The Cardonas

Diva? Me?

2010-08-08T20:00:00.004-04:00

Went to a home jewelry party and guess who was named the biggest diva? Oh yeah It was me! I won this lavender scarf! So perfect! I love it!

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..........

2010-08-06T13:09:00.003-04:00

Little Trees.
Xavier hating the back float with Ms. Noelle!
Bella doing the back float with Ms. Noelle
The Superman glide! Xavier's favorite!
Bella jumping into the water! (this used to scare her!)

For the last 2 weeks the kids have been going to swimming lessons every day for a half hour each day! They LOVE it! It has been so much fun to watch them turn into little swimmers and all their fears about big deep waters float away! So glad that Grandpa has the hook ups every time we visit Idaho!! So proud of my little fish!

Soccer

2010-06-24T12:27:00.002-04:00

Waiting for some instruction!
Stretches.
Bella on the move!
Working it out!

Bella played soccer this season and it was THE BEST thing to watch in all the world! Of course it wasn't because the skill level was great, not even close. No it was the best because Bella has never been so happy as when she was out on the field playing. Her excitement and happiness can not even been put into words and if you missed it this year find us in the fall! I wish she could play every day just so I could get her in that state each day! Maybe I'm a gushing Mom but it was a joy that everyone should experience in their life times at least once! I love my Girl! Go Green #4!!

Tee Ball

2010-06-09T11:02:00.004-04:00

First game of the season crowd! RiLee. Xavier. Pedro. Cyndi. Joanne. Jenn. Juliet. Brett. Bella. Mary
Waving to his Mom!
Running to second!
Batter up1
This year Xavier started Tee Ball. He had 2 games a week and a Saturday practice. So we kept pretty busy with it! He loved to be the "pitcher" and play in the outfield. Batting of course was his favorite! I'm so glad he was able to be apart of a team and learn the basics of Baseball. And seriously he look so cute!!

Memorial Day Weekend Fun!

2010-06-06T17:12:00.007-04:00

Our hostess with the mostest!! JENN!!!
Nila the intern does not want to play our games!
RiLee with the catch!
Sam and I drive for the football!Crazy wet hair!
Kristi threw the football for us!
Shandis and Kristi
RiLee!!!
THE LAKE
Joanne loves the sun!!Soaking up the sun!
Reading my trashy magazine. The Twilight issue!!
Kristi and Sam
Miranda and I under her huge new umbrella!
Me and Kristi being US!!

We spent the weekend at Jenn's lake and pool! It was way too much fun! I am so blessed to have the world's best friends and know no matter what we do we will always have the time of our lives!!

If you want to reach me........

2010-05-10T14:13:00.003-04:00

This is where you'll find me! (just as soon as the weather gets back to beautiful)

Happy Mother's Day to me and to you!

2010-05-09T17:23:00.004-04:00

My new necklace

Purple flowers!!
Kisses from Bella
Kisses from Xavier
his gifts!
These are the two that call me MOM!
Xavier and Bella can't get any cuter!!

How can I not be the happiest gal in the whole world? Wouldn't you be if you had these two calling you Mom everyday!? The kids with a little help from their Dad got me flowers and a card! Xavier bought me a necklace at school that says #1 Mom. We went to church and spent the rest of the day snuggling cause it's so cold! My BFF RiLee came by and gave me the world's greatest Mother award which includes lunch and a mani/pedi! I'm the luckiest Mom around!! Happy Mother's Day to all of you! muah!

Couldn't be happier!

2010-05-06T21:21:00.005-04:00

Bella found a watering can and watered all the flowers!
Maybe she can get a JOB!
Elephant watering cans!
The cutest picture of Miranda ever!!
All the plants and flowers Miranda bought!
So cute!

I have never seen Miranda and Bella so simultaneously happy! Bella and I took Miranda to her annual trip to the flower and plant shop! They were both totally in their element! It was the best! Thanks to Miranda for bringing us along!!

32 and holding!

2010-04-29T16:08:00.003-04:00

Joanne Tracy and Miranda
Happy Birthday to me!! Kisses from Carlos and Jorge!
Birthday cake!!!
RiLee Jorge Shandis Carlos and Jenn

Is it just me or does 32 seem so much older then 31?? I mean I don't feel older in fact quite the opposite! But 32 it just seems wow!! Anyway we spent my birthday at a piano bar singing and dancing the night away to dueling pianos! So much fun!!

Christmas in Idaho

2010-04-29T15:59:00.003-04:00

What is a trip to Idaho if we don't take over some unsuspecting local establishment and make it ours for the night! We did just that!
Bella and Xavier in their Christmas jammies.
My family!

The kids and I spent Christmas in Idaho! We always have a fabulous time with the family and this year was no different. The kids spent lots of time playing the Wii with their cousins and I just hung out with the Haskell crew. Can't get enough of them!! It was our first Christmas with out Mom so it was a little different getting used to but of course we know the plan so that helps!

It's official

2010-04-29T15:57:00.001-04:00

My divorce was final the first part of December so I am officially single and dating! Yikes! So far it has been fun and exciting and there have been lots of men that have come to call! No complaints here! I'm obviously in no rush to get serious so dinners and ice cream and movies has been perfect for me! if you have any hot single friends in my area send them my way! :)

Please forgive me!

2010-04-29T15:43:00.002-04:00

I'm back! I have seriously neglected my blog and I am promising to not let it fall so far ever again! A lot has happened in the last few months and I have so many fun things to blog about so I will try to catch you all as much as possible with out going overboard!

Eugene's 70th Birthday Bash!!

2009-10-31T23:56:00.005-04:00

Me and Darnell. She looked perfect!
We are family! I've got all my sisters with me!
Me and my niece Addi
Me and Kristin
David torturing Aaron and I, nothing new there!
Me and the guest of honor!
Aaron as fat Elvis and Me
Me and Grant
Me and Stewart
Me Heather and Justin
I got to spend 6 fabulous days in Boise to celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday. As you can see it was a 70's themed surprise birthday party! We had so much fun dressing us and surprising Dad! We had a great turn out and most everyone was dressed in their 70's best! I was so glad that I got to be there with all my brothers and sisters. I love my family sooo much!!

Apple Picking!!

2009-09-27T15:17:00.011-04:00

Up a tree.
Bella and I in the tree

Me and Maegan
RiLee practicing her circus stunts.
Bella and Xavier love apple picking
Xavier and Joanne
B.S.X. in the orchard
Xavier and the apple picker
Me and my bestie RiLee
Joanne and Maegan
yucky red delicious apple
Bella in the field
Bella chomping on an apple
My family
Me and Maegs in the apple tree
So funny!
Bella tries tree climbing
Mary Ann Shandis Joanne RiLee

So as you all know the Cardonas and the crew go apple picking every year! It has become one of our favorite family traditions! This year was amazing as usual! The weather was beautiful, the apples delicious and the company was unbeatable! I know there are a ton of pictures but we just had so much fun I couldn't leave them out! I know there are tons of me being cheesy but what can I say? An apple orchard is a perfect canvas for my cheesiness! Plus Maegan loves to take pictures. Who am I to stop her??

Kindergarten

2009-09-18T10:10:00.002-04:00

Ready for his first day!

Waving goodbye for the next 7 HOURS!!!!!

Mommy holding on really tight!

His new School!

He's got his backpack and he is ready to roll!

So I realize I am a little late with this post but better late than never! Xavier started FULL DAY kindergarten last Wednesday. He is gone for 7 hours! Crazy!! It has been a bit of an adjustment for me and Bella. Xavier is as happy as can be! He seems to love his class and his teacher and has a new friend named Valarie! Let it begin!

Dance Dance Dance

2009-08-05T10:39:00.002-04:00

This past weekend Pedro had the kids so I decided it was time to go dancing! I hadn't been in forever and I really do like to dance. Let's not confuse that with me actually being good cause well it's not even close to the same thing! It was just a whole lot of fun! Lexie and I were the only ones dancing for about the first hour but if you know me at all you know I didn't care! We had such a blast and I want to do it again sooner than later! So if your up for it hit me up!! We'll totally go!

My Man

2009-08-04T13:22:00.002-04:00

I didn't feel right about posting all about Bella and her hair and having nothing to say about Xavier so here it is. I love this cool dude! Almost everyone I know wants to dress up a little girl or have a girl to put the cute dresses on and all that but me I love turning Xavier into the "Stake Hottie" each and every week! You can't tell by this picture but his shirt is white and blue pin stripes with skull and cross bones on it. He has a diamond studded X belt buckle on and you also can't see him rockin' camo flip flops! I just love getting him dressed up and he doesn't seem to mind it for now so I'm going to keep on doing it! The best part of it all is that he totally fits the part with his brown skin brown eyes and lashes to die for! he's going to be a heart breaker for sure!!

