Christmas Morning

My family Christmas party

Every year my family gets together to eat a nice dinner, exchange gifts, and get our annual Christmas PJ's from my mom. This was even more special because we didn't know if Alia would make it to the party. Three days before, she was in the hospital with severe pneumonia and they didn't think she would be released in time. Alia blessed the food as we all watched (she signs), it was truly a miracle.

We all had such a blast. My mom and dad bought the kids (3 grandkids) these cool scooters. They are the ones that when you swivel the handlebar back and forth they move. They're kind of like the "Turtles" I had when I was a kid, but these have a place for your feet and are much more sturdy. Funny thing, my parents got 4 - guess who the 4th one was for? My dad. He said it was his police scooter. He's such a little kid.

As part of the party, we take our annual family Christmas pictures. We do the traditional ones with the family and then we get to be ourselves. This year, the boys (and Crystal) got gym shorts for their PJ's and they all hiked them up (this also happens to be a tradition). We got some great pictures and even better memories. Probably the funniest moment of the night involves Jenna. We were taking her picture and she wouldn't smile and kept giving us these looks. She told me she wanted to look like a Bratz doll. We don't even own any and she knows she won't get any, but it's so funny that she wanted to look like one in the way she posed. Jason decided to post like a Bratz doll too.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the evening.

Jenna's Christmas pictures

My little angel

I wanted to share with everyone how much Jenna has done for me - she is my little angel.

On Monday I received some not-so-happy news, but since she's 4, I didn't tell her about it, but she picked up on the fact that Mommy was sad. I wanted to take a long bath to relax and while the water was running Jenna came down stairs and said, "I know what will help". I asked her what she meant and she said, "I know what will help make you happy". She ran upstairs to her room and came down with a picture of Jesus and said, "Jesus will make you smile".

I am so blessed to have a child that is so in-tune to my feelings. She is truly amazing and I love her so much. Whenever I am sad she asks me where my happy face is. If I'm mad at her, she asks me to put away my angry face. I don't think I could've asked for a better daughter.

Our Gingerbread House building project

Christmas Countdown

Yup - it's that time of year again and now that it's December 1st I can officially be "in the mood". OK, I'll admit - I am a complete grinch until we finish eating Thanksgiving Dinner and then I am all ready for Christmas to arrive. I found myself at Toys-R-Us on Black Friday at 5:45 (45 mins after opening). I wandered aimlessly through the packed aisles, I really didn't have anything that I needed to get, but I like to see what is going on and love to say "I was there". I walked out of Toys-R-Us about 5 minutes after I walked in, deciding that chocolate coin maker was not worth 2 1/2 hours of my time - my nephew wouldn't care if I got it for him, he's never heard of it anyway.
I had a few minutes before JoAnn's opened - that's the rendezvous spot I had planned with my mom. I walked over to Old Navy and found a long line there too. They do have some cute sweaters there, but I hate that when I buy something there for me it's inevitable that every time I wear it I'll see at least 3 other people in the same thing. I like to be an original (to an extent) so I walk out of there about 5 minutes later once again empty handed. Two stores and I have yet to buy anything - I'm pretty proud of myself.
I get back into my car and drive over to JoAnn's and find my mom and sister already in line. They are there for the 99 cent flannel - I am there to stand in line as they shop. I don't need anything there either, but I love having the company of my mom and sister, Suzanne. I leave my car at JoAnn's and go with my mom to the mall. There I make my first purchase - a new pillow for my husband, who has been using the same pillow since before we got married. (Yes, he knows about it already).
We went to a lot of stores and I found some great deals, including a new outfit for less than $50 from my favorite store, New York & Company. I also got a lot of shopping done and can proudly say that I'm almost done Christmas shopping!
By the time I get home, Jason and Jenna have gotten in the Christmas spirit (Jenna has been in it for a month or so). Jason has hung the star-lights on our house and turned them onto the setting that I like to call an epileptics worst nightmare - they flash pretty quickly. Jason has also gotten the tree out and all the Christmas decorations. It's now 2 pm and I've been up since 5:15 so I'm beat, but Jenna really wants the decorations up. I do get some rest, but pretty soon Jenna is ready to get Christmas started. She was determined to have an angel on our tree this year so when my mom was at Target she found one and we let Jenna put it on the tree.

24 days until Christmas and before I know it it'll be over and all the presents will be opened and Santa will be back at the North Pole resting from a long night's flight around the world. I'm sure he's preparing to grant as many Christmas wishes as he can and I know that he is watching all of us to make sure that we are doing good. I made sure that I added my change to the bucket next to the bell ringer at WalMart - it's not much, but every bit helps - if we all add a dollar, can you imagine how much of a difference it would make?

Sisters

Boy do I love these 2 - they crack me up and give me awesome advice! I am so lucky to be blessed with such great sisters. Crystal gives me great advice on what to do with my hair - and she's the one who's helping me get back to blonde. If you ever need a hair stylist - she does a great job (and no, I'm not biased in the least).
Suzanne is always there to help me and answer questions about children - she has 2 and they are Jenna's best friends. Suzanne is also very patient, more than I am. She never ceases to amaze me.
This picture was taken at my house when I hosted a Jafra party (makeup and skin care)

Jenna's new haircut

well, it's actually a few weeks old now, but I wanted to share it. She loves it and it fits her personality very well. She's very sassy. And no, I did not pose her, I just told her to pose!

