Two thousand, two hundred, forty-one miles to go.
Yes, you read that right. Two thousand miles and 1 week from today we'll be in a new home in Chesapeake, Virginia. Short story: After a change in plans as far as majors and life plans go, we decided to go on another adventure. This time it's sales in Virginia. We'll be there for 5 months and then don't know where we'll be after that. Ok, you can stop reading if that's all you wanted to know. For the longer version, keep reading...
Here's a little recap of our lives for the past 3 years (assuming anybody but my grandma is interested)
January 2011: got married and moved to Henderson Nevada as a happy newlywed couple.
December 2011: had a baby! Levi was born December 28th 2011. I can't believe he is two years old!
September 2012: Decided our lives were boring with just one kid so we decided to have another one. Actually, we didn't plan it, but we didn't not plan it either. We were pretty dang excited when we found out Levi was going to have a little brother. We also decided to go back to school. Jason was mildly satisfied with his career as a commercial leasing agent. It was about as glamorous as it sounds.
January 2013: Moved to Rexburg, Idaho to start the Mechanical Engineering program at BYU-I.
July 2013: Finished first year of engineering and moved to Bakersfield, California for an internship with a really great company.
January 2014: Moved back to Rexburg to start year 2 of M.E.
Here's where it gets crazy. And here's why we know we're doing the right thing. The first couple of weeks in back in Rexburg were incredibly stressful. The moving company was 4 days late bringing our things to the house and for some reason our taxes from the previous year hadn't gone through yet. I was in tears after being on the phone for hours with the IRS and ABF (the moving company) trying to figure things out.
Meanwhile, in school, Jason was having some doubts and really struggling with trying to balance the strenuous (read: impossible) workload of an engineering degree with spending time with his family and getting enough sleep and mental and spiritual fuel. Things were just not going well. After a lot of long discussions and a few good prayers, we decided it was best if we switched majors and switched scenery for a while.
In the last few weeks we have sold almost everything we owned and packed up the car once again with our family of four. We've never made a trip this long but we're so excited for this new adventure. Both Jason and I love to move to new places and sometimes get a little restless staying in one place for too long when we know that's not where we want to stay. So... this week we'll be making stops in Nebraska, Missouri nand Kentucky before moving into our new place in Chesapeake, Virginia.
So... any questions?
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Friday, March 14, 2014
take brain pictures
You know when something runs through your mind more than twice, it's time to write about it. That's what I thought when I heard a cute phrase come out of Kid President's mouth, "take brain pictures." I've been thinking lately about meditation and being more present as a means to peace and contentment.
Meditation has been on my mind (pun intended) since I had a book club with a few of my favorite people. I've always had trouble falling asleep because I haven't been able to clear my head. I've also suffered from anxiety and needed a way to calm myself down. Although I was interested in starting meditation, I hadn't taken any action yet. I thought about buying a book or taking a class, but then I heard something that I really liked that made meditation simple and profoundly effective. I think it was from a TED talk.
The basic idea was to be more present in your life. People [women especially] tend to spend their days thinking non-stop. "What am I making for dinner?" "When will hubby be home?" "I wonder if it's going to be warm enough to play outside today." and on and on. I realized I spend a lot of time inside my head, trying to make sense of things and be a better planner. After I listened to this talk, [I remember now: Andy Putticombe: All it takes is ten mindful minutes] it dawned on me that I don't often live in the moment. I plan for other moments and then when I execute those plans, I'm busy planning the next moment.
Multi-tasking is not always all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes it's good to do one thing at a time, stop, and enjoy what you're doing. Allow yourself to feel and sense and notice. During the past week, I started implementing this idea into my routines. Rather than let my mind wander during everyday tasks such as nursing the baby, doing dishes, or playing with my little guy, I began pausing and paying attention to the moment I was in. It made me grateful for such a beautiful life. This leads me back to my title. Take brain pictures. As I was living in these moments, I found it easier to recall and appreciate the beautiful things in my life. I started noticing things. I started realizing what an incredible life I have.
If you find yourself wandering and feel like you always have a busy mind, try it. Just stop, take a second to breathe, then notice what is around you. Don't think about it, analyze it, or try to change it. Just soak it in and appreciate the beautiful moment you're in.
Meditation has been on my mind (pun intended) since I had a book club with a few of my favorite people. I've always had trouble falling asleep because I haven't been able to clear my head. I've also suffered from anxiety and needed a way to calm myself down. Although I was interested in starting meditation, I hadn't taken any action yet. I thought about buying a book or taking a class, but then I heard something that I really liked that made meditation simple and profoundly effective. I think it was from a TED talk.
The basic idea was to be more present in your life. People [women especially] tend to spend their days thinking non-stop. "What am I making for dinner?" "When will hubby be home?" "I wonder if it's going to be warm enough to play outside today." and on and on. I realized I spend a lot of time inside my head, trying to make sense of things and be a better planner. After I listened to this talk, [I remember now: Andy Putticombe: All it takes is ten mindful minutes] it dawned on me that I don't often live in the moment. I plan for other moments and then when I execute those plans, I'm busy planning the next moment.
Multi-tasking is not always all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes it's good to do one thing at a time, stop, and enjoy what you're doing. Allow yourself to feel and sense and notice. During the past week, I started implementing this idea into my routines. Rather than let my mind wander during everyday tasks such as nursing the baby, doing dishes, or playing with my little guy, I began pausing and paying attention to the moment I was in. It made me grateful for such a beautiful life. This leads me back to my title. Take brain pictures. As I was living in these moments, I found it easier to recall and appreciate the beautiful things in my life. I started noticing things. I started realizing what an incredible life I have.
