Good and bad: recap edition

Since I've been a bad blogger...here is a good/bad list to catch you up on the last six weeks of my life.

Good: My birthday was wonderful. I celebrated a lot and got nice presents from my family and friends.  My sister Jaylene gave me a "senior photo shoot" with our cute friend Andrea which I'm kind of excited but nervous about. We're taking them in August.  Three of my girlfriends chipped in and got me a Brighton charm bracelet and I love it.  It's gold and silver and not an old lady charm bracelet at all. Even in the midst of all of her traveling and packing for London, Kim took the time to spoil me and made me my favorite cake (that I promptly spilled on the floor. See her blog for more details.)  KMZT also spoiled me from afar (she was on a business trip) and had a dozen Trophy cupcakes delivered at work (yum.)  Jaylene stole my camera and also stole bites of cupcakes in the pantry when nobody was looking.  Funny Jaylene.

Bad: I said goodbye to my bosom friend Kim.  She's moving to London, which is wonderful (I'll for sure visit) but oh it's hard not having her around.  I'm grateful that I've been so busy with life / work / trek / etc. but it still stinks that she's not just down the street.  I will blog about saying goodbye to her...that's a post all on it's own.

Good: Before she left, Kim and I saw Mary Poppins at the Paramount and it was simply fabulous.  I highly recommend everyone go see it if it ever comes to your town.  I've seen a lot of shows (and Les Miz and Wicked are still my favorites) but this show was probably the best production I've ever seen.  Top notch and SO fun.

Bad (but also good): I've attended LOTS of camp and trek meetings.  Lots.  Trek starts this coming Wednesday.  Am I ready?  Um, I hope?  My mom has been doing a ton of sewing for me and some people I love.  Here's a pic of my sister Jenilee, Cindy and me modeling the latest in bonnet fashion (well, Jen isn't going on trek - and mom didn't make that bonnet but she had to be in the picture.)  I'm so grateful for a mom who willingly sews anything I need her to do...I am so spoiled. But seriously, this picture cracks me up. Jen looks like she has ears on top of her head.

SUPER good: I've been able to play a lot with my fabulous 2nd YCLs from last year.  I went to graduation, took great walks to prepare for trek, went to a ballroom dance recital, and we had a super fun YCL reunion and more. I know I've said it before but I love these girls so much.  We have the best time together and I'm going to be so sad when most of them leave for Rexburg and other places this fall.  Thankfully, there will be a couple who are staying here so I'll still have friends to hang out with. Phew!

Bad: I currently only have half a functioning bathroom.  My upstairs neighbor's shower had a slow leak and it was ugly.  Thankfully, they fixed it quickly and should be painting the ceiling above my shower tomorrow.

Good: My nephew Nathan got baptized last week and I got to give the Holy Ghost talk.  So fun.  This picture cracks me up...we look like such a happy little family (me, my bro-in-law Matt and Nathan.) I also love having so many nieces and nephews close by...such a blessing!

Bad: I broke my tooth.  I'm officially old.  I narrowly escaped getting a crown...for now...

Good: my mom is taking care of my sister's dog's puppies.  How cute are these dogs???



And another good to end on: I've lost just about 42 pounds this year and I feel really great.  I would have liked to have gotten more off before trek but oh well...I'm happy.

There you go, Callie.  Sorry I made you wait so long for an update on my life.  :)

44

Today's my 44th birthday.  No, I'm not wearing that shirt to work today.

I asked my mom last night what she remembered about the day I was born.  As I said last week, I'm adopted (sorry that shocked some of you.  I seriously feel like an open book and think everyone knows all of my secrets.) Anyway, she said she remembers she was outside working in the garden when the phone rang announcing my arrival.  She said they told her to come in and see her new baby girl.  I seem to remember she used to tell us a story about how she ran outside and yelled "it's a girl" or "I'm a mom" or something like that.  Someday I'll get around to scanning old baby pictures.  I was pretty cute back then. ;)

The nurses at the hospital knew I was being adopted and named me "Kay" during the three days I was in the hospital before my parents took me home.  I don't think I look like a Kay so I'm glad my mom and dad named me Jeanelle.  I used to hate how long and different my name was and wished I could find my name on a pencil or license plate for my bike.  Now, I love it.  I love that it's spelled differently and I love that there aren't a lot of Jeanelles out there.

I feel okay being 44, for the most part.  I hate the lines around my eyes and the fact that another year has come and gone and I'm one year closer to spinster-hood (kidding...kind of.)  But for the most part, I'm happy with my 40s. I like this stage better than my 20s and 30s.  I feel more settled in who I am, I'm at a great place spiritually and I'm blessed that I have so many people in my life who love me and help me to be better than I am.

If you're reading this, you're probably one of those people.  Thank you for supporting me and reminding me that even though I still live by myself, I'm never truly alone.

What I know for sure

I know that Gillette Venus razors are the best womens razors out there.

