Jarvis Fun House

Project 52: 07/52 Plug

2012-02-22T00:00:00.000-06:00

Remember Bryan's is the left one & Tressia/TJ is the right one.

Project 52: 06/52 Wire

2012-02-18T08:28:00.005-06:00

Project 52: 05/52 Steel

2012-02-07T00:00:00.004-06:00

NOTE: Since the Blog does not want to save everything the way I want it Bryan's pictures will be on the left & Tressia/TJ on the right for all future post. Enjoy!

Project 52: 03/52 Dirty

2012-02-06T19:00:00.000-06:00

Bryan

Tressia/TJ

Bryan & I will be doing Project 52. Let the fun begin!!!!!

Project 52: 04/52 Line(s)

2012-02-06T12:00:00.004-06:00

Bryan Tressia/TJ

God contnues to give answers

2012-02-06T00:00:00.001-06:00

As many of you know that if you come into the Jarvis FunHouse family via friendship, work or marriage you are apart of this family. Well as you also know I love children. I would love to have 1-2 more grandchildren if it is in the plans. Maybe one of the reasons God moved the Fam to Maine is so Brylee would have a chance of a normal life & not be too spoiled. Back to the point. I consider Brad, Faith & Helen my family too. This is my McFadden Family. (Cary, Jenn & Brylee are my Fam)

I took the chance & e-mailed Brad & Faith to see if they could get together on the 28th.They asked if it was better to meet @ Fire Wheel or in Rockwall. I told them it did not matter because I have my Garmin & I could meet them where ever. (to those that don't know what a Garmin is It is my GPS also known as Karen.) We arranged to meet in Rockwall @ On the Border then ice cream @ Braskin Robbins. Let the FUN begin.

I needed to meet my friend Donna to drop off some pictures so we decided to meet @ the Lowes parking lot. I got there a little early & went inside. I ran into some friends from the Fire Dept & we talked for about 5-10 minutes. What a pleasure it was to talk with them. I do hope we get the chance again. They gave me advise about a car(s) I'm considering in the future. God's answer: Friendship is so valuable.
I meet up with Donna and as she was looking through the pictures when a call came in. She told me she needed to take it. By the tone of voice I knew it had to be someone she was concern or worried about. God's Answer: You will always be a mother & always worry about your Fam no matter how old or how far way they are.
Next I was on my way to meet my Mcfadden Family. Garmin/Karen & I made great timing. Now Garmin/Karen did take me off the President George Bush Tollway & through a scenic route for a short time. I had heard that the tollway goes all the way to I- 30 but this time I would do as Garmin/Karen asked, so I "Follow the highlighted route". It took me through an area that my parents once lived in. Lots of changes. Lots of memories came flooding back. God's Answer: Memories are good. Make as many as you can.
It was so good to see everyone. I got & took the biggest hug(s) I could from Helen.(and many more) It's been a while since I saw her & even though we hope to get together again soon I needed something to hold onto until the next time. Helen said, the Blessing for our meal. It was the sweetest one I have ever heard!! I will cherish it. We ate & talked. Did you know Unlimited does not mean unlimited? Yep..... I will let Brad explain that one. Once we were done we got into my SUV & went for ice cream. Now I wish I had my camera or at least my cell phone for a picture of Helen sitting in Brylee's car seat! It was greatness. Man!! I really wish I had gotten a picture. After we got our ice cream we sit & talked. I listened to how much they missed the family too. God's Answer: We are not the only one missing the family & it is tough on everyone. We are not the only ones that had a tough time with changes at the holidays.
I also found out that it looks like the McFadden Family will be joining us in Maine For Christmas!! We talked about maybe flying at the same time. I get Helen!!! This way we can show them how to catch the bus into Portland, etc. I also know that Cary & Brad's dad need to build up his muscles. LOL. We will see if we can coordinate this.
If everything works out Bryan & I hope to go for a visit in June to see the Fam. It may workout that Helen will fly with us so she can see her grandparents. She misses them A LOT!!! Bonus points will be seeing Uncle Cary, Aunt Jenn & Brylee. God's Answer: Reminder on why we welcome people into our life. You never know what journeys you will share.
After our ice cream I took them back to there car. I got more hugs.
I knew the direction I needed to go so off I go! Now remember that Garmin/Karen took me through the scenic route coming so I made my way to West bound I-30 & took off. Well Garmin/Karen had to re-calculating since I was not "following her highlighted route". I knew if I did not find President George Bush Tollway that I would come across 635 so I was ok. God's Answer: Trust Me! Just down the road a little came the exit for the tollway, so here I go.... I'm on the tollway over the lake & my says "re-calculating" then came " follow highlighted route." "follow highlighted route" "follow highlighted route" I looked over at my Garmin & all you could see was WATER on the map. I started laughing!!! My Garmin thought I was driving on water. I called Bryan to tell him & after he laughed he told me he might want to update my Garmin/Karen. What a wonder way to end a really bad week. Friends, family, Garmin & GOD!!!!

Pity Wedensday!

2012-02-04T00:00:00.001-06:00

I’m not sure if it is due to the stress at work or missing my family or Bryan’s upcoming trip but, it was a really bad last 3 days at work.(Jan22nd) During this time I remember noting I needed to have Bryan look at my front left tire. I thought it looked low but again it could be just me.

Let me bring you up to speed a little. Bryan will be on the West Coast (Nevada/Arizona) for a convention. The Fam is on the Northeast coast. This means my family is spread out coast to coast & I’m in the middle! Positive Voice: This is actually a good thing I can get to either coast fast.

We are very short handed at work. We all are juggling multiple jobs.We still have people that need to take off for 1 reason or another which means a little more work on some days. While the others complain about the extra work load I try to keep positive. Positive Voice: I’m thankful I have a job.

So Wednesday I was really down. I kept having conversations in my head, working trying to be a good Team Player, & being a supportive wife & mom. Then Pity Voice: Why are MY dreams being taken away? Why is it that everyone I love is taken away from me?? What did I do to deserve this? Why don’t I just be as selfish as others around me?? They seem to get what they want all the time. Positive Voice: Because you would feel worst being like them. You know how much it would hurt God & people you care about if you were that selfish! During all this I have to hold back tear, answer the phone without the quiver in my voice & to sound like I have no cares in the world. The Positive Voice: It’s ok, there is a plan & at this time you must follow God’s plan not your own. Things are not as they seem. There is a different direction God needs you to follow. God needs you to spend more time with your parents or Ashton. God is handling your concerns just give him time.

I can usually pull myself out of the pity by thinking of my work in my yard. Think of something Brylee has done funny lately. Did you know Brylee's middle name is Poppy? LOL I thought of the trips we are planning to see the family. The quick long weekend trips with Bryan we talk about. Ideas for the house. (Something I know Bryan cringes inside every time I say, "I have an idea(s) I want to bounce off you") Then something around me would cause me to start the negative thoughts all over again. Mr. Pity just did not want to go AWAY!!!!

Fast forward to Friday.

I had a message on Thursday reminding me of my hair appointment on Friday. I completely forgot. So with a little re arranging I was able to make the appointment. I again remember my front left tire looked low & ask Bryan to look at it. After my appointment & supper I told Bryan when we got home that he should pull his car into the garage to load up for his trip. (BELIEVE me the Mini is PACKED!!) We would not have to worry about anyone breaking into his car (Not that we have a problem in our area but why take a chance. Hey Petunia belt & hat was packed in there. Very valuable to her.) LOL and a big reason is so no one would see Bryan packing up his car to go on his trip. I do not like to let others know Bryan is gone. NOTE: I do not post it on FB that Bryan is out of town. We do let a few family members know. I tell a couple of co-workers so if I don’t show up to work they know to call 9-1-1 for a welfare call. (Checking on someone) Bryan sends out a”Where is Bryan” to the Reserves letting them know he is not in town. All these are people I trust & feel safe with. This is just a precaution I take for my safety.

Saturday Morning.

Bryan & I go to I-HOP for breakfast. Then a quick stop into Wal-Mart & pick up a few things for his trip. Next thing you know Bryan is off to Bullhead Az. After a little housework I’m off on my errands. At one point I decided to stop at QT for a diet coke. (I never stop at QT for a drink.) I notice my tire again & think is it really low or is it my eye sight. Then I remember I need to check on picture we are having framed so I go the opposite direction that I had started & go check on it. Then I go to Calloways just to look around. When I came out I see the tire again. So I decided that God is telling me to have that tire check. (Mmmm each time I started off in a different direction God kept sending me back in the direction of Discount Tires.) I was around the corner from Discount Tire so I decided I would have them check it for me. That must have been the correct answer because when I went to make a left turn, the roads were clear & I went without any problems. (Note: I do not like making left turns on multiple lane roads.) They checked the pressure & it only had 20# of pressure. They told me that I would have ruined the tire if I had driven to Rockwall on it. Positive Voice: THANK YOU God for pushing me to take care of this tire. God Voice: See I’m still here. I’ve got you!!!! Insert a BIG smile & tears here. Me: Yes God, you are still here for me. THANK YOU!!!

Well as you can see God answers prayers & questions. Pity Wednesday was just a bad day. I received so many answers the whole week letting me know that God has this.

Now off to visit with friends & family & more answers from God.

Brylee's Room Part II

2012-01-29T09:55:00.010-06:00

Update on Brylee's room. Yesterday while visiting with my McFadden Family, Faith & Helen were showing me Helen's new room. I love the colors and the room is very cute. One of the pictures were lanterns hanging from the ceiling.

When I got home I was just relaxing & I had a thought! Brylee's room needs something on the walls. Remember this is a room that will go through many changes over the next few years. One idea is putting the first initial of each grandchild(ren) on the walls. Making the letter "B" is on Bryan's list of things to do over the next few months.

The room still needed something. Simple. FUN. Inexpensive. Then I thought of the lanterns. I text Helen to be sure it would be okay to use the idea & she thought it would be cool.

I could not find a dark purple so I went with the Black & White. (the accent color in Brylee's room is dark purple) It still works & if I come across a purple lantern later I can always pick it up.

I text a picture to Bryan & Jenn and asked, "any bets on how long it takes Brylee to pull them down" Jenn text back something like you want to bet how long it will take me to put them in my room??? I do remember Jenn wanting lanterns too.

Now to make or have someone make a pillow out of the stripped material I have left over.

Thanks Faith & Helen for sharing the idea. Now every time I look into Brylee's room I will think of you guys. Wish I had a picture of how cute your lanterns turned out. I would add it to the post.

Brylee's Has Her Own Room

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

As many of you know Spike Jones our iguana of 16 years passed away back in September. The room he was in was once Jennifer's playroom. Then it was her study that she shared with Ralph our snake. Then Jennifer & Spike shared the room. Then Spike took it over & it was his room/ junk room.

Many asked if I would turn the room into a grandchildren room once we heard we were going to be grandparents. I told them no because for one reason Spike's cage was to big to move out. Another reason was we knew the Family would be moving & to walk into that room after they left would make the move harder on me. Actually I had planned on making it my room. Okay a guest room done in a Native American Indian theme. With a white cedar post bed & all.

Well after Spike died I started putting ideas down for the room. Well my thoughts kept going back to Brylee needing a bed which meant a room of her own. One she could play & sleep in. Her pack & play was set up in the reading area of our bedroom. I loved to wake up listening to her talk or play the weekends she stayed with us. She could not sleep in the pack & play forever. I thought of getting her an air mattress & putting it in the room but that would not work for long & she would need her own space. So after sitting down with Bryan I decided to make the room into the grandchildren room, or for now Brylee's room. I tried to keep it a secret from Jennifer but when packages started coming to the house she asked what were in the boxes & I finally told her my idea. She seemed to love it & I told her I would not tell her anything else until she saw it at Christmas.

I had to be sure the room would be decorated so anyone would feel comfortable staying in it. Male/female. Young/old. I had to be sure that the room would and could reflect additional grandchildren. Thanks to all my friends & family I think we did it. They either let me bounce ideas off them, or helped me make something for the room, or giving me web-sites to look at. It was fun! This room is not finished & will not be for a few years. It will grow with Brylee & any other grandchildren we might have.

Of course I had to add some personal touches. I sanded & painted a step stool that Jennifer had as a child so Brylee could use it to get into the bed. I painted the light switch in stripes to give the room a personal touch. I really need to just cover it in cloth but Jennifer said to leave it. As we come across items through out the house we go put it into Brylee's room.

It was so hard not to mention anything about the room to Jenn. There were times I wanted to bounce ideas off on her. To make it special for Brylee, we got her a Christmas tree to decorate. A purple Christmas tree. Brylee is too young to understand what went into making this HER room. To her it was just another room she plays & sleeps in.

