snow fun

Found this on my car super early tuesday morning. Thanks Parker for making me smile.

Came home the same night super late and found a bowl of homemade soup with my name written in black marker on the seran wrap.

Thanks Michele, for feeding me and making me feel at home.

I love the little things of life.


another horrible early morning picture. I know my camera isn't up to it, but I love taking pictures in the morning. (sorry RC1 for lack of skill - I blame it on my camera)

Since I'm blaming inanimate objects for my fuzzy photos I'll stick to the blame game and blame a truckload of reading, homework, oral presentations, work coming out of my ears at all hours in between classes etc. etc. etc. for my lack of quality blogging and a lack of continuity of thought. I'm all over the place. It does help me multi-task so I'm not complaining.

Speaking of complaining, do you know someone who is exceptional at the art of not seeing what they have and being grateful for it?

I do. And I have been given the special assignment of kicking this installer into gear and getting him out of his funk he's put himself in with all his negativity. It's almost pointless in my mind, (you bring about what you think about) except for the fact I'm always up for a challenge. How can anyone go through life without seeing all there is to be grateful for? I understand times when life isn't all roses every day. It happens.
The guys tell me I'm just the person for the job because I don't have any patience for this silly whiney behavior and they are expecting me to snap and tell this guy what's what one of these days.

I guess I could do it that way, but wouldn't it be better if I could stealthfully bend him into my way of thinking? Maybe I should prepare a lesson for the next time I pick him up from the airport with the not so subtle theme: 'Men are that they might have joy'

I can easily pick off 27 things already today that I can find a little bit of joy in.

example? OK! I'm all for cinamatic moments so I was loving it as I ran some errands earlier today. I came drove down into the river bed area of the Jordan River (right below the Jordan River temple) The sun was blindingly gorgeous on the snow, crazy cold wind was blowing the snow all over the road, and the horses in the field below me were running. Running just to run. One took off across the field and all his buddies followed suit. When they got there it looked like he was going to take off again. Horse tag? It was beautiful.

Is it a blessing to even be able to see blessings for what they are?

sandals in the snow

When I got ready for the day I put on my version of winter shoes. Well, sandals actually. With socks. (yeah, breaking all kinds of unwritten fashion laws) I thought I'd be fine since there wasn't any white stuff on the ground.

You can't blame me for wishful thinking.

Who knew I'd come out of class to a full on blizzard.

Severe weather watch even.

I'm now conducting business from under my down comforter.

praise to the man

"Faith is something greater than ourselves and enables us to do what we have said we'll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain." President Gordon B. Hinckley

light

I really scored big on my room. Ask anyone in the house, I spend hours in here. The light is fantastic. Light has been the topic in my color theory class the last week. Color is nothing without light. The more light added to a color, the stronger it will become.

You can draw parallels my dear readers, I'm thinking in an abstract way about light, but really don't have the energy to put it into words.












Dixie and Jack (Jackie's parents) are leaving tomorrow for the MTC, then they are off to New Zealand to serve. The people there have no idea how lucky they are to have these two.



I've talked about Jackie and Jeff and the whole family bunches of times, I absolutely love these people and count myself lucky to have them in my life.





Jack is an artist, and a phenomenal one at that. His style reminds me of Picasso a little bit. When I would stay at Jackie's on the weekends growing up, we weren't allowed in his studio. But on the off chance that we had any excuse to be in there I would soak in the smells of his paints an study his paintings in progress. I would love to have one of his pieces someday, if I can ever afford one! I have never gotten tired of looking at them, it's like they are lit from within. There it is again, light is in everything, isn't it?

the confessions of a candyholic

FIRST: A discovery. An expensive one, but a discovery all the same. My parents introduced me to a candy and I really hated it at first. Then started to enjoy (why did I even keep eating it you wonder? It's candy.) And now to my dismay: crave. Dismay because it seems to be a ZA thing. Can't find it here anywhere. I have been hoarding the limited amount I brought home with me. Today as I found the the last few pieces to be old and disgusting I took my obsession online. For R 9.45 (+ shipping of course) I can once again feed the craving. Not likely, but good to know.

