If I had a wish list for Easter, this is what I'd ask for...

A MAN PILLOW!! Ha-love it!!
http://www.dreamdawn.com/sh/features/img/japanese_horror/man_pillow.jpg


A monthly pass to the Quarry.

A full time teaching job somewhere cool.

Me to survive my marathon.

AWESOME family and friends. Wait...I'm so lucky and already have them.

Life is good. Love, Janae :)

My life is funny

Some of my awesome friends who surprised me on my birthday!!
Ariane & Nathan, Beto, KC, me, and Chloe!!

No man should run faster than he has strength. Let me add to that: no woman should sprint faster than she can on high heels!! Welcome to the past month or so of my life.:) And it's only gonna be crazier for the next 3 weeks until I graduate. There's so many things to do, to decide, and to reflect upon. There is also plenty to stress, as well as laugh about. But, I choose to laugh, because otherwise I would cry...and that gives me a headache.

Funny Stuff:-
They talked a lot about getting married in this last General Conference. That makes me laugh. My latest dating endeavors have included:

1. An ENGAGED guy standing me up for a date on Friday. No, really.
2. The latest guy interested in me is 31. Oh, goodness.
3. I just found out that something I was suspicious about in an old boyfriend is indeed correct. OUCH.
4. My latest boyfriend and I broke up for the same reason: "It just doesn't feel right." I'm pretty sure there's a specific reason for this happening to me multiple times, and I hope that means there's a specific awesome guy out there. Another funny thing was that my soccer boys asked me why we broke up, and proceeded to tell me they didn't like him anyway. So, I told them that they're the reason we broke up...because he didn't get their approval. I love my soccer boys!! What goofs.

Enough with dating!! Other funny/awesome stuff:
1. I got a job offer last night to be a Spanish teacher in Richmond, Virginia!!!!!!!! Funny thing is, I don't remember ever applying for it.
2. I had my birthday last week.Everyone who found out thought I was turning 21. Geez, I think I'll have a baby face for the rest of my life so when I'm in my 60's they'll all think I'm in my 40's. SWEET!! I also had some AMAZING friends do a surprise birthday for me. How sweet!!
3. I worked on the Psych unit twice last week. Wow, that's entertaining and scary sometimes. I got proposed to 2-3 times...
4. My Spanish professor is a SAINT!! Well, sort of. He extended the deadline for our HUGE 8-12 page paper in Spanish until April 15th. It was April 8th before, so I'm SUPER grateful.
5. My boss, Crystal is also a SAINT!! She worked for me on Friday because she said I work too much. So, I chilled at home and hung out with Liz. Loved it!!
6. I have no idea where I will be in 3 months, and...it's EXCITING!!
Life is good. The Gospel is true, and I'm so grateful for the Lord and His guidance and love all throughout my life. I love you all!!

-Janae :)

What is love?

What is love? It's a question I asked my Health students last semester. A dead silence fell over the class until my dear student, Facundo sang out, "What is love? Baby don't hurt me no more!!." HILARIOUS. That was my third period class in a nutshell. But, let's be serious...

All of this excitement, hustle, and bustle over Valentine's Day is fun (I'll admit that it's one of my favorite holidays), but we often forget what it is celebrating-LOVE. What exactly is love? Love is when you put someone's needs over your own. In layman's terms and conditions, that means doing the dishes or taking out the trash when your loved one needs your help. It means lifting them up with no thought of "what's in it for me?".I believe that love is the biggest motivator in life, and enables us to be the best we can be.

I want to be a more loving person; someone that you would know without a doubt loves you. I can think of countless examples of loving people in my life and in the scriptures, but let's focus on the most loving example we can ever have-the Savior. What did he do to show love? It was shown in His every action, thought, and deed, for, "God is love," as stated in 1st John 8:4 (a fabulous chapter on love by the way). As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I believe that we have the ability, opportunity, blessing, and potential to someday become gods. If I am to do so, I must learn to love as the Savior did. I will be focusing on opening my heart to those in need, to choose to see those in need, to see the best in others, and to learn to express love in the way those I love want to be loved. What is love? It's a work in progress in my book. Love, Janae :)

I Lead a Charmed Life

An old-school picture of Leish, Court, and I. :)

"A friend knows the song of your heart, and can sing it back to you when you've forgotten the words." -Unknown


