My Stats "Miracle"

I said it would be a Christmas miracle, and while I don't want to throw that term around lightly these days, I do want to say that a minor miracle HAS occurred--I GOT AN "A" IN STATS.  Seriously, I have no idea how, but it's on my official transcript so I am not complaining!!!  This is AWESOME news, because this will only help all my pending applications.  Hooray!

When I was talking to my mom the other night (I called them as soon as I saw the grades posted), she said, "Isn't it awesome that your perfectly executed plan is falling right into place?"  And I said, "Mom, I think that's how it works when it's the right thing.  When you're doing what you're supposed to do, it DOES fall into place and it IS easy."  And I think that's the truth.

So, apparently praying my guts out about what is "right" for me seems to have worked, because so far things are falling nicely into place, and it's kind of amazing.  In a season when Christmas miracles are seeming a little bit hard to find, I will cling to any I can find, even if they are just as little as an A in Stats.  Here's hoping we all find a few more miracles, big and small, over this next week.  I think our country needs them.

BIG, EXCITING NEWS!!!

So, I promised big news today, and here it is: I GOT INTO NURSING SCHOOL.

I got a letter last week from a student in the Admissions Office at the University of Southern Maine saying, "Congratulations on your acceptance and welcome to USM" and proceeded to tell me why she loves it there and why I should choose to go there...except I was really confused, because I hadn't actually been told I WAS accepted.  I decided to just wait a few days and see what happened.

Waiting paid off, and Monday night when I got home I had a letter from USM officially congratulating me and telling me I have been accepted into their Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program starting Summer 2013.  HOLY. MOLY.

This doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to GO there, but it does mean, no matter what, I'm going SOMEWHERE, and you guys, THIS IS SO EXCITING!!!!!!!  I won't hear back from Binghamton or VCU until the end of January, and I won't hear back from Duke until February, so I'm not making any decisions just yet, but even if I don't get accepted anywhere else, I'm accepted there so I'll be going to Nursing School in 2013!

IF I end up going to USM, the program starts mid-May, which means IN LESS THAN FIVE MONTHS I COULD BE MOVING TO THE EAST COAST. HOLY MOLY!!!!!!  Their program is 15 months, which means I would be done by August 2014.  I have not allowed myself to be excited about any of this until today, so I am freaking out a little.  Of course this awesome turn of events is tempered by the fact that it means I'll have to move away from my sister and brother-in-law and sweet little newborn nephew (coming in February) when he's only a few months old, but as my sister reminded me, he'll be too young to remember anyway, and nothing says I have to stay on the East Coast forever.  ;)

So as it stands, here's the update:

• University of Southern Maine--ACCEPTED!!  Starts mid-May.
• Virginia Commonwealth University--application being reviewed, should hear by the end of January.  Starts mid-May.
• Binghamton University (in NY)--application being reviewed, should hear by the end of January. Starts mid-May.
• Duke University (in NC)--application being reviewed, should hear something by mid-February.  Starts mid-August (which is why I said "could" be moving in 5 months--it might be slightly longer depending on what I decide).

I go back and forth on what my top choice is, but right now I'm just pretty excited that there is a light at the end of this tunnel, I have some direction, and I know for sure what the next step is--that's been awhile for me.  And as much as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE living in the same town as my sister (and now that I live just a few minutes away, it's been even better), I've known for awhile that God was calling me to a new adventure and that Portland was probably not it, at least for now.  So I'm excited (and totally freaking out nervous) about the possibilities that lie ahead.  But no matter what, HUGE changes coming in the next few months!  :)

So that's my big news.  There are a TON of logistics to work out over the next few months and more big decisions to make, but I feel really confident that this is the right path and I have a lot of peace about all of it (even though I'm freaking out).  Thanks for being excited for me and thanks, everyone, for your encouragement and for being so supportive!  You have NO idea how much it means to me and how much I need it.  Cheers to new adventures on the horizon!

Phew.

First of all, if you've heard about the shooting at the Mall in Portland (just down the street from my office), don't worry, I am a-okay, and so far so is everyone else I know.  Scary stuff.  All the folks affected by this tragedy are in my prayers--thank you, God, that it wasn't so, so much worse (as it easily could have been).

I was actually nowhere near the mall at that time because I was headed to the other side of the city to take my last final.  This whole final debacle has confirmed that I loathe my stats professor (seriously.  He's horrible), but no matter what, now it's over.  Not gonna lie, it was hard.  I'm not holding my breath for keeping that A (that would be a Christmas miracle), but hopefully I can pull out a B.  I guess we shall see.  But IT'S OVER.  Thank God.  Hopefully he'll grade it and post my grade soon so I can breathe that sigh of relief for real.

I definitely rocked that A in Human Development, so I guess all was not lost this term.  :)

I have BIG exciting news to tell you guys soon.  Probably tomorrow.  Stand by for more info soon.

Happy December!

Crazy is Winding Down. A Little.

Since I'm sitting in the airport waiting for my delayed flight to Phoenix, this seemed like a good time to write a quick update before I get down to the business of working on my stats homework.

I have officially submitted applications to:

• University of Southern Maine (in Maine, obviously)
• SUNY-Binghamton University (in upstate New York, about 1 1/2 hrs from NYC)
• Virginia Commonwealth University (in Richmond, VA)
• Duke University (in Durham, North Carolina)

I'm still looking at a couple more schools, but looks like my next deadline is not until February, so I think I can breathe for a minute.  Phew!  This has been CRAZY.

I am FINISHED with my Human Development class!!  Yay!!!  I think I only missed 8 points in the entire class and I did 20 extra credit points, so pretty sure I will solidly pull off an A in there with no problem.  I actually really enjoyed that class (and probably would have enjoyed it even more had I not been also taking stats).  

I have another 2 weeks left in Statistics (ugh).  I seriously HATE this class.  My teacher is horrible (he honestly hasn't taught me anything, I've taught myself the whole thing, which I realize is one of the dangers of an online class, but sheesh).  Also, he made us do a GROUP PROJECT.  In an ONLINE MATH CLASS.  Are you kidding me?  Have you ever heard of anything so dumb?  Don't worry, it gets better.  We got the info for the project on October 1st, and it was due the Sunday before Thanksgiving.  The WEEK BEFORE it was due, he emailed us and was like, "Oh, by the way, 2 of your 5 group members have dropped the class."  Seriously?  Freaking ridiculous, especially since the drop deadline had been weeks before, so obviously he'd known this well before he told us.  Ugh.  He had told us to set it up in such a way that at least two people completed each section of the project so we could check our answers, and with two people gone, that was no longer an option.  So we finally got our stuff done (we couldn't finish until the week before it was due because we hadn't learned the material yet) and then we had to compile it.  We made arrangements to get together in person to put the project together, then on the day we were supposed to meet, one of the women bailed.  The other woman and I got together and worked on compiling it for SIX hours (in the meantime the third woman said, "Oh, I thought you'd be done by now so I just went home because I was going to be late" after we'd only been working on it for ONE hour...laaaaaaaame).  

