JENNIS PERDY NERDY THIRDY BIRDAY

A few months ago Ashley asked me to write an equation for Jordan to solve on his bday that equals 30 - for his "Nerdy Thirty" birthday party.  What a fun idea!!!!  Turning 30 AND being nerdy?!?!  Count me in!  There were several not-so-subtle hints given to Jake leading up to my bday.

On the morning of my 30th birthday I found this envelope on my nightstand.  Inside was this cryptic message and two books.  I noticed that one of the lines on the paper was a reference to specific pages in the book.  After reading the pages I realized that the message needed to be decoded!!!!!!  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  This day was going to be amazing!!!!  A few months ago Jake and I were watching Elementary and I told him I thought it would be fun if we learned to write coded messages to each other.  But we hadn't discussed it since then.  Totally forgot about it til the moment!

The decoded messages:
"JENNIS PERDY NERDY THIRDY BIRDAY"

"In celebration of your 30
I want to show why we love nerdy
Now you must decode the clues
to find the presents just for yous"

Then on the side of the paper the message said "Scanner".  I went to the scanner and found another envelope.  Inside was a paper with a message from a friend/family member and another code to lead me to another envelope.  There were 18 of them around the house!!!!!!!!!  I spent all day decoding, feeling nerdy, and reading wonderful messages from loved ones!  If you want to read them (and listen to how great I am, haha) they are at the end of this post.  There are some funny stories, some I forgot about and some I didn't even know!!!  There's even a poem!!!

The envelopes were hidden all over the house: scanner, towel closet, light bulbs, my hats, taxes 2010, crib, guide to medical cures & treatments, placemats, stow n go, the aircraft gas turbine engine and its operation, water bottles, soft kitty, television, water heater, exercise pads, “6, 7 & 8” storage bin, Glauser sign in basement.  I was so impressed with all the places Jake found and all the work he put into my birthday!

I literally had a smile on my face all day long!  So much nerdy fun!  (and yes, I'm nursing Skye while decoding)

Skye was a doll...

First thing in the morning she gave me smiles:

More baby smiles in the afternoon:

The girls were sweet and cute all day long.  A great bday for me!

A yummy bday lunch and a visit from Grandma Gina (who moved to UT last year).

Bday celebration!  (chocolate caramel pretzel brownies!)  It took several tries for the severe asthmatic and 3 youngsters to blow out 30 candles.  I think next year I'm going to have to just get the wax number candles.

I loved the nerdy decorations!  My mom had no idea when she got Lego Batman stickers that Jake and I used to play PS3 Lego Batman in CT, like the whole game.

Some of my friends met at Chilis late one night to celebrate Sara and me.  I went sans Skye.  Since she cluster feeds I knew I had 2 hours total to be away.  Once she woke up, my mom texted me, then she gave Skye a bath as I drove home.  It worked out perfect and I had a great time with my friends!

Thank you soooooooooooo much to all the friends and family who took the time to share a story for my Nerdy Thirty Birthday.  I felt so loved the whole day as I read these messages - and that's the best gift anyone could ask for!

Carolyn

Well, I hope you'll print this out and give it to Jenni just as I type it.  I've been racking my brain to come up with a nerdy story of Jenni, and in every interaction that comes to mind, she's the cool one out of the two of us.  Of course, she likes things to be just right, like when I was helping you (Jacob) assemble wedding announcements and I cut some of them maybe half a millimeter crooked, and you got worried that Jenni would make you start over.  And all her craft projects that turn out exactly perfectly because she has more patience than any human being should when it comes to measuring and cutting and planning. And when I mention one little health concern/question in my life, she'll make it her personal mission to find everything on the internet that's ever been written on that subject.  But in other aspects, she's the one that tries to make me into a girl, like when she buys me jewelry for Christmas.  And other girly stuff (Jen knows what I'm talking about wink wink...and wink wink wink because there are more than one references there...)

Mom Glauser

I don't know about being nerdy but the thing I love about Jenny is her ability to use math when she decorates and/or creates crafts. Her creation that comes to mind is using exact measurements & protractors when she created her clock. It turned out great!  

