Singin' in the Rain

It rained last week for a bit and I had to post some pics. Utah rain doesn't last long, so we had to run out and play fast before it was over! The boys loved it!

Simon, The Pirate Rescue

Yes, we have a new fish. Lukas picked him out. He's red and blue, but his color is so vibrant that he mostly looks red. He is quite a lively little fellow. He is very active and swims all over his fish bowl all day. When you come up to look at him, it's like he knows and he comes to look at you and say hello. The kids just love talking to him and watching him. Lukas picked his name. Although, he originally wanted it to just be pirate rescue, but I had to explain to him that that's not really a name. So it's now his title! Max walks by and says, "Simon, Simon"! He gets so excited. We are happy to have a new pet.

Reminder

Just a reminder for my Design By JaNece Inc. OPEN HOUSE on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 from 11a.m. -2 p.m. or 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. If you need directions to my place, here's the address and some instructions. If you get lost, please call 801-302-2068! Hope to see you all there!

• 12373 Black Powder Dr. Herriman, UT. 84096
• Get to Bangerter Hwy. When you get to 126th South head/turn west. You'll take the second light (Legacy Ranch Blvd) and turn right. (There's a Maverick Gas Station on the corner). Then head to the round about. Take your first right off the round about and head right again. Drive straight up Flintlock and my house is in the cul-de-sac at the end of this street which turns into Black Powder. You'll see signs and balloons. Park anywhere and come on in!!!

Twilight Night

I can't stop talking about the Twilight Series?!! My sister-in-law, Patty just recently got into them. And when I went to Cali to see my sister, I was able to attend a book group with her and it was awesome!!! It got me all jittery again. With the 4th book coming out in less than 6 days, we're dying to talk with other people and sum up the first 3 books so we can prepare ourselves for what's next. So, for all you Twilight lovers, Patty and I are going to have a Twilight Night/Book Group to psyce ourselves up even more for what's to come. I love hearing other people's perspective and opinions about Edward and Bella. So, grab your Twilight paraphanilia and come to my house:

• Friday, August 1st from 7 p.m. 'til whenever we feel like we've gotten our fill for the Cullens, Forks, Edward and vampires.

We'll have yummy treats and if you don't want to leave your husband & kids home since it is a Friday night, bring them to hang out with Pat, who will hopefully be keeping an eye on the kids. We're excited for Breaking Dawn and the movie coming in December. Whoooooowoooooo! (I must warn you...I'm a BIG Jacob fan).

Open House for Design By JaNece Inc.

I am having another open house for my craft business DESIGN BY JANECE INC. You are all invited...those within a short driving distance, that is! If you are far away and would like to order something, you can just email me!

WEDNESDAY, July 3oth

11 a.m.-2p.m.

6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Please come and check out some of my new bags and totes! I will give a discount to all that come (10% off scripture totes and aprons). If you spend $30 or more, you get a free magnet! I'm excited to see you! Please come and bring your spouse, or kids or neighbor!! There will be yummy treats, too! Drop by to visit, browse, buy, snack and relax! (There will be another give-away, so make sure you enter!)

Road Trip

My sister lives in Albany, CA just a few short minutes away from San Fransisco. My mom and I decided we need to to see her, so we packed the car and the boys and headed west! It was such a fun trip. Mindy is always the best entertainer and an amazing cook! It was so fun seeing her kids and playing every day! We, of course, ran out of time, like we always do but got to do so many fun things! Taking Aspen (thier puppy) to the dog park and playground, driving to the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate park, enjoying a stroll in Saucelito and catching crabs (thanks to a guy and his son with a pencil, piece of string attached to a nail with a hotdog on the end), going to a "Twilight" bookgroup (there ARE other Jacob lovers out there), having a hot dog roast on the beach, hiking to Point Reyes Light House, yummy Japanese food w/out the kids (except Max) and of course just hanging out and being together. Here are a few of my favorite moments...

Thanks for the fun times Mindy!! I miss you already!

Design By JaNece Inc. Link

For those of you who may already know, I have my own little crafting/sewing business Design By JaNece Inc. I am trying to advertise more and I need your help! One great way to do this is to put a picture link on your blog or family website. If you are interested in doing this I will enter your name in one of my drawings to win a new scripture bag! They are durable and super-cute and it's a value of $20!! All you have to do is visit my website under the BUTTON LINK page and copy the HTML code. Then paste it in a HTML page element on your blog. (http://designbyjanece.com/button-links ). Once you get the link up, leave a comment or send me an email (janecemendoza@hotmail.com) and I will put your name in my drawing. There must be a picture with the link to qualify. If you don't want to be in the drawing for a scripture tote, I will send you a magnet instead. So, it's a win-win for everyone! Put my link on your site and get a free magnet or an entry to win a scripture tote! I've noticed that some of you have already done this, THANK YOU and just leave me a comment and tell me if you'd like the drawing or a magnet. What great support I have! Also, just to look ahead, I am having another open house at the end of July. More details to come...

