Captured Memories

Well my yard sale was a success. It added almost $300 to our pocket! Very nice indeed! In the spirit of making money, I decided it was time I figure out something that would be a bit more lucrative. I absolutely LOVED being able to contribute a large sum of money to our family. That's something that I don't like about being home with the kids. Not contributing money. It sorta stinks. I mean I have my fitness business..but I am starting to think that maybe it's not for me. I'm not really the "go out and sign people up" kinda gal, and that's the sort of person you need to be.

I'd love to own my own shop. Just sell all sorts of stuff. Kind of like a Five and Dime sorta place. That would be so cool. I could have the kids at the shop with me, I could close it down if I had to pick them up from school. It would be awesome. But alas, it is a wish and sometimes wishes don't come true. But I'm not letting go of it. It may just become a reality someday.

What I have decided to do, is start my own service business. That service being transferring peoples home videos that are on VHS to DVD. This is the ad that I've posted on our local message boards, Craigslist, my Facebook and my Myspace:

I have started a new local service, Captured Memories, for transferring VHS home videos to DVD.

Service Includes:

* Transfer of VHS home video to DVD.
* A computerized label identifying the contents of the video that you will specify what you want it to say. Example: Date, Events, Names, Ages, ect.
* Video to be completed within 1 week of drop off. Unless otherwise specified by me, due to demand of service.
* Return of original VHS tape.
* Gift wrapping and shipping service to a family member or friend also available for an additional charge.

Cost for each video transferred, $25.

Special Customer Appreciation Offer: Have 9 videos transferred and get the 10th transferred for FREE! You do not have to have all 9 transferred at the same time. I will keep a record of returning customers and will honor this offer no matter how much time has passed between transfers.

* Receipts will be given and must be provided at pick up so there is no mix up of videos.


* You may choose to drop off and pick up your videos OR a pick up and drop off service provided by me will be available for FREE in "the town I live in", only.


**Please Remember, the transfer of a low quality VHS will result in a low quality DVD. It is impossible to take a low quality VHS and make it high definition even when transferring to DVD. BUT, by transferring your VHS home videos NOW, the quality will no longer degrade once on DVD. Our family's memories are too precious to lose by risking leaving them in VHS form.**

NO REFUNDS! Unless, I am unable to transfer the video due to the video being too far degraded in quality.

NO transfer of videos containing adult nudity!

Please respond to this email so I can help you give you family a treasured gift by preserving all of those "Captured Memories"!!

What I started to think about after posting this locally, was why not offer this to my online friends? I am sure some of you may have a need for a service like this, am I right? So..I have decided to offer this up to you all as well. Everything in the above posting remains the same, EXCEPT, obviously you would have to ship your videos to me. Unless you feel like driving hundreds of miles for a drop off. So..here is what I am proposing to you as far as the shipping aspect goes:

If you contact me and place your order BEFORE JULY 31st I will offer FREE RETURN SHIPPING of your original VHS tapes and the new DVD's. (You will still be responsible for the initial shipping of the VHS tapes.) And instead of "The 10th video transfer being FREE", I will offer you "The 5th video transfer FREE"!!

Remember, this offer is only good until July 31st! So..think about it, talk it over with your spouse, siblings, parents, friends..anyone you know who may be interested in having their precious memories captured on DVD!

And as an added note..I transferred my family's home videos for my mom as her birthday gift, and her exact words were "This is the best gift I have EVER received!"

You may contact me through my email to talk about order placement.

It's Hot

It is hot.

I mean HOT.

Seriously, it's really really hot.

And you know what I am doing on this HOT HOT HOT day?

Rummaging through my basement digging out all of our junk so I can hold a garage sale tomorrow.

And then I am lugging all of my junk up the steep basement steps.

I then am dragging it all outside into the HOT air to wipe down and price.

If I don't make at least $150 tomorrow..

I swear I will throw myself down on the hot, itchy grass and throw a tantrum.

Did I mention that it's HOT?

Do you know what I'd much rather be doing today than this disgusting chore?

I'd much rather be spending it the way I spent last Friday when it hit 90 degrees.

