Happy last day of 2016, everyone (my Mom is here, so I can just say hi from the same room)! What a whirlwind of a year 2016 was. It feels like I was just writing my 2015 recap/2016 goals blog post a week ago. This year passed SO fast, but was so full of changes! I adopted the cutest dog ever, got a new job and moved, and gained a sister! Holy cow.
I will admit, I did not achieve many of my goals for 2016, but I did set some new goals along the way and achieved those. That's part of the fun of beginning of the year goals anyway--the striving to achieve them, and finding new things to work on along the way! I'm going to briefly recap this year, then dive into a few of my 2017 goals!
Let's start with a few of the goals I set for 2016, a few met, quite a few not:
1. Going on a mission trip. Unfortunately I didn't do this in 2016, but I'd still love to someday, especially a medical mission. The more I learn about the places in the world whose inhabitants know nothing about Jesus, the more I feel I need to go.
2. Leave the country. My plan was to head to Puerto Rico, but with the Zika virus in full force, I just did not think it was wise. Oh, and I spent a lot of money to move back to Kansas (worth it). I'll get out someday, but until then I'll enjoy exploring the 50 states.
3. One race per month. Totally crushed this one, and it was a lot of fun! I got to travel to Colorado, California, and around Texas and Kansas for lots of neat races.
4. 2 rounds of Whole30: check! It wasn't easy, but I truly felt better eating whole foods. I've changed my diet fairly significantly, and am a lot more conscious of what I put into my body. I'll still go hammer time on a good mac n cheese, though. ;)
5. Strength train at least twice per week. This one wasn't completely met, but I did a LOT more strength work in 2016 than I had in the past couple of years, which was great. I'm looking forward to even more strong woman training in 2017.
6. Blog once per week. This was going well until mid-2016, when I had writer's block, and my life just wasn't that exciting. Plus I moved and had to get into a new routine. I think for next year I'll just blog when I'm "feeling" it.
7. Learn to play the guitar. Laugh out loud. I picked up the guitar about 5 times in January. Then February came, and so did Ella. For the majority of the first six months having her, any time I was home I was chasing her around and making sure she didn't poop in the house, chew up the house, or kill either of us. Pretty much all hobbies went out the window. Now that she's older, maybe I'll try the five-string again.
For 2017, I've set eight personal goals for myself thus far. Most of them seem achievable, so maybe I will add some more difficult ones as the gear goes by.
1. Read one book per month. I used to be an avid reader and one book per week would be about average. But like I mentioned earlier, bringing Ella into my life consumed a LOT of time, so I stopped doing a lot of things, including reading. This year I'd like to amp up that habit again. I'll be reading some fun fiction, lifestyle books, books about Jesus, traveling books, and money books.
2. Complete the ESV Psalms & Wisdom Literature reading plan-- in this plan I will be going through the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon over the course of a year. No, that is not a lot of books, but with my other reading and studies, I think it's doable. I read the whole bible a couple of years ago and it wasn't as fruitful as I would have liked because I was just trying to keep up and didn't get to actually digest the material like I would have liked. If you're interested in finding a good reading plan for 2017, here's a link: Ligonier Reading Plans 2017
3. Stop doing challenges. I have done so many challenges over the past few years, and I want to complete them, so I just become a slave to them. This year, for example, I had to run a certain number of miles over the course of the year, so knowing I had to do that made me hate running and resent it, because I was forcing myself to do it. This year, I will not be participating in any challenges that last >30 days.
4. Save enough money to buy a car. My poor little car is on his last leg (which is ok, because it's almost 11 years old). This year I plan to save enough money to either pay cash for a car or pay a huge down payment toward a vehicle. This means saying no to shopping and some traveling, so this is going to be HARD. Pray for me (seriously).
5. Teach Ella to run. When I got a dog, I said I wanted a big enough dog to take running with me. Between her ADHD and my impatience, the furthest we've run is about a quarter mile. This year I'd love to run a mile or two with her at a time.
6. One race per month. I want running to continue to be PART of my life, I just don't want it to BE my life. A goal I have for my lifetime is to never not be able to complete a 5K. I'd like to run a 5K per month in 2017, just because I want to continue to have a tiny identity as a runner. Call me crazy.
7. Follow a budget each month. I've had a budget set on mint.com for a year or two, but just kind of used it jokingly to see where all my money went and if I went over budget here or there, didn't really care. This goal ties together well with goal #4. I plan to get serious and be a grown-up about finances, finally. Besides, math is kind of fun and so is saving to make fun purchases like cars! As my mom said, just think about how stylish your clothes and shoes will look getting out of a newer (and more reliable) vehicle.
8. Finally, I want strength training to play a bigger role in my health and fitness in 2017. The deadlift has always been my favorite lift, so my big lifting goal this year is to deadlift 200 pounds at least one time.
Thanks for reading my goals, everyone, you're real gems! And for those of you who chat with me on a regular basis, hold me accountable! :) Happy 2017 to all my friends, family, and readers! I sincerely hope your year is blessed, and that you achieve all of your goals, too!
PS What books should I add to my reading list?
PPS What are some of your goals for 2017?
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
The Christmas Light
Happy December, and happy winter, everyone (hope you've got your heater on, Mom)! It's a balmy 35 degrees in Emporia today and has been misting all day long, and we are supposed to get some snow tomorrow. I forgot how cold winter could be, but I surprisingly don't hate it as much as I thought I would! With enough layers (or just staying inside with blankets and a fake plug-in fireplace), one can survive anything!
Before I get into the meat of this blog post, I'd like to give a disclaimer. I'm going to be talking about a topic that offends some people: Jesus. So if you get offended by what I say, or if you feel your emotions getting heated, resist the temptation to get grumpy about it and stop reading.
I have always loved Christmas lights. When I was little, I have fond memories of my family tradition of eating pizza by the Christmas tree, as well as loading up in the car and driving around town looking at the various Christmas displays in people's yards. We started those traditions when I was really little and just last weekend my brother & sister-in-law indulged me for my 27th birthday and took me to look at awesome displays in Kansas City. A couple of years ago, my family and I sat in a line for 2 hours on the street waiting to get into an awesomely lit neighborhood. Every chance I get, if there is a great neighborhood or park displaying lights, I try my best to get there!
With you knowing about my appreciation (and slight obsession, maybe) of Christmas displays, you will understand just how utterly thrilled I was to find I live in one of the premiere Christmas neighborhoods in Emporia! Thankfully, I'm about a block over, so I can get away with a simple LED yard light, but there is a horseshoe-shaped street next to my house in which every single house is decorated from the roof to the curb. It's so amazing! I love taking Ella for walks if it's not absolutely frigid. I wish there was some way to get them to decorate for every holiday like this.
