Light at the end of the Rainbow

I have just arrived in Detroit, for a second week at the hospitals out here...

I'm so emotional today.
I just want to get back on that plane and go home to Spencer.

To hug him and not let go.

Luckily, I get to spend a whole week in KC next week with my pups and the hubby.

It seems like everytime I look at the news, facebook, my email or even just my phone I am reminded of what happened in Joplin. With bad weather approaching the Joplin area, as well as Kansas City, today I am on pins and needles, nervous for the next bout of Mother Nature's fury. I don't know what I will do... 

My sister is distraught. She spends her moments on the edge of her seat trying to find something to do, or hear the newest name in the death toll count. Today she is leaving my nephew with neighbors and heading into town to assist in the recovery efforts. I wish I were there to help.... Below are photos of one of my sister's best friends homes. Her husband rode out the storm in the bathtub, and when he looked up he saw sky....

It's difficult to grasp. Ever since I was little we would have 4-5 tornado warnings a year. Each month the sirens are tested... you learn to tune them out. I remember two years ago I would get angry as the news report interrupted my favorite shows... everyone in Missouri seems to have an indifference to the sirens. We know we live in a dangerous area, we know there is a good chance that a tornado will strike, but we don't imagine that it will ever actually be that bad. We have had a few over the years. One will drop down and destroy an Arby's or a soccer field in town, but that's about it They drop down, destroy a building or two and go away.  I never thought I would see the day that I saw the destruction the movies are made of so close to home....

 My nephew was born in this hospital... it looks so surreal.. like a movie set....

 Before my sister and brother-in-law bought their home they lived on the 3rd floor of these apartments...

They were a really beautiful place to live...

Main Street...

My thoughts are with Joplin, my sister and my family right now... They will be coming into KC this weekend and I can't wait to give them all a big hug and try to help them relax for just a little bit, and leave all the sorrow behind....

Give your loved ones a hug and tell them you love them...

You never know what could happen tomorrow.

♥

Jenni

I am such a lucky girl...

A few hours ago I posted this... a simple post to address that a year ago today I was laid off, and how after all this time, I am in an amazing place... I am truly happy. I didn't want to get sappy, and turn today into a moment of mourning for what was. I wanted to celebrate what has been. I am in an amazing job, I am married to my best friend in the entire world, I have two healthy happy little furry monsters and we have a happy home. I love my life. (Even if I do miss my husband terribly when i'm away)

I am sitting in a hotel room in Arkansas at the moment, contemplating what I want to do to fill my time tonight, and decided to check our my husband's new blog. It is mostly dedicated to beer and his love of it. His posts are short, to the point and filled with an undercover wit that I can't help but adore. I expected a post about a new black and tan he created, or an ale with a special flavor.. what I didn't expect brought tears to my eyes and made me realize just how lucky and in love I am...

"One year ago today, at actually the almost the exact time that I am writing this I received a call from my now wife informing me that she had been laid off from her job. They had fired her for HR reasons... Since they were firing people in other departments they felt it morally justified to fire necessary people in needed departments. It has been a long hard year, with a flooded house, one of our dogs almost dying from an unknown poison that she had eaten, and well a general lack of income among many other things.
Even though I am now sitting at home typing this alone while my wife is away on her new job (travels 3-5 days a week), i am thankful for every thing that happened. We would have never come out this strong in the end if it hadn't happened. And I know our marriage can survive damn near anything life can throw at us after all that we have been through. Here's a big middle finger to you B&M, followed by a high five for getting her out of a place that I know she would grow to despise as time went on.
Here is to moving on, Cheers!"

My husband is not one to talk about feelings, or about all of the mushy stuff. He shows his love for me in practical ways. By making me a fancy sandwich after a hard day, installing a fancy new shower head while i'm away at work, letting me watch Desperate Housewives when I know he wants to watch Family Guy, trading wit while on a long car ride or occasionally just a special smile or look in his eye that I know has a lot of feeling behind it. I love you Mr. Schaub, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, and experience everything that life has to offer for us together. The good AND the bad. :)

♥

Jenni 

 

 

2 down...infinity to go

Almost 2 months ago I began a new journey in my life.

With the start of a new year I started a new career...

and I have honestly never felt like I belonged in one place at one time so well.

Not that I am EVER in one place physically...

But mentally I am so happy with where I am.

I miss my husband more than I can say

I fall asleep thinking about him and my little fur-babies

I count down the moments until I see them again

and when we are together, I find myself constantly smiling.

I am finally getting the hang of this thing.

