Happy Holidays and Peace 2016

What a crazy year it has been! So many lessons learned, and surprises I never would have seen coming! Seriously! This years end of the year post will be focus on lessons learned! 

 

 

1. Heavenly Father Answers Prayers
   I have learned especially in the past year that Heavenly Father answers all prayers. Even unwanted prayers. I learned that those answers are the best, because you didn't want an answer because you don't want to have to ask for that. But I learned that things are still going to happen regardless of whether you pray about them or not.
   I have also learned in bright huge flashing letters when it comes to Heavenly Father no means NO! Don't think you can change his mind, or prove that he is wrong because news flash you can't! It will take twice as long to get that no stuck in your head, and it will probably be a little bit more painful than needed.
2. I am just as strong willed as ever, and can do hard things:
   I have done things I never thought I would ever do! Like return to Idaho for 11 months, only visiting home for 4 weeks over that whole time period. Or the more you do something that scares you the easier it will become.
3. I am an artist
   Which means that my classes are not traditional classes. I have to spend lots of hours developing my skills, and perfecting what I can do. So while you memorize vocab words I am making something that will be judged, and that's my grade. Don't underestimate an art student, and their workload. I am 99% positive you couldn't handle it. 
4. My heart is huge, and it won't stop letting people in
   The nieces and nephews just keep coming, and my heart stretches more and more. The revolving door of friends coming and going has been in constant motion. Which is fine, as hard as it is to say goodbye there will always be another person to say hello. 
5. Hard work pays off
   This year I have lost a total of 40lbs and I plan to keep working toward my goals for 2017, my health is so important to me. No more sitting on the side lines! Not only is my health getting better, but so is my schooling! I have worked my little butt off this last few semesters, and because of that I am graduating a semester earlier than I planned possibly two! Which is a year earlier than what the school projected I would graduate! 
6. Don't plan your own surprise party
   "Surprise parties are hostile and dark. No good can come from surprise parties." - Mark Sloan
7. Disneyland is sort of the best place ever!
   I went back to Disneyland for the first time in forever, and it was honestly one of the best things I could have ever done. I can't wait to go back. 

 

Thank you, my friend!

A couple of months ago I made a new friend. That is all they are a friend, and they made me want to be better. It started with scripture reading. They talked about their love for the Book of Mormon, and I saw a light in their eyes. I light that I myself had had before but it had dimmed a tiny bit. But their love, made me want to love it again. So I increased my scripture reading, and that light was back. My scripture study increased greatly, and I found a happiness added back to my life. I didn't increase my scripture study for my friend in anyway. I increased it because of them, because they had something I wanted.

Over the past couple of months I've made some changes. My friend showed me that there was more to life, and that I wanted to live more. I was in a hard place when my friend and I met. I felt completely alone, and it felt like the whole world was pushing me to fail. I was put in the game, and I was playing solo. Until my friend walked into my life, and showed me that I wasn't alone. So the changes kept coming, I started doing better in school, and things I was scared to try I tried. My friend helped me step out of my comfort zone, and reminded me what it was like to have fun. Suddenly I wasn't the only person on my team, I had people joining me helping me see that I can win!

This next part is a little hard to talk about, but I am talking about it. I talked about the changes I was making, and one of them was working harder to be healthy. My friend helped remind me that I wanted to be the best version of myself. So I started doing just that, I started to become the best version of myself. Over the past 5 months I have been working harder then ever to reach my goals. I am still on this journey of being healthier, and it is a journey I will always be on. However I have reached a major milestone I felt like, I have lost 35lbs. Which might not seem like a big deal to some people, but to me it feels pretty darn good. Now I did not do this for my friend, but because of my friend. Because my friend reminded me I want to be the best version of myself. I wanted to say thank you to my friend who greatly changed my life, because you were a stepping stone in reminding me of what I am fighting for. I am fighting for me, and I am winning, thanks to you.

Are you serious? This is my happy face.

Wednesday night I went to bed laughing, and Thursday morning I woke up laughing. Thursday morning I sat up in bed, and laughed. Let me get something straight I love to laugh, it is probably one of my favorite things to do. I love hearing people laugh, I love laughing with people, and I love making people laugh. I love a good pun, or a terribly cheesy joke about anything. Which is why I wanted to explain something, I can be serious. I can take things seriously, I just choose not to. 

It's like a switch, that I can flip. I can laugh super loud, and then when the time comes I flip the switch and can be perfectly serious. Life is too short to be serious, and that is why I choose to laugh all the time. I want to be happy, I want to look at my day and laugh because the funniest thing ever happened. There is too much sadness in the world, and too much pain. We all have things that pull at us, so why not replace those feelings with a loud laugh that makes you smile from ear to ear. 

