Not too long ago I found myself on a search for a diamond ring.  It was not for me but rather my niece, who was planning her wedding and trying to find a ring for her husband to be that she could afford.  She looked at many jewelers, searching for quality Diamonds in a ring that would work with her budget and also match up with what she wanted for her fiance.  This search for the perfect ring proved to be challenging and took quite some time.  The end result was that a large amount of money was spent in order to receive the quality and detail that she was seeking in a ring. 

Since then I have found www.BlueNile.com, which offers everything that my niece was looking for, and even better, the items can be purchased online and shipped to your home for free!  My niece would have loved the Build Your Own Ring feature because it offers a personal touch to choosing that special ring.  The prices at Bluenile.com are quite reasonable, most times being 20 to 40 percent below normal retail prices.  Having many nieces and the next time I assist in the search for quality Engagement Rings, my first step will be to check www.bluenile.com.  Check out Blue Nile Quality Diamonds, and have no fear about receiving a product that you are not happy with, because the best part about Blue Nile is their 30 day no questions asked return policy.

What are you going to be for Halloween this year!  Bailey is still deciding but it is between a bunny rabbit and a chicken!! :-)  I am going as a cat and Zac, he is going as a political person (he has stickers, shirt, hat, signs, it should be um……..interesting :-) 

Whatever you dress up as, remember to have fun!! Tons of Fun!

Shelby

Happy Birthday Sue, we hope you have the best day ever!! And Happy Happy Birthday to your daughter too!!

It’s that time of year and Zac and I are learning a lot about the candidates for President and all of the other candidates and issues being voted on this election!

We may not get to officially vote but our opinions still count and we can help our favorite candidates by learning more about them and talking with our friends and family about why we like certain people.

I don’t want to say who Zac and I are voting for this year (we have kids vote here, so we do get to do an unofficial vote, which is kcool!), but I can say that Zac and I are not agreeing on some of the issues, which is okay, we agree to disagree with each other.

So remember some important things about the election:

1. Learn about a candidate (and not just from the commercials you see on TV, because they are made by the person running against them and are not always true).

2. Respect other people’s right to like someone that you don’t.  Agree to disagree, just like Zac and I do

3. If your parents can take you, go to the Democratic or Republican Headquarters for your area and learn more.  You can also get signs, magnets, buttons, t-shirts and hats to help get the word out about your choice for President, or any other office that is up for election  (some of these things cost money, so again, always go with your parents and ask your mom and dad if they want you to buy these things).

4. Ask your parents to take you to listen to the presidential or other political candidates if they come to your town. 

5. The final thing is to remember that when you are old enough you will be able to vote and officially help choose who represents you in your city, state and country.  Learn now so that you are ready for this when you get older!!

The last last thing is to remind your mom and dad how important it is to vote!!

Shelby

Happy Birthday to Chris a.k.a. GenPatton!!  Hope your birthday rocks!!

Family means many things, and extends far beyond the walls of a home. For our family, a special cousin means the world to us. Tony (affectionately known as T2) is more than an extention of our family, but a member of our family in every sense. When he married Amanda, she became a part of our family too. When their baby, Olivia, was born early, we were concerned but also extremely excited to add her to our family! Zac and Shelby could not wait to meet her, and they did just that late last week. Shelby described Olivia as a beautiful tiny baby, and Zac immediately told her “Hi”! The kids love for their cousin and his family shined through last week as we drove to Chicago to meet Olivia and give our support.

Olivia Joy was in our lives here on earth for 18 days, and we are thankful to have met her and will cherish her in our hearts forever. She inspired me to try harder, as she tried her hardest to remain with us. We are better for having known her and we know that Heaven gained an Angel last night.

Hug your kids, be thankful and just like Olivia did, live life to the fullest!

In honor of Olivia, the J4K family is asking that you sign the Petition for Preemies, which is a part of National Preemie Awareness Month coming up in November.

Click on this link to sign the petition http://www.marchofdimes.com/padpetition/index.aspx?a=1&z=1&c=1&l=en

Recently, our family wrote about Olivia, our newest cousin, born on Shelby’s birthday. Olivia decided to come into the world quite early, which complicated things a bit, but that’s okay, we are incredibly excited and happy to have her as a part of our family. Our newest family member is nearly two weeks old and much to our excitement, she is hanging in there!! Please continue to include Olivia in your thoughts and prayers as she presses on toward celebrating her first birthday party with Shelby!

Hugs to T2, Amanda and Olivia, we love you all!

The J4K Family

It is interesting how many things go unnoticed when working out at the gym. The fact that we sit in a hot tub, amongst strangers, attempting to ease our aches and pains, or simply trying to relax for a few moments is a concept that I have never understood. I am not a fan of the “public” hot tub, which made me wonder how much a hot tub would cost for my home, where a long work out at the gym could end in a private oasis of relaxation. While doing some research, I discovered that Hot Tubs come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and actually are an affordable item to own at home. With a little shopping around, you can find a quality product that offers what you need in a hot tub. One place that caught my attention was http://www.bullfrogspas.com/ who offer a unique product with many benefits. What features did I look for while researching Hot Tubs? I looked for quality, affordability, and how well the product would accomplish the job of easing sore muscles, because we are a family that works out at the gym on a regular basis. I liked what I saw at www.bullfrongsspas.com and when the time comes to purchase our at home spa, their Hot Tubs will be at the top of my list!

