Hermana Jenkins

2012-01-12T13:52:00.001-08:00

I'm in Guatemala! My first stamp on my passport! First off,
I love it here. Much more than the Provo MTC. We are learning Spanish a lot
quicker because ourr teachers are native speakers and so is everyone else here
aside from the Norte (North Americans) missionaries and the President. We
also have what we call compañeras intercambio. They are just Latino
missionaries who are our companions for every meal and general meeting. My
compañera is Hermana Julian from the Dominican Republic. The first thing she
asked me about after we got to know each other a bit was 'Do you know Bear in
the Big Blue House?' Which is spanish is El Oso en el Gran Casa Azul, just in
case you were wondering. I love it. Everyday I answer questions about what
Hannah Montana Lyrics mean and what Spongebob SquarePants is called in English.
The Latinos are all so much fun. The first PDay we played basketball with them
and it was the most hysterical thing I have ever witnessed. So much fun. The
Latino elders treat the Norte sisters like celebrities. They are constantly
asking if they can take pictures with Hna Anderson (my Norte companion) and me.
It makes us feel special. The food here is awesome, too. The best part is the
Hermanas never wait in line. Chivalry is not dead here, and I hope the Norte
elders are taking notes. We also have snack time every night. It is pretty
legit. The weather here is beautiful. Hna Anderson and I study outside as often
as we can. Yes, we get to study outside, not like jail in Provo! They even let
us have class on the roof with our teacher. Half the building here is a hotel
for those traveling to go to the temple, so we have the opportunity to talk
with them when we study outside. I have talked to quite a few Hondurans.
Apparently my mission is the hottest and where they speak the fastest Spanish
in Central America. Anyway, everyday so far has been sunny and about 70
degrees. Perfection.

Ok, so Christmas! It was amazing, no offense to my family,
but probably my favorite Christmas thus far in my life! For Christmas Eve day
we got a lot of personal study time, then that night we played a bunch of
games. *So I have been writing this blog over the course of 3 weeks now, so now
it is going to be shortened and less detailed because I just want to send it
off!* So on Christmas Eve Santa came to visit too. The missionaries even got a
photo op with him. Even the sisters were allowed to sit on his lap. When I
hesitated to sit on his lap for my picture he said "It's okay, my wife is
right here!" I laughed a bit when I heard that. Then Christmas day was
just amazing.

So a week or so ago, we got to go on a tour of the city and
go shopping in the Central Market, go to a museum, and a mall. The mall was
comparable to Scottsdale Fashion Square. It was possibly one of the funnest
days ever. I ate a taco from a stand on the street at the market and it was
delicious. My companion would not have anything to do with the food though. The
museum was awesome. Learned a lot about ancient type stuff and there were a lot
of cool artifacts.

Other than the fact that the CCM is just completely awesome,
I am progressing in Spanish everyday and learning a lot about the Gospel. The
Latinos are awesome and so helpful with our Spanish. We have the most amazing
Presidency and we are getting a new President this week. I only have two weeks
left until I go to the field. I am slightly nervous, but more excited than
anything. We had the chance to go out proselyting with our Latino companions a
couple weeks ago, and we got a taste of what we would be doing. We get to go
again next week, but it will just be with the Nortes. That makes me nervous.
Where I struggle is understanding the Latinos, the speak so fast!

I can't think of much else! Thanks to those of my friends
and family who send letters and Dear Elders!! I love getting them. To those who
don't, go use Dear Elder, its free! The more support the better. Nobody has
told me yet how ASU or ATMs seasons ended or who won Rose Bowl, nada! I will
send a Central American Souvenir to the first one who sends me a Dear Elder
telling me about how my teams did in the end of the football season!

I love this Gospel and am so happy to be here. I know that
God lives and Jesus is the Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is true and the
word of God. I know that Thomas S. Monson is true prophet and I can't wait to
share the message with the people of Honduras.

Hermana Devin Jenkins

My First Week in the MTC

2011-11-27T13:12:00.000-08:00

This past week has been slightly awesome. We arrived,
checked in, took our stuff to our residences, and went to our class. Our district,
from what I'm told is pretty different. Most of us have different calls,but all
Spanish speaking. When I first walked into class this kid looks at me and says
"DEVIN!!" At first I had no idea who he was, but after he reminded me
of his name I remembered that we had lifeguarded together for a couple summers
during high school. My companion, Hermana Johnson is also from Arizona. She
actually went to high school with my best friend, Kenna. Anyway, from the
moment we got into class the teacher only spoke spanish to us. I was so lost!
That's pretty much how class goes, they speak spanish and we try to catch on.
Amazingly, it works. I already know more than I ever learned in high school.

Our schedule is slighly hectic, and there is nobody to
supervise us. Luckily our district is awesome and we are always where we need
to be doing what we need to be doing. Okay, I have to cut this short, I only
get 30min on the computer and I currently have 1 minute left! But, if you want
to know more,write me! got to DearElder.com and enter my name and mission
(Honduras San Pedro Sula)! It's free, too. I think you might have to put
provo mtc, but I don't know. I want to hear from home/ texas/ Denver! okay, got to
go, bye!

I'm Going on a Mission... Tomorrow!

2011-11-15T15:10:00.000-08:00

From this very moment, right now as I write this, I am approximately 16 hours from boarding a plane headed to Utah. I'm all packed and ready go! I have all the stuff I'm not taking boxed up at stored at my mom's house, and my computer is now in my dad's possession. I'm so excited to go, but I feel like I just ran out of time. I didn't get to spend as much time with family as I wanted to, plans with friends got cancelled, and I failed to visit some other family friends while I was here. I left myself two weeks to spend in Arizona, but it was hardly enough! I feel bad if I hurt any one's feelings, but fact is, I'm coming back! 18 months doesn't even sound long when I say it. Time flies when you're having fun and working hard! (I'm not naive, I know there will be times, many times, where I'll hardly consider it "fun", but I'm ready to work hard.)

Anyway, I'm excited to go! I love my Heavenly Father, and can't wait to share His love for His children and the message of the Restored Gospel with the people of Honduras! Feel free to write, my MTC address is to the right and it's also on my Facebook. (On the right, I couldn't break up the separate lines of the address, so when you see "::" that's a break. Maybe I'm special, or maybe Blogger is. Let's just go with Blogger.) My sister-in-law will be posting letters from me as my blog updates and updating my address, so check back in!

