Not Naming Names

I've been in a certain situation now several times recently and there are these 2 women who are just RUDE. I've tried conversing with them, asking questions, kind of butting into their conversation...they basically ignore me.

Now I'm not saying they should be friends with me because I'm trying, but I don't get it. I don't understand why they are being so anti-social.

I can think of another specific time when this happened to me. It was when we first moved to Bismarck...but out of that I met one of my BEST FRIENDS ever (Stacy). Let me clarify, Stacy wasn't being rude, a couple of other's were and Stacy and I started talking to eachother.

I've been thinking about this. The last thing I ever want to be is classified as rude. Or for others to think they are unimportant to me. Or what they have to say, I don't care about. Jody has taught me a lot in this area. He can find something to talk about with anyone...no barriers. He could make friends with a tree.

Jesus was an amazing example in this area as well. He hung out with sinners, prostitutes, and children! In a time and culture where men did not associate with women, Jesus did. When children were regarded as annoyances, Jesus said, "Let them come" AND he touched them as he blessed them!

I have a lot to learn in this area, I know. I get busy. I get consumed with myself and my kids. I am selfish!

Anyway...this is just something fresh on my mind.

Happy Birthday to My Man

Today was Jody's 32nd birthday. I make the ugliest cakes...I know. I have NOTHING on Stacy! She makes beautiful cakes! (Happy belated birthday btw....) I did use a golf club tin and we used a good bit of icing. The kids loved it. They also loved making decorations and pictures for Daddy! And home-made vanilla icecream was soooooooooooo yummy! Acutally, one of the first memories I have of Jody, after meeting him in 1996 was making him a birthday cake. (My mom reminds me of that too, since she never got her good 9x13 pan back! I am SO SORRY mom, I'd be mad about that if it were mine, now)

I've made lots of cakes for Jody in lots of locations. I'm SO thankful he was born 32 years ago.

Jody is a man of God. He is consistent in his walk with God and his life in general. He's funny when people are around and when its just us. He RARELY gets angry or even annoyed. He's unbeleivable patient and kind. Really, he is the example of ICorinthians 13 kind of love. I NEVER doubt his love for me or our kids...or people anywhere. Life with Jody Ben is fun and easy.

Happy Birthday Jody!! I love you!

(I think I'm going to plan a party in one of the upcoming birthdays for Jody...I'll let you all know so it can be BIG)

Clean House

Have you ever seen the cable show Clean House? My sister Joy introduced it to me one time. Its CRAZY!! This team of people ambush this family who is living in utter disarray and by the end of an hour, the house is organized and madeover.

I have watched that show and think, Oh Lord, please save me from ever being THAT BAD! I know I have pack-rat tendencies. TENDENCIES...I said. I am at least admitting that, but its not out of control.

Anyways....

My mom and her first cousin, Trudy do NOT have these tendencies. They offered to come to my house and help me get organized and do a "deep clean". All in all, it was great. Trudy loves blinds and did a marvelous job cleaning them! (I must admit, I have never thoroughly cleaned these blinds). My mom is so good and clearing a flat surface. (I am only good and making piles on a flat surface.) We rearranged the family room, scoured the kitchen floor, vacuumed every corner and baseboard, and threw away a good bit of trash....

I am SO happy with the result. I have several projects to work on, but it feels so nice!

I think I'm back!

You know that Johnny Cash song, I've Been Everywhere?? I wish I could (or would???) make up my own Jennings' version to tell you about our summer! But we are HOME.

We've driven with the kids to Delaware (Rhehoabeth Beach)and back, Wilmington, NC and back, Roanoke/Salem, VA and back, Buchanan, MI and back and Charlotte and back (in one afternoon for Elijah's bday). We need to go to visit the family in Georgia (I KNOW!)...but I can't put the kids back in the car just yet, or myself for that matter. Although they are amazing travelers and we had a great time! Even with more frequent stops than we are used to because Luke is actually potty training!

Some of our highlights include:

• The Creation Museum - near Cincinatti
• Hanging out with extended family, great friends
  
• Fun at Family Camp
• The Beach (Hattie especially!)
• Camping in the pop-up

I think that is over 70 hours in the car! Who knows how many hours of Adventures in Odesseys, Movies, Travel Bingo, and sleeping...only God know how many times I said, "its time to BE QUIET NOW!!!"

