Lauren, Jaden, Kaylie

updates

2011-07-08T11:28:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again, BIG BROTHER!!! I absolutely love this show. And this season is probably going to be the best one yet. It has all my favorite duos from previous seasons as well as new house guests. I love it!!! I love having something to watch every summer. Thank you Big Brother!!!

Jaden and Kaylie are back from hanging out with their dad in California. They were gone for 3 weeks. It was a nice vacation for me, but I did miss them a ton!

They always have so much fun at their daddy's house. They are happy to be back at home and at school with their friends. Jaden told me the other morning that he is going to marry his friend Kadence. And when I took him to school he introduced her to me. :) how cute is that?!

Last weekend I had an amazing time hanging out with my friend Alli. She is the best!! We went out dancing every night, and laid out at the pool, just enjoyed hanging out and being silly. I am sooo grateful for her friendship and all the fun times we have together. The past few months she has been my rock, helping me through all the drama.

My sister Megan and I went to Las Vegas for one night to see the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block concert. OMG it was AWESOME!!! One of the best concerts I've been to. All the boys looked hot and sang all their best songs. We had fun staying at the Monte Carlo hotel and ate at a yummy restaurant for dinner and enjoyed the crazy rain storm that almost made us late to the concert!

Times are definitely hard right now, but I'm hanging in there and trying to stay positive!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JADEN!!!!

2011-06-11T16:54:00.000-06:00

Jaden turned 4 years old on June 2nd! He got to celebrate his birthday twice. :) We had a birthday party for him at my mom's house. Grandma got him a yummy Cars cake! He was so excited about. Thanks Mom for getting it and making Jaden so happy! He got lots of presents from his family and loved being the birthday boy. On his actual birthday we (Erick, me, Jaden, Kaylie and Megan) went to Leatherby's for dinner and then got some icecream. The Leatherby's employees sang Happy Birthday to him and had him stand up on his chair so everyone could see him. He felt pretty special. :)

I can't believe my little (big) boy is 4!!! Jaden is my angel! He is sooooo sweet and has such a tender, caring heart. He is so in tune with everything and everyone's feelings. His feelings get hurt soo easily. He is definitely very sensitive, but I'm okay with that. I'm grateful that he is a sweet and happy boy! He LOVES going to school everyday. He has so many friends there and absolutely loves his teacher Miss Lucy. Everyday he brings home a new craft he made with his name written on it. He can write his own name all by himself! And it even looks like his name! He is so smart and continues to blow my mind everyday. I love you Jaden and I'm soooo happy you're my son!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-11T15:00:00.000-06:00

I had an awesome Mother's Day weekend! The BEST one yet. Saturday morning Erick stayed home with Jaden and Kartr(Erick's son) and Kaylie and I had "mommy and Kiki" time. It's so cute to hear her little voice say "I love Mommy and Kiki time." We went to Jamba Juice and got smoothies and then went to Ross and did some shopping. Kaylie loves to shop just like me. :) She kept grabbing things saying we should get this and we should get Jaden this, or I want this. She was such a good girl and we had so much fun together. I bought her a little princess purse that she wanted. A few people complimented her and told her how pretty she is and each time she smiled and said "thank you."

Then we went home and Erick told me he'd be right back. He went outside for a minute and then came back with a boquet of tulips! Tulips are my FAVORITE flowers. I was so surprised! He had them delivered to the apartment office so he could go get them for me and even included a very sweet card. It made me cry. :) I was so touched and so happy.

We had a fun day with the kids and then went and ate at Santa Monica Pizza company, one of my favorite places to eat. After that we went to Walmart and Erick bought a new TV! It is so nice. Neither one of us has ever had a big screen fancy tv so we were both pretty excited.

Mother's Day was a great day, Erick woke up with the kids and let me sleep in. I slept til about 11 and woke up and hung out with him and the kids for a little bit and then he took them to the park to play. I stayed home and watched some tv and enjoyed the peace and quiet and then used my gift card he got me to go get my nails done, eyebrows and lip waxed. It was a great day! I am so so so so blessed to have Erick in my life and my amazing kids. I love them so much. I will never forget this Mother's Day.

My mom mailed me a gift card to Forever 21 and also a beautiful, sweet card. I put it in a frame because I loved it so much. It's hanging on the wall in my apartment.

randomness

2011-04-23T14:50:00.000-06:00

I'm starting a new job on Monday (with the same company). I'll be doing patient collections. I'm a little nervous, but am glad I get to stay in the company. My current department is laying people off which is a total bummer because I LOVE my job. I am thankful for the opportunity and will make the best of it!

Moving 3 times in one week? Yep, that's us. I'm pretty sure I broke a record! We are finally settled in our new apartment and it's been good. It's only one mile from work and the kids' school which is awesome. I'm very happy with it and the kids seem to be happy, too. (I'm pretty sure my family isn't too happy though because they were the ones that helped me move. lol :)

I hate not having cable. I hate not having dvr. I miss my shows!!! I'm sick of watching my shows online at work on Saturdays. Today is my last Saturday working so now I don't know how I'm going to watch my shows! Don't even get me started on missing this season of American Idol. I've heard nothing but good things about it and I can't even watch it. GRRRR!

Thursday night my awesome sister babysat my kids so Erick and I could go on a date. We ate dinner at Pizza Factory and went bowling at Fat Cats. The first game I kicked his butt, and the second game he won by only a few points. I was quite proud of myself. :) We had such a good time together and I'm so thankful for my sister for giving us some alone time. My kids always love when Meme comes over because she does such fun things. This time they colored Easter eggs. :)

I'm tired of getting yelled at on the phone by a bunch of old, crabby people. Most of them that call in at work think they know everything and that their situation is the most important. I really really really hope and pray that I am not one of those grumpy, rude, miserable, selfish, old women.

Did I mention I HATE not having cable?!?!

Kaylie's Birthday

2011-04-16T08:40:00.000-06:00

Kaylie pretty much had two birthdays this time. Sunday is when we celebrated and had the birthday party with the family. Monday was her actual birthday and it was a great day just the four of us. We woke up early (like always) and got ready and had to take the Uhaul back. Jaden and Kaylie drove with AJ in the big truck and they loved it. Then we went to Ihop for breakfast. Kaylie got some pancakes with a smiley face on them and she loved those. Jaden got french toast and made sure he got a smiley face on his, too.

Kaylie's pretty new dress from Grandma. I LOVE IT!! and so did she :)

Then we went to Super Target and did some shopping. Kaylie picked out some cute polka dot bed sheets for her bed and a Barbie car for her Barbies, and a cute yellow checkered skirt. Jaden got a couple of trains because he was a good boy. :) After wearing ourselves out shopping we went home and took a long nap. Then picked up Megan and she came with us to eat at Texas Roadhouse. We all love that place. Kaylie kept saying she wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse all day. We had a great time celebrating her birthday.

Happy Birthday to Kaylie!

2011-04-15T08:24:00.000-06:00

Kaylie turned the big 3! On Sunday night we had a family get together to celebrate. Everyone in my family came and I was so grateful for that. I'm so glad that my kids have such great people in their lives. The kids had so much fun playing together and helping Kaylie open her presents. She got some great stuff! Aunt Angie and Grandpa got her some adorable, girly books. Uncle RyRy got her a Princess Tiana dress that she LOVED and wanted to put on right away. Aunt Megan got her a fun Dora game. Grandma got her the cutest dress ever and a Dora doll. Uncle Golden and Aunt Crystal and their cousins got her an Amazon gift card. And her cousin Anya made her such a cute picture and gave her a cute bracelet. Nicole made an amazing Barbie cake! My friend Alli got Kaylie a pretty dress. It was so much fun to celebrate Kaylie's birthday! She loved her princess balloons and presents and being with everyone! Happy Birthday Kaylie!!!

Nicole made this awesome cake!!! Thank you sooo much Nicole! Kaylie wanted a Barbie cake and still talks about it. :)

all the grandkids!

2011-04-07T17:16:00.000-06:00

{one} if you won a trip to Disneyland/world, who would you take with you?

Daddy, Jaden and Kaylie
{two} when was the last time you listened to a CD?

this morning in my car - Britney Spears new cd and Katy Perry :) love them!!!!
{three} what spice/seasoning is your favorite?

garlic powder!
{four} if you were in a band, what kind of music would you play?

pop or country

{five} if you could have personally witnessed one historical event, which one would it be?

