Christmas Card

If I don't have your email, I didn't sent a card. But, this is what was in the email, so here you go! JUST CLICK TO ENLARGE! Happy Christmas and New Years! Love love!

things i'm grateful for

Haha! Yay, it is already November and it is gratitude season!

I had to just spout out a few things that are in my brain and need to be expressed!

--I love the colors of the leaves and the cold air
Up Provo Canyon--look at those beautiful colors of the leaves and the little snow capped mountains. AMAZING!
--I love sitting in my warm car or house with my heater on (a little more than I love the cold air)
--I love that they are playing Christmas music on the radio!!
--I love that Rachel called me today to tell me that she had a baby two weeks ago
--I'm grateful I got to see that little baby on video-chat
--I'm grateful that Rachel is still friends with me even though we both know I am a space cadet. I've stopped fighting my forgetfulness and out-of-touch-ness with facebook and other social media and I've come to accept it. Now just feel so grateful when someone calls me to tell me something great happened. Why do I have such great friends??
--I love my Marky who is SOOOOO good to me. Ah. I just love him so much. He does everything for me--and he is out on errands right now preparing for a surprise date. How did I get so lucky??
--I'm so glad I only go to the mall a couple of times a year. That place is so stressful!
--I love that my YW did such a great job at YW in Excellence on Tuesday. Sometimes I think they aren't listening to anything I'm saying, and then they actually show up and do a great job!
--I love buying produce. So many beautiful things to buy!
--I am grateful for prayer and blessings and family support. How would I survive without it?
--I'm grateful for Indian food for lunch from Mom Annette Eliason--thank you!
--I'm grateful I got to go to the Bean museum with Annette, Connor, Trevo, and Gwen. And Mark. (He's so fun, can I just say?)
--I'm grateful for the comfy bed I'm sitting on as I type this.
--I'm grateful that I have a job right now--and an awesome job. According to Occupy Wallstreet, I am in the 1% of Americans with a job, so I feel very blessed. (By the way, does anyone get that Occupy movement? I just saw Occupy Provo people today and I wanted to yell out my window "Quit wasting your time. Zion's bank is not going to close just because you're standing outside of it. Plus, it's freezing, your parents are probably paying your college tuition, and let's be honest, you don't really know what this movement represents.")
--I'm grateful for Freedom of Speech.
--I'm grateful for inspiring friends who constantly amaze me with their wisdom and examples (I'm talking to you, "the girls")
--I'm grateful I got to go to my dear KJ's wedding recently--what a beautiful day and ceremony and EVERYTHING! lovely, lovely
--I'm grateful for an awesome little sister who calls me and hangs out with me all of the time. She is so cool. (AND, she's part of BYU's best dance crew. She is such a great dancer!)
--I'm grateful for eternal perspective.

Thank you, world and its Creator. Love, Jana

Do it when you think you don't want to

I just had to tell someone about my experience today. It wasn't anything extreme, but I came bounding in the door hoping Mark was home from his run, but he wasn't, so now you get my story.

I wanted to go to the temple sometime this week and it so happened that it landed on Saturday...again. Today already had a bunch of stuff packed in it and it gets busy working together as a couple on different projects, and you want to fit a date in, and you want to get caught up on life--so it seemed that this week, perhaps I could not go to the temple and still pursue worthwhile activities. But I knew if I said that this time, I would be disappointed all the rest of the day because I'd know I could have probably fit it in and I had justified it away.

So, I decided to go.

My new motto--do it when you think you don't want to. This happened to be the theme of my temple trip. I got there and saw there was a wait for initiatory, but it didn't seem too long. I could read something or I could just sit there. I didn't want to start reading and not REALLY get a chance to read, so I thought "maybe I'll just sit here." I know, I'm lame. But, I thought again, "I need to do some things when I don't feel like it." So I reached for a Book of Mormon. I spent the next ten minutes reading the end of Mormon and my eyes were opened! I felt like I newly understood Mormon and Moroni's role in writing, compiling, and preserving the Book of Mormon. I made connections to our day and the day of Mormon and Moroni. I thought of the fair ones of our time who are lost--but remembered with joy that people can be reclaimed from spiritual death! I thought of the great work and a wonder that the Book of Mormon is! It was a time with the Book of Mormon that I hadn't had for a while! It took picking it up and reading it when I didn't really feel like it.

