TLC Impressions

The Most Amazing Easter Week EVER!

2010-04-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

Talk about the perfect time of year for Miracles!!! And boy do I have a doozy of one to share!!

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Talia has been living in California since January. Well after being denied visitation once I finally was able to see her over last weekend. I so missed her but the minute she was in my car, it was like she had never even left. I love that she and I are like that!

Well over the last month we had decided to fight for custody instead of just more time. Let me tell you how everything changed..........

As hard as it has been I have tried to be supportive of Talia wanting to be in California. She really felt by going that the relationship with her dad would improve. Sadly she was discovering it was actually getting worse in some ways. She missed me terribly and was angry with him for making it so hard to see me as well as other teenage issues. Well I had stopped asking her if she was sure she wanted to stay until one morning when I could not sleep. I could not get thoughts about her out of my mind. I kept thinking that more time was not what we should be going for. Figuring that Talia was still in the same mind frame as before, this frustrated me further. The more I stewed the stronger the feeling.

Well Talia happened to start texting me that same morning asking me really funny questions about the papers and what exactly I was asking for in them. So on a total whim I told her we had changed our mind and were now fighting for custody. And that I could just not allow all the things that had been happening to continue. Her dad needed to know how wrong it was. And that it had consequences. And to my surprise she agreed! LOL I sat there in confusion and asked her if she was sure and what had changed her mind. She said I was right, it needed to stop and she was ready to do what it took.

Well I proceeded to call my attorney and talk to her about what the steps would be and the cost of doing the custody battle instead. If we were going to do it now was the time.

I then spoke to Mark and told him if we did this that I would happily get a job anywhere to help with it. He agreed as long as I did that he was fine with the decision.

Now the only issue was the job. I had been looking for months. There was nothing that would be worthwhile especially with daycare expenses, so it was a total leap of faith when I called my attorney back and said GO FOR IT!

Now here is the cool part. Within in minutes of getting off the phone with my attorney, I received and email from a company that I had worked at before. They were hiring for the census for 14 + an hour. I immediately posted my resume that night. The very next morning I was sent tests to perform to see if I was eligible to continue with the process. 5 minutes after I had completed the tests, I received a phone call for an interview. During the phone interview I was offered the job as team lead which pays over 15 an hour. And she asked me to come in for the paper work and a final interview the next day. I was offered the position of team lead and accepted it the next day.

I could not believe how everything fell in to place the minute we had made the decision about Talia. I knew then it was meant to happen this way.

So now fast forward to the present. All was going fine. We were waiting for her dad to be served the weekend I had her but it didnt happen. So we figured any day after she got back he would receive the papers. Well instead of a call from my attorney, I received a phone call from Talia's dad. I was a little hesitant to take it. I was grateful at the moment I was busy so he had to leave a message. Well then he sent a text...." You need to call me now. I promise you wont regret it." then "If I were you I would drop whatever you are doing and call." So I called

WOW!!!!! WOW!!!! He was right. I could not believe what I was hearing. MY daughter, the one that said in a million years she would never tell her dad to his face how she felt, did just that!!

I did not even know what to say. In some ways I wanted to jump up and down and hoot and holler, but I also knew her dad had said something that was incredibly difficult for him to do. I was scared to even speak. I didnt want to say something that would in any way rub it in or sound unsympathetic. We talked for quite awhile. I think he needed it. Not sure how much it helped but we shall see. He essentially told me what ever I send he will sign. Never thought I would hear that. He said she doesnt want him to fight anymore. I totally felt for him. As a parent to not fight for our children seems backwards. Hopefully the relationship between Talia and her dad will improve and strengthen.

So long story short!!! My daughter will be home on Thursday!! I will have my whole family together more than it has been for so long. Im sure there will be moments as with any family that we dont see eye to eye! I dont care!! Being a mom is the best thing I have ever been given the privilege of doing!

I want to thank all of my friends and family for all the prayers and all the ears that listened to the never ending drama!!! While I dont think it will ever truly end. It has just been decreased significantly!! And eventually it just might go away all together.

Prayers are answered! The End. This is total proof! And it comes when the time is right. Not when you want it to come! And its perfect!

Free CRICUT!!!!

2010-03-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

Anyone want to put an entry in for a Cricut!!! Follow this link and GOOD LUCK!!!! http://womenwhodoitall.blogspot.com!!! Let me know if you win!!!

LIFE...... well its acting just like life should!

2010-03-02T20:53:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in the last year! Its been a year since we moved from Murray! I miss so many things about Murray! It will always be my "home". So many amazing people. I also miss my house! Especially the family room! It took so long to remodel, but it was so worth it. It was the first real project Mark and I did together! It was a perfect blend of the two of us!

We moved to Lehi and found a super cute house and amazing landlords! We completely clicked with them and it has been great to have them so invested in making sure everything was perfect! We are moving again and are going to miss this neighborhood and friends that we have made here. The bishop in this ward is amazing!!! He has been extremely sweet in working with me and my anxiety. I have a new appreciation for the Book of Mormon and am excited to rely more on finding strength with in it. Its amazing how much there is too learn even though I have been a member all my life ( well at least active most of my life) I have never really been great at studying the scriptures, that is changing dramatically because of our amazing Bishop.

We have had some ups and downs and the downs have been difficult. Marks job has fluctuated quite a bit. There was about a 5 or 6 week period of little to no work that had us scrambling to stay afloat. We made it through because of support of some great family members and friends. The most trying situation has come in the last few months. Even though issues between Talia's dad and myself never truly go away, they have escalated beyond what I thought they ever would. In January, Gabriel came to our house late one night with a letter that broke my heart. In the letter he stated he was moving to California in 10 days! He claimed it was for a job and didnt have a choice but to leave quickly. The more surprising thing was that Talia said she wanted to go. I have always supported a relationship between Talia and her dad. It has been very difficult to try and have him see that, in fact he feels quite the opposite but Talia knows the truth and that is all I care about. I desperately miss her. She is one of my best friends. Because I had her alone a lot she and I became very close. But I feel because of that she felt like we could survive the distance. Im not sure she trusts the relationship she has with her dad as much. As time has passed we are realizing things were not as he made them out to be. He never had a job and still does not have a job. The more we discover, the more it points to him just wanting her away from here and me. It breaks my heart that he hates me to the point he cannot see what he is doing to her. He has already denied my visitation and continues to be very cruel. During these times it is nice to have the support of family and friends. Unfortunately you also find out who is really going to be there for you. It came as a surprise how some family members had such a lack of empathy. Im not here to complain really, it just makes me sad.

Hopefully when we go to court in March, things will go our way and I will have no further issues seeing Talia. These 2 months of not seeing her have felt like an eternity! 15 year old girls should not be away from either parent especially their mother.

Other fun things have been going on as well. I was able to take my first "ME" trip to Arizona. It was wonderful! I saw my step mom and sister, as well as aunts, uncles and cousins! Phoenix was great the first day but damp for next few days. I was also able to go to JOES FARM GRILL. I have been waiting for 2 years to go. It was featured on the food network channel on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives!! It was well worth the wait! All the produce is grown in this HUGE garden owned by Joes! mmmmmm!!!

Another fantastic thing to happen was my brother getting married! Not only did he get married but it was to one of my friends!! Nothing better than picking your sister in law! They are so happy and it has been great to have her as part of the family!!! She is amazing for being able to put up with him! HAHAHA. They will be sealed later this year!! Im so excited for them.

Ok I think I have taken more than enough space on here! LOL

Time for some pictures!!!

Hope all is well for everyone!!!

Tasha

My adorable kids taken just before

Talia left.

The Snowflake Arizona temple! Its really a beautiful

temple!!

Joes Farm Grill! If you go to the Chandler area,

make a stop here!! YUMMY

This tree is in the back of Joes! It is HUGE!!

