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!

Merry Christmas

We were able to spend Christmas with both of our families (parents, brother, sister, and in-laws) this year. We all had a wonderful time and Morgan was very good at ripping open her presents this year! She still doesn't understand "Christmas" per se, and she was quite confused on Christmas Eve when I allowed her to touch the presents I had been telling her she couldn't touch for 2 weeks, but she still had a good time getting a ton of attention from her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and extended family. Christmas presents were plentiful this year and were highlighted by a new play kitchen, car, and potty for Morgan, a memory foam matress pad for me, and croquet and bocce sets for Patrick. Below are a few pictures from our holiday.

First Cabbage Patch and a stroller

MagnaDoodle and Big Stocking 1

Big Stocking 2

The Play Kitchen

Anything in there for me?

Elmo's as big as I am!

Play Hard or Go Gnome

A Fun Game

The Girls (Bailey in front, Pfeffer in back)