New Blog

I just recently realized some of our friends are trying to access this blog. I created a new one and then blocked this one without saying anything lol. Can you tell I am new to all of this?? Our new blog (that I may someday update and begin to regularly update) is www.ourlifeinmegapixels.blogspot.com. Thanks for checking out what I have to say :)

Project Life

So I decided to take on this scrapbook project called Project Life. I first saw it on Ali Edwards Facebook page that came through my newsfeed. When I went to her blog and looked at the photos she had taken of the project and read what it was all about, I was sold.

Here is the link, just in case!

I was like a child on Christmas morning when the box arrived!! I could not wait to start documenting our lives! I really wish I would have done this when my oldest children were young too. I cannot imagine how awe stricken I would be if my Mom would have been able to do something like for her and I when I was little. I am super excited!

Ok, so the whole idea really is to document as much as YOU want. The creator of PL, Becky Higgins, lists ideas for how to use the kit. I am starting a could of weeks into January, but I from now on, am going to be using the picture of the day approach.

This idea has really got me thinking creatively about what could and should be photographed everyday. I am trying really hard to not make it all just pictures of the kids, but pictures more about our family and our family dynamic! This is just such a cool idea!

So I hope that the 4 or 5 people who read my blog , will maybe commit to trying it for just a week…though you may get hooked…and see what transpires.

Here are some of my photos:

Sunday Jan 30

Thursday Jan 27

A Decision!

I have been back on the computer and reading different blogs. I am so inpired but what I read, almost always! I would love to know how the time is found to write these amazing posts and have the photo loaded in the computer and ready to attach. I would also love to know how to "really" blog. Some of the ones I read have super cool layouts and added things to them and links...how do they do that? A computer genius, I am not!! I would love to post interesting stories and great photos and cool layout designs though.

So I have come the conclusion that I either need to dive in fully, or just forget the whole thing. I would never say that I am a perfectionist (nowhere near actually.) But when it comes to certain things I like it to all be just right...ya know?? So I will see what I can research and learn on my own and try to see if I can't just pull this all off!

Wish me luck...I will need lots and lots of it :)

Free Personal signatures - cool!

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I Got A Dream

This is my favorite new expression to hear from Hunter...

The first time I heard it he said "Momma, I got a dream." "You had a dream? About what?" "I got a dream about you, momma." "What was I doing?" "You do this *insert angry face*"

"Momma, I got a dream." "About what?" "Dora, Jackson, and Madasyn in the bathtub." "Umm, that's strange." Then he erupted into laughter.

"Momma, I got a dream." "You got a dream?" "I got a dream I got a puppy. *insert sweet please face*" "It was only a dream son." (This poor child wants a puppy so bad. Sweet boy, you are never getting a puppy.)

He tells me this almost everyday and seriously, I become completely engrossed in what he will say. It is so interesting to think that he has dreams and he remembers them. Or he is completely making it up. Either way, I love it and am totally mezmorized by how his mind works :)

I need to start writing them down because anyone who really knows me, knows I remember nothing :) I ws inpired to blog these by my friend Melody. She has many posts recording the cute things her boys say and I love reading them! Thanks Mel!

Mr. Jackson is 9!

Seriously, this is just insane to me! He is my first born son. I remember the day he was born, though some of the details are vague, it doesn't seem like that long ago...

Jackson at nine...

You are 55lbs and I am guessing about 4'1"?? Or something close to that :)

You wear a size 8 pants, but mostly for the length, because you can actually wear Hunter's 4Ts and 5Ts, and sometimes in your haste in the morning, you try too...lol.

Your favorite toys are Legos, Bakugan, Pokemon Cards, and most video games. Though right now you are really into Halo Reach!

