Frank has fighter practice last night and I didn't want the kids to skip AWANA so I ended up taking them and helping in Cubbies. I wasn't contagious; just my stomach disorder giving me troubles again. I was very very tired, but was told twice by one of the leaders how much I helped her and she was so glad I came. That made me feel very good. Jewel got her verses said and Cannon said 1 of 2 we'd practiced. On the way home from AWANA he got a migraine so I think he was a little "off" during AWANA too. It didn't end up being a terrible migraine, but he also has been complaining of a sore throat on and off.
Sara- hum.. the Cheetah Girls tour is a really good question. Raven is not performing with them (although it was 1st reported she was). I think Raven is the star Jewel is most attached to. So maybe skip it this time and maybe in a few years Raven will complete more solo tours and we can take Jewel to one of those. I also don't think she would really "get" at Christmas why she got less presents than the others. But it truly was a good idea.
Okie. I 'd better get back to work.
Smiles to you all!
Jennifer

Don't feel the best today so I might skip helping at AWANA. Anyway... Bill and Katie left to go get Alex today! I'm so happy for them and us it makes me cry when I think about it. They should get to keep him with them starting tonight or tomorrow while they finish the final paperwork and court hearing. They have guardianship of him now just not full parental rights.
Okie. I hope you all are doing well. My little Jewel got 100% on her spelling test and that is with her forgetting to bring the list home so we could practice. She is enjoying school and doing very well so far so I'm very pleased. Please don't take this wrong, but sometimes its hard for me to see Jewel's academic abilibity with Cannon being so gifted (a stubborn stinker mind you), but gifted. They did some reading aptitude tests on Jewel and she did very well and I was surprised; which makes me wonder if I give her enough encouragment and credit regarding her studies. So I'm going to try. Typically she takes her time and does quality work.
More later!

Jennifer

Butterflies in my stomach..

Typically right around the time a relative or close friend is due to deliver a baby I get very excited and anxious and even get butterflies in my stomach. We should get to met Alex a week from tomorrow; yes that's correct! So if you are a reader (like I have so many tee hee) who prays-pray this child and his mom and daddy home.

We truly adhered to our new budget this weekend (clap clap clap). We even avoided the temptation of the video store-we went to the library and got book s and videos from the library (now if we can not loose them and return them on time we will be $ ahead). Frankie made chili and cornbread and we had left overs the meal following. Yes, I will type about this a lot and am hoping this will keep us accountable. No stops for ice cream or anything (not even at Mc Donalds). I couldn't believe the selection of videos available from the public library. At first a budget can be "fun", but from other times we've budgted and then failed I know a budget is much like a physical diet but if we've ever any hope we need to stay strong.

Sunday evening Cannon came running out from his room chanting a victory phrase. I was perplexed so I inquired as to what he was celebrating. Are you all ready for this? He inspects his armpits and the area above his lips for hair-or any signs of hair. A friend of his has body hair so now all the boys from their "group" are desperately watching and hoping for hair growth. The entire occurence reminded me of a Seinfeld episode somehow.

On Sunday afternoon Granma Kris took Jewel to the arts festival so I scrap booked! I got one page done before they returned and then Jewel and I worked on the 2nd page together. I am So thrilled (Junie B. Jones reference for any of you mom and dads with grade school age children). Jewel and I were really "stuck" on a page -we had started it and torn it apart 3 times so finally I decided to just "go for it" and finish it with whatever came to mind.

I also took a very long invigorating walk and lifted weights!

Sara, ya gonna blog?

Smiles,
Jennifer

A Grump..

Okay my grump for the day. alright I have two. the ibuprofen and Tylenol cocktail is wearing off much sooner than I think it should so I am taking much more analgesics than I think I should have to.
the othe grump is : there is nothing child friendly or "good" by my standards showing at the dollar theater this weekend so I am bummed. It has been several weeks since there was something we wanted to see at the dollar theater and I'm wanting to go to a movie! UGH. oh well. time to pick up the kiddies.
God Bless!
Jennifer

The little things...

So I'm very happy about a few little things.

Yesterday I worked on a task for my boss and caught a tabulation error for which I received verbal kudos:). It made me feel very good.

