Many Miles

LT MILES!!!!

2010-11-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how far behind I am with blogging. I have alot to catch up on, but today is dedicated to my FABULOUS husband! On October 14, 2010, after 3 months, he gradutated from Officer Candidate School (OCS)!!! And to top it off the girl's and I drove to Fort Benning, GA and got to see him. I also got to go to my first military ball! It was so much fun and I am so proud of Jason. He is now in Field Artillery instead of Military Intelligence. He leaves for Fort Sill, OK on November 10 to start that training for 5 months. More seperation, but after that is over we will be stationed somewhere new. We don't know where yet, but are hoping for the East Coast.
302-10 OCS Formal:
Our Table!Jason and his OCS best friend Barrett!Me and my sexy hubby!
October 14, 2010, GRADUATION!
Jason's turn!!Pinning Jason!Our FAMILY!Me and my baby!Jason's BF Barrett and his awesome family!Jason helping pin his roommate Davis!Davis, Miles, Barrett Davis, Voight, Miles (Jason's roomates)Battalion Commander and Jason!Jason with Barrett and the Command Sergeant Major!PROUD family!Daddy's Girls!2nd LT MILES!!!!!!

Madison graduates Kindergarten

2010-05-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

On May 21 Madison graduated K and also celebrated the Reading Awards Ceremony at her school. I have to do a little bragging on this next part, because that is what a proud parent does. For the reading ceremony the kids were presented with a certificate if they read 30 books, a certificate and a bronze or silver medal for reading other amounts, and if they read 300 + books they would get a certificate, a ribbon, and a gold medal. Well, not only did Madison read the most books in her class, she read the most in the entire K. She did 919 books!!!! I shouted for joy and clapped like a crazy person:) The books included anything she read and anything I read to her. I am so happy that she likes books so much!

As for her graduation ceremony, what can I say but I really can't believe my big girl really is becoming a big girl. I can't believe K has come and went and now she is heading to 1st grade. I really appreciate my girl and love her so much.

Madi getting her certificate, ribbon, and gold medal....look at how excited the principal is!!

Graduating!

Madison and a friend!

Madison with her flowers from her mom and dad!

Madison and her teacher's aide, Mrs. Weikel. Madison was Mrs. Weikel's favorite!!

Madison and Ms. Blank. Ms. Blank was an awesome K teacher!!
GO MADISON! CONGRATULATIONS TO MY MOST WONDERFUL GIRL! MOM AND DAD LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

OCS dates, cheerleading, San Diego and Easter

2010-04-06T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am so super behind on blogging. I've gotten wrapped up in facebooking, but I want to keep this going. It's what I think of as my picture journal. So as you see in the title we have gotten Jason's OCS dates. He will be leaving for Fort Benning, GA on or around July 25 and that is through Oct. 14. He will be then be leaving for Fort Sill, OK in Nov. (not sure the exact date) and that lasts until April 2011. This is where Jason will go for his Field Artillery training. I am thankful that we finally have Jason's dates and we now have some idea of things to come. I'll keep you posted:)

Also in our life Madison just finished basketball cheerleading. She was so cute and really loved it!! We are super proud of her. Here are some way cute pictures of my little cheerleader!!

Cheerleading Practice!

My Cheerleader!

Madi's Squad minus a couple of girls!

Madi with her trophy!

Also during Spring Break we had the chance to go to San Diego/Sea World for our first family vacation! It was the first time the girl's got to see the ocean.

First Steps in the Ocean!

Diva's!

Our Family!

Sea World!
Here are some pictures from our fun Easter weekend and Peyton enjoying Easter at playgroup!

Easter morning!

Our Easter Family Hike!

That about sums it up.....I hope:) That's alot of blogging. I'm going to try really hard to do better. Thanks for taking the time to read this really long book:)

Field Artillery

2010-01-12T09:28:00.000-08:00

Well, we found out Jason's branch yesterday for OCS (officer canidate school) and it's Field Artillery. Needless to say we are less than thrilled. Especially since Jason has so much background experience in MI (military intelligence). That also means there is no way we are headed to the East Coast. Anyway, I'll keep you posted if anything else comes about. We still don't know his school date, but we should find out by April 30.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share some of our Christmas Eve/Christmas Day fun with everyone! I also want to say how grateful I am for my Savior. I am so thankful for his birth and for his atoning sacrifice for us all.

Baking cookies!

Dandy wanted to help. (don't worry I washed out the bowl) :)
Some football cookies for Daddy:)
Some of our yummy cookies!
Christmas Eve PJ's
The girl's crawled into bed at 5:30 pm on Christmas Eve. They couldn't wait for Santa!! This didn't last very long:)
Some Christmas Present Pictures!!
Looking cute in new outfits and boots! Sunday Morning!
He so sexy!

Me and my Man!!

Winter Fun!

2009-12-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

We woke up to our annual 1 inch of snow on the ground at 8 in the morning and gone by 12 noon here in Arizona! So of course the girl's had to get right out there before it was gone. We have also had some Christmas fun at a couple different parties. I've also learned how to make hairbows for the girls. We have been having lots of fun!!

Peyton with a not so convincing Santa:)

Madison was afraid of the Santa, so she took a picture with Mrs. Claus:)

The girl's in there Christmas dresses!

The hairbows I made!

Church Christmas Party!

Here is a much better Santa:)
Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday! Merry Christmas to all.

Our Christmas Tree

2009-12-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to post some pics of our totally free Christmas Tree! We got it at the Turn Around Point (a place here on post where you can donate stuff and take stuff all free) It is a 7 ft pre lit tree. The only thing wrong with it is there are about 3 branches on the bottom that didn't work. I added some more lights and you can't even tell.

Dandy checking out the tree! This did not make me happy, but I couldn't resist taking some pics!

My Birthday & More

2009-11-27T22:53:00.000-08:00

I just had my 27th birthday on November 23!! Jason took me to see New Moon. LOVED IT! Now I can't wait for the next one:) Jason got me a new watch for my b-day and had our neighbor make my favorite cake...striped delight...so yummy. I also had baked my own cake that the girl's decorated for me. It was also yummy. Also we had a great Thanksgiving. It was wonderful having Jason home this year. I cooked dinner and we spent the day together as a family! Also that evening Madison lost her first tooth. She was excited until she realized her gum was bleeding, then she got upset. Once we got her mouth cleaned up she was happy again. Then today we went for a drive to Parker Canyon Lake, which the girl's love. We feed the ducks and had lots of fun together. I love it when our family is able to spend time together. It has been a great Thanksgiving vacation. I am so thankful for my family. My husband is wonderful. I admire all that he does for our family and all the love he gives to me and the girls. He is my everything and I am so thankful to have him in my life. I am also thankful for the two beautiful angels that Heavenly Father has blessed me with. They are my joy and happiness. They are the greatest things I have ever done and I love them with all my heart.

My Birthday!

Thanksgiving Day!

Me and my crazy husband!

We are so SUPER CUTE!

Adorable on Thanksgiving!

Madison and her missing tooth!

At the Lake!

And just because Dandy is so CUTE!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T19:06:00.000-08:00

We had a fun halloween this year. We all decided to dress up which was tons of fun!! Jason was a fabulous redneck, I was simply a storybook princess, Madi was a pink light up fairy (her skirt lit up), and Peyton was The Little Mermaid. Here are some pictures of our amazing Halloween!!

Peyton also got to dress up for the playgroup halloween party. She was a oh so cute fairy!

This is what happens when Peyton is not getting her way:(
On Friday before Halloween I was able to go to a Fall Festival party that Madison's class had. Peyton was able to come enjoy some of the fun!
Hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Fall Fun!

2009-10-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

We have been having Fun in the Fall! I love this time of year. We have carved pumpkins, gone to the Fall Fun Fair done by the stake, and have simply been having fun as a family!!

Here are the girl's in there new shirts and boots from there Mimi. They love their boots!

My SO CUTE girls!

Madison looking good for a field trip to the pumpkin patch!

Decorating our pumpkin cake!

Our finished YUMMY cake! (the cat pumpkin)

Fun at the Family Fun Fair!

Face Painting!

Carving our pumpkins!

Madison and her pumpkin!

Peyton and her pumpkin!

Crazy daddy!

Our pumpkins!

New Hair & more!

2009-10-11T18:40:00.000-07:00

So it's been forever since I've posted. Between facebook, myspace, hotmail, and this blog it is so hard to keep up. But I thought I'd post some pictures of my "dark diva hair." :-)

Here are some cute pictures of my girls!

