The Jenkins

Book #1. Check.

2012-01-10T22:53:00.000-06:00

I finished READING my first book of the year today! yay! I read Debt Free U: How I Paid For An Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, Or Mooching Off My Parents. I gained alot of insight and although some topics would be more applicable if the boys were in high school, alot of topics made me think about how I teach them to get ready for college.
Here are a few of my nuggets I don't want to forget!
*Student loans are not an option
The statistics provided were right on with what Brooks and I are personally dealing with financially. It also talked about the substantial effects that loans have on a college graduate and with the trends of debt growing, I am strongly against my children ever having student loans. I don't think it is my responsibility to "take care" of college expenses, but teach my kids about how "real life" works so that they are prepared.
*Teach/Encourage
There were several topics that made me think, "I gotta teach them that!" First of all, I want to encourage the boys to earn and save their own money to buy things they'd like to have. I want them to understand that credit cards are not the answer.I want to teach them how to budget their money they do have and how to spend their money wisely (couponing, price comparing etc.) I want to provide opportunites for them to be responsible and show responsibility and learn that there are rewards and consequences for their actions. I want to teach them time management. (Oh to know how much TIME we had as college students!!) I want to teach them how to communicate effectively.
*Mommy-Match Account
I want to encourage savings through MMA. Basically, if they put $50 in a savings account, I'll match it with $50. One tip the book gave was to open a Roth IRA when the kids are Freshmen.Using the MMA system, you'd contribute throughout college. This can either serve to jump start their retirement fund, or if they wait 1 more year, it can be cashed out with no penalty after 5 years and would be a nice amount for a down-payment on a first home.I LOVE this idea!
I was kinda against my kids working during college (so they could focus on studies) but in reality a 10-15 hour a week job is manageable and would provide a couple hundred dollars to save and help with living expenses. Of course, I'll have to see what kind of "student" each child is when that time comes. (I'm banking on them all being brilliant :)
*College Real Estate
Brooks has always wanted to get a place in Starkville, but hey we aren't financially able at this point. BUT after reading about this, we decided it is a goal we will pursue once we are debt free. Having real estate in Starkville could provide A) a place for our kids to live while going to college and/or B) provide a nice source of cash flow when we retire.

There was alot more math and figures than I generally enjoy reading about, but the bottom line was that compounding interest either works against you or for you and we've already paid enough "stupid tax."

Cooking with Jake

2012-01-10T21:44:00.001-06:00

It's raining again today and Jake and I were at home all day (with the exception of taking/picking Carter up from school.) Jake NEEDS to be DOING something. Usually, it involves playing baseball, football, golf, or any other sport he deems necessary. He's not much on sitting still. He and Carter were beginning to argue over EVERYthing, so I decided to give him a lil one-on-one time and let him help me freezer cook. Today I made more spagetti bake, enchilladas, and chocolate cake. (We didn't freeze the cake though.)Here are some pics of jake "cookin"

His giggles and smiles were so worth THIS mess!

He really liked using the measuring cups to scoop the enchillada sauce!

Carter came in to see what we were doing and decided he was gonna "help"

After we finished enchilladas, we decided to bake a cake!

Jake loves mixing! Love him so!

I loved having this time today. Jake kept saying,"I'm cooking, Mommy!" He was so proud. My heart is full.

1st week of January is Over!

2012-01-07T16:38:00.000-06:00

Okay, I am gonna shoot to update weekly unless something blog worthy happens! I'm pretty excited to be sticking with the goals I have set for this year! I've worked towards all my goals except for exercise :( but I've got plans for this week!! Monday we hung around the house. The boys got haircuts! Here is a before picture. It's really difficult to cut their hair, but I really hate paying when I can kinda do a good enough job myself. Just don't wanna waste that money!

and after...

Tuesday morning the boys suggested we color. I got Carter a workbook that helps with handwriting. I'm nervous for Kindergarten in a few months because his letters are ummm....a work in progress. Plus, he's left handed so his skills look weird to me.All I can do is practice with him. Anyway, here is a pic of them coloring and handwriting. I wasn't surprised when after being out of the room to come back and find Jake on top of the table. That's just Jake.

Tuesday night I pulled Spaghetti bake out of the freezer and Carter was so upset (this is one of his favorites.) He said he was NOT eating those worms. Of course I made him sit there regardless with me and Jake (Brooks was working late) and he ended up having 3 servings.

Wednesday morning we went to Storytime at the library. Here is Carter dancing!

After we sang songs and danced, their craft activity was to build a snowman. We checked out some more books, but Jake ate his snowman before we got out of the library!

