Year In Review

2015 has been a good year. A year full of change and adventure. 

January

*I decided to apply for an "educators only" trip to Finland. It was a last minute decision, mainly for the fact that if I got it I would need to get a passport and that would fulfill something on the #my26by26 list. Best spur of the moment decision ever. 

*Right after coming back from Christmas break, drama at work hit the roof. 7 other teachers decided to give early retirement notice (including every teacher on my team) which prompted me to start applying for every single opening for an elementary teacher in the state of Utah. By the end of January I had turned in 9 applications and that number would continue to grow by the end of February to over 20. 

February

*Remember that application to Finland I turn in at the last minute? I was accepted to the program!!

*Usually Valentine's Day isn't my favorite (you know, the whole being single thing puts a damper on it sometimes...) but this year my best friend and I had tickets to the Glorianna concert in Ogden and had a blast.

March

*Another spur of the moment decision to go to Logan for the last Aggie Basketball game of the season- Stew's last game. They lost, but that is one of those moments you can't get back. 

*My birthday rolled around which meant the end of #my26by26. When I made the list of 26 things to do in a year before I turned 26, it was just a silly list. By the end, my life had come to revolve around it. It grounded me and made me grow in ways I never could have foreseen. After my birthday, the first few weeks felt kind of empty, like I had no direction, nothing to guide me. 

April

*Easter is always one of my favorite times of year. The Saturday before Easter is a long standing tradition with the Jensen/Gardner clan- picnic- rain or shine!

*I accepted a 4th grade teaching position in the Canyon School District. (I would later give that up, but at the time it seemed like the right thing to do.) 

May

*May started off with a trip to Logan for graduation. I am so thankful that this cute girl and I were roommates 5 years ago. I am SO thankful that we have managed to stay best friends even though most of our friendship has been spent living more that 100 miles apart. I am so proud of her for graduating and becoming the best kindergarten teacher in Davis School District. 

*I was talked into applying for a district level job mentoring interns and students teachers. By some miracle I got the job, packed up my classroom, put most of it into storage, and jumped into the unknown. (I love it by the way.)

June

*FINLAND!!!!

July

*Just a few days after getting back from Finland, Jessi and I headed back east to spend 10 days with Tiff and Curtis. As much as I hate them living so far away, it was fun to go back and spend time with them. 

*Because my great-uncle passed away, my family made a quick and unexpected road trip to southern California. Even though it was a sad occasion, it was great to see extended family and spend some time together as a family. 

August

*Camping! I love spending time outdoors with my family. 

*Because of the crazy job situation I ended up moving out of Provo. And it is wonderful. 

September

*Daphne and I went to a Bee's game. This may not seem like a big deal to most of you, but I missed this girl so much while she was on her mission. No one understands my love of baseball quite like she does. 

*Dad's moose hunt ended opening morning with the perfect hunt. 

October

*Dad's big event as fire chief was purchasing a new ladder truck for the Tooele City Fire Department. Growing up in a fireman household, this was exciting for all of us!

*Deer hunt weekend comes in a close second to Easter weekend. I didn't have a tag this year, but for the first time in a long time we filled multiple tags.

November

*While I have loved my new job as a CFA since I started, I really came to LOVE it. I have settled in and kind of know what I am doing now. It has also led me to apply for graduate school in administration. 

*Thanksgiving this year was wonderful this year. Aunt Jamie has moved back to Tooele and so the whole family is together a lot more often than it has been in the past 20 years. This picture is over a year old- at the time it was one of the only times we had all been together in a LONG time. Now it happens almost monthly and I love it. 



December

*I was called to work with the young women in my new ward and it is fabulous. The decision to attend the family ward was a difficult one, mostly because its not what "young singles" do in the church. But it has been such a good move- for the first time in a long time I feel like I am going to church to build a testimony, not to find a husband.

*Christmas. I love Christmas. I love the spirit around Christmas. I love the lights and the decorations. I love shopping for Christmas presents. I love Christmas break. I love it all. 

Women in the Church: Part 3

Just in case: Part 1 and Part 2

I hope many of you caught the themes in my previous posts. Part 1 was based on the Young Women theme and standards while part 2 was taken from the Relief Society Declaration. As I thought about my beliefs about women and our place in the Gospel and in the Kingdom of God, I realized that everything I felt was based on those two documents as well as The Family: A Proclamation to the World. It was important to me to share my testimony based on these inspired words and the hope, purpose, and vision they give to me each and every day. 

