Halloween Neck Ties for sale!

New to my etsy shop: Halloween inspired neck ties...free Halloween tie tack while supplies last!

Skull and crossbones coordinating ties (all 3 sizes) listed here for just $10 each (plus shipping)

Assorted Halloween prints, all 3 sizes, just $8 (small, ages 0-2; medium ages 3-6; large ages 6-10) listed here.

I'm Jessica, and I'm a Mormon

As the Omaha area is about to start seeing lots of ads on t.v. about The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I just thought I'd take a minute to share my mormon.org profile.  Click here to read all about it!
Take a few minutes and look around.  It's a really cool website that is very easy to understand...maybe you have a question about "those Mormons" or think you know something that sounds odd about us...just look, or ASK!  There is a "chat now" feature where you can IM with a missionary to find out the truth behind those rumors.  There are also some amazingly inspirational videos on there.  Not preachy, "THISISTHEWAYITIS" type things, but just amazing stories about amazing people.  Watch a few...I bet you feel happy about yourself and life in general when you are done.
Come back here and tell me what you found at Mormon.org.  I'd love to share it with you!

Millard West Craft Fair, a success...and now to prep for Burke High Craft Fair!

We had a great time! Julie worked the fair, too (she was selling fantastic hair accessories!) but she was not there when we had our picture taken.  Thanks to all our friends who came and supported up, even if it was just stopping by to say hello.
What's next?  A frantic month of sewing to make lots of holiday neck ties and...turkey and snowman iron on kits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What to do in Omaha? Saturday, 9/24

There is a lot, lot, lot going on in Omaha this weekend...it's almost too much for little old me to take in.  But, what I will be doing, and what you COULD be doing, is attending the Millard West Craft Fair from 9-3!  Omaha Craft Fairs are awesome, so come visit us...turn left at the entrance, and head down the hall until you hear the party!!!!

Self Inflicted Bunny Ears

He tried and he tried but he could NOT make it work.  If joy and laughter help you stay young, I might never get a grey hair with my boys around.

Also, the Millard West Craft Fair is SATURDAY from 9-3.  If you are in the Omaha area, stop by and say hello.  We'll have lots of fun accessories (neck ties, jewelry, hair bows for kids and adults) and some skirts and pillowcase dresses for little girls, and some appliqued tees for boys and girls (plus a few adorable aprons for kids as well).  Enter at the front, turn left, go down the hall and look for the red/black/white pennant flying in the sky!

Time...

Me, last Friday  night, out with friends at Cheesecake Factory...when I did NOT need a nap.

Time sure seems to crawl when all you want is a NAP!

It makes me envious of Ethan, who is currently snoozing away right this second.

But...then I think about how he poops in his pants, has to be in bed by 7:30, doesn't know how to make microwave popcorn (he's tried though), and has to have his mom drive him all over.  Oh, wait, I'd not mind a chauffeur. 

I guess I will stick with being me (awesome, by the way) and not get a nap today.

The Little One and Me

Disclaimer: No, I am not pregnant, I am just fat in unfortunate areas.

Ethan and I have been having lots of together time since Jackson started school four weeks ago.  We've gone out to lunch with friends, to the park, to the Lincoln Zoo, and a few other places.  It is odd for me to have a free hand when walking around the zoo or in a busy parking lot.  It's so quiet at lunch as my one little munchin eats his sandwich and me my "healthy choice" microwave meal. 

It's been an adjustment period, one I am not quite sure I will get used to (what am I saying? give me another few weeks. ;)...but we are finding our new stride together.

I actually am kind of enjoying just Ethan around the house, but I sure do miss my Jackson and Brennan...and Ethan does, too.  He is very excited when I tell him it is time to go "get the Guys" after nap time each day.

Have you made the drop from many kids to just one and how did those of you left at home deal with it?  We've watched lots of Toy Story 3 and Curious George while I've worked...

