Post #200! The Jeni Tour Itinerary!

Let the Jeni Tour Commence!

This trip is going to be fantastic in every way!  I will be visiting many places I've never been and having a TON of fun while finally getting the opportunity to meet some of my lovely blog friends in person! Thank you all for "inviting" me
   to your hometowns!

To begin, I will be leaving Colorado and heading Northeast!  

Illinois is a state I have not been to before, so I am excited about coming here!  My inaugural stop in the state of Illinois is bound to be memorable!  I'm going to get a taste for living the simple life. Carla lives on 10 acres of land in rural east central Illinois.  I plan to help out with the chores in and around their little farm house!  I would also like to try my hand at quilting!  I'm super excited to learn more about life on the farm, including the egg laying animals, and hopefully, she'll have her sheep and llamas by then, because them are cute!  :-)  Wait! Do llamas spit?  Maybe them aren't so cute.  Carla, I need to let you know one thing.  I am NOT, I repeat, NOT up for slaughtering chickens. Not now...not ever.  But thanks for the offer, love!  :-)  Before I leave, I think Carla deserves a little quiet time.  I'm sure taking care of 3 kiddos between the ages of 3 and 6 gets a little chaotic at times!  The kids and I will spend a long afternoon outside.  They will show me around the place...maybe teach me how to fish?  We WILL NOT slaughter any chickens, but we will have fun, while Carla takes a nap (a what?) or maybe fixes the quilt I surely jacked up.

Let's head North just a bit!  Chicago, here I come!  Chicago!  How could it possibly BE that I have not been here?   It sounds like Michael and I might be able to hit up lots of outdoor fun!  We'll catch some concerts and street festivals... and for sure we're going to go to the Taste of Chicago. Because
Food + Festival = Happy Jeni!  Michael's twins will have been born by then, so I plan to get my baby fix and send him and Derek out for a quiet evening while I watch the kids.  It's a win-win for sure!  They will undoubtedly bring me back something sweet (I don't know...maybe CAKE???) to thank me for watching the babies, and I will undoubtedly thank them for allowing me to change a few diapers and feed a couple cutie-patootie babies.  Chicago will be a hoot!  Yes, I just said hoot.

Now, apparently Jesse  doesn't think it's necessary for me to make a stop on the Jeni Tour to see her.  Jesse~  Just because I have a Real Life trip booked to come and visit you, doesn't mean we can't also play together in the land of make believe! Sheesh!  :-)   Plus, I'll be in Chicago for goodness sake!  That's just too close to you to NOT make a stopover! Since I know you don't want to share all of your juicy Real Life plans, we'll just plan on hangin' out in the beloved "Land of Cheese" for the Jeni Tour visit.  I know for a fact that this trip will involve a lot-a-bit of laughing.!  I mean, things are ALWAYS fun in the state of WIS-CAN-SIN, right?  You and Jesse will get the boot at least one night for a little break from the kids!  I'll play Mario Bros. with Elliot while the girls bake me a butt crack cake (Readers: Ask Jesse).  You don't think boy Jesse will  mind if the kids and I take a limo out for a little spin while you're gone, do ya? 

I'm now headed to Etters.  That's right. Etters.  Michelle has invited me to Pennsylvania!  I am proud to say that I have been to Pennsylvania before. However, I have NOT been to Hershey's Chocolate World...and I think that sounds DE-lightful! Think they offer free samples?  Michelle also says we can go to the Baltimore Aquarium and the Maryland Zoo which means I'll get 2 states for the price of 1! Michelle, can we also explore Amish country?  I think that would be fascinating to see.  Seeing as how Michelle is busy growing a giant baby for her IF's, I'm thinking maybe a little pampering might be nice for her as well.  Hmmm...I actually don't know if she'd rather have a night out with her husband, or a manicure/pedicure!  Michelle, let me know what you'd prefer.  And if you can get me free samples at Hershey, you can have both a night out AND a mani/pedi! Deal?  Deal. :-)

Now since I'm so darn close, I'll have to make a quick stopover in New York to see George, Farid, Milena and Gustavo.  I'm always excited to see the 4 of them and the awesome state that they live in!  I will for sure be kicking the guys out at some point so they can have some time for themselves while I take care of the babies!  I will gladly babysit...in exchange for an empanada. Ok...so maybe I'll gladly babysit without  reimbursement, but hey...those empanadas sure do make a girl happy! ;-)  Although I won't want to leave, (I'm never ready to leave this family) the Jeni Tour must continue and I know I'll be back to visit them soon.

