victory

Women's Fitness 5k Run/Walk

all proceeds went to:
Center for Women in Transition & The Crisis Nursery

Congratulations to Sarah and Elena, who both ran their first race ever and they did great! It was at beautiful Crystal Lake park in Urbana.

ps. notice the leaves on the ground. the orange and brown outfit. the spectator's jackets. its fall.

Ah, the University Life...

Today is the first day that it feels like this:

The day is full of possibility. It's a drizzling gray September morn, and the campus is just beginning to come alive. Like a slumbering giant, the student body stretches and wiggles its way awake, a little at a time. People show up here and there, wizened professors with horn-rimmed glasses and eager students wearing argyle sweaters, carrying soft leather bookbags and walking to class. Some clip along at a brisk pace, racing the clock as the bell tower tolls, its sound reminiscent of another era. Others stroll in pairs, discussing philosophy and science. They drop into the espresso shop, to emerge each clutching a steaming cup of their favorite morning coffee, the drink warming their fingertips through the thick paper. Clusters of historic redbrick buildings loom over the well-worn walkways, where the lines of large oak trees are dropping an occasional browned leaf- warning us that fall is swiftly coming in with the cool winds.

God's Words Never Cease

I like this message from Elder Holland.

One way that God speaks to His children is through living prophets. I'm excited to listen to His message delivered by His servants in two weeks at General Conference.

a better day

Today is a better day. Thanks for your kind notes of encouragement, wise words of advice, and some get-your-bum-into-gear-and-stop-feeling-sorry-for-yourself counsel. I needed them all.

I'm not saying there is any magical cure for overwhelmed-ness, but much prayer, a long nap, cleaning my house, some pilates, a good meal, and getting 3 chapters of mind-numbing Neuro out of the way may have helped. PLUS! (and this is the kicker) having this cute guy come home to me at the end of the day, and getting to spend the whole night with him!

Ode to the Husband

Ode to the husband
who loves me day and night
even when I'm stressed
Ode to the husband
who encourages me,
makes sure I'm at my best

Ode to the husband,
who always makes me happy
even when I'm down
Ode to the husband
who cracks silly jokes
making a smile from my frown

Ode to the husband
who does the laundry
when I don't have time
Ode to the husband
who can make great meals
and flavor things with thyme

Ode to the husband
who does all this and more
while studying quantum physics
Ode to the husband
also solving the energy crisis
(not too shabby for his first year, is it?)

Ode to the husband
who is my rock and biggest fan,
the love of my life
Ode to the husband
who keeps me going day after day,
I'm so glad I'm his wife.

i just cant

im sick. (pretty sure its the swine flu). gradschool is testing us...physically, financially, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, maritally (is that a word?)
i just cant do it.
i cant wake up early and go to bed late, never see jonny, work 8 hour shifts on my feet, defend my faith, drive to rantoul, worry about attending class and clinic and make data logs and flashcards and read research articles and write essays and lab write-ups and lesson plans, buy therapy materials and go to enrichment and be a member missionary and do my visit teaching and attend mutual and plan YW in excellence and babysit the neighbors and bake cookies for the people next door and write missionary letters and keep our house clean and do the laundry and go to the bank and buy groceries and stress over student loans and keep up the budget and do the dishes and plan trips and schedule group meetings and coordinate carpools and look for campus jobs, make time to exercise and design t-shirts and research summer classes and pay parking tickets and keep track of quarters and memorize bus schedules, read the scriptures twice a day, miss my family, write in my journal and think about life and be an adult, study for the basic skills exam, support my husband and save money for the co-op and calculate tithing and make new playlists and read my textbooks and figure out what the heck im doing with my life...
its 8:48 on thursday morning and i am going to bed.
i hope i wake up with new resolve.

im unna miss her

When she called this summer and told me she was going on a mission, I was SO happy!


When I went to California last weekend for a day with her in the LA Temple, I was SO happy.


When I think about her going to McAllen, Texas and speaking Espanol, I am SO happy.

When I know that she is going to spend 18 months serving and teaching and bringing people to Jesus, I am SO happy.

But when I remember that she has been my best friend for a lot of years, all the stuff we've experienced, the places we've been, the tears and laughs we've shared... the way she has been there for me through EVERYTHING, the way we learned how to be grownups (wait, did we?) together, and how much she means to me.....I am a teensy weensy bit SAD.