Divorce

2009-07-31T11:05:00.003-04:00

I know that blogs are full of happiness and rainbows and butterflies but sometimes life is just not that way. I have been blogging for a while and have been letting you all into my life for all this time and just can't seem to leave this post out as it is completely on my mind and is my life right now. Pedro and I have started our paper work to make our divorce finale. We have been separated for 2 1/2 years so we knew this was coming and it has not been a fight at all. I am grateful for that. It does seem pretty surreal however. I guess I never thought in a million years I would get a divorce. I never wanted to be that girl. I guess no one ever does. I'm grateful to be in a good place with Pedro. We are not friend friends right now but I know that with time we will be. We don't fight and we don't hate each other and I most definitely see this as a blessing. We do have 2 great kids that need the both of us and it is our job to work together to raise them right whether we are together or apart. Pedro has been carrying the financial burden all this time and will continue to until Bella is in school. I can't be more grateful for that. He has allowed me to stay home with my babies and raise them just as I had always wanted to! He could give me no greater gift! I have indeed been blessed! I also know that I am ready to be divorced. I have gone through these past 2 1/2 years being perfectly content with being at home with the kids and hanging with my friends and also taking the time to get myself straight and in a better place spiritually, physically, and mentally. I know I needed this time to myself to grow and rediscover who I am and what I want out of this life. My emotions have mellowed out a lot in this time, maybe that's just me getting older. I have also started to feel that pull to move on and for sure want to be loved again. I have never noticed all the people that are in love around me so much as I have in the past 2 months. Strangers really holding hands as they walk on the beach, couples in the temple or the church pews with their arms around each other and even people on dates at the movies. I'm pretty sure this is the universe talking to me saying I need to get on with my life and open myself up again and fall in love. Is it possible? I don't know but I don't really like the alternative either! So with a divorce date in the near future I am sad that I have lost a love that will never end but also never be back. I am happy that I will be able to move on. So bottom line I feel these two strong emotions that are complete opposite one from another and I guess that's what inspired me to write this down!

Bella's blow out!!

2009-07-27T09:55:00.003-04:00

This weekend I decided to straighten Bella's hair. I thought it was going to be a major project, she does have a lot of hair and it's super long and super thick and super curly. She is the Diva so I was afraid she was going to freak on me, but she didn't! It wasn't bad at all! We started Saturday night after the bath by me blowing her hair dry with the low dryer and brush and it got pretty straight! Then on Sunday morning before church I used a straightening iron to really get it straight. It turned out so nice and was so long and she was pretty in love with her hair! I may do it again in the near future!

These are Saturday night pictures and it's pretty straight right?

Look at this girl. Could she be any cuter, sweeter, prettier? I think not! I am really in love!

The Birthday Bash!!

2009-07-21T08:59:00.004-04:00

Party People!

Xavier and Bella blow out their candles.

Bella opening her presents very carefully.

Lexie and Xavier.

Bella and Xavier.

Wes in my sun hat!

Xavier splashing in the water.

Bella and the kick board, her new favorite thing!!

Jenn, Joanne, Wes and I soakin' up the sun!

The party place.

So this is the last post about the kid's birthday's I promise! When you have two birthdays 3 days apart it gets a little crazy! We celebrated the kids birthdays together at the lake. We did it last year and am going to do a repeat as many years as the kids will allow it! The lake is the perfect spot for the party! You really don't have to do any entertaining cause the sand and water and the playground do all the work for you! As you can see I had plenty of time to relax and sun tan! What a perfect day! Thanks to everyone for coming and partying with us and for all the gifts! We had a great time and can't wait to do it all oer again next year!!

Happy 4th Birthday Isabella

2009-07-19T18:52:00.004-04:00

Bella and her girlie Lego set.

She loved the clothes Grandpa got her.

Princess Belle Barbie.

Princess Cinderella

Party stuff.

Bella's mini cake.

Bella is 4!! I can not believe it!! She is already a handful at just 4. The things that come out of her mouth are so divaish already I am terrified for her to hit her teens! She is also the most loving girl that ever lived! She likes to cuddle and help in any way that she can. I don't know what I did to deserve not one but two amazing children! I am thanking my lucky stars for them for sure!! Bella was priceless opening her gifts. She would unwrap them and the say "Oh it's so beautiful" "This is the best present I've never seen before" Then she would pose for a picture and put it down gently and move on to the next gift that was just as beautiful and amazing! She is such a joy to watch! She is a big girl now! Happy Birthday Bella, I love you!!!

I love to see the Temple

2009-07-15T12:20:00.003-04:00

As you all know I was recently endowed at the end of April, I keep saying recently and I still think that I still qualify, right? Anyway I usually try to get to the temple twice a month. And I usually go on Saturday mornings when Pedro has the kids or when someone can babysit. Well as you all know summer is crazy and my Saturdays are booked for the entire month of July. So I had to get creative with my temple attendance. By creative I mean not going on a Saturday. So I worked it out and went last night. I just wanted to share my story cause it made me think a little. I walked down the block and jumped on a train to Manhattan. On the train I read my Sheri Dew book. When I got off the train I turned my ipod on and cranked church music while I rode the subway and walked the couple of blocks to the temple. As I walked along Broadway listening to I know that my Redeemer lives I couldn't help but think how crazy it was to get on a train and a subway to get to the temple. I brought my book and I brought my ipod so I could try to prepare to enter the house of the Lord. Then I saw the Angel Moroni peaking out between the buildings and the smokers, cabs, and hoochie mamas on the street kind of just fell away and as I walked into the temple I wondered if I really needed to bring my Sheri Dew book or blast I know that my redeemer lives, cause upon entering the silence was thick and the spirit was strong and I couldn't think of a better place to be. After my session I stepped back into the world and caught a cab to Penn Station. I guess it just seemed a little odd to me to take all these trains and cabs and subways to go to the temple when I usually just drive. But when you live in New Jersey it's pretty easy and pretty normal even if you are going to the temple. Bottom line it doesn't matter how you get there and it may not even matter if you have the spirit with you when you walk in the door. It only matters that you do go and that you know no matter what the spirit will always be in His house, even in downtown Manhattan.

Happy 5th Birthday Xavier!!

2009-07-13T10:03:00.004-04:00

Me and the birthday boy!

His dinner of choice, Capt'n crunch!

Presents

He's way excited here!

His mini cake.

Xavier is 5. It seems as though I'm not old enough to have a five year old. Yet here I am celebrating 5 years with him. Even though he has been going to pre school for the past 2 years there is something different about sending him this year to Kindergarten! It seems like he is so big and so old and needs me less and less! Xavier is an exceptional kid. He is so smart that it kind of freaks me out! He has an unbelievable memory that also freaks me and his teacher out! If he hears or see something 2 or 3 times it sticks! He is always saying the funniest things and saying the sweetest prayers. There is never a dull moment with him! He is a great big brother to Bella. Even though they wrestle and fight he is ever protective of her around other people and sometimes even me if she's getting in trouble! The last five years has flown by and I know the next will be a bigger whirl wind! I just fell so lucky and so blessed to have Xavier and his spirit in our home and to learn and grown from! I love you Xavier!!

Testimony

2009-07-06T09:52:00.002-04:00

Yesterday at church was fast and testimony meeting, as most of you know. In our ward a lot of kids got up to bare theirs. Xavier of course was paying attention even though he is playing and you think there is no way he's paying attention! This is a gift I swear! Anyway he decided that it was his turn to talk. Bella was asleep on my lap so I didn't really want him to go up but you can't just say no! So I asked him what he was going to say and he gave me this whole schpeel about Jesus and families being together forever and all kinds of stuff. So I thought OK he's got it. So I told him if he wanted to go up then he needed to go sit on the stand and wait his turn. I really didn't think he would go alone but up he got and sat on the stand and waited his turn! When it was his turn he got up there and a woman from our ward was trying to help him but she is Spanish with a thick accent and he couldn't understand her. So with Bella asleep in my arms I went up and helped him with his testimony. I am glad that he wanted to do it. I am glad that he isn't afraid to stand in front of all those people. I'm glad he knows enough about the gospel that he can share it. I'm glad that the spirit can touch everyone. I'm proud of my little boy and the testimony that he is building.

New Bedford Mass

2009-06-20T11:02:00.006-04:00

Bella building a sand volcano.

Eugene taking a nap on the beach.

Xavier making tunnels and mazes for his speed boat.

Loving the water

A little break

Me and X man

The fish market

Picking our lobsters

Xavier playing with his food

These things are huge!

Ready to eat.

So the kids and I loaded up the car and took a road trip to New Bedford Massachusetts. My Dad was there helping his best friend get his mother's house ready to sell. There was no way Eugene was going to be 4 hours away and we didn't go for a visit. We had one beautiful day so we spent it at the beach! I couldn't ask for anything better! The water was warmer than I expected and the kids were having the most fun! The beach is so relaxing I seriously think I need to live near the water! New Bedford is a huge fishing community, in three nights we had scallops, blue fish, shrimp, cod, lobster, and steamers for dinner! So yummy so fresh! It was nice to just be with my Dad and get out of Jersey and see someplace new! That's what summer is all about right?

Pre-K Graduation

2009-06-15T20:25:00.004-04:00

A gift for his teachers.

Singing in the graduation program with his class.

One proud Mommy.

Graduation treats I made.

Xavier and his teachers Ms. Karen Ms. Dixon Ms. Powers Mrs. C

Our graduate!!

Today was Pre-K graduation! It was so fun and Xavier was so excited to see us when we got there! They had been practicing their program and he was ready to perform! It was so cute and how adorable is he in this cap? After the program his teacher gave him a certificate saying he was moving on to kindergarten and he started crying and was saying how he didn't want to leave her and he wanted to stay in her class. It was so sweet! he has come so far in this Pre-K and we will miss his teachers so much as they have been with him for the past 2 years! We are of course looking forward to full day kindergarten and all that that entails! My baby is growing up!! Boo hoo!

Bran flakes, really?

2009-06-01T17:03:00.002-04:00

What kind of four year old makes his Mom take all the raisins (the best part of the cereal) out of the raisin bran cereal? So he can eat just the bran flakes.

This four year old! Crazy!!

Palmyra and Niagara Falls

2009-05-25T23:15:00.005-04:00

When my Dad was here we took a little road trip to Palmyra NY and Niagara Falls. I know this post is a little late but I still wanted to get it out there!

