Getting Older Sucks - Women Against Aging!

So I’m coming to some sad realizations that I’m growing up. Listen, there are some pretty great things about being older and maybe I’ll make another post about the happy things another day, but today I’m going to focus on some negative ones because that’s just the kind of mood I’m in.

Do you remember the good ol’ days when in your mind you were virtually invincible? Do you remember when your body was hardly affected by anything and you could just bounce back in no time? The days when you could stay up all night eating every form of junk food imaginable and still be able to function the next day? Well those days seem to be slowly fading from my memory.

I’ve recently had my 24th birthday and it’s really hitting me that time is going fast and that in a blink of an eye I could be that older lady with the front bum, saggy boobs and wildly outdated style. What a SCARY thought! I realize that some of you who are reading this are older than me, I realize that I could be being a little dramatic here and that I’m “Still Young” and “Only 24!” or “Haven’t Seen Anything yet”. Let us not point fingers today and compare who’s older or younger, who’s boobs are saggier, who’s stretch marks are larger or who has the most obvious wrinkles. Let us join together today as WOMEN of all ages AGAINST AGING!

Now for my rant of reasons why getting older SUCKS! Maybe some of you will be able to relate.

Alright, so it makes me REALLY mad/sad that I can no longer get away with eating what I want when I want it and not have to deal with the repercussions. I have been lucky and have never really had to worry about my weight much, I was never crazy skinny, but I was a good healthy size and I was happy with it. Well that healthy size has since turned into not so healthy or cute for that matter! Suddenly those fries I love to eat are catching up with me and my butt is strangely beginning to mimic the texture of that berry crisp I ate over the weekend. I blame this on my age and my slowing metabolism. CURSE YOU!!! It really makes me mad, because it’s not going to be an easy change for me to suddenly be cautious of every calorie that enters my body and it’s not going to be easy to fit a good work out into my schedule. The more I worry about it, the more I want to eat! I love food and I love being lazy! There, I said it! It’s just not fair and I know it’s just going to get worse! Getting older SUCKS!


It really bugs me that I now have to be so conscious about every aspect of my health. I couldn’t have cared less about my health when I was a teenager, but now there are so many illnesses, conditions and unwanted physical features that haunt me that I’m forced to change my ways! Cancer seems to loom around every corner, I’m always feeling around for suspicious lumps and bumps! I drink more milk out of fear that my bones are going to break, yet not too much because I don’t want to get fatter! I now worry each time I crack my fingers or back that I am setting myself up for crippling arthritis! I’ve become a fan of anything pomegranate, blueberry and any other berry they seem to be coming up with these days because of the “Antioxidants”, I DON’T EVEN REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!!! I have never been real great at washing my makeup off at night, I generally just wait to wash it off in the shower the next morning, now I worriedly examine my face after being told that this is going to cause early signs of aging! I drink an annoying amount of water each day at work causing me to pee practically every hour because I want my skin to be healthy, young and moisturized and I want my metabolism to speed up. I’m getting more into the habit of flossing my teeth each day because I’m terrified of having to get dentures by the age of 30! I could go on, but you get my point! I swear all this worrying is going to put me into an early grave, WHICH IS THE THING I’M TRYING TO AVOID IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!! Man, it SUCKS getting older!

I know, I still have so much more to look forward to! The after-baby-body, the varicose veins, the wrinkles, my nose and ears getting bigger (Seriously? WHY DOES THIS EVEN HAPPEN?), the floppy relief society arms and I can’t forget the menopause. Aren’t I lucky. All I have to say is that it’s a good thing that Heavenly Father gives us some things to be happy about in between all this CRAP, but I don’t feel like talking about happy things today. I’m sorry if this post has depressed you, it’s been a rough day. Please feel free to join me in my rage against aging!

Weber State here I come

I've been accepted to Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. I'm pretty happy about it because I really just want to finish school and Weber has a great organizational communications program. I'm starting in May and only have 3 semesters to go and I'm done!

