I am finally in my new house in KC!!! I am done with the rentals!! YEA!! Chris came in this weekend and delivered a bed and I'm now reunited with my dresser (...and it feels so good!)

This weekend we saw Phantom of the Opera in Omaha- purhaps my last theater show in the Big 'O'- it was fantastic, even though we had the cheap seats. As we were leaving dinner at M's Pub I saw my dear friend James! I was so excited to see him again! He was my boss in my life before last and taught me everything and nothing at the same time-- either way, I will never forget him!

My husband proved his greatness again by coming to my rescue in sacrificing his time. I was thinking about all he means to me and I put together a list of 53 reasons wh I love Christopher Hanson. Here is #20-30:
20. He knows what he wants and he goes out to get it
21. He’s convicted in his faith
22. He’s wonderfully sensitive
23. He kisses my eye balls
24. He kills spiders
25. He allows me to cry
26. He moved to Kansas City instead of a small town Nebraska
27. He swears he knows the words to songs even when he is blatantly wrong-so he just jokingly sings them louder
28. He loves to take me out on romantic dates
29. He can dress well on his own
30. He always gets me dark chocolate Godiva chocolates for Christmas, evenwhen I tell him not to (he knows I don’t mean it)

I'm looking forward to having him here with me in KC! I can't wait to start our lives here--

I love movie trailers- I wish I could be a movie critic. I would probably like too many of them to be seen as a true 'critic'. Nothing frustrates me more than the inability to download them though and this is my sad reality tonight. Nothing good is on TV, except for the constant Super Tuesday insanity. Just saw Obama got the 10th state- Hillary is at 7 I think. Good for him- I hope he wins.
Today was a good day, I guess. Woke up at 8:15 though- thank God I didn't have a morning meeting. Last night the power went out and when I set the clock at 7pm, I had actually set it for 7am- therefore my alarm (set exactly for 6am) gave my neighbors a fantastic buzzer alert at 6pm. Other than that and the cold temps, it was an ok day.
So about this baby kick lately- not sure exctly where it came from. I guess now that I'm getting into the job a bit more, the house in Omaha and the one here are both moving forward- plus it doesn't hurt that I'll have my insurance starting next month- I guess I feel like it's a good time. It also could be the constant inquiries as to when and why we don't have kids. In the hotel world kids were kind of an incovienence or a reason not to stay out too late. Now they are the topic of nearly every conversation in the non-profit world. Like everything else though, it's on God's time table. He knows when we're ready.
Right now the weather sucks! It's getting very icy-- I'd hope for a snow day but I've got a busy day tomorrow and will probably go in no matter what. That's the kind of employee I am, I guess. Or I need to feel good about work to feel good about myself. Hmm-- deep.

To quote a childhood T-shirt: God Made Me- and He Don't make no Junk
God bless my parents...

Four months and a whole new world

It was four months ago that I wrote in this blog. I cannot believe how much time slipped by. In the past four months, so much has changed. I updated my profile and I had to completely change most of it and start over. Fitting.

Let's start by describing the last month: hmm- 4 weeks, 3 living arrangements, 2 trips for work and one less- than- sane land lord. First of all, I should have listened to my college law professor when he said, 'if in doubt, get it in writting'. Yeah, not so much. Then again, how would anyone expect the verbal agreement to rent a bedroom and bath turn into sleeping on a couch in an apartment? Could anyone have expected the house accidentally set on fire? Could anyone had noticed the slippery slope of landlord sending one on to a vacant apartment only to slowly move in herself- therefore nudging you to spend your nights on a couch I recognized from a comp set in the neighboring HoJo?? Looking back, I was too nice, too accommodating. I thought it would be fine- it was just temporary. Not temporary enough.

It's better now- got a hotel room- got internet- got cable- GOT A BED! It's a beautiful thing.

So welcome to Kansas City, Jen. Other than the 'process' (my PG term for cluster f**k) it's taken me to get settled, I like the city. I like my job and I've met great young non-profit yong professionals. They're a lot like the people I left at home in Omaha-

Let's see, my job-- I am a Heart Walk Director for the Heart Association. I work with companies who understand the need for their employees to get involved in the community, focus on thier wellness and celebrate/ honor those who have fought/ who are fighting for their lives due to cadiovascular disease. I encourage companies to form company teams, raise money and participate in the Start! Campaign and Heart Walk. Its my first time in the non profit world- it's the first time I've ever had the word 'sale' sustituted by the word 'ask'. It's the first time I've really had a job that I went out to get. Not just applied for, but it was the only job I cared for in KC. I think I want it more than they want me- even now.

Dear friends I do want to mention, I've seen the power in prayer. Chris and I have managed to sell our house in the worst housing market in decades! It's not all done, but we should close Feb. 28th- yes we lost a couple thou on the deal, but we're making it up on the other side. God moved the mountains to sell our house. It sat for 4 months with not one person looking at it. Then a couple people came out of no where and one couple saw it and put an offer on it that afternoon. Truely amazing!

