The Breaking Point

Today, I'm going to start with Lifetime Movie Monday!
Title: 12 Hours to Live

My guess: A woman is told (by a psychic) that she is going to die in 12 hours, so she decides to do all the things she has ever wanted to do. She gets crazy, has fun, finds love, and then dies...all in 12 hours...

Actual plot: "Eighteen-year-old Amy is having a bad day. Not only has she been kidnapped by a deranged gunman, but as a diabetic without her insulin, her chances of survival are diminishing with each tick of the clock. FBI agent Megan Saunders isn't walking on sunshine either, since this madman killed her partner when Megan hesitated to pull the trigger. Now Megan won't stop till she nails this guy, but can she save Amy before her time is up?"

Once again, Lifetime has created a ridiculous plot. Ha!

I finished reading "The Lucky One," last week. It was nice to envision Zac Efron as the main character throughout the book. Ha! It was difficult to get into the book, at first, but as I started reading and getting to know the back story of each character, it got much better.  My favorite parts were the flashbacks that Thibault frequently had. I also liked how the author, Nicholas Sparks, wrote the each chapter from the perspective of a specific character. It allows the reader to see the feeling behind the actions.  The book was okay, but not the greatest thing I've read.

This coming weekend, I will go to the library for my next book!

Now, let's get to some Dungeon talk! As many of you know, I've been working out in The Dungeon with Jamie and Josh. Each workout seems to test me like crazy. Last weekend, I hit the breaking point. I was challenged with staying in the squat position while doing 50 reps with arm weights.  The difficult part, if I stood up or sat down at all, I'd have to start all over.  I've done this workout with 30 reps before, and I felt like I hardly made it through those. I definitely failed before hitting 30, so 50 was unimaginable. After failing several times, I got to 43. My Dungeon family was cheering me on, saying I can do it, and offering encouraging words, yet at 43, my legs just dropped. I finally cried. This was the worst feeling of failure. I was so close to the end and tried so hard to push to 50 but I just couldn't.

As I sat on the ground, crying, Josh said "that is the breaking point, and it's a beautiful place to be." At the time, I couldn't understand why it was a beautiful place to be, but shortly after, those words began to have meaning. When I first began, I began feeling tired after the first ten reps and at one point, I was tired after five. In that moment, I had an option to stop and start over while I was still in the beginning of the set, but I pushed on.  I tried, I pushed myself further than I felt I was capable of, I was tired, but determined to make it. When I couldn't make it, I realized I had pushed passed what I thought was my limit and I am much stronger than I had ever believed. With a little more pushing, I will get to that 50.

Jamie walked over to me and said it was okay to cry and to let it out. So, I did, I just cried. She had me do some sprinting and try to control my breathing, then I had to come back, and start all over again. This time, I only made it to 38 before I fell again. I cried so hard. Jamie told me to get up and rep out the last 12, so I did. When I finished, Jamie tooled right in my eyes and said, "I am proud of you. That was tough, but you still went for it. I am proud of you." Those words were golden.

Since then, I've encountered this same challenge. 30 doesn't feel so bad, but 50 is still a challenge - but I have gotten there (tear free).

I love everything I've taken in from this experience. Also, a result update: I've lost 24.5 inches in 5 weeks. :]]

Upcoming, I've decided to add 365 days of Thank You to my list. The goal is to write one letter every day, saying thank you for anything as simple as delivering mail, to more complex and life changing thank yous. This challenge is to encourage growth, development, and to just help me become more grateful for what I have.

Finally, instead of a fun fact, I am leaving you with a verse. I am going through something right now, for which I would love some prayer. This verse just spoke to be and really encourages me when I am in this place of defeat. With God, I am more than a conqueror:

"...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." (Romans 8:37 NIV)

In the difficult times, I pray we can all find our hope and safety in God. 

-jennilea

It's been a while...

HIYA!

Life gets busy, but I am back!
A lot has changed in the 2 months I have been MIA.  First of which, I had to stop toilet training the cats.  Now, that does not mean I am giving up on it.  When I punched out the fist hole, Belle did not take to it well and began peeing everywhere.  I realized that I did kind of jump into it quickly, so I decided to go back to the start.  We went back to the litter box, and I hate every second of it.  I have just recently moved the litter box into the bathroom, so they can get used to actually going in a different room.  The next step - in a few weeks+ is to take the lid off of the box, so they can get used to going out in the open.  Following that - in a month+, we will move back to the CitiKitty, which will begin on the floor.  We will move on from there at whatever pace they need.  Hopefully it is within 550 days.

