Oh Christmas Card

I am pretty sure we picked the coldest day EVER to take our Christmas card pictures! I like the middle picture best, so that will be our Christmas card this year! Merry Christmas!

Party Weekend

What a great weekend we had! We had Lexi’s 8^th birthday and then on Sunday we celebrated both Marty and Lexi’s birthdays with Marty’s family. Great weekend full of family and fun.

Friday night we had our nephews and niece over to stay the night. We also had one of our very good friends and his 3 boys over also to watch the BSU football game. We ordered 4 large pizzas and 4 orders of bread sticks and it was all gone by the end of the night. After the BSU football game we went out and played basketball in the dark, well kind of in the dark, it was dark outside but our basketball court is lighted. It was kind of like playing flashlight tag…

Saturday we took 8 little girls to Build a Bear and to the Cheesecake Factor for an ALL GIRL birthday party. Each little girl got to build a bear and have a giant slice of chocolate cake from the Cheesecake Factory.

After we came home from the birthday party I made a yummy spaghetti dinner for Marty’s family. We ate more cake and opened more presents. It almost felt like Christmas!

November 6th

So today I set a goal for myself. I have found that because I have been super busy with elections and pageants that my house has been on back burner. I did not realize what a “pack rat” I am! I do not toss anything out!

So my goal is to DEEP clean 1-2 rooms a day until all the rooms in my house are back to being organized. Perfect timing right with the holidays just around the corner!

Tomorrow is my daughter’s 8^th birthday party! Yes myself and 8 little girls will be going to Build-a-Bear and the Cheesecake factor. I will make sure to get all the little girls on a sugar high and then send them home…. So glad it is not a slumber party!

Today I went to the fabric store (something I do not do to often) because I wanted to try to sew something. I bought all the fabric needed to make my project came home only to find out that my sewing machine was BROKE! I had my hopes up to make something new and really show my domestic abilities however it just did not happen today. I am sure I will not have that bug again for awhile.

Birthday

What a great day yesterday was. It was Marty and Lexi’s birthday! I can not believe my baby is 8 years old, am I really getting that old? It was also Election Day. I was campaign chairwoman for Nampa Mayor Tom Dale. Proud to say another victory! Also my mom City Council Woman Pam White was running for re-election and she won! Great day all around. Both of them won with over 70% of the votes, if it’s not broke why fix it right!?

So for Marty’s birthday we went to Red Robin for lunch (it is a tradition.) Then for dinner we went to this awesome new restaurant called Darby’s. What was funny is that I asked Lexi what she would like for me to make for her birthday dinner and she said “well did you ask dad?” I said no, she said “well I want to go to Darby’s.” Well then ok to Darby’s it is!

After dinner we went to the campaign party until about 10pm. Because Canyon County is SO SLOW calculating the votes we did not get the official results until 2am! Mind you only 8,000 voters voted! Are you kidding me!?!?! I could have hand counted them faster than that!!! Anyway, I was pleased with the out come!

It was indeed a great day all around!

Trick or Treat

I just love this time of year. Halloween the night were age doesn’t matter. This year I dressed up like Lucille Ball “I LOVE LUCY.”

Lexi and I joined Alishia and her two daughters Autumn and Kirsten, and went tick or treating in her neighborhood. Alishia and I have been best friends for 18 years and here we were again dressed up like we were back in Jr. High! She was Daisy Duck!

Marty and Kaiden went over to my mom and dads house to help pass out candy and watch the USC vs. Oregon game (they missed out on a bag full of candy.)

Kaiden was going to be the traveling gnome but as the day went on he decided he did not want to trick or treat this year! Well that was until Lexi came back with a back FULL of candy!

So then we dressed him up like a witch and took him around my parent’s subdivision. And of course Lexi went also. You can only imagine the amount of candy we have!!!

The Oregon Coast

My family and I went to the Oregon Coast for our birthdays. My birthday id October 14^th and my husband and daughters birthdays are both November 3^rd.

It was so nice to get out of town together as a family. Our journey started out on Wednesday October 28^th. We drove 10 hours to get from Nampa Idaho to Seaside Oregon. That was 4 ½ movies in kid time!