Bryan & I went through the room & made all plugs had covers. We got a hide a rail for her bed to keep her from falling out. of the bed. I was worried that it would not be tall enough but once we put Brylee to bed the first night I was okay with our choice. Brylee was now a big girl with a big girl room.

So, now after 16 years this room has a new identity, it is now Brylee's room!

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-06:00

On January 20 1978, God blessed me with a tiny crying little girl. I was so scared because I had this little life in my arms & I was responsible to keep her safe. To teach her life lessons. I gave her what I knew best... LOVE. She is now a beautiful young lady. She is sweet. She is very caring. She is talented. I'm proud to tell the world she is my daughter!!!! She is also my Best friend!!! Thank you GOD, for such a wonderful gift. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNIFER!!
The above is what I posted on FB.

Jennifer I wish I could tell the world what a wonderful daughter you are!!!! I mean it. You were just about the most perfect child growing up. Problem free. I sometimes wonder if it is due to us treating you as a little people. Letting you make your on decisions with a little bet of guidance. Listening to you. I tried to put myself in your shoes so that I could understand what you needed at each stage of your life.You are a very carrying person to humans & animals alike.

We called you Angel before you were born since we did not know if we were having a daughter or son. You know I really think the name fits because you show GOD's love every day in so many ways. That is not easy these days. Please stay the way you are don't change, you are the perfect daughter!!!!

Thank you for being our Best friend! We love you!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jennifer Marie Jarvis McFadden!!!

Dad' Gathering

2012-01-16T00:00:00.002-06:00

Our dad has said many times he wished that he could have all his children together in the same place at the same time. Well with 8 children that is really hard. Well I thought I would see what I could do.

So in November I texted, e-mailed or called everyone to see if they would be able to make it around January 7th. I had to asked dad his schedule up to 2 weeks before the gathering if he would be off on January 7th. I then started contacting everyone to let them know it was a go for the get together. I asked everyone to let the grandchildren know so if they could come it was the icing on the cake.

Bill & I talked about flying Toney home to surprise both mom & dad. I knew he would not fly because, well Toney does not fly! We called & made him the offer but NO, he was not getting into a tube & flying 25000 feet above the earth. Yep that's Toney.

Dad knew I was coming & bringing lunch. Bill used the excuse to come look at dad's computer. Dad started suspecting something when mom got up & started chili beans & home made rolls. She would ask him to vacuum & do a few other things around the house. He even told me he was thinking about calling in to work to ask to be put on the schedule. He even threw out that he needed to rake the leaves. I told him I would help him with the leaves after lunch. That never got done. :) Mary & Weid showed up & said they were in the neighborhood & thought they would drop in. Then Debbie & Kenneth dropped in to return the air mattress. Dad would throw out comments to see if anyone would let on what was going on. I mean really all of us showing up at the house at the same time? Dad even said he texted one of our sisters that we were all there & that she had texted back, why was she not invited to the fun? Richard & his family came in & this really got dad. Once we made sure everyone was there I told dad that we had tried to make a wish come true & have all of his children one place at the same time. We told him how we talked to Toney about flying in to surprise him & mom. The look on his face was PRICELESS.We told him that due to family illness 2 of our sisters could not make it. Well he loved it!

The bonus points were that one of the smoke alarms was chirping. So all the sons made sure to change out all smoke alarms batteries through out the house. Weid asked if any light bulbs needed to be changed out. (We did not need either dad or mom falling through a window again.) There is a joke in the picture if you can find it.

I understand that dad talked about it for days. I wonder how many times he told his co-workers? I guess that means we made his day.

Thanks everyone for bringing food or drinks. The cake was delicious! I'm still waiting on the recipe. I believe we all enjoyed the visit & watching dad try to figure out what was going on. We really need to do this again soon.

Love you Dad!!

Project 52: 02/52 Snow

2012-01-15T13:00:00.002-06:00

Snow in Texas does not have much of a chance.

Project 52 01/52 Eggs

2012-01-14T18:57:00.004-06:00

I should have asked if they wanted a blindfold!

2012-01-14T18:51:00.001-06:00

Welcome 2012!!

Well it looks like the Jarvis FunHouse blog will be a little more active. We are going to join many of you in the Project 52. I will try to add little Jarvis FunHouse news as I can.

Watch out 2012 here we COME!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-20T17:55:00.003-06:00

Wow can you believe it is Thanksgiving already? As many of you know we are not having Thanksgiving at our home this year. We are a growing family & with that comes changes & new traditions to be made.

You know I will miss not having all our family & friends together. That is what we enjoyed most. We could invite anyone we wanted to. Friends, family, co-workers & friends of family and/or friends. There is always next year. I loved planning the meal so this year I did a different type of planning. Almost done. I still looked at crafts to do, maybe we will do one at Christmas. So you would think that I would just relax. You are so FUNNY!!! I still cleaned the house & worked in the yard like I would any other year. The only thing missing is the fresh flowers in the house. LOL. So since I have been behind most of the year, I will say that I'm getting a head start on Christmas. :)

May each and everyone of you have a Wonderful, FUN & safe Holiday. Don't eat too much. Don't spend all your money on Black Friday. When you are counting your blessing I hope they multiply.

Remember you are a blessing to us & we love you very much.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Phase III

2011-06-03T19:24:00.006-05:00

As many of you know we have lived in our home for 28 years. The last time we painted was 20 years ago. To be honest the paint held up really well but it needed to be freshened up. Our home is a lot like us. Getting older. It has a few bumps & imperfections like we do as we get older. We have had leaks in the ceilings that have stained a few areas. It also has kept us safe, warm, protected. So we thought it was time to give it some TLC back.

I have been planning & thinking & re-thinking all the little details of the changes I would like to make to our home when & if we ever had the chance. Well here we are!!!! Oh don't think it is over yet we still have Phase 4 this will be taking down the rails in the living room, building up the living room floor & putting in tile & wood floors. But we are talking of NOW not 4 years from now.

WOW what a change!!!! Now most of the rooms just got a fresh coat of paint ceiling & walls. The doors & trim are now painted. New nickel hardware. New electrical outlets. The only rooms that did not get this nice update is Spikes room & the Master Bathroom. The bathrooms was done a few years ago so we though t we would save some money & wait. Spikes room, well we are waiting out his life before doing it. It will be a guest bedroom so there will be a lot of taking down shelves & removing carpet, etc...so we are waiting.
Jennifer's room got new closet doors.
The Living Room & Dining room had a lot of changes. Not only did they get a fresh coat of paint but we took down the brown beams & added new light fixtures. The Dining room also now has accent walls, no more wall paper!!
The Kitchen also received a change. No more plastic diffuser light. We have opened it up & added track lighting. This was an easy change & made such a huge difference!
The table in the kitchen received a new light.
Now for you Cary, Eric, Tommy & other tall people in the family we have changed out the ceiling fan in the Den. It is more of a flush mount style so we can all wall under it.

As I have said in the past this house holds A LOT of memories. Even now it brings back a favorite one from about 20 years ago.......the beautiful little girls walking down the hall sing......
"Don't touch the wall, uncool, don't touch the walls,uncool.......... :)

What a Year so for

2011-06-01T19:02:00.002-05:00

What a year!

I’m not sure about you but The Jarvis FunHouse has already had a busy year and it is only June! Jennifer, Cary & Brylee moved to Maine. Kim, Tommy & the girls to Ohio. Erica, to a new home in The Colony. Dad & Barbara moved to Little Elm. Spencer is now an Eagle Scout & will be graduating soon. Eric got a promotion. Bryan & I had our first holiday out of Texas. Bryan & Jeff won The Brian Collins Memorial Award. Bryan & I had a very busy 2 weeks with visits from Toney & Angie. Then Jennifer, Cary & Brylee came in 5 days later. Let’s throw in the Texas LAFS Convention. Ashton is now wearing his new leg & doing well in Pre-K.

We have had to say goodbye to love ones & hello to new little angels. We were honored with being invited to the wedding of a young man we watched grow up. So many more changes are on the horizon.

One that is VERY SPECIAL to us, Thanksgiving, will not be held at The Jarvis FunHouse this year. Bryan & I will be in Maine with Jennifer & Cary. Jennifer will try her hand at preparing the Thanksgiving meal this year. She does not have to worry - she will have plenty of help & advice. Maybe more than she would like. I’m sure you are all invited but you will need to let her know how many will be coming. If you can’t join us but also don’t want to cook and would like to enjoy some familiar faces for Thanksgiving, Bill has offered to host Thanksgiving @ his place. He lives in Euless. He has the same concept as we do here at The Jarvis FunHouse & that is, everyone is invited & if you know someone who does not have someplace to go bring them along. Please just let him know how many. Some of you may want to start your own Thanksgiving Tradition(s). I hope you share them with us. Yes, there will be other Thanksgivings here @ the Jarvis FunHouse, just not this year of 2011.

This is really just a heads up to let you know if you had planned on joining us this year we will be traveling. I will be making M&M cookies in Maine so I can watch Brylee enjoy a favorite family treat. Oh, what about your cookies?!? Erica has been baking M&M cookies since I put the recipe out on the blog. Bill can do the No Bake Cookies, so it sounds like you are all covered. I would just contact them & ask them very nicely if they will make your favorite treats. HEY! I’m not sure I like this, you will not need me for Thanksgiving any more. L The upside is that Jennifer & Cary, along with Brylee will start some of their own Thanksgiving traditions, along with a few of you.

However, it does look like we will be having a Texas Christmas here this year. Mark your calendars if you think you would like to join us. I will send out more info closer to the holiday.

Remember we love all of you & it will be a little strange not seeing everyone, even stranger possibly having a White Thanksgiving! But the times, they are a changing…..

So now on with the rest of the year………….

Bryan & Tressia

{Bryan wants Thanksgiving Lobster in Maine!}

Elma E. Cummons

2011-04-15T17:51:00.003-05:00

Elma E Cummons 01/16/21-04/15/11. It is the Dash between the years that matter. She lived them to her fullest. She was a sweet, kind & caring person. She was an Angel on Earth.
You will be missed.

Airline Delays!

2011-03-06T19:27:00.003-06:00

Well let me tell you about our plane experience coming & going.
The airline we used will remain annoynomous. Our friend Jeff offered to take us & pick us up from the airport. This was great since we had the baby & he was sweet enough to help us with the luggage @ the airport. Having Brylee it was a BIG help and allowed one of us to focus on Brylee. Thank You Jeff!
Going through security was not too bad. There was a nice gentleman that helped us push all the tubs we had through the x-ray machine. I did have to step aside to allow security to check the bottles of milk I had packed for Brylee. They just had to wipe a strip over the seal. The agent was nice & was very polite.
While walking around with Brylee there was an announcement that our plane was not at the gate yet. This was the first plane out & they had not even started to bring it from the hanger area. Bryan comment was " they need a course in Hanger Management". Brylee was getting hungry so we gave her a bottle & off to sleep she went. Once we got on the plane another announcement was made, "we are sorry but we are experiencing electrical/mechanical problems & we have requested a mechanic". 20 minutes later another announcement was made, "we are still waiting on the mechanic". During this time Brylee is restless but not too bad. We had a great woman sitting in our row that offered & got down bags when we needed them. She offered her blanket if Brylee got too cold. Very sweet person.
Well, we finally were able to start our taxiing when another announcement was made. We had to have the weight of the plane re-calulated. WHAT!!!!!! Well, once we got off the ground everything went a little better. A few passagers were upset that they would still have to pay for a snack since we were delayed 1.5 hours. Not a problem, Brylee had her snacks & she was happy so we were too!

Coming home...
We started to the airport a little early so we could get a couple of Geo Caches before getting to the airport. We stopped to eat lunch & I could tell that Jennifer was getting really upset & I decided that we would go on to the airport & they would drop us off. Cary said no, they would stay with us until we left. I did not like my little girl being upset. The weather from their house to the airport was rain, some sleet & some snow. Bryan & I wanted them safe at home. So we went to the airport to say good bye. As I got out of the car Brylee started crying & reaching for me as to say don't go! That broke my heart!!!! Then I hugged Cary & asked him to take care of my family, all 4 of them! I hugged Jennfer & told her I love her & we would see her soon. We stepped inside the airport & waved as they finally left. A few minute later Bryan's phone rang & you could hear Brylee doing the Super Chicken song....all is better!
We picked up a couple of magazines & went to the gate & waited. Then there is an announcement that the plane coming in from DFW is 15-20 mintutes late. So once we get on the plane & settled in there is another announcement, we will be delayed while they de-ice the plane. Well I could accept that! Once we get in the air the pilot annouces the route home to make up time for the delays. We were to land at 7:05. We landed at 8:05. We get on the ground & another announcement was made that there was a plane at our gate that was not able to be moved & they would be looking for us another gate. Well, after sitting for 15-20 mintutes they were able to move the plane. Bryan had texted Jeff that we were down & Jeff sent back one saying that there were a lot of people at the baggage claim waiting on luggage. It seems there was a problem of some kind. Fortunately we had our bags on the plane with us & by the time we got off the plane the baggage area was cleared.
Well, I guess I better get use to delays & problems...I have some very important people I need to visit!