I am beyond blessed. I have some of the most amazing friends I could ever ask for. I cannot thank God enough for my wonderful friends Eleisha, Courtney, Liz, KC, Joseph, Haliaka,Lauren Mugar, and so many people. I love all of these friends dearly, but I do miss them so much when they're gone. So, I'll reflect on them and what they've taught me:

1. Eleisha-I am SO glad that she has finally come back to me after being gone for 2 years. This girl is simply amazing. She has taught me to be happy, to work hard, to play hard, to serve others, and to follow the Savior. She is one of the most happy, generous, sincerely kind, and amazing people you will ever meet.
2. Courtney-I love her and miss her lots. Courtney is an outstanding example of peace, joy, and kindness. She does things for the right reasons, and always has a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.
3. Liz (AKA my sister)-Liz is honestly one of the most kind and guileless people you will ever meet. She does everything for anyone, and always does the most thoughtful things for others. She has taught me to be more observant of those around me, to be patient, to love others, and to love and follow the Savior.
4. KC-KC is like my big bro. He takes care of me and I don't know where I'd be without him helping me each step of the way. KC has taught me to dream big and to work hard towards these dreams. He has also taught me that the best friends are those who are there in hard times. Not every moment in life is full of sunshine, so it's always good to be that shoulder to cry on for your friends.
5. Joseph-Joseph has taught me a lot, unbeknownst to him. He has taught me to be strong, to be fiercely loyal to those you love, and to focus on the positive. Joseph sees the good in others, and will earnestly try to help everyone, even if you are a crazy, hair-brained mess after finals. :) I sure miss him.
6. Haliaka- She has been my friend through so many years. Her constant kindness, smile, and warm heart never fail to make me happy. I have learned to smell the roses from her. She has a calming spirit in which she makes others feel good about themselves and others. I wish I could be like her in this regard. She has taught me to focus on the most important things in life such as your family and the Gospel, and to love others and the Lord above all.
7. Lauren Mugar-What a sweetheart!! I have learned to be calmer, to listen to others, to have adventures, and to take time to relax from Lauren. She will be leaving on a mission soon, and I will sure miss this amazing gal!!

I am so grateful for my amazing friends and for all they have taught me, and continue to teach me. I hope that I can someday be half the outstanding friends that they are to me. I am so lucky. I lead a charmed life. Life is simply wonderful!!

Love, Janae :)

New Year, New Apt., New Job, Oh My Awesome!!

Visiting Eleisha in San Diego. WOW!! What a blast. This is at the San Diego Temple. What a GORGEOUS temple!!

The only thing constant in my life is change. How awesome is that? I love that!! Life has been full of fun changes lately to keep it interesting. That has been keeping me busy, and I've had a lot of fun in the meantime. :)

Fun new changes:
-Starting my LAST semester at BYU. That's crazy. I love it here and it's exciting to graduate, but at the same time, I will really miss this place.
-Moving into a new apartment. It's a nice and cozy apartment that I get to share with my besties Ariane and Eleisha, so I love it.
-Starting a new job as a CNA at Provo Rehab and Nursing.
-Getting promoted at this job, and becoming a nursing quality assurance interviewer. I am not exactly sure what the official title is, but basically I get to interview residents about the care that they receive here. I like talking to people, and it is good preparation for an MPH, so I like it a lot. I also enjoy not having to do the dirty work for at least one day a week. :)
-Starting my ESL Practicum with Mrs. Sellers. I have volunteered with her before, so I am pretty familiar with her policies and classroom, but it's a bit different doing a practicum than simply volunteering. The kids are pretty rambunctous, but I think they're fun and am excited to get to teach them. :)
-Joining a different intramural soccer team this semester. I am on the legit QUICK team. We have t-shirts and everything. I just had a game tonight so it was fresh on my mind, but I LOVED the synergy, clear communication, and unselfishness of this team. I'm glad I'm playing on their team. I am also especially happy because my friend, Lee J, who was on my intramural team in the summer is our goalie. I played sweep and he played goalie in the summer together, so we communicate well, and I trust his opinion. I loved our game today. A well-earned 2-2 tie!!
-Going rock climbing at the Quarry with Eleisha!! That was a new and perfect weekend activity. Yay for fun changes!!

Life is good. There is so much good out there-just choose to see it. I love you all!!