We were able to stop at Camp 18 for dinner, which we have never done in all our trips to the coast. It was great food and a wonderful atmosphere. If you get a chance to visit I would stop in for a bite to eat. Check out their website at www.camp18restaurant.com

Once we were checked in, no time was wasted… It was off to the beach. Our room was amazing, we stayed at the Shilo Inn and it had an ocean view with a fireplace and a kitchen in it! Marty won a $250 gift certificate to the Shilo Inn in a golf tournament, so we went for the best room!

As we put on our winter coats to head down to the beach because it was only about 40 degrees outside we saw that the hotel had a 24 hr. pool and spa. Yep you guessed it next stop the pool. We were not even on the beach for 10 min. and we were already hearing “when can we go swimming.” So after a short wet (it started to rain) walk on the beach we came back and went swimming.

The next morning we had to wake up at 6am. We HAD to be the first ones out on the beach to find ALL the sand dollars. Well I am not sure where all the sand dollars went to but we did see about 12 squid that had been washed up on shore. I had never seen squid like that before. They have one giant eyeball and it was freaky looking! After about an hour looking we decided to come back in and eat some breakfast. After breakfast we went back out but still no luck.

Because it was raining we decided to go on a field trip to other small towns around Seaside. We found a old ship wreck so we had to stop and explore there. We went to Fort Stevens and saw all the old battles fields. Then we decided to get back on the road and head to Cannon Beach. Still raining we shopped in some of the stores there then decided after lunch to brave the rain and head down to the beach by Haystack Rock.

There are always great tide pools around Haystack Rock, and once again we were not let down. Despite the rain and the wind we were able to see o many wonderful sea creatures.

By the time we got back to the car I think we each weighed about 20 more pounds because we were soaking wet from the rain. But it was still great family time together.

The OVERCOMER

I feel so blessed to have a church family that is supportive and non-judgmental. I was able to go and talk to some of the women of Christian Faith Center about how to be an “Overcomer.”

I believe that each one of us has what it takes to overcome many different obstacles in life. For some of us to “overcome” these issues come easier than for others. As I look at the many obstacles that I have had to overcome I know that there are so many other ladies out there just like me who have had to fight a battle in their own lives. I am thankful for the many challenges I have had to overcome because it has made me into the person I am today!

Being involved in pageants I have had the privilege of meeting many young and older ladies who have had to overcome different issues. I have heard happy endings and I have heard sad endings, but I look at these ladies and see that they have OVERCAME!

What a powerful message many of us have to share. I would like to encourage you to get out there and share… You may never know whose life you may touch by just sharing where you have been and how you ended up where you are today!

“OVERCOMER”
Lord you know I am pushing on to run this race
I fix my eyes on you in everything I face
Even when my feelings say it isn’t so
Your truth that beats inside my heart won’t let me go
With every step of faith you strengthen me
Along every mile of trust you’re remaking me
Tho` a trial of tears marks the path that I’ve come
Until your arms, I’ll continue to run!

Golf Tournament and Corn Maze

This week has been such a crazy week. I feel like it is pageant week without the drama! I have been planning our churches first annual golf tournament. I am excited for the turnout. I hope all the players have a wonderful time. Did I tell you I had about 2 weeks to plan this tournament? I am thankful that I am the kind of person that people are able to recognize that if they need something done I am the person to turn to! That is a wonderful feeling.

I am also planning a photo shoot for the 2010 Mrs., Miss and Teen Idaho International Queens on Thrs. PLUS our music pastor and his wife went out of town and asked Marty and I if we could watch two of their kids. They are good kids so it is no trouble to watch them. I am excited to do so. We are planning to go to the corn maze.

Every year we take the kids to the corn maze. It is tons of fun, we go when it starts to get dark then walk through the maze in the dark with no flash lights… The best part of this is when we hide in the corn stalks and jump out at people walking by and scare the pee out of them!!! It is so much fun; I would recommend others to try it!! Each year they design the maze as something different, here is the link for you to check out what we have walked through in the past. http://farmsteadfestival.com/OriginalCornMaze.htm

A start to a wonderful weekend

What a crazy past couple of days. Lexi is much better, her fever is gone but she has this horrid sounding cough. The children’s Mucinex has been wonderful. I can tell she is feeling better because she has gone back to her sassy ways. Nights are hard, I feel like a new mother who is up every 2 hours with her baby. I must say having her home with me has been a treat. We have enjoyed watching Days of our Lives (that is our favorite show!)

