who done it????????

well we have a mystery in our home that has been impossible to solve due to an extremely good liar. on sunday asher asked me to brush his hair before church and while i was doing it, i noticed that there was a patch of hair that had been cut off right on his crown. i asked him who cut his hair and he looked me right in the eyes and said, "lily cut my hair!" i then proceeded into lily's room and asked her and she will swear up and down that she didn't do it. i have tried asking asher in every way possible if it was him and not lily but he is sticking to his guns that she did it. who am i suppose to believe?????

fortunately it is a boys hair and not on the crown of lily's head but i don't want my children cutting their own or even their siblings hair. i can only imagine what will happen to this little baby to be if it is a girl and the kids think it is funny to cut hair.

has anyone had this problem? do i ban them from scissors or just move on and hope that it doesn't happen again??? please help!!!!!

asher sparks turns 3

(birthday morning opening presents)

Happy Birthday little buddy! we only had a small family get together so no party pictures for him. we took him to red robin for dinner. we told them it was his birthday so they would sing to him and bring an ice cream sundae. when they arrived i thought it might scare him but he didn't even pay attention to the singing, he only had eyes for the sundae. he thought that was the greatest thing ever. i wish we got a picture of it.

asher is probably the cutest kid i know.
he loves his brother and sister
he calls lily "lil" which i think is really cute
a couple times a week he will wake up in the middle of the night and crawl in bed with me. he cuddles up to me and puts his arms around me for a couple of minutes and then gets out and goes back to bed. it makes me feel like he wakes up and just misses me and so he comes to get a momma fix. i love it.
the only way to get him to take a nap is to lay down with him.
he is always laughing or smiling.
he has the thickest and most awesome hair.
he can be pretty shy if he is around a bunch of new people.
he hates it when me or steven cry (well fake cry.) he gets so upset and will do anything you want to get you to stop.
i love that he kisses you if he bumps you or hurts you in any way.
whenever his kisses you, he follows it up with an eskimo kiss that he call a nosle (i am not sure how to spell this so if you want to know just ask)
he loves eating at the mall. anytime we go there he gets upset if we don't get him something to eat.
he likes to color in any coloring book and try to cut the pictures out. he fluctuates between using his left and right and i am not sure which one he's better with.
he loves puzzles, books, games, blocks and puzzles, puzzles, puzzles.
he jumps on and off everything
his favorite show is He-Man even though it was banned from our house because jack was getting too crazy with the swords because of it.
i love his dimples, his kisses and his smile
most of all, i love him!

lily turns 6

so my little baby turned six. i am late in writing this but at least it's here. lily loves dressing up, singing and dancing so i thought i would have a party and do just that. one of my friends came over and did the girls makeup and hair and then they got dressed up in some of the tutu's or skirts i made for the party. my friend also taught them how to walk a runway so we turned up the music loud and they showed what they were made of. it basically consisted of a lot of giggling and dancing and some fun poses. they were so cute, i could hardly stand it!


since lily is so small, all the girls thought it would be fun hold her in all of the pictures. they were pretty strong!

lily belle
you are beautiful
your smile can light up a room
you love crafts, drawing and anything artsy
singing and reading are your passions
i love watching you in church reading the hymns and trying to sing along
you have the best little trill when you sing (it makes your dad and i laugh at how cute you are)
you love your brothers and they adore you
that doesn't mean that you don't fight with them (or maybe just jack) like crazy
you can argue anything to death, it drives me insane but i think you got it from me
you love your grandmas and grandpas
you don't hold grudges (i am amazed at how quickly you forgive)
you love heavenly father and have faith he can help you
one time you were nervous about going to the dentist (nervous is an understatement, every time you had been before you would cry and scream the whole time.) well you decided the night before your appointment that you would pray for help. the next day you woke up and told me that you were ready for the dentist. you said you prayed and that things were going to be fine. you walked into the dentist and got into the chair and let them use the tools and take x-rays without so much as a peep. afterward, when i asked about your change you said well, i prayed and Heavenly Father helped me
i admire your faith and so does your dad
you bring so much love to this home and i am eternally grateful for you
love mommy

