Parenting

So one of our goals this year has been to try to work harder at this thing we call parenting. And so far so good. God has been really working on changing me into a patient person. Now I find myself talking to my children, not raising my voice! I hate that there was ever a second that I yelled at my kids! I wish I could take it all back. I can't I can only move forward and learn from my mistakes. And boy what a journey it has been. More and more everyday the kids and I are learning one another. More and more I am starting to realize that how I was raised was not right and that I need to always remember that! Every night Austin, Ethan and I read. We play with puzzles. (Ethan doesn't have the whole puzzle concept down yet but were working on it!) We run around the house playing tickle monster. Or we pretend to play cops and robbers. Or hide and seek! We color and talk, we laugh we cry and at the end of the day I collapse! But it is all worth it! It's worth it to know that my kids are being raised to the best of my abilities. Being raised to respect one another, being raised to love one another, being raised up in the word of God. So thank you God for Summit Church and Thank you God for changing me into your beautiful child/woman so that I can help work and mold the lives of my Children!

The fabulous 4

So the "fabulous 4" as I like to call it was my fabulous 4 day weekend I just had! There is nothing better then taking some days off and spending time with your family! I love long weekends!

So my long weekend started Friday. My hubby and I decided to go thrifting in search of some picture frames. So off we set and we found two good sized ones! Now why would we be looking for picture frames you ask??? Well we wanted to make a chalkboard for our kitchen and a dry erase board for the back of out front door. See I love chalkboards! I am excited to have a chalkboard in our kitchen somewhere, where I can write the daily menu or even better wake up each morning and write Bible passages on it for my hubby to read when he wakes up. Words of encouragement for everyone. Food for thought! I want one because I know it will be a staple point in our kitchen and something the whole family can have fun with! The reason why I want a dry erase board down on my front door is because when the hubby and I leave for outings with the kids we always forget something (or 5 things) and end up making multiple trips up and down the stairs retrieving what it is that we had forgotten! Yes great work out but very frustrating at times especially when you are running late! So the dry erase board will be used for making a check list each night of all the things we could possibly need for our outing the next day. I will give you the break down of how we made these in another post.
Also while we were out thrifting we found some great sized hurricane vases and decided to scoop them up. They were .99 cents a piece! SCORE!!! So there was no way I was leaving them behind! Also we found a good sized Tupperware container to house our ten pound bag of flour (we make a lot of our own breads and cakes) And I found a cake container! I almost died! They only wanted 4 bucks for it! I was in thrifting heaven on Friday! Ethan my 19 month old was such a trooper as I dragged him around to 3 different thrift stores!

Saturday was a wonderful day with my boys! Austin had just completed his first full week of school.So we decided we would go swimming at my hubby's parents house. They were out of town so we were able to use their pool. (We can really use their pool whenever they don't have to be out of town for us to do so.) So we all had a relaxing morning and then put Ethan down for a nap. I did some laundry and then hubby and I started painting our frames for everything I explained above. We made one for my little sister who is 15 and in her second year of high school. We thought it would be nice for her room :) Then later that day we headed to the pool and picked up my little sister along the way. We all had a blast and spent 2 hours in the pool. It went by so quickly! We dropped my sister off and decided to go and see my mother in law but she wasn't home so we just called it a day and headed home.

Sunday was another wonderful day with the boys! We had some complications at first but we didn't let them get us down! We were leaving our house at 10am to head to Church in Naples and as we were backing out of the driveway our car died. Not a very good thing seeing as how we only have one car! So by the grace of God our car started back up and we headed off in search of a battery hoping that since we were a tad bit early leaving that morning that we would still be able to make it to church maybe just a tad bit late. But the first place we went in search of a battery we struck out! Then the hubby decided to take the kids and I home because our 19 month old totally despises his car seat! You would think it was possessed by demons or something with the way he acts when he is in it! So I put Ethan down for a nap well aware that we would not be making it to church that morning. The hubs went to Auto Advantage and got our new battery there of course it wasn't a cheap date! Nothing is when you have a foreign car! I believe my hubby is still kicking himself in the butt for getting that car. But we are grateful for the car even though it is expensive! So then after Ethan's nap we headed out and picked up my little sister again and grabbed a bite to eat on the way to my in laws house to go swimming again! So we spent another 2 hours in the pool and had a blast! Well except for the part where my sister nailed me with a ball in my eye! But all is well and I have no black eye to report of! Praise the Lord! So after swimming we planned on going to my Mother in Laws again to see her and have dinner with her so we went over and spent some time with her and then headed out to dinner at the good ol' Cracker Barrel! It was a good time we even ran into her friend Joyce who happened to be having dinner by herself! We invited her to join us for dinner and we all ate and laughed and had a wonderful time!

