tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512Tue, 10 Sep 2024 01:24:15 +0000kidsOzarksbethlayoutsChetToddKyleChristmasfaithmattgardenfootballjackfamily stuffpoliticslinksmeDanielVBSbirthdayfriendslayoutmomJessebaseballbooksfoodnewspicturesanimalsfunnyhalloweenhouse and homevolleyballSophiaartworkchessdanceeaglehorsemiscmusicrecipestaggedwishful thinking911BeagleBon JoviBonesEmmausJessicaJocelynOn My Mindactivitiesbakingcardscowsfishingfreegrandkidshuntingice storm 2009my kidspumkpinremodelingrunningsilver dollar citysnowsportsstatsthanksgivingveteransvideoswisheshttp://jennscraps.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Jenn)Blogger773125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-4651272429219446056Mon, 11 Jun 2012 04:24:00 +00002012-06-10T21:28:41.637-07:00Our friend Kevin asked Faith to join him Saturday morning to sing at an All For Him rally. It was a really good reason to get up early on a weekend day! Several of the videos didn't capture the audio, and this one is cut off at the end because the battery died. I wanted to share it, though. I love this girl of mine, and I think Kevin is a pretty good guy as well! http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2012/06/all-for-him-rally.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-1274445789461313666Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:51:00 +00002012-01-18T19:52:33.684-08:00kidsEarlier today Todd told me he hadn't been feeling well this morning. "My stomach was hurting for a while," he said, " but then the feeling subsided." I mentioned to Jack that Todd's vocabulary really impresses me sometimes. After Todd arrived home from Youth this evening, he told me he had presented his pollution project in his literacy class today. The following conversation ensued. Me: "How http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2012/01/conjugating-verbs-with-todd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-1582202923340488781Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:14:00 +00002011-12-29T11:42:16.273-08:00Christmasfamily stuffI have never really typed up a family letter before. This year I got one put together, but I know myself well enough to know I may not get it in the mail. So I am sharing it here with the few who still check in to my blog. Merry Christmas, everyone! Dear Friends & Family,     With another year gone sooner than we expected, we thought we would draft a Christmas letter and try http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2011/12/family-christmas-letter-2012.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-8458556758431961679Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:49:00 +00002011-10-15T20:49:37.277-07:00kidslayoutIt is sad that all of this last year's posts fit on the front page of my blog. I miss blogging, though. I have managed to squeeze some time in to scrap in the last couple of months. I figured if I shared some of those, I might get a few things covered at once. Basically, my kids are growing. (Faster everyday.) Chet is still being seen regularly and staying pretty stable. We had a fun, busyhttp://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2011/10/i-am-pitiful-blogger.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-465617543029118230Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:36:00 +00002011-08-02T06:36:15.202-07:00artworkbethkidsBeth has been working on her art skills. Her siblings have been her unwitting models. I love how she showed her series of practice portraits on Faith's drawing. Faith has been asking me to let her dye her hair. I think this shade of blue looks stunning on her.  Beth really captured Todd's personality in the expression on his face in this one. I don't think she missed a single freckle! Hehttp://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2011/08/portraiture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-5641131242783592806Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:28:00 +00002011-03-29T21:28:16.257-07:00kidsThere are some things you hear all the time when you have a houseful of kids. One of the top ten has to be, "I would go insane with all those kids around!" Naaahhh... I don't have time to be insane, but more importantly, I like these strange little people. I like picking a new "favorite" everyday. I like experiencing all their different personalities and quirks, and I like to laugh. The simple http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2011/03/there-are-some-things-you-hear-all-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-4673688735873963864Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:24:00 +00002011-02-21T21:26:14.708-08:00family stuffThere are lots of firsts in marriage and parenthood, and sometimes you just never know how long certain firsts will take to happen. We had a phenomenal first for our family last month. Jocelyn, her hubby Brian, and their girls came out to see us. For the first time ever we had all 8 kids and all 3 grandkids together at the same time. It was frrrreeeezing cold outside, but I wasn't putting off http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2011/02/first-family-photos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-8509772175351385919Tue, 15 Feb 2011 04:59:00 +00002011-02-14T21:06:01.687-08:00books I am such a history nerd. It is a deep-seated, ingrained nerdiness, and while I enjoy reading novels and biographies of nearly any era, I find the medieval Dark Ages to be near and dear to my nerdy heart. (I still hold out hope that someday there will be a Dark Ages Trivial Pursuit game.) A few months ago I purchased a Kindle, and have been regularly downloading free books when they are http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2011/02/coolest-blog.