For all of time.

I have a feeling W knows that I am committed to giving him all of his heart's desires, but it's obvious he wants to make sure I stick to this strict regiment of spoilage. His plan is to continuously shower me with love, kisses, and compliments. Compliment #1--the earrings Mama gave me for V-Day.

"Deez is pwitty, Jenn Jenn!"

The Nerds just did not fill us up, so W and I had some more snakes a little bit later.

Did I say snakes? I meant snacks.

My other boyfriend, B, got me up to speed on how Pre-K is treating him, and then he invited me to watch Cinderella.

As you can see below, we both agreed that the best seat in the house was on my lap. At one point during the movie he was laying on my stomach and I began to laugh at all of Cinderella's shenanigans. That girl was having a time with those crazy stepsisters. Apparently all of my laughter was very distracting as it caused him to ask me, "For heavensakes, what are you doing?"

W is not a huge fan of Cindy, so he took to coloring during the viewing.

I think he found it enjoyable, but he still alternated between his artwork and joining his Bubba on my lap to snuggle and make my heart explode. In addition, he also took part in chewing on my camera strap. And I let him because hello, he's adorable.

I was also very excited to catch up with Ashley, their beautiful mama! I love her to death and chatting with her is joyfully reminiscent of watching a reality TV show. We decided that next time I'm in town we're calling in a second-string babysitter and having our own night out. She is a friend, indeed.

3. Lastly, I came home to catch a glimpse of this nice fellow.

My brother swooped in tonight after visiting his lovely girlfriend out of town, and I wanted to stick around because it felt like I hadn't seen him in forever. So, I am staying an extra night at home and going into work late tomorrow. I am committed to job performance like that.

A few extra fun activities of the weekend included a movie with The Debster. We saw "Definitely, Maybe", and I highly recommend it. The leading man in the movie is Ryan Reynolds and I definitely may be in love with him.

This picture was not us at the show, but the smile on Mama's face portrays just how she felt about a Sunday matinee with her Jenna Babe.

And lastly, I paid a little visit to my friend Marsha's house to say hello, borrow her camera cord, and play a little Wii Rock Band. Some might say these are the pillars to good friendship.

Here we are after a totally righteous 6 song concert, dude. I had been playing the drums until about the 5th song, and I am here to tell you--I was borderline amazing. Until my eyes started to bleed from watching the screen for too long without blinking and my back started to cramp up. At that point, I put Marsha on the drums and I was her assistant working the foot pedal by hand. We are a team to be reckoned with.

It was definitely a wonderful weekend :)

Blog removal surgery

I have started the awkward process of telling some of my people that I have a blog. Tonight I told my Mama and Daddy.

Here is my conversation with Mama.

J: Um, Mama. Have you ever heard of a blog?
M: Isn't that like on the internet?
J: Yes.
M: And like it's...a bad thing.
J: No!
M: Well, all I know about a blog is that celebrities sometimes have one so if someone says something bad about them, they can go on there and say it's not true.
J: Ok, this is so not going the way I had hoped.

And here is my conversation with my Daddy.

J: Hey Daddy...I have a blog.
D: What does that mean? Can it be removed?

I might as well face it, I'm addicted to love

Despite being single, I really enjoy Valentine's Day. I am sure there have been times in my life when I have felt doom and dread because during this day o' love, I didn't have that "someone special" to send me flowers or be my husband or whatever. But, I was raised by a sweet Mama who LOVES all things holiday, and because of this I, too, enjoy good holiday fun. I don't decorate for every single holiday like she does, but it is obvious to me that I am slowly becoming her, so I'm sure it's inevitable. In fact, we had a conversation this morning about all of her V-Day decorations in her office. She listed them all off for me and when she was done there was that sad moment of realizing that it would all have to be taken down after today...

J: "Well, don't worry, Mama. Now you can decorate for Easter!"

M: (short pause) "Um, I think you're forgetting something..."

J: "My birthday?"

M: "Uh, no...St. Patrick's Day! But, actually, I could decorate for your birthday, too."

It's a sickness that we don't want medicine for. Anyways, I think this genetic appreciation for any reason to celebrate--along with my love for, well Love--is why I am all for V-Day (despite not having a "someone"). Don't get me wrong, Mr. Someone, I'm all about finding you. Seriously, call me.

But ultimately, I appreciate and celebrate Valentine's because I have more love in my life than my heart could ever even hope to hold.

These nice people gave me life. They also taught me how to love and be loved. And they make me laugh all day long.

I really adore this handsome lad. He is my brotha from the same motha.

And this is Matthew's beautiful girlfriend, Larsen. I love her, too!

This little firecracker claims she loves me more than I'll ever know. I love her because her favorite pastimes are 1.) reminding me that the most important thing in life is to be happy and 2.) trying to get my family to eat pear salad.

