Is it over yet??

Thanksgiving has come and gone and Christmas came and went even faster and we here in phoenix didn't quite feel like it was time for Christmas yet!! That may have been because the decorations never got put up and we were all a little bit grumpy this year!! I had some major ear infections that lost me about 2 weeks of my life.. it was miserable!! i now know what to wish on my enemies!! we seem to be relaxed and lazy at our home and wonder why we are all so tired!! i am looking forward to having our scheduled life back! we are all doing well and are grateful for the many blessing we have and at times abuse in this economy!!

S and T are both involved in sports and are busier than ever, I didn't realize that the older they are the busier life becomes!! J is involved in the band and plays the tuba and is very good at the percussion of the mouth that totally annoys his mother. But Dad will join in happily!! K has tried out and made the show stoppers premier group and is excited to preform in Disneyland in march, I don't know if I am ready for that!! This will be great for her!!

we are sluggishly and happily moving on into this new year and hope that all of you and your families have a great New year and know that we are thinking of you and wishing you a fabulous New Year!!

Another fun halloween is over and just barely sooo.. it sure seemed to come fast this year!! K wanted to be a crazy punk chick??? and J was a glow in the dark stick person.. he had some fun making a video.. hopefully it works for you!! They loaded up on lots of candy and R and I enjoyed a nice evening walk!!















We only had 2 out trick or treating this year, the other 2 are feeling to old to dress up and go door to door for candy!! What a great feeling!! We had fun visiting with friends and eating chili and corn bread!! Hope you all enjoyed your Halloween!!
Now off to bribe our kids with money for their candy!!! Do you think it will work??? NOT!!!
They are all to old for that one!!

need i say more!!!

Today was 80"s day at the kids school and so I dug deep and believe that I got it just bout right!!!
Sad thing is I think that I wore my hair this way a few times!!! Oh the memories!!
















Rock on dudes!!

Canning Season

so i have spent the last two weeks canning, and oh have I missed it!! it's long and hard but oh so worth it!! These aren't even the half of what we did!! mom, A and I spent 4 days canning from morning to late evening. We did tomatoe soup and juice and whole tomatoes. we did pears and pear jam and we bottled a bunch of chicken and pork with garlic... yum yum you just could not beat the smell!!! It was also case lot sale time at Macy so I was able to stock up on alot of the basics... when I got home I had 2 more boxes of pears waiting. I got those bottled with R's help an I will pick up 2 boxes of peaches next week!! It feels like such an accomplishment to see all those bottles of food and know that my family has great food at there fingertips!! Thanks to mom and A for there help we had a lot of fun and it included alot of laughter!! I think all together we bottles 81 quarts of soup 62 quarts of juice 58 pints of whole tomatoes 42 ish quarts of pears 12 pints jam and 24 quarts of chicken / pork!! I got 46 quarts of pears done when I got home and hope to get that many of peaches!! After 11 years of canning a little here and there I think we did good!!

Congrats to all the family runners and there completion of their marathons!! we are very proud of you and keep up the good work!!

Okay so we have made it threw the first week of school and we are all ready for the weekend!! The kids can't believe how tired they are... S tried out and made the varsity volleyball team and was a member of the link crew at her school!! link crew is a group of juniors and seniors that spent the first day of school mentoring and showing the new freshmen around the school and answering Question and playing getting to know you games!! T is liking the high school thing and is on the diving team and working out!! He is finding out that there is more homework in high school!!

J is learning the ropes of having 6 teachers and going to different rooms for each of his classes he is loving that he gets to take band everyday!! K just loves being back in school and seeing all her friends everyday!! They all come home very tired and hungry!! I am glad to have to have a few hours of total quiet and no one telling me they are bored and that there is nothing to do.

I am grateful for each of my kids and I am glad that they are able to adapt to the changes that come with going back to school and getting back into the routine of a schedule!! It is truely fun to watch each of them conquer each new challenge whether it is big or small!! Here is to a new year of school!!

kitchen before the redo!!

This is the great kitchen that I have used for the last 6 years.. it has been great and works well but is not me!!! I like darker cabinets and I wanted a back splash so after talking about it for a few years I finally got to do it!!

new Kitchen.....

so after many years of living with a super light kitchen I was able to re do and have my dream kitchen built!! Sorry that the picture below is a different color I am not sure what happened in the taking of this picture but it really does match the others!!

I am still without a sink we should get that on tuesday??? I am grateful for my wonderful hubby who let me redo my kitchen... Thanks Honey!!

aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

It has only been 1 day and 6 hours since school is out and already the kids are bored!!!!!!!! They seem to think that they can only do 1 thing and if it is not possible at that moment and time then their life is over and the there is nothing to do and I am so bored starts in!!! I know that the song says that I am going to miss this........ but as of right now I want it gone......

