Crowdtap and Old Navy Chapter 3

This year I have taken an interest into the world of try and tells.  There are so many programs out there waiting for you to get in and help...then they reward you with wonderful opportunities!!  Crowdtap has been the ultimate thus far and I will proudly admit that I check in with them daily.  You never know what they have up their sleeve.

Right now if you logged into my account you would see so much going on.  The most recent 'action' I had completed was the Old Navy shorts sample and share.  I signed up, answered a few questions and patiently waited to hear if I was what they were looking for.  Yup!  Few weeks later I got my very anticipated, 'YOU have been ACCEPTED email' and it was as easy as logging in and it was a go.

Shortly after a package arrived containing a welcome letter and 2 rare coupons.  One for me and when for me to share with a friend.  It was to be a date!! FREE AND FREE. One of the coupons was faulty so they sent a replacement sent straight away then suggested I use the other 'good one' to make it for 3 of us.  How generous!!??

Since it was for three people to participate, I met up with my mother and sister.  We are the quite different shapes and ages so I thought this would be an opportunity to really give some true opinions.

They both really didn't get the whole....'we don't have to pay anything?' idea so it was funny.

The section and selection was impressive.  Loved the available styles and colors but my first thought was that there would be no way I could pull off the short styles and no way my mother would even attempt them.  I ran around and gathered most every style and headed to the dressing room. My mother tried on the longer Bermuda styles and liked the plain cut khaki ones.  Originally her heart was set on the cuffed army green pair but the fit was horrible on both her and I.  She is tiny and I'm size four so I was a little surprised.  Both my sister and I tried on a bunch of the short styles because the plaids and surfer prints were just fantastic BUT again the shorts were just inappropriately short.  My sister had her heart set on a particular pair she saw online and couldn't find them either.  For a young girl of 21 I was very surprised that she couldn't find a thing except for a pair of black shorts.

Now, I love Old Navy and this is not my first share.  I had done a workout active wear one last fall that was absolutely amazing AND recently a dress extravaganza that was also so great I couldn't even pick just one....THEN went back and bought more dresses I was so pleased.  THIS share and try had been my least favorite.  Although, we all did find a pair I think it left us to leave a little disappointed that the shorts are not tailored towards 'everyday' women.

Overall it was a pretty good experience.  I am always so grateful to Crowdtap for keeping us people involved and providing such awesome opportunities for regular old people like me.  I was also pleased as always with the staff at the Old Navy we frequent.  I have never met an unpleasant worker.  It makes me want to shop there even more.  We left the store with new shorts, me , I was actually excited to sport my comfy black linen shorts the following day.

If you think about the target group for Old Navy, I don't think this particular line meets their needs.  I'd think it should target the female more curvy woman.... Teens are in the abercrombie and aero phase.  The women of today who shop for their young kids themselves and husbands/boyfriends are the folks who make the money for Old Navy.  It would have been more successful for them if they had taken this into consideration.  I think some real morals on modestly need to be addressed as well.  So, I enjoyed trying but it left me with more than a pair of shorts...I left thinking how we could better dress our families and our own bodies.

Mom in her khaki Bermuda Shorts.

My sister sporting her super comfy and plattering black cotton shorts

My pair of choice was a relaxed linen short with belt.  A tad longer than the majority of shorts we tried on.

May...in the nick of time

The month just came and went.  Hours use to do that, then weeks, now its months going by like the snap of the fingers.  Life has just been so ridiculously busy but equally enjoyable.   The old Jenny would refuse to let this go and blog my little heart out but I just cant go there.  I will settle for a sweet recap and move forward from here.

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May was the end of the dance year for Addy.  Her recital was on the 4th and Nana and Grampa came to cheer her on with us.  It was easier to watch this year without all the water works.  Years past I had been a blubbering mess. Watching her move and exude confidence swelled my heart but it was more with pride then with sadness at time lost. She is growing into such a wonderful little person.  I am truly enjoying being there to witness each new day with her.

 Proud Nana and Grampa.

 Miss Karen, whom Addy dearly loves, has made dance a truly enjoyable experience for her.

Not many photos were taken but this is one seriously proud Mommy.

The screen introducing her groups number.  Addys name in lights!!

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We ventured out for dinner at Papa and Grammys home for the first time with the boys. Addy has been so many times but we were too scared to bring them..lol. They did so awesome.  I was nervous they would wreck the place and beocme so busy it was no longer enjoyable for us but I was so very surprised at how relaxing it was.  We needed that!!

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Addison also started her first year of  T-ball.  She said she didnt want to do it and insisted she not but the first moment on the field it was like a light bulb went off in her head....like, woah....this is what I was made to do.  We will never make her do anything she doesnt want to but we want her to give it all a try.  This is the perfect example of why.

 First hit EVER!

 Looking ready to go. SO focused, its quite amazing for her.

Bend and scoop.  She was having so much fun!

