Goodbye Erie.

What an amazing four years. We love you, Erie. Countless festivals were attended, our babies were born here, weekly Wegman's trips, 4/5ths of our marriage was spent here & amazing friends were made here. We learned how to drive in the snow and that pizza balls do exist.

We will miss you.

Love,

the Jennings

My Last Girls' Group

Last night was my last girls' group and both Christie and I unknowingly had the idea to make slideshows. This is my slideshow- it was made from my pictures so there is a lot of ME in them. Regardless, you get the point.

I got pretty emotional and had plenty of tears whilst watching Christie's slideshow and can't believe how much I'll miss these girls. We've been through medical school, sharing holidays, missing families, showers, having babies, losing babies, happy times, grief, Bible Studies, bbq's & lots of prayer. They have listened to me talk and talk and talk.

The song is "More Than You'll Ever Know" by Watermark. My best friend, Mary Lou, introduced it to me on her wedding weekend (tears).

7 Days.

Within the next seven days...

we will pack up this house and load our stuff into a truck.

Adam will have his last day of medical school.

I will go to my last girls' group.

Adam's parents will fly up here.

Adam will graduate.

We will say good-bye to our friends. (I prefer see ya later. I hate good-byes. Too much.)

We will fly/drive to Texas.

I will turn 28.

Whew!

Bullies and More Boxes.

Most every woman in the blog world knows about Pioneer Woman and her infamous blog. I'm not a consistent reader but I have read it somewhat often, especially before I had kids. My friend, Mary Lou, had sent me Pioneer Woman's new book and I was telling some friends just that the other night when a friend told me that there were blogs dedicated to hating Pioneer Woman.

Weird, right? I didn't quite get it but I googled it the other night and found not just one but several blogs dedicated to picking apart, mocking & defaming the Pioneer Woman's blog. This is weird, right? These are grown women. I get having differences or disagreeing or even being annoyed by someone's blog but to take the time and initiative to create and consistently post on a blog that seeks to slander another blogger? I don't get it.

On happier matters, we are packing and got to play outside a bit with the boys. I mowed the yard (proud) and we are making progress with Mom here. Adam's graduation ceremony is on Sunday (Hello Doctor!) and we fly the coop on Monday. Today is my last Monday in Erie. Whoa.

Boxes.

Packing. Moving. Boxes. Boxes.

Diapering. Chasing. Boxes. Boxes.

Cleaning. Cooking. Boxes. Boxes.

Mama. Dada. Boxes. Boxes.

My mom is here (yay!) and our house looks like every closet and drawer projectile vomited their contents everywhere.

Role-Modeling.

Unrelated picture: Bethany & I with our little sons, pre-haircut

Kids keep you accountable. Even when they are teensy-weensy. One thing that I've been encouraged in lately is modeling constant communion with God for Henry (even though I'm far from consistent at it) & trying to teach him that we can stop at anytime and pray to and talk to and thank God. This has led to some funny conversations and prayer times in the car. Let me just say, Henry is really thankful for choo-choo's and tractors. And dump trucks. And garbage trucks. And mailmen. (You get the point.)

On the converse, last week the four of us were going to the store and it was pouring rain and I was trying to get Elliot out of the car and we got stuck and I said, "Ugh. Mama sucks." And Henry repeated, "Mama Suck!" And I was like, Oh Lord. Please don't let that be a new vocabulary word that sticks into his brain. Luckily, it hasn't been said again to date. I am learning to replace unpleasant words with new catch phrases like Oh, tartar sauce!

Oh, Lord. Help a Mama out. Grant me wisdom and strength to raise my boys in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

Basements.

One thing that I'll really miss about living up here is having a basement! Having both grown up south of the Mason-Dixon, Adam and I stored our junk in closets, garages or attics. We had no idea the hoarding capabilities that the basement offered!

basement pro:
lots of storage

basement con:
items stored in basement smell like basement

basement con:
have to walk down tiny stairs to do my laundry

basement pro:
excuse to not do laundry (especially while pregnant...can't be carrying a laundry basket down tiny stairs, right? hey-O! Well, that only worked during my 1st pregnancy.)

basement con:
A Kevin-in-Home-Alone type fear of basement sometimes

basement pro:

you can do an entire blog post about basements when your brain is too fried to think of anything else to write

Silliness.

Every night after the boys go to sleep, I'm like Hey. I should pack boxes now. But then I finish cleaning up the kitchen and go upstairs with Adam and read blogs or we watch Wipeout on hulu. The other day, Adam started packing up the board games in our coffee table and Henry pulled each game out and opened the boxes they were in and created a greater mess than the one with which we started.

