Lately

Here's a little update on life. Raimo is working at New Horizons selling IT software training programs to businesses. It's only been a week. The commute is a little bit too long, but he's being a good sport about it. Hopefully the job will develop into something really great or at least add to his experience. I get up in the mornings with Rose around 6. We have breakfast and watch tv. I have totally been slacking on running- just don't feel like it, plus I have a cold. Then we do bath time for Rose, and I read scriptures while she is occupied. Then get her dressed and distracted with a basket of bracelets while I shower. The daytime is not super exciting around here. Sometimes I do errands with my mom or go out to lunch, sometimes just hang out at home. If I am being productive Ill do a craft or clean something. I just finished two books: 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman, which I really really liked, and These Things Shall Be for Thy Experiemce by Neal A Maxwell, which taught me a lot. I haven't been in the reading mood lately- sometimes I get in the groove and I can read for hours, but lately I have had trouble just sitting down and focusing.
I have, however, been watching more tv, which may not be a good thing. I watched all of the seasons of Downton Abbey and enjoyed it very much. I love Mr Bates. and the grandma. And Cybil (sp?) and i love hoping that Matt and Mary will one day finally be together!! I'm watching the Bachelor, which is a stupid as ever and also highly entertaining to me. Also a few episodes of Modern Family. That show makes me laugh.
I still listen to a lot of music. It makes life better. I have been listening to a lot of groovy 70s stuff, 80s love songs, classical, smooth jazz, etc. I just can't get enough music in my life. It makes me happy. Ive had this really nostalgic vibe for the past few months and nothing quite hits the spot like the right song.
I've also started teaching voice lessons to a couple of little girls in our ward. I am loving it!!!! I want to get more students. I'm guessing there's a demand for it since no one else teaches in the area.
I tried out for a show this month that I was really hoping to make. It got down to 2 of us girls for the lead role and they had us read and sing at the callbacks for hours. They went with the other girl! Happens pretty much every time when I'm going for the lead. I do kind of like the fact that nobody knows me--I have literally nothing on my résumé, so I get this little shock factor that I'm relatively good yet have no experience. The producer at this last audition said after I sang, "who ARe you and where have you been?" Haha. I'm just grateful to have made it that far. I'm trying out for another one in a few weeks so wish me luck. I'm feeling good about it! I really miss performing.
One thing I do love is having a piano again. It feels so good to play whenever I want to!
Lastly, Rose loves to swing and be outside. We are lucky to have gorgeous weather ( well it did rain yesterday) and I certainly am enjoying it. It does a lot for my spirits! I also am loving being in my hometown. It makes me happy going to all these familiar places and driving these familiar streets. With no snow on them! Lucky me!
Oh. And I got bangs.

This is happiness

New Song

I'm loving this song by Jay Loftus and just found an acoustic version. I think his voice is so cool. And cool hair!
Dangerous Girl

18 months

So tonight I read Love You Forever, that tear-jerker picture book for parents. Rose lost interest, but I love it. It is a good reminder of the lifelong love that we have for our children. It binds us to them, and to our parents. And by the end of it we are naturally sobbing! So to tonight I'm just thinking about my lovely baby girl and all the new developments I'm loving in her.

Today I was stretching after a run ( I have become a runner in the past few months- I hate it but I can't stop) and Rose kindly joined me in stretching. Her stretches were pretty cute :)

Loves putting lotion on her hands

Can count to 3, but her favorite number is 2

Learned the itsy bitsy spider and does the little motion with her teeny fingers

Says Pop! Pop! Pop! over and over for popcorn popping on the apricot tree

She started throwing fits when I change her diaper. She is getting more dramatic

She waves all the time with big smiles, at strangers and friends alike. It brings big smiles to everyone around her. She also loves to give kisses and butterfly kisses

Brings me books spontaneously and often. She especially loves animals (doggies in real life!) these days and knows all the sounds they make

18 months is really fun. You can tell we are moving into toddler phase right about now. She is so opinionated and talks and talks, though still mostly in her own language. We can't get enough of it. My family are all just gaga over her every move.



In other news, Raimo got a job today! More on that later!!!!

A busy Saturday

Today I accomplished a lot. Practiced a solo, ran 3 miles, read my scriptures, went to the grocery store, took a nap since the running exhausted me, made chili and corn bread for dinner and a frog eye salad for tomorrow, held rose a little while watching that santa movie with Tim Allen, and did a little shopping. Somehow, it was not enough! Normally a day like that would feel awesome to me, but there were some things missing. I'm realizing how much I need real human connections every day, quality time with people that matter to me, along with some kind of artistic pursuits. I'm kind of in an interesting place right now- reassessing my goals and who I am and the changes I want to make in my life. Raimo and I read some zodiac stuff last night for fun. Those descriptions of our personality traits are pretty spot-on. We don't follow it, but it's interesting enough, and it's nice to have our differences laid before us in such a clear, precise way. It helped me see what each of us values and how we see the world around us differently. I am 100% Capricorn, there's no question. Leo's and capricorns are not well-matched. Oh well. Go figure.
On another note, I've been reading the Princess Bride. It's a great movie, but the book is great too. The author is really clever. For once, the book and movie are pretty similar.
On another note, we are in California. We'll be moving here permanently. Raimo quit Tumu and is looking for a job, and I may look for one too. I have been seeing Riverside with new eyes now that I'm here more permanently. It is so warm and beautiful. I have missed California so much. On the other hand, I had a few things in Utah that were making me happy, our apartment for one, and my best girlfriend and beckham, and all the performing and theater opportunities were really great. Hopefully that will continue down here. I am excited to say goodbye to Utah after 7 years!! I'm not going back!!! I am interested to see what the next year holds. I hope it all just works out. Feeling a little sad, but glad to be here of all places.