It covers the whole sitting area!!! There is just

one catch ( refer to next picture) LOL

This sign is posted on all sides of the tree! HAHA!

Needless to say we avoided being too far under

the tree!! YIKES!

Homemade Bread Recipe

2009-07-19T13:50:00.000-07:00

White Bread Recipe

Dissolve:

6 Tablespoons dry yeast in 8 cups warm water

Add:

1 cup white granulated sugar or 1 cup honey ( I use the sugar)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 can condensed milk

2 eggs

4 Tablespoons salt

Stir in enough white flour to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto kneading board and knead in enough white flour to make a smooth, silky, dough ** should not be sticky- just smooth and pliable. Let rise for 1 hour in LARGE bowl. Punch down and mold into at least 5 loaves. Place in thoroughly greased loaf pan ( I do not like the glass bread pans) Let rise for about 30 minutes then bake at 350 degrees F for atleast 40 minutes or until lightly browned.( each oven will vary, as well as personal preference on bread texture, I bake my first loaf about 35 minutes and see how much longer or shorter to bake the rest.) Remove loaf from Pan ( if you leave it in the loaf will sweat) onto a paper towel or cookie rack then rub butter on top of each loaf. Cool before putting them in anything (sweat). I use small garbage bags to put them in. May freeze as well for later use.

Any questions please ask! Bread is really simple to make and super yummy! I promise you can make this just as well as I can. By the way you could probably make 6 or 7 loaves out of this, instead of the 5. It all depends on the size of pan. Or you could do 5 and then use remainder dough to make rolls or bread sticks

Change in Direction

2009-06-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Ok so I decided to change up my blog a little. While I may put posts of family life, I also decided to start putting recipes that I love on it as well. I love to cook, and most people that know that ask me for recipes etc because of it. So I thought it might be easy to just add my favorites to my blog for all to see. If you see a recipe and like it, let me know. I would love any feedback. I will post my first fave shortly, but must decide which yummy one deserves to be first.

See you soon

Tasha

Oops! I guess its been awhile!

2009-06-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

So many things have gone on since January!. I finished my first semester of college. And miracle of miracle passed math! We have also moved to Lehi! So far I like the ward, even though I was pretty much put into nursery right off the bat!. The kids are super cute, but I would have liked a little more time getting to know the women of the ward. It does look as if I will get my chance since I opened my mouth and made a suggestion to the RS Pres about a cooking night. Each month will be a different theme and whoever would like to come brings a sample of the finished product as well as the recipe to share with the other ladies. She liked it so much she put me in charge of it. It wasnt even an original idea from me. It came from my sis-in-law whos ward does it and I thought it sounded fun! Hopefully the other women in the ward will enjoy it as well. I have also been invited to play Bunco!! Im excited to make new friends, even though Murray will always hold a special place in my heart!

Summer has started and the kids are stir crazy! I hoping summer could last forever, but know that it will only go more quickly than I am wanting. It is hard to believe that Talia will be in High School! One more year and she will be driving and dating!! Heaven Help Us! She is such a beautiful young lady! I am in awe that I am her mother. I am always asking Heavenly Father to help me keep a close relationship with her. Especially with how innocence seems to be an idea from the past! I am in shock as I have walked the schools at the topics kids talk about so openly! I can only pray I have done all that I can to help them steer clear of too much trouble. She is amazing at helping out around the house. I cant count how many times I will go run an errand and will come home to a clean kitchen and vacumed living room. I dont really ever have to ask her to do it. So grateful for that. The other major change will be Cayden in Jr High!!! UGH!! He is such a little charmer! LOL. The girls seem to be quite smitten with him. He has such a big heart! He can be very tender which has its good and bad points. He and Brennan are so sweet together. There are many times I will walk into the room because I heard Brennan cry and Cayden has him snuggled up in his arms telling him its all right. It melts me. I wonder now that Cayden will no longer be with Taylor in school how she will do. She still seems to crave being the youngest, and is resistant to not being held anymore. She is so small for her age it has been easy to continue but there is a little competition that happens to her and Brennan wheneverone is not being held. Growing up is hard to do. Taylor will be in 3rd grade! I love that little thing but am sometimes concerned with her head in the clouds approach to life. lol. She is a little clown when others are around, with her silly faces and other goofy things she does. She does love Brennan and plays really well with him. He is just not a fan of her picking him up. I keep telling her its because they are almost the same size and not that he doesnt love her. Brennan is now over 18 months and I wonder if he will ever talk. Now he chatters all the time. There are some things he does however that let us know what he wants. Its also funny when we ask him a question like where are you shoes, he answers us with gibberish but puts his hands up as he shrugs his shoulders. Too stinking funny!! And the boy can get down!! LOL. He loves music! Some part of everyday my ipod is playing and he is not just bouncing like a lot of kids his age, OH NO, that little guy can swing his hips with the best of them!! He throws them from side to side then puts his arms up and moves them around! He has quite the rythm for one so young.

Some other crazy news is my brother Nate is getting MARRIED! I can hardly believe it. Now the really wonderful thing is is that he is marrying a friend of mine! I think I may be almost as excited as the two of them. How often do you get to pick your sis in law???? Leslie is the first friend of mine that I have been willing to introduce to him and he grabs her up! Sometimes its a little weird just figuring out new boundaries but it will be so fun to be related to her and her cute kids!!!

Ok well Im tired and will try and do a better job on keeping this up!

Yeah for summer!!! I hope everyone is enjoying it and spending lots of time with family!

School is in session!

2009-01-16T23:43:00.000-08:00

School has begun!!! Thankfully I am only taking 2 classes. I am wondering if online was the way to go? Its funny how you hear all the negatives "after" it too late! While online is convenient in some ways, there a few things you should know before hand. One is that online takes two to three times more time commitment. For example, English, I have one class of English a week. Doesnt sound too bad right? Well on top of that one day, I am expected to log in atleast 3 other times a week. How long I am online then depends on why I am there. Is it peer reponse or a chat session for an assignment. Thankfully I like English. When there are tests, I go to the college to take them.

Then I have math. I am horrible at math. It has been about 16 yrs or more since I have had to be in school. And I did the bare minimum of math credits. Since school has started, I have been doing math atleast 3 or more hours a day! And it has only been review for the assignment I have yet to start. The program that I log into is really cool. The first time I logged in I had to finish an assessment to determine what I needed to learn to accomplish the assignment. Lets just say it was ALOT. The first assignment covers 3 chapters! Seriously? What a way to begin!

Mark has been amazing. Because its online there is not teacher to show you anything. No lectures, no peer help, nothing. You are in charge of your own progress. Again the program is really cool. It has a pie chart to keep track of your progress. It shows you what you need to know to do your homework. You choose the order of the categories you need to learn. That is kind of difficult. Its does not tell you which you should learn first. That has proven to be a BIG negative. There is a definite order to learning math.

Now it seems like I have not like starting school again. But for the most part, it feels good to want to do something and act on it! I have a long way to go but less than before! For now Im going to bed! Im sure there will be more on the subject of school. Kudos to those who have gone to school while working or taking care of your family or maybe even both!!! Time is something I no longer claim for just me. "Me" time just turned to school time. Thankfully I have a fantastic family who supports me. My kids even think its pretty cool. We shall see if it lasts.

WOW A New Year!

2009-01-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

So many possibilities!!!! We are still seeing if the family is going to be able to buy our house. I have decided to let go and let the chips fall where they may. Heavenly Father knows where we need to be. Thats good enough for me. In about 10 days I will be starting my journey towards my Bachelors in Sonography ( Ultrasound). Im a little freaked out. I am also extremely excited! Also the first part of February, Taylor will be baptized and Cayden will be ordained a Deacon! Im so proud of my kids!

A few things that we are hopeful for in this new year is the economy moving up. Construction is something that follows right along with wherever the economy is. I know there is some concern as to whether Mark can stay busy enough. We have felt it somewhat already but are optimistic, especially if the house sells!

