referral treats & other things.

via thejessicastory on instagram

during my lunch break today i took a little trip to my favorite place in logan- the usu barn. 

holy cow i love this place so much it should be illegal.

i referred someone to one of the agents at our office and he brought me a dirty coke to say thank you.

okay but lets be serious here for a second. WHY HAVE I NEVER HAD ONE OF THESE BEFORE. THEY'RE SO GOOD. it's seriously just diet coke with chocolate in it. holy wow.

anyways i don't have a ton to say today, but i'm really trying to get more into my blog again. i miss it. 

love, jessica. 

days like today, you wanna make em last.

i have the greatest friends ever. i love it when colton calls randomly and we go out and ride around 50 acre pastures for hours at a time. i love my abs being sore because i've laughed so hard at the stupid things we find funny. i love logan. i love the cowboys i've been hanging out with lately. i love going to roping jackpots and checking out all the guy's butts.  i just love my life.

and then i remember why i'm not a roper.

i am not very good at roping. at all. as in zero. 

i think it's a blast, and i love it, but i'm really not good at it.

that's okay though, i'll sit on the horses while everyone else ropes any day :)

xoxo

jessica :)

sun & pickup trucks

i especially love days like today.

in the pre-vet & equine programs, there's an awesome sense of camaraderie. i've only known most of them for less than a year, but i'm going to be with them for the next five or six. we're all so different, from all over the nation, but we all have a common purpose. we're here to help animals, and by extension, help their owners. working with people on farms really brings you together. today i was talking to a guy in one of my classes and he said "you know jess, i'd trust you to stitch me up if i had a really bad gash and i couldn't make it to a hospital." haha what a compliment, huh?  i trust these guys & girls more than anyone. i mean, we let each other drive each other's trucks... thats like the highest form of trust. they've got my back & i love them. 

the sun today was so incredibly needed. i forgot what it was like to get in your car and having to roll the windows down because it's hot inside, or to be walking around classes and get too warm with a sweatshirt on. it's kinda awesome. hey spring. you should stick around for a while. :)

xoxo

jessica :)

there is absolutely no reason for me to put pants on today.

1) i love this place. the sunrises are always phenomenal & make me glad to be alive.
2) just because i said no to one guy does not automatically make me dating the other one. i don't even like him. you guys are retarded. stop jumping to conclusions.
3) people are so dishonest sometimes it makes me sick. if there is one thing i've learned in the last year it's that honesty is the most important factor in any relationship. also, don't lie about stupid things because you're jealous of someone else.
4) i wish i could fall back asleep right now.
5) i have learned the past few months that having people come into your life that are just like you can be either an amazing blessing or a serious temptation.
6) for being spring break, there's a surprising amount of people walking around campus.
7) i make mistakes. i'm human. i know one thing and then sometimes i go and do another. but wanna know something? that's okay. every day i'm working towards a greater goal. some days are harder than others, and sometimes i'm embarrassed about things i've done, but the beauty of it is that i can shake it off and be forgiven and it's all alright again.
8) i'm loving working at the farm & the dairy this week. it's always nice to get some variety.
9) i really wish i was still in idaho.. this whole "lets spend spring break in logan" thing sucks.
10) there is absolutely no reason for me to put pants on today and i am so glad.

that about sums it all up. have an amazing day you guys!
xoxox
jessica :)

four years.

i love you baby girl! happy four years, and here's to many more.

some sunday things.

look how dang beautiful my home is. and look at that beautiful temple. i sure love this place.

i've never really been one to be openly spiritual, or one to share personal spiritual experiences without being prompted or asked. but, there are some things i've been thinking about lately that are just amazing and i feel like should be shared.


YOU WILL NEVER BE LEFT WITHOUT A PLACE TO TURN.
i have found this to be more true than i ever thought it would be in the last couple months. someone might show up out of the blue and say, "here, let me help you," or situations might miraculously work out that just a day before seemed hopeless. and, when nothing else works, listen really closely with your heart. your father in heaven is probably trying to tell you something. but it doesn't really matter which way help comes, it just matters that it always will. 

THE EARTH IS A BEAUTIFUL, MIRACULOUS, AMAZING, PERFECT PLACE.
i've decided that i love being up before the sun rises, and before the birds even start singing, and watching the sun rise. i am so lucky. working out at the barns has just solidified my love for animals, nature, and hard work. there is something infinitely remarkable and satisfying about the partnership that humans have with these animals. sometimes i swear at them and call them stupid, but i really do love them. i couldn't be any more blessed that every morning is spent around these horses and cows that i love so much. i have witnessed some seriously amazing things in those barns, and i truly believe that our relationship with god can be made stronger through spending time with his creations.

