Say what?!

I saw this on a DRIVE THRU ATM machine ...

Seriously?!

I would HOPE the visually impaired aren't driving around town?!

Merry Christmas!

We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day!
We definately had a great day together!

We started our Christmas last night by driving around and looking at all the Christmas light around town. It was beautiful, as always. While we were away, some Christmas Elves snuck into our home and left us new ornaments and new pajamas!!!

Kason's ornament:

My ornament:

Kameron (& mine):

My attempt at getting a decent Christmas Eve picture of Kason:

The best I got:

Kason, excited for Christmas!

Our Tree:

CHRISTMAS MORNING:

The first thing Kason said when he walked out of his room this morning was, "BIKE!!!" he was SO excited!

He had so much fun opening all his gifts. I loved watching him, he would get so excited when it was his turn - ripping off the paper and say "WoW!!" when he opened it up. It was lots of fun!!!!

(Thomas the Train Blanket)

(future concert pianist)

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!

My WishList

My Christmas List wish ... mostly for my husband's sake in case he needs any last minute gift ideas (which I doubt ... he's a pretty good gift giver)

~*~

an iRobot Roomba



Can you imagine never vacuuming again?

~*~

this comfy looking robe from Bath & Body Works



in cream ... with some comfy socks from Bath & Body Works, too. But not cream ... maybe red ... or green.
I love Bath & Body Works stuff ... I love being pampered

(just a subtle hint, honey).

Or these comfy slippers would be great as a stocking stuffer!!

(also from Bath & Body Works)


~*~

a gift certificate to this place



I love their clothes. Cute and Cheap!!

~*~

Photoshop Elements 7

I almost bought it for myself and then realized I need to stop doing that!

~*~

this Fossil Wallet

they last FOREVER.

What's on YOUR Christmas Wishlist?

Christmas Lovin'

I CANNOT believe that Christmas is in ONE WEEK!! Where did this holiday season go?! It seems like we were JUST preparing for Halloween!

I am really excited about Christmas this year, Kason has been so fun!

He loves to look at the "twee" and talk about "Cissmus" and "Sa-ta"

His favorite Christmas movie is The Polar Express. He knows that movie by heart.
He loves all the cookies & candy.

I love the Christmas lights and all the decorations.
I love giving gifts and watching people's reactions when they open their gift.
I love Christmas music.

I love Christmas trees and ornaments.

I love wrapping paper.
I love the Christmas movies.

I love the feeling of Christmas - I just love this time of year!!

I love the TRADITIONS!

I remember growing up we ALWAYS drove around and looked at Christmas lights - we never missed a year! Kameron and I have continued the tradition and I'm getting excited to go next week!

As a kid, I was a peeker, I was always trying to get a sneek peek at my gifts (what kid wasn't a peeker?!). I would even peek as a teenager, I hate suprises and gifts were no exception. But, with my old age I realize that it takes all the excitement out of Christmas morning if you know all your gifts beforehand. However, with all my years of expert peeking, I'm pretty good at guessing my gifts. This year Kameron had wrapped my gifts and put them under the tree, I picked them up, felt them for about 10 seconds and knew what two of them were. Poor Kameron.

Growing up, at my Grandma's house she had an extra room that was OFF LIMITS because it was Santa's Workshop! I don't know where my Grandma hid the gifts because everytime I would sneek in there and try to find gifts I would find NOTHING!

Each year we would get a new ornament. I definately have my favorites - like my spinning ballerina, or the mini mouse. They may make it up on my tree this year but for now I'm okay with my new Martha Stewart ornaments.

We always read the story of Jesus' birth in Luke on Christmas Eve. As kids we would set up the manger as the characters were introduced in the story. And of course we would leave yummy cookies and milk for Santa.

Our new Christmas Eve Tradition is opening our new ornament and a new pair of pajama's to wear to bed that night.

Christmas morning we were allowed to get our stockings and check them out while we waited for everyone else to wake up. I remember how exciting it was to peak into the living room and see your big Santa gift.
Jeremy and I always woke up way too early. Jeremy would sort the gifts into their piles. And then we would just wait for Mom and Jesse to get up. We always opened our gifts one at a time so we could see what everyone got.
Mom always made a big breakfast, usually french toast. Then the rest of the day was filled with watching movies we just got and playing with our new toys.

