Sunday, January 31, 2010

Young and Beautiful

The Young and Beautiful Stanford 1st ward football team at their finest!
Better
A few crazies in the bunch...
I spent more time in the mud than standing up. (Love MPR's face in this photo too!)

Flashback: 1990s

This was the typical Jess "first day of school" pose each year in the 90s. You can bet all your marbles that I wore outfits like these all the time too, I was a tomboy after all.
Rockin' the fanny pack too (it even matches)...hehe...and my Brian McKnight CD award.
Even though I lost all my pogs in the pog tourney, I did come home with a rad slammer and fruit by the foot...the only thing missing was the DP. :)

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Roni Turns 22 (sooo old...)

I was helping RL blow out the candles! (sort of)
KT and RL
RL and JB

Happy Birthday RL! We do heart RL! What an amazing woman she is! In less than TWO months MP will be back and joining us again!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Bringing Smiles To The Baby's Face

HR listening to the sound of my voice via cellphone. What can I say? I'm funny even on the phone.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Love, the Defining Characteristic

We are created in the image of our heavenly parents; we are God's spirit children. Therefore, we have a vast capacity for love—it is part of our spiritual heritage. What and how we love not only defines us as individuals; it also defines us as a church. Love is the defining characteristic of a disciple of Christ.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Love of God," Ensign, Nov. 2009, 22

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

But a Small Moment

No matter the burdens we face in life as a consequence of natural conditions, the misconduct of others, or our own mistakes and shortcomings, we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, who sent us to earth as part of His eternal plan for our growth and progress. Our unique individual experiences can help us prepare to return to Him. The adversity and afflictions that are ours, however difficult to bear, last, from heaven’s perspective, for ‘but a small moment; and then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high.’ We must do everything we can to bear our burdens ‘well’ for however long our ‘small moment’ carrying them lasts.

L. Whitney Clayton, “That Your Burdens May Be Light,” Ensign, Nov. 2009, 13



Monday, January 25, 2010

Congrats Scotty


Scott passed his quals for his PhD program and treated us to a delicious night of Ethiopian food! Thank you Scott!
Before the feast
After

Definitely awesome!




Sunday, January 24, 2010

Jess Berry Quote Of The Day!

If valiant, they could touch others deeply instead of merely being remembered pleasantly.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell


Friday, January 22, 2010

Sports Purists: Do They Truly Exist?

I had this discussion with a friend a couple of months ago as he professed to being a sports purist. Ironically enough, in the conversation he professed to DISLIKING the Yankees (even a Yankee fan isn't surprised by this, as the Yank hate bandwagon is much larger than the Yank love bandwagon). In this friend's defense, he did later explain that over the years he's become "indifferent" towards the Yankees. I still struggle to believe that even the mildest human could be a sports purist 100 percent of the time, with all sports. There will be that one game, that one player, that one team, that in a moment of weakness will push you off the sports purist wagon (if only for a short instance) to cheer for or against a team or player, to care about winning, or to let the competitive nature that simmers ever so softly underneath come to a boil.

As I have learned I could never be accused of being a sports purist.
1. I love the Yankees and why I am a fan too much.
2. I love winning!
3. I am competitive to a fault (my simmer is always a boil) yet it is a huge driving force for me as well.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Jess Berry Quote of The Day!

Better to save one’s soul than to save one’s face.

Elder Neal A Maxwell

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Meekness

Meekness, however, is more than self-restraint; it is the presentation of self in a posture of kindness and gentleness, reflecting certitude, strength, serenity, and a healthy self-esteem and self-control.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell



Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Rabbi Ben Ezra

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith, “A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!

Robert Browning


Monday, January 18, 2010

Hope

Genuine hope gives spiritual spunk.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell
See full talk here: Brightness of Hope



Sunday, January 17, 2010

Inner Workings Of The Stanford Junior Mind Part 11

A Plagiarized Blog

**Note that Stanford Junior is getting a bit lazy and pulled the following from a gchat conversation, but still hilarious.

A Good Hugger

1. Uses both arms, an embrace...no side hugging here
2. Depending on the height difference, knows the most ideal placement of their arms
for example a short girl like myself doesn't want to be hugged around the head or neck so a guy should move the placement according...i.e. the boy somehow hugs from the shoulders and is able to wrap around the sides of my waist (advanced skills needed for this)
3. The linger of the hug includes a soft, additional squeeze
4. The person smells good, it makes it so much nicer too (to linger that is)
5. Composition and personality is naturally inclined to hug affectionately so therefore their hugs are not awkward (we all no an awkward hug within moments of the so-called embrace)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Yep, Love This Kid...Even If She's Crazy

Chapstick Lover And My Reindeer


Averina LOVED the chap-stick I gave her, maybe just a little too much!

HR makes a great little reindeer...look at those cheeks.
HR's new nickname may become love bug for the fact that she's so cuddly (unlike Averina).

Saturday, January 2, 2010

My Favorite Yankee Fan!

Poncho and Averina
Four generations
You know you're destined to be a Yankees fan when both your Grandpas are Yankees fans! One may have been a democrat and the other a republican but they both had their heads on straight and see eye to eye on who the greatest baseball team was, is, and will forever be!

Happy Birthday Poncho! Love you!