Peyton is wearing a ballet costume that I wore in a recital when I was 7. Madison with Mimi puppet:)

Fun with Pumpkins and the Park!

Hope everyone is having a fun October. Can't wait to see all the Halloween posts that will be coming. Love you all and thanks to all those that check out my blog!

Kindergarten!

2009-08-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Madison started Kindergarten a couple of weeks ago on the 12 of August.

Posing on the first day of school!

I took pictures before we left home, because we weren't allowed to walk our kids to there classes. I found out the day before at the open house. I asked her teacher, Ms. Blank about walking Madi to class and when she told me we weren't allowed I started crying. When she was talking to me about not taking her to class, I could feel the tears coming and I just kept thinking, "don't cry, don't cry, don't cry." But before I knew it I was crying, so Ms. Blank had to give me hug:)
Peyton wasn't too happy about her big sister going to school.

Madison got another new backpack, because she needed one with more pockets.

Peyton looking cute in her matching outfit like Madi's!
Madi's new haircut! So CUTE!!!
"PEACE OUT, I'm going to school!"
Madison is doing great in school and loving it. She sometimes has a hard time leaving me in the morning, but it's getting better. She also has a great teacher, perfect for Madi's sensitive personality. She has made many friends and looks forward to going everyday. But I won't lie she loves it when it's Saturday and she get's to stay home:) I still can't believe my girl is 5 and growing way too fast!! I am so proud of the beautiful daughter that Jason and I have. We are so blessed!

Peyton turns 3 and Jason was promoted!

2009-08-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

On August 1st we had Peyton's 3rd birthday. Like Madison we had a just the 4 of us party. This is the first year that Jason was able to be apart of Peyton's birthday, because of army school and deployment, so that is why we did just us. Like last year Peyton wanted a butterfly party, so that is what we did. Here are some pictures of my baby girl when she was a baby......

The day we brought our baby home!

One cool kid!

Sleepy time!

Almost walking!

Pretty in Pink!

Go Hokies!

3 years old!

Peyton's fun day!
My baby girl is 3 years old and growing up so fast. Thank goodness she still loves to snuggle or mommy would go crazy. I am so thankful to be blessed with this beautiful daughter of God! She is my girly girl. She loves to dress up, loves shoes, loves makeup, loves everything girly!! She is so sweet and kind. She is my lil angel!

On Friday Jason was FINALLY promoted to SGT!!! This has been a long time coming with many bumps in the road, but here we are, my husband is now E5!! I am so proud of him. He is such a hard worker and such an amazing solider! His 1st SGT told all the privates that if there was someone he would want them to be like, it would be Jason. He said that Jason is what an NCO (non-commsioned officer) should be.

Ripping off CPL!

and then I threw it behind my back.... resulting in the big smile on Jason's face in the next picture.

Putting on SGT!!

It's official!

So proud of daddy!

Our family!

7 years!

2009-07-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today is mine and Jason's anniversary! We have been together for 7 years! I can't even believe it. It hasn't all been easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. We are who we are because of our most awesome days and because of our bumpy days. I love me some Jason:) So today we decided to go on a hike together. We hiked up Huachuca Canyon. We did about 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was really fun. It did show me how out of shape I am, but totally worth to be all alone with my one true love. Here are some pictures from our totally awesome 7th anniversary!

We had just hiked up a really steep hill, so I was so ready to sit down. Jason was all about looking around.

Beautiful View!

An even better view....

Happy Anniversary to us! I love Jason so much and I am so thankful to have him in life. He is my rock!

My CUTE girls!

2009-07-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Here are my super cute girls before we left to watch fireworks. Silly mommy forgot to take the camera when we left. We watched the fireworks at the baseball fields which I totally reccommend. So much better there than the were last year at Veteran's park.

Here are my girl's being totally fierce!

The girl's loving there Dandy!

We tried making a bubble bath in the pool. We didn't have enough bubbles, but the girl's still had fun!

Madi loves sleeping with her Dandy!

Peyton playing tea party with Dandy!
Yep! My girl's are way too cute! I love them so much. They are my joy!!! Make sure you check out my next post too. It it is also new.

Saying Goodbye!

2009-07-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my good friends the Osman's moved to Fort Campbell and it was quite a sad day:( The night before they left we spent the evening at the Baguley's house hanging out. I really appreciate all that the Osman's did for me since I've known them. They were always there for me during the time that Jason was deployed and I will forever be grateful! I love the Osman Family!! Here are some pics from our last night together:

Madi and her friend that moved!

Peyton and her friend that moved!

I'm going to miss hearing "Teeaah" everytime I walked through the Osman door!

Samantha, Peyton, and there friend that moved!

Benjamin is in the middle. He and Samantha are siblings. The other boys are the ones that moved!

Me and my sweet friend. I was crying before we took this picture.

Me, Osman, and Melissa (Ben & Sams mom) The three of us lived on the same street. Now it's just me and Melissa living right next door to each other.

She said....

2009-07-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Me: "I asked you all not to get water in the floor."

Madison: "Were just kids, we don't know better."

I'm not always good at remembering those moments when my girl's say something cute and funny, but I love this one that Madi said after her and Peyton got a bunch of water in the bathroom floor. (the water is blue from foam soap)

New Addition & more

2009-06-26T14:49:00.000-07:00

No, not a baby, but a kitten. Yes we have a kitten! It all happened on a fluke. For a couple of weeks we were talking about getting a kitten and kept deciding against it. So one day we were out shopping in Sierra Vista and as we were loading the kids up in the car, I hear "Do you guys want a free kitten?" I turned around and there stood a boy with a little gray kitten. The girl's saw it and of course wanted it. I looked at Jason and he was like "it's up to you." What's a mother to do? I looked at the boy and asked if it was a boy or a girl. If it was a boy I was going to say no, but it's a girl and here we are with our new baby.....Dandy, short for Dandelion! We got her at 5 weeks, she is now 8 weeks and so cute and fun. She was litter trained the first day we brought her home and she is super good with the girls. She sleeps with me and Jason and loves being under the covers. When the girls are awake Dandy doesn't know what it means to walk. They love to hold her all the time. Dandy also loves to sleep on your shoulder when your sitting. I love having a cat again!

Sleeping on daddy!

Introduced to Hokie!

The girl's are so happy!!

Sleeping under Virginia Tech!

Loving the laptop!

Sleeping with Madi!

The girl's got some new dresses from Nana....these are for you MOM!!

Peyton trying to pose like her sister...

Close ups!

This was the first Father's Day we were able to celebrate with Jason in two years. The girl's made breakfast in bed for there daddy and they both painted him a picture. I carried Jason's breakfast in on a tray and had the girl's jump on the bed shouting Happy Father's Day. Jason was very suprised! It was a great day!

Paintings for Daddy!

Breakfast in Bed!

Happy Brithday Madison 06-02-2009

2009-06-03T12:35:00.000-07:00

Madison turned 5 yesterday!!! We decided to have a family party since Jason hasn't been able to celebrate Madi's b-day for the past two years. We did a princess party. It was lots of fun! Here are some pictures of Madi over the years and some of her party yesterday.....

The day we brought Madi home from the hospital:

Trying to hold her head up:

Baby blue eyes:
Go Hokies!

Beautiful baby:
Yummy in my tummy or is it on her face?
And now my baby isn't a baby anymore. She is five and I am very proud of the young girl she is becoming. I am thankful to be blessed with Madison. She is my helper, she is kind, and caring. She is a little mommy to Peyton. She is such a daddy's girl. I couldn't have asked for a better, sweeter first born. I love my Madison!!

Princess Party!!

Daddy is such a sport....(it's hard being the only boy)!!!

Garden Canyon

2009-05-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Jason had a 4 day weekend for the Memorial holiday. We decided to take the girl's and the dogs and go hiking at Garden Canyon on that Monday. We had so much fun. The girl's did really good and the dogs absolutly loved it! Here are some pictures from our fun adventure!

Madison and Peyton with Hokie

Trying to get a group shot with the dogs....not so easy:)

Teah and Hokie, such a good dog.

Jason and Hershey, such a hyper dog.

Daddy and his girls!

Cute lil Hokie!

Hyper Hershey!

Save the Hat....

