ramblings - writings - thoughts

wow - twilight

2008-06-23T21:02:00.001-04:00

OK - so, it has been quite some time since I've written a book review - but I can't hold out any longer...especially now that I've read the Twilight series.

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is the beginning of a four book saga about, what else but, love. While Meyer tells her story, she speaks through 17-year old Bella, a high school student junior that has just moved to a new town to live with her father. During her first day at her new school, she encounters Edward. What she doesn't know during their first encounter is that Edward is different from other 17-year olds. That's because he's been 17 for 90 years. He is a vampire.

And from there, the story takes off. Through out the next three books, New Moon; Eclipse; and the forthcoming Breaking Dawn, Bella and Edward's romance is laid out. Through many trials and tribulations including a crazed "hunter" trying to track down Bella and a crazed female vampire seeking revenge, our couple also deals with young love, where their feelings actually lie as well as jealousy, heartache, and the struggle for what is good and right. It is an incredible story that will captivate you immediately.

On another note regarding Twilight, Summit Entertainment is bringing the book to theaters this upcoming December. Bella and Edward will be brought to life for this film with a very good chance at recreating the following 3 books into film. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited. If any of you know me well, you know how much I love Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Let's just say - my love of those don't even compare to my love for Twilight. And that's saying something.

That's all.

~jen.

a wedding - and a "quarter of a century"

2008-05-21T21:00:00.012-04:00

So, it's been a while since I've updated. Really long, actually, seeing as I didn't put anything in here about Andy's 27th birthday in March. Well, just call me slacker. Well - onto newer things! Here are two fun things that have happened this month so far!

A few weeks ago, Andy's Uncle Will got married. We had a wonderful time at the wedding. It was at this beautiful wooded resort. Here are some pictures. The first one is me and Andy on our way to the wedding.

Here is the cabin where we stayed at the resort. This place was so awesome.

Here are me, Andy, and Gretchen before the ceremony.

Here is Will when he first saw Erica! How sweet is his face?!

Here was after they were pronounced Husband and Wife! This was my favorite picture from the entire weekend.

Here's me and Andy at some point during the reception.

And here are are the newlyweds!

We went to this SWEET putt putt place the day after the wedding. Here's me and Andy with part of the course behind us.

And now - to my 25th birthday!! Here's me on my way to work!!

Here are me and Andy on our way home from my birthday dinner! And yes, he made sure they sang to me!

Here's me with my sweet "Birthday Girl" pin on.

Here's the birthday party set-up in the dining room!

Check out my sweet crown! Andy took pictures of everything!

My mom sent me a cake! It's a really good cookie cake! Don't worry - that's not a type-o, she's called me Jeffy for a long time!

And here I am blowing out my birthday candles!

And opening one of my many cards. This one is from my folks.

And here's me with my birthday gift from Andy. He got me a new golf bag! And it matches my Steelers club head covers! AWESOME!

So, that about sums it up quickly. I'd love to keep updating - but I'm in the middle of watching the American Idol finale...and I'm pulling for David Cook!!

atlanta - our first month-ish

2008-02-16T16:26:00.004-05:00

So, we've been here in the ATL for a little over a month now and I wanted to share some pictures of life. There's been a lot going on...and yet not a lot. Odd...I know...just like me.

First let me share with you some pictures of the first snow that Atlanta has seen in three years. Not only did it snow...but it did twice in three days. We only had a grand total of about 3-4 inches, cumulative. But, it was beautiful to see. Here are some pictures for you. Please also enjoy the lovely pictures of Mike, Andy's brother, throwing snowballs at Moe, the yellow lab. Also, note the pictures of the kids sled-riding and destroying the green behind the house.

Now, we come to Gretchen's (Andy's mom) birthday! Check out the sweet hats we bought!! Jim, Andy's dad, looks awesome. He's definitely wearing the elastic from the hat around his nose. And Moe, of course looks silly with his hat on. But, the Stelten tradition for birthdays is to have a homemade yellow cake with homemade chocolate frosting. So, Andy made the cake and icing and we decorated it. It's a beautiful cake!! :)

And now for Andy's favorites. Here he is with Chipper (a chocolate lab), his "bestest buddy". Chipper is the old man of the house. And he's a sweetheart.

Here's some silly pictures of the kitties in their room. You'll see Cato in some of his favorite spots. He's either curled up next to the heater (we still don't get it) or else he's under the desk chair. Charlie is just silly in all of his weirdness. Then there's the creepy picture of them looking at the camera. Weirdos. Be sure to notice the picture where Charles is sitting in front of my laptop...yeah, I was trying to write a paper for school last weekend. Needless to say, he wanted some attention. Then as soon as I stood up to take the picture...Cato jumps up onto my chair. They are silly.

And here are me and Andy on Valentine's Day. He asked me what I wanted and I told him, "To watch a movie by ourselves." Needless to say, his work schedule has been crazy and we haven't been able to have much "us" time. So, that's what we did. We watched Pride and Prejudice. It was lovely. And look at the cute little puppy he got me! His name is Puppy. I'm creative, right!?

The kitties thought Puppy should be sniffed...and thoroughly.

Now we come to the last bit. Meet Richard!!!

Yes, I finally got my GPS system for my car. His name is Richard. So, thus, my car has now adopted the name. It only took a full 3 years for me to finally name my car. I like Richard. It sounds distinguished.

Well, that looks to be about it, for now. I'm sure there will be an update of news and pictures soon.

~jen

atlanta - our new home

2008-01-06T20:09:00.001-05:00

So, as you most likely know, New Year's Eve brought quite a change. Andy and I moved to Atlanta! The day, of course, had to be documented in pictures. So, I took a few while we were in the car on the drive up. And then just yesterday and today I took some pictures of the house so you could see them and see where we are now living. :)

Here is the first shot of the day. Andy driving his Trailblazer and pulling the U-Haul.

Then here are the kitties in their crates in the backseat. They were so good and we didn't even hear a peep the entire 9 hours it took us to get there!

Here's a close-up of each of them.

Here's a shot of the back of the car and the attached 6'x12' trailer.

And here is our new home! (Shared of course with his gracious parents and brother.)

Here's the view when you walk in the door, and then the shot up the stairs.

Here is the dining room.

Now the living room.

Here is the kitchen from a couple different angles.

Now the family room at a few different angles.

Here's a shot looking from the family room to the entry.

Here's a shot walking up the stairs and the view from the top of the stairs. (That little balcony goes into my room.)

Here is my room.

Here is Andy's room. His room obviously needs some work.

Cato loves his new window perch.

And the kitties have their own little area in Andy's closet.

Here is our part of the bathroom and the shower part we share with his brother.

Here is the view from the back patio. This is hole #3 a par 3 and then we also overlook the #4 tee box.

Here is the pool and hot tub area.

Here is the back patio with Andy's mom and brother, Mike, in the shot.

All in all, I have to say that it has been a great experience, so far, being here. Andy is back in Orlando for a few days finishing up some last minute things and bringing up the stuff that wouldn't fit the first trip up. I begin my new job tomorrow and I'm so excited about it! Andy starts his job next Monday. It has been quite a big change, but definitely a good one!

Until next time...that's all.

~jen

christmas - what joy!

2008-01-01T17:01:00.000-05:00

So, I headed towards the 'burgh this Christmas excited for the wonderful-ness of the season! I wasn't let down, that's for sure! Here are some lovely pictures from my Christmas adventures!

We started off at the Newlyweds' place on December 23rd. We were having Christmas and also celebrating Bradley's 28th birthday. It was a wonderful time!

Here is a picture of their tree with some fun presents underneath!

Here is Asher with one of his Christmas presents from me. You know those shower puffies? Asher loves to rip them apart. So, I gave him one and in just a few minutes it already looked like this.

Here is Kristen, my sister-in-law, setting the lovely table.

Here is Bradley's birthday cake. mmmmm..... It was sooooo good!

Here's Asher sitting with my daddy.

And here's what that puffy looked like after Asher was through with it.

Here are Bradley and Kristen finishing up the last things for dinner.

While that was happening, the folks were looking at the tree.

Here we are sitting down to dinner. Bradley is retarded.

And here is a picture of what we had for dinner. It was wonderful. Lobster tail, filet mignon, rice pilaf, green beans, salad with a peach dressing, champagne, and birthday cake. Holy moly it's great to have a chef for a brother!

Here's Mambo enjoying his Christmas "Greenie". These are their favorite treats!

Here we are after dinner trying to take family pictures. We took so many shots it was crazy. Though, it was definitely fun to see all of the ridiculous faces Brad was making.

And here are me and Mambo while we were opening presents.

Here's our tree on Christmas morning!

Here's me being festive with a bow on my head.

And then my mom being festive with the huge Santa hat.

Here's Daddy in his Steelers gear holding his new Tiger Woods game that I got him.

And here's Mom holding the purse I bought her.

Here's the tree at my Aunt Dodi's house.

Here's my cousin, Mary, looking awesome with her bow-head.

She's pretty buff too!

And then there's Abbey who totally looked like a vampiress that day. What do you think?

And here's me and the vampiress, Abbey.

And here's Mary finally getting her Christmas clothes on. Well, here's her putting in her contacts.

My favorite-est cousins.

And here we all are.

All in all, it was a great Christmas! I love everything that I received - and as far as I know - everyone loved what I got them. And that is great!

The move to Atlanta happened yesterday. I'm sitting in the living room overlooking a beautiful sunset. I'll take some pictures of the place once we get a little more settled in. Andy's parents have been great and so excited to have us here.

Also, I'll give you the update on my Goals for 2007. I did very well, I can say that.

OK, dinner is getting close to being ready and I need to finish some stuff up.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~jen

big things - and other fun stuff

2007-12-16T16:03:00.000-05:00

Hey All -

Here are some fun pictures from the last few months-ish.

The first big one!

Andy was elected into the PGA of America!!! He is an official member of the PGA now! Here he is with his beautiful plaque!

Another big thing that happened is that Andy, along with his 3 teammates, won the the WJRR Hackers Open for the second year in a row! Here's his picture from last year - and then his picture from this year with both of his trophies!

Then of course, there is our Christmas tree and our "Christmas Card Picture".

Here's something crazy that happened last week. Charlie got scared from a loud noise while I was holding him and his nails dug into my neck and chest. It hurt so badly. It was the first time in a long time that I immediately started crying because I got hurt. Andy was freaking out wanting to take me to the hospital...needless to say, it wasn't that bad. But it definitely hurt. It's healing now. Here's a shot of what he did.

