“It will!”– The confidence of a child

I have a blog? Oh yeah, hmm.

So I love being around Katie. She has this uncanny way of teaching and challenging me to be better. Plus, she’s super funny and makes me smile and laugh (even when I’m basically on the brink of breakdown from PhD-weight/related stress). Anyhow, Katie has a faith and optimism that reminds me of what I aspire towards myself. Over dinner tonight,  (thank you, Paula for having me!) I told Katie that I hope her first day of school goes well. She responded--seemingly surprised that it could go any other way--with an strong and confident “It will!” (To be read with both volume and pitch above that of average conversation, as in, “Of course!” or “Well duh!”)

  

I thought a great deal about that “It will!” on my drive home to Provo tonight. It’s no secret that I’ve been a little less than thrilled about my first day of school tomorrow (which is something like my 34th first day of school, depending on how you count it). But I’ve decided to follow in the inspiring footsteps of my four-year-old niece and try to answer with more “it will!”s in the upcoming weeks and months

Let’s try it out:

“I hope your first day of school and work go well, Jamie!”

--“It will!”

“I hope your prospectus gets done in time!”

--“It will!”

“I hope you get matched at your top-ranked internship!”

--“[I] will!” (See what I did there?)

“I hope all your dreams—personal and professional—come true!”

--“[They] will!”

 

Positive thinking, folks. “It’s gonna be big.” You know, like indoor plumbing.

Some stuff happened…and then Jennie turned 30!

I don’t know why I can’t bring myself to delve in to current events without some homage to my absence. But rather than berate myself, a quick update instead:

Some stuff happened.

Not enough? Alright, alright. A few quick details (and accompanying visual stimulation)…
A brother became a missionary:

                 

A sister became a doctor (white coat and all):

     

A student became a teacher (in Hawaii of all places).


Some nieces and nephews got even cuter.
         



     

 
(A new nephew was born! I love you, Sammy!)

Some vacations, holidays and plain, precious family bonding.
                       
                 
A lot of daunting dissertation dissonance (and unfortunately very little actual dissertating action).
                                         

But most importantly (or most recently): Jennie turned 30!
          

(Jennie’s favorite color is red, “just in case you couldn’t tell”).

We really had a great time. We even talked about making it a tradition for each successive sibling turning 30 (in which case Paula would be up next year and me in a short two years after that, crazy!). I hope we really do, it was just fun to celebrate together.

And that’s how it’s done, folks! (Catch-up/re-entry to the blogosphere, that is.)

Tag, you’re it.