Sunday, September 28, 2008

UhOhhh I was tagged

Rules: Tag 5 people.

10 years ago: Hmmmm I was a nanny in Denver at the time waiting for a missionary I didn't end up marrying.
5 years ago: We were living in California and had our first baby 7months ago
5 months ago: Same thing I'm doing now pretty much..lol

5 things on my list of things to do tomorrow:
1. Get the kids off to school
2. Go to pump class at Body Plex
3. Clean the dining room
4. Make a crock pot dinner for when I'm gone in the evening
5. Do 4 out of the house piano lessons

5 bad habits:
1. Not putting things away
2. picking at my face (zits, lips, whatever)
3. Spending too much time on the computer
4. forgetting to take my contacts out
5. not cleaning like I should

5 places I've lived: Safford,Az Denver,CO, Tempe Az, Santa Maria, CA, Woodstock, Ga (I can go onnnnnn....)

5 things people don't know about me:
1. I have an unusually large tongue
2. I LOVE Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy
3. I was a wrestlerette, flag girl and drum major in HS
4. I have 10 siblings.
5. We've been trying to have another baby since Feb 2007

I'm sending this tag out to everyone that reads this (all 2 of you!)

I am grateful for.. Sunday


My friend called me tonight and it was just what I needed.. so today I am grateful for my good friend Alicia. We became close friends back in California when we were both in the same ward in Santa Maria. She helped me through the toughest times in my life and I don't think I would have held myself together without her. She was the first person I called when I found out my dad was sick.. and when he died, she called me often while I was in Az. When I found out I was moving away to GA, she again was the first person I called and she was there for me helping out right until the moment we said goodbye and drove away.

I've been gone for 2yrs now and even though we don't talk like we used to, I still think of her as one of my closest friends. Very few people have stayed in touch with me and have impacted my life like she has (and I have to shout out to my friend Melissa B. in CA because I feel the same way about her too!!! I love you!)

Anyways Alicia.. if you ever read this, thank you for thinking of me tonight and calling and shooting the breeze with me! I miss that and you!


Wednesday, September 24, 2008

I'm Grateful for.. Wednesday and other stuff

So I'll start off with what I'm thankful for today... would you believe it's my thumbs?!?!? When I was living in California, the first ward we were in (the now non-existant Santa Maria 4th ward), a lovely old lady, Sister Yost, stood and bore her testimony one Sunday. She was a funny gal-- always said the most random things. Well one thing that will NEVER leave my mind is how she said she was grateful for her thumbs. Now mind you, we were all shocked at this and tried SO hard not to bust out laughing and it was the brunt of our jokes for quite awhile but she was right. She said without thumbs, she wouldn't be able to button her sweater. I have to agree. That would be a very difficult task for one who has buttons on their sweaters! And think of all the things we take for granted because we have the use of our thumbs. Try picking up a cup.. or putting on earrings.. or playing the piano or even opening the microwave door. Not such an easy task to do without the use of the thumb correct? Man what about hammering something? Dangerous! And changing the channels on the remote. Oiy! Anyways ya'll get my point. Thumbs-- they make be the ugliest digit but the most used!



Now onto real life stuff. We tried Reese out with Karate tonight. He loved it. The only problem I'm facing is that the class that he should be joining meets on Monday at 4:15-5:15 but I have piano lessons at that exact time and Jon will be working so there's no way I can get him there:( So the guy put him in the next level class which is kids that have been doing it for awhile. That makes me nervous with him being brand new at this. I just hope he catches on and the other kids are patient with him.



Jon is out of town for a few days in Florida (HI DADDY). Lucky him! It's only til Friday night so no biggie. I will take these few evenings alone to finish up a baby shower gift that I'm working on. And I get to sprawl out of our super comfy bed BY MYSELF!!! But he will be missed for sure! It was so cute when Jon was telling Rielly he was leaving...
Jon "Rielly I'm going bye bye for a few days"
Rielly "Uh Oh that is bad.. I have a bad feeling about that"
Never once has she said anything like that. Makes you wonder if she's serious or what show she saw that one recently:) But as we kept talking to her, she realized it was okay that he was leaving and that she got chocolate on her shirt. You know.. real conversations and 3yr olds can only last so long.


Til next time!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

I'm grateful... Tuesday


I have extremely greasy hair... like if I go 2 days without washing it, my hair looks like I have a hair full of gel and it feels just wrong! So today I am grateful for... SHAMPOO!! Can you imagine having to wash your hair with a bar of soap? Or laundry soap? I guess if that's all there was, we'd deal- thus my thankfulness that it was invented in so many smells and brands and for so many hair types.
So wash my friends... wash your hair and give thanks!!!!!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Parents Prayer




A Parent's Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.