Today I helped a co-worker finish a task and she was very complimentary regarding my help :)

It's library book mobile day so that always puts Cannon and Jewel in good moods.

With tons of meds and rest my sinuses are feeling better (okay I'm still tiring out quicker than usual, but..)

I've done a good job sticking to our budget this week (we've got a lot of dental bills to pay).

Tonight is the return of Grey's Anatomy and E.R. and I think the premier of 'Til Death (starring one of my favs Brad Garrett). I will try to sneak exercising in (if my sinuses don't start pounding) while I watch these shows.

A gal from work invited me to scrapbook next Thursday so I'm hoping that will work out schedule wise because I would really like to attend.

Prayerfully this will be the last delay with bringing aby Alex home. Bill called last night to tell me they should be able to leave next week and then need to stay a week or so in Guatemala before they can bring Alex home. We are more than ready; all in God's timing I know, but I feel ready!

More later..
jennifer

I'm an aunt again!!!!!
First before I share my excitment I must share the exciting news of Jewel getting her first book ribbon in Sparks (she missed some nights last year due to her episodes of strep throat so she was a little behind on reciting verses). So she completed the Skipper book; now she already recited 2 sections from the Hiker book. YEAH! She was very anxious to show Frank her blue ribbon and then put that ribbon on her wall.
Okie. This morning my brother, Ryan's wife delivered a little boy who is named Henry James. James is the middle name of my dad and my dad's middle name was the name of his dad's only brother. So we are all very excited. Henry came into this world just under 9 pounds (eck! he wasn't truly due to be born until the 26th so he would have been a BIG boy) and 20 inches long. He has tuffs of wheat colored hair. Mary and Henry are tired, but doing well. The kids and I are going to make a quick jaunt home tomorrow to see the baby; we are very excited. Thank you God for another safe, precious, healthy delivery of a baby into our family. May he grow up to know and love the Lord Jesus as his Saviour.
And.... keep praying. because (drum roll please)... Frank's brother, Bill and his wife Kate will leave in about one week to go get baby Alex !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jewel had her friend Jordyn for a sleep over last night. They only stayed up until 11 P.M. and were up at 7:30 ish so that wasn't too bad. They were both VERY well behaved (we have a few other sleep overs ,bu this was the best they'd behaved). It was even fun for me-Jordyn brought Akeelah and the Bee to watch; which i wouldn't have rented b/c we already watched the spelling bee documentary, but it was actually a cute flick. This A.M. we looked around the farmer's market and purchased some fruit and bread, went to the library and got a book C-man had on hold and a book for Jewel and some videos for me (I'm still finishing the last book I checked out. Not memoirs of a geisha, but an actual memoir ,"Geisha, A Life" by Mineko Iwasaki-very informative and interesting I highly recommend it) and went to Mc Donalds for lunch (but I stuck to my diet and got a yogurt fruit smoothie from a downtown cafe). Were were wholesome and American or what? Okay, I let the kids have leftover Pizza Hut pizza for breakfast instead of whole wheat cinnamon toast like I usually make so maybe we are not so wholesome after all :)
Cannon did get a migraine last night and it was a moderate one so I had fun cleaning up after him-enough said; those of you that know how his migraines go will make the inference.
I did exercise this morning and got errands ran,but so far no scrapbooking which was my goal for this weekend.
If anyone is looking for a phenomenal book about prayer Stormie Omartian has wowed me once again with her book, "The Prayer that Changes Everything" . I've even gone to highlighting sections and re-reading sections. I started noting passages that really hit home for me by dog earring the pages, but after noticing that every or every other page 3 chapters into the book were all dogearred I decided I might remedy the situation by reading it again.
Hum... a book about a geisha and a book about prayer in the same blog entry; I wonder if that a first?
Okay I didn't eat enough today so now I have a headache and my ears were fuzzy before so I'm gonna drink a ton of water and eat some more.
I'm sure this topic will be as thrilled and my diet and exercise regimen, but I stuck to our budget amazing well this past week ( I did not do it happily I will tell you, but successfully).
Oh and please continue praying for my friend Julie (she is my age) who has 3 small children and is fighting breast cancer. she is almost done with chemo, but the dr still doesn't think she will live long. I think the cancer has gone to her bones. Also, for Michelle's mom who is also fighting breast cancer and had her 2nd surgery in 2 weeks. Her daughter gets married in less than one month so I would like for her to be feeling good by then and beat this cancer! into oblivion.
Smiles and God's enduring love to you all,
Jennifer

