Goodbye's Are The Hardest Part

Here! Have a few pictures!

These are just a few of the many pics I took with my iPhone...some are from my sister's camera that I stole and put on my computer, but for the most part the bad quality ones are from my phone :)

This has been such a fun trip, and I'll be sure to let you all in on the great stories we've had once I get back...But right now I'm packing up for another long ride home in a suburban full of silly siblings. Minus one.

Enjoy.




me and zach...he's the older of the two boys (which are both younger than me) haha, make sense???
sisters...

not like you can even really see noah, but this is me and him! the younger of the two boys which are both younger than me :)

all four of us playing in the water and watching the beautiful sun go down on the ocean..

Au Revoir!!

Today we are taking my bff sister Jess back to her hometown, San Luis Obispo, CA. School starts very soon and she is off to be a big bad RA!!!! I am so proud of her :) So we are all driving that grueling 10 hour trip back to cali with all her college stuff packed in the car...this should be exciting. It feels like I've made this trip a million times already, but it's worth it!

See you soon, sweet blogosphere!

(me and her with red lipstick...i feel awkward lol)

The Humorous Truth

A few of my bloggy friends were doing this little survey, so as the dedicated blogger that I am, I decided to jump on the bandwagon! These are just funny little tidbits about me and my values...hopefully your opinion of me doesn't change too much after reading this :)


1. What time did you get up this morning?
6:30 am...Last day of work though!! One...last...day....... :)


2. How do you like your steak? Well done. I don't want to see what it looked like when it was still alive, so please...kill it. Kill it good. I would greatly appreciate it if the cow that I'm eating didn't just walk right off of my plate and back into the pasture that it came from.


3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Post Grad yesterday with my sister (who is in town for a bit) with Alexis Bledel and the beeeeautiful Zach Gilford. It was cute. Wait, he was cute. Wait, the whole movie was cute!!


4. What is your favorite TV show?
Umm, hellooooo! Gilmore Girls! In case you haven't noticed, the women in my family are all pretty much honorary members of the Gilmore family...oh yeah, that and the fact that random strangers on the street will come up to me and tell me I look uncannilly (is that a word?) like Rory Gilmore.


5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Ireland, hands down. I've never been, but always wanted to. It is so beautiful there (I've heard) and I wanted to do a study abroad program in Cork for a while, but it didn't really work out. Now I'm going to New Hampshire!!!


6. What did you have for breakfast? Half of an un-fizzy dr. pepper. Yeah. I'm classy like that.


7. What is your favorite cuisine? It's a verrry close tie between Italian and Mexican. But I'm gonna have to go with my heritage here and say Italian.


8. What foods do you dislike? Anchovies, clams, oysters, dirt, cd's, drywall, candle wax, leather...you know.


9. Favorite Place to Eat? An understated, character-filled restaurant with food that tastes like the cook actually cares about what they put on the table. Mmm, those are the good ones.


10. Favorite dressing? The kind that makes an 80 calorie salad into a 350 calorie salad. What can I say, calories taste good!


11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? A green Toyota Camry...I call him 'Camo'. Let's just say we had a run in with a lightpost that left him dented and camo-taped for a few years. The name just stuck.


12. What are your favorite clothes? Layered winter clothing is de best!! I hate summer clothes because they seem just so...unimaginative, you know??


13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Ireland.



14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? Half full! But who's measuring??



15. Where would you want to retire?
In the mountains somewhere...a peaceful log cabiney cottage with lots and lots of fireplaces, decks, and lookout spots. And maybe a body of water somewhere nearby with fishes in it. And a great kitchen to house all sorts of lovely old people parties.



16. Favorite time of day? I don't have a specific favorite time of day. I do have a favorite time of year though, Christmastime.


17. Where were you born? Upstate New York.



18. What is your favorite sport to watch? IIIIIII hate watching sports so much, I'd rather go iceskating in bare feet for 3 hours.



19. Bird watcher? Never tried!



20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Sometimes I'm both.



