Saturday, January 21, 2012

I don't want to survive... I want to LIVE!

"I don't want to survive... I want to live!"

My favorite quote from "Wall-E", which has been my son's favorite show for the past couple of weeks. We've watched it at least once or twice a day, and my son can quote each word or song lyrics spoken in the movie. ;-) It's pretty impressive. I'm getting pretty darn bored with this movie by now, I must say. But each time I watch this movie with Troy, I'm amazed with how good I feel when the captain of the Axium tells the computer that he doesn't want to just survive, he wants to live. One simple quote. And that's exactly how I feel, and what I want to do this year, along with having "No more excuses!" I also want to live! I don't want to merely survive. I want to wake up each morning and not be afraid of anything. I want to live and breathe each moment and be content with my life and the direction I am taking.

So I will not simply "survive" from day to day, as I've been doing lately. I will take the necessary steps I need to take, and LIVE. I will take more chances. I will take more risks. I will get outside more. I will learn to not be afraid. Doesn't it say somewhere in the scriptures that we came to earth to have joy? And when we look towards our Heavenly Father each day, He will help us find and achieve that joy? ;-) I know that this is true.

So here's to another resolution that I have for the month of January: I will look to God, and live...

Thanks Wall-E. And thanks Troy!

Monday, January 9, 2012

I believe....

What more can I say? I'm a believer! ;-)

Friday, January 6, 2012

Here's to 2012 - the new "Me!"

I love this time of year...when I can sit back and reflect on the past twelve months of my life, and all the things that I've accomplished, or perhaps didn't necessarily accomplish. (Hey, I tried, right?) I think that's why I love making new year's resolutions. Not to say that I always keep them. Not that I enjoy looking at all the things that I feel happen to be wrong with me. ;-) But it's sure nice to think of ways to improve my health, my relationships, my responsibilities, and all the other stuff that constitute my life. It's always fun to make that "list" and check it twice, to ponder on the details of my life and all of things I'd like to accomplish to make the new year even better! Improvement can only be a good thing. And trust me, I need lots and lots of it. I've decided to break things down this year - instead of creating an entire page - a huge list of things that start to overwhelm me before the first month is even through, (basically expect perfection from myself!), I've decided to start slow...and to get through the small things I want out of life...step by step...one month at a time. Isn't that what we always hear from the scriptures and from the experts: Do not run faster than you have means or strength? It's good advice. And I've decided to take it.

So my resolution for January is: NO MORE EXCUSES!!

I watch a fun reality show called "The Biggest Loser" on NBC. I love this show so much! I love watching these awesome people come on national television, to share with the world the problems they are having with their weight. They are adorable ones too! I admire them for facing their problems head on as they challenge themselves to new levels of achievement, and motivate themselves to a healthier life style. I love celebrating with them, crying with them, and praying for them throughout the season to accomplish their goals. Anyway, the theme for this season is "No more excuses!" And that's exactly what the two awesome trainers (Bob and Dolvett) are pushing them to do. To stop making excuses for being overweight!! Time to do something about it!

That's what I'd like to do this year. Stop making excuses for my lack of achievements. No more sitting around on my lazy toosh, waiting for good things to happen to me. Why isn't my book written? Why are the relationships in my life not working? Why can't I play the piano? Why do I feel so lazy and blah? Because it's time for me to get up and get to work! I love writing so much! So it's time for me to begin writing daily to make my dreams come true. Even if it's simply my blog, or writing my feelings in my journal. I need to write!!! I also love music, and I love having a piano in my home. But the problem is I don't take the time to practice, and therefore, the piano remains dusty. Face it, the poor little thing isn't going to just wake up one day and come alive for me. I can't just sit here and stare at it, patiently waiting for it to play pretty music for me!! My fingers need to get to work and make it come alive. I've always wanted to play the hymns in my home so that my family can enjoy making music together. My Mom can't come over all the time and hold my hand! So you get the idea: It's time for major action! No more excuses!

