A Hodgepodge O' Jen

Hi Everybody!

It's been a while! Hope that your December is off to a good start and that you and yours are well, healthy, and happy.

It's been an interesting last few weeks...

...Mom has beaten pneumonia yet again and I am so amazingly proud of her. We're still in need of prayers, though. Please keep them coming. Additionally, several other friends and sorority sisters need prayers for themselves and their families as well. If you would, please open your heart for "Jen's Friends And Their Families." I know they'll feel your prayers and good energies.

...Thanksgiving was, of course, wonderful. My mother-in-law is a fantastic cook, to say the very very least, and we had a wonderful afternoon and evening together enjoying our family and laughing. I had to work the next day, but Curtis didn't, so he hit the malls and did some holiday shopping. I've done some as well, and will be glad to get it all over with. I usually try to get at least half of my shopping done before the end of the fall. This year, I didn't even really start until it got cold out. I'm doing well on gifts for Curt's mom and for Erin, but not-so-well for everyone else. I've crocheted a few items and am working on a few others, so those will be gifted as well. So we'll see. I have a feeling I'll be spending the next few weekends shopping like mad.

...my beautiful Bo Bice won the award for "Best Reality Star" at last night's "VH1 Big In '05" awards show and I am so thrilled! Erin was too!

...I've totally not been studying for my PHR exam, and I am afraid it's going to come back and bite me. My test is one week from today, and, let me tell you, I will be so immensely glad to get it over with. If I don't pass, I don't pass. I've removed the self-imposed "pass-it-or-die" stress that has been looming over my head for the past several months, and have actually allowed myself to live and do the things I needed to do, while studying when I could. That's all I can do. I am not Superwoman. Should I have studied harder? Yes. Will I be spending each evening in this coming week studying? You bet. But will I kill myself if I fail? No. Now remind me of this conversation if I come back to you one week from today with the sad news of PHR failure. Someone please take ownership for reminding me that it's OK to not be 200% perfect. I can't do everything, dammit. And the sooner my small brain figures that out and stops punishing me for being human, the better.

...my sorority had our annual Christmas Brunch this past Saturday. We always have such a good time. We collected toys, books, games, and school supplies for the patients at the KU Medical Center, and had an ornament exchange for us. Because my digital camera is a hateful beast, I can't show you the photo of the toys I purchased. I got a "Learn To Crochet" kit (of course!), two stuffed animals, and three puzzles. I hope these make the lives and hearts of some of the children happy as their bodies heal this holiday season. The ornaments I got (note, I said ornamentS and not ornamenT!) were all sorority-related. One was a gorgeous, baby-soft stocking hand-knitted in our sorority's colors with a sorority ribbon laced through and the other two were handpainted sorority snow-women. So, so cute. I wish I could say that I spent a fortune on the ornament I gave for the exchange, but I simply didn't. For $3.99, Target was selling some VERY gorgeous and VERY heavy glass ball ornaments in a variety of colors (I chose an orchid-pink shade). The sister who got the ornament seemed to like it, so that's good.

...guess who gets to go on travel for work AGAIN? Yep, boys and girls, you guessed it. Your Jennifer's BACK out on the road AGAIN next week. (*sigh*) The sooner I get a new job, the happier I'll be...

...which leads me to my next point. Remember my earlier posts dreading the BRAC and boo-hoo'ing the change that it was forcing upon me? Now flash forward several months in the future and look at me. I can't WAIT to get out of here. I love it here and I love my colleagues and my work and the others that work here, but good grief, I am...nope, not gonna say it. Let's just say I am ready for a change. I've got a resume in for a GS-0201-12/13 that just closed last week at another Federal agency here in town, so we'll see. Please say a little prayer that this position comes through for me!

...I am having a silent/book party for Discovery Toys in the hopes of getting Erin some yummy Christmas toys on the cheap. So far, the show's up pretty high, but I'd like to see it up even higher. If you'd like to make an order and can pay me ASAP, please let me know. They have some adorable and wonderful toys and learning tools out there, and I've been assured an in-time-for-Christmas delivery if we get the show in pronto, so please get in touch with me if you'd like to purchase a toy for a little one in your heart!

...our neighborhood Bunko group is meeting at my house in an hour, so off I go to put the finishing touches on coconut creme pie and getting our tables set up! Have a lovely night, folks! Oh yeah, and don't forget to EMAIL me if you'd like to order from my Discovery Toys show!