I have a year and a half until I have my oldest daughter Talia driving and dating! Knowing how fast time flies, Im wishing it would slow down. Im not sure Im ready for this part of being a parent! Thankfully Talia is a smart cookie! I pray that she and I will still be close so the communication will be open between us. Teenagers can be so unpredictable.

For the most part Im excited to see what path we will take this year. With the sale of the home etc looming over us, there are so many directions open to us. Hopefully we will be patient and continue to remember we have an amazing guide to lead us along.

Happy New Year everyone!!!

????????????????????

2008-12-07T04:12:00.000-08:00

Well I am sitting here at the computer at 5 in the morning. I have already been awake since 4. I didnt go to bed until 12:30(shopping at Kohls until midnight LOL). I have so much on my mind. The family that wants to purchase our home ( still feels weird to say that) is waiting on getting money from a 401 k for the down. I still cant believe that we are selling. I love this house. I love the ward and my neighbors and amazing friends! All the houses that I have been looking at have something wonderful but just not the package I am looking for. 2 of them have amazing yards!!! They are both in Lehi! The first one is a little squishy but has a HUGE unfinished basement with the option of buying later down the road. The second one is so cute with a huge yard but is further south than we kind of want. The last house is in Sandy , which is not really South enough, and is owned by..................... HA! MY EX BOYFRIEND!!!! Yes Yes!!! Can you imagine my surprise when I walked in the house with the property management women and as I turned around to be introduced to the husband, I take his hand and then look up...... OH MY GOSH!!! Seriously!!! Needless to say his house is the largest as well BUT the kitchen is not quite up to date at all! Funny as it sounds I truly have no problem with the fact that I would be renting form Cody and his really sweet wife! Im sure eventually I will stop laughing at how I ran into him. LOL. Can you imagine running into one of your sweetest boyfriends after 14 or so years. So Funny! It actually was not a really fun break-up but more because of his friends than him and I. Ok so this is taking an unneeded turn... Back to the subject.

Anywho. Everyone of the owners, when asked about their wards, neighbors, Bishops etc. of course say they are wonderful! What else are they going to say! This is the worrisome part of moving. This is almost as crucial as the house. If you are miserable in the ward, it pretty much ruins everything! Two of the wards have more than one nursery!!! One of them actually has 3, now that a lot of kiddos! The last thing I want to do is move again and again! The ideal would be to buy the home we are renting some time down the road! I hate moving! So as I look I have to ask myself, if this home is what we could live in for a long time!! Too much on the brain!!

Now the OTHER side of this is, that this may not happen at all! It looks like it will but there are things that go awry when selling or buying. You have the appraisal, which we are praying comes in where we need it! But with the housing market and the banks being so cautious, who knows what could happen. Then the inspection! I truly dont know of anything seriously wrong with our house but something could be lurking. After all, part of this house is over 50 yrs old. Ugh! We are still having to wait for the initial approval from the bank as well. I dont know what is more stressful, purchasing or selling! Both are so nerve racking. Right now we cant put any money down on a rental because we would lose A LOT if for some reason this sale doesnt happen. At what part do we move forward.

Ok I am so rambling here! Thats what happens when your mind is wide awake and yet sooo tired!

Thanks for listening anyway! If anyone has any suggestions, feel free! It will be GREAT when December is over! I am not a fan of sitting and waiting! So many things are up in the air! Where are we going to have Christmas, Are we having Christmas in December( If all goes well we will probably be moving during Christmas break and I dont have my kids until the 29th of Dec.) Will we find a house in time! What about the weather! Moving in winter bites! ON and ON! *sigh*

Happy Sunday everyone! Wish us luck and say LOTS of prayers!!!

Brennan Donald Challis

2008-11-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

My sweet baby boy is 1 years old today! What a year it has been. This sweet little man has been a challenge! In the past few weeks, we are finally able to sleep at night! He has struggled with waking up 2+ times a night. When he was an tiny baby we found out he had acid reflux. The medication was $75 a month, plus the special formula at $25 for a small can, which lasted 3 days. He is finally off the medication. Although his tummy seems to revert back at times.

Brennan is such a happy smiley baby! He giggles, and claps and wrinkles up his nose when he is playing. He loves to cuddle with me, at least until Mark comes home. When I sit on the couch he loves to come over to me and lean his head on my lap. If I brush his face with my hand he lays on it and snuggles into it. TOO sweet.

Brennan adores his brother and sisters. Talia is the only one, however, that he will turn Mark away for. He gets so excited when she gets in the car. His little squeals are too funny! Cayden is another one he loves. I hope the two of them continue to be so sweet! Taylor loves to play with him and hold him. He is not quite sure of her picking him up all the time yet. Probably because he is so close to her size. Its a little awkward.

Brennan also LOVES our dog Takara. If he sees her nothing else matters. He squeals and crawls right to her. He pats her and giggles. When she is lying down he lays on her and uses her like a wrestling buddy. Thankfully she is extremely patient.

I look forward to watching this special boy of mine grew up. Although I do think it should go a little slower than it has so far. These sweet moments will stay with me forever, but there is nothing like holding and kissing the little baby faces, hands and toes!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENNAN (BUBBA)!

Body For Life

2008-11-06T10:28:00.000-08:00

Ok so this is an invitation. If you have been wanting to get back in shape, come join me for Body for Life! This plan is one of the easiest as far as food goes. The workouts are intense but the results are Amazing. If you want to see what some people have accomplished go to www.bodyforlife.com . I have a membership at Golds Gym. I know right now the economy is awful. But if you have been trying to decide about joining a gym or not, Golds has been a pleasant surprise. I love the daycare. You get 90 min a day to use there. The is womens workout room, so we dont have to feel insecure about working out with the men. I pay about 40 a month for my membership, but I believe right now they have a special going.

Since deciding this, I have felt so much better through out the day. I get one free day a week to eat whatever I want. However if you have been following the food suggestions, you may not enjoy it as much as you think. I usually feel kind of crappy about an hour after I indulge. I love it though because it just pushes me to continue because I like the change in my body.

If you have done Body For Life let me know. Tell me what you think of it. If you want to come with me, let me know as well.

Happy days!!

Back to Sobbing Every Tuesday!

2008-09-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am such a boob. I am easily moved when I see people struggling, yet working through a difficult issue. Watching others break through barriers is so inspiring!! And then after it all realize their goals, sometimes even surpass them.

Do you have any idea what Im talking about??? Im so excited that one of my all time FAVORITE shows is BACK!!! Another round of JILLIAN and BOB!! Its BIGGEST LOSER TIME!!! YEAH!!!!

Ok so that was a little drastic. LOL. But seriously, who does not love this show?? When the commercials first ran for it, I was skeptical. The title sounds so mean. But one episode and I was hooked. And now I faithfully watch or record every episode. With so may mean, or trashy, sneaky shows out there, its nice to find one with heart! Sure its still a game. But lives are literally saved before your eyes. Families are brought closer as issues that have been hidden or ignored have no choice but to surface and be dealt with as the weight falls off! Now granted the weight falls off so quickly because they are in a setting where this is the only focus, as well as trainers that are pushing them harder than anyone usually pushes themselves. But it does, in my opinion show those struggling with weight that there is a way. No not as quickly as on the show, if its done in a healthy way. And it takes WORK! Im so sad for all those people that spend hundreds of dollars on diet pills that promise miracles. True results come from hard work. Eating right, exercising, and getting rid of ghosts that plague progress. Negative thoughts need to be replaced by positive realistic goals. Well actually there is a study that might toss out that last comment. Mark was reading an article, in it he was telling me that when people, mostly women were used, set high expections on their weight loss goals, more met the goal and continued onto more weight loss, than those that set smaller weight loss goals. Interesting anyway.

