In a Funk

It has been a funk of a week. Ever have one of those? My back hurt, the energy was lacking, my eating and exercise habits went astray, extra long hours at work, a computer virus, and I adopted this 'whoa is me attitude'. Needless to say I am looking forward to a day off tomorrow to re energize and regroup. I am determined get a great start to the week, making it productive and energizing.

Fortunately I have a short week, as we prepare for Kennedy's confirmation next weekend. I am taking Friday off to do all of the necessary tasks that need to be done before family and about 10 of Kennedy's friends ascend on us on Saturday. This is just another important step in her life as she continues to mature and grow into a woman. I marvel at her growing wisdom and discernment and cherish the times when we are able to 'hanging out'. We just got back from running some errands and catching up on the weeks events and new friends. Next weekend we are shopping for her homecoming dress. I can't wait.

Once the dust settles on Sunday, with Monday being the holiday, a few extra days to catch up and relax a bit are being highly anticipated.

Madison started dance this week and LOVES her new class. This year we added lyrical and already she was throwing down some new moves. Those new moves caused some soreness as Friday morning. With all the drama she could muster she fell into my bathroom on Friday morning with, 'My muscles hurt sooo bad.'

Kennedy had her marching band debut Friday night and I was able to catch some great photos. She LOVES marching band and has enjoyed expanding her circle of friends. On Saturday she had her first cross country meet and unfortunately I was only able to hear about it in retro do to having to work. Luckily that will be the ONLY meet I have to miss this season. So after a night of football and marching band, the sound of the alarm was not a welcome tune on Saturday morning at 6:00 AM. Nor was the thought of having to run 2 1/2 miles. Tears flowed and accusations of 'you made me do this' flew, but by the time the race was complete she was witnessed to have said, 'That wasn't so bad. May be I should listen to my dad more often.' She finished in the top 1/2 of the pack and ran a 19:37 race time.

I had text ed her that morning saying "It is 20% physical training and 80% what you tell yourself." Hmmmm...may be I should have taken some of my own advice last week?

As I reflect back on the week the life lessons I took away, other than 'orange chicken' sits in my belly like a block of cement. Heed my own advice. What I say and how I react to situations, determines my attitude and how I feel about myself. And lastly...Family is IMPORTANT.

This week my Friday afternoon was extended in order for me to have the privilege of assisting a women secure a burial location for her husband of 40+ years whom she had just lost to pancreatic cancer. While we were in the cemetery looking at potential locations, the woman received a phone call. It was apparent that it was someone who did not know her husband had passed. With every ounce of courage she could muster she shared the news. The day was beautiful, the warm sun shining but in the midst of all of the beauty was a deep ravine of sadness. She finished the call with tears streaming down her face. She looked at me and said, 'that is only the second time I have said the word 'died'. I just don't know how I am going to get through this.' My heart broke for her at that moment and I thought about my family and close friends and how in a blink of a moment it can be gone. One word, one diagnosis, one wrong turn, and your life can be turned upside down. We gingerly walked back to the car, allowing her the time she needed to just be. My week long 'funk' didn't seem so bad.

We let so many things in our lives prevent us from spending time with those who mean the most to us. We let 'weekly funks', bad habits, over commitments, and life get in the way of growing relationships. What she would not have given to have just one more breathe, one more minute to say 'I love you', one more moment.

Cherish those around you. Make a phone call. Send an email. Spend some time. You never know when in the blink of an eye it can all change. I am officially proclaming my 'funk' gone!

love ya...

jill

TBD

I just finished folding load 6 of 7 for this week's laundry and am happy to say that after number 7 is put away, my weekend chores are done leaving the remainder of the day TBD. We all survived the first three days of school. Adjustments to the new schedules seemed to flow effortlessly.

On the work front, Milo is moving and changing roles. While nothing has been officially announced more should be evolving in the weeks to come. He is making some significant changes as he is excellent working with and leading others, so I would only anticipated improvements and progress in the weeks and months to come. TBD...

It took me a few days to get back in the groove at work after being gone for 10 days. But last week proved that I am 'back in the saddle' and sales are rolling in. I have a HUGE goal for the month of August running to beat my best month YTD and given that I was gone for the first 8 days of the month, should I be successful in meeting it, who knows what the remaining 4 months of the year will produce. I laughed to myself the other day thinking about my bucket list with one of the things to be a million dollar sales director with Mary Kay. Funny how paths change as I am currently on pace to do a million dollar in sales as a Family Service Counselor, in the funeral home business? I guess sales are sales any way you look at it. Being the rookie and having started the year with zero leads, working with 3 sales people who have been established for 10+ years and who two just last year broke the million dollar mark, I will be very happy with my accomplishments. TBD....

Consistency has also paid off in the workout department as I have been training for a 5K, keeping better tabs on my food intake resulting in the lost of 12 pounds in the last 6 weeks. September 4th I start a 10 week 'extreme body shaping program', an intense kickboxing and resistance bands training coupled with a nutrition program. The most extreme transformation takes home $1,000 at the end of the session. hmm..seems like a challenge to me! And my o! my what I could do with a $1,000 at the mall! TBD....

