Have to send a Happy Birthday shout out to my Aunt Donna! Today she turns the big 30!!! It's hard to believe isn't it. I know she is very excited about it. Instead of having a huge birthday celebration she is spending the evening at baseball games for her grandsons. Maybe they will give her the game ball! Happy Day Donna!!!
I love you!
Jessie
Becki and Katie that I work with just got back from a wonderful trip to Las Vegas. Hearing them talk about it is making me want to go back to visit really bad! Vegas has to be my favorite travel destination. I always have a blast there. I would love to go back and see the Blue Man Group or another Cirque De Soliel show! Someday when I'm rich I'm going to visit Vegas at least twice a year. What I'd really love is to have enough money to have a vacation house there. I checked out the MLS listings for homes around Las Vegas. For sure out of my price range now but maybe if I hit it big on my next visit I could afford to buy one. Wishful thinking!
Jessie
This post is sponsored by www.millionsaver.com
Well this week on American Idol it was country week. Martina McBride was the guest helper person and that was cool. She is a good old Kansas gal so ya gotta love that. I had high hopes this week. Country week is usually one of my favorites. In some ways I was disappointed but in other ways I was pleased...
The Country Cutie
Miss Jordin Sparks looked and sounded like a million bucks tonight! I was so pleased with her performance. I have said before that she has "it". Tonight she really was at the top of her game and really showed her talent. I feel like I'm watching her become something as she sings. I love that about her! I'm predicting now that she will be in the top three and possibly the top two. I'd love to see her win this season!
No Neck No Problem
No Neck Melinda Doolittle had no problem this week! This is the first time I've liked her. She did a great job and had some zest this week. A little spunk, a little personality. She should have tried that weeks ago. When she shows her personality it is harder to focus on her missing neck. She will be safe this week.
Sanjaya Shouldn't Have
Sanjaya shouldn't have... And I mean he really shouldn't have. He shouldn't have sang that song, he shouldn't have worn his hair like that, he shouldn't have showed up! Just go home buddy, PLEASE!!!
A Beatbox Cowboy?
Mr. Blake shocked me with his performance tonight. I was a little worried about how he would do on country night. He didn't better than I expected. He looked a bit uncomfortable but he sang well and picked a good song. I really like him!
I tried to vote for Jordin about 20 times and got a busy single ever time. So tons of people must be calling in. Maybe that is a sign that Sanjaya might go this week. Could we be so lucky????
Jessie
Well I'm feeling quite a bit better! Still having some allergy stuff which is no big deal. My cough is gone and I'm feeling human again. Exciting stuff! I love being able to breathe without pain. Funny how that seems like a luxury sometimes.
Since I was sick I forgot to tell you all some important things... Heather found an awesome little car. She got a 2006 Pontiac G6 and it's a rocking car. It's very similar to my Grand Am but involves more chrome and a fresh car scent. She loves it and I'm happy that she has it. Now she won't be borrowing my car for long road trips!!!
Cricket took Heather and I shopping on Saturday. She wanted to get Heather some new clothes for Greece. Heather got some really cute stuff. And Cricket made that deal with me that for every pound I lost she would buy me one piece of clothing. So fourteen pounds later I came home with fourteen very cute items. I'm pleased! As we were checking out Cricket said she was really glad I didn't starve myself. So I guess it's a good thing I didn't hit the 20 pound mark like I was hoping for.
I now have only 2 weeks of classes left!
Jessie
Well the allergy bug I've been fighting has called it's friends and they have taken over my body. I officially name the germs the winners! I surrender to their sickness and I'm praying it will pass soon. Not only did they come in force they brought a very large elephant that I believe is now sitting on my chest and making it very painful for me to cough or breath.
So I'm spending the day sleeping and doing homework between naps. It's good times around here. The healthy people went to church and out to lunch with my grandma and grandpa. They should be home later. Maybe I will wake up and talk to them. That would be nice of me. Heather has to go back to school this evening and Dad and Cricket are leaving early in the morning when I leave to go to class.
I'm going back to nap.
Jessie
Well since my Dad is here to visit it means that home improvements are occurring. He can't sit still for a minute so he is always working on something. Today he installed cabinets in my garage! They are wonderful. I have so much more storage now. What a blessing! He is one crafty guy. Tomorrow I think he is going to help me do some landscaping in my newly fenced backyard.
Heather is coming home tomorrow so that will be great. She and Dad are going car shopping for her. She drives a big truck now that costs her a fortune in gas. She is really wanting something more reasonable. Hopefully they will find her a great little program car. She should have fun looking anyways and at least it will give her a better idea of what she wants.
I'm taking tomorrow off work to just hang out and do what I want. I will have to do some homework but I'm hoping to be able to work in the yard some and relax some. That would be nice.
Jessie
Okay the fence is done and I LOVE IT! Lena has been running around like a crazy woman and has worn herself out. It looks beautiful and it is so nice to feel like I have a little privacy. It's like my own private paradise back there. I can't even imagine how wonderful it will be once I get all the landscaping done. It's going to be a FANTASTIC summer! I can feel it now!!!
Oh Happy Day!
Jessie
Something must be blooming because my allergies are going crazy. My head is throbbing, my eyes are watering and my throat hurts. No fun! I love spring but hate allergies. The nice part is that it usually only lasts a few days and then my symptoms subside. I'm crossing my fingers that is the case again this year.
The guy that is doing my fence is almost done! He is working away out there right now. It will be done tonight!!! I'm so excited! Lena Lou is gonna have a heck of a time running and playing back there. I'm so happy that it will be done and we can say good bye to her leash. She can just run like a crazy woman and burn some of that energy up! It will be nice.
My Dad and Cricket will be here later tonight. They are having dinner with Heather now and then are heading this way. So I better finish up some homework before they get in and I get distracted.
Jessie
Well I guess that today they are supposed to reveal who the father is of Anna Nicole's baby. I have a strange feeling though that something will happen and the results will get delayed. Like everything in this case time seems to stand still. It's really ridiculous.
Who do you think the daddy is?
After my post about the adoption process I was going through I received many emails. Some of the emails had some valid questions that I will address. Some of the emails were rather negative and honestly completely ridiculous and I will not be addressing those. I have emailed back privately to everyone that emailed me. But I'm a firm believer that if one person has a question so do many others so I'm choosing to address the questions here also... Here we go!
Why Ethiopia?
I made the choice to adopt from Ethiopia many years ago. I've always wanted to adopt and Ethiopia was the country that fit best for me. It is important to me to include my child's native culture in their daily life in my home. I felt like I could include the Ethiopian culture in a meaningful way into our lives. I feel a connection to the country, the history, the people. So the question for me was "Why Not Ethiopia"?
Why Don't You Adopt A Kid From Foster Care in The US?
This is a wonderful question and a topic I am passionate about! I work in the child welfare arena. In fact my job involves matching children in foster care with adoptive families and finalizing those adoptions. I am a firm believer that every child deserves a forever family. I encourage people often to adopt from foster care. With that said it is important to me to keep my personal life and my professional life as separate as possible. At this point in my life adopting a child from foster care doesn't fit for me. I would like to adopt an infant and that isn't very likely in foster care. I also know that I could not handle having a child placed with me, bonding with that child, and then having that child returned to a biological parent. I want to parent a child full-time.
Why Don't You Pursue A Domestic Private Adoption?
