Didn't Blog

I didn't blog much over thanksgiving. 

I had company instead --

Posts will be coming... pictures are loaded.

YEAH!!  I love Thanksgiving... it's when my family gathers at my house each year.  Only 361 more days until Thanksgiving. 

Knoxville Wrestling Club Fund Raiser

Milo and Mansel are participating in a fundraiser for the Knoxville Wrestling Club.

They will be selling Baker Jo's cookie dough.  The funds are used to purchase uniforms, mat upgrades, and year end prizes for state participants, and entries to team events.

APPARENTLY this cookie dough is really good. °Ü° They skipped this fund raiser last year and the coaches got calls asking when they would be around selling cookies.  The customers looked forward to it every year.  Just... so ya know.  LOL  Each tub sells for $10 and makes 96 cookies. 

Will you let me know if it's OK to bring the boys over... you wouldn't have to buy from both... we'll take turns taking orders.  (Yikes... hazard of having several kids close in age.)

In the past this fundraiser has purchased a new mat, state wrestling clothing, assisted in travel, supplied medical supplies for the club, purchased uniforms and warm ups.  Who cares... but I always like to know what the money is used for. 

Thank You,

~*~ Jennifer ~*~

641.943.2350

flavors:  chocolate chunk, white chocolate macadamia, sugar, snickerdoodle, peanut butter with chocolate chunks, M&M candies, peanut butter, heath english toffee, oatmeal raisen, triple chocolate, and last but not least, monster.

Fresh Hair Cut and Color

 

BEFORE

I took a self portrait before I went to Exsalonce Image Design today.  Long, just washed and rinsed... not styled at all.

AFTER

This is at home after Leann worked her magic.  Fresh cut and 2 colors.  Highlighted and a temporary color called cinnamon.  Yummy.  Ü

I can hardly wait to straighten it... I've worn it curly for the last several week... due to root growthage.  LOL  If you have curly hair, apparently the roots aren't as obvious.  At least that is what I've been telling myself.  Today -- NO ROOTS!  Yippee...

I knew that a cut and color takes a while -- so I stopped at the library to pick up my newest read, Wednesday Letters,  before I went. Leann said she heard it was a good book.  I heard is was sad.  So glad I didn't cry at the salon.   Oh I had FUN!  I got to sit and be pampered, Leann brought me an ice tea, while reading a good book undisturbed for a long long time. Now I should be good for another 8 weeks. 

Hand Sanitizer anyone?

I've created a monster... Mansel carries his hand sanitizer in his pocket. From the time we got from in the house to out by the tree to take some pictures... he felt the need to share his sanitizer with us. ha ha haaa!!! He's a funny guy... good clean fun.

Knoxville Public Library

Can I say... that our small town KNOXVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY is really fairly decent??

It is!!

I often read blogs.  I have a cousin who recommends good books on her blog... she lives in a big city.  Well - really more often then not our little library has the books she is recommending.  Like Three Cups of Tea, they have it.  Zookeeper's Wife, it's there. 

And NOW -- on my favorite message board ever, someone recommends Wednesday Letters.  I have not read it -- BUT I SOON WILL BE -- because it's on hold for me at the Knoxville Public Library.  How COOL IS THAT!!??!!  Speaking of being on hold.  Did you know you can go to their web-site... find a book, place it on hold, they will find it for you, call you and you can come pick it up after you check it out.  AND... if you are a slow reader... or life starts going in fast forward and you haven't even read the books you checked out two weeks ago, you can RE-NEW them on-line.  There should be no reason for library fines.  LOL  I keep telling myself that as I pay my library fines.  I'm a loon. It's a fantastic service, if you ask me.
Thank you Roslin Thompson, Director, and all your fellow booky friends at the Knoxville Public Library... you are doing a great job!  Keep up the good work.


Come on Knoxville Friends -- give them a friendly shout out!  °Ü°  Let's hear it for the K.P.L.!

Mrs. Sullivan and her 5 sons

Have you heard of the story of Mrs. Sullivan and her 5 sons?  All her boys were on the ship Juneau.  She heard a rumor that her boys were all killed.  You can read the story here.   

There are songs written about this story, and movies made too. I think I'll netflix that movie.  

While were at the memorial service Wednesday someone read Mrs. Sullivan's letter and the presidents response to her. 

On the way home I talked with the kids about Mrs. Sullivan and why there is now a law that states that all boys of one family can no longer serve in the military. Isn't that interesting?

