Good times!

Andy & I made a very quick trip to AZ after I got off work Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with my fam.  Sorry, didn't manage to take many pics except for one of my 2 favorite little guys Jaxon & BrigDid I mention Andy had a blast on Jalen's "mini Vespa"! 

 Having nieces and nephews for Christmas are so fun cause you get to play with all their toys!  I can't wait til we have our own, Andy & I will probably just  buy them the stuff we really just want so we can play with it after they're asleep.  

The last  outing  before leaving AZ was to Joe's Farm Grill, which was featured on Food Network Diners, Drive-Inns and Dives (Andy's favorite food show), so we had to make a stop for an early b-day  dinner with the fam before heading back to Cali.  It was amazing  and greasy and worth every calorie...I highly recommend it!

 My sweet grandma who isn't in the best of health right now made me feel extremely special by surprising me with her delicious home made ice cream before we left for an early birthday treat!  

I had a wonderful birthday!  Thanks to everyone for remembering me, you are so thoughtful.  it was a great day, I got off work early unexpectedly, Andy made me a deicious dinner and gave me some very thoughtful gifts.  Between Chrismas and my birthday the best present ever was this awesome pink knife!  Andy asked me a few months ago if I'd ever want a knife and I was so excited for one but told him it had to be either pink or sparkly so I would feel girly and rugged at the same time!  Who needs diamonds when you've got a sparkly knife!

time for an update!

Oh man, this really is the only picture I have taken of us in the past 6 weeks...sad:(  Life is busy as I'm sure you all know!  Andy finished up finals, freakin beat the crap out of 'em all and now is working on growing a very thick beard for his hiking/survival trip he's planning.  I guess he thinks it will keep him warm or something.  That pic of his beard was at the start, you should see it now he's beginning to resemble Les Stroudde.   Oh and inbetween tending to his beard garden he's been snowboarding since Cali actually has some other than the man made crap they make every year.

I've just been working,  that's pretty much it.  Oh and crying because we didn't have any Christmas decorations so I bought some ugly one foot tall tree and set it on top of a  a t.v. tray, then bought some $1 ornaments and strung them and duck taped them outside.  Its pretty ghetto fabulous, wish you could see.  If you drive by I'm sure you can see the duck tape from the street, it shimmers in the moonlight.  By the way, did I mention I love my job even if it means me sitting on someone's bedside camode once in a while!

Hope you all have a Holly JenJolley Christmas!  This is the time of year when I actually miss my old last name!

Totally Blog Worthy!

I've decided I am going to write a book entitled, "Things you shouldn't do on the job",  thanks to my life experiences and lessons I've learned...

#1.  Don't ever sit on a chair unless you know its not someone's bed side camode!

So...today at work I went into my patient's room to discuss a few things with them.  Another specialist was already in the room and we were all talking.  Everyone was sitting down but me, so I felt awkward standing over them.  I saw a white plastic chair sitting next to the bed and sat on it to be eye level with everyone else.  The "chair" felt a little different then the typical chair and definately didn't have much bootie support, something was definately missing.  Oddly enough, the seat was covered with a towel.  Finally, when I and the Dr. were leaving the room we kind of stopped in the entry way to say a few more things to the patient.  I took one last look at the "chair" and realized it had an odd bucket attached underneath it.  Yup, that seat I had been sitting on was definately my patient's bedside camode!  I immediately just started laughing out loud, this would only to happen to me.  Now I know why the patient kinda gave me a few strange glances when I pulled out the chair to sit down, I was sitting in the very spot they do their business.  AWESOME!  Way to make a good impression!  To make matters worse, being the nerd I am, the stupid book in my jacket pocket got stuck on the chair/camode arm when I was getting up and the Dr. tried to help pull me up!  OMG I am such a retard!  Why do these things happen to me?  Andy is right, I have no common sense.  Sure enough this resembles my "chair" minus the white towel over the seat!  Would anyone else mistake it for something other than a toilet but me?  I THINK NOT!