One of the first nights I was walking Ella around Whoville, it hit me like a brick on the head: the lights and displays of Christmas time signify Jesus. Holy cow! I'm a little slow at realizing things, but am so thankful I was enlightened to that revelation (see what I did there?). John 8:12 says "Again Jesus spoke to them saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"
So, not only is Jesus the focus and light of this season, and the neighborhood next to me, or the Rockefeller tree, he is the light of LIFE. The knowledge of knowing the lights and glory of God will be a bajillion times brighter than the best-lit Christmas display spurs me on to pursue Him even more, and I hope it will you, too.
It is my hope and prayer that each of you who reads this post, however many or few there are, would take a moment to reflect on the old cliche that Jesus truly is the "reason for the season." Sure, it's nice to wear ugly sweaters, go to parties with friends, and give and get presents, but remember the Light who was born in a smelly, dirty barn. He is the light of the season, and if you believe in Him, the ultimate light of life and into eternity.
PS What's your favorite Christmas Carol?
PPS White lights or multi-colored? (I'm team white lights)
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
Before I get into the meat of this blog post, I'd like to give a disclaimer. I'm going to be talking about a topic that offends some people: Jesus. So if you get offended by what I say, or if you feel your emotions getting heated, resist the temptation to get grumpy about it and stop reading.
I have always loved Christmas lights. When I was little, I have fond memories of my family tradition of eating pizza by the Christmas tree, as well as loading up in the car and driving around town looking at the various Christmas displays in people's yards. We started those traditions when I was really little and just last weekend my brother & sister-in-law indulged me for my 27th birthday and took me to look at awesome displays in Kansas City. A couple of years ago, my family and I sat in a line for 2 hours on the street waiting to get into an awesomely lit neighborhood. Every chance I get, if there is a great neighborhood or park displaying lights, I try my best to get there!
With you knowing about my appreciation (and slight obsession, maybe) of Christmas displays, you will understand just how utterly thrilled I was to find I live in one of the premiere Christmas neighborhoods in Emporia! Thankfully, I'm about a block over, so I can get away with a simple LED yard light, but there is a horseshoe-shaped street next to my house in which every single house is decorated from the roof to the curb. It's so amazing! I love taking Ella for walks if it's not absolutely frigid. I wish there was some way to get them to decorate for every holiday like this.
One of the first nights I was walking Ella around Whoville, it hit me like a brick on the head: the lights and displays of Christmas time signify Jesus. Holy cow! I'm a little slow at realizing things, but am so thankful I was enlightened to that revelation (see what I did there?). John 8:12 says "Again Jesus spoke to them saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"
So, not only is Jesus the focus and light of this season, and the neighborhood next to me, or the Rockefeller tree, he is the light of LIFE. The knowledge of knowing the lights and glory of God will be a bajillion times brighter than the best-lit Christmas display spurs me on to pursue Him even more, and I hope it will you, too.
It is my hope and prayer that each of you who reads this post, however many or few there are, would take a moment to reflect on the old cliche that Jesus truly is the "reason for the season." Sure, it's nice to wear ugly sweaters, go to parties with friends, and give and get presents, but remember the Light who was born in a smelly, dirty barn. He is the light of the season, and if you believe in Him, the ultimate light of life and into eternity.
PS What's your favorite Christmas Carol?
PPS White lights or multi-colored? (I'm team white lights)
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
Thursday, November 3, 2016
The Rest of the Story
Hey again, everyone (hola madre!)...remember me? Sorry for the lapse in blog posts. I have had a lot to say, and have started many blog posts in my head, but writer's block got the best of me and I just couldn't finish up any of the ones I started. A lot has been going on, but I will spare you all the long and tedious blog post and talk about something important: glorification of God in what you do.
To catch you up on what has happened since my last blog post, I moved to Kansas from Texas because I took a job at a new clinic working with a close friend and about six other excellent therapists. While, yes, moving closer to friends and family is a huge bonus to moving back to the Midwest, after much thinking and reflection, I think it's become a little more clear: I think God guided me this direction because I was not glorifying Him where I was.
When I first graduated from PT school, I was adamant about finding a job in the metroplex and staying there to live the big city life. I interviewed a few places and got a job working for a giant, nationwide physical therapy company (this is not meant to be a bashing post, so please do not take it that way). There were promises of bonuses for performance, good benefits, and a competitive salary, so like a first-time employee I decided I'd be happy to work for such a place! I was sure within a few years I'd grow my skill set, start working on different certifications, and just live a carefree working life.
Fast forward about 20 months. My life had become a 5-day-a-week slog into the office to see as many patients as I could in 8 or 9 hours per day, then go home. I won't go into details, but after I finally realized how unhappy I was in that I wasn't making a difference in anyone's lives, but increasing the vacation home size of the higher ups at the company, I decided it was time to cut out the bitterness and resentment and find somewhere else to practice. As a Christian, my testimony and life are supposed to be reflections of Jesus, and all I was doing was "punching the clock" and just existing there. You really can't serve both God and money, guys. It just does not work.
Through various bible studies, sermons, podcasts, etc. God was clearly reminding me that life is not about me. It's about Him. I am (you are, we all are) created and brought onto this terrestrial ball to glorify Him the best we can with our lives while He has us here. Whether that is through work, school, parenting, or walking your dog, God is the only One who is to get the glory.
When I was in PT school, I said I'd never work with geriatrics. Never say always and never say never, because guess what? You'll be wrong. Since starting my new job, I've seen predominantly geriatric patients so far. Do I get to push them to their physical limits, jumping, running, and getting them back to the sport they love? Well, no. But what I do get to do is hear their stories about life. I get to hold back tears as I listen to a patient talk about how her husband passed away just before their 50th wedding anniversary; or about how a grandchild did the cutest thing; and even occasionally hear the same story 50 times because he or she lives alone and physical therapy is the one social interaction they have.
What does my patient population have to do with glorifying God? I am able to show them love when they need it, to listen to jokes or sad stories, and to do my best to have the attitude Jesus might have toward a person in need, just like Jesus does with me every.single.day.
With all of this being said, I am clearly an expert on glorifying God, so I hope you all took notes. Just kidding. I am about the biggest Pharisee you'll meet, unfortunately. I am not worthy of the blessings and the big shift in life I was provided. But I am thankful and humbled by a great God who I serve and hope to glorify more each day I'm still around here. I would also like to use this post as a nudge toward the person reading this who is contemplating whether or not they should change jobs because they can't stand the thought of going back to work each morning, for the kid in school who can't bear the thought of going to another class, or for the mom/housewife who is irritated because she has to clean up yet another mess. How do you glorify Him, even amidst the most frustrating situations? If you can't, make a change. Either pray for a change in situation, or pray for perseverance to push through it.
Thanks for hanging in there with me. It's good to be back! :)
PS What's the toughest situation you've found that you struggled to glorify God?
PPS Is it ever going to be winter? It's still in the 70s in Kansas!
