The Woodlands, TX Convention

Had a great time at my last convention of the season. Started out a little rocky though. My plane was late leaving, so I arrived about 30 min later than scheduled. We checked into the hotel, went to a local BBQ restaurant called Thomas BBQ (it was delicious, tons of food, very reasonably priced), and then went to set up our booth at the Marriott Convention Center. I'm so glad Esther and I had decided to just take our work clothes to change into, because our pallets were FILTHY! Some kind of black, oily stuff was all over our boxes. Everything was so black, we had to keep washing our hands between boxes so we could actually touch our curriculum books without leaving handprints, ugh!! Finished setting up around 4:15 and our booth was supposed to open for business at 5pm!!! Keep in mind that during set-up we already had people coming around asking questions.

We were one of the sponsors of this convention, so we had an EXCELLENT booth space. Foot traffic was phenomenal. As well as, we were listed on a punch card for customers to take to all sponsoring booths. When they had their card filled, they were entered to win an IPad2. Needless to say, we had a lot more people come through than we would otherwise have. I believe that really helped with our sales as well. We didn't just punch their card and let them move on :) We started asking questions finding out what their homeschool needs are and it gave us a chance to discuss what is so awesome about our curriculum!

Worked 5-7pm and were very happy with our sales. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and enjoyed a delicious dinner, then crashed at the hotel because we knew a busy 2 days were to come if Thurs night was any indication.

Friday and Saturday passed in such a blur! I have never worked a convention that seemed to go by so fast! We were busy back to back with customers from start to finish of each day. Friday night, we went to Outback and one of the reps from Pensacola Christian College went with us. It was really neat being able to laugh about our college "rivalry" and the differences between the two colleges.

Saturday, as I was helping a customer I looked up to see Casey standing behind them showing me 2 tickets to Tim Hawkins!! I couldn't believe it! Didn't even know he was there!! He was on the hunt for a 3rd ticket for Esther because it was a sold out show! A few hours later, he walked by flashing 3 tickets!!! He's awesome! :)

We finished up the show, got everything packed away and on the pallet. Casey ran to get in line for seats since the concert was general seating. Esther and I took all our bags out to the car. As we were walking back in, I started getting texts from Casey saying that they were closing the doors in approx 10 min! We hurried in and finally were able to sit for a bit and recover from packing up. Casey got great seats! Tim Hawkins didn't disappoint! We laughed so hard, we were crying and our cheeks hurt! I've been a fan of his since I found him on youtube. He's actually a homeschool dad so he had some great homeschooling material that we could relate to. I've been wanting to see him in person, but it had never worked out up until that night!! What a great birthday present since my birthday was the next day :)

We were starving when we left the concert since we had been so busy that we hadn't eaten since breakfast, and it was now 9pm! So, we headed out to P.F. Chang's. I had never eaten there before so I'm glad Casey was a veteran :) He gave several recommendations, and I have now discovered I LOVE that place! I am a very picky eater, and don't really branch out to try new things. However, during my travels I have really learned to stop being that way. I am in LOVE with the lettuce wraps! Going to try and figure out how to make them! We also shared the Great Wall of Chocolate cake! Oh my goodness....you've never tasted anything like it!! 6 layer chocolate cake with delicious fudgy icing and chocolate chips on the outside, surrounded by a raspberry sauce and a pile of strawberries. Huge rush of flavors in just a tiny bite! Soooo delicious!

Had such a great time, but was very glad to be going home to my family. I miss them terribly while I'm gone, but I do enjoy the few days of just "getting away". I have found that while I'm gone, they seem to really appreciate me :) Had to fly home on my birthday, but I came home to a great welcome.

We had pizza for dinner at my in-laws and found that Ashleigh and Grammy had made my favorite! Iced Chocolate Chip Cookie, sheet cake size. It was delicious!! Enjoyed the fellowship and celebration.

Now back to the grind of daily RV living.... :)

Meet Eeyore

Shadow isn't lonely anymore!! Eeyore has now joined our family. He's a gentle, sweet goat and Shadow has taken to him immediately! He went around the yard causing a ruckus because he heard her, and when he finally found her hiding in the bushes they became instant friends. She is following him around everywhere! They are so cute together.

Our new family member

The yard is shaping up nicely! Thomas has hauled away a complete van and trailer load of trash to the dump. Our side yard that is fenced in is completely cleaned up except for a small pile of brush that we're slowly burning. My clothes-line is working out nicely as well.

Thomas has been talking about having goats for a while now, and since we finally have our own yard we took the first step. Shadow has joined our family. She is approx. 4-5 months old. We went to a local "farm" on Monday and saw many pygmy goats ranging from 2 months to a few years old. The kids had a wonderful time running around with 20+ goats, 3 donkeys, 6 chickens and a HUGE pig. I almost wish we had more acreage now after watching them have so much fun.

