DC (contid.)

So I originally had planned to just wait til the end of the Summer to post the second half of DC... but so much has happened that it is expedient I break it into more parts than 2!

So here we go... hold on tight!

"Home Sweet Home"

At the beginning of June, I had to fly home for my dear mum's 3rd time wedding! (...it was a charm)
It was fun being home to see my loves...

{Izzy}

{Devyn Claire}

{Macy Moo and Gunner Wade}

{Aruba- my beautiful car that i kissed many many times}

{Jeffy Dearest}

I also got lots of news when I got home!

My house was all cleaned out and about ready to be sold...
{mom and i shared a bed... it was joyous... NOT}



&& my longtime bff Tuna had her adorbs baby boy!!

And then... it happened... on June the 9th (6/9 hahaha) my lovely mother was married for a third and FINAL time haha!





...and afterwards i had some fun, met a boy named Hayes, and headed back to the east coast for more good times like these... :

"DC round 2"

{midnight ihop runs}

{twinner piercings as mom}

{Virginia thunder storms}

{Hair dying}

{tanning time}

{bff anklets for bestany, minders, and me}

{love.}

{clubbing}

{nanny nightclubbers}

{east coast partyin'}

{white house tours w/ my Smith family... West wing baby!}


{& late night skype chats with my open-relationship (lol), man, Hayes}

****************



...and this is where my story takes a DRASTIC turn...

one night in June...

one split second...

and my path was significantly altered.


"Rolling with the Punches/Transition"




...and that was that. With my car totaled, i had one night to figure out what I was going to do. I had no transportation- which makes life quite impossible in DC. So i packed up my bags and showed up on the doorstep of the family that i work for:


"My Williams Familia"

{The Williams}

And, as an incredible answer to a very tearful prayer, they took me in.

(by this point i am getting very good at showing up on peoples doorsteps with my bags in hand and praying that God will inspire them to let me in) haha

And so I was there for a week. I got to know the family better (they are fantastic!!!!) and I learned how to work better with Collin and his developmental disabilities. And then we left to CALIFORNIA that friday!!! Their family was having a big reunion type thing, so they decided to bring their nanny (me) along to live in SF for half a month!


"Operation: Pseudo-Mom in San Fran"

...and oh how incredible it has been. So the deal is that I am on the clock 24 hours a day. The good part: bonding time, fun trip, & the income. the less-than-good part: well. i'm on the clock 24 hours a day haha. And i didn't think it would be much different than nannying from 8am-9pm... but oh it is. I have completely taken on the role of temporary MOTHER! ...the most difficult role that i've ever played... it's a whole new lifestyle- one that i am NOT ready for haha. Part of it is instinct, but the other 90% is learning by trial and error. It is amazing how a child can entirely alter your lifestyle. Here are a few examples:
*I never go Anywhere without an extra pull-up and wipes. My purse serves dually as a diaper bag.
*When I get dressed in the morning, I pick something that can be drooled/spilled on and then hope it looks good.
*I have officially turned my getting ready routine into a comedy act in order to entertain him during that hour.
*I go to sleep at 9pm so i can wake up with him around 6am.
*Everything in sight is a hazard (to the owner), so I hide all valuables and electronics.
*When dishing up my own plate, I make sure to grab things that he likes and are easily cut into smaller pieces.
*I have his morning/night routines, habits, clothing, favorite songs, medicine amounts, and bedtime stories all memorized.
*My joy is no longer found in parties and bff's, it's eskimo kisses, sign time, and tickle fights.
*I've traded in my katy perry and ray lamontagne for 'i'm a little teapot'.
*My body is less for looks and more for a child's comfort.
*I tweet and fbook more about him than i do about myself.
*At any point in the day I could tell you how many hours til bedtime off the top of my head... but who's counting ;)

***

It is truly amazing what affects Collin has had on me and how attached i've become. I didn't even realize I was attached until they gave me a night off and I felt guilty leaving him. My thoughts the entire night consisted of 'oh collin would love this' or 'i'd have to keep collin away from that' haha. Motherhood is a mindset... I really missed him, and it's funny how i trust him with very few people. (i'm hesitant to even let grandma watch him). I also get defensive as if he was my own. Which, most people think that he does, in fact, belong to me. The blonde hair and blue eyes lead people to believe i'm 'mom'.
It's crazy because I feel like I GET moms a whole lot more than i did before... although i still have a long ways to go. But for instance: i've gained like 10 lbs. Finding time to exercise and cook healthy instead of just eating tons of mac&cheese/fruit snacks... tricky. It is also exhausting to get more than one person ready for the day, especially if one of you is tired and not wanting to. For some fights you just have to throw your hands in the air and let people judge your snot-nosed kid cuz you don't have the energy or desire to do anything about it. The other thing i could never understand is how parents could spank their children... and tho i am still against it and wouldn't do it, i TOTALLY get it hahaha. So with that being said, i will never again judge a frumpy mom or a dirty child... parenting is HaRd! Espesh since i was removed from a college (selfish) mindset and thrown to a 6 year old with disabilities. But I do feel like i'm getting the hang of it to some extent :)

