After a VERY frustrating several days going back and forth with the Fire Marshall, I believe that we have met all the requirements to get approval for our permit. I think that not understanding the codes and requirements is the most frustrating part of the inspection process. After getting some explanations about what was required and why, made it a simple decision on how to proceed. One more hurdle jumped. Yeah!

I am very blessed to be surrounded by really great people. I do have a lot of people that are in my corner and are working very hard for me.

I have had my nephew Collin staying with me lots this week while his mom is doing her teacher in-service days before school starts for the kids and dad has a consulting gig. We have had lots of fun this week and even created a blog for him. Collin's blog is called Awesomeness from Awesome World - VERY Collin! Check it out at collinjett.blogspot.com and become a follower and/or add some comments.

More Good News:
Construction continues to go well up at the Jump On In NW Houston site. I met, interviewed, and hired two new employees today. They are family of a good friend of mine and they are both everything that she said they would be. I am excited to have them on board.


The cabinets, counter tops, and front desk are now complete. They will start priming the walls in the electric colors that I selected this week. I am very anxious to see the actual colors on the walls - are the colors that I selected just too bright?? I sure hope not!


Daniel started his new job as assistant manager at Beck's Prime today and had a really great first day. Can you believe that they gave him a test on the ingredients of the menu items on his first day?? Wow! But now surprisingly (can you tell I am the mom??) he aced the test.


Daniel also had a really cool catering gig this weekend with one of his buddies from school. They prepared a sit-down dinner as a charity event for St. Thomas High School. Daniel's childhood baseball idol, Craig Biggio, was there. Daniel got to meet him and feed him!! Best of all he cleaned his plate and complemented the chefs on a really great meal.


Today I have been thinking about a young woman who just celebrated her 15th birthday on Sunday. I saw her at mass and she looked so beautiful - almost glowing. You could tell that she was excited for her special day. We are friends on Facebook and she updated her friends on her day. She talked about having lunch with her friends and going to the mall, etc. But she told us that she ended her day with "a three hour adoration that was great." She was one of the teenagers that went to the Steubenville retreat that I chaperoned this summer. Most of the kids really feel the presence of the Holy Spirit during adoration at this retreat and for some of them it is a life changing event. How completely awesome is it that she is going to adoration on her own to keep this connection going?? I am in awe of some of these kids. They love God, spend time in His presence, and are not at all shy about talking about Him. I really love that and find it very inspirational. Am I spending enough time in His presence? Am I sometimes too timid to speak about God and what He has and continues to do in my life? Thoughts for me to ponder. . .

Count down to Grand Opening:
After a long absence, I am back. Should you blog when no one is following you? Not sure, but I do like to write and have a couple of niece's that are blogging as well. It is a good way to keep up with someone. Facebook and Twitter only give you a blink into the latest, so a blogging I will go.

We just celebrated my mother's 84th birthday yesterday. We had a family celebration at the Cheesecake Factory. We laughed a lot, sang Happy Birthday, and Mother smiled a lot. I took her for a manicure/pedicure after lunch. I think that she had a good day. That makes us all happy!!

Jump On In in NW Houston is opening soon!! I am so excited! The construction is going great and should be finished on August 26. I am scheduling equipment deliveries, getting the phone system installed, cable, internet, etc., etc.! I am planning on a September 11-12 Grand Opening event. I will be working on the media campaign next week. It has really been a long road to this point. I have learned so much! I am also working on a deal on a location in Sugar Land. This is a property that I have wanted for a year and now it is becoming available. I am praying that it all works out!

Sewing and Sewing:

Having lots of fun sewing lately. I have lots of time on my hands since I still do not have a signed contract on a building for my new business yet. Ugh! I made super cute fleece robes for Matthew and Christopher. And a couple of matching pj bottoms. They will certainly be warm this winter.

With all the sewing, I have been trying to figure out how I could fit a really good sized work table in my sewing room. I was even designing a folding table to build - like a drop leaf table. And thought that I would put rollers on it to make it more portable. Bending over my dining room table to cut out my patterns is back breaking!! Well, this week I solved the problem and I think that I am GENIUS! I raised my dining room table with bed risers. This brings the table to the perfect height! Yes GENIUS! Okay, maybe someone else has thought of this, but I have never seen or heard of it and this has made working on my sewing projects  much easier! So for 15 dollars and no extra space required for an additional table - problem solved! Yeah!


Colleen and I made several monogrammed key fobs last week and now everyone wants one! Colleen made up an order sheet and started selling them. She was here today making up her first order. They really are cute and Colleen picks beautiful color combinations. Colleen is making some spending money and getting some business experience. Go Colleen!!

