Lions

So today, as I was teaching, I finally came to an understanding why Lions reject their teenage/younger lions from the Pride and they have to find their own way in the world. I no longer feel sorry for them or misunderstand the parents. I fully support them and that group decision to kick them out. You want to know the reason why and how I came to that conclusion? Well... because teenage anything are so annoying and can't really comprehend what real reality is. They think everything should be gifted to them(hunting and meat done and brought to them). They need to be kicked out to realize how lucky they are and prove their worthiness, and this only happens as they get older and realize how lucky they were. Only when they are fully mature and accomplish something, and only then do females deign to even consider looking at them or considering them as possible parts of the pride.

Can you see how this is comparative to teenage boys(actually girls too)? I think they need to have a few hard knocks of real life and then they can actually appreciate what they have. Too bad I can't be the one to deliver a few of them. Just thought I would share my ever evolving wisdom that is formed from teaching school and adolescents.

Cooking with Shaely

Shaely and I were making chocolate chip cookies :) Fun times :)

Pride and Prejudice enthusiasts

I just watched the best movie I've seen in awhile! It's called Lost in Austen. This girl somehow gets trapped in the book and she kinda messes it up. But it's great because she does all the things the faithful fans have always wanted to do, either in the book or in the movie. For example the part where Colin Firth goes swimming in the pond in the 8 hour version...yeah she has Darcy hop in the pond, without any other reason but that she asked. SOOO funny! I really liked it and if you like Pride and Prejudice you might enjoy it as well.

Vintage Dress

I did my hair all vintage style for church today!

Family History

Grandma Jackie

So today I was really getting into my family history because I had found some of the stuff in boxes that hasn’t been looked at for years. First of all props to Mom for having SO MUCH information! Seriously she is amazing in what she was able to track down. Not just the names and dates of people, but she has pictures, marriage certificates, and so many other things that make these people so real. So far it’s gone back to the 1600’s! That is so awesome. I think my hair style was inspired too because it was in a short 20’s style bob. I was going for 40’s but it didn’t work out.

While perusing some of the family articles I came upon a letter written to Mom from Grandma Jackie in 1983. Naturally I’m interested because it comes the year before I was born! I love to see what people write about people before they know them. She was talking and asking mom and dad, when her granddaughter finally arrived, Jackson and Josh were the only kids at this point, if she would put Billy-Ray in her name, or Rae. She had wanted to use it with Tina or Tonyia, but hadn’t. I was sitting there, all excited because she was talking about me J Mom and Dad named me Jessica Rae-Ann. My family knows the story of my first name and Jackson and Man From Snowy River, but it’s different to read about it! Because Rae if from my Grandpa and Ann from Grandma Jackie. SO cool, people putting in requests even before I was born.

On a different piece of paper in the letter was a poem written by Grandma Jackie. She told Mom she didn’t know why she wrote it, but felt she needed to and to send it to mom. It’s all about her first husband, my Grandpa William Daggett. It is so cool because she wrote it in 1983 and had married Grandpa November 3, 1952. He died five years later and 31 years later she wrote this down. You can hear her emotion and voice through the words. I just wanted to share this with everyone. It’s very romantic and sad and the real life stuff is even better than the made up kind. Just be glad I typed it up, cause I had to have Mom interpret some of the hand writing.

“My Bill”

Over twenty years have come and gone!

They say time heals all-- Wrong!

You are just a memory and yet

I can still see your smile,

Smell your smell and hear

Your voice.

I’ve lived around your memory

Life taught me this.

But the world has never been bright and new again.

And yet, oh how I wish I could somehow

See you again,

Feel you.

Oh Bill!

Even now, a lump comes in my throat

And I can’t help the tears streaming down my face.

We were awfully young,

But we loved each other so.

Oh Bill, why?

We had something so special.

And you know, babe, I love you still,

After all these years.

You’ll always be my white shining knight

After you, who could compare?

I tried, honestly tried with other men,

But after all, who could ever measure up to you

and they, every one of them sensed it,

So, now I’ll go on alone!

Jacquelyn

Update

Well, I no longer am in Ecuador, but I thought I might update every so often even though my adventures are not quite as fun as here. I live in Florence, Oregon and have been sewing A LOT! Image to the left is my first purse. That's the most exciting point in my life right now. But I'm glad I can at least follow directions. I'm looking for jobs teaching everywhere and am looking forward to riding horses this summer.

I have been teaching swim lessons two days a week and that is fun. Especially when you can see the progress of your students.

I have also decided to do a half marathon this year. I guess I can update on that running as well. It is going to be really exciting, but hard to run. Especially when you have that option to do the running tomorrow and that turns into the next day and the next day. It will be in Hilsboro, Oregon on June 12th. 13 miles of fun I tell you what. Hopefully I can be in shape again, I have to train for hills on this one.

Some other of my day to day activities include watching my favorite Spanish telenovela: Zorro la Espada y la Rosa. It's very dramatic and kind of repetitive because the characters can never stay out of drama, but I look at it as a learning experience. If I ever need to tell someone off in Spanish for stealing my fiance, or kidnapping me, or not telling me he was Zorro sooner, I will know how.

I also continue to be the only member of my family who has not reproduced :) Yeah for nieces and nephews! I will always be the favorite aunt! wahhaha.

That's about it for now, but I will share more later, even if it isn't super exciting :) Reality blogging hehe