Okay, breathe Jen. ;-)

I may be through with this entry, but I'm feeling the heat, and I'm super excited to challenge myself. I've been so darn lucky in my life, and so blessed. I need to get up and share some of that happiness more with others. So here's to a happier and better me in the year 2012!!

Keep smiling~ Happy, happy, Troy, Troy~

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Have you ever been this happy eating lunch? ;-)

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Just had to share... No particular reason, other than he's just DARN CUTE!!!!

He makes everything fun. I'm so lucky I get to spend 2012 with him.

Here's to a happy new year!!

Happy, Happy, New Year!!

2012 is here! Wow!

And what better way to celebrate than with the people you love. My mommy came over and toasted in the new year with us. ;-) And she made a mess of my house too - bringing her noise makers that emptied confetti and small toys all over the living room floor (hee, hee!) You gotta love it!! I enjoyed every minute that I spent with her.


Troy loves the new back pack that his Auntie Annie gave him for Christmas! He stayed up all night and played with us. I'm looking forward to spending my new year with him, and hopefully bring home a new sibling for him. He will make a great big brother! Say cheese, buddy!!



I was able to spend lots of time with two of my special nieces on the Justus side of the family: Jordin Kimberly and Jordan Anne. They live in North Carolina so we don't get to see them often. That's why this night was a huge treat for me. I got to know them all over again, have treats with them, bowl, and just have a crazy ole' time. They are special young ladies. I love them so much. They make me feel young again!!


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


Nobody took a picture of Bob and I kissing at midnight. Shucks. ;-) But we did, and I'm happy about that.

But the girls were being all cuddly and mushy! They are too precious! They made me miss being little and cuddly with my own sisters... sigh. ;-) Thanks gals!

Ready for the New Year? Heck, I sure am!!!! Let's go, and make it the best one yet!!! Keep bloggin~

Monday, January 2, 2012

What a Merry Christmas!! What a beautiful life I have ;-)

I have a new niece! I have a new niece! I'd like you all to meet Miss Rowen JayDe Justus, born on December 22, 2011. Weighing 9 pounds, 3 oz. and 22 inches long. Isn't she adorable? Her birth was super exciting, and my arms are continually aching to hold her, and spoil her! ;-) She is an angel. Congrats to my awesome brother and sister in law Brad and Rebecca in Alaska. We miss them so very much. Isn't she precious??


Merry Christmas everyone from another precious little one!!! Troy Robert Kahaku himself! ;-)

Nothing like having an adorable two year old boy running around your home at Christmas time, spreading his sunshine and joy! Oh by gosh, by golly! He made this time of year even more jolly! His enthusiasm is contagious. I can't even tell you how much fun it's been to watch him open his presents, interact with all his family as we celebrated this Christmas season. I am such a lucky mother! This is a year that I will never forget. Troy is such a special little boy. And he loves to wear his Santa cap and spread his smiles around. ;-)


Ho! Ho! Ho!


Justus family portrait!!! Greg and Angie came to town with their family, and it was nice being able to spend Christmas Eve with them, and getting to know my sweet nieces better. We missed Little Bob, (Elder Porter Justus) who is currently serving in the mission field, but you can see the picture of him that Greg is holding, so he would be included. We are so proud of him for serving the Lord so diligently in the mission field. We were also able to speak via Facetime on the Internet with Brad, Rebecca, Sophia and new baby Rowen. It was so wonderful!!! I'm so grateful for technology! In this picture you can see Mom holding the picture of Brad's beautiful family. And of course we honored our precious father JD Justus and his wife Norma in the picture, (Bob is holding it), They are a huge part of our family that we cherish and wish they were here. I am so fortunate to have these precious people in my life. We had a blast together, and they made this Christmas year extra special.

Christmas day we spent with my amazing family at the Cornils home! ;-) Pictures coming soon to a blog near you!