And then finally, here are our kitties. Even they are Steeler fans!

That's all for now. Christmas is soon and there will be many pictures from that! Also, the big move to Atlanta is happening in a little over two weeks! Very Exciting!!

~Jen

i'm so - thankful

2007-11-26T21:15:00.000-05:00

Hello All!!

First of all - I must say that the most important thing to tell you is that I GOT MY CAMERA FIXED!!! OK, all it was was that I needed a new picture card! So, I was very glad to have a quick $25 fix as opposed to needing a new camera.

OK, back to business. I went up to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving! It was wonderful. And of course, I have pictures! Here we go!

Here's me right when I got back to my parent's house. Personally, I just wanted to take a picture of my shirt.

Here is the lovely Thanksgiving table. My mom is good!

And of course, here is my lovely sister-in-law, Kristen...in her natural state.

And here is my sister-in-law with my brother's friend, Bobby.

Here are me and my cousin, Abbey.

And here's everyone squeezing into my parent's dining room. Only me and my dad aren't in the picture. I was taking the pic, and somehow he didn't end up in the picture. (Sorry Daddy).

Here's me and my lovely brother, Bradley, after dinner.

And the newly weds celebrating their first holiday season together.

Woohoo! Me playing Guitar Hero for the first time. Somehow when you can actually play the guitar, you all of a sudden suck at the video game version.

Me and my sister-in-law before she left.

Me and my cousin, Mary (Mims!)

OK, the 5 Chicas (me, Mom, Mary, Abbey, Aunt Dodi) always go out shopping on Black Friday. It is the Shop-a-Thon! Here are the pics of us as we pulled out of the driveway!

We ate dinner that night at the Olive Garden. Here is my lovely cousin, Mary, eating her spaghetti. She is such a lady.

And here are some other lovely pictures of us at dinner.

Then after we got back from shopping - at a surprisingly early hour of 8:30pm - we played The Dice Game!!

And here's a shot of me being sad because I was losing.

Then, Saturday morning, I went over to my best friend, Jess's, house for breakfast. I missed her. :)

The 5 Chicas went shopping again on Saturday afternoon. We ate lunch at Red Robin. It was tasty. It seems as though we had some trouble eating. Well, at least Abbey did.

There was another quick round of The Dice Game when we got back that night, too. Here's Abbey getting pretty into it!

Then Sunday, before I had to be at the airport, my mom and I went over to Brad and Kristen's to hang out and see the puppies. How cute are Mambo and Asher?! This shot of Asher was really funny to take. He wasn't even looking at me until I said his name and said, "Smile" and HE DID!

And Mambo with his tongue out as usual.

Asher was jumping on Bradley to get his toy. He's cute.

And then after he got his toy, he went and laid on the floor and basically played dead.

And here's a cute picture of them just chillin'.

Thanksgiving was great. :) I can't wait to go back for Christmas!

OK, back to before Thanksgiving. Here are some cute pics of me, Andy, and the kitties.

Here's a cute pic of me and Charles.

And a cute pic of Andy and Charles.

And here's Andy on the first game of the North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball team. He's funny.

And then, here's a recent picture of me and Andy. :) I love him.

OK, so, I hope you enjoyed my lovely collage. I sure do like pictures!
Don't worry - new pics to come I'm sure!!

That's all.

~jen

quick - update

2007-10-13T14:20:00.000-04:00

Hello All -

It has been quite some time since my last post. And this one won't be very long because I have a paper due tomorrow for school. But...since my camera has been on the fritz since the day of Brad and Kristen's wedding - I haven't had any pictures to post. This stinks because I couldn't take any pictures on vacation in August or any pictures when my best friend, Jess, came to visit - or anything really.

But I wanted to share a few pictures that my dad just sent to me. My folks came to visit last weekend and we had a lovely time in New Smyrna Beach. Here are a couple pictures of me with my folks.

But - the thing that was most exciting from last weekend was that I FINALLY played my first official round of golf!! Here is a pic of me and Andy while we were waiting to hit a tee shot.

I can't say that I played every shot on every hole. But I did hit every tee shot and I got a par on #12!! And that was exciting! I hit some good shots and some not-so-good shots. But we had a great time and I'm glad my dad and Andy could be there for my first round.

OK, back to school work.

~jen

goal 1 - in process

2007-07-17T07:59:00.000-04:00

OK, so you all know that at the beginning of 2007, I made a list of seven goals that I wanted to achieve, or at least be in the process of, by year's end. Well, my first goal (and the hardest in my opinion) To Live Healthier and Actively has finally come to fruition. I am making it happen.

Two weeks ago I finally joined a gym. The Planet Fitness not far from my house was offering this great special where you can get their best membership for $20 a month, sign on fee waived, and a free session with a personal trainer! And this membership includes unlimited guests (so Andy can come with me every time if he'd like to), 10% off everything at Planet Smoothie, free tanning, and more. It's a great deal.

So, I've decided to work out every morning before I go to work, and take Saturdays and Sundays off. I've been getting up at 5:30 every weekday morning and getting to the gym by 6am. And I have to say, I've been feeling a lot better even in just the last two weeks.

This past Saturday, I had my free session with the personal trainer. Holy moly did my ass get kicked! But it was great!! I felt so good afterwards. I was tired - but it was good tired. I learned so much about how the body works and how the muscles keep burning the calories and building themselves up for up to 72 hours after your workout. So, sitting in my chair at work yesterday, my muscles were still working like crazy burning the calories and building themselves up because of my Saturday morning workout. That's crazy!

I decided to sign up with the personal trainer to meet with him once a week for the next six months. I'm looking forward to seeing how much I accomplish. I don't want to be a stick. I just want to be healthy and toned. That's all I am looking for.

My trainer also gave me some nutrition information and what foods would be better choices and when not to eat carbs during my day. And I totally appreciate learning all about this. But, as Andy told me the other day, "Stop pushing yourself so hard. Focus on the working out right now, and build into the nutrition. You don't have to go crazy on this." And he's right.

So, yeah, that's an update on Goal 1.

Andy and I are leaving in a week and a half to go to Topsail Island, NC with his family again this summer. I'm so excited!!

the new - mr. and mrs. marks

2007-06-12T22:59:00.000-04:00

That's right! This past weekend, on Saturday, June 9, 2007, Brad and Kristen were finally married!!!!!!!! And here are all of the lovely pictures that I could fit on here. Of course, I will caption them all. :)

First, the rehearsal dinner was held at the Tin Angel on Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh.

Here is the happy couple at the rehearsal dinner.

Here's me and Andy at the rehearsal dinner.

And here's a family shot.

How cute are my mom and dad??

Here's a shot of Brad and Kristen as my dad was giving the welcome and the blessing. Yes, Bradley is crying.

Here's me and Andy another time during the evening.

Here's me and Kristen after she gave me my gift for being in the bridal party. We got these cute white bags with our names on them in pink, and the bag had a plush pink robe in it as well as our necklaces that we wore for the wedding.

Here's Bradley with a few of his friends who were ushers for the wedding. From L-R we have: Nate, Ryan, and Bob.

And here's a pic of my mom receiving her gift from Bradley. Yes, they're both crying.

OK - Onto the Wedding Day!

The wedding took place at Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church and the reception was held at the Hilton Garden Inn at Southpointe. Here we go!!

Here's a pic of all of the bridesmaids all dressed and ready to go.

Here's Kristen right after she finished getting dressed.

Here are the Bride and Bridesmaids outside of Kristen's parents' house before the limo picked us up.

Here's the outside of the church doors. How cute are the wreaths that Kristen made?!

Here's Kristen sitting in the bride's room at the church looking like a puff ball just waiting to get the show on the road.

Here are their rings just waiting to be taken down the aisle!

Here is Bradley right after he saw Kristen for the first time. I was already crying by this point after seeing my big brother cry.

The New Mr. and Mrs. Bradley and Kristen Marks!!!!

Here are the newlyweds right after they exited the church to release the "love doves" as Kristen called them.

Here I am with my godmother, my Aunt Lyn.

Back inside for pictures. Here is the newly enlarged family!!

Here's the Bridal Party. Kristen's brother, Jonathan, kind of got cut off the righthand side.

Kristen in the church. The professional photographer's version of this shot is going to be stunning.

The New Mr. and Mrs.

Their first dance at the reception!

Eating some cake. (It was really good!)

My Uncle Dave and my cousin Abbey dancing.

Me and Andy at the reception.

The Groom and Mom dance. Yeah, by the end they were both crying.

Bradley getting the garter.

Abbey and Andy dancing away.

Me, Andy, and Abbey having a three person slow dance.

So, Bradley and I danced for a song and it was hysterical. I can't even remember what song it was, but you'll see throughout these pictures (that our mom kept taking because "oh my gosh, my kids are dancing together!") that we had a good time making faces and singing the song in opera to each other.

And here's me and Andy having a "quiet" moment on the dance floor.

My mom and godmother polka-ing.

Me and my Uncle Dave.

The newlyweds at the end of the night.

Seriously, this was one of the best weekends ever. Not only did Brad and Kristen get married - but my entire family was finally able to meet Andy. The response? Everyone loved him. The comment that meant the most to me? Brad got up in the middle of the reception and tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Jen, Kristen and I just wanted to tell you how much we like Andy and how good we think you are together." Yeah, that doesn't sound like much...unless you know Brad. He has never said anything like this to me before. And not only that - he's done the opposite in the past - - he's talked about how much he hasn't liked things about my past boyfriends to my parents, but he's never talked with me. So for him, not only to like Andy, but to come up and say it to my face - - yeah, I cried. And I gave him a big hug. And he cried. And I went and gave Kristen a hug and told her how much that meant to me and she said, "It's so clear to see how well you two fit together. You are totally yourself around him, and that is what is important. You aren't hiding who you are." And yeah, I cried again. Needless to say, I cried a lot that day. But they were all joyous tears! It was a gorgeous day.

What else can I say.......

i'm now - 24

2007-05-22T22:05:00.000-04:00

So, Sunday was my 24th birthday. (Yay!!) Sunday stunk. But Saturday was fun!

Andy and I had an adventurous day! I got to his house at 9:15-ish and we went to Steak n' Shake for breakfast.

Then we began our trek down to the Magic Kingdom!! Here's me right after we got through the ticket carousels. I'm sitting in front of the Train Station before you get onto Main Street USA. Do you see the Mickey Mouse in the flowers in the background?