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
To catch you up on what has happened since my last blog post, I moved to Kansas from Texas because I took a job at a new clinic working with a close friend and about six other excellent therapists. While, yes, moving closer to friends and family is a huge bonus to moving back to the Midwest, after much thinking and reflection, I think it's become a little more clear: I think God guided me this direction because I was not glorifying Him where I was.
When I first graduated from PT school, I was adamant about finding a job in the metroplex and staying there to live the big city life. I interviewed a few places and got a job working for a giant, nationwide physical therapy company (this is not meant to be a bashing post, so please do not take it that way). There were promises of bonuses for performance, good benefits, and a competitive salary, so like a first-time employee I decided I'd be happy to work for such a place! I was sure within a few years I'd grow my skill set, start working on different certifications, and just live a carefree working life.
Fast forward about 20 months. My life had become a 5-day-a-week slog into the office to see as many patients as I could in 8 or 9 hours per day, then go home. I won't go into details, but after I finally realized how unhappy I was in that I wasn't making a difference in anyone's lives, but increasing the vacation home size of the higher ups at the company, I decided it was time to cut out the bitterness and resentment and find somewhere else to practice. As a Christian, my testimony and life are supposed to be reflections of Jesus, and all I was doing was "punching the clock" and just existing there. You really can't serve both God and money, guys. It just does not work.
Through various bible studies, sermons, podcasts, etc. God was clearly reminding me that life is not about me. It's about Him. I am (you are, we all are) created and brought onto this terrestrial ball to glorify Him the best we can with our lives while He has us here. Whether that is through work, school, parenting, or walking your dog, God is the only One who is to get the glory.
When I was in PT school, I said I'd never work with geriatrics. Never say always and never say never, because guess what? You'll be wrong. Since starting my new job, I've seen predominantly geriatric patients so far. Do I get to push them to their physical limits, jumping, running, and getting them back to the sport they love? Well, no. But what I do get to do is hear their stories about life. I get to hold back tears as I listen to a patient talk about how her husband passed away just before their 50th wedding anniversary; or about how a grandchild did the cutest thing; and even occasionally hear the same story 50 times because he or she lives alone and physical therapy is the one social interaction they have.
What does my patient population have to do with glorifying God? I am able to show them love when they need it, to listen to jokes or sad stories, and to do my best to have the attitude Jesus might have toward a person in need, just like Jesus does with me every.single.day.
With all of this being said, I am clearly an expert on glorifying God, so I hope you all took notes. Just kidding. I am about the biggest Pharisee you'll meet, unfortunately. I am not worthy of the blessings and the big shift in life I was provided. But I am thankful and humbled by a great God who I serve and hope to glorify more each day I'm still around here. I would also like to use this post as a nudge toward the person reading this who is contemplating whether or not they should change jobs because they can't stand the thought of going back to work each morning, for the kid in school who can't bear the thought of going to another class, or for the mom/housewife who is irritated because she has to clean up yet another mess. How do you glorify Him, even amidst the most frustrating situations? If you can't, make a change. Either pray for a change in situation, or pray for perseverance to push through it.
Thanks for hanging in there with me. It's good to be back! :)
PS What's the toughest situation you've found that you struggled to glorify God?
PPS Is it ever going to be winter? It's still in the 70s in Kansas!
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
Friday, July 29, 2016
Goodbye, Texas.
Happy almost August, wow! Hi, mom, thanks for walking Ella for me! I'm currently sitting inside a house cluttered with boxes, empty cabinets, and abnormal chaos and general disarray. Why, you might ask? I'm moving. Yes, you read that right. For someone who detests moving, this is my third packing and unpacking marathon in 3 summers. Maybe I do like it after all....just kidding. It's time to settle down for awhile, I think.
When I bought my house a year ago, I was pretty sure I was settling into the house I'd make a home for several years. I intentionally moved to Texas after graduating from PT school two years ago, a fulfillment of a childhood dream of one day becoming a resident of the illustrious Lonestar State. While it's been a fun 26 months, after much prayer, thought, and consideration, I've come to the conclusion it's time to move on. In the words of the NBA player I love to hate (er, strongly dislike), I've decided to take my talents back to the Sunflower State (I hope Kansas will accept my meager talents, and show me grace as I know I still have a lot to learn).
I've been happy with Texas, and who knows, maybe someday in the distant future I'll return, but right now the right move in my life and current place in my career is to go live and learn in Kansas. Sure, I'll have to get used to cold weather and snow again, but I'm so excited to be able to wear cute boots and fleece jackets for more than one week each year. Forewarning: expect a little bit of whining during the winter. It's just going to happen. Ella is also really excited to play in snow and pretty-colored fall leaves!
During my time in Texas, I had the opportunity to work in a good environment, and got to fine tune my time management, patient management, and communication skills; I'm really excited to have been blessed with an awesome new job offer where I'll get to learn a little more and get to really hone in my skills and become a great therapist. I'd be lying if I said my job has been stress-free, because it was definitely a big adjustment learning how to be a grown-up, especially hours away from my family.
Another big reason to head north is for that very reason-- I'll be much closer to my family. I can even go home after work on a Friday evening and get home before midnight! Bonus: I'll live really close to my brother and new sis-in-law (#winning!). Hopefully they're okay with that, too... Almost as important as being close to my family is the fact that I'll be close to the Jayhawks and can pretty much go to games at Allen Fieldhouse as much as I want (and as much as my wallet will allow). RCJH!
So, where in Kansas am I moving? I'm going to be an Emporian! One of my really close friends from PT school lives and works there, and has been trying to convince me to go to Emporia since I moved to Texas. I finally took the bait, and literally couldn't be more excited. City living has been fun, but I definitely miss the benefits and closeness of a smaller community, and just the Midwest in general. Having lived in the Midwest and Texas, I can honestly say, Midwest is best. I don't care what true blue Texans say, there really is "no place like home", and no people are as great as Midwesterners. I've had multiple people ask if I'm actually excited to return to the "boring, flat land" and I am, 100%. Growing up, my parents told me it's not about the place, it's about the people, and I'm finally figuring out that that's mostly true.
While I'll miss Target being 5 minutes away, and driving by the big city lights, my new digs are super close to lots of cities, and I'll be right in the middle of lots of cool places, which is awesome! There are even tons of races in Kansas, and I've already registered for a few! I'm super grateful for this new opportunity, and know that there's a reason for it. Proverbs 16:3 says "commit your plans to the Lord, and you will succeed." I know He goes before me, and I'm so excited to figure out what His plans are in Kansas!
Until next time, when I'll be blogging from my new home. Thanks again for sticking with me to the end!
PS What's your favorite region of the USA?
PPS What event are you most excited to watch in the Olympics? Mine are gymnastics, swimming, & beach VB!
