From the Cuff.........

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a few pictures of the girls' adventures of Halloween this year. The pictures are posted at the bottom of the page. They had a lot of fun filled days leading up to the actual trick or treating adventure.
*Saturday, Oct. 23....Trick or Treating at Officer's Hollow
*Wednesday, Oct. 27...Trunk or Treating at our Church
*Friday, Oct. 29......Family Fall Festival at Jennaka's school
*Saturday, Oct. 30....Trick or Treating at Foothill Village
*Saturday, Oct. 30....Trick or Treating in the neighborhood
The girls have enough candy to last until next October!

Life goes by...

2009-11-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

I honestly can't believe how fast time is flying as I watch the girls getting bigger and bigger. McKayDee no longer has that "baby" look to her. She really is growing up. Jennaka started HeadStart this year and is loving it (when she gets to go and isn't home cick). Jennaka loves her teacher and the assistant. That is all she talks about at home these days. She is so smart. I really don't remember being that smart when I was a kid. She really need school for the social aspect of it though. She tends to be shy around a lot of people. Even people that we know. I hope she outgrows it by the time she goes to Kindergarden. She will be starting school next year and I have heard great things about the school she will be attending. Well I know this is short but I am busy all the time these days. Take care my friends.

A Blogger I am not....

2009-05-31T16:48:00.000-07:00

I have to start repenting and start blogging more often. I have just been overwhelmed with "life" for the past year. My job ends this coming Friday and I am finally starting to feel like I am getting the hang of what I am supposed to do. They told me when I started that I had one year to "get it down". Well, my year is coming to an end and I have gained a lot this year and I look forward to starting fresh in August.
As for the girls....they are still growing like weeds. Jennaka turned four this month and McKayDee will turn three in August. They LOVE being outdoors in the backyard or going to a park or for a hike into the mountains. We have been working in the garden and they have been great little helpers with that.
I got to attend a mission reunion for the Michigan Detroit Mission this past weekend and it was great to see four of my companions there. It is hard to believe that I have been home over 11 years now. I had the best mission president, President John P. Livingstone (and his wife, Linda). Such loving people (and still are). My mission was one of the hardest things that I ever did in my life but also one of the most rewarding. I look back and wonder how one can get up at 6:30 everyday and follow the routine that missionaries do but when you get into the mindset that this 18 or 24 months is the "Lord's time" then you just do it. I think about all of those people that turned away an opportunity to hear the gospel. I hope that they get that opportunity again someday. I have many people in my life who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I hear all the time, "what makes you guys think you have the 'true' church?" We just do! (and I am not going to go into all of the reasons why here). This is my blog and I can say what I want to, right?
I am still not that savvy on posting pictures on this blog but I am going to try and put some updated pictures of my little creatures.

Singing the winter time blues.........

2009-01-17T15:59:00.000-08:00

I am happy for a three day weekend to have to catch up house chores and spending quality time with my 2 precious little girls. Today the girls have been begging me to take them to the park (Sugarhouse Park) because they want to go sledding. First of all, there is not much snow left and second, I don't want to stand out in the cold and freeze. So, I took them to Mickey D's Playland instead and that seemed to appease them.
Jennaka is now 3.8 years old and as independent as all get out. She knows everything and wants to do everything on her own.
McKayDee is now 2.5 and is going through a growth spurt right now. Her language in the past few months has just skyrocketed and she is a little spitfire. She definitely knows how to get her way.
I used to think that I would never have the opportunity to be a "mom" and now that I have these 2 little creatures running around my house I am grateful to a Father in Heaven that hears and answers our prayers. He knew that I needed these little ones to help me get through life and to bring me joy. It makes me sad for all the times that I lose patience with them. They are after all still learning how to navigate thier little world and how everything works. Oh, how I love them and I wouldn't change a thing.

It's funny how life passes us by.......