2009-05-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago I had to run to the PX and then to the commissary. The time was between 4 and 5 pm and anyone that has ever lived at Fort Huachuca knows this is a crazy time to pull on to Hatfield with the never ending traffic..... When I am in the car and it is hot I always put the passenger side window down. I prefer having the opposite window down of the side I am sitting on. Our chevy trailblazer is white and all teched out. That is Virginia Tech Hokie. We have orange and maroon dice on the mirror, we have the 2 cling ons on the back of our car, we have a VT license plate holder, and a license plate that says syco4vt. And on the dashboard we have a little Virginia Tech hat. So the story goes..... I had to quickly pull out of Miles Manor 1, our street onto Hatfield or sit there forever and as I pulled out, across the dashboard slid the VT hat right out the passenger side window. I was like, "oh my gosh, Jason is going to kill me." Not really, but I couldn't believe that happened as many times as we have had to make a mad dash before. The hat has never escaped until then. So, I proceed to the PX and once I get there I call Jason and for some reason on this particular day our phones were being weird and I couldn't get through to him. I go into the PX unable to find what I was looking for and still trying to call Jason unsucessfully and so I decided to go home before I went to the commisary to see what was up with our phones. As I get ready to pull into Miles Manor 1, there in the middle of the road sets the litte VT hat. I couldn't believe it. It was setting upright getting ran over and over and over. I then proceed to pull into Miles Manor and park the car and decide to cross the street into oncoming traffic and grab the hat. I know people must have thought I was crazy. I probably was crazy, but I was at the PX for a good 15 - 20 minutes, so once I saw the hat in the middle of the road I knew I had to get it!

Here is a picture of Hatfield. This is the place where I retrieved the hat. (right around the place the car is driving.) I was parked on the oppisite of where the car is, so I literally had to run across the street.

And here is the hat after it had been ran over a bunch of times! GO HOKIES!!!

Videos and Fun in the Sun

2009-05-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos of fun times! The first is of Madison and a friend playing the Wii. The are playing the boxing game.

The next 2 video's are of Peyton singing. The first is Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and the second is If you are happy and you know it.

The last video is of the first time the girl's got to enjoy there pool this year. There are also fun pictures of the girl's fun day!!

Easter 2009

2009-04-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

We had a fun, busy easter! It started on the Thursday before Easter. On that day we painted eggs with some friends!

On Friday the girl's got to partcipate in an Easter Egg Hunt. It was really windy, but really fun. They also got to enjoy cupcakes!

On Saturday, the post had a carnival for the military child and the girl's had a lot of fun. Then of course Sunday was Easter and the girl's woke up to the Easter Baskets the Easter bunny left them. This was the first easter we had with Jason in 2 years. We decided after church to go for a drive. We enjoy exploring and finding new places. It was fun to spend the day together as a family!!

Here is what the Easter Bunny left!

Sunday Morning, Easter Dresses!

Our Sunday Drive!

Before...

After...

(Peyton fell asleep under her blankee...so cute)

Good News!

2009-03-26T14:40:00.000-07:00

I recieved some good news today!!! We are no longer going to Fort Riley, Kansas! So let me fill everyone in on what happened. As you all know Jason was delployed last year for the entire year to Iraq. Well, for some reason branch had him in Flordia for that entire year. What?? How can the army not know where there soliders are? That is why they had him scheduled for Fort Riley and set to deploy. They had him as never deploying. Crazy!!! So we got all of Jason's information updated and we found out today that we won't be going to Fort Riley and on top of that we found out that we will be spending all of Jason's enlistment here at Fort Huachuca. Of course if Jason goes officer or reenlists that can change, but for now we will be here in Arizona.

Fort Riley

2009-03-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

Are you kidding me???? We are headed to Fort Riley, Kansas! What?? I can't believe we are leaving here already. July 1st is when we are to report. I'm in utter shock. Appartently Jason is a priorty for Fort Riley and is being attached to a deployable Infantry Unit. I am scared out of my mind. I'm just not wanting Jason to delpoy again. He just got back!!! Anyway, I just wanted to let everyone know out latest army news:(

Happy Birthday Jason!

2009-03-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today is Jason's birthday! I am so happy to have him home this year so that we can celebrate this day together. I'm am so very lucky to have him in my life. He has a kind heart and is very loving. He is a great husband and an amazing father. He has all three of his girl's wrapped around his finger:) I am truly blessed to have this man as my eternal companion! Happy Birthday to my one true love.

First Talk

2009-02-22T22:19:00.000-08:00

Today Madison gave her first talk in primary. What an experience! I am so proud of her. The theme in primary is Eternal Families, so that was what her talk was about. We had spent the last couple of days practicing and she was great. This afternoon in primary she was all smiles as one little girl gave the opening prayer and then the next little girl gave the scripture....then it was Madi's turn. Still all smiles we go up to the podium. I had told her earlier in the week to make sure she spoke loud so everyone could hear her. Her talk started off "Before I was born" and that is what she said, repeating me of course, loud and clear. And then she started crying. I really wanted her to be the one to give the talk, so in her ear I begin to whisper how I knew she could do it. "Just do it like you did it at home." I just kept telling her I knew she could. And then I threw in the bribe that if she read it I would give her M&M's as soon as we got home from church. The whispering in her ear lasted a good minute and a half. So, in the end she read her talk, all the while crying all the way through it. Tears and all, but she did it. I was so proud of her.

Cute Lil Girls

2009-02-15T15:56:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to post some pictures that I thought the family would enjoy seeing. These first pictures happened when Jason and I did not get up in time to get the girl's some juice. For some reason Madi choose to open the kool aid packs and make it herself. She found the scissors and cut open the packs of kool aid and as you can see I ended up with a purple floor. I guess I should be thankful they didn't put actual liquid on the floor. I'm guessing she spilled the powder and then tried to wash it up.

A Day at the Park!

This is my first time attempting to french braid.

Cute Lil Peyton... In the first two pictures Peyton fixed her own hair:)

Snow

2009-02-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

So we got some snow yesterday and the girl's were very excited seeing as how we live in Arizona and snow only comes once every 2 years. I knew it would all be gone by 9:00 am so first thing at 7:30 we were outside playing. The first video is of the girl's first seeing it out the window. Also Madi shows off her new shoes that are for church, but she wears them all around the house and even hides them under her bed at bedtime to keep them safe. And because Madi shows off her shoes, Peyton has to show her hand me downs from Madison, but they are new to her.

The next video is the girl's enjoying the great snow of AZ!

Family Pics!

2009-01-24T11:08:00.000-08:00

Here are our family pics that we had done when Jason was home on R&R. I am super late posting these!

Sugardoodle

2009-01-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

I am recommending Sugardoodle to all those who are serving in Primary, Young Women's, Relief Society, or Nursery. This is a great site! I have used it for Primary. It has great Sharing Times and lesson handouts. If you click on the link on my page it will take you there. You don't have to be a member to enjoy the website. Hope all likes it! I know I do.

Family Fun

2009-01-21T22:41:00.000-08:00

As many of you know Jason is finally home from Iraq! It has been so great having him home. Alot of people have told us that things were going to be different when Jason got back, that things weren't going to just go back to normal. And I have to say that it is like Jason wasn't even gone for a year. Our lives have fallen back into place. Some wives have even mentioned to me that after having there husband home for vacation after deployment that they are just ready for them to go back to work, but again I have to disagree. I have loved having Jason home. Needless to say I don't get as much done, but it's been great having him in the house.

Here are some pictures of our happenings since Jason has been home:

The Colossal Caves!

Sunday, before Church!
Building a Tent!

Going for a drive to Parker Canyon Lake!

On a sidenote LOST was great tonight!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

2009-01-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today is the most beautiful woman in the world's birthday.... my MOM!!! Happy birthday mom. I love you so much and I am so grateful to have you in my life. You are my best friend and I am so thankful to have you as my example. Thank you for teaching me how to raise the girl's, for helping me be the kind of mom I need to be. Thank you for always being there for me, for always believeing in me, for being my MOMMY! I love you.

(So, I have been trying to post a birthday video for the last hour and for some reason it is not working..., sorry mom....I will post it tomorrow. Sorry it is late:( Love you.

Makeover

2009-01-02T14:48:00.000-08:00

Recently I got a makeover from my girls. I let them do my makeup and then they also did there own. Here are the lovely pictures of our makeovers:)

Christmas Jammies!!

2008-12-26T19:08:00.000-08:00

Lookin good in our Christmas Eve christmas jammies!!!

More Christmas

2008-12-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

Here is my second Christmas blog. These first pictures are of the girl's opening gifts that they share. Madison picked this one because it looked bigger....(both gifts are for both girls)

On the floor you see the crayola set, which Madi opened and Peyton opened the Princess Glitter set, and as you can see from the picture, when Madi saw it she wanted it.
In this last picture you can see Madison laying on the floor crying and Peyton making a run for it.