Eclipse

i haven't felt the desire to blog lately but since i saw this today, i thought i would share it. I can't wait! enjoy!

this is me

(lame pic of me but it is the most recent one i have)

so my friend carrie did this on her blog a while ago and i was inspired to do the same and started this narrative (poem) but couldn't finish it until tonight. maybe it was the glow of the christmas tree that got me going i'm not sure but here it is:

me
1 of 2
shy yet full of life
daycare, grandma's, family vacations
disneyland and hawaii
new york
determined
hard working
loyal
i'm a caller
i like to stay in touch
even though i'm far away
i like to feel
like i'm part of it all
wife
mother
friend
i will do anything for you
music moves me
but my children drive me
to be a better person
to try harder in life
to be a better wife
i'm a debator
but only if i feel you won't judge me
many an arguement
won and lost
at no cost
that's why
i love my husband
quick to prove a point
but also to say sorry
never go to bed mad
always wake
with a sleepy smile
even through trials
anxious
happy
tired
books devour me
or more like my time
i try to write
not books but songs
i'm forever indebt
to my Father
for pointing the way
to forever
thank you for blessing my life
with strife
with love
with family
with friends
because this is me
and i'm grateful

random and long i know but that is who i am i guess.

one more random thing

my friend trish (thanks) gave me this really cute fabric and i thought i would make a dress for lily. i think it turned out pretty cute. i used one of my patterns that is usually a tank dress and added a sleeve pattern from a different dress. lily wasn't very happy with me when i took these pictures because she had to go to school while me and the boys were going to hang out with my mom, thus the no smiling in the picture. this was the happiest i could get her to look, at least she wasn't crying in this one. i know the fabric is a bit 70's with the huge flower print but i thought it worked.



i thought the back was really cute with the random yellow button i happened to have laying around.

random things

lily was invited to a birthday party for twins in her class that she was also in preschool with last year. they are really cute and lily was really excited to go until we realized that the party was on sunday and that she couldn't go. she was sad but when i told her that i would make them dolls she got really excited. she decided which print should go where and how the face should look. i am not sure if the girls have green eyes or not but lily insisted that they did. one of the twins has brown hair and one has blond which is why i gave them different hair. i thought they turned out pretty cute.


jackson drew this the other day then grabbed a piece of tape and put it on the wall. he then turned to me and said, "mommy, i just wanted to decorate!" i thought it was really cute.


i made this dress for lily and i actually liked how it turned out.

lily and jackson

i have to say that i have been very grateful lately for how much these two love eachother. sure, they fight but they are also best friends. now that lily is gone at school every afternoon jackson and asher are having more time to spend with eachother and even though i know it makes jack a little sad to drop her off, he and asher are starting to really have fun together. the boys are starting to be a little more interested in boys things instead of always trying to do what lily wants. it is cute seeing my baby acting like a big boy doing puzzles, playing with light sabers and doing just about everything that jackson is. where does the time go???? so here is to my children loving eachother.

recommendation

this is the first tv comedy in a while that has really made me laugh. steven and i watched the pilot episode on our plane flight to san francisco and it totally sucked us in. the following link will take you to the website where you can watch some episodes and see if you agree.

http://abc.go.com/shows/modern-family

happy birthday jackson

(this is how i found him this morning doing his puzzle wearing his optimus prime costume. i thought it was funny because could he really see the puzzle pieces this way?)

well jackson is officially 4. i can't believe it! it is funny because most of the time i have to remind myself that he is not lily's age because they are the same size but then when i think back it seems like just yesterday that this loving little boy came to us. here are ten things everyone should know about jackson:

