"A Night to Remember"

So, I have been in a local bunco group for the past 10 years. We get together once a month to play bunco, eat and have some amazing fellowship. We normally laugh til we cry, tell secrets that only us "bunco gals" know, get a little "mommy" time, and of course...PLAY BUNCO!!

Well, we decided to do something really outside of our box last night. We pulled out the "BIG" hair, leg warmers, dark blue and pink eye shadow, puffy sleaves, taffeta....lots and lots of taffeta, and oh yea...AQUA NET!! Yes, it was an 80's Prom / Dress Night at our May 2010 Bunco!!

Oh so fun........

Just had to share some of these CRAZY pictures with you all!! I always say...step outside your box...YOU WON'T REGRET IT!! :)

Oh, and yes...after 20 years, I finally got voted as co-prom queen!! LOL!!!

100 Things to say....

My friend Kami has inspired me..... Let's see if i can do it!!

100. It's 10:00pm and I'm not even tired

99. Although I should go to bed because I have early morning ZUMBA!!

98. It's softball season and that makes me happy!!

97. Ah.....am I really already struggling?? No..JK...I am just thinking about how awesome GLEE was this week. Yes, it was all about Madonna!! (Did you watch?? ...well, you are missin' out!)

96. Every since we got our new furniture, I love haning out in my living room!!

95. The NFL Draft started out exciting....but it's starting to get old!

94. I don't really like dogs....surprise, surprise!!

93. Yes, we have an outside cat, but I don't like them either.

92. It is worth having one just to see my kids happy :)

91. CYSTIC FIBROSIS SUCKS!!

90. I recently discovered the joy of shopping at ROSS. Why did it take me so long?

89. If you were reading my blog when I posted the "Weight a minute" blog....I still plan on sharing my favorite healthy food choices with you. I have even found more since then!

88. If only I had more time in the day, I would have already done that. Don't give up!

87. Waiting on the laundry fairy to come. I just keep looking at the pile like it is going to magically fold itself.

86. One of my friends posted on FB today that she saw a guy texting while driving HIS MOTORCYCLE!! No kiddin'.....you can't make that crap up! (Well, I guess you can, but why would you?)

85. I am still looking for a prom dress too Kami!! Hmm...if only I would have kept the pretty emerald green one your Aunt made me. Ya, right...like I would really fit into it!

84. Yes, we have the coolest bunco group around. "Prom Night" at next months bunco and we're all going STAG!!!

83. My first kiss was at the skate ranch. And I was my daughter's age.....this CAN'T be happening!!

82. So far, this is going pretty good!!

81. I really need to get up and "take a little break".

80. I think I drank too much tea!

79. That little Shawnty's fire burning on the dance floor...

78. Did you know mileage reimbursement is now .41 cents?? I found that out yesterday, cha ching!!!

77. I also found out that I am the youngest Veteran's wife to ever walk the face of this Earth! Well, at least I felt that way when I was around all those other people. (At least there is someplace that still makes me feel young!) hehe.....

76. Road trips make me happy!

75. 1/4 of the way there. I think I can, I think I can!

74. It looks like 10 HUGE raffle baskets threw up in my living room.

73. I will make those kind of sacrifices because CF SUCKS!

72. Someone's got to win....Might as well be you!

71. You can't win if you don't play!! (Can you tell Rich and I have been contemplating our plans if we win the lottery??)

70. Lots more road trips!!!

69. I havn't checked FB ONE time since I started this list!! Yes, it's true...... WOW, even I'm surprised!

68. I bet someone got married, had a baby, got a divorce, became a "fan" of Michelle Obama's Arms and finished building their farm...all in the last 25 minutes!!!

67. The Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster sounds really good about now. That might give me the adreneline rush I need to finish this :)

66. My friends ROCK! Yes, I'm talking about YOU!!!!

65. Knows what the word pseudomonus means. I wish I didn't!!

64. I hate dandelions! Hoping the spray we put on the yard tonight will work!!

63. Slow, pokey drivers, drives me crazy. Why do you have to look 4 times before crossing the intersection????

62. Buble' in June baby!!!

61. Brenna made me laugh AND cry tonight!! All good, but it's amazing how our kids can effect us.

60. Do I really have 60 more to go??

59. There is a strange noise coming from my roof.

58. Missed out on a chance to go roller skating tonight. My friend Lisa, turned....well 21!! So sad I had to miss it.. :(

57. Wants everyone who is reading this to come visit me at Classroom Corner if you live nearby! We have some really cool things for your kiddos and some aweseome classes / camps to offer this summer!!

56. It use to be hard working 4 doors down from Merrit's Bakery. Not any more...who cares???

55. Can you salsa?? Well....let me show you!

54. Oh yea...if you're not zumbaing....."You're missing out on the Par-Tay!!!

53. I like playing with corners. Even my close friends might squnit their eyebrows at this one!!

52. Summer is right around the corner...Yippee!! This is the first year I might actually buy a Big Splash Pass!!

51. 20 year reunion...Can't be possible!!!!

50. 1/2 WAY THERE!!

49. Yes, I am just as guilty as you when it comes to texting and driving!! I don't promote it....it's just a really bad habit I have!!