I'd be with my children at my aunt & uncle's house swimming in their pool.

Yep. That's what I'm dreaming of.

Floating in the pool.

Watching my kids paddle around with their water wings on.

And drinking margaritas.

Just like I did last Friday.

But instead.

It's HOT.

I'm covered in basement filth.

And dreaming of the dollar signs I will be making tomorrow.

And dreaming, is probably the appropriate word for it.

Since it's HOT, and people are probably all going to be at their aunt's pool.

Or at the community pool that is just down the street from here.

And where will I be?

Sitting in my front yard.

Keeping my kids out of the junk.

That I will be begging people to buy.

Yep. Sounds like a fun day.

Wow..My Busy Life, In Pictures

Where oh where have I been? Let's see if this is any explanation...



We spent a rainy day at the Muirfield Golf Course for a practice round of the Memorial Tournament to celebrate my dad's 55th birthday. This is SB & me!



And here is the "birthday boy" my dad and my brother.



We got to watch Tiger & Jack Nicklaus play in the Double Skins Tournament. (Tiger was the winner!)



We had our driveway widened and re-gravelled.

BEFORE

AFTER

We've enjoyed many evenings on our breezeway playing with the kids..here we were letting them be photographers.




We've had water fights.



We've played in the sprinkler.



Twinkletoes had her dance recital.


And of course we have had many, MANY bonfires. (The man in the picture is my 20 year old stepson, J.)

So I have been trying to be online..but it hasn't been happening too much. I do promise a more "wordy" post tomorrow!

SUMMER ROCKS!!

Just Jen

I am excited to announce, that after YEARS of searching..I finally have a girlfriend again! I haven't had one since I was probably 18. I have other "mom friends" but we spend our time chatting about kids, and husbands, and household-running. I have just been needing a girlfriend that I could talk to about anything and everything ELSE! And I finally got one!

And the best part is..she's my neighbor! So we can pop in on each other, whenever. Well, when she's not at work.

Friday night after Will had gone to bed, I was invited over for drinks and girl talk with one of her co-workers. It was so much fun and I didn't make it back into my house until almost 2am! Then last night she stopped by for a chat, and this morning before she went to work she came over for advice on her guy problems, and I was SO happy to be there for her.

I've truly missed this! The kids love that she has a 10 year old daughter who likes to play with them. And we like that they can entertain each other and leave us time to talk.

She's single, so therefore it's not a "couple thing" when she comes over. That would be fine, but I really like that she's MY friend. And not just friends with me because her husband/boyfriend is friends with SB. And I like that she's MY friend and not just friends with me because our kids are the same age and we get together for playdates.

Yes, this is what I have been missing all these years. A girlfriend. And I'm so glad I've found her. I can not stress the number of times I've cried to SB that I have no friends. No real friends that I am completely comfortable to share things with and that is completely comfortable to share things with me. Things that have NOTHING to do with kids. Or cleaning tips. Just a chance for me to sit down and be JEN, not Punk's, Twinkletoes' and Ducky's mommy, or SB's wife. And she even likes SB and SB likes her, so we can still all get together and chat when the kids are playing and SB doesn't have to feel excluded if he's home and we are hanging out.

Yes indeed, this is great!!

TGI - "Date Night"

Can I just shout, at the top of my lungs...TGIF!!!

Seriously! I am SO SO SO excited it's Friday. SB and I succeeded in having a nice, calm week, and I think we all are finally feeling refreshed around here. The kids are not nearly as crabby. I am not nearly as bone-tired. And SB seems to be in a more sociable mood than he was at the beginning of the week. In fact, just last night he asked me if I'd like to sit outside with him on the breezeway, after the kids are in bed and play Cribbage tonight. You're probably thinking, "big deal, your husband wants to have a game night, so what?" But this really IS a big deal! I LOVE to play games. If I had my way we'd play Rummy, Cribbage or even Go Fish, every night of the week. And then on weekends have friends or family over for Euchre or Monopoly on the weekends. But my husband, well, although when he does play games, he enjoys himself, he usually opts not to play any of the games I suggest when I suggest them.