THERE IS NO ONE YOU CAN'T LOVE ONCE YOU KNOW THEIR STORY.
incidents and trials in my life have changed me in a lot of ways in the last year or so. i've become less trusting and i usually assume the worst about people at first. it's not a very good way to live, but this new semester in school has already shown me that there really is no one you can't love once you know their story. now that doesn't necessarily mean that they don't annoy you & you don't want to smack them every time you hear their voice, it just means that you understand that they have had trials in their life that have shaped them, just like you've had some that have shaped you, and that they're doing their best.


really though, my life is kind of a mess right now but it doesn't even matter. i just feel so blessed, that there isn't any room in my heart for stress or unkindness or anxiety. and that's all.

xoxox
jessica.

p.s. i love this song.

horse shows, cowboy butts, etc.

i want to be in the horse show scene in full swing again so bad. 

waking up at 5:30 in the morning to go get horses ready for the day is really something that i love, believe it or not. working so hard all day long that by sunset you're bone dead tired on your feet is a feeling that i miss. it was amazing to go shovel out 40 stalls, pick hundreds of horse feet, saddle up dozens of horses, adjust chaps and stirrups and boots for the riders. i just love it all. i love the feeling of pride i get when the announcer says "utah state horse handlers to the arena please, horse handlers to the arena" after every class. there are simply no words to describe it. 

xoxo

my barn. it's better than yours.

i know i post about the barn all the time and you guys are probably sick of hearing it, but i am so grateful every day for the opportunity to ride and work at utah state. 10 years ago, if you had told me i would be a full fledged country girl, i would have laughed at you. but thanks to my best friend in the entire world, i've found my passion. there's nothing i love more than going to the barn and smelling the horses, getting all sweaty and poopy and learning things about animals that i didn't know before. gah i don't even know how to explain it. being at the farm makes me happier than i ever thought was possible. when i'm out with the animals, i don't mind that i don't have a boyfriend, that i'm not the prettiest, or skinniest, or that i don't have perfect skin, that i'm not the smartest or the best rider in my class. i'm not sure how or why, but it makes me whole. 

my barn, it's better than yours.

xoxo

jessica 

oh dear.

i hope you guys like random posts, cause this one is the grandaddy of all random posts. haha.

if you can't walk the talk, then don't talk at all.

sometimes i forget things. 

i'm honestly one of the most forgetful people on the planet. 

i'd like to think that i'll remember your name, and your birthday, and when i have class, and what homework i have to do, and where i put things.

but lets just be honest, i forget things too often.

watching some people try to flirt is just painful. like, please no. 

i know that sounds mean but in all reality it just makes me uncomfortable.

in most situations, i end up vacating the premises.

I HATE SHOWERING.

well. 

i love taking showers.

 but i absolutely hate getting dressed after. 

you're all wet and you have to dry off and put clothes on again (i hate wearing clothes...)

and my hair is all wet and it takes a solid half hour to brush out... yeah. 

sometimes when i get bored in class i just like to watch people. 

they're weird.

nuff said.

getting out of bed is the hardest part about waking up. 

if i could do school and work from my bed, i absolutely would.

it's so much easier to sleep in and skip class when there's snow on the ground.

oh, speaking of snow.

logan got it's first snow on tuesday! 

it was delightful.

for me, the good life is driving back from the barn covered in mud, smelling like cows and horses, and blasting dierks bentley. 

my goodness my life is great.

peace n love n blessins!

xoxo

jessica 

lame horses & club calves.

guys, i have a confession to make.

i'm turning into a full fledged redneck.

i talk like them, i dress like them, i act like them... (sometimes i even smell like them.) (but don't tell my mom.)

but hey, i love it.

there's this horse at the university that i love to death. she's been really sore lately & today during our lesson she started limping way bad and didn't even want to put any weight on her front foot. so, the vet got called out to look at her. we thought it could be a problem with her shoe but really it was just a muscular soreness problem. he just gave her a bantamine shot & she's on stall rest now and will be all better by the end of the week, which is good. cause i love her.

i love my life oh my freaking heck. 

i love being around horses and cows and sheep everyday, and learning about how animals work and what makes them tick. 