Revamped

2011-11-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

I decided it was time to change the title of my blog, so I went ahead changed the colors, too. Nothing too fancy, I'm not good at that kind of stuff. As I have stated in previous posts, I struggle with such things, like loading pictures and getting them place where I would like. Hopefully my sister in law will do a better job while I'm gone.

I have six days left before I head to the MTC. People keep asking me if I'm nervous. Well, not really. I'm just ready and excited to go. It's something I've always wanted to do and now the time has finally come, kind of surreal. I'll definitely miss my friends and family, but when I think about that past 16 months, from the time I moved to Texas until now, and how quickly that time has gone by, the idea of being away from friends and family for 18 months hardly seems like a long time at all. I'll be exchanging letters and emails with them, so it won't be too bad. 18 months is nothing. However, letters would be appreciated! I'll be posting my MTC address on the sidebar here, and my sister in law will update it as I move around.

What else? The past week and a half in Arizona have been amazing. I have spent a lot of time with my family, especially Chris, Brooke, and their kids. Chris and Brooke have been awesome. The advice and their support is beyond measure. Brooke has told me many times "we've got your back, anything you need, let us know." It's pretty awesome having the amazing siblings I do. All of them have offered to be there for me when I need something while I'm gone, and are doing different things to keep my affairs in order. My sister is making me an 18 month calendar with pictures of my friends and family, too. How awesome is that? And Kyle & Tara supplied me with suitcases. I've also received amazing support from other friends. My friend, Cat, has been awesome. Constantly telling me how proud she is of me and even supplying "a little" $$ for missionary stuff. She has been an amazing friend and I know I can count on her for letters :). Sister Heiden, my Young Women's president through high school also supplied some cash, cause she's awesome. Even more, she came and supported me my when I went through the temple for the first time. That meant a lot to me. She taught me so much as teen and was a big strength to me throughout high school. My parents have been awesome, too. My mom keeps asking me what I need, as well as my dad. Cindy has been amazing as well. I have been blessed with an amazing family and spectacular friends :)

I have spent a lot of time with my friends, Christie & Kenna. I love them so much and am so grateful for them! The good times, the bad times, the hilarious times, the lessons learned, and the love and support I get from them is priceless. I wouldn't trade them for the world. As for my other friends, you suck. Just kidding. I am grateful for all my friends. From Arizona, to Texas, and to Denver, the Lord has blessed me with amazing people in my life that have helped me to learn and to grow and to become a better person.

Okay, so enough with the mushy "I love my friends and family" stuff. I have five more full days to enjoy before I leave. FIVE! So exciting. I can't wait to serve our Heavenly Father and spread the good news!

23 Days and Counting...

2011-10-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

(Kyle & I at the A&M game vs Baylor)

That's right, 23 days until I report to the MTC! It's coming up so fast. When I first got to Denver I kind of thought it would be the longest two months of my life, but to my pleasure & dismay it has gone by so quickly! I take off next Monday for Arizona... I can't wait! Although I'm sad to leave my friends and the Warrens here, I'm so excited to see my friends and family I haven't seen in far too long & spend some time with them.

Last weekend the Warrens took me with them back to Texas. They have got to be the nicest people ever. They took me with them, gave me the entire weekend off, AND got me tickets to the A&M & Baylor game. It was a lot of fun going back to see my friends and family there. Just in the past weeks Makenna has grown so much! I can hardly believe it, she even has hair now and cut her first tooth while I was there! I got to spend a lot of time with Kyle, Tara, and Makenna. Kyle and I had some good bonding time going shooting and to the football game together. (I still can't figure out pictures on here.) My weekend consisted of a girls' night, dancing, shooting, a date, Midnight Yell, the football game, a bbq, church, and hanging out with friends and pizookies. Can't complain.

2011-09-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

I went exploring the other day. So much fun.

My boss even let me drive her Mini Cooper for the weekend while they were out of town.

My friend, Micah, made the drive with me to Vail for the day.

BEAUTIFUL.

Kind of makes me think of the Primary song "I Feel My Savior's Love"

Micah grew up in Utah, skiing and whatnot, I think he got tired of me expressing how gorgeous I thought it was up there every 10 seconds.

I am still enjoying myself in Denver.

My job is still AMAZING.

The weather has been slightly awesome.

I have made myself some good friends and have had myself some good times.

To the right is Micah, myself, and Carson at the Diamondbacks game when they played the Rockies. It almost felt like being back at Chase Field except for the fact that I was wearing jeans, boots, a jacket, and a scarf and was still a tad bit chilly. Definitely not Phoenix.

Time for funny stories? I think so. Ty had to get surgery on a Tuesday night a few weeks ago. I Stayed the night with the girls so Kesha could be there with him. Oh my, it was good mommy practice. I did well getting all the girls to sleep on time, teeth brushed, school clothes set out for the morning, prayers said. Before I retired to bed I got their lunches ready, back packs ready, and planned breakfast for the morning. I was sharing Ty and Kesha's bedroom with Brookly (17 mos). Around two AM she woke up and wanted out of her crib and in her parents bed with me. She was wet, so I decided to change her on the bed. Mid diaper change, she starts throwing up. As to not get puke all over the bed, I quickly scooped her up and set her on the floor, diaperless. That's when she started peeing. I then quickly ran her into the bathroom. After getting her all cleaned up, I put her in bed. On a towel, just in case. I cleaned bed, floor, bathroom, and 30 minutes later climbed in bed with Brook. Every sound she made kept me awake. I was afraid she might start puking again. Which she did. at 3 AM she was throwing up even more than she had before. This time all over herself, me, and the bathroom. This time I gave her a bath, which woke her up and she refused to get out. Around 5 I finally got her back to sleep. On the couch this time. I, of course, didn't sleep. I spent the next hour cleaning up the new mess. At 6, I started waking up the other girls to get ready for school. After getting them to school, Brook and I played (more like zombied around due to lack of sleep) for a bit, then napped together on the couch. Although I did not enjoy that night, I love Brooklyn so much, it was a good bonding experience for us :)

Time to get religious! Life has been so amazing as of late. I have been able to recognize the hand of the Lord in my life daily. From minor to major blessings, I am so grateful for the love of my Heavenly Father and Savior. I know my Heavenly Father lives. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior and am so excited to hear the messages they have for us this coming weekend during Conference.