My birthday was Wednesday, not the best birthday ever but I am hoping that next week I will get to do something fun to make up for it.We are going to Seaside at the end of the month so I am counting down the days till then. After we get back it will be very close to Election Day! Remember to VOTE November 3^rd!!! My votes are going to Nampa Mayor Tom Dale and City Council Woman Pam White.

Here is a funny story, the other day as I was waxing my eye brows I waxed the end of one of them off. YIKES, when you husband can tell there is not something right you know you are in trouble. I have tried to draw it on, but it doesn’t look the same. I tell you what, waxing of the eye brows is not something you should do on your own.

I can tell I have too much time on my hands! I need a job, but for some reason I can not find a job that will work around my kids schedule. You know I want to work 9-2 and be home with my kids on their days off. I have applied many places but no takers yet. When I go for job interviews I feel like I am interviewing them. By the end of the interview if they have not met my standards I say thank you for your time. I should not be so picky…. Isn’t there anything out there that can work with my schedule? Starbucks!! I need a job at Starbucks, I always feel good when I go to Starbucks. I have a new ambition; I am going to go apply to work at Starbucks. We will see if I can work the hours I want!

Holiday Collection

Thank God for answering prayers. I must say last night was a rough night with Lexi and her coughing. About 4am I woke up and just started to pray for her and within no time her coughing had stopped and she was resting well.

Today has been a good day for her. No fever all day! She has a real bad sore throat and her little nose is plugged, but other than that she is doing better, we will pray it stays this way!

As a mom when one of my kids gets sick I feel that it gives me an excuse not to do ANYTHING! But I could not take it anymore last night. I had to clean… So I did, I cleaned everything but the bathrooms (as those are my favorite so I want to save them for a special day!) So today again, I had the urge to do nothing so at about 1:00pm I decided I better get into the shower, so I did. Then after that I didn’t do a thing. No make up, my hair looks like I stuck my finger in an electrical outlet (because I have such GREAT hair that if I do not dry it and flat iron it I end up with an afro.) So yes I am rocking the afro look right now! I love these days!

My birthday is tomorrow and I had such wonderful plans, but I have established a routine with my birthday. It seems as if every other year I am at home taking care of myself or someone else who is sick in my family. I guess this year it will be my daughter! That’s ok; it will be a mommy and daughter birthday!

I have to say how excited I am about the Holiday Scentsy warmers that are coming out! They are super cute! If you want to see more please visit my Scentsy web site at www.Scentsy.com/Autumn

As soon as everyone in my house is better I am going to start my fundraiser for Victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse! Every year I hold a fund raiser and all the money raised goes to different organizations that help the victims. October is Nation Awareness month for Domestic Violence and Child Abuse! I am hoping to be able to put one together before months end! Wish me luck that all start to feel better soon!!!

One sick little girl.

What a weekend, you always have to love it when a weekend fly’s by right? Not here, I like to enjoy my weekends. I like to have family time and this past weekend just did not seem like I got the quality family time that I wanted.

Saturday started out cold it felt like snow. I am running a re-election campaign for our Mayor and we had a fundraiser luncheon. It was a great turn out and great food. Brick 29 in Nampa donated their services. If you ever get a chance to eat at Brick 29 you MUST! Their food is the BEST! Dustin the chef has won many awards and is super nice!! You have to try the bacon, I have NEVER has anything like it before. YUMMMM

After the luncheon my son had a soccer game. So all bundled up we watch his team win their soccer game. During the game my son collided with another player, as a mom it was my first instinct to run across the field and see how he was, but I didn’t. I waited until he was on the sideline and then ran over to him! He was fine just a bump and within 5 minutes he was back in the game.

After the game we came home and watch college football all evening with a fire burning in the fire place it was a great way to end the day. On Sunday we woke up and got ready for church. My daughter who never plays sick came in and told me she did not feel well, I said you are ok lets get ready to go. So we got to church she went into children’s church. After church she came into the main church and she had sick eyes. I felt her head and my baby was burning up. So off to the Doc-in-the-Box we went. We get to the Dr. she has a fever and because she was vaccinated for the regular flu they tested her for H1N1 and sure enough it came back positive…

Chalk that up to another “Worst Mother” award. I hate it when I get those awards. I should have listen to her and kept her home. Well we are home now and she is resting, right now she is also getting EVERYTHING she wants! It is the least I can do, she is my sick baby :-(

Lesson for the mom here: Listen to your kids, if they say they do not feel well they may be telling the truth!

