Today I am Thankful For...

Today of all days I feel we should all feel thankful not only to be alive in this moment, but also for the small and simple pleasures we all have but take for advantage.  I feel like I'm a pretty simple person, and so I always enjoy the small things the best. Sometimes I think we get so busy with our lives everyday that we forget to just stop and realize all of the things we have that others don't.  Like a safe home to go to at the end of a long day, heaters in the winter, the little bit of money we have in our savings accounts, or even food in the pantry.  All things that most people in the world don't have, yet we expect all of these things to be there for us when we get home.  We get so comfortable in knowing we have all of these things and forget to be thankful for them.  Today I thought to myself and asked, how many times a day, week, or month do I say "it'll work itself out" because life these days is easy sometimes to the fortunate but how many of the less fortunate thing things will just work out? I'll put money down to say a lot don't say that. 
Today I am thankful for the simple things in life, and the love that fills it.

I'm also VERY grateful for the fact my mom can cook! Dad's words today were, "This holiday is like the NBA Championship and your Mom is the Lakers- she is the Kobe Bryant of cooking." Which then just makes Grandma Phil Jackson for teaching her all she knows, Dad to be Jack Nicolson since he is her biggest fan, Kevin to be Luke Walton since he sits around while all the work is to be done, Jason has to be Shaq since he moved onto greater things for the holiday, and me to be someone like Shannon Brown because I come in when help is needed but I'm not a key player.  That is our Lakers team of Thanksgiving within the family!  Besides our families sports metaphors, dinner was delicious and as I'm eating my way into a food coma I couldn't help but think about how lucky I am to be surrounded by family, love, laughs, food, and happiness!

Everyday I am happy for all I have but today I really, deeply thought about the things we take advantage of everyday and that we should always be thankful for what we have.

I hope everyone else had a great time today! Hope your holiday travels are safe and we all take time to just think about what we have and how blessed or lucky we are to have them. After all that is what this holiday is about.
XOXOXO

The sweet smell of HOME!

I looked out the window of my delayed airplane last night as we started our descend and noticed all of the smog we were flying into- I was home!  Southern California was right below me and I was only minuets away from  holding my family.  As I rushed off my crowded airplane my stomach was in knots I was so excited to be back in the town that I grew up most of my whole life in. This town is my hometown, it's where all my childhood, adolescence, young adult, and a few adult memories are.  It's weird to come home and still see everything in the same place, and remember where everything exactly is- almost feels like I never left.  When I drive down streets I used to take to the movies, or to practices all I can think of are times I used to drive these same drives in high school with a car full of friends and laughs.
Besides being reminded of some pretty rockin' memories with this town- being in my house itself has a comforting feeling.  It's raining outside right now, and I am on the couch in sweats, dogs laying next to me, eating homemade cheese fondue, and watching a little tv with my Mom. Life is so GOOD in this moment in time.  As I typed this I have no worries, no drama, no homework to worry about, nothing to do but sit and enjoy the feeling of being home.  I just feels so nice to relax and to be surrounded by this feeling of love and comfort.
This week is going to be amazing and filled with love, laughs, and relaxation.  I really can't even describe the calm and comforted feeling I have right now. All I can do is live it!
I'm feeling like it's a good time to bake some homemade cookies- I think I'll go do that now.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Enjoy your days off, your times with family and remember to thank God for everything he has done for us this year! I'm not sure about you guys- but my year has been AMAZING, and this past month alone- even BETTER. :]]

XOXOXOXO

5 MORE DAYS!

5 days. a single handful. Roughly 120 hours- until I am home.  I dream of the moment I walk off the plane and run to baggage claim, pushing old ladies and children out of the way so I can get my bags as fast as possible, then jet outside to see my family waiting for me to just jump into their wide-open and loving arms. I know when I get home the house will be filled with the smell of Mom's cooking, the dogs, an probably Kevin's smelly feet- all of which are smells that make me miss being in Redlands.  Since moving away for school, it has become a tradition in our family to decorate the Christmas tree while I am home for Thanksgiving break since I come home for winter break too late to do so- which is awesome because decorating the tree is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I love it so much!, mainly because every year we get a new ornament for the tree that has to do with something we accomplished or did together, then Mom writes the year on that ornament. Sometimes we get more then one a year- depending on our activities, but one thing stays the same- every year when we decorate the tree I'm reminded of all the wonderful things I have done with my family. I love being reminded of all those times, and it's great because the whole family does it together, so we are all reminded of fun, goofy, awesome times we've done together. The ultimate family bonding moment. 
Besides being excited about that moment next week, I'm looking forward to again having the continued lessons on how to cook Thanksgiving dinner, since one day I will have my own family and need to know how to cook some bomb turkey. Although, a HUGE majority of me wants my Mom to cook it for the rest of my life, maybe if I make it a tradition in my future family to visit Grandma and Grandpa for Thanksgiving. I think that would be great- I don't have to cook and can enjoy great food, plus my parents can see their children.  Can you tell I just really miss my Mom's cooking?
FYI Mom- if you're reading this, I hate to do this to you but I'm not feeling like going out to any meal while I am home because I miss your cooking sooo much...except maybe Bravo Burger breakfast burritos. You are off the hook for that one. Mayyybe you can teach me a few things as you cook me dinner every night, I will help you out, that way it doesn't seem like you're doing all the work and I get to learn how to cook. :)  Good plan.
Dear family.... See you in 5 days.
Dear Monterey....I will not miss you during the week I am at home, harsh I know but I just want to be with my family right now- there are things you can't offer me that they can.