550 days is not that much to complete the rest of my goals.

I am finally Graduating!  On May 22nd, I will walk across that stage and receive my diploma from American River College.  I will have two AA Degrees:  Music Business and Liberal Arts.

I was accepted into Sacramento State last month, so I will be continuing my education there, where I will be working on my BA in Communications with an emphasis on Public Relations.
I am very excited to get started on this next chapter of my life, but I am also extremely scared.  Up to this point, I have not needed to apply for loans or had to pay any ridiculous amounts.  Sac State will definitely be more expensive, but I am prepared to get all of the loans and grants necessary to get to my goal.
After paying all of this money, I will definitely be motivated to move past where I am working now and onto my goal career.

I can't wait to get there. :]]

One goal that has been completed is the goal of playing disc golf.  I definitely thought this was going to be boring.  While I am not at all good at it, I did have a lot of fun playing with a few friends at a birthday party.  It is a neat game, and I guess I can see why some people enjoy playing it often.

Book updates:
I finished the Hunger Games series!  The first book was the only one on my list, but I couldn't move on without completing the entire series.  The next book I will be reading is "The Lucky One." Review to be posted next week.

Upcoming events:
Babies!  Not my own, of course, but a few of my friends are having little ones and I am just so excited!

Weddings!  I have been asked be part of two weddings!
Ariel is getting married in July, and I have been asked to be a bridesmaid.  Our blue dresses are gorgeous!  Definitely a dress that I will be wearing again and again!  I am very excited to see these two tie the knot!  What a better way to continue your first relationship. :]
Nikki is getting married to her absolute best friend, Jesse.  Seeing where Nikki has come from, I am excited she has found someone who can make her smile the way that Jesse can.  The minute he entered her life, everything changed.  I am honored to be a part of this bridal party and cannot wait to see it all develop and come to fruition this November.

With all of these wedding, it is about time I get in shape!  I also have a weight goal in my Day Zero Project, and what better time to start?
I would like to introduce to you, Jamie and Mike who are the trainers of the Dungeon!  I started working with Jamie last month, and things have really began to change.  I have not done any official weigh-ins or measurements since starting, but I know I have lost some inches.  Pants and shirts fit more comfortably, and I feel a lot more healthy.  I am pushing myself as they are pushing me to complete these fitness challenges each and every week. I have also been given a meal plan, which I have been following, but could probably follow a bit closer.  It is tough to eat as many times a day as I am being challenged to do, but it is absolutely worth it.  I feel great after my workouts, even though I sometimes cannot move.  HAHA!  Along with all of this fitness madness, I am making friends who are encouraging and changing as well.  I love to see all of their progress, and the motivation in the Dungeon is like nothing I have ever experienced.
I can't wait to go back each week!
If you are looking into changing your physique, I urge you to check out Jamie and Mike at In An Athletes Soul on Facebook.  It will change your life.

Next blog will be up on Monday and will include a Lifetime Movie Challenge - because I know you all miss it. :]

In other news:  "Topanga was named after a canyon in California that hippies would frequent."
(Follow Girl Meets World on Twitter)

-jennilea

Time to Give

Happy Monday!

In my August 24th blog post, I asked for your ideas.  One idea, suggested by Carmen, was "Adopt a family for Christmas from one of the 'Dear Santa' letters at the post office."  I decided this would be a great idea to get my college group involved in.  November marked the beginning of our raising funds for this project.  We received donations from Carmen, First Baptist Church of Elverta, Christina, Cynthia, and my supervisor, as well as adding on our own money.  Last week, I went to pick up the letters we would be working with.  I chose 3:

Letter 1:  An 11 year old boy wrote the sweetest letter, not for himself, but for his grandma.  He noted that she always tells him about Jesus and how he made sacrifices "for everyone in the world."  He said his grams makes a lot of sacrifices too, and requested that Santa bring his grandma a nice Bible, with her name on it.

Letter 2:  A mother wrote in and requested presents for her 15 year old twins.  She said she can never afford a Christmas for them, and expressed how sad it made her feel that she was unable to offer them anything.  For her daughter, she asked for sweats, boots, vanilla body spray, and socks.  For her son, she requested sweats, boots, socks, and a sleeping bag.

