A Little Bit of Everything

Fall is in the air and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Andy, Skooter, and I have been very busy with house projects and school. Andy has spent his days off creating a wonderful back yard for the little pup. Skooter loves it! I am so proud of Andy, he did a great job putting up the fence by himself.

The Beginning- building up the back yard and making the retaining wall.

The finished project

Free Turf- compliments to Dixie State College

I have been crazy busy with school. I really have a love hate relationship with dental hygiene. It is a constant run from start to finish, but I know it will pay off. I have met some amazing girls. We are pretty much family. If it weren't for them and my awesome hubby, I think I would be a mess. I really love spending 24 hours a day learning/dreaming about teeth. Now if only my house could stay clean :)

I helped make a float for Dixie State College's 100th year Homecoming Parade.


The 100th year of Dixie Parade. (DH girls and St. George Mayor)
As a side note, I would like to add that I met Elder Holland at the parade. It seriously made my day, week, and year!

Although school has been the major event lately, I made some time to make an amazing picture of the Mt. Timp temple. I love it!! I made the frame and added texture to the picture.

I would like to leave you with a normal Tuesday when Skooter and I read the grocery store adds. We love Tuesdays!

Puppy Eyes

The crazy day started while I was checking my email... I think to myself "Hmm, Skooter is being really quiet, that is not normal. Maybe he is sleeping. I should check on him. Nah, he is being good." Two minutes later "Hmm, he is still quiet, I will look over and see what he is doing." And to my wondering eyes should appear, but a small puppy enjoying my only white bra. Yes he broke it.

Part 2 of crazy day. Andy and I decide to cuddle up to watch a movie and possibly take a nap. Skoots needs a nap so we put him in his pen. And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a little puppy on our lap because he is a big boy and can jump out of his pen. We were hoping this would never happen.

Part 3 of crazy day. Andy and I sit down to enjoy Arby's sandwiches. I eat both of mine. Andy has taken a few bites of his. Knock at the door which happens to be the bug man to come and talk to us about our wonderful adventures with creepy crawlers. Thinking nothing of it, we leave Skooter in the house while we show the lovely bug man around. Round 1- I come in and Skooter is sitting patiently by the cupboards. I think to myself "Man, he sure can be a good puppy." Leave again outside another door with the bug man. Round 2- I come in to answer my phone. Skooter is sitting in the same spot waiting. He was perfect. Andy walks in, sits down to eat his sandwich, and nothing was there. Yes, my perfect little boy jumped on the table and ate more than 1/2 of a large Arby's sandwich and finished off all the lettuce on my wrappers. I don't know how I missed the mess of papers all over the floor every time I walked in. I just thought Skooter was being such a good little guy. Needless to say, Skooter was very happy that night. He laid on his back/belly up for a while, pretty sure he was stuffed.

White Family Reunion

Grandpa White is another year older, totalling 98. We celebrated his 98th birthday with a Christmas in July reunion that my great grandma started. It was so nice to visit with family members that live far away. Grandpa White told me all the stories about how he likes to dance with all the ladies at his "new home". He holds them while they dance. :) My great uncle Doug told me about his family. His health is slowly going down hill due to diabetes and other health issues. My mom's family was in charge of the reunion this is year. Although there was much stress in making sure that everything was perfect,everyone enjoyed their time together once the reunion started.

The drive to the family reunion included cooler lids flying off and punch splashing everywhere. We pulled my dad over right before we drove up so my mom would never know and she never knew until later :) Success!

On the hour drive back to my parents house, we saw an accident that didn't look too bad. Pretty much looked like a car drove off the road. After going over a few more hills, we saw a red truck and someone walking down the side of the road. A swear word came out of my mouth when I realized it was my dad. A gust of wind blown a very nice BBQ grill out of my dad's truck. Pieces were everywhere. The top of the grill had broke off the bottom somehow. The only thing holding the "grill area" to the truck was the propane hose. The truck had some good gashes and the tail light was broken. Andy and I tried to help recover as many pieces off the road and side of the road as we can. A couple of grill plates shattered and we had to throw them out of the middle of the road. Over all, we came out with the top of the grill very scratched, the back broken, a few grill plates shattered, and one nob missing. Pretty good for what we were dealing with. Luckily my mom wasn't there.