So, long story short, we finally got it all finished and compiled and finalized and submitted it.  Then, the night before Thanksgiving I checked my grade he had just posted and it said we got 90/150.  I was FREAKING OUT.  That's only 60% and I was literally CLINGING to an A.  This dropped my grade to barely hanging onto a B.  And did I mention not one of the points we lost was from the sections of the project I completed?  I was SOOOOOO frustrated.  I even called my folks in tears at like midnight because I was so upset.  So the next day (Thanksgiving), at about 12:45 PM, he posted an announcement that basically said, "Oops, um, I accidently posted your percentage instead of your points.  So, uhhhh, it's fixed now."  That's right folks, we got 90%, not 90 pts.  135/150.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?  I hate this guy.  Seriously, who requires a group project in a math class, or in an online class, let alone an ONLINE MATH CLASS.  SO dumb.  I am still somehow clinging to that A, so hopefully I'll be able to pull of these last two homework assignments and the gigantic comprehensive final.  I am more than a little stressed out about this.  Can it please be December 15th already?

Anyway, that's my story.  I am waiting at the airport to go visit my college bestie, Debi, who is there with her hubby and new baby, visiting from France and staying with her parents.  I cannot wait to see her!  And Southwest has been SOOOO impressive today.  Having a delayed flight is frustrating, but their gate agents have been AMAZING.  They have gone out of their way to reschedule folks who needed to make connections, and they have been incredibly accommodating and friendly and polite.  They even put out pop and snacks for us while we're waiting, and when they changed our gate, they packed up the goodies and moved them over to our new gate for us.  Seriously, what other airline does this?  Yet another reason to always fly Southwest.  They're amazing.

Cheers to December and the start of the Christmas season!

Yep, DEFINITELY Crazy.

So, here's the update for a few people who have asked:

As of today, November 2nd, I have officially applied to the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs at the University of Southern Maine and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Applications are in progress for Binghamton University (in Upstate New York) and Duke University (in North Carolina).

I will likely also apply to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. (but that one isn't due for a few months, so it's much lower on my radar).  I'm looking for at least one more school to apply to (I feel like six-ish gives me a decent chance at getting in somewhere).

So far, so good with my classes.  I am ROCKING Human Development.  My professor said about my latest discussion post, "Another graduate-school level discussion post, Jennifer.  Save it for a research paper start.  It is that good."  :)  Haha, this made me laugh super hard, seeing as how I do have a masters degree and I certainly should be able to write a high level discussion post for a 200-level class.  :)  But a nice compliment and a nice assessment of my skills from my professor.  Glad to know I can still write like a grad student, even though I hang around with 12 year olds all day.

Still clinging to that "A" in Stats, although I will admit it is a harder fought battle for sure.  Not so sure I will make it out with an "A," but so far I have about a 93-94% in the class, so all is not lost yet.

Handling working full-time and half-time school would be A LOT easier if I didn't have all these applications on top of it, but I'm getting through it.  I need an academic reference for a few of these programs, and I was really stressing out about finding a professor to write one (since my professors now probably won't actually even meet me, and my Gonzaga professors haven't known or worked with me for quite awhile now).  In a moment of bravery, on Halloween evening I wrote a few old professors a "Hey, I don't know if you remember me, but on the off-chance you do, will you be a reference for me?" email.  A former Biology professor (who I took three classes from) wrote me back first thing the next morning and said, "Sure I remember you!" and told me if I send him the criteria they're looking for he will happily tailor a letter for me to any programs I want.  SO AWESOME!!!!!!  And a HUGE relief.  So at least my academic reference is squared away now for any programs I apply to, and it is a bonus that he is the current chair of the biology department at Gonzaga, so that looks pretty great, too.  YAY!  So things are going well on that front at least.

Anyway, that's where I'm at.  I pretty much spend all my time either working or studying, so I hope you all are doing amazing things so I can live vicariously through you until Christmastime.  If you've got a few prayers to spare, I would REALLY appreciate them.  Please pray that I make it through these next few weeks with my classes, and please pray that I get into (at least) one of these programs.  And you are all in my prayers, too!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta

I decided I really wanted to try using butternut squash in a recipe.  I love squash, but I'm not a huge fan of the "roast it with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon" plan (although that is super delish if you like sweet stuff).  I went on a mission for a savory recipe, and holy moly, this one is sooooooooo good!!!  It took me about an hour to make it (I cut the squash up and cooked everything else while the squash was cooking).  It was a little labor intensive, but so, so worth it.  And it's from Cooking Light magazine, so it's actually pretty healthy.  And soooo, soooo good.  So, if you want something different and autumn-y for dinner, make this.  You won't be sad.  Even kids would like it.  Seriously.

I did NOT take this photo, but mine looks pretty much like that,
and it tastes awesome!  :)

• Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta
• 
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash 
• Cooking spray 
• 6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw) 
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk 
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
3. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.
4. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
5. Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Karen Levin, Cooking Light
MARCH 2004

Pretty Sure I'm Crazy.

So, I'm a student again.

I know, right?

Because a Master's degree isn't enough?

Apparently.

I have decided to go to nursing school (fingers crossed I get in, that is).  I have always been interested in the health field, I am ready for something with more stability, and I'm tired of being poor.  Among many other reasons, of course.  So nursing school it is.  I'm in the process of applying for Accelerated Nursing Programs, which basically means (if everything goes according to plan) I will start school sometime in the next 9 months or so and be done 12-18 months after that.  Holy moly.  Thankfully my biology degree has me well on the way, at least by way of prereqs.

There are a couple classes I'm lacking, though, so as I said before, I am officially a student again.

And forgive me if I totally forgot how freaking busy it is!!

I'm taking 9 credits (2 classes) online--Statistics and Human Development.  I've taken online classes before, but these ones require me to straight up teach myself, and on a huge time crunch, too.  Someone should have reminded me that working full-time and taking 9 credits is crazy-making!  But I'm almost halfway through (week 4 out of 10!), and so far so good.  We'll see what I say after my first exam next week in stats.  Eeek!

Anyway, that's the plan.  Wish me luck.

I'm pretty sure I'm losing my mind.

