10 Things I Can't Live Without

I wasn't tagged. But I got to thinking about things that I love and wanted to share them with you. Here they are in no particular order:

1. Music! There is something so wonderful about music! I always thought when I watch my life over again, that I'd have my own soundtrack! We'll see.
2. Chocolate chip cookies. Better yet, the dough! Mmmmmm. No wonder I'm pudgy.
3. My camera. I LOVE my Canon Rebel! It is so fast and takes awesome pictures and it is so user-friendly. Now all I need is a zoom lens...
4. The internet/computer. What did I do before this? I have no idea, but I'm so glad I have it now. I can quickly look up a recipe, directions or a question I have about anything! It rocks!!! And it keeps me connected to you!
5. Wal-mart. I'm not proud to admit this, but they really do have the lowest prices. Their lines are the worst and there are no cashiers ever, but I can get whatever I need at a way cheaper price. And hence that is why I have to take a weekly trip there. Argh!!
6. Lotion. Maybe it's because we live in the dryest climate ever, but my skin is always begging for moisture. My favorite lotion is Burt's Bees, but since it's pricey, I like Gold Bond b/c it heals my sad skin.
7. My pillow. Pat sometimes mistakedly takes mine, but I can immediatley tell b/c mine is fluffier. He likes his flat, I like mine puffy! It's oh so comfy!
8. Thursday night TV. Yes, The Office and LOST are my two weaknesses. I love them. I crave to know what's happening and what it all means. Instead of book group, we should have the LOST Office group.
9. My flat-iron and round brush. I admit that I need a new round brush, but I'm so used to the one I have and I've tried to buy others. They just don't work the same. Even though my hair is straight, I like to have it even straighter.
10. My spinbrush pro. I discovered this toothbrush a few months ago and I can't live without it! It makes me feel like my teeth are buffed and polished each time I brush. It's a good, clean feeling. Ahhhh.

What do you love?

Boys will be boys

My kids have always found a way to make me smile, even in unhappy situations. They can sure drive me crazy with their whining, crying, fighting, and tantrums, but they have a sweet side, too. Max is just into EVERYTHING lately. He knows what will get him in trouble and then he runs away faster than I can catch him. Today we were outside playing in the front yard. There was snow this morning, but it had all melted and the sun was out. So there was water dripping out of the rain gutter and causing a little puddle. Well, Max found it and turned it into a huge mess! He got mud everywhere! But he was having so much fun, and just look at that face! And then this week he was in the bathroom and I peeked in on him to find this...Little Rascal! I had to write down some of the cute words Max is saying these days. He is talking so much. He repeats a lot of words and some of his favorite words to say are:

pillow, snow, bah bah (bottle), cahnee(candy), cah cah(cracker), cheese, banana, ah-la (hola), hell-ow (hello), oh me (hold me), apple, sana (mansana), gink (drink), duck, neigh (for horse), no no, pacurn (popcorn), clean, all done.

Earlier today I was reading a book to Lukas and we needed to turn the page. He licked the finger on his right hand, like he was going to use it help him turn the page, and then he turned the page with his left hand! I was laughing so hard! I guess he must've seen me lick my finger to turn the page one time. I guess he didn't realize he needed to use the same finger he licked. I wonder what his little mind thinks...If I lick my finger, then I can turn the page w/ my other hand...??!

I had to put a picture of Lukas being "reverant".

And his cool sunglasses (he was actually showing me his "move" when I took this picture. He and Max loves to dance.)

