Santa!!

Hello, This past weekend we had a fun weekend. Hannah actually sat on Santas lap for the first time in a few years. She even had to sit on with Bri and Mackayla because she didn't want to still sit by herself. She did a great job though!

We also finally got our Christmas tree up!! Hannah has begged and begged pretty much since the first of Dec. to get it up!! She had so much fun putting it up and has been excited for Christmas this year! I love my tree. Since Alyssa has passed away I have tried to get an angel a year for her for our tree. Friends have given me angels for my tree and family have given me angels to decorate my house with. I don't have a lot but the ones I do are very special to me and I remember who has given everyone. A couple of years ago my mom gave me a whole box of white ceramic angels for my tree. It is so pretty.

Also, thanks to our RS bulletin they have 25 days of scripture for the 25 days before Christmas so our family has decided to read one every night before we go to bed. To get the true meaning of Christmas spirit in our home.

Happy Birthday to my dad and my Brother!!

Hello! I just wanted to write a quick blog tonight about my dad and brother Chris. Today is there birthday. I talked with my brother Chris this morning and wish him a happy birthday. Hard to believe you are 44!!! Wow..we are getting old! I sure miss you. I haven't seen Chris since the last time I was in Calif. which was when Hannah was a newborn. I sure am grateful for an older brother. I just wish we lived closer so our children could know each other.

Now my dad. They share the same birthday of course. My dad passed away 18 yrs ago almost 19 but he has now been gone as long as I was with him on earth. It is hard to believe!! He hasn't seen me as an adult or married or a mother! I remembered before he died he always wish he would have been able to have been around his grandchildren since none of his kids yet were married,but it is really nice to know that he is with one. My Alyssa. I pray that she is teaching him the gospel and all she knows about it. I pray that he will accept it too. Also, I hope my dad is telling Alyssa about me. I am grateful for the gospel and knowing we will all be together again one day!! I love you dad happy birthday!!

Twilight Weekend!!

Sat was a fun full day!! First we started out by going to Hannah's last soccer game. She is a pretty good soccer player pretty good kicker actually. She got one goal. It was pretty cute when she was kicking the ball back and fourth when she first got there she kept saying she was getting a goal and then blowing me a kiss. Then When she was actually playing the game and kicked it in the goal She was jumping up and down and blowing sweet kisses so who knows even if she knew what she really new was a goal but she sure had fun. She loved being on Team Well's team but the last game she needed to be on was Team Jolley and did great and had fun being on both!! Thanks for Michelle and Heather for putting the soccer league together Hannah will look forward into playing next year!! After they were done they got the cutest awards and medals.

Afterwords, we left and Kristen, Tammie and I went to see Twilight!!It was great! I am so glad we went in the afternoon. It was crowded but not to bad. I went in with low expectations and I really enjoyed it. I did nitpick on somethings but again I was so happy I went and saw it like Heather says, it was worth the 10$ you spend it on it.

Then later that night Chris and I went on a date. It was so nice. We hadn't been on a date in awhile so it was a blessing to go out. I am grateful for a $1 movie theater around here since I spent money earlier on Twilight. We enjoyed the movie Journey to the center of the Earth. It was a fun movie if you have younger kids who don't get scared they would enjoy the movie!!

My Unspectacular Quriks!!

Random Quirks

Here are the rules. " My Unspectacular Quirks"

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Mention the rules on your blog

3. Tell 6 Unspectacular Quirks about you.

4. Tell 6 blogger' s by linking them.

5. Leave a comment on each tagged blogger's blog letting them know they have been tagged.

My friend Julie Tagged me Thanks a lot Julie!!

Here we go!!

1. I pick at on the side of my thumb when I am nervous.

2. I have had 16 surgeries my whole entire life. I am only 36 so that is about 2 every other year.

3. A lot of times I read while the t.v. is on so the room isn't so quiet.

4. I always have to have the toilet paper roll coming over instead of under or I switch it!

5. When I eat I like to leave the best thing last like the middle of something because it is the best part!!

6. In my conversations I say "So" a lot!!

Get Ready!!

I am Tagging!!
Anna-Marie
Heather
Rachel
Hibbard Family
John & Kristen
Jared & Dana

Super Star!!