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-4207874920151606398Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:37:00 +00002011-01-25T17:42:53.574-08:00On My MindI was baking cookies with Ariel and Beth the other night. Baking cookies with a 5 and 7 year old takes a lot longer than doing it alone takes.   I could have the ingredients measured out in no time, but I have to be patient and let them learn to scoop and level the flour. They need to learn the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon. They need to make sure they aren't adding 3/4 http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2011/01/on-my-mind-part-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-7394592101912643444Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:30:00 +00002010-11-29T23:30:06.666-08:00Todd I took my three smalls with me to run errands the other day. Todd really doesn't like being in the car for very long at all. On the way home, we had the following conversation. Todd: "Mom, why do we have to take this road to get back to town." Me: "Because it is the only direct road we have back to our town." Todd: "Wouldn't it be faster if you found a shortcut that takes us straight to our http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/11/as-crow-flies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-517397485795947808Sun, 31 Oct 2010 01:32:00 +00002010-10-30T18:33:06.820-07:00ToddMy baby boy turned 9 today. He woke everybody up saying,"You HAVE to tell me happy birthday!" I told him, "No! You have to stay little!" Somehow, I don't think I am going to win that argument. We usually only have small family parties, but he really wanted to invite friends to his birthday this year. Despite the short notice, he had a lot of kids show up! They aren't even all in this picture. I http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/10/happy-birthday-todd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-2907470108689420909Wed, 27 Oct 2010 02:20:00 +00002010-10-26T19:20:53.326-07:00ChetjackSomething has been happening to Chet. His voice sounds funny. His shoulders are getting wider. And his upper lip has gotten hairy. So last night he asked Jack to teach him how to shave. Apparently the unbladed bubble bath toy razors I bought for him 12 years ago are longer sufficient. So after showers, and in front of a very small mirror, Jack first showed him how to lather up. Then Chet http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/10/rite-of-passage.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-8678944263334546608Sun, 24 Oct 2010 02:33:00 +00002010-10-23T19:33:23.941-07:00ToddI can tell you that Todd is funny, one of the funniest people I know,  but sometimes it is easier to show you than to tell you. He is always cracking me up. This weekend, he and one of his friends wrote new lyrics for the song "I Wanna Be A Billionaire." Then he and another one of his friends performed it for me today. Here it is for you to enjoy! (Todd is on the right.) http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/10/todd-wants-to-be-gummy-bear.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-834924384367606129Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:14:00 +00002010-10-20T10:14:32.311-07:00halloweenkidsI haven't had time to post about it, but we had a big fire this summer. Our storage shed and their contents were lost. Part of those contents were our holiday decorations, so our home is woefully decorated for the fall. Brandon and Jessica took care of that, though, and came home with half a pumpkin patch and some carving tools. Last night the kids set to work giving them all some faces. Beth http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/10/our-jack-0-lantern-pack.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-2275345783767220981Fri, 24 Sep 2010 05:38:00 +00002010-09-23T22:38:05.194-07:00momMy mom is here visiting us this week. At her request, we have kept our schedule light. We have only dragged her to 3 football games, 1 volleyball tournament, an Emmaus event, a couple of trips (or three or four) to the store, and to church so far. We have even fed her occasionally. She told me while she was here she wanted to take me out to get a pedicure and manicure, so yesterday we were http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/09/quality-mother-daughter-time.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-6553257206785129877Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:43:00 +00002010-09-14T21:44:12.022-07:00kidsToddA few weeks ago Todd  asked me to buy a coconut for him. Somewhere along the line he had read about drinking coconut milk from the coconut, and decided he wanted to try it. In fact, he even asked me to make sure it had "fresh milk" in it. How does one ensure a coconut is fresh? I truly don't know, so I offered to go on a tropical vacation and pick him one straight from a tree. To my deep http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/09/coconut-experience.