Our Eternal Family

happy new year, 2012

2012-01-01T20:26:00.006-07:00

December was such a busy month for my little family. i celebrated my 31st birthday on the 7th, we went to California to celebrated my big sister's graduation (more on that later), we rode the Polar Express to the "North Pole" in Williams, A.Z, and hubby and i hosted our first Christmas dinner with my family from California.

while we were on our way to the polar express we stopped at a deer farm where we got to feed and visit with a variety of other animals. as you can see ~S~ is no stranger to large animals. we also went to a drive through zoo called "Bearazona" where we saw black bear, wolves, white buffalo, big horn sheep, and other wildlife. it was truly an experience!

The Polar Express was definitely a Christmas highlight for us this year. For those of you who don't know, it's a reenactment of the book and movie "The Polar Express", and it is so exciting for all children both young and old. we got to ride the Grand Canyon railway to the "North Pole" where we met Santa...just like the movie! there were hundreds of children in their pajamas ready to go to this magical place. you could see the excitement all over their faces, it was so cool!!! once the train started to move we were served yummy hot chocolate and cookies, we read The Polar Express, and sang Christmas carols.

daddy has our tickets. ~S~ was so excited

she's on her way

ticket please???

reading our book

~S~ looking at the "North Pole"

the happiest kid alive...mission accomplished!

~S~ and the bell Santa gave her.

what an awesome Christmas!!!!

2011-12-06T09:29:00.003-07:00

today is my last day of school and I have zero finals. good job to me for finishing strong, and staying focused this semester! i have only two more semester lefts at ASU, then off to something else. right now i am grateful that i get a winter break, time to be crafty, and time to spend with the family. first thing on my list of things to do this month is clean my closet/guest bedroom. it's really sad how i have let that room turn into a hoarding mess!

2011-11-30T11:18:00.003-07:00

we took family pictures last week and we had so much fun making this junkyard beautiful. we are very pleased with how our pictures turned out, and our photographer OLIVIA did an amazing job capturing the not so beautiful environment but still managing to create beautiful pictures.

2011-10-11T09:30:00.004-07:00

last weekend fisher price had a playgroup, and a meet and greet with Dora the Explore at the Phoenix Zoo. ~S~ talked about meeting Dora all week so she was excited to finally get to visit with her. fisher price had a large tint set up that had tons of toys inside of it. the tint was crowded with parents and children but still a fun and exciting experience.

~S~ and her daddy

hugs for Dora

~S~ looking at monkey island

~S~ at the farm visiting the horses

the end!!!

picture of the day

2011-10-03T14:54:00.003-07:00

it has been such a long time since the last time i posted anything of interest on our blog. so much has happened in the pass two months. as a can see sadie is growing into a lovely little lady, and hubby and i celebrated our six year anniversary last month. i'm looking for to the holidays and a break from school that will be coming soon. anyway, enjoy the pictures and i will be posting more updates soon.

two and a half, Oct 2011

2011-08-18T18:34:00.005-07:00

today was my first day of school but i'm still in California. what to do, what to do? i emailed my instructors to explain my situation and all is well. Wish me luck this semester, and hopefully this will be my last year at ASU.

2011-08-02T15:00:00.005-07:00

after my workout this morning I went to the gym daycare to pick up ~S~ and i saw the CUTEST thing. there were about forty kids in the room, and ~S~ was sitting in the middle of the floor sharing a toy with another little girl. ~S~ wore her hair natural today so it was big and curly just like the little girl she was playing with. i thought it was so cute that the only two little brown girls in the daycare chose each other to play with. anyway, when ~S~ saw me walk into the gym daycare she ran to me with a big smile on her face. i asked her if she said good-bye to her new friend so she turned around, and the two girls ran to each other with open arms, smiling from cheek to cheek, and gently embraced each other. I told the little girl ~S's ~ name, and asked both girls to look for each other the next time they were at the gym so that they could play together. while ~S~ and I walked to the car i told her how happy i was that out of all the other children at daycare that she chose ~L~ to play with. i love that ~S~ is good at making friends wherever she goes.

all most over

2011-07-29T21:49:00.005-07:00

i have only two weeks left until it's time for me to get back on my grind. i'm looking forward to another semester at ASU. the only thing that's going to suck is walking around that hot campus for half a day in 110 degree heat. i took ~S~ to the daycare she will be going to today so that she could meet some of the kids and her teachers. she was so excited to be around children her age, she cried all the way home. it's going to be a busy semester but most importantly i'm so happy and excited that i found a place for ~S~ that i am comfortable with. i was concerned that i wouldn't find something good enough for ~S~ when i started looking because i couldn't find anyone that met my expectations. after interviewing all the facilities that i did i learned that you pay for what you get, and that my expectations aren't any higher than another caring mother. anyway, regardless of how great ~S's~ new school is. i am grateful that we will be apart from each other for only two days out of the week. i think this is going to be a fun experience for my Sadie Bug!

P.S: i finished ~S's~ playroom back in January and we have been enjoying it every since. it's really cute and i will post pictures soon so stay tuned!!!!!

Picture of The Day

2011-07-22T17:58:00.003-07:00

Happy Friday!

HOLY METAL MOUTH!!!!

2011-07-19T15:17:00.011-07:00

i finally got my braces off

wondering how i got pearly-whites after two and a half years of braces? and no I don't bleach my teeth (you can't bleach with braces).

funny story: while leaving my ortho appointment a lady complemented me on my new smile by saying, "now your father will need a baseball bat to keep the boys away." who would have thought this face is a 30 year old wife and mother. jokes on her!!!!

Happy Sunday!!!

2011-07-10T20:10:00.004-07:00

today was the beginning of a great week. this morning hubby made breakfast for the family while I took care of ~S~. after breakfast our plan was to get ready for church early so that we could have a little family scripture study before our one o'clock meeting time but we got distracted playing hide-n-seek instead. our hearts were in the right place but i enjoyed playing hide with ~S~ while hubby was the seeker. we had the best hiding spots too! ~S~ and I would stand in a corner, sit in a chair, or roll up in a ball in the middle of the floor with a big white blanket covering our bodies from head to toe. ~S~ would yell out to her dad letting him know that we were ready for him to find us, and while we were waiting. ~S~ would yell out "daddy come find us" giving him hints on our already obvious hiding spots. we tried to explain how the game works but what can i say...she's 2, awesome, and tons of fun to play with!

