New Years Eve

I sit in our room at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Salt Lake City, sipping a delicious Guinness and listening to Rich Price on my computer. This hotel brings back memories of Campus Pipeline - almost 10 years ago, when a group of strangers were brought together to revolutionize higher education. We were a group of young, adventurous, impressionable, hopeful and very driven consultants who came from all over the U.S. to bring the first internet portal to universities and colleges worldwide. We had so much fun staying at this hotel - partying, bonding, sharing and working towards a noble mission. That chapter in my life certainly was a gift, for I met amazing people and had so many memorable experience.

Mom has offered to be with Ri this evening, affording Kristian and I the opportunity to bring in the new year together... alone, so I decided to plan an evening out in one of Utah's few swanky hotels. As I wait for K to get out of the shower, I smile, thinking of how fortunate I feel to be alive on this beautiful day. It is amazing to be on the cusp of such a milestone - the passing of another year - and the welcoming of a new one. The promise of opportunity, adventure, and new experiences fills me with excitement and intrigue. The mystery of how 2008 will unfold seems to encompass my thoughts which allows me to daydream and create visions of hopes and desires in my head. I just know that 2008 will be extraordinary! May it be that way for you too!

Happy New Year and may 2008 bring us all a heightened level of personal peace, freedom and awareness.

With love & light,
Jennifer

Winter Solstice 2007: What I am grateful for

It is late and I can't sleep. My body is exhausted from the preparations I have been making for all of the upcoming activities. Yet, my brain is on overdrive - flooded with ideas, visions, hopes and dreams for making an impact in this world. Today marks the shortest day and the longest night, a time of reflection and transition from darkness into light. A time to shed that which no longer serves us and welcoming what it is we intend to create. Tonight, I facilitated the Winter Solstice Ceremony, whereby 35 people showed up and shared an experience of letting go of the old and welcoming the new. It was a sacred time - one of warmth, light, and connection. I absolutely love leading these experiences. Tonight, was an especially powerful group and the moment we all held hands, the energy and vibrations passed through my body like a lightening bolt. The vibration was so condensed it felt like the frequency was very intense yet tiny - reverberating and focusing on the right side of my body. I felt deeply connected to a higher source and was reminded that this is absolutely the work I am meant to do.

Tonight not only marks the Winter Solstice, but also the first day of Capricorn, and a the eve before the full moon. It is a time where I reflect in gratitude for all that I have experienced and accomplished in 2007. It has been a year of change, of faith, of trust, of recognition, of surrender. I have grown immensely this year. I have become more whole. I have gotten to know myself at a much deeper level. Below is a brief summary of my reflections...

I am so grateful for:

- My body: for its ability to teach me about what is in alignment and what is out of alignment. For getting my attention to slow down, rest and nurture myself. For getting my attention to question if I am really on the right path.

- Kristian: for supporting my change in career, for believing in me, and for providing an opportunity for me to follow my heart and convictions, even when it was difficult to do so. For being a grounding force, balancing my idealistic tendencies and bringing a thoughtful perspective to any idea I share. For our solid partnership, making us an incredible team.

- Riley: for being an expression of light, love, levity and laughter in my life. For teaching me to surrender and practice being in the present moment. For helping me let go of the ways I think should be or how I want things to be - trusting that life has its own divine flow. For snuggling with me, calling me "mama", and for simply being my son.

- Mom: for being there for me whenever I needed support, guidance or simply an ear to listen. Her unconditional love has been one of the greatest gifts I have received in my lifetime and one I aspire to pass along to Riley and those I love.

- Dad: for his willingness to work on himself and our relationship. For being such an amazing grandpa with Riley. For allowing his creativity and love to be expressed in the world through his photography and teaching.

- John: for being the most consistent, loving angel to me. For the past 10 years, he has been a steady force of love, honesty, truth and wisdom in my life. He has been there for me at my lowest points, and has celebrated with me at my highest. He is one of my greatest teachers and I am honored to have him as my friend.

- Ranj: for meeting a kindred spirt at the Awaken Your Best Self weekend workshop in Toronto (June 07). Our connection is uncanny, deep, and unspoken and I know we are meant to work together in this lifetime. I am inspired, supported and enlivened by knowing him.