We have loved the book that she spearheaded for our mission.  This sits in our living room and is something that people are naturally drawn too.  We like that all of the children and grandchildren are pictured and people get an idea of what family is all about.  Most of the Russians that visit our apartment are young adults dreaming of marriage and family.  This last week one of our new Elders (Simonsen) was looking through it and recognized Kent.  Turns out he and his family had accompanied Kent on a Child's Hope to Mexico.  

Also, I am a little blown away by the number of hair ornaments for the children.  Jacob has 4 sisters with a lot of hair and we never had more than a handful of hair ornaments at any given time.   (Seriously, we only had maybe at the most 10 barrettes, ribbons, etc). I can see I really missed out on that one and feel a little derelict as a mother. Anyway...

Keep up the good work Jenni; you are a great mother, wife, daughter and an amazing person. Happy, happy birthday! (And believe me when I say---30 isn't very old.)

Whitney Glassman

Several months ago we went to the Yankee air museum and I had the opportunity to ask Jenni about her previous job working on jet engines as we walked around the museum looking at them. It was fun to be in her element with her. She was so kind and so cute trying to explain things ("stuff?" no idea what to call it) at my level. I just listened and smiled as it all basically went over my head, but I love that Jenni is willing to share all the cool information in her brain. I can see why it would be difficult to constrain the inner nerd with so much cool nerdy info in that noggin of hers!

I have also really loved the times I've heard Jenni explain the "how" to Scarlett's challenging questions. I often wish Jenni was present when Reese asks tough questions! Maybe she can just move in?

xoxo Happy Birthday Jenni!!! (Let's make 30 the new 20)

Rachel Cannon

 I am not good at specific stories but what makes me think about Jenni's inner nerd is the fact that I don't notice it because I am a nerd too. From using a spreadsheet and Google groups and docs for anything to just engineering a fix to help solve a meltdown, Jenni is proof that moms are engineers too!

Emily Layton

I just love Jenni so much. She was one of my first friends when I moved here to Michigan. She was so kind to me and made me feel so loved. Jenni is so thoughtful and is constantly asking what she can do for me. Even in times where I knew she was struggling.

My favorite "nerd" moment with Jen was about cars. I don't think she will even remember this. But we were in the black van driving to a doctors appointment for the twirls. Scarlett was sitting in her car seat and saw a Jeep and exclaimed "mom look those tires are huge!" Then she asked Jenni if the van could have big wheels like the Jeep. Jenni, without batting an eye, went into a detailed lesson on the difference between vans and jeeps with details on suspension, engines, and fuel economy. It was probably my second month in the area and I remember immediately thinking I am going to love this girl!!! And I do so so much. There is nobody as sweet, loving and kind as Jenni. I adore her and all her nerdy splendor!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNI!!! XOXO

Laura Sawaya

I've never met anyone like Jenni and with that being said, everyone needs a Jenni in their life.  And I'm so glad she's in mine!  I've known Jenni for almost 4 years and there have been many opportunities to observe her brilliance which some might nickname "nerdiness".  Whatever it is, it's endearing.

A couple of experiences come to mind.  Jenni's excitement for coming up with solutions is fantastic.  I remember her talking about designing a table top for the chairs at church so that the toy cars wouldn't roll off the back.  Then there was the hole in Scarlett's diaper to help her poop in the potty. And the nursing cover for the twins, just to name a few.  I feel like every time we are together she is designing a new solution to a problem.  I also loved watching the Blue Angels from your backyard because it was a contagiously emotional experience.  At one point Jenni said, "I just love that they are reaching their potential."

Happy Birthday, Jenni!  You are allowed to get older but please don't ever change!  ;)

Love you!

Courtney Fjeldsted

Can't wait to see what comes of all these nerd-isms!

The first time I ever went over to Jenni’s house was in 2nd grade.  I went over after school and that entire afternoon she dazzled me with her skillz as a magician.  There were so many amazing tricks and I was excited at the prospect of learning these skills too, which I thought was a given since, after one playdate, I assumed we were best of friends. But, like a true (and nerdy) Sister of Merlin, Jen remained true to her craft and never, ever, ever divulged her magical secrets.