2008-11-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

I do not know why I even attempt to blog because I am the worst when it comes to keeping it updated. The girls are growing by leaps and bounds.... McKayDee especially. She is talking so much now and is getting close to being potty trained (which makes me really happy).
Jennaka is so independent these days. She doesn't want help with anything but then finds herself in a jam when she can't do it herself. (That stubborness must come from her fathers' side of the family. Hee Hee!)
I am still trying to get into my "groove" at work. It is challenging sometimes. It can be frustrating at times too. Especially working with a bunch of women (you all know what I mean). I do love working with the children and families and teaching staff as well.
Well, that is the update on us for now. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with my friend Leslie and her family (Thanks Les!)

A New Chapter In Our Lives.......

2008-09-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

So, yeah, it's been awhile since my last update on the fam. I started a job (in the secular world) at the end of July and am no longer considered a SAHM : ( Well, sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do for the family, right? I miss the girls because I feel like I am missing all of the "growing up" going on with them but coming home is really sweet when they give me big hugs and kisses. Even Papi says he misses me too! Ah, that's sweet. Jennaka will probably be starting preschool soon (if I can ever get the paperwork done). I just need to work out the logistics of how to get her to and from school each day. I guess that I haven't mentioned that we have a wonderful nanny/friend who watches the girls each day. She has a 4 year old daughter that McKayDee and Jennaka just love to death. This definitely makes it easier for me to go to work each day knowing that they are taken care of. Well, that is my update for now. Keep in touch, friends and let me know how you are all doing.

Slacker Mama.................

2008-07-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

"Procrastination is a silly thing it only makes me sorrow... but I can do it anytime I think I will tomorrow" (anonymous). I think that is my motto for this blog because posting every 3 - 6 months does not a blogger make me.
The girls are growing by micromillimeters every single day. I think it is more noticable in McKayDee than it is in Jennaka. McKayDee's hair is also finally growing... YEAH!!! Now I won't have to correct everybody when they tell me what a cute boy I have. Although I have to admit I have the cutest picures of McKayDee and Jennaka in a little tuxedo (just for the fun of it).
McKayDee is really starting to put together sentences. She'll say something like, "I have hair in mouth, mommy" or "My dolly sleeping over there". It is so fun to see them go through the different stages that they do while growing up (walking, talking, riding bikes etc). Sometimes I think it would be fun to have another baby but I also like to fact that the girls are getting old enough to do things on their own now. McKayDee is still our clumsy little one-shoed Monkey. She is always bumping her head or tripping over things. If we get her to her second and third birthdays without too many bumps it will be a miracle. She loves shoes and you can usually find her walking around the house with just one shoe on hence the name, "one shoed monkey".
Jennaka is in the thick of the "terrible threes" right now. Whoever coined the term, "terrible twos" most likely didn't have any older children because I talk to a lot of parents who can attest that three is much harder than two ever was. Jennaka wants to be first at everything, she wants to wear the clothes that she wants to wear, she has taken to physical aggression with her sister to get her way with things. She says, "NO!" more often now than she ever did while she was two. Heaven help us!!!!!!!!! She is very sweet and loving in many ways though. She is for the most part fun-loving and happy. She just has a few "moments" here and there.
I am so grateful to be their mom. I love my girls soooooo much and although I still need my alone time to rejuvenate I love when we are together singing, "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly" and laughing and giggling.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-04-25T13:37:00.001-07:00

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-04-25T13:27:00.001-07:00

Yeah for warm weather!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-04-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

I think that warm weather may finally be upon us. It has been a looooong winter and I am done with it (and hopefully it us done with me too!!) At least I can say, "I survived"!
Nothing new to report but I wanted to post some new photos of mis nenas.

Spring Has Sprung............

2008-03-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how busy life gets. One day you see your children as babies and then you turn around and they are small people growing into teenagers and then adults. My "babies" are getting so big now. Jennaka will be 3 in May and McKayDee will be 2 in August. I know that it is still quite small but time is flying so fast. McKayDee is our little monkey....... climbing onto everything. I think she will do well in gymnastics in a year or so and Jennaka is quickly learning to recognize all of the letters, spelling her name, and learning the sign language alphabet as well.
I am hanging in there. I have been making an effort to return to activity in the church (for those of you who know what this means) not easy but when you have a testimony you can't deny the truth. There is saying that goes, "It's going to get worse before it gets better" and I feel this statement is true for me. Gotta go this is depressing............ Love ya all.

