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.

new moon

ice cream

we decided to go to mcdonald's one night to get an ice cream cone and this is how much asher enjoyed it. i don't think we had ever given him a cone before and now i know why. he would literally just shove his face into it thus the craziest mess. it was soaked into his jacket, messed in his hair, eyebrows and needless to say, his hands were covered with it. thankfully lily and jackson were much better at eating their ice cream and created no further messes.

this was obviously a while ago because asher still had his lovely hair. by the way, we did end up buzzing his hair and it looks much better than when we got it cut at the hair place. i have to say that i am looking forward to the curls growing back and if they don't, i will be very disappointed.

handprint

we have lived in this house for a little over a year now and asher's hand print has been on the downstairs window since the first week. i thought it was so cute that i didn't have the heart to wash it off. well we are getting ready to move to a new house and i am going to have to wash it away so i thought i would preserve his little hand print on the window with our camera. isn't it amazing how quickly they grow up? my little baby lily will be starting kindergarten this year and i can't even believe it. where does the time go? it is funny because sometimes the days seem to be so long but then all of the sudden it is saturday and i feel like, where did the week go? i don't know if that makes any sense but it is how i feel. i love my babies so much and even though it is sad to see them grow up, i am excited to see the people they grow in to. i am eternally grateful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with three of the best kids ever.