They’re all leaving….

Remember when we moved to Oregon and it was just us. There was no stresses, we were just peaceful and happy. Well, we’re moving in that direction once again. Mitch is moving out tomorrow. He found a room to rent!!!!! Very happy about this. My Grandma is leaving today, and I’m hoping that after the winter she moves back here so we can set up the office at her house. Norm should be leaving w/in the next couple of weeks.

I AM GOING TO BE FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s only Tuesday, and I wanted to voice a couple of my goals for the week.

2 Loads of laundry/day – includes folding & putting away
A/P filed in my new cute hot pink & blue filing totes (I have a sick obsession w/office supplies)
Norm’s bills paid
All deposits in the mail
Brochure completed
Home cooked meal EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!

Those are very easy goals for me for the week.

Birthday party tomorrow!

It’s 8:00pm and my kids are running wild around the house….. there’s something majorly wrong with that. Most people w/kids my kids’ age have them in bed between 7 & 8 – this is something I really need to work on.

Tomorrow is Jayden’s first “real” birthday party. I say first “real” birthday party, because he’s never had a birthday party where lots of kids come and you know….. all that fun stuff. So, we have about 9 kids coming tomorrow and he’s REALLY excited. I am a little stressed out about it…. we’re still going to church and I’ll only have a few hours to get things together. I know it will all be good, but with my fun anxiety problem it has me a little stressed. My biggest stress is that we show up at the park and the picnic table area is already taken – THAT WOULD SUCK!

I’ve decided I’ll do a post of Ella’s birthday pics and Jayden’s birthday pics – I’m a slacker and it’s been over a month since Ella’s birthday party and I still haven’t shown pictures of it. She looked SO CUTE!

Surprise Baptism!

Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now? This is a question that I think we’ve all heard in our lives. I look at my life 5 years ago and it’s nowhere where it’s at right now. We’ve taken a roller coaster ride with more ups and downs than I ever imagined.

I didn’t expect to be where I’m at right now. I didn’t expect to be in such a “family” mode. I didn’t expect to be staying home with my babies. I didn’t even expect to have another child.

You know what I really didn’t expect….. even a year ago? For my husband to have a baptism date. October 11, 2008 my husband is planning on getting baptized. I’m still in shock, but I’m so excited. I finally have a chance at going to the temple and getting my family sealed to each other, and I have gotta say that it is by far the most amazing feeling I’ve ever felt.

This all came on kindof sudden. Ever since Gino started going to church he liked it, but he was holding back. Really holding back. Then as we started the discussions it seemed like everything was going against us. Things would come up where we had to cancel our discussions, or Gino wouldn’t feel like it. I was starting to lose hope. Then, a week ago, my Grandma invited the missionaries and us over for Gino’s second discussion. He loved it. He loved learning about the priesthood, and when the missionaries asked if he would make a goal to be baptized by 10/18/08 Gino said Yes!

The missionaries came over last night and we made a plan to get the rest of the discussions done by next week so Gino can get baptized on the 11th.

I asked Gino last night while laying in bed if he was sure that this is what he wants. He might feel guilty if he drinks wine after he gets baptized, and he really should go into this with wanting to uphold all of the rules of the church, and he said that he’s ready for it. He says he doesn’t care about wine all that much, and he cares more about his health. Alcohol isn’t good for high blood pressure.

5 years ago I never would have expected this. A year ago, I still wouldn’t expect this.

Happy Birthday, Jayden

I really cannot believe that my little boy is already 7 years old. People always say to treasure every second, because it flies by so fast. Heck, I even tell people that, but I am noticing myself that it’s flying by so much faster than I imagined.

You’ve grown into such an amazing little boy, and you shock me daily with the things that come out of your mouth.

I just want you to know today and always that you will ALWAYS be my baby boy and that I love you so much! I’m so proud of the wonderful boy and big brother that you’ve become.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY BOY!!

I miss her

I read something today on one of my friend’s blogs and it really hit me. She too lost a baby girl in September 2006. She was talking of how she doesn’t want people to forget her baby. I feel the same way. This year I was a little sad, because I mentioned to some people in my life that it was Mya’s 2 year angel day, birthday, anniversary day – whatever… it’s like they didn’t even care. It’s nothing to people, because they didn’t love her like I did. They didn’t feel her like I did. So, it’s easy for them to just shrug it off and put it right out of their minds, because they’ve moved on. The sadness of the day my baby died is gone for them. It will never be gone from me. It seems like a blur, but my daughter is still dead and she’s still very much a part of our family and a part of our hearts.

I love Mya just as much as I love Ella and Jayden. I miss Mya and I never got to hold her and that’s one of my biggest regrets in life. I would have endured labor just to hug her once. Why didn’t I choose that? Maybe God knew that I couldn’t handle it. Maybe it’s best that we never got to see who’s features she was forming.

It’s been 2 years 1 week & 6days since my baby went away…. I miss her so much.

Update on my brother

My brother got his job and this is his first week working. He hasn’t been so bad to have around, but I still am ready for him to go. He’s totally taken over Jayden’s room, and that’s by far the most irritating part. He doesn’t do much around the house to help.

