Our 10 year old is growing up!!!

Brayden and I were having a boys night this week and I started a conversation about girls. Now I wasn't starting THE talk. I was trying to gage if he had a crush on anyone. There is a girl in our neighborhood that I thought he had a thing for.... I started our conversation out like this. "Hey Brayden is there any boys in your class that have girlfriends?" He said, "No". Then I asked him if there is anyone in his grade that have girlfriends? He started counting. I was surprised by how many he was counting. He responded, "There is 5." (That might not be a lot to some people, I thought it was a lot.) I started asking questions about if he has a girlfriend and he said "no" and then I asked if he had a crush on anyone and he told me about two girls. One was in his class last year and one in his class this year. I asked what made him like them so much. "Cause they laugh at all my jokes!!" I started to laugh. I then asked what type of jokes he told them. "Not really jokes but, the noises I do!!" I asked what kind of noises he made. I heard the noise and I'll tell you the noise sounded a lot like in the movie "Dumb and Dumber" where Lloyd is trying share the most annoying sound in the world. IT WAS AWESOME!! I told him not to do too many weird noises so that he doesn't push theses girls away, or annoy them. I tried to tell him to just be nice and don't be mean to them. I then told him that if he ever has a girlfriend that he couldn't kiss or hold hands with them. "DAD I WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" I bet Mel wants him to stay this innocent all his life. I can't tell you how fun it is to see Brayden grow up in front of our eyes. It shocked me (in a good way) that he was so open with me. I couldn't tell my parents about the girls I liked in school...especially in elementary. I could later as I got older.

I'm really grateful that I have a good relationship with Brayden that he will talk to me about these things. One of the coolest nights I have had as a Dad.

Scout Camp!

Josh and Brayden had a fun filled day yesterday. They got to go to scout camp at Camp Keisel.

Brayden was excited because he had so much fun last year. The picture above is them leaving bright and early. They were gone all day, and Brayden had a lot of fun. He loves that his dad is his leader and gets to go with him.

When Brayden returned home I thought he would be on cloud nine, talking and telling me all about his day...he was tired! He also was disappointed. One of Brayden's favorite parts about scout camp is the store. They have all kinds of boy things...pocket knifes, arrowheads, etc.

Brayden decided to spend some of his allowance. He bought yet another pocket knife, an arrowhead necklace and a rabbit skin. He was most excited about the rabbit skin. Right after buying they sat down for lunch. Dad told Brayden several times to put his stuff in his backpack. Well, Brayden put the pocket knife in his pocket and the arrowhead necklace around his neck and he left his new found prized possession on the table to be right by him as he ate....

you got it. The treasured rabbit skin got left after lunch as they moved on to more excited things, and when Brayden realized and headed back...it was gone. Brayden was SO disappointed.

Other than that, they did have a good day and were so tired they went to bed super early.

Excited for this summer!

I am so excited for summer! I think this is the most excited I have been since 8th grade!

I can't wait to enjoy and soak up lazy summer days now that I am not working! YAY!

We made a cute summer 'to do' list:

The list isn't all the way done. I found the idea on this site:

http://thecraftingchicks.com/2011/05/summer-fun-chart-and-photo-journal.html

Brayden was looking at it today and has already picked out the top three things on his list.

Visit Vernal - Uncle Chick's Farm, and 4 wheeler :)

Sleep out on the tramp - always my favorite!

Family date night - yet to be decided if it is basement or theater.

Bring on the fun summer!

Keesha's treat

I came home from a family dinner to this....

GUILTY!

Luckily there were only maybe 4 eggs left in there, I don't even know how she got them down. They were up on a shelf downstairs.

Hopefully a little chocolate won't be too bad for her, and at least she picked the very best kind!

1st week off!

It was so nice! I think it was nice because Brayden was out of school for spring break. So it felt like a mini vacation. Sleeping in, going and doing what we wanted, playing with friends, etc.

So, maybe next week I will start a routine I can feel good about.