Week with Brylee!

2011-03-06T18:12:00.005-06:00

As many of you know Brylee spent the week with T-ma & Poppy recently. Since we knew it would be some time before we had the chance to play & have a good time we centered everything & everyday around her. Here are a few things we did that week: Saturday: Went to Ham & Eggs to have breakfast with Jennifer & Cary before they started on their long road trip. After the tearful goodbyes we started to get thing ready for the day. Sarah (a friend's daughter from the fire dept. Sarah is very special to us & we love her!) came over to bring us our Girl Scout Cookies. She played with Brylee & even read a book to her. She was wonderful with Brylee & she enjoyed the time. We went shopping for some cooler clothes since she had winter clothes but we are in Texas & the weather was going to be in the 70's most of the week. We played at the Vista Ridge play area & the a couple older girls wanted to play with her. We stopped to play in the Mom's Lounge, for just a minute. Since this area had no one in it & she could enjoy herself. Went to the grocery store. Read with Poppy. Sunday: Enjoyed breakfast & tried to feed self. Of course we shared our orange juice with her. Played with Giggles on the computer. Went to the Grapevine Mall & played on the interactive screen. The interactive screen had scenes of balloons, cocoa with marshmallows, peacocks plus 4 more. This took up about 20 minutes as we entered the mall & as we left. We went to Build a Bear where she did not care about a stuffed animal but wanted to run out in the mall & be free. Now once we picked a bear & started the process she was okay except the stuffing of the bear. The special reason for going to Build a Bear is so Bryan & I could record a special message for her. The message was "Go Brylee, Go Brylee, Go Brylee, T-ma loves you!" then Bryan recorded "Remember Poppy loves you too!" We wanted a special outfit for it & found the best one, a Stars Player uniform. Perfect. We had the chance to Skype with her mommy & daddy that evening. Monday: Poppy & I took her to her last Mother Goose Time at the library. Not only was it due to the move but the class is for up to 15 months old & she just turned 15 months old. We went to the mall & played in the play area for a little while.
Playing around the house & chasing each other around the house. Tuesday: We, including Poppy, went to the big girl class of Toddler Time. She was not impressed with it because there was no parachute time. But she did try to participate the best she could. We ran an errand to Tom Thumb to pick up the Turkey steaks & she got an Elmo "boon" Amy dropped by to deliver more Girl Scout cookies & to see Brylee 1 last time before she moved to Maine. Went to Fry's to pick up some monitor screens for Poppy's Corporate office. Ran around the house with a picture of Chester. I had to take it away from her a few days later when she started eating the paper.
Was playing Giggles & sneezed this time she hit the table across the bridge of her nose. BIG OUCH!!!!!! Poppy & T-ma taught her the Super Chicken song & yes she is still going around saying it. Wednesday: Went to the Play Area @ Vista Ridge Mall. Ate spaghetti be herself. A little messy but she ate & feed herself. Played with the instruments that we have in the Study. Lots of singing & dancing going on. Thursday: This was a quite day. Played with her jewelry & a lot of Valley girl talk going on. Reading of books. Playing with Giggles. Chasing and being chased around the house.
On Friday I woke up @ 1:45 going through a check list in my head, did I have everything for Brylee packed? Did I pack everything I needed? Do I have the animals cared for while we are gone? So I finally got up @ 2:15 & Brylee got up at 2:30. So we started getting everything around & a good friend Jeff came @ 5:30 to drive us to the airport so we could take Brylee to her new home. The week was the best I have had in years. I LOVED reading to Brylee. To play with the jewelry & talk "Valley Girl" with her. Chasing her & she chasing me around the house. Bryan & I teaching her Super Chicken theme & 123 UGH! Getting the instruments down & enjoying the time to play, sing & dance.I did notice that she began to get clingy earlier in the week. This could be good or bad.
I had always hoped & dreamed that being a grandmother would be a lot like this. I want all of Brylee's visits either living close or far away to be just like this....FUN!!!. Looking forward to our next visit!!

2011-02-06T00:00:00.001-06:00

As many of you know Brylee has been a JOY for Bryan & I. She is the sweetest little girl. On Monday Night the kids came over and had supper with me. Jenn cooked so I came home & was spoiled! Well I was following Brylee around & we went into the bathroom, one of her favorite rooms in the house. She loves to sit on the scales. I tell her to quit showing off! She weights 17.8 pounds, light weight. Well she started just talking & chattering suddenly she had this expression on her face & she took her voice up higher & her hand jester changed. She had me laughing so hard! I'm just not sure what she was saying but she got really into it. Her mama came to check out the laughter & Brylee did not do as much once her mama can to watch.
Well we made our way to Jenn's room & she pulled out a couple of juggling pins & started hitting them against each other then would hit the floor,then do a little dance step or two.(It reminded me of the group STOMP) She was really getting into it. Her mama came in & she sort of stopped performing.
So I decided that she was just entertaining me that evening.So with Jennifer cooking supper for me. Brylee providing the entertainment. Cary & Chester being themselves & being there enjoying the evening, it was a PERFECT evening!

God's Hand

2011-02-02T10:06:00.008-06:00

Wow what a 24 hours! We had bad weather come in on Tuesday Feb 1st. Even with the sleet hitting every window in the house I went to work. I put some cat litter in the back of my car "just in case."

I got to work and finally found the parking space lines to park my car. I walked up to the doors & got blown to the side twice before I got to the door. The front door was hard to open due to the snow/sleet/rain build up. I finally got in. We had to watch the front door because of the build up, but we got everyone in & out.

Work went well & 6 of the office employees showed up. The RSR were sent home because it was too icy to be out. The phones were basically dead except from the calls forwarded from our East Texas office. (They did not have same weather we did)

We decided to go home @ 2:00. Yes! I will get home, put on some comfortable clothes & relax. Well just getting out of the parking lot I had to put out cat litter 2-3 times. Maria noticed we were not behind her so she tried to call, but I was working on getting us out of there. (Dawn & I carpool on the way home) As we came out of the parking lot Maria came back to check on us.

We did good on the main streets, slow & easy. As we entered the apartment complex I had a thought to let Dawn out in the front, but I did not want to make her walk in the cold. She later told me she had the same thought. Well guess who tried for an hour and a half to get out of the complex? ME!

It seems the complex did not think to put out salt & sand for the inclines at the exits of the complex. Yes there are 2 exits & you could not get out at either end. I was not the only one having problems. 2 Verizon vans & a pizza delivery guys was having the same problem, along with other vehicles. I slid so close to parked cars. I slid sideways. I had to go in reverse so many times. I finally gave it up & went inside Dawn's apartment, shaking from the cold & relief of being safe.

The thrill of the night was not watching everyone else slide around trying to get out but a pick up truck that slide into the complex & barely missed a park car. Once he got stopped he could not move at all. After a lot of work & apartment staff & neighbors they got the pick up truck to move BUT then I saw STUPID!!! come out. The people helping were standing between the pick up truck & parked cars trying to guide the pick up away from the other cars. I was a nervous wreck watching. I only could imagine someone being pinned between the vehicles.

Well, God was watching over everyone & they got pick up truck moved but not parked correctly. After shaking from cold and/or relief I was able to get a plan together. I called my neighbor & asked him to take care of Vader @ 5:00 if I did not get home. I asked Dawn to ask her husband just to part in the front of the apartment complex so we could walk up & he could take me home. I wonder if the 2 Verizon Vans & 1 pizza delivery guys ever got out. They were still there when I left @ 4:45. Well, the plan can together. I got home to be with my children (the 4 legged ones).

I also discovered that the pipes in the kitchen froze up even with the cabinet doors being open. So since I'm home I have the faucet fully open so that maybe once they thaw out there will not be too much pressure & the pipe will not bust.

When Dawn & Craig went home they decided not to park out front but into the parking area. (I wonder if part of the decision was made because there were no parking spaces in front of the complex) Well they can not get out now.

So what did I learn from all this? This was God's work. He knew I would get out this morning & get to work as early as I could. God wanted me to stay home today. Taking away my car was the only way he could do it. He wanted to keep me safe & sound!

I did get up @ regular time this morning. I knew we would be going in a little later so I took the time to washed 2 loads of clothes. Took care of the flowers Jenn gave me for her birthday. Prepared some mail to go out. Have my lunch really to throw into my lunch bag. Well I'm still here. So I guess I need to warm up some lunch & maybe a nap this afternoon. Enjoy the day that God gave me.

Thank goodness the Ground Hog is predicting an early Spring!!!!!

Maine or Bust!

2011-01-30T19:46:00.011-06:00

Well, as many of you have heard, Jennifer, Cary, Chester & Brylee are moving to Maine. Those of you that read my Facebook at the first of the year saw the post of "lots of changes & challenges" are coming to the Jarvis Fun House". Well this is one & probably the biggest.

This is something we have expected for a long time. Moving out of Texas has always been a dream of Jennifer's so when Cary had the same dream it was bound to come true. Some friends & family were very surprised that when Jenn & Cary announced they were expecting I did not completely transform a room for the baby. Nope, I knew they would be moving & for me to have a room for the baby would have made it even harder for me once they leave. Actually one of the first questions I asked after they told us they were having a baby I ask, "will you be here or up north?"

Oh believe me Brylee never needed anything when she came to visit. She had her bed, high chair, toys, changing table, etc. Brylee took over the WHOLE house, not just a room. So who needs a room when you have the house!?

We are also losing our support team. To turn around & not see Jenn or Cary when Ashes & Petunia are doing appearances will be a little different.We will miss our newest member,L'ashes. The upside to this is that they want to take the LAFS program up north. Since the area has more Volunteer Fire Depts then paid this would really benefit the area. Of course Bryan & I will now help support them in this effect & do what ever we can to help them.

We are still facing a lot of changes & challenges. So while we take care of things here Jennifer & Cary will be getting us a "Closet" for the times we need to get away to catch our breath. What better excuse than it's time to visit the family!!

We are looking forward to the Fall beauty. A White Thanksgiving. A White Christmas. Visiting the New England states. Visiting Canada. Us planning a road trip one Summer. We plan on going one direction to get there & a different direction for the trip back. What a wonderful way to see our beautiful country! Who knows, we might even have a special little person with us!

We have also talked about when we order gifts online for Jenn, Cary and/or Brylee we will just have it shipped straight to them. Most of them offer gift wrapping. We might even talk with Brenda & Gary to see if we can ship things to their place so prying eyes can not peek.

Bryan & I have talked about the ways we can make Brylee's visits here even more special. Dessert First Wednesday. Picking out flowers for the yard. Making tu-tus. Staying up late. Visiting with family & friends. Visiting all the attractions that D/FW can offer. We hope to make a tradition while visiting Maine by making bird feeders out of pine cones and/or string fruit or making shortbread cookies for our little feather friends.

I think the hardest part will be missing the physical hugs & kisses we love to share with Brylee. Or just holding her while we read to her. Of course is not like it was 100-125 years ago that when family left & you might hear from them once a year. We are now in the 21st Century! We have phones, e-mails, blogs, Facebook & SKYPE. I think SKYPE will be my favorite!

So as you can see we are trying to approach this with a positive attitude. Yes,there have been & will be more tears.

All I can say is that the Jarvis FunHouse is now on the move. Not only will we wreck havoc in Texas but now in Maine! Watch out Maine here we come!

So do I like the Refection in the Mirror?

2010-12-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

Wow can you believe it is the end of 2010?!?! Where has the time gone. Well a lot of you know a few months ago I wrote some post that I called Brylee's Eyes.
I sort of analyze myself through her eyes. Believe me I do not know what she was thinking except that I was a familiar face. I was someone she saw often. Someone that loves her. Someone that takes care of her & her needs. She felt safe. I mean what can a infant/toddler think at this time in their life?

What I did find out about myself is;
That God has me here for a purpose. I'm not to ask why but to follow his will.
I have learned I do make a lot of lemonade out of the lemons that life throws at me.
I am STRONG!
That I LISTEN to what God has to tell me.
I have more conscience than some people.
I learn from others' mistakes in life.
I keep my promises.
I am a leader. I can follow when I need to, but if you are not able to lead effectively I will step up and take the lead.
I care a lot for everyone around me.