Well -- if you followed any of the links to the bottom of the pages.. in the small fine print it says... Reference to a "Sullivan Act" in connection with family members serving in the same ship/unit is a popular misconception. The Sullivan Law of 29 May 1911 is a New York State Law dealing with firearms. Although proposed after the death of the five Sullivan Brothers, no "Sullivan Act" was ever enacted by Congress related to family members serving together. Similarly, no President has ever issued any executive order forbidding assignment of family members to the same ship/unit.

WAIT... say it ain't so.  

I left a comment on his blog saying, "Too bad there wasn't as snope.com around when I had my Iowa history handed down to me."  

So -- I went and check snopes.  Good news... there IS TO such a law a rule rather... not really a law... perhaps I should re-word that.  Snopes says, you are except from military service of your siblings or your parents have died in military service.  You do not have to be a sole remaining son, it applies to all remaining sons in the qualified families.  BUT -- this exemption is not in effect during wartime.  Um... that sort of negates the benefits of this rule.

So -- do some reading.  This is an interesting subject. Don't you think?

Knoxville Wrestling Club

The Knoxville Wrestling Club has officially taken over our lives for the next 5 months. Wrestling is a looooong season, if you ask me.

So -- starting 11/11/09... the boys in our house will go to wrestling practice from 6:00 - 8:00 pm 2 nights a week. That may help keep our bathrooms a little cleaner. One should always give thanks in all things, yes?

Wrestling Widow... it's hard to say...

It's a good think I like wrestling. ;)

2009 Veterans Day in Knoxville

The Knoxville Community and Senior Center hosted a Veterans Day service at 10:30 a.m. today. I decided that since we hadn't ever done anything to observe Veterans Day in the past... today would be a good day to start. I'm glad I did.  I hope it will be a visual that my kiddos will remember for years to come.

The program consisted of the Knoxville High School Chamber Choir performing, as well as readings by Cheryl Theil and Annie Leonard from The Next Chapter. The KHS Choir sang 3 songs, 2 of which I sang with my choir in COLLEGE! That was fun to hear. I remembered them pretty well. Annie Leonard read the letter Mrs. Sullivan wrote to the president when she heard the rumor that her 5 sons were killed war. As well as the reply written to Mrs. Sullivan by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

There were four veterans who went on the recent Honor Flights to Washington D.C. that discussed their trips.  One of the veterans we know from church.  Mr. De Zwarte said he hasn't had so much honor for being a veteran then since he went on a trip to Washington DC to visit the WWII memorial.  Hy-Vee and Casey's have sent veterans to the memorial this past year on their honor flights.  There were photographs to look at when the service was over. 

Members from the American Legion and VFW also presented taps at the end of the event.  I did ok through this whole service until I witnessed the old veterans crying.  That did me in. 

Refreshments and cookies were provided and they were delicious!  

Thank You American Veterans.  We give you honor today for your service and your sacrifice.

Mr. De Zwarte said this, "I wouldn't give up my experience in the war for a million dollars, but I wouldn't take a million dollars to do it again."  (I'm paraphrasing). War shaped their character, I'm sure.  

17 DAYS UNTIL THANKSGIVING!! Remembering Past Thanksgivings

I tried post 4 pictures... only 1 shows up. Grr... I try again -- there are 4 listed there still... Oh where oh where have my photographs gone? Oh where oh where can they beeeee????

Anyway... we are looking forward to having company here again for thanksgiving. I love family! Can hardly wait... better go clean my house. LOL

Beth and I Agree

My friend Beth and I were discussing candles.  I was at her house making some PUMPKIN dessert.  Oh my heavens... I said, "They should make a candle that smells like this -- this smells delicious!!"  I think I lingered my nose a bit too long over my can of pumpkin pie mix, because she gave me sort of an odd look.  LOL  Oh my... it was yummy smelling!!

She said, "Well -- don't waste your time or money on this candle.  I had a coupon for it and it's horrible.  It doesn't even smell."

I said, "Oh YEAH... I had a coupon for a candle thing that has a holder and you put a little wax thing in it and it melts.. it doesn't smell at ALL."

I went over and looked at what she was pointing and and they were the exact same thing I had bought... just had a different holder.

They are the GLAD Scented Oil Candles.  Even though you get a good coupon for it -- don't be tempted.  You can't smell them at all.  Crazy!!