48. Seriously needs to take that "break" and then get me some more tea!

47. One of my favorite quotes, "I recommend going through life without the epidural" John Mayer

46. The laundry fairy still hasn't came :(

45. In one month I will be riding a charter bus to Lansing, Michigan with about 30 kids....Lord please help me!!

44. Sweet or unsweet??

43. Would you like fries with that?? Love this song.....

42. I've recently discovered, there is a strategy to everything!

41. Ah, ha....the sound on the roof was rain....imagine that....rain in April in Oklahoma!! No wonder I didn't figure that out until now....duh!!!

40. Riding a real horse is much easier than riding a stick horse....I'm just sayin'!

39. You have a chance to join the fun for 2 GREAT causes next weekend. Bunco 4 a Cure (cystic fibrosis) Friday, April 30th and Relay for Life ZUMBATHON, Saturday, May 1st. BOTH at Rejoice North Campus. COME JOIN US!!!

38. Yes, sadly this is how old I am going to be this year.....BOO HOO!!!!

37. Reality is....I am blessed to have had 38 healthy years!

36. Ok, so one of my favorite healthy food finds is the new Fiber One Cereal, Honey Clusters. I'm addicted!!!

35. I still haven't checked FB.....I am getting a bit antsy.

34. Kind of excited....well....I don't know if that's the word I want to use, but anyways..we are getting family portraits done by Brandi for the 1st time since Haley's been gone. That part makes me sad, but she has some fantastic way to incoorporate Hay Hay into these. That's the part I am excited about!

33. Ok....i'm struggling a bit now!!! More tea....back on track......

32. Oh yea...today's Thursday and I have NO idea who went home on Idol. This season has really STUNK....I just can't really waste my time watching it!

31. I went for a run with my hubby the other night. Did you all know....I HATE to run!!

30. Speaking of running....Our 2nd Annual Run to Breathe 5K in Memory of Haley will be Saturday, July 17th. Bright and early before it gets too hot!!

29. Brenna is an awesome short stop. I know...that's kind of bragging, but hey....it's the truth!!

28. My momma's birthday would have been this Sunday. I miss her :(

27. CANCER SUCKS!!!!!

26. I got the funniest e-mail from my cousin. She told me that Saturday all women were to run through the streets naked to help weed out the terrorists. You know that it is a sin for Muslim males to see any woman other than his wife naked and if he does he HAS to commit suicide!! And by the way....the government appreciates your efforts to rid of these terrorist!! HEHE....

27. Wonders if any of my friends has and iPad???? I want one really bad...they are really KEWL!

26. Happy Earth Day!!

25. Ok, I broke...I checked FB. I had 10 notifications....I feel much better now. Breathe....

24. I broke my arm once. Well, my friend Angela broke my arm playing soccer. It wasn't any fun!! I am thinking if I would have went to that skating party tonight, I could have broken it again. Man it's been a long time!

23. Did you ever do the speed skate races?? I did, but I never won. I always had a better chance at the dice game. Now, don't get me wrong....I could do some "mean" shuffle skating and skate backwards like there was not tomorrow. Man I'm cracking myself up. Really, I could!!!!

22. Flicka, The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights....what do they all have in common???

21. Rob Thomas' song Someday.....ROCKS!!!

20. I went to see the Last Song over the weekend. I wanted to cry....but didn't. Good movie!

19. Whoo hooo...remember how glad we were to be a teenager....you know....like 13! Well, I am glad I am a teenager right now, but I am working my way backwards. Almost there :)

18. My husband has fallen asleep, have you????

17. Have you been Geocaching lately?? If not, you should try it!!

16. Our good friends are moving to Owasso this weekend. yippee!! Look out Owasso....here comes Parry...oh, no!!!!

15. I just rememberd that Eclipse is coming out in June....I better mark my calendar!! I can't believe all the CRAZIES who go to the midnight showing of these movies :-/

14. This was always my favorite # when I played sports. How corny....it's the day of my birthday, couldn't I be more original???

13. Yes, this is an unlucky # and Friday the 13th will always haunt me. Haley went to Heaven on Friday, June 13th 2008. I wish they would take this day off the calendar.

12. Holy Cramoly!!! I've been working on this silly thing for an hour and a half!!!!!

11. I sure hope some of you take the time to read it since I took the time to write it. LOL!!!

10. Nickelback.....yes they are coming to BOK Saturday and I'm not going. Sigh.......

9. Wow....I'm glad I'm feeling better!!!! I have done very little coughing today. Yea Me!!!

8. That just reminded me of Zach and Cody....I kind of miss that show!!

7. I only have 2 1/2 weeks left of my weight loss challenge. No matter the outcome....I feel good about what I have done :)

6. One thing I absolutely hate is new car / truck shopping. I see it in my near future and it STRESSES ME OUT!!!

5. SWEET!!!!!!!! I'm almost done!

4. Shazaam.......my low battery light started blinking on this computer and I popped out of this chair like a gun went off. I would have cried for days and shut down this blog for good if I would have lost this list!

3. Who wants to win a raffle basket with nearly $500 in gift cards and a limo ride to a night out on the town? Just come to our bunco 4 a cure, and it might just be YOU!!!

2. Should I change the background of my blog or do people always keep it the same? You know....kind of like their signature look?? I see new designs and I like them, but I just don't know what's proper ;-) I'm still a blog newbie!!!

