The Burrs

Reagan's Blessing

2012-01-10T17:06:00.001-07:00

Reagan was blessed on November 26th. We took advantage of Brooks' family being in town because of Thanksgiving.

Everyone gathered in Grandma and Grandpa Burr's living room, and a small lunch was served afterward (thanks to both of our awesome moms).

...the entire experience turned out beautifully.

Reagan was dressed in my own blessing dress used 22 years ago (almost to the exact day)

After our Bishop welcomed everyone, a prayer was said, and a hymn was sung (which actually turned out to be pretty funny. The hymn was "Love at Home"...but no one knew all the verses, so there was a lot of humming going on). Then, all the men gathered around my sweet baby, and Brooks gave her a beautiful blessing. My grandma Beth held my hand the entire time.

By way of the Spirit, Brooks told Reagan that she was a very special little girl.
That her family loved her.
That she will grow up and have joy in the Gospel.
And that, most importantly, her Heavenly Father sent her to us because He knew that she would not only bless our lives, but the lives of so many people throughout her life.

Many more sacred sentiments were said, and Reagan stayed perfectly still the entire time. It was a precious experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

My Girl

2012-01-05T01:00:00.000-07:00

Reagan is 8 weeks old today.

Time has flown. I feel like November 10th was yesterday..not two months ago.

My baby girl has already grown two inches since then, and has gained 3.5lbs. I took this picture of her (below) on Sunday in the Mothers Room at church. I was changing her diaper, and I started to weep because I was so overcome with how beautiful she was. I stared at her for a few minutes as she looked out the window, with her eyes full of curiosity and wonder. I felt like Emilee was there with me, smiling down at Reagan, and basking in the beauty of life. While others in the building were learning about Christ in their Sunday School lessons, I was learning about Him while changing a diaper.

Many people have dreams of seeing the world and experiencing everything that the earth has to offer...but after having Reagan, I have realized that my biggest dream is to be a mom, and watch my family grow. That might seem boring or unadventurous to most, but I don't care. Nothing is more fulfilling than sacrificing your time, body, and energy for someone else. It is hard, and I mean really, really hard, but it is incredible.

The Graduate!

2012-01-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband is done with his undergraduate career. FINALLY. It's been a long road for him, but he made it to the end! I am so proud of him, and all that he has accomplished. He is such a great example to me, and I love him more every day. He is such a good husband, and he is the most wonderful father to Reagan. He adores his girls, and we adore him!

To celebrate his graduated-ness (and the fact that he no longer needs to comply with BYU's grooming standard) Brooks grew a big ol' beard over Christmas break. He shaved it yesterday, but this is what it looked like.

I love my handsome, graduated, grizzly man!

Christmastime

2012-01-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Christmas, Harry!

I watched Harry Potter 7 part 2 twice this Christmas (thanks, awesome husband!) and I like how the British say Happy Christmas -- it's fun. Anyways, wow, I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone -- and now we've entered the new year!! I've been a little MIA, but there has been a very good reason for the absence (Reagan, duh). Well, it's time for an update!

Life in the Burr home has been as crazy as ever. Once finals week ended (THANK GOODNESS) we were able to finally take a breather and celebrate the Christmas festivities with our families. Here's what we did during our Pre-Christmas week. On Monday (the 19th) we went to the Festival of Lights (just me, Brooks, and Reagan) and had a grand 'ol time. We kept telling Reagan to look at the lights, but she slept the whole time, naturally. Unless she's hungry, the moment Reagan is put into the car, she falls asleep...seriously. Our car is a sleep machine for this little babe. Anyways, it was really nice to just have a little family date. We loved it, and it was a good kick-off to the rest of the week's celebrations.

On Wednesday (the 21st) Brooks' sister Bethany and her boyfriend, Aaron, flew in for Christmas. It was so fun to be with them. If we weren't with my family or at a party, you could find us at the Burr's house playing Balderdash. We probably did about 40 rounds collectively. That game is a riot if you have fun people to play with.

Playing games --- yep. That's a hooter hider that I basically never took off the whole break. There is a reason my baby is 12 lbs. She's a porker.

Grandpa Burr with his favorite granddaughter

On Friday (the 23rd) we did 'Christmas Jobs' to earn money. This is a tradition that Brooks' parents started when their kids were young. They all do specific chores throughout the house which earns them money to buy Christmas presents for their siblings. It's such a great idea that we can't wait to do with our kids. After the jobs, we packed up Reagan for her 'Coming Out Parties'. Basically we had yet to take her anywhere because she was too little and susceptible to germs (still is, but I'll be worried about that til she's 50) so we dubbed Friday her 'Coming Out' day, where our extended families were finally going to meet her. It was so fun! We first stopped at Brooks' Grandma Hazel's Christmas Family Home Evening. It was so adorably decorated! Grandma Hazel put so much time and effort into the party, and the food was delicious. We stayed for an hour, then headed out to the farm for the Sainsbury Christmas party. OH BOY. It gets bigger every year. I have 12 aunts and uncles, and 48 cousins - 25 of which are married (which brings the cousin+spouses count to 73), and 20 of them have kids..which means a LOT of kids. It is a mad house, but it is a mad house full of love, laughter, and Christmas cheer. I know that this party will have to come to an end someday (because of the fact that nobody's house will be able to continue holding the 100+ that can make it to the party) but I hope that day won't come for a long, long time.

Reagan did great at both parties, and Brooks and I agreed that her Coming Out day was a complete success.

On Christmas Eve, we woke up, did a little shopping for Reagan, and then went to Brooks' parent's house for Christmas Brunch with his family and his uncle's family. It was so fun! I haven't met a lot of Papa Burr's side of the family, so it was great to finally meet some of Brooks cousins. After brunch, we played a little Buzz Word and Balderdash, then headed up to my parent's house for Christmas Eve festivities. Since our parents both live so close to one another, we decided to switch off who we spend Christmas Eve/Morning with every year, so this was the Sainsbury year. We had a great time! We ate a delicious meal, then played games and opened our pajamas from the elves. There was a pretty funny moment when I opened my 'elves' pajamas...I asked Brooks for big pants; ya know, the loungy kind that are big and comfy. Well he really took that request to heart. He got me some Old Navy pants that were HUGE! When I held up the pants in front of everyone, it got a big laugh -- and my mom came right out and said, "Woooooow, those are humongous!". I have a big behind, always have, but these pants could fit four of my behinds in them. Even though they're massive, I love them because they are mighty comfortable!!All the neices and nephews were hilarious in their little costumes that my mom has made (she has worked tirelessly for several months on all of these! Amazing momma!).

This is my two-year-old niece, Chloe, doing the "Hey You Guyys" from Goonies

This is hilarious. They are rough and tumble boys, through and through

Cute Kiddos!

When everyone left, Brooks and Mckay played video games and I took a luxurious bath while my mom watched Reagan. It was the best Christmas present she could have given me. After the bath, we all watched It's a Wonderful Life, a Christmas Eve tradition. Everyone went to bed around 1:00am, and I stayed up with Reagan til 2, then she slept until 8 (a good six hours!). We all enjoyed a lovely Christmas morning with McKay and my parents. Mom made waffles, and everyone let me blast my old High School choir Christmas CD. It was awesome. After breakfast and presents, we got ready and went to church where my mom, sister, and I sang in Sacrament meeting. Thankfully we didn't mess up too bad. Afterwards we went to Brooks' family's sacrament meeting, then went to his house for more present opening fun. Later on, Brooks' mom put together an AMAZING Christmas feast. Seriously, she put so much effort into that wonderful meal -- I am still thinking about the rolls and the Honeybaked Ham..yumm. After dinner, we played games deep into the night.

Precious Reagan in her Christmas Dress

Love this shirt that Bethany and Aaron gave Brooks. Ow, ow, hubba hubba.

It was such a fun Christmas. I felt the Spirit witness to me over and over about the truthfulness of the Gospel. I am so grateful for my Savior. He has been there for me through every good and bad moment of my life, and especially during the last 7 weeks since Reagan was born. Both Brooks and I feel so blessed and grateful -- not only for the gifts we received from our families this season, but also for the ultimate sacrifice Christ made so that we could be together for eternity. When I look down at my sweet baby girl while she sleeps, I am so grateful that she is sealed to us, and that she will be our daughter in this life, and the next.

Reagan (7 weeks)

How we came to a name

2011-12-09T17:42:00.001-07:00

Look at my precious babe!! Reagan will be one-month old tomorrow, so in honor of her first milestone, I'm going to tell you about how we found her name...

The journey to finding Reagan's name was ... well, a lot harder than I EVER thought naming a child would be. I have always been the type that doodles names (see here for an embarrassing story about my doodling habits..and don't worry, I ended up marrying the guy, so it's all good). Before I got married, I would constantly doodle my name with different last names, but after Brooks and I got hitched, I naturally moved on to doodling baby names. There were about 10 names which I thought "I would name a kid this in a second!" and Brooks agreed with most of them....

and then we got pregnant.

All the names that we had previously 'loved' were now thrown in the trash. It wasn't just a hypothetical idea anymore -- we needed to name an actual human being!! Someone who was going to grow up, go to school, write her name on papers, have job interviews, have a boy say "(blank) will you marry me?", etc. etc.

Basically, she needed to have an awesome name.

We fiddled around with a TON of names for weeks, and weeks, and weeks. Our conversations would go something like this:

Me: Katelyn?

Brooks: No, that is totally 1985, how about Madalyn?

Me: No.

Brooks: Why?

Me: Because everyone will call her Mady, and if she's fat, they'll call her fatty Mady.

Brooks: Oh, true

There was always some weird reason for not liking a certain name -- and if it didn't meet our main 5 criteria, then it was out!

~ NAME CRITERIA ~

1. Name cannot rhyme with something that will cause child to be made fun of.

2. No nickname-names

(this means that we didn't want the name to have an easily accessible nickname that, over time, would become the name. Like me, for example. My name is Jenalee, but no one has ever called me by my real name because ever since I was two months old, I had already been coined 'Jena'. I had a hard time with it growing up because people always said or spelled it wrong since it didn't have to 'n's. My mom always says she would have spelled it differently if she would have known that I would never go by Jenalee. It's not a bad thing to have a nickname-name, especially if the parents plan it, but I just didn't want it for our baby. To each their own!)

3. Name has to be somewhat modern, but not too weird

4. Name cannot end in 'er' because of our last name. However, exceptions may apply

5. No names of ex-girlfriends or ex-boyfriends or anyone who was related to said ex's in any way.

You can see why finding a name became difficult. To say we were picky would be an understatement. However, after much deliberation, we did decide on a few names over the course of my pregnancy. When I was around 28 weeks, we decided on the name Kenley. It was in the bag. Done, finito! When we started telling people the name, we got some mixed responses. Some liked it, and some didn't, but most people would say it wrong like this:

"Oh Kinley?"

"no, Kenley -- with an 'en' sound, not an 'in' sound"

It got to the point where at least 90% of the people we told would say it wrong. It was a trial run that failed, so we added a sixth criteria.

6. When child says their name, people should be able to understand it enough to repeat it back correctly.

So with that, Kenley was out.

By this time, I was about 33 weeks along. We needed a dang name. One day while driving, Brooks mentioned that he liked the name Scarlett. I had LOVED that name earlier in the pregnancy, but he hadn't been a fan. Once I saw his change of heart, I jumped on it! Scarlett was the name, wahoo! We were pretty stoked about it for a few weeks, but then things started to feel a bit iffy. My little brother just HAD to mention to us one night that it rhymed with Harlot.

Great. Our child, the prostitute.

Scarlett wasn't going to fly, so we were back at square one again. It wasn't until I was 37 weeks that fortune finally smiled upon us. Brooks decided, as a last resort, to go through every name in the online baby name database. For about three hours, he said name, after name, after name. Finally, around #1800, he said "Reagan". He was about to move on to the next name when I stopped him.

"wait honey...I think I like that one"

Technically we had talked about the name Reagan about three or four months earlier, but it didn't stand out to me then like it did right at that moment. It was like lightning. I knew that Reagan was the name. Brooks liked it a lot too, but with my ever-changing mind, he didn't want to jump too fast on the name wagon for fear that I would make us jump off (for the third time). For the next few days, he would ask me if I still liked it, and I always answered yes. We didn't want to tell anyone (or blog about it) because we wanted to just fall in love with it before anyone gave us their opinions. Good opinions are great, but negative ones totally put a bad taste in your mouth when you're trying to decide on a name.

Finally, just 2 weeks shy of my due date, we for-reals, officially decided on Reagan Beth Burr. We played with the spelling a bit at first because it worried me that people would think that her name was pronounced "Re-gun" (...which is ugly and unfeminine) instead of "Rae-gun", but we agreed that doing a 'common spelling' rather than a 'phonetic spelling' would be better, so R-e-a-g-a-n was the winner! Her middle name, Beth, serves three special purposes. Firstly, it's after my grandma Beth, who we look up to so much. Second, it's after Bethany, Brooks' sister, who we love dearly. Thirdly, it's a small homage to my sweet Emilee Beth, who I know is Reagan's guardian angel.

So that's how we came to the name. We love it, and her so much!!

Reagan: Birth Story

2011-12-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

I feel like so much has happened over the last four weeks. I have so much on my mind, so I will just start from the beginning...well, the beginning of Reagan's life, that is. I don't want to get too detailed -- but for some of you soon-to-be mothers out there, I feel like there are some interesting things that you should know about, so enjoy some slight tmi-ness. Just roll wid'it.

November 10th

Happy due date. I woke up feeling extra worse than usual. I could definitely tell that Reagan had dropped even lower than the previous days. I slowly got ready for my 40 week appointment (because my goodness, I was quite the massive lady) and had my mom pick me up to take me over to Payson. When I got in the car, she asked where my hospital bag was. I told her that I had experienced too many false alarms, and that I KNEW I wouldn't need it.

Ha. Silly old me.

I got checked at my appointment, and waBAM, the Dr. said that the baby had most definitely dropped. Since we had previously had our 'pro-induction' conversation weeks prior, my Dr. then said,

"I normally would schedule inductions a week out, but this baby wants to meet you. Would today work for you? Or do you want to wait?"

I was a little shocked because I had become accustomed to the idea of staying pregnant forever (joke). I nearly said, "YEAHHHH let's do it!!" ...but instead I did the smart thing and said, "I need to talk to my husband." After a talk with my sweet Brooks, we decided that going in that afternoon was the right thing to do. He got off work, packed the stuff at the apartment, and came to meet us at my sister Haylee's house. Meanwhile, I told Haylee that I really wanted either a Glade's or Barry's cheeseburger before I went into labor -- so after we took some '40 weeks pregnant' pictures, we hopped in the car and went to get the food! Ahhhhhh. Best decision of the day. It was delish. I would advise everyone to get something awesomely yummy before they are induced.

After checking in and getting all hooked up, we were having a mighty good time. I was calm and collected, Brooks painted my toes, Harry Potter was on TV, and we just spent some nice quality time before our parents came to see how things were moving along. I knew that these were probably the last moments of life as just the two of us, and I just cherished them. I was replaying our wedding day over and over in my mind, as well as the wonderful 15 months since that day. The spirit confirmed, for what seemed like the millionth time, that I had married such a good, righteous man. Even though a part of me was going to miss the easy lifestyle of doing what we wanted, when we wanted, I knew that we were entering a new phase of life that would be better than anything we had ever experienced.

-this is where things got interesting-

Around 4 o'clock, the Dr. came to break my water. Oh my lanta. That was, in the words of Glozell, kind of cray cray. The fluid is really warm, so it basically feels like you are just peeing all over the place. You have no control either, because there is a lot of fluid holding that baby inside of you, so it just keeps coming and coming. All the nurses were laughing at me because I kept saying,

"Oh my, Oh my! I'm peeing, I swear I'm peeing! I'm sorry!"

They kept assuring me that A) I wasn't peeing, and B) even if I was peeing, it would be no big deal.

After my water was broken, the contractions started coming on a lot more intensely. They felt like super concentrated MEGA-cramps. I asked for an epidural at this point, because the pain was starting to make me extremely nauseous (FYI: I barf when I am in pain. Here is my Barf Resume: Kidney stones? Barf. Cysts on my ovaries? Barf. Twist my ACL? Barf. Cut open my leg and have 50 stitches? Barf.)

You get the picture.

While we were waiting for the anaesthesiologist to come, I made my BIGGEST mistake of the day. I asked to be helped to go to the bathroom so that I could pee. My nurse even warned me, "If you can hold it, we'll get your epidural in, then put your catheter in right after so you won't have to worry about it. Your contractions might be really painful to walk through right now."

But did I listen? No. I was just too dang obsessed with not wanting to pee all over the place! Pee was on the mind, and I insisted on going to the bathroom. When I got up, more amniotic fluid poured all over the place and I started having a MAJOR contraction. Oh heavens. It was bad. While I was in the bathroom, the anaesthesiologist came in. He said he would come back a little later, but I yelled (only because I was behind the bathroom door, not because I am a crazy yeller-laborer person) for him to stay. Getting from the bathroom, back to the bed, then sitting still while the epidural was administered (which fyi - doesn't hurt a titch in my opinion) was probably the worst 10 minutes of my whole birthing experience. The contractions were so intense that I could barely breathe. I just tried to focus as hard as I could while Brooks held my hands and stared right into my eyes saying, "you can do it, you can do it". Once it was over and I could lay down, the pain was still severe. For the next half hour, I tried to really be in control while the epidural set in. Sadly, it didn't 'take' on my left side, so even after an hour and a half, I could still feel everything. It hurt, but with time, my legs were finally numb -- Hallelujah!