Boy, How time flies..........

2007-10-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that I haven't posted since July (not that anyone has missed us ; ). Lori, thanks for your comment. Now that I know at least one person is reading, I'll keep writing. BTW Lori, I enjoy your blog as well. It is a nice way to see how the families are growing.

Well, Jennaka is now 29 months old and I think her favorite sentence is, "NO, MOMMY, NO"! She is talking up a storm these days. She cracks herself up by saying things like, "Mommy farted" in her sweet two year old girly voice. She is so precious with giving us three kinds of kisses; Fish kisses, Eskimo kisses, and Butterfly kisses. She is totally into the "Princesses" of Disney and into getting into anything that is mommy's. As much as I hate to see her "grow up" this is one stage that I will gladly say goodbye to.

McKayDee is almost 14 months and she started walking about 2 1/2 weeks ago. She looks like a victim of child abuse with all of the bruises on her head. I don't get it, humans are supposed to be the most "intelligent" of the species but you wonder sometimes why giraffes, horses, deer, well, most animals it seems, can walk soon after birth, yet it takes a human anywhere from 8, 9, or even 18 months (or more) to walk. Let's not even get into the talking thing. I heard it said (not gospel) that there is a reason that babies can't talk when they are born. They are so fresh from Heaven that they would be able to tell us all about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Well, who knows but it sure is funny to hear the beginnings of language going on in our home. Little McKayDee is trying to say, "Peek-a-boo" and it ends up sounding like, "eekadoo". Precious little ones.

Luis and I are hanging in there. We are stressed trying to find a larger place to live and have found a few places that we really like but then we don't end up getting the place. It is frustrating looking all the time only to be disappointed. We are really trying to stay in the Sugarhouse area but it's tough finding a place that has all of our "requirements". We are looking at finding something that has sort of a "mother-in-law" type arrangement so that I can continue to do daycare at home. Right now, I am taking care of two other children besides my own and we are now into a routine that makes them feel like a part of the family. I would like to take on one or two more full-time children. That won't be until we find a new home though. Well, I am going to close for now. Thanks to friends and family that are out there reading our updates. You rock!

Long Summer Days................

2007-07-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

I don't know about all of you (yeah, like anyone reads these anyway) but this heat is sweltering. Holy cow I think I sweat a bucketful everyday. The 4th of July came and went without much fanfare. Had some friends over and then went to watch the fireworks at Sugarhouse Park. I love this country and I love Americana decor.
The girls are growing like weeds. They are having a fun summer. Our little one will be one next month and she is quite the character, so full of personality. She definitely looks like her daddy while our older daughter is a spitting image of me when I was little. I guess that is how genetics work. I am signing off for now.

Rainy Days..............sigh

2007-06-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

When it is very warm outside we wish it were cool. When it is freezing out we wish it were warm. It seems that we are never really happy with the weather. Today is one of those days for me. I wish it were warm. The kids are inside and they are driving me crazy. They need sunshine and warm weather to play in. On the other hand, we need the moisture for the crops and water supply. I wonder how it would be to live on a tropical island somewhere and have the weather be warm most of the time and be able to see greenery all year round?

Very First Blog............Ever.....................

2007-06-03T15:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I am fast approaching the age of 40 and with technology the way it is I had better get on the "technology superhighway" and do what everyone else seems to be doing these days (blogging). Not really the same as "keeping up with the Jones' " but you get the idea. By golly if "Ross the Intern" from the tonight show can blog so can I.
So, in 19 days I will be the big 40. I don't really know what to think of that. I remember my first year at Ricks College thinking to myself that people my age (now) were "old" I mean really old. I know people my age that are grandparents. Weird.
Well, that is my blog for today. See you on the next page..........................