When it was my turn for the ordinance, I realized part way through that one of the sisters performing the ordinances was Japanese. (I could tell from her nametag.) This sister was beaming, happy, beautiful---ah, it just made me miss the Japanese people. Her countenance reignited my love for these wonderful people. I hadn't thought about my mission or the Japanese people very much until recently. And her smile and happiness, and great efforts to speak English bravely, inspired me and brought back warm memories from my mission. I decided that the next time I had a chance, I would speak to her in Japanese. Sometimes I feel shy or silly trying to speak Japanese after not speaking it for so long, but I thought of how I would feel if I were in her shoes. I'm sure she struggles to understand everyone around her. I know that when I was new to Japanese, I appreciated someone who would speak to me in English and make me feel included and a part of things. I didn't want to sound stupid, but I didn't want to turn down an opportunity to talk to someone from my mission country. So, I asked her if she was Japanese and then told her in Japanese that I had served a mission there. She was soooo excited. She thanked me and told me how she doesn't speak English very often and doesn't speak very well. I told her that her English sounded awesome. As I responded in Japanese, she excitedly uttered, "Natsukashii," which means something like "I miss that" or "that is nostalgic." She was soo grateful that I had spoken to her in Japanese. When I saw her again, she excitedly pumped her two fists as if to say, "Yay, my friend who spoke Japanese to me!" I thought about how I almost justified myself in not speaking up and talking to her. It seemed like a small thing. And I didn't want to do it at first. But it made such a difference in her day and in mine. I knew the Spirit had prompted me to talk to her. God wants His children to feel loved and noticed. This sister needed to hear her own language today. And I needed to do things that at first I didn't want to do. It was a good lesson to learn.

Africa

That's it. I'm just going to post random pictures from Mark's trip for your enjoyment. You're going to just have to ask Mark about the details when you see him. :) You can see he had a lot of adventures!

The AIDS clinic

People he worked with: writing wills for people at the AIDS clinic.

The cutest kids on Earth

The market

The crew

The wildlife

Army ants

The wild life. Rafting down class 5 rapids on the Nile.

Missionary work strategies--sweet full size poster of the elders

National soccer game--the most dangerous of all experiences he had in Africa.

LOST in Uganda

our summer: part I

Mark gets home from Africa (and once he gets back from ENGLAND, he'll be able to post about his adventures in Uganda.)

The night Mark got back--I forgot to take an epic picture of him in the airport, all scruffy with his backpack, because I was too excited to see him and too eager to be outta there and go eat our Cafe Rio--Mark's special request. :) So, I had to document at least one picture of the day he got home, so *click*, done, documented. He's home.

4th of July

We went up to Mark's folk's cabin for a little getaway and to celebrate Mark's return. We also celebrated the Fourth of July up there, complete with pig racing, rodeos, and yes, even Glenn Beck.

Glenn Beck was in town (Driggs, ID--not the biggest town in the US of A), invited by Jon Huntsman Sr. to speak before the fireworks. When we drove into town, we passed this sign saying "Welcome Glenn Beck." Mark asked me "Is Glenn Beck coming or something?" I was like, "Nah, there's no way that he'd come to a small town like this. Maybe he drove through town recently." But sure enough, he was a headliner at that weekend's events. Huntsman recently built a big, beautiful amphitheater up there, and Glenn Beck was the invited guest. What's more American than Glenn? Maybe pig racing. But Glenn is a close second. He had an enormous crowd of people waiting for his speech. Mark and I couldn't pass up the opportunity, so we showed up. It was actually quite nice, though Mark was disappointed that Glenn didn't say anything crazy. But, we enjoyed the evening, especially the fireworks. I LOVE fireworks, especially when they play great American classics (like anything by Neil Diamond) and the fireworks go with the music. AWESOME!

Our legit cowboy gear--we had to get ready for the local festivities.

Waiting for pig racing. We probably waited for 45 minutes in the sun to watch pigs run around a small pen for about 6 seconds. It was totally worth it.

The RODEO - I LOVE rodeos.

My rodeo hamburger--yum.

So beautiful up in Tetonia.