If you find yourself wandering and feel like you always have a busy mind, try it. Just stop, take a second to breathe, then notice what is around you. Don't think about it, analyze it, or try to change it. Just soak it in and appreciate the beautiful moment you're in.
Monday, March 10, 2014
We're live!
Let me begin by saying... WE ARE LIVE! I'm so excited to publish my new website ninandjune.com. I feel like I just had a baby. In fact, when I launched, I got an email that congratulated me on the birth of my website. Let me tell you- it's a thrill to chase your dreams. Enough of the blabbing... go check it out at ninandjune.com!
Friday, November 15, 2013
New Adventures: The beginnings of Nin and June
This post has been a long time coming. It's one that as I write, I have to make sure to use just the right words so as to perfectly portray what I see and the story behind it. The real reason for this post is a love story. A love between a granddaughter and grandmother, a granddaughter and a great grandmother, and especially the love between a husband and his precious wife. The kind of love that was more prevalent 50 years ago than it is today
I discovered this love, or at least a sentiment of it, in August of this year. My family was moving down to Bakersfield, California from Eastern Idaho. Because it was about a thousand miles, we broke it into 3 days of travelling. The last leg of our journey began in Sacramento where my grandparents live part time. Over a year ago, my great grandmother June passed away. Her health had been failing for years and she was under almost constant supervision by my grandparents (her daughter and son-in-law) who had a house an hour away in Napa. They took care of her for years until she joined my grandfather in Spring of last year. My grandparents will continue to go back and forth between their home and my grandmother's until the house eventually goes up for sale.
We stayed 2 days in Sacramento to visit and catch up. I see my grandparents about twice a year and they're some of my favorite people in the world. Before we left, my grandma brought something out of her bedroom. A large wooden box which she opened and proceeded to tell me about. It was a four-tiered wooden sewing box given to my great grandma June by her husband as a token of his love.
On the inside was something I could have only dreamed of. I spent the next half hour pulling items out of the box and turning them over in my hands, my heart feeling excited and nostalgic. The box was full of my grandmother's old sewing supplies. Everything from old wooden spools of thread in a rainbow of colors, to zippers cut from worn out clothes of the family. There were needle kits, buttons, Velcro, patches, anything the vintage modern-day woman could possibly want for her sewing collection.
There were at least a hundred spools of thread. Brimming with sentimental value. As I handled everything, I thought of my grandmother and her family zipping, buttoning and sewing. What were they wearing for school pictures? How did their buttons break off? What was my grandmother's favorite thing to wear?
When I reached the end of the box, my eyes immediately filled with tears. Laying quietly at the bottom was the most precious piece of family history. A short sweet card attached to the sewing box when it was given as a gift. "To my honey. From Nin." Even though I knew what the answer probably was, I asked my grandma anyway. "Who's Nin?" "That's grandpa. He got that nickname from his baby sister and it stuck." My heart melted. A simple and sweet love note from my grandfather to his sweetheart.
I discovered this love, or at least a sentiment of it, in August of this year. My family was moving down to Bakersfield, California from Eastern Idaho. Because it was about a thousand miles, we broke it into 3 days of travelling. The last leg of our journey began in Sacramento where my grandparents live part time. Over a year ago, my great grandmother June passed away. Her health had been failing for years and she was under almost constant supervision by my grandparents (her daughter and son-in-law) who had a house an hour away in Napa. They took care of her for years until she joined my grandfather in Spring of last year. My grandparents will continue to go back and forth between their home and my grandmother's until the house eventually goes up for sale.
We stayed 2 days in Sacramento to visit and catch up. I see my grandparents about twice a year and they're some of my favorite people in the world. Before we left, my grandma brought something out of her bedroom. A large wooden box which she opened and proceeded to tell me about. It was a four-tiered wooden sewing box given to my great grandma June by her husband as a token of his love.
On the inside was something I could have only dreamed of. I spent the next half hour pulling items out of the box and turning them over in my hands, my heart feeling excited and nostalgic. The box was full of my grandmother's old sewing supplies. Everything from old wooden spools of thread in a rainbow of colors, to zippers cut from worn out clothes of the family. There were needle kits, buttons, Velcro, patches, anything the vintage modern-day woman could possibly want for her sewing collection.
I love the old fashioned integrity of this company. "Should it be faulty in anyway, we will reimburse you for the reasonable cost of your labor and all materials used in making the article on which it is applied."
Apparently these were given away at businesses such as insurance companies?
A collection of buttons from outgrown outfits, extras from projects, and those that
caught my grandmother's eye in a 1920's drugstore.
There were at least a hundred spools of thread. Brimming with sentimental value. As I handled everything, I thought of my grandmother and her family zipping, buttoning and sewing. What were they wearing for school pictures? How did their buttons break off? What was my grandmother's favorite thing to wear?
When I reached the end of the box, my eyes immediately filled with tears. Laying quietly at the bottom was the most precious piece of family history. A short sweet card attached to the sewing box when it was given as a gift. "To my honey. From Nin." Even though I knew what the answer probably was, I asked my grandma anyway. "Who's Nin?" "That's grandpa. He got that nickname from his baby sister and it stuck." My heart melted. A simple and sweet love note from my grandfather to his sweetheart.
In remembrance of my grandfather, Einer (Nin) and his love, June, I've started an etsy shop. It isn't stocked yet, but keep your eyes open for the grand opening. Her sewing box, along with their love story is my inspiration. As I sew, I hope the incredible seamstress in Grandma June will somehow come out in me.
I am reminded of the poem by John Donne,
No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
Everything we do is connected to our ancestors and our posterity. We must live every day knowing that what we do affects people of our day and exponentially those of the future. By choosing to do good with all we have been given, our legacy becomes something to be admired for generations to come.
*Start following Nin and June on the blog at ninandjune.blogspot.com
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