Hello, I was excited for Hannah today. She got the Super Star in class award. She got it for her ability to solve tricky words in reading. I am really proud of her. It is nice to know she is good in school. She was able to also take a classmate to the office because her mom was there to pick her up early then she got to walk back by herself! She was so excited to do all that. I am really proud of her and how well she is doing in school. Tonight with me she read "Green Eggs and Ham" all by herself! She really has learned to love to read. I am glad because reading is one of my favorite things to do to. Hannah's teacher seems to be a great one and I am so grateful for that and she has the patients for Hannah and her excitment about Life and Learning! Which is a great quality of Hannah's. I am proud of you Hannah. Congrats! Love you!!

Halloween & Tiger World

Hello, this past Friday as we all know was Halloween. I have always loved this time of the year especially here in N.C the trees have changed color and everyone is happy and in a great mood because the holiday's are around the corner. Every year since we have known the Wheelock's we go trick or treating with them. It use to be our old neighborhood so we know a few families still in there so it is fun. Hannah was Tinkerbell this year. She is really into her this year with the new Tinkerbell movie but she wanted to be here before that has come out. Maybe Santa will bring it to her we tell her all the time. We had a great time trick or treating even if it was 29 degrees that night!!

Then on Sat. we went to Tiger World here in Salisbury, NC. They have Tigers White Bangle and regular Tigers and Monkey's and Brown Bear's Bobcat's, and Lion's. It wasn't a huge zoo but it was nice and Hannah, Chris and I have always enjoyed Zoo as a family.

Also today is Election day. My mom put the patriotic in me to always go out and VOTE!! I was am grateful for early voting this year again it is suppose to be record turn out's with lines very long. Last election I know I had a wait awhile so that is why, I did it early so I didn't have to wait again this time. I am grateful for this country that I have the right to my opinion and vote!! I hope everyone has taken that chance to vote!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

I just wanted to write a quick entry about my mom. She is 64 today and I sure love and miss her!! I haven't seen her in over a year and Chris and I and Hannah are trying everything we can to get to Alaska next year. She has lived there for 5 yrs (I think) I still haven't been there. Well, I have been blessed with a baby since she has moved there so that is my excuse mom.

I just wanted to share how much I love her. Even though I am older and I don't see her as much I know I can call her any time and she is there for me. She has always been there for me. When I was a baby I was really sick. She blessed my life so I could have the life I have had. It hasn't always been easy for me I know but I have the gospel and a wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters and I owe my mother for that. Thank you mom for giving me my life and the gospel to make my trials a little bit easier. Thank you for trying so hard to see me even though we are so far away but willing to see us even though it is hard. I sure love you!! For some reason the pictures I wanted to scan didn't work. But, I still wanted to leave this blog. I love you mom Happy Birthday!!

Indian Trail Produce Co-Op

Hello!! A friend of mine who once lived her moved to S. Carolina and found me on Facebook. We started talking again and she told me she started a Produce co-op. Which is you put in 15$ and you get about 55 item's of produce, from Potato's,onion's,grapes,banana's, apples. So, I thought I would try it. So, I drove down there which is only about 45 min. away. Well, it was pretty awesome!! So, she offered to me to start a group here in Indian Trail. She told me I needed to get at least 24 families. Well, I was able to get 31 with some help of friends and we had our first Indian Trail Co-op produce group!! It was this last Friday!! It was awesome!! We were able to get some great vegetables and fruit for such a great price and they are so fresh because there is only one middle man in between the produce company and then before that it is the farmers!! It was awesome!! We were able to get red delicious apples, yellow apples, banana's,Oranges, Onion's, Red & Green Peppers, and my favorite, Avocado's!! I am excited to have this and bless families lives!! It is like I said about 55 items of things for 15 $ and what we get my friend figured it out and it is about 55 $ in a grocery store. There is only one middle man in between from the farmer's to us. It was awesome! It scares me sometimes to see how big it is going to get but also awesome to see friends get so excited!! I know next time we could already be doubled in our Indian Trail Produce Co-OP which is so exciting!