Love Divine

I've been listening to my ipod in bed at night. It's kinda nice that way, in the dark and all, just thinking about the music. I heard this the other night-- the words meant something totally different to me than they did back when I performed it with BYU Singers. Isn't it cool when songs change for us like that? I think the syntax is so beautiful! Wish some of our hymns were so eloquent :) That last verse is pretty great. Here are the words and a snippet of the recording:

"Love Divine, All Love Excelling"by Charles Wesley, 1707-1791

1. Love Divine, all love excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.

2. Breathe, oh, breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast;
Let us all in Thee inherit,
Let us find that second rest.
Take away the desire for  sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

3. Come, Almighty, to deliver;
Let us all Thy life receive.
Suddenly return and never,
Nevermore, Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

4. Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee,
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.  http://singers.byu.edu/audio/Peace/3Divine.mp3 Hymn #351
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Ps. 106:4
Author: Charles Wesley, 1747
Tune: "O du Liebe"
1st Published in: Musikalischer Christenschatz
Town: Basel, 1745

Catch Up

Wow a lot of time has passed. It has been a crazy couple of months. Busy and difficult and such. Looking back, I see that God has sent angels to me, and I am so thankful. They have brought me support, a loaf of bread, words of wisdom, peace, and friendship. I re-read my blog from start to finish this morning and shed many tears recounting the last four and a half years of marriage. A couple of posts that stood out were these:

http://raimolovesjessica.blogspot.com/2009/05/married-bliss.html

http://raimolovesjessica.blogspot.com/2009/03/consider-lilies.html

Lately I have been especially grateful for one little baby girl whose smiles bring me joy every day.

Mamas shoes, dandelions, and milk.

Although there is still plenty of this going on:

I am also grateful for a husband who leaves me love notes under the Christmas tree and who does everything he can to make me happy:

We bought a little tree this year and it is so cheerful!

Thanksgiving was fun. We watched White Christmas in the morning. We cleaned a little and Raimo reorganized some stuff in our bedroom. We were going to go to Chuckarama, but the lines were wrapped around the building. Bummer! So we went to Carver's instead and had ribs and salmon. Not a bad choice. The wait was 5 minutes, and we sat in the nice ambiance and had a nice talk about what we're grateful for and recounted the year and other stuff. I think it was a conversation that we won't remember the specifics, but will always remember. It has definitely been a defining year for our family. That night we stayed home. It was a simple day.

We had a small Halloween. Raimo worked. Rose was a ladybug. 

So that's the recap on all the holidays.

I have been listening to music all the live-long day lately. It is making me happy. Raimo and I have picked up a little tradition of singing a hymn each night and it is pretty great. I feel like we have come together spiritually lately and that is such a blessing.

I have started reading Christmas Carol (I am in the play right now at Hale--it has been a surprisingly great and emotional experience). I also want to read the gospels in the New Testament before Christmas.

I have also gone running every day for the past 3 days. My body is a little torn up, but it is nice to go out and listen to music and leave everything on the road sort of.

Well, I am babysitting Beckham so I'm gonna go. He comes every Wednesday and sometimes Monday. Ana Maria trades with me and takes Rose when I have rehearsal. Time for some babies to take a nap.. hopefully!!!

Jekyll and Hyde

So I am in another play right now--Jekyll and Hyde the musical. It is the first time I have ever heard the music. It is absolutely out of this world. I feel like I am an audience member at rehearsal watching these people perform. They are blowing it out of the water and we're only about 1 week in. Take Me As I Am made me cry... along with a few others. I am in the ensemble and am understudy for Emma. It's been really fun, and I realized today how it lifts my spirits being in a show and getting to sing every day. I have been so much more productive in my other jobs at home. I'm trying out for another show pretty soon so wish me luck with that :) We have just 8 performances of Jekyll so it's a short run. We get to play at the Egyptian in Park City so that should be pretty cool!

My new Shark!

We got one of these in the mail the other day.




Best gift from my mom! Our floors have never been cleaner! It works so so well. I even vacuumed the stairs... twice! And it is really light and the suction is amazing. Best of all, it picks up hair. There is a lot of that around here.... really long hair. So anyway, go get one!

Photos! #lookhowcuteweare

Family photos by the lovely Kara Shurtliff. (claytonandkara.blogspot.com)
Rose is walking officially now.
She was super grumpy during this photoshoot, but they turned out so cute!
There are many more... it is just hard to pick favorites.