Hello, Hello!!

Hello world out there! I must say, I'm a terrible blogger. You wouldn't believe how many drafts of posts I have saved, but never got around to finishing them to post them! I'm so sorry.

Well, where to begin? First of all, let me just tell you I'm gonna have to start a new blog.. because guess what, its not Just Jori anymore.  That's right, I GOT MARRIED!!! I will have to tell you the whole story sometime.  It's been two weeks today since we got married.  I couldn't be happier!  I have so many favorite things about married life, and one huge one is never having to say goodbye to my husband.  While dating and being engaged, that was one of the hardest parts: having to say goodbye at the end of the night.  I never wanted to leave his side.  I absolutely love being with him.  We have so much fun together.  I can't wait for the day when neither of us have to work and we can just live our life like our honeymoon 24/7. Not a worry in the world :)

So there's a brief little update.  I'll post a link to the new site once I get it!

the worry is over

Wow I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do.  November since my last post? Sheesh. Well, let's just say life has been throwing me curve balls left and right.  I have learned so much the past couple of months, it's unreal.  About myself, about others, about what I want for me and even more so of who I want to become.  There's a lot more to it than that, but I'm afraid that'll do for now.

This post is just to say "I'm on my way back!!" I have quite a few drafts saved in my 'edit posts' tab that I need to publish and some exciting stories to tell! Like, my surprise visit to my sister in Washington. (The state not D.C. :) )

So stay tuned!! I promise I'm not far away. I'm here and ready to spill about my life.

And about my last post.  The worry one? Yeah, ok. Let's get real here, my worrry isn't over like I stated in the title. But I sure have a heck of a lot more control over it now. 

Anyway, TTYL blogworld :)

the wonder of worry

Sometimes I wonder.  Am I too hard on myself? Am I making life harder than it needs to be? Many who know me well, will say yes. Definitely. In my family we call it the worry "curse."  It has been carried down from my mom's side of the family.  It has hit all us girls pretty good. It comes in many different strengths and lengths of time.

Many people tell me, and I have told myself this many times, that I need to stop worrying so much.  Well, I have come to the realization that I need to accept this part of me.  As much as I have tried, I cannot get this worry/stress/perfectionism view of mine to go away.  It is apart of me and always will be.  I know the older I get, the more stress I will have and the more things there will be for me to worry about. 

I over-think things, replay them over and over in my head, and analyze them til they fall apart.  I want things to be perfect.  I see something good, and I want it. I want it bad. I don't want to ruin things, so I sometimes hold myself back as to not cause any destruction.  I NEED TO STOP THIS! I need to live life to the fullest.  "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured"  I love that quote.  Thank you Gordon B. Hinckley.  Those words were phrased perfectly. 

I need to enjoy life more.  I need to take these things that worry me, and thrive off of them.  All too often I let my worries bog me down.  I reach stress overload and then I crash and burn.  Just think, if I could make these worries more of an energy source, and less of a downer.. oh the possibilities! They would be endless! (Ok, I sound like a dork.  Ha I'm just trying to give myself some motivation.  Haha sorry for sounding so cheesy.) But really, I would carry much more vivacity, liveliness, and love for life.  Thats what I need, and feel like I'm missing.  Every now and then I get to this point where I just feel blah.  I come home from a day of school and work and just feel.. blah. No energy.  No motivation to do anything productive.  I hate that feeling and I hate the feeling afterwards.  That I did literally nothing.  Its the worst.  And I'm in control of that.  I'm the only one that can really change it.

I need to take what life has given me thus far, and hold on tight when it sends me on a rollercoaster.

In all honesty, I'm scared. I'm scared of a lot of things. I'm scared of failure. That may be my biggest fear. Failing to succeed in school.. career choices.. jobs.. love.. I don't want to mess up.  Though I know that when we mess up is when we learn and grow the most.  At least I have seen that for myself in many instances.  When I do something wrong, I know not to do it again and I can usually stop myself before it goes too far and progresses into something worse.  I am not perfect.  Yet, I want things, everything in my life to be sooo perfect.  And that is not the case in this ever-changing and tempestuous world in which we live.  We make mistakes.  All the time. 

