Summer

Hi friends & family!

More than enough time has gone by. It's time for an update!

May:

Jeremy graduated COLLEGE! In 3 years. I am so proud of him! He worked so hard to get ahead and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors in Business Administration and minor in Biblical Studies.

Egypt has come & gone! It was an amazing time. Life there is so different and we learned so much! The family we stayed with and the people we visited were the most hospitable people I have ever encountered!! The Christians were inspiring... what a faith & reliance on the Lord! I could talk all day about the experience there. It was so great. Thank you for all who supported our group.

June:

Liz (Jeremy's sister) graduated high school! She graduated with highest honors and is attending APU in the Fall as a nursing major! I am soo proud of her getting into the HIGHLY competitive nursing program even before she has begun college (so rare!!). I'm so glad we get a semester at APU together too :)

Aaron family at Liz's baccalaureate.

Jeremy got a job! He works for Intuitive Surgical working with the da Vinci Surgical System Si which a surgical system that preforms minimally invasive surgeries. We are located in El Centro, CA! He will be in El Centro Regional Medical Center in the operating room when the surgical system is being used. Among other things, Jeremy is also in charge of training & guiding the surgeons who will be using the system. He will be there starting August 18 and I will join him after the wedding in January! Currently he is in Sunnyvale, CA for an intensive month of training!

Outside our new apartment!

I spent half of June with my wonderful family! It was so nice to play with the kids and just enjoy being with everyone! I did some wedding planning with the family and it was just so great to be home :)

Giving Evie her first swimming lesson :)

I came down to APU and from mid June-July I have been working at APU through their International Student Services department as an intern for SUPP (Summer University Preparation Program). We have 55 students (1/3 from Argentina, 2/3 from Taiwan and 1 from South Korea) ranging from 16-24 studying English and American culture. The job is similar to that of a camp counselor. We plan the food, activities, small groups, transportation, etc. of the student's 4 week stay in the USA! It has been crazy busy, but so much fun. We have gone to Disneyland, museums, Griffith Observatory, Hollywood, Huntington Gardens, etc. and a TON of shopping! It ends July 31 and we are all going to be sad to see the students go home!! Love them.

The group in Disneyland!

With my small group girls!

Charlotte, Jackie (another leader), me, Joy, Vivi, Celina, Flor, Estefania, Shine, Wendy, Tiffany, Fion, and Emily :)

I will be spending August 5-12 in Sacramento with the fam! So excited for that week!!!

After that we will be moving Jeremy into our apartment in El Centro, I will be moving into my Fall housing, I will start my on campus jobs and then my last semester in college begins! Wow. Doesn't time fly!? Seems like only 3 years ago I was starting this blog... :)

As far as the wedding goes, it's coming together! We do not have too many big things left to do! We will be deciding on dessert for the wedding, getting a florist and wedding favors, and designing invitations. Other than that, it's details! (Lots of details, but hey, at least the big stuff will be done!) To visit our wedding website go here. :)

With love from Smith Hall at APU,

Paige

Pre-Egypt Blog!

Well, Sunday is the big day! We leave for Egypt.

-- I have one more take home final until I am liberated from this semester. :)

-- Tomorrow (Friday) morning is Jeremy's Convocation ceremony, which I'm STOKED for!!!!

-- Tomorrow my parents come into town! Moving me out of my apartment and hanging with the Aaron family :)

-- Saturday is graduation day! Can't believe it! :) My man is all done with college. Off to this place they call the "real world!"

-- Sunday at 12:30PM we are departing for LAX to leave for Egypt!!

When I come back to the US...

I got a job!!! :) :) And it was the job I actually WANTED! I will be working at APU June 25-August 5 with Asian international high school and college aged students studying in the U.S. It is like a camp experience with learning involved.

I am both an RA (Residence Advisor) living on the hall with some great women, as well as planning the cultural and fun activities for the students to learn American culture, helping with homework/learning English, planning weekly chapels with the other workers, going on field trips, etc. Sounds like an intensive 6 weeks but SO rewarding! I can't wait!!

And a GREAT part about this is that I am able to go home between Egypt and the start of this job! :D AND afterwards I have a gap of time I am able to relax at home/down here. SO nice. Perfect summer job! So, I'm pretty excited for that, and to see these faces:

Fall I move in with Corinne and some other girls to start my last semester of college!!

8 months until the wedding! Time is going to fly.

Wedding website, recently updated with Bridesmaids and Honeymoon!: www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JeremyAaron&PaigeJennings

Here are some pics of the last beach day with Jeremy & his roommates. Enjoy!

After a long beach volleyball game. Enjoying Subway:

Last picture of Jeremy IN college! Wow. Time flies!

