Doing the RIGHT thing!

Rachel found a $100 bill in the COSTCO parking lot.

She turned it in.

(Thanks to Ron for helping her do the RIGHT thing!)

On July 15, she got a call.

It was COSTCO.

No one had claimed the money...and it was hers!

After some thought,

she decided to use the money to redecorate her room!

I took her shopping to MY

favorite store...HOME GOODS!

She found the comforter she wanted right away!

But it was too much money...

so we decided to go look in the CLEARANCE section.

They had THE EXACT same comforter, (two of them)

for $45 cheaper!

Wow...what a deal!

And what a blessing for DOING THE RIGHT THING!

So we took down all the old stuff...

and the GIRLS had an idea!

And I couldn't stop their entrepreneurial spirit!

They wanted to do a

GIRLS ONLY YARD SALE!

So I did a quick email...to the ladies of QUEEN CREEK FRIENDS

and the girls went outside to sell their stuff!

However, it was 110 degrees outside...

so they made do with a splash PARTY and invited friends to join along!

I'm sure these TWO really do LOVE each other!

SOLD everything (but a yellow pillow)

Way to go girls!

Katie's TURN!

When Katie heard I had visited JACOB for lunch,

she informed me it was,

HER TURN!

Lunch with her scheduled...lunch with her complete!

My older kids are now scheduling lunch dates with me as well! I have a feeling I will be at the school A LOT this year! :)

"That was LONG!"

Upon arrival at the end of the school day,

I asked Jacob about his first day.

My voice was filled with excitement and enthusiasm

until he announced,

"That was LONG!"

The excitement and lack of fear from earlier in the day was

GONE!

He was tired, cranky and worn out!

Later that night when it was time for bed

I told him he would need to get lots of rest for school...

he started crying and informed me he would not be going back to school!

Then after a few hugs and kisses,

he said he would go to school,

BUT....just "HALF of it!"

This morning he was still telling me the same thing!

"No school!"

So I promised I would meet him for lunch and would bring a treat!

Jacob told me after I took this picture, "No more pictures!"

He told me school was much better now that I had shown up!

He also wants me to do it EVERYDAY!

Disclaimer: A 5-year old took the picture of Jacob and I. Pretty darn good I thought!

New School Year...Surprising Feelings

Today was the FIRST day of school 2009-2010

Christopher started 7th grade, Rachel 5th, Katie 3rd and Jacob Kindergarten.

I have looked forward to this day since Christopher started kindergarten 8 years ago.

I was so excited when they announced it would be all day kindergarten I literally

started JUMPING up and down.

But I have had some surprising feelings in the last two days.

I will MISS my kids a lot.

We had such a GREAT summer and they are GROWING up so fast.

I worried dropping Jacob off in class today whether the

BIG world out there

would take the innocence away of his YOUTH.

Would they take care of him...would he know where to find his lunch...would they know how to make him feel better when he was feeling sad...would they know when to send him to the bathroom?

I started to CRY.

He wanted me to leave...he was playing LEGOS and assured me he was fine.

Sometimes we wish for things to happen and then when they do...

we wish we hadn't wished so hard!

I assured the teacher I could be back at 10:30 for lunch if he needed help!

She promised she would call me if he needed me.

We moms are funny creatures ourself...aren't we?

All because of the LOVE we have for our children.

Christopher is DONE taking "First day of school pictures!"

Rachel my cute 5th grader!

Katie my cute 3rd grader!

Jacob my cute Kindergartner!

Rachel was so excited to walk Jacob to class!

Jacob was so EXCITED...no fear at all!

Katie's best friend and neighbor - Bailey

Rachel is a little nervous this year...she has some girls that were mean to her last year in her class! We are praying for a better outcome this year!

Ron had the opportunity to give all the children "Father's Blessings" before school started!

Jacob was so excited to have his "first" before the school year blessing that he RAN to get the chair and then folded his arms and closed his eyes so he could be first.

Ron gave all of them a HUG and KISS afterwards and Jacob gave him the BIGGEST hug of all.

I absolutely LOVE these children I was blessed with to RAISE.

Good luck to each one of you this year!

By the way, I'm REALLY proud of ALL of you!

LUCKY us!

The kids and I were

LUCKY ENOUGH

to spend our last week of summer vacation at the Beach.

Thanks to my good friend Jamie who invited us to stay at her parents home in

Riverside, CA.

That gave us the opportunity to go to the BEACH

for the entire day...and the best part?