Carter has recently discovered his love of Turkey sandwiches. He likes to make them by himself and eats them often, sometimes 2 at a time. Lord, what am I gonna do when they are teens! We've gone through 2 1/2 loaves of bread since Sunday!!

Thursday Carter went back to school at Lakeside, so Jake and I had a lil time by ourselves. Jake LOVES dressing up. He'll disappear and then show up in a crazy outfit. See what I mean?

After Carter got out of school, we went to the park for a lil bit since it was nice outside.

Friday we stayed in our pajamas ALL DAY (well Jake and I did.) I was just so TIRED! I tried to get Carter and Jake to nap, but that didn't work. I forgot the last time Jake took a nap. I'm scared it is officially over. Carter stopped napping around this time too. Today (Saturday)Brooks is off! Yay! He only gets 2 a month and we like having him around on a Saturday! Brooks and I slept in til 9 or so. The boys were up super early, but played and didn't have any breakdowns, so we took advantage. There was a pudding cup and a bag of popcorn in the bed when I woke up! Ha! Brooks cooked us breakfast and we ate together which is rare!We get supper, but breakfast is a treat! Jake sang the blessing and it was really sweet. He seemed really proud of himself. We all got dressed and went to Chuck E.Cheese since Jake got tokens from Big Daddy and Dede for Christmas. Here are some pics of the boys playing.

Then we went to Firehouse subs for lunch with the giftcard Big Daddy & Dede gave us! (Sticking to our budget has been easier with giftcards!) Here are Carter and Jake looking at the fish outside.

We rode bikes for a minute beacuse it is suppossed to rain later today.

O yeah, I'm pregnant with #3! I am 16 weeks 2 days. Look at this BELLY! whoa, baby! I go to the doctor next Thursday and we will schedule the sonogram to find out the sex! I cannot wait to know what we are having!

2012

2012-01-01T12:45:00.007-06:00

I'm not sure how 2010 and 2011 passed without a blog update. oh wait. I have 2 active little boys and I'm still learning the art of time management as a stay at home mom! New year, fresh start, new challenges for us. I'm excited. I've been trying to decide what goals I want to accomplish this year over the past week or so and blogging is on the list. Just in looking over the very few posts from 2008 and 2009, there are so many things I had forgotten. Time just passes so quickly. I am attempting to post something every few days. Ha. We'll see.
Accountability when setting goals is a great motivator. So here's my public announcement for the handful of people that actually read this.

My top 10 goals for the year 2012
1. Blog about our family.
2. Read the Bible chronologically.
3. Learn how to sew.
4. Make a new friend. (a real live one)
5. Read 2 books a month.
6. Spend time each week with Carter and Jake individually.
7. Organize my junk room.
8. Create an office/sewing space.
9. Exercise 30 minutes a day.
10. FOLLOW the budget we have in place.

All are doable. Just gotta do them.

We spent the first day of this new year doing nothing really exciting. We went to church. I napped. Brooks napped. Boys played with the leap pad. We read some books. Brooks went to the grocery store. I planned on taking a pic of all of us. Maybe tomorrow.:)

Summer--3 weeks already??

2009-06-15T12:58:00.000-05:00

I can't believe how quickly summer has been going already. Okay so time really does fly when you are having fun! Cheesy but SO TRUE! I have had so much fun with my boys! Let's see. We started out the summer with a bang by heading to the beach. Actually just Mommy got to go to the beach, but the boys got to visit their Great-grands (Brooks' grandparents) on the coast and see my friends Stacy and Kristy and Stacy's little boys, Parker and Cooper. Stacy, Kristy, and Me. The standard squeeze in and hold the camera as far away as possible! Here is my Jake and my friend Kristy who is expecting her first baby in December! Cooper pulling Carter in the wagon and Parker Here is Cooper and Carterman playing After we left Hattiesburg, we headed to Mam Maw and Papa's house in Gulfport. The boys stayed there while I went to Gulf Shores with a group of girls for the weekend. Mam Maw and Papa had so much fun watching Carter entertain them and rocking Jake. Mam Maw always takes such good care of them and cries every time we leave. She told me that she cherishes every moment she gets with them. We love Mam Maw and Papa so much! Papa and Carter after rolling a car.

Carter waiting to catch the car from Papa.

Carter getting much attention from Mam Maw and Papa!