Tonights prayers: thank you for a beautiful, 70 degree day in Feb., bless those I met today and those I will meet tomorrow. Thank you for my husband who is working harder than he should, thank you for the opportunities to be the best I can be- and for the strength to fulfull those opportunities. Thank you for the chance to close on our beautiful KC house on Thursday. Thank you for the idea to blog again.

Raising Jennifer

The other day I watched Raising Helen and for the first time reacted as Kate Hudson's character did while facing the choice to either raise kids or continue her fast- paced social whirlwind of a lifestyle. Although I am not a Manhattan fashion-ite like Ms. Kate (which, side note, should really look at settling down with Owen- hasn't he been through enough? She looks so much better being with him than her rock-n-roll ex, Chris Robinson) (also, 2nd side note- Kate is EXACTLY one month younger than me!!! She was born April 19th, 1979!! How crazy is that?? Ok- back to my point...) I enjoy having a full calendar. In any case, the movie sat heavy on my heart as I contemplate raising a child. I find the neatest, and at the same time perplexing, part is when I realize that I may one day be living for something beyond myself and beyond my needs and my wants...

For those keeping track, Kansas City, M(O!) is continuing to look like the strongest choice as to where Chris and I will move to in the near future. It's now all about getting my mother on board. This will be the first time one of her children will leave the nest we like to call Omaha. I know she'll get through it- my mom's a very strong person, but I want her to encourage me to go. Right now she's not there.

Today's sermon at Trinity was very poignant to Chris and I, although in different ways. The message was about spiritual maturity and it was about truly focusing on our spirit vs. the body or soul. It was about plugging in our spirit to the holy spirit and strengthening it beyond what our body (aka. the natural realm) or our soul (aka. our influences, personality, logic) is in us. HE talked a lot about faith- giving our questions about the future over to him and just having faith that it will work out. Of course for Chris, he took the message in over the question as to location and job choice and realized that having faith means the decision is not one Christ wants to 'keep' from us, but one he will make known to him, and give him peace about very soon. As for myself, it was about the choice to get off birth control and that although everything/ everyone tells me this is NOT the right time (upcoming new things in my life: 1. new location, 2. new job, 3. new home, 4. new level of income and all the concerns that come with it, 5. new circle of friends, 6. new/ first baby??????? 7. new locations of Target AND Bed Bath and Beyond!!!) Really--how much can one's system take?? I have to put my faith in Him and know that He sees my forever and is pleased.

I'm feeling much better than yesterday- I'm glad I vented, I'm glad I prayed! Today I woke up early and worked out (something I realized I had regretted to do for almost 2 1/2 weeks with travel and over-all pure laziness) and also had some incredibly productive meetings in the office. Hopefully the energy will continue- we are all so crazy busy!!

Today, I stepped into Hy-Vee and had to stop dead in my tracks-- in front of me were tables and tables of HALLOWEEN CANDY & DECOR!! Should I remind you it's only Aug. 21st??? Who buys this stuff this early??? Really!! I always seem to remember a Halloween years ago where the holiday was canceled due to 8 in. snow and ice on the ground. The storm had caused power lines to go down and lots of outages. To think right now it's about 94 with high humidity and we are discussing a holiday that could bring snow. The crazier thing is, that by the time Halloween is gone, Christmas will be in full swing! EEK! I refuse to think that far down the line-- seriously Hallmark let's take a breather in November, ok?

No title today-- this post doesn't deserve one. I feel beat up and mopey, like I just want to stay home and curl up in the fetal position. Nothing huge, just feel like nothing is going very easily for me and I want to feel sorry for myself. Lately I've noticed I'm taking too many short cuts in life- that I'm not willing to do the work when I should be more diligent- probably the reason things are coming back around and biting me in the ass. I can't seem to get up in the morning to make to the gym, and being self-indulgent and lazy. I don't need a vacation, frankly I don't know what I need. I just need to get over myself. Sometimes my normalcy turns to utmost boredom. I'm being random and I don't really care.

I pray things will start looking up. I pray I can get some motivation again- some honest to goodness excitement. Fall is coming, I love the chillier temps. We had a really bad storm come through and the temperature dropped 20+ degrees. That was nice.

Overall today sucked, but this is when people say the cliches like "tomorrow's a clean slate"- not so much since the same crap I left on my desk will still be there in the morning. Oh well- I appreciate the opportunity to rant.

the house that won't move

Like millions of Americans I have a house up for sale that will not move in this market. Today we had our third unsuccessful open house- and like the one before it, NO ONE came! I truly believe it's a waiting game. There are another 27 other houses up for sale in my neighborhood! We all look the same, we are all priced the same, we all have similar amenities (fences, landscaping, security systems, etc.) At some point someone will look at mine and like it the best. It's just nuts! The WORST part about it is that they are building and selling another 200 of them less than 5 MILES from us!!! I really should have bought an existing home.
Last night I saw some long lost friends at a party for my old roommate, Jill. It's funny, I look around and see a lot of things that have changed in us all and I see a lot that has not. It's hard not to miss the old days- but they don't come back when and how you want, so the point is to stay positive about the days and people you have in front of you. I really believe it you focus on the horizon, the right things will come into your path. It's when you start to look down that you will trip and fall.