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
When I bought my house a year ago, I was pretty sure I was settling into the house I'd make a home for several years. I intentionally moved to Texas after graduating from PT school two years ago, a fulfillment of a childhood dream of one day becoming a resident of the illustrious Lonestar State. While it's been a fun 26 months, after much prayer, thought, and consideration, I've come to the conclusion it's time to move on. In the words of the NBA player I love to hate (er, strongly dislike), I've decided to take my talents back to the Sunflower State (I hope Kansas will accept my meager talents, and show me grace as I know I still have a lot to learn).
I've been happy with Texas, and who knows, maybe someday in the distant future I'll return, but right now the right move in my life and current place in my career is to go live and learn in Kansas. Sure, I'll have to get used to cold weather and snow again, but I'm so excited to be able to wear cute boots and fleece jackets for more than one week each year. Forewarning: expect a little bit of whining during the winter. It's just going to happen. Ella is also really excited to play in snow and pretty-colored fall leaves!
During my time in Texas, I had the opportunity to work in a good environment, and got to fine tune my time management, patient management, and communication skills; I'm really excited to have been blessed with an awesome new job offer where I'll get to learn a little more and get to really hone in my skills and become a great therapist. I'd be lying if I said my job has been stress-free, because it was definitely a big adjustment learning how to be a grown-up, especially hours away from my family.
Another big reason to head north is for that very reason-- I'll be much closer to my family. I can even go home after work on a Friday evening and get home before midnight! Bonus: I'll live really close to my brother and new sis-in-law (#winning!). Hopefully they're okay with that, too... Almost as important as being close to my family is the fact that I'll be close to the Jayhawks and can pretty much go to games at Allen Fieldhouse as much as I want (and as much as my wallet will allow). RCJH!
So, where in Kansas am I moving? I'm going to be an Emporian! One of my really close friends from PT school lives and works there, and has been trying to convince me to go to Emporia since I moved to Texas. I finally took the bait, and literally couldn't be more excited. City living has been fun, but I definitely miss the benefits and closeness of a smaller community, and just the Midwest in general. Having lived in the Midwest and Texas, I can honestly say, Midwest is best. I don't care what true blue Texans say, there really is "no place like home", and no people are as great as Midwesterners. I've had multiple people ask if I'm actually excited to return to the "boring, flat land" and I am, 100%. Growing up, my parents told me it's not about the place, it's about the people, and I'm finally figuring out that that's mostly true.
While I'll miss Target being 5 minutes away, and driving by the big city lights, my new digs are super close to lots of cities, and I'll be right in the middle of lots of cool places, which is awesome! There are even tons of races in Kansas, and I've already registered for a few! I'm super grateful for this new opportunity, and know that there's a reason for it. Proverbs 16:3 says "commit your plans to the Lord, and you will succeed." I know He goes before me, and I'm so excited to figure out what His plans are in Kansas!
Until next time, when I'll be blogging from my new home. Thanks again for sticking with me to the end!
PS What's your favorite region of the USA?
PPS What event are you most excited to watch in the Olympics? Mine are gymnastics, swimming, & beach VB!
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
Sunday, July 17, 2016
The Wedding
Happy July, everyone (hi Mom)! I'm currently engaged in an intense game of living room fetch, featuring Ella and her favorite pink rope. She is 45 pounds of pure terror and spoiled rottenness now. She just got "fixed" and everyone tells me she'll calm down, but I have yet to see much progress. I think I got the one hyperactive poodle mix in the world <insert crying face>.
I've been so excited to write this post, but was occupied with lots of different things over the past week and am just now having a few minutes to sit and write about what was one of my favorite weekends of my LIFE. For those of you who somehow missed it, my brother got married last Saturday. I have to admit, since Jace proposed to Andreia my life was like a real-life version of "Inside Out" and then some. I have felt every emotion, as I'm sure they have, but in the end joy, love, and happiness overcame everything as usual.
I got to go home to start participating in wedding weekend on Thursday evening. That evening was Andreia's last girls' night, and it was a blast as well as a precious time for all of us to relax and spend time with the amazing bride and get to know each other better. What happens at the last night as a single woman stays in that evening though, so let's move on, shall we?
Friday was a whirlwind of a day, starting with brunch at Andreia's aunts house, with most of the girls in the bridal partypresent. We got to celebrate her and game plan what needed to be done during the rest of that day before the rehearsal that afternoon. The rest of that day was spent tying up all of the loose ends that were incomplete and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the rehearsal.
Unbeknownst to some, I pride myself on not being a big crier, but I'm pretty sure I cried at some point or another for 4 or 5 days in a row, a record (just kidding). This started Thursday night, but carried into the rehearsal on Friday. Seeing my brother and new sister-in-law together preparing to enter into a monumental covenant in their lives was just pretty emotional.
Thankfully, the emotions subsided a bit at the rehearsal dinner, where we had some amazing BBQ, then played a game of pumpkin ball. I was on the bride and groom's team and we lost in extra innings, but let's be real, they won everything else that weekend so God had to humble them somehow.
The next day started early with meeting the rest of the girls at the reception site, none other than a Kansas farm (it was really awesome, you guys). The local nursing home was kind enough to let us borrow their transportation bus to get to the church and back, so we blasted the radio to the church and just had a fun time. Once we got to the church, it was time for hair makeup, and Taco Bell tacos in our 'Feed Me Tacos & Tell Me I'm Beautiful' tank tops. After we were as pretty as we could get, we headed outside in the heat to sweat through a couple hours of pictures! Thankfully our photographer was amazing and you can't even tell in the pictures that we were all pouring sweat! PS those photos are not mine to share so you'll have to stay posted for those. I assure you they're incredible though.
Once our photos were finished it was time to relax for about an hour, then we were ready for the main event! There were lots of people to witness this beautiful event. The bridal party formed a circle around the altar, then came Andreia down the aisle. She was (and is) a gorgeous bride, inside and out. There aren't many people on earth like her, and I don't say that lightly. For example, there were 12 attendants and multiple other people helping with the wedding, and she knew them all personally. I was talking to Jace before the wedding about how far people traveled to see them get married, and how Andreia had expressed how humbled she was by this; Jace simply said with a smile, "that's who I'm marrying."
Most weddings are beautiful in some way, but never have I been to a wedding like this. I'm biased, yes, but this wedding was about more than just Jace & Andreia. They made sure their wedding reflected and emphasized our eventual wedding with Jesus, whenever that glorious day comes. Christ was the central theme and filled this happy occasion with so much grace and pure joy that only He can provide.
I will admit, I made it through the first 5 minutes or so without much display of emotion but once the pastor (a close family friend) began talking about Jace and Andreia, and their relationships with their families, I stopped gnawing a hole in my cheek and let a few tears roll. Then, he mentioned how close Jace and I have always been, and Jace made eye contact with me and we both lost it. I'm convinced the pastor did that just because he hadn't seen either of us cry before (sort of kidding). They continued with beautiful vows they had written for each other, lit a unity candle, kissed, and were pronounced the new Mr. & Mrs. Moore!