But I'll be ok. This isn't about me, its about Hermana Jennifer Suzanne Jones, sister missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, reporting to the MTC October 28, 2009. :)

Olive Juice! I'm so proud of you. I'll write, I promise.

on creativity.

wisdom from jonny: "dont limit yourself because of what other people might think, there will always be someone to compare yourself to. it doesn't matter who is better or worse or the same... do something because you enjoy it. and then share it with the people you love most."
:)

26 years on earth

Sept. 11 2007

Sept. 11, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Jonathan David Young was born on September 11. 26 years ago!
Oh how I love him. I'm thankful that his wonderful parents decided to bring him into the world, and raised him up right. And I'm thankful that 2 years ago (on his 24th birthday), he picked me to spend the rest of forever with. Wowza.

We had a blast celebrating yesterday. Even though we both had school stuff to get done, I did everything I could think of to make his day special! Right down to the smiley-face oatmeal breakfast. We had cake (my first ever carrot cake turned out pretty dang good, if I do say so myself.) and gave presents (surprise!) and ate a picnic lunch together on campus. At night we went to the Meadowbrook Jazz walk, complete with tons of jazz bands and modern art (one of the coolest things I've ever attended), and went out to dinner at Famous Dave's BBQ! Much roasted meat and tangy sauces and butter-drenched veggies were had.




Love you, Jonny!

YEEEEAAAAH!

2009 BYU Football Poster - Photo by Mark A. Philbrick/BYU

BYU- 14
OU- 13



We are excited!
GO COUGARS!

http://www.sltrib.com/collegesports/ci_13280656
http://www.byucougars.com/football/
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=252

underestimator

Hi, my name is Mary, and I'm an underestimator.

I think, in general, I'm a pretty responsible, logical person. I like to plan. I like to think that I have a grasp on how the world works. But somehow, I'm still an underestimator.

I was in denial about it until we had been married about a year and my husband gently (finally) pointed it out to me. We had a joint Church calling at the time. . . ward activities committee chair people. . . which required a LOT of estimating. After about 3 trips to Costco, and the accompanying parties, for which I underestimated the food needed, even with me calling him multiple times during the shopping- me: "are you SURE we need 10 bags of hotdog buns? thats 80 hot dogs!" (as if I need to do the math for him), and him, patiently: "yes, babe. just buy them". . . he pointed it out.

I don't do it all the time, or about everything. But in general, I underestimate. This has been a hard realization for me. I used to criticize a much-loved friend about her 'logical fallacies' about things, like what people could accomplish and how fast time passes...she would expect an entire full-cast theater event to be planned and executed in only one hour, or think she could drive to the moon and back in 20 minutes. (not literally, but you get the idea). I've come to grips with the fact that I may have joined her ranks. And I am trying, through my new awareness, to adjust my perspectives/educated guesses/judgments/reasoning. . .before it gets out of control.

Some recent examples:
I underestimate-
how long it takes me to get ready in the morning
how long it takes to drive to Jonny's lab
how much foot/bicycle/bus traffic there will be on campus
how much preparation I should do for my first day of being a 'real' school SLP
the "maintenance/ongoing costs" of things ( like having a dog, or buying a car)
how long it will take to save up for a downpayment
how much food growing boys can eat
how much I can get done in one afternoon
how much reading is required in grad school
how many bananas we go through each week
how many people will show up to things
how long working from 5pm to 1am will feel
how emotional I will get about dumb things
how much money we can live off of
my loving husband also tells me I underestimate my abilities and talents and beauty (he's a keeper).

I guess lots of these examples have to do with time and money. Time is a funny thing. I think it's the ONLY thing in the whole world that we all get in exactly the same portion (24 hours), regardless of race, job status, religion, culture, class, etc... I think it's also the only thing that can seem to "fly by" and "drag on" at the same time for the same person's experience. Maybe time is just tricky and money is hard. Maybe I'm finally learning what "real life" is like. Maybe I'll just call myself a free spirit/spontaneous/don't-let-things-like-deadlines-and-bank-account-limits-bog-you-down-and-loose-perspective-of-'what-really-matters' person. Maybe I shouldn't feel bad for being an underestimator.

Anyone else out there suffering from the same disease? Any cures? Support groups?