Once we became roommates, Jen rubbed off on me in many ways.  She taught me how to organize my closet by color and sleeve length.  It was her example that led me to use a planner, which I replaced every January, year after year until my cell phone took over as my planner.   I even started to color-code my notes.  My newfound abilities made me feel grown up and I was excited to tell people back home how college had changed me.  Of course I wanted to give Jenni credit, and I told people how my roommate had “anal-ized” me.  As in, I’d become more anal and organized.  Only as I have reflected on this memory, have I realized what that may have sounded like.  I’m kind of surprised that campus police never received a report about how a girl in the F. Smith building of Heritage Halls was “anal-izing” her roommate.  Yikes.

I can’t remember if she had it in the dorms our freshman year, but during our junior year Jenni’s rubik’s cube made many appearances during social activities.  At first it was kind of a quirky parlor trick and then it seemed to evolve into one of Jenni’s “moves.”  And there were some guys that were totally into it!  Some people spit game, some people show how fast they can solve a rubik’s cube.

For me the line between nerdy, OCD and passionate is blurred.  Jen is all of these things and they make her the awesome person she is.  Something that may come off nerdy is that she loves to excitedly explain the things that she’s passionate about. She wants people to understand whatever really cool thing it is she’s talking about.  And she’s a really good teacher!  She can come at a concept from several different angles based on how that person learns best.  She is precise and methodical and has put those qualities to use in varied ways; she has thrived as an engineer and now she is a party planner extraordinaire and blogging champion.  

Happy birthday, my darling little Jenni Foo Foo!

Dede Dalton

Ode to Jenni

My favorite techi in the world

She's there and knows just what to do!

From Google Groups to photoshop,

She's had my back, and my front, too!

I can't pick one, they're all so great

I'm deeply grateful for her skill,

As Relief Society President

She saw a need and rushed to fill.

A Google group that worked so well

It helped us all communicate.

And then she kept it running smooth.

That was the icing on the cake!

I can't forget computer help.

She went above and then beyond.

from helping me to purchase one

to tweaking with her magic wand.

Then just when I was at a loss

There's Jenni with her willing heart--

It's bigger than her uterus--

Although it doesn't look the part.

Pregnant, tired and sore all over

She filmed and cut and photoshopped

To make me look just like I should

When she was just about to pop.

So, shucks! I guess I want to say,

I'm glad she's good at what I'm not.

But even if she couldn't hack

I'd love her cause she's so dang hot!

Happy Birthday, Jenni! I love you!
Dede

Mary White

Yea for nerdy thirty!  One of the first things that came to mind when thinking about Jenni's inner nerd is her menu/shopping list.  She was still a young bride, though I can't remember if this was before, during, or after Connecticut.  Jenni had come up with a menu planning system that she was excited to share with me.  Since I am always game for making my homemaking processes more efficient, I was excited to see her system.  I had to laugh when she sent me a spreadsheet!  I laughed because I had my menu planning and grocery shopping on a spreadsheet too!  Our spreadsheets were very similar.  It was awesome!  Jenni's spreadsheet included the great idea of organizing the shopping list by section of the store, and store sections ordered by traffic flow, ie. produce first and paper goods last.  I incorporated her system into my own and have been using that new-and-improved spreadsheet for shopping ever since.  I've even received compliments from cashiers and fellow shoppers on my list.  To my knowledge, though, there are only a few of us nerdy enough to think of putting it all together in Excel.

I'm including her sample two-week menu below.  Jenni is the one who got me hooked on making white chili soup, and I appreciate the reference to Betty Crocker's cookbook, pg. 240.  (I've used that reference many times!.)  It cracks me up that the source for some of these recipes is "From my head".  I haven't talked with Jenni about menu planning in years, but I assume that since great minds think alike, she now keeps recipes digitally, probably organized by recipe type on Pinterest.  (If you're not using Pinterest as your recipe collection yet, you should look into it.  It's pretty slick.)  Happy birthday Jenni!