Why are all my favorite snacks so inaccessible? My very most favorite candy on the planet is HI CHEW. It is a.maze.ing. I experienced it for the first time when I did a visa run to Tokyo. My last minute poorly planned trip took me to the airport where I spent the night like a vagabond, then turned around and came home again. While there, I never quite figured out the currency and exchanged what I thought was enough to buy dinner. It wasn't. The noodle machine (YES! There are noodle machines there!) said I didn't give it enough money. What I could afford: Candy. SO I ate Hi Chew for dinner and breakfast and then as I walked home I passed a store and AH HA! MI Chew, the Korean version. Hooked for life. Once, in Seattle, I bought out the entire stock at the Asian store. Ummm.

Please tell me you have all seen this movie. It used to be one of my favorites. Back when our collection of VHS tapes were kept in a numbered order. Filed by category and title with the option to be cross referenced by genre, and again by the number they were given. I would pour over the blue binder (titled 'purpose: for saving souls' obviously the work of non other than my dad) looking for a movie to watch.

I can't remember anything about this movie specifically, except that it was insanely strange and entertaining.

The reason I thought of it today was because I was searching my computer for a lost document (it through a full on fit, shut down, and in the process deleted a project I'd been working on) and so, out of frustration, I took a detour and went through some pictures for fun. I noticed something..

My most frequently asked question is: Did you do something different to your hair? Yes. I change it a lot. But I get asked more when I haven't actually done anything at all to it. Seeing the last year's worth of pictures tho chronicles that I shouldn't be so surprised when I get asked that question.

"Time flies on wings of lightning, we cannot call it back. It comes, then passes forward along its onward track. And if we are not mindful, the chance will fade away, for life is quick in passing. ’Tis as a single day"

Took this from a talk about wasting time and such. (blogging is so worthy of time spent, even I just spend 10 minutes of my day -and at least of minute of yours- talking about hair)

Can you name the song the quote comes from?

share my pain with me

For the last week we've been trying to schedule an install for a job in St. Thomas. No one is available for this weekend. It's been a nightmare trying to find someone to go because we are so short staffed and everyone is scattered all over the country already working on other important things.

So today the conversation goes as follows:

Nate and Chris back and forth, "What about him?" "Can't." What about.." "Nope." We all fall silent, dumbfounded for awhile that no one can go. Then go back to it anew, "What about...?" "Nice try, no."

It has been days and days AND days of this. Then a stroke of brilliance:

"Hey, lets send Angie and Jenna.."

"Not a bad idea..." "Not a bad idea at all..." I'm bouncing in my chair mentally packing my swimsuits and summer dresses.

Nate preceded to call Angie. The conversation goes something like this, "Yeah, it's the easiest job. We'll send you on friday, you'll work for an hour or two saturday then you'll have until monday or tuesday to play..."

BUT (Can you believe there is a but?!) Angie is going to Pheonix with her new boyfriend for the weekend. She has declined to go.

What?!? You should see my face right now. Portrait of letdown.

So instead of beaches, snorkeling and who knows what kinds of adventures,

I will instead make a snowman, get my socks wet no matter how careful I am, and maybe drink some pineapple juice and pretend I'm getting paid to be somewhere exotic. Dashed.

now you know

Just working on a paper and thought I'd share some pics from Africa. The only one I didn't steal off the internet is the one of the succulent. I love those things! I've sadly killed my last one...well, it's still barely alive actually so I shouldn't talk about it in the past tense yet. It could still make it so I shouldn't write it off. For such hearty little plants, they don't stand a chance when it comes to me and my gardening skills.



Did you know?

South Africa is the only country in the world with an entire plant kingdom within its borders with six separate biomes varying greatly from each other. The Cape Floristic Kingdom has more than 8,600 species, with more than half of those species being endemic, meaning they won’t grow naturally anywhere else. To put this in perspective, the Cape Peninsula, comprising only 6% of the South Africa, has more plant species than the whole of Great Britain.

Well, now you know. My work here is done.

watching the clouds

I was asked for the story behind why Camel is called Camel. Here you go:

When Coree and I were younger she would come and stay for the summer. For the most part we would have a lot of fun. I have ten thousand memories of these summers. Singing with the blender, (yes you read that right) EFYs that for the most part we didn't take advantage of, trips to the cabin, a trek, fighting over Steven, sleeping on the trampoline, watching While You Sleeping every single day for one entire summer, slurpees, fighting over how messy my room got when she came to stay.... (I was such an uptight child.)

