Photo Update

Jake's first ski of the season at White Pass

Our Thanksgiving Dinner. YUM!

Jake's big nasty beard for "No Shave November" He trimmed it up on the evening of November 30th along with a much needed haircut

Our sleeping Josh.  He moves all over his bed now!

The stockings I made! Hooray!

Our Christmas Corner

Joshie's crazy hat hair! (and funny face)

Jumper time

We got a jumper for Josh (finally!).  We should have gotten this for him months ago, because he LOVES it!

PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joshua loves our phones.  This is what he does to them....

Bathtime Laughter

Don't ask me why he liked to be splashed like that, but it went on for minutes.

Wow... Can anyone say slacker?

I should have been updating this regularly over the past few weeks, but you know when you get busy and you have the excuse that "you just don't have time"?  Well because I "didn't have time" aka "lazy" now I have to take just the same amount of time, or maybe even more to update the blog all at once.  Well, let's get this done, shall we?

What I've been up to (in no particular order): Working, Crocheting, Taking care of Joshua, Making baby food, getting ready for the holidays.

Work:  As most of you know, I'm teaching dance 2 nights a week up here.  Not for the money really, but mostly to just get out of the house.  Parts of me have enjoyed it and parts of me have had a hard time with it.  Over the past few weeks I have been busy preparing my dance classes for the Winter Showcase, which is on the 18th.  That takes up some of my time, but luckily I got my dances choreographed and taught pretty quickly so now I don't have to worry about them.  But I still have to work.  Monday and Wednesday of this week and then most of the day Saturday for the showcase.  Then a BREAK!!! Yay!!

Crocheting:  I have been helping out my back-door neighbor (Laura) the past few weeks.  She is also helping one of her friends (RaKae) who has this etsy shop.  Over the past year, RaKae really has made a name for herself on Etsy and has become really busy.  And of course, when you are selling ear warmer/beanies you would definitely be busy the closer it gets to the holidays.  And she just had a baby on the 6th (?) of this month.  So she has needed some help.  In any case, I've been making a lot of ear warmer headbands over the past couple weeks.  Not only has it kept me busy it gets me a little paycheck too!

Taking care of Joshie: Well Josh has been a growing boy over the past few weeks.  We had his 6 month check up and he is growing exactly how he should.  He's rolling all over the house and just starting to find things he shouldn't (wires, etc.)  Needless to say I've had to keep my eye on him a lot more lately.  We also got him a doorway jumper which he has absolutely loved!  It took him a few times to get it, but he's now there.  You could leave him in there for hours and he would keep playing.  Love it!!! I will do some more updates with pictures and videos of the little man!  He really is getting so big!!

Making baby food:  Since Josh started eating solids I've been making baby food, which has been one of the best things ever.  On average we can make the same amount of food for 1/4 of the price.  And it's so easy too.  So far I've made, pears, prunes, peas, butternut squash, bananas, avocado, sweet potatoes, applesauce and mango.  It's been great. Yet another thing that gives me something to do and saves me money!!

We have also been enjoying holiday season.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with just the three of us.  It was nice to start our own traditions and I'm looking forward to the many years that I will have with Jake, Josh and my future children.  In preparation for the holiday break, we have been busy getting/making gifts, getting our Christmas tree (pictures later), tuning up the car, etc. etc.  This Christmas we will be making a 2,000 mile road trip.  We will first be going to Salt Lake City to spend Christmas with my family.  My brother just returned from his mission on Thursday, and so we are really looking forward to seeing him.  After Christmas in SLC, we will head to Billings and spend some time with Jake's family.  It will be good to everyone there too as Jake's sister returned from her mission earlier this year.  From Billings we will be getting back to Yakima just before New Year's because Jake starts school on the 3rd.  So it's going to be a crazy break, but really we are looking forward to it. 

Now for what Jake has been up to:  Study, study.  That's basically it.  It sounds like I see him a lot more than other wives see their husbands, but I still don't see him a lot.  Thank goodness that Joshua is around to keep me company, as well as many of the wives.  I have luckily made a lot of really great friends and have built a great support system here.  But on a good note, we are just about halfway through the first year, which I hear is the worst.  I honestly can't believe that it has already been 5 months.  Crazy how time goes by so quickly.

Well as I said before, I will be putting posts up later of pictures and videos.  Hopefully that didn't bore you too much!! Happy Holidays!!!

Family Pictures! Thank you Laura!!!