Dad Glauser

It's been years, but I'm still trying to figure out how engineernerdom and colored hair fit together. They don't seem like an obvious combination. I guess that's the point:
Jenni breaks the mold! She truly is in a class by herself.

Ashley Furness

Immediately I think of when we have cooked food for the kids and then switched plates to cool them off because of ... Heat Transfer! I love that Jenni uses her knowledge in all kinds of everyday situations. I really admire that about her. Her nerdiness really is such a part of who she is (in the best way!). I think it's so great that when her kids or anyone ask a question she is happy to give a real and complete answer and explanation. And I have definitely seen her engineer skills in action as she problem solves. I also love that her nerdiness and engineer side is so related to cars and one of the things I will never forget it her talking about how important it was in her family to park their cars in driveways because it's important to treat cars well. :)

One thing that really has made me think of Jenni is a quote from Bruce R. McConkie's talk, “Our Sister from the Beginning”

“It is an eternal principle—the man and the woman are not alone: neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord. Women are appointed, Rebekahlike, to be guides and lights in righteousness in the family unit, and to engineer and arrange so that things are done in the way that will result in the salvation of more of our Father’s children. God be praised for the infinitely wondrous and glorious system of family unity which he has provided—the system that enables a man and a woman to unite together, provide bodies for the children of our Eternal Father, bring them up in light and truth and righteousness, and prepare and qualify them to return to the Father’s presence and be inheritors of eternal life.”

It's funny, I came across this talk just after I met Jenni and, of course, I learned right away that she is/ was an engineer and after reading it, I have thought about it a lot as I have watched Jenni use her education and knowledge to create a home that facilitates gospel and intellectual learning in her home. Jenni has a way of understanding and comprehending things that are completely out of my reach, but she is so welcoming and relatable.  Jenni has also been a strong example to me of what it means to share the gospel with those around us.

Happy 30th Birthday Jenni!

LL Rodriguez

Ah, Jenni my favorite nerd.  I don't know how nerdy my story is, but here goes.  Jenni is very close in age to my baby brother David.  When they were both little they were riding in the car together one day, and at the time, David had a beloved imaginary dog named Ruffy.  I'm not sure why, but Jenni stole Ruffy from David.  She had him clasped tightly in her little fist and refused to return him.  David, understandably, was quite upset.  He reached over and stole Jenni's nose (you know what I mean - pretended to grab it and then insisted he had it).  There they were, David with Jenni's imaginary nose clutched in his little fist, and Jenni with David's imaginary dog clutched in her little fist, sobbing and wailing in the back seat of the van because both wanted their imaginary property returned and neither would yield.  I'm not sure there is anything nerdier than a deep commitment to imaginary things (Star Trek, Dr. Who, imaginary dog snatching...)

A very Happy Birthday to my dear cousister (we need a new word for it, because we're more than cousins but not quite sisters).  Love you Jenni!!

Noel Schmid

This is a hard request for me because, while jenni has touched my life in sweet ways--none of them are nerdy....darn!!!  I was so grateful that she was willing to be our IT girl for the visiting teaching reporting website...that's really the only nerdlinger thing I experienced with Jen--that she offered to do that for me--and I so appreciated it because it was during a really busy time for you guys.  I love how open she is with struggles and trials--it's like she makes it ok that others are having a hard time--she is very genuine and real.  I remember a visiting teaching appointment where I went over to check in on her and I walked away feeling inspired by her.  She is a strong woman--filled with love and laughter--I love how silly she can be--she celebrates life--and is so beautiful and intelligent.  Man, jake, you are one blessed husband!!!  :)  I'm sorry this wasn’t too nerdy, but I really love Jen and am so grateful to know her...

Jamie BinghamA nerdy thing that I love was when you made my Michigan departure picture album and had to know the exact city I was moving to so that the little heart placed on Arkansas could be placed in the exact right spot.

Also nerdy...when we served on the relief society board together you were the go to tech girl! Remember that huge service project that you coordinated everyone's information? I don't even fathom how that all works.

