Happy Turkey Day!

Thanksgiving this year wasn't our typical. It was our year with my family and my parents were headed to West Virginia. There really just isn't enough room for us to stay there any more with my 5 and Jennifer's 4, plus my parents. Plus, we really didn't want to stay in a hotel for the holidays. We planned on celebrating with them the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

My crew and Jen's crew headed to our good friend Melissa's house and did Thanksgiving in a non-traditional type of way. We had chili, awesome appetizers, and some good dessert. No one was running around, stirring gravy, mixing mashed potatoes, or making sure the marshmallows weren't burning. So heavenly!!(Even if I don't really cook, ever, at Thanksgiving:-))

I also realized something interesting about my boys. They are quite maternal. Funny. Elise(Melissa's daughter) has this baby that pees and poos. Really. The doll really goes in the toilet. It's quite hilarious. I honestly feel sorry for the mothers out there that have to endure this type of thing, seriously. But we had a good laugh and my boys were obsessed with the thing...maybe b/c they're obsessed with anything that has anything to do with toilet talk.

Sam LOVES Melissa's daughter and follows her around. Well, they both follow each other around. Ugh! Not ready for that yet.

She's such a cutie. We love having extra females around, that's for sure.

Turkey Trot

I consider myself a runner. I run. I run several times a week. But I have never run in an organized race. I'm not sure why. Maybe because I make excuses like, "I have 3 kids and don't have any time to train for one. I mean, I do want to cross the finish line with a good time". Or maybe there is a fear of seeing all of these hard core runners...you know the type...they can tell you how many miles they have run in a week, month, and year and their average mile is around 5 1/2 minutes or something like that. Then that fear would become a reality as I would watch each of them pass me making each stride look ever so easy and graceful. However, I decided to put aside all my fears this year and Taylor and I signed up for the annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Race in downtown Cincinnati. It is a 10K...or for those of you out there who don't know how long that is, it's 6.2 miles. Not a long run for runners, but I don't normally run 6.2 miles everyday...I don't know many women with kids who have the time for that anyway. But I manage around 4-4.5 miles which is pretty good for a girl with 3 kids. I know I keep saying I have 3 kids...sorry.

(The night before, Taylor and I wanted to see what would happen if we let the boys put themselves to bed on their own. When we got up the morning of the race, we found them all in Conner's bed. It was so cute that I had to take a picture. I had to add that as part of this monumental day.)

We dropped the kids off at my sister's and headed downtown for the "big" race. It was actually fairly warm...upper 40's and sunny. It truly was perfect weather for running. We had to tie these sensors to our sneakers to get our time when we crossed the finish line...I think mine was messed up, ummm, because I could have sworn I crossed the finish line way before an hour, but when we checked on-line, my time was just over an hour. Oh well. I finished the race and I loved every second of it. And surprisingly, there were lots of people like me...moms who don't have tons of time to be a serious runner, but just want to stay fit and healthy. And there were the hard core runners, too. The winner of the race finished in just over 30 minutes. Pretty good. Hmmm...I wonder if he has 3 kids. ;-)

Here we are after the race, feeling awesome.I was also loving the fact that my hubby, who could have finished the race at least 15-20 minutes before I did, decided to run with his wife. He's so sweet, huh?

Another Family Wedding

I am doing some catch up here, but Taylor had yet another cousin get married this fall. His cousin David got married in Michigan. It was a cool, crisp day and the ceremony was actually outside...brrrr! However, it was a beautiful setting and they said their vows as the sun was setting. Very romantic! The reception followed in a heated tent right next to where the ceremony was held and was a blast. Our boys were invited, thank you Lauren and David!! Let me just say that I was not aware my boys had such dancing skills. Conner had some moves I was completely unaware bodies could actually do, but nonetheless, he was doing them. All 3 boys became center of attention as they put on their dancing shoes and went nuts. I wasn't sure whether to laugh hysterically or run in horror. I kept envisioning them in high school, hormones and all, trying to get "the" girl by doing some crazy movements with their hips. Alas I was brought back to reality and enjoyed the fact that everyone loved watching them and complimented us on how cute they were. Here's Taylor and Conner busting a move, props and all.

Sammy Sam met a cute little girl and spent the night flirting and playing cards...kinda scary how this came so easy to him.