For the next couple of hours, everything was pretty peachy. The wonderful Harry Potter marathon was still playing on ABC Family, which took my mind off the pain. Bless you, Harry, bless you. Family came in and out, and we basically just waited for me to get dilated to a 10.

Around 9pm, I was dilated to a 9, and the nurses started to prep the room for delivery. Things started to get a bit surreal at this point. I couldn't believe that I was going to actually have my baby! A couple minutes later, I was at a 10, and I started what my Dr. calls the "Rest and Descend". Basically the theory says that once you are dilated to a 10, your body starts to push the baby out on its own -- not all the way out, mind you, but enough so that it helps to ease the pushing process. For an hour, you just wait while the baby descends. This way, when you start to actually push, you won't have to do it for as long because the baby and your body have already done the foundational work.

While I was waiting during the Rest and Descend process, I started to feel really sick. I don't really know what brought it on, but I just know that all I wanted to do was throw up. Brooks and Haylee fanned me and put cold wash cloths on my neck and head to cool my body down. Their efforts were/are soo appreciated. After awhile, my nurse said that I needed to be on oxygen because I wasn't getting enough air. I looked like a dweebasaurus with that dumb oxygen mask on, but boy did it help. Seconds after I put it on, I immediately started feeling better.

Before I knew it, I was ready to push. After getting schooled on how to properly push out a baby, I was in 'challenge mode'. I knew what I needed to do, and I was ready to do it. Although I could hardly feel any pain, I still had some feeling all throughout my legs and torso, so I could definitely feel which muscles to use in order to push. I could feel the pressure of Reagan inside of me as well. Without a doubt, this part of labor was my favorite.
I was in the zone.
Even though it was soo unbelievably exhausting, it was such an amazing experience. You have a great team of people around you, cheering your efforts, and you get to see and feel your baby slowly come into the world.

At 10:54, it happened.

After exactly 25 minutes of pushing, I felt her head, her shoulders, her body, and her legs all slip out. People were cheering and crying. My dad and Brooks' parents were outside of the door, hooting and clapping. I could hear exclamations of "Definitely a girl!", "She's so chubby!" and "She's so perfect!"

..my sweet Reagan was here.

I was elated. There were no tears, just amazement.

The Dr. immediately put my beautiful baby girl on my chest and Brooks and I wiped her off with a towel. When she let out that first cry, I thought I'd faint. It was the most precious cry I've ever heard. After a few minutes, the sweet nurses took her to get all the goop off of her and to weigh her (I'm sure they did more than that, but I'm not a nurse so I don't know the specifics).

She was 8 lbs. 6 oz., 21 1/2 inches long. Yes, she was born an hour before the big, bad 11/11/11 -- but I really didn't care a stitch about that. 11/10/11 sounds awesome to me, and it is a good story that we'll tell her when she's older -- she was too excited to wait any longer! She wanted to meet us as fast as she could!

After an hour of hugs, kisses, breastfeeding, and getting to know my beautiful little angel, the nursery people took her to get a proper bath. She still had a lot of body juice on her (aka, blood and guts. Nast.). After an hour, they brought her back, and I got to cuddle with her for a couple hours. It was absolute bliss.

Stay tuned for the post-labor experience, Reagan's baby blessing, and other good shtuff.

..better than my dreams..

2011-11-17T16:32:00.001-07:00

Dear Reagan,

Happy 1-Week Birthday baby girl! It has been a crazy week, but you have been so patient with your dad and I. Getting a hang of this whole 'parenting a newborn' thing is tough stuff, but you are acclimating so well to life on the outside, and we are cherishing every moment with you in our home.

Every time I look at you, I can't help but thank my Heavenly Father for sending you into my life. You are such an angel. I have been dreaming of being a mom since I was little, and you are better than anything I could have imagined.

My heart is yours.

Love, Mom

(Can you believe her adorable chubs? I can't get over how perfect she is)

Our new mem'burr'

2011-11-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

Introducing..

Reagan Beth Burr

Born on 11.10.11 at 10:54pm

8 lbs 6oz

21.5 inches long

We are so happy that little Reagan is here. She is already the light of our lives and we are loving every moment with her...even the sleepless ones. I'm sure the birth story will come once I can tear my eyes away from my sweet girl...so basically, it might take at least 18 years.

P.s. I'm a mom. what?

Vow, Vhat a Veekend

2011-10-30T23:30:00.001-06:00

Vhat a Veekend!

(said in a Dracula voice, naturally. Halloween is tomorrow after all)

But really, it has been a crazy weekend. Let's start with Thursday. I had my 38 week appointment, and since I didn't get 'checked' last week, I had to get checked this week. My mom came with me and the appointment went well. The baby was doing great, and I was 75% effaced and dilated to a 3. The Dr. was impressed with the progress, so he stripped my membranes.

Whoa. That experience has been dubbed the 'Least Favorite' of pregnancy thus far.

After that, things started moving. I felt contractions about every half hour, but was feeling pretty good in general. After the appointment we came back to the apartment and put up curtains for the baby's room. Since our crib isn't made to have/need a dust ruffle, I gave my mom the bedding dust ruffle and random curtain swatch and asked her if she could make some curtains out of it. Wow, she is a master! She made the most darling curtains, and the room definitely looks more girly and soft. I am so grateful for all of her help.

On Friday, I lost my mucous plug (and no, I'm not going into detail on that) and the contractions started coming every fifteen minutes. I wasn't feeling awesome, but I wasn't feeling too terrible either. That night we went up to my family's house and carved pumpkins while we watched the game. It was a blast, and we had a great time.

On Saturday, I woke up to intense contractions; about every 7 minutes. They were more painful, but I survived through them because I knew that I had to make it to two baby showers that day. The first was at Brooks' cousins house. Wow, she did an awesome job! The food was incredible, the conversation was great, and the games were so fun (my mother-in-law had some CUTE game ideas for little girls if you need ideas). I was still having contractions, but I felt pretty good.

After that shower, my sister and I headed straight up to my mom's house for my other family/ward shower. They weren't originally going to be on the same day, but because of the funeral last week, it had to be postponed. Again -- another great shower! Brooks and I feel so blessed and lucky with all the items/gifts we received during the day. It was absolutely amazing to see how much our family and friends love and support us. During the shower, my contractions got really intense, and everyone was joking/worrying that I wasn't going to make til the end of the day. I kept saying that I was fine, but inside I was starting to wonder if we should really go get checked just in case. Once the shower was over though, I started feeling a little better. Brooks and I came home and unloaded all of the stuff we received.

(This was in the midst of unpacking the goods. I can't believe how much baby is inside of me, HA)

The clothes were washed, the hospital bag was packed, and by midnight we felt a little more prepared in case the baby wanted to come a little early. Brooks even offered to paint my toes since I can't really reach them.

He is such a stud muffin.

I was still having semi-consistent contractions, but I was SO tired. We decided to get a good nights rest and see what I felt like in the morning.

Today I woke up feeling pretty good. My contractions were still coming though, and I was experiencing some intense pressure down under, so we decided to just go and get checked to make sure the baby was okay. The nurses were so nice, and it was fun to hear the baby's heartbeat for an hour while I was monitored. There has been no change since my appointment on Thursday, so we were sent home with a better idea of what to expect, and a lot of good information about what our delivery will (hopefully) be like.

I am happy that everything is good with m'lil babe, and I am also grateful that she gets to bake a little longer. We aren't your average 'drink castor oil and walk 10 miles to induce your labor' couple. We just want her to come when she's ready -- whenever that may be. We're not antsy; just calm and happy. Everything is becoming more real, and we are so excited to welcome our little one. Only 10 more days til her due date! I can't believe that it's finally (almost) here.

This was taken last Thursday at 38 weeks.

Jena out.

..4th times the charm

2011-10-23T13:38:00.000-06:00

Our Crib Adventure:

On a lovely evening back in June, Brooks and I were taking a little nightly stroll around the neighborhood. We passed a house that had a crib and mattress on the front doorstep. A little girl was outside, so we asked her if they were selling it. She went to go ask her mom, and when her mom came out, she said "Oh you guys can just have it!". She was sooo unbelievably kind. Not only did she give us the crib, but she gave us toys and clothes as well. We were so grateful and impressed by her charity. After taking the crib back to Brooks' parents house and inspecting it further, we realized (in better lighting) that the crib was quite..used. The crib was made out of a combination of two cribs. The sides were completely different from the head and foot boards. Oh, and we can't forget that there was a little pencil drawing of 'Boo' from Monster's Inc. on the side of the crib, courtesy of one of the crib's previous owners. (hehe it was funny, too bad I don't have a picture). Anyways, the crib needed a LOT of work. It wasn't horrible, but I just didn't feel good about doing so much work to restore/reinforce an old crib for our first baby. I loved that it was free, but I wanted to find something a little more sturdy that would need less TLC.

So, Brooks' parents took on the challenge of re-vamping the crib so that they could keep it in the basement for when we bring the baby over. As for Brooks and I, our crib quest continued...

In August, after we moved into our apartment, my grandma called and told me that she had a really sturdy crib that she had never used. She had bought it off of KSL a couple years earlier, but she didn't need it anymore. We thought, "Sturdy crib? Free? ..Sweet!". We went up and got the crib, brought it down to our apartment, and set it up.

The crib was, in fact, very sturdy. However, it needed a paint job, and it had drop-gates (don't worry, not drop-sides) which lacked finger latches..so they just fell and didn't stay up by themselves. Our mattress was also too small for the crib, so there was empty space all around the edges. We didn't rule this crib out completely. We thought that with some effort, we could definitely make it work. When I told my mom about it though, she said that she thought it would be better to invest in a new crib that could last through all of our kids (and that needed less work). After some thought, we agreed. My parents had us bring the crib up to their house so that they could re-vamp it and use it for when grandbabies come up (just like Brooks' parents did with the other crib)

...and so our quest continued.

We looked online and found a pretty affordable crib from JC Penney.

It looks pretty good, right? Well, we bought it, picked it up, brought it home, and set it up

...well, technically we didn't actually set it up because we knew almost instantly that the crib was NOT going to work. For how much we paid, we couldn't believe how bad the quality was. The wood was super thin and flimsy, like plywood. It was easy to see that the crib would not last through all of our kids..let alone our first baby.

So back to JC Penney it went.

By this time, we were feeling a little discouraged. We now realized that 'new' didn't necessarily mean nice. We wanted something sturdy and durable, and if it happened to be used (but great quality) we were all for it. After some KSL Classifieds searching, we found that there was a man in Salt Lake who owned a small liquidation business. He was selling a $565 crib for the same price as the flimsy JC Penney crib. We called to inquire, and he said that the crib wasn't used, but that it had some nicks and scratches from shipping (from Brazil), so the big department store in Salt Lake didn't want it. He told us that it was a great deal and that we could come look at it the next day if we were interested. The next evening, we went up and looked at the crib. It was beautiful. The box was hammered (it looked like it was shipped in a plane that was bombed by terrorists) but the crib itself looked awesome. The small 'flaws' were barely visible, and we agreed to buy it.

After bringing it home and setting it up, we could not be happier. It is SO sturdy, and the quality is amazing.

So, our quest is finally finished, and we now have a crib (it only took us 4 tries!). This week we were able to get our nursery all set up. (pictured above). It went from mayhem, to a cute little room. We are so relieved to have a place for our little lady. Brooks and I love being in there, just to sit and rock in the glider. ...and it is making us even more excited to bring our baby home! Here are two progression photos

Me at 27.5 weeks

Me at 37.5 weeks (yesterday)

Whoa there! Ha, baby girl is definitely making herself known. I took this after Kelsea and Sav's funeral yesterday. Everyone who saw me said "Whoa! You are huge!!" ...Yes. I know, thank you for reminding me though. For good measure, we'll end with a picture from Brooks and I's little Friday date; a lovely drive through the Alpine Loop.

Matching poses and all.

Adios er'body.

Jena out.

3 Angels

2011-10-20T19:37:00.001-06:00

It has been such a huge week. Brooks and I were able to get a lot of projects done..but all the joy that productivity brings was overshadowed by a horrible tragedy. Last Saturday, some cute Covered Bridge Canyon girls were hit by the train by the bridge. Yeah, they shouldn't have been standing so close to the train, but it was a gorgeous fall evening, and they were just taking pictures and having a great time together.

All three died. Savannah was in critical condition for a few days, but she passed on Tuesday night. My heart is so broken. Essa was such a darling girl, and I have such good memories of baby sitting her during my teenage years. Kelsea and Savannah were the sweetest, spunkiest girls. Their deaths have been the most shocking because of our relation to them. A couple years ago, my grandma married a wonderful man who lived up the street from her named Clair Webster. He, and all his family, have become such a cherished and loved part of our family. Kelsea and Savannah were his granddaughters, and have only lived in the Canyon for a few months. Getting to know them was so fun. They were adorable, and I LOVED the fact that they were best friends. They loved each other and did everything together. I feel so much comfort in that they were having such a great time on Saturday, and that they had found such a good friend in Essa. They were worried that they wouldn't find anyone to be friends with in Utah, but it looks like they hit the jackpot.

I am so grateful for the Gospel and the comfort it brings during times like this.

...4 weeks 'til lift off

2011-10-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

...or lift-out, I guess, but that sounds a little weird.

It might be a little less than 28 days, or a little more...but I'm hoping she'll come right when she's expected, because I'm feeling quite unprepared. I had all these high hopes for having everything ready around this time...but then reality set in. HA! School, work, and other side projects have taken over our lives. Brooks and I are constantly going here and there, just trying to take care of all of our individual and mutual responsibilities.

Even though things have been a little stressful and nuts, we have been unbelievably blessed.

A couple weeks ago I had an AMAZING baby shower put on by some of my closest friends. I don't have pictures, but the decorations, food, friends, conversations, etc. were all wonderful. Britt, Gill, and Lizzy really outdid themselves. (Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who came or were involved!) It felt so surreal to be getting baby stuff..because let's face it, it wasn't that long ago these same ladies were at my bridal shower, giving me red lingerie and helpful hints on "how to have a great marriage". Sometimes I feel like I might not be ready to handle all the new challenges, because they seem to be coming pretty fast --- but then I take a little breather and tell myself to shape up. I have a great husband, a wonderful family, and a loving Father in Heaven who is fully aware of my struggles. He knows that I can handle the beautiful adventure that lies ahead. Anyways, the shower was awesome and we are so grateful for everything we received. As of last night at 2:00am, we officially have our crib and bedding set up. I know that we still need a carseat, stroller, diaper bag, yada, yada, yada..but hey -- at least the baby has somewhere to sleep, right? ;)

Another huge blessing has come in the form of 'random time together'. Brooks and I have had a few nights here and there where we've been able to just be with each other -- we don't necessarily have to be doing anything 'fun', but we always end up having a ton of fun. Whether it's riding in a car, helping him study, attending the temple, or grocery shopping, I just cherish every minute with him. He makes me laugh so hard, and comforts me when I am anxious or in pain. He is such a hard worker. Right now he is juggling an internship, full time school, AND work. He's kickin' booty on all his tests, and really making a difference in the lives of those he works with. I am so proud of him. Aside from the baby, he is the greatest gift I've ever been given.

Probably the biggest blessing over the past couple weeks has come from Little Lady herself. She MOVED! I don't know if I mentioned it on the blog, but the baby was breech, and my Dr. was starting to get a tiny bit worried about it. I figured she would turn sooner or later, but I had no idea of what would result from her doing so.

Talk about feeling like a new woman!!

From the middle of August to last week (when she finally flipped) I had been going through some serious pain. Basically any type of movement was excruciating. My Dr. just assumed that it was either the kidney stone I had in August that still hadn't passed all the way (oh yeah, did I tell you about that? It was awesome..not.) or that the baby was perfectly situated on a bundle of sensitive nerves. It turned out to be the latter. Oh my lanta, what a huge relief. I might be 8 months pregnant, but I feel like the hardest part of pregnancy is over. Who cares if I waddle when I walk? Mobility is worth the waddle!

Well, that pretty much sums up life around these parts. We are excited for our little one, and cannot believe that her arrival is nearly upon us. Wahoooo! Happy fall everybody -- go out and enjoy the leaves before they all die from another random Utah snowstorm.

Jena out.

Move on, and recreate it better

2011-10-10T15:56:00.002-06:00

I've had a rough day. Technology is stupid, and has ruined a project I've been working on tirelessly. I have to start over, and I have to get it done by the end of the week. Oh. my. lanta.

Oh well, so goes life.

It's moments like this where you just need to sit back and eat an apple fritter with a nice sugar free Peach Mango slurpee...while drowning yourself in Mormon Messages.

Like this one for instance. It reminds me that although the things I create might get ruined or erased by stupid on-campus computers, or faulty, brand spanking new hard drives...I will make it through. I just have to move on, and recreate it better.

Jena out.

Crash!!

2011-09-29T13:24:00.003-06:00

Here is a story:

Once upon a time in the land of Provo, a husband and his wife were walking out of Smith's with their hands full of groceries. It was a hot summer day and the wife was about 6 months pregnant, so the heat made her all the more uncomfortable..but the yummy ice cream they had just purchased kept her mood happy and perfect. As the couple unloaded their groceries and got into their blue car, they talked of their dinner plans and other such things. The husband turned on the ignition, looked behind him to see if he could pull out safely, then did so, after seeing no obstacles in his way.

CRASH!!!!

