Welcome, Jaelyn!

I can't believe I never gave Miss. Jaelyn Lee Boliski a proper introduction!

On November 9th I went to visit one of my most amazing friends in the hospital as she began her induction.  As the day went on I continued to be by her side as she fought through her contractions.  As time approached for the arrival, Ace had asked me to stay in the room to be with her while she delivered.  I was so honored and overwhelmed with joy!  I knew it was gong to be a long night so I decided I better grab sometime to eat and see Adam and Jayden real quick before they headed home for bed.  On my way back to the hospital her husband texted me and said, "You better get here NOW!"  I sprinted into the hospital and shortly after a 9 pound .25 ounce baby girl was born!

She truly is a gift from God.  Eric and Ace have 2 other children but both were born via in vitro after many years of trying.  Baby Jaelyn was conceived without any medication and she is a happy and healthy baby girl!  I am so happy for the Boliski family and I wish them nothing but happiness!

That's a wrap!

Can you believe that Thanksgiving has already passed and November 2010 is coming to an end?  It feels like Labor Day was just last weekend!

I slacked a little on my "Give Thanks" posts but I covered the major areas in life for which I am thankful for.  It is funny to look back to see how it varied from last years "What I am thankful for."

For the month of December I am going to focus on parenting techniques, tips, tricks and lessons learned.  I was (and still am) so thankful for the few woman in my life that gave me advice while living overseas with Jayden and having a husband that doesn't have the typical 9-5 job.  My goal is to pass on helpful information to anyone who reads this blog.

Here's to December :)

Give Thanks: Life

Plain and simple, I am thankful to wake up everyday getting another chance at life!

Verse of the Day

Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 100:4-5

During the thanksgiving holiday we must remember that we are entering a time to give, a time to be thankful and a time to honor the Lord.  If you are feeling a little lost, don't forget that God is faithful and that no more how long it takes you, God will wait for you to come to him.  Not only will he wait for you but he is ready.

Give Thanks: Friends

I am so very thankful for my friends.  I have spent a lot of time within the last couple years realizing who are my true friends and who are acquaintances.  There have been times that I have felt like an outsider as I continue on my walk with Christ and some of my friends go the complete opposite direction.  Have I lost some friends along the way, of course.  That's life but at the end of the day I continue to count my blessing for having amazing friends and thank God for having enough time left in life to make more!

HillsongNYC: December Update

To all my New Yorkers check out what is going on with HillsongNYC in the month of December!  All my single friends that claim that can't meet anyone in New York, you don't want to miss December 7th at the Brooklyn Bowl.  It will be the first step in finding yourself a nice Christian man!

Give Thanks: My Family

I have the most amazing family and I even married into a pretty cool family as well (God bless those people that do not get along with their in-laws).  I am so thankful for each and every member of my family for they each contribute to a part of who I am today.  There isn't a day that goes by when I don't talk to my Mom and get a text from my sister or a phone call from my brother.  It is amazing how the older you get the stronger the relationship with your siblings become.  

Wall Art

My dear friend Leigh and her family had given us one of the coolest wedding gifts ever.  It's a piece of wall art that says, Adam & Kearstin Harrington September 4, 2010.  Each letter in the name Harrington is actually a picture!  I absolutely love it.  I've been pondering what to do with it since I wanted it to go somewhere where everyone would see it.  However, I am absolutely no decorating sense; at all!  So instead of thinking too hard about it I ordered some picture frames from Pottery Barn and decided to hang a few photos and the wall art in our living room.  I am thrilled with the look of it (minus the 3/4 of an inch one picture frame is off).

Give Thanks: My Church Family

I won't get into too much detail but I am so thankful for my church family.  It is just an amazing feeling knowing that no matter what is going on in your life you can always turn to your church family.  Raising a family and being around people that share the same core values as you makes life much easier!  I am and will forever be thankful for all of our Christian friends that continue to help me on my walk with Jesus.

