Buddies for Bastrop/Austin area

As most of you know, most of south Texas seems to be on fire right now. So many families have lost their homes and everything else. I want to do my part to help, so I am collecting Scentsy Buddies. For just $27 you can *sponsor* a buddy. My goal is to collect 500 buddies and then I will drive them down to Austin/Bastrop area. I know we can't give those families their homes back, but we can give them a little piece of home. When I think of all those kids that have lost anything, it breaks my heart, cause I can just picture my kids going through that. Please share this with all your friends and family...I know that we can do this! It breaks my heart to see all these families with no place to go. If you want to sponsor a buddy, please send your payment to:
jessicahoisington@gmail.com with Paypal . Please just add a note saying it is for the Buddies for Bastrop/Austin Buddy Drive.

Edited to add our Facebook page with up to the date buddy counts!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buddies-for-BastropAustin-TX/112009985571510

Please leave a comment if you have any questions....we can do this!!

Happy Easter!

This was our first Easter as a family of 5, and besides poor Avery having a fever of 102.6 all day, it was a fun day. Poor baby is cutting her top teeth. When I was getting her diaper changed I checked out her mouth and can see the one tooth cutting through, I hope it does it soon so she gets a break. The boys woke up to bunny poop in the house (colored mini marshmallows) and a full basket. Then they were off to hunt eggs, Avery got to play with the eggs the Easter Bunny left on her pottery barn anywhere chair. Then we were off to church, back home for naps and then off for another egg hunt at my parents. The kids were all spoiled by the ones that love them.
I know at times I wonder if they really understand the TRUE meaning of Easter...why we celebrate and that Easter is not all candy, bunnies and eggs. I am always asking Ethan was Easter is all about and he can tell me, but after asking Aiden I know we are doing something right. He was able to tell me the whole story of Jesus dying on the cross for us, going in a cave with a big stone in front of it, an angel moving the stone and then Jesus ROSE AGAIN! (He likes to yell this part). I was able to catch part of it on video and I know I will treasure it always. I leave you with this picture of our perfect (to uss) family picture from this afternoon. I love it because:
1. It was after church and the kids had food sitting on the table behind us that was just tempting them, but they let me go crazy and snap a few pics.
2. Did I mention it was after church? They were hyped up on candy from the morning and I didn't hear one complaint!
3. They are ALL looking at the camera! Do you understand what an EASTER MIRACLE this is? Ethan never looks at the camera! This was done on a self timer since we brought the camera to church and then forgot to have someone take a picture of us, so we set it up on the self timer, snapped 3 pics and picked the best out of them :)

30 Day Challenge: Day 3 My views on Drugs and Alcohol

My view has drastically changed since I have gotten older. When I was younger, the *cool* thing to do was get trashed all the time, every weekend, all.the.time! It was crazy and I did a lot of stupid things, but now that I am older I see how stupid that was. I just don't have the desire to do that anymore. Yes, I will admit there are a few times when I have one glass of wine too many, or one more 7&7 than I should have, but it is nothing compared to days gone by.
As for drugs, never tried them and have never had a desire to. I don't get it. That's about all I will say about that :)

30 Day Challenge: Day 2 Where I would like to be in 10 yrs.

Let's see, in 10 yrs I will be 42. HOLY CRAP! I am going to be old! Seeing that number on paper is kinda freaky!
Okay, so in 10 yrs we will have a 16yr old, a 13 yr old and an almost 11 yr old. Wow.

I hope to have sold the current house we are in and move closer in to DFW. It would make commutes much easier on Seth and give him that much more time with us. I am selfish and want him home with us more than time on the road commuting.

I hope to still have a wonderful relationship with my kids, one that they also want to *keep up*. I love that Ethan is always wanting me around him right now at school and up at the theater. I pray it stays that way and he sets a good example for the other two littles :)

I hope to have traveled more, I would love to take the kids out of the country, expose them more than what the US has to offer.

I hope to have a few more things accomplished, but those are private for now :)

30 Day Challenge: Day 1 My Current Relationship

My current relationship is: happily married for almost 9 yrs now (June 15, 2002) and together for almost 13 yrs (July 23, 1998). Honestly I cannot imagine my life without the man. I thank God that I was lucky enough to meet him and have him choose me to spend the rest of his life with.

We met on the dance floor at Blue Planet night club in Dallas, and the rest is history!
I just knew from the night I met him that he was the one for me. We have had our ups & downs, what couple hasn't, but 99% of the time, life rocks!
We have been blessed with three beautiful children and watching him turn from single guy, into devoted boyfriend, into a sweet fiancé, into a strong husband and now into a loving father just makes me love him that much more!
Sorry, I promise the rest of these won't be as mushy :)

Maybe this will help?

I am stealing this idea from my friend Kelsey, I need something to kick my booty back into blogging, I hope this will do it! I can't promise that I am going to blog for 30 days in a row...but I can try. After all, I think 99% of the people that read this are all my family members down here in Texas and in Michigan :)

Goals for 2011

Goals for 2011

1. Read 100 books

2. Drink nothing but water for 2 weeks

3. Stay off the computer more in the evenings when the kids are awake

4. Learn a new hobby and or craft

5. RUN an entire 5k, like not walk one time

6. Run a 10k

7. 2011 3P Challenge Paddle, Pound, Pedal

8. Keep the house in a picked up state where I won’t panic if someone stops by unexpectedly

9. Go to bed with a clean kitchen sink nightly

10. Wake up at 6:30 on school mornings so I won’t rush around

11. Stop trying to make others happy, just worry about myself and my family

12. Make a housecleaning schedule, and stick to it!!

13. Once I start a load of laundry, follow through. Wash, dry, fold and PUT AWAY. That last part is my nemesis!

14. Go eat REAL sushi, like the raw stuff, not the smoked/cooked stuff

15. Work out 5 days a week

16. Be a healthy weight

17. Try a new recipe once a week

18. Go on a date once a month with Seth

19. Have quiet time every day, be it 5 minutes or 45 minutes….

20. Read the bible with the kids on a daily basis

21. Organize the house so everything has a place. If it doesn’t have a place, out it goes.

22. Volunteer

23. Become a Director with Scentsy

24. Go to bed by 10:30 on school nights

25. Wash my face every night before going to bed

26. Give blood at least twice

27. Go on a family camping trip

28. Cook a gourmet 4 course meal for us and another couple

29. Let loose and play with the kids more, be a kid myself!

30. Worry less about what others think or perceive about me

31. Meal plan and have dinner started/ready when Seth gets home from work

32. Go to the dentist twice this year

33. Nurse Avery till her 1yr birthday

34. Order pictures starting from my pregnancy with Aiden from BluDoor

35. Decorate the living room

36. Finish the kitchen *renovations*

37. Sew kitchen drapes

38. Make picture books of the kids pictures, starting from when Ethan was born

39. Sell/give away the kids clothes they have outgrown

40. Private J