Cutest little guy in his new jacket

Jason's mom got Ryan this adorable jacket for his bday but it was very big for him and hasn't been cold. Well, it finally got a little cold so I was quick to bust out his new jacket. It's like a real lettermans jacket (and looks almost like jason's from high school). He also got these styl'in new pants that he finally fits into. Looks like a little stud muffin to me! Thanks Grandma Judy!

New Skirt

I made this skirt for Jayne last night while Jason was at his softball game. Didn't take very long, especially since I didn't know exactly what I was doing. I followed an online tutorial. I have more pics and the link on babyjaynes. Jayne loved it. I think I'm going to make her another today :-)

Free Books!

I LOVE free stuff! Especially books. They are so expensive. A few of these look really awesome and I might buy. Enjoy!

As a part of his doctoral studies, John Hilton III is "studying what happens when books are made available for free." He worked with "Deseret Book and they have made 8 of their books available for free." They can all be downloaded at http://deseretbook.com/free. Several of the books are ones you might be interested in. The books are:

LDS/Deseret book ~ books that you can download for free.

Deseret Book has made 8 of their books available for FREE DOWNLOAD at deseretbook.com/free.

The books are:

1. Please Pass the Scripture (by me).
2. What I Wish I Would Have Known When I Was Single (by John Bytheway).
3. Women at the Well (by Richard and Jeni Holzapfel).
4. Digging Deeper (by Robert Eaton).
5. 10 Secrets Wise Parents Know (by Brent Top and Bruce Chadwick).
6. Growing Up: Gospel Answers About Maturation and Sex (by Brad Wilcox).
7. Saving Kristen (by Jack Weyland). (fiction)
8. The Hidden Path (by C.B. Andersen). (fiction).

Weekend to Scottsdale

We had a quick but fun trip to Scottsdale, AZ for the weekend. Some golf, some USC Football, good food, and great company, it was a wonderful weekend!

Yes, it appears Jayne is destined to be a cheer leader. This was at her 5 year old cousin's soccer game. She wouldn't give up that sign for anything and loved cheering for him. :-)

USC won but it was a little stressful. Kids LOVED going to the game! It was their first away game :-)
This picture was taken by a Sports Illustrated photographer and made it onto the SI website!! We got the notice and I copied the picture here. Pretty fun. Jayne and her cousins do look adorable! Fight on!

Happy Halloween!

Had a little pumpkin carving family night! Pumpkins, hot chocolate, cookies, and a fire in the fireplace! I think we're ready for Halloween! . . .

My not so little Lion

Barbie Island Princess

Almost all the Orange County cousins ready for trick or treating fun!

We had a really fun little gathering at our house. Great food, great company, great trick or treating, not so great USC score, but had fun watching the game together on Tivo after trick or treating. A great night!


I'm posting my decorating pictures and recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes I made for the night on my baby jayne's blog.

30

I don't feel 30. I feel 24 still. And now I realize that even when I'm 50, I"ll probably feel like I'm 30 inside. It's weird. My Grandpa's told me that he still gets surprised when he sees himself and he looks old. I know that's how I"ll feel. And now I know that's how everyone feels.

While I feel 24, I'm really glad I'm not still 24. I've done quite a bit of liv'in in my 30 years, here's a few things I've learned so far ...
1- Life is short. You don't know how long you have. So enjoy it.
2- Don't put off doing something you really want to do. Figure out how to do it.
3- I feel a lot more comfortable in my skin than I did younger and I'm sure I look worse. Now I think, well, not too bad so it works :-)
4- I value authentic people. I try to surround myself with these people and also be totally authentic myself.
5- All the little things don't really matter much, keep the big things in perspective.
6- Marry your best friend and stay best friends. It's the best decision I ever made and I'm thankful for him everyday.
7- If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
8- Nothing in life is fair or free. Take what you get and make the most out of it. We won't be held accountable for talents we never received, but what we did with the talents/gifts/etc we did receive.
9- The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And in my case, that's a pretty good thing.
10- Hard work is it's own reward. I love to work hard and play hard. One of the greatest things I can teach my kids is how to work hard. That's one of the greatest things my parents taught me.
11- Kids add so much value to life. Motherhood is my greatest joy and my greatest challenge. How I hope I do a good job :-)

I love my life. I love my family. I love my friends. And I'm thankful for my blessings everyday. I feel grounded, loved, at peace, and that I'm fulfilling my life's mission on this earth everyday. I couldn't ask for much more than that! Thanks to everyone for making my Birthday so special! Especially Jason who went above and beyond! I love you!

I took the kids to Disneyland to get my Disney bucks for my bday, then we had our ward Halloween Party and we came home for special cupcakes Jason got me (my favorite!). Very fun day!!

Early Celebrations

I started celebrating my bday about a week early. Leanna, one of my lifelong best friends and I hit the spa! Boy, was that overdue! We've never done that together and known each other 30 years now. It was super fun and we're planning a trip back with our mom's in May :-) It was a nice short respite from our kids and routines! Much needed and enjoyed!
I also got to spend a day at my parents and celebrate my bday with my Grandmommy. Her bday is only a few days before mine so we always have a joint family party and also include my aunt Michelle. It was very fun. I posted a picture of my present on babyjaynes- a designer looking monogrammed pillow to match this amazing quilt my mom made my Grandma. It turned out pretty awesome. I liked how my pillow turned out too. The kids of course had a fantastic time at my parents and always cry when they have to leave. On to more celebrating..... :-)