So how do I feel about the reflection in the mirror??? I like what I see. I can still make improvements, but can't we all?

I hope everyone has a very Blessed 2011...........

Christmas Day 2010

2010-12-26T17:27:00.021-06:00

We do hope you had a wonderful Christmas! We had a load of fun. I can not believe I forgot my camera for the Jarvis Family Gathering.

I was able to take a few pictures on Christmas Day. We had our little family gathering, then my parents & siblings came over. Mom J & Amy, Mike, Steven, Spencer & Stacy were able to join us a little later.
Brylee had 9 gifts under the tree from us. Let's see, she received a Tunnel & Tent, Elmo Videos, 4 outfits, Interactive pot with spoon & veggies and a Radio Riding Turtle. We could not get the tunnel unwrapped fast enough for Brylee! We were having some trouble & Brylee was already crawling inside it as we were working on setting it up! The Riding turtle is nice as well. Most of the sounds it has are very familiar. How many of you remember the Flintstones? Yabba, dabba do!!!! Let's not forget her stocking, she receive a new sippy cup, spoons, Veggie Tale CD, Butterfly car & of course a fire truck. Let me tell you I think we did a really good job.

Brylee wearing her her mother's Christmas dress from 1978

Mom J gave Brylee a Cat House that we joined up with the tent. So now Brylee has her very own Mini Jarvis FunHouse!
We all had fun with it. Yes Bryan & I did play in it with Ms Brylee. To be honest I think almost everyone had to try it out. Bryan told me a story about him & Brylee playing in the tunnel. The story is, that he was looking into the tunnel while Brylee was crawling through it & he said Boo! Brylee crawled away down the tunnel then stopped, took her bo out of her mouth (her pacifier) and said, Boo! back. That is now in the memory box.

We had what seems to be our traditional Christmas lunches, BBQ Brisket with all the fixings. I also introduced a few to Jalapeno Jelly. I first tried it about 8 years ago & a friend from work gave us some for Christmas & it was perfect with our meal.

Yes, we did get gifts to. This year we did not do as much as we have in the past. I would have loved to shower Bryan, Jennifer & Cary with all their wishes, maybe next year. One we will treasure is a book from Jenn & Cary's "Life As a McFadden" blog. Brylee's First Year. It is most of anything that they blogged about Brylee in her first year. We did get a chance to go through it last night & oh the memories & the thought of all the new ones. Perfect gift!

After everyone left we played a couple of new games we received for Christmas. We will have to be sure to bring them out at a game night.

So as you can see we had a wonderful Christmas & are looking forward to next year.

We hope you had a wonderful & memorable Christmas too!!!

Christmas Past

2010-12-25T00:00:00.002-06:00

Since 1988 we have been doing theme wrapped gifts. Do you remember some of the wrapping themes we had?

1988 Plastic Snow flakes on glossy paper and sprayed with glitter

1989 Paper Santa Claus cut outs with red ribbon on white paper.

1990 Blue Poinsettias wrapping paper with silk blue Poinsettias

1991 Stain Glass design wrapping paper with Shiny Gold Ribbon and Bows

1992 Snowflake stamping on white paper

1993 Gum drops

1994 Painted gold sweet balls on brown Kraft paper

1995 Tree Paper. Green Bows & Ribbons

1996 Little miniature toy figures Soldier, doll,

1997 Peppermints canes and disc

1998 Reindeer pins made from clothes pins (boy and girl) We made.

1999 Angel Pins with gold trim on white paper

2000 Cat paw prints across brown craft paper with Not a creature was….

2001 Gold Instruments and music notes on Brown Kraft paper

2002 Honey Comb Snowmen

2003 Penguin Bells (Jennifer and TJ put together)

2004 Marshmallow Snowmen on sled (Jennifer and TJ put together)

2005 Doves (Peace, Joy, Love) on white paper

2006 Stockings Brown with dark country maroon or green tops with rustic looking bells, w/ green graham ribbon.

2007 Snowmen in 2-4 designs. Jenn & Cary were married.

2008 Laser Cut Rustic Angel, snowman, reindeer, snowflake, bell and tree with brown twine and brown craft paper and green ribbon

2009 4 styles of Crosses. 3 with a verse on it and one with roses. Silver Ribbon with hand tied ribbon. Silver paper with white snowflakes.

2010 Paper was red with retro type candy canes & stars or snow flacks. Red ribbon & bows. The docorations was also the name tag. Your name with 2010. Here was a Santa, Reindeer, Penguin & a Bear. Very cute.

2011 Yes we have already have a theme in mind. Would you like to know what it is?? Well you will have to wait another 365 days to find out............

We have pictures but thought it would take up too much room. If you would like to see a picture of a year let us know & we will post it.
What was your favorite theme? It is really hard to decide, but I liked 1988 or was it 1991? or was it 2006? I guess you can say I liked most of them.

This is what memories are made of!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a crazy past couple of months!

We had to have the some repairs done to the house. Those of you that own a home know what it takes to get estimates scheduled. Meet with the contractor & make the decision. The type of repair we had to have done of course leads to other repairs that need to be made, then you must go thought the scheduling of those contractors to get those estimates. Believe me the house is secured for the winter with more repairs & work to be done early next year. Oh & don't forget Bryan had the LAFS School Skit in October he was scheduled to do.

We have always felt very blessed with a wonderful daughter & son. When Bryan or I could not make a scheduled meeting she/they was here to help out. Thank you Jenn, Cary, Brylee & Chester for being so flexible with your schedules to help us.

We also had to make a prioritize the repair list. One because of trying to schedule time around the important work that had to be done & holidays coming up. Two MONEY!!!! With the type of repairs a lot of inside work now needs to be done. Well while you are doing those you might as well do this, we want to change that. As you can see a domino effect starts in.

Well I'm not going to go through all the details of the repairs but touch on some FUNNY comments/sights that happened while the repairs were going on.

Last year we went from Halloween/Game Night to Thanksgiving /Baby Shower in 15 hours. Well this year we went from Game Night to getting ready for a leak. Everything in the Dining room had to be moved out.
The living room had furniture & other boxes similar to this 28 years ago on Halloween. We had just moved in a few days before.

This is what happens when you do not move vacuum under the China Cabinet for 20 years......you have a mound of dirt.

Chester trying to dig a hole deep enough to get rid of the mean old cats!!!

Jennifer wanted to put Brylee's hand prints in the fresh concrete. Looks like the cats thought they deserved the honor!

As you can tell we kept our sense of humor while we went through the repairs. So far the west side of the yard took the worst hit. Looks like I will need to get out & do a lot of therapy next Spring!

Home Sweet Home!

The Christmas Dinner

2010-12-20T05:36:00.001-06:00

And it came to pass on a Christmas evening,
When all the doors were shuttered tight,
Outside standing, a lonely boy-child,
Cold and shivering in the night.

On the street every window
Save but one was gleaming bright;
And to this window walked the boy-child
Peeking in saw candlelight.

Through other windows he had looked at turkeys,
Ducks, and geese, and cherry pies;
But through this window saw a gray-haired lady
Table bare and tears in her eyes.

Into his coat reached the boy-child
Knowing well there was little there
He took from his pocket his own Christmas dinner
A bit of cheese and some bread to share.

His outstretched hands held the food and they trembled
As the door it opened wide
Said he "Would you share with me Christmas dinner?"
Said she gently, "Come inside."

The gray-haired lady brought forth to the table
Glasses two, last drops of wine.
Said she "Here's a toast to everyone's Christmas,
And especially yours and mine!"

And it came to pass on that Christmas evening
When all the doors were shuttered tight
That in that town the happiest Christmas
Was shared by candlelight.

Performed by Peter Paul & Mary

Happy 35 Years

2010-11-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

Bryan I wanted to let you know just how wonderful you have been over the last 35 years!

Thank you for making me laugh. Wiping away the tears when I'm sad. Holding me when something upsets me. My strength when I just can't go any more. Your support when I make decisions. For being there when I have been sick and/or surgeries I have had to go through. The adventurers we have had. You pushing me when it need a nudge. Making me laugh! Yes, I said it twice because you know I do believe that might be our little secret to our long marriage.

Thank you for being the Ashes to my Petunia. Santa Claus to my Mrs. Claus. Poppy to my T-ma. Dad to my mom. Thank you for being my husband!

Thank you for not only keeping me safe, warm & protecting me but for the love you have given & shown all these years.

Not long ago you brought up that even though The Jarvis FunHouse has been dubbed as our home in the last 5-6 years, you stated that it was est. on November 26, 1975. You are so right! When I hear the Jarvis FunHouse I think of all the laughter & love that it has meant to me & of course the first thing that comes to mind is YOU! What a perfect name for our home.

So I wanted to let you know how much I love you! I'm looking forward to the next 35 years of adventures with you.

Love you!

Tressia

M & M Cookies

2010-11-24T05:57:00.007-06:00

This is the time a year that traditions & memories seem to fill the air. The time that we all gather together with all our family & friends. As with many of you we have do have a couple of traditions. M & M & No Bake Cookies.Yes we have had Rice Krispies bars, haystacks, cakes but nothing seems to be more of a tradition at Thanksgiving as M&M & No Bake Cookies. Well with the lifestyle change & thinking maybe others are getting tired of the M&M & No Bake Cookies I have entertained the thought of not doing them any more. To me this would be hard to do. Then I start thinking of all the memories that have come because of 2 little letters. M&M
When I was 8 years old my mom presented me with a recipe book. One of the first recipes I baked was one called Colored Cookies. The few times I was able to make them I liked it. Why? Was it because it was the first cookie I ever baked? My daddy smiling when he had his first bite?
Bryan & I were married on November 26, 1975. During the first couple of weeks of our marriage I was telling him about these cookies I made as a chIld. He in turn was telling me about a cookies his mom made that he called Dog Food Cookies (No Bake Cookies) we decided to bake some Colored cookies since I had my little recipe book. What fun we had making them & eating them.
I usually try to stay home the day before Thanksgiving to get everything ready for the wonderful day. One year I went into Jennifer's room to ask her what time she needed to be at work, & she told me, I took the day off so we could do our traditional baking together. REALLY?!?! I always enjoyed our time baking. Munching on the M&Ms while putting a few more on the cookies. Talking. Eating the right out of the oven cookie. I was not sure she enjoyed it as much as I did. Well I received my answer that day.
I have a niece that loves my cookies. One year she was not able to come to Thanksgiving or was it Christmas? Anyway, I wanted to let her know how much I loved her so with the help of her sister & mom I sent her a tin of cookies. I loved doing it because even though she was miles away we were still sharing the holidays. I try to be sure she leaves after Thanksgiving that she has a bag of cookies to go.
There was a time that Bryan & his partner in crime, I mean friend/co-worker worked from the house. I loved baking the cookies & taking them a sample cookie from each batch as they came out of the oven. I think they enjoyed it. I know I loved the critics comment, Mmmmmm
Amy & her family stopping in for a moment to drop off Boy Scout Fund raisers to go on to Mike's family thanksgiving then come back & have left over Thanksgiving. When they came in they always asked where the M&M & No Bake cookies were. Hey it was a long trip & they needed something to keep them going.
Jennifer went to London 4 years ago. This was one year I had to work the day before Thanksgiving. What a night. I needed to talk with Jenn about some pretty important things, but had no way of getting her. She finally called me to see how the baking was going & say she that even though she was glad to be in London she missed baking cookies with me. We were able to get everything handled & worked out. Thankfully I had the cookies keeping me busy. Yes, I saved her some cookies so when she got back. :)
3 years ago while Jenn & I was baking, Cary called. Jenn said she would need to leave for a few minutes if that was OK. Of course I understood, I knew what the errand was before she told me...they went to get their marriage license.
Well this year we had a great time with the cookies. Jennifer on one side of the counter & me on the other. Cary running after Brylee & handling supper for us. Bryan making it in from his business trip just in time to eat with us & sample the cookies. This year was special not because we had all of us gathered but it helped me to make a decision. Brylee did get to sample the cookies. She loved eating them with her Poppy/B-pa. When I finally was able to get my hands on her for a minute, she started signing & looking in the direction of the cookies. She was signing eat & more. I went over & broke off a piece of cookie & gave it to her & handed the rest to her Poppy/B-pa. Yep that is what she wanted.
Remember me mentioning at the beginning of entertaining the idea of retiring the cookies? Well the decision has been made..........M&M cookies stay! As long as God will allow me to bake cookies for the moments like this I will.
I know what the M's stand for on the candies. Do you??? Moments & Memories
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY BRYLEE

2010-11-18T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Girl!
There is so much to tell you about your first year. The list would go on & on & on.