News.. Well it has been a busy week, but I think a fairly good week. Frank took a few days off work so he made supper, mowed the lawn :) and then took some time to do fun stuff for S.C.A. Well the C.E.O. just called with a task for me to complete so I 'll sign off for now.
Smiles,
Jennifer

One of my new television obsessions is According to Jim, but I don't know when it will be on the new fall schedule. Because I'm sure you are all on the edge of your seat wondering about my exercise and eating habits (tee hee hee hee) I did very well yesterday, but now my hip (that I broke during the flood of 1993 clean-up) is hurting so maybe jumping rope is a little much for my hip. Anyway.. I keep trying.
Tonight is the 1s t AWANA of the season.
Later...

Party? Me? Yes, that's correct I actually went to a party. My mom watched my kids while I attended Gretchen's "girl's night". I had a good time; for some it meant some of G's famous "beverages" as she calls them, but since myself and a few of her other friends don't drink alcohol she made some DELICIOUS cheesecakes (one chocolate chip with chocolate topping, and a chocolate truffle); I mean they were really really delectable cheesecakes. I think next year (if I can go and if I'm invited) I will have a better time b/c I'll more know whats going on. I did know several of her friends from high school and one other long time friend,but not the others whom I ended up sitting with in an adjoining room most of the night. Her one friend from church, Tammy, was an absolute RIOT and I enjoyed seeing G's friends from high school. I changed schools when we moved but b/c G was closer to graduating she continued going to East through open enrollment. I have lost touch with all of my neighborhood friends and only have limited contact with 3 of my high school friends so it was really neat for me to see G with her friends from over 25 years ago. And to mimic a Sara quote that is a Trunnel quote "life is interesting" or "life is weird" one of our good Greenbrier friends is now engaged to G's best friend from high school so we are back in touch with the Millers. I'm a litte jealous I must say; there is something potent about those long lasting friendships. I hardly ever get to see my sister without all of our children and family around so that was really sweet; I miss her a lot.
G even took me to Barn Happy in C. Falls so I could eat the raspberry coffee cake and check it off my "100 things to eat list" from the Register (Sara the place smells weird, but GREAT coffe cake-go if you can.) The owners/operators of Barn Happy actually attend church with my sister, but her church's attendance is over 1000 so she had actually never met the lady, but Tammy (who went with us) loved her; did I say that? So.. quess what? Barn Happy also sells the carmels that the nuns make (also on the Register list) so I bought a bag for my mom (who loves carmels) and ate one to check 2 things off my list.
Frank has a geek thing tonight so I'd better go.
Later ya'll.
Jennifer

Advertising.. In anyone should happen to know a girl who is wanting to adopt out her baby please let me know I have a flyer for a couple that live in California (they are good friends with my friend Jody). Enough said.

Jennifer

Jump starting my exercise routine. tee hee I'm trying to be clever, but its probably really not clever. I bought myself a jump rope! and jumped and jumped last night until my heart was pounding and then walked around between sets of jumping rope. I also did my super abs tape. Did I get my dishes washed? Nope. But jumping rope seemed to lift my mood. I did clean the bathroom; just not the dishes.
We have some really fun things planned for this weekend so I hope they all work out as well as they are planned in my brain.
Sara-tell Ellen than Michelle Hudnall Beard has over taken her as the blogging champion!
Oh Oh. my brother and his wife's baby is technically not due to be born until the 26th of Sept, but her doctor told her "any day now" on Monday. So I may be an aunt again very soon. Cool. We have no idea what the baby's gender will be so I haven't been able to get anything for #3. Also I haven't seen Mary but twice the entrie pregnancy so it seems a little surreal to me. I just don't spend enough time with my family. It seems like after work and our basic chores and activities we are all really worn out and the time is gone.
Smiles all,
Jennifer