I love that you have a detailed system for blogging your life. I know you have a engineered way of doing it (emailing yourself, making list, and loading the pictures) I love reading about what you are all up too. I feel connected to you still because I read your blog and get updated.

You always have your camera with you. If there is a gathering or party...Jenni will be the one snapping pictures and capturing the moment. I love being able to look back and those and be so grateful you thought to take a picture.

And than there is you teaching me how to dye my hair! I love that you took the time to teach me how to do the whole process and to thoroughly understand what each of the chemicals do and how they work. Really if you think about it it's a chemical experiment and it includes math. (Totally nerdy) I love that we got to practice several times before I moved. I think of you every time I dye my hair.

I feel so grateful to be your friend. You are the best problem solver. I am totally inspired by you. As we are in our new home now and there is a task to do that typically I would just have Adam figure out I often think "k I can do this, I can figure this out" and a huge part of that is because I've seen you stretch yourself to figure hard things out. (I am building a fire pit with my boys, I climbed a tree and pruned it, and I am learning how to balance the chemicals in our pool and run all the pump and stuff). I love you so much and I'm grateful to know you!!!! Happy birthday!!

James Seaver

Top Nerd Moments:

Watching LotR an inordinate number of times--in costume

Putting zombie makeup on me and Sean at random times of the year

Watching Power Rangers well into your too-old-for-this years--with or without me

Having detailed discussions on time travel as compared to Michael Crichton's Timeline

Convincing me that you should be the one to put together my Legos, which I now realize was a clever way of getting to play with them without having to buy them yourself--clever nerd

Giving me the extra $5 I needed to buy a light saber toy because it had a built-in training program that you thought was so cool

Naming your Mustang Brock--the most Pokemon nerd move you've ever made (as far as I know)

Those are just the top nerdy things, but pretty much everything we ever did together was nerdy. I realize now that the list of your nerdiness is really a list of my nerdiness as well. So. Yeah. We're nerds. 

Jami Seaver

When we were flying to Indianapolis for a family vacation one year I can remember a superb nerd moment. As we set out in flight Jen turned to me and said, "look what I brought to keep us entertained!" Then she pulled out a graphing calculator!! You should have seen her glowing face! She was so excited to see what her new calculator could do! I on the other hand was very upset she had got my hopes up for something so lame! Another great part in Jen's nerdy excitement, was when the Flight Attendant came by and Jen showed her her fancy new calculator. Haha- luckily the Flight Attendant was kind enough to act like it was cool!

My wonderful older sister has always loved math. When I got in to Jr. High and was struggling with math she kindly offered to help tutor me. It was always fun to see her inner nerd come out when she would wait to see what my homework was. It was like opening a Christmas present for her! And of course no matter what it was her face would light up and she would say, " oh I love doing this!" I was so lucky to have help from someone that knows math so well and it made it even better that she loves it so much!!

I love my nerd-tastic sister so much and I'm so very grateful to have her! Every part of her personality is a blessing to those around her and something I admire. The world has been a better place for the last 30 years because of her! 

Christy Boden

I don't have a specific story, but it's been fun to see her being a nerdy mom. I love how much science she incorporates into your kids' lives. I don't think I ever realized you could teach that stuff so young. I must admit I thought it was just because she had one kid.  The fact that she can still take the time to be an awesome,  nerdy mom to 3, now 4 girls is super impressive.  I'd write an equation about the odds of that happening, but I don't know how, and she beat the odds anyway. 

Love you Enjen! 

Jenny Wilde

I don't have a nerdy memory of Jenni, but I will be forever in awe of the amazing job she did editing our engagement photo and designing our wedding invitations.  I've never met a woman who can juggle so much at once and end up with such perfect results on everything.  Happy Birthday Jenni!  

We love you!

Mom & Dad Seaver

When Jen was 2 if you asked her a question she’d answer, “2” then if you asked another question she’d answer, “3” and so on up to 5. It did not matter what the question was. I got this bright idea- I’d ask Jennifer, “what is the square root of 4?” —she’d answer,“2”. Jennifer, “what is the square root of 9?”—she’d answer, “3”….. It was a great parlor trick that her dad would use whenever there was an audience. As Jen got older and we realized how smart she was…it made us wonder….did she really know the answers?

