Look

I am so excited about this little skirt. I have seen them on line and I have seen photographers use them in pictures, so of course I had to have one. Well I googled them for hours trying to find them well I found them alright, for $70-100. Crazy I thought I cant pay that. Well in my search a pattern on Martha Stewart.com came up. I took one look at it and thought there is no way I can make that little jewel. It looked so stinkin hard. Well you that

know me, well yeah, got it in my head and thought why not try, your out $20 bucks. Well, trying to find the fabric was a joke nobody new the difference between polyester and nylon which was what the pattern called for. So I bought it, and after I had it almost all the way cut, I was looking at the comments on the pattern and it said, "DON'T BUY POLYESTER!!" oops, the nylon doesn't run poly does so its a mess!! So Ben Franklin had a nylon tricot, that's what I bought and here is my cute skirt, yep very proud, now I want to make one for all my girls for a picture together!!

Funny

I took the boys summer stuff out of the attic yesterday, and as I was going through it Jayden asks if he can wear a pair of shorts, to go play outside. Sure one less thing to wash right away right?? So the kids come home from school and Jayden says to Merissa, "look what I got out of the garbage bag Merissa, and Mom didn't even have to wash them first I just get to wear them out of the garbage"!! Nice Mom aren't I?? Oh my gosh I laughed so hard, what else do we have kids for, entertainment of course!! LOL

Loving

OK so I bought a new straightener, (did I even spell that right) a salon quality one, and oh my gosh I think it took me all of 10-15 minutes to do both girls hair which includes putting ribbon in too!! It was just so slick, and I even only had the heat turned half way, (Yeah I was a little freaked about frying their hair).
I also got my Gymboree order yesterday, I had gotten gym buck at our outlet store, and of course you cant use those at the outlet and since we don't have a regular store here I had to shop online. So I went online, got on their clearance, they had a line called butterfly, if any of you know me you know how I feel about butterflies (don't you say a word Sarah) so I found so so much cute stuff, I only had 1 gym buck but I got 4 shirts a dress a cute onsie dress thing denim shorts and a pair of socks, I added up all the prices on the tags $160. I spent $ 60 with shipping!! So cute, and the girls were just as excited as me, so they already want her to wear it so I'll take a few pictures!!

Happy birthday to one amazing kid!!

I am really wondering where in the heck, the time keeps going. It

seems like my sweet boy was just born or 1 or 2 or 3 or I could keep going, I think you get the idea. I just feel like its kinda surreal, you know like all the anticipation to have a baby, when your going to go into labor, then it happens and your sitting in your hospital room looking down at this amazing little angel sent just to you, to love and teach and adore. Then it for me seems very surreal, like the big build up is over. That's kinda how I felt looking at Jake today, just not the its over part, just the wow how did we already get here feeling. This sweet boy of mine, is just one amazing kid, and I love him with all my heart and I am so so thankful that he's mine, I love you bud!

So without further ado;

The 11 things I love about you!!

1. I LOVE LOVE LOVE, (you get the idea right) that you run with me!!

2. I love that academically I don't have to worry about you, you are so smart and imaginative, it makes me so proud!
3. I love you play with your brothers and sisters, just like you would a friend, because I really think that when you are in that frame of mind that's what they are to you, a friend!!

4. I love that you play sports, and how hard you try, it makes me so proud!!

5. I love that you want to go on a mission, of course this makes me proud of you!

6. I love that you think things through, you aren't rash about your decisions.

7. I love that you love to go out camping and riding, we have such a blast!!

8. I love that you love to read, you just devour books, it runs in the family!!

9. I love that you do what I ask, and never complain!

10. I love that you are so willing to help your brothers and sisters, Just this morning as I was making your crepes you were still sleeping, and you heard MaKenna crying and you got up and came down and got her so she wouldn't be sad!!

11. I LOVE that you are MINE!!

I LOVE you my sweet boy, I am so thankful that you are such an amazing example to your brothers and sisters. It makes being your mom so easy. You are the best!! I love that we can be goofy together and just have a great time, I love that we play games together, thanks bud you rock!!

LOVE Mom

Legacy

What kind are you leaving behind?? More important, what kind am I leaving behind?? I know you are now wondering what in the heck I'm talking about, so let me explain.
Randy and I went to a funeral yesterday. Well, it hit Randy pretty hard, he didn't know him well, and well I didn't know him at all, but after listening to the speakers I think I would have liked the guy. But I think what kinda got me was the guy was only 45 yep, only 3 years older than my wonderful husband. Then he didn't die of natural causes or even self induced causes, it was an accident. Could happen to any of us, right? Well, we sat there and listened to the speakers, the speakers were his current wife, his ex wife, (a little weird I thought but whatever) and his children from the first marriage. Well, his kids, really everyone talked about how many wonderful memories they had with him, his children went on and on about how he always took them with him, they were always going camping or boating or hiking, just a very active dad in their lives. I was impressed and saddened that these kids lost such an amazing father, that their children will miss out on such an amazing grandfather, this world needs more people in the world like this.
So here i go, we walked out and Randy said to me, will my children speak of me like that, my answer, without a doubt of course they will, he loves his children more than life itself, plays with them takes them with him whenever he can, all that good stuff. Ok but now I'm thinking, what about me what would my children say about me, she always made me get my chores done before I could play or have desert or I wanted to quit piano and she wouldn't let me. Man that kinda freaks me out. I want my kids to remember how much I love them, how important they are to me. I don't want them to remember, that mom was the mean one, the one that made them do their jobs and get good grades and get homework done before they can play. So tonight instead of hurry hurry get jobs done and brush your teeth, say prayers and get to bed, I sat down and played a couple of games with my girls, sat and talked to Jake about what an awesome kid he is. I want my kids to remember that they as individuals are far more important to me than a clean house or perfectly made dinner, that its ok to grab take out, and not shower before bed, to play games, and laugh loud, and stay up past bed time. That its ok to hug them a little bit tighter and a little bit longer, because hey you never know, and what are they going to remember, I hope that I don't care if I look like a pig pen, but they are loved, that I took the time, that they mean more to me than any thing else in the whole world, that they are my everything!! I love you my sweet babies!