Again another great question! This is an option that I considered and researched in depth. There are many barriers for me to adopt as a single woman in the US. One barrier is that most children placed for adoption are placed by young single mothers. Those mothers have the right to pick the family their child goes to. When that young mother looks at profiles of a bunch of happily married couples and a profile of me an accomplished, dedicated, stable single woman the couples are gonna win out the majority of the time. I talked with four agencies about this and 3 of the agencies allowed single woman to adopt but had never had a single woman picked by a bio family. The other agency didn't even allow singles to be considered. So no luck there.
How Much Are You Spending To Buy A Baby?
I personally don't like this question. First I'm not buying a baby I'm financing an adoption. Second, children are priceless! And finally if you are that interested in the cost of international adoption I urge you to Google it and low and behold you will find a wealth of information to answer this question. As a side note adopting from Ethiopia is cheaper than adopting domestically.
Don't kids need a dad?
I think fathers are amazing! I'm a big fan of mine. I think that a father is an important part of every child's life and this is an issue I've put much thought and prayer into. As much as a child needs a father they also need love. When I'm prepared to offer a stable loving home environment now should I make a child in need wait until I find a husband. I think not. I think an orphan would rather have a family than not. If I find a husband someday that is great. If not I'm going to do the best I can on my own, have strong male role models in place, and be grateful God gave me the ability to be successful on my own.
Why Don't You Just Have Your Own?
Not a big fan of this question either. I have always had a strong desire to build my family through adoption. I have planned to adopt since I was a teenager and I've also planned to have biological children someday too. However, I have PCOS and that makes pregnancy difficult. As a single person I didn't want to go through all the infertility treatments, in-vitro, etc and still have no guarantee of a baby. The adoption process in Ethiopia in very predictable. I know I will come home with a baby. I don't know that I will through artificial insemination. And as a single woman that values herself enough I don't just have sex with random men. I have yet to find a man that I feel I would want to parent a child with. Therefore I'm not going to take the steps to get pregnant until I find the right person to parent with.
So that's a few of the questions I received. I hope that clears up some questions and provides some legitimate answers. If you have other questions feel free to leave them in the comments. I would encourage all of you to read the book There Is No Me Without You. And of course I would encourage you all to pursue whatever form of becoming a parent is right for you.
Jessie
Well Easter for sure had it's highs and lows this year. Once again another first without our mom. But Heather and I are quite the team. We pushed through, made some new traditions, and managed to hold on to some old ones. We are gonna get okay. I just keep telling myself that...
Our Easter Baskets rocked! Heather and I are getting really good at being in charge of gifts for one another! What's funny is we picked the same baskets but in different colors. We also picked almost the same goodies to go in them and we didn't shop or discuss it ahead of time. We are getting good like that! Heather gave up soda for Lent so this morning she had a basket full of pepsi and other goodies from me. She was pretty thrilled about that. I got some cheez-its, cadbury eggs, a shirt, a magazine, and a few other fun things that I love.
We were going to go to church early because they were having a big breakfast there so we got there about an hour before the service but the breakfast was already over. I guess we misread the time or something. So we went to Braums and had biscuits and gravy. We walked in and the place was almost empty. So Heather said, "well it's not obvious that we don't have a mom or anything". Which is true. We did look like the poster children for orphans eating fast food on Easter morning. But we were hungry!
After we ate we headed back to church and faced the tough part of Easter. I dread going to church anymore. I only go because I know I should and I know my mom would want me to go. To clarify I don't have a problem with God. In fact I feel pretty good about my spiritual life right now. I pray often, read my devotions, and enjoy that very much. I just dread going to church because in my mind that is where my mom should be. I've always gone to church with her. I loved going to church with her. So I cry everytime I go to church now because I miss her. I guess I thought today would be better because Easter is always such a fun service but no... Much crying for Heather and I both. The nice part is that we don't care anymore about where or when we cry. The sermon was good, the little kids were adorable, and we sang some good songs. Yippee!
After church we headed out to mom's place. We took her some easter eggs and goodies. This is where the funny part kinda kicked in. We decided we wanted an Easter picture of us at mom's place so we pulled the car up close and set the camera on top of the car. I set my camera timer and then we ran over by the headstone to get the picture. But the wind was blowing so we had to keep doing it. I got quit the little workout running back and forth but we finally got a couple good pictures. Though they are a bit slanted as the camera wasn't exactly on a smooth surface. The things we do! Nothing is every easy with Heather and I!!!
So here are some pics and I hope you all have a Happy Easter! 
Jessie
I had a really awesome day today. This is the first day in SO LONG that I really felt like myself. It's weird but it's almost like I've been stuck in this little cave where I can hear and see but not participate in anything. And today I got to come out of the cave and be a part of life. It's really odd and wonderful at the same time. I feel like me. And that's AWESOME!
I went in to the office today and worked for about 6 hours and got so much done. I feel so much better about things. I don't feel like I'm months behind now. I'm just a couple days behind now which is a much better feeling! My desk is even cleared off and my inbox is empty rather than overflowing. How cool is that.
This afternoon when I got home from work Heather and I colored Easter eggs. We decided to do hidden message eggs. So we split them up and wrote funny thing on them and then colored them. It was cracking me up. We wrote messages that only the two of us would get and it was pretty fun. A new silly tradition to add to the books. We also colored some to take out to mom tomorrow. We also got her some neat new stuff to decorate with. A couple mums and new things to sit out that are more spring and summer like. Gotta keep it pretty.
After we colored eggs we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa. We had a nice visit and they seemed to be doing pretty good. We took Grandpa some soup because Grandma said he wasn't feeling well and needed some but by the time we made the trip there he had perked up and was feeling good. So we just had a nice visit together.
Now Heather is counting down the minutes until midnight. She gave up soda and french fries for Lent. So once midnight hits she is having a Pepsi. I've got it all chilled in the freezer for her and she is about to go nuts. Only 40 minutes left to go now.
Jessie
Well I have a whole blog about my adoption journey called The Making of A Mom. Since I have that blog I don't post much about it here. But today Heather and I went to immigration in Kansas City to get fingerprinted and file an I-600A. It went very smoothly and only took about 30-45 minutes. Tonight I compiled my dossier packet and will mail that out tomorrow. So now all I have to do is wait for immigration approval and fax that in to my agency. Once they get that I'm on the waiting list for a baby! How exciting is that. I'm so close to being done with all the paperwork part. That makes me very happy!!!
Jessie
My blogging buddy Julie is hosting a weight loss challenge over at her blog Flip This Body. Julie is engaged to be married in September. She will be having her bridal shower in July and she is trying to lose another 15 pounds by July 22nd for the shower. She has already lost close to 30 pounds. The girl is awesome! So she has invited others to join her in her race to the shower. I have joined in and so have a lot of other people. If you are interested in joining head over to her blog and leave her a comment. Julie is a great inspiration to me and I'm sure she will be to you too. If you don't have any weight to lose then you should still visit and cheer her on!
Jessie
Okay the whole dog food and dog treat recall crap is scaring me. What's really scary to me is that a lot of the recalled products are coming from a factory in my home town. I'm very disappointed to say the least. I take Lena's health pretty seriously. In fact I'm probably overprotective of my dog. She really is one of my best friends. She has the coolest toys, sees the vet often, gets all her vaccines and medicine, and I thought she was getting the best food and treats. But I was wrong. Today one the newest list of recall items were some of her treats and it pushed me over the limit.