These lovely ladies are my favorite aunt, DD (Mama's sister), and favorite cousin (Risa). They define fun. When the four of us girls are together at least 1/2 of us will pee our pants at some point. I won't say which1/2 I'm referring to, but their initials are Mama and DD.

These girls made college the very best years of my life. They are the cheese to my macaroni.

I really heart this crazy woman. We go way back to the days of yore, and she is still bringing joy to my life in so many ways. (i.e. DDR).

I think my love for this couple and my excitement about their wedding is well documented.

Speaking of couples, here are Josh and Kimberly--my favorite little married ones! I want to be like them when I grow up.

This little family keeps my life interesting because they are well, crazy. But I am crazy about them, so it works out nicely.

This one even dreams about me. His love for his Jenn Jenn runs deep into his subconscious.

It's my roommie and our mamas! Some people find it hard to guess which mama we each belong too. Alicia and I share a love for many things including Longhorn, football, and making up words. Her mama Connie is at the top of my Coolest People list.

I moved off to go to school a couple years ago and stumbled upon this loon. I have been laughing ever since. Except when she told me she doesn't like Valentine's Day. Then I cried. Then I tried to make her a believer by buying her lunch in the name of love. Cause I love her.

I also met and instantly loved this little lady. (Hey Kare!). She and her hubby, Kevin, are LITERALLY the sweetest people I know.

I have had so much fun spending time with this girl this year! Janna is my friend. She is also an intern with me at work. She's my friendtern. And I would be crazy without her!

Today has been my best V-Day ever because I have been reminded of all these people (and so many more) whom I dearly love and who love me. It was made even more special because I had a wonderful date with the beautiful woman in the second to last picture. Karen's husband (sweetest couple ever) is out of town, so earlier in the week she asked me to be her Valentine. I quickly said yes and spent the rest of the week telling people that Hey! I have a Valentine! Tonight, I was graciously treated to a delicious home-cooked meal, recieved flowers and a very thoughtful present, and was blessed with a long evening of catching up with a true friend of the heart. I could cry thinking about how God has blessed me with such amazing friendships, and Karen's is one I absolutely treasure.

I love you ALL! Happy Valentine's Day :)

A deep counseling moment

I had a session with a 7 year-old little guy today. This was our third meeting and despite the fact that he is labeled by his school as a problem kid and trouble maker, I thoroughly enjoy the little fella. Call me crazy. Maybe it's the diamond stud earring he wears in one ear. I do like diamonds.

I had planned an activity I learned in my play therapy class in which he was to create a picture of his family using animals to represent each family member. In all honestly, the actual activity involved having our clients draw symbols to represent their family members (try it! it's fun!), but a couple of weeks ago when I tried to explain "symbols," he looked at me like I was asking him to do a board full of long division. Which I would never do because hello, long division is hard. Despite his look of confusion, we pressed on. I realized that I had definitely misgauged the age at which children can understand abstract terms once I saw the beautful beach scene he had created in lieu of the whole symbols thing. Now, some counselors might interpret such a drawing as, "Oh, he must be feeling like a little fish in a big pond," or "He may feel like he is drowning and no one is there to save him."

Solid guesses, but I personally think it might have been because his novice counselor decided that while she waited for him to finish up, she would draw a little beach scene on her paper (I guess we all know where my mind is--summer time, holla!). Apparently my picture was very inspirational as he could not help but replicate it. So we scrapped the activity that week and today I attempted something a little more 7 year-old ish with the animals.

I'm not sure it worked any better as he drew his mama as an elephant, his little brother as a hippo, and his dad as a giraffe. Upon extensive questioning about what made him draw each family member as such, he finally stated very profoundly, "Listen...I don't know."

I feel it was a breakthrough moment.

So on that note, I am going to spend the rest of this evening reading my text book on play therapy. While I try not to make a habit of reading entire text books, I actually have to write a paper summarizing the whole dadgum thing. I am not sure what brings a tear to my eye more quickly--the fact that it's an entire book to read, the fact that the paper is due Friday, or the fact that I have only read one chapter of the book thus far. Actually the saddest part is that I have to forego American Idol in efforts to complete this likely impossible task. Pray for me.

Luckily, I have a very special Valentine's date tomorrow night to help me get through this trying homework time! More to come on that later :)

Tuesday Recap

So far this week has been the perfect combination of productivity and procrastination. I have started going into work on Mondays this semester so that I could have Fridays off, and I think this was a great move on many accounts. First of all, my supervisor is not there on Mondays so that basically means I can sit back and not worry that she is going to come around the corner and give me something to do.

Intern of the Year, I know.