"Oh no!" the couple said at once, as they looked behind them and saw that they had just collided with another car. Quickly, the husband pulled back into his parking spot and got out to inspect the damage. Luckily, their car was almost untouched. There were a few scratches, but nothing to cry about.

Here is where this story gets interesting.

You should know that several years prior, as a naive youth, the husband had been involved in a fair share of car accidents. Many were not his fault, and others (thankfully not dealing with other cars/drivers) were his fault. It is a topic of conversation that the husband's family likes to tease him about..all in good fun, of course. So naturally, when the husband was inspecting the damage on his car, as well as the one he collided with, he immediately assumed that the collision was his fault, and he told the other driver how sorry he was, and asked if they (the driver and his slinky girlfriend who the husband and wife saw 10 minutes earlier in the produce section making out with each other) were okay. Did the other driver ask if the husband's pregnant wife, who was now outside inspecting the damage, was okay? Let it be known that he most definitely did not.

The scene was quite dramatic, and the other driver, who we will now call Nice Bart, was very kind and tried to play it cool. "Well" he said, "it looks like my car has a lot of damage" (um..it had a few scratches) "so I'm going to need to swap insurance information with you. My agent will contact you later with estimates of how much things will cost." The husband agreed, and both he and Nice Bart quickly went back to their cars and got their information. It was at this moment that the wife's mind, now calm after the initial shock of the small collision, started thinking....

"This is not making sense to me" she said privately to her husband while he was getting the insurance cards out. "Something isn't right about this. It wasn't your fault alone." The husband agreed, but the two didn't quite know what to do. It seemed too late to suddenly speak up, but not saying anything didn't feel right either. If you were looking from a birds eye view of the parking lot, you would see that both cars backed out at the same time, and hit in the middle of the parking lot lane.

A diagram has been made to further illustrate the situation:

So, as you can see, the husband and wife were very confused. The blame was wholly put on the husband, when in fact, Nice Bart had committed the same offense. As the men were about to part and go their separate ways, the wife finally spoke up.

"I'm not trying to make things weird, but I just don't think that this is a black and white situation. To me, it looks like you both backed out at the same time, so why would it be just our fault? It just doesn't feel right to me." The husband agreed, and both he and the wife gave Nice Bart an inquisitional staredown, awaiting his answer.

Nice Bart stumbled for a moment, then said, "Well if you guys really see it that way, then we will call the police -- but I thought we would just keep this clean, ya know? If you are wanting a ticket, then whatever. I'll call them."

Nice Bart had, in 3 seconds, turned into Mean Bart.

For the next thirty minutes, while the husband and wife were waiting for the police, many things occurred. Mean Bart kept his car in the exact spot of the collision, making it almost impossible for the cars around him to get out. He just kept telling everyone that it needed to stay there as evidence. Mean Bart also took about fifty pictures of his car's 'damage', and managed to ask 4 to 5 bystanders about what they saw and how the collision looked to them. Sadly, he didn't get the responses that he desired. One bystander, by the name of Tiffany (she was the Smith's Hairstylist) told Mean Bart that both cars backed out at the same time and that both of the drivers were at fault. Mean Bart did not like that answer, but the husband and wife did. (goooo Tiffany!) Basically, Mean Bart was putting together a court case, if you will; talking to witnesses, taking pictures, and even trying to attain some video evidence from the Smith's security cameras.

Meanwhile, the husband and wife sat in their car, said a prayer that their decision to involve the police would not result in a ticket, listened to music, and laughed at Mean Bart's comical antics. When the policeman came, Mean Bart's life just got worse. Wanting some validation from the officer, Mean Bart presented his case and theories of what happened while the husband and the officer just listened. The officer, after hearing what happened from both men (Mean Bart took 5 minutes to tell his version of the story, presenting times, testimonies, pictures, etc, and the husband took 30 seconds) told the two that this accident was caused by both of them. Each would have to pay for the damage to their own car, and not the other person's because that's just how it works when insurance companies or small courts hear about a situation where both cars were backing up. The officer also said that no one would get a ticket because a parking lot is private property, and the police can't ticket those types of accidents unless something criminal has taken place. The husband and wife were very relieved with this news (because my goodness -- they had a baby to pay for! A few little scratches meant nothing to them) and filled out the police report happily, thoroughly, and calmly. Mean Bart, however, was not happy. He told the officer and the couple that he was going to take this to the court systems, and that his brother was a lawyer and would defend his case, and that the damage on his car was immense, and that blah, blah, blah..

... Let's just say that the officer was starting to get very annoyed with Mean Bart. The husband and wife were a little afraid of all the court threats Mean Bart was going on and on about, but the officer told them not to worry, and that "the whole ordeal would be over before as soon as you drive out of the parking lot." With that, the couple thanked the officer and went on their way.

As the weeks went by, the husband and wife learned that Mean Bart had tried to take his case to court, but the court and insurance companies basically told him "No. This isn't even a case." He didn't want to give in, but ultimately, he had to. The husband and wife truly felt bad for Mean Bart, because he had gone through a rough ordeal. Initially, when the husband had got out of the car and said sorry and asked if Mean Bart and his girlfriend were okay -- Mean Bart probably felt pretty darn good about himself. He saw that the husband thought it was his fault, so he knew that the damage that was inflicted on his (very new) car would be paid for. He must have felt on top of the world!

....but when that darn, dash it all, pregnant wife had to speak up. It ruined everything for him! He had gone from getting off completely scot-free, to having to pay for his car.

Poor, old, Mean Bart.

Moral of the story: You should always stay nice and honest instead turning into a mean person when something doesn't go the way you want it to. Also, ice cream does not stay cold when you are stuck in a parking lot for an hour during August.

The End.

Just some thoughts..

2011-09-26T23:34:00.001-06:00

about being aware, even online.

(Disclaimer: these thoughts are simply mine, take 'em or leave 'em)

I'm all about keepin' the blog happy and positive (mixed with some sarcasm and chuckle worthy stories here and there). I do this because of a simple fact: even though it's my blog, that doesn't mean that only I read it. I know that there are a lot of people who are nice enough to come read my posts and who care about what's going on in my life. This blog is an outlet for me, and I am so grateful for it -- But, keeping an un-private blog is like being in a big room, talking to all your friends. What you write can be seen and read by everyone as if you are speaking to them face to face. If you're not careful, feelings could get hurt or people could get the wrong idea. This might make bloggers feel 'restricted' in what they would like to write, but for me, I don't mind these 'restrictions' at all. It's just a sign of the times. I truly feel that online communication has just as many social rules that face to face communication has. We should be Christlike, kind, and loving with what we write just as we would be if we were talking to a girlfriend over some hot chocolate and donuts...(I'm kind of craving a donut right now). Does this mean that you can't express yourself on the blog? No, of course not (I mean, look at what I'm doing right now! ha). But I do believe that bloggers need to be aware of who might be reading their blog. I haven't been perfect at this by any means, but I want to become better.

I have been thinking about this a lot over the last six months (it started after I wrote a 14 pg. blogging research paper last April) and especially over the last month because I have been holding back from blog-venting. Venting is good, but sometimes it's not great. The past month has been the most physically difficult time of my life. I could write post, after post, after post, about how I can't sleep, can't walk, can't run, etc, etc, ... but I won't (well, I will in my personal journal, but not online). Why? The answer is easy..

I have several sweet, beautiful, and wonderful friends who read this blog who cannot conceive at this time, even though they want to more than anything in the world. I don't even have the slightest clue of the pain and heartache that they are going through, but I want to be sensitive and aware of them by not writing post after post about how incredibly hard being pregnant can be, when those who are going through fertility issues would give their right leg to have a sleepless night because their baby keeps kicking them in the ribs.

I am not ashamed of my excitement for the arrival of my sweet baby. It is a time of joy, love, excitement, and gratitude -- and those are the things I like to focus on, because hey, they are the most important things to think about anyways, right?

Well that's all for today from this lady. I'll do some sort of update after my homework gets done. Huzzah for school.

Jena out.

Record Breaking...in more ways than one

2011-09-14T12:13:00.003-06:00

3 posts in 3 days? Yep, it's true! This must be a record breaker!

Okay, so I have some pretty big news. And when I say big, I mean BIG. Here it is:

I. Cook. Now.

Have I just blown your mind with this crazy news? Is your head reeling with amazement?

(ahem, sarcasm)

It's true, dear friends -- I am becoming a domestic!! Ever since we moved into our new apartment, Brooks and I have made huge efforts in making it feel comfortable and homey. For example, the decorations (which took 8 months to put up in our little rabbit hole apartment) are up, and they look pretty great if I do say so myself. Here is the wall that I am most proud of.

Hey there, bum!

Along with the decorating has come the need to keep things clean and in order. This means that the laundry is always being done, the dishes are not being left for days and days in the sink, and the house is not gross. You could call it nesting, but I call it a new and permanent stage of life that I never want to let go of. I love it! I know that things will get crazy when the little lady comes, but I think it's important to instill these "house of order" habits now instead of later.

Brooks is still cooking amazing dishes that make my heart sing (like last night's, oh boy!!) but I have tried my hand at a few things that I thought I'd share. Some turned out great, and some were 'pretty okay', but it's all a apart of the experience, right?

Broccoli Cheese Soup. Okay, so this was my first creation, but it was not from scratch. We bought those little soup packets from Wal-Mart for only 50 cents, then I added half a bag of frozen broccoli to the mix, and it tasted delicious. We ate it with some Texas Toast (aka yummy garlic bread) and had some for leftovers.

Cool Stuffed Croissants: This is the perfect lunch sandwich! I substituted the original 'Pita' bread for croissants (not the healthiest choice, but in my defense, there was no pita bread at Allens AND croissants are way more delicious. So there.) and it turned out great. Brooks really loved them. If I did it again, I would definitely add some celery because I just needed a little more crunch. That's just me though. You can find the recipe HERE.

Crockpot Southwestern Chicken: This has definitely been my proudest dinner creation. It was so easy, because Crockpotting (cool word, yeah?) is so easy. It's all in the forethought. This was a taco salad-like dish, except with chicken yumminess instead of beef/hamburger. There were a lot of leftovers, so I think it would be good for a big sized family. It was deeeelicious! Recipe found HERE.

The main thing I have, in fact, made over the last year of marriage is breakfast food. I'm pretty proficient at waffles, french toast, etc. but I wanted to try my hand at crepes. I made them once when Brooks and I were dating, and they turned into half crepe/half pancakes...so I needed to redeem myself. Today I made some from THIS recipe, and they were were awesome and so, so super easy.

Fruit Pizza: Oh my lanta. This is the BEST dessert ever! I took it to a friend's "Come meet my boyfriend" party (okay, so that wasn't what the party was called, but it was most definitely the main point of the party...and don't worry, I totally approved of him). Everyone loved it, which made me want to cry out of happiness. I have never baked/cooked something from scratch, to then have 20+ people eat it. It was stressful! Thankfully, fruit pizza is always a winner. Huzzah!! Here's how mine turned out. I used raspberries instead of strawberries (because again, Allen's didn't have strawberries). YUM. Totally delectable. In my heaven, I will have this served on a daily basis. Come one, come all! Recipe HERE.

Well, that is all for now. Did I really just post about cooking and recipes?..weird. Oh well. Hope everyone is having a lovely Wednesday!

Jena Out.

Birthday Time!

2011-09-12T21:10:00.001-06:00

I've always considered myself the most intense birthday celebrator.

That is, until I met Brooks Hulse Burr.

This kid is awesome!!! And I had no idea how much he loves birthdays. He goes above and beyond to make me feel special, and I just can't wait for our combined efforts in making our kids' birthdays awesome.

Breakfast in bed! (Ignore the morning glory)

Presents!

Decorated Apartment!

Brooks watched Haylee's kids while she and my mom took me to lunch at Joe Banditos. YUM.

Afterward, Brooks took me to Midnight in Paris and it was really good. If you are a fan of historical literary figures, you will LOVE this movie. Oh. And we had the entire theater to ourselves (hoot hoot!).

Macaroni Grill - Oh my lanta. This place is the BEST. We both got such delicious dishes and were so happy with how everything tasted. A+ for sure.

When we got back to the apartment, I had a big surprise in our living room...my entire family was there! Brooks had called and planned everything out so that they would all be there waiting for us.

They sang happy birthday, and we all enjoyed Brooks' AMAZING homemade red velvet birthday cake!

I am so grateful that my husband took so much time to make my birthday so special. I sure love this guy!

The only times I hear Brooks yell...

2011-09-11T23:21:00.000-06:00

I really love how excited Brooks gets about BYU football. Games are the only times where I have heard him yell or get angry. He loves his Cougars. This was the first thing he wanted to buy when we found out we were having a girl:

Cute huh? It might sound weird, but having my future husband be a BYU fan was really important to me. I couldn't imagine a life with someone who didn't get into BYU football because it is something I've always LOVED about my family; and when I say family, I mean my entire massive extended family. Being in the basement with my dad, brothers, uncles, cousins, etc during a BYU game is a loud and crazy experience, and Brooks fits right in with the mayhem.

Last Saturday we cleaned the apartment, donned our new BYU "Rise Up" shirts (courtesy of the Brooks' parents), and went up to my parents' house to have a little BBQ before the game. Brooks was shaking with excitement, anticipation, and nerves. While driving he said, "take a picture of us in our shirts doing a yell face".

Gladly, dear.

Last night's game didn't end up the way we would have liked it to (hard loss), but we still had a lot of fun with Jeremy, Erin, (Brooks' freshman roommate and his wife) and Brooks' mom and dad. We cannot wait for the first home game next week. As much as we love the colorful leaves that fall brings, nothing beats cheering in LaVell Edwards Stadium with 60,000 other fans. Win or lose, we bleed blue!

Update: 7 months, 31 weeks, 1 baby

2011-09-07T15:13:00.001-06:00

Hello world!

Life in the Burr home has been BUSY the past few weeks, with lots of wonderful things happening. We moved into our new apartment in Springville, started school, started the 2011 BYU football season, and a week ago we celebrated my 22nd birthday. Those deserve their own posts; and once I get my camera back from a friend, I will post, post, post!

As for now, I will just give a little baby update. I am 31 weeks, with 9 to go! I cannot believe how quickly time has flown. I have friends that are in the early stages of their pregnancies, and although I feel like I was in my 11th, 12th, or 13th week just yesterday, it seems crazy that I am 4 to 5 months ahead of them! Woo wee, time flies -- But alas, I am in the final stretch, the fourth quarter of the game, the final lap of the big race! My bump in the front is more like a mountain. By the time week 39 rolls around, I'm going to look like a walking Mt. Everest. I never imagined what it would actually feel like to be so pregnant, and when people ask me what it feels like, I like to give weird analogies that I've cooked up. Here are a few:

(when people feel how hard my belly is, I say)

It feels like a paper mache'd balloon full of baby has been glued to my body.

(when I am trying to explain why my back hurts, I say)

It feels like a beach ball full of heavy rocks has been attached to my stomach.

(when people ask me how it feels to feel the baby moving all the time, I say..and this is my favorite..)

It feels like I am awake during surgery and can feel the doctors moving my insides around with their hands, but it doesn't necessarily hurt.

There you have it. When you are pregnant you are as big as Mt. Everest, your belly is as hard as a paper mache'd balloon, your back aches as if a beach ball full of heavy rocks is hooked to your front side, and when your little bundle moves, it feels like a never ending internal surgery.

Sweet, huh?

In all seriousness, it is pretty dang sweet. We are SO excited about our baby's arrival into our lives. The spirit that fills your home as you're about to welcome a little one is something that I've never experienced. It is special, and has brought Brooks and I that much closer to each other and to our Heavenly Father. Although the sleepless nights and uncomfortable conditions are hard, I am beyond grateful that I have an opportunity to bear a child. It is such a blessing, and I do not take it for granted.

Grow baby, grow!

(31 weeks: ignore the stupid face. Or don't, you choose)

Jena out.

you and me + 365 days

2011-08-22T21:49:00.000-06:00

On August 12, 2010, I was sealed to my sweetheart in the Timpanogos Temple. It was the perfect day. Really. Every little thing about it was perfect. It was the start of what would be a lovely, magical, hard, amazing, adventurous 'first year of marriage'. After the honeymoon we moved in to our tiny rabbit hole, and I started doing laundry for two while Brooks started cooking for two ;) .. (but seriously). The fall brought school and plenty of BYU football games. Our favorite experience probably had to be the first game where we decided to just walk from our apartment to Lavell Edwards Stadium. We realized quickly that it was not a short walk, and that we were going to miss the kick-off! When we were halfway to the stadium, we decided to run -- and run, we did. We ran our little hearts out, and barely made it for the kick-off. Good thing we won that game; arriving in a sweaty mess was totally worth it.

The fall season also brought our first Holidays together. Do you remember Hallowthanksistmas? It was awesome, and I loved being able to share so many great days with my husband. Some of my most favorite fall memories were the many times I went to watch Brooks at work. He would supervise Intramural games out on the fields, and I loved bringing him hot chocolate or food, and then bundling up in a blanket and just chilling on the sidelines. I didn't mind that he couldn't sit and talk with me, I just liked being where he was.

The Christmas season was magical.We watched all the Christmas movies together (The Santa Claus, Meet Me in St. Louis, Hook, Family Man, It's a Wonderful Life, Elf, etc) and drank way too much hot chocolate while studying for finals. Brooks was always there for me; helping and supporting with my schoolwork...and even providing entertainment along the way.