50 years from now

I've been thinking a lot lately about my great-grandma and how lucky I was to get to know her. She has been in heaven for probably 20 years, but this week I have been thinking about her. I can remember walking with her outside of her small 1 bedroom house. The house had a tiny kitchen/dining room with no dishwasher (and I remember not wanting to eat off her dishes because she washed them by hand). You went up 3 stairs to her living area where she had old wooden gnome faces hanging on the wall and a crystal candy dish with circus peanuts in it (sometimes they were stale, which made them even better). She had a small laundry and bathroom with her tub and washer and dryer and in the other room was her bed. The outside of the house had wide, blue, wood siding and a white trim. If we walked to the side of her house, there was a honey suckle bush and there were some stairs that went down to her cellar. We always were afraid to go in there because there were spiders and who knew what else, but if grandma was with us, we were safe. She also had a beautiful rose garden and tall pine trees surrounded her house.
Detached from her house was her 1-car garage...and this is why I've been thinking about her. I remember her using all of her strength to pull open her garage door and closing it after her car was out. This past week my garage door reverted back in time and I have had to manually open and close my own garage door. My arm hurts and Jenna thinks I'm amazing all because of this garage door.
So, this is my question, how was it that she was content in a house smaller than the length of my bedroom & sitting room? Why am I concerned with having more room, more stuff, just more. I don't have to keep up with the "Jonses", but I do like to have a full closet of clothes (my closet is probably just a tad smaller than her bedroom). I have a whole room dedicated to my hobby, while she crocheted, knitted, and quilted all from her rocking chair.
My goal now is to remind myself that I don't NEED what I think I need - I am truly lucky that I have so much. In 50 years, will it matter? Will I even remember that I had that pair of shoes or the name brand clothes? I truly believe a simpler life is a much happier life - if only it were so easy to become that simpler person.

My Little Red Riding Hood

I am in love of these pictures of Jenna and wish I could take credit for taking them, but alas, Jason took the pictures. But, I can say the leaves were my idea! My mom has this apricot tree right beyond our back gate and the leaves were just perfect - and Jenna loved playing in them.
Wait, I can take credit for the costume though... believe it or not, I made this costume and am so proud of myself! My mom showed me what to do and I did it. Jenna had fun helping me tie all of the ribbons on the basket and I was able to get rid of a small (very small) portion of my ribbon stash.

For Jenny

Jenna has a special namesake, she was named after my best friend, Jennifer Ann, "Jenny". Jenny is Jenna's angel. Ten years ago this Halloween my world changed forever. My best friend, Jenny, died that evening at 5:01 pm going to a haunted house with some friends. I was living away from home and my mom, sister and brother-in-law drove 3 hours so they could tell me in person and be there to comfort me. I can only imagine the long drive that that was for them. I still remember it all too clearly. But, I am not going to dwell on that - she lived a wonderful life and changed my life forever and that it what I talk about.

I met Jenny my sophomore year in high school - we instantly clicked. We complimented each other very well. She once compared me to a mama chicken where I kept her in line, I think we kept each other in line. Jenny loved to dance and I loved to see her express herself in such a beautiful form. If you could see how my spirit dances, it would dance like she did. She was born in Germany and lived most of her life in Louisiana but moved to Utah just a couple years before I met her. People used to ask me to make her mad because that was when her Southern accent came out and for all of us that never left Utah it was a thrill and of course I obliged. We had a monthly fight just to blow off steam and would call each other the dumbest names we could think of like, "broken locker" and "empty carton of milk". I think that is what kept our friendship strong. I don't remember many fights, but people would ask if we were in one if we weren't together. We were inseparable. I knew that the drive to her house was 3.6 miles each way. I knew that if I took something out of her closet that she would say it looked good on me.

We spent Spring Break together and didn't now what to do, so we took our version of a road trip to Crystal Springs, about 40 minutes North of where we lived. We felt that that was the coolest thing ever. One New Years Eve we ended up singing to Belinda Carlisle's Greatest Hits because we couldn't decide which dance to go to.

I know Jenny is still with me - she helps me with so much. I know she is with Jenna - Jenna knows more about her than what I've told her and she loves to dance, just like Jenny. I am trying not to mourn this month, but it is so hard. It has taken years for me to become close to a friend again, for fear of that loss. Happy dreams don't come this time of year, I wish they would, but I will settle for no dreams over nightmares that I have had.

So Jenny, I will listen to our songs and write down my thoughts and await the day when we can meet again. I will greet you with open arms and know you will be there. We will smile and know that we are right back from where we left off. I miss you my dear friend and pray that are preparing my child to find my family. Tell him or her that I'll be a good mom and that I'm waiting as patiently as I can, but you know I'm not a patient person, so if you could, please send them soon.