1. Life is a journey.....just keep livin' it!!

-1. "When you think it is impossible....just remember someone invented Popcorn Jelly Beans that really tast like Popcorn" ~ John Mayer

My bad....that was 101!!

Good night!!!

I Can't Imagine....

It's been a while since I have been sick, but this past 7-8 days has really taken it's toll on me!! I figured after spending months in the hospital, my body must have built up a resistance to "bugs", because I just don't get sick too often!

Well...although I just keep chuggin', this past week has really took me back to Haley's final days. I try to continue with my work day, work out routine, taking Brenna here and there, because I truly DON'T like to complain about not feeling well. I watched her suffer for months with only a smile and very rarely complained about anything!!

What started out for me as a head cold, turned in to some ugly bronchitis that truly had me coughing til my head was pounding, could barely catch my breath at times and I felt like I couldn't take much more! As bad as I felt....I just kept being reminded of the "FIGHTER" Haley was. What I was feeling for only a week, she dealt with on a much larger scale for 12 years!! I can't even begin to imagine how she handled this! I spent every waking moment with her during her illness and I truly don't know how she did it.

She is my reminder every single day to not complain about the small things, don't take your health for granted and NEVER GIVE UP!!! I love and miss you Haley Brooke Palmer.....You are Forever my Hero!!! Thank you for teaching me so much about life!!!

Geocaching for Treasures!!

I've got to tell you.....I just could NOT wait to blog about this new hobby that we have discovered!! It's the "fun" new thing called Geocaching!!!! So, what is Geocaching you ask??? Well, people actually hide "treasures" in different places throughout the World and even throughout our "small town" Owasso!! Then, with some type of hand held devise of your choice, you will log onto the geocaching site and find the "caches" nearest your current location. You will be given the coordinates and other info or hints to help you find these treasures!!

Rich, Brenna and I have wanted to do this for sometime now, but never really had the chance. Well actually, I have to be completely honest with you.....about a year ago, we bought a hand held Magellen GPS (one of the better ones) that is used for geocashing, but honestly after 2 months of trying to download the software and figure the darn thing out....we gave up and took it back!! I'm sure we were making it much harder than it was, but none the less, we were so frustrated we gave up! (Wow...did I really say that??? I don't give up at much, but this was really frustrating!!)

So, we have been talking about it for months, but wasn't sure what devise to get and then recently my friend Jennifer, told me that she downloaded an app from her iPhone! YES, there really is an APP for EVERYTHING!!!! And believe it or not, so far I have only downloaded the free "geocaching intro" app and have been perfectly happy with it!! Have I told you all how much I LOVE my iPhone??? I downloaded this app and it was ready to go within minutes!!!

The weather was beautiful yesterday, a little windy, buy hey....what do you expect for Spring time in Okla?? I decided to take off early from work, pick Brenna up and surprise her by taking her Geocaching! We invited some friends along and we had SO MUCH FUN!!! We searched for about 2 hours and found 5 "caches"!! We found one that was magnetized under a bridge, hidden in the nook of a park bench, and even some hidden in light post!! We felt like we were on the Amazing Race, as we trotted from cache to cache!!! The girls had so much fun and truly didn't want to stop!!

Rich has the week off next week and we plan to spend as much time doing this as the weather will allow!! Don't tell anyone, but I think I might even pull Brenna out of school for a few hours so we can do some serious hunting!!! :) If you are looking for a fun, cheap hobby for the whole family....you have to give Geocaching a try!!

One of the rules are "If you find the cache, you must sign a log to let people know you have been there and date it" and another rule is "If you take a treasure from the container...you MUST leave something in return". We actually left our pink "Haley Palmer, Forever our Hero" Bracelets, and in return, Brenna has started a collection of items she has taken from the caches!!

To learn more about Geocaching go to http://www.geocaching.com/

What fun!! Here are some fun pics of our day!!!!

Are You Ready to Bunco?????

It's kind of funny how things work......

Although I felt like stepping down this year as far as fundraising, things are continuing to fall in to place!! I still somewhat question myself as far as continuing this fight, but again, something inside me just won't let go of urge to raise funds for a cure.

As I sifted through our mail the other night after coming in from work, I had a letter in the mail from a CB reader in West Virginia. It had the nicest letter attached with an article about a lovely 26 year old girl who passed away last week of CF. She reminded me that the efforts that our family is continuing are truly making a difference. Thank you Susie, for taking the time to send me these words of encourgement. Every word in the article reminded me of Haley....these CFers show amazing strength even through their difficult trials of life!

So with the words of encourgement I need, I am proud to say...WE HAVE A DATE FOR OUR 4TH ANNUAL BUNCO 4 A CURE!! BUNCO WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, APRIL 30TH AT REJOICE CHURCH (NORTH CAMPUS) ON 106TH AND HWY 169! WE WILL OPEN THIS UP TO THE FIRST 200 PLAYERS THAT RESPOND VIA E-MAIL TO ME @ jppalmers@aol.com

I have already had 100 people sign up since Monday...so don't delay ;-)

PERFECT GNO (Although we have several men that play as well!!!)

We will open the doors at 6:15pm, Dinner at 7:00 and Bunco at 8!! This is a new facility for us this year and they are more than happy to help out with this cause at no charge!! We are still in desperate need of donations!! We have got a very good start, but now that we have a confirmed date hopefully we can get more donations for this night. Here are a list of the baskets so far..

