superbowl was AMAZING!

ok, so we are INSANE packers FANS! like watch every game, we buy the NFL ticket every year, we LOVE the packers! and this year, they not only WENT to the super bowl, THEY WON!!!!!!

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

wwwwwwhhhhhhhhooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!

we had some friends over, had some munchies! 

loved the game... here are some fun pics!

my little organizer!!

Little miss Macie is sooo much like me! she sometimes thrives in the chaos of her room & toys, but then, when she has had it, "she-has-had-it!" lol... 

i asked her if she wanted to go with me to get a coffee at Starbucks, she said.."no, im refolding my socks".....     naturally, im thinking...... hmmmm....... ok, she needs alone time. (from madelyn)

so i took my time with the babies, and was excited to see what she did!

This little darling was so excited to show me her room! i had to take pics!

she re-did her reading area, desk, and drawers (i should add pics, but, today i re did her bed with duvet with dots, like it is supposed  to look, took the mirror off her dresser, and took a bunch of stuff OFF walls. in preperation for "new" room- but i took THESE pics last night) ...she was so happy!

After searching for new dressers for Macie & Madelyn, i decided to KEEP the ones i have- re-arrange some storage, TOSS madelyns falling apart dresser (particle board). get new knobs, pulls, and PAINT them!

it wasn't hard to figure out....

buy Particle Board crap that falls apart ~VS~ REAL wood dressers...

hmm.. um, that was hard!

so give me a paint brush, sand paper, and some FANCY brushed chrome & nickle chrome hardware... VOILA! resourcefull mommy, happy girls, and super cute rooms!

clean slate-check!

 I'm currently cleaning out, getting rid of, and purging all the girls rooms.
im smack in the middle of major decorating (finally) & will be painting thier rooms soon also! im talking floor to ceiling!
its nice knowing we are done having kids, because now, i can mentally make these decisions KNOWING, there will be NO little bundles of surprise. ever. (john is currently recouperating from it, as i type).
but mental decisions are so much easier (with out the possibilities of "what ifs"!) and without questoining myself.
 we have this beautiful new house, with a room for each munchkin, and ive never been able to decorate them because of being pregnant, or having a newborn... and my energy is back! lol....
uhhh....ooohhhh........
so ive been "window shopping" for themes/ideas/etc.... and its been fun! i'll post pictures once complete!

clean slate- check!
idseas-check-check!
paint-still deciding on colors. hmmmm?
theme/decor-pretty sure i know whats going in who's room!
ta-ta!

my weight loss in pics!

oh how i have struggled! i think turning 30 was a real eye opener! i always had this idea of how i would LOOK & FEEL. at 30. i was WAY off! i just want to be healthy for my kids! and i think im THERE! lol... a little more toning/excercising to continue. i think i always WANT to just stay fit, but i must say, it was NOT easy! Liz started it all! she is so much more than a personal trainer! she is like a AMAZING- DAILY example of..."yep, its possible! im a mom, and a wife, and it IS posible to be healthy! and STAY healthy! no excuses!" She helped me realize ALOT of my problem was a mental decision! and that, YES, im worth it. so she helped get this party started! haha!

then, starting p90X was a help!!!! that got the ball rolling with the numbers on the scale! & juices flowin! Stocking the fridge with healthy foods helps alot too!  and keeping it fun helped.

I'm going to start the "brailian butt workout" im sure you have at least "heard" about it.. lol...  so that will help "change it up"....



jan 2010



while i was picking pictures to show you, it was SOO hard! there are 2 pictures i just couldn't break down and post. i was just too ashamed. yes, they were right after malorie was born, but i just could NOT add them! I didnt realize how LITTLE i let myself be photographed untill i started searching! sad! my babies wont have special pictures with me, because i was SOO worried about my outward appearance. sad. 

 well, so here is about a pic a month... and the bottom is me TODAY! ....... ive lost 43 pounds! and would like to lose about 5/10 more. but im happy with ME now, so we will see.. lol





august 2010





spring 2010



easter 2010

 





 









sept. 2010

Summer 2010



november 2010



10-2010







11. 2010

 


12- 2010





jan 2011



yea for ambition!





todayyyyyyy!



yea for support!

yea for 4 amazing reasons to stay healthy!

