My Kids at Calie's Party

(Pic of Ryan and my friend Brianne with Ivy)

While I was attending my friend's funeral, Charles took the kids to a birthday party. Here are some cute pics of the kids and one of my friend playing with Ivy. I wish the party had been on a different day so I could do both but of course I needed to say goodbye to my friend one last time. Until I see her in heaven again someday.... It was good seeing my old friends. Afterwards, my parents and I hung out with some friends, the Ross', Randows, Bea, and a couple of people I wasn't sure of their names. We ate at an awesome mexican restaurant that also had a bakery!!! Yummm, my mouth is drooling.

Goodbye Rhonda...for now.

Goodbye to my friend Rhonda who battled cancer for the last 10 years. She was my Sunday school teacher when I was young and friend. I still remember her sharing scriptures with us girls at the table, telling us about Jesus. She was always so soft spoken and had a beautiful heart. She was very giving. Last I spoke with her she said she always believed in me and cared about me. She had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and she is with Him now. I am going to miss you. I will see you in Heaven, Rhonda. Love- Jenny

Picture 1: Beautiful Rhonda at Conference in Prescott
Picture 2: Rhonda far right and Charles and I far left with kids.
Picture 3: Rhonda's obituary
Picture 4: Rhonda at get together at my parent's house (5th person from left)
Picture 5: Me, Tammy, and Rhonda in background seeing Dan and Jodee off to Capetown, South Africa.

My Birthday Get Together

Friday Charles took me out for a date and kept everything a surprise. First he took me to Red Robin and we ate and ate, all by ourselves. It was weird sitting there with no interruptions or anything. Not that I mind but it was quite different to be able to finish a thought. :) Then he tooked me to Mill Ave to stroll around and took me to Cold Stone for ice cream. Then we sat together in Borders bookstore in the coffee shop. It was wonderful and we didn't get home till almost midnight. Thanks Martin and Maureen for watching our kids! Saturday my mom, dad, Tammy, and Lola came over and made lunch. It was fun visiting with them and I loved my present and cards. It felt really good to have my family over my house and just talk with them. : ) Here is a funny pic of Charles and I being silly on the couch and a pic of me blowing out candles. I look like a stuffed turkey!! :D

Father's Day

We had a really nice Fathers Day!! I hope yours went good as well! Fathers are such a blessing and are so critical in our kid's lives. I am ever so grateful for my own father and for Charles who is a wonderful father to our children. In the morning we went to church, I sat with my father in service. Then afterwards we went out to eat with some friends of ours. Between the 3 of us couples there was 12 kids so we had to seat kids at seperate table. Then we went to visit at grandparents house to see family. I am six months pregnant in this picture in case you're wondering who the beached whale is on the couch. Hee, hee.... Charles said he had a wonderful day. I hope he knows how much I love and cherish him.

28 Years Young!

It is my 28 birthday today and I wanted to share with you 28 things I am so incredibly grateful for. :) Beware, this is long. I won't be doing this when I turn 50.

1. My relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Him, I could not make it with a smile on my face day to day. He gives me the strength I need.
2. My husband is my absolute best friend and love. He listens to me when I cry, laughs with me at my corny jokes, and makes me feel incredibly special.
3. My kids who taught me that life is so much more than money and careers. They have brought me back to what really matters and that is relationships. We could lose everything, but if we have each other, none of that other stuff matters.
4. My mom who is creative and sensitive. Although she gave me life, it's a wonder she kept me! LOL!
5. My dad who is a good listener and works so hard. He never ceases to amaze me how hard he worked for his family without complaining.
6. My father-in-law Martin who always fixes our cars even though we don't deserve it! He is fun to be around and has a heart. I couldn't of gotten luckier.
7. My mother-in-law Maureen who welcomed me into her heart and family. I've never met such a giving mother-in-law who makes one feel so special.
8. My sister Jodee who knows how to set me in my place when I am wrong yet always remembers birthdays and special events. She goes so out of her way to be hospitable.
9. My sister Tammy who is so sweet and the peace maker. She never ceases to amaze me how she will take care of you when you're down and make you feel welcome in her home.
10. My sister-in-law Melanie who likes to take care of people and knows how to give gifts well. She tries to learn what people like and puts a lot of thought into it. Something I have to work on.
11. My sister-in-law Desiree who is an amazing dedicated wife and daughter. She has good morals and will stick with them no matter what.
12. My house that God gave me. I don't deserve it through bad decisions I've made in the past but somehow God blessed me anyway. I'm amazed I got so blessed to have this as my first home.
13. My husbands job who does incredible things such as giving bonuses 3 times a year, dinners and bonuses at the Christmas dinner, and gives extra days off with holidays some people never get.
14. My cute Great Dane Daisy who loves a good snuggle. Best dog in the world.
15. My fluffy kitten Jasmine puts up so much with the kids. She doesn't mind being carried around and pushed in the shopping cart.
16. My friend Leslea who has something in common with me that only her and I could understand!
17. My very best friend Brianne who is always here and how I can call and hang out with anytime. She's such a sweetheart and loyal friend. Hard to find.
18. For Michele who always comes over and cooks, stays up late with me when I don't wimp out, and is so down to earth. I love that about her. She's real.
19. For my neighbors who always say hi! Who knew you could still borrow an egg anymore when you need one?
20. For my incredibly cool sanitary wipes from Costco. Who know I could chuck the dangerous chemicals for some safe wipes that clean so fast and easy? I love you wipes!
21. For my pastor who has grace but will step up when he has to. I need someone who can speak into my life whether it hurts or not. But also someone who can be real and understand. I am so grateful I found this church 8 years ago.
22. People in my church who know how to welcome you and looks past your faults. Even when you've come back from falling astray, they are just happy to see you're okay and serving God.
23. For Mary Benninger and her amazing rice and sauce. Thank you, Mary. Without you I would have nothing to eat at the buffets.
24. For Machelle, our nursery leader, she puts up with the fact that every time she graduates one of my kids out of the nursery, she is making room for another one of mine. Thanks!
25. For my Grandma Mona who is an amazing artist and always shares her work with me on my birthdays and holidays. Love you Grandma.
26. For my awesome mailman who doesn't mind me chasing him down the street for my mail. Without waiting for him, I would not pull so many weeds in my front yard.
27. For my van. Thank God for a van that fits our needs. I love my moon roof. Thank you, God.
28. Thank you God for my blog site. Without it, I couldn't share my pics and stories with friends and family out of town.