We had some of our neices and nephews over during spring break to have a late night!

It was fun! We recently bought 'just dance 2' so after dinner...we played for the rest of the night.

I think Josh and I had just as much fun as the kids!

Then one of my first things on the 'to-do' list was to organize the pantry, cause it was bad!

Before:

Sorry it is a little blury...but just know it was a mess and everything was lost in there!

After:

Tada!

I moved quite a bit around, to make it more accessible.

Also, added a lazy susan - ($5 at Walmart).

Labeled what I could.

Added some organization to the door to free up some more space!

Added some vinyl! Thanks Jill! (utahvinyl.com)

So much better to have less in there and more organized so now we can find what I just went to the grocery store and put in there!

Mindy Gledhill - Whole Wide World (Official Music Video)

So...I love this! This is kinda my theme song as of late.

Today is my last day of State employment.
Some think I am crazy...and I might be.
But let me tell you it is the most freeing feeling feeling to walk away from something that is sucking the life out of you and imagine something else...
Scarey? ABSOLUTELY! But also so peaceful to put your faith in something higher and go with it!

Freedom came early!

YAHOO!
I put my 2 week notice in today at work!
My last day of work is 3/31/11.

Bring on spring, rejuvenation, cleaning, LOVE, cooking, enjoying, less money, learning to RELAX, projects, volunteering, more time, sleep, happiness!

I am so excited.
Thanks to the most amazing, supporting husband. I love you Josh! Wouldn't want to do it with out you honey!

I am pushing through the fear and going with our answer to our prayers.

quitting...part 1

This is going to be a long post...heads up. But I think it is worth it.



I am sure several of you have heard me complain about my job.
(sorry about that! Thanks for listening)
So, Josh and I have been talking about me being able to quit for some time. Ever since my boss transferred me out to West Valley it has been on our mind. (Which was 18 months and 6 days ago...but who's counting?!)

I can't even begin to tell you how much my job has changed over the past 18 months!
I know why, cause I have new management...hence the change. Fine, people choose to retire!
I get it... it is just so frustrating when those that take their places are not as gutsy, and hard working. They choose just to let everything fall to pieces and someone else (not management - why should they get their hands dirty!), eventually will take care of it right?! Meanwhile all their little worker bees under them are carrying this giant load of....CRAP. The crap that has slid off their desk, cause they refuse to deal with it. whatever.
So, that is enough said right? (Well I could go on and on but my blood pressure is rising and I need to get back to the point!)

We started talking about me quitting pretty seriously after we were approved for adoption and our case worker made several comments that birthmoms want to place babies in homes where there is a stay at home mom. At the time she said that, I knew she was right. But I have ALWAYS worked. I have been a hard worker all my life. I got my first real job at the age of 14 over at Lagoon and since then - that is all I have known. And of course by some of my decisions I had to work harder than others. When my caseworker said that about stay at home moms, I had to work through some personal things.... which I will save for another time. But one of them is a paycheck. I have always had a paycheck....always. I have been blessed with awesome jobs and a supportive husband. We have always been able to buy what we needed/wanted. And somehow my life has become attached to a dollar amount that is gone too quickly and is not compensating me as much as I feel it should.
So - how to get away from me being attached to this $ amount...? How am I going to do it?

The original goal to quit was December of 2012...also when the world is suppose to end according to Mayan calendar. My quit date had nothing to do with that- I promise! It just happened to work out that we would have all our 'ducks in a row' and that was the month before my HUGE 3-0 birthday!

So for FHE one night Josh suggested we make a freedom chain. (He is so adorable!) To explain the freedom chain it is a paper chain made of links. The original plan was to take a link off each week. Links of freedom colors, red, white and blue. We calculated the chain and needed to have 227 links, got busy cutting and stapling. Brayden was so excited to label each link from 227-1. We decided that it would hang in the most convienient place for us all to see (we are working on a goal together) the pantry door. So each Friday Brayden and I would be so excited and rip off a link and throw it away...because we made it through another week! A week of mom gone from 7 am-7 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. A week of eating out and breakfasts for dinner and my sweet husband cooking 1 meal a week. A week of me spending long hours with people that aren't living up to their potential (myself included). A week of anger and frustration for me as there is not enough time in the day. A week of not spending enough time with those that are most precious to me...and asking them to put up with a crazy, stressed out woman/mom. This job is sucking the LIFE out of me! and the question is .... is it worth it?