Leaving the beach, I got the news that Mr. Jimmie, my aunt Laurie's father, had passed. We celebrated his life that following Tuesday in McComb. I have to say it was a wonderful funeral. The preacher asked us to look at the program. On the front it had Mr. Jimmie's picture and birth and death dates. He told us that the most important thing was the dash between the dates. It is what you DO in your life that matters. I decided I better get busy working on my dash. I want to glorify God as much as possible and make Him proud just like Mr. Jimmie did. We took the opportunity of being in McComb to visit Paw Paw (my grandfather.) He took us to Wendy's for lunch and of course we all got a Frosty! Here is Paw Paw and Jake!

That weekend Brooks pulled out Carter's pool and we let him swim in the front yard. He LOVED it! He learned how to do butt busters. Guess it made a good splash...
Carter splashin'

Jake and Daddy sittin on the front porch

We decided to mosey on down to the Flowood Family Festival that night. So glad we went!! They had a petting zoo and jumpers and balloons Oh my!! Carter petting a goat

Carter and the chickens

Jake cruisin in our huge stroller

Loving his balloon!

The next day my friend Morgan from school called and asked if I wanted her old 2 seater wagon. With tailgating just a few months away, I said, "SURE!" We went over to get it in Madison and Carter and Jake got to play with her 4 year old twins. They are talkative! Carter playing chase with Olivia and Sydney

Hugging Ms. Morgan

Later that week Brooks and I heard a weird noise coming from Jake's room. Brooks went to his room and yelled for me to get the camera and come quick. Jake had finally found his rattle! It has been in his bed forever and he finally decided to pick it up and shake it!
Jake and his Rattle!

Video of Jake shaking his Rattle! LOVE it!!

We spent the week at VBS. It was incredible. I am so blessed to have been able to be a part of it! Here is a link of a video the church made. I am on here at different points dancing. I am in a pink shirt, good luck on finding me! :) I taught 2nd grade with my friend Amie. We had so much fun! One day while telling the class about Matthew and explaining that we were all sinners, a little girl questioned me and said, "Everybody?" I said, "Well, yes." She replied, "Even Abraham Lincoln? History says he was ALWAYS truthful." I told her even Honest Abe sinned. So cute! At snack one day a little boy named Tyson came up smiling with a Kool-aid stained face and said, "Ms. Emily, this is my 7th cup of juice." He smiled so big, but spent the rest of the day in the bathroom....We had an average attendance of 1500 kids and 399 volunteers. Man, God is Good!

Reservoir VBS 2009 Highlights from Pinelake Church on Vimeo.

Carter came home with some cute crafts and Jake made a picture frame with his footprint on it and the cutest picture of him inside. Carter's teacher said he loved to dance each day and Jake's teacher said he was the sweetest baby she has ever kept. I know I have been blessed with sweet babies and Thank You God for knowing what I could handle!!

The local library has story-time 2 times a week. We try to make it at least once a week. We have been twice so far. The librarian reads a story, then the kids get to play.
Here is the librarian passing out dinosaurs to put on the board.

Carter started jumping off the little step over and over and over. Here he is jumping again!

We went to Chik-fil-a with my friend Rebecca and her little girls Sarah Kate and Apple. We had dinner and played on the playground. We always have a good time with them! Carter and the girls eating.

The gang again.

Playing on the slide

Getting ready to go

Apple giving Carter a hug goodbye

We decided to go swimming yesterday (June 14) with my friend Aricia and her little girl. I am not sure if Jake has been swimming yet, but he hasn't been with me so I am calling this his first swim. He was automatic! He started kicking his legs as soon as I put him in! Carter quickly realized that he was too big for his floatie and resorted to jumping in on the side (with mommy waiting and holding her hands!)

My cool Jake

My sweet boys!

Mommy and her boys!

carter entertaining as usual!

When we got home the boys were worn out. Carter ate supper and said, "Nite-nite" as soon as he finished eating. He is learning so much. I out him in his bed but we couldn't find his baby. I pretended that Baby was hiding from us and began looking in the toybox, under the crib, in the closet, etc. He just laughed at me. When I "found" Baby I gave it to him and he gave it a big hug, said nite-nite and layed his little head down. I am so thankful for those moments. It amazes me how much he fills my heart every single day.

and Today... we went to the doctor. Jake has a little cold. We got some meds and headed home. Jake was hungry. He is 6 1/2 months now and loving to eat baby food! Here he is after Sweet Potatoes and Prunes. Once his hands get food on them it is all over. Food ends up everywhere! Love him!

Reflections from Dinner

2009-05-07T20:11:00.000-05:00

I went to dinner with my cousin Anna tonight who is in town for a work training thing. We caught up in between Carter entertaining the booth next to us. I crave good conversation of true value. Thanks cuz! i love you!