I pray I find a little quiet,
Far from the daily family riot.
May I lie back and not have to think
About what they're stuffing down the sink,

Or who they're with, or where they're at
And what they're doing to the cat.
I pray for time all to myself
(did something just fall off a shelf?)

To cuddle in my nice, soft bed
(Oh no, another goldfish--dead!)
Some silent moments for goodness sake
(Did I just hear a window break?)

And that I need not cook or clean
(well heck, I've got the right to dream)
Yes now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep,

But as I look around I know,
I must have lost them long ago!

Author Unknown

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I am grateful-- Tuesday



Today I'm grateful for text messaging. Such a simple thing but it keeps me in contact with so many people! And I'm getting good and fast at it! Without texting, I'd never get to just check in and say hi to the lovely Sarah in Utah or check on Kristas baby... or find out about updates with family members in Az or even "talk" to my girls here in Ga! (you'd be amazed at some of the crazy stuff that goes through the mobile lines..)
Sure I can pick up the phone and call but those that know me KNOW I won't do that. So text messaging-- here's to you and your unlimitedness!
If you text, send me a message and we'll because TFF (texting friends forever..lol).
PS-- sorry I won't be able to do this daily:(

Monday, September 15, 2008

I am GRATEFUL Monday


I figured lately I need to start focusing on things that I have an am grateful for rather than stuff I don't have or things that get me down. So here begins my grateful posts.


Today I am grateful for:

.........the internet. Petty I'm sure to post about this but it's true. The internet has so much bad but in my life, it has brought so much good. I find so much support on the net... I have made so many friends through various support forums. I stay in touch with family and friends through email and blogging and even facebook and myspace. Heck I met my husband and best friend on the net! So I guess you can say the internet has changed and bettered my life. I'm sure I can get so much stuff done if I didn't have it... but we won't go there:)
If it wasn't for the internet, I would be clueless about current events, what's going on with the weird rash one of my kids have, which hollywood star is cheating on who, what can I buy and sell on ebay, etc. So really we ALL should be grateful for the internet!! All hail CYBERSPACE!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Dave Ramsey Live


Jon and I got the amazing opportunity yesterday to go see Dave Ramsey Live at the Gwinett Center. It was a 5hr seminar and absolutely wonderful. Full of humor, insight, great information and hope.
Last yr, we started working on the Ramsey baby steps.
Step #1 is to set aside $1000 in an emergency fund. Not a savings account or investing it but an account just for emergencies. We did that and let me tell you... it saved our butts not once but twice!! The first time was when Jon got his car wrecked and we were faced with the reality that we needed to get another car. So we had to use that fund to help with a fininshing paying off one car so we didn't have to deal with another car payment. The second time we had to use it (after replenishing it) was partly when we got back from a trip and realized we were going to be going over on our bills if we didn't "borrow" a little out of the account. The rest we had to pull out the other week when our transmission went out. So I tell you there's a reason that is set #1. Very important!!
Step #2 is debt snowball which is pretty much what the church teaches to get out of debt. Pay minimum payments on all debts except the smallest one and tackle that one as hard as you can. Then when it's paid off, take that money you were paying on it and hit the next smallest... and on and on until they are ALL paid! And that's what we did.. we were able to pay off all our credit cards by following that method and what a relief that was.
We still are on step #2 however.. it includes ALL debts except the mortgage so we now need to focus on paying off the van.
Funny thing about Dave... I hated him. I hated hearing his name and how he became the head of our household and how he became suddenly in charge of our money. Dave Dave Dave... But I am humbling myself and telling you the Dave has change my way of thinking. I now LOVE Dave! His methods and his plan makes total sense! And it makes it so easy! And I'm gonna be totally broke for awhile with every dollar having a name but it's going to be worth it!

The rest of his steps are as follows (Jons having to tell me because he's read the books and listens to him regularly)

Step #3- finishing emergency fund with 3-6months of expenses
Step #4- 15% of income into retirement
Step #5- College Fund
a little about this one. Forever I have been totally against paying for my kids schools. I paid mine, Jon paid his and we had to do it ourselves. Now days there's scholarships, student loans, grants, etc. But do I really want my kids to start off their adult life in debt??? No way! They'll have so many other issues in life-- having debt so early on isn't one I think they should have to mess with.
Step #6- Pay off house early (hahahah that's a DREAM)
Step #7- Build wealth and give

So family and friends..... please understand if we don't come visit often, or if we're not able to go out often or able to send gifts or heck if we are wearing clothes with holes in them and smell bad or whatever, it's because we're really focusing right now on our finances and getting ourselves in a secure place. Like Dave says "live like no one else so later you can live like no one else".