(Similar picture of what the grill looked like before the wind got a hold of it)

Girls Night Out

During the month of June, my girl cousins, aunts, and neighbor got together for a nice relaxing weekend. We gathered at Anne's house and had a wonder Mexican/American meal. We thought it was Mexican, but I am pretty sure a true Mexican would be disappointed. Josie and I made salsa which turned out wonderfully, if I do say so myself. We stayed up most of the night talking about funny pee-the-pants stories and other crazy memories. I love times like these when family gets together with no stress. We had a big lunch that Saturday with more cousins and aunts. We had a wonderful turn out!
The girls (minus Josie)

Sweet, little Ally licking up a spilt mess









The boys that were good sports to deal with all the estrogen
My handsome puppy enjoyed the cooler weather and playing a little bocce ball with us.

Poopies

Andy and I have had a round of tummy aches lately... can't figure out the culprit either. To make our sickness funny, we have a great poopie chart from my cousin. Disclaimer- those with weak stomachs beware!

Ghost Poopie- The kind where you feel the poopie come out, but there is no
poopie in the toilet.

Clean Poopie- The kind where you poopie it out, see it in the toilet, but there is nothing on the toilet paper.

Wet Poopie- The kind where you wipe your butt 50 times and still feels unwipped, so you have to put some toilet paper between your butt and your underwear, so you won't ruin them with a stain.

Second Wave Poopie- This happens when you're done poopieing and you've pulled your pants up to your knees and you realize that you have to poopie some more.

Pop-A-Vein-In-Your-Forehead-Poopie- The kind were you strain so much to get it out, you practically have a stroke.

Lincoln Log Poopie- The kind of poopie that is so huge, your afraid to flush without first breaking it into little pieces with the toilet brush.

Gassy Poopie- It's so noisy, everyone within earshot is giggling.

Corn Poopie- Self explanatory.

Gee-I-Wish-I-Could-Poopie-Poopie- The kind where you want to poopie, but all you do is sit on the toilet & fart a few times.

Spinal Tap Poopie- That's where it hurts so badly coming out, you'd swear it was leaving sideways.

Wet Cheeks Poopie- (The power dump) The kind that comes out of your butt so fast, your cheeks get splashed with water.

Liquid Poopie- The kind where yellowish-brown liquid shoots out of your butt and splashes all over the toilet bowl.

Mexican Poopie- It smells so bad your nose burns.

Upper Class Poopie- The kind of poopie that doesn't smell.

The Suprise Poopie- You are not even at the toilet because you are sure your about to fart, but OOPS!- a poopie!

The Dangling Poopie- This poopie refuses to drop into the toilet even though you know you are done poopieing. You just pray that a shake or two will cut it loose.

Machine Gun Poopie- The kind of Poopie that goes "rat-tat-tat" as it comes out.

Defining Moments

I have been reflecting on the many struggles, blessings, and lessons that have allowed me to grown into who I am today. I watch people who struggle with family problems or money and I wonder why my life seems easy while others morn. I realize that my life is far from perfect, but I am so grateful for those moments that change me for the better. I remember the time I was the "bad" example of breast stroke for my swim team when I was young. I was so embarrassed. I made a choice that day to be good at at least one stoke or more so I could prove to them I was a good swimmer. I did just that when I was in the top lane for freestyle and backstroke. I learned I could set goals and reach them.