Sitting on the grass before the fireworks.

Proof that we were actually there for Glenn Beck. You can kinda see him on the big screen there.

The parade--we went down to the parade the morning of the 4th and were so disappointed we didn't have our camera (we left it in the car on accident). It was so quaint and there were lots of trucks, horses, and taffy. The best moment was the float for the Teton Valley Tea Party. So apropos. But, we got a picture of the taffy that I gathered at the parade. Another wonderful part of this holiday.

You have now learned that I am obsessed with the 4th of July and think everything about it is terrific. Next, we went on a hike on the 4th and hiked until we hit snow. Beautiful place!

A magical moment in the woods.

We made some great meals while up the cabin--here's our Sunday salmon meal.

We had a wonderful time together and just enjoyed being together after 2 long months apart.

Family Reunion--the next weekend we went up to Bear Lake to spend time with Mark's family. It was soooo fun. Mark's fam is totally fun and incredible and we loved spending time with the cute nieces and nephews.

Me on the beach with a very cute boy.

In just a few days, Mark and I were going to set off for our next adventure to Europe. In the words Ira Glass: "Stay with us." Pictures of European adventurers coming soon.

my new job

So, as many of you know, I am currently at the police academy. I bet you're excited because you think I'm gonna be a cop. Or, you're probably totally shocked. But this is what I'm doing: I am in training to be an SFO (Special Functions Officer) so that I can act as bailiff for the judge I'm clerking for in the fall. So, basically I am going through the training center (what I like to call Police MTC) for corrections officers right now. There's no real connection between bailiffs and corrections, but they just group us in with them and we end up learning all sorts of cool things--like what to do when there is a hazardous material spill, how to put someone in a twist lock and handcuff them, what constitutes a lawful arrest, how to identify someone's gang by the cryptic messages in their tattoos, and how to get fingerprints. As you can see, it is LEGIT! Let's just say that it is as cool as it looks on TV. Handcuffs are about the coolest things I get; I won't ever have firearms and taser training (phew! scary!), because our block is only 6 weeks, but apparently I do get a night stick that I can (?) use to subdue a defendant who is trying to attack the judge. Or, to avoid risking taking out the night stick having it used against me because who knows if I'll even know what to do with it, my plan is to just yell "Run, judge!" when necessary.

Like I said, it's like the MTC for law enforcement. We have an hour of physical fitness everyday. I was seriously disappointed that we wouldn't be playing sand volleyball and four square every other day, but we do some major fitness workouts! Try 100 pushups and 100 leg lifts and then run stairs or, like today, sprint 300m, job 300m, then do it three more times and do 50 pushups and 50 leglifts and we'll call it an easy day. Oh yeah, feel the burn as we speak! We also have a little block schedule packet that looks like the one I gave my missionaries in the MTC that shows what classes we have that week and when our breaks are. Our classes are very law based so far, which is good for me to refresh my memory on criminal law and procedure. We also have classes on interrogation, evidence collecting, use of force, gangs (oh man, that was a crazy day), and don't forget, Defensive Tactics. Yes, I own wrestling shoes. Yes, I possess a pair of handcuffs. And yes, I could cuff and search you (as long as you are willing to follow my verbal commands while I point my clasped hands at you like I'm holding a gun). It's pretty fun! It is really funny when I think about all of the career guidance tests I took through middle school and high school that said, almost without fail, "your career areas of interest" included elementary school teacher, artist, and something in the hospitality business. As you can probably guess, it never had "law enforcement" as my dream career. And, of course, I'm not technically in law enforcement as a career, so I haven't totally shifted gears, and I am reminded daily the reasons why law enforcement was never on my list (I hate weapons, I'm terrified of confrontations involving violence, I am offended by the language and topics of discussion that frequents my classmates' mouths, and I would get my feelings hurt if an inmate didn't do what I said), but it is proving to be a pretty awesome, unique experience. I do have to say, though, I am sooo glad that I'm not really going into law enforcement. These people do a REALLY hard job. But how cool is it that I get to play cops and robbers for a little bit? All in good fun.