Here are some of the themes...

1. The Great Outdoors (Guy Basket)
2. Pamper Yourself (Ladies Basket)
3. Gift Cards Galore
4. Arts & Crafty
5. Home Sweet Home
6. Movies, Music, Itunes and More
7. Summertime Fun

ALSO, we will be giving out over 100 door prizes, so if you have something that does not fit in this basket we can certainly use them for door prizes!! BUNCO IS $10.00 MINIMUM DONATION PER PERSON TO PLAY AND WE ASK THAT YOU BRING ONE COVERED DISH OF YOUR CHOICE! I NEED THE NAMES OF ALL PLAYER THAT WILL BE COMING WITH YOU WHEN YOU EMAIL ME. Last year this event filled up in about 10 days, so I need to make sure we have all spots filled so we don't turn anyone away that would be willing to pay. All money will be collected the night of bunco at the door!!(

Remember, you don't need to know how to play bunco to participate! You will learn as you go)We will have entertainment for the evening and will watch a couple of videos to remind us all why we are there!! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! Thank for all of your help in always making these fundraisers such a success. I will be more than happy to pick up any donations if you give me a call or e-mail me!!

Also, at this point it looks like we will be doing our 2nd Annual Run to Breathe 5K, In Memor Haley. Details to follow........ Yey!!

Meet my little friend Brady......

Tonight on my "Tune in Tuesday", I thought I would cover 2 areas with this blog. First I will introduce my Artist of the week....Ingrid Michaelson! Although I have heard of her, I have just recently been introduced to her music. Beautiful voice, beautiful lyrics....

2nd and most importantly, Our dear friends Missy & Parry have an amazing son named Brady. He is 6 years old and has Cystic Fibrosis. We love this little guy and he is one of the reason I just can't stop fighting to find a cure.

Please watch the video, listen to the beautiful lyrics and hugs your kids a bit tighter tonight!!




Remember, we are still desperately looking for donations for our bunco next month!! Thank you to those who have already donated!!


If you would like to make a cash donation, you can visit Haley's Great Strides Page by cliking on this link:
http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/dsp_DonationPage.cfm?walkid=6597&idUser=114249


Love you all~
Jenn

All for a Cup of Tea!!!

Wow...never knew a cup of tea could cause such a commotion!!!

So, this morning after my zumba class, I decided to go to Chick fil A....just as I do most mornings, to get my daily dose of Unsweet Tea. I LOVE Chick fil A's tea and more so I LOVE their cups! I know that sounds funny....but I can keep it filled all day, with NO sweat and refill as needed. Did I mention my ice don't melt right away either?!?!?

So, I filled up my tea and left the house around noon to pick up Brenna from OM practice. I was going to surprise her and take her to Panera (which she loves) before heading off to work! When we got in the parking lot I said, "hmmm..I would really like to use this cup instead of theirs" - to Brenna-. "I think I will just take it in and buy a large tea and then I will have my "happy" cup instead of the sweaty one from Panera". Brenna follows up with.."good idea, they won't mind as long as you pay!"

So, we go in to the very packed Panera and order our food. Before I even order, I hold my Chick fil A cup up to the cashier and kindly say...."I have my own cup, but please feel free to charge me for a large tea or whatever you need to". Chris, our cashier very nicely said, "no problem ma'am!"

So Brenna and I sat down and enjoyed our lunch and our much needed time together!! As we were leaving, I decided to refill my drink. There was NO unsweet tea in the canister, so (because I had NOTHING to hide), I walked up to one of the ladies and nicely said, "do you have any tea made up behind the counter?"....as I held up my cup. She said, "ma'am, the tea pitcher is OUT THERE. I said, "yes, I know....but it is empty". She followed up with, "well, it will take 3 minutes to brew".

No problem on my end. 3 minutes is definitely worth waiting for another cup of tea before I leave. So, I go and visit with Brenna for a few....and get up to get my refill before we leave. Keep in mind....this was 12:15 on a Saturday and Panera was PACKED!! Very few tables available. So as I am standing pulling the knob to fill my cup with about 6 people standing right by me.....the manager walks right up to me and says, "MA'AM....DID YOU PAY FOR THAT TEA????". Shocked....I answered, "yes". She then says...."I'LL NEED TO SEE YOUR RECEIPT"!! (I am thinking....is this really happening and is she talking to me in front of all these people...how embarrasing!!) I again nicely said, "no...you don't need to see my receipt....you need to go talk to your employee". Then loudly she said, "NO I NEED TO SEE YOUR RECEIPT"!! Shaking, I said..in a not so nice voice..."I'm not showing you ANYTHING....go talk to your employee, Chris who helped me".

To be completely honest with you all.....I have no idea if Chris charged me for my tea, all I know is I was so cautious about being honest with bringing my cup in and going over the proper procedure with Brenna on what needed to happen, I couldn't believe she accused me of STEALING HER FREAKING TEA!!!!! I was dumb founded and completely felt like I was being treated like a hardened criminal!!!!! Did I mention for me and Brenna to eat, it cost us $17.50!!!!!!!!!! A paying customer who just spent $17.50 for me and my daughter to eat lunch there!! Oh, did I mention, I had been to Panera only 3 days prior to this!! A frequent returning customer at that!!!

