CHEERS...

No MORE summer…

Yippee!!

Yes, we FINALLY got to turn off our A/C

Not after suffering through a 95 degree
Football GAME…which we LOST!
(Good luck next time Giants!)



Yes, that was November 1…

I thought it would never end…

No more HIGH utilities bills…

No more swimming…well, at least not until the polar plunge in December!






No worries though…

Summer is only 3 months away!!

Brandon's Day

It was my STEPSON’S
23rd birthday…



YESTERDAY!

Happy Birthday Brandon!

WE love you!!!

Come What May, And Love It

My Mom told me about Elder Wirthlin's General Conference Talk,
to HELP me while I had been LAMENTING,

WHY ME?

to an exceptionally difficult trial I am facing...

Boy are MOM'S inspired!

In the talk, it listed ways that we can REACT to adversity.

The FIRST...Learn to Laugh!

So I found that WE do laugh...and that we are quite GOOD at it...

 

Laughter!

 

This one makes me LAUGH...
(You have to know JACOB to understand!)

 

Shayla makes you want to LAUGH...

More Laughter...

 

Fun Laughter...

Lots of Love Laughter...

Fall on your butt (literally) Laughter...

He's REALLY laughing...can't you tell!

Now...do you feel better?

I DO!

Behind the Scenes

 

I found this PICTURE today while finding a topic to POST!

I BURST out laughing...I had never noticed what was going on BEHIND THE SCENES
of the object of my photo.

Look! Do you SEE it?

Are you laughing yet???

I am...


Unless your children don't ACT like this (yea right!)

AND you are MORTIFIED...

I THINK I will stick with the LAUGHTER!

Blog Therapy

I Love to go Walking with a FRIEND.
I Call it Talk Therapy.
I LOVE discussing all life’s complicated and sometime’s uncomplicated issues.
(I MEAN we are WOMEN and we might just want to talk about HAIR or SHOES!)
I FIND it refreshing to be able to express all my THOUGHTS of the day while enjoying the Outdoor’s (unless its 95 degrees in November!)
and a GOOD friend’s company.
AND the EMOTIONAL benefit…well it’s FREE!

NOW things have changed – and I don’t walk much anymore…
But life still has those funny complications
AND now instead of one GOOD friend I have MANY…
SO I share MY highlights (and sometimes lowlights) of my day
IN my BLOG.
I call it Blog Therapy.

HAPPY BLOGGING EVERYONE!
(It keeps me sane or at least I think so!!)

Perfect Night

It was one of those perfect SUNDAY nights,
When spending time with my family, walking to the park to play catch with the KIDS,
or playing Mexican TRAIN,

that I contemplate how GOOD life has become;

With Ron getting the best of BOTH worlds
(notice Sunday night football on in the background!Hee!)

When Katie (whose only 8) becomes SMARTER than me
at a GAME I taught her;

When Christopher's SUGAR high (too much trick or treat candy in the house)
IS more entertaining than ANNOYING!

And the FINAL score is PARENTS lose and Kids Win;
That I say to myself


"one PERFECT night down; MANY more to come!"

Halloween Highlights!

Napoleon=SUMMER Pedro=RACHEL


Beat up U of A Fan=GARRETT Christopher=(again)CHRISTOPHER


Christopher=CHRISTOPHER Ron=RON


Can you believe this SUNSET?


Best Costumes of the night = The HANSON's

Toof Fairy Park

TODAY's Highlights included:

1. Rachel's own version of CRAZY sock day! This GIRL is so dang creative!




2. Nursing JACOB's banged up toe! (And no, this is not his big TOE - just looks like it!) Looking in HIS eyes to tell him I LOVE HIM + Kissing HIS OUHIE and Him telling me back with one of those great BIG huggies = CONFIRMATION that I love this time alone with him and I wouldn't trade this MOTHERHOOD thing for NOTHING!



