Stock Family Times

Antelope Island

2011-12-26T21:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011

2011-12-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

YEAH, so I would consider this the most "creepy" Santa ever!!! My kids did great though getting the pictures done and I wish I could put bubbles above their head with what they are probably thinking... But, what I think they are thinking is
Sydney: Good gosh this guy is creeping me out!
Sierra: I better smile because Mom said she's gonna buy me ice cream if I do!
James: same as Sierra!
Jaren: same as James!!!
Gotta love the threats and bribes to make these kids smile!!!

8 weeks

2011-11-30T11:59:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my Sydney is 8 weeks already! I love LOVE LOVE her to pieces and it is so fun to have a little baby girl around the house with me. She smiles at me constantly now and coos and smiles a bit more! ;) I can handle that. We have been dealing with Thrush though and that makes my heart break for her. She is sleeping most of the night though. She will NOT go to sleep without her nightly shower. Everynight she NEEDS to be held by Jake as soon as he walks through the door. She is a total daddy's girl! I don't know what we're going to do when he goes to Vegas this weekend... :( Anyways, Sydney is 8 weeks old!

HAPPY 4TH BIRTHDAY SIERRA

2011-11-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Sierra had a great day with friends and family! Really all she wanted was a pony cake, fire, and candles. So she was very happy!!! I love you Sierra Allie-Bell and you are the sweetest, sassiest, wonderful Sierra I will ever know!!!

Sweet Sydney Morgan-Rose...

2011-11-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

These are just some of the most beautiful pictures that my friend Amanda took of Sydney. She is so darn cute it kills me!

4 Generations

2011-10-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

SISTERS FIRST SLUMBER PARTY!!!

2011-10-18T19:03:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, it didn't really work out as Sierra wanted it to. It was cute for awhile though. :)

baby Sydney part 1

2011-10-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, I went a bit photo crazy tonight! The kids had fun though :) Sydney is growing up so fast. She'll be 2 weeks tomorrow. I love these kids so much and they love having Sydney around. When she was born the first thing Jaren said to me was if I could jump off the diving board at Mimi's house. I told him of course I can and I'll even show him how to do cannonballs next summer! He is so excited!!! Life is good and I'm so happy with my 5 kids (including Molly)... I never thought I would have a big family but I can honestly say I wouldn't change it for the world. We certainly have our days but it will only get better! As for Ms Sydney she basically just sleeps in her swing, eats, poops, and refuses to cooperate for newborn photoshoots! We will keep trying :)

baby Sydney 2 weeks

2011-10-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

The birth of Sydney Morgan-Rose

2011-10-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

October 4th went to pick up Mom and Mimi at the airport. Picked Sierra up at school at 2:30 thinking they were supposed to get in at 3:30 but apparently they got there early so Sierra and I booked it up to O'Hare as fast as we could. Talk about bringing on the hard contractions though. The drivers of Chicago were crazy and I was feeling rather tense and not wanting to drive and just get home as fast as possible. When we got to the airport I basically just got Mom and Mimi into the car and drove home pretty fast. Fast enough that we almost beat Amy home from picking up the boys at the bus stop and going back to her house. We ended up going over to Hoover to take Molly out and run around because I was planning on being induced the next day and wanted to have some time making her happy. It was a great time because the kids got to run around and the weather was nice. We got to see a horse and the kids got to pet it which they loved! After we left Hoover we went to Culvers for dinner because I was craving their fish sandwich and french fries. It was getting late so we didn't even get to have dessert but that was fine because I was exausted and just anxious to go home put my kids to bed and go to bed myself because it was going to be an early morning.
October 5th came so fast. Woke up at 6:00 with so much anticipation. I was feeling rather upset and frustrated that my water didn't break and I didn't have this baby on my own. I had SOOO many doubts about getting induced because I really just didn't want it to happen. So, I got showered and packed up and Jake and I went out the door. We were already running late because we had to be there at 7:15 and the traffic was awful. We went to the wrong door and I just kept having the most nervous feeling ever in my heart. We got to labor and delivery and gave them our stuff and they pretty much threw us in a room, told me to pee in a cup and get my gown on. At that point I was already having issues. I couldn't pee in the cup! I knew I was in for a rough day but to start off having a bad aim was already making me crazy! I came out in my gown and they started me on my antibiotics. Since I was tested positive for GBS they had to put me on antibiotics for the baby. What I didn't realize is that I had to have 2 doses which took 4 hours to get in me. I finally felt at ease because I did not want Sydney to have any blood taken from her and it would have taken a lot longer to be able to be with her after the delivery. So they put me on the antibiotic for about 3 and a half hours and finally put me on the pitocin around 10:30. At that point I was feeling really blessed that I could just go through the delivery and not have to worry about Sydney and she would be fine after the delivery. I had Allison my doula there which was awesome. She was my savior of the day! I love my husband to death but as far as being my breathing coach we just have issues. Men are just a bit different from girls I guess!!! Going in I was dilated to a 3 and I was pretty much fine. They had to keep uping my pitocin because really nothing was happening. I had my playlist going which really kept me at ease. I tried watching some shows but I couldn't really focus. I made some phone calls to my dad and let him know they had just put me on the pitocin and life was just REALLY boring at that point. Dr. Harris came in and finally broke my water and was pretty funny. I sat there for a few minutes which seemed like eternity just "letting it go"... I was laughing because I thought it was the greatest moment to just wet your bed and you didn't have to clean it up yourself and was just a total relief of pressure. My contractions weren't really going anywhere, so I finally decided that I needed to get the party started so Justin Bieber came on and I got up doing some squats to the song Baby... I could feel Sydney decending we could SEE Sydney decending which was pretty funny during the contractions. Amy my nurse told me that I should probably lie down so I did. As I was lying there on my bed my contractions were getting stronger and I was still so bored. I had the best view of this tree and all I could remember was focussing on the most yellow leaves and thinking about my best friend Katie and my grandfather thinking I wish they were there with me. At one point I saw their faces and knew they were. Around 1:40 pm I was finally dilated to a 5 and I was kind of loosing my focus. I think I laughed through a few of my contractions and I remember thinking maybe if I pushed a bit these contractions would go faster and this baby would come out a bit faster. At 2:10 I was dilated to a 7-8 and all I could remember was saying that I felt the "poopy" feeling and I was really not ok with life. I had the nurse check me and she called Dr. Harris. Apparently they need to call when I'm dilated to a 5 because between 2:10 and 2:12 Sydney came into this world. All I remember was Amy checking me and I let out a 2 minute scream when I was told by a number of people to calm down, focus, shut up etc... Sorry, but when you aren't on meds and you're dilated to a 10 you can't focus and sing Kumbya! The whole nurses station ran in and Sydney basically slid out. I recall nobody catching her either. Just kind of plopped on the bed! 2 seconds after Dr. Harris ran into the room and all I could say was sorry.... I have only had one Dr. deliver my baby who was James. I felt so good though and there was no mucus or anything when she came out. Sydney came and was completly perfect!!!! After the delivery they were able to place Sydney on my chest and Jake was able to cut the cord. We WERE planning on having him help deliver her but uhmm she came just a bit faster than expected!
We are so blessed to have her in our lives and could not ask for more and will not ask for more!!!

Beautiful Sydney Morgan-Rose Stock

2011-10-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait to post some pictures up of our newest most perfect addition in our family. Since I am in the hospital until tomorrow I've had A LOT of free time on my hands. It has been nice showing off our little Sydney. She is quite the little sleeper for right now which I can handle since I need to catch up on some sleep but it also gives me time to reflect upon a lot of things in life and how happy and blessed I am. I can't wait to write about my labor and delivery which went rather fast. I also have the pictures to prove it.... :) For right now you can take a peak at our little Skittles and admire how pretty she is!

38 weeks!!!

2011-09-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, life has been good for the past 2 nights. Sat. night I was having really bad contractions and back spasms but for the past two nights I've slept so well and have been ready to get into action and get ready for this baby!!! There is so much to do and I feel like so little time. Kids are doing well in school. They are still liking it and having fun. Today I'm going to get my Fall decorations out and clean the house hopefully to find my sewing needles so I can sew some blankets for baby. I am so grateful for my wonderful husband who has been my MAJOR supporter the past 9 months. I don't know what I would do without him. :) Anyways,,,, that's about it for now. May put some pictures up soon of my non-growing tummy!

Ohhhhh kids!!!!

2011-09-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder WHY I even bother with these children???? Maybe because I REALLY just want to have this baby so bad I take an opportunity for them to TOTALLY stress me out. :) No, seriously I love these kids SOOOO dang much and they make me laugh but seriously I wish I could have just got ONE great picture of them! We did go get professional pictures done today though which was fun. Kids did great! Much better experience than the last one that's for sure. I even sprung and got a few maternity pictures done too. Life is good at 36 weeks. Hoping that I can actually write a bit more before I have this baby though. It's CRAZY how time flies.

Labor Day

2011-09-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Today was a VERY good day. Well... Most of it! The weather was soooo wonderful we actually were able to keep the windows opened all day long. I slept in which is always a wonderful thing, Jake mowed the lawn and the kids played their usual games and played outside. We had our official "first date" with some friends from our ward. Let's just say it was probably the most relaxing day we've had in awhile. The kids played WONDERFULLY with their kids and were quiet and happy. It has been nice to meet some new people and I hope they didn't think we were to crazy. Especially me and my brownie droppings... ;) Unfortunately all good things had to come to an end though and we had to leave with a busted door to our mini-van and a screaming child (Sierra) who did not want to leave but left w/ a pretty darn cute bumblebee costume which she doesn't want to take off! But overall we had a great day even great enough to write about I guess. Lots of wonderful things have been happening. My roomate from college had her baby yesterday and a friend from high school had her baby boy today so it really made me look at reality and hurry the heck up and get ready for this baby or ours!!! I am so very anxious, and happy to have another little baby in our home. It doesn't seem real at all since we had the 3 others so close together. I wake up in the middle of the night trying to remember breathing techniques and what I'm supposed to do when the time comes and I totally freak out so sleeping hasn't been that great for me. I have been having nightmares about this baby being a snake head which I know isn't the greatest but I can't really control that now can I!!!! I think tomorrow I will start making a list of things I REALLY need for this baby and get a move on it. I am set on going natural w/ this baby but am crossing my fingers she will come in September. Even if it's the last day! We may have a name but aren't completly set on it yet... Anyways, that's what's up on this fine Labor Day!!!! :)

Dear Baby,,,,

2011-09-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Baby,
Today you were not very nice to me!!!! Sitting on my bladder all day long is SOOO not right. I thought I would be able to go walking through Jewel really quickly JUST to get bread and juice well... NOT SO MUCH! Spent more time peeing in the Jewel restroom instead of running in and out! Let's just hope these next few weeks get better because I'm sick of spending MOST of my time in the restroom!!!
I am SOOOO ready to have this baby now! Although we are still looking for names... Anyone????