Here she is ready to hit it out of the park.  It was her first real baseball game.  I was so proud!!  Mom, Dad, George and Drew were on the sidelines cheering on our little slugger.

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Addy is nearing the end of the school year.  She continues to dress herself and enjoy an interesting sense of style.

The boys continue to keep up with their status as ' double trouble'.  Its one thing to the next around here.  With them there is abolutely no interest in what they are doing, just in the reaction that they get from the beahvior.  Oh Lord....grant me patience!!!  hahaha

 Mom....George did it.  I mean Addy did it.  I mean.....I dont know what I mean.

 Second computer that is on the fritz thanks to two very cute little smiley boys.

 On . Off.  On. Off.  Plllleeeaaaaeeeeee.

The second Mom of the house helps keep a watchful eye.  She has a little naughty streak of her own but without her the boys would probably get loose.

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Mid month I turned 34.  Its hard to understand sometimes that I jumped from young and carefree, 18 and my whole life ahead of me.  It doesnt seem possible really.  Its true and beautiful at the same time.  Here I am, happy as a clam in life.  A devoted husband, beautiful home, love filled life and 3 healthy and happy babies.  Heres to AT LEAST another 34 years with these fantastic people.

Thank you for coming over Papa and Grammy and making Moms birthday so special.  We love dipping pizza!

...and we are obsessed with jelly beans.

 After dinner we broke into a delicousCarvel ice cream cake.

George takes a moment to flirt with grammy and pay her in smiles.

 This is so great!!

More ice cream Mom...this Koo Koo Kala aint ready yet!

Love.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for loving me.

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So there you have it...some of it at least.  There was more to the lovely month but youre just gonna have to wait for it.  This Mom is up too late and needs to curl up beside the best snuggle baby there ever was, Ms. Addy Lee.

It is surely a blessed life we lead. 

"For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills Shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

Isaiah 55:12

Easter came and went

 Our Easter weekend celebration started on Friday night with a neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  All of the local Mom's pitched in and filled a mess of eggs then Sara and I got to hiding them while enjoying a nice glass of wine in some semi quiet;)

  It was such a blast for the kids. We had a pizza party afterwards then all the families joined us inside to hang out for several hours.  It was so nice to be able to be a part of this.  The kids got to run wild and the adults got to relax and enjoy some adult conversation. We are truly blessed at every turn. We know the most wonderful people.

Saturday was a blur of 'stuff' to do, baby showers to attend and 'Easter' stuff to get done.  Before we knew it....it was Sunday morning.  Weekends do that around here.  They simply slip away.

The Easter Bunny had arrived.  He left a clever trail of goody filled eggs all the way from the top of the stairs by the bedrooms, to the baskets hiding in the dining room.  He must have done this post eating the carrots we left for him and making a mess out of it ;) Silly Rabbit.

Addy and I jumped out of bed, saw the eggs outside our door and decided to gently wake up the boys.  This was her posing.  All pictures require posing these days with her.  Not sure what she is going for with it, but a kids got to do weird things...that's just how they roll.

The boys were already awake to our surprise and were cheery balls of joy. 

I'd like to say the smiles were just out of excitement for the day but they were not.Both of them refuse to cooperate when I try to get them out of their cribs. This happens after every nap.  I reach in to pick them up, because of course they are standing, holding on to the railing with their arms in wait......so I lean in and , yup, they dive .  They move as far away from my grip as they can and laugh their little naughty bums off. This is terribly frustrating with a baby already in one arm, BUT it gets me giggling every time. 

 

 

 

 

 

Baskets were attacked and it was so much fun having three active and excited little people for the holiday.  The baskets were filled with incredibly fun things. Coloring books, bubbles, books, walkie talkies, clothes, sunglasses, make up.....it was endless.  The baskets were low on sugary treats which was well planned because the rest of the days activities contained heaping amount of cavity causing goodness.

Drew with his new cool Thomas glasses.  He had no real intention of wearing these...he was just in on the photo op. What a little ham he is already.

These huge balls are going to be a ton of the fun in the backyard once the weather gets nicer and more consistent. George loves anything to do with sports.  We are pretty brave with all these toys that have the potential to destroy the inside of our home. 

Shortly after the house was littered with Easter basket grass and breakfast remnants, we got all dolled up to worship our Jesus.  The boys were sporting button downs, chinos and big boy ties.  Thank goodness we were able to squeeze the boys in some much needed haircuts. Pretty cute if I say so myself

Chowing down on some goodies while waiting to get loaded in the van and on our way. He is such a handsome little fella.

Addy was in a carefully chosen plaid gown.  She even washed her own hair and prepped all by herself. Here my little beauty is showing off some cool new light up toys they all received. All the cool gadgets of the morning kept this one very busy and quiet for most of the day.  We had such a busy weekend already so the kids were pretty exhausted from the fun. It was nice to see her relaxed.