And of course, it is always so great to see Taylor's family. Lots of cousins, lots of craziness, lots of fun!! Loved it all!

5th grade, 2nd grade, and Kindergarten, really?

I am catching up on some blogging now. The boys have been in school for almost 3 1/2 weeks and I am schocked that I haven't found ANY time to talk about their first day of school. I know, I know, I'm sure everyone out there is probably thinking I must have so much time on my hands now that I have my kids in school, but honestly, if feels busier than ever. I'm not sure if it's the constant pile of laundry that hangs out near the laundry room or the many pairs of shoes I am trying to keep organized or the need to get to the grocery store, keep Conner's uniform clean, make beds, write bills, sweep the cobwebs off the front porch every morning, make lunches, fix Conner's chain on his new scooter...every day, find something that is lost of the boys, drive someone to practice, plan meals, make meals, clean up the meals, do constant homework(yes, it has already started), spend my entire Saturday at the ball park, scream "wash your hands" at least 50 times a day(hello H1N1), etc., etc. Get the picture? And I truly don't mean to sound selfish, but nowhere do I manage to squeeze much in for myself. I try to explain to my friends that have very little ones that life will get more difficult and busy. They're not buying it. I guess you have to be in the midst to understand.

Conner is now in 5th grade and Ben is in 2nd. It's a very interesting dynamic b/c the boys are both so different. They both like their teachers which is always good and they both get sent home a ton of busy work. Ya know, I get the whole homework thing...time management and all, but seriously, WAY TOO MUCH HOMEWORK for a mother that is already overloaded with way too much to do!!!

And did I mention my little Sammy is now in kindergarten?? Oh what a first day he had. Here we are at the bus stop with my friend Juli(yes, the one I frequently talk about in other blogs) and her boys, Trent and Tanner. Sam and Trent got to experience their first day together which made it especially sweet for both me and Juli. My friend Juli looks fabulously gorgeous, as she always does. No, it wasn't a special occasion for her. She always looks stunning while me..., well..., I really was getting ready for a run. Really!!

And another thing to make Sam's day extra special was for my mother and two grandmothers to share in his first day experience. He is the baby, after all.

There's mom(so beautiful at 57).

My dad's mom(Mom Price as we call her) is on the left and my mom's mom(Mamaw) is on the right. So cute

Sammy had a great day and LOVES going to school. I thought it might be because he likes to color, meet new friends, play on the playground, or pick out new books to read. Nope! He loves school b/c "Mrs. Baker is pretty and young". "Really?" I said. "Yes, mommy. She is younger than you and she has blonde hair and she gives me hugs." I guess Sam has developed a thing for blondes, but I had to say to myself after looking at him, how could you not hug a kid that looks like this? He's too precious for words.

A Rainy Day

This is my good friend Juli's little boys...she actually has 4 total, but these are the youngest with Sam. Yes, mothers of boys tend to find each other in this life for support, encouragement and lots of laughs. Juli and I have actually been friends for over a decade. We met when I was pregnant with Conner and the Lord knew we'd need each other, that's for sure. We've been blessed to end up in the same neighborhood and our boys are connected at the hip, migrating between our houses, and always up to something. Last week was quite rainy and I had decided to do something constructive and creative.: :-) If you know me at all, I didn't get the creative gene. However, no worries. I headed to the bookstore to find a clever, creative, and colorful "book for rainy days". We got home, quite excited about making "salt dough"(yes, to play with), "paper roses"(which we would fill our own vase with), and "star boxes"(don't really know the purpose behind these, but we'd give 'em a try). **BTW- who comes up with this stuff? I ran upstairs to check email...literally 2-3 minutes of time, and heard some odd noises coming from our lower family room.

As you can see, the boys had decided to make use of their rainy day a different way. Quickly I might add. In a 2-3 minute span of time, they had found our gigantic beanbag, placed it at the bottom of the steps and were launching themselves from the top of the steps to the beanbag...without any hesitation, mind you. Here's Sam, our little ring leader.

This is Juli's little boy. By the time I got the camera, they had been doing this for some time. By the end of the jumping, leaping, launching session, the beanbag was broken, but I am happy to announce that no one was hurt.