34 weeks

2011-08-23T20:38:00.001-07:00

Quick pregnancy update....I am now 34 weeks pregnant and am feeling the aches and pains but everything seems to be fine w/ the baby. I did take my glucouse test though and my sugar was high so I need to go back and do a 2 hour test. YUCK!!! Nights are def. the worst for me but Jake has been trying to make me as comfy as possible. I ONLY wake up 3-4 times to go pee at night these days. Other than that I enjoy EVERY moment baby has her foot stretching my right rib and pushing down on my bladder at the same time! She better be a lengthy little lady!!! Still deciding on names.

LOTS AND LOTS OF UPDATES....

2011-08-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

Where do I even start??? It has been awhile since I've been able to sit down and blog for awhile. Life has been crazy these days!!!
I'll make it short and sweet though.
June,,, Jake and I celebrated our 10th anniversary and I am so in love with him even more than I was when I first met him. Jake is partner now w/ the other Dr. and so we are very excited about that. Was going to buy the house we were renting but apparently "someone" had other plans for us so we had to start looking elsewhere! Ventured out to New Hampshire for pretty much the whole summer. It was AWESOME having Jake along my side on the way out there and spend a week or two w/ us. Because he had to come home and work his butt off.
July,,, as always had an AWESOME 4th of July. Saw fireworks, swam, ate, enjoyed almost everyday at Lake Nube swimming and spending time w/ Mimi and fam. Went to Hampton Beach again this time w/ mimi and had a blast. The water as usual was freezing but we loved it anyways.
August,,, came home to a new house and LOVING it! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who can provide, move, and make my life as happy as possible. He came home packed EVERYTHING up and moved us to a cute little house in a AWESOME neighborhood. I stayed in New Hampshire only because I felt like I was useless being pregnant and the kids would only be in his way. It all happend very well and I have no regrets! We worked everything out being so far apart which made our relationship even better! We certainly downsized but I'm happier than I have ever been before. I guess I'm just into older houses and not the ginormous cookie cutter houses that everyone lives in these days. The only thing I complain about is there is no fence, basement, and the bathroom is way to confusing... ALL 3 kids will be returning to school this week. EVEN Sierra who will be attending preschool for a few hours so I think life will get better after that happens. We are trying to cut out on a lot of expenses too so it's been crazy w/ only internet and no cable...
Quick pregnancy update....I am now 34 weeks pregnant and am feeling the aches and pains but everything seems to be fine w/ the baby. I did take my glucouse test though and my sugar was high so I need to go back and do a 2 hour test. YUCK!!! Nights are def. the worst for me but Jake has been trying to make me as comfy as possible. I ONLY wake up 3-4 times to go pee at night these days. Other than that I enjoy EVERY moment baby has her foot stretching my right rib and pushing down on my bladder at the same time! She better be a lengthy little lady!!! Still deciding on names.

Glorious Garden!!!

2011-06-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I've got it! Not sure how but apparently I've got the green thumb! Our Squash and Zucchini plants are now as high as the chicken wire. The beets have been lost, beans, not sure where those went and heaven knows where everything else is!!! I guess I went a bit crazy planting and thinking I had enough space. Guess we will be making a bigger garden next year!!! :)

EASTER

2011-04-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

We had a very nice Easter! Here's some pictures to prove it! :) Happy Easter to all, I have such a wonderful testimony of the Savior and what he did for me. I am greatful I can celebrate such a wonderful day and remember why we celebrate the resurrection and the atonement of His life.

There's always a first...

2011-04-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I was safe but evidently not... I was so convinced that I was not going to throw up during this pregnancy. Well, I know you really care but guess what!!! Today I threw up!!! YUCK!!! ICK!!!! BLAHHH!!! It was actually kind of humorous though considering that I had a wonderful trip to Target w/ my friend Amy and had such a good time. Well, my mistake was getting a burger from McD's because I was starving and well, let's just say it didn't sit well in my stomach. So on the way home life was fine and the car stopped and I opened the door and BAM!!! Was NOT expecting that one!!! Anyways, I feel fine and I have no clue on why I'm blogging about my first throw up during my pregnancy. I just found it funny considering that this morning I was convinced I was having a boy but told myself if I EVER throw up it will be a girl so basically now I'm back to square one and just not even knowing!!! UGH!

Come on get Crafty... (song inspired by House)

2011-03-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

Since being on "modified" bedrest I haven't really been into doing anything except making myself miserable and depressed. All I really wanted was to work as much as I could until at least the 8th month of my pregnancy, run or walk on my treadmill everyday to stay fit and have at least "some what" of a good looking pregnant body like all of these other girls on facebook do. I get so jealous when I see a 20 weeks picture and I'm like dude, that's what I looked like in high school! Not so much! I just had a lot of expectations since all of my other pregnancies were "awesomely perfect". I mean yeah the nautia comes here and there and the headaches once in awhile were fine for me! Unlike my really good friend who keeps "loosing it" and she's 16 weeks along. Poor thang!!!
So this morning I put all my blues away and wanted to "GET CRAFTY". Enough of sitting around all day, enough letting Sierra play on the computer and run the house for the whole day. I looked at a website and thought THIS would be perfect for Sierra. She likes the outdoors, she likes to paint and heaven knows I hate letting her play with paint. She's a disaster! But I trusted her and my gosh she had the best time! I didn't have a paintbrush so I took an old sponge (thinking about it, I have NO clue what is on that sponge) and some old acrylic paint and just let her go at it and paint some rocks. One was not enough so I went outside and got two more. We have about a million more to play with so on another rainy day we may do 50 and have a very colorful patio decor! ;) My grandmother also suggested awhile back that it would be fun to make an easter bunny so I found some glue sticks, a paper plate, cotton balls and stickers. She had a blast doing that too.
Now that it is done, I think I lost all my mojo for the day and have been again letting Sierra run the house and do whatever she wants. It was definitely fun while it lasted! :)

My view on Glee...

2011-03-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

This is probably the MOST random blog I will ever write and the ONLY blog I will ever write about a television show. I am hardly EVER a critic of shows because most of the time I LOVE mostly anything I watch. I limit myself to what I watch. Days, House, American Idol and now being on bed rest the Joan and Melissa Rivers show. I know I'm totally lame with that one. There was one instint where I thought I would watch the show Glee. It was after the superbowl and I've heard so much hype about it and how people love the show. That's great! So I'm assuming it's about a bunch of highschoolers in the Glee club singing all kinds of fancy songs from this generation (am I correct?) Well, why are they singing about getting drunk and needing you now by Lady Antebellum? I must admit I really love that song but singing about them being drunk is a bit beyond my taste for a show especially in a highschool. Granted I bet probably 70% of kids in school the days drink, but to promote it in a television show is just to much for me. Therefore I haven't watched Glee again and probably never will. I know that is completley random but it's been on my mind and I want to know what you think. Are you ok with it?

And I Had A Crazy Day.... (about pregnancy) details included....

2011-03-01T20:42:00.001-08:00

So yesterday I was so excited! I didn't feel sick, I had lots of energy life was grand. Sierra spent the night without a diaper and no accidents from her. I told her that if she didn't have any accidents I would get her a treat and we would just have a happy day! So we did some errands. Went to Menards for some bins and Twizzlers because that was Sierra's treat, Petsmart, and Walmart. At the point of Walmart I was getting a bit restless and I was overcome w/ frustration because Sierra was tired and I was too. Got home did the usual w/ Jake for lunch ate pizza yadayada... I did my afternoon "bathroom break" and realized crap I'm spotting again... I'd been spotting before but nothing like this. So.... of course at the time I pee it's like 5:00. Of course they close at 5 and I'm not going to get in touch w/ them. So I basically freak out all night. This morning I woke up hoping life would be great and I wouldn't have to worry about anymore of that junk. Well, I started spotting a LOT more and the color NOOOO pregnant woman ever wants to see. So, 8:10 I call my dr. and she gets me in at 9. I LOVE HER! Went in and still to early to get a doppler heartbeat so she insists I get another ultrasound asap. So I go get that turns out I have a subchorionic hemorrhage. It's just a clot between the placenta and uterine wall. The ultrasound tech said she had the same thing and it went completley fine. BUT STILLLL.... COME ON! My last pregnancy and I have to deal with this...??? So now I am on modified bedrest for 3 weeks, no exercise, lifting, working... I don't know how I'm going to get through the next 3 weeks but hopefully writing and venting out my issues of pregnancy will help pass the time. I did however get to see our beautiful baby and it has grown to a whole centimeter and a half now and has a heartrate of 167. I am so proud of my baby and it's willingness to hold on. I understand that our family can have issues sometimes but hello, I am one of the greatest snugglers in the world and babies dig snuggles! ;) Anyways, that is just an update on my hurrendos day... Ps... If this has happend to anyone else please feel free to share w/ me. I am interested to see how this is going to turn out...

LITTLE BABY STOCK....

2011-02-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

Well, here is our little .81 centimeter baby Stock! It has a heartbeat and we are so very excited to see it is doing well. Our due date is October 4th but I'm thinking I'll be a bit later than that... So far life is just exausting and just trying to make it through the day without "loosing it" is the only thing I've really been concentrating on. I'm so excited to talk about this pregnancy since I haven't really done it for the past 3 of my children. Just so exciting how far technnology has come huh!!!! ;)

We Love Snow

2011-02-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

We had a super snow storm a few weeks ago and I never got around to posting them on my blog. Here are some of the ones I like the most. We played outside for a whole day and just enjoyed having fun in the snow. This is what is called SNOW... Now we may move forward to spring thank you very much... :)

Cleaning closets....

2011-01-28T09:53:00.000-08:00

I need to get rid of these clothes guys! If you are interested in purchasing them please email me or just comment. I have WAY to much stuff in CC's closet. They are brand new. The pants are all size 4's and the shirts and sweater are size 6's. Pants are $5.00 each and shirts are $6.00 and sweater is $8.

2010-12-02T17:06:00.001-08:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

A trial going away....