That is my worry: that I will fail to make my life perfect.  Sounds like a joke, huh?  Its pretty inevitable that this life will not turn out perfect. So why the worry?  I have expectations for myself set pretty high.  But now I am realizing that I cannot let that get in the way of my progression and enjoyment in life.  I'm telling myself that it is good to have high expectations, that way I will not settle for something less than what I think is deserved.  I have the desire to do and be good.  Its just a matter of changing my attitude and how I go about getting what I want done.

I'm slowly figuring out this crazy life and I know everything will be alright in the end. 

Thanks to those reading.  It feels so good to get these thoughts out there.  Any suggestions for making this life a bit more enjoyable?? Much love and appreciation to you all. :)

Happy Days

Well hello my nearly long-lost blogging world.  Sorry I have been gone for so long. Life has been CRAZY busy and so much has happened, been happening, and will continue to happen. Ha I can barely keep track of it all!  Each day brings something new and I'm just trying to keep up!

Anyway,  I had a few thoughts today that I wanted to share. 

As I was on my way to work, I really got to thinking about people.  Yep, people.  Pretty general, I know, but it was really quite humbling.  As I merged onto the I-10 and took a look at all the cars passing by, I thought about all the people inside them.  Coming from various financial situations, employment statuses, family backgrounds, ways of being raised, personalities... the list goes on and on.  Then I thought about how sheltered I have been throughout my life.  Living in this beautiful Mesa Bubble, I have not been exposed to much. (Some of you may laugh by that statement because you know how true it is!) I have been surrounded by people with my same beliefs and faith my entire life.  I've gotten so used to the way my family and I live that I think its the norm.  Oh how mistaken I have been.  There are some crazy lives lived out there.  And I thought my family was crazy.  I'm not trying to sound prideful, but I live I pretty good life.  Pretty good is a huge understatement.  I am so blessed. 
It was such a humbling experience today, feeling and thinking about my life.  You see, I've thought a lot about my life lately and where I want to be in the future.  I am right in the mix of making some huge decisions.   I keep going back-and-forth, back-and-forth, when I know I just need to make a decision and stick with it!  Its so hard though, knowing that one choice can and will make all the difference for your future.  I know what I need to do and what I want to do. Now its just a matter of making sure those both fit into one!  I want to make the right decisions now, so that I don't make life harder on me in the future.  I'm a perfectionist, I want things done right the first time.  But I'm also very indecisive.  So in short, making decisions (especially ones that I know will be life-altering) is a very long process for me.  No matter what, I know life brings its struggles, challenges, and heartaches.  Its just a matter of doing whats right..everyday.  I know everything will fall into place as I do what I know I'm suppose to do.  How grateful I am for this knowledge and for God's plan for me.  I could not survive without it! 

Man I knew blogging about this would be a good thing for me.  I feel so much better already and I feel even more humbled and blessed!  Thank you blogspot(dot)com.  :)

And now for a fun trip down memory lane...

This is Miss Abigail Jane.  I remember this day so vividly.  Such a sweet girl.  Now she is just over 2 and a half years old.  I talked to her on the phone tonight, she said with such precision, "I miss you Joeeeyy.  I love you Joeeeyy."   I love my kids!!

Superior People

I came across a great quote the other day.  It is by the beloved Harold B. Lee.  He said,

"The superior man is spiritual.  He exemplifies simplicity.  He abhors being conspicuous.  He is dedicated to service.  Superior people are never bitter.  Pessimism is the philosophy of vulgarity.  The superior person is clean.  His fellowship is refreshing.  He is above his pleasures...A superior man is gentle...Superior men are humble-minded, or teachable, and they learn from passerby.  The superior man is one with whom familiarity does not breed contempt.  The superior man lasts; he wears well."

