LIFE IS A BLESSING

I DO

2012-01-19T14:07:00.000-08:00

Today is my 10 yr Anniversary of Marriage. As I sit and reflect on what today means, it almost feels surreal. I feel I have accomplished something HUGE! Some may say It's just another year of marriage but, for me its a feeling of undefeatedness(hope thats a word). Its also kind of, a feeling of age. Its so crazy for me to say ..." I have been married for 10 years", I feel as though I am still ALMOST as young as when we were married.

Looking back , I remember thinking...I wonder if this marriage will last, I hope it does but, I don't think it will. WELL...

Look at us now!!!!

I don't know why I thought this. Maybe it was fear or low self esteem?? Its very disturbing to think I thought that, as a Newly Wed.

Either way, I am so blessed and happy to know, that it WAS just my brain thinking.. AGAIN and I don't know what I'm talking about:).

We have been through a lot and I love him more than I could have ever imagined. My love for him grows stronger and deeper every year. I am amazed at what a WONDERFUL husband he is to me.

I am a L-U-C-K-Y girl and I know! he was picked, JUST for ME!!

Christmas....a little late.

2012-01-04T13:49:00.000-08:00

I didn't take any pictures of Christmas. I am not too happy with myself for that. I did record Christmas morning and it will be lots of fun to watch it in a few years, when I forget how small and adorable the girls are now. I love watching our old recorded memories. It makes me sad, realizing how fast the time has past. I miss them being babies. But, I am glad I recorded them, so I can always see the memories and remember how joyful they were.

Christmas was SUPER fun. We were a little insane this year. We decided to replace the WII that was stolen when our house was robbed last year. Santa got the girls their own TVs and DVD players. We were so excited to watch them unwrap their presents. Alexia has wanted a TV for YEARS! Mark was SO stinking excited to watch them when they woke. He had an idea to sleep on Lacey's floor in her room (which is down the hall from where the Christmas Tree was), since she was sleeping in Alexia's bed with her. They had no clue we were on Lacey's floor spying on them at 3:30 in the morning when they woke to snoop and see what Santa brought. It was AWESOME!!

To hear their little oohs and aahh's was precious. It was Marks BEST idea EVER!! OK OK, he has had other good ideas. They finally climbed back into Alexia's bed about 4:30 to go back to bed. We told them the night before that they could not wake us until 7:00 a.m.

Then I had a great idea!!!

Me: lets bust in on them and get them out of bed!!
Mark: What? Why?
Me: I don't know? I can't sleep now. Did you know that when I was little, my parents let us open presents at like...3:30 in the morning??
Mark: really!!
Me: ya!
Mark: Well, we cant let them out do us...

..and off we went!

lets just say...that wasn't the BEST idea I ever had.

Whew! We were tired and all went back to bed. Except Lacey, she was too exited! She played with ALL of her new toys. (She stayed up from then, until 1:00 am the next morning at a sleepover with her aunt playing the WII)

Let's just say, I am surprised their wasn't ANY melt downs. What a champ!

After we opened presents, we went to my Mom and Dads for Breakfast. We had a schmorgesborg of food. Pancakes, eggs, potatoes, breakfast burritos, bagels, juice etc... whew!

After we ate, stuffed like mini Santa's we opened our gifts and then headed to Grandmas. We got to see my Aunts, Uncles and Cousins there. Even though Grammies is crowded and not so comfortable, I love to see her happy. And this party makes her Happy. :)

After, we went home and napped and played. Later that evening my family came over for a nice Ham dinner. It was perfect!

Hope you all had a Great Christmas!

THANKSGIVING EVE

2011-11-23T13:47:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am so excited!! I love this time of year, traditions are excercised and new ones are made. I love the family/friends togetherness that Holidays bring.
I am so excited to wake up in the morning, put the turkey in the oven and then sit down to the paper(ok! Black Friday Ads) and a nice cup of coffee with my husband while we enjoy our children.

There is definitely something cozy about having a Turkey in the oven...

Alexia and Lacey helped me make Banana and Zucchini bread the other night while we listened to Christmas music. They loved it! I think I will keep Holiday Baking together as a tradition. I could see their smiles on their face and in their eyes. They are great Lil Bakers! We made a few extra muffins with the zucchini dough and.. mm mm it was good!

I am so thankful for my Family and Friends, my home, my husband, my job and the everyday miracles in my life.

What are some of the traditions you do?