After talking it over with her vet and doing a lot of research I spent the evening making her homemade dogfood. Heather is home so she helped me. We broke out the food processor and ground up brocoli, cabbage, carrots, and meat. Heather kept saying there is no way she is gonna eat this stuff. But we put the first bowl down for her and she got so excited. She ate the whole bowl in about 4 minutes. We were thrilled. And then she started begging for brocolli. Who would have ever imagined! I'm so thrilled and proud of her. It really was a lot easier to do than I thought it would be.
My vet actually told me about a site to check out online to guide me and it had some great ideas. Anyone with pets ought to take a look and consider going to a natural diet. I don't think I will ever feed her food from a plant again. It's just to scary for me. The site that he directed me to is www.pet-grub.com. They give recipes and all kinds of information about what foods are good for certain ailments. Very helpful!!!
Jessie
Wow today was a long day! I had a big staff meeting in Pittsburg that started at 11:00 this morning and it is 2 1/2 hours away. So I went in really early to get everything done that I needed to since I would be out of the office all day. The drive sucks! What's crazy is I spent more time driving too and from the meeting then I did in the actual meeting. How silly!
The meeting was good though. We got some things clarified about job duties, policies, etc. I also got put in charge of a committee to rewrite a few policies and procedures relating to adoption and aftercare. That's kinda exciting. I don't really have time to head a committee and I'm sure I'm gonna get stressed but I'm glad the folks higher up have that faith in me so I'll make it work.
I'm off to work on homework. Research here I come!
Jessie
Well I was scared to watch American Idol tonight. I'm not a fan of Tony Bennett so I was worried about what the show would be like. But I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I thought that for the most part everyone did a pretty good job.
The Idols On Top
My Beat Box Boy Blake did great! He didn't do anything to crazy this week but did a good job.
Jordin Sparks! What else can I say about the "it" girl! She is fabulous.
Lakisa looked great tonight and sounded even better. She seems to be getting back in the game.
The Idols On Bottom
Sanjaya Sucks A Lot Malakar is still at the bottom. I don't like him and I want him to go away. But I have a feeling he won't.
Haylie isn't cutting it. She is real pretty put not real good. My guess is that she will go home this week.
Melinda Dolittle still does nothing but annoy me. If she had a neck maybe I would like her more. She also needs to quit acting so surprised when people compliment her. Okay seriously she made it on the show she must be fairly good so quit acting surprised. She will hang in for awhile but she isn't going to win.
The other folks didn't stand out as good or bad to me this week. So I'm not even writing them up.
Jessie
Okay now that the rain has subsided the earth worms aren't coming out anymore. Thankfully they aren't trying to take over my driveway and garage anymore. But now I have another problem. It seems I have baby snakes in my yard. And the baby snakes are scared of Lena. So Lena chases the snakes and then they run onto the driveway and sidewalk and then I scream my head off! I hate snakes. Not as much as worms but pretty close. What is the deal with this yard???? Snakes and worms I'm scared to think what will come out of the grass next!
Jessie
Well for lunch today I treated myself to a cute new haircut. Instead of leaving work to go eat during lunch I scheduled my hair appointment for the lunch hour. I really like the new cut and color. She did it a little darker red than what I've had in awhile and I love that! I'm actually trying to grow my hair out longer again so she didn't take off much length. Just a slight trim to keep the ends good and did some layers and texturizing. Another 3 or 4 months and it should be pretty long. That will be nice.
Jessie
Okay I think I have the best aunts in the world. I've always known they were wonderful but the past year has just really solidified that. If there was a best aunts of the centery competition they would win! Aunt Donna emails me often about my posts. She and Betty and Jane read my blog often and that makes them cool of course. They don't post comments but send emails instead and for some reason I like that. I like seeing their names pop up in my inbox.
And today when I really needed a little boost I not only got emails but I got happy in the real mailbox mail! Anyone that knows me knows that I love mail. I don't like bills so much but I love getting what I call "happy mail". This would include gifts, cards, postcards, catalogs, etc. I just love sending and receiving "happy mail".
So today I got a box in the mail from my Aunt Betty. It was my Easter present. I got Cadbury Creme Eggs (My favorite Easter Treat), a candle, and the cutest little note pads in the shape of a schnauzer puppy like my Lena. AWESOME! So thanks Aunt Betty.
Heather got a package from her too and even though I'm very tempted to open it I'm not gonna do it. I put it in her bedroom so it won't tempt me. But as soon as she gets home on Wednesday I'm making her tear that baby open. It's killing me!
YEAH AUNTS!
Jessie
Well it was a very sad morning at my house today. Monday's are always crazy hectic. I have to leave the house early to get to class in Topeka, an hour away, and for some reason I'm always behind schedule and rushed. Today was no different.
So in my rush I decided to take both Huck and Lena outside on their leashes together for the first time. Well Lena didn't like that and started barking at Huck like crazy. And Huck freaked out because he was scared and somehow he wiggled out of his collar. So I'm trying to catch Huck and hold on to Lena and he ran in the street and got hit by a truck.
He was only three pounds so he didn't have a chance versus a truck. It was a nice older man driving that immediately stopped and tried to help us. I was a bawling mess and Lena was going nuts and it was just not a nice event. He really felt horrible and I felt horrible. I should have just not been in a rush and not taken them outside together till they were more adjusted but I never would have guessed in a million years this would have happened. The guy helped me get a towel and he wrapped Huck up and put him in a box and took him away for me.
So I'm kinda sad. I only had Huck for a couple days but I feel really bad about the whole deal.
Jessie
Well today is the Postie Blog Carnival. You can find a great carnival all about food by visiting Thoughts Out of My Head. I hope you take the time to swing by and enjoy the fun!
Jessie
I have so many upcoming international trips that my mind is swamped with things like vaccinations, visas, and insurance. It can get overwhelming at times. You hear so many different things from different people. And some places charge ridiculous rates that just can't be right. But I'm starting to figure out that things don't have to be that complicated. There is an easy answer like aaa Mexican Auto Insurance. They have a comprehensive auto insurance program and you can add an American assist option.
What I love is that for once all of my questions are answered in one spot. I don't have to search and search and talk to ten different people to get the answer to one question. I'm don't seem to be the only person that is pleased with the product or the process involved. You can take a look at the testimonials yourself.
I hope you take the time to visit and spare yourself the torture of waiting in line at the border for insurance. Half the time you sit and wait for quite awhile to pay a lot of money for something that isn't described clearly and leaves you wondering what is covered and what isn't. For a clear description and an easy process make sure you check out aaa Mexican Auto Insurance.
Safe Travels!
Jessie
You know how I am about a bargain! I love saving money!!! Saving money makes having to spend money a little more enjoyable. There is nothing better than a great deal. One of the best ways to save some money is to use online coupons. This is a fabulous way to get the things you need at a price you like.
I shop at Old Navy quite often. With the coupons I found it makes for some awesome deals! I also love Netflix and I was able to find a great deal for it too.
This post is sponsored by www.couponchief.com. You know that site. The one that helps me save so much money!!!
Jessie
This is Huck. He is the newest member of our family! Lena Lou doesn't know what to think of Huck yet but she is adjusting. Huck is very little compared to Lena so it's kinda interesting around the house. Hopefully Huck and Lena will get settled soon!
Well I was so tired of having a regular old Blogger template. I just didn't want to look like everyone else anymore. But I have no clue on how to make my blog look fancy. Luckily I found a great gal named Sara over at Bling My Blog that could help me out. I think she did a great job. I love dragonflies so I'm thrilled! Now my blog is a little bit different just like me.