And the big news of the Christmas celebrations I saved for last: My best friend and sister in law Annie is officially ENGAGED!!!! She and Mike will be married this coming July, and I get to stand proudly at her side as the matron of honor. Wow, I'm so excited! And yes, I am truly honored to have her in my life. She rocks! Mike is one lucky man! He's also in trouble because Annie has big brothers who will be after him if they come home from a date too late! (ha, ha, ha!) Yay Anna and Mike!

Can you see the size of that mineral?

That's it for now! Merry Christmas everyone!!! Looking forward to the new year 2012~


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Today it's all about Troy! Oh, and just a little snow too ;-)

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Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Look at our little helper, he is such a big boy. He loves to play in the snow, but he especially loves to help his Daddy and his Uncle Darin shovel. He also loves to strike the pose and say, "Cheese!" He wanted to build a snowman, but the snow was too dry. Mommy couldn't even make a ball, but we still had one. ;-) The snow was thick and wonderful. He threw it into the air and accidentally got it all over his face! I've never seen such rosy, red cheeks. Troy is such a joy to watch - he gets excited about everything and anything. He sure makes the snow fun and therefore my life so much more exciting. Thanks Troy!

By the way Santa, if you're watching, Troy could sure use a pair of snow boots. Hopefully nobody noticed the white tennis shoes he was wearing. No matter - cold feet, warm heart.




Cheese! Look at his chocolate face!

Anyway, let the snow continue. I know someone who will help me enjoy every single minute of it.
Happy, happy, Troy, Troy!

Monday, December 19, 2011

And the gratitude during the season continues...


I'm grateful for Larry and Darin. I never had any brothers growing up, and now I've been blessed with 4 brothers and one more sister. They are among my best friends. And because they live in our basement, we've been able to own such a lovely home, and they decorate our lives with laughter, tears, and more adventure than I could of ever dreamed of. They make life exciting and I wouldn't want it any other way. I love you Larry and Darin.


And by the way, Happy Birthday, Darin!! I can't wait to celebrate with ice cream tonight.


I am grateful for the man who loved and raised his children in the gospel. I miss my father in law more than I could ever explain, and I think about him every single day. I am grateful for the 13 years I was able to know him, and I look forward to the day when I can be with him again. He taught me so much. He made my marriage possible, and raised the man of my dreams. I am forever in his debt. I love you, Daddy. ;-)

I am grateful for Annie. I don't have enough room to list all of the reasons I love her so much. Let's just say she is the coolest blessing that came along with my marriage. She is my best friend. She is one of Troy's favorite aunties. Being around her makes life more fun! I love you, Annie.

I am grateful for my mother in law. She is such a wonderful blessing in my life. She babysits her grandson at least once a week, and loves to spoil him. Troy is so lucky to have her as a grandmother. I've never known a heart so large, and so eager to serve, and to give. I am grateful to be part of her family. She is such a close friend, and I am happy to be sealed with her for eternity. What would I do without her? I love you, Mom! ;-)




I am also grateful for the times when Troy naps. Sure, he's much more fun when he's awake. But I have to say, I also love and appreciate the times when his eyes are closed. And I say it lovingly, of course. Troy is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I can't imagine loving another human being as much as I love him.

That's all I have to say about that. Keep being grateful. The world feels better that way.
Happy, happy, joy, joy!!!


Friday, December 16, 2011

Feeling Grateful... ;-)

Feeling grateful for my mommy. ;-) Of course I love her dearly because she raised me, put up with me, and set me on the straight and narrow path. But I also love her because over the past few years, she has become one of my best friends. In every way possible, she has been there for my family. We have a Chipotle movie/ice cream night twice a month, and I couldn't imagine my life without these special nights. She takes care of us, continues to give us good health and nutrition advice. She is beautiful in every way, and will always be one the best friends I've ever had. I love you Mom!


I am also grateful for my new size 6 jeans that my mommy gave me for an early Christmas present!!! I haven't been in a size six since my mission - many, many years ago. And I tell you what, it feels so darn good. ;-) I'm just saying...
I am also grateful for my sister Rachel. She came home from Maui to visit us last week, and it was so much fun to see her again. I miss her. I miss her hugs. I miss the warm feeling she brings into my home. I love you, Rachel.