So, I go sit down (for those of you who know me....when I get mad...I truly want to cry)....I had tears in my eyes and Brenna said, "mom, what's wrong??" I told her what the lady has said, and she said....."don't let her get away with that!" I thought for a minute and I realized Brenna was right......she chose to accuse a PAYING customer of stealing something in front of many other people. So I walked up to the counter and "cocky" Laren (the acuser) said, "what do you need", I (the accused) said I really just wanted to tell you how wrong I think you were with the way you handled this situation. She said, "well, I'm sorry but I have seen it happen before". I said, "well maybe you should have your facts straight before accusing someone of stealing in front of others".

Needless to say....we exchanged many words.....it got very ugly and when I turned around I had about 20 people behind me waiting to "break up this cat fight".

I just left in tears!!!!! Something I tried to be SO honest about just turned in to a big mess!!!

(I discussed this with Shelly, my business partner, and we are in shock by the way they treated their customer!! 1. If you are unsure of something......ask YOUR EMPLOYEES first instead of quickly accusing the customer. I mean, really, there were only 2 or 3 cashiers....and trust me, Chris remembered me flashing the Chick fil A cup in front of his face. 2. If it was someone in my store that was fixing to buy $25.00 worth of product and I had a very small feeling they might have stole a $1.00 ink pen.....TRUST ME.....I would NEVER accuse this person.....because they are giving me business AND, I have NO PROOF that they actually stole the $1.00 pen!)

I have lost ALL respect for Panera today and have NO plans of returning anytime soon!!!!

All the lady had to do was pull me aside, without causing a scene and nicely ask me about my cup. I would have been more than happy to cooperate at that time. Needless to say, she lost my cooperation the minute she decided to slander me in front of many other Panera guest!

And all for a cup of tea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Mother never taught me the word "NO"!!!

Well, she might beg to differ on that and unfortunately since I lost my precious mom to cancer 14 years ago, I can't even clarify this with her....But I am beginning to wonder :)

I really thought I was going to step down from all of the fundraising efforts that I have done for years....I guess you can say I am just going to "slow" down for now!! I just have to keep up this fight!! I look at the past 2 years of my life and how heart breaking they have been, and it just makes it easier for me to keep up this "HUNT" for a cure!! I hate cystic fibrosis and what it has done to me and my family and I hate that it continues to take lives on a daily basis...so I must carry on!

I am asking my readers on this blog as well as many others for a HUGE favor!!!! I know we see it all the time...people needing donations for this, that or the other but I truly need help this year or we will not be able to pull it off!! Our BUNCO 4 a CURE is coming up, and for those of you who have attended....you will know our raffle baskets (or cubbies as we like to call them) bring in about 50% of our profit from the evening!! This fundraiser normally brings in well over $3,000.00. Each year I spend countless hours going around to businesses and asking and collecting donations, but this year I just really don't have the time I need to commit to this at the extent it needs to happen.

I know I am very guilty of reading things like this and thinking...oh, others will help...my donations won't really matter. After organizing many, many events....I have to say...every little bit counts!!! It is amazing the difference 20 people dropping off a $10-$20 gift can make!!

This is such a fun event and it was by far, one of Haley's favorite fundraisers!! (This picture is of Haley at Bunco 4 a Cure just days before her final hospital stay...she finally made it to table #1, or "the head table". She was very happy!!) I am trying to see what I can collect over the next 7-10 days and then I will decide if we will be able to hold this. I will be happy to pick up anything that can be donated! If for any reason, we have a few donations, but not enough....I am going to gladly turn them over to 2 of my dear friends who both have young boys that are suffering from CF and they are planning their own fundraisers that these can be used for. In the end, all of the money will end up in the very same place!

I absolutly hate "begging" for donations...but I think about what Haley and these others go through and it makes it a bit easier!!

BUNCO 4 A CURE will be held in April in Owasso...details to follow!!! It is one fun night for a GREAT cause!!!

For more info about the basket needs, you can go to www.caringbridge.org/visit/haleypalmer

or you can contact me at jppalmers@aol.com

Thank you all for considering helping out with this. Hopefully you can all attend...you WON'T regret it!!!! So much fun!! (Oh, and you don't have to know how to play bunco to play!!)

Jenn~

Tune in Tuesday :)

Well...this week was easy for me to choose my favorite for "Tune in Tuesday"!! I have been so very proud of Brenna this week....she continues to amaze me with everything she does! This video was from a year ago, but this was a very proud moment for me and also what I believe to be the "beginning" of a singing career for her! She rocks!!!!

She is singing Taylor Swift's, The Best Day in this Youtube Video!!

I Love Being Me...(or at least I am trying!)

There are many reasons I had in mind while choosing the name "Seeking Simplicity" for my blog, but the one I am faced with daily is the reality that so many people know me, my family and our story (I am speaking about Haley of course). I don't think I ever intended for this to happen to this capacity, but at the time I had two goals in mind and that was 1. To do everything possible to spread awareness for Cystic Fibrosis and 2. To keep people posted on Haley's condition, not only to lift the burden off of Rich and I as far as phone calls and such, but to also ask for much needed prayers!! I will start off by saying, I would never change either of those decisions.....but because of the openness of our story, I am truly seeking some type of simplicity in this area now.