I love Christmas so much!

What are some of your favorite Christmas Traditions?
















MERRY CHRISTMAS!

10 reasons I'm excited to move to Sierra Vista ...

1. There's a Target ... need I say more?!


2. This amazing Mom's Club! They have all SORTS of activities!!


3. The Cove - year round swimming ... Kason LOVES swimming and this will be such a fun, easy way to get out of the house!


4. The Mall ... I know, I know, it's small but, atleast it's a mall!!


5. The selection of restaurants! Chili's, Applebee's, Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings ... the list goes on and on and I'm excited.


6. There's a real movie theather - not one where you loose your flip flops on the floor because it's so sticky. We may actually go to the movies now!


7. Signing Kason up for the Tiny Tumblers class at Desert Thunder Gymnastics. I think it will be fun and really good for Kason to get some energy out!!


8. Rumors of Old Navy ... are they still true - anybody know?!


9. The weather.


10. Being close to family. I've always been jealous of young couples who have family close!!

Change of Plans (again) ...

So, have you ever heard the saying, "We make plans, and God laughs"?
I feel like that has been our lives for 2008.

Everytime we come up with a new plan for our lives, our Heavenly Father intervens and lets us know that plan isn't what we're supposed to be doing so, we patiently go back to square one and try out a different plan, which is how we are supposed to go through life ... right? Trial and Error with guidance from the Holy Ghost. Atleast, that's how I've always done it. I can't remember where I heard it but, I was once told that we should continue living our lives until it doesn't work out or until it doesn't feel right - and that's always worked for me.

A few months ago when we were planning on moving to Mesa, things just didn't work out. We never heard back from any jobs, the houses we kept wanting to rent just never worked out, we just couldn't figure out a way to get down there. Then, Kameron was offered the Mi Casa job so, we decided to stay here.

After a few months at the tortilla factory we just felt like Thatcher isn't supposed to be our home anymore. Kameron's job wasn't working out how we had hoped it would and we were just ready for some change. I felt like a hermit crab sitting in our house all day and I was really ready for a change of pace. Kameron's job was full of stress everyday and no rewards were ever given for all his hard work. We just felt like there were bigger and better things for us somewhere else.

So, once again we started the process of applying for jobs, looking for housing and praying about where we should head. We knew that we were going to have to be patient with the whole process and that our Heavenly Father would take care of us. But, after several weeks of it we started getting frustrated - we weren't hearing back from anyone and we just felt so stuck. We were going week to week on minimal pay with empty promises from Kameron's boss and it was really starting to wear on us.

Finally, Kameron mentioned moving to Sierra Vista. At first I was really resistant to the idea, I didn't know if I wanted to live so far from my mom while living so close to Kameron's parents - would it be fair? But, after thinking about it more and more and saying several prayers - I felt really good about moving to Sierra Vista. We started focusing all our job-searching in that area and found lots of options hoping that we would soon have something promising to get us out of Thatcher.

Last Sunday, as we walked home from church, Kameron told me that he felt like we needed to move to Sierra Vista even if he doesn't have a job. Boy - what a leap of faith that would require!! I wasn't sure how it would be possible. On Monday, we both talked to each other and just KNEW that we needed to move to Sierra Vista soon. We sat down and talked about it and decided that we could live with his parents until he found a job that would support us and we could move out on our own. So far, everything is working out perfectly and things are falling into place, everything just seems right and I feel so blessed to be on the right track - which could only be possible with the help of the Lord.

I am one who hates change, hate it. So, I am a little afraid of this whole journey but, it will be really good for our family to experience something different. So, as of December 13, we will sadly leave Thatcher and begin a new family journey in Sierra Vista. Until then, this is what I have to look at ...

boxes, boxes everywhere.
Oh, how I HATE packing!

Such is my life ...

But I wouldn't have it
any other way!
I love my life as a mom!