A dream is a wish your heart makes: A dream postponed and a dream fulfilled

So it has been quite a while since the last time I wrote on this here blog. But I did want to tell you all about August 6, 2013: One of the craziest, longest, most beautiful, and yet a little devastating day of my life. A day to be remembered, that is definitely for sure.

To get the full story I will of course have to tell you quick back story, stay with me here… So I work/ live about 45 minutes away from my home during the summer in a small lake town, at a resort on the beach cleaning hotel rooms and working the front office. Anyways I got work off for the 5^th and 6^th so that I could get all my temple clothes and things the day before actually going to the temple and be with my mom and such. We went to a few stores and out to lunch. It was a great day and I was excited for the next day to come. The next morning I had a hair appointment scheduled. I woke up that morning and started preparing my things for my temple session so I could relax after my hair appointment and prepare before entering the house of the Lord. My mom had a headache and asked if she could borrow some of my essential oils I have. I began to walk out to the car, where I thought my purse was, to get her the oils. I searched the car three times, my room four times and I was beginning to get very worried about my purse. The last I had remembered seeing it was when I put it on my chair at lunch the day before. With it being 8 am I was sure the restaurant wouldn't be open yet. I called all the other places we went the day before to see if anyone had turned it in. I was of course crying, not only because my personal information and essential oils were in there, but my brand new temple recommend I needed to go to the temple later was in it. We were stuck, and finally my mom decided to just call the restaurant to see if anyone was there. Turned out there was, and they did have my purse. I learned to never assume in that instant, my mother also lectured me about it for a minute, then I finished getting ready for the day. We would pick up my purse on our way to the hair appointment.

It was just for a trim (I am half white half black and have very curly hair that was still recovering from a mess up that happened last thanksgiving), you know cut off some of the straight ends and make it look nice for my later temple appointment that day. I was so excited because my hair had grown so much since my last trim! My dream of long hair was coming. When arriving at my appointment we got started. It was the same place I went last time and my hair turned out great. But it was a different woman this time. I was nervous as usual for hair appointments, but we chatted and I thought we agreed on what we were going to do. Apparently we didn't. She started cutting a lot more hair off the back than I was wanting, but I was still okay. She then moved to the sides and started trimming. As I watched the new hair shape coming to view, my back and hands started to tighten, my face started turning very sad and I couldn't hold it in any longer. My mom was with me and when our eyes met in the mirror she knew I was on the verge of tears, she came over and hugged me and out came the waterworks. It was so short and I was trying my best not to make the woman cutting my hair feel bad. It wasn't that she was doing a bad job; it just wasn't what I wanted at all. The tears kept coming, but I calmed down enough to let her finish. When she got done with what she thought was what I wanted, I legitly looked like a scarecrow. And the crying began again. We agreed to just cut it all off (all the strait pieces) so I could just start anew and grow it out beautifully on my mission. I pulled myself together, finished the appointment and paid. As soon as we got to the car more tears began to flow. All because of hair. The reason this was so hard for me is because my hair is so hard to grow, and all I’ve ever wanted was long hair! I was planning on doing something of the sort to my hair the day before I left for my mission. That way no one would even know if I got a haircut at the MTC and I could grow it out on my mission! Which is yet another reason why it was so hard for me. I was definitely not prepared for this haircut. This story may sound so silly to some, but my hair is a very big part of my life. It takes a lot of time and work to keep it well and looking okay. And in twenty short minutes it was shorter than I ever remember it being.

This is the picture of total hair cut off that day 

We got home and I took a nap. I didn't look in the mirror until I absolutely had to get ready to go to the temple. I was trying to cheer up so I could have an amazing time in the temple. I prayed. Finally I was ready. It was time to go and I felt peaceful. Even though I had been very nervous about going to the temple for the first time and my eyes had been ambushed by tears the whole day, I felt good. My mom and I got out of the car and walked towards the temple. My heart raced as I realized my dream of going inside the temple was actually coming true. We walked in the doors and nervousness flushed over me again, almost to tears. But as soon as I talked to my temple helper and started to get to know her I was fine. There was no fear at all anymore.

The session was beautiful, seeing all my family (and friend) together in the temple was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And yes I do have questions and I can’t wait to go back to learn more. It is a beautiful place and I am so so grateful I was able to enter in. There was not one thing to be nervous about. Not one. The temple is a place of peace. I realized while in the temple I had pretty much completely forgotten about my hair cut, and I was able to focus on the spirit and the blessings. Something that I hope will carry into my mission! (Which is so close and I am so excited by the way!)

