Tarif

One beautiful aspect of my job is that I get to interact with so many kids. This is my 17th year in the classroom which means I have worked with almost 1000 students! Each year I have my favorite students (yes, I said it) and then I have stand outs from my whole career.

Tarif is one of those students I will never forget. I had him 11 years ago as a 5th grader.He is one of 7 children in his family. I worked with his older sister and twin brother through student council and I always said, that anyone in his family would have my vote for President of the United States.

Tarif worked hard in my classroom, but what I enjoyed most was his charisma. He respected the working environment of school, yet brought such life and light and humor to the day. He was witty and kind to his peers and respectful to all. I LOVED having him in class.

One thing you can't know in this job, is how you affect the students. You have them for 10 short months and then they move on. Few students keep in touch for a bit. Others I get to have siblings and get updates.



Tarif is an adult now and very involved in theater. I finally had the chance to go see him as the lead in "Jekyll and Hyde." He was UH-MAZING! He is so incredibly talented both as an actor and as a singer. He's an entertainer as he always has been!


We have kept in touch via Facebook, over the years, so when I saw him it was the first time since I had him in class (I was pregnant with Haley then). After the show he was surrounded by so many people waiting to see him. He looked up, saw me, and his face lit up. "Oh my God!" he said and he parted the crowd to get to me. He hugged me with ones of those hugs that squeezes you and lifts you off your feet a bit. He was just as excited to see me as I was to see him.

My kids got to see him in the next show we went to. It seriously made my spirits soar. I felt proud and honored.

Can't wait to see what the future holds for Tarif.

He still has my vote for President.

McEvoy Wedding- Love Fest 2015

Courtney and Ken's wedding weekend truly was a love fest. These two have been though hell and back and now it was their time. So many people helped celebrate the formal union of these two beautiful souls. It was filled with joy and celebration from the moment I pulled up to the house to the moment we buckled in to head home.





The venue- Santa Margarita Ranch, was magnificent. The wedding ceremony was under a huge oak and the reception was in the barn.

A stand out moment was at the rehearsal dinner when Court and Ken had Camryn open a very special package. It was framed pictured of the ultrasound of her little brother, due in April. WHAT A MOMENT! The people in the room didn't know either so there was an eruption of cheers and claps and tears of joy.

The night before the wedding, Courtney, Camryn, Haley and I stayed in a hotel. Here are the girls enjoying the bridal suite tub!
The 4 of us slept in the same room and we knew the next day was a big one. It was dark and Camryn kept us giggling- like and old fashioned slumber party. I kept looking at Courtney and saying, " You are getting married tomorrow!" It was so exciting.







Haley and Ryan both got to ride in a limo for the first time. What an adventure!



Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Maid of Honor- Look out!


The wedding was on Halloween, so the bridesmaids coordinated and turned our dresses into costumes. We added tiaras and a sash, all different "Miss" somethings- Demeanor, Terious, Chievous, Behavior. It was a cute idea.

This was right before we went into the reception. I pulled off my speech and Tony (best man) and I pulled of our song. Yes, in case you are wondering, we wrote original lyrics to "Hungry Like the Wolf" and sang it during our speeches.

This is us before we danced the night away and were sweaty fools! Haley and Ryan stayed on the dance floor too!
I wish I had a few pictures of the barn. It was decorated in a grand Halloween fashion complete with dry ice cocktails and a huge candy bar, which included every kind of candy. No child felt sad about not trick or treating that night.

This is the house we stayed in. We had so much fun and the house was beautiful.

Courtney's parents treated us to a lovely brunch in Pismo the day after the wedding.

It was a perfect weekend filled with love.I felt incredibly honored to play such a big role in such a major life event for these two. It was magical.

Pinecrest 2015

My favorite trip every year. This summer was different, but still beautiful. This spot is so special to me for so many reasons. I love that I share it with family and friends each year. If only I could get more campsites and invite EVERYONE!

One Direction

For Haley's 10th birthday she got a ticket to see One Direction with 2 of her closest friends. And, of course, the moms went too. SO FUN! Yes, this is from July- I am catching up!

If/Then- A Pivotal Day in My Life

Yesterday was the day before Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving that our family would be splitting. The first Thanksgiving I would wake up without my kids. The beginning of the holiday season. 

On this day before the holiday, I woke up and just broke down in tears. This is not something I do much anymore these days. I just stayed in bed and soaked my pillow as I leaned into the grief I was feeling. I reached out to a few friends and let them know I was hurting and to just keep me in their hearts that day.

Within an hour later, I had gone on a quick run, snuck back to cozy up in bed, and then the kids were back home. I let them relax for awhile and then it was go time! We were baking and cleaning for Thanksgiving. Haley was making a pecan pie from scratch and Ryan was making lemon bars. We were blasting Michael Jackson and baking together. All felt right. It felt festive and light and full of love. I smiled and soaked in this time with the kids.

And then I went to open the corn syrup...

 This ingredient was essential to our pie making. The bottle was stuck. And I mean stuck. I am fairly strong and can problem solve most things. Opening a bottle has never been an issue and if it was, I would just hand it to Josh. I went to open this bottle and it was tough. It wasn't budging. I thought to myself, "You can open this, Jen. You can open this stuck bottle." I tried again. "Come on. This is a sign. If you can open this bottle you can do anything." Grabbed a towel and tried again. " Fuck! Open this fucking bottle, Jen! It's a symbol of life! DO IT!" Nothing.