Blogging Again

2009-05-03T20:14:00.000-05:00

So, I looked at my blog and I haven't written anything since January. I was doing the whole detox thing. That lasted 5 days...Anyway, life seems to be moving too incredibly fast these days. I have realized that I need to start using this short time we have on Earth in the best way that I can. I have recently reconnected with my niece Jessi, Todd's daughter. She is incredibly sweet and I pray that one day she will understand how much I love her, even though circumstances make it hard to be normal. Yesterday, Rachel graduated from State. I am so proud of her. She really had to fight to accomplish this goal. So many times she needed encouragement, but she did it! It is in these moments that we all miss our Mimi. She would've been so happy to see her graduate. It seems like every experience I have I think about her. I still can't get through church without crying. Mimi was Christ-like in every way and it is funny that I can just now see how much she taught me...that she is still teaching me. I pray that I can be the example she was to my boys and all the people I meet. That is a struggle, but I try and I think I am getting better at it.

Detox Day 4

2009-01-22T19:41:00.001-06:00

Okay so those 3 pounds from yesterday are gone. So technically I have lost 2.2 pounds as of this morning. The salt water flush tasted great this morning. Is that weird? Today was good. I went back to adding the cayenne pepper in the drink and it was drinkable. I read last night about people having these terrible headaches and I was thinking that's weird because my head hasn't hurt at all. Big Mistake! The mother headache has been hangin around all afternoon. I want to take something or drink a coke but I can't. I didn't get much sleep last night so I guess that is a factor. I am honestly not hungry, but if I smell food then this ravenous sensation takes over. We still have leftover chilli and Brooks finished it off tonight. It looked awesome and I almost cried a little because I wanted a big bite of it...I am about to go drink my last lemonade stuff and have some tea. then it is bed for me!! At midnight, I will have gone 100 hours without eating!!

Detox Day 3

2009-01-21T20:01:00.000-06:00

I'm hungry.Really hungry. I've almost quit like 5 times today. I keep reading sites and am getting conflicting information. I was doing the capsules, but then I read don't because your body has to work to digest the capsule. I also saw that I should be drinking ALOT more water and I haven't done that either. Crap!! I feel like I have been wasting time!! No point in doing it if I am doping it wrong.I weighed a minute ago and have gained 3 pounds. What the crap? I haven't eaten in 3 days...
I do "feel" good though--when the cayenne isn't burning...
I was headed to the fridge and Brooks said my stomach looked smaller. I questioned his honesty and he promised he wasn't lying. That was enough motivation to get me through the night. I'm going to bed.

Detox Day 2

2009-01-20T19:22:00.001-06:00

Last night I didn't sleep well because Jake woke up around 2:30, 3, 3:30--I finally gave in and put him in our room because running back and forth sped up the laxative tea and put me in the bathroom when I needed to sleep. I got up a little after 5. I weighed and had lost 1.5 pounds. Yay.I was able to get down all 32 oz. of the salt water flush this morning. I downed it in like 3 minutes and it almost tasted good. It almost reminded me of chicken broth or maybe I was pretending. Around 6:30 I took a cayenne pepper capsule and drank some lemonade. About 5 minutes after taking the capsule my nose literally opened and I felt like I could smell and breathe in better. Then my ears felt like steam was coming out and my stomach started burning. I drank some cool water to put out the fire and that seemed to work. I went on to school and took another capsule about 7:30.Bad idea. By 8:30, my stomach was on fire and upset. I walked out of class to the bathroom and actually threw up a little bit. I felt like I was going to die for just a minute and was considering going home, but then--as quickly as it came on, it went away. Weird.
School was easy and even lunch was manageable despite everyone eating around me. I drank a cup of peppermint tea while everyone ate. I took another capsule and drank lemonade during 6th period. Stomach felt hot again but didn't "hurt" like this morning. I went on to take Jake to the Dr. and was fine. I drank the rest of the lemonade and had my 4th capsule. I can feel the heat from my throat to my stomach, but it isn't uncomfortable.I am about to have some tea before my laxative tea. I really haven't been hungry today like I thought I would be and I am quite amazed that "stuff" is still coming out even though I haven't eaten in almost 48 hours.