2010-11-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

I just copied this from lds.org. This morning was the first time in a LONG time I have been able to just open up my scriptures and read in the quietness of my home. I had just finished running and stretching and I sat on my bed and picked up my dusty scriptures that I haven't read in probably a year. When I read these words the spirit came to me strong and I just kept reading. These words mean a lot to me and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to read them. I feel as a load has been lifted and my faith in HIM has finally giving me strength to go on as I should.
14 For I, Nephi, was constrained to speak unto them, according to his word; for I had spoken many things unto them, and also my father, before his death; many of which sayings are written upon mine other plates; for a more history part are written upon mine other plates.
15 And upon athese I bwrite the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
16 Behold, my asoul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.
17 Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.
18 I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.
19 And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.
20 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.
21 He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.
22 He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.
23 Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me aknowledge by visions in the night-time.
24 And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.
25 And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.
26 O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath avisited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?
27 And why should I ayield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to btemptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my cpeace and afflict my soul? Why am I dangry because of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer adroop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the benemy of my soul.
29 Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.
30 Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.
31 O Lord, wilt thou aredeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?
32 May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!
33 O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine benemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.
34 O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.
35 Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I bask cnot amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

22 days

2010-11-09T06:57:00.001-08:00

22 days NO SODA!!! I am so proud of myself and I can feel my flubber finally shedding. I could even put my favorite highschool shoes on yesterday. Now, to get rid of the dang Halloween candy that is haunting me everyday and start eating healthier. I haven't weighed myself because I feel that won't do me any good and it will probably stress me out even more... Anyways, that's about it here. Just getting ready for Sierras birthday and for Jakes dad to come out in a few weeks. :)

12 days!

2010-10-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Well, since I started my diet I have gone 12 days w/out soda and the treadmill is kicking my ace!!!! I have made a goal to run a 5K on Thanksgiving. Whether I do that or not I'm still getting my ace kicked by this treadmill... It just keeps calling me and when it does I challenge it to go faster and faster. I started off with a 20 minute mile(which I know completly sucks) and I am down to 14:44. For me that is pretty dang good considering that my 20 I did on Thursday and it is now Sat. I did 2 miles today one earlier in the morning in 15 and one just a few minutes ago in 14:44. So,,, I'm still working hard. The best thing is my soda consumption. I am so proud of myself and I am determined now to not drink soda again. It is still VERY hard dealing with it but w/ my Crystal Light I feel so much happier. :) Anyways, that's the deal w/ the drinks. Now I think I'll start working on the food. If anyone knows any good HEALTHY recipes... Please feel free to share them with me.

Dieting once again...

2010-10-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

My weight has definitely discouraged me from doing a lot of things lately. My family has worried about me, I have worried about me. I'll be honest with you all because I don't like to keep things in (most of the time)... About a month ago I felt a little lump in my stomach which worried me half to death. I am super paranoid about it but some seem to think it's just a fatty Lipoma? I'm good w/ that but never feeling anything like that it makes me think 100 times of my health. I was drinking WAY to much soda and eating WAY to much crap. I don't deal well being a mother of 3. It IS hard, it IS stressful. I LOVE my children more than life and I would do anything for them. So about a week ago I quit soda cold turkey. IT TOTALLY SUCKS!!!! I am doing what I can to keep away from it. I hate driving past McDonalds now. I flip it the bird everytime I go by it nochalantly that is... I curse it now! I have been TRYING to make better choices in what I eat. Yesterday Sierra asked me yesterday if she could have a Coke. I looked at her and said Hunny, Mommy doesn't drink Coke anymore. She looked at me like I was an idiot and I felt bad! I don't want my kids getting into bad habits like me. So anyways, I've gone 7 days w/out my soda and am trying to keep it up for as long as possible. Hopefully forever.

A visit from Granna and Great Mimi!!!

2010-09-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that you can get an 89 year old on a plane and hop out to Chicago for the weekend. Well, we surely did and it was AWESOME!!! We were able to spend a few days with Granna and Mimi and we had a blast. The weather was wonderful and we were able to just catch up, relax, and have a bit of fun along the way. Mimi and Granna read a lot of stories, Granna even jumped on the trampoline and GET this... Mimi (who is 89) went down our slide. I guess if she's gonna die, she's gonna die doing something fun!!! Here are just some fun pictures of our fun weekend. I was able to get some nice pictures of the kids and of Mimi too which is great!

Ready Set GROW!!!

2010-09-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Molly Grace is such a joy to have in our family. Yeah, she may bight at Sierras ankles and attack the kids ALL of the time but regardless the kids treat her so kindly and are best friends with her. Here are just some pictures to show how much she has grown since being with us.

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

2010-08-31T12:07:00.001-07:00

The kids started school last Thursday and they are doing so well! I'm excited that they both have really good teachers and that the kids enjoy going to school. It has been a blast being home with Sierra and Molly. We enjoy just hanging out doing puzzles and enjoying mother daughter things. I'm sure she is going to get bored pretty soon so I'm looking into putting her into a class for an hour or so during the day. I have been getting ready for another yard sale this week. Not expecting to do very well but I'm hoping to get rid of SOME stuff. I'm probably going to sell everything for $5.00 or even FREE!!! Those stupid McDonalds Happy Meal toys have taken range over my basement and I NEED to get rid of them. So yeah, lots of Happy Meal toys for FREE HERE!!!! Jake is still enjoying his job. I LOVE my job!!! We are getting LOTS of new lines in and I wish I could buy everything for the kids! That's about it!!!

Little Miss Molly Grace

2010-08-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is Miss Molly Grace. She is our wonderful new addition to our family and we love her so much! The kids are very good w/ her and love to play w/ her.

More summer fun 2010

2010-08-11T12:31:00.001-07:00

This summer has been lots of fun. The kids and I took off the last week of July and I drove by myself to New Hampshire with them. They did AWESOME going out there. Can't say the same on the way back though... UGH! It was the worst 18 hours of my life I think... While we were there visiting my mom we had so much fun. The kids always enjoy going to Grannas house. The boys are able to get up early and eat pancakes and then go get eggs. We didn't spend a lot of time at my moms house though. Mostly spent time at Mimi's house in the water and boating. Jake and I (well I) decided to scrape some of the ucky paint off moms house and we painted that over. James has started jumping off the dock and Jaren has started jumping off the ladder at the lake. My little buddy Chris and his wife Amy and Mia (the dog) came up to visit and while the kids were fishing and I was snorkling a snake swam over my back and I am still traumatized from it but I'm ok... Chris and I went snorkling and caught fish with nets. That was pretty fun! He actually caught a good size Bass that we could have eaten but didn't. Next year Chris, next year.... ;) We also went Crab fishing on the Cape which was awesome. I'm soooo addicted! They are better than Lobster and fun to catch. We picniced on Pitcher Mtn. and picked blueberries w/my mom and dad YES, mom and dad! Mom took James sailing on the sailfish and we were going to race but decided last minute we weren't going to. I hope we can do it next year. Got to catch frogs and salamanders up at my Godmothers house and do a bit of hiking. Went hiking up to Joggernaut Lake and saw lots of newts. Had lots of fun being w/ my grandmother and stopped at every craft store in NH and VT. Realized I'm not much one for nicnacks and such. Just would have bought everything I could w/ a moose or a bear on it.

Sweet Summer time!

2010-07-14T21:01:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to post a few of our summer pictures. Haven't really done anything fun yet but we are heading out east on Tuesday to spend 3 glorious weeks with my wonderful family.... So until then not much then and then lots of posting and pictures! Right now I'm mostly painting and painting and well I'm just painting! The kids are having fun though and loving the new house.

Today ohhhh today....

2010-05-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today was kind of a somber but bittersweet day for me. I thought about the passing of my grandfather this morning and how shocked and upset that the Lord would take him away from me so fast without me being able to say goodbye. Last year I felt like I lost a huge part of my life. I would always turn to my grandfather if times were tough and he was always good at giving me advice. This whole year I was upset because I felt the doctors could have done more to help him. I often go to sleep and wake up thinking about him and how I miss him so much. Sometimes when I'm driving and my kids talk about Pa I will just be sad and start to cry. I know the pain will continue but I know it will subside as the days come closer knowing that I can be with him again. Today I tried to go through the day as fast as possible and try to do things that would make me not think about the passing and I did good until I started writing and reading a wonderful note my husband wrote to me. I felt I needed to express my love for my grandfather because he is/was a very important part of my life. I am grateful for the gosple of Jesus Christ and that he is willing to let my family be together forever. I am grateful that I can be with my family forever. I never thought my life would be like how it is and I am so incredibly grateful for the trials that I have gone through because I feel it only makes me stronger in the end. I know that I am Jesus loves me and that He forgives me for the mistakes I have made. I am who I am and I can't change what I have done. I have a loving husband who takes care of me and is proud to be my husband. I love him with all that I have and all that I can give. I want him to know that and I want the whole blogosphere readers to know that. We struggle daily but I know that when I put my head on the pillow at night I know I have an eternal husband who loves me and will never judge me. I am proud to be a mother of three beautiful spiritual gifted children. I WILL always try to do my best to be a better mother. I know I have my faults and I loose patience with them but at night they are my precious angels sent from above. I always have to thank the missionaries for blessing me with the gospel. They are my light and love and I admire the sacrifice and love they have for the gospel. They have made my life a better life. YES YOU JEN since I know you are one of my blog readers ;) ;). In closing I love my life, I love who I am. I won't ever change who I am. I'm ME!

poem for my papa

2010-05-17T19:09:00.000-07:00

Today I thought about you today I felt to say
Today I knew I missed you today you went away,
To live with Heavenly Father, to watch me as I live,
To teach my children how to love and care and teach them how to give.
Today I missed you as always when I cooked, and cleaned and played.
Today I thought about you each time I stopped and prayed.
Today I tried to make time fly as fast as it could be,
Today I was sad because you couldn't be with me.
Today I know you're up there smiling and telling me I'm doing just great.
Today I wish I could fish with you and you would help with putting on the bait.
You always did the dirty work and would always fix the boat. Even if it was sinking it would always come afloat. You helped me when you were healthy, you look so frail but so strong. Everytime you were working I would hear you hum a song. My memories of you are clear as clear as they can be. I just wish just for one more memory that you were here with me.
Today I closed my eyes, and saw your glowing face but then I have to remember you are in a special place. A place that is called Heaven, it's not so far above. I know that always and forever I will always feel your love.