The following is MY opinion, what I think, what I believe. I am not asking you to change your views. I am not asking you to convince me I am wrong. I am simply sharing my thoughts.  If you agree with me, great. If you don't, great. However, most of what I see readily available to the world, through blogs and Facebook posts, are not in harmony with what I believe. I want to provide another voice, another viewpoint, another testimony to those out there who might be thinking the same things I have thought. 

The world today would have women believe that in order to be of worth, to be important, to be valued we must have what men have, do exactly what they do. We must be "equal." Can I tell you a secret? I hate the word equal. Equal belongs in math problems and that is where it should stay. None of us are truly "equal." Each one of us has a different personality, a different background, and different viewpoint to everything in life. Each one of us are different by divine design. That is how we were created. Each one of us has a different purpose on this earth, a different mission to fulfill. 

Along with the word equal, I am not a fan of the word "fair," at least as many people use it. Every year at the start of the school year, my students and I would have a little chat about the word fair. Most children (and most adults for that matter) equate the word fair with the word equal, or the same. Guess what, fair is NOT equal. Fair is NOT the same. Fair is getting what YOU need to be successful. 

Is it fair that I wear contacts and my sister does not? Absolutely. I am blind without my contacts and she has 20/20 vision. When I wear my contacts I can see just as well as she can. Fair, but not the same. Fair, but not equal. 

Is it fair that Joey gets to sit at the front of the room all year long while Sally only does once? Absolutely. Joey needs to be close to the teacher to receive the help he needs. Sally is capable of working on her own and does not need constant supervision. They both are able to succeed throughout the year and show improvement. Fair, but not the same. Fair, but not equal. 

When I was at Utah State, the semester I was student teaching one of my roommates was required to take an anatomy class. I remember many nights the two of us spent together, her anatomy book and notes open studying her little heart out, while I sat across the table with the Utah Core spread out in front of me, crayons, construction paper, popsicle sticks, etc writing lesson plan after lesson plan. Is it fair that she spent hours studying while I hardly studied for anything? Is it fair that I spent hours creating anchor charts and worksheets and fun activities while she didn't? ABSOLUTELY. We were each being PREPARED in our education for what we wanted to do in our lives. Fair, but not the same. Fair, but not equal. 

Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? Why was this earth created? "God's whole purpose - His work and His glory - is to enable each of us to enjoy all His blessings. He has provided a perfect plan to accomplish His purpose... Under the direction of the Father, Jesus Christ created the earth as a place for us to live and gain experience. In order to progress and become like God, each of us had to obtain a body and be tested during a time of probation on the earth... Our purpose in this life is to have joy and PREPARE to return to God's presence." (Preach My Gospel, Lesson 2: The Plan of Salvation)

Let's go back to my example of my roommate and I- we took different classes, had different assignments and tests, but our end goal was the same. We both wanted to graduate with a degree prepared to enter the adult world as a working, contributing member of society. How does this apply to our purpose on earth and our reason for being here? My end goal, after this life, is to return and live with my Heavenly Father, to receive all the blessings He has promised me. Hopefully, having followed the commandments and made the necessary covenants, to become like Him, having an eternal family. I am pretty positive my brothers ultimate goal is the same- return to Heavenly Father, become like Him, etc. Will we take the same path to get there? No. He served a full time mission. I did not. (Although many sisters in the Church choose to do so, good on ya!) He went through the Boy Scouting program and received his Eagle Scout award. I did not. I went through the Young Women's program and earned my Young Women Recognition award. He did not. We have held different callings, participated in different programs. We were both baptized at 8. We have both gone through the temple and received our own endowment. (He went through first, I might add, even though he is 4 years younger than I am and we went through under very different circumstances.) We are both currently single. He attends the local YSA ward, and occasionally the Spanish Branch. I attend my local family ward. Fair, but not the same. Fair, but not equal. 

At the age of 12, he received the Aaronic Priesthood. At the age of 12, I entered Young Womens. Between 18 and 19, he received the Melchizedek Priesthood in preparation for his full-time mission. Between 18 and 19, I left the Young Women's program and started attending Relief Society. Fair, but not the same. Fair, but not equal. 

How is it fair that he had the priesthood conferred upon him by someone who had the authority to do so but I have not, and will not? We need to receive a different education in this school of life. He needs the priesthood in order to fulfill that special mission, in order to progress, in order to learn. I do not. I have a different mission to fulfill. I have a different mission to accomplish. "By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners." (The Family: A Proclamation to the World) Our different roles require us to do and be different things. No where does it say that one is better or more important than the other. It specifically states that we are to work together to accomplish these roles. 

