Mystery of Sara's caller. Katie and Ellen- Ladies we have been going about the Sara mystery all wrong. What we need to do is bribe Tyler. Think about it; Tyler spends a great deal of time with Sara so I'm certain he knows the scoop. Personally, I think shes got something going on with that "friend" David or whoever she ran into.
Ah Sara How do ya hate Valentine's Day? Its all about chocolate! Besides its an excuse to tell all of the cute children in our family we love them.
My mom use to make us heart shaped mini cakes; myself and my 3 siblings we each got our own. Dad would buy us a small box of chocolates. And a few years we even got stuffed animals. One year my Mom made the famous (okay famous to our family) heart pillows. I digress.
Katie- I dunno. I know we can't on the 10th of Feb. Maybe the same time we celebrate G'ma Rose? I don't want to take away from her special b-day though.

Jewel and I's thoughts on Tyra being "fat". I think its ridiculous. She looks great! She is a beautiful, confident, successful business woman who GASP eats a real meal once in awhile. The weight chart I received from my drs office shows her weight is in the normal zone. Ever since the movie"Life Size" Jewel has been a Tyra fan (which is so funny we HAD to rent the movie b/c of Lindsay Lohan). I'll admit Jewel is the only reason I ever pay attention to Tyra, but I've come to appreciate her style and her shows. Hum... Donald Trump appears to have a pouch and then some.. no questions about his weight? Okie.. I've laundry to get started and its definitely too cold to go anywhere but very layered.
Smiles!
Jennifer

PS Jewel informed me she "likes" her name, but would rather have been named Cynthia-not Cindy she clairified, but Cynthia. I like Cynthia, but Jewel would have been Allegra or Daphne or Madeline. Hum.. I dunna know. I think Frank and I are too funky to have a dau. named Madeline, but I sure like the name.

Lost episode of Heroes. Okay so I'm very shocked that Frank hasn't "told" on me yet so I'm beating him to the punch. Last Monday in my Benadryl induced fog I shut off the VCR while it was taping a brand new episode of Heroes while Frank was gone running errands. I thought Jewel and I had given the show 10 minutes of "over time" when actually there was 20 min. left to tape of the show. Frank's face turned a pretty shade of red upon this discovery. Although Jewel and I felt really badly for what we'd done there was no immediate remedy. Frank found someone local throught free cycle who'd taped this episode and retrieved it from her on Friday night-at least that what he claims he was doing. Hum...
Frank and I watched Gridiron Gang last night; not too bad of a movie. And you know me, "if its based on a true story" I'm all for it. It has been a long time since I had the energy to stay up past 9:30 to watch a movie; it was really nice.
Jewel spent some of her birthday money to purchase the So Raven Suite Life Montana-a mix show of some of her fav. Disney shows. We watched it 2x this past weekend, but I don't mind the shows so it was okay.
I have no idea what to make for supper tonight. Hum....
Smiles,
Jennifer
P.S. My favorite holiday St. Valentine's Day is coming soon!!!!!!! Are you all prepared? Chocolate, red hearts, cinnamon flavored treats, flowers, ah its the best.

Waldenbook store no more.. So much to Cannon's chagrin the Waldenbook store closed at our local mall. While Jewel has a myraid of "reasons" to beg and plead to navigate the mall, Cannon really only cared about the mall due to an electronics store, Waldenbook store, and the dollar theatre if there was a flick there he wanted to see. Our local mall is going down hill.. a few years ago the management raised the kiosk rent so high the candy people even left. So I hope the m'ment there realized what they are doing; we live close to the mall so the kids and I will pop in and out for small things, but the book store was a HUGE part of that for our family. Cannon's true passion is reading so we could usually bribe him with a quick trip through Waldenbooks if we had other errands to run at the mall. So all of you locals-give me your thoughts, but I'm afriad North Grand is dying... so much for the "new" Buckey man killing downtown and North Grand with his "new" mall;they are committing suicide if you ask me.