~MAY~

2010-05-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

As I sit and think about this month I think of what has happend in the past and what is to come. I am celebrating my 30th Birthday which I'm not sure how I feel about. I'm excited but was always hoping for something AWESOME to happen but feel it won't. We'll see! I think of my life and all the birthday parties I had growing up as a child and remembering what fun times I had. I think my most favorite was when we celebrated at the horsefarm and I was able to ride a horse. I always loved costume parties and would always try and get away with wearing my dance recital costume and have my mom yell at me because she didn't want it to get dirty before the recital day. I used to have scavenger hunts and play mother may I and wear cute dresses as a girl. Now that I'm older I just don't even know how to party! I had a good life. Now my little man is turning 6. He is the light of my life. He is everything that I ever wanted in my life. He tells me I'm beautiful, he tells me it will be ok, he'll even tell me if my shirt makes me look fat or my butt looks big. James is a special spirit sent from God. I never knew being a mother would change my life in so many ways. I try so hard to be the best I know I'm not I'm not even remotely close to being there but I try so hard and just want the best for my children. As we celebrate I am just grateful he is mine. I have such a testimony in motherhood if I don't in the gosple at least I have my motherhood. I know that God has sent this little man to me for so many reasons. He wants me to learn patience, understanding, honesty, trust. I'm proud of James and who he is becoming. I'm sad to be celebrating the passing of my grandfather this year but I love who he is and was and what he will be. He was my everything. I miss him everyday. I cry for him everyday. I know that one day I will be with him. I hope that oneday when I have the courage I can write more about him because he was such an amazing person and he accomplished so many things. I also love May because I love celebrating Memorial Day. A lot of my family members have served for our country and I am blessed to remember them and thank them for what they have done. We will also be moving soon and life has been crazy trying to pack and get ready. We aren't moving far but it's always a pain to just get up and move on again and again. I know one day we will find our home and make it our own but for now we keep renting and figure out our life and what we want to do.

James's concert

2010-05-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago James had his first program at school. It was awesome! The scenery and the way it was put together was excellent. I was very proud of him. Oh and please ignore my singing. The song is a bit catchy!

Update!!!!

2010-04-02T15:43:00.001-07:00

Very exciting to say that I will be updating our blog with lots of color hopefully soon! Lot's of stuff going on and very exciting. Kids are on Spring break right now and we've been having a blast except for the fact I'm exausted! Well, must get going for I have to head to work and haven't even thought of preparing dinner soooo... Kids are probably snacking on whatever so yeah gotta go! Had a blast today at the Cosley Zoo though.

We "like to"

2010-03-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

So, I was reading my friends blog and I thought this was something really fun to do so we'll see.
Enter your name in quotes with the words "likes to" in Google. i.e. "Judy likes to". Check out the first 10 finds. Do they accurately depict the things you like to do?

1. Judy likes to dance (yep)
2.Judy likes to read Anne-Rice books (who?)
3. Judy likes to play tennis (used to)
4.Judy likes to have a pen and a pencil when she takes notes or does class work (sometimes)
5.Judy likes to shop (when I have money)
6. judy likes to party (used to)
7.Judy likes to travel, read and ride horses. She is also teaching herself to paint and play the piano. (if I had money)
8.Judy likes to rally & play points with her students, using technique and sport psychology as her foundation (not so much)
9.Judy likes to take pictures at farmer's markets (if I'm at my moms)
10.Judy likes to have fun, and so do we!! (amen)

Jakes "likings"
1.Jake Likes to Play Games (some just not Monopoly)
2.Jake likes gravy more than me (it's a possibility)
3. Jake likes to characterize problems as “opportunities.” (sure)
4.Jake likes to take baths in the sink and doesn't mind the occasional misting. They are a joy to have around! (all the time)
5.Jake likes to do lots of things. (who doesn't)
6. Jake likes to talk handball strategy with fellow players and will yell at himself after missing an easy shot (Jake has NEVER played handball)
7.Jake likes to play around (which sometimes he does kind of get too rough)
8.Jake, likes to think of it as a game of Chess, mainly because they think of themselves as Knights in shinning armor, and their constituents (huh)
9.Jake likes to pretend he's James Bond in his own home. (yeah, it's kind of scary)
10.Jake likes to listen to Jack Johnson (we don't know him)

James
1. James likes to write about a child's interaction with nature and animals. (yes)
2.James likes to bring his own style of depression and gloom (no, he's very happy)
3.James Likes To Shoot Stuff (pretend)
4.James, "likes to look at very young girls but has never sexually touched a child. ... ( I want to delete this very much)
5.James likes to move it move it (constantly)
6.James likes to push (but knows he shouldn't)
7.James likes to disrupt play by sneaking into passing lanes and even blocks shots on occasion (he's not that advanced yet)
8.James likes to socialize and will use any excuse to celebrate with friends (ahhh yeah. WHERE'S THE CAKE?)
9. James likes to be there an hour before, at about 9 a.m., so he can stretch (run James go)
10.James likes to talk; so if you get him on the phone please ensure you turn the volume . ( ohhhh yeah)

Jaren
1.couches,Jaren likes to fall asleep on them. (sometimes)
2.Jaren likes to play and he is getting much better, but he gets tired quickly and he is much smaller than his teammates.(no, he never runs out of energy)
3.Law and Order,Jaren likes to watch while he eats his lunches (nope)
4.Jaren likes to joke that he isn't bisexual, he's just a "people person". (can I delete this one too?)
5. JAREN LIKES TO SKATE (yeah)
6.Jaren likes to take him to the "sixth level of pain (never)
7.Jaren likes to eat (certain foods)
8.Jaren likes to sleep in the cold (yeah, I agree)
9.Jaren likes to let his dog out of the kennel so he can go in (when we get a dog)
10.Jaren likes to flip around in the shorebreak (yeah, he likes water)

Sierra
1.Sierra likes to see the trains on the tracks, but mostly picks them up and examines them closely. (she is very strong)
2.Sierra likes to hang out at the laundromat and take off her clothes (in my laundromat)
3.Sierra likes to hunt, fish and blow things up when she's home in Montana. (maybe when she's older)
4.Sierra likes to jump off of high things and land on her knees (ouch)
5.Sierra likes to do reverse crunches (maybe when I'm not looking)
6.sierra likes to dance (oh yeah)
7.Sierra likes to see how low she can make her voice - it's entertaining (not yet)
8.Sierra likes to "line dance," and she wants to live out on some "property." (as do I)
9.Sierra likes to drive out to the horses(if we could find some I'm sure she would love to)
10.Sierra likes to read and play with her dog(when we get a dog)

Update

2010-02-05T09:51:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've blogged and who knows if anyone ever looks at this thing anymore but I'll give you the rundown of our "simple life".
Granted my life was simple before it has become even more simple. Just trying to have fun and get by the days and not stressing out what has to be done around the house and just keeping happy.
I am loving my job at Gymboree. I just wish I could have more hours there. I am still loving my job as a full-time mom but it gets rough sometimes and it's nice to have somewhere to go to vent and have a social life.
James had pnemonia a last week and has been on the mend. He's been trying really hard at school and I pray everyday that he continues to do well. He's had his ups and downs and it worries me in the long run but with faith I know we will get through it.
Jaren and I had a fabulous few days down in Florida. It was such a short trip but we got to do so much. We saw alligators, and lots of birds. He really loved the beach and we got to do some shelling while we were there. We went to the Shell Factory and had a blast. Jaren loved feeding the ducks and enjoyed riding on some of the rides. He loved being with his great grandma and they did a LOT of snuggling which he loves and she loves just as much. It just seemed like a piece of my happiness was missing. My Papa... Ohhh how I miss him!
Sierra is growing so fast I can't believe it! She's in her big girl bed and had one bad night but she is doing so great! She is talking like crazy.
Jake is enjoying his job still and continues to do a great job.

Rabbit Trauma

2009-12-11T22:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so really all of you will probably either laugh at me or just think our family is full of mean abusive animal haters but this post means a lot to me and I'm just really distraught right now and I'm not sure of what to do. We bought Jumper last April at the petstore and he has become a pretty important part of our family. I'm sure you've all had one animal who has touched your heart and made you really happy at one point or another. Well, yesterday I was holding him and as I went to put him back in his cage he literally flipped out and had a seizure/stroke whatever you want to call it. He's always made loud noises in his cage running around but never like this. I was pretty concerned when his neck was totally out of wack and he just looked like he was going to die. I kept an eye on him and then let him out again to see if he could walk. He had about 3 more of these attacks and now he can barely walk or eat. I talked to James and asked him if he noticed anything wrong with Jumper and he said it was because "anoynomous" threw him down the stairs because it was cool. I'm leaving this name "anoynomous" because it hurts me to know that one of my children would actually do something so hiddious and hurtful. I'm just at a loss of what to do because I hate to see Jumper suffer. I talked to a girl at work and she said that this "anonomous" person learned this from cartoons and since Bugs Bunny can bounce up and down stairs or be thrown into walls I am officially going to start limiting what my children can and can not watch. I would rather just take the whole tv away but that is how I can actually get stuff done around here. I guess if you know of any activities that the kids can do without TV I would love your advice. Just so I can get stuff done around the house and not have them learning how to torture animals... I think that was well said...

Whittle my Middle... Day 1

2009-11-30T18:55:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm just laughing because my friend from Washington is doing this whole "whittle my middle" thing and trying to loose weight. Well, she's like 100 pounds and looks like I did when I was in high school and looks almost perfect. Well, except for the one HUGE stretch mark that she photoshopped in her picture. Well,,,, ladies and gents you will NOT see any pictures of me YET because well here are my stats right now and I DO NOT LIKE IT...
Weight is 174
Size 12-13
I am excited to loose some weight AGAIN and hopefully I can keep it off because yes I would like to have another baby WHEN I loose 50 pounds. So... I guess all I can ask is just wish me luck!

Happy second birthday to Sierra...

2009-11-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

Just two years ago I was holding my precious little girl in my arms in the hospital. I never thought having a girl would change my life so much. Sierra is just an amazing child who has the greatest spirit I've ever seen. We've gone through so much together and I HOPE we can continue to go through a lot more. Here are some things I love about my little CC!
1. She LOVES to sing... Everytime we are together in the car I'll turn on some music and in the back I'll hear her singing some of the words on key. One of her faves is Kenny Chesney, When I Close My Eyes. It's quite humorous when she sings that one but she is very good at it.
2. Sierra LOVES to dance... She knows how to work it. She dances fast for fast songs and slow for slow songs. 2 more years and we know where she'll be 24/6. Sunday is the day of rest in this family! ;)
3. Sierra is very curious... This girl is into EVERYTHING! I mean everything. From trash, to toilet, back to trash again. She's got to know what everything is all about.
4. Sierra has definately got her own personality. Some say she's like me but I somehow have to prove others. She is fiesty, and knows her place. It is probably from having two older brothers but she knows how to stick up for herself which is great!
5. Sierra LOVES her family. She is always willing to give hugs and kisses and say I love you to others.
There is so much more I love about this girl but I just wanted you to have a glimpse of what Sierra has been doing for the past two years and how she is becoming.

Happy Holidays already! I know I'm just a bit early. :)

2009-11-21T09:21:00.001-08:00

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A beautiful day...