Then it was back onto the nursing home mobile to eat some delicious Mexican food and pie at the reception! The barn where the reception was held was decorated so elegantly, but had a small town Kansas feel to it, and it was truly awesome. The best man, maid of honor, a couple of Andreia's close friends and I were able to give toasts. I wrote my speech the Tuesday before the wedding, and read it a few times during the week. I hadn't made it through practice reads without crying, so I knew it was going to be challenging with Jace actually there at the reception. Most people will never understand our bond, and that's ok because it's pretty special and unique. I definitely cried like a little kid while giving the toast, and at one point even had to have Jace come up for a hug so I could get through the rest of it. But once it was over, the rest of the reception was pretty smooth sailing, full of lots of dancing and good conversation.
The newlyweds were supposed to be sent off with sparklers at 11:30, and we tried to send them away around then, but they wouldn't leave! That's just the people they are though, always thinking about others. They were sure to tell their guests thank you and goodbye before they changed and went away. I was able to give a big hug to my brother and new sister before they left, our first as a new 3 best friend unit (just kidding....I'm still adjusting to being BFF #2, but I'm ok with it).
What did I learn? In four short words: Christ must be central. The entire wedding weekend was a bold reminder of the love Jesus has for us, even in our sinful state on this earth. I can't wait to see His face and unite with Him as His bride someday soon. Given the state of this earth right now, I hope it's REALLY soon. Thank you, Jace and Andreia, for this wonderful picture of God's love on display in real life. I love you both and can't wait to see how else He is going to work in your lives as the Moore's.
PS Stay tuned for the next blog post. I've got big news!
PPS Any encouraging words I can share with the new Moore's? Let me know in the comments!
IG: @jenbeingjen
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
I've been so excited to write this post, but was occupied with lots of different things over the past week and am just now having a few minutes to sit and write about what was one of my favorite weekends of my LIFE. For those of you who somehow missed it, my brother got married last Saturday. I have to admit, since Jace proposed to Andreia my life was like a real-life version of "Inside Out" and then some. I have felt every emotion, as I'm sure they have, but in the end joy, love, and happiness overcame everything as usual.
I got to go home to start participating in wedding weekend on Thursday evening. That evening was Andreia's last girls' night, and it was a blast as well as a precious time for all of us to relax and spend time with the amazing bride and get to know each other better. What happens at the last night as a single woman stays in that evening though, so let's move on, shall we?
Friday was a whirlwind of a day, starting with brunch at Andreia's aunts house, with most of the girls in the bridal partypresent. We got to celebrate her and game plan what needed to be done during the rest of that day before the rehearsal that afternoon. The rest of that day was spent tying up all of the loose ends that were incomplete and in the blink of an eye, it was time for the rehearsal.
Unbeknownst to some, I pride myself on not being a big crier, but I'm pretty sure I cried at some point or another for 4 or 5 days in a row, a record (just kidding). This started Thursday night, but carried into the rehearsal on Friday. Seeing my brother and new sister-in-law together preparing to enter into a monumental covenant in their lives was just pretty emotional.
Thankfully, the emotions subsided a bit at the rehearsal dinner, where we had some amazing BBQ, then played a game of pumpkin ball. I was on the bride and groom's team and we lost in extra innings, but let's be real, they won everything else that weekend so God had to humble them somehow.
The next day started early with meeting the rest of the girls at the reception site, none other than a Kansas farm (it was really awesome, you guys). The local nursing home was kind enough to let us borrow their transportation bus to get to the church and back, so we blasted the radio to the church and just had a fun time. Once we got to the church, it was time for hair makeup, and Taco Bell tacos in our 'Feed Me Tacos & Tell Me I'm Beautiful' tank tops. After we were as pretty as we could get, we headed outside in the heat to sweat through a couple hours of pictures! Thankfully our photographer was amazing and you can't even tell in the pictures that we were all pouring sweat! PS those photos are not mine to share so you'll have to stay posted for those. I assure you they're incredible though.
Once our photos were finished it was time to relax for about an hour, then we were ready for the main event! There were lots of people to witness this beautiful event. The bridal party formed a circle around the altar, then came Andreia down the aisle. She was (and is) a gorgeous bride, inside and out. There aren't many people on earth like her, and I don't say that lightly. For example, there were 12 attendants and multiple other people helping with the wedding, and she knew them all personally. I was talking to Jace before the wedding about how far people traveled to see them get married, and how Andreia had expressed how humbled she was by this; Jace simply said with a smile, "that's who I'm marrying."
Most weddings are beautiful in some way, but never have I been to a wedding like this. I'm biased, yes, but this wedding was about more than just Jace & Andreia. They made sure their wedding reflected and emphasized our eventual wedding with Jesus, whenever that glorious day comes. Christ was the central theme and filled this happy occasion with so much grace and pure joy that only He can provide.
I will admit, I made it through the first 5 minutes or so without much display of emotion but once the pastor (a close family friend) began talking about Jace and Andreia, and their relationships with their families, I stopped gnawing a hole in my cheek and let a few tears roll. Then, he mentioned how close Jace and I have always been, and Jace made eye contact with me and we both lost it. I'm convinced the pastor did that just because he hadn't seen either of us cry before (sort of kidding). They continued with beautiful vows they had written for each other, lit a unity candle, kissed, and were pronounced the new Mr. & Mrs. Moore!
Then it was back onto the nursing home mobile to eat some delicious Mexican food and pie at the reception! The barn where the reception was held was decorated so elegantly, but had a small town Kansas feel to it, and it was truly awesome. The best man, maid of honor, a couple of Andreia's close friends and I were able to give toasts. I wrote my speech the Tuesday before the wedding, and read it a few times during the week. I hadn't made it through practice reads without crying, so I knew it was going to be challenging with Jace actually there at the reception. Most people will never understand our bond, and that's ok because it's pretty special and unique. I definitely cried like a little kid while giving the toast, and at one point even had to have Jace come up for a hug so I could get through the rest of it. But once it was over, the rest of the reception was pretty smooth sailing, full of lots of dancing and good conversation.
The newlyweds were supposed to be sent off with sparklers at 11:30, and we tried to send them away around then, but they wouldn't leave! That's just the people they are though, always thinking about others. They were sure to tell their guests thank you and goodbye before they changed and went away. I was able to give a big hug to my brother and new sister before they left, our first as a new 3 best friend unit (just kidding....I'm still adjusting to being BFF #2, but I'm ok with it).
What did I learn? In four short words: Christ must be central. The entire wedding weekend was a bold reminder of the love Jesus has for us, even in our sinful state on this earth. I can't wait to see His face and unite with Him as His bride someday soon. Given the state of this earth right now, I hope it's REALLY soon. Thank you, Jace and Andreia, for this wonderful picture of God's love on display in real life. I love you both and can't wait to see how else He is going to work in your lives as the Moore's.
