Resolutions...no Resolutions?? Happy New Year, Bringing in 2011

Watching all the news this morning has made me think?? About Resolutions, I have never been a big "make your resolutions for New Years" kind of person. Why, well I think we should have goals all year long, and it just doesn't appeal to me I guess.  But I do love New Years Eve, it makes me think back on this year and all the good things have happened. I makes me think of how I have grown as a person and how I hope to grow as a mother, and a wife in the new year. I am excited to bring in this new year, I have two children and they are getting older and more independent. I am excited to see how they grow as little people this year! I love my hubby and love ringing in the new year just us. 

Wonderful Wonderland of Christmas

Merry Christmas!

This year was amazing! Both my children are old enough to get what's going on, which makes it so much fun! Hayd was here for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year. 

We are blessed to have tons of family here. My mom flew in Wednesday, Johnny's Aunt Shan came in (who I have never met!) and all my in-laws!

The kids or kid....Hayd is really the only one who gets the "asking Santa" part of Christmas got all that he wanted and more.

He is growing so fast!

Booges got a Playhouse and Kitchen (thanks to Grandma Gigi). She hasn't come out much since this morning!!

 Neither has Hayd...He loves it just as much!

Talking to Great-Grandma!! ♥

This took my breath away!! My AMAZING hubby got me what I have been dreaming about all year long PLUS some!!!! ♥ ya babe!!!

Different is good

Today was Hayd's Class Christmas party. 

Its crazy to see how different he is in comparison to me when I was his age!

I was so shy I never talked. 

He never stops talking.

Because I was so shy I did not have many friends.

He has so many friends that when he is doing something else everyone wants his attention so bad they chant his name in class!!! 

We have had many discussions about how friends are good but its more important during school to concentrate on work and the teacher. 

Being in his class today I saw he has listened during those discussions .

Different is GOOD!

Thanksgiving

Successful Thanksgiving at our home...Year 2! 

Wha-HOO!

I am so thankful the weather cooperated the day before Thanksgiving since it was supposed to be the "storm of the century"!! It ended up dumping a ton of snow north of  Pleasant Grove where my mom lives. She was able to be here and we did our usual cooking!! It's one of the things I look forward to all year and it's one on one time with my mom! Which is few and far between. 

Beginning of the day, start the cooking!!

We got the three generations in before booges runs a muck and becomes a mess!!

The in-laws arrive and feast on plenty of snacks and hang out watching good ol' football!! 

 Here is where we eat, its perfect for everyone to sit and still be comfy and not elbow your neighbor, haha!

And then the after shots, where I don't remember my name, where I am, ect!! I joke, but I was very exhausted. 

3 Generations, post dinner!! I think someone fed my child some serious sugar!! Yes she is on her tippy toes!! I am seriously considering ballet class!

 My two beautiful Children!! Their also playing nice, meaning...booges is not tormenting her big bro!! 

(she is a lot like her mother, loves to torment her bro, and he lets her get away with anything)

Thanks to everyone who came!! It was another amazing family filled holiday!! <3

Final Gratitude.....

Wow, I honestly can not believe how fast November flew by. I guess I should close out my month of gratitude. I am a day late, but well that's just how I work these days. 


I am grateful that I found a lot of gratitude in my life. I have a new look at what I have right in front of me, and the blessing I have been given. Both in lessons learned through my life and the people that I have the privilege of calling family. 

Gratitude Day 29

Long weekends with my family...


Especially my hubby and mom!!!

Gratitude Day 24,25,26,27,28

Lessons from my chosen paths in life....


I am thankful for the life lessons I have learned in my life, from the choices I have made. Some not good choices, but the lessons I learned from them have forever changed me and the way I "operate" my life. I am grateful for the lesson of the people you surround yourself with and the effects it has in consequences. I wish I would have learned that earlier in my life, but I would not be the person I am today. I am not done learning by any means, but the lessons in life so far, have brought me to a very good place in my life. 


I am making this my gratitude for the rest of the week, because I wouldn't be where I am today with out those lessons. For that I am thankful, it resulted in  marring my "soul mate", my beautiful daughter, my son having an amazing father figure and so many many others. 

