Life

Each step of life is a journey that you choose to walk.

Each moment of life is another line, sentence, paragraph and chapter of the book called your life.

Enjoy all that life has to offer, good friends, good food, good coffee and as always wisdom and a good laugh.

~Jen





23 May 2010

Winding down...

the whirlwind! It's been nonstop this past week! Our server for the station was down for a couple of days so that made it fun to plan out the show & know what was going on, but it's up and running now. Sorry to all of you that listen online.

So let's recap all the fun from Thursday til Saturday...because there was a lot, but I will only hit the high notes (and a couple of low notes)with some pictures too!

Nichole, my oldest, is graduating 5th grade...Wednesday is the last day of school. So Thursday all the 5th graders that signed up went to Atlanta for a 2 day field trip. We left at 6am & the kids were just buzzing with excitement...







...once we got to Atlanta we went to the Circulium. That was neat. We weren't able to take pictures because the oil painting is 200 years old and light causes damage to it, so all I can tell you is if you get a chance to go...GO! The one in Atlanta depicts the Civil War battles leading up to the capture of Atlanta. After we listened to the story we walked through the museum before lunch...










once we were finished we went to Turner Field to watch the Atlanta Braves play against the Reds.







Now here's the thing...I've never been to a MLB game before...so this story is so crazy that if it hadn't happen to me, I would not believe it! So we are there at the game and we are kind of watching it, but mostly just enjoying the day in the warm sun. It's the bottom of the 9th and the Braves are down by 4. The bases are loaded with no outs...so all of the sudden - EVERYONE is watching the game...1 out & the next batter is up. All of the sudden I am finding myself rooting for the Braves! If I wasn't there - I wouldn't have known it to be true, but the next batter hits the ball...it starts to go...and it's going...going...the Reds player tries to catch the ball, but NO!!! The ball goes over the fence...HOME RUN - GRAND SLAM HOME RUN & THE BRAVES WIN BY 1!







Crazy...I'll never be able to go to another game again...that one ruined it for me. Honestly how often does that happen? It was so cool!!

So after we finished watching the best ball game we headed over to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Medieval Times. That was real neat & the kids really enjoyed that. Nichole took her banner that she had to root for the Yellow Knight & had all the actors sign it. The food was good, but I did have one questions for them...why oh why can't you serve real Sweet Tea & why Pepsi...in the land of Coke? Yes...I'm serious...it was instant tea - in ATLANTA & Pepsi...home of Coca Cola...come on now!! Well outside of that, it was real good.







DAY 2 comprised of many stops. The first was The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial & museum. There is so much history there, that I'm hoping to go back & take all the kids. I don't feel that we spent enough time there.










When we were done there we went to the World of Coca Cola & the GA Aquarium. They are right next to each other so it was a 2 for 1 stop. I loved the World of Coke & I enjoyed tasting all the different Coke products. The one that I did not try was the "Beverly"...hahahaha...I heard about that one & I was not going to try it. My favorite was one that is distributed in England, but I can't remember the name of it.







Like I said...the GA Aquarium was adjoined with The World of Coke, so we went over there and enjoyed seeing the different marine life. My favorite display was the Beluga Whales. They are just beautiful.












As we wrapped up our 5th grade field trip we had lunch & then toured the State Capitol Building. Again, a first for me as well as most of the students. It was awesome & very surreal. I enjoyed looking at all the huge oil paintings & busts of those who served our country and state.







I very much enjoyed the field trip & I loved that I did this with my daughter...what a great way to spend time with one another & to have a cherished memory together! I hope she looks back upon this time with as much love as I do.







~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

17 May 2010

10 Quick Cleaning Tips

From About.com


Dusting

Try dusting cloth lampshades with a lint roller. It works quickly and effectively without the hassle of a vacuum.

Slip an old unmatched sock on your hand and dust as you go.

Windows and Mirrors

Use old newspapers to clean mirrors and windows. You'll have a great disposable cleaning rag and be recycling at the same time.

Vinegar is an inexpensive easy cleaner that can be used on windows and mirrors.

To prevent streaking and extra rubbing, wait for an overcast day to clean your mirrors and windows.

Cleaning Out the Microwave

Bring a cup of water to boil in the microwave, the steam will help loosen dried on particles making them easily wiped away.

Scrubbing the Toilet

Put toilet cleaner in the toilet to soak while you wipe down the outside. The inside dirt and stains will be loosened and more easily cleaned.

Buy a drop-in toilet cleaner dispenser, to increase the time between needed cleanings.

Cleaning Out the Refrigerator.

Briefly clean out trash and bad food each trash day morning. It only takes a few minutes to dump the stuff, and will clear out space to make cleaning easier.

Use baking soda to wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. It scrubs and eliminates odors without damaging surfaces.

Cleaning Out the Oven.

On nights when you get take out, take a few moments and spray the inside of the oven with oven cleaner. Then after dinner, or the next morning if your stains are tough, you’ll be able to wipe away the dirt and grime easily, without missing the use of your oven.

Filing Paperwork

Make filing time coincide with a favorite show that you feel guilty for taking time to watch. Most filing can be done with little thinking, and you’ll get to watch your favorite show in the process. Sort the papers into categories based on your file names. Don’t forget to include trash. You’ll be surprised how much of the pile you won’t need to keep.

Laundry

Make each person responsible for washing, drying, and putting away their own clothing. Write and post some basic instructions in the laundry room. Have a trial period where your trainees assist you with their clothing.