When President Obama became president
{six} if you could go back to school, what would you study?

nursing school

{seven} if you could go to one sporting event, all expenses paid, which one would you see?

OMG no doubt about it, DALLAS COWBOYS!!! playing the Giants or Patriots or Saints in Cowboys stadium
{eight} do you drive an automatic or a manual?

Automatic
{nine} are you comfortable speaking in front of people?

sure why not
{ten} have you ever experienced an earthquake?

yes, in first grade I was in my mom's bathroom getting ready for school

5 things I love

2011-04-05T17:34:00.000-06:00

K for Kaylie!!!

2011-04-02T09:02:00.001-06:00

Kaylie is such a little sweetie pie even though she has her "terrible 2" moments! I'm hoping next week when she turns 3 they will all go away! ha! She is getting prettier, taller, cuter, smarter and more girly every day. As most of you know I am addicted to chapstick, I put it on a million times a day. Well I have now passed that on to little Miss Kaylie. I bought her some little girl lip gloss and a purse last week and she carries it around everywhere. She likes to put it on allll the time. It's so cute, she purses her lips and puts it on and then walks around with her lips pursed and carrying her little purse. Adorable. :o) She also loves to put on my makeup. When I'm getting ready in the morning she will come sit with me and put on eyeshadow and blush and likes to help me do my hair. It's too bad she doesn't like me doing her hair. She hates having her hair done and would prefer to have crazy hair. It's so stressful getting her ready in the morning because she cries everytime I do it. ugh!

Kaylie LOVES to help. She was such a helper during the move. She loved helping carry things to the truck and writing on boxes. She likes to help me do the dishes, mop the floor, laundry, etc. I love hearing her cute little voice say, "I wanna help."

Kaylie loves the letter K! Everytime she sees a K while we are driving or wherever she sees a K, she gets excited and shouts, "K for Kaylie!!"

Kaylie loves going to school, even though she may not always admit it. She cries at drop off, but her teachers say she is such a sweet, happy little girl. She plays nice, listens, takes good naps and is very smart. She is learning so much! She is also completely potty trained which is soooooooooooooooooooooo nice! I love her little bum in her cute little undies. :o)

Kaylie is super attached to me. She loves her mama! She wants me to hold her allll the time. She wants me to sit with her every second and be in the same room with me always. It is a little frustrating at times when I'm trying to get stuff done, but at least it's because she loves me. :o)

Kaylie loves to tease her big brother. It's kind of cute sometimes, but sometimes its not so fun when it really upsets Jaden and then they start to bicker. She is full of attitude and sometimes doesn't want him to talk to her or look at her. She'll say, "no! I don't want you to talk to me!" And Jaden gets so sad. I'm trying to get it to stop, so hopefully it gets better. Other than the occasional teasing and fighting over toys, Jaden and Kaylie are BEST buds. They are in separate classes at school so when they get to see each other or combine classes they get sooooo excited. Or when I come to pick them up from school I'll get Jaden first and he RUNS down to Kaylie's class so fast shouting, "Kiki we're here!! Kiki! Kiki!!!" Their excited faces and big smiles and huge hugs when I pick them up are the best part of my day!

I love love love to hug and kiss Kiki. She is so affectionate and so loving. She is soooo sweet to kids and babies that are smaller than her. She likes to take care of them and hug them and play with them. She has such a big heart and is my little sweetie pie. :o)

One other thing so I don't forget to write about this...every night when I put the kids to bed I lay there with them for a few minutes and they like to say "I love you" to everyone. We go down the list, "I love you Daddy, I love you Grandma, I love you Meme, I love you RyRy, I love you Nicole, I love you Brindley, I love you Londyn, I love you Angie, I love you Grandpa, I love you Granddaddy, I love you Grandmommy, I love you Aaliyah." etc etc! Jaden always makes sure he doesn't forget anyone. It's really cute. :o) I love my kids!

J-A-D-E-N

2011-03-31T13:58:00.001-06:00

It's been way too long since I have done a random blog. I'm gonna try to catch up, so I'll talk about Jaden on this post...

Jaden is the best big brother ever. He is so good to his little sister. One day we were driving in the car on our way to school and Kiki was talking about her friends at school. She said that sometimes her friends aren't nice to her (just like normal little kids) and Jaden said to her, "don't worry Kiki, I'm your big brother and I won't let anyone hurt you." What 3 year old boy says that!?! MY little Jaden! It melted my heart and brought tears to my eyes. We won't talk about what Kaylie did after that, lol.

At school last week in Jaden's class they talked about what they want to be when they grow up. Jaden picked a firefighter. He asked Kaylie what she wants to be when she grows up and she replied in her sweet little voice, "pretty". :o) What a little princess she is!

Jaden is doing AWESOME at school. He loves his class and his teachers. He always runs in and says hi to all of them and all his friends say "Jaden!" and get to excited to see him. He is learning so much. He can even write his name! It's not legible, but you can definitely tell that he has the shape of the letters down and is getting close to legible. He is learning sounds of letters and what words start with letters. He can even SPELL his name out loud, and of course he can spell CARS.
Jaden's latest favorite things are Phineas and Ferb, Lucky Charms, Thomas the Train, Spiderman, playing pretend, playing with his friends at school, riding his bike, going to Dalton's house on Saturdays, reading stories, asking a million questions a day. :o)

I am so proud of my little boy. He is getting smarter and smarter everyday. He loves to learn new things and is always asking questions. He is very in tune with me and my feelings and always wants to make sure I'm okay. He loves to come sit by me and says, "Mommy I want to cuddles." I love it, I love cuddling with him. He is such a sweetheart. One day I was crying and really sad about relationships and men and all the stresses in life and I was crying pretty hard. Well he came and sat by me and asked me what was wrong? And I told him how sorry I am that I'm crying and that I want him to be happy. And he said, "don't worry mommy, i'm here and we will be okay. And we have Daddy to help us." It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

I love him so much!!! I'm soooo glad he is my son. :)

day 30

2011-03-25T13:50:00.000-06:00

What is your favorite song?

No way can I pick just one...the ones that come to mind are...

It's Gonna Be Me - *N Sync

The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson

Pride in the Name of Love - U2

For the Love of a Woman - Jericho Road

Stronger - Britney Spears

I'm sure I'm forgetting many more. I love too many songs!!

day 29

2011-03-23T10:24:00.000-06:00

in this past month, what have you learned?

I have learned how hard it is being a single, full-time working, full-time mother! My life has completely changed. I feel like I don't ever have time to myself because by the time my kids go to bed I am beat and ready for bed! At least when I was a stay at home mom I could take naps with my kids and get some rest! I miss my naps. It's definitely been a challenge but I do enjoy working and earning money for myself and my kids.

I have learned that true friends stand by you when the rest of the world walks out.

I have learned to focus more on my kids and their needs and less on mine.

day 28

2011-03-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

A picture of me from last year and now and how have I changed since then?

I am about 10 lbs lighter, thank heavens!!!

day 27

2011-03-20T21:55:00.000-06:00

Why are you doing this 30 day challenge?

It's nice to have something new each day to blog about. It's taken me longer than 30 days though! I don't have near as much time as I used to, to sit and blog all the time. But I'm glad I have taken the time to do it!

day 26

2011-03-20T21:53:00.000-06:00

What do you think about your friends?

What a weird question...I think my friends are great. I love them tons!!! I am some very close friends that I know I can always count on.

Day 25

2011-03-19T14:09:00.001-06:00

What you would find in my bag...

chapstick cell phone car keys check book

pens wallet tampon 5 different lipsticks

lotion hand sanitizer popcorn (snack for the kids)

Vitamin Water gum receipts

note from Erick

Day 24

2011-03-18T09:54:00.000-06:00

My last 5 Facebook statuses

someone shoot me! I cannot handle terrible twos or whatever this is!!!
brackets in! GO COUGARS! and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!
I think that I just gained back the 5 lbs I have lost...damn you pizza!!!!
I just had a wake-up call. I'm done being selfish.
had a great night last night at the Osmond reception. Oh to be in love....

day 23

2011-03-17T10:18:00.000-06:00

Something I crave for a lot...

