Our Sub for Santa Project

Hey everyone,

I am getting my annual Sub for Santa started and wanted to see if there are any of you who are interested in helping participate. I have had several people wanting me to let them know about it... so I thought I'd share it with everyone again this year. I am staying with North Park Elementary because they have one of the highest poverty rates and also, after helping them last year.. seeing the families... really touched my heart. These are people who are in real need and very grateful!

Right now I have 5 families, but 5 families with lots of children. We have lost some of our sponsorship money due to the economy so we are going to really struggle to get these 5 families taken care of. I am getting the ornaments ready right now... so I just wanted to let you know, if you would like to get an ornament we would love your support. There are very simple & in-expensive things on there this year. The children have only asked for 1 toy along with the outfit and coat we get them.... we're talking things like, an Elmo doll, Barney Doll, Skate Board, Soccer Ball, Pet Shop Pets... I will have the tree at my office at Century 21 Golden Spike Realty. If you want an ornament and can't come in to get it, give me a call and I can get you one you want and mark you down on the sheet! I will do what ever is easiest for you!

If you and your families enjoy doing these kinds of things, even helping purchase one ornament will help immensely! Let me know if you have any questions. If you'd like to help and don't want to do the shopping, I have some who donate the money and I take the ornaments and purchase them for them. I do almost all of the leg work, so if there are any who would also like to help, you are more than welcome! It's such a rewarding thing my family and I are able to participate in... I'm just so glad we have so much support to help make it a success! This year is a little different than ones in the past because we have always been able to help 10-15 families. We understand this year is different with finances, but there are so many more people who need help this year, it breaks my heart.

Thank you all for your time! I appreciate all you guys do to help support me and the kids in all of our little projects! It's a great way to show them what the true meaning of Christmas is all about. Plus it teaches them love and compassion for those in need and who are less fortunate than we are!

Love you guys! Let me know if you have any questions!

Nick's Collared & Banded Swan

I had to share with you all Nick's Swan! This isn't just an every day ordinary Swan I'm told... he got a Swan last year too.. but this one's different! :) See the band around his Neck... well, I guess that's a big deal! There is also a band on his leg too! So I thought I needed to share my husbands great accomplishment!

So here's what I know so far! Nick and his friend Chad went out to the Bear River Bird Refuge last weekend to try and get his Swan for the year... It's rainy and cold, but this doesn't stop these avid, die hard hunters... So I get a call and Nick's all excited! I tried to share in his excitement, but I didn't understand why this one was so different than the one in the freezer we already had! ha! ha! So here's some important info on this particular bird. He even had to take it up to the fish and game to get these bands called in and the bird measured. They even said it's the biggest one they've seen so far! So imagine his excitement then! :) This particular bird... we'll call, Wilford.... was collard and banned in Koyukuk Drainage in the middle of Alaska. The day it was banded there were 51 Swans total that day that got banded there. It was sometime between 2006-2008. It also had a stainless steel leg band, which are very rare. We will have more info on it in a few weeks when we get it back from US bird banding. Pretty cool I guess! So here is my husbands big deal Swan, Wilford! Good Job Honey! Poor little Wilford! Avery was excited to see the "Duckie"... but she didn't understand why Wilford wasn't quacking...

All I have to say is, "Poor Little... I mean Big Swan, flew all the way from Alaska just to get taken by Mr. Hunter." Just kidding Honey! I'm really excited you got your Swan! We are even going to make a nice little mount for the bands for him! :)

Halloween Photos & Boutique

Wow! What a few weeks it has been! Between Halloween festivities and getting ready for my Boutique.. I have spent countless hours running and staying up all night painting! It was so nice to go to bed last night at 8:30 PM... yep! I said 8:30! and Avery and I didn't get out of bed until 9 AM this morning! I was up of course running Preston to school.. but went right back in and cuddled with my favorite little girl and watched cartoons! Running on 2-5 hours a night of sleep for the past 2 weeks has really caught up with me! So now today, it's cleaning this house! I set up for my boutique last night so the crafts are out of my kitchen and dinning room and it's time to scrub and clean everything up! Yeah for me huh? ha! ha!

Halloween was so much fun.. except for the rain. Avery loved it! Absolutely Loved it! Preston spent the day with his buddies because they were out of school, then came home to be with his sister to go Trick or Treating... then we took him back to hang out with his friends. He didn't want to miss being with his sister! How cool is that, that he'd come home just to go with little Avery! What a great kid he is! So Preston, Mommy and Daddy.. along with Uncle Bub went out trucking around the neighborhood letting our little Caterpillar going door to door! She didn't want to stop! She'd knock on the door, say "Trick Treat" and then get her candy and want to go in and visit everyone who was home. She thought opening the door meant, "Come on in and look around!" ha! ha! It was pretty funny! Good thing everyone else thought it was cute too! So we had a great dinner, played with Uncle Bub and Trick or Treated with the family. What could be better?

Here is the info about the Boutique if you want to go! There are so many fun things.. even to just get out and look around! Plus Javier's will be there! Great Mexican food as most of you know! Yummy! Hope you can make it! Also, along with the photos of our Halloween night.. are photos of some of the things I've been working on for so long... many of you wanted to see what I was doing.. so here you go!

FESTIVE FOLLIES
St. James Catholic Church
495 North Harrison Blvd.
Ogden, Utah

November 7-8
10 AM- 8 PM

November 9
9AM-3PM

60 Booths filled with gifts for the whole family- Just in time for your Holiday shopping!

Enter to win Great Prizes!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

How Did It Happen?