I know that having hope for the future feels so much better than being hopeless and crabby about what I don't yet have.

I know that road trips are, in fact, completely possible without Peanut M&Ms.  Alternatively, I know that road trips are not at all possible without Diet Coke.

I know I will always cry when in "You've Got Mail," Kathleen Kelly closes her store and then pictures herself and her mother twirling.  Seriously.  I bawl every single time. (Wish I could have found a picture but had to settle for this one.  Love the lily of the valley bouquet.)

I know I will always do or say thoughtless things (and I will always be sorry and will always try to do better.)

I know that getting pre-birthday flowers shaped like a cupcake will make anyone smile - especially since this darling cupcake doesn't count against my daily point allowance.

I know prayers are heard and answered by our Father in Heaven.  All. The. Time.

I know I love each one of these girls (five of my fabulous 2nd YCLs from last year) and I love that they like hanging out with me.  I also know that each one is seriously adorable.  Seriously.

How to Tuesday: Meet a blogger you adore!

Today's how-to Tuesday (see Stie's blog for more good advice) will teach you how to go about meeting a blogger you've admired from afar...anyone can do it, really.

Step 1.

Leave your house and go somewhere away from where you actually live.  (I went to the eastern side of my state this weekend for a dear friend's surprise birthday party.)

Step 2.

Think about who you know in the blogosphere who might live near where you're traveling.  (I thought of Jessica, a blogger whom I adore....you know her right?  She's that beautiful girl with the darling and hilarious kids and the super sweet and very tidy husband.  Of course you know who I'm talking about.)

Step 3.

Send said blogger an email asking if she'd happen to be around during the narrow little window of time when you'll be in her town.  (Seriously, I gave her like a 24 hour period of availability.)

Step 4.

Cheer loudly when you read the email she writes back saying she'd love to meet and would I like to come have lunch at her house with the aforementioned kids and husband. (Seriously, have you SEEN the barf training video?  How could you not want to meet the kids and husband after that little cinematic treat?!?)

Step 5.

Leave your house, drive east for a few hours, check into a so-so hotel, go to a fun party, return to the hotel, sleep, wake up, have a fun breakfast and more visiting time with the birthday girl you just celebrated the night before, then drive 30 more minutes to the home of the beloved blogger.

Step 6.

Panic a little when you get about a block away from the blogger's house.  Say to yourself "why did I think she'd ever want to meet me? Is it too late to back out?  I'm a total dork.  What if she hates me and we have nothing to talk about?"

Step 7.

Tell yourself to snap out of it, park the car, knock on the door, loving and smiling at the sound of the five adorable children running around inside.

Step 8.

Hug the blogger.  Go inside.  Start talking and then try not to act so surprised when she mentions things about you that she remembers from reading your blog.  (Seriously.  Actual people read my blog!)

Step 9.

Eat a delicious meal (still waiting for that recipe, missy) enjoy the darling family, talk like you've been friends forever.  Try not to wish out loud that we could be in the same ward.

Step 10.

Take pictures.  Hug.  Say goodbye.

It's seems totally easy now that I've laid out the steps for you, right? 

Dear Jessica, Ryan, Emma, Gabe, Jane, Seth and Faith -- I loved meeting you this weekend.  Thank you for making me feel so welcome in your home.  Can't wait to see you again sometime!

My momma

I have the best mother ever.

I came home from my little trip this weekend to find the pots on my patio filled with flowers. She loves me and still takes such good care of me even though I am eight days away from turning 44 and can pretty much take care of myself.

She's fun, she's sweet, she's smart and the best worker I've ever known. Anytime I need something bought, baked, sewn, cleaned or fixed, she will do it for me.

I feel like everyone who reads my blog knows that I'm adopted but in case you didn't know, well, I'm adopted. Shortly after they married, my mom and dad decided they wanted a little girl so they called an attorney and voila, they got me.

I've never felt an urge to find out who my birth parents are because I know with everything that I am that I am exactly where I'm supposed to be. 

The mom I have is the only mom I've ever wanted and I will be forever grateful that she chose to adopt me.

How to Tuesday: you too can have fabulous eyelashes!

Or an alternate title: how to be vain like me!

I've been racking my brain for weeks now, trying to think of something I could do to join in the how-to Tuesday fun with that darling and fabulous Stie.

It finally hit me - I'll tell everyone how I was able to get fabulous eyelashes in just a few months (oh and for just a little bit of money.)

Okay, last Thanksgiving, I asked my niece if she was wearing fake eyelashes because she had the most amazingly long and beautiful lashes.  She said she wasn't but that she had been using Latisse for the past few months.  I decided to give it a try and started up myself the first week of December.

Here's a terrible and slightly scary self-pic of my eyes just so you can get an idea of how incredibly this stuff works.

I know, right?

My lashes before Latisse were normal - short, straight, etc.  My lashes now are still fairly straight but they are longer and thicker too. I do a quick squeeze of an eyelash curler on the tips, apply a little mascara and they look perfect.