Exercising Faith

Today we have a guest writer at Finding Joy...Bart!  He shared a really neat testimony at church today and I asked him to share it with you here:


I wanted to share my gratitude that I have an omniscient Heavenly Father – one who allows me to grow and exercise faith as I live my life on this earth. I also know I can learn from this example and become a father more like my father in heaven by allowing my own children to learn and grow through becoming more patient and understanding in my patriarchal role. I had this exact opportunity over the weekend and thankfully my wife was present to teach me yet another lesson in how to be a better parent.
On Saturday, Brennan and Jackson had a friend over to play. After a few minutes, I heard Jackson crying and arguing in their room where the three boys were playing together. I instantly reacted to one of my kids sounding the alarm by bolting toward the stairs, ready to defend my middle child. Jessie stopped me before I reached the first step and said “Just wait – he will come downstairs if he needs us.” I waited and after a few minutes, the boys seemed to have settled their issue without my assistance. Initially, I thought this simply saved me the time and frustration of dealing with three bickering kids. It wasn’t until Sunday morning that I realized the lesson that this situation held for me.
Sunday was fast and testimony at our church, which is something we do every first Sunday. It is a fantastic experience, and I have always grown in both my faith and testimony as I’ve fasted and shared my thoughts on these days. As we sat in church this past Sunday and listened to the testimonies, I felt prompted to share the experience I had on Saturday. As I sat thinking of why Jessie stopped me from going up to the boys room, as well as what the boys hopefully learned from being left to their own devices, it dawned on me that my kids weren’t the only one learning something.
For the past few years, work has been very challenging. I’ve considering giving up and trying to move back home to Baton Rouge several times. I miss family, good food and LSU sports a ton, and hard times at work just exacerbate and enhance my longing for those things I miss. I’ve prayed that Heavenly Father would provide a solution, and relying on my own limited knowledge, I’ve always felt that answer would be to return home. Being all knowing, Heavenly Father didn’t allow that to happen and instead allowed me to work through those emotions and learn to rely on faith. Things didn’t necessarily happen in my timeframe, but once I stopped assuming my solution was the best thing for my family, it became easier to put my trust and faith in the Lord. If Heavenly Father would have bailed me out to save me the struggle and the pain, I would have never grown and would have continued to expect the answers to life’s problems to always come easy. By requiring me to continue to pray and exercise my faith, Heavenly Father extended more love and support and helped me become a stronger man and better father. Through this experience I learned that it’s sometimes the lifeline that’s not extended that helps us the most in the long run.
I know it won’t be easy for me to let my children learn and grow. I’m positive I’ll die inside to see my boys struggle in life. I will always want to run to their aid the second I hear them cry. Knowing that my Heavenly Father is strong enough to allow me to struggle through life, to feel pain and despair and to learn from those times, gives me hope that I can become more like him as my boys grow into men. I just have to continually remind myself that it’s only through experiencing the heartache and despair that we can ever hope to fully appreciate and comprehend the joy that Heavenly Father wishes for us all.

I had no clue they made baby valium

Red splotches, tousled hair, a frown, and tears...it was quite a morning

But I do now!  (I wish I had some for Ethan for that long car trip to LA, lol)   My normally happy to go to the dentist child turned into a wild man this week at his semi-annual checkup.  And of course, he has TWO cavities, so he has to go back in a month to have them filled.  And when he goes back, Dr. B gave me a script for some baby valium!  It's a very low dosage to help him relax before he gets the gas to have the cavities filled.  I bet Dr. B was wishing he'd given Jack some of that BEFORE the reg. scheduled cleaning appointment.  Even with Jack acting like a crack addict stranded on a desert island (I imagine they'd freak out and scream and cry and kick a lot), Dr. B and his staff were still very kind and gentle with Jack...even when Dr. B personally held him for X-Rays.  

I will happily oblige and give Jack some, if it means we don't have to go to a hospital and have him put to sleep to fill cavities.  Brennan had that done in 2007, and we are still paying on that!  (Um, check with your insurance...never assume it's a "network" hospital just b/c a network dentist recommended it!  And I bet if you paid more then $10 a month, you'd pay it off faster, too, but I am in no rush)  I wish he'd recommended it to me then.  The weird thing is, ever since Brennan had that experience, he's LOVED going to the dentist...I think Dr. B did a mind altering  surgery at the same time as he filled the cavities.  Yes, that is it for sure.

Hopefully Jack won't behave like this again, or I might need to invest in a taser...and some more baby valium.  For ME.