Oh how they think they are older than they really are!

Conversation I had with my 6 year old today...

Brayden: “mom” he said, lifting up his sleeve to reveal his armpit…
Me: “yes Brayden” I said, distracted…
Brayden: “do I have hair under here?”
Me: Finally looking over to see what he was showing me replied, laughing, “nope, not yet”
Brayden: “but I feel it”
Me: Still laughing
Brayden: Walked away annoyed!

I LOVE THIS BOY!

Anniversary and Birthdays!

Jon and I celebrated our 8th anniversary this last August by going to a BASEBALL game! Not only was it a perfect day for baseball but it was The Diamondbacks (my team) vs. The Dodgers (Jon’s team). Jon was feeling pretty cocky going into the bottom of the 9th inning being up by 2 runs, but I wasn’t worried, my Diamondbacks have a flare for coming back at the end of a game… you know, they love to give their fans a good game. So, just as I expected, we came back to tie it up in the bottom of the 9th… all of my fellow Diamondback fans supported me in a pretty lengthy trash talking to my husband, who was brave (or some would say stupid) enough to wear a Dodgers jersey in the middle of a red river! To make a long story short, the D-Backs won in extra innings by one run… oh yeah baby!!! We had a good anniversary.

Bella turned 2! Two years old, I can’t believe it. She’s so much fun. I love this little girl so much. She brings such a great balance and dynamic to our family. She’s… well… yummy! We celebrated her big day by having a simple family birthday party. Uncle Ryan and Aunt Jen came over with their kiddos to have cake and ice cream and open presents. Anabelle had a great birthday.

In September I turned the big 2-9! Jon and the kids spoiled me and we had such a great time. My favorite is the big 29 balloon. Jon taped them together but he originally taped the 2 backwards and could not figure out, for the life of him, why it looked so wrong!! It’s okay, he’s senile, after all, he’s 30 now!

Oh, and please notice that the boys had already started wearing their Halloween costumes in the middle of August... oh yeah, it was a long 2 months!!!

The Beginning

I am overwhelmed with emotion right now. “I’m back”… “we’re back” and as I reflect on what I want the nature of my blog to be… what I hope to express or even to teach… I’m confused.

Do I want it to focus on:

-- the positive
-- the things I’m grateful for
-- my beautiful children and their lives and events
-- our trials and tribulations
-- my trials and tribulations
-- vacations
-- recovery
-- pain
-- disappointment
-- laughter

Do I want to:

-- be real
-- trust my readers
-- risk being judged
-- risk being fake

Maybe all of those things, maybe a balance. I’m not sure. I’m just not sure yet.

In the meantime, I’ve been reading your blogs. It is so fun to feel like I’ve participated (on some level) in your personal lives. I’ve seen pictures of new babies, Halloween costumes, soccer games, vacations, temple visits, weddings, funerals and much more. Blogging is such a great way for me to feel connected to so many friends and family that I’ve somehow, through time (and not enough time), lost contact with. As I “catch up” on the things that you have been up to, I feel such a sense of gratitude. You, my friends and family, are very special to me. I’m talking about ALL of you. In someway or another you have affected me and my life and my own personal journey… and if I had to place a bet, I would say that the affects were pretty positive and inspiring (or else you wouldn’t be reading this!!). So all of you that read jolleygoodday and jolldygooddaytoo thanks… more to come… pictures, announcements, experiences, quotes… and some crazy twist and turns… because I wouldn’t be ME without a little

CRAZY-RED-HEADED-NESS!

xoxo

***Sorry to those of you on jolleygooddaytoo, I haven't updated the sidebar with blog addresses or added the posts from our original blog... coming soon... maybe***

Anabelle's MRI

Anabelle had her MRI today and we survived... by we, I mean me! Bella did great and I actually was pretty relaxed most of the time. Thank you to all who fasted and prayed in behalf of Anabelle and our family, we could really feel those prayers today. I can't thank you enough for the kind text, emails, notes, messages, flowers, temple visits, thoughts and words. Things like this save people in their times of trials. I feel like our family has been through a lot this last year but with the help of all our wonderful family and friends we will get through all this "stuff".

We are off to California tomorrow morning and can't wait to spend the week with my parents on the beach and at Disney Land. It will be nice to relax and just forget for awhile.

The results of the MRI will come next week so we'll know better what's going on with our little Angel girl.

Hard week...

This week has been a difficult week for our family.

My husband brought me flowers to make me stronger.

They cheer me up.

Please send prayers our way...

My mom told me that "prayer changes things".

I'm on hold with the hospital to schedule an MRI for Anabelle.

This is hard.

The Biggest Looser

Who out there is a fan of this show???...

THE BIGGEST LOOSER?

I don't think I ever mentioned that Blaine Cotter is my back door neighbor... he and his wife, Jenny, live directly behind us and they are in our ward!

While Blaine was busy here working out his body...

I was busy here working out my brain...
REMUDA RANCH!

Isn't life funny and ironic? Blaine left on September 21 to start The Biggest Looser and I left September 25 to go to Remuda Ranch (of course we didn't know about each other at the time) ... Jenny and I joke about the irony.

"It's like rain on your wedding day."

Good job back door neighbor, we are proud of you!

Jenny, when can I come visiting teaching?!

I'm such a proud parent!!!

Early one morning, Brayden had already headed off to school and I was cleaning up after our breakfast mess when I heard...

Jack: "Hey mom, hey mom"

ME: "Yeah Jack"

Jack: "Hey mom, look at me... I'm a 'Jack in the box'"

Where does this kid come up with this stuff??!! I laughed my guts out!