I have TONS of good pictures to share, but the camera battery is dead right now. I have been unpacking today and yesterday, on top of trying to clean up and get other stuff put away and semi-organized.

I cannot believe:

• that school starts for Silas so soon
• Jody will be 32 on Monday.
  
• Millie Grace is pulling up to stand. (She looks TOO little to be able to do this)

More to come, I promise!

Mommy Needs

I was thinking about stuff I just can't live without these days. Here are some, please add to the list if you want to!

1. Coffee - it just helps me open my eyes better in the morning and be ready for the next wave in the afternoons. My favs right now are Montana Cherry mixed with plain old wonderful Dunkin Donuts in the morning and Cafe Bustelo in the afternoon...but I'm not really picky. I can't wait for the college kids to return so I can have some coffee company!
   
2. Shower - even though I HATE getting up early, I set my alarm and try to get up before the kids each morning so that I can take a shower and shave my legs and get dressed and put some makeup on. I know some of you are rolling your eyes and saying YEAH RIGHT. But it REALLY HELPS. If I don't do this, Jody leaves for work and I am lucky to get a bra on before the wild rumpus begins. Plus this way if I happen to pass a mirror or someone pops in, I don't scare myself or the visitor.
3. Adult Conversation - My 3 oldest could talk the paint off the walls. Ugh. It NEVER stops. They get it honest, I know. I love to talk. (So does Daddy!) But if I get towards the end of the day and I am just on edge, most of the time I can trace it to not having had a decent conversation with an adult.
4. Nap Time/Bed Time - If naptime doesn't go well, I am a goner. I will lose my mind. I cannot describe it, but if my kids are not well rested, its as if I see the brain cells evaporating out of their little heads as well as my own! I need some quiet to either read, click around on the computer or nap myself. If we are out and I know its past bedtime, call me uptight (because I am) but I cannot enjoy myself! Pitiful, I know.
5. Hugs and Kisses - My kids are really good kids. They travel well. They play nicely (most of the time) together. They make me laugh. But there are times when they drive me NUTS. They are messy. They talk too much and ask too many questions. They beg and demand. So, I've realized that in order to remind myself of how fortunate I am to be the mommy to these 4 little guys, I need to have regular hugs and kisses from each one of them. That's when they say the sweetest things too! Like:

Silas: You are the best mommy ever

Hattie: I love your earrings today, can I have them when I grow up.

Luke: I love how your neck is so long, mom.

Millie: slobber slobber smile.

Laundry

Really laundry is the bane of my existence.

If you do a load or two every day you ALWAYS have some to fold and put away. If you wait to do it all once a week, by the time you get to it, people in the family are out of clean underwear!

I actually don't mind separating, washing, switching it over...its the folding and putting away that kill me. I can't fold when the kids are awake. They are too much "help". And I can't fold them fast enough to get them out of the way. So I wait till they go to bed to fold and I'm tired...Jody helps...but its a lot! We bring it all upstairs, spread it all out putting them in little piles all over the floor and furniture and watch a movie or something. Then we put them in the laundry baskets. The girls in one, the boys in one, and Jody and I in one or sometimes different ones and the linens.

I HATE to admit this, but I loath putting the laundry back into the appropriate drawers so much there are many times that the baskets of clean, folded laundry sits in the rooms for days.

Jody and I folded clothes (that had been sitting in the baskets, clean for a while!!) last night. Today I decided I was going to put them away! (Well, the kids' at least, not mine. And I don't put Jody's away...I let him do that. ) Hattie decided she was going to help me. Millie Grace sat in the middle of the room and we went to work. Hattie was so helpful, really. This is not sarcastic. She even helped me with the boys clothes! When we were finished, Hattie said, "Mommy, I LOVE laundry!"

What?? How wonderful! I was thrilled!

Now, I have a few questions for you.

What is your laundry system?

Also what is your favorite choice of detergent? Do you care? Is it whatever is on sale or what you have a coupon for? Or are you brand loyal? I like All Free and CLear...I like clear for some reason. But I recently had a coupon for Tide and it was on sale and EVERYONE loves the smell and feel of the clothes. I thought that was funny.