Then we got into the actual park and went into one of the stores. We found a "Happy Birthday" hat - and so of course I had to put it on for a picture!

Then, as we walked further along up Main Street. We knew we just had to get a picture in front of the castle! It's a great self portrait if you ask me!

Then we went on the Indy 500 ride. Oh man...it was intimidating! Here's Andy ready to drive!

I know from the look on my face in this picture that you know we were going super fast!! The car was zooming around the track at a crazy speed of around 4 m.p.h.!!! (I love Andy's face in this shot.)

Then we stopped for some drinks and ice cream. Here's Andy biting off Mickey's ear.

Then we went on some more rides and walked around the whole "kingdom". Here's Andy in front of the Haunted Mansion.

After a grueling 6 1/2 hours on our feet, we decided to call it quits and head home. We were pretty tired from standing and walking all day. Here's Andy on the drive home. Don't worry. He wasn't asleep at the wheel, he just blinked during the picture.

After we got back to Andy's house, he gave me my birthday presents. He got me my golf shoes!! And a dozen golf balls! Now, all I need to get are my clubs. We're working on that! Here's me with my gifts!

About 30 minutes after this picture was taken, I was laying on the couch with a stomach ache because I ate so much cotton candy on the way back from Disney. :)

All in all, it was a great birthday!! I'm so excited to get my clubs with the money that was given to me by my family members!! Woohoo!!

That's all,
~jen

it is - so close

2007-05-15T21:41:00.000-04:00

So, this past weekend, I went back up to Pittsburgh for my soon-to-be sister-in-law's bridal shower and bachelorette party. It was an exhausting weekend...but it was so much fun!!!

Not only did all of that happen, but, in addition to seeing my immediate family, I had a chance to see my aunt, cousins, and my cousin's fiance. It was awesome!

Here's a picture of the ladies of the bridal party at Kristen's Shower. From L-R Amy, Me, Jayme. And Kristen's in the back.

And here's a picture of Kristen and me right before we left Sing Sing (a piano bar) where we went for the bachelorette party.

On Sunday afternoon, we were able to get a lovely "Five Chicas" picture. How cool are we?? From L-R My Mom, Abbey, Me, Mary, my Aunt Dodi in the back.

And let me just say...how cute is this picture?!?! This is my cousin, Mary, with her fiance, Jim. He is home, from Iraq, for two weeks for R & R. I love them. The best part of this picture?? They didn't even know that I took this picture of them until afterwards.

Anyway, I would put more pictures on here, but I'm tired. :)

I can't wait until the wedding. It's only 26 days away!! woohoo!!

That's all.

~jen

he's definitely - the sweetest boyfriend ever

2007-05-03T21:19:00.000-04:00

So, today was a very long day for me. Work just seemed like it took forever. And it's not like I was miserable all day or had people yelling at me. In fact, I could possibly get 3 sales out of all the people I spoke with today. But anyway, it was a long day and I was so looking forward to coming home.

Andy and I were texting each other throughout the day and he told me that he wasn't having the best day either. Though, his included a hell of a lot of unnecessary drama from his roommates.

After I got over my initial disappointment that Andy didn't want to have our usual Thursday date night because he just needed an alone night, I decided I would go and get a pedicure. (It's been quite some time.) So, while I'm at the nail place, he gives me a call. We ended up talking for about a half hour. Well, he ended up talking for most of that time. He just let it all out. All the drama and all the stress and everything. Granted I would interject my support or my rationality, but I just let him talk. Then he wanted to get off the phone because he wanted to get some food and the lady was about to start my pedicure. So, we get off the phone saying that we'll talk tomorrow and to have a good night.

So, I'm sitting there enjoying my foot soak and all that when I get a text from Andy. Here's what it said:

"I just wanted you to know that it feels like you help give me the strength to deal with all the bad stuff that keeps happening to me. You are like some sort of an angel sometimes and you don't even know it. Thank you. No response necessary, just wanted you to know that you help by doing nothing at all."

Then there's me...sitting in the nail salon...feet in the tub...eyes tearing up. What you have to understand to make this make more sense is that Andy is learning how to be more communicative with me when it comes to us and the lovey-dovey stuff. Whereas I'm learning how to be more communicative with him when it comes to us and the frustration and confrontation stuff. Words can't explain what him saying something like that to me does to me.

Not to mention the fact that my main love language is "Words of Affirmation." It's incredible how much that book has brought us closer. We've learned how we can better love one another. I recommend that book (The Five Love Languages) to everyone.

Ok...that's all.

~jen

goal 2 - a tough call

2007-04-23T18:50:00.000-04:00

Hello All...

So, I had a good test today on Goal 2 for this year: "Live Real and Honestly"

So, where I work, you can nominate people for Employee of the Month and that kind of stuff. Well, some people on my project team wanted to nominate this one guy for the S.U.P.E.R. award. It's basically saying that the person is, I think, Super, Unique, Professional, Excellent, and Reliable.

Well, like I said, some folks wanted to nominate this one person. So they put filled out the whole sheet and were having everybody sign it. Except that, it wasn't like it was just sitting on the table and you go up and sign it if you want to...no, my manager was walking around having people sign it.

And then he got to me.......

And he said to me, "Come on Marks, are you going to sign it?" And I said, "Why?" And he replied, "Manager knows best." I told him, flat out, "I can't sign that." To which he gives me this odd look. And I said, "When it comes to how I have seen him act, I can't honestly sign that." And my manager says, "Ok" and walks away.

So, there I am, still new to the project team, and completely not having "team-spirit". But I stuck firm with my decision...and here, are my reasons.

This guy that they want to nominate for this award is anything but professional. He's arrogant, egotistical, takes credit for other people's hard work, doesn't give credit to those it's due, feels the need to tell everyone that he's in charge when the manager isn't there, and laughs it off if you need help with something. I'm sorry, but, how is that professional??

Anyway, after lunch I felt like I should probably go and say something to my manager. I didn't go into anything, I just said, "I just feel like I should tell you my reasonings. It's just that, personality-wise, we just really don't click or see eye-to-eye. And maybe other people think he's being professional, but personally, I don't and I'm not going to lie about it." To which my manager said, "I really respect that and, even though you didn't have to, I'm glad you told me. It says a lot about your character."

So anyway, I felt really good about it all. Because, in the end, I nominated somebody else on my project team. This guy exemplifies everything in a real leader...and he'd be the last to admit it.

So yeah, that was my first real "goal 2" strive forward. I've stopped worrying about the little things. Why should I have to lie about some stupid employee award?

Ok, that's all.

~jen

the sleepy adventures of - mr. charles

2007-04-15T13:53:00.000-04:00

So, yesterday I was writing two papers that I had due for class. (Today was the last day of my 1st grad class!) But anyway, throughout the entire process Charles, my silly cat, felt the need to make sure that I knew that he was there.

Here are some funny shots of him throughout the day.

He started off in the white chair sleeping away.

Then something startled him and he woke up. He licks his lips a lot.

Then he was walking around and found that he liked the spot underneath my chair. (Clearly, he was starting to get tired again)

Then when he noticed that I wasn't paying as much attention to him, he felt that sitting behind me on my chair would be more beneficial.

And then, when all was said and done and I had finally finished my papers, there was Charles, back in one of his favorite spots, the white chair.

He's silly. But totally entertaining.

That's all.
~jen

where - did it come from

2007-03-31T18:23:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a couple weeks since my last post.

Since then, I've officially started my new job. I'm out of training and have been "on the floor" for two weeks. Even though I sit in a chair all day and basically just stare at a computer and talk to people on the phone, it is exhausting. As ridiculous as that might sound, my schedule is wearing me out.

I get up at 6:30-ish, get showered, dressed, have breakfast, and am out the door no later than 8:15 to get to work by 8:45 so that I can clock in a little early (looks good to the higher ups) and then be ready for our morning meeting at 9. Then, I'm working, for what feels like forever. Then, I leave work at 5:30, and don't get home until 6 because of all of the traffic. That right there...is almost 12 hours of my day...eaten up. I guess this really is what it's like to be a grown up.

But...there are some positives with it. I work with some great people. With the exception of 2 people on my team of 17, we get along great! My manager has given me some great feedback and encouragement. And not only that, but even the folks that take care of all of the records that we use have given my manager great feedback about me. And they've never even met me. All they see is my work! So, these last two weeks have been pretty alright.

Along with the day job, I'm still working for the church. They've told me that they'll pay me an extra $50 a month if I continue to put together the church newsletter. It's cool. All that means is taking an evening, once a month, to sit down and punch it out. And that's no problem. I did last month's at Andy's while we watched Wheel of Fortune and Scrubs.

But, I also took some of my Sr. High girls on our Senior High retreat last weekend. It was a non-stop weekend. But it was a great time! And my girls are great! I love them.

Then there's school. I just spent the last 3 hours online for school. (May I remind you, it's a Saturday afternoon/evening.) I had to finish up some work for this week...and then try and get a jumpstart on next week. That is one thing that's great about working online. I can always get ahead because all of the assignments are already there. I have a mini-research paper due in 2 weeks about why I chose to study for my MBA. I wasn't the best student this past week. I had a group project due yesterday...and I did my part. But my other group members weren't too happy with me because I wasn't participating in discussion as much as them. Though, it's not like I can just get online at any time during the day and leave comments and thoughts and such. Anyway, they made it known on our discussion board that they weren't happy with me and I just let it go. They can think what they want...but I'll be the bigger person and not bitch back. And yet here I am bitching about it.

Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out where all of my tiredness is coming from. I've been getting a decent amount of sleep. I've been eating alright. Though, my back is aching. I need to learn how to sit up straight and actually stick to it.

So much for my first "day off" in 3 weeks. I got up early to take Charles to the vet...then I went to the bank which ended up being closed (apparently they're not open on saturdays)...then I went and picked up Andy to go grocery shopping...then we went back to his place and had lunch...then I came back to my place and did some more unpacking (my room is actually recognizable)...then I started my school work. And now it's 6:45 and I really want to go to bed. That's sad....and pathetic. But...oh well. I guess that's just how it goes.

That's all.
~jen

p.s. So, I gave up soda for Lent. And all I have to say is....I will be carrying a 2-liter of Dr. Pepper around with me all day on Easter! And I'm very excited about it.

overwhelmed - but not

2007-03-15T20:20:00.000-04:00

OK...so it's been 10 days since my last entry. I have one more day of training left at my new position. And I have to say, it's definitely different from what I'm used to, but I think it'll be good for me. It will have its challenges, but it will also be a breath of fresh air at the same time. I can't wait to actually start on Monday, the 19th. It'll be nice to be out of the training room too. I'm so sick of it.