21. Do you have any pets? Not me specifically, but my family has two Maltese dogs. One puppy, one 2 year old. Gabe and Gunner.



22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
I'm frickin tired today??



23. What did you want to be when you were little? An astronaut because every other little girl I knew wanted to be a ballerina and I just had to be different from everybody else :) Well look where that got me? Now I'm a ballet teacher. Karma.



24. What is your best childhood memory? Eating noodles on the kitchen floor with my sister.



25. Are you a cat or dog person? Dog person all the way. But I don't really like animals in general lol



26. Are you married? ha. no.



27. Always wear your seat belt? Of course!



28. Been in a car accident? I don't think so.


29. Any pet peeves? Show off's, I'd say.


30. Favorite Pizza Topping? Hawaiian.


31. Favorite Flower? I like every flower God created!



32. Favorite ice cream? I like vanilla with Hersheys hot fudge and sprinkles on top!



33. Favorite fast food restaurant? DQ Grill and Chill :) It's got the sweet and the salty!!!



34. How many times did you fail your driver's test? Only once, people, only once.



35. From whom did you get your last email? Bank of America...



36. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Buckle.



37. Do anything spontaneous lately? How about my whole life??? Can I just put that?



38. Like your job? You mean the job I don't have?? Haha, today was my last day of work before moving to New Hampshire...



39. Broccoli? Yeah, for sure!



40. What was your favorite vacation? Oregon coast with the whole family. Ughhhh I yearn to go back!



41. Last person you went out to dinner with? The fam!



42. What are you listening to right now? Kim Walker



43. What is your favorite color? Purple.



44. How many tattoos do you have? None, but I imagine I'm soon to have a few!



45. Coffee Drinker? Only with my oxygen!


What time did you finish this quiz? 1:58 pm

Nyquil - The Bane of My Existence

Funny story time!





So haha joke's on me...I never woke up this morning.

Well, that's not entirely true. I did wake up. Just not at the reasonable hour I wanted to. See, work opens at 7:30 am and, well, I didn't wake up until 7:38. Sound like a familiar story?? Well it is. It conveniently decided to repeat itself a few months ago - the first day of my job. Lucky me.

So here I am, lying in bed at 7:38 am wondering HOW in the WORLD did I miss my alarm?? I mean, I know I set it for 6:30, I just know it!

But alas. There it lay. The secret answer to all my little problems. The Nyquil bottle...sitting right next to the alarm I was supposed to awaken to.

Yes, I had a cold last night, and yes, I took a healthy dose of that stuff at like 11:45 pm.

No, I did not know that when you take Nyquil past a certain point in the evening, you risk not waking up ever again. And no, I did not know that even if you only take a half dose, at 110 pounds it doesn't really matter HOW much you take of that stuff, it will knock you out.

Nyquil. Truly the bane of my existence. You love it, you hate it. It helps you sleep, but it also helps you to never awaken again...especially when you're supposed to awaken for a very important meeting...or a coffee date. Yeah, not so wonderful there.

So at 7:38 am when my mother came traipsing down the stairs with 'i've been awake for hours makeup and hair' asking me if I did indeed have to work today, and if I did indeed sleep right through my keith urban alarm, I was in bed wishing I could be her for once (no offense mom, teehee!)

But all told it was a lovely kind of day.

Not sure if I told you all this yet, but my grandparents have been in town the last few days - they're from New Jersey. I haven't seen them in 10 years!! We ate, we laughed, we cried, we ate, we watched movies, we went on walks, we ate, and we laughed some more. A true Italian vacation.

Sadly they are leaving on a plane tomorrow morning at the butt crack of dawn, and I will miss them terribly. It was so nice to have so much life in our house. It felt like overflowing.

Two more days left at the health club until I am finally a full-time student again. No more working for me! Well, not the paid kind anyway :) And then I'm off to New Hampshire for a new kind of lovely adventure...the kind you never forget.


"For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning."
-Psalm 30:5

It's Allll About Perspective, People...

