Morgan's first theatre experience

All dressed up for the performance

I have my own seat!

What's the program say daddy?

Tonight we got the chance to begin exposing Morgan to "the arts". Patrick and I have been looking forward to taking her to see The Peking Acrobats since I bought the tickets last fall. I thought it would be flashy enough to keep her attention while still entertaining enough for Patrick and I not to want to slit our wrists (scenes from Barney and The Wiggles concerts we have seen on TV flew through my mind). Morgan made it through the first 45 minutes of the performance before having a total meltdown aided greatly by a) the fact that she had NO nap today, even though I left her in her room for over an hour by herself and b) the fact that the show started at 7:30 which is the normal time we start winding down for bed. Poor planning on Mama's part. She seemed to really like the performance at first, especially when the men were doing gymnastic moves on the floor. The slower portions where the women would show off how flexible they were didn't impress her much, although I quite enjoyed them. We left at intermission. I didn't want Patrick or myself to have to stand outside with her during the show and I figured since we came as a family and wanted this to be a family event that we should leave as a family.

We did see advertisements for Elmo Makes Music, which I am sure is very Barney-esque with show times at 10:30 AM and 2:00 PM, a much better fit for nap schedules. So while we learned very valuable lessons about planning events around sleeping, it was a good time, I believe, had by all.

29 and holding...

Happy Birthday to...well to me! Today is my REAL 29th birthday. My friend said it is the last birthday I will really have since I'll be 29 the rest of my life! My husband is just happy that I am now staring 30 in the face, something he has been doing for 3 months. HAHA. It hasn't been a real exciting birthday since I am in Louisville, KY by myself at a conference. I did treat myself to TGI Friday's for dinner and an early night of PJs and TV. Apparently the chefs at the hotel knew it was my birthday because they served the conference (400+ people) Boston Creme Pie cheesecake for dessert at lunch! It was good. I guess when you get to be in your late 2os birthdays just aren't as exciting anymore. But here's to another year, hopefully better health than last year, and lots of love and happiness before my next decade birthday!



Since I don't have pictures of what I did today, here are a few pictures of what Morgan did in my absence.

Happy Birthday Big Pop!

Today is Big Pop's 51st birthday. He is officially over 1/2 century old! Morgan got the chance to celebrate his birthday early this year with him. She had a great time and really loved her Big Pop!

Happy Birthday Charlie. Hope you get to do everything you want to do today.

Fun Food

Today for lunch my friends Amanda, Donna, and I went to IHOP. It's a no-meat Friday for me and Amanda said she woke up thinking about IHOP for lunch! Coinciding with the premier if Horton Hears a Who in movie theaters this weekend, IHOP is offering some special dishes. Amanda and I were brave enough to each try two of the 3 new dishes. We didn't try the green eggs (scrambled eggs and spinach) and ham for many good reasons. I had the Who-Cakes, which were super fun, delicious, and topped off with a bubble-gum flavored lollipop. Amanda tried a Beezle drink, which was Sprite with cubes of red and blue jello floating in it. Sounds gross, but tasted pretty good. And because you all know I carry my camera everywhere, here we are with our Whoville inspired dishes!

Amanda enjoying her Beezle drink.

Don't these look delicious? They were!

Dish Carnival

Today my friends Catherine and Alaina participated in an online dish carnival, hosted by Rocks in My Dryer. Not to be left out, I thought I would show you some of my dishes. I am not nearly sophisticated as my friends and don't have much to show, and unlike my friends I did not have time to take pretty pictures of my dishes, so you'll have to take what I found on the dishes' respective websites.



Our wedding china is a beautiful pattern, Dearborn by Noritake. It has delicate lighter blue flowers around the edges, but not so flowery that Patrick won't eat off of them. In fact, HE picked them out after I narrowed the thousands of choices down to three. We have 12 place settings given as a wedding gift from our friends in Belgium. They have not been out of the box or used in 5 years. They are currently sitting in my garage, and now that I think about it, I hope that what I think is in that box is ACTUALLY what is in the box! I had to sacrifice something to fit in our 900 sq ft home! Often I sit at my desk and dream about a beautiful china cabinet where I can display my dishes and actually have them available to USE. Ahhh, someday.




