Update on the East Coast Jarman's

Tim: He is doing extremely well. He is one of the hardest worker’s I know and the people at work say the same. He is usually the one asked to help with things that are broken because he is smart and efficient. He rarely complains and gets along with most people. As of now he plans on starting back to school this summer. I believe he will be taking some math classes this summer, but I am not sure. He is pursuing a degree in physics. He continues to be the best friend and husband ever and I am continually thankful for him and all he does.


Jessica: Not much for me, I started back to school this semester. Currently I have a 4.0!! That’s pretty exciting. I am trying to get accepted in to the social work program. I am applying in May, so I won’t know until sometime over the summer. I also meet with my advisor sometime this semester to see how much longer until my degree is done. Fingers crossed that it’s only a year. That’s all that’s going on in our world.

When are we coming home? Many have asked when we are coming to visit. We feel so loved that we are missed so much. Originally I had started telling people that we might be making a trip home at the end of May. I began looking up airline tickets and we have since realized that unless prices drop dramatically we cannot come home then. Besides that we really need to try and save money and Tim’s leave time for the holidays, weddings and other really important events that we are going to try hard to be a part of. I know that is disappointing, but right now it’s the best we can do. Who knows there might a really good deal found and we may come sooner than expected. Know that we love and miss you all.



Jessica

Snow Days.

It is almost the end of March and still no spring weather here. The weather has been a blistering 50 degrees (rare) down to a balmy 30 (the weather has been varying in the high 30’s to mid-40’s). Basically we have a heat wave going on. Ha! But we have not had any more snow stick, we have had some flurries, but nothing like the snow we had at the end of January and the end of February

The beginning of the snow.

The product of those flurries, although it was still snowing some.

Tim woke me up when it first started snowing (I like snow, so I was really happy), but I was not ready to go outside, therefore I took a picture from inside.

Note the dog paw prints. Both seemed intrigued by this new substance and willing to play, however after they needed to be under blankets to get warm again.



More of the beginning snow.

Thankful things from January.....

This month I am Thankful For….

J  Snow!!!!

J  A New Couch.

J  The beginning of a new school year…nerd that I am.

J  A job.

J  Tim.

J  The dogs.

J  The fact that I have lost 25 pounds.

J  Heat and blankets when it is cold.

J  Television.

J  Crazy primary kids.

J  A washer and dryer.

J  Soda.

J  Books.

J  Tim being back on day shift instead of afternoons.

J  The fact that I have a sane husband who will not let me get every animal that I think I want: This week I requested a duck, cow, ostrich and monkey.

J  Phone calls to people I love.

J  Socks.

J  Visiting teachers.

J  Cookies.

J  Our old car being fixed (again) for a cheap price.

J  Sushi as my birthday lunch.

 

 

January has been my favorite month for a while.  It’s the start of a new semester, the start of a new year, sometimes it snows and most importantly it’s my birth month!! However this January has to be one of my favorites because my Christmas present from Tim arrived last week and I love it!

I love, love, love the middle piece!

Chauncey appears happy.

December

December for us has been pleasant. Nothing extraordinary happened on our side of the US, but nothing bad happened either, so we a loving the happy middle. Tim continues to do well at his job. I continue to be a stay at home wife (for the record I have a new found serious amount of respect for stay at home mothers/wives). I begin school again in January (thankfully I am almost done); I am also continuing to look for a part time job with no luck. I am not sure why I have not found a job, if it’s that I will be in school or that I do not want to work Sundays or they feel I am overqualified to work there. Maybe a little bit of all or maybe none, who knows? I am grateful to not have to stress too much about not having a job and husband who says not to worry.

I missed everybody back home this year, especially all my nieces and nephews. I loved the calls that I got from family, the Christmas cards, emails and presents. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts, you were all in ours as well.

Our Christmas was quiet. Tim had to work, but after he got off work we went to a friend’s house and had Christmas dinner. I made sweet potato casserole for the first time and it was really good. We already gave our gifts to each other weeks ago. Tim got a new television for the living room and I got a new couch that will be arriving Wednesday. We got wonderful gifts from Mom J (a blanket and a movie: both were really appreciated, it’s cold here) and Iris and Tim sent us a game (Qwirkle is the best game ever, but I have still yet to beat Tim at it) and a book about a physicist except it’s written like a comic book.

Our calling at church remains fun. Our kids have a lot of personality and were excited about Christmas last week. Hopefully they are a little calmer this week. We are enjoying being in primary together. On Sunday both Tim and I have talks to give. Neither one of us has written them yet. I was not given a topic and inspiration has yet to strike on what I should write about.

Tomorrow we are going with our friends and their son to Washington, D.C. and we are excited. We have never been before. Hopefully I get lots of pictures. I am sure it will be fun.

Love,

Jessica

Dogs

I know that Tim secretly loves the dogs.

 

Or maybe it’s not so secret.

How can Chauncey sit like that without breaking her back?

Poor Dwight he is always so tired.

Love that face, he looks so wise.

I love my dogs.

November

This month on Facebook I have been writing one thing that I am thankful for each day. Now I am far from perfect with the task some days I forget and have to add a couple of extra “what I am thankful for” on the next day. I have a couple of friends who do not like the tradition. I can see their point. It does feel a bit like jumping on the bandwagon, something being done because everybody is doing it or we should be grateful every month. I agree. However, and maybe it’s just me, I find it hard to always be giving thanks, to always be grateful and to always remember how blessed I am. It has been interesting to see just how much I have to give thanks for. I have particularly noticed it on the bad days. There was one day where I was quite sad. I was missing my family (both Az and Ky), I was worried about work and school and just not feeling happy. That night when I was trying to think of something to post I had the thought that I had nothing to be grateful for that day and was going to post something silly and be done. But then the thought came to me that I have my health, I am young and healthy and what a great joy and blessing that is. Hopefully when the month is over I can remember to give thanks. To be honest I doubt I will everyday being the flawed human that I am, but maybe on the days when I am prone to grumbling and unhappiness I will be able to find a blessing or to remember just how lucky I am.

 

This month I am thankful for:

Tim-he works so hard and I am so happy that we are together again.

Making new friends-we are not very social people, but we are trying. I really like Tim’s supervisors’ wife, she is a really nice person.

Church callings-Tim and I just got called to CTR 6 and it will be our first time teaching together.

A car-that does not break down every other week. It really is nice to be able to drive somewhere and not worry about the car stopping.

Family (Az)-Mom J, Beth, Iris, Tim B., Eddie, Tecia, Will, Anja, Mike, Christie, Robert, Alicia, David, Steven, Mary, Hannah, Lydia, Aunt Karen, Cammy and Mac, Heidi and Holly. The list could go on and on but I miss seeing everybody and the kids. I am thankful for technology allowing me to see how everybody is doing and allowing me to stay connected.

Family (Ky and Ma) Granny L. William, Lisa, Taylor, Justin and my friends-Even though I have not lived close to them in a long time I still feel as if I am a part of their lives and that makes me happy.

Cooler Weather

The ability to read

Cereal

Water

Blankets

Socks

Green Grass

Rain

Leaves Changing Colors

Really the list could go on, but these things were in my thought. I hope that everybody has a Happy Thanksgiving.

 Love,

Jessica