Jessie
Well I guess I'm the PayPerPost Blog of the Day for March 31, 2007. That's kinda fun. So if you are a new visitor by way of PPP welcome. If you are an old visitor I'm sure glad you came back! Hope you have a happy Saturday and I hope you enjoy the linkie love. 
My wonderful friend Julie emailed me this screenshot! Thanks Julie!!!
I found the answer for the parent I had come in high today. There is a toll free number she can call for a referral for alcoholism rehab. This is a great program. I'm totally telling my clients about it. All they have to do is call this number and they will get help for free. The folks answering the phones will help the caller find the right type of treatment for them that meets their needs. And there is absolutely no fee for this service. This is really great for the type of folks I work with. They all live in different areas and I often don't know the closest rehab center. So if I give them the number or even call for them I can help get them connected with the right facility very quickly. That makes me a happy girl. I wish I would have known about this service earlier today.
Jessie
This post is sponsored by www.1800nodrugs.com.
Today was the day from hell at work! Anything that could go wrong did go wrong. All my cases are just blowing up! I had a mom show up for a visit with her baby and she was so cracked out it wasn't even funny. I had to watch her like a hawk cause I was afraid she would smoke the baby. She had no clue what was going on around her. What is real frightening is that she drove to the visit!
Another one of the kids on my caseload had a visit with their mom today and her mom was an hour late to the two hour visit! RIDICULOUS! I'm spending fortunes and jumping threw all kinds of hoops to get a baby and then there are people out there that just don't care about their kids. Doesn't seem right to me.
In the midst of all my work drama my boss let me know that my old boss and my practicum supervisor for school called. She has liver cancer which she has had for awhile. She had been doing really well. Well now she has taken a big turn for the worse and only has a couple of weeks to live. Another blow I just wasn't emotionally prepared for I guess. So I've been trying to get a hold of my professor at school to find out what I need to do about that as I won't have field supervisor now. What a mess.
I'm going to try to go visit her and her kids next week. Her kids are close to Heather and I's age so we kinda know what they are going through. It's really a sad situation. Life just isn't fair sometimes.
Jessie
Okay seriously the earthworm situation is about to send me over the edge. I don't know why I'm freaking out so bad about them but I am. I've never seen such a large number of earthworms in one location and they are really gross! I bet there are a hundred of them on my driveway!!! Anytime I take the dog out they are there. I'm afraid Lena is gonna get a bunch in her mouth and bring them in the house. I HATE EARTHWORMS!!! Why do they have to be all over? A couple of them were on top of each other and I know they are gonna reproduce and then there will be more earthworms! MAKE THE EARTHWORMS GO AWAY!!!!
Sending a big Happy Birthday wish out to two of the best boys I know!
Cutie Pie Caden turns 3 today!!!!
I think his birthday will be filled with lots of presents, strawberry cake, a nice nap, and fun times with his Momma Darby and his Daddy Chris. We get to have one big blowout 3 year old party on Saturday to top off the celebrations!
Dashing Dalton is the big 9 this year!!!! 
With only a year to go before he hits the double digits he has a lot to celebrate. He already had his big party last weekend that Granny and Grandpa were able to attend so today will bring a special day with his mom and dad and Miss MoJo!
I hope you boys have a great day and super year!!!
Love you both
Jessie
I'm so sick of rain. It's pouring here again today! My yard is officially a swamp. There is water standing everywhere. And the earthworms are revolting. They have all moved onto my drive way so they don't drown in the yard and that is disgusting!!!! There are earthworms everywhere it really grosses me out. YUCK!!! And since the rain keeps coming my fence still isn't up. The weather is interfereing with my plans!
So enough whining. Back to work I go.
Jesie
Wow my clients have come up with lots of excuses for dirty UA's before. And I mean lots! Sometimes it's that they didn't smoke the pot but that they sat next to someone that did. Usually a postive test gets blamed on some cold medicine or an antibiotic. But today I got the best excuse ever!
A gal claimed that her UA came back hot because there was meth on the money she used to pay for it. She didn't use meth there just must have been meth on the money. How crazy is that. Needless to say I didn't buy it and I just got done making a referral for her for inpatient drug and alcohol treatment.
What is very bothersome to me is that the waiting list for her to get into a treatment center around here is more than 30 days! How ridiculous is that. And chances are the one she gets into won't be that great. So the chances of her actually going and if she does the chances of her maintaining sobriety are pretty slim. It's sad to say the least. 
What's amazing to me is that there are facilities out there that provide Drug Treatment that are amazing. I've found one online at www.thewatershed.com that is pretty awesome. They have a beautiful location, offer medical detox, amazing supports, and even offer follow-up services. Why can't my clients get in a place like that!
Jessie
This post is sponsored by www.thewatershed.com
Okay seriously this is getting old. How Sanjaya didn't end up in the bottom three is beyond me. He should have gone home. But more than anything he should have at least been in the bottom three. I'm so fed up with him!!! The fact that my favorite boy Chris went is frustrating me. Granted Chris wasn't the best singer but the boy is a great entertainer. He is funny! So I was hoping he would stay in until at least the final six. Very disappointing night!
Jessie
Well now there is a new twist on the dating site scene. If you are black and single there is a special site just for you. Can you believe there is an entire site devoted to Black Singles. I was telling my friend LaTasha about it and she is going to check it out. She keeps telling me she can't find a good man so maybe it will work for her. The site is fairly new but seems to have quite a few members. It's worth a visit at least.
Jessie
This post is sponsored by www.blackscene.com
Okay I had the best smoothie this morning. It was yummy in my tummy for breakfast. So you have to try it. It's 11:00 now and I'm still not hungry so it is not only delicious but will sustain me through the morning. I like that in a breakfast food. It was way simple to make. Just follow my recipe below.
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 banana
1 cup chocolate soy milk
Blend together and enjoy!
Jessie
Well I'm getting caught up on the news and a few stories have popped out at me as fairly interesting...
Wynonna Judd's husband getting arrested on sex crimes charges is something interesting. What a mess. I guess she has filed for divorce and he is in jail. You would think he would have known to stay away from the kiddies. Guess he hasn't watched Dateline. Silly boy!
Elizabeth Edwards cancer is back and it's in her bones. This story is sad to me. I just finished reading her book awhile back and found such comfort in it. I hate that she is now facing cancer again and with such small children. I don't like seeing mom's with terminal cancer. It's bothersome. But her husband is still running for president so we will have to watch that and see how it goes.
I read a news story about fast food too. Did you know that chicken McNuggets from McDonald's are 70% corn! So really we are eating corn nuggets. That bugs me but I guess now I know that my favorite food from McDonald's is the corn nuggets. I wonder what they would think if I ordered them that way.
So that's the news that I know.
Jessie
Okay I'm not doing a whole big write up tonight because I have a crap load (that means a ton) of homework to work on so no time! But here we go with a few fun awards that I like to give out from time to time.
The No He Didn't Award
This award goes to Sanjaya of course. The hair is killing me folks! It was a freaky curly scary Mohawk thing. I don't get it. I really think he is trying to look more and more like a freak because he knows he is a horrible singer and the only way he is staying in this thing is because of the vote for the worst campaign.
She Has A Rocking Body But Isnt' Rocking Award
This award goes to Hayley. Seriously she has an AMAZING body in my opinion. I would scalp Sanjaya for a body like that. But really she can't sing so great. At least she is pretty.
This Song Was Written For Me Award
Phil Stacy is getting this award. I've said all along he looks like a predator. Now he is singing the stalker song. The song was for sure written for him! Great song choice Phil but quit touching the little girls.