Meu último domingo na FLSR :(

A Casa Portuguesa-Outono 2010: Jarrett, Josh, Colin, João, Joseph, Janae, Elizabeth, Camila, Caitlin, and Sabrina. :)

There are two things that I know in life.
1. The only thing constant in life is change.
2. The only person that can help us get through these changes and hard times and be the rock we can hold on to as the waves of change crash around us is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is because of Him and His atoning sacrifice that we're able to become our best selves, grow closer to and more like our Savior. He is the ONLY way. I am so grateful and blessed to know this, and for the constant direction, support, and love He gives me.

There are a few things I am going to miss about the FLSR:
1. Interpretive dance parties with my roommates Camila and Elizabeth. I'll have to find someone else who can do the "danza do bolo" with me. That'll sure be hard to find.
2. Vegging out with Joseph, and capturing him for "sitting in the car" runs. Oh, the occasional J Dawg or Seven Eleven runs are nice, too. Seriously, I am gonna miss Joseph. He is getting all grow up and getting a real job in California. :(
3. The people. You can never find such fun, positive, dedicated, kind, and hard-working people anywhere else. These are my people, and I sure love 'em. I had a "going away" party today, and it was amazing to see the 70+ people who showed up just because there's a party and food. Gotta love these kind people.
4. The strong, friendly, and supportive ward. Ok, this is kind of redundant, but I will really miss our ward. I was sitting next to my friend Matt during church when I suddenly realized that it was my last Sunday in the FLSR. What a sad moment that was. I am sure gonna miss these crazy people.
5. Portuguese House dinners. Being with people each day makes you close to them, and I will miss my Portuguese family.
6. Crashing Spanish House dinners and desserts. :) They let me steal food from them when the Portuguese House food is less than appetizing. They're too kind!!
7. SO MANY THINGS. I can't think of it all, but I will still be working three shifts a night here, so that will help wean me off of the FLSR so I can somehow transfer back to normal life, and then TAIWAN!!

I love my Savior. It is times like these when changes are happening all around me that I can turn to Him and know that He will reassure me, lift me, and carry me through these times. I know that He loves me and that He has a plan for me. I have faith in Him, and I am so grateful for my Savior.

Random Thoughts

Surprising the Jeyzinator by picking him up at school!! What a stud!!

-The other loves of my life call me Auntie Janae.
-This is probably the first Thanksgiving break that I've lost weight. So, let's just say I was grateful for that-thanks to a sinus infection and a stomach flu-oh, joy!! :)
-I felt like a pregnant woman today. I was craving random foods while I was sick, and I had to pee all of the time because of the Gatorade I was drinking. I'm glad I'm not.
-I had a blast getting to play with my nieces and nephews Jeyza, Sammy, Scarlet, and Raeven over Thanksgiving break.
-I'm grateful I don't have student teaching tomorrow, as I am sick again. Good thing. But, I already miss my students and will be visiting them sometime this week.
-LIZ IS THE BEST!! She was my nurse and great friend today, as always. She always takes care of me. I'm so grateful to have such an outstanding friend such as her.
-I have a man in my life...his name is Jeyza, and he's my 7 year old nephew.:)
-Speaking of men, I got bored and added up my options. Liz and I calculated that I have at least 5 options of marriage if I ever want to just up and get married. All I would have to do is say yes. But, I prefer to say no. Let's just say that I avoid going to my home ward to avoid the ,"So, you dating anyone?", or "What are you doing with your life then?" questions. There is more to life than dating. Graduating from college, going to grad school, teaching abroad, going to nursing school, and going on a mission are just a little taste of the adventures I have planned besides getting married, and boy am I excited for those!!
-I'm excited to have time to work on random projects this week, as my student teaching is over.
-My friend, Chris came up with a term to describe me, and I thought it was hilarious. WARNING: May be a little explicit. He calls me a "social whore". He says that I know everyone, and that warrants the title. Did you know that the maximum number of contacts in your phone is 500? I filled up my contact memory, and that's why he calls me that.
-My dad is a STUD. I told him that he's the reason I haven't got married yet since I can't find anyone half as awesome as he is. He laughed. But, really, it's true.
-My family is crazy and hilarious. People don't believe me when I say I am one of the quieter ones, but it's true. You gotta see the craziness someday. I was expecting a quiet Thanksgiving holiday with just my mom and dad, but after multiplying the size of our Thanksgiving dinner group by five, and multiplying the sound by 10, I was reminded of the craziness. Gotta love it.
-I get to go to San Diego to see Eleisha on December 10th!! YAY!!
Life is good. Love, Janae