>>PHOTOSHOP FUN

So...I'm in a photoshop class here in town.  In true Jen fashion, I haven't made any friends in the class.  So each week I go, I sit by myself, during breaks I sit there alone or casually walk out and wander the halls, then at 9:00 sharp, I head to my car solo and drive home.

I think the people in my class think I'm weird.  And snobbish.  I will admit, weird, yes, very much so.  But snobbish...no.  I can be awfully quiet and shy and I guess it can come off as being a snob.

Oh well.  What's a girl to do?

So....for my class we have to do homework assignments and post them to a facebook group.  Then we have to comment on each other's photos.  Each week I try to do something fun and creative, but I never get a reaction out of anyone in my class.  Often times during class, the teacher or other students will talk about the photos posted on facebook that they liked most.  None of my pictures have ever come up in conversation.

So, this week I really put myself out there and posted this picture:

And guess what?

I got nothin'.


Am I the only one who thinks this picture is funny?  I guess it wouldn't be the first time that I was the only person laughing at my own joke.

The Cake

I forgot to post these pictures with Curtis' graduation post. I made this cake for Curtis to celebrate his graduation from law school. For those of you who have never seen a law school book, they are big, boring and brown, just like these.

Juris Doctor

He did it! Curtis graduated and is now a Juris Doctor...and one cute Juris Doctor at that! I tried my best to capture this momentous occasion on film....

[entering the stage]

[being hooded]

[getting the ginormous diploma]

[Seriously, just look how big it is. Way bigger than mine.]

[Curtis and some of his peeps played a couple of songs during the ceremony, including Tom Petty's Learning to Fly. Classic! Aren't they hot in their robes and hats?!?]

[Class Photo. I had the perfect shot until the girl in white got in my way.]

[Good Friends...who will be missed dearly by us both.]

[Family Photo]

[2 grads in LoVe!! How could we not want to be all kissy kissy in this attire?!?]

It seems like just the other day we were driving up to Laramie to check out the University of Wyoming campus to see if it was the right fit for us. These past 3 years have flown by, yet it also seems like we have been friends with the Laramie folk for decades. We will treasure this experience forever.

Now, I know some of you are wondering what our future has in store for us. So are we. At this point, we are planning on staying here in Laramie until Curtis takes the Bar in July. How fun...a summer full of studying! Curtis is taking the Wyoming Bar, which means, you guessed it...we are planning on staying in Cowboy Country...at least for a while. Curtis has a couple of leads on some jobs, but that is all I can tell you now. But I promise, when I know more, I will tell.

Good job babe on graduating from law school. Stay cool and have a good summer!

no more school!!

...for now anyway.


I'm done. Graduated! And already, life is awesome as a college grad.

No more:
reading worn-out textbooks,
studying,
online journal entries,
threaded discussions,
research papers,
reflection papers,
presentations,
lectures,
tests,
group work,
group work,
group work!!

I enjoyed school and loved my classes, but boy does it feel good to be done!

My family (mom, grandma and aunt) came and celebrated with us this weekend. We had a great time eating out, watching tv and sharing one bathroom between the 5 of us. It was awesome!

I originally wasn't planning on walking, but Curtis convinced me to and I'm so glad he did. It was a great experience and walking for graduation made this whole experience complete.

Here I am receiving my diploma. I didn't even trip. When my name was called, my family rang cowbells, but I was so focused on not tripping that I didn't hear a thing.

I made some great friends...

and had the best adviser/teacher/mentor ever

just look how happy I am...

I couldn't have done any of this without Curtis. He's the best!

Now next week we get to do this all over again. Curtis will graduate next Saturday with his Juris Doctor degree. We are so excited for more family, more celebration and more pictures of us in our strikingly attractive caps and gowns!

Stay tuned...you don't want to miss it!

the final countdown...

I have less than 2 weeks left of school. I am finally seeing the light at the end and I am jumping with joy. Literally.

