It's April!!!!!!!! Where have I been??

I can't believe it's April already!! We have had soooooo many birthdays and events! Corey is now 12, Keith is now 8, Zachary is now 5 and I am now ?? yea!!
Baseball season is well underway, Corey moved up to "Juniors" division, Keith is a "Rookie", and Zachary is playing T-ball.
We have ben staying busy busy!!!!

love you all!! I'll post more soon. :)

SO far......

My dad had his birthday!! My sister had her bay girl! Lots of birthdays!!! My oldest turned 12!! He reached a wonderful milestone, I am so proud of him!! ( I love you Corey!) Jason has trained in a great financial company....he does debt solutions and loan modifications. I am doing hair at Salon Blissful with my own chair, I love it!! The owner also own The Royal Poochie, a salon for dogs. I count my blessings everyday!! (How else would I survive?)
I love my family!!!! My children are blessed with wonderful grandparents,cousins, aunts, and uncles!!! We have great friends, what would we do without you???? :)

As the year strolls along......

At least that's how it feels right now. The days aren't consistent and time is standing still. As the economy has a downward effect, it's like we are standing here waiting for the end results so we know what direction to take. When will we find that "right" balance?

Today is a beautiful cloudy day and sitting outside has been refreshing, it makes me think about the beauty that Heavenly Father created for us and the trials that lingers within. These trials stem from ourselves, not the creation. Now the time is here more than ever... are you ready? Your resources? What about things you have no control of? ....and I thought I was frugal before?


So, I'm back to work and possibly school. I am nervous, sad, and excited all at once! Nervous about going back to school, sad to not be only at home, and excited to be venturing out into society again!! My work schedule is whenever I choose because it's around my clients, I enjoy doing hair. School will be the trickier schedule, I haven't quite made up my mind as I research a career path, but it's leaning towards Respiratory Therapist.

Do I want to know.....

...what you're thinking??

Only time will tell what will happen next!! Just keep praying for our Presidency!

Opening my personal Blog...

I had this closed blog for some time and now I am opening it up...http://aperfectlifein100days.blogspot.com/
I hope that you will find it motivational and help you start a new chapter in your life. I share it with love, strength, compassion, and sincerity. It's a daily journal that I kept for 100 days (almost anyway). My husband and a couple of friends decided to do this challenge. So enjoy....

Congratulations!!!!!

Congratulations to Justin and Kayla on their new little bundle of joy!!!! They had a boy!!!
We love you guys!!!

AZ Deals

If you ever wondered how people end up spending $0.23 on their total order of $189.00 grocery bill, let me share with you where I get my tips; You may not know Allison, but she has helped many families save $$$ in groceries and other items as well. She is known for www.pinchingyourpennies.com (Nationwide information) and her home blog: http://azdealsbyallison.blogspot.com/. And both sites are free!!! Their are a lot of ways to save!! Go check these sites out!!

Happy Birthday My Love!!!

You are a wonderful DAD!!!!!!!!!
Happy Birthday!!!

We have some great times together!

Time to Write!

As I visit everyones up to date Blogs, I need to catch up. My sister, shawnie, came across another mom in need through cjane...blog. It's a tough time for this beautiful family, you can get more details here: http://www.komonews.com/news/28125714.html and http://sccsdecker.blogspot.com/

This mom has yet to see her new little baby that is about four months old now, she has been in the hospital ever since. This story has definately brought tears. I will be praying for the Scott and Carol Decker family.

CALLING ALL MOMS!!!!!

Hey,
Want a free "Kids Don't Vote, But Moms Do" bumper clinger? MomsRising.org is giving them away totally free--even the shipping's free. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.
Click this link to get a free bumper clinger: http://www.momsrising.org/bumperclinger
Thanks!

Where Have I been?

I always wanted to be a good writer, but I lack some...I know...
I use to write for my high school events paper and submit poems in contest... Time has changed some I guess....
I am starting yet another blog!!

http://whittywritings.blogspot.com/

It's touch Many Lives!!

I just wanted to share this web site for updates on Chris and Steph: http://cjanerun.com/ and a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rieB0hZHgWU

If you don't know this couple it's o'kay. I, along with many have just begun to understand the impact that these two have on our society... Especially in the blogging world.....

It's amazing how two people can touch so many lives just by being examples of love and happiness. I know I have them in my prayers for comfort and I hope their 4 young children will always be happy and just know how great their parents are. I know they are being well taken care of by their loving family. Oh, how great it is to have such family....

They have created friendship around the world and I'm not sure they even realize it.... God Bless !

Plane Crashes....

This brave couple is in my sister's ward, she touches up on them here: http://lukeandshawnie.blogspot.com/

This is Stephanie's Blog of here family, and I must say, she has a beautiful blog that is full of life. The Nielson family and the Kinneard family are in my prayers....