So for him to come out and ask me if I want to play a game and even make a "date" for it. Well I'm pumped!! It's a break from the normal, "put the kids in bed, get showers, then lay in bed and watch TV until bedtime" routine that we normally are in. I thought about pressing my luck and see if he wanted to invite another couple over and play Euchre instead, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized, after last week, a night playing a game and talking to each other, ALONE, sound much more fun! Maybe next month..

Our days of "date nights" are pretty non-existent these days. I have no desire to go out to a bar like we used to. And 9 times out of 10 when we do get a night alone without the kids, it turns into a quick dinner out and then a movie night in our house, sans the kids bedtime ritual, which to be honest, is the perfect date night for me now that I am a mother of 3. And a STAY AT HOME mother at that! Kids really wear you out and make you appreciate quiet moments at home, ALONE, with your husband.

What do you do for date nights? If you get any at all.

I'll try to post a bit tomorrow morning, but it's going to be a bit of a busy day. We've got Punk's LAST t-ball game, and then we have to get Punk and Twinkletoes ready for an overnight camping trip with my mom. So, if I have a spare moment, I'll pop in, if not..well I'll see you on Monday!

Have a GREAT weekend..and seriously..let me know your own date night ideas! I may have to put them to the test in upcoming weeks..and you never know..it may make the blog! :)

The Doctor Visit

We went to see our family doctor today about Twinkletoe's episodes where she stops breathing and zones out. He said it could be a form of seizure. Or it could be related to her fall.

She is being sent to a pediatric neurologist for an EEG and MRI.

I am trying to stay calm and not get to worried, but a pediatric neurologist, just sounds plain scary to me.

Please say prayers that everything is in working order and these test turn out to just be a precaution and will not lead to anything.

I am praying hard for my sweet baby girl.

Little Mommy

I love taking pictures of my kids. For me, the candid shots when they're just being themselves and not posing for the camera, are the best! It's hard to do because they hear the "do do do" sound when the camera turns on the they all start yelling "CHEESE!" Here's a couple of examples:

CANDID:


SUPER-CHEESE:



My daughter, Twinkletoes, cracks me up. She wants to be JUST like me. I find it very flattering, but it makes me concerned for the day when she decides she wants nothing to do with me. I try to think that that will never happen. But I know the day will come. Well the other day T, being T, decided that she wanted to take pictures like me and practically yanked the camera out of my hand. She started snapping away, and this is the result of that. Personally, I think she did a great job! I absolutely adore the picture she took of Ducky and me.


f

For Twinkletoes, it doesn't stop at picture taking. She wants her hair styled like mine. She wants to wear makeup like me (I don't let her, although sometimes I do put a little blush or lip gloss on her to appease her). She insists on sitting like me, saying things that I say all the time. She just is a little mommy and I love her for that!


I'm curious, in what ways do your own kids try to be like you.

What A Week!

Well, a day later than I had planned..but I'm back! I will try to make this post not go on and on, but that may be hard considering how much I have to share!

Last week was TREMENDOUSLY busy! Let me tell you all about it!

Monday: SB and I attending the calling ours of my dear friend's husband. He died too soon, and too unexpectedly. He was a 35 year old father of 2 young children ages 5 and 3. He had a massive heart attack brought on by an undiagnosed condition that he was born with. My friend and her children (along with the rest of his family and friends) are completely devastated by this loss. I pray for them daily. They need peace, understanding of why this happened, and comfort as they approach each new day on a journey to a new "normal". Please send prayers and good thoughts their way.

Tuesday: SB and I attended his funeral in the morning. SB called his son (my stepson!) to wish him a Happy 22nd Birthday! That evening Punk had a t-ball game. My dad and aunt who live 2 hours north of us, met us at the game to kick off the beginning of their 3 day visit to celebrate my dad's birthday. We then went back to our house where my mom and brother met us, and we cooked out and had a bonfire. It was a very happy and joyous end to a very sad day. My mom and aunt took the kids back to my mom's house for a sleepover and my dad, SB and I sat out by the fire until almost midnight sharing stories and catching up since we hadn't seen my dad since February.