Our everyday dishes are Summer Breeze by Pfaltzgraff. I have 8 place settings plus many serving pieces. I also have the matching curtains, kitchen rug, and assorted hanging pieces in my kitchen. We stuck with the blue theme and mixed in the yellow. I enjoy all the fun things that Pfaltzgraff comes out with every few months to keep my kitchen fresh.




Finally, we do have 4 West Virginia University dishes by FiestaWare. They were a total splurge, but we use them on football game days when the team is out of town (we have season tickets for when they are here). Sadly there is no picture. Maybe some day I'll get a picture of them up here for you.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little brother, Jeff. Today he turns 28 and for the next week we remain the same age. He always likes to remind me that I can't boss him around this week because we are the same age. I always remind him that we may be the same age, but in one week I'll be older again! For those of you doing the math, yes my mother had her babies less than a year apart. We are the only two she had. After having my own, I am beginning to see why!

Nannie's Big Birthday

Happy Birthday to NANNIE! She is celebrating a rather big birthday today, but I won't reveal which one because she'd kill me! HAHA. Morgan got to spend Nannie's special day with her, and she had such a good time.

March is "Birthday Month" in our house, so you'll be seeing a lot of our family in the coming posts!

Star Wars through a 3 year old's eyes

I saw this video today on one of the blogs I regularly read. It was too cute not to pass on, so take a moment and enjoy this little girl's synopsis of Star Wars. Kids can be so darn cute!

Pity? Party of One, Right this way

Tonight I am having a small pity party, right here in my living room. Today one of my medical conditions is causing me a lot of pain from my lower back down through my toes. It basically feels like someone beat me with a sledgehammer just moments ago, and the pain and throbbing in every one of my joints and bones is pretty intense. That comes with the territory of this condition, and on days like today when the weather dips it's even worse.

Now, I am not throwing this pity party for my condition or the fact that I am in pain. That's no big deal when compared to the Reason for the Party. When I have days like today I cannot play with, pick up, or allow Morgan to sit on my lap. I cannot phyically get on the floor to play, or run around, or pick her up in my arms. Today is one of those really bad days that just the weight of her body on my lap causes excruciating pain. Morgan is not feeling well today. She has a cold with cough and stuffy nose. Nothing any normal mom can't deal with on a daily basis. But tonight I am not a "normal" mom. And my baby needs me. I just had to tell her she couldn't sit on my lap which caused her to cry "Mama, Mama, Mama" in a very pitiful, stuffy nose and tears cry while reaching her arms toward me.

How do you tell your 20 month old child that Mama wants desperately to pick her up, snuggle, and make her feel better, but she just can't? How do you explain that Mama hurts some days, and others she feels great. How do you convey that you are not rejecting her, but you just can't take care of her needs today? That's why I am throwing a pity party. I just want to feel better so I can make Morgan feel better. So now I am going to get in bed with the electric blanket (heat lessens the pain some) and read a little and try to rest so I feel better in the morning. Evenings are always the worst time of day, pain wise, for me, and mornings are best. So I will wait for Morning, when I can pick up my baby and give her all the love and attention I can.

And tonight my prayers will be especially for those who are in worse pain than me, because I know things could be so much worse. I pray that God's healing hand will reach them and ease their pain tonight.

Prayers for Julie G.

An Urgent Prayer Request:

Morgan and Ellen on Morgan's 1st Birthday

I ask you all to please keep Morgan's babysitter Ellen's daughter-in-law, Julie, in your prayers. Julie is 42 years old and 5 weeks pregnant with her second child. She started bleeding today and was rushed to the hospital where the doctors suspected she was having a miscarriage. Thankfully, however, the doctors were able to find the baby's heartbeat. Julie and the baby are still in a lot of danger at this time, as Julie is still bleeding. Please pray for her to stop bleeding, for the baby to continue to grow in her womb, and for Julie, Scott, Caitlyn (their 6 1/2 year old daughter), Ellen and Ron (Ellen's husband) that they can continue to stay strong emotionally and take care of Julie's and the baby's needs in the coming weeks/months. I ask that you please ask your church families to pray as well. Thanks!