My Spontaneous End-of-Summer Vacation.

Summer is over (sad story), even if we ARE having a spectacularly beautiful fall so far.  I didn't manage to take any sort of summer vacation, but I did manage to take a last minute trip to Las Vegas to hang out with my beautiful best friend and her adorable children and sweet husband.  She needed help, I had time off, and we found cheap tickets with 1 week's notice, so it was a go!

I was working on the day of my flight and kept getting texts that my flight, which was already going to get in rather late, was delayed and delayed and delayed.  Then I got a phone call from the airline that if I could make it to the airport earlier, I could get on a flight at 6:00.  This was a serious challenge since I was 45 minutes south of Portland until 4:00 for work, and I still had to go home before I could go to the airport, but I decided to go for it.  So between leaving my training 15 minutes early, racing home, packing in literally less than ten minutes, and a crazy mad dash through the airport, I somehow managed to get the VERY LAST seat on the flight.  

April's husband, Jeff, came to the airport to pick me up, along with their two middle kiddos, Logan and Kelsi.  Holy moly, their kids are adorable.  It was dark when they picked me up, and Logan kept saying, "Dad, what does she look like?  What does she look like, dad?"  Hahaha!  I finally told him he could see me in the light when we got home...and they both promptly fell asleep.  :)

Luke thinks we talk too much...

I was soooooo happy to snuggle their newest little one, and you'd better believe that was one of the first things I did when I got there!  He is SO sweet.  Granted, I'm a sucker for babies, but he is such a good, sweet, cute baby!  Luckily April was more than happy to share.  :)  So I spent four and a half days driving kids around, helping around the house, playing with the big kids and snuggling the little one, getting one million sweet kid hugs, and staying up wayyyyy too late with April (as per usual).  I love this girl so much--it doesn't matter how often we see each other, it's always just like no time has passed at all, and we could seriously talk for days.  We even managed to run away for a little girl time, with pedis and lunch on the menu, and a phone date with one friend and a skype date with another.  It was great.

Kelsi begged to hold Luke...
then promptly fell asleep!
So cute!!

On the last night, before they drove me to the airport, we took a walk down to the park with the whole family.  I was sitting in a swing with baby Luke, watching the big kids play and chatting with April and Jeff and a couple of their friends, and it hit me like a ton of bricks how badly I needed a vacation and how lucky I was to have such amazing friends and to be able to be there.  To be totally honest, I was pretty teary when I had to leave (and the texts from April saying her kids missed me already and have decided I need to live next door didn't help), and I literally walked through the airport with tears streaming down my face.  

It's so crazy to me that I've reached the point in my life that most of my best friends have been my friends for more than half my life--getting almost to the 20 year point.  But I love these girls so much.  Sometimes living in Portland is tough for me.  I love, love, love living near my sister and brother-in-law (best thing ever), but over the last few years many of my Portland friends have moved on, and sometimes it's kind of a lonely place to be.  So remembering that I have truly amazing friends all over the place who really do love me a lot is a pretty awesome feeling.  

I love all April's kids, but I tell you what, I have a soft spot in my heart for that little Logan.
There's just something about that kid that nuzzles his way into your heart.

Thanks for an amazing time, April.  I needed that sooooo much--more than you know.  Love your family, love your kiddos, love you.  SO, SO much.

A Preview...

I am just about to sign off and climb into bed, but I wanted to give you a quick preview of what I've been up to lately, and hopefully there will be big news coming soon.

In August I...

...worked about one million hours.  Or at least twice as many as I should have.

...tried not to melt in the heat and humidity when summer finally decided to show up in Portland during the one week I had to spend every waking hour outside.

...successfully almost single-handedly managed to pull off a summer camp for almost 100 middle school kids (no one died, hardly anyone cried, and I did not quit my job).

...then promptly took two weeks off.

...made some major life decisions and started taking some steps to make them happen (yay!  It's about stinking time).

...and spent four and a half glorious days with my best friend and her beautiful family, snuggling this little guy...

...and yes, newborn babies and my best friend really do make me THAT happy.  :)  Even after working all day, a crazy mad dash to the airport, and two flights.

Details to come soon.

Cake!

I made this pretty cake for my supervisor's birthday--didn't it turn out great?  (Okay, so I might have been kissing up a little...hey, I know good business practices when I see them, and making nice on your boss's birthday is never a bad idea!)  I had never tried the "don't frost the edges" look, but I thought it was really cute and rustic-looking on a blog I saw.  It was white cake with chocolate chips, with chocolate frosting and fresh raspberries.  YUM!  And apparently it was worth the effort (and the hot apartment), because she sent me this email the next day:

"Hi Jen:
Just wanted you to know that I took the cake you made me for my birthday home-----and my husband LOVED it!!!  He said it’s the best cake he’s EVER eaten!  So I’m trying really hard not to be offended that he doesn’t seem to remember any of the cakes I’ve ever made---but thought I would pass that along to you.  I enjoyed it an awful lot  too.

Thanks so much for sharing your talent in that way…you are an amazing baker!

Cindy"

I also tried using a little bit of the cake mix to "flour" the pan instead of using flour and it turned out GREAT--it didn't leave the weird white edges at all, and having just slightly less of the dry ingredients made the cake extra moist.  So YAY for another fun creation.  :)

GET OVER IT.

I'm probably a huge jerkface, but lately I know a few folks who could benefit from this message...
and okay, it made me laugh on a tough day.

(Don't worry...none of my friends or family qualify.)

Mmmmm, Garden Tomatoes!

I LOVE TOMATOES!!  Seriously, I could live on tomatoes (in high school, my best friend April and I literally did survive on tomato sandwiches for a couple months--YUM!), and there is NOTHING better than a tomato fresh from the garden.

This year is my first ever attempt at growing my own tomatoes.  I'm growing three in topsy turvies (which are super cool, by the way), and four in pots.  This beauty was my first ripe one, which coincidentally turned red on my birthday!  Happy birthday to me!  :)  Even though I've accidently tried to kill them about a dozen times already, they are absolutely loaded with tomatoes and I'm just about ready to pick the second red one (that green one in the photo is finally almost ripe).  I'm soooo excited!  Cheers to an awesome garden bounty for everyone trying out their green thumb!  :)

Rafting 2012

I wasn't having any fun at all.  Can you tell?  :)

About a week and a half ago, I had the opportunity to go rafting with a bunch of people from my work.  My friend and co-worker, Scott, sets it up and we all take the day off and go play on the Deschutes River.  Scott is a guide, and if you ride on his boat, you can expect to be very wet and have a GREAT ride.  We had a lot of fun...even though a week and a half later I am still black and blue.  I guess that means it was a really good time, huh?  

