A Family Fast

Most of you know already that James and I are in a really tough spot right now and may not have a job coming up in a month or so. We are fairly confident that things will work out but it is scary all the same. A good friend of mine suggested a family fast and offered to do it with us so I am going to do just that. I don't know that it will change anything but I know that The Lord will help us to at least be comforted to know that we will be taken care of if we continue to follow His commandments. So, if there is anyone who would like to join us we would appreciate all the extra prayers. We love you all and Utah...here we come!!! This Sunday is the day we're going to fast.

Utah!!!

We had a fun little quick trip to Utah last week. James got home on Friday around 5 and we finally left. We made it about 3 hours and stopped for the night. We stayed in a goofy little hotel that was hot and stuffy and no one slept....James had a funny dream where he started yelling and that was funny (another story to tell). We got up and headed for a long trek to Utah...about 12 hours!!! The kids were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa! We even got to be greeted by Austin, Julianne, and Addy! Sunday was Beka's birthday so we had a celebration and got to meet Eric too...he's a nice guy that we're really excited about! Grandma made a yummy dinner and we had some fun for Grandpa and Beka's birthday. Monday we hung out and had a fun FHE with the whole gang. James took us to his Alma Mater to visit some teachers of his. Tuesday James went out to see more teachers on his own and have some fun reminiscing. Later that night he went shooting with Bob and Gramps while Grams took the two older girls for birthday ice cream...so lucky girls!!! Wednesday we went to see Bedtime Stories with Grandma which was really cute. She took the boys to the nickle cade and had a blast. We also did a little celebration for Ana's birthday. Thursday we went to SLC and had some fun. James found one of his good friends from high school, Phil Stevens, and we hung out with his cute family before heading to Aunt Amy's new place. We had dinner with Amy and then headed home with overtired and grouchy kids! Friday we went to lunch with Grams and Gramps and then had dinner with the Crandalls. It was fun seeing them and being able to hang out and catch up a bit. Marcie made a cake and the boys went and got ice cream which was all delicious!!! We had to leave Saturday but it was so fun to get a little break from Monterey and visit the old resting spot. We look forward to the next time we see everyone over 4th of July!!!

Gratitude!

We had an amazing lesson in RS on Sunday and so I decided that there was something that I needed to do. I have so much to be grateful for and so I decided to share.
1. Good health for all in my family...I will never take it for granted again!
2. My family...James, Teancum, Ana, Jarom, Rebekah, and Sariah...they are my life and I love them so much.
3. My extended family...Mom, Dad, Craig, Cristina, Kristi, Jonathon, Erik, and all their kids...I don't know what I would do without their love and support. They are always there for me and I know that they love me no matter what!
4. My in-laws...Bill, Vonnie, Jen, Dave, Amanda, Stephen, Austin, Julianne, Robby, Amy, Eric, and all their kids. They raised a wonderful son that I love with all my heart. They love to get together and always have so much fun. They've introduced to me to lots of new things and I love it!!!
5. My body...kinda goofy but I am. It's not perfect and it doesn't look the way I want it to, but I'm grateful that I have one and that I can work hard to make improvements. I have been working hard and I like the things that have changed and I like the way I feel.
6. The gospel...I love the knowledge that I have and the things that I continue to learn. I enjoy going to church and being uplifted by those around me who are so smart and wonderful. I'm grateful for the things that it's helped me with in my life because of the knowledge that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me!
7. Music....I love music and the impact it has on us. My kids love music and always want to sing and dance. I love the music we get to enjoy when we go to church and the music that we can enjoy in our home.
8. Friends...I won't even try to write all the names because I know I'll forget. We have been blessed with some of the best friends anyone could ask for. They have been there for us through everything and I am so happy.
9. Military...it's crazy to say but I am. It is a steady income and a reliable job right now and what more can you ask for? James loves to learn and he does well at learning the languages. The family enjoys being in Monterey, CA. We love our house and our neighborhood and all that there is to offer.
10. My Savior! I am so grateful that he was willing to give His life for me so that through all my imperfections I can repent and strive to be more like Him. I am grateful to know that I can live with Him again after I have done all I can here on this earth. I am grateful to know that James and I can be together for all eternity and pray that our children will do the same. I love my Savior and pray that I can strive to live worthy of being with He and our Heavenly Father again.