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

CABIN PICS

2011-11-15T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

I am soo excited to show you the Beautiful Handy work of my husband! This summer Mark has been so busy. He remodeled the owner of my company's cabin. We went up to the Cabin this last weekend to finish up a small task and I just HAD to take pictures of the finished product to show. Please excuse the terrible pictures, I took them with my phone.

In the picture below he installed the lighting and the wood ceilings.

This picture is SUPER terrible but, he installed the wood on 4 sets of stairs and they turned out GORGEOUS!! I am begging him to install wood on the stairs in my house while he does the basement floors but, we will see when we get there. :)

Look how nice this turned out! This is a picture of the Kitchen and Dining. He installed the lighting, wood ceilings, casing around the windows and wood flooring. What a pretty picture.

This is a picture of the top floor/game room. Look at those beautiful peaked ceilings. He installed the wood on the ceilings and casing on the windows through out the whole cabin.

Here is a picture of the custom stairs he made out of scratch to fit in the small space to access the loft. Sooo purdy. OMG he is so talented.

I am so proud of my husband, his talents and his willingness to use them to provide for our family. We are all so lucky to have him and I just love him dearly.

Also, I told you I would show the costumes I made...well I took the Halloween pictures with my camera and not my phone. It is difficult to post them from my camera from work so I haven't posted them yet. However, I stole one with my phone 2 days ago when Alexia was playing dress up. Here is the poodle skirt I made for her. I just love the way it turned out! I made Lacey a tootoo (she was a dead fairy) but, those pics are on my camera also.

I also wanted to show you my purse I made. I LOVE IT!! I got the fabric and the pattern at the Shop Hop in October and had to make it quickly. I love the fabric, it is so fun!

Oooh, I also had a Scentsy party that cute little Kylee hosted for me. It was tons of fun and I am super giddy about this warmer so, I thought I would share.

P.S. it is out with all of my fall stuff...hahaha.

We have been working on the house also. I will get some pictures up soon. I am sooo excited to have a room again!!! I cant wait. But, until then...that's what we have been up to.

Halloween Fun!

2011-10-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend was such a blast. We decided to have a little celebrated Halloween Fun! I LOVE having young children and being a Mother. It is the BEST job in the world. Its a great excuse to PLAY in all of the Halloween funness and enjoy the activities of this great holiday (even though no excuse is really needed). We started off with dinner (at the girls favorite place to eat)..Texas Roadhouse. We were joined by my cousin Dot and her cute little family. We love spending time with her and her family. Her little girls are sooo adorable!

After dinner we went to Thanksgiving Pointe. I was surprised at how much they had going on. It was great! Hot Chocolate, Marshmallow roasting, Corn Mazes,Tractor rides, Playgrounds, Bouncy Houses...and on and on. The festivities were endless. We weren't able to fit everything in. But, we had a blast. Please forgive me, the pictures below are pretty blurry. Taking pictures with movement on the IPhone is not award winning photography, that's for sure! This is the big bouncy ground jumpy thingy..don't know what its called. Any how, I decided to jump on this bouncy ground jumpy thingy with the girls and boy was I surprised. I'm telling you, adults are not meant for these kinds of things.. I ending up flipping and falling and then when I got off..I felt like I was walking on the Moon. However, I did feel a little younger when I seen them falling...they LOVED it.

She looks a little scared here...trust me...she wasn't.

Look at these cute faces!!!

Saturday night we invited some friends over for a BBQ and decorated some cupcakes for dessert.

They got so creative.

Sunday, I finished up Alexia's costume while Mark worked on our room. Her costume turned out so cute! I will post pictures of the costumes after Halloween. I will be working on Lacey's tonight. Good thing hers is SUPER easy. I am so happy we took this weekend to do all of the little things in life, that matter the MOST. I am also so grateful for the memories we have created with our Family and Friends.

The Contagious Crafty's

2011-09-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

My crafty side came out this weekend x10!!! I had so much fun! I love crafts, and there is nothing like the Holidays to motivate me. Now, I have a list sooo long..hopefully I get atleast 1/2 of it done this year.

My plans this weekend were canceled last minute due to a Wisdom Tooth in my husbands mouth. We were originally going to go camping with friends but, on Friday afternoon he called to tell me his last Wisdom Tooth decided it was done and his mouth was in pain. He had to make a dental appointment and they couldn't get him in until Saturday morning so, we canceled our trip. Oh well! Good thing we have one more camping trip planned before winter. :)

Alexia and Lacey were going to stay with Nana since Alexia had a Slumber Party at her BFF's house and Lacey had a Birthday Party on Saturday after Alexia was done. They were going to stay with my mom and she was going to be the cab and babysitter for the weekend. Since our weekend was canceled Nana was FREE until Saturday night..she still wanted to spend time with them. They love to stay with Nana.

