First Contributor: Mary Jo Howard

I recently recieved my first contribution to my fundrasing page. I already mentioned that I would be running the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay (with 11 other girls) for the Americal Cancer Society and that I have committed to raising money for their cause.

I plan to highlight each contributor. It's the least I can do. I really appreciate the willingness to help and donate to such an important foundation and I'd like the opportunity to publicly thank those of you willing to donate. I also want to document each contribution for my own sake.

(I will be keeping the amount donated anonymous as any donation is greatly appreciated)

My first contributor, was my mother-in-law, Mary Jo Howard.

Thanks, Mary Jo!

**if you'd like to donate to the American Cancer Society, click the link on the top of the right sidebar. It's really easy and can help so many people!**

A Tag...what can I say, I kinda like them.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
7:05. Adam and I aren't morning people. We actually stayed at my mom's house last night because of the blizzard, though. My parents were super nice and cleaned our cars off for us!
2. How do you like your steak?
Medium. Sometimes medium rare. Depends on who's cooking it.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
The Fighter. It's the movie about Micky Ward. Adam is a HUGE boxing fan.
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Gilmore Girls, Friends, and Glee.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Probably somewhere smallish in Utah (done and done). I don't like huge crowds but I like staying fairly close to my family.
6. What did you have for breakfast?
Two clementine oranges...around 10:00 am. I can't eat early or I get sick.
7. What is your favorite cuisine?
I love pasta. It's part of why I'm the chubby kid. I'm also a big fan of Mexican food.
8. What foods do you dislike?
Cauliflower is gross. So are beets. I also have had some pretty bad experiences with Peruvian food.
9. Favorite place to eat?
Maddox. Hands down.
10. Favorite dressing?
Blue Cheese, balsamic, or creamy tomatillo depending on the salad.
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
2009 Toyota Corolla.
12. What are your favorite clothes?
Sweats. Specifically my soft, grey, stretchy pants with my t-shirt hoodie.
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Greece is number one on the list. Ireland is number two. I also want to do some humanitarian work is south america or africa someday.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Can I have a new cup?
15. Where would you want to retire?
Adam and I want to do the old people "two house thing" and we would live up here-ish for half the year and then somewhere warmer...maybe AZ...during the colder months.
16. Favorite time of the day?
If it's a weekday, I like 4:12 pm. Weekends, I like 9:43 pm. Just for looking at, I like sunset.
17. Where were you born?
Holy Cross Hospital in SLC, UT.
18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Gymnastics. Maybe water polo. If I'm there, I love "ball sports"...especially football. I also am really learning to appreciate boxing.
19. Who do you think will not tag you back?
I'm not really doing this in true "tag" fashion...so maybe no one.
20. Person you expect to tag you back first?
Same situation...probably no one.
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Anyone. I like reading other people's tags. Occasionally you learn something interesting.
22. Bird Watcher?
Hate it. Hate birds.
23. Are a morning person or a night person?
I am such a night person! I get really hyper and fun/obnoxious. I am not very fun to be around in the morning.
24. Pets?
I wish. Probably never though.
25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share?
I got some cool sewing stuff for Christmas! I graduated last May! I start applying to grad school soon!
26. What did you want to be when you were little?
A mom. A teacher. A doctor. An artist. All sorts.
27. What is your best childhood memory?
I have so many. I had an amazing childhood. Most involve my family, the cabin, or my first babysitter Geri.
28. Apparently somebody didn't approve of #28...?
29. Are you married?
Thank goodness! I sure dig my husband. We've been married for a year and a half.
30. Always wear your seat belt?
Almost always. The only time I don't is in Adam's truck. I always used to but he kind of teased me about it when we were first dating (ie...you don't trust my driving skills?) and I kind of got in the habit of not wearing it in his truck when he drove. Silly. I usually wear it in his truck now though, the habbit is nearly broken.
31. Been in a car accident?
Many. But not all my fault or while I was driving. Luckily none recently though.
32. Any pet peeves?
Too many probably. People who try to talk to me while I am on the phone. People who make me feel guilty/weird for doing what I want. People who don't use their blinkers. People who eat gross. Kitchen counters that aren't clean. Being wet...or having to touch cold, wet things.
33. Favorite pizza topping?
Cheese. I am a cheese fan. (note the chubby).
34. Favorite flower?
Tulips. Gardenias. Orchids.
35. Favorite candy?
Lindt white chocolate truffles or red sour patch kids. Otherwise, I'm not really a candy fan.
36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Apollo. Taco Bell. McD's. In that order.
37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Zero. I'm the champ. I did an amazing parallel parking job...sheer luck. I couldn't duplicate that effort again for many years.
38. From whom did you get your last email?
AK. My phone battery is dead from sleeping at my mom's and not going home to my charger so I've been emailing him back and forth.
39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
The very thought of maxing out a credit card terrifys me! (so, none)
40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Is deciding to sleep at my mom's spontaneous? No? Oh. Sometimes AK and I pack up and go somewhere for the weekend or go on a random hike or something. But not for the past couple months.
41. Like your job?
I like it okay. It's a decent job with good people. I've been here for over 4 years...and now that I have degree I feel like I should make more or do something more important. When done with grad school, I think I will really love my job though.
42. Broccoli?
Ew. I tolerate now it but it seriously used to make me gag.
43. What was your favorite vacation?
Honeymoon to PEI. Amazing. I want to go back.
44. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Adam.
45. What are you listening to right now?
My coworkers chatting amongst themselves.
46. What is your favorite color?
Grey. Blue. Pink. Probably in that order. Or combined.
47. How many tattoos do you have & what are they?
None. I never will. But I would get one on the toe next to my big toe if I could/would.
48. Coffee drinker?
Next to never. I have in my lifetime enjoyed some coffee stuff that tastes mostly like chocolate milk. But pretty much never.
49. How many children do you have?
Zero. Maybe some day. We plan to have 1-3 children.