Easter

Talk about great weather (for Utah) this weekend!! We had such a fun time coloring eggs, hunting for eggs, hiding eggs, eating eggs and waiting for the Easter Bunny to come. The boys really loved opening each egg to find fun surprises and treats. We had an a couple of egg hunts, one egg hunt was with our cousins and my Uncle Boyd filled some of the eggs with sand. Lukas said, "Hey, mine is filled with dirt!" He was a little disappointed about that. But he did get some money in one and he said he was going to save that for Disneyland. Max was so excited, he didn't know what to do. He'd collect a few eggs in his basket and then stop and take them out to hide them again. It was cute. One word he learned to say this weekend is "candy". Boy does he love that word! I'm sad we didn't get the best family shot on Sunday, but we didn't really have cute Easter outfits to show off. Easter came so early this year that I didn't even have time to find something for the boys. We were lucky the Easter Bunny even came. But sure enough he did and the boys were thrilled! Pat was too. He said the Easter Bunny never visited him when he was growing up. Sad!! We had a nice dinner with my family on Sunday. We are starting this tradition where we have the Easter Egg lesson (where you open up an egg and it has something in it that represents the Savior and his life and resurrection). It was nice to really focus on the whole reason we celebrate Easter. I am so thankful for this time of year and all that it represents.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I had the BEST birthday this year! It was on Saturday and it was pretty close to being the perfect day! Pat got the kids dressed and I got to sleep in a bit. For some reason I quickly got dressed and ready and Pat suggested we go to breakfast. He was "starving" so I hurried. We are in the car and Pat asks us if we want to go to Village Inn or IHOP. Lukas immediatley says IHOP. I was fine either way. We get to IHOP and Pat asks for a table for 4 then from clear across the restaurant I hear "SURPRISE". My brother, his three girls, my Uncle Boyd and my parents were there to surprise me. It was so fun hanging out with them. And it's nice having my mom live close, because I can always count on her for a yummy cake! After breakfast we came home and I finally got to just relax and do nothing. It was wonderful! Pat had to work for a couple of hours and then when he came home we took the kids to my Aunt Lecia's house and we went to dinner with our favorite friends, Scott and Emily. We had so much fun. A little too much fun. Everyone around us kept looking at us and they probalby thought we were a bit drunk or something! We were laughing and being loud. But it was so nice to not have to worry about kids. Sunday night Pat's family came over for a birthday dinner. We stayed up late playing Phase 10 and guess who won? I think everyone wanted me to win since it was my birthday! I can't believe I'm 29...again! Thank you all for a wonderful birthday!

The 90's in Placentia

I just took a trip down memory lane. That last post made me think about how long Kimberly and I have known each other and so I started looking through my pictures. It was so fun to reminisce and it brought back a lot of memories. I decided to post a few pictures. They made me laugh. It's amazing how fast time goes by! Pretty soon our kids will be getting older and making memories like we did. I can still remember getting so excited about the weekend b/c there was sure to be a stake dance going on. They would always play that song..."Walk 500 Miles". There was a huge group of us that would hang out together in highschool. We were mostly LDS and we knew we could count on each other. Except now I'm remembering all the drama, too. Like how could Amina go to Homecoming with John BEFORE she turned 16? We were so mad about that. (She's the one with the curly black hair in the picture. Kim and I are in the middle.) But that's what teenage years are for, I guess. I loved living in California, too b/c the beach was so close. I'm so glad my parents decided to move there (we lived in a small town in Colorado before that). Here's to my hometown and my old friends!!

Starpansie

So I have the cutest friend...I've known her since I was 14! (Can you belive it's been almost 17 years?!!) We grew up in So. California together and went to high school, YW, and all the stake dances together. She lives in San Diego now with her darling family and has a vinyl lettering business. I ordered some from her and they turned out sooooo cute! I love how easy it is and how fun it looks on my walls. I had a dream that I labeled everything in my house with vinyl lettering. Haha! I just LOVE it and Kimberly does it for such a great price. If anyone ever wants to spice up their house with some cute phrases, please visit her site www.stores.ebay.com/PERSONALIZED-BABY-GIFT-SITE and click on the Vinyl Lettering Home Decor to see the fonts and phrases. She also has other cute stuff, too. I took some pictures of my finished products. Thank you Kimberly!! You can also email her your order at Starpansie2004@yahoo.com

A Sigh of Relief...