Kennedy is quickly realizing the impact of moving to high school with a tighter, fuller schedule. I am so proud of her as she is participating in marching band (2 hour practice before school) and cross country (2 hour practice after school). I can't wait for the first FB game this coming Friday and cross country meet on Saturday. She has been working very hard and I am sure the fruits of her labor will be rewarded. We are gearing up for confirmation in a few weeks as well as homecoming dress shopping. My! O! My! the next four years will be gone in a blink of an eye. That has already been decided!

Madison has been great about helping out at home with Kennedy's long hours away. Her schedule will adjust this week as she adds confirmation and dance on Wednesday and Thursday nights. She is becoming a beautiful dancer and this year will add an additional class. Lyrical, Tap, Ballet and Jazz and we were fortunate to get all four back to back classes on Thursday night reducing the amount of time we transport and the amount of time she is away from home. She is also continuing her violin, participating in the orchestra as well as joined the choir this year. I am bracing myself for next year, when she will also add organized school sports to her agenda. How will it all play out? TBD...

Last night we sent Kennedy off to her first high school dance, the Toga dance. Where I learned that Toga now means dress like as your friends, not parade around in a sheet. Thank goodness for the evolution of the Toga. She and 9 other friends dressed 80's style and the parents joined forces for group photos before negotiations were made on what vans would serve as drop off and pick up. I am still marveling at the fact that I do indeed have a freshman in high school. We were a drop off van and enjoyed all of the giggling that took place in the back seats with anticipation of the night ahead. With Madison sleeping over at a friends house, Mr. Milo and I took advantage of the rest of the evening hanging out at the nearest local establishment to sing a little karaoke before we dropped in bed at midnight. Kennedy checked in when she arrived at her girlfriend's house at 11:00. I asked how the dance was and all I got... "It was dumb." hmmm...I can't wait to hear more when she gets home today. Was it dumb, cause I don't like to dance in public places? Or was it dumb, just because it was new and I am a freshman, dumb? TBD....

So with the remaining 12 hours of my day, TBD I just made another pot of coffee, plugged in my new black cherry candle to enjoy and am contemplating catching up on some new releases from the video store while I stitch the afternoon away or holing up in the woman cave to plod along with my never ending scrapbook project. What to do, what to do? Well I guess that is TBD....

Firsts and a Love Affair Reborn

The first day of school was met with a butterflies and a bit of nerves as last night we were scrambling to locate temporary lunch cards, bus tickets, and school schedules, not to mention coordinating of the first day of school 'outfits'. I remember the anticipation of heading off to a new year with sharpened pencils and a new backpack. Of course the transition to middle school and high school was nothing compared to how the girls transition. My biggest transition was simply moving to the second floor for middle school and then down another hallway for high school all the while knowing everyone in the building. Transitioning to middle school now means consolidating with another elementary meaning now you only know 1/2 of the kids, moving to an entirely different building, bus schedules, locker combinations, and moving room to room for classes. Transitioning to high school means again doubling the size of your class, navigating the halls filled with sophomore, juniors, and seniors, a MUCH larger building, and more responsibility. In fact when we attended freshman orientation we learned that the high school feeds 1800 people a day. So this day was truly a land mark in our house.

We recapped the day tonight over Almond Chicken Stir Fry. Madison had her first 'bus ride' as she has never ridden the bus to school before. At 3:15 I got a text messaging saying, 'I made it!' She reported that she made it to all of her classes, lunch, and remembered her locker combination. Kennedy's only mishap was not once, but twice couldn't find her locker. But all in all a successful first day.

Tonight negotiations are currently underway for borrowing this top and those pants. There is much importance placed on the outfit for the day. In fact, it usually gets tried on and modeled for approval.

Once I verified that all successfully made it to their designated landing spots for the day. I was off after work for my rekindled love affair. For the past month about every other day, I have been hitting the track. It is something I did years ago, as most days ended on the black oval where all of the stresses and frustrations of the day were left somewhere between the lanes of 1 through 8. So I have been diligently working at perfecting my 9 - 10 minute mile time. With tunes blaring in my ears, for an hour most nights I am able to leave the days stresses and frustrations as well as a few lost pounds somewhere between the lane 1 through 8.

WHAT?

It was a delightful day turning the ripe ole age of 41. While yesterday I spent most of the day completing the mundane tasks of the weekend including the wash, groceries, errands, and bill pay. Today I chill-laxed.

Slept in a bit, sipped my coffee for a few hours while getting caught up on all of my favorite blogs, facebook, and email. Was greet by all family members with a hug and birthday wishes before we scooted off to church. Made my favorite Raspberry Lemonade Dessert for my beloved co-workers tomorrow. Did I mention I completely disagree with having to 'bring birthday treats on your birthday'. Makes no sense to me, however I succumb to the peer pressure aka..begging.

