OUR wall transformation

We have been inspired to TRANSFORM our hallway...

into our

FAMILY ORGANIZATION

space!

I'm happy to say that after lots and lots of thought...

and even MORE planning,

we created a SPACE that is not only

FUNCTIONAL

but into a space we LOVE!

Ever since we moved into our house...

THREE

years ago...

we have had problems with storage and function.

With the kids constantly storing

their backpacks in the LIVING room for easy

grab and go

every morning for school...

we knew our space needed to start with a PLACE for everyone

to hang backpacks and jackets!

Secondly,

I wanted a place for kids schoolwork, invitations, reminders, etc.

I also wanted it to be a space where I could

hang pictures of the ones we LOVE!

Thirdly,

I needed a space to keep our MONTHLY calendar.

I'm learning how BUSY we all our and we needed a place to keep

track of it all.

Lastly,

I wanted a space to put my Shopping list and MEAL plans!

Sounds like I needed a BIG space with some BIG ideas!

So I totally FREAKED the man out at 

Magma Engineering when I ordered a 5' x 4' piece of sheet metal!

But I think the final result...

turned out amazing and I can't wait for our family to be better

ORGANIZED!

Disclaimer:  I would love some FUN pictures of our grandkids...hint, hint!!  :)

It pays...to get GOOD grades!

Katie...

did it AGAIN!

She got good grades...and she deserved a reward!

Since Ron and I were planning our ANNUAL

(yes, we've decided to make this an annual event)

SKI TRIP

to beautiful Sunrise Ski Resort

and Katie had just brought home,

a stellar report CARD...
I suggested to RON we bring Katie along!

 

AND of course, RON can't say NO to this GIRL!

They have something special!

So after a quick trip to Sports Authority...

(since we live in ARIZONA and don't really have winter clothes)

we took off for Pinetop/Lakeside, AZ.

I love this quaint little community up in the WHITE mountains of Arizona.

Katie loved snuggling between Ron and I while we watched TV late into the night...

meanwhile, I enjoyed some DANCING...

to which Katie thought I was CRAZY!

But the best part was spending...

yet another day...

doing something I absolutely LOVE...

on an absolutely beautiful day...

with the people I love the MOST! 

 

Katie is such a SWEET, KIND and pretty much PERFECT kid

in every way...

that despite her absolute FEAR of falling... 

she ROCKED it SKIING...

and we can't wait to take her again!

Postscript:  Christopher was able to go snowboarding with friends two weeks prior to us going and I can't wait to get the pictures...which I will post as soon as I get some!  And not to have Rachel feel left out...she leaves for Disneyland with her Color Guard in two weeks!  I've got some BUSY kids...which is why I've become a BUSY momma!

2011 - New Year...New Resolutions

 
(My wonderful family on Thanksgiving at Nana's house)
Wow...what happened to 2010?

I'm sad that I'm NOT doing a BETTER job

at keeping up on my BLOG.

It is my "poor excuse" at Family History and Journaling....

it is all I've GOT and 

something is better than nothing...right?!?

I do have a lot of GOOD excuses:

1.  I'm a Full-TIME wife

2.  I'm a Full-TIME mom

3.  I'm a Full-Time (plus) employee

4.  I'm a Full-Time cook

5.  I'm a Full-Time house cleaner

6.  I'm a Full-Time decorator/organizer

7.  I'm a Full-Time taxi driver and scheduler

You get the picture?

I'm BUSY and STRESSED

and something is gotta give!

So during the last few weeks I've made a VERY important

decision!

I'm taking time out to learn how to be a better mom...

thanks to a great book called,

"Christlike Parenting"

which I highly recommend.

I'm taking time out to LOVE my husband again!

I'm finding activities that are enjoyable for our whole family!

Lastly, I have just one client...

the others are GONE as of January 1st...

Yippee!

So onward I go...

hoping 2011 will be all I want it to BE and all I make it out to BE!

Building STRONG friendships...

 

Building good friendships with others is SUPER important to me!

When we moved to Queen Creek 3.5 years ago...

having my kids find GOOD friends was one of my top priorities!

While I was growing up,

I made SEVERAL great relationships that I still have today...

Those relationships helped me stay ACTIVE in the church,

develop characteristics that would help me be a good friend,

and helped me be the WOMAN I am today.

GIRLS especially need each other...

so imagine how GREAT it is that my cute girlie daughters..

have found those type of friends.