So here is a look at my life with Collin up to this point, including our fabulous times in San Fran!!:






I have fallen in love.... with San Francisco, with Collin, and with the entire Williams/Baxter clan. We have had so much fun in SF doing things like touring downtown, driving across the bay and golden gate bridges as well as Lombard street, seeing China town and the Japanese tea gardens, spending a night at the Giants/Padres game, beach after beach after glorious i-never-want-to-leave-this-place beach, yummy Sushi, enjoying fresh picked berries while poolside, smelling amazing California warm rain, visiting the breathtaking Oakland temple to watch the sunset, and many other fun adventures!

Times are good, but I can't believe how quickly Summer is flying by! I'm not ready for my journey to end...

So the plan is... 3 more weeks in Virginia (with my home teacher driving me to Vienna for the weekends to be with my besties), then I move with the Williams family to Las Vegas (military fam), and then stay there for a bit and head back to Utah for school to start in Fall.

Wow has this Summer-in-a-suitcase been eventful!! And when it's all over, I will write my 'lessons learned' post... because I still believe that is the most important part. I am just so grateful for the many places and people the Lord has led me to. It amazes me how far I've come since I first stepped foot on the east coast, and I have Him to thank. This truly was my time to get away and get to know myself and my God better, because my love for both of them has grown immensely. I could never be grateful enough for this opportunity.

xoxo miss jer bree

DC

***The song you will be listening to after Ellen introduces them is Bethany's favorite and feels like the theme song for this time of my life***

Okay so this post has been a long time coming. And i've attempted it many times, but repeatedly failed to figure out where to start and how to go about it. Well. I think i finally found a structure that will work...

My adventures can be split into 2 significant parts:

1. What is happening TO me. (i.e. crazy events)

2. What is happening IN me. (i.e. lessons learned)

And that is how I will approach my journey from here on out. Because, if you ask me, #1 is only significant and meaningful when paired with #2. Who cares what is happening to me if it is not having an impact within.

Now let me begin with Part 1, and save Part 2 for my next post... (i will keep this as brief as possible even tho i could fill a novel with just this past month's happenings).


"Preparation- or lack of"

For a while, I had dreamed about visiting this...

{DC Temple- my favorite}

And then i met her...

{Lora Mitchell- Relief Society President}

and she challenged me to follow my dreams all the way to Washington, DC. After further conversation, she explained that she knew of a psych internship (something i was lacking) in the area as well.

So, as i do with all my crazy ideas, i took it to these 2 women...

{Left- Mindy. Right- Mom}

Mindy said: Go!
Mom said: Hell no!

Well maybe not in those exact words... but as any loving mother wouldn't be, she wasn't a fan.
...and so i toyed around with the idea. Prayed about it. Lots. And got my answer to go. My biggest sign it was right: mom finally came around and started being my biggest support (as always). And lots of other people pushed me along as I entertained this mad idea, like my fabulous roommies, brothers/cute step mom/heather and my good friend, Chi, jeffy/vick and tonsss of other wonderful people.

And so I woke up one morning and bought a one-way plane ticket to Washington, DC. I was nuts. Absolutely crazy. People keep telling me how much they admired me and how courageous and spontaneous and fun i was... but the only thing i really was: insane in the membrane. But it works for me. Somehow.

So I packed my bags and left to dc. I had absolutely no clue what I was doing, but there I stood saying goodbye to my mom at the airport security, having the biggest adrenaline rush of my life and feeling like I had finally made it to my breakthrough moment...

"My Smith Family"

I arrived in the evening, and headed to a place I would be temporarily staying while I got on my feet- this family's house...

{Dan Smith and family (only 3 kids were presently home)}

My mom's bffl is Di, whose cousin is Dan who agreed to take in some lunatic girl. And although they didn't know me or what walk of life I came from, they took me right in. And it didn't take me long to learn that they were some of the greatest people I've ever met. I fell in love instantly, and they took me in as one of their own.

They gave me a place to sleep...

attempted to teach me how to cook...

Helped me get used to this...

and this...

Let me spend time with them...

Helped me purchase her...

{Named: Virginia}

And reminded me of this...
While every night reading these...
And i finally got to go here...

Which was a huge turning point in my life...