Click Here:

As many of us heard, there was a sad tragic event of a plane crashed Saturday shortly after taking off from the airport in St. Johns, Arizona. The engine stalled and the plane crashed into this woodpile in a residential neighborhood.
Pilot Doug Kinneard was killed and passengers Christian and Stephanie Nielson of Mesa, Arizona, were critically burned and airlifted to a Burn Center in Phoenix.
Stephanie Nielson's father, Stephen Clark is a Utah State lawmaker and her mother, Cynthia Clark, is a Provo City councilwoman.


Kinneard, Doug
Doug Kinneard, 48, of Mesa passed away August 17th after a plane crash in St. Johns the afternoon of August 16th. He is survived by his wife Roslyn and 4 kids: Curtis, Clayton, Chelsea (Robby) Hale, Courtney; his parents George and Florence; and siblings Sandra (George) Fayad, Pamela (Robert) Williams, and Kelly (Michele). Public visitation at Bunker Family Funeral Home on University Drive from 6-8 pm Friday August 22nd and 9 am on Saturday August 23rd at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Lindsay between Adobe and University, followed by funeral services at 10 am.
Published in the East Valley Tribune on 8/21/2008

Stephanie's sister is keeping updates on her blo: http://cjanerun.com/

Here's a news link: http://www.azfamily.com/video/localnews-index.html?nvid=273958&shu=1

This news clip has a short commercial at the beginning, so hang on a couple seconds...

What A Deal!!

I know I have been posting deals lately, but with back to school in action and hungry bodies after school, every bit helps. So I started taking advantage of the coupon world and this is what I accomplished lately:

This TOTAL bill (from Fry's) came to: $.78 !!!! Yea!! :) I didn't even have a coupon for the cones ($1.00), I would've gotten paid $.22 !! Crazy!!


It was fun shopping today (4 stores); all in all, I got $187 in groceries and only paid $28 today.

ITEMS INCLUDE (w/ coupons):

10 BOXES OF MALT O MEAL CEREALS= FREE
3 CASES OF TAVA SPARLING DRINK (like fruit soda) = .50
Bic MECHNICAL PENCILS (8 PACKS)=FREE
FARMLAND SAUSAGE (6-1LBS PACKAGES) = FREE
HUNTS 4PK PUDDING (4 PACKAGES) = 1.20

Total= $1.70

WITHOUT COUPONS WERE:

BOTTLE WATER
DIAPER RASH OINTMENT
HOTDOGS
ICE CREAM CONES
OTHER CEREAL


I am thankful that I have 4 major stores by me so my route was a nice small circle and allowed me to take advantage of all of my coupons.
I was so amazed!!

I would love to hear your deals! :)

Back to School Deals! Already?

Yea!! :) My kids are ready to get back to school! And so am I! LOL



OfficeMax (this week) is have a great "Penny Sale".
I don't know about you, but I have to jump on these deals when they come.
I already have my kids supply list from their school and it's long!! This is my kids list (per kid! and mine are in 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade this year) :

• Glue/glue sticks (Target~ this week, elmer's glue stick 6pk for $1)
• Crayons (off brand~ OfficeMax $.01,limit 3)
• Washable Markers
• Scissors (Office Max, $.25, limit3)
• Erasers (OfficeMax, $.25 for assort. pk, limit 3)
• Pencils (OfficeMax, $1.99 for 72 pk, limit 3)
• Red pens
• Blue or black pens
• pencil pouch (no box)
• Wide rule lined paper
• 3x5 Index cards
• 2 spiral notebooks ( 70+ pages)
• White board markers
• White board eraser
• Highlighters ( different colors)(OfficeMax $.05, limit 3)
• Flash drive for computer.(OfficeMax, $19.99 4gb)(1gb is cheaper @ Wal-Mart and plenty of space.
• 1" 3-ring binder (OfficeMax, $1.99, limit 4)
• Subject dividers (5 dividers)(OfficeMax, $.99, limit 4)
• 2 folders with pockets
• ruler(OfficeMax, $.01, limit 3)

I figured about $50 including the flashdrives!! Not too bad. I will be checking Ebay for flashdrives in a 'lot' size purchase also.

Well, I hope this information helps! :)

Over half the year is GONE!

I looked back at my January posts and realized that I haven't hit my goals yet! : (

I still have time!

1. I want to go to the Temple more than I have! :0
   


2. I want to get back into shape! :)




3. I want to reach our next financial goal! :)



4. I want my family year supply complete! :)

Well, that is just to name a few. I am however, very thankful for my many many blessings!

I have wonderful friends, family, and testimony of the true gospel.

I find all these things important in my life. I need the Temple to be enriched with the blessings Heavenly Father has for me and my Family. I need to be in shape, healthy, and strong for what may come my way physically. I need financial growth to prepare for daily living, missions, retirement, charities, and other services. I need year supply to be prepared for trying moments, spiritual strengnth, and @ times to help others. I need my testimony, church, savior, family, and friends to learn from and grow together. To live and prosper how our Father in Heaven has asked us to do so. I love life and the happiness it brings!

Just my thoughts, thought I'd share.