I'm grateful for my sister Heidi. She is the kind of person that I've always wanted to be. If the world was full of people like her, it would be a much happier place. I love you, Heidi.

I'm grateful for my sister Heather. I look at her and feel an abundance of love sweep over me. She is smart, beautiful and carries a quiet dignity with her. There isn't anything I don't love about her. I love you, Heather.

I'm grateful for my sister Johnna. When she enters a room, there is suddenly sunshine all around us. When she isn't there, it's like the sun never existed. ;-) I look up to her. I care about what she thinks. She is truly one of a kind. I love you, Johnna.

I am grateful for so many things. There is not enough room on this blog to list them all. But I will continue to list them as they come into my heart. Hope everyone is smiling and counting your blessings! Aloha~

Monday, November 21, 2011

The pondering and babbling of Jen Justus. ;-)


When the doctor called me at 7am, warning me that I should take Troy in to see a neurologist right away, immediately my heart pounded with fear. He felt strongly about this, he couldn't make the nagging feeling go away, he was losing sleep over Troy. He felt that Troy had a condition called Craniosynostosis. I thought for sure he was being prompted by the Holy Spirit to make sure that we had our sweet son checked out.

When I hung up the phone, I found myself in complete denial. Of course nothing was wrong with my son. My son is perfect. But the longer I laid there steaming, the more I convinced myself that I was being immature and selfish, and that I needed to do what was best for Troy. I found myself at the computer for countless hours that day, reading about Craniosynostosis on the internet. The more I read, the more I was convinced there was something wrong with my son. After much prayer and discussion, Bob and I made the appointment with the neurologist, and put my family doctor at ease.

The hardest part was waiting an entire week for this appointment to happen! Never a good idea for a nervous mother, I tell you what. All I could do that week was fret, and worry. Fret and worry. Worry and fret. Fret and worry. Thank goodness for simple distractions like playing with my new IPHONE 4 (thanks Bob!!), playing addicting games on Facebook, watching Days of Our Lives, (hourglass!) and attending a live Bronco game at Mile High. (Thanks Tebow for beating the Jets, by the way! I love you!) But for the most part, the distractions didn't work so well. I'd hold Troy on my lap and watch my tears land on his hair. He would need surgery to correct this condition, and I worried that something would go wrong that would permanently damage him for life. I'm sure Troy could tell that something was wrong with teary-eyed Mommy. I talked to my family and friends and asked for all of their prayers and support. I put Troy's name in the temple. I begged my Heavenly Father to protect my son, and I promised Him that, no matter what His Will, I would work really hard to accept it. Yeah, I have to say it was probably one of the more rougher weeks in my entire life. Is rougher even a word?

Finally the day came when we drove Troy to the neurologist. I was nervous. I tried to be cheerful. My heart was beating a mile a minute, I could barely fill out all the paperwork. Small talk wasn't doing it for me. I tried not to think too much. When the doctor finally came in, she looked at Troy and smiled at him lovingly. She sat down to play with him, examine him. She wondered why we were there. I reminded her about the phone call she'd had with our worried family doctor. Then she smiled and said, "No. I can tell you right away that he does not have Craniosynostosis." Talk about RELIEF! She promised us that Troy was fine - that his head was large because him was a big boy. She promised there was nothing wrong with him, and told us to get out of there.

WOW! In that simple 10 minutes of my life. I don't think I've ever been more happy and relieved. Finally my heart could beat normally again. I had to jump up and hug this doctor, who looked many years younger than myself by the way. ;-) I think I scared her. Good. ;-) We left the office, practically floating on clouds. Cliche, I know. But I couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't stop kissing my son. I couldn't keep the tears from my eyes. I jumped up and down alot. The world looked brighter to me. People looked good, even the bums on the street. I wanted to hug everyone. I craved ice cream all the way home. My cheeks hurt from smiling. I pigged out on Chipotle, and spoiled myself to a movie about handsome werewolves and lovable vampires. (Thanks Stephanie Meyers.) Life was pretty much perfect for me again.