- Dave: for his ability to model a beautiful balance between head and heart. His integration of the masculine and feminine has served as a beautiful model to what I aspire to achieve. Working as partners to bring SunGard and BCIT together gave me hope, satisfaction and inspiration for the impact we can have in the world. He is another treasured kindred spirit to me.

- Scott: for being a kind, gentle, and wise business partner. For being a inspiring co-creator for the Awaken Your Potential workshop. For his desire to live with integrity, practicing what he preaches to the world. For supporting my healing and personal growth.

- Joan: for introducing me to a new method of healing that seems to really work for me. Her mastery of Theta Healing and ability to identify the root cause of dis-ease and things not in harmony, is amazing. Her way of restoring health, well-being and balance has transformed me.

- Craig Malecker: for his ability to ground and restore me. For the energies that work through him that seem to open me up to an enlightened level of awareness, experience and consciousness. When I was really sick and could barely function, he literally changed the way I felt so drastically in a 2 hour session that I came out feeling like a whole new person - alive, grounded, and back.

- The opportunity to work for SunGard Higher Education, a company that gave me a vehicle to test out and share my ideas, convictions and visions.

- The COURAGE that it has taken to leave a comfortable, stable, financially rewarding, and enjoyable corporate job. The COURAGE to follow my heart regardless of the costs, trusting that my life's work is about raising the consciousness of people in the world.

- The FAITH & BELIEF that I am guided by a higher force which I call my guides and angels. I know they surround me and even though I may not understand HOW I am to do something, I trust WHAT I am meant to do. With their help, the how, simply unfolds.

- The CONVICTION and DRIVE that I have had to "walk the talk" by investigating my own limitations, fears, shadows and blocks. For doing Debbie Ford's work (www.debbieford.com) which has helped me own more of my whole self, giving me the confidence to follow my calling.

- ALL THE PEOPLE unknamed who have attended my workshops, been a part of my teams, or that I have met along my path that have left your mark on me. I am a better person for knowing you.

- For the recognition I received for bringing women's lacrosse to the state of Utah and for being in the SunGard portfolio. Both, have given me a sense of accomplishment, gratitude, and credibility.

- For being able to spend a week alone at our cabin in Maine with Riley. For feeding the ducks together, sitting on the dock together, going for runs with him in the stroller, for eating ice cream, for laughing and running around naked together.

- For living in Park City, the most beautiful community and lifestyle to be a part of. For our friends, the outdoors, the options for adventure, for the convenience, for our neighbors, and for the healthy living and shared camaraderie with those that surround us.

I could go on and on.. it really has been an incredible year. I am so grateful for all the blessings, all the challenges, all the decisions, all the leaps of faith, all the miracles, and all the experiences I have had. I trust and know that 2008 will be even better. For now, I go to sleep in gratitude and with love in my heart. Thank you for supporting me and for being the guiding light that has made me the person I am today.

- Jennifer

Halloween

What a fun and festive day! Riley celebrated all day long. It started out with Ri going to school for the Halloween party this morning. The, fortunately, he took a nap. When he woke up, Madeleine (Ri's best friend), Heather (Madeleine's mom), Rose (madeleine's nanna), Riley and I all went to Park City's Main Street celebration. The street was closed off to traffic and it was packed with adults and kids decked out in awesome costumes. The children trick or treated at the stores that lined Main Street. Riley went as spiderman (as you will see). We later went to the Dodd's house for a halloween party with apple dunking and other activities. We rounded out the night with a little treating in our neighborhood. What a sugary day!
<

Riley's 1st Hair Cut

What a day we had in Salt Lake yesterday. Riley and his best friend, Madeleine, got their first haircuts at Cookie Cutters, a childrens hair place. It was so much fun and the kids had a great time. The 2 of them are like 2 peas in a pod - they are inseparable. Here are some pictures.. check them out.

After their hair cuts, Heather (Madeleine's mommy) and I took them to sushi. They were troopers and ate 2 bowls of edamame and calamari. Since, the service was pretty slow, the kids entertained themselves with their baloons until Riley began tackling it like a football player and fell on the floor cutting his lip open. There was a lot of blood, but it was manageable and he healed very quickly... just in time to head to Gardners Village for his first ride on a horse! It was no surprise that he loved it, as his mommy grew up riding and always had a fondness and connection with the horses. He then entered the petting zoo which was a little scary for him when 2 goats started fighting. But he had a great time with the witches, pumpkins and fall festivities that were present.