Getting to know you...

Alaina has tagged me to do a meme, so in the spirit of good fun, here we go!

1.Were you named after anyone? Not that I know of. More than being named after anyone, my parents made my initials spell JET since my dad was a figher pilot! My brother's initials also spell JET, and thankfully I married a Tenney, so my initials didn't change. :)
2. When was the last time you cried? Last week.
3. Do you like your handwriting? Yeah, it's pretty nice.
4. What is your favorite lunch meat? Ewwww....none for me thanks
5. Do you have kids? I have one daughter, Morgan. Unless you count the dog, who is really more like a child than a dog!
6. If you were another person would you be friends with you? I certainly hope so.
7. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Yes, I sure do.
8. Do you still have your tonsils? Yes.
9. Would you bungee jump? HECK NO!!!
10. What is your favorite cereal? Cocoa Puffs
11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Not normally
12. Do you think you are strong? Yes.
13. What is your favorite ice cream? Rocky Road.
14. What is the first thing you notice about people? Eyes...usually I am looking to see if people appear friendly
15. Red or pink? Red for me, Pink on Morgan
16. What is the thing that you like least about yourself? I stress out easily, and I am moody.
17. Who do you miss the most? My parents.
18. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? Grey pants, Black sweater turtleneck
19. Have you ever re-gifted? Yes. I figure if I am not going to use it, someone else might as well, right?
20. What are you listening to right now? Co-workers talking next door.
21. If you were a crayon what colour would you be? Light purple.
22. Favorite smells? Bread baking
23. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? One of my supervisors.
24. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes. We’ve never met in person but she is an awesome person and I love to read her blogs! :)
25. Favorite sports to watch? Football
26. Favorite food? PIZZA
27. Scary movies or happy endings? Scary movies. But not slasher films. I like a good mystery/suspense film
28. Last movie you watched? Meet the Robinsons
29. What color shirt are you wearing? Black
30. Summer or winter? Summer - I would love to live in a warm climate all year long, just like Alaina!
31. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
32. Favorite dessert? Chocolate candy
33. What book are you reading now? Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix
34. What is on your mousepad? The Dell Logo
35. What did you watch on TV last night? Nothing, I was sick. But normally Tuesdays are NCIS and House
36. Favorite sound? My daughter's laughter
37. Rolling stones or Beatles? Neither
38. What is the furthest you have been from home? Depends on where home is...I've been to the Philippines, most of Western Europe, the Ukraine
39. Do you have a special talent? Nothing in particular...I am a good organizer and trip planner. My family calls me the "Happy Trip Master"
40. Where were you born? Clark AB, Philippines

Alaina pointed out that there were several numbers missing in the questions. It was driving me too nuts not to fix it, so I did. I really don't have anyone to tag, so if you want to participate, please do so!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

Today is Grandpa's 56th birthday (gasp...yes I DID put how old he is!). Morgan wishes she could be there with him, but is sending lots of birthday hugs and kisses his way.

Happy Birthday Dad. Hope you have a great one. We miss you.

Happy Valentine's Day

Wishing you all LOVE and HAPPINESS today, and always!

Date Night

Tonight Patrick and I got to go out as a couple, sans Morgan, for the first time in probably 4 months. Since Patrick has to work tomorrow night, we decided to roll Valentine's Day into date night to make it extra-special. Way back in September I had bought tickets to see Chicago! the musical at the Creative Arts Center here at the University. We try to go to at least one show a year in an attempt to stay "cultured". I had never really paid any attention to the fact that the show was the day before Valentine's Day, so that was a bonus for us!

We had dinner at Chilis, which was good as always, and then headed to the show. The show was really good! Most of the performers were debuting in their first tour, but they all seemed like seasoned veterans. I had promised Patrick that he would like the show, and I am so happy that he did. He is starting to trust me when I say he won't regret going (after a rather horrible performance of The Nutcracker I wasn't sure he'd ever go again). We are actually going to see The Lion King this weekend with my aunt in Pittsburgh. Two musicals in one week...be still my heart!