From the first time we saw you in the nurse's arms going down the hall & getting to ride with you in the elevator to the nursery to have you checked out. Now you are a beautiful little toddler. The smiles & expressions you have. The curiosity you show. And so, so much more.

We feel so blessed to have you as a BIG part of our lives. You have turned our world upside down. We can not wait to see what the next year will bring.

We love you sweet girl!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

TMA & BPA/Poppy

How did you Spend your Extra Hour?

2010-11-08T19:44:00.002-06:00

How did you spend your extra hour?

Well, I was awakened by another Hot Flash! I looked at the clock & it was about 3:40. Of course then my brain started waking up wondering if it was 3:40 AM Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time. You see we have a new clock & it is suppose to change the time automatically! SWEET! Well until I was sure of what time it was I had to get up and check the time. Well now my body is completely awake & I had to get started. (I would have tossed & turned & then Bryan would not have gotten any rest.)

This is what I did with my extra hour(s):

Got on Facebook & remained everyone to change the batteries in their smoke/Co2 alarms if they have not done it this year. Be sure to test once a month.
Ran 6-7 errands.
Did one Geo Caching. This one was FUN!
Put out Thanksgiving Decorations.
Found a Brylee Bottle from last weekend so that took some cleaning.
Since Brylee had a cold I took & cleaned everything in her bed & wiped it down really good. (Yes, she is sharing her cold with me.)
Re-arranged the front porch decorations.
Had to water all the outdoor pots by carrying out water from the inside of the house to the yard. I could not get to the outside faucet due to repairs being done on the house. (That blog to come soon)
Watered the indoor plants.
Spot cleaned the couch & the carpets.
Wrapped a few Christmas Gifts.
Picked up the yard a little from all the work being done on the house, so it could be mowed.
Took a nap. (remember I had been going since 3:40AM)

Now don't get me wrong I also had to do my normal weekend chores. You know the ones; washing, ironing, sweeping, vacuuming, cat litter boxes, etc. Read the newspaper. Made a couple of phone calls.

So as you can see my brain wondering what time was it, gave me more than 1 hour, it gave me what? 3-4 extra hours to do things around the house. Believe me this is not all I did but I did not want to bore you too much!!!

So how did you spend your extra hour???

Mileena

2010-11-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

Before I tell you of the visit with sweet Mileena I wanted to brag on my nephew & niece, Jeremy & Monica. After years of trying for a small blessing they have a beautiful little one, Mileena,a MIRACLE BABY! Monica had to go on complete bed rest for 50 plus days to keep Mileena safe until she would be strong enough enter this world. Thankfully Jeremy & Monica understood what they had to do for this little blessing. Monica's Baby Shower was even held at the hospital. It took a lot of planning but the shower was wonderful! If I remember there were 3 or 4 shifts of guest that weekend to shower Monica with gifts & love. The room was decorated in butterflies & so many gifts. Very well planned.

Well Jennifer, Cary, Brylee & I finally were able to go & visit this sweet little angel. We took dad out to lunch before he went to work so we could see him. Mom followed us over to Jeremy & Monica so she could see how big Mileena had gotten. Of course as soon as I could get my hands on Mileena I had her. I heard Brylee in the background crying but knew her mom & dad had her so I did not pay too much attention. Well I looked up to check on Brylee & realizes she was not real happy that her TMA was holding another baby! I gave Mileena another couple of squeezes & gave her to her great grandmother (mom), & took Brylee. While looking & admiring Mileena I realize that Brylee was no longer a baby, she was now a crawler/toddler.

Monica was so sweet, she got out a few toys for Brylee to play with. We had a wonderful time visiting.

Monica put Mileena into an Halloween shirt & we took a few pictures of Brylee & Mileena. This is Mileena 1st holiday & Brylee's last 1st holiday. We tried to take pictures of Brylee kissing Mileena. It is a little blurry but you get the picture.

I enjoyed visiting with everyone & seeing Mileena. I hope to get a chance to do it again soon.

Congratulations Monica & Jeremy! Welcome Mileena! Love, hugs & kisses to all!!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T19:26:00.014-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!
What a fun evening with friends & family. We all got together about 5:30 & I think & hope had a great time, I know I did! A few of us dressed up. We enjoyed mummy dogs, chips & cupcakes. We played a couple of games; CREEPY (Spoons) & some played Apples to Apples. We visited & enjoyed the younger children playing together. Brylee was so excited to be playing with other children. Evan (3) & Ashton (4) were so good with her. You could hear her squeals of joy over all the talking in the other room! Thank You Evan & Ashton for letting her join you.

We decorated pumpkins!!! We had teams of 2-3 for each pumpkin. Everyone would have won 1st place if I was judging (and could vote more than once) We had misc items you could choose from to decorate your pumpkins. Curling ribbon. Pom-poms. Scary Piece (Mr Potato Head parts but Halloween) Markers. Everyone was so creative!

We already have an ideas for next years decorating contest so we hope to see you then!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2010-10-26T03:37:00.005-05:00

Happy Birthday Jarvis FunHouse!

Who would have thought that when we signed the contract 28 years ago we would still be calling you "HOME".

To some you are just a house but to us & many others you are "HOME". A place that has been part of our lives for years. A place that we can feel safe. A place to gather together with friends & family and feel welcomed. Oh the FUN, laughter, tears & memories you hold for each of us.

If anyone that is reading this blog has a favorite memory to share please do, we would love to hear your favorite memory.

Tiny Room

2010-10-14T00:00:00.003-05:00

There is an e-mail that I love. It is called the Tiny Room in Heaven or something similar to this .It talks about an new angel making the tour of Heaven & when they come to one room it is very small & only 1 angel is working in it. When the new arrival ask what room this is the Other Angel answers, This is the room Thanks Yous are received. It makes me think every time I read it. It is so true I'm always asking God for something, but how many times do I say, " THANK YOU"? After reading this I decided I would make it my mission to say "Thank You" every chance am given. Not just for the prayers he answered for me but for the every day blessings. My family. The warm bed I wake up to. The roof over my head. For me not burning my forehead with the curling iron that morning! You get the point.

So I hope that all the "Thank Yous" I say to God for the prayers & daily blessings he gives me he will need to add one more angel to the room.

So if we all said, "Thank You" for answered prayers & everyday blessings maybe, do you think God will have to add on to the tiny room? I'm doing my share are you??

November Goal

2010-10-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

Another reason I maybe doing a lot of reflecting is because I'm trying to discontinue my HRT. Since a doctor told me I needed to be off by the age of 55 then why not at 53? With the possibility going off my High Blood Pressure medicines in November what a way to celebrate & be off all prescriptions!

After reading everything about HRT I have decided to do it slowly by cutting the dosage down slowly a little more every 2-3 wks. Believe me HRT is my happy pill & when mama is happy everyone is happy! A lot of doctors recommend cold turkey but I will not subject my family to that! Believe me I know my limits & so do they. When I told Jennifer what I was doing she said she understood & she had Brylee as a shield. THAT IS NOT PLAYING FAIR!

I'm not sure this was a good time to do this. Between home & work there are a lot of emotions. Home is fine, just a lot of changes. Work well we all have our challenges. I did tell a couple of co-workers about decreasing the HRT so they could help me stay in check & not get to grumpy. One recently commented I was not my usual out going, hyper self. Well I will use this to my advantage to mask the possible real reason. I love my job! I love almost everyone there but it only takes 1 person to ruin it for everyone! Remember 1 person. I'm I that person? Are you that person in your work place?

So at this time until all the emotions are in check I will look for my happy place. It might be remembering the weekend FUN! Planning a game night. What can I do to make someone else day special. Saying extra prayers. Just some way to make the day better & brighter.

Yes sometimes reflecting on yourself will guide you in directions you did not think of. Over all I'm really harder on myself than I should be. Over all I'm not as selfish as I think. I'm very thoughtful of everyone around me & I try to take care of everyone else. As I have said Brylee is my STOP button. Now I need to focus on what I can change about me to be a better TMA & a great influence to Brylee.

Thank you God for my Wonderful life & everyone in it!

Stick & Stones

2010-10-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

Stones may break my bones but, words will never hurt me. You know every time I think of that saying I think a child or a parent made that up to take away the sting of the hurt they felt when someone said something to hurt their feelings. Yes, WORDS hurt! I know each of us do it. We call names or say hateful things.Yes, we call someone names while out driving and someone does something stupid, like run a red light when yours is green. Or is cutting in & out of traffic. I will give you the name calling as long as your windows are up. You do not make certain jesters or you don’t do anything stupid yourself. Why? Because they do not hear you.You are able to vent & life goes on. No hurt feelings.Is it necessary to call someone you care about or love,names? Or say hateful words, we generally do this when we are angry or mad. How does it make you feel when you are called a name? How do you think the person feels being called names? When I have called someone a name or said something that hurt their feeling it weighs on my conscience for hours & sometimes days.I even get madder at myself the longer I think about it because what I did is unforgettable by my standards & as a Christian. I know that it is according to the person that I have been rude to, they may let it roll off their back or they are hurt & will not say anything.But was it really necessary? How does this affect our relationship.These are just a few questions I ask myself over,& over & over.
So the next time you are about to call someone a name or say something that could really hurt STOP. Don’t do it. I’m learning to bite my tongue or ways to rephrase what I want to say or I just walk away.
I guess as I get older, I'm learning to pick my battles & there are not as many. So remember sticks & stone may break your bones but,WORDS really hurt! Question, ever wonder how God feels when his name is used in vain?

His Not Heavy He's My Brother!

2010-09-29T19:53:00.016-05:00

Many of you know I'm blessed with several siblings. It is according to how you look at the families to say am either the oldest or in the middle. At this posting am the OLDEST. I can say I love all of them equally. They each have a special place in my heart.

I'm the oldest at this posting because my oldest brother passed away some years back. I wish I could tell him today how much I loved him & admired him. I always loved telling people about my Big Brother. Love & Miss you Gene.
Toney is 3 years younger than me. Growing up people thought we were twins! Some of the stories I could tell. Toney now lives in South Carolina, with his wife Angie , Stepson Josh & grandson Laythan. Let me tell you Laythan adores his Papa Tex! He is really a great outstanding man in his community. Again his greatest joy in life is the grand baby. (Sound familiar?) Toney is Toney. He speaks his mind. He earns his pay. If you need a helping hand he is there! I'm very proud of you Toney.
Richard was born when I was 9 years old. So as you can see Toney & I had a strong relationship growing up. Richard was Daddy's buddy. He also made me walk miles & miles up & down the street to either wait on daddy to come down the road so he could "drive" home with him or me walk him until he fell asleep in the evening! Richard & Kim have a wonderful son named Richard Ashton Martin. Most of you know Ashton was diagnosed with Cancer a day before his first birthday. Richard is also a very hard worker & he works when he can get the hours so Kim can stay at home with Ashton. Richard is also the shortest of all my brothers, still taller than me . He is also I think the body builder of all of us. Don't get me wrong Gene, Toney & I have the Martin arms but he has the over all muscle/toning. Do not punch Richard in the stomach...you will be hitting a brick wall! Keep his family in your prayers as they continue work through all that life throws his way.

Bill is my youngest brother. We are 14 years apart but at this time in life the closest. Bill & I enjoy picking on each other. Bill is more like an older brother to Jennifer than an Uncle. Bill & I can talk about everything. Best conversations are our yards! We bounce ideas off each other. We talk hours about nothing. Best of all we pick on each other.

As you might imagine I feel very lucky to have so many brothers. They would do just about anything for me. I love each & everyone of them & Am proud to say...
They're not Heavy.... They're my BROTHERS!!!!

Brylee's Eyes

2010-09-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

I know many of you might be wondering why I have Brylee's eyes as the picture for this series. Well, My blue-eyed Sunshine is the one that started all this thinking. As I said before she sees everything so differently than we do. It's all New! It's Amazing! Isn't that the way we should feel everyday? OK I got off track again! Brylee likes to bump heads. rub noses, try her best to kiss you, slobber & all.

One day while playing this game I realized that she was looking into my eyes. Not in playing but LOOKING deep into my eyes. It was like she was looking at my soul. Was she just playing? Was she really looking as deep into my eyes as I thought? or was she the eyes of GOD? This of course started me thinking, again. (I have friends that say I over analyze things, and this would be one of the times.) What did Brylee see when she looked inside? Did she see the love I have for her? Did she see the child in me? Did she see a caring person? Does she see how much I love GOD? What did she see?