Detox Day 1

2009-01-19T09:47:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I was googling diets. I found this Lemonade Detox Diet. Beyonce recently used it to shed pounds quickly for a movie. Anyway...yes I do know that to lose weight "the right way" you just have to eat less and exercise more. However, I want a bit of a jump start. I decided that this detox really starts when you have to go all over the place looking for ingredients. I went to Kroger and got lemons, cayenne pepper, and uniodized sea salt ($18). Then I went to wal-mart looking for the laxative herbal tea and grade B organic maple syrup. I spent $12 there but stopped at Brookshires since technically I didn't get the right syrup. They had nothing. When I got home I researched the tea again because I wasn't confident in my choice. I saw that I had chosen the wrong one, so I got back in the car to Wal-mart and bought "Get Regular" Yoga Tea. It is in a really pretty box--so I spent another $4---we are up to $34 and I haven't even got started.
I drank my tea last night around 10 and it was really good. I enjoyed it thoroughly. I went to bed shortly after. I slept fine until 4 am when Jake woke up. I noticed my stomach cramping a little when I got up, but it wasn't enough that I couldn't go back to sleep.
I woke up around 8 and went straight to make my salt water flush. This is 1 qt. water and 2 teaspoons of sea salt. I had to google to see how many oz is in a quart--it is 32--so I made my concoction and begin to drink it. If you've ever gone to the beach and accidentally swallowed some water--that is what it tastes like--but not as strong I guess.It is not good. The first cup went pretty fast, the 2nd took a bit longer, the third even longer and here it is 10 am and the 4th cup is still looking at me. I drank 20 oz of regular bottled water and it seemed to give the same effect. I have been to the bathroom 3 times so far. I weighed, but I am not brave enough to reveal that. Will keep you posted on day to day weight loss.
I realized that I bought the wrong syrup so I called an organic food store this morning and they have it so Brooks is on his way to get it now. I will go ahead and start making the lemonade. You have to use real lemon juice so I am going to use my juicer to get as much juice as possible out of the lemons because they are pretty expensive.
It is 10:15 and I am not hungry, emotionally I am okay, and physically I am good too!
later that day....
Okay so I volunteered to cook chilli for a girl that lives in our neighborhood that had a baby Friday. I had to smell this amazing chilli and spoon her a family sized bowl of it. It smelled so good and I wanted to stick my face in the pot, but I didn't. It was really hard. I cleaned the kitchen to get rid of the smell. I seemed to notice everything Brooks ate. I feel fine, but am realizing this is going to be hard. I was reading more on this diet and read that you can take cayenne capsules so I went to GNC and got a bottle (another $9) but I think this whole thing will be more doable if I actually can stomach the lemonade. I drank some peppermint tea, then had my laxative tea. Both were very good and almost comforting on this chilly night!

Tubes

2008-12-11T14:30:00.000-06:00

Carter got tubes in his ears this morning. Yucky day to get out let me tell you!! I arrived at the wrong place at 6:30 this morning. Played phone tag with Brooks til almost 7:00 to figure out where I was suppossed to be...you can imagine my frustration level at this point---there is a reason I handle all appointment making--but he did it this time to "help out" ---never again!!! Anyway--Carter put a cute little gown on and the actual putting in of tubes only took about 15 minutes. Then I was introduced to my child who was possessed. He was all over the place, grabbing his ears, screaming, throwing his head back with huge arches. It was unlike anything I've ever seen. They put us in this little sound proof cubicle to "recover" from the meds. At one point we were both crying. I was so tired and this was the longest Carter has cried in his whole life. Ugh...but he finally came around after 30 LONG minutes and we were back in the car, in the snow, headed home. He took a nap and is now up playing.

Jake's 2 week appointment

2008-12-11T14:20:00.000-06:00

We went to see Dr. Flowers for Jake's 2 week appointment yesterday. He is doing fabulous. He weighed 7 lbs. and 14 oz. He is still sleeping pretty well and his cord and circumcisin ring fell off so I have 2 less steps every diaper change. Carter is learning how to be "easy" with his brother.

Jacob Thomas Jenkins

2008-12-11T14:16:00.000-06:00

Jake arrived on November 25th. I am really going to try to update more often!!! Here is his announcement video!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Family Pics

2008-10-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

Aren't we cute?

couldn't wait...

2008-10-05T20:52:00.000-05:00

After Rachel and Paul left we decided to go ahead and put together the crib. I am so relieved to have that checked off my list!!

Serve Jackson Day

2008-10-05T18:25:00.000-05:00

Forgot to mention the most important thing I did all weekend. I did a mission trip with Pinelake at Mission First in downtown Jackson. Often at church they tell us we don't have to go to Africa to make a difference in the world, that we can simply head into downtown Jackson. So I finally did. I boarded a school bus on Saturday morning at 8:00 and rode downtown to a little neighborhood undergoing massive renovation. We arrived at Mission First and they gave us an overview of where they were 10 years ago and what life is like today. I must tell you--change is good--thanks be to God! We then split up into groups to work on different projects for the day. I underestimated my ability to work. Being 7 weeks away from delivery--I couldn't move furniture, mow grass, work with the demo crew etc. I was initially pretty upset and felt useless. They sent me and another pregnant lady (our new Clinton campus pastor's wife) to help with the community garage sale. we spent the day organizing items, pricing, selling, and bagging, and talking.