Letter 3:  This letter was written by a mother who has 6 kids!  Her husband had been injured and unable to work, so they did not think they would have much of a Christmas.  Her kids range from the age of 3 months-8 years old.  She mentioned a few big items which include 2 mattress and a crib, as her 3 month old did not have one.  For the other kids, she mentioned what they like.

This weekend, I was overwhelmed with the response from others.  In discussing the letters, especially the third one, people jumped at the opportunity to help.  Cynthia went out and purchased a brand new crib, mattress, sheets, and blankets.  We were also able to find an inexpensive place to purchase mattresses, which we were able to fund thanks to church donations as well as the donation from Carmen.  Our church was also donated a large amount of new toys.  This family will be having a great Christmas.

The rest of our donations will be able to fund letters 1 and 2.

The most exciting part about this, aside from the fact that we are helping out families in need, is that we will be able to deliver the gifts to the families!  I love the feeling of giving, so to be able to see the happiness on their faces will be a memory I will cherish forever.

Thank you, Carmen, for the amazing idea!

Just a few weeks until we can deliver the presents!

Day Zero Project progress: I am currently looking for a 10 mile run to participate in.  Let me know if you have any ideas.

Finally, what is a Monday without a Lifetime movie?!

Lifetime Movie:  "Mother, May I Sleep With Danger"

My guess:  A teenager is getting involved with someone older, who she meets online. He ends up getting her involved with drugs and drinking.  She is spiraling out of control.  She hits rock bottom, mom is there for her.  They get her the help she needs.  She ends up in rehab.  It is a sad story about a teen trying to grow up to fast and being taken advantage by an older man.  Lifetime.

Based off of the title, what do you thing this movie is about?

Answer: Laurel has the boyfriend of her dreams, Kevin. He can and will do anything for her. He is totally devoted to her but the downside is that he never leave her alone. When she tries to get some distance he responds with aggressiveness. It finally dawns on Laurel that he is not good for her. Laurel's mother Jessica has already started to suspect that something is wrong with his background.

I was way off on this one!

In other news, "If you search 'Who's the cutest' using Google's 'I'm Feeling Lucky,' it will say 'YOU ARE.'"
(Follow UberFacts on Twitter)

-jennilea

I Stopped Breathing...

This week has been busy, exciting!  I have been training for this Zombie 5k and Obstacle course for 9 weeks, and this was the weekend of participation.  I was totally jazzed for it,

Up early to run from zombies!

After the run

I was up, bright and early, to participate in the Zombie Run in Temecula!  I had been preparing by running on a trail in Rio Linda, however, this run was more uphill than anything.  I learned very quickly that I would be unable to run the entire thing - but I did sprint at all areas containing zombies, and successfully made it through all obstacles.  There were 12 obstacles set up, including hills, mud, electric wires, crawling, jumping, climbing, and zombies.  When my first flag was pulled,  I had just gotten out of a huge group of zombies, and ran right into another one.  I was lucky enough to dodge all other zombies, especially before entering a maze, where there were 5 zombies chasing me! At the last quarter mile, when one zombie, who grabbed onto my shorts, took my second flag.  The final obstacle was to crawl under and electric fence.  I got a wee shock on my shoulder blade, and came out strong!  I ran through the gate marked "alive."  And let out a huge sigh of relief!  Clothes covered in mud, we ran into the lake to rinse off, then donated out shoes, found out our time (1 hr 22 mins), and headed back to San Diego.  This was such a great experience, and worth every single moment!

Now, it is time to train for the "Run to Feed the Hungry" 10k!  No rest!  I am really starting to love running.  These events make all the training worth it.  iLoves <3

The next goal I completed was to go to Venice Beach.  It was the nicest beach I have even been to. I would love to live that close to the ocean...It was amazing.  The water felt perfect and the sand was soft and clean!    The waves were not too intense.  It made me think on my surfing goal.  I can't wait to get there!

While in Southern California, we stayed with my sister, Tara.  She is definitely someone who I look up to, and it was great being able to spend some time with her. This time, it was wedgie free!  We went to La Jolla, which is one of my favorite places to go!  We saw lots of seals, including one little guy who kept making a sexy pose.  Haha.

I really enjoyed all of the time with my family, and can't wait for our next wee trip. 

So far, I have completed 47 out of 99 goals on my list.  I have 2 more to add until it is complete!

By request, I have also added to hike Half Dome at Yosemite (Nick), and take a belly dancing class (Ashley).  Thank you for your suggestions.  I am happy to add them!  I also decided to add on going swing dancing, just because it looks fun!

