Nice hat, Mike!

On their way to trick-or-treat

Two Jasmines Are Better Than One

This year, Madeline and Amanda have both been asking for Jasmine princess costumes. Actually, for the past couple of years they have been asking. I'm not much on the costume because it comes with a belly shirt, and it isn't a pretty dress like the other princesses. I have been able to put them off thinking that eventually they would forget Jasmine and move on. And, I have the cutest 50s skirts in the closet just dying to be worn on Halloween. Well, last week I found out Costco had princess costumes and guess who they had. Yep. So, in a moment of weakness (I blame it on the Mono), I gave in and got them their outfits. They look cute as buttons. And they were both so happy when I pulled them out that it was worth the money I wasn't going to spend on costumes this year.

My Little Boy

He's not so little anymore.

Funny Faces

The Gals and Mike decided to work on their pumpkins today. This year, Amanda decided she only wanted to color a face on a small pumpkin, while Madeline said she wanted to keep it old school and have Dad carve one. As long as their happy, we're happy.

Sweet & Salty

Amanda's very favorite snack is the Kellogg's Sweet & Salty Chocolatey Peanut bars. But, lately, I have had a hard time finding them. We look every time we go to any store, but no one seems to be carrying them. Well, we were in Target and were looking AGAIN and guess what we found - two boxes! I said, "Amanda, look." She grabbed them both right away, threw them in our cart and said, "God has made this a good day." I wish it was always so easy to have a good day. Thanks, Amanda, for reminding me it is the little things we need to look for - not the big ones.

Have a good day!

My New Friend

After getting lost in Dallas for an hour because I didn't want to pay the extra money on the rental car for the GPS system, I came home and ordered a Garmin. It came in the mail today, and I cannot wait to use it! I know Mike is going to have a hard time because he is a paper-in-hand kind of guy, but I give it a few trips, and we will be fighting over whose car it stays in.

I love new toys!

It's Back!

For the past few weeks, I have felt awful. I thought it was because of how tired I had gotten at the MOPS Convention, but it lasted longer than it should have. So, last Thursday I went to the doctor. This morning they called, and I tested positive for Mono - AGAIN! I cannot believe it. It's rare for this to happen they tell me. I would have preferred that, if something rare would happen to me, it would be winning the lottery or finding a check for $250,000 in my mailbox. But, no, I get MONO. Lucky me.

Logan's New Ride

The old Jeep finally died, so this week Logan got a new car. It is a 2002 VW Jetta. He is really excited about it. It has heated seats and a sunroof. His favorite part is the gas mileage. He's been getting like 5 miles to the gallon with the Jeep. We got a good deal on it - the woman who was selling it was moving to NYC yesterday and needed to get rid of it quickly. The Jeep is being donated to the local Tech Center for future mechanics to practice on. They will get LOTS of practice!

Madeline's New Bed

The Gals have been doing a bunch of sleepovers and got tired of one of them always having to sleep on the floor, so Mike brought home a new bed for Madeline's room this weekend. He had gotten it from his grandparents and had been storing it at his folks' house. After we set it up, Madeline yelled to Amanda and said, "Come join me in my luxury bed!" She loves it - doesn't even seem to mind that she doesn't have as much play area anymore. She brought me the Pottery Barn Kids catalog and showed me all the new bedding she wants. I have created a monster.

Pretty Pie

Logan made a lemon meringue pie yesterday in his baking and pastry class. His meringue turned out beautiful, but the lemony part brought on a bit of a pucker. Let me tell ya, it takes a real man to walk around school with a cake carrier.

Termites!

Yes, we have TERMITES! Those disgusting, nasty things have infiltrated our garage. THANK GOD Mike made us get a monthly contract with a local pest control company - it will cost us nothing to get the problem fixed. But the thought of those gross bugs eating away at whatever they can find out there makes me want to vomit.

The Many Adventures of Jill

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining two of my MOPS buddies and speaking to a group of UMC ministers and children's ministry personnel about starting a MOPS group. For those of you who have known me long, you know that speaking in front of a crowd is completely out of my comfort zone. In high school, I stopped speaking in the middle of a speech I had to give on sign language and faked a coughing attack. In college, I had to have one of my favorite adult beverages before I gave a speech on business communication. It was not until a couple of years ago that I felt like I had something to say, and not until recently where I felt like people actually needed to hear it. I don't know - maybe it comes with age. You stop worrying about what they are thinking and start to take advantage of having a group of people trapped in a room having no other choice but to listen to you. It doesn't mean I don't shake like a crazy person on crack - but I do it, and I make it through.

All I know is that I would never have imagined I would have been able to sit in front of a group like I did yesterday. And I had to do it for two different sessions. Amazing.

Go out today and do something out of your comfort zone. You'll be glad you did.

Yee Haw!

Howdy, Y'all! I'm back from Dallas and better than ever. It was an absolutely awesome time. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to be in a room with 5000 women. This was my first Convention as a MOPS Field Leader, and I have to tell you that it was terrific. It was a lot more work, but it was also enlightening and touching. It puts it into perspective when you hear there are over 100,000 MOPS moms and only about 250 Field Leaders. I got to spend time with my dear ladies from my home group, and, as always, they didn't disappoint. They were loud and crazy, and I cannot tell you how much my stomach muscles hurt from giggling so much. I got to see my favorite Julie Barnhill TWICE. It was just really great all the way around. It completely revived me as a wife and mother. Of course, I got absolutely no sleep, and the bags under my eyes could hold all of my winter clothes, but it was worth it. I do have to say, though, I do not like Dallas at all and would not ever go there unless I had to. One night, my dear Katie and I got lost in the rental car and drove around for about an hour. We couldn't find anywhere to stop to ask for directions. It was awful! And, unfortunately, I did not find one thing that said "I Shot JR". And I looked. So, I was forced to spend my t-shirt money on many other things. Oh - and the hotel where the convention was held had a sports bar. Our group was in hog heaven sitting in recliners, eating bar food, and watching football. It was lovely!

Next year is Nashville. I can't wait!!