Here is am bagging up items.
It felt good to hear the stories of what it "used" to be like in the neighborhood and what a change it was now. I still probably wouldn't go by myself at night to this neighborhood but it was progress for the community anyway. They appreciated the volunteers incredibly and weren't shy to say thank you. It doesn't take much to make a difference in someone's life. You just have to make the decision to do it.

http://transformationinmotion.blogspot.com/a> (mission first blog)

http://www.missionfirst.org/templates/System/default.asp?id=1366 (website)

More Progress

2008-10-05T17:59:00.000-05:00

Jake's room is close to being finished painting! Thanks Rachel and Paul! They painted Saturday and today.

I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. We put the bassinet back together last night. We had to get it out of the attic. We had no idea we'd need it so soon!! We picked up the crib yesterday afternoon and as soon as the room is dry we can put that together!! YEAH!!

We had "helping hands" at church today. It never fails that either Brooks or Carter is sick every time it is our turn!! Carter wouldn't eat last night (we went to Cock of the Walk with Rachel and Paul.) Then this morning he threw all his food on the floor (not that unusual) but then he started throwing up. Fever came on a little after that, but he seems to be feeling better. I decided to clean since he was napping alot today and realized that my house was disgusting. I seriously might need a maid. I just can't keep it clean. After cleaning literally for like 6 hours, I decided to shower and finish reading New Moon (2nd book in Twilight series)Carter woke up and Brooks brought him to me (since he was actually letting us hold him and cuddle--I took advantage!)Twenty minutes later I finished my book and was ready to get up. But I couldn't. I felt like I had worked out really hard and it was the next morning. All that from cleaning...told you my house was dirty...

Weekly Dr. Appointment

2008-09-30T19:39:00.000-05:00

I love/dread going to the Dr. every week. I love it because I have a sonogram every week and I get to see Jake. Knowing he is doing great eases my mind. I dread it because it takes so darn long. Today I arrived at 3:00 and finally got to leave around 4:45. During my appointment, I took the opportunity to read New Moon, the second book in the Twilight series. It is such a great book/series--I am encouraging everyone to read it/them!! The Dr. was happy to report that Jake already weighs 3 lb. and 10-12 oz. Jake is almost 4 lbs!!! That is such good news since we are at risk to "not" grow! Go figure! At this rate he'll be bigger than Carter (carter was 6 lbs. 1 oz.)I have a little less than 8 weeks left and believe me it can't come soon enough!! Still tired...can't wait to not be tired...on that note..I'm going to bed!

Weekend in BR

2008-09-30T19:08:00.000-05:00

We left for BR right after work Friday. Rachel and Paul rode with us. We had fun talking on the way down. We had mediterranean food for Rachel's b-day. Carter loved eating hummus! Our friends Chris and Cynthia got in from Little Rock around 10 with baby Alex.

Alex McCarty

Alex and Carter had fun playing.

My Dad, Carter, and Brooks before the game.
We had alot of family come and tailgate at mom and dad's house. We went shopping once the guys left for the game.

"Great" Aunt Laurie and Carter

We headed home Sunday morning. We stopped in McComb to visit Mimi and Paw Paw.

They took us to lunch. Carter enjoyed nuggets with sweet and sour sauce. AND of course he had a frosty!
We continued our journey home but not before stopping at Sarah Kate's 1st birthday party. Carter had ice cream and cake and played a little while.

As soon as we got home, I crawled into bed completely exhausted! I wanted to get a head start on some sleep for another busy week!

Busy doesn't even begin to cover it...

2008-09-22T14:55:00.000-05:00

I can't believe almost a month has past since I last updated. Yes, life is that busy! I had today off (Yeah right) I was at Doctor almost all day and have been running errands ever since. I made myself sit down and do this. So a quick summation of the past few weeks. Right after the baptism Carter got a horrible ear infection. He was up all night crying for a week and Dawn finally had to come stay so we could sleep..a little..We skipped the first MSU home game because we were exhausted. Another busy week at school flies by for me, then we head to Starkville to tailgate despite Brooks' constant throwing up. (he was sick, but determined to make it to the game) Carter got a tattoo to show his bulldog pride...

and he also got to see his cousin (the other Emily Jenkins)

Carter didn't make it to the game. He went to stay with his Aunt Rachel and I wish we would've left too considering the game's outcome. We drove back to Brandon way too late. We didn't get home til around 2 am and that is way past my usual 9:00. Sunday Brooks went to a wrestling match at the coliseum with friends so I took the opportunity to clean house. this is when I discovered Carter's fear of the vacuum cleaner. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. When I came through the den headed to his room, he took off and hid behind the recliner. He crawled so quickly,then a tiny head pokes out to make sure the coast was clear. I doubled over laughing. I live for those moments! Carter is busy learning how to walk. He pushes his walker all over the house and I know it's just a matter of days before he will have the confidence to take off on his own.