Joshie updates

Well I think that we are finally back to normal in the Jensen home.  Between traveling to Utah, Josh getting sick, Josh teething, Josh getting sick again, and again, and traveling to Utah (again), we are in the norm again.  Josh is feeling well and growing so fast.  We went to his 6 month check up this past Friday and everything went very well.  He is 18lbs. 6oz. now and is a BIG boy!  He's rolling all over the place and is eating his solids well. 

When I was pregnant I decided that I wanted to make my kids' baby food.  I have been successful so far in the endeavor.  I have made pears and butternut squash which Josh has loved!!!  I will be attempting to do Sweet Potatoes and Carrots here in the near future.  Josh is eating solids once a day and has about 2-4 ice cubes of food.  I'm so glad that he finally got used to eating solids.  It was a fight for a while because he really didn't like it. 

Josh is growing up so fast and like I said is rolling all over the place.  It's funny to watch because he gets so proud of himself for doing it, looks up at me for praise and smiles.  I love it!!! He is so sweet! He started rolling from back to belly (towards his left arm) just before we left for Utah (towards the end of October) and has been moving ever since.  It will be interesting when he starts crawling, because I think he will be able to entertain himself more.   Even though I'm nervous for that to begin, I'm excited as well. 

Joshie loves his bath time (will post a video on next post) as always!  He loves to chew on anything as well.  Here are some things that I have noticed about him that I absolutely love!!! I love his cute red cheeks when he's been working hard to move around.  I love his two bottom teeth.  I love when he looks for me when he hears my voice.  I love seeing him grow and develop (reach, grab for things, rolling, etc.)  I love when he reaches to feel Jake's beard.  (He LOVES the beard!) I love hearing all the different noises he makes (bop bop bop bop and mmm mmm mmm mmm and buzzzzzzzz with his lips)  He really is such a happy easy going child and couldn't ask for more.  I'm so blessed!

Halloween!

Mr. Travelocity himself... with pink eye!

Wow... It's been awhile.

It might have only been a few weeks since I last updated the blog, but it seems like forever.  Probably because everything that has happened just in the past while.  I will probably have to do a few posts just so that I can get everything in. 

First of all I would like to take the time to tell you about my sweet Grandma, Jane Lucille Pack Lundberg who passed away on October 30, 2010. 

This amazing lady (as seen here the day before my wedding) was THE most amazing women I have ever known.  She was the most charitable person and always full of happiness.  When I was young, my mom and my two brothers lived with her and she would take care of us in her day care while my mom was at work.  In that day care she would take care of on average 17 children per day. She was so full of life and amazingly beautiful.  I still remember the smell of her, which consisted of her perfume + Vick's vapor rub.  I remember doing puzzles with her and taking naps in her bed.  I remember the $2 bills we would get from her every Christmas.  Her BRIGHT pink lipstick (to which I got a tube of at her funeral).  Her amazing will to make the most of life no matter what the circumstances.  Grandma Jane I love you and I will always remember the inspiration you have been to me.  I'm sure you are happy and loving being with your family again.  See you later!!! Kisses!!!

You can take a look at here obituary here, which my mom wrote more than a year ago by inspiration. 

Indian Dinner plus exploding glass pans

Well last night made for an interesting dinner that is for sure.  We invited the Heal's our neighbors over for dinner last night and had a great meal plus exciting events.  One thing I definitely did learn is to not leave a burner on and put a 9X13 glass pan on top of it.  As I pulled the 9X13 glass pan out of the warm oven, I placed it on the stovetop not knowing I left the burner on.  Within 10 minutes of being there, it literally exploded into millions of pieces.  Shards of glass went everywhere.  I would have to say that the largest piece wasn't much bigger than a couple of quarters side-by-side.  It was amazing!  I never knew a glass pan could do that, let alone shoot everywhere.  I even found glass in my toaster.   Luckily no one was close to it.  I will be cleaning up glass for a lifetime now.

Anyway, the dinner turned out FANTASTIC.  I decided to try a new Indian food recipe.  The one that we tried was from All Recipes and it had a 5 star rating with over 1,000 reviews.  Because of the great reviews I thought it would be a good one to try, and I'm glad we did.  Definitely a favorite from the Indian cuisine. We also served this with our version of this Naan.  You can check out the recipes online for the original versions, but here are my versions.  ENJOY!!!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients

Marinade:

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 - 2 pounds chicken (4-5 chicken breasts or 11-12 chicken tenderloins)
6 long skewers

 Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper (more or less depending on desired heat)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground paprika
2 teaspoons Garam Masala (optional, but a great addition)
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
2 cups heavy cream (1 small carton)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and salt.  Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat a grill on high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate.  Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.  Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute.  Season with cumin, paprika, Garam Masala and salt.  Stir in tomato sauce and cream.  Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. It is very important for it to simmer for this long in order to let the flavor develop appropriately.  Trust me, you will love it more the longer it simmers. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro.  