Also, last Saturday Hannah had her first Soccer game. It was really cute. Thanks to the Jolly family for putting this together and letting everyone use there back yard. Hannah did pretty good. She would be kicking the ball and if anyone tried to get it from her she would protect herself and fall over the ball so no one could get it. It was pretty funny. She did great though.

Yesterday we had a fun day. We went to a fall festival with Dawn and Brianna and McKayla, and Jacob and some other friends we know from Dawn, Scott and Janet and Jeremy. It was a lot of fun. We also went on a hayride all of us together and it was fun.

Hannah had her primary program today too. She did such a great!! It was her first one and she finally said what she was suppose to say. Last year she went up there and just sat with her teacher, but this time she actually said her line that she was suppose to say, "Because of the Atonement I can have an Eternal Family.We were so proud of her! She also sang the words to most of the songs too. The theme was that they were a Child of God. Also, Dawn and Brianna and Mckayla and Jacob came. We were so grateful they came and supported Hannah. We are so grateful for their friendship and Brianna is so sweet to Hannah. Hannah says all the time she wants a big sister. I tell her she does which she knows she does but then she says one she can play with, and then I asked Brianna this week if she could be like Hannah's big sister and she said yes. She is the same Alyssa would be so it is nice to know Hannah can have her. I am grateful for all the leaders who did a great job on the primary program who worked so hard putting it together! They did a great job and sang beautifully!!

Catching Up!!

Hi..Yes, I know it has been awhile. As soon as I said, I am going to write every week I stopped. Sorry, I will try and be better. Some of my friends kept asking me to write so I thank you for looking on and wanting to know more about my family.

I do have an excuse though. The past couple of weeks I have been sick. I missed a week of work, well, I would work from home which is a nice bonus for my job. I was close to pneumonia without taking a chest x-ray I was pretty bad. It has been a bad year for me and from now I am going to get a flu shot. Maybe even tomorrow, which I hate but if I have the time I am going to go do!

Also, another thing I have been doing is getting a produce co-op together in our area. It is where we get produce from places that sell from Restaurants and my friend orders it and we get such a GREAT deal on it! Our first order is next week. I hope I haven't gotten myself into something over my head. I know we have at least 30 this first time and my friend started this in S.Carolina she said I needed at least 24 families to start and it usually keeps growing after your first one. We might already have to split ours because it is getting so big! It will be fun though being more involved in our community and helping families out. I will tell more about it next week when we have had our first order!!

Chris is doing great. He has made his 5 month mark in being a manager and I am so proud of him. He is doing a great job. I love him being home every night and one night a month he stays and calls collections. He stays until 8 then he works half day on Thurs. and takes Fridays off. Which is so nice because we have the day off together so it has started to be our date time.

This past month I started Hannah in Gymnastics too. She has loved it!! This is her days on Tuesday... She gets up @ 6 a.m. gets ready for school. Catches the bus at 6:54. Which she doesn't mind she hates the weekends and loves Monday's so she can go all week. If she has a Monday off she is pretty bummed. When she gets home she has some down time and we read. She is getting pretty good at that too. She is on level 3-4. Then we get ready and go to Gymnastics. She can do a bridge pretty good too for a long time. Then last week in Gymnastics she climbed the rope for the first time and she got half way! She absolutely loves it! Then we come home eat dinner and then she goes to bed. She is asleep with in 5 min.

Around here sports are kind of expensive. We just broke down to put Hannah in Gymnastics so she could be with other kids other than play dates and school. A mom in my ward put together a little soccer league for 4 & 5 yr old's. Hannah had her first class yesterday. She loved it! She is on Team Wells team. Jared Wells and his wife Dana are there coaches. Grant is on her team which makes Hannah very happy in itself.. Then there is Sydney Barlow who she also really likes to play with and a girl name Katie. They had so much fun yesterday. Heather Barlow made there little t-shirts that say Team Wells on them. They are REALLY cute!! Tomorrow is there first game hopefully if we don't get rained out. So, Hannah is having a great time right now. She loves life and is such a happy go lucky child. We could have never been so blessed!