Wednesday: We woke up around 6am and enjoyed warm coffee on the breezeway while waiting for my brother to meet us at 7am. This day was also my dad's 55th birthday! We then headed off for Dublin to attend the Double Skins Game at Muirfield Golf Course as part of the practice round for the Memorial Tournament. This was our gift to my dad. We stopped and had breakfast at a Cracker Barrel on the way. We had hoped for a hot, sunny day. Instead it barely reached 60 degrees and poured down rain on us the entire time!! But we did get to see Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus (along with many other PGA pros) up close and even got ourselves filmed on national television during the skins game! Luckily we had recorded it on our DVR and were able to watch it and see ourselves and laugh! SB called his daughter (my stepdaughter) to wish her a Happy 8th Birthday! We ended the day with a cookout at my mom's house, and stayed there until 1am drinking wine and enjoying good family time!

Thursday: The guys all went golfing. Us girls and the kids stayed at my mom's house and rested up from our busy day the day before. My mom wasn't feeling the best, and my aunt was exhausted from helping her with the kids the day before. I made my "famous" Garlic White Lasagna and everyone enjoyed it for dinner that evening. Twinkletoes had her dance rehearsal that evening and after we made it back to my mom's house, my mom, dad, aunt, SB and I all played Scrabble until almost 11pm when SB and I decided it was time for dad and us to take the kids back home since SB and my mom had to work the next day.

Friday: SB was at work before I was awake, but then Dad and I spent quiet time sitting on the breezeway, drinking coffee and chatting while we waited for my aunt to come and pick him up so they could head back to their houses. It was sad to see them go, but our visit was wonderful and we gave my dad a fantastic birthday. I spent the rest of the day working on my mom's birthday gift! We went to bed early that night trying to get some rest!

Saturday: We drove and hour north to pick up SB's mom so she could attend Twinkletoe's dance recital that evening. I called my mom to wish her a HAPPY BIRTHDAY since it was her 55th bday! We went to T's recital at 7 and got home around 10. She danced beautifully and was thrilled with the miniature rose bush her dad and I got for her and the tulips my mom got for her. Since this was her first time doing something like this she had NO IDEA that she would be getting flowers! The smile on her face was brighter than the sun.

Sunday: SB drove the hour to take his mom back home and I stayed home with the kids to make up the food for my mom's birthday celebration at our house. My mom and brother came over in the afternoon and we had artichoke dip as a snack. We broke out the beer and champagne and watched one of the home videos that I copied for my mom (which she said was the best present she had EVER received) and then spent the rest of the day outside playing Mexican Horseshoes (a game sorta like Cornhole, but 1000x better!) We then grilled shrimp skewers and had those over salad w/ garlic bread for dinner. Then we sat by the bonfire and chatted until it got to be almost dark and my mom headed home. Twinkletoes gave us a scare at bedtime. She stopped breathing for a minute or so. We almost had to call 911. We are starting to wonder if her going unconscious awhile back after her fall, was not due to the fall. My husband had a form of epilepsy as a child so we are going to have her checked out to see if she has been having seizures. Please say a little prayer for her.

So THAT was my week last week! Obviously the busiest of the year, thus far. Hopefully the busiest one we'll have for a long while. I had to spend the day recovering yesterday. I sat on the breezeway reading and just letting the kids run wild in the yard. They all even napped in the afternoon, and Punk NEVER naps!

It feels GOOD to be back to normal again!!

I Apologize

Just wanted to put out a little apology to my readers. I am sorry I've been MIA. Starting next week I will definitely be around more.

Memorial week was busy busy, as I am sure everyone else's was. And I thought I would be back after that.

I was wrong.

One of my dearest friend's husband died suddenly at age 35, leaving behind my friend and their 2 young children.

Needless to say, I had no desire to blog, nor time to do so either.

On top of that, this week, we've had family in town and will still have family around through the weekend.

So I will be back Monday. Please say prayers for my dear friend and her children.

Oh..and go to Mrs. M's awesome, fabulous blog today to see her featured blogger..ME!! Interview and all! :)