I told you he gives us an intense ride!  :)  But no one fell out!

 

So, yep.  That's what I've been up to lately.  :)  Hanging in there.

Endings.

"Everyone deserves a happy ending.  If it's not all you've dreamed, then it's not your happy ending."

I read this quote today, and it really resonated with me.  As my friend Jo said recently, sometimes the Lord has other plans for us, and sometimes we don't understand, at least not right away.  Apparently Clay was not my happy ending.  :( After a rough week or so, Clay and I broke up.  We both still care deeply about each other and hopefully someday we'll be able to be friends, because he's awesome.  I am, of course, heartbroken, but I am trusting that if Clay (or any of the other great guys I've dated) isn't the one God has for me, then whoever "the one" is must be pretty darn special.  If only God could hurry up and send him my way...

I'm trying hard to be brave and strong and keep my head up, but I'm sure you all know it's just tough.  And breaking up a week before my birthday is especially hard.  I have the best friends (although I wish I lived closer to all of you!), and I know I am a very lucky and blessed girl.  It's just hard sometimes.  I know that fear and frustration and hurt are not what God wants for me, and not what will help my heart heal.  But God has a plan and I trust that He loves me and wants me to be happy, and has an amazing future for me and for all of us.  I'm praying for confidence and courage in God's plan, and the ability to let go of all my insecurity and allow God to heal me and help me move on to a future full of hope.

So please pray for me.  I know we all go through hard things, and lots of my friends are going through a huge variety of hard things right now, so know that you all are also in my prayers, and I love you.  Here's to all of our happy endings...

Raspberries and Strawberries and Blueberries, oh my!

Summer has FINALLY arrived in Portland!  And now that I live practically down the street from my sister (which is AWESOME, by the way), we are finding even more fun adventures to take together.  Yesterday we rode our bikes to downtown Portland to go to the Farmer's Market (so fun!).  And last weekend when our Mom was in town, we took her out to Sauvie Island, conveniently located about ten minutes from us, and picked raspberries and strawberries and blackberries.  It was SO FUN!  Amy and I kept asking ourselves why we've never gone out there and done this before!  We got 20+ lbs of different berries for $28--sooooooo awesome!  They went straight into the freezer, which means a summer of delicious smoothies at our fingertips--YUM!  :)

This (plus a big bag of blueberries) was what we took home--delish!  :)

ARGGGHH!

I have had an "ARGGGHH!"-ish few days.  I'm trying really hard to be positive, but holy moly, it's hard.  This is a total stream of consciousness venting post, so be warned.

My friend's mom called me on Friday to tell me that my friend had left the safety of their home with her daughter and as far as they knew was going back to her old house with the understanding that her husband would only be there during the day to run his bike shop, but would stay elsewhere evenings and nights (excuse me for being skeptical, but...).  BAH!  No, wait...  ARGGGHH!!!

Battered Woman Syndrome (yes, it's a real thing) is SO FRUSTRATING!  I totally understand that it is a huge web of mind-control and manipulation and lies and all the rest, but when you're the one on the outside looking in it seems so obvious!  I haven't actually heard from my friend in probably a week and a half now, so she doesn't know I know she's back in Portland.  The truth is I told her as long as she was taking steps to get/keep herself and her daughter safe and get out of their abusive situation, I was on her side, but if she went back I was out and I couldn't help her anymore.  It sounds harsh (it feels harsh), but that kind of tough love is the only way to get through to her (and was the recommended stance by several counselors, social workers, and domestic violence professionals I consulted).  So I guess my official position now has to be that I'm out, and I won't help her anymore (assuming she actually went back to the house, which I'm pretty sure she did).

Please pray for her and her daughter, that she could have the strength to get them both out of a scary, controlling, dangerous situation once and for all, before anything worse happens.  And please pray for me that I have the strength to stick to what I told her if she comes asking again--my tender heart will not find it easy, I know that already.  ARGGGHH!!!

Whole different topic... Clay is finally done with his nightmarish work schedule (I haven't heard the official number, but I think he's probably worked 400+ hours in the last 4 weeks).  Hopefully things will go back to normal for us soon, because right now I am struggling.  Relationships are HARD sometimes, and we are definitely entering the 4 month freak-out zone...and I'm not sure which one of us is freaking out, exactly, but I would say today was certainly a freaking-out kind of day for me.  I'm definitely a quality time girl (5 Love Languages, anyone?), and the lack of ANY time, let alone quality time, these last few weeks has been tough on me.  Tougher still that he FINALLY had a day off today and I did not get to see him at all (but that's another story for another day).  So hopefully that will be remedied soon, we can spend some time together, and we can work out the freaking out business, because today was HARD.  Actually, this whole week has been HARD.  And I can't handle HARD for too much longer.  (P.S. Happy day for having a private blog for a little bit, because ordinarily I would not be quite this candid about this stuff, but there we go.)  ARGGGHH!!

Technology is a funny thing, eh?  Normally I like it and I utilize it a lot, but today it only served the purpose of making me feel left out and unwanted.  I think maybe I need a little technology break--can I go live in the woods for awhile? I wish I could get by sans laptop and cell phone for a few days, but I guess not until I can take some time off.  :/

Speaking of work...  ARGGGHH!!  'Nuff said.

My friend Briana posted this on facebook today, and I needed to see it (awesome when God speaks to us that way):

Okay, officially wayyyyyy past my bedtime now, so I guess my vent is over.  Please pray for me--my little heart is having a tough go at the moment, and I just need some extra help to be positive and not discouraged on many fronts.  You are all in my prayers, too.  

Now I'm Private, and Here's Why...

Thanks, friends.  I think I added everyone who asked, and now I'm private for the time being.  It's a long, long story, but the gist of it is this:

A friend of mine from college has been in an abusive relationship with her husband and is a victim of domestic violence.  She has turned to me for assistance, as he has isolated her from her friends and family, and she knew I lived nearby.  Due to a long list of scary things she told me, and since I am a mandatory reporter for child abuse, neglect, and endangerment, I decided I had no choice but to take some action to help her get her child out of the home (my friend was thrown out of her home by her husband, is effectively homeless, and her 7 year old daughter was still in the home).  Through my own fault, he found out I made the report and he is VERY angry and threatening.  There is obviously A LOT more to the story, but the long and short of it is, for my own safety and the safety of those I love, I just need to make sure my online presence is safe and secure for awhile until things calm down and get sorted out.  My blog was already unsearchable and there aren't a ton of people who know I have it, but better to be safe than sorry. So thanks for shooting me a message and reading my blog and wanting to keep reading it now that it's private.

