Where I have been, where I am, & where I am going

This will come as an epic shock to you all I am sure, but over the past few months I have spent a lot of time thinking about life. After all I had to do a lot of talking, reflecting, and writing about my life, the twists and turns, the ups and downs, the extraordinary people and the....challenging people who's paths have crossed mine.

I have never been one to like the word 'regret'. I have always tried to live my life with the absence of the word, which might be one reason I lived my life so cautiously and why when I picked up my entire life and moved it to Colorado I did not only shock others but I shocked myself. Have there been situation that I at times wish would have gone differently.....you bet! However, the more I have reflected the more I am able to embrace the ups and downs life has so graciously allowed me to experience.

In life we do things, some we wish we had never done, some we wish we could replay a million times in our heads. But they all make us who we are, and in the end they shape every detail about us. If we were to reverse any of them we wouldn't be the person we are. So just live, make mistakes, have wonderful memories, but never ever second guess who you are, where you have been, and most importantly where it is you're going.

Live life my friends!!

I Believe

I believe everything happens for a reason!
People change so you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right.
You believe lies so that you will eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes, good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

-Marilyn Monroe

Never Alone

During this most recent journey I found myself on I encountered many extraordinary people, people who have changed my life for the better, people who will remain in my life and my heart always. One of these extraordinary individuals shared this song with all of us as she was leaving and heading back home. Many tears were shed when we began to I listen to these beautiful lyrics and I feel as though the message is so poinent as we all began this new year. A year filled with new beginnings, friends worht having, more smiles than grumbles, and above all for us to always remember we are never alone!!

Never Alone by Lady Antebellum

Enjoy & Happy New Year!!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!!

To all those mamas who are military mothers & grandmothers.

Those that have lost a child.

Those that have encouraged their children to reach for the stars.

Those that are no longer with us today.

Those that lead by example.

Those that love unselfishly.

To all the mamas that if not pillars of strength, beacons of hope and example of perseverance we would not be where we are today.

I love you mama...more everyday!!

The ABC's of Wellness

Wellness has been on the top of my mind lately. With stress slowly eating away at me it has become essential to my mental and physical wellbeing that I begin to truly understand wellness, the components and how to implement them into my life. Yes….I run, I bike, I swim, I row, I lift, I walk, I golf (when I can), I eat healthy (most of the time), but there have to be other elements that make up a life of wellness. So I went in search of what wellness really meant and how I could infiltrate it into my life.

Wellness……..what does that really mean?
According to the Mayo Clinic there are 5 components that make up a wellness:
Aerobic Fitness
Healthy Nutrition
Weight Management
Musculoskeletal Conditioning
Stress Management

I am going to spend some time over the next few weeks covering each of these components in detail……but in the mean time I want to share a quote with you that I stumbled upon today while reading about the healthcare crisis in America:
“A serious competitive runner cannot smoke and cannot be overweight. For those who strive to control our healthcare costs, we offer this simple cost effective suggestion: RUN HARD. RUN LONG. RUN HARD FOR A LONG TIME.”

Get out there and run my hommies!
Love ya!!

National Teachers Day

Anybody and everybody that makes this world a better place by just being in it should have a special day in their honor. I think of a lot of people that have done extraordinary things in our history and/or are extraordinary people that have days specifically designed to honor them.

January 15th ……Martin Luther King’s Birthday


February 15th …….Presidents Day


March 17th…….St. Patrick's Day


April 29th…..Mica’s Birthday


May 8th …….Mother’s Day


June 19th ….Father’s Day


July 4th….Independence Day


August 8th ….Shanda’s Birthday


September 5th….Labor Day


October 1st….World Vegetarian Day


November 3rd….Matt’s Birthday


December 25th….Christmas


Today….May 3rd is a day set aside to honor and celebrate those who do something good, important and valuable every day…..our teachers. Teachers help to shape, form and mold us in a positive direction and into the individuals who we become. I can think of many teachers through the years that have impacted my life in a profound and positive way……Mrs. Ports, Ms. Adair, Mr. Wagner, Mrs. Nelson, Mr. Basher, Dr. Ownbey and the list goes on. When I recall all the extraordinary teachers in my life they all have the same attributes….supportive, helping, humble, kind spirited, motivating, patient and positive.

Thank you to all the teachers out there that make this world a better place by helping to shape and mold our great nation!!

Thank you teachers!!
JB

April showers bring May?