So is it fair that I don't have the priesthood? Absolutely, BECAUSE I DON'T NEED IT. Just like my sister doesn't need glasses, like Sally doesn't need to sit at the front of the class, my roommate didn't need to spend hours writing lesson plans, and I didn't need to spend hours studying anatomy. 

As long as we each strive to follow the commandments, follow the prophet, follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and strive to fulfill God's individual mission for each of us (even if only revealed step by tiny step) we ARE in fair circumstances. Fair, but not the same. Fair, but not equal.

Women in the Church: Part 2

I am a beloved spirit daughter of God, and my life has meaning, purpose, and direction. I am  devoted to Jesus Christ, my Savior and Exemplar. I am a woman of faith, virtue, vision, and charity.

I will continue to increase my testimony of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study. I know that I can speak with my Father in Heaven. He hears me, he answers me. It may not be the way I want. It may not be the way I expect. But He will answer. I have the gift of the scriptures, the Book of Mormon, the Old and New Testaments, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Each one holds treasures of knowledge and guidance. Each one contains answers to those prayers. 

I will seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost. As I live the commandments and keep the covenants I have made, I qualify to have the gift of the Holy Ghost. I will strive to act upon its promptings. 

I will dedicate myself to strengthening marriages, families, and homes. I will work to strengthen my own family. I will continue to prepare myself for my future family. I will strive to strengthen those families around me as a teacher, a member of my ward, and a neighbor. I know that families are the main unit of the Plan of Salvation, and I will do everything in my power to support the family unit. 

I know the importance of and find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood. There is no higher calling in this life or the next than that of mother. As Elder Holland stated so eloquently in this past General Conference, “Today I declare from this pulpit what has been said here before: that no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.”

I find delight in serving others. There is no faster way to forget one’s problems and struggles than to serve those around you. I will look for ways to do good around me and leave others better than I found them. 

I will continue to love life. There is so much good and happiness in the world. Some days I have to look a little harder to find it, but it is there and I will enjoy it. I will continue to love learning. I know that there is so much knowledge in this world. I will find ways to continue my own education and learning. 

I will stand for truth and righteousness. I will bear my testimony. I will stand for what I know is right, even when it may not be convenient or popular. I will strive to be an example of Christ and His gospel. 

I sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth. I sustain President Thomas S. Monson, his counselors, and the Quorum of the 12 as the only men on Earth who possess all the keys of the priesthood. I sustain local leaders as those called to minister in my little corner of the Kingdom. I sustain my father as the priesthood leader in our family. I sustain my future husband as the priesthood leader in my home. 

I REJOICE in the blessings of the temple. I strive to attend the temple regularly to remind myself of the covenants I have made there. I understand my divine destiny- as a member of the Church, as a woman of God. And I strive for exaltation.

(Part 1 in case you missed it)

Women in the Church: Part 1

My name is Jessica. I am daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, and a niece. I am a teacher, a friend, and a neighbor. 

I have faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His Atonement for me. I have faith in the Plan of Salvation, and the personal plan Heavenly Father has for me. I have faith in the Book of Mormon, its origin, and its teachings. I have faith that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ, that he talked with them face to face, that they called him by name, and that the Father bore witness of His Son. I have faith in our latter-day prophets and apostles and their ability to communicate Heavenly Fathers will for the Church and its people. 

I know that I have inherited divine qualities as a spirt daughter of God. I have a purpose on this earth, a mission that is unique to me, that only I can fulfill. I will continue to work towards becoming more like my Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. I will use that divine nature to become the person they want me to be. 

I have individual worth in the eyes of my Father. I am known to Him personally. He hears my prayers and answers them. He loves me more than I can comprehend. I am of infinite worth to Him. 

I know that I have come to this earth to gain knowledge. I am here to learn and to grow. It is my responsibility to gain knowledge, and to pursue an education, both spiritually and temporally. The knowledge I gain in this life will be used in the next. I know that we are to “seek…diligently and teach one another words of wisdom…even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118)

I know that I have free moral agency. I have choice. I can choose good over evil. I know that I do not have the right to choose the consequences for those actions. It is my responsibility to accept what may come because of the choices I make. I also know that all people, regardless of religious beliefs, race, gender, or culture have this same right to choose. 

I know it is my responsibility to serve others. I have covenanted with my Father to mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and help bear others burdens. I will build the kingdom of God through righteous service. 

I will have the courage to stand for what I know is right. I will “stand as a witness of God at all times, and in all things and in all places.” I will make my actions consistent with what I know is right and what my Father in Heaven wants me to do. 