Just one more thing. If you have not seen this show, I suggest tuning in for an episode. Judge for yourself. Its on Tues at 7PM on channel 5. Let me know what you think.

So it begins....Again

2008-08-20T15:38:00.000-07:00

School YIpee!!! Talia has started 9th grade ugh! Cayden and Taylor will start on Monday the 25th. Ive heard a few uneasy things about Taylor's teacher, and hope they are wrong. We shall see. Cayden has a great teacher, but is a little disappointed. He likes the one he has but would prefer another one that is supposedly funnier. My girlfriend and I have totally slacked on the gym. Maybe slacked is the wrong word. July was crazy, and August has been about the same, so the gym has been put on back burner until monday. Im excited to get back!

One thing I am relieved about is finding Caydens baptism date. Its a really long story so here is the shorter version.

Cayden was baptized 3 yrs ago, at his dad's ward. Well come to find out ( ONLY because I had the records sent to my ward about 6 months ago) that whoever was supposed to enter his baptism in the records....didnt! Nice dont ya think. Anywho, I have been going crazy trying to remember when he was baptized. The problem being, Cayden had to wait for his dad to be able to do the job. So it was not around his birthday. I was not given the certificate, his dad was. And of course he cant find it. Now after 4 months of constant harassing from me, he still has not found it or spoken to anyone from the ward or stake. So I take it upon myself to call Caydens old primary pres. and OH MY GOSH!!!! She has his program saved on her computer!!!!

YEAH!!! Now the killer thing is, maybe ironic is a better word, she tell me the date and I realize that he was baptized the SAME weekend that Mark and I were sealed. LOL Seriously!!!!! MY BRAIN IS SO........UGH!!!! How I did not remember this, is beyond me. Its all in my journal. HAHA! The important thing is that now when he turns 12 in Feb. He can be ordained. It makes my stomach turn to realize that this would have never been known if I had kept the records at his dad's ward. PHEW!! So BAD! Talyor is turning 8 in Dec, so we were going to have her wait until Feb. for family to be able to attend both occasions. That would have been terrible to find out then. It was such a blessing to discover this now. Life is crazy !!!! Someday things will slow down .... right????

Jib Jab ( u gotta love em)

2008-07-16T18:17:00.001-07:00

Check out this video: JibJab - Time for Some Campaignin

Time to move on

2008-07-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

So Mark and I decided with the economy as it is, and the counsel to be debt free that we have been hearing for as long as I can remember, to sell our house. Im torn on how I feel about it. Im heart broken because I LOVE our ward. I have such close friends here. Our house is unique,which I love. This is where Mark and I were married. So many things have happened since then.

On the other hand Im excited. To be nearly debt free ( depends on the amount we sell), or completely debt free. What a feeling. To move to a neighborhood that has more kids my childrens age. There are a few here but most are younger. One thing that drives me crazy about this area is the lack of sidewalks. Especially since we are a corner house. My kids really cant play outside our yard. Since we have decided to rent for a little while, not having to pay property taxes, or be responsible for fixing problems that arise in the house. Yippee!!

Right now we are working on finishing projects not quite complete. Im packing everything not absolutely necessary.

Im not quite sure where we will decide to move. A lot depends on whats available when the house sells. Mark goes all over for his job, so that isnt a huge factor, although he may not completely agree. I would like to be closer to Talia, who lives in Orem. However Orem is not even an option. Im not a fan. I think Lehi would be the farthest we would go. But again who knows. I will keep you posted on any news. Wish us luck

Trek

2008-06-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today is such a cool day! My oldest daughter Talia, left for Trek today. Trek is an activity in our church that the youth ages 14 and up go to. Its a reenactment of the pioneer journey. The items that the kids can bring are VERY limited. She actually had to give up even deodorant ( Yikes ). The Trek is today until Sat. It takes place in Wyoming on some church land. They sleep under the stars and are dressed in pioneer clothing. Im so excited for her, but kinda of sad too. Tomorrow is her 14th b-day! I sent a little token to be given to her. Its a collar that the pioneer girls wore sometimes like to church etc. Its a girlie version of a bandanna. Its white with lace around the edges. I also sent up a tatted handkerchief. Both can be signed by friends and those in her "family". I hope she likes it. I just wanted her to know we were thinking of her. Trying to find something that wouldnt distract too much from her experience was difficult to find.

Everyone that has been on Trek before says it is AMAZING to see the kids "get it" and see the changes that come. They are more grateful for what they have and humbled by what children their age had to go through. One cool thing that they get is a pioneer nam

e. Its someone that actually was a pioneer. They learn where they were from, their age, when they came. It kind of personalizes it even more. Soo Cool.

I kind of have a hard time sending her on these things. I think it is so important though. It does take up my schedule with her for the summer. Four weeks is usually filled with alot of time between us, but when she goes on Trek or girls camp I have to use one of those weeks for it. I do want her to experience these things. I hope it will give her strength to become the young lady I see in her.

It was so sweet last night.Mark gave her a "fathers blessing". I asked her if she felt ok about it. She adores Mark! I asked her if she wanted him to bless her with anything particular. She said she didnt want Trek to be just a trip. How perfect. I hope she truly discovers and "gets" what Trek is all about. I cant wait to talk to her when she gets home!!!!

Here are some pictures of her before she left today.

Summer

2008-06-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ugh summer has begun!!! I guess Im kind of spoiled. I have a set schedule when my kids are in school. Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Fri I go to the gym. Now I still go, but I feel a little guilty about not hanging out with the kids. Its only 1.5 hrs but still. Cayden is 11 and so does not want to hang out at the child care. And of course Talia is too old as well. Taylor doesnt mind as long as Savy is there. Brennan of course could care less. He is held the whole time he is there. IT so pays to have a cute baby.

Im also looking into getting a home based job. Photography is awesome but is not something anyone has to have. Convergys now has a positions for those wanting to work from home. And the training is done at home as well. Ive worked for them before and it was one of my favorite jobs. Mark and I have discussed preparing in different ways for the serious slowing in construction. It is scary since we totally rely on it for our living. But if we plan ahead I think we will be ok.

The summer is also crazy because of the change in schedule with Talia. I love having her much more often. That is actually something wonderful about summer. I pray she will always love the time we spend together. That it will be something that is important to her. Being 14 is the start of more independence. Friends are a higher priority. I dread the day she calls and tells me she is not coming because of a "friend" thing. Is that selfish?? Probably but I truly enjoy being around my sweet daughter.

Cayden wants me to sign him up for some drama camp. LOL It is very fitting. He is so funny about acting etc. He "practices" all the time. I have never seen anyone make so many faces in the mirror whenever he passes it. And I say that with all the love I have for him. He is also choosing to become more active in helping with Brennan. Tonight he asked me to show him how to rock him to sleep. How adorable is that!!!!

Taylor is still trying to find her place. She is kind of struggling about not being the youngest anymore. She is still super sweet but is always right at our heals. One really nice thing is all the hugs we get and the " I love you's" But it almost seems fearful. If that makes sense. And she truly loves Brennan. She reads to him and sings to him. She loves to act crazy just to hear him laugh. Hopefully she will realize he is not here to take her place. That would be impossible.

For all those friends out there in "blog" world I hope your summer is fun and full of family.

Too fast!!!