We ended up getting home really late after picking up Morgan from Aunt Becky's. We can't thank them enough for entertaining Morgan all evening. She LOVES going there! I am so glad we got to go out. It's rare, but it was a very nice change of pace, and it's always great to spend time with Patrick.

If a tree falls over in your driveway, would you hear it?

Apparently, the answer is yes if you are Patrick, no if you are me. Yesterday we had a little excitement at our house, compliments of the wicked winds that have been blowing around Morgantown over the past few days. Patrick said he heard a noise when he got out of the shower and looked out the window to see the tree lying in our driveway! He came running from the bathroom and said "You gotta see this!". I really didn't know what was going on, having not heard a thing (weird, how do you NOT hear a tree falling), and we all went running to the front door.

Morgan was fascinated by the sight and insisted that I hold her at the door so she could watch Patrick try to cut the tree out of the driveway. We finally ended up in her room where she could sit by herself and have a much better view of the action.

I am still quite amazed that the tree didn't hit anything during its fall. A little to the left it would have hit the house, a little to the right it would have fallen on the garage. If my car had been backed up just a little bit it would have fallen on my car, and my aunt was due to be at our house any minute, so her car was spared as well! All I can say is thank you God!

I have to call today about getting the tree removed. At least that solves our problem of how to put up a fence around the tree, but it sure did take a lot of our back yard shade away!

Lenten Hymn

Lent has begun for Catholics around the world. A forty day period of time of fasting when we prepare ourselves for Easter. A time for serious, disciplined self-examination, a time spent in intensive prayer and repentance before the feet of Jesus at the cross.

The way to bring myself to the Lord and offer myself to him is best sung in this hymn (which cannot be sung by anyone better than my father-in-law):

Just As I Am.

Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

2. Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

3. Just as I am, though tossed about with many a conflict, many a doubt, fightings and fears within, without, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

4. Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind; sight, riches, healing of the mind, yea, all I need in thee to find, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

5. Just as I am, thou wilt receive, wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve; because thy promise I believe, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

6. Just as I am, thy love unknown hath broken every barrier down; now, to be thine, yea thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

I go to the Lord a broken Catholic and Christian. I know all I need I will find in Him. I will use this season before Easter to prepare myself for the death and ressurection of Christ which brings hope to all those who believe. To quote another one of my favorite songs (by Garth Brooks), "There's bound to be rough waters, and I know I'll take some falls. But with the Good Lord as my captain, I CAN make it through them all!"

Margaret the Giraffe

Does it seem to anyone else that the news is filled with murder and mayhem? Patrick and I don't even watch the news stations on TV and we hardly read the newspaper because finding an uplifting or happy story is hard to do. I do read the CNN.com website multiple times a day so that we are not in a total news blackout, but even then I usually just scan the headlines and move on with my day.

Today CNN.com surprised me and actually posted a "happy" story in their top news. It's about Margaret, the giraffe, who was born in the UK and is one of the smallest giraffes ever born. The video story is nice, and Margaret is adorable! You can link to the video here.

As many of you know, Morgan's room is done in a giraffe theme.

She has over 50 stuffed giraffes, with only a couple duplicates. I think our next one will be named Margaret, in honor of this cutie!

Internet Tag

I have decided to join in the fun since Alaina "tagged" me, so to speak. It seems like a fun thing to do on a Wednesday afternoon while I am avoiding work at all costs!

The rules are to link the person who sent this to you and leave a comment on their blog so their readers can visit yours. Post the rules on your blog. Share 7 strange/weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, linking their blog. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

1. I don't like to sit with my back to a door. Ever. I have to see everyone who could be possibly coming at me from all angles if at all possible.