I know that a virtuous woman is priced “far above rubies.” I will keep myself temple worthy, make choices that keep me clean and pure. I will base my thoughts and actions on high moral standards. I will live as an example to others, helping them live virtuous lives. 

My name is Jessica and I am a daughter of God. 

#jessbrain 4.0

Can we talk about how much I love my job? The #1 question I get from people about this job is if I miss the classroom. Honestly, not as much as I thought I would! It has really surprised me. I love that I get to watch these new and prospective teachers learn and grow and mature. When that intern has that grand classroom management moment or teaches a really great lesson, it is just like watching little kids grasp that math concept that has alluded them for so long. I love that I still get the chance to model teach every once in a while. It isn't quite the same as having your own group of kids but I get to teach everything from 2nd to 6th grade. But most of all, I love that I still get the love from the kids. As I was leaving a room the other day, one of the more difficult students in the class ran up and gave me a hug and said, "Bye, Miss Jensen! I can't wait until you come again!"

I overheard my brother the other day say, "Families that hunt together, stay together." It has been on my mind ever since. When you ask most hunters why the hunt the automatic response is always something about meat in the freezer, which is true, that is definitely an added perk. However, for our family, I think there is more to it. As far as looking forward to something, the 3rd weekend in October comes in a close 2nd to Christmas, even if I am not the one with the tag. There is something about spending all weekend together with family. Deer hunt weekend is about more than hunting. It's about supporting one another and their success. It's about late night card games and puzzles. It's about inside jokes and stories that will be told for 20 years. It's about spending time together in the truck, hiking together, enjoying the natural beauty around us. It's about family.


Do you ever hear a song and instantly fall in love with it? I don't even know where I heard this song of the first time, but it has quickly become my new favorite. The band that sings it isn't very popular. (This may be their only single...) but I love it. 

In other news, Fall has flung!! (Is flung a word? If not, it is now.) My favorite season is officially here and in full swing. The colors, the cooler temperatures, the smell, sweaters and boots and hoodies!! It is all wonderful. Seriously, how can you not love this??

Progression and Patience

Have you ever been cruising along in life and all of a sudden you start having this internal, personal struggle with something that you haven't ever really struggled with before? Well, I hadn't...until now. There have always been the ups and downs of life. There are the constant things that come around (work, dating, etc.) but all of a sudden, something that has been so easy all my life has become this giant stumbling block. And I don't really know what to do about it.

A few weeks ago, I was attending church with my family and the speaker asked this question, "You may be righteous, but are you progressing?" That really stuck with me and has been on my mind. I feel like for the most part I make pretty good choices in life. I try to be obedient and do the things Heavenly Father would want me to do. But, am I doing them in a way that will move me forward in an eternal sense? Where do my actions fall on the good, better, best scale?

I was contemplating this while scanning Facebook the other day and a friend had shared this wonderful quote from Elder Richard G. Scott and it hit me like a ton of bricks:

Ok... apparently I am ready to grow. So what? I had my scriptures sitting on my lap, but I just wasn't in the mood/mindset to open them up. (Does that make me a bad person?) I started thumbing through all the notes and handouts I have kept in the front cover and found one that simply said, "Patience, Neal A. Maxwell 1979" Turns out (with some help from Google) that it is a talk he gave at BYU in 1979. As I read through this talk several different parts stuck out to me.

"Patience is not indifference. Actually, it means caring very much but being willing, nevertheless, to submit to the Lord and to what the scriptures call the 'process of time.'" 

"Patience permits us to cling to our faith in the Lord when we are tossed about by suffering as if by surf. When the undertow grasps us we will realize that even as we tumble we are somehow being carried forward; we are actually being helped even as we cry for help."

"Patience is always involved in the spiritual chemistry of the soul, not only when we try to turn the trials and tribulations into joy and growth, but also when we use it to build upon the seemingly ordinary experiences to bring about happy and spiritual outcomes."

But the one that struck me the most was, "Sometimes that which we are doing is correct enough but simply needs to be persisted in patiently, not for a minute or a moment, but sometimes for years."

I don't know why this problem is my problem right now. But, maybe that's not the point. Maybe the point isn't why, but how. How well will I deal, patiently, with this trial? How can I cling to the Lord as I am tossed about? How can I turn this trial and tribulation into joy and growth? How can I patiently (not indifferently) use this trial to progress?  

Making Other Plans

I don't think I really understood what John Lennon meant with those words until recently. If you had asked me a year ago where I would be and what I would be doing right now, I would have told you I would be teaching 4th grade at Provost Elementary, probably living in the same apartment, attending the same ward, etc. I wouldn't say that I was unhappy at the time. But I wasn't happy either. During the next 12 months, life would happen.