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-7571798056836118465Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:58:00 +00002010-09-13T09:58:14.070-07:00bethkidsKyleAs we sat in church yesterday, I noticed Kyle and Beth passing notes. When they went up to the front for the children's sermon, I read the notes and discovered a hot bed of extortion and conspiracy. I suppose it started out innocently enough. Kyle wanted some more paper to draw on, but he wasn't asking for it very nicely. Beth responded with a terse "no", wherein Kyle proceeded with his http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/09/extortion-in-church.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-8090106614646971953Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:16:00 +00002010-06-09T07:16:25.293-07:00me  One of my favorite memories of my childhood was playing with paperdolls at my gramma's house. She would get them out of the McCall's magazine, and I spent hours cutting them out, gluing the dolls to the chipboard from cereal boxes for strength, and dressing them up in all their outfits. Gramma even had a special box she let me keep the dolls in. Over the years, I have found variations of http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/06/betsy-mccall.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-2134259785867921878Sun, 30 May 2010 05:22:00 +00002010-05-29T22:26:37.683-07:00bethI don't have pictures with me right now, but if you put the women in my family in a room full of unrelated people and then asked a stranger to pick out which of us was related, the stranger would have no problem figuring it out. My mom and her sisters, while different in many ways have facial structures that clearly define their relationship. My aunts' daughters look like their mothers as much ashttp://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/05/doppelganger-almost.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-6753072421783338659Fri, 28 May 2010 03:37:00 +00002010-05-27T20:37:40.640-07:00bethOzarksTo date, my daughter has lived less than half of her life in a city, and the rest in the mountaintop country. She has learned many farming and agriculture terms out here, but that doesn't necessarily mean they have all sunk in. Sometimes the call of the city is just too strong to override a countrified education. Occasionally we wake up to the escaped horses grazing on our front property. As http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/05/shell-never-be-farmgirl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-3593083420532162917Tue, 25 May 2010 03:17:00 +00002010-05-24T20:17:57.239-07:00house and homeToday we did some clean-up in our front yard. With our engine blown on the Expedition, and the damage to the green car when Jack and Mom took it sledding in the snow, we had some ugly yard ornaments. In fact, we were teetering badly on becoming a Jeff Foxworthy redneck joke. So we called the salvage yard, and once they arrived they loaded up the Expedition. Then we had to sign the titles over.http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/05/cleaning-up-yard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-1340368530363534141Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:31:00 +00002010-04-25T14:31:22.005-07:00OzarksSpring has kicked into full-speed ahead, and the fields and roadways are full of dandelions. I love seeing them. I have friends who live in cities that hate these things. I know some people who even get upset if their neighbors leave them in their yards because they don't want the seeds contaminating their grass lawns. Not me. I love seeing the dandelions growing wild and free. There are tons http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/04/fields-of-wishes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-2087659767196587419Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:30:00 +00002010-03-30T09:37:26.174-07:00ChetChet has been writing poems in his English class. I love it.I thought I would share one of them with you.Tell Me a StoryChet WellbornTell me a storywhere the brave knights fought.Tell me a storywhere the wise men taught.Tell me a storywhere blazing swords are.Tell me a storywhere dragons aren’t far.Tell me a storywhere sirens have sung.Tell me a storywhere the spears are flung.And when you are http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/03/chets-poems.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-7714465800292366384Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:56:00 +00002010-03-19T09:58:32.296-07:00layoutsThere is a lot going on, and I don't get to blog - or read, or scrapbook, or sit and do nothing - nearly as much as I would like to.I did get a layout put together, though. Maybe there will be more to come. I hope.http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/03/quick-layout-to-share.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12301512.post-7956025948828804476Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:11:00 +00002010-03-16T19:12:52.080-07:00wishful thinkingI am in the mood for summer skirts and pretty dresses, but my favorite stores are an hour away and there won't be a chance to go shopping anytime soon. So as I sit here watching American Idol with my family tonight, I am drooling window shopping on the net. Here are some of my favorites.This one's only $24. I wish they had it in colors, though.I love this one.I think I could fall in love with http://jennscraps.blogspot.com/2010/03/window-shopping.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Jenn)1