A new hair cut

Today was school picture day at my kid’s school. So we have the usual routine where they wake up take a shower gets dressed eat breakfast, brush their teeth make their beds and head out the door.

So today Lexi informs me that she will be getting her hair cut after school. This has been a LONG battle for us. Every morning when she has to brush out her hair she turns into an ugly green monster. So this morning just like every other morning she is brushing out her hair and says I am so glad this will be my last day brushing the snarls out of my hair.

I said well how short do you think you are going to get your hair cut. She said SHORT! So after school I pick the kids up and we head over to Bethany’s (who is our pastor’s daughter and a wonderful hair stylist 350-1626 if you are looking give her a call) to get Lexi’s hair cut. Marty was quite upset that he could not be there (he was in Donnelly doing some winter cleaning.) So we go in and Lexi sits in Bethany’s chair ready to get ALL her hair cut off. Bethany looks at me and says how short, I show her on Lexi’s back, she starts to cut it and I see Lexi sitting there all excited.

Bethany gets all done, gives the kids some candy and we walk out. Lexi looks and me and says it is so short. I said do you like it? She said I love it! NO JOKE Bethany only cut about 2 inches off her hair!!! Isn’t it funny how even the smallest changes make us feel like a new person?

Two inches is not a lot of hair, but to Lexi it is “so short.” She feels like a new girl with short hair when in reality her hair was brushed out, trimmed (cleaned up) and styled in a new way.

Sometimes that is all we need, is for someone to clean us up and give us a new style. Sometime we get stuck doing the same old thing day after day and we do not realize that we need a change, it is then that when we get the smallest change we are able to start fresh and new!

I am so grateful that my daughter is able to teach me something new! It seems as if everyday I lean something new from both my kids!

1 week and counting!

Picture one is my Sr. year of High School, Picture 2 was when I was 23, picture 4 was when I was 25, picture 5 was when I was 26 and the last photo was when I was 27. That was the last time I had a head shot taken of me!!!

I guess like a nice wine you age better with time!

In ONE week I will be 31~ yes 31… Wow were did the time go? It feels like just yesterday I was 23 doing my first Mrs. pageant…. WOW when I look at pictures from then and now I am thankful for getting older!

I have noticed that the older I get the earlier I go to bed and the more my joints ache, the more wrinkles start to pop up all over my face (and stay.) I must say there are defiantly pro’s and con’s to getting older, but for the most part it is GREAT!

I thought that after the pageant I would “slow” down but I have come to find out that is just something people say. In my world there is no “slow.”

Besides from being a wife, mother, running pageants, selling Scentsy, volunteering in my kids classes, helping out with my husbands business I have taken on two political campaigns, and putting together a golf tournament for my church.

I am just so thankful that I am able to ALL this. There are many people out there who can not do things on their own. They can not feed themselves go for walks with their kids, help kids in the school learn to read, use a computer, know about our rights as US citizens, or worship God. For all this and so much more I am thankful.

At least getting older comes the benefits of enjoying the finer things in life!

First Cold day of the Year.

I love the weekends, even if it does rain almost ALL weekend. This weekend started out with soccer games! Can you say FREEZING? Yes, I think the first real cold day of the year is always the hardest. It was chilly outside. No it was down right COLD!

After the two soccer games Marty and I went to visit his sister. I bring up the visit because it was wonderful to get to talk with her about God and her personal relationship with God. We were able to witness to her and hopefully open up a new door in her life.

After our visit it was time for the BSU vs. UC Davis football game…. UMMMMM Thank goodness for little girls. My daughter DID NOT want to go! She said it was to cold. So that meant I was going to be able to stay home with her and watch the game from my couch with a cup of hot coco….. Yes I did win the award for the “smartest” person in the family that night!

While everyone at the game froze to their seats or had to stand up by the little donut hut and do jumping jacks to stay warm, Lexi and I sat in our toasty warm house playing battleship and watched the game on TV. My momma didn’t raise no dummy!