Yesterday, I took the kids to 6 Flags with our free tickets, and Thomas went to the dump. A friend of ours had offered a large doghouse since the only thing we needed for a goat was a shelter. He picked up the doghouse, and then headed over to the farm to pick up our new goat. He had her all settled in the yard and we surprised the kids as soon as we got home. They were sooo excited! I was afraid they would want to sleep outside with her! She seems to be settling in pretty well, except we're afraid she's going to be very lonely. I have another friend in the area that has offered us a little boy goat that looks almost identical to her. We're going this evening to see him. Thomas has agreed to help take down some limbs for her in exchange for the goat.

This morning, I was wide awake at 6:30am, and didn't want to bother anyone so I went outside to read. I washed a load of laundry and got them hung up to dry. While reading, I kept talking to Shadow to get her used to me being there. She ended up making an area under a large tree and sleeping there all night last night. Luckily, she was very quiet and settled down pretty quick. Thomas came out around 8am, and started clearing some brush away from where she was laying. We're enjoying her. She's soo adorable!

I'll keep you posted on if we bring the little boy home to join her.

A little nervous today, because we're talking about the 1st step on the house. Thomas has gone to Home Depot this morning to check out all roofing options. He has determined the WHOLE roof needs to be repaired/replaced so this is going to be more than we had first budgeted. Money is going to run out fast! I'm just going to keep trusting God that we're doing the right thing and even if it takes years, I know we'll finally own our own home.

First time for everything......

Finally able to do laundry today! Thomas hooked up the washer in the demolished bathroom, and then hung me a clothesline. Never EVER used one before, but I'm so happy to be able to have clean clothes!

God Lifts Us Up When We're Down

Yesterday, we had one of those days where we questioned what we were doing. We even went and looked at new RV's that would be bigger, but yet had plenty of room. The house just seems so out of our league and price range... So we spent a long time yesterday discussing how we should proceed. I concluded that I would do whatever Thomas felt was best for the family. I had already adjusted to living in an RV, and I would have never thought that would be possible.

This morning, our neighbor was over talking to Thomas and they were looking around the house. Thomas was showing him all the plans he had so far. Out of the blue, our neighbor said that he had several things lying around his house that he had bought for jobs and couldn't return. He has given us a tub/shower insert, a pedestal sink, steel front door, and one of our biggest issues right now...a battery for the RV! We have been having issues with keeping the battery charged. That would have been $100 that we just don't have or want to spend right now! All those items total well over $1000 that now we don't have to buy! Praise the Lord!

All Creatures, Great and Small

So, this adventure of living in the RV is never without a dull moment. Last night, Thomas chased down a Salamander. This morning, he found a huge beetle and a baby mole. The kids have been enjoying "hands-on" Science! LOL I'm ok with it as long as everything stays OUTSIDE my very small home. :)

Bless This House....for sure!

I was sitting at the park the last weekend in April for a play day, when Thomas called and told me to come see a property that was for sale. I actually arrived on site, looked around and burst into tears that he was even considering purchasing it! After his explanations of his dreams and what this house could become...I felt a peace that this was what we were supposed to do. You see, we have been renting for over 13 years!! I sat and figured out that we have thrown away well over $140,000 in rent! Thomas has always had a dream of building our own home so that we would always have a place for the kids to grow up in and come home to after they've grown. The price was wonderful and the terms were exactly what we needed. We will have an acre of land and home built by Thomas completely paid off in 4 years! Who can say that? The house currently on the property is an empty shell or "blank canvas" for Thomas to create.

I was only home 10 days the whole month of May and we were supposed to move out on June 1st. We're a little behind on that goal, but we're moving forward! We moved our "new to us" RV onto the property last night and so far we're excited about the new adventure.

Today, we had the computers hooked up. A family of gamers can't handle life without our computers!! Even in the small space, we've found room for 2 desktops lol. Thomas completely demolished the bathroom and even pulled out the nasty tub I thought I would be stuck with. Whew! The girls have been working hard on clearing the side fenced in yard. They have been pulling weeds and mowing the lawn. It's looking great! Chewy is handling the move pretty well.

I will try to keep you all updated and keep pictures posted of the before and after. What an adventure this will be!!

AOP Convention thus far....

I'm thoroughly enjoying my traveling experiences and meeting so many new people!

April 7-10 Montgomery, AL. Worked with Martie and Sarah R. Had so much fun with those 2 laughing and talking way too late. Signed up for Mary Kay again thanks to Sarah.

May 5-8 College Park, GA. Worked with Al and Kay/Sandy. Met John Ross Jordan. Al is one of the writers of the curriculum and taught me a lot about the behind the scenes of the curriculum I love.