Friends and Dreaming of Snow

Friends

Im dreaming of this white stuff

Post by Andy

Econominics 101: in loving memory of Ben

Yes economonics is what I called my economy class in undergrad!  I swear I graduated with honors!

Flashback with me to 2001 when gas prices started rising.....

my mom:  oh my gosh, gas is getting so expensive!  I need to get a smaller car!

me:  oh mom don't worry, just keep putting 5 dollars in like you do every time you go to the gas station!  It's the exact same thing!

Fast forward to, well today....

Me:  look Andy gas is so cheap, this is awesome!

Andy: uh Jen deflation is not a good thing.  Everything you own is losing value and is worth less than you paid.  Wages start going down but those student loans of yours continue to increase with the awesome interest rate, its not good.

Me: oh yeah that sucks

and just last April I was getting ready doing my make-up listening to the morning news talking about the possible recession and looked at Andy & said, "recessions don't affect me"!  He laughed the very next day when our student loan company went under due to the "econominy"

I think this must be why I went into health care because I know nothing about economonics :)

Music makes us happy!

In addition to learning survival skills, Andy has taught me to have a greater appreciation for music of all sorts. He has especially taught me that most of the music on the radio is crap and the only reason they are even on the radio is because of the way they look not because they can sing? Pretty valid right? We went to a concert friday night in Hollywood at the Music Box to see Zach Gill and Mason Jennings who are both on Jack Js record label. So if you like Mr. Johnson, you will love these two! I am in love with not only Zach Gill's singing voice but especially his normal speaking voice....its amazing! Jack, Zach, Mason & Rogue Wave just released a Christmas album & its my new favorite holiday season cd :) check out the clips below for some fabulous music.

Zach Gill: yes he is playing the accordian! You really aren't a muscian unless you can also play the yucaleilei(however you spell it) and the drums & piano at the same time which he did! This is the cutest funniest love song I love it!

Mason Jennings: sorry the video turns to the side in the middle but the tune is still good & funny... a little tribute to Christians and Buddha

Then Saturday we took advantage of the sunny California not so almost winter weather & took a hike! It was beautiful! How can I complain when we can do this in November, however, it would be nice to have to wear a coat!

(a random abandoned cabin along the way, Andy wishes we lived there)


(a beautiful view of the wilderness Andy plans on getting lost in)




P.S. Grizzly Adams preparing for winter survival...not sure he will be able to do so with out his electronic toys. We'll see how he survives without his precious computer in the woods :) (if you don't get it, read the post below)

My Mountain Man

As most of you know, Andy loves the outdoors.  I never really thought it would be a problem in our marriage until recently though.  In fact he has taught me a lot & helped me try new fun adventurous activities, like sleeping in a tent instead of a cabin, even in the rain.  Definately a big step for me, but now I think it's gone a bit too far.

You see, I have noticed over the past few months Andy has been really into survival movies, books, documentaries, etc.  This week he started reading this....

(I kinda think the guy on the cover might resemble Andy a bit, especially since he loves bandanas and beards)

Then, today he met me at work to sign some insurance papers.  He rolled into the office on his long board of course sporting his new hippie hair and shaggy beard and looked at me with a very serious expression and said, "Jen, I've decided my new goal is eventually get my self lost in the wilderness, be smart enough to survive, and then write a book about it".  What in the....all I could do was stare at him.  When he told me he had a new goal I thought he was going to say run more or enter a mtn biking race or something like that.  All I could say is that I was glad I went to school and got a job so I could provide for my self since my husband plans on getting lost in the wilderness.  Funniest part is he is absolutely not joking at all!

Can I please move in with one of you when he gets lost so I don't get lonely?  Who knows how long he'll be gone and I don't plan on joining the search and rescue team since it his goal not to be found & survive on his own... I would never want to ruin his dream :)

First Day!

