California Wintry Week.

So this week it actually felt like fall/winter and for the most part it was fun.
We had "hot cocoa a la ice cream" as I called it at least a couple times. It cools off your cocoa and is very tasty. I used vanilla this time, but can be done with other flavors. When I first tried it I think I used chocolate chip.
Another thing I did to warm me/us up inside...~One of my favorite things for breakfast lately is vanilla yogurt with Boysenberry-Almond granola. Well seeing as it was either rainy or just really chilly everyday this week there were a couple days I felt like oatmeal, but didn't have any so I put my Boysenberry granola with some milk in the microwave...
Baby J and I both loved it. We usually share breakfast in the morning after the kids go to school and daddy's at work.
Princess AJ& Gameboy both had a sick day this week, lucky for Princess AJ she was sick early on in the week (Tuesday). GameBoy was not so lucky and was sick yesterday, missing all the fun last-day-before-Winter break parties at school. I was also supposed to be at the school to see SuperDashMan receive an award and help out with parties.
Monday was Daddy's & Great Grandpa's b-day party...I didn't get many good pictures...I saved one even though it wasn't so great. Daddy got a super cool present from his parents that he's been playing with all week.
The schools holiday program was Wednesday (K-2nd graders)- SuperDashMan had been practicing a couple of songs for a while that his class along with another 1st grade class were going to sing together. So the morning of I find out from him that they're the first group to sing and the thing started at 8:15 am (right when I was taking Daddy to work). I was hoping that they would start really late so I could see it, but didn't happen. I went to his class when I finally got to the school and his teacher let me take a picture of the kids wearing their headbands they wore for the program. What a great teacher he has, to let a silly mom who missed the program come in and take a picture in the middle of class.
Today we took Daddy to work, because we needed the car to go get cousin pictures taken at the mall. Well by the time we got home, ate breakfast and got everyone ready (with some bumps along the way) we didn't pull out of the driveway till 9:59am (appointment time 10am). Needless to say I was a bit frustrated, because everyone was waiting for us. The pictures went all right, none of the group shots turned out well, because the kids weren't positioned right. Grandma got a couple of sheets- one of just the boys and one of just the girls.
Got info on Girl Scouting for Princess AJ...I was in it as a kid and had a great time. In one of the old shops in the mall they were doing gift wrap.
After the pictures we stopped at home to get a change of clothes and some snacks then we were off to the Orange County Model Engineer Company in Costa Mesa . They do free train rides every 3rd Sat. We went there for a b-day party in Feb. and the same person that had the party emailed and said that they also do pictures with Santa as part of the train ride this month. It was Baby J.'s 1st time riding the model train because when we were there before he couldn't ride because they said he had to be able to walk. He had a great time. Although for the Santa pic when I handed him to Santa he immediately started crying. They were passing out my favorite candycanes , so I was excited. It brought me back to my childhood. They're white with multi colors (cherry flavor), I'm not big on the traditional peppermint. My mom always got these kind.
It was a fun no stress time with the kids and it was too bad Daddy was at work. I told him when we picked him up I wanted it to be a new tradition and that maybe next year he could get Sat. off to go with us.

Also tonight my RS pres., that I now work with, and her husband dropped by and gave us cookies on a pretty platter with a card. Fun and heartwarming.

Other stuff- the big boys finally got new school shoes. Their old pairs lasted over a year. Then yesterday got new church shoes also. Sometimes I go crazy when I have six kids because I am babysitting, but right now that babysitting money is helping.
Also went to a PTA holdiay party Thursday and when I got there I found out that my MIL became president of a union and the people at the party were surprised I didn't know about it. CONGRATULATIONS!

As for my Heritage Makers business, I am still passionate about the business, but have not been putting in the effort I know I should. So it goes that the last minute workshop I planned for tonight really didn't go. All I did was email....I should know by now that that doesn't work.

I'm Thankful for JimDaddy

So it's been almost a week since JimDaddy's birthday and I've been saying to him that I would post pics of him ( like a friend of mine did for her husbands b-day), so I guess I 'd better do it.
I think he's 15mo. here. (The age he was when his 1st little brother was born). Kindergarten





Soccer...his favorite






In track he got a school record.













8th grade graduation























High School Grad



















Mission















Our 1st date











Marriage (to a little girl 4yrs. 5mo. younger)
















Now- we are all so thankful to have him in our lives (especially me) & for his great parents who raised him so well, then passed him off to me.

I love you, hope you had a Happy Birthday.

Come one , Come all!

...To my Heritage Makers open house.