Enough said.

Day 22

2011-03-16T10:29:00.001-06:00

day 22- what makes you different from everyone else...

This one is WAY too hard...I know that I am unique and have great qualities that some people don't have, but different from everyone else is pretty extreme. Some things that make me different from SOME people...I am a non-Mormon BYU fan, lol. Go Cougars!! I am a very happy person and try to stay upbeat and positive; I have two kids that are only ten months apart. :)

Day 21

2011-03-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

A picture of something that makes ME happy...

the beach!!! If I could I would live in a beach house and hang out at the beach all day long.

Oh how I miss this pool...this is a picture of the pool in the apartment complex I lived in in Phoenix. Talk about heaven. :)

Day 20 - Someone I Love...

2011-03-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

I LOVE my mom. I have the best mom in the whole world. She is sweet, caring, genuine, honest, supportive, encouraging, loyal, beautiful, confident, considerate, smart, silly, fun, energetic, and the bestest friend I could ever have. :) Love you Mom!!!!

day 19- nicknames you have and why you have them

2011-03-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

LoLo - my friend Jack just started calling me that one day and it stuck. And now Erick calls me LoLo and Lo. I love it. :)

Lowen - my mom and sister have called me that as long as I can remember, as well as LaurLaur.

Zinger - my dad gave me that nickname when I was really little because I loved Zingers so much.

Lauren-bro - My brother Ryan calls me that. He's called me that for years. We're tight. :)

LT - my boss at work calls me LT because his wife's name is Lauren and he didn't want to call me Lauren so he uses my initials.

Day 18

2011-03-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Plans/Dreams/Goals I have...

I want to lose 20 pounds this year.

I want to work out at LEAST 3 times a week.

I want to always be a good mom and friend to my kids.

I want to FINALLY finish reading Breaking Dawn.

I want to swim with a dolphin in Hawaii someday. =)

I want to get married and complete my family.

I want to go on vacation!!

I want to hike Camelback Mountain in Arizona.

I want to have more girl time with friends and my sisters and Mom.

I want to learn to do Kaylie's hair in braids and corn rows.

I want to get cable and dvr again so I can watch my shows.

I want to be healthy and live a long happy, fulfilling life with my babies. =)

day 17-

2011-03-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

day 17- someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why...

Britney Spears...why? Because I freakin love her! I would love to switch with her for a day. Specifically when she is on tour. It'd be sooo fun to perform on stage at a concert, sing fun songs, wear hot outfits, and have a freakin nice body! Yes, this picture is pre-kids, but she STILL looks great post kids. Anyway, it'd be fun to switch for a day!

Day 16 - another picture of yourself

2011-02-26T11:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks for making my hair pretty again Nicole! :)

day 15- put your ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play

2011-02-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Lose Control - Keri Hilson ft. Nelly
Only Girl in the World - Rihanna
What the Hell - Avril Lavigne
Ain't Thinkin About You - Bow Wow and Chris Brown
The Story of Us - Taylor Swift
Love the Way You Lie Part 2 - Rihanna and Eminem
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
Sexy Love - Ne-yo
Your Love remix- Chris Brown
Alive - Black Eyed Peas
Born This Way - Lady Gaga
Boys - Britney Spears
Tick Tock - Kesha
Who's That Chick? - David Guetta ft. Rihanna
Marry You - Bruno Mars

Day 14 - family picture

2011-02-19T09:27:00.001-07:00

My sister Megan's wedding day 7-21-07

here is one of my siblings and my parents and sis in law and brother in law and my nieces and Jaden.

My family's first ever family picture :) Kaylie's birthday 4-11-08

October 2008

April 2009 - My step dad Walt, my mom and the kids

September 2009

my sisters, my mom, my sister in law and the grandkids :)

Summer 2009

This is one of my favorite pictures of us! I love how dark we look :)

Christmas 2009 - Daddy, Mommy, Jaden, Kaylie and their half sister Aaliyah :)

Spring 2010

I LOVE MY FAMILY!!!!!!

Day 13 - a letter to someone

2011-02-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

Dear Harry,

I miss you a lot! I think about you often and wish you were here. I miss playing Uno with you and listening to your stories. I love to play Scrabble and I know if you were here you would play with me all the time. I'm sure I could even beat ya a few times. :) I wish we would have had more time together, more time to get to know each other.
I know you would be so proud of me for the woman I've become. I am a mother of two beautiful, amazing children now. I know you would love them! And I know they would love their Great Grandpa Harry a whole bunch! Thank you for everything you did for my mom, Megan and I and for loving my Grandma so much. Thank you for loving us like your own and being a good role model in my life. I miss you sooo much!!! I know you are in a better place and hopefully playing Uno with my grandma and grandpa. :)

I love you Harry!

~Lauren

day 12

2011-02-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

How did you find out about blogger and why do you have one?

I found out about it from my bff Nicole! She kept saying that I needed to get one for a few weeks and I was like nooo I'm good I don't wanna do that. But then I was hooked. :) Thanks Nicole!

I really enjoy blogging. It's an online journal and it's fun to read back on all the memories of the three of us. :)

Day 11

2011-02-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Another picture of you and your friends...

My friend Desiree and I. We have been friends since January 2005. We worked at Liberty Mutual together and hit it off our first day of work. We both started the same day and two weeks after we got to go to Boston together for TWO weeks with about 15 other people from Liberty Mutual. We went there for training, all paid for and everything. It was sooo much fun. Her and I got to share a suite together and we had so much fun together. She will be a friend I will have forever. She is a great woman, sweet, bubbly, beautiful inside and out. I love her tons!

She lives in California now so we usually meet every year in Arizona for a fun weekend. Hopefully I'll get to see her this spring. I miss her tons!!!

day ten

2011-02-11T10:49:00.000-07:00

Songs you listen to when you are happy, bored, sad and mad.

I love music! I listen to it all day at work, getting ready, driving in the car, at home with the kids, etc. Life would be SO boring without it. Music makes me happy.
I love top 40 type of music, pop, r&b, hip-hop, country and some good house music.
Songs that make me happy right now are...Usher - DJ Got Us Falling in Love, Rihanna - Only Girl in the World, Katy Perry - Teenage Dream and California Gurls, Chris Brown - Yeah x3. I could go on and on.
I always love to listen to Taylor Swift, especially when I'm sad or mad. She writes some great lyrics and it's fun to sing a long to. "Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did!" ha!
Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne I really like to listen to when I'm mad at a boy. :)

Day Nine

2011-02-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

Something you're proud of in the last few days...

This morning I got to work 8 minutes EARLY. I woke up at 6, showered, washed my hair, dryed my hair, got dressed, then got the kids ready and fed and out the door by 7:18! And dropped them off to school (daycare) and got to work at 7:52 am. I hope I have many more days like this.

I'm also proud of my kids and how well they are adjusting to being back home and starting school and mommy working full time. They are still so happy and I love them soooo much. :)

Day 8

2011-02-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

Short term goals for this month and why...

Make sure to be consistent with my kids and all of the great habits and manners they have. They ask "may I have some more please?" and many other great things they do. I need to stay consistent and be firm with them when I have to be.

Work out!!!! I need to start exercising again soo bad. I've lost a few pounds from my "divorce" diet. ha! But now I need to keep it off and get more toned.

Go to bed earlier so I'm not so tired.

Enjoy life and try not to get too stressed out. :)

DAY 7

2011-02-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

Jaden and Kaylie have made my life complete. I love them sooo much and I'm so happy to be their mom.

Day 6

2011-01-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

MY FAVORITE SUPER HERO AND WHY...

I'm not into all the marvel comic books or super heros, but I'll pick Superman. Superman because I used to love watching Lois and Clark on tv - you know the one with Dean Cain. My sister Megan and I used to watch it together. We LOVED it.

Day 5

2011-01-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

A picture of a place I've been to...

Coco Beach!!! I LOVE this place. I've been there once and didn't get to enjoy it as much as I would have liked to, but I loved being there. It was such a pretty beach. I went there with my mom and her friends (and Disneyworld too!) when I was a senior in high school. Best trip ever :)

day 4

2011-01-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

A habit that I wish I didn't have....