Celebration of Life

This weekend we made our way down to Cape Cod to celebrate Adam's grandfather, the late Ernest Dubois.  It was a gorgeous weekend and there was plenty of love that filled the air.  It was obvious that Ernest had a great sense of humor and was very well-liked from the poems and speeches by all of his children.  As the day went on and we continued to be surrounded by family and a few close friends, I realized that life is such an amazing gift given by God and we must treat it just as that; it must be appreciated in good times and bad and taken care of all day, everyday.

The JEHH Holiday Raffle

The holidays are approaching and the Jill E. Harrington Hanzalik Holiday Raffle has started!  Two amazing prizes are up for grab including a Costa Rica Getaway and an NBA Fantasy Night.


The 2nd prize is an NBA Fantasy Night which includes:

A night to remember! Your NBA fantasy comes true when you sit in Mark Cuban’s owners seats at the Mavericks vs. Celtics game. Enjoy VIP parking before the game and a hotel room in downtown Boston after the game.  Your experience doesn’t stop there as you stay in post game section and enjoy a meet & greet with Dirk Nowitzki. So bring your camera and enjoy this NBA night in Boston, MA.

• Mark Cuban’s 2 Owner’s Tickets to the Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game on February 4th, 2011 @8:00pm in Boston, MA
• One Night Hotel Accommodation in Boston, MA
• VIP Celtics Parking
• Authentic Jason Kidd Signed Dallas Mavericks Jersey
• 2 Post Game Passes
• A meet & greet with NBA All-Star Dirk Nowitzki

The Grand Prize is a Costa Rica Getaway which includes:

Sit back, relax, and prepare to be in this all –inclusive paradise for 4 days. A trip for 2 to an amazing sustainable rainforest Eco-Lodge Hotel, Finca Luna Nueva, in Costa Rica, for 4 days, 3 nights including:

• Round-trip airfare from anywhere in the Continental US
• Shuttle to and from airport
• Overnight accommodations at Casa Luna or Bungalows
• Breakfast included
• Use of the natural swimming Pool and Jacuzzi
• One farm tour around Finca Luna Nueva Hotel
• Activities available for purchase

Add lunch and dinner for only $27 per person per night (taxes and service not included)
Value: $4,800
Trip valid: January 2011- September 2011.
*Dates subject to availability.

What great prizes!  Tickets are $25 each and 100% of the proceeds go directly to the JEHH Memorial Fund.  For those that usually give to charities as a christmas gift, please remember us!  For more details, check out our new and improved website!

Give Thanks: My Bible

It may sound silly but I am so thankful for my bible.  Whenever I need pick me up or have some alone time the first thing I do is kick back and grab my bible.  The bible instantly changes my mood and spirit and by the Grace of God that "not so good day" becomes great.  His words inspire me to be a better person, friend, wife, mother, to be obedient and keep my faith strong.  The bible and constant prayer reminds me that the Word of God is the only thing in this world that will guide me home.

New York City & the Marathon

Everyone knows Adam and I are spontaneous people.  There is no pulling my leg in order to get me to do something fun and exciting.  So on Saturday late-afternoon we jumped into the car and headed to New York City for the night to celebrate our dear friend, Carl's birthday.  He had no idea we were coming so he was excited when we all showed up (Jayden too)!  It only took us 2 hours to get to New York but once we started heading into the city the traffic was crazy.  We had not known that the New York City Marathon was on Sunday.  Therefore add together regular New York City traffic plus 2 million extra people coming into the city just to watch/run the marathon and that counts for a lot of cars.  But on Sunday morning it was totally worth it.  We walked to a near by cafe which was located on the route of the marathon so we were able to cheer for the handicap, the lead pack of the woman and the lead pack of the men.  It was amazing to see how fast they were running.  I promise you, the lead pack of men were running faster then my sprint!  What a cool day to be in New York City!

I am sure there are many inspirational stories about people running marathons.  One that caught my eye this morning was about a man who had just been trapped in a mine in Chile for 69 days.  Can you even imagine trying to run in a marathon after being trapped in a mine for 69 days when the most he had run was 7 miles before?  It sound unreal but he did it and he was felt very honored and proud!  Check out on short story on him by MNN.