The falls
Bella and I at mynigra falls as she would say
Xavier and Grandpa trying to stay dry with little success!
Looking out over the falls
Bella and Xavier in the sacred grove
The site of the first published Book of Mormon.
B & X at the temple
Us at the Palmyra Temple
Bella and Xavier at the Hill Cumorah
My family in the sacred grove.

I'm so glad that we were able to take this trip as a family and visit the temple and other church historical sites. I am also glad that the kids get to make memories with their Grandpa. We have had a lot of adventures with him already this year and it will only get better!!

Hello Cupcake!

2009-05-21T08:59:00.003-04:00

I borrowed the book Hello Cupcake! from a friend and there are so many cute cupcake ideas! Some are way out of my league and just plain overwhelming to think about making let alone actually making them! So I made these for my friends birthday cause she is way into gardening and healthy junk! They turned out great so I thought I'd post their pure cuteness!

Addi and......

2009-05-15T10:45:00.002-04:00

So you all know me. I'm not shy about well, anything. Apparently not everyone is like that. Say my Niece Addi. While in the city I was forcing her to take pictures with everyone. She was so mortified by all of it and I was simply loving it! I could not however get her to take a picture with the naked cowboy, a fixture in times square. What could be better for my Idaho cowgirl niece than a cowboy!? I guess the naked part freaked her out a bit! Of course it didn't spook me so here we are!
Yeah he's touching my butt.

Addi and the empire state building workers. They all had to wear these outfits!

Addi and our train conductor.

Addi and our new Egyptian friend selling Addi her first pretzel from the cart!

Addi and New York's finest.

Addi and the police horse, of course!

Addi and the FAO Schwartz solider.

NYC

2009-05-12T21:17:00.003-04:00

So we spent a few days in the city. How can you not? We took one day to do all the touristy stuff then the next we went to The Statue of liberty and Ellis Island. Her trip would not have been complete with out a trip to Broadway to see none other than The Little Mermaid! More excitement on my part for sure!! I love going to the city with people who have never seen it before. There is something magical about the city and you can't help but get caught up in it's energy. When people come to visit is always so much fun to go see the sites and do the things that I otherwise take for granted. Am I convincing anyone to come for a visit???

Me Jenn and RiLee at the show.

Addi and I in front of the stage.

We ate at Bubba Gumps before the show. the food was AMAZING!!!! Try the Malibu mahi mahi. Such a fun place.

Addi at her first Broadway show! During intermission I spotted a celebrity.....Kevin Jonas! I knew it was a Jonas brother but clearly had no idea which one. I pointed him out to everyone and it was fun to see someone famous. He was only sitting 4 rows in front of us so I was going to take a picture of him since I now knew where he was sitting. Well when he left I reached for my camera and his body guard was standing next to me giving me the death stare. So no pics sorry! But Addi was a little star struck and had a hard time concentrating on the second half of the play!

Dad with NYC back drop.

I can not help but take a picture like this whenever I see these binocular things!

Addi's first taste of NYC shopping. 5 dollar jewelry......heaven!

Times square!

At the top of the Empire state building looking out to Jersey.

The Big piano. You can't go to the city with out seeing this and FAO Schwartz.

Rockefeller Center.

The Jersey Shore

2009-05-11T15:53:00.005-04:00

Me and RiLee in the cold cold water.

Addi and Bella.

Eugene being a little dramatic with the breeze! Senior citizens!

Addi and some kind of crab. This was the start of many pictures I made her take with East coast strangers!

Addi digging a hole with hopes to put Bell in it! Good Luck!

My babies.

Me and Addi at the Jersey shore!

My niece Addi came to visit so I had to show her the shore. The weather was amazing while she was here so it was perfect! My Dad had never been to the shore either so we made a lunch and hit the road. It was beautiful when we got there. The water was absolutely freezing but we had fun looking for shells and digging in the sand.

My Temple trip

2009-05-11T15:34:00.002-04:00

Me and My Dad

The gang. Marci.Dad.Lexie.Me.Nikki.Jenn.Tisha.Rob is behind the camera and Joanne. Brett. and Sarah left before pictures!

The Temple is right in the middle of Lincoln center. Right in the heart of Manhattan. I just love that you can see the cab creeping in this shot. That is truly how it is, the hustle and bustle of NYC and in it's midst the house of the Lord. While it is not a great temple for taking pictures in front of or anything like that it is an amazingly beautiful place and surprisingly quiet!

Tisha the escort

The Manhattan temple.

So the last few weeks have been a whirl wind of fun so I'm finally getting a chance to blog what's been going on in my world! First things first I went to the temple and received my endowment! I was very excited and super happy to be doing it finally! My high school BFF Tisha came up from North Carolina and was my escort. It was amazing to have her there with me as we have seen each other through so many things I couldn't have imagined going with out her. It was obviously a very special and sacred experience and I have been back and have loved it. My Dad was there with me as well which made it all the more special! By the way I love my G's!!

Temple or Bust!!!

2009-04-15T21:01:00.003-04:00

So it is official I am temple worthy and temple bound! I just got out of my interview with the Stake President and I have my recommend in hand as you can see. I have waited a long time to go to the temple and since I've decided to go it can't come fast enough! I am very excited as you can tell from the chessy pictures! Anyway I just had to share my excitement with everyone!!

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T10:18:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter!!! I have to say that Easter is my FAVORITE holiday ever! Easter has the best candy and the best clothes for my kids. I went to a passover dinner on Thursday and it was amazing! Even more reason to love this holiday! I will be having a passover dinner from now on. Here we are on our mini photo shoot. Enjoy!

Road Trip

2009-04-05T23:10:00.005-04:00

Warning Picture Overload
Two weeks ago Me, Xavier, Bella, My sister Kristin, Alex, David, Daniel and My Dad went on a road trip. It was spring break in Idaho so we had the whole week to play. We started off by going to Bryce Canyon and Zion's national park the next day we went to the Grand Canyon which was unbelievable and then lastly we hit sin city. The pictures are reverse so sorry! We had such a great time and saw some amazing sights. We spent a lot of time in the car but with 3 movies playing at once how could we go wrong??

Xavier and Bella in the spa in our room.

X and B on the kid sized sling shot. They giggled they whole time! The kids got wrist bands to ride all the rides all day. They went on each ride at least 4 times each. It was sooo worth it!

On the Carousel.

Combat planes.

Going on a roller coaster ride at the arcade.

M&M world Las Vegas!

David Kristin and Xavier at the Grand Canyon

This was pretty freaky sticking out over the ledge, Also the wind was picking up so that made it worse!

What a view.........of the Canyon!

Me and my Gang

Alex, David, Xavier, and I hiked up Zion's about a mile. It was pretty awesome!

David, X and I on our hike.

Me and Xavier at the top!

The Boys at the top.

Bella and Xavier at Bryce Canyon

Xavier and Mommy

The whole crew.

Something about Idaho

2009-04-01T16:27:00.002-04:00

I have been in Idaho for awhile now. In fact I'm almost ready to go back to New Jersey. In case you have never been to both places, (Idaho and New Jersey) they are quite different. I know this is a shock! I love walking into any store or restaurant and hearing country music playing in the background. I love that every checker at the grocery store, and I mean EVERY checker asks how you are and smiles every time. I love that traffic means you are stopped at the same light maybe twice. I love that Baja Fresh is right around the corner and Dairy Queen and Arby's and Jamba Juice. I love that you can get into an ambulance (yes I was in an ambulance with my Mom while I was here) and both the guys are members of the church and you just start talking about church and their missions. You NEVER meet strangers in New Jersey that are members?!? I forget what it's like to be in Idaho and be around family and members and nice people. I like it but I also like New Jersey and the exact opposite things that it offers that Idaho never can. It's been nice visiting but I'm ready to go home to my other family.

My Mom

2009-03-01T21:42:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know if you haven't already heard, my Mom passed away on Friday. I want to thank you all for your prayers, your love, your words of kindness and for fasting with us today. All and any of you are welcome to the funeral. It will be on Friday March 6 at 10 am at the lds chapel next to my parents house. There will also be a viewing on Thursday from 4-8pm at the Alden Waggoner funeral home on Fairview. Thanks again and I love you all!

A blog from Boise

2009-02-27T09:54:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to get out a post, a lot of you know that I am here in Boise because my Mom is dying. We are home with her and all of her kids are here. She is comfortable and that is all we can do for her at this point. I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate your prayers and willingness to help out. We will be fasting on Sunday for peace and comfort for the entire family. If you would like to joint us in our fast that would be wonderful. Thanks again to all! Love you!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2009-02-16T07:58:00.008-05:00

ipod valentines

Xavier painting our project

Bella painting our gumball machines

Xavier with his Valentine gift.

A valentine gumball machine. You can make these for any holiday! How cute would they be for Halloween??

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I hope you had a LOVEly day! I decided that I love Valentine's Day! I think it is getting better now that I have kids and we can celebrate together and I can be a kid again! We started out the day with a pink breakfast with hearts. So cute I don't have the picture. And we ended it with a party! We exchanged Valentine's and ate home made pizza. The kids loved it! Thanks Jenn. These are the Valentine's I made for our party and for Xavier's school party! So much fun! We made these gumball machines for his teachers. They turned out so cute! I love Valentine's day!! I hope you guys had a great one and We love you!!!

Steelers for a day

2009-02-13T15:09:00.003-05:00

My cricut machine banner!

Bella in her NY Giants cheer leading outfit.

Xavier, Mommy and Bella.

Football fans!

The spread!