Live Thanksgiving Daily

Hi,we had a great Relief Society lesson today by Jolin Brady. She is a great teacher even though she says she scared each time she teaches she does a great job. She talked about Giving thanks daily not just on Thanksgiving. We all went around saying something different other than just Church things things because we are always or should always be grateful for those things in our lives. People said some fun things, from Chocolate, to pillows to the crispness in the air in for fall to the 90 degree weather which was today. I said I was grateful for my daughters happiness and excitement about life. She started her full week of school this week and has loved every minute of it and I am so GRATEFUL for that!! She is so happy in the morning right when I pick her up to when we lay her down at night. She can get crabby or whinny but I am so grateful for her happy and healthy spirit!!

This week at school was her first full week. She like I said would get up happy and be ready to go. I usually would get up and get her breakfast ready and then get her up. Well, I was walking to the kitchen and all of a sudden she jumped out from the hall way and said beat you! Meaning she beat me up and was ready to go for the day! You think she would be tired and not wanting to get up. Not Hannah.. Later that morning she was up and ready and she was waiting for the bus. That started this week too and she loves taking it. She kept looking out the window and I said, I will let you know when it is time to come. She said, but the sun is coming up I am going to miss the bus! It was pretty funny and cute! I love her so much and so grateful for her happy spirit!!

Also, this weekend, Chris and I got a taste of the Wii.. We loved it!! We are looking for it. We tried bowling and Chris tried baseball, and we boxed each other. It was so much fun. We were at our friends house, and having another wanting to do another fire and it rained so we played that. It was so much fun!! We are both really sore though but it is great!! Hopefully this week we are going to purchase one and have some fun Wii matches. Chris off course knocked me down in boxing but not until the 3rd round. If we find one we hopefully will have some Wii parties..

I have been doing pretty good writing mostly every week. I hope I can keep it up.

Hannah's First Day of Kindergarten!!!

I was going to wait until the second day of school because here in N.Carolina they tease the kindergartner's they go for one day but then don't go again for week!! But today, Hannah was able to go see who her teacher was and meet her. She was really nice. Her name is Mrs. Hughes. Hannah has two friends in her class already. One was from Pre-School a boy named Joshua and a girl named Faith. She is our neighbor. I am so happy for her. She loved her first day she can't wait to go back. I am just worried because she loves to learn and everything comes so easy to her and I hope she doesn't get bored.

It is hard to believe I should have already gone through this with Alyssa. But Knowing she doesn't even need school is the best blessing!!

Our Trip to Utah!!

Hannah and I got to go to Utah last week! It was a lot of fun. We had so much fun I got sick the end of my trip from going and going the whole time, and staying up late playing games and watching the Olympics!

When we got there Uncle Matt was there picking us up with Bronco. Hannah was so excited to see him as always! She never wants to let him go, until he sees the girls!! As soon as we got to there house she played and played her heart out!! From sun up or even before, on some days to Sundown! She played with Nastassaja, Mikayla, and Briella! Then on some days she also played with my other nieces Holly and Kitty, mainly those two because the rest are just so busy! Lizzie teaches ballet and is VERY good! Mary was swimming the whole time I think we were there, or in school and Julianna playing with friends.

Matt and Michelle took us up one of the canyon's so Hannah could play in the river! She had a BLAST!! She didn't want to leave. She didn't even think it was cold she just played and played. It was the first time for me to be able to do something like that too. We just watch the girls play while I took pictures!

On another day while we were there we went up to Temple Square. Yes, think I am crazy, I have lived in Utah and been up there several times, but I wanted Hannah to see it. Wow, so much has changed since I have been there and I didn't even see it all! I didn't get to the conference center and I heard that is some sight to see too. But,we did go to Temple Square first and the girls kept saying why can't we go in. We would try to explain to them when they get older they will be able to go in. Then they would say but if it is Heavenly father's house why can't we go in. It was really cute. We also went to the church museum there. It was so neat! We spent most of our time there. If you haven't been there you need to go! There is a room of prophets there that tell about them all and have some of their own things in it for display. It was just really neat.

We had a really great time. I got sick though towards the end of my trip because I kept doing to much and not slowing down! On another day, I went to see My stepbrother and Holly and his girls. they took us up to see Kinacot (probably spelled wrong sorry) Canyon. It was really neat. They are mining up there for gold and you can go to the top and see from S.L.C to the southern part of Union country all in one view!! It was Georgous!!