Don't worry about me--the police are involved and know everything that's been going on, and coincidentally I just happen to have recently moved (very near my sweet and strong boyfriend) and there are only like 5 people who know where I live, so I am totally safe.  I'm just concerned about my friend and her child, but she is being very brave and taking the necessary steps to get them both to a safe situation, and I am very proud of her.

Thanks for being concerned!  And thanks for caring about me and reading my blog.  :) 

Loves!

Privatizing...

Hey, friends.

Because of some craziness going on in my life right now, I've decided to make my blog private VERY SOON.  If you want an invite and don't already have one, please leave a comment on this post ASAP or send me a private message on facebook with your email address so I can get you an invite.  It's a long story, but for safety, I think it's important.

Thanks.

News and stuff.

Best news ever is that Clay's work decided he's too important on all the projects they have to do for the next month, so he is NOT moving to nights!!  HOORAY!!!  That means I might actually have a prayer (although a VERY small one) of seeing him between now and the 4th of July.

Second best news is that I FOUND AN APARTMENT!  It's VERY different from my current apartment, so moving in will be an adventure, but I signed the lease, paid my whole life savings (haha...only kind of joking), and got the keys this morning, so I officially have a new place to live!  And the BEST part is that it is only 1.4 miles from Amy and Sterling's house, and 0.6 miles from Clay's.  This will seriously make my life SO much better!  It's going to be so awesome to not have to spend all my evenings and weekends in the car if I want to see them from now on!  And my friend Leah only lives about five minutes away, too, which is another awesome part of the whole situation.  I was REALLY hesitant about the whole thing at first (I DESPISE moving), but the more I think about it now, the more I can really only see positives in the whole thing.  The only downside, really, is that it's more expensive.  Whatever.  Totally worth it.  So THANK YOU for throwing up a prayer or two for me, because finding and getting this apartment was 110% an answer to (frantic, fervent) prayer.  Now to undergo the crazy moving process.  Luckily I have a few weeks to do it, so it shouldn't be TOO bad, I hope.  On the bright side, it will be a good distraction from never getting to see my boyfriend.

I had the best weekend this weekend!  Clay finally got home around 8:00 on Friday, so we just had a super low-key evening together, which was really nice.  Then on Saturday, Amy and I took our dogs hiking in Forest Park (which is literally a giant forested park right in Portland--it's awesome) and ended up with some MUDDY puppies--like SERIOUSLY muddy.  We carried them straight to the bathtub when we got back to Amy's and washed away the sludge.  Then we went shopping to find Sterling a birthday present and ran into Clay and his friend downtown (how random is that?!).

Saturday night Clay took me to the Portland Roller Derby Championships!  Neither of us had ever seen Roller Derby before, and it was HILARIOUS!!  We had so much fun.  It was definitely an experience, and by the end I think I actually even understood what was going on.  The first game (match? bout?) was a total blowout, but the championship round was super close and won at the last second, so that was fun!  It was awesome.

Sunday morning we went to church together, then he took me out for lunch at this awesome Lebanese place, then we went out for frozen yogurt before he dropped me back off at my car.  It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning/early afternoon.

So, I guess you could say we're definitely trying to make the most of the time we have to see each other before he gets totally swamped...he starts working this Sunday and then he will only have one day off until the turn around at his plant is finished, hopefully by the 4th of July.  Poor guy.  But we're having fun in the meantime!  :)

And last but not least, I finished 30 Days in a row of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred this weekend!!!!  Super hard, but I feel awesome after doing it.  Now I have to find the next challenge.  If you're looking for a quick, hard, effective way to work out, I totally recommend that DVD.  It's awesome.

So, that's my story.  Now to start packing...

The Sweetest Note

I have been INCREDIBLY burned out lately.  Today was the last day of my after school program (a day I have been praying would hurry up and get here), and it couldn't have come soon enough.  But tonight I got an awesome reminder of why I keep doing what I'm doing when one of my 8th graders, a girl I've worked with for two years, came up and handed me a piece of paper, apologizing that she wasn't sure how to spell my name.  Here's what it said (exactly as she wrote it):

June 1, 2012
Dear Jenn Foresman

At the beginning of eigth grade I though you were some crazy teacher that was going to force me to change myself and tell me that I needed a mental hospital like some of the others that told me I needed help, but you didn't.  Yes you made me talk to you wich I hated at the moment you made me, but it helped.  You gave advice that helped me, and also made me believe that love can still be positive even when it feels like someones stabbing you trough your heart.  It can change you, and make you a "happier" person.  You have helped me alot, and thank you for truly caring and helping.

Sincerely,
A.K.

Yep.  That's why I keep doing this, even when it's hard.

Life Update...the Quick(ish) Version.

I have like five posts half started, but can never seem to get one finished.  The last couple months since my Grandma's unexpected funeral have been CRAZY.  I've never been so busy with work, and juggling that with life and relationships and everything else has been an adventure.  But the good news is I've been able to take my bike on some long rides when we've had nice weekends (rides with my sister are my fave!), I've been working out every single day (I'm on day 25 of Jillian Michaels's 30 Day Shred--YOWSA!), and school is out in just over a week, which SHOULD mean my life will significantly slow down here in another week or so (fingers crossed).

Things with Clay are going GREAT!  He's wonderful, and we have such fun together.  He is supportive and sweet and I feel really, really lucky to have him in my life.  He is swamped with work, too (even more swamped than I am, so I can't really complain, and his light at the end of the tunnel doesn't come until the 4th of July), so we don't get to see much of each other unless it's the weekend, but we're making it work.  He has to switch to night shift in a couple weeks for the duration of June so we'll see even less of each other, but he assures me it's just once every 3 years, and only for a few weeks.  That I can handle.

Isn't that sad?  Giant streak of red paint...grrrr....

In the continuing saga of Jen's incredibly, ridiculous, horrendously, almost comically bad luck with cars, Clay and I were watching a movie at his house a few weeks ago on a Friday night, and when I headed home, my car was not driving well.  It was swerving like crazy whenever I hit a bump and drifting to the center--not good.  I finally figured out that while we were curled up watching a movie, someone hit my car--HARD--and took off without even leaving a note.  It caused about $2500 worth of damage.  SERIOUSLY?  Oy vey.  But here's a good tip--I learned that if you are a victim of a hit and run, if you file a police report many insurance companies will dramatically drop your deductible--mine dropped by 70%.  So that movie on the couch with my boyfriend still cost me $300, but at least it wasn't $1000, right?  Gotta look at the bright side...