Isn’t there a phrase out there that goes something along the lines of…………April showers bring May flowers? Bring on the flowers!!


JB

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

Awwwww summer!

As I mentioned yesterday and as everyone knows with summer comes heat which I do not like, however there are a ton of things I do love about summer:

My tomato, basil, and cilantro garden

Warm evenings on the porch with friends

The lake

Vacations

Visits from family

Cook-outs

Flip Flops

Los Cabos on Friday or Saturday nights

Homemade Ice Cream

My budding Calla Lilies

Early Saturday morning runs along the river

Wedges

Seeing my friends at the gym in the evenings because it is too hot to run outside

Great photography opportunities

Sleepovers with my precious cousin Maggie

Evening bike rides

4th of July

Fresh fruit and vegetable stands

Sundresses

Weekend races

Sunday afternoon’s poolside

Yeah for summer!!!
Jen

Touch my life.

I was driving to work the other day and heard these lyrics............

When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord

When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea

When I cry for help, oh, hear me

Lord and hold out Your hand

Touch my life

Still the raging storm in me.

-Selah

Lyrics that will remain in my mind and heart as I face difficulty and feel I am going under.

Love ya,
Jen

Why I love spring

This evening was extraordinary and I was blessed to have the chance to enjoy it when I went on a walk after leaving the office. While I was enjoying the spender that is spring in Oklahoma I began to think of all the things I love about spring. Here is a short, or maybe long list of spring traits that make me smile..........

Window box flowers

A tide of daffodils

Roadside vegetable stands

The pitcher's mound

A surprise in the garden

Double rainbows

Thunderstorms

Waterfront jogging

Blue peonies

Butterflies playing tag

Easter lilies

Watching a garden grow

White tulips

Watching the sunrise/set

Strawberries

Cookouts

Driving golf balls

Reading on the patio at sunset

Swinging on a swing set

Laying in a hammock

Temperatures in the 70's

Orchids

Napping in the sun

Roses from Lindsay's garden

Super long walks after work

Happy people

Herb gardens


Oh how I love spring!!!

Jen

If only!

Today was an amazing day, let me be more specific it was an amazing weather day if we don't mention the wind. I was able to capture this picture from my office window......

I love my job, and I can't wait to get to work everyday. However,I do have to admit views like this make me want to be on the golf course from time to time.

Love,
Jen

An unexpected hour

In a common place, in an unexpected hour, do we see the beauty around us? Do we stop to appreciate the splendor, or hurry by on our way to an important meeting, a special dinner date, a soccer game, work, or any other "important" aspects of life that fill our time?



I know for myself I need to slow down and enjoy the God given beauty around me.

What is love?

I thought about conferring with Mr. Webster on this one, but then reconsidered. I would guess that we all have a slightly different idea and interpretation of love…..well most any emotion for that matter, but we are just going to stick with love today. When I think about the things I love the same words and images come to mind. To me love is passion, difficult, exciting, requires sacrifice, evokes tears, inspires laughter, allows heartbreak, feels amazing……love is life!

My family…..I love them, very very much. They all encompass everything love is to me. One of those people I love is my grandmother whom we lost a few years ago. Today would have been her birthday, and although I miss her and think about her daily, I also embrace the extraordinary memories we made. From swimming in the incredibly cold water “down at the crik”, to reading books, to picking peaches, to going shopping at this store known as Wall-Mart…..not being from OK I had no idea how big Wall-Mart really was till I was in college. Grandma touched so many lives with her strength, grace, wisdom, compassion, and heart. I love her and I miss her.

Love……..one of the most remarkable feelings that has the potential of feeling the most devastating. But if you ask me I would rather know the feeling of love than live a life free of heartbreak and disappointment.


Jen

I believe.....

I have been reflecting on life the past few weeks, I suppose that is what turning a year older will do for ya. I am going to take this post to be completely candid with you for a moment, being I am sharing my life with you all here in the blogging world I feel there should be no secrets, none at all. All kidding aside, I get frustrated with where my life is from time to time. These frustrating moments always lead me to prayer, which then last night led me to think about all the things I believe in. My faith, hope, belief, and love have single handedly brought me through some rough weather. As I thought of all the different things I believe in I realized my belief system is what keeps me grounded, keeps me real, and keeps me trudging down the right path (or at least I hope it is the right path)…………….

I believe that God has a plan for everyone’s life, and no plan is the same.

I believe that no matter how bad the situation may seem there is always a light at the end of a tunnel and a great lesson to be taken away.

