Bucket List of the Birthday Variety...

23 Things to do before I turn 23…

And when I say 23, I of course mean 21…for the 3^rd time. I decided that since my age is starting to creep up on me, I better be doing fantastic things (or un-fantastic things that I’ve never done/haven’t done in a while) in the meantime. Included are things like:

1. Go to Yellowstone- check

15. Own a Yellowstone shirt- check (it’s a classy little number…)

6. Learn a song on the guitar- (Only Exception, check)

14. Make Roast- check (ok, not that exciting but an accomplishment nonetheless)

Still left to cross off are:

10. Finish my nursing class- hello, 20 page paper.

4. Finish the Book of Mormon- only 300 pages left!

3. Do a cartwheel…now despite the time constraints of the other things to do, THIS one makes me the most nervous because it might, seriously, turn out to be physically impossible. That’s why it’s written in pencil.

7. Learn to crochet- I felt like it was appropriate considering my advancing maternal age.

Despite all the reading and rushed homework and practicing (on guitar and cartwheels), the one that has been REALLY challenging is:

23. NO Diet Coke for 23 days.

Seriously.

Day 2 was among the top 7 worst days of my life but since then it hasn’t been nearly that rough.

Why am I doing it? A couple reasons. 1, I’ve never done it before and now when people say I can’t quit, I can correct them with a polite “Yes I can, and I’ll bust you in the kneecaps too.”

2, because let’s be honest, I am kind of dreading 23 … for some reason it just sounds so much older and decrepit than merely 22. BUT if I start the day off with a 64 oz. mug full of Diet Coke, it will be nothing but a very pleasant Thursday.

Thanks to my love of this time of year AND the realization that my time here is coming to an abrupt halt, I have been having the time of my life. How am I supposed to study when I’m so busy picking up autumn leaves?

Also on the list is #8- Write a new blog post- CHECK.

Crazy Flower Lady

Which is, for those of you who are not aware, only a few precarious steps away from crazy CAT lady. About this abundance of flowers on my mini pocket-size front porch- Its not my fault. If you lived in Rexburg Idaho, where spring seems like a distant dream, you would be like this too. Another justification, I had to plant 6 pots of flowers because of Earth day 2011. Some other Earth Day requirements: Leaf earrings, spring clothes despite the not-spring weather (Here are my flowers with a background of snow. I got punked again...Jenny- 17 Idaho- 327), digging things out of the trash to put them in their riteful place amid other recyclables, AND Disneynature African Cats! Kind of emotional, it was touch and go there for a while. After Earth Day came EASTER and Egg Dying of course. I'm glowing in this pic, not because I'm pregnant, probably because of my intense love of holiday festivities and or my tasteful pastel shirt. Then there was- wait. It's MAY? How? How did that happen? It seems like December was just yesterday but my half birthday is indeed almost here. [Maybe i'm turning 22.5, maybe i'm not and never will]. Speaking of time flying, I just recieved some great advice via phone from my Grandma Marzell (She understands me). I was explaining to her that I would appreciate it if she would decide what I should do after my big bad graduation in December.

Grandma: Haha. Oh my. For every worry under the sun, there is a remedy or there is none. If there be one, go and find it. If there be none, never mind it.

Me: Ok I'll give you some more time to think about it then. I will also write that somewhere that allows me to see it really often...most likely the candy drawer.

Here Comes the Sun

But seriously. The snow is melting, the sky is (occasionally) blue, and March is treating me like a princess. March isn't for madness, despite popular campus belief, March is for miracles people! Or...Marchacles if you will. Here are the top six reasons that Spring and I are becoming fast friends:

6. March is the month I am updating my long-neglected blog...marchacle.

5. Our girl scout cookies came on March 1st...it was a sign. Marchacle.

4. Bettie Anne Sorensen came to visit me alll the way in Idaho! Lucky for her, temperatures that week skyrocketed into the high 30's and not only that, diet coke was on sale! How? How could we be so fortunate? I'll tell you how...Marchacle.

3. Cement and even a few blades of grass began to reappear beneath the melting snow. I started being able to walk outside without wanting to cry and I even went to class a few times with only one sweater. A shining sun? Marchacle.

2. We found a deck on the side of our apartment complex. Some would say that we simply didn't notice it until two days ago, but in actuality, it didn't exist until March came and made it appear. Thank-you, March, for a place to have picnics and ridicule pedestrians walking by. Marchacle.