2009-11-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today was such a beautiful day and the kids were happy and looking so cute I decided to take some pictures of them to show family since I haven't done it in forever! It was a bummer we didn't have James or Jake with us but school and work take priority of fun I guess. :( Kidding, we have TONS of fun around here. Just happend they didn't make the pics today. Life has been good. I am loving my job at Gymboree and I'm heading to work for a few hours tonight which is good. It seems funny walking into the mall on a daily basis though. We actually just found out that Santa will be right near Gymboree this year at the mall so that is SUPER exciting! We are very excited for the holidays... I feel something happy in the air! :)

Soooo frustrating....

2009-10-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, so today has been one of the most frustrating days ever!!!! My Facebook is sooo jacked up. It is saying I have no friends, won't let me chat with anyone but when it wants to... Maybe this is a sign saying GET RID OF FACEBOOK... But can I really do that? It feels like maybe I need to just get rid of it for awhile until I can get my life back together. I just love talking to my close friends and seeing what everyone is up to. Sometimes it is just nice to be in the loop to see if something wrong is going on or if something really cool is going on. I DUNNO'! But if you want to get in touch with me I probably won't be on Facebook for the next few days. I'm hoping that all 349 people didn't delete me though. I know my Farkle buddies are there because I see them when I play. It just doesn't make any sense. On a good note.... I ordered some NEW Shade shirts because they were 40% off. I love Shade shirts. I wear them on a daily basis. Sierra went to sleep tonight without a bottle and she only cried for about 2 minutes. She didn't have a nap today so that is probably another reason. I am dedicating tomorrow to my kids and we are going to have such a wonderful day. James has his pizza party at school and he is very excited! He is doing ok for the most part. His teacher is doing a great ?program? with him. Not sure what word to use. If James is really good during the day he gets 4 animals for his zoo. He then gets to bring home a picture to color. I'm not sure if that is still working out with him but he is trying. It's the sitting still we are trying to work on and calling out things at UNneccessery times. Jaren is just funny... He'll stick as many cars as he can into his bookbag and take them to school on the "Turtle Bus". Makes me feel so bad when he runs outside saying "mommy, turtle bus is here". I just wish it was something more hip like the Eagle bus or the Hawk bus. But no... it has to be the turtle bus... ;) Sierra is into just about everything you can imagine. I really thought you had to baby proof, not TODDLER proof. If it's out she'll get it. As I said before though we have pretty much taken her off the bottle which is one step before potty training but I think that will go really easy with her because whenever she "soils" her diaper she'll come over and point to her diaper and say "POO"! It's very comical but I'm determined to start as soon as she turns two. Jake is doing great and he is SUPER busy. I'm so proud of him. I'm not sure if I should blogging this but I'm proud to say he got a raise. Don't really like to brag about those money things but I'm bragging because my husband works super hard. I got a phone call today for a job interview at Bath and Body Works and I'll probably get another one for Gymboree in the next day or two so I'm trying to make it so I can work one day at one place and one at the other so I can get discounts at TWO of my favorite stores. FEWWWWWW.... I felt like I wrote all of that in one breath. Life is good, Facebook Sucks, and now.... I guess I'll stick with more blogging and start some laundry! :) Peace out!

Halloween

2009-10-18T21:46:00.001-07:00

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Happy Halloween

2009-10-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

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Random but good post.

2009-10-10T21:03:00.001-07:00

Ok so today we went to Hobby Lobby to just look around for some stuff. We headed over towards the ornaments for Christmas since our tradition is to get the kids an ornament each year I decided we should hit the shelves early since whenever we go they are always picked over and there aren't any good ones left. So, the kids picked one out for themselves and picked one out for Jake. HOW NICE... Well, it came to me and I REALLY wanted a moose ornament because I love Meeses. You know what I mean. Just being silly! I love Moose. James was down at the end of the shelf and picked up an ornament that I really just didn't even consider buying. So he picks up an angel and says, "Mom, I think you should get this one." I say "Uh, not really James Mommy really wants the moose", James says " But Mom, it's Jesus, don't you love Jesus?" OMG... I teared up in Hobby Lobby. One lady standing there just looked at the both of us and I said Ok, James Mommy will take that one with a HUGE smile on my face. CHEEEEEZY! I am just amazed that my little man knows Jesus and he believes. AMEN to that!

Stock update...

2009-10-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

I just felt the urge to write something. Life has certainly been chaotic lately. I'm not even sure where to start. I will have to start with my getting off my diet first and then lead to my BEST night ever at the Taylor Swift concert and my husband taking off for the weekend for a seminar in Indiana and a little ALMOST 2 year old girl named Sierra who is just CRAVING attention between here and there. Ohhh she drives me crazy... :) With that being said I'm being distracted AGAIN so I'll have to get back to you.

New blog....

2009-09-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have started a blog for my new diet. If you would like to read about it it is... www.judyigenixdiet.blogspot.com It was really supposed to be isagenix but ya know what... I don't really care!!! :) So far it is going ok for me but I'm just really tired and drained because of caffeine withdrawels. :( I sure miss my daily Coke and it stares at me everytime I look in the fridge... Dang temptations!!!! I keep telling it I'll come and get one in 9 days. Yes, I talk to my Coke....

Daylilies... I love them!

2009-07-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

There's just something I love about Daylilies. You never know what to expect each day. It's always a suprise and everyday it's something beautiful!

Summer fun!

2009-06-30T14:47:00.001-07:00

It has been awhile since I have blogged but a lot has been going on. My papa passed away in May so I've been pretty down about that for awhile. You never really know what you've got until it's gone. He was really one of the best people I have ever known. I will blog more about him later though. I just get to emotional... So June has been a pretty crazy month. James is DONE with preschool and will be heading to K in the fall. He is sooo excited. Jaren is still going to preschool but we're not sure what program he will be in. The boys started taking swimming lessons this summer at Splash which is an outdoor water park. I love outdoor pools sooo much more than indoors. Teaches kids about temp. COLD temps too! I think Jake and I were the meanest parents there not letting our kids out of the pool due to coldness. We told them we weren't paying for them to sit around in their towels and I think the other parents were soooo mad at us but hey!!! They learned! James is now moving up in his swim class because he is doing so well and Jaren will be in the preschool class one more time which is good. We have been able to go to the zoo and I took Jake to Raging Waves for our 8th anniversary which we are celebrating today. HURRAY! Anyways, life is ok and we are excited to head east in a few days to visit my family and then we head out west in August to visit Jakes. It's a lot on us but hopefully we won't have to travel so much in a few months... Anyways, I'll start posting pics because it's more fun to see pictures instead of reading my craziness!!!

The May saga...

2009-05-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not sure if this is where I should even start! May has been a chaotic month for this family... It's a month that I look forward to every year because of my birthday, James's birthday, and Memorial Day. I'm a big fan of Memorial Day only because I am proud to know my dad and my grandfathers were so lucky to serve our country! So, I may ramble on and on about what has been going on around here but to start off I will tell you about the bunnies. Most of you probably know that we adopted 6 bunnies for a few days. Unfortunately we had the luck of having 6 bunnies in our yard one morning. James being the animal fanatic decided that he should bring them in and take care of them. We happend to have a big box and some shavings so we brought them in and fed them some formula and gave them a nice place to sleep. I believe they were very appreciative and happy because it was very cold outside. I called around and asked vets and animal shops what to do. They told me to take them outside and put them back where they came from. I felt so bad because the Robins were trying to kill them but with Thing 1 and Thing 2 James and Jaren they were helpful and scared them away. We had them in our yard for about 2 days and were lucky to see that only 1 had died in our yard. Where the other ones went I know not but do I care??? Not really!!! Here are some pictures of the kids and the bunnies...

James rides his bike!

2009-05-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to get James to ride his bike now for a year and he just hasn't been that into it. I'm ok with that because the last thing I want to do is that whole "pressure" thing and make a child loose his confidance. So the past few days we have been working on the whole riding thing and now he is LOVING it. I'm so proud of James and his willingness to always try new things and get excited about them. EVEN if it takes a bit longer than others... I'm not sure if you can here him but at some points he'll start chanting... "I'm doing it, I'm doing it" He's soooo dang awesome!

Carefree CC at her best!

2009-05-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

Well, after the whole day at the park, CC's little legs wondered into the river!
"Mom, seriously you wanted a good picture"! I think this is priceless!!!! CARAZY I TELL YOU CARAZY!!!

"Mom, this is almost as good as it's gonna get today, I'm just having so much fun and my legs just won't stop for more than a sec"

"Look Mom, would you like a caveman pose? I can give you that but I'm still not gonna look at you"

"I'M RUNNING SO FAST AND MOM STILL HASN'T GOTTEN A GOOD PICTURE OF ME"

"look mom, i've got legs and I'm gonna use them"

"ha ha you thought you were gonna get a picture of me sitting still, NOT QUITE"

"Hey mom, I'm playing with the outlet again"

Ok so I will let you know before hand This last picture is NOT really sweet and innocent!!!! These pictures are also totally in opposite order so go from the bottom up. The other day we went to the park for a birthday party and well CC just had a BIT to much fun!

Happy Mothers Day!

2009-05-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

I am so blessed to come from a world of wonderful mothers. My mom is the most hard working, loving, caring, supportive moms I know. She is there no matter what. Growing up she did most of it on her own getting my brother and I through everything. I am blessed that she was able to come watch me at cheering competitions, track meets, and other important events. She has been with me for the best and worst times of my life. After the first birth of my baby boy James we decided it was ok that she didn't need to be at all of my deliveries which I totally understand because it was the most awful experience EVER! Of course she missed out on the 2 best ones after that but she has made a 110% effort to be here with me and help me out whenever I need it! Today I want to express my gratitude and love for my mommy. She is awesome! I am blessed to have her.

Happy Mothers Day Mommy!!!!

Love always,

Rainbow, Mia, Sunshine, Jude!

My favorite little men!

2009-05-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were having fun with the camera. I thought I would play around with Jaren for a bit. Granted he has sauce all over his face I LOVE his chocolate brown eyes... He is just the most handsome little Jaren imaginable!!! And James.... (CHEEEEZE)

Our pretty little garden....

2009-05-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

For my early Mothers Day gift I was able to go get some beautiful plants for our yard. I am so thankful for my wonderful hubby and his willingness to let me go over budget. I was however able to get a beautiful Lilac tree. I grew up with one in my yard on West St and always wanted one of my own. I'm soooo excited! The kids had a blast at the nursery and it was like they were in their own "secret garden". The kids also helped plant the flowers so I'm excited to say that it was an eventful family project!!!!

I am OHHHH so sneaky!