Poor Piggy, How's your piggy bank after gas $

I used this picture from a friends site! LOL

Grocery Savings!

http://azdealsbyallison.blogspot.com/

We are all trying to save money in areas we can. I found this Blog site and really enjoy Allison's great efforts in sharing this information with others. And it's FREE! :)

Another idea is going on the SRP's time wise energy plan. I just enrolled, so I will update you next month when I recieve my bill if it is worth it. Don't forget that the grocery stores give you coupns to their gas pumps if you spend 'X' amount of dollars. I think Albertson's gives the best savings as far as that goes. But, then again, Fry's is usually cheaper in groceries. Just learn to play the game! :) What ever works best for you.

Happy Birthday MOM!!

We had a great get together for Mom's Birthday! I love you MOM!!

StillMoms !!

Okay! I finally got my StillMoms Blog up and going.... This is to get things rolling. As some of you already know I am working on putting an actual web Site together. The blog is just that... a blog to get started. My web site will be a great hit and I will keep you posted. So share your resources, tips, and ideas! http://stillmom.blogspot.com/

Do you think "TOO" much?

I catch myself thinking about little projects that lead into big ideas that lead into different subjects that throw me way of course of what I started thinking about... are you with me? Like going to the store for one thing and coming out with a cart full!! I am guilty of that "BIG" time!
Well, I caught myself thinking like that today and decided to just get out of the house with the kids. We went to Long John Silver's for lunch (I forgot how greasy that place is), then we went to Toys R' Us and bought some fun family games.... including checkers, and we went home and played games for 3 hours and swam for an hour. We had such a fun filled quality time day!!
We ended the evening going over to my moms and hanging out while I permed her hair.(Yes , perms still exists.) :0)

So, if you think "TOO" much, get out and get busy!!! LOL

Enjoying new tips!!

I have been playing around with my blog and I love change so, you will see lots of new things as you read regularly... Today I learned how to use a "marquee" and "scroll bars". If you want to learn new tips you can click on HERE. It's a lot of fun.....

Pirate's Booty

Okay, I found a picture of my new favorite snack! You have to try this if you haven't already. You're in for a cheesey treat!! (there's caramel too.)

San Diego...Girl...Fun!!!!!!!!!

I went with my husbands Aunt and her friend to San Diego for a little getaway....
My Aunt didn't want to be alone while her friend was meeting up with a guy that she had been dating, so I tagged along.
We had a great time! A break from everything was nice. These pictures are from Mission Bay. I was bad at taking pictures of everything, so all you get is Mission Bay. We also went shopping in La Jolla and ate at little sandwich shops. We got pedicures and watched chick flicks at the hotel. My aunt introduced me to "Pirate Booty", a popcorn snack, it is a new snack on my favorites list. Yummmmmmmmmm!!!!! (She gets it at Super Target by the chips.) (or Trader Joes) We also shopped at the outlet mall on our way out of San Diego near Alpine. We had a great time!!



The waves were great for the surfers....

There was a loud and crazy concert going on....


I was trying to get this SeaGull in closer range...oh well..
The sand felt nice to walk on, I forget how soft it really is, not like our park sand.

Memorial Day Fun!!!

For Memorial Day we went to Tempe Town Lake and played at the water park with some friends.


Amber and Westin

Amber (top) and Syndol (sliding)

Kayla and Nicholas

Zachary (Kayla and Nicholas in background)

Kayla's little man, Xander! He truly loves water and didn't even flinch at the coldness.

It was a lot of fun and we all went home with red shoulders even though we were sun blocked!

I've been Tagged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been tagged by Diane! :)

The Rules:

• 1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
• 2. People that are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
• 3. At the end of your post tag 8 people and include their names.Don't forget to leave them a comment on their blog to tell them they've been tagged, and to comment back and read your blog for the whole story.

1. I love sports! Lately I haven't been involved myself, but I use to play co-ed softball and it would boost my ego when I was just visiting and wanting to play and the teams would argue which team I would be on. Now, I love supporting my boys in baseball and football. And my daughter in tennis.
2. This Mother's Day I received a lot of notes and letters from children and the main point from them was "Mom, you rock!" So, I guess I am a rockin mom!
3. Although I have some weight to lose, I love working out! I always challenge my 11 year old son with "suicide crunches". That is where you count 1, 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4, ....all the way to 20. We just started doing that.
4. My favorite thing to do for relaxing...with a friend or by myself, is getting a gelato and eating it while I get a pedicure.
5. I love dating my husband! It's been 12 1/2 years!!
6. I love to shop! I wouldn't know what to do if Ebay shut down!
7. I have learned so many things through some tough experiences.... So many blessings have sprouted from them. For example, losing our home of 8 years to a fire, we are happier than ever now, in our new home and community. And, the loss of my second child, I feel that I have a greater bond with my children because they are truly gifts from above. Also, I've learned that I don't cry during tragic events, rather, I breakdown when I have a moment to myself and then thank my Heavenly Father for his comfort. I know I have a great family and friends around me that support me, so I move on...................
8. I love that every day I can choose the mood of my day! ( even when my two young tornadoes hit! )( I am learning to move past the angry moments. Yes, I am human and still get PMS moments) :) I love hanging out with great friends at the park and letting our children play.(relief!!) I would do that everyday!!!!!!

