Sophie Says.......

Yet again Sophie has managed to produce another great comment for the blog. A few days ago Teresa was telling Sophie that she needed to stop playing in her room and start getting ready for music class. Here is the last part of the conversation:

Teresa: (growing imaptient) Sophie I said you need to get ready now or you will be late!!

Sophie: Wow, you're in a mood.

She just has a way with words!

~J~

ALOOOOOOOOOOOOOHA!!!!!

I know that I am lame and have not posted in awhile so I must apologize profusely! I had the wonderful opportunity recently, to travel to HAWAII to visit with our demonstrators over there. What an INCREDIBLE time. What wonderful, caring people! I just felt so welcome in their beautiful land. They even threw us a little Luau, complete with Lei's, AMAZING food, and some beautiful hula! Here's a few pics of my work crew and some of our Hawaiian friends:

Thanks my Hawaiian buddies! Cannot wait to come back and see more!!

We also got to do some great sight-seeing (thanks to our great tour-guide Jennifer) of the North Shore (saw some great Lost, and Baywatch filiming locations), Pearl Harbor (such a feeling of pride and reverence there), the Punch Bowl, the Pali Lookout, the Dole Plantation, and beautiful Waikiki! Wow. I will post a few of those pics soon.

Jaron

More funny comments from my Sophie

If I kept a journal of all the funny things Sophie (4) says each day, I would have volumes and volumes to share.

Last week she came to me very upset and said:

"Dad, Malorie just kicked me in the nuts".

I replied: "Soph, you dont have nuts honey."

This made her very upset and she screamed:

"Yes I do!!!!!!!" Then ran to her room and slammed the door.

I laughed and laughed and laughed.

I had to go back in to her room later, and to make her happy again I said:

"Ok Sophie, you have nuts"!!!!

Back from Orlando Leadership & Regional Seminar

HOLY COW. I am back from the Stampin' Up! Leadership Seminar in Orlando. Man am I tired. Here are a few pics from that trip:

You can see how exhausted we were by the end. I love being able to go out amongst our demonstrators and getting to know each one of them. It is such a rewarding job to have.

So to all the Stampin' Up! demonstrators out there: Thank you sooooo much for an absolutely amazing week!! Now respond & tell me your favorite things about the week. I'd love to hear it!

Kid's and the things they say

Anyone that has kids, teaches kids, or is around kids, can tell you that sometimes they say the funniest, strangest and most hilarious things. I have two of these that I need to share for you all to enjoy.

Yesterday at church I had the great "opportunity" to substitute in Malorie's class(on the left in picutre). I even got to give the lesson. To go with the time of year, it was all about the birth of baby Jesus. I aksed the kids what three presents the Three Wise Men brought with them to give baby Jesus. Of course Malorie's hand shot up like a lightning bolt. I called on her and she proudly proclaimed "Gold, Myrrh, and FRANKENSTEIN." What the????? What a terrible gift to bring. I can't think of anything worse than bringing a MONSTER with you to the birth of the baby Jesus can you?

A couple of weeks ago my brother-in-law was doing some yard work. He cut a branch down that fell right on his face. His nose swelled up huge. Coltin (in the middle in the picture) and I went to go check on him. After seeing him, on the drive back home, I turned to Coltin and said:

"Isn't it sad that Tony probably broke his nose?"

Coltin responded: "How can someone break their nose? There aren't even bones in there. Isn't it all just a bunch of CLEAVAGE???????"

I almost died laughing. I had to pull over and get my inhaler out of the glovebox! I almost had to give it to Coltin as well after I explained to him that he really meant Cartilage!!

Gotta love it! Tell us all something funny a child has said to you recently.

Deck the Halls

I LOVE decorating our tree each year for the holidays. We have a tradition- Teresa puts on the lights and I decorate the tree. I just don't have the patience for the lights! No seriously, no patience at all. Last year Teresa decided her job would be a lot easier if she just purchased a pre-lit tree. Brilliant! Now if I could find a pre-decorated one! Here are some pics of this years tree. Click to make them bigger.

I AM THANKFUL FOR...

