Quentin's Induction

Quentin received an invitaion to be inducted into the National Junior Honor Society last week. Jeff and I were so proud of him and so excited! He made it sound like it wasn't a big deal but it was and it is and we are so happy to be the parents of this amazing little man.

We went to the ceremony last night and even though he was a good head shorter than all of the other kids there, he looked so grown up and ready to take on the world! Maybe it was the purple tie that I made him wear. He told me that no one else would be dressed up-but I still made him dress up! It was a short, sweet ceremony explaining how they were chosen and an explanation about what it means to be part of this society. They told us that his being chosen was based upon grades, citizenship, leadership, and character. WOW! What a privilege. Jeff and I were grinning ear to ear the whole time I am sure! Quentin even let me sneak a picture in!

I know that I say how amazing he is all of the time and I am sure that some of you are tired of hearing about him-but he never ceases to amaze me with the things that he says and the actions that he displays of being one of the greatest people that I have ever met. He has a great mind, a great spirit and so much integrity. He knows who he is and knows what is right for him. He stands up for what he believes in and stands proud beside all of his decisions. I am so happy to be his mom and to be learning new things from him every day!

Blessing #7

Last summer we bought these little potted blooming trees that I totally fell in love with because they had these small purple blossoms with yellow centers all over the foliage. I HAD to have them. They were a splurge that I usually don't participate in but I loved them and so we purchased them. One thing that drew me to them was that they would live even during the winter if they were brought indoors so to avoid the freezing temperatures. Something to bring me joy year after year? Definitely worth the money I was to spend then! I brought them indoors for the winter and they bloomed for the first month that I had them inside, but quit after long. They are still enjoyable (and alive surprisingly with my black thumb that I have). This morning, I was sweeping my kitchen floor and was over by the back door when much to my surprise, I saw a purple bloom peeking out from behind some of the green leaves!! I lit up-with no one else around and a smile came to my face knowing that spring is just around the bend!!! I am sure that all of you are excited about the warmer weather as well as I am-but there is just something more that I am thankful for that is a blessing in my life. Spring represents new life, a new season and a new beginning. I know that everyone has hard times sometimes and that I am not alone, but lately I have felt more than ever before in my life that I am looking forward to a new beginning. I know how to make it happen, I just haven't figured out how to put all of those pieces together and make it happen-or at least happen quicker than it seems to be happening. I am not the most patient person or else I am not learning quickly enough what I need to learn. With that being said, this flower gave me the hope that I needed today to keep on going and to learn more about myself and my surroundings so that I can facilitate that "new beginning". Today I am blessed to be able to have new beginnings and to be better than I was before and to have a hope for what is to come.

Blessing #6

Years ago, I was having a presidency meeting at my house and I apologized for my dishwasher running because it was making some noise and we had to talk over it. My friend said that she loved the sound of appliances because that meant that something else is doing her work for her. I have thought a lot about that over the years and today something happened that yet reminded me again of what she said. Today is laundry day and at one point I went to go and check the clothes in the dryer only to find out that they were very damp still after I had been drying them for a while. I panicked thinking that my dryer had bit the dust and I would have to take the rest of my clothes to my moms or a laundromat and wait for Jeff to fix my dryer, or worse have to buy a new one...I was hoping to use my tax return for something else! It ended up working and I am not sure what happened, but my blessings today are all of my appliances. I don't have the fanciest or state of the art appliances, but I am lucky to have what I have. My washer and Dryer, the stove, the microwave, the water heater, the refrigerator, and the dishwasher. I am amazed when I hear the sound of these items and how they are helping me so much with the work that I am supposed to be doing. I know that they are a blessing in my life. They save me time, do things more efficiently (better than I could even do sometimes), and work while I am away or sleeping lots of times. Thank heaven for my blessing(s) #6-my appliances.