** I had planned on posting more pictures, but it took me days (yes, multiple days) to get those two pictures to do what I wanted them to. I have maxed out my blog efforts on this one :)

Just Livin' "the" Life

2011-09-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

First things first: I got my mission call! I leave for the MTC November 16 to serve in the Honduras San Pedro Sula Mission, what's up!?!?! I am so excited to share the gospel, the miracle of the Atonement, the restoration of Christ's church, and our Heavenly Father's love with the people of Honduras!

Okay so quick update on life... I moved to Denver! The weather is beautiful here, and the mountains are gorgeous. I can't wait until Sunday! I need to make friends! I have totally been that awkward person you feel sorry for eating dinner by themselves, at the movies by themselves, and chillin' at Barnes & Noble by themselves reading. Haha, yep that has been me! Leaving Texas was so much harder than I thought it was going to be. The past year there was amazing. I already miss my niece, Makenna, so much! I also have made so many good friends there. I would have loved to spend my last two months before I leave there, but I don't think it would have been easy finding a job there for that short of time & the Warrens said that if I wanted to come to Denver, they would take me for as long as I would stay.

So, the Warrens, such an amazing family! The plan was to leave my stuff in there garage during the football season, while they would be in Denver, then Kyle would move it when they come back to Texas, but they so graciously are letting me keep it in their garage the entire 18 months I am gone! That saves me so much money that would have been spent on a storage unit. I love the girls, but I don't care who says my job is easy, it so is NOT! You try communicating with 17 month old, not easy. Ty and Kesha are seriously some of the nicest people ever. I feel like a charity project for them, they really don't even need me, I'm just convenient to have around. Heavenly Father definitely had a plan when I lost my last job, and was introduced to them.

I think that's about it for now... Oh funny story, I went running the other day, and decided to take this trail I saw going off the main road I was on. I assumed it was a loop, so I took it. After running 3 miles I was starting to realize it was not a loop. I decided to just keep going even though 3 miles was my goal. At 4.5 miles I decided to use the GPS to find my way home. I was still over 2 miles from the house. The last 3 miles I walked/ran, but sprinted the last half mile because my phone was about to die, and I wanted to make sure I got there before it did in fear of getting eternally lost. I saw some beautiful Colorado scenery, so it was definitely worth the extra 3.5 miles. I even found a community lap pool and basketball court. I know where I'll be spending plenty of time the next two months :)

My Dad is SO Embarrassing

2011-08-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

My dad fully enjoyed embarrassing me as a child/teen. Driving around town I heard this song and it immediately reminded me of these times when my dad would do this little dance at the steering wheel, specifically as he was dropping me off or picking me up at school. He would point his fingers to the left and right, sort of hunch over the wheel, and do this weird head bob thing. It was really, really cool. (Sense the hit of sarcasm there?) Anyway, this is the song that reminded me of my dad. Looking back now I realize I love these times I had with my dad. It wasn't often that he would act like total goofball, but when he did, he went all out.

I have many other fun, funny, embarrassing memories with my dad.

"No Fun Allowed!" - My dad's rule for any family outing. My friends would always ask "Is he serious?"

"Damn it, Barbara, we're the MEAN Green!" - A girl on my soccer team apologized for kicking an opponent in the shin during a game. This was the year we wanted to be the "Slimeballs," but Dad wouldn't have it. So we had to be the Mean Green. Dad was always my soccer coach, and he was a tough one. Some parents didn't like him much, but all the girls did. He made us work hard, and we were good for it.
The best was the year we were "The Gang Green" or "The Gangrene."

Going to ASU football games. Oh, how I LOVED that. We have had season tickets for as long as I can remember. Best family tradition ever! All us Jenkins kids owe a big thanks to our dad for that.

Swim Meets. My dad was always the announcer guy at Trace & my swim meets. He was at every single meet. Even the ones in Wickenburg (anybody remember that pool? How was that pool so cold in the middle of the summer? And why were there no backstroke flags? I hit my head there every time I raced backstroke. Ouch, concrete wall at full speed...Okay so I wasn't that fast at that particular stroke, but it still hurt.)

Continuing the sports and support topic, my dad instilled in me a passion for basketball. Not only that, he fully supported me in it, too. He even gave up coaching and refereeing, which he LOVES, during my high school years so that he could come watch my games. I didn't always love hearing his advice (criticism) at the end of every game, but I was a better player for it. But, when I made my dad proud, he let me know and everybody else. There was one game in particular my sophomore year against Dysart, that I had a really, really good game. Like, nearly half our points, assists, a great defensive game, played every second of the first four quarters and OT, game winning foul shot. My dad had NO criticism for me after that game, which was a big deal. When I went to call my brothers to tell them about my game, my dad already had called and told them all about it. It made me so happy that my dad was that proud of me. Anyone who knows me the least bit knows I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE basketball. Playing or watching. It's a passion I will have forever. The joy and happiness I get from it, I owe to my daddy.

I could go on for a while about the things and memories I love about my dad, but I hope he knows how grateful I am for him. The love, support, and criticism I have received from him over the years have been a big part in shaping my character. He is a great example to me in many ways. I love him so much, and I hope he knows that!

Houston? Green Bay? Denver? Kansas City?

2011-08-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

No- I am not guessing where I'll be called to serve. I mean, I'd love to go anywhere, but those places wouldn't be among my first choices. As for those, we are not talking about them, I don't wanna jinx it. Anyway back to what we ARE talking about. My job. My boss, really. For those who are slightly behind the times of my life, I babysit for Ty Warren, former DE for the New England Patriots '03-'10. Just a few days ago he was released (not cut) from this team that took him as their first round pick in the Draft 8 years ago. Since then, life has been crazy, hectic, and a tad bit stressful. I planned on moving to MA with the Warrens for as long as possible. I even had an AMAZING road trip planned out with my restie (no, not "bestie") , Christie. Well, it was cancelled (I may or may not have shed a tear or two. Hint: I did.) After being released a lot of teams showed interest in Ty, wanting to meet with him and making offers. The hope was he would go to Houston, which would mean I would get to stay in College Station. Well every day, hour even, things changed. It's Houston. Nope, Kansas City. Well, he might go meet with Green Bay. Definitely Denver. Oh wait, Houston is making another offer. Oh, now so is Denver. Long story short: Denver won. I will now be moving to Denver while I wait to leave on a mission.