Also, I'm finishing up my second week of my first class of school...and it's great! I have a 100% so far! Granted we've only had 3 things graded so far...but still...it's a good thing! The people in my class are cool and they're very "talkative" on the message boards. It's kinda hard to keep up with all of the conversation! But at the same time, it's been good to get to know them all.

I'm feeling much better than I had been during my last entry as well. I don't know what that bug was...but it hit me hard and out of nowhere!

BIG NEWS! I'm moving this weekend!! So exciting! I'll be moving back to the area of town where I used to live and I'm moving in with a girl named Nicole. She's cool. So it'll be just the two of us in the house until her sister moves back in next month after she gets out of school. The house is pretty sweet. I went over today, with Andy, to check out my room and get an idea of where I'll put everything. He really liked the place. It's a 4 bedroom house with a living room and dining room, kitchen, and a screened in pool in the back. SOOOO EXCITED to have the pool! Nothing like being able to swim in the morning! I'm going to have that be one of the ways I can accomplish Goal 1 (Live Actively and Healthily).

But like I said in my title, "overwhelmed - but not", I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed because there's just so much going on...but at the same time, it's not really overwhelming...it's just me trying to adjust to all of the changes and really find my new routine. It's been going really well. And that is encouraging.

OK...that's all.

~jen

goal 3 - has begun

2007-03-05T21:11:00.000-05:00

So...TWO THINGS

1 - Today was my first day of training for my new job at PRC. And I have to say...I'm very encouraged by the company. Today we talked a lot about the company and what the work environment will actually be like. It's so supportive and encouraging. Our trainer kept talking about how everyone is a coach and will encourage you in your work because they know that you're in an environment where you'll want to encourage others. It just sounds so healthy. Very cool.

2 - GOAL 3 HAS STARTED! Today was also my first official day of grad school. It's kind of cool how it's all working. I was able to log into my classroom the other day and check things out...but I have to say, it's nice to get to do school this way. It's very much at my pace. I already have all of my assignments done for the week. It's not like I had to wait for the prof to get them to me. They're all there...ready to be finished. A lot of the class will be discussion that will happen on message boards and things like that. Another thing that is really encouraging about Walden University is that some of my classmates went to other online universities for their undergrad and they all decided that Walden would be a better fit for them for their grad work. One of them was even talking about how profs at this one online university didn't care if a person didn't do work while on a group project because it still got finished. That's just not cool! I'm glad I'm at a place where I have heard great things by students that I know personally. The person that recommended Walden to me had nothing but great things to say about it and he even said that when he goes back to get his Ph.D he'll attend Walden. Awesome.

So yeah, besides the fact that I'm congested, have a headache, a runny nose, and am coughing...the day went really well! I'm excited for this part of my life! We'll see where it goes!!

That's all.

~jen

craziness - here i come

2007-02-28T11:26:00.000-05:00

So, today, February 28, 2007, is my last official day as the full-time youth director at Good Shepherd. And I won't even be here the whole day. My cousin, Abbey, is coming into town this afternoon for a few days. We're pretty excited.

But yeah, it's crazy to think about all of the changes that are going to be happening in the next few weeks. I just replied to an email from my former boss, Mark, and told him about all that's coming up for me. It was weird to list it all out.

1 - Starting part-time at the church tomorrow.
2 - Starting training for my new full-time position on Monday.
3 - Starting grad school and work on my MBA on Monday.
4 - Moving on March 17th back to the side of town I used to live on.

There's just so much going on. I like it! I'm surprised by how much I'm liking it. I thought I'd be overwhelmed. Though, I guess it's only just starting. I'll get back to you on how it's all going once I'm in the middle of it.

But yeah, today has just been a day of sorting through emails, cleaning up my office (it's a mess) - all while listening to Hanson while I wait to go pick up Abbey. It's been a great day.

And not only that...it's absolutely beautiful outside. One of the nicest days we've had in a while. Perfect jeans, cute shoes, t-shirt weather.

I'll also give an update after Abbey leaves - complete with pictures!! We're good at taking a bunch of pictures!! :) We're a couple of hams...especially when there's a camera around. We're definitely going to be over in the Tampa area for a day visiting our uncles who will be there for the weekend. But we might hit up Universal Studios tomorrow....or we might make it a pedicures and museums day. We haven't decided yet. You'll find out in my next entry.

That's all,
~jen

february - goal 4

2007-02-21T10:41:00.000-05:00

And here's my fiction read for February.

H.R.H. by Danielle Steel

This book was so good. It's Steel's newest book and I have to say that it's a very sweet story. I'm not even sure how to describe it. I just know that I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good, sweet, and innocent love story.

I'm planning on giving this book to my cousin when she's down here next week because I know she'd love it.

That's all.

valentine - fun-ness :)

2007-02-15T09:34:00.000-05:00

OK...so here's some fun pictures from Valentine's Day!

Here's a picture of the pretty tulips that one of the ladies that I work with got me. She's sweet. And...they make my office look so much more friendly.

So, I left work a little early so I could get ready and get over to Andy's. (He usually gets home later than I do.) So anyway, I got ready and was leaving at 5:00 to beat the traffic. And here's me before I left for Andy's.

And here's some pictures of my cute hair. No, I wasn't driving while these were being taken...I was stuck in traffic. surprise surprise.

So, I finally got to Andy's and we left for The Cheesecake Factory. We're big fans of it. Not to mention we went there on our first date....hence why we went last night! So anyway, after a 45 minute wait (shorter than we expected), we sat down to a divine meal. Oh...it was so good. We didn't even have room for our cheesecake! So we got it to go. But here's a picture that our waiter took for us before he got us our cheesecake.

I think it's cute that I wore Andy's favorite color and he wore mine. Yeah....we're cute. :)

So, all in all, I had my best Valentine's Day ever.....
It was so simple...I got to have a wonderful dinner and spend time with the person that I care about most in the world...but that's all it has to be. :)

~jen

P.S. When I was getting ready for work this morning, I had to take a picture of Charlie. When he's in my closet, he's never far from my Steelers jersey. He definitely knows that there is no football team like them Stillers.

newness - galore

2007-02-13T14:28:00.000-05:00

Hola my friends!

Two things that are exciting - and one thing that's not so exciting!

EXCITING!
1 - I got a new job today!! As of March 5, 2007, I will be an employee of PRC. What I will be doing is getting in touch with their clients and making sure they're happy. And when they're not happy??? Find out why. It's 80% on the phone and 20% inputting data.
Now, you may be wondering...Jen, why would you take a job like this? And here's my answer:
a) Super easy
b) Decent pay
c) I can leave work at work.
d) Great hours (10-6:30, though they will be going back to 9-5:30)
e) Will leave me plenty of time for staying part-time at the church and.........

2 - I officially start grad school on March 5th!!! Yes, that's another reason why I took the job. It lets me keep my focus on the youth group kids and on school. Cause they're important! But yes, if you noticed, I will be starting my new job and school on the same day. Oh what joy! Oh what bliss!
Basically, I had originally decided to start school in March. Then I switched to September. Then, last week, I decided to start in March again. So, these last few days have been filled with filing my FAFSA, doing my taxes, talking with Walden University a lot, and debating on which notebook I should use for my assignments. :) I'm excited for school!

NOT EXCITING
1 - So, I call my folks after I got my job to tell them. First, I called my mom at her office and no one picked up. That's not unusual. The other guys in her office never pick up if she's not there. So, I tried my dad's cell phone and my mom answered it. So I said, "Why did you answer? I just called your office and you didn't pick up there." To which she replied, "I didn't pick up the phone at work because I don't work there anymore. I got laid off today!"
So yeah, holy crap! My mom got laid off. Lance (yes, the cracker company) is shutting down the corporate office in Pittsburgh...the office where my mom was the admin. Weird. They totally blindsided everyone...even my mom's boss. So, yeah. Now she has to look for a new job. And boy can I relate to what that feels like! Looking for a job sucks.

So yeah...that is my world.

I'm still doing well on my goals. I'll give an update shortly.

Yay for tomorrow being Valentine's Day!! Andy asked me to be his Valentine last week. It was really cute. But I have no idea what we're doing. He won't tell me. I get some details tonight...that's it. I love it! :)

OK...that's all for now.

~jen

P.S. It's raining like crazy here. And they're saying that it could starting hailing any time and to not be surprised if there's a tornado or two. Sweet. I look forward to it. (ridiculous)

stuck - in the pew

2007-02-07T09:59:00.000-05:00

I just finished watching a clip from ABC's Nightline regarding XXXchurch.com and I have to say that what one of the pastors said, in response to all of the criticism they get from Christians for trying to break into the porn industry with hope and love from God, is brilliant. Here it is:

"The American church is great about sitting in the pew. And they're great about judging the world by sitting in the pew. 'I'm gonna sit in my pew and I'm gonna judge the world.' If you really, truly, want to make a difference, as a Christian in this world, get your butt out of the pew and get back squarely in the community and do something for another human being. And if you don't do that and you're praising the Lord and holding your hands up on Sunday, shame on you."

What can you really say after reading that besides: hell yeah.

Check out the video

goal 4 - again again

2007-01-29T11:39:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I read a lot more than I originally thought. Here's another book that I've read this month. Though, I can't believe it's taken me this long to actually get it and read it. (It only took me two days to read it.)

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Sooooooo good. If you haven't read this book. Buy it. Read it. Live it.

In my reading of this book, I was having a difficult time figuring out what my love languages would be. Turns out, after I took the quiz in the back, that I have two big ones with a third that's pretty close. My #1 is: Word of Affirmation. My #2: Physical Touch. Both of these totally make sense. And then #3: Quality Time is a pretty close third. I'd love to get into what all these mean...but I'd end up writing a pretty long entry. And I'm not really up for that. But, I can tell you, it hits it right on the money.

I've talked with Andy a little bit about the book...but I look forward to delving into it with him and seeing what his love language is...though I could probably guess...and sharing with him what mine are. Though I have to say, he's good at all of them. He's constantly showing me how much he cares for me. :)

That's all.
~jen

goal 4 - 1/12 accomplished...again

2007-01-24T11:34:00.000-05:00

Ok...so I actually read two books this month. My academic read for January was The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church by Reggie McNeal.

While this book had a lot of good things to say...it took a lot for me to finish it. Maybe it's because I was tired...or maybe it was just slow. I'm not sure.