Those glasses are seriously ridiculous!  :)

Clay and I are usually pretty low-key, mostly hanging out with friends or watching movies at his house, but we had a date night last week that was a blast!  He is such a gentleman and never lets me pay for anything, so I went to the movie theater ahead of time to buy tickets to see "The Avengers" in 3D in one of the cool living room theaters in town.  We went out to dinner and then to see the movie, and it was a blast!  It was Clay's first 3D movie, and my first movie in one of those Living Room theaters--SO FUN.  Seriously, those theaters are amazing.  Nothing like going to the movies and still being able to curl up in a reclining love seat with your sweetheart...even if you are wearing those ridiculous 3D glasses.  :)

Poor baby...

So, that's pretty much my story lately.  I'm frantically trying to find a new apartment so I can move next month, hopefully closer to Amy and Sterling and Clay (they live about 3 minutes apart from each other, and I live about 30 minutes away from all of them) so I can stop spending a million dollars on gas to go see my family and my boyfriend, and actually be able to see them a little more often.  Plus I think Allee would appreciate me being home a little more often...since this is how I found her in her crate when I got home the other night!  Anyway, I would LOVE it if you could please say some prayers that I can find a safe, affordable, decent place SOON!

Hopefully I can finish and post some of those half-way-done posts I've got waiting in the wings soon...the light at the end of the tunnel IS getting brighter every day...

In case you're wondering, I think it's safe to say school employees look forward to the end of the school year just as much as (possibly even more than) the kids do.  :)  Even though I'm technically NOT a school employee, I just work in a school and I still have to work all summer, cheers to the end of the school year!

I'm a Lucky Girl.

You know you've found yourself a great boyfriend when he calls to ask how your day was and you tell him you've spent the afternoon barfing your guts out, he immediately says he'll be right over, then shows up with a grocery bag full of medicine, soup, gatorade, sprite, juice, and saltines, then sits on the couch and snuggles with pathetic, sick you in your pajamas until you're ready to climb into bed.  Even puking my guts out, I'm a lucky girl.

So Now You See...

That's what I mean by both good news and bad news, and this being a weird time in my life.  My sweetheart and I were talking a couple weeks ago and he said he was really surprised I'm not more upset and broken up about my Grandma passing away.  I've thought a lot about this, and as I told him, of course I'm sad she's gone and I will definitely miss her a lot.  That being said, she lived a good, long life and she was ready to go, and I know she is definitely in a better place now, surrounded by family and friends and loved ones who have gone before her.  But the overarching thing that has gotten me through this is that while I had this sad, difficult, chaotic stuff going on, I also had this amazing, wonderful thing with him going on, and having that to focus on has really helped temper the sad parts.

Doesn't he have the prettiest eyes?  :)

When I get into a new relationship, I always wait a little while to tell many people about it, just to make sure it's actually going to go somewhere.  My sister had already met him and liked him, and we had been seeing each other for awhile by the time everything started going downhill with my Grandma.  On that Sunday, we went to church together and then were making lunch at my apartment.  I asked him if he planned on sticking around in my life for awhile, and he laughed and said, "I hope so!"  I said, "Good, I hope so, too.  So can I tell my family about you?"  He replied with a smile, "Yep.  I've already told my family about you."  So the night before she died, I told my family about him, and specifically asked my Dad to tell my Grandma about him.  Literally every time I spoke with her on the phone, she would say, "So, do you have a boyfriend yet, honey?"  My dad said he told her about him, and she was "plum tickled."  :)  I love my Grandma and I miss her, but I KNOW she is smiling down on me and is THRILLED that I have a special someone in my life who is so amazing and is making me so, so happy.

And the Rough News Is...

Marjorie Montana Hogan Forsman

We lost another family member last month. My 95-year-old Grandma Margie passed away on March 27. It was pretty unexpected and sudden, but that in itself was a blessing. In all reality, she was 95. She lived a good, long life, and at the end, she was tired and ready to go. But losing a loved one is never easy, even when you know all that is true, and it's been tough on my dad to lose his mom.

Grandma's high school graduation photo--so beautiful!

My parents were with her in Montana when she passed away. The truth is, I think she was just waiting for my dad to get there. She had been in the hospital for a couple weeks having some trouble with her heart and maintaining her oxygen levels, but she was released from the hospital the day they got up there. They took her home (she still lived alone in her own apartment right until the very end) to see how she would do. After a couple days she was very exhausted due to low oxygen levels, and they decided she would need to be in a nursing home. She literally spent less than 24 hours in the nursing home before she was readmitted to the hospital, then died early the next morning--which is exactly the way she wanted it to be--she was way too independent to spend one more second in a nursing home.

My family asked me to pick the scripture readings and the music for the funeral service, as they were all stressed out and exhausted and I was a little more removed since I wasn't in the thick of it.  I had to do a little research on Lutheran funerals since I'd never been to one before, but it all worked out.  Amy and Sterling and I did the music (four songs--Ster played two and I played two, and Amy and I sang all four), and our former aunt sang another.  It was a little crazy trying to hammer out the details with my family and the pastor and me on speaker phone while we were driving over the Rockies, but it all turned out, and it was beautiful.

Sharing the backseat with the rugrats...

Amy and Ster and I, with both dogs in tow, made the 10 1/2 hour trek to Montana together in their new Subie.  Sterling was a rockstar and drove almost the entire way both directions.  We stayed with our Grandma Laverne (a good family friend we've grown up calling "Gram" but is actually not related to us) about five miles out of town, which was a HUGE blessing.  She took care of the dogs while we were tied up with family and the wake and all the family drama (of which there was plenty), and it was nice to be able to run away from everything at night and go stay out at her house in the country.  Plus she is totally laid-back and HILARIOUS, which was definitely a breath of fresh air in many ways.

I also had the amazing blessing of a dedicated sweetheart who was a HUGE support throughout all of this.  From the moment I told him my Grandma was sick, he asked about her, prayed for her, and supported me through the whole thing.  The night I found out she was dying, as soon as I told him he instantly offered to come over, and when she actually passed away, he insisted I let him take me out for dinner that night, then we snuggled on the couch and prayed for her together (which was his idea--so sweet).  He was 1000% supportive, texting me all day long and talking to me every night, letting me vent and process and talk about everything that was going on.  He was amazing.  He IS amazing.

One of the only family photos we have of this side of the family.