Monday I decided was my day to do nothing and when I say nothing I really mean it! I think the only thing I did all day was make dinner and that required me putting a pork tenderloin in the crock pot that was the extent of it! I watched TV and just had a wonderful time relaxing with my hubby.

My 4 day weekend was Blessed! I had the best time with the most amazing people! And the best thing is that this weekend is a 3 day weekend! I couldn't have planned a better time to have a long weekend!
How was your weekend?

Band aid's

So as I was getting ready for work this morning I was getting out my hair dryer and knocked over the box of band aids. As I started to pick up the band aids I got to thinking, Jeez, we sure have had this box of band aids a long time and it is still pretty much full! That got me thinking some more.... Jhenna, you have boys and you still have a full box of band aids from over a year ago??? That is unheard of! Then I thought wow I am so blessed. I am always so worried about my boys getting hurt and yet here I sit with a year old full box of band aids! If you have known me for any length of time then you know that I have said "God definitely has a sense of humor, he gave me boys!"  I have said that I can't mentally handle boys, I am the mom that is like oh no, he is going to fall off his bike and then I yell out be careful, watch out for that hole, why don't you come stand next to mommy and walk with her. Yes, in more or less words I am a nut ball, and I never really saw that I have been holding back my boys from being what they are boys! God will protect them and I need to let go and let them live the boyish lifestyle.

I believe that God gave me boys not because he has a sense of humor (even though he does have one) but because he wanted me to learn to let go of the control factor and know that he is first and foremost always in control. Something that has taken me way to long to figure out! Ever since I started reading the Crazy Love book, I have really been stopping and taking the time to just think, smell the roses and  WOW, God your blowing me away! How come I didn't stop and think sooner?

The Busy Bee!

Well I have been busy lately! Wait let me rephrase that, There isn't a day that goes by that we don't have something to do! I will start from Friday the 3rd and explain on from there! So Friday after my first long long week back at work. When I got off work I had to go to Austin's school and pick him up then to Ethan's daycare and pick him up, then to Jon's work and pick him up. So I got off work at 4:30 and finally arrived home at 6pm. Then to pack up all the kids stuff and load up the car. Then about 7pm we headed down to Naples, dropped the boys off at my mom's (Or in this case the new boyfriend whom she just started dating like 4 months ago and has taken over his house) and then set up all of Ethan's stuff. And if you have never had a baby then let me first tell you that you need to own a bus to tot around as much stuff as they need! So we dropped off the boy's and then headed to go get some dinner for ourselves at 8pm and grabbed a bite to eat and headed to Jon's dad and Julie's house, Which thank God was our finally destination for the evening. We got there about 8:45pm and sat down and watched TV for a bit. Now I am sure you are wondering why were they at Jon's parent's house??? Well that would be because we were car pooling with them on Saturday to La Belle and had to leave their house by 6:45am. And well it was just easier to be in the same house! Now you are probably wondering hm mm why were they going to La Belle at 6:45 in the morning, Well that would be because we had to be there at 8am for habitat for humanity. We decided to volunteer to raise walls with our church. Well not only did we raise the walls we raised the roof too! (or in this case trusses) So we spent 6.5 hours out there and didn't get back to Jon's parent's house until around 4pm. So me being nice and red oh and brown (the brown part was because I was covered in dirt) jumped into the shower and then headed over to pick up the boys around 5ish. So needless to say we didn't get home until about 6:30/7pm. So we were burnt wore out and still had two children to take care of and feed! Fun Fun! So of course we were all fast asleep by 8pm. Ethan wasn't feeling well and decided to wake up at 1am ugh! So when I woke up at 1am my throat was on fire and well I felt horrible! So when it came time to go to church I was even worse and we decided to stay home. But we couldn't stay home for long oh no because we had a birthday party for Austin at Lee and Julie's house at 4pm. So we went there and decorated and got the food ready and well had a very good party! So then we didn't get home until 9pm and we didn't have Austin with us because he stayed the night at my mom's again. So it was nice because when we got home we put Ethan in his bed and went straight to sleep!