Sat. 12/20
5;30-8pm

Come warm yourself with some hot cider...learn something new or maybe even get some shopping done.

www.alove4stories.com

Heritage Makers Christmas party

The party was at a consultants home in Mission Viejo , who has a really cool backyard. All the directors hosted the party and we had an ornament exchange. It was a fun evening. I was glad I could go (THANKS JimDaddy).

I needed to be with other like minded people to help me be motivated and remember why I joined this company to help people preserve their stories.

Whenever I see anyone...I see a story.

Here is Ti (my SIL and Heritage Makers sponsor) and I dressed all festive.

The Past 2 Weeks

12/9/- Joseph learning to give service...helping to separate cans for a canned food drive at the school.
Monday 12-8... We went to the Disney Familly Holiday party...It was mostly fun except for Gameboy whining or needing to go to the bathroom every time we weren't doing what he wanted to do. We did do a picture in front of the Christmas tree, but my camera was acting up so the person taking it used their camera and emailed it to me, but I can't get it to upload because of the way it is saved. Here is a picture of the castle all lit up...
Wednesday 12/3 ... Princess AJ shoe shopping with me. I ended up getting some black boots,
I never had boots before. I wore them to my Heritage Makers Christmas party that night.











Relief Society Christmas dinner
& music. 12/02
Different people volunteered to decorate the tables.
This one was by Sister Velarde

Decorating the tree...ours (above) Grandma & Grandpa's (below).

What a turkey!
Princess AJ at her preschool
Thanksgiving party.
I am thankful for her!





First time eating Thanksgiving food.
Yum!

Christmas at Disneyland

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-DuBTQylAA&feature=related

I was helping at the school this morning and our janitor told me about this. I thinks it's great with always hearing about being politically correct, that Disneyland has this.

There are more videos, but after watching a couple I liked this one the best.

Merry Christmas everyone.

p.s.
As soon as I upload my pictures and have the time to do it I'll post about our time at the Disneyland Family Holiday party last night.

The Perfect Gift

Dear Friend,

I'm sure as much as we don't want to think about it, the holiday season is right around the corner. The worry and stress of finding the right gift and finding it in time.

I want to take that worry away from you.

For the perfect gift is waiting to be created by you or a loved one. There are stories waiting to be told; of love...of parents...of grandparents...of yourself...of children & friends.

Whether you create it yourself or give the gift of a free online account where someone you care about can create for themselves, I truly believe the gift of heritage is the perfect gift. There is also a great holiday special on a month of Premier, if you know someone who's been wanting to try it (or a stocking stuffer for yourself).

Visit my website (link below) or contact me to learn more.

You can also take care of your holiday cards and with a new feature , Direct Shipping , that's one thing you'll be able to take off your holiday "to-do" list.

Have a great week!

Happy memory making!

Please refer to this to friends & family you think might be interested...they're more likely to read it if it comes from someone they know.

Sincerely,

Ronda Jenkins

Heritage Makers

Personal Publishing Consultant

(ID237751)

Everyone has a story. What's yours?

-start your project today.

contact me- alove4stories@verizon.net

714-893-2661

Visit- www.alove4stories.com

Princess AJ's Birthday Party.

Party people hanging out.
Thanks for making Princess AJ's party so fun.

Present time.
Princess AJ's new camera...she's always stealing mine or SuperDashMan's that he got last year for Christmas, so she finally asked for one for her birthday. THANKS GRANDMA!
If your wondering how I got into the picture, my friend Carla (Amy's friend Carissa's mom) from the school took pictures for me.
I look so happy because I am reliving my own childhood through Princess AJ.

Our friendly rooster guest.
He was at the park when we got there and decided to join the party.
He just walked right up to us, didn't mind us a bit.
Princess AJ wasn't too thrilled to have him so close though.

Party Princesses
(and a couple prince's)

Princes AJ's cool cake.

Bye Fall Festival Fish.

This morning I was up early (5am) with Princess AJ because she had wet the bed. Then she remembered we had brought batteries home from Grandma's the night before and wanted me to put the batteries in her new birthday camera. We were in the kitchen doing this when I noticed SuperDashMan's Fall Festival Fish laying lifeless at the bottom of the bowl. He did live long past expected and it was a little bit fun to have a pet for few weeks (almost 4). I poked him to make sure...later when JimDaddy got up he did the flushing.

By the way I was able to go back to sleep for little bit, but it wasn't a full sleep. I am looking forward to some rest later (if I am lucky).