Ana Banana

We just thought we'd show you a picture of our cute little Ana Banana at the hospital in her cute little green gown and yellow socks. She sure was a cute one. So, Wed we spent the whole day getting ready to come to Utah...packing, laundry, cleaning, cutting up fruits and vegetables...everything. Ana was cute and even helped with cleaning out the car so that things would be super easy for Thursday morning. Around 5a.m. Ana came in and told me that she wet the bed but she had already changed her clothes and everything...she was really keyed up about the trip and took a while to go back to sleep. I had her lay down in my bed because James was leaving. About 6:45 I had just fallen back asleep and I noticed the blanket was vibrating and I was a tad bit annoyed. I turned over to ask Ana what was going on when I got the surprise of my life. Ana was have a full on seizure. It took a minute for me to process what was going on. I looked at her, grabbed her shoulders to get a good look and then jumped off the bed to call 911. She had finished the seizure before they got there but I was very shaken up. The kids were all down stairs letting the paramedics in the house. 7 people come running up the stairs to check her out and said she look platonic. As I was being questioned by the fireman and police officer one of the paramedics scooped her up and carried off to the ambulance. That was not so fun. I got all the boys in the shower for something to do and go them out the door for school and took the two little ones to the neighbor. I went to pick up James and finally made it to the hospital to see how our little gal was doing. She didn't like the IV and her only concern was wetting the bed...she didn't remember anything else. I had to try not to laugh.
We met with a pediatric neurologist and he did a test on Ana and said she was fine. She had an ultrasound of her heart and then an EEG. She had a MRI also just to cover all the bases. I went to get the other kids and we went to the store where everyone picked out a little something for Ana. It was so much fun for them to do something nice for their sister. They were so excited. We hung out with her at the hospital and finally left while James waited for the doctor to come back with all the test results. She was diagnosed with Begning Rolandic Epilepsy and a heart murmur. As scary as it is...it could be much worse. The heart murmur is not a big deal and the epilepsy is something that won't hurt her. We are happy with the results since we know they could have been much worse. I had her sleep on the floor next to my bed so that I could keep an eye on her. I think I got about 3 hours of sleep that night....the dr. said that's typical behavior of the parents. Oh well. I have had a hard time adjusting and letting it all sink in. One thing that I know for sure is that the Lord knows us and what we are going through and he has never left us. I know that He loves us and is mindful of our little family. I'm thankful to have such a beautiful daughter and I know that we will all move forward and trust in the Lord. I am so thankful for all the support and love we have felt from our family and friends! I don't know how I would have gotten through this without everyone....I'm a bit of a baby but I appreciate all of you!!!

Oh my goodness!!!

Beka...Beka...Beka!!!! I don't even know what to say about this little gal. This morning Beka's primary teacher called to tell me about her little "quotes of the day". A couple of weeks ago they were talking about the Holy Ghost and they asked Beka how she felt when she didn't something good. Her response..."i like whales." What the?!?!?!? I can't believe she said that crazy little chick! So, yesterday one of the other little boys in the class was talking about just getting back from Utah. Beka pipes up and says..."I just went and saw my grandma with a big bum". Oh my....!!!! I don't know where this little girl gets it all from. She says stuff like that all the time and it cracks me up! She also told her class that I'm pregnant with a little boy. I can't believe her!!!! I'm not pregnant and if I was it would way to early to tell what the sex is!!! I really don't know where she comes up with this stuff but it sure makes for a good laugh!!!

Our little weekend

We had such a fun little weekend. Friday night we watched Nacho Libre together and then James and I started watching Get Smart. I fell asleep and noticed that he gave up and turned it off to go to bed too...oops! It was fun all the same. Saturday we had a fun little pancake breakfast and then exercised as a family. They all did the circuit training with me on their own little levels and it was really fun. We went to the pool for an hour and had some more fun. The four older kids had a BLAST playing and swimming around but little Sariah wanted NOTHING to do with it. She sat on a chair, wrapped in a towel, laughing at all of us and had a blast from there. Dad finally took her to the "kiddie" pool when it cleared out a little more and she had so much fun. I guess next time we'll have to start off with that one. Sunday James got up and made muffins for me and brought them up to the bed because I wasn't feeling good. He and the kids all sat around the bed with me eating breakfast. It was so awesome. We had stake conference and it's always hard with young kids to go and sit for 2 hours. Well, we went and it was so worth it. The kids actually behaved very well and it was an incredible meeting that I'm glad we didn't miss. The rest of the day was so fun and relaxing just being with the family. We played a few games, had some dinner, and got ready for Monday. What more can you ask for?