Well of course that got me to thinking again. What changes do I need to make in my life to be a better person in this world? A good example for Brylee? I need to be a better Christian. I need to set good examples. I need to show Brylee how to help & take care of others. I need to be sure I keep GOD first in my life!

Phases

2010-08-22T00:00:00.011-05:00

As all of you know I'm now a grandmother & am loving every minute of it! Brylee is the sweetest baby & one of the reasons for this series of blog. I have always tried to look at both sides of things. There are two sides to every story. Some would say I look at things though Rose colored glasses. I ask, WWJD . I remember the Golden Rule. Make sure there are not three fingers pointing back at me when am pointing a finger at others. The one my Granddaddy Hodges always said, "If you can't say something nice don't say anything." Boy those words seem to come across my mind a lot lately.

Brylee loves seeing herself in mirrors. I'm not sure she realize it is her or if she thinks it's another baby. I love the happy sounds she makes while talking to her reflection. The kisses she gives the reflection.The, I want to hug you but can't seem to get my arms around you. Then she sees us in the mirror then she looks over at us like wow two of you too?? or when she sees someone walking away, then watches them in the mirror,then looks back again. What is she thinking?? At this time in life everything is good. She likes the person she sees in the mirror. Do I like the person I see? The point is the mirror has 2 reflections & so does life. When we look into the mirror what do we see? Like a couple of postings before I can see the good me & the ugly me.

So when am listening to excuses, reasons, complaint, a suggestion, I always try & I hope go with the positive/good side of it. When I need to solve a difficult problem I ask how would I feel with an answer or action like that? Why because I hope that others will do it for me. I guess in so many ways I wish people would look at things a little more positivity all the time. YES! it is hard to do daily with some of our jobs. We have someone telling us what they think we want to hear instead of what we need to be told. Or their past actions we know they are not going to be completely honest with us. It is hard. I'm around people that think of only themselves daily. Once in a while I'm put into a situation that they will ask me for my opinion on something about themselves. BOY, that is when it gets tough. Oh, how I have to chose my words SO carefully. But again I go through all my little phases I have adopted in life & think positive. Yes, there are times I wish I could just walk away. This is when I say a silent prayer and ask Jesus to help me with the answer. Some times I'm amazed at what comes out of my mouth, but I know it is not me but my prayer(s) being answered.

I hope my actions & word reflect , The Golden Rule. or WWJD. or Not have me pointing 3 fingers back at myself when I have to point a finger at someone. I hope I can shut my mouth & walk away when I I don't have anything positive or good to say. I hope that these phases that I have relied on through out my life will continue to guide me as a positive person. So I'm asking myself each day, each time I have to look within myself, which side of the mirror I'm I reflecting? The Good? or The Bad??

Making a Difference

2010-08-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Making a difference.......I'm a mom, wife, grandmother, daughter, etc... we all know all that. I work a full time job. (Thank You God!) I try to check in on all my family & friends as I can by a quick visit or a phone call, or Facebook. Remember I'm T-Ma & I love spending time with Brylee & Chester. I'm a mom & a wife. I also help out when I can with the Lewisville Fire Department as Petunia. Then of course there are the errands that have to be run. The chores around the house that needs to be taken care of. Do not get me wrong Bryan is right there to help! Let's not forget working in the yard. (That is the time I do a lot of talking with God. ) But as a women do you feel you just don't have enough time in the day, week, month or year to get it all done!?!?
Wrong!!! It is amazing when I'm trying to make a difference. Helping out family and/or friends. Causes or Events. Just dropping what I'm doing to sit & listen to someones concerns. GOD slows down time! I get everything done on my list or it was not that important any way. So the next time you are feeling stretched beyond your ability STOP & re- focus.Take care of your love ones & everyone around you and GOD will take care of YOU!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

2010-08-14T00:00:00.002-05:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall.... I do a lot of thinking in the mornings while getting dressed. It can be from planning out my day to what happened over the weekend. Many thoughts come across my mind. How many of us look into the mirror to see that we have one more wrinkle, another gray hair. Oh man I really need to get some sleep! I need to lose weight!
Do you ever reflect from there? Do you ask yourself questions like "How could I have said something to a love one a little nicer?" or "How can I make someone else's day?" Do you have a concern in life that you talk with God at that time? Sound crazy? It's not. You see when I need answers I think them through & while standing in front of a mirror I see my reactions to my answer. If it is a nice Yes,that's it! A big smile, eyes wide open you feel happy. If the answer is selfish, mean or not nice I see a frown, more wrinkles, someone very ugly. Someone that I would not like to encounter. Then my thought goes to: is this what God is seeing at this time? So of course I re-group and come up with another answer. Now it might not be at that time but I will ponder on it again either while driving to work or during the day. Why? because I did not like the person in the mirror & I don't think God did either. So remember your body language & expressions speak louder than words. Yes I sometimes just go in & get dressed, thinking of everything I should do for the day. I notice that I do a lot more reflecting on the days I get up on the wrong side of the bed. The reflection in the mirror helps me to realize that is NOT how I want to be all day. Yes I need to solve the problem or work around it but there is no need for the person in the mirror to follow me around all day because I know deep down I will hurt someones feelings. And I never want that! So remember we have control of our attitude, our behavior, Just let the reflection in the mirror help you. Just ask "do I want to be around that person?" if the answer is NO then no one else would want to be around you. I keep that in mind & decided on doing something nice for someone or something. Believe me that takes things to a whole new level! It's a win, win kind of day! If my co-workers only knew what type of day they almost had!! :)

Spending Time Together!

2010-08-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Bryan & I recently decided to just spend time together. After an errand we decided to go to Grapevine Mills for lunch & to see a movie. We were able to see Despicable Me in 3D. Cute movie. While we were waiting for the movie we thought we would call Jennifer & ask her to bring Brylee up for a surprise after the movie. So after another errand we met back up at the mall. The surprise was the Carousel for Brylee to have her first horsey ride. She was not really sure at first but took it all in. After she got off we decided to get an ice cream. That is where all the fun begin! Bryan & I got an soft ice cream cone. Bryan shared with Brylee & let me tell you it got MESSY!!!!! After we got Brylee & Bryan cleaned up we walked Jenn & Brylee back to the car. After doing a walk around the mall we headed to pick up Bryan's car . What a wonderful day.....we need to do it again soon.

The Greatest Show On Earth

2010-08-10T09:55:00.012-05:00

It's Circus Time! This year we got to go to the circus as ourselves. Because the circus was holding auditions for clowns, they were not able to hold the Clown Collage. Not to worry we still had a good time. We met our friends, Jeff, Regina, Melissa & Jon there & all sit together.

We found a little place to eat.

Then Bryan, Jennifer, & Cary went Geocaching. Yes they logged a find! Actually the weather was nice for all the walking we did before we went inside.

As we went in we saw some of our friends that we have worked with before at the circus & The Red Nose Run. It was fun to see their faces when they found out we were Ashes & Petunia! We showed them the newest member of the family & I introduced her as Peanut. They said that was a perfect clown name. Since Brylee, aka: Peanut was tired & had fallen asleep, I chose to just find our seats & Bryan went to see if he could say hello to any of the clowns.

This years theme was ZING, ZANG, ZOOM! It was not as large as the circus in the past but you know it was pretty good! It reminded me of a circus of long ago. Well with all the noise, Brylee woke up to see the Elephants, dogs & horses, then back to sleep she went. Towards the end of the show she started waking up again & was able to meet one of the clowns. He did not have his wig/hat on but was still in make-up & she was cool with that. Remember Brylee has not seen us in make-up since she was days old.
So now Brylee has been to the Circus & we had another fun fill evening with friends & family!

Reflection in the Mirror!

2010-08-09T18:04:00.005-05:00

Reflection in the Mirror!
Since I do not think I have that many followers I've decided to just write down what I'm thinking, or something that made my day go good or bad, JUST RAMBLINGS. My own self help book I mean, blog!
Yes, there will be interesting items to read from time to time. This is to help me reflect on the person I see in the mirror.
A lot of you know what part you play in this wonderful world but do you ever wonder if you are following God's plan for you? Are you doing his work?
Well let me tell you I know my name is Tressia Lynn Martin Jarvis aka: TJ. I know I'm a wife, mom, grandmother, daughter, etc.....What type of person I'm I really? I'm I someone just going through this world without meaning?Am I doing any good? You know I think sometimes I would love to have a "It's a Wonderful Life" moment.. How does my presents effect those around me?
Do I show, I Care? Do I Encourage? Am I there when someone needs me? Do I show God's love to those around me? Do you see someone nice & caring? or mean & evil? Well I hope that these rambling blogs will help me to see who I am and maybe help you with questions that you ask yourself from time to time.
So to keep you from being bored out of your mind I will try to remember to use the picture on this
posting to let you know it is just a blog of reflection.
.Mirror, Mirror on the wall..........

Ms McKenzie

2010-07-27T20:06:00.000-05:00

Many of you have meet or heard me talk about McKenzie a friends' 4

legged baby. After a short illness Ms McKenzie has crossed over to "The Rainbow Bridge".

I want to say Thank you Ms. McKenzie for being a part of ours lives. Thank you for the laughs that your mommy & I shared in the mornings or at lunch for things you did the evening before or that morning. Thanks for taking care of your mommy when she was going through a tough time & she needed someone there for her. Thank you for reminding me how much I miss having a girl's best friend around.

I will remember the hello's when you came to pick up your mommy in the evenings.
The time(s) you wanted Chester to know that this was your house & yard not his.
When you lost your hair & wore the little shirts.
The time when you & Chester traded crates for a night.
The story about how you hated to go out in the rain & get wet. You came over to spend the weekend with us & it rained. I had to laugh that you had no problem going out in the rain & played. Boy did I give your mom a hard time about that one.
It was hard to keep you from barking when you were here. You seemed to enjoy talking with all the neighborhood dogs & chasing cars as they went by. So we let you enjoy yourself.
The time you would not eat your regular food so I gave you all your treats, a few at a time just so I knew you were eating.
The way your ball had to be near your bowl while eating.
The grief you gave Craig.
The stories of frustration from your mom after you stayed overnight(s) with us. She would call you Spoiled!
I loved when you & your mommy came over for me to help her with a blankie. We walked out to the truck together & as your mommy put everything into the truck to pick you up you turned around & was heading back to the house. I think you were thinking you were going to be staying with us overnight.That was so cute! Your mommy did not think it was.

I will remember the last time I saw you. You wanted so much attention, like you were trying to tell me something, like maybe "I love you" one last time.

We will miss you McKenzie!!

Ashton Birthday Party

2010-07-25T19:32:00.016-05:00

We celebrated Ashton's birthday on Saturday. I know it was almost a week & half late, but better late than never right!?? As many of you know Ashton was diagnosed with cancer the day before his 1st birthday. After a long fight he is now celebrating his 4th. We feel so blessed. We went a little overboard. We did decorations & all. We even had a custom cake made just for him. We had a cook out of hot dogs & turkey sausage. Of course chips & dips & baked beans, A tour of Central Fire Station. Our guide was our very own Reserve Bryan Jarvis! While there a few of us stepped over to see the
9-11 Memorial at Central. We then came back & cooled off with cake & ice cream, then opening gifts.
I knew he had a good time when he told me he wanted to come back for a whole day & whole night!
I know you think the reason for the Fire Dept theme is because of our association with the fire dept. Not this time. At this time Ashton talks about being a Pipe-man some day! I'm not sure what he will grow up to be but I know he can be anything he wants to be!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHTON & MANY, MANY MORE!!!! TIA T

2 Years ago today

2010-07-05T06:26:00.007-05:00

Two years ago today I set my mind to a New Life Style.The Life Style Change was to make me healthier. Since that goal I've lost 65 pounds. That is the change a lot of you see. The doctor & I have seen what it has done for my over all health. I'm probably healthier now than I was in my twenties. Good thing since Brylee is in our lives. We have so much to show and do with her. Life is GOOD!

A Date with My Wonderful Daughter!

2010-05-31T19:11:00.014-05:00

For my Birthday/Mother's Day gift Jennifer got tickets for us to go see the musical, Wicked. This is something I was really looking forward to. It is not often I get a chance to have a mother/daughter date.