Do you see the look of pure happiness as he leaps off the top of the steps? Let's see, when my sister and I were younger, rainy days called for calmer things. We'd bake a cake with mom, play dress-up, pretend we were teachers with our dolls. Well, it looks like I still have a lot to learn about a boys' nature and the pure excitement that comes with doing things that should require some thought. I'm not sure things like,"Maybe I'll get hurt", or "This isn't such a great idea" goes through their minds...EVER.

I thought the madness was over, but I was so wrong. Sam decided to paint his face with peanut butter later on that day and no, this was not an idea from the "rainy day book". I'm sure you're wondering if I ever keep an eye on my children. I do, but only on sunny days.

One Big Wedding Weekend

**This is Taylor's cousin Ryan and his new wife Emily the morning after the wedding. This was the only picture we were able to get with them despite being with them all weekend.

Taylor and I just returned from a venture to Perrysburg, Ohio. Or Toledo for those of y'all who aren't familiar. Taylor's cousin Ryan was married to a great gal named Emily and their wedding was a blast! I wish I could explain in words how beautifully breathtaking and elegant this wedding was. We were really honored to be able to spend several days with most of the family and wedding party b/c Taylor was an usher in the wedding. Taylor and Ryan were always very close growing up...about 6 months separates them in age. Ryan is a ball of energy and a super sweet guy. I remember when I first met him, at the young age of 19. He greeted me with a hug, which if you know any of Taylor's family, a hug or kiss is usually what you are greeted with. Taylor and I would always laugh about Ryan being a forever bachelor, but the entire family knew he had met his match with Emily. While I don't know Emily very well, she has been nothing but kind, and truly genuine to me in our conversations.

Here's the newly married couple sharing their first dance. Did I mention how gorgeous and elegant everything was?? I even walked around snapping pics of all the flowers, centerpieces, and even the food.

Here's Mark and Taylor. Mark is our future brother-in-law. Yippee!! I adore Mark. There aren't a lot of guys quite like him, besides Taylor, of course!! He's just a good guy and someone I can't wait to have in our family. We don't get to see Mark and K(Taylor's sister) very much, so when we do there are a lot of laughs and fun times. I keep hinting to them that they really should consider moving South, possibly near Cincinnati. :-)

Here's Kristin and Mark. Too cute. And obviously I adore my sister-in-law. I tease her that she is a girl version of Taylor, but much prettier. I miss her, especially after spending the weekend together.

This is one of a few pictures Taylor and I got to pose for together. Honestly, I didn't spend a lot of time with him considering he had such a big job. Let's see, Friday he played golf, then took a nap, then left 25 minutes after waking up to get to the church for the rehearsal. I ran into him at the rehearsal dinner. Saturday we managed to get a run in together and breakfast with his parents. But after that, he left for all the usher duties and pictures and I don't think I saw him until around 7:30 or so when we finally sat down together for some yummy sea bass and filet mignon. The food was scrumptious.

With all that stuff aside, I am always impressed with the love, affection, and warmth of Taylor's family and this weekend was no exception. I am greeted every single time I see each and every one of the uncles, aunts, cousins, extended family members, etc. with a hug or kiss and it truly means so much. So, these things were just the icing on the cake, so to speak.

Congrats, Ryan and Emily!!

Matthew 11:28-30

I was up early today for my morning run...7:30am hits and I'm out the door! Today was a different run than most. For the month of July, we have had some really mild weather. Not the norm if you're from around here. The humidity is generally horrible, so it's not great when your hair is prone to frizz or you hate sweating in all the wrong places, if you know what I mean!! However, the past couple of weeks have been cool and this morning was no exception except for the fact that there was a light mist of rain coming down. I love early morning runs. It's quiet and peaceful. I like to carry on conversation with the Lord a lot during the day and my morning runs are no exception. I pray. It's truly a time that I experience His presence the most. My relationship with the Lord has been like no other recently. The life experiences and circumstances God has put in my path recently have been quite significant. God is truly teaching me that although I have been blessed with an amazing family, friends, etc., He is truly my stronghold and fortress when I'm weak. There's no one else I can cry out to in my distress, worries, anxieties, troubles, etc. except Him. As I was running this morning, the Lord reminded me of a verse that our pastor just preached about on Sunday. It was a verse Jesus spoke himself concerning our own human merit and abilities and how leaning on Him and getting throught this thing called "life" is impossible without Him. Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus spoke, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Apart from God and his divine grace, I can do nothing. Apart from him I could never save myself. Apart from Him, I am fallen. As our pastor preached, he explained how we are carrying our burdens the wrong way. We're not meant to carry them on our own. Our world tells us how important and honorable it is to be self-sufficient, abundant in riches, strong, and proud. But I know that my pursuit of happiness is a different way. And I am humbled that I am His.
BTW--check out what a "yoke" is if you get a chance. No, I didn't get the spelling wrong. It's not the y-o-l-k of an egg. But I will tell you that a yoke was not meant to be used by one, but two.