Weird that it ends at 49?

My Parents' Anniversary.

These crazy cats (my parents, not Adam & I, or Katie & Lyv) got married 29 years ago today. And boy am I glad they did! If not for the events 29 years ago, I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have the rad family I have. They have done a spectacular job raising us and keeping us close to each other and our savior.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!

At least my tetanus shots are all up to date...

I'm clumsy. This is no secret. I'm known to be a bit accident prone.

***note...those who get mildly queezey at the sight/thought of injury...don't read this (or don't look at the picture (Hailey, this warning is mostly for you)***

This morning I was cutting a roll and thought, why stop there? Why not just cut my finger a little? Ok. That part isn't true (the roll part is...just not the thinking part which I've so cleverly italisized). But I did cut my finger...I just didn't really intend to. So now I'm rocking a very cute bandaid on my left pointer finger.

I know what you're thinking...not really a noteworthy injury and definitely not needing a tetanus shot. Granted. Don't worry...there's more. So, I took this morning off work to get some Christmas time glory done. Included in this was sewing the annual matching Christmas pajama pants for Adam and myself. Now I'm no seamstress (which is why I shall use the non-word "sew-er") but I'm a decent sew-er (not to be pronounced sewer). I make pajama pants every year for the two of us. I've been sewing since I was a little girl. I made our Christmas stockings, MANY quilts, and loads of other stuff with no incident. But sometimes, paying attention isn't really my thing. Example:

Today, while sewing, I sewed right through my finger (Right birdie if you're curious). The sewing machine needle entered through my finger nail and then came out the other side (as pictured below). After mumbling some much merited "s words" (don't judge...or do...I guess I don't care), I decided to remove the foreign body. I tried sending it back out the way it entered, pulling it all the way though, engaging the use of other objects (i.e. tweezers) to aid in my endeavor. Fail. On all counts. It hurt a little when it first happened but after messing with it for about twenty minutes or so it hurt kind of a lot. Like a mother as some may put it (sans naught "f word" I don't say that swear...just eh "s word"). I tried calling Adam (just to tell him of my championship in grace). No answer. So, I called my mom. She taught home-ec - I thought - this has had to have happened to one of her students at some point! And I was right. But it came out fairly easily when her student sewed through her finger. She told me to go the to dr. I texted Adam something a little dramatic to freak him out and make him call me back fast. It worked. He left work for a spell and came and took me to the dr. (maybe I didn't really need the ride but it was nice to have a good fellow by my side).

*Exhibit A*
I don't know if it looks painful...but I believe it was. That is blood, not nail polish (on my finger...it's definitely nail polish on my toes which look freakishly tiny at this camera angle) and that was after a little rinseroo. Ouch!

Oh...and I forgot to mention, once it entered, it broke off and the broken end kind of got trapped in/around/under my fingernail...which is why it's hard to see.

Also, pardon the crappy photo. It's a cell phone picture and I was a little distraught at the time. I tried to call/text work to tell them I wouldn't be making it and I got no response. So I sent them this picture so they knew I wasn't faking.