Finally, because it is Monday:  LIFETIME MOVIE MONDAY!

Title:  Making Mr. Right

My guess:  This movie has to be the classic girls betting against one another to make the nerd kid popular.  Of course the girl falls in love with him, the friend spoils the relationship by telling of the bet.  Drama happens.  They both love each other and end up together.  OR Lifetime can get super crazy, and once the boy finds out he was just a bet, he goes on a psycho rampage.  

Real story:   "Uptight female magazine editor, Hallie Galloway, is the very definition of a successful woman. Ambitious, sharp, and focused, Hallie is close to the promotion that she s worked so hard to achieve. Everything is coming together for her professionally, but she s about to get a curve ball she didn't expect.

In a modern-day reversal of My Fair Lady, Hallie makes a bet with her best friend that she can transform a scruffy con man into her magazine's 'Bachelor of the Year.' A shave and a haircut later, he's revealed as a handsomely charming rogue. Hallie teaches him manners and etiquette, while he teaches her to live in the moment. As sparks fly, love sets out to conquers the class divide."

I was pretty close.

In other news:  "MC Hammer once challenged Michael Jackson to a dance-off."
(Follow Uber Facts on Twitter)

-jennilea

Lifetime Guitar. Puzzling Zip-Line 5K...

On 10.7.12, I completed my goal to go zip lining.  It was a mini one, but I still did it.  I was definitely scared at first - even at only 25 feet.  However, when it came to the point of jumping, there was no hesitation.  I just went for it!  I had a blast and definitely want to do some other zip line courses that are higher up.  My research shows that it should not be too expensive.  I would like to get a group together for these fun times.

Random thought in writing this:  I saw an airplane on the way to work this morning and couldn't wait to fly again. <3  This is the first time I have longed to fly away since I was a kid. My willingness to complete these goals and conquer my fear of heights has really grown! Fearless.
Words cannot describe my excitement!

A few other goals currently in progress:

Learn to play guitar:  
I have been learning to play guitar at my church, First Baptist Church of Elverta, through Rawge Jones.  Rawge gave me a guitar that he both fixed and converted to left-handed so that I could play easier.  Please check out Reborn Guitars to see the amazing things this ministry is doing!  You can also check it out on Facebook!
In the photo to the right, Yessica and I are having a little guitar practice after-party.  Currently, we are learning to play "As the Deer."  I am proud to say that I can now sing this song while playing!  Progress. :]]

Complete a 1000 piece puzzle:
I am working on this lovely Sleeping Beauty Puzzle.  This thing has really been through it.  My cats have decided that they enjoy sliding across my dining room table, then they play with the pieces that fall off.  The worst damage they have done left only 75% of the princess and the rest completely demolished.  Steven and I actually had to hunt for pieces in order to put it all back together.  This included flipping couches and pulling out the refrigerator and stove.  Hardcore, I know.  Hopefully we have found all of the pieces.  This is how far I am at the moment.  Little by little, it is coming together.

Run a 5k:
I have been talking about the Run For Your Lives Zombie 5k Obstacle Course for the last few posts.  We are finally less than 2 weeks until this 5k and I am stoked!  Yesterday, I did my first 2.75 mile run, and it felt great!  35 minutes was the total time, which is not quite where I want to be, but pshhhh,  I ran 2.75 miles!  I never thought I would be doing something like this.

The San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on June 2, 2013, is my ultimate goal in running.  In order to keep myself motivated, I need to keep finding runs that I can participate in.  This brought me to the 19th annual Run to Feed the Hungry, this year, on Thanksgiving.  This is a 10k run, which means that I will have 5 weeks to increase my distance from 3 to 6 miles.  No big deal.  I got this.

After the 10k, I will be looking for a half marathon run, so if you know of any, let me know!

Day Zero Project goal update:  49 goals to do, 4 goals in progress, and 42 goals achieved. 727 days left!

Avoid Facebook For 1 Week:
Starting today, I will be avoiding all forms of social media.  See you next Monday.

Let's move into...

Lifetime Move Monday!!!

Lifetime Movie: "Stranger with My Face"

My guess:  A girl was originally born a twin.  The other twin was kidnapped shortly after birth, by someone who had it out for the entire family.  The parents never told their daughter that she was a twin or of the issues with the other party in order to keep her life as normal as possible. The other twin was raised to be a replacement.  The plan is to kill her twin and take over her life, as she then plots to kill her parents.

