Design By JaNece

JaNece is one of my oldest friends. She and I did everything together in H.S. from sleepovers to church dances, from Seminary to sharing mixed tapes (does that date me or what?) and talking about boys we liked, drinking clear Pepsi (do any of you remember that? we thought that was the coolest!), and all other kinds of "girl stuff". She and I, recently, reconnected through our blogs. As a result, of our reconnection, she and I did a little swap . I sent her some adorable Vinyl Lettering, for her home (click HERE to see the lettering she ordered...her house is so cute!), and she sent me some of her adorable creations for me and my kids. Taylor and Luke wearing their new "Cute Covers"!

A nice "Toasty Tootsie" for me...and it smells REALLY good too!

AND, some personalized magnets to brighten my refrigerator!

To see more Design By JaNece visit her product Blog

or visit her Website!

Thank You, JaNece!

You're Gonna Miss This

These are moments I will miss...struggling to get the kids to sit still for pictures. During this particular picture shoot, Blake (unknown at the time) had an ear infection and Taylor wasn't feeling well (she threw up after we left). Of course, life wouldn't be the same unless Luke had Blake in a choke-hold!

This afternoon, I parked the car in front of Taylor's school, opened the door, so she could get out, gave her a big hug and kiss, told her I loved her and watched her walk back toward her kindergarten class. When I could see she was well on her way, I climbed back in the car, turned the radio on, and drove away.

As many of you know, I am a huge country music fan! Just as I turned the corner, a new song, by Trace Adkins, was introduced (and I really love him) so I turned the volume up. It was a song called, "You're Gonna Miss This." As I listened to the story, he told about a young, 18-year old, girl telling her mom she couldn't wait to be on her own, pay her own way, make her own rules, and her mom tells her, "you're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good days, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this."

Then, a few years later, this young girl is newly married, living in a small apartment, and her dad comes over to visit and she tells him how she can't wait to start a family and buy a house and he tells her, "you're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good days, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this"

Then, the story fast forwards and she has a plumber at the house fixing a broken water heater, one kid is screaming, the other is crying, the dog is barking, the phones ringing, and she keeps apologizing to plumber and he tells her it's o.k. and he understands. He goes on to tell her that his kids were once young like hers and now they're much older and then, of course, says, "you're gonna miss this! You're gonna want this back, you're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast, these are some good days, so take a good look around, you may not know it now, but you're gonna miss this!"

By the time I reached my driveway I was in tears. It really made me realize how much every moment really matters and how much time has already gone by so fast! Then, I started thinking about what type of things, in my life, I was "gonna" look back and miss and want back! Regardless of the trials or hard times these really are good days and ones I will look back and miss.

So, here is my list (well, at least a few) of things that I'm "gonna miss!"

• The way Blake says "doo-doo" (for choo-choo)
• The way Luke prefaces every sentence with "Mommy, you know what?"
• Taylor's stories where she sounds out her words. For instance, "war (where) can you fit (find) flawrs (flowers).
• Their prayers...they bless everything, even the Easter Bunny!
• Singing, cuddling, rocking, and kissing Blake before putting him in bed.
• Bedtime stories. Especially when we read the story, in the B.O.M, about Nephi slaying Laban, and Luke told us he doesn't want to ever read that book again because it's scary.
  
• Watching them eat ice cream and getting it all over their face.
• Hearing Luke sing the TransFormer song and talking to me over and over about autobots and decepticons.
• Doing braids, ponytails, topsytails, and curling Taylor's hair...because I know one day she won't let me.
• Watching them have compassion for one another and giving each other hugs and kisses.
• Luke and Taylor saying, "I love you, Mom."
• Kisses from Blake, especially when he makes the smacking sound with his lips.
• Blake's naked bum, legs, and tummy...he is still so chubby!
  
• And most of all, their playful giggles, smiles, and innocent ways...they are just so cute!

Take a moment and enjoy listening to this song on my playlist...it just might bring you to tears too!

Happy Easter!

Our little family after church.

Our little Princess

Taylor, Blake, and Luke

Our 3 Musketeers.

Our little Luke is getting so big, doesn't he look handsome?

Our funny boy, Blake!

Our Easter morning began at 5am. Taylor woke up for a drink and on her way back to bed stepped on an Easter Egg (left by the Easter bunny) and, from then on, was TOO excited to go back to sleep. For 2 1/2 hours, she kept coming into our room asking us if it was time to wake up. Finally, at 8am, everyone was awake and she could follow the easter egg trail, downstairs, to see what treasures the Easter Bunny left behind.

It was fun watching the kids hunt for their eggs and play with their new toys. After breakfast, Taylor colored at the table, while I cleaned up. Earlier in the week I had been painting and left a can of paint on the kitchen table. To make a long story short, I was making room for Taylor to color and forgot about the can of paint on the table and accidentally bumped the can and it spilled ALL OVER EVERYTHING! The paint splashed all over my curtains, table, chairs, floor, and flooded into a box that I had packed with old VHS movies and DVD's. Devon and I spent the next hour (or so) cleaning up a gallon of spilled paint and throwing away ruined movies and DVD's. Good thing we don't really watch VHS anymore and thank goodness for iPods.

