Books &.... Bulletproof Backpacks????

Please take a minute to read this article. Please tell me it blows your mind like it did mine. B L O W N.

In the shadow of several horrible tragedies at America's schools, companies worldwide are producing bullet-proof or bullet-resistant school supplies. In America. Whoa. Is this really where we are??

This is where the whole "gun thing" stops making sense to me. We want the right to bear arms to protect ourselves from crazy criminals who are bearing arms? Or - even more mind boggling - we want the right to bear arms just to have them?? On principle because otherwise our rights are being violated? You lost me.

I get it - hunting, protection from Bears, target shooting..... guns can serve a purpose to a section of the population. But why, Joe or Jane Citizen, do you need to carry a gun with you while you are walking down the street? Is it so that in case someone tries to shoot you, you shoot them first? Will it serve as your psycho-shield?? Or, is it because we have become so ridiculously entitled here in America that we simply can not stand the thought of our government telling us that we point blank CAN NOT do something?

I'll never get it.

Bulletproof school supplies say to me that we concede that the school massacres are just going to continue. Companies like this in America will be successful because we are absolutely incapable of coming together as a nation to address it.

The United States used to represent freedom and opportunity and prosperity. These days, I feel like our country is slipping farther and farther from that ideal and the world is watching as we teeter on the edge of disaster.

I hate being a Debbie Downer. HATE IT. Sometimes it just gets to be a bit much. I'd definitely call bulletproof backpacks a bit much....

Bravo, Mrs. Hall!

In case you haven't had a chance to get on the internet lately, This Post was recently penned by a concerned mom on her personal blog. With a normal readership of 19 or 20, and comment numbers in the single digits, she couldn't possibly have predicted the response that brought tens of thousands of people to her blog. In addition, hundreds of responses, like this one popped up online. Most comments I have read are pretty critical. Some are down right rude. Poor Mrs. Hall, I empathize with you! Even though I am raising 2 girls and a boy instead of 2 boys and a girl, I share your need to be acutely involved with what my kids are doing online and with the group of "friends" they associate with (online & in person)!!

When us Moms post to our blogs, we often aren't worried about being PC or addressing things in a general or neutral nature. We post with a viewpoint that is often skewed by our experiences. When I post about the state of the educational system in America, I write based on my experiences as a previous student and now a Mom to children in that very system. I don't spend time mulling over how to present the content as neutrally as I can or how to relate it to everyone on the planet - and maybe that's why I am writing a Mom blog and not for the Times. I relate my content to my real life. I am probably not living the same real life that you are. In my world, we don't always do things the PC way - because at the end of the day, reality just doesn't work that way with our children.

We don't get to say "shut up" in our house. We wear helmets when we ride our bikes or rollarblade (much to our daughters' disgust). We don't allow our children on facebook or twitter or instagram (gasp! I know). When we help to pave the path our children will begin their life's journey on, we do so within the parameters of our own values. That's not to say that you can't have very different values. You can! That's why America is so grand! But our children will be lead down the path that we think is best - just like you will lead your children down the path that YOU deem best. If we will meet up on the same path, FANTASTIC! If we'll simply wave to you from a distance, that's ok too! We're all parents, and danggit, we have GOT to stick together!!

I would personally like to give Mrs. Hall a huge "BRAVO!!!!" for bringing this topic to the forefront and getting people all over the WORLD talking about it. Even if there are droves of people walking different paths and subscribing to different values, we're making a collective noise that is bringing awareness. I consider that a win for Moms everywhere!!

Did you know?

Did you know..........that I have 3 children?

Did you know.................that I am (happily) unemployed at the moment?

Did you know............that I have a little white dog named Cooper?

Did you know.......that I am deathly afraid of fish? Like phobic-type fear.

Did you know.....................that Avatar is my favorite movie of all time?

Did you know.....that whenever I eat a banana, it makes my lips and tongue itch!

Did you know...........................I LOVE Advocare Spark?

Did you know.........that I have asthma?

Just a few fun tidbits about me while I work on the upcoming post I'm working on!

Enjoy the final days of summer break!

2nd Annual Ladies AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge!!

It's that time of year again, ladies!

Who's in for the 2nd Annual Ladies AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge?!

Last year's winner lost 13lbs, 24.5" and gained $100 for a little over 3 weeks of her time!! There were a couple others hot on her heels with similar weight and inches lost! Lots of ladies have continued on with the products and have continued to lose weight and feel awesome!!

This year, if we can get 10 ladies to participate, I will offer a $200 reward for the winner who loses the most!

Deadline to get your orders in is Sept 6th, Challenge begins Sept 9th!

JOIN US!

Make your own website at CityMax.com. I did!

