Renee's Fourth Birthday

Well, it's official. Today Renee turns the big 4! I can't believe that she has grown up so much and it's happened SO quickly. (I love that every mother laments this about their own children, yet it is such a weird reality that is so true.) *sigh* I thought I would share a few pictures with you from my little lady's past...




Renee at 8 weeks...

A five month shocker!

Renee at 8 months...

Renee into 10 months...

Renee's first Superbowl in Missouri...with Jaden

Easter 2006--Renee's one year old.

14 months...in Maryland.

And here she is now...

Coupon Mom

I have been pretty quite the last few months. A lot has been on my mind, but for some reason I don't have the passion or the will to argue lots of my points. I am rather disappointed in myself, but I really don't feel like spending the time and energy on my political rants...I'm sure I'll be back to my old self one of these days. :)

So on a positive note I have rummaged up something that I consider to be "blog worthy". :) It's a website that I discovered at my Mother-in-Law's house. It's:

www.couponmom.com

Go there...it will change your life! he he he

I had seen this before on daytime TV shows (when passing through) I have heard the founder on the radio before, but I never took a good honest look at what her site was about. I mean, I clip coupons, I save a few bucks here and there...I thought I was doing good. BOY was a wrong!

Basically she has taken coupon clipping and pumped it full of steriods. She teaches ladies how to shop and how to save and she has created an spectacular database to show everyone where to get the best deals, and how to do so! It rocks.

At Liz's house (my MIL) she opened her pantry and it was stocked full of items that were either free or bought for pennies on the dollar (no joke)! She had at least 10 bottles of shampoo that were FREE, she gave Renee 2 free tooth brushes, Johnson and Johnson buddies shampoo, conditioner, soap, and Disney Princess toothpaste (all free). She had Tide detergent, dawn dish soap, and other things...all 50 CENTS OR LESS! I was amazed. She now spends less than $50.00/month to feed and care for her household (herself, hubby, and one teenage stepson).

In this economy where we are all watching our bottom line...at least take a look at her site. It's so cool. Be willing to spend some time getting newspapers and stocking up for the next few months on coupon books and circulars...but MAN this is awesome and so worth it. We can't change the government from taxing the hell out of us, but we can manage our own pocketbooks and our own lives. Here is a great tool to do just that. :)

Jenny

Happy Valentine's Day 2009

A few days ago Renee and i went out and about in good old Augusta...here are some of the photos I got for V-day. Enjoy!

Jenny

2009 came in with a ROAR.

ROAR I say ROOOOAR!

Wow, I am only like 14 days into 2009 and I am already busy as a beaver. Good for me. :)

Business is starting to really pick up. I am ALMOST done with my library mural over at Grovetown Elementary, and from what I can tell several folks are interested in new murals. I have one lady asking about a mural for her daughter and another wants a lake mural in her basement. I do hope they pan out sooner or later! I also had contact with a very nice gentleman who wants me to hand over my mural portfolio to his wife, who does commercial interior design. She lands huge projects for places like University Hospital and MCG...and she does many "children" themed areas...and I could be contracted out if the buyer likes my work and wants a mural added in on the design..OOOO. It's a very exciting and very scary idea. The gentleman looked at me and asked "How much do you want your business to boom?" Woah. Scary thing is I don't know that answer yet.

My current mural is a jungle theme. I've got waterfalls, trees, monkeys, vines, huts, and rivers all over the place. I love it. Today I am taking Renee up to see my work, and she is thrilled. I love sharing my art with my little girl. I love that she really wants to know more about it..and secretly, or not so secretly...I hope she takes a shine to art and really blooms into something awesome. (But I digress...)

Here are some process photos of my work. It is far from done, but it will give you an idea of what I have been doing.

(I just got a nice coat of primer on the walls.)



(The blue sky is up and running)

(The starts of the landscapes and trees.)

(Hey a RIVER!)

(The detail work is getting added in....)

Also, starting next week will be the "artist in residence" at Wesley Preschool. I will be creating over 200 snowflake projects with the kiddos, and I am really excited to do so. The director of the preschool has pulled me aside, and next year, if all goes well, I might be teaching art there on a part-time basis. WOO HOO! I also have plans for group lessons this summer at Wesley and I will be working with a local boy scout troop here in a few weeks as well. :) Life is good.

I am totally healed from my December medical issues (yea) and I am now on a tear to lose some weight. A bunch of folks in the neighborhood are doing a version of the biggest loser. I think 12 or so have signed up, and we are having a supportive and friendly competition to see who can lose the most weight by April. :) Mark and I are involved and pretty dedicated to getting some of these extra pounds off. YEA!

On another random note Mark and I are burning a week at Disney at the end of January. We have free hotel nights at Marriott, and we are cashing them in! WOOT! Renee is VERY excited and so are we! As always pictures will follow.

Cheers all. have a very Happy 2009!

