12.25.2015

Wishing you a day full of love, peace and hope.  I hope we can all take a moment and feel blessed to know that we have a Savior, who was born in a humble stable, who took on the sins of the world, and gives us so much light in our life that we may be saved and live with God again.  I am truly blessed to know this truth.  My life would be dark with out His light and love. 


All my love to you,

MERRY CHRISTMAS



Isaiah 9:6

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."


12.18.2015

Why we need a Savior


I am extremely thankful that we don't live in a world with out a Savior.
He has helped me heal, learn to love, let go, and be a better person.


#ASaviorisBorn

12.16.2015

Christmas Blogger Bash

In addition to the Saturday lunch I had with my family this past weekend I went to a dinner that same night for our end of the year East Valley Moms Blog dinner.

We met at Zappone's in Gilbert.  I'm surprised I haven't seen this place before because its right around the corner from my doctors offices and the hospital i'll be delivering at.  I guess i'm just not really observant. Well I know its there now.

After steak that afternoon it was nice switch to Italian food for dinner.

The food was so delicious!

photo c/o EVMB instagram page


Tried a few things I things i normally wouldn't have ordered for myself.  Like fig jam & prosciutto on bread,  It was an interesting flavor, but it worked.

We finished off with a traditional cannoli dessert! It was delicious it had that black licorice taste ( can't think of the correct word to that right now) but it was so subtle i didn't mind and ate it up. really super yummy.

We had a fun little gift exchange and then were given some delicious pastries from Bubby Goobers in Mesa.  I seriously giggle at the name but they mean business when it comes to their pastries, SO amazing and yummy.  We each got a berry & an apple one, i need more in my belly immediately, so good. If your in Downtown Mesa, go check them out!

photo c/o EVMB instagram page

It was a great night with the amazing gals of East Valley Moms Blog.





*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Day 16 


12.14.2015

a very merry family lunch

Every year the adults in my family get together around Christmas to eat food and exchange gifts.  This past Saturday, Chris and I went to good ol' Texas Roadhouse to dine on meat goodness.



The gift exchange is always fun.  We have a wheel at my parents house that has every ones name on it and every year we turn the wheel once to see who you line up with to buy a gift for.

This year I just so happened to have Chris. YAY! Super super, easy to buy for my own husband cause i just get something nerdy and he loves it. :) Chris had my brother Nate for the exchange.

I got Chris a funko pop boba fett to add to his collection.

Yeah, he's a man child and I love him for it!

I received an adorable necklace from my brother? or maybe it was from my SIL? It was from both, cause usually what happens is sometimes when the men have to buy for a sister the wife just pics something out (but not always), anyway its wonderful.

I usually don't wear a lot of jewelry, but this is tiny enough that i can't even feel it when its on so its just perfect!




Its always an amazing time to get away from the kids, and enjoy time with my siblings and parents.



Til next year. Cheers!



*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Day 14


12.11.2015

Family picture

I decided that this year we weren't going to be sending out Christmas or New year cards, and that we would send out a card in the spring after baby boy makes his appearance in March.

I still want to give everyone something they want, and what they want is a picture of us, your favorite family in the history of the world!




*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*



And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
#ASaviorisBorn

12.09.2015

Dance Dance Disco Unicorn

Sometimes when given the chance, even when that chance is when your 6 months pregnant, to combine your favorite mystical creature, with music and strangers YOU TAKE IT!!


Last week I went to the greatest dance party in the history of ever! I threw on my rainbow shirt, made a sparkly unicorn horn, glitterfied my glasses and took off!

It took place at Jester'z Imrpov & Sodalicious was there mixing up delicious drinks.  Well, I'm still on a no soda during pregnant binge but I'm planning on going the minute the baby is born to grab a drink from them, everyone else looked super happy drinking away!  I did eat one of their pink cookies, and OH GOSH sooooooo delicious!

photo c/o Sean Huntington

photo c/o Sean Huntington

photo c/o Sean Huntington


The second I walked in, I knew I had made the right decision in going.  Did I know I would be so unbelievably tired, and sore and exhausted the next day? YES I did.  I knew it would take a lot out of me, but I have only 3 months before I'm tied down at home for a bit with the baby so I figured, what the heck I'm going for it!

And I am so glad I went!  There were so many fun ladies there!  I didn't know hardly any of them but that didn't stop us from having an amazing time dancing, laughing, and just letting loose!

photo c/o Sean Huntington

photo c/o Sean Huntington
photo c/o Sean Huntington

photo c/o Sean Huntington


All the pictures from the party are so trippy and amazing!! 