Another together gift from Matt and Cathy.
My cute girls!!

Christmas Presents from Daddy!!! Jason adopted pets for all of us through the World Wildlife Federaion. One of the last things we did when Jason was home was go to the Tucson Zoo. While at the zoo the girl's both picked out a stuffed animal. Madi chose a giraffe and Peyton a white tiger. The girl's sleep with these animals every night and carry them around all throughout the day. Since the girl's loved there stuffed animals Jason decided to adopt from the WWF. He adopted a giraffe for Madi and a Jaguar for Peyton. As for myself while at the zoo I got a polar bear and for my adopted pet I got a Grizzley Bear. My baby is so thoughtful!! I love him so much!

Overlook the scary me next to the cute bear:)

From Madi and Peyton I got bath salts.... I love to bath....anyway, this is what happens when you don't pay attention to Peyton to open other gifts....
Here is a little video of the girl's opening there gift from Daddy!

Christmas from Family!

2008-12-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here it is... the Christmas morning pictures and videos! I know the grandparents have been waiting patiently for these. We love and miss you all. We had a great Christmas and can't wait until we are able to share it with you all again.

The night before Christmas we laid out food for the reindeer. That same day we also made Christmas cookies.

This video is when the girl's were opening the presents from Nana and Grandpa!

The girl's with there name pictures!

Makeup from Noodle and Cassi!

The video of the girl's opening Mimi and Papa's presents!

Books from Mimi and Papa

I have more video and pictures I will post later this evening... I'm heading out for dinner. Mom, I promise to finish this evening. I love you!

Coming Home

2008-12-20T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am so excited!! It has been confirmed that Jason is leaving Iraq on December 30 and will be home on January 5!!! That is such a step up from his first date to leave Iraq which was the 15. I started crying today when he told me. I can't wait!!!!

Christmas Parties

2008-12-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

We have had the opportunity to go to a couple of different Christmas parties. The Church Party and then the Battalion Party. Both of which were lots of fun!!!

Here are some pictures from the church Christmas Party. For anyone that knows Madison this picture is a big deal. Madison was very scared of Santa. She did so good, sitting on his lap and talking to him.

At the church Christmas party the primary sang Away in a Manger. Madison is in the front row on the verge of crying. She is so shy sometimes. Gotta love her! It takes alot for her to warm up to situations like this. So, she made with Santa, but not with the singing. That's my girl!

Earlier in the day before the church Christmas party the post had a Winter Festival for the families of deployed soliders. It was lots of fun! They had games, food, arts and crafts, lots and lots of fun things.

Here are the girl's painting a little heart box.

Peyton playing a game.

Madison playing a game.

Madison and friends.

The next fun party we went to was the Battalion Christmas Party. "Santa had the army fly him in." So cool!

Another successful party with Madi on Santa's lap!

Dancing/Timeout

2008-12-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

The first video I want to share with everyone is of Madison and Peyton dancing. When I clean house I like to listen to music and usually sometime during that time the girl's and I dance around. On this particular day Madi wanted me to video her and I had to take her up on it because I have a hard time getting her to pose for pictures or video.

The next video is of Peyton in timeout. In most cases when she is in timeout she stands there screaming "I love you mommy" over and over again. This time she just kept screaming mommy. She is in timeout for biting Madison. The girl's were getting ready to watch The Little Mermaid, Peyton's favorite movie on a little DVD player and they were fighting over who was going to push the button, so to get her way Peyton bit Madi. That's why at the end of the video when I ask Peyton what she should say to Madison, she says "push" instead of sorry.... so cute. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the videos. I love you all!

Sunbeam

2008-11-26T16:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday while I was preparing lunch for my girls, Peyton was singing Jesus want me for a Sunbeam, so I took the opportunity to record her doing her favorite Primary song. Please overlook the singing that I'm doing....
(just pause the music below)

Just a cute picture of the girls!

Christmas Tree

2008-11-24T22:10:00.000-08:00

Tonight the girl's and I put up our Christmas tree. We usually wait until after Thanksgiving, but the girl's really wanted to put it up now and okay I did to! Each year we usually have a theme for our tree. When Jason and I first got married we did blue and silver, snowman theme, the last couple of years we have red and silver, santa theme, and this year, because Jason is in Iraq we did, purple and silver, princess theme tree! The girl's absolutly love it. The video and pictures don't do it justice.... As for the video Madison didn't want the lights on because she liked it when the tree looked all pink, so the quality isn't the best.

Also for my birthday, which was Sunday, I got a sweet suprise from Jason. Saturday, he had delivered to me a dozen pink roses, a teddy bear, and a box of chocolate. So SWEET! I was totally suprised and it made me cry.

This next picture is of Peyton enjoying a Christmas Oreo Cookie. I just really like this picture. I think she is so cute!

Just some cute pictures of the girls....

Primary Program

2008-11-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

So this Sunday was our Primary program. I have to start off by saying that all the kids did a great job. Out of all of them Madison was the one I was most worried about. As some of you know I am a primary teacher, so I was in the program, so I knew how Madison was handling singing and speaking the whole time we were practicing. For those of you that know Madison you know that she is an emotional girl and a little shy. She cries very easily. The Sunbeams (the 4 year olds) had to draw a picture that explained why they thought Jesus loved them. Madison's poster read: "I know Jesus loves because he gave me my family." And so she drew a picture of her family which is what the sunbeams showed the congregation. We had 2 practices in the chapel and both times Madison cried during singing and really cried when she had to speak in the microphone and say that sentence. Sister Bastian was on the sidelines whispering to all the sunbeams what to say. In both cases she had to read Madi's card because she was so afraid. On the night on the second practice I have to admit I was getting really aggervated at the fact that Madi wasn't doing what I knew she could do. During the practice she had other teachers to comfort her, because we were sitting on opposites ends. For me, I just wanted to say, "what is wrong with you? You can do this." But luckily I had time to think it through..... and so after the practice I made it all about encouraging. I told her that she had nothing to be afraid of, that I knew she could do it. And she asked, "what is people laugh at me?" I told her that no one was going to laugh at her. That if she saw people with smiles on there faces, it would be because you are making them happy by singing and reading your sentence. I just kept reenforcing that I knew she could do it. And so Sunday comes and I am scared to death. Every mom wants there kid to do a good job and I wanted her to know that she could. So, it's Madi's time to shine and shine she does. She did her line perfectly, she sang all the songs, and I was so proud of her. After the program Sister Bastian told me she was holding her breath when Madi came up for her turn and she was also so proud of what she did. I have been working on my patience, because as some of you know that is not my greatest quality. I just want Madi to believe in herself and I know part of that comes from me and the things I teach her and encourage to do. Anyway, I am very proud of her. She did a great job!

Weight and more

2008-11-07T20:56:00.000-08:00

So a couple of things.... first off, like many other woman, I'm struggling with my weight and it is aggervating! Ever since Jason left for Iraq I have gained 20+ pounds:( Food has become my new husband and it is not doing me any good. Now I'm sure everyone has there own views of what they consider "overweight." Well, in my opinion about myself, that is what I am. When I moved to Fort Huachuca September 2007 I was about 135 and well now I'm 155. How frustrating!!!! Why is it so easy to gain and so so so hard to lose??? Aggervating and Frustrating!! Well, in the past week I have gotten more serious about my eating and my exercising and I am very proud of myself. Because I'm weak and I love food I made this sign and hung it on my food pantry door. I've stopped eating after dinner all thanks to this lovely sign:)

Because my girl's are so cute..... Today I caught Madi on the couch singing I'm a Child of God. I recorded her twice because she asked me to and it is a good thing I did, because the second time Peyton started singing with her at the end. (to hear them sing just pause the music below) Enjoy!!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to all! The girl's and I had a great Halloween. As you can see Madi was a rag doll and Peyton was a ghost. The girl's were so cute. We went to the trunk or treat at church and then came home and did some trick or treating around the block. Another good thing about halloween is that it is over, November is here and that means January is closer to being here, which means deployment is almost done:)

Last week the girl's and I made a pumpkin cake. The first pic is how I decorated the cake and then the girl's added there special touch. I think there's looks much better than mine:)

Next is a couple of pics of Peyton. The first one she is representing for her Mimi. Jason's mom graduated from University of Virginia, so she bought this outfit for Madi when she was 2 and now it's wearable for Peyton. Just for the record Jason is a Virginia Tech fan, not UVA, but we will let our girl's represent for there grandparents. The next pic is just Peyton looking ever so cute. The dress she has on is actually one that Madi used in a beauty pageant and only wore one time, so now Peyton is able to wear it. It is so nice to be able to pass dresses and other clothes down. That's the nice thing about having two girl's. Of course that is not the only great about having 2 girl's. I love my girl's so much and I am so thankful for them. They are my happiness and I am truly blessed. I can't believe how easy it is to love them both so much. I know I'm not always that patient with them, especially Madison, but I am so thankful to have her and Peyton. I am trying really hard to get better. I feel like with Madi I am learning alot and then Peyton doesn't have it as bad, because I learned my mistake with Madi. Madison is an emotional, senistive girl, who get's scared of things easy. I don't always know how to handle that. I know I just need to be more patient and understanding. As for Peyton she is the total opposite. I know they are not suppose to be the same and I don't want them to be. I just want to be a good mom. I want my girl's to know that they can always come to me for anything. I am going to continue to work on my patience and rely on the Lord for help. So now that I just went off on what I guess I am feeling....

