A Night of Song and Storytelling...

All week I've been waiting to catch the broadcast of the Breaking Dawn/Justen Furstenfeld book signing/concert. I LOVE Stephenie Meyer and I LOVE Blue October, so I was crushed when I heard there were only 4 concert dates (none of which were even remotely close to here)- but then I heard they were streaming it live though iclips.com. AWESOME. If, by any chance they make it available to view later on- I urge everyone to check it out. Even if you aren't a huge Blue October fan, I can almost guarantee you'll like the acoustic versions of thei songs. Plus, he debuts a couple of new tunes off of his -still to be released- album for next year. Again, AWESOME. It gave me chills, Clinton and I hung out and shared the headphones for the computer, and I think he liked it just as much as I did. :) I'm so proud!
I'll have to find some concert videos for this kid to watch- he was in a trance.

And, I wanted to let everyone know (I've had a lot of people ask me- probably because it's been nearly all I've talked about for a couple of weeks now)- if I've finished Breaking Dawn. And I have, I wrapped it up at 5:30 AM Monday morning (yes, I stayed up ALL night)- And it was great. I whizzed through it so quickly, because I HAD to find out how it ended, that it's taken a few days to sink in for me. But, the more I think about it, the more I like it. It had every element I wanted in the final book- so I'm feeling pretty accomplished and happy. ;) I do LOVE this series- it was an escape for me. When I read it, all of my worldly thoughts and worries were left behind and I felt renewed when I finished. I have to give a shout-out to my hubbs for being so patient and nice about it all- there are times when I'm sure he wanted to roll his eyes at me, but he refrained...and I'm grateful to him for it. Thanks babe! You'll always be "my Edward." (He's probably rolling his eyes now, but I don't care ;) - LOVE YA, Hon!

8 Things...

TAG- Jeff, Doug and Shan, and all HS buds!

8 Things I am passionate about:
1. My kids
2. My Hubbs
3. Family
4. Learing
5. Faith
6. Music
7. Colorguard
8. Food


8 Books I have read and enjoyed:
1. Scriptures
2. Twilight Series
3. The Host
4. Peace Like a River
5. Memory Keeper's Daughter
6. Thirteenth Tale
7. The Book of Nurturing
8. The Lovely Bones

8 Words, phrases I say often:
1. I love you
2. Please
3. No!!
4. Be nice!
5. SHHHHH!
6. In a minute...
7. Go play!
8. Holy beef!


8 Things I want to do before I die:
1. Raise my children, well.
2. Finish school
3. Learn to play guitar
4. Write a book (Clinton's Story)
5. Affect others lives.
6. Teach my children to value life, love, imagination, music, and achieve happiness.
7. Retire RICH with my husband and travel the country in a HUGE WINNEBAGO! Oh yeah.
8. Live happily.



8 Things I learned about myself in the past year:
1. Faith always prevails.
2. (I've known this but continue to learn it more and more) Family is ALL that matters.
3. Time goes too fast.
4. If I put myself out there, I WILL be rewarded.
5. I need time for myself to be a better mom and wife.
6. Sometimes, you just need to escape life.
7. I've missed reading!
8. The only person that can drive me to accomplish, is me.

8 Places I want to see:
1. Ireland
2. Australia
3. Hawaii
4. Pennsylvania
5. Maine
6. a Nascar race (Bristol preferably)
7. a Foo Fighters concert/ or Blue october- I won't be picky
8. Disneyland - WITH my kids


8 Things I miss
1.My Mom
2.Time to read
3. Katy - I really wish you lived closer :(
4. My Dad- I really wish he lived closer too- although he's LOTS closer than Kate.
5. Childhood, innocence is bliss.
6. Low gas prices
7. 2 incomes
8. Time alone

8 Things I currently want/need:
1. Want: Date Night
2. Want: An endless Itunes giftcard... if such a thing exsists.
3. Want: A vacation
4. Need: Insurance
5: Want: to win the lottery
6. Need: A BIGGER kitchen!
7. Want: New furniture
8. Need: More motivation

Jeff's Birthday Slideshow...

Jeff's Birthday!!!

I missed Jeff's birthday party since I was out of town in St.George, but I've been SO excited to do the 10 things I love about Jeff. There are a lot of random things that remind me of Jeff through my day... I'm just ecstatic to be able to list them out! So- here goes...