2009-04-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm obsessed with painting! Jake won't let me paint anymore rooms since we are renting and aren't planning on buying the house. So he says... Ok well it's up in the air! So I really wanted to do something fun today and we went to Walmart and I grabbed some paint. I actually picked out the SAME exact color that is already in the kitchen. I wanted to go darker but not tooo dark so Jake would notice... Well, I got the kids to sleep and went to town painting. It looks great but I got tiny little dust particles on the wet paint. I HATE THAT!!!! So, I wanted to tell all my readers because I KNOW Jake doesn't read my blog at work... Facebook ok maybe but the blog NO WAY!!! I HAD to tell you guys. Who thinks Jake will notice???? Give me your answer!!! I'd LOVE to hear!

Our Spring vacation

2009-04-20T12:31:00.000-07:00

These are some pictures of our vacation in New Hampshire. Most of them are up at Niagra Falls. Jake flew out to Buffalo and met us so I didn't have to drive all the way home by myself with the kids. It really worked out well. It's so cheap to fly from Chicago to Buffalo and the airport is just about 30 minutes from the Falls. I would definitely do it again! :)

Day of not feeling well...

2009-04-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've felt this sick. Probably when I was prego with CC. I am NOT saying I'm prego in any means but I hardly ever get sick. It started on Friday and CC got sick. She was throwing up and not having any good diapers. I did however get off my butt and finally got her a Pediatrician. The nurse was kind of upset with me because I haven't been up to date with all of her shots and I haven't brought her in in almost a year for a physical etc... I can blame it on the move etc.... but in reality she is growing and she is happy so I felt like she didn't need to go in but yeah I guess I agree with the nurse and am taking her in on Tuesday for a checkup and getting her up to date with shots etc... Saturday she threw up only once but she seemed to be happy. We also notice she was getting a WHOLE LOTTA teeth which is NEVER fun for any kid. So, we decided to keep her hydrated with Gatorade and popsicles. Always what I give my children. They have never liked Pedialite so Gatorade seems to be the next best thing I've thought. Sunday we thought Jaren was coming down with the bug because well the lucky duck slept in until 10:30 so Jake, Jaren, and Sierra missed church. James and I had a good day and James seemed to feel fine but as soon as we got home we were looking at DVD's to watch and he was sitting right next to me and just threw up all over the floor. I just sat there for a second because I was in complete shock but then I asked him if he had anymore and he said yes so he ran right into the bathroom. So, now CC and James are both not feeling so hot. Well, this morning I woke up and just felt it coming on to me. NOT COOL! I had planned to do so much today. I have hardly moved and am trying to contain myself until Jake gets home and then I will run to my bed and hide for the rest of the night but as for now I am keeping my children happy and they are fine. I feed them, change diapers and make sure the tv keeps them happy for the day. Oh, and I'm blogging this because I don't want to move and this is about the only thing I want to do other than Facebook today and sleep when I can...

My Day...

2009-04-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

So... Today is my 14th year of being a member of the church. I guess I could say I have DEFINITELY had my ups and downs. Mostly I have ups though which I am very grateful for. I have been blessed to...1. Be a bit more healthier with my life. I have YET to drop the Coke, Pepsi, and Mountain Dew but I have been lucky not to drink alcohol, smoke and do other bad things.2. Live a better lifestyle. I still love to wear sweats and t-shirts all the time and I HATE wearing dresses but most of the time I can dress according to what Heavenly Father would like me to wear.... I have learned somewhat to keep an orderly house and I do care about the appearance of my house.3. Learned the meaning of keeping a eternal family together... Ok so I had to learn the hard way on this one but I am grateful for the mistakes that have been made to learn from them. 4. Be sealed and married in the Logan Temple. 5. Raise my children to KNOW about Jesus Christ and the gospel of the true church. I have so much more that I need to learn so I can teach them but with the guidance of the Holy Ghost in my life I know when to tell them what they need to know.6. Meet sooo many people in this world and I am so grateful for their support and guidance they give to me. I appreciate them EVERYDAY. I am so grateful for the missionaries who taught me the gospel, my friends who MADE me go to church, my dad who introduced me to the church. There is so much more that I have been blessed with and I should be so much more grateful for. I am eternally happy at this moment though for the gift of prayer. I don't do it enough. Most of the time I pray to ask myself to pray and that's it. I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am soooo blessed that eventhough I am NOT perfect I can hear and feel it at the most needed times of my life. I am so blessed to have one gift and a gift that only I can have. It is the gift of Jesus Christ. I know that we all have him in our lives but I have always felt I have my own. He loves me, needs me, and wants me to succeed in this life so I can return to him. He has forgiven me a numerous amount of times and I am in debt to him. I love him with all of my heart and I don't show it enough. I hope in time that he will know how much I am grateful for him and need him in my life.

Ok, so I went to the extreme this Easter!

2009-04-02T19:14:00.001-07:00

So... Every Easter since I was probably about James's age I have asked for an Easter Bunny. Probably because I thought that he would really bring me eggs or something but we alllll know that only chickens lay eggs and so NOW I'll probably want a chicken. But today I went a bit crazy because while we were out at my moms house the kids LOVED the bunny that she had and loved chasing it and petting it. So... I bought one... I went to a few pet stores and NO one seemed to have any bunnies but then at the last stop we decided for the kids to stay in the car because it was becoming a pain to get all 3 in and out of the car. I went in and as soon as I saw them I ran out with a HUGE smile on my face. I think Jake wanted to drive off as fast as possible but these days he will do about anything to make me smile. So.... He brought the kids in and we had the best time looking at all the puppies, cats, birds, bunnies, etc.... The first one I liked but he just seemed to big for me. He was brown and white and was really cute but as soon as I picked up little Jumper he melted in my arms... I don't think I even put him down the whole time I was there. I just told Jake to pay and let's go. The kids were having such a fun time in the store though so we stayed for a bit and played with some other animals. It is fun having him in the house with us. We aren't sure where we are going to put him but probably somewhere safe so the kids don't let him out and do something horrific to the poor thing. We'll see how long it lasts but for now the only thing I'm worried about is Jake going out a bb gun and shooting it.... :)

ANOTHER DILLY DALLY DAY!

2009-03-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Ok so today was another beautiful day. The kids and I went for a walk and played up in the field. The best part of the day was that I actually got ALL 3 kids down for a nap and got A LOT accomplished. I even started a puzzle which is kind of wierd considering I really don't enjoy doing them but it was actually a bit fun! So overall it was a good but lazy day! LOVE IT!!!

Another day in paradise!

2009-03-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

Ok so I've had to look back and forth at my blog to see where I have to begin and where I left off. FYI I am mostly writing these blogs for people "really" care about my everyday life. It may be kind of boring but I'm trying to at least give some of you an up to date synopsis of my life... So yesterday was a BLAST! My grandparents in their 80's, Mom, me and the kids decided to walk down in my grandparents lake house. We could only get so far down the road because the rest of the road had not been plowed. So it was maybe 1/4 of a mile... As we walked down the hill the snow decided to get deeper and deeper. Soon enough it was up to my knees, then up to my thighs... We sledded Mimi down the rest of the hill because well, she couldn't get down the rest of the way. It was a blast. There were tons of trees down because of the ice storm they had a few months ago so the boys and I tried to move as much as we could. They were such good helpers. We also walked down to the lake which was covered but not enough so we could walk on it. I'm very paranoid about that kind of stuff... The walk back was ok but not as fun going up hill instead of down. But... We made it!!!
Today we went to Manchester to Chuck E Cheese's with Mimi and Pa and had a blast. We sent them off to the airport and now we are home and the boys are STILLL torchering the poor cat.
:( And yes I am looking out the windows and my eyes are hopefully decieving me because well... I think Jaren just jumped in the brooke again.. ARRGGH!!! Nope but I should go get them... Until then!

New Hampshire!

2009-03-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Today is a georgeous day. Yesterday we went to the Morgan Horse Farm down in Bolton Ma. The kids had a blast. I am already looking for a place to put two horses and a dog for the next move... The kids have such a love for animals which is great! I just wish Jake didn't have such a fear of them and wasn't allergic to them as well... I guess that's what meds are for! We were also able to celebrate our friend Anna Ela's 100th Birthday. I was quite impressed that she remembered me and the kids. We haven't seen her in a long time so it was quite a wonderful day with lots of food, drinks, and fun. It is a beautiful day and feels like spring and the snow is finally melting. We are going to try and attempt walking down to Mimi and Pa's house and take a look at the Lake. I can't wait to post some pictures. I think I have found my new heaven!!!! I LOVE New England in the winter... Jaren is obviously having TOOO much fun. I've already had to change his clothes twice in a few hours because he keeps jumping in Granna's brook and sitting in mud. NOT a big fan of it but at least he is having fun... James is hilarious because he is keeping so clean. Pa and James are sitting out on a tree right now having a VERY intense conversation it looks like. I should probably get ready for the day and head out while there is not a cloud in the sky... Guess that's it for now!

New Hampshire Day 2

2009-03-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, so day 2 in New Hampshire was quite an experience.... It was really cold this morning but we are surviving anyways. Everything is about an hour away so we decided to drive an hour away to get lunch at Applebees and run some errands. When we got home we tried and I mean "tried" to do a bonfire to cook marshmallows. Unfortunately we had NO success because the sticks were still to green to start. It was probably better off though because I think we were all tired and ready to go in for the night. We have been doing some night sledding though which the boys love. It gets all icy on the hill so they are able to slide down under the Hemlock tree... The boys are persistant on harassing the cat Pudding. CC has been wonderful. She fits right along and waddels around like the rest of the ole' folk. She makes me laugh!!! We have yet to see any animals but have seen lots of tracks. It's amazing to know that there has been a moose right in the back yard of my moms house. Anyways.... The kids are having a blast and I am just making sure that they continue to have a good time. And Jen, don't worry I took that long breath you asked for. I'm just sorry I couldn't hold my breath a bit longer... :)

It's that time...

2009-03-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I was hoping that while I was out in New Hampshire I could get some writing done and work on things that I've been wanting to do for a long time. I have a passion of writing and love to write. As you can tell I'm NOT that great with grammer and stuff but I love to write what's on my mind. I have been in the midst of writing a childrens book but at this time I'm not quite sure how it's going to go. My kids love the story and I've read it to them a number of times but as far as pictures, publishing and all that stuff well.... I'm clueless with that stuff so we'll see what happens!
I'm also going to work on myself physically and emotionally. Where better to do that then in the outdoors with 3 feet of snow and frickin' freezing! I'm planning to do a bit of snowshoeing and hiking in the woods of NH. I love being outside here. It is so different than being anywhere else. I love and I mean LOVE New England air. Everything out here is amazing, the trees, water, animals, people. I am grateful that I am able to come back and see what I'm missing.
I'm hoping to gain a better relationship with my family while I'm out here as well. So far.... NOT going that great. It's been a long drive out here and well it's just been a bit stressful. A lot has happend in the past few days and I'm hoping that being out here will help make things a lot better. The kids are so excited to be at "Granna's" house and to see all of the animals. I am hoping that we will get a lot of outside time while we are here. We may go home with pnemonia but I'm thinkin' it's worth it??? Maybe, maybe not????
I excited to be out here and I will keep you up to date with all that is happening. As for now I have got to get some rest. Where I will be resting is beyond me! We'll see... It will be an adventure for now. Until then....