like today in one of my classes, i learned that if you give bute (horsey advil) in a shot, if you put it outside a vein it melts a hole in the muscle. yep. and in my other class i learned about the structure of an egg, and it turns out that theres a lot more to it than just a yolk, shell & white. haha.

i'm doing this thing at the university called club calves.

basically what we do is train a weaned calf (either a steer or heifer) to lead at the halter 

and perform show maneuvers.

if you know someone that needs to learn serious patience, send them to club calves. 

we'll make them the most patient person on the earth.

if you thought training horses was hard, they're freaking geniuses compared to cows.

the calf i was helping with today had just been de-horned & had a bunch of stitches on the top of his head. while we were pulling him around he banged his head on the fence and burst his stitches... so me & the other girls ended up with a bunch of cow blood on our arms. yay?

this is what a de-horned steer's head looks like.

this is one of my besties jayden & her steer joshy.

all the club calves.

as always, 

life is good & people are crazy. 

 xoxo

jess :)

where i grew up, we rode in trucks.

so i have this major pet peeve.

it's about people who claim to be country. 

so i realize that everyone wants to be a country boy or girl... cause lets face it, we're the hottest, we have the most fun, listen to the best music, drive the best vehicles... but we also work the hardest. and thats where my peeving starts. 

i've decided you cannot call yourself a country person unless you work like a country person.

those of us who have worked or lived on farms or ranches know just what a sacrifice it is.

do you have a pair of muck or work boots? wake up early consistently to take care of the animals or crops? can you drive a truck down a dirt road? know the difference between a kubota and a deere? ever hauled & stacked hay or pulled a trailer full of your livelihood? 

basically, what i'm trying to get at is that not everyone that claims they're a country person actually are. 

it takes work and dedication.

owning a pair of justins or ariats and listening to country music doesn't make you a country girl. 

you have to earn it.

and now i'll step off my soap box.

and now yall know my pet peeves. 

xoxo

jessica :)

its a good good life.

so, as most of you know, i'm an animal, dairy and veterinary science major at utah state. i have an equine emphasis, meaning that around 80% of all my classes for my major involve horses in some way.

for the semester, i'm assigned a "care horse". basically, we're assigned this horse and we're responsible for their general well being. this is my care horse, bob. i call him bobby. he's a beautiful bay roan. he's cute, i like him. i realize he looks like he's really back heavy in the middle picture but he's actually really nicely shaped... iphone cameras and wiggly horses don't go well together.  

i love horses, you guys. 

i'm so glad that i have an equine class in college... i think i'd get so homesick for my horse if i had to go a whole year without riding or grooming or kissing or hugging horses. (i'm still homesick for butterscotch... but bobby is a good replacement.)

in other news.

homework is stupid.

we play university of utah on friday. i'm stoked.

sometimes people are creepy and want to get into your pants.

i guess it's part of college. whateva.

my roommate is better than your roommate.

i went to the gym tonight and it felt so good to be active again and run all my stress off.

love, peace, blessins. 

xoxox jessica :)

sometimes you just know.

i'm not homesick yet. give it a little while and i will be, but not yet.

i literally cannot get over how perfect this school is for me. 

or how perfect my major is for me.

i am meant to be here. it's a perfect fit. 

wanna hear a story? 

so on tuesdays and thursdays the only classes i have are animal classes. i have a riding/lab class out at the barn that's fricken intense, and then animal science. i have missed being around country people so much. walking into a classroom and seeing nothing but camo, boots, wrangler jeans and tshirts feels so much like home to me. listening to the boy in front of me talk in a drawl about his animals like they're his children makes me warm inside. 

the people here will go above and beyond for you.

i'm a member of the student alumni association. 

i am a scholarship recipient, so it's a perk that comes with it. 

i get to plan homecoming and A-Week, as well as true aggie nights and other fun stuff like that. between that and area government, it's like student council for college kids. so much fun.

sometimes you just know that what you're doing is right.

this is one of those things. 

this school is going to do things for me i never thought possible. it will push me and break me and mold me into a better person. hopefully i'll have the opportunity to give something back. 

this school... i have no words for how well i fit in. 

i can walk around in my boots and hat and no one looks at me twice.

i feel at home here.

cause sometimes, you just know.

xoxo

jess :)

i'm on an extended vacation.

isn't this breathtaking?

it's just right down the street from my grandma and grandpa's. 

call me crazy, but podunk idaho is my favorite place in the world. 

and, old barns are great too. 

holler for summer?

 :)

jessica.

p.s. if you're an instagrammer...

follow me @

thejessicastory.

:)