This week I am in Arkansas and I actually got back to my hotel by 5:00!

I started out this morning at 8am, and by noon I pulled into town.

It is BEAUTIFUL here!

Driving around with clear blue skies, a crisp breeze and beautiful cliffs on each side of the road

It's wonderful!

I checked into my hotel

went to applebees for some dinner

relaxed for a bit and then hit the gym

Now i'm watching my Monday night obsession

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS!

Eep! I LOVE it!

Now, since I am WAY behind on updating,

Look below to see how I am doing with "52 in 2011"

Week 8

1. I have officially completed 15 books and am 90% through book 16 this year! It feels good! I have missed reading :) Right now i'm reading "Lean Mean Thirteen" and I love it! Such fun books!

2. I have not worked out in WEEKS! I keep promising myself I am going to get back into it, but it's taking me awhile to get used to the new schedule. I hit the gym tonight and I was sooo tired! I can't wait to go back again tomorrow! (although I think i'll be hitting up a 24 hour somewhere here in Arkansas....the hotel gym's machines are HORRIBLE!)

3. This week my main goal is to get to the gym each day. Wether its the horrible hotel gym or the local 24 hour, I really need to motivate myself to go! This winter coat I have been gaining is totally not attractive, and i'm ready for Spring!



Hope everyone is having a glorious week so far!!!  I can't wait to catch up with each and everyone of you! Check in tomorrow for another post from yours truly! Come on girls, keep me held accountable!

♥

Jenni

The End

Today is the last day of my unemployment.

 and the beginning of the next big step in my life.

It's the last day of having that nagging feeling in my stomach, of feeling stress hitting me from all sides, and also of sleeping in and relaxing around the house. I've really enjoyed what these past 10 months have allowed me to do. I've spent more time with my husband, i've spent days lounging around with my fur-babies and i've learned a lot about myself. I've re-discovering my love of reading and let the written word take me away to a different place each week. I changed my body, and became a stronger leaner person. I celebrated the joy of accomplishing small goals for myself. I danced around the living room while no one was watching. I took time to reconnect with old friends and made time for the friends I have. I got married, and had a beautiful wedding.

While this past year may have been one of the hardest, and most stressful, in my life...I have never felt more liberated. I feel like I could take on the world. I have more confidence and feel so much better about the person I am. I think everyone hits that moment once or twice in life when they start to doubt what they know and what they have to offer. I went through this, and came up feeling better than when I went in.

Thank you to all of my readers, old and new. You have been an amazing sounding board, and filled me with so much motivation and confidence. I hope I get the opportunity to meet many of you over the coming year. Check back later for a special giveaway to thank you all for everything!

♥

Jenni

PS- I will be in Houston, Texas at the beginning of February! 

I DID IT!

10 months, 3 days...

over 300 applications...

and I finally found my job!

I GOT IT LADIES!!!!

In 1.5 weeks I will begin my new career as the Midwest Regional Training Manager for Our365! Our365 is a company which specializes in photographing newborns in hospitals. My job will be to travel around the country visiting hospitals and train the photographers to take better images. Right now there are a lot of inexperienced photographers with advanced cameras that they don't quite understand. I will be doing everything from teaching them how to use the camera, to ways in which they should handle the babies and pose them. (with respect to the new mothers whose emotions are running high. ) Every monday I will work from home doing paperwork, or whatever needs to be done. Tuesdays I will head out for the week, One day will be spent in a classroom type of situation where I explain techniques and answer questions, followed by two days of observation in the rooms with the parents and babies. My goal when I leave will be to leave the photographers empowered, with a feeling that they learned something and a passion tnd confidence to take better images. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! Fridays I will come home, and the weekends will be spent lounging about with the husband and pups. :) maybe i'll even get a chance to meet some of you guys! Keep an eye out, I could be heading to a city near you!

I am just so amazed by how wonderful this day was. The people from the company are amazing and so friendly. They complimented me and made me feel at home the entire time...and then to top if off when the job was offered to me I was blown away by the way it was done. I was told that they would love to have me and my talent join their team, that she knew she wanted me from the first moment she saw my portfolio and just wanted to make sure I could teach as well as I could take photographs,.and that I was more than she ever could have imagined I would be. I was beyond flattered, and never have I felt like I had a home there from the very beginning. I am so thrilled to start meeting more people, and if they are anything like the people I met today, I know that I am going to be happier here than anywhere I have ever worked before.