I would consider this a habit...being impatient! I am so impatient and sometimes I get so frustrated with myself. I have to tell myself a lot to just take a deep breath and chill out, it's not the end of the world. Surprisingly AJ has helped me a lot with being more patient, in many ways. ha! And being a mom of two little kids has made me a little more patient, but I would definitely say I am still very impatient. Hopefully I will get better at being more patient. :)

Day 3

2011-01-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

Picture of my friends and I...

My bestest friend Nicole and I. She is pretty much family to me. I love her soooo much and am so grateful for her friendship. She held my hand through the birth of Kaylie and has done so much for my kids and I. We always have a lot of fun together and have great memories.

My sister Megan and my brother Ryan. Megan and I are super close and always have been. We like the same music, movies, games, tv shows and boys. :) We have sooo much fun together and laugh a lot. We never fight and have always gotten along really well. I am so lucky to have a great big sister and friend that would do anything for me and my kids. I love her tons.

My brother Ryan is the best big brother and friend a girl could ask for. He has always been so kind to me. He used to drive my friends and I by hot boys houses (back in middle school). It was tons of fun. :) He is such a great person and has a big heart. (If any of my single friends are interested, I can hook ya up.) hehe!

Patti-cakes is such a great friend! We have so much fun together, playing Scrabble, going clubbing, watching reality tv, going shopping, singing and dancing in the car, and drinking. :) She is such a loyal and honest friend and I'm so blessed to have her in my life.

My mom is definitely my best friend. :) I love her sooo much and wouldn't be who I am without her. She is the best mom ever and I appreciate her so much. She is always there for me when I need her and would do anything for my kids and I. I am sooo glad that she is moving back to Utah soon so we can hang out allll the time. :)

Day Two

2011-01-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

The meaning behind my blog name....

Let's see, it's my name, and my kids' names and it's just the three of us :)

Day One

2011-01-20T22:20:00.001-07:00

recent picture of me and 15 interesting facts about me :)

1. I like the number 3. I can be OCD about the number 3 at times.
2. When I was younger (12-16) I knew sign language really well. I used to interpret the church lessons to my friend who was deaf. I lost it after high school. I really wish I had time to pick it up again.
3. I am obsessed with music. I love hearing new songs on the radio by my favorite artists or finding a link online with their new songs. Music makes me really happy. I get so excited when I hear a good song when I'm driving in the car.
4. I am a sucker for reality tv, but who isn't?
5. I have 4 tattoos and eventually I want to get one covered up that I don't like and replace it with a Dallas Cowboys star.
6. I never think that I am tan enough. Tanorexia much? :)
7. I love the store Plato's Closet. It's a place where they buy and sale used clothing. I find the cutest designer jeans there for a great price.
8. I love to sleep. I wish I could sleep in allll the time and take naps everyday.
9. I love pizza and if it wasn't bad for me, I would eat it EVERYDAY!
10. My first night home as a new mom with Jaden I had a break down and told my mom I couldn't do it and that I didn't want to be a mom. And she pretty much put me in my place and told me I didn't have a choice and I had to do it. I'm glad that she was tough with me. I love being a mom!!!
11. I am a huge fan of Britney Spears. If I was a lesbian, she'd be my girlfriend. :) ha!
12. My friends and family always count on me to have my camera with me. I am very camera happy!
13. I am addicted to chapstick, Nivea A Kiss of Smoothness is THE best. My mom always keeps me well stocked.
14. I have never been skiing or snowboarding. Hopefully someday!
15. I am single! weird...

30 days of posts :)

2011-01-19T14:53:00.002-07:00

I got this from my sister's blog, thought it'd be fun and give me something to blog about.

day 1- recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself

day 2- the meaning behind your blog name

day 3- a picture of you and your friends

day 4- a habit that you wish you didn’t have

day 5- a picture of somewhere you've been to

day 6- favorite super hero and why

day 7- a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

day 8- short term goals for this month and why

day 9- something you're proud of in the past few days

day 10- songs you listen to when you are happy, sad, bored, hyped, mad

day 11- another picture of you and your friends

day 12- how you found out about blogger and why you have one

day 13- a letter to someone

day 14- a picture of you and your family

day 15- put your ipod on shuffle: first 10 songs that play

day 16- another picture of yourself

day 17- someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

day 18- plans/dreams/goals you have

day 19- nicknames you have and why you have them

day 20- someone you love

day 21- a picture of something that makes you happy

day 22- what makes you different from everyone else

day 23- something you crave for a lot

day 24- your last five facebook status'

day 25- what I would find in your bag

day 26- what do you think about your friends

day 27- why are you doing this 30 day challenge

day 28- a picture of you from last year and now, how have you changed since then?

day 29- in this past month, what have you learned

day 30- your favorite song

cutest Santa pictures ever!!!!

2011-01-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

Talk about THE cutest kids ever!!! :) I love these pictures!

Merry Christmas :)

2011-01-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

This Christmas was spent in sunny Arizona! Jamie and I drove down and stayed at my mom and Walt's house. It was a nice little vacation away from the freezing cold! The most important gift I received was Scrabble! :) We played that a lot while we were there. I won a few times! We also worked on a 1000 piece Coca Cola puzzle. It was really hard but I stayed up pretty late and did a lot of it. Walt and my mom finished it after we got back to Utah. My mom made a YUMMY turkey dinner on Christmas day. It was a great Christmas and I'm so happy that we got to go spend it with my mom and Walt. It's always nice to go back "home" to Arizona and be in the sunshine!

My kids had a great Christmas with their daddy and his family. They were spoiled by Santa and the family. I can't wait to see the haul that they got!

serious Scrabble business!

I got my mom this really pretty necklace about mothers and daughters, she loved it. :)

It was sooooo fun walking the dog in DECEMBER! :)

Random!

2010-12-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

My back KILLS. I'm not used to sitting at a desk all day anymore. I can't wait until I can afford to go to a chiropractor again!

I love my job. It's such a great company to work for. I love all my co-workers. I even work with one of my old friends from high school. We have tons of fun at work!

I miss my kids! Jaden and Kaylie are having so much fun with their daddy though. Of course they are eating ALL of their vegetables and good, healthy meals. Those little stinkers! Why won't they do that for me? :)

My new obsession is SCRABBLE! I freaking love that game! Patti got me addicted to it. Every time I go over there, we play and she kicks my ass. We get really into it, cursing at each other, then saying "love you" and giggling and joking around. It's so much fun!!! I've only beat her and Jack one time, and one time only. Hopefully I can beat her soon!!!

July 3, 2011 my sister and I will be in VEGAS!!! Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block concert!!! woooohoooo! We bought our tickets yesterday. We can't wait. It's going to be a good time!

My mom is moving back to Utah!!! Walt and Remi are coming with her, too. :) I am so happy about this. It will be great to have them here! Hopefully it will be early spring that they will be here. yay!

I hate my bangs. I liked them for a few days, but now I'm over it. And even worse, my hair stylist cut them even shorter and made them look sooo weird. She was trying to blend them so I could swoop them to the side, well that didn't work out so well. Ugh. I hope they grow fast. (and no, Nicole I'm not talking about you. You did a fine job with my bangs and I loved them. But then got sick of them. And then some chick messed them up. lol)

My husband is getting married. sniff*sniff* I guess he will have to be my ex-husband now. But I'll wait until he is officially married to divorce him. :) (I'm talking about Nick Lachey, duh!)

Pandora is pretty much the best thing ever. I get to listen to it all day at work on my earphones. LOVE it. I'm all about variety and randomness.

P90x baby! I'm TRYING to start doing it consistently. It's such an awesome set of workouts. I'm going to the Dalton's home every Wednesday in So. Jordan for Fit Club. We do p90x workouts and have yummy shakeology and recovery drinks. Any of you wanna come, let me know!!

I'm going to try to update my blog more. My blog has been boring lately.

Merry Christmas!

I Am

2010-12-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Finish the Sentence... I am....(positive only)

I am a great mother.

I am a positive person.

I am a daughter, sister and mother.

I am an aunt.

I am a good friend.

I am a friendly person.

I am connected.

I am confident.

I am a believer.

I am loving.

I am commited.

I am quick.

I am silly.

I am a music lover.

I am sweet.