4th of July 2011

2011-07-08T22:26:00.006-07:00

this years 4th of july was just what the doctor ordered...eventful, food, the apple store, joann's fabric store, fireworks, me, hubby, and our sweet pea. my father and sisters were planning on visiting for the holiday but my sister Mia had her RN state board exam on the 7th (of which she passed...congratulations Mia! we love and are proud of you), and she wanted to make sure she was ready for her test. of course, we would have loved to spend the holiday with them but understandably so the trip had to be postpone. my little family and i had a blast! it was nice for once to allow ourselves to not feel obligated to less important ways of spending our time as a family. anyway, on to the good stuff! for your viewing pleasure, here are some cute pictures and a GIF image. happy friday!!!!

sadie playing nicely with friends...not really!!!

GIF animations generator gifup.com

feather hair extensions

2011-06-26T11:21:00.003-07:00

love, love, love this new trend! i want some

~S~ and Our Day Date at the Zoo

2011-06-01T15:14:00.005-07:00

summer is here and i am excited to say that I have completed another semester at ASU! Now it's all about what's fun, and having it with my family. since i have 15 credit hours of education to look forward to in the fall, i decided that it would be best, and well deserved, to take a break this summer. So, here's to the beginning of many "day dates" with ~S~ while hubby is working hard, and to weekend and maybe a week getaway as a family this summer.

checking out the flamingos...white flamingos? (there must be something wrong with their diet!)

~S~ saying "hi" to the monkeys.

after playing in the water we had lunch, yum!

more water fun!

Memorial Day, 2011

2011-06-01T14:59:00.003-07:00

BBQ and swimming at my sister-in-laws house. Hubby is so involved during playtime with his little girl...love it!

~S~ and her cousins soaking up the sun.

Sadie and Charlie

2011-05-18T14:47:00.003-07:00

We went to California to visit my family last weekend, and as always Sadie enjoyed playing with her aunts, uncle, and grandparents. Check out the video Alex (my brother-in-law) made. We love you Alex...you're the best!

Mother's Day, 2011

2011-05-18T14:31:00.004-07:00

2011-04-26T08:42:00.003-07:00

happy easter, 2011

sadie, thanking her daddy

all dressed up

marking my calendar

2011-03-15T13:46:00.002-07:00

sadie said, " I love you, mommy" for the first time today. It's made my heart melt.

picture of the day

2011-02-17T22:04:00.003-07:00

my valentine...both of them

2011-02-13T19:03:00.004-07:00

i surprised hubby and took him skydiving on saturday.

he loved it!

we bought the video of his jump, and we should receive it in the mail later this week. so stay tuned for that!

~S~ getting in touch with her creative ability

her masterpiece!

i'm in love

2011-02-09T10:38:00.005-07:00

with these chunky wedges by Jeffrey Campbell (hubby...hint, hint!!!)

and or these JC, Alert in black...size 8

Sadie's 2nd Birthday, Jun 28, 2011

2011-02-01T22:29:00.008-07:00

singing "happy birthday". it was at this moment that Sadie realized that everyone was there for her...so cute!!

tara and tamia...~S's~ cousin and aunt (yes, my dad is a p.i.m.p j/k).

after cake and gifts we played like it was nobody's business...we had tons of fun!

we love you, Sadie.

pinetop, az

2011-01-26T23:59:00.011-07:00

during the M.L.K day holiday weekend we went to pinetop, az to play in the snow. this was sadie's first experience with snow and she loved every second if it.

it was cold

check out this chair hubby made for sadie. what can't this man do? he is so good with his hands, and sadie LOVED this chair. i'm sure it reminded her of the chair she has at home.

sadie being her cute little self...love it!

on our way house we went to this antique shop/yard a friend of mine told me about, and i was in antique heaven. there was so much stuff i didn't know what to do with myself. i actually had to take a break and calm myself down. the prices were amazing and i finally found the doors i've wanted for my headboard idea. i will share some of the items i bought in a later post.

Sadie's Closet

2011-01-22T10:01:00.003-07:00

shirt: target, skirt: i made it, blk tights: wal-mart, shoes: kids journeys

sadie wasn't up for taking pictures last week. here she is running from me.

Sadie's closet

2011-01-13T09:27:00.003-07:00

All ready for church

Shirt and skirt: Children's Place, socks: Nordstroms, shoes: Target

have a good day!

pictures of the day

2011-01-05T20:53:00.005-07:00

hubby asked ~S~ where she was going and she replied, "shopping".

and off she went with my purse.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2010-12-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

another makeover

2010-12-09T20:48:00.005-07:00

this room was once our master bedroom many years ago. today it is a room for ~S~ and her day care friends. we will be saying "bye, bye" to most of our friends whom we have grown to know and love. so as a christmas/birthday gift i am going to pimp out ~S's~ playroom. there will be lots of play dates and sleepovers had in this room so we have to make it suitable for our little lady and her friends, right?

BEFORE

and this walk-in closet was where all the little babies that have come in and out of my life took their naps. i will turn this small area into a personal space for your truly...kinda like a woman cave!

BEFORE

stay tuned!

dear blog,

2010-12-08T22:16:00.006-07:00

i am so sorry that i have neglected you for the past month. my life has been so busy and going in so many different directions lately. i am happy to say that things are slowing down, and that i am looking forward to 2011 with a lot to be excited about. first, i turned 30 this week and it feels great to look and feel as good as i do! i didn't do anything extra over the top to highlight the blessing of my 30 year mark. i'm just grateful that i have lived, experienced, learned, and loved life as much as I have. I decided that 2011 is going to be a great year for me and my family...we are going to achieve lots in 2011. which means we are going to be a goal setting and achieving family,and i'm am thrilled about that. as long as we keep the lord on our side it will be good!

anyway, dec 8th was the last day of school, and i learned an important lesson during my winter semester. i realize that i am not enjoying certain aspects of my life as much as i should...being a mother and just life in general! now that my mind is a little clearer i decided that certain things needed to be cut out of my life so that I can give ~S~ the attention that she deserves, and going to school full-time so i can get my degree sooner then later. thank heavens hubby is the MAN and can make all of this possible.

