beaches and stones.

Hooray for kidney stones. Bahhh, not.
So on Saturday, I went to the beach and had a lovely day.. on the way home I started feeling a pain in my side. As the night went on it got worse and worse. I barely got any sleep and started feeling super nauseated. At 6 a.m. S took me to the ER and I was there for about 5 hours. Now I'm medicated and just ready to pass this thing. I'm terrified though because I heard it's worse than giving birth. gahhhhhhhh
I'm pretty sure this was caused by me not taking care of myself my last month in St. George. I never drank water.. and when I looked it up.. Kidney stones seem to be caused by dehydration.
Moral of the story: drink water. seriously. this pain is not worth it!! haha I hope I get better soon. I miss playing with T! I barely saw her today and it was weird.


Anyway, enough complaining about kidney stones.
The beach was seriously amazing! It made me so happy. It was just me, the sand, the ocean, and my thoughts. I went to a place called Oceanside Harbor, it's a little harbor that is pretty small and kind of hidden.. so not many tourists go there. It was pretty chilly outside and people were surfing! Diehards.

:)

DMV.

I get to go to errbody's favorite place today: The DMV. YAY. naaaaat.

I had to make an appointment like a week ago to take the written test for a California Driver License. Why is the DMV always so busy? I don't get it. Well, wish me luck.. haha if I don't pass this thing I will laugh at myself. I've been reading through the handbook and it reminded me of the time my two friends Kaylie and Lindsay called me while taking the test at the DMV and asked me to look up some answers for them. hahahahh funniest thing ever.

I am feeling so blessed. I have the greatest job ever!! Yesterday my day consisted of baby ballet, starbucks, babies r us, lunch, laying out in the 77 degree sunny weather and reading, play time with the play group, and the best part of the night was playing Just Dance on the 360 kinex thing.. I don't know if that's how it's spelled. Whatever. I am in love with it! I want it for my birthday now. (First I have to get an Xbox 360 though, haha)
I love T so much. She is such a sweetheart. A few days ago we were playing at this giant indoor playground called Playwerx (picture below), she and I were on opposite sides of this net thing and she looked up at me and said, "Kiss?" so we kissed through the net, cutest thing ever.

playwerx

I just took the dogs for a walk, and this is what they look like now. haha pooped.

happy happy joy joy.

I'm excited it's friday, I am going to the beach this weekend! I am so excited. Finally!

Mondayyyy.

update-

20 by 20 is going swell. I have now completed
4 books, 3 movies, and 4 letters. Yay!
My latest read-

Okay- Richard Bach has got me once again. He is the author of one of my most favorite books, "Illusions." This book is so great! It is about a seagull who wants more than to eat food all day and be lazy. The message behind it is very inspirational. I'd recommend it: especially for my "Illusions" girls.

My latest flick- 

I'm sure most of you have seen it, haha it's so funny! 

Today was a great day!  Went to the gym, took a nap, and played at Kidsville.. a mini town for kids to play in. It reminded me of a lame version of Treehouse Museum. I discovered that there is a FOREVER 21 SOOOO close to me! I was super excited when I saw it. 

I have also been singing "There's a dinosaur knocking at my door and he wants to have shabbat with me" all damn day. (The Smiths are Jewish) and T loves listening to that song over and over and over. It's okay though because she is so cute when she sings it. 

I love this little girl. She is so much fun! Tonight during bath time she was splashing everywhere and getting me wet and she thought it was hilarious. Honestly, imagine the hardest baby laugh you've ever heard and that is how it was. Aw precious.

I hope you all have a lovely week. :)

solitude.

Hi all

Okay, this family is seriously the greatest. Today A (the dad) said, "I farted in the dressing room and I'm pretty sure it knocked out the person in the stall next to me." hahahhahahahah they have no idea how much comments like that mean to me. I am still not fully out of my shell yet. I have only been here a week.
They will say things like that, and then follow by saying.. "Jenna probably thinks we are gross people!" haha no way... if they only knew what all of you know about me.

I can already tell after one week of being here that I am definitely supposed to be here. I made the right decision for sure. I had a lot of fun in St George at school, but it was time to be done. The student housing I lived in definitely wasn't making me a better person. I made some great friends there that will last a lifetime but I'm so happy I decided to come here and experience a different adventure for a while.

Social experiment: Go out to eat by yourself. It's interesting. Society has this idea that being alone means you are really lonely in life. They look at you like they feel sorry for you. It is one of the most courageous things to do, in my opinion. Do things by yourself, go to movies, go out to eat.. and I'm not just saying this because I'm in a position in my life right now where that's really my only option. Solitude.
My good friend Ashley's words: "When I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings.."


Best advice. Be alone with your thoughts. Only then do you find your true self. 

sunset.

Things are going great! I love The Smiths. I am already starting to get attached to T. She is so cute and talks a ton. I am literally amazed at how well behaved she is and how many words she can say at 18 months. I can't help but let her in my room when I hear her tiny voice say "open peas?" 

She also keeps me in check in the car.. "jenna buckle safety" every time. hahah

Today we went to the gym, a huuuuge brand new 24 hour fitness, it's incredible. S and I dropped T off at the kid zone and met the nice ladies who work there. It reminded me of the days when Kaylie Layton and I worked at Gold's nursery and oh the times we had. hahahaha we were horrible. I hope that the women who watch T at the gym are nothing like Kaylie and I were. Even though I wouldn't trade those times for anything. I MISS you Kray.