I am a good listener.

I am a believer of God.

I am hopeful.

fill in the blank

2010-12-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

{Erin Nicole Photography via weheartit}

1. I wish I had a lot of money and could afford things I want and need for my kids and I.

3. Today I will work, then sleep!!! And then hopefully go to The Rock Church tonight.

4. Tomorrow I will sleep in!!!! and go to church :)

5. Maybe I will stay awake at work today....zzzzzzzzzzz

7. I love my kids!!!!

6. Someday I want to go to Disneyworld with my kiddies.

2. Yesterday I worked and then had a fun time with my friend Patti :)

fill in the blank...

2010-12-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

fill in the blank friday.

{photo from weheartit via this tumblr}

1. Holiday spirit is important and makes me really happy! I don't like when people are "scrooges" during the holidays. It's always fun to find the kid within!

2. The holidays are incomplete without family, Christmas music, Christmas decorations, the Lord.

3. My favorite things to do around the holidays is sing Christmas songs, decorate the treet, eat goodies, take the kids to visit Santa, buy presents!

4. A holiday tradition my family and I have is we used to get a real tree and decorate it together; we'd have Godfather's Pizza on Christmas Eve, drive around and look at Christmas lights in the neighborhoods and go to Temple Square.

5. Holiday music is the best!!! I love it!

6. This year, I'll be spending the holidays in SUNNY Arizona with Jamie, at my mom and step-dad's house. I can't wait!!!!

7. Holiday wish list Play perfume by Givenchy, tall sexy black boots, jeans, Scrabble, jewelry, gift cards so I can buy clothes.

I love my kids

2010-12-09T22:15:00.000-07:00

Gobble Gobble!

2010-11-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

For Thanksgiving this year we went to my brother and sister in law's house. Jaden and Kaylie always have so much fun playing with their cousins. It's a nice break for me since they play the whole time and have someone else to entertain them. :) My sisters and I got to play a fun card game. Crystal made THE yummiest Thanksgiving dinner ever. Thanks so much Crystal! We had a really good time.
I am soooo grateful for my family. We always have fun together. It makes it really nice that Jamie likes to hang out with my family as well. He likes having other men to talk sports with. :)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

favorite things friday

2010-11-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

1. Black Friday is something I WILL get to do someday!

2. Christmas shopping this year will include fun times! I finally will have money for Christmas :)

3. Holiday shopping makes me happy!!! I LOVE buying presents for people. I hate waiting to give it to them.

4. This year my Christmas list will include Play by Givenchy perfume, clothes, Knight & Day, games, the Wii, Dallas Cowboys jacket, jewelry, etc

5. Bargain hunter, or full price shopper? I'm all about bargain shopping!

6. The best and worst things about shopping is it is a lot of fun, good workout; but all my money disappears.

7. Online shopper or in-person shopper? In-person because I'm impatient and hate having to wait for it to ship. :)

HaPPy ThAnKsGiViNg!

2010-11-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

motherhood my kids Jamie home my mom family

Private Practice music Taylor Swift lotion concerts

tanning The Adventure church work love Summer camera friends laughing sleep candy

Diet Coke w/ Lime computer

DVR internet Scrabble

nail polish mascara hugs life

Thanksgiving with friends!

2010-11-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving with our friends last night. Jack and I made a DELICIOUS turkey all by ourselves. We had a TON of food - turkey, Jack's famous mashed potatoes and gravy, salads, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese casserole, yummy bread with sauce, pies, etc. We started talking about what we are all thankful for and decided it is dating sites. Why? Because that is how all of us met. Jamie met Patti on Singlesnet; Patti met Slim Shaney on Singlesnet; Patti met myself and Ben because of Jamie; Matt and Tanya met on Match.com; and of course Jamie and I met on Singlesnet; and that is how we are all linked together.

I am so grateful that we have such great friends and have a blast hanging out together. They really are like a second family to me.

(Patti and Jack have me addicted to Scrabble now - and this time I kicked butt! I won!)

(this was right before Kaylie threw up all over Patti's carpet. Poor girl was sick the rest of the night - so we ended the night early.)

(Jaden was there, but he was too busy playing with his friends.)

Working woman!

2010-11-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

It's official. I am now a working woman! It feels good to be working again and making money. I work at Orbit Medical, it's a medical supply company. I am customer service for oxygen patients. So far I really like the company, the job and the people. It's part time, the hours are perfect. My first day leaving for work Jamie stayed home with the kids. I hugged Jaden goodbye and told him I was going to work. He said to me, "Mommy why do you have to go to work?" and I said, "cuz I gotta make some money for us." then he said, "But I thought Daddy was supposed to work and make money for us?" awwww what a smart little kid. I love him. I hugged him and said, "Well Daddy isn't working right now, so Mommy needs to work." He smiled and said "Oh okay Mommy."

Anyway, I feel great. I love having adult interaction again and getting some time away from the day to day life of motherhood. :)

Fill in the blank Friday

2010-11-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

1. My Thanksgiving plans this year will include Monday we are celebrating with our friends and doing a Thanksgiving dinner of our own :) Thanksgiving day we are going to my brother and sis-in-law's house for some yummy food and football!

2. My favorite Thanksgiving was a couple of years ago my mom and Walt were here and we had Thanksgiving at my house. It was fun times.

3. My signature Thanksgiving dish is it's now going to be the baked mac and cheese casserole. :)

4. My favorite Thanksgiving food is dark, yummy, juicy turkey! and pumpkin pie

5. Thanksgiving free association! turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce in a can...the kind with the lines on it, thankfulness, pumpkin pie.

6. Thansgiving is a great holiday, one of my favorites.

7. I am thankful for being a mom to two adorable kids, Jamie and my family. I am also very thankful for new friendships and old ones, friends I will have forever. My job, my health and happiness.

It's all about the little things

2010-11-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Things I love about my kids...

1. Listening to them sing all day long.

2. Kaylie being my sweetie pie, cuddle bug and bff. She loves to cuddle and take naps with me and rub my back or arms.

3. The way Jaden says froot loops.

4. Anytime I leave the house and do errands without them Jaden always says, "I want something to make me happy while you're gone." Which means I want a treat!

5. Kaylie doing her excited squeal. She gets excited over the littlest things.

6. Whenever they want something like a new toy, they say "When Daddy sends us money I want that," or "Daddy has money, he can buy it."

7. Their adorable smiles and giggles.

GirL's NiGhT OuT!!!

2010-11-15T23:22:00.000-07:00

Friday night was girl's night out with Patti and friends. We went to Thaifoon, a really cool restaurant downtown and then went dancing! We had a good time, but missed our boyfriends a lot! It was nice to get out and have some girl time though! Thanks to my sister for babysitting my babies. :)

"All You Need" by Jaden James :)

2010-11-13T20:27:00.001-07:00

Who in the world wakes up singing? I can tell you who...JADEN! Jaden wakes up singing, literally. Whether he is waking up from a nap or early in the morning at 6 am. The minute he opens his eyes he starts to sing. I think it is the cutest thing ever. He loves to watch the Thomas & Friends videos and listen to the songs. This one is his favorite and usually is the one he is always singing. He knows most of the words to all of his favorite songs. His memory is amazing and so is his voice. :) I am pretty positive he is going to be a singer. I love to hear him sing all day long.

Some of his favorite songs...
Real Gone - Cars theme song
Life is a Highway
all of the Thomas & Friends songs
Jingle Bells
Come on Ride the Train - Quad City DJ's
BINGO
Airplane song (from Barney)

fill in the blank friday

2010-11-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

{image via weheartit}

1. The most spontaneous thing I've ever done was off the top of my head...go to Vegas last minute with my boyfriend at the time. We just got in the car and drove there for the night. It was so fun.

2. The best gift I've ever received was other than the obvious (my kids)...a scrapbook that my mom made me of the first 21 years of my life. I love to look at it and reminisce. :)

3. A time that I was truly and genuinely surprised was when I found out I was pregnant with Kaylie...LOL, Jaden was only 2 1/2 months old...I remember calling Nicole and she thought I was joking.

4. I can't leave the house without my cell phone and chapstick.

5. My favorite day of the week is Thursday because Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice! :) My life is sooo exciting.

