The Project

I loved Pres. Uchtdorf's comments at the LDS General RS Meeting at few years ago entitled:  "Create".  It was made into a Mormon Message called "Create" which I tried to attach but for some reason couldn't get it to work.  Any way, he spoke how important it is to create things in our lives because it is a natural need we have and it can bring such a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment. It is so true.  Finally in the busyness of this summer we carved out some time and started and finished Jena's room up-date.  She had been saying off and on for several months that she needed a new color for her walls because she "was not a kid any more".  Then she saw her cousin's room and loved it's new color of blue.  It is very unusual for Jena to express wanting something which made it even more important to me to do it for her.  We finally found the paint color that she loved and we started.

I am one of the messiest painters I know.
I didn't really understand it but I always ended up
with paint everywhere from head to toe.
One reason I wore a hat.

Jena helped paint too.
The color is called
"Caribbean Blue." 

It took us a while to find the color Jena wanted, but when she did, she loved it.  Every time she came into her room during the painting she would get a big smile on her face.  We pointed that out to her and she started covering her smile when she came in.  It made me glad to know that we had found the right color.  She was very definite about other colors as well.  She wants black accents and some green (not the yellows and oranges which I might have chosen.) I am glad because I think she loves her "new" room.  She calls it her young adult room.

In process

Her new desk area.  This is actual a workbench
which was on sale at Home Depot.  It is solid
and has black legs so it works perfectly.

This is a small area just left of her door.
We painted a magnetic primer on part of both
walls and then cover it over with paint.
The dark grey wall is actually chalkboard paint
and next week she can draw on it with chalk.
Chalkboard paint can be any color but Jena
definitely wanted this dark grey with
a sloppy edging.  She is thrilled with it.

Jena is 4' 9" and she will not grow any taller.  It finally
occurred to me as we were planning this project that
we could make her closet much more user friendly by lower
the rods and adding some more shelving.  Gary is very useful
for tasks like this and this is the final result.  Works great!

One of the things Jena liked in her cousin Nikki's room was that
she had a large quote on the wall.  I told Jena that she needed to tell
me what quote.  Months later she saw this on the Disney Channel
and told me she wanted it in her room.  My sister Valerie did
the vinyl lettering which we gave to Jena for Christmas (yes, she has
waited for a long time for this paint job.)  It works great and
the perfect finishing touch to her room.  (And on the emergency
preparation note, it is better than pictures above a bed in case of
earthquakes.  No broken glass on your head.)

The only thing left is we have two Broadway playbills being framed and her "Guys and Dolls" cast photo which we are going to hang around her desk.

Back to my starting statement, creating this room with Jena has been nice despite the frustrations of painting especially a dark color.  I am personally so busy with new assignments this summer that I can feel like I have not accomplished much at all.  But just stepping in her room calms that feeling and makes me feel good.  It is the same with our backyard---quirky as it is, when I look at our backyard, it reflects us and it brings me joy.

Message for the week--go paint a room, plant a plant, rearrange a closet.  It will do you good.  As for me, I have Monday--all day meeting with different parts of the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation, a "free" day on Tuesday, an interview about UDSF at KBYU and a visit to Mount Timp. Temple Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all day Conference on Special Education Law plus a meeting with UDSF officers and committee heads on Thursday evening, and a gathering of old friends from West Jordan on Saturday night.  A full week!  Life is rich with opportunities!  May your week be awesome too.