Almost exactly a year ago, a colleague sent me an email early one Thursday morning encouraging me to apply for a different position at a different school in Provo (a non-teaching position, more of a leadership role) but my application needed to be in that morning. Somewhat impulsively I applied, had an interview the next day, and after an excruciatingly long weekend, I found out I did not get the job. This was somewhat of a relief considering the school year had already started and I know now that things worked out the way they should have. However, this one act of applying for this one job was the catalyst that changed my future. 

I soon realized that maybe it wasn't the job that I needed. It was the fact that I was ok with applying for the job. I was open to change that I had previously fought against. Something changed in me that day. I knew my time at Provost was going to be shorter than I originally thought. I didn't know what was coming, but I knew it would happen. 

Fast forward to spring time. After several long months, and I mean LONG months of problems at work, struggles with new co-workers and the leadership at the school, I knew I had to start looking for a new job. I didn't know where I was going or even where I wanted to go. I started to apply for every single open teaching job in the state of Utah. And I mean every opening from St. George to Logan to Roosevelt to Blanding and everywhere in between. I had several interviews and several job offers, but none of them seemed quite right. I couldn't get my head and my heart to agree. I eventually accepted an offer in Sandy. I liked the school. I liked the principal. It seemed like the perfect fit. Things were falling into place. But, yet again, life would happen. (Looking back I know I should not have accepted this job. It never felt wrong so I went with it, but it never really felt right either.)

About a month after accepting the job in Sandy, I got another email from this same colleague encouraging me once again to apply for the same position I had applied for 8 months earlier but at a different school. Once again, I applied and didn't get it. This time it hurt a little more. The timing was better. I felt better prepared and more qualified than before. 

Soon after, my colleague asked me to trust her one more time. This job was more of a long shot than the other two had been, but it couldn't hurt to try. It was a whole new position- working with BYU interns and student teachers. I had never done anything like this before. I didn't even go to BYU so I didn't even have the student perspective. The first question in the interview was "What experience do you have with the BYU education partnership?" The only answer I could give was, "Practically none," and right there I knew I wouldn't get it. Why would they hire someone with no experience and no knowledge of the partnership? But they did. "Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans." Never in a million years would I have planned for this. 

In the middle of this job mess, I was accepted to join a group of teachers on a trip to Finland to study their education system. It was one of the most unique and wonderful experiences of my life. It is not often you get to travel with 30 other people (most of them strangers) who share in your passion for education and teaching to another continent and through 4 countries learning from and growing with them every step of the way. I learned so  much, not only from the people of Finland, but from the people I was with. They are each such strong and gifted people. They affected me and my life in ways they will never know. 

I had the chance to spend 10 days with my best friends in New Jersey/New York/Philadelphia this summer. You know you are best friends when after spending every waking minute together for 10 days you don't want to kill each other and still don't want to leave. Sometimes I feel sorry for Curtis though... the only boy in the group, the only non-teacher... He puts up with a lot from us. 

My family made an impromptu road trip to California for my great uncle's funeral. When you picture road trips with family, I am sure most people picture fighting and not getting along after being stuck in the car for hours with your siblings. Not me. We have never really been like that. I love road tripping with my family. It has been a long time since we have done a true road trip and I think it was much needed for us. Plus, Marcus and Katie got to go to their first MLB game and we got to reconnect with family we hadn't seen in a while. 

 It has been a year/summer of changes and new adventures. Somewhere along the way I think I changed. I morphed into someone that was ready for all this change. 

Forever and Forever in Tooele

Maybe it is all the changes in job/moving going on in my life right now. Maybe it's because my sister has been so focused on the Miss Tooele City pageant the last 4 weeks. Maybe it's been all my traveling. Maybe it's the conversations with an old friend recently.  Maybe it's my recent obsession with this Zac Brown Band song (and how it reminds me of my parents every time I hear it.) I don't really know the reasons why, but lately have been thinking about my good ole hometown.

Growing up I always heard comments about wanting to "get out," how there was nothing to do, about how "small town" it felt. I always wondered if there was something wrong with me because I never really felt like that. It didn't bother me that the only place to shop was (is) Walmart. It didn't bother me that the main source of entertainment on Friday night was the football/basketball game at the high school. It didn't bother me that no one knew where Tooele was or how to say it. None of it bothered me.