This particular summer is so vivid in my memory. It started out rainy and green and we were spending a lot of time with friends up near Mueller Park area and for once, not fighting over boys or anything else. If I had to chose just one summer with her to be my favorite, this would be it.

But I digress, none of this has anything to do with the nickname.

One night I woke up to gulping. And not just any regular gulping but VERY LOUD gulping. Directly over my head.
I said, "CAMEL!" hoping this subtle name calling would make it stop.
The gulping was coming from Coree. Drinking what sounded like a gallon of water. Gulping stops momentarily for her to say, "duck?" gulping resumes.
Exasperated, "NO! CAMEL!!" I'm thinking she has got to stop. Gulping stops. Yes. Finally.
"Duck?" Gulping again.
"CAMEL!"
"Duck." More gulping....
I fell asleep at this point, lulled back to dreamland by the incessant gulping I suppose and next morning we found this exchange hilarious and thus, the birth of Camel.

I don't have much to say about my pictures of the desert. I guess the usual desire to be there is obvious.

I have a paper to write about a place, or object in nature that holds a lot of emotion for me. Strong memories evoked by the place, good or bad, and how I am inspired by this place to design.

The desert would be an obvious option for me. I'm having a hard time putting it into perspective though. The colors, the textures, the overall affect of so much beauty in such a hostile enviroment. How do you capture that in design? School rocks. I love it!!

Do you remeber not so long ago when I was cozy and comfortable in my desert worried about leaving it?

Me too! Now I'm even happier here, longing for it.

did you miss me?

I went private for a day, and now I'm back.

I called it my security breech. Nate at work wanted to see pictures of the cousin Camel I had mentioned in some random story so I sent him to her blog without thinking about the fact that she has my blog linked to hers.... "Oh! You have a blog too? Cool, what do you have to say..."

I was feeling shy. So I blocked him, and everyone else from seeing my blog yesterday.

I've had phone calls, emails, worried texts. It's all good. Should I ever indeed go private again, (not likely) you will all be very much invited to go exclusive with me.

Ok. Back to homework. I'll post something of interest later when I'm not up to my elbows in projects.

GOODBYE 2007 HELLO 2008

[PEOPLE]
1. Best friends? They really are the best, yes.
2. Lost any friends? Yes.
3. Gained any friends? Yes.
4. Met a new good friend? Definitely.

[PLACES]
1. Went out of the country? Half way around the world baby.
2. Moved? Yes. Twice.
3. New school? Yes!!
4. How many times on an airplane this year? Missouri, Seattle, LA, Johannesburg, Cape Town I think that makes 14 planes total this year if you really get down to it.

[YOU]
1. Have you changed? Constantly.

2. New look? Not really, just the same ever changing hair color.

3. Biggest conflict this year? Trying to sell my house and getting to a point where I am 100% free to move on with out anything holding me to that chapter in my life.
4. Most depressed time this year? January. It was a hard month but it wasn't even a very depressing kind of hard. It was just hard. Then it was over, and life moved on.

[LOVE]
1. Did you fall in love? Don't think you know the answer just because I'm not going to answer.

2. Did you get heartbroken? sure did, but so obviously for the best
3. Who was your summer romance? Do you really need me to answer that? If you read my blog I think you already know.

[SEASONS]
1. Favorite season this year? Summer. It was 'the summer of Jenna'. I did everything. Went places I've never been before, did things that both thrilled and scared me, started a garden, cooked a lot, spent long evenings on my bike or with friends or reading a million books. I played the piano, I worked hard and played even harder. I completely enjoyed every minute of it. All my memories of this summer have this fantastic warm tint to them. I don't think I could pack anything else into the season if I tried.
2. Least favorite season this year? January. The rest of the year was FANTASTIC.

3. Good birthday? HECK YES! Cape Town, my parents, the sights, the food, the insanely beautiful weather. Everything about that day was perfect. And then my bday stretched on for the next few weeks. I really know how to milk it! Next year I'm going for the whole month following.

[FINAL QUESTIONS]
1. Snuck out? No
2. Met a person who will change your life? yes

3. Had a first something? yes

4. Liked someone who did not like you? yes
5. Lost family member? Yes

6. Got bad grades? No. Ask me next year.
7. Done something you totally regret? Yes.

In 2007 I...

