Sneak

Because I'm pretty sure this isn't the one I'm going to use for our Christmas cards this year. Little things no one else would notice but me make it not the winner. Evyn isn't wearing her necklace and Addysen is a little too far apart from the other girls.

All the same...I'm thinking this would look AMAZING in a canvas print above our fireplace. I love these girls! They drive me crazy and make my heart swell all in one day!

And during this time of Thanksgiving and family time I feel so blessed to be their mom!

Our Thankful Tree

For Family Home Evening last night we created a Thankful Tree. I had wanted to do one last year but thought about it too late into the month so I made sure it was on our list for this year! If I had really been on top of it, we would have done it last Monday night but with our trip to New Orleans we wouldn't have been around to add to it anyway.

The girls had so much fun helping me color the trunk of the tree and the branches. It's easy to see where they got tired of coloring and just started scribbling. Addysen did more of the scribbling than Elodie did. I was tempted to go behind them and fill it in but I stopped myself. It was their tree and they were happy with it!

We all wrote things we were thankful for on the leaves and during the month of November we will add to it. My thoughts are that it will be so full by the end of the month you won't be able to see the branches!

If your interested in making your own it was super simple. I just used 2 pieces of poster board from the dollar store and construction paper I already had for the leaves. I wanted mine to take up the whole wall but clearly you could make yours any size you want!

The girls have had so much fun adding to it so I have a handful of leaves cut out so they can write/scribble on them whenever. I'm trying to get them to really think about the things they are grateful for. I think it's easy right now but as the month moves on it will take a bit more thought to think of blessings.

Next project. My Thanksgiving banner. I still have my Halloween decorations up!

New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!

I'm not a huge fan of New YEAR Resolutions. It's a little overwhelming for me to think about setting a goal that has to be kept an entire year. I prefer New DAY Resolutions. Setting small goals for myself each day to accomplish and then evaluating my efforts at the end of the day. It's more gratifying and I definitely feel like I get more accomplished and feel better about myself when the day is done. That's just me. So Happy New Day to you! I hope you accomplish something today that will make you happy through the New Year!

We were blessed in 2008. There is no doubt the Lord was on our side and we were well taken care of. In this shaky economy we have a roof over our head, an income, and good health. Is there anymore we could ask for? Well...don't answer that question.

In no particular order....We welcomed a new addition to our family in 2008, visited Louisiana, stepped out of school and into the working world in 2008 (we were always in the working world, now we are just paying student loans!), grew as a couple, watched our oldest step into her role of big sister, among many other things that thankfully are all here in my blog.

I am excited for a new year. To sit down as a family and evaluate where we are headed, to set new goals, plan new vacations (This one is high on my list!), and watch our girls grow even more! So much to come in this New Year!

Happy New Year!

Sweet Sweet Girl.

Every once in a while, and I'm sure this happens to you too, something happens to me when I have to take a deep breath because I'm so overwhelmed with how blessed my life is. It's like running full speed and SLAMMING into a brick wall! With the monotony of everyday life, and especially around the holidays, I tend to forget what's really important. And then something happens, in this case I see a stunning picture of my child, and it hits me. AGAIN. It's not about money, houses, or material possesions. It's about my family, our health, our love, and our girls.
And man do I love this girl!

$18.10

That's how much it cost me to fill up my gas tank at Costco today! Granted I had a little less than a quarter of a tank in my car already. BUT STILL!

Now THAT is something to be grateful for. Along with the $6 pumpkin pies ,$9 chocolate cream pie and the $3 lunch for me and Elodie. Who needs to bake when Costco does it for you!! Oh, how I love Costco!


HAPPY THANKSGIVING YA'LL!

Thanksgiving Eve

-My kitchen aid. I got it 2 Christmas' ago from Christopher, shortly after I started doing cakes. I had to burn through 2 hand mixers first so my kitchen aid is my life saver! It got a ton of attention this week with all the cakes I baked, and I still have icing and filling to make on Friday. Seriously my best friend during cake week!