2008-04-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me how fast time flies!!! From my kids, to my marriage. Talia is almost 14!!!! Yikes. Cayden just turned 11 in Feb. 12 is just around the corner. I cant believe he is almost priesthood age. Taylor will be in 2nd grade next year and will be 8 in Dec. And sweet Brennan will be 1 in Nov. Oh and Mark and I have been married for 4 yrs on May 8th. My children are going to have major milestones this next year. Church dances, make-up, Priesthood, Baptism and turning one. Phew. Life is so short. Its hard for me to feel old enough to have kids this old. That is a funny sentence to me. lol. I feel like it was yesterday was having the SAME arguments with my mom as Talia tries to have with me. Exasperating. Oh but how I love that girl!!! Beautiful, smart, loving. I hope she and I become closer every day. How lucky I would be. I hope she knows what she is capable of becoming. She truly has NO idea how crazy I am for her. Really none of my kids truly know that life would just not work with out everyone of them. Poor Cayden among all of these girls!!! Super sweet and sensitive, but still such a boy. He truly has( in my opinion) picked up on some great things his future wife will adore! Taylor, oh such a crazy girl. She does things that make no sense but she wouldnt be her without them. I hope that makes sense. Such a spunky sweet little thing. Brennan so far is my challenge. From conception to birth to today, he is my mover and shaker!!! So much that he still does not sleep through the night 90% of the time. Power naps are usually all he takesduring the day. Sensitive tummy. EXPENSIVE formula and prescription. UGH! But oh that boy has my heart!!! The sweetness is overwhelming when I look into those beautiful blue eyes. He is an answer to so many quiet hopes and prayers. Conference weekend was filled with my kids and amazing hubby playing and spending time together as a family. My favorite time is when I have all of them home with me.Divorce is so difficult on the idea of family. It truly is broken. I treasure the few moments they are all gathered around me. The talk on mothers was truly inspired. I am blessed to have 4 amazing beautiful angels to hold in my arms. I thank my Heavenly Father for the sweet spirits I have to hold my hand, give me kisses, brush my hair, paint my toenails, and the best thing of all, call me mom.

Waiting Bites!!!

2008-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Ok so I have now finished the Twilight series. The first book took the longest because I just couldnt get sucked into it at first. Once I did I flew through it. The second book took just a little over a day. The third was about the same. Now just like everyone else.... Im waiting for the 4th. I think I remember someone saying in August or something. Yikes that is awhile. At some point after the next book the movie will be coming out. I am always hesitant about what the movie will be like after I have read a book. So far I have been totally disappointed by them. Hopefully it will not be the same with this series. If anyone has a book or books that they really enjoyed let me know Im in the mood to read. Have a great day!!!

Finally!! I finished!

2008-03-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

So many people are reading the Twilight series. I borrowed the book like a month and half ago from my friend Ashley. I fell terrible it has taken me soo long to finish it. However it was not because I didnt like it. Every time I sat down to read it , my son woke up or needed me. At night I was just too tired to read. I was beginning to think I was going to have to give it back to her unread. Well my mom is in town and was spending time with us and holding Brennan etc, so I started again from about page 60 or so and read 99.9 % in one day. LOL. I was very pleasantly surprised that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I LOVE fantasy. I really LOVE books about vampires. My favorite Author is Anne Rice. I was completely ready to not really love Twilight because I am picky about how people describe vampires( silly I know). I like a book that makes it seem totally natural. Or atleast believable. The unfortunate thing is, is I cant get a hold of Ashley!!! UGH. After reading the sneak peek Im very anxious to read the next book.

Such A Cutie!!!

2008-02-06T17:27:00.000-08:00

Ok so I was in the mood to get some new shots of Brennan. Its been a little while. He is going to be 3 months on Sunday the 10th. The kids still think he is wonderful. I still am not getting much sleep! But we are thrilled to have him in our home. Its funny to me, I love to take pictures, but I rarely pull out the camera for my own kids! I guess its like the electrician or the carpenter. The last house to get fixed! Or in my case the last kids to get pictures( shot just didnt sound very good)LOL.

Crazy how it looks like red hair here!!!! LOL

Could this be THE night????

2008-01-12T22:19:00.001-08:00

So my sweet hubby is taking the boy tonight!!! I might actually get sleep tonight!!! Hopefully I can turn off the mommy in me for one night. I get to sleep in the living room on the air matress and he gets the room. That will help to block some of the noise. If I do hear him I am going to have to fight the urge. Mark is perfectly capable of handling Brennan, but there is still a part of me that gets nervous. Again NOTHING to do with Mark.
I am suprised that Brennan does not have more of a sleep routine down by now. It looks like he could be like Cayden. He did not sleep through the night for over a year! I pray that is not the case with Brennan. His fussy time is in the evening, so that is not helping! His 2 month appt is on Weds. I will ask his Dr if I can start to slightly thicken his nighttime feeding with cereal. I will probably have to wait one more month. We shall see.
Well I am so tired I am going to bed. I have to get up like at 7 to get ready and go pick up Cayden and Taylor from their dad's house. Ugh!! But it will be worth having them on more than one Sunday. Hopefully I will be able to keep this up.
Wishing all a happy sleepful night

Christmas Traditions/Remembering those who are gone

2007-12-17T22:56:00.001-08:00

Ok So I know that may sound like a funny title.. But it does have a meaning for me. I was thinking about different family traditions and all the things that happen during the holidays. Most of the time I am all for getting over with them. However I do have a few moments of reflection, especially since my dad passed away on Christmas Eve morning in 2004. Most of the time I can think of him and be just fine, other times I get pretty emotional. Especially around the anniversary of his passing. One thing that helps me cope with him being gone is continuing a special breakfast that he made quite often. Usually when we would all be together for some reason or another or sometimes just because. The recipe sounds crazy and when I tell people about this special breakfast, the looks are ones of " you must be cookoo" etc. The breakfast is called Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits. Yes you read correctly. Now I know what your thinking. But dont knock it till you try it. Someone in my dad's family way back figured this fantastic way to have chocolate for breakfast. Any how back to traditions. Now on Christmas Eve morning I make chocolate gravy and biscuits for my family. A conversation about my dad usually is included. The kids can talk about memories or just listen to mine. I miss my dad alot. Somedays it still feels sureal that he is gone. I have pictures of him in my living room and in my office. My mom gets a little put out that he is the only parent I have pictures up. I just tell her when she dies I will do the same for her. Its not that I dont love my mom or even my step mom. I have just always been closer to my dad. He has had a HUGE impact on my life. Ok so anyway what are some of your traditions that you have started or continued now that you have your own family etc? I would love to hear them. Also I hope all who read this have a Happy Holiday surrounded by loved ones. And if loved ones are far away or gone... I hope you have some special way of feeling close to them and remembering them.

One Month Old

2007-12-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

WOW!! Time flies! Brennan is already a month old! Yes he is still little but I can see such a difference already. I wish there was a magic button to put babies on hold. It is so sad how fast time goes by. I am torn by my feelings about having him get older. I am excited to see what he will look like. I love it when they start to respond to being talked to and smiled at. I especially love to hear the baby chatter. Such sweet little sounds. It always seems they have such an amazing story to tell. Perhaps its why they cant talk for a few years. I like to believe the veil is very thin for them when they first arrive here. After all they are perfect. It is also fun to see their personality come out more and more. Also that thing called sleep isnt so fleeting. However, as they grow they are not as easy to carry around. I always miss holding them when they are all tucked into themselves. Outside influences start to emerge. Some not so great... Like saying "no" etc. Oh yes and then the potty training ugh!!! Well atleast until its learned. Then that is a positive. I love snuggling with my babies. I love how helpless they are. It makes me feel so important. Funny I know. I love the fact that they are so reliant upon me, especially when it comes to feeding them. It is the most amazing time. Especially when they just gaze up at me.

Ok you get the point I know. I am not sure how I will ever fill "done". It is the most wonderful gift in the world to be able to carry these sweet little spirits, bring them into the world (especially when you have an amazing husband) It just never gets old. Even after 4 kids. Not having any more children also means a new phase in life! Yikes Im really not sure Im ready for that. How can you ever know if you are totally done. Or I should say if God agrees with you that you are done? What if one partner says without a doubt you are done but the other just cant say that? So many feelings and emotions. Thankfully I still get to enjoy my sweet little one for a little while before I really have to make a decision!! And I do enjoy 99% of my time with him. That sleep thing is missed but will happen soon enough!!