I got to thinking today about how lucky we are. I cant stop thinking about how blessed we are to have the family and friends that we do. Here is a summarized list of all the things that have been crossing my mind lately...

My Kids- I have two of the greatest kids I could have ever hoped for! I love them more than life itself! They are my World and there isn't a day that goes by that the love I feel for them grows even greater! Even when I feel it can't grow anymore.... my heart swells with the joys that they bring to my life... the love and happiness they bring to my life! Preston's great heart... so caring and compassionate... The amazing kid he is... always so respectful and loving to everyone. Always striving to be the best he can. Avery's cute little voice and discovering all these fun new words and watching her little personality grow... even the little attitude of being a female.. is kind of cute! Whether she's off to kill a bear, wanting nummies or having you read a book for hours, she is such a joy to our lives. There is always something everyday that makes me giggle! To have a son that is such a great big brother to his little sister who follows him around like a little lost puppy... a little shadow wanting to be with no one but him when he's around! There's no greater joy than watching your kids love each other and bond together they way those two do! Even listening to her running around right now singing Ei-Ei-O... how can you not smile?

My Husband- Even though we have the normal trials of married couples.. I love this man very much! He is always so supportive of everything I do! It means so much that he helps me and supports me. Deals with my stubbornness and understands my woman tantrums! ha! ha! Not that I have many! ha! ha! He knows how to put a smile on my face after a hard day, or a day when their might have been a hard trial.. or a sad trial.. or when I have something exciting... listening and caring... I love you!

Family- I have the best family ever! No one could have better parents! I have two of the most supportive, loving, caring and amazing parents a girl could hope for! They are such an important part of not only my life.. but my kids! They are so supportive of their grandchildren... everyone of them is their World and they would do anything for any of their kids! I don't know what I would do without them and can't imagine how I would have gotten this far in life with out them! I love them so much! My Brother.. even though he is gone... has been such an important part of my life. Every day I try to be like him.. so loving and caring to others, always willing to give of his time and trying to make this world a better place.. his wife and kids are very important and we love them very much! I love having them in our lives and being so close with my kids... to be not only cousins.. but friends. My sister and her family always keeps us on our toes! 4 energetic kids that are always up to something.. yet so cute and loving.. with my sister who has a heart of Gold and same with Cuncle Dusty! I love my family so much.. Nick's family is just like my own! I couldn't have a more loving mother-in -law and father-in-law. They are such wonderful Grandparents to my kids. The joy on their faces and the light that my kids bring them is so fun to watch... Nick's Brothers and Sister... I love you so much! You are such an important part of our lives... and to my kids! The love you show to them means so much to me! I love you as my own siblings and miss you so much when you are gone! You give our family so much happiness and love and I can't even tell you how much it means to me that you have treated me with love and kindness... We love our Family more than anything!

Great friends is what we have! New or old we seem to find the greatest people to be friends with, I don't want to mention any names, due to the fact I might forget one or two and that would be sad. When I found out I was having Avery I was so Excited and Scared. I never thought the day would come... I had waited for that day for 10 years... and the support and excitement you all gave is more than I could have ever hoped for! Even now, the love and support you all give me is something one only dreams of! I love you all so much! Thank you for ALWAYS being there for me, good or bad, no questions asked! I couldn't be who I am today with out all of you!

So how did it happen? I have an idea that my Heavenly Father was the one in charge, but to give me all of these great things, I am not sure why. I don't always feel worthy to have all these wonderful people in my life.. and I thank him daily! I truly couldn't and wouldn't be the person I am today with out all of you to help shape my life, give me great examples, love and the friendship you do. You all mean so much to me! Whether I've known you since I was a little girl... or as a grown woman... Whether I see you all the time or it's been awhile... you all hold such a dear place in my heart and I only hope I can give you all that you give to me and my life!

Here are some fun photos of some of the fun things we've been doing! Baseball Tournaments... Avery entertaining herself in the dirt, Preston's first Rabbit. Our Great friends, April and girls who come to spend time with us.. and just some very cute photos of the kids!

SNOW! SNOW! and MORE SNOW!

Okay! So the other day.. I wake up and there is like 3 inches of snow on the ground! And me, being the dork that I am... didn't even know it was supposed to snow! So I wake Nick up... to come see all this snow! Then, it just kept snowing and snowing and snowing. It even snowed so hard you couldn't even hardly see out our window! It was Crazy! It went from Summer... a few days of Fall.. and then Winter all in a couple weeks! On the News, it said that our little town got 11 inches of snow in one day! Nick and I guessed about 10... but 11 Inches of Snow in October is NUTS! So for all of our family and friends who are out of State and didn't believe us... here you go! I stole this photo from my friend.. because with everything going on Sunday with Preston's big day... I forgot to take a photo! We had even more than this! Then today it's in the mid 60's, sunny and beautiful.. then this weekend... back to 70! Talk about weird change of seasons... so hopefully it stays good weather for us. Preston has a Baseball Tournament Thursday, Friday and Saturday.. plus we are supposed to be going to Lagoon on Saturday.. and having a Super Saturday Craft Day! Yeah! Nick would disagree with me.. because he is going Deer Hunting! Sorry Dear! I just wanted to share this snow photo.. so you would believe us! :) I'll get more photos of everything we have been doing later!

I'm trying something new!

Okay! I'm trying something new.. I hope it works! Just a few fun photos from the past!

We Need Your Help!

If you are interested.. all you need to do is click on the invitation and it will become larger! This is one of my really dear friends who is one of the most amazing people I know! She does so much for others with out even thinking twice! She is one who deserves so much! If you are interested in a participating in a great cause.. this is it! Hope to see you there!