6. Something that can always make me laugh is Friends! the TV show

7. My perfect day would include sleeping in, Starbucks frap, play with kids, hang out at the pool, take a nap, gym, watch shows, yummy dinner and stay up late :)

so happy together

2010-11-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

BuNk BeDs!

2010-11-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

Daddy sending money = the kids getting bunk beds!!!

Wednesday morning the kids and I went to a furniture warehouse and found some great bunk beds. They got to test all of them out and thankfully they picked the one I had my eye on. The salesman told me that it would only take about an hour and a half. Hah! I started putting together the pieces that night, which took about two hours. Then Jamie and I finished it up on Friday night and it took us close to 3 hours. Jaden asked a hundred times, "Now can you set up my bunk beds?" "Are the bunk beds done yet?" Jaden and Kaylie were soooo excited. I'm so glad that I took pictures to remember their adorable, ecstatic faces.

Here they are sleeping the first night...

This is definitely going to be one of my favorite pictures forever...

Tonight they were in their own individual beds and stayed up talking for almost an hour. Jamie went in to tell them to go to sleep and Jaden had taken his pillow into Kaylie's bed and laid next to her. I went in and saw that they were laying there and decided why not? If they are going to sleep then they can sleep together. So I gave Jaden his blanket and they talked and giggled for a few more minutes and then fell asleep. I went in a couple hours later and took this picture. :) ♥ Best friends ♥

Fill in the Blanks...all about hair!

2010-11-06T22:11:00.000-06:00

1. My last haircut was in September.

2. My most daring hair moment was when I let Nicole (6 weeks into hair school) completely chop off my long hair to a short hair cut. She did an awesome job...

3. A hairstyle I'd never be brave enough to try is braids. Maybe someday if I go to the Bahamas for a few weeks. I think it'd be soooo fun.

4. I've always dreamt of being a (blonde, brunette or red-head) platinum blonde like Britney...even though I did it back in highschool, I'm not sure I could do it again.

5. My go-to hair do is straight or big pretty curls .

6. My biggest hair disaster was for some reason my hair got cut really really short when I was 6 or 7, like boy short with the poofy bangs. What were you doing to me Mom!? :) .

7. A hairstyle I am dying to try is extensions again...I LOVED having long hair. Just no glue this time :) .

8.  My best hair day was    probably for one of my high school dances.

9.  The worst hairstyle I ever had was the poofy bangs all fluffed up and the crimped hair. hahaha!

10.  My hair is   slowly getting healthier, longer and more lovable :)   .

OuR NeW hOmE

2010-11-02T14:43:00.000-06:00

We are so happy to be in our new home. It is an adorable basement apartment which doesn't feel like we're in the basement. It's big, comfortable and very nice. The owners are really nice people. So far so good! The other night I was mopping my floor and I was smiling. I just love cleaning already clean, new, nice stuff! Jaden will randomly say to me, "Mommy I like our new house" or "I love the shiny, clean floors." :) I can definitely tell a difference with all of us, we are much happier here!

Here are a few pictures I have taken...

HaLLoWeeN

2010-11-02T08:59:00.000-06:00

Halloween weekend for us was allll moving. I didn't end up taking the kids trick or treating which I was okay with because they went to THREE Halloween parties in October.

My sister Megan took the kids to her ward party. They had sooo much fun and got lots of candy.

And she also took them to Melissa's Halloween party. MORE candy. :)

Thanks Megan for being the best aunt ever :) Love you!!!

our story :)

2010-10-26T20:58:00.000-06:00

The past couple of days I've been thinking a lot about how lucky and blessed I am. I am soooo grateful to have Jamie in mine and my kids' lives. He does so much for us and has welcomed us into his life with open arms. I haven't talked about him much on my blog because with any relationship I've blogged about, it's like I jinx myself. Call me superstitious I guess. I figured I better write some things I want to remember.

Jamie and I met *cough-cough* on-line *cough-cough* last summer 2009. I messaged him first because he was hot. :) So we started emailing a little bit, then texting all day 24-7. After a few days he asked me when he would get to hear my voice and talk to me on the phone. Well, for those that know me, know I hate to talk on the phone. He scored major points though because my mom has always said any guy that doesn't talk to you on the phone is a loser. She thinks texting is laziness and that the man isn't interested in you. Well after lots of experience with losers, I couldn't agree with her more! I kind of avoided the question for a few days and then finally said it was okay to call. He called within a minute of me texting him the okay. :) The second I heard his voice I was sucked in. I think he has such a hot voice. He didn't talk all ghetto like some black guys do (you KNOW what I'm talking about). We talked on the phone for a couple of hours that night and then made plans for a date later that week. My brother babysat for my kids and I drove up to Draper to meet him. I didn't want him coming to my house just in case I didn't like him so I offered to meet him half way, even though he offered to come pick me up. (more points for him!) We met in the parking lot of Cafe Rio in Draper. I got in his car and had my sunglasses on and was feeling sooo shy. He looked soooo hot. His smile was amazing. He always tells me at first he didn't think I was into him because I wouldn't look at him. I was so shy. Then we started talking and I got more and more comfortable. I took off my sunglasses and he said he was blown away by my big, pretty eyes. We had an instant connection. We had a little joke that we talked about previously on the phone that I wasn't chicken to make the first move on a guy so he of course brought it up in the car as we were driving to The Pie downtown. (pizza! more points for him!) I totally leaned in and kissed him to make sure he knew I was interested. :) Then after that we were joined at the hip the rest of the date. We had a really good time talking and chatting and kissing at the Pie. After that we drove around the Avenues and talked some more then I had to go home. It was a great night and I left there feeling like he was a keeper. We dated for a few weeks and then I decided I just wasn't ready to be serious with him. I felt like he had way too many girlfriends and was too much of a bachelor for me. So I dumped him and broke his heart. :( We stayed in touch (through text messages) about football and just random catching up here and there. Then in February of this year I went to visit him and saw him for the first time since August. I was going through a lot of things with AJ and couldn't figure out what to do. And he listened to me and let me cry to him and just talked to me like he was my best friend. He gave me some good, unbiased advice and ever since then I was really hooked. I had a couple dates after that with another guy and I just didn't feel the connection and was bored and missed Jamie. So I called Jamie that night on my way home from the date and left him a voice mail (that he still has) saying I wanted to see him and missed him. Blah blah, it was sooo cheesy. But he saved it and he loved it, so that's okay. :) Since March we have been inseparable. He has been my best friend and the best boyfriend ever. We have an incredible connection and I love it. We understand each other, give each other space, and have amazing chemistry. It's awesome and I love it. I'm soo happy that Jamie is in my life. I love you babe!!!

Brindley's 4th Birthday party

2010-10-24T18:21:00.000-06:00

A couple of weekends ago Nicole's daughter Brindley had her 4th birthday/costume party. It was such a fun time! Nicole hosts great parties! The kids all had so much fun. We started off eating yummy pizza and homemade rootbeer. Then the kids painted their own pumpkins. Then the kids all got to hit a Princess castle pinata and got LOTS of candy. Nicole made an amazing Princess Tiana cake/cupcakes. She is so talented at her cake making/decorating. Good job Nicole! =) Jaden and Kaylie are still talking about how much fun they had at Brindley's party. We love you Brindley! Happy Birthday!!!

Brindley was a beautiful Princess Tiana (spray tan and all!!!)

all the cute kiddies in their costumes =)

.....and my BFF Nicole!!!

fill in the blank friday

2010-10-22T16:13:00.000-06:00

{photo by Photos Day! via We Heart It}

1. I am a sweet, friendly person, daughter, mother, sister, friend.

2. I wish that everything didn't cost so much money.

3. I like tanning and working out. :)

4. I can hardly wait to go to Arizona for Christmas!!

5. I hope that I find a good job with the right hours really really soon.

6. I think sometimes I am too hard on myself and my relationships.

7. I was just eating a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.mmmmmmm

Hand, foot and mouth

2010-10-21T21:23:00.000-06:00

Hand, foot and mouth virus...what the heck is that you ask? Only one of the worst things I have ever experienced in my adult life. It is uncommon in adults...but I guess that doesn't include me! Because I got it and it was horrible. It started out as a fever and a really bad sore throat. I felt miserable for two days and then woke up Saturday morning (a few weeks ago) with my hands looking like this. They were sooo swollen and sore. I could hardly move them or use them at all. I went to urgent care not knowing what in the heck was going on with me. The doctor looked at my hands and said, "how's your feet? do they hurt, too?" I paused and thought about it and said, "yes a little..." and then ding ding ding in my head I knew what it was! Nicole's kids had gotten it a couple months prior. She looked in my mouth and saw bumps all over my throat and tongue. Yikes. She had to read up on it a little because she said it was very uncommon in adults. She said I would probably be miserable for a week or so. Thankfully I was only out of commission for two full days and then slowly started getting back to normal. My hands look disgusting now, they are peeling like crazy, and so are my feet. Jamie was Mr. Mom those 3-4 days because I could hardly do anything. He's the best :) And I am so grateful he was there to take care of my kids and I. Boy am I glad I made it through that week!!!