Another week flies by at school. This weekend I decided to get moving on Jake's room. MamMaw and Papa Brooks bought Jake's furniture (Thank you so much!), so I know I needed to get busy finishing the paint. I have been perusing "rate my space" that my pal Lynsey suggested. I put 3 rooms I liked together and Rachel and Paul offered to come paint. Yeah! This is what it looks like so far. It's a work in progress...

(Aunt Rachel)

(Uncle Paul)

(Carter helping his uncle Paul)
Carter couldn't stand to not be in the room with them. They finished all they could do about the same time we had dinner plans with our small group from church. Everybody has kids and they had a good time playing. The little redhead is Avery and the other little boy is Ray. He and Carter are just a few weeks apart.

I passed my diabetes test at the Dr. today and Jake is growing just fine. I will be having weekly visits (ugh) for the next 8 weeks until he gets here. Can you believe Thanksgiving will be here that fast?? I wish life would just slow down...just a little...I enjoy it so much!

HE Is Our Risen Lord and Savior!

2008-08-31T18:07:00.000-05:00

Brooks and I got baptized today. We did it "Jesus-style" in the Reservoir. Over 100 people were baptized and we were in the last group to go today. It was a fun experience and this is just another way for us to be obedient to God. We are so Blessed!

Brooks waiting in line!

I was worried I might slip!

Wading to my pastor. The mud was gushy!

Brooks going in.

Me and our pastor, Chip Henderson

Okay, so my feet came out from under me and I can't pull my abs because of baby Jake, so it was a little humorous trying to get my feet on the ground!

Wading back in...

This is my old Pinelake small group. We meet to study the Bible and fellowship.

Thanks goodness Brock and Christie's family were there to watch Carter. They said he had fun clapping.

Dr & Smiles & Paint

2008-08-24T14:00:00.000-05:00

I took Carter to the Dr. Friday afternoon after feeling guilty for taking him to daycare. It turned out his ears were pink and throat irritated from drainage. He is on another antibiotic and we will start giving him Claritin for allergies. Aside from that, Carter continues to be such a happy baby. I kept the nursery this morning at church and I am still convinced that no baby is as awesome as mine. Other babies cry and I just don't know how to operate like that.

We've really been pushing Carter to eat and were happy to know he has gained 8 oz. since last week! I gave Carter some chicken and peaches yesterday after our morning trip to Wal-Mart. I could tell he was starting to get tired since it was close to nap time. I guess he wanted to eat but couldn't fight the sleepiness. I saw him begin to drift away and I said "Carter!" He didn't even bother to open his eyes. He just smiled really big. I almost cried. Okay I did cry. He is just too cute. I love him so incredibly much and those small moments are so very big in my heart.

As for the other one...
Jake has really been kicking. He kicks all the time (day and night) which worries me! God, please let him sleep!! We painted kilz in Jake's room to get ready for the blue and brown.(his room was green) I like to get things done, but painting is not my favorite and technically Brooks has to do it and he thinks we have plenty of time. I reminded him that football starts in 2 weeks and we would be gone alot so that seemed to make more sense for him! Go figure!I can't believe tomorrow is Monday!

Mrs. Jenkins' water broke!

2008-08-21T20:26:00.001-05:00

What a busy week we've had. That seems to be the norm these days. Sunday Brett (Brooks' bro) came by to visit. That night Carter fussed and cried for hours. It was a combo of 1 year vaccinations and teething. He never cries, so it was unbearable for Brooks and me. Monday I was pooped by the time I got home and I crashed as soon as Brooks got home. Tuesday night I went to a Kelly's Kids party and bought Carter some stuff. Wednesday night we were recognized at Pinelake for joining the church and of course by the time we got home and got Carter ready for bed it was almost 9! Another busy day. I've almost been a walking zombie. It rained pretty hard yesterday and a puddle was waiting on me in my classroom this morning. Between classes I ran to the bathroom and on my way back my neighbor teacher was outside my class laughing. I questioned her and she says that one of my students sees the puddle and says, "Oh no! Mrs. Jenkins' water broke!" A little comic relief always feels good when you don't.