I know I'm a little late posting about the super bowl but I just downloaded the pictures and remembered how much fun we had. We were Steelers fans for the day and it was quite fun to decorate and cheer for "your" team! Let's not get carried away and start thinking I would love anyone but the Titans but they've got to give me some Superbowl time soon! Anyway the kids and I were dressed in the only teams we have, Giants and Titans. We had all our friends over and had yummy food and watched a really great game!! I made my Steelers sign with the cricut and was so in love with the results. I mean heaven is scrapbooking and football right? It doesn't get better than this!

DAMN

2009-02-03T20:11:00.002-05:00

Look at my baby. My sweet little Xavier. My every other word is damn Xavier! What the heck?!?! So it all started about a week ago. We were playing ants in my pants and when Xavier's ant didn't go into the pants he said D (we're going to use the D instead of the real word) Before I reacted I asked him where he heard that and he said "Daddy" yeah Pedro got an ear full! Thanks a lot by the way! Anyway I then began to tell him that we don't say that word, that it's not nice, I don't like it, Heavenly Father doesn't like it etc.. etc.. I thought we had it covered, until it kept happening. Then I thought words are not enough. So I go to soap. He got soap in his mouth 3 times before he started saying "Mommy can you put soap in my mouth so I won't say D anymore." What? Now I'm thinking he likes soap or he really just loves the word D! He now has to go to time out when the infamous word escapes his lips which is at least twice daily! Then he says tonight right after bed time prayers none the less, "Mommy I need some soap my puppy just said D" He is obsessed with this word! What should I do! He won't stop saying it!! The worse part, if there is a worse part is that he's using the word in context! I just know he's going to go to church on Sunday and say it to Sister Avery or worse teach it to all the kids in his class. Sorry by the way if that's the case! Yikes! I don't know what else to do to get him from being my little potty mouth! Somebody help me!

Resolutions

2009-01-16T10:29:00.003-05:00

Stretching

Push ups

Weight lifting

So this year as always I made some resolutions.

1. Be more prepared for church, school activities, FHE and anything else I can think of I just don't want to be so last second with things.

2. Write in a Gratitude journal everyday.

3. Better FHE's

4. Do more service as a family

5. read my Scriptures everyday and really search them.

6. exercise 3 times a week

So far so good. Of course I can always do better with these things but for sure I have already done better than I was doing last year so I'm glad about that. Xavier has really gotten into the exercising with me and sometimes wants to do it on his own! He usually lasts about 6 r 7 minutes but it just goes to show you what an impact you have on your kids and they will always want to do what you do. So if you do good things and healthy things they will follow you all the way! Scary I know! What are your resolutions? I can always add to my list if you have a good one I could use!

What happened to my Titans???

2009-01-13T14:59:00.003-05:00

So if you hadn't noticed my Tennessee Titans football schedule and scores on my side bar well you haven't been looking at my blog well enough! For those of you who don't know or didn't figure it out I am a huge football fan and of course a huge Tennessee Titans fan. Well playoffs started two weeks ago and we lost. We lost to the Ravens. The only team in the entire NFL that I despise. It was a hard loss for me because this was going to be my year! I mean we were undefeated until week 10! So I guess it's time to take down the schedule and hope for a Super Bowl next year! And thanks for not calling to rub it in!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-09T10:58:00.005-05:00

Xavier and Bella on New Years

Joanne and Christine

The girls Me. Christine. Joanne. Suzanne. Miranda. and Jenn. everyone had to wear black and or silver!

A toast to the new year!

Elder Linford. Gove. Reay. and Hill.

Brent and Jenn Ring in the faux new year.

Bella and Mommy

Me and Suzilla

Xavier and Mommy

Since having kids I have started having a New Years party at the house. It's a faux new years party that lets us celebrate at 9PM, hence the faux part and then again at midnight. It's great because the kids and the Elders feel like they are celebrating and then they get to bed at a reasonable hour! I love it! This year was fabulous! we had tons of yummy food and played some really fun games! It is always great to be able to ring in the new year with my bestest friends and my babies! Hope you all had a rockin new year too!

A very Merry Christmas

2009-01-07T12:34:00.002-05:00

Xavier and Bella opening more presents!

Xavier in his New Christmas PJ's from Santa

Bella's new Christmas PJ's from Santa

Xavier and Bella all dressed up for Christmas Eve.

My new toy!

I didn't want to go crazy with the Christmas pictures but the kids are so dang cute and had so much fun I had to post something! We had a fabulous holiday. We had Christmas eve at a friends house and it was so lovely! We had a program that Bella refused to participate in even after weeks of practice! We then went to another friends house for Christmas day dinner and played ping pong and pool and guitar hero. I am not good at any of these things! We had a blast and of course were spoiled rotten! I love the holidays but they came way to fast so I am ready to sit back and breathe a little now that they are over! I hope you all had as good of time as we did! We love you all!

Snow Day

2009-01-02T09:39:00.005-05:00

Here we are on the first good snow fall of the year. The kids have never spent much time in the snow so this was their first real experience. Bella was not happy to be bundled up but once outside she had so much fun I could hardly get her back inside!
Grumpy Bella and an excited Xavier ready for the snowy cold.

They soon found out that snow was yummy and that's how they spent the rest of their time in the snow!

Bella ate it right off the cars!

Xavier's snow angel.

Us in the snow.

Bella was helping me shovel the snow.

We had tons of fun and are waiting for the next good snowfall!

Hawaiian Christmas

2008-12-15T21:34:00.002-05:00

Every year my friends and I have a little Christmas party where we have a gift exchange. This year we had a Hawaiian Christmas. It was the best so far! Suzanne and I bought gifts for each other and she spoiled me rotten! It was so much fun!! Here are some pictures from our fun filled night!

Shout Outs

2008-12-10T21:50:00.005-05:00

So with Thanksgiving past and Christmas right around the corner I feel it is natural to have a lot of gratitude in my heart. Gratitude is certainly part of the season. That is why I have to do some shout outs! Since my separation 2 years ago, as you can imagine things got crazy and things changed a lot for me. I was an emotional wreck and now pretty much a single Mother. A lot of change all at once and almost no break from being a Mom. But there have been a few people that have truly helped me and my kids in ways I'm not sure they will ever know. I love them dearly and they are family. Sometimes my real family asks me when I'm coming home and it must be hard because they are not here with me but I do have family here.
Suzanne aka Suzilla

Suzanne could quite possibly be the nicest person I have ever met. She is also the funniest! She is here most Saturday nights entertaining me. I know I could ask her for anything and if it's in her powers she is there! She totally proved that this week! :) The kids adore her and fondly call her Suzilla as well. She is always teasing them, one day Xavier asked her if she drove her car over to the house and she said no I came on skates. So a month or so later Xavier asked her if she skated to our house! So funny! By the way we did not convert we were just dressed up!
Brent

Brent is our token male. He's the only one in New Jersey so of course he wants to hang with us! He is a grad student so he is very busy but he is my in a jam man! He babysits during nap time and bedtime so he can study and help me out at the same time! Whenever we have girls night Brent knows he's in charge of the kids! They love to rough house with him and love to make him throw them in the air until his arms ache! He tries to teach them bad stuff and he thinks it's really funny but I'm not so hot on the idea of him and Xavier riding motorcycles together!

Joanne

Joanne may love my kids as much as I do. Out of everyone she is the one that always brings them toys on Easter or Valentine's Day. She loves them so much and they love her. As of recently she has become my personal stylist and fashion coordinator. Trust me I need this bad! She is so happy for my weight loss and even buys me clothes! Is there anything more I could ask for in a friend? Lucky for me she is also my visiting teaching companion so I get to share a spiritual side with her often. I love it!

Jenn

Jenn and I have been friends for a long time! She is always there when I need her. She is the first one to offer up babysitting and the use of her truck to run errands. She is so hands on with the kids. When we all get together at the house and it's bed time Jenn is the one putting them in their PJ'S and getting them ready for bed. She changed countless diapers when we were in that stage and she was and is always so happy to do it. She always asks me how the kids are and how Xavier is doing in school. Jenn lifts me up because she recognizes my strengths, like always being right and always being too honest when others don't believe! They all learn eventually but Jenn's got it down!
RiLee

Last but not least, RiLee. RiLee and I have been friends for a long time too and we probably spend way too much time together. She is like a sister to me, we fight and get over it all in the same sentence. She really is the kids second Mother, she yells at them and disciplines them to boot! Sometimes it seems that RiLee has taken me being separated harder then I have and I know that is because she just wants me to be happy. We have been through it all together and I wouldn't have it any other way. We talk on the phone at minimum three times a day. There are no secrets no holding back and a no farting policy.

So these are my friends that really are family. They have helped me raise my kids and talked me through parenting problems my marriage and everything in between. I feel like Xavier and Bella are so blessed to have so many people love and adore them. I don't ever want to imagine life with out them! All the parties and all the get togethers are now at my house so I can hang out with them while the kids sleep. They work around my car schedule and the weekend Pedro has the kids. They make all these seemingly small sacrifices that make a world of difference to me! Sorry for the long post but I just had to give a shout out to my peeps and make sure they know how much I love them and what an impact they have on my life! I love you guys!!

Thanksgiving weekend

2008-12-01T08:54:00.011-05:00

We started off the long holiday weekend with a feast at Xavier's school. They had everything a proper Thanksgiving feast should have! Xavier didn't eat a bite nor did he wear his pilgrim hat or Indian vest! It was a lot of fun and yummy food even if the feast was at 11AM it's never too early for pumpkin pie right?!!

Bella on Jenn's shoulders

Xavier on Brent's shoulders

Thursday morning we headed to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade! I must be crazy! My friends Brent Jenn and Suzanne are also crazy and went too! There ended up being no parking anywhere on the entire island so I sent the kids out with my friends and they watched the parade while I drove around Manhattan. Eventually I illegally parked and was able to see the big balloons from my car! The kids had a great time and that was what I really wanted for them!