So Monday well I went home after work made dinner cleaned up a bit and then went to bed. Yes I know uneventful compared to the pass 3 days.

Tuesday, Well I went and picked up Ethan from daycare and then Jon from work trying to rush home so that I could be home by 5:30 to give my house a good scrubbing before my mom got there because well it was trashed and I didn't want anyone to see it like that! And my mom, sister, and son, weren't suppose to be there until 6pm. So we got home at 5:20 and guess who was there and had already let themselves in???? My mom!!! And I was so livid! Not that she had let herself in which is fine that is why I gave her the key but because she had been at my house since 5pm. I said 6pm FOR A REASON!!!! So I ran upstairs and said sorry the house is a mess and what does my sister say (adding insult to injury here) yea we noticed!!! So at that point I was beyond livid! And I pretty much turned into a cleaning machine! I looked like dash from the Incredible's! I was racing around and cleaning my house. And I didn't sit down until 8pm that evening! And that is about the same time I went to bed!

Wednesday, was a mad and crazy day! Well I went to pick up Ethan and then I ran home and picked up my sister and the diaper bag and some clothes for Jon. Then I headed over to Jon's work to pick him up, we had to wait for him to get there I think we waiting 20 minutes. So then down to Naples we went! Wednesday's are always crazy because I have my bible study and Jon has his. So we made it down to Naples by 6:20pm and then had dinner at Lee and Julie's. Then Julie and I went over to our Bible study and that was great but it ran really late until like 10pm I think and then we went back to her place and we loaded up the car and got home about 10:45pm. And again straight to bed!

Thursday, So yesterday I went and picked up Austin from his dad's and saw my ex sister in law Sara. That was very awkward to say the least. And then I headed over to pick up Ethan and then onto Jon's work to pick him up! Which I was stuck there about 25 minutes because he was running late so again we got home at 6pm. And then I sent Jon out to the store to get some stuff for southwest mess! Yummy! I cooked dinner and gave Austin a bath and then put Ethan to bed, and then I actually got to sit down and watch a veggie tales movie with Austin called the Easter Carrol! it was very good! Then afterwards it was about 9:30pm I went to bed and left Katelynn and Austin to the next veggie tales movie!

So that brings us to today. FRIDAY!!! GOOD FRIDAY! The day Jesus died for our sin's so that we may be saved! Well work has been busy. And now I have a little down time before I leave for the day. But once I leave I don't have to pick anyone up! PRAISE JESUS! ha ha. Jon had the day off today! (paid. The company he works for is closed.) So he spent the day with, Katelynn, Austin, and Ethan! He got very lucky! And I had to come to work. But anyways once he picks me up we are going home and I am taking a shower and eating dinner and then getting ready for the Good Friday service tonight at 7pm down in Naples. Then After the service I have to drop Austin off to his dad :( I don't want to but it is his weekend!

So lets see one day this week something happened and I will now tell the very eventful and embarrassing story!

Once upon a time there was an assistant and she was sitting at her desk working very hard, when along came an engineer. The engineer stopped in the doorway of the assistant's office and took a look at the assistant's belly and said "I see that your belly is getting bigger!" The assistant's face turns red and shocked looking as she looks down and says "What??? It is getting bigger??? It isn't suppose to be getting bigger it is suppose to be getting smaller!!!! And then the engineer says wait you aren't still pregnant?? (again adding insult to injury) The assistant says NO! She had the baby 12 weeks ago! And then the engineer says oh I have been out for 3 months and walks away, Leaving the assistant feeling like a HIPPO!!! And well I am the assistant if you didn't already guess!