Jeremy and our friend Bo who is coming to Egypt too!

My wonderful fiance!

With love from K164 for the last time,

Paige

Wow!

Hello family & friends!

Lots to update you all on! In a random order:

Two Mondays ago I went with the Aarons and some family friends, the Delahookes, to a Clippers v. Mavericks game. The Delahookes had friends with box seats so we got treated to a luxurious ball game! It was tons of fun!

This semester, and especially these last few weeks have been cRaZy with homework, especially for Jeremy! He was about to leave my house after writing a paper and I couldn't help but laugh at ALL HIS BOOKS! Very hard worker he is!

A few weeks ago we went with some friends to see the David Crowder band (and some others like Mercy Me, Franchesca Battistelli, Family Force 5, etc.) play. It was so good! We wished Crowder could have been out there for longer. Was a blast!

I guess I'm going in reverse chronology! Before Spring break Liz, Jeremy and I took the metro and went into Downtown Los Angeles to get my ring resized. We had a great time! I felt so posh, like I was in New York or something!

That's all for the past, now for the present & future:

-Currently undecided on summer plans. Have had a few interviews and am waiting on those answers. Most likely will be in Los Angeles but not sure quite yet!

-Egypt planning is going great! I feel like we are getting more and more ready for our adventure in 2 1/2 weeks!! Eek! :D

-Jeremy graduates in 2 weeks and 2 days! Wild!!! I think he has so much work it hasn't even hit him yet.

-Wedding planning is also going great! We just chose our photographers and loved them! Husband and wife duo, Liz and Timon (pronounced like Simon with a T, not The Lion King character!) If you want to see their site, it is here.

That's all for now! I'm busy busy ending up this year's projects and papers.

With love from my apartment,

Paige

Engagement Update :)

So I haven't blogged at ALL about the engagement!!! I've actually been working on our wedding website a lot instead of the blog. Although we are in now way done with the website, here is the URL so you can check it out:

www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JeremyAaron&PaigeJennings

This has our engagement story, wedding details, will have our registry, etc. etc.! We will be updating it often, so feel free to bookmark it!

We will be getting married on January 8, 2011* in Los Angeles. :) Pretty much every detail is on the website. Check it out, and don't forget to sign our guest book!!

Big things we have so far:

-Engagement pics! Found on Facebook and a few on the website.

-Site for ceremony and reception, including catering.

-My dress

-Bridesmaids dresses picked out

-Colors: darker red, brown, cream, gold, and white.

Big things we're still planning:

-DJ

-Photographer

-Videographer

-Florist

-Bakery for the cake

:)

We are sooo excited!!! We have very exciting things leading up to our wedding day too!

-Jeremy's graduation on May 8

-Our Egypt missions trip on May 9-26th

-I graduate on December 18th

-Wedding on January 8th!

-Sacramento reception after the wedding, date TBD.

Thanks for all your love and support, family and friends!

With love from Organizational Communication class,

Paige

Happy birthday to my sister!!!

My sister is my best friend. Now, I know I previously said that about my mom. Well welcome to females, best friends sometimes come in packages :) The three of us are a dynamic trio, that could not function without our hilarious and dedicated third member, Brooke.

Growing up I had one mission. Some wanted to be doctors. Some pilots. Besides my passion for being a dolphin trainer in sixth grade, I always wanted to be my sister.

Being four and a half years older than me, she was always leaps and bounds beyond my developmental stage. When I was in diapers she was tap dancing, putting on a show and loving the spotlight. When I was toddling she was grabbing me around the waist and spinning me around, much to my dismay. When I was a shy little girl she would talk to strangers for me and protect me from my biggest fear, dogs. When I was in first grade, she was starting a cool new school. Second grade I got to go to school with her. I would tell all my friends about her and go watch her play basketball. Trust me, it was the cool thing to have a SIXTH grader as your sister!

When she left to middle school and kept a journal, I'd sneak into her room to read it when she wasn't home. I was enthralled with what was going on in her life. When I was in 5th grade, she was a high school cheerleader. A hot high school cheerleader, said all my guy friends, as she came to get me from school in her uniform. "Whoa! Who's that?" "My sister" I'd reply as I strutted away. Watched her go to dances, watched her with her friends, waiting for the day I was her age.

When she went into high school I couldn't believe she had a LOCKER! I memorized how she decorated it so one day I could do the same. She had the prettiest handwriting in the whole world, and I would take papers she threw away to copy how she wrote her letters. When she started dating Josh in 8th grade, that's when I was really fun to be around ;) I would tattle on her when she talked over her daily hour. I would put a wrapping paper tube up to my vent to listen to her conversation. When I had my first dance in middle school coming up, I went into her room and asked her how to dance. She turned on music, looked at me, and said, "Show me what you can do." Horrified, I stood there. She danced and I copied her, more memorizing moves in my mind to practice when I was alone. I asked her questions about boys, kissing, friends... When she got her license she would take me out for ice cream cones or on her errands. Her long blonde/brown hair blowing in my dad's red Mustang. Yeah, I was with HER!