Our day together was on Saturday the 29th. We started off with me meeting Jenn & Cary at the Vet's clinic to trade Brylee for Jennifer.(We had the pleasure of waking up with our blue-eyed sunshine. What a nice way to start the day) Then off we go to lunch at Cheddar's. We sat and talked and laughed about everything. Something I miss a lot. When the check came I said, I would pay since it was my idea. Well of course Jenn protested. She took out her Drivers License, Debit Card, Insurance card & Credit Card and put them on the table like cards & said, "I win I have 4 of a kind!" I picked up the cards & with a big SMILE, and said, "I win!" I think it shocked her that I was that fast & could think that quickly on my feet. It had been my idea to go to lunch before the musical because I don't get a chance to go to Cheddar's often and thought it would be nice. Plus it was a little more time with my girl.
So next we are off to Fair Park. Thanks to my Garmin we made it without any problems. I know, you would think I could find it since I have lived here all my life but down town Dallas is not someplace I go to often. Once we got there we walked around & checked everything out. It has been a while since I had been to a musical and I forgot how nice it was. There was a really cool shirt Jenn & I both liked priced @ 39.00. A shirt that would have been cute for Brylee for 25.00. No we did not buy anything, we just enjoyed our Playbill & each other. We talked about maybe doing this yearly & the day when we can included Brylee.
The play was great. It reminds you there are two sides to every story.

Thank you Jennifer for suggesting "Wicked". I hope we can have another girls day out soon.

3 Generations

2010-05-16T09:51:00.002-05:00

Having a little one in the house slows you down to remember yours & your children childhood. You know not a lot has changed from our generation to Brylee's generation. Bryan & I wore the 70's style clothing. Jennifer did & today Brylee has on a pleasant blouse & blue jean shorts.The toys you buy for infants are the same as we had as children, remember the poppers & busy activity boxes & the plastic ring of keys? Brylee plays with her mother's. You heard the stories of our parents telling us we had oatmeal & rice cereals as our first solids? Well that has not changed either. This morning we were sitting at the table for breakfast & we were all 3 eating oatmeal. No, life has not changed too much in 3 generations.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-05-11T16:14:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday to Me!

As many of you know I have been working hard on my new life style change. It is working & not only do I see outside results but, I feel so much better over all. I have more energy. I'm not sure it is the life style change or Brylee but I do not seem to be as down as in the past. (Some call it depression)

I had my follow up today for lab results. I officially lost 65 pounds since July 5, 2008. My iron level is steady. My blood pressure readings are wonderful. So what does all this mean? No more iron tablets. My blood pressure medication has been cut in half. (This is wonderful news. My understanding is that you have to slowly cut the dosage when on blood pressure medication) So this is the first step to get off the medication. YES! So the life style change is working. It is not doing much for Bryan's pocket book right now.

Since the next battle is to keep me on my life style change I will need you to send me any encouraging or inspirational words you may have. Please feel free to call, or e-mail me.
If you need any support or encouraging on your life style change please let me know & you have it!

To a new year of adventure!

Brylee Trait

2010-05-10T06:36:00.005-05:00

Well we have figured out one of Brylee's little personality traits. LACK of PATIENCE! Yep, Lack of Patience. Here are a few reasons why we think this. Remember her birthday was to be around December 15th. She was born on November 18th. When Brylee is ready to eat it is right now! No subtle warnings, no small hungry cries, NOW! The third one we are watching is her walking before crawling! Brylee has always loved to stand. Her & B-PA/Poppy have a game they play where she is standing and she will slightly bend her knees & he will push her off above his head like she is a rocket. This can go on for a good 5 mins. Yesterday I put her on the floor standing with her holding my fingers. She stood there & then took a step out with one foot, balanced & then again. Now I'm not saying she was walking but, she knew what to do with those little feet.
So as you see, Patience is not one of her strong points. So what else will we find out about this little girl's personalty in the days to come............ Stay Tuned.
http://zodiac-signs-astrology.com/zodiac-signs/scorpio.htm

The Jarvis FunHouse Yard

2010-04-26T18:15:00.042-05:00

Spring is here! As many of you know I love to work out in the yard. It is my therapy. I have had many people say I've been doing a lot of therapy lately!

I was inspired by my grandmothers & then my MOM, mom Jarvis & Barbara. As each of us know we all have different Styles of gardening. I have chosen Mini Gardens. I have, I believe, 10 at this time. Now don't get to excited. The hedges count as one. The Crepe Myrtles count as one. Let me introduce you to the Jarvis FunHouse yard.

The Ring

I can't wait to introduce Brylee to the yard. So much to explore. Respecting nature, bugs, gecko & snakes. Yes, the small garter snakes that help with the bugs in your yard.

So I would love it if you would share pictures of your yards & gardens. Who knows, you might inspire me !

2010-04-04T05:37:00.000-05:00

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where
he lay. Mat 28:6

Happy Easter Everyone!

My Results

2010-04-02T00:00:00.001-05:00

Okay as I promised I would give you my results of all my recent medical results.
I was almost laughing because I thought the doctor was going to fall off the stool he was sitting on reading the results. It was so funny!

I had lost 25 pounds in 9 months. He was happy but wants me to work on the weight . (I have now lose 60 lbs. total, since July 5, 2008)
Bone Destiny test 5 years ago the information was , 2 points above my age group. I had an increase in my back & my hips had decreased. This time it was, Spine +0.1 Left Femur -0.1 Right Femur -0.3 (Normal is 0 to neg .9) I put the great results to losing weight & working with kettle bells.
I have always had great LHD Cholesterol. My LDL has ran between 204-250 for years, but with the LHD being so good the doctor never seemed concerned with it. My LDL was 199. Okay not low but lower than it has been in a while.
The doctor is thinking of taking me off my High Blood Pressure medicine. My blood pressure readings have been great. Wish me luck in May.
Red Blood Cells, according to the doctor I have always had a very low red blood cell count. It was the highest it has ever been since I started seeing him. There is were he just almost fell off the stool!
I have fought being anemic all my life. I was low normal. We have to keep working on that.
Mammogram, I did not have any cysts for the first time in 5 years.
I also have found My IBS & Diverticulitis are not flaring up as often. I think that is due to eating less red meat. Bryan & I eat more chicken & fish than beef.
I have more energy & to my co-workers that is BAD!

So as you can see the Lifestyle Change has helped in many areas. Now my next challenge is to not lose much more weight or gain it back.

Yes we are taking supplements. If you want more information on what we are taking just e-mail me. If I get enough request I will post the list.

Again remember...we were under a doctor care while doing this. If you would like to know more please drop us a line or call.

TIPS

2010-03-29T19:00:00.005-05:00

Okay as I told you in previous blog I would give you some tips to help you lose weight. I have written most of them down. I may have missed a few tips but I will add them at a later date.

Keep a log of what you eat each day.Write down everything including gum, breath mints, & drinks.
Read your labels:

Check the serving sizes. It will tell you what a serving size is.

Servings per package. Usually contains more than 1

Calories

Saturated Fat

Trans Fat zero is the best

Cholesterol

Sodium Watch this carefully.

Carbohydrate

Fiber

Protein

Eat 5-6 small meals today. 3 meals & 3 snacks a day.

Don't up size your meals.

If you can split a bag of chips, fries, slice of cake. Share with a friend.

Eat small portions. Chew your food. Put down your fork. Give your stomach time to signal your brain you are full.

If you are going out to eat pre-plan your meal. Go to the restaurants web site to get the calorie counts. If they don't have a counter go to Calorie King.

Plan your weekly meals. I usually plan my lightest for the evenings.

Do not deprive yourself of a craving. You can have it but in a smaller portion.You can use it as a reward. But try to reward yourself with maybe a shopping trip. I go between shopping for me or Brylee or a new plant for the yard.

When you are eating, eat your favorite food first. This way when you become full you will stop eating.

Cut out the Cold Drinks/Sodas.

Ask for a "To Go" box. Take home what you do not eat or half the meal. Not only are you saving calories but you have another meal.

Ask for your salad dressing, butter, BBQ sauce, etc on the side. I dip my fork into the salad dressing and/or BBQ Sauce then my food. I get the taste I want & not the calories.

Get yourself a support group. Spouse, friends, co-workers, etc.

Take supplements & vitamins. Be sure you talk with your doctor on what you need.

These are just a few tips to help with your new Life Style.

Again if you have any questions please feel free to call me. I would love to be part of your support group.

This is the Life

2010-03-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

Brylee came & spent the night with us on March 6th. That morning I cleaned up all of Jennifer's baby's toys so that she could look at them. Let's see are we ready? Toy Box, check. Bounce sit, check. Gym Mat, check. Diapers & wipes ready, check. Looks like we are now ready for Ms Brylee.

That evening I laid a quilt down so we could do tummy time. Not one of her favorite actives. I put out a few toys in front of her to look at. Right now she has to wear mittens so she can not do a lot of touch & feel. Her nails are like her T-MA's and they are thin & sharp no matter how short they are. But we will deal with that task as well.

Brylee is so sweet. She has learned to watch movement & TV is one of the movements. I put her on the quilt and we turned on Happy Feet & Snow White. Believe it or not she enjoyed it until she got hungry & man did we have to move fast to get her bottle. It was a peaceful evening & fun watching Snow White.

Sunday I woke up to her little noises. She makes noises at night but when she is getting hungry they seem to get a little louder. Well I got up & started her bottle & went to pick her up for her bed. I looked down & the Sun was shining @ 4:30 AM @ the Jarvis FunHouse! Let me tell you she had the sweetest smile on her face even if you are not a morning person you would have smiled. Well the morning was simple. Diaper change, bottle, nap, diaper change, watch cartoons, change clothes before mommy & daddy got here, bottle & nap. What a life!

NOTE: Yesterday (03/27/10) we added a high chair & an activity center for Ms Brylee. It's official, Ms Brylee has TAKEN OVER THE HOUSE!

Diet Plan

2010-03-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

Okay I will tell you that everything I did & doing was under doctor supervision. I suggest that you talk to your doctor before starting any diet or exercise route.

There are several diet plans. The most recommended one by doctors & trainers is Counting Calories. Some of the others is the Diabetic Diet (carb/protein ratio). Weight Watchers. Jenny Craig. Nutrisystem, etc. Do your research. Pick the one that fits you & your new Life Style. Remember there are a lot of Fad diets out there so beware!

I picked the Calorie Counting because I have had success in the past with it. It again is the most recommended by doctors & trainers and there are no extra cost or fees.

I can eat anything I want. I just have to be sure to eat the correctly. No empty calories. I consider empty calories as cake, candy, certain soups, chips, etc.

Read your labels. Look for the calories, salt, fat, sugars, cholesterol, etc.

Proportion & size is important. Read your labels! Do not Upsize your meal. Choose a smaller portion. Example at Firehouse subs I choose the medium. I get the Wheat bread & no mayo.I cut the size, choose a better bread & cut out fat.

Chew your food. Actually taste your food. Put down your fork or spoon between bits. This allows the time for your stomach to signal your brain that you are full.

If you just have to have that bag of chips or some french fries. Share them.

The formula for the Counting Calories is: your 1st goal weight. (ex 200) add a zero (2000) subtract 200 from the total (200+0=2000-200=1800) When I was over 200 pounds I just set my first goal as 2000 calories a day.

You do this for each weight goal.

Remember if you are working out then you may need to increase your calorie intake slightly.

Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Most importantly talk to your doctor, trainer or nutritionist.

Bryan & I worked out with Wii & Kettlebells. Walking works too but remember you must increase your length and/or speed.

Calorie King & reading your labels are a good source to find your calories.There are others on the Internet that are also good, so check them out & choose the one YOU like best. Remember to that some restaurants have the information on the web, so check them out. I love What-A-Burger & Chipotle. They let you customize your meal.

Remember you are going to have a bad day. Just get back on track the next day. No need to beat yourself up over it.

Reward yourself once a month & have a day where you eat what you want. Ice cream, cake, Mexican food, etc. You will be surprised that you will not venture for from your new lifestyle changes.

Here is an example of what I eat in 1 day:

Oatmeal (This is Quicker Oats. with Splenda, a dab of I Can't Believe it is Butter, & a sprinkle of cinnamon). or 2 eggs with bacon bits.

A piece of Fruit or 10-20 Almonds or 2 Peanut Butter & crackers or Fiber 1 90 calorie Bar. (I try to keep my snacks at 50-100 calories).

A Smart one TV Dinner, Salad (low fat dressing or Salsa) a piece of fruit.

A piece of Fruit, 10-20 Almonds or 2 Peanut Butter & Crackers or a Fiber 1 90 Calories Bar. (I try to keep my calories for snack at 50-100 calories).

A 4oz piece of baked chicken, & a salad. or A piece of COD with green beans. or a can of tuna with a touch of sweet relish & onion, Apple, 1 slice of 2% Provolone cheese & 4 crackers.

Piece of fruit or almonds or sugar free pudding or jello.

