Because one project just isn't enough!

I woke up this morning and decided I needed to conquer yet another house project. I wanted an accent wall in my kitchen/dinning room. We have some bay windows, a nook type thing, and that's where I wanted the color - Orange, ragged with darker orange!

So, off to home depot we went.

I now have a bright orange wall, waiting for the other darker color to be ragged on top (well, when it's dry).

And I did it all by myself (so far)!

Okay - it is finished! Matt thinks I should continue the orange around the other wall in the kitchen. I just might! So, here's my new orange wall....

Tag: TWO

Okay, this is a new thing for me, so here we go!

Two names you've gone by: J.J. and Jenn



Two things you have on right now: striped pj pants & argyle socks (cute, I know)


Two things you want (or have) in a relationship: FUN, and LOVE


Two of your favorite things to do: sleep and SCUBA diving

Two things you did last night: Cook Dinner, and sleep

Two people you last talked to: Matt & Kerry


Two Favorite Holidays: Halloween & 4th of July


Two Favorite Drinks: Coke & Koolaid


Two things about me you may not have known: UMMMMM - I'm a natural blonde & I was adopted.


Two Jobs you've had in my life: Old Navy & Grating Systems, Inc.


Two movies you could watch over and over: Ocean's 11 (or 12, or 13), and Aladdin


Two of your favorite foods: Pizza and Girl Scout Cookies!


Two Longest Car Rides: Disneyland with three small kids, and I'm sure my parents dragged me on some doozies when I was younger but I've blocked them out!



Two places I'd rather be right now: Grand Cayman or the Cabin!

For Our Viewing Pleasure....

Well, there goes the patio furniture we were going to buy this spring. Blaine & Quinten broke our TV in the basement last week. I called today and scheduled the repair guy to come fix it on Tuesday. About two hours later Matt and I got to talking about how nice it would be to have a nice flat panel mounted on the wall so that they couldn't even touch it.

Guess what we got??

Vizio 50" Plasma with surround sound system (720p - for those of you who care)! We got it at Costco.com because they didn't have any in any stores in Utah, so we have to wait "approximately 20 business days" for it to ship, so we'll still be without TV down there (and movie nights) for another month. BUT - I think it'll be well worth the wait.....I hope. I'm still in a little bit of "sticker shock" b/c it was so unexpected. But it will be nice.

Medical Mayhem!

So, I went to a doctor's appointment today that I have been putting off for a few months now. My daughter Maveri is 8 1/2 months old now, and all of these problems are ones that I have been having since she was born.

First off, my wrists. I got carpal tunnel syndrom when I had Maveri. My then-doc (new ins, new doc) told me that if it wasn't better in six months that I would need surgery. Obviously, I didn't go back at the six month mark. I probably wouldn't have gone back today if it weren't for the fact that the friend I borrowed the braces from needed them back! So, because it's been so long with the braces and I still can't make it through the night without my hands going numb (even with the braces on), and I can't make it through a month without needing the braces on during the day I get to do Nerve Testing tomorrow. From what I understand they are going to run electrical currents through my wrists until it hurts. The more damage I have from the CTS, the more currents it will take to make me hurt. Sounds fun, doesn't it? The results of that will determind if I need surgery or not.

Secondly, my dear sweet daughter decided to leave a lasting impression on her way out. A pain in my butt, literally, as she broke my tailbone. Now, stupid me sat on a broken tailbone for six months thinking "it'll go away soon" before I went to the doctor. That was two months ago. The doctor basically told me to get a donut pillow and if it wasn't "significantly better" in a month to come back and the next step would be cortizone injections. Seeing as I really didn't/don't want a big huge needle in me...you know...I decided to give myself two months with the pillow. But, there's really no improvement at all. So, I have to have an MRI next week to see where all my nerves are down there, and I'm scheduled for my cortizone injection not until May 5th because the ONLY doc around that does the injections in a tailbone was booked out until then. What's six more weeks of sitting on a stupid donut pillow with a broken tailbone? UGH. Neither option sounds great.

And finally, having four kids in just over five years does take a toll on your body. The price I'm paying now is arthritis in my pubic bone. At first I just thought that pain was becaues my tailbone was out of whack and causing my pelvis area to hurt. X-rays two months ago proved different - arthritis. So, I went on Voltaren for six weeks and it was wonderous. BUT, my doctor didn't give me any refils because she wanted me to have to call her back, so then she could check on my tailbone etc. Well, I managed a couple weeks without the meds before it became really painful again....thus, I called the doc and had my appointment today. This time she gave me 11 refills! Yay!

So, there ya have it. I'm 27 and falling apart - and every single thing is from my last pregnancy! Hopefully, if all goes as planned, it was my VERY last pregnancy. Matt is scheduled for his "snip snip" on April 23rd! I really think another pregnancy would do this old broken body of mine in for good.

The Many Emotions of Peeing On A Stick!