Another Baseball Season is Over

Conner's baseball team just completed their final tournament game last night. It was a great game with some unfortunate, unmotivated, and tired umps. Bad calls were the theme last night. The boys should have won. And yes, I was yelling...a lot.

I hate to admit this, but I think I'm more sad it's over than Conner is. The boys were truly a team. They all did a great job rallying around and encouraging each other during the rough spots. It was amazing to watch. It was also great to get to know other parents and family members of Conner's fellow teammates. When you see the same people 2x/week every week for around 10-12 weeks, you learn a lot about people. I'm sure everyone had their fill of Ben and Sam. I don't even want to guess how much money was spent at all the concession stands by my little guys.

Thanks to all our great coaches for motivating and encouraging the boys. And thanks to my parents...did I mention they are Conner's #1 fans?? They made it to almost every game he had. One of the games my dad couldn't make it to was especially memorable b/c he sat on the phone with my mother and Taylor for a play by play. Now that's dedication!

A trip to Dick's

The other day, we had to make a quick trip to
Dick's because Taylor wanted to buy some running shoes, among other things that naturally get placed in our cart at the sporting goods store.
We obviously give our kids the typical threats and warnings all parents do about having the proper behavior in a public place. I thought the warnings and threats were working out great until I rounded the corner and saw them with "the man with no arms and legs". Taylor and I thought punches, kicks, and karate-like moves against this guy were pretty funny until we watched Sam lick his face. Ugh!! Do you know how many people have touched this guy on the face???? I tried to understand what exactly would prompt Sam to do such a thing, but I was left guessing.

They also seemed to have an obsession with this guy and his lower parts. As I was browsing, I found ALL 3 of the boys looking under his shorts and giggling. Then they proceeded to pull his shorts down. Some of the passerbys thought it was quite humorous, while others were probably wondering where these boys' parents were. Did I mention that Taylor and I were hiding behind a row of baseball gloves???

Who do I love the best?

Here are my men...my world is surrounded by them 24/7. I love them...each and every one of them. Ben frequently asks me who I love the best. The first time he asked this question, he was hoping I would list in this order: Ben 1st, Daddy 2nd, Sam 3rd, and Conner last. I asked him why he wanted it in this order and he said this: "Mommy, I always tell you you're beautiful so I should be first. You love daddy after me because he's your boyfriend. And Sam and Conner are last because they don't love you as much as I do."
This was a great opportunity to teach Ben a little lesson about marriage. I told Ben that I love him more than he could ever imagine. I explained that he is a gift from God and he is one of the most precious people in my life. I told him that as much as he wanted me to say his name first, I would always list Daddy before him. I explained the importance of mommies and daddies putting each other first and that, in turn, helps keep the rest of our family happy. Ben told me that he was pretty happy so it must be working.
My boys will always love me, but they are going to get older and fall in love with "another"(other than me:-)). I know it's coming. And I am so fortunate and blessed to be able to, Lord willing, share that time with Taylor. God has poured his blessing on me with Taylor. I truly couldn't have handpicked someone better. Some call it luck...I call it God.

The Storm

This is Conner's baseball team, the Milford Storm, this year after a 5-4 win against a team they lost to in the 1st half of the season. It was quite the win. His team is now 12 and 3 with a possibility that they will play in the city knothole tournament. The 2 best teams from his division will go to this tournament...and I can't wait!! A few years ago, spending the day at the ball field sounded worse than getting a root canal. Now, it's pretty much how we spend our weekends and I love it. I honestly never thought I would be the mother that would be disgruntled about a bad call by the umpire or would shed a tear when my kid's team loses. Needless to say, that's me! I never understood team spirit, but I do now. These boys are 10 and 11 years old...and boy, they are good. And through all of this, Conner is not only learning the basics of the game, but he's really learning the value of sportmanship and healthy competition. It's opened up opportunities to talk with him about attitude and character...two things I most definitely hope and pray my kids develop in life.

