I used to be a lot of things. I had (have?) many talents. I’ve been a non-workforce human for longer than I was a workforce human now but in the amount of time I had someone signing paychecks to me … I was many things.

Like, Creative Memories Consultant as an example.

I tried to sign up to be a Consultant before I was 18 because I was an avid scrap-booker. They wouldn’t let me so the day after my birthday I tried again. Bingo.

Mostly my scrap-books take you through my teenage years, niece’s early years, lots of traveling and the entire dating relationship of Aaron and I. There are a couple awkward pages. 8th grade dance, for one. A couple youth group ski trips … you know, the normal angsty teen age crush type stuff. Oh and my first hickey.

That’s a story for another time. Today we’ll cover Jodi as a G-Rated teen:

And my cat. Mason. Oh Mason. Had a bell around his neck and no front-claws yet still routinely brought dead wildlife to our front door. We either had reaallllllly stupid wildlife or an extremely good hunter for a cat.

Some of my first scrap book pages are of my first niece – all baby faced.

I chronicled many-a family vacations. This particular one was of the Badlands, Rushmore, etc etc route.

Oh and that one time I spent my savings on a motorcycle, helmet and chaps? Yea I scrap-booked that, too.

Aaron and I took a trip out to Washington State once while we were dating. Most of my extended family lives out there and Grandpa took us fishing.

We also took a trip to Amsterdam, Germany and Prague the Thanksgiving after 9/11 happened. It was beautiful.

My dad bought a plane and we were all there to watch him land it at “home” for the first time.

And as you can see, I can’t spell in my own penmanship either.

There was a trip to San Franscico – we went to Alcatraz.

Aaron had longer hair … and I did too.

I did a youth choir with church … it traveled. We went to New York that year I was with them and that was the trip I really met Aaron for the first time on. But he liked someone else the whole trip … so I hung out with his friends. His good looking friends. 🙂

But the whole reason I had my book out was to show this photo for the shower I was part of this past weekend. My dress was out (ok, still is.) and my wedding album. We told our stories of dating to engagement to marriage. I found this page in one of my books and for the first time knew why I spent all that time putting books like that together.

Because I love looking back and knowing what it felt like to try on my dress for the first time. With my mom. For my wedding.

Magic.

In our next installment of Jodi as a PG-teen we’ll cover that hickey. Hints: I was (of course!) on a youth group trip in California. Youth groups … they’re not the vehicle you might think they are. I also took a photo of my first zit but I’ll spare you that one. I was (am?) a weird one.

Keep your comments to yourself, mom.