Yet another weekend update...

I feel like I am always writing about the past weekend! Mostly because I try to stay away from the computer on the weekends and don't update then and there.
The Girls painting. Started out as an idea for Summer's invites for her b-day party, but of course Teagen needed in on the action. So Summer painted a large #7 and Teagen did a # 3. ya know, for their ages. Still working on getting a good photo for Summer's invite. Yeah, we are letting her invite 12 girls from school for a party...pray for me. seriously.
And I couldn't leave out Grady. He is such a weirdo. It is so awesome.

So the weekend...Saturday Jason took Summer to her game in the freezing cold. I'm going next weekend and its supposed to RAIN. Lucky me. Anyway, they lost, but Summer was again, right in the action almost getting a goal right at the end. She is LOVIN' soccer. I had a guy approach me at the last game, basically recruiting for the high school girls' team. I guess they groom them early on in Muskegon. But I don't expect her to be in Muskegon at that point!
My friend Mya had her 30th b-day party Sat night and Kel and I went. My sweet husband stayed home with our kids and hers! Thanks Jason for letting us get out...even if you had just as many friends there as we did....we had so much fun, its been a long time for us getting out like that even if it was for a few hours! Woodchuck,bad karaoke,great friends and even a little good karaoke(thanks Dale!) Happy Birthday Mya....you truly do seem really happy!! Awesome...
The only bad part is that I had to get up at 6am for a meeting Sunday morning and then work the entire day after that. I did get to go to breakfast with my friend Krystina from work before opening the salon. I was so beat by the time I got home that I was pretty much worthless. We tried to watch Lost on the computer but it was taking too long to load so we went to bed. Before 10pm!! That is crazy stuff for me. Never have been able to shake that whole night owl thing.
So now I'm off to be productive! Jason says if I get rid of 5 pairs of shoes I can get more! (long story-will be a post of its own..) And I have so many projects in the works that I better get busy and GO!

Miss you....

Grandma and Grady... Rachael, Gram,Jessie and me...
You have been gone 1 year.I love you so much and I miss you more than I could have ever even expected.

So Saturday was our first real experience with soccer. Things were a bit disorganized at first, but it was pretty cool. Summer played quite a bit and is really fun to watch! I was worried that she might be afraid of the ball, but she was totally IN the action! The weather was beautiful. That made it even more enjoyable.
The only bad part was that we had to be there at 10am for team pics and her game wasn't until 11ish. So we had both of the little ones with us, and they were bored and Grady kept running out onto the field. He was pretty cranky(didn't sleep well at all the night before) and kept running away from us.There were 3 games happening at the same time so needless to say there were a LOT of people around. So we are taking turns chasing after him and trying to keep his screaming to a minimum. I hate that toddler stage. By the end of the game Jason and I were pretty stressed out. I think he decided that we will be taking turns going to games. We'll see.
Oh yeah, did I mention the weather? Well the downside is that the sun was so bright that I could NOT see out my camera viewfinder. So I took like 100 photos(no joke) and these are the best I got! Terrible! Good thing I have more games to try to get better photos. And I am sure I have said it before, but I am so grateful for a world with digital cameras!!

Sunday I took the kids to my Dad's to play and visit. A trip down to the lake to check it out turned into swimming. In April. Last time we were there there was still ice on the lake. The kids were swimming( I managed to keep Summer mostly dry) of course, I had NO extra clothes. But it was fun. Got to see my Dad's beautiful duck that he is taking to Maryland this week for the World Competition. I totally forgot my camera. I will try to take some pics when he gets back, hopefully with lots of blue ribbons!

Since then its been pretty uneventful around here. Jay and I did manage to completely destroy a florescent bulb fixture in our laundry room...long story, we didn't get hurt but what a mess!!! It took Jason an hour to vacuum it up and we are still finding bits of glass here and there. He has not been too impressed with this old house recently. A lot has been going wrong with it lately. But we will have to just deal with it...I don't think we are going any where too soon....