Rebekah, I'm comin' for you, my dear! Next stop: Georgia.  Although I've never been to Georgia, this stop is all about Rebekah.  Poor thing has been on bed rest the last few weeks while she makes sure the twin girls she's carrying are nice and healthy before making their appearance. She never complains and deserves to be pampered...big time.  I'm thinkin' a mani/pedi is in order to begin with.  I'll also spring for someone to come to the house so she can get a prenatal massage.  All those hours on the couch have GOT to add up to a sore back and butt.  :-)  We'll play some games, talk (a LOT) and Rebekah will attempt to teach me how to cook, from the comfort of the couch.  I am really good at following directions, Rebekah, so hopefully I will be able to produce something delicious for us with your careful instruction.  I will leave Rebekah and the state of Georgia, knowing that I will be back after she's delivered so we can go explore the state together!

I am now headed to West Palm Beach, Florida to visit Ryan and Ruben.  This trip sounds like it's going to be delightfully relaxing.  We plan to ride bikes to Palm beach at sunset and walk the beach.  We'll top off our evening with some wine and baby talk.  Seriously, does it get any better than this?  I have warned them though, that it may require 2 glasses of wine, because I love talkin' about babies!  I am going to want to hear ALL about their journey, which is just beginning!  I'm really looking forward to the beautiful scenery, and wonderful company.  It'll be nice to have a great big dose of R&R before hopping on a plane for the L-O-N-G flight to....

Italy!  Danielle, you're a genius!  Although Danielle lives in Southern California, she figured since I am already lucky enough to get to go there quite often, she and I could travel to Italy to visit her IF's and surro-twins!  Um...twist my arm, Danielle!  :-) This is going to be great!  I plan to bring my "big jeans" for this portion of the tour.  Danielle and I will not only explore Italy, but we'll spend lots of time with her IF's and their babies.  She also suggests we let the guys have some alone time while we watch the cuties!  Sounds perfect to me! But Danielle, you've got to go along with the plan here....I'm pretending that all babysitting duties need to be reimbursed with deliciousness. What shall we have the guys bring us as a thank you for babysitting (yes, I know...the job was absolute torture for us, right?)  Pizza? Pasta?  Pastries?  Oh Lord. I'm salivating just thinking about it.  Get me out of this country before I have to trade in my big jeans for my "even bigger" jeans!  :-)

It's just a hop, skip and a jump to Australia! That's right!  I'm off to the land down
un-dah!  Saskia and I will be traveling, via their 1968  Mustang, through the rolling hills of South Australia. Barossa Valley to be more precise, which is covered in vineyards. I'm promised that we'll stop at each winery to enjoy all the tastes that the valley has to offer!  It sounds like the locals might be just as entertaining as the wildlife! Lol! Saskia, will we REALLY see kangaroos?  That would be pretty darn amazing!  Kangaroos are cute AND they don't spit!  :-)  Any chance you could hook me up with a koala while I'm there?  And by "hook up", I mean....well, hopefully you know what I DON'T mean....

I'm so excited to get to visit Australia and as I leave there, I plan to refer to every flight attendant on the plane as "mate".  I have to get as many "mates" in as I can, because in a few (many) hours, I'll need to be saying....

A-lo-ha!  Doug and Bill have graciously invited me to visit them in Hawaii.  Now, Doug didn't go into ANY detail about what we might do while I am there and I know exactly why.  It doesn't matter.  It's Hawaii. As Doug so accurately pointed out, "Hawaii. Enough said".  I have been fortunate enough to visit Hawaii before, although it's been far too long, and I'm itchin' to go back! The smell of Hawaii alone is enough to win you over but what I think I liked the most is that time slows down while you're there.  The weather is always, yes ALWAYS perfect and it's beautiful.  Stunningly beautiful, actually.  Although I am sure we will see plenty of the island, I also look forward to spending some time on the hammock Bill so enjoys!  If Baby Girl has not arrived, I'm happy to help get that nursery put together, and if Baby Girl HAS arrived, well then Jeni is more than happy to do diapering/feeding/night duties while Daddies catch up on their zzzz's!  Hawaii....ahhhhh.........Just THINKING about being there lowers the good 'ol blood pressure.