Since our trip was canceled, Alexia was at her Slumber Party and the hubby was in pain, Lacey and I decided to do a date night. I LOVE to spend individual time with the girls EVERY chance I get. We went to Chili's for dinner and then on a shopping spree at the Dollar Store. Lacey wanted to spend some of her allowance and I love to look at the items they have. Sometimes they have great things..and they are only a DOLLAR!

I picked up some supplies at the Dollar Store to make a Candy Corn Wreath. I covered the wreath in Black Construction Paper and then glued on the Candy corns by layer until the Construction Paper was covered.

***See the pics above*** If anyone wants to share with me, how to get your pictures in between your sentences so they wont post above every time I upload them, I would REALLY appreciate it. I was able to get the picture in the correct spot above(with Lacey and I) on accident. I had to copy and then re paste my typing after it posted above. And it wont work on each one because it wont let me copy and paste pictures already downloaded. GRRRR

Pleeeez be kind..I'm not so good with the Blogger :). Don"t Judge! :)

I also went shopping for the girls fabric to make their Halloween Costumes (I am not going to tell what they are...you will just have to wait for the pics!)

I am sooo excited.....

Kim goes Independent! :)

2011-09-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had no plans (well I had ONE but, only one). If you know me, this is all sorts of out of sorts because, I ALWAYS have plans. If I don't have a plan, I am planning a plan.

So, Saturday morning after completing my ONLY plan (signing up for Weight Watchers),woot woot!! I am so excited!! I have to tell you all, I really looked forward to signing up with my good friends. I anticipated it for days.. because, I am all sorts of exciting like that. I know what you all are thinking... living on the edge right!?! Anywhoo, that is a whole other blog.

Where was I...

After completing my only plan for the weekend...oh wait no! I had coffee plans with Rachel after. How can I forget that!?? Love this girl..sorry Rach. So, after completing my only 2 plans I had for the whole weekend I headed home.

Once I got home, I headed into the kitchen to FIND something to do. As I am standing there looking around, I realize there was nothing to do. The house was clean. Well, technically there was Laundry to do..but, all who know me, know...that is NOT in my plans ever. hehehehe
I just get stuck doing it every week because, I have no clean laundry. I'm still waiting for a laundry genie or maid..whatever it wants to be called...maybe I'll try Santa this year.

As I am standing there, NOT wanting to do Laundry..I turn to the girls for some Ideas. They offered up swimming but, honestly.. I am all swimmed out people!!

However, I had an Idea...LETS GO CAMPING. Mark is in Fairview Canyon trying to get his deer catch on, with a bow.

I thought it would be a great surprise for daddy to have his girls come visit AND...it would give us something to do.

The only problem that may arrive is..I didn't know how to get there. I had a small glimpse of memory from our last trip..but ya, that's ALL I had. So, I called Mark. I told him we were coming up, and of course...(wait for it) I was right, as always. HE WAS EXCITED! He told me how to get there. So, with the help of my two little navigators...

WE MADE IT!!!

When we got there, we had to clean the trailer OF COURSE! Two men, deer hunting, with no women.. it looked like a dusty camouflage tornado and what not, with all the hunting equipment and clothes just laying everywhere. But, we cleaned it up, cooked dinner and then the fun started.

We bought some hat looms (and of course the boondago) on the way up, so we had some crafts to do. The girls hadn't done the hat loom before, so I was really excited to show them. They LOVED it!! As a matter of fact they are already on their 2cnd hats and Lacey is making one for Moose..our dog. :) What a animal lover she is.

Sunday morning dad took us into the town of Fairview to eat at the Home Plate. It was really fun. I love to eat at the Ma and Pa shops in other town.

We ended up leaving about 3pm. We kissed daddy(suga daddy, to me) goodbye and off we went.