For Jen’s 4th birthday she asked for a garbage can for her bedroom, maybe not a nerdy gift, but it definitely showed her need for cleanliness and organization.

When Jen was in first grade they called us and said they wanted to put her in an advanced math class. She went there every day that the other first graders were doing first grade math, not sure what advanced first grade math was, but she got an O+.

When Jen was in 2nd grade she got an S+ in penmanship, she was hysterical with her subpar grade. At parent teacher conference mom told her teacher, not because she wanted her to change the grade, but because she thought it was funny. The teacher gave mom two sheets of paper to take home for Jen to complete and when she handed them in she changed her grade to an O. She said if it is important to Jen then it is important for her to be able to raise her grade.

When Jen was 7 and we were heading to Australia mom visited with the above mentioned teacher about work we could take with us so Jen could complete the last 2 months of school. She said, she’s fine she is all ready for 3rd grade.

Jen struggled with fitting in during 4th grade as she was using words her friends didn’t understand, reading books they hadn’t read and hanging out with Sister Billings instead of kids her age. When mom found out about the ALL we were so happy thinking she would finally be with a class of her peers. It turned out to be a great thing for Jen as that is where she and Courtney became BFFs.

One sleep over mom went to see what Courtney and Jen were doing and to see if they wanted a treat. She walked into Jen’s room and instead of doing hair, or talking or listening to music or playing a game or anything two little eleven year old girls would do, they were laying on Jen’s bed each reading their own book.

Another sleep over mom went to Jen’s room at 9:00 to see if they wanted some ice cream. The lights were out and they were already in bed. They had to get up early the next day for the school sponsored Super Saturday Science class and they wanted to make sure they had plenty of rest.

When Jen started junior high she told us that she planned on getting a 4.0 in junior high and high school. Though Jen is a brilliant girl she worked hard at achieving that goal. She spent countless hours on homework, going to school early to meet with teachers, and staying late if need be.

Once we {made, encourage, asked, forced….} Jen to go on a date with a church acquaintance’s son. Jen is competitive along with nerdy and used her nerd forces to annihilate him in mini go-karts. Did he know that he was getting into a race with a seasoned go-kart racer, we think not, as he surely would never have suggested an activity that would emasculate him. Jen raced for a few years with nothing but boys and proved that girls can do anything boys can do. She took well to racing because it was all a numbers game to her. Physics, geometry and sheer talent. She would wear a long sleeve jacket in the heat of the summer so she could reach back and adjust the mixture of fuel. Her melted jacket was an acknowledgement of her keen go-kart skills and she may have blown up more than one motor trying to get the most out of the motor.

When Jen got her first ovarian cyst they gave her prescription pain medication which she refused to take because she had a test. That is right, she did not stay home from school.

She won numerous awards for her grades and citizenship. It was always a pleasure to attend her parent teacher conferences.

While in high school more than once a teacher would say to her—“Jen, skip a day of school. Go to the mall or the movie or swimming. Just take some time to enjoy yourself.” This was usually precipitated with them telling us she had 100+% in her grade.

Jake

Let’s just start by saying if it wasn’t for your first 20 years of nerdiness then we wouldn’t have met in the engineering department, so I am extremely grateful you grew up nerdy! I love that we can get excited about the same nerdy things (not geeky though… your infatuation with Star Trek is more geeky than nerdy FYI J.) I love that you ask questions to better understand the world around you. I love that you expect our girls to grow up with a strong education. I love that you can laugh at nerdy jokes (What did the cell say to his sister when she stepped on his foot?   MITOSIS!). I love that you are always looking for ways to serve. I love that you’ve willing to endure tough pregnancies and newborns for the sake of our family. I love that you made it to the end of this treasure hunt! Happy Birthday!

I love that I get to spend the rest of eternity with you!

Thank you Jake for all the hard work you put into my birthday and for making me feel so special!  You're the best!