There are quite a few more that I could post, but you get the idea.  It was an amazing time and huge THANK YOU to Mandy for throwing this shindig together!!  BEST.PARTY.EVER!!!!






*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
DAY 9

Luke 2:3
 "And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city"

12.07.2015

Dear Sweet Amelia

Dear Sweet Amelia, 

You recently turned 6! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Congratulations for finally turning 6.  You've been waiting for this day what may seem like forever for you, but went by very quickly for your momma.  Every day you are able to do new things for yourself, like opening the super heavy van door.  You are thriving in kindergarten, but I knew you would.  You have a sweet caring spirit and have a tender heart, never lose that.  You are a joy to your family and bring so much life and love when we need it the most.  Your smile and laugh is contagious and your jokes are the funniest.  

Thank you for being an amazing daughter and for loving us.  We love you Amelia. 








*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

DAY 7
Luke 1:41-42

#ASaviorisBorn

12.02.2015

A year to take chances

Since March of this year I have been given the amazing opportunity to be a part of a very special and amazing group of ladies over on East Valley Moms Blog as a contributor/writer.  I'm going to tell you the tale of how this all went down.

I'm not even sure how I came across the blog in the first place, my best guess is through Facebook, and I was checking it out and I saw they were taking submissions to be a contributor.  I sat and stared at the entry form for about 30 minutes, trying to convince myself that I should send in my info.  One of my goals I had made just weeks prior to this moment was to get myself out there, and to take risks.  So I sent in my information.  I never thought in a million years I would hear back and if I did, it would be a "thank you for your submission but we found you lame and uncool and we don't like you" (okay, it would not be like that but that's what my mind was telling me)

About a week later I got an email back and they wanted to meet me! UH, WHAT?! I seriously wanted to cry and hug everyone I could see.

I didn't know what to expect, I had never done anything like this before.  We met up at a restaurant that I'd never heard of and there were other contributors hopefuls there too.  I was like a deer in headlights, I was trying to play it cool, but really I was a nervous wreck. I was working my life motto of fake it till you make it at 1000% capacity.

After I left I was like welp its up to the fates now. I tried to be cool, we'll see what happens.  Turns out I didn't have much to worry about, It was more of a we picked you and we want you to write with us we just wanted to meet face to face thing.  PHEW! When I figured that out a week later I was still just in pure shock!

How could I be doing something like this?!  I mean I've seen other people be writers/contributors for other blogs and wished I could do something like that but never took the chance.

Turns out all you need to do is put yourself out there and see what happens.  I was prepared for a no, and what I got in return has been something I never could have imagined.

Now just 7 short months later I have been giving so many amazing opportunities with EVMB I can't even thank Lisa & Michelle enough!  One that I really could not have seen coming was to be a part of their executive team. LIKE FOR REALIES?! I'm now the Community Outreach Coordinator. I even got business cards with my face on them! MY FACE! WHAT?!  I'm even on the tab with the bosses WHAT?! LOOK SEE!!

I'm a believer in taking chances, but I didn't take as many as I should have and I am so blessed because I decided 7 months ago to just go for it.

Moral of the story, don't be afraid to put yourself out there, it might surprise you what can come of it.




*
****
*******
**********
*************
****************
******************
********************
**********************
************************
*************************
|||||






11.30.2015

Unto us a Savior is born.

Every Christmas season we try to incorporate a little more Christ into our holiday plans.  Its important that we teach our children the true meaning and spirit of Christmas. 
Please enjoy this simple message of Christ.




May your holiday season be filled with love, peace and joy that can be found from the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

#ASaviorisBorn


https://www.mormon.org/christmas/gifs
Every day there is a new gif to follow, check em' out.


11.27.2015

Thankful

So many reasons to be thankful.
I'm most grateful for this year is my little family.

My children



My husband



I would be nothing without them.  They give me purpose and they give me life.

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving.

11.18.2015

life is busy...still

Can I just title all my posts 'life is busy' cause its literally the only thing I can come up with now a days.  

Having 3 kids and being hugely pregnant just makes every day a busy day.  

I've been trying to will myself into early nesting. I'm a work in progress, but its going, alright. 

I will say it does make washing dishes a little more fun when you have a brand new sink and faucet! 
YES! We've had the sink for almost a year and my husband, for our anniversary, put it in last week. 

You guys, oh you guys. YOU GUYS!! 

I love the new sink so much and it fits way more dirty dishes.  Before you'd put in a couple plates and one pot and the sink would be full. Now put that same amount in and then triple that and there is still room.  Its really a beautiful site and it makes my adult, growing older heart very happy. 