I recently read an article that noted “CBS does not care”.  I hope that is not the case because without the viewers there would be noCBS.  The best way to lose a viewer is to continually ignore what they want to see on television.  Have television viewers been ignored?  Hmmm……I am thinking yes they have, by many networks.  Think of all of the shows that you started to watch and “Poof” they were gone……….you never got to see what happened next…….or better yet, an ending!  It’s like reading a good book and then someone tells you that you cannot read the final chapter.  You never know what happened and in the case of television cancellations, unfortunately you never will.

 So what needs to be done?  Well we know that the ratings system is in need of a major overhaul, and that networks need to wake up and listen to the sound of the viewers walking away!  Why are they walking away?  Consider this……..why watch a new television series only to have the rug pulled out from under you after you have come to love the show?  The first step would be for the networks to film an ending, just in case, that way viewers would at least get some closure to their favorite show.  But and this is a huge but……if the ratings system remains flawed, then the networks best be filming endings to all of their new shows because it seems like a drop in the hat as to which one is going to make it beyond five episodes………

Dear Television Networks,

Here are your choices as I see it.

Film an ending to every new television series so that viewers can at least have closure.

or

Rethink the ratings system and give credit where credit is due: The millions of viewers who are left stumped when their favorite show is cancelled.

I recommend the latter.

The coffee industry is a growing entity, with specialty coffee becoming a new trend that is sure to be around for a long time to come.  When asking friends what they like about coffee the answer varies from person to person.  One thing they all look for is quality.  High quality coffee has a distinct flavor to it that keeps a person coming back for more.  One thing about the coffee industry is the hard work and reasearch that is put into purchasing, processing and finally delivering the great taste to the many coffee lovers out there.  The coffee industry often works through coffee wholesalers to receive the best quality coffee for the best price.  This most certainly trickles down to the consumer in money savings.  cheap bulk coffee beans does not mean cheap quality in that the right buyer can find a fantastic deal on bulk coffee while not compromising the quality of the final product.  wholesale coffee roasters offer excellence with affodability, that is the key to success in the coffee industry in keeping the customer supplied with a hot, great tasting cup of java while keeping the cost down.  Who could ask for more? 

So next time you are enjoying the delicacy of your first morning cup of coffee, remember that the coffee industry is working hard to keep it your favorite part of the morning!

We have been sending out the cast and crew autographs as we receive them, and are beginning to get feedback from those who so graciously gave to DVDs for the Troops and have now received the autograph that they won!! The autographs are a huge thank you to everyone who donated!!

If you have not received your autograph, be assured that it will be sent as soon as we receive it, as some of them are taking a bit longer to get back, going beyond the date that we originally anticipated!

Thanks again to everyone for your participation and patience!

The J4K family

Save Green while you Go Green!  With the high price of gas and the importance of protecting our environment, this would be a great time to Win a 2009 Civic Hybrid! Save on television, high speed, and telephone service AND you just might win a car that can help you save a LOT on gas too. Check out Charter services online and when you order any Charter service online or simply register today you will be automatically entered to win a brand new Honda Civic Hybrid worth $24,000.

No purchase is necessary for your chance to win the Civic Hybrid, register and enter to win, it is that simple!  Please note that potential winners must live in an area where charter services are offered.

This car is awesome, featuring a polished metal metallic color, fabric interior, USB Audio interface, a 110-hp, 8 valve, SOHC i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine, continuously variable transmission and an MP3 Auxiliary Input Jack!  The best part is 45 miles per gallon!! This is a giveaway worth talking about in that if you win the car it will help the environment and save on gasoline while offering registrants the chance to receive great services from Charter at a very reasonable price.

For complete Sweepstakes Rules go to https://connect.charter.com/hybrid/rules.html

We are proud to announce that Olivia Joy was born around 7:23 am this morning, weighing 1lb 3 ozs and 12 inches long, little Olivia is hanging in there!  Born on her cousins birthday, we cannot wait to celebrate a double birthday next year with Shelby and Olivia.  We are blessed to have her parents and Olivia in our lives.

Please keep Olivia and her family in your prayers.

Miss Olivia has celebrated her second day birthday today (Oct 3rd)!  The power of prayer and positive thoughts is amazing, thanks to everyone for thinking of Olivia!

Olivia has celebrated her third day birthday today (Oct 4)!  She has reached the 72 hour milestone as of around 8 am this morning!  We are so happy and proud!  Thanks again for the prayers and positive thoughts!

Day Four and Olivia is doing better with each day that passes!  I spoke with her father today and he wanted to personally thank everyone for their prayers!  He says to tell you that it is working!!

Happy Birthday Shelby!! We are so proud of you and all that you do for others!! You are definitely awesome and super fantabulous!!

Love, Mom, Dad, Zac and Bailey!