I'm Gonna Be Somebody Award
Miss Jordin Sparks is for sure getting this award. This girl has it. Whatever it is she has it! I don't know if she will win this competition, heck I don't even care if she wins the competition. But she is going places. People are gonna remember her and the girl will make and sell some albums. I love watching it happen!
So that's what I know folks. Hopefully Sanjaya will talk his hawk and head home. Let's cross our fingers.
Jessie
Well I've been struggling a little bit okay a whole lot with some things. I'm really missing my mom for one. It doesn't get easier as the days go by. In fact each day gets a little harder to move forward without her. I'm doing it but I'm not liking it and I'm just so lonely without her. So that's hard obviously. If it was easy it wouldn't be called loss and grief now would it.
One thing that I think is making it harder is something my pastor said. I had always believed prior to my mom getting sick that even when people died they stayed with us somehow. I believe in angels or spirits or ghosts or whatever you want to call it. I felt like heaven was a place but that they could still get to us spiritually or emotionally even if not physically.
Well when my mom started realizing she was dying she asked our pastor to tell her about heaven. He described it as a place filled with joy. He said that there is singing and light and beauty and that there is no time. He said that we would just spend eternity praising God. Well that sounds good to me. But then he said that there is no concern for earthly matters. Well in theory that sounds great. No bills, no pressure, no job, etc.
But in this moment that feels to me like I'm a wordly matter and my mom no longer is concerned about me. For someone that is already feeling alone that statement is haunting. I know I could just call him and talk to him and he would say that she is with me. But I can't help but think he would say that to appease me and that really she is praising God and has forgotten about me. Just typing that makes me bawl. How lame is that. But my entire day is fixated around her even now. She is my first thought and my last thought each day. And about a million thoughts in between. So the idea that she can't think of me is wrong.
But it makes sense at the same time. If she thought of us kids and realized she was away from us she would be sad. She loved us a lot and never liked to be away from us. So if we weren't with her she would be very sad and anxious. Not joyful . And if heaven is filled with joy how could she miss us. That wouldn't be joyful. So she must not notice we aren't with her. That breaks my heart.
So I'm struggling with all this and I've not really talked to anyone about it. I know people are sick of hearing about it. People think I should be "over it". So I don't say anything very often. So today I meet with someone. A person that doesn't know me real well. And they say they have something they need to talk to me about. They say that they can see my mom's presence around me. They say that she is saying things but I don't hear them. I about fall over. WHAT?
So basically they scribbled down what they said my mom was trying to tell me. I don't know if I believe it yet as I'm still kinda in shock. But this is my list.
No pain
I see more and know you will be okay you just don't see it yet
Love is large
Weather is the biggest support
Not alone
You have to be open and ask
The bedroom is better this way
Okay after going over and over the list I've kinda pieced a few things together. Some of the stuff there is no way this person would know! No pain is obvious to me meaning she isn't in pain. The second one I'm not to shocked by as I constantly doubt if I will be okay without her. The love is large has to be for real. My mom wrote me a note a couple days before she died and it said love is large. The person telling me this does not know that. Weather I believe was supposed to be Heather. I don't know about the not alone and being open and asking. Maybe that is just trusting that she is here with me and being open to that. And the bedroom thing has to be for real too. He didn't know about my bedroom dilemma. I have a hard time with the bedroom. My mom died in what is now my bedroom and my bed. I have moved the bedroom furniture around and I sleep better but wasn't sure about the arrangement. So I'm guessing she is good with it.
So that's my struggle. Now I just don't know what to think. I'm really floored and overwhelmed and weirded out by all this. Thoughts?
Jessie
Okay they revealed the autopsy results for Anna Nicole Smith today. She died of an overdose! SHOCKING!!! I really never thought that she was on many drugs. I thought she was clean as a whistle so this really shocks me! It's hard to believe that Anna Nicole would die from an overdose. I thought maybe someone at the boob job factory did her in or maybe the trim spa killed her. But an accidental drug overdose. I just can't believe it.
Jessie
Well today is Monday, my class day and of course it rained. Well actually it poured! By the time I got to my car after class I was soaked! So the drive home was long and wet and cold. YUCK!!!
The rain is screwing up my plans. My privacy fence installation keeps getting delayed because of the rain. I guess it's hard to install a fence in a swamp... Damn rain!
Class was good but dang I have a lot of homework. I'm kinda drowning this semester. About the time I think I'm caught up another wave comes. This week I have to do a research paper, my learning contract for summer, my practicum logs, 3 chapters of workbook assignments for assessment and diagnosis, a coding assignment for research, and prepare a presentation for my seminar class. Fun times here!
Jessie
Well I'm just quite the detective today. Bobby responded to Julie's post about his cheesy weightloss site. He claims that the site is his wife's site. What's funny to me is that his wife is Jennifer S Griffin and the person posting is either Bobby Griffin or Tanya Martin. So she is posting under a fake name. But she also says on her weightloss blog that she is 250 pounds. So I typed Jennifer S Griffin into Google and what did I find.
A great blog called science matters. What's funny about this is that it completely contradicts her blog about weightloss. She is a cute gal that is no where close to 250 pounds. And she is also quite the scientist which doesn't make sense if she works in a box factory like she claims on the weight loss blog.
So I guess the real question now is why don't you fess up Bobby Griffin????
Jessie
Many of you know about The Bestest Blog of All Time. In fact many of you have read my posts supporting The Bestest Blog and Bobby the guy that runs it. When I first came across The Bestest Blog it was a great community. Bobby came up with a creative idea that helped other bloggers connect in a fun way. Yeah he made some money be we got lots of hits and met cool new people so it was okay.
But I don't think it's okay anymore. Lately Bobby's blog hasn't been like it was in the good old days. He for the most part only posts PayPerPost ads. Some days there aren't even Bestest Blog of the Day posts. And on the days that those Blog of the Day posts appear they are written by a guest blogger like myself. Bobby has said he is busy, he's moving, he's hurt his back. All valid reasons for not posting in my opinion. However he has found plenty of time to post on his fake blog called Tanya's Weight Loss Journey. He is actually posting several PPP ads a day on this fake blog. So if he has time to fake that he is a woman trying to lose weight and write all those posts while he is moving, sick and busy why can't he take care of his real blog? My guess is we don't pay enough anymore.
So what am I going to do about this?
1. I've removed the random blog button from my blog.
2. I'm no longer doing guest blogger reviews for Bobby.
3. I'm removing his link from my blog.
4. I'm encouraging people to NOT donate until he fixes the random blog button or explains his behavior.
5. I'm going to visit Julie at
Flip This Body for weightloss encouragement and advice rather than Bobby's lame fake blog!
So that's my plan. I have made some great friends through The Bestest Blog and I'm grateful for that. I appreciate each of your visits and your comments. And if Bobby decides to explain himself I hope he will let me know so I can rejoin the community. Until then I will just visit and comment on the blogs I love as usual and hope that you do the same.
Jessie
Well I've gotten some good laughs today... I'll share them with you because I'm nice like that...
I babysat Caden today since Darby started her awesome new job. Caden is such a sweet little guy. He is a little shy when people first come around and it takes him a bit to open up but once he does he is so funny. Today when Heather woke up and came out in the living room Caden was being very bashful. He kept hiding his face and wouldn't look at Heather. So finally Heather left the room and as soon as she left Caden said "Whoa Baby". He thought Heather was pretty cute! She is cute of course but it was so funny hearing Caden say that!
