The blues

WILL February EVER end??? Ok, I am not going to lie! I really experience seasonal depression this time of year. Yes, I know the snow melts faster this time of year, yada yada yada!  But man! It's almost like before I leave my bed in the morning and look out to see if the sun is shining, I already know what kind of day it will be. GLOOMY and GLUM. Or HAPPY and SUNNY! Every year for the last 3 years, we have been able to leave for 1-2 weeks in February and go someplace sunny. Let me tell you, the winter is broken up VERY nicely, because by the time you get back, there is only a few weeks left of winter. Spring is in the air. I don't know if it is because I was raised in warm, sunny, Arizona and so it is innate in me, to need sunlight. But I don't know how much more I can take of this gloominess! (is that a word?) I mean seriously, don't be surprised if when the sun and warmth finally break through, that you see me outside BUCK NAKED absorbing every ray of light I can get! :) 

Kid's talk

So today, the Price is Right was on for some reason, and we all know that there is a lot of "elderly advertisements" that are commercialized in between segments. I went to the bathroom and as I was coming out Zach looked at me and yelled out, " MOM, We NEED to call the Scooter Store, TODAY!" I laughed so hard. HE was dead serious. I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing to get around on those little scooters. Kids.........gotta loved em!

NEW YEAR NEW GOALS!

Ok~  As a family, we make new goals every year and post them up by our bathroom mirror so that we can make sure we are keeping up on our goals. But I am now going to post them on my blog for all to see, so I can have more people up in my business. :) And to have more accountability, which is probably why more people succeed in their goals~ :) 

Last year, I achieved about 75-80% of the goals I wrote down for myself which actually I was pretty happy about. It does seem that I write the same goals down year after year after year, but those are good ones like, read the B of M, eat healthy. ect..... And we wouldn't want to cut those important ones out, until they are habitual right???????

So here it goes....

2009 Goals:

1. Lose 10 lbs. (funny that it's goal number 1)

2. Read B of M everyday, (family and personal)

3. Bare testimony more

4. Cook healthy meals 5 times a week

5. Monthly temple attendance 

6. Continue Pilates training and Interior Design

7. Sew more projects ( I learned to sew in 2008, :)

8. Date my hubby more....;)

9. Prepare my mind, body and family to have another baby......:0

10. Serve others more

11. Stay healthy, meaning ~don't get sick!

12. Be kinder in my words to all those around me, especially my husband and kids!

SO there it is! Half of these have been continuous goals since I was in high school.  But listen, I have 3 friends so far on the weight loss bandwagon and I believe you have to talk about your progress in order to achieve your goals. So........in order for me to lose 10 lbs, I am going to go to spin 2-3 times a week. Run 2 times a week. And do pilates 3 times a week. This obviously means 2 workouts a day sometimes. My good friend Hiroko is letting me use her "Body Bugg". It was on biggest loser last night so if you have questions about it, just google it. I will also try to eat smaller dinners.! It's hard but it works. So hopefully I will achieve what I am setting out to do. And I encourage all my friends and family to do the same. You don't need to blog it if you don't want to but, make goals and read them daily! We need to always push ourselves to be better and stronger or else, why are we here???? Love you all! You make my life so great!

EM

Christmas letter 08

So I have seen many of my friends do this and I am just not on the ball to get one out to everyone! So here it goes........

Ahhh, 2008! Can't believe it's almost over. Time surely flies as you get older. Jake and I both celebrated the big 3-0 this year and it actually didn't hurt! We both are looking forward to our 30's and watching our kids grow. We went to Arizona in February to get out of the Utah weather, and was able to visit my family and just enjoy the sun! Then we were especially blessed to fly to Hawaii, where we have a timeshare in beautiful Kauai! We spent 2 magically weeks there with my family, and I actually got teary eyed when we were leaving. It feels like home there for some reason. Then over Thanksgiving, we went to California for a week with Jake's family, and had a blast at Disneyland and wonderful San Diego.  So we have taken some fun family trips to say the least, which hopefully we will be able to continue that tradition on in 2009!

With the struggling economy, Jake has slowed down home building for a while and has ventured into some other areas. He is working with some good friends of ours, in building a rehabilitation business for people struggling with addiction. This hits close to home for us and we have felt inspired to move forward with it. There are so many people struggling out there and we feel blessed to be able to try and help them. He is teaching elder's quorum and also is the ward sports director. He has gone through ups and downs this past year, but he is so grateful for his friends and family that have been so great to him! 