The more I have grown up and matured the more I have started to appreciate the legacy that has been left for me in this small town. (Yes, I know Tooele really isn't that small any more, but in my mind I still see the it with a dirt road for 1000 north and when you hit Koevene's you were out of town.) I kind of love being able to say that both my parents were born and raised here. My grandma graduated from Tooele High. I am pretty sure 80% of the town had my grandpa as a teacher at the jr. high. Most people in Tooele know my dad as the one that drives the fire truck around town. The kids in town stop and get chocolate from my mom in her classroom at the high school or have had her as a sub at some point. My siblings and I all have a stuffed animal white buffalo, earned through some achievement in high school. Every member of my family owns some sort of royal purple attire and we wear it proudly.

I had never really thought about where I would end up living with my future family, but the more I think about it the more I would love for it to be right where I grew up. Where my kids can play "Annie Over" at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Where they can sit on the curb and eat a popsicle every day during the summer. Where they can play baseball on the same fields their grandpa and uncle played. Where they can get up early during the summer and listen to the marching band march all over town practicing for the parade. Where they can hear the story and meet the people behind Parker's Park and the brick with our family name on it. Where they can listen to the stories of Grandma and Grandpa hanging out in front of Tate's Mortuary on Friday nights (because that's apparently what the cool kids did in the early 80's). Where they can listen to mom tell stories of hanging out in the Macey's parking lot (because that's apparently what the cool kids did in the early 2000's). Where they can fish in the same reservoir my grandpa took me fishing. Where they can hike and have picnic's up Settlement Canyon. Where they can ride the wheelers up to the copper pit overlook. Where they can watch the homecoming parade every fall as a kid and be in the parade as a teen. Where they can light the "T" before graduation.

That's the dream, but if it never happens, if I don't "stay until I die," I will always be able to say that my heart will always be "forever and forever in Tooele."

Dear Children (2014-15)

Dear Children,

This year is different. This time I am the one that is not coming back. As I have finished the year, it has given me a much different perspective.

For the first time since I began teaching, I did not have a student with major behavior difficulties. I did not have to have the district psychologist in my room 3 times a week. I did not have anyone get suspended. I did not have any fights. I did not have to drag anyone (literally) in from the playground and for all of that I thank you.

This is the group of kids I have been waiting for. I knew from my first year, when these kids were in kindergarten, that there was something different, that I NEEDED these kids.

I always say I have learned more from you than you learned from me, but this year I feel like we learned together.

I've learned that a smile, a hug, and a high five can turn an entire day around.

I've learned that there is still something magical about the Magic School Bus.

I've learned I would rather have strong, confident students who know they are loved than the highest scores in the school. (Not that scores aren't important, but it's not what is most important.)

I've learned how important it is to see inside your heart.

I've learned that I will fight and fight and fight to get whatever is best for YOU, not just what is easiest.

I've learned that I need the Holy Ghost at school more than I need it anywhere else.

I've learned that passion is the best motivator.

I've learned kindness really is a chain reaction.

I've learned (or re-learned) how important time to create is - to play, to imagine, to have fun!

I've learned how important forgiveness is, and how important it is to give it quickly.

I've learned that no matter how hard and crusty you are on the inside, somewhere buried deep is a desire to learn, grow, and be better than your circumstances want you to be.

I've learned that my attitude is what you take with you and if my attitude stinks, so does yours.

I've learned to let the little things go. Our classroom doesn't need to be perfect.

I've learned that we really can make easy happen with hard work and learning. (Because in my room we don't use the "e" word.)

I've learned that you will always be mine.

Love, Miss Jensen

Watch DOG

This year my school has been participating in a program called "Watch DOGS" (Dads of Great Students) which is run through the National Center for Fathering. It focuses on getting fathers (or grandfathers, uncles, older brothers, etc) involved in the classroom. Most times dads come and spend a morning just volunteering, doing things like greeting the kids as the come into the building, helping in their child's classroom, being a recess supervisor, and anything else that the teacher could use help with.

I had a Watch DOG in my room last Friday and it was a new experience for me and for him. I have known this dad for a few years and have had several of his children in my class. This is a family that I greatly admire and look up to. His wife is very involved with the school, volunteering to teach art lessons a few times a month in several different classrooms, has been the PTA president, goes on field trips (even if it is not her child's class), and much, much more.

Several times during the day he came up to me and stated how amazed he was with the difference in academic levels between all the children in my class. He hadn't realized what a gap there was between children and how hard it is for the teacher to bridge that gap. He loved working with the different children and seeing how many personalities there were.