I have a nephew!!!

2010-10-17T21:05:00.000-06:00

My handsome, adorable, cute little nephew, Golden Edward Thomas Jr. was born on September 30, 2010. On Friday, Jamie stayed home with my kids, and I was able to go meet my first nephew. I held him for most of the 3 hours that I was there. He is sooo handsome, has the cutest little head and face. Jaden is no longer the only grandson!

Jaden and Kaylie's first trip to the dentist

2010-10-16T23:05:00.002-06:00

October 6, 2010...first trip to the dentist! They both did awesome. Jaden got to watch the Cars movie on the screen above the chair and Kaylie got to watch Bambi. They had x-rays taken of their teeth and got them all nice and clean. They were happy the whole time. :)

Pumpkin Party

2010-10-15T21:28:00.000-06:00

On Wednesday night the kids and I went with Uncle Ryry and Aunt Meme to pick out some pumpkins! We first piled in the car, Ryan squished in between the kids, and we went to Godfather's Pizza. We got the buffet, Ryan bought, it was good times had by all. :)

Then we went to a little pumpkin patch by our house and picked out pumpkins. Jaden and Kaylie had never done that before so they thought it was pretty fun.

We took them home and decorated them. Megan bought some cute felt decorations and some paint.

We had lots of fun being silly and taking pictures. I was so glad that Ryan and Megan came with us. We had soooo much fun with them. I freakin' love my family so much!!! :)

FiLL iN tHe bLaNk FrIdAy

2010-10-15T21:13:00.000-06:00

1. Blogging is time consuming, but I really do love it and it's nice to have it for memories.

2. A current fashion trend I wish I was brave enough to wear is skinny jeans!!! I want to wear them soo bad. I need to lose a few more pounds and then I think I could pull them off, even though I'm short.

3. My greatest accomplishment in life thus far is being a mother and an awesome one! AND getting my Property & Casualty license. That was a challenging test, and I passed it my first try.

4. If I had to choose between a mountain or a beach vacation I'd choose um this one is easy...BEACH!!!

5. A talent I wish I had is crafting, sewing, all that "mom" stuff :)

6. A talent I do have is singing.

7. This week was a long one!

Private Practice...

2010-10-14T22:54:00.000-06:00

Tonight's episode of Private Practice made me heated! No one stepped up for their dead friend and offered to take care of his daughter who has NO family left. Instead, she went to the child services to be placed into a home until someone wanted to adopt her. I know, I know, it's just a show, but it got me thinking! If I died, would any of my friends take Jaden and Kaylie if they didn't have any family left??? I sure hope so! I can't even imagine that happening and I really hope it doesn't. Man, being a parent is tough! Another thing to worry about...

fill in the blank sunday!

2010-10-10T21:24:00.000-06:00

1. The first thing I do in the morning to start my day is...Starbucks is the best way to start my day, although it's not everyday. Tall Strawberries & creme Frap, no whip, 2% milk, add a shot.

2. Today I wish I was not covered with bumps on my hands, feet and throat!

3. If I had an extra $100 in my bank account today I'd buy a new pair of jeans from Express.

4. Tomorrow we will be looking for a new place to live. yay!

5. Two things that don't go together are rainy, cold days and hyper kids wanting to play outside.

6. Something I can never pass up at the grocery store is a really good sale on cosmetics or cleaning products.

7. The last time I tried something new was at Jack and Patti's party Friday night, the "LoLo" shot...it wasn't good but I was honored to have a shot named after me. :)

Thankful Thursday

2010-10-07T19:50:00.001-06:00

Things I am thankful for today...

Grey's Anatomy AND Private Practice. I love those shows. If you haven't ever watched them, I recommend both.

K-Love Christian radio station. I love the music they play!

Patti Berry. I LOVE this girl. We have so much fun together. She is a great friend, mom, and counselor. :)

The new mascara I discovered. It's my favorite since my old kind got discontinued a few years ago.

My sister Megan for always helping with my kids and being sooooo good to them. They love going to Meme's house.

And most importantly, I am thankful for my kids, the two cutest kids ever!!! :)

Gardner Village

2010-10-07T13:54:00.000-06:00

Who would've thought?

2010-10-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

Who would've thought that I would look forward to Sundays? Growing up, Sunday was one of my least favorite days. I didn't like sitting through 3 hours of church, especially when it was at 9 am. Most of you know that I was raised LDS and most of my family and friends are LDS and I am not at all disrespecting their beliefs or religion. I just truly feel that it is not for me. The past couple of months I have been going to a Christian church called The Adventure. The first half hour is Worship which is all music and praising God. The last hour or so we listen to the pastor speak, pray and motivate us. Worship is AMAZING! The songs are all beautiful and powerful and I feel the spirit like I've never felt before. It's so great to feel His unconditional love for me. It's not conditional by any means, it's not something that I receive after I've met up to someone's expectations, it's unconditional. I am so grateful that my good friend Gentry (whom I've known since Kindergarten) invited me to The Adventure.

I look forward to Sunday every week! Jaden and Kaylie love it, too. Seeing them raise their hands up during Worship is such a neat thing, brings tears to my eyes every time. They smile, dance, clap, hold hands and sing along. Today after church I said to Jaden that going to church makes mommy really happy and that I'm glad he came with me. And he said to me, "It makes me really happy, too Mommy." :) It melted my heart.

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a HOPE.
In those days when you pray, I will listen.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me."
Jeremiah 29:11-13

fake friends

2010-09-28T23:09:00.000-06:00

You just have to learn to forget about the people that forgot about you

Tonight I googled "fake friends" and that is one of the quotes I found. Less than a year ago I became "friends" with some great girls. Looking back, I realized they were only my friends. I wasn't considered their friend. They didn't truly care about me or my children. I did a lot for them and their families. I never noticed it was all one-sided. My problem is is that I believe in people too much and want to be loved like that in return. I guess I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm tired of being the friend that is convenient for someone to have around and easy to kick to the curb.

I am thankful for the true friends that I do have in my life. The friends that support me and love me through all of my strengths and weaknesses. You know who you are.

West Jordan park

2010-09-28T20:10:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Matt, we discovered a new park the kids can play at. They absolutely love it. I am pretty sure it's the best park I've ever seen. It has so many things to play on and with. Here are some fun pictures I took when we went there a few days ago.

September 2010 pictures

2010-09-26T21:25:00.000-06:00

Our good friend Matt is a photographer and was sweet enough to take my kids' pictures. He did an awesome job! We had so much fun at the West Jordan park where he took them at. Thanks a bunch Matt!

fill in the blank friday

2010-09-24T11:23:00.000-06:00

1. In the story of my life the actor who would play me would be Sandra Bullock...I just love her.

2. If I could change one thing about the world it would be no crazy child molestors or abusers .

3. Yesterday was a good day! My good friend Matt took my kids' pictures at the park and they turned out amazing. Then Jamie and I took the kids to Yogurtland and got a yummy treat .

4. My favorite comfort food is homemade bread .

5. My new favorite blog find is I don't really have a favorite, just all my friends and family on my list.

6. If I could meet any blog friend (who I haven't met yet) in real life, I'd choose to meet Bridget! We have a lot in common and we both LOVE Big Brother :) .

