a week in San Diego

Ronnie & "Dog" the Bounty Hunter

Faith, Chance, "Dog" & dogs daughter










One week in San Diego is hardly enough compared to a month stay last year. No complaints though we had a ball! My Aunt and her son went out with us and then Chris, Bailey & Brody came out the last three days. We enjoyed all of our favorite food places, the beach, Old Town San Diego and a visit to the Birch Aquarium. One of the nights at dinner we sat next to "Dog" the Bounty Hunter and his family...kinda cool. The weather was great and we cant wait to do it again!

Memorial weekend...

Thursday we left for the mountains. By the time we got to Show Low we were in the middle of a snow storm (crazy). By Saturday the snow had melted and it warmed up enough to have a little fun. We spent the last few days playing at the homestead and "little red". We went to St. Johns to clean and visit family graves.

Faith graduates

thursday Faith graduated from preschool!

8 years ago today...

this song says it all...Happy Anniversary Ronnie!

Mothers Day & some

Mothers Day was great! I hope all of the mothers I know had a wonderful day!

I finished my photography class for the semester. I cant even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed everything about it, so much that I am taking another class at MCC during the summer. I have to get as much in now because Faith starts kindergarten in August.

I got the great news on Friday that Faith was accepted to Franklin! WHOO HOOO! I was kind of feeling like if she didn't get accepted that it wasn't meant to be...but after I went and observed one of their kindergarten classes I would have been sooo disappointed if she hadn't been accepted! Their curriculum is really something to see!

Spring Cleaning...

I love my girls even with dirt and boogers on their face!

I cant help but smile every time I look at this picture:)


We went up north for the weekend so that Ronnie could trim some of the trees around the Homestead! The weather was perfect...no more snow:) We all had a great time riding our 4 wheelers and visiting with family in Show Low!

IM 29

I turned 29 yesterday... Thanks Lydia for watching the girls! Thank you to everyone who gave me a gift or card! Thanks for the phone calls and thanks to you who either drove clear to the restaurant Saturday night or clear out to my house Sunday to help me celebrate! Thanks to the relief society for decorating my front door! Thank you everyone who made my birthday special! I love all of you!!!

BLOG BOOK

This post is inspired by my friend Brittnay who just lost all of history on her blog:( This has always been a scary thought for me. Blogging has turned out to be the only form of journaling I have been keeping up with. Recently I heard about www.blurb.com a place that will "slurp" (that's their words) your posts directly from your blog. From there you can create your own blog book. So far I have only completed 2006, I am still working on 2007. If you have ever made a book with shutterfly it is very similar.

Easter

Easter Sunday Church dresses (it was also Jaylee's first day in nursery...YEAH!) She survived with only one finger nail claw mark on her arm


We celebrated Easter at our house this year with my family and Ronnie's parents. We had Easter dinner and desert and then the kids had a Easter egg hunt in the back yard.

Grandpa Whitings old farm

Faith's B-Day Party Pics

Faith had her birthday party at Bounce-U! Definitely a fun place to go!

FAITH is FIVE today...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAITH!

DATE NIGHT

Friday night we went to the Coyotes game with Ron & Lydia & Jesse & Aleisha and then to my favorite pizza place, Oregano's! Thanks guys I had a great time! Faith stayed the night at Ron & Lydia's.... that is always a special treat for her and us:)

TAGGED

TAFI TAGGED ME!

10YRS AGO TODAY...
Hard to remember but I know I was working part time for Bank One and was a full time college student at MCC.

5 THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST TODAY...
1. take & pick up Faith from preschool
2. lots of laundry from our 4 day weekend get away
3. take Faith to dance (1 hr drive)
4. get to my hair appointment on time tonight
5. try to get to the grocery store

I ENJOY...
1. Rainy days
2. Sundays(even though they are hectic)
3. going to the mountains
4. going to the mall all by myself
5. Auntie Anne's pretzels


WHAT WOULD I DO IF I WERE SUDDENLY MADE A BILLIONAIRE...
1. Help close ones in need
2. See a financial advisor/invest
3. pay off debts
4. go shopping
5. go on exotic vacations

3 OF MY BAD HABITS...
1. staying up too late
2. messing with my eyebrows
3. obsessive worrier

5 PLACES IVE LIVED...
1. Snowflake
2. Holbrook
3. Show Low
4. Gilbert
5. Queen Creek

5 JOBS IVE HAD...
1. World Gym (front desk/daycare)
2. Macy's (floater)
3. Dillard's (mens fragrance)
4. Bank One/Chase Bank (8yrs)
5. SAHM/Secretary for our personal businesses

5 THINGS PEOPLE DONT KNOW ABOUT ME...
1. I almost always have a stash of Papa Johns peperoncini's in my fridge. YUM
2. I love to watch the food network channel and I love to cook (surprisingly)
3. Live for yoga and wish I had time to do it every day
4. FERGIE is the CD that has been playing in my car since Nov
5. Wish I wasn't so nervious to meet new people/more outgoing

I tag anyone who is reading this...

Snow on the Superstition Mountains

This was the view from our backyard yesterday morning. Its not very often you see snow in the desert.

WEEKEND NEWS

Faith gave her first talk in primary yesterday. She weaseled out of it last year as a sunbeam. Faith was excited and I was nervous! I begged Ronnie and my Grandma both to help her instead. No such luck. We walked up to the pulpit and Faith pulled the microphone down just like she new what she was doing and I whispered her talk in her ear. All the while my knees where knocking. Faith asked me after church when she would get to give a talk again? I hope that's not a sign that she is volunteering for next time:) Joking aside, I am really proud of her and how eager she is to participate at church.

