it's a new year!

Work selfies. They're the greatest. 

Wow, I honestly thought for a while 2014 would never get here! How crazy! I don't have any resolutions per say, but I do have some goals for sure.

 Make some serious progress in school. I am literally swimming going nowhere. I mean, I have a general idea but I'd really love to have a definitive career path lined up. For heavens sakes, I'll be applying to vet school in a year. I should probably figure out my life.

Be more organized. That means cleaning out my truck regularly, saving all my receipts for things, and tracking my spending more closely. Man, I feel like a responsible adult or something. 

Take more risks and have more fun. I am so excited for this year... I'll be 20 this year and so I want to do fun things! I'm kind of over playing it safe. 

Save some money. Mostly because I'd like to have an emergency fund that's bigger than $50 at any point in time. Also, having a nice little nest egg is always a good idea. 

other updates: Brandon and I are doing great as usual. He came and stayed with my family for a few days over winter break and seeing how well he meshed with them was seriously awesome. I sure do love that man. This year is going to be a seriously tell tale year for us. Lots of exciting things on the horizon! We got a new roommate in our apartment and she actually looks like a lot of fun, I'm pretty excited to get to know her. In general, things are going amazingly. I am so happy with the upward turn my life has taken, and the wait for it was so worth it. 

Also, here's a good song to listen to. 

 xoxo

Jessica

learning.

life stages are pretty interesting. 

i've been very focused on myself lately- figuring out how to live without my dad being as involved in my life, learning how to be totally self sufficient- both financially and emotionally, not really leaning on anyone for help. to be honest, i pushed a lot of people away that were probably wanting to help me get over my issues- but i did what i thought was best for myself... and it worked. changes were made, including but not limited to, a new job, new haircut, changing my eating and exercise habits, and making a conscious effort to be around horses and music and to do the things i loved. i noticed a difference right away- i started to find myself more excited to wake up in the morning and go get things done. i felt like happy, normal, jessica self and it was awesome. i felt like i was doing important things with my life and i was satisfied.

and then i met brandon and things got even better.

we went to high school together in idaho, but had never known each other despite having slews of mutual friends. (i know, what the heck... my high school wasn't even that big). anyways, we hit it off immediately. we get along so good it's almost stupid, plus the fluttery feeling i get in my stomach i get when i talk to him is a big plus. it's funny because finding a boyfriend wasn't even something i was trying to do- he just kinda showed up and boy am i glad. this guy is so good to me... plus we're cute together and my mom likes him. it's a big deal.

 being in a big girl relationship is harder than i expected it to be in a few respects. it's kinda hard to let someone take care of me- and i'd gotten used to not really communicating with anyone and just going and doing my own thing. i'm re-learning a couple things i'd forgotten how to do since moving away from home- like how to be consciously considerate of other people's plans and time, controlling my snarky comments, and how to shake things off and how to go with the flow. every once in a while i catch myself getting uptight,  but he just tells me to go take 5 chill pills and then i'm good again. this is why we get along.

this is getting really long so i'll wrap up. 

basically, i'm really, really happy. 

it's a good thing. :)

the time i went third wheeling...

just kidding. i wasn't actually a third wheel. but i liked the title, i thought it was clever.

going into the mountains and going shooting is probably my favorite thing ever. 

big thanks to jake. it was a blast.

win me over.

sing in the car with me.

tell me about your family.

hold my hand all the time.

trust me.

call me just for fun.

let me be totally myself. 

love being in the country.

text me good morning & good night. 

open doors for me & for others.

take me on drives through the canyons.

love god.

kiss my forehead.

hang out at the barn with me.

be kind. 

don't get mad that i'm really bad at texting back.

take me to church with you.

let me know how you feel about me.

accept that sometimes i make weird faces and talk in funny voices.

let me drive sometimes.

give me good hugs.

take me fishing.

be you.

xoxo

jessica.

flirting with boys and things like that.

i'm jessica. 

i don't mind if you call me jess.

i have green eyes and long hair. 

i'm five foot three and i wear my cowboy boots everywhere.

you can take me or leave me. but i'm also really funny and pretty cute soo... i'd take me. haha. 

as i get older, and as i see the girls i grew up with getting engaged left and right, the more i'm convinced that the man that i'm going to marry will love me for exactly who i am, and not for the girl i portray myself as on facebook, and not the girl that someone else told him i was. he'll get to know me and he'll love me for me. i can't change who i am, and why the heck would i want to? there's no one else exactly like me on earth.

i'm not going to lie, i like flirting with boys. i think it's fun. 

but i've also learned the hard way that it's more important to become friends with a boy you like than it is to figure out the quickest way to get him to kiss you. so, lets be best friends, and then later lets get married. deal? good. 

i'd be perfectly fine with having a boyfriend right now. 

but am i ready to get married? heck to the no. 

maybe in two or three years. 

i have a list of ways to win my heart. if you'd like to know them, stick around. 

i'm doing a post on it later.

but don't worry. it's not too complicated. ;)

xoxo

jessica :)