Monday, December 21, 2009

HELLO!



AW MAN! So much has been going on these days....it has been a whirl wind around here. To fill you in, I had a blast with my family in October as you could tell, but I was ready to get back to my "insane" normalcy. Let's see..... November came in a flash and before I knew it it was Thanksgiving. I decided for the first time I would take it slow and stay home for most of the day and then go to Geoff's family's feast for a couple hours and then go back home and let me tell you how refreshing it was not having to worry about anything more than rolls and a bunch of deviled eggs. I have been listening to myself and recognizing when I need to slow down, speed up or just not do anything at all! I am getting tired of appointments already..for me, Geoff, Eve and Manti. Everyone is healthy- we are thankful for that. We are just trying to get through the day and not fall apart, me anyway. I have been on meds for a little while and they have helped more than I EVER would have dreamed!!! It makes me so grateful for the blessings of resources that are out there for us when we are in our time of need. YES, there are still some bad days, but for the most part I am doing a lot better. I am going to my Lord in all things and giving what I cannot handle to my Savior. How thankful I am for the knowledge of the true and everlasting Gospel. It is a sad day for me because I taught for the last time in Relief Society and it was heart breaking because I so loved my calling even though it required so much of me. When called, at first I though how could I teach? I am learning from so many others! I need to sit and receive direction from other's lessons..why me? And then a surge of calmness took over and the Spirit instilled a sense of motivation that I COULD do it! It was right and more than anything I have learned that with the Spirit by my side I can do anything no matter how hard it may seem- that is what faith is all about...accepting God's will and not ours.

So after Thanksgiving my baby turned 2 on the 30th. It makes me sad, but I am realizing that it's alright for time to move and I need to start rejoicing in it. I take baby steps. We had so much fun with our little family and the grandparents ONLY at Manti's monster birthday party. It was so fun to not have the stress. It was amazing to actually sit down and experience the party with my kids. I honestly have never done that really. We started off in the dining room with it all decorated and everything monsters. I thought how appropriate it would be to read a few monster books with my crazy monster mask on. It was so fun! My kids loved hearing the stories and then we all played 3 monster games..bone toss, monster match, and monster bingo. What a blast! And the cake...G had a great idea with this cool pan set I got him for his birthday one year. He teamed up with his mom and made the coolest monster ball cake, fully decorated with layers. The best part of all is that I didn't have to worry about making it..I was at work- how stress free is that?! We hung out and enjoyed our company together.

The next day after Tiger's bday we went to sunny KONA, HI ! It was kindof a surprise gift from G's parents with free air miles and 2 hundred dollar bills in a happy 9Th anniversary card! Oh they gave it to us on Manti's actual birthday which was on a Monday, but we celebrated the party the night before on Sunday. I was working a long shift and they came in for Manti's birthday for kid's eat free night and handed me the card and said that's you tip! lol NICE!!! I was not expecting that at all. They also helped us get in touch with a family friend so that we could stay with her for next to nothing. I had such a glorious time and we so needed it! It really made us think outside of the box and how much life there is to live and what we want to do with it. I felt like a kid again. So in short we are thinking of some drastic changes and we will see how it pans out. I could go on and on about this trip and how beautiful it was...in the 80s the whole time, sunny and looking at that gorgeous blue ocean. I honestly dream about it almost every night since I have been back. I did have quite a hard time adjusting back into the cold weather. I have never been on a trip in which I did not want to get off the plane. If it weren't for my kids..ha,ha. I actually was a little sad that they could not enjoy the beauty of the ocean for themselves.

This holiday season I am going lower stress....not so many decorations and only 1 tree. I am however doing the Christmas party at my house this year for the very first time ever! Something that is really nice that Geoff's family does is soups, sandwiches, appetizers, finger foods and deserts..oh did I mention deserts? lol I look forward to vegging out, playing games, seeing my kids' smiling faces as they open gifts and most of all the family memories that will be created.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

October 09


This is miss Emily Jayne Manti's cousin...they are bestest friends and she was able to come stay with us for 2 weeks. We had so much fun and she loves to call him TI TI (sounded tie) it is sooo cute and now thats what the kids call him too.


Emily is only 10 weeks younger that Tiger so I know that they have a special bond.








We were able to get in a quick pumpkin patch trip from the one off the freeway and it was surprisingly better than I thought it would be.





The kids got their wagons and was off to find that special pumpkin.


Eve looks like a scarecrow in this picture.




Jackson was a little bummed because I told him he already got his earlier when his preschool went to Bizi Farms and that it wouldn't be fair if I said he could get a second one and not Eve or Manti.








There are lots of pictures of my sister Amber and her daughter Emily so be prepared for many pictures because these are for family members too.










I love this one!!!




Of course there always has to be one silly one and it's usually Jackson so I am really confused:)

He wanted to do it all by himself..it was so adorable. I can't believe that my baby is going to be 2 at the end of the month, it really does make me sad.






There is my crazy girl in the corn maze.


She cracks me up.


This was Jackson's Halloween party for his preschool. Jackson as you can see was Darth Vader this year and he got the breathing down too.


This is my fave! The little ghosts where such a good idea.










I invited my sister to come because I thought Emily would have a good time, but she really only enjoyed the sucker.






This is a little girl in Jack's preschool and she had the most beautiful costume on. Her family is from our church and in our ward and her grandmother made this costume..it was amazing!
I want one!


On the night before Halloween we all got together for a sister's night at my house. It was so nice to have the whole weekend off and enjoy the company.


These are my wonderful sisters..
back row: Linsy, Kaylene (sister in law), Amy, Debbie
front row:Lisa, me, Tania, Amber


Well since my sisters Amber and Linsy came into town my other sister Amy came in for the weekend from Pullman area and stayed at my house. Yes there where a lot of people in my house, but it was fun. Amy brought her 3 daughters as well.


Eve and Emma


I thought it would be really fun to dress up this year and be pary fairies for some odd reason. I don't even remember why or how I got the idea? It is funny because my sister Linsy had a dream about the party before she even knew about it and called me up after and asked if we where planning on doing anything on Halloween and if so dressing up? I thought it was so crazy because I had been meaning to ask them about it and just kept forgetting. Well we all decided to be our own fairy and yet be alike at the same time. I ended up going for more of a punk/gothic feel with the black for a change and more adult too. Linsy was a purple more gothic fairy, Amber was more of a dark Tinkerbell fairy and as for me..I am a mix of everything. I had this idea and then ended up expanding on it while we where making the costumes. Mine was a Grecian-Flapper style, it was different, but hey I am different!


I should've gone with the black shoes..oh well. By the way we made these costumes from scratch..we made the patterns and cut and sewed and cut again for hours. lol
















This one is my favorite.






This one is really cute.












Here we are setting off for trick or treating and I caught a bat...he,he. I loved this costume when Jackson wore in and I still love it..so adorable.




Linsy headed back to open the door for the trick or treaters at my house.




Our neighbors house was a little too scary for the kids. (Jackson mainly)




Eve was a dead Charpe' from high school musical. I don't know how to spell her name.

This is Jackson scared.


Manti wanted to walk by himself and hold the bucket all on his own and he did not like Eve telling him other wise.


He was mad that I cought a picture..got to get to that candy, candy, candy.




Emily loves bones...bones...bones....














They where so cute holding hands.


Eve got "eveattude" and started throwing a fit...it gets annoying.

We all just hung out after we went around the neighborhood and ate snacks.






We had a family night the next night and played some games at my brother's house.
















My brother Brandon and his wife Kaylene.




Emma and Eve