So now I'm in Massachusetts, watching the children and helping to get their beautiful home here ready to be put on the market. Here until the 13th or 14th, then back to CS to see my dad and Cindy when they visit Kyle and Tara, tie up some loose ends, store the majority of my stuff, then I will take off to Denver on the 28th or so. The Warrens will be staying around the Englewood area, so I'm hoping to find somewhere near there to live. Have I mentioned how blessed I am to work for this family? They are so awesome. From the kids and parents, to their extended family & friends, just amazing people.

Okay, so no mission call yet... Maybe tomorrow or next week? I hope so, anyway. Lately I have been reading Preach My Gospel. I'm loving it. I am learning a lot, my testimony is growing, and I am getting so, so excited to share this amazing Gospel with those who are ready to hear it.

I Hope They Call Me On a Mission

2011-07-19T19:27:00.000-07:00

Family and friends who have known me my whole life know that I have always talked about serving a mission. My mom says she can't even remember when I started expressing my desire to go, she just says that I always have. I remember singing "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" in primary and loving that song. I have finally grown a foot or two, so I figure it must be time. I met with my stake president tonight, and my mission papers are in! I am so excited! I get to spend 18 months teaching and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Just in the past year my testimony has grown immensely of Christ, our Savior, and his atoning sacrifice he made for us. I have been able to more fully understand the Atonement, and use it in my life. I can't wait to share the peace and joy that comes the knowledge of our Savior with others as a full-time job. I will get to teach about the prophet, Joseph Smith and his role in restoring the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth and also about the Book of Mormon and the teachings it holds for us in these latter days.

I truly know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. That he died to satisfy the law of justice that I might be able to repent and be forgiven of my sins and found worthy to receive the blessings of the Gospel and return to live with my Heavenly Father. I have experienced the power of the Atonement in my life and can testify of the overwhelming peace and joy that come when we apply the Atonement in our lives. I know that Christ lives. I know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who has a plan for each of His children. I know that he has sent prophets to his people in the past, and has provided us with prophets in these latter days to receive revelation for His people to lead and to guide them. I testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, that it is a second testament of Jesus Christ and is the word of God. My testimony goes on, but I am indeed grateful for the knowledge that I have of my Savior, Heavenly Father, and the Gospel. I am grateful for those in my life who have taught me and influenced me to be better disciple of Christ. I am grateful for all my family, leaders, and friends who have gotten me to this point in my life. I am inexpressibly excited to be a full-time missionary for The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints.

.... Now, any guesses as to where I'll be called to serve?

Homesick?

2011-07-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

Homesick... No, I don't think so. Summertime blues? I think that's what I would call it. Not that this summer has been a bummer, but... it has. Sort of. I miss living with Christie, we used to do random things on random week nights or afternoons. Things that made it feel like summer. Christie wasn't just my roommate, she is my best friend. If we were bored, we did something. Sometimes, or most of the time, that "something" was going to the massive mall down the street and window shopping or going to the gym to take a yoga and spin class. Then on the weekends we would have adventures with Kenna. Dancing, meeting new people, eating In-N-Out or Super Burrito. We had fun. Also, we were funny, or at least WE thought we were funny. My point is, I was hardly ever bored. I never just sat at home, I never blogged about anything I did either. I had something better to do.

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE Texas, and my decision to move here (a year ago now, wow) was the best decision I made, I wouldn't take it back if I had the chance. It's just different here in the summer. It's a real college town, so some of my friends went home for the summer or are taking summer classes that take up all their time. I have had so much free time. I had no time or desire to watch TV last summer in Az, but in the past month I have had time to watch nearly SIX season of Grey's Anatomy along with going to the gym, institute, work, and keeping up with my church callings and studies. So, in conclusion: I don't miss Arizona, I miss my best friends, Kenna & Christie.

Now a break from my "Poor, poor, pitiful me" complaining and a quick update: I'm going to Massachusetts in August with the Warrens and am going to stay with them there for the Fall semester. I'm excited to get out of the heat and humidity. I'm especially excited for the chance to explore Boston, Rhode Island, and take a short road trip to NYC. Oh, I'll also get to see the leaves change, too! I'm pretty excited! Other than the week I spent there in June with the Warrens, I haven't spent any time in the East. So here is to new experiences!

God Blessed Texas

2011-06-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, I still love Texas. Sort of. I could do without the humidity, but the heat itself is nothing new. Arizona has more than prepared me for that part of Texas. It's funny, Texans are competitive. They ask me constantly how I am handling, enjoying, and surviving the heat. Ha. Everything is bigger in Texas, yes I know that. But does it have to be hotter in Texas, too? Sorry, Texas, Arizona is hotter. You do, however, win the humidity contest. Neither of which is a good thing, but Texans seem to think so.

So, I guess I have some updating to do. I recently lost my job as a nanny for the McMahon family. Their grandma moved down from Nebraska and replaced me. Sad, huh? I love their children and miss them dearly. I'm hoping to get a call from them asking me to babysit soon. Until then, I do have another job. It's a sweet one, too. How blessed am I to keep getting these amazing jobs? I now work for the Warren family. They have four girls, ages 8, 7, 4, and 1 year. All the girls are amazingly adorable, hilarious, and just outstanding kids. I just spent a week with them up in Massachusetts and it is gorgeous there! They asked me to move there with them for the Fall. You see, they live in MA for the fall and come back to TX in January. Ty, the dad, happens to play football for the Patriots. Anyway, I won't be moving with them because I'll be starting school again in August. Yay! Finally a Texas resident!