-Cell Phones. I will turn around and go home if I've forgotten it and if I'm too far from home to turn around I seriously get weirded out just waiting for something bad to happen! Sad, since I didn't have a cell phone until I was a senior in high school and didn't think twice about it! Of course along with everything else, some tend to abuse the cell phone privilege...namely those who have those stupid ear pieces....mostly I'm talking about in case of emergency...NOT so someone can be reached at all times!

-Power locks on my car. I'm a little bit paranoid..Christopher would say alot paranoid...but I really like to have my doors locked at all times when we are in the car. I see nothing wrong with this habit but if you want to call me paranoid, that's just fine with me! It's so nice with the push of one button, all 4 doors are locked! Sadly, you can only do this from the driver side in the civic so I'm constantly having to remind Christopher to do it....it pretty much annoys the heck out of him and we have definitely agreed that our next vehicle will have the power lock feature on the passenger side too!

Gratitude Tuesday

- Online Bill Pay: I can only think of one thing we don't pay online..tithing....and I guarantee you it won't be long before that changes too! Wouldn't that be awesome to pay your tithing online? LOL!

-The latest fashion trend: I know I've talked about the latest fashion for girls is baby doll tops...now that I'm pregnant I am totally scoring in the clothes department! I can get a top at Kohl's for like 10 bucks...head over to Motherhood and you pay double! It's fabulous! And on top of that, I actually feel like I'm still halfway in style, even though I'm pregnant!

-And finally, I'm so thankful for Elodie's little prayers...so sweet, innocent, and sometimes so funny! During our breakfast and lunch prayers if Elodie is saying the prayer I often have to remind her to "bless daddy as he is away from us". Today at the dinner table Elodie said "bless daddy that he'll go away from us!" LOL! So funny! Chris and I just snickered under our breath but it was so funny!

Thankful...a great way to start the week!

- Holiday weeks...with Thanksgiving on Thursday, Christopher only has class today and tomorrow. AND, he only works through Wednesday. It should be a really relaxing week for Chris but it won't be for me. I work 4 nights this week and have a wedding cake due on Saturday. Not to mention we will be in Snowflake all day Thursday! Craziness..so it looks like for me, NEXT WEEK will be a holiday. Even still, I'm happy to have Chris around the house longer than just the weekend.

-Speaking of cakes...it's something I really love and I'm just so grateful people actually ask me to make cakes for them. They are few and far between but I think any other way I probably wouldn't like it as much. Not that I'm scrapbooking much these days but it's kinda like scrapbooking. The idea of owning my own scrapbooking store or being on a design team sounds like a dream but in reality I'd probably dread it more than anything because of the deadlines and such. My cakes come just at the right time and far enough between that when I get to do one I look forward to it and I feel like I give it my 100%.

-Friends...I can't believe I'm this far into the month before I mention how grateful I am for my friends. Old friends, new friends, family friends...all of them are so important to me and really make me a happier person! I'm so grateful that Elodie has friends and her friends mommies are my friends. It's another win/win situation. Elodie gets to play with her friends and so do I! So thank you to all my friends who brighten my day and help me be a better me!

Gratitude Saturday and Sunday..

Saturday:

1. List- I love to make list and check things off of my list. It's such a great feeling when you get to the end of your day and everything you wanted to do got done! When I was in college I would do something that wasn't on the list and then I would go back and write in on my list just so I could check it off! Sadly, I still do that occasionally!

2. Elodie's manners- for a while I felt like all I was doing was hounding her about being polite! Well, it's starting to pay off. Gradually she has needed less reminders to be polite and it is so sweet to hear her say "Mom, would you please get my some pink milk?" or "Dad, can you please help me with this?". Especially rewarding when no reminders are needed! The only down side is when she comes into our bedroom at 6:45am and stands at the side of our bed and sais "Mom, would you please get me some pink milk and a piece of bread?" And at 6:45am I would much rather roll over and tell her to give me 15 minutes! But because she asked so nicely, how can I deny her? Plus, it's not such a bad way to wake up! She then proceeds to follow me into the kitchen bragging about herself saying "I know how to ask for pink milk and a piece of bread SO nicely huh mom!?!" Now we just have to work on being humble!

