Dear Grandmas and Papas

Dear Grandmas and Papas,  

Since we have come back from Salt Lake, the weather here has been amazing!  We hang out in short sleeves at the park every day.

 Talmage lost his FIRST tooth last night!  We were driving in the car when his little voice from the back said "my tooth just came out!"  His tooth had been loose since the 22nd of December. We had kinda forgotten all about that little loose tooth.  I must say he looks so cute with a missing tooth. It wont be for long.  He has his permanent tooth already coming right in.  

When we were playing at the park yesterday, the ice cream truck came.  Perhaps his ice cream helped get that tooth out!

We love and miss you so much! 

This was yesterday at the park.  Don't let the Halloween table cloth fool you.  We put it down just to make a clean  surface for the Zombie Lab they mixed and drank at the park yesterday.  

Friendships

My Christmas cards tied up ready to be put away. I like to keep all our Christmas  cards.

I loved the excitement that started the 1st of December that enveloped me as I headed to get our mail.  It is so much fun to open up that mailbox door to see Christmas cards awaiting our family.  Now that Christmas is over and the Christmas cards have seized,the mailbox provides very little pleasure.

As I took down our cards the other day, my heart sank a bit.  It was such a warm feeling to look above our kitchen counter and see our dear friends fun pictures hanging.  It's the next best thing to having them here with us.  (I didn't even need to worry if they were having fun visiting us here in Kingman) I am an okay hostess for about three hours.  Then, I need down time.  ;) Sorta kidding.

In all seriousness though.  As I opened each of our friends Christmas cards I was thrilled to see all was well for them.  To see how each of their children have grown.  Some, I know of their struggles that they have endured through the year or years.  Others, I did not know of their battles over the past year.  We all have our stuff.  Which then led me to realize all of each of our triumphs!  

I have had many different types of friendships.  I realize how very fortunate I have been.  Just because I do not talk daily, monthly or even yearly to some of these friends, they will be a part of me forever. I wish I could let each of them know that they are in my thoughts EVERY day!

I found myself wishing so much that I could go hang out with each friend in the cards that I opened.  It was so fun to see how each family has grown in numbers or in age. (Children's age)

It makes me feel excited though- for when the time comes that I can be with each friend again. I am looking forward to it!

P.S.
Here are some of my favorite sites as of late!

                                                          www.fancyhouseroad.com

                          Great jewelry. Love the bracelets.www.laurenelan.com Perfectly perfect!

Watching shoot 'em up movies finally paid off!

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Hit the play button for background music as you read on.

 I look forward to watching movies with Jared.  Mainly because I like to eat a bunch of treats, snuggle into Jared and then fall asleep.  In that exact order.  Most of the movie's that we watch are bang 'em up shoot 'em up movies.  Jared says we always watch these because I always fall  asleep after I have eaten all my treats anyway.  I say it is because I need to sleep 'cuz a girl can only stand so much gore! ;)

This weekend I think Jared either started to feel badly that we only rent his kind of shows, or he wanted to add some romance to our movie night.  He brought home a Red box movie called Midnight in Paris! Even on a night when there was a UFC fight?!  I must say I was intrigued .  So, we ate ice cream, I snuggled up to him, and I tried so hard to not close my eyes... but they did regardless of my efforts!! Poor Jared.

We decided we were too tired to try to watch a movie, and both went to bed.

Tonight we watched the rest of the movie!  I LOVED it.  Love love loved it!  I daydream of Paris with Jared.  

Owen Wilson is perfectly cast! 

Girls,  if you want to escape the worries of the day or look forward to a dreamy night watching this brilliant movie-  rent it ...or buy it!  I think I need to own this one.  Go into it light hearted, or if you are heavy hearted, you probably won't be for long.  It truly transported me right to Paris.  I am such a romantic. Even Jared could not believe how vibrant everything looked. .

 I think I need to buy the music from the movie too.  Might make cleaning my toilets seem charming while it plays in the background.

*Note:  Not every guy might enjoy this movie as much as I did.  I hope every girl does or will though.  

Snapshots of Christmas 2011!

Jake and his friend Derrick with Mr. Taylor and Mr. Taylor's wife after the school play!

My brother Ryan, me,  and my sister Stacy.  I am the oldest and shortest.  Think I got the short gene?

Christmas Eve Morning breakfast at Jared's Sister Cheryl's house.  Her husband  made these cutting boards for each of us and  cranberry orange bread!  

My Mom with the boys on Christmas morning.  They made her personalized stationary.

Our close friends Kenny and his wife Lisa.  Funny that two best friends married Lisas.

My Sister in-law (she married Jared's brother and introduced Jared to me) So, from best friends to  forever family!

Jared and his amazing Dad

Jared's priceless Mom

play dough!

Christmas night at Jared's Parent's! Always so fun!

Beautiful sky on the drive back to Kingman from Salt Lake.

This has been a year of major change!  What matters most is we have each other and our health!  Here is to 2012!

Have a fun night!

A Few Pinterest Pins!

enchantedendings.tumblr.com

moneysavingmom.com

weheartit.com

Something to remember!

This picture is over a year old.  I love it. The boys were headed to school.  Notice Jonah having a hardy Oreo breakfast.  I must have been picking my battles that morning? 

I think as a Mom I learn so many things each day!  I look back at how I "thought" a year ago and am thankful for things I know now.  I know that another year from now, I will be thankful to have gained more wisdom from life's lessons.

I am grateful for these three happy boys! They are amazing. 

We are putting this statement up in our house.

The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.

                   - Jimmy Johnson

      

Including last minute 5Th grade reports! ;)

Ice Cream

Jared and I LOVE ice cream. So do two of our three boys. I actually would consider us ice cream connoisseurs!

  We have given a lot of ice creams a try.  We look forward to weekends. We consume ice cream while watching a movie. I am willing to carry extra weight if it means the weight is from eating ice cream. ;) Some things are worth the calories, others not so much.

A couple of weeks ago I got a message on my phone from my older sister.  She is a school teacher.  Her Principal heard that her Dad was going to Arizona for Thanksgiving.  I guess that her Principal has a love for ice cream too!  He actually has a love for a specific brand of ice cream that only our state and some mid western states carry!  Her Principal asked her to find out if her Dad would be willing to pick up this certain brand and transport the stuff back to him?  She called me to see if my little town carried dry ice.  Her Principal had down to a science how many half gallons you could fit into his cooler, and that to keep the ice cream from melting, it would require ten to twelve pounds of dry ice.

My Dad drove through my town on his way to Phoenix.  He dropped of the cooler and the note that her Principal had written.  In the note he listed the four half gallons that were his first choice.  Then made a back up list.  A BACK UP LIST!  I love it.  This guy is our kind of guy.  Two of his four first choices were for Mint Chocolate Chip.  Jared and I know a good mint chocolate chip. I decided that we needed to try this brand out for ourselves.   I have to say it is pretty good.  We like a creamier ice cream.  However, I am NOT complaining. Hopefully her Principal has been enjoying himself with his favorite ice cream during the holidays!  I was even able to get him all his first choices!

One more note:  I read somewhere that eating ice cream with a fork somehow makes it a more enjoyable experience!?  I have given it a shot... and I think this is true!

The brand is Blue Bell!

*Dear Blue Bell,

Please contact me for further advertising.  This one was a freebie.