PS Stay tuned for the next blog post. I've got big news!
PPS Any encouraging words I can share with the new Moore's? Let me know in the comments!
IG: @jenbeingjen
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
The Life Update
Hey there, everyone (hi, Mom)! It's been a few days/weeks/months since I updated this little blog! I have both intentionally and unintentionally been neglecting it. Intentionally in that I've been relatively busy traveling and spending quality time with people I'm pretty close to, and unintentionally in that my computer was on the fritz for a few weeks. Funny story on that one. I thought my computer had finally bit the dust, because nothing would load, I couldn't connect to the internet, and it was functioning at the speed of dial-up. I just let it die and sit on my desk for several weeks in frustration. Finally, I thought to myself, maybe I should just try turning it on and restarting it. Mission complete: I have a pretty fully functioning laptop again! Hooray!
First and foremost, for those of you wondering about my "dogter", Ella, she's still alive and well. In the four months I've had her, she's gone from a sweet little 8 pound pup to a 40 pound running, jumping, brilliantly klutzy dog. We are still figuring each other out and don't always like each other, but I'm glad she's in my life. She's a fun challenge and I think she likes me most of the time (and vice versa).
I have continued to run, of course. In preparation for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego 1/2 Marathon, I did a 10-mile race in Dallas, and just completed my umpteenth 5K at the Wounded Warrior Military Miles 5K in Irving over the past weekend. Before I write about my San Diego trip, I'm officially announcing my retirement/hiatus from long-distance running, for those of you who hadn't already been informed. I ran my first half marathon in October 2014 and since then have completed 5 halfs. Frankly, I'm a little burnt out on training, my body is a wreck, and I am ready to focus on other aspects of fitness for a while. I do plan on pulling a Michael Jordan and returning to the half marathon in approximately 2 years, so look for a blog post on my sixth half marathon in winter 2018. ;)
Now for the fun part of this post: SAN DIEGO. Most of ya'll know, I love taking racecations, and my friend Shane and I have now done 4 half marathons together, 2 of which were to amazing destinations. The first was, of course, Disney World, and this time we took it to the left coast for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego half marathon. We also brought along two other friends, our two additional sole sisters. As a team of four we are running 2,016 miles this year.
This was my first trip to California, and I was more than excited to get a taste of the beautiful weather, beaches, and scenery I'd heard so much about for many years. I expected it to be similar to Florida, since both are beachy and touristy, but I was w-r-o-n-g. To compare SD to Florida is like comparing apples to oranges, because they're completely different places entirely.
I was shocked to find that San Diego is jam-packed to the gills. Literally. Everything is built on top of everything else and it's just clustered and busy! I also expected the weather to be muggy and warm, but that was also another mistake. It was pleasantly cool in the evenings (around 60!) and warmed up to 75 or 80 during the day, but it wasn't humid, which was thrilling!
While in San Diego I ate some good food, and some not great food. My favorite meal was not really a meal....it was the ice cream. I ate ice cream three times in five days, and I don't regret a second of it. I also had some delicious spinach and chicken gnocchi for my pre-race carb load Saturday night. My least favorite meal was at a little Mexican restaurant in the Gas Lamp district. I ordered a bowl which included shrimp, rice, and beans. To my dismay the shrimp was unpeeled and I learned that shrimp have legs. I just couldn't stomach peeling the little guys who still had their extremities and tasted like they came straight out of the dirt at the bottom of the Pacific.
Another highlight of my trip was seeing Switchfoot in concert. I can't even tell you how thrilled it made me to see them in their hometown at the Del Mar fairgrounds right off the coast. It was an amazing show (as all 5 of the shows I've been to have been) and I thoroughly enjoyed singing along to each song for the 90 minute (!) show.
I was able to see the amazing wildlife at the San Diego Zoo, and also visited multiple museums at Balboa Park in San Diego. They have 19 museums there, but our daily admission pass only allowed us to check out five of them. I saw some awesome old automobiles, learned about ancient Egypt and genealogy, and saw Tony Gwynn's jersey on a wall. Pretty sweet stuff. We also spent some time on the beach. The water was much colder than I expected, but like usual, I got in and took advantage of it. Unfortunately, a sting ray got ahold of my left foot and left me with a nice souvenir. Thankfully, after 90 minutes of hot water soaking, the toxin dissolved and I was back to 100%. Seriously the weirdest thing ever, but praise God it didn't do any real damage.
Finally, for the wrap-up of the reason I went to San Diego in the first place: the half marathon. Going into this event, I had zero expectations and my only goal was to finish. I developed a shin splint in my left leg a few weeks prior and cut out most of my heavy distance training because it just wasn't worth it to me to have excruciating pain with every step. I was still running several miles each week, but broke it up into 1-3 miles each day and stopped doing super long runs aside from the 10-mile run in Dallas two weeks prior to heading to SD.
I had always heard the RNR race series was super fun and interactive, so what better place to participate than a tropical locale? The race course did not disappoint. The path took us through multiple San Diego neighborhoods, where there were fans cheering us on pretty much the entire way! It was so funny to read the signs, see the roadside table set-ups, and hear the different high school cheerleading squads and bands root us on. There were also several live bands along the course, which added to the awesomeness of the race.
The first 6 miles were up and down with a few bigger hills, but after that it was mostly a flat race, which I totally appreciated. For the first time ever, I had to stop during the race at a restroom pitstop, and it just so happened that it occurred after one measly mile. Oh well! I finished the race and got a sweet sparkly medal and a fun t-shirt, so I was happy. After the race we walked another mile or so to the main stage and got to listen to a concert by Gavin DeGraw. I scoffed at first because he is kind of a "has-been", but he put on a great show for an hour and a half.
All in all, the trip to San Diego was special and was a blast! I'm now thoroughly enjoying retirement and looking forward to lifting weights and improving upon my 5K time through some speed workouts. I hope running will always be part of my life in some capacity, but for now my health is going to take priority! To those of you who are still with me, thanks for sticking it out to the end.
PS Are you partial to the east coast or west coast?
PPS Where should half marathon #6 be in 2018?
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
First and foremost, for those of you wondering about my "dogter", Ella, she's still alive and well. In the four months I've had her, she's gone from a sweet little 8 pound pup to a 40 pound running, jumping, brilliantly klutzy dog. We are still figuring each other out and don't always like each other, but I'm glad she's in my life. She's a fun challenge and I think she likes me most of the time (and vice versa).