I'm boring again....no pictures yet!

This week has been a cuh-ray-zee one!!!! Okay...
Monday...started my work-out with my personal trainer and we did weights with cardio in between and I was sooooo sore but it was sooooo awesome.
Tuesday...did another work-out with Michelle and it kicked my trash. We did a cardio work-out and by 8:00 I crashed and wanted to die. She put my body into shock and it was a nice wake-up. I went to visit dear little Amy who is leaving us and I'm really sad. She has such a cute little family and have been so good to us!
Wednesday...I watched some kids whose dad is really sick and the mom needed some time to recoup. It was just two kids but I was tired by the end of the day. I did my personal training work-out on my own and it went really well...still sore...but getting better.
Thursday...crazy, crazy day. I exercised with Michelle and it was better today. It felt really good to get out there and do it again although I was nervous just knowing what was coming. I watched a little girl who is cute as can be while her mom went to dad's graduation....so fun! I ran to the store to get a few things and came home and watched another little girl that we love for her mom to go to the doctor. I made dinner for a family who just had a baby...#7, and 50 cupcakes for school valentine parties. It was a very busy day. I think I finished frosting all the cupcakes around 8:30 and finally got the last load out of the dryer for our trip.
Friday...got up early to exercise with James. I made him do my work-out with me. Heeheehee!!! We watched 2 little girls for a little while and then went to the church to decorate for the Valentine Dance. It was fun decorating and all that. We got home and packed like maniacs to head down to San Diego for the weekend. We finally headed off to pick up the kids and head off....what a trip. It rained a lot but it wasn't too bad because it was mostly a light rain. We got to mom's house at about 11 and went to bed!!!
Saturday....mom and I went for a walk in the morning and it was really nice to get out in the fresh air and just chat with her. I love my mom dearly. We all got ready to go but ended up watching August Rush and loved it....good movie for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. We headed up to Temecula to see Jared Furgeson to fix my teeth. He was one of the favorite Spanish missionaries we knew in SD (of course James is my favorite). He is now a dentist and he fixed my teeth for me. He was so sweet and he did such an awesome job. He is probably the best dentist I've ever met!!! My mouth of course was numb for a while but it un-numbed just in time to eat an inn-n-out burger! We spent the rest of the night just chillin' out and having fun!
Sunday...I got to see both my brothers and have dinner at mom's. It's so fun to hang out with them and to see Craig's girls. They are so darn cute and growing up way too fast! Oh yeah....at church James found out that mom is in the same ward as someone that he knew from his mission and when we lived in San Diego before we were invited to their sealing...totally awesome!
Monday....we got in the car to come home and it was insane!!! The rain was coming down like mad and what should only take 8 hours, took 11!!! We finally got home last night at 10!!! I couldn't believe it. I t was so darn annoying.
Today....I worked out with Michelle and now I'm listening to my little girls have a cat fight....I guess that's what happens when they don't get enough sleep. Oh well! It was a good week and I'm looking forward to another one!!!

Happy Birthday Jarom!

Today is Jarom's 6th birthday....yeah!!!! I thought I would do 6 fun things about Jarom so....

1. Jarom was a scary delivery. He had the cord around his next a couple of times and scared us a bit as he was being strangled all through labor. The Lord was mindful of us and I had the fastest labor and delivery for me. We're so glad to have Jarom with us!

2. Jarom got to fly on a plane to South Carolina for daddy's graduation from Basic Training and they missed our luggage on the way home...luckily his carseat came back. He loved the plane and everyone on the plane loved him...he got lots of extra treats from the flight attendants since it was a LONG trip. He wasn't quite a year old.