so here's the second thing i'm excited about! i will now have one-on-one time with ~S~ to teach her and spend time with her. I'm using my month and a half break from school to put together a weekly schedule for the two of us. hubby and i got her some preschool books for christmas and her own little desk. i plan to get back on track with our "your baby can read" program and some preschool activities. i also signed her up for the kid's club at our local library and barnes and noble. (they have story time and activities twice a week)

third, i will have much needed time for myself. i'm thinking about joining a gym this might take my fitness to a different level. if i join i would have a personal trainer that i will meet with eight times a month. i'm almost sure i am going to join but i'm still thinking about it.

lastly, i'm getting started on my etsy store. i have been silently hoping and dreaming about this for some time now, and i finally have the time to make it happen. i feel so good about this and some many people are behind me. so look forward to: Sadie's Closet...coming soon at etsy.

little bee

2010-10-31T21:08:00.010-07:00

this year we decided that ~S~ was going to be a bumblebee for halloween, and she was the cutes little bee that i have ever seen...chipped tooth and all!

for all of you who didn't know. ~S~ chipped her tooth last week. it's kinda ironic how it happened because while i was sitting in our backyard watching ~S~ play. i thought to myself...i should put a safety mat under her swing just incase she falls and hurts herself. the very next day she fell out of her swing and hit her mouth on the concrete, chipping her front tooth in the process. the dentist said ~S~ will be o.k if we can live with her minor imperfection for the next 4 to 5 years. he talked about fixing the chip but since it's just a baby tooth it really isn't a big deal. we actually think it's kinda cute!

anyway, our ward had a halloween party on friday night

and ~S~ enjoyed every single moment. after a couple of tries she new exactly what to say so that she could get her candy. i must say that this stage of S's life is a lot of fun for me. every thing is a learn experience for her, and i enjoy watching her process her thoughts as she learns and explores new things. next years hubby and i will have to get with the program and get dressed up too.

happy halloween and kisses for dad!

i got this sweater from children's place on sale for $4.00. it was just a plain purple sweater until i added the dark purple flowers. i think it turned out really cute. ~S~ has more winter sweaters and long sleeve shirts that i plan on adding flowers to also.

have a good day!

pictures of the day

2010-09-22T08:00:00.002-07:00

my sisters and i (i love these two ladies to pieces)

me and my belly buddy

max and our dad

i love my family!

From: ~S~....To: ~J~

2010-09-19T20:53:00.003-07:00

we love you and your picture disc is on the way. xoxo

2010-09-17T12:38:00.006-07:00

we are getting excited for our hawaiian getaway. only a little over two months and we will be on our way.

max, are you coming or not? it can be our happy 30th b-day to us, happy 35th b-day to hubby, happy 2nd b-day to ~S~, merry christmas, and whatever else needs to be celebrated this year. you have to come!!!!

2010-09-14T13:06:00.012-07:00

i have to share this clothing line with you at zara kids. they have the cutes stuff! here are some outfits that would look so cute on ~S~.

Fashion MAYDAY

2010-09-09T12:12:00.008-07:00

my twin sister sent me a text message about these Steve Madden boots yesterday. she claims that she will DIE if she doesn't get these boots so she ask me to be on the lookout for her at LC. i can afford only one love affair this year so my heart still belongs to ADESON. what do you think? are these boots to die for?

GAUCHO

maxine's dramatic text message: Check out the Steve Madden. Website for GAUCHO in blk. 219.00 I'm going 2 DIE if I don't get my hands on a 7 ....do u her me...DIE I tell U gasp whaaaa. You better see what you can come up with from last chance or your going to be SORRY....if I don't get these boots EVERYONE is going to be SORRY...whaaaaa!

then she put this on her facebook...the girl is crazy: Oh NOOOOOOO....I found another pair of boots that I HAVE to have...eek! What is a girl 2 do when a new season ushers in sooo many pairs of CUTE boots, my savings account hates me. It's CRIMINAL for designers to do this to me, CRIMINAL I tell you..... oh the HUMANITY:(

labor day weekend

2010-09-07T14:00:00.011-07:00

we took sadie to the children's museum of phoenix last weekend. this place is a kids' wonderland! there is so much to see, touch, and explore....it was amazing.

we spent a lot of time in the toddler room. there was a play house in this room that sadie loved.

our little reader...we are so proud of her.

this is sadie's "i'm concentrating face". she was trying to play the heck out of the xylophone.

the texture treasure wall.

sadie scooting her way through the car wash.

in the craft room she got to help paint the castle and her daddy's shirt.

another great day playing with sadie.

lovin vintage

2010-09-04T23:47:00.006-07:00

while i was out with my family today we stumbled up on a restaurant/antique store called "MacAlpine's Soda Fountain". i found two really pretty vintage dresses there (vintage is not usually my style but i'm down with anything that's cute). the two dresses reminded me of Christina at second skin style. i love her style and she has inspired me to try something new. i need to make some alterations to the dresses before i can show them off but if you love vintage you MUST visit second skin. Christina also has an etsy store were you can buy her showcased fashions. i also heart zoecullie vintage style and new black.

My Fall Boots

2010-09-01T10:06:00.004-07:00

here are the new Steve Madden fall boots I want but both of them are ridiculously expensive. no matter how badly i want them i can't force myself to spend the money. i'm going to hold out for Black Friday sales, and see if it makes since to buy them then. if you are wondering how much they cost....

Sabra $299.98...NOW 30% off so $199.98 getting better!

and Adeson $199.98

i know! crazy, right? i was thinking that i could sell some TR jeans or do something to make the money but i'm all sold out of jeans, and i'm not having jean parties this year. all the holiday boutiques i'm doing this season are in Nov and Dec. so i have no money making plans that will help me get these boots sooner. i'll let y'all know when and if i get them....but aren't they to die for?

2010-08-27T12:36:00.005-07:00

i got this book a couple of months ago, and i am so excited about it. the book has 20 patterns of girls' clothing. lucky me, all of the patterns start at size 4 through 8 so i will have plenty of time to put this book into good use. after reading the patterns, it looks pretty easy to follow; therefore, i am sure i will be able to accomplish the exact look as shown in the book. here are some of the items i like:

i love that the clothes have an unfinished/rag doll look! since sadie is too young for these clothes, my plan is to make a couple of items and give them away to friends or family....or this may be a great way to start an ETSY store.....the store i have been wanting to start since sadie was born but haven't had the time to do so (just an idea...we will see!) anyway, i heart this book!

