Friday

Ah, thank you for your kind comments about the walls. I do love them. Even just primed.
We had a small group thing here tonight, and Doug gave me some props for my work on the walls, even though he did just as much as I did.
It was strange to have three other couples come to our house...that we didn't really know. They had all signed up as being interested in joining a small group, and since we didn't figure that a small group with just Doug and I in it would be all that exciting, we invited these people to join us. It turned out to be fun, and we really had a good time. There were 8 adults and 12 kids and thank goodness it was nice out. We laughed and got to know one another and it wasn't at all wierd. I was worried.
I was a beast all day trying to get the house clean. I feel bad about that.
I have a new favorite blog. It is here. You will love it.

we have been sucker punched.

I can't really elaborate yet. We received a phone call that has caused us to rethink our latest huge decision. Pray for us that we would discern God's best for us in the midst of two good options.

another post for me.

found something else that I want to make, and just using this as a place to park the idea for now.
I must have a thing for skirts lately.

wanna see?
go here.

so I know this family...

who has made a HUGE decision...and is maybe ready to share it with others. Interested?

Go here.

I needed to hear it. Thought you might too.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Click here to read more.

this is a post mostly for me.

Because I want to make myself a few of these skirts and if I don't put it down here with the link to the tutorial, then I will forget.

I need a partner.

I have decided that I need to get it together. No laughing. We are pool rats in the summer and I have some extra belly left over from my last baby *ahem* who will be four this summer. So here is what I am doing. The Self Challenge. It's really just a place to log progress, but they do have workout tips and even videos, and they will tell you what you need to do. I need that. If I count on me telling me what to do it usually ends up with snacks and crafts. Both are good...but not for bathing suit wearing. Here is the website if you want to join me. Leave a comment and let me know if you are joining in...that way we can harass each other and hopefully follow through.
Self Challenge Site

This is the Month One strength workout. Do this two non-consecutive days per week, and then cardio five days a week.


What are you waiting for? Let's eat some yogurt together.

don’t stand still for too long…

Having recently acquired a Cricut…I am in the process of labeling everything in the house that I can! All of those little projects that I had once thought I would love to do “if only I had a vinyl machine” are happening! Here are two bigger projects that I completed this past week:

First up is this saying by Shel Silverstein. I do love it and had almost ordered it from a vinyl graphics company except that it cost waayyy too much to justify. Enter new Cricut machine purchased at deep discount from JoAnn Fabric and one roll of white contact paper. It took tons of time to cut out and then apply to the wall (one 2.5 inch letter at a time) but I am pleased with the result. I only wish I would have spaced the lines a bit farther apart. It needs something else…maybe some framed pictures from Where the Sidewalk Ends or The Giving Tree, but it’s a start and I saved a boat load by doing it myself!

Next up is the kid’s bathroom. I painted this room with my free quart of Cool Cobalt from the Glidden giveaway last year. It’s a bit smurfy, but it works in a small kid’s bath. The hooks and board were lovingly hung by my hubby who patiently puts up with me and my many ideas. We have four kids and so four towel hooks are a must. The numbers don’t really serve a purpose since they each have their own color of towel, but it sure looks cool, doesn’t it?

Do your kids need reminded too? I was so tempted to add {wipe}.

xoxo~

Jen

I am linking up to the following:

Edited to add: why are my links just this jumble of html instead of those super cute linky buttons???!!!! Anyhow for those of you who don't speak computer I am linking to Kimba's DIY Day and Make Your Monday at Twice Remembered. Sorry for the mess below!!!

<center><a href="http://asoftplace.net/%22><img border="0" alt="DIY Day @ ASPTL" src="http://i534.photobucket.com/albums/ee349/GDest07/Kimba/kimbaDIY125.png%22 title="DIY Day @ ASPTL"/></a></center>

<center><a href="http://twiceremembered.blogspot.com/2010/02/make-your-monday-week-15-add-your-link.html%22><img src="http://www.twiceremembered.com/blog/makemonday1.gif%22/></a></center>

Must love nuts.

I got a little squirrel-y what with all the snow days and extra kids home. I may or may not have painted the walls in the playroom/hang out room with seven bottles of craft paint. When Doug came home he said it looked "cool". Wanna see some pictures?






I started reading the last Twilight book so that I could censor out the graphic sex parts for Erin who, unlike me, has read the first three books and is dying to know how the fourth book turns out. I started it yesterday afternoon, and was 545 pages deep when I realized that I was scared to death. At this point the kids were in bed, and I was {home alone} reading. I shut off the lights, dashed up stairs and texted Doug telling him that I was afraid of vampires getting me while I slept. Chicken Little. Except for now I need to read the first three books, and finish the fourth because I HAVE to know what happens. Darn.

Don't call me Mrs. Adkins unless you are also going to tell me that I rock.

Dear Mrs. Adkins,

The last day is March 19th.
Again, thank you so much for doing the door. You rock.

Miz Parker


just a little email I received from Owen's teacher today. I rock. :o)

CHRIS!!!!!!

Since your comment on my post, I have been internet stalking you trying to find an email for you. I even tried your school site...someone must have tipped them off to my psycho ways, alas, your "email me" link on the faculty page would not work.
Comment again with your email! I would love to catch up. I may even go back to FB to track you down, but you know how FB can be...once in, I may never again come out alive. Un-joining was part of my quest to eliminate all things that suck my time. This blog is next on the list if it doesn't watch itself...
Can't wait to chat with you. Maybe even schedule a rendezvous in Mount Vernon for a coffee?