The receptionist is also not there on Monday so I was nominated to man the front desk on this day. I was originally opposed to this idea, but it turns out that sitting up front is a great way to get a lot done. Because the intern office is the size of a shoe box and is the home to 5, count them 5! interns, sometimes it's hard to concentrate. Not because the other girls are loud or annoying, but because I have a hard time not talking when amongst friends. Or anyone for that matter. So, the front desk is working for me. I made lots of calls to parents, typed up many closing summaries for clients (yay!), and did extensive work on my email and blog to balance things out.

This morning was class day. Only 11 more weeks, but who's counting? Today we were doing presentations on different policies, and while I did not have high hopes for any type of enjoyment, it turned out to be quite a hilarious morning. Everyone was in a joking mood and laughs were definitely shared. Especially when our professor who is a big, muscle guy tried to quietly open his pack of jelly beans (c'mon big A, jelly beans?) and made one of those extremely loud popping noises with the bag sending the beans flying all over the place. I feel that the funniness does not really translate to the written word, but let me assure you, the look on his face as his little girly snack flew all around really warmed my heart. Meg and I decided we really like him this semester. There is just something about people embarrassing themselves that makes us warm up to them. Plus, he passed the remaining jelly beans around, and we appreciate people who give us candy.

Lastly tonight, I had my little therapy group of the cutest little girls in the world. A small group tonight as I only had two girls come, but they are both little firecrackers and do not stop talking the entire time. Hmm, what's that like? Anyways, we had fun learning about our feelings :)

So there we have it. I am now sadly off to read for a training I have tomorrow, as well as a book for a paper that is due on Friday. Oh mercy. Only 11 more weeks! We can do it.

DCA-Diet Cokers Anonymous

So, I'm taking a substance abuse class this semester.

I signed up for it last October during registration for a couple important reasons. Now, before I go further, I have to share a random sidenote--I thoroughly enjoy registering for classes. Ever since college I have thrived on figuring out how to work my schedule to get the best teachers, the best times, and the best classes (I am not very strict on that last part...the word "best" can and has been subbed for "easiest"). I think of registration as a game, really. A game I am good at.

When I heard that this substance abuse class was being taught by one of my favorite teacher-guys AND was rumored to be mostly online, I knew I struck grad school gold. Obviously I enjoy being online. And after a million years of education, I definitely do not enjoy being in class. Plus, in that moment I realized signing up would leave me with only ONE class to attend during the week. I shed a happy tear. Possibly two.

The class has been very interesting and I think all classes should be online. If I were going to be here for more than 3 more months, I would find somebody high up and tell them my thoughts on this. But, in 3 months, school will be only a memory and the only thing I will be saying to the higher ups is SEE YA.

Anyways, back to the story. One fun fact about the class is that one of the assignments is to give up something we do daily--something we may be "addicted" to. Examples could be coffee, caffiene, smoking, chapstick. Yes, someone actually gave up chapstick. We all know how addictive Burt's Bees can be. Dear Person Who Gave Up the 'Stick...I have a feeling homegirl who gave up smoking will not want to be your friend after this. Just be aware. I reluctantly gave up my dearly beloved Diet Coke, although I did not go down without a fight. After extensive conversations with Meg telling me that admitting I had a problem was the first step to recovery, I realized that it could be a great learning experience. Then I realized I don't care that much about learning anymore and the word Sonic popped in my head and that was that. I furiously tried to think of another option--surely there was something else that I loved equally and took part in daily that I could give up for the sake of learning. But alas, DC, you are my true love. I heart you. Will you be my Valentine?

I swore off the good stuff and I'm not going to lie to you people, it has been an uphill battle that I basically have lost. I was going good for oh, a week or so. But then I went home for the weekend and Mama (aka My Enabler) brought one home to me upon my request. It was all downhill from there and things have been rocky on the abstinence front ever since. I have tried to get back on track but sooner or later I just cave and give in. Then I feel bad and like a big loser and try again. But I get thirsty and before you know it, I am handing the Sonic girl 86 cents at Happy Hour. Our class actually meets in person 3 times and as I sat down at my desk at our first in-class meeting last week, I realized I had actually brought a diet coke to class. It was a shameful moment in time. I felt as lowly as the girl with the chapped lips.

But then a funny thing happened. I realized that despite my best efforts not to learn anything this semester and my failed attempts at diet coke obstainment, I actually feel like I have learned more about the mind of someone suffering from addiction than any book I could have read. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I truly have NO idea what it is REALLY like and would never pretend to, but going through this experience of failure, I have gained an even greater respect for people going through this in real life. If that's you, then I think you are awesome. Majorly.

But as for me and my house, we will drink the diet coke.

Plans coming together

I don’t always do what I am supposed to do. Sometimes what I am supposed to do is not what I want to do, so I don’t do it. Sometimes what I need to do I actually do want to do but I still don’t do it.

That was easy to follow, I know.