3. TEXTING my Sweet Husband to tell him how much I love HIM!

4. Spending the whole day in my PAJAMA's - Knowing I didn't have to go ANYWHERE or see anyone the WHOLE day. (Of course, someone always stops by unexpected! UGH!)

5. Cleaning MY house after COMPANY leaves and LOVING how good it feels.

6. TAKING the Girls to Activity Day's for the Halloween PARTY! Laughing so HARD at Rachel and Summer and there versions of Napoleon Dynamtie and Pedro! Wondering where Rachel got the Drama GENE!?!



7. JACOB begging me to take him to the "TOOF FAIRY" park - or our version of the TWO Story Park!





8. SPENDING Quality time with my husband - AFTER the kids go to bed!

My Sister's Special Day

Everyone Should Have A Sister - or Two!

I'm Lucky Enough to Have One!

Even though we are 7 years and 2 months apart (yes-I'm the older and wiser sister!Hee!) we have been BEST friends for years!

We shared a bedroom and a bed - and would stay up late (much to mom's chagrin) talking. I don't regret one late night and an almost impossible to get out of bed morning. It is because of this...that our relationship is strong.

It wasn't always this strong! There have been trials that have tested our friendship but never our LOVE.

Like, me going to COLLEGE and leaving her home alone with 5 brothers, three scary incidents and ALL the HOUSEHOLD chores.

Or, my first wedding day...ENOUGH said.

My DIVORCE...MORE enough said.

With these trials came a GREATER appreciation for EACH other and how SISTERS must stick together!

We have had JOYS!

Having our BOYS only 8 days apart. And through distance these two cousins are the BEST of friends. Just like there MOMS!

Watching your DAUGHTER be born! Wow - that is on my top 10 list!

Still wanting to TALK and share our lives...as often as our lives ALLOW!

So to you on this SPECIAL 30th Day - I Love You, I Applaud You, I Cherish You and am Grateful to call you SISTER!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY - SIS!!

More Baptism Pictures

Katie's primary teachers - Sis. Wilkins and Sis. Winsor


Grandad, Rachel and Katie


Grandma, Rachel and Katie


Katie with her bestest friends, Olivia, Jamiyson, Kaitlyn, Katie and McKenna
**Several months ago when discussing with Katie whether or not she wanted to have her baptism in her ward in Queen Creek or in Phoenix she told me she couldn't decide because she wanted her friends Olivia, Jamiyson and Kaitlyn to come to her baptism but she didn't think they would come to Queen Creek. I told her that I bet if we asked-they would come! And they did!! ALL IS WELL!

 

The family sadly without Ron or Jacob. Ron whose taking the picture and Jacob who wouldn't be in the picture. (Although if you look really closely he's hiding in the tree!!)

Before and After...

My SWEET little Katie was baptized in Queen Creek, Arizona.

On October 25, 2008 at 4 p.m.

It was a beautiful day - the weather has been warm.

Her Grandad and Grandma Jarvis arrive at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon. They fly into the airport 6 minutes from our house - SWEET!

We make it a special day - doing GIRLY stuff.

Her Before picture:



GIRLY TIME:




BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE:





Katie Lynn
You are beautiful inside and out!

The Beautiful Particulars

* 8 pounds 1 ounce of baby girl was born on October 23 at 10:18 p.m.

* Upon arrival you shocked everyone when you came with LOTS of brown curly hair and dark skin. (The dark skin came from the cord being wrapped around your neck!)

* After mom shed a few tears of joy, it is discovered that you have very long skinny fingers and a cute button nose.

* You couldn't wait to come into this world, you arrived after only 3.5 hours of labor. (A clear winner in this household!)

* After arriving in our room at 1:45 a.m., mom and I fell asleep together - both exhausted!

* Mom writes in her journal, "We snuggled and I thought she was an angel for letting me sleep! We spent most of our time together in the hospital alone and I thought it was so special!"

* We arrived home 2 days later on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

YOU WERE A GIFT!

Happy Birthday - Rachie!!

Honoring Rachel

It was my beautiful Rachel Marie's
10th birthday yesterday...