Packing is silly. Once my Mom is here, she can just finish it all. Kinda like my 3rd grade science project.

Lately

Henry & Elliot's 1st Bath Together

Me trying to scrounge up customers for our yard sale at the Lynne's house
(The rain kept the peeps away.)

Henry fishing with Dada
(the water looks deep in this picture but it's not, Adam says)

Henry & River playing in the sled

Chopped.

There's a lot going on around here but, on a shallow note, I'll post about my hair and save the other stuff for later.

I got it into my mind last week that I wanted to chop all of my hair off. I just didn't want to look like Deborah from Everyone Loves Raymond, the early seasons. You know, big poofy "mom" hair. So, Thursday afternoon I went to the salon with a few pictures and told my hairgal to go to town.



Here it is, straight out of the chair.

It is so easy- she didn't even dry it- just rubbed some wax into it. I think this will be nice in Texas when it's super hot and my hair wasn't long enough to put into a ponytail, anyway. Adam loves it and wants me to keep it this short and so I may just do that!

5 Years

May 13, 2006
Moon River Ranch

Bumblebee Getchu

The other day, we were playing in the front yard and a huge bumblebee landed on Henry's shoe. I didn't see it until he calmly called my attention to it. I must've made a horrific face but I tried to shew it away and, when that didn't work, I stepped on it (atop his shoe) and killed it. This kinda freaked him out.

Now, he's afraid of bumblebees- even after calmly reasoning with him about bumblebees being fine, he's afraid. "Bumblebee getchu" can often be heard coming out of his mouth when we are outside. He spazzes out if he thinks that a bee is near him even when there is no bee around.

This morning at the playground, we showed him an ant crawling along the ground. I mean, we did it in a calm, look how neat! kind of way. Now he thinks that bugs are crawling on him and that bugs are going to get him. It doesn't seem like we can reassure him otherwise.

Peeps, this may be a phase but it's pretty foreign to me. Henry has always been a little too brave (like diving into deep water while laughing). How do we respond? Change the subject when bugs come up? Keep explaining that bugs are fine? Just wait for it to pass?

Needy.

Since Henry turned two, he's been much more needy than usual. Like, if we go to a party, he mainly wants to just hang out with Adam instead of being a social butterfly and dancing around (like he used to do). If I try to go work out at the Y, he cries when I drop him off at the childcare whereas he used to just run over to the trucks and play. He mainly wants to just be at home with the four of us.

I'm trying to be sensitive to this and keep things simple and close to the home-base as much as possible. I, personally, like to roll and go pretty often but Henry does not seem to be all about that and, since I am a stay-at-home Mom, I am fortunately able to do just that: stay at home and let Henry hang out.

The weather has been lovely so being at home isn't a bad thing at all- we are able to play in the yard and go on walks and cuddle up and read books. Adam think that it's a growth spurt- Henry just doesn't feel so hot and is needing extra sleep and nurturing. So, meanwhile, we have 3 weeks left in Erie and I really don't need to go to the Y so we will just stick close to home and enjoy these last 20 days.

Warmth.

One major thing that I will miss about Erie is this time of year: when, after months of a grueling winter, the weather finally starts warming up (like the high is 60 today! What, what!) and everyone and their mama and their granny is outside. It makes you feel happy and full of hope to see families out playing and kids riding their bikes. Darn you, Erie, this weather is making me more nostalgic about missing you. Must focus on winter...must focus on winter...

Okay but one more thing: this weather makes me super unmotivated to pack boxes or to get ready for our big yard sale this weekend (over at our friends' house).

Four Years.

Adam back in January of 2008, White Coat Ceremony

May 30, 2007: Adam (age 24) and I (age 23) drive over 1,300 miles from Waco, Texas to Erie, Pennsylvania and move into our new little home. We spent the summer getting our home set up, attending every festival in town & (me) looking for a job. It was an amazing summer but medical school was looming and we weren't sure what to expect. From some of the horror stories that I'd heard, I thought that it would be pretty awful.

1st day of medical school- 2007

It wasn't. Adam quickly established a routine, waking up absurdly early to study and then heading to class for the day. His nighttime studying was less intense and we usually went on a walk before or after supper. I began working as an admissions counselor at the pharmacy school on August 13th and was able to connect with some amazing girls (My dear Girls Group!).

Adam would tell you himself. He was not a very disciplined student before medical school. But he totally stepped up his game for medical school. He viewed entry into medical school as a gift from the Lord and was such a good steward of this gift. He fought to make his family a priority and he fought to study hard, wanting to be the best doctor possible. Adam even listens to lectures as he falls asleep. I don't completely get this- maybe it's like osmosis, you absorb the information in as you REM? I prefer white noise, myself. Regardless, the boy worked so hard and he is who I would want as my doctor in the ER! Someone who cared and was always learning and studying and liked medicine...