I wanted to take this moment also to apologize for this super loud laugh that I have. I am sorry if you find it obnoxious, or annoying. If my laugh annoys you I am sorry, because I am not changing it. Here is a thought if laughing annoys you, maybe you need to change something in your life. I won't ever stop laughing, because my laugh is me.

I want to be happy, and I want the world to see it. 

Work It Girl!

Over the summer I went to a drop in adult hip hop class at Unity School of Dance in Springfield, Oregon. I had the time of my life dancing along side one of my sisters, and one of my cysters. We laughed so hard, and hit the beat. I felt like I looked totally ridicules, but I was having so much fun. So much fun that I came back the next week, and danced my butt off! Sadly though I am back in Rexburg, and I don't have my sister, cyster, or amazing dance instructor Joe. Luckily though, my sister introduced me to this guy who makes these hip hop dance videos, and I watched a few and fell in love. I followed a link to The Fitness Marshall's youtube channel and tonight I did one of his playlists here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbca1ZauCIs&list=PLAPUEAObdbMYrZvv6g1IGp9x2UjrdpmEn
He has SO many videos, of songs that I LOVE! So I made my own playlist that I will share with you guys.
So what! I am not going to the gym or running 5 miles. I am dancing my booty off for and hour or two. I am also having so much fun! So this is what I challenge you to do, find something you love and do it. If you love running then bless your soul and run away, if you love biking, bike. But me? I am gonna be dancing and laughing, and looking groovy.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKsfw32llbqrJ4eLv1fn9AnCAosperE1h

The 7 weeks I spent in my swimsuit

I knew my summer was going to be shorter then most, and I was prepared for that. But I didn't expect it to go by so darn fast. I knew I wanted one thing from summer, I wanted to spend the majority of it in my swimsuit. I love water, and I got to become bffs with it this summer.  I had so much fun these past 7 weeks visiting with family and friends. It was just what I needed before I head back to Rexburg Monday. Take a look:

Highlights include: baseball, hip

Hop dance class, road trips, camping at Eileen's, cards, castle, picking blackberries, swimming, meteor showers, and of course sizzle pie. Oh and the lots of writing I did. 

There is one thing on my list I didn't get to do, but I don't think the Oregon Coast is going anywhere. I will get you next time. It's a simple fact that the Pacific Northwest is really the best place ever. I have a long road ahead of me but I think I will manage just fine. Idaho, in a couple days I am coming for you. 

My stuggle; My story

I am one of the 5 million women diagnosed with Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome in the United States. 
Some women don't even see it as a bad thing, they think they are fine. 
Some people don't even think they have a struggle.
Which is great for them, but unfortunately that is not my story, 
needless to say the struggle is real. Recently someone asked my how I deal 
with my PCOS, and it occurred to me that I am still figuring that out. I wanted
to share my story once again, to try to help others who might struggle. If you are 
interested in reading my original story please read: 
http://jazzyjarvis.blogspot.com/2013/01/my-pcos-story.html
that goes into more detail about my diagnosis, and how I was dealing with everything back in 2013. 
The first thing I would suggest is find a doctor who is going to listen to you, and who you sort of wish you had tea with once a week because that's how much they care about you.

Second: understand your symptoms. You need to know what the symptoms are, and which ones are manifested in you. After that go back to that doctor that cares so much about your health, and figure out what's going to be the best solution for them. Understand that there won't be an easy fix. But that doesn't mean it's the end of the road. 

Third: take it one day at a time. Understand that some days are going to be better than others, and some days you might just want to cry all day. One of those days every once and awhile are completely fine, as long as once you've finished straighten your crown and ovary up. 

Fourth: Finally understand that it's okay to be scared, but you need to understand that everything is going to be okay. 

Each day I fight this battle, and I feel as though each day I get one step closer to being better. I have an amazing support system that understand that even though I don't look sick, I still hurt. I have started taking control and that's the only way you can beat this. Control your life, find your support, and win. 

Why does it hurt so much to love?

I have chosen to go back to school in the fall, four months sooner then intended. Today as I held a sweet little three year old in my hands, I wondered if it was going to be worth it. 

Tears were streaming down my face as I held Henslee in my arms, and she looked into my eyes. 

Henslee: "You have tears."

Me: "I know I am crying"

Henslee: "You are sad?"

Me: "I am sad."

Henslee: "Because you don't want me?"

Me: "Sweet little girl, it is far from that."

Henslee: "I don't want you to go back to Idaho."

Me: "I don't want to go back."

After hugging her a little too tight, I wondered why it hurts so much to love. If it's such a good thing to love people, why does it make us sad?