RiLee went a little crazy after cooking all the food!

Xavier, Bella, Mason and Reven eat gold fish and pretzels on the stairs instead of anything resembling Thanksgiving dinner!

Bella and Xavier hiding from the camera. They didn't touch their food on those plates! They did eat about 5 clementines each!

Rob, baby Jesse, Lexie and Me enjoying the yummy food!

This year we had Thanksgiving dinner at RiLee's house with a bunch of friends, It was so nice and so yummy! I brought over my china, I love any chance I have to use it! The food was amazing and the company was even better! Thanks to Rilee and all her hard work!!

BLACK FRIDAY!!!!!

So maybe I am crazy! I went out at 4AM to go shopping! What?!?! Who does that? Well I found out about 5 thousand other people. I started out at Kohl's. When I got there people were waiting outside to get in but I just sat in the car. The crowd wasn't too big! I got in and out with the 4 dollar toys in 15 minutes. Not bad. I headed to Wal mart which was just around the corner.

When I pulled in I saw tons and tons of people waiting in a line and I really started to wonder if I hadn't lost my mind! There were so many people I just couldn't wrap my head around it and yet i was there too. I went to wait in this huge throng of people and as I looked around I couldn't help but wonder what they were here for. I also noticed I was the only white person in the line. I then came to the realization that I was out here at 4:30 in the morning for no reason. There was no way in the world they had come to wal mart for the same reason I came to wal mart. I got up bright and early for the cricut. For those of you non scrapbookers first shame on you but secondly it is a cutting machine that is simply unbelievable. Well this is the best machine they have out and it was on super sale so I had to get it! Getting in and out of the store was pure chaos but I got my machine and i was right when I said no one was interested in the cricut with the exception of the one other white lady I ran into in the craft section! Go figure!

Lastly I headed to Old Navy for 14 dollar jeans. It was in and out no hassles no lines! I was very relived after being in the craziness of walmart! All in all it was a fun experience and I may even do it again. I got everything I had planned on getting so it was a total success!

After a cat nap and some lunch we headed over to the park to play a friendly game of football. I had wanted to play over the Thanksgiving holiday and make it a tradition so I made some calls and got it set up. A lot of the people didn't show but they really missed out! It was such a blast! My team of course won even though the other team had 7 players and we had 5. I even scored a touch down! The kids even hiked the ball and ran it and had a lot of fun playing football and playing in the dirt! The weather wasn't too bad either!

On Saturday night the kids and I went to a sweet sixteen party for a Amanda whom I used to nanny for. I don't have any pictures but we had a blast eating and dancing until almost 10!

I'm glad Monday is here! I'm hoping that I can catch up on some sleep and get some things done around the house! The Christmas decorations aren't going to put themselves up either!! I am so blessed!

Talk to my agent

2008-11-19T09:37:00.006-05:00

venturing into the city.

Doesn't it look like she's really talking to her agent?!

This Saturday the kids had an interview with a talent agency. Long ago I uploaded the kids pictures to a couple of sites and I guess they just decided they needed to see these two. I wasn't sure what to expect but ya all know I'm on a mission to enjoy the journey so I thought this would be another thing on our list of experiences! They of course thought the kids we adorable. Bella had them eating from her palm and they couldn't get enough of her! The concept of this networking company was fabulous, the price to be in their network however was not so we won't be getting into the biz anytime soon but I'm going to keep trying! We'll see how it goes!

Fall in New Jersey

2008-11-17T14:58:00.003-05:00

Fall is my favorite time of year! I love the weather and the leaves! The East coast has the most colorful falls ever! I love it so much! The kids also love it! Here are some of our pictures playing in the leaves! I can't help but comment on how cute my own kids are!! They are just so cute!

The best of me

2008-11-05T10:57:00.002-05:00

So last night I had a dream. It's weird because I never dream or at least I never remember them, and even if I do remember it it's never complete and never makes much sense. Last nights dream was no exception. All I remember is my Dad talking to someone that I know about me and the kids. He said those two are the best of her. So if you love her you will love them. That really got me thinking. Anyone that knows me well knows that Eugene (my Dad, yes I call him Eugene) holds all the answers. When I need advice he gets the first call. So it seems rather fitting to have him in my dream telling me what I already know but making it a little clearer. Xavier and Bella truly are the best of me. Any of the qualities that I have and like about myself they have ten fold. Anything in me that needs improving they have already mastered. I don't know if it is like this for all parents and I don't know if you feel this way forever but I do know that they really are the best of me and I love them for showing me what I can be each and everyday!

Halloween

2008-11-02T19:43:00.002-05:00

Xavier and his teacher Ms. Powers

These are twin girls in our ward Abbi and Bailey. They were lobsters in a bucket! they were so stinkin cute. Then during trunk or treat they were laying on these huge platters with grapes and fruit around them and candle light! It looked like they were the main course! Sooo cute!

Holy Halloween! We have been celebrating for the past week and it has been a blast! I am not a huge fan of Halloween but I don't not like it either. This year has been fun because the kids were so into it. We went to 3 different parties and each night Xavier would out line them in his prayers. It was awesome! We went to the ward party, a party put on by the town and finally Xavier's school party. So Xavier was Peter Pan, Bella was Tinkerbell and I was Wendy. I may never dress up again because no one knew who I was! I thought I looked just like Wendy but everyone was having such a hard time figuring it out! Hello I'm with Peter pan and Tinkerbell! Come on! Anyway....... this was our first family attempt at jack-o-lanterns. I carved them all with no help on the gut scooping! Xavier took one look inside and said "I'm going up stairs to play" I don't know where he gets this clean hands business but it has to stop! We'll try again next year! We got way too much candy but had tons of fun so it makes it all worth while!!

Little Chef

2008-10-29T21:59:00.003-04:00

Maybe we have been watching a little too much Ratatouille or maybe he just wants to be a little chef. Either way he is so dang cute that it just doesn't matter. Here he is making mac n cheese. So gourmet I know! I'm hoping to get a few more dishes in him before his mission! Although having 2 kids has made me a firm believer that you can fully thrive on cereal and mac n cheese alone!

Apple Picking and Pumpkins too

2008-10-24T08:43:00.012-04:00

Xavier in the orchard
Reven. Bella. Xavier. Mason

Jenn and the kids

Me and RiLee

family picture

Bella chowin' down

Me and Joanne on the tractor ride

Brent picking a pumpkin

What a woman!

A family shot in the pumpkin patch. Notice Lexie in the back!

So every year we go apple picking it has been one of our family and friends traditions. We always have so much fun and this year was no exception! The weather was nice and the farm was great! The kids have such a blast picking their own apples and it's just about the only time I can get Xavier to actually eat apples! This was the first year we got pumpkins too and the kids loved picking their very own!

Full Circle Mermaid Moment

2008-10-19T16:59:00.009-04:00

So for those of you who know me well, you know I LOVE LOVE LOVE the little mermaid. You know that in high school I had Little Mermaid sheets and posters and dolls. If you know me well you already know all of this. When The Little Mermaid came out (summer of 1989) I was 11 years old and just getting ready to go into the 6th grade. I had just gotten all my new school clothes and yeah I can remember the outfit that I wore to the theater that day! Did I tell you that I LOVED the Little Mermaid? So I guess I never really thought that one day I would have my own kids that would also love The Little Mermaid, even though I should have seen it coming! So every day at the dinner table Bella asks me to sing The Ariel Song. I of course do because I know it word for word and love it. So we have a little dinner show each and every night! So Bella now knows the Ariel song and it tickles me pink. She doesn't sing it very often but I got it on tape and I am so excited for you all to see my own little princess! She is too way cute!! Sorry it is so soft but...... Here is my full circle Mermaid moment.

Camping at the Traylor park

2008-10-15T07:54:00.002-04:00

Sarah and Bella cuddle
Rob , Mason and Reven
Happy Campers
Bella and Xavier sleeping soundly
The set up

So we had planned to go camping last weekend but everyone bailed on me. So taking the advice from our dear prophet I decided to enjoy the journey! So I asked my friends the Traylor's if we could camp out in their back yard and use their built in fire pit to roast marshmallows. I mean what's camping with out s'mores?! So we did it and it was so much fun! The Hogges came and roasted marshmallows with us and we did sleep out in the tent all night. The kids were thrilled to sleep in a tent and I knew that's all it would take for them to have fun so mission accomplished! Thanks Traylor's for letting us use your indoor plumbing and your back yard on our "camp out"!!

Tagged

2008-10-14T16:10:00.005-04:00

Tagged- the 8's

8 t.v. shows I love to watch:

1. Brothers and Sisters
2. Chuck
3. Heros
4. Criminal minds
5. Numbers
6. The Ex- list
7. Grey's anatomy
8. Law and order SVU

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Baja Fresh
2. Chipoltle
3. Virgil's
4. dave and busters
5. california pizza kitchen
6. cheesecake factory
7. red robin
8. Anywhere my friends are

8 Things that happened yesterday:

1. Did Laundry
2. Went to the grocery store
3. Went to RiLee's
4. Had Family home evening
5. Bath night for the kids
6. Talked on the phone a lot
7. Played outside
8. did the never ending pile of dishes

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. Apple Picking
2. Halloween
3. Dinner
4. Thanksgiving
5. An update from my family on the house cleaning project!
6. Bed time for me and the kids
7. chocolate and peanut butter
8. a chance to read my book

8 things I love about fall:

1. Football season
2. cooler weather
3. The changing leaves
4. making soups and chili a couple nights a week
5. Getting toasty in a blanket
6. Thanksgiving dinner
7. Sweatshirts and sweaters
8. hot chocolate

8 things on my wish list:

1. A mini van
2. Plastic surgery
3. No debt
4. a house keeper
5. The cricut
6. a new wardrobe
7. going to the little mermaid on broadway
8. a mini van

8 people I'm tagging:

1. RiLee
2. Jenn
3. Meagan
4. Marci
5. Connie
6. Amber J
7. Tracy
8. Holly

General Conference

2008-10-06T10:46:00.004-04:00

Chocolate apostles
Who's who?