More and more I can feel like someone is strongly pushing me to quit and not work. Which is so weird for me, yea I hate my job, but I have always wanted to work. Lately this feeling is so strong...and I can't even explain it. I know it sounds so weird but I can feel this happening to me. In the beginning I thought it was just my head playing games, and me going crazy...but I can't deny this feeling of someone putting their hands on me and shoving me!

Why can't it be easy for me to live by faith?! I want to be one of those persons, that just can trust and be at peace.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

I came down stairs the other night and Brayden was watching "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"(the Jim Carry version). I was wondering why he would be watching this show. Its not even Christmas season and he has been watching this show like 2 times a day for four days now. I kinda got a little irritated and said "Why do you keep watching this show"? After the second time its like HOLY CRAP kid come on now!! Some kids have the ability to says things back that puts you in your place. Brayden's response was, "I Like show that there is a CHANGE OF HEART in it" Me after that I just looked at him and stared and couldn't think of a thing to say. Man he right. Those are great movies!!

Happy Valentines Day!

For a FHE in January we each wrote each other 7 love notes.
Then on each day of the first 14 of february we each had a Valentine to open.
It was fun, and Brayden really enjoyed it!
Some were cute, some where coupons for different activity, some were funny.
This is by far the cutest one:

(This one is to Josh, from Brayden. It says:
Free Helper, Me and a cute stick figure.
Good for many times)

Then on each day for the first 14 days, cupid left love notes with different things for Brayden.
This was his favorite:

(One of Brayden's favorite treats - sparkling cider)
He was excited!

thinking out loud....

We have our adoption blog that you can access here:

jandmadoption.blogspot.com

I had an idea...what do you think of this? Please post and tell me what you think.
I was letting my mind zone out the other day and I was thinking about the adoption blog. And how I can feel someone pushing me to work on it more and more.
I also feel someone pushing me to not work - I know it sounds weird and it is bizzare to me, cause I have worked fulltime for 12 years. I have always worked!
Anyway, my idea came to me about the adoption blog...
Josh and I were thinking we should write it and compose it like we have someone in mind...you know? What do you think?

It's my Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to ME! I was too busy yesterday to post on my actual birthday...but here is how my day went:

Josh and Brayden woke up early and suprised me with breakfast in bed!

Handsome husband

Excited Brayden!

Birthday girl!
Good morning sunshine!
Isn't this the best picture of me you have seen! Wow...yes I did just roll out of bed.

The eggs and toast were yummy! I love starting the day out with breakfast in bed!

Thank you to my cute boys who suprised me!

Brayden went to school and Josh and I did our normal birthday celebrating...

Movie and the mall.

We went and saw 'The Fighter' - Awesome show! I thought it was a great show, great actors and it was inspiring of course! I loved it and could have cried at any moment, it is a great show about being victorious with our personal battles. Go see it!

We came home and ran errands and picked up Brayden from school.

Brayden showed us some awesome tricks on his new Wii game Santa brought - Tony Hawk skateboard game and yes...that is my big toe sticking out in the pic...oops.


Then we went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Texas Roadhouse - Yum!
Then we came home for some homemade birthday cake. Yes, I made my own cake, usually I buy them...but this year I wanted a perfect mint chocolate cake.
This was not the perfect cake....I don't know that I will make my own again. But it was delicious for homemade!


Do I feel older?...just a little.
Thanks for all the fun birthday wishes! I am getting use to facebook.
Thanks to my cute boys for making my day so fun! I love you both very much! xoxo

~Mel