Whole-Wheat Garlic Naan

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

 Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

Mix melted butter and garlic together and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Preheat George Foreman grill.  Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle.  Place dough on grill, brush uncooked side with garlic butter.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned with top of George Foreman grill up.  Turn over.  Brush cooked side with butter.  Close top of the George foreman grill and cook until browned another 1-2 minutes.  Continue until all dough balls are cooked. 

Cooking Fool...

Since coming here and having so much time on my hands, I've really had a great time trying to cook and experimenting with new things.  I've really enjoyed it.  Everyone once and while I decided I will put a post up of what we have had to eat that day or what my menu is for the week.  Because I always love getting new recipes and I hope other people do too.

So, to start it off...

Tonight we had Beef Stew and Homemade Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Now it was the first time that I had made these dinner rolls and they were AMAZING!! That is a complete understatement too.  In the recipe it says that you need to have a Kitchen Aid mixer, but I don't have one and they worked out great.  Once everything was blended together I just kneaded it for about 5 minutes.  If you are scared to make stuff with yeast thinking that it will take awhile, this is one recipe that doesn't.  From start to finish I did these in 1 hour and 15 minutes including cook time.

I got the recipe off of this website.  She is absolutely amazing.  Browse through her stuff some time.  It's where a lot of my recipes come from.  I don't know her personally, but she has some great recipes.  Plus, if you ever have any questions or anything at all, email her and she'll happily respond.


So the Beef Stew was nothing fancy just a Beef Stew Seasoning packet, vegetables, and meat.  But really it's oh so good.   Here is the recipe that I would do:

1 packet Beef Stew Seasoning
9 cups water
5-6 beef buillion cubes (depending on how much flavor you want
1 1/2 lbs of stew meat (I buy the pre-cut stuff from the store)
3 medium potatoes (chopped)
3 stalks of celery (chopped)
1 small onion (chopped)
15-20 baby carrots (chopped)
1/4 cup flour

Cover the meat with flour.  Put everything into crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.

Fall, Family and Picture updates

So it seems like we have been extremely busy lately.  That or sick and so it's been a little difficult to sit down and write an update on life.

I recently went down to Utah for my brother's wedding.  I had a great time seeing family and Josh traveled very well.  He was either asleep or eating while on the plane which was SO nice.  People around me on the flights kept telling me what a great kid I had.  I know, we are super blessed.  I hope that all the rest come out this way.  Unfortunately Jake wasn't able to join me on the trip because of school.  We had fun, but it was nice to get back home and see him.

Speaking of Jake, he is busier than he has ever been.  He is gone so much more often which is more sad for me.  I'm getting somewhat of a taste it's like to be a single mother (and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone).  But we are making it work.  I hear that the first year is the worst and so hopefully that is true.  We are about 1/2 way through the 1st semester, which means a quarter of the way through the first year.  Hooray!!!

Josh has been growing so fast and recently has made a lot of milestones. He's now 5 months and I can hardly believe it.  The day after getting back from Utah, Jake noticed that he is getting his first tooth.  Which you can kind of see here.  Sorry, it's hard to get a good pick of a baby's mouth at this age.  The other day I also noticed that he is getting his other bottom tooth too.  He has been a little ornery, but luckily ibuprofen and teething tablets have saved me.

Josh also has been growing in the fact that he is getting closer to sitting up.  We have a bumbo seat (off-brand of bumbo) that I got at a consignment sale in town.  And he does really well in it.  He is getting better at tummy-time and also has started reaching for things.  It's so fun to see him want something and make an effort to reach for and grab it.  Soon enough he will be rolling over.  He's such a low-key kind of kid that he doesn't seem in much of rush to get there and I can't force him to do anything.

We have also recently started giving him cereal.  It's not very often because he doesn't really like it, but I'm just starting to expose him a little to it.  Here are a few pictures. 