One thing that I thought McNeal hammered right on the head was that a lot of churches nowadays act like a private club. What he means by this is that most of the activities that happen are for "club members" and most of the prayer that happens is for "club members" and the money goes to the "club members' activities". One of his challenges with this mindset is to get outside of the "club" and go do something in the community.

Be community minded - not club minded.

But anyway, I would definitely recommend this book. Even though it took me longer than it should have to read the little 150 pages that it is...I'd still say it's worth picking up.

goal 4 - 1/12 accomplished

2007-01-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd share with you one of my January books.

This month, my fiction read was, Courtesan by Diane Haeger. It was an historical romance placed in the 16th century French court. I have to say - I loved reading this almost 600 page book. It was a beautiful love story until the last 20 pages. I wanted to smack the author. Though, it's not her fault seeing as the book was based on actual events. And actually, there were only two parts in the book that were only 1/2 truths. But anyway, it's a good book that keeps you tied in and wanting to read more.

I'm currently about 50 pages from finishing my academic/work related book of the month. When I finish, I'll post about it.

Sweetness.

new look - 2007 greatness

2007-01-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

So yes, I thought it was about time that I switch up the look of my blog. It's been the same for over two years and I was getting tired of it. So here it is...pretty and green.

Anyway...

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do this year. I don't want to call them "New Year's Resolutions" because almost everyone breaks those. I want to call them "My 2007 Goals". So here they are in no particular order:

Goals for 2007

1. Live Healthily and Actively - don't try to be "super-psychotic-health-freak-girl" but be more aware of what I eat, do, and don't do. Actually try to have a healthy body.

2. Live Real and Honestly - be true to who I am and who I present to others. Do not hide it. Do not be ashamed.

3. Enrich My Mind part 1 - go back to school to get my Masters Degree.

4. Enrich My Mind part 2 - read at least one book a month. (academic, fiction, whatever. just read more.)

5. Live Simply - stop using my disposable income for unnecessary purchases. Instead, increasingly pay down student loans, credit card, and car.

6. Branch Out - get out of my bubble and do something "unlike" me or "unexpected".

7. Live Lovingly and Selflessly - let those I love know that I love them. Show them this love more often.

Ok, that's all I can think of right now. If I think of more, I'll just add to it. I will keep this updated with my progress of these goals. And at the end of the year, we'll see how I did! :)

peace,
~jen

joy - love - christmastime

2007-01-08T15:38:00.000-05:00

OK...so it's been a while since my last post. But that's ok. I just wanted to share with you a couple pictures from my Christmas in Pittsburgh.

First, here is a picture from the night before I left for Pittsburgh. I was at Andy's and we were having Christmas with the rest of the "family." Yes, the bow from my present is around my head. And yes, it looks awesome.

Next, here is a picture of our Christmas trees in Pittsburgh on Christmas morning. Holy moly that's a lot of presents. (Remember, there were 5 of us....and my dad got my mom 19 things.)

And here's me after I opened my gift from my brother, Bradley. I LOOOOOOVE my new purse!!

Here is my cousin, Mary, opening her special gift from me. Can't get enough "DJ the C". (Just so you understand, this CD is the thing that we re-gift to each other as often as we can because probably 5 or 6 years ago, this random cashier at Sam's Club hit on us and gave us his CD. And as you can see, we "cherish" it. Such crap.)

And here is a picture of the ladies of Hardies House (where I lived my junior year at Geneva) out to dinner on December 26th. From L-R we have Maelissa, Leanne, Me, Katie Clegg, Kristy, and Katie Black. We couldn't remember the last time we were ALL together. It was great!

That's all the pictures I'm going to post. I sucked at Christmas because I didn't really take any pictures. At least not compared to Thanksgiving. Oh well.

There are some new things on the horizon for me. I will leave it at that and keep you posted.

Have a wonderful New Year!

peace,
~jenna

SUPER - exciting

2006-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

So, today, at 11:45am EST, I received a call from my admissions advisor at Walden University. What she said?

"Congratulations! I'm happy to tell you that you've been accepted into the graduate program here at Walden!"

So, come March 2007, I'll be a grad student...studying to receive an M.B.A. with a focus in Marketing.

I'm SUPER EXCITED!!

:)

~jenna

hanson - helps the fight against aids in africa

2006-11-30T14:36:00.000-05:00

Yet another reason why I love this band and they have my upmost respect.

Check out Hanson's new song/video "Great Divide" below. They are selling this song on iTunes and selling T-shirts on their website (www.hanson.net) to raise money to fight the spread of AIDS in Africa. ALL of the proceeds go to Africa. Nothing goes to Hanson.

See why I love them!?

Check out "Great Divide"

peace,
~jen

'da burgh - thanksgiving

2006-11-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

So, let me share with you my jaunt up to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving. And of course...I will share in pictures!! I love pictures!!

Here I am, at 4 a.m. pulling out of my driveway in Orlando, Florida.

Oh, the open road. Nothing quite like a 15 hour road trip by yourself.

I finally got to my folks' house around 7 p.m. that evening. We talked, ate dinner, and I went to bed. Thanksgiving was two days later. Look at how cute my parents' dining room is. They got all new furniture. And here's the table after my mom and I finished setting it.

Here's my daddy, smiling for the camera!

And my mom being her usual self. (See how similar we are!)

This picture makes me laugh.

Here's me with my cousins Abbey and Mary.

Here's one of my nephew dogs, Asher. (Brad and Kristen's puppy) I called his name and he literally looks like he's smiling for the picture. He did that in all of them. Weird.

And here's my other one, Mambo. I love his little tongue.

Here's Brad's fiancee, Kristen, with Mambo. Yes, he really does like to sit like that.

Here's me with my best friend, Jess. We hadn't seen each other since before I moved to Florida! (That's close to 2 years!) But we were able to have breakfast together on Black Friday. It was great!

Here's another picture of me with my nephew dogs.

The day before I left to come back to Florida, two of my roommates from college, Leanne and Maelissa, came over to watch the (pitiful) Steelers game. And here we are.

And so ends our journey up to the 'burgh. Christmas is coming quickly! And I'm so excited for it! I love Christmas!!!!!!!

Until then....

peace,
~jen

why i'm - not a christian

2006-11-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

Check these out.

Here are three great videos that accurately display why I prefer NOT to be called a Christian...but a follower of Christ.

Make sense now?

I hope so.

peace,
~jen

so - that new thing

2006-11-01T10:54:00.000-05:00

So, that new thing that's on the horizon....

I guess I can share with you now, even though it's not going to happen until January.

I'm buying a house. Crazy, isn't it?!

I'm excited, but freaked out all at the same time! I love it!

Ok...that's the update. I'll put pics of Halloween on here soon. Andy wasn't feeling well on the day of the party, so he ended up not going with us. So, I ended up going as something else than originally planned. You'll see.

Until then....
~jen

orlando - family

2006-10-26T10:37:00.000-04:00

So, I think my A LOT friend, Valerie, said it best when she called us a family.

Valerie, Brian, the Fern, Andy, and me. We really are a family. And it's great.

We're all going to a Halloween party this weekend. So, I'll have some great pics of us after that, but I wanted to share with you some pictures of the people that I spend most of my time with.

Of course, there is me and Andy.

Here's a great shot of Valerie and Brian. Note: that's not Brian's real hair.

Here's a great shot of Fernando. He's the Ferny Fern!!

Here's one of my favorites of Fernando, Valerie, and Brian. Note: Only Valerie's hair is real.

And for no other reason than they make me smile, just like he does...Here are the flowers that Andy got me yesterday because I wasn't feeling well. Aren't they pretty???

Just spreading the joy of my "family."

Halloween picture awesomeness to come soon!!

peace,
~jen

soundtrack - by itunes

2006-10-23T11:42:00.000-04:00

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...

Opening Credits: Squad Five-O - A Call to Arms
Waking Up: Bob Marley and the Wailers - Don't Rock My Boat
First Day At School: MxPx - Your Problem, My Emergency
Falling In Love: Brandtson - Drawing a Line in the Sand
Fight Song: Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore
Breaking Up: The Killers - Everything Will Be Alright
Prom: Foo Fighters - Over and Out
Life: Destiny's Child - Cater 2 U
Mental Breakdown: Joss Stone - Understand
Driving: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Hey
Flashback: Christina Aguilera - Infatuation
Getting Back Together: Eric Clapton and B.B. King - Marry You
Wedding: Christina Aguilera - Dirrty (that's really funny that that's what came up!)
Birth of Child: Linkin Park - With You
Final Battle: Radiohead - Scatterbrain
Death Scene: Nirvana - All Apologies
Funeral Song: Slick Shoes - Fool Me No More
End Credits: U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

new thing - on the horizon

2006-09-28T11:24:00.001-04:00

So,

Like my title says, there is a new thing on the horizon. I can't really get into it yet, but just be aware, you'll hear about it soon I'm sure.

I'm excited by the prospect.

Until then........

~jen

abbey - in o town

2006-08-14T16:07:00.000-04:00

So here we are - a week later - and many more pictures to show you!

My cousin, Abbey, came to visit me this past weekend, here in Orlando. We had so much fun!! We seriously took 140 pictures the entire weekend!! - On my camera alone. Needless to say, I will not be sharing all of them with you! But let me share some with you! Here we go!

Here is the first picture of the weekend! This is Abbey and me in my car leaving the airport after I picked her up.

Her first afternoon/evening here, we went for a dip in the pool and then enjoyed peach pie and ice cream. Check out these hot pictures of us eating our pie and ice cream.

We got up bright and early on Friday to head over to Andy's for some breakfast before we all went to the beach. Here's Abbey at Andy's looking WAY excited to get to the beach!

Then we finally got on our way!

And here we are!! At the beach!! Me and Abbey! And me and Andy!!

The beach was great! But very, very hot! So we also went for a dip in the pool while we were there. Andy picked me up for the picture. : )

And here's a cute shot of Abbey sitting by the pool.

After the day at the beach, we drove home, we got ready to go out to the movies that night with Andy. Here's us looking hot before we left that night.

Saturday started with some definite sleeping in. Then we got dressed and ready for lunch! Uncle Dave so generously sent us money to go out to lunch on him. So we hit up Fiddler's Green...and Irish Pub in O-Town. Here's us at our table.

And here's after we stuffed ourselves so full.