Go Storm!!!

Sam's Art

Sam recently was asked to draw a picture of what I look like for a Mother's Day celebration at preschool. All of the moms had to guess which picture was their's from about 19 different sketches all of the boys and girls drew. I naturally was drawn to the stick figures that had long, flowy hair, pretty dresses, and eyeballs inside their eye sockets. I chose this picture last. Can you guess why?? Evidentally I'm balding and have strange growths coming out from the sides of my cheeks. Sam said he gave me two sets of ears for "all da earrings u have, mommy". He couldn't really answer me about the black scribbly stuff at the bottom of the page or the numerous purple legs I have, but his teachers LOVED his drawing. They told me I should be proud of his attention to detail. Hmmm....attention to detail, interesting. After telling Sam how much I loved his drawing of me, I had a request. Next time he draws me, I would love to have some legs, hair(please!), and maybe some eyelashes. Not too much to ask, ya know?

A little sidenote...

I'm in the blogging mood. I'm not sure what that means. Maybe it's just quiet in my house at the moment and Pharmacology is finished for the week. The fact is, a lot of opioids and other central nervous system depressants have filled my brain to capacity, not literally of course. I am learning a lot about drugs and how they affect our bodies. I am stumped as to why people want to use them recreationally. Whatever, I'm through talking about it. 5 more weeks...there is a break in sight.



I normally have scripts about my children. Generally not too much about myself, but I'm a little frustrated by the fact that I can't get off my medicine. Crohn's disease has afflicted me for almost 10 years and at no time have I felt more of it's presence than this past week. We recently took a trip to Chicago for a little work and fun and I forgot to bring my meds. I really didn't think it would be a big deal ...until a few days after we returned home. I refer to Crohn's as the sexiest autoimmune disease around. If you have it or know someone who does, you know what I mean. Not only does it appear in the lower end of the body(heehee), but it rears it's ugly head in other areas such as the eyes, joints, back, skin, etc. It's lots and lots of fun. I'm doing well now, but I'm on my meds. I hate being on them, but thankful to be functioning. Actually I'm thankful for a lot. At this very moment, a little boy's mother from Sam's preschool is very sick. She has cancer...a tumor on her optic nerve that has rendered her basically helpless. The doctors have said there isn't much that can be done. Her kids are my kids ages: 10, 7, and 4. I can't stop thinking about her and her family. Sadness is what I feel. My heart hurts for them. Thus another reminder of why I am going through school now. It's not just the pathphysiology, anatomy, etc. that draws me to nursing. Don't get me wrong...I love learning about that stuff and I never cease to be amazed at how amazing the Lord put us all together. But, it's a passion for people that are hurting that I think is so invaluable. Way too many times, I have been the patient that has come in contact with an unkind nurse. Granted, you never know what someone is going through each day, but it has happened too many times. The women I have met in my progam are smart, intelligent, disciplined..blah, blah, blah. But they love people and want to help people. It makes me proud to say that their future patients are very lucky. So anyone out there that wants to say a prayer for this family from Sam's preschool, please pray!

Baseball Fever

Baseball has begun and this is Ben's first year playing...we bypassed the whole t-ball thing and went straight to I-ball(instructional). It's all coach pitch and Ben is loving it. He had his first game this past Sunday.

Some highlights:

Ben had 3 great hits...one all the way to the outfield for a triple, then 2 singles. He played 1st base and got a few runners out. But the highlight that surpassed them all we are still laughing at. Keep in mind, this was the 1st game and some of the boys have just turned 6 and 7. The opposing team's first batter came to the plate and immediately hit the ball up and behind our catcher. The batter started running and our catcher, while probably a little overwhelmed with crazy, screaming parents, picked up the hard baseball and chucked it right at the batter...it hit him square on the back. The kid is fine and everyone had a good laugh, but his mom had to remind him that the rules aren' t the same as wiffle ball. Too funny.



There are two things I take issue with...only two. One is the uniform color. Purple,....really? The other is the team name. Riverbats. Nuff said.