I have continued to run, of course. In preparation for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego 1/2 Marathon, I did a 10-mile race in Dallas, and just completed my umpteenth 5K at the Wounded Warrior Military Miles 5K in Irving over the past weekend. Before I write about my San Diego trip, I'm officially announcing my retirement/hiatus from long-distance running, for those of you who hadn't already been informed. I ran my first half marathon in October 2014 and since then have completed 5 halfs. Frankly, I'm a little burnt out on training, my body is a wreck, and I am ready to focus on other aspects of fitness for a while. I do plan on pulling a Michael Jordan and returning to the half marathon in approximately 2 years, so look for a blog post on my sixth half marathon in winter 2018. ;)
Now for the fun part of this post: SAN DIEGO. Most of ya'll know, I love taking racecations, and my friend Shane and I have now done 4 half marathons together, 2 of which were to amazing destinations. The first was, of course, Disney World, and this time we took it to the left coast for the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego half marathon. We also brought along two other friends, our two additional sole sisters. As a team of four we are running 2,016 miles this year.
This was my first trip to California, and I was more than excited to get a taste of the beautiful weather, beaches, and scenery I'd heard so much about for many years. I expected it to be similar to Florida, since both are beachy and touristy, but I was w-r-o-n-g. To compare SD to Florida is like comparing apples to oranges, because they're completely different places entirely.
 |
| Torrey Pine trees over the Pacific at Torrey Pines |
I was shocked to find that San Diego is jam-packed to the gills. Literally. Everything is built on top of everything else and it's just clustered and busy! I also expected the weather to be muggy and warm, but that was also another mistake. It was pleasantly cool in the evenings (around 60!) and warmed up to 75 or 80 during the day, but it wasn't humid, which was thrilling!
While in San Diego I ate some good food, and some not great food. My favorite meal was not really a meal....it was the ice cream. I ate ice cream three times in five days, and I don't regret a second of it. I also had some delicious spinach and chicken gnocchi for my pre-race carb load Saturday night. My least favorite meal was at a little Mexican restaurant in the Gas Lamp district. I ordered a bowl which included shrimp, rice, and beans. To my dismay the shrimp was unpeeled and I learned that shrimp have legs. I just couldn't stomach peeling the little guys who still had their extremities and tasted like they came straight out of the dirt at the bottom of the Pacific.
 |
| Scotch Eggs at Balboa Park for brunch |
 |
| One of many delicious ice cream treats (FYI brown sugar ice cream is delectable) |
 |
| Spinach & Chicken Gnocchi at a fancy Italian restaurant I wore workout clothes to for dinner :) |
Another highlight of my trip was seeing Switchfoot in concert. I can't even tell you how thrilled it made me to see them in their hometown at the Del Mar fairgrounds right off the coast. It was an amazing show (as all 5 of the shows I've been to have been) and I thoroughly enjoyed singing along to each song for the 90 minute (!) show.
I was able to see the amazing wildlife at the San Diego Zoo, and also visited multiple museums at Balboa Park in San Diego. They have 19 museums there, but our daily admission pass only allowed us to check out five of them. I saw some awesome old automobiles, learned about ancient Egypt and genealogy, and saw Tony Gwynn's jersey on a wall. Pretty sweet stuff. We also spent some time on the beach. The water was much colder than I expected, but like usual, I got in and took advantage of it. Unfortunately, a sting ray got ahold of my left foot and left me with a nice souvenir. Thankfully, after 90 minutes of hot water soaking, the toxin dissolved and I was back to 100%. Seriously the weirdest thing ever, but praise God it didn't do any real damage.
 |
| Koala hanging out. I officially decided the koala is my spirit animal. DYK--they sleep 20 hours/day! |
Finally, for the wrap-up of the reason I went to San Diego in the first place: the half marathon. Going into this event, I had zero expectations and my only goal was to finish. I developed a shin splint in my left leg a few weeks prior and cut out most of my heavy distance training because it just wasn't worth it to me to have excruciating pain with every step. I was still running several miles each week, but broke it up into 1-3 miles each day and stopped doing super long runs aside from the 10-mile run in Dallas two weeks prior to heading to SD.
I had always heard the RNR race series was super fun and interactive, so what better place to participate than a tropical locale? The race course did not disappoint. The path took us through multiple San Diego neighborhoods, where there were fans cheering us on pretty much the entire way! It was so funny to read the signs, see the roadside table set-ups, and hear the different high school cheerleading squads and bands root us on. There were also several live bands along the course, which added to the awesomeness of the race.
The first 6 miles were up and down with a few bigger hills, but after that it was mostly a flat race, which I totally appreciated. For the first time ever, I had to stop during the race at a restroom pitstop, and it just so happened that it occurred after one measly mile. Oh well! I finished the race and got a sweet sparkly medal and a fun t-shirt, so I was happy. After the race we walked another mile or so to the main stage and got to listen to a concert by Gavin DeGraw. I scoffed at first because he is kind of a "has-been", but he put on a great show for an hour and a half.
 |
| Post-half marathon with my Sole Sisters! |
All in all, the trip to San Diego was special and was a blast! I'm now thoroughly enjoying retirement and looking forward to lifting weights and improving upon my 5K time through some speed workouts. I hope running will always be part of my life in some capacity, but for now my health is going to take priority! To those of you who are still with me, thanks for sticking it out to the end.
PS Are you partial to the east coast or west coast?
PPS Where should half marathon #6 be in 2018?
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
Saturday, April 16, 2016
Bachelor Best Fest
Hi, readers (hi, and hope you're surviving the monsoon, Mom)! I think I forgot to post anything last week, but oh well. This week's post will more than make up for it! Quick life update: I'm training for a half marathon, raising a puppy, and working. The end. Just kidding (kinda).
I am going to dive right into the topic of this week's blog: the Bachelor Best Fest. When my brother got engaged in February, I'll admit, I had a couple of tough days realizing it's not the Jace & Jen show anymore, and that he's moving along in life to start his own family. I couldn't be more excited about my future sister-in-law and all of the adventures they'll experience together, and that I'll share with her as part of our bigger, better, awesome-r family unit. It's just that, whenever we were young my parents told us "You two will have friends come and go throughout your life, but you'll always be in each other's lives, so be best friends." For whatever reason, probably the grace of God, we stuck to that. In most relationships, you hear people say they've had their issues and tough times, and sure Jace & I have gotten into a few arguments here and there, but I can truly say I don't feel like we've ever really had major dysfunction or problems with each other. It's a one of a kind thing, so understandably, him moving on is happy and sad (in a happy way).
Anyway, before I get too mushy, Jace & I decided that we needed one "last" best friends hangout weekend before he ties the knot. Unfortunately there wasn't a Switchfoot concert anywhere near us, so we settled for the next best thing: the beach. We toyed with a few ideas and a few beaches before settling on a random town near Texas, Surfside Beach. It's about an hour southwest of Galveston.
We got up early Saturday morning, and had Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, because we're obsessed with Dunkin and our dad raised us well. Then we hit the road for four and a half hours. When we pulled up to Surfside, we went over an intercoastal waterway bridge, and all of the sudden there was ocean as far as the eye can see. I don't care how old I get, the first sight of the ocean after not being there for some time will never ever get old. Some might call it an obsession; I'm fine with that.