We were able to meet some cousins we'd never met before (they are much older than Amy and me), so that was fun.  They had come from Oklahoma and California, and it was fun to spend some time with them.  We went out to a big family dinner with lots of people both nights, which was awesome.  Amy and I were asked to create a slideshow for the service, so we spent a lot of time working on it on Friday.  About six years ago my Grandma's water heater exploded and her house burned to the ground.  Obviously it was a huge tragedy, but in some ways it was a blessing in disguise, as it meant we didn't have 95+ years worth of accumulated stuff to go through that weekend.  It also meant, however, that most of her things were lost in the fire, so we didn't have a lot of photos to work from for this slideshow.  We ended up using my camera to take photos of the photos that were available, then threw the slideshow together on my laptop.  It was a lot of work, but it ended up being really nice.  And it kept us both pretty busy so we were able to avoid a lot of the craziness going on around us, which was also nice.

One of the best family photos we have!

It was great to be able to spend some time with our folks, despite the circumstances, and it was fun to be able to see my dad spoiling his grown up nieces, who he hadn't seen in many years.  They love him so much, and he clearly loves them, too.  They told us stories about him taking them horseback riding and driving them around town when he was a teenager and they were kids.  It was really cute.  It was a crazy four days (including two long days in the car), and yes, there was drama, but there was also a lot of laughter and conversation and love, and I think our Grandma would have been pleased with the send-off she received.

Gorgeous rainbow over the church before the funeral.

As we arrived early for the funeral, there was a huge, full, gorgeous double rainbow arcing over the church just as the casket was being unloaded from the hearse.  It was a beautiful reminder of God's promises to us that He is always with us and will never abandon us, and a blessing of peace and reassurance that she is in a better place.







In the eulogy, the pastor likened my grandmother to a hedgehog--soft and sweet and cute if you rub them the right way, but they can also be a little bit prickly.  It was the perfect comparison.  :)  My grandma collected stuffed animals, so before I left, my aunt gave me a sweet little blue and white teddy bear that will (God willing) someday belong to one of my children, so they can have something that belonged to their great-grandma.  It will be a good way to remember her.  Rest in peace, Grandma.  I love you.

So the Good News Is...

I met someone. This is my new(ish) sweetheart. Isn't he cute?!?! He is hilarious and sweet and thoughtful and goofy and smart and he has a heart for God and I am crazy about him. He most recently went to Seattle with me and we met up with Amy and Sterling to spend Easter with my aunt and uncle. He totally charmed my whole family (he has that effect on people). He is truly one of the most unselfish, kind, amazing people I've ever met, and a true Southern gentleman (he lives in Portland, but he's from Louisiana). He also has the most amazing eyes ever. Seriously. *Fingers crossed* I'm sure I'll be sharing much more about this newest development in my life, because I think he's going to be sticking around for awhile. :)

Good News and Bad News...

I'm at a REALLY weird point in my life right now, where I have all this fabulous and amazing stuff going on in my life, but it is tempered by all this stressful and sad and hard stuff going on at the same time. I can't decide if I should share the good news or the bad news first, but I assure you, both are coming soon. :) News of sad endings and happy beginnings soon to come...

Happy 100th Birthday, Girl Scouts!

March 12th was the 100th Birthday of Girl Scouting in the United States!! For those of you who somehow don't know this, I have been a Girl Scout for nearly 25 years, and I can easily say Girl Scouting is one of the major reasons I am the woman I am today.

Girl Scouting taught me how to be strong, independent, and brave. My coworker jokingly tells me I am an expert in everything, which is not true, but because of Girl Scouting I can:

• Teach horseback riding
• Climb mountains
• Speak in public
• Teach rock climbing
• Play the guitar
• Lead groups
• Plan an event
• Teach sailing
• Jump in a lake fully clothed just to make kids laugh
• Teach First Aid and CPR Classes
• Be a Lifeguard
• Appreciate service
• Sing a million songs about just about anything at the drop of a hat
• Call dozens of women all over the country my dear friends
• Teach canoeing
• Get away from a charging moose
• Identify TONS of different plants and wildlife, and give random stories and facts about many of them
• Point out constellations and teach astronomy
• Pitch a tent
• Teach kayaking
• Manage a budget
• Sing dozens of Meal Graces
• Cook for and feed a group anywhere from 3-300+
• Build a fire
• Do the Macarena
• Ease homesickness
• Get (and hold) the attention of a group of any size, from a few to many hundreds of people
• Get along with anyone
• Speak in public
• Cross-country ski
• Fill out paperwork
• Organize and play dozens of games with small or large groups with little to no preparation or supplies
• Throw pottery on a wheel
• Sleep ANYWHERE
• Put together an awesome flag ceremony
• Lead nature hikes
• Dress up and be silly
• Cook DELICIOUS food in a dutch oven
• Set and attain goals
• Pull together a skit for any occasion in less than five minutes
• Appreciate and celebrate diversity
• Fill time with something awesome and fun off the top of my head
• Make the world a better place

Not only CAN I do those things, I HAVE. And this is just a small part of a much bigger list. I owe so much of who I am today to the lessons and ideals I have gotten through Girl Scouting, and especially through camp. Yes, I sold cookies, so I understand that part of it, too, but Girl Scouting for me meant much, much more than that.

When I first moved to England, I was 20 years old and I literally knew NO ONE in London. It was right in the middle of the Salt Lake Olympics, and I was terribly homesick. I knew Pax Lodge, a Girl Scout/Girl Guide World Center, was in London, so I decided one weekend to go there and check it out. It was incredible. I instantly felt like I was at home--there were so many amazing people there from all over the world, and having the bond of Girl Scouting meant that I was instantly accepted and included, and we knew we had things in common. They invited me to the Thinking Day celebration later that week (Thinking Day is an international celebration of Girl and Boy Scouts/Girl Guides that takes place in February every year), and it was an amazing experience to join literally thousands of Girl and Boy Scouts from all over the world at Westminster Abbey, singing "It's a Small World" and other songs that virtually everyone knew. Girl Scouting has always been like a second home to me (and literally was a second home for all those years I spent working at camps). I will be forever grateful for the things it taught me and the woman I've become because of Girl Scouting.

And Now, the Men's Turn: Advice to Teenage Girls

After receiving so many wise, intelligent, brilliant, insightful responses to the question about advice for teen girls from the women in my life, I decided I should give the many kind, respectful, amazing gentlemen in my life the same opportunity to respond. Here are their thoughts:

Advice to Teenage Girls From Amazing Men

I would say to never let boys determine your self-worth. Be confident in who you are and don't compromise your values.

~Kelly (30-something)

Don't sweat it; the boys feel just as nervous.