After church I was greeted with a dozen red roses delivered to the door, compliments of my mom and dad. Dropped in some ribs to simmer in my favorite BBQue sauce before Mr. Milo and I headed out to see an afternoon showing of 'Eat, Pray, and Love'. While the movie was average at best, being greeted by a packed auditorium to the tune of 'Happy Birthday' was definitely the highlight of the day. While I was gathering our popcorn and soda, Mr. Milo, who I 'thought' was in the bathroom was instead in the theater joining forces with all of the other patrons. When I appeared a thunderous round of 'happy birthday' was sung from the roof tops. And given the chick flick nature of the movie, the majority of the female audience was touched by his thoughtfulness, as he once again wins the hearts of many. Of course I was the only one who got to take 'full advantage' of the snuggle seats with the 'man of the hour'. ;-)

We ventured home to the alluring smell of smoking ribs. While the children shucked the corn. After all that is why I had children in the first place, I whipped up some good ole southern style corn bread. OK..so it was straight from the box. Complete with 7 layer salad it was a finger lickin good supper. Birthday cards were given as always they are from the 4 legged creatures of sort. As if showering me every birthday and Mother's Day with cards from the pets will some how sway by admiration? Threats of additional 4 legged animals of course were shared, but all know for sure that the gift of a puppy on ones 40th birthday by far surpasses any and all future gifts. After all wasn't it just a year ago as I closed my eyes and blew out the candles my only wish was for a 'puppy'? So with a little luck and some pixie dust low and behold that is 'exactly' what I got. And it is a DARN good thing she is CUTE. Perhaps I should try wishing on a star a bit more often than I do.

So a new puppy was replaced with some stylish, fashionable earrings and surprise chocolate cupcakes from Uncle Richard after a desparation text message indicating that I 'had NO cake to eat on my birthday!' P.S. Did I mention I LOVE CAKE?

The kitchen is cleaned and the leftovers tucked away for tomorrows lunch. With my belly brustin the next best place to land definitely is my bed to do a little channel surfin before nodding off.

Morning comes early with a 5:00 AM wake up call to get in my miles working off todays indulgences before a full day's work and a potluck for all new marching band members and parents, furnishing the other 1/2 of the 7 layer salad. But until then I will relish in a day that by far surpasses the dawn of welcoming my 40th year of life.

to all is well and to all a goodnight.

Hold On Tight

My o! My I guess you could say I have taken a break from attending to my blog. Lots happening in the Japenga household. Just got back from a FABULOUS vacation. Check out the slideshow below. If you click on the box in the lower right hand corner it will bring it full screen. It is LONG, but enjoy!

School starts on Wednesday. I have a 6th grader and a freshman! I simply can not believe it. I think I am more nervous for high school than she is. Kennedy is doing GREAT. Started 6 hour/day band camp practices followed by 2 hour cross country practices daily for the last week, not to mention an extra cross country practice on Saturday. Needless to say, she was whipped by Friday night and still had to attend a 5 hour freshman orientation. My only comment was...'welcome to high school'.

In addition to my nerves about having a freshman and a 6th grader, I feel like I am getting on a wild ride roller coaster. Just finished filling out the calendar for the first 1/2 of the school year. And before you know it I will be typing that I have a freshman in college!

Hence the reason for welcoming today another gray hair, the onset of gravity and crows feet, and those darn aching knees.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Mothers Day

A massage and a pedicure to City Looks. Dinner out for Mexican and a slide show!

Not a bad mothers day!

Someday

It has been a very trying week, month, year. I really don't know when it all started. But I have a glimmer of hope that things have turned the corner. Adjustments to schedules, added work, more responsibilities. Perhaps I needed to find my stride and settle in. Some times it is just too much to handle.

Music for me is a wonderful way to express my feelings and gives me inspiration and hope. This past month I came across in fact a top 40 song, that I actually like. It was resounding 'loudly' from my daughters bedroom and something about it just stuck. So I clicked and dragged it from her playlist to mine and have listened to it most everyday since. Perhaps is was a way of someone saying, 'listen up'.

So...maybe someday we'll figure all this out
Try to put an end to all our doubt
Try to find a way to make things better now that
Maybe someday we'll live our lives out loud
We'll be better off somehow someday

'cause sometimes we don't really notice
Just how good it can get
So maybe we should start all over
Start all over again



I shared with someone the other day who was feeling a bit low. I said, 'most days I just have to take it a minute, a second, a day at a time. I realize that I am grateful for a my faith, my health, my family, my home, and just what I need TODAY. I don't have it all figured out. But what I do know is I am OK for TODAY. Someday is someday, but TODAY is TODAY!

P.S. And TODAY was a great day. Carpets cleaned and look BRAND NEW! Haircut/color, manicure and pedicure, and lunch at my favorite place. Now if I could only have ONE more day, I would watch movies all day in my pjs and fulfill creativity bucket scrapbooking the day away. Well, may be not tomorrow, but 'someday'.

Back on the gravy train I go. ONLY $14K left to go to hit $100,000. Track meet in Iowa City. Chocolate chip cookies, an early morning bike ride, and reconnecting with my housekeeper.

But until that day comes I plan to enjoy the last few hours of TODAY, in my pjs, wrapped cozy in a blanket. surrounded by those I love the most.