Our church starts at 12:30 and at 11:45, the kids hadn't bathed and I had paint all over my arms, legs, EVERYWHERE! I finally rushed the kids upstairs to take a bath, got them dressed, and just as soon as Luke was dressed, he went downstairs to see what Devon was up to (in his new Easter clothes) and stepped in paint and got it on his new pants. He came upstairs for me to help him and I started to cry. As soon as I started to cry, he started to cry. I told him he wasn't in trouble and I was crying because I was having a bad day, not because I was mad at him. Devon and I hurried and showered and got dressed and we made it to church 20 minutes late!

This has definitely been an Easter to remember!!!

This is Blake chowing down on his Easter candy.

Proud Luke after he completed his egg hunt.

Taylor on the hunt for eggs.

Luke finding a very-well hidden egg. Good job, Luke!

Under Construction

This is Luke...It has been said that when you are a child, the front part of your brain (the part that makes decisions) is under construction and that is why they, often, make poor decisions.

Here is Luke's story and proof that the "decision-making part of his brain" is still "under construction!"

Now, does this picture look like anything fun to play with? To me, it doesn't, but when you are a 4-year old boy, and your name is Luke, it does. Luke saw this plug and thought, "hmmm, I wonder what would happen if I do this..."
He decided to stick a penny in-between the tiny slot that connects the plug to the outlet. Not very smart, but when your brain is "under construction," and you are a 4-year old boy, named Luke, everything seems like a good idea!
Here is what happens...you experience a large JOLT, the penny melts, and your outlet and plug are slightly charred.
Thank goodness Luke wasn't hurt. Luckily, the JOLT scared him enough to, hopefully, not do this EVER again, but, as you can tell, this is evidence that his brain is still "under construction."

My Baby Brother is 23!

Today is Michael's 23rd Birthday! I can't think of anything more appropriate than sharing a few of MY favorite memories of Michael for his birthday!

1. He had a Pound Puppy, named "Brownie", that he took everywhere. To tease him, we would call his puppy "Chocolate" and he would get really mad.
2. He would play his "Bitar" (guitar), which was a tennis racket, and dance and sing, "I was walkin' down the street singin' mony mony..."
3. I would wrestle him to the ground, pin him down, and pretend I was going to spit on him. I would let the spit drop until it almost touched his face and then slurp it back up. He HATED it, but I loved watching him squirm!
4. He was always a cuddly, happy boy.
5. He was obsessed with playing Sim City.
6. I would take him on numerous dates with me, and, on one occasion, he told me, in front of my date, that I had bad breath. I have never forgiven him for that!
7. While dating Devon, thinking it would be funny, he popped a pop rock in his ear. When Devon complained about the pain, Michael said: "Devon's the biggest baby I know!" Occasionally, Devon still experiences ringing in his ear.
8. Michael would make all kinds of interesting concoctions in the kitchen. One time, while making Jell-O, he added salt to the water to make it boil faster, and ended up with really salty Jell-O. Now, he is a much better Chef and I love eating his Key Lime Pie.
9. I'll never forget his funeral for Yertle the Turtle.
10. Most importantly, Michael loves his family! He always takes the time to call me and entertains me with weekly gossip from his life. He is thoughtful, kind, really good-looking, drives fast, has a great sense of humor, smart, loves his nieces and nephews, has expensive taste in restaurants, clothing and sunglasses. He is a very talented singer and performer and I am so proud that he is MY brother!

Happy, 23rd, Birthday Michael, I Love You!

It's My Dad's Birthday!

Today is my Dad's 52nd Birthday! In honor of my Dad, and this special day, I would like to share a few of my favorite memories about him and why I think he is so great! As you can tell, I was, and still am a Daddy's girl.

I loved to follow him around the yard while he mowed the lawn.

He gave the best underdog pushes on the swing.

I loved sitting on his lap, up on the stand, in church.

He would go pheasant hunting and show me how to pull the tendons on the birds foot to make it move.

He would bribe me, with a slurpee from 7-11, so that I would go with him to the dump on Saturdays.

He always warned me that if I pouted (let me lower lip pout out) that a bird would poop on my lip.

My lip never got pooped on from pouting, but my arm did, while, at the dump.

He always tooke me to Daddy daughter activities and made me feel like a princess.

While traveling, we would listen to Gloria Estefan, Afterglow, Neil Diamond, and Bread.

After deer hunting, he would always hang the deer up on my playhouse, to skin it, while all the neighborhood kids watched.

He looked smokin' hot in his BlueBlocker Sungalsses!

He took a chance and moved our family, out of our comfort zone, to California.

He taught me how to say "Damn It"

When I was little I asked him if he thought there would be sex in heaven, and he responded by saying: "I sure hope so!"

He taught me how to drive a stick shift and I have never recovered!

When hunting, with the boys, he likes to take pictures of dead animals holding empty beer cans (road kill?) ...I guess it's a guy thing!