7. My favorite breakfast food is homemade waffles or scrambled eggs .

Jaden and Kaylie =)

2010-09-20T00:11:00.001-06:00

It is sooo nice to have Jaden and Kaylie back with me. They've been with their daddy so much this summer, it's nice to get back into a routine! Jamie and I made the long drive out to San Jose to pick them up last week.

Jamie waited at the hotel while I went and picked them up from AJ's house. They didn't know I was coming because when I knocked on the door I heard them say "
who's at the door?" When they opened it, Kaylie's face was PRICELESS...she put both hands on her cheeks and said, "Mommy!" in her sweet, soft voice. It melted my heart! Jaden got a huge smile on his face and they both started saying "mommy! mommy!" They were so excited to come back home with us, but also sad to say goodbye to Daddy. That night we stayed in a really gross, ghetto hotel. The first room we got in was NOT clean at all, we had to ask for another one. The next one was decent, but we learned our lesson, never stay in a cheap hotel again!
Since we've been back home we have done a lot of fun things. We took the kids to the park and they rode their bikes around everywhere. Jaden is such a good bike rider! He doesn't even cry when he falls down, he just gets up and says, "ca-chow!" (just like Lightning McQueen.)

We took them to see the movie Shrek 3 on Wednesday night. Jamie and the kids ate a bunch of popcorn and we had a great time.

We went to the zoo on Thursday. We had a lot of fun! The kids loved the train ride and the carousel. They also loved the little ancient room where they got to play drums, and hear a nice lady read them a story about a crocodile and a monkey. It was really cute to watch them be so fascinated with the story.

I am so in love with my children! They are the best! I love hearing the cute things they say and watching them grow and learn.

Jaden is my smart, sweet, sensitive, happy, energetic boy. He's my little energizer bunny. He keeps going and going and going. :) He starts his day bright and early, as soon as the "sun is awake." He is full of questions and wants to know everything. He also still remembers everything. His little brain is full of information and memories. I am just in awe of the things he remembers and talks about. He is sooo smart. He is extremely sensitive, which is okay with me. I love that he is my sweet boy. :) When I have to discipline him, I can't really yell or raise my voice because he will just cry and cry. I have to be very careful how I discipline him. (Kaylie, on the other hand, I can yell at her and it hardly phases her.) Lol :)
His favorite things lately are...cars of course! Thomas the train, any trains, riding his bike, licorice, books, coloring or painting and singing. His favorite tv shows are Kick Buttowski, Dora, Toot and Puddle, Team Umizoomi and Little Einsteins.

Kaylie is my sweet, sassy, feisty, pretty, helper, little princess. :) She goes around the house DAILY, spinning in her dress saying "I am PRINCESS!" She loves to help me and do anything and everything I'm doing, even repeating what I say to Jaden if he is in trouble. It's pretty cute. She is still full of attitude. :) She hates being restricted from anything. Most of the time I change her clothes or pull up she throws a little tantrum. If I ask her to do something she doesn't want to do, bring on the tantrum. :) Oh my little Kiki, I love her! When she isn't in a diva mood, she is soooo sweet and cuddly. She LOVES to cuddle, hug and kiss. I take naps with her in her bed and she loves to hold my hand as we fall asleep. It's my favorite thing for sure.
Her favorite things lately are...Dora, Dora, Dora. :) Barbies, ponies, mommy's stuff, singing, dress-up, books, coloring, pillows, and binkies. Both of the kids LOVE to sing and will break out in song many times, day or night. Their favorite songs to sing are "Real Gone" which is the Cars theme song, and "Life is a Highway" and also Katy Perry's "California Gurls." I love it. I love when they sing.

I just love my kids! Thanks for reading :)

fill in the blank friday

2010-09-18T01:06:00.000-06:00

1. When I get a day to myself I like to sleep in, go tanning, watch tv, go to the gym, and just relax :)

2. High school was...an interesting time in my life. I had some very good times, but very miserable times as well. The best thing was I had two great boyfriends (at different times obviously) to keep a smile on my face.

3. A little dream I have is swim with a dolphin.

4. A big dream I have is to be Britney Spears' hairstylist! ha! j/k, well I'm actually serious, but really I do want to be a cosmetologist soooo bad.

5. If I could drive any car my pick would be BMW please :) or a yellow jeep wrangler

6. A time that I felt really and truly beautiful anytime I go out on the town with Jamie and the way he looks at me and smiles and tells me how great I look.

7. Tomorrow I will...be watching the BYU game, hanging out with the kiddies and enjoying the warm weather while it lasts.

fill in the blank friday

2010-09-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

1. The strangest thing I've ever eaten is gumbo...ew

2. I wouldn't be caught dead not wearing a bra in public.

3. When I am 75 I will hopefully have lots of grandkids, kids, and be sitting in my rocking chair next to Jamie :)

4. If I had to be named after a place I would want to be named ummm let's go with Monica, Santa Monica beach, lol.

5. My name is Lauren...named after...no one, my mom just liked the name. Who wouldn't though? hehehe j/k :)

6. My all time favorite photo is...that is way too hard since I am a picture-taking freak! The one of me holding Jaden for the very first time in the hospital is probably the most meaningful. The day I became a mommy! And my future favorite photo will be my wedding day! (whenever that is!)

7. If I could afford it I would buy a house with a big apartment/mother-in-law home in the backyard for my mom and Walt and Remi. Then I would buy a brand new car that won't break down on me! Then I would take Jamie and the kiddies to Disneyworld. :) Then go to a Dallas Cowboys football game!

my birthday week in Arizona!

2010-09-08T00:45:00.000-06:00

Jamie spoiled me rotten for my 26th birthday which was on August 20th. He took Kaylie and I (Jaden was in Cali with Daddy) to Arizona to visit my mom and Walt. We stayed for the whole week before my birthday. He kept saying "it's your birthday week, so whatever you wanna do." :) Unfortunately, my camera broke the day before we left, so the first day we got there he surprised me...took me to Best Buy and let me pick out a camera.

My mom watched Kaylie for the weekend and we got a hotel down in Scottsdale and had a fun night out. We went to Fashion Square which is the best mall ever. Jamie got some HOT new jeans and then we went to dinner at a really yummy, nice pizza restaurant called Grimaldi's. We then went out on the town in Old Towne Scottsdale. We went to a few different clubs and had a great time dancing. We woke up and soaked up the sun at the swimming pool and relaxed for the day. I absolutely LOVED laying in the comfy bed with all the white, fluffy pillows.

Kaylie had a lot of fun with Grandma and Grandpa. She isn't too fond of dogs lately so she spent most of the time on the couch avoiding Remi. But I think my mom didn't mind. :) We took her to the splash park one day and she had a lot of fun.

She is such a little sweetie pie and full of personality. She loves to cuddle, including with Jamie. :)

We all went to Claim Jumper for my early birthday dinner. We had lots of yummy food and a free red velvet cupcake mmmmm.

One of the highlights of our trip was we got to see my good friend Colby. He is my gay friend and one of the coolest, sweetest, funnest guys I know. I love him tons! He drove us around in his fancy, new, silver Acura TL and we went to this restaurant called Fez. It was the coolest restaurant I have ever been. It was so funky and stylish and had delicious food. Jamie got some lamb chops with pesto sauce that were so good. I got a pesto green pasta and a martini with Colby. The three of us had a great time together, lots of laughing and catching up. Love you Colby!!!

The last day we were there we went over to my friend Camille's in-law's to go swimming. It was a ton of fun. I'm bummed I didn't get any pictures, but we had a great time. Camille's little girl is the cutest ever and Kaylie had fun having a friend to play with.

Kaylie and I went and had some girl time and met up with a good friend of mine, Erin. We worked together at Liberty Mutual and have stayed in touch since then. She is always so fun to chat with and is so supportive of everything I do. And she just LOVED meeting Kaylie and seeing how cute she is.

The night before we left we went to a Diamondbacks vs. Reds baseball game. It was Jamie's first time at an MLB game so it was a fun time! Unfortunately the D-backs lost, but we still had a good ole time.

We had such a blast there in Arizona, it's a bummer it had to end. I love it there and will always consider it home. As much as I want my mom to live here, its nice to have another place to call home. My mom and Walt are soooo good at making us feel welcome and I really appreciate that. Hopefully we will be back for Christmas!!! :)

Thank you Jamie for the best birthday week ever. I love you tons!