It was my turn for high school and her turn for college. I found myself bringing pictures and scrapbook paper before classes even started to make my locker just as I had seen. I tried out for Dance/Drill team, her in the crowd cheering me on. (And wanting to die she was so nervous for me!) She was there with me to register for classes, to make my schedule, to show me around the school. My birthdays always had posters around the school because of her. I always had flowers and balloons on Valentines Day. Always a listening ear.

I don't remember how she asked or where I was, but I remember the feeling when she asked me to be her Maid of Honor. At 14, I was far from qualified to take this honorary position. She didn't care at all. For her lingerie shower, she thought a Mexican Fiesta was a GREAT idea! (HA!) So easy going and carefree. I've never seen a bride so willing to go with the flow. Her wedding day she looked gorgeous. She radiated love for Josh and happiness for this event. Danced the night away with her friends. And I cried happy tears but also tears of loss, knowing that I had just lost my roommate and partner in crime at home.

Our relationship grew as I would visit her apartment, then duplex, then house. Moving off to college was a sad time for us, as we had to use Skype, phone, texting, and emailing. She gave birth to my beautiful niece, Evelyn, and named her middle name after me. What an honor. Then I saw her become the kind of mother I want to be. Singing to her crying baby girl to lull her back to sleep. Sacrificing sleep and luxuries to make little Evie happy. Singing and dancing to make her laugh.

With Chet as another addition, I see even more clearly how motherhood fits her like a glove.

She is my Matron of Honor. My sister. More than a sister, she is my best friend. The most reliable, honest, open person I know. She values family, quality time, words of encouragement. She is organized, color coded, dedicated to the task at hand. She is thoughtful, caring, and looks out for your best interest. More than a best friend, she is my sister.

Happy birthday Brookie. I love you so much!

44 Reasons I LOVE my Birthday Girl!

That's my MOMMA! :) (Sorry to subtly reveal your age...)

1. She's thoughtful.

2. She's HILARIOUS!

3. She's soft.

4. She loves a clean house.

5. She's beautiful.

6. She loves Iced Tea.

7. She loves my daddy. (Flashback to her Prom. Yes, that's my dad!)

8. She didn't ever leave me when I threw up. (I was scared). Even if she was gagging along with me.

9. She is feisty. You don't mess with this ninja!

10. My most often and favorite memory of her is reading her bible, tea in hand, blue or pink robe in the morning.

11. She puts Bible verses all over the house.

12. She laughs troubles away.

13. She is very intelligent.

14. and is very humble.

15. She loves everyone. Yes, everyone.

16. She will gasp louder than anyone when she sees a beautiful sunset. And not even care that her gasp almost made you crash, because she is still so focused on the sunset!

17. Loves trees in the fall.

18. Long walks after dinner.

19. She doesn't force her opinion on others. Even when it's right.

20. She gives and gives and gives...

21. She makes a FAB Christmas tree.

22. She knows everyone's name at church. And their story. And their families stories.

23. She can read the feel of a room like no other and is somehow able to make it more positive and welcoming.

24. Remedy for a bad day: long hot shower and a nap.

25. Laughed harder than anyone I know at Napoleon Dynamite and Baby Mama.

26. Saver of money. Splurger of Hot Tamales.

27. You can't beat her steak and potatoes. OR caesar salad.

28. She makes red velvet cake just for dad.

29. She makes the birthday WEEK special.

30. She doodles when she is on the phone.

31. Ordained minister, mother, pastor, grammy, wife, daughter, sister and friend? Yep.

32. Decorates beautifully.

33. Hilarious story teller.

34. Faithful friend.

35. Loves to tan. Loves to be tan.

36. Will stop and smell the roses. (But doesn't trample the pansies... ;))

37. Godly advice always is on the tip of her tongue.

38. Big soft fluffy towels. Long baths to escape.

39. Singing "Silent Night" every night and tickling my back until I fell asleep.

40. Supporter of my passions.

41. Reader. Reader's Digest. Good House Keeping. Bible. Beth Moore.

42. Soft PJs. Soft sheets. Soft soft soft.

43. Egyptian traveler. Future world traveler with Paige & Jeremy.

44. My best friend.

Happy birthday Momma!!! Those descriptions only begin to describe the amazing woman who you are to me and to countless others.

I love you!!!!