I may add an additional veggie to my meal if I see I have not ate enough calories. You must eat & not skip meals.

I will try to have future blogs on my test results. Some tips. My progress.

If you would like some more information before the next blog(s) please call me & let's talk. I would love to help you with your Life Style Change.

Motivation/Inspiration

2010-03-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

As I said in the last blog I was inspired by my neighbors. I have also realized I must stay inspired/motivated along the way. So how did I do it?
First was when Jennifer & Cary suggested we take a trip. We all decided on London. Well I have been on a plane before & to me the sits were too small. Thinking about being on a plane for 8-10 hours in a small sit was not my idea of how to start my vacation.
The second time was when I went looking for clothes for our trip. I had not worked to hard on losing weight with the holidays & birthdays so when I dropped a pants size I was re-motivated.
The third was in May when Jennifer & Cary told us we were going to be grandparents. Well I want to be in great health to be able to run & play with my grandchild(ren) and have the extra energy to keep up with them. I also hope that I have changed my eating habit that will be passes on to them.
The fourth was when I realized I needed to go to the doctor for my yearly test & check up in a couple of months. Well I got on it. Believe me it really was GREAT!
The fifth was when I went to the doctor and almost knocked him out of his chair with all the results. AWESOME!
I will be telling you more about the test results because it tells me my life style change really is working. I will let you know the results so you can see what My Life Style Change did for me & what it can do for you as well.

First Pie

2010-03-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

Cary's birthday was recent. When I asked what he wanted he said a Cherry Pie! I said since I have never made a pie can I do a store bought one? He in his very nice way told me no. (Something like Store bought!?!?) Well if I love you I will step outside my comfort zone & do what ever I can to make your wish come true.

I used Cary's family for the crust & pie. I took a good nap before hand. (I do this to any task that I want to be done just right. NO I DO NOT TAKE A LOT OF NAPS!) Mind you I have a store bought crust in the freezer as back up. It is still there.

Well I did it. It was not a pretty pie but I did get it made. All from scratch. No store bought crust. No Cherry pie filling. Cary said it was good & had, I believe 2 pieces. Bryan who is not a fruit pie type person even said it was good. I did it! When I told a relative about it she told me, well you topped me. What!?!? You make pies all the time. She told me, well I use store bought crust & cherry pie filling. So thank you Cary for wanting a Cherry pie. I can now cross that off my list of things I need to learn. Well now I need to plan my next pie. I think we decided it would be Pecan. Yummy!

The Years of Trying To Lose Weight

2010-03-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

I have been trying for 4 or more years to lose weight but just as I get to the 160 mark my health would get really bad. I would go to the doctor(s) and be checked out & nothing be found. I take that back due to some test we were able to remove pre-cancerous polyps. 3 different times. What a blessing!

I finally sit down and came up with a common denominator for the cause of my problems. I talked it over with Bryan & Jennifer & we all agree it's the SIT-UPS! Yep, good old fashion sit-ups. So now no sit-up or crunches for me. Problem is now I have to find another way to trim the abs area. Not to worry I have that solved as well.

I always started trying to lose weight but could not stay motivate. Well On July 4th a neighbor came to my door saying something was burning in her house. Call 911! Well when you get equipment in a neighborhood everyone come out to see what is gong on. We all come out to see what we can do to help our neighbors, our friends.

Jayne is about 9 years older than me & works out with weights 2-3 times a week. Because of this her bones are very strong even after chemo treatment. Yvonne is 4-5 years younger & looks great. She and her family have joined a gym & she had slimmed even more since her daughter's wedding. So then why do I look the worst for wear??

That night I knew it was time to lose the weight & this time I would succeed...........

I'm Finally Normal!

2010-03-12T00:00:00.004-06:00

OK, OK, what were you thinking? Normal in the Head!?!? What ever, that is a long lost cause. I mean my weight! I did it! I have lose 56 pounds since July 5th 2008. I know that seems like a long time but Rome was not built in a year & I did not gain all the weight that fast either.

In a few post tucked in here & there I will tell you about how I lose the weight. Bryan & I call it a Life Style change. I will have it labeled as Life Style Change so if you want to read about it you can, if not you know to past it up. This is really for me to help me keep on track. I do hope that is will inspire someone out there who needs to lose weight, that they too can do it.

I want to say thank you Bryan for being my partner in this new life style. Thank you Dawn for the encouraging words & answering questions that I had. I still have the sweater!! To Jennifer, Cary, Jeff , Donna & Donna and all my family and friends that encouraged me and cheered me on. And I can not leave out Jayne & Yvonne for inspiring me!

THANK YOU!

The Ring

2010-03-11T00:00:00.002-06:00

Well I guess I need to start with where I left off last. I believe it was with the missing ring. As you remember I lost my ring & Bryan was trying to help me find it. We knew we were going to have to replace my ring due to my weight lost. So while doing some Christmas shopping we stopped at a jewelers to see what size ring I would need.Well I went from a 7-1/2 to a 5-3/4. Wow, no wonder I lost my ring.

I know, I know why was I wearing it? One, rumors were going around that Bryan & I were having problems since I was not wearing my ring. NOT TRUE! We are very much a couple or a couple of couples. Bryan & Tressia. Ashes & Petunia. The other is I really miss wearing my ring. Why not have the ring sized? The ring design is solid & can not be cut down. So sadly we had to order a new ring. :(

In the mean time we still was without a washing machine. This was bad timing since I needed the washer that week for washing up a few things for Jennifer while she was in the hospital. Well the repair man finally made it on Friday. After he got to the inside of the washer he found a small problem. My Ring!!!! The only thing I can think of is when I was pushing the towels into the washer the ring just slide off my finger.

The ring was damaged even with it being made of titanium. So now my ring is sitting in the typesetters case. Thanks for the memories. Now on to the new ones.

2010-03-08T18:46:00.002-06:00

Wow it has been a while since my last Blog.

I know, I know I'm a few months behind. I just can't help it since Brylee came along. Our world has been turned upside down. I can tell you I have found my STOP button. It is the one marked "B" for Brylee. It is amazing how someone so small can just change your whole world. Believe me Brylee is such a pleasure when she is here. We are able to spend time with her often & love every minute of it. Have I told you today????
I LOVE BEING A GRANDMOTHER!
For you that just found my Blog, you might want to also follow :http://www.lifeasamcfadden.blogspot.com. This is Jennifer, Cary & Brylee's blog site. You will be able to keep up with Bryan & I there. So off we go.........

Noise in Washing Machine

2009-11-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

As I'm doing some surfing on the Internet for Christmas Gifts, I hear an unusual noise. So I get up to check the front bedrooms of the house. Nothing then I hear it again, my thoughts are What are the cats doing to make that noise! As I turn away from my desk all three cats are looking at me with the looks of what is that noise? The noise is coming from the washer. It sounds like a large washer has come lose inside, but then there are times it sounds like a coin sliding around in there. Well once the washer stops I try to see if there is anything. As for as I can tell all is clear. As I sit back down I realize I'm missing my wedding ring. Maybe I took it off to do something. I go check No ring. So I search this house from trash compactor, trash can, recycle bin. Nothing. The washer is still making a noise I can not figure out. I can't call Bryan. I Call Jenn and Cary to ask them to see if my ring is in their car by chance. Nope. They offer to come help look but I tell them I will keep looking and to have a good evening. Well to make a long story short. I called Sear to see if they could come repair the washer. I was asked by the Tech if I was sure it was something really wrong or just the usual machine noise? I had to tell her that the machine is on one side of the house and you could hear it on the other side. I did tell Bryan about the missing ring and he re-checked my steps and even while we ran errands on Sunday we stopped in the parking lot of JC Penney's to check there. No ring............

Friday the 13th

2009-11-23T00:00:00.001-06:00

The crazy week started on Friday the 13th. Oh, your thoughts are Friday the 13th, that should say it all. Not at the Jarvis Fun House it just gets crazy. Plus it was Lynn's (Bryan's Dad) Birthday. I have always heard if your birthday is on the 13th and it falls on a Friday it is GOOD LUCK! for you that day.
We started off with meeting our friends at Landmark. We ran into a Lewisville Fire Dept retiree and his wife and asked them to join us, and a neighbor of Jeff and Regina also joining us. It was nice to sit and visit.
After that we went to a viewing for a friend from the LPD. Mr B was very special. He always had a smile and always made you feel you were so special.(Let me tell you if we all could be just a little like Mr B then the world would be so much better!) Saying good bye is never easy. I will miss seeing him at the events. Heaven received another Angel last week.
On Saturday we got up and got around. Bryan is off to his all day meeting (8:00AM-10:00 PM something) I start running a few errands E-cycle, CCA, Sam's, Tom Thumb and a few other places. Got home in time to See Cary and Jenn. They brought Chester over to play for the day. I love that dog! Once Jenn and Cary got back to the house we went to eat & to the Christmas Store in Arlington. WOW what a store. I need to go back when it is not crowded. You can find almost anything you need there. I wish I had a bigger yard and the storage area to store some of the outdoor decorations! After the kids dropped me off I took a little nap and got up to start the usual Sat house work, laundry, sweeping, etc. But let me tell you...the adventure has just started at the Jarvis Fun House.............

2009-11-21T04:23:00.002-06:00

Good Morning!

Sorry I have not kept up with the Blog very much. Well that has now changed. This has been 1 crazy week. In the next few post I will be telling you about the washing machine noise. The nesting Bryan keeps saying I'm doing. Brylee! The New diet plan I'm on. The Internet. So as the newspaper use to say..........What a news (Blog) week!

So You Want To See....

2009-10-24T21:48:00.021-05:00

Well some of you heard I was busy looking for a dress for the Lewisville Awards Dinner and you wanted to see me dressed up. What !? You have seen me dressed up. What do you mean?

You did not want to see Petunia?

You did not want to see me as the Mother of the Bride?

not even Mrs. Santa Claus?

Okay here you go! Remember I don't clean up well. Are you sure you want to see this?

So now that you have had a good laugh! We will now return to the real ME!

Family, Fun, Laughter!

2009-10-22T00:00:00.003-05:00

What a weekend. It started off on Friday with seeing Bryan at Southridge Elementary with the LAF Programs for the children there. Jenn and Cary were able to join us. Then we all got back together and joined our friends (Jeff Regina and Melissa) at Babe's Chicken about 5:30. We came home and played Wii. Believe me Bryan and Cary ruled the Wii . Jennifer just watched & rested and cheered us all on. We had a really fun time. Lots of laughing.

Well we all got back together on Saturday about 6:00 and started back where we left off on Friday night. FUN! Jenn, Cary Bryan and I started off having supper at Applebee's. We then went to a really neat place to play Miniature Golf. I will get the name of it for you. It has 3 levels of Miniature golf, Batting cages and some Golfing Practice areas.

I'm not very good at miniature golf , but I was with my family and we would have some fun, laugh a little and Bryan and Cary would win! WAIT! did I tell you I was smoking!? This park has 3 levels of Miniature Golf. Green, Blue and Red. I'm guessing the Green is the first level. Then Blue and then Red. We saw no one playing the Red course. (I need to find out why.)

The first game was played on the Green Course and I came in 2nd. Go me! I will tell you it was like a beginner course with some challenges. (For me LOTS of challenges) Loads of FUN! After adding up the scores we decided to go to the Blue Course. (the balls do not go away after the 18th hole) The Blue Course is more challenging. We played to the 15th hole and had to stop since the park was closing. After adding up the score I was in 1st place. Remember this is a tougher course! I also had 3, yes 3 hole in ones! One was due to Cary's help. Thanks Cary!

We then came home and played with Chester a little before saying Good Night. So I can say I love evenings like this. Family, fun, laughter! What a great time!

Another great weekend at "THE JARVIS FUNHOUSE"

Merry Christmas Brylee

2009-10-17T17:25:00.004-05:00

As many of you know I decided to make Brylee 's Christmas Stocking. I'm not that good at crafts but I try. This would be a big project and has to be PERFECT!

I ordered the Punch Needle stocking kit the night we found out we were going to be grandparents. I started in July and finished it month or so ago. I took it to work and showed some of my co-workers the finished punch needle of the stocking. The Snowmen are the only parts that are punched, the rest is printed on the stocking itself.

Today Bryan and I sewed it together. It came out very nice if I may say so myself! I texted Jennifer a picture of it hanging on the fire place with "Merry Christmas Brylee!". Jennifer knew I was making one but not the design. She called me right back after she received the picture. (I don't think the text had completed on my phone yet?)

I wrote in Peanut's journal that there was over 10,000 punches and everyone of the punches was out of love! (Yes, I have a journal for Peanut.)

Merry Christmas!