What else? Not too much, really. I have more adorable nephews. I got a new niece and 2 nephews within 3 months. They are all super adorable. I get to see Makenna fairly often, and she is growing like crazy. Everybody thought she looked so much like Kyle in the beginning, but I think as she has gotten older she has started to look more and more like Tara (which is definitely a good thing, haha). I love my family and consider myself blessed to live in Texas with Kyle, Tara and their baby girl. I do, however, miss my family in AZ a lot. I also miss having Chendo, my dad's mechanic, on hand, but Kyle has been an awesome replacement for him so far. Oh, also, I have this new goal: .... to go to Africa. After hearing a couple who served in the DRC and opened Burundi speak in sacrament a few weeks ago, I have been itching to go. The stories they told of the members there were just amazing. It was definitely a life changing just to hear them speak of these amazing people and their faith and dedication to the Church. My goal is to get there after I'm done with my undergrad. Maybe earlier. Who knows?

Insert Clever Title Here

2011-04-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: I'm lacking creativity at the moment, so please forgive my embarassingly dull title. I'm also feeling a little out-of-it so also excuse grammatical errors, or disorganized thoughts.

First: I have a new niece. As if I need another reason to LOVE Texas. Tara and Kyle had their baby, Makenna Jolene Jenkins, last Tuesday. She is absolutely gorgeous and I am so grateful that I was able to be here to meet her. I am excited to be "Aunt Devie" again. I have missed my nieces and nephews so much since leaving Arizona. Little "Jo" (as I call her), is going to have the best aunt ever. That's Jo and me up there in our Sunday best, blurry, I know, but it was taken with a cell phone.

Second: Hey, whoa! I have had pretty much a permanent food baby since I have moved to Tx. Not cool. I'm still a workout-aholic, I just cannot handle edible temptation and my boss keeps her house stocked with goodies. Remember that one post? That one where I was all motivated and living a healthy lifestyle? If not here it is, take some time and read it! http://devinjenkins24.blogspot.com/2009/02/currently.html There it is. I don't know how to make it say "click here" so.... yeah it's just the html. Forgive me. Anyway. I need to get back to that. I workout, I'm just missing the healthy eating part. As I said in the mentioned post, I am publicly declaring that I am now going to be eating less and healthy while excersing more in hopes that I will actually will.

Third: I did the Warrior Dash! So fun! Pictures coming soon! I'm also doing the Boondock Battle 5k mud run next Saturday. I promise to start taking pictures and posting them. My camera, unfortunately, suffered an early death in the rain on my 20th birthday last year, and I have yet to figure out how to transfer pics from my phone to my computer. Ok, so that's about it for now!

Life in the Lonestar State

2011-04-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Where to start? I love Texas. I haven't decided if I love it more than Arizona, but it's pretty dang close. One of my favorite things is how much green there is. It's beautiful. Driving around town in Az, if it's not paved, it's rocks, or just dirt. Here the sidewalks are lined with grass, the freeways with trees and open fields. There's random patches of forrest in the middle of developments. Green is my favorite color to see outside and it's even better when capped off with amazingly clear blue skies. Another thing to love about Texas? The people. The people are so much friendlier here! If you happen to make eye contact with someone at the grocery store or anywhere they smile and politely say "Howdy!" I still haven't gotten used to "howdy" yet, and I still feel awkward saying it, but it is growing on me. "Ya'll" has found it's way into my vocabulary. At first I cringed whenever it slipped out, but I have to admit that it has started to feel natural. There is a big difference in culture when it comes to the young single adults here. Back in AZ Christie and I would recieve random mass texts about birthday parties in Mesa or Gilbert. We would go, not knowing who was celebrating a birthday. We hardly even knew anyone there, we had fun, but it was rare to meet new people. There would be hundreds of people, all in their own cliques (Click or Clique?) All that was served was water, maybe chips and salsa if you're lucky. Here, when the Singles' Ward get's together, there's food. People mingle. It's personal. If someone new shows up, they are immediately introduced to the 30 some odd people there, and made to feel welcome. But the food. Let's talk about that. No just snacks, boys are grilling, or cooking stuff in a fire. Not just cheeseburgers, oh no. Legitimate meals. There's one guy who loves to cook for everybody. He took the time to stuff jalepenos w/ cheese and wrap them up in bacon w/ sausage. Amazing. What else do I love about Texas? Oh, I know! This is special to College Station. I love the school spirit here. It's amazing. I never was one for school spirit in high school, but ASU. Ohh ASU! I love ASU football, and everything ASU! I grew up going to football games and walking into Sun Devil Stadium was like going home. I couldn't help but grin when I walked through the gates. I mean, I love ASU! At least I thought I did. The Aggie spirit here is like nothing I have ever experienced. It's intense! No cheerleaders, there are yell leaders. They lead chants that every student in the student section knows. Every sport is important here. Although football is the main event, there's a crowd at every sporting event football, volleyball, baseball, even women's basketball (they're playing for the championship tonight, so they actually are really good). Everybody know every word to the fight song. On weekends when out at dance a hall at 12:30am, everything stops, music stops playing, and everybody forms a circle. They play the fight song & everybody sings a along. They sway from left to right during the chorus and yell something at the end. I seriously need to learn this song because I am the only one in Aggieland who doesn't. This post is getting long... one last thing for now! The dance halls! So much fun! Tabetha got me to go dancing with her and her friends for the first time in late January. I learned how to two-step, which I'm still working on. But, yeah, it's just a lot of fun to go out and dance with friends. The dance halls are pretty big, and I have never seen so many people dance to country music in my life! I'm used to everybody sitting down in protest when a country song is played at a dance. Okay, so that's it for now. Once I figure out how to transfer pictures from my phone to my computer, I will post them! I love you, Mom & Kathy! Thanks for reading my blog so it's not complete waste!

I can't sleep, so why not update my blog?