I noticed such a difference in several of my boys that day. These boys come from homes where the mom has a different boyfriend in and out of the house every week. They generally are left to fend for themselves quite often. They have very little, if any other family around. These boys have no GOOD male role models, no one to look up to. I watched them Friday soak up every ounce of attention they got from this Watch DOG. He played with them at recess. He sat next to them in class and talked with them about their writing and art projects. He gave the spelling test with silly sentences about Justin Bieber, and spinach. He ate lunch with them, joked with them, loved them.  He showed them that there are men out there that care, that listen, that want to pay attention to them.

I talked with this wonderful man's wife later and asked her to thank him again for coming in. I told her what I had seen and she started to cry. She was so happy to hear that he had made a positive impact on those boys because it had made such a positive impact on him. Before coming in he had always wondered and questioned why she put so much effort in the PTA and volunteering at the school. He didn't understand why she would come in so often, without getting any kind of payment. She said his words were, "I get it now. I get why you care. It's not just about our children. It's about all the children."

I often wonder if fathers fully understand their children's elementary education experience. Most children are lucky enough to be born into families with parents that care about what is happening at school, about how their day went, about who they played with. But others, others are not so lucky. And for them, having another parent come in and interact with them may be the only positive experience they have with a parental figure all week.

So fathers and future fathers, I plead with you to get involved. Find at least one day during the school year to volunteer in your child's classroom. See what it is like, play with them, read with them, and listen to the children as they share their world with you. Make a difference. (And when your wife spends hours volunteering at your child's school, thank her for the difference she has made in the life of a child.)

#my26by26- 365 days later

Well, another year has come and gone, and what a year it has been. #my26by26 has been one of the coolest, and most stressful, things I have ever done. Back when I was making the list I thought about which ones would be harder to do than others, and which ones I would be able to cross of a little more easily. Some of those predictions were pretty close, others I was WAY off on. Some of the ones that I thought would be easy actually took a lot more effort than I thought they would. I quickly learned which items on the list were really important to me and which ones I didn't care so much about. 

I have to admit that when I say I completed them, some might have been adjusted just a little. I figured it was my list, I could fulfill them however I wanted too, right? (That's what I will keep telling myself at least.) I never could have done this without the help of my family and friends. A good 2/3 of this list required help from another person and so many of you helped me make it through. There are so many good memories involved with this list  and I can't thank you all enough for being apart of them.

I think the thing that surprised me the most about accomplishing these things is how much I have grown and the changes I see in myself. I learned a lot about Jessica and who she wants to be when she grows up. It's funny how an odd list of goals can shape an entire year of your life. My family can attest to the fact that this past year has completely revolved around this list and making sure I could cross everything off. And I am so glad I did it. 

#my26by26


1) Go on a GOOD vacation (in other words- Logan, Tooele, and Fish Lake don't count)
A fantastic trip to San Francisco June/July of 2014 fulfilled this goal. Corrine and I had a grand time exploring the Bay area. 

  

            

2) Go to the zoo
Jenn and the girls invited me to tag along one day on their trip to Hogle Zoo. What a fun day!

3) Go horseback riding
Ok..so...here's the thing. I didn't actually do this one but IT'S OK because I did the bonus item on my list. (And I still have every intention of doing it this coming summer.)

4) Pay for the car behind me at the drive through
This one was fun. The lady at the drive through window really didn't know how to respond. Makes me wish this kind of thing happened more often.

5) Watch the sun rise and set on the same day
This one was interesting. I did this the same day I hiked Timp. I made Lincoln pause for a few minutes on the hike so I could actually watched the sun come up over the horizon. After getting home that night I drove up to the Provo temple parking lot and watch the sun set behind the western mountains. 

6) Go to a NEW MLB park/game
I am so glad I got to finish this one. In fact, the whole reason Corrine and I ended up in San Fran is because they have a MLB team/park. (Just to clarify, I am not a Giants fan, just a fun place to go.) I LOVE AT&T park! Such a unique setting for a baseball park.

7) Have dinner at a "fancy" restaurant 
The night I crossed this one off was one of my favorites. I never thought my calling would be the reason I got to fulfill this goal. Such a great night with great people.

8) Pay off my car loan
Yay!! It is such a good feeling to say that I did this!

9) Read the Book of Mormon again
This is another one I am super glad I decided to put on my list. I love this book and it had been a while since I had read it cover to cover. It is such a powerful witness of our Savior Jesus Christ. 

10) Sing in a choir
This is one I kind of decided to fudge. I really don't know why I put this on my list in the first place because I really don't like choirs. So, I am counting the violin musical number Katie and I did the Sunday Marcus spoke in church after his mission. Same idea, right?