We grabbed some greasy food at a little local place across the street from the beach, then went to spend some time by the water. We were pretty sleepy, so a beachside nap was in order. After that, we just started walking. We talked about everything under the sun (literally and figuratively) for a couple of hours. Then once we realized our legs were getting kind of tired and we were hungry yet again, we headed to Clute, TX, about 10 minutes from the beach. We went to the grocery store and got some amazing food at a well-reviewed Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, my computer isn't cooperating, so I can't share pictures. We decided to share an appetizer of shrimp and rice in an amazing southwestern/Mexican-style sauce. Then we had tres leches cake, which was divine as usual.
Then we headed back to the hotel at what seemed like 10 pm, but was really about 8 if I remember correctly. Jace remembered to pack the N64 in his luggage, so we played Mario Kart, reminiscent of many years growing up, as well as the 2 years we were roommates in Wichita while I went to PT school and he played baseball and studied in undergrad. It was so much fun! I was so tired though, so at one point I was basically driving and sleeping and forgot to push the button and my little character's car went nowhere....being 26 is exhausting.
The next morning, I really wanted to get in a little beachside run while the sun was rising. We got up pretty early and drove back to Surfside. I also wish I could share a picture of the sunrise with you. Southwest Kansas has gorgeous sunrises, but there is no such a thing as a more beautiful sunrise over the ocean. I think I was meant to be a mermaid. Or a beach bum. We ran a couple of miles and just talked about life some more. I secretly think Jace is actually the oldest child, because he's way more wise, mature, and knowledgeable than me.
After we ran, we had breakfast and went to buy some kites and a football to play with on the beach. I don't know if I'd ever flown a kite before, but it was pretty cool. I felt like such a kid again. We played catch with the football in the ocean too, and I got seriously tackled by a couple of waves. So much fun. After a few hours of fun and unknowingly burning to a crisp we decided to have one last meal on the beach. I had shrimp tacos, which were good, but really weird to eat. I just feel like shrimp should be consumed by the whole, so trying to bite them in half as part of a taco felt awkward.
The ride home was a little tough because we were both pretty exhausted from spending all that time in the sun, but it was good to just keep talking and having important life discussions (and not important discussions, too). I'm so thankful we got to hang out for our "bachelor best fest." More than that, I'm grateful to God every day that I was blessed with such a close relationship with my brother. I can't wait to see how it changes and grows with all of the big things happening in the next year!
PS For you Cali & Florida beach snobs, a beach is a beach. I just had to get that off my chest. Go grow up in Kansas.
PPS What's the best road trip or beach you've ever been on/to?
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
I am going to dive right into the topic of this week's blog: the Bachelor Best Fest. When my brother got engaged in February, I'll admit, I had a couple of tough days realizing it's not the Jace & Jen show anymore, and that he's moving along in life to start his own family. I couldn't be more excited about my future sister-in-law and all of the adventures they'll experience together, and that I'll share with her as part of our bigger, better, awesome-r family unit. It's just that, whenever we were young my parents told us "You two will have friends come and go throughout your life, but you'll always be in each other's lives, so be best friends." For whatever reason, probably the grace of God, we stuck to that. In most relationships, you hear people say they've had their issues and tough times, and sure Jace & I have gotten into a few arguments here and there, but I can truly say I don't feel like we've ever really had major dysfunction or problems with each other. It's a one of a kind thing, so understandably, him moving on is happy and sad (in a happy way).
Anyway, before I get too mushy, Jace & I decided that we needed one "last" best friends hangout weekend before he ties the knot. Unfortunately there wasn't a Switchfoot concert anywhere near us, so we settled for the next best thing: the beach. We toyed with a few ideas and a few beaches before settling on a random town near Texas, Surfside Beach. It's about an hour southwest of Galveston.
We got up early Saturday morning, and had Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, because we're obsessed with Dunkin and our dad raised us well. Then we hit the road for four and a half hours. When we pulled up to Surfside, we went over an intercoastal waterway bridge, and all of the sudden there was ocean as far as the eye can see. I don't care how old I get, the first sight of the ocean after not being there for some time will never ever get old. Some might call it an obsession; I'm fine with that.
We grabbed some greasy food at a little local place across the street from the beach, then went to spend some time by the water. We were pretty sleepy, so a beachside nap was in order. After that, we just started walking. We talked about everything under the sun (literally and figuratively) for a couple of hours. Then once we realized our legs were getting kind of tired and we were hungry yet again, we headed to Clute, TX, about 10 minutes from the beach. We went to the grocery store and got some amazing food at a well-reviewed Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, my computer isn't cooperating, so I can't share pictures. We decided to share an appetizer of shrimp and rice in an amazing southwestern/Mexican-style sauce. Then we had tres leches cake, which was divine as usual.
Then we headed back to the hotel at what seemed like 10 pm, but was really about 8 if I remember correctly. Jace remembered to pack the N64 in his luggage, so we played Mario Kart, reminiscent of many years growing up, as well as the 2 years we were roommates in Wichita while I went to PT school and he played baseball and studied in undergrad. It was so much fun! I was so tired though, so at one point I was basically driving and sleeping and forgot to push the button and my little character's car went nowhere....being 26 is exhausting.
The next morning, I really wanted to get in a little beachside run while the sun was rising. We got up pretty early and drove back to Surfside. I also wish I could share a picture of the sunrise with you. Southwest Kansas has gorgeous sunrises, but there is no such a thing as a more beautiful sunrise over the ocean. I think I was meant to be a mermaid. Or a beach bum. We ran a couple of miles and just talked about life some more. I secretly think Jace is actually the oldest child, because he's way more wise, mature, and knowledgeable than me.
After we ran, we had breakfast and went to buy some kites and a football to play with on the beach. I don't know if I'd ever flown a kite before, but it was pretty cool. I felt like such a kid again. We played catch with the football in the ocean too, and I got seriously tackled by a couple of waves. So much fun. After a few hours of fun and unknowingly burning to a crisp we decided to have one last meal on the beach. I had shrimp tacos, which were good, but really weird to eat. I just feel like shrimp should be consumed by the whole, so trying to bite them in half as part of a taco felt awkward.
The ride home was a little tough because we were both pretty exhausted from spending all that time in the sun, but it was good to just keep talking and having important life discussions (and not important discussions, too). I'm so thankful we got to hang out for our "bachelor best fest." More than that, I'm grateful to God every day that I was blessed with such a close relationship with my brother. I can't wait to see how it changes and grows with all of the big things happening in the next year!
PS For you Cali & Florida beach snobs, a beach is a beach. I just had to get that off my chest. Go grow up in Kansas.
PPS What's the best road trip or beach you've ever been on/to?
Twitter: @jen_being_jen
IG: @jenbeingjen
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