We did miss seeing Chris' side of the family while we were there. Like I said, I got sick with a HORRIBLE sore throat!! I have lost my voice completely and just drained. I felt bad not seeing them but I didn't want his grandparents to get it. We also missed Chris not being there with us. Next time he will have to go with us!

We had a great time while we were there. I got to see one of my companions from my mission and we ate at my favorite restaurant Cafe Rio!! I actually had to eat there 3 times to get my fix!! I was pretty beaned out by the time I left.

We loved being in Utah. We couldn't say what was our favorite part. We got to meet Jonathon's girlfriend Julia and Hannah fell in love with her instantly!! I love being in the east but have learned how important family is and when we are together to appreciate the time we have together!! Until next time!!

Do they Really Listen?

Sometimes as parents don't we say, do our children really listen? I know I do especially with Hannah. She does things sometimes things that makes us CRAZY!! For instance.. She will color on her wall, even at age of 4. I saw coloring in a book tonight, and she said..oh I did that at age 3. What her memory will hold if she really did that at age 4 or at age 3. So, Sunday Chris and I were getting ready for church and yes, we were letting her watch some t.v. and coloring, and we were in our room. Well we got back from church and Chris was upset. He said, Hannah come here. She had colored on the edge of our T.V. You would think she would have learned after a time out, from before and trying to clean off the wall. But then, they surprise us!! That night, we were saying our prayers and Hannah gets bad dreams. She would say, all the time. Please bless me not to have bad dreams. Then she would usually say,"Bless me to dream about Alyssa, and Strawberry Shortcake, and Cinderella. Well, instead of saying that she said about Alyssa, and she said, Please,Please Please. It was so sweet, and cute and innocent. I hope for her she will or has seen her in her dreams. She is so innocent. They really do listen to us. Teaching them young they will learn young and help them throughout there life.

Go For the GOLD!!!

Also, I have forgotten to mention the Olympics. Chris is an Olympic nut!! He records everything, and if he misses it he does watch most of it. Well last night we stayed up for the 400 relay with Micheal Phelps. It was AWESOME!! They came from behind and won with .08 or so seconds. It was awesome! Micheal Phelps is doing awesome! He just won his 3 Olympic gold! He won the 200 meter Freestyle, I think. He is hoping to win 8 Golds this Olympics!!

The past couple of weeks..

Hello again. It has been a couple of weeks. I have been busy watching kids and my own. I am grateful for the time I can watch other kids, and then be grateful for the one I have. I watched the Barlow kids. They are so GREAT!! No problems at all. Sydney and Hannah love to play with each other. It didn't matter how long they were together they just played well. Then Tyler I was worried about him, but He loves the Computer. He brought his Harry Potter book,(pretty impressive for a 6 grader. But he really wanted to play and why not..he doesn't get to do it that often. Then Cameron I was most worried about. I don't have 18 month olds very much, but he was so GREAT!! No problem and when he was done playing he just wanted to watch t.v. and there was no tearing him away except to eat. It is a great experience for me but glad the lord knows I only need one at a time here on earth.

One thing I have fallen in love with is Facebook. I have found so many friends that I haven't even thought of since High School. I am glad people are smart to think of fun ways to hook up with your old friends and loved ones. I am in better contact with my nieces and nephews too because of Facebook so again. I am grateful for it.

Today we had a great lesson in Relief Society. It was titled Words of Hope and Consolation at the Time of Death. That morning I admit, I looked to see what the lesson was about thanks to the spirit. I got through it, but it was hard. I am so grateful for the gospel and what we know after this life. I made a comment after talking about how to talk with Children about death. Hannah of course has always known she has a sister. In her prayers she says.. Please bless me that I could dream of Alyssa and Strawberry shortcake and Cinderella, but Alyssa is always first. I hope that since she is so pure and innocent she will see Alyssa in her dreams and play with. She loves being with other families to play like the Wheelocks and the Daines family. She feels like a sibling to them I am grateful she will to always know that we are an Eternal family and we will see her again one day.

I am too also reading Breaking Dawn. I haven't finished it yet but about half way.

