My Last Day in Arizona

I woke up this morning with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and a hazy cloud fuzzifying my thought process...Today is the last day I will get to spend with my family before moving to New Hampshire to be an intern at Streams Ministries.

HowEVER! It is also my last day to get all my packing done in preparation for this year long adventure! Mind you, I had absolutely no motivation to do anything having to do with packing...It is my very last day in this house, with this family, and I still have a bunch of packing to do before I get on that plane tomorrow morning!

So when I woke up at 9:00 (earrrrly for me) specifically to finish all the projects I had started over this past week and realized I had such strong feelings against all things packing, it caught me off guard! I have less than 17 hours to pack up my room, make sure that all of my clothes and such fit into my two suitcases that I'm allowed to take with me for a year, and hang out with my family for the last time, and I am what??? Too tired?? Unmotivated? Really??

I suppose the reality of how much time I truly have left didn't quite override the not so reality of "oh i have plenty of time to finish that stuff...sleep is more important!"

Who am I to be so selfish in these last precious hours of my time here with my family?

So after staggering out to the kitchen to make some Mac'n'Cheese for breakfast (I know...I am super unhealthy...what else is new?) I made the command decision to be sedentary no longer. Now I have eaten breakfast and I'm totally ready to start my jam-packed day. Haha, quite literally!

Now all I have to do is pack up the remains of my bedroom and bathroom, clean out my car that I won't be driving anymore, weigh my suitcases to make sure Delta won't be charging me $125 dollars a piece for each suitcase over 50 lbs, do a load of laundry, and find my winter hat. Among other things :)

Oh yes, and the family is all going out to dinner tonight no doubt in a last-ditch attempt to keep me home just a little while longer. They've only come up with about 170 reasons for me to stay...God, I'm gonna miss them.

Hopefully that hazy cloud around my head will get burned off by all the sunshine, because I have all to much to get done to deal with a head-cloud simultaneously.

Feel free to pray for me while I set off on this new God-filled adventure! I'm scared out of my mind, but I know that I know that I know that this is God. I know I'm supposed to be there, and that peace in my heart is the only thing keeping me from staying here.

Heavenly blessings,

XOXO
Jourdan

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)

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.

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

Holy Crap, I Got IN!

AS promised, here are those six words I really really wanted to be able to share with you all...."I Got Accepted, I'm Outta Here!!"

I just got the phone call today and I have been officially accepted into the Streams Ministries Internship Program in New London, New Hampshire! I will be leaving sometime around the 9th of September...

Wow, I am flying right now. I can't BELIEVE I got in! Well, I guess I can..I knew I was supposed to do this so I shouldn't really be surprised when God works it all out. But still. I'm in shock. And awe. And surprise...ment...And excited...ness.

Holy moley.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who prayed for me, I know it made a difference.


That's all I've got to say..

Thank You, Thank You Very Much!

I am a big girl now!!!

Translation: I just graduated from HIGH SCHOOL!

Ahh, finally. Sweet sweet freedom. Freedom from old cranky English teachers and smelly high school cafeterias. Freedom from the mean girls that look you up and down in the hallway..EVERY...SINGLE...DAY. Does it really matter that much to you what I wear on a daily basis?? Oh, and freedom from those mean, perfume sprayin, makeup cakin attendance ladies. I mean come on, if you hate your job that much you should really look into a career change. Seriously. Give a kid some candy every once in a while like those nice elementary school secretaries...they're so nice!

And really, I'm most happy to be done with the obligation. I hated having to turn something in every other day and risk the penalty of an "F" if I didn't. Ugh, I HATE that! Can't you just see that I work hard and give me an A automatically?

OH and non-multiple choice tests...I hated those too. Why can't every test have just three answers to choose from?? What will it be, A, B, or C? Pick one. You'll probably get it right. The end. Essay exams suck.

There goes my ranting...I'm a little out of breath, but on the whole feeling much much better. Ahh, sweet sweet freedom.

Oh and for my incredible perseverance and dedication to all things high school, I have earned myself a brand new MacBook Pro from the Apple store. I love it :) Thanks mom and dad!



I will be hearing about Streams School of Ministry within the next few days, so hopefully my next post will read something like "I Got Accepted, I'm Outta Here!"