10. All kids LOVE him! He tries to be scary sometimes, and it never works. They always laugh at him. Clinton, particularly, finds him HILLL-arious. He has the perfect humor to satisfy Clinton. :)

9. He talks with me about things I'm passionate about. He understands my love for family and memories, music, and food, better than most people I know. AND- he knows better than anyone of my DISTASTE of country music. That alone gets him an A+

8. He introduced us to Cirque Du Soleil... without his enthusiasm I don't know if I would have ever been able to experience something so awe-inspiring. It immediately became one of my favorite things about Las Vegas, and I've been addicted to the random shows ever since.

7. (Clinton)- I like to play the vidd-i-vee camera with Jeff.

6. (Cara)- I like to go visit Jeff and do puzzles with him.

( A little side note from the kids... whenever we sing 'The Wheels on the Bus' and we get to the driver part- we pretend it's Jeff- he says, "SHH-SHH-SHH!!!!" to those kids A LOT.) ;)

5. Every time someone hears my last name, they say "Are you related to Jeff?" And I'm so proud to say yes. Then ( I can always predict what will be said next...) they say, "I LOVE JEFF!!" Everyone says it- EVERYONE. I'm gettin teary just thinking about it- because it's SO TRUE- EVERYONE LOVES JEFF! I always follow with- "I know, I do too!"

4. (Clint)- He has a calming presence and comforting words in times of difficulty and grief. He has a gift that brings perfect words to those in need. He has a way with helping others understand the 'bigger picture'.

3. He did my WHOLE WEDDING! By himself. Poor thing. :( I was much to Giddy-in-love to help and he was on his own (to say the least)- but he did the job perfectly! Even now that I'm out of my sheer 'giddyness' I'm still SO happy with the way it turned out. And although I probably shaved a good 5 years off of his life for all of the stress we gave him, I wouldn't change a thing. I don't think I could have loved it more. I will forever be indebted to him for that.

2. He feeds us the most delicious food. Honestly, it doesn't matter if he's cooking with dirt and seaweed- it tastes good! Whenever he offers us food- it totally brightens my outlook...at least until I'm done eating it. Then I just feel fatter. ;)

1. He's literally given me the most beautiful blessings of my life. I've never had such faith instilled in me as I do when I hear Jeff's words. After my mother died, he gave me comfort that I never imagined I could get. He blessed me to "witness miracles" with Clinton and brought me solace through my labor with him. He's not only been with me through the most difficult times of my life, he's comforted me during them. He's an amazing brother and holds his own special place in my heart. I can't put into words how much I love ya, Jeff- you're the best!

Happiest Year Ever! Love ya! ~ AJ

Camping and Hiking...

We left for our camping trip on the evening of the 17th, up to Big Springs. It was pretty crowded for the weekend (the campground was booked full) but we were lucky enough to find a nice spot just downhill from there. We took the 4-wheeler and the buggy and got to go see a lot more of the campground than before. Here are some pics of the trip.

Ahhhh... dirty kids......yay.





We had to take Meaters with us because he was still taking his meds- here he is looking pretty sick and worn out still...poor thing :(






The guys took all of the kids fishing one evening and let us have some peace and quiet time to ourselves. They caught a couple of fish and the kids were stoked! I still can't believe they took ALL of the kids with them- it was fantastic!



Our convoy...


Jodie and I went on a HUGE hike the last day and it totally kicked our butts. Supposedly, there's a lake somewhere back in there, but we certainly never found it- we kept thinking, " Maybe it's just around this bend...no...well, maybe it's just up here." No such luck, though- we went quite a ways- but were in a rush to get back home. We plan to take it on next year- hopefully I'll be in a little better shape next time too. ;)
Here's some of the view from our hike- we got WAY up top of the hill and then forgot to take a picture- I was SO mad that we didn't get one to show our accomplishment. :(




And here's a cute vid of Cara PIGGING OUT on her chips- and I wonder how our camping chairs get so dirty?!?

All in all it was a great, relaxing trip for us- I'm so grateful to C & J for all they helped us with. We really needed a quiet getaway and it lifted our spirits to be out in nature and away from everyday stress. It was lovely and I really felt relaxed afterward- that's the best kind of vacation. ;)

Playing catch up...

