Goals for 2012

So these have been floating around my head for awhile now and I figured it was time to write them down. Here are my goals/resolutions/wishful thinkings...for the year 2012:

• Read the ENTIRE Bible with my husband
• Create a manageable budget and STICK to it
• Pay off both credit cards
• Establish an emergency fund
• Start substitute teaching
• Read 20 books in 2012
• Accomplish at least 1 project from each of my pinterest boards each month (recipes, crafts....)
• Plant a garden
• Finish the P90X
• Learn a few new hairstyles
• Get paperwork organized (and keep it that way)
• Get each room organized
• Get pregnant
• Take a family vacation

So thats it, some fun and some practical~here's to 2012!  :)

Blessed beyond measure

So last night, just me and my boy were in the car as I was on the way to my in-laws house to drop him off so I could go to a moms night out with a few friends.  On the drive, Landon was being especially obnoxious and was completely ignoring me each time I tried to talk to him.  As he was starting to get to me more and more, I thought to myself, boy do I need this night out.  No sooner did that thought cross my mind then did I see a homeless person on the side of the road.  This broke my heart because it was about 7 o'clock at night and about 50 degrees outside, and all this poor woman had was a shopping cart and a jacket on her back.  I immediately realized how what I was complaining about in my head, was discounting the things I DO have right here, right now.  I was in a warm car (with heated seats by the way), with a boy I love to death, and on my way to enjoy a coffee at Starbucks while I spent time with some good friends.  I felt so selfish for not being grateful for how blessed I am.  I know its not bad to get stressed out, being a mom is full of ups and downs, and I am definitely bound to get stressed from time to time....but do I show my gratitude on a DAILY basis for the enormous amount of blessings I do have in my life?  Am I truly aware of how much I have? 

I know that God has placed a burden on my heart to serve, but I also know that I find plenty of excuses as to why I can't help do this or that.   Sure I volunteer at church on occasion, but it's always when its convenient to me, its not much of a sacrifice or a burden on me. 

"Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms." -1 Peter 4:10

I pray that I will not turn away when I feel the calling.  I pray that I will be able to use the gifts that God has given me and that I will be able to help others with God's help.

One idea that I have seen is creating a bag of "goodies" to always have in your car so that if you see someone in need, you will already have something packed with things they definitely need.  Some ideas of what to put inside is:  blankets, chapstick, granola bars, water, hand warmers, mittens, socks, etc...  This is just a start, and I know that are many more ways to help out there, and I look forward to getting started.

The New Obsession

Pinterest!  I cannot believe how addicting this site can be.  For those of you who do not know what it is, you must be under a rock ;)  Its a site where you go to "pin" recipes, crafts, ideas, etc, etc...  "pinning" simply means keeping all your ideas in one place.  You can follow your friends and see everything they pin too.  Its so fun and makes me feel so creative.  The only problem is that sometimes I get so busy pinning that I don't stop to take the time to make what I've pinned.  I had to make a board called "Done" just so that I would be inspired to complete things because I for sure did not want a board called done that remained completely empty! 

Its easier to understand once you get on the site yourself, so what are you waiting for: get to it....

Although I do have to admit that once you start its hard to stop, but maybe thats a good thing, right?  So go ahead and become inspired!!

We ♥ the Fair

We love so much about the fair.  There's so much to do and such amazing food!  It was me, my husband Jake, our boy Landon, my mom, and my brother.  We started out our day exploring the trains and we even took a tour through an old train car and got to climb into the "engine" of a train.  Needless to say, it was so fun and a very unique experience!

 Our little family sitting in a sleeping car

Landon, me, and my brother inside the train engine

It was so bright in there!

climbing out

This part made me feel SO claustrophobic

Jake and my brother cut some logs, like real woodsmen ;)

praying mantis

These kangaroos were SO adorable!

Landon LOVED harvesting the vegetables!

Then he "sold" his crops and used his money to go to the store:

He, of course, picked out the milk

We had such a fun day exploring the fairgrounds.  My favorite part of the fair, by far, is watching Landon take it all in.  Just watching his little eyes light up at the animals, rides, games, food, etc...is so much fun and makes me such a happy mama.  Til next year.....

Proud to be an American

Landon and I were driving yesterday and I hear him yelling from the back seat: "Mommy, America!"  I looked and saw a great big flag waving in the wind.  It made me smile that my little boy knew so proudly about our American flag, especially with such an important rememberance weekend coming up!

Our Anniversary Date

I still can't believe it's been four years already and what a great four years it has been.  I think the best part is just being married to my best friend.  What an amazing feeling it is to wake up next to, spend my day with, and end my day with the one God chose for me. 

So this year we decided to do something a little different than usual to celebrate our Anniversary.  First we went to breakfast at our favorite spot, this restaurant called Kick Back Jack's (used to be BC Cafe) that is right next to where our first apartment was when we got married.  We love this place not only for the nostalgia of when we were first married, but also because the food is delicious and you get SO much for your money.   

After that we went hiking in a place called Big Falls (right next to Forest Falls).  We had packed a yummy lunch for when we got to the top of the hike, where there is an amazing waterfall, and we thought we could eat our picnic lunch right next to it.  It was such an amazing trip and I'm so glad we decided to spend the day together outdoors, enjoying God's amazing creation!

before we started on our journey

at the top

 our view while we ate

our yummy "spread": pasta salad, cheese and crackers, carrots and ranch, spinach dip, strawberries, brownies, and lemonade.

I love ya babe!

Where we've been...

Wow, so I guess I fell off the blogging wagon because my last post was a few months ago!  Well we have been super busy just enjoying summer and lovin life!  Our family is so blessed to be able to go on so many fun adventures, so here are some of the things that have kept us so busy and have kept me from keeping up with this blog...

For my birthday I had told my husband that I wanted him to take me to UCR (University of California Riverside) for a date.  See this is the college I graduated from, this is the school I was attending when I met my husband, and this is the school that I graduated from just one month prior to getting married, so we have a lot of memories tied up in this place. :)  So I just thought we would eat on the campus and then walk around, but my husband went above and beyond.  He took us to the super fancy Alumni cafe where we had delicious food and a nice romantic atmosphere, then we walked around and also went to the student store to get some memorabilia merchandise.  Its funny how I have school pride now that I have been out of there for about 4yrs, I miss it. 

We also did the Autism walk in May, which was something I hadn't done in a few yrs, but a cause that is so near and dear to my heart.  Before I became a stay at home mom, I was able to work in a special education class with students with autism.  So I took my husband and my boy with me this year to show our support for this cause.  I am planning on doing the walk every yr now and with much bigger gusto than I've given it before!

I also got the chance to go to a taping of "The Price is Right."  It was my grandma, my mom, and I, and we had SUCH a great time!  Getting on a game show is definitely something on my bucket list!  I love game shows and I feel like I am destined to be a contestant one day, and going to this taping felt like on step closer.  It was such a great experience and made me want to do more T.V. tapings in the future.

In addition to these unique happenings, we have of course been participating in our normal routine of Angels games, Disneyland:

And of course playdates with our Christian Moms Playgroup:

baby prom

We are so blessed to have so much friends and family that we get to experience adventures with on a daily basis.  We love our life and praise God for all of the blessings in our lives.  I pray you are having a great summer!