1. All Marchacle bidnazz aside, here is the real number one reason that I love March this year:

1 year ago this month, Gary (who is my favorite brother named Gary...) was diagnosed with brain cancer in the form of a golf-ball sized tumor. After coming out of brain surgery like a ninja, he went through a year of radiation and chemotherapy. This March, he is cancer free and still employed as a literal ninja. Of all the marchacles I've ever experienced, THIS one makes me realize how truly blessed I am. I loooove my family and can't wait to see them (and the REAL sun) in less than THREE weeks.

That's it for now...I have a hot date with the Library...it is literally hot in there. Until next time, may the Miracles of March lighten up your post-winter time the way they have mine! MARCHACLES ALL AROUND!

No news is GOOD news!

For reals. Although i haven't updated my blog since September (and only FIVE times in the last year...disgraceful) I have a lot of things to discuss/be grateful for. First item of business:

*My classy job is, unfortunately, over.

Apparently everyone on earth already got their flu shot...from ME! I would like to present a portfolio of sorts in honor of my dearly departed FIRST job as a nurse. I was compiling photos throughout the season to form, what i call, the Sam's Club Chronicals.

Sadie liked to come visit me at sam's club.

This is a screaming child who layed on the Walmart floor for 20 minutes. Hahaha.

It was truly a treat to sit across from the As Seen On TV aisle. DO YOU NEED THIS?

Of all the places i pedaled flu shots...I think Food City in downtown phoenix was my favorite. To pass the time, I counted piniatas. *Side note: When i tell people i speak "un poquito spanish" I mean that i can count to ten (something i learned during labor and delivery clinicals at Maricopa...classy). Well it only took once to realize that they think that "un poquito spanish" means that they can talk to me very very quickly and i will understand. Lesson learned.

My food city bff, Juan. He told me i could call him John because i am a gringa. A few fun facts you should know about John: He is 76. His bike got stolen outside the store. He then walked home to get a second bike. With bike #2 in place, he sat at the edge of my table for three hours so that, incase someone tried to steal his bike again, he could "beat the....outta them." He also bought me some M&Ms. We are truly true friends.

Really Bashas? "Crusty" bread? Couldn't you think of another word that doesn't also describe a creepy pedifile?
Some other favorite flu shot lady moments:

-When that guy told me I have "the lightest hand in the world." Yatata, i'm so good at everything.

-When everyone who walked by wanted to tell me blonde jokes allll day.

-The guy who argued with me because, apparently, i'm too young and my hair is too blonde to be a nurse...thank-you for that sir.

-I love Sam's Club Hot dogs.

Ok Ok, enough of those sweet memories. Here is a serious update:

I was BABY MAMA for halloween. Wonderful.Not pictured here is my fierce side bun and three inch wedges.

Now for even BIGGER news. Bigger than my pregnant girl costume or the fact that it is almost december which means its almost my birthday and Christmas. What is it, you ask? Well. I've decided what i'm going to do with my life! After graduation i was at a complete loss as to what i even wanted to do now that i had my big bad RN degree and lots of time on my hands. Loooong story short, I had an idea, felt great about it, ran with it, and now i'm moving to IDAHO.

Yep. Yes you heard right. I started applying to BYU-Idaho and everything just kinda...worked! I got accepted and applied to the RN to BSN program and just got my acceptance letter a few weeks ago. I felt that, although the idea was kind of from left field (i hope you appreciate my athletic jargon), if it was right then things would just work out. Thats EXACTLY what they did. I was able to get some student loans and even got a $200 dollar grant-I'll try not to spend it all one one book. (About this grant, i had to send in a thank-you letter along with a picture of myself...it took hours to find a picture of me where i wasn't a)wearing and ugly sweater or b)dressed as a pregnant girl, classy.) ANYWAY, moral of the story: I'm so grateful. I feel soooo good about this and I'm learning that the Lord's plans for me are SO much better than my plans for me. Come January, I will be making the trek to the frozen land of Rexburg and, although i'm devastated that I can't take my Mother with me, I couldn't be more thrilled. What do you think??!

Just me and my ADD.

That's right. I've been thinking for at least five minutes of a possible theme for today's blog but my thoughts are everywheeeere today so...here's this(oh how i wish juno mcguff was here to sell me some of her adderal). We'll start with a question-the same one i posed approximately 1 looong year ago: WHAT AM I GOING TO BE FOR HALLOWEEN??? It has to be kind of epic. This is me (pictured here with Christy Dobbs) as Alice in Wonderland.