TR for Sadie

2010-08-18T09:17:00.003-07:00

is 2 years old too young for a girl to have designer jeans? on our way home from california we stopped at an outlet mall in palm springs. there was a sale that i couldn't pass up so sadie got hooked up.

picture of the day

2010-08-14T12:57:00.004-07:00

while eating breakfast this morning sadie said, "i know how to read." my 18 month old baby told me and her dad that she knows how to read....how awesome is that?

me and my niece camille

book club round up

2010-08-11T13:26:00.007-07:00

Little Bee by Chris Cleave: the author is an amazing writer. i felt so many different emotions while reading this book....i could not put it down. Little Bee is a must read....5 stars!

When Prayers Seem Unanswered by S. Michael Wilcox & Confessions of an Unbalanced Womanby Emily Watts: i read both books as one and they were O.K. i liked Confessions more. these two books are a "if you have nothing better to read and have a couple of hours of free time" kind of books.

Almost Sisters by Nancy Anderson: i started to read this book but i think i was in the mood for something else. i will come back to this book later. since i didn't read Almost Sisters i added another book to my club....

PUSH by sapphire: the movie Precious was based on this novel. i didn't see the movie but the book will take you into a world that is cold and dark. it's really hard for me to find the words to explain how i feel about this book. i'm glad i read it but my heart aches just thinking about it. so if you're ready for that ride...go for it!!!!5 stars!

Bonds that Make Us Free: i'm sorry to say that i do not have a review for this one. i started reading this book two weeks ago when i was on my way to visit family in california, and i left the book at my sister's house. i hear this book is a great read that will change your life so i will read it at a later time.

it has been a great summer! i got lots done, the fam and i had tons of fun in the sun, and everyone in my hood (a.k.a home) is happy and healthy. now, it's time for me to go back to work and school.

2010-08-03T11:33:00.016-07:00

you made it!

this past weekend we went to california to support my twin sister who graduated from Azusa Pacific University with her Master's in Clinical Psychology. we are so proud of maxine for her dedication and hard work. she's pretty amazing and trust me....she is a great therapist! she has a gift of helping you to see things from a perspective that is almost impossible to gain on your own, and she does it without giving her own opinion...it's like magic! i'm so grateful that i get therapy for free. i have a story i will share about maxine a little later. anyway, max's graduation was a perfect opportunity to reconnect with friends and family, and as always we enjoyed every minute of our visit.

thursday night, we went to maxine's hooding which was a private event for the graduates' families.

our shinning STAR

this is when maxine's name was called to receive her hood. i cried happy tears!

these are maxine's closing remarks to her friends, family, and classmates. it was read while her hood was being placed around her neck.

"I know that I have walked a path that God has chosen for me, when I think back to the girl I was, coming into this program, I wore a mask of confidence to hide my brokenness and insecurity. In the safe environment created by my classmates, professors (and 40 hours of personal therapy) I was able to find the strength to remove my mask and sort through all that was underneath. I no longer feel the need to hide my true self, but have come to accept the good and bad as equally important and equally BEAUTIFUL. Today I gratefully thank each of you for allowing yourself to be used by GOD on what has turned out to be my most AMAZING journey yet."

this is a crowning event in my family because out of the five of us: me, my two sisters, and our parents. maxine is the first one to graduate with a Bachelor's and Master's Degree. my sister mia and i are on the same track but maxine has been a perfect example of setting goals and going after her dreams.

a perfect role model for my baby!

friday evening was maxine's graduation. my battery died so i don't have any pictures but lets play a game: "Find Waldo a.k.a Maxine"

on saturday we had lunch at the cheesecake factory in marina del rey.

sadie and her cousin justin playing peek-a-boo....so cute!

me, my two sisters, and our cousin lisa (lana we missed you).

sadie sharing the love.

saturday evening we took sadie and her cousin tarra to the park but first we had to do something about that hair.

look at those faces!

the end!

Blessings to All, June 8, 1978

2010-07-28T13:13:00.004-07:00

i'm so late on this post...i got my dates mixed up! I thought today, july 28 was when the blessing of the priesthood was restored to all. i'm a little disappointed that i missed all the talks on the BYU channel but i will watch them online.

today, i'm feeling extra grateful for modern day revelation, and for the power of the priesthood in my life. i remember the day i gained a testimony of the priesthood, and the restoration of it to all worthy members of an african decent. it was at that moment that i promised myself that (being the only member of the church in my family at the time) i would have the power of the priesthood in my family someday, and NOTHING would keep me from my promised eternal blessings.

I remember being a missionary and meeting people on TS (temple square) who would ask me "were you raised in the church?", and i would always reply "NO". The conversation would pretty much end there or the subject would change to something else. One day a TS guest ask me the same question, and i said, yes (just to see what his response would be). this man called his family over to meet me, he gave me a history listen on blacks and the priesthood, and what it was like for men being a young missionary serving in the south...he had tears in his eyes while we were talking to each other. this man taught me a lesson! i'm grateful that i get to share these and other stories with my children. i hope my faith and testimony will be a strength to them.

little stinker

2010-07-22T20:31:00.004-07:00

we went out to dinner tonight, and every time our server came to wait on us sadie would tell him to "go away". It was funny the first couple of times, but after the fifth time hubby and i would just look at each other in embarrassment. all that sassy cuteness isn't so cute anymore! hubby thinks it's about time for me to lay the hammer down in the discipline department (and i think he's right) or we are going to have a big problem on our hands.

welcome to mommy boot camp, sadie (it's for your own good)!

summer skirts update

2010-07-18T15:39:00.007-07:00

a couple of weeks ago i said i was going to make summer skirts for sadie here. this one looks more like a winter skirt but we still love it, and it looks cute on.

instead of making another skirt I decided to make a dress (inspired by Dana at MADE).

AND

i'm wearing my hair natural this summer. this is a new look for me, and i wasn't really sure about it at first. i have been styling my hair like this for two weeks now. it's super easy, fun for the summer, and the people around here don't know what to think. they think i'm some kind of a star/someone special or something (it's kinda funny and flattering at the same time).

picture of the day

2010-07-18T10:33:00.001-07:00

sadie's closet

2010-07-15T13:26:00.005-07:00

a BIG thank you to everyone who left supportive comments and e-mails on our "kitchen makeover" post. we are happy with how everything came together, and who knew i had a little home improvement/designer bug living inside of me (i didn't!)? now, i'm excited to get started on my bedroom.