[x] broke a promise
[x] made a new friend
[ ] fallen out of love
[ ] lied
[ ] went behind your parents back
[x] cried over a guy

[x] disappointed someone close
[x] hid a secret (not a bad one)
[x] pretended to be happy (I agree with Amy, sometimes you just have to)
[x] kissed in the rain
[x] slept under the stars
[x kept your New Year's resolution
[ ] forgot your New Year's resolution
[x] met someone who changed your life
[ ] met one of your idols
[x] changed your outlook on life
[x] sat home all day doing nothing
[ ] pretended to be sick
[x] almost died (who really knows how close we get right?)
[x] given up something important to you
[ ] lost something expensive
[x] learned something new about yourself
[x] tried something you normally would not try and liked it
[x] made a change in your life
[x] found out who your true friends were
[x] met great people
[x]wish there were someone that was sill your friend
[x] stayed up until sunrise
[x] cried over the silliest thing
[x] was never home on the weekends (more than half the time)
[ ] got into a car accident
[x] had a friend(s) who were drifting away from you
[x] had someone close to you die
[x] wasted money on food
[ ] had a fist fight
[x] went to the beach with your best friend
[x] saw a celebrity (Captain Jack on Hollywood counts doesn't he?)
[x] liked more than five people at the same time (kind of hard not to, unless you're an ogre)
[x] became closer to a lot of people

If you could change one thing about 2007, what would it be? I wouldn't have wasted so much time worrying about things I couldn't change.

Who is the person who influenced your life most this year? My Savior.

What was your New Year's Resolution? I didn't really make any. I never have been big on them. The biggest thing I wanted out of 2007 was to make sure I really knew who I was, what I wanted out of life and really make it a point to make my life the best I could. I understood better something about the way I was doing things before that I didn't like and I set about changing it. It is so good to look back at the year and see some real progress. It makes 2008 all the more exciting to me!

i left my flare at home sir

Quick pup update then a story that will make you glad you aren't me.

If you remember, at the beginning of the summer Katy had to give Max back to Best Friends because he was causing a lot of problems with her other dog and her HOA. I felt for her, she was completely crushed losing her boy. I knew how she felt and still feel the loss at the strangest times, it can still bring tears to my eyes when I think about how much I miss my dogs. But I knew Max would be fine back in Kanab with his canine pals. Max is in heaven so long as another dog is around to play with him.
Katy emailed me today to let me know she'd gone to a BF Super Adoption in Vegas and asked our friends how Max was doing.

They were happy to let her know he'd been adopted again! Third time is a charm I hope!

She then told me she was at the dog park a few days after this and who should she see?!? MAX! Doing his thing, chasing dogs, smiling his lopsided grin and his third mom is completely in love with him too. His problems don't seem to be problems in his new home. A perfect fit.

I've sat here bawling my eyeballs out thinking about my boys living large in Vegas. Oh my heck. They are just dogs. But they were so much more to me. I'm just so happy they are being taken care of by good people.

OK, my store: (sorry the pup update got a bit longer than planned)

I knew my first week of school couldn't go off with out a hitch.

Thursday night as I killed time in Barnes & Noble before my 8 o'clock IT course I started to feel suspiciously hot and dizzy. Uh-oh. The flu has been kicking butt and taking names in our household, was I next on the list? It looked to be that way.

I didn't want to believe it but even as I sat outside in 32 degree weather in a t-shirt completely overheating I knew things did not look favorable.

I tried to talk myself out of it as I made my way back to campus but as I walked I got more and more unsteady, clammy and the full body flu-ish ache nightmare set in with unnatural speed. I thought the least I could do was let my intimidating professor know I tried to be there and get him to sign my financial aid paper.

The only problem was that as I waited next to his desk two guys jumped ahead of me and he was bombarded with stupid questions he wouldn't have been able to answer even if they had been polite about it. I could see him losing patience as I tried not to lose my cookies. Then another guy jumps in front of me as I'm trying to talk to the guy.

Seriously, am I invisible? I know I'm there, I can my reflection in the window. I look like a maniac. My hair is everywhere, I'm sweating and shaking and an awful shade of grey, I decide the campus is crawling with jerks. I'll take this back at a later date I'm sure. I was feeling very ungracious. Don't mess with me when I'm sick.

So next thing I know I'm getting yelled at with this other guy about asking to get our papers signed: "Can we do this later when the whole class isn't waiting on you?!"