Now, I Tag!!! The eight lucky people are: Sandi, Shawnie, Natalie M., Kayla, Kenyon, Libby, Echelle, and Lindsey

Happy Birthday Westin!! BIG #3!!

Happy Birthday Westin!!!!!!!


Westin Thomas Whiting; 6lbs. 14oz

May 20, 2005

2005

2008
Westin loves Pirates!! I did make him a pirate ship cake, just not this one. And we ate at Pirate fish and chips on Lindsey/University where he got a little black pouch with a gold coin. We made eye patches and had a blast!! It was just the family, small and simple. I thought that Corey had a baseball game that night so, I didn't plan anything, turned out that he didn't and it was the next day... oh well. UUURRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Mate!

My Goodness!!!!!!!!

I thought that I would check in....I actually added to my Krazy schedule! I joined bootcamp..again! I did it last year and I really enjoyed it, I have new and bigger goals this year so, I am back to work!! I go every morning @ 5:30 for an hour. I am sore and full of energy afterwards! I love it! (first week, I lost 4 lbs! )

I have been watching what I eat and drinking my MonaVie! I have a hard time consuming ALL of the right portions of my fruits and Vegetables, MonaVie helps me get ALL of my fruits in and then I eat my protein and two cups of Veggies. If I make a salad I still eat protein and two cups of veggies on top!!

Check out MonaVie

or you can watch a video of their story, click here.

I am a distributor, so if you have any questions I would be delighted to answer them.

nwhiting@cox.net

So, this has been my latest adventure and I feel great!!

Krazy Schedule....Krazy Fun!!!!!!!!!!!

With Baseball in season... I have Corey(11) playing for Majors and Keith (7) playing Coach pitch. Also, tennis is in season!! Amber (8 1/2) found her new love for the sport!! She started her training this year as well.
Wow! What a juggle!!!!!! I manage (with help) to support my children in their endeavors!! Also, lots and lots of birthdays!!



Happy Birthday to Keith!! March 29th, 2001!!

And...Happy Birthday Zachary! April 7th, 2004!!



Along with...

March...

Sister's Sandi and Shawnie!

Family: Diane(Freestone), Jordyn, Sherolyn, Brent, Chase, Chaz, Jan, Celeste, Chris C., Maki, Porter, and more......and more.....

Friend's: Where do I begin.....so many to list!!!!!!!!!!

Then, April..... you get the idea!

In the mean time we mingle with family and friends at play dates, church, and business events!!

A whole lot of Krazy fun things!! I love every bit of it!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Birthday!!

I am Forever 21!...No, 30!...Yeah! I choose 30! No, I won't tell my real age but, I am enjoying life and I will enjoy it even more this year!! Just because! Thank you all for the warm wishes and a Happy Day!

Happy Easter!!

Where is the time going!? Jason and I took our kids and some friends to our family cabin for Easter. There was snow and we really enjoyed it! The ladies enjoyed the relaxation while the guys enjoyed the attempts to fish and go shooting. We hid easter baskets and easter eggs on Sat. and played card games. On Sunday we went to a local ward for sacrament and then back to the cabin. We made homemade pizza before we cleaned up and left to head back home. It was a nice short and sweet vacation.

Happy St. Patricks Day!!

Don't forget the green!! You gotta have green eggs and ham, green milk, and of course green pancakes! It's spring break for my children and it's party time!!! We get to have a party cleaning house and spending time together. March is loaded with birthdays and it's just a big party month for us. Yesterday was my sisters 20th birthday and we had a traditional St. Patty's Dinner and texas sheet cake. Saturday my mom took my sisters and I out to breakfast for our birthday's. 3 out of 4 of us girls were born in March. We had a great time and ate a lot of Excellent food! Well, have a great St.Patrick's Day and don't get PINCHED! :)

St. Louis

Jason and I had a an amazing trip! St. Louis was beautiful and our hotel was amazing..The Millennium (above). Our business convention was fabulous and motivational! We saw some wonderful people get recognized for some goals that we want to achieve as well. I am excited for our future with our family and it has already begun!! We have accomplished some dreams and we have a lot more to do!!! Amber wants to go shopping at Mall of America and I want to go to the LA Mart. We are going to plan a fun trip where we will fly and play at MofA for a few days and from there fly over to L.A. and play for a few days, then fly home. That is our goal. Well, we have many goals and we are excited.... we want all of our family and friends to go with us, wouldn't that be fun?!!

Well, we wish you were all in St. Louis with us, it was great!!