When Prop. 8 passed I was so excited and relieved, but now as all these protests happen I am just saddened. My friend from the kids school told me this morning that they were planning a protest at an LDS church up in LA and I immediately thought of the temple...I was very worried.
As soon as I got home I turned on the news and found out that sure enough there is a protest planned to be at the LA temple today. I was shocked and hurt and had to call and tell JimDaddy... I couldn't get a hold of him so I called a friend. I was shaking while on the phone...I was/am just so upset.
It hurts that they would do something like that somewhere that is so sacred to us.

Halloween & Other Happenings

Okay, so I left off with GameBoy scoring his 1st goal, but a lot has happened since then.
That night we went to the ward Halloween party...the kids had fun playing with their friends& eating. Charles let SuperDashMan borrow one of his past costumes, they were both characters from a Narnia movie. Princess AJ kept going back for donuts, but would only eat the top. I had a scare with Baby J. He was in the nursery playing (an adult was present) I went to check on the other kids...when I went back he wasn't there. I found him in heaven, playing with balls in the CH.














Sunday 10/26- We went to my brothers in Mission Viejo for dinner and to see my nephew receive his Eagle Scout award. It ended up being a very long night for the kids, but we were very glad to be there to support him. My Dad was also in town for this (he lives in Texas.)
Monday10/27- Not much exciting.
Tuesday10/28-Had a lot of help from others. JimDaddy worked early and I didn't feel like taking him to work so early, so I asked my mom if she could drop us off at school in the morning. I just had to walk home after I signed in Princess AJ to preschool.
Later my neighbor was coming home and saw that I was walking to go pick up Amy she asked if I wanted to borrow her car. She also let me borrow her car for the later pickups. Later she shared pomegranetes with us. It was very exciting for me because I hadn't had that since I was a little kid. My kids on the otherhand weren't as excited as I was. Thanks!














Wednesday10/29- This was the last day of school for the week because of staff development days Thursday & Friday. Princess AJ had a class party-they got to trick or treat around their room. Then there was a school Halloween parade that we watched. GameBoy didn't feel like wearing his costume to school, but he was still in the parade. After school we went to Grandma & Grandpa Jenkins to fix part of SuperDashMan's costume (we also played some Wii). Next we went home to get ready to go to the Fall Festival at Grandma's school. Grandma got all the grandkids tickets to use there. Thank You Grandma! GameBoy & SuperDashMan came home with goldfish that they won there. They were so excited. JimDaddy thought they wouldn't last overnight , but they did. Last night(11/2) there was a mishap when JimDaddy was cleaning out the bowl one of the fish jumped into the garbage disposal.
This is the same fish that JimDaddy said he saw nearly jumping out of the bowl a couple of times. Needless to say JimDaddy couldn't save the fish, but then he grossed me out and turned on the disposal. I had to tell GameBoy because it was his fish. The other fish looks lonely now.
Thursday10/30- No school and I was babysitting. Crazy me I went to Wal-mart with all of them. We got fish food, laundry soap & quarters (with one trip to the bathroom). Thursday night/Friday morning Amy woke up throwing up.
So...Friday10/31- We didn't do anything, we let Princess AJ rest all day. After JimDaddy got home from work we went to Grandma & Grandpa Jenkins for pizza dinner & trick or treating. Princess AJ stayed behind to help pass out candy with Daddy and Grandma & Grandpa.
Saturday11/1- I went to help with prop. 8 stuff in the morning and took Baby J. with me. On the way home he threw up in the car. I was getting breakfast ready after we got home and he continued to throw up ( the same as Princess AJ had about a couple days before). JimDaddy went to work and Grandma took GameBoy and SuperDashMan to the Soccer game.
Guess who was next to get sick?...SuperDashMan.
I called JimDaddy and he was able to get off work early to come home and help me out. Later that night we (GameBoy, Princess AJ and I) went to get some groceries.
We encountered some great service. One guy was cleaning the area where they give out samples, but it was too late for that. We walked by a couple times and he ended up giving us some granola bars and fruit drink. The guy helping us check out let me use a 2nd coupon , so I ended up getting $11 dollars off my total. As we were loading up in the car we were talk about how we hadn't had dinner yet then Princess AJ says "I don't have any energy". Rewind to earlier that afternoon she asked me "why do we eat?" I told her to give our bodies energy to learn & grow.
Yesterday-Only some of us went to church...the non sick ones.
JimDaddy cooked an early turkey dinner...what a great man I have!
This morning Princess AJ woke up early with wet pants, then an hour or 2 later GameBoy woke up sick , then I felt it coming on. Lucky for all of us JimDaddy was off today. He was doing laundry and dishes from last night super early this morning while GameBoy and I were sick. I haven't thrown up since this morning, but I still feel yucky. Our Saturday (11/1) morning breakfast.