So, to finish up this blog here is a video of the girl's. I think this is from last week. The girl's and I were watching Dancing with the Stars and so the girl's were sharing some of there moves with me!

Fun in the Fall

2008-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the girls enjoying our so-called fall days in Arizona!

The girl's and I recently decided to carve pumpkins. It was my first time actually carving. And naturally the pumpkin I messed up on was mine:)

Here is what mine looks like...

Here is what it was suppose to look like:)

On Saturday the 18, the stake had a family fun fair. The girl's had a good time. It was nice to get them out of the house doing something different. My only complaint is that next time they have something besides chili to eat. In my opinion kids are not a big fan of chili or at least not my kids.... On a happy note they had yummy sno cones and cotton candy.

Here are a couple of video's of the girl's jumping on my bed aka the indoor trampoline:) Overlook my messy room. I just wanted to share a video of the girl's with the family to far away to see them. WE LOVE and MISS YOU all!!!

R&R

2008-09-19T13:03:00.000-07:00

As most of you know Jason was just home for R&R. It was so great. We had tons of fun. We were able to go to the Tucson Zoo, Tombstone, we had a couple of picnics, drove up Garden Canyon, and just had the best time. We picked up right where we left off. After a couple of days it was as if Jason had never left, but once today came and we had to send him back to Iraq, there was tons of sadness again. Madison was the hardest to watch. She cried when we left the airport for the car... once we got to the car she looked at me and said, "daddy's gone, whose going to buckle my seat belt." Because she always wanted Jason to do it while he was home. It was so sad. I am so thankful that we only have 3 1/2 months left. So here are a few pictures of our fun times together.....

Hanging out and sleeping on daddy!

Enjoying a day at the zoo!

A day spent at Tombstone!

The girl's are posing with the pink guns that got from Tombstone!

Me and my man!!! I love him so much and miss him like crazy. Like Jason told the girl's, "only Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then Daddy is home."

Jason and more

2008-08-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted so I thought I would update everyone! We are doing good, just counting down the days until we get to see Jason. Only 7 days to go. I am beyond excited. The girl's are as well. Recently Jason sent us some pictures from Iraq so I thought I would share them with everyone.

Doesn't Jason look so cute in this picture!!

Jason hanging out with some friends.

The actor Milo from Hero's came to visit the soliders. And yes that is Jason's twin in the blue shirt!

These are some football guys that came to visit the soldiers. Jason loves football, so this was very exciting for him.

Here is Jason with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Here are some pictures of the girl's in there new dresses that there Nana sent them. Just for you Mom!!

So on August 5 we had a bit of a hail storm. Here are some pictures that I took.

Peyton turns 2

2008-08-06T17:10:00.000-07:00

Peyton turned 2 on August 1. I had her a Butterfly Party and it was lots of fun. I can't believe how fast my baby is growing up. She is such a sweet girl and I am so thankful to have her in my life. She does however have her terrible 2 moments. She has a little bit of an attitude and sometimes I can't help but to laugh, especially when she says "No Momma." But for the most part she is my beautiful angel and I am truly blessed to have her in my life.

Yummy Cake!

Playing dress up!

The morning after!

The next day the girl's played dress up in there new clothes!

Peyton is trying to strike a pose like Madison. She didn't understand that I needed her to turn around....so cute!!

Here is a video of the girl's playing in there dress up clothes....mostly for all the family to see!

Back to School Fair

2008-07-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of the girls. Yesterday there was a back to school fair for the new elementry school on post. At the fair there were fire trucks and Smokey the Bear and Sparky the Dog. Well, Peyton was so excited to see the both of them, so much so that she talked about them before she went to bed and then first thing after she woke up. As for Madison, she was scared to death. She started screaming and crying. I picked up her up and she held on to my neck so tightly that it just really hurt. So here is a video of Peyton telling you about the dog and the bear. She also tells you about Madison being scared. Everytime she is saying peekaboo, she is talking about Madi being scared. Also some of the video is sideways, because I wasn't thinking and turned my camera. It's only about a minute sideways.....I just didn't want to risk deleting it, because I thought the girl's were so cute on this one. Hope you enjoy! (you can pause the music below so that you can hear Peyton and Madi talking)

6 years

2008-07-18T14:43:00.001-07:00

Today is mine and Jason's 6 year anniversary!!! I love my husband so much and really hate that we have to be apart on such a special day. I am so proud of him and of us. He is my everything and I am completly in love with him!!! I miss him like crazy and can't wait to be reunited. He is so funny, sweet, kind, and such a great father. He is my one and only and I am so thankful that he is my eternal companion. He is my LOVE!

Our wedding day: July 18, 2002!!!

Daddy's Little Army Girls

2008-07-15T09:02:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pictures of the girl's doing silly things. They are so cute and it is so fun to watch them grow up more and more everyday!!! I love my girls!

Madison and Peyton decided to play dress up in daddy's clothes....

Here are the girl's after bath time, loving there new towels....

Peyton is growling like a dinosaur in this picture:)

Peyton put her shorts on all by herself. (Both legs in the same hole.) She was so proud of herself!

Fun Times

2008-07-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of the girl's playing different things so the family can see what there angels have been up to!

First here they are playing dress up! Two Little Princesses!!!

Here we are hanging out by the pool in our front yard.

Here are the girl's using there artistic abilities. They love to paint and do anything else that requires mommy to have to clean it up:)

To the family we love and miss you all very much and can't wait til we can see you all again. To daddy (if you read this) WE LOVE YOU so much and MISS YOU like crazy. We are counting down the days til September. Love forever, your 3 girls!

4th of July

2008-07-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

The girl's and I had a fun 4th of July. We were all in the spirit of things with out matching shirts. We went to a Bar-B-Q at the Patterson's and afterwards we went and watched the fireworks. That place was crazy when it came to parking. Unfornatly, Jessica and Dan's van actual got hit by another car....Dan had to chase the man down to get insurance info. I think the van only had a little scratch. I'm not so sure I would have known what to do if it was me. I probably would have waved at the car and been like okay. That's one thing about not having Jason around having to do all the car stuff. I'm not that good at it. I wash the car once a month if that and a couple of months ago I had to go get the oil changed. Anyway, that's just totally off subject. Like I was saying, the 4th was fun. I do however wish Jason could have been here. It get's hard being the one that has no husband. I know I'm not the first and I won't be the last, but it still really bites the big one!

Madison poing for the camera and Peyton is all smiles! Here is Madi posing for the camera again and it looks like Peyton is checking her nails, which is probably not what she is doing.