My Celebrity Look-alikes!! :) LOL :o

Wow!! I really need to hit the GYM if I look like Pamela Anderson the most.... Oh... maybe I just need to find her surgeon?! Ha ! This is fun....it's funny that Natalie Wood is on there, my mom told me that I was named after her............ Well, enjoy!!!.................I can't wait to see yours!

TEAM!!

I am so excited about our upcoming convention in St. Louis!! I love our team!

There has been a lot of wonderful things going on in our life and with TEAM we have been able to accomplish more things than we ever thought we would. I love reading from blogs of leaders...I mean you too! We all can be great leaders in anything we do in our life... what better friends can you have! We are all improving ourselves and helping one another accomplish the things we desire to accomplish. I love you guys!!

This is my Hair web site...
Just click on the picture or here to check it out.
I look forward to seeing you soon......

FoR tHe LoVe oF mY gIrL !!!

I just have to say, I love my girl!!! Amber has such a sweet personality and she is so fun to be around. She is especially fond of her Uncles. For what ever reasons she loves to tease and hug her uncles as long as they let her, sometimes for hours. lol
She loves to help mom with just about anything...today she surprised me with doing the dishes!
Amber loves to dance and gymnastics. I wish I had her energy!! These pictures are when I played with her hair with her "crush" hair streaker she recieved for Christmas. We had a lot of fun!! :) :) :) :)

The Tale of TWO Brains

Okay! Everyone should watch this video! I now understand the difference between Man and Woman!

Zachary started Pre-School today and he got to ride the bus. He was so excited, Westin and I followed the bus to school so that we could see him get off and so that Westin would stop crying for him. It turned out great!

This past week I didn't do my best at getting to the gym. Monday Westin started runnning a fever, yesterday was his best day. He is getting his 2 year molars. And getting Zachary ready for school has been busy... I had to track down his shot records and birth certificate in Phoenix. But I'm back on schedule and going to the gym today. I love going because the kids enjoy the child watch and I can work towards my goal..... It's actually becoming addictive. :)

Well, we are all doing great! And that is my update for now..... Talk to you all later!!!!!!! Smile!!!:)

Yea!!!

I am way excited!! I have lost a total of 8lbs!!!!! I just wieghed in today and lost 1 lb since yesterday. The Gym is paying off and the kids love playing in the child center.

And...that last picture scares me too!!LOL

I am sticking to my weight goal ....

What do you think? Can I do it? :)

I've lost 5 lbs, typical! That is my yo-yo number. But, I am going to stay positive, I walk 1.75 miles in 30 min. on the treadmill. I usually stare at the clock on the treadmill, but I saw someone covering theirs up with a towel, so I tried it and watched the TV. It worked!! I went past the 1 mile mark! My goal is to do 5 miles!! I had really bad shin splints this last summer from running and walking at a boot camp, I did pretty good. But ouch!! So since that time this is the first I've been able to walk a distance with out my shins hurting. And I went back to the Gym at night and did the glider/elliptical (whatever it's called) for 20 min and some sit-ups and free weights. I am feeling a lot better getting back into the active body again.
I have an elliptical at home, but the gym's is a better quality. At home I feel like I'm walking down a steep hill. I guess something is better than nothing.

Shredded Beef Burritos, Enchilada Style~ From Scratch!

I am having fun with the pre-cooked meat!! I used 1/3 of the shredded beef I cooked tues. night and put that on flour tortillas with cream cheese (reduce fat) & enchilada sauce, and rolled them. placed in a baking dish with my homemade enchilada sauce (below) drizzled over the top and topped with shredded cheese (used 1 cup instead of 2 cups). Baked until cheese melted and warmed through.

De-lish!!!!! Served with a basic salad, of course.

O'kay, I didn't cheat my 12 day cleanse, I did taste the enchilada sauce. My family loved dinner! And we didn't even have sour cream~less fat! I just can't believe where you can eliminate the extra calories and still enjoy a favorite meal!

I Love Cooking!!~ Homemade Enchilada Sauce!

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup chili powder
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water

1 T. Cocoa powder~ makes a good rich flavor!
2 teaspoon taco seasoning or 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 C. dried onions
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in flour and chili powder, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lightly brown, stirring constantly to prevent burning flour.
Gradually stir in tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt into the flour and chili powder until smooth, and continue cooking over medium heat approximately 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Season to taste with salt.

Daily Cooking for Seven.....