But we'll see :)

XOXO
Jourdan

Streams School of Ministry

"Ahem, ahem, I haaave a little update for you......"

I have officially applied to the Streams School of Ministry Internship Program! I just sent in my application packet with a personal video, recent picture, my written testimony, and the filled out 8-page application form, a few hours ago. I really feel led to do this program, and I just can't wait to find out if I got accepted!

I am extremely excited for this :)

So anyways, I have to get crackin on my support letter, so I will talk to you all very soon! And don't worry, I'll let you know when I find out anything important...

PS. Feel free to keep me in your prayers as I embark on this exciting new journey! I would greatly appreciate it!
XOXO
Jourdan

The Truth About Writing

I'm not gonna lie to you, I've been ultimately burnt out on writing lately. I've had boring essays, long assignments, bull-sh** discussion posts, and work emails to write...and honestly, I don't think I can stand it much longer. Summer classes will do that to ya.

I'm burnt OUT.

So I'm sorry if it has seemed that I don't care about blogging anymore...I do. But I've been deceived to think that writing is always boring, no matter how you look at it. I've been blinded by the darkness of online school LIES!

I will try to be a better blogger, I promise.

But hold on for a few more days (*ahem, or weeks) while I finish my online classes and rip off that tattered black blindfold of lies to see the truth, if only for a few measly seconds...that writing is not boring, it only gets tedious when you don't like what you're writing about.

Right? Right.

:)

Human Drano

I find myself at a crossroads...





Do I stay, or do I go? Do I get the scholastic diploma and muscle my way through 8 more weeks of school, or do I just settle for the general diploma and get done on the 30th? Do I go into Accounting, or Music? That's not even the half of what I have to decide on right now!! I have so many questions and choices, but I can't seem to find the answers inside of me. I'm a big blocked tube. Nothing can get in, nothing can get out. I've had too much stuff to worry about and not enough stuff I can let go of. I'm emotionally constipated. lol

I'm overstimulated,

Overstressed,

And - overtired.

I almost cried today just because I couldn't find a Word document on my computer...yeah, that's pretty tired. I keep telling myself "I just need a vacation, I just need a vacation..." but will I ever take one?? And will that actually help? Long-term?

I don't know how to fix these clogged pipes. I think I need a plumber.

Maybe there's some kind of human Drano I can chug to clear my system out once and for all.

Hmmph.

Now wouldn't that be nice?

Bye Bye Blackberry

Well...goodbye precious, darling blackberry curve. I will miss you terribly.


Hello iPhone 3G!





I am now officially part of the biggest technology fad since cellular phones were invented.

Awesome.

Baby Baby Baby -- Gunner Love

OH. MY. GOODNESS GRACIOUS LORD IN HEAVEN.


This pup truly is the dang cutest thing I've ever seen.

He is 90 percent fur, and 10 percent big black eyes.

He's also 100 percent loooove :)

He likes to scootch his way under the wire coffee table to take naps - I can't believe he fits under there!!

His schedule consists of this: play for 15 minutes, poop out. play for 15 more minutes, poop out for two more hours. eat. literally poop. smack some love on your face with his tongue, then poop out some more.

He sleeps more than I do and I'm a bit jealous.

His bark sounds like a grasshopper chirping 50 feet behind you - was that even a noise?

He loves everyone who walks in the door, and I love that about him.

He acts all rough-and-tumble, when in reality he weighs barely a pound.



He is the darn tootinest little darlin and I love him to death already :)

I will post pictures as soon as I have more than five minutes to spare!! I gotta get up for work tomorrow at 4:20am...wish me luck!

*ps. i hope you all had a wonderful weekend, because I sure did! I will tell you all about it soon...

Baby Puppy Love

I'm getting a new puppy tomorrow!!! Aww, baby puppy love.

I'm just unbelievably excited for this right now.

This dog.....oh this dog. He is so cute!


And his name is going to be Gunner.

Click here to find out what he looks like!! He's a dang cute little thing, lemme tell you what :) That is my other dog, Gabe, sniffing his bum haha. I would put up the actual pic on here, but it was a mobile upload from a different phone so...Let's just say I'm not as tech savvy as some. You might not be able to see it if you don't have a facebook user and password. Hmm.....well this is what he would look like:




I'm SO excited!!!