1. he loves to cuddle.
2. he has a very hard head and he doesn't always know where he is swinging it. everyone who has spent time with him has been knocked by his noggin.
3. he has the best voice. i always said i wanted a child with a scratchy voice and i definitely got one.
4. he is awesome at puzzles. he can do a puzzle with 100 pieces that says it is for 5 years and up.
5. he loves his brother and sister. he would choose to play with them over anyone.
6. his favorite food is a hot dog. i asked him yesterday what he wanted for dinner on his birthday and all he wanted was a hot dog. "i kept saying but you can have anything you want!" hot dogs it is!
7. he hates taking pictures. i try very hard to get pictures of him but most of the time he gets away.
8. he used to be allergic to dairy but now he is not. he will try almost anything and for this i am very grateful since i am constantly struggling to get lily to eat the most basic foods.
9. he is a momma's boy threw and threw. he would almost always choose me over anyone.
10. this kid has more energy than lily and asher put together but he has always been the best napper. until lily started school last month he was still taking a 2-3 hour nap. unfortunately he has now decided that he doesn't need one but i still try.

i love you buddy!

fall (or autumn as i like to call it)

why don't we call it autumn anymore? so we went to the park yesterday and took some pictures of the kids playing. i think this is my favorite time of year in washington. the weather is beautiful, not too hot, not too cold and it is absolutely amazing how many different colors the leaves turn. it is like one day it is summer and the trees are green and the grass is starting to get brown from too much sun and not enough rain and then suddenly it is fall and the grass is green again and the trees are spectacular. it reminds me that now is a good time to start fresh and try harder. it makes me want to be a better wife, more patient mother and a more helpful friend. i know that typically the new year is the time for this reflection but seeing all the changes in nature is a much better reminder for me.

(i love being reminded that they really do love each other)

(the kids had so much fun just running around this tree chasing each other i thought it was cute)

(we went there with the intention of taking pictures in the rain but of course when you want rain, it goes away)

(steven was able to get so close to this bird it didn't even care)

just so you know, jackson was not into taking pictures and tried to get away as fast as he could so that is why there are more of lily and ash.

no tv

well, i have been reading quite a lot since april because when we moved into our new place, we decided not to get cable. at night when the kids are in bed there is nothing i want more than to sit on the couch and relax. normally i do this while watching a variety of shows but now i read. i thought i tell you all what i have been reading and if there are any recommended reads.

here they are in no particular order:

*jane eyre (charlotte bronte)- recommended by ruth and it was soooo good! i can't believe that i hadn't read it before. everyone should read it. i did think it was kind of slow in the beginning but once i got through that, the story really, really picked up and i couldn't put it down.

*peony in love (lisa see) - she write using her chinese background and they are so amazing! it is so intense reading about what it was like for women in china when women were in arranged marriages and could not leave the house. this book is loosely based on someone who actually lived and died because of the strain this put on them at the young age of 16. i loved this book!

*sunflower and the secret fan (lisa see) - also somewhat based in history, this really goes into detail about the act of footbinding and what it meant in their culture. she is an awesome writer and i recommend all of her books.

*flower net (lisa see) - this book and the and the sequel are part of her mystery collection. although i liked her novels better both of these two books were pretty good.

*the interior (lisa see) - see above

*city of bones (cassandra clare) - where do i begin? i think these are the best books i have read all year. if you love twilight i this series is a must read. i have actually read them twice now and i could hardly put them down. it was all i could do to feed and clothe my children! well i am exaggerating but they are so, so, so , so good. let me know if anyone else reads or has read them, i want to know what you think.

*city of ashes (cassandra clare) - awesome

*city of glass (cassandra clare) - an amazing ending to one of the best series!

*the percy jackson series: the lightning thief, the sea of monsters, the titans curse, the battle of the labrynth and the last olympian (rick riordan) - along the lines of harry potter (they are actually shooting the movie for the first one right now) but very different. this book is all about greek mythology and i found the history so intriguing. i would recommend this to everyone and if you have children who can read i would suggest them as well.

*the fablehaven books: fablehaven, the rise of the evening star, grip of the shadow plague and secrets of the dragon sanctuary (brandon mull) - another lds author to really hit the mark. these are awesome books that the whole family can read. i have really enjoyed them and would recommend them to all. i do believe there will be at least one more book in the series but not for a while.