This is a picture of my and my friend Alexis who was just married and was able to come to the temple with me (I have pictures of my own I just haven't uploaded them yet! ) You can kind of see how short my hair is :)

My family gathered at my house for dinner afterwards and it all turned into a perfect evening. Family, good food, and the spirit. It just doesn't get much better. So as you can tell it was a crazy day, like the title says, my dream of having long hair was postponed, but my dream to enter the temple was luckily not. I’m so grateful for that day, and what I learned (which was quite large bit),and  for the Lord always watching out for me. And I won’t say I wouldn't go back and change any of it, because I probably would if I could. But you can bet your bottom dollar that if I did get the chance to change anything, it wouldn't be anything after 5 pm.

Although I am still trying to adjust to the new short hair look, hair grows. Also we can’t always just assume things, communication is key, and the temple is truly the house of the Lord, where families can be sealed together forever and where we can learn truly beautiful things. These are the things I learned August 6, 2013.

First week of summer

Holy cow. I'm just going to tell you all about my week because... I just want to. Today is the one week mark of me being up at the lake for the summer. This 7 days has felt like a month of long hard work. We've lost a few workers here at the Resort this summer and we are definitely feeling it. I have been working harder than I feel like I ever did last year! In this past week I have helped deep clean the public bathrooms, cleaned many hotel rooms, worked the office for many hours, done daily cleanings the public bathrooms and pool, and we have almost finished deep cleaning the beach house. Lets say it's been a long week. But not necessarily a bad one. Working here is hard work, but today when we finished we were able to go out to the beautiful beach and swim in water! It's been the hottest day EVER! So the cool fresh lake felt amazing!

Sometimes I forget that I get paid for what I am doing, because I really haven't had many jobs... But then I remember and it helps get through the day.

It's beautiful up here though, and sometimes when I just stop and look around I realize how blessed I really am to have a job, especially in such a beautiful place with so many fun things to do at the edge of my trailer door! Sure there may be some other things I would also love to be doing this summer, but I'm here! So I get to make this the best summer ever and do what I need to do while I'm here!

Life is fun. Hard and fun. Yes both.

Good Mornings!

Morning is the best part of the day.
Yes you read that right. Morning is my favorite part of the day. Now I'm not saying that it's always easy for me to wake up in the morning, but I sure do wish it was! If you despise the early morning, that is just fine... But I would have to say to you, you should give the beautiful AM a second chance. Especially summer mornings. Here is a list reasons of why I believe mornings are just plain great:

1. That sun coming from the East is beautiful! Wake up one time, even if it's just for a few minutes and then go back to sleep, at about 6:45. I've been waking up at that time without an alarm because it is so bright! Nothing beats that fresh sunlight. There is a pureness about it that grabs me and makes me long for that crisp morning air.
2. That leads me to the second one, the air! Morning air feels so beautifully refreshing for my lungs. After breathing into some dusty bed and pillow all night, that fresh air rejuvenates my body! 
3. Mornings are indeed crazy sometimes, but I have also had some of the sweetest memories in the early hours of the day. That stillness that is so calming and peaceful, is often taken away once we start getting into the day.
4. People are hilarious. Whether they're the grouchy heads, the crazy happy's, the ones who still act asleep with eyes open while saying off the wall things, or even the ones trying so hard to be happy and normal but they are just plain tired, we're all pretty funny when we first wake up. Also morning face is the cutest.
5. Have you ever been driving when the sun rises in a place with no mountains. It's amazing. You should try it. You can basically look at the sun, it's the coolest color.
6. There's not as many bugs outside yet, they are still sleeping I think.
7. The very first hymn in the hymn book is about morning! It probably isn't literally talking about morning... But still.
8. Mornings are great because it can be the time where we decide if we are going to have a good day. We get to start all over! The dawning of a brighter day!
9. For some reason I can feel the spirit so strong on those peaceful mornings. When we get along in the morning and have time to ourselves, I feel that spirit in my home come naturally and it is beautiful.

Now I know you still may not seem to love mornings even after this list, but that is ok.... hopefully you kind of like them a little better?... I love mornings and I am grateful to my mom for always waking me up early so be able to feel that peace of those early hours. I always wonder what everybody's favorite time of day is! So tell me if like!
Like for reals though. Like summer mornings. They're great.
K loves bye!

I'm going on a mission!

             Just look at what came. Yeah and you guys thought that little picture of my computer screen that said "Your papers have been successfully submitted" was exciting (well I did too...) But they actually came! And boy oh boy was it just in time!

             I was expecting them to come on Wednesday, like they usually do... but they didn't. I am back at school for spring semester so I am about two hours away from my house... Which also meant I would be two hours away from my call upon its arrival! Wednesday was a long day of waiting to know if it had come, only to my slight disappointment that it hadn't. But Thursday morning my mom called me so very excited! She had the news that the mail man had just called, my mission call was there at the post office! Mine! Jessica's mission call. Pretty unreal. 