Our new Honda Odyssey!

OK, so in case you were wondering, the gas it takes, to drive a Chevy, 4 wheel drive, Tahoe is INSANE! likeseriously! we don't haul anything! we dont have a trailer! WHY we were driving a 4 wheel drive...???....???? cause we clearly needed a third row when i got preggers with Malorie! sooooo nowwwwwwwww....... we are ROCKIN a minivan!!!!!!!!! and we LOVE it! love it! LOOOOVE it! it is soo needed in this crazy over 3 dollar a gallon world! and it does this cool thing when im "in a cruise type mode while driving, it only uses 3 cylinders... yes, i said 3! i know, totally smart of us!
and of course i had to put a cross on there!......>>>>>

so here are some fun pics of us hanging out!!

sew.. whats the latest things going on....?

Hello friends and family! well, everyone is doing great! macie and john are back to the normal routine.

 im STILL playing catch up from almost 3 weeks sick!

xmas decorations and laundry- oh myyyyy

(but it helped me loose a TON weight! yea me! small victory!)    ;)

ive been SEWING like a MAD woman! im having SO much fun making things for my babies! this will not become a "sew and sell" type thing like my bows. (i still make those), i learned though, the time and energy that goes into it, and the SMALL time it does take away from family, (keep in mind, i have 3 kids and a husband, i get to sew in 30 minute slots, IF that! it takes me a week to make a 4 hour project! NO JOKE) but, i refuse to do the selling thing with this. i learned when maddie was the same age as malorie, it just comes a time to put certain things on hold, even if i enjoy it, and raise my babies! but im not giving up one of my hobbys.

 im just really enjoying seeing MY girls wearing it! not some one elses.

ive been sewing apron knot dresses, ruffle pants, twirl apron skirts! SOOOO FUN!!! mainly the boutique style stuff i am not willing to pay for! lol....

so far, ive made 2 dresses, 2 pants, and a skirt! lots of them i plan to do asap! i just do it when i can!

they just opened a "Hobby Lobby" locally, so im excited to have more choices and options for  *ALL* of my crafts!

ive been running around chasing malorie! she is soo cute! here is some of the first things i made.... i finished a twirl skirt with apron tonight, and got some adorable fabric for macie, and other girls, but no pics yet....

i plan on updating this blog more often!.... =)

**maddie (green/paisley) and malorie (purple) are wearing thier pants, and im going to make capris for spring! cant wait!
**malorie is wearing her dress, and the bright combo in the corner is what madelyns is made out of.

Happy new year a *REAL* UPDATE!

Happy New year! its been months since i posted!!


Here are a few updates from our life......

John FINALY got transferred to Selma! he was working in Bakersfield, and for 3 years he drove an hour to and from work! with NO work truck. so now, he is close to HOME! he HAS a work truck! and he is considered out of "training", and got a really nice raise! we are SOOO blessed! he wakes up later, which means, literally, our whole home life has changed! cause he is home more, less grumpy, you get the idea.. ha-ha! he is happy, healthy, and just trucking along!



Macie is doing fabulous! She is the most CARING, loving, giving little girl ever! she is so patient with the little girls it is amazing! in school she is GREAT, Honor Roll, Character counts awards, etc.. our little smarty pants! takes after john! HAHA! she is constantly reading or writing SOMETHING, she loves being girly too! constantly decked with accessories for all occasions! ha-ha. she likes playing her WII video game console, and is excited to be out for Christmas break! today is her LAST day till the 7th! she is VERY involved in Church, and I’m SO glad to see her heart follow God! The Christmas program is soon, and she is singing in it with the other kids!!