Gratitude Day 22/23

My Family
My Mother


I have already posted a gratitude this month on my mother, but  today I feel like I need to do it again. My mother is just that... my mother!! In every sense that matters!! Some people don't know this but I am adopted. I have never been shy about being adopted and have always been grateful for it. No family is perfect but I have been blessed to be in my family. My mother has always been a stability in my life, and I could never show enough gratitude to ever repay her. I have had some very very low points in my life, to where I did not know what was up or down or if I could even deal with what that day had in store for me. My mom never stopped being there. She always said what I needed to hear. Needed to hear, not what I wanted to hear. Its the one of the things that made it possible for me to start living my life again. My mom gets me, for the most part, lol. She gets my humor, and I get hers. She is an amazing grandmother. We may live 5 hours away, but my kids absolutely adore their Gigi. I am very thankful and have so much gratitude for my mother, and the time we spend together. Especially during Thanksgiving and the bonding in the kitchen!! 

Gratitude Day 21

Hayd's impeccable MEMORY!!!!!


I love that I can tell him to remind me of something, whether we are in a store or at home and at the time it needs to be done....he reminds me!! That kid does not forget anything, I mean ANYTHING!! 


I am not only grateful because it benefits me, lol but I am so thankful because it really helps him in school. 

Gratitude Day 20

Good Communication between the hubby and I . 


We have always had great communication from day 1. I am very grateful that we always can talk about anything positive or negative. 

Gratitude Day 19

Costco/Sams Club

Gratitude Day 18 - *sigh* late

Carpet Cleaners - ChemDry to be exact!! (Love that it's dry in an hour)
I could give so many reasons...but I will just give two,


My Toddler
Our Dogs

Gratitude Day 17

Cleaning Products that can be used to clean multiple things!!!! 

THEY SAVE MY SANITY!!!

Gratitude Day 16

Time Management!! 
It just might get me through the Holidays with my sanity in tact!!!!

Gratitude Day 15

Amazon and Google

Gratitude Day 14

Holy Ghost promptings

Gratitude Day 12/13

Raygen Bella (aka. Booges)

Loves her MOMMA!!
Drops everything and Runs to Tatty Tatty (Daddy) every day when he gets home!
Is our little Diva!!
My cuddle bug, needs kisses and snuggles often!
Loves her brother, and lights up when he is in the room!
She has only been on this earth for 16 months and has made it  more exciting and unpredictable!
We love ya Booges!!

Gratitude day 10/11

Hayden Kody

I am so grateful to be his mother he gets two days!!













I put this picture up, because this shows who he is. He is the most loving brother to his little sister and loves to be around her. He thrives to help his sister, or anyone else who needs it. He is got a sense of humor that makes me and Johnny laugh tell we cry! He is a very well behaved, respectful child.

Lucky to be his mom, love ya bud!!

Gratitude Day 9

Motherhood

It has taught me
PURE LOVE
PATIENCE
SELFLESSNESS

and so many other things, I love my little ones more than life itself.

I am Grateful to be their mother everyday.

Gratitude Day 8

My Love of Organization.

I love things to be organized, clean and no clutter.
I am thankful to have the talent/passion (yes passion, I said passion!) to be organized.
It makes our home much happier.

Gratitude day 7

Today I have a lot of gratitude for the ability to

Forgive, and be Forgiven

I can't even imagine the "baggage" we would hold on to if we did not have the ability to truly forgive and be forgiven. I am grateful for learning how to forgive so that I can be forgiven for my transgressions. 

Gratitude Day 5 & 6

I am grateful for..Music

I love how it can
calm you down
feel the spirit of God
help you concentrate 
gets you excited
You get the drift. I love all kinds of music, I always have. I have always been grateful for my love of music, and as it goes I married someone with an equal love of music!! 

Gratitude Day 4 - not on day four *wink*

I am deeply grateful for....

Compassion!

It is refreshing to see compassion so much in others in this day in age!! I feel blessed that me and Johnny have so much of it from our family and friends. 

Gratitude Day 3 - Late

Since the whole familia is sick, I am turning my Gratitude to material possessions!!

Breathing treatment machines!!
A little rewind might help to understand my full appreciation. My son spent the first 6 weeks of his life in N.I.C.U, he spent the first two weeks on a ventilator. He has weaker lungs than most children, which means he gets croup, and colds frequently. We are able to avoid Dr/Hospital visits with this amazing machine!!

