Thanksgiving visit.

Catch Up

Well I guess my update is long overdue. Lots have happened since I last wrote. So we will start off with June:

June:
Well I finely finished up my contract work with FMP. So I was relived to be finely done with that place. Jamie and I took Jackson to San Diego for 4 days of fun in the sun. We saw Shamu several times and went to the beach. I think my son would be a beach bum if I would have let him. But we had a great time and it felt so very good to get away. The rest of the month I relaxed and just hung out at home.

On the 24th I headed with Jackson to MN. We first went to the Zoo with Sophie and Aunt Chris and then we spent days on the farm with grandpa and grandma. Jackson LOVED, LOVED, feeding the horses and hanging out outside in the cool temps. G & G also set up a sand box and that boy was in heaven!! We had Sand from one end to another. But by golly it was so much fun watching him just play with no worries! Friday (27th) we headed back up to the cities. It was mom and Dad’s 40th wedding anniversary so we kids had a few plans. Saturday we went out to a nice supper club for dinner with the gang and Sunday took them to the Twins Brewers game. Where I might add we had their names put up on the JUMBO TRON!!! Plus we made silly signs for them to hold up every chance we could get. We all had blast.

That Monday we hung with Aunt Chrissy and Sophie. Jackson Loved being outside and playing basketball. On Tuesday we headed in the afternoon to the airport to head to Aberdeen. We landed safe and sound. We spent the next day just vegging. Daddy arrived the next day and Jackson was SO very excited to see him. We spent the next day’s seeing family that was in for the Rieker reunion. We really had a blast. I flew home that Sunday and Jamie came home on Tuesday. It was a long day for them but they made it home safe and sound.
So I guess we are in July now…. Well July 8th I started a new job. 7 miles from home!! I work for a staffing company that puts traveling nurses in Federal hospitals across the United States. I will be doing all the housing for these Nurses along with a variety of other tasks. They first week was slow, but I am now in my second week and starting to get the hang of things.
I am starting now to help out my friend Laura with the BizeMoms networking group that I belong to. One of our officers received some bad news about her 3 year old daughter. She was diagnosis with Cancer. Here is her website. Feel free to visit and offers up your prayers. I know it really means a lot to hem during this difficult time. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maliahight

So I guess that brings me to today. In a few moments we are off to the ENT Dr with Jackson to check out his tonsils. We are hoping we can put off getting them out after the 1st of the year.
Oh I guess I forgot the most important news of all!!! We are PREGNANT!!! I am due Feb 2nd. More than likely they will take the baby the week before Jackson birthday. So I a day short of 12 weeks right now. So pray for a healthy successful pregnancy. All my Love, Jenny

Its Late...I am tired...Lets call it a night

Well the days of being unemployed are going ok. I am still working contract for the company who took us over, but the work is very tiring. I am learning some new things which is always good, but I have been putting in some late nights. So since I have signed out I thought I would give my demanding Friends an update..

So I had an interview that went really well. However they want me to take a $20K paycut. Ok TOTALLY not going to happen. I have worked too hard the past 8 years to be where I was at 3 years ago. Hello people....I want to make steps forward, not leaps and bounds BACKWARDS!!!! So I told them what I wanted, pay vacation the whole shabag. I got a call for a second interview... Funny I think. So it is suppose to be tomorrow. But the guy hasn't called me back to give me the address. So I am thinking since its 9:44 my time that this will be pushed off until Monday.

It would be a good job, and I am excited about it. But I would just need to be sure that I won't be canned in 7 months, since part of the work they want me to do is clean up... Maybe I could work contract. That wouldn't be so bad I guess..

So anyways that is the scoop on my job search.

Well as for the family all is well. Taylor is about to finish up her 10th grade year. Hard to believe. We have reached a turning point with her and plans are now to have her move home with her Mom. Her mom I think can give her that support she is yearning for. Things that I can't give her. Jamie and I are very torn and we wonder if we are doing the right thing. Taylor is a wonderful girl, but very challenging. We will see how the summer goes, and if we all agree she may be back. Which is ok. We truly want what is best for her. Her mom is getting her into counseling which I think will help. My insurance SUCKS when it come to that. So $ wise, it was not feasible for us to do it. So I am excited that she will be able to start that. I think with what she has held onto from Springboard and maybe more maturity, just maybe a light bulb will go on. I just ask you all to pray for her, pray for her well being. Pray for her four parents who are torn on what the next step should be. Pray that we all continue to work together to make the right choices for her. Pray for her brothers. One will be missing his sissy and the other will be so glad to have her around. Just pray for all of us. LOL.