Madelyn: wholly cow........ well, lets just say, she is a typical 3 year old at this point. ha-ha! I reign in the "drama queen" in her, about 17 times a day! ha-ha.. she is just at that point where she wants power. (typical girl) and I just pick my fights with her. I’m the type of mom where, when your standing in the middle of target shopping, and your 3 year decides to have a nuclear meltdown over something, it is NOT the time and place to START enforcing rules/lady like manners. give them the darn toy and take the control back. I think, if its done at home the RIGHT way, then those meltdowns rarely happen.... its alllllllll about control. if I’m going to be SOOO uptight that I make my kids miserable, then, yes they will be perfect, but then who would get chocolate all over my pants? lolololol... so its fun right now with maddie. lots of funny stories, she is a kick!



Malorie! My little angel JUST started walking!!!!!!!! YEA YEA YEA!!!! about 1 week ago! we are sad, cause she is our last baby to go through these wonderful moments! she says a few words: mama, dada, bite, baba (bottle of water), bobo (me) (stop laughing), sugabooga (sugar booger-dog), and I’m sure some random words here and there.. she is very strawberry blonde! and just the most snuggle happy baby ever! we are enjoying this..... 2 is right around the corner!



me....ha! I’m just surviving! give me some coffee and I can handle anything. I am still getting over being pretty darn sick.

I refuse to sugar coat anything about my life anymore. the last few months we have been dealing with some crazy-insane issues, that I could not keep ignoring for another 9 years.

I lost sight of a very SIMPLE truth: I AM an amazingly strong & fierce mother.

I come from an extraordinary line of strong women! ... I lost sight of ME. See, I'm a people pleaser, the peacemaker, and in my attempts to please everyone in the last 9 years, I lost MY voice, MY voice for my girls, MY voice for my marriage. Everyone under our roof was comfortably miserable. i was NOT ok with that. i heard this, this morning..."afflictions eclipsed by grace" ...really think about that....well, i guess in my case, while i was comfortably waiting on God to come rescue us, he was waiting on me to pick up the tools he already gave me and ...ahem.."step up" or "grow a pair"..... be WHO HE called me to be. be the mom he MADE me. 365 days a year. not giving over my role once in a while to please others. period.

i felt the need to mention this, because so many times you get the "we are all perfect" emails, with a touch of "real life" sprinkled in, a dash of "drama", and a pinch of "funny".

this is life. not a flippin cookie recipe.

so,.... one day at a time right? through Gods grace, and supportive family, our issues WILL work themselves out. And with God, i won't lose myself in the process.=)

besides that, just doing the busy body day-to-day stuff. happy to report: i DO NOT have a baby itch AT ALL, so its nice knowing one stage of our life is over, and the next is exciting to embrace!


Hope to find you healthy and happy! we would love to hear from you!

playing and another birthday!

playing with the fun goodies santa brought, and another fun birthday party! our friends from church! such a sweet precious family! one of the daughters turned 8! yea lizzy! and of course some fun pics of just US!
john shaking his groove with macie!

My nephews birthday!

on Jan. 1st, my nephew christopher turned 3! they had a fun party at my parents, we froooooze our tooshys off, I was wearing an extra jacket of macies! and john was wearing maddies beanie! lol

but the kids were SOOOO completly not bothered by the cold!! it was fun getting girls all dressed up in winter gear! they are soo cute!

party was cute! and kids really had fun playing!

*click on picture to make it bigger*

BEACH!

right after christmas we went to Morro Bay for the night! the girls had so much fun! we went to the museum, and let me tell you, it is the MOST awesome, kid friendly, interactive museum ever! you MUST go there! and we went to eat fish & chips! Fed the seals! and played at the park! the weather was kinda insane, and we were all still kinda tired from being sick, so the beach was JUST too windy! but, we still MADE fun times!

**if you click picture, it gets bigger**

Christmas!

so between getting insanely sick, then everyone in our house getting sick, we ended up having an OK christmas! seriously the first 2 weeks macie was out of school. we were all sick! and we had to stay home christmas day! it really was misery! then, just as everyone started feeling better, work and school started again. but we made the best of it!

decorated gingerbread houses!