It seems I'm going to need to plan on spending AT LEAST a few days in British Columbia! Darshan has LOTS planned for us! I've been to Vancouver and Victoria before, but to experience it with a local...priceless! Sounds like we would have some terrific meals!  I'm excited to get to go back to Stanley Park!  We only drove through it back in the day, so it would be fun to explore more of it on foot!  I  L-O-V-E fireworks, so I plan to be there for the Celebration of Lights! We are then going to head over to Vancouver Island where I will get to re-visit Victoria.  I will force Darshan to endure a driving trip around the neighborhoods in Victoria, as they have some of the prettiest floral displays I have EVER seen.  We'll have fun visiting museums before we travel to the other side of the island.  In Tofino, we're going to have fresh crab and go whale watching!  Whale watching was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced so I'm thrilled to be going again with Darshan!  She's also talked me into massages at a luxurious spa...Now you're talkin', Darshan!  I'll have to come back during winter for snowshoeing, but I do enjoy myself some fondue...any chance we could still enjoy that before I leave? :-)  Only one more request, Darshan.  Could we PLEASE listen to Celine Dion the entire time I'm there?  I know you're a huge fan!  Lol!

Time to cross back over the border and visit Seattle.  Another place I've been to and loved!  Now Mike and Tony don't know I'm coming so Shhhh....don't tell.  :-)  I MUST see that beautiful little girl of theirs! Mike and Tony definitely deserve at least a day out together, and if I could talk them into it, maybe a whole weekend!  I know it would be excruciatingly hard for them to be away from Zoey for so long, but sometimes, as a parent, you have to take some much needed time for yourself, so that you can be everything you need to be for your children. Zoey and I would play and laugh and tell girl secrets to each other while her Daddies enjoyed some alone time. However, before I leave, I would really enjoy spending some time hanging out with Mike and Tony.  Simply because they are super cool people.

*Sniff!  I smell money!  Must mean I'm in Nevada!  I'm excited to spend some time with my girl, Jaime in her hometown of Reno!  It's the biggest, little city in the world!  Sounds like she and I will explore Lake Tahoe and Virginia   City!  And she must be planning on me visiting AFTER her surro-baby is born because she's tried to "bribe" me to come visit by telling me that her husband sells alcohol for a living!  This sounds a wee-bit dangerous!  2 girls hanging out at home, with an abundance of booze?  Lord help us!  I'm a light weight, Jaime...give me a wine cooler and I'm feelin' a little tipsy!  Lol!  I'm excited to hang out with her and her super cool family before packing up and heading home!

Sadly, my journey has come to an end.
But hey!  There's always the Jeni Tour 2013 to look forward to, right?
What an amazing experience this has been!

13 stops!  

4 countries!  

10 states!  

And countless people and experiences!  

This trip was a blast!  Thank you ALL for letting me visit!

3 Things.

One.  

Only one more week until New York!  I'm crazy excited!

Two.

I'm working on the Jeni Tour!  I am excited to be going to so many great places!  If you want to be included on the tour, it's not too late!  I plan to post my itinerary on Sunday!

Three.

I've got a wicked case of writer's block.  Anyone have any grand ideas for me?

Please?

Thank you.

The JENI Tour

The comments on my last post got me daydreaming.  

So let's play a game.

The JENI Tour.

Now Booking Select Cities.

Suppose that money and time were endless and I could travel the world visiting with all of my blog world friends.  Where would the journey take me?  What would I see and experience?

In the comment section below, let me know if you would like for me to make a stop in the place you call home.   Tell me what I would love best about the area you live in.  What would we do while I am there?  I'm pretty easy going...I'll be up for an adventure, or for just hanging out!  Whatever we end up doing during my stay, if you're pregnant, prepare to be spoiled and pampered.  If you're a parent, prepare to have a pretty darn awesome babysitter around. If you're neither pregnant nor a parent, what EVER will we do with all that free time! :-)

I look forward to creating an itinerary based on your comments. I am very excited to see where this journey leads me!  I hope to see MANY places, meet LOTS of new people and have TONS of new experiences.

The game starts now!

Start Spreadin' The News...

The Countdown is ON!!!

12 days, 21 hours and 7 minutes from now,

(but who's counting)

 I will be in New York!

YAAAAYYYYYYYY!

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am!

I am SOOO ready...

to see George and Farid...

to see those beautiful babies of theirs...

and to just BE in that city that never sleeps!

George and Farid~

I have dibs on every diaper change and feeding while I am there! :-)

See you soon!

California Trip!

I'm not sure it's possible to sum up a fantastic 4.5 day girl's trip to California, 

complete with visits to Del Mar, La Jolla, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach 

in 4 minutes, but here goes...

Awesome Memories!

Next Trip On The Books?

New York City!!!

Yes, you read that correctly!

Details to come!

And The Liebster Award Goes To...