3. I can't believe I've gone this long in my gratitude journal without mentioning COSTCO!!! Oh, Costco! How I love Costco! Sadly, when we revamped our budget, my costco amount got cut in half! Half people! It's not such a bad thing...I just love being there! And I'm happy to report that after the first of the year my costco budget will get increased! I've already made sure of that! P.S- Costco has the best pies for Thanksgiving!

Sunday:

1. Childhood friends...My dear friend Randa came for dinner last night and it was so nice to see her. We live about 35 minutes apart so we don't get to see each other all that often. Not to mention she works nights and sleeps during the day. But we had a few hours with her last night and it was so fun to see her! We have been friends since the 2nd grade and it's so crazy that we have kept in touch so long!

2. Christopher cleaned the kitchen....I think I told him thank you like 50 times! By the time we finish dinner it is all I can do to muster up the strength to clean the kitchen. I hate going to bed with a messy kitchen and the thought of waking up to one is even worse! But Christopher saved the day and I'm really thankful for that! It doesn't happen often, but it definitely happens at the right times!

3. Disneyland is paid for!!! As of Friday, yes I'm behind, we have officially paid for disneyland, made all the reservations needed, and now we just get to wait and GO! I have to admit that even though I am super excited to go to Disneyland, when it came time to pay all that money and see my checking account drastically go down, I had some serious second guessing about whether or not we should go! SAD HUH!?! Thinking of all the ways we could be spending that money instead of going on a vacation! I must being getting old and more responsible or something! But it didn't last long! If anything is important, it's making memories with my family and I know we are going to have a nice relaxing week away! We better!

Gratitude Friday..

Back to being grateful because it does no one any good to be a complainer!

- Adjustable waist pants. I really can't buy Elodie jeans unless there is an adjustable waist. You use to only be able to find adjustable waist pants at the GAP but now even Target sells them. It's a wonderful thing when you have a 3 year old with no waist, no fat meat, and no bum!

- Sparkletts Water. Ever since we moved to Arizona we could never get use to the taste of the tap water. So for the past 4 years we have been getting water delivered from Sparkletts. It's wonderful! A tall glass of cold water really hits the spot! Plus, I always get Sparkletts to deliver an extra 5 gallon container, over time we have built up a little supply and now we have our water storage! Again, a win/win situation!

- My mother. Yesterday I got a suprise package in the mail from her. Victoria's Secret Love Spell perfume! Heavenly! It's my favorite, and her's too. I miss my mom alot and wish we lived closer. She always knows just what to do to make you feel special! She has taught me how to be a hard worker and take care of my home and family! Just a wonderful example to me!

- BONUS! Friday nights! Not cooking, no plans, with every intention to hang around and relax!

Hope everyone else has a great weekend too!

Thankful Thursday...

Thanksgiving is just a mere week away! Holy Cow where has this semester gone to! It's crazy how fast we are moving along and I'm already so far into my pregnancy...pretty scary stuff!

Today I am thankful for...

1. Really nice smelling laundry soap...it's come along way! So many choices and ways to make your clothes smell SO good! It's enough to brighten anyone's day...as long as you aren't the one folding the laundry! Ha! Ha!

2. Rainy Days...some might say rainy days might get you down but I believe otherwise. Here in Arizona we don't get very many rainy days and it's really nice to wake up and not see the sun shining! A little change of scenery does a person good!

3. My blow dryer...I use it everyday and would go to the store with wet hair if I needed a new one. Also my flat iron..I even use it in Elodie's hair..it does wonders for thick hair...mine is starting to go out on my (this is where if Chris is reading he should be adding a flat iron to my Christmas list!) so I'm in need of a new one soon but I'll live until it completely burns out, it's the best!

Gratitude Wednesday...

1. 4 weeks...that's how long Chris has until he graduates! I am so thankful for 4 weeks!

2. Cooler weather..it's not exactly COLD but we here in Arizona will take what we can get..it's a nice relief from the hot summer days! The heat can get depressing!
This morning (as in Thursday morning because I'm a day behind on my gratitudes) when I woke up the sun was NOT out! Not as in I woke up while it was still dark but as in the sky was all dreary and grey..it was a beautiful sight to see!