Sleep deprivation

2007-12-04T08:31:00.000-08:00

It has been about 3 weeks since I posted my last blog. I have had a few comments about the fact I dont have recent pictures of Brennan. Babies change so quickly. I have a goal this week to get some new shots posted( I still have to take some lol). Brennan is a fantastic sleeper during the day. I cant even get him to nurse more than maybe 8 minutes on one side before he is out. However at night he is a completely different little boy. Sooo fussy!!! I understand the waking up often etc. Hello I have 3 other children. But Brennan falls asleep at about 9:30 or 10 and sleeps for about 2.5 hours,( 3 on very rare occasions) then stays awake for about 4-5 hrs. I nurse him continually during this time. He may fall asleep for about 15-20 minutes but the minute I put him down, he starts to fuss and cry. UGH!! I am so tired. This will continue until about 5 or 6 am then I feed and change him and he will fall alseep for about 1.5 -2 hrs then wake up in time for the kids to go off to school, I feed him again and he will fall asleep at about 9 am and sleep for 3 hrs!!! What is going on is lost on me!! I have read that about 2-3 weeks babies can become colic. I have never had a baby with colic. But apparently Drs dont know what causes it, or what cures it. It can happen only at night or 24 hrs a day. And then about 3 months it disappears! I hope Brennan does not have night colic. I am struggling to manage during the day as it is. Thankfully I only have him at home during the day so I can take advantage of his sleepy day. It is the only thing that is keeping me sane. I have decided, looking back at the pregnancy, the awful delivery and now this new challenge, that Brennan is allowing me to experience all the things I did not get to deal with with the other 3 kids!!! Isnt that sweet of him!! LOL.
I must say that even with all the exciting nights, I am so glad I have this sweet little man!! What a blessing babies are, even with all the struggles! It still amazes me that even with 4 kids I am still shocked at the love I feel when I look at each of them. Ok time to go catch up on some sleep. I hope everyone has a great day. Oh I do have some pictures of when we blessed Brennan. I will post them and then I will still work on getting some other shots.

Such a proud Daddy!!!

Introducing Brennan Challis

2007-11-15T20:38:00.000-08:00

Brennan Donald Challis 6 lbs 9 oz, 20 in long. Ok here are the pics everyone has been asking for. I wish I could say delivery was short and sweet but only the short part would be true! After a short stay in nicu for Brennan and almost 2 liters of blood for me, it was not exactly what I expected. Brennan was born on Sat. November 10 at about 4AM after a very scary emergency c-section. I dont remember much except blood, blood and more blood! Sorry if that is gross but that is what you get when the placenta detaches from the uterus! Oh I also remember frantic Drs and nurses running around in a frenzy!! This was in between consciousness. Poor Mark got left completely out of it all in the room. But on a positive note we all came out of it rather well!! And HELLO could there be a more gorgeous boy!!!!

All up to baby!

2007-11-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

Im still a 3!!!!!!!!GGRRRRRR! *sigh* And last week Brennan was further down. Well he decided to head back up! He is still head down but has returned to a high position! Little stinker! I did have my membranes stripped today! WOW that was way fun! NOT! But maybe it will start something! I told the dr to make me a 4 when he informed me I was a really strong 3. He laughed and looked at his nurse and said " OK your heard her, she wants to be a 4" and away he went! I really should have known that this pregnancy would not suddenly change its difficult course! That would be to easy! Maybe God is telling me this is it. NO more babies. I was kind of on the fence about maybe having one more. Im really starting to slip more to the side of "we're done!" Actually everything aside I really want him to come because he is apparently already 7.5 lbs or so! The size thing scares me! Babies who are born to moms with gestational diabetes usually have larger heads and wider shoulders. Other than that I can handle staying pregnant! So I guess we will see what this " not so little one " decides to do.

Wish me luck!!!!

2007-11-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

Ok today is my dr appt. I am so hopeful that I end up in L&D today! LOL. I have been dilated to a 3 for over a week. Now I know as well as anyone ( I have done this 3 other times) that I could stay that way for awhile. There are some things on my side ie... This is my 4th ( things tend to go faster), I have been having contractions, and he has dropped. Most days I am fine with the fact I am still lugging this sweet thing around. He is feeling like he is going to be pretty good sized. Yikes! I am so excited to see him! Now I know this sounds like such a girl thing to say but... I really cant wait to see his clothes on him. LOL. Seriously. The clothes are so small and so cute. But I want to see some sort of form on them. If only I had a lifesize doll. Girls like to dress things, I cant seem to get past that. I am also so excited to see what he looks like. That has always been the hardest thing to wait for. I have the impression ( not to say I could be way off) but I have this idea that he will be more like the girls. Marks family is either blonde and fair (Challis line) or olive skin and dark hair etc(Austin side) Im thinking Austin side. Which is funny to me because I really would like him to be more on Caydens end of looks. Talia and Taylor look so much alike, I was hoping Cayden could share that with his brother. We shall see.
Well gotta run! Time to get ready to go see the dr!!!

The "Joys" of Pregnancy

2007-10-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am 34 weeks into my pregnancy today. The whole nesting thing is so kicking in! This weekend I did 3 normal size loads of laundry just for baby! His bassinet is set up. The swing and carseat have all been washed and are ready for him to enjoy them. I have been organizing all of his clothes. Mark has been working on Brennans room. The rest of the house, well Im maintaining it in between preparing for this sweet little boy. Im so excited to meet this little spirit. But I am also sad thinking that Im not going to be pregnant much longer. Pregnancy is such a happy/sad experience.
This feels so sereel to me. I am going to miss him bouncing around in my stomach. He is quite active right now. Having gestational diabetes has been a struggle but I am truly proud of myself. I have really stuck to eating well. I do miss cold cereal, and of course the carbs I so love. Jenny did a little blog on donuts and I really couldnt stay on her page for long. I really like glazed donuts, or raspberry filled. YUM. I have teased Mark that I have a list of food to eat the day that Brennan is born. #1 on my list is a chocolate cookie dough shake. Oh and orange chicken from Panda. There are a few more things but Im getting hungry thinking and typing about it. lol
The other subject I was thinking about today is a baby shower. Marks Grandma, ok our grandma, is having a shower for me on Saturday. Personally Im a little embarrassed. This is after all my 4th baby. I shared this with her and she agreed but added that is was the my 1st baby in this family. True, but still. LOL . Dont get me wrong, it is very sweet of them and honestly it is always nice to get even more help with baby items. I have requested gift cards only. I have clothes and all the equipment we will need for awhile. Plus diapers, formula etc are difficult, in my opinion, to buy ahead of time. I still feel a little silly about the shower but I am not going to argue with an 84 yr old grandma. LOL
Well my cute kids should be walking through the door at any moment.
Enjoy the day