Late night thoughts...

I am struck by the rate at which the Universe is speeding up. How can hours go by like minutes and a day go by like an hour? It is astonishing to me, but I am not suprised. The Universe is speeding up. It is a reality that we all must face and adapt to. At times, I find I resist it - I resent "not having enough time", when the reality is, we all have the same amount of time each day. It is called 24 hours. With the energies that seem to be entering into our world, our space, and our lives, it seems that the only way to cope with the speed of time is becoming present in each moment. Now, this is not rocket science, nor new thinking, just a reminder to myself of how precious each moment really is.

Ideas abound in my head - they are constant and quickening. They stimulate me, excite me, and often take me into a world of fantasy - the world of creating the future. As I continue to reflect on my life and think about who I am - what I am ade of, where I came from, I see new patterns and qualities that make up the person I have been and the person I am becoming. I am grateful for the opportunity to live my passion, to follow my dream and to do my life's work. It is this vehicle that is giving me the opportunity to look within with new lenses on.

It seems I have been on a reflective journey my whole life, but this is the first time that I have felt the desire to tell my story and own all of the aspects that make me the person I am today. As I write my introduction for my upcoming workshop (Awaken Your Potential Weekend Workshop on November 9-11th), I am fueled with a new sense of purpose and confidence. I clearly see and believe that we teach what we need to learn most. And, as I teach and lead others to go within, I too must dive deeper than ever before. I need to do this my own way this time, not some teacher's way, not some gurus way, not some role models way, but my unique way. This in itself is a gift. I am so grateful to be alive, here and now, at this time in the Universe. I am so grateful to have the support and love from my family and friends. I am so grateful to be so driven to make a positive difference in the world. Blessed be and good night.

Scarecrow Walk in Park City

Last week, Riley, Summer, Skye and I took a beautiful walk on the path next to the White Barn. We wanted to check out all of the themed scarecrows that our friends and community families had created. Riley just wanted to run up the path. Skye was a little afraid of the scary -crows so we power walked by them as fast as we could. I stopped to snap a few pics (see above).

As you can see, it has been a spectacular fall here in Park City. The yellow glow of the aspens continue to highlight the surrounding mountains. Snow has fallen on the peaks creating a beautiful contrast with all of the colors. Although the days are warm, the morning temperatures of 30 degrees remind us that winter is just around the corner.

Enjoy.

A tribute to our nanny, Molly.

How fortunate we feel to have had Molly Jones become part of our family during the last year and a half. Her love and care for Riley made such an impact on all of our lives. Her support around the house helped me juggle all of the committments, responsibilities and projects I had on my plate. She came into our lives at the perfect time, and I truly feel that a higher power brought us together. For those of you who do not know the synchronistic story... it is a great one.

In June of 2006, our first nanny informed us she was leaving. So, I began to dilligently look for someone who could replace her. I began to investigate the surrounding daycare centers which were so dissapointing and the thought of putting Riley into some of them made me feel powerless. So, I asked my guides and the Universe to help me find the perfect person who would become part of our family. I placed my first add on Craigs List and received only a few replies. One day, after I had visited another daycare that left me totally discouraged, I decided to visit Craig's list postings. To my surprise, I found an ad from someone named Molly seeking a nanny/mother's helpers position. She drove, had a great driving record, loved kids and was willling to help around the house. She would be out of town attending the Vail Lacrosse Shootout in July and would return after a week.

Ok, so as I read her ad, it struck me that I just might know this girl, afterall she was going to the Vail Lacrosse Shootout, a tournament for which I had played in several times and had taken a team there to compete. What were the chances that I would know here? So, I wrote a response to her ad saying: "Hello from Park City. We are likely to know each other and it would be very synchronistiic if your last name is Claflin. If its not, than that's ok too. The reason I make such a guess is that I founded Women's Wasatch Lacrosse, the first women's lacrosse non-profit organization in Utah bringing the sport to the state. I played D1 lacrosse for the University of Delaware and played several times at the Vail Shootout. My maiden name is Hadley. I now live up in Park City and work full-time from home. Our full time nanny is leaving and I am looking for a replacement to care for my 19 month old son - Wed's-Friday's beginning in July. We live about 20 mins (max) from the U of U." Here is her response: "No way! Jen Hadley... how are you? I am a Claflin (now Jones) and a Jen Hadley fan! Before I say anything... I just want to thank you for bringing lacrosse to Utah. It has brought me so many opportunities, friends, and good memories. I love it. My freshmen year I was on your Team Utah at thenational tournament in Dublin. Right now I am coaching Team Utah going to the Vail Shootout in a few weeks. I am definitely interested in nannying for you."