OK- like I said, there's been so much going on the past few weeks. I'm gonna try my best to get things done, but honestly, I don't know if I'll be able to remember back that far! I'm warning you... it will be very random for a few days... ;)
Meatball has fully recovered from his Parvo bug. He had it pretty bad and needed to go in a couple of times for fluids and meds. Poor thing. The other scary issue was the vet bill, luckily it wasn't too bad, but Clint's been pretty slow at work (Cannon just doesn't have anything going right now) so we are officially way behind in bills. He's applied for a couple of jobs at the site and around town, so we are hoping to hear back from them. Say your prayers for us- it would be such a blessing to get the job at the site. We're keeping our fingers crossed. SO- between the worry of meatball, jobs, and just being driven crazy by the kids- my aunt Paula could sense my stress level was way too high! She offered me a little vacation away from it all for a few days, and I couldn't resist! Who would?! She had to take her daughter, Kaitlin, to meet up with her other two kids, Brennan and Aubrey, in St.George.
She pampered and spoiled me the whole way! I haven't left the kids for a couple of years, so it was a welcomed break...but I'm sad to say I have NO pictures of the whole trip. My family is pretty terrible about having their pictures taken and since she was nice enough to sponsor me a vacation... I figured I could live without flashing the camera. ;) It was sooo fun, though. We went shopping like crazy- ate out (Ruby Tuesday's- Holy crap- that stuff is TASTY!) went to the movies and hung out with the family. I had an afternoon by the pool, lots of outlet mall and antique store shopping- it was just plain awesome. And the best part is I was able to connect with my family again- It's been a long time since we've been able to hang out together and it was amazing to spend 3 days with them and soak it all in. I'm so blessed! Thanks Paula!! Love ya!

Happenings...

So much has been going on the past couple of weeks! I have a TON of posts to get caught up on (camping, Jeff's birthday- I'm very excited for that one-, buggy/4-wheeler rides, ect...) but it will have to wait a couple of days. I'm headed out of town for 3 days with my aunt - kid free!- to St.George, UT. Should be a lot of fun- so anyway- I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth- I'll be back soon! Wish me luck!!

Parvo...

My poor little baby Meatball has Parvo. I know, it makes me sick to even write it. For those of you who don't know what it is, it's a virus (only contractible by dogs) that attacks the intestine and basically eats it from the inside out. He started acting sick last Thursday but got really bad Friday night. We ended up making an emergency trip to the vet and getting him some meds and IV fluid. He felt better the next day, but he's been on a downhill slope ever since. He can't keep anything down and he's becoming pretty dehydrated. We're taking him back in to the Dr. in the morning. :( Say your prayers for the little poop. I miss his spunk. Hopefully we can get this under control and get him back to himself. Love ya Meaters!

BABY MADDY!!!!!

Doug and Shannon have been waiting for months to sign the papers to adopt their new baby daughter, Maddy Jane. She was born July 5, 2008 and they traveled down to California to get her. They had to wait about a week for all of the paperwork to clear to bring her home but they're back!
I finally got to meet my new niece! I've been dying in anticipation to see her sweet little face! Derrick, Jeff, Anita and I waited up and went to visit as soon as they got home (about 1am Sunday morning). I know- it sounds like we were barging in but really- they wanted us to come. Shan's family came too, it was so fun to see them again and to get to meet Maddy. I had a hard time putting her down! Here's some pics from that night...
I don't think I can describe how excited I was to see her. She is such an angel.
A picture of the clock- to prove how crazy our family is.... we were just too excited to wait until morning. It was more fun that way, I think. The anticipation was built more by trying to stay awake... ;)
Cali kissin her sissy!
Scott holding his grandaughter for the first time...
Proud grandparents!