Project Mode

At Christmas time, we rearranged all of the kids bedrooms. In the summer we finally put in a window in the basement so that it could be an official bedroom and so we moved Q down there and swapped Calli and Mack's room. It seemed like a great idea at the time. I forgot that all of their rooms would have to be repainted. I love redecorating, but the budget is a little tight right now and so it wasn't a great time because of that! I usually love to try to use what I already have to be frugal and so this was just a little more challenging because I didn't have a lot of wiggle room. She told me she wanted her room to be purple and green. I love that combo, however, she has had a purple room from birth and I was ready for a change. Here's our makeover all for under $120.oo out of my pocket! (Calli helped a little.)When I saw this rug ($30) at Walmart she and I both agreed to do the room around this palette. We were off and running!!!

We found her bedspread in Heaven (aka Target-(I saw this on someones blog this week))-Who doesn't love Target????). I bought the bed in a bag ($25) and Calli bought the accent pillow sham with her own money!

After the green bedspread, I didn't want to put the bright green on her walls and so I chose the periwinkle-but Calli really wanted the green so we compromised and I told her we could do the periwinkle on the bottom and the more light green on the top. I was nervous about it, but it turned out cute!! A couple of cans of paint ($30) and WALLA!!

The rest of the accents were all redone ones that she had in her old room. I found some paint that I had from some other projects and used it to repaint frames, her clock, and hangers on the wall. I love the turquoise and wished I had used more of that color-but it is a great accent! I also found these floating eyelet balls ($12) in the wedding section at Walmart too. They were something new to add a fun extra touch.

Calli and I both fell in love with this fuzzy chair ($28) that fit perfectly in her reading corner! She also paid for half of this with her own money! Wow! Thanks for the financial help Calli.

My favorite thing in the room though ended up being this long picture frame that we had and bought some scrap book paper for ($4) and developed a few pictures of her liking to make this cute scrap book on wall!Along with Calli's room, I had Jeff add some rounded corners to the hall entryways and I textured and painted both hallways. This is what my poor kitchen table looked like the whole week. I didn't dare take a picture of the rest of my house. I guess that I will be playing catch-up with my cleaning this week. Now Mack is expecting his room to be done immediately! I think we will wait for the tax return for that one!

Blessing #5

No-that's not me on the cover of this magazine! I don't have an amazing photo for this one, and this may sound a little cliche, but this week I have been particularly thankful for my health and consider it a HUGE blessing in my life. This week I have been around people who are sick or have heard about people who are sick or had been sick and I knock on wood every time when I say that I can't remember the last time that I was sick. I am thinking that it is a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father because I need to take care of my husband so much because he is sick constantly! I know that when I have been sick before, I wished that I was healthy-but before that happens, I just want to be grateful for "being" healthy now. Blessing #5 is my health.

Blessings #1, #2, #3, & #4

I am starting my 52 blessings. I am going to start with the obvious blessings that everyone expects me to put down, but they are the things that I would tell anyone if they just asked me randomly what my top 4 blessings are. My first 4 blessings of 2009 are

#1 Jeff
What would I ever do without this amazing man in my life? He has been the best thing that has ever come into my life! He is my ROCK, my best friend, the LOVE of my life, my children's amazing Father, his mother's wonderful 1st son, my parent's favorite son-in-law (he he! J/K Sam!), our incredible provider, and has an amazing way of making me be myself and know who I am-because without him I am not sure who I would be. I am grateful for him and for the 16 plus years that we have known one another!

He helps me fold my laundry when I've had a big day and haven't gotten to it. He organizes the kids' toys ALL the time-sometimes to my demise! He fixes my toothbrush before we go to bed, gets my water for my bedside table, and lays out my blanket in case I get cold...we sound like an OLD couple. The other night, I came home from mutual and he had deep cleaned two of my bathrooms! What a guy! I am the luckiest girl in the world to be able to spend eternity with him!

#2 My Oldest Son Quentin

Sometimes I don't even know what to say about my son Quentin. Jeff and I just sit and wonder where he came from sometimes! He is one of the most incredible people that I have ever met! I would say that even if he wasn't my son. He is an outstanding student. Most times he will have over 100 percent in his classes. He loves to read like you would not believe, play games on the computer and the Wii, hang out with mom and dad after the other kids go to bed, and he especially loves the Gospel. His testimony is greater than some adults I know. The leaders at church have expressed to me several times what a great Young man he is and what a special testimony and tender heart he has. He and his sister have always had a very special relationship and we have always loved the way that they treat each other with so much kindness and respect. Now don't get me wrong, he can be very "typical" for a 12 year old some days too. I believe that I can see all of those teen years approaching soon, but neither Jeff nor I believe that he will be a trial during those years. I am so excited to see what his future will bring and enjoyed every second that we have been blessed to have him in our loves.