So...... Frank (he had the night off Hallejuah!!!), Cannon and I entered Waldenbook store for the last time this past Tuesday (the closed their doors on Wednesday) evening. The selection was fairly picked over, but with 75% off bargain books and 40% all ALL other books we started to look around. Pretty soon Frank whizzes past me and shouts over his shoulder, "Do they have baskets here?" I replied affirmative by the front door. He grabbed a basket and headed to the back of the store where Cannon was located- I knew then that we were in trouble. So we look and look. I create a division of books, "Those I feel I must have" "Those I would like to have". and those someone I know or love must have. Pretty soon (too soon if you ask any of us) the employees started turning the lights off. Jewel stated, "Oh is it time to leave already?" In a panicked voice Cannon said, "Yes, Dad quickly grab what we have so we can check out before they close". Jewel, "Wait just one more I want to look for". Cannon, "No, before they close go dad go". (I'm not kidding this was the conversation). I had a few books I couldn't decide on.. (always the budgeter you know) Frank took them from my hand, pointed to the check out and said, "Go". So then we chatted with the manager, Paul, for a little bit about what had happened, what would happen, (he did secure a job at Borders here in town so that is cool) and told him we would miss him. So it is affirmed we are not "clothing people" or "house, jewelry or furniture people", but we are "book" people (and food people too I think,but usually we can find good food at good prices and we've been TONS and TONS better about not going out to eat. So here it is we are "book" people. We would love to be "travel" people, but that will have to wait and might never happen, but hey we will read about traveling... We had such a good time and came away with a good feeling our budget is well.. let's not discuss that this blog or ever.

We had a wonderful, wonderful time swimming last Saturday. Frankie had a terrific plan. Cannon decided he will have a whirlpool someday. I posed the question to him and Jewel that if they thought we had a whirlpool would it become so common to them they would loose apprecition for it-Jewel paused and said, "No". Cannon was certain, "No way, I could sit in this for hours every day". The Barilla Christmas party was nice-the food wasn't nearly as good this year and the entertainment was.... (drum roll for Cannon please) an Elvis impersonator. Now as far as Elvis impersonators go I think he was top dollar (but it was my 1st experience so what do I know?); just not our cup of tea. The older gal that her hubby is a mucky muck at Barilla they scheduled the guy to perform and she was shocked we weren't staying past the 3rd song, "Don't you think he's good, so good. Doesn't it really sound like Elvis? He isn't lip syncying". So.. (spoiled employee that her hubby is) I sweetly explained to her my husband works 12 hour nights and he'd just worked the previous night and he only got 4 hours of sleep due to the kids waking him up and then he had to get ready for the dinner :). I said it nicely, but I thought get your head out of your butt you spoiled, office spouse. (this man words M-F straight 8 hour shifts and no weekends-while Frankie words nights, has to stay late very often, comes in for meetings on his days off and works every other weekend).
I wasn't the best date b/c I was still under the weather, but I sure tried:) I got as dolled up as I can get and was friendly to everyone I saw.
Frank took me out for a FABULOUS breakfast buffett at Olde Maine (another of his grand ideas-ya know I hope Frank and I continue to get along so well after he switches back to days b/c now I'm usually just so thankful to see him I think he's wonderful! (we won a g.card to a gas station so we splurged on brunch). It was SOOOOOO tasty-good selection, fresh selection, even good coffee.
I felt really badly when we went to pick up the kids b/c my mother-in-law looked very tired and worn out-she was having sinus issues also. So I hope she got a chance to rest and recover and I'm esp. glad we picked the kids up early. I wish she would have told us she felt junky we could have been there even sooner.