And if that is not enough, it turns out that Molly's father, Todd, was on my Executive Board. I coached her older sister, Kate and taught her how to first play lacrosse. And her mother, Carlene, has always been an angelic supporter of all our efforts. I knew this family and they are a family with hearts of gold. They are filled with love, care and integrity. I trusted them and admired them. What a blessing that we would re-connect after 7 years.

I will never forget how our paths crossed. It is a daily reminder of the magic of the Universe - the possibility of connection. It reminds me to ask the Universe for help and guidance when I can't solve something on my own. It reminds me that there angels that surround us, and Molly is one of those special angels who we have been blessed to have in our life.

And, now we say good-bye to her has our nanny, but not as our friend. She now turns her attention on becoming a mother herself (she is due October 18th). She will be an exceptional mother to her daughter, "Baby Ruby" and may she receive all the love and joy that she has given to us.

We wish Molly and Adam a safe, fast and easy delivery.

Thank you, Molly. We love you.

A Sundance Getaway

www.OneTrueMedia.com

Kristian and I returned today from an beautiful getaway to Sundance in honor of our 4th year anniversary. We arrived around 4pm yesterday afternoon and checked into our rustic cabin that was nestled in the woods overlooking the ski runs. The maple trees were brilliant red highlighted by the aspen's yellow hue. We made a fire, cracked open a beer and glass of delicious red wine and unwound on the couch. Kristian began to read a surfing book and I read Eat, Pray, Love. We sat in silence for a while, consumed in our author's expression of surf and travel. Then, we began to have such an engaging conversation that we talked right passed our dinner reservation. When we realized what time it was, we called ahead and left our abode for The Tree Room (which literally has a tree growing right in the center of the restaurant). Dinner was exceptional (although the $14 scallop appetizer was quite comical, considering we received only 2 - but worth every penny). We dined, drank and dove into rich discussion, reflecting on where we had been, and envisioning where we wanted to go. We celebrated with a bubbly chocolate soufle, a latte and coffee. How blessed I feel to have such a stable, grounded and loving relationship. I was filled to the rim, not only with yummy food, but so much love for and from my husband. We headed back to our cabin and were asleep before 10pm ( the joys of having a parentless evening to yourself).

Breakfast at the Foundry Grill was on par with the evening before (except the breakfast was included with the room charge). We sat next to the cozy fire and had the best homeade sausage I think I have ever had. We then walked around the premises and drove up the mountain pass to get home. Here are some pictures from the day. Enjoy.

Thank God for Healers!

Wow. What a difference a day makes. I woke up on Tuesday feeling so off still. I felt like I was in 2 different worlds, although, I couldn't tell you what the other world was. I just knew I wasn't here. I was still nautious, spacey, shaky and simply not myself. So, I went to Craig, a wonderful healer with whom I have worked with several times before. He uses a combination of techniques and energy work - specifically Cranial Sacral, Theta Healing and Deeksha. He spent almost 2 hours with me and I was a completely different person when I left. I felt grounded, clear, calm and relaxed. It was amazing and a true gift - one that I am so grateful for.

Tomorrow I am off to take a 2 day course on Theta Healing, where I will learn and be certified to use the approach on myself. I can't really explain too much about it now, because I simply don't know much, hense that is why I am taking the class, but it is a method to access the Theta Brain Wave to alter your emotional and physical states.

Tune in more on Sunday for an update.

Cleansing...

