Happy Birthday Jenna!

 Jenna is 29 years old today.  Older than I was when she was born.  It's weird when you are the mom, your child seems like your baby, even 30 years later, but obviously she is not a baby.  She is a wonderful, accomplished, grown woman with darling daughters of her own. When you have a baby, and that little one is placed into your arms, your heart fills with so much love.  You are never ever the same as you were before, and you will always do all in your power to make sure that your little one is happy and healthy and has every thing they need and want.  That feeling does not fade as the years go by, its grows and is joined by feelings of pride, happiness, worry, concern, regret, hope, accomplishment, and so much love. Love that does not end.  That's what it's like to be someone's mother.  It's like the whole universe swirling in your heart and soul. It's a miracle.

Jenna is my third miracle. I really believe that life is a miracle, that God blesses us with miracles every day, and that every baby is the sweetest of all the miracles.  Jenna was truly my miracle and the answer to the greatest desire of my heart. Not long before we were expecting Jenna Mark and I had the best year of our marriage.  I had survived cancer, we had bought a really cute little house, Dani and Sierra were in good health and were the cutest little girls ever, we had gone to the temple to be sealed as a forever family, he liked his job and had a calling in church.  I was going to school, and baby sitting and serving as the Primary president in our ward.  We could have graced the cover of an Ensign magazine...except it didn't last.  We pretty much had one good year, well to be fair maybe 15 months but that's not the point of this story.  The point is even though that good time didn’t last there were still many blessings and joys in store for us. Mark had lost his way again , we still lived in our cute house, the girls grew and when Sierra was just over a year old  I was set apart as the RS president and I got a setting apart blessing, as one always does.  This one sticks out in my memory more clearly than many other blessings I have received.  I was promised and told some beautiful and sacred things.  One blessing that was  prominent in my heart was that as I served I would be granted the greatest desires of my heart.  The room was full that day and some people told me how great that blessing was because now Mark would be faithful and obedient. But I knew then, and I know now that you can not desire away someone's free agency.  Our agency is so important, so essential to who we are and who we can become.  I wished, of course, that he would, that we could be happy together and live a life of service and singlemindedness.  I didn't think then that he would change because of my callings, or whatever level of faithfulness I had though.  I did wish for a baby.  Having Sierra and having cancer at the same time was bittersweet.  She was the darlingest baby but I felt like I missed her babyness. Others often took care of her while I was being treated. All of our life at that time was seen through the lens of cancer and I wanted another chance.  I wanted to more forward and I really wanted another baby.  We didn't know if that would happen, and we did know it shouldn't happen at that time...but, it did!

We had a miracle, I got pregnant and we had a healthy pregnancy and despite concerns that came up before her birth we also had a perfect, healthy, beautiful girl.  I felt like the luckiest momma in the world and was overjoyed to welcome sweet baby J into our family.  She was a delight! She was a happy, sweet baby.  She was a little munchkin but fearless and precocious. She was a social little girl and always had a knack for making friends. 

When Jenna was little she loved to play with baby dolls, she loved to dance and twirl, she loved to sing songs and to color and to read stories.  She loved to play with friends. Since I baby sat we always had friends over and there was always someone to play with. Jenna loved both her grandmothers and got to spend time with them when I went to school and other times as well since we lived very close to both of them. 

A couple years later I was a single mom and Jenna got to spend time with them while I worked.  She also had a dear friend named Ashley, who's mom Connie was the sweetest lady.  She had 4 little girls and was our babysitter when I taught school.  Ashley and J were besties.  They did everything together, including having the chicken pox! 

By the time Jenna was in kindergarten I had remarried and we had moved to Texas.  Jenna continued to be a bright light in our family.  She made friends in our neighborhood, at church and at school.  She met Emma, her life long BFF when the two girls were just 5.  She loved animals and going to school and excelled at almost everything she tried.  That would be the pattern she followed for her whole life.  Every life is filled with challenges, that is normal. How you handle them, how they effect you, who you become in the midst of them, that is what sets you apart.  Having divorced parents isn't unusual (unfortunately,) remaining loving and sweet, and growing up able to trust and love and start your own amazing family is.  Moving from state to state is not super typical, it's also not terribly  uncommon.  It is always at least a little hard though  and you can choose to be upset and withdrawn and shy as a result.  Or you can be resilient, adventurous and capable of thriving in many places and with many people.  Which is what Jenna did.  

Jenna has been blessed with many talents and abilities.  More than the usual amount I think.  Where much is given much is expected and I am awed and grateful to be able to say that J has taken on that responsibility to give back, to excel, to rise with grace and good cheer.  There are many things I love about Jenna. At least 30!

I love that she is a kind and patient mother. 
She validates the girls feelings and experiences and helps them navigate their world in a way that is wise and loving.

I love that she is purposeful with her time and with the things that fill her day, and Ruby and Cora's day.

Jenna is generous.

She is hard working.

She is creative.

She isn't afraid to dream, to tackle projects, to learn new things, to be an adventurer.

Jenna is obedient.  She was obedient and easily entreated even as a little girl.  She is obedient to God now and lives her life in a way that is pleasing to Him.

I love that at 18 she wasn't afraid to apply to an internship (that she probably wasn't actually qualified for) to Romania.  That she fearlessly travelled half way around the world to make someone else's life better.

I love that she applied to work at Sea Base, that she was a venture scout, that she leaps off of cliffs into beautiful oceans, climbs mountains, runs down less traveled paths and that she finds joy in nature and in life.

I love that she seeks out friends and mentors that help her to grow and to become.  I am so grateful for all the people, the teachers, the friends, the leaders, the bosses, the in laws, the sisters, the coaches, the scout leaders, the aunt and uncles, grandparents, bishops, mom friends and anyone else that have given their time to help her grow and that have shared life with her, enjoyed joyful times and supported during hard times.  I love that she embraces a community of helpers that lift her, and that she lifts in return.

Jenna is smart.  She is well read, careful with money, organized and kind of a minimalist. She is musical, and she is always developing new talents; chicken mom, competent cook, cabinet refinisher, and fun nursery leader, all come to mind under the new talent category.

Jenna is an awesome aunt.  She loves her nieces and nephews and is a good example and a fun presence in their lives.

She is a good sister, a good granddaughter, a fun cousin and a wonderful daughter.

She seeks to learn new things.  She plans adventures.  She helps others.  She is cheerful.  She is easy going.  I admire how she stands up for herself without being abrasive.  I admire how she loves.  

She is also beautiful, which is lucky.

Jenna is a loving wife. She and Clayton are happily married and work hard to build a family that is built on a firm foundation. Together they do many good things and I love to see them together and am grateful to see their good works.

I am forever grateful that she is my daughter.  That I get to be part of her life, to witness who she is and who she becomes.  I wish I was more like her, that I lived next door to her, and most of all that she is happy and continues to grow, to learn and to adventure and to share her wonderful light with all who meet her!