#3 My precious Daughter Callianne

She is so precious to me not just because she is our only girl, but because I see so much of myself in her! I watch her doing a lot of the same things that I did when I was her age. It is spooky sometimes. She is so creative and willing to try just about anything that doesn't put her at the center of attention (that is something that she didn't get from me-she's all dad that way!) She loves to be with either brother. Being in the middle, she always has someone to play with. If Q isn't interested at the time, she resorts to Mack and they have so much fun together. She has a contagious smile and giggle-especially when she and Quentin are goofing around. They get so loud and kind of obnoxious, but I inevitably start laughing with them because I just can't resist that giggle and smile! She is an incredible student and all of her teachers have always loved her and how sweet she is. She has a lot of friends, but is kind of a homebody and would rather play with her brothers than any of her friends. She has her own "style"...She loves to experiment with her clothes and hair. She is very fun to go shopping with and believe me-we both love to go shopping! I love her to death and have enjoyed having one daughter to play with! She is a precious blessing.

#4 My little Mack!

Kiss, kiss, kiss! Mack is my three kiss kisser. One on the lips and one on each cheek!! Last night he gave me really long kisses. When he stops doing that, it will be a very sad day! Mack is the "funny" in our home. He cracks all of us up!!! This morning I heard him tooting at the counter at breakfast and he said "That's number seven!" Only Mack would be counting and at breakfast at that! I call him my little "Indiana" for Indiana Jones. He is always wearing his shirt tucked in, with a belt and holster with the gun of the day pointing at something. Don't watch him play though-you'll get in trouble! I have to watch him from a distance and I just smile and chuckle to myself because he is such a good pretender and he is usually playing all by himself! He loves Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Army guys, Transformers, and anything that has a gun and that blows up. We frequently hear the blowing up sounds all over our house. He has the most toothless grin I have ever seen. He has been without his front teeth for so long, I am sure he will just look weird with teeth. He doesn't particularly love going to school, but he does and usually says that he has a good day. He folds his arms at church when he asks to go to the bathroom during Sacrament Meeting. He loves to play with any neighbor that will come over, but will settle for Calli if she's willing. He loves his dad to tuck him in-but only mom can sing his bedtime song. I am glad that I still have him for company during part of the day. I will miss my pretzel eating mall buddy when he goes to 1st grade. What a joy he has brought to our family these 5plus years he has been with us.

Blessings #1 Jeff, #2 Quentin, #3 Callianne, #4 Mack Daddy-O

I love YOU blessings!

Lucky #7

Minus one again...Okay-I'm getting kind of tired of posting my weight loss/gain. I am not sure if it is benefiting me anymore. Plus...I was reading another friends blog tonight and realized that she is posting some really important thoughts and feelings about much more important things in life and I am mostly posting about my weight loss? All of you know that I want to lose some weight and all of you know that I care-but I think that I would rather post much more important things. She is doing this great thing on her Blog called 52 Blessings she found it on one of her friends blog that I actually love to visit! http://gardenviewcottage.blogspot.com/ It is full of great info!!! ( I would post my frend's blog but it's a private blog) Anyhow, here is what it is all about...

About 52 Blessings: Once a week post a photo of something you are most grateful for. This gives us a chance to reflect on the good things we have learned from or that have made us better in our everyday lives or things we just enjoy! I think everyone needs to be more grateful for what they have now days instead of always thinking about what we want! This is one of the things we can do to be more gracious people. It will be like a photo gratitude journal.

This is what I would rather post about. The things in my life that I am grateful for and looking for more things that I could be thankful for. I still have a weight loss goal and I plan to reach it these next 48 weeks this year-and the week that I meet that goal-maybe that will be my blessing that I am grateful for. Most likely, there will be something more important that week to make note of! Anyone that would like join is welcome to. Let's get started!!! I am already behind 4 blessings!!!