Con's

I'm sick...with some sort of mild-ish cold that makes my eyes water, my nose run, and my body tiredddff

I've eaten more than a horse in the last few days

I have to work tonight even though I'm sick

My last little yoga class to teach is this Thursday...*tear

My last dinner with my family before I move away is Tuesday September 8th.

I have to drive 9 hours to take Jess back to school in a few days...I hate travelling.

I have to take a bus from Boston to New London, New Hampshire and I hate riding buses.

I'm almost done with my book which is awesome, but at the same time I know I will be sad to finish it because that gives me one less thing to procrastinate sleeping at night... :)

I have a cold

I'm sick

And I hate being sick.


Pro's

My family is all here - My grandparents from New Jersey, my sister from California, my bros, my parents, my two cute puppies, my other grandma, and me. I LOVE having a full house.

Yes, I've eaten way too much in the last few days, but oh boy was it worth it...You'd be a fool not to try mama's eggplant parmasan. I mean, come on! Mama mia!!

I'm sick, but not as sick as last time. So I count that as a pro.

Yes, I have to work tonight but I'm making moneyyyys!! That's always a pro, right??

No no, I GET to take a bus from Boston to New London because walking a hundred miles with 50 pounds worth of luggage would be much much worse :)

My last little yoga class to teach is this Thursday, but now instead of running around with a bunch of 2-5 year olds for a half hour, I will have a BILLION more times energy on Mondays and Thursdays to devote to other important things...like...working out. Hmm, don't think that one will happen. Oh well, it's a PRO! (honestly, either way I will miss it...i love my little two year olds :)

I also GET to drive Jessica back to school with my mom because we always make road trips loads of fun...Every single time. Always fun. Pringles, loud country music, the wind in our hair, a clunky old suburban that has the constant potential to break down on the side of whatever road you're traveling on, lots of picture ops, and hilarious stories. GOOD. times.




Now you see? It's all about your perspective in life. I was thinking about this last night - about how negative I can be sometimes. I catch myself focusing on all the bad without seeing the upside of things. It makes me mad. SO, I could choose to be the glass half empty kind of gal and see life for what it isn't, or I could flip my eggs to sunny side up and realize how great my life truly is. I think I'll choose the latter.

Perfection By Definition

love

it flows from our hearts

lies dormant till its' time

its' call.

its' season.

then released into the atmosphere

through your more than willing, waiting, soul

it swirls around with unusual grace

but stable in some magical, romantical way

a three way tide

shared between The Father, you, and another lucky somebody

it stretches and bends with generosity

all encompassing.

all consuming.

everlasting in perfection and righteousness.

never will it tire, never will it die.

Inspiration

Write and be happy, I always say... Don't write and, well, spend the rest of your days in a hellhole properly titled, "uninspired."

-Me

Closed Book

Well, my time here is almost finished and I only wish it lasted a few more months...or years. I feel so connected with this place, these people. I want to stay forever but I know that it wouldn't be in the right timing for me to do so...

"So off I go, back home to everything I wish I could turn around; If only the present could last forever..."

Miss you, sweet home. You will always be my first real home. I never thought I could be this sentimental about a plot of land. I hope it's like this for many plots afterward...Hmm, what could the future hold? That's the thing about the future, it's a closed book until we get there. But by then it's called the present.

Winds of Change

It is strange to think I've been away for so long
But when I walk outside it feels as though I never left it
The earth speaks to me like it always did before
Strange familiarity and sweet rememberance

As I walk and look and pray,
I can't help but feel the difference in the spirit
Like my time here is up, I've run out of things to connect to
I remember it as it once was, but it is slightly different now...

The distance, the same
The smell
The colors
The real world feeling...it never lost its' meaning to me.

But somehow, the land has finished with me.
It doesn't need me anymore, doesn't call anymore.
I no longer feel that magnetic pull inward and outward
It's more of a dull memory.

But those sweet, tempting memories go way back in time;
Pulling on my heart strings until they feel ready to burst
I can't keep doing this to myself,
This remembering.