I'm excited because it will fit baby boy for a quick bath time.  I haven't had a sink this big before and it is glorious!!! Oh and best part, i finally have a disposal!! When we moved in almost 2 years ago the disposal wasn't working, i waited almost 2 years for one and its a beast and i love it so much. 

I'm a simple gal and I don't really ask for much, and this was one of the greatest things I could have ever gotten from my husband. 

I love sink. 

11.04.2015

9 years

A few weeks ago, October 27th to be exact, Chris and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary the best way we know how, working, sick kids, and sleep. Pretty simple, and ordinary life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This past year for us has had its amazing ups and huge spiraling, jump off a cliff, burning alive downs.  

I wouldn't want to be with anyone else and I'm glad we've been through the ringer this year.  I can't wait to see what this next year has in store for us. We're in this for Eternity and I'm so glad we have each other.






11.02.2015

life is busy.

Life is busy.

Taking care of kids, trying to take care of myself, my house, my husband, work, & so on.

Every day life right now is filled with a bossy 7 year old, a 5 year old that cries over literally everything, and a 2 year old who has decided sleep in optional at night so also cries at literally everything too. I'm exhausted and burnt out. I know it will pass, and i should cherish these times, but if they could just grow just out of these phases i'd be okay with that.

There are good things going on too, but some days its hard to let those good things shine through all the not good.  I'm trying, I put a smile on my face and basically fake it till i make it some days and that does certainly help.

Okay onto the good things that have been happening.

A few weeks ago we found out the baby is.


We used this photo on social media to announce what we were having.

We are excited its going to be another little boy.  The girls are happy because that means we have even numbers in our family.

After the ultrasound we went to lunch and then straight to Target so i could buy a little outfit for my little guy.



Halloween happened and it was a fun time for the kiddos again.  Evelyn requested pikachu as her costume, Amelia requested a bunny and Camden, well with him we tried many costumes and he chose nothing, he didn't want to dress up at all, so he went as a 'dad'.

 




We finally decided on a name for the baby. It was a back and forth battle, but we came up with a great name that i love and will be a perfect fit in our family. 

I'm choosing not to share online until we have the baby, just cause I  really don't need anyone's opinions about the name we chose. Sorry, not sorry. You'll just have to wait and hear. 


So that's an update on life right now. Hopefully between all the crazy I'll be able to find more time to blog. 






9.25.2015

When you work from home

What happens when your kids are on fall break and you try to get work done?



What happens when your kids are on fall break and they get sick and you try to get work done?





Oh the life of a work from home mom during fall break.  Its glorious.

9.22.2015

the unicorn pregnancy

Hey so yeah, how has everybody been. I've been better, but also worse. So I'm counting my blessings that I'm not worse.

When I hit the 12 week mark for this pregnancy things started going a little wonky.  I threw up for the first time. Weird. Now its just getting a little worse.  I've thrown up quite a few more times and it sucks.  I haven't experienced a non throwing up first 12 weeks then to start after that.  Again could be worse.  Like when i was pregnant with Evelyn I was literally sick for 6 months. Now that was awful, i never thought it would end.

It really is true what they say, every pregnancy is different. A friend of mine told me that the 4th is the Unicorn pregnancy. Its a mystical creature, you don't know what to expect it could be magical or it could be horrifying.  I believe it.

I am just an un-hot mess right now. Sneezing is the enemy. Every time i sneeze it triggers something and i immediately need to throw up. Then while I'm throwing up i usually need to pee so its really an awkward and not fun situation.  The glamorous life of pregnancy.  Call me when its over, kthxbye!

Thought i'd share an update cause i know everyone is just dying to know, obviously.

How far along? 15 weeks
Maternity clothes? i haven't had money to buy any, but i found a pair of yoga pants on clearance $5 i bought in a size up so there are the one thing i have that fits right now. shirts i just wear regular ones. 
Sleep: still sleeping good. i toss and turn quite a bit, but still good sleep. 
Best moment this week: i don't really have one. 
Miss Anything? sneezing with out throwing up, that'd be cool. 
Movement: i can feel the swimming and the random waves
Food cravings: nothing really specific right now, mainly anything protein. 
Anything making you queasy or sick: basically still everything
Have you started to show yet: yes. 
Gender prediction: no predictions. we'll be starting from scratch with either so it doesn't matter to me. 

Happy or Moody most of the time: eh, its day 2 of 2 weeks of fall break, ask me again when the kids are back in school. 
Looking forward to: not throwing up anymore, the end will come. 

8.25.2015

That time I saw two lines

Just a few days after my last post i saw them.


July 10th 10:30 pm: Our cat had been missing for two weeks. Chris and I were about to head off to bed, when he's says "I'm going to go look outside one more time for Buddha (our cat)."