It's been a month

I can't believe it's been over a month since I've updated - sorry.
I got an awesome job at a local elementary school and even though it's part time, it consumes my days. I am the SEM teacher and student council advisor - so my first job was to get student council going - that I am proud to say is now done! I have an awesome group of 8 6th grade girls who crack me up. They each have such wonderful personalities and I can't wait to get to know them better. Now, you ask...what is SEM? - It's the school-wide enrichment model. In a nutshell - enrichment is anything beyond core curriculum. I am over the gifted and talented program and teach those classes and also get speakers for assemblies, etc. It's a whole lot of work and I'm only allowed about 20 hours a week. It's wonderful though - this job was meant for me, it's what I love to do and what I really went to school for. I'm stressed, but it's a good stress.
In other news, I went to an awesome crop this weekend! It was in Idaho and up in the mountains in a cabin. My friend Misty (who rocks) invited me to come with her work. They had a ton of giveaways and I'm pretty sure I walked away with more than what I paid for the retreat. And we had someone who cooked the best food! Shockingly though, I was in bed relatively early both nights, about 2am and I was up around 9 for breakfast. I did over 20 layouts there and I am very proud of myself for that.
Well, I am off to bed - it has been a long weekend.

Jenna's Dance Debut - for the local high school drill team at a clinic

Jenna's first day at preschool - finally pics

Jenna's in Preschool!!!

Can you believe it? My baby is in preschool? She has gone twice now and she loves it - and I am relieved that she does. Her teacher is a sister-in-law to my high school spanish teacher (and probably one of my most favorite teachers). My little brother, Adam, had her for first grade and then Russell, my even younger brother had her in preschool.

Anyway, here are a few pics of her first day of school...ok, I WAS going to upload some pics but there seems to be a problem, so I'll try later (apparently blogger doesn't like DH's camera and how big the files are)

more California pics

ok, here's the video of my favorite song

Our vacation!

OK, Disneyland was awesome and was so much fun with Jenna and Jason there (especially Jenna, I love Jason, but really - Disneyland is so magical for little kids).
We left Saturday mid-morning and drove 7 hours until we got to south of Las Vegas, NV - a place called Primm and we stayed at a hotel where we heard the roller coaster until about 1 AM and then some sounds from the next room that I'm glad that Jenna didn't hear.
Saturday we drove into Anaheim and we were happy to find out our hotel was directly across the street from Disneyland, it took us less than 10 mins to walk out our door and get inside Disneyland! Jenna was so excited and then the first thing we did was take her on Snow White - oops, kinda scary! We then took her on some more fun rides like the Carousel (her favorite ride) and the TeaCups which I thought she would hate but she loved them and wanted to go faster and faster.
We met a lot of characters and my favorite was Goofy - he took the time and danced for awhile with Jenna, it was so cute and she loved it and it really helped her warm up to the other characters.
The princesses were of course Jenna's favorite by far...and paying the $70 for the 3 of us to eat at Ariel's Grotto was so worth it! We sat down to eat and 4 different characters came to our table and talked with Jenna for awhile. One of them was the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella (Jenna's current favorite story). Our waiter was awesome - couldn't have asked for a better waiter and then one of the royal court members came over and talked to Jenna because she was dressed like Snow White - he sounded exactly like Crush from Finding Nemo!

Well, I'm sitting outside and it's currently 100 degrees so I am going to finish this another time and go inside before I melt.

Check out my Slide Show!

My new favorite song

Seriously this song cracks me up and I love it!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I_wQK0mHbuU

How much is your body worth?

I did this test, apparently it's not even worth a new car - sorry Jason

$4590.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth. From Mingle2 - Free Online Dating

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

I love you Bo Bo

Today has been hard. We've known for the last year that my parents dog, Bo, was going to pass away. It didn't make today any easier. Last night my dad decided to have Bo put to sleep (that seems so harsh to say). This morning he called one of his friends in animal control and had them come to his house to do it. My dad also had a neighbor make a cedar box to bury him in. The neighbor was so sweet, he even lined it with some nice soft red fabric.

Gosh, this is so hard. Bo has been with my family for 13 years. I grew up with him, he's my dog. He cuddled with me when I was sad - he made me laugh so many times.

I think the best way to memorialize him is to tell you about how we got him.

One day when my mom was out running errands my dad had been talking to one of his friends in animal control and they told him about a pair of ShihTzu's that he had just picked up. The elderly woman who had them just couldn't take care of them anymore. We instantly fell in love with the male, Bo - while the neighbors fell in love with the girl, Gidget. My dad told us not to mention anything to my mom until he got to talk to her - well, we didn't. As soon as mom walked in the door we were asking her if we could have a dog. She knew something was up and gave my dad that look like, what did you do? So, with all 5 kids and my dad in love with Bo, how could she say no? My dad cut a hole in the fence in between our house and the neighbors so that Bo and Gidget could spend time together. They would run back and forth in between the 2 yards and pretty soon got used to their own families and spent more time apart. I think that even though my mom didn't want a dog, she loves him and really loved having him around - even if she did complain every once in a while.