2. My husband and I will be celebrating TEN years as a couple in March (5.25 dating, 4.75 married). Wow, a whole decade.

3. I always talk on the phone with the phone to my left ear.

4. I think if a glass has held one liquid, it cannot be rinsed and used to hold another liquid, unless the original liquid was water. For example, if I have a glass of juice and finish the juice, unless I want to drink the same juice, I will get another glass for whatever it is I want to drink. Sure it creates more dirty dishes, but that's why I have a dishwasher!

5. I hate to cook, but love to bake, and almost always do neither.

6. The movies in my house are alphabetized by title, but my books are lumped together by author and genre, and none are alphabetized.

7. If I ever won the lottery I would open my own business as a wedding planner/coordinator and work from my home.

I don't even think 7 people READ this blog, but if you do, and want to participate, I virtual tag YOU. Have fun and don't forget to check in with Alaina's 7 fun facts.

Weight on my heart

For the past two and a half months I have had a very heavy weight on my heart. I am not sure what it is from, or what exactly it is for. However, during this time I have been lead to read many blogs of some very strong Christian women. These women are all mothers of children with disabilities. Most of these mothers have lost their infant children over the past few months, just like Yvette Hostetter whom I mentioned a few posts ago.


Last week I was "blog jumping" through sites and came across a picture that stopped me dead in my tracks. It instantly brought tears to my eyes and I felt grief for the family of Baby Isabella, as if I had lost one of my own family members. Below is that picture (of Isabella and her older brother).



This picture is powerful, or at least to me it is. How often have you heard that a friend is expecting and taken for granted that everything will go along normally? I know I did when I was pregnant. I never expected there to be a problem with Morgan. When she was born and rushed to the NICU that all changed. I have never, ever taken my daughter for granted since she was born, not one second of her precious life. This picture reminds me every day that I had better not ever do so. Although God's plan is perfect, it's hard to think that He planned this picture before it happened. And it makes me scared for what my future holds. But it also makes me hopeful, for my life, for Morgan's, and for these women who have become a large part of my private prayer circle.


I realize today that perhaps the purpose of all this is God showing me that even in my darkest time, He is still with me. God has shown Himself through these women whose paths are very different from mine. Their pain is one I have never known and one I pray I never know. Yet every one of these women continue to praise God for their blessings and pray hard for their children. I too have prayed hard for these families who I will never meet. Yet I feel as if I have known these mothers all my life. I am amazed at their strength, and they have given me hope for a brighter tomorrow.

It's Monday again?!?!

Wow, this menu planning stuff is hard! Here it is another Monday and I am still panting from running around LAST week! But I've made it a month so one down, eleven more to go! Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday: coconut crusted tilapia, rice, green beans

Tuesday: pasta with leftover sauce, breadsticks

Wednesday: grilled cheese (It's just me and Morgan again.)

Thursday: baked chicken, stuffing, carrots

Friday: teriyaki chicken skillet

Saturday: pizza

Sunday: Super Bowl (I think we have been invited to a party or two...so we'll just be munching all day. I am making sausage queso dip whether we go anywhere or not!)

Please Pray

Please pray for the Hostetetter family in Jacksonville, FL. To make a very long story short, this family had a baby boy in December with a genetic disorder called Edward's Syndrome, or Trisomy-18. Babies are diagnosed with this genetic disorder in utero and are considered "incompatible with life". If babies with T-18 live long enough to be born they often don't live very long after birth. I have been reading the family blog about Tristan since just before his birth. His mother found time during her very busy day to blog about his daily life. Today he went to be with the Lord.

I cannot imagine the pain and grief they are feeling right now, losing their precious baby boy less than 2 months after meeting him. Please pray for Trayc, Yvette, Tanner (age 11), and Tayden (age 1) as they enter the dark days ahead. And every time you see your precious child, say a prayer for all the mothers whose babies now live in Heaven.

Funny Quote

Just a minute ago Morgan was dipping one of her play kitchen knives into an empty bowl and then rubbing the knife on the dog. After watching her do it a few times I asked her what she was doing and Patrick said (with a total straight face) "She's putting ketchup on her hot dog."

Isn't he hilarious?! (Said with eyes rolling...but laughing).