Just f.y.i.  Beth and I agree on this one.  °Ü°

Tori Plays the Piano

Tori playing offetory Sunday PM 11/01/09 from Jennifer J. on Vimeo.



Hey MOM!!! Look what your grand-daughter can do. Ü


I'm so proud of her... she doesn't really like playing the piano. Since she is home schooled (but not a home school-ER), I'm counting this as her music... she'll be playing for a long, long time. She might as well get used to it.


Can you tell that she is bare footed? She's crazy... she didn't want her shoes making noise as she walked up to the piano during prayer. LOL It's a short offertory -- but not many people give money on Sunday nights, I guess. She plays 2 songs, I asked her to play slowly... she can really fly through these songs, but I didn't want her to get super nervous and play too fast. She played nice and slowly.


Pretty good for her first every offertory!! Great job Tori!

Mom's Notebook

I'm starting a challenge from the t-tapp forum, and someone mentioned their "notebook".  Ohh... I have a notebook -- buried, lost, perhaps shredded.


I accidently came across it on Saturday.  What in the WORLD?  The very day I was asking someone else about their notebook, I find mine??


Is that providence?
Let's change the subject.  How about them HAWKS!!  Wasn't that a great game Saturday?  


OK -- no really... do you have a notebook?


I do... unused, obviously.  I did use it this spring... pre-soccer, then mis-placed it.  I really was looking for it all during soccer season, because it had in there when I was supposed to bring treats.  I had to keep asking the other mom's... "Is it my turn next week?"  I'm a doofus.


Well I'm jumping back on the notebook bandwagon.


I've got dividers...different sections.

• Bible reading and prayer stuff.
• T-Tapp (just today.. I updated it today)  °Ü° Nutrition stuff here too.
• Child training... OK -- now I have no excuse... MUST do obedience bootcamp with them.
• Housekeeping

THAT's right!!  Housekeeping... 


This is just perfect timing, because I'm re-doing the chore lists for the kiddos.  I'm going to use the goalforit, as I blogged about earlier, for their chores.  I'm working on the store. I'm working on divying up the chores.  I'm working on it... just haven't arrived yet.  I'll do a reveal later.  I'm working on it... really.


Anyway... the housekeeping and the chores sort of tie together.  I found in my old notebook my BOOTCAMP FOR LOUSY HOUSEKEEPERS by Drill Srgt. Heidi Schaap.  She calls herself that... not me.  She's got a blog... it's pretty.  She has a GREAT system all written out for keeping your house decent and in order.  If I would just follow it!  So I'm going to start over again... here I go Heidi.  Oh... look -- she's on facebook too.  


I'm going to put all my stuff to do on my google calendar.  I have several google calendars set up.  I did my menu on a google calendar this month.  AWESOME!  Dan liked one of the new new things I tried this month... so I went to the calendar and chose to repeat that meal every 4 weeks.  Next month I have 1 less meal to figure out.  I'm so excited about that.... but that was a bit of a rabbit trail, wasn't it?  


I have a calendar for medical appointments.  One for sports schedules.  Another one for our music, such as piano lessons and when we sing or play at church.  Each calendar shows up as a different color on ONE calendar.  It's so cool!  Google calendar -- it will now tell me when to dust the book shelves, and wash the curtains and clean off the top of the fridge. I think I'll make this calendar PINK.   If I follow the schedule she thought up, follow her rules, play her game -- I should not have to worry about if my house is clean or not when company comes by.  So guess what that means... YOU SHOULD COME BY!!  I can't wait to see you.

goalforit

Are you thinking I can't spell, or my space bar isn't working??  Well -- you'd be partially right, but actually goalforit is the name of a new website that I found Wednesday.


I was struggling with my chore plan again.  


We did home made chore packs... until they get lost tossed.  Who do these kids think I am?  Mommy doofus?  When I find chore packs under MY bed... I know they aren't lost.  LOL  I didn't put them there. And I know I put more than 1 chore in each pack... pulling all the chores out of the pack doesn't mean you only have to do 1 thing a day.  So I printed up a chart to put up on the wall.  TONS of chores and TONS of kids makes for a chart that is hard to read.  Dan was continually saying, "Who does this?"  I'd continually reply, "Read the chart."  He'd continually retort, "Your stink'in chart is too hard to read, so who does this?"  


So -- the other day I googled kids chores.  I found goalforit.  Looks pretty neat.  I've made a chart for Tori so far.  