3. Jarom cried when he lost his first tooth. He didn't want any of his teeth to come out....he wanted to keep them all. He liked the money from the tooth fairy and decided it was okay.

4. Jarom had his toenail ripped off in a little mishap and had some fun at the hospital. The doctor had to rip it all the way off so it could grow back...YUCK!!!

5. Jarom is a spider monkey. If there is a surface of any kind he will climb it. He climbed up the door frame to our closet to get a game down...he climbed to the very top and then jumped.

6. Jarom is one of the sweetest boys. He has lots of energy but he is such a good student and loves to help everyone around him.

We love you Jarom and hope you have a happy happy day!!!

A time for reflection

The past two weeks have been sort of crazy ones. A close family friend's father passed away and their grandmother the next day. Last week my Stake President from my youth passed away. It was sad but made me think an aweful lot. There is a 9 year age gap with my mom and dad and so the 2 men were the same ages as them. I did a lot of thinking and realized just how precious life really is. It could be my mom or dad and that's always really hard. I also realized that as hard as it is to say goodbye, it's really just a "see ya later"! We know that if we live our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord that we can live with Him again and that's what we really want. I hope that I will be able to see these people again some day and I know that there were many people there waiting to greet them on the other side. I want to live each day as though it could be the last. Love my family more, serve my neighbors better, do more in my calling, try harder to be more like the Savior. I'm not perfect and I know that I'm not expected to be, but I am expected to try my hardest and that's what I really want to do. I love you all and I hope everyone has an awesome week...month....year...life!!!!

It's been a while!!!

No pictures again this time...boring!!! Well...it's been a busy little while. James has been going absolutely crazy trying to study Arabic into the wee hours of the morning and still not passing any tests...I'm sure it will get better soon...I have faith in him. He is being an awesome dad who always takes time to hang out and play with the family. We have been going on walks each Saturday and James taught Jarom to ride his bike....YIPEE!!!

I've been planning the Valentine's activity, cooking for the missionaries, taking care of 5 crazy kids and exercising like mad!!! I've been trying really hard to get over my bad attitude and so I walk every day about 2-3 miles and every other day lift weights and do pilates. Hopefully it will pay off and I'll start to lose some pounds and feel better about myself...all in due time...patience!!! I've been enjoying hanging out with good friends and going to the movies and shopping with them!!! Life is great!!!

Tank is plugging along in school and loving scouts. He is really sad however that his leaders are moving...stanky!!! I'm sure we'll get another set of good ones. He is enjoying reading Harry Potter and playing outside with his siblings. He is one of the best big brothers I think a kid could ask for!!!

Ana is just being as cute as can be. She really loves to do her hair as well as Beka and Sariahs...and they are sooooo cute! She loves to read her Junie B. Jones books and sleep in the queen size bed that's in her room. She loves HSM and is always asking to buy more and more of it.

Jarom learned to ride his bike and he's amazing...it only took a scraped knee and crying for so long that he had snot running down his nose and puffy eyes...but hey...he can ride now!!! He is really happy that he does...now he can keep up with Tank and Ana and doesn't have to "walk" on our walks anymore. He is loving school and can finally "read". He's been telling me he can't read, he can only sounds out the words...but now he can read! He's a funny one that little Armjo!

Beka is our singing and dancing diva! If she's awake her feet are moving and so is her little (big) mouth. If you live within a 10 mile radius you can probably here her because she sings very loudly. She even sings in the store. I admit....I tried to get her to stop and be quiet until I realized that she's only 3 and I DO NOT want to squash any of her creative style. So Beka...belt it out baby!!!

Sariah is just a scream...and speaking of scream...she does all day long! Whether it's out of anger or just for fun...she likes to be heard. She is talking a little more but it's only one word at a time and everything now is "felf" for self. She's little miss independent!!! She loves to eat yogurt and will open 2-3 in a 15 minute time period and only eat 1/2 each...craziness!!!

I love my kids and couldn't imagine life with out them!!! I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to this awesome new year...I know I am!!! I'll try to get some pictures up since I know I have some cute ones from our trip to SD for New Years. I have one of my grandma with all my kids and my little brother!!! Yeah!!!