Christmas program at Church & at school!

played like crazy!

fun! presents! food! YEA!

santa brought the girls first swing set! yippeeee!  as well as lots of other fun goodies!!! so here are random pics of time with family! and our girlies, and just us during the holidays

** i believe if you click the picture, it will get bigger**

Fall was Fun!

hello blog! well, we had a great picking pumpkins! madelyn was hilarious to watch! and macie was funny and really into it this year too! Malorie was ....1.... lol. 

we had a SUPER time with halloween this year! it is NOT my favorite holiday, so i decided to try decorating extra to sorta HELP my mood! lol... madelyn was hilarious... when we asked her..

."what do you want to be for halloween?".. she said... "i want to be a GIRL, with a BUCKET of CANDY!" in her CUTE 3 year old voice! lol trick or treating was SO fun! and this year was the first time we got to stay home and pass out candy and do our  own family thing! it was fabulous! kids loved it!

Thanksgiving was also great! we went to my parents and then to johns moms house!

Seen our family! good memories!

*i believe you can click on picture to make it bigger!*

adding posts soon!

soon soon!

Happy b-day to me!

ok, so i love being spoiled! lol... what girl doesn't?

And i have made sure john knows how to spoil me gooood! =) i have a whole weekend of fun when it is my b-day! lol..

(cookies and cream cold stone!)

... lunch's, dinner, cake's! the whole weekend! lol!

sooo for my gift this year, i finaly get to decorate this beautiful house he bought us! We kinda had priorities switch when we had malorie........=)

so on tuesday i am going to shop till i drop! kala is watching the older girls, my mom is going with me! (yea!) and i am going to go nuts! lol

i plan on getting stuff for every room except the kitchen & girls' rooms. I am pulling out everything. and starting fresh, and/or adding new stuff! yea yea yea! i love it that i was born! my mother in law got me this fabulous clock! awwwwwww.......

so, getting this gift yesterday REALLY got me in the shopping/decorating mode! i ordered new 10 x 13 pics of us and the girls..etc., I cleared out all stuff that is not staying! whew! i just can't wait!

so .......happy birthday to me!

school is here again!

soooo summer is pretty much over for us here..=( we have had some fun times, and lately sad times. My uncle passed away suddenly about a week ago....sad....
So, things are getting back to normal, school shopping is OVER! hallelujia! Macie is super excited to get back to school- she misses her friends! ha ha! We have all been super busy, and have not got to see each other- but school will resume eventually and life will get back to a routine....=) she has been a shopping fool! lol.. this child of mine loves to shop! lolol... we are getting mani's and pedi's this week, to start out school.. and i think she will be ready! lol.. oh, i am making her all new bows...again....lolol
madelyn is growing into an outspoken, strongwilled, adorable personality! she loves attention! hee hee! whay else can i say? she's 2!!
Malorie is aaallllmost crawling! lol.. she rocks! lol she says "dada", "gool goo" (is good girl), annd i think she is trying to say "yoooo uuuuu" (love you)?? she has like 10 teeth! and is finaly getting hair!
my b-day is tomarow...i"ll be 30......=)
john has been able to take a few 3 day weekends during summer to spend with us!
weve had sleep overs, trips, family visiting, etc... a fun 4th of july! hope you are all doing well!

summertime!

yea for summer- for family- for vacation- for sleeping in- for fun plans-time with babies-time swimming- running like a chicken with my head chopped off!
we had our anniversary- yea!
we went to the beach!
macie is out of school- i have a big 3rd grader now.
a big 2 year old.
and a big 8 month old! sheesh!
p.s. im on facebook now!

My newest adventure!

think of your top layer of skin as: corn flakes
your second layer is raisins
your third is GRAPES!
isn't that a GREAT VISUAL!!!!