He wanted a dog so much that he gave me one for Christmas.

When necessary, he gave me good lectures.

He grilled Devon when he wanted to marry me.

He is an incredible father and grandpa!

He loves his family and loves the gospel.

He gives of his time and serves others without complaining because he loves doing it!

I feel very blessed to know and love this remarkable man who I am proud to call My Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you!

Luke's 4th Birthday Party Bash!

Luke had the time of his life at his 4th birthday party bash on Saturday! No matter how simple I tell myself it is going to be, it still ends up being a lot of work! I invited his entire preschool class and friends from church. It was a great turn out and we had a lot of fun! The party was complete with 75 home made cupcakes (all baked, frosted, and sprinkled by moi), ice cream sundaes with all the works (sprinkles, whip cream, cookies, candy bars, etc. Devon wouldn't have had it any other way!), a Scottso (the clown) who made fancy balloon hats and made the kids giggle and giggle, and, of course, our very own TransFormer t-shirts (made by Devo himself). Thanks to all of our friends who came and brought gifts that will provide endless hours and days of non-stop entertainment for my kids for the next 6 months or so. It was a party to remember!

Memories From This Week...

These are just a few highlights and memories from my week!

• Luke's night time prayers..."Heavenly Father, thank you for our blessings, thank you for the planet earth, thank you for Heavenly Father and Jesus--we know he has bones, we know we have the Holy Ghost, and Daddy can go to work and make money, and thank you for our presents--please bless them."
• Devon going back to work--I really miss having my full-time (as Devon likes to call it) "Manny" around.
• Blake and Luke each standing on opposite ends of the couch and then jumping off toward the middle of the couch and wrestling. All the while, I am thinking someone is hurt or going to be seriously hurt and they think they are having the time of their lives.
• Taylor screaming, "MOOOMMM!!! Blake has a lightbulb in his mouth!" Immediately after leaving the room from retrieving the night light lightbulb from his mouth, I hear, again, "MOOOMMM!!! Blake is running with scissors!" Oh, my gosh! The drama and chasing kids around never ends!
• Bouncing around in the car to Luke's favorite song, "Pop Goes My Heart." Between TransFormers and Pop Goes My Heart, he is well on his way to being the next 80's icon!
• Blake folding his arms and squeezing his eyes closed tight for family prayer. Even though it's only for 2-3 seconds, it is just so cute!
• Taylor's night time prayers...she never forgets to bless everyone in her family AND the planet earth.
• While making cupcakes with Luke and Blake, I was dancing, while listening to a few of my favorite songs and invited them to dance along with me. Lukes response was, "I can't, I don't want to mess up my hair."
• Watching Taylor bounce up and down at Tap class.
• While the kids were quietly (or so I thought) coloring at the kitchen table, I walked in and saw Luke holding Blakes hair up with one hand and had open scissors, right next to his hair, in the other hand, ready to chop. I shouted, "AAaaahhh...we don't ever cut people's hair!" He said, "Why?????" He was totally puzzled! He just couldn't understand why we don't cut peoples hair. I was just glad I walked in when I did, who knows what kind of mess Blake's hair would have been in.
• Michael's visit. He played with the kids and made them laugh and smile a lot!
• And, last...the 80-year old woman, in my Pilates class, who farted, very loudly, 3 times! It didn't seem to bother her, but I was very embarrassed for her!

Happy 4th Birthday, Luke!

Yesterday was Lukes 4th Birthday!!! It seems like yesterday I was in the hospital snuggling him and kissing him for the first time. How is it that time goes by so fast? Luke has always been a happy boy. He has an infectious laugh and a smile that melts your heart. He is all boy! A few of his favorite things, at the moment, are TransFormers, creating TransFormers with his Legos, wrestling with his brother, watching TransFormers, riding his bike, playing with his sister and his friends, helping with the vinyl lettering, and making himself transform into a TransFormer. Is it any wonder why we are having a TransFormer birthday?

He received a package in the mail from my mom and dad and was certain that it was either a TransFormer, his own vinyl cutter, or "something regular." Sure enough, it was a TransFormer.

Devon's parents sent him a card in the mail for his birthday. When he opened it up, he saw it was a TransFormer card and totally flipped and said, "Oh my gosh! IT'S TRANSFORMERS!" Once he opened the card, he discovered there was $4 inside and said, "It's Dollars! I can't believe I got DOLLARS!"

We took Luke to his favorite place, with the train, (Ruby's) for his birthday and had a great time! Afterward, we came home, opened presents, and ate his TransFormer birthday cake!

Luke brings so much joy and excitement into our home. In many ways, he is very gentle hearted and kind, yet he is always pushing the envelope and testing us to see exactly how much he can get away with. He is adventurous and loves to climb and explore, yet he hates roller coasters and hates being pushed high on the swing. He is very creative and makes all kinds of neat things out of his Legos. He is a chocolate milk fanatic...he can't go a day without it! Most of all, we love him and feel so blessed to have him in our family! Happy Birthday Luke, We Love You!!!