2010-12-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time, I'm not sure if anyone even reads my blog anymore.... and if someone does, it's probably you, Mom. Love you. I last updated a year ago, and a lot has transpired since then. The biggest thing being that I moved to Texas. Can we just start there? I now live with Kyle and Tara in College Station and have been here since early July. Living with them has been great, but I'm moving out this month and in with my friend, Tabetha. Texas is different and I definitely miss my family and friends back in Az, but it's not all bad here. I was blessed to get an amazing job being a nanny for a four year old boy, and a little girl who is now ten months. Matthew and Kaitlin. Best. Job. EVER. (considering I have no college degree or special job training). The family is amazing. I have health insurance and even a 401K. Throughout the football season I traveled to Nebraska with them for every Husker home game. Did I mention they own a plane? I spend most of my time with Kaitlin, who I absolutely adore. I love seeing her grow and progress every single day. When I first started all she did was lay on the floor, now she crawls, pulls herself up on furniture, goes up the stairs, and attempts to stand on her own (and she isn't far from mastering that). It won't be long before she is walking. Matthew isn't bad either. I love teaching him about football and other sports, he's so eager to learn everything about every sport. When I first met him we were playing the Nebraska Cornhuskers Vs. the Arizona Cardinals in the BCS Championship Super Bowl. Now he knows the difference between College and the NFL. He can also name at least 25 NFL players, their team, their number, and their position. I'll start school next fall, when I'm a resident here and tuition is cheaper. Until then I'll keep working for the McMahons. I'm not too happy about putting off school for a year, but I know I am where I am supposed to be and I have already seen the blessings I have received from moving here. When I do start school I want to major in Kinesiology. I then want to go to PA school. That's the plan for now, but there's a lot of time to change my mind. What else? Oh, new year's resolutions. I have many. A few of my big ones are to do service at least once a month, attend institute weekly, read my scriptures daily, and I really want to visit the retirement home weekly. One of my other big goals is to become a runner. I want get up in the morning and run while the sun rises at least twice a week, and by April complete a half marathon and maybe a couple more through the summer and by January 2012 I want to visit Arizona to run the P.F. Chang's marathon. I tend to suffer injuries when I get too intense, and I recently hurt my neck, so I hope this can all happen accident and pain free. My last goal is to be buying my own car by the time school starts next fall. That's about it. I'm starting to Thanks.get sleepy so I'm gonna go ahead and call it quits. Please excuse any bad grammar or bad spelling.

Halloween.

2009-11-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already November! Time has flown! I love it! School is going okay, I'm passing Chemistry so I'd say I'm doing pretty well! Stake softball has started again, and guess what! Yes, we are undefeated, yet again. The week of Halloween last year, a lot of people dressed up at softball. Nobody on my team did, though. This year, Christie and I though we would at least do our makeup a little scary and be "dead softball players" which kinda turned out more so to be "dead sparkly pixie fairies." Oh well. Anyway, we got to the fields and we were two of the very very few people dressed up. Whatever, everybody was jealous. Halloween was a blast, though. Andria, Christie, Jaimie, Kiefer, Isaac, and I went to Ben's party at his house. Blast. We danced, socialized, you know, the usual. I was kind of lame, and dressed up as an ASU football player.... I know, but I didn't have to buy anything for it and I'm a broke college student! After, Andria and I went to pick up Kenna and met the others at a dance held in an airplane hanger in Gilbert. Over 1700 people. It was a lot of fun dancing around and whatnot. I even met some incredi-hot Spartans. Afterward, we sat in a McDonalds drive-thru for about 15 minutes with 2 other cars until we realized they were closed. Ha. & that's about it! ... So i messed up the pictures & they're on top. oops. I'm too lazy to fix it, so deal. Thanks.

School Has Started

2009-08-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

School has started. It isn't too bad thus far. Monday I have Chem & Lab, basically four hours of Chemisty... Yuck. Tuesday and Thursday I have math at 8am w/ the most boring teacher ever and then World Religions later on w/ a pretty fun teacher. Then after school I'll be working 2-8. Wednesday mornings I open at the gym at 4:45am-10, the Chem at noon. I also work Friday nights and Saturday mornings. The past few weekends have been really fun! Kenna and I have gone out and had good times: dancing, goofing around, and meeting new people.

Summer.

2009-07-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

Since I have time, I figured I'd update this a little bit. School let out back on May 15th, and I've been pretty busy since then. I went to California w/ my family & friend, Kenna, at the end of May. It was pretty fun. Since then I've just been working. A lot. I work six days a week, sometimes working doubles. This month I even had two weeks of working seven days a week, with a couple doubles in there too. I'm also now training for front desk. I also workout every single day, except Sunday. I basically live at the gym, good thing I like it there. I signed up for my classes this fall which start August 24th. I'll be taking Chemistry (again), College Algebra, & World Religions. My friends Christie & Lachelle just recently moved into the condo too, it's been a lot of fun living together. I've been driving my dad's old silverado since Whitney left for North Carolina, it's a beast and gas is expensive, but it starts and get's me from point A to point B, which I am grateful for because that's all I need. Well, that's about it. Later.

A little catch up, a little venting.

2009-05-08T00:05:00.000-07:00

School is almost over. I have two finals on Tuesday, then I'm done. I'm sad to say that Chemistry kicked my butt. I wasn't used to studying because I never had to in high school, so I will admit that it is mostly my fault I am retaking it next fall, but it is still a hard class. It was really hard for me to sit at home and really just focus on one subject. I'm working on finding a study routine that works best for me. My life is really repetetive right now: school, work, sleep, workout, school, work, sleep, workout... I can't say I dislike it, but I'll enjoy a whole lot more when school isn't a part of it. So I'm a pretty competetive person, even with myself. I've really gotten into working out and doing the stuff I hate doing. I stay on the StairMaster a few minutes longer every day & and try to use a heavier medicine ball when I do abs. I recently tried yoga, too. I had this preconceived notion that it was all religious like and cheesy. It was kind of, but to the extent at which I thought it was. I might actually do it again. I love basketball. I played one-on-one w/ Brooke last week then we hit the weights upstairs, probably my favorite way to get in weight training & cardio. So now for the venting portion of the blog. My truck hates me, really, it does. The past 6 months it has given me and my dad heck. First the batter. Then something electrical which took about 4 or 5 tries to fix... It was at the point where it took about 400 tries to start it. I actually have a callus on my right pointer finger from constantly turning the dang key. Finally, we got it fixed, for real. It started every time. Then on Tuesday, it just shuts off on me as I'm driving. I'm stuck on the side of the road, no idea what to do, and my dad is in Mexico, unreachable. I start calling people, they either don't pick up their dang phones, or have no interest in helping me, or they can't. I finally called Troy, a guy from work, while he was working because I had called everybody. He knew the whole saga of my truck. Once he answered the phone, I lost it. I cried, he laughed, I was mad. He came to help me, though, and so did a very nice police officer. We got my truck safely into a parking lot. We had no idea what it could be.... I couldn't have ran out of gas, I had a fourth of a tank! Nope, I ran out of gas. The sensor thingamajigger was wrong. I found this out when, after talking with some mechanics knowledgable friends, to put some more gas in the tank, thinking it was a faulty fuel pump. Well, my truck started!! Tonight my buddy, Anthony, was going to help me transfer my truck from SCC to my place. When I got in my truck it started!! Soooo HAPPY! Not, for long though. The brakes were all locked up! They didn't really work! I had to press the pedal with both feet to come to a stop from 5 miles per hour! I mean, really? Then Anthony decided to drive it around the lot, after about 30 seconds it started smoking. Called Chris, might be brake fluid. Now I have to go check the brake fluid in the morning before work instead of studying for my math final. My truck is still stuck at SCC. Really, it hates me! Nobody is probably reading this by now, but I'm glad I got it out. NOBODY would answer their phone tonight when I needed to vent & just cry it out.. NOBODY. Hmph. I'm out.