I also got some great shots of Josh lounging around.  I love these:

As far as my life goes, with Jake gone so much I'm trying to keep myself busy.  I do a lot of sewing and crafting.  As well as meeting up with a lot of my friends here.  We have a bi-weekly recipe potluck exchange that I started up and has been really fun to have.  I'm also on the board for the Student Advocate Association here and I'm in charge of the Service and Fundraising.  I've organized one fundraiser and am working on another one right now.  I also have been choreographing and getting lesson plans done for work.  Most of my time though is spent with my little Joshie!!  I absolutely love seeing him grow up and learn new things.  It's also kind of sad to see though because he's not the little Joshie he was 5 months ago.

Sewing Projects

In my spare time I have been sewing.  I really enjoy sewing.  It keeps my hands busy and gives me something to do that isn't watching TV. Plus I get good things out of sewing.  What was awesome about these is that the fabric was super cheap.  They were 5-yard bolts from Wal-mart for $5.00 each.  These are the 2 projects that I recently did.

Skirt.  I got the instructions here

This is a shopping cart cover. I got the pattern from here.

Just gonna finish this...

Day 24- A letter to your parents - I will write this.  I feel it's a personal thing that I should just write to them instead of on blog.  There are many thank you's that they deserve.  
 
Day 25 - What I would find in your bag - diapers, wipes, burp cloths, a bottle, and my wallet.  That's about all I carry with me nowadays
 
Day 26- What you think about your friends - I have such amazing friends and many of them have influenced my life for good.  It really is true about being careful who your friends are because they are huge influences on you.  Luckily I have been blessed with great friends.  
 
Day 27 - Why are you doing this 30 day challenge - Thought it would give me something to do and make the blog a little more interesting. 
 
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

 About a year ago this time we had just found out that I was pregnant.  WOW has our life changed so much since then.  I couldn't imagine it being any better now that Joshua is here. 
 
Day 29 - In this past month, what have you learned
That I'm a busy person.  It takes quite some time to blog while taking care of a baby, supporting my husband through med school and working. 
 
Day 30- Who are you?
Chelsee Jensen. I am the wife of an amazing husband Jake Jensen.  I have a beautiful son Joshua Dan.  We are LDS and I'm so lucky to have that knowledge that I will be with my family for eternity. I love my family.  They are my life!!!

VIDEO - Joshie in bumbo

VIDEO - Daddy's kisses to Joshie

Something you crave for a lot

Chocolate!

I have a huge sweet tooth and weakness for chocolate, and I'm sure I'm not the only one out there.  If I could, I would eat it every day.  But unfortunately I can't.  If I did that, I would be having even more issues with my bathroom scale.  I love anything from a candy car, to M&M's, to chocolate pudding.  It's funny that I have such a craving for it all the time because Jake doesn't really even like it.  He has never eaten an entire normal size candy bar in his life.

What makes you different from everyone else

SKIP - can't think of anything

6 Days in One

 So I went on a trip to Salt Lake City for my brother's wedding and I was pretty busy so I didn't get a chance to get on the computer much while there.  Yesterday was recovery day and so now I can finally get to it today.  Here is the quick recap of the past 6 day thing

Day 16 - Another picture of yourself

 
Day 17 - Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
I love my life and wouldn't want to switch it with anyone
 
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Get in shape.  Be a good wife/mother.  Have an amazing summer with my husband traveling, camping, hiking, etc.  
 
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Chultzgib - A lot of friends from high school would call me this (My maiden name is Gibson) 
Chels - I love when people feel comfortable enough to call me Chels. For some reason it makes me feel like they trust me, we have a good friendship, etc. I don't know, I just like to when my friends call me this.
 
Day 20 - Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Jacob Darrell Jensen, ha! Husband! I plan on being with him for eternity!
 
Day 21 - A picture of something that makes you happy: my sweet baby boy when he was only a couple weeks old.  I have always loved this picture because it makes me happy. And he always makes me happy!

Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

1. Prologue - Phantom of the Opera
2. Battle - Colbie Caillat
3. Happy is a Yuppie Word - Switchfoot
4. Homecoming Dance "Beautiful Sky" from High School Dance Company
5. Country Comfort - Keith Urban
6. Several Ways to Die Trying - Dashboard Confessional
7. Full of Grace - Sarah McLachlan
8. Always on my Mind - Michael Buble
9. Black & White - Sarah McLachlan
10. Stumble - Natasha Bedingfield

Well it appears that I have a broad range of music that I enjoy.  Operas, Rock, Country, Emo (Dashboard), Big Band, etc...