Doesn't this just make you want to be a better person? To exemplify simplicity. To never be bitter.  To last. To wear well.  I love it.  I love coming across these wonderful things.  They make make me think outside the box and really contemplate my life.  Under all the stressful moments life brings us, we need to remember who we are and what we stand for.  We can be the superior person. We are superior people.

Happy Sunday everyone!

love & anticipation

Alright, so I have been wanting to do a post about this for awhile.  A) Because I love this jewelry. B) I love the whole idea behind this organization. and C) Well, I just love everything about it.

Seriously. Take a look.  Here is the website: Click here.

In a short little nutshell, Musana Jewelry sells jewelry that is handmade by women in Uganda.  These women are hired and taught marketable skills and how to make and design jewelry.  This employment helps pull them out of extreme poverty within one year.  They are given flexible hours, a steady income, and after just 2 years they will have the skills and funds needed to pursue other goals. Additionally, the surplus profit is donated to Life Dairy, which will only impact many more lives in the best way possible.

Want to help spread the word?  Click here for more information.

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It is now SEPTEMBER! You know what that means? El Charro should be opening up anyday now. 

Dear El Charro,

Rumor has it you're opening back up September 8th?? Please be good to my soul and stay true to this.  I will love you forever.  Let's be honest, even if you open up a few weeks later... I will still love you forever.  But really, just be a good little restaurant and open ASAP.  The summer months are always so hard without you.

Love a faithful customer who has been fed your food since the womb.

Getting back in the Groove

First week back to school? Check.
About ready to pull my hair out? Check.
Already lacking a tremendous amount of sleep? Check. Check. Check.

In such a short time my nights went from this:
(don't mind the poor quality from my photo booth)

Blissful nights, lying in bed, watching movie after movie.

to this:

Freaking out about school, books, studying, tests. Ahhh

School came and pounded on me hard.  It was a bit of a rude awakening to my summer of bliss.  (Would you call 3 summer school classes, hardly any swimming, and hardly any trips out of the AZ Summer Heat bliss though?) I sure would! I enjoyed this summer. I got things done.  I often feel I could have done so much more.. but I stayed busy.  Through the ups and downs, it was overall a great summer.

So when school came, I freeeeaaaked out.  I was so nervous, not knowing if I could handle all the pressure.   But today was a different story.  Today I felt stress-free!  I feel so motivated and excited.  Things that I have been so super stressed over for months now.. I'm finally just excited about.  I can't wait for these next few weeks.

I don't know exactly what it was that changed my attitude.

Maybe it was the 5 hour orientation today.  

Maybe it was the cloudiness and rain I saw out the window during breaks at school.  

Maybe it was the fact that John Mayer was playing in my car today.  

Maybe its because my car didn't read over 95 degrees outside..

Maybe it was because I ate a big bowl of Blueberry Mini Wheats for breakfast this morning. (High in fiber and antioxidants.. can't get much better than that!)  

Maybe it was because I got a grand total of 8 hours of sleep last night.  

Maybe it was all the C.S. Lewis quotes I read last night.

I still can't put my finger on it.  But I don't think it comes down to just one thing.  It's a combination.  It's the perception I allowed myself to have today.  I didn't feel bogged down at all today.  Things are working out.  Things are coming together.  That's what happens when you give yourself some time to adjust.  That's what happens when you trust, relax, and enjoy.

And to top it all off, I went for a great run this evening.  It was probably in the low 90's and there was such a nice breeze.  And ohhhh the Arizona sunset. So beautiful.


My challenge to you:  Take a different view on something. Anything.  Change your way of thinking.

And see what happens!  Your whole world could change.  Mine has already started to.  Today felt like a fresh start on life.  Funny how that can happen.  After being so worried and so stressed and so nervous.  I feel fine! I feel great. I feel happy.  I am happy.

I love school. ♥ 

Just one of the many treasures I found last night:

"My own eyes are not enough for me; I will see through those of others."
— C.S. Lewis