Happy Holidays!

I know I haven't written in a while but I have been super busy trying to get everything done for the holidays and keep my sanity. :) I hope everyone is getting ready to enjoy this wonderful time with friends and family.  We are super excited that Matt has two 4 day weekends in a row (are we back in the army?!?!) and are going to take advantage of that time.  Seems like life has been moving in fast forward and we are hoping to go back to regular speed, even if only for a few days.  Tomorrow I am going to get Matt's Christmas present put on his car. I found a place to get his rain guards and they will even install them for me!!  I told him I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow am and he has to take Jenna to school.  I am going to love the look of surprise on his face when he sees his gift.  I know it's not all that great but for someone so difficult to buy for, I am very proud of this gift...especially since it's something he wants but won't buy for himself.  :) I will have to spend the rest of the day tomorrow wrapping all of the other gifts, but that's how I roll! I like to just sit and wrap them all at once.  Saturday we are going to watch the Giants/Jets game while we make lots and lots of dips. :)  I am in charge of the dips for our annual Christmas Eve at my parent's house and this year I am making 8 (4 pizza dips, 2 buffalo chicken & 2 bacon cheddar) dips.  I am also making a dip for Christmas Day at my in-laws.  I am trying a cold bacon cheddar dip for that day.  Now dips aren't all that difficult to make but we don't buy shredded cheese in this house so shredding all those bricks of cheese (4) is very time consuming and hurts my fingers! I got Matt a stand-up cheese grater for his stocking stuffer so he will be getting that early too!  I hope everyone has a wonderful, healthy and happy holiday!  Enjoy those close to you and cherish all the memories you will make!  Happy New Year!!!  See you in 2012!!!

In memory of Jenna Feathers

It really feels like yesterday that I was getting the phone call from Susan telling me that Jenna would not be coming back to school because she had been killed.  WHAT?!?!?  Matt and I had the ZBT date party the night before and being woken up at 8am by your roommate's mother was the strangest thing. Nevermind trying to focus while she is telling you that your roommate was murdered the night before.  I hung up and was still a bit dazed as I am trying to explain to Matt why I look so shocked.  She was only 19!  The next few hours were a blur.  I had to call our other roommate, Tasha (who had moved out because she had gotten sick with menigitis) and tell her Jenna was killed.  She started yelling at me for lying.  That was a tough one.  Then I called my parents.  It was such a shock to everyone that I had to keep repeating myself...that was also tough.  I also had to go tell my RA, Karen.  She was a good friend so that was easy but still hard.  I don't think I cried till I told her.  I guess I finally heard what was coming out of my mouth and it finally hit me.  Matt, Karen, Tasha, and Corey (another RA in our dorm) all made the drive for Jenna's viewing.  Jenna was from a very small town in PA and the funeral home was no bigger than my house now.  The line of mourners was out the door and down the street.  I didn't want to go in because I didn't think I would be able to keep it together and I knew her parents were going through enough already, they didn't need some 20 year old breaking down.  A girl from our dorm was also from McVeytown and she told us there were no pictures and the casket was going to be closed.  Imagine my surprise when we got to the door and Jenna's face was every where we looked.  Ok, I could do this...I had Matt by my side the whole time and I wouldn't look at the pictures.  Turn the corner after going through 3 rooms of pictures and there's Jenna, in the open casket!  That's when I lost it.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing.  Her fiance, Nick (the one who is rumored to have murdered her) and her parents and grandmother were standing next to it and I barely remember hugging them, being introduced to her grandmother and giving her mother a letter I had written for Jenna.  I ran out of there and couldn't look back.  Her murder has still not been solved and I can only imagine the heartache her parents are going through day after day.  I still keep in touch with them and they were extremely honored that we named our first daughter after their only daughter.  I only hope our Jenna will be as caring, loving, and intelligent as their daughter was.  Jenna Marie Feathers was only in my life for 3 months but she made a huge impact on my life and will remain in my heart forever. 
Jenna M. Feathers
MCVEYTOWN - Jenna M. Feathers, 19, 25 S. Queen St., McVeytown, died at 2 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, 1999, in the emergency room of Lewistown Hospital.
Born Oct. 20, 1980, in Lewistown, she was a daughter of Steven R. and Susan J. (Kauffman) Feathers of 25 S. Queen St., McVeytown.
Also surviving are: her fiance, Nicholas T. Traxler, Traxler Lane, Longfellow; maternal grandmother, Betty Kauffman, South Market Street, McVeytown; paternal grandfather, William E. Feathers, Ohesson Manor, Lewistown; and a great-uncle, William R. Booth, South Market Street, McVeytown.
She was a freshman at East Stroudsburg University.
She was a 1999 honor graduate of Lewistown Area High School, where she was a member of the four time District 6 Championship Girls Basketball Teams and the 1996-97 and the 1997-98 State Championship Girls Basketball Teams.
She was also a four-year member of the Lewistown Area High School Girls Soccer Teams, and a member of the National Honor Society.
She was twice listed in the Who's Who Among American High School Students and was the 1999 WCHX outstanding girls basketball player for Mifflin County.
She was Methodist by faith.
She loved to draw and spend time with her friends.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at McVeytown United Methodist Church, South Queen Street, McVeytown, with the Rev. Marian E. Hartman officiating. Interment will be in Mattawana Cemetery, McVeytown.
Family will receive friends from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday at Harshbarger Funeral Home, 3 S. Market St., McVeytown.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Jenna M. Feathers Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Kish Bank, P.O. Box 346, McVeytown, PA 17051.

5 is fun

We've all heard about the terrible twos but what "they" (whoever they are) never told us was that the terrible twos actually start when the child is one and a half.  Ok, we can deal with that, right?  Well, they also don't tell you about the trying threes or the @*$%-it fours. I never thought it was going to end but I have to tell you, it does!  Jenna is in the fun fives now.  She is so much fun to be around again and she just says the best things!  I am glad to have my baby girl back and glad to say we survived the terrible one and a halfs/twos, trying threes and @*$%-it fours!!!  Of course, now Em is going through the terrible one and a halfs/twos!  If it's not one, it's the other! :)