You see, the first few weeks of my experience were not terribly glamorous. At all. I enjoyed my time with the Smith family and loved every second in their home, but times were tough. I was unemployed, homeless, and broke. None of which i would wish upon my worst enemy. I cried. I cried a lot. I cried every night and busted my butt everyday. I called and emailed and interviewed and networked and visited and begged and pleaded and applied and anything else I could possibly think to do- all day every single day. I hit dead end after dead end, and felt sick when I slept each night knowing no progress had been made in the previous day- Praying and Begging my Father in heaven to grant me some success. Any success. I was desperate.

And it was hard because everyone kept asking how my crazy cool adventure was... and all I could think of was swollen eyes & using starbucks wifi to apply for jobs all day. But my sis-in-law, Amber, sent me a message that validated my less-than-satisfactory journey with a most rocky start. I love her and am forever grateful for the sweet words and understanding she provided me with. My lover bum, Darby, also had a huge impact and served as a great support to me.

Well. This torment went on for days... and then weeks... and I was experiencing a mental, emotional, and physical distress unlike any i'd ever experienced before. The emotional breakdowns were extreme and frequent. The sobbing phone calls to my mom occurred much too often, and the time spent on my knees was remarkable. I felt confused because- God wanted me out here, but then left me hanging (or so I had thought). It was a rough time. A time where I found comfort in reading this...

I would lie there and think about all the expectations and wonders I had on my plane ride out there, and how none of them had been met. I asked myself what I was doing... I even asked others what I was doing- but they had no clue either. I was running out of money, and honestly thought that the end was near. I was devastated. Had i failed? Was i going to be heading home empty handed? Was that it?? It couldn't be. I wouldn't let it be.
But alas I called Mom, then Mindy, then Lora. And they each injected me with new-found hope. And so I pressed forward. And then, I went to the temple and met a wonderful sister missionary that touched my heart forever and reminded me to not give up on the Lord, because he hasn't given up on me.
And He never did. Not once. I gave up on myself, but He never did... and after the trial of my faith... he blessed me. Boy did He bless me...

"Bethica"

And then I met her...
haha who actually looks like this...
Say hello to my stunning best friend: {Bethany Campbell}

God really loved me when he sent me Bethany... cuz we are inseparable. Insta-friends. Huge helps to one another and shoulders to cry on- friends to rely on. We joke and say it was 'love at first sight'. Actually- only i say that haha but i'm sure she would agree. (no homo).
We have had the best of times with the worst of people/places/events... haha. We 'clicked' and 'get each other'. Coincidence? i think not...

We go to places like this...
And eat things like these...

This girl and i... are unstoppable.
E'er day is a party with us.
We play loud music in the car and jam out the sun roof, we tan on the beach and visit the zoo, we walk around DC and spill Arby's in the car, we meet random guys and ditch them frequently, we attend ward functions and have inside jokes, we play wingman for each other and laugh uncontrollably. We get scared of frogs and find as much free stuff as possible. We tell each other she is beautiful, and talk about the gospel. We share our fears and excitements, and take lots of sweet pics. I provide the car and she provides the food and we have the time of our lives.
Oh and we both have shopping addictions to H&M and Forever 21. :)
Here's a sneak peak at our crazy times:





Along the road... more fun people have been added into our adventures such as: Gwynne (the cute girl that B is a nanny for), Susie and Em Rodriguez, adorbs Mindie, and the LA boys (only two of which are actually from LA haha)...







And then I met him...

{Duncan Hartt}

Who is now serving a mission in California.

And now I spend my days here...

And i got a job as a nanny for him...

{Collin}

Which has been such a Huge blessing in my life!! It is sooo refreshing to spend my time and energy focusing on/caring for somebody other than myself. It has given me meaning and purpose unlike any I've found out here. And plus... I get to go with their family to California for 2 weeks and not only have a free trip, but get paid while we're out there! I am so grateful that God blessed me with this opportunity.

So thats what i'm doing these days... lots of playing with Bethany & Friends, beach time, bbq's, shopping, working 13 hour days, and soon I will start my internship.

Thus my journey begins... and with a crazy start at that. I look forward to the many things that await me, and cannot be grateful enough to those that have helped me thru. Family, friends, and primarily God- for none of this would be possible without them.

Stay tuned for the posts to come but until then...

xoxo miss jer bree

:)

Stress will kill you--don't let it!

A young lady confidently walked around the room while leading and explaining stress management to an audience with a raised glass of water. Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'...

She fooled them all ... "How heavy is this glass of water?" she inquired with a smile.
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. To 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long I hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress.

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."

"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.

So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down.

Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... Pick them up tomorrow.

1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue!

2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.

3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.

4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..

5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague

6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

8 * Never buy a car you can't push.

9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.

10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.

11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.

12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.

13 * When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.

17 * We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

19 * Have an awesome day and know that someone has thought about you today.
*Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate !*




Make today the first and best day of the rest of your life!