Well, today was my first day at my new full-time job!  I have been doing some temp work while waiting to start...credentialing at hospitals takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R!  So anywho, Andrew took a few pics of me before I left this morning.  Here I am in my official white coat...no more student coats YAY!

Oh & don't worry, I will be wearing the usual frumpy coat in style since I got a BabyPhat one!  Of course I want to at least look fashionable in something so ugly, I'm 24 NOT 50!

(don't worry, this brightness isn't visible... this would be the inside of my jacket pocket)

and now onto more important things!.....CRAFTS!

here are a few of the holiday crafts I have been making in my spare time!  I would never consider my self a crafty person but this is fun!  I grew up watching my mom create and make things all the time & now I think I got bit by the bug :)

a fall wreath for the door

a center piece for our table
(the hurricane says Give Thanks in vinyl lettering, it's kinda dark)

PROP 8 Protestors

I just turned on the news and saw a large group of people protesting PROP 8 outside the LA Temple.  One lady was talking, I mean yelling that the reason it passed is because the Mormon church donated money to the campaign.  No, to be correct people from all different religious backgrounds and beliefs donated their time and commitment and money to an issue they believe in.  Since when is it bad to invest time/money/work into something you believe in?  There were obviously people who supported NO on PROP 8 who donated their money and time as well. Funny how they try to find someone to blame for not "winning".  Maybe they should take into consideration the rest of the state of California who voted YES...maybe there are still some people with values in this liberal state.  All those who voted YES were definately not LDS.

P.S.  We all knew Obama would win right?  Of course I didn't vote for him...I think he's a socialist not a democrat.  How could you blame me, I am the daughter of Rush Limbaugh's number one fan.  To be completely honest, I'm not really upset about it.  I'm not gonna lie, I enjoy listening to his eloquent and empowering speeches..."YES WE CAN", its so inspiring.  Let's not forget his celebrity style good looks.  Isn't that what we all need, a celebrity for the President of our country?  Sounds good to me, we already hang onto Hollywood's every word, action, and latest fashion trend however rediculous it may be.  Really, I think Obama is representing the majority of the American people quite well.  Congratulations President, I support you in the very difficult task that lays before you.  Just do me one favor...focus on the economic slump and keep your socialist ideas out of health care.  SI SE PUEDE!

Feliz Cumpleanos Andres!

Andy's birthday weekend started with camping at the beach 

in Santa Barbara & roasting marshmallows 

around the fire with Kyle & Jenny

A surprise dinner at CPK with some of his classmates that didn't 

turn out to be a surprise afterall thanks to one of them :)!

an Angel's baseball cake made especially by me!  

It was so fun to make, I couldn't wait for him to see it!

I love how he looks like a little boy with his 

baseball cake in the pic above!  

(yes, those are chocolate dipped oreos, aren't I creative?)

& his birthday night ended with a little Guitar Hero battle!

HAPPY 26TH OLD MAN!  I LOVE YOU!

Back To My Roots!

Ok... I know it's darker than my natural roots but I was due for my two year  color change and needed something way different!  I told my mom I was so sick of the blonde & to get me something in the mail quick so she sent this.  I was going to put it on my self but my mom was a little concerned I'd mess it up, so my friend cut & colored it for me.   Thanks Melinda I love it! Also, thanks for always knowing what I want mom (hopefully Shelley will help you get on the internet so you can see it:)

Finally, after nearly a 2 year hiatus I started playing tennis again this week.  Tennis has been a part of my life since I was 9 & I spent nearly everyday on the court since I was 15.  Then I went to PA school and it was all over.  It was like I had gone through a major break up in a serious relationship.  No really, you might laugh and think I'm a weirdo who's is in love with her tennis racquet,  well I was and I still am and we've reunited!  There once was a time my day wasn't complete without swinging the racquet. Well its back & I can't wait to start tearing it up in the old lady leagues!