As I watched Troy playing today, I couldn't help but wonder why these events occurred. Was the Lord testing us, to see how we would react to scary news? I dunno. Perhaps He just wanted to see how I would react. Perhaps he was testing the doctor. Perhaps He needed to scare me just a little bit, to remind me that life isn't always perfect. I dunno. But whatever the reason, I do know this. The Lord was able to bring many of His children down to their knees in humble prayer, to pray for a small child who was really never in trouble to begin with, and to feel of His love and kindness, no matter what their beliefs, no matter what their religion. ;-)

And that is what I have pondered upon. Besides the fact that I feel so lucky to have such perfect family and friends in my life. I wish I could hug every single person in my life, past and present. But for now, I will keep my arms wrapped tightly around my son. What more can I say?

Thanks for listening to my babble. To be continued...
Happy, Happy, Troy, Troy.... :)

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

I created a profile. Like I said, it's all about me!

Jen Justus-I'm a Mormon.


Hi, I'm Jen Justus


I grew up in Waialua, Hawaii. I'm writing a novel. I love music, piano, football, and my family and friends more than life. And I'm a Mormon. ;-)



About Me

Life is beautiful. I love my Savior, I love my parents, my sisters and my extended family and friends. But most of all I love my husband and my beautiful son, and will dedicate the rest of my life to their eternal welfare. ;-) I graduated from high school in Oahu, Hawaii then moved to Colorado when I was 19 years old. I served a mission in Vancouver, British Columbia, the most beautiful mission in the world. Then I came home and married the man of my dreams. We've been married for many happy years, and now we are finally parents! We have adopted a beautiful baby boy, who is almost two years old already. He is my entire life. I'm a child at heart, I love collecting Barbies and playing with my son. I love cuddling with my husband and watching football. I love being around my family and my friends, I love them so much! I'm also a helpless romantic: I'm writing a fiction novel, and enjoy writing about the things that fascinate me the most in this life, namely the piano, and Marseilles, France. Someday I will rejoice in the fruit of my labors when my book is published, my house finally clean, all of my loved ones around me, and my family living in the beautiful heavens above...eternally. Then I can sing praises to my Heavenly Father and my Savior forever. I am one blessed and happy soul!

Why I am a Mormon

I chose to be in this precious church because I KNOW it is true. I was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by kind and loving parents who taught me about the Savior, about love, and about living a happy life. I gained a testimony of the Bible and the Book of Mormon on my own, then decided I needed to proclaim it's truths to the world. That's why I served a mission. I wanted people to know how real the Savior is, that Heavenly Father lives, and how much they both love us. We are so lucky to have a real prophet on this earth to guide and protect us in these latter days. I want other people to be happy, as happy as the gospel has made me. =) I want my family to live together eternally. That's why I am a Mormon.

How I live my faith

I strive each day to follow my Savior and keep His commandments. No, I am not perfect, in fact, I am far from perfect. But I strive to love and serve others around me, especially my precious family, and that's the most important thing, I think. ;-) I'm a Webelos leader in the scouting program, and I fully enjoy serving those wonderful Cub Scouts and being with them each week. I love going to church and serving in my ward the best way I know how. I love hugs, and try to share them generously with others, at all times. I especially enjoy being in Relief Society each week, and partaking of the sacrament. My Savior means everything to me, and I hope to serve Him in a pleasing manner for the rest of my life.


I just wanted to share these things about me on Mormon. Org, which is where this post comes from. Not trying to convert anyone. Not trying to start religious battles. Just trying to share with others my beliefs in the hope that many misunderstandings about Mormons can be resolved. ;-) Many people don't know anything about Mormons, or don't know that we are Christians. So that's my main purpose, to let others know how I feel about Christ and my Heavenly Father.

Just saying... ;-)