3. Our cars....I was driving along the other day and saw a woman trying to get on the bus with a load full of groceries and 2 kids...I don't think I would have even attempted this but she did. I'm so glad that we have 2 vehicles that get us where we need to go (knock on wood). No matter what kind of car you have, be thankful for it! Just to be able to get out of the house during the day is a reason to be thankful!

Gratitude Tuesday

1. Elodie cleans her own room....it's taken us a long time to get her into the routine of keeping her room clean and knowing that when she makes a mess it's going to be her job to clean it all up. She knows where everything goes and even though it may take her an hour every morning to clean her room, she is always SO proud of herself when she is done. It's so nice that there is one less room I have to worry about, of course she can't dust or clean her floors, but it's nice to see her room in tornado form and know that it isn't my responsibility to clean it anymore! Plus, I know how good it is for her to have a job that she is in charge of. And I feel it really important that she understant that all day isn't play time, we all have jobs that have to get done, and Elodie is no exception to this. Not to mention the fact that the hour it takes every morning to clean her room is an hour I have to busy around in all the other rooms! It's a win/win situation folks!

2. This is so funny because my cousin Randa had the exact same blessing for today...THE DOLLAR STORE! Seriously people, it's therapy for a girl on a budget! Elodie and I go atleast once every other week and it's so fun to pick out a few things and STILL spend less than 5 or 6 bucks! And the dollar store has come a long way! You can get some fun stuff there that you definitely would pay more for..even at Wal-Mart! Or you wouldn't even be able to find somewhere else! Lots of fun preschool activities, stickers, puzzles (I found some great strawberry shortcake puzzles there that I would have paid atleast $4 a piece for at Target or Wal-Mart)....you name it and you can score a good deal at the dollar store. We got Elodie this little Cinderella doll a few weekends back..afterwards we went to dinner and it wasn't until after we left the restaurant that Elodie realized she had left her doll at the table...BIG DEAL! We paid a buck for it! It's a beautiful thing! I think we are in need of a therapy session this week!

3. My job...this is really a love hate blessing..I love the money that I earn but I'm not a huge fan of leaving my family...granted it's like 12 hours a week which comes out to 3 nights a week but still...I would much rather be at home with my family....on the other hand I'm so happy that I've been able to contribute to our family. There have been times when we really needed the money I was earning and for the most part it's been so nice to put that money aside and save for something we are all really excited about. We were talking about the other night how it would be so nice to have that extra money to blow each week but in the end we wouldn't have anything to show for it...now with alittle bit of self control, we are super excited about a great trip to Disneyland! This was suppose to be my last week of work...I wanted to stop working before the Holiday's got too crazy and I knew the store wouldn't let me have all that vacation time during December for Chris' graduation and a vacation. But when I went in to talk to them about my last week, my managers told me I could have the 3 weeks off in December that I wanted if I would stay till around th 12th of December and come back and work all through January! It's going to work out nicely! Plus the extra money will be nice!

Gratitude for Monday

Man, I'm struggling to keep up here!

Here are my 3 blessings from Monday...

1. Holidays...Christopher didn't have school today because of Veteran's Day and only worked until 1pm. On Monday's he usually doesn't get home until around 7pm so it was a real treat to have him home. We took Elodie to see the Bee Movie and we had a great time!

2. Organization...these last couple of weeks we are trying to plan ahead and weed through things we aren't using, grown out of, junk..just to make it easier to move in January as well as breathe a little easier in a clean and organized home. We have cleaned out both (as in me and Chris) of our closets and it feels good to rid our lives of unnecessary things!

3. Schedules...I have got mine down pat and everyone knows exactly what is being done each day. I'd say it took me about a year to get on track after Elodie was born so I'm almost dreading throwing a new little person into the mix....hopefully the second time around won't take as long as the first time because I am really loving my schedule.

Gratitude x 3....

I kinda slacked on the gratitude journal over the weekend....oops...

Friday:

1. Playgroup....we didn't have it for a while and now it's started back up. I love taking Elodie down to the park to play with her little church friends. And I love that I get to enjoy time with my church friends too!

2. Barro's...it's become quite the hangout for us SAHM's! Not only is the pizza the best in Arizona, they have this awesome little play area for the kids. So we went straight from playgroup to more playgroup at Barro's today. Elodie was in heaven!