I liked that.  Easy post

Crafting

Here is picture of two of my most recent crafts around the house.  The first one I did was the board saying.  It's one of my favorite sayings.  I had a lot of fun painting the board, crackling it, and then adding the vinyl.  I thought it turned out great.

Then yesterday morning I did the wreath. Yes, it's made out of a book and it's one of the cheapest crafts ever.  All you need is a styrofoam wreath, a book, acrylic paint and a glue gun.  I thought it turned out great.  I learned how to do it here with Living with Lindsay.  She has a lot of great craft ideas. Check it out!

A picture of you and your family

For this I will consider "my family" the immediate family that I lived and grew up with.  This was on our wedding day. There have been some changes since then, but we are such a large family that we will be growing/changing all the time.  Love and miss them all!!!

A Letter to Someone Who has hurt you recently

Well, not many people hurt my feelings.  I feel pretty lucky in that I'm easy going and don't take offense easily.  But the other day, I did have an experience that made me feel pretty bad.  I didn't really know the person so in some ways that makes it better, but in this "letter" it will give the story.  I'm obviously not giving this letter to them because they were a stranger basically to me.  But maybe it will help get the emotion out anyway.

Dear Stranger,

I was hurt pretty badly when you asked me "When are you due?" the other day.  To my quick response all I could say is that I have a 4 1/2 month old.  I know that my body isn't the same, but from one stranger to another, that is not something that you ask.  Get to know someone a little better before getting to that question, maybe even ask around to see if someone else knows before asking.  Might help in avoiding a hurtful conversation.  Just so that you know, stranger, I cried on my drive home that night.  Yes my 10 minute drive, the whole way.  I was hurt.  Not only haven't I been able to lose any of my baby weight and have been extremely self-conscious since having my son, but also I can't fit in any more than 5 of my shirts and 2 pairs of pants. 

On the other hand, stranger, thank you for helping me realize that I really need to crack down and start doing something about my weight and body.  You have inspired me to work out even harder in an effort to shed these extra pounds.  I will meet this goal and I will fit into my clothes again.

I forgive you for your question and I know that it wasn't meant out of harm, but out of curiosity.  

Sincerely,

Me

How you found out about Blogs and why you made one

The first time I really found out about blogs, I think, is when my mom made one for our family to keep in touch and update each other about our lives.  It lasted a little while and then most people turned to facebook to do that.

After I got married I had wanted to start a blog for awhile.  It took some time to convince myself that I would actually keep up on it and make it worth it.  After I had realized how impersonal and short Facebook can be is when I decided that I wanted to start a blog.  A blog can be more in depth and can be more interesting than just writing a status and uploading pictures on Facebook.  I also wanted some sort of journal system.  I also write in my personal journal, but this is faster and easier for me to update on a daily basis with pictures.

Enjoy!

Another picture of you and your friends

 So when this question came again, I decided that maybe I should look through some pictures and when I did that I realized how many great friends I made in college.  I had such a great experience at BYU-I and I'm glad that I moved away and lived on my own to have such amazing experiences with such great people.  Many of these people will be my friends for a lifetime.

From left to right: Bree Leach, Melanie Pike, Me, Brittany Pelletier, Mamie Reeder, Natalie Hessing (lying down)

From bottom left: Brianna Hessing, Mamie Reeder, Natalie Moon, Cheryl Eyre, Me, and Brittany Pelletier

Dance Friends from Left to Right:  Brionna, Rachelle, Kellie, Serene, Jenese, Me, Lorraine, Caroline, Brianne, Chris, Shae and Brooke

Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

I used to listen to music a lot.  But I've noticed ever since I got married (meaning ever since I wasn't alone in my car to sing along with my iPod) I don't listen to music as much.  I'll listen to whatever is on the radio at the time I'm driving, but I don't make as much of an effort to have an iPod with me all the time.  I have actually found it to be nice.  It reminds me of talks that I have heard at General Conferences about making our lives less "loud/cluttered", or in essence more peaceful and quiet.  I remember once after a long time of not using my iPod, I was on Trax on the way to work (40 min commute both ways) and I tried listening.  I couldn't stand anymore than 5 minutes because it was too much noise.  I've gotten so used to a quiet life that it's hard to go back to having so much going on. 

Well, if you can't already tell I have a passion for music and I think wholesome and uplifting music can be very pleasant to listen to.  Now, when I say that I'm not always referring to EFY, Christian, Gospel  based music because there is a lot of music out there that can be interesting and nice, but doesn't have to be strictly focused on Christian topics. 