Sure enough our dissapearing cat was magically sleeping on top of our car in the driveway.  We were shocked! So we decided to let him inside and keep him inside.  He's a old guy and its hot so it needed to be done.

July 10th 11:00 pm:  Chris gets dressed and heads off to Walmart to get everything we need to have an inside cat again.

That day I had been feeling, off.  I couldn't really put my finger on what.  i thought i was coming down with a head cold. I had a headache for most of the day and it was getting worse as the day went on.  I hardly ever get headaches and if i do they are never as intense as the one i had.

When Chris left to go to the store he gave me a good bye kiss and the usual good bye boob grab, (husbands man).  Right at that moment the gears in my brain started moving. I took a mental list of my symptoms, feeling weird, headache, now sore boobs. uh oh.  It takes me about 10 minutes to process what is happening.

I finally call Chris hoping he's still at the store and we have the following conversation

Me: hey i thought of something that i'd like for you to pick up while you're there.
Chris: sure, what is it?
m: well....uh....only if you feel comfortable buying this...uhhh...could you pick up a pregnancy test?
c: really? uhh, yeah. where are they at?
m: in the isle next to the things that prevent you from buying a pregnancy test.
c:  which one do you need there are so many
m: the cheapest.
c: all right got it, be home soon.

later on he tells me that while he was in line buying cat stuff, and a pregnancy test, he was in front of a bunch of teenage girls and he wanted to say something about how this could be your life, or something to that affect. :)

Moving on.

Everyone knows that the best time to take a pregnancy test is first thing in the morning.  So we went to bed and I slept really great considering that fact that in the morning our family could possibly be adding another to it.

July 11, 6:00 am: Morning came, i took the test, and then waited for the result.

I honestly was expecting it to be negative.  Never did another baby cross my mind at all, but for this stories sake it was indeed positive, those two blue lines showed up and i just stared at it.  I walked over to Chris and i can't really remember what I said cause i was still in a daze, but i said something like "hey so, yeah, its positive".



Chris immediately starting thinking of baby names, cause he have zero this time around. We have a good list for both so we'll see what we eventually settle on.

Fast forward a couple weeks.  I was put on a pelvic bed rest.  It was the worst. Basically anything that has to do with movement with the pelvic area was off limits....so i just laid around for a few weeks sick, and bored, till things cleared up. Seriously, so boring and you don't realize how many things you actually do until you can't do them.

August 20th 10:30 am: doctors appointment.  It was time to see what or if anything was growing inside me. I wasn't expecting anything to be there, probably because the fact that we are having another baby hadn't quite sunk in all the way yet. I don't know what i was thinking.  I wanted there to be a baby, but i guess i would have been okay if there wasn't. It was just weird.

Ultrasound starts and right away there is the tiny little bean with a beating heart.  That is the moment i finally was like "Okay this is happening." I smiled and watched as the Doctor measured and just had a feeling of peace and love for this little one.


And that folks is the story of how my pregnancy with our fourth little precious baby started.


7.09.2015

Summer days{4}


Well let me see what we've got going on here. 

This past week was a pretty chill week.  Even with 4th of July festivities happening.

We spend the holiday in Sedona, Az


We've been quite a few times and we were just ready to sit and do nothing.  It was so nice and chill.  We got in Thursday night about 9, when to the local thrift shop on Friday and enjoyed the cooler weather and the summer storms that rolled in, in the afternoon. We swam Saturday morning and left that afternoon to head home so we'd be home before fireworks and events in the valley started. It was super chill and a nice little break for the weekend. 




Evelyn saw on the resort map a labyrinth on it so when we were coming back from shopping we stopped to take a look. It wasn't what Evelyn thought it was going to be (i think she was looking for a more grand maze) but her and Amelia had fun walking around the little maze.




The last few days have been me trying to convince the kids to come to the store with me so i can finish school shopping for them.  It hasn't gone over too well.  I even told them we'd go to Target, they didn't by into it.  We only have about a week left of summer vacation and then school is back in session. 

We were going to be on our summer California adventure this next week, but had to be canceled a few days ago.   Chris still has the week off so were going to try to make the best of the time we have together, at home and around town. 

Oh, and one last thing before i go...


I came across this "Free life-a-day" declaration made by Evelyn.  I asked her about it and she said its like the declaration but just for kids and that for a whole day kids can do whatever they want. 

I gave her praise for thinking of something so creative and for thinking of freedoms and rights.  We talked about the Declaration of Independence and she knew quite a bit about it already. It was a great teaching moment for the both of us. 

Hope everyone had an amazing Independence Day and celebrated their freedoms we are so blessed to have. 

Have a wonderful rest of your week! 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...