For that I show gratitude!!

Gratitude Day 2

My Mother

She is unwaveringly kind.

My entire life, my mother has never wavered in

  SUPPORT and LOVE. 

She has always stood for what she believed in 

Not a day goes by where I don't want to call her and tell her about my day.

My mother taught me a lot of things, 

loyalty

  service to others

 respect, 

and hard work.

My Mother is my best friend, 

Some times she showed me tough love and taught me how to "buck up" and get through some tough times in my life, and I could not have gotten through them with out her!!

I have a lot of Gratitude for my mother is so many ways....

Challenge Day One - Gratitude of the Rock in my life

When you're young you wish you could find someone that understands you and loves you for you. That no matter what comes along in life you two can stand together and find a way through. It took a lot of mistakes in my life to realize that someone was right in front of me for years. I am grateful for my husband...in so many regards but here is a few...

• There is not a day that goes by that he does not make me laugh or we make each other laugh
• He took my son in as his own, and has never wavered in that he is just as much his in heart
• He refuses to ever squabble about money
• He full hearted supports me and all my hobbies, and encourages/pushes me to do better
• Sweetly laughs at my shortcomings
• Looks at me like I am the only person in the room/world 
• Works harder than most to build the life and home that we have for us and children

Daily Gratitude

I read one of my friends, Morgan's blog this morning She challenged her fellow readers to blog daily about Gratitude, after being moved by President Monson's talk about Gratitude from Octobers General Conference. I felt moved to take that challenge. Thanksgiving is in my top two favorite holidays. I love that it brings family's together, and setting aside the commercialism, its about FAMILY, and being Thankful! 


I need more gratitude in my life!


As President Monson quoted "Let us follow Him. Let us emulate His example. Let us obey His words. By so doing, we give to Him the divine gift of gratitude."

I am taking the challenge to blog or say "out loud" what I am grateful for each day in November. I can't promise everyday. But I will try!

Let the Fall Festivities Begin......

Fall has finally come to Las Vegas, and we are excited! It means the start of the holidays, cool weather and I repeat COOL weather. Friday was the first School holiday function for Hayden and boy was he excited! The school calls it The Fall Festival, I think back when I was little at Valley View Elementary it was called Fall Carnival. 

 Hayden was super excited to start the games...

and of course win prizes...which consisted of candy and toys!

Then both kids wanted to play on the play ground...especially Raygen.....

she LOVES slides, and her big brother loves to be there to help/catch her.

Hayden loves that he got to play on the "big" kids playground, since the kindergarten playground is very separate from the other part of the school.

This face just saw something strange....and doesn't quite understand why....

Her brothers face looks like this.... THE JOKER!!

Kindergarten

Once upon a time....one month ago to be exact, round about exact... Hayden started Kindergarten.

I wish I was that person that is so on top of things that the family blog is updated, even periodically updated. Anyways, our big boy started Kindergarten and he is absolutely loving it.

Loving it so much he even has a girlfriend. I laugh, not really but his school work is really progressing. He is passing all tests and his first progress report was all good. So proud of ya bud!! Back to his first day, he was so nervous as you can tell...

All the kids in his class get stamped at the end of class every day that they've listened, and behaved well...

.

He has been stamped everyday!! So proud of ya bud!! He is very well behaved and respectful of everyone. I feel so blessed to be his mom.

Gigi and Booges

Someone loves their GiGi.....

1 yr old

Our beautiful baby Girl turned 1 last week!!

She had a poka-dot theme,

She LOVED her very own cake!

Until Momma took it away!!

Our Family, we are so blessed!!

The daily stages of an 11 month old........

Rip Roaring for the day....

The bordom of restraint....

The evening, dinner and make a big mess time.... (catching her 6th or 7th wind of energy)

Lost it... (but piggy's are still intact)

IT"S BACK....

Lost the piggies, oh dear...still VERY happy, but....bedtime??

All clean and pretty...and loving her Gigi!!!

Walked....and Walked......

Who just learned to walk??......

OUR LITTLE RAYGEN BELLA SCAROROUGH!!!!

Here she comes to MOMMA!!! So proud!!!

She finally gets there, to turn around and go to DADDY!!!!

Just in time to walk well by her 1st birthday!!! YAY BOOGES