As a woman, there are few things in life that can bring about such an array of emotions as peeing on a stick - in other words - a home pregnancy test. Never in our lives will our urine be of such importance as in those few minutes it takes to get a positive or negative result (or, gulp, an "inconclusive"). So many thoughts and emotions are brought about by the one, or two, little lines. For any "first timer" those two minutes could quite possibly be the longest in our lives.

For many it is a great and joyous occasion when they get the positive result that they have perhaps been waiting many years to recieve. For others those two little lines could mean the end of their own childhood - as a teenaged mother. For others still they could symbolize yet another addition to their family, whether planned or not. With each new pregnancy there is also the added fear - will the baby make it, will I be a good mom, can we afford this, and so goes the never-ending list of worries.

Now let's think about the negative test results. The heartbreak of another unsuccessful attempt at concieving a much loved and wanted child. Or, perhaps, the relief of getting lucky and NOT concieving when you weren't as careful as you know you should be.

Whether you want to be pregnant or not, the simple act of holding a stick in your urine stream and then waiting two minutes for the results is one that women fear. I am one of those women. I will be peeing on a stick this week....not because I think I am pregnant (I don't), or because I want to be pregnant (again, I don't), but because I will be getting x-rays this week and even though the chances of me actually being pregnant are VERY VERY VERY VERY slim, I do not want to risk the possible life of my unborn child, if by some miracle I am expecting. So, add me, once again, to the list of millions of women going through the wide range of emotions that are associated with the everyday task of peeing. And please, cross your fingers that the results are negative!

Our New Project!

So we started a new project today. We are re-doing our bedroom. It sounds crazy, but when you actually SEE it, it looks good. so today we painted the walls in our bedroom BLACK. Yes, straight black! And it took freaking forever! LOL. The next step is white crown moulding (we allready have white trim, doors and blinds etc.). And after we get the crown moulding up we are going to do red waynescoating stripey things. Basically red vertical stripes. well, there will be one horizontal one, with a white chair moulding on top of it. So yeah, it's officially started.

Any guesses on how long it'll take to finish?

Sugar High!

So, today my best friend Joan came over with her three boys. Derek is five, Mikey is three, and Ethan is 6 months! Makes for lots of fun with all those boys (and one little princess). We made Easter cupcakes today. I got one of those silicone thingers that is shaped like easter eggs, so some of our cupcakes looked like Easter eggs! We gave each boy a bag with different colored frosting and let them decorate to their heart's content! It was so much fun, and boy did we end up with some colorful cupcakes! Strangely enough though, each time I came into the kitchen before the boys went to bed the frosting on the cupcakes seemed to be shrinking (and the colors on Corlin's hands and face were growing!).

Silly boys, but a fun day with lots of sugar!

Tomorrow is the start of Blaine's Spring Break (all of two days off - BOOO). Maybe I'll brave a trip to the zoo. Or maybe not....

The Woes of a Working Mom!

I am going to whine for just a minute. Can I just say how much I really don't like that I have to work. I know, quit whining, I only work two days a week (if that), and my mom watches the kids for me most of the time. But days like today suck. I feel like I didn't see my kids at all. I picked them up from the sitters (a neighbor today because mom was busy), where Corlin didn't want to come home and he cried when I made him. Then I immediately start into cooking dinner while they disappear downstairs. After dinner I run off to get Maveri in bed while Matt cleans up, and then tonight I had to run to Target to do some Easter shopping and when I got home the kids were getting in bed. Quinten was allready asleep!

And don't get me started on trying to find a babysitter on the days that my mom can't watch them. It's so hard to find someone that is close enough to get Blaine on and off the bus for school. Especially since I do not know that many people around me since we moved.

But, if I didn't work even as little as I do we wouldn't be able to afford to have the life we do. I like that I can give my kids some of what they want, like playing sports etc. Just in the past two weeks I've signed Blaine & Quinten up for Baseball, and Quinten up for soccer - a total of $67.

I just miss my babies, that's all.

Okay, whine over (for now)!

Savs and Sal Made Me Do It!

Okay guys, I tried for any variation of Jenn & Matt but we have the two most common names on the face of the planet. So I guess Cantwell Clan will have to suffice. This is yet another thing to keep me from dying of boredom at work (although right now it is 10:23 pm, I am most definitely NOT at work).

So, here we are, The Cantwell Clan. Six of the craziest people I know! There's me, Jenn (a.k.a Mom), married to Matt, and we have four monsters.....I mean adorable little children. Blaine is six, Quinten is four, Corlin is two, and Maveri (a.k.a. the princess) is 8 months old. We also have two dogs, Madison & Oreo, and a bird Scooter. Life is crazy, but in a good fun way (most of the time). \

And, just to prove that I am not COMPLETELY computer illiterate, I'm going to attempt to post a picture of us all for you. If all works well, you have allready seen the picture as it should be at the top left of this post! chao!

Our little family (taken Nov. 2007)