We had a GREAT time and in the end, I was really proud of myself. I took on a little adventure and drove a long ways..all by myself. :)

New Beginnings

2011-09-06T08:42:00.001-07:00

There comes a time in your life (I am sure more than once) where you sit back, and look at your life. Where you are and where you are going. Where you have been and where you want to go. What you have experienced and what you want to experience. What has mattered to you and what will matter to you. I haven't been able to sit back and reflect on these things. I'm not sure if its because of how busy life is, or if I just wasn't ready. Either way, one stage of my life is about to end, I am moving on! There are things that happen to you or you experience in life, that you just cannot help. Things you don't expect or cannot change or maybe you can and you didn't. These things are not always easy to overcome. It is challenging. But, then one simple thing..one simple day, one simple person or maybe for some, many things you encounter, helps you to open your eyes, lift your spirits and move on. It is NOW my time. I have been stuck in this mentality for WAY too long. I feel healed. It is OK to move on. To live my life the way I want. To enjoy MY family: My husband, my Beautiful children, my siblings,parent,cousins,friends etc...THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE ME in my life. The ones that matter. To enjoy the blessing I have received. I am blessed with many things in my life and the only thing that has been holding me back is me! I have a management position working for a wonderful company and I have had it for 3 yrs. The owners of the company appreciate me and care about me and my family. Not just because I am 'lucky' but, because of ME! Who I am! My husband is a WONDERFUL loving father and husband. I don't have him just because I am lucky..I have him because he love ME! Who I am! Yes, I am going to bask in every bit of it. :) Ok ok..I'm ranting now. But, my point is. I am done mourning. I am done focusing on what I cannot change. I am moving on. The only person that can make me happy in life, is me. What I do not like, I WILL change. I am in a great position to begin... and I am grateful to be doing it, with the man I love and the great support I have in my life:).

WATER PATROL

2011-07-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

This week has my basement all out of sorts! We have had a smell in our basement this summer of water and/or mold. We have lived in our house for 5 years now and have never had any problems. We weren't sure what it could be. But, we noticed the smell to be stronger in our bedroom. So, we decided to rip down a couple of walls to see if there was a water problem that may be caused from our front yard water faucet(Marks suspicion). Our plan was to do that on Tuesday. Tuesday, I left early from work (since we were SUPER slow). As I started to drive, the rain came down like a monsoon!!! The roads were barely in a condition to drive. The rain was coming down so hard. Some cars had to pull off to the side of the road and sit out the storm. I thought to myself, I will not let this deter my afternoon. I had plans to get a Starbucks and do some bed shopping for the girls. I will be a cautious driver, slow down and I will be safe. So, I got off the exit to redwood road and mosied on over to Starbucks. In the midst of my travels, I came across a lake right in the middle of the parking lot! The white car in the above picture was at one point halfway in the water. ( I couldn't even see his tires)

After I got my Wonderful, Cafe Vanilla Frappachino, double blended with a shot of espresso and one extra scoop of vanilla amazement..I headed over to RCWilley and found Alexia's bed. She Loves it. I can't wait to pick it up and redo her room.

Until then..other plans in the works. After I left RC Willey, I came home to a flooded basement. Our window wells are not deep and with the crazy weather, it created a lake in our basement!!! aaahhh..water!!! However, none of this stopped us. After cleaning up the water ( oh ya.. not to worry, carpet has not yet been installed in the basement) and piling our belongings to sections of the basement we began DEMOLITION!!! Wish us luck!

Spring time again!

2011-05-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

I have had the busiest weekend. But, I am P-ROUD of what I was able to accomplish. Spring time is always long awaited for, especially after the long winters in Utah.

Spring is exciting! It means you get to go out and play after being cooped up for the winter. (you hear that kids? no more TV and video games YAY!!) Although, they may not feel the same way. Oh yes and the sun.. the sun is shining soo bright!! I love it! Spring time is also time to clean out the clutter. I L-O-V-E a clean home!

Now, due to the fact that I have a family consisting of small children and a ...we will just say.. A Mark..and of course busy fly by the seat of my pants ME:). We don't have the wished for; 24 hour a day spotless home. Oh how I wish I did..maybe in my next life Ill have enough money for a housekeeper or maybe Mark will be a housekeeper? (oh how great that would be) Anywhoo, I call my home a messy clean. Dishes are done daily, bathrooms are cleaned and floors are vacuumed,swept and mopped weekly, Sheets are changed every Saturday! Sounds great huh!?! Ya, I'm not finished..I have to confess.. shall I say my DIRTY secrets ..my clothes cannot find the hamper and our shoes cannot find the closets, the toys love to hang out on the floor and oh ya!!..cant forget..the mail still doesn't know its home. My point is.. I like nice tidy clean things (even though it doesn't always show) so..Spring Cleaning is EXCITING! Not necessarily the cleaning part, although I enjoy it to an extent. I LURV the way my home feels when I am done. So clean, clutter free and closer to perfect..more than it was before I started. And the best part is..once I'm done I don't have to do it again FOR A WHOLE YEAR.