LOVED that costume. I'm all out of options for this year except i might be a Pregnant cheerleader-not just any pregnant cheerleader mind you, Quinn Fibre from Glee...I feel pretty good about that. Speaking of Halloween, I'm having Halloween wall withdrawls. It. Was. Magic. Since i'm not doing any decorating or fall festivities this year, I settled on this find for only $1 at Target. These are to show my true love of all hallows eve and the fall season

Beautiful right?

Speaking of beautiful things(here is where the attention span problems kick in), this is a picture from where i sit at my flu shot table when i work at Bashas.

This is only a truly great picture if you notice that all day, i sit directly across from the Preparation H, Metamucil, Laxatives, and other great things.

Hm...what else have i been up to this week besides watching sesame street and staring at awkward medications? On Tuesday i accompanied my dad to a college fair so that i could spend time with him/hand out eac pens. While there, i remembered that teenagers frighten me...and then there was Jonathan. Now this is the part where I seem creepy even though I'm actually not. Jonathan is in the ROTC and was assigned to help my dad out all night. Yes, yes he is a sophomore in highschool. BUT HE WAS SO PRECIOUS. He kept following us around offering snacks and making awkward jokes with the people who walked by-i found myself saying quite a few times "ya ta ta...oh jonathan!" I had to take a picture to capture his preciousness.

I know what you're asking: if Jonathan was so great, why doesn't he get the good deed award? Well I regret to inform you that he is not eligable seeing as it was his job to follow us around and awkardly make small talk with everyone around us. DON'T WORRY. I found someone else. She is a truly true good person who helped me see the beauty in life. Unfortunately, by the time i realized that she was to star in my next blog post, she had already left and i was unable to see her nametag. In my head her name is something like Priscilla or Kathleen but i guess we'll have to wait until i work at the safford Wal-mart again to see for sure. Yes. Yes this good deed happened in the middle of a classy flu shot clinic at Wal-mart. It was kind of an awful day and i was magnetically drawn to the chocolate at the check-out line(don't judge). I picked up a large bag of Tear 'n Share M&Ms (which i had no intention of sharing), knowing that after those, the rest of the shift would become 100% more bearable. The grand total came out to $1.03 and since i get intimidated by impatient-looking people in line behind me, i just gave her two dollars so i wouldn't have to search fruitlessly for 3 pennies in my purse (the same purse that an old man had earlier called a suitcase.) This is when my tried and true bff Priscilla threw the second dollar at me and said very sweetly "Oh hunny! I don't want you to break your dollar!!!! I'll cover you!!" Now i shouldn't have been surprised because earlier that day she told me i was pretty and i should have known then and there that we were destined to be best friends. Needless to say, i walked away with, not only a big big bag of m&ms, but a brand new best friend as well. Cheers Priscilla, cheers.

It takes a little time sometimes...

to update my blog/life.

The agenda for today's post includes a little of the factual filling in on the recent events of my life and then we will move on to a newly invented section of my blog...the "Good Deed Award." I know, you are excited. As well you should be, for this is a very prestigious honor.

My recent life happenings-

1. I graduated! Yes, that's NURSE Jenny to you, thank-you very much. This is me with my parents who bore me right after my pinning ceremony-i miss theeeem.( And someday when i'm making lots of money i will pay them back for being such great parents.) After that i passed my state boards and then preceded to job search and watch Say Yes to the Dress for three months.

2. I sold my car! For $500 dollars. Here she is on our last trip to the Minute Mart for a soda. I truly miss her.

3. I bought a new car (when i say new i mean 2008 but who is even keeping track?)!! Any ideas/requests for classy names for my new baby? I love it (the gender has not yet been selected...)

4. I got a job! It only lasts till the duration of the flu season but i'm excited nonetheless. I giggle to myself when people excitedly say things like "Oh you're off to save lives" when in actually this job just requires me to give shots at classy places like Wal-mart and Food city. Me...living the high life.

5. I moved to gilbert. To be closer to said job and also to be Sadie's nanny. I've been busy teaching her things like the sign language for "please" and more importantly how to say my name. We currently spend our days together eating nilla wafers, watching Wiggles, and just living the thug life.

