Taking the Plunge

Last night I had a good long phone conversation with an old friend (we've known each other since we were both 5 years old). After our long conversation, she told me to make sure to check out her blog that she just finished. You can check it out yourself if you want, her name is Noelle Jensen (on our friends blogs list below).

She said:

"Several of my girlfriends have recently taken the very icy, cold plunge and blogged about the things they DO like about themselves. I have throughly enjoyed reading them and it really made me stop and think about what I like about myself. So often I concentrate on all the things I don't like. I get hung up on my many imperfections and don't see myself in a very kind light. My whole life I have struggled with feeling like I was enough. Good enough, smart enough, thin enough, pretty enough. So after reading their blogs and loving it I decided, enough is enough! So instead of concentrating on the negative I thought about all the good things about me and I have decided I am Enough! So I hope you enjoy...and if you don't frankly, I don't want to know! :)"

And then she wrote a blog about all of the things she likes about herself. I have to agree with her, I like these things about her as well. But not sure if I would be brave enough to write such a blog about myself - considering that I'm going through a period where I feel anything but pretty, I'm overwieght (thanks to pregnancy) and most often don't think the best thoughts about myself.

She challenged anyone else to "take the plunge" and try writing good things about themselves. I wasn't going to do it. Because I honestly have been having a hard time coming up with things lately. I'm not normally this way I don't think, but I have a lot of hormones going through me right now. ;)

But then I realized it would be a good exercise for me to do and what a better time for me to try to find positive things about myself.

So I have no idea what I'm going to write yet, I'm just going along with this as I type. But I encourge any other gals out there to do the same and feel better about yourself. I'm hoping that Noelle is right and that by the end of this blog I will be glad I did it. If not, I'm not publishing it. :)

What I like about me:

Okay so first off, I have been sitting here staring at the computer screen for at least a minute. So I'll just begin with the obvious to me right now - the fact that I like that my body is able to create a baby. We weren't sure for a while if we would be blessed with the opportunity, and though it has been a very hard journey, I am grateful that I am able to do this. I like that my body just knows what to do and how to create another little human. I like that I'm creating a healthy one too. And though I haven't met him yet, I love him too.

20 week ultrasound of our son - due June 8th

I guess I also like that I'm not a very contentious person. I don't like fighting, yelling, or when people are mean to each other. I like that I am aware of how I treat people and try to make sure my relationships are in good standing. There have been times when I have been upset with people or they have been upset with me, and it is one of the hardest things for me to bear. I like to resolve contention as soon as possible and restore peace.

My family - sometimes both the hardest and easiest people to get along with.

I like that when I decide I want to do something - I do it. I don't let fear get in the way, or excuses but I find a way to make it happen. From learning to ride a bike when I was little, to learning how to give myself a French manicure, to producing my own album. I really believe that we can do anything we put our mind to.

A recent manicure - I learned how to do "flowers" - thanks to one of my 14 year old piano students.

Me in the studio recording violin tracks with my mom for my album

I like my hair. So I've been wanting to chop it all off lately, but I still like it. I like to style it, to make it look pretty, and I like the color.

I like that I laugh. I recently read that I will probably live an additional 5 - 7 years too because I'm a laugher. I like to make others laugh too. And Will says it is one of his favorite things that he likes about me too - so I'm not self-conscious about it.

I looooooooooooooooooooove Will, but this is supposed to be about me. I just had to put that in there though.

Ummm okay.....

Staring at the computer screen again....

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Oh, I like that I can do music. Sometimes I feel like its all that I do, but I am grateful to be blessed with the talent. I also like that I can help provide additional income with it by teaching piano lessons.

Me at my last concert this past December - performing at Benarya Hall

I like my eyes/eyebrows. I know that sounds weird, and I used to hate my eyebrows when I was in highschool. But I like them now. So I don't know. I just like 'em.

This one is tough for me because my body is probably what I struggle with the most - pregnant or not. So I will just say that right now I am grateful for the miracle of creating a baby even though I have gained a ton of weight, have a few stretchmarks, a double chin and am a superwide load right now. I loved my flat stomach before I got pregnant, so I'm having a hard time dealing with the belly thing right now. But I like that I can exercise and take care of my body, that I was blessed with curves :), and that when I'm not pregnant I am fairly athletic.

Will and I up at the top of the Olympic Mountain Range - which we backpacked two summers ago

And I guess last of all (because I need to go before my piano student arrives in a few minutes), I like that I am computer savvy. I created my own website, know html, web design (limited though!), am pretty good at Photoshop and creating slideshows to music, not to mention most of my music software is pretty hard to use - and best of all - can document our fun memories by blogging! :)