We are looking forward to our summer plans and being able to visit family and friends!! Sending two of our kids to Europe for 3 weeks to have the time of their lives and experience some really fun adventures, I am so grateful to be able to give this opportunity to them. Hopefully it will be an experience that they will always remember!!

We hope that all of you enjoy your last days of school and the upcoming summer fun!! With New babies and all the kids home at the same time and church callings and just living life we should all be busy... Make sure you take some me time and enjoy what you have for we are all blessed in one way or another!!

Have a great day..

Cake and ice cream and presents oh my....

Here are up to date today pictures of opening presents and the birthday cake.... snickerdoodle cake...
















Thanks grama and grampa for the box and all the goodies... I think that he had a great birthday... he even got a gift of chips and home made salsa from his girlfriend!!! who could ask for anything more!!!

Happy Haircut!!

S got her haircut today and I thought only boys looked older with a haircut.... My little girl is growing up!! She looks great for being sick and barfing for 2 days....



















She is like her mother and hates her picture taken!!!! but she sure got a great smile... it must be from her Dad!!!

Happy Birthday T!!!

I can't believe that T is 14.. Where has the time gone!!! He is a great kid and loves to help us all with our ease at getting frustrated.... He love to annoy and tease yet in the same moment he is very helpful and willing to do all that is asked!! He is a great cook and loves to bake things!!! He is in a walking boot right now as he likes to try to jump and come down on the edge of any sidewalk and try to not roll his ankle!!!! He is definately a sports man and tries any and every sport there is!!! we love him and we are glad that he is a part of our family!!!

Love ya T...


Here are a couple of photos of how he has grown and how cute he has always been!!

T's Song

Here is T's version with S on the piano. See details in the Easter post. We are fortunate to have these great kids! (don't tell them I said that...)

Easter

Easter Sunday was one of those reward days for a parent. Somehow J managed to get out of bed without being pestered over and over, K only had a few tears (her new shoes were just too tight), and we actually got to church early enough to practice with the choir. Surely things were going well because Mom was out of town for the weekend and the Lord knew Dad would need help...

All this was capped by T and S coming through big on a song in Sacrament meeting. T has never performed a solo in his life, let alone in front of hundreds of people. And of course, there were even more there because it is Easter (so you get the folks that come to church only on Easter and Christmas Eve). Anyway, he seemed a bit shaken by the prospect when he stood at the mike just before the meeting started, to get the feel of it. Both S and Dad could tell he was scared. Testosterone rules, however, and he would not admit his fear. Dad talked with him and offered to stand with him, sing with him, or whatever. At the last minute, T said "No, I'm ok" and went up on his own. With his sister playing the piano for him, he sang this great song with a great message about Christ's life and example for us all. It is about 4:30 long and I will post it tonight if you want to see it.

It left an impression on many of us. In true teenage boy fashion, when asked afterward what he thought of his performance, he simply said "I made some people cry, it was weird." We sure are blessed with some great and talented kids....

Here they are in their "Easter clothes." For those that know these kids, you see their personality coming through in the photo.

We made some treats courtesy of the kit sent by Elder and Sister Grama and Grampa. They were fun to decorate. We reviewed the true meaning of Easter, and reviewed in the Book of Mormon where there is discussion of what happened in the Americas during the original "Easter" weekend.

As far as the less spiritual aspects of the holiday, Dad in his typical quirky ways, managed to put together some baskets from the Easter Pig. Mom is out of town, and S had a volleyball tournament in another city. We all drove together, along with a couple of the other volleyball players, and the other coaches, and spent the night in a hotel. Dad brought along some work papers to cut and make into little Easter baskets for each of the kids/coaches and filled them with the candy that mom had arranged previously. It was fun, but explaining to the other kids about the Easter Pig is always a bit challenging. When K saw the basket, she said "Grama sent another box?" Such great perspective!

We hope Easter was a time for family for you. The most impressive thought I heard over the weekend was from Elder Holland, suggesting that at the time when the Father "abandoned" Christ during the atonement, this was perhaps when he was actually closest to His Son.

This is my number!!! What number are you???

What Number Are You?

You Are 2: The Helper

You always put on a happy face and try to help those around you. You're incredibly empathetic and care about everyone you know. Able to see the good in others, you're thoughtful, warm, and sincere. You connect with people who are charming and charismatic. At Your Best: You are deeply giving, altruistic, and humble. You devote your life to others while caring for yourself too. At Your Worst: You are manipulative and enjoy making other people guilty. Your Fixation: Rejection Your Primary Fear: Being unworthy of love Your Primary Desire: To be loved unconditionally Other Number 2's: Mother Teresa, John Travolta, Princess Diana, Dr. Phil, and Mr. Rogers. WHAT NUMBER ARE YOU?http://blogthings.com/whatnumberareyouquiz/

Grown up!!!