What a difference a year makes

My baby is growing up (sniff, sniff)

Duck and Broccoli Soup Anyone?

Morgan's latest kitchen creation

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Fun Nuggets, baked french fries, and bananas (I wish I could say the nuggets were for Morgan, but I really like them too!)

Tuesday: Pot Roast with potatoes and mushrooms (third time's a charm...this poor roast is beginning to feel neglected)

Wednesday: Grilled Cheeese and soup

Thursday: Three cheese tortilini with homemade sauce

Friday: Soft Taco Bake

Saturday: Cashew Chicken

Sunday: leftovers

Have you seen this Wooby?

Tragedy has struck in the Tenney household. Both white (original) Wooby and pink (travel) Wooby have gone missing!!! We didn't realize the problem until this evening when we went to put Morgan to bed. She kept asking for Wooby, and we can't find them anywhere! I had to dig out our back-up, back-up Wooby (blue) which she has never used before. He seemed to do as a decent substitute, but we are going to look hard for the other two.

We are anxiously waiting for any ransom demands. We will gladly pay! Please, if you have seen Wooby, contact Unsolved Mysteries or your local sheriff's office. He doesn't have a tag or nameplate, but we are hoping you will recognize him from his pictures below.

I think I am more upset about losing white Wooby than she is!

Mine! Mine! Mine!

When Morgan was just starting to say understandable words, Patrick thought it would be funny to teach her to say "mine" in the voice of the seagulls in Finding Nemo. Patrick and I often mimmick these seagulls when identifying things that belong to us. However, teaching this to a toddler is, in fact, NOT funny. Lately Morgan has been running around shouting that everything is hers, especially when she wants something. And anyone who has been around a toddler knows that they are anything but quiet about their wants and desires. This is a good lesson for us that we need to be careful of the things we say now since Morgan has turned into a parrot...or I should say, a seagull.

Menu Plan Monday

Well, as I stated before, this week I will be out of commission, and therefore out of the kitchen. So we are left in the very capable hands of Aunt Linda for food this week. The following is a possible food line-up for the week:

Monday: PB&J and applesauce (I'm all by myself tonight)

Tuesday: Meatloaf and mashed potatoes

Wednesday: Creamed chicken and biscuits (never made last week)

Thursday: Chicken pitas

Friday: pot roast (also never made last week)

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Pizza

Out of Commission

This weekend Morgan and I are spending with my Aunt Linda trying to get her e-bay store up and running. We actually never even got to that point because, as I am sure many of you have encountered, when you start a job other jobs crop up and suddenly become more important. We actually started cleaning out the shop at Aunt Linda's house in order to find MORE stuff to e-bay. I think this is going to be a long process, but some day it will get done.

On a more fun note, we also traveled to a puppy breeder to see about getting a new dog for Aunt Linda. The woman had over 200 dogs on her property, but it was surprisingly clean and didn't smell. I was impressed. I almost came home with a new puppy. The woman had 3 new daschund puppies and one was SOOOOO cute! But Patrick had told me earlier I couldn't get another dog (what a meanine! :) and I know we don't have extra money to throw away willy nilly so I just snuggled with the dog and in the end, left her there for another family to adopt. The trip was not entirely a bust as we did get to see a 12 day old black toy poodle which Aunt Linda decided would one day come home with her. Claudette will probably open her eyes this week and be ready to be adopted by Aunt Linda around Valentine's Day. We are all excited!

Next week I will be out of commission for most of the week, so Aunt Linda will be coming up to spend the week with us. Please pray for me as I deal with my medical issues and hopefully get on the mend soon.

Menu Plan Monday

OK, here goes. I don't even know if I will be able to keep this going all year since our schedules are so crazy, but to help with my attempt at better nutrition, here's my first menu of 2008!

Monday: pizza rolls, applesauce, and cheese cubes (Patrick has to work late)

Tuesday: pot roast with potatoes and carrots

Wednesday: Philly cheesesteak hamburger helper

Thursday: leftovers (Jen and Morgan to Buckhannon)

Friday: on your own (Jen and Morgan in Buckhannon)

Saturday: on your own (Jen and Morgan in Buckhannon)

Sunday: creamed chicken and biscuits, egg noodles, carrots

2008: The Year of Jennifer

I find it somewhat fitting that my 100th post on this modest blog be about it's creator....Me!