Californians...Vote YES on Prop 8

This may ruffle feathers but this is something I believe very strongly in.. I hope those that can will help make the right decision and put things back the way God intended them.



Proposition 8

Proposition 8 is simple and straightforward. It contains the same 14 words that were previously approved in 2000 by over 61% of California voters: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.



Because four activist judges in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people’s vote, we need to pass this measure as a constitutional amendment to restore the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman.



Voting YES on Proposition 8 does 3 simple things:


It restores the definition of marriage to what the vast majority of California voters already approved and what Californians agree should be supported, not undermined.


It overturns the outrageous decision of four activist Supreme Court judges who ignored the will of the people.


It protects our children from being taught in public schools that “same-sex marriage” is the same as traditional marriage.


The Issue

California voters passed Proposition 22 in 2000 by more than 61%, saying that a marriage in California is between a man and a woman. Earlier this year, four activist judges based in San Francisco wrongly overturned the people's vote, legalizing same-sex marriage.


The Consequences

The Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage did not just overturn the will of California voters; it also redefined marriage for the rest of society, without ever asking the people themselves to accept this decision. This decision has far-reaching consequences. For example, because public schools are already required to teach the role of marriage in society as part of the curriculum, schools will now be required to teach students that gay marriage is the same as traditional marriage, starting with kindergarteners. By saying that a marriage is between “any two persons” rather than between a man and a woman, the Court decision has opened the door to any kind of “marriage.” This undermines the value of marriage altogether at a time when we should be restoring marriage, not undermining it.



The Solution

Vote YES on Proposition 8 to overturn the outrageous Supreme Court decision and restore the definition of marriage that was approved by over 61% of voters. Proposition 8 is NOT an attack on gay couples and does not take away the rights that same-sex couples already have under California’s domestic partner law. California law already grants domestic partners all the rights that a state can grant to a married couple. Gays have a right to their private lives, but not to change the definition of marriage for everyone else.



Passing Proposition 8 protects our children and places into the Constitution the simple definition that a marriage is between a man and a woman.

Sharing

I tend to complain a lot about my kids but I wanted to post a positive that I've been seeing lately. They really ARE great kids!!
Friday I sent $10 with Reese for his school bookfair so he can get something he'd enjoy us reading together. He comes home with a book for him but he was actually more excited to tell me he also bought a book for Rielly. I can't tell you how proud I was and am of him to think of his sister and want to spend his money on her also. It just warmed my heart!
Then this morning on the way to church, Rielly was whining about something and Reese tells her that if she stops, he'll take her for ice cream at Chick-fil-a because he got a coupon for a free ice cream cone from school.
I am coming to realize that siblings fight.. that's just the way it is. Especially with them being so close together. There's no way around that. Just like spouses fight. It's good.. it's healthy and it's NORMAL. But even with their fighting and bickering, they genuinly love and care for each other and it's amazing to see how Reese naturally protects his baby sister and how she looks up to him and depends on him.
They are good kids and I'm so glad to be their mom.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

We're still here!

Hey all!

I haven't posted in a bit but it wasn't for lack of wanting. I feel like I have just been going here there and everywhere lately. But it's not as bad as I think. My evenings just are super busy. I now have 13 piano lessons and 6 of them I do outside the home. So while it's not THAT many, it keeps me going:)

We had another car issue. It never ends right? Last Thursday Jon was backing out the driveway (which the driveway is pretty darn steep) and some girl was backing out across the street and as Jon was turning, she wasn't paying any attention or looking and backed right into him. Uggggg!!!! So it was her fault but still! So it smashed in the passenger side. Over 2000 to get it repaired! Man if a door is 2000, we got a smokin deal on the van! lol

School is going good with the kids. Rielly LOVES it!! And she just started ballet at the studio I teach piano at. It's so darn cute! Reese was doing tball but just informed us that he doesn't like it and never wants to go back:( So I'm looking into other stuff for him. Maybe karate.

I can't say anything exciting has been going on- just day to day stuff. I did get some vinyl and I cut out my first sayings with my cricut. I found a great deal on cricut vinyl from wherelse... EBAY!

So anyways.. hope you all are doing well!!!

Oh and for you locals, don't forget park day is Thursday 11:30 at Biello!!! Bring your sack lunch!