Love Makes A Family!

Oh my goodness!  I don't have a speech prepared!  

I'd like to thank Andrea, from My Body. Their Baby for this amazing award! What an honor! :-)

The Liebster Blog Award is an award for bloggers with less than 200 followers who deserve more recognition. 

Liebster is a German word that means ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’, but can also mean ‘favorite’. The idea of the award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers.

The Award comes with a few rules. You’re supposed to:

• Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them
• Reveal your top 5 picks for the award and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
• Post the award on your blog
• Bask in the love from the most supportive people in the blogosphere – other bloggers
• Hope your recipients pass the award to their 5 favorite blogs to keep the love flowing

I'm thrilled to accept this award and will gladly nominate 5 other blogs that deserve the love as well!  In actuality, I could nominate many more than 5, but since I am a rule follower...

I proudly pass the Liebster Blog Award to:

An International Surrogacy Journey ...because Jesse's my Ling Lost and one of the funniest girls I know.  

2 Baby Daddies ...because Mike and Tony have always impressed me with their ability to lay their hearts and feelings out on paper (or the computer screen in this case, I suppose), and allow all of us to be a part of it.

Just One Out Of Seven Billion ...because I find it HIGHLY impressive that Chad and Douglas make the time to continue to blog for all of us, even after welcoming their twin boys just 2 short months ago.

Michael's Surrogate Experience ...because Michael's an exceptional story teller, and because I'm trying to earn a role in his musical/movie/mini-series.  Lol!  Just kidding, Michael!  

A Belly For Me, A Baby For You ...because this journey's just beginning, and I'm super excited to follow it!

May I just say, I LOVE the blog world!  What a big, awesome blog family I have!

Featured Blog Of The Week

This week it was hard for me to decide which blog I wanted to feature!
And since I'm the boss, I choose TWO Blogs this week! :-)
Enjoy!

A birth story is always so hard to resist!

Read about Danielle's twin delivery just a few short weeks ago!

Their Lovin', My Oven

Equally touching is Mike's post about the changes in life once baby is home.
Mike hits on things that are very hard to understand until you've experienced it.

2 Baby Daddies

It's Friday!

IT'S FRIDAY!

AND MILENA WANTS YOU TO SMILE!

IF THAT DOESN'T MAKE YOU SMILE...

SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH YOU.

Happy (early) Birthday To Me!

For the last few years, I have gone to San Diego for my birthday, and this year will be no exception!  I am lucky that my mom lives there and I am able to visit often.  I usually drag Jill along with me and she doesn't ever seem to put up much of a fight!  :-)  I can't get enough of the almost perfect weather and we ALWAYS have a fantastic time! As I sit here looking out my window at the snow here in Denver, I am getting even more anxious to leave tomorrow!

I pulled up a couple pictures of last year's trip and thought I'd share them with you so that you can get a feel for what a trip to San Diego usually looks like:

Lunch at Cordiano Winery
One of my favorite pictures of the 3 of us.

 

Mom thought it would be a better picture if she was more centered!  lol!!
Yep...that's how we roll in my family!

By the end of the night, we're usually getting pretty silly.
This particular evening, we were remembering doing the "Superman" as kids.
Jill and I decided to see if we could still do it as adults.
*In case you haven't tried this as an adult yourself...it's quite difficult!

LOTS of leg/core strength required!  :-)

Breakfast in La Jolla
*Little known fact ~ Jeni knows how to speak seal!  For real!  :)

So have a wonderful weekend, friends!  

I'll make you a deal...

We promise we'll dedicate one toast (we call it a clink) to all of you,

if you'll promise to have a clink with someone you love.

Cheers!

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

...but apparently, not always the words you'd like.

I've received  a crazy amount of feedback 

about this picture that was posted last week:

Apparently, my hair looks grey.

 I got a lopsided haircut.

My eyes look deformed.

And I appear to be pissed off.

LOL!!!  

These comments mostly came from people who I know love me.  :)  

Did the comments hurt my feelings?

Nah.

***Let it be known that it takes A LOT to offend me or hurt my feelings  Take note, because if you ever DO want to offend me or hurt my feelings, you're going to have to work at it!  :-)

So here's the deal.  I've always been one of those people who thinks I look horrible in pictures.  I would take and re-take and re-take until I was satisfied that I looked ok.  However, I am trying to change that!  I figure, it's a picture of ME!