I am sure many of you have that dreaded tradition where you go around the table, after Thanksgiving dinner, and each say a thing or two that you are thankful for. I used to DREAD this tradition when I was younger. I mean really, how many years in a row can you say "Uh... my family, I guess", and get away with it? Well today I feel thankful for many things and I need to write my top ten. A little longer entry but worh it. (I have a lot to be thankful for)

TOP TEN THINGS I AM THANKFUL FOR:

1. Uh, my FAMILY, I guess :) My wife and Kids. The picture is off to the side- Who wouldn't be thankful for them? Truly the #1 best thing in my life.
2. That I live in a free and democratic country. No matter how hard of times we may fall on, I still will always be grateful to live here.
3. My job- I love working for Stampin' Up! It is an amazing company and I love, and strongly believe in, all that they stand for.
4. Television- I am a news and Hollywood junkie. I know, two extremes- but love it.
5. My home- all 2400 square feet. I always thought Iwould need so much more than that. I thought it would be a starter home; just a step to something greater. I realize now it is all I need and that what I truly need in my life is to be giving a lot more of what I have to other people. Besides I could live in a bunker if I knew I would be with my wife and kids- most days anyway! :)
6. Diet Coke- though I am giving it up for Lent (not being Catholic I am really not sure what that entails but I hear people around me giving up something for a time called Lent. Sounds kind of fun. I think I will try it- yea right.
7. My Brother and Sisters- Each one brings such special traits to our family. We have a riot when we are together. I know that I always need to pack my inhaler because we will be laughing for hours and hours and hours- and my poor little lungs can't take it. Brian is a riot! The family clown. You never know when you will come around a corner and be greeted by a "full moon". Buffy-so calm and nurturing and thoughtful. Wants everyone to be happy. And Jen, incredibly patience, has tons of love to go around, and laughs like a witch (you know you do- we have been telling you for years).
8. My parents- two wonderful people that care so much about other people that they always put themselves last. Mom-surviving cancer for the second time and doing so without any complaints (I didn't get that trait) and Dad- cares deeply about making our city, state and country a better place to live and spends much time volunteering to do so.
9. Music- hearing someone singing in the shower, whistling at work (Linda), humming while working, snapping to the beat of music (Shannon), hearing songs of the season by the Mo Tab Choir, Donny Osmond and Mariah Carey, hearing Malorie and Coltin play a song on the piano that they have learned and are so proud to share, and hearing Sophie constantly walk around the house singing made up words to familiar tunes. Life would be so boring without the blessing of music.
10. Cars- even though I live about 5 miles from work, can you imagine how long that would take me on a horse, skates, walking, jogging (well that one would probably kill me long before I got there) skateboard, in a carriage or wagon. UGH! I forget how convenient they make life. I can easily go see my familf members. Sometimes in just minutes.

I want everyone to reply with at least one thing you are thankful for. It feeld good.

God bless!

My SWEET little Sophie

Miss Sophie (4) is our youngest, she has a personality like none other in our family. Sweet one minute but can turn on you without any notice. She keeps us on our toes. Here is a conversation that will help you see what I am taking about.

You should know that we were visitng Grammy and Papa (my parents) when Sophie put a popsicle stick in the toilet and FLUSHED it!


Me: Sophie say sorry to Grammy.

Sophie (grunting): uh uhhhhhhhhhh

Me (losing patience): Sophie say sorry!

Sophie: uh uhhhhhhhhhhh

Me (Hoping someone from DCFS isn't listening): Sophie just say the words "Sorry Grammy" for heaven sakes.

Sophie (defiantly): I already did.

Me (flabbergasted): No you didn't! I am standing right here and never heard it.

Sophie (adamantly): That's because I said it in SPANISH!!!!

Who knew that at four she had become bilingual? Now how can you ever get mad at that?

Photo Tag

So I got blog photo tagged over the weekend. This si quite fun acutally. Acess your own picure folders on your computer. Go to your fourth folder and find your fourth picture in said folder. If you do not have that many folders do two and then two. Then post that picture on your blog. So here is mine.

This is me at the Las Vegas Hard Rock Cafe two years ago. Anyone trhat truly knows me, knows that I am addicted to Hard Rcok Cafe. LOVE IT.

Now it iis your turn, post your own pic on your blog and leave a comment here so that we can all go look at it.

Stampin Samples

People ask me to post art work on my blog all the time. They want to see what projects I am working on when I am not traveling. To be honest, I do not get a lot of time to stamp when I am not traveling. I am Daddy to 3 energetic, priceless souls, (10,7, and 4), a soccer coach, local Miss America Pageant Director, and I am addicted to spending time in my yard. So I don't get a great deal of time to create. But here are a few projects I have been working on for all the stampers out there.

I use Stampin' Up products almost exclusively because I find they have almost everything that I need. This is using the Gratuitous Graffiti background stamp, and the Flower Fancy stamp. I used Craft Ink for the watercoloring to get a more vibrant look than classic inks.

Here's another project that was way easy to put together:

Two quick and easy 4x4 notecards. Used Pink Pirouette cardstock and Seriously Sassy stamp set, rhinestone brads and pearls, adhere with mini glue dots. EASY. I don't like projects that take a long time because I don't have a lot of time.

Let me know what you think......