After finals, we enjoyed a great Christmas season with all the Burrs and Sainsburys; introducing each other to old family traditions as well as creating some new ones for our future family. We spoiiiiiiiled each other with a lot of gift giving, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Spring flew by. Before we knew it, it was Valentines Day and we had been married for six months. We studied hard and were sure to play hard too. We tried to make it to some Jimmer games, but failed in most of our attempts because of how dang popular that kid turned out to be.We settled for listening to games on the radio, or watching them with massive groups of students on campus. It was an exciting time to be a BYU student and have so much attention on our Cougar basketball players. March Madness also brought our big surprise. We found out we were going to be parents! Nothing could contain our joy. Brooks has been such a huge support for the last 6 months; extremely patient with all my pregnancy symptoms, cravings, and whiny moments.

Summer brought school, baby baking, barfing, and vacations. We have had a great time together, and have been living up all the little luxuries of life as a couple before life as parents begins in just a few months (2 months, and 19 days to be exact). As our one year anniversary approached, Brooks planned a little getaway that was absolutely perfect. We went up to Park City, stayed in a beautiful hotel, ate delicious foods (most of which were prepared by Brooks -- I know, I totally scored with this guy), watched hilarious movies, swam, shopped, and cherished every minute spent together.

Our awesome hotel room!

Two-person hot tub. Sawweeeeet.

The view from the balcony

Brooks made some fondue!!

The top of our wedding cake -- it was DELICIOUS!!

shoppin' on Park City Main Street

Eating at Granny's on the way home!

Being married to Brooks has been the most fulfilling experience of my life. I love all the memories we have made thus far, and I am so excited for what the future has to offer us. As long as he's with me, I know life will be pretty darn great.

I'm gonna go eat a brownie. Bye.

2011-08-09T11:10:00.003-06:00

It is common knowledge among the incubators of America that a healthy weight gain during pregnancy should be between 20-30 lbs. (closer to 20 if you start out a little heftier, and closer to 30 if you start out twig-like). I still have three months to go, and I have gained a total of 12.5 lbs. (which I am really proud of, mind you) however, lately I have been feeling pretty dang self conscious about my ever-growing body. No, I'm not a retard; I know that you're supposed to get big when you're pregnant -- but recent experiences with a few blessed souls who don't know how to tactfully censor their "I speak what I think" mouths have left me feeling quite ginormous. Here are a few examples:

(Italics will be used to iterate what I was thinking, but did not say aloud)

Setting #1:

Church. A woman (we'll call her Alice) comes up to me before Relief Society and asks,

Alice: Jena! How far along are you?

Me: Oh, almost 27 weeks.

Alice: (hesitates) What? 27 weeks? Are you sure you're not having twins?

Me: Did you really just ask that? Ha..I am pretty sure.

Alice: Wow, I never got that big when I was pregnant -- even for the whole nine months!

Me: Well that's lucky! Thank you for making me feel totally good about myself. Not.

Setting #2:

Extended Family Gathering. An old family friend (we'll call her Ethel) says,

Ethel: Wow Jena! You are showing!!

Me: I know, we are really excited!

Ethel: No but seriously, you are REALLY showing! How much time do you have left?

Me: To live? ..Oh, she means before the baby comes..Um, about three months. I am 26 weeks today.

Ethel: What? No way! If you added 10 to that number, then I might believe you. You are going to be one of those super huge pregnant woman by the time that baby comes out. Ha Ha Ha...

Me: ....Keep it together...Well as long as the baby is healthy, that's all I really care about.

Ethel: Well her health depends on what you are eating now. (as she looks up and down my body) And you better be careful!

Me: She did not just do that. If I told her I've only gained 12 lbs and I'm entering my 3rd trimester, she wouldn't believe me...Yep. Speaking of, I'm gonna go eat a brownie. Bye.

Okay, maybe I really didn't tell her that I was going to go get a brownie..but I should have. Anyways, there have been a lot of these types of encounters with silly old women, and even though they aren't the most fun conversations to have in the moment, they sure make for good stories afterwards.

The one thing I have come to realize, is that everybody is different. Some women are fertile Myrtle's, and some have to go on really long and hard journey's towards pregnancy or adoption. Some get really sick, and some don't. Some see and feel their babies sooner, and some later. Some look like they're carrying a tiny little basketball under their shirt, and others look like their entire bodies have ballooned to unbelievable sizes. No matter how you look, or the type of symptoms you have, or the way in which you become a parent --- the end result is a baby; a perfect gift sent to you and your spouse by Heavenly Father. That is all that really matters.

With that said, here is my "large and in charge" belly for your viewing pleasure...

(26.5 weeks)

Grow baby, grow!!

Jena Out.

100 Day Countdown!

2011-08-02T23:11:00.000-06:00

Our baby is due in 100 days. We celebrated the commencement of our 100 Day Countdown with a lovely cheesecake from Olive Garden, YUM!

One hundred days seems long, but it's really not. These upcoming 100 days are going to be filled with major preparations. I am getting excited about decorating the baby's room in our NEW apartment (okay so it's not new, but it is one heck of an awesome deal and we are super excited about it!!). We will be moving in about 2 1/2 weeks and we are so grateful that we found this place. One of my best friends has lived there for 2 years with her husband, and they have taken such great care of it. I plan on doing a lot of DIY projects; sewing (what?), painting, and more. I want to really have things ready at least 3 weeks before my due date...so I have about 11 weeks to really get to work! We have loved living with Brooks' parents for the summer, and are so grateful for the money we've been able to save -- and now we will move on to a new adventure, awaiting the arrival of our little Lady. The apartment has 2 bedrooms, wide spaces, a closet in the BEDROOMS, a dead bolt, a disposal, washer-dryer hookups, and A/C!!!! (All things we didn't have in our last little abode, haha). We are stoked!

I only have 8 days left in my second trimester...and WHOA. I am definitely starting to feel a few 3rd trimester symptoms. Whenever I eat, I have to lay down afterward because I feel like I am going to explode. Babies really mess up the digestive system...thank goodness for Miralax. Fo realz. Brooks said I am not allowed to talk about constipation or poop on my blog, so that's all I'm going to say. Love you, Miralax! (hahaha) I am also not sleeping at night. I wake up with weird pains and I am always super uncomfortable. I know, whiney whiner am I! But seriously, I used to sleep so well -- and now I never do. Luckily I get to sleep in with my Brooks sometimes. We LOVE that. Definitely a luxury that we are taking full advantage of, because we know it's not going to happen again for about 30 years...wahoooo.

Other than the digestive and sleeping issues, I am doing well -- and so is baby girl!

Happy 100 Day Countdown!!!

Jena Out.

Retarded Sunburn...(among other things)

2011-07-30T00:49:00.001-06:00

Why hello there.

I am so tired right now, but I can never go to bed without Brooks -- hence, I will blog until he gets home from work.

We have had one heck of a week. Fo rizzle.

On Friday, Brooks and I went on a little date to look at all the booths at Fiesta Days. This is a tradition that I am kind of obsessed with. I love Fiesta Days. I love how Spanish Fork turns into a huge community-party for a weekend. Brooks didn't grow up in SF, but he still indulges me which I am grateful for. We decided to buy our first baby item while at the booths. It was so fun/surreal. We ended up buying two headband flowers. They are precious! After we looked at the booths, we shared a Jim's Navajo Taco with an ice cold lemonade. Yummy! And then we took pictures of ourselves, naturally.

We were laughing out heads off at Brooks' random "wave". His hair was going crazy that day.

On Saturday I worked until 2pm in my parent's basement. Once I was done, I came outside to find all my awesome cousins sliding down my dad's famous slip'n'slide hill. It was a blast! There was lots of food and great company. I love my cousins to death. They are all such great examples, and I am so happy that so many of them live close.

That evening I met up with Brooks (who had been working all day) and his family for the late showing of Captain America. I would definitely recommend it, especially for families. It was a really feel-good, wholesome, fun movie. The best part was after the credits when they showed a preview for The Avengers. I really like Thor, and he is in it. Huzzah for Thor and his mighty muscles! He's almost as hunky as Brooks...almost.

On Monday we woke up WAY early for the SF parade. It was great, as always....minus Spanish Fork High School's band. What the??? There were about seven people in it. I was never a band person (heck I can't even play a recorder)..but it just looked sad and pathetic. Watching the parade with Haylee's kids was great because they were so cute. Kamryn loved all the 'princesses', and Gav loved all the candy. After the parade I saw my dearest Bilbo (aka Katelyn). I love her alot. She is so beautiful and such a smarty. When she gets rich, she will take my poor butt to New Zealand and together we will tour all of our beloved Lord of The Rings locations. We WILL ride like the Rohirrum. Ride for Rohan!!!

After the parade we packed up and left for the Clarence Hulse Bear Lake Reunion. This annual reunion was started by Brooks' grandparents. Brooks' grandpa passed away almost 23 years ago, but his wife and kids still hold to tradition. Even with all the moving around (Nevada, Oklahoma, Missouri) Brooks' family did while he grew up, they never missed the reunion. The only years Brooks missed Bear Lake was while he was serving a mission. Basically, Bear Lake is a big deal.

It was a great couple of days. We loved relaxing on the beach, eating goodies, going on tube rides (I watched, of course) and eating at LeBeau's. YUM. Even though I had to work every evening, I was happy to be on a vacation. OH YEAH. The title of this post refers to my retardedness concerning the application of sunscreen. On Tuesday I put on spray-sunscreen (which I thought was the coolest invention ever!) After I woke up on Wednesday, I noticed a crazy rash on my upper back and shoulders. After a couple minutes I realized that it was a sunburn. This was my conversation with Brooks after this realization:

J: Brooks, look at my weird sunburn! What the heck?

B: Hmm, that is weird. Did you rub in your sunscreen yesterday?

J: (scoff) No, it was spray sunscreen. You don't need to rub it in......Oh crap. You do have to rub it in, don't you?

B: (laughing) Yeah, you do.

J: Greeeaat.

Yep. Now I have a nice rash-looking tan. Huzzah (not).

Other than getting a weirdo sunburn, I loved spending time with Brooks' family -- especially those who we only see once a year. We drove home Thursday afternoon just in time for me to start my evening shift. After I was done, I got ready for today's big wedding (Congrats Alan and Kelsey!). I love filming couple's on their special day. I don't know Alan and Kelsey very well, but I was happy that they let me be a part of their celebration. It was a long day for this pregnant lady, but it turned out great.

Baby Burr Update

Yesterday I hit my 25 week mark. Only 15 weeks to go. Holy Guacamole.

Last Thursday we had our other ultrasound, and it was amazing. Little Lady was sleeping, so it was almost like we were looking at a new baby. Instead of dancing and moving like a wild woman, she peacefully snoozed with her hands nestled into her cheeks. We could see every part of her so perfectly. She is beautiful, and we are in love with her.

This baby has such a personality. She moves all the time. Her little kicks and wiggles make 'belly watching' my new favorite hobby. I just sit and stare in awe at my ever moving stomach. It is amazing. Even though my belly is turning into a nice little zebra-esque collage of stretch marks, I think it is incredible how a woman's body can change and adapt in order to grow a child. It blows my mind.

(Above picture was taken last week)

Well, that is all for now. Have a happy weekend!

Jena Out.

Time is Flying!

2011-07-20T16:40:00.003-06:00

It really freaks me out when I stop and think about how fast time is flying. In a month, Brooks and I will be moving somewhere (...um yeah, we don't quite know where yet. If anyone can help us with this, we'd appreciate it. We're looking for a 2 bd/1 bath apt with A/C...from Spanish Fork to Orem, but preferably not Provo unless it's a kickin' deal) and two months later, I'm going to have a baby.

Wowzer.

There has been so much going on, and we've been having a LOT of good times. Ready to hear about them? Mm'kay here we go...

In May we went to the U2 concert. Brooks' family are all HUGE fans. Since we had school, the rest of the gang left around 6am to go wait in line. Luckily for us, we got to go jump in line with them around 4pm. We got to be in the "INNER CIRCLE" (which is to be said with a deep movie trailer voice, naturally). So basically we were right there, making eye contact with the lovely men of The Fray and U2. The stage was massive and had revolving bridges that would go right over our heads. Watch this short clip, you'll see what I mean.

Oh, and if you want to see something extremely awesome and inspiring about our cousin's AMAZING experience at a U2 concert, watch this CNN report from two weeks ago:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/07/07/exp.nr.blind.guitarist.u2.cnn?iref=allsearch

The first half of June was filled with school, school, school!! It was a really stressful time for me but I was way happy to finish Spring semester. I got a 4.0! wahooooo! Granted I only took 2 three-credit classes, but still! I was super happy and surprised. My professor was a gem, and didn't dock me for all the class time I missed due to ralphing my guts out. What a nice chap, huzzah.

The second half of June consisted of wedding video making and gender-guessing. I spent almost every day editing on campus then coming home to the Babe and watching movies or playing with family.

After we found out that we were having a girl, we left a couple days later to go to big-bad-TEXAS to play with Brooks' family! It was such a rootin' tootin' good time! Brooks' brother is a professor at Steven F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, TX (pronounced Nac-uh-dough-shus). It was such a cool town and I loved the people who lived there. Everybody had a Texas twang, and they were all so nice. The ward was AMAZING! Such humble, goodhearted people. Even though it was really hot (I'm such a whiner) we loved playing with the family! Our nephew Josh got baptized while we were there, and he was so cute and proud of himself! While we were there, we got to announce to everyone the gender of our baby, and it was so fun! This will be the first girl of the Burr grandbabies, so we were happy to break the male-chain.

We played lots of games, ate lots of food, watched fireworks, went to Six Flags, and had a grand old time!!

Here is the craziest part of my Texas adventure: ze swollen feet. The heat, mixed with riding in planes, mixed with lots of walking, equaled a vision of what my future may hold. Kankles!!! AHH!! Here are the Before (swollen) and After (non-swollen) Shots:

Exhibit A: Fat Feet

Exhibit B: Skinny Feet

(I just took off socks before I took this picture..so don't mind the sock marks. Just notice them beauteeeful ankles!)

After we got home from Texas on the 6th, I started getting a little bit worried about how in the world we were going to afford a baby. We moved into Brooks' parents' basement for the summer which has been AWESOME with the whole 'lets save money' plan...but wowzer! This cute little baby is going to cost a butt load!

Brooks was working and doing school, and I (after just getting done with Spring Semester) was jobless and school-less...aka, lazy and purposeless. I needed a job; something small that would help with income as well as keep me busy. Before I even had time to really look for something, a miracle happened. A job fell into my lap so suddenly and perfectly, that it was/is almost unreal. At a family BBQ, I was lamenting about my jobless misfortune when my cousin said that she had a friend who was hiring for a 'calling job'. I hate calling jobs -- but considering the situation I'm in presently, a calling job sounded ideal. She gave us the number, and the next day I called. One day/phone interview/resume later, I was hired and trained. Hallelujah, what a blessing! I get to set up pillows on the couch, prop my feet up, put on my trusty headphone/microphone set, and go to work from the comfort of home. Memorizing all the stuff I need to know is difficult, but I know that I will get the hang of it with time. Huzzah for jobs!

Well, that's all for now folks. We are lovin' life and getting ready for Fiesta Days and Bear Lake! Life is good and I am just getting a nice big bump in the front! This baby has been incubating for 24 weeks..only three weeks until the 3rd trimester!

"Time flies when you're havin' fun!"

Jena out.

We are having....

2011-07-07T11:48:00.001-06:00

I haven't been able to get to a computer for the last week -- so here is the big news!!

We are having a

bouncy

brave

bubbly

brilliant

beautiful

baby

GIRL!!!

We are so excited! We've always pictured having a girl, but it was still shocking to hear the Doctor actually tell us to go buy some pink! This will be the first Burr girl-grandchild and the first time someone in my family has had a girl first. Wahoo! We couldn't be more thrilled and we are so grateful that everything is looking healthy with our sweet babe --- And WOW she is a crazy mover! Because of her constant kicking, I get to have another ultrasound in two weeks so that the Doctor can measure things a little better. Right when he would put the ultrasounder on my stomach, she would just start dancing!

...What a little performer, I wonder where she gets it?

Here's to WEEK 23!!!

Little Moving Miracle

2011-06-28T21:14:00.000-06:00

We found out I was pregnant nearly four months ago. Ever since then, the baby has been on my mind throughout almost every day. I say 'almost' because I can't deny that there were moments where I would forget that I was pregnant..Please don't shun or stone me for saying that. You see, I've gone 21 1/2 years of not being pregnant, so realizing and remembering that there was a little fetus inside of me took some time (especially on days where I wasn't reminded by constant barf parties).

Well, for the last two weeks, the reality of this baby has become very apparent.

Everyone told me that I would start to feel the baby moving around 18 weeks, but I figured that I wouldn't feel it until I was around week 22 (like my sister did with her babies). Surprisingly, two weeks ago I started to feel little flutterings every night before I went to sleep. At first I couldn't really discern them from other bodily sounds (stomach rumblings, gas, etc.) but the little movements continued to get stronger and stronger. Every time I would feel them, I would hurry and put my hand on my stomach to see if I could feel the movement by touch. It never really worked...until last Tuesday! We were in bed and Brooks was reading scriptures out loud when the baby kicked or head-butted strong enough that I totally felt it by hand. I let out a little squeal of excitement, and Brooks looked at me like I was crazy (he had no idea what I was squealing about, so he was super confused -- hahaha especially since he was reading about how naughty the Lamanites were being).

Ever since, the miracle of creation and the reality of this new baby has taken center stage in my life.