I am loving my home in Daybreak Utah.! I could live here FOREVER! We live about 500 yards from the new temple and it has been awesome to watch the building process. It will most likely open in the Springtime. I have really enjoyed my little boys and just being a mother and wife. I feel so blessed to have my little family. With any spare time, I try to keep in shape, (not that it's working the way I want it to:) , and working on interior design and training pilates.  I love teaching the 12 year olds in my ward and being in Primary.   

Zachary is in Kindergarten and doing great. He loves making friends and being social, but is also getting straight A's, with the exception of a B in handwriting.  No surprise there! I hope he will inherit the geniusness of his two grandfathers! He loves sports, and being on the go. I have to constantly keep an eye on him, for he is everywhere! But he is heading towards 6 and hopefully going to be able to channel that energy to something wonderful!  He is a joy and is always making us laugh.

Brady. Well, he is an angel. He is a lover and a tender heart. We LOVE HIM! He is loved by everyone who meets him. He, too is social. But in a different way than Zach. I feel blessed that he chose me and Jake to be his parents. Of course, he is on the go, and into everything, but it is the age. He has struggled with putting on weight in the past, but with the help of coconut milk, he is packing it on fine now. 

We are so grateful to have you all in our life. What would we do without our unfailing family, and true and devoted friends. We are mostly grateful for our Savior. He is the reason for everything good in our life. Thank heavens for our testimony of Him! We hope and pray that you are all happy and healthy and having a wonderful holiday season! Merry Merry Christmas!

Love~

Jake, Emily, Zachary and Brady

Fun in the sun!

California screamin turkey love!

Ok! So we are back, not that we were THAT excited to come home and face the music, but, OH! We had an awesome time with Jake's family over the holiday! We drove to L.A. on Sunday and got all checked into our cozy hotel which was .1 miles from the ENTRANCE of DISNEYLAND! One of my most favorite places on earth... 

So we spent three magical days there with the fam.  And although we were getting up really early to get there when the gates open, adrenaline kicked in and we had lots of energy. The second night was really fun, as Jake, Chris and Dianne (Jake's bro. and sister-in-law), and I,  went back over to the park when the kids were asleep and rode the big kid rides and watched the firework show to festive Christmas music. Then sat and chatted with each other as we sipped on hot chocolate and ate fudge! Yummy!

Then we headed down to beautiful San Diego! We stayed at Chris and Di's house, and it was a stunning house that slept 19 people, No Problem. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast on Thursday in which the women all did their part in pulling it off. Then on Friday, went to see the USS Midway, which is a large aircraft carrier that was at war from 1945 through 1991. It had lots of planes for the kiddos to climb on and sit it.

Then on Saturday we relaxed and went to La Hoya beach. The water was a little too icy for me, but Zach and some of his cousins couldn't resist a dive or two. CRAZY KIDS! We left Saturday night for home and the only downfall that I could think of is that we didn't get to have Jake's sister's family there or his little brother Ricky. We missed you Rach and Rick! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I have so much to be Thankful for. Especially a wonderful family! Jake and I  are so lucky to have loving families who enjoy to be together. I truly cherish the time we get to spend with them and grow closer to them.  Thanks again to Chris and Di for having us in there home... We are so grateful to have been with you over Thanksgiving.  Love you all! 

Em

p.s. I am downloading a slide show of the vacation!

Hard times ahead!

I have been reading a lot if different blogs and humbly, I know how everyone feels about hard times. We are totally feeling this economy's effect on us. It is hard to say it, but it feels good to get it off my shoulders. We have been very blessed in the past. But we are now really starting to pull out all the faith in us that we can muster, and just say, "Lord, can you meet us half way?" 

At least we know that if we are true and faithful to the covenants we have made, that the Lord will not leave us in times of trial.  

It's funny. We need need money to survive in this world. It's just the way it is designed. One day we won't need it, but until then, it's a necessity! I guess I could have a little farm, with a nice garden, for food. And chop down some trees and find a little plot of land that no one wants, and build a little cottage. And make clothes out of "donated" material! I feel that I am going to have to learn life's lessons a lot faster than my parents had to learn them. And boy do I still have a lot to learn. When you go through trials, your imperfections are really magnified.  

I think back to when Jake and I were in school and we thought we were so rich, living off $1000 a month. Our rent was $200 and BYU paid for our food. We had one car. And clothes weren't on that much, since we were newlyweds. Haha. Joking. That time was simpler. But boy are we so much happier now. We have grown so much closer in 7 years, and have had children. It is a blessing to have such a great family surrounding us. And not to mention, outstanding friends and neighbors. 

Yah, as  I think about it. I wouldn't give up what we have for the world. And with that said, if the money is the ONLY trial given to me in this life, I will take it ten fold, and run! Loves~