Lisa Leonard Giveaway at Beneath My Heart

Warning:: This is a selfish post.
Beneath my Heart is hosting a Lisa Leonard giveaway for a $75 gift certificate. If I blog about it, I get 5 extra entries. I purchased a Lisa Leonard ring last summer when I lost my diamond. It's a band that says doug & jen. I do love it...and am loving the cute necklaces with the little hearts on strings. So...fingers crossed that I win!

frenzy

For some reason, I went into all out Christmas mode yesterday. Maybe it was the realization that today is the last day of school and I had 1597 things to do. So off we went.
Ethan and I went to Bible study where I had a lovely time with my friends there.
Then we went to the store to get snack and cookie supplies.
We came home and did a bit of cleaning, and cooked some dinner.
After dinner the kids and I made some of those pretzel-hershey kiss-m&m things. We don't know what they are called, and none of us could come up with a good name. We are still thinking.
Then I baked some cookies from a recipe that belonged to my great grandma. They are called sugar and spice cookies. They have molasses and cinnamon and ginger in them, and as they were baking, I honestly remembered the smell. Each batch made 4 dozen, and I made two batches, as they were very easy. I sent all but about 8 cookies to work with Doug. They have that "eat me with coffee" taste, and so the firemen will hog down. I also sent the rest of the pretzel-hershey kiss-m&m things to the firehouse. I only needed about 80 for Erin's class, and I made about 200. I don't need that kind of temptation laying around here all day. They are bite size, which makes it worse. Kind of like the donut versus the donut hole idea. I would never eat three or four donuts in one sitting, but I know I would eat the equivalent amount of donut holes at one time. Bite size will kill me one day.
I whipped up some buckeyes earlier this week. I sent some to the neighbor, and we saved one dozen for each of the kid's teachers. I sent those in today along with a cute "Innkeeper's Key" idea that I had seen on a blog. My friend Lori gave me three cool skeleton keys from her stash, and I tied some fabric scraps and ribbon to them with a little note.

I decided against pictures of all this mayhem, in keeping with the Christmas theme that I have going this year. What's the theme, you ask? Well, it has many names.
Slow and Steady.
Relax and Enjoy.
Stress Free.
Less is More.

You get the idea.

christmas wish for nate

This message has made it's way to my email inbox twice this week. As a matter of fact, I think it was twice yesterday. Please take the time to send out a Christmas Blessing to Nate in the form of a card. His address can be found by clicking the link above. Thanks!

We made it.

We only at a little more than we should have. Okay, I nearly forsook the turkey and all other food for pumpkin roll. But you can understand, can't you? {Is forsook a word?}
Today we are home solo with daddy at work helping to save all of the good folks who live in the Columbus metropolitian area. Owen and Avery are headed to a friend's house and Beth is coming over. I slept a total of about 4 or 5 hours last night, as did Ethan...so it should be an interesting day. On the bright side, it can't take any longer than 24 hours to get through, right?
No shopping for me today, but my mom and I did set a date to go next year. I am already looking forward to it. I filtered several pairs of jeans and a few shirts off my sister, which is always a good thing, and am considering gargling some Purell so we don't all get her hacky cold.
Stay tuned in the next week or so as I will finish painting the desk {which I have decided to allow Owen to use} and start on a new project! Very exciting...
Have you read the book Matilda by Roald Dahl {and no, it's not RONALD Dahl...I double checked. Just Roald...how do you even say that?} Anyhow, it's FANTASTIC! We listened to it on CD in the van on the trip to and from mom's and I know you'll love it. Give it a try. We are on to the BFG by Dahl next.

Giving Thanks

We were off to Dad and Kim's today for a Thanksgiving lupper? linner? {what's the equivalent of brunch for the meal you eat in between lunch and dinner? What? You don't have that meal at your house? Oh...well, sorry for you.} Stopped by my brother and sister in law's house to check in and drop off some soup. Twins are doing well, and their mama is hanging in there. Won't be long now. I got to see some of their cute tiny clothes. Everything was so itty bitty, and someone had even knitted them tiny hats, mitts and scarves!
We enjoyed a nice time with lots of family. It's been a while, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to all come together. I'd post some pictures, but we {okay me} were enamoured with Emily's phone and the crazy features like bar code scanning, that I only took 4 pictures and none of them turned out good. Boo. I did eat two cream puffs though. And that was while I was in FHB mode *wink* hate to see what wouldv'e happened in all out mode.
Raise your hand if you love Thanksgiving.

I am off now to find my crock pot stuffing recipe for Avery's class Thanksgiving feast tomorrow. You know how much second graders like stuffing.

a *short* story about friends

Ethan and I spent the day with our good buddies Lori and Grant today. Thankfully Lori and I didn't spend much time arguing over which dress up costume we were going to wear or hitting the other in the stomach with stuffed animals {Ethan!!} or taking guns from each other or eating too many snacks {um, wait, we may have done that one...maybe}.
It was fun. The end.

chicken. ps: I love Pioneer Woman.

I am making this today. Well, my version of it anyhow. I don't have all the ingredients it calls for...but in the spirit of adventure, I have decided to wing it.

Spelling City-can we move there?

How have I missed this? I was just checking out a blog that I clicked onto from another blog and then clicked over to something else...you know how it goes...eventually you have no idea where you started. Anyhow, Spelling City, I love you. Go check it out!!

deer

Ethan and I were out front cleaning the garage and spotted {or rather were scared by} this big deer running through our front yard. I shouted for Doug who was in the house to hurry and come outside. The dogs chased the deer for a bit, across the street. Doug jumped in the van and got this shot of him a few houses down. Doug said the deer had been shot {on the rump} and was drooling and bleeding from his mouth. I feel bad that he was dying, but it was very cool to get to see something so big up so close!!