Make your own website at CityMax.com. I did!: Want to make your own website? I made a website using CityMax.com. It's easy for anyone and great for small business. Try it free!

Awakening

Jenny's log: a week and a half out from the last time I was stressed out over work.

It took a complete week for my mind and body to decompress from the past year + of stress and frustration. Literally. This past Monday was the first day I felt like a fog had lifted and I felt rested. RESTED! I wanted to listen to music while driving in my car (anyone who knows me, knows this is HUGE!), I smiled a lot, laughed a lot, liked my husband a lot more, liked my kids more too. Heck, I even like all of our pets more!

The past few days, I've been able to think clearly, cook meals, plan ahead, do housework, spend time in the yard. I've taken the dogs for walks, done situps while watching tv, I have READ. yes, I have literally sat down in the middle of a weekday and read a chapter or two in the book I'm currently reading.

For all intents and purposes, I have awakened. 

My mind and my body are mine again. I am able to take back control and ownership of both of those things that I had allowed to drift away. I am present here with my family. 100% present. I am meal planning and activity registering and appointment prepping. I am getting ORGANIZED!!!

Now that it is finally over, I am grateful for having gone through what I did with my job. What great perspective it has given me and how it has opened my eyes to what is truly good and important in my life. While I chose to learn it the hard way, going through the last year and a half has shown me that at this time in my life, I am unable (and now also unwilling) to commit to ANYTHING - job, girls nights, activities - that requires so much of me that I am unable to be anything less than 100% present with my family. 100%.

While I stand on the threshold of a new beginning, I am so thankful to be AWAKE and aware of my internal moral compass once again. Clean slate, clear head and restored spirit heading confidently into a world of opportunity.

Following the path....

Submit resignation at work - check.

Offload as much stress in my life as possible - check.

Line up new job and have things arranged for when present employment ends............................(crickets).

While I have several options available to me, nothing has been set in stone just yet. I am confident in His timing and am so grateful for being able to choose from several things that just sort of made their way to me rather than having to search for months for something I'm interested in!

and even still..........

I feel good and evil, light and darkness, right and wrong - pushing in on me at the same time. I feel a tug here, a push there.... little inklings that spark a thought that fuels an idea.... and each time this happens; again and again throughout the day, I find myself scrutinizing every possible angle for the good and the right and the true. I don't want paychecks or hours or location or personnel to drive me... I want GOD to drive me. I want to keep my eyes and my heart open to his guidance, my eyes fixed on Him and I want to trust what He lays before me. I'm at a point in my life when this is easy for me to do. Hasn't always been, but this time it is.

The challenge now comes in standing firm in what I know is right. Not defiantly or stubbornly, but boldly and confidently proclaiming where I am being led. Closely and obediently following the path that the Lord has paved for me - even when it is scary and risky. Explaining this to those I love in a way that puts their hearts and minds at ease.

Therein lies my challenge: following the path that has been paved for me when the details aren't all worked out, things are a bit scary and the easy path exists and is..... easy.

As promised....

Remember last week when I mentioned that big changes were coming for our family?? Well, they've begun.


I recently put in my two weeks notice at my job. I have been there for seven years, have been moving up within the organization, but have realized that this is not the direction I want for my life. I can not continue to do something I despise, that keeps me away from my family and makes me struggle as a Mom, simply because it comes with a nice paycheck.

Gut check time.

Time to get our priorities in check, our family on the front burner again and time for me to get back into "SuperMom" mode! For the last year and half I have been spread so thin that I wasn't a great Mom, I wasn't a great wife and I certainly wasn't a great person. I was great at my job and nothing else. Everything else was pushed aside to allow me to go all out for my company. Ick. That time is done and now we step out into the unknown. I am committed to having faith, trusting in my God and working hard to follow through with the journey he unfolds in front of me.

Here's to new beginnings....... (gulp)

Latest Article.... and Change is a Comin'

When you get a minute, hop on over to my latest article on Examiner. This was pretty eye opening for me.

There are big changes on the horizon for our family...... more coming very soon.... check back often!!

I hope you are having a simply sublime summer!!

The Next Season

I can hardly believe we are finally here! Today is the beginning of nearly 3 months of no homework, no morning battles to get up early and nearly 3 blissful months of  the children playing outside all day, returning home at dark and falling happily into bed after filling their bellies :) Such a wonderful time of year for our family.

The pools usually open on labor day each year here in MN. This year, however, I'm not sure that there is a pool anywhere in MN that is open. It is June 4th and we are regularly in the 50's and 60's instead of the 70's and 80's. While I love the cool weather and love wearing sweatshirts and sweats, it is a bit of a downer that the kids aren't able to run from pool to pool in the backyards screaming with delight. There are still screams of delight, for sure, just no pools!