Okay...
Smiles!
Jennifer

Woo Hoo! So not that any of you care, but I'm elated b/c I go for a sinus evaluation and allergy testing (had it done when I was 10 yrs old and showed up allergic to pretty much everything,but since its been so long the drs want to see what shows up now) on Valentine's Day. The only junky thing is I have to go off all my allergy/asthma meds except my inahlers for a full week before that. The Dr agreed we need to do something aggressive so I hope something works out. He said I do for sure have a suppressed immune systerm due to my allergies, asthma (even though its mild), and my stomach disorder. He also extended my antibiotic for another 5 days to help clear up whats still there. I love how my inhalers help me breathe,but hate how they make me shake-I'm such a light weight when it comes to meds. He also gave me another p.r.n. med -but it makes me worse wonkie that I normally am so I will ingest it judiciously.-Okie I'm not sure I spelled that word correctly, but I know how to pronounce it and i know what it means. Whenever I'm exposed to any virus they pretty much land and set up camp in my sinuses and then I get a sinus infection .. then allergy season I have chronic sinus problems usually leading to infections b/c of that. I'm SO excited in hoping the specialist can figure something out or I may have to give up helping in Cubbies and turn into worse a germ freak than I already am. There are other things going on, but I will spare you all that. So on Valentine's Day pray for me!!!! as I'm getting my stick of many needled injection and that the Dr will be a genius and "fix" me.

Jewel, Cannon and I have a new penchant for "I Love Lucy" rented it pretty cheaply so we've been watching one episode before bedtime. Jewel has been reading chapter books aloud to Cannon and I so that's been fun.

Jewel scored her Easy Bake oven for her 7th birthday (so weird my baby is 7). She was THRILLED!!! She and Cannon made a cake the other night. He can be SO good with her; it was very sweet-one of those moments a mom never wants to forget-he made sure she got to do the "fun" parts and he did the other tasks. He repeatedly cautioned her, "Don't touch any of the oven when the red light is on. Okay, Jewel? Repeat back to me what I told you. Okay, because it is hot and you will get burned."

More later...

Love,
Jennifer

Hey all! I've been sick with another viral sinus thing that is leading to a sinus infection the Dr said so I've been majorly under the weather. I also had hives (a level 2 reaction to Penicillin-see at least i'm learning stuff). Frank was wonderful-genuinely wonderful. He made supper, got a bath with Aveeno all set up for me, brought me my meds-I just couldn't believe how fatigued I was. The sore throat is already better today and my hives are considerably reduced. I'm hoping the Dr will consent to try allergy shots or something soon. I'm on Prednisone, Benadryl and if not 100% better in 2 days another antibiotic. I'm having immune suppression issues, but the dr said I'm allergic to so many different things and my sinuses have damaged tissue so its difficult to fight off normal viruses. Frank and I are really brainstorming b/c it gets hard on my family. I could hardly move i was that fatigued. Anyway... I eat very healthy so maybe I'll try a junk food diet!
We have Frank's work's Christmas party this weekend so I hope I continue to improve. I've looked forward to time alone with him which we haven't had in a very, very long time (Kris is taking the kids). Frank even arranged for the kids and I to go swimming Saturday afternoon. Cannon is very pumped about this as we haven't really done many "fun" things lately due to our budget and me being sick. My friend, Missy, was wonderful and even took the kids to AWANA Wed. night.
Sorry I don't mean to talk about my health issues so much but I just wanted everyone to know why I've been so terrible about e-mailing and returning phone calls.
Sara- I will officially converse with Jewel this weekend regarding a b-day event for her. sorry I know its been almost a week and I haven't called you back. I started getting sick already last Sunday and slept most of the day.
Sorry-Gotta get some work stuff done.

Smiles,
Jennifer
P.S. For those of you that collect stamps (like Cannon and I) some really cool ones came out-Hershey's kisses ones. I did score some of them today at the post office. If any of you feel like and remember please save any cool or original cancelled stamps from your mail for Cannon.

Sorry! It has been crazy, crazy busy at home and at work. I haven't even been faithful with e-mailing and checking in on friends- SORRY!! I need to finish up some data entry and pick up Jewel baby then get the kids started on their evening activities (wrestling, practiciing AWANA verses, and more fun with suds-LAUNDRY!!!).
I hope you are all doing well.
Smiles,
Jennifer