YES on PROP 8

Funny how both V.P. candidates said they do not recognize gay marriage as a civil union & today on Ellen (yes I have lots of time on my hands) Senator Biden said if he was a California resident he would vote no on PROP 8.  This just goes to show politicians tell you what you want to hear and celebrities have more influence on people than anyone else which is so sad since most of them are idiots.  PROP 8 is not about taking away gay rights, its about restoring the definition of marriage which is defined in the US Constitution as only between a man & a woman.  If PROP 8 does not pass, gay marriage will be required to be taught in the schools, gay couples will be able to sue churches for not performing their marriage etc.  VOTE YES on PROP 8 to restore the definition of marriage,  keep church and state separate and protect marriage and families.   Gays have the right to their private lives but not to change the defintion of marriage for the rest of us.  For more information on PROP 8 visit www.protectmarriage.com

P.S. My love for Ellen & Oprah has totally diminished.  I feel like they use their celebrity power to influence people and these people take their word as if it were from God himself.

Confession!

Wow, 2 blogs in two days...I'm on a roll!  SO I need to confess something.  When Andy & I got home from church there was a package in the mail (yes we get mail on Sunday because we live in a community that believes the sabbath to be Saturday) any ways it was Andy's birthday jeans I bought from my sister.  Yes, his birthday is not until Nov 1 but I just love giving presents and I can't ever wait to give them until they are actually suppose to be given so I showed him.  I just get so excited!  Seriously, I don't know how I'm ever going to keep any christmas presents for my kids around the house.  I am terrible, my friend and I have told each other what we're giving each other for our birthdays and Christmas presents for the past 12 years.  I need help!

Pumpkinman TRI

I tricked Andy into going to Las Vegas this weekend so I could do the Pumpkinman.  We camped at Boulder Beach where the tri started instead of staying in a hotel.  It saved money and was way more fun being so rugged and granolaish in the woods.  Andy has turned me into a mountain woman!  Not really,  I'm just way more rugged than I use to be since we got married. Afterall,  my husbands dream is to live in a cave in Alaska and wear flannel shirts & grow a big shaggy beard.  How can he not rub off on me! 

The race was a lot of fun, but definately way harder than the sprint I did a while back.  A few weeks ago I had the option of switching races & I wanted to change to the sprint but Andy said if we were driving all the way to Vegas I had to do the full.  Go hard or go home right?  I about died on the bike portion and when I got to the transition area from bike to run Andy was nearby and I asked him "do I really have to run now ?"  I was so not looking forward to it after the bike felt like it was 99% uphill, my legs were jell-o!  I probably should have trained more, oh well. 

This is a pic of all the "weenies" in their wet suits.  I'm the one hiding wearing the tank and super hot spandex.  Basically, I can't afford a wet suit so I pretend that only weenies wear them to make myself feel super tough.

Anyways, I finished  & was glad I didn't chicken out and switch to the sprint distance.  In fact, I got home & found a full Ironman in northern Cali this coming summer that I am going to do so if anyone would like to join me I'd love a training buddy.  It's only 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run :)  Hey, you only live once right?  My philosophy is that if you're gonna die you might as well do it having fun.  

P.S.  I would like to add that I am very sad my Angel's lost in the first round to the stupid Red Sox.  I actually shed a tear after game 4 when they were officially knocked out.  I always pretend not to like them as much as Andy  but secretly I LOVE THEM!  Goodbye Reggie, until next season,  2009!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Isn't this the cutest cake ever!  My sister's friend made it for my mom.  Wish we coulda been there to help eat it! By the way, "Nano" is what the grand kids cal my mom...long story!

I LOVE YOU!