Hannah and I get to fly to Utah this week. We can't wait to see FAMILY!! We will share all about when we get back.

OH.. Also, Hannah had her well check this week for Kindergarten. She just doesn't not like going to the Dr. I think she thinks about Alyssa. Because before we got there she asked.. why couldn't the Drs. fix Alyssa? We were able to have a good discussion but she really misses her sister. Hannah weighed 37.5 pounds and 42 inches tall. She such a great girl and we sure love her!!

Until next time!!

Having fun in the Summertime!!

It seems I am doing updates once a week. I will keep trying on Sunday evenings it seems like a good time when Hannah is in bed. We have had a fun week. Hannah spending time again with the Daines family while I am @ work. She is like the 6th child there and she loves being around everyone! We have also been swimming almost everyday this past week including on Friday with the Barlows. It was fun! Hannah loves Sydney and they are both a lot a like.

Last night, we hung out with the Wheelocks again. We are so glad they live here! We had a cookout and a fire in there firepit. It was fun, just in the first 5 minutes, I was the only one to get 5 misquote bites in the first minutes. Chris BBQ and Cooked a yummy peach pie. (Not my Chris' ) but Chris Wheelock. Later that night we had smores. It was really fun just hanging out and relaxing. While the girls, Hannah and Mackayla and Brianna and her friend Sara watched the Hannah Montana concert! My Hannah really enjoys it but she doesn't like being called Hannah Montana.

I am still new at this blog thing and hopefully it will get better as weeks past! Thanks for all who are looking and caring. It has been fun. Enjoy the rest of your Summer!!

Saying Goodbye!!

I just wanted to do a page about my friend Mare. She has been here for 5 months helping her dad who has a brain tumor. She is amazing!! Her husband is in Iraq and her two kids have been living with her two sisters during the past 5 months. She has been going from Indian Trail, to Pineville, to Rock hill. Her car was a brand new car now it has about 8000 miles on it from the past 5 months.

Hannah loves her to death!! She was really sad to see her go! So, will I. I have enjoyed our evenings when we were able to get together. We always said we would go to a movie but instead we would just go shopping or go have a dessert somewhere. I was lucky to have her around and I will miss her too. I haven't found anyone who hasn't loved her. Animals love her too. My dog Dakota, for those of you who know him, he loves people! He loved Mare too! I just wanted to let her know how grateful for the time I did get with her and she always inspired me to serve better.

Being Spontaneous!!

This past week, I was complaining to Chris saying, we never do anything different always the same things, go to movie, and go to dinner. SO, we were trying to think of what we could do. We decided to be spontaneous and go to Virgina! I wanted to head to Washington DC, but for just one full day it would have been a long drive, so we decided to make it half way.

We ended up going to a Cavern in DC. We went to the Grand Caverns. It was the 2nd best in the United States. They were so neat! NO two caves are a like and there are many in the U.S It was used as a hide out at times for the Civil War and they also would hold dances and weddings in these Caverns back in the 1700's and 1800's. It was also neat there were signatures on the walls, by people who would go down there but they passed a law in the 1960's that you couldn't do it anymore. One signature we saw was from a captain in the civil war. They did research on the name and he went to battle a month latter near Washington D.C. After a month after he was in the grand cavern's he died in battle. It gets only 58 degrees year around.

We also went to see the Natural Bridge in VA. It is 215 feet below the span of the Bridge. King George III use to own it until Thomas Jefferson bought it in 1774.

We had a great weekend. It is nice to learn about history and go see new places!!

4th of July

We had a fun 4th of July!! We got up and then Hannah and I went to the Parade with the Wheelock's. It was a lot of fun. Chris doesn't like parades so he just stayed home in the cool air condition and relaxed!! Then we came and got Chris and went back to the Wheelock's and had a BBQ. It was yummy and fun. Hannah loves to play with Mckayla and Brianna to her is like a BIG sister! We have known them almost the whole time we have lived here and we love to hang out with them.
Then that night we didn't have to go anywhere for fireworks. Our neighbors had great ones right in our front yard so we stepped outside and watched all together! We had a great 4th. Hannah called it our Lucky DAY!!