I know I have many "eyes" on me, so to speak....not only because of Haley's story, but also because I am now a business owner in Owasso. I can't even begin to tell you all of the e-mails, CB post, FB messages, letters in the mail, phone calls and so forth that I have received over the past 2 years from people who "look up / admire" me for all I have gone through and how I carry myself. The only answer I truly have for that is God!! He has given me strength that I never knew I had, to somewhat "hold it together", over the past 2 years. I gain much of my strength from my family and even more strength from my friends. But truth be told....I am only human just like everyone else. I was given the strength to be strong throughout a very difficult time in my life and for that, I am very grateful!!

But as time passes, I truly want to "step off of this pedestal" so to speak that I was forced to step onto. Go back to the simple way of life. Go into a restaurant without 10 people staring at me from the door to my seat. Run into the grocery store and grab my milk and bread without being stopped in the isle 1/2 way through. This list could go on and on....but before I go too far, I want you all to realize this...

These are the people that have helped me through this TERRIBLE ordeal in my life. I don't want any of this to be taken wrong!! My main objective or goal in this post is to let everyone know that I just want to be "The Simple Girl". Just Me.., Jennifer!!

Many of you probably know...I am a huge Facebook Junkie. I have met some wonderful followers on there and have found lots of things in common with people who knew me....long before I knew them! It has been great getting to know these people, but I guess I am sometimes worried that my "FB Image" won't live up to the "Caring Bridge Image". I had to be someone I never thought I would have to be on the Caring Bridge. A mother, who was in her deepest darkest hours taking care of her daughter who didn't stand a chance of surviving this damn disease we call CF! I hope I found a way to do it with dignity and grace along the way, but reality is....I am still just a person!

Like I said before in my blogging, it is sink or swim for my husband or I. We do a lot of "surface thinking" to try and keep going everyday!! I have found somewhat of a new lifestyle as I am enjoying new things in life with Rich & Brenna and spending a lot more time with friends and just "living" a bit!

I often hesitate about things I do or pics I put on FB because I don't want people to "judge" me in case it's not what they expected from what they "knew before", but then I tell myself....this is me and I am who I am!!!!

For instance my "Weight a Minute" blog post.....HUGE, HUGE out of my box post!!! But again...that is my story and my true friends will still like me for who I am now just as they did then!!

Hopefully the "new" me that is beginning to show through will be accepted by all of my friends and followers. I am trying to find a new way of life, because I do know....it will NEVER be the same as the life I had before Haley left this world......
I have said it many time....I would take that life style back in a heartbeat, but no matter how hard I beg for it back...it will never be reality!

While talking to a dear friend tonight, I believe I realized that it is probably not any of you who are making me feel guilty about "moving forward", but more so...my own guilt inside. I know this is what Haley would have wanted for our family, but no one will ever know how very hard it is to start this new life unless you have walked in these shoes!! After living for 35 years...you simply have to "start all over" one day!! I hate facing this life after loss, but it is what it is and I have have one of 2 choices!! I just pray I am making the right decision!!!

I love this song and it is exactly the way I have been trying to live my life lately! I hope you all continue to follow me on this new journey! Again...It is YOU and God who have carried me this far.....

Good Luck OMers!!!

Well, this is a big weekend for Brenna Marie!! Her Odyssey of the Mind Team has been working hard to prepare for their Regional Competition that will be held tomorrow!! Her team has put in over 20 hours of work in the last week alone to prepare for the big day! Only 50% of the teams in her division will advance, but no matter what the outcome....they are all winners in my book!!!

I can post more pics after tomorrow, but here is one of her working away on one of the props for the set!!

GOOD LUCK BARNES OM TEAM!!!!

"Weight" a Minute....

That is what I keep telling myself every time I think about posting this blog!! I keep getting cold feet...not so much about the info that I am about to share, but more so about the photos. I thought about leaving them out, but well.....then I don't think you all would truly get the gist of what I would like to get across in this blog update!!

I know that many of you who read my blog or follow me on FB didn't know me 5 years ago, so this will probably come as a shock to many of you! After my kids were born and Haley started getting sick, I just completely turned all of my focus on them and didn't take care of myself in any way!! I didn't realize what was happening over the period of time and I truly was happy with my life (so I thought) and I just continued to gain weight!! It wasn't so much that I was an over eater...I just simply did NOT make any type of healthy choices when it came to eating.

A little over 6 years ago, I decided enough was enough and I started attending Weight Watchers!! That had to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I realized that there was NO diet that was ever going to work for me...it was ALL about a life style change!! So, nearly 15 months after I started going...I met my goal weight and became a "Lifetime" member of WW and lost a total of 78 pounds!!!!

Yep!! That is me...78 pounds ago...(can I crawl under the table now??) The picture on the top left, I ALWAYS carry around with me a a quick reminder to "just say NO"!!!

So I have recently celebrated 5 years of keeping off the weight and I have to tell you....IT FEELS PRETTY GOOD!!!!

I have never been much on exercise, so although WW encourages you to work that into their program...I did not. I simply changed my entire way of eating and experimented with new foods that I didn't even know existed...and I was lucky enough to drop the weight.