Something about getting yelled at by teachers doesn't sit well with me. I've never been able to deal with very well. And worse yet, I'm weepy when I'm sick and so I stutter out a pathetic attempt at an audible English sentence about being sick and could he please just sign the paper so I can get out of dodge.

He was unsympathetic and scratched his name into my paper as he told me I'd be missing a lot of important information.

I'm already scared of the class. I took the assessment test tuesday and passed by the skin of my teeth. The professor, a guy about my age and not unattractive (not that I care, but somehow I think it has something to do with the attitude) has it out for me already. I can almost read his mind. Instant dislike. Never a good thing. I may be over reacting. Again, all I have to go on is this experience and I am probably not a good judge of character with a raging fever.

I sit back down at my computer out of shear terror. (No, not really. I was feeling better do to the adrenaline rush of humiliation) and he starts in on a quick get to know you thing. Could we please stand up, state our name, and tell a little about something that gives us flare. What is this, Office Space?

He picks me to start first.

Fantastic.

I stand up. I'm shaking and holding onto the desk and ask if I can just do it sitting down. "I'd rather you not" This guy HATES me.

"Hi...I'm Jenna...I'm an interio..." He interrupts me, "Last name please." OK. Geez. If I were up to it I would have had this guy in my cross hairs I'm sure. "Thanks for reminding me, yes, last name... obviously I don't feel well...I can't think of anything to do with my flare right now...I'll tell you all about it later. Wait for it. It is going to be awesome."

Class laughs. Teacher sneers.

I make it about half an hour more before I made my get away including a horrible pit stop to the ladies then stumbled home to lay in bed shivering for the next 48 hours. Thanks to Jared & Camel for the Jamba juice when I didn't think I'd ever eat again, you saved me from myself.

The best part: I get to go back to that class. I'd drop it and hope for another teacher but I'm not that big of a pansy. I have something to prove now. I'm not the girl anymore. It's not 3rd grade art when the teacher yelled at me for outlining everything in black and made me cry. This is college and I'll be the one making people cry! C'mon dude. I hope my financial aid paper was crawling with germs. Ok. Now that was really horrible. I didn't actually mean it. But then, if I didn't, I would have erased it huh?

riddle me this

scrieaxte

Project: Make a word by removing 6 letters.

This is a little riddle my instructors gave us last night. Yours truly was the one who figured it out. :) It felt like redemption somehow. Work has been an uphill battle with things I just can't wrap my head around. There have been improvements. Small ones. It gives me hope.

blurry

This wasn't supposed to be blurry, it was supposed to show how cool the temple looks on my walk in to school in the mornings. Reasons (not to be confused with excuses): I was walking as I took it (too cold to stop) and no flash (so I wouldn't draw attention to myself and the bright eyed freshman I am, too much enthusiasm in the early am would be considered lame I'm sure) I'll try again sometime.


I avoid the elevators at all costs. They take forever, have no less than 10 people in them at any given time. And frequently get stuck, not something I'm too keen on experiencing first hand. So I trek. And all my classes are on the 7th and 8th floor. I love climbing stairs. It's coming down that hurts. My silly skier knees.

my arm is missing

my alarm didn't go off (don't ask why) but luckily I woke up and made it to class (almost) on time. Second day and I'm already making great impressions. I am so impressed with my instructors! Check out my color theory instructors website here. The portfolio in particular is amazing. His style is so much like my favorite designer, Kelly Wearstler. And I get to learn from this guy.

I left my cell at home today. It has unavoidably become an extension to my arm. I've gone to reach for it no less than a gazillion times already today and the frustrated emails from the guys on the road wondering if I'm ignoring them for the fun of it are making me thing an hour round trip home to get it would almost be a good idea. Instead I'm crying about it to you. I keep absently hoping that it will materialize in my bag somehow.

I need my google, my email... you're laughing at me and thinking 'I could go days and days with out my phone.' Bold statement my friend. Try it sometime.

living the dream

First day of classes! Or maybe I should say first day of class since I only have one class on Mondays. So far I absolutely love school.

This day has been years in the making. When I came home from Korea my plan was to work in St. George for a couple of months until school started in SLC and I would be there...
Obviously my plans went a little differently than planned. The last couple of years have just confirmed that design is in my blood. I am happiest when I'm knee deep in a project. I moved my room around, again, because it's the closest thing to decorating I could get my hands on. Michele was careful not to call it a sickness! Let's call it a passion.