I have decided that I love being grown up!!! I am not saying that life is perfect, my life is far from that!!! But I watch what the youth of today and especially my own kids have to deal with and I think that I will stay right where I am!! We just got back from the high schools spring play, "back to the 80's" and it brought back many many memories.... Air supply, Footloose, Love Shack and of course the BIG Hair!!!! I think that I laughed more from my own memories of all the songs they sang than the play its self. I am luckier than most because I got to marry most of my memories... I don't have that many that I am trying to forget.... just a few hair styles!!!

I hope that this brought a few fun memories to your mind and if you are reading this then you are probably one of my great memories.... Thanks guys

Bah hummbugg!!!

So it is now a week in to February and it feels like time is flying by in slow motion!!!! Is that possible???
As many of you know I love to read and probably could do more in my life if I would just put the book down... but I love cuddling up with a blanket and turning each page and getting involved with each character and being able to enjoy that quiet peaceful time away from the real world!!!!! NOT!!!!!! The last few books I have read I have been enjoying greatly and can't wait to turn the page to find out what happens and WHAMO the author throws in a nice little #@$#%@# word and ruins the whole thing!!!!! Why!!!!! Its not like I haven't already invested myself in a great book nearly 200 pages into it, than I am thrown into a brick wall!!! I have always wondered why don't books have ratings like movies.... It sure would make things a lot easier for choosing books!!!

I have already had to have my 9 year old return a couple books to the school library that were not appropriate for her... She is reading at a 5-6th grade reading level and we have already come across rape, sex and swearing!!! How quick do our kids need to grow up?? I would love to let my 9 year old be a kid and not worry about make-up, what boys think of her and who the cool kids are and does she fit in!! Boy do i wish that I lived in Pleasantville and everything was always perfect and there was no bad!! I know I and dreaming... But it is sure nice to dream!!!

I am grateful that I have good friends and a great family to help with all those bad times and I am grateful for each of you and your examples!! THANK YOU!!!!

The dredded tag!!!!!

You asked for it you got it.... This is the sixth photo in the sixth folder of our pictures... I can't tell you what it is or explain it right. Just know that My Hubby is an OB/GYN Doctor and this is something that he can fix!!! Dont know how and I really don't know why but I know he can and people feel a lot better when he is done!!! Does anyone else want to tag me????

Happy Birthday S!!

SO along time ago on a cold winters night....(I wasn't living in the sun state then!!)  And it was a few days later than today... but S doesn't want anything done for her birthday so I figure if its not really her birthday today I can do whatever I want!!!!  I can you know...  I AM THE MOM!!!! anyway back to our story...  She was 2 weeks over due and I was ready to get her out anyway I could we finally went in about 4 am to get this ball rolling and 38 hours later with a trip to the or for more help our sweet little girl was born!!!  8lbs 3oz and 21 inches long...  she has been a great kid from the day she came out to now..  with only one or two  what the heck were you thinking moments. She has always been willing to go with the family and she is definately our peace maker... with a few pokes of her own to add.. She is always smiling and has a funny story to tell!!

She is soooooooo much like her mother when it comes to getting her picture taken and Dad got his mothers gene and loves to take pictures!!!!!  (That is when we remember the camera then it is catch up picture time..)  S loves to try new things and we have loved the big roller coaster and will one day do a biggest roller coaster vacation!!!!
S loves to be comfortable and enjoys volleyball and softball and is very good at both..  we love to watch her play and encourage her teammates with a smile.  S is a very good student and gets goods grades and has just passed her drivers test so we will be getting that next week.....uuuugggghhhhh..  I am not old enough for that!!
S is a ray of sunshine in our family and I know that I appreciate all that she does to help around the house and I know that she will be a great roommate, girlfriend and than wife and mother to who ever gets past her father and me..
We re so grateful to have been given this wonderful little girl in our lives and we thank our heavenly father each day for her and her wisdom and fun that she brings into our family!!
so on this day that is not your birthday I say we love you and we our glad that you came to our family on that cold winters day almost 16 years ago... I love you S...  love Mom

2009

Has another year passed by already!!!  We had a very nice christmas this year...  We got some needed things and some not so needed things and topped it off with a few fun things too!!  I think that our favorite is the wii fit...  we have laughed and giggled and walked around sore for the past week and all because of the hula hoop challenge or trying to balance our core while people are throwing shoes and panda bears at us..  

I don't think that the kids are to excited to go back to school tomorrow... and back to all the rules and homework!!  I am excited for a little piece and quiet during the day and my house staying some what clutter free for a few hours!!

I got to have a small mini vacation this last week, and was reminded how grateful I am that my kids are growing up!!  I went to Utah for a funeral and spent some time with my sister and her family and it sure brought back memories of how busy you are with a 2 year old...  I had a blast and enjoyed my stay and was very grateful to have such a great sister to stay with..  Thanks again A.

As for a new year and new resolutions  I gave up on those long ago... I do find myself reflecting on new friends and fun times with them and family and enjoying it and wanting to do that again..  so here is to more fun times with good friends and family in 2009....  

Happy New Near to all..