Since I was babysitting Caden today and he is a little scared of crazy Lena I had her locked up in puppy prison. So after he went home I let Lena out. She was so excited to go outside! So I took her potty and we came back in. Then she kept looking outside and got her head stuck in the venetian blinds. That was the first funny thing. So after I quit laughing and got her unstuck I put the blinds up so she could look out on the patio. Well she went running straight for the door and slammed right into the glass at full speed! She thought the door was open!!!! Heather and I laughed so hard. And Lena just laid on the floor beside the door looking very confused.
So that's my funny stuff for the day. I'm babysitting my niece Mattie tonight while Shawn and Amanda and Heather go out. So Mattie and I are gonna have some quality time together. She still doesn't know any jokes and well she doesn't even roll over but she is good at cuddling to I guess I'll keep her.
Jessie
I went out to my mom's place yesterday and her headstone was set! I'm so happy about that. It is beautiful. There is a portion of it that has her handwriting and it's so awesome looking. I'm really amazed they could do that. The guy did a really great job on it. I didn't have my camera so I couldn't take pictures but I'm going to next time. I also got more grass seed and fertilizer planted there so hopefully she will have some pretty grass soon.
I'm going to talk to the church about planting some trees and bushes as the cemetery is pretty bare. They say that you can't plant flowers or stuff but I'm going to ask anyway. I figure if I'm willing to pay for it, plant it and water the trees then they might agree. I just think a few pretty trees would be nice for shade.
Jessie
What a weird day! Seriously so many odd or unplanned things happened today. I just feel really weird about the whole day. I got thrown off this morning and I haven't felt right all day.
1. I walked outside this morning to take Lena to go potty and I was half awake but seriously there was a huge brown horse in my driveway! I'm not playing. It was a real live horse in the drive way. And when Lena started barking at it it ran down the street. Then about a minute later these kids started chasing it trying to catch it. WEIRD!
2. Darby and I went to lunch at La Hacienda. The waiting there was totally loving him some Darby. She is beautiful so that is why but seriously he was odd. He was wearing a hairnet, barely spoke English and kept winking at her. And not winking cute but winking like he had so very strange eye problem. WEIRD!
3. My brother Shawn and his wife Amanda and my adorable niece Mattie Moo just showed up today totally unplanned! A surprise visit. Very nice but again WEIRD!
4. Mattie has this strange hernia thing on her belly button. It sticks out and is kinda purple. It seriously looks a little like a wiener poking out of her little girl belly. The doctor says it will correct itself but I think it's a little WEIRD!
5. Sanjaya is still on American Idol! WEIRD!
Jessie
Okay I was so not impressed with American Idol this week! Even my favorites weren't that good. Just a bad week in general. I'm not even going to waste my time reviewing the folks individually this week. I'll just hit some high and low notes!
Sanjaya of course still sucks! The little crying girl did say it all! He makes me cry every week. He really needs to just go home. I just pray that the insanity stops soon and away he goes. Phil is still creeping me out. Not only does he look like a sex predator but now he screams when he sings. I just can't stand it. I'm hoping he goes away in the next couple weeks.
The folks that are getting my vote this week include Beat Box Boy Blake! Love him! He is seriously a master entertainer in my opinion. The boy puts on a show! I'm also voting for LaKisha. It wasn't her best performance ever but she was still above the rest. And she was wearing a kick ass green dress and a million dollars worth of diamonds. Gorgeous!!! And Miss Jordin looked and sounded stunning. I'll for sure be voting for her.
So that's the verdict on my end. Let me know what you all think!
Jessie
Me, Darby, Megan and Justine 
They had these bunnies all over the plaza... I can be a bunny too!
Me loving the bunny...
Me on the luggage cart I stole and took to our room. Not the one that I rode around the lobby... It's like a razor scooter for fat kids!
Me and my Darbis!
The fun drunk St. Pat's man with Darby, Justine and Megan!
This weekend was too much fun and obviously not enough posting. I've had phone calls and emails about this. No I have not fallen off the face of the earth, been abducted by aliens or come down with some horrible ailment. I have however partied like it is 1999 and have not posted recently. Sorry about that!
Friday a bunch of us girls headed to Kansas City for a girl's weekend. We rented a suite at Embassy Suites on the plaza. Our suite was awesome however Internet was not included and our fridge wasn't big enough. But we made do. We ate way to much food and drank an incredibly large amount of alcohol. We did some shopping and went to the bars on Westport for St. Pats. It was a good time.
I almost got us kicked out of the hotel on Saturday night when Megan dared me to ride the luggage cart like it was a skateboard around the hotel lobby. I'm very competitive and had to do it. Needless to say security got involved and asked my group of friends to "coral me". The security guard said it in front of me. I didn't understand this. I may be drunk and stupid but I'm not deaf. He could have just asked me to stop...
So I'm home now and trust me I feel like CRAP! There is a reason that I don't drink often and it's because I can't handle it. I hurt in places I didn't know I could hurt and the hang over still hasn't gone away. But seriously it was worth it. TOO MUCH FUN!
Jessie
I'm drowning in homework! YUCK! I've seriously been working on my research assignment since 4:45 this afternoon. I ate dinner at my desk as I worked. Now five hours later I'm done. How ridiculous is that. Now I have to start laundry and it's bed time. I even missed watching Grey's because of my stupid homework. I seriously hate school!!!!
Jessie
Okay seriously we have to put up with Sanjaya for another week! I just got done watching American Idol and I just feel sick. The guy that went home wasn't so great but come on Sanjaya is so HORRIBLE! I can't take another week. I just can't do it. Why oh why did the judges ever let him get passed Hollywood week. I bet they are regretting it now!
Jessie
I was so swamped at work today! Crazy crazy busy. I can't keep up some weeks. I kinda feel like I'm drowning in paperwork. Since I miss all day on Monday for class it throws me behind every week. I get there on Tuesday and it's chaos! Not so fun.
After work I drove to El Dorado to see my Heather. She is leaving to go to Texas for Spring Break on Friday so I thought I better go see her before she left. We ate dinner and shopped a little bit. She went and got fingerprinted at the police station again today. Since the FBI can't seem to find our fingerprints for the adoption clearance we have to do them again. She is gonna get the aunt of the year award for all of this stuff!
Well I have to go watch my Tivo'd American Idol episode.
Jessie
Okay I was so not impressed with tonight's American Idol. I like Diana Ross but I don't want to hear 12 of her songs in a row. She isn't that great. And I was shocked at how poorly most of the idol contenders did this week. Not a good showing to say the least. Here is my break down of the night...
The ones I love and voted for!
Gina Glockson got my vote tonight. She sang love child and I thought she did a good job. I liked the song, I liked the way she sang it, and she remembered all the words. I also thought she had a lot of energy. So I called and voted for her.
Lakisha Jones blows me away. We could fast forward the next 12 weeks and just watch her sing at the finale and I'd be happy. God Bless The Child is one of my favorite songs and she sang it! Seriously amazing!!! I voted 5 times for her.
Jordin Sparks is a great little gal. I don't think she will win as I have said before. She is too young. But she does a great job. She sang If We Hold On Together and looked really comfortable on stage. I called and voted for her.
The ones that just need to go away!
Melinda Dolittle has got to go. I seriously can't stand her. I don't know why everyone loves her so much but I pray they come to their senses soon and send her away! She has no neck, big old eyes, cries to much, and forces me to fast forward through her weirdness. GO HOME!!!
