I AM

-loving having Mondays off....maybe even more than having Fridays off!
-happy that Gs family was here, the Bridges were here and that my family was here....but REALLY happy that we have the rest (whatever is left) of this summer to hang together and do whatever WE want to do with no other obligations!!
-loving my R+F business
-uber excited for my trip to San Francisco in Sept for R+F convention with one of my best friends
-enjoying reading silly modern day romance novels left for my by Jessie rather than text books about Human Resources and Financial Planning
-proud of G for having his first photography show this summer
-glad that he finally got a new truck
-grateful that we were able to go to some great concerts (Red Ants Pants and Jeff Bridges & the Abiders)
-shocked that hunting season is in just 3 WEEKS!
-a lot of other things that I can't think of right now :)

Brave Girls Club....

Dear Inspiring Girl,

Try for the next 24 to say yes to whatever lessons life is handing you. Say yes to crazy things that have shown up that you weren't expecting, but that you know are meant just for you. Say yes to the opportunity to love unconditionally, even if it is difficult. Say yes to the opportunity to forgive another, even if it has seemed impossible. Say yes to the things that are creating resistance, because they are making you stronger. Say yes to a disappointment that you wish would have turned out the way you wanted it to...and say yes to what is going to show up in it's place.

We bring ourselves so much pain and suffering when we resist the flow of life...when we try to paddle upstream or walk DOWN and escalator that is going UP.

When we can stop and accept the things that we can not change...accept them just as they are....without conditions or expectations...we are free from so many unpleasant things. After we have done all we can, we need to just let things go, and even say yes to the lessons they are bringing to our lives. It is silly and futile when we continue to hold on to the belief that we have control over things that we can never control....outcomes, people, etc.

Trust is powerful. Trust life as it is happening. Let go of any attachments to any specific outcomes. Trust the One who made you, and the plans that are meant for you. Love unconditionally and forgive freely.

C'mon.....just for 24 hours...you can do anything for 24 hours. Chances are...you will love the way this feels so much that you will stick with it even longer....isn't it worth a try?

You are so loved, never forgotten and never alone.

xoxo

Are you a part of the Brave Girls Club? Do you read the Daily Truths? If not, you should make it happen!

This is a tribute to one of my favorite things that a little birdie has told me. Sometimes things are so serendipitous in this little world we live in. Some days everything just seems to make sense. The things that you read and see just seem to feel so interconnected no matter how unrelated things appear from the outside. As I read this daily truth, Dear Inspiring Girl, I thoughts instantly of all of the strong beautiful women that I have been blessed enough to know. Thank you little birdie for reminding me what is important when I need it most.

I HEART

R+F
4TH OF JULY WEEKEND IN LIVINGSTON, MT
VISITORS FROM THE SOUTH
VACATION DAYS
MY SKIN
THE SUNSHINE
YNP
PVG
OLD CHICO
HIKING
RODEOS
PARADES
COWBOYS
GETTING PAID

worlds collide

First off....I am STILL without my camera. I am pretty sure that I know where it is but I am waiting patiently for it to be found there (so that I can be right) and returned to me. Either way, I don't have it. Which in this case is sad. Because there are really no words to describe the fun that I had over the past weekend.
It was a wedding weekend which I usually do not look forward to and am happy to have behind me. Not because I am against weddings or hate love but because I don't fully understand the necessity of spending exorbitant amounts of money on mediocre food and a crappy DJ while people with nothing in common aside from somehow knowing either the bride or groom spend an evening with each other because the bride and groom are usually so overwhelmed that they are hardly able to spend any real time with their guests. And while all of that was a possibility for this weekend......it was in no way the case. Dan and Erin are thoughtful individuals who wanted to be sure that this weekend was an adventure not soon forgotten by anyone.
We were able to spend 3 full days and night getting to know and enjoy incredibly intelligent, creative and outrageously fun people and I am better for it.
Living in small town MT it is nice to be reminded of and get a taste of all that is out there. AND I have tons of new CA friends to hang with this September when I travel to SF for the R+F Convention!!!
Congratulations Dan & Erin and Thank You for a memorable weekend.