Unfortunately, I had to work that evening at the shoe store. But Abbey went shopping and saw a movie while I slaved away. After work, we went back home to get ready to go out downtown. We decided on I-Bar downtown. Since Abbey is underage for the next 5 months, we had to check out a place that lets 18+ in. So, away we went. Look how hot we look!

But decided to stop and get a quick bite of food at McDonald's on the way down. We waited so long in the drive-thru!! Can you tell??

We literally took over 20 pictures just waiting to get our food. Here's a prime example of the type of pictures we took.

But anyway - we then headed downtown. We danced the night away with a wide variety of people at the bar. Then, we headed home, tired and with sore feet.

It was 2 am by the time we were getting to bed. And we needed to leave for the airport at 6:30 am. ugh. But we were up and out. Here's us on the way to the airport - notice how it's not that light outside.

And then we said goodbye. : (

What a great weekend!! We had so much fun!! : )

That's all.....
~jen

topsail - beauty

2006-08-08T09:50:00.000-04:00

What a wonderful week! I can’t have had a better time at the beach with Andy and his family. Seriously. It was so great getting to meet all of them!! And of course, I have pictures to share with you all!

But before I get to that, let me tell you a quick bit of my family news. My half-sister, Holly, had her baby last Monday! I’m an aunt, again! Emma Grace Bresnahan was born the morning of July 31st. And she weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 oz. I have a picture of her in here too!

Ok…on with the pictures!!

Here is a shot of us as we’re driving up to Topsail Island, NC. Andy was actually driving when this picture was taken. We’re safe. Seriously.

Here is the beach house where we stayed. Also staying with us were: Andy’s parents, his brother Mike, his aunt and uncle, and two of his cousins. And I can’t forget the doggies! Chipper and Moe.

Speaking of the doggies. Here is Andy with Chipper. Chipper is the man.

Here is a shot of Andy and his brother, Mark playing with the dogs in the ocean. Those puppies sure do love that water!

Here are Moe and Chipper mid-air going after their toy in the water!

And another one of Moe and Chippy. I love this picture.

So, there’s this great cheese steak and cheeseburger place called “Andy’s” in the area of Topsail. So, of course, we HAD to go!! And here is Andy outside of Andy’s holding up the shirts that we got there.

And here is Andy drinking his vanilla/chocolate milkshake at Andy’s. They are yummy!

Here is just a random picture of us at some point during the week.

On Friday, we went to the sound side of the island. Here is a shot of Andy with the doggies in the water. His dad and his cousin, Jamie, are also in the picture.

Here is a picture of Andy’s dad, Jim, in the water on the sound side of the island. I love this picture! Look how peaceful!

After hanging out at the sound for the morning, the ladies went out to lunch. Here is a picture of my table. From L-R we have: Jamie, Me, Mindy, Gretchen (Andy’s mom), and Katherine. I got a great margarita there!

On Saturday, we went out to lunch again at Andy’s. Then we did a little shopping and Andy got this hat. He loves it! I think he looks like Indiana Jones. Especially with the scruffy face!

Then here is a picture of us with him in his new hat and me in his Titleist visor.

On Saturday night, we went out to dinner one last time. Here is a great shot of Andy’s cousins, Alayne and Perry. They are so funny when they’re together!

This is Andy driving home from Topsail. See the sad face?

And here’s me being sad.

BUT – we did stop and play miniature golf on our way home! Here’s Andy about to hit one of his many holes-in-one!

And here’s a shot Andy took of me posing in front of the “Molten Mountain”!

And he also took this one because I was wearing a pink skirt, playing with a pink golf ball, and the “lava” was pink.

And here is Andy sleeping on the car ride home. He was pretty exhausted. I did most of the driving. But look at how cute he is!

And now here is a picture of my new niece, Emma.

And here is a picture of my brother-in-law, John, with my nephew, Jack, and my niece, Katy, holding Emma. How cute does Jack look in this picture!?!? What a ham! I love it.

So there you have it. Lovely pictures from a lovely week.

My cousin, Abbey, is coming to visit me this weekend! So, I’ll probably be posting some pictures of our ridiculous goofiness! She’s great!

Peace all,
~jen

another month - now gone

2006-07-26T10:10:00.000-04:00

So it's been a month since I've posted anything. Much has happened.

I got my new laptop. It looks just like my old one, but it's a lot better. It's really nice. I'm definitely a fan.

Also, my car is now fixed and pretty. One of my friends backed into my driver's side door and took off my mirror. But, all is worked out and both of our cars are fixed and look great!

In just a mere 4 days, I'll be off to Topsail Beach, NC to spend a week with Andy and his family. So exciting! I'll be meeting, not only his parents and brothers, but also some aunts, uncles, and cousins. And I'm not nervous one bit. In fact, I'm so excited to get to meet them! And hear stories about Andy. And you know, all that kind of stuff. Once I get back, I'll definitely post some pictures of the week!

Speaking of pictures, here are some from this past month. Enjoy!

Here is a picture I took of Andy when we went to the golf course so he could play a practice round. It was just the two of us. And I got some great pictures. This one is my favorite.

Here is a picture of my friend, Valerie, and I on the 4th of July. Andy was out of town and so was her boyfriend, Brian. But we definitely had a good time! Especially with the sparklers!

Here is my little guy, Charles, on his 1st birthday! He's so cute. You can see just how excited he was about turning 1.

And here is a sweet picture that I took when Andy and I went swimming one evening last week. This is at my pool at my condo. It was a beautiful night. And this picture doesn't even capture the beauty of that night.

Alright, that's all of the pictures for now. Like I said, I'll post some when I get back from the beach! I'm so excited. : )

peace,
~jenna

it's been - interesting

2006-06-26T14:18:00.000-04:00

Ok...so the only thing I have to say before I share an article with you is this:

I'm scared to be in my office.
My laptop was stolen out of my office last Tuesday (June 20) when I ran home to get some lunch. It was clearly a planned burglary. That means...I was being watched. That's one of the few things that scares me more than I can even comprehend.
I don't enjoy being scared.
I don't even watch scary movies because they give me nightmares for weeks - sometimes months.
I feel like a basketcase.

Well...in other news. I want to share an article with you that I just read from the newest issue of RELEVANT magazine. It's a great article that definitely got me to think. But it also frustrated me because there are some people in my life that really need to hear what this is saying. Don't judge people - especially if you don't know their heart. Anyway, here goes:

The Most Perfect Generation
By Cameron Strang

After reading the feed back that poured in surrounding a discussion on a recent RELEVANT Podcast, I realized something about our generation that is truly amazing. Did you know we have a gift that has literally bypassed every other generation? One that is so significant, so unique, it affects many of our thoughts and actions on a daily basis.

In a nutshell, we're faultess.

It's really a wonderful thing being perfect. We know so much more than everyone else, we're able to spot flaws in almost everything. And, being good stewards of this gift, we make it a point to let others know what we think. Continually.

Frankly, our gift has a myriad of uses, but it is at its absolute best when applied to spiritual things. Whether it's letting everyone know when we think a sermon was weak, or that the Relgious Right is a bunch of hypocrites, or that the model of contemporary church is completely wrong, we feel compelled to wear our opinions on our sleeves. And good for us. How else will everyone else know how right we are?

The only possible problem with our acute correctness--and this is just a minor, minior possibility--is that we might not always be exactly, completely right.

The problem is that annoying Matthew 7:1-2:
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (TNIV)

Or, as The Message puts it:
"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults--unless, of course, you want the same treatment."

Crap.

Does this honestly mean we have to consider the fact that, just possibly, there could be validity to opinions, choices and lifestyles other than our own? Say it isn't so.

But did you hear about the preacher who signed a $13 million book deal and has a jet? That's completely wasteful. He should give that money to the poor. If he has money, that means he's relying on his bank account and not God. I'm going to go blog about it.

But did you hear about the pastor who wrote a book that sold more than 60 million copies? He gave a ton of the earnings away and has committed his life to engaging the church to help the poor and leading people to Jesus. I'm sure he lives a financially blessed life, but his actions sure imply that his focus isn't on the money those books have earned him.

That's where our perfection gets sticky. We only know what our opinion is, which probably isn't the full story. Protected by our fortresses of pride, we feel emboldened to lob arrows of judgment at all of the easy targets: friends, pastors, people with more (or less) money than us, bosses, you name it. The problem is, those arrows could be just as easily pointed at us. And they probably should be.

It's easy to think having a mansion is wasteful. But on a normal income, is buying a $4 coffee at Starbucks wasteful? Or what about buying an Xbox 360? The Bible talks about not loving money, but nowhere does it say having (or using) it is wrong if your heart is in the right place. Our heart's focus could be just as off-the-mark making $18,000 a year as it could be making $18,000,000.

We all have different callings, convictions, styles, paths, and passions. Just because we may disagree with someone else doesn't necessarily make their path any less God-honoring than our own. We need to be careful about jumping to conclusions. After all, the only heart whose motive we can know for sure is our own.

I wish that sticky "do to others what you'd have them do to you" thing would quit rearing its ugly head. That simple idea might actually force us to have to stop jumping to conclusions and forming one-sided opinions about people and situations that don't involve us. It might require us to consider where the other side is coming from first. That's a problem, mainly because it could unravel our generation's most endearing trait. If we're not always correct, then what are we?

People who need to get over ourselves, listen and be known for our love and humility. People who need to die to our pride and self-worth so we can see the things God is trying to get our attention about in our own lives if we'd just stop nitpicking and pointing out the flaws in everything else long enough to listen. People who need to change.

Then again, I could be wrong. Nobody's perfect.

ok...that's all.
~jen

all is - very well

2006-06-05T16:13:00.000-04:00

It has been a fun few weeks I must say. I made it up to the ‘burgh for a week – which was absolutely splendid! And upon returning had a butt-load to do for work…but it all worked out quite well! So well, in fact, that I was even able to spend an afternoon lying out by the pool with Andy. The only thing that has sucked…I have a cold. And so does he. Well, no, Andy had a cold and then got a pretty bad sinus infection. He’s still suffering through that. No fun there. But other than the sickness that keeps coming around. All is well. Let me share some pics with you! P.S. my folks got me a digital camera for my birthday!!!!!!!!!!! (Which, by the way, the birthday celebration was great! I should get a pic of the group that celebrated with me up here soon. Cae has it on her camera!) So…here are some pics!

This first picture is from the Saturday night I was up in the ‘burgh. Me, Leanne, and Maelissa went out on the town. And here we are, back in our car, at 2 am. I miss them.

And here we have my mom being a weirdo…as usual! Though, now it is clear where I get it from!