During FALL break we had a WARD campout

in the beautiful PINES of Arizona.

I took the opportunity to do a "brief" photoshoot...

with these amazing GIRLS!

Rachel's AGE group loves to be SILLY...

and are always UP for taking pictures!

Katie's AGE group had MORE fun hiking and playing...

than in taking PICTURES!

One things for sure...

THESE girls are the BEST!

Fall BREAK...beach style!

You can not go to CALIFORNIA...

without going to the BEACH!

It doesn't seem to matter that it is only 60 degrees outside!

or that the WATER is way too COLD!

It just matters...

that us ARIZONIANS...love the BEACH!

So on our 2nd day in California we had to spend time,

building sandcastles,

looking for sand dollars,

swirling seaweed above our heads,

or just plain "chillin" (literally).

And of COURSE...

you have to eat SEAFOOD at Joe's Crabshack...yum!

JACOB loved the seaweed...til he HIT himself with it!

And LASTLY...

our (free) ROOM with a VIEW!

 Goodbye...San Diego...until next time...

WE WILL MISS YOU!

Laughing all the WAY through Fall BREAK!

I can not believe that

FALL BREAK

is almost over.

We have had such an amazing week...

I'm so grateful to my family for helping me LAUGH

all the way through it!

The girls started the week...

at a CAKE decorating class at Joann's.

The rEsUlts were nothing short of aMAzing!

We didn't stick around LONG...

we were OFF to SEAWORLD and San Diego!

They REALLY do LOVE each other!

(This photo was there idea too...yippee for me!)

We FELL in love with this Walrus...

Jacob LOVES his mommy...and tells me that OFTEN!

Mommy LOVES all her kids!

and I loved it that my KIDS wanted to ride all the RIDES...

but you've got to LOVE Katie's face in this picture!

The FACT is that she RODE it all THREE times...the only one to do it EVERY time!

Jacob RODE it too...

but soon figured out it was more FUN getting WET running

away from the RIDE!

I love the FACT that at SEAWORLD so many things are 

HANDS on!

and that you ARE never too old to have some FUN!

Way to go kids...you are AMAZING and so much 

FUN to hang with! 
Postscript...this is only takes us through day 2 of our week long adventures.  Stay tune for more Fall Break fun.

JUMPING into TEN!

Cutie Kate...

as I like to call her...

TURNED the good ole' age of TEN!

She sat down with me and TOLD me exactly what she

wanted me to do for her birthday.

1.  Bring Donuts (not cake-she hates cake) into class

2.  Do not bake a CAKE at all!

3.  She wanted Panda Express brought into school for lunch.

4.  She wanted French Toast for breakfast.

5.  She wanted Chicken Enchiladas for dinner.

6.  She wanted a birthday party with friends at Jump Street.

7.  She wanted MONEY only for presents!

8.  Never mind....she will take perfume and lotion, too!

So because we ALL love her so much...

we made it ALL happen!

 

 

On your mark...

 

get set....

JUMP!

 To my beautiful 10-year old little KATIE...

Happy Birthday!

Start each DAY with a smile....

As my life returns back to NORMAL...

I'm learning that my

day begins with a SIMPLE expression...

A SMILE!

I'm smiling because things that I used to do...

like taking a bath,

walking down stairs,

going pee pee (without pain),

and of course...

spending time with my family...

doing all the FUN things we used to do...

are FINALLY happening again!

And I love to hear people saying,

"We've got Jana back!"

So when Ron and Cameron had last Friday off of work...

I couldn't wait to JUMP back on the boat!

They got to FISH...

I got to READ !

(Okay I didn't read...we were having so much fun talking!) 

Ron was having fun FISHING...

 

Cameron is always just FUN!

 

I sure LOVE these two boys!

 

I love the way they LOVE each other and 

LOVE being around each other! 

I find myself now thinking of FIRSTS!

(meaning... my firsts since my medical crap began)

This was my FIRST time to be back on the boat!

This was my FIRST time to wear my cute NEW (not so new now!) boating hat!

This was my FIRST time to get back into my swimsuit!

This was my FIRST time to see my weight loss in a picture!

This was my FIRST time to see a SMILE back on my face!

And it was the FIRST time that I began to FEEL

alive again!

I will always look at my life differently now..

and treasure each day,

by starting each day with a SMILE knowing that

I'm alive!