Currently.

2009-02-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

School started up again a few weeks ago, which I was not too excited about, but it's alright. I have a 7:30 am math class, then chem, a 1hr 45min break, public speaking, another 1hr 45min break, and lastly my computer systems class. At first I didn't like having the breaks, they just made my day that much longer, but I've started to like them. Thanks to the extra 3 1/2 hrs in between classes, I have had no homework that I've had to do at home (which is good, cause I tend not to do homework at home). The TAUS basketball league started yesterday. We tied our first game which was lame, but it was fun to play with girls again and be able to hold my own and more (I think playing with the guys was good for me though). Our team should be pretty good, we were just missing some girls yesterday. I also got to ref a game, that was fun (not). I kept forgetting to blow the whistle and would just say foul instead, but it was a girls game and I don't think they minded much since none of them really knew what a foul was anyway. I have also recently started this whole "eat healthy, exercise more" diet and workout routine. I don't like eating less, and it's hard driving by In-N-Out or Super Burrito, but in the past week and half I've done really well. I've also seen the results of it. I've lost 6lbs since Jan 28th. The point of posting that so all of you could see it is that it will motivate me to keep going. Here's what I've done the past week and half: For breakfast I had a toaster strudel (I know, not healthy but I HAD to to have something sweet at least once a day), for lunch a sandwich or Lean Cuisine meal and a salad, for dinner the same thing. In between I snacked on grapes or carrots. I also cut out soda completely & mainly stuck to water. I think I maybe had a cup of milk or juice once or twice. Also, I didn't eat ANYTHING after nine (what I found with this is if you don't eat after nien, you get a better night's sleep). Work out wise, I just did something everyday. Sometimes I ran and sometimes I swam, but sometimes I just shot hoops by myself for an hour. I took a kick boxing class on Thursday, and I think I'm going to make that a usual thing cause it was awesome. I also hit the weights a couple times. I didn't do anything heavy, but the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn just sitting around. It really is amazing being able to see the results, not just on the scale but how I feel. Really cool.

Updating for my mom's and Kathy's sake. Okay, more so they'll get off my back!!

2009-01-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

What's new? I got out of school on the 17th of December and am out til the 20th of January. I love college. I got two A's and a B this first semester. Not bad, but I also had easy classes. Next semester should be a bit more of a challenge (especially the having to wake up part). It's officially 2009, and I didn't ring in the new year in any exciting way, just babysat until 1:30am. We're leaving for Utah soon, in like seven hours. I'm pulling an all nighter doing laundry and whatnot. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the way up. On the 19th I went to the ASU BYU game with my dad. Pretty much an awesome game, ASU won by one point, 76-75. On Christmas Eve I went to my cousins for dinner then spent the night at my mom's. On Christmas morning I went to my dad's & did presents. Then my dad and I went to the farm for a while. Later we watched the Suns Spurs game, dang Spurs, I don't like them, not one bit. Later I wen't over to Kenna's and spent the night there. Nothing really exciting, but I did get an iPod!! I'm so excited, I really haven't worked out since my other got stolen, and I've worked out consistently now that I have one again, and I love it! Other than all that, there's nothing really exciting to tell. Later days.

Bored Much?

2008-12-02T21:42:00.000-08:00

Basically I don't have much to say, I'm just incredibly bored out of my mind. My first semester of college is almost over! I'm excited for my month long break to begin! I'll basically be working and babysitting the whole month, but it'll be well worth it. My first semester was fairly easy, except for english. I've always struggled with writing, and I strongly dislike it. I have this talent of procrastinating until the very last minute. Okay, so it's not so much a talent as it is a flaw, but I'll get over it eventually. This past week was Thanksgiving, basically my favorite holiday. I worked in the morning then went to Mary Jo's for dinner with my mom, Whitney, Tyler, the Banks & Levie's. After that I was going to go out with friends, but they cancelled. So, instead of going to see Twilight with my family because I thought I would be going out with friends visiting from out of town, I sat at home by myself and ate my leftovers. Haha. I would call that a good day. On Wednesday night my friend, Paul, took me to the Coldplay concert! It was amazing & I loved it. Coldplay is just about the greatest band ever. Did I tell you how excited I am for this semester to end? I did? Well let me make it clear: I'm VERY VERY VERY VERY EXCITED for this semester to be over. I'm still broke as ever. I refuse to spend any money grocery shopping, and my Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, so now I eat waffles and vegetables from the giant bag my dad got me at Costco. & I think that is about it, this is a video from the concert, they actually came and played in the audience, it was pretty cool!

2008-11-23T23:43:00.000-08:00

The past few months I've been playing on my ward's softball team for the church league. It's definitely been the highlight of my time out here in Scottsdale and in the singles' ward. Our team was pretty good, I mean we only were the champions, but we were alright. We went undefeated the whole season, except for one blooper where the other team was short a couple of girls, so we LET them play with extra guys. Anyway, it was super fun! The team for our ward last year also won, so we got to keep the trophy. Other than softball, there's really been nothing too exciting going on. I still go to school, which is still no fun. I did make my schedule for next semester, though. Chemistry, math, comm (public speaking), and CIS (computer systems). I'll be spending nine hours at school on Tuesday and Thursday with two 1hr 15min breaks (hopefully I'll be smart enough to use this time to study and get work done). My day will start with a 7:30 am (ugh. I have to wake up now) and end at 4:30. Way super exciting, right? Ha. NOT. But I suppose I can handle it. Peace.