Just checkin in

2007-10-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

So I havent written in this blog for awhile, so I thought I would just post a few happenings in my life.
The kids are back in school, and seem to be doing well. Taylor needed to adjust a little to the "ll day" idea, but seems to be doing well. Her teacher is a total sweetie. And she is tall, skinny and way too cute. Seriously!
Cayden is doing so much better this year. Last year was a nightmare trying to figure what was going on with him. ADHD is not something fun to deal with. Drugs are not something we really wanted to put him on, but now I see the results and Im mostly happy with that decision. I really glad we caught it early on.
Talia is in th 8th grade!! YIKES. She is truly a teenager. I love her to pieces. Even in her oh so teenage attitude moments. Actually she is pretty great still. She and I really love spending time together. She is truly one of my best friends. However I still remind her that I am her mom first. She knows that if she wants certain things she still has to be respectful. She does fairly well in school. There are a few classes that she hates and the grade shows that. She does have this amazing talent at pulling them up, usually to A's, by the time the term ends. Kudos for that.
She gets stressed out about her grades, and about what our reactions will be as parents. I tell her that of course we love the higher grades, but the only person her grades are going to affect are her. Not that I dont talk to her about my concerns when they are not great grades, but lecturing her does not do any good in my opinion. I really like to look at different options with her on maybe what will be more affective for that subject. Getting extra help, changing attitude, focusing on new approaches etc. Getting lectured never helped me. I try to be assertive with her yet understanding. School was never my favorite place.
My pregnancy is progressing. Since the day I found out I had gestational diabetes, I have been ready to have Brennan. This is truly not like me. I usually am very romantic about pregnancy. I truly adore feeling the movements of the baby. I love to try and imagine what he will be like etc. The medication I am on makes me feel gross. Its frusturating. I truly have not been inlove with this pregnancy. I am very excited about meeting this new little spirit however. Who will he look like, what will his personality be etc. The meeting between my children and myself is so spritual to me. It seems they still glow from where they have come from. I have truly been blessed with wonderful, beautiful spirits. I am also looking forward to sharing this whole journey with Mark. He is my sweetheart. I still am amazed we, the children and myself, were lucky enough to have him in our lives.
Well its time to go get dinner going. Mark is home early today, so it will be a nice night together with the kids. We will of course be missing Talia. I treasure the times we are all together.

NO critical comments for 24 hrs.

2007-09-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ok so my hubby and I are listening to Dr John Lunds talks on cd. They are really fun to listen to. Being this is my 3rd marriage, I am continually striving to strengthen our relationship. Now really we have a fantastic marriage. I fully intend to keep it that way. So the cd's are titled "For All Eternity" A four-talk set to Strengthen your Marriage. I highly recommend them to everyone. Dr Lund is so funny. And the suggestions that he talks about are really great.
He talks about owning your words. For example, for one week do not go off of body language, facial expressions, or tone of voice. Only go by what is said. If I had a crappy day, and Mark comes in and asks me how I am, and I say fine. Then Im fine. Even if my eyes are red from crying etc etc. I dont get to expect him to pry into why Ive been crying. He doesnt have to ask " are you sure you are ok?" I get to own my answer.
The one that we are going to work on now is no critical or negative comments for 24 hrs. This means no sarcasm, nothing. I cant drive and curse out the person ahead of me, I cant complain about how fat I feel being pregnant. I cannot put down anyone, including myself, for 24 hrs. Every time I do I have to start my 24 hrs over again. Now this also means non verbal. I cant give a dirty look and roll my eyes at my kids etc. If you think it but dont act on it, that is ok. As long as it is pushed out of your head.
He makes a comment about those who arent willing to try this. Or those that say " oh I could do that I just dont want to etc" how they are in the 2 minute club. I am determined not to be in that club. I am up for the challenge!
The hardest for me will be sarcasm. I was raised with sarcasm. I still feel there is a fine line to where it can be too much, but I do use it alot through out my day.
This whole thing is also something you can only rate yourself. No checking up on your partner. The honor code is in play.
So do you think you could do this? He said it took his wife 3 days. It took him 3 weeks! LOL. The car was the point that got him. I think that will the hardest part for me as well.
When I actually accomplish this I will let everyone know. Ive already had to start over twice! LOL. We started this last night at 10 pm. Sad I know! But I will do this! Oops I put myself down. Ok so I get to start over again. This will be a good thing for me!! Try this with me! See what you can accomplish.
Have a great day!!

Out of the mouth of babes!!! LOL

2007-08-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

It never ceases to amaze me what my children say at times. Taylor, my youngest, is quite the card at times. Yesterday she had me rolling.
Once a month we head up to Highland to have dinner with Mark's family. While we were on the way the kids were eating a mexican candy called Pelon's. Its made with chili pepper but its also sweet. Pelon in spanish means bald. The candy is soft and it is a container that you push up and force the gooey substance through holes on the top of the container, Kind of like growing hair. So anyway way we arrive at my in-laws and proceed to talk etc with the rest of the family that is also there. About 20 minutes or so Taylor comes and sits by me on the couch. One of the kids at the house is the soon to be step daughter of Mark's youngest brother Don. She is darling and pretty shy around us because they havent been able to come to alot of the functions. SO I tell Taylor to go say hi to her. They are both in the 1st grade etc. Taylor gets really quiet and says that she doesnt want to. This is odd because she is usually very friendly. So I continue to try and convince her to go say hi. Taylor gets kind of withdrawn a little.So I ask her what is wrong. She says she just doesnt feel like it. I ask her if she is sure she is ok. This time she leans into my ear and asks me to go to the bathroom with her. Odd request. I ask her if she is hurt. Again she just wants me to go to the bathroom with her. I look at her and ask her what has happened. She now begs me to go to the bathroom. So I follow her to the bathroom.
Once there I ask her what is wrong and she opens her mouth to show me the empty spot where a tooth used to be. Totally shocked Im all excited for her and say"Taylor you lost a tooth!!!" To which she starts sobbing and says " and it wasnt even loose!!" Not quite the reaction I was expecting so I hug her trying to calm her down, tell Talia, who has now joined us to go get Mark. So the three of us are trying to calm this hysterical little girl. She finally tells us that she lost it in the car.THE CAR!!! By now it has been 30 min or so! Not a peep was made in the car! I am totally confused by now. Apparently when the candy cant be pushed through any more the kids use their teeth to pry the lid off the base so they can lick the rest of the candy off the push up part of the container. When Taylor did this it popped her tooth out! I cant believe she didnt even cry! What child takes 30 minutes to tell anyone her tooth popped out? Needless to say it did take her a little while to be convinced that she would be fine even though it wasnt really loose. And when the initial cry session was over she started to be a little excited. Thankfully Talia went out to the car and found her tooth, so the Tooth Fairy could bring her money.
Now after all this Im sure no one can even believe the story does not end there! After all this is Taylor we are talking about! For those of you who may not know her, she is quite unique in her thought process.
Ok so we get the kids tucked in to bed.Taylors tooth is safely snug under her pillow. She is excited about the tooth fairy as we turn off the light. After about 35 minutes Mark and I are in our bed chit chatting blah blah blah. Then we go to sleep!!! OOPS morning comes! I have totally forgotten about the Fairy! I only remembered because of the baby monitor we use because the kids room is at the complete opposite end of our house. Anyway Taylor is telling Cayden that the TF didnt come. I am so lame! Cayden is in her room helping her look for the $$$. Soon they come to my door and as soon as they are allowed in I am told the terrible tale of the missing TF. I said Im sure she came no worries, go eat your breakfast and I will look and try and find it. Taylor says her tooth is still there. I explain that the TF only takes the tooth is the parents dont want to save it and that she know I like to keep the teeth. Not a bad explanation! So the kids eat breakfast and I get up and proceed to grab a dollar out of my purse and head to Taylors room to "magically" find the $. Im thinking this will be the end of the issue and we can move on with our day! Silly me! After "finding" the $, and giving it to Taylor with the story of where it was found,Taylor starts to examine the dollar. She then looks at me and says "mom I dont think the TF gave me this money." why would you say that I ask. " mom are you tooth fairy?" I respond Well I guess you can believe that if you want, but why do you think that?" Then she proceeds to make a comment about the dollar which I didnt quite understand, something about she always gets a 1 with a one one. yah ok??? I ask her what the heck that means and she says never mind. But continues to examine the dollar and suddenly decided that the TF did give it to her because on the side of the dollar are two small pieces missing? HUH? and then and that it wasnt exactly the TF but Orgs? HUH? I ask who Orgs are..She tells me they help the TF out so it was actually Orgs who brought her the $. WOW WOW! The stories this girl can weave! I have never had any sort of concern over the TF from any of the other kids. She is one of a kind! I was getting a little concerned for a moment! The whole time I am trying not to laugh because of how serious she was taking this whole thing.
I know this was a long story but I just had to share! Kids are awesome! I wish I had an imagination like that. OH wait not I dont. I'd have to take pills for that! But it still is fun to hear their stories!