To be honest, I never thought I would make it back to school. I took several years off after getting married and although I always thought about going back to school, and wanted to, ...I really wanted to... I thought I would just end up working and then eventually have a baby and never make it back to finish my schooling.

After leaving our lives in Utah and beginning our new adventure in Wyoming, I realized I needed to go to school now...or I never would. Curtis was already in school....we lived so close to the University....I had the perfect work schedule that would accommodate my school schedule....it was the perfect opportunity!

I was 24 when I applied to the University of Wyoming. Boy was I nervous to go back to school. I was apprehensive about being older and being in classes with 18 and 19 year olds.

What if my classmates don't like me?
What if they sit in their little groups and laugh at me?
What if my teachers don't like me?
What if they're mean?
What if I get called on in class and I don't know the answer?

These are things I worried about...really.

I was worried about balancing my full time job with my full time school schedule. I was nervous about my assignments....after all, it had been a very long time since I've written any kind of school report. I had no clue was I was doing.

Well, here I am, 2 years later and just days away from graduating. I made it! And guess what? Everyone was really nice to me. I even made friends. Lots of friends. And my teachers were nice. I love them. I'm going to miss them dearly.

Moving to Wyoming was the best thing we've ever done. I'm glad Curtis had the idea to go to law school. I'm even more glad he didn't get accepted to the U and that we were able to have this great adventure. We've experienced life in a new way here in Wyoming. We have met extraordinary people and have made life-long friends. My knowledge has grown, my appreciation for hard work has increased, my heart is fuller and I think overall I'm a better person for the experiences I have had here.

Spring Break and Pay It Forward Gifts

Today is the last day of Spring break...boo hoo. This break was definitely not long enough. We went to Utah to see the fam and to visit some friends. I had some free time to play, but a lot of my time was spent working. We even had to come home early so I could work some more. I can't tell you enough how excited I am for school to be done. I'm not even sure if I can last until May. I am doing some extra part-time work in addition to my full-time job. This equals about 50 hours/week doing work related stuff in addition to my 13 credits of school. Blah! I think I might sleep all summer long.

[The only picture from our trip to Utah...me working. And if you can't tell, this was St. Patrick's Day (hint, the green). My lappy even participated in the St. Patty's day fun.]

...and now for some exciting stuff:

Pay it Forward Participants - Your gifts await you . . .

These are necklace tiles made from Scrabble tiles. Kate, Kristin and Tawna...let me know which tile you would like. First come, first served. Let me know your choice in the comments section and then email me your mailing address at jennycheney[at]gmail[dot]com. I will mail you a necklace tile with a chain, but you can put the tile on any chain if you have one you like more than the cheap one I will be sending you. Also, I am an amateur at this, so these are not perfect...sorry. But I hope you like them nonetheless.

>>AWESOMENESS

This guy...he's my husband and he is AWESOME!

Today Curtis argued in front of the Wyoming Supreme Court. How about that?!? And he did awesome! I didn't actually watch the argument, but I know he did great...because that is just how he is. I bet the judges were like, "wow, who is this guy? He is awesome."

Curtis has been crazy busy with finals these past 2 weeks in addition to preparing for this argument. It is all finally over and I am so happy. He is too. Now he can watch all the Cops, Walker Texas Ranger, World's Wildest Police Videos and all the other trashy tv shows he likes. He deserves it though...so I will let him. Actually, Walker Texas Ranger isn't trashy...just cheesy. Plus my grandma loves that show too, so when we see her next week, I'm sure Curtis and her will be talking about good ol' Walker and his partner Trivett...just like they always do. :)

It's good to have my husband back. Things are just more fun with him around.

We are excited for Christmas and we're looking forward to seeing our families soon.

In summary...