With every movement, I can't help but smile and get excited. I usually lie awake for almost an hour after Brooks has fallen asleep because I love to just take it all in and feel every flutter and kick. I know it sounds weird, but even though I have roughly 4 1/2 months before this baby arrives, I feel like my bond with him or her is growing because of our nightly dance parties (well, if it's a boy...then I guess it's punting parties or something else kicking/boy-related...but then again, if he's anything like his dad, he probably loves to shake his booty or do little Irish jigs). I'm grateful for the opportunity to be pregnant. As hard as it is, I know that it is a blessing and a miracle that my body can do this.

Dear Baby,

Tomorrow at 1:00, I get to see you again. I can't wait to see how you have changed over the last 12 weeks. Back then you were the size of a prune, and looked like a little lemur with buds for arms and legs...and now you look more like a baby and are the size of a banana. I'm so excited to find out if you are a boy or a girl, and if I am going to be making bows or buying baby Air Jordans. It will be so nice to refer to you as 'he' or 'she' ... instead of 'it'. Ick, I hate referring to you as 'it' because I only get reminded of the Addams Family which scared me when I was little. I hope you are healthy, and that everything is developing the way that it's supposed to. If there are any problems, your dad and I will be there rooting for you all the way. Love you sweet baby,

Mom

'what's your guess?'

2011-06-21T16:59:00.002-06:00

Here ye, here ye!

We find out what our little babe's gender is a week from tomorrow!

8 DAYS!

(Cast your votes on the right-side toolbar! We love hearing everyone's guesses!)

I love reading about all the cooky 'gender wives tales' because they are so contradicting. Case and point:

Wives tale: If you have morning sickness it's a girl and no morning sickness it's a boy.

Girl! I'm a professional ralpher

Wives tale: If the baby's heart beat is above 140 it's a girl and below 140 it's a boy.

Boy! I don't remember the exact heartbeat number since our dr. only let us hear it for 2.5 seconds, but he did say that it was a boy's heartbeat.

Wives tale: Chinese Gender Calendar (predicts sex based on mom's age and conception month)

Girl! (I'm 21...and you can do your own math if you really want to know when our baby was 'concepted')

Wives tale: If your craving sweets it's a girl, if your craving salty food it's a boy.

Based on this, we're having a little he-she...because I have craved both salty and sweet.

Wives tale: Even or odd? If the mother's age and the year of conception are both are odd or even it's a girl and if one is odd and one is even then it's a boy.

Girl! Age 21, year 2011.

Wives tale: If the mom is breaking out during pregnancy it is a girl because the baby is "stealing" the mom's beauty. If you have a clear face, it's a boy.

Girl! My face has never had acne like this. fo reals. I be lookin' like a 13-year-old boy going through puberty.

If we round things out 'wives tale style', we're having a girl...but too bad I'm not superstitious in the slightest degree! Boy or girl, Superman or Barbie, Aragorn or Arwen, blue or pink --- we don't care! We're sooo excited to find out!

'Ode to our first apartment'

2011-06-16T01:37:00.003-06:00

Everyone says that you will always remember the first apartment you lived in as a married couple.

Well, I can't see how I could ever forget our little abode we lived in!

I will never forget our old sink that didn't have a disposal...Oh how I will miss scooping out old food from the drain after a delightful 30 minutes of washing each dish by hand.

I will never forget all the times I didn't cook.

(Well, that's not entirely true, I did cook 4 meals in 8 months)

When we were moving out, I had to take off our cute little wall lettering that said Kiss The Cook At one point during the take-down process, the words read He Cook

...Very fitting for how things really worked around there.

I will never forget the day I was writing a paper for a class, when I noticed some weirdness behind the blinds. (I admit that I didn't clean the window seal behind our headboard as often as I should have) I found such a lovely surprise.

Three bouts of screaming and a bottle of Tide with Bleach later...Our moldy surprise was gone-zo.

I will never forget the bathroom sink that never stopped dripping, or the shower that clogged regularly -- Oh and how I will miss the bathroom door that had a small section cut out of it so that it could open and close without running into the toilet...Yes, that's right. If you were to sit down and start 'going to the bathroom' there wasn't a chance in you know where that you could shut the door. Brooks had to witness many-a public episodes. (Sometimes shutting the door before you sit is hard to remember!)

I will never forget all the adventures we had trying to wiggle the antenna so that we could watch the Bachelor (and KSL News, of course) Nor will I forget all the magical times where I got to use our Tide-To-Go pen on our whitey white couch. Granted, it was totally worth it because that couch is one comfy Jose.

I will never forget how tiny our apartment was, or how thin the walls were. I loved hearing how funny the man upstairs was since his wife's laugh could be heard throughout the day -- or how rocky the neighbors' marriage was, since yelling and crying was a normal occurrence.

I will never forget how creative we had to be since our bedroom had no closet, or how wonderful it was to get to do laundry for two people.

Lastly and most importantly, I will never forget the number one thing that nearly drove us to that lovely place called insanity. Every 3 hours, day and night, we were presented with the loudest banging of pipes in the walls that would go on for five minutes straight. It literally sounded like someone was right next to our heads, crashing pots and pans together while we tried to sleep. This video doesn't do it justice.

Lovely, yes?

Living in that apartment was an experience we will never forget. Yes, things went wrong -- but it was all a part of the Newlywed Adventure. The real moments that I will care to remember 50 years from now are the sweet and special days I shared with my husband. I will never forget all the notes he would leave me. I will never forget all the delicious meals that he made. I will never forget the birthdays and holidays we celebrated together. I will never forget the flowers that he would surprise me with. I will never forget standing in the kitchen, telling Brooks that we were going to have a baby. I will never forget the midnight movies, the 7-11 slurpees, the dishwashing-duets, the laughter, the conversations, the finals panic attacks, the comforting, and all the special moments that were shared together.

This was the place where life as a married couple began. No matter how old, yucky, cramped, or in need of repair it was,

that apartment was home.

'hello from the fat girl'

2011-06-10T01:16:00.000-06:00

What an adventurous day it has been! I don't have any pictures, but I must document nonetheless! We slept in after a super late night, and decided that we needed to give ourselves a nice little day date. We got all prettied up (well, Brooks got handsome'd up) and headed to Orem. We were going to go to Texas Roadhouse, but they don't open until 4 on weekdays (lame-o) so instead, we went to Carrabba's. I LOVE that place. Wowzer. We had a great time, and the food was mega delish. Usually I feel pretty horrible/rotten/bloated/barfy/awful after any big meal, but I made sure to eat slow and really enjoy every little bite. It was great! The waitress kept laughing at Brooks because he would drink his Sprite's so fast (I am not kidding you -- after 10 seconds of putting the drink on the table, it is gone-zo). She was most definitely the best re-filler we've ever had. Hat's off to you, lady!

After Carrabba's we went to the mall to get me a new pair of black flats. Oh my lanta. If you know me, you know that I don't like shopping. I will wear something out till it is hanging by threads. Literally. My black flats that I've had for years and years are so beyond gross. They were practically rotten inside, so it was time to retire them. After that we went to the 4th Pirates of the Caribbean. If you haven't seen it, you should! It was by far the best Pirates movie. I was so glad that it was a newer cast along with the same old favorites. There is a particular love story between a cute guy and a mermaid that I just loved! Go see it.

After the movie, we got some Dairy Queen and then headed home. We rested for a few hours (Brooks watched the NBA finals game while I fixed my blog) and then decided that it was time for a backyard camp-out!

HAHA

Oh boy. Long story short:

Brooks' family has 3 tents. Brooks tried to set up the biggest first, but something was amiss, so we couldn't get it to work. After stuffing it back into the bag (which takes about 10 minutes and LOTS of muscle), we tried the second one. This one was absolutely the perfect size. Sadly, the poles were nowhere to be found. Blast. After a half hour of looking through the sheds and the house, we stuffed it back into the bag. We pulled out the third one, and set it up. Alas, it was about 5'10 by 5'10...we tried to squeeze into it, but it looked like a circus act. I wish I had a picture of Brooks laying there with his head squished and his feet squished -- it was like trying to stuff a ruler into a sandwich bag. Haha, it was sad because he had worked so hard, but it was a little bit funny too. By then it was 11:30 pm and we had tried everything. We took down the little tent, stuffed it into the bag, then came inside. What a fail, oh well!!

--Baby Burr Update--

Our baby has been cooking for 18 weeks. It's practically an adult.

A week ago, we went for our monthly appointment. I was semi-hoping that we would get to find out the gender (since I was 17 weeks) but my doctor said it would be smarter to wait. Brooks got to find the heartbeat which was neat, but once he found it (this was his first time hearing it) the Dr. just took the little heartbeat-finder away from him. Ha, seriously. We got to hear about two little 'thump-thump, thump-thump's" and then it was over. We felt a little bit cheated and hurried. He set our gender appointment for June 29th. I will be 21 weeks along by then, so this baby better be ready to show his or her goods! We are so excited! We talk about it every single day. I commend those people who wait the whole 9 months to find out the gender, because I could NEVER do that. If it's a girl, we basically have the name picked out. If it's a boy, then good thing we'll have 4 more months to figure out what his name will be! I'm just so excited to get a better idea of who this little person is inside of me. Once I know the gender, I will be able to visualize my future with him or her so much better. This whole pregnancy will definitely be more real.

As far as symptoms go, I am still throwing up a lot. I'm getting a better handle on how to control and prevent the nausea, but sometimes I just can't keep anything down. I'm sure it will continue to get better and better though. The biggest thing that has been happening is just the change in my appearance. Oh my heavens, my belly is large and in charge. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm not just getting fat, and that there is a cute little baby in there (not to mention that my uterus is the size of a freaking cantaloupe!) I haven't felt the baby yet, but I'm sure that will come in the following weeks. It's all very new, scary, and exciting! Brooks has been the best supporter and comforter I could ask for. I love him more every day, and can't wait for him to hold our baby in his arms.

Well, finals are this week -- so see you on the other side!!

Jena & Baby out.

oh yes, I did

2011-05-31T16:32:00.000-06:00

Here it is. Ze Bump, 16.5 weeks along

The 4 I'm holding up can either represent 4x4 (which equals 16) or it can represent 4 months along. Take your pick.

"There might be somethin' in there!!"

(Katelyn, that was for you)

Jena and Orange out.

Pop!

2011-05-30T23:14:00.000-06:00

I have titled this post "pop" for two reasons:

Reason #1: I have been working my behiiind off today with homework, and to reward my efforts, I took a little break and watched The Bachelorette...my guilty pleasure.

I want to POP that stupid Bentley guy's head off! What a horrible, rotten, swear word of a person. The number one thing that just boils my blood is that he has a daughter! This man is showing his little girl that hurting women is funny, using people isn't bad, getting famous is worth any cost, and a whole lot of other horrible things. Grr. I just get angry about him.

In other news Bachelorette related: Ashley's 'sincerity radar' is WAY off, Ryan (the solar guy) is my favorite, masked man is a creep stash, William looks like Prince William, JP is adorable, and Mickey has weird facial expressions. There, I'm done.

Reason #2: The Belly Pop

I have obviously noticed that my waistline is slowly expanding, but over the last two days especially, a specific bump has grown in front. Either I'm getting fat, or I'm starting to really show...and I'll choose the latter.

Pictures to come...probably in a few weeks. Hope you all had a glorious weekend.

Jena out.

Orange or apple? Take your pick.

2011-05-20T16:17:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was week 15. For some reason, 15 seems like a lot more than 3 1/2 (which is how far along I was when we first found out)

...maybe because it is a lot more

When I initially found out, I was so obsessive about looking at baby stuff online, thinking about how slowly time was passing, and worrying about all the bad things that could happen to my little peanut. I went crazy with worrying and 'what if's'. I realized (with the help of my sweet husband) that I needed to just take things one day at a time. I needed to have faith, and be excited rather than fearful. November is pretty far away, but like I've said before (on the baby blog that I don't really use) I am SO grateful for this time of preparation. Yes, I slightly wish I was 25 or 35 weeks along like all these other pregnant ladies I see on facebook, but then again, I don't. Even though my body is changing and throwing up has become a happenin' thing -- I love the process. I love that I am excited about being a mere 15 weeks along. I love that Brooks and I read about our baby's weekly developments. I love all the fruit/vegetable-comparing with each week that passes by (we've gone from a poppyseed to an orange! Amazing!) I love how excited Brooks and I are to be parents, and I love that everything is in the Lord's hands. I know that I still have 175 days to go, but I am going to try to make it a great 175 days.

Oh. And no pictures until I can differentiate a baby bump from fat rolls.

Peace,

Jena and Orange/Apple out.

Get a hold of yourself!

2011-05-13T17:20:00.001-06:00

Maybe it's because I'm watching too much Extreme Home Makeover, or maybe it's because I'm pregnant...but holy guacamole, I am such a flippin cry baby! Sad things make me cry, happy things make me cry, and everything else in between makes me cry. I've always been somewhat of a sensitive soul, but this is like an emotional overload! Brooks has had to deal with a lot of tears, but he is patient and nice, so he doesn't complain.

Speaking of my hunk of a husband, he turned 26 last Wednesday!!!! After breakfast in bed and a day of school (bah humbug), we went to Texas Roadhouse with his mom and grandma and had such a good time! He got great gifts from his family, and I decided to do something more thoughtful than expensive for him this year. I went to the mall and found two really cute onesies. One of them was purple and said "Daddy's Little Girl" and the other one was blue and said "Daddy is my hero" (since we won't find out what the gender is for another six weeks, I had to be safe :) I made a card that had a note from the baby for Brooks. It turned out to be really cute when he opened it. (I also gave him a homemade gift certificate to go get a nice back treatment at Acaydia in Provo...You should all go have it done, it is amazing!)

(Brooks opening "Clifford" from Brandon. HA! What a super thoughtful idea from his big bro)

"Daddy's Little Girl"

"Daddy is my Hero"

We are adjusting to our new schedules with school and work, and we are SOOO grateful to be saving money by living with Brooks' parents this summer. I'm getting used to the Collective Soul posters hung all over our room from Brooks' teenage years (even though some might disappear for the next three months....shhh) and I am also getting used to the 20 minute drive to BYU everyday as opposed to my 10 minute walk to campus. There has been a lot of changes, but I am finally starting to acclimate. The beautiful weather is definitely helping!!

Speaking of changes, I went in to Miss Ally Remund to get my hair done. My wonderful mother-in-law gave all the girls a free 'hair day' at the salon of their choice for Easter -- and BOY was I in need. I know that I posted about needing to get my hair done a few months ago, but did I do anything about it? Nope. Notta dang thing. Before going to Ally, I hadn't gotten a trim in a year -- and yes, my blonde was so far gone that I was this close to joining the brunette club.

Anyways, I went to the salon and it was so fun to catch up with Ally and see a couple of friends from high school. I knew I wanted about 7 inches cut, so she cut about 6 off, then did a partial weave. My hair is thick, so I bow down to those who have weaved my hair because it takes FOREVER. After about 2 1/2 hours, my blonde was back and she was ready to cut and style. When she asked me what I wanted, I told her the truth.

"I have no attachment to this hair. I need a change. I trust you."

With every snip, I felt freedom. Seriously, I just kept saying "slice away, don't hold back!" and she did an awesome job. The grand total of inches cut came to about 14 1/2. I can't tell you how good it feels! There is a time and a season for everything -- and I needed something different and drastic. Ally said that she has rarely seen anyone cut almost 15 inches off and not even bat an eye. I really didn't care at all -- I was glad to see that long, thick, mess of hair poopage go. I'll post a picture tomorrow. Or not, who knows.

*BABY UPDATE*

Well, yesterday marked my 9th month married to Brooks as well as my 14th week of pregnancy. If I had to sum up my first trimester in one word, I would say W-E-I-R-D. The way my likes, dislikes, moods, body, etc. etc. changed was so dang weird. I was sort of expecting the emotional side effects of this whole baby-incubating business, but I never knew how much your body could change in such a short time! My hands and feet turn numb super duper fast if they're in a weird position, my nose can smell either a good or a bad scent from a mile and a half away, I gleak waaay more than I used to (ya know, when a little stream of saliva shoots out from under your tongue when you're eating or yawning), and I am tired all the time. Other things have changed dramatically as well....but I'll just let you guess since going into detail would be TMI.

Food is still iffy, but it is DEFINITELY getting better. I am really in love with fruit, water, and McDonald's Hot 'n' Spicy McChicken sandwiches (don't worry, I've only fallen into that craving twice). The worst symptom so far is the horrible taste in my mouth that NEVER goes away, even right after I brush my teeth. This dang 'swamp mouth' (that's what my dr. calls it) is what makes me feel the most nauseated. I have to have gum, a mint, or water with me 24/7 to keep it at bay. Blech.

I'm not really showing yet, but my waistline is disappearing. Basically I just look like a chubster, which isn't that cool -- but I know I'll feel better once I have a legitimate baby bump. I saw a picture of my sister Haylee yesterday when she was 9 months pregnant, and wowza..it was eye-opening. We Sainsbury girls are built the same, so these itty bitty baby bumps that I see all over facebook are just a figment of my hopeful imagination. Instead of a little beach ball, imagine a yoga ball inside you....Yep, that about sums it up. I'm scared for all the changes, but I am also really excited. I love that I have my sister and mom to help me through all the unknown challenges. They have been through it, and I know that I will get through it too.

Well, other than that, we're just happy to be alive. I'm the happiest girl in the world because of my amazing husband. I've never seen a man who loves and adores kids as much as Brooks does, and I know he will be a wonderful dad. This is what we've both dreamed about our whole lives and we are so excited.

Jena and lemon/pear/or clenched fist out.