There was a while there when Troy and I were planning on getting married that I thought I could be content with just having my associates degree. I knew that Troy would be graduating from BYU-Idaho and that I wouldn't be able to finish there and I really couldn't imagine going to school anywhere else! After I thought about it for a while I realized that it really was important to me to finish, I am so close to being done! I was so heartbroken to have to leave BYU-I, but I decided to look at other school's websites and programs. When I got to Weber State's website I had an overwhelming feeling that this was the school I was suppose to go to and that I needed to get my degree. During the transfer process I was really worried I was going to lose a lot of the credits that I had received for the classes relating to my major, but things could not have gone smoother and people have been REALLY helpful! As different as this school is going to be from BYU-I, I am really looking forward to the experience.

Going to University has really been an awesome experience for me, I have gained so much confidence in my abilities and I've learned so much about myself. I have had so much fun and have made so many awesome memories with some great friends. I'm really grateful to have had the chance to get an education and in a year from now I'll be getting ready for graduation with a bachelor's degree! I can't wait!

We're Building A House

It's true, Troy and I are building a home! How crazy is that? We're building an adorable little house in West Bountiful, Utah. It's been a lot of fun coming up with ideas for our floor plans and thinking about the ideal home, there's a lot to consider! I have to admit that Troy has been the brains behind most of it! Really when it came down to it my main concern was the size of my closet and kitchen!

The final copy of our floor plans are just about finished and then we'll start taking bids on the different jobs and get to work! I can't tell you how excited I am. I cannot believe that this is actually happening, I never thought that we would be taking such a huge step so early on in our marriage, but we figured now is really the best time to be doing this and take advantage of the market. We got a great deal on our land and will be able to get great deals on the labor because so many people need the work. I guess it's time to grow up!!

There are so many great things going on in our lives right now that it just blows me away how blessed we are. I truly feel completely undeserving of all our blessings and hope I show my proper appreciation to the Lord. Life really is just so great right now.

So the plan is to begin building within the next month or so and be in the house by November. I just can't wait! I just keep picturing the exciting years ahead of us in this home of ours. I think of our family starting and growing and many firsts taking place in this home. I think of our kids running through the rooms and many fun memories being created there! I have so many high hopes for the kind of home this will be and I just get so excited. I want it to be a home of love, comfort, fun, laughter, learning, happiness and friendship. I want it to be a home where the door is always open and where people are always welcome. I'm just so excited and will do my best to make sure it is all these things!

Here's an idea of what our house is going to look like.

Isn't it cute??

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Salmon - Yes my name is now Jemaica Salmon...

Many of you already know our story due to the fact that it was all I could talk about for a good year, or maybe you were actually there to witness the many ups and downs of our relationship, but for the rest of you, here it is! I'll try to keep it as entertaining as possible.

Troy and I first met in November of 2006. He was actually dating a girl I had become friends with in one of my classes at BYU-Idaho. Her and I were working in the Library on a group project and Troy decided to come and take her to lunch. She introduced us and the three of us sat and spoke for a little while as we made some final touches to our project and I ranted about the computer I was using and how angry it was making me. Troy just sat there and laughed at me, I was sure he thought I was a crazy person, but surprised me when he blurted out how he HAD to set me up with his best friend Paul. I of course said yes because, let's face it, I was desperate. No offense Paul :)

Well we ended up going on a couple double dates, but things didn't pan out with Paul romantically and Troy and his girlfriend ended up breaking things off also . Throughout it all some great friendships were being formed and I started hanging out with the guys more and more. Off and on Troy and I would find each other harboring feelings for one another, but they never went anywhere because we were sure the other was not interested. I still remember the time Troy told me I was an "Attractive Girl". My stomach flip flopped and my mind quickly raced to the thoughts of romance, hand holding, and wedding bells... until I was rudely awakened by another thought saying "Snap out of it Jemaica, it was just a friendly compliment" oh but I was wrong!! So our friendship blossomed when a group of us headed to Nampa, Idaho for a little weekend getaway.



Turns out Troy was hoping for a little action that weekend, but never got it! Haha! By the time the summer break came I considered Troy a good friend and had a baby crush on him. And by baby crush I really mean I secretly registered for a class I knew he was taking in the fall! Hehe! Oh come on, you know you've thought about it!