Xavier and Bella playing conference bingo.
A not so reverent moment.
Xavier loved the chocolate and the game!

So we have been gearing up for general conference all week long! It started with an FHE lesson on prophets and the first presidency. We made our who's who game and our chocolate apostles. This was to be the first time the kids really watched conference so I was trying to prepare as best I could. They watched each afternoon session and did pretty well for first timers. They loved the chocolate and mathching the picture with each speaker. Bingo was a bit of a bust mostly because they are still too little but it was fun anyway! I am happy because they can name the first presidency and they know several other names but not the faces. I never realized how much these men look alike until I started trying to find ways for the kids to differentiate them! Not easy! Conference for me was amazing! I love President Monson and all the talks he gave! I loved hearing Elder Oaks speak about sacrament meeting and I loved Sister Allred as always! It was a great weekend and I'm so glad that I got to spend it with my kids and help them understand the importance of our beloved prophet! Today as we were praying over breakfast Xavier said "I'm pretending to be the prophet." If that is all he got out of our week of preparation and conference itself, I'm good! Who better to pretend to be then President Monson!

Bella's Big Girl Bed!!

2008-10-02T19:19:00.002-04:00

So there I was driving down the street minding my own business and I saw this great toddler bed, so I took it and now Bella has a big girl bed! In Jersey people put the most amazing things to the curb for the garbage men! Many people like to go 'junkin' in the good neighborhoods and they get great stuff! I happen to be one of those people obviously! I will be posting one of my fixer up finds soon! So this is Bella getting ready for her first night of sleep in her toddler bed. She was really excited and wanted to get into bed. Then I snuck in to get a shot of her actually sleeping. They are so cute and way too grown up in their toddler beds!!

Tisha's big 3-0

2008-09-26T14:25:00.003-04:00

So my best friend from high school turned the big 30. She lives in North Carolina now but her husband surprised her with a trip to the big apple for her birthday! It was so good to see her and celebrate another milestone with her! Here are some cute pictures from that night. I gave her a little scrapbook of us through the years and of course CANDY!! I love you and welcome to the club!

Got Gas?

2008-09-25T08:25:00.004-04:00

So last night I ran out of gas. Yeah I ran out of gas on route 78 which is a highway here in New Jersey. My gas gauge was temporarily malfunctioning so I kind of didn't know how much gas I had. Even though I had put 20 bucks in I drove to Staten Island and back. Just a little FYI it takes more than 20 bucks to drive to Staten Island and back in an SUV that is virtually empty and the gas gauge is out of wack, Just in case you are making that trip soon! So I called my dear friend Joanne to come to my rescue which she did! She was there in super speed with a gas tank that we couldn't figure out at first and we were trying to put the nozzle together by the light of her headlights and the fierce wind blowing us and the directions around from the big rigs blowing by at 75 miles per hour! yeah it was crazy! We figured it out and she followed me to the gas station and we were safe! 74.56 later I had filled up and was home! Yeah!!! I said lots of prayers last night and they were all answered so I am very grateful for that!
My angel, Joanne

Head Trauma, ER and Triage

2008-09-17T16:10:00.004-04:00

So yesterday we took our first trip to the ER. At about 8 AM Xavier decided to climb the TV in the playroom to get the remote control. The TV and it's stand came tumbling down and it hit him in the head. I was up our stairs in about 2 seconds and he was screaming bloody murder. A goose egg started appearing on his forehead and I knew it was a doozy! I started to play doctor. I was flashing a flashlight into his eyes to make sure they were dilating and I asked him some questions like what is your name, Xavier what's your full name, to this he always says Xavier Grant Cardona but today he said I can't remember. What?!?!?!? Then I asked him his favorite color and he said he didn't know. Xavier's favorite color is green. It's always green. He never says any other color it's green! I am beginning to worry a lot. Oh did I mention his eyes kept rolling back in his head and then he'd wake up real fast! Yeah I was worried! Then an hour later he threw up and I knew that wasn't normal. So the pediatrician sent us to the ER. That's where they started using all the scary words like Head trauma and triage. Xavier threw up again on the way to the ER and he was just so out of it! So he had to get a CAT scan and he did great! He cried but he was still. I thought it would be a good idea to pretend the CAT scan machine was a rocket headed to mars but he then started screaming I want to stay on earth! I guess it was a little too realistic. He got a bunch of stickers and things form radiology and now we just had to wait! Half hour later the results were in and there was no damage to the brain or head or skull. What a relief. He is fine now and is bossing Bella around like nothing ever happened! I guess he told his teacher all about it!

Update

2008-09-15T14:45:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to update everyone on what's going on with us. All things digital hate me right now so every camera I come close to won't work so sorry that there have been no pictures and no posts! Xavier started his second year of Pre school this month and loves it! He is in the same class with the same teacher so it was easy for him to get back into things! Bella has started potty training. We've been down this road before but this is the real deal! She still pees on the floor and has no aversion to peeing or pooping in her pants but she has also been going on the potty as well! Luckily we have no carpet so cleaning up isn't as bad! Xavier has stopped wearing a pull up at night and is now in big boy underwear 24/7. It is very nice not to have to buy diapers and wipes. I can't believe I only buy pull ups now! Crazy! We have a lot of fun things coming up so look forward to funner posts with pictures! (digital gods willing)

Back to the farm.....One last Idaho blog........

2008-09-11T08:17:00.004-04:00

Even in her sleep she finds ways to bug him!

Jaden JanieXavier and Bella (Xavier and Jaden play so well together. They have the exact opposite skin tone so whenever they were together David would call them salt and pepper!)

We've been back from Boise for 2 weeks now and we miss it like crazy. Xavier is always asking when his cousins are coming over to fight him and that tomorrow he's getting on 2 planes to go to Uncle David's. My sister in law sent me these pictures from when the kids spent one of our last nights at their house. I had to post them cause they are so darn cute and they love being on Uncle David's farm. Before we left Idaho my sister asked Xavier if he wanted to stay in Idaho or go back to New Jersey. He said New Jersey. She then asked him if he wanted to stay at Uncle David's house or go back to New Jersey and he picked Uncle David's house! So thanks for letting the kids live the farm life. We love you all and miss you!

Haskell Family Reunion

2008-08-22T21:07:00.006-04:00

So the Haskell family headed to McCall Idaho for a little family fun! Here are more pictures than you ever wanted to see of us! What can i say? You have to love us! I had so much fun with my brothers and sisters and my extended family! We were up each night until 1 or 3. We had the karaoke every night and we also got to watch the drunks crack us up with their endless antics. I love my family! In 2 years we'll do it all again!

Addi and Aaron (niece and brother)
DarNell and Janie and Jaden(sister in law, niece and nephew)
Judy and Melanie( Aunt and cousin)
Jessica (pregnant niece in labor right now!!)
Stephen and Grant (cousin and brother)
Isaiah and Alex (nephews)
David ( brother but he may be adopted)
Me and Xavier
Chris (cousin)
Nate (Cousin)
Me and Jamie (sister in law)
Tracy and Bella (sister and daughter)
Bella, Xavier, and Katelin (kids and niece)
Nate (cousin)
snorkeling crew Me Chris and Nate
Jessica and Xavier
Jill (Aunt)
Bella at the beach
Ben (Cousin)
David and Justin doing tricks, (Brother and nephew)

The Best Park EVER!!!!!!

2008-08-12T14:56:00.005-04:00

Okay so this really is the best park I've ever been to!It is a public park here in Boise and it has all you could ever want to do and more! There is a huge playground, rows of swings, a pirate ship play ground, rock climbing, musical instruments, and water! This is heaven to me! The kids love it so much and I just wish that New Jersey could have something this great!! In my dreams right?! Oh well we have been enjoying it while we've been here and I guess that's better than nothing! Also each Friday night this park has a movie night! I took my two nieces to see Nancy Drew and it was so much fun!! There are a lot of pictures but I just had to make sure you all knew how cool this place really is!!

X&B make pretty music together
Xavier rockin' out
Bella playing music in the park
Nathan in the fountain.
Nathan loves the water!
Pirate playground. Jake-Katelin- Alex-Kelsey-David- Daniel- Xavier
Bella the pirate.
Part of the playground.
In a fountain.
Xavier waits for the water
The pirate ships dumps water down on them in buckets!
Xavier is a water baby!
Waiting for the water to drop.

Huge Garage Sale

2008-08-06T20:11:00.003-04:00

I just thought I'd show you what I've been up to since arriving on the Boise scene! I have been cleaning out my parents house! We had this huge garage sale last weekend and I had to take a picture because I knew you would not be able to capture it's greatness if I just told you about it! Here is Eugene with all his stuff! There are still 2 attics, 2 sheds, and 1 room that could all be sorted through and sold! That may have to wait until next year!!

Haskell Boot Camp

2008-08-02T11:25:00.004-04:00

The Soldiers Kelsey, Alex and David
David shows the kids how to cook spaghetti with meat sauce.
Xavier eating pound cake. (in his borrowed gear)
They got canteens to drink from.
Here I am taking the soldiers and Nurse Waffles to base camp.