Today was the 3rd day (Kim's time) of spring cleaning.

1st day: I cleaned the walls in the Front Room and Hallway.

2nd day: I conquered Alexia's Room.(I was feeling a little defeated after that) It sure is more work as they get older. There are definitely more items to take of the walls before cleaning. Posters,Calenders,Maps,Shelves..etc. Blah.

3rd Day:(Today)I Shampooed the carpets and touched up paint. I also bought a new pretty towel rack for my bathroom from Walmart yesterday; only 13.00. I had it hung in the same weekend. I love it! I still have a ton to go..but, for this weekend, I consider it a SUCCESS.

Now lets hope Mother Nature can be just as successful as me by bringing in spring THIS WEEK ..NO MORE SNOW!

Happy or Not so Happy Spring Cleaning Everyone!

(PS. I know I should change the scene on my blog considering this post and its now WINTER!! But, I'm too tired. Maybe later :))

INSPIRED BY HEATHER

2011-01-19T10:06:00.001-08:00

Upon reading my cousins blog today, I have been completely inspired. I don't see her often but, I love to check in on her blog and see how she is doing. She is one of the cutest,kindest,simplest, caring and loving women I have ever known. She has so many trials with her health and she is always SO positive. I have always admired her and I love her and love that she is always shining. So, with that said, after reading her blog today..she has inspired me to get more ORGANIZED!! I am a person who needs order. If I do not have order in my life, I do not have order in my head. And the order I do have in my head is not the best when it IS THE best. All who don't know me, may think I'm flaky. All of you who do know me, know my memory storage is NOT big enough. I am always on the go and I always have something to do. I am easily distracted and don't usually focus on one particular project, unless I'm at work. I can be talking to you in one sentence and a word I use will veer me off to another subject, and then I forgot what I was talking about in the first place. I can hold my phone in one hand while I'm talking to you, and be looking for my phone in my purse with the other. OK too much info :) I think you get the point. I always feel I am cleaning and organizing but, I always feel my house is messy and unorganized. I feel like I have so much to do but, nothing gets done. So, I am going to dedicate more time to help me prioritize and organize my life so I can have a better life and a better me. I will keep you posted..now what to do first??..

THANKFUL

2010-11-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

Its getting closer to Christmas and even CLOSER to Thanksgiving. It has obviously been awhile since my last blog but, Im still here. I have reflected today on what I am grateful for and wanted to share it since...well...it only seems appropriate since we are in November:).

1. I am thankful for my Heavenly Father who has loved and blessed me with all that I am thankful for and continues to guide me to be a good person.

2. I am EVER so thankful for my loving and supporting husband. He has been one of gods greatest gifts to me and I love him more than anyone in the world(ok, close tie with my children). He loves me so much and I couldnt have asked for a better husband. He never doubts me (unless were arguing of course..hehe), he has faith in me and never lets me down(taking out the garbage, doesnt count in this;). Ok, on a serious note..I REALLY could not ask for a better husband, he is loving, caring, funny,strong, smart and a loving father to my children.

3. My children. My two daughters are the happiest blessings in my life. They make life worth while. I enjoy watching them grow, hugging them, talking to them,spending time with them and I am just so happy to have them in my life. Life wouldnt be as happy without them. Alexia is so kind, loving and funny. She is one of the funniest kids ive seen, she has such a unique and humerous personality. She is a bright,beautiful and caring kid.
Lacey on the other hand...J/K. Lacey is very quick and whitty. She is such a pretty girl and strong willed. She is caring and fun to be around. I love to sing songs with her and tuck her in at night. She is mommy's baby.

4. My family. I love my Mother,Father, Sisters and Brothers. I am lucky to have them in my life. They, out of ALL people are there when I need them. I love them all so very much. I am glad to have them in my life.

5. Friends. I couldnt live without my girlfriends and boyfriends(sorry mark..lol j/k). My friends are wonderful!! They are my added family. They are there when I need to talk and have always helped when needed. They are all here for me and my family in different ways and I am grateful for them and love them all.

6. Job. I am grateful to be employed at a wonderful company, that allows me to work part time so I can be a better mother. I am grateful for the flexibility and care they have for me as an employee and I am grateful to have a job to help with finances in life.