P.S. shout out to Jess Beach who delivered her darling baby, Chloe, two months early via C-Section. If this little chick is anything like her mom, she is going to be a courageous fighter! Love you Jess, Mike, and Chloe Jane!

Schools Out!....just kidding.

2011-04-27T17:47:00.000-06:00

Wrapping my head around the fact that I am on campus for 9 hours a day...whilst 3/4 of the student body is kickin' their heels in their newly found summer freedom is...annoying. But, it is what it is, and I am determined to make the best of it. I am grateful that I can get 4 classes done this summer which will get me just a little closer to graduation. I've heard a million (okay, that was exaggerating, maybe hundreds) of people say things like, "Why did you get pregnant when you're in the middle of your schooling?" or "Oh you're pregnant? Does this mean you won't graduate?"

Ha...you silly people.

I fully intend on graduating. Without the addition of our sweet little babe this fall, my graduation date would have been April 2012...but now it will probably be December 2012. And that, my friends, is fine with me. In my opinion, if you're always waiting for the 'right time' to have a kid, it will never come. Life is always busy, and there are responsibilities all around us. By simply rearranging goals, and re-prioritizing a few things -- things always work out.

In other news..

For our four-day summer break, we went on our first vacation together to St. George. If I could describe the trip in three words I would say that it was: Relaxing, Hilarious, and Perfect.

It was relaxing because we got to do whatever we wanted to do for three days. We went out to eat, slept in, gorged on delicious continental breakfasts, toured Zions (it was Brooks' first trip!), did a session at the St. George temple, and swam our little hearts out.

It was hilarious because Brooks is one funny Jose. Driving in a car with him is full of surprises; one second he will be in deep conversation, and the next second he will say "roll down the window and let's yell 'wahooo' as loud as we can, okay?" And of course, knowing me I answered, "yeah let's do it!" And then we did, because we're cool.

Since St. George was my family's number one (and 97% only) vacation destination, I would let Brooks know about every memory/tradition associated with that place...which it turns out, is A LOT of memories. As we were passing a Wal-Mart factory full of hundreds of semi-trucks, Brooks (in an effort to poke a little fun at all my random reminiscing moments) said (in a Jena voice), "Oh look! There's the factory! When my family would pass this factory we would yell, 'it's the factory!' and then count as many semi-trucks as we could in 5 seconds!" I was confused at first, but when I realized that he was making fun of me, I couldn't stop laughing. All of my little memories/traditions that I would tell him about were really stupid and random like that, so he was spot on! He is the best traveling buddy, and I loved just laughing with him.

And lastly, the trip was perfect because I was with my husband. It felt like a second honeymoon, and we just had so much fun talking about our baby and spending time together. I am blessed to be married to a great guy; someone who fits me perfectly. Even though going to school in the summer is a drag, I am happy that I get to end my days with him by my side. Life isn't perfect by any means, but there are moments where it feels like it is.

Jena out.

just procrastinating

2011-04-18T22:43:00.000-06:00

I have never been more productive in my ENTIRE life than the last three days. Finals time motivates me to get crap done, but now that I have accomplished a lot, I need a break!! Holy Moly! My brain is fried. I still have a half a research paper to complete, and one religion final to take. The end is near, but I am trying not do die before I hit the finish line.

The biggest thing that totally bugs me is that I am not excited for finals/this semester to be over. I mean, yeah, it's going to be nice not to have all these credits to take -- but Brooks and I only get a weekend break to enjoy. A weekend. This summer won't be the same as other summers. I will be going to school the entire time to get as many credits under my belt as possible before the baby comes. If we even had a week off, I'd be happy -- but 3 days? What the crap.

Okay, enough of the debbie downer attitude....Let's talk about the fetus!

The last two weeks have been a MILLION times better than the 5 weeks before. I feel like my body/mind/life is slowly returning to a somewhat normal state. What a relief! I think it is Heavenly Father's way of giving me a major tender mercy during the stress of finals. The only day last week where I had a major, terrible, no good day was on Tuesday. Basically I had to run out of a review (in front of all 250+ students) to throw up...3 separate times. It was an awful, embarrassing experience. I don't mind being sick, I get that it comes with the territory...but I would just rather be sick in my own house, and not in public.

I am just really happy that our little kumquat is healthy. I have been super surprised by all the weird pregnancy symptoms. Here's a few:

-my lips are SO chapped! It's like a live in the desert...except I don't

-Water and icebreakers save me from feeling terrible. Weird combo, but I love them

-I will live a happy life if I never have to eat a soda cracker again. Blahhh

-Strawberries are sooo good to me right now (along with mashed potatoes, olive garden soup, and corn)

-I'm bloated beyond belief. I look well past 5 months pregnant...which is a bad thing seeing as how I'm only 2 3/4 months along. Oh well, the excuse still stands: I'm pregnant!

This weekend we're heading to St. George. I hope it will help us to feel a renewal of spirit -- OH and we're moving out of our apartment next week. This makes me more excited than anything. This place needs to be torn down.

Adios mi amigos.

Jena out.

cat's out of the bag

2011-04-11T12:08:00.000-06:00

Hooray for not having to keep the biggest secret of my life a secret anymore!!

This whole 'pregnant' thing is still very surreal to me, but I am starting to internalize it. The moment I saw that little munchkin on the ultrasound monitor made everything worth it. All the talks with the toilet, all the food weirdness, and all the worry is worth it! I am scared out of my mind (duh) but both Brooks and I are stoked.

Along with the excitement, comes the fact that being pregnant is turning me into a crazy person. Because of the stress of finals, work, and being super sick all of the time -- I have realized that if I don't just take a deep breath and welcome the weirdness, then I will go bonkers.

Here's an example of welcoming the weirdness:

This morning when I got home from dropping Brooks off from school, I ran in to the bathroom to...ya know, ralph. This experience, as all of you know, is craptastic. Since it is a daily ritual, I decided to make it a little more fun by talking to the toilet. Statements like:

"Well hello there...It's been at least three hours since I've talked to you, and you're lookin' better than ever"

"We really should become official..people are starting to talk"

Weird? Yes, but being consistently nauseous for almost 5 weeks straight just does things to your mind.

In other news....

The number one thing I have realized since this whole experience began, is that I married a great guy. Seriously, Brooks deserves so much credit for all the good that he does. He is so busy with school and work, yet he takes time doing anything to help me feel better. Whether it's craving runs, doing the dishes, cleaning the apartment, rubbing my feet, etc. etc. etc. He does it all with a happy heart. Having him by my side makes everything doable.

Well, it's time for me to write a research paper. Good luck with finals!! And if you don't have to take finals...then your next 10 days will be better than mine!

Jena out.

'ver ver happy'

2011-04-08T14:39:00.000-06:00

This video will make you happy.

After you watch it, go here for more details...

I get it.

2011-03-23T20:41:00.000-06:00

It's nights like tonight that remind me why I am headed where I am headed.

I think that people get confused about their 'life plans' all the time. They switch majors, break engagements, have panic attacks, and more. This is the hard part of life, as we all know. If we didn't have the confusion or worry, we would never rely on the Lord to help us gain a direction. Makes sense, right? Well there are also moments where we make a decision, inquire of the Lord, get an answer to run with it, and then off we go --- but then years pass, and we get bogged down with stress. We may wonder why we chose what we chose, and might even second guess our spiritual affirmations. I have been feeling like this over the past month or so. I have no desires to go to Hollywood like everyone else in my program. I have no desires to 'make big movies' like everyone else. All I want is to make small, beautiful wedding videos and possibly teach Film Theory. That might sound like a waste of tuition (which is what I began to think) but in all truthfulness, I have found that not one dime has been wasted.

Almost everyday, I learn something valueable that refines and shapes me. It might be through listening to a lecture or (more likely) watching a film. There are so many lessons to be learned through stories, and that is why I love movies. I always walk away inspired (unless it's a creep-stash horror)

Tonight I viewed a documentary made by two of my most influential professors. The theme was centered around life, family, and home movies. It was so breathtakingly beautiful. Even though I was watching other families special moments -- I couldn't help but be reminded of my own family's special memories.

When the film was over, my professor got up and gave a thought-provoking speech about the importance of family and the Gospel. There really is nothing in the world that we will care to remember than the sweet moments of our children jumping on the tramp or getting ice cream all over their faces as they attempt to conquer a Macey's King Cone. As he spoke, I felt re-inspired about my life. I'm not saying that I want to become a professional home-movie-maker by any means, but tonight taught me that life isn't just about what major you choose or what huge decision you make --- it's about all the tiny things in-between.

Life plans change all the time. There is no 'definite' road that we all have to take in order to be happy and successful. As long as we stay close to the Gospel, we can do anything -- whether it be owning a salon, writing a book, teaching 5th graders, being a mom, inventing new technology, or any of the other endless possibilities.

Life really is cool if you choose to look for all the good that's in it.

"PLOP" goes the phone.

2011-03-22T22:55:00.000-06:00

I was about to vacate a bathroom on campus when the toilet ate my phone.

It dropped into the toilet and made a loud PLOP! I looked down and saw my purple beauty in the bottomless pit of 'stuff you'd never want to put your hand into' -- and then the dumb motion sensor went off, and the toilet started to flush.

greeeat.

Well, the phone was still down there, so I reached in and grabbed it. After 20 minutes of airing it out, then two days of it in a rice bowl, my phone has been laid to rest.

Thankfully, I got a new one today. It's the exact same as the last one, and I am in love.

'it's pickin' time!'

2011-03-13T21:31:00.000-06:00

Alright people.

Tomorrow is the night. Brad is going to pick one of the two ladies below...

What's your guess??

I choose Emily (left)..but they usually throw in big twists, so who knows.

It is official

2011-03-06T00:30:00.003-07:00

Brooks and I have been together for ONE year today.

Holy Smokes!

Time seriously flies! It has been the most amazing year of my life -- and it's all because of this great guy who is snoring next to me. I thank my Father in Heaven for sending me such a wonderful man who makes me strive to be the best version of myself (and will still love me even when I fall short). In one year we have gone through so many great stages. Almost 3 1/2 months of dating, 2 months of an engagement, and almost 7 months of marriage. Wowza. I giggled tonight as I looked through my journal and found the entry from March 5th, 2010. I get little butterflies just thinking about that wonderful day...Even though I sound like a major dork-shmork, I think this post-first kiss journal entry is just too good to keep to myself....

March 5th, 2010

Brooks Burr kissed me tonight!!

This is how it happened. We went to Vocal Point, then to James’ house. We all laughed a lot and had a good time. When we got back to my house, we came in and Keaton, Ally, Kaitie, Jen, and Mady were all in the living room. We decided to watch Matilda. When we sat on the love sac, I was on the right. The movie started, and Brooks pulled me in and kissed me on the forehead. HOOT HOOT My stomach shot up into my throat. It was the first legitimate stomach jump!!!

When the movie got over, I was really tired, but I walked him out to his car. I kind of knew what was coming. I knew that if he was too tired, we would probably just hug, and he would go…but then when we got there, he just kind of turned towards me and leaned against his car. AHHH that was the sign!! Now I totally knew what was coming!!!! He hugged me for abit, and then wam--He totally just went in for it!
After it happened, we hugged again, then he said in a cute way, “so does this mean we’re dating?” and I just laughed and said, “yeah I think so” and then we kissed a couple more times. His lips are big and juicy. Haha I just laughed as I wrote that because it sounded so freaking dumb. Oh well. Hi. I’m twenty and I’m dumb.

So there you have it. I am a girlfriend to a boy. We are doing the courtship thing now baby!

Silly old me.

I never could've imagined where my life would be a year from that moment; sitting in warm bed in a tiny apartment, as that same big'n'juicy lipped boy sweetly snoozes next to me. This is bliss.

Love you forever Brooks Hulse..

Jena Out.

'talking pictures'

2011-02-28T23:18:00.004-07:00

I just uploaded all my handy dandy cell-phone pics/videos and just had to share. So many good memories of the past two months are associated with these peeektures.

Here's the babe. Sportin is new shades. Bow chica WOW WOW

I am pretty sure this was the first day of Winter Semester..just chillin' in the Terrace before class. He looks so regal, yeah?

Yay!!! Happy Valentines to me!!! Brooks woke up at the butt crack of dawn to make me a love-filled breakfast:

Pink Crystal Light

Pink Blueberry Muffins

Pinkish Bacon

Pink Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Pink strawberries

and a nice white offset of delicious whipped creme...YUM

This is one of my favorite memories from the past few weeks. We have been reading Harry Potter together in preparation for the upcoming final installment. As Brooks was reading, he got to a sentence that said something to the effect of ...."Suddenly, Harry looked up and saw Hagrid's big...." and from there he may have added a couple of sentences that weren't in the book. BAH HA. It may have been a teensy bit naughty but it was hilarious. He cracked himself up for a good minute or so -- enough time for me to grab my cell phone and snap a pic!

The walls of our little apartment have been BUCK NAKED for the past 6 months. I decided to get 6 or 7 of our wedding/engagement pictures put up for a part of Brooks' Valentines present. He loved it, and I love it too! It feels so much homey (...super awkward word to spell btw)

Here is the wall above our couch..Not much, but hey! At least it's somethin'!

For one of my classes I needed to go to the Madama Butterfly opera at the Covey Center. It was um....interesting, but we both had a lot of fun laughing and sleeping during the lovely Italian music.

This video makes me about pee my pants. This is my niece Kamryn showing her amazing singing qualities..

The video starts with her singing about her brother Gavin jumping and climbing on the couch.

(subtitles)

He can climb on...the couch

Kamryn's so smartly

and her got a dress

and Jena's so pretty

Jena's so pretty

and her got very big shoes.

Jena's so pretty -----

Gavin's so awesome, and he can jump off

Kamryn's so..

Kamryn's so awesome.

and her also pretty

and. and. a princess.

..cinderwellla.

Now this, ladies and gentlemen...was my first, real, from scratch creation.

Chicken Pot Pie baby!!

And you want to know something else that will just make your day??

It was NASTY.

Brooks disagrees, but I know that he's just buttering me up so that I will try to cook more. Not to worry sweet husband, I will cook -- but I can't promise that it will be better than the chicken pot pie experience.

Came home to find a few surprises in the fridge. I love that Brooks fellow.

One day I pulled a quick one on the hubs and totally surprised him. I called to let him know that I had to stay late on campus, when really I just found the car and hopped in. I waited for a few minutes and saw him walking up to the car. I got my cell phone ready and CLICKED right when he got in and realized I was there! It was a cute little surprise -- love that face!

Well, that's that.

Hope everyone is having a delightful week.

Hidjakids.

Jena out.

'thoughts from the sick girl'

2011-02-27T12:46:00.008-07:00

There is no better time to think about all the things you are grateful for than when life throws a terrible chest/head cold into your face...and then asks you to successfully finish three huge midterm essays, pass one ver ver large religion test, and sing in a performance when your voice is nowhere to be found.

Yes, it's a lovely time to think about all the good things...such as:

Halls 'Pep talk in every drop' Cough Drops

Allegra-D

Nose Spray. This one is most important.

Vicks. This is probably my husband's favorite so I don't keep him up with the coughing at night.

Yes, all of these items are very necessary for survival during this nasty cold -- but I am also so grateful for other things as well.....

Dads

My dad is the best example. So many people look up to him, and as I have grown up -- I can see why. He is so supportive of everything. He works so hard to make sure that everyone is happy. This week he saved me when I was about to turn in one of my midterm essays. I called him at work and asked if he would read through it, and he said yes without hesitation. For 45 minutes, he read aloud every word of my essay and let me know what could sound better, what needed fixing, or what already sounded perfect. He turned a mediocre essay into a fantistically worded masterpiece (even if the grade doesn't reflect it, I still think it is amazing)

 I sure do love that old guy.

Mothers

My mom is the sweetest thing in the world. This week as I was sick and needed some nursing from Brooks, I couldn't stop thinking about all that my mom has done for me throughout my life. She listens to me rant about school and homework, and will go to infinity and beyond to help me solve any sort of problem. I love that every time I talk to her I feel so soothed; she brings a peace to my soul that only a mother carries. Back when I was single and going through a major break up..my mom was there on the phone with me through all the hours of the night. During that time she wrote me this poem that I kept with me all the time. Read its perfect sweetness:

Oh, Jenny-roo, Jenny-roo
Oh, what are you to do?
When things are bad, just go to bed
and dream of 'dreams come true'
There is not far, just ahead...a finer, brighter starwaiting to illuminate and capture all you are
Yes, stars are different, as you've found...most shine for just a glanceBut one, far greater watches, waits, for the 'best' last dance
So many stars in heaven are so much like the first...invaded by mere daylight----they vanish, without worth
This wondrous star's sole purpose,is to light the sweetest face...the purest heart, now ready...for heaven-sent embrace.
Be assured, that when his light shines down upon your heart, no matter if it's day or nightno power will keep you two apart.
True love is forever sweety!

Love, Mom

Here is another one she wrote a year later for no apparent reason than I think to make me laugh. The last line is my fav.

Jennyroo, Jennyroo, don't ever apologize for being you

whether your day is cloudy grey, or warm with skies of blue,

just take each step with confidence and fight to do your best

and before you know it--you'll find Mr. GAGA beasty love, to eternally fill your nest

HA oh Mom, I love your sweet poems. I love your guidance and advice. I love that you helped me to realize that when I was dating Brooks, he was my Mr. GAGA beasty love. I love that I am your daughter.

and of course..

Mr. GAGA beasty love

Right at this moment, he is doing dishes and making me some lunch. He does so much to make me feel loved...and OHHHH how I love him back!!!