My new job for reals: I am working for a judge in the Utah Fourth District Court starting in the fall and I'm excited to exercise my legal muscles (after I'm done exercising my defensive tactics muscles here at the police academy). I will be the judge's law clerk, which means I will help her with cases, write memos on how I think the case should be decided, and write rulings for some of her decisions. It's a pretty common job for recent law grads to do for the year after they graduate. It's a year commitment, but can end up being two years. This is the only court that I know of that has their law clerks act as bailiffs, so most law clerks don't get to go to the Police MTC and sit in on trials. But here's the best part that got me really excited when I went to visit the court two weeks ago. I get my own office! I mean, I constantly see people working in little offices with no windows and fluorescent lighting and I'm like "how do those people bear it?? I would die in one of those offices." BUT, when it's YOUR office--you feel different about that little space. You're like, "check out my sweet chair, my sweet desk, my sweet filing cabinet, and the countless possibilities for this blank wall!" I was surprised at how excited I got about my little square of space. But, really, how cool is it that I have a real job. Yes, I AM 27 and this is my first real job. Neither here nor there, people! Some of us just take a while, okay? I am excited to finally have a place where I belong--I'm not paying anyone to be allowed to show up everyday and be drilled by professors. These people hired me! Which leads me to the second best thing that happened to me when I visited the court: the fact that I could introduce myself as "the new law clerk." I am NOT the intern, NOT the student, NOT the temp. I am an employee! I am LEGIT! (Just like my new akido skills.) I just have to say, that was a great feeling. I have been saying, "Yes, I'm Jana. I am a student at...." for the past 20 years and boy does it feel great to be on the threshold of a new adventure. I know, I know, you're saying to yourself "that little office and that cool new job is gonna get pret-ty old here really fast..." and, you're probably right. And I'll probably be posting on here sometime in the next year titled "ugh. my new job." But for now--woohoo! Let's hear it for employment!

while you were gone

What do I do on a Friday night when my husband is out of town? Watch back-to-back episodes of Gilmore Girls (one of many chick-type DVDs on my Netflix queue since Mark has zero access to the account at present) from my blanket on my parents' couch. Classy, right? (How old am I?)

You know how guys always act like their life goes to ruin when their wives are out of town--like they almost burn down the house and practically starve because they don't know how to cook and their wives are against buying TV dinners? Well, that's me when Mark's away. Mark keeps me going. He is my motivation! I always laugh when Mark tells me that he was so surprised when he got married that he wasn't suddenly the most put-together man in the whole world--he still had to do the mundane things in life to get by. He just assumed that since his friends started getting good grades and practicing good hygiene once they got married that some sort of miracle occurs at marriage. Well, Mark, I said, that miracle does happen! And it did with us! It just is the other way around--I'M the one who had to get her act together and you were already the put-together one! You already knew how to set an alarm, finish a book, use a day planner. You didn't need a wife to teach you! But, I tell you, my life got so much more organized once I married Mark. Like, I figured out (from Mark) that if I put my keys in the same place every time I came home, I wouldn't lose them. Whoa! Break through!

So, when Mark is gone, I end up watching Gilmore Girls on a Friday night instead of doing something responsible like reading or corresponding with long-lost friends (I know you're out there) or updating my blog with all the cool things I'm doing. (I actually do have a list of cool things I'm doing right now so that I don't feel so lame. It's a pretty good list, though, I have to say.) I just watch a little GG until I'm too sleepy to think about Mark being away and I write down a "to do" list for the next day because it makes me feel closer to the man who motivates me.

lately: installment 2

So, just a small wee thing happened recently--I graduated from law school (also known as law schi-zool).

I am a law school graduate!

(Here I am, being a law school graduate.)

Wow! I woke up the morning of graduation and just sat there like, "Wait, it ends? It's over? I am done? Did I really do that?" It was like I expected sometime along the path to be told I hadn't made it, nice try, but this just isn't working out. But, it's done! Fine! Over! Done! I am grateful and happy. I had a total happiness breakdown before graduation. I was so glad to be done and I was so grateful for everyone who helped me along the way. Especially Mark.

(Mark gets so embarrassed about these kinds of pictures, but he happens to be out of the country right now and I am totally putting this picture up! Ow ow!)