I believe that credentials on a wall do not make someone a decent human being.

I believe that people are going to hurt us every now and then and we must forgive them.

I believe we can push ourselves far longer than we think we can.

I believe that we are responsible for what we do, regardless of how we feel about the situation.

I believe that opportunities are presented that have the potential of changing our lives. We need to grab on with both hands and allow our lives to be changed.

I believe that a true friendship sustains through distance, time, and life.

I believe that a hero is one that does what they feel they have to do despite the consequences.

I believe that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I believe that maturity has more to do with the experience gained and what we learned from them more than it has to do with how many birthdays celebrated.

I believe that it is not enough, to be forgiven by other. Sometimes, we have to learn to forgive ourselves.

I believe that our background and circumstances may influence who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe that those people we care about most in life are taken from us way too soon.

I believe that it will take me a lifetime to become the person I want to be.

Love ya,
Jen

The real meaning behind February 2!

What do February 2, Punxsutawney Phil, and shadows have in common? Yeah, I don’t know either. Groundhogs Day has always been a day on the calendar that I have somewhat disregarded, never putting too much thought into it. However, as I laid in bed this morning, not wanting to get up, I listening to the radio and all the talk about this groundhog and whether he was going to see his shadow or not. At which time it finally hit me....after all of these years, I have absolutely no idea how this totally obscure holiday came to be. So I went to the trusty internet and did some research. My boss should be over the moon that I was 15 mins late to work today. Because, had I not been determined to find the premise behind Groundhogs Day before leaving my house this morning, I am quite certain I would not have been productive at the office, as I would have been totally distracted by Punxsutawney.



I dug and dug and uncovered just what I wanted. February seconds holiday of Groundhogs Day derived from European weather lore explaining that if Mr. Punxsutawney Phil (I am going to make this groundhog a guy for simplify sake, hope this does not offend anyone) emerges from his burrow and does not see his shadow he will leave his burrow. However, on the other hand if he sees his shadow he will return to his burrow for an additional 6 weeks. Which that in and of itself does not add up for me, I would rather stay outside if I can see my shadow, I am positive this is why God did not make me a groundhog in charge of predicting weather. The irony of Mr. Punxsutawney’s prediction is that spring, which typically lands during the third week of March, is 6 weeks (March 20, 2010) from this weather prediction given by a groundhog on February 2. The things that make you go hummmmm?

We are all so much smarter now!

Love ya,
Jen

We Will Never Forget.

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the plane crash that changed the life of any student, faculty, or person associated with Oklahoma State University. I remember where I was January 27, 2001, who I was with, and the absolute shock I felt when we got word that 10 members of the OSU basketball travel team had been killed. It was the first time I experienced how something so large like a university could feel as small as an immediate family.

Today we remember the life, legacy, and memories of the 10 who perished that January day. I never knew or met any of the wonderful men on that plane, yet over the past 9 years I have heard and read some outstanding stories. We honor you, Kendall Durfey, Bjorn Fahlstrom, Nate Fleming, Will Hancock, Daniel Lawson, Brian Luinstra, Denver Mills, Pat Noyes, Bill Teegins, Jared Weiberg you are deeply missed. May these extraordinary men remain in our OSU hearts and etched in our memories forever.

Love,
Jen

In my thoughts and prayers

I know that any of you reading this post today share the same heavy hearts as I do thinking and praying for those lives torn apart by the horrific tragedy in Haiti. A country that is scared by tragedy, the people of Haiti again on Tuesday January 12 suffered an unimaginable loss of love and life in a magnitude 7.0 earthquake.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, more than half the populations living on less than $2 a day. Many Haitians had very little and now most have nothing. I can’t imagine searching helplessly for my loved ones, listening in the night for faint cries of life under the ruble, and living on the streets with an entire nation that in seconds became homeless, helpless, and hopeless; yet this is a reality for people of Haiti.

I have spent some time doing research on humanitarian charities; I have found great respect in the charities listed below. For what it is worth anyone who resides in a place in which they are able to make a charitable donation towards the humanitarian relief effort in Haiti, I highly recommend one of the following organizations, or one that your heart follows.

Doctors Without Boards
UNICEF
American Red Cross
World Vision

May we all keep the victims, families, doctors, volunteers, military personnel, humanitarians, and those who feel led to serve in whatever capacity they can, in our thoughts and prayers during this unspeakable catastrophe.

Love ya,
Jen