So, now today I am in mourning. I never thought that an animal could make such an effect on my life. He grew up with me. I love him and I will truly miss going over to my parents and not hearing him whining at the top of the stairs, wanting help down the stairs.

.

Utah's Pioneer Day Celebration

Oh my! What a relief! The float is done and it was a huge success! We even had quite a few people tell us that we had the best looking float of all 100+ floats! Many of the floats were made by professionals and we did this as an all volunteer group! We have some wonderful people who were in charge of it and made sure everything got done and they spent countless hours getting it ready. Jason and I added our approx 30 hours - but that was nothing compared to what they did. The people are made out of chicken wire, sheets, and lots and lots of glue & paint. The flowers are made out of foam and wire and we spray painted them.

For those of you non-Utahn's - here's the low-down on Pioneer Day. On July 24, 1847 LDS President Brigham Young looked down upon the Salt Lake Valley after a long trek across most of the US and said his now famous words, "This is the right place". We celebrate our state's pioneer heritage every 24th of July. It's a wonderful time to think back because I have pioneers in my family line and it's great to have a reminder of what they did for me. Some of my relatives we not even "Mormons" when they crossed the plains, but joined later.

So, for everyone out there...HAPPY 24TH OF JULY!!!

What song was #1 on your b-day?

A friend of mine gave me this link...thought it was fun

http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm

Oh, mine is "I Will Survive"

Thanks to everyone

I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers and condolences this last few weeks. It has been a week since my aunt passed away. It was a wonderful service. It was short, just like my aunt had asked. My dad conducted the services and also gave a talk - he did an awesome job! My aunt, Judy also talked - she wrote this poem that I want to share.

You could find her in their trailer in the mountains near the stream.
You would see her beauty radiate, her smile a perpetual beam.
Her laughter made us happy, as her mouth she timidly hid,
And we loved to watch her face glow, embarrassed by what she did.

She loved to be with family, and friends that she held dear
in times of joy and times of sadness, she knew they were always near.
Her zest for life was evident in the way she tackled the dream,
And when it all seemed too difficult, she walked squarely down the beam.

She collected pigs, you may not know this, but they were everywhere.
They were in the kitchen, on the shelves, and in every here and there.
With her faithful dog named Shadow, in peaceful tending they sat,
Hundreds of them I'm telling you, she got them from this and that.

Karen was a JAZZ fan, but not the kind like me,
She didn't paint her face and act a fool like Jean.
She loved to go and watch us but stood some feet away,
But then when it was game-time, she'd go, but a distance she would stay.

When in Hawaii for treatment, with her first time cancer bout,
I went to visit for a while to see if I could help out.
We'd gone to the beach to get some sun, some young boys saw us there,
Thought she was Sinead O'Conner, got her autograph, and we did snare.

Another time while shopping, her head from chemo was bald,
There were those in the clothes shop talking, their words to me did scald.
But Karen wasn't offended, rather went straight-way to the mirror to dress,
And exclaimed "Judy, why didn't you tell me, my hair was such a mess?"

We laughed at all those experiences and shared so many more,
And now she's gone ahead of us, she's no doubt opening the door.
We'll all be there soon you see, our challenge is to prepare while here,
And when our time to graduate is come, there will be no reason for us to fear.

Now, Karen is not so far away, she's only around the bend,
And we'll be with her in twilight and in the morning glen.
The tears we shed, the heavy hearts, are just because we've loved,
She's free from pain and suffering, she sits with family above.

The circle of life is now complete, tho' her departure from us, too soon,
But we'll see her in the flowers, in the flow of the evening moon.
She'll touch you softly on your cheek, just as she did in life,
She goes in peace, she is content, your daughter, your mother, our sister, your wife.

My aunt, Karen

As I posted earlier this last week, my aunt Karen has been battling cancer. I found out this morning that she returned to her Heavenly Father during the night. I've never had a family member die from a terminal illness - it has been hard. I didn't see her much in the last year because she was so sick. I am really going to miss seeing her at family get togethers. I'm going to miss hearing her laugh and seeing her tease all of us. I know that she is in a much better place and that she now feels no more pain. She is with her mom and she is happy.

I've been tagged again

My friend, Kerstin, tagged me...so I'm playing

4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Carnie (so DH says - my family owned rides and I helped run them)
2. Mattress Warranty Lead
3. Desktop Compositor
4. Scrapbook paper collator

Movies I Can Always Watch:
1. Where the Heart Is
2. The Cutting Edge
3. Memoirs of a Geisha
4. Rocky & Bullwinkle Seasons

4 Places I've Lived:
1. Ephraim
2. Clearfield
3. Bountiful
4. West Point

TV Shows I Enjoy:
1. ER
2. Scrubs
3. Medium
4. Crossing Jordan (although I heard it was canceled - I am so sad)

4 Foods I Love:
1. Chocolate
2. Rolls
3. Apricots
4. did I mention chocolate?

4 Websites I Frequently visit:
1. Friend's and Family Blogs
2. Scrapjazz.com (I think I live there)
3. Postsecret
4. SLC Mommies