Well I suppose I should close. If anyone does read my blog, and you have any helpful hints or suggestions on either matter, please leave a comment. :-)

Good night... If I had my book of scriptures that my friend Lori gave me I could end in that... But I don't! LOL

So Good night!!

Vacation and Catch Up!

Well this may be a long post. So go grab a cup of coffee, a donut and sit back, relax and enjoy our Blog!

Well last week we headed out Aberdeen SD. We arrived on Thursday when it was -40. Yes that is not a typo. We were glad to have finely arrived after a long night in the ariport. Shall I elaborate? Good glad you would like to hear.

So we landed in MPLS and all was good. WE had checked into hotels before we left and I was CONFIDENT that I could find a REASONABLE hotel for us to spend the night. But a bazillion phone calls later there was no such luck. The average room would be $120 and for 5 hours I was JUST NOT GOING to spend that!! So off to pick up our bag, have the US AIR folks lock them up and hunker down in the airport. We foudn our place to sleep and we settled in. Well a young man, who shall remain nameless, decided that he was ready to explore and be UP!! While the rest of us wanted to get at least a few hours of shut eye. Well FINELY at 3 am that little stinker fell asleep. So mama got some shut eye then too.

We then woke up with the kinks in our necks and headed off to collect our bags and check into our flight to Aberdeen. All looked well and we should be on the plane no probelm. We ended up arriving at about 10:45 to the above -40 degrees. So we gather our bags and load up the van and head out.

Friday I spent part of my day buying supplies for the big PARTY!! Jackson you know was turning 2. I picked up everything I needed and we headed back to nan's. But wait. Another funny story. Would you like me to elbaorate? Good I am so glad!!

So checking out in Wal-Mart and I get RAMMED by somthing. I see out of the corner of my eye that is was a DORA 4 wheeler. You know one of those cars the kids drive. I am thinking to myself, who is NOT watching there kid! My goodness can't they see I have a cart full of STUFF!!! Well the boy who was ridining, again shall remain nameless along with his father. Purely to protect them. He had gotten on this DORA thing and had a foot on the gas and one leg in the air as if he just wanted to sit on it. But ub known to him the side he placed his foot was the GAS so he ran into his mama!! NOTE TO SELF: Don't EVER buy one of those.

So Saturday was the big party day. My family had arrived the night before and I was anxious to get over there and say hi. So Jamie, Jack and I bundled up and went over to the super 8 to see them. We ate some waffles and headed out. By the afternoon I had picked up the balloons and headed to the hotel.

We got all set up and we were ready for our guests to arrive! Jackson cake was SO TOTALLY AWESOME!!! It was a nemo cake that my sister Chris made. She TOTALLY out did herself and it was the best stinkin cake EVER!!! I have like a bazillion pictures and those will just have to be posted later. So we swam and opened up presents and really just had a good time hanging out with family. Poor Jackson was exhausted.

Sunday we said goodbye to my family and simply hung out. The rest of our trip was just relaxing, sleeping in and EATING WAY TOOOO MUCH!!! I did enjoy one night out with my sister in law Shanda and we had a great time. $20 can buy you A LOT of Limo and cokes. I got hit on my some dude in his hunting gear and one other strange dude. Made for a good laugh for us.

But we have now returned to the wonderful warm AZ weather. I will take this over the -25 we left on Tuesday. So it was back to work for me..

Speaking of work. I only have 60 more days left after today. (this does include the weekends folks) so I am anxious to be done and close this work chapter of my life. Its been one rollercoaster ride but I have met some WONDERFUL people along the way. I have been looking for a new job, but nothing that fits me has popped up. But I KNOW that HE has it allplanned out for me. So I shall not worry about it. My path has already been decided. So I will see what happens.

I willpost pictures of the party as soon as I dump my cards from the camera. I hope everyone is well. I am not quite sure if anyone even reads this, but I certainly enjoy writing it.

PS: Please lift up my friend Sharon. She is recovering from an illness and could use your prayers.

Rest in his Hands,
Jenny

GoodBye to 2007!!! Hello 2008

Well I am glad to see 2007 year close. It has been a quite a year and one I will be glad to forget many parts of it. Ok I guess I will never forget it, but I will be glad when the year is behind us. We had many ups and downs, and some days it felt like more downs than ups. So being able to "look back" will be nice. Hence the reason for no Christmas letter this year. It was hard to know what to write about!

But we hope that 2008 will bring many things for us. We are hoping for continued success with Jamie's photography business, continued growth for Taylor, Jackson staying healthy and me to find a good job, close to home. We also hope to bring another little one into our family if that is in God's plan for us. (No I am not pregnant..yet)

So I wish you all a very Happy New Year! I hope and pray that 2008 is a wonderful year for you all!