Girls, Girls, Girls

Our next door neighbor's have two gorgeous girls...one that is in high school and one that is in junior high...Margaret and Maddie. Margaret's birthday was last week and she had a few friends over to spend the night. As you can see, this window is where Ben and Sam spent most of the evening. With their faces plastered against the screen they had a fairly clear view of about 7 junior high girls...all screaming, running, and in very, VERY, tiny shorts. Sheez...I don't remember the shorts being that little when I was that age.

Unfortunately, the art of "girls" starts quite early.

Happenings...

I'm trying to catch up with my blogging...trying
really hard. I can't believe I haven't even talked about New Year's Eve. Busyness!! When you have kids...and your friends have kids...you celebrate New Year's Eve by...(drumroll please!)...hanging out WITH THE KIDS. We headed over to my sister's house to basically eat, talk, change diapers, eat some more, tell kids to stop fighting, wipe poopy bottoms, etc. You get the picture. All in all, it was really fun. Here's "da boys"(as Taylor's dad says it) and our 1 little girl. Elise is my good friend Melissa's little girl.



In February, Taylor and I were invited by his company to attend the American Heart Association's Heart Ball in downtown Cincinnati. His company works with many healthcare providers around Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. One of their big customers is Ohio Heart and Vascular Group. DPS shows their support by purchasing a table at the event. I, of course, was thrilled. It was black tie. Not a typical evening for the two of us. I really didn't care that I wasn't going to know anyone there, besides a few couples Taylor works with. It was a blast! There was a silent auction--Taylor was a little nervous when I made a couple bids--I didn't win any of them. Dinner was good--dessert was better. The best part of the night--call me mean--was when this man at the table next to us got his hand stuck in the railing(not sure if that's the right word or not) of his chair. For about 30 minutes, his hand was stuck! I think they had to rub butter all over his hand to get it out. Funny, funny!! Worst part was running into an old family doctor of mine. I loved him in a clinical setting--and since he's left the practice to take a job at a hospital I've always been bummed b/c he was a great family doctor--the kind of doctor that handed you samples when you needed antibiotics b/c he just knew you didn't have time to drag 3 kids to the pharmacy--Taylor loved this guy b/c he went to Michigan State for college. So we were naturally really excited to see him at the Heart Ball. We casually walked up to him to say hi and let's just say he wasn't too thrilled that we interrupted his conversation with someone else. I was completely shocked at his demeanor and I'm now very glad he has moved on to other things...and convinced that he has serious social ettiquette problems.

More happenings coming soon......!

Mommy's Face

This is my sweet little boy...the baby of the family...Sammy Bones...Sammy Kinz...Sammy Sam. You would naturally assume that he loves me and thinks I'm the best mommy around all of the time. This is the face that always smiles and loves me no matter what, right? This morning Sam figured out something about his mommy and it went like this:

Sam: "I want to play Webkinz. Can you help me start it?"
Me: "When I am done unloading the dishwasher, I will help you."
Sam: "Mommy, you always wear your pjs and glasses together when you unload the dishwasher."
Me: "Yes, Sam, I do usually wear my glasses and my pjs together. But sometimes I am dressed in regular clothes and don't have my glasses on when I unload the dishwasher."
Sam: "Your face looks funny in your glasses."
Me: "What did you say? My face looks funny in my glasses??"
Sam: "Wellllll, when you are dressed in your clothes....your face looks GOOD, but...when you are dressed in your pjs and wearing your glasses, your face doesn't look good!"
Me: "Thank you, Sam, for that nice compliment about mommy."
Sam: "I just like your face better when you are dressed in regular clothes."

Evidentally Sam has found out fairly young about the value of a pretty face. He knows what he likes and he won't hesitate to tell you. Don't worry. He WILL be receiving a lecture shortly on understanding how beauty comes from within. And maybe this is a lesson for myself that I shouldn't wear my pjs until 12 noon everyday.

I think it is fitting to announce that my baby sister is turning 30 in a few days. There are many fantastic qualities about Jen...some certainly unique and some just plain hysterical. So, in honor of her 30th birthday, here are 30 things about Jen that make her unique and special. **Thanks to Facebook for giving me this idea!**

1--She has the thickest, most beautiful hair!

2--She cannot grow her fingernails...trust me, she has tried.