Curtis = AWESOME / done with finals / Supreme Court Pro / Trashy TV show advocate
Jen = happy / proudest wife ever

>>I'VE GOT THE READING BUG

So lately all I want to do is read...and I have LOTS and LOTS of stuff to read, but the only problem is, the stuff (school work) that I have to read is NOT what I want to read. For once in my life I actually want to read...for fun! But I have no time and I hate it. I see my book sitting by my bed and I want so badly to read it, but then I remember I have a million pages I have to read out of my counseling book in addition to 4 articles I have to read for my Professional Responsibilities class, then I remember about my Parent Child Relationship reading I have to do. Then when that's all done, I have to take 2 online quizzes, then I have to summarize my reading notes, and do my journal entry. Ah, now...now I have time for my {fun} reading, finally. Only now it is really late and I am really tired. Maybe tomorrow I will have time for my book, but wait...tomorrow I have more counseling reading to do...and another quiz...and more summaries, and more {boring} reading to do. Oh how I hope this semester ends soon. Then I can spend my whole Christmas break wrapped up in a blanket and maybe then...maybe then I can read.

And just to set things straight ... vampires nor any books containing vampires have anything to do with my recent desire and longing to read. :-)

>>IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

Time when we kiss our free time goodbye, time when we hit the books, and time when the great city of Laramie fills with college students. Summertime in Laramie is SO great because pretty much ALL of the students leave town. It's great. The streets are clear, the stores are empty...it's the best! But then, school starts and everything changes. Laramie seriously almost doubles in size once school starts. It's crazy. Just take a look for yourself...

Walmart in the summertime:

Walmart once school starts:

Curtis and I had our first day back at school yesterday. We weren't all that excited to head back, but it is exciting to know that we will be done in May. Yay!!! Our time here in Laramie has gone by so fast...and I know this next year will just fly by.

I am sometimes negative about school, but the truth is, it really does feel good to be back. I am SO happy about my decision to return back to school and get my degree. It was something that was always in the back of my mind, but I would justify reasons why I didn't need to finish school. I know it was the best decision for me to go back and I am so excited to graduate in just 9 months! It will be fun for me and Curtis to graduate together!!
It really helps that I enjoy what I am learning in school. My degree is in Family and Consumer Science with an emphasis in Family and Community Services. So what does all that mean you aks?? Basically it prepares me to work with families who are in need. It is a lot like what I am doing now at my job. I work for an organization that helps families in Wyoming who have children with hearing loss. We help them get appointments with audiologists, speech/language therapists, help get them involved in an early intervention program, etc. I love it because it feels good to help people who are in need. It is very rewarding and I hope to be able to stay in this field of work for a long time.
Curtis and I have a VERY BUSY semester on our hands. Wish us luck!!

>>A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Today was such a beautiful day. I was actually able to enjoy the nice spring weather I have been craving. This morning Curtis drove me to school on his scooter. It was my first scooter ride of the season...besides the time he gave me a ride around my work's parking lot. It was a fun ride. Usually I get scared and am worried we are going to crash...but not today. I was just enjoying having my arms wrapped tightly around Curtis and having the cool breeze blow through my hair.

After my class, I had a nice walk home. I realized on my walk home just how much I talk to myself. Really...I talked to myself the whole way home...not out loud of course...I don't think. I realized I spend a lot of my day just thinking about the most random things. I do it all the time. I will be watching tv but not paying attention to the show at all. Instead I am thinking about something that happened earlier at work or thinking about a new song that I am contemplating downloading from iTunes. Other times, I am sitting in class "taking notes," but not even listening to what my teacher is saying. Instead, I am thinking about what I should do with my hair...should I cut it?...should I grow it long again?... or I wonder if I'm ever going to find a swimsuit that I like that actually fits me...and when I finally do find the perfect swimsuit, will I ever feel comfortable enough to wear it? I think about my family a lot too. I think about Curtis and hope he is having a good day at school. I wonder what my mom is up and how my grandparents are doing. I think about a lot of things...some crazy, some sad, some funny, but I do it all the time. On my way home from school today, while I was thinking about more crazy things, I began to realize just how much my mind wanders. It kind of made me laugh. Sometimes, I just totally space out and day dream. I act like I'm paying attention, but no, I'm not. My mind is far far away.

This blog entry turned into a totally random post, but that's okay. It's my crazy mind taking off again.