Blessings,
The Hines Family.

Long Over Due... An update

Well not a whole lot to report these days. We are plugging along.

We were a part of the BizEmoms East Valley Bridal affair which was a huge success for us. We booked 2 people from it. So I felt like that was huge! Jamie has been busy booking Holiday sessions is practically full!!! Its crazy busy for him. I am so glad that things are coming together for him. He has worked so hard. All of my prayers for him are being answered.

We were busy with Halloween. Jackson was a frog and he had a total blast!! I hope that I will get the pictures downloaded soon.

Taylor has been busy. She went out for Halloween with her friends and enjoyed herself. She is busy with school. We are all doing ok. We have had a few weeks of some challenging times, but I really hope that everything she learned will continue to fill her heart. She has been active in our church too so that is good. She has helped clean and do a lot. She will be doing that again this Saturday and then doing a volunteer project for feed my starving Children next Friday.

Other than that, I am ok. Very stressed from work. I have severe next pain at this point that has been persistent for over 2 weeks. I am hoping that a visit to a chiropractor will help this. But I know everything will be good and in the end what is meant to be will be. I just have to trust that God is looking out for me.

Well Thanksgiving is upon us as well. I always look at this time of year for all the things I am thankful for. So here are a few

Thankful that my family has stayed healthy
Thankful that Jamie and I both have jobs
Thankful that we found Springboard
Thankful that I have been able to get home and see my family
Thankful for my family and all there support
Thankful for my friends

These are just a few of them that are on my list. I am thankful for so much.

Well today I would like to leave you with a very special prayer request. A dear dear family friend of our was airlifted from West Union IA to Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN as she suffered a brain aneurism. She has had 2 surgeries so far. She has no feeling on her left side and still sleeping I believe. But please pray for Kathy and that God is with her lays his healing hands upon her. Pray for her 2 boys and daughter. Pray for her husband John. Their daughter is making or by now has made the 14 hour trek from Kansas to MN to be with her dad. The youngest son Andy is at home tending to the family farm so his dad can be with his mom. And the eldest son Mike is coming home as well. Make sure you pray for safe travels and continued strength as they prepare for the journey ahead of them.


Resting in Gods arms,
Jenny

Just Stuff

Well On Friday 9/14/07 our little man had to be picked up early from Daycare. Mommy went ahead and took him to urgent care. Only to find out that we had Strep Throat. So my weekend was very busy taking care of my boy. He becomes a mommies boy when he is ill...

Sunday we went to Church and Taylor headed over for the Teen night rally. She had tons of fun hanging out with everyone. I will be teaching 3rd & 4th grade with my friend so that will be fun. I am looking forward to the adventure!

Sunday we also watch our Phoenix Mercury WIN the WNBA PLAYOFFS against Detroit. Of course we ROCKED there house down by beating them!!! It was very exciting and I can't wait to see them play next season. I wish I had the money to get season tickets as the games are TONS of fun for the family to go to.

Other than that, still no word on my job. It is very frustrating not knowing what is going on and being in limbo. I am sure everything will be fine, and I have to put my fate in God's hands that he will provide for us and lead me on the right path. I am sure he is watching out for us. So continue to pray that If I loose my job, I will find a new one very quickly. Also pray for all my co-workers going through the same frustrations that I feel.

Also say a prayer for Jamie. He has a HUGE shoot coming up at a big resort here in Phoenix. We are really hoping that it turns out to be BIG and full of many referrals for him.

Taylor: Pray that she continues to do well. She has 2 big events coming up. Springboard graduation and her confirmation. Both very exciting things for her and we are so very proud of her.

May God continue to bless each and everyone of you! Have a wonderful week!

Our Love, The Hines'

The Hines Family....

Welcome to our Blog! I thought I would create this blog to share The Hines Family Happenings. I thought it would be fun to let you in our crazy life here in Phoenix!

Tonight I sit here in the office while Jackson is sleeping in his big boy bed! I rearranged his room and he is all tucked in and having no issues!! (For those who know about our first toddler bed experience it was mommy who had the issues..:)) I am hopeful that he will sleep the night.

Nanny (Jamie's Mom) treated Jamie and Taylor to the Nickleback, Daughtry concert this evening. It was a special gift for the 2 of them since they both just LOVE music. So am am doing my best trying to hold my eyes open while I wait up for them to see how it was... My guess is that I won't make it.

I hope all of you have a wonderful evening. I want to try and end each entry with a scripture but I will have to add one to this post a little late.

Good Night All,
Jenny