Sink or swim!!

We had an awesome Easter this year. I was really feeling so grateful to a Heavenly father who knows me and loves me, and blesses me no matter what. He knows I'm not perfect, and that I mess up ALOT, but he still blesses me and my family. It is an amazing feeling to know you are loved, that you just aren't a number but he knows me Jennifer Taylor, and he helps me and loves me, sends me inspiration, to help my family and guide my children. It is just an amazing thing!! So this Easter meant a little more to me.

Easter has never been one of my favorites, just because the whole thing has turned into chocolate, not that I don't love chocolate, and bunnies, but away from what it really represents, so it has always kinda bugged me. So this year I just really tried hard to focus on the real meaning, and just not get into everything else!! But Easter was great this year!!

After Sacrement we went to Las Vegas and spent the resr of the day with Randy's wonderful family, it was so great to visit. It seems there is never enough time, the kids had a blast, and I walked away with my head a little bigger!! LOL Love you guys miss you tons, and speedy recovery Teresa!!

OK so Michales boat, kinda funny, she had to build a boat for physics, and it can only be out of cardboard freezer paper and duck tape, the project is worth 75 points if you build it get in it and try to make it across the pool you get all the points but if your boat makes it across and back without sinking you get 25 extra credit points, Michale, SANK!! LOL. We kinda thought that if she would have been in the middle instead of all the way to the back of her boat she would have made it, oh well lesson learned!!

So excited!!!

OK so my awesome friend who is also an awesome photographer, took the CUTEST, and I mean the CUTEST, pictures of my darling little MaKenna, check them out here, she is so awesome!! They turned out so so so cute!! The best part she has my sneak peek up already!! Makenna is so darling in these shots, I of course cant wait to see more, but can now wait more patiently now that I've seen a few! Yay!! So check her out let me know what ya think. Jen is also running a great special right now, I think if you book this month its free sitting fee, not sure exactly but scroll down and you can see!!
Also, today I got to watch Jake and Merissa run, and Merissa goes onto district in the 400 meter, I was so proud of her, she just turned on the speed at the end, she did awesome!! Great job baby girl!!

Thank goodness..............

Now please don't get me wrong I love to help my children, I love being very involved, I love getting my hands on and into everything they are doing, but I am breathing a little easier now that the science fair is OVER, yep totally over, so no we don't move on to the next level, and honestly, THANK GOODNESS!! After trying to complete 3 projects, and staying up till midnight, Tuesday night. It just feels good to be done. Monica, got second but, Merissa and Jake didn't place. I actually kinda feel sorry for my kids, and I'm sure it probably wont be long when they actually beg me NOT to help any more. I'm just really not very good at school kinda stuff, I cant spell, I don't know proper placement of words or punctuation, or when to start a new paragraph, let alone science? Oh my, is that h2o and all that? Yep, not so great!! But they tried we had fun, smashed toes and bubble fights galore, they did it and we are done. So whats next, Hersey track meet tomorrow!! Now this I can do, cheer for my awesome kids!!

Go Jazz!!

We had such an amazing weekend. I guess I should start from the beginning. Obviously it was just Randy's birthday and he has talked none stop about going to salt lake to watch a Jazz game, so I got this brilliant idea to surprise him, tickets were sold out on ticket master so i went to the exchange and found some tickets. So I called my mother in law and she said that her and Kenny would come up and watch the kids. So I ordered the tickets, got on price line (my nephew walked me through it) we got a great deal on a room at the Hilton. I get that paid for, Randy comes home, walks in the house, looks at me and says what did you buy from ticket exchange, yep he looked at our account (little stinker) but needless to say he got very excited!!

So we left Friday night, got up there pretty late but it was so nice just to visit. We slept in as late as Makenna would let us, then headed off to cabela's, spent a few hours there went to Ikea, went to dinner, then headed off to the game, it was a blast, Randy was so excited, it was so much fun watching him!! Makenna did awesome, I was pretty worried about the noise but she actually slept through 2 quarters!! We ended our weekend Sunday morning at the Grand America for brunch, oh my word can you say the word AMAZING!! It was so so yummy, I still can hardly believe the food they had. We had a great weekend!!

Aaahhhhh kids............

So tonight during dinner Jake and Merissa are telling jokes. In the last joke Jake replaces the word shiz for another word, Dad asked Jake if that was the same word that the kids at school use or if they use the other one,Jake said that they say the shiz word and not the other word. (Which Randy and I both sighed inwardly thinking, OK not yet) Well Merissa says, what word dad and he says never mind, Jake says you just don't know what were talking about, and she says oh you mean for shiz, I know what you mean, Randy says how do you know, and my sweet little daughter says oh that's the word mom says when shes really mad. Like the time some guy pulled out in front of us and mom had to slam on the breaks and papers and goodies went flying all over, cause we were taking goodies to someone!! Now my wonderful husband (not) is grinning under his hand and replies, lead by example is what they say!! (eye roll) Why do kids always bring stuff like that up!! (huffy breath) I'm going to go sulk now!!

I will leave you with a couple more pages I have been working on!!