ANYWAY, heres some more cuteness from our bright star!

on our way to our "third world country" camping trip in california.

shirt & shoes: target

jeans: old navy

cup: baby's r us

smile: priceless

Today:

shirt: i made it!

shorts: target

toes & nails: O.P.I's vodka & caviar

i almost forgot to tell you that sadie is reading know. she is so amazing! hubby and i are surprised with the new things we learn about her. we are learning something new about sadie almost daily now! here are some of the words she has read to us without any help:

hair, toe, rock, hi, yes, book, lion, cup, eye, tongue, elbow...i think that's it! if she can't say the word she will make the sound or point to something that represents the word to show us that she knows it. isn't that awesome? we have also started teaching her about Christ, and she knows who Jesus is. she likes to give Jesus a "night, night kiss" every night (she kisses the picture of Christ we have in her room)..isn't that so cool? we are so excited for her, and that little brain of hers.

kitchen facelift

2010-07-08T08:44:00.007-07:00

my kitchen is finally picture worthy.

BEFORE

AFTER

open face cabinets, and i painted all the doors in the kitchen to match our cabinets.

our memory wall, and a chalk board for sadie (i still need to plaint our back door).

curtains i made

what do you think? should i give myself a pat on the back and a gold star?

more cuteness from

2010-07-07T08:56:00.004-07:00

sadie's closet

dress & shoes: target

2010-07-04T22:53:00.005-07:00

one of my $2.00 d.i frames.

before:

what do you think? this was my hubbies idea, and it was a great one so i have to give him credit. i got the letter from hobby lobby for $5.00. i was going to hang the letter on one of the doors in my kitchen but hubby had something better in mind.

after:

sadie and her grandma, who we love and will miss.

this picture is just to show off how cute sadie was today. i love this outfit on her...more to come from sadie's closet!

HAPPY 4th!

this year is on a fast track! i start my first semester at A.U.S in 6 weeks...my summer break is almost over ;0(.

2010-07-03T21:49:00.004-07:00

i have been wanting to make one of these for a long time but i had to find a mirror with the right frame first. i found this mirror at T.J. Maxx for $10.00.

Before

After

this was super easy to make. please feel free to use any ideas for your own home.

how is what you will need:

What To Do:

first: prime your frame and mirror or glass

second: lightly spray your chalk board paint on your glass(it's ok if you get some paint on the wood).

third: cover your sprayed chalk board area with newspaper(making sure you slide paper under the wood were the glass meets so that you cover all of your board.), tape down all loose areas of paper on your board.

finally: lightly spray on your glossy paint (two or three coats depending on color).

P.S. i might rough the frame up a bit, just so i can see the pretty design on it.

enjoy!

2010-07-02T20:49:00.003-07:00

BEFORE:

nothing special! the gray in the middle of the cabinets was something the previous owner did. we got all new appliances about two years ago, and we put indian slate tile on our floors a year ago.

after pictures will be posted this weekend, so get ready for it! i got the fabric to make my curtains tonight and i still have a lot to do, but i will get it done this weekend. it will be nice to have our kitchen in operating condition again. our kitchen won't be 100% complete, since we are waiting for new counter tops, kitchen sink, and we're looking for an island, but with the pictures i will post it's still a complete makeover. stay tuned!

remodel update

2010-07-01T23:15:00.012-07:00

so i finished painting my kitchen walls today, and i thought i was painting them gray. but the lighting in my kitchen, and the natural light from outside make my walls look baby blue. (note to self...buy testing paint before painting an entire kitchen or room because the lighting in your home makes a big difference) so what did i do? i went out and got new paint. I can not live with light gray/baby blue kitchen walls. (don't tell my hubby because he doesn't know that he will be coming home to a yellow kitchen tomorrow) i hope it looks nice this time around because I didn't test the new colors. i was out with some friends tonight, and one of my girlies is an amazing designer/decorator. she came to pick me up and also noticed that my walls were blue. so we randomly went to home depot to look at paint that i ended up buying ( i know...crazy!). but what is life if you can't be spontaneous sometimes? I feel good about what we selected. if it doesn't workout this time i guess i will be painting my kitchen walls until i find a color that fits. my plan is to get up around 5:00 - 5:30 tomorrow morning so I can get it done, and move on to my next project over the holiday weekend. i thought i was "ms. home improvement" over there but i guess not!

side note: i saw the new twilight movie tonight, and yesterday night (two different groups of friends invited me to their twilight parties). it was really good ...go see it!

2010-06-25T12:29:00.005-07:00

look at that face. sadie is getting bigger and more fun day by day. Jackie, does this picture remind you of someone?

i have been a busy little bee this week. out of the blue i was blessed with three PAID days off. it just so happen that all of the children i take care of were sick or going on vacation all at the same time. since i had so much free time i was able to sand all of my kitchen cabinets on tuesday, and paint them on wednesday. i have been amazed with how much i have gotten done this week. somehow i managed to turn a big job into something that has seemed very small and easy to do. i'm happy to say that my kitchen will be in semi-operating order today. semi because i decided that while i'm on a roll i'm going to paint my kitchen walls this weekend. the mental picture of my remodel is coming together nicely, and it's going to look really nice when it's complete.

more d.i. hook ups...look for these in the remodel of my bedroom. coming soon!

2010-06-22T12:28:00.009-07:00

last weekend our cousins Lisa, Lana, and O'Bray were visiting A.Z, and we had a great time with them. of course there was a party for us to go to in scottsdale. a friend of the family had his 40th birthday at a hotel. hubby and i were both invited but a.j. wasn't up to going but said i should go have fun with the fam. my hubby is so awesome! we had a blast dancing the night away, and Lana is so much fun. she has a style that is her own and i love it. she is a dancing machine! always good times with my two favorite cousins.

i am almost ready to reveal my kitchen and bedroom. i didn't have much time to work on anything this weekend but i finished sanding my kitchen cabinets today. my plan is to paint them tomorrow. we are going to paint our room over the 4th of july holiday and we have everything to make our bedroom complete. i am so excited!

picture of the day and d.i. hook ups

2010-06-15T19:21:00.005-07:00

our little sunshine

we went to d.i. last week and got hooked up with all kinds of stuff. most of these items are for the remodel of our bedroom. i plan to shaggy both chairs. the rocking chair will go in sadie's room, and can you believe that we paid only $15.00 for the rocking chair and $10.00 for the other. the $10.00 chair is old as dirt but it's going to look fab in our new room.