Give Thanks: Our son, Jayden

There are so many people in this world that long to have a family but for one reason or another it just doesn't happen.  So today (and everyday) I am thankful for our healthy, full-of-life, ambitious, smart and witty son Jayden.  

Jayden is just a joy to be around.  He had a great attitude about life and I continue to thank God for giving our family such an amazing blessing.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't count my blessings twice when I get to Jayden; he is the light of our life!

October 2010

Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Today is a special day!  My mother brought my big brother into the world 28 years ago!  My relationship with my brother today is the best it has ever been.  Being 4 years older then me, we always missed each other in the school system (thank goodness because we didn't always see eye to eye).  But now, we are both happy to have a sibling you can count on!

Happy Birthday Big Bro!

Website: The JEHH Memorial Fund

It is my pleasure to announce to you that The JEHH Memorial Fund website is up and running.  After a minor bump in the road we were introduced to Ameronix and it has been a pleasure working with them.

Please check us out!  We appreciate all your support and feedback!  And don't forget to "Chase your dreams!"

Jill & I in Limoges, France 2008

Give Thanks: My Husband

#2: I am thankful for my Godly husband who is faithful, gracious and wise.  He is a strong man of God who continues to amaze me with his love, dedication to life and his ever-growing relationship with Jesus.  

I am more thankful for my husband now than I've ever been.  I will continue to honor and serve my husband the way God has called me to do.

To all the wives reading this, I encourage you to read Proverbs 31:10-30.  Re-read it if you have to and let it soak in!

Happy 2 Months

I would like to wish my amazing husband a happy 2 months of marriage!

Everyday, Thanksgiving Day

Last November I wrote about being thankful and followed up by writing one thing I was thankful for for the remainder of the month.  As I look to a year ago, I had to remind myself that as a Christian I need to treat everyday like Thanksgiving Day.  I must give thanks to the Lord during the great times and especially in the midsts of a problem for it is then when I find myself truly growing as a Christian.  So even though I find myself giving thanks to God throughout the day, I will finish the month with some of the things I am most thankful for.

#1: I am thankful for God who made the ultimate sacrifice to free us from our sinful nature.  For God loved us so much that He gave His only son so we may live.

Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf

I made this dish for the first time last night.  I couldn't think of anything good to make so I decided to jump out of the box and try something I've never made before.  According to Adam and our neighbor friend, it was a huge hit (and the kicker, it was super easy)!  I served it with potatoes and a fresh salad.

Turkey Meatloaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs of lean ground turkey
1/3 cup of italian dressing
1/4 cup of barbecue sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl until well mixed.  Press into bread load.  Sprinkle a few extra bread crumbs on top and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until top is nice and brown.

HillsongNYC: Update

Here is the lastest update from our pastor, Carl Lentz.  He talks about how the church is going to continue to do monthly services until February so more relationships are built.  They are not in it to "win the battle" but to "win the war."  Watch out NYC :)

The Deal of the Century

People continuously ask me why I use coupons and buy Louis Vuitton bags.  Well I've said it once and I'll say it before, Louis Vuitton does not go on sale people!  I need to get my sale somewhere!

So here it goes; my deal of the century.

I went to JCPenny's on Saturday while the boys took a nap to get a pillow for Adam.  Well they didn't have the pillow I was looking for so I walked around to see of there was anything else worth buying.  I walked into the big boys section to see if there were any summer clothes on sale for next summer.  I ran into this one section that was 80% off the entire rack.  They had the cutest boy shirts, some shorts, etc.  I picked one up and it was mark $.97!  I couldn't believe it.  The shirts were originally $13.99 and they were on sale for $.97!  I kept looking and before I knew it I had 9 shirts and a pair of skinny jeans in my arms for Jayden.

I walked up to the register with my 9 shirts and a pair of jeans, along with my 15% off total purchase coupon and my free $10 off $10 coupon from the mail and ended up paying $1.60 for everything.  Yes, I said it correctly; I paid 1 dollar and 60 cents for 9 shirts and a pair of jeans.  Uh-amazing, ey?