This summer I've decided to let some activities work their way back into our schedule. For nearly 2 years, we've been on hiatus from most activities. We've concentrated on getting our family centered and filtering out the "noise". While I will never again be one of those moms who fills their family's schedule to the gills, I feel like we're ready to venture out into the world of extracurricular activities again.

Looking forward to some exciting changes in the coming months! Can't wait to see where this summer takes us!!

Speaking of Perspective......

Just wanted to put this out there because their story is simply amazing. I have been following them FOR YEARS - ever since before their 5 year old daughter was born!

Tricia, the wife and mother of this family, is rocking it after her 2nd double lung transplant!

Simply.Amazing

Check out their story by clicking the link below.

Confessions of a CF Husband

Vacation and playing catch up...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...........

We recently took to the friendly skies for a week on the beach. It was a fantastic week. I woke up each morning and looked out our window at the beach - without ever having to leave our bed. When I did get out of bed, I would open the door to the terrace and feel the ocean breeze and my entire being would just relax. 

I spent the week watching the kids swim and run on the beach, catch fish and surf with my Dad and I spent lots of time looking for shells. Searching the beach for shells is my absolute favorite thing to do in the entire world. It refills my spirit, clears my mind and will probably always be my "happy place". 

Being able to enjoy that week with my family helped me to get my priorities back in order and helped me to see things in my life for what they really are. Unfortunately that also meant seeing some things I don't like and need to change waiting for me here at home. It's going to take a monumental effort, a lot of prayer and a little luck, but I know if I put my mind to it, it's a done deal!

For now, I'm still basking in the glow of a vacation well spent re-connecting with myself and my family. I hope we can get away more often together this summer. Doing so is a powerful reminder of the good that exists in our family and in each member. Doing so highlights each person's special gifts and unique viewpoints. And doing so ensures that we see the good and the special and the unique on a regular basis!

My Husband is NOT a "legal stranger"!! A Mother's Rant...

I published an article tonight. I meant to publish it 3 days ago, but as I dug deeper into my topic, I got angry. Then sad. Then angry again. The thought that my husband - who has provided for, supported, encouraged, loved and hugged my children for the majority of their lives - is seen as any type of stranger in the eyes of the law is sickening to me. Sickening.
That's not to say that I want to diminish the rights or relationship that they have with their biological father. I don't. I simply want my husband to be recognized as the loving parent he is. And for God's sake, I want him to be able to sign a field trip waiver for my daughter, or be able to seek medical care for one of his stepdaughters if I'm at work and one of them breaks their arm!

I will end this post by inviting you to read my article: http://www.examiner.com/article/stepparents-afforded-few-legal-rights-with-respect-to-their-stepchildren

This isn't the end of this topic for me. I plan to continue to highlight this issue as I become more educated about it in the very near future.

If life hands you (gobs of now in mid-April) make (a snowman)!!

photo courtesy of mobile.duluthnewstribune.com .

April 18th, 6:44pm CST and we have roughly 4-5" of heavy, wet, slushy snow on the ground. It's coming down just as hard now as it was at 2:00 and it is supposed to continue until mid morning tomorrow.  Even us crazy Minnesotans are getting a bit edgy. We endured our winter, now COME ON ALREADY!!! This is seriously cutting into the few precious months of nice weather we get around here!

But - I suppose if it has to be cold and wet, I'd prefer we have a nice thick blanket of the white stuff down to play on. Sledding, snowmen, snow angels and hot chocolate... all things that make being in a winter storm in the middle of April bearable. Tolerable. 

So here's to lots of hot chocolate and time spent outside with rosey cheeks and big smiles as we make snowmen with the lemons we've been handed :)

Boston, Cocoa Beach and other thoughts.

I am still in complete disbelief about the events that transpired at the Boston Marathon. It's one of those terrible, horrific events that will cause you to both curse and admire mankind. I had friends at the marathon who both finished and were both unharmed. One of them finished just 28 minutes before the first explosion. Sobering. I've seen carnage from the day that I wish I could unsee, but it sure has given me a grateful heart again. Grateful for health and safety. Of my family and of that of my friends. This is just the beginning for those injured and affected by these events. It will be such a long road. Such a terrible tragedy. Such needless loss of life. Ef. It is my prayer that every single person affected by this bombing is covered with a a blanket of peace and hope as they move through the coming days and weeks. God Bless Them.

We are all looking forward to leaving for sunnier skies in a couple of weeks. Our family will have time to breathe deeply, relax often and spend time without the distractions of everyday life in our world. Of course, I have been scouring the internet for travel advice, tips for flying with toddlers (it's been A LONG time since we've flown with a toddler!), suitcase packing tutorials etc.. The ocean is such a great place for renewing the spirit and recharging the mind. There is something about sunrise on the beach, looking for seashells in the quiet with only the sounds of the waves breaking onto the beach. I'll never forget a morning we had on the beach with the girls once. I remember them holding hands, running in and out with the waves, each carrying a pail to collect their treasures. It was a most precious morning that I will carry with me always. I'm so looking forward to making more memories like that on this next trip.