*twenties girl (sophia kinsella) - the author of the shopaholic books has written a very cute novel. much different than the shopaholic books and in some ways better. i don't know about you but when i read those books i was practically yelling i was so mad most of the time because of the stupid things she was doing. i had a really hard time finishing some of them but was always rewarded in the end with a great ending. if you like her other books i would recommend this one.

*the time travelers wife (audrey niffenegger) - what a name that is. anyways i loved the story but can not recommend this to anyone because of a lot of choice words and some scenes that i wish i wouldn't have read. awesome story though see the movie, it is missing the bad parts.

*the memory keepers daughter (kim edwards) - loved the book and the story. it is definitely a tear jerker but a great read.

*the girl who could fly (victoria forester) - this was such a touching story about why being different is good and how we should stay true to who we are. great for adults and children. loved it.

*the giver (lois lowry) - this is a classic that i had never read. people kept asking if i loved the book because two of the characters are lily and asher. i figured i should give it a shot and loved it. if you haven't read this you should. it is pretty short and a very quick read.

*the defector (daniel silva) - this was an intense thriller about the russian kgb and the Israeli intelligence. it was kind of a random read for me (a recommend from the library staff) but i actually really liked it.

*a thousand splendid suns (khaled hosseini) - another amazing story. i don't know if you have read the kite runner but this is the same author and everyone says this story is better. i only saw the movie so i don't have much of an opinion on the kite runner but this was truly amazing. i find it so fascinating to learn about what it is like for the women of Afghanistan. if you are at all interested in historical fiction you should give this a whirl. it is a beautiful love story.

*the hunter games (suzanne collins) - i just finished this today and i can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. i am dying to know what comes next in this amazing story about survival and love. i think i would categorize this as sci-fi and it was amazing. READ THIS!

let me know if you have any recommends for me. besides the time travelers wife, i recommend you read all of these books but if you aren't a crazy speed reader like me, please just read the cassandra clare books YOU WILL LOVE THEM!

jana

new moon trailer #3

ENJOY!

2nd official new moon trailer

ENJOY!

The Twilight Saga: New Moon 'Meet Jacob Black' Preview in HD

gardening

basil.
my favorite fresh herb to cook with (probably the only fresh herb i have cooked with)

zucchini.
my zucchini plant hasn't been doing too great. this is my only zucchini that has grown. when i transplanted this from a pot to the ground, i don't think i got it in the ground good enough. oh-well at least i will have one.

roma tomato.
obviously not ripe yet but there are for nice sized ones to choose from.

bell pepper.
i love bell peppers. fortunately this plant was happy and there are like 8 or 9 growing pretty quickly.

this is jackson's sunflower.
he planted a little sunflower seed in an egg carton at preschool and this is what it has become. i think he planted it way back in april or may but this little sucker has hung on quite well. today is the first day that it opened but it is a good two feet tall.

i thought i would try gardening this year. i really don't know what i am doing but most of my plants are producing for me anyway. i just thought i would document them just in case i ever feel like i am not a very good homemaker. i mean come on, i grew my very own vegetables and herbs. i am sure most of you are thinking, "what's the big deal?" well, this kind of thing just wasn't done in my home growing up. we just weren't the gardening kind of people. actually, i did try to keep a cactus once but killed it by over watering it! i obviously didn't know what i was doing. well when we lived in spokane, steven's family had/has this huge garden every summer and it was the most awesome thing. all i had to do was walk into my backyard and i had my pick of zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, corn, basil, pumpkins, green beans and i am sure there is much more that i am forgetting. i was able to watch them a bit and thought i would give it a try. i love walking outside every day and seeing how much my plants are growing, it is very satisfying.

fancy

so the other day i was on the computer when asher comes in the room and he covered in necklaces and bracelets. by the time i got to the camera he had already taken off most of the bracelets but i still captured him with all of the necklaces. he is honestly the funniest little kid, i could tell from the look on his face when he walked in the room that he knew he was looking pretty darn cute.

i can hardly ever get them sitting by each other so i thought i would throw this in.