Halloween

2008-11-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

So, for Halloween, my friend, Jaimie, and I could not decide what to be. We sent countless text messages brainstorming ideas, none of which really got us excited about dressing up. One day while browsing Brooke's pictures on facebook, I saw the picture of my super incredibly cute niece, Abigail, in a tutu Brooke had made for her. I made a comment about the photo somewhere along the lines of "will you make me one so I can match Abigail?" Brooke so willingly offered to make tutus for Jaimie and I for Halloween. When I told Jaimie what Brooke had offered, she basically screamed "oh my gosh that's it!" We were going to be punk rock ballerinas. We went shopping and bought the tulle and took it to Brooke. Let me tell you how wonderful Brooke really is, we got six colors for our tutus, SIX! I think our six colored tutus were a lot more work than the usual two color ones. Our costumes turned out pretty sweet, no lie. The night wasn't bad either. We got so many compliments on our tutus and comments such as "where'd you get it?" and "I want one!" So that night Jaimie, Jamison, and I went to the institute party for a while, which was a lot better than I thought it would be. Later we went to eat with some friends, where Christie met up with us, and headed to Rockin' R. So fun. I think I saw just about everybody I knew there! Christie and I had fun saying hi to all the Buckeye kids, ones I haven't seen since I moved out here. I think we danced for nearly two hours. Afterwards I went to some lame party with Jamison and Anthony where we only stayed for less than thirty minutes. I got a good nap in though in the car on the way home when the boys started talking politics. I got home around four, which I will never do again. Especially when I have to get up at seven to work. Saturday and Sunday were wonderful, mostly spent with family. Free dinner is always great.

Just For Mom

2008-10-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

My mom just scolded me for not updating my blog more often than I do, but I think she is the only one that actually reads it. So this blog is especially for her. What have I done lately? Not much really. Stake softball is basically the highlight of my life right now, it's way fun. Wednesday night basketball isn't bad, either. My friend, Jaimie, and I have a lot of fun together doing random stuff. We decided to be funky ballerinas for Halloween (thank you Brooke). Our stake had a rodeo this past Saturday, which was also not too shabby. What else? Church is good, school is school which is lame, and sports are always brilliant. I'm still broke and don't love it, but it's all part of the experience, I suppose. Ha this is why I don't blog often, Mom! I have NOTHING to say. But I guess if it makes you happy, I will continue to post senseless blogs about how nothing really has changed.

Lovin' Life

2008-09-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

I am completely loving life right now! (except for the whole broke college student part) School is going well, it's really pretty easy. I think I even know what I want to major in now (kinesiology). Mostly the reason I'm loving life right now is sports. I get to play a sport at least three nights a week. On Mondays after FHE, we play basketball. On Tuesdays, stake softball. Wednesdays, basketball again. Occasionally I play volleyball with friends, too. I've also met a lot of new people recently. Some became close friends quite quickly. I got a calling in my ward, I'm on the activities committee. The only things that get me down are when ASU loses, and when I look at my paychecks. I went from working around 60 hours a week between my two jobs, to about ten. Ouch. It's definitely not enough hours, so in October hopefully I'll start working the front desk at the Village. There's not really anything else super exciting going on right now.

I'm bored.

2008-09-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

Four Places I've Lived:
1. The Grandview house in Buckeye
2. The Farm house
3. Estrella Mountain Ranch (multiple times)
4. My mom's house in Goodyear

Four Favorite Books:
1.Band of Brothers
2.Harry Potter (all of them)
3. Twilight Series
4.The Things They Carried

Four Favorite Movies:
1. Ferris Bueller
2.Remember the Titans
3.The Emperor's New Groove
4. The Holiday

Four Embarrassing Facts About Me:
1.I ripped my pants at work once, and had to wear my basketball shorts the rest of the day. I was constantly hiding from the big boss!
2.I tripped and fell completely on my face in front of this boy that I had the BIGGEST crush on... I thought I pulled it off well, though.
3.I ripped my pants (yes, I've done it twice) while babysitting two little boys & had to wear their mom's pj's.
4. Hmm I dunno what else?..

Four Dreams of Mine:
1.Go on a mission
2.Find a job I actually want to do before I get too far into school
3. Get married in the Temple
4. Have a nice life

Pet Peeves:
1. When people make sounds while they sleep.
2. Teachers who want to hold your hand the whole way when you know exactly what you're doing.
3. Irrationally angry people
4. When people lie right to my face about dumb things that wouldn't make a difference

Things That Make Me Really Happy:
1. When ASU wins.
2. Playing basketball with friends.
3. Riding quads without wrecking.
4. My family (especially my nieces and nephew.)

The Single College Life

2008-08-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

I started going to the singles' ward a couple months ago out here in Scottsdale. I avoided it for a long time thinking "They're old. They're no fun. They'll think I'm too young. I won't have any friends." Thanks to Whitney I found the courage to go. I followed her around like a lost puppy for the first few weeks, but I've gotten to know a lot of really cool people. I even have friends & got asked out on a date. I proudly claim the youngest person in the ward at 18. Now Whitney is leaving in 11 days to serve a mission. Hopefully I'll survive going to the singles' ward without her. She's my best friend, and though I've made other friends, I feel lost and lonely without her. I'm going to miss her a lot.
I also sarted college this week at Scottsdale Community College. I'm taking 12 credits. I have one hard class that will require a lot of work and two others that will be a breeze. I've made a few friends at school, too, so it's not too bad, but it's still school.

Moving Out & Working

2008-05-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

So, this is the first time I've done this. My Sisters-in-law do it, and it seemed fun enough. Now here I am, about to type absolutely everything about something you care absolutely nothing about. I recently graduated high school. You could say I cheated the system, but I prefer the term out smarted the system. I set up to graduate in December, but played basketball so I had to take at least two classes second semester. What I did was take two classes I didn't need, and after basketball season, dropped them. Smart, aye? In the beginning of April I moved out to Scottsdale. I work two jobs, in the Childcare at the Village and teaching swim lessons at the YMCA. I work 45 hours a week, plus babysitting. I have no life, and sometimes working all the time hardly seems worth it. That is until payday, of course. That's about all I have right now.