3--She gets grossed out easily...I can tell you a few stories about her throwing up immediately after she sees something gross...but, I digress.

4--She's ALWAYS on top of the weather forecasts. If there's a tornado nearby, you will know!

5--Telling jokes or stories is not her forte...she has a difficult time getting to the punchline:-)

6--Her first car was a 1980's Buick Skylark(mine too).

7--She once created a LARGE HOLE in the garage wall with that Buick.

8--She makes friends easily, but likes to keep only a few close to her.

9--She enjoys decorating her house and does a great job at it.

10--She's a fantastic mother who is extremely grateful for the opportunity to stay at home with her boys.

11--During high school, she worked as a receptionist at Bob Evans and Hair Dynasty. During college, she kept her job at Hair Dynasty. After college, she was a department manager at Elder Beerman, then took a job as a branch manager at 5/3 Bank.

12--She doesn't like lipstick, but will wear pink lip gloss 4-EVERRRRRR!!!(I have talked to her about this)

13--She is a runner and step aerobics queen.

14--Oh, about #13, she has been know to fall frequently and hurt herself while engaging in step aerobics.

15--Jen is NOT needy for other people, but she LOVES company around.

16--She is a devoted and loyal friend.

17--She is a worrier which in turn causes her to be very cautious with just about everything.

18--She loves mexican food...chips and salsa might be her favorite. She makes a mean tomato salsa, and I used to beg her to make it.

19--She showers and washes her hair everyday.

20--She has very narrow feet which doesn't allow me to borrow any of her shoes.

21--She's simple--she's not a huge jewelery fan and chooses comfy over trendy.

22--She has a heart for special needs children. In high school, she was an aid for special ed. and all of the kids loved her!

23--She loves shopping in Waynesville!

24--If you visit her house, you will find at least 3-4 candles burning at once. 1 in her kitchen, 1 in her bathroom, and 1 in the dining room.

25--She is ADD!!!

26--Her favorite dish of choice at home is noodles and parmesan cheese...dipped in LaRosa's marinara sauce.

27--She has broken a couple bones.

28--As a little girl, when she did something wrong, she would always cry and be extremely remorseful. Mom and Dad could never stay mad at her.

29--If you wake her in the middle of the night, Beware of the Bear!!!

30--She is not a jealous person.

I love you, Jen!! Happy 30th Birthday!!!

The Hairless Wonder

The boys(Taylor included) have officially talked me into getting a dog. I have to admit it has taken me a l-o-o-n-n-g time to warm up to the idea. And this is the one...isn't she cute???

Only kidding!! But this dog was the only dog in a Jack's pet store the other night when we went looking. No, we're not purchasing a dog from a pet store. We were running errands and we promised the boys we'd run into a store just to look. I assumed there would be lots of puppies to choose from. The cages would all be lined up behind a clear, plastic wall and we could ask to hold the cutest puppy we could find. Unfortunately, pet stores have changed since I was little. The first thing I saw was 3 huge cages filled with really large, loud birds. Then behind that were the ferrets. Why would anyone want a ferret for a pet??? But we found out that they are the 3rd most common uncaged animal after a cat and a dog that peoople have as pets...wow!! They look like small rodents to me. I then saw the sign leading us to the puppies. It was WAY in the back corner of the store. We all walked back and there were no puppies anywhere. Then we saw the one puppy they had left after the mad Christmas rush:
Ben: "What's that?"
Sam: "Is that a puppy?"
Me: "I'm not sure what that is. I've never seen anything like it before."
Taylor: "Look, it's a Chinese Crusted Dog."
Me: "How do you know what it is?"
Taylor: "I read somewhere that they are hairless dogs. This one doesn't have any hair on its body."
Conner: "Are we getting THAT? I don't want one like that. It kinda looks sick."
Ben: "It has weird spots all over its skin. It IS sick."
Taylor: "No, guys. This is the way this type of dog looks."
Conner: "400 dollars??? Woah!! That's a lot for a dog."
Ben: "Yeah, it is a lot. Especially one that comes with no hair!"
Sam: "I want one with hair, daddy."
Taylor: "I know, buddy. We're not getting this one. We're just looking."

I say all of this not to make fun of anyone out there that loves these types of dogs. There is a dog for everyone. This one just isn't for us...especially one that scares our kids.