This last year with Mark was so fabulous. We were able to go to school every day. We would have make our lunches for the day, eat oatmeal every morning, sing and dance in the car on the way to school, study at our neighboring carrels, leave each other notes, eat free pizza and J-Dawgs at law school events together (and suffer the subsequent stomach aches), participate in 5th grade mentoring together, and feel all the wonderful stresses that come with law school. My classmates would tell me how much they liked Mark and I was so proud of him.

This is me taking all of our bags to school (lunches, dinners, workout clothes, backpacks). Mark would help carry them too but I thought it'd be funny to show the enormous amount of bags we would lug to school each day.

Barrister's Ball photo shoot - so "profesh"

As I reflect on my experience in law school, it is hard to do a "law school in review" because it is pretty lengthy and there are lots of ups and downs. I'll just say this: I learned a lot about myself. It felt a lot like my mission in a way because it threw me into a challenging situation that exposed me to a lot of my weaknesses. But I feel like I have been given a broader perspective on life. I have an improved vocabulary. I better understand how the legal system works. I have a new respect for the law and the people who work in it, and although I cannot say even at this point that the study of the law is what gets me up in the morning, I have learned to enjoy studying the law. I have tools that will help me increase my literacy in the law and help me use it to better the world around me.

I made some of my greatest friends in law school.

Law School Familia - Emily, Christy, and Brad

I was astounded by the amazing people I went to law school with. Not only were they in law school and you assume they all have done well up to this point in life, but you learn all sorts of specifics about these people. For example, some have five kids, some (well one person I know) are "tight" with President Reagan's best friend, some are incredible musicians and artists, some speak three languages, some are nurses, engineers, chemists, authors. Holy cow, my classmates are awesome.

Graduation was so great.

I got to sit up front on the podium because I was leading the choir and the music. (The choir sang, "Choose Something Like a Star," which is an awesome song and they did great.) As I was sitting there, I got to see each of my classmates come up and get hooded. It was so cool to see each of those people who I had been with the first day of orientation and feel like we've traveled a great journey together. I wasn't sure about going to BYU Law School until the first day of orientation, I was sitting in the moot court room, and I felt like I was with good people and in the place I needed to be. At the end of convocation, I led the congregation in "America, the Beautiful." What a great hymn. I was feeling very patriotic and was convinced I had the best job that day in leading everyone in singing, "Thy liberty in law." A great moment.

I am so grateful I was able to go to BYU.

I was able to do some really meaningful things. I helped with 5th Grade Mentoring and helped write a chapter about it for publication; I started the Immigration Law Forum and we hosted some killer events/debates; I helped with the Law School Recital for 3 years and had a wonderful time; I competed with the Vis Moot Court team in San Diego and Hong Kong and learned A LOT about oral advocacy; I was an editor on Law Review and read a ton of citations over the past couple of years.


I went to school with my best friend, Mark, and loved to share the experience with him; and I made good friends with others. Throughout law school, I lived with my bestest friends in the world for the first two years and my best friend in the world my third year.

Here are my dear, dear friends Cath, Eve, and Linds.
Love these girls. We all shared our grad schools years as roomies.

My current roommate.
(This is the night we got engaged and I just found this picture! Happiness!)

I went on internships to Salt Lake and Phoenix, got engaged, planned a wedding, got married, performed in Martha Graham's Panorama in the De Jong Concert Hall, played piano for ballet classes, went on camping and hiking adventures, and was a member of Kinnect dance group.

I owned a scooter, learned accounting (accounting for lawyers was a great class), helped with religious freedom symposiums and family symposiums, had some amazing bishops at BYU, lived by the Provo temple, and enjoyed various BYU moments (the library, the plays and shows, the Cougareat, fall in Provo). Pretty sure I can't name all of the events of these three years, but many great experiences and I'm sure I'm leaving things out.

I found things that I loved about the law--understanding how I could help people, knowing the social problems that need to be addressed in our families, schools, and communities, and feeling the power to solve these problem and make a difference.


All in all, it has been a great three years. I accomplished something that I didn't really know I could do. And, I didn't really do it--on my own, that is. So many helped me on my way. The Lord is the One who has graced me with this opportunity and this success.

Thanks for the support, my friends. This blog's representation of my time in law school is evidenced by the lack of entries during the last three years. But, I plan to post more often and I plan to become something great. So, stay tuned.