4 Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:
1. my bed
2. Hawaii
3. laying on the grass listening to the sounds
4. my mom & dad's backyard

ok...ummmm...I will tag MindySue, lesfitz, and inspiration

The 4th of July parade & carnival

I am so glad this week is over

It started out with an emotional Saturday last Saturday - which I don't want to get in to, but I'll just say it was adoption related. (No, no news to report)

Then, on Weds my aunt, Karen, was taken to the dr to see how her cancer was doing and they found more fluid, this time around her heart so they sent her to the hospital. They told her that the fluid around her heart was cancerous and at this point there was nothing they could do - so they sent her home the next day so she could die at home. Karen is so great and has always been so supportive. She is married to my dad's brother. We have a joke in my family about being the favorite aunt and who the favorite aunt is - that's how they all sign their cards & stuff. It's been really hard & emotional. I'm worried about my uncle and my cousins. They don't know what I know - they don't know for sure that they will see each other again and that she will be ok. I know they believe in heaven, but they don't know that families can be together forever and that is so hard. It's going to be a long time before I get to see her again and that makes me sad. I will miss her and I wish I could give her one last hug, talk to her one last time. As of tonight, she has not passed.

On Thursday, the neighbors had some friends over and one of the friends little boys put his hand through our fence and Fez bit his finger. There was one small puncture wound and then some scratches, but nothing really bad. To me, it looked like a definite warning bite. Well, the parents of the little boy felt like they needed to take him to be seen by a dr so they took him to the ER and they of course had to report to animal control. So, now Fez is under a 10-day home quarantine. Which means that we can't just let him out in our backyard to play or go potty - he has to be on a leash. The animal control officer will come by 2 more times to check on him to make sure he hasn't started to get sick or anything (to watch for rabies mostly). We also paid for the ER copay. And, next week we are going to start putting in privacy slats in our fence. We have probably over 200 feet of fence to put slats in and it's $35 per 10 feet! Thankfully since my parents yard and their field is the back part (the largest part) - we won't have to put them there.

So, that has been my week in a nutshell - we did get to go away camping again for a night and my dad and brothers watched Fez for us. It was definitely nice to get away and Jason was so good to take care of Jenna since I had been taking care of Fez and had such an emotional week.

darn those taggers

I have been tagged by MindySue on Scrapjazz and she will pay for this...so, I have to say 7 random things about myself and then tag 7 other people

1 - I went to the state high school tennis tournament - played second doubles
2 - I have had over 10 surgeries
3 - I have never broken a bone
4 - I am completely out of random things
5 - I am deeply upset that Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip has been cancelled
6 - I have worked at some weird places that all having something in common - see if you can pick it out...Dick Kearsley, RC Willey and POS
7 - I would love to visit the Netherlands one day (and not for the reasons some of you may think)

ok, I have no idea who to tag, so I will take nominations at this time

bad blogger...

Sorry for the long overdue update. We have been pretty busy.

For Jason's birthday we went camping for 3 days. Yes, I even slept in the tent. Jenna brought her cousin Landon with her and they had a lot of fun together. Jason was fly fishing and Landon asked him to teach him how to fly fish, so Jason took the time out to help Landon learn to fly fish. Jenna & Landon spent a lot of the time playing with Braydon, Jenna's 2nd cousin. They loved "fishing" without hooks. And get this...Jason and I went on a 2 hour hike! We were so worn out and hot by the time we were done, but it was so great to accomplish that.

I have been so busy at work - Basic Grey released a new line and started discontinuing 4 other lines and then in mid-July they will be releasing more lines...so, I've been working as many hours as I can. I've never done manual labor before and it kicks my butt.

Well, it is late, and I am getting tired - I will try to be more diligent about updating this blog.

Oh, guess what? I have been writing in my journal lately - up until these most recent entries, my last entry was made 5 years ago!!!

Full of updates

Wow! This week has definitely had it's ups and downs.
Jason was called to Elders Quorum secretary and was set apart today. He has been in primary every since we were married pretty much. It's going to be a BIG stretch for him because he hates, despises, fears the telephone...well guess what the secretary does. He has to call people to make sure they got their home teaching done, make appointments, etc. Oh, will this be good for him.
Jason also sold his first painting ever! They put their paintings up at the university he works and someone emailed Jason and wanted to buy it! No, we're not millionaires - or thousandaires. But, how about $75-aires!

In other, not so happy new, my really good friend gave birth to her little baby daughter, Chloe, this last week. She wasn't due until October, but somehow managed to live about 30 minutes before returning to her Father in Heaven. My friend and her husband were able to bless her before she died, so that does give them some comfort. They are such a strong family and I am amazed at how well they are doing. Tomorrow will be hard, they have to meet with the funeral home and get a spot at the cemetary. I could never imagine having to do this - how hard. They will be having graveside services later on this week.
My friend's brother also has a child that is a little over 1 week old that is struggling to survive. She was also born premature and is in the local children's hospital.
Please, pray for this family - they are struggling so much right now and could use all the prayers available to them.