One of my goals this year is to bake and cook more, rather than eating out as much as we did last year. Yesterday I baked 3 loaves of homemade Whole Wheat Bread and they turned out great!!
I use to cook in advance for meals through out the week, well I am at it again. Last night I threw a roast on in my crock pot and now I have shredded beef for: salads, chimichangas, tacos, BBQ, sandwiches, enchiladas, etc... I cooked 5lbs of ground hamburger and now I have enough for: spaghetti, Stroganoff, Shepards Pie, etc..... I just store the meats divided in small freezer bags and freeze until ready to cook. It saves a lot of time in the moments. With five kids and three that do homework daily plus extra activities, this is a big deal in my house to be able to make a meal quickly. I love buying fish too. It cooks fast and we love rice (or pasta) and veggies with our fish. Eating healthy and getting the right nutrition is important. So, Choosing lean meats and adding extra veggies are definately in mind during these meals. And you don't have to fry your chimichangas, bake them with butter drizzled over them~Oh~ a friend of mine uses spray butter, that would work too. It's less fat that way and you can also just bake them without any butter, Just turn them mid way through and you will have a dry crisp. I'm serving up more salads too. I think we lacked on fiber as well, so I'm adding more this year too.
You might be thinking about the baking part...it's O'kay to eat treats too! Notice my cupcakes link? We love cinnamon rolls, I learned how to make healthier ones just by using less filling and I make an orange glaze with splenda. Every little bit helps. Applesauce cookies are great too!! Use Carob Chips instead of Chacolate chips, or buy pure chocolate chips instead of the ones w/ wax. Chocolate is Not bad for you!! The darker the better! I love a handful of dark Chocolate with Almonds. (not chocolate covered ones.)
Well, I think that just by writing this is making me want to stay on track. And the more I cook the less I eat! It might be because I'm tired by the time I'm done....LOL :)
I am always looking for ideas so share your ideas with me!!

Hapy New Year!!

I just wanted to say Happy New Year to everyone!!!

(I have been having fun designing my Blog, I learned how

to do my own layout and background stuff.)

O'kay....Resolutions~ I don't have any new ones!!

I still have to finish the ones I made five years ago!!

But I have more to add to my list.... :)

Cheers to a Great Year with friends and family!!

Durango Here We Come!

We went with some friends to Durango the weekend before Christmas and came home Christmas Eve. We had a great time and loved every bit of it !!! We had some awesome homemade Hot Cocoa and Canned Cinnimon Rolls, Mmmmm... We walked down by the Train and got pictures (on my friends camera) and we walked up and down Main street. There are some neat little shops there. Kayla and I loved the Fur Coats!! We went back the next night just to see them again and we went to a movie, nothing was open other than that Fur shop. We won't tell the guys what else we did................J/K
So, here are some pictures......

I can't believe that we are driving into those clouds....

Here's Jason and Corey @ The Elk Farm...

Behind the barn are some Elk...

Zachary in front of the Mueseum....

Corey in The Museum...

Some Dwellings in the clif of the mountain...

I was only 10 ft. or so from this Deer...

The Sun Setting...

The Moon Rising...The end of play day #1...and I missed

the snow sledding, the mom's stayed back at the cars with

the youngest kids, while the dad's sledded with the older

ones. We forgot to send the cameras~dang it!



PLAY DAY # 2...We drove to Silverton and through

Telluride back to Durango (Big Loop). The Snow was

amazing...

It was actually snowing on us in areas...

Beautiful drive...

I got out of the car to get an Ice Cicle, but the snow came

up to my knee and I decided not to go further...

This was an amazing small Canyon, can you find the

2 (TWO)

Ice Climbers? (below) Jason calls it "finding Waldo"

my clue: they are both towards the bottom of the

picture and about 3 inches from each other.

Corey and Westin....

The guys and the kids, Moms taking pictures...

The drive home was warming up...this is near Ship Rock...

Just In..."Sneaky little boys rob the cupboard"....

So, as I was posting the last post, my two little angels (Zach and Westin) were running out of the kitchen (I never saw them go in, they were in their room playing.) Anyway, I went to check on them because they were running out with a bowl in hand. They are both little climbers and quiet. So, when I went into the room Westin(2) was telling Zach(3) to hide as they were climbing to the top bunk with the bowl. Well, the bowl had marshmellows in it already, so that was what I thought that they had grabbed, but they added another treat... cough drops from the upper cupboard. Yummmmmmmmm!? Westin was eating a cough drop already when I took the bowl and I had to laugh because he actually liked it. It's an original flavor of menthol and no sugar. Well, I will have to hide them in my room now. He was very angry that I took them away. LOL

Wow! Can we be more creative?

I found this web site and I love it! I was actually looking to make my own laundry soap because I do so much laundry everday! I found this website http://www.instructables.com and it has some great tips for a whole lot of things. I wanted to share it with everyone.... have fun!!

Enjoy your Reflection...

O'kay.... I was asked this question at a church activity last night,

"What is your favorite room in the house?"

.. I said "Kitchen" LOL, I love to eat ~ dang it! Most of the ladies said their Bedroom, to escape into a comfort zone. Sure, I like to escape, I'd rather say "my time to play" and that would be out with friends on "girls night out". Another question was

"Who would you like to hang out with if you could hang out with anyone in the world?"

I heard a lot of answers like, Jesus, the President, various movie stars, BUT I said "My husband". I know if you asked Jason if that were true he would back me up on that. I tell him every day that I want to hang out with him. I'll share one more...I actually love this one because I think this is what helps me through the day...

"When is the last time you laughed at yourself?"