Britni, Hailee and Leo got to join us!

Jamie also invited our great friends the Christensens' to come too!

So what do you get with

11 kids, 3 moms, 1 step daughter and 2 grandbabies?

A 3 day trip of fun, craziness, laughter, seashells, boogie boarding and so much more!

This hammock became the ultimate JUNGLE gym. The kids spent hours on this thing!

Jacob and Nathan NEVER spent time apart.

We started our day at the BEACH having lunch at Ruby's Diner on the Pier.

These two boys make my heart melt. One of my favorite pictures!

Hailee is the sweetest, funniest and friendliest little grandbaby.

She even gave her Grandma Jana a wet kiss...such a cutie!

Leo didn't LOVE his trip to the beach...but he does LOVE his mommy!

Saying GOODBYE...to these cute grandbabies is hard. They grow up so fast!

The kids had so much fun digging holes looking for seashells...and their favorite CRABS!

Our oldest 4 kids spent HOURS boogie boarding.

Christopher's sunburn on his back proves it! OUCH!!

11 kids and 3 moms, 5 crabs and one boogie board

I think we have started a NEW tradition!?! What do you think Jamie! :)

Happy Birthday to my SWEETHEART!

We enjoyed a NICE dinner at PF Chang's with our good friends!

My Sweetheart turned 48 last week!

A birthday letter to follow:

Dear Sweetheart,

Yesterday while spending much needed ALONE time with you at the lake, as you were hugging me...my thoughts turned to HOW great my life has become. I came up with the following reasons.
1. The love you give me is NATURAL and not forced.
2. The love you give me is UNCONDITIONAL and not for show.
3. You help me see that I am "better than I think I am".
4. You make me want to be "better than I think I can".
5. You don't just EAT my cooking cause you have too...you actually LIKE my cooking!
6. You thank me EVERYTIME I do the laundry!
7. You watch "chick flicks" with me and don't complain!
8. You love my children...the way I LOVE them.
9. You provide for me and my children...lovingly and without complaint.
10. You have brought me BACK to my roots...reminding me that I'm a country girl at heart!

I sometimes want to PINCH myself and wonder why I am getting to LIVE this wonderful life with you. I adore you and everything about you.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Lovingly,

Your wife,
Jana

Polynesian Dance Camp...

I must explain how something so little brought so much JOY.

About two weeks ago I received an email from a lady in my ward who explained that she was doing a Polynesian dance camp at her house for the week of July 20th-July 24th and the week would end with a Luau where the girls would perform the dances they had learned for the week.

I wanted my GIRLS to have this wonderful opportunity...but we've had to make a lot of "sacrifices" lately.

So with money an obstacle...and the girls with their dad the night of the Luau I had decided not to do it!

But I had this NAGGING feeling to just...DO IT!

So we DID!

The girls came home so excited and couldn't wait to share all that they were learning!

And by Wednesday we discovered they would be at the Luau after all.

And that changed EVERYTHING!

We had SO much fun getting them ready to perform Friday night,

and being able to see the PURE joy on my girls faces...

well that was PRICELESS

and of course it made me CRY!

You know the feeling you get as a parent when you know you've done something really right for your kids?

Well I had that feeling...and I knew we had made the right choice.

And the performances?

Well they were AMAZING...check it out!

I LOVE being a Mom to these girls!

My girls are always FIRST in line for the food.

Rachel's dance number - back row on the left!

Katie's Dance (sorry she was behind the girl in front and I couldn't get a good view of her most of the time!)

They did this song for the FINALE and sang it beautifully so I had to post it!

Finding Winter in 100 degree HEAT...

Our GOOD friends the Economou's found us a way

to get out of our 100+ degree HEAT

when they signed us up for a day of ICE SKATING!

Ron and I hadn't been for YEARS...and well my kids had never been.

Hence, JACOB grasping onto the wall!

Seriously, I am depriving these children of FUN! :)

Rachel is ALWAYS willing to get her "groove" on.

Katie on the other hand prefers to keeping it COOL!

Meanwhile, Jacob takes lessons from me!

This little "man" really TRUSTS me...

and goes out on his own to show me his skills!

Meanwhile, Matthew

shows us all how it's done,

even giving Ron a lesson or two!

And when it was all said and done...

THEY CAME LOOKING FOR ME....OUTSIDE!

(I had seriously cold hands and feet!)

Disclaimer: Christopher was not "LEFT OUT" of the fun...he was away at Scout Camp.