Five for Friday

My Mom died over 18 years ago. I was thinking how different our world has become in that time. So here are 5 things that would blow her mind if she could return for a visit.( of course this is all assuming that she's too busy in Heaven making art, playing with dogs, holding babies and playing cards with my Grandmas to check out whats happening here;) )

1. Computers and the Internet...I am certain that she never would have imagined how much we ALL use them, and have them in our homes. Her own parents' regular use of computers would astound her!


2. I think it would amaze her to know that our next president could very likely end up being a woman or a black man. People talked about this 20 years ago, but who really believed that it would happen so soon? Look how far we've come...


3. The fact that almost everyone carries a cell phone at all times. Even children! And people are turning off their land lines. When we move to Whitehall, we still had a party-line with several neighbors!


4. That I am SO blonde ;)


5. That I am the daughter with 3 kids and a (mostly) stay-at-home-mom and Rachael is the one working full time with 2 kids and getting her degree. She would be so proud of us both, just a little confused by the role reversal!( Rachael is a born mother, me-not so much)

There are a lot more things but I pick 5. Its all kinda fun to think about.

Enjoy the BEAUTIFUL weather. I hope it holds out for Saturday. We have Summer's 1st soccer game and you can be sure that the "Mamaratzzi" will be in full effect! Watch for pics this weekend!

Bumps and Pups

This is my cousin Jessie.She is about to pop with baby boy #2. She's so stinkin' tall and skinny that she truly makes a pretty bump! I don't think it even looks real...
They have a little boy named Griffen. Sound familiar? Yes, I have a dog Griffin. He is cool and is proud to share his name with a cool little boy. Now the funny part in this whole story is that Jessie has been struggling for names for baby #2. Her Hubby hates everything! A couple of weeks ago she emailed me, telling me Troy came home all excited because he heard a name in the gas station that he LOVES. Chase.

Well, as many of you know, this is Chase...
It is so cute to me! One of Jason's cousins has a son named Chase too.(they had no idea it was our dogs' name)But we also had that come up for us when we were preggo for Teagen. I loved the name Carley. We have friends with a dog named Carley.We just couldn't do it. Of course now I am so happy because I LOVE the names we picked for our kids and couldn't imagine it any other way.So Jessie and Troy can have a Griffen and Chase just like me(only I hope yours don't shed like mine). I guess my dogs have pretty cool names! Now Jess, someday ,if you ever have a girl, I do not recommend using our cat's name...Bling-Bling for a girl might sound too stripper-ish!

Cheap Make-up

I also, posted this on MySpace. So you may already know...

A friend sent me a blurb about E.L.F.make up today…

As seen on Oprah

The company is being bought out by Nordstrom and has to get rid of all their inventory that holds their old logos (E.L. F.) so all of their old inventory is being sold for $1 per piece. And if you spend over $15, they will take $7.50 off your price by enteringthe promotional code CAROLINA (entered the coupon field prior to imputing your payment info) Less than $15…shipping is free!!!

And… it’s true! I already placed an order! I got a ton of lip stuff, mascara some nice brushes and lots more and it only cost me $15!!! Wahoo!Check it out here....www. eyeslipsface. com

Jenn

Public Service Announcement

I know its hard to talk to our kids about this stuff, but it is so important. This has been around since before I was in school, and there is a vaccine. Don't wait until its too late.Talk about it NOW before they even start school. It will save you a lot of heartache in the end.

Weekend Update

I did not take a single picture this weekend. So you get one Summer took with her little camera in the bathroom mirror.