I don't know what it is but all my nephews and nieces as you can see, love all things army! I'm not sure if this is an Idaho thing or a Haskell thing but they all have camo shoes and shorts and tees. They come over to my parents 3 and half acres and run through the fields with all their gear and play war. They have guns and code names and everything! Well David and my Dad let them eat MRE's just like the ones they used to eat in their own army days! The kids were in army bliss! Since Xavier doesn't have any camo gear or own a gun he was the nurse. They named him Nurse Waffles. I was the E vac in the golf cart! These guys are really into and I know my Dad loves that all his grandkids are into army and want to be soldiers when they grow up. I guess I'm going to have to go out and find Xavier some gear so he doesn't have to be Nurse Waffles anymore!!

Temple tour

2008-07-30T14:54:00.002-04:00

So while we were in Utah we went to four of the temples! Xavier had been wanting to go to the temple since a FHE lesson we had months ago! He really wanted to go inside and kept asking when we were going to the Navoo Temple! It was a lot of fun and definitely something we can't experience in New Jersey. I am amazed at the beauty of each temple and am so glad that I can share them with my kids! We will have to do a temple tour on the east coast as well!

A vacation from my vacation......

2008-07-30T14:39:00.003-04:00

Huxley, Eliza, Xavier and Eric "clean" the tennis court.
Delaney, Bella, Huxley and Blythe take a break in the shade.
Xavier and Avery eat popsicles.
Aunt Jill, Ben, Bella, Me, Chris, and Xavier after breakfast.

So Me and Kristin put the kids in the car and headed to Utah. I was off to stay with my friends that used to live in Jersey Martha and Eric and their 4 adorable girls. Kristin was meeting up with some of her old friends as well! We had such a great time catching up and playing with new friends with new toys! I also spent the day with a friend of mine from high school that I hadn't seen in a few years as well! We swam at my Aunt Jill's pool and spent time with our cousins. They didn't even know we were coming. It was great fun and Utah is refreshingly easy to get around! Nothing like New Jersey! We were able to do some scrapbook shopping and hit the distribution center and seagull books! It was great! We're glad to be back at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Xavier told me a few times that he missed Grandpa so we're lucky we still have another month of our real vacation!!

Uncle David had a farm EIEIO.......

2008-07-20T17:47:00.003-04:00

Xavier and Bella on Jack.
Bella holding a chick.
Xavier holding a chick.

Bella and Xavier petting Tutu.
Bella on top of Tutu.

So my brother David asked me to babysit his kids for him out on the farm! I agreed and knew the kids would love all the animals. So Uncle David took them out and showed them all the animals and they were in love! Before he leave he tells me I have to feed the sheep. He then says oh Janey can do it. Janie is 4. He shows me where they need to go and explains how easy it is and that when you let them out they run to their food and I will have to do nothing especially since Janie the 4 year old can do it! Well I can now say four year olds can not feed sheep and 30 year olds from the city have a hard time as well! The sheep did not just run right to their food. No they ran around me in circles for about 10 minutes. I was in flip flops mind you. Finally I got it all under control and as I was I found myself sining every church song I knew that had the words sheep and Shepard in them! I think that really helped me handle them! Next time I babysit for David there will be no farm chores included! I'm okay with being the family city slicker!

The Fabulous Five

2008-07-18T21:49:00.004-04:00

We are family.....I've got all my sisters with me!!

Very Rarely are we all together! That's my fault because I live in New Jersey! I get reminded of this fact quite a lot! But since I have been here I have gone to 2 sisters lunches where we were ALL together! I wanted to take these pictures because I love my sisters so much. As you can see we look quite a bit a like and that doesn't bother me anymore. Tracy is in the yellow chair she is my oldest sister, Heather is on the other side of me and she is the sister closest to me in age. (my brother is in between us) Catherine is sitting in the stripped shirt. She is just younger than Tracy and Kristin is sitting in white. She and I are very close friends even though I hated her growing up! We all have our own story and our own ways but we all started the same and we'll forever be sisters! I am so blessed to be spending the summer with them and making memories with the women I hold dearest to my heart! I love you guys!!

3 and 4

2008-07-17T13:15:00.003-04:00

Xavier blowing out his candles on his birthday.
His birthday party cake.
Bella blowing out her candles on her birthday.
Bella's birthday party cake!
Singing Happy birthday at their party!

My babies are growing up way too fast! This week we celebrated both of their birthdays. Xavier is now 4 and Bella 3. On their real birthdays they had pancakes for breakfast with candles in them that they of course blew out and then we had a big family party for the two of them where they were showered with gifts from my family who they rarely get to celebrate with! It was so much fun for them and for me! Since I am not at home I don't have any baby pictures to put up of them but I have to say what a joy it has been for me to be their mother and how blessed I am to have two incredibly great kids! It makes me sad to see time fly by so quickly and that each year they are another year older until one day they will leave my home and make a life for themselves beyond me! Boo Hoo! So I will love them to pieces until then! Happy Birthday X&B!!

Fourth Fun

2008-07-08T13:48:00.004-04:00

Xavier Buying his first fireworks!
Bella trying to find the one she wants!
Their first sparklers!!
Roasting marshmallows for S'mores.

Shucking corn on the cob for our dinner.

Happy Fourth of July! I hope you all had a great party! We sure did! We celebrated all day long. We swam in the pool and ate great food! Eugene made some gourmet burgers for lunch and dinner we had steak and bbq chicken with tons of great side dishes of course! Xavier and Bella got to do fireworks this year so that was pretty exciting! They have never bought their own before and have never seen them up close. (fireworks are illegal in New Jersey) Xavier loved the smoke bombs and loved each and every firework and would yell again, again when they were through! It was so fun to see him be so excited. Bella couldn't have cared less. She was watching them a bit but also playing with the dog climbing on the golf cart and running around like a crazy lady! Hard to imagine! All in all it was a fabulous day and I am so glad my kids got to spend it the way I did every year growing up!!

French Braid

2008-07-04T00:34:00.003-04:00

Bella and Grandma.
Bella's french braid.
Bella just being so darn cute in Grandpa's recliner!

Isabella got her hair french braided for the first time ever by Grandma. She was really good and my Mom said it was easy to do even with all those curls! She looks so adorable and I will be learning how to do this while I am here so she can have her hair french braided in Jersey too! I'm also thinking about getting her hair trimmed while I'm here but I've NEVER cut it so I really don't know what to do?!!? Help!!

Boise or Bust!!

2008-07-01T23:59:00.003-04:00

Bella and Xavier follow along with the safety demonstration. Pedro would be so proud!

The discovery of head phones, music and changing the stations.
An in flight movie!

We're here!! Getting here was a little harder than I anticipated but we are here none the less! We ended up flying in a day later due to some "issues" at the airport but we did fly out the next day from Newark instead of LaGuardia. Remind me I will never fly out of that place again! Anyway....the kids were AMAZING on the plane and great in the airports! I didn't even bring a stroller and it was smooth sailing! There was no crying or screaming or wanting to run down the aisle so I have to say I am a truly blessed woman! We are already having too much fun in Idaho so we will have lots of post of our summer here! We miss our friends in New Jersey but we'll be back soon!

Last Day of School.

2008-06-19T22:13:00.003-04:00

Xavier and Ms. Karen
Xavier and Ms. Angie
Xavier and Ms. Powers

Xavier's gift to his teachers.

Today was Xavier's last day of school. He gave his teachers these gifts and took pictures with them! I don't think he understands what summer means, and that he won't be going back to school again until September. We'll see. Xavier loved pre school and will be going back next year in the afternoon. His teachers were so great and we are lucky to be getting them for next year too!

Birthday Bash!

2008-06-17T19:02:00.004-04:00

So we had a big beach party for the kids birthday! It was a month early as we will be leaving for Boise soon. The kids had a great time, our friends were there and we had yummy food and right up til the end we had great weather! I didn't get many pictures of the kids as I hardly saw them the whole time! Then during the cake was the storm! We got it all on video and I will have to take more pictures on their real birthday! The Hogges won't be there to distract me! (see post below) We had a great time! We'll have to do it all again next year!!

A tribute to the Hogges

2008-06-17T19:01:00.002-04:00

The Hogges are my good friends and they were cracking me up the entire party. I had to put in all the pictures of them!! We love you!

Our Party People

2008-06-17T18:46:00.004-04:00

Happy Campers

2008-06-09T20:05:00.005-04:00

Bella's fish
Xavier's first of many

Sleeping in the tent
Catching caterpillars
The beach
Eating his frist open flame hot dog
Bella roasting a hot dog

So this past weekend we went camping! We had such a great time. The weather was pretty good, the heat wave started Saturday but it was much cooler where we were! The kids loved sleeping in the tent, the campfire, the caterpillars, the beach and fishing. My friend Suzanne taught them how to fish and Bella caught 1 fish Xavier caught 6 fish! I was so impressed! He was casting and reeling them in all by himself! I'm thinking about getting him those fishing tournaments! What do you think? We will definitely be camping again soon!

My Blankie

2008-06-03T07:10:00.003-04:00

If you have been to my house you have more than likely seen the Shandis blanket. I call it the Shandis blanket because well, it has my name on it! My dear friend Ashlee made it for me in 1997. Can you believe that? I have loved it ever since! It has gone to the hospital and seen two C-sections and it has been on more outings and road trips then I can remember. It has lived with me in four different states and I would have taken it to Cancun with me if I thought I might have needed it! The sad part is in it's old age it's really starting to fall apart! All the edges are frayed, the top and the bottom are almost separated except on the edges and the batting is all but shot. Even the Shandis letters are pulling away from the fabric! I don't know what to do!?!!? It will be going camping with me this weekend and then put away for the summer but I know when it starts getting cold again I'll want just one thing, my blankie!