I said " Every day!" even when it's tough, I end up laughing about myself and how I may have reacted about things that day. It's a great way to learn about yourself when you reflect on your daily doings.

I am so glad that I have great people in my life that help me see potential and I can learn from others examples. I am who I am because of you... You are all wonderful! When these questions are asked, to know a person better, you realize that we all have common grounds with different outcomes and by that we learn from each other. It made me reflect on the different answers that were given.

Enjoy your reflection.

~ Natalie

My Sisters Wedding....

She Married Mr. Wright!!!!!!!



The luncheon was Fabulous!
(Waffles,ham,eggs,biscuit & gravy..)

We loved being with our California cousins!!
They are such a great family.


My sister is a beautiful Bride!
She is posing with our beautiful cousin. :)


Time to Dance and have fun...

Congratulations Sis!! You will
have a happy and beautiful journey
with your sincere husband. You
two are such a perfect match.
Love ya!!!

Thanksgiving Was Fun!

Jason's side:

This was our Table for Thanksgiving LUNCH,

we had to decorate it and had fun doing so.

Uncle Mike has a great big back yard and all of

the kids really enjoyed it!!

The Jumper/Slide was great!! Even the moms

got in it and some fell over the bottom bumper.

LOL!!!!! :0

Zachary enjoyed climbing this tree all day.

----------------------------------------------

Natalie's side:

Our family went to Piestewa Peak Park for

Thanksgiving Dinner and they did a night hike

with flashlights and head lamps,

this picture is at the top of the mountain.

They really loved it!! The city lights were

a great view.

We had hot cocoa and smores....Mmmmmm!!

What a way to end the evening..... The next day

was my sister's BIG DAY!!

Veteran's Day!

Veteran's Day Parade Down Town Mesa:

( Corey, Amber, & Keith- wanted to pose w/ this statue.)

We had fun at the parade and saw some great Marching bands, Mini Coopers, Harley's, ROTC, dancer's, and Firing Squads- My kids liked that the best. (and the candy). We stayed there for a little while and then we went to the bookstore and a movie. It was a great day!!

Keiths Goal...

Okay, I'm posting a lot, but that is just how it is today... :)

I mentioned me talking to my kids earlier this week about making a difference in the world.....well, Here we go.... Keith's web blog is set up and we are on a roll. So, take a look and tell me what you think? There is more information on his site and we hope that you add it to your list.....and pass it on...! I know that we have a great network of friends and family between all of us, so this is going to be great! I am so excited for him and so is he.
Just today he came home and was talking about someone that is famous in his school class because he is in the paper and on TV. I told him that was neat, he asked when he could do that? I told him that one day he would be famous for just making a difference. He didn't know what to say to that but, I think he understands.

"Guilty as Charged!!!"....Anyone feel this way?

Oh, let me tell you my weakness....FOOD! So, We joined a gym, because our friends did and we could motivate each other. (ha ha ha!) Anyway, we really want to do better since Jason had an emergency visit to the ER, basically he needs to get healthy. And so do I! So, we joined the gym and we are excited about it, I made breakfast, packed a light snack and a lunch for Jason this morning. I went about my day and helped at my mom's house and headed home around 1 O'clock. I called Jason as I was eating shhhhh.....Taco Bell, and he asked me if I could bring him something "chocolate". LOL So, of course I said "yes" and then he said "don't worry about it, I can hear the kids whining." (nap time) I said that's "Okay." He said "why, because you want some too?" I said "of course!"

We just laughed at our first "healthy" day.

But, really, we are doing better.

I live in a nice, quiet neighborhood and I have a park at the end of my street. I love taking the two little ones out on walks there so they can play. I usually just go once in a while, but I think I need to make it daily. The weather is really nice in the mornings now, thank goodness!

Found some Misc.. photos...enjoy!

Make a slide show, scrapbook or ecard

Old Friends! Time goes by......

Wow! I have been having fun online! I ran into a lot of old time friends and started missing some of those days, but not really... I just miss seeing them! Blogging can be a lot of fun. For old times sake and for now. I love where I am at now... of course I have a lot of goals to pursuit still, but what would it be like if you didn't have goals? I am glad I am always trying to do something more.

I ask my children " What do you want to do to change something in the world?" They all thought hard and wrote things down, but Keith ( my six year old) said, " I want to make 20,000,000 bologna and lettuce sandwiches for the hungry." Wow, he really thought out the details. So, guess what, I told him that we have the Internet and we can make a small dream come true,..some how... Wish us luck! Better yet, please pray for Keith's wish to come true.

I love my children and I want them to know that they can do anything!!!!! We love people and we were talking about "bad" people and how they just need someone to love them more, even though they made some wrong choices.
My children are such inspirations in my life and it's amazing how they can make you feel.
How can you make a difference?
Happy Thanksgiving

Halloween.....?........Christmas

O'kay, I have heard many of you warning about losing information while changing the layout...I did too! You would think that I would learn. I guesss I like to take my own risk...lol.
Halloween was fun, now I'm into the next mode...Christmas! ....Oh.... I mean Thanksgiving!