I was ecstatic to find out that Troy and Paul were coming to Canada for a visit at the end of the summer. I showed them around Calgary and went to Banff for some camping. We had a blast and Troy and I were flirting like mad, I was SO excited.


Well by the time Troy left Canada I was pretty sure we were going to start dating and we were only a week away from starting a new semester and seeing each other again. That week could not have gone any slower for me. When I got to Rexburg I had realized that I had left my cell phone back in Canada and so it took me some time to be able to get a hold of Troy. Turns out he had texted me a few times and was really bummed out when I never wrote back. We finally got a hold of each other and basically hung out every day the rest of that week. Our first "Date" was a funny transition from the friends zone to something more. Troy and I were just hanging out after class and decided we were hungry and would go grab something to eat, next thing I knew he was opening my doors and paying for my food! I thought, wow this is new! It took

Troy about two weeks to actually make a move, I remember going home to my roommates every night and they would ask me if something had happened and I would dramatically drop to the floor and so NO! I jokingly asked them to remember me in their prayers. Later I found out that one actually really did pray that Troy would do something, I guess she hadn't gotten to know my sense of humor quite yet! Well the first hand holding happened at one of my roommates soccer games, I mentioned that my hands were freezing and Troy took the opportunity and warmed them up for me! The first kiss took place after a marshmallow fight, it was all over us and we went to the bathroom to clean up. I guess I had a little marshmallow on my lip that Troy to the liberty of helping me with!


Things were great and we were super happy until about a month in when Troy started to get a little freaked out. You see Troy had some serious commitment issues and this was usually about the point in a relationship where he would take off running! Well let's just say I had tied his shoelaces together so he didn't get far! We worked things out and kept going. We usually had to deal with his anxiety attacks on a monthly basis, but still kept going. I would just tell myself he was scared because he knew I was the one... it made me feel better ok? So this went on for 5 months at which point Troy couldn't take it anymore, his anxiety got the best of him and we broke up. I was devasted, I had been sure we were going to get married and we had already been talking about it. It was a huge shock for everyone and for the next two months I went through life like a depressed zombie. It all seemed like a bad dream. Suddenly Troy started to show up in places and we were "running into" each other a lot more often and talking and flirting again, I loved it and hated it all at the same time. One day I snapped, it was just getting way too hard and I drove to his apartment so we could talk. I told him I couldn't keep doing this anymore because my heart was still too invested in him and I wanted to be able to say hello when I saw him and that was all. Well after some more talking Troy came out and told me how he missed me and would find excuses to run into me and couldn't stop thinking about me! Suddenly we were hugging and it felt as if I just woke up from a really horrible nightmare and everything was going to be ok!

Slowly but surely things got back to normal again and they were better than ever. Troy was sure he wanted to be with me and was planning his proposal. I had gone back home to Canada for another summer, but I was sure now that we were going to get married. Troy went and got a ring and was planning to surprise me one weekend in Calgary, but I ended up finding out about the surprise and told him because I felt so guilty. He was so mad at me! He decided at that moment that the only way he was going to catch me off guard was if he came the next day. So the next morning he got up way early and spoke to my parents on the web cam to ask my dad's permission (they were on their mission in Indonesia at the time, but were about to get home) and went and picked up my ring, went to one class and jumped in the car to start his long drive. He covered all his bases so I would have no clue. It was 10 p.m. on a Thursday night and I was waiting for Troy's usual phone call and decided that I would do my nails in case he decided to come surprise me the next day. I wanted my nails to look good with my ring! Next thing I knew there was a knock on the door and I was thinking who on earth could that be? I opened the door and there he was on one knee and he BLURTED out "Will you marry me?" It was a great surprise!

We had a reception in Calgary the week before we got married and were married in the Salt Lake City Temple on August 15th. It was a gorgeous day and had a reception in his parents backyard that night. It was all so perfect!




Troy and I went on our honeymoon at Zion's National Park and Las Vegas. We had a blast.



I began my internship at the church headquarters and Troy began working for his family's HVAC company right away and suddenly we've been married for 7 months! Life is pretty great right now and it's only getting better!!


I'm really impressed with those of you who are still reading this. You must really like me! I mostly just wanted to have our story down in writing! I hope you enjoyed it!!