My Incredible Summer!

It's been quite a few months since I have been able to write anything.  My summer was incredibly busy - but so awesome!  Here is a update on my life.  :]

My Loves:
-Jadelynn turned 10 this year!  I seriously cannot believe how much she has grown since I first met her at 2 years old.  As most of you know, after my divorce, I am so blessed by her mom that she has allowed me to continue to love on Jadelynn and be such a huge part of her life.  This year she started gymnastics - and is doing a fabulous job!  She is doing great in school, and is just a sweet little lady whom we are all incredibly proud of. We had adventures this summer too:  One Direction!  Of course I had to take her to see them again.  :]
-Cobie is still just as awesome as ever.  He is 1.5 years old now and has started to calm down a little bit - which is actually pretty nice.  Haha.
-My boy.  We had all of the adventures!  He surprised me with fancy dinners, trips to the ocean, birds, the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, dolphins, whales - and overall has been the sweetest and most incredible man I have ever met.  I thank God every single day for the blessing I have received through our relationship.  Thank you for who you are, for praying with me, praying for me, leading us, providing way more than you need to, for making me laugh, for respecting me and being patient, and for the love and adventure of a lifetime.  9 months down into forever. <3
-The Dungeon:  Still working it out with team Dungeon!  It was hard to mix my gym life with my summer work life, but eventually I was able to figure it out and go in as often as I could - even using online sessions and hotel gyms when I was working out of town.  At this point - I have finally dipped below the weight I have been at for months! I know the numbers on the scale don't matter...but we all know it's nice to see them drop.

Family and Friends:

-My older sister moved back!  I don't have any photos with her - which I lame and I will have to fix when I see her later. :]  I have been able to spend a ton of time with her and her kids - getting to know her even better.  I love her so much! I went to Disneyland with my oldest sister, which was way fun too!

-I also went to Disneyland with my giiiiiiirrl - and watched my other "giiirrl" Zach graduate from the Sheriff Academy!

-My friend Nikki wrote her second book - which I was so blessed to be part of!

-Christina introduced me to ArtMix and got to by my hero at work.. :]
-The birth of Mini Mimi, dancing (killing it at the wobble), camping, wedding planning, pumpkin patches, and adventure happened with my new family and some of the best friends a girl could ever ask for.

Adventures with K-LOVE and Air1:  

My job probably kept me the most busy this summer.  Going into promotions, I was prepared to have weird hours, minimal weekends off, and the time of my life - and that is exactly what I got!  My summer was full of prep for event, going to some of the most amazing worship nights and concerts, community events, wonderful volunteers, listener stories, and travel!  One of my favorite things was being able to travel to Colorado for our team Summit and to serve with my amazing coworkers from Denver, Arizona, and So Cal, Texas, and Kansas at HeavenFest (2 days) and Harvest SoCal (3 nights) - which are weekend festivals full of music and fun.  Here I had the opportunity to set up our HUGE K-LOVE and Air1 tents and experience for the first time what it's like working a festival with K-LOVE and Air1.  It was busy and so exhausting, but every now and again, we would hear these amazing stories from our listeners, which quickly lifted my spirits as I remembered why I am part of this ministry.  I've said it a thousand times: I love my job!

Next up - I'm going to Italy!  Jessica and I will be on a 2-week adventure in less than 1 month!

Life is beautiful.

In other news:  The first motion picture theater opened in Los Angeles on April 2, 1902.
Find out more cool California facts here!

-jennilea

My New Home < 3

A 500 square ft. studio apartment is my new home!  Yep - I took that step to get my first place all on my own.  I moved in almost a week ago (taking me 1 day to fully unpack), and I love it more than I ever thought I would.

