yes, I've watched it!

Ok~ So here's the confession. Friday night my good friend Jen and her husband came and spent the night here. At midnight I got on to check my email and I saw that Rachelle Lafevre (Victoria in Twilight), was at my Walmart signing autographs for the release of the movie. I went and told Jen and we made a very mature decision to stay in bed........NOT. We totally jumped in my car at 12:15 at night and drove to Walmart. The front entrance was closed off so we went to the side and saw the movie sitting right there as we walked in. Of course I got the 2-disc edition.:) Then we went to check out and saw "Victoria" signing away. Needless to say, she is very beautiful. But I wasn't about to hop in the line, as it started at the front of the store and wrapped all the way to the back, in automotive. So we went home and watched the first 45 minutes and were too tired to stay up for the rest.

Saturday night Jake and I quickly put the kids to bed and put on the movie. Don't let Jake fool you either. He was very into it and when it was over, watched ALL of the special features and extra bonus material with me. In fact, he encouraged it! Then today, after Zach was in school and Brady down for a nap, I made a quick lunch and put it on again! Jake called and I answered the phone saying, "NO, I am not watching Twilight again.!" He laughed and said I need a hobby.

I do like it better and better the more I watch it, BUT........ I hope that New Moon has a little more money put into it. Ya know?? Anyway. I should probably take a break and not watch it again for a least a week.... :) Wink Wink.. Anyway, I added to my playlist my favorite music from the movie! Enjoy it!

The haps

So I made a slide show of some pics of the boys and our house. Since I do a little decorating on the side for close friends and family, I decided I would put up some pics of my own house. I still need to get some before and afters up of some of the other homes I have worked on. But that is me. I am not very on the ball that way. :)

We have been really working for our survival in these hard economic times. It's amazing the sweet blessings of support you receive when you are down or hurting. We live in a great community. Wonderful friends and neighbors. I was especially impressed with our ward, after we learned of a good friends passing last Monday. He was young and left behind a young family of four children and a wonderful wife. There has been so many people willing to help in their own way. We have so many questions, but I know the Lord is very aware of my sweet friend Andrea and her children.

I am grateful for all that I am learning right now. I am humbled by this trial. I feel like I am learning a lot about myself and our mistakes and also our good choices. What we would never do again and what we will constantly strive to do always . I am learning who to trust and who to let in. But, I don't think that trials are really about other people that hurt you and that you will never allow that to happen again. I believe that it rest on our shoulders and our shoulders only.

I had an amazing answer to my prayers last night. I had knelt down and prayed for help to get through these hard times, and then I read my scriptures. I am in 2 Nephi (Isaiah sections) and I realized that until we take responsibility for our own actions, that the Lord cannot help us. Here lies my point. Others can hurt us, but we are the ones that can hurt us the most. Until WE repent and WE forgive, we cannot move to that next level in life. It was good to turn back onto my knees after reading this and take responsibility for my own actions and my own pride. WOW, that felt good. :) Sorry so deep. I only meant to give an update on us and you got a whole lotta information about me.

Anyway, thanks for all your kind words and love and help. Truly you are all a blessing to my life.

The boys and the house

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