It's kind of amazing.  Okay, let's get into the how-to...

Latisse is a prescription medicine.  When you bring the box home and open it up, you'll find a teensy tiny little bottle (appearing much larger here) and a supply of little brushes for you to use to apply the stuff to your eyelids.

Friends, my advice to you is do NOT use the included brushes.  Seriously, do not.  These are cheap brushes that soak up the liquid before you can really get it on your eyelids.  Because this stuff is like liquid gold, you want it to last a long time and not just be soaked up in a throw-away brush.

Instead, buy this $11 brush from your nearest Sephora store.

It's the professional pointed liner/eyeliner brush #17.  After applying, rinse the brush out and set it aside to dry until the next day and that's it.

So every night, wash your face, remove your makeup, apply eye cream, whatever you have to do.  Once you're ready for bed and done doing stuff to your eyes, grab your tiny brush and drop a tiny drop of Latisse on it.  If it starts to drip off the brush because it's such a tiny little thing and doesn't soak up a lot of liquid (and you don't want to lose even a drop of this stuff) then you just let the excess drop back onto the Latisse bottle top.  This way you can use every last drop without it dropping onto your sink or whatever.

Use your tiny little brush to paint the liquid on your upper eyelid, as close to the lash line as possible (use one drop on the brush for each eye.)  I used my cute little Sephora brush and my first Latisse bottle lasted more than four months. 

So I know you're dying to know how much this stuff really costs, right?  Well, one bottle is roughly $100, depending on your pharmacy.  If you use the tiny Sephora brush, you'll feel better about spending all of that money on something so trivial as your eyelashes.  I mean, it works for me, anyway.

I saw results after about six weeks of treatment and you achieve your full lash potential after sixteen weeks of daily application.  I'm now on maintenance and apply Latisse three times a week.

Side effects?  I haven't noticed any.  The two I heard about the most are darker pigment on your eyelids (which I already had) and darker irises (hello, I have dark brown eyes anyway.)  I had one eyelash grow in white, which was a little weird but other than that, nothing but long and lush lashes that make me feel pretty.

And who doesn't want to feel pretty???

Trek prep

Our stake is doing a Pioneer Trek this summer and I was lucky enough to be put in charge of activities with my good friend Lisa. Normally, the people who get to go on treks are married couples so I see this opportunity for me to get to go as a fantastic blessing.  Yes it will be hard work. Yes it will be awful to not shower for 3 days.  Yes I will hate going without makeup.  Yes I will miss things like chairs and my bed.  Yes I will quickly grow tired of wearing hiking boots instead of flip flops in the 100 degree weather.  But the spiritual blessings are worth so much more to me than those worldly things.

I was out the door at 6:30 AM on a Saturday so that I could ride four hours to our trek site yesterday.  The visit was more for the trail bosses and logistics people than it was for the activities committee but it was still helpful to see where we're going to be doing this thing come June.

I had a very real confirmation as we drove onto the site that this is where we're supposed to have our trek.  It's been a challenge because the distance between where we live and the trek site is great.  We have budget challenges and the distance also makes it difficult to staff things because people who come to help us have to be there the entire time.  But I know the "plains" like terrain will make our trek that much more realistic for our youth. It's gonna be amazing.

Me, Lisa & Alberta fighting the wind of SE Washington

There are service missionaries who work on this property and I cannot communicate to you how hilarious Elder Poe was.  Seriously, I am in love with this (elderly & married) man.  We made a list of some of his funnier comments:

"There's so much dust on my dashboard that I could plant corn in here"
"The only thing I know dumber than a cow is a sheep."
"In the summer, this place looks like hell with the fires put out."

And my personal favorite...

"Let's make like a sewer and get the crap out of here."

You love him too, right?  He put his arm around me as we were leaving.  Swoon.  I should have taken his picture - I'll get one in June for sure. 

Alberta, Lisa and I had to take advantage of some alone time and hiked up a big hill away from the men...can you guess what I'm about to do in the picture below?  Yeah, first time in forever that I had to do that...not my favorite thing.  I'm not an outdoorsy girl but you have to take matters into your own hands once in awhile...especially when you've been riding in a car around a 70,000 acre ranch that only has porta-potties at the end of the trail.

We finally got back on the road to head home around 4:30 PM.  We stopped in Yakima at a place called Miners.  Anyone ever been there?  I splurged and had a hamburger that was so gigantic that I couldn't finish it.  But seriously?  Yum.  Lisa let me share her fries.  Someday I want to go back for a milkshake.

We might have to stop here on our way home from the Trek...they have a drive through so I won't have to go inside in my dirty trek garb.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's gone on a trek before...what do you remember most about it?  Any suggestions for me re: activities?  I struggle with planning too much because I really think activities are not nearly as important as the experience of the trek itself.  But I know we need to have fun things planned too for the down time...so share your trek memories, if you have them.  Thanks!