Carlsbad has the greatest sunsets, I took a picture the other night.. 

this is the view from the back yard. (Yes you can see the ocean from the backyard)

San Diago: a whale's vagina.

Hey friends, welp I'm here! I have been here for almost 3 full days now and so far it is fantastic! I haven't done much besides stuff with the family, but I have plentyyyy of time for finding friends, hopefully.

It was so crazy to look out my window taking off in Salt Lake City to see nothing but white, and now I'm sitting here freshly showered after SWIMMING!! It is so great.

The family I'm nannying for, let's call them The Smiths, are super nice and cool. Even now that I'm all settled in nothing has changed, they are still the cool/funny people they were when I first skyped with them. The Smiths live in a very beautiful house in Carlsbad, which is in Northern San Diego. It is a very wealthy area with a lot of young families.

A typical day: wake up at about 7 (that's when T gets up) breakfast for T, play time, etc.. until nap time at 8:30-10:30. From 10:30-1:30 is gym or pool, and lunch. 1:30-3 another nap time. During that time I sleep for a little, read, or talk to friends. 3-6:30 is play time, errands, dinner for T, then at 6:30 is bed time and the rest of the night is mine. S (the mom) is preggers with another babe and due early March. So everything will change when the new baby comes. But for now, that's the routine. Sorry for the detailed run down of my day, but I had a few people ask what my day was like.. so there it is.

So I took a few pictures of my room and the house and such, here it is...

The park right across the street

ohai pats.

Anyway, I'll keep you all updated as much as possible. For now, it is 75 degrees and fantastic!

This is it.

First of all- A Big Happy Birthday to my bro Jordan! Big 22! yeaaaaaa boiiii.

Next, I need to say that I have THE BEST family and friends. Amazing. They faced the crazy weather last night and made it to say goodbye to me at Uncommon Grounds coffee shop. So I'd like to say thank you so much to all of you :) (Especially the ones who drove from Logan)

It was a success and you all have no idea how much it meant to me that you were there. I love you, friends. And to any friends I didn't get to say goodbye to: You know I love you as well!

My mom, dad, and brother gave me possibly the coolest goodbye present ever. It is a cd of all the songs on the mixed tape that Charlie made for Patrick in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In the book, Charlie makes the tape in hopes that Patrick can listen to it on drives or when he is sad.

"I hope it's the kind of second side that he can listen to whenever he drives alone and feel like he belongs to something whenever he's sad. I hope it can be that for him."

 If you've read the book it probably seems a lot cooler and makes more sense. But this gift is so great to me because of my connection with that book. I, of course, got emotional when I started listening to it. 

So here's my update on the 20 by 20:

2 and a half books down- I have been a little slow this week with getting ready to leave, but my current read is 

I hope people don't ruin this series like they did with Twilight, but then again... Twilight was sucky from the start.

I have still only watched 2 movies from my list, and written 2 letters. I am waiting to leave to write the next letter. :) 

Patsy is off and on her way to San Diego! Woo go girl. For those who don't know, Patsy is my car. She is probably going to make it before me. 

The weather for tomorrow in San Diego is sunny and 74 degrees, I am the luckiest. 

Okay you are all probably super sick of reading my posts about leaving, but I leave tomorrow so I will stop talking about it I swear. 

Heeeeeere I come...

Saturdayyy.

The last few days have been absolutely wonderful. I have been spending a lot of time with my friends and it's really good to know our friendships mean a lot. 

Thanks for all the coffee talk, friends. 

Well- I did a little photo shoot for the first time in 7 months! It was so much fun, but freeeezing. I, by no means, would call myself a photographer..  It's just something I like doing and I'm kind of maybe looking into it. Please don't take me posting my pictures as trying to brag or be annoying. Because, let's face it... everyone and their dog thinks they are a photographer these days. 

I didn't get as much variety as I would have liked.. but then again it was freezing and we were getting anxious.

Now for two of my best friends' birthday party tonight! Yay! 

Have a lovely Saturday

xo.

update.

I MOVE IN 8 DAYS! AHHHHH!

Okay well here is my update on the 20 by 20 challenge.

I am 6 days in and I have finished 2 books, 2 movies and one letter. 

My second book-

I really enjoyed this book. It is from the point of view of an 18-year-old British boy. Everything in his life finally starts coming together nicely and in about two seconds  he ruins all of it. I think the reason I liked it so much is because of the writing. It was very clever and it was the first time I have laughed out loud while reading a book. It is also really fun to read out loud with a british accent. ha

My second movie-

Anyone who has seen it will agree it is a definite mind blowing movie. Not only was it so creatively written, but the acting was incredible. Natalie Portman did a fantastic playing Nena.. but my favorite character was Lily, the bad ass/ alter ego of Nena- played by Mila Kunis. I definitely recommend this movie if you don't have a problem with colorful language and a little girl on girl action. pahaha

My first letter is off in the mail. :) 

There is nothing like a hand written letter, honestly.

 

time.

As many of you know.. I am an avid journal-writer.  I am currently on my 12th.
From time to time, I open up my old journals and read them. I love seeing how much I have changed over the years. I am so happy I have kept these journals.. because I realized today (and it's hard to believe) that my self-absorbed junior high self would actually help me with things I'm facing today.

Everything in life happens for a reason, and those events shape us into who we are today. That is probably a no-brainer for most people.. but I don't know, it's just an interesting thing to ponder. What things am I dwelling on in the past that need to be let go and accepted? Just a thought...

I am so thankful for old friends who you know will always be there, even if you go for months or even years without talking.

thanks for everything :) always.