I remember when I got the news that my grandma had died. I didn't know what to do. I felt so alone at college while the family was gathering. She was one of my closest friends. I called her when I had questions about cooking or life while my mom was at work. I remember her sweet spirit every time I cook by a pan she gave me the Monday before she passed. It's like she knew I needed something to have that would remind me that she was still there. I have learned so many life lessons from my grandma. one about family. She always put family first. I want my family put first before any choices in life. Families are the most important unit and my grandma knew that. Now I will engrave that into my heart so my husband and future family know they are my first priority.

I remember the day I received the answer to marry Andy. I remember walking inside the Mt. Timpanogos temple so happy to be sealed to my best friend. I remember being so happy, I couldn't quit smiling. I was overwhelmed by having so many family and friends there to share that special moment with. I know that my grandma and many other family members where there that have passed through the veil.

Now as I get ready to start dental hygiene, I get so excited and yet so nervous. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever make it through mentally, spiritually, and physically. I have worked my butt off for 4 years that I should feel confident in my abilities, but I am shaky still. My thoughts have gone to the reasoning that when you make a correct life changing choice, Satan always has to throw something in the way to prevent that. I have been offered a full time job at the college, but I had to choose the job or dental hygiene school. I will finish school with no interruptions so the job was easy to let go. I will make school a defining moment in my life. I know it will benefit my future family. I know I have family and friends cheering me on, but I know that beyond the veil I have cheerleaders, my future children and past relatives.

I know that we are challenged here on earth with issues specific to us so we may grow. I feel as if we are all pearls being smoothed into something so precious and beautiful that we don't even know our true potential. Life is full of these defining moments, I believe it is how we learn and grow from them that molds us into our eternal selves.

Loupes

Words that describe Loupes: professional, awkward, ugly, magnification, expensive, school, career, stress, tax return, personalized, anticipation, teeth, patients, patience, zoom, plaque, clinic, etc

Family Photo

Jacobsen family in front of new home!

Best Yogurt EVER!

I am addicted to yogurt! Not just any yogurt, Wallaby yogurt! I can't seem to get enough! If you haven't tried it... TRY IT! It is not sold at every grocery store, but it should be. It is WONDERFUL!

Skooter's First Haircut

Skooter is growing fast, including his soft, furry coat of hair. Due to the fact that he couldn't stay outside for very long, he received his first haircut and looks very handsome. Yes I had a hard time because his cute baby curls were cut off his ears when I specifically told the lady not to touch them, but I will just have to suck up my motherly attitude.

Our Missionary

Well my little brother, Michael, is now all grown up and serving a mission. He entered the MTC April 28 and is now half way through his stay there. He is called to serve in the Mexico City West, Mexico City mission. His letters are a little repetitive but at least we hear from him. A couple of events that seem to happen each day according to his letters:
1)Laughing a lot with his companion over silly things (names, forgetful moments, prayers, etc)
2)Talking to the pruning crew at BYU
3)Running into Nelson
4)Visiting the gym and playing intense volleyball games against sisters
5)Singing (What the? Yes my brother sings now, even duets)
6)Learning Spanish is hard, but it is coming.

Age 22

Yep, I am getting older! I turned 22! I love birthdays, personally I think they are the best holiday. Andy made my birthday great by celebrating for several days. Kimmy and my dad came down for a surprise visit and spent the weekend with us. Kelly and Leah also made the day great. All six of us (Kim, dad, Kelly, Leah, Andy, and I) went out to Ruby Tuesday to celebrate. The food was wonderful as always. My co-workers brought gifts, balloons, and cake to work which made my day. Josie and Brady brought me a wonderful gift including an amazing version of Happy Birthday sung by Josie. She sang it loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear. So many people wished me happy birthday and made me feel special. Andy was a sweetie and bought me an ice cream cake and took me to Jimmy Johns. All together I had a wonderful 22nd birthday. I am blessed to have so many great people in my life that care about me.