3. The Temple. On Friday, Christopher and I got to go. It was so nice to be there with him. I hate that everything can get in the way of going but once we are there it is a huge sense of relief and peace! We are hoping to go alot more before the baby is born!

And a bonus....

4. Great friends...thanks Audrey for watching Elodie for us so we could go to the Temple! It's so nice to have great friends I can rely on!


Saturday:

1. Book Club. I'm so glad that even though we aren't RS related, we still get together every single month! I love the women that come to book club and appreciate the conversation we get to have! Not to mention the food! We always have the best food!

2. I'm grateful for lazy Saturday afternoons when we don't have anywhere to be, any obligations, and we can just relax around the house!

3. Wal-Mart....sadly I am grateful for Wal-Mart. Christopher and I went to Frye's Saturday night to use our gift card and holy expensive! Because I'm so familiar with Wal-Mart prices, I recognized everything that was super overpriced. Even with the VIP card! I didn't want to buy anything and the funny part of that is we were using free money!!! I love that Wal-Mart price matches with all the other stores AND still have super great deals! Sorry Melissa, I know how much you love Frye's. I just wasn't all that impressed!

Sunday:

1. My calling. I'm the Ward's Activity Leader and I am really enjoying my job! It's alot of work to plan activities for the ward, not to mention it can get pretty expensive. Thankfully, Christopher is the financial clerk and I get my reinbursement checks pronto! We are in the process of planning our Ward Christmas Party, the biggest, most expensive party of the year! Let's just say I'm dreaming about Santa and decorations right now!

2. Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots. One of my many memories of home! Nothing beats the smell of dinner when you walk into the door after church! Everyone can't get out of their church clothes fast enough! Top it off with some buttered rolls and you've got yourself a feast! My mom has the roast mastered and everytime I make mine I think of her!

3. Lazy Sunday afternoons. When neither of us have meetings or home/visiting teaching obligations. Sunday's are a fabulous exuse to change into your pj's and enjoy being together as a family!

If you can't tell we had a lazy weekend at home! Which is probably why I was so lazy about blogging! We are all rejuvenated for the week ahead!

Gratitude...

1. Enrichment- just got back from our's tonight and I have to say how nice it is to get together with women and enjoy great food and conversation! We had a nice time and I really love getting to know the women in our ward better. It's bitter sweet to leave in a few months..I've really grown to love this ward we are in..both through serving and just enjoying being a member. It's been great and I hope I can take with me what I've learned so I can be a better wife, mother, and sister in the gospel!

2. Christopher called me earlier today and told me he got a $100 gift card to Frye's from work for Thanksgiving! Holy Blessing! Gotta love free food! How nice of his work to do that even though he is leaving in one week...

3. Being pregnant...Shocking I know! It's been a more positive experience this time around and for that I am thankful. There is hope for more babies in the future! I have for a while been able to feel the baby kick and just recently, Christopher is able to feel it too! It's amazing and such a blessing to be a mother again!

Gratitude Shmatatude....

Day 3 of counting my blessings...

-My blog....did you know you can turn your blog into a BOOK! My dear friend Lara has a friend who is in the process of getting her blog published! Isn't that cool....I don't know how it works with pictures, and I'm sure you can't save slideshows but eventually this would be something for me to do....and besides the fact that I can turn my blog into a book I love how convenient it is to keep in touch with friends and family....if you don't know what's going on with my family it's not my fault!

-Clorox wipes...need I say more...my friend Melissa told me that you can get sick from using too many clorox wipes because then your house is too clean and you don't get exposed to as many germs but I'll take my chances! Clorox wipes are my best friend when it comes to everyday cleaning.

-Our subdivision...it's nice and quiet and Elodie and I love to take Ginger for walks to get the mail. There is a playground not too far from our house and we pass it on the way to the mailbox. It's nice to be outside and let Elodie enjoy the swings and slide.

It's official!

Out of the 3 interviews Christopher got 2 offers and as of today he accepted one of them! We are staying here in Arizona and Christopher starts his new job on the 19th of this month! 2 weeks! He will still be part time because of school obligations but it is such a relief to have a job lined up and so exciting to know where we are going to be living...I'm most excited because Christopher has been stressing over these 2 offers for the last few weeks and so it's really nice to have a decision made and a much happier husband!