Side note: while at the doctor's office, the MA went to put the oximeter on my previously mention, purple bandaged left pointer. Then she and Adam had a good laugh at me. Haha! Clumsy old Jen, always good for a laugh (like crazy old Maurice...name it?).

The nice, old, southern doctor injected some Lidocaine into the old third digit (or is it second...do you count the thumb?...I forget). This hurt. There's a lot going on in the finger tip! Then he removed the foreign body. Hip hip! Next was the tetanus shot for good measure. I did the old "tense-up-to-prepare-so-it-doesn't-hurt-so-much" that I learned from childhood shots (and from the previously mentioned injected Lidocaine which was hurty). I felt nothing. Maybe I remember shots hurting worse than normal, the tetanus shot really is practically un-feelable, or the stabbing pain in the right birdie was making the rest of my body invinsible (proabably all three). I felt kind of like a dork for doing the "tense-up-to-prepare-so-it-doesn't-hurt-so-much". Nonetheless. I was ship shape and back out the door good as new...plus, now I'm sporting 3 band-aids which is awesome and kind of makes me feel like I'm six (which is also awesome).

My right arm is starting to get a little sore from the tetanus shot. Kind of like I recently lifted some weights which certainly isn't the case. And I'm typing like a newb even though I'm normally a fairly proficient "typist".

And in case you were wondering, the pajama pants still lie, unfinished, in the sewing machine (sans needle). I might take a little break from sewing and make my mom or sister finish for me.

But on the bright side, the next time I'm asked, "have you had a tetanus shot in the last five years?" I don't have to say "I don't know...probably not."

(Remember that time I took FOREVER to say that I sewed through my finger and here's a picture? Sorry about that.)

Christmas Cards!

These are the Christmas cards we ordered (for free!) from Shutterfly this year. I think they're kinda cute! Aliese took our pictures while we were goofing around at my Grandma's house on Thanksgiving. They should be ready to roll just in time for Christmas. They'll be here any day and then I'll be sending them out. So if you want one you've only got a few days left to get your address to me. Merry Christmas!

Ragnar Relay - Wasatch Back

Weird...why would Jen, not a runner, be blogging about the Wasatch Back Relay. Weird indeed.

Well, I'm going to run it! But, Jen, don't you know you can't really run because you have crap joints, destroyed knees, and nerdy kid asthma? Obviously, I know that. This is for an amazing cause though. So, for the next 6 months. I am a runner. I can do hard things especially if I know it's going to benefit so many people in the long run (plus, I'm about due for another knee surgery so I may as well squeeze this in first, right?). I (and the team of girls I am running with) am running the Ragnar Relay on behalf of the American Cancer Society. We've each pledged to raise a bunch of money for their fantastic cause.

I have been affected by cancer. My family line is riddled with it. I've lost many family members to cancer and am lucky enough to be surrounded by cancer survivors. Even Adam and I have had "pre-cancerous" cells removed (lifeguard-sunblock=skin cancer). I have decided to run this race in honor (you get to select one person to run in their memory) of my uncle, Dennis. He was an incredible man who fought brain cancer and left a young wife and three very young children behind when he passed away.

Wow, Jen, cancer sure does suck. I wish I could help.

Oh, you can! Click here for a chance to save lives! I know times are tough but imagine how much tougher it is on families paying for a loved one's cancer treatments. The team I am on has committed to raise $3,000 for the American Cancer Society and we could really use your help. If you can donate even $5 click the link above and make a donation. The link takes you directly to my personal fundraising page and there is an option on the right (you can't miss it) to donate. And if you know anybody who might be interested please pass this along. Mention it on you blog, or on your facebook, or in person. Spread the word. Help me help others. If I can run from Logan to Park City (in a relay...not all alone) on these crappy knees, you can click a couple links, donate a couple dollars, and save a couple lives, right?

Swimming and Boxing!

Two of our (and by "our" I mean "Adam's" favorite sports!

A month ago (yes a month), we went to St. George and Las Vegas. I know. I'm a suck. There's pictures though!

So, We went to the Greg Fernley Invitational to watch the little sister swim. She did quite well and got best times in most of her events. We also got some fun family time in. My parents, Adam, and I all crashed at Aliese and Darrin's for the night. I stole these pictures directly from my sister's blog. I didn't want to re-scrap them and they were already cute. Maybe some day I'll change the text...since it's in her voice...maybe not.

After the swim meet, we went off to Las Vegas. Adam has always wanted to see live boxing and found some sweet tickets. They were back row but a screaming deal. The deal got even better when we were told that our section had been closed and that we were being upgraded to $400 per seat tickets. Delightful!