7. LIFE: I am grateful for LIFE. I am grateful for the smells, the day and the night, the good and the bad, the hot and the cold, the changing of the seasons, the technology and People.

I am grateful for many other blessings in my life as well. These were just SOME of my thoughts. I just wanted everyone to know, that life IS a BLESSING. We don't know if tomorrow will come, so cherish everyone and everything you have, TODAY.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Halloween Fun

2010-10-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

I went to the Corn Maze last night with all my young women. It was so fun, I felt like a kid again. I haven't been to the corn maze since Alexia was about 3 or 4 (it was on 78th and Bangerter..wow that makes me sound old..reminiscing). But, I had a blast. We broke into groups and our group named ourselves the ghostbustettes. Young girls are so creative, I LOVE it! The Haunted maze was the funnest. Jenn, the YW president is awesome she cracks me up. I laughed sooo hard and loved to see everyone having such a great time. Happy Halloween everyone!

Just a thought...

2010-09-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it is fall again.. and I'm still wondering where the year went. I cant quite seem to grasp the reality of life flies by way too fast and then SMACK! it hits me right in the face. I am still trying to find my purpose and a good way to enjoy the time I have in life. I dont know if I over annalyze or I am just simply a little crazy? However, everyone seems to be more organized in their daily chaos and structured on lifes path more that I. Bleh..will I ever get there. Will I ever feel like I know where I am going or where I want to be? or how about just know where I am!?! What am I missing? Maybe its just something thats not really there.

Family Time

2010-08-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

I had a busy but, GREAT weekend. Saturday, I took the girls school shopping. It was nice to hang with my beautiful girls for a girls day out. I love school shopping with them. It's so fun to see their style and watch it change as they grow. However, I do miss picking out their clothes and dressing them. (sometimes its hard to watch what they want, compared to what I want for them) But, I want them to be independent and shine so..Momma will step back (as long as its age appropriate of course). I loved school shopping when I was young. School shopping meant the beginning of a new school year with new chances to make new friends, new clothes for a new me and a new grade with new teachers for a new beginning to a new chapter. I still love it! Not to mention, it means FALL is right around the corner. :). I also visited with my FAVORITE Grandma in the WORLD. My dads mother. I love her so much and she means the world to me. Then as we were arriving home, my mother called and said she was bringing her Father to visit me. My FAVORITE Grandpa in the WORLD. He lives in California so, I don't get to see him often. Man, was that a GREAT day!! Both of these grandparents are a big part of who I am today and I have a huge space in my heart that will always be...JUST for them. Sunday, was a little crazy. I ran 3 Miles while the girls rode their bikes. P.S. to myself..NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. Also, I chose the worst part of the day to go. If its not before 10, I'M NOT GONNA! HMPH. At 5:00pm we had a BBQ at my Aunt Dana and Uncle Terry's house. The WHOLE family was there. All of my cousins, Aunts and Uncles. Its a rare occasion we all get together on my mom's side. Usually we get together around Christmas. I wish it was more often, I enjoy it. But, the occasion was the presence of my FAVORITE Grandpa! Which is a wonderful reason. I loved seeing everyone and catching up. We played Red Rover with all of the kids and adults(kids at heart) my wrist got sprained but, I had a wonderful time. Even though we are all very busy with our daily life's and immediate family, its nice to see everyone come together. Although its not as often as I would like..I feel blessed that it still happens. Love you all.

APPRECIATION FOR MY LAST CHAPTER, ANTICIPATION FOR MY NEW CHAPTER

2010-08-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

I am so..so.. so very EXCITED!! 2 weeks from today, I am FINALLY going to be a very long awaited PART TIMER!! Now, I know all you moms know what I am going through. Being a mother of children and holding down a full time job is challenging and VERY VERY tiring. (Although it didn't seem as hard, before I was a stay at home mom)I wonder if that softened me? or if it is because my kids were younger?..hmm). Either way, I had to go back to work 2 years ago. Since then I have patiently awaited for our goal time of me being a part timer. YAY!!! Its here! Lacey is now going to school full time and so.. I get to go part time :). Sounds backwards!?! However, I have been very blessed while I have been away at work to have the BEST babysitter in the world. (K trying to keep the tears back) I am SO VERY VERY VERY grateful for Lindsey. She has taken care of my kids for the last 2 years and has exceeded any expectations I could have ever had for someone taking care of my children. I was so scared when I had to leave my babies, to go back to work. I prayed for help and my prayers were answered. Lindsey has hugged, loved, laughed,cried and cared for my babies the way I would have. I never worried about them while I was gone, and I have made it through. I cannot express my appreciation enough. I was blessed for her to come in my life and I will never forget what she has done for me and my family. I love you Lindsey. Thank you so much for everything. Yah..I'm bawling my bloody eyes out!!