11) Get my motorcycle license (so I can drive my mom's scooter)
Ok, technically I haven't finished this one. I didn't know that you have to pass the written test before they will even let you schedule a time to do your driving test. And when the DLD is only open 8-5 that makes things difficult for a working stiff. I have read/"studied" the handbook and practiced driving. I absolutely will be doing the rest over spring break when I don't have to take any time off.

12) Hike Timp
This item on the list deserves a big shout-out to Lincoln Hansen. I never would have done this if he hadn't gone with me. This is something that I only plan on doing only one other time in my life (got to hike in from the other trailhead) but after that I don't think I will ever care to go again. Totally worth it at the top but SO FREAKING LONG and SO MANY PEOPLE!!

 

13) Take a big risk/do something way outside my comfort zone
They day I made this skirt was a very stressful day. I DON'T sew! Not at all. I find it a major accomplishment that I did this mostly by myself and only cried once. 

14) Visit all the temples in Utah
This was probably one of my favorites (right up there with the baseball game...) to accomplish. All 14 temples in one year. Some took a lot of creative planning and I had so many people help out and go with me. And most of them have some pretty great stories/memories tied to them.

 

15) Give a boy my number/tell him I like him
Let's just chalk this one up to experience...

16) Have a water gun fight
This is another I kind of adjusted... but I think a water balloon fight is just as good. Especially considering I ended up wetter than anyone else there. 

17) Run a 5k (Let's be honest, this is probably going to be the hardest one. I don't run!! At all.)
Ok, so my foot, shins, and knee decided that running this wasn't really an option. After several pairs of shoes, and many tries, I settled for walking it in under 40 minutes. 

18) Go camping
This camping trip is one I am sure my family will remember forever. The moose, the mouse, and the rain!

 

 
 

19) Slow dance in the rain
When I wrote this list, I had some very wishful thinking that along the way there may be a boy to date and help fulfill some of these. Well, unfortunately, that did not happen. FORTUNATELY, I have an awesome friend that stepped in at the last minute and helped me cross this off the list. (Without the rain... I can't do much about the weather.)

20) Take a photo every day (not necessarily of me, but of something legit)
This has been one of those that really changed me and what I am. I know that sounds silly. How can a picture change you? I don't really know. It changed what I see and how I see the things around me. It made me notice things more. I have printed every picture and caption and put them into a book. It is already so fun to go back through and look at everything I have done and everything that has happened in the last year. It tells a story.

21) Get my concealed weapons permit
Again, this is another that I have started but don't actually have the permit yet. I took the class. I have the paper work. I just need to do my fingerprinting and send it in! Yet another to be finished completely over spring break.

22) Hike Deseret Peak
Thanks to Marcus and Katie, I finished this one! It was a such a fun day as siblings to hike it and spend some time together. And this is something I have always wanted to do!

 

23) Read 10 NEW books  
If you know me at all, you can probably guess how much I enjoyed this one. The best part about it is that I read a few books/types of books that I normally don't read!
          *The Book Thief
          *The Chosen One
          *A Single Voice
          *Chances Are
          *Shooting the Moon
          *Divergent
          *The History of Love
          *Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
          *Only the Brave
          *Until Proven Guilty

24) Lose 20-25 pounds (this one incorporates the whole eat healthier, exercise more thing)
I am SO close on this one. So close. But, the best part is how much I have come to count on the gym as a stress reliever. This has not been the best school year for me and it has become a great way to work off the stress of work before going home and tackling what needs to be done there. 

25) Actually start the teaching blog I have wanted to do for over a year
Yes, I started one. Have you seen anything from it? No, you haven't. After starting it I realized I really didn't want to do it. Maybe it is because I am too lazy to put the effort in. I don't know. So, if you are interested here it is. Don't bother looking at it. There is nothing there. Perhaps one day there will be...

26) Do at least one random act of service each week
This has been another very fulfilling item on the list. I really tried to make each one meaningful and with a purpose. I don't know if it always turned out like that, but I tried. It is funny how when you focus on giving service to others, you notice all the wonderful things people do for you. 

Bonus: Get a passport and actually USE it (I originally had this on my list and then thought about the fact that I was actually going to have to pay for all of this myself. Remember, I am a teacher. I'm not exactly making the big bucks. So I am adding it as a bonus. I still really want to do it, but I am not making it "list official.")
I DID IT!!!! Well, I haven't actually used it yet, but I will!! I have the passport. I have the plane tickets. I have a plan. I am going!! (This is why I am not so bummed that I didn't go horseback riding yet. I really didn't think I was going to be able to do this one!!)