Whew.... trust me, I had so much more.

Busy with Dog Training

My gosh! I have been so busy with training my dogs lately that I've hardly had a chance write much. From now on I'm not gonna tell people I have four kids, I'm gonna tell them I have seven!! I have a Great Dane named "Daisy" as you see in pic. I have a golden Labrador, and a little black cat. Well, the great dane is a pup that needs training still and has accidents. One in Ivy's room. My lab needs to be neutered to calm down his aggression, and my cat needs to be spayed so she'll stop being in heat. Sigh. There is a mouthful. I love animals but I definitely need to get them trained and "taken care of" so things can calm down. Right now my great dane (which is bigger now at 4 months than in that picture) thinks that the couch belongs to her. I keep pulling her off. You have to know that pulling a great dane off the couch is no easy feat. She is sweet as all get but you know how puppies are. Completely untrained in every way! Tips for me in training are completely welcomed! :)

Scary stuff from Sweden

..."Again, this has thus absolutely nothing to do with “tolerance or diversity.” It’s done in order to break you down and to mold you into a new human being. Great emphasis is placed on destroying the Christian heritage of the native population. Pupils are taught that they have been liberated from the superstition and oppression of Christian nonsense. However, while Christianity has been ridiculed and demonized for generations, so much that some Swedish Christians complain about persecution, Islam is presented in textbooks as a benevolent and tolerant religion, and Islam is granted a high degree of respect in the public sphere.

A bus driver in the increasingly Muslim-dominated Swedish town of Malmö has been fired from his job following revelations that he stopped a woman from boarding his bus because she was wearing full Islamic face-covering, which made her hard to identify. In Sweden, it is thus unacceptable if girls are presented with pink ice-creams or Barbie dolls because this reinforces gender stereotypes, but the burka is just fine. Meanwhile, Sweden is in the midst of the most explosive rape wave in Scandinavian history, largely caused by immigration. While Swedish girls are called “whores” by Muslim immigrants, Swedish boys are told to wear a dress and study queer theory."

(This article was copied from this website where you can read far more scary stuff.)

Training and Twisting Little Kid's Minds

Even Scarier. How are they starting to effect our kids? Read more here...

How Many is Too Many?

I seem to run into this question a lot. As far as kids go, it seems that everyone has their idea of how many children people should have. So, I've come up with my own list of why I like having children! How many is too many? I don't know!!! Just enjoy them whether you have 1 or 20! Time with them is too short to miss out.

1. My life is so much more fun!!!
2. I love hearing the pitter patter of my 2 year old's feet.
3. Seeing Charles love being a daddy and laughing at his kids antics are cute.
4. Hearing my boys try to talk using big words they don't understand is adorable.
5. Having 5 kids brings me out from under the "normal standard". I love being the odd one out.
6. Kids make me see things about myself I otherwise would never have admitted to.
7. Hearing giggles in the room because kids are playing together.
8. Hearing daddy say prayers with the kids every night and seeing Ivy clasp her little hands together.
9. It's so nice having people come up and tell me my kids are well behaved in public. It makes me feel like I'm doing something right.
10. I have every excuse imaginable to go to every toy section available in my state.
11. Having my boys come up and tackle me with kisses.
12. Seeing Charles get excited whenever I take a pregnancy test is the best part for me. I love his reactions.
13. Hearing Ivy call "mommy" from her crib is soooo cute. Even when it's 2am and she just wants a drink of water.
14. Maybe I should stop this list now before it ends at 100.
15. Okay, I think you get the point.
16. Hope you have so much more to add as to why you love having kids!!!

Flashback in May!

I never got a chance for you to see "Flashback in May". What was happening just a year ago. It's amazing how much can change!!! Anyhow, click here to view May in 2006!