I can actually relax and breathe today! My open house is over and it was a success! I'm so happy that I did it and it really helped me to get started. THANK YOU to everyone who came (or wanted to come) and for supporting me! It really meant a lot to me that people liked what I did and actually thought it was worth buying!! So now it is back to being a mom and wife again instead of locking myself in the craft room and sewing until all hours of the night. I knew I had to set a deadline for myself or else I would be doing a little here and a little there for another year. And now I'm up and running and I have a nice stocked inventory. Please feel free to view my craft blog or visit my website (soon it will be ready) or email me if you see anything that you want! It is so fun and I love doing it. Here are a couple pictures from my open house. A special thanks to my mom and sister for the beautiful flowers & for all their help! And a very big thank you to Pat for all of his support and help. (He stayed up until 3 in the morning with me setting everything up!) http://designbyjanece.blogspot.com/ or http://www.designbyjanece.com/

The Office Countdown

I'm not a huge TV junkie, but I do look forward to Thursday nights because my two favorites are on. LOST and The Office. You may know that the "The Office" hasn't aired since the writer's strike (Booo!) and watching re-runs is fine, but I'm ready for real time! I wondered if I'd ever see Jim or Dwight (my favorite) again or hear Michael say "That's what she said." So the countdown is ON and I can't wait, so if there are any other Office lovers out there that want to come to my Official Office party, APRIL 10th is the day! Are you kiddin' me Big Tuna!

Lukas' Scripture

Lukas was asked to give the scripture in Primary for Sunday. We had been practicing all week and I was very skeptical. I really didn't think he'd do it and every time we practiced, he'd say it in his weird voice. He normally doesn't like to do things on command and especially in front of a crowd. So, Sunday comes around and Pat and I completely forget about daylight savings. So, yes, we were an hour late to church. Pat was on time, but missed his meeting and called me right after to say I was late. Well, we made it just in time for Sharing time in Primary. We recited the scripture all the way in the car and when we arrived, he went right up to the front to sit in the "scripture" chair until his turn. He sang the opening song, and even folded his arms during the prayer (amazing!!). Then it was his turn so I went up to the front with him. He spoke LOUD and clear and recited every word perfectly! I was crying! How embarrassing, but I was so touched! He did awesome! I'm so proud of him! I need to give him more credit! I think he liked it because he got to speak into the microphone! Good job Lukas!

My Nephew

I have been so busy with my busisness that I have neglected so many things!!! Including my blog. I got to go visit my new nephew this week. He was born on March 5th at just 6 pounds 2 ounces. He is so precious! His name is Owen Anthony Marshall. He is sure a cutie! He will be having to face some major trials in the next couple of weeks. He has a cyst on his lung and will have to have surgery. He is just so tiny, I can't imagine how that will work. But we are praying for him and we are so excited to get to know him. Welcome to the world OWEN!

Design by JaNece Inc.

The time is finally here to announce something that I've been working on for months!! I wanted to wait until everything was perfect, but then it might have taken years. (I felt like I was keeping a secret that I wanted to tell everyone and couldn't.) Now here it is! All my time and energy (and Pat's money) have gone into it and I am very pleased with the outcome. I am new at this, so there will probably be some kinks along the way, but we'll get through it together. Design By JaNece Inc. is a home-crafter company that I started in October of 2007. I finally feel ready to share with the world my ideas and possibly my talents, although I'm sure it doesn't take incredible talent to do what I do. So with that said, please visit my other blog to find out about my new pasttime! I will be getting a website soon, but in the meantime my business blog will work just fine. I do have to thank Pat for all of his support and Emily for helping me with the design and computer stuff. It has been a really fun process getting started and I enjoy what I do. I can't wait to do more!!!! If you have any questions or want to know more, just leave a comment or email me and I'd be happy to answer. ENJOY! I also have a link on the side of my blog that will take you to my other blog. Thanks! http://designbyjanece.blogspot.com/