Mill Hollow

2010-07-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

As I sit her tonight I wonder, where has the time gone? Why does it go so fast? Did I use my time wisely? Did I teach her right? I feel as though all of my 9 years,13days and 12 hours with her has been a blink in my eyes and is about to be tested in the next two days. Everything I have taught her in the next 56 hrs. Have I taught her well? Have I given her the foundation she needs thus far in life to build this little bit on her own? Have I instilled the values she needs to choose the right? Have I shown her enough love and praise to enable her confidence so that she can be her? Aaaahhhh where are my baby steps? I have had them so long..and now it is as if she is JUMPING out of my world into her own.

Alexia Bree Mortensen

My first born. She is a beautiful, fun loving, soft hearted young lady. Her teachers comment on how kind hearted she is and that she is nice to everyone. She is the funniest girl! She has the cutest personality and the funniest yet sarcastic humor. She plays tricks on me all of the time(and they work). She worries of others feelings and tries hard to please. She likes soccer and loves to hang out with her family and friends and loves to swim. I cant say I could pick a better child if I had gotten to choose(so good thing that wasn't in my hands:) ). I love her very dearly and she amazes me every day.

Even though I cant help but reminisce about our past and worry about what life will bring her in the future, I know I am doing my best and that she is loved more than anything in this world. I am so proud of her. Even though the next 56 hours will be hard and worrisome.. in reality this is still a baby step, just bigger than I'm used to. After all is said and done, she will come home for me to hug and continue to guide. For now, I will just remeber she will ONLY be 2 days older.

GIRLS CAMP

2010-07-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

This past Thursday,I went to girls camp with the YW. It was sooo much fun. I am really glad I had the opportunity to go. I am overwhelmed with joy and feel so very blessed to be in the calling for Young Womens. I feel like this is my time as well as the YW. They teach me sooo much(maybe even more than I teach them)It sounds a little silly but, I never got to experience these kinds of things when I was younger. I NEVER went to any camps or activies(not just YW. ANY activities). I feel I missed out on alot in my teenage years. I dont want to say that its my parents fault however, now that I have children...I sometimes wonder why?? Why didn't my parents invest time in me? Why didnt they invest time in finding out the things in life I was good at or that would be good for me or that I would enjoy.. and help me to pursue them? I now cant help but wonder if my history would have been different if they were more involved or guided me more on the straight and narrow path. Or if I would be a different person? Either way, I guess you cant change the past and it has of course made me who I am today. I love me and I love my life now and wouldnt change it for ANYTHING!! I just couldnt help but think as I was there with all of the 50 or so YW this weekend that I shouldve been more involved with my spiritual side,good friends and good wholesome activities when I was younger. I guess I now know what I WILL do for my children. I had so much fun though. I learned new games and songs, got to get to know the girls on more of a personal level,laughed, ate,and cried. This ONE trip has changed my life in the simplest yet biggest ways. I AM NOT AFRAID OF TEENAGERS. I actually enjoy them..so I think I will be more prepared when my girls are there(I really used to be deathly afraid of them, I wasnt sure how to interact with them..it maybe had something to do with my teenage years), I HAVE A MORE CLEAR VISION ON THE KIND OF PARENT I WILL BE TO MY GIRLS, I GOT TO ENJOY THE TIMES I MISSED(almost helps fill a void),I WAS ABLE TO GET TO KNOW ALL OF THE BEAUTIFUL YW IN MY CLASS AND TO SEE HOW SPECIAL THEY ARE IN THEIR OWN WAYS AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.. I HAD FUN!!!

THAT TIME OF THE YEAR!!

2009-08-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

I love Back to School time!!! To me its the beginning of the best time of the year. FALL!! I get all warm and fuzzy inside thinking of it.