BLANKEE

2008-07-02T06:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the commissary to get a few things.... of course when I go the girl's have to bring there bedrooms with them. Madison had 2 Bambi stuffed animals and Peyton had her blankee. And when we get there the buggy of choice is the Blue car, not the red one, but the blue one. (Blue is Madi's favorite color.) So, I'm doing my shopping, everything is going good, we make it to the car, get everything in, the girl's are buckled in, and now we are on our way home. It takes 2 minutes to get home and I start to let the girl's out of there car seat. I get Madi out and then I get Peyton out. Then I start to get all the many things they have to bring with them out. There is Bambi # 1 and Bambi # 2, there all the liitle purses, and tons of other little toys, but no PINK BLANKEE! I looked maybe 3 times, I kept thinking it has to be here, we can't lose that blankee. Because if anyone knows my girls they know they are blankee girls. It started with Madi. When she was younger she wouldn't take any type of binkie. I tried all of them. But then she found this blankee that my aunt Arlene made for her. It is one of those tie quilts. She has this one corner with this one string that she has to smell and this blankee goes everywhere with us. Then their is Peyton. With her I did the same thing with the binkies. I tried them all and for about a month she did pretty good and then she decided she had enough. And then she found this little pink blankee and she loves it. She doesn't actually suck on her blankee, but she puts it up to her moth and does a sucking motion. So now, back to my story. As soon as I got the girls out of the car and did a serach for the blankee and realizing it wasn't there, it was now back to the commissary. So, first I drove over to where we parked, stopped my car in the middle of the isle, got out and looked under the car that was now parked there, no blankee. So of course I had to park and go inside. I first went to where we checked out and asked that girl and of course she said she hadn't seen it. She sent me to customer service and naturally there was no one in that office. So, I started my journey around the store. I started at the milk, looking around everywhere and nothing. Then I started walking past the isles, nothing, nothing, nothing. Then I hear "BLANKEE!" There it was! Some had obviously picked it up and placed it where the aquafina water is, right before the cake isle....yes there it was just hanging and I would have passed it up, because I was looking at the ground, but Peyton saw her blankee, thank goodness. It's not pretty when she is without that thing. Even when I wash it, there is alot of drama, so I knew if we lost it, it would have been bad. I'm not sure you can replace things like that. Anyway, in the end it all worked out and blankee is safe in the bed with Peyton!

2 Funny Girls

2008-06-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

This week I was locked out of my room, not once, but twice, and then Madison explained to me what it meant to take 3 bites..... First off, Peyton knows how to lock the doors. She locked herself in my bedroom and of course I freaked out. I was just hoping that she would be able to figure out that you pretty much lock the door the same way you unlock the door...turn the FUN little gold knob. Luckily, with some encouragement she unlocked the door and all was well or so I thought. After she was out and I thought the door was unlocked I closed my bedroom door. I guess that after she unlocked it and I opened it, she locked it again and I didn't see it or know about it. So, like I said I closed the door....and an hour must of went by and I needed something out of my room. Can you guess what happened next....the door was locked, and I was even more freaked out, because there was no one in there to encourage to turn the FUN gold knob. Yes, I will admit it, I cried, because I didn't know what I was going to do, and I just did not want to call housing, besides this was on a Sunday and I don't even know if they are available on Sunday, but I didn't want to call to find out. So, I was still freaking out, and then I thought, "I need a bobby pin, maybe I can McGaiver (sp) my way in." Then it hit me, "all my bobby pins are in my bathroom." So, again I freaked out. This is my bedroom, everyone loves there bedroom, at least I do. I like the comfort of sleeping in my own bed, even if I have to do it alone right now, but that's a different story. So, I went searching throught the house for a way to break into my own bedroom. And do you know what I found on my kitchen counter, a BOBBY PIN! There is never a bobby pin on my counter. So, now it was the moment of truth. Was I going to be able to get that door open? I bent that bobby pin apart like they do in the movies and I went to work and I cried, because that dag on thing just did not want to open my door. So, after I finished crying I did start to get a little mad and I took that mad frustration and applied that to the bobby pin and to the door, and I stuck that thing in that little hole, wiggled it around and it UNLOCKED! I was so happy, so relieved, and so embarrassed for the crying and for getting mad. I did however, say a little prayer and thank Heavenly Father and I also asked him to forgive me for getting a little mad. So, now I always make sure the doors are not locked before I close them:)
As for Madison, tonight we were having dinner and I made this Taco casserole thing that I thought Madison would hate and would complain about, and say "I'm not eating that," all of the above. But to my surprise, she looked at it and didn't say a word. I put it on her plate and still nothing and then she started to eat it, well sorrda. She has this thing where she will take one little bite of everything. Say I have corn or peas. She will eat just one pea or one piece of corn and 10 minutes later after she has taken one little bite maybe 5 times, she claims she is done and really wants a treat. Well, tonight I told her she had to take actual bites if she wanted a treat and she had 3 more bites and then she could get down. She picked 3 beans and put them on her fork, and I told her that was one bite and that after she ate those she had two more......and she said, "you told me I only had to take 3 more bites," and I told her "yes and that is one on your fork." So, she being oh so smart, took 2 of the beans off and ate one, counting as she ate, then she picked up # 2, and ate it, and then #3. I couldn't help but laugh, and she said that's 3. You said I only had to take 3 more bites. I guess the joke is on me.
Anyway, I love my girls! There is never a dull moment and it is so amazing the conversations I can have with Madi as she gets older and I love seeing how different Peyton is compared to her sister. Being a mom is the greatest gift I have ever recieved and I am very thankful to be a mother and I am so thankful for the 2 beautiful daughters of God that I have been blessed with!

Hair Cut!

2008-06-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Madison and Peyton both got there haircut today!!! Doesn't Madi look so cute and grown-up. Scary! My baby girl is growing up too fast. She kept saying "isn't my hair pretty." Peyton only got a little trim, but it is still her first haircut.

Madison is 4!!!

2008-06-19T22:21:00.001-07:00

Madison turned 4 on June 2 and her friend Walter (nickname) turned 7 on June 16, but on June 14 Sister Osman and I had a birthday party for the both of them. It was lots of fun. Sister Osman made both the cakes. She did such a good job. Madi loved her barbie cake. Walter had an army cake. I can't believe how fast Madison is growing up. I am so thankful to have her as my daughter. She is so beautiful and loving.

At the party we had a water balloon fight, which the kids loved and yeah, the grown-ups did too!

The party was tons of fun and it was really nice to share it with friends.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T21:00:00.000-07:00

I want to wish my husband, whom I miss so much a Happy Father's Day! He is my world and I am so thankful to have him in my life. He is such a wonderful man. He is a great father. The girl's love him so much and like there mother, they miss him like crazy. I can't wait until we are together again. He is my best friend and I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a kind and loving man to spend my life with for time and all eternity!

Here are some pictures of the girls with there daddy before he left for Iraq....

Here are pictures of the girls playing dress up with daddies things!

Here is a picture of Madi and her daddy in her younger days, I think she was 2.

Here is Peyton and daddy around Christmas 2007.

I know I had this picture up before, but this is the last picture I took of Jason and the girls before he left. I love you Jason Miles and hope that you have a wonderful father's day. We miss you and can't wait for you to come home!

To my dad: I love him so much and I am thankful to have him as my father. I love being a daddies girl and I thank my dad for raising me right and for alway's being there when I needed a shoulder to cry on or when I needed a good laugh, and I am especially thankful for all of our father-daughter talks. I have truly been blessed with a wonderful man to have as my daddy!

2008-06-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged!Rules first:I need to answer 6 questions.I then tag 6 people and post their names here, then go to their blog and comment to tell them that they have been tagged and to visit here to find out the rules. I must then let the person who tagged me know when I have posted my answers.

1) 5 Things on my 'to-do' list:
a. heat up leftover's for dinner
b. clean Madison and Peyton's room and the toy room
c. potty train Peyton hopefully sooner than later
d. get stuff ready for Saturday's Bar-B-Q
e. get Jason's, my dad's, and Jason's dad's father day's gifts sent off (there all going to be late)

2) 5 Snacks I Love:
a. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
b. Cereal, cereal, cereal
c. chips
d. icecream
e. but especially cereal....as you can tell nothing is healthy, maybe that's why I can't lose weight:)

3) 5 Things I'd do if I suddenly became a millionaire:
a. Pay off my debt
b. start college fund's for the girls
c. take a long vacation
d. invest
e. build a dreamhouse

4) 5 Places I've lived:
a. Mingo, West Virginia
b. Greenbrier, West Virginia
c. Natural Bridge, Virginia
d. Buena Vista, Virginia
e. Lexington, Virginia (as you can tell Fort Huachuca is my first home away from home!)

5) 5 Jobs I've had:
a. Being a Mom (my favorite)
b. Hardees which is Carl's Jr. on the West Coast
c. McDonalds Manager
d. Housekeeping for Southern Virginia University
e. Assitant Mananger at Hilltop (a gas station)

6) 5 Things people don't know about me:
a. I'm not a patient person
b. I blew out my knee my sophomore year of high school jumping hurdles in track and it still affects what I do today.
c. I'm a romantic.
d. I don't think I'm as outgoing as some people might think I am.
e. I love taking nice hot baths.