More than ever, I love Jenna and am so thankful for her blessing in my life. She is not always easy, but she brings so many smiles to my face and makes me laugh all the time. She is learning and growing and is healthy. I couldn't ask for anything more. I will never understand why it is that I have been so blessed to not have such trials as others. I am blessed to have a Heavenly Father who loves me so much - that he knows what I can and cannot handle. He and His son, Jesus Christ, are my rocks, they comfort me, they carry my load. I am grateful to know that no matter what happens, I will have my family forever - that if anything were to ever happen that I will be able to live as a family again with them. No matter what, I know this and am eternally grateful for this. I love all my friends and am grateful for you. Your thoughts and prayers are always so wonderful - they comfort me. I wish I could repay each of you for your kindness. I hope by reading this you will know how much you mean to me and how much I love my Heavenly Father and his son, my brother, Jesus Christ.

Arthur and the Backstreet Boys

Boy, in the last few weeks Jenna sure has been getting her fill of Arthur on PBS. Not so much that we are actually catching when it is on the TV, but her G-ma Mary has been bringing home episodes from the library for Jenna to watch. A few weeks ago Jenna fell in love with the Backstreet Boys because there is an Arthur episode with the Backstreet Boys as cartoons (by the way, it's hilarious to see what they look like). The girl, Francine (I think), is in love with Nick from the Backstreet Boys, so now Jenna is in love with Nick. Now, I was in college when the Backstreet Boys, so I never got into the whole "boy band" craze, but now Jenna is. She wants to know who my favorite Backstreet Boy is and is unrelenting until I tell her who it is - ummmmmm...I have no idea. I will admit I liked a couple of their songs when they first came out, but they really got old FAST! Here's a little link to the Backstreet Boys visit to Arthurs town.

We finally got Jenna to give that one back to G-Ma Mary (ok, I snuck it back over and told my mom she had better take it back). So, this week G-ma Mary gets another Arthur movie for Jenna - something about scary stories. Now, mind you, the stories themselves are not meant to be scary, but to teach children that there aren't monsters in their room. Thankfully, Jenna got that point. Unfortunately, one of the characters is embarrassed that he sleeps with a nightlight and doesn't want anyone to know. The point of the story is that most children sleep with nightlights. This point was lost to Jenna, who now keeps making Jason and I promise that we won't tell anyone she sleeps with a nightlight. This is her major concern right now. Thanks G-ma Mary!

And my last thought on Arthur. You know his friend, Buster, who has his own TV show? Well, Buster is Jenna's imaginary friend and we thought we had gotten rid of him, but apprently not. He came to visit yesterday and then his parents went on a date so he had to spend the night. I guess I should be thankful that Barney isn't her imaginary friend.

Poppy Seeds....

First off, here's my official disclaimer
DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE SQUEEMISH

OK, I love poppy seeds and this experience will probably not change my mind about eating poppy seed muffins, but I really have to try hard not to think about it.
Yesterday my mom made poppy seed muffins and Jenna loves muffins so she ate one. Well, about 2am this morning Jenna woke up screaming that her tummy hurt and before I knew it, she was throwing up all over her bed. Of course, being that poppy seeds really don't digest fast (as I found out) - she had little black dots all over everything. Of course I went and threw all of her bedding and pj's in the washer and remade her bed. I went to change the laundry a little while ago and there are little black dots all over her mattress pad, those darn poppy seeds don't wash out apparently. Grrrrrrrrrr.
Jenna is not eating much today - she has probably only eaten 2 saltines, which she normally loves. She still complains that her tummy hurts, but she has had a little bit to drink, so hopefully it was just a 24 hour flu kind of thing.
So much for falling asleep early.

At the Zoo

On Friday we went to the zoo with Suzanne, Landon, Alia, g-ma Mary, Crystal, and Charlotte. We had a blast! We watched the elephant program and saw how they are trying to help the elephants adapt to their new surroundings (they made their area much bigger and it has water now and seems more fun for the elephants). As they were working with one elephant, the other would be on the side doing the same things trying to get food - it was so funny to watch it trying to get the attention. By the elephants is a large iron elephant that sprays water out of its trunk every so often, sometimes it's sounds like it's going to sneeze and other times it sings a song. Landon loved playing by this elephant and enjoyed cooling off.
We also got to see the white alligator. The picture I took shows it, but it's through glass, so it's not the best picture.
Landon wanted to see the snakes and Jenna was crying that she didn't want to, but when we got in there, she loved them - she even touched the glass (something her mommy won't even do).
My favorite animal isn't there anymore, the polar bear. I guess they are going to be re-doing their habitat so they aren't there right now.
We also some some baby geese swimming with 2 adults. They were pretty cute.
Even though the zoo has overhauled the children's play area, I found the egg that we put Jenna in when she was just a few months old and took another picture. I'll be fun to compare the 2 to see how much she's grown in 4 years.

Way to go Utah Jazz!!!

The Jazz won the Golden State Warriors 100-87 to win the series 3-1!