But, every now and again, I know of something I am supposed to do and I actually do it. I had that experience a couple of weeks ago when I randomly signed up for a small group at a local church in town that I had never attended. Watch out because I'm very crazy like that.

Even though I started school here in August of '06, I have yet to get plugged into a church. I'm not proud of this, but God and I have worked it out. And actually, after so many years of being on leadership with my college ministry at home (best years of my life? um, yes.), it has been nice to kind of float around, visit Meg's church when I'm in town, sleep in when I'm home. Yet, one of the many things you lose when you're not a regular church attendee is the opportunity to connect with people who are like you. God definitely brought those people to me in other ways (school and work), but for the last few months I have been feeling that nudge to expand my horizons just a little and find a small group of girls to do Bible study with.

But because I like being comfortable, I put that off, watched TV, and hung out with my regular peeps. It was a lovely time.

Until a couple weeks ago when I was playing around on the computer and happened upon a site for a local church here that was advertising a wide array of small groups. They even had a group for young, single women. Well now there was an exciting idea I hadn't even thought of! And the Community Group kick-off just happened to be the coming Sunday. A Sunday when I happened to be in town. So I used my 3/4 of a master's degree powers and realized that this might be something I am actually supposed to pursue. Then, I surprised myself and actually did it!

So fast forward a few weeks and I have met some of the sweetest and coolest girls in all the land. We are all 23-26, single, fun-seeking gals either still in school or just starting our careers --all the while having no idea what we are doing with our lives :)

You know there's a club for people in their 20's who don't know what they want to be...it's called Everybody. I'm running for president. Vote for me.

I can already tell what I huge blessing this group is going to be. We've spent the last couple weeks getting to know one another and I really like them all. A lot. I can tell that we have all come together for a reason and I can't wait to see where God takes it.


*pictures to come later once my camera cord arrives in the mail. i finally ordered a new one after my other one mysteriously disappeared. the extensive search has since been called off.

I heart the weekend

Today has been one of those really great days that is extremely full of doing absolutely nothing. Or what some would call, The Perfect Saturday.

I have been home from school since Wednesday after I caught what is going around amongst all of my co-workers, classmates, and children I counsel. You can’t wash your hands enough to fight those kind of odds. So at 3:30am Wednesday, as I downed some cough medicine, I made the executive decision that I was calling in sick. I haven’t done that in all of my history of internships (which is extensive), so my guilt was minimal. In that moment I came up with a plan and after about 2 seconds of deliberation, I decided to implement it and bump up my trip home and go to my doctor here. You just never know about those university health centers. Plus our family physician is one of those who does not shy away from antibiotics “just in case” even if it’s probably viral. He is a friend, indeed.

So, I came home on Wednesday and nothing is basically what I have been doing the whole time. It has been nice to catch up on sleep and hang out with Mama and Daddy and last night I did venture out with my friend Marsha and her crew to an open mic night at one of the new coffee shops in town. It was a lovely evening :)

Tomorrow I will head back and gear up for another week of work and class. While the thought of getting back to real life saddens me, I am excited because tomorrow night I am meeting with my new small group for a little mexican fiesta. I am so excited about my new little group. They all seem like great girls, and I can’t wait to get to know more about them. And nothing goes better with bonding than chips and salsa.

I’m pretty sure that’s in the Bible somewhere.

Let's try this again, shall we?

When I started my first little stint in blogging back in 2005, I didn’t tell anyone about it. I was inspired to do it by my fellow camp counselors at the camp where I was working, and they were my only readers. Looking back now, I wish I had continued with it. I had some pretty great experiences during that summer and when I read back now, it’s cool to see what I was thinking and how much diet coke one person can consume during one summer. It’s not a big shock to me that I didn’t keep up with it because sometimes I like to start things and never finish. It’s how I roll.

Then, somehow or another, I got sucked into the blog world again and started getting hooked on reading about the lives of a bunch of people I did not know. Many of these blogs were by women (many who were mamas–which I am not yet), and I found them to be smart, funny, inspiring, honest, and did I mention funny? Yet, because I found this to be an odd hobby (following the lives of fun and funny strangers), I did not really share this with those whom I love dearly, nor did I share with others that one day I got a wild hair and started up my own blog again. At that time, I was starting graduate school in a new town with lots of new people and experiences. Perfect blog material one might say. I decided to write for a little while and see how it went before telling my dear people about it. And lo and behold, despite some very fun, cool, sad, inspiring, random, and interesting experiences, the blog became silent once again.

But alas! I am going for it one more time! I can’t shake this feeling that God is up to something big in my life and I want to write it all down so that I can surprise myself later with all the lessons I have learned and my ability to actually finish something. I feel like He is wanting me to write it all down and apparently all the beautiful (and empty) journals on my nightstand aren’t really doing it for me.

And I think I will tell my people this time. :)