Jen's Odds and Ends

Aren't the beginnings of new years great?  It is like restarting your computer or iPhone - all of the information is still there but refreshed, and we are full of hope as we begin working that things will run more smoothly. We make resolutions based on this notion. On January 1, we feel like we can conquer the world. We are full of hope. Somewhere around February or March, we lose our hope. We toast our New Year and celebrate it's arrival! This past year, 2016, was a terrible year for my family. Nothing particularly bad happened. It was just little things, but they were unrelenting. For the first time ever, I questioned my faith, questioned whether or not I was worthy of God's love. My husband was in the same boat. After months of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, we decided to change churches. It was amazing!  We have a pastor who preaches about no matter how broken we are or how much despair we are in, we are always worthy of God's love (he preaches...

First off, let me begin by saying that I know Christmas begins and ends with Jesus.  We are a good Lutheran family, so I get it.  The title of this post is meant in jest!  All right, now let's get to it! Our year without Christmas started on August 27, 2016 (yes, it is this year).  We went to the wedding of some good family friends an hour and a half from our home.  At the time, we had a one year and one day old Old English Sheepdog named Franklin Bigglesworth.  We knew we would be there most of the day.  Franklin was normally kenneled when we left but thought it would be nicer to leave him in the master bathroom so he could have a little more room.  Oh yes!  You can guess what happened next!  The puppy who had never jumped on the counters did just that, knocking the marble soap dispenser into the sink plugging the drain and turning on the faucet!  WE WERE GONE FOR 10 HOURS!!!   The damage: Bathroom floor = destr...

Life is a little bit...ok, a lot...crazy!  In this blog, you will find the odds and ends of our lives through my eyes. A little about us... My husband, Jared, is a senior account representative for a global company. He is basically a weekend visitor in our home. Jared is full of life and over the top in every way possible. Our home is much too quiet and a little boring when he is away!!!  I am a stay-at-home mom, a position that feels quite antiquated in today's society. I tend to volunteer way too much at the cost of my family. I am working on that!  This year is all about them!  I love good books, cooking, sewing, crafting, and photography! Jake, the awkward teenager, is a sophomore in high school. He is just a great kid, a little lazy, but a great kid nonetheless!  He is a Life Scout working toward his Eagle!   He loves cars. Jake knows everything about them. The rest of us can't keep up. He always has a joke and kind word for every...