My Favorite Time of Year!

I just love cooler weather, the change of seasons, all the holidays. You can smell it in the air even here in Florida at times. This is when I really wished I lived north of here because there is just all those wonderful smells of the season. Fresh cooler air has its own wonderful aroma, wood burning, chestnuts, baked goods, hustle and bustle of the holidays. People seem to be more peaceful and happier. I love to decorate for the Christmas. I am in love with snowmen.they are so cute and cuddly (or at least they look that way).We can't forget about all the great food that is made during the holidays. I will probably gain all my weight back in the next month. LOL! Most of all I love getting together with family and friends. I hope everyone has a wonderful season no matter what is going on I encourage all to stop and just take a big whiff of the air. Take in all in and SMILE! What is your favorite thing about this time of year?

Boys Photos

A few weeks ago after church on the way home I stopped at the Baily Riverbridge Park at the foot of the Ormond Bridge. The boys weren't as happy about this as I was but I wanted to take some pictures of them dressed in their church clothes. As you can see I got some really good pics some weren't as good because there were sour faces from the fellas. It was really hot and sticky out along with the fact that Jacob and Jared don't like to have their picture taken so you will see more of Dylan who really likes to have his picture taken. I have printed most in Black and White. I love B/W pictures the one you will see are all in color. The third pic is Dylan doing his Michael Jackson move. I took about 200 pictures so by the time I was done the boys were cranky and hot. I hope you enjoy the few I have posted.

UPS AND DOWNS

I haven't had a post lately because I have been really down on everything and decided not to post anything unless it was something positive. You know don't say anything if you don't have nothing nice to say. The month of October has had many ups and downs for me. As everyone knows I am in the process of JOB HUNTING which is really sucking. On the brighter side This month has been full of Birthday celebrations in the family and with Friends. It is the busiest month of the year for me. I turned ???, my beautiful daughter turned the BIG 21, my sweets Mark had a birthday. A lot of my beautiful peeps had birthdays also. Out of state family celebrated birthdays as well. Some I was able to share in a celebration with and some I could only send birthday wishes to. I hope everyone of you had a wonderful birthday and many more.

The boys in school, now this is a sour subject since my boys don't like to ask for help, like to study, think they should not turn projects and reports in if they have to get up in front of the class to present. I feel like the only parent that goes through this or at least the only parent were all the kids are giving her a hard time about it.I wish for one child to do what is needed. So now they are all on restriction since I have a ZERO TOLERANCE policy stating that everything is to be turned in on time NO exceptions. That sound easy to me. I need some advice on this subject. What else can I do to them because we already have the rule no television or video games during the school week. This has worked in the past but now they don't even get to have television or games on the weekends. They complain but don't really seem to care. I am open please give your advice.

I had a yard sale a couple weekends ago that is a lot of work but was very successful. I was tired and sick of my allergies on Sunday when we were done with the sale but had to prepare for Marks big birthday dinner we had that evening with all his family and my mom. We had the FLU going around as well. So I woke up Sunday morning sick. The boys got their flu shots in return Dylan and Jared both were sick. Jared more so than Dylan with the high fever. I was so scared it was the SWINE FLU. that is the last thing we need around here especially since Dylan's asthma and allergies have been really acting up lately.

Marks dad and his girlfriend Caroline had a Luau party this past weekend. That was really nice. I went to a thrift store and found a dress that was perfect. The food was great. Caroline loves to entertain. We had a great time.

Dylan is playing baseball this fall. We made him sit out a couple of games but he went with his homework and had to do it there. Trying to show him how he is letting his team down by not doing what he is suppose to do. He is doing great and he has started pitching.

I have done a couple of photoshoots this past month. One with the boys and the other of Wayne and Caroline. It was a lot of fun. Now I just want to bigger and better camera.

All in all life is great with all it little and big UPS and DOWNS. I know in the end everything will work out perfectly. Having a little/lots of Faith and lots of Patience. Giving it all up to our FATHER. I hope everyone has a great day!

On a new Path!!

I am in the lines of the unemployed now with all the other Americans that are out of a job. This is so scary for me. Since I quit on Friday I have been having so many anxiety attacks. I know I did the right thing! I know Heavenly Father will be with me through it all. In the morning I will redo my resume and start on the great hunt. In some ways I am looking forward to seeing were it will lead and what wonderful things will happen through all this. I just really worry about the boys. I know they are going to like me being home more. Maybe I will find a great stay at home JOB, maybe one that has me home on the weekends, Who knows maybe there will be a way I can go back to college. There are so many possibilities and I am excited about them. Please send prayers!!

Jacob and Jared's Weekend!

On the 4th of September my babies turned the BIG 13. They are teenagers and no longer little boys any more. You know they will always be moms babies. We had a great FUN weekend. I took a couple of day off so we could celebrate this big event in their lives. Here are a few pictures. This first picture is of them together in the car on the way to eat HOT WINGS AND WATCH THE COWBOYS PLAY Jacob is a big fan and that is the only thing he wanted to do Friday evening was watch them play so we had to go where they had it playing since we don't get many channels at home. This also an unusual picture since they hate their pictures taken, eyes are always closed or look closed in their pics, and they are close together (which never happens).


Here is Ali with her brothers. Jared, Jacob and myself went to Ali and Cords house in Jacksonville, Saturday evening so they could celebrate with them since Ali had to work all weekend and couldn't come to Daytona to celebrate with us.

Here are the boys and Keith entering Daytona Lagoon for a fun day in the water and SUN! I was in bad need of a day to relax and get some SUN. My body hasn't seen a great day in the SUN in a looonnnnngggg time. I was a ghost out there.


Lazer TAG was a big hit with the boys.


Dylan is THE HOOLA HOOP KING He enters every contest they have and he loves to hoola hoop. He has won several contests but today was not that day. That is one of the things I admire and love about him is his willingness to join in on everything even when he doesn't even have a clue as how to do it. He just wants to have fun and experience everything life has to offer him.




WATER SLIDES are always a big hit even with me. Climbing up those stairs now is another thing since I am out of shape and scared of heights but I do it anyway. I might be huffing and a puffing, completely out of breath by the time I reach the top but I love water slides.


Jared has WON the race as you can see his feet coming out the slide.




Jacob coming down on the tube


Jared coming down the one next to Jacob


Jacob is my messy eater and as you can see he is a real mess as he is eating all those WINGS AND WATCHING FOOTBALL!

DOUBLE RAINBOW

ON THE WAY TO THE BOYS BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST AT BURGER KING (their pick not mine) THIS IS WHAT WE SAW. JACOB TOOK THESE OUT THE JEEP WINDOW AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS A DOUBLE RAINBOW UNTIL I UPLOADED THE PICTURES. I JUST LOVE RAINBOWS AND I CRY AND HAVE GOOSEBUMPS EVERYTIME I SEE THEM. IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS!!!! WE ARE SO BLESSED WITH ALL THIS BEAUTY AROUND US DAILY THAT MOST OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED.

chess

This is what the boys do in the mornings before they are off to school. Dylan is already gone and out of the house by 5:30am for Seminary and High School starts at 7:26am. Jacob and Jared don't have to be at school until 8:50 so they have lots of time on their hands to do something constuctive. We don't allow television or video games during the school week. there is so much going on like: HOMEWORK!!, CHORES!!, FAMILY TIME, SPORTS, SCOUTS, CLEANING ONES SELF (this is a big one if you have boys like mine that don't want to take a shower and get clean), READING A GOOD BOOK,etc. I am sure when I am not home they are sneaking on the television in my room. I was just impessed on this particular morning they were getting along and not fussing with each other. I love to see them playing together.