I was shopping on Halloween day at last minute and I went down the next isle after Halloween
things...and wow! I was in Christmas! Did we forget Thanksgiving? I often wonder that, well I wonder that every year after Halloween. So, I bought a Christmas Wreath!
I am excited about Thanksgiving, my sister is getting maried the Friday after and we will have a lot of family here in town, it will be great!

And of course....it's shopping time for the little ones and I'm enjoying it!

Are you ready for the holidays?

So Sorry!

I am So Sorry!
I can't believe how fast time goes by...... Kenyon reminded me that I had a blog to update. Thank you so much!
Jason and I had a Awesome time at our business convention!

But, before that, I was helping some friends book their airlines and hotels and made mistakes in the process on one...oops! I really didn't mean to give someone a lay over of 8 hrs in the middle of the night, sorry. Wow! What was I thinking? or not thinking? I became more aware.... But he received a great deal for the next time after finding out that it was really the booking sites error. He still had to keep that ticket though, dang it. Now we just laugh about it!

A couple of weeks ago Westin, my youngest, decided to cut an apple all by himself. He cut his finger tip pretty bad and we went to ER and received two stitches. He kept telling the doctor "Apple".
Of course I could really write a book on "Westins Daily Doings" and probably make millions because there would be a series and you would want to know what happened next! LOL

Like today at 9 am he found my Halloween color hair gel (red) and put some in his hair, toilet, sink, door, floor, mirror, and eventually he was put into the tub to get washed up. I realised what he was doing when he ran pass me hiding the paper towels behind his back so I couldn't See what he had, but I saw his red hair! Silly little man! He seems to get Zachary into trouble, you know, he starts the mess and then Zach joins him. But....
I sure love them and missed them when away at the convention. I did enjoy the little break too.

Now, my reflections on the business convention: Louisville, KY

We got there a couple of days early and drove around some older areas that were full of history. Then we went to the Louisville Slugger muesem. We watched the production of how baseball bats were made and learned about early days of baseball to modern days. That was exciting. What a great history lesson that was. Many great mentors in Baseball. Then................................

WoW!! What a great time we had! We had so many speakers touch our hearts. We really needed to hear what they had to say. Tim Marks...funnnny funnnny funnnny! Amy was awesome! Chris and Terry was phenomenal, Terry had beautiful inspiring stories about her children and herself. Orrin was awesome!!!!!!!!! Laurie really touched me too. Many many more speakers helped our visions grow bigger for our future.
Jason and I have so many visions, a couple are things to accomplish with our family. One is my own vision, to help Mothers that have lost a child. I am excited to say that I just reserved my website for that, so my vision is starting to become a reality. I am so excited. I heard my friends talking about their dreams and goals in life, I am way excited for them too.

I will do better about updating my blog.

Love to you all!
~ Natalie

My Little Angels are @ it again!

.....Well, first of all, yesterday was GREAT! I took Zach and Westin to tumbling and then I met up with my sister w/ her two girls @ the mall. We just took our time and enjoyed each others company. The kids did pretty good and my boys fell asleep around 11:30. They stayed asleep for three hours. Wow! My little nieces were getting bored, sorry girls.
So, today I'm thinking yesterday was great! Today is house cleaning day, well it was suppose to be normal house cleaning, instead it has turned out to be cleaning trails after Zach and Westin.
I just got done getting a lot of hot pink fingernail polish out of my carpet. After different attempts of various products I searched online and found that Windex and WD-40 together work the best!
DON"T USE POLISH REMOVER! especially with acetone. Basically it dilutes the polish and it spreads, making a bigger mess. The acetone will discolor the carpet.
I just had to share.... since it's only 10:00 AM and it's still going.....Wednesday was my night out and I hung out with acouple of my friends. One of them had discovered her children writing on the walls with permenant markers that day so she was ready to get out of the house and that same morning Zach and Westin had thrown grapes all over the kitchen and family room and then sprayed water all over the kitchen floor from the faucet. They did that @ 6:00 AM, I wasn't even awake yet!
So, really, I try not to feel like I neglect them, they are just too quick and sneaky! LOL!
I am glad that they love each other though. They will go through a lot of trials together. I hope that they will always be there for one another.
Well, I better get them out of time out...... Talk to you later.......

Fun Fun!

The family Blogger has been really fun for me to put together. Finding pictures and bringing back some memories! And, my children are loving it! I decided to give them their own little picture space, as you see.
I just can't believe where time goes!

Today I took Keith to the Dentist, he had to get a tooth pulled and he was awesome! We have a few more visits for him, unfortunately. But he has been a good sport about it. He got to keep his tooth in a little "tooth" shaped container. In the mean time I took Zach and Westin with us and they played for a little while in the play area, but they started getting curious beyond the toys....next time they probably won't come with us. LOL Thank goodness tomorrow is Gym time!