Some of the neat things are.. they have pre-made chores already with pictures... that way if your kiddos can't read... they can still do their chores.  BUT -- if you have weird chores like feed crickets to the iguana then you can add your own chores to the chart.  


Of course I love this -- I love charts.  It's clickable.  You can add an AMOUNT of Moolah earned to the chore if you want.  I think I'm going to do this.I've never given my kids an allowance before.  Do I get an allowance for breathing?  No.  Do I get an allowance for laundry, or cooking, or vacuuming, or dressing myself? No.  I recently discovered that some of my kids are competitive, and they LOVE earning things.  They'll memorize stuff to earn stuff.  They will do things to "earn" things.  I think I'll use that to my advantage and give them MOOLAH for clicking the button on their chore charts.   I'm going to make the amounts small... and then start collecting things they can buy from me.  I've never done this before.  I think I'll even add things to the store like socks and underwear.  But also fun things like iTunes cards and candy.  If no one ever buys the socks and underwear, I'll give it to them for their birthday.  No money wasted there.


I thought at first we'd have to have the computer on the whole day long in order to use this -- but there is a way to print the charts off.  They print off 1 weeks at a time.  I think I'll make it someones chore to print off the chore sheets on Saturday night.  This is a beta version of Goal For It... that usually means they are still tweaking the system... I'm going to ask them to let me print the chores off in B&W.  Color is pretty, until you have TONS of chores and TONS of kids... then it's just expensive.


I'm not done making my charts yet -- so we haven't started this at this juncture.  I've got 5 kids to make charts for, and to coordinate the delicate balance of who loads and who unloads the dish washer every night.  The dipsy daisy dance of who fed the dog last and who can get the lid off of the dog food with out help, and who always ignores the animals because that chore is so hard, thus the cats are ravenous and they streak into my kitchen and eat my favorite dip off the counter while I'm not watching.  grrr...


You can be my friend and encourage me in this process if you want.  As you might guess, there are 6 pages of Jennifer's... but I'm the one who starts their name with a ~*~ instead of a J.  Top of the list!! Be my friend!!  I want to steal your ideas walk this journey with you.  °Ü°

ACTUAL Play of the Game.

They showed the "play of the game" on TV the other day -- when there were still THREE minutes left of the game.  LOL  It was the lateral pass.  Pretty good -- unless you are an Iowa fan.

Now THIS HERE is the REAL play of the game, if you are asking me!!

GO HAWKS!!

I'm a fair weather fan -- I'll admit it.  It sure is fun to cheer on a winning team!

A Letter to Facebook Friends

My friend Rachel recently quoted this letter on her blog.

What the letter from A Concerned Pastor's Wife says is so right on... I'm going to quote it here too.

Dear Young Facebook Friends,

You have requested me to be your friend on facebook.  I was reluctant to accept, but took the advice of my husband who said that it would be a good way to know what is going on in your lives and to be an encouragement to you.  What I have seen has left me confused, sad, and frankly disappointed.  I see where you say you love God and the Bible is important to you, and I don’t doubt that; I really don’t.  Perhaps that makes me even more sad.  I wonder how certain aspects of training have fallen through the cracks.  I wonder where we have failed in training your parents so that they can adequately train you.  Are you wondering what I am talking about?

I am talking about the manner in which you portray yourself on facebook.  The unwholesome talk that comes from your fingertips; the OMG(taking the Lord’s name in vain); the careless words and chatter that you don’t stop to think about how it is perceived; even calling people “suckers” and telling them “they suck.”  You may say these things in jest but it doesn’t’ change the words, the meanings, or the degradation of your character.

Then there are the pictures you post.  Besides the fact you portray yourself as a narcissist when you post picture after picture of yourself in pose after pose, there are the poses themselves.  To be blunt, you might as well “pimp yourself out.”  I am not sure what the motivation is in posing in a sexual manner, angling the camera so we can see down your shirt, wearing shorts so short that it looks like you have none on.  You fondle poles, you pose as if kissing or licking other girls,  and pose like gang members.  It makes me wonder just what sort of  boys you are hoping to attract with your pictures because I am pretty certain it won’t be the Godly young man that is being raised to be a man, husband, and father.

With a burdened heart , I exhort you to please think about the kind of person you want to be, how you want to be seen, and most importantly how you can glorify God in the comments and pictures you post on facebook.  Take some time to reflect on  “Finally Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you. “Philippians 4:8,9

Lovingly,

Your Concerned Pastor’s Wife