We are now in the Western Conference Finals with our opponent yet to be named (either the Spurs or Suns, both good teams). I went to the game last night and it was awesome! What a nail biter! I barely have a voice anymore. Funny how you yell and scream at the refs, the other team, your team and you know very well that they can't hear you. Most people know me as a pretty quiet person (sarcastic yes, but quiet), but put me in a sports arena - especially with the Jazz playing and you will see a whole different side of me.

I didn't have time to grab my camera to take to the game because I got home from work as my ride was pulling up, so I got some pics with my phone, they aren't the best quality - but I told my mom she needed to invite me to another game so I can take better pics. I did get up close to the floor while the teams were warming up, but our seats for the actual game were in the nosebleeds - where the REAL fans sit! I am so tired right now, we didn't get home until 1 AM - the game ended around midnight.

the first pic is of the Jazz warming up
2 - the Warriors warming up
3 - The view from my seats
4 - the celebration

A friend in need

I have a friend who has a little boy name Owen. Owen needs a service dog, but his family has to raise the funds in order to buy her. Today is Owen's b-day and so in honor of him, I wanted to post this website - where if you want, you can donate even $1 to help fund Owen's service dog!

http://www.realitycharity.com/view_item.php?listing_id=238

mother's day/anniversary

yup, I couldn't get into blogger and then when I finally got it the internet went down. If it's not one thing, it's another.

Anyway, yesterday was not only Mother's Day, but also our 8th anniversary! I can't believe that we have been married for 8 years. We made it through the 7 year itch (with no itches). We celebrated on Friday night by going to see Blades of Glory and eating at Chili's. The movie was pretty funny, but had a ton of adult humor - I don't think it will be one that we buy, but we sure laughed a lot.

For Mother's Day, Jason gave me a framed picture of Jenna that he had taken for his class. I attached it to this post. I promise, I was very close by Jenna when he took the picture and the roof was actually not that high, it just looks higher than it was. Jason got a new camera not too long ago so he's been having a lot of fun with it.

Jenna has a new friend, Lexi. Lexi's g-ma lives next door and she comes to visit often. And whenever she does, the two have been playing. They play so well together. It's kind of sad, my baby is starting to become independent.

Well, I actually cooked tonight, and for those who know me, this is a miracle. Jason is home so we will be having dinner now - hamburgers & french fries & Kool-Aid. Have a great day!

A request

They say that the internet is an amazing force in today's world and I got to thinking...with the friends I have who read this who also have blogs, websites, and myspace accounts - I bet they could help our family grow! So, this is what I'm asking. If you can put a link on your websites to our adoption profile maybe, just maybe our child's birth parent(s) will find us.

The birthparent(s) don't have to be LDS, just want their child to go to a loving family. They can contact us directly through our profile on the contact page and we can get them more information. There are chapters of LDS Family Services (our adoption agency) throughout the US as well so things on their end can be done on a local level as well.

I only have one request, please don't give out our last name or any other identifying information. This is for our safety and so that we can decide with our child's birthparent(s) what type of adoption situation is optimal. We are looking at a semi-open adoption, meaning we will continue contact with the birthparent(s) if they are comfortable and want that.

Here is the link.

Easter

We had such a wonderful Easter. Jenna had 4 Easter egg hunts and made out like a bandit - she really knows how to hunt for eggs now.
The Easter Bunny also visited our house and left Jenna 4 goldfish! She loves them so much. Here are some pics of Jenna taken by Jason and his new digital SLR

Jenna is turning 4!!!

Can you believe it - 4 years ago I was wondering if she was evr gonna come out! Now she's 4 and a complete princess. Today we had her birthday party and all she really wanted was a princess pinata - so that's what she got. We invited family and some close family friends to celebrate. Jason and I got her a Fisher Price camera, it's pretty cool - but not her favorite toy at the moment. Here's a few pics from the party.

I stole this

I stole this from Auntie Cathy's blog who this from Lesle’s blog, which she stole from Christy's blog where she stole from someone else’s blog . . .

My “accomplishments” are in bold: well - they would be, but I'm having technical difficulties, so my accomplishments have been ***
Some of these things I'll never do, but is was fun to go through the list


1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
***2. Swam with dolphins
***3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
***7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
***8. Said “I love you” and meant it
***9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
***13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
***14. Seen the Northern Lights
***15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
***17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
***19. Slept under the stars
***20. Changed a baby’s diaper
***21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
***22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
***25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
***26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
***27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
***30. Had a snowball fight
***31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
***32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
***34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
***36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
***38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer and a 300 gig external!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
***42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
***44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
***47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
***58. Sung karaoke
***59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
***62. Kissed in the rain
***63. Played in the mud
***64. Played in the rain
***65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
***68. Fallen in love!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
***72. Gotten married
***73. Been in a movie
***74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
***77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
***83. Got flowers for no reason
***84. Performed on stage
***85. Been to Las Vegas
***86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
***91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
***94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
***102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
***105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Swam with a stingray
***110. Broken someone’s heart
***111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
***116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
***118. Ridden a horse
***119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
***122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
***128. Had your picture in the newspaper
***129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
***130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
***134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
***135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
***137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
***145. Had a booth at a street fair
***146. Dyed your hair
***147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
***149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Ode To Scrapjazz

This is the challenge I gave to someone who couldn't think of what to say in their blog, so I thought I would do it too.