I'm tagging:
1. Katie(mom)
2. Ashley
3. Ariel
4. Suzanne
5. Linda
6. Christina

Madison's 4th Birthday

2008-06-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on blogging. I am sorry to everyone that actually looks at my blog and sees the same ol thing... Well, the girls and I are back home. We have been home for about 2 weeks. Everything we missed has fallen back into place, which is good. It's been nice to hang out with the Osman family again. I missed Annie and Madison missed Walter and especially Jem who she claims is her future husband:) I'm pretty sure Peyton missed Rilla... anyway, it's just really nice to be back home. Now that we are back the Osman's will be leaving for vacation next week for 3 weeks. They will be missed. Since being home Madison had a birthday. On June 2 she turned 4. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. Next year my baby will be going to school. Time really does go to quickly. I made Madison a cake for her birthday and she got a bike, barbie stuff, and a tea set, which she refers to as a "juice set" because she's not allowed to drink tea. This Saturday she'll have a bigger b-day party with Walter at Annie's house. Walter's birthday is on June 16, so we are doing a Bar-B-Q for both of them on Saturday. Anyway, here are some pictures of Madison's actual B-day.

Family

2008-05-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

Some happenings while we have been in Virginia:

My sister-in-law Cassi graduated at Dabney Lancaster Community College in Criminal Justice. It was nice to be home to see her graduate.

My mom's baby sister Joan, her husband Darryl, and his daughter Megan came in for a visit. It was really fun seeing them. Joan and I were really close when I was younger.

Here are the girl's posing for the camera. Madison had her hair french braided, something my mom did...I'm still trying to figure it out. But anyway, after her hair was fixed she insisted on posing for the camera!

Well, I'll be leaving in 2 days back to Arizona. I'm really going to miss home, but I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I have had so much fun visiting my family and I know I am going to miss seeing them everyday.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

I just want to tell my mom Happy Mother's Day! I love her so much and I am so thankful to have her in my life. She is my shining example and I a hope and pray that I can grow into the woman that she is now. I am so thankful to my heavenly father for blessing me with Katie Van Natter as my mom. She is so kind and loving. She has the biggest heart. I thank her for always being there for me and for raising me in the gospel, for guiding me and for always loving me. I also thank her for the best food ever. She is one good cook! I am especially thankful that I am able to be home to celebrate Mother's day with her. I love you Mommy!

For Daddy!

2008-05-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

This video is mostly for Jason. The girls and I miss you so much baby! We love you and can't wait until you come home!

2008-05-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

Things have been lots of fun in Virginia. We have been hanging out with family and running into everyone we know in Wal-Mart. It's like a family reunion in that place:) So now I'll give you a rundown of what's been going on....

My youngest brother had his prom on April 26... I can't believe he is 17. There is an 8 year difference between us and I can't believe how fast he has grown up. He will be graduating next year...WOW! Anyway, he went to prom with a girl named Aryia. They had lots of fun. Ammon won a GO Phone at the after prom party. The only thing I ever won at our after parties was a chair..., so good job Ammon!

This is Ammon before prom and this is his date Aryia. I wasn't able to get pictures of her before prom, because he went to her house to pick her up. This picture is actually a date they had at Panther Falls. They went with my other brother Brandon and his wife Cassi.

On April 27 some of my family from West Virginia came to visit. This is my cousin Ashley, her husband Nick, and there son Andrew. They also have a baby on the way. Ashley and I are really close, more like sisters than cousins. I really miss her!

The rest of the pictures are of the girls having FUN! Here they are in there new sunglasses, looking oh so cool!

Here is a day at the park:

Here are the girls playing in a turtle pool....well actually it's a sand box, but they would rather it be a pool.

Madison and her Uncle Noodle (Brandon) eating some yummy icecream!

It's been really nice being home. I really wish Jason was able to be here with us. Home isn't the same without him. The girls are really enjoying themselves. Though Madison did ask me when are we going back to the army house.....so cute! Anyway, I miss all in Arizona and I'll see you at the end of the month.

We are home!

2008-04-27T11:22:00.004-07:00

We are now in Virginia and having lots of fun! The weather hasn't been the best the last couple of days, but it's suppose to get better and there is green everywhere which I love. Flying went really good. I think it had alot to do with the portable DVD player I brought along. Thank goodness for that invention! The only drama we had was at airport security. The girls freaked out when the blankees had to go through the x-ray machine. Madison started crying which led to Peyton crying and all you here is..."blankee, blankee, blankee." It was drama, drama, drama! Of course in the end, we got the blankees back and everyone was happy again!

On the plane:

The girls and there beloved blankees:

How are we?

2008-04-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted about myself or the girls lately, so I thought I would update everyone. Well, we are doing good. As many of you know we will be flying home on Tuesday the 22nd and will be gone until May 29. Home by the way is Virginia. I can't wait to see my family though I am a bit scared of flying. It is something I haven't done before and now I am trying it with two little girls and no daddy. It should be tons of fun:)

Here are some pictures of the girls. In this one they are putting on some makeup. They like to play with mommies makeup when I am getting ready. They are so cute!

Peyton love love loves Dora. Sister Osman let her borrow this nightgown and well she wore it to sleep in, and all the next day, into the next night.

Madison and Peyton are girly girls that love to play in the dirt. Yes, this is really what my backyard looks like. Beautiful right....

Here is after the dirt....time for a bath....Peyton is at the stage where she does not like taking a bath. By the end of this, she was screaming and crying.

These pictures were taken this morning before church. The girls like to take a silly face picture when we are taking pictures.

I love Madison and Peyton so much. They are such good girls. They both love church and there classes. I cannot wait until daddy can see his girls and how much they have grown up. They miss him so much. Madison talks about daddy everyday and Peyton loves to look at pictures of daddy. And as for me, I also miss daddy like crazy. I can't wait until he comes home!!! Anyway, I will miss all my Arizona friends while I am gone. I'll blog Virginia so you can see how we are doing.

We Are Virginia Tech

2008-04-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

My husband Jason is one of the biggest Hokie fans I know. He is in love with Virginia Tech and through his love for this school, I also fell in love. So on April 16, 2008 I think we should all take a moment to remember those that died and those that were affected by what happened one year ago. For those of you that do not know what happened....
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting consisting of two separate attacks approximately two hours apart on April 16, 2007, which took place on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and wounded many more before committing suicide, making it the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

Let us remember:

Ross A. Alameddine
Christopher James Bishop
Brian Roy Bluhm
Ryan Christopher Clark
Austin Michelle Cloyd
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak
Kevin P. Granata
Matthew Gregory Gwaltney
Caitlin Millar Hammaren
Jeremy Michael Herbstritt
Rachael Elizabeth Hill
Emily Jane Hilscher
Jarrett Lee Lane
Matthew Joseph La Porte
Henry J. Lee
Liviu Librescu
G.V. Loganathan
Partahi Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan
Lauren Ashley McCain
Daniel Patrick O'Neil
Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz
Minal Hiralal Panchal
Daniel Alejandro Perez
Erin Nicole Peterson
Michael Steven Pohle, Jr.
Julia Kathleen Pryde
Mary Karen Read
Reema Joseph Samaha
Waleed Mohamed Shaalan
Leslie Geraldine Sherman
Maxine Shelly Turner
Nicole Regina White

Beginning to Now

2008-04-10T19:49:00.001-07:00

The Girl's Room and more....

2008-04-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of Madison and Peyton's bedroom. As many of you know Madison loves anything Princess and Peyton loves anything Dora, so they each have half the room decorated with the theme they like. They also got these really cute pillows from Sister Osman, so that when they sleep at night they are always sleeping with there daddy.

I finally got a kitchen table and some new chairs. I am so excited!!! Our family has been using a card table and now we have a "real" table. I love it! The first thing Peyton did when she saw they table was make sure it was sturdy enough to hold her....

Here are the girls painting a couple of ceramic animals to send to there daddy. They both really liked painting and where excited to do it for there daddy, whom we miss so so much. Madi painted a puppy and Peyton did a bear. They picked those out especially for daddy.

we MISS our DADDY!

Easter

2008-03-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

It was a busy Easter week, last week. Thursday we painted eggs, Friday we went swimming, Saturday we had an Easter egg hunt, and then of course on Sunday we went to church. I think the girls had a really fun Easter 4- day event!

Here the girls are painting there eggs!

Here we are at the pool. Peyton hates taking a bath, but she had no problem playing in the pool!