Driving to work after class I felt on top of the world, feel like I'm living the dream. Finally. Last year was about decisions and switching things up again to get back on track.

This year is all about refinement. Throw me in the fire baby. I'm so ready to see what I'm made of.

what job security?

I almost lost my job this week. I had told them about school when I interviewed and they had said, 'We completely support you going to school, we'll do whatever it takes.' Except let me go to one of my classes that takes me away during the day for an hour, three days a week. I'm feeling a little less loyal and a little more like I will keep a look out for other possibilities. I've watched the way these guys work and I know they throw blame around like it's a diseased frisbee so I suppose this week was my turn to get hit in the face with a flying disk of fury. I did realize how much I wanted my job until I had to really fight for it.

The bright spot in this madness was I had Sarah's bridal shower to do Thursday night. I went home sick with a migraine the day before the party so that left me the day of at Costco praying for inspiration. I had luckily already done a lot of shopping for it so all that was left was food and fresh flowers (Kate Spade says NEVER throw a party with out them) I thought of all things Sarah and hope I put together a night that will get woven into the many memories from this fun time in her life. It was so great seeing people from the ward I grew up in and see Sarah center of attention and glowing.

Joni was there sans Amy who is in St George (we missed you!) Joni is one of those people in all my memories of YW and camp and sleepovers. I once spilled tomato soup on her white carpet, she didn't even blink an eye. I thought I'd be banned from the house!
She got hurt a few months ago in a freak accident right after Amy had her baby and we all so glad she is doing better.

Coree just came in my room to ask me why I had pine tree branches in our drawer in the fridge. I was distracted and told her I used them at the shower in the water with pineapple bits. She thought I meant I'd just taken a shower with these things. No Camel. I put them in the water AT the shower. It was tasty. Try it sometime. I saved the extra to make my favorite pork dinner sometime. And it is rosemary, not pine trees!



















If you are one of my readers who check in with Kickbutt you've already seen pictures from earlier this week when we all got together at Grandmas house while the California cousins were in town.

Playing Bang!, an Italian cowboy card game I'm sure I'd eventually understand if I could focus for more than a minute on learning the rules. Heather and Grandma are represented in the photo by their arms. Sorry ladies!

OH! And some really, really great news - This blog is being brought to you from my very own new fantastic lap top!! If you didn't already know it, you know it now, I'm a very spoiled girl. Thanks M & D for my beautiful blue Chritmas present.

Happy Birthday Dad!

You are a one of a kind, fantastic guy Daddio.

Memories that came to mind today:


I love not laughing at your jokes. (then laughing about them later when you can't see)


You make an excellent peanut butter sandwich. You made my lunches for years and those were my favorites. Jackie always wanted my lunches with my capri suns and fruit snacks. Little did she know the sandwhich was the best part! Then in high school when I'd wait til the last minute to get up you'd make me instant breakfast and bring it downstairs with a pop tart I could take with me as I ran out the door. I never thanked you enough I'm sure.


The funny, unique things that make you You: sleeping with one eye open, prepared for any event, loads of questions, silly jokes, tic tacs in your coat pockets, socks with sandals, 3 x 5 cards litered about with lists or more questions to be asked, news radio, fire extinguishers, a drawer just for batteries, monster flashlights and the phrase 'What's going on in here?'... the list goes on and on of things that remind me of you.

Arguing with you about the color of the porch light (yellow makes people look bad dad, who cares if it keeps bugs away?)


I love how you study the gospel and how it is such a gigantic part of your life. I liked seeing you in your office, space heater running, completely immersed in your studies.


Popcorn, root beer and ice cream, staples for a healthy diet. They go with movies, favorite TV shows, nintendo marathons or sitting on the front porch. (Don't think I am forgetting peanut butter, it just goes with out saying it was there)

The way you and mom are together. Taking walks, whispering about me thinking I can't hear you, eating yogurt with peanut butter, going on trips, laughing, reading, etc etc. You inspire me and show me what true love looks like.

Thank you for always being there for me, you are the best example. I look for your qualities in the guys I date because I know if I find someone who will treat me as good as you treat mom, I will have found perfection. (or close enough)

Love you always.