Ode To Scrapjazz

Oh Scrapjazz, how I love thee
When I get on the computer
you are the first thing I see
When I'm sad or lonely
You come and rescue me
And with all the time on spend on you...
I usually have to hold my pee!

(there ya go, my ode to SJ)

My blog challenge

I posted a comment on my favorite scrapbooking message board, Scrapjazz, to tell everyone to update their blogs...so I am taking after my own advice.

The weather has been so nice here the last couple of days. On Sunday, we spent the day outside (after church of course). We went to my cousins missionary farewell. He is going to be heading off to Russia on March 28th for 2 years! He did such a wonderful job on his talk - I can't believe he's so grown up. After the farewell we went to my aunt's house for brunch and I ate soooo much. My grandma makes the best cookies and since she couldn't be at the farewell, she sent some! Jenna had so much fun playing with all of her second cousins while I enjoyed talking to some of my cousins I don't see very often.

Then...get this - I cooked fajitas for my family lunch! Yup, I cooked! And they turned out delicious! Everyone was very impressed. We had a birthday party for me and Suzanne (my OLDER sister). We didn't sing happy b-day or anything, just got together. I had already gotten most of my presents - Suzanne paid for me to get a massage, my mom and dad bought me a moist heat heating pad, Crystal bought me a hoodie, MIL got me a gift card to Joann's, and I bought an outfit and had Jason give it to me. Russell (my younger brother) forgot about presents - of course. It was a great day and I fell asleep out on the lawn in the sun.

This is also my 4th week of working for Basic Grey. If you haven't seen the paper and scrapbooking supplies they have - check out their website www.basicgrey.com They have the most beautiful paper lines and I love their magnetic stuff. I am so lucky to be working there - and everyone is so nice. The boss has already bought us lunch twice!

Hello! Life still exists here at the Francis house, I've just been pretty busy. I got a PT job at a wonderful scrapbook company, Basic Grey. If you're an avid scrapbooker, you know how wonderful their product is. The great part, the people who work there are even better! The owner, Greg, is very nice and pretty laid back. I was hired to collate their paper collection packs - so I walk around 2 tables gathering 1 sheet of each paper along the way, then stuff it into a bag and repeat over and over and over again! I had a dare from some of my ScrapJazz friends to take some pics of the inside of Basic Grey, so I did that one day - they all thought that was pretty funny. If you haven't ever seen their lines, check them out at www.basicgrey.com most people love at least one of their lines. Right now, I would have to say my favorites are LilyKate and Phoebe. The best part of this new job is the damaged boxes. When product doesn't meet their high standards for shipping to customers, they put it in a box for us to dig through and take home for free. This week, I got some chipboard letters & numbers, lots of papers, some sticker alphabets and some tags and a rub on sheet. All for FREE!!! How great is that?

Last Saturday I got to meet some of the Utah Scrapjazzers for the first time. We had so much fun and actually got quite a bit of scrapping done (unlike the other crop help in Michigan where it seems they don't :p) I got 13 pages done in my Hawaii 2005 vacation scrapbook. I got the airport and our first day done and am working on our trip to Sea Live Park.

Well, I had best be trying to get some sleep.
Have a wonderful day and keep us in your prayers for our child to find us soon - or for us to find them!

so...some people are bugging me about being a bad blogger. First, sorry - second, I have a great excuse. I went to the dr last week and found out I have a bunch of kidney stones in my right kidney and 2 more in my left - so needless to say, I haven't been up to much of anything. They aren't extremely painful right now, but very very uncomfortable all the time.

Here are some random pics I took of Jenna last week when she decided to be a princess - enjoy

Jenna - a sunbeam?

I can't believe that Jenna is already out of nursery! She started sunbeams last Sunday and she loved it...but now I have to be wary about what she says. Jason is also a teacher in the primary so he got to witness this next event. Our bishop was in the primary talking about faith and he asked the kids to raise their hands if they have faith that their mommy would make them dinner. Jenna spoke up loudly and said, "we're going to g-ma Mary's to eat" so the bishop said, that it was nice of her g-ma Mary to cook for her and then he asked in another way the same question. This time Jenna said, "my mommy doesn't cook" So, now I am officially labeled a non-cooking mom. I just had to laugh at it because it's true - I don't cook. So, this week I made chicken one day (crockpot style) and then I made pancakes tonight for dinner. Jenna loves pancakes so she was very happy about that.

Frosty - our snowman!

Yes, we have gotten a lot of snow lately - finally! The last storm that went through dumped a lot so Jenna wanted to build Frosty. She told us that she wanted a magic hat so Frosty could come alive. We didn't think she really thought he would come alive. When she put the hat on Frosty's head she stared at him and then knelt down next to him and started crying. It was so sad - she was crying, "please frosty, please come alive, please". It was so hard because I could tell how upset she was. She even asked Jason to take him home with her and he stayed on her back porch for quite a long time (until Jenna let Jason kick it over).
There's also a pic of us playing out in the snow.