~David (20-something)

Boys are dumb. :) Seriously, though, don't expect guys to pick up on subtle hints, messages, feelings, etc., especially in high school.

~Matt (30-something)

Go to church.

~Gavin (6ish)

Love yourself and if you want to ever be viewed seriously by a guy as a human, then dress beautifully, but modestly.

~Joe (20-something)

There's plenty of drama in high school, but if you refuse to get dragged into it, you'll really stand out.

~David (20-something)

Don't let other people determine what YOU will/want to do in life.

~Chris (30-something)

Don't worry about what society and culture says.

~Brandon (30-something)

Always be nice.

~Scott (10ish)

One thing that stands out is how women dress. You can be gorgeous and modest at the same time. Men will respect you for it!

~Mark (30-something)

Look at the way a boy treats his mother and sister and understand that is usually the way he will treat his wife and female co-workers when he grows up. If they don't treat mom and sis with respect it isn't magically going to change.

~Kevin (50-something)

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I am beyond blessed to have so many gentlemen of amazing integrity and values who honor and respect women, and I thought these were AMAZING pieces of wisdom to share with all of us. Thanks, men!

Advice to Teenage Girls, Part 2

Advice to Teenage Girls from Women Who Have Been There

Be outgoing. Participate in events at school and church. Smile--it lifts your spirits and others' around you. Be active in group sports or individual spots. Wear sunblock, your skin will love you when you are 50.

~Angela (30-something)

Be modest. Take care of yourself and dress like you're worth a million bucks, because you are. Believe in yourself. You are important and no one can do what you can do in our world. Take pride in that.

~Katie (30-something)

DREAM BIGGER!!!!

~Alison (30-something)

I would tell my teenage self to just be me and do what makes me happy. Those girls that you are trying to press and be friends with, you will only be seeing them at reunions, and they are never as great as you thought they were 10 years before! You will still be in contact with the people who were your real friends.

~Jennifer (30-something)

I would tell my teen self: Know that you are valuable and important in this world. You deserve and should expect respect.

~Peggy (50-something)

You are beautiful. There are lots of boys who would like to talk to you. No, really, YOU! That girl who thinks this doesn't apply to you, you are who I am talking about. I had no clue I was attractive, thought I was too tall and sporty, too strong, my hair was too curly. I didn't think I was ughly, I just had no idea that I was beautiful. And all those boys, they were just too nervous to say hi because I was so damn hot and they didn't think they were good enough fo rme! Also, ignoring someone does not mean you are flirting with them. It's really okay to flash that beautiful smile and be friendly and actually get to know new people. Having one conversation doesn't MEAN anything is goin to happen, but it is still fun and I promise you--You will make their day!

~Jaime (30-something)

Waiting until you are married is the only way to give your whole self to someone. Every person you are with, you give them a little bit of yourself.

~Sarah (30-something)

Girls are mean--don't try to fit in, be yourself and don't apologize for it.

~Rachel (20-something)

No matter what, there is good and there is bad in every situation. You want to talk about winning the lottery? Guess what, you have to pay taxes and that's really expensive. So you can focus on the taxes or you can focus on winning the lottery, and you have to decide which side you look at. Every situation has a good side and a bad side, and it's up to you how you choose to look at it. You can laways find good in any situation, but the reverse is also true. If you're always focused on the negative, it doesn't matter the situation, you will always be unhappy.

~April (early 30s)

Don't be afraid to go out and do things by yourself. If you want to do something, don't wait until you can convince one of your friends to go with you! just go see that cool new movie/take that class/volunteer for that organization. Who knows, you might meet new people that you would then have something in common with!

~Kayleigh (20-something)

Don't worry so much about what other people think.

~Marian (60-something)

Imagine a circle and yourself in the ring of the circle with all others, holding hands in the game of life--you are not, nor do you want to be, in the center!

~Debbie (50-something)

My years as a teen in our schools was not a happy time for me, but looking back I really wished that someone would have told me...You will be hurt. You will be disappointed. Things will happen that are unfair. And it's all out of our control except how we handle it. Even if it's unbearable inside, keep a smile on your face and know that you are a beautiful daughter of our heavenly father, have confidence in yourself that regardless of what others might think. Believe in yourself. Believe that with every negative aspect of your life you can take control by adding positivity and beauty. We have THAT power. It's our super power.

~Katie (early 30s)

The teenage years are so hard! Find your true friends and don't give up on your dreams. Girls can do anything! But girls are so mean to each other, too. Don't be judgmental, you don't know what is going on in other people's homes and families.

~Andrea (20-something)

If you are "popular" in high school...nobody cares about that after you graduate. Really. Nobody cares. Nobody. Be kind. If for no other reason, you're going to attend your 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th and beyond high school reunions and you don't want to feel bad about the way you treated people.

~Ann (50-something)

Spend more time honoring and celebrating family time.

Sarah (20-something)

Don't sweat the small stuff, and listen to your parents, they are probably right.

Lauren (20-something)

"Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." God blessed girls with their own personality, find your talents, and use them! God answers many prayers through other people. Use your talents to bless those around you.

~Andrea (20-something)

I would tell my teenage self that patience is a virtue and the butterfly will emerge from teh cocoon before you realize it. Also, not to place your self-worth on if a boy is talking to you or not, but from the love you receive from family and friends. That is where the true worth comes into play. Life isn't simple or easy, it's tricky and complicated...how amazing is that? Surroud yourself by those you trust and love, and the experience will be wonderful.
(And listen to your parents.)

~Belinda (early 30s)

If I could go back and tell my teenage self something, it would be, "Don't waste your time with those losers. You'll get your fair share of good guys and bad guys. Always be open to God's will for you, and for God's sake, nobody wants to see your ass crack!"
~Ciera (20 something)

Don't be in such a hurry to "grow up." Be an adult, be independent, but GO TO COLLEGE and enjoy the college experience. I didn't do that and now I regret it. One can always go back to school, but that time in your life is the only time one can truly fully experience "college" (roommates, college games, study sessions with all your single friends), etc. I don't regret getting married and having babies early, but I wish I would have also seen the value in going away to school and doing the roommate/college thing, too. I feel I missed out on something special there.

~Hope (30-something)

There will always be someone smarter than you, thinner than you, faster than you. Be humble. You will always be smarter than someone, thinner than someone, faster than someone. Be kind.

~Erika (30-something)

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It was such a privilege and a blessing to hear from all these wise, insightful, strong, beautiful women, and to be able to share their words with this group of girls. Please feel free to share any of these gems of inspiration with anyone who might be able to benefit from them...even if you are just young at heart, I think these are good pieces of wisdom for all of us to hear.