lily's new haircut

i have been wanting to cut lily's hair for a while now and today she finally, begrudgingly, let me. she hates it when i blowdry her hair and it was getting really hard the longer it got. she also didn't like me to put it up so cutting it was the only option. i think she has a really good face for a bob and i thought i would share it with you all.

i asked lily if she likes it and she says, "i don't know." no one ever likes their hair on the first day after cutting it, so i guess that answer was to be expected. i think she looks pretty cute!

asher sparks

(one of his favorite birthday gifts, he actually wore the helmet to chuck-e-cheese)

june 3rd my little baby turned 2! can i still call him a baby? i can't believe how old he is seeming lately. he didn't talk for the longest time and now all of a sudden, he is saying everything (or at least trying to.) it is so fun to see him blossom and grow. asher is the most loving cuddly little kid i know. if he is upset or crying about anything, all i have to do is sing him this lullaby that i use to sing him as a baby and he immediately stops crying and cuddles up close. he loves bears, blankies, binkies, his bed (i have never seen a kid love their bed more than him, he literally laugh and giggles when ever we put him in it), he still sleeps in a pack-n-play (we tried cribs but he never slept good in them), loves almost all food, ice cream (gets crazy milkshake headaches just like me if he eats it too fast) mr. potato head, the park, water parks, getting dirty, reading, music and listening to steven play the guitar (when he was a baby he use to watch steven so intensely that steven thinks (hopes) that he will be his guitar player prodigy). this kid has the best smile and fortunately he blesses us with it all the time. he is truly a happy kid and he makes our family better for it. thanks for blessing our home every day buddy! i love you!

he got into the dirt/bark in the backyard. he had a good time until he started getting slivers on his neck and in the bottom of his feet from the bark. i had to sit with him for a long while pulling them out. that is the most still i have ever seen him.

steven

(steven enjoying a piece of leftover mangled pizza from asher)

we have had a few birthdays in our home over the last few weeks and steven came next in the line up on june 2nd. the kids and i made him a little cake and surprised him at work one day and took him out to dinner. he picked claim jumper and we had a blast. we aren't big celebrators so this was pretty much all that happened.

i am grateful to have steven in my life. he works so hard so that i can stay home with our children. he has also started going back to school in the last year so he is even busier. he leaves for work at around 7, doesn't get home until 7'ish and then has to start homework. fortunately for him, he is one of those people that does good in school without too much effort and this time around i think he is actually enjoying it a little. he is a great dad and a wonderful husband and i am so thankful to have him in my life.

happy 33rd birthday babe!

lily belle

happy birthday lily! i have been sorely neglecting my blogging duties so i have to catch up starting with lily's birthday that was on May 10th. i can't believe that my little baby has grown from this tiny little baby (well not that tiny at 9.3 i think she was closer to a 1 month old) with tubes up her nose and hooked to all sorts of monitors

to this grown up beautiful five year old.

five years have gone by so fast and that is a little scary to think about. how fast will the next 5 years go? for now she loves to play with her brothers, loves puzzles, games, any kind of craft, making messes (not cleaning them up), high school musical 1, 2 & 3, princesses, pink, purple, coloring, writing words, trying to read, she only eats chicken nuggets, quesadilla's, pizza, grilled cheese, any kind of fruit, yogurt, candy, cakes, cookies & milk. she literally wont eat eat something if she is not sure that she will love it. this is where her stubborn side shows the most because she is more than happy to got to bed without eating to save herself from eating anything that she might not like. even though this is so frustrating sometimes, i love that she accepts the consequences of not eating what i have made with such grace. lily is constantly singing or talking. unless she is in her room for quiet time (she hates that i make her do this), i can be guaranteed to hear some sort of chattering. lily is very studious and i just know that she will be the best student in our home. ever since preschool ended, she keeps asking, "how many more days until summer is over?" the girl can't wait to start kindergarten this year. i thank heavenly father everyday for bringing her love and light into our home. i love you lily belle

lily shoving her face with cake at her little party.

opening one of her presents wearing a hat that she made at school.