 

 

Like most days around here, the business of it all made it fly by all too fast.  The service was joyous and beautiful.  We travelled to Massachusetts after to enjoy dinner with my fathers side of the family.  The kids had a blast but before we knew it, we were back home and in pjs ( must say VERY ready for bed myself).

Thank you Jesus for giving me what feels like all the world.  I have Your love, Your forgiveness, Your word and this family.  You have shown me such favor.  What on earth could I have done to be worthy of it all?  

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:37-39 

 

His sacrifice

His sacrifice made all of this possible. 

We have three healthy and wonderful children here with us on the earth.  It brings immense joy every day, how could those faces not? Our life is so blessed and we have done nothing to deserve it.  His sacrifice was out of pure love for us.

 When I think of Christ in Heaven , I think of Him holding the hands of the two children that we deeply love but sadly lost. I see Him holding my babies tightly like we do to these beautiful miracles here.  He holds them close. He watches over them.  He promises there will be a reunion and it will be like nothing we could ever imagine.  When I think of my Jesus I am filled with joy.

 Life is so precious.  Not a day goes by that I dont' thank Jesus for everything He has done for us.

 His sacrifice made this possible and His promise gives me hope.

He is Risen....he is risen indeed. 

 Let us rejoice.

The LORD your God is with you,     
he is mighty to save.     
He will take great delight in you,     
he will quiet you with his love,     
he will rejoice over you with singing.

 Zephaniah 3:17

Easter happenings

Last Saturday the next town over, where the new elementary school is, a Easter fun day was hosted.  Daddy was on an excursion to Boston with his Brother Mark and his Dad to a 'geek convention'(use your imagination) , and so I was left to make it alone. 

The thought of taking them to this single handed almost stopped me in my tracks, but in the end I refused to let this opportunity get away.  I had to eventually learn to do events like this on my own.  All I would need to aid this venture were the 'squeeker shoes'.  This would ensure them attempting a break away would be heard.  If they did not have these on I probably would have had a nervous breakdown.

Packed the kids up and put the stroller in the van.  The school is minutes away so at least we had that on our side.  We could be home in moments if the need arrived or when the fun was no longer fun.

What a great day!  When we arrived at the school there was quite a turn out for a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  There were games set up, music, cupcake decorating, balloons...the whole nine yards.  After about 15 minutes they directed us on where to do our 'hunt' according to age.  The boys did well in their carriage for the majority of the wait , but I was excited to get them free. 

 The hunt outdoors was massive! Hundreds, maybe thousands of eggs littered the whole back grounds of the school.  Addy was like lightening and grabbed a ton.  I found her afterwards placing eggs on the ground around little kids who didn't get many.  She did this with half her collection.  Proud of her heart.

Inside I took a deep breath and let the boys free.  Lol...you would have laughed at the site had you seen it yourself.  The joy was in the grin and the super fast charging they did away from me.  All you could hear was 'squeek squeek squeek'.  It gave many a good chuckle and really did make the experience easier.  The minute one was not in site, I stood up scanning the crowd, focused on the squeek direction and ran.  I did a lot of hustling around but they had fun and that's all that mattered. We had to hold tight for the Easter Bunny who seems to be a little behind schedule.  I refused to leave without the kids seeing him and getting a photo after all the effort that was put into this to make it happen.  We did see him eventually and got to sit on his lap.  George refused to stay on his lap so I had to get in the picture in order to get them all in it.  The boys thought he was a hysterical yet creepy 'thing'...they kept walking around him and pointing.  Not really in excitement but in awe. I almost couldn't get them away so others could get their pictures done.

 About two hours later we were on our way home.  I made it through and no one was harmed.  My white shirt did not fare well though...it looked like someone had painted it with chocolate kisses.  Good thing I had something to cover myself up on the way out.

Number one....Easter is nothing to do with eggs and candy.  

Its all about Jesus. 

 We could get caught up in boycotting it for how commercialized its become but it really boils down to how you share the gospel with your children.  

Do your kids understand what Jesus did for us?

  Do they know the meaning?  

I firmly believe that its okay to participate in the festivities as long as your family takes serious the sacrifice that was made so we could live, enjoy each other and in turn celebrate Him. My children can love Jesus everyday and having candy in their baskets doesn't make the love any less.  Ask my five year old the story of Christ and she will tell you better than most adults can.

Ask her about the story and she will tell you how if she were there on the day He was crucified, how she would get Him down from that cross and protect Him.  Brings tears just going to that place for me.  

Ask my five year old who she loves more than anyone in the world?  Not her Mama, although she'll be sure to remind me that I am a close second, but she will exclaim God.

Celebrate how you see fit, but remember to share the gospel with your children and family.  Its the greatest gift you can give.  Who else has ever offered you eternal life? Its truth.  Its a gift. Its easy to share.

 God created us to experience joy.  I don't know about you, but eating chocolate and watching my kids collect eggs in the backyard brings me joy.  May this week remind  you of how much God loves you.  

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 

 1 John 5:13

January with Jacquelynz Photography