Walking on sunshine =]

As I sit in the library thinking about the amazing weekend I just had I find it so hard not to want to grow up and move forward with life already.  I've been in college for 3 years now, classes are interesting with materiel but I gotta tell ya- there is so much more I want to do in my life then sit in class for another 2 or 3 years. (for those whose math is off- I'm thinking of doing a 5 yr program, with my credentials on top of that....yay?) I know that in 3 years when it's time to get a life and have kids, enjoy my career, and love my husband that I will be wishing I was back in the 'easy' days of college but I was talking about what I wanted with my future with someone special this weekend and I just really wanted to grow up fast. Be careful what you wish for because I'm going to regret saying I want to grow up sooner or later. School is just bleh right now I guess for me, maybe it's the semester because it's boring or maybe I'm ready to grow up, who knows but I know my life is going to be amazing and I'm excited to see how it turns out!
Any who....
Being that this was my first weekend off in 5 weeks, I didn't get much "Jessica" time,  yet it was so worth it. I spent the weekend surrounded in so much love that not having 'me' time didn't matter for 48 hours.  My friends, and God are just amazing and are working in my life so much lately that a lot of my worries, struggles, problems, and stress were non-existent this weekend.  I love where my life is right now, and am so incredibly happy with how things are going! 

The countdown continues for thanksgiving break! In exactly 11 days I will be jumping into my families warmth and love for an entire week! I cannot wait and am debating totally shutting off my cell phone so I can just emerge myself into family time...still debating about it, not sure how I will do without my cell phone for a week. But I guess only time will tell.

Maybe this weekend I will have time to get a bunch done, who knows. All I know is I am SUPER excited to come home and have no responsibilities besides making turkey dinner. 

Halloween Weekend!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a very fun, but very safe Halloween this year! Mine was pretty awesome if I do say so myself....I got to celebrate it 4 times (each with a different costume for the occasion).
To kick off the weekend of fun, on Wednesday our intramural bowling team participated in Halloween bowling tournament- complete with costumes. We all got different colored shirts and painted an 'M' on the front- making us a handful of M&M's.  We were a group of pretty cute looking M&M's if I must add.
Friday night I had the aquarium camp-in for staff and volunteers. It was a bast because normally we're the ones who have to do a whole bunch of crazy stuff, but this night was so quiet and easy going. No rush, and even though we did a lot- it was all fun! Once we got to the aquarium we had dinner in the Jelly's, with only the light from the tanks to light up the room. Then we went on rounds to feed the sardines, kelp forest, bat rays, and trout. Next was desert- cookies and root beer floats. And then we all went to the auditorium and watched a movie. To this event, I was Snookie (from jersey shore).
On Saturday we had Andrew's birthday party- which was fun. His best friend from last year came up for the weekend so it was great to see him too- We all missed him! At midnight we sang happy birthday too loud apparently and the community directors told us we had to keep it down- that was kinda a kill joy but we still had fun. To Andrew's party I was a sailor.
Last but not least- Halloween day. Didn't dress up to go to church- probably would have been stared at in a weird manner. But I did go to a friends house for a little Halloween party and we played games, hung out, and had a bonfire. To this one I was a little kid-just wore my footie pajamas, carried my blanket, my stuffed otter, and put my hair in pigtails. It was sooo comfortable to wear that all night, especially during the bonfire. It was a great way to top off an eventful weekend. :)
That was my Halloween, it was fun- but I'm happy it's over and I can rest now!

This weekend is my first weekend in 5 weeks where I only have a few minor things to do on my schedule. I am so looking forward to putting on sweats and just cleaning, catching up on tv shows, sleeping, and just hanging around my apartment. I need a lazy weekend, so of coarse this school/work week is going so slow because I can't wait for the weekend! Friday at 5pm needs to get here sooner!!!
Well, I hoe you all have a wonderful week! The count down to Thanksgiving break and seeing family is on.... 16 more days from today I will be sitting on my couch with my family, petting my dogs, and smelling the warm, loving, delicious scent my mom's cooking seems to give.
XOXOXO

M&M's!

Snookie costume for the Aquarium

Construction worker, sailor, and sparta.

The view from Monterey on Sunday going to church. :)

This is why I need a break! 5 weekends of a schedule like this...

Feeding the kelp forest!