I love that we are always laughing. I love that he helps me clean the apartment. I love that he will go to late night movies with me. I love that he attempts a British accent when we are reading Harry Potter together. I love that he can't get through a witty retort without busting up laughing because he thinks it's oh so funny. I love that he let's me put my prickly legs near his at night, so that my feet will warm up. I love that he plays Scrabble and Jenga with me. I love that he is so obsessed with U2 and collective soul. I love that he wrote me a song for V-day. I love that he has taught me so much about the Gospel since we have been married. I love that he is so supportive of me, and most of all -- I love that he chose me to be his wife.

Even though I have snot up to my eyeballs, I am grateful for life and all the good things in it.

Jena Out.

'my chubby and me'

2011-02-05T22:07:00.008-07:00

This last week has been pretty cool in the Burr home.

We are making changes to our lifestyles that will help us to be more healthy. We are becoming little gym bugs; gettin sweaty, pumpin' the iron

...and finding out just how out of shape we are.

(mostly me)

I have loved eating better and realizing that being healthy is fun! I have also been thinking a lot about body image and all that jazz. Instead of whining about my chub, I'm thankful for it. Yes, you heard that right. I'm thankful for my chub, and here are all my reasons:

I'm thankful because no one has ever asked me if I'm pregnant -- Chub has been a friend and constant companion for so many years that a little post newlywed weight doesn't make people curious.

I'm thankful because other girls have to shed layer upon layer of sweaters and coats when they come in from the icy cold -- and I have to just take off a jacket. Chub has kept me warm.

I'm thankful for chub because it means I've had a great life with great food.

I'm thankful for chub because it's helped me to produce a triple chin. It is very impressive.

...

I don't think the chub will ever fully go away, but I just hope it knows that I don't hate it like everyone else in the world does.

Love you chub. I promise to never let my new muscles and healthier arteries take your place.

Love, Jena

'brownish my eye'

2011-01-25T00:45:00.002-07:00

Oh dear. Today our class was split into groups of 'hair color'. I congregated with the blondes, and a boy turned to me and said, "you're like a browny blonde".

GASP.

Even a male has noticed my regrowth. This is not good.

I was looking through some pictures of the last year (and most especially the last five months) and noticed a re-occurring phenomenon.

Exhibit A: The Braid

I started doing the 'cross the forehead' braid at Snow. I don't do it as often now...or so I thought.

Exhibit B: The Twist

Sadly, this is my 'do' almost every stinkin day. It is just so easy. Now that my old bangs are getting longer, and my hair is getting darker, the twist isn't as satisfying as it used to be. I need a hair makeover. New hair brings new possibilities.

It's been seven months since a highlight, and a year and a half since a cut.

Gillian, Gillian, where for art thou Gillian? (....my hairstylist who works wonders)

In other news.

I have finally done it.

For the first time in our marriage, I made a freaking meal. It's not that I hate cooking, it's more like I was never home last semester, and Brooks is a cooking extraordinaire, and I was never that motivated (excuses, excuses, excuses). He has cooked at least 30 amazing meals. He is a way better wife than me.

Now since I have a little more time, I decided cook a meal for Family Home Evening, and I themed it around 'pie'. I made a beautiful chicken pot pie. And yes, I totally cooked chicken on the stove! AMAZING! I only had to call my sister twice.

This is serious progress people.

For dessert, Miss Marie provided us with her delicious Coconut Creme Pie. I love to bake, but the dinner part was too overwhelming to add a 'made from scratch' dessert. It all turned out great though. I have a full husband, and a yummy pie in my fridge. Life is good.

Jena out.

'rate it'

2011-01-23T20:34:00.006-07:00

I'm just going to assume that if you've taken the time to click on a link that brings you to my blog, you must like reading. Am I right or am I right?

Well good. I love reading too. I have actually been thinking a lot about how we 'rate' books and movies. The Burr family are definite letter graders. We like to give an A, B, C, D, or (yikes) F score after we view a film in the theaters. On Friday, I had an experience that made me think a little bit differently about the media we view/or read.

Pre-Story:

Last week Mom and Dad Burr took us to Breakfast and a movie. Before the movie started, we went to Barnes and Noble and purchased --thanks Brenda-- a few books that looked really good.

Fast forward to Friday when my class was cancelled, and I had basically nothing to do all day. I pulled out the book and started to read. I read until 6pm (caught me. When I get a new book, I can't put it down until I've devoured the whole thing.)

The book was addicting. It is a crime/mystery fiction called "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"...you may have heard of it.

When I started reading, I noticed a few F bombs here and there. I'm not a fan of swearing, but the book was getting so good that I just ignored and kept reading. As the hours went on, I came upon pages that were filled with detailed depictions of intercourse, rape, sadism, and more swearing. I thought to myself Yikes, this was supposed to be a great book, everyone has told me to read it...so I kept going, and just tried to skim over the 'bad' pages. For the next couple of hours I came upon more and more pages that made my head shake in disgust. It was like reading a never ending R-rated episode of Law and Order...I just have to know who murdered who, and then I'll stop! I told myself.

Around 6pm, my mom called. This was our conversation.

M : Hey! What have you been up to today

J : Oh, just reading a book....since about 10am

M : Oh, it must be really good then huh?

J : Umm..Not really. It has a lot of super bad parts and I feel weird reading them -- but the mystery part of it is really enthralling.

M : Oh, well should you stop reading then if it's bad?

J : I don't know, I have 100 pages left so I figure I should just finish it.

M : Well how do you feel? By reading that book do you feel like you have been uplifted, and have learned something valuable? Or do you feel degraded?

(pause)

J :...degraded.

There was my answer. Don't you just love moms?

I put down the unfinished book and felt so much better.

Everyone is different. Although I didn't care for the book, someone else could love it. I think that decisions 'to view or not to view' are extremely subjective and unique to each individual. Nobody is perfect, and we all have our little guilty pleasures. I'll be the first to admit that I never miss a week of Grey's Anatomy or The Bachelor. I don't think that these shows necessarily halt my eternal progression, but they do have a slight negative effect on how I live my 'every day' days.

Whenever you have a question whether you should be doing something or not, just ask yourself..

Will I feel degraded?

Take it or leave it, it's just some good advice from Momma Sainsbury.

Jena out.

p.s.

I'd give the 480 pages I read out of the book a C-

OH.

and shout out to Kelsey M. who is preggers, Bliss who is preggers, Kylie P. who is preggers, Jess B. who is preggers, Angie R. who is preggers, Kaylie S. who is preggers, and any other preggers peoples that I can't remember right now.

Oh. my. preggers.

Can't wait to hold and kiss all these cute babies....and then give them back to you once they poop.

Huge.

2011-01-11T03:21:00.009-07:00

Post, that is. The title is not referring to my double chin...although it is growing at rapidly fast pace. Don't worry though, fitness resolutions are already underway.

Holla people.

I have been in bed since 9:47pm, hoping to 'make a change' and get to bed a little earlier. Well, restlessness and pondering have both won tonight -- so here I am, all cuddled up with my computer and my blog; the place of solace where I can make sense of myself and the world around me. Feels good to be back.

Welcome to the new year. (I just imagined myself throwing confetti as I wrote it. Yay) I am going through that 'acclimation stage' in school where I keep writing '2010' on my notes instead of the new '2011'...changes, changes, changes. I'll probably get the hang of it right when 2012 arrives. That's usually how it works. With every new year comes the reflection on the year past. I have been thinking about how great 2010 was for me...

especially the last 5 months.

Being a newlywed has introduced me to such a strange yet exciting world. Today a friend asked me if being newly married was "tough as crap or easy breezy?" -- I can confidently say that it's a mix of both. It's hard, but it's the good kind of hard. It's the 'hard' that you go through happily, because you know you will reap amazing results. Sort of akin to exercising -- it can be somewhat challenging, but you feel SO good about yourself while you're doing it, as well as when you're done. That's how I feel about being married to Brooks. I feel like he teaches me so much each day. He helps me to see the confidence and strength that I have within myself. We both aid and motivate each other to be better.

We are a team. We are united.

I feel blessed to be loved by this man. As I think back to our 'dating days', I giggle when memories of our 'firsts' come to mind. First holding hands, first holding hands in public (um. big deal people), first kiss, etc. etc. I am amazed at how each progression felt so natural and right. There are usually a lot of unanswered questions and doubt associated with 'possible spouses', but Brooks was unlike any other. I know that the Spirit helped in guiding our decisions, as it still does today. Time is swiftly passing, and our sixth month of marriage approaches (tomorrow). I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
We are far from perfect, but as we travel hand in hand, we are slowly but surely journeying towards our eternity. I can easily say that I have never felt more whole in my life. He was the part that I felt I was missing, and I feel humbled that he adores me just as much as I adore him. (example: Although nothing could be more horribly annoying, he listened without spoken disdain or reprovement, to me sing quite loudly (and word for word) with the Von Trapp children as they belted out their never ending "Do Re Mi's" in the car. If that's not love, I don't know what is...)

I love you sweet man. You are even more than the Todd of my dreams (Saturday's Warrior reference...don't feel weird if you don't know what that is, just know that it is reallllllly good.)

Le ReCap of Newlywed-ness

September began with our first semester both working part-time, and attending school full time.
These are random pictures from our first two days of Fall Semester.

We both learned a lot this semester. We learned the slightly hard way that you have to cherish every moment together...because it was a rare occasion to have more than just a few hours a day with one another. Why you ask? Well combine my work/school schedule from 9am-7pm and Brooks' work/school schedule from 12pm-10:30pm, and you will come out with BARELY any time! It was really hard, but we survived and have become that much more grateful for time we get to spend together.
Here we are at one of the many football games we were able to attend (thanks Mom and Papa Burr!)

Le Finals

Finals weeks were awful. No, that 's' on weeks is not a mistake. I felt like the two weeks before finals week were all equally hard and trialling. I had something due or something to study for every single day. Brooks and I both worked really hard and HURRAH -- we came out on top. For the first time since coming to BYU, my grades came out with not a single B; A's all around. It was a treat. I stress about keeping my grades high because I have an academic scholarship, and I'm always worried that I'll lose it -- well I do not have to fear. It was a great outcome for the both of us.

Le Job

Along with finals week came a crazy experience for me. I got offered a new job as the Head TA of the Intro to Film class (which has about 300 students, with 10 TA's, and 1 head TA.) I'll be teaching a lab of 30 students as well as help the Professor and all the other TA's. I am super excited about it...and also a little scared. The experience will be awesome though, because I hope to someday teach media classes to high school students, so I am pretty stoked.

Le Christmas

The first Christmas as a married couple is unlike anything. We did soooo many fun things. We started off going up to Salt Lake to watch David Archuleta with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It was so beautiful. We got in about 30 seconds before it started which we were so grateful for. Over the next couple of days we went back up to Salt Lake with Brooks' family to see the lights and play at the Little America Hotel. It was SOO fun!! When we got back we went to parties, movies, and had a great time with both families.

Christmas morning was da. bomb.

I can't believe how many presents we received from our families. We feel so blessed. Our favorites were new smart phones, gym passes for both of us to Gold's, new running shoes for Brooks, and the full Harry Potter book collection for me from my sister in law, Rika. Other fun surprises included a Shake Weight (WAHOO I've wanted one forever!!) cute boots, a camera, fun movies, clothes, and a Coco Motion. Over the break Brooks and his brothers made another awesome Burr Brothers Band album. It sounded amazing, and I couldn't believe how fast they were able to put everything together and still have it sound so good. They are so talented, and I love seeing Brooks show off his awesome drum skills.

(Christmas morning madness/joy)

Le New Years

For New Years we went to Uncle Rod's famous party. There was delicious food, game playing, and best of all......Who Wants To Be a Millionaire! Uncle Rod plays 'Regis' and every person gets a chance in the hot seat to answer questions. The best part about it is that.......He gives you REAL MONEY. The most you can win is $100. Brooks got $16 (which would be around $35,000 in the real game) and I chanced everything and got $5...haha. Oh well -- Combined, it will pay for a date night to the movies, wahoo! At the stroke midnight every single person went on the 'Snow Run'. You have to run in your bare feet out to the fence, then run back inside. It was madness. The snow was about 15 inches high, and it hurt so bad. Thanks to peer pressure and my love for traditions, my feet stung and ached for three days afterward. Oh the memories!! This photo was taken a day after.....

So what are the Burrs going to be doing in 2011?

Before I got married I had a little vision of how I wanted my future life to be. I want a good and happy family. I wanted to feel like we were all progressing together. In that little daydream, I had a thought that I have held on to, and have now adapted to our
new little family unit; Our Theme.
Each year I want our little family to find a new theme to look to for help and motivation throughout the year. After hearing an amazing talk on Sunday, Brooks and I found our theme for 2011,

"One Day at a Time"

We will take everything in stride; happiness, joy, pain, and sorrow. We will try to never be overburdened or stressed beyond relief. Taking our lives one day at a time will help us to really look at ourselves, and make the changes necessary to do and be better. We are so excited for this year, and all the new adventures that await us.

Jena out.

365 + 365 + 365 =

2010-12-08T12:09:00.003-07:00

Triumph. I guess.

I never thought I could survive this long without Em. It's been three years since the worst day of my life.

And oddly enough, it's been three of the happiest, most faith growing years of my life.

Even though I am usually pretty strong and level headed (emotionally) about this topic, today I'm not. I'm sure that it being the 'time' of the month (tmi. sorry.) and the fact that stress of finals is drowning me has a lot to do with it -- but I figure that's okay.

I've shed silent tears because of memories, tears because it's a beautiful day, tears because I hate finals, tears because a random girl in my class told me I've changed her life, tears because I am happy that Emilee is out of pain, tears because I keep thinking about how my future children know her and are interacting with her, and tears because I can.

It's a day to remember. It's a day where I feel validated in my roller coaster of emotions.

I'm happy, sad, stressed, joyous, thankful, depressed, and hopeful all at once. I should be the cover girl for mixed feelings.

It all comes down to the fact that I love my sister.

I miss her but I know that her leaving this life was all in the Plan -- the plan that Heavenly Father has for me...and for all of us. I can't prove that He is real or that He knows, loves, and understands me, but I have faith, and
that 's worth more than any proven answer in the world.

God is real, and His church has been restored to the Earth. We will see our loved ones again, and we will live with them forever if we are faithful. I know this to be true, and I am so grateful for this knowledge. It has saved my life during so many hard moments.

"Death is not an exclamation mark; it is merely a comma." -Neal A. Maxwell

The inevitable day of the year arrives,
where I think about you and how you left this life.
I dream sweet dreams and hope for when,
that happy day comes where I will see you again.

Jena Out.

'the look'

2010-12-03T01:29:00.008-07:00

A couple times of year (during finals) I put this up as my profile picture on facebook.

This is me being unhappy about it not being my birthday party at McDonalds.

I was very angry.

Even the little belly protruding from my super cute purple sweats looks angry.

The face pretty much sums up my feelings about finals.

...and yes. To those of you who know me well, this might very well be the pre-cursor to the famous botox face. .

See you on the other side of finals. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good day.

Jena Out.

'screamsing'

2010-11-29T12:33:00.004-07:00

So there was this one time when Brooks and Jena Burr decided to have an adventurously busy week. Here is how it went:

Monday was blah until 5:00pm when we met outside of the Wilk and skipped to our car. Literally, we skipped. You wanna know why? I'll tell you. I skipped because of Kris Allen and Brooks skipped because of Jason Wade (aka the lead singer of Lifehouse.) Yep. That's right, we were going to see Lifehouse and Kris Allen LIVE! We drove straight up to SLC to the "In the Venue" ...venue. Interesting name eh?

The opening act/singer was Alyssa Bernal. I didn't think she was great, and she took foreeeever. Her voice had no punch, and she had very little stage presence. After her, we waited for Kris. Yes, we are sooo on first name basis. He finally came on and was AMAZIN. Mmmm. His music was so yummy. If his music could feed me, I would have been full. Everyone should look up his new song "Alright with me" because it was great.

After he was done we waited a good 45 minutes for Lifehouse. By this time my feet were on fire. We had been standing in a single spot for 3 hours. When they came out the place went crazy. My ears are still ringing from the show. An old man next to me had his fingers stuck in his ears the entire time as his body was groovin' to the beat. (Ha, just picture that in your head for a second.) It was funny.

The best part of the night was the duet between Brooks and Jason Wade. You see, Brooks has been a Lifehouse fan since high school...so basically he knows every single word to every single song. I've never heard anyone pull off a successful 'screamsing' (where you are slightly screaming whilst singing all at the same time)... for 90 minutes straight. I was smiling the whole time because I thought it was cute. He was happy, and when he is happy -- I'm happy.

The rest of the week was full of fun adventures! On Tuesday Brooks made an AMAZING dinner for me. On Wednesday we went to the BYU Basketball game. On Thursday I went to my cute cousin's bridal shower, and then afterward Brooks and I got ice cream and watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone...

Why you ask?

Duh. We were prepping for the next morning when we went to go see ...

HARRY POTTER 7 Part 1

Yep, we went at 9:50 in the morning with a bunch of old people. We LOVED it! That same afternoon we ate lunch at Five Guys, then went to my sister's to watch her kids while she went to HP7. We had so much fun!

On Saturday I went to a really cool shoot where I worked as a Set Designer. It was a 1930's newsroom, and I had a great time. Afterward, Brooks came and got me and we went to the BYU Football game. We had a blast! On our way out of the stadium, we thought we'd take shortcut up a little hill to beat the people-traffic.