i have something really cute in mind for this lamp so stay tuned! ($7.00)

we plan to add some paint to these frames. some are perfect as is but they will make our room come together nicely. ($1.00 - $2.00 each)

kitchen and bedroom facelift

2010-06-09T14:39:00.006-07:00

hubby and i decided that we need to finish our kitchen, and that our bedroom needs a new look.

we are going to paint our kitchen cabinets dark gray/almost black but not really black. we thought dark gray would go well with the indian slate floors we have in our kitchen. we talked about painting the kitchen a different color (since it's a pink-ish color now). but we want to see how the cabinets look first, do a couple of color test on the kitchen wall, then decide. i will post before and after pictures late but here is a picture of what our cabinets might look like.

when it comes to our bedroom, we don't have a ton of space to work with (since our master bedroom is a playroom for sadie and daycare kids) but it is still going to be fabulous! this remodel is what i'm most excited about. here are idea pictures of our colors and theme.

jazz it up part.2

2010-06-03T15:56:00.007-07:00

i jazzed up this white t-shirt today.

before

after

it took me 20-25 minutes to make this shirt. i used left over pieces of fabric i have, and i paid only $3.00 for the white t-shirt at target. this shirt reminds me of something you would find in the kids department at neiman marcus. more to come soon!

three day weekend

2010-06-01T08:38:00.015-07:00

since we had a three day weekend, sadie and i flew to california friday night. our trip was so much fun, it was exhausting! we spent most of our visit with my two sisters but we also made time to visit other family members. since hubby was so busy working last week he stayed home so he could get some rest.

saturday: our first stop...the alley (a huge shopping network in downtown L.A).you can find any and everything at the alley, all for a low, low price.

so-coo (our brotha from the "mother land.") and max

i love this picture of mia and sadie. it's too bad it's out of focus.

Downtown L.A

The Walt Disney Building

Sunday: we went to visit my mother and grandmother. it was a great day! my mom cooked lunch for us and Alex (sadie's awesome uncle) got sadie crafts to do while we were visiting her grandparents. he got her stuff for finger painting, wax crayons, and play-doh. this was sadie's first experience with all of these things, and she LOVED every single second of it. we had so much fun watching her explore and experience something new.

mia and alex helping sadie

Monday: we all had breakfast together and hung out. sadie is so in love with her aunts mia & max and her uncle alex. you can see that they love her as much as she loves them. it's kinda sad and funny all at the same time but when my sisters are around, sadie is so excited to see them that she forgets about me, and she is kinda mean to me at times. now that she is old enough to express her feelings. she is good at letting me know when i'm getting in the way when it comes to her personal time with her aunts and uncle. she is a little stinker! but most importantly aj and i know that our little girl is loved, and that we have good and supportive people around her.
when we returned home sadie and i were pleased to see a happy and rested daddy/hubby. sadie was so wired from our weekend that at 9:00 p.m she thought it was still time to shop. she took this shopping bag that is bigger then she is and put it on like at purse while she walked around the house as if she was in a hurry...so funny.
little shopper in training!

weekly craft: poppies

2010-05-27T15:41:00.009-07:00

i saw this idea on one of the amazing blogs i follow, grosgrain fabulous. these cute flowers were really easy to make, and if you follow the link you will find step by step instructions, and printable patterns for the flowers.

here are some pictures of the easy steps i followed. as you can see i used three different colors of fabric, and three of the smaller flower patterns since i was making some for a shirt.

i didn't have any old hair spray so i ordered fray stop spray.

this outfit is really cute on...one day i will post a picture.

i like how these flowers turned out so i'm making more in small and large sizes. i also jazzed up some old jeans by cutting off the bottom, then turning them into elastic-hem jeans all inspired by my sister-in-law olivia

the end!

hubbies company picnic

2010-05-25T09:16:00.012-07:00

sadie getting a flower painted on her leg. we tried to do a pretty face paint but she would not stop moving.

sadie is growing so fast. what happen to my little baby...so happy, yet sad!

ice cream at the mall, yum!

summer fun

2010-05-19T14:11:00.001-07:00

summer skirts

2010-05-17T14:18:00.006-07:00

i found this cute skirt at target a couple of weeks ago. i liked it so much that i decided to make some for sadie this summer.

getting started....skill level: beginner

what do you think? of course i'm going to doll it up a little with a fabric flower or two. i'm going to make four more skirts with the fabric shown below. sadie is going to be so cute this summer.

2010-05-16T20:31:00.006-07:00

Picture of the day

here are the books i'm reading for my summer book club:

1. Prayers

2. confessions of an unbalanced woman

3. little bee

4. almost sisters

5. bonds that make us free

something unique about my book club is that i'm the only member. that way i don't have to read any boring books that aren't interesting to me. i am really excited about my book club.

Weekly Craft: rolled flower necklace

i have fallen in love with these rolled fabric flower necklaces. i have been wanting to make a necklace for a long time, and my first attempt did not turn out the way i hoped it would. the fabric i used came from random pieces of fabric i have so the colors i used aren't the best. i'm not sold on how i arranged the flowers, and i think i rolled the fabric to tight. so with that said...i think this necklace is a piece of crap. this was my first time making a necklace so hopefully i will get better with more practice.

mother's day

2010-05-10T23:57:00.006-07:00

i asked my hubby not to get me anything for mother's day because i'm just grateful that i have my family, and that our father in heaven has made it possible for us to be parents. i've found so much joy in being a mother to my sweet baby. i love, love, love everything that motherhood has offered me so every day is a gift...mother's day to me.

of course hubby didn't listen to me, and got me something special anyway. it was really cute how sadie and hubby gave me my "something special" sunday morning. (hubby is really good at presentation...all the way back to how he surprised me with me wedding rings...priceless) I was sitting of the couch reading, and hubby softly yelled, we have something for you". With a big smile of his face....i really LOVE his smile! sadie came wobbling into the room yelling "mom...ya-ga-re-n- sa, ya-ga-re-n-sa". (translation: mom, we have something for you) then sadie threw it at me, like she was throwing a ball, and it kinda hurt a little. it was really funny.