Congrats Chris! You deserve a million offers!

And now to my 3 blessings for the day...I've been thinking about this more now that I'm committed to coming up with 3 a day...it is suprising what the Lord has done!

-Elodie's naps...she still takes a good 2 hour nap during the day, goes down around 9pm and sleeps until 7:30am. It's fabulous! She has always been a good sleeper and we all have to thank Chris for that! I could find every reason not to relax during the day...with the exception of blogging of course!

-INSURANCE...we just found out that our new insurance plan will pick me up no problem! What a relief. We were really concerned that with the job switch right in the middle of my pregnancy that it may cause an issue with the new insurance policy. We found out today that their will be no gap in insurance and for that I am hugely grateful!

-My November issue of the Ensign...just got it in the mail yesterday. I love all the conference talks and I'm seriously committed to reading and studying each talk. I'm so glad that not only do we get to hear the words of the prophet from the comforts of our own home but we also get to read them!

If you haven't already started your 3 a day it's not too late! It has really put me in a better holiday mood!

I've been served and Gratitude Countdown

On Friday I got the mail and guess what was in it? I've been called to jury duty! I've never done it before but the funny thing about it is it's the same day as Chris' graduation! HUH!? I'm not missing my husbands graduation! Hoping to get out of that one! Christopher got called to jury duty a few months ago and got out of it no problem because he was in school....pray that it's that easy for me!

AND...



In honor of Thanksgiving and with the example of a friend I thought this would be fun to do! Each day I will post 3 things I am grateful for....join me if you want! Here are the rules and side effects....


* The challenge is to come up with three ORIGINAL “things” each day. Try not to repeat entries.
* Your entry should be sent by midnight each night. If you miss a day or two, no biggie, but you have to make it up, no skipping! (Note: For some of you, this may require accessing your blog account on a more regular basis.)

WARNING OF POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS!!
Please note that challenge participation may result in any or all of the following:
- you will be surprised at all the Lord has done for you.
- angels will attend
- you will feel help and comfort
- you may find yourself singing as the days go by
- your doubts will fly


Here are my first 3:

1.- My camera! Holy Cow where would I be without it! Christopher would be happy and Elodie probably wouldn't have a permenant fake smile...aside from that it would be sad! I'm so thankful that in one second a moment can be documented forever!

2.- Weekends...I love Christopher home all day, just the 3 of us, hanging out together. I'm not too picky about what we do...it's just nice to know you have the whole day together! It really makes me happy!

3.- Thursday night television...Seriously, could tivo get any better on this night? The Office, Smallville, Survivor, CSI...it takes us atleast a week to watch everything that comes on Thursday night..it's a beautiful thing!

Because it's been one of those weeks....A few things to be thankful for!

5. My Grandma Brumfield turned 90 on Tuesday. Down in Louisiana they had a huge birthday party for her and over 150 people came to celebrate! We enjoyed a short visit with her over the phone this morning and she sounds like she is doing well!

4. I looked at a calendar yesterday and Christopher has exactly 6 weeks left of school! The countdown is on! This is also cause for some of our stress right now but it's also reason to feel blessed and grateful! We are finally nearing the end...until Chris gets the urge to get his Masters!

3. I took Elodie yesterday to get her 3 year pictures taken. She is such a sport and we got some really great shots! She is at the age now where you can pose her and she will stay that way but if you ask her to smile pretty she gives you this huge fake smile! It took some effort on my part but I got the real smile to shine through and she took some great shots!

2. Christopher got his first job offer this week.....a great one..one we might not pass up! This is also cause for more stress in our life but it's also a blessing to be looked at and wanted! Christopher has a few more job interviews lined up and we should hopefully know our future by November!

1. Halloween is finally around the corner. Planning the ward's trunk-r-treat....Elodie is super excited to finally be able to wear her tinkerbell costume! Poor girl! She's been staring at that costume in her closet for 2 months now! She is ready!

I feel better already! It's always nice to sit down and count my blessings!