Spring Fever

How can anyone wake up to a beautiful sunny morning and not get a slight feeling of spring fever? Well the Jacobsen's have that urge. The weather has been wonderful! Because of rejuvenating start, Andy and I have taken it upon ourselves to try things we have never done before, this includes making strawberry jam and growing a garden. I must say, finding strawberries for sale at an amazing price helped me work on my motherly skills. I am proud to announce I bought the strawberries and made one batch of jam while Andy finished the rest. I do have quite an amazing husband. The jam turned out great! And to add to that, I think we have a 6 year supply.
Our next endeavor came from a mixture of inspirations: 1) buying a new house and kindda having a yard 2) a relief society on gardening and 3) cool neighbors that started the trend. I will admit I never had the urge to grow a garden until I realized how amazing it would be to actually be successful and eat my home-grown food. Andy assures me this is my garden although he helped put the project together. We don't really have a "backyard" so we did the square foot garden which comes in handy if the HOA people get angry we can move it. Andy was awesome and connected us to the HOA watering system so we don't ever have to hand water. All in all the garden is doing well. I pray for it everyday. I will keep everyone posted on the firstlings of the Jacobsen garden box, unless Skooter continues to eat the dirt- we might be in trouble then.

2010 at a Glance

Because we have already made it through a quarter of the year, I will quickly update our recent family happenings.
January
After a year and some months of marriage, Andy and I decided to expand our family. On January 9th we found that perfect Pekingese addition, Skooter. He is shy but a bundle of energy, timid but quite adventurous, and a tease but a best friend. He has become our little chameleon- changing colors from dark brown to light blond and then to an even mixture of all colors. He pretty much as the potty training down. We have learned that he does not like car rides... maybe one day. We love him greatly and are so glad he is a Jacobsen.
Another neat adventure began January 21st when we closed on our first house. I always listened to people rant about having their own house and how nice it was, well I am now one of those people. I L.O.V.E. it! Although we were promised it to be done within 2 weeks and a month later it still wasn't quite finished, we were happy to be finished with the closing process. We were wondering if a urine sample would be needed? After all was said and done, we bought a brand new town home in Washington (city not state). I loved picking all the colors and designs. We have a garage and plenty of space to grow into. It is a three bedroom 2 bath. We love having a master bath with a bathtub that doesn't squeak with every shift of weight and a new dishwasher that actually holds the soap in place until needed. Not to take Ty's line but "Welcome home Jacobsen family, welcome home!"

February
The long awaited news had arrived!

"Dear Jessica Jacobsen,
It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been accepted to the Dixie State College Dental Hygiene program beginning Fall, 2010."

I will be honest with everyone, I couldn't breathe after I recieved this email. Even though I was at work, I quickly called Andy and my parents to share the news. My four long years of going in cirlces for school finally paid off. Tears of joy my friends, tears of joy. Not only have I proven to myself that I can accomplish anything I set out to do, I will be able to make a difference in my family's life. I will also be able to help those around me with the talents I aquire and hopefully one day serve the people of another country with dentistry not normally available. I really want to thank my parents who raised me with a deep desire to finish school. If I wouldn't have had people behind me, I would never be where I am now. I know I have the hardest/most chanllenging two years ahead of me, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

March
Andy turned the big 24 on March 19th. We had a three day celebration kicking it off at Red Robin. We had a sweet dinner and a movie the actual day. The party happened on Saturday when Josie and I made a salmon dinner. Yes I hate seafood, but I love Andy so much more. We partied with Josie and Brady Martinez and Trevor Hoyt- some of the greatest friends around. I am so grateful for Andy, he is truely the love of my life. He is my best friend. I know I was blessed to find him. I love you Andy.

The Reason

Many people have commented on our need of creating a blog, well I finally had enough influence to do just that. I found through reading friends' and families' blogs that I learn so much that helps me become a better person. I enjoy reading about the accomplishments because it pushes me to set new goals and finish old ones. I love the blogs where people pour their heart out because I feel closer to them even if I live hundreds of miles away. I appreciate the sad blogs because my bad days seem to become sunny when my thoughts change from my problems to those of another. I hope that maybe, through my words, I can be one of those people like so many of your are to me.