So Cool!

2007-08-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ok so I got my printer. And it is way cool!! The difference is huge! I feel so professional now! I cant find enough things to print. Its like a new toy for me. Photography is not a cheap thing to get into. There is ALWAYS more to buy. I think Im ready and BAM, I see something else, or a new product comes out. So really I will never be done. I will never have enough. Because there will always be new and improved! Now I can see why "boys" are always wanting more toys to play with. lol. Ok I need to go print some more pictures.hehe

Wow!

2007-08-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

Ok I know some of you will not appreciate this entry. But that's ok. I just have to talk about it. So as you all know I have started my photography business. I love it. I love meeting people. And I love the reactions from the photos. One issue I was having is my ability to print the pictures. My printer is not bad but it cant compare to say...Taking my pictures to Pixels and having them print them. And it also took half of my profit, sometimes a little more.
So yesturday, I go to the mailbox and there is a letter from my step mom. I'm thinking no biggie, it was Marks b-day. Probably something for that. NOPE!!! The amazingly sweet, but naughty, woman has sent me the money to purchase the printer I have been eyeing to buy. I totally start crying. My cute daughter, Talia, is asking me a question, and I cant even answer her. So she comes and stands in front of me and asks why the heck Im crying. I am just so shocked and humbled that I just look at her and keep crying. To say Thank-You to something like this just doesnt seem to scratch the surface. I am still in shock even as I put together the printer today. I am truly blessed when it comes to my family. Not just because of this amazingly kind thought, but I truly have a great family. Well thank-you for listening to me spill about something I am still in awe of. I had to share.

Moving forward

2007-08-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ok I finally did it. I created a portfolio website. It is exciting and scary all at the same time. It is great that I can finally say to potential clients..."to see my work please visit my website". Well at least something along those lines. LOL. The scary part? It seems more official. My photos are out of hiding. Sure I have them on my blog and myspace but I never sent potential clients there. It was mainly friends and family.
The website was a needed tool. Printing out the pictures and keeping them in a portfolio isnt really realistic. Its hard to carry around everywhere. And its just not that professional. The downfall to this right now is photo shoots are becoming, well, interesting. My ever expanding belly and pregnancy pains are quite uncomfortable at times. Especially when working in my studio. Outside shoots arent too bad. In studio shoots I am moving lights, kneeling down, getting up again to grab a toy etc. Not an easy task especially after the 10th or 12th time LOL. I really dont want to make excuses why I cant do photo shoots. I love what I do. It really is worth most of the discomfort. Plus Im worried if I start saying no, the momentum will stop and I will have to start all over again after the birth. Its amazing to me what things can get in the way of dreams and goals. No wonder most people dont make it to accomplishing what they dream of. There is always one more hurdle. I am determined not to allow those to stop me. They may slow me down temporarily but I know this is what I want to do. For me and for my family.
So for those reading this feel free to visit my portfolio. The address is www.tlcimpressions.smugmug.com
Now if you have any comments or suggestions for my site please post them here under comments. Any tidbit is helpful. After all I may not see something that may harm the whole ideal of having an online portfolio.
Thanks for listening to me ramble LOl

So Cool

2007-08-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Im sure not everyone will consider this cool. Tonight I went to a photoshop class with a close friend of mine. Now I have been to this class before, but there is sooo much info you need to go atleast a couple of times. The class is held at Pixels, which is my favorite camera store ever, and is taught by the owner of the store after hours. If any of you have used photoshop, you will know there are tons of ways to do one action. It is such a deep program! But if you can even learn the basics, it is such a blast to play with pictures that you have taken. Seriously I could stay there forever just soaking up all the info like a sponge! Even if you think you know photoshop, I bet you would still learn something at this class.I HIGHLY recommend to even the novice photographer! The cool thing is once you pay for the class, you can go back again for free. NICE!! And trust me you will want to. I love learning new things about programs. Especially when it has to do with photography! The more I learn the more I can offer clients. I mean who doesnt love all the options that say "Kiddie Kandid" gives you. One picture can be turned black and white with some color brought in. They can put different frames etc around the pictures. Special techniques like making the pidcture into a water color.ON and ON and ON. For a photographer this is all beneficial to learn. The more you can offer the broader the clientel.

Anyway I just had to share! It is one of the highlights of my day when I can attend a class like this! Im sure everyone has something unique that just gets them stoked! Hope everyone has a great night. Its almost midnight, time to go to sleep!! Tomorrow I get to play with my pictures, and practice photoshop.YEAH

Quiet Weekend

2007-08-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

So one of the things in my life, that Im not a huge fan of, is not having my kids with me 100% of the time. Not that I have a problem with them seeing their dads, I just miss them tons. I have totally enjoyed having all 3 of my kids this week. Cayden and Taylor went to stay with their dad yesturday. Which means Talia and I get some time alone together. We went to Ikea today. That place is crazy! Yummy meatballs though. I love how close Talia and I are. I wish her dad could accept that. Its very sad. Anyway he just came and picked her up for the weekend. I miss my kids. However on the upside....Mark will actually be home tomorrow. It is rare that I get to see him on Saturdays. We are soaking up the alone time we get until Breenan is here. Its such a great thing to have a baby together, but still a little sad it wont just be the two of us sometimes. It has been great for us to still have alone time. It takes alot to have an instant family. But he has done an amazing job. He is one of those rare, amazing guys!! LUCKY ME!! Well I guess I will start to relax and enjoy the weekend. Peace is good for a little while.

My First Inspirations

2007-07-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

While looking at the different pictures on my blog, I'm sure you noticed there are a few subjects that show up more than others. Those beautiful faces are my children. As I have said , children are a joy to photograph. And why not start with my own. After all, they are very accessible.LOL.
Talia is 13. It is hard to believe I officially have a teenager on my hands. But she is also one of my best friends. Her heart is tender and sweet. I enjoy every moment with her that I can get.
The next in line is my 10 yr old son, Cayden. Can you believe those blue eyes.WOW!!! He is affectionate and quite the talker. He actually didn't have much of a chance not to be with me as his mother. His dad is not too quiet either. He tells great stories, very creative.
For right now, Taylor is the youngest. She is 6. She will be starting 1st grade. Time flies!! She is very petite. She loves animals, almost too much. It tends to get her in trouble. She can usually be found toting one of our cats around, instead of doing things asked of her. She is also quite the card. Depending on the situation, meeting someone new etc, she usually has a funny face to show how she is feeling. Some of the comments that come out of her tiny little mouth are something to behold.
There will soon be a new arrival to our family. Mark and I are expecting our first child together. He will be here in November. We have been waiting for about 2.5 yrs for this sweet addition. And of course once he arrives , I will have a new subject to photograph!!!LOL
The head of this amazing family is my sweet man, Mark. We have been together since July 4 2003. We were married on May 8 2004. It has been a wonderful journey with him and the kids. He is soft and loving. He works very hard to take care of us. He is constantly going, going, going. The children absolutely adore him. The moment he steps in the door he hears "Marky is home, Marky is home". He is then bombarded with hugs from the whole family.
I feel very lucky to have the family God has blessed me with. Even when it is hectic and crazy, I treasure every moment.

Starting out

2007-07-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

I'm 32 yrs old, and am finally able to start my photography business. Even though there is an amount of excitement with starting this adventure, there is also fear. Putting myself out there for the world to view and and share opinions of my photos is intimidating. I love to capture memories. Children are especially fun. You never know what you will get with them. I have done one wedding, small and simple. It was not as bad as I thought it would be. Of course my friend is very easy going and fun to be around, so that really helped. I even love what shots I was able to get.
It's amazing to me how much I continue to learn. It is a never ending process in photography. I love that. It is never boring. It feels good to have my mind absorb all this new information. I look forward to seeing all this new knowledge come through in my photos.