2010-05-07T10:24:00.009-07:00

I have missed you blog, and all my blogging buddies!

we had no internet service during the pass two weeks. I didn't have much to blog about during that time but (since my blog is kinda like my journal) when i'm bored i like to read some of my past entries, and visit all the blogs i love.

i have a week left until my summer break starts. i have a couple of final projects due by the 14th. then a nice long break.

For the summer: a weekly craft that I will post for all you crafty ladies, swimming lessons for sadie, and a book club that I'm excited about.

afro baby

2010-03-28T07:56:00.006-07:00

a couple of nights ago sadie was playing nicely by herself while hubby and i watched. of course it was her bedtime so she was extra excited, and when sadie is sleepy she turns into a clown...it's pretty entertaining to watch. she tried to stand up and walk a couple of times, using her popper toy to help support her but the toy didn't offer her enough support for her to take a step. she would fall down after every attempt, and that was the funniest thing in the world to her. she would laugh, and laugh, and laugh so loud. then she turned her attention to her new favorite toy to practice her writing skills. hubby and i use this magna-doodle to introduce new words and shapes to sadie. she likes to mimic us, which i think in pretty AMAZING!

we went to a birthday party yesterday, and while taking pictures i was playing around with the artistic side of my brian. of course aj and sadie were my models. i'm grateful that they don't mind me taking pictures of them because it could be a little annoying having a camera in your face half the day. well, not really since my dad is a photographer, and i grew up loving the camera. anyway, i think i took some pretty good shots. they are going to look great in black and white hanging on my wall.

picture of the day

2010-03-25T16:51:00.005-07:00

our sweet baby is growing so fast. she has about fifteen to twenty words in her vocabulary, and she can speak one complete sentence. she love to read books and sing songs; which, is pretty amazing to me because sadie is the first toddler i have heard sing songs at the young age of 13 months. the first time i heard her sing was right before she turned one, and she sang "twinkle, twinkle little star". how cute is that?

2010-03-18T07:59:00.008-07:00

sadie had a play date with one of her friends yesterday. it was hot enough to get one of our sitting pools out so the girls could cool off. it was nice to take a break from homework, and have some adult communication during the day. thanx for visiting janay. we will have to do it again soon.

jazz it up

2010-03-12T11:10:00.008-07:00

a friend of mine asked me to jazz up her daughter's birthday dress, and of course I was happy to oblige her request. i asked her if she had any ideas, and she said i was free to do whatever i like. we revealed the final product to her daughter and she fell in love. i was happy to see that both girls liked the dress but i was more pleased that she asked me to help out. i had no idea what to do at first but i think it turned out pretty cute.

BEFORE

AFTER

picture of the day

2010-03-04T13:24:00.002-07:00

2010-02-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

my new bike.

our pettiskirt princess

2010-02-20T21:44:00.009-07:00

how is my spring break project! i just ordered the fabric in several different colors. i hope the skirt i will make will look as nice as this yellow one. wish me luck!

stress

2010-02-18T14:12:00.003-07:00

so life has been pretty crappy lately but thank heavens it's going to get better. we have a long road ahead of us but i am sure the reward will be priceless.

when i'm feeling bad about myself i sometimes have a bad habit of self soothing by buying myself expensive gifts, (i know, i know, i need therapy!). so, i went crazy one day, and hooked sadie up at one of our favorite boutiques and i bought myself a new bike.

you see, i have been wanting a bike for a long time. i love the outdoors, and being active. i'm not much of a runner (bad on my knees) so i can't enjoy the outdoors that way. i go hiking often and i love it but i also like to have options.

anyway, i got myself this awesome new bike and i'm looking forward to my saturday evenings at tempe town lake. yes, it was a "i'm pissed off " gift to myself but it also was a "i need to do something for myself moment" and i'm happy i did. i had to be sized, and have some other stuff done so the bike is still in the shop but now i have a new outlet for myself. yay, me!

all you need is LOVE

2010-02-12T17:37:00.007-07:00

here are the cards sadie and i made for all her friends for valentine's day. inspired by i love this blog

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, crazy LOVE.

2010-02-11T17:11:00.015-07:00

i have fallen in love with this new trend (fabric flowers) that I have seen at anthropologie and other cute boutiques around town. i made some for sadie, and put them on matching headbands. now i need to make some for myself.

picture of the day

2010-02-10T16:38:00.002-07:00

sadie and jackie, after our sealing

party, party, sadie's first party

2010-01-30T21:53:00.004-07:00

it was my pleasure to enlist myself as head committee/president for sadie's birthday decor and menu. my mother and good friend maria were kind enough to help, and offer moral support. mom and i were up until 1:00 a.m decorating cupcakes and making paper globes. here is the proof that i did it all myself. ;0)

the final product of sadie's birthday cake

and cupcakes.

part 2

2010-01-30T21:10:00.001-07:00

i love that face.

sadie and her cousin emma

singing "happy birthday "to the b-day girl.

we were happy to see that sadie loved her cake...it was good.

sadie opening her gifts.

this is the outfit i made for sadie (from head to toe). u can't see it but i sewed ruffles on her butt that match her headband, so cute!

sadie managed to get her birthday cake everywhere.

wardrobe change.

all of our friends and family took a train ride around the park, so fun.

sadie and her good friend grace.

sadie on the carousel.

i enjoyed every second and detail that went into planning sadie's party. we were happy to see all our family and friends who were able to come, thank you. i'm grateful that my prayers were answered when i prayed for a beautiful sunny day, so we could move forward with our plans for the party. today was a great day, and i'm excited for our next birthday party....carnival theme. it's going to be awesome!

Happy Birthday, Sadie

2010-01-28T23:14:00.001-07:00

happy birthday, sweet heart! we love you more then all the stars in the sky.

(that's what your grandpa would tell me when i was a little girl. i knew it was true because i could feel his love. we hope you can feel, and know in your heart how much we love you, mom and dad)

boots, boots, boots

2010-01-26T21:44:00.005-07:00

my lovely new boots. i saw these boots in a magazine two months ago, and i have been searching high and low for them. i finally found and ordered them on saturday. i can't wait to make these boots my new everyday shoe.

HELP HAITI

2010-01-24T15:52:00.008-07:00

lets not forget about the thousands of lives that have been effected by the earthquakes in Haiti. most haitian people who live in this third world country live off of only two dollars a day. visit Humanitarian Services Emergency Response and donate what you can!

A boy watches as French soldiers put up tents for Haitians left homeless by the January 12 earthquake.