Now, if you remember back to the post about Zumba....I told you all that it was very important to me to find an exercise program that "worked" for me. I am going on 3 months of Zumba...and my new favorite gym, Fit For Her, and it absolutely kills me now to miss classes if I have something going on. Although I have been able to keep my weight off (with the exception of a few pounds up and down), I have never been able to tone this darn "after baby" body or build muscle.

So as I slowly....cough...approach 40, this has been my new goal!! Not only to keep the weight off, but to finally work on toning up and finding new ways to stay fit and healthy!!

I had a lot of reservation about posting this blog, because I am embarrassed of where I was 6 years ago....but hopefully ONE person who reads this might just be inspired that "You can do it too"!!!

One last thing I would like to add is that, I am very glad Haley got to see her mom meet this challenge before she passed away. I spent every waking moment taking care of her....and she finally got to see me take care of myself for a bit. As for Brenna...I can tell she has her "momma's" genes and she might too struggle with weight a bit, but for anybody who is ever around her, you know she is ALWAYS making good food choices. I keep telling her she will hit that growth spurt and it will all pay off, and I hope that my lifestyle change has helped her as well!!

(The NEW me!!)

I will try and post some of my favorite food changes with you over the next few weeks!!!

Go for your goal!!!!

Jenn~

"Outside My Box"

I have really been looking for "fun" NEW ways to spend some of my time lately, so Rich and I have been trying to step outside our box a bit!! It's so easy to get wrapped up in everyday life and not try new things, which is sometimes monotanis in a marriage! After Haley passed away, Rich and I "went in to a shell" so to speak. We felt guilty doing or trying anything new, so we simply didn't really do much of anything!! As time passes and as hard as it is to accept this, we both know that life does go on and we cannot continue to live our lives without moving forward.

Our focus has always been geared towards Brenna through all of the sadness over the past couple of years, but we are now beginning to again refocus on each other and ourselves!! And I have to say....I have really enjoyed "coming back to life".

Last night, we went to a new place called KilKenny's Irish Pub down on Cherry Street in Tulsa! Wonderful food, beautiful atmosphere and just plain "neat" to be somewhere NEW around this town!! Brenna and her friend Madi were old enough to go with us, and being that it was a week night, the people were pretty "tame" and oh yeh, and the Bread Pudding was AMAZING!! So..... fun time with friends last night and the weekend is just beginning!!

I will continue to "step outside my box" tonight as a group of about 15 of us are going out for my friend, Lara's birthday!! This sounds crazy, but oh-so fun!! We are heading to a 2 hour ZUMBATHON.....and then after we zumba the night away, we are all going downtown to Casa Laredo, Latin Grill and Tequila Bar. Not much of a drinker so this ought to be fun!! 15 girls who loves to zumba and a dance floor at midnight! All I have to say is..........watch out!! LOL!!!

And then wrapping up my weekend, Rich and I are going to a place called Ciao's to enjoy some dinner and a little Jazz music!! I'll be sure to give you a review!!

So, I guess my message in this blog today, is to "step outside YOUR box", try something new with your family or friends and be sure to let me know about your experience!!!

Well...my "Big News" is coming up next week. Oh my...I am getting a little nervous about sharing, but hopefully it will be inspiring to some of you! That is my goal!!

"Tune" in Tuesday....And everything else I wanted to blog about this week!!

Well....looks like I have 2 hours left to bring you "Tune in Tuesday"!! I really want to know the secret of this "blog" thing! Please do tell how some of you awesome bloggers blog everyday?!?!?! That is just amazing to me....as I can barely bring it to you once a week!!! Have you all found simplicity, or am I not managing my time right????

So, tonight I thought I would just "catch up" with all the fun things I have wanted to share all in one night.

We'll start with our "Tune in Tuesday" winner!! You all have NO idea how hard this is for me, because I LOVE music and I have so many I want to share with you! Last weekend me and my friend Cheryl went to the Casting Crowns and Kutless concert in Tulsa. Music does so much for the soul, but Casting Crowns music can just make you feel good inside and bring you closer to God all at the same time! The voices of this group is just unbelievable..... So, I have to pick Casting Crowns this week!!! I have a few pics in this weeks slide show of our evening at the Spirit Bank Center, fun fun!!

Well...we may be getting old, but we are never too old for a little midnight fun!! Last weekend, we also decided to go cosmic bowling with a bunch of friends. Bowling was from 11pm-1am, so around 9:30 that night...I wondered how I would ever make it. Got to the bowling alley and completely forgot what time it was!! Had a BLAST...if you've never been cosmic bowling, you SHOULD go!! Great music, neon bowling balls and lots of fun!! Check out the skeleton ball that the guy next to us had...creepy, but cool!!!

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE...Not only do I love music, but my love for Zumba is making me want to dance a whole lot more lately!! Last week, Brenna's OM team held a Father Daughter dance at her school. It was sooo much fun!!! I was the DJ and it was hard to hold this DJ down. I had to sneak in a few dance moves every now and then. The dads and daughters were so busy dancing...nobody noticed. Check out the photos in the slide show of Rich and Brenna....doing "DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN, DOWN"!!! Definitely a night that Brenna and a lot of other girls will always remember!!!

And finally....speaking of music (do you see a trend here???) Miss Brenna had her piano / guitar recital this past weekend. She has played the piano for about 4 years and the guitar for about a year 1/2. I am always so proud of her!! She was definitely born with musical talent!!