Comment with your guesses.

The answer:

Afer the shocking and untimely death of her husband, Shelley Stratton (Catherine Hicks) moves her daughter Alexis (Emily Hurst) and her adopted daughter, Laurie (Alexz Johnson), to their remote summer house in hopes of giving her family a fresh start. As Laurie begins to settle in and put her life back together, she gets the eerie feeling that she is constantly being watched. Laurie's uneasiness grows when people start claiming to see her in places that she has never been. The family's delicate state begins to unravel when Laurie unearths the dark past, discovering a twin sister that she never knew she had. Laurie is forced to delve deeper into her twin's secrets, for as it turns out her twin has been locked up for years! Laurie must now understand their strange connection in order to prevent her sister from taking over her life and harming her loved ones.

Lifetime, you have done it again!

"In other news, a duck's quack doesn't echo."
(Follow Uber Facts on Twitter)

-jennilea

A Lot to Say and Lifetime Movie Monday

It is amazing what all has happened in the last week!  Here we go.

Last week, I fell behind on my running.  This week, I picked up on running and hit 2.5 miles.  I have been extremely discouraged though, as I am about 5 minutes behind on the time I would like to have.  It has been a real struggle to keep on going with how far behind I feel.  Then I realize how far I have come.  7 weeks ago, it would have been impossible to run this much at this speed.  My ultimate goal is 3 miles in 30 minutes. I am currently at 2.5 miles in 31 minutes, and have 2 weeks to speed that up!  I am confident I can get there.

Zombie run is just 3 weeks away!

Also, I have come to realize that the things I eat really dictate how I feel during my run.  For dinner tonight, I had pizza.  I have never felt more disgusted after a run.  I can feel the pizza in my stomach.  My runs seem more successful when I fill myself with fruit, veggies, and chicken. I also need to drink more water throughout the day. 

Next, school.  I have been contemplating a lot lately.  Is Sac State still my next move?  Should I attend a Christian College?  An online school?  Change my major?  What is it I really want?
I am almost done at American River College, and will be graduating with degrees in Liberal Arts and Commercial Music.  My next step was to go to Sac State and work towards a Bachelor degree in Music Business.  A career in music business is no easy to reach - if even possible while living in Sacramento.

The most excited I have been about a possible job is when I heard there was an opening at Air1 as a promotions manager (it is no longer available).  I spoke with Chelsea, the lead promotions manager, and asked what her major was:  Communications.  It hit me about two days ago, maybe a Communications degree would be best for me.  There is definitely a lot more that I can do, in this area, with a degree in Communications.  So, there we have it,  At Sac State, I will be a Communications major with an emphasis on Public Relations.  I am very excited, and hopefully, one day, I will be able to get on board with Air1.

Finally, social media.  I notice I am spending way too much time on Facebook.  As a result, this week, I will be accomplishing one of the goals on my list:  "Avoid Facebook for 1 week."  Not just Facebook though, I will be avoiding all forms of social media.  So, if you need to get in touch - text me or give me a call. :]

Now, it's time for...
Lifetime Movie Challenge Monday!

A friend and I began a game we like to call the Lifetime Movie Challenge.  Most people know that all Lifetime movies have outrageous plots that involve drugs, sex, murder, adultery, a douche bag guy, pregnant teen, etc.  While discussing this, we decided to look up some movie names.  After hearing the names, we decided to guess what the movies might be about.  I will now demonstrate this genius!

Lifetime Movie:  "Baby Monitor: Sound of Fear"

My guess:  A couple finally has a baby.  A jealous friend, who is unable to have children, decides she wants the child for herself.  As a result, she breaks in, locks up the couple, and takes the baby.  The entire thing - heard over the baby monitor...the couple tracks the woman down.  She somehow ends up dead.  Baby is returned.  Happy ending.

What do you think the story is about?  

Answer:  "A neglectful mother overhears her husband on the telephone at their workplace talking with their babysitter. She discovers they are having an affair and are going to have a baby. She concocts an evil plan to win back her husband and remove the girl and baby. Two men are hired to kill the girl and hold the son hostage in order for her to play the hero and reclaim her husband. The plan hits a snag when the criminals enter the wrong apartment."


In other news, "Ancient Egyptians would mourn the death of cats by shaving off their eyebrows."
(Follow Uber Facts on Twitter)


-jennilea