With the help of my older sister, Nicoleon, I was able to decorate it so nicely!  She also gave me the brilliant idea to remove the doors from my huge closet so I could put a bed in and BOOM: I've got a bedroom.  As you enter the studio, I have a pretty nicely sized living area where there is a very clear dining section just next to the kitchen - which is also perfectly sized!  I have a fire place, which is way fancy.  Puppy loves it too; He is also becoming a bit of a guard dog.  Not vicious by any sense of the word, but when people even pass the door, he runs up to it - occasionally barking too.  I thought this would be something I hate, but it really gives me an even greater sense of safety.

My boyfriend is actually pretty close by too.  In fact, he lives just two buildings down!  Talk about saving gas money!  Haha.  I am also much closer to work - cutting my commute down by 10-15 minutes.

Overall, I really love my new home.  It's clean all the time - and I am able to meal prep without my tupperware going missing.  I also only purchased meal plan appropriate items, to guarantee I have no other options.  I am doing super well with this whole fitness thing these days.

Other fun things - Cobie turned 1 on April 25th.  He was freshly groomed and enjoyed a piece of puppy birthday "cake" to celebrate!  Every day I love this pup even more.  He is a super genius and just amazes me with how quickly he picks things up.  His latest trick being "roll over."

Last update has to do with running!  I got super into running a few years ago - and I'm back at it again!  Brian and I have started the Couch to 5k running program.  We are in week 2 and nailing it!  Today, I am going to begin tracking our distance.  I am so excited to see the progress we make - and to get back up to running 7+ miles!

Lots of fun new things to look forward to in life.  :]

In other news: May 29th is National Put Your Pillow On Your Refrigerator Day!  I trust you will all be celebrating accordingly on this day.
(For other fun holidays, click here.)

-jennilea

Experiencing Happiness!

90 things done - 73 days remaining:  http://dayzeroproject.com/user/jennileam/list/43740.

Recently, I've lit fireworks (thanks to Bri and Jimmy for that), rode the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, and got my pup!  

This is Cobie - and he is absolutely perfect.  People told me that having a puppy would be a hard thing, but it really is not as bad as they made it sound - which is wonderful.  

I've learned pretty quickly that a puppy is as good as you train it to be.  He needs to be set up for success.  It's like having a child.  You don't leave your kids around things they can destroy or hurt themselves with, and when you do see them get into the wrong things, you correct it.  I take Cobie with me everywhere!  He loves people, and does really well around the animals he has met, so far.

We play a lot!  He is extremely active, and that keeps me active.  He loves cuddles, and since my life is now lacking that, I do not mind cuddling him.  HA!  We have training sessions each day and he is excelling in "stay" and "sit."  As he begins puppy classes, I hope he learns more just as quickly as he has picked up the first two commands.  We have a mini grooming session each day too, which consists of cleaning his ears, brushing his teeth, brushing his fur, and touching his eyes, paws, and gums so he gets used to that sort of thing for his vet and future groomer.  Yep...definitely like having a kid.  He is perfect.

I've got 11 more things to complete - including the need to add 1 more item to my list - so bring on the ideas!

Next topic:  Happiness.

I was hanging out with a friend, when a guy came up smelling completely of alcohol.  I am positive the man is an alcoholic (confirmed by the same friend).  The smell is sickening and all too familiar.  That smell, the craziness of that lifestyle - it's no longer part of my life.  I'm free.  I found that I don't need to place my worth in people, and instead find it in God.  The fact that, to Him, I am worth dying for.

I no longer have to search hard to find something to make me smile.  Happy things are all around.  I can breathe without fear.  I no longer feel sadness over my situation, but instead hope for what is coming.  My heart is healing and God is helping me rebuild and giving me perfect peace.  I am rediscovering things I am passionate about and working hard to achieve my goals.  I have the love and support of tons of amazing friends and family members.

In short, I am experiencing happiness.  Not fake, smile just to get through the day, happiness - but real honest excitement for life and for my future.

Life is beautiful.

In other news:  "You breathe on average about 5 million times a year."

(Read more cool facts here.)

-jennilea