Sanjaya is well horrible. Ain't No Mountain High Enough to get away from him. When he came out tonight with his curly hair and earrings I thought his sister was back in the competition. Lets all pray together that American comes to their senses and sends him home this week.
Phil Stacey gives me the creeps. When I see him I feel like he should be on an episode of the Dateline: To Catch a Predator show. YUCK! Have to fast forward him too.
The ones that forgot the words!
Brandon Rogers started the night off with forgotten words. It must have been contagious! After hearing him he did make me want to hurry love. HORRIBLE!
Haley Scarmato also forgot the words. I never seem to remember here so each week she is like a surprise performer to me. But other than the forgotten words I thought she did fairly well. She is really cute and had a great outfit tonight. I kinda hope we aren't missing her next week.
Stephanie Edwards sang love hangover but I think she had a real hangover. She too forgot her words. So not cool. And I hate hate hate that song! So no vote for her from me this week!
Those that did weird things to the songs!
Chris Sligh is usually one of my favorites. He is still one of my favorites and I really hope he doesn't go home. That being said I didn't like the song pick. Endless Love did feel endless. I just couldn't get into it. Don't know why exactly but it was just weird.
Blake is another one of my favorites. Again I really hope he doesn't go home yet but I really disliked what he did tonight. Not cool at all!
Chris Richardson was way off tonight. He looked weird, he sang weird, the guy is just weird. Bye Bye would be fine with me.
So that's what I think!
Jessie
Okay I went to class today even though I hate it. Every Monday I dread it. But today when I went I got two big assignments back and I got 100% on both of them! I was so thrilled. I just really haven't felt into school this semester. I've had a hard time getting focused and on track. So getting the assignments back and them being good made me feel a little better about things. I even called to brag to my dad about it. I may send him a copy to stick on the refrigerator.
Jessie
Okay yesterday marked one week of not smoking. Okay I won't lie I did sneak a smoky treat one day this week. WOOPS! But other than that I haven't smoked. It's been okay. Not great but not horrible either. That is until yesterday.
Like I posted earlier Heather and I went to the adoption seminar yesterday. If I would have been a smoker I would have been stressed out after lunch about wanting to smoke but not being able to. Or if I could have smoked how could I do it without the other people seeing me. I wouldn't want them to think I was some bad smoking mother. And no matter what I would have been in a crabby mood. But luckily we didn't have to go through that. I just didn't have to smoke and it wasn't a big deal. It was such a payoff. No stress! Heather even commented on it.
Yeah for no smoking!
Jessie
As I mentioned earlier Heather and I went to Overland Park yesterday. Overland Park is about 90 miles from here. A bit of a drive. I drove us there in the morning because Heather was still a bit sleepy. She drove us home in the evening. I'm wondering if she was still tired because she scared me a little bit. Well I won't even lie her driving scared me a whole lot! She tried to turn right in front of a truck at one point. I was screaming her name over and over and yelling to stop and she was oblivious. Finally at the last minute she caught up and didn't turn. By then the other driver had swerved out of her way. When I asked her what she was doing she said, "I don't know, I didn't even see it"!
This girl has been through Driver's Ed. She is a responsible girl. And honestly most of the time she is a great driver. She is calmer driving in heavy traffic than I am hands down. But sometimes she isn't the most observant. And don't even get me started about her using the cell phone while driving.
She is getting ready to take a 14 hour road trip to Texas for Spring Break next week. YIKES! I'm thinking that before she hits the road I need to get her this great Driver's Education DVD so she can learn to drive or at least have a little refresher course.
This awesome DVD is interactive, has quizzes, offers road sign tests and even gives basic maintenance directions. You can't beat that. And it's really affordable. It is only $34.95! That's cheap compared to a totaled car or medical bills after a wreck. In fact it's priceless if it saved someones life. I wonder how annoyed Heather would be with me if I ordered it and had it delivered to her dorm....
Jessie
This is a sponsored post
Yesterday Heather and I went to Overland Park for my International Adoption Seminar. I'm so glad Heather went with me. We learned A LOT of new things! So much information on attachment and bonding and discipline and travel. Really a great seminar. We also met two other families adopting from Ethiopia which is great. Now we have some local connections! And there were a couple of families adopting from China.
So now I'm waiting for our FBI clearance to come back and then we can get our fingerprints done at immigration. I sent our fingerprints off to the FBI on February 6th and have yet to get them back. I've checked and they were received but not processed yet. Very frustrating to me! Nothing like waiting on someone else to do their job.
Jessie
I've seen dating sites for Jewish singles, single parents, people with health problems, and for singles from Russia. Now there is a new site focused on Christian Dating. This is a new site that looks fun. There are singles from 20 and above. So regardless of your age you should be able to find a nice match that shares your religious beliefs. I would encourage you to stop by and sign up for free. Who knows you might find a date in time for church on Easter Sunday!
Jessie
This post is sponsored by www.christian lifestyle.com
Well the baby shower for Leslie was great. I think she got a lot of things that she needed. Hopefully it will at least get her off to a good start. She hasn't gotten much of anything on her own yet. The girl is kinda in a weird situation. She was renting a house and it was a really crappy place. The landlord wasn't fixing things and it was a pretty bad deal. So she moved in with her mom a couple months ago. She thought it would just be for a couple weeks until she found a new place. But that is proving to be pretty hard. She has had no luck in the house hunting department and has now admitted defeat until after the baby is born. She is just to far along now to mess with moving. I think she kept thinking she would wait to get baby stuff until she was in her own place so now the time is getting close and she doesn't have much. I just really wish she could have found her own place a month ago. I know she would have been much happier that way.
Jessie
Well Leslie that I work with is getting very pregnant. In fact she just has a couple of weeks left until her scheduled c-section. So tomorrow we are having her baby shower. At my house! So tonight I'm going to be busy getting the house baby shower ready. I need to sweep and mop and vacumn. Lena decided to be very rotten last night and shredded a bunch of paper in the dining room. So I need to vacumn really well thanks to her. Such a brat!
Darby is coming over tomorrow afternoon before the shower to help me decorate so I'm not worried about that part. Just need to do some cleaning. Fun times....
Jessie
My cousin Kim is in a sorority. She loves everything Greek. She has the notepads, the key chains, the binders, the bumper stickers, the clothes, the everything related to her sorority. So obviously with her birthday coming up it only makes sense to get her a shirt or hat or something Greek. Luckily I found this site that has very cute greek shirts. I was so pleased with the selection.
They have some really adorable tank tops like this one that I think she would like. 
They also have sweatshirts, hats, totes, shorts, etc. Lots of different things to choose from. So if you are needing greek shirts or other greek items make sure you check them out.
Jessie
This is a sponsored post.
Okay I need your help folks. Bobby the guy behind the The Bestest Blog Of All Time posted a video on his blog yesterday. It's a video of his dogs. Seriously they are way cute and way calm. Calm being the key word. I need a dog like that. Bobby just moved and is really busy so I'm not gonna hound him about his dogs. So if you all will check out the video I would appreciate it. Then let me know what kind of adorable dogs those are! I must get a calm cute dog!
Jessie
First the peanut butter recall happened and now contact lens solution is being recalled! What in the heck is going on in the world. Is nothing safe anymore? It's hard to keep up. So here is the scoop! It was a ReNu Contact Lens Solution Recall. So go to your medicine cabinet right now and check and see if you have any of that solution. If you do have that solution do not I repeat DO NOT put it into your eye ball. Before you use it you need to click on that link and find out the lot numbers involved in the recall. If you have one of the bottles being recalled you can get a free replacement. If you don't have one of the bottles being recalled you are safe to use the bottle you have. No free stuff for you....