I have been doing a lot of reflecting in the last few days over the past few years of my life...what has been good, what has been not so good, and what I need to focus on to help myself have a better life. At almost 29 I feel like I am 70. I take a lot of medication just to be pain-free enough to get out of bed. I have struggled with being very unhappy and unsatisfied with my life for over a year. I finally came to the conclusion that the thing I need to focus on is myself. Lest you think I am completely self-centered and self-absorbed, let me explain to you what I mean.

2008 is the Year of Me. I am going to focus more on things that will help me, better me, and make me a happier wife, mother, and person. Therefore, in no particular order,

1) It's all about nutrition. I am currently 35 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight and am at a point where I need to buy bigger clothes to have something that fits. That hurts me in two ways: it makes me unhappy because I am heavy, and it makes my health worse by making my bones carry more weight and my heart provide blood to more mass. We all know that losing weight is a LIFE CHANGE, not a diet. I have to change how I live my life daily to achieve this goal.

2) It's all about the body. In that I mean exercise. Exercise not only helps in the weight control arena, but also increases endorphines in your body to help you feel better. Naturally. I have set lofty goals in the past that have never been reached. This year I chose not to set a goal of, say, 5 days a week, but to start by moving more and then go from there. Just like eating, adding exercise is a LIFE CHANGE.

3) It's all about less stress. As a mother, wife, housekeeper, chef, and professional I have a lot of opportunities to be stressed in my life. And let's face it, I am stressed. Constantly. And a lot of it is due to factors that I have no control of. So my focus on stress is to try to manage the stress that comes naturally in life and try to stop worrying so much about the stress I can't control. As with all life changes, this is not something that will come overnight, but something I want to make a conscious effort to recognize.

4) It's all about mental health. This ties into #3. Mental health had a direct effect on every other aspect of a person's life. If you are happy, your body feels good, your blood flows better, your digestion is on track. If you are unhappy, your body follows suit. I struggle every day with some mental health problems that I can't completely control. But if I try to do more things that make me happy, then eventually my mind and body will follow.

5) It's all about private time. I never do anything for myself. Almost every mother I know can say this statement. But when I say that, I mean that I always put everyone's needs before my own, even people who I don't know. This can be good in some ways and I feel that I should do things for others. But it wouldn't hurt me to ask Patrick to pick up Morgan an evening from the sitter so I could stop at the mall and shop by myself. Or to stay at home a weekend rather than book every weekend from now through June with things to do. I think that this is the area that I lack in the most and the area that hurts me the most. I work so hard to make everyone else happy that I am miserable. 20 minutes of private time to read a chapter in a book isn't too much for one person to ask. I just need to learn to ASK!

So that is my thoughts on the new year. Life changing behaviors that I know won't happen overnight. I'll need a lot of support. I'll need a lot of people to understand. But most of all I will need to allow myself to focus on these things so that I can feel 28 rather than that just being my age on paper. I deserve it. Patrick deserves it. Morgan deserves it.

Great Big Man, Itty Bitty Car

During a recent visit, Uncle Jeff performs some maintenence on Morgan's car.

I just don't think you're gonna fit!

Aunt Cecelia did though!

Snow Day

Morgan got a new sled for Christmas from friends Connie and Bill. Today we got just enough snow to try it out for the first time!

Grandmas and Grandpas

Grandpa

Mutti

Big Pop

Nannie

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year East Coasters!!! May God grant us many blessings in 2008. My entire family---Dad, Mom, Patrick, me, Morgan, Jeff, Cecelia and our two four-legged members Pfeffer and Bailey---are all together to start a new year together as a family. I hope you all had as good of a start to your new year as we did to ours...ringing in a new year with family, the loves of our lives, and three generations all together.

I updated posts in the past, so please scroll down to see what you missed!