I had to have it opened. So, I marched outside, in my sweats, determined to go to neighbors' homes until I got it open. I saw the mailman right away. I walked up and asked him, kindly, to open the bottle. He struggled with it a few times (thank God) and finally opened it.

I walked back in the house with the biggest smile on my face. "Jen. That bottle was indeed a symbol. It's ok to ask for help. Sometimes you will need it and that's ok. Because when you need it, you will get it. And THAT is a symbol of life."

The day went on and we cooked and cleaned and showered.

The kids were going with Josh at 4:00 and I was heading to the city to see "If/Then." The week before, I had decided to buy myself a single ticket to this show in San Francisco. It starred Idina Menzel and it was something I wanted to do for myself.

 The entire intention of the evening was to take myself to the city and treat myself to a nice glass of wine and the show. Again it would be a symbol of independence.

The premise of the show is that it follows a woman's life which could have gone 2 ways. It was incredible! It was written for me in this moment in my life. The messages were clear and poignant and beautiful. The music was touching and the talent was beyond- I saw 4 original Broadway cast members.

The story touched my soul as it sent so many messages of knowing that life is life and you cannot ever second guess or wonder "what if?" At one point the main character said, "We only have this life. It's time to stop wondering about how it would be to live any other." WOW.

A few songs really hit home. Especially one titled, "What Would You Do?" The song asks if you knew how things would work out, would you still choose it? If you knew the pain you would have as the result of a relationship, would you still take that path? Would you allow yourself to fall in love with that person again?

Tears just streamed down my face because I, simply stated, have no regrets. I would do it all again for so many reasons.

Let me rewind a bit...as I planned my evening of independence, 2 ladies from work let me know that they bought 2 tickets last minute. They asked if we wanted to all drive up together even though we wouldn't be sitting in the show together. We had a great time talking and laughing and dining together before the show.

I wondered why my night alone turned into an impromptu ladies night with 2 women I rarely get to see outside of school. What was the message here? It was clear that it happened this way because I am not alone. No matter how sad I feel or low I get or lonely I feel sometimes- I am not alone and never will be. I don't have to do things by myself to prove to myself that I can do it. I can choose alone time or choose together time. I will always have someone to open a bottle if it gets stuck. I will always have someone to join me if I don't want to be by myself. I am independent and that is so much different than being alone.

I am surrounded and supported and extremely loved. That is and always will be. The time I have to myself can stay that way or can be filled by people who love me and are loved by me.

This Thanksgiving was different. It was foreign. It was definitely "If/Then" feeling. I feel comfortable in traditions. I am learning to be better with change- to accept it and breathe with it.

 Yesterday was a pivotal day in my healing.

I know I will be good. I don't know when or what it looks like, but I 100% know it to be true.

This day was gifted to me from my angels. I got clear, solid messages.

 This is my path and my journey.

My life is EXACTLY as it should be.

The Best Day of My Life

Have you ever been asked what the best day of your life is? I used to throw it around when talking and reminiscing about certain days and times- "Yes! Best day ever!" or "That was the best day of my life"

I changed my answer a couple of years ago and I thought about if it still holds true for me and it does.

I realize that today is, in fact, the best day of my life. This is why this is true. No matter what today is, good or bad, happy or sad, sick or healthy, tired or energetic- it holds with it, every single day in the past.
Today is one more day of life experience.
Today is one more day with my kids.
 Today is one more day of love.
Today I am a more experienced teacher.
Today I am a more empathetic friend.
Today I am a more experienced mom.
Today I am stronger than yesterday.
Today I am wiser than yesterday.
Today I have in my heart, all of the wonderful memories and life experiences that make me who I am and continue to become.

Today IS the best day of my life...until tomorrow.

Class of 1995

Last month I had my 20 year high school reunion. I know I have written about this before, but I LOVED high school. All 4 years were a blast. I know it was because I was involved in school and had great friends.

The weekend began on Friday night. Taryn flew in from AZ. We had a reunion of sorts for friends that weren't attending the reunion or weren't in our class. I hosted a happy hour at our house and then we walked downtown. The night included me, Tayrn, Sarah, Kristin, and Jena. It was a night full of  chaos and we honestly couldn't stop laughing. We relived old memories and entertained each other all night. God, it was just pure joy.

Reunion night we stopped by the high school to take a picture with the sign. It was Homecoming night so that added to the nostalgia.





The reunion was just so fun. I walked around from area to area and talked to several people. It was awesome to hear where people are and what everyone is doing. It was also fun to share old memories and hear things we had forgotten about. There was an awesome playlist playing- all songs from 1991-1995. I thanked the person who did it and the next week in the mail I got a USB with all the songs. How cool is that?



There were photos on the tables and all around. Meredith's head looks weird here, but it's because the photo was bent. That's us at senior prom.

Our cheerleading crew my senior year. I loved being a part of this. Not only did I enjoy the school spirit and the competition, but the feeling of a team through these 4 specific years in life. We worked hard and had each other's backs on campus. I will never forget the feeling of being a freshman and having a senior interact with me on campus. Nothing felt better or more inclusive.
These girls were my family of sorts. We spent long hours together and worked hard. So many amazing memories are forever in my heart.

Found this picture and laughed. The Homecoming King (my high school sweetheart) wasn't able to ride the float with me so I had this dummy next to me so I wouldn't ride alone. His crown fell down. oops!

I can't believe it's been 20 years. I cherish my high school experience for so many reasons. It was delightful to see so many faces associated with that time in my life. The people who organized it did an amazing job.

Can't wait for the 30th!