1st day of 2nd year, 2008

At the beginning of Adam's second year, we found out that we were pregnant with Baby Henry.

Adam continued studying his pantalones off in school and he was feeling out specialties and trying to find out what he was passionate about. Meanwhile, I got bigger (and so did Adam! With Henry, he gained weight with me. Happy! With Elliot, he lost weight. Grrrr.) Henry was born April 21st, Oh Happy Day! Adam prepared for Step 1 of his boards with a newborn snuggled on his chest.

1st day of 3rd year, 2009

In June of 2009, Adam began rotations. Every four weeks of 3rd and 4th year was a new rotation. Adam really liked almost all of the specialties but found emergency medicine to be the best fit. He likes the diagnostics and using his brain, thinking fast and he also gets to do procedures and intubation. Next year, he'll be at a level 1 trauma center and that is exciting for Adam!

1st day of 4th year, 2010

3rd and 4th year were a blur. Henry was here, Step 1 of the boards, Adam was doing a new rotation every month and I got pregnant again towards the beginning of 2010. Adam took Step 2 of the boards, he applied for residencies, interviewed and matched for emergency medicine at JPS in Fort Worth. Elliot arrived October 25th of 2010. We spent numerous hours with dear friends walking through this same season and enjoyed our growing family here in Erie. I can't believe how these years have flown. The Lord has taught us dependence on Him and has richly blessed our home.

I'm so proud of Adam. He's worked and played and lived and loved well during these four years and he's going to be an incredible physician. He's already the best husband and dad that I know.

I love you, Adam.

More Pictures from Slumber Party (Stolen)

Too tired to post anything else but these pictures from our slumber party...brooke took them, I think ? My brain is turning to mush...

mama & e embrace the camera with wet hair

Inspection & Siblings

The inspection is complete! They were here from nine to eleven-thirty. (it was the inspector, the realtor & the buyer). Is a super-long inspection good? Bad? The boys and I were gone during the first two hours but caught the tail end when the inspector was confused by my bath faucets (from 1935) and was telling the buyer that he could take a hot shower or a cold bath. I clambered up the stairs to demonstrate the usage of the warm water handle. See, buyer? You can have a hot shower and a hot bath.

Now the inspector comes back tomorrow to inspect outside of the house. Then he makes a report. Then we wait to see what buyers say about the report. Meanwhile I may stress-eat everything in our refrigerator. Little joke.

So, lately, Henry has been very two. Like, he says, Bear Noooooo anytime that Elliot touches him. Or he's a great sharer with others, usually, but not with Brother Bear. Oh, noooooo. I am hoping that when Elliot starts crawling and can play more that Henry's dislike of sharing and being touched by his brother will not increase. I so want them to be close. Well, we are half-way there: Elliot loves Henry and laughs at everything Henry does. Henry will sometimes give Elliot hugs or attention in exchange for awwww, you're such a great big brother from his parents but we hear a lot of, No Bear!

Crazy May.

Dear Bethany & Justin at our slumber party

This is already a crazy May. Friday, we hit it off big with my 3rd annual Girls' Group slumber party. It was legendary! We made a mix tape, friendship bracelets, played Just Dance & ate junk food. I love my girlfriends.

Saturday night, we all threw a Happy Adopting shower for our friends, the Lynne's. They had just finished their adoption classes and are in the middle of interviews so we had a big party with their favorite foods, drinks & treats. It was such a cool celebration- over at Brooke & Freeland's. (Shout Out- Brooke did a ton of hard work for the party & made it look so cute with her decorations.)

Yesterday, we had an Open House. Actually, let me back up: Last week, we got an offer on the house & accepted it. They are approved for their mortgage but the inspection is TOMORROW at 9 a.m. Once that is done, I will feel like whew. Yes. The house is sold. But we had the Open House anyway since our realtor said it's always wise to have back-ups.

We have had get-togethers and parties every weekend with our friends and I have loved it! However, Henry is pooped. He spent most of the Lynne's party asking Adam if they could sit in our car (and they did most of the party). We had some good down time today, only leaving to go to the Y and the grocery store.

Speaking of grocery store, taking my boys to the grocery store is hilarious. Henry is in that little car attached to the front of the buggy, Elliot is strapped to my chest & I am grabbing food left and right. The only hiccup today was the check-out line where lots of shiny & colorful gum packages were displayed right within Henry's eye-level and arm-reach.

Love to you all, going to go pack up some boxes for our yard sale. (I told you, May is crazy!)