If you get truly overwhelmed by your laundry, check out a local Laundromat that will wash, dry, and fold your loads for you. These services frequently charge by the pound for laundry and aren’t inexpensive, but may save you time and energy when life starts to overwhelm.

Washing Dishes

Let the person who is in charge of washing the dishes, get to pick out dessert.

When you begin cooking, run a sink of hot soapy water, and wash as you go. Food on dishes won’t have a chance to harden, and you’ll be that much ahead when the meal is done.

Keep a supply of disposable plates, flatware, and cups. On nights when you’re overwhelmed by double-header Little League games on the same night as PTA, you won’t have to worry about dishes.

Washing dishes can be a great time to have a parent interview with a child you need to reconnect with. The job may not go more quickly, but you'll be accomplishing a lot more than clean dishes.

Clearing Clutter

Find a local charity to donate items to prior to a clutter clearing session. Some charities may even be able to pick up your donations at a prearranged time, saving you a trip.

Label various storage containers before you begin to sort your clutter. A label makes placing items in the right category a much easier task.

Go through and grab obvious trash as the first step. Once the trash is gone, it makes it easier to see what you want to keep, and just how much stuff you’ll need to get rid of.

~Peace & Blessings~Jen

12 May 2010

As I go through the day...

I am in a bit of a fog. I have not been sleeping well and I feel very tired. I'm not sure why either...I usually sleep very good. Maybe it's anticipation of the kids getting out of school, or because there's so much going on that I can't seem to get it all done...whatever it is...it is.

So Mike is working non-stop right now...which is a blessing & he'll be working late for the next couple of days...not today though because I am still working one day a week at The Brunswick Millhouse. I think that is about to come to a close however...I don't think I really need to keep going.

I am looking forward to this weekend! We are going down to Orlando to see my friend Nikki for the day...eat some good food, swim and relive memories! I am looking forward to this mini break! OK...that's it for now, I really am not focusing well so I am not going to keep rambling.






~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

10 May 2010

My Mother's Day...

was great! I am so blessed. My Mother's Day began on Saturday. My fab hubby & kids left the house around 9:30 & I rolled out of bed around 10 & I got to relax in the glorious silence. I cleaned the bathrooms & balanced the checkbook and began to read a new book.

Around 11 Mike called to let me know that all the kids wanted to go to the movies, not just the boys. So I said OK! We all went to the 1 o'clock showing of Iron Man II.
It was a good movie...a lot of action. As we were leaving...we were invited to go and see How to Train A Dragon...so we had dinner out & went back to the movies! It was so great to chill out with my family & catch a double feature! I don't think we've ever done that before.

Sunday was so nice...started w/ breakfast & presents! My kids made some gifts & bought some gifts. I now have a good camera! I'm still holding out for the 35MM style, but I love my new Nikon digital camera...How sweet! We went to church with my MIL (Mother In Law) and then home for lunch before going over to spend time with my mom! After that I took the kids over to swim at Nanny's house (MIL). I went home and relaxed for a bit before getting dinner started & just enjoyed the evening.

Now it's Monday & I am relaxed and ready for the week. I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store as I walk the path in which he has given me, content in knowing that I am His and that He will take care of me fully!

Have a wonderful & blessed day...

~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

05 May 2010

Following up...

from yesterday's adventures! So the car is back on the road! There was a bolt in the carburetor...glad it stopped running instead of blowing up ~ that's a praise! Also a praise is that I know of an honest mechanic...thank you Mike w/ J&J Tire...you guys are great! So, since it didn't cost me an arm & a leg to get the car running again, I was able to get new tires put on the car as well...it was on my list to get done this week & I'm so thankful that I was able to do that.

So once the car was done and I got back home...I found my most fab husband planting our newly bought peach trees! I just love it when he surprises me like that! Afterwards we reseeded the yard...so we should have some real nice grass growing in about 5 days! Afterward the storms came and we almost lost one of the trees...but I went out and added more dirt - looks like it held.

With all that I forgot to pull out dinner...so...we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner...love breakfast for dinner! Over all...it was a very good day & I'm so thankful for all that happen even if I didn't understand it all.


~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

04 May 2010

New Christian Music Releases For May 04, 2010 - NewReleaseTuesday.com

Love New Release Tuesday...

New Christian Music Releases For May 04, 2010 - NewReleaseTuesday.com



~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

My car...

must be really mad at me!!! So today started off normal enough...I went to bed early & did not want to get up this morning...as usual...got ready for work...prayed...drank coffee... and got the kids ready for the bus...THE BUS...

The bus has been late for several days...which is becoming an issue all on it's own...well today I decided that I would take the kids to school and drop them off (EARLY) and then get to work on time...the reason...because yesterday they did not get to school until 8AM!

Well...that was the plan, but it did not happen...half way to school my car decided that it would shut down...and it did!! Teaching lesson of the day...DON'T PANIC & DON'T STRESS! So I showed Logan how to use the ER Brake. He asked about it just 2 days ago...how ironic!

I then called the towing co & my friend to get the kids...so the kids got to school on time & the tow co. got me to the garage...and come to find out it was my carburetor...it came loose and some derby got in. Smart car...shut itself down! I'm thankful that it did not happen on the bridge!

So now I'm waiting for my tires. I figured they have my car there...might as well get new tires! Fun stuff :-) So there you have it...my Tuesday adventure!

~Peace & Blessings~
Jen