It is a beautiful morning here - warm, sunny and bright. Apparently, the weather will change in a couple of hours with a huge winter storm coming in. Its hard to believe that we may be getting snow in September, but then again, we do live in a ski town. The last 24 hour have been brutal. I consciously chose to do a last and final cleanse in attempt to rid the body of toxins and to help heal my stomach. I have known or sensed that I have needed to do this for a long time but had no idea that I would react the way I did. A lot of the tests I have taken have indicated that my liver and gall bladder are under stress and are fighting something. So, I thought that it would be wise to do a cleanse given that most of my other medical examinations have come back normal. So this past week I began taking herbs for 5 days. On the 6th day, I added another supplement and was instructed to drink a 1/2 cup of olive oil, and eat a bowl of fresh berries with whip cream. The reasoning for ingesting this high concentration of fat was to allow the gall bladder to contract and release its toxins. Well, it sure has been doing its job. Ever since yesterday afternoon, all of my stomach flairs surfaced - I got a fever, threw up, and I will spare you the other details. Lets just say I have never been this sick. I have not been able to fight through it - being layed out in bed and on the couch all weekend. My head has been foggy and each time I stand up, I get dizzy and nautious. I am so grateful we decided to stay home this weekend instead of braving the elements in the wilderness. Although, I find myself yearning to be in nature - to connect with earth and soak in the natural beauty that surrounds us each day. The fall leaves are beginning to peak in color so I commit to myself that after I feel better this week, I will take a hike with my camera to capture the exquisite beauty of the surrounding mountains. I am hopeful tomorrow I will be back to my normal self. Signing off.

Our East Coast Vacation

Check out some pictures from our trip.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

It is amazing to look below tand see how long it has been since I have posted to our site. Riley doesn't even look the same. He has grown so much. How fast time passes us by when we are busy with what life brings our way.

I am writing amongst piles of papers - ideas, thoughts, and projects. Some work related, some not. It is hard for me to focus today as I want to tackle everything at once. And, I know that is not possible so I decide to express myself here in hopes of getting clarity and direction.

The leaves are turning beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow around Park City. Snow is in the forecast this weekend and we are expecting the temperatures to drop 20 degrees. We decided not to brave the elements tomorrow as we had planned a family camping trip. Why is it that something we enjoy doing so much, gets so little priority? I just can't beleive that we have only camped once this year. And, unfortunately, our weekends are taken up for the next four weeks, so unless we get a warm fall, it looks like we will have to wait until next year. A new year to make new decisions.

We had a wonderful vacation back east visiting family and friends. Our travels took us to Boston, Maine, Block Island, New York and New Jersey.

• In Maine, Riley and I had the privelege of being alone together - amongtst nature's elements - feeding ducks, swimming in the lake, taking naps in the hammock and simply being. Then Sue Sue (my mom) came to visit. She arrived at 1am in the morning on the very first night and we talked until 4am. The processing continued for a couple of delicious days - stimulating our minds and our hearts. How grateful I am to have this connection with her. Then Chris and Barbara came and we spent another 5 days just chilling and being together - eating lobster, having Pine Tree frosty's (ice cream), jumping off the dock, and taking a bog run (accross the lake to look for moose in our boat). I cherished this time and it warmed my heart to see how happy Riley made Chris and how much they both enjoyed being with him.


• We then were off to Boston to pick up daddy and we literally just made the Block Island Ferry, being the last ones to board. We spent the weekend with our friend's Melissa and Sands Payne and their two boys, Zach and Dylan. They shared their beautiful home with us and the boys went crabbing and played at the beach. We had an incredible all you can eat lobster dinner, traditional Sands style, that practically put me right into heaven. I think I ate 4 lobsters (my favorite food in case you did not know). Ri and Dylan sparred a few times but all in all everyone got a long and Riley had a blast riding the ATV and the mini-cars.


• From Block Island we drove down to New York where we stayed and visited my dad (Poppa) and Phyllis. We had never really spent any quality time there during the summer and it was to our delight how awesome it was. Riley had a blast swimming in the pool and literally swam all the way across by himself. Chris and Barbara drove down from Boston to be with us again and we had the opportunity to see Great Grandma Puff and Great Grandma Barta. Phyllis outdid herself as usual with food and making us all feel like it was our home. It was the best visit to New York we had ever had.


• Last stop was Long Beach Island where we visited Kristian's family, Maureen and John (Nanny and Poppy Jack), uncle John, aunt JoAnn, cousin Andrew and uncle Scott. Their new beach home is georgous, comfortable and so inviting. Andrew and Riley hit it off and they connected as if they knew they were family. The King family and Jonathan and his girlfriend came to visit us for the day. The weather was beautiful and we baked in the sun, built sandcastles, and devoured a delicous dinner.

Signing out to focus...