These are a few samples of the scripture totes. We also have three other colors that will be available (black & red, brown w/ mulit-colored flowers and pink).

Here is a sample of a magnet.

MENLANSON Gathering

When Pat and I were first married, we lived in Sugarhouse and attended a University Married Student Ward. We met some lifelong friends there and still get together with them monthly, if not more. We call ourselves the Menlanson's (which is a combination of our last names...Mendoza, Lantz, Nelson). We all started out with no kids and now have two each and another on the way (Congrats Emily and Clayton)! There are 12 of us all together. We're like a big, happy family. It was Steve's b-day yesterday and they invited us all up to a cabin they have at Sundance. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE-O! It is just beautiful up there and we got to spend the evening throwing rocks in the pond, watching caterpillars, playing with the kids, eating, relaxing and playing a rousing game of "Curses". We always have lots of laughs when we're together and there is no shortage of silliness either. The boys always play some kind of game (this time it was catch the flying green ball without moving your eyes). The kids played really well together, despite a few brawls here and there. The girls went and got icecream for everyone, while the boys stayed with the kids. The kids watched a movie while we played our game. We never want it to end when we're together and we look forward to our next Menlanson Gathering!

Independence Day

We had such a fun 4th! We went swimming, had a BBQ, watched movies, relaxed, and went to see fireworks in West Jordan. They had fun bouncy things for the kids and a pony ride (where my camera decided to die and so I didn't get any pics of Max on the pony!) We waited and waited and waited for fireworks and at 10:50 p.m. gave up and packed our stuff to go home. The boys were fussy and I was tired. As we were walking through the park, they finally started, so we pulled out our chairs and enjoyed an awesome show. We were right under them! However, we were all exhausted at that point and it seemed to take forever to get home. All in all, it was great fun! Next year, we will find an earlier show. One of our 4th of July traditions is to get matching shirts.

All About JaNece

I was tagged, so here are my answers:

• I am: painfully obsessive about order, organization and cleanliness (although you might not always guess it if you were to see my house).
• I think: we all need to love more and judge less.
• I know: that I want to live my life to the fullest and find joy in the journey and not in THINGS. (Not always the easiest, I'm finding!)
• I want: to visit Greece, Italy, France, Sweden, Japan, Peru...the world!
• I have: been to Africa (Zimbabwe), on a summer-long bus trip all through the church and U.S. history sites, and have lived in Wyoming, Colorado, California, Utah, Idaho, New York, New Jersey and Arizona (a few months one summer).
• I wish: I could make an impact on the world.
• I hate: being sick, feeling helpless, asking for help and feeling unappreciated.
• I miss: California, the smell of the beach, my college days, rock climbing and my grandparents.
• I feel: so blessed for all the things I have and for my cute family.
• I smell: nothing b/c I have allergies and am always stuffy or runny. UGH!!!
• I crave: chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, sadza and Craig-O's breadsticks (a RICK's college favorite that is no longer available).
• I search: for good deals and sales wherever I can find them.
• I regret: not going to beauty school, being too afraid to verbalize my feelings sometimes and not taking more road trips in college.
• I love: to see and hear Pat play with the kids. He can really get into it. He's a big kid himself. And such a good daddy!
• I care: about people from my past that I will probably never see again. (Ever heard that saying..."You meet people for a reason, a season or a lifetime and when you find out which it is, you'll know just what to do.")
• I always: worry too much.
• I am not: going to kill myself to fit in.
• I believe: that what goes around comes around, karma baby!!
• I dance: horribly! There are times that I can really get into it and feel the groove, but mostly I am NOT good.
• I sing: again, NOT good.
• I don't always: take the time that I should for myself.
• I write: to express my feelings, keep tabs on my kids and to record my life!
• I win: almost never! I did win an iPod shuffle a few months ago, and that's about my string of luck.
• I never: want to take things for granted.
• I listen: for the little voice to tell me what to do (with my life, with raising my kids).
• I am scared: of car accidents and someone I love being in a serious one.
• I am happy about: the progress that my boys are making as they grow up and develop. It's so fun to see their personalities bloom as they get older.

I had fun with this tag. I want to find out more about Patty, Mindy and Jyl!!

The Book Thief

I just finished reading this book. Check out my book blog for my review and please let me know what you thought if you've read this book!

http://findingtimetoread.blogspot.com/