Saturday Faith was being the BIGGEST stinker! I put her in my bedroom for a time out. She usually goes to her room but Jaylee was napping and their rooms are next to each other. When Faith is on time out she SCREAMS the entire time. Anyhow, she was quiet this time, so I just left her in there so I could have some more cool down time. When she came out she had bright pink lip stick on and was holding something behind her back. She says to me "mom remember when Aunt Bailey cut my hair"? She then whips out a zip lock bag with a 5 inch lock of hair that she cut herself! This is one of my most dreaded fears. I have kept the scissors hidden since she started to sprout her first hairs. I never thought to hide the finger nail scissors. The good news is, it could have been worse. At least she cut it underneath her hair instead of at the scalp.


yes...she had been crying(the picture was taken after I scolded her for cutting her hair.

GETTING TO KNOW ME, A-Z

ALEISHA TAGGED ME!

A attached or single: Attached
B best friend: My Aunt Coleen
C cake or pie: Cheesecake
D day of choice: Friday
E essential item: Definitely my Chi flat iron, don't know how I ever lived without it
F favorite color: Lately its been brown
G gummy bears or worms: Bears are better
H hometown: I'm a Gilbert Girl
I indulgence(s): I love getting a massage and I try to get one at least once a month
J January or July: July, it usually means trips to the mountains and vacation time
K kids: Two girls
L life is incomplete without: Loved ones
M marriage date: May 19, 2000
N number of siblings: Two sisters and one brother. I am the oldest
O oranges or apples: Oranges
P phobias or fears: Flying, scorpions, car wrecks and burglar's
Q quotes: "We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience"
R reason to smile: I have too many to choose from
S season: Oct-Jan all the holiday celebrations
T tag three friends: Aybody who is reading this
U unknown fact about me: I wish I could sing but I cant:(
V very favorite store: Buckle
W worst habit: checking the iron and my flat iron 5 times before I leave the house to be sure they are off
X x-ray or ultrasound: Ultrasound
Y your favorite food: Mexican
Z zodiac: Aries

Random Rambling...

Jaylee & my gorgeous Aunt


Last weekend we went up north to stay in my parents new house in Show Low. We tried to make it to "little red" in my Tahoe. HA that was a JOKE. We got stuck so bad in the snow! What 4wheel drive when you have street tires? Needless to say we tore my truck up pretty good. Tomorrow it will be one week I have been without it:( It has been at brown and brown getting a work over. You think we would have learned our lesson from the year before when we did the same thing.

Tonight Faith tells Ronnie "I'm not wearing those jeans, I don't like them". Great, my four year old is starting to get her own fashion ideas! Maybe she's been watching too much What Not To Wear!

Faith starts kindergarten next fall and I have been debating public school verses private school? I am torn because I have a public school right here in my neighborhood. The closest private school is Franklin and if you know were we live, you know its not all that close. It is about a 15 min drive from where we live. Well with much deliberation I will be at the Franklin doors tomorrow morning when they open at 7:30am to get Faith on the waiting list. Tomorrow is the first day they are excepting names for the upcoming school year.

Some of you may have seen my little photo blog. No, I am not a professional photographer.... but I appreciate all your nice compliments:) I have always loved taking pictures! The first time I got my own camera was for 6th grade science camp. I remember coming home and dieing to get my film developed. Ill never forget my parents comment when they asked me, why I only took pictures of trees? Hehehe! Anyhow, Ronnie bought me the most awesome camera for Christmas and I have been loving every second of it! I am so excited because I start school at MCC on the 14th. I'm only taking 3 credit hours (photography) but I can hardly wait! I haven't been to college in 7 years! Thanks to my supportive husband who will be watching our kiddos while I'm at school 2.5 hours twice a week until the end of May!

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS...

My Christmas Angels

Christmas Sunday dresses

Our neighbor played Santa at his house for the neighborhood kids


Faiths FAVORITE THING...

More CHRISTMAS Stuff...

Saturday Faith had her Christmas dance concert. She did REALLY GOOD! If I can figure out how to download the video of her dancing Ill post it later.

Last night Ronnie and I went to the ASU Gammage with eight of my family members to see the Forgotten Carols. It was awesome this year! Jordan Bluth sang a lot of the numbers. Jordan's family was in my ward when I was growing up and you may know some of his younger siblings that went to Highland with us. Sometimes I have a hard time getting in the REAL Christmas spirit. All the hustle and bustle can be distracting but the Carols ALWAYS hit the spot!

'TIS THE SEASON...

PARTY I

Thursday night we went to Ronnie's family annual Longhurst Christmas party at Jason's house. We ordered pizza, played games and ate dessert.

Ronnie playing "Santa Says" (instead of "Simon Says") with the kids.


Faith had fun trying to "pin the nose on Rudolph"


PARTY II

Saturday night Ronnie and I went to a Christmas party hosted by some friends in our ward. Everyone brought an appetizer to share. The food was YUM-O and it was great to mingle with our "adult" friends!


PARTY III

Last night we hosted my family's annual "Grannie" Christmas party at our house. We had our program on "the true meaning of Christmas" and played games. This party ALWAYS ROCKS because we have the BEST mexican food!

FYI

Faiths Christmas dance concert is next Sat the 15th at Highland High at 1:00pm. Tickets are being sold at Dance Energy or at the door the day of the concert.

What?

I went to check on Jaylee this morning (she was sleeping) and this is what I found:) How did she ever get her arm out of her sleeve and then up through the neck?