Things Worth Remembering

Get out your kleenex, this is going to be a tear jerker!  No, just kidding.  In all seriousness, since I'm no longer a student and currently unemployed I've spent a lot more time thinking lately.  Anyways, tonight I couldn't sleep and I was thinking about my grandparents, the ones who have passed on, the ones that are still here, changing, aging, not quite the same as they use to be.  I was thinking about my favorite times with them.  Watching "Matlock" and "Murder She Wrote" thinking it was the scariest show ever as an 8 year old.  Cleaning Granny's house for extra change so me and my cousins could walk down to AMPM because it was super cool to be so grown up.  Staying up until 3am with Grumpy, playing board games and then waking up to "Grumpy's Grand Slam"  which included waffles piled high with a slice of ham, poached egg and ketchup (can't believe I ate that!)  Granny & Grumpy taking the cousins to Pancho's & putting up with us all fighting over who got to raise the flag for more sopapias.  Spending the night at Grandma's, making "healthy chocolate milkshakes" (honestly, she puts flaxseed in everything)  while she helped me with my long division (man I hated math).  Sitting on Grandpa's lap out on the porch in Heber, AZ with our cowboy hats on while he sang me his favorite cowboy songs at the very home & porch he grew up at.  Racing Grumpy down the water slide at Sun Splash, thinking "I must be his favorite since I braved The Bonze Eye slide".  Playing Wii with Grandma Taylor, flinching after her every swing thinking she would surely throw the remote right through the t.v. screen.  Then laughing as she did her famous victory dance to rub her win in a little more! (this was my first experience with Grandma Taylor, she is Andy's grandma...I loved her instantly)  My grandparents were and still are very simple people.  They didn't spoil me with gifts or take me on elaborate vacations (heck, grandma's big outing is still going to the grocery store on Friday) Instead, they gave me a lot of great memories that will stay with me longer than any tangeable item. I feel like sometimes the world today doesn't remember the simple things in life, doesn't remember to take a little time for others.  We feel like things could always be bigger & better.  I feel like we are all so busy that we forget to take a step back and remember it's the simple things that can be the most fun.  

What's your favorite "simple" childhood memory?

Wow!  I feel like Dr. Laura or something, I must be losing me mind...need to find a job ASAP before I turn into some sentimental sap!

We Be Cruisin'

we just got back from our celebration vacation! (graduation & anniversary)  we had never been on a cruise before, it was a lot of fun!  everything is done for you, you don't have to worry about a single thing except what you are going to eat next!  yeah, that's real good for the waist line.  after a week on the ship andy & i decided we forgot what its like to be hungry, you're either stuffed or full! haha  our first stop was cabo.  we had spent a week there on our honeymoon & found a restaurant up out of the tourist area where the locals lived so we had to journey back when we got to the port for more of their delicious "totopos".  (this was in the dining room on the ship, not at our delicious "El Burro Loco")next stop was mazatlan, i loved this clean little city!  we paid a cab driver to give us a tour. Of course,  alfonso our cabbie & andy became good friends chit chatting the whole time...they definately forgot i was there & that i didn't understand much espanol except enough to know the topic of their convo which at one point involved "nalgas y chi chis". still not sure what that was all about!  

last we docked in puerto vallarta.  this was our favorite day of all!  all the people at our dinner table on the ship were telling us about an excursion they were doing, which involved zip lining in the jungle.  we wanted to do it so bad but it was pretty expensive.  when we docked in puerto vallarta andy made some more mexican friends and got us the zip line excursion for half the price all the people on the ship paid!  it was so fun, we got to hike all around the jungle and then go on these super fast, long zip lines like 200 feet above the ground.  the view was amazing!  i felt like jane from tarzan!  oh, & the tequila tour afterwards was fabulous too!  just kidding, we only watched & did not partake!

Hiking & HAPPINESS!!!

So these past few days have been very interesting & full of adventure! Wednesday started with waking up at 1 am & never going back to sleep because I had a nightmare my alarm clock didn't go off and I missed my boards exam in Anaheim that morning at 8. Long story short, I ended up making it to the test and 7 hours later was done with what I thought was the end of my life because I honestly didn't know if I had passed or not. Scores come out every Thursday so I was very skeptical about going on an 18 mile hike with Andy & some of his classmates that day because all I wanted to do was wait by the computer to find out if I passed or failed. Long story short, I decided to go, that way if I did fail I'd at least be by a cliff to jump off! As we climbed higher up the mountain, one of Andy's friends got reception on his cell phone, so we decided to check the internet for my score. As he was accessing the website, I literally started crying & thought I was going to throw up, I was so scared. Andy & his buddies captured the whole thing with pics and video, pretty funny!