I recently went to a bible study with a few other moms. We sat at Panera in front of the fire (yes, it's April, but until today, there was a good 6" of snow on the ground!) and just talked about our faith and praying over our families; our children. It was so good for my heart to have that fellowship with them. So important that I keep making the effort to be a part of it.

This week is the hubster's week for business travel, so that means that I get the bed all to myself! Hooray! I'll welcome him back into the bed tomorrow (snoring and all), but for tonight, I will enjoy the silence and the space!!

New Article Published

Please take a moment to have a look at these 5 famous families who seem to have figured out what works for them in raising a blended family!

5 Celebrity step families that make it work.

Spring, Revoked

Life in MN carries with it a lot of uncertainty with respect to the weather. Yard work one day can move to snow plowing the next.

Last week, I finally allowed myself to switch into a Spring state of mind. I saw the weather warming, the snow receding and the birds singing. I mistakenly let my winter guard down, packed away our snow boots and jackets and spent a couple hours in the yard clearing away brush and preparing the flower beds for Spring.

BIG MISTAKE.

After several glorious days spent outdoors with the kids it happened. There were the familiar colors of snow appearing on the radar map on the news. Winter Storm Warning. And just like that - we are thrust back into winter. Spring feels so far away again and there is snow as far as my eyes can see. Boo.

So again we hunker down for hopefully what will be one last winter hurrah before being able to switch to our Spring mindset... for good this time!

The things we bought to grill last week will have to get comfy in the freezer until enough snow has melted off the deck to make it possible (and safe) to be out firing up the grill again!

I've made a new rule that will take the guesswork out of when our family should pack up our winter gear. Our winter bin stays accessible until after the first swim of the year! I think that'll be a safe bet. Probably....

MANIC MONDAY

Mondays. Whew!

Instead of talking about all of the LAME things that went on today, I'd like to keep it positive.

The cutest thing happened at dinner tonight. Our 3 year old, Nate, was talking very sternly to his sister Jennah about her being mean and how she had run out of chances to be nice. He was making ALL of us laugh with how serious he was and how much he sounded like a little, mini parent. I can't remember EXACTLY what was said at the first part of the sentence, but Nate said the funniest thing I've heard in A LONNGGG time! The exchange went a little like this:
NATE: "Nennah (his way of saying the name of his sister, Jennah), you have been SO naughty. You are being mean and I don't like."
JENNAH: "I am not being mean"
NATE: "THAT'S IT! I'm not being your best friend ANY more (through clenched teeth).
JENNAH: "uh huh"
NATE: "Nennah, you keep bossing me and bossing me and I don't like.... HEY, LOOK AT THAT BIRD!!"

The entire family erupted in laughter at the dinner table! And with that, everyone's day had been made.

Spring is just beginning here in MN, so the birds are coming back after a long hiatus and it's kind of a big deal to see a big fat Robin in the crab tree outside our dining room window! This particular Robin has been visiting us often this week. He (could be "she", I guess) pecks at the remaining berries on the tree while we marvel at his size and how the feathers on his bum look like they are falling out!

Spring around here is fabulous! It's muddy and warm and sunshiney and bird singy and it is the absolute awakening you would expect it to be! I love it because we are outside every day, our neighborhood comes alive again with kids running around (we had a pack of 14 little ones in our back yard yesterday!) and people exercising and the smell of grilled chicken or brats can be smelled at dinner time nearly every sunny day!

I am working hard to put winter behind us and move as a family into this new season of hope and warmth! I'm looking forward to longer days, sunnier skies and warmer weather as we move from Winter to Spring in the Northland!

God Bless!

Great Article on Effective Stepparenting:

Blended Family? The 5 Secrets of Effective Stepparenting

I found this article pretty interesting with respect to the Step Parent relationship with the children in a blended family situation. John and I have learned most of these things the hard way over the years, so it was nice to see them all gathered, prioritized and explained in detail.

I highly recommend the Empowering Parents Website. It is loaded with good articles and resources for parents of blended and traditional families alike!

Getting Connected....

Well, I can't say what attempt this is at trying to keep a blog going for more than a month. At some point, if I ever want to journey outside of Corporate America, I'm going to have to get this going, keep it going, and be super awesome at it!

So here's to another try, another chance and another step!!!

Check back often, or better yet, sign up to get email updates whenever a post is published!

Much Love!!

Examiner.com - New Article Published

Check out my newest article about blended families on Examiner.com.

My Examiner.com article on Ron Deal and blended families.