May 12-15 Harrisburg, PA. The dream team - Linda, Carrie, Martie, me and Bree. Casey worked the AOA booth and Allex worked the Bridgestone booth. Awesome time!! Had fun at the Japanese Steakhouse. Laughed so hard we cried. Carrie got us lost in a "bad" part of town.

May 19-22 Nashville, TN. My first time being lead. Had the pleasure of working with my mom and Melissa. Met Sandee from AOA. Mom did a wonderful job! We exceeded our goals. Melissa works in Marketing.

May 25-29 Winston-Salem, NC. Worked with Carrie, Emily, Katherine and Blair. Stayed at a nice hotel with a Spa attached. Close to reaching our goal.

June 2-5 Indianapolis, IN. Worked with John Ross Jordan, Linda V and Esther. Met Jim with AOA. Actually had a chance to meet Kathy, who has been a yahoo group friend for 5 or 6 years. Had fun downtown sight seeing and taking great pics. Was a VERY slow show....not even close to hitting our goal.

Stay tuned for info on Louisville, KY and Matthews, NC!

My New Business Adventure!

I've been feeling the pressure of bills, iffy work for hubby, etc and have been trying to figure out what I could do to help. I am working 5 conventions for Alpha Omega Publications selling homeschool curriculums. While at my first one of the year, I met Sarah. I noticed right away that he face was glowing! I learned that she was a Mary Kay Consultant. I signed up 17 years ago to sell Mary Kay, but I was young and broke so it never went anywhere. I feel like I'm in a time of my life, that I can make this work! Not only do I have the goal of making money, but I want MY face to glow!!

I have a wonderful director in SD named Paula and she has been very encouraging and helpful. Feel free to check out my website www.marykay.com/jbove and let me know if you need anything!! Ask for a free facial! I would love to pamper you!

Homeschooling update

The kids have been doing great this year at staying on task. We've had some serious issues that we had to deal with, but now they are back on track. The SOS curriculum is working well for us, because the kids know what is required of them, and they know that it must be done for them to have "free play time".

The girls have struggled with learning multiplication facts. I finally found our "miracle"!! Times Tales! Whoever invented it, is amazing. I personally don't get it or see why it works, but I KNOW it does. Not only are they learning them, but they are learning the facts FAST! In 30 min, we completed part 1 and they knew what 3x7 is! I wish I would have bought it sooner... I highly recommend it to anyone who's children are struggling with these math facts.

My crochet works in progress - 02/21/11

Afghan for Stephanie's bed - will be queen size when finished. I'm almost ready to start working on the edging.










3D Heart Throw

Chocolate Pudding Pound Cake or Devil's Food Pound Cake

by Jennifer Malone Bove on Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 9:52pm

Cake:

• 1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Devil's Food Cake Mix
• 1 (3.4 oz) pkg chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into pan.
3. Bake at 350°F for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 25 minutes. Invert onto heat resistant serving plate. Cool completely.

Drizzle glaze over cake and serve. Enjoy!

Note written by a dear friend of mine

"I've contemplated for awhile about writing this note. It's kind of my story. It's a story I don't share but I see some situations and my heart breaks for people, esp young people who seem to be in abusive relationships. I fear that some people may say well because he hasn't hit me it's not abuse. Verbal, emotional, mental abuse are real too.
I have been called names, told I'm not good enough, been threatened if I leave, been slapped ( only once), bitten, screamed at, cheated on, held down, had my weight criticized, my spirituality attacked, followed around town to keep tabs on me. I can only think of one guy who didn't tear me down in some ways. I'm now a 32 year old where relationships are still full of lies, infidelity, walking on eggshells,and in one a fear, every time I left my house for weeks after I looked over my shoulder. How did I get into this? I had the best family in the world, a great relationship with my dad. But that one relationship at 15-16 set the tone for how I would see myself 16 years later. I believed what these guys said. I had a vicious cycle of under eating and over-exercise, diet pills so I would worthy of love.
I forgot one thing, I was fearfully and wonderfully made. I am worthy regardless of past mistakes that I helped create. Everything has happened to me for a reason, that reason is to help those who may be in the same situation. Girls you are worthy. Please don't ever let someone tell you that you aren't pretty enough, smart enough, good enough. That is a lie from the pit of hell. To God you will always be enough. When you think of yourself, just remember that creation was complete when woman was formed. That's how much we matter. God formed us and whether we are tall, short, skinny, not as skinny as we want, curly hair, glasses, whatever, he looks at us with a love that we will never understand.
Sometimes it's so hard to be alone. That has been a reason why I had gotten myself into unhealthy relationships. I am hear to tell you though. Take the time to be alone. Take time to find out how much God loves us and doesn't want us to live defeated. That way you'll be grounded in the truth.
To the guys watch the words you say and the actions you display. You may do more damage than you think. Uplift her, encourage her, be faithful to her, love her regardless."


I felt the need to post this because I know several women in situations like this, and I wanted them to hear these words as well. - Jennifer