Comic Relief

We had a great day. The kids have been getting along great and entertaining themselves well. But by the end of the day, you know, around supper time...its just HARD. I was craving some adult conversation. Or at least the cessation of little ones saying "mama, watch this" over and over. SO on the way to VBS we stuck in an audio book. Junie B Jones and the Little Monkey Business.

Let me say, she does say stupid and dumb excessively, in my opinion. We had a big talk about it. I told the kids that as soon as I hear those words come out of and little Jennings mouths, we would no longer listen to or read these books.

But man, I was laughing out loud. Its funny stuff! The kids were laughing, I was laughing...endorphins were released and we all felt better by the time we got to church.

Home!!!

We had a WONDERFUL time at the beach in Delaware! The beach was great, the weather was perfect, the company (my aunt, uncle, grandmother and cousins in/and out) was fun...all around super time! Jody had a wedding in Bismarck, so while we waited for him to come back, we enjoyed the beach a few more days and then headed to the DC area. My aunt and uncle live there, and they took us to the National Zoo before picking up Jody, dropping my grandmother off at her house in Southwestern Virginia and zipping home. (We got in at 1:30 am)

We got back just in time for VBS at our church. Last night was the first night. Its going to be a long week, getting to bed late every night, I know. But the kids are having a great time. I am too!

Its HARD to believe June is on its way out. We still have several more FUN FUN things to do this summer! People to see and places to go.

Here are some fun pictures.
Silas and his favorite passtime: being in charge of the remote while enjoying TV time.

Lukey and his favorite passtime: harassing everyone and being a typical 2yr old.

Hattie Ruth and her favorite passtime: dressing up and looking pretty.


Mille Grace and her new favorite passtime: sitting at the table and acting like a starving baby bird.

Everyone at the zoo. My uncle Pancho, Aunt Melanie (my mom's sister) and Nana (my mom's mom) with the kids. Notice the Terrible Two-Year Old!

I've got problems!

Our computer crashed! I've been waiting to do my blog until we got it back, but it looks like we won't get it back before we leave for vacation. I think all will be recovered...I HOPE!! It should come back better than ever. We have another computer to use, but I really think it doesn't like me!! As long as I have control of it, it will NOT stay connected to the internet but Jody seems to have no problem! Go figure.

We are headed to Delaware! We really are excited about spending time with family and hanging out at the beach. Jody will fly up to Bismarck in the midst of it to be at a wedding.

Don't know if I'll have access to the internet, so...I'll be back with pictures and stories!!

Photo Shoot

What's your favorite word?

Back to Normal

Sorry...its been so long!  I got a text from a friend saying something about it and I realized I have neglected my little blog!  Ha.

But I have to admit, I just have realized how much more important just staring at my sweet kids and playing with them is than other time-suckers.  Not that this blog is, because I do see this as a form of journaling.  I will be able to look back at these entries and remember a lot!

Silas had his last day of kindergarten on Thursday.  That means the summer schedule will be in full swing on Monday.  (Inspector Mom will be visiting each morning.  This is something Jody and I came up with.  I'm looking for a funny hat to use.  Then I will get in character and inspect their rooms each morning after breakfast.  HOPEFULLY this will help with starting the day in a home that isn't overrun with junk all over the place.  Who knows?? This may be a horrible idea!  I may borrow my mom's FLIP video camera and show you my inspection routine, I know you'll love that.)

Luke had a MELT-DOWN today because he couldn't play soccer with the big kids.  It KILLED him!  But I reminded him that there are no 2yr olds out there.  He stayed off the field as hard as it was for him.

Millie Grace is army crawling all over the place.  And I think she is going to eat us out of house and home!  She gets so mad when we sit down to eat and don't include her at the table AND feed her!

Although its not her favorite thing right now, Hattie is doing a great job playing soccer.  She is FAST.  

They all talk about Luke's near drowning.  Hattie, on her own, drew a morbid picture.  But I've heard that's good therapy.  Silas will say stuff to Luke about wearing floaties and not jumping in ever again.  Luke just keeps talking and asking questions.  Like, "what are lungs?" "what was the man's name who jumped in and saved me?" stuff like that.

So, that's a little catch up.  I'll post some new pix soon!  Maybe that video!