James rides in Utah!

2009-02-25T14:53:00.000-08:00

I love this video. Listen to Jaren in the background. This was taken out at our friends house in Utah.

James does well...

2009-02-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been meaning to write about this for a few days now and have just been putting it off because I'm such a bad mom at times. It is time to brag about my son James!!! YAY JAMES!!! I am soooo proud of him though. Wednesday we had his teachers come over. I find it rather weird that they come to our house and not us go to their school but it works out. James is doing AWESOME in school. In the past few months he has learned to do so much. What he can do...
~ Cut straight lines
~ Cut out shapes
~ Draw shapes dircle, square, heart, star, rectangle, diamond
~ Can write some words on his own
~ Sounds letters out and can write them on his own
~ Color inside the lines
~ Uses his words in a bad situation and is clearly learning to walk away from the situation
~ Reading words on his own (not all words)
I am proud of James and his wonderful accomplishments and am excited to see what the next meeting brings! YAY JAMES!!! In celebration we went to Dairy Queen and got a vanilla ice cream.

James's photo shoot!

2009-01-25T12:42:00.001-08:00

Do I really need to explain this one??? We were having fun!!!

My little princess...

2009-01-25T12:14:00.001-08:00

CC really likes to eat popsicles but even more she likes to share them with me...

I thought this dress was so dang cute and you know me I couldn't resist! So, eventhough she looks like a candy striper she is still such a cutie!

CC was trying to dance the other day... She's still workin' on it...

Sierra in the snow!

2009-01-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

I'm so sad this came out sideways but it's just sooo dang cute! CC and I ventured outside this morning into the world of snow! It was sooo much fun. Sierra had a really fun time even having face planted into the snow a few times.

40 ways to make your year better...

2009-01-07T12:10:00.000-08:00

I got this from my mom today and am hoping that I can try and accomplish at least a few of these and make my year a better one. I hope each of you who reads my blog will do the same! Keep in touch and let me know how you're doing.
1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.
2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'
5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.
7. Make time to practice meditation, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
9. Dream more while you are awake.
10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.
14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, OR issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
17.. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the NEGATIVE BLUES away.
18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
26. Forgive everyone for everything.
27. What other people think of you is none of your business.
28. REMEMBER GOD heals everything.
29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
33. The best is yet to come.
34. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
35. Do the right thing!
36. Call your family often. (Or email them to death!)
37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about. I just did. May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more, May nothing but happiness come through your door!

One of those good ole' fun tags!

2009-01-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

i am: hoping to have a nice quiet night
i know: that all dreams can someday come true.
i want: my kids to enjoy the time they have with me because it won't last forever...
i have: the need for a back massage
i hate: when I expect something and it turns out differently
i miss: my mommy and my bff Katie
i feel: like my cough won't go away, sleep deprived, and cold.
i hear: nothing right now, except the sound of my fingers typing and the computer monitor. LOVE IT!
i smell: the smell of a pizza cooking in the over and the orange peels in my garbage.
i crave: lobster, caffine free pepsi and Pizza
i search: for anything that will make my children and my family happy.
i always: want to be on time but never am. want my children to be better off than I ever was.
i believe: that this year a lot will change
i sing: in the shower, car, and after midnight when I'm on my second wind!
i write: mostly when I want to say it but I can't. I love to write.
i lose: when I can't concentrate
i win: When I want to!
i never: give up on something I really really really want!
i listen: when it's really important.
i am scared: of loosing the most important things in life.
I tag whoever wants to do this.

Happy New Years My @#$#!!!

2009-01-01T19:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it started off ok... Jake said I could sleep in lastnight. I woke up in the morning and oh.. I had to go change CC's stinky diaper. Of course she decided to put her foot in her stinky diaper. Then... We decided to take the kids to Chuck E Cheese because oh they are the greatest kids and they wanted to go "where a kid can be a kid". So we get there and not even 5 minutes after walking in the door James spills lemonade ALL over the table, I spill my Coke all over the seat, and Jaren spills the coins all over the floor. Jake is HAPPY!!! I am cussing like never before in Chuck E Cheese and wanted to just strangle the people behind me... Well... Finally the worker comes over with towels and wipes the bench off so I can get off w/ out making a bigger mess while Jaren is on the floor picking up the coins. Bless his little heart for going on the floor at ALL in Chuck E Cheese. We then move to a different table and well... James spills his Lemonade AGAIN... Well, not as much but I told him to LEAVE and get me tickets ;). The worker came over to me with a fake grin on his face thinking probably I was going to strangle him. He gave me a cup of coins and told me it was for all the problems I was having and to smile and Happy New Year. I wasn't quite sure what to say but it did make me smile. Just a little bit.... We did end up having a really good time in the end but it just seems like a story to tell. Oh wait!!!! There's more! We had to go drop our check off to our Landlord and that's allll the way over in Naperville which is 20 minutes east of us. Well, I was driving and was all spent from the CEC word. I can't seem to write that anymore. I was totally confused, lost and very frustrated because I was well LOST! Jake mentioned the word GPS and I about lost it! Luckily the kids fell asleep and Jake dealt with my crazed anger driving. All I wanted was to get to Montgomery Road. I wish I had a tape recorder in my brain because you would positively laugh at me for the rest of my life... Finally after zig-zagging all around Aurora, and wherever the heck we were I managed to get us to Montgomery Road. I don't know how Jake deals w/ me but he must have a LOT of patience, earplugs, and confidence. I do know he was scared because he told me. So... here WERE my resolutions...
1. stop cussing as much
2. stop drinking Coke
3. no road rage...
I'm starting these things tomorrow because well.... "I'm the mom and I said so!"
HAPPY NEW YEARS YALL'

Christmas Day!

2008-12-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

James was sooooo excited about this dinosaur book puzzle. He has been asking for it since his grandmother left and I didn't know what he was talking about. When he opened it he said this was the present he has wanted forever! Well.... He got it and FINALLY I know what he was talking about for the past 4 months. Yikes, I was loosing it!

Jaren got a train table with a set of tracks to go around it. He loves it!

Sierra got her first baby doll... I NEVER was into dolls so I didn't know what to get her. Luckily Granna got her one and it even makes noises. Sooooo cool! Well, Sierra loves her doll and loves to hold it, throw it, and poke her in the eyes. Luckily no more baby's in this household!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2008-12-27T19:20:00.000-08:00

This is James's first letter to Santa Clause. He did an awesome job!

The boys make cookies for Santa each year now. These came out great! I'm so proud of my boys!!!

Here I am with my traditional motherly look... Spaghetti sauce on my shirt and "a mess"! Oh well, at least we were having fun...

You can ONLY imagine whos cookies these are. Jaren the Train man!

James wanted to roll out the dough which he loved! I even bought him a rolling pin for Christmas so he can help me next time. James LOVES to cook. His future wife will love him for that!!!! We had a great Christmas Eve. We of course read Mr. Willobees Christmas Tree which has been a tradition in my home for a LOT of years. We had our traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs which is wonderful because we can actually have a quiet meal and the kids opened one gift each.

Sunday pictures...

2008-12-27T19:15:00.000-08:00

I've been trying for awhile now to get some cute Sunday pictures of the kids all dressed up. FINALLY!!! We got ready maybe 45 minutes before we were supposed to go to church and I got some cute pictures of the kids.

Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

I am feeling so sad that I couldn't get a Christmas letter out to everyone this year. My mind is quite boggled and I am in 50 million places at once. I try very hard to be the "super mom" that I want to be and it just isn't working right now. I've got so many things going on and my priorities aren't where they should be. My kids have been quite neglected and I'm putting my heart with them now. So here is our Christmas letter for 2008. I love all of you that read my blog and I am grateful for the friendship and family who support me everyday. We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and an AWESOME New Year.

Merry Christmas from the Stock’s… 2008
As I reflect upon the past year I am grateful for the many blessings we have received. It has been a wonderful year. We are so grateful for the friends and family we have kept in touch with throughout the year.
Sierra celebrated her first birthday in November and a few weeks later has been walking around the house non-stop. She is just as feisty as her mother and loves life! Sierra is such a daddies girl. As soon as he steps in the door she refuses to let go of him. It’s good for Dad but hello…. I’m the mom!!!
Jaren is my little 3 year old “spit fire”. I can’t get enough of that little tiger! He is now in pre-school 5 days a week for just 2 ½ hours. He loves it and is anxious every morning to get onto the bus. He is still into trains, bus’s, cars and just about everything that moves! We are still working with his vocabulary and behavior but that will come in time.
James is still the “animal lover”. He is just the smartest little guy I know. He is now reading, writing his name, things I didn’t know a 4 year old could ever do. He amazes me every day with the new things he comes up with and does. He has an extremely great imagination and loves to pretend to go to Africa on Wild Safari trips with me.
Jake has had a lot of success this year! He finally graduated from Palmer, got a job and is NOW loving life! We were very fortunate to get a job with a wonderful group of people here in Montgomery Il. He works long hours but I can’t complain that he is helping the well being of others. He has always wanted to give back for what was given to him… Tears flowing… I am grateful everyday when he comes home and tells me that he has helped another person and that he is pleased with the work he has done. He also has been called to be a Sunday School teacher in our ward and I think he is thrilled about that.
I am here…. Just trying to keep up with life. Luckily I have made a wonderful friend here in Montgomery and we just love life together! Our kids get along great and we let them run like crazy wolves. It was a friendship meant to be! I love living in our house and feel that we now have something of our own. We haven’t decided how long we are going to be here and are taking things as they go but I’m hoping in the back of my mind that we can leave Il peacefully and quietly… Shhhh… I am anxious to now head towards a nice warm state on the east coast but if you ask me in a few months I’ll tell you differently! I like it here and I am grateful that Jake has a job and that we have been blessed. I do miss my family immensely though! I have recently been called to the Nursery in our ward so I’m hoping that will be fun. Not much else is going on with me. It has been a whole year of happiness, tears, and laughter with this family!
We hope you have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your New Year to come.
Love always,
Jake, Judy, James, Jaren, and Sierra Stock!!! :)

2008 Pictures...

2008-12-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure if I have already posted these and I'm way to busy to go through all of my posts. So if I did you get to see these cute pictures ONCE again.

