THE TAKEOVER!!!

Okay, so I heard that it's okay to "break in" to your wife's blog on her birthday and post whatever you want. So be forewarned, this is not Jessie. If you don't know me, my name is Bart and I am her husband. And what rock have you been living under to not know who I am. You should be ashamed of yourself.

Now, let me get back to my post. I'm not going to talk about how awesome our kids are (although they are). And I'm definitely not going to talk about the Mom's Group that Jessie loves so much. And even though I have the greatest and most entertaining stories about Jessie, I'm not going to share them...mainly because I would get in trouble, but also because I value my relationship with my wife. However, I do say a few things that I hope Jessie will not catch/edit out. We will see...

Jessie is simply the perfect compliment for who I am. I'm not saying "she completes me" because that is a terribly corny thing to say, and anyway I don't think that I'll be "complete" in this lifetime. But Jessie is so much more than the 29 things she listed in her birthday post. So I've decided to make a list of 29 qualities that make Jessie the best wife, Mom, daughter, scrapbooker, bad joke teller...and overall awesome person that she is:

1. Jessie is patient, even when her boys are not
2. Jessie blesses our family with faith and hope
3. Jessie helps me be a more responsible person
4. Jessie loves to read with our children
5. Jessie keeps our family traditions alive (and she still has my Mom's "magic cooking pot" to prove this)
6. Jessie doesn't get mad at the stupid things I do (such as "world's most dirtiest pants")
7. Jessie understands the sacredness of LSU Football, and allows my wild antics before, during, and well after the games
8. Jessie works hard to magnify her church calling (if I sound like a Morman, it's because I am)
9. Jessie laughs at my jokes
10. Jessie takes pictures of all of the special things that happen in our family, like the time Jackson got a toilet seat stuck on his head
11. Jessie was willing to move halfway across the country so I could continue my "career"
12. Jessie can't stand to think that some people in the world are hungry
13. Jessie says she doesn't want to have more kids, but she hasn't completely ruled it out either
14. Jessie still thinks that REO Speedwagon is a great band
15. Jessie does this dance in the car sometimes where she hits her hand on the steering wheel and it is one of the funniest things ever
16. Jessie has a special knack of saying really inappropriate things at the perfect times
17. Jessie knocks me back down to earth when my head gets too big
18. Jessie says she likes my music collection but I know she thinks it sucks
19. Jessie wants to join a historical society that so she can take part in a civil war reenactment
20. Jessie tells me when my hair gets too long
21. Jessie is big on teamwork - she will wash the dishes because I don't like to, and she let's me put them up because it's a special skill I have
22. Jessie is a member of the PTA
23. Jessie has more traffic tickets than I do
24. Jessie will pass gas and then blame it on me without even cracking a smile
25. Jessie will talk to you on the phone, even if she is dropping the kids off at the pool
26. Jessie keeps in touch with our friends so I don't have to
27. Jessie reminds me and the kids to pray when we are having a hard time
28. Jessie was the daughter my Mom never had, and she helped her be happy when she was sick
29. Jessie is my best friend, and I find more things to love about her everyday

This Is What 29 Looks Like

You wish you were this lucky.

29 facts about Jessica:
1. I love to take pictures, but I love to be in them, too.
2. I took Japanese in high school, along with six others...and my school was TINY! (we watched it via satellite and talked mushi-mushi on Tuesdays and Thursdays, LIVE!)
3. I have been sewing since I was 11 (that's when I got my first machine), but I am only mediocre at it.
4. I am obsessed with scrapbooking but I am so cheap I do a minimalist job of it.
5. Although I say I am DONE WITH KIDS, I am too scared to have Bart get snipped just yet and I am getting an IUD on Friday instead.
6. I love cherry 7-Up, Mr. Pibb, and root beer, but rarely drink them.
7. I want more then I can have.
8. I have some wonderful friends...thanks for the phone calls!
9. My dad is awesome. He called this morning and sang a lovely rendition of Happy Birthday over the phone.
10. My mom is just as cool...she called later to let me know a box w/ 2 cricuit cartridges was coming my way soon!
11. I am addicted to myomahamommies.com
12. I am very vain about the fact that I have blue eyes and blonde hair (though it isn't so blond anymore...needs some color)
13. I do not like to wear skirts to church in the cold and am currently searching my soul to decide if wearing pants is being rebellious or just smart.
14. I forget movies soon after I watch them.
15. I read the Twilight books, love the first three and hate # four.
16. I got married really young (19)
17. A goal for 2009: Do the laundry more often so it doesn't take so long to put away.
18. I love Spanish rice but haven't had it in years b/c Bart doesn't like it (don't worry, he hasn't had a few foods he loves, too, like turtle soup.)
19. I have ugly fingers/fingernails and hate to have them painted, but like them to be polished clear.
20. I was #2 in my high school class of like 60 or so...big whop.
21. I was in 4-H in high school and LOVED it. I was president of my school's club and the parish club (I think I was parish pres...I was parish something) I even got scholarships from it.
22. I rode horses until we moved to Leesville, LA in 1988.
23. I like to tell elaborate stories and really embellish the facts. This has been a trait of mine since kindergarden.
24. I've never ridden a motorcycle even though most of my family does and The Rider's Edge course was offered to be paid in full if I wanted to take it.
25. I love the movie Sweet Home Alabama (any R.W. movie, really) and have seen it at least 20 times.
26. I only think a sale is good if it is more then 50% off...just 50% does not impress me. That's like the regular price of things at Hobby Lobby...if you pay full price there, it's like they are robbing you.
27. I love Bart with every fiber of my being and I am so glad I helped him plan Operation Day 13 and a luau when I was a freshman at LSU.
28. I should be watching the end of the LSU game.
29. I bet I am in bed before midnight tonight.

That's all about me for now...the cake of the century (made by 2 boys) is coming soon...



Oh, and don't you dig that professional backdrop? Yep, a quilt covering the window to help combat the freezing cold...I have that plastic stuff that you tape on and use your blow-dryer to shrink, but I haven't done it yet. My house ROCKS (well, if it had new windows it really would!)

A Present to Me

I ordered a super cute necklace from Becky Sharp Designs yesterday with some of my Christmas money from Bart's dad. I can't wait to get it. And one lucky friend has a surprise coming her way from Becky as well...wonder who it will be???
Becky is a friend from LSU days, so I am excited to get to support her and her passion for creating beautiful jewelry. Go check out her site. You will not be disappointed. She even has sales, which I love, so I am sure to order from her again. If only I'd thought of her sooner, the girls I was scrapping with this weekend would have gotten much nicer gifts...but there is always next year. (those poor women got the short end of my gift giving stick. i am so sorry...you guys gave GREAT gifts! i kept coming up with great ideas AFTER it was too late to get them)

Where Do They Learn This Stuff?

Brennan has been sick for a few days with a fever of 100-103 or so.

Today when I woke him up so we could take Bart to work, he sat up, felt his forehead, and said, "Well, I guess my fever broke. My brain is cool."

Where the heck did he learn the phrase "fever broke" and how did he know how to use it properly???

Giveaways

I am in the process of contacting people to do giveaways. If you are interested in doing a giveaway on my blog, please contact me via email theremingtons@cox.net. I think it would be fun and it is a great way for your products and services to get more exposure. If you know of someone else who might be interested, either contact me and share their info or contact them and share mine.
Thanks for your interest.