6. Oh wait. Thats actually all.

Whew! Glad thats over, now on to more important things. I've invented the Good Deed Award to honor deserving good samaritans. You know, someone who inspires me, someone who has restored my faith in humanity adn gives me hope for the future and all that jazz.

Today's award goes to.... (drum roll please) Mr. Harkins Theater Cup Safety Provider!!!!!! Congratulations, boy whose real name i don't know! How did he earn this honor? Well it's kind of a scary story. My sister Amy and I had just watched "The Switch" (you know, the one with J. Aniston about artificial insemination and hi-jacked pregnancies-so funny) and while walking out of the theater, i made the worst mistake of my life-i mean even worse than wearing those overalls in the fourth grade. I threw away, i repeat threw away, our Harkins $1 refills cup. What else do you expect??? I'm not used to such high-class things!! Well needless to say Amy looked at me like I had thrown her child in the trash bin. I leaned down to get it out, what other choice was there, and had just started to say "don't judge me." This is when an angel in an ill-fitting polo shirt swooped down with grace and poise and picked up my discarded valuable posession!!! Who does that?! Did i want to hug him, the rescuer of all refills and diet coke? YES. Instead i settled for a flattered "Thank-you so so much!" that came out waaaay louder than expected. Needless to say, i walked out with a lighter step, a grateful heart, and a dirty, but valuable, Harkins cup. Thank-you for that, Mr. Harkins Cup Safety Provider, Thank-you.

The strange new concept of Thursdays...

will take some serious getting used to. Why, you ask, am i completely unfamiliar with this ordinary week day? Well i'll tell you. For the last six (count them SIX) weeks, clinicals have been monopolizing(please note the impending tyrant-like font) all my time and energy. side note* also at clinicals, i (being the stand up athlete that i am) managed to roll both ankles...by...walking. Yes. Walking. On flat surfaces.* This-clinicals not the sports injuries, my friends, is why my poor baby blog has suffered such great neglect. BUT i am proud and ecstatic to announce that i'm done with clinicals...FOREVER! That is also why my blog has been postless: nothing exciting or entertaining has happened. I'm just trying to past at least a few tests so i can make it to the end of school. Thats right-it's almost time for graduation (May 14th to be exact...feel free to mark your calendars) which means i don't have to wear anymore ill-fitting purple scrubs that don't match and that awful name tag that gives off the impression of a unibrow- and after that (and after i pass the extremely hard state test and find out what i want to do with my life AND miraculously manage to find a job in this garbage dump of an economy) i will be a NUUUUUURSE. so scary. BUUUT that is still faaar away. Until then, da da da daaaaaaa-i have many awkwardly free thursdays to twist my life into something midly entertaining and post it for all the world to see. P.S. it smells like spring outside. And what a wonderful Thursday it will be...

I knew i would love it.

December I mean. Obviously it's been a wonderful and busy month...why else would I have neglected my baby blog for an entire 4 weeks? Some things that happened this month:

• MY BIRTHDAY was so much fun. I got a clothes steamer which i have been wanting for so so so long. And also dun dun dun!!! BABY LAP TOP CAME BACK. What a great night.
• I was stricken with insomnia for 2 weeks, worried that i would FAIL nursing block 3. DON'T WORRY! I passed my important tests AND the semester!
• CHRISTMAS NIIIIIGHT was so much fun. Not the actual night of Christmas of course. Just a precursor to get us into the Christmas spirit. I have pictures to post but they're mostly of some ugly Christmas sweaters we found at the thrift store. Speaking of those sweaters...Brady said he would wash them and forgot to tell me that he didn't until after i was wearing it. Gross. But it was a successful Christmas night after all and i walked away without a rash or any kind of disease.
• The ugly sweater party! I LOVE UGLY SWEATERS. The one i got at DI was a little long so i spent a looong time at the thrift store trying on every belt in there to make sure i came out with the very most tacky one possible. I FOUND IT. Pictures coming up!
• My very best friend Megan came to be the special musical guest and preform in The Messiah. Best friends day every day, sleepovers, and lots of r&r bread sticks. I miss her.
• NO MORE SCHOOL for almost a month! What a wonderful thing.
• And last but certainly not least: CHRISTMAS. All the brothers came with my wonderful sisters in law and my two adorable nieces. After i got done wrapping the gross number of presents that had me barricaded into my room, it was SO FUN.