I feel really bad for his baby. My niece, Alana, is such a cute baby girl, and she’s in the saddest situation. Her dad isn’t around, and her mom parties, gets drunk and breastfeeds her. That alone KILLS me.

I wasn’t the most perfect mom in the world with Jayden. Well, I was pretty darn close to it, but there was a year where I didn’t make the best decisions. However, partying around your children is not okay. Breastfeeding while drinking is not okay. My heart is breaking for this little girl, and I’m helpless. There’s nothing that I can do. She was supposed to bring Alana up here this month and now she’s not. It’s sad that I’ll never know my niece. My kids will never know their cousin.

I’m not judging her, I’m just sad that I expected so much more out of her. I go on her myspace and cringe. All I can do is keep that baby in my prayers.

I’m offically a soccer mom

The only thing I’m missing in a mini van, and I REALLY want the new VW Minivan that’s coming out or came out. It’s awesome!

Jayden now is in Piano, Karate & Soccer. That’s 3 days a week of activities for him. Yesterday was his first day of Karate and today is his first practice of soccer. I’m happy that he’s involved in things that are keeping him busy and it makes me feel like a much better parent. I think it’s because I’m not keeping him cooped up in the house so I can work or get things done.

He’s doing so great in school this year! His first spelling test is tomorrow and we’ve been working hard on it. The words are cat, rat, map, am… so simple, but it’s so cute to watch his little mind think really hard about sounding it out and finding those letters that make that word up.

I’m so proud of him. I’m so proud that he’s trying his best at everything he’s involved in. He’s such a great kid and everyone that ever comes around him knows right away that he’s so special, loving and amazing.

We’re Back!!

The trip to Reno was AWESOME! Not so much being in Reno, but driving to Reno and home. We listened to Twilight on CD and Gino was finally brutally forced to understand what I’ve been talking about all this time. He likes it too. We’re only half way through the book, so I anticipate either him reading the rest (don’t see that happening) or us listening to the CD’s in the house.

The seminar was actually a lot of fun. I learned a lot and my tenants are going to hate me, because by law there are certain things that have to be in the rental agreements that aren’t. So, they’ll all be having to resign rental agreements when they just did that 2 months ago. Sorry tenants

Gino and the kids just hung out in the room while I was in my seminar and watched movies. After I got out we went swimming in their gorgeous swimming pool. Then we ate a yummy buffet and went to see Ksee and the kids.

It was such a quick trip, but it was such a nice break to get out of here.

Today is going to be spent doing all the things I don’t want to do…. I’m going to do laundry, organize the office so it’s ready for some major work accomplishing on Monday, avoid the Harvest Festival going on outside (I know, terrible, terrible mom – but come on!), get grocery shopping done.

The Moon

I had to come on here and tell a funny story about Jayden. Every time we go up to my Grandparent’s house that live here my Grandpa always leaves every day at 2:00pm to go to “The Moon”. Now, what Jayden doesn’t know is that “The Moon” is a bar where my Grandpa meets his brother and they drink and gamble. I choose to keep this little bit of info from Jayden.

So, Jayden thinks old Grandpa that lives on the hill is an astronaut.

Okay now to the funny story….

I asked Jayden last night what he wants to be when he grows up and he says, “I’m gonna be a missionary, you know, like the guys that come to our house.” So sweet. Then I ask him about what he’s going to do after he comes back and he says, “I’m gonna sell candy.”

Lovely. So, I say, “But Jayden, you could be anything that you wanted. Even an astronaut.”

Jayden’s reply: “OH NO! MOM! I’m not gonna be old like Grandpa and go to the moon. I don’t want to be old!”

Monday Babblings

It’s Monday and I’m motivated. I have a new blackberry curve and it has me motivated. New gadgets always get me excited. I was laying in bed and I sat there with my phone in my hand and went into the tasks and put everything in there that I needed to get done. I love going through and checking things off that I’ve accomplished.

Another thing I LOVE about having a blackberry is I have constant access to the internet. I can go to LDS.org and read the ensign, study scriptures and so many other things.

I’m going to the park with my cousin for lunch today. Our little girls are 1 year and 2 days apart, so they’re going to finally get together and play with each other. I really should be working my butt off today, but I really need to get out of the house and get some sanity back in my brain.

We’re taking off on Wednesday for Reno. I have a seminar to go to, so I have so much stuff to accomplish before I go, so today and tomorrow I’m going to be SLAMMED BUSY. I have to meet with my Aunt Julie who is helping with taxes tomorrow so I have a lot to prepare there.

I want to work on personal goals with myself. I’m reflecting on who I was, who I am, and who I am becoming. I want to be a better wife, a better mom, a better friend. Some personal goals that I’m working on right now is building a stronger relationship with my husband. I have done a lot of reading on LDS.org and I’ve become inspired by the articles in the Ensign. I have a wonderful marriage, but I feel like it could be so much more. So, I’m taking the initiative and I’m going to start just working on myself to see what that brings. We as humans are so selfish, and I know that I’m extremely selfish. I’m always concerned with what ‘I want and need’. I’m going to start focusing on what Gino wants and needs and actually really paying attention and trying to give to him.

I want to make him happy and I think him being really happy will make me happy.