This is Easter Sunday. The girls are in the dresses there Nana bought them. They loved there dresses!

Here the girls are opening there baskets, after church, because as most of you know church is at 8:00 in the morning, so we waited until we got home!

I just want to tell my husband that I love him very much and that I am so thankful to have him in my life. One year ago today we were sealed for time and all eternity and I am so blessed to have him in my life. He is a great husband and an amazing dad. I love you Jason Reid Miles and I miss you like crazy. Not one minute goes by that I don't think of you. Stay safe and Hurry home. I love you for eternity!

Shoes and more

2008-03-17T23:46:00.000-07:00

On Friday I took the girls to Payless to buy some new shoes for Easter. Of course when we went to look for Easter shoes, Madison found Princess shoes and Peyton found Dora. Madi picked up a pair of Princess flip flops that she just had to have and Peyton found Dora flip flops. Now Peyton is not even 2 years old, so her and flip flops don't mix very well, but she had to have what her big sister had....flip flops. So, we ended up leaving the store with 4 pairs of shoes, okay 5, because mommy had to have shoes too! Anyway, last night around 2 in the morning Peyton came into my bed like she does almost every night and she wasn't alone....she had brought the flip flops with her. When I tried to set them down she started to cry, so needless to say, myself, Peyton, at some point Madi, and the flip flops all slept in my bed.

As for today, I babysat for Sister Osman. I watched her 3 older children. Well, on most occasions, Peyton and Rilla do not get along. But today I actually caught a moment when they were playing together. It was so cute!

So, I also need some advice from everyone. As some of you know Jason and I have 2 dogs, Hershey and Hokie, which we didn't get until we moved here. So, now I am beginning to regret it, especially because Jason is gone. They are just becoming to much to handle. They are digging up the yard and starting to chew on the house, literally. Hokie bit a huge chunk out of the side of the wood frame on the back window outside. And as some of you know this is Army housing and well, we will have to pay for all damages done to the house. I feel bad for feeling like I should give the dogs away, but I'm like a single mom right now, raising my girls and trying to take care of two dogs. I just want to do what is right for us and for the dogs. My gut is telling me that maybe I should give them away, but it's hard. I don't know....

Friendship

2008-03-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

I just want to write a few words about the friends that have been in my life and that have touched my life. These are the people who shaped who I am today. I am thankful for my cousin Ashley who is more than a cousin, but a sister to me. I miss our childhood together. I miss the sleepovers when I would be sleeping and you would be pinching my nose to wake up me or maybe that was to stop the snoring:) I miss the Barbies and the late night swims. I miss how we would sneak over to the pond or to the cemetary. We had so much fun! I love you so much and I am so thankful to have you in my life. I am also thankful for the friends I had in school. I am especially thankful for Autumn, Candace, and Carrie. They were dear friends to me and I will never forget all the fun times we had in middle school, (ruling the school, at least we thought so!!!) I loved Cheerleading, Volleyball, Track, Band, and everything else we did. We were definatly some busy girls. None of those things would have been half as much fun if I didn't have you girls to share them with. And to Candace I love how we are staying in touch. It's so fun to see where our lives are taking us. Then there is Katie, who showed me what it means to have a best friend. She was my High School best friend and I am the lucky one for knowing her. I would have never made it through classes and boys if it wasn't for her. And especially Taboo, "it's the thing that goes in the thing with the thing", "OUTSIDE", "Little House on the Praire", and of course there is the cup game and who can forget Monster Mitchamus or Bethagoogana. "You don't want none of you". I could go on forever.... I just want to say thank you to her for her friendship. I am also thankful for Linda Harvey who I would have to say I was closes to in the church. I am so thankful to have shared all of my Girl's Camp adventures with her and all the Youth Conferences. She was such a sweet girl and where ever she is I hope she got everthing she ever wanted....a Hot return missionary!!! (ISOM)!! I am so thankful to have known these wonderful people and I am so thankful for the friendships I continue to make. To Sister Osman, and I know I have said it before, but I really appreciate all that you do for me. You are on my list of friendships that I will never forget. It is so nice to have a loving, caring friend. I thank you for making Army life so much easier. Also to Suzanne, you are going to be missed. I guess you are my first offical friend that I've met in the army and now I have to say good-bye to. Thank you for all of your kindness and I hope your family has a great time in Hawaii and I am very thankful to have gotten to know Chandler. I think he is going to grow up and be a truly spiritual man in the gospel. Thank you to everyone for your friendship.

"A true friend walks in when the rest of the world walks out".

Motherhood

2008-03-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

I thought these pictures of the girls were so cute. Peyton is fixing Madi's hair and Madi is actually letting her. I love it when they have moments like this. They are ao precious. I am so thankful to be a mom. I love being at home, raising my girls. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with two of his spirit children. I am beyond honored to have two daughters of God to raise and to take care of. Motherhood is the greatest gift I have ever recieved and I just hope and pray that I am able to do right by Madison and Peyton.

For Time and All Eternity

2008-03-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day for the VanNatter side of the family. (my maiden name) My dad and mom went to the Washington DC temple along with my Brother Brandon, his wife Cassi, my Aunt Cathy, my Uncle Terry, Aunt Arlene, and my cousins, Frank and Cindy and were able to seal my grandpa Gene and grandma Imogene to one another. That is my dad's parents. So, that means my dad, Cathy, and Terry were able to be sealed to there parents. I am so thankful for eternal families. I am so grateful to be apart of a gospel that teaches families are forever. It is so comforting to know that we all have a purpose and it is even more comforting to know how much Heavenly Father loves and cares for all of us. I am so thankful that I have a family that will last for time and all eternity!

My Family on the East Coast

2008-02-27T20:44:00.001-08:00

I thought I would talk some about my family. My mom, dad, and my two brothers, whom I miss so much. They are all living in Virginia about 15 minutes from one another. My mom, Katie, is so important to me. She is my best friend and I am so thankful to have her as my example. I want nothing more than to grow into the woman she is today. She is a wonderful mother with such a compassionate heart. I am so thankful to her and my dad for raising me in the true and everlasting gospel. She is truly a remarkable woman and I thank her so much for always being there for me, always listening to my problems, and for always telling me what I didn't always want to hear or should I say her honesty:) I love you mom! As for my dad, Mickey, he is the most spiritual man I know. I am so thankful for all that he has done for me and I am so proud of him and all that he aspires to do. He is also the most hardworking person I know. I am truly thankful for our father-daughter talks and for his love for me. I consider myself daddy's little girl. I love you dad! As for my brother, Brandon, well he is 23, two years younger than me, so we are pretty close. He is a good man and probably the funniest person I know. I thank him for all that he has done for me over the years, especially for listening to me about all my old boyfriend problems. I can't wait for the day when he will become a father, I know he will be amazing and hopefully that will be sooner than later..... Which would bring me to Cassi, my brother's wife. I am so thankful that Cassi is apart of our family. She is so good to and for Brandon. I treasure her friendship and love. She has such a sweet spirit and I am thankful for her love towards Madi and Peyton. She will be a great mother and again hopefully sooner than later!! I love you Cassi! Next is my even younger brother, Ammon, who is 17. I should mention he is the baby of the family, the spoiled one:) He is also a good man and I am so thankful for his gentle spirit and for his kindness. I know out of the 3 of us he will be the one to serve a mission. I am very proud of him and I can't believe he will be graduating next year. He is growing up so fast. I love you Ammon! I also want to mention that I do have an older sister Mesha, she is a year older than me, but she passed away at 4 months. She is my guardian angel and I love her so much!

Saying Goodbye

2008-02-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

On December 28th, 2007 Jason was suppose to leave for Iraq for 12 months, but his plane got delayed, so he didn't have to leave until December 29th, so I had us take the goodbye pictures when things weren't as sad. I miss him so much and so do the girls. Luckily, we do get to talk everyday and he only recieved a 12 month tour, so I do have to be thankful for those things. I'm very proud of my husband. He is a good man and a wonderful father. I have truly been blessed! It's been hard being without him. It's hard to be both mommy and daddy. I'm so thankful though for the church here. I know I wouldn't be able to make if it wasn't for some amazing people I have met. (you know who you are) I especially thank the Osman family and more particularly Sister Osman. It's so nice to have a friend that shares the same values as myself and it's especially nice to only live a couple of houses apart:) But anyway, I didn't know that I could like army life so much, but I do. I didn't know what to think when we ended up in Arizona. I wanted the East Coast so bad, but I truly believe that the Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he placed us here.