To celebrate Spencer and I went out to a wonderful dinner together at the Hereford House (a very well-known steakhouse here in KC where I feasted on calamari, a beautiful steak Oscar (a 6oz. fillet Mignon topped with  a crab cake, fresh asparagus and a rich Bearnaise sauce) a baked potato and some delicious carrot cake that we brought home. Snuggles with the puppies will be on high order over the next 12 days, and maybe a few snuggles with the husband too :)

♥

Jenni

I hope 400 is a lucky number!

Welcome to my 400th post!

Cross your fingers it's my lucky number, because.....

As you read this, I may be sitting on a plane on my way to my interview.

 via

I am so excited, and so nervous all at the same time.

I will be landing by 11a.m. Central time

Hopping in a cab for a 20 minutes ride

and then meeting the two very important ladies of the company.

I can't wait to give my presentation to them and rock their socks off!

I am going to make basic photography lighting as interesting as the newest fashions!

I hope everyone is doing fabulously, keeping warm,

and sending me lots of warm fuzzy thoughts tomorrow morning!!!

Tomorrow night when I get home, Spencer and I are going to a romantic dinner for two.

Should we go to Hereford House? or McCormick & Schmicks?

I just can't decide!

Have a great day everyone!

♥

Jenni

Keep me out?! Heck no!

When people say they have New Years Resolutions, I get a little negative... Why do big changes have to only happen on January 1st? Why can't they be year round!? All that happens when people try to make changes at once is that the line at Panera is a mile long with "healthy eaters", The gym is packed to capacity with "hit the gym-ers" and my patience is wearing thin! Don't get me wrong, i'm all for people getting in shape but how about June?

Example, I head to the gym tonight for Zumba. It's my favorite teacher so I know I need to get there a little early to make sure I get a sticker...40 minutes early and they were ALL OUT! What is a girl to do?! Well... THIS girl ran home, took an old sticker, put a piece of white paper over the green numbers and wrote a new number down in orange highlighter! (the color they used for the night) Maybe I broke the fire codes, but not for very long because 1/2 way through the class about 1/3 had walked out! And THAT friends is my problem...if you want to do it, then DO it...if not, don't ruin it for the people who do (IE: the people who go every week and got turned away because of a full class)

After class tonight I sat down to watch some TV and catch up on blogging when I ran across this lovely little blog from Mara! Why not have a year of resolutions? Take it a week at a time, and strive for big change in the long run! Well Ms. Mara, you are on and I am in! Each week I will be joining Mara in posting a goal for the week. Maybe it will be one big goal, and maybe it will be a few small ones... but I think it's important to be vigilant and start fresh each week! I am so excited! 

My Goals for the week of January 1st!

♥ To get to Zumba early on Tuesday & Thursday so I can get a dang sticker! I will NOT be turned away and I will wiggle wiggle all class long!

♥ To completely rock my interview on Wednesday! I am so nervous for this interview and the VIP way they are treating me! I really want this job, and I am ready to IMPRESS! My outfit for the day you ask?

The "Drew fit" bootcut pant, a salmon pink ruffle top and a black cardigan with ribbon detail.

You Like?

I love the way everything looks together, the top fits a little more snug on the hips than it looks in the photo, and I will leave it untucked, and the black cardigan will be buttoned up to the bottom of the ruffle so if kind of spills out. Like a business suit jacket would do, but a little softer. I'm planning to wear some black pumps and maybe some pretty earrings with my hair up.

♥  To finish reading "The Fellowship of the Ring". One of those series I feel I need to read, and i'm about 92% of the way through the book! I'm guessing with 2- 1 hour plane rides and a few hours to kill in the airport it shouldn't be a problem!

Three whole "resolutions" for this week!

And I think I am really going to keep them all!

♥
Jenni

So far...

2011 has been amazing!

I have started back to the gym (December was a bit shaky with me making excuses not to go)..

I have spent a wonderful evening with friends playing games...

I was hired to design a logo for a girl's dessert company...

Gained 3 new followers (Hi ladies!)...

and today, i'm going to go get my new license with my new last name on it...

shop for an interview outfit for wednesday (EEK! SOOOO EXCITED!!)...

Go to Zumba with my good pal Joey....

AND tonight is the season premiere of....

I am sooo freaking excited! Mock if you will, but it is the greatest guilty little pleasure!

It's like the car crash you just can't turn away from!

And for all those that watch it, the show premieres tonight at 6:58pm central time

(and the commercials are hinting that the first 2 minutes are FILLED with action!)

What a great start to the year!

I hope everyone else's has been as eventful!

♥

Jenni