I will try to snag some pics for others to post....and hopefully my camera will be found and returned soon;)

Just got home from a bbq with the fam for my mom's birthday. As we were leaving my brother was mowing the lawn on her new riding lawn mower........when you live in MT a riding lawn mower is the kind of thing that you ask for :) Happy Happy Birthday mama!! xxoo

R+F BBL

I had an amazing night last night at my Rodan & Fields Big Business Launch! I was lucky to be able to hold it at The Drawing Room; the most adorable little store in Livingston and got some very lucky ladies set up with some fantastic skincare. Last night helped ease my nerves and I feel slightly less crazy for taking this chance on myself and this company. I am definitely blessed to have some really wonderful ladies in my life who support me.
I of course did not bring my camera and have no pictures. To be honest I'm really not sure where my camera is. I'm pretty sure that G was the last one to take it on an adventure but I haven't seen it around lately. hmmmmmmmmmmm

couldn't sleep at allllll last night.........

A combination of excitement and serious anxiety kept me up most of the night thinking about my new venture with R+F. The product is great, the company is solid, that leaves the rest up to me.....but what if NO ONE I know is interested? I thought people would be interested but nothing for sure so far, I had to remind myself over and over that I JUST started and that nothing happens overnight. This business will not happen overnight. Hopefully I can convince myself of this tonight because if not....tomorrow will not be pretty! Help me avoid the loony bin and check out my website!!
http://jisaly.myrandf.com for products
http://jisaly.myrandf.biz for the business

xxoo

PS

It is also no longer winter and we DON'T have this much snow.....i'll change that soon too!

Seasons of Change

There is a HUGE possibility that there is no one out there reading.....aside from MEG who is awesome at blogging, reminding me to blog and life in general. I really have made no effort over that past months...ok many months......to blog at all. My reasoning is for the most part about feeling like I have nothing to say, no pics to post and the belief that no one is reading. But then when I reflect on my 'reasons' they are all either not true or not why I started this blog in the first place. It isn't about providing comic relief for others or communicating some greater message. It was for me. So that I could keep a journal of sorts, a way to keep track of myself and what I spend my time doing. When I look now at what I have written in the past months it is not much which is not reflective of what has been happening for me. So it is catch up time......and time for a recommitment to blogging and keeping track of myself.
I learned to ski. This for me was a pretty BIG deal. For some reason despite growing up in ski bum heaven I never learned to do it. I realized that if I want to be able to join my friends on weekend ski getaways I was going to have to face my fears. The fear of falling, of going fast, of looking silly and of doing something new on my own. So I did it. I took lessons and learned (surprisingly quickly) how to ski. The icing on the cake was when I WON A FREE PAIR OF HEAD SKIS!!!!!!!!! I took it as a sign that my learning to ski was meant to be.
I became a Zumba instructor. Again, faced my fears of no one coming to my class, looking silly and well, doing something completely new. SO MUCH FUN. If you have not tried a Zumba class........you should. I now teach a class at the FireHall Fitness Center every Thursday at 5:30 and I love it!
I turned 29 years old..........................................and by the looks of the rest of this post I must be having some sort of early-mid life crisis!!!
My next venture is my own business with Rodan & Fields. As of today I am a Business Development Partner with Rodan & Fields. If you know me you can guess what a leap of faith this is for me.
I have obviously had quite a bit of 'blog worthy' happenings in my life but blogging takes time and time is not something that I have a lot of these days!! Hope to keep it up more in the future and if you are reading this.....thanks for sticking with me!

xxoo
J

Spring in Montana

This is what spring in Montana looks like.....We were woken at about 3am because the power went out and noticed a few inches of snow outside. After waiting for a bit for it to come back on we called to let the power company know, turns out the power was out in the whole Valley. This is what we woke up to in the morning and it hasn't stopped snowing all day. This makes me even more excited about my girls day with Anna at Bridger on Friday!! I love spring snow. It is wet and heavy and sticks to everything which makes for a beautiful, clean landscape. I just wish I wasn't inside all day.

Check Them Out!

I realize I may not have any readers at this point since I haven't blogged for months. But this is blogworthy no matter how long it has been. Amy and Chris Thompson (see their blog here....The Thompsonheads....) have begun the process of starting their family through open adoption. They live in Athens, Georgia now but I met Amy at MSU. They are kind and generous and thoughtful and deserve to have the family that they dream about. Please, if in any aspect of your life you come across someone thinking about open adoption or who knows someone else looking into adoption options please think of Amy and Chris and pass on their website information...The Thompson's Adoption Site...... Help them in creating their family!!

Thank you from my heart and theirs.

Also, if you would like to follow their adoption journey......here is their Adoption Blog :) I know I will be!