You love to go to Church and have some wonderful friends there...The Tobey boys, Sam, Drew, and really you just love everyone :)

You still hope to grow up and play Major League Baseball and I still believe you can :)

You are super duper smart! A math whiz! You shock me sometimes at how fast you can solve math problems in your head in seconds. You are getting more into reading. In fact just this past week, you and I have been to the library twice! You are loving the Magic Tree House non fiction books!

The best thing about you is how loving and charming you are, or I should say, can be.

You have been struggling with your Dad moving away, so you have needed some extra reassurance and hugs, but you have really gone through it well. I am so proud of you!

I am always impressed with how good you are to your baby brothers. Hunter loves you so much and loves to spend every minute he can with you. I know it is hard on you sometimes, but you are usually pretty patient and understanding with him. Thank you. Finn just smiles every time you enter the room. I'm sure he can't wait to hang with you too.

You said to me the other day, that you wanted a baby sister, but you weren't sure how you could protect three younger siblings...lol. So sweet. Don't worry, you will only have the two to worry about :)

You are becoming less of a "little" boy everyday and I am so proud of you and could not love you more! Thank you for bringing all the joy to my life!

Happy Birthday, my precious first son! And remember what I taught you when you were 2..."Jackson, who loves you more than Mommy?" "No one."

Patience

I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Ever since I recently began praying everyday, I have been praying for more patience. Or rather to learn how to be more patient...whichever way I say it doesn't quite sound right, but you get the jist of it.

So this is what happened...
Things haven't been running very smooth here. Issues with all sorts of things, money, John's happiness at his job, running children to activites, getting the older children to pitch in around the house more, my feet (a whole other post in itself), etc....So I go to Church one Sunday, feeling completely weighed down by it all and like I really didn't have time to spend three hours at Church, and feeling like Praying just wasn't working for me, and poor me...etc. Then in the third hour, Relief Society (it is a time when just the women meet for a lesson and discussion), a lesson was taught about patience. WHOA! "Did she just say her lesson was on patience?" this was my first thought. And seriously, I don't know how it happens, but everytime I attend Church feeling broken down and blah, someone gives a talk, or a testimony, or just adds to the discussion, the one thing that is on my mind at the time. I know it sounds nutty, but I'm telling you, this is how I know this Church it True and that Heavenly Father is listening and responding, just not always how I think He will....Anyways, back to my revelations on patience. So the wonderful woman who is teaching the class (forgive me, I cannot for the life of me remember her name), is really talking about being patient in our Faith and is discussing how the Lord is patient with us...At some point I'm sure I became preoccupied with Finn, or was distracted...I really mostly try to listen and take it all in, but I also have an 8 month old baby and my 4 year old running around, usually in the hallway, so I almost always miss part of the talk.

After the lesson, I go home and I don't think about it much again. I know I'm not a good example, but I am honest.

A month later, I am driving to Ohio to visit my Mom. This had been a particularly awful day. I won't go in to detail, but by awful, I mean really bad, let's just say I started the morning sobbing at 7am. But as I was driving through some rural part of the highway, I had a revelation! PATIENCE...oh my goodness! This is my lesson, this is what I have been praying about. This is how Heavenly Father is teaching me. It was like a ton of bricks. I am learning how to be patient everyday. I think my lesson, was more focused on my selfishness and haste, in wanting what I want, when I want it (sounds good in theory.) But, I think that struggling a little in life and having the patience to just make it through everyday is MY lesson. He is teaching me and helping me and making me stronger. CRAZY! This is all so new and strange, some may say just coincidence, but I have to belief it is Divine Intervention.

So, I know that there a lot of my friends who don't have the same beliefs and will definitely think I have lost my mind (there are still times I wonder too), but I am serious about this. I have never been a religious person, nor have I ever been someone to go to Church, especially for three hours, but this is something I cannot deny. And I know you will all still love me as much as I love all of you. I just wanted to share my story because it happened a while ago and I still can't stop thinking about how real it was or I should say, how obvious it was, after all.

To all my friends from Church that inspire me, encourage me to attend, and help me to learn...Thank you!