Here are my cousins and myself when we went out to dinner on Memorial Day. Mary (L) and Abbey (R) are my two favorites! We are 3/5 of the 5 Chicas!!

And here’s me at the restaurant with my cousins and other family members. There were moose antlers on the wall that I just couldn’t resist getting my picture taken with. Seriously, how do I have friends?!

And here is proof that you don’t need to be in Hawaii or Florida for a beautiful sunset. This was the sunset the day before Memorial Day in the ‘burgh.

Here are Brad and Kristen’s adorable puppies! Asher is on the left and Mambo is on the right. Brad was feeding them green beans. Apparently they love them…which was definitely evident when Brad just gave them a glimpse of the bean because they came running! It was pretty funny.

And here is Kristen, my brother’s beautiful fiancée.

Back to O-town we come. This is a picture of Andy holding up 21 rolls of 1-ply toilet paper. Yes, we unrolled 21 rolls of 1-ply TP because it would no longer be in use and he thought it would be a fun toy for his cat, Cato. And fun and funny is definitely what it has been!

Speaking of Cato, here he is. This is Andy’s cat. He’s very cute. And he loves to hang out in Andy’s laundry basket.

Here is a lovely self-portrait lying out by the pool. It was sooooo hot that day!

And here’s Andy lying out. He got burned pretty badly that day. And I actually didn’t! Weird.

Here’s Andy in the pool at my new place. I love this picture because he looks like he’s trying to spy on people or something. Yeah, I don’t know. I just thought he looked funny.

And here is my little pumpkin bean, Charles. He is the cutest. He likes to chill in the little space in my nightstand. It makes me laugh. I love him!

And finally, here’s a picture that I took yesterday. I had the youth group over to my place for our “Summer Kick Off Party”. And here is the “bowl” of grapes. (Mae sent me flowers a few months back that actually came in this margarita glass) I actually had 3 people ask me if they were real because they looked so pretty. Like I would serve fake food or something! Do they know me at all!? But yeah, I feel very wife-y when I do stuff like that. I don’t know why…I just do.

OK…those are all the pics for now. Life is good. Job is good. All is good. I can’t complain!!

peace all,
~jen

sweet - times

2006-05-17T10:26:00.000-04:00

So my folks came down to visit at the beginning of May. Well, they came to visit/go hang out at New Smyrna Beach. I did get to see them for a couple days. And that was great! Nothing like sitting and just soaking up the sun! And for those of you who know me well, yes, I did get burned. But that’s because I’m an idiot and wanted to put on tanning stuff…not sunscreen. I’m so smart sometimes. Seriously.

I might have more pictures from the beach later...but my mom hasn’t emailed them to me yet. So…you’ll just have to deal with these ones! And…my birthday is this weekend and I plan on taking pictures! And…I’m going up to the ‘burgh next week for a week…and I know I’ll have pictures from that! Alright…enjoy!

Here’s me and my folks out to dinner.

Here’s me and Andy when we were out to dinner with my folks. The blue-eyed duo. How hot are we?! Yeah, you're right...we're pretty frikkin' hot. :)

And here’s me being my usual moronic self!

new ink - new digs

2006-04-19T11:18:00.000-04:00

wrist ink
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

OK folks - here are the pictures. First off, this is my new tattoo. It's on the underside of my left wrist. And this picture actually looks kind of funky because one of my bones is jutting out which in turn makes the tattoo look weird. It doesn't really look like that in person. It's actually much more normal looking. (It is Hebrew for "Yahweh" which is what God calls Himself in the Old Testament when He's talking with Moses out of the burning bush. Anyway - the reason I wanted this, right where it is, is because I will see it every single time I look at my watch. And it will be a constant reminder of Who I belong to....God...Yahweh. And actually, here's a bit of knowledge for you...everytime you see "the LORD" written in the Bible as opposed to "the Lord" they actually mean "Yahweh" with the all caps version.)

Anyway - also included in this entry are pictures of my new place with my new roommate, Carolyn. We've only been there for a little less than 3 weeks...so, I think it looks pretty good for just under 3 weeks! As for the ridiculously white walls - we've picked out colors to paint and they'll look great - we just haven't painted yet. You can even see paint samples hanging on the wall in the pic of my room.

So there you go...have at it! It's a great place! And it's so exciting to have a roommate again. Though I will say that the thing that sucks about it is that Carolyn and I will still go days without seeing each other just because we're both so busy. Crazy.

peace all,
~jen

2006-04-19T11:14:00.000-04:00

flowers from cae
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here are my pretty flowers that Carolyn bought me just because she's a sweetheart. I've never gotten tulips before!

2006-04-19T11:13:00.000-04:00

my room
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here's as you walk into my room. And of course Charles is on my bed...where else would he be?! Lazy bum!

2006-04-19T11:12:00.001-04:00

my room 2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here's a corner of my room.

2006-04-19T11:12:00.000-04:00

my bathroom
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

This is my bathroom. Of course I decorate with red.

2006-04-19T11:11:00.001-04:00

living room 3
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is a shot of the living room.

2006-04-19T11:11:00.000-04:00

living room 1
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is a shot of the living room.

2006-04-19T11:10:00.001-04:00

living room 2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is a shot of the living room.

2006-04-19T11:10:00.000-04:00

kitchen 2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is our kitchen. Lots of space - and that's awesome. And lots of counter space too! It's very nice.

2006-04-19T11:09:00.000-04:00

dining room
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is our beautiful dining room...which is actually supposed to be the 3rd bedroom, but we figure, a dining room makes a lot more sense.

2006-04-19T11:08:00.000-04:00

garage
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

And here is our lovely 2 car garage - utterly filled with boxes that are empty and boxes that still have stuff in them. We really need to clean it out.

something - good

2006-04-04T14:27:00.000-04:00

Finally -

The Episcopal Church is noted for something good and not scandalous.

Check it out.

peace all,
~jen

here's something - new

2006-03-20T15:14:00.000-05:00

Ok - so I know I haven't updated in a long time. And for that, I apologize.

I learned something this past week. And it kinda sucks.

The youth ministers that were at my church before me actually told the kids that I was evil and that they shouldn't come to youth group. They said that I wasn't nice and that I wouldn't care about them. Really hurtful things - more than what I just wrote out here. And to top it all off, they even said that I couldn't play the guitar (Even though I've played since I was 15, and anyway does that even matter after what they had already said?).

The only touching thing about the whole situation is that it was one of my students in my youth group who told me about this. She's 16 and she totally opened up to me about how she didn't like me at first because of what was said about me. But then she actually got to know me and trust me - and in her words - "You're awesome. I love you!"

I almost cried.
Because of her openness.
Because of her sincerity.
Because it just meant that much to me to hear that.

For those of you that I've talked with in the last 13 months, you know the stress that I've been under with my job and you know what I've had to deal with - - after hearing this, it all comes into focus.

I received some amazing encouragement from my uncle the other day. He told me that I have learned some valuable lessons in my first year "out in the professional world" that most people don't learn for 20 years. I really think I needed to hear that.

I know there is a reason that I am here in Florida. I know there is a reason that I am working where I am working. And I know there is a reason that I've had to go through all of the shit that I've had to go through in these last 13 months.

I look forward to knowing the reason.

And I'm ok with the reason being nothing more than my growth as a person and as a professional. Those are valuable lessons.

In other news.....moving day is only 11 days away - and I haven't packed one thing yet. I better get on that.

peace,
~jen

new digs - how frikkin' great is that

2006-02-22T11:15:00.000-05:00

condo from outside
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Ok, so here is a picture of the outside of the condo where I am moving! This isn't the exact one that I'm moving to - I couldn't find the picture anymore! But yeah, this is basically what it looks like. 2 car garage - 3 bedrooms - 2.5 bathrooms - 3 levels - huge living room - sweet kitchen - room for 2 cute kitties to run around. It's awesome.

Carolyn and I signed the lease yesterday and we can't wait to move in! Though, despite how much we want to move in, we have to wait until March 31st. :( But hey, it's cool, cause it's worth the wait!

If you want to see what the inside looks like - want to see the floorplan - or just want to see more pictures of the entire community - go to www.visconticondo.com There you can go to "floorplans" (we're the Toscani) - or to check out sweet pictures of the inside of a 3 bedroom, click on "furnishes and features" or something like that. There are more pics below of the pool area and such. Very cool.

So yeah - yay for a new place to live! And yay for cheaper rent! And yay for stuff! (yeah, I'm retarded)

peace,
~jen

2006-02-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

pool and terrace
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

So, if you walk out of the clubhouse this is what you see. The terrace, the pool, and the beautiful lake. This picture doesn't do justice to what it actually looks like!

2006-02-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

pool
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here's another shot of the pool.

2006-02-22T11:02:00.000-05:00

cabana
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

This is the cabana area by the pool. Sweeeeet!

the infamous - one for the thumb

2006-02-07T13:28:00.000-05:00

the trophy
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

and here it is - the beautiful vince lombardi trophy - given to my steeler men. it's a wonderful thing. look how gorgeous it is! i love it!

CONGRATULATIONS STEEL TOWN!
i miss you.

(but eww...i totally couldn't handle all of those fingerprints all over it. that would totally bug me!)

2006-02-07T13:26:00.000-05:00

bus and trophy 2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

for you bussie!

2006-02-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

bill and trophy 2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

look at that joy!

the joy - the bliss

2006-01-22T21:05:00.000-05:00

All I can say is that I am ecstatic about my Steelers getting to the Super Bowl. So many didn't believe that they could do it. I never doubted.

Cheers to YOU, my Steel Men.

Super Bowl XL - - the Steel Town is gonna bring it down!
can't wait.

a wedding - bachelorette party - fun stuff

2006-01-05T15:10:00.000-05:00

Mae and Jeremy in church-2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here are Maelissa and Jeremy at their wedding. They were married on New Year's Eve. It was beautiful. Maelissa was stunning. We had a total blast! Nothing like dancing with my girls!!

2006-01-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

a sweet moment-2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

This is by far my favorite picture from the wedding. The best part is that this wasn't even posed. Jeremy just leaned over to kiss Mae on the cheek or whisper something into her ear. It was so sweet.

2006-01-05T15:05:00.001-05:00

the overwhelming hotness
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

The roommates! yay!
Cleggers - Blackie - Me - Leanne - Maelissa
We're totally hot!

2006-01-05T15:05:00.000-05:00

Mae looking beautiful
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

My beautiful Maelissa.