Now for the adventure...after the 7 of us reached the summit, we all started trecking back down in groups of 2 0r 3 at slightly different paces. At sunset only 5 of us were at the bottom. It was getting really dark so Andy started hiking back up the mountain to look for the other 2 friends. After about 1.5 miles up he ran into a trail runner who had told him our friends were about 6 more miles up the mountain and one of them was hurt. Andy got down as fast as he could to go get search & rescue. We thought they would get a helicopter or something but they said it was too dangerous for anyone to go in their until daylight hit. We were freaking out, Andy and the runner were going to run up the mountain with blankets & help get them out but the Sherff wouldn't let them go because then the rescue team would have to rescue 4 people instead of 2. Finally, after a lot of prayers, our 2 friends made it out at 3:30am after hiking since 7am the day before! It was a crazy day!

P.S. YAY for being done with school and that stupid mountain! Hooray for Andy, he has nice Jen back again, evil Jen has been around for the past 2 or 3 weeks and he asked her to start sleeping in the backyard in a tent until she finished taking boards. HaHa!

BEFORE

AFTER

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! warning: super long post

It's our two year anniversary today!  I can't believe it!  These last two years have flown by.  This might sound weird but when we got married I started PA school two weeks after and I never thought it would end but it has and we made it  and now we've already been married 2 years, I'm done with school and Andy is in PT school.  Crazy how time just flies by when you never think you're going to get to the next phase in your life.  I am so thankful to have such a great husband, I couldn't have asked for a more supporting, understanding guy.  I'm not sure if Andy really knew what he was getting into when we got married, especially with me starting school and all.  He has been fabulous!  He's cooked more meals for us on the past 2 years than I have, spent weekend nights watching movies on his laptop with headphones so I could have silence while I studied, been woken up with my crazy sleep talking and water throwing in the middle of the night, he's helped me get through a lot of stressful times when I didn't think I'd be able to get through school.  Sorry if all it seems I've been writing about is school, but that has been our life since we've been married!  I love you babe, happy 2 years, you survived JenJolley!

Anyways, what else have we been up to?  Andy got us tickets to the Jack Johnson/Rogue Wave concert last weekend and it was awesome!  I have never seen Jack live, I was in heaven!  If you don't know who Rogue Wave is you should look them up because they are the bomb dot com, seriously I love them! 

Friday night we went to the D'backs vs. Dodgers game since they were in LA.  I of course put on my D'backs hat to support my home team!  Andy looked at me funny and said "I don't know if you should wear that, the Dodgers fans are pretty ruthless, I've heard they throw ice at people cheering for the other team".  I thought whatever they will not, and said to Andy "If they throw ice at me I'll just throw my Nalgene bottle at their head"!  So we get to the stadium and still Andy is encouraging me not to wear it inside but I didn't care because I think I'm really tough and all.  We were sitting in our seats and I had to go to the bathroom so bad!  All the sudden

 our whole section stand up and starts booing and yelling at this guy walking up the stairs who was wearing a D'backs jersey!  I was so scared, I was about to pee my pants, but I did not want to walk through the stands getting yelled at!  Guess Andy was right, as usual.  Needless to say

, the stupid D'backs got slaughtered, oh well they'll still win the NL!

Last but not least i can't forget to wish my favorite sis a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  She just joined the blogging world, I am so proud of her!  She was kind enough to share her birthday with us on our wedding day!  I am so thankful to have such a fabulous sister, she is so talented

, I look up to her so much.  She is such a great wife and very fun mom!