Carter Man & Jake

2008-08-16T17:11:00.000-05:00

We took Carter to his 1 yr. appointment on Monday (8/11) and he is super except that he is too skinny. I think he's perfect, but according to "norms" he is too little. We've really been pushing him to eat as much as possible. Maybe, too much. We out him in his seat and the next thing we know he is sound asleep!! Too cute!

I went to the Dr. Tuesday (8/12) and we confirmed that Jake only has one artery leading to the umbilical cord. Normally you have 2. That means that he is considered high-risk and I will have to do growth scans at every visit and non-stress tests as well. I will also not pass 39 weeks, which means I will be induced sometime during Thanksgiving week. That is neat because we have several bdays in our family that week (paw paw, aa, & Drew.) To be positive---the good thing is that I will get to see him at every visit. He was sucking his thumb Tuesday! He weighed 1 lb. 6 oz. which is right on schedule. I am not really worried about the future. I've got God on my side!

Lunch with Heather & Dan

2008-08-16T17:03:00.000-05:00

We got to have a 3 hour lunch with Heather and Dan last Sunday thanks to Logan's being super busy! We didn't mind though--it was fun to catch up. They were on their way back to Columbus from Natchez. Reed has gotten so big! He just started Kindergarten! Carter liked him and enjoyed seeing his new turtles!

Carter's 1st Birthday

2008-08-16T16:32:00.000-05:00

We had a blast!

Cake was YUMMY!

We all had Pooh hats!

Where did the summer go?

2008-08-16T14:23:00.000-05:00

I decided to create a blog in June and now 2 months later I just thought about actually doing this to keep everyone updated! School started August 4th (yeah, I know...) and life has been super busy! I am doing National Boards this year, new baby Jake will be here Thanksgiving, and my house never seems clean. Carter just celebrated his 1st birthday on the 9th and I just can't believe it. This has been an amazing year with him in my life. I thank God everyday for blessing me with him! So since i skipped over this summer I will do a quick recap. I posted pictures of a few things. Okay so summer...Belly grows with Jacob "Jake" Thomas Jenkins, I did music with VBS at Pinelake, nephew Drew stayed a week here visiting, we went to the beach 4th of July week, we visited grandparents, and got to see Carter's friends (Jack, Apple, Sarah Kate, Parker, Cooper, and Reed), Rachel got married (I was matron-of-honor, Carter was ring bearer or rider - he rode in a wagon while Paul's, nephew Jonah, pulled him) I did a fit-pregnancy class at the YMCA and Carter started daycare---real daycare with big, tough looking kids. The kids at daycare looked scary to me so I can't imagine how Carter felt. I finally stopped crying after a week...Carter loves daycare. I know we did way more than that, but I guess that's why you are supposed to blog more frequently. I'll try weekly. We got a new computer last week after the Dell crashed for the 3rd time. The new computer has a picture program that allows me to directly post to this site. That is what got me here in the first place. I'll be back soon!

2008-08-16T14:20:00.000-05:00

Carter and Jack playing at our house!

2008-08-16T14:19:00.000-05:00

Carter and Lyla at the Beach this summer

2008-08-16T14:17:00.000-05:00

Carter chasing Parker around at Stacy's house in Hattiesburg this summer!

2008-08-16T14:16:00.000-05:00

Carter and Carey Beth at Aunt Rachel's wedding.

2008-08-16T14:14:00.000-05:00

Carter and Sarah Kate swimming this summer. You can see Apple in the background.

Time to start blogging

2008-06-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe 3 of my 8 weeks vacation from school are already over. I pondered on what I had accomplished and was saddened when I realized I was guilty of doing nothing. Well, almost nothing. My nephew, Drew, came and stayed last week with us. We went to VBS at Pinelake all week (I did 1st and 2nd grade music) and had activities/appointments in the afternoon. We learned what a dietician does, what a sonogram is, and what an obstetrician does. We also went swimming, watched a MS Braves game, and played numerous board games. Brooks has been busy at work and was a little surprised to find out that Verizon is buying Alltel in December. We hope he will keep his job, but you never know what will happen with these deals. This will all go down soon after we welcome our second child! Baby #2, which appears to be a little boy (we'll know for sure on July 8th) is due December 6th. I am convinced I will have this baby Thanksgiving week. We'll see. As for Carterman, he is on the move. He is still not crawling, but his latest accomplishment is to roll from his back to his stomach, and wiggle back to a sitting position. We still haven't seen him crawl, but he manages to scoot all over the place. He is still the sweetest child ever and continues to remind me daily that he is a blessing from God. Isn't God good?!