All in all a good weekend. Kinda sad the weather was blah for Spring Break. I worked Friday night and the girls had a sleepover at Aunt Rae-Rae's. Jason surprised me at work by getting Alesha to take Grady overnight and making a date for us for dinner and the casino in Manistee. We went to Hobo's for dinner(so good) and up north we went. However, I've discovered that casinos just don't do it for me anymore. Too much guilt. All the people seem so sad to me. And the smoke makes me want to throw-up. seriously. But Jason likes to play Blackjack and he does well. He really wants me to play too. I pretty much know how but I don't want to play with strangers. He thinks I'm crazy. I am almost positive that he is right. But I don't think we will be back any time soon. Still it was so fun just running around together. In the morning, it was his weekend to go in to work to make sure things were going well, so I tagged along,sleepily. Very cool because I have never been to his shop before. Cheese production is very complicated! And I got to see his office and go through his drawers(only found an Outdoor Life magazine-what a nerd;) ) He took me to breakfast and we went to round up our gang. Then out garage door opener decided to DIE. And all the kids decided to CRY. Because they were tired. So we all took a nap. Much better.
SO Sunday was spent installing a new opener by Jason, and I gave myself an equally avoidable job of cleaning the oven. Uggh. I started a painting, hopefully I can post that later this week. It is going good.
And my girl is back at school. I guess its only for several weeks before Summer vacation, but I already miss having her here. I can say that it is a lot quieter around here.

Well, I am off to bathe a couple of little grubbies! Grady's in the process of removing his diaper and I don't want to find any surprises on our rug!

Five for Friday

My favorite moments of the week:

1. Hearing Grady sing and actually knowing what song it is. And then seeing the delight on his face when I join in, so happy that I understand him!

2. Teagen demonstrating her perfect "teagen-sault". This is actually a sommersult but her name is not Summer, you see...

3. Watching Summer at soccer pratice in the freezing cold and hard rain, skipping gleefully down the field.

4. Getting over a disagreement with Jason:)

5. Getting a huge box of scrapbook stuff in the mail (((swoon)))

Happy Friday! I'm going to work! :(

Where's Grady?

Those word come out of my mouth at least 8 times a day. He has usually found a way into the girls room or in the pantry to eat a little dog food. This time he was playing quietly under the kids table. He is a silly guy. Love that.

Oh, I also love an uneventful spring break. We are enjoying it quietly(Ok so its really not at all quiet) at home. I am just not ready to take the troops on a vacation. Overnight is as much of a challenge as I can handle right now. Maybe we'll do lunch or even a movie(sounding crazy yet?) tomorrow when I don't work. In the meantime, I have a couple of art projects planned for Grady's naptime. I am again feeling the struggle between having fun with the kids and housekeeping. I have such a hard time finding a balance with this one. I dont see it getting any easier until all the kids can pitch in, or at least pick up after themselves.

This past weekend was fun. Saturday I had to work and Jason brought Summer to a birthday party. Only there was no birthday party. We were a day early. And the mom answered the door in her Pjs. Jason was not impressed with me. I have never heard of a kids party being on a Sunday. I just assumed it was Saturday! I got out at 5pm and met them at my in-laws for a belated birthday fishfry for Jason. Yum. The kids spent the entire time outside exploring. Bob & Joan's is great for that. We had a bonfire( yeah for April bonfires!) and the kids went to sleep and the adults sat around talking, dreaming and laughing A LOT. Since I was DD, I really got to enjoy some silliness just as the observer! Such a great way to kick off the season. Now too bad its like 35 degrees out again...

Never Forgotten...

Today I post in support of my friend Shelly and her family. Its the anniversary of the death of her brother-in-law who died in the line of duty.

My friend Lisa wrote:

"In memory of Todd A Singleton who was killed in the line of duty one year ago today. He died a hero defending freedom. His ultimate sacrifice has not and will not be forgotten.My heart cries out to the family especially today as you mark the one year anniversary of his death. You have my thoughts and prayers always."

Well said.

I pray that his wife and baby girl always know how proud this community is of Todd.

We will never forget.

How can I resist?