All in all, I am thankful for the beautiful day we had today. It was my first day wearing flip flips and I loved it. Luckily I enjoyed it today because supposedly the next few days are full of thunder showers. Good ol' Laramie:)

>>FINALS TIME

Yep, that's right, it is finals time for the Cheney's. I always hate this time of year. While I can't wait for the semester to be over, I dread finals. Luckily, I am almost done with mine...I have a few more projects to finish up and a few tests to take, 2 of which are online, so not so bad. However, Curtis is not so lucky. He has 2 weeks of finals beginning Monday....so that means no more Curtis for the next 2 weeks:( During finals time, I pretty much see Curtis in the morning until about 7 and don't see him again until around midnight or so. It is a sad, lonely time...for both of us. It is crazy that he is almost done with his second year and that we only have one more year left. Our time here in Laramie has gone by so fast. It almost seems like we just moved here. I am beginning to think a lot about our future and where we will end up. It is exciting and a bit scary to think that in a year we will be moving, finding new jobs, meeting new people, etc. I'm sure this next year will fly by just as the past 2 years have, so I know it will be here before we know it. Hopefully we will end up in a good place (ideally some place less windy and not so bitter cold), with good people, and with a good job that Curtis loves. That's not too much to hope for, right?

>>A BLONDE MOMENT, PERHAPS?

I think you'll find this pretty funny....

Since the weather has gotten better and the snow and ice have finally melted from the roads, I have been able to ride my bike to school. So, the other day, I get to school, lock my bike up to a bike rack, and head to class. Only one problem....I forgot to take off my bike helmet. I made it about half way to my class before I realized I still had it on. Oops! I felt so embarrassed. Here I am walking around campus with my bike helmet on. "Oh Jen" I thought to myself. "Here we go again....another day of me embarrassing myself." Oh well. Hopefully I gave people a good laugh. I know Curtis was sure laughing when I told him about it. Today on my way to school I repeated over and over again in my head, "Don't forget about my helmet...don't forget about my helmet." Luckily I didn't forget, but there's always next week.

Another funny story....Today in my communication class, we had to each share some kind of argument with the class. I had no idea what to say, so once it was my turn, I said the first thing that came to my head..."I think people in Wyoming drink too much." I didn't realize people in my class would be so sensitive towards their alcohol. I mean, seriously, there are probably only 2 people in my class, including me that are even old enough to drink. It sparked a big debate, which basically only confirmed my thought. One girl's comment was that drinking is a part of Wyoming's culture and that there is nothing else to do. I had to quickly respond by letting them know I didn't say anything bad about people who drink and I never said drinking was bad....all I said was that people in Wyoming drink too much. My teacher (who always talks about going to bars and getting wasted) replied with, "well, obviously since people are so passionate about this, maybe people in Wyoming really do drink too much." I concluded my argument by restating the fact that Wyoming was the last state to ban open alcohol containers in vehicles, and that law only passed about a year ago. The crazy thing is that people were actually upset about that law being passed. No body else in the class commented on anyone else's arguments, but we spent about 10 minutes on mine. I kind of felt dumb afterwards, but I also thought it was pretty funny. Hopefully I didn't make anyone too upset.

People here really do drink too much. One of Curtis' friends at school spends $500 a month or more on alcohol. Last year when Curtis and I played on a soccer team, people would sub out and open a can of beer. Also, it is pretty much the only thing people talk about....getting wasted at the bar.

>>SCHOOL, SCHMMOOOL....I HATE SCHOOL

Ok, so I don't "hate" school....I am just really sick of it. A full time school schedule with 17 credits in addition to working full time is getting the best of me. I sure hope this is all worth it. Curtis and I ask ourselves that question all the time (Curtis is taking 17 credits too). Of course we know it's worth it, but we have to remind ourselves sometimes. I do love learning and I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to be going to school. It just gets stressful at times....like now! It will be awesome though next spring (09') when Curtis and I both walk across the stage at our graduation ceremonies. That will be the day! I guess I better not waste any more time and I should hit the books:(