Shan checking out the surprises left for them...
Anita gets a turn... she Looooooves babies!
Jeff's turn! It was so cool to watch Maddy with Jeff- she settled right down and stared at him... Her eyes were wide open and she was mesmerized from the first second he talked to her. Very cute.
Shannon's glowing! She definately has that 'new mommy' glow. It's so fun to see them both sooooo happy!
Sweet little family! I will never forget that night- there was such a strong, sweet spirit there. Everyone was so happy... there's no other way to describe it- happiness was thick in the air!
The next morning, we woke the kids up and told them baby Maddy was home- they were beyond excited. Cara was out of the car and inside, holding the baby before I even got into the house. She's so excited for her baby cousin. She kept saying, "baby Maddy is too cute."
Kisses cousin!
Clinton originally thought Maddy was going to be his "new sister"- we had to explain she was staying at Doug and Shan's house.
Clint couldn't believe how cute she was - Cara wouldn't stay away from her for more than a few minutes. She kept marveling at her "little hands and feet"
She's such a sweet spirit. Clint held her for a long time after that and almost fell asleep with her! I can't get over what a doll she is. She's a wonderful addition to the family, I can't wait to watch her grow up!

Catching up...

I've been trying to get caught up on all of the things I have to write about lately, so a lot of my posts are dated back about a week or so. Be sure to scroll down so as not to miss anything. I still have tons to write about- but my biggest ones (about My dad and Anita)- are finished. YAY for me. But stay tuned for what we've been up to for the past couple of weeks...

Another ambition...

I've begun yet another ambition. And while I whole-heartedly believe that I have waaaaaaaay too many ambitions for any one singular person- I always want to at least try to begin things and work on them whenever I get the chance. I figure it's better than putting them off until I 'have time' to accomplish them because I have learned that I will NEVER have time to just pick something up and accomplish it. That said- I finally decided to pick up a guitar and learn how to play. I've wanted to play the guitar for as long as I can remember. I've nagged at Derrick to teach me for years and he's finally succumbed. He came over unexpectedly a couple of weekends ago and we began (completely informal) lessons. There was only one catch...I was playing on Clinton's child-size 'Discovery Toys' guitar. It was fine at first, as long as I was sitting a certain way. But after about a half an hour my hand started falling asleep and my wrist was aching. It kept falling out of tune so we'd have to stop what we were doing and re-tune it. I was silently becoming very frustrated and Clint must've caught on to it, either that or he thought I looked ridiculous playing a six-year-old's guitar, because he ordered me one- (for an adult)- isn't he just a peach? It's perfect to learn on and waaay more comfortable. I love it. I haven't gotten pictures yet (partially because I have SOOOO many pictures to blog- I swear if I take any more my head WILL explode)- so as soon as I take some I'll get them up. I have more to write about as well, but I want to wait for the pictures. I'm so excited about it though- wish me luck! ;)

Anita's Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANITA!!!




Tomorrow is Anita's Birthday and although I won't say how old she is (you're welcome Anita!)- I will say that she is the best Mom/Mother-in-law/Grandma/ that any of us could ask for. She has a sweet and compassionate heart and I believe that she is the perfect example of selflessness.






Here are the TOP 10 reasons we love our

"Na-na" so much!



No. 10- (from Clint)- "Her upside down smile!"

No. 9 - Her home remedies...i.e..'scorched flour' and "the bee sting/burn cream"- those in the family know what I'm talking about...

No. 8 - She lets Clinton and Cara come down the street to her house 15 times a day and always welcomes them with open arms and a loving heart.

No. 7- Her beautiful new silvery-hair.

No. 6- (from Clinton)- " I can ride down there on my buggy and play with her with the water."

No. 5- (from Cara 'Chocolates')- (When I asked her why she loves Grandma?) "Because, she's my grandma, her house is my house...and she plays with the castle blocks with me."

No. 4 - Her strength and spirituality

No. 3 - (from Andrea)- She gave me endless love and support, both physically and emotionally, through my darkest and most trying hours with Clinton. (When he had just come home from the hospital.)- She spent literally every waking minute she could with me and to relieve me and I will always treasure that time I spent with her. There is no better gift she could have given me than to help me take care of my baby well enough to keep him home and out of the hospital. I love her so much for that- thank you, Anita.

No. 2 - She always makes time for her family, they are her number one priority in life. She's always thinking up ways to help al of us and others around her.

No. 1- She gave birth to the man who would later become my best friend, husband and father to my children. Without her influence and love he would never have developed into the person I fell in love with and I would never have known such happiness. She did an amazing job raising him and teaching him morals and love. She's been a wonderful mother and the perfect grandma. We love you so much Na-na!!! We hope you have the happiest year ever!