Book Tag

2008-05-16T09:06:00.002-04:00

"What am I going to do?"

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Rules of the tag:
1. pick up the nearest book.

2. Turn to page 123.
3. Find the 5th sentence.
4. Post the 5th sentence.
5. Tag some people.

I'm Tagging Mel and Lexie whom both think tags are lame!! And MJ, Liza, and Mimi.

A little dirt never hurt anyone!

2008-05-16T08:48:00.003-04:00

Happy Mother's Day to me! We were all sitting at the table enjoying mine and Mel's Mother's Day dinner when Bella came in looking like a coal miner! Her and Xavier and Alexis had gotten into my pot of dirt! There was dirt EVERYWHERE! When Mel went out and saw her dirty daughter all I could hear was NOOOOOOOO!!! She never lets Alex get dirty! I thought it was pretty funny. So they all took a nice little bath together and for the most part got clean! The bath water was brown and when the water drained there was tons of dirt in the bottom! Yuck! Needless to say I got rid of that pot of dirt and have been doing after math clean up all week! Oh and Yes that is Bellas church dress that is filthy!

Scrapbooking Weekend

2008-05-13T21:14:00.003-04:00

Mel was SOO tired! She quite literally fell asleep in mid sentence!
Camille and Rilee
Jenn and that dang lap top!

Mary brought the most stuff and worked the hardest!
Me spending WAY too much time on this layout.
RiLee making paper bag books.
Jenn "worked" all weekend but really she was just chatting with her long distance love.

Camille finally got started on scrapbooking at about 3PM Saturday.

Mel was also here but her picture didn't turn out. Plus she disappeared for half the day because she just couldn't stay away from Steve or vice versa.

So as you can see Friday I turned the kids play room into my play room! We had a great time scrapbooking and eating and talking! It was so much fun! We stayed in our PJ's all day. We would love to do it again but i don't think the husbands would be so keen on the idea! We'll see! I had to throw in the sleeping shots as well! So fun!!

Field Trip

2008-05-12T12:42:00.005-04:00

Bella and Xavier at the zoo
Inside a huge egg shell
Mommy and Xavier on stage for the dance party
Don't feed the animals!
Xavier and his teacher Ms. Powers.

Xavier had his first field trip ever. We went to the Turtle Back Zoo. It was such a beautiful day and we had so much fun! We saw all the animals and even got to do some extras like a few carnival games, played in a huge nest with eggs, danced on stage with a DJ, and even got our picture turned into a button! When we got to the car I asked him if he had fun at the zoo and he said,"Yeah, I danced a little, played basketball, sat on a lizard and played in the nest. It was fun" I wonder if he knows the zoo is actually for animals?!?!

Harlan Coben

2008-05-06T18:39:00.003-04:00

Here we are meeting Harlan Coben. Before I tell you about that I must start at the beginning. Joanne, Mel and Lexie had been saying for the longest how much they liked Harlan Coben. So a few months ago I got his book Tell No One and am now a huge fan! He lives here in Jersey and all of his books take place here. It's so cool to read about these places that I know so well! Anyway I decided to email him and after just a few emails he was my BFF. Well maybe not that tight. But we did email a few times and he seemed so cool! So while I was checking out his website I noticed his last stop on the book tour was close to home and at Costco of all places! So I emailed him again and he said there wouldn't be a lot of people and we should come.......so we did! Well when I told the girls they thought it was so cool that I was emailing Harlan Coben. Then I told Joanne and she rained on my parade. She said there was no way that it was really him. Could me and Harlan being BFF's be my imagination? Well we got to the book signing and when he was right in front of me I brought up the emails and he said he remembered the emails and what we wrote and that yes it really was him! Hallelujah! So he signed my book "To Shandis, You Rock! Best wishes, Harlan Coben" What a day! I mean Costco and Harlan in the same place?! Does it get better than that?

Imagine That!

2008-04-29T13:22:00.002-04:00

Bella the biker babe!
Xavier is ready to fight fires!

My ballarinas.
Rat ta ta ta ta on the drum!

We went to a children's museum called Imagine that! The kids had so much fun playing in an airplane, VW bug, fire truck, tractor and motorcycle! There were tons of other stuff too like a doctor and dentist office, the post office, a grocery store and an arts and craft center! The place was great and the kids couldn't have been happier! We were there for like 4 hours! Crazy!!

Spring Fever

2008-04-11T09:23:00.003-04:00

Xavier and his outfielder's.
Bella playing soccer.
Elder Henderson burning his tie.
Bella the car model.
Yesterday was Beautiful! 72 degrees. We spent the evening blowing bubbles and playing soccer and baseball. Isabella is good at soccer! She can dribble the ball for a long time, then she picks it up! She doesn't quite get that there are no hands. Xavier was the baseball superstar! He was batting right handed and wasn't so hot but when he switched and started batting left handed he was doing amazing! The Elders were worn out! Elder Henderson hit his six month mark so he burned his tie. The only thing I was worried about was Isabella's hair catching fire! We ended the night with Bella modeling on the Elders car. It's not exactly a sports car and she will not be in a bikini EVER but they are still cute pictures! I hope we have more beautiful weather in our future!

The Moment of Truth

2008-04-03T12:58:00.004-04:00

OK so last night I was flipping through channels as I was organizing my recipes. (I know very exciting) and I came across this show and I was shock and appalled. The premise of the show is to answer these uber personal questions about yourself and your marriage while being hooked up to a lie detector. For each of your answers you get money. Firstly I was just shocked to hear some of the questions that this woman was answering in front of her husband and her Mother (and the country) and then come to find out that they are members of the church! The host asked her on more than one occasion if she wanted to continue even though her answer might end her marriage and she just kept smiling and said Yes. Whatever I think the show should be called " I need some drama in my life and want a divorce so just make it easy for me!" It sad for me to think that this is what's on TV. I usually don't pay much attention or get heated about things I can not control but this was just too much! Have you all heard of this show before? Maybe I'm the last to know but I won't be watching any time soon!

Easter Fun!

2008-03-25T12:46:00.001-04:00

We had a pretty fun filled Easter this year! The first pics are of us decorating Easter eggs. Then we had a ward party and of Easter morning and right before church pictures. Then you have pictures of our Easter dinner. I LOVED doing this!! I have to say that there are a ton of pictures and I am sorry for that but I really couldn't leave any out! I hope you all had a fabulous Easter! We sure did!!

A brand new me!

2008-03-22T18:10:00.002-04:00

This is the before shot! I wear my hair up so much that I didn't even realize how long it was! It quite literally was touching my butt!
........Now it barely touches my shoulders!
From drab to fab! I really did love my long hair but I also hated it so I was really ready for the dramatic change! You can't really see all the fun new highlights but I really love my new look!! So what do you think???

St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-20T15:23:00.003-04:00

We had a green breakfast! Green pancakes and green milk. The kids loved it!! Xavier kept asking for green milk all day, white milk just wouldn't do! Then we had these rainbow snacks for FHE. The kids liked making them more than they liked eating them but it was still really cute and we even delivered some to our friends! It was a super fun, green day!

Sweet Butter

2008-03-17T14:36:00.003-04:00

So Friday Xavier brought home a baby food jar with cream in it from school. They were trying to make butter. Well, I decided that I needed to shake it a little bit and sure enough we got butter! I think I was a little more into then Xavier but I really did think it was so cool! The best part is that the butter is really sweet and good! I think you should all give it a try!! Yum-O

Turning 30

2008-03-17T14:23:00.007-04:00

So I'm on my way out! I'm so old! Turning 30 doesn't feel quite as bad as I once thought it would! I had a big party to celebrate my 3 decades and it was tons of fun! We had lots of food my best friends and even my sister was there! I couldn't have asked for anything more! I just want to thank everyone for helping and coming and planning and for all the great gifts! (This is not your thank you note by the way. They are coming soon) I got a ton of scrapbooking stuff which I loved! Kristin thinks I am a little excessive and Mel wants to come shop at my scrapbook "store" but I say you can NEVER have too much!! I will also be getting a cut and color this week thanks to my bestest buds! I will post pictures for sure!! So I love you all and look forward to the next chapter in the book of Shandis

Birthday Cake

2008-03-07T20:20:00.004-05:00

So I made this cake with my new mixer. It is really one of the first things I've done! My friend Gemma did the decorating I just came up with the idea! I am so not that talented! Super cute cake though!! I thought I would show you the real Elder Blodgett that Xavier was pretending to be in the earlier post! This was his birthday celebration. He's left our area and we miss him already! So it goes with Missionaries!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T22:56:00.002-05:00

These are the Valentine's that Xavier gave to his classmates. He loved them so much!
I hand dipped these strawberries with Dove chocolate for Xavier's teachers.
The box!
We made these treats in his class during our class party. The heart is made with watermelon. So cute and healthy!! I hope you all had a fun one! We sure did!!

I'm Elder Blodgett!

2008-02-13T20:35:00.004-05:00

So a few Sundays ago I got Xavier dressed for church and when we were all finished he looked down at his clothes and said, "I'm all dressed up, I'm wearing my tie,(then he looked at his future missionary tag and continued) I'm Elder Blodgett!" I thought that was so cute and so sweet! Elder Blodgett is obviously an Elder in our ward and he has spent some time brain washing both Bella and Xavier. He'll come over and say "Who's the best?" and Bella and Xavier both yell "Elder Blodgett!" in unison. We have some great Elders here right now and I am grateful to have them in my home and love that Xavier knows who the missionaries are and wants to be like them!