...Well, it was kind of dark...

so what we thought was a little hill turned into the steepest hill EVER! I was laughing so hard when I looked over and saw Brooks on all fours trying to climb up the hill. I almost peed my my pants it was so funny! Once we got to the car we headed to Brooks' parents' house and watched Meet Me in St. Louis, one of my all time favorite movies.

The week was awesome...and yes. We did go to work and school all throughout it. It was a great intro into our Thanksgiving Break --which was awesome btw-- I'll post on that one later.

hidejakids hidejawife,

Jena out.

The Big TWO ONE

2010-11-10T22:33:00.003-07:00

This post is 2 months overdue, but it's been in the works for awhile.

If you have been a follower, you might remember my post from last years birthday found here. I want to keep the tradition alive, and give a little re-cap from the last year of my life. 20 was so good to me, and I learned so many great lessons, and had wonderful experiences.

"A Toast to '20' "

20 began with my new college career at Brigham Young University. At first it was too big, and I didn't feel prepared for the challenge...but with time my determination grew and my faith in the Lord increased. I knew that I had been prompted to go to BYU for a reason unknown to me, and that until I realized what the reason was, I needed to go after every opportunity and put my life in the Lord's hands.

20 brought the end of a saga. I won't go into details, because they are not important -- but what is important is that it was the first time I truly relied on the Lord with everything. I could never begin to describe how thankful I am for that experience.

20 was home to many awkward moments because of the new and exciting dating life at BYU.

20 brought a boy into my life. Over a few months of talking, this boy became a wonderful confidant, mentor, and friend.

20 brought the 2 year mark of Em's passing. Still miss her every day.

20 was when I realized that I had a knack for story telling....so I decided to apply for the BYU's Film Program.

20 was when I was accepted. My purpose for school was found.

20 brought the wedding of one of my best friends, Kylee Anderson Behunin. One of the most wonderful examples of love, kindness, and friendship.

20 brought opportunities for me to film weddings...which lead me to the dream I didn't know I had. I am going to be a wedding videographer. I cannot wait for this future to unfold.

20 brought me a realization that one boy wasn't right for me, and that another was the best for me.

20 was when I found courage to fall in love.

20 was when a boy got down on his knee and asked if I would be his forever.

20 was when I said 'yes' to that boy, and he gave me a ring to wear until we're old and wrinkly.

20 was when I became a wife, a partner, and a best friend.

Until it's last day, which was the beginning of my Senior year at BYU, '20' was full of life changing moments. My hair is long now, and I live in a small apartment with a boy who loves me. I never thought any year would beat '19', but I think that this was the year that I'll look back on forever. It was the most defining year of my life. I know who I am more so than I ever have before.

I asked '20' to bring it,

and it did.

Jena out.

Bury Burr

2010-11-02T22:10:00.005-06:00

No.

This does not have to do with the fact that it's getting cold outside.

It has to do with my name.

If you remember, 2 months and 20 days ago I was formally known as Jena Sainsbury. It was a good and strong last name, with good and strong roots. Now, my name is Jena Burr. Also a very good and strong name, with good and strong roots.

But lets just think about the irony of this name for a moment...

First off.

SainsBURy. I guess I'm the luckiest girl in the world because technically I haven't fully lost my maiden name. We just shaved off two syllables and kept the third.

Secondly...(and here's the more ironic part)

I cheated one time. Yes, such a sinner am I. It was 10th grade and I was in Mr. Brough's US History class. He would give oral exams wherein he would ask the questions, then we would answer them on paper. My friend Brittany and I would study our guts out for these tests. Luckily for me, I had a gift of retention. I can memorize answers and then spit them back out onto a test with ease. Brittany the poor dear, could not. She has a weird short term memory loss deal that makes it hard for her to take tests. She would study 3x as long as I would, and then do 3x as worse.

Well, during one such oral exam the question was asked,

"Who killed Alexander Hamilton?"

The answer was easy: Aaron Burr.

I wrote it down and then looked over to see Brittany's fuzzy expression. She was searching her mind for the answer and wasn't coming up with anything. Come on Britt! I thought, we just studied this an hour ago. Time was ticking and our teacher was about to go onto the next question. In a quick movement, I hugged my arms around my body and said in a blatantly loud voice,

"Burrrrr, it's cold!"

Brittany looked at me and LIGHTBULB --- she remembered and quickly wrote down Aaron Burr on her paper.

So there it is. The one time I intentionally cheated on something.

Fast forward six years to me saying 'yes' and becoming Jena Burr, a name that I will have for the rest of my life. Quite ironic.

Do you think that the Lord wanted to teach me a lesson?

Jena BURR out.

hallowthanksistmas.

2010-10-26T22:42:00.004-06:00

This song is dedicated to Jen Scott...since she's the one who taught it to me.

Tis the season to be SCARY fa la la la la la THANKSGIVING Tis the season to be BOO fa la la la la la la YUM-MY TURKEY!

It's called the Hallowthanksistmas song. I love it

Well hello world, Jena here. Talk about BUSY life, hence the lack of bloggalogin. It's been so crazy but so wonderful all at once. Would you like an update? ...Yes, I thought so.

Well here's how it goes...

La Apartamenta

After we got married, we moved in all of our stuff to our cute little abode. It is tiny, old, and sometimes cold, but we like it. Our neighbors are awesome, we love them to pieces. They just had a baby and he is the cutest thing. Yesterday I was waiting in the car, and Brooks helped them while they were carrying stuff outside. Here comes my husband walking out of the building with a car seat (with the baby in it a'course) in hand.

It was adorable.

Brooks is better and more comfortable with kids than many mothers that I've seen. He's not scared of them like lots of boys, and he's not scared of having them either. When that day comes, it will be so fun. He will be a great papa.

Speaking of Papa..

School is nuts.

Okay so maybe that has nothing to do with papa, but I was needing a segway and that felt like a good opportunity. School is CRAZY. I work 20 hours a week and am taking 15 credits (even though it feels like 90) The classes themselves are pretty cool and interesting but I have one class that I want to kill. It is the Basic Media Production class that every new film student has to take. It's arduous, with a TON of filming, screenwriting, and production shoots. I can feel the end near...(I just don't like working in groups..which is all the class is. barf) All my other film classes are wonderful though. I am learning so much and every day I get new ideas for how I am going to do things for my future business. Ohhhh it makes me so excited just thinking about it.

Speaking of Excited..

We have been married for almost 11 weeks. Time is flying and I am loving every second. I know you've read a lot of lovey dovey stuff...so I'll just cut to the chase. Brooks is an angel. At first I didn't think it was possible for someone to be that nice, but he is -- all. the. time. He surprises me at work, he makes me dinner, he cleans, he listens, he laughs at my jokes, he motivates me to be better, he teaches me, and lets face it...The boy is so super hunky.

On our first and then second month anniversaries, he sent flowers to my work or I came home to a bouquet on my bed. He makes me feel loved and special.

(above is for 1 month married, and below is 2 months married!)

Speaking of Special..

I turned 21!!! YAY it was so fun. Brooks surprised me with Breakfast in Bed (a Sainsbury tradition that will now be a Burr tradition too!) and a totally decorated apartment. It was adorable. He got me While You Were Sleeping, Mockingjay, a hair dryer, and speakers for our quiet computers that we get so annoyed with...It was a perfect day :) A Birthday post is coming just like last years birthday post. Don't worry, it's in the works -- I'll probably post it by Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday...

We were asked to speak in church last Sunday. Our topic was the Atonement, and it was a really cool experience. I spoke first and I didn't do too bad -- then Brooks spoke and he did amazing. Not a surprise. I sure do love the Gospel. I feel like my testimony has grown so much over the past 2 months..mostly due to studying for my religion classes as well as on my own and with Brooks. The gospel is so true, I know that is something that you might hear over and over again -- but if you really study it out and pray for guidance, then you will be lead to the knowledge that it is true and so good for my tired, stressed, happy soul.

Speaking of Good..

I am amazed at all the good people there are in the world. Not just those who have the Gospel, but just your every day Joe who maybe hasn't even heard of Mormons. Even with all the crappy media and wickedness that seems to be consuming every inch of the Earth, there are still wonderful people who have hope in humanity. I know one such person and she is an amazing example to me. She may not share the same religious beliefs that I do, but she respects them. She knows that I will never waver -- and instead of thinking that I am 'closed minded' (which is one of the very stereotypical views that non-LDS people have of Mormons), she thinks that I am free. I have explained to her that we are not being 'blindly obedient' to God. Instead, we are free to choose and believe whatever we want. Heavenly Father gave us free agency because He didn't want to make us do anything...instead He wanted us to study things out within ourselves, and then make the choice to follow Him. I think that may be why religion is so hard for people, because they think that someone is 'making' them act or be a certain way...but I believe that that is not God's intent. We are free to choose whatever we want, and if we soften our hearts and let the Spirit guide us, then we will know that His way, is the right way -- not because He made us, but because we decided for ourselves, and let Spirit bear witness of the truthfulness of the Gospel.
I think that's why a lot of Latter Day Saints are happy. They have found the truth for themselves, and it is such a liberating feeling. You know who you are, where you came from, and where you're going when you die. My friend sees my happiness, and she says it was one of the things that drew her to me. She doesn't think I'm 'better than her' because of my beliefs or any other false idea like that. She accepts me, and I accept her....I don't think there is any other better way to emulate Christ then to love the world and the people in it, just as He did.

So to re-cap, I'm so grateful to all the good and wonderful people in the world, and I hope that someday they can feel even more wonderful once they find the perfect joy that the Gospel brings. YAY

Speaking of YAY

The season of Happy Holidays is fast approaching. Halloween is the jumping off point to my favorite time of year. Last night Brooks and I hosted a little party for our Sunday School Group and we carved pumpkins while watching Ghost Busters. We LOVE our pumpkins! ...and also the fact that they are completely covered in a nice, wet snow right now.

Merry Hallothanksistmas Everyone!!

Jena out.

p.s. 59 days til Christmas -- Hallejulah.

one fine day.

2010-09-30T21:26:00.005-06:00

There is only one day in your life where you can wake up and say

..I'm getting married today

It's a magical feeling. I got out of bed at 5:45am and started getting ready. Everything went great. There was only one moment panic when I couldn't see the back of my hair while I was doing it (there were some intricate little pin curls) but alas, Mom and sister came to the rescue and made an amazing invention. They put a long mirror (the kind that are 1 foot wide and 4 feet long) inside of a clothes hamper, then stuffed towels around it so that it would stay up. With the ingenious contraption I was able to easily see the back of my hair and get it finished. We double and triple checked to make sure I had everything and then were quickly on our way to the temple!

On our way there I did my make-up and started my deep breathing. (ha) I wasn't in any way unsure about Brooks but HELLO I was on my way to get married!! That in of itself is a crazy awesome phenomenon so my deep breathing helped me to remain calm and soak up the joy in every moment.

The weather was absolutely perfect. Da Vinci couldn't have painted a more beautiful day. As we drove into the temple parking lot I started to get so excited. We walked in and I met my man. Holy guacamole. It is my firm belief that Heavenly Father blesses not only the bride to look extra special on their day but the groom as well. Brooks was glowing. Not literally (duh) but just...ahh there aren't words to describe it. Something along the lines of without a spoken word, a single glance from him said a thousand "I love you's" and "you're beautiful's" He looked so..well, in the words of my mom, "super ga ga beasty love". No one could have or ever will be more handsome than he was that day.

When you get married in the temple there is a room just especially for brides. My sweet mom helped me dress and then she left and I was able to sit for a good ten minutes in the room and say a prayer. I will never forget that experience. It was the calm before the jump, the moment to bid adieu to life as Jenalee Karron Sainsbury, and say hello to the life of Jenalee Burr, wife of Brooks Burr. Was I regretful? Was I ready? Regretful, no. I'm a Senior in college and I have had my fair share of dating and 'single life' experience. Ready? Absolutely.

During the next hour, I was able to be sealed to Brooks for all eternity in front of our families and best friends. I felt my sweet sister's spirit in that room. To know and feel that Emilee was right there by my side watching me begin my own eternal family with Brooks was an experience unlike any other.

Later on as we were waiting to head out the temple doors and greet our 'fans' as Brooks called them, we kept saying, "hi wife" and "hi husband" and "holy cow. We're married" etc. etc. BAH it was crazy and so surreal --- but sooo fun!

Pictures went great and they barely took any time at all. Our photographer Joanna Taylor did such a great job. Brooks' sister Beth and her boyfriend Aaron made our wedding video. They sent us a short 'trailer' and it is so cute!

Brooks and Jena Wedding Trailer

After we were done, Brooks and I got changed back into our Sunday clothes. We were so hungry so we stopped at Arby's for some food. I yelled from the front seat that we just got married so they gave us some free food -- Wahoo! Our bellies thanked them.

The reception was soooo AWESOME.

All my little random decor ideas came out really well. I was so happy. It was simple but beautiful with my precious Covered Bridge Canyon as our backdrop. We were blessed with so many people who helped us on our day. Seth and Jenna Wright did our flowers which were the bomb.com, and my neighbor did our food for an insanely cheap price. He came the night before and set everything up and it was amazing. Who knew there was so much presentation in food? It was gorgeous. There were also countless Relief Society members who came in the early afternoon and left at midnight. Words aren't enough to thank them for all they did.

The line of wonderful people was never ending and we honestly loved every second. It was so fun to see all the people who we love come to support us. WE LOVE YOU!! At the end of the night we cut the cake, and royally smashed it in each other's faces, then we shared our daddy daughter/mother son dance. It was so fun. Brooks' mom was cute and sentimental and my dad was doing 'dips' and then pretending like he ruined his back ...yes. He is weird, but I love him.

After I threw the bouquet, Brooks and I shared our first dance to "The Way You Look Tonight" sung by his brother. It was perfect. I've always dreamed of dancing to that song at my wedding and I was so excited.

Once the celebration was coming to an end, Brooks and I left (in our absolutely, terribly, horribly, decorated car for our honeymoon. We talk almost every day about how our wedding was everything we dreamed. It wasn't the dress or the reception or the decor that was perfect, but rather the celebration of love and happiness that was felt throughout the entire day.

I love that I am Jena Burr (not to be confused with Jennifer or Juniper) I love that I know I've married the perfect man for me in the right place and at the right time. I love that we live in a tiny apartment. I love that we are poor. I love that we love each other. I love that we get to be with each other for eternity.

I just love him.

Jena out.

love and food

2010-09-23T21:23:00.005-06:00

Today marks 6 weeks and 5 days of marriage.

I honestly can't describe the joy that I feel at this time in my life. Did I marry the right person? Undoubtedly. Every single day I have been amazed at how seamlessly Brooks and I have adjusted to being married. We are not perfect; I most especially am not..but I think I can definitely say that I have become a better version of myself because of being Brooks' wife.

The wedding was incredible. Truly the perfect day. That post is next though...

The night before our wedding we had a wedding dinner held at BYU in the garden room. Our theme of the night was music and love -- and it was awesome! Brooks and his brothers rocked out and played a couple of their Burr Brothers Band hits.

Afterward, both Brooks and I did a 'special' number for each other. I was reaaally nervous... I sang 'to make you feel my love'. It's always been a dream to sing that song to 'my future husband' so it was a surreal and very sweet moment.

Brooks sang 'you belong to me'. He says I'm not allowed to post it, but I wanted to just show first part right before he sings. He said the sweetest things. aww I love him.

It was so cute because Brooks never sings in front of anyone. Best forgotten words rendition EVER!!! Brooks' sister Beth and sister-in-law Melissa sang "when you say nothin' at all". Their voices are beautiful!

My friends/old roommates Gillian, Mady, and Brooklyn sang an AMAZING rendition of 'can't help fallin' in love".

From there on everyone ate food and we had tons of people come up and tell funny stories or give words of advice. It was definitely a night filled with love, not only our love for each other, but the love of all the people we're closest to. It was a great beginning to the marriage celebration.

Jena Burr out.

Hi. I'm married

2010-09-04T23:23:00.004-06:00

ahh...

my fellow bloggers, random people, friends, and stalkers.

It's been awhile since I have posted, but the absence has a great excuse.

..marriage

Yep. It's done. I am a married woman and I could not be happier. I want to post in detail about our wedding and honeymoon, but for now I just want to let the world know that I am so in love with my life right now. I'm in love with my sweet husband who makes me breakfast in bed, decorates our apartment in balloons and streamers because it's my birthday, rubs my feet with lotion every night, takes 1am walks to 7-11 because I will die if I don't have a slurpee, tells me I'm beautiful whenever he sees me, dances with me to Chris Brown or Journey in our tiny little kitchen, and yells "SACK EM', SACK THEIR BUTTS" at BYU games...

Oh....Totally and completely in love with him.

With school and work starting, and our crazy opposite work schedules...I feel that every moment I have with him is so precious. We always try to make the most of it which is why I'm going to end this post so I can go snuggle with him....But never fear. Once this week starts, I'll be chillin' solo with only homework and the internet to keep me company. Many a blog posts with details galore will fill this page so be ready!

...I'm planning them out in my head as we speak.

Jena Burr out.

(sneak peek to our wedding pics!)

YAY!!!!

The Temple

2010-08-11T00:54:00.003-06:00

All I can say is that if you have the goal to go....Never, under any circumstance or
temptation, give up that goal.

No joy or peace will ever measure up to the happiness you can feel there. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true, and we are so blessed to have it restored to the earth. Soften your heart, and live worthily to enter the temple. It is the most important decision you will ever make in your life.