Kaiden and Marty did have fun at the game. My new Miss Idaho Intl, is a drum major for the Boise State Blue Thunder Marching Band, and she was there leading the band. Kaiden was able to say hello and have his picture taken with her… Every little boys dream right!?!? A picture with a beauty queen…

On Sunday we went to church, which I must say was a well needed does of the Holy Spirit. I LOVE being able to go to church and praise and worship and come home with a new spirit. It is the BEST way to start a new week.

After church our family (the 4 of us, my mom and dad and my aunt, uncle, and two cousins) went to Brick 29 in Nampa that has the BEST bacon in the whole world!!! Yes I think I ate about ½ the pig myself! It is that good!!! So needless to say come dinner time I was still full from brunch. It was a wonderful Sunday and a great way to wrap up the weekend.

I must say for it being a Monday it has been a quiet day! I like this!!! I know I should be doing laundry or dishes or baking something but it is one of those days were I want to lie on the couch all day wrapped up in my blanket and watch Lifetime!

I will be speaking out our church on the 26^th of October about becoming an Overcomer. So I did take the better part of the morning preparing a talk. I am very encouraged at what I will be able to share with other ladies. I would like to invite you to come and listen to what I have to say. You may learn a thing or two about yourself!

As the date draws closer I will post more. Anyway, I guess I should get back to whatever it was that I was doing before I took a break to blog!

Fall is is the air

I love this time of year! When the weather changes and it starts to get cooler in the evenings, this is REAL football season weather.

My kids so badly want to buy a pumpkin EVERYTIME we go to the store. So I gave in and said FINE! BUT….. You can not carve them until it is closer to Halloween. Yes I know I am no fun LOL. BUT, I did find these awesome pumpkin sticker kits that work great. They are called “Mr. Pumpkin Face.” They must have known I was coming because there was a princess one just for me!

So after a long 5 minutes of my kids decorating the pumpkins they were gone outside and off to other things. WOW, if I would have known that there would have been NO mess and it wasn’t going to take up my whole evening decorating these pumpkins I would have bought 12 more. In fact I may go back to the store and get more just so I have something to do during the day now.

As I was sitting here typing out this post, I saw someone jump my gate (I have a gated driveway to keep out the riff raff) and walk up to my door… Umm hello, can I help you? There is a reason I have a gate at my drive way! Only VIP get the code, like UPS, FEDEX, people who bring me goodies. Lucky for him he did have a check for me. Okay, I will let you cross!

That freaks me out when someone I do not know comes up to my door after jumping my gate. Really?!?! I do have a “call” button that you can push and if I want to I can let you in. IT SAYS “CALL” all you have to do is READ!

Lucky for him my man eating dog was not out LOL! That is a story for another day.

Before I go I just want to say how happy I am that I get to live in Idaho. As I look out my front door I see the Owyhee Mountains, and as I look at my back door I get to see Bogus Mountain. I never thought I would like living in BFE on 8 acres but after 6 years I have to say I am enjoying the quiet solitude.

First Post

I broke down and did it! I now have my own blog. Yes I keep a blog for the pageant and a political blog, but now I have my very own blog where I can write about whatever I want… OH NO is that a good thing?!?!

People ask me if I have a life besides pageant, really? “Why yes, yes I do!” My husband and I are residential and commercial developers. I am also very involved with politics. I am a paralegal plus I am finishing (yes still going to school) my Political Science degree. Why has it taken me so long to get this degree? Well because I am a wife and mother first! My family has the #1 role in my life. Everything else can wait!

Besides pageants in my free time my family and I LOVE to go to Donnelly where we have lake front property and vacation there. We do a lot of water skiing, jet skiing, boating, bike rides, camp fires anything else you can do in the woods during the summer. In the winter we like to go snow skiing and snow boarding (I like to ski better.) I have also found that there is noting like flying down a snow hill covered in ice riding on a tube that looks like it came from a bicycle with no way to stop but to fall off. This has become one of my most favorite winter activities!

During football season we attend close to EVERY Boise State football team, yes we are a part of Bronco Nation!

We also like to travel; I have found that flying someplace is much better than driving. I am not a fan of the “road trip.” I like to get to where I am going NOW so I have more time to enjoy my vacation.

We have traveled to 3 countries and 17 states so far. We are working on going to more places…. One day we will make it there too.

I hope you will check back often as I update everyone who wants to know about what is going on in my crazy life!