When I lived in Utah this past year, I was riding with my dad in the car and I noticed that he had the Classical Music station on.  We got into a conversation about how he has tried listening to this station more to stay away from a lot of the other worldly stations.  He had noticed a change in his mood and his behavior in just a short few days of listening.  I tried it and I noticed it too.  Classical music I think is incredible and very pleasing to listen to.  It's amazing how talented some of those people were and the outstanding pieces that they created. 
 
So because I don't listen to music all that often anymore just because I really don't have the time or the place to just play it all the time, I couldn't really say what songs I would listen to in certain moods. But if I really had to think of some songs/artists that I would listen to when I'm in these moods, here is my list:

Happy: Cary Judd, Mae, or some LDS music
Sad: Hymns (I'm not really sad a lot, but hymns comfort me when I'm sad)
Bored: old music from my middle/high school days.  They bring back a lot of memories and I think it's funny
Hyped: Music that I've danced to (mostly from dance performances in high school or college)
Mad: I don't get mad all that often either.  And probably the last thing I would do is blare some music because it would just be loud and annoying and would bug me even more

Something you’re proud of in the past few days

THESE!!!!  Okay, so this was more than a few days ago, but I'm VERY proud of myself.  I consider myself a pretty self-motivated person and if I want to learn how to do something I go and do it.  So recently, I taught myself how to can peaches.  I went and picked the peaches myself at an orchard here and canned them.  I thought it was actually fairly easy and they taste AMAZING!!! I will definitely be canning more in the future.

Short term goals for this month and why

Study scriptures and pray daily
Lose 5 lbs  (I'm determined to get this baby weight off)
Work out at least 3 times a week
Eat healthier and cook at home more

Keep my house cleaner
Serve others around me
Do my Visiting Teaching
Watch less T.V.

The list could probably go on and on, but I think it's important to set goals for myself.  It gives me focus on how to improve myself physically and spiritually. Wish me luck! 

A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

There are a lot of people in my life that I think have made an impression or had an impact on me.  But, if I had to say one person that had the biggest impact on me thus far in my life, I would have to say my mom.

So, I may be biased, but I have the BEST mom in the world.  Not only has she been through a lot and has always been an example to me, she has taught me everything about how to be the best person I possibly can.  She has taught me how to be independent, how to problem-solve, how to rely on the Lord for just about everything.  And the thing is, she didn't tell me how to do these things, but she leads by example.  She was always there rooting and supporting me (and all of her children) in anything they did.  She knew how to lift my heart if I was going through a rough time.  She was a person I knew I could fully rely on and trust.  She has real unconditional love for all of her children and serves anyone and everyone.  She will always be such a great example to me at all times.

Thank you mom for the person you have helped me become.

Your favorite Super Hero and Why

Superhero: [soo-per-heer-oh] -  any of various comic-strip characters with superhuman abilities or magical powers, wearing a distinctive costume, and fighting against evil

I can't say that I have been interested in many superheroes over the years.  So I don't really have a favorite.  Of course I've watched some of the movies, but they haven't had any real impact on my life so they haven't been a superhero to me. 

Someone who I have always considered to be my superhero is my Grandma.  Jane Lundberg. Even though her aging body and sickness has taken over her, she still is a sweet and amazing lady in my eyes.  Birthing 8 children, taking care of hundreds more in her own daycare, being the queen of bread-making and the most loving person ever.  When I think of superhero, I think of someone who has been an example to me as well as inspired my life.  She is definitely one of those people. Self-less and full of service.  A lady with superhuman abilities who filled my life with magic, and was always determined to fight against the evil in this world.  She has an amazing testimony and has always directed her life towards the Lord and the temple.

 

A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

Because I have loved so many places I've been, I'll give a few places.  I couldn't just pick one.

Not a picture of me, but I have been here. The Cathedral Rappel at Pine Creek Canyon, Zion's Nat'l Park. Absolutely breathtaking!  Thanks Jake for the adventure and challenge.

Famous Mama's Restaurant on Washington Square in San Francisco. Thanks mom for such a great trip. Hopefully we can get back someday.  My mom dreamt of the pancakes that we had to go back a second time.  I loved that trip!

Darby Ice Caves.  7+ hours in a cave, rappelling, rock climbing, crawling, etc. This was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.  But it was so interesting, challenging and neat.  My husband pushes me to try new things and I'm grateful for that.  It helps me to experience more in my life, because there is so many great things out there to see and discover.