1. The temperature outside will drop soon.
2. The smell of fall will come
3. The leaves will change colors
4. My house feels cozier
5. I get to put on the yummy smelling fall candles
6. Fall cleaning starts (so my walls and carpet will be all fresh again)
7. The Holiday's are drawing near...AAAHHH I cant stand it!! ha ha (I know I'm crazy)

I absolutely love this time of year. There is nothing better than the months of August to December. I am a sucker for all of the Decor and holidays its not even funny. Oh ya baby! I do, do all the corny holiday stuff all the way down to the hot cocoa and marshmallows.(If I could sing I WOULD be caroling)Baking in the kitchen is even better!! LOOVVE IIT!! I swear its all worth to live in the other half of the year .. just to have every fall feel so great!! Don't get me wrong now my friends, I do like spring and summer. However, as soon as December is over I wish I could skip to April. I guess you always have to take the good with the bad.

Sincerely,
FALL for Fall

WHO'S BUSINESS IS IT ANYWAY

2009-07-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

OH MY!! If tension or looks could name me the WORST PARENT IN THE WORLD..I think I would be one. Ok, just so that you are all "Filled In"..YES I let my children drink caffeinated drinks! NO, I do not let them have it all of the time..NO, I do not think it is great for them but, I do think there is worse things I could do as a parent and I am pretty sure they will have caffeine in there lives whether they are 5,8,13 or 25, or whether its from me or not from me. YES, it is limited (not that its your business)YES,I am a mother who thinks it is ok to let them have a little soda here or there. I mean come on!! I know your supposed to lead by example.. But lets be honest, (quit being fake for appearances or worries of being judged) you know we parents have a license to be a hypocrite. I am just sayin! I am honest enough to admit my bads. I pick and chose my battles and occasional soda is not one I want to worry about. But, my problem is the people who think it is there business and want to express why its wrong!! I DON'T CARE!! I think ITS WRONG your acting like your such a perfect parent that you think you can look down at someone who does something a little different than you. Don't tell me you haven't given your kids chocolate. And if your not a parent..honey you don't have place to talk because, being a parent is harder than you think.

2009-06-30T14:29:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wonder why things happen and if they happen for a reason. I have never questioned.. EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. The question in my mind is..for what reason and WHY?? In January of 2009 I lost 2 people in my life that was very important to me. Not to a traggic accident or any situation that took them off this earth(unimaginable-thank goodness), but out of my life.. gone!! No more relationship!!. Two people who meant so much to me. Two of the most important people in my life. I loved them very much and was devastated with the loss. In January 2009, I lost was my mother in law. Family problems that I had no control over ended our relationship. In April 2009.. my best friend. I have known her since the 3rd grade. She was everything to me and I didnt show her that. I didnt appreciate her the way I should have and I took for granted having her there. The loss I endured in my life was great. I had to take life day by day. Daily I prayed and wondered "Why Me?" Why did this happen to me? It was.. officially the worst year of my life. I dedicated the next year of my life to find out who I was and learn to love me for me and my life for what it was and embrace what I do have because, if I cant do that..then what is my life about..who am I? I was not going to take what I did have left in my life for granted. I still have alot to learn but, I have time to grow into it. That year did help me. Now both of the women I lost are back in my life..not exactly the way they were, but they are. I cannot help to wonder for what reason and why? Is it simply because I needed to appreciate what I have in my life.. or is there more?? Either way..I know I am blessed and life happens for a reason.

OWED TO GETTING OLDER

2009-05-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Today is my Birthday, I am 28 years old. Its funny how I have changed in 1 year. Last year when I was turning 27 I thought the 'youngness' of my life was ending. (only 3 more years and I will be 30!! AAAAHH) I had a hard time with it. I wasnt even happy it was going to be my birthday. I just knew right then, that growing up was going to be hard to do. Funny..now I am 28 and I dont feel a day older than 27. For some reason, I am not afraid to grow up. (What the heck happened??) Even though I dont feel older, I know I have learned and grown tremendously as a person in wich is owed to getting older. This year I want to learn more about myself, grow into and learn who I am, and who I am going to be. ENJOY GETTING OLDER!!! I would assume your are supposed to know who you are and what your about before you have kids, start a family and turn 30. But that wasnt me..I didnt think about it.. until now. I guess you do get wiser with age and I love every bit of it.

2009-03-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I officially dont know what I'm doing. I have stared at this computer for the last 45 minutes trying to figure out this blogging world(new to me of course), and still have not come to what people say is an obvious conclusion. My next step will be to get a picture on here..finding out how to get it off my phone will be another adventure. Anyways, apparently I have figured out how to add a blog and thought that by making this my 1st step, it will make me fill a bit more successful.