Ok...well, there you have it...a fast forward of the past 10 days at the Palmer house!! I am going to try harder to bring you our fun (LOL) life at a slower pace from now on!!

I love my life....my family...my friends....and I am happy to share all this with you!!

**Remember..."The News" is coming on or around March 1st!! It's been keeping me motivated lately!


Jenn~

"Tune" in Tuesday.....

OK...so as I'm transitioning into the world of blogging, I find so much I want to blog about, but such little time to blog!! Of course, that is one of the many reasons why I am "Seeking Simplicity" :) I mean, who wouldn't want to be able to spend lots of time updating your blog as well as reading others?? I'll keep working on it and hopefully give updates more than every 10 days!!

For those of you who know me pretty well, you should know I have a love for music!! I love going to concerts now that we have the new BOK Center in Tulsa. I am very versitile in the types of music I listen to, but have recently been "stepping" outside my box to find new stuff and experience music that maybe I wound't have normally given a chance.

I have found that the more trials you go through in life....the greater your love of music becomes, even if it is hard to listen to at times. When Haley was so sick and fighting for her life, each song I heard brought on a new meaning!! Although I love music that is upbeat in tempo....I have found that if you really put the lyrics first, there is much more GREAT music out there than you realize!!! So I thougth it would kind of be fun to share some of my music favorites on "Tune in Tuesdays" and in return, maybe you will leave feedback on some of your favortie artists or songs!! I would love to hear them!!

This week was kind of an easy to pick, because I have recently bought his new CD, Battle Studies, and EVERY SINGLE song on this album ROCKS!!! My Artist of the week is John Mayer!!! He writes his own music, plays one mean guitar and sings effortlessly!! His lyrics will get you "lost in the music" to say the least. He even has a duet with Taylor Swift on this album called Half of my Heart. One reason I chose John's CD this week, is it would be the PERFECT Valentine's Day gift for your "sweetie". Rich and I love listening to his music! Let me know if you decided to try out John's music and let me know what you think!



My next blog will be aobut my girls....Just FYI!!

Let's ZUMBA....

Ditch the Workout, Join the Fun!!
Exercise has always been a challenge for me, but I have recently discovered a new exercise / dance class called Zumba. It is a Latin rhythm aerobics class that is not only a workout, but a TON of fun!! Although, it is a "Latin" based class, the music alone will keep you coming back for more. One of my favorite Zumba songs, is the one that is playing with the video, but don't let that fool you....we dance along to Nickelback, Shakira, Miley Cyrus, Michael Buble' and many more.

So why "blog" about zumba??? Because like I said, exercise has always been a burden for me...and something that I felt I had to "fit" into my life although I didn't want to. It was one of those things that would put added "stress" on me to try and fit in, because I never found the type of exercise that was right for me. Now, I am making time to go to every Zumba class I can fit it. It is NO longer a challenge, or something that "complicates" my life! In fact, if I don't make it so Zumba, I feel like I am missing out!

So, to recap.... Tons of FUN, just makes you feel good, you get to hang out with all your friends, listen to some GREAT music, and burn the calories all at the same time! It don't get much better than that!!

Many of you don't know a little secret about me....
I'll get this blog up and running and I'll plan to share this with you around the 1st of March, then maybe you'll know why finding a workout that works for me is SO important!!

So....if you haven't already, step outside of your box and go ZUMBA!!!

Simplicity....is it anywhere to be found?

I can only hope that I am accepted into the blog world with open arms. For those of you who don't know me, I will give you a brief description of my life and my family. I am a 37 year old mother of 2 who has been married to my wonderful husband, Rich, for 15 years now! The last few years of my life has been anything but SIMPLE! Our world was turned upside down when my oldest daughter, Haley, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 3 months. She was beautiful, smart, determined, inspirational and so much more. About 3 years ago, her health took a turn for the worse and our focus and mission in life was to do everything possible to help her beat this disease and buy her enough time for a double lung transplant. Unfortunately, God had a different plan for her. Haley passed away in June, 2008 at the age of 12. The path our lives have taken over the past few years have been full of complicity, heartache, pain and depression. Lucky for us, we have another beautiful daughter Brenna, who keeps us going everyday. So where do the 3 of us go from here?? That is the question! We are looking for a new direction in our life and are hoping to simplify things a bit and try and become that loving family again that we were when the 4 of us were together.

It's kind of funny.....I have been wanting to launch a blog for over a year now. Although, I have been somewhat "blogging" on Haley's Caring Bridge for the past 2 1/2 years, I realized I needed a place where I could go and just be "me"!! A place where I can talk about things other than CF, let the world know some of my new directions in life, meet new friends (followers) who knows me for my life now and not only for what it has been for the past 10 years or so. When I decided that "blogging" was the way to go, I couldn't believe how much trouble I had coming up with the perfect "blog title" that fit ME!! That is when I knew....I tend to make things much more complicated than they should be. I have a new goal in life and I can proudly say I am now....Seeking Simplicity. Not only in the area of finding the perfect blog name, but in many other areas of my life.

I am very excited to open this blog and am looking forward to following others and maybe even finding new ways to live the "simple' life. Life's too short to live the hectic, crazy lives we live....

Jennifer~