ANY picture is going to confirm that indeed, I am not perfect!  Thank goodness for that, right?  (Perfect people are so boring!)  So when my picture is taken, as long as I don't have a boogie hanging out of my nose, it should be ok!  When I took that picture, I was like, "Wow, it's centered!  Well done, Jeni!!"  I uploaded that puppy and onto the blog it went.  

Whew!  Little did I know!  Haha!

So rest assured:

All five grey hairs that I have found in my lifetime 

were promptly plucked from my head upon their arrival.

I haven't had a haircut in 9 months.

My eyes are a little deformed thanks to a car accident when I was 16.

And that photo was taken when I was home alone, 

with nice, peaceful music playing in the background,

so I am definitely NOT pissed off.

And do know, that if you and I are going to be friends, 

you're gonna have to love me when I look like this:

And when I look like this:

And even when I look like this:

And I promise you...I'll love you right back...no matter what you look like. :-)

20 Questions

I ran across one of those surveys you see circulating every now and then. Figured I'd post my answers here so you could get to know me even better!  :-)


Do you still have your tonsils?  Yes.   Wisdom Teeth?  No.


Are there any friends that you're currently not speaking to?
If I don't want to speak to you, you're probably not my friend.


Do you have pets?
3 fish (remember Rachel, Phoebe and Monica?), 2 hamsters (Hershey and Snickers), and a 12 year old Golden Retriever (Disney...he's very cute, very old, and very stinky).


What color M&M's do you favor?
Not a big M&M fan.  Peanut M&M's???...different story.  Yellow.


What are you listening to right now?
3 little girls choreographing a dance routine.


What country would you most like to visit?
Prior to this year, other countries frightened me.  Now?  I'd love to visit ANY other country.


If served a whole steamed or boiled lobster, would you:
___Know how to eat it like a real pro?
___Know enough to slog your way through it?
_x_Not know where to start?

Have you ever thrown something away and then regretted it?
Possibly, but not that I can remember.  I despise clutter.  I throw things out all the time.


Do you think you could tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi if you were blindfolded?
Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi?  Yes.  For sure.


Do you untie your shoes before taking them off?
I only own one pair of shoes with laces.  My "work out" shoes.  I wear them...almost never.  But yes, I would untie them.


Dog or Cat?  Dog.    Pen or Pencil?  Pen.     Chocolate or Vanilla?  Chocolate


When home alone do you generally:
_x_Turn on music?  *I adore Pandora
___Turn on the TV?
_x_Enjoy the quiet?


Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Um...yes.  


If you're short on time, what task do you skip when getting yourself ready?
I won't flatiron my hair.  I'll wear it curly.  Did you know I have naturally curly hair???


Favorite dessert?
Ice cream.  We own a DQ, so I think it's a prerequisite. 


Would you ever skydive?
Yes, but I'd have to go tandem.  I don't think I could ever voluntarily jump by myself.


Do you consider yourself strong?
You betcha!


So that's 20 about me!  Now I have a few for you!

1) What is the most played song on your iPod?
2) What is the chore you most dislike doing?
3) What is one of your favorite quotes?
4) Mountain hideaway OR Beach house?
5) What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?

2 Months Old

Can you believe it?  

Milena and Gustavo are already 2 months old!  

Wow!
You know what that means, right? 

Picture time! 

 Get ready for some major cuteness!!!

How 'bout them cheeks!  I love it!!!

This one just makes me smile.  So much love goin' on there!
~Gustavo & Farid~

Simply Beautiful
~Milena~

One of my favorites to date.
~George and Gustavo~

LOTS of LOVE being sent from Colorado to New York today...and every day!

The Heart On My Heart

This Christmas I received a very special gift.  A gift that means an awful lot to me. Something I will always keep close to my heart. 

Literally.

Farid and George sent me a necklace.  When I opened it, I cried.  A heart shaped necklace with Milena and Gustavo's names engraved on it, along with their birthstones.  It's beautiful and I absolutely adore it.  

I simply love that I get to keep 

Milena, Gustavo, Farid and George

close to my heart, each and every day...

even though physically, they are so very far away.   

I wear my necklace every day and I have had quite a few people comment on it!  I proudly share with them who Milena and Gustavo are, and how they were brought into this world.  They listen intently with that look on their face that I have come to love...the look of  "wow".  

And I have to agree with them.  

As I look back...as I look forward...there are very few other words to describe it.  

Wow.

Featured Blog of the Week

Who can resist a birth story?

Be sure to check out this delivery complete with pictures!

I absolutely ADORE the picture of Mom, moments after the birth!

The look on her face says it all, and so strongly reminds us what it's all about.

Congratulations to all!

Journey To Surrogacy