hgtv dream home giveaway

Have you seen this? I'm hoping it's our new home. Every year, HGTV (Home and Garden channel) build and give away an amazing dream home. I've been entering for the past few years. THIS year, it's really perfect for us. 

We just moved back to California from Minnesota, and it's only about 40 miles from San Fransisco in the lovely little town of Sonoma. We are technically homeless at the moment, though we've been so blessed to stay with my sister and her family while we catch up and save to get into our own place. So I'm thinking this place would be just perfect for us. 

I'm sure there are reasons it would be just perfect for you, too... so go enter! And while you're on the site, you can take a tour. My favorite is the kitchen. And the backyard with it's amazing patio area. And the front porch. And the big tree. We recently went to Sonoma, just to check out the area. I'd been to Sonoma Train Town before, but didn't explore the area beyond that. When we went a couple weeks ago, it was a rainy evening.. but we drove around to see the nicest little town. Perfect for bike rides and walks and spreading our creative wings artistically. We also stopped at Ben and Jerry's. Have you had their cake batter ice cream??? Seriously SO good. It has ribbons of chocolate ice cream swirled about. YUM!!!

Ok, so go check out the house and enter. You have two more days. The winner will be announced in March. If you win, I promise I'll be thrilled for you and know that it wasn't meant for us. Just invite me over for a barbeque. (please!)

16 things and Taking Flight

I have a new favorite book.  Really I have two new favorite books.  One of them the fabulous All I Need is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans, by Susanna Foth Aughtmon, of Confessions of a Tired Supergirl, which I'm giving away here.  (Winner will be chosen at random tonight... it's not too late to enter!)

My other new favorite, I've had my eye on for a while and purchased it a couple nights ago.  I'm trying to let go of inhibitions and create things.  I think I might just have a teeny bit of art hidden somewhere inside that would love to get out but doesn't really know how.  So one of the things I'm wanting to push myself to do this year is to just do it.  No worries about whether it's right or wrong, good or bad.  Just try new things and experiment and develop my own style.  I started an art journal last week, which was a good start... but I was so intimidated by the blank page that I left it pretty boring.  I like simple, and I think it stated where I was (am), but I feel like I could have added more but was afraid I'd ruin it.  

Anyway, my other new favorite book is called Taking Flight.  Inspirations and Techniques to give your creative spirit wings.  I bought it because I really liked the artwork.  I love collage and want to do more mixed media pieces.  What I didn't expect was to be so encouraged and built up.  I actually cried as I was reading it yesterday morning (and I'm not pregnant.  Tired and needing my baby to sleep more at night, yes.  But this book really touched me).  

And I was so excited to find the author, Kelly Rae Roberts' blog.  Reading the book and her blog, I am finding that we have some things in common.  Her name is Kelly and her sister's name is Jennifer.  My name is Jenny and I have a sister named Kelly!  She apparently has relocated sometime somewhat recently, and our family has made a major move (soon to be twice.. more later) in the last six months.  There were a few other things too, and since I'm feeling so friendly with her, I thought I'd take the 16 things challenge from her blog.  (We're friends, so she was asking me, right?)

So here we go.. 16 random-ish things...

1.  Judah just woke up from a very short nap.

2.  I really wish he'd go back to sleeping through the night like he did for his first eight months.

3.  I really really love coffee.

4.  We're going as a family to see Marley and Me today.  

5.  We've already heard about what happens to Marley.

6.  I really don't know how people in Minnesota survive year after year in these sub-human temperatures (30 BELOW zero here this morning!).

7.  But I'm going to miss this place.

8.  That said, I'm also really excited to get back to the Bay Area.

9.  I wish I'd never stopped taking piano lessons when I was a kid.

10.  Though I would love a little more stability right now, I totally respect and admire my husband's drive, determination and risk taking in following his dreams.

11.  I love to travel.

12.  I also love food.  All kinds.  

13.  My sisters are amazing, encouraging and inspiring.

14.  I also have amazing friends.  I feel so blessed.

15.  I'm very competitive when it comes to playing games.

16.  I grew up as a military brat.  It was hard at times, but I have great memories of a happy childhood.  I love my family.

jenny needs...

I seriously laughed out loud for a few minutes when I did this, so I had to post... maybe you'll get a good laugh out of your results too.  I was blog browsing, and came across this post on Keeping up with the Chreste's.  You just type in "what (your name) needs" in a google search.  Here's mine:

Jenny needs...

1.  to find herself a baller (this one cracked me up.. especially given our current situation and how slow work has been for Joe.  I promised I won't go searching!   ... By the way, anyone need a tattoo?  I know a good artist!)

2.  a wee (wonder if they meant wii?)

3.  a road bike

4.  space!  (exclamation part of search result)

5.  to step it up

6.  to go on a spa weekend (I'm not making this up!)

7.  your help Forest Gump (makes me want to go eat at Bubba Gump)

8.  to quit caffeine (I'm obviously not making this up!)

9.  to play by the rules

10.  a break.

Go do a search for yourself and if you put up a post on it, leave a comment so I can read your list!  Have fun!

Common Grounds

Common Grounds , originally uploaded by jjbzmjfam.

I've been involved in lots of ministries over the years. I've been a youth leader, Sunday School teacher, and nursery worker. I've been in several countries on missions trips and prayed with people at altars. I've made many a meal for families with new babies. I've done dramas, served food at funeral meals, and been in leadership for the marriage ministry. I'm on the steering team for our MOPS group, I've been a speaker at retreats. I was in choir and even had a strange singing role in a Singing Christmas Tree several years ago ("ate so much that I feel like a cow, cow, cow!"). But my favorite ministry I've ever been involved in is working in Common Grounds, the coffee shop at our church. It used to be a shed outside, which I fondly called "the coffee shack". I love coffee and I love people. There's something about putting the two together that I get such joy from. This morning I was in Starbucks and noticed a pamphlet from T-mobile. The cover said "Connect over coffee". And that's what happens when those magic little beans do their thing. There's just comfort in that aroma. At the beginning of the year, our church opened a new coffee shop. No longer are we just a shed outside. We have a full counter with all the tools of the trade, and tables and even a couch for people to sit with their warm goodness in a cup and connect. That's where the name came from. We're all about relationships, and we wanted to create a place where people could connect in a non-threatening way, a place to find what they have in common, to relate in a real, non churchy way. I have the pleasure of working the first Sunday of each month, and on Wednesday nights. I love being there, getting to know people and chatting for a few minutes while they patiently wait for me to finish their drinks. I've learned what a lot of them like and can start their drinks before they even order. I love that. It's like the guy at Baskin Robbins who knows my favorite ice cream flavors. You feel special when someone takes the time to know you, and know what you like. That's how I want to be with people who come to Common Grounds. You really don't have to be preaching a sermon or teaching a class to reach out to someone. Sometimes just serving them a cup of coffee with a smile is exactly what they need.