I am traveling to New England to visit Anna and her family later this month. I try to make it up for Anna's birthday every year. I LOVE having a sister day. I can hardly wait to see my boys and I am looking forward to having breakfast served to me every morning!! Bill is awesome!
 

I also get a week with Darien and Nef, my oldest son and his beautiful wife. I am really looking forward to the visit. They are starting a software development business and are really excited about there first clients.   






I am working on an activity for our next Jr. High Youth night. I am thinking about cooking together, or a cooking school type activity. I love being in the kitchen with kids, so this is a good choice. I do have a book called the Milk and Honey Cooking School that teaches the history of God's people through cooking and eating. It takes you through several historical periods, with Scripture, historical data, the food of the time. My sister Mariane gave me this book several years ago and this is the perfect opportunity to host this event. It is lots of work and preplanning - so I hope Daniel will help since I will return from my trip just before our next youth night. Wish me luck!!

Locked-In

Wow! The Junior High School Kick-Off and lock-in at church in the gym was completely awesome. So many people showed up! There were 79 kids signed up for the new year of our Youth Group. We had to bring out more tables and chairs and send out for more meat for the dinner. Everything worked out fine and our youth minister is so happy with the great response.

After dinner and after the parents left - the fun began! I could write and write about all the activities; however, I am now reflecting on how the evening affected me. I have to say that I was really in awe of the kids. They were so joyous and that joy was very contagious. There was LOTS of dancing, lots of video games, lots of silly games, and a movie in the early morning hours. 

But, my favorite activity was when the kids were asked to draw their vision of God on a small 1-inch ceramic tile with all colors of sharpies. Many of the kids were very proud of their tile and showed me what they drew and told me about why they drew that picture. They split up into groups to discuss their tiles and then they were all brought together to make a big picture of God with every kid represented. Completely awesome!

I worked very hard starting at 4pm helping in the kitchen and getting setup. I was very tired when I came home, but also strangely energetic. God reveals Himself in so many ways and last night was eye opening. I have been a bit stressed about finding a building for my business and I am reminded that God really is in control. His timing is always perfect. So true that when you serve God you always get more back. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for my life and for those precious kids!! 

Sixth Graders Rock!

This is the second week of helping teach CCE (religion class) at Sacred Heart. Sixth grade sure seems to be the perfect age. Even the quiet ones were getting into the lesson. You should have seen those guys flipping through the bible  looking up verses to find clues in a game. They are a very competitive bunch!

The Jr. High School Youth Ministry Kickoff is Saturday night starting with mass, a family dinner, then a lock-in for the students. All of my students are signed up except for one who will be out of town. They are all excited and really looking forward to the fun. It should be a blast! Daniel pulled the 1am to 5am shift - I am so glad that I signed up early!!

I am also glad that I decided to tag along with Daniel to help out the CCE program. My sixth graders ROCK! I also think that I am getting younger! Have I discovered the fountain of youth??

I forgot to mention that Liane and I talked Mother and Daddy into going to the El Campo football game on Friday night. Friday nights in Texas is ALL about high school football. However, we were there to watch Colleen march in the halftime show. We picked up dinner at Chili's for a pre-game feast and then off to the game. Mother was pretty tired by the time half-time was over - but we loved the show.

Liane and I LOVE Chicago. . .25 or 6 to 4. . .

Colleen in uniform:

National Sewing Month:

Colleen and I had a great Saturday celebrating National Sewing Month! Actually we did not figure out that it was National Sewing Month until we saw a poster at JoAnns - but we started celebrating right away! We bought some great fleece for Colleen to make scarves for her friends for Christmas, flannel for more PJ bottoms, and several great patterns. We started working on one as soon as we got home - a great skirt for Colleen. We also attended an advanced appliqué  software sampler at It's A Stitch - our Bernina store. I have to say that I can hardly wait until my new Version 6 software arrives!

I finaly got the large TV armoire moved out of my sewing room (Thank you, Daniel!!). Yeah! I have so much more room. I have a large mirror that I want to hang that will make the room seem even bigger. It will also give us a place to look at ourselves in the clothes that we are sewing. Having a sewing room - or any place to leave your sewing machine up and out - makes it so much easier to sew. I am really so lucky. I have room for both my machine and Colleen's - we can actually sew at the same time.

I am continuing to refine my organization, but my favorite drawer is the one for patterns. Having all my patterns together and organized by type makes finding the right pattern so much easier. Now I need to remember attach the pattern number on fabric that I do not use right away so that I do not have to waste time trying to figure out what I intended for the fabric. I am currently doing that for three pieces of fabric. 

Colleen and I are talking about making a Duct Tape dress form. Should be a fun afternoon; however, I may have to find a place to hide mine before I start making it! Next will be learning to drape.