See? December HAS been wonderful. I love spending time with my family and Nate and Amy are here allll week with baby Sadie! But i must warn you of something dangerous. Last night i peeled potatoes until my hands cramped up and MOM slaved away making a delicious potato soup. The bowls were set out, the rolls were made, and I was starving. Then I heard a devastated "Oh NOOOO." Yes. While putting the finishing touches on the soup, mom accidentally poured EGG NOG (which was mixed into a carton of milk...thank-you, father) into our dinner. We decided to make a night of it and added diet coke, m&ms, some jalapeno juice, apple juice, chili powder, and cocoa (among other things) to the egg nog soup. The good news is: this situation awarded me the perfect moment to punk my favorite cousin Clint. Yep. He ate it. Needless to say, we went to Arby's.

My long lost love,

December, and i are about to be reunited. I am in love with this winter month for these top 7 reasons:

• A very important event coming up in approximately 2 days. You should know. Here is a hint: After almost 21 years, the parents have learned my tricks and have successfully thwarted every recent attempt I've made to peek at presents for that upcoming very important day of my birth anniversary.
• CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS/lights/treats/crafts. You know how i love holidays and the festivities that accompany them.
• Da da da da daaaaa, da da da da daaaaa, da da da da daaa daaaaaaa(Christmas music der. I'll give you all my love and affection if you guess what song that is).
• NO SCHOOL for at least a few weeks. I. LOVE. MY. LIFE.
• Brisk winter walks, of course.
• December= Baby lap top will be back soon!
• F-A-M-I-L-Y time. The brothers are not with their in-laws which is great news for me and the parents this Christmas season! Baby Kennedy(who is not such a baby anymore) is gearing up for some exciting sleep-overs with aunt Jenny; and little Sadie Bug is almost 4 months old and can say my name if you listen really closely. Kind of. Speaking of family: my baby blog is usually full wit and exaggeration as opposed to being informative and thoughtful BUT i will make an exception to tell you how much i LOVE my brothers, Gary, Nathan Kim, and Justin. Its true. Also, my life has improved greatly since they all found eternal companions (not only because i get more fashionable presents...) Any you already know about my love for the ever understand parents. THEY are what i love most about this Christmas Season.

In other news: CHRISTMAS NIGHT is coming up this week! Pictures coming! Possibly...The last Christmas night we had was a huge success and it was in September so I'm really excited because this one is LEGIT. Speaking of...I'm off to replenish the craft drawer! And watch some Cake Boss/Say Yes to the Dress re-runs seeing as i have, as of late, had a nasty bout with insomnia. Great.

Sometimes my life is a freak accident

and i wish i was joking friends. I know i know; i often exaggerate. But this time I'm not and i promise. Remember how my life is carnie? Well here is the most recent tragic example:

It was a dark stormy Sunday night and my fake carnie family was just haaaanging out when...ALL OF A SUDDEN someone (who shall not be named...cough cough-brady) threw a canister of lotion at me. What else could i do but throw it back? But here's the part i forgot in the whirlwind of all of this monkey business: I'M TERRIBLE AND THROWING AND SPORTS AND ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH ANYTHING FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. It didn't help that the culprit turned sideways and happens to be super skinny...Anyways. Back to the story. So my terribly aimed throw catapults my Satan's spawn lotion through the air. This is the part where i covered my mouth. YES. What you're thinking is right. The object spewed from my very own grasp hit the screen of my brand new baby lap top that is only 2 and a half months old. And it SHATTERED. I won't tell you what i kept saying but there was a few "I HATE MY LIFE'S" mixed in there I'm sure. Jessica said i handled the situation like a classy lady. I choose to believe her biased views. Needless to say i wanted to throw up all over the place seeing as how I'm currently jobless and have no money. After I went home and woke up the parents...I started with reminding them that i am not pregnant so we should all be glad for that. And then i sobbed out the story and said something like "And then i threw it and i don't know why!!! I knew i shouldn't because you know my aim! That's why I'm not in organized sports!!! HHHHH!" This is where i tell you how much i love my parents. They weren't mad. In fact they may have reacted worse when i told them that i dropped my phone in a bowl of ramen noodles. Moral of the story: my blog may suffer from lack of baby lap top around. More important moral of the story: I LOVE THE PARENTS SO MUCH. That's all today so until the next unbelievable ridiculous carnie thing happens to me, remember my carnie life and DON'T THROW THINGS.