2006-01-05T15:04:00.001-05:00

Mae's veil getting caught
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

I love this picture! It's so funny because it looks like Mae is all sad because she just got married. Meanwhile - her veil had just gotten caught on the pew of the church and she was just about to have her full reaction to the tug on her head! It was funny. She really was a happy bride! I promise!

2006-01-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

The Ladies kissing Jeremy
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Yeah - Jeremy was loving this shot! This is definitely the most natural smile I've seen on him! No wonder why!! :)

2006-01-05T15:01:00.001-05:00

My Martinis
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

How cute are my martinis?!?! They were quite tasty!

2006-01-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

I love Martinis
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Mae, at her bachelorette party, with the sign that suites us both well!

2006-01-05T15:00:00.002-05:00

kristen and mambo
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is my brother's fiancee, Kristen, with their new puppy, Mambo. Look at his cute little tongue that he always sticks out!

2006-01-05T15:00:00.001-05:00

yep - still hot
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Aww - we're cute!

2006-01-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

healed ink
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here's my ink now that it's healed. cuteness.

2006-01-05T14:59:00.001-05:00

How Cute are we
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Us at Mae's bachelorette party!

2006-01-05T14:59:00.000-05:00

Mae's ink
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

So, here's Mae's ink. We're "matchers!"

2006-01-05T14:57:00.000-05:00

Mambo
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

How cute is Mambo!?! cutie head.

the most - wonderful time

2005-12-21T12:12:00.000-05:00

fake boobs
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy these lovely cartoons! Courtesy of my friend, Carolyn.

Have a safe and happy holiday!

peace,
~Jenna

2005-12-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

making babies
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

2005-12-21T12:10:00.002-05:00

Poisoned Santa
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

2005-12-21T12:10:00.001-05:00

revenged rudolph
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

2005-12-21T12:10:00.000-05:00

Snow Fall
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

2005-12-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

spiteful bunny
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

christmas movie quotes quiz - how good are you?

2005-12-12T13:35:00.000-05:00

Ok - so here's the deal - I'm going to list out 9 different quotes from 9 different Christmas movies. Let's see how knowledgeable you are in the wonders of Christmas movie-ville!

Here we go!

1- an easy warm up:
"Why my sweet little tot, there's a light on this tree that won't light on one side. So I'm taking it home to my work shop, my dear. I'll fix it up there, then I'll bring it back here."

2-
"In the heat of battle, my father wove a tapestry of obscenity, that as far as we know, is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan."

3-
"It's Christmas Eve, it's the one night of the year where we all act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more...for a couple hours out of the whole year we are the people that we always hoped we would be. It's a miracle, it's really sort of a miracle, because it happens every Christmas Eve..."

4-
"Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?"

5-
"You sit on a throne of lies."

6-
"I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that."
"What is it you want?"
"Real estate."

7-
"Bless this highly nutritious, microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen."

8-
"One man's life touches so many others, when he's not there it leaves an awfully big hole."

9-
"Seeing isn't believing; believing is seeing."

Alright - have at it. Just number your answers and I'll let you know how you did!

Have fun!!

what does - it all mean?

2005-12-05T15:12:00.000-05:00

I feel like I'm coming around again. Does that make sense? Like, I was off some where doing my own thing in my mind - and now here I am - back again. That sounds so stupid but that totally describes my last few months.

I feel like there's reason for me to focus. Not that I know what that reason is. There's just this reason - out there - that I can just sort-of sense. I sound like such a moron right now. But, that's just where I've been. I can't help it.

Want to know the thing that gave me the most excitement in this last week? (Besides eating wonderful chocolate pie with Andy and realizing it's been 6 months since we met/had our first date) Buying a big wall calendar for my office and writing all the fun stuff for next year on it! I sound like such an anal freak right now - but I don't care! Being organized brings me joy! That's all that matters. If only I had more to write on it now. :( Oh well. I'm sure it'll fill up quickly. I should take a picture of it and post it on here so that you can bask in the glory of my new wall calendar!

WOW - I'm a freak.

peace,
~Jenna

it's a - new thing

2005-11-28T21:12:00.000-05:00

New Ink
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

So - my latest addition - my new "ink". I got this lovely little star tattoo on my lower back. It's outlined in black and filled in with a dark pink. It's really cute. This pic isn't that great because it is still in the midst of the healing process. But yeah, me and Maelissa got our ink last Tuesday. Her star is on her foot and looks totally cute! Thanksgiving was fun but really exhausting.

I'm back in Florida now and back in the warm. Lovely.

Alright - check out the next two pics. What fun we had this past weekend!

2005-11-28T21:08:00.000-05:00

Brad and Kristi
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here's a "lovely" picture of Bradley and Kristen on Thanksgiving. He's so good at looking like an idiot. :) But yeah, her ring is so pretty!

2005-11-28T21:07:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Family
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

We look like a pumpkin family. This is Bradley, Me, and my Mama on Thanksgiving. We're so festive!

peace,
~Jen

Here is - Charlie

2005-11-20T20:11:00.000-05:00

Under the Carpet
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is the cutest kitten ever! My Charlie! This is Charlie hiding under my entry rug. He loves playing with that rug - he's a silly head!

Check out the next one, too!

2005-11-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

Sleep again
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here's another one of my cute kitty Charlie. What a sweetheart he is!

: )

my niece - and nephew

2005-11-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

Jack as Spidy-2
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

So here's a picture of my nephew, Jack, on Halloween. Needless to say, he was Spiderman. But I love this picture because he just has the cutest face! And of course, Kate is dancing in the background. I love it.

I can't believe he's almost 2! That's crazy! And Kate's almost 4! insane.

Check out the next 2 pics as well.

peace,
~jenna

2005-11-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

Kate with Big Feet
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

And here's my niece, Kate, with some pretty big feet! Her smile is so huge in this picture! It's contagious!

2005-11-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

Big Smiles
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

And here they are on a caboose in the park. I love Jack's face in this picture - I think it's hysterical!

and finally - they're engaged!!

2005-10-23T14:34:00.000-04:00

brad and kristen
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

My brother, Bradley, finally proposed to his girlfriend of 4 years, Kristen! How exciting is that!?!?! I am so happy for them! I can't wait to have her as my sister-in-law. What an exciting time! YAY!

2005-10-23T14:32:00.000-04:00

kristen's ring
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

And here's the beautiful ring! 1 1/4 carats - white gold - leo diamond - lovely.

2005-10-23T14:31:00.000-04:00

LIVE 10.21.05
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here are my Hanson men!! I know this picture isn't the most clear - but my girl Carolyn took it on her phone because you're not allowed to have cameras at the show. But yeah - the show was incredible!!!! I can't say enough amazing stuff about HANSON!!!

oh yeah!
~jen

strong enough - to break

2005-10-18T15:35:00.000-04:00

SETB web design.psd
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is the pic from Hanson's "Strong Enough to Break" site. They are travelling around with their documentary. I can't wait to be able to see it. Check out the trailer - it's the site that I've linked to before. But also, on ifilm, you can check out the first 8 minutes of the documentary. It looks pretty good.

peace,
~Jen

2005-10-18T15:31:00.000-04:00

hanson live
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here are my guys. 3 days until the show. I'm so excited!

best of - live and electric

2005-10-11T14:53:00.000-04:00

So today - Hanson's new album The Best of Hanson: Live and Electric came out. Yeah - I stopped and picked it up on my way to work this morning. Holy crap! It's really good.

I know you probably think that I'm biased because I've been a fan since forever - but that's just the thing. This album is live - it was recorded during their tour last year - and you can tell how much they have matured as musicians. It's incredible.

First off - they open the record with Radiohead's Optimistic. It's so good! And it's a really great - and yet creepy - sound for Hanson. I love it.

Then they jump into a previously unreleased song Every Word I Say. Definitely a different sound for them. But nonetheless, good.

After this, they go right into two songs from their first major label release (Middle of Nowhere c. 1997). These two songs are: Where's the Love and Look At You. These aren't the only songs from their two major label releases (also This Time Around c. 2000). The other songs include: I Will Come to You - Hand in Hand - This Time Around - If Only - A Song to Sing - and of course Mmmbop. All of the songs performed on this album - that are songs from Hanson's two major label releases - are performed much differently than what their studio versions are. First off - the change is great! Though it comes as no surprise, especially those songs from their first release, because of the age difference and the puberty that has since happened! But I'll continue more with this in a second.

Songs from Hanson's independent label, 3CG Records, release (Underneath c. 2004) include: Strong Enough to Break - Underneath - and Penny & Me. These three songs are the only songs on the record that actually sound like they do on their studio album - except with the "live flair" of course.

Other than these songs - Hanson also performs another previously unreleased track Rock 'n' Roll Razorblade and also U2's In a Little While. While Taylor Hanson is no Bono - the band definitely pulls off the sound of the song with their own little touches. And they do it well!

What I will say about this album is that you can easily tell from listening to it that Hanson is a performing band! You can tell that they love to perform just by listening to it. But you can also tell that Hanson is a "jam band." They love to just go with a song and let it do whatever. There are many guitar solos - bass solos - and keyboard solos throughout the album. It's a great refresher from the streamline music that is out on the radio today that is so cut and paste.

The best way to summarize how I feel about the album - - - I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY WHEN I GET TO SEE THEM LIVE!!! enough said.

The best way that Hanson describes themselves and the journey they have been on in creating their own independent label is written out in the booklet of this CD. Let me share it with you:

For some, music is not just a pastime,
It's an undeniable fact of living,
A blissful slavery of mind, body and soul.
To rise above the ashes of mediocrity is rare,
Yet the gift of song is freely handed out to anyone who cares to receive it,
Instantly shattering our daily drudgery.

The path to pursue more than the usual,
More than what is safe and known,
Is wrought with time-sharpened jagged blades that cut deep,
Blocking many from the road to something greater,
Beyond the stunted imagination of their peers.

Within the veins of the few,
Passion fills every sinew with a sweet unquenchable purpose,
Calming the fear of those treacherous paths.
Though each slice burns and bleeds,
Still they take each cut
And wear the scars with pride to signal their choice,
That undying pursuit of greater joy within every chord.

And so they say - Watch Me Bleed.

Buy this album. Support Hanson. Support those that have a passion for music - and not the money. I will not remove myself from this soap box.

here - he is

2005-10-08T12:34:00.000-04:00

colin
Originally uploaded by jlmarks.

Here is my new nephew Colin!! He's so little and cute! I can't wait to meet him!!

peace,
~Jenna