The last day!

Tomorrow is my last day to work full time!! It is hard to believe that this day is finally here.

I have so many different emotions going on in my head about this day. When you work full time as much as you don't want it to be, your job becomes your focus...at least it is Monday-Friday. It is hard to get up and run around town every morning dropping off kids and then head to work for a full day. Sometimes those days are great, sometimes they are stressful and they are always exhausting. Then after work re-group and re-energize yourself (some days are harder than others) and you put on your Mommy hat.

I can't believe that my focus is going to shift on Tuesday. No getting up and running around Conway for an hour before work. No eating Pop Tarts in the car because there isn't time for breakfast (my dirty car will be thankful for this). No more teary eyed trips to work thinking about my boys and the things I might miss that day. I am, however, going to miss seeing my co-workers and the dear friends that I have at work, but I know that we will stay in touch.

My focus now will be on these boys and this house! I will, of course, still get some hours of work in each week, but this will not be my main focus. Scott has told me on SEVERAL occasions that he has visions and dreams of how clean our house is going to be once I stay home. Yikes, no pressure, huh? I hope he realizes that for the past 8 years of our marriage we have spent so little time at home during the week that it is going to take me some practicing on this one! It will, however, be strange to not have to do 20 loads of laundry at once because I am so behind.

Here's the sign that our house is in serious trouble. When our friends were over here the other night my friend Shanda went to the bathroom to help her son wash his hands. When she came out she had something on her pants and said she "seemed to have gotten stuck to our counter." She had kid toothpaste on her pants that was somehow slimed on there. GROSSSS!!! Talk about embarassing! I almost died laughing of course and was glad that she didn't judge. I think I may just need to set off some sort cleaning bomb in the house.

At any rate, I am excited about what is to come and to focus on these faces (and the new face in January)

Better is one day

I promised myself that I wouldn't use my blog as a way to whine about my pregnancy stuff, but too bad. Pregnancy and Jenni do not mix well at ALL! I was sick for 6 months with Ethan and for about 4 months with Reece. UGH! There is no other feeling in the world than morning sickness. I actually thought the other day that doctors should prescribe that you do not get out of bed until after lunch while you are experiencing morning sickness. I have heard that it is actually good to get sick because it means that your prego hormones are running high and it is making you sick.

For the past 2 1/2 weeks I have gotten sick EVERY morning. Not to mention I have gone into the office almost every day since I am training my replacement. The drive in plus nausea plus grouchiness do not mix.

TODAY, however, was a different story! I got up....feeling good. Took a shower....feeling good. Got ready & out the door & feeling good!!! NO SICKNESS!!! Oh my I WAS SO HAPPY!!!!

We sing this song at church "better is one day in your house than thousands elsewhere" and I have been singing it in my head all day long. I may be sick tomorrow and every day after that but TODAY I was not sick.

Isn't that how we should live every day, though? Thankful for the day that we are given. The non-sickness day was a good lesson for me. I have been counting down the days until I go part time at work for so long that I haven't taken the time to enjoy the days that I have been given. We are not, after all, promised tomorrow.

On a side note, welcome my friend Kelsey to the blogging world! :)

Big changes ahead

This post is a MUST READ! :)

As most of you know, I am going to be going from full to part time with my job at the end of this month. Every time I think about it I just get so excited because I will get to stay home with the boys and they will no longer go to babysitters or daycares of any sort.

This is such a big thing for me because Ethan is now 5 years old and he has gone to daycare since he was 6 weeks old. It is very hard to think about, but when you are a working mom you just do the best that you can and make the most of the time you do have with them. Yes, I know I have missed a lot, but I do not let myself get upset about it because that's just what was needed for our family for all of this time.

It is really hard being a working mom because you do catch a lot of grief. Some people look at you almost like you are taking the easy way out by taking your kid to the daycare while you go off to work for the whole day. Other people think that you are being somewhat greedy by choosing your job or money over your family. I always would get sad when I would run errands on my lunch break because I would see moms at Target with their kids in the middle of the day when mine were at the daycare. It is SO hard to find time to do laundry, buy groceries, clean your house or even just relax because your time is so limited.

I say all of this because I could not be more thankful for this opportunity to be a full time mom...for the first time. Part of me is actually a little nervous just because it is such a change for us. I will still do part time work for my company, but I will not be tied to the computer all day so the boys' schedules will come first. I cannot WAIT!!!!

The other big change..........

WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you believe it??!?!?! We are so excited and still a little in shock that in January our house is going to get even more chaotic than it is now. Ethan is EXCITED to say the least and is already thinking of names for his "baby sister." I reminded him that it could be another brother and he said "oh, that's ok, too, I'll still like it."

So there you have it! Big changes are ahead for our family. We have been so blessed.

Is this cool or a guilty pleasure???

So tonight after watching the new episode of American Gladiators, which made Ethan literally jump up and down on the couch while cheering and screaming, the TV stayed on and we started watching Nashville Star. At first Scott and I really weren't watching because we were putting the boys to bed and getting settled, etc. We made fun of it a little bit and of course had a few Billy Ray jokes.

Then we find ourselves saying "they stink" or "hmmm, they were pretty good." I have to say it, it almost sounded like our conversations when we watch American Idol. I like Taylor Swift so I had to pay attention to her performance.

Things I like:
-There is no Paula
-I LOVE Jewel
-The judges are really laying it out there telling them the truth
-I'm always open for a new show
-I like that Scott always says how much he hates country music but really seems to be enjoying the show

Things I do not like:
-One of my biggest pet peeves is when the host gives the contestant's "number" and then the contestant starts mouthing and hand motioning the number so that we will all dial that number to vote. Almost like you are saying "oh, he mouthed and waved a number 3 in the background so I definitely won't forget to vote for him." That just drives me nuts. We know how to dial a phone...you don't have to wave the number next to the host.
-No one is saying "THAT WAS A MOLTEN HOT LAVA BOMB, DAWG!!!!" I love you Randy.
-Some of the songs are just NOT meant to be country songs. I don't want to hear a Train song with a big fat twang.

So what do you guys think? Is it cool to watch this or should I consider it a guilty pleasure?

20 Things I'll ALWAYS do

Ok, so I had so much fun with my last list that it wouldn't be right if I didn't follow up with the 20 things that I will always do.

But first, I must comment on a few of my fabulous comments from my last one. Yes, I lost a $10 bet to date Scott. It must have been love because 1) I am cheap and 2) I hate to lose a bet. I will also blog on my "bucket list" soon, but these two have taken a toll on my brain so that will have to wait. Jenn, I haven't been to the Dustin's Days Page in years & let me tell you I have been tempted to get on there and get caught up, but I will NOT DO IT!

On with my list...

1. I will ALWAYS crack up laughing any time I watch Dumb and Dumber, Christmas Vacation, Happy Gilmore, or Office Space no matter how many times I have seen them.

2. I will ALWAYS be a worrier.

3. I will ALWAYS cut coupons and do anything to save a buck.

4. I will ALWAYS be scheming up a way to make money. If anyone wants to know more about taking online surveys then send me an email...I can refer you! HA!

5. I will ALWAYS cry a little when someone wins the Amazing Race, Miss America, or any other type of show where someone wins something big. Don't get me started on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I had to ban it because I would cry so much I would have to go get a kitchen towel to catch all the tears.

6. I will ALWAYS hold a grudge against Forrest Gump for ruining my perfectly good name--JEN-NAY. UGH!

7. I will ALWAYS do this weird thing that I type words in the air when I listen to songs or when someone is talking. It's the weirdest habit ever.

8. I will ALWAYS kick my shoes off the second I walk in the door. Maybe one of these days I will do what Scott says and take them to my closet instead of letting them pile up in the laundry room.

9. I will ALWAYS be the best Razorback Basketball fan that I can be.

10. I will ALWAYS memorize weird things such as commercials, phone numbers and other random things.

11. I will ALWAYS wet my pants if I laugh too hard. Yes, I know this is gross and quite embarassing when it still happens when you are almost 30 but it is not something that I can control. On a side note, there is NOTHING better than a good, belly laugh.

12. I will ALWAYS cringe when I hear the song "Awesome God" Don't read into this too much--I do think God is awesome, but it's just so old and it reminds me of youth group when we would sing it constantly.

13. I will ALWAYS love looking at pictures of my boys and thinking of all the fun memories.

14. I will ALWAYS do impressions (& brag that I think they are great no matter what Scott says)

15. I will ALWAYS stretch my contacts as far as possible even though they say they are good for only 2-3 weeks.

16. I will ALWAYS be thankful for a nap.

17. I will ALWAYS smile when I think about going shopping--especially if it is with no kids.

18. I will ALWAYS love watching Scott play & wrestle with the boys and love hearing the squeals of laughter.

19. I will ALWAYS get very excited (in a nerdy and piggish kind of way) about a pizza buffet.

20. I will ALWAYS be thankful for what I have been given, for my family and my friends.