U.S. rescue worker Sam Grey, of the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue, holds a monitor showing a woman, alive and conscious, buried under the collapsed University of Port-au-Prince.

A boy sits in a makeshift shelter in Port-au-Prince on Sunday.

sedona, jan. 2010

2010-01-20T15:39:00.009-07:00

thanx to MLK day, both hubby and i had a three day weekend so we went to sedona, az. we stayed at the sedona summit resort. most of our trip consisted of lots of R & R, and it felt so good to do NOTHING for once. sadie was nice enough to sleep in with us...she is such a good girl. we managed to drag ourselves out of our condo for lunch, dinner, and sightseeing on one of the days we were there. since we live so close to this beautiful mountain town we decided that we will visit again during the summer. there were tons of biking and hiking trails we would like to explore. so, until next time.

out with the old, in with the new

2010-01-05T14:37:00.008-07:00

2009 was our year! and we are looking forward to whatever 2010 has to offer us. here are some things i have thought of that might get this new year started on a good note:

hike often

eat vegetables...lots of vegetables

be good to myself and hubby

be creative

pray

read my scriptures

exercise

make more money

give my kitchen a make over

convince hubby that we need hard wood floors

believe in myself and my goals

read to sadie every night, and

DON'T OVER DO IT

HAPPY 2010

christmas 2009

2009-12-29T15:14:00.012-07:00

Bison Ranch...our Christmas getaway

this year my family came to arizona for christmas. we stayed at bison ranch in overgaard, az and we had a blast. there was lots of food, fun games, laughter, love, and meaningful memories together as a family. hubby and i were especially grateful that we got to share the holiday with the love of our life....sadie. she was happy to spend the holiday with our extended family.

on christmas morning hubby, sadie, and i got up to read the story of Christ's birth and the story of the signs leading up to his birth in the BOM. we thought that would be a great way to start our day; remembering the gift that Christ so feely gave to us. When the rest of the family woke-up we opened gifts. Here are some pictures, enjoy!

sadie and her baby

mia and her hubby alex

max and gavin

sadie and her favorite toy of the day

playing wii, karaoke

the end.

2009-12-15T16:25:00.005-07:00

today is my last day of school. i am so happy this semester is over. hubby completed his EMT program last week. we are looking forward to my stress free, three and a half week long break.

picture of the day

2009-12-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

Turkey Day

2009-12-02T13:29:00.002-07:00

we had a wonderful thanksgiving this year. as always we had turkey day at hubby's parents' house. we had fun visiting with all the family who came, but the best part of the holiday was having my father visit us. this was the first time in a long time that i got to visit with my father without the distraction of my two sisters ;0). my father has a great gift of making everyone feel special so it's extra special when i get some one-on-one time with him. i was really happy that my father was able to visit and develop a deeper bond with sadie. she loves him so much, and it's fun watching the two of them together. he is great at coming down the a child's level to make sure they know that they are loved...my dad is the best!

sadie and her grandpa...she is so lucky

anessa was a little jealous, but a.j made her feel better

sadie's cousin making her smile

me and my little sister anessa...i love her smile

2009-12-01T13:00:00.004-07:00

every year hubbies family has a huge family thanksgiving get together. it's really great because it bring all the family together once a year. we decided to take family pictures this year since we have four new additions (three babies and a brother-in-law) to the Koernig fam. of course my father had to take some pictures. here are some of the photos he took.

2009-12-01T12:30:00.002-07:00

the week was packed with fun activities. one in particular was for our mother's 60th birthday. vickie's alter ego is a fabulous dancer, so we threw her a surprise birthday dance party. the party was equipped with music, food, cake, and a dance teacher who taught us a variety of dance routines. it was a lot of fun, and my dad was a sweet heart and took pictures of everyone during the party. we had a wonderful thanksgiving holiday this year. we look forward to more just like it.

rachel and spencer

me and my bro bob

trouble 1 and 2

angela and her son matthew

olivia and hubby gino

maggie and her hubby mark

hubby trying to lead but i can't follow

the birthday girl

the end!!!!

Sadie and Santa 2009

2009-11-15T00:16:00.005-07:00

our sealing

2009-11-11T07:42:00.007-07:00

aj and i had an exciting and eventful weekend last week. the highlight of our weekend was taking sadie to the temple to be sealed to us on november, 7 2009 and her baby blessing the following day. i can't go into details, but our sealing was a beautiful spiritual experience. sadie is a very special little girl, and i am humbly grateful and honored that a.j. and i were chosen to love, teach, and help sadie live up to her life's full potential.

sadie looked like a little angle in her temple/blessing dress.

Our adoption experience has been like a fairy tale with a perfect ending. our father in heaven loves my little family so much. i have felt his love and the comforting spirit countless times during our adoption process. we have been blessed with much. we have experienced miracles that have made it clear that our journey was heavenly father's way and plan for us. i am amazed when i look at my family and think, "look at what the Lord put together, it's perfect and exactly what each of us need to be the best that we can be in this life and the next." this year has been a great one!

we look forward to bring more children into our family by way of adoption.

my family, those who were able to come, along with jackie.

grandma barb and lincoln, came all the way from utah.

Jackie is a perfect addition to our family. She is like the long lost little sister that we always wished for, and the bond that Sadie and Jackie shared left me speechless.

it was sadie's day and she knew it.

lunch at red robin with family

"ladies night": shopping, dessert, and a movie with my sisters, jackie, and friends.

THE END

2009-11-05T14:16:00.003-07:00

jackie just called and she is at the airport, and hubby is on his way to pick her up.

my sisters will arrive tomorrow evening.

i am so excited!

this weekend is going to be a blast.

i'm happy jackie, sadie, and i will have a day with just the three of us girls before family arrives. my sisters are so excited to meet jackie. i'm sure maxine will cry when she meets her.

something new

2009-11-03T19:48:00.006-07:00

a.j gave me my birthday gift early this year. it's kinda funny how it happened because i didn't ask for it. i didn't even know he had a gift for me this early. he must have been feeling sorry for me because after a long trying week, and an emotional discussion. he told me he had my b-day gift and he wanted to give it to me. i asked him to hold on to it until my birthday because i wasn't in the mood to receive a gift. but he couldn't stand keeping this awesome gift that he knew i would love all to himself. sooooo....he was right! i could have waited but i do LOVE my gift.