Christmas time moments...

2008-12-13T21:19:00.001-08:00

Today we had to go to the mall and get Sierra her Christmas dress that I have been procrastinating about forever... When we walked in the first person we saw was Santa Clause and his little helpers taking pictures. James was so excited and couldn't contain himself. He really wanted to go down and talk to him but I told him we didn't have time. I was kind of bummed myself. So we diddle daddled around and got the dress. I ended up finding a different dress at a different store. It should fit her for awhile. So... As we walked past Santa one last time I stopped with James and we just sat and watched him. This is was happend next....
He whispered in my ear and said that Santa is special because he loves me and he is coming to my house just to see if I'm realllly sleeping. I love him Mom. He is sooo nice! Tear jerker!!!!
We took off to the ward Christmas party and the kids were exausted, Jake and I were moody and it just wasn't feeling right. James was hungry and by the time he was going to eat they called the kids into the Primary room to get ready for a play they were doing. Well James didn't want to go but I know that when he got on stage he was the happiest child in the world. He sat so proudly and still through the WHOLE play. I was so proud of him and smiled at him the whole time and gave him thumbs up. I loved that moment as a mother. We sometimes feel like complete failures sometimes but when you see these children so happy and obedient it makes you feel like a million dollars. James I am proud of you and proud of the wonderful son you are. I am NOT however proud that you ripped up all the styrofoam in the back of the car however but WHATEVER.... Dad will clean it up tomorrow! :)

Merry Christmas!!!!

2008-12-10T15:35:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas lights

2008-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Well I was outside putting up the Christmas lights Jaren decided to "Pledge" my house... Literally... I came inside and he had sprayed Pledge alllll over the carpet! Hey at least the lights look good and the house well smells "Pledged". WOO! For some reason I can't download my pictures so I will have to post them at a later date. SORRY! oh by the way I was trying to download a movie and that's why I couldn't download my pictures. DUH!!!

One for the books

2008-12-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

Well,,, I'm just writing this for a perfect memory! I don't need any pictures or video just written in the books is fine! Tonight, well actually today because it was about 5 pm. Jaren and I came upstairs to play on the computer. He started getting fussy so I asked him what was wrong. He ran and got his Thomas the Train pj's and we put them on. He wanted me to snuggle him and so we sat on the floor and just read a book. He then put his head right smack on my heart because we've been learning about hearts and what they do. He started making a beating sound like a heart and he pointed to me and wanted me to do it. So I did... He wouldn't let me stop and so I started rocking him and he sat there and closed his eyes after about 10 minutes. I put a blanket on him and at that time my whole body was asleep but I couldn't let the moment go. So I finally put him in his bed and he opened his eyes and said "Truck, Drink, Mama". I went downstairs and balled and got him his drink and when I came up he looked at me and said MAMA! Just one of those moments to treasure!

Festival of Trees/Polar Express

2008-11-28T19:07:00.001-08:00

Well, let's just say today we had a VERY interesting adventure! Our neighbors invited us to go down to Joliet to see the Festival of Trees and see The Polar Express in the theater. It was going to be just me and the two boys but then when Jake pulled up I felt this overwhelming feeling to ask him to join us. I knew he didn't really want to go LOOK at Christmas trees with 3 ladies and 9 kids but he saw something in my eye and gave in. As we were about to leave I tried to kick him out of the car so he could stay home with Sierra but he knew it would have made me soooo sad to not be with him. So, we drove and drove, and got lost and finally we got there just in time to see the show. It was amazing! It was the most beautiful theater I've ever seen. I recommend it to all! The kids of course didn't sit still and Sierra was like a slithering snake throughout the whole movie but Jake was soooo patient and stayed calm and happy. After the movie we went and looked at the trees which were soooo beautiful. We had NO idea that outside we were going to be barricaded by fences because of a parade so we had to walk a few blocks just to cross the street. NOT COOL! Amy's kids are pretty big and so Jake was carrying 2 and Amy carried 1. I almost broke my back! We managed to get across the street and all of a sudden we were hearing shots and reallly loud shots. Turned out there were fireworks right across the street. We ate at McDonalds and now we are home and NOW!!!! I will post some pictures and that's that!

Thanksgiving Day!

2008-11-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Thanksgiving. Eventhough I really missed my family we felt so welcomed over at the Clements home. They are one of the nicest families and make us sure feel like family. I guess it's because we're all so crazy??? I made the pies which were a GREAT success. I felt bad because Grandma Pam couldn't eat the crust. I did by the way tell her I wouldn't be offended if she didn't eat the crust so she dug right in! Man, was I happy about that!!! Even little T who could probably eat just about anything dug into my Lemon Merangue pie which I got really happy about. The pumpkin, well I could have done without but who doesn't have pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving??? Grandma Pam was sooo creative. She whipped out some toothpicks, popsicle sticks, and some apples and said here kids make some turkeys. Here are some fun pics of our fun Thanksgiving!

Learning to walk AND shop!

2008-11-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

I took this video today and I thought it was the cutest thing. Sierra LOVES walking with her shopping cart. Hey at least now I can have a awesome shopping buddy!

Have you ever????

2008-11-23T20:06:00.000-08:00

I guess just copy and paste this and bold the things you have done! It's kind of fun.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run (my wedding night?)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument
I tag anyone who wants to do this!

Holiday Gift Cards for some stores...

2008-11-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I got an email this morning and whether it is true or not I'm a person who likes to save money! FYI… If you know of anyone that likes to buy gift card, especially for the upcoming holidays, I wanted to give everyone a heads up that if you tend to give gift cardsaround the holidays, you need to be careful that the cards will behonored after the holidays. Stores that are planning to close afterChristmas are still selling the cards through the holidays even thoughthe cards will be worthless January 1. There is no law preventing themfrom doing this. On the contrary, it is referred to as 'BankruptcyPlanning). Below is a partial list of stores that you need to becautious about.Circuit City (filed Chapter 11)Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide closingLane Bryant, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 stores nationwideEddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after JanuaryCache will close all storesTalbots closing down specialty storesJ. Jill closing all stores (owned by Talbots)Pacific Sunwear (also owned by Talbots)GAP closing 85 storesFootlocker closing 140 stores mo re to close after JanuaryWickes Furniture closing downLevitz closing down remaining storesBombay closing remaining storesZales closing down 82 stores and 105 after JanuaryWhitehall closing all storesPiercing Pagoda closing all storesDisney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ ( New Brunswick )Macys to close 9 stores after JanuaryLinens and Things closing all storesMovie Galley Closing all storesPep Boys Closing 33 storesSprint/Nextel closing 133 storesJC Penney closing a number of stores after JanuaryEthan Allen closing down 12 stores.Wilson Leather closing down all storesSharper Image closing down all store~sK B Toys closing 356 storesLoews to close down some storesDillard's to close some stores

2008-11-16T17:36:00.000-08:00

The Boys Room~~~

Sierra's Room~~~

Here are just some fun updates that I thought you would like to look at of the kids room! I was crossing between going with the black or brown frames. I'm so glad I went with the black because it definitely goes with the dresser which I just painted!

Can it get any worse???

2008-11-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, well today is the last day that Jake will be away taking board exams. Thank goodness!!!! To end this whole ordeal with him gone on the last day I was hoping that I could go to church and be able to think about him and only him hoping that he is doing a perfect job on his boards. Well, it was going well until I woke Sierra up from her nap to get her ready.... She puked alllll over her beautiful dress. I didn't have anything else to put her in so I threw a blanket over her and said let's go honey, nobody will see us in the back row OR smell us! I then threw the kids in the car and started driving away. I went to open my lip gloss because my lips were incredibly dry and well.... I chipped my tooth. NOT COOL! Everytime I put my toung on it more and more of the tooth kept coming off. I was almost in tears on my way to church but I HAD to go to church and think of my honey and hoped that he would pass boards. We got to church and I TOTALLY biffed it on my bottom. I tripped over my skirt and somehow just toppled over myself and fell. Then with my husband and Amys husband not at church I was sure my kids would act up. Well, of course they did! Sierra had a MAJOR blowout of her diaper, James and Jaren were bickering back and forth and fighting and I was concerned about my tooth and wanting to rip all of what hair I have left on my head. So now we are home and Sierra threw up everywhere, the boys are locked in their room until Jake comes home and well... I'm blogging! Can it get any worse??? :)

Thanksgiving Thanks!!!

2008-11-15T12:51:00.000-08:00

I have finally been able to sit down for a few minutes and do one of my favorite things which is "Blogging". We have somehow been wrapped up in doing lots of things this month and I wanted to express to my friends and family how thankful I am for them in our life! I am so thankful for a wonderful roof over my head, a husband who supports me even when I am at my worst. I am especially thankful for my children. They are AWESOME!!! Eventhough they do the naughtiest things and drive me crazy most of the time I still love them very much. I am thankful for my mom, dad, and brother. We never had the best life but we made it to be the best. We are so close now and I am thankful everyday that I have them in my life. I am one of the luckiest daughters in the world. :) I am thankful for food... Yes I love food and I don't know how I would live without it. I am very thankful for my friends who help me when I am in a bind and I need help when Jake is at work. I am thankful for so many things but especially this time of season. It makes me want to be a better person so I can help more people be happy and make me more less selfish.
James is thankful for well... Zoo's, Mommy, Daddy, CC, Jare Bear, and Montgomery.
Jaren is thankful for well... Firetrucks!, CC, James, Daddy, diapers, and buses!
Sierra is thankful for her crib, clothes, and milk!
Jake doesn't blog and is at work but I will write what he is thankful for when he gets home. I'm sure he'll have a TON to be thankful for.
To all our friends and family!!! HAPPY THANKSGIVING and thank you for taking the time to read our blog! I'm thankful for you! :)

Friends Forever

2008-10-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted all of my blog readers to be introduced to our infamous friends the Clements. When we moved here I was very hesitant and negative thinking we wouldn't know anyone or make any friends. Luckily when we got here we found that we actually had neighbors that are LDS. Not only are they LDS they have 5 children around the ages of ours. We have become really great friends and I am blessed everyday that I get an email or a call from my good pal Amy. She is a great person to hang out with and she also has a crazy unique side like me. Amy has taught me the back roads of Montgomery and well a lot of Illinois since we've been here. Usually, when she's not with me and I try to do it myself I get lost. She is now my "GPS"! Here are some pictures of the kids at the Phillips Park Zoo sometime in October. We had a blast there. It's not a huge zoo but they have a bunch of birds, wolves, and elk there which can make my kids happy for about a week. Oh, and MaKayle and Jaren are already BFF!

Family Pictures 2008

2008-10-19T08:32:00.000-07:00