             I then had to proceed to try and focus through all my classes including Book of Mormon, New Testament, and Ballet. After my last class I basically ran to my car and drove back to my living quarters quickly. 

The family had decided to meet in the middle so it was about an hour away for each of us, my loving aunt let us use her house for everyone to come and watch the excitement. I was able to have my parents, both sisters and their kids, and my two aunts and most of their families there to watch me open it, with my crazy ballet hair and all. 

             Now I know you're all reading this thinking... TELL US WHERE YOU'RE GOING!!! So I will.  I was seriously stunned. I had no words for my overwhelming feeling of excitement, nervousness and happiness. I *Sister* Jensen have been called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I am assigned to labor in the Philippines Cauayan mission! I leave September 11, and will prepare to preach the gospel in the Tagalog language.

             WOW right?! I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I am going to serve the Lord in the Philippines... But I sure am so excited, and I know it is where I am to go. Amazing how the Lord works in such crazy ways, but always true and usually (sometimes surprisingly) makes perfect sense. 

WHAT. A. DAY. :)

Easters!

Easter was like a month ago! But I really want to tell you guys about it because it's a cool story... And I told you guys I would.
The week before Easters my roommates and I dyed Easter eggs with pals! They turned out BEAUTIFUL:

Where the magic happened

 The artists themselves... minus a few

 Roomies! Minus one :(...

 We tried dying and glittering a chip also... It happened to work well.

 If this isn't art, I don't know what is.

 The roomie's beautiful eggs, look at that artistry

 So it was a successful dying party. The next weekend We all got dressed up in old white t-shirts and went to the festival of colors! What a cool thing! Like cool huh?

The festival was so cool! Walked in to go buy our chalk and people just started throwing chalk at us! There was indian food that was awesome, music, and lots of people with chalk! 

Before

... and after

You can bet your bottom dollar we had a blast! It was a neat experience to say the least. It's one of those things ya just gotta do at least once in your life.

Well these things were fun, but my favorite part of Easter was going home to be with my family to celebrate Christ and the Resurrection. I always forget how much I love Easter until it comes around. The best candy, the best colors, and one of the best things to be celebrating. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and what He has done for me and you. I can't wait to serve Him on a mission! Happy Easters one month late :)

It is the end of the semester slash a week in review

Holy cow you guys! I can't believe it is the end of the semester. But it is, and as usual I am petrified of my tests coming up. But I WILL SUCCEED! I only have four tests to take during actual finals week including: American Heritage (scary), Mission Prep (who knows what will happen), Orientation to Dance (easy hopefully), and French (not bad but still a lot). That is a whole lot of studyin that needs to happen and what am I doing? Writing a blog post of course! 

This past week has been pretty good, you know why? I'm gonna tell ya. My  mission papers have been successfully submitted to my bishop, now he has to submit them to my stake president, then I meet with him, then he will submit them to Salt Lake... And you know what that means. It means I WILL BE GETTING MY CALL SOON! I cannot wait. Like I seriously just want to know where in the heck I will be going! French speaking would be awesome, but all the kids in my French class being called on missions are going not French speaking so.... I'm not counting on it. But look how exciting this picture even just is!

AHHHHHH SO EXCITING!!!

This past Sunday I also gave the lesson in Relief Society! It was my first time, and it was pretty scary I'm not even gonna try to lie, but it was a really good experience.We talked about President Eyring's talk "Come unto Me" from this past conference (which is a beautiful talk, here's the link: President Eyring: Come unto Me). I stumbled a few times, but over all it was a pretty good lesson thanks to the spirit. I finally felt like I relied on the spirit to help me through that lesson. The comments said during the lesson were perfect and it was beautiful to sit around and talk about the gospel with friends. 

I LOVE LIFE. It's great. Hope you have a beautiful day!

P.S. I'll be posting soon about my adventures around Easters!

First blog!

I have finally decided to start a blog! Isn't it exciting?! I have been wanting to for a while now, and I have finally gotten around to it!
Life is great! It's hard but it's great! Today was a long but good day. Six classes in one day is more than enough for me thank you, not to mention a fireside after my last class!
Well I don't have much to say on this first blog write up, if anyone does read this, one thing I want them to remember is that love is my favorite. Not even romantic love, just love for the people around you, for the things around you, and finding love for things that it is considered hard to find love for. Love really does make this world go round. I do believe that without love we would not be.
There's lots to be grateful for in this big world, also lots to help with. Can't wait for more exciting posts!
Jess