YEA ME! ok, so i am now a beauty consultant for BeautiControl!!! i have dabbled in
so many types of these things, mary Kay, Avon(still love), arbonne, salon facials, proactive, mac, estee lauder, clinique, meaningfull beautiful, etc.etc... the lists go on and on. BUT- my health- inside and out is the most important me- you all heard my "spill" about that during the time i had Liz as my personal life coach/trainer. well, the needs are still there for the exterior issues. And as you local friends and family know, i have a HARD time with my skin! it is so tempermental! and so sensative! facials would burn like CRAZY! medicines wouldn't really work for me personally- and i refuse to take pills for ANYTHING. (unless i am dying of a headache) ......long story short, because of all the trial & error items i exposed my skin to, i have a TON of scars on my face! i cover them up ALOT with make-up, but the REALL skin is still there, and damaged! Keep in mind, this is just MY story- and if those products above WORK for you- GREAT! i am not bashing them- this is MY personal experience. =)
well- i finally found a company that works for me! the have the micro-derm abrasion, chemical peels, and then stuff to clean my face and maintain it NOW, stuff to REPAIR it from PAST crud, and stuff to PREVENT from future problems! and i am not just menaing my face. they have hand scrub and moisturizer that is TO DIE FOR! they have pedicure stuff- OH. MY. GOOOODNESS. heaven!
one of the things i think i like MOST is: there isn't a million things to use. and the products speak for themselves!!!!! like seriously! your eyes bug-out and your like- "OH WOW- this feels SOOOOO GOOD!" another thing, i personaly do NOT have time for ME EVER. like ever ever ever.... ever ever..... did i mention NOT EVER?
so i can use all these goodies (soaps and scrubs) in the shower(face, hands, elbows, feet)!, jump out throw on lotions all over(above mentioned area's hee hee) and add a swab of eye cream to make my eyes look perdy...lol), and i'm DONE!
they call if the "busy womans facial"! "busy womans pedi, busy womans mani".. you get the idea!
i'm just so pumped about getting involved with them! i have 4 people pulling at every direction, PLUS a bow making business. but somewhere in there, i lost me. I keep reminding myself, John married me because he liked the person i was then. i took care of myself more than just "a shower a day". i had a mind of my own, an opinion about EVERYTHING! (i can hear you all saying..."amen!") and if i maketime for me, i'll be a better mom and wife. I think i sorta felt GUILTY about this at first. but i had to remind myself. there is nothing wrong with taking care of your body. it is the only one you have- there are no replacements. i need this body to eventually tote grandkids around, and give piggy back rides, but in the same tocken, i need to keep my hubby "*"*interested"*"*.... i mean lets get real- i'm not getting younger... if i could sum up my exterior and internal feelings in ONE word i would say..."DULL"
so anyway- i can't wait to share this with the local ones! the "day spa" i am holding is SOOO awesome! it is 100% free. which blew me away- i kept waiting for the $ to be revealed! lol... but it is no cost to come AT ALL.
you litterally get to do your hands(scrub/moisture), face(tons of stuff- cleanse-tone-scrub-moisture)lip mask, balm, eye pads, herbal mist, and foot lotion! and the way they design it it is like a spa! and there is soothing music and EVERYTHING!!!!!! SO REFRESHING! i can't wait to show you!!!! you feel so refreshed! like i said the products speak for themselves! and it isn't expensive if you decide to buy anything out of the catalog. if john let me get started and lets me buy stuff from it for HIM- then you KNOWWWWWWW it is ok! (he is SOOO lucky he married me! he is armenian- i am just SO CHEAP!)
i am planning a night spa at 6:30 at the end of june on a thursday. but i think some of you might be able to come over on a sat. im not sure. like i said- i don't want you to spend a PENNY if you don't want to at the end! but just COME AND LET ME RELAX YOU!!!! if is so good for your skin to get all the dead off, and let the skin cells breath! and renew themselves more PLUMP! please make time for YOU- JUST THIS ONCE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!let me show you how great this is!!!!
so- a week night or a sat???


ALSO- i was thinking about it- and since i have to tote around my Malorie- i am willing to come to your house one-on-one and show you this stuff WHENEVR YOU CAN!!!!!!
i love you all- and i love making everyone pretty too! lol
There is NOTHING wrong with tom-boys- especially the ones with exfoliated skin and fresh moisturizer!!