So ya know that bag I was designing? Well....Since their closest boutique is in Chicago and I really should see the size of the bag that I am eying before I purchase...I am having a home purse party! They are sending a Rep. who has over 150 fabric samples and samples of ALL their bags! Oh, la,la its going to be so fun! I am telling you now you that you can SAVE THE DATE:

Thursday, May 22nd 6pm

My House



If you read this, YOU are invited! (as long as you're not a creepy-axe-wielding-stalker-guy) I would love to have YOU over for a girls night. Some appetizers, a cocktail(or two) and the best handbags ever. Sounds like fun to me! I kinda like having get-togethers here.
I will send you a reminder in May. I strongly suggest you go to the website and look it over. It is so amazing and fun. Its over there, to the right. I really hope you can come!

artsy-fartsy

I am a bit suprised how much I have gotten done since Feburary. This is usually a years worth of layouts!this pic does not do it justice. The pink wavy strips are painted w/ glitter paint and so cool. And she has wings(Hambly rubons)!
Again, bad pic. there are glitter letter that say"This is You" and then all the cute little describing words on the right.
LOVE weird Basic Grey paper. They have some fun stuff...
A photo from a shoot that my "aunt" Jan did when Grady was 3 weeks old. These photographs are soo beautiful that I am afraid to scrapbook them. I hope this did it justice.
Hopefully I can keep busy with scrappin' but I have a few other projects in the works. I bought 2 canvases for Gradys room that I need to get going on NOW. Also many other ideas brewing in my head. Now to just add 4 more hours to the day...

BTW- You can see these better at www.scrapinstyletv.com . My user name there is jennschultz. (original, I know.)

Scrapbook pages

The pink word on the ticket is "Smitten" not Mitten. The "S" didn't show up well at all.


Not a lot of Summer Jaye layouts. But since she was out firstborn, she actually has WAY more fo her than the other 2 combined. I'm trying to keep it even. Plus, I'll be taking 7 year pics of her soon and then I have (hopefully) some great new shots to work with.

Signs of Spring

Every morning after dropping Summer off at school, The little ones and I drive around the corner and this is what we see...We drive the "Ovals" everyday, especially now to see all the changes. Just last week there were still icebergs out there! In another couple weeks they will take down the snow fences and the bulldozers will start leveling all the sand. I LOVE this time of year. And the smell of the lake and beach give me the worst (best) Spring Fever.
And here is my silly girl on our ride.
And a sideways one of this goofy guy. I cannot for the life of my figure out how to post these kind of pics, right-side-up. But I had to include this because so much about it cracks me up. 1st, the bed head. Wow, it must have been a rough night! The purple shades are funny too. And whats a good morning without a "healthy" Poptart in the car? But the best is what you might not have noticed. he is wearing a regular shirt with his pj pants. Teagen was also dressed this way. I never know what I am going to wake up to when I am working the night before. I love to see Jason's creations for Pjs. Lord help us if we ever need to get out of the car (in public)in the mornings. We look like gypsies! Myself included...even though I do pick out my own clothes.

Even Good Boys Have Bad Days

Oh, Grady. You are such a good boy. That's why when you do something naughty, its so hard to take it seriously. I am sure you were wondering why I couldn't stop giggling at the adorable site of you in time-out!

I have NO idea what he did to deserve time-out. I think this was on Saturday. I'm sure he was just throwing toys or smackin' Teagen. I'll have to ask Jay, He'll remember.

And speaking of Jason, last night he mentioned that my grammar is a little off in my blog posts(always the critic). So I felt the need to explain. I treat this blog like a journal. I am just keeping track of daily life and some thoughts. Sometimes I am speaking to blogland, but usually this is for me. I wouldn't proofread a journal and make corrections so I don't usually do it here. Not to mention that I am interrupted ,on average, 5 times while posting. sometimes I get a bit off track. Hey, I'm just a girl, tryin' to keep it real, yo. ;] (thats for you, Jay)