I don't wear contacts but my sister does and so does Darby. I'm thinking that contacts are becoming more and more of a pain. If it was up to me I would just get the Lasik surgery and then I wouldn't have to worry about contact lens stuff getting recalled. Then I could focus on making sure I was eating safe peanut butter.
Jessie
This is a sponsored post.
Okay I'm becoming obsessed with American Idol. Tomorrow things will get narrowed down to the final 12. These are the folks that I'm really hoping make it in the top twelve!
My Boys!!!!
Chris Sligh! Gotta love him. He is super funny. The boy has some crazy fun hair and he can SING! I think I might love his chubby goofy self. In fact I think he wants to be my boyfriend... LOVE HIM!!!
Blake Lewis! Who doesn't love this cutie! He can beat box like no one else and he can still sing. He is unique but not freaky weird. He is talented and fun. I think he might go pretty far. That beat boxing is
hot.
Jared Cotter! Okay Jared tells people that he wants to be the next American Idol. And the boy can sing. He will make it into the top twelve but he won't win it all. When he is done singing he will be fathering my children. He is gonna be the baby daddy but Chris Sligh is gonna raise them! :-) That's the plan...
My Girls!!!
Gina Glocksen! Okay if I was on American Idol I would be Gina. She is a little bit rock, a little funky and a whole lotta fun. I think she will make it pretty far in the competition. She won't win but the girl will have a record someday. Talented and unique. I like that.
Miss Jordin Sparks! This gal is a fire ball. She is a young thing. She has a lot of growing to do but she is on it! I just really think she is a blast to watch perform. You can tell she is enjoying herself and is just thrilled to be on the show and singing. I hope she keeps coming back for awhile yet.
The amazing Lakisha Jones. I predict that if Lakisha isn't the next American Idol she will at least be in the final three. This girl is talented and people love her. She has a set of pipes and a spirit that doesn't quit. Watch out folks her she comes...
So that's what I think. I'm silently praying that a few people go away tomorrow and luckily four folks will. I'll tell you more about what I think about the others another time.
Jessie
Dating is such a hassle. It's a pain when you are single. But if happen to be a single parent it can be even more difficult. Now there is a dating website just for Single Parents. This is a great way for single parents to connect with others. I also like that since it's obvious from the start that you have kids there isn't that shock of telling someone on the 2nd or 3rd date that you have a herd of babies of home. No surprises this way. That's a good thing in my opinion.
Happy Dating!
Jessie
This post is sponsored by www.singlemomsanddads.com
Yep that's me. I'm a non smoker. That's so exciting to me. The worst has passed I do believe. This morning when I woke up I of course thought first thing that I wanted a smokey treat. But instead of the normal grumble that I couldn't have one I just thought silly girl you don't smoke. And I went on about my day. Every once in awhile the cravings creep in but I just remind myself that I don't smoke and they go away. I don't feel panic today like the previous few days and I feel so much more in control. Thank goodness! I know I've still got some rough days ahead of me but I just feel so relieved to be thru the worst of it.
What's awesome is that my sister Heather doesn't read my blog. I know how in the world could she skip my awesome blog but she does. So she doesn't know that I've quit smoking. I'm trying to hold out and not tell her on the phone. I wanna surprise her this weekend. I think she will be very happy and proud of me. I know that my smoking has bothered her. So I can't wait for her to know.
Jessie
Well the no smoking trip is not so pretty. I have made it through the day with no smoking but I'm not to chipper about it. I went to church tonight because for one it was another hour that I wouldn't smoke and I thought at this point God may be the only help I have. :-)
I seriously cried through the whole sermon at church tonight. Not sobbing disrupt the congregation crying but crying. The pastor talked a lot about how parents protect their children. How they don't want them to suffer or to be sad or lonely. And it just made me miss my mom. So I sat there and cried and I'm sure looked like a fool to a lot of people but I don't care. Heck it's pretty bad when going to church doesn't even make ya feel better.
So I'm going to bed now and I'm praying that tomorrow will be easier and nicer and I'll not feel so crappy...
Jessie
Well today I'm officially a non smoker. I have been thinking about quitting smoking for a long time. Basically since I started smoking what is now 11 years ago. I remember when I was a stupid teenager and started smoking I thought oh I'll just smoke for a few years or I'll quit when I have kids. Now 11 years later I'm about to be a single mom and I'm terrified at the idea of what I've done to my body and health. I'm also terrified about the idea of me on a plane for 21 hours going to Greece and Ethiopia and not having my smoky treats as I call them. So I decided I needed to quit well before the plane rides and in advance of a baby coming home. I also thought it would be tacky to be the new mom that had to stand outside the orphanage and smoke rather than be with their baby. Tacky in my opinion. So no more for me.
Two weeks ago today I started taking a stop smoking medication Chantix. I was pretty apprehensive but it actually does seem to cut down on the cravings. So today Saturday March 3rd is the quit day. I just smoked my last smokey treat and it wasn't that enjoyable. It's snowing and windy outside and not pleasant weather. I thought maybe the sun would shine down brightly on me and the birds would chirp and I would have a brief moment of joy to say goodbye to my old friend. But no... I think I killed the birds with the smoke and the wind took what little breath I had away and the freezing snow made me do the I'm so cold I can't stand it dance. So by the time I was done I was annoyed and cussing and forgot to tell my friend goodbye. It's probably better that way... I should have never started in the first place.
I'm a little scared that tomorrow I'll go crazy and eat everything that isn't nailed down or I'll be a total bitch or I might give up. But then if I gain a couple pounds this week I'll just have to work harder next week and if I turn into a total bitch it won't be the first time and it will pass and if I give up and smoke one I'll just have to try harder not to smoke again. This may be a process but I've got to do it.
If I'm a single mom I've got to be as healthy as possible. There is no back up person. I get that. I can't be getting the lung cancer and dying. So no smokey treats. That and think of all the cool baby stuff I can buy with the money I save.
Okay this may be TMI for some people but I'm sharing it because this is my blog and I can. I'm having my period and for some reason decided to use a pad from Always. Well I open the thing up and there is a sticker on the pad that says "Have a Happy Period". What in the hell is that about!
Who says something stupid like that. And who in the hell is in charge of marketing at Always. That is the dumbest thing I've ever read in my life. Have a happy period. Some dumbass man had to come up with something like that. I just think it's ridiculous. Did the sticker making freaks not realize that I'm hormonal, fatter than I was last week, hungry, bitchy and don't want to be wished a Happy Period! There is nothing happy about my period. The only happy thing is that I have cramps that are bad enough that I'm not gonna trek my bloated butt over to the Always office and beat the heck out of someone.
Have a Happy Period.... Whatever!
Jessie
Did a great adoption staffing at work today. It was a big one and it went so well. I'm just thrilled about it. I was so nervous this morning but now that it's done I'm just psyched! Heck I even wore a skirt and did my hair real pretty so it must have been a big day. I haven't been dressing up at all lately for work. Bad I know but I just sit at my desk all day doing paperwork or I'm out visiting clients and playing with kids. Jeans and a sweater works for that. So today I broke out the business girl look and shockingly I think I had kinda missed it... But tomorrow is Friday so for sure back to jeans then. Maybe I'll dress up a couple days next week...
Jessie