Jenny

Furry Animals WATCH OUT!

Today was a blast. I had a nice shot back to my childhood, and it tickled me to no end.

On Friday my family packed up the car and went on an overnight trip to Athens, GA. Santa had given Mark some tickets for a MU vs UGA basketball game and we decided to take a small side trip and also enjoy the town that the University of Georgia is in. What a great trip it was. We got some great recommendations and ate at Copper Creek Brewery. MMM. The beer and the food rocked. :)



(Renee and Mark with one of the MANY bulldogs in Athens GA.)
Today before the game we toured campus. We saw the art buildings, the sporting complexes, and then headed over to North Campus. After we walked under the Archway on north campus and there Renee spotted billions of furry "friends" (aka freakishly LARGE and overly furry squirrels). For the next hour Mark and I chased Renee, while she, in turn, chased her buddies into all of the surrounding trees. I literally think my daughter terrorized up to 40 small woodland animals today. It was great. I started to remember back to my childhood...a vast majority of my energy as a kid was used to A) beat up my younger sister and to B) try to capture every small fuzzy creature that i came across (because I knew DEEP in my heart...all of these creates LONGED to be in my arms). he he he. I unfortunately never caught any of the said animals, but I knew it was just an oversight on their part. They didn't KNOW any better. he he he.


(The Arch at the University of Georgia.)

Today, Renee carried on my hysteria. After every thwarted attempt she would look back at Mark and myself and ask WHY mom? Why won't they let me catch them?!?!? Our logical answer of "Well honey, you scare the crap out of animals when you run after them screaming that they need to be tickled." didn't seem to float with her. OH well. I have a feeling for the next 8 years or so all of the fluffy animals that run across Renee will have the same experience that these poor overfed UGA squirrels had today.

(Renee "lovingly" hunting her prey.)

(I think this squirrel was thinking "OH S***!)

(Renee was in LOVE with Spike the Bulldog! Yet another "furry" cute animal...he he he)

Happy New Year all!

Jenny

Light Up Princess Dolls of JOY!

Once upon a time, not so long ago...

I too was plotting on how to get the jolly fat man to deliver the goods.

AHHHH Christmas.

Kids: bat your eyes, act sweet for the next two weeks, EVEN go to bed without a fight. It's crunch time...Santa is on his way!

AHHH the holidays...how I love them! (Not to mention the fist fights in the Target parking lots...and the mothers launching themselves onto the last light-up sparkle princess doll of the year and fighting the B***h that tries to take it from your hot little hands...but I digress...)

So Renee has been plotting. She's turned into a child. She no longer fears the man in the red suit; she now welcomes him with open arms (so she can receive more toys). I am amazed at how quickly a kid moves from the "sniveling toddler" phase of life to the truly “self-interested-gimmie-child-mode”. Renee is so there and I love it. This year she specifically has asked for a wooden train set, an oil tower for her trains and a car/train wash for her favorite "mode" of transportation. She also has been trolling the aisles at Wally World and has discovered the infamous "remote" (in marketing terms it is called a Leapfrog video game system), and light up princess dolls (God knows the world needs more of those). She is expecting to receive all of these gifts due to her generous contribution of not ONE cookie or TWO cookies for Santa...BUT TEN cookies for the jolly old elf. She reasoned the other day that 10 cookies would keep him in the house longer so he would have more time to give her more gifts (no joke, she is just that twisted). I didn't tell her that those cookies might send her mother and father into diabetic shock, but I assume that conversation can wait (at least for a few years).

I do have to say, on behalf of my readers (and for my own sake), that our whole Christmas has not been consumed by mass quantities of commercialism...just 95% of it. This year Renee played a large roll in helping adopt a family from church. She helped me pick out presents and learned about sharing our joy and happiness with others. She has also learned about the birth of Christ and why we celebrate Christmas. (To help butter up Santa she even drew him a cross today for Christ’s birthday.) She sings carols and dances for us to the constant lull of “leather face” Andy Williams and our good friend Bing Crosby. Tonight as we ran through the covered bridge at Woodbridge she giggled and laughed with glee...afterwards the two of us sat on the walkway and watched the lights dance on the water (insert ooo’s and ahhh’s here). It's one of those moments that you will never forget as a mother...and man it makes you want to have 20 carbon copies of your first model...but I digress. Under all of our greedy self interests I have enjoyed this year more than you can imagine (despite the gallbladder thing). The magic of Christmas does exist and I am THRILLED that Renee is sharing it with us so generously. I have truly never been happier in my life than I am right now...light up princess dolls and all.

(And let me tell you...I took that woman DOWN...it helps to have mass on your side. God I love physics.)

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Jenny

Blogs to Come

I am sorry that I have not written in a while...life has been pretty insane....

When I get some quite time I will fill y'all in on the last few weeks.

sheesh. (photos and all)
Jenny