It hurts and it burns...the vague sense of overall peace that once was,
It is no more.

I will always love you, but for you I am mere vapor
Blown away swiftly in the winds of change..

And swift, it was.

74 is Waaaay Too Cold

This is sad, just sad.

I looked up the weather forecast for Tri Cities, Washington a few hours ago in a last minute effort to "prepare" for my one week vacation. And guess what I found??? At 9:10 pm when I arrive at the Pasco Airport it will be a whopping 74 degrees!

Are you kidding me??

I havent' felt 74 degrees since I walked past the refridgerated isle in Walmart a few months ago. 74 degrees is like the dead of winter to me. That's like 40 degrees below what I'm used to! Yes, it is 114 degrees here in Phoenix, Arizona...no lie. And that's not even all that bad.

So.

I'm bringing lots and lots of pants, sweaters, long sleeved shirts, and boots. Not going so far as to pack scarves and mittens, but trust me, I was *this* close.

Isn't it sad that I think 74 degrees is like the dead of winter?? Man I have lived here wayyy too long :)



Update: I'm headed off to the airport in about an hour to see all my precious lovins from Washingtonnn! Hopefully I don't end up sitting next to someone chatty on the plane, I hate talking to people when I'm flying. Throws off my groove.

Love you all, and have a fabulous week!

XOXO
Jourdan

Your Wish Is My Command - Love, Your Metabolism

Pretty sure I'm one of the lucky ones...
You have my permission to be envious, but remember, it won't be like this forever. I will soon have the metabolism of a regular human being, so don't get TOO envious :) Just wait till I'm 40. Hahaha...

Okay so I've been feeling a bit unhealthy lately...not fat, but just unhealthy. You see, I've been eating a bunch of junk food for like the last month and a half, and it has made me feel gross. So. Here's what I do. I cut out my constant snacking while at work and just eat a small lunch instead of munching on cheezits and whatnot in between. Then I only take one taco instead of two at dinner time. Then I eat a piece of gum instead of a chocolate bar from Bashas.

The end.

Now I'm back to my usual weight after..oh...say...a week and a half of trying??

Man, I take my metabolism for granted sometimes.




**UPDATE: Today is Sunday. I embark on my glorious reunion/trip to Washington on Tuesday. Yes, I'm still psyched. And ohhh my lord do I have a ton of people to visit. And without a car, no less! We'll just have to see how that turns out! I will post as soon as I catch a minute or two...Because, well, I love y'all.

Have a lovely week, everyone!!

Heavenly Architecture

"...The sufferings of this present timeare not worthy to be compared
with the glory that is to be revealed to us."
-Romans 8:18
from Brin at My Messy Thrilling Life today

My life is like a rollercoaster and I've said it before...it twists and it turns, and I don't know where I'm going until I get there. That's what it has been like ever since I moved from my hometown in Kennewick, Washington to the dry, hot Phoenix, Arizona. I hated it when I got here but I think God had a reason for it all...a divine design that was hidden from my eyes until His perfect timing determined that "it's time." Now I know.

Man, I'm looking back at my posts from when I first moved here and it's crazy how much I've changed. It is so humbling to re-read my grumbles and whines about coming here and then see how God has routed my life so perfectly for the near future. I would never be where I am at this moment...right now...if it weren't for this move. I'm sure of it.


All that to say...I am just having some of the BEST days of my life right now. My choices finally feel concurrent with His timing and it feels inexplicably perfect. My sister is home for a month (woohoo!), I put in my letter of resignation at work (which was a little bittersweet), I get to take a trip to Washington and visit all my good friends next week, and I get to start planning for my new life in New London...I couldn't be happier.

God works everything in His plan for the good of those who love Him.

...He really does...

I'm finishing up down here in Phoenix and I'll be off to New Hampshire towards the beginning of September!! That's a month :) Ah! I'm crazy excited.




"The light is breaking, the surface cracking...all the good is leaking through."