Faith's 13TH Birthday

It has been a while since I last posted here on my blog. Life has been going and I have been keeping busy but nothing too blog worthy to post. 

Until

On February 16TH we celebrated Faith's 13TH Birthday.

It is hard to believe that she is 13. 

Faith was my longest labor but well worth the extra hour I had with her. She has a love for music, plays, the computer, reading and the Gospel. 

 I can remember when we called the kiddos from the hospital to tell them that we had a girl Coco wasn't a happy camper at all. 

She requested spaghetti alla Carbonara for dinner. She also wanted a Red Velvet cake.

Simple dinner but fun time. 

This is Faith as we sang Happy Birthday to her. E'lyse at her side.

 Goofy sisters

 Faith being silly

 Family tradition of putting all the candles into your mouth.

 I think E'lyse wanted to make sure she got in the pictures too

 Faith holding up the lip gloss Gabby bought her. Yummy smelling flavors 

 Faith opening up her big gift from us 

 She was very excited that she got what she asked for 

 A kindle! Faith loves to read as much as I do so this was a perfect

gift for her.

 The young women in our ward heart attacked our front porch for faiths  

I think she had a good Birthday. Friday night Faith had a Birthday party with her friends. It was loud but they had a good time. 

Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Belated Happy New Year

Goodbye to 2011 and welcome in 2012! 

What a great New Years Eve Day I had. I had 2 massages and the clients were so much fun to work on. It was a fun way to finish off the year. 

On New Years Eve Alan and I just couldn't stay awake to ring in the New Year so, we asked the girls to get us up at 11:40 so we could celebrate with them.

Alan had bought some fireworks for them and they couldn't wait to set them off.

They woke us up and we went outside where a lot of our neighbors were already letting off fireworks.

This is Gabby lighting the first of the little fireworks

This is Gabby running with a sparkler down the street.  

 Fireworks in the street

 You can see on the ground all of the fireworks 

 On Sunday the 1ST day of January we headed up to Pinetop to celebrate a late Christmas with Coco and her family.

Dallas wasn't thrilled with me taking a picture but it is kind of my thing on every road trip

 Our goofy kiddos. I love them! 

 This is Talmage, Kyle's legs, Naima, Gabby and half of Coco.

It was so great to spend time with Coco and her family. The grand babies are so much fun.

 Naima, Coco and Faith

 One of the reasons Kyle is such a perfect son in love for our family is this.

He is such a fun person. Naima had gotten a hair extension from Gabby so she could play Repunzel. Anyway, Kyle put it on and was goofing around. I went to the bathroom and came out and he was wearing one of Talmage's Army hats and being so funny. We all got a good laugh out of it. 

 This was outside the bedroom window. I loved how the frost looked on the shingles. 

I sat in the second story room looking out and thinking about all the great & not so great things that had happened in 2011. It wasn't the worst year but a challenging one of growing and learning. 

I am so excited about this New Year I have felt for the past few weeks that this year is going to be an amazing year. I have set my goals, the steps to make them happen and I am ready for this year.

Wishing everyone an amazing 2012!! Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Bouncing Fun

We got the kiddos a trampoline for Christmas. We gave it to them Christmas Eve and set it up (almost).

We didn't get the outside safety net on it so Christmas morning we went out and worked together getting it put up. 

 The girls have been enjoying going out and doing flips, making up little dances and just bouncing on it.

This is Gabby (yellow shirt) Faith (green shirt) and E'lyse (white shirt) 

 WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! 

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. It was quiet and very relaxing for our family. 

Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas everyone!

These pictures are from Christmas morning 2011. 

We slept in a little longer than normal this year. We got up at 5 am

This is the view from the top of the stairs

 Faith and E'lyse opening gifts

 Gabby and Dallas opening gifts

 Dallas smiling even though he had only had 2 hours of sleep before us waking him up

 Faith holding up her gift from Gabby of an 8 pk. of Dr. Pepper

 Alan got each of us girls a stone pendent of our favorite color with our initial on it  (perfect)

I also got 4 hematite rings, a Harley Davidson calender, Pittsburgh Steeler glasses, Snow White glasses , a Snow White mug and chocolates. 

  Alan got me some new p.j.'s They are so soft and pretty color. 

It has been a very laid back Christmas. Fun spending time at home with the kiddos. 

We took naps this morning then set up the protector net on the trampoline. Pictures to come on that later. 

The girls are sleeping out on it tonight.

 So blessed and thankful to have such wonderful people in my life.

 I was sad that Coco and her family couldn't be down her but we will be going up to visit next weekend and stretch Christmas out a little longer. 

 Wishing that everyone is in good health and enjoying this Christmas Day! Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve!

I am glad that it is almost Christmas. It has been a very low key, and  low stress Christmas season. 

I didn't stress to get out Christmas cards or anything that was too much extra this year.

The two younger girls are making plates of goodies to give to a few neighbors & husbands home teaching  families. 

Right now the house smells like brownies.

Below is the pile of Christmas gifts Gabby built.

Black Friday brought us the opportunity to get a new trampoline for the family. The price was great & it is one of those things that get's used year round. So yesterday (Friday) Alan brought it home from work. He had been storing it in his work trailer. The girls are so excited about it. We thought since Christmas is on Sunday we would give it to them early so we can set it up today.
Tonight the 3 girls that are still home are having a Christmas Eve party in their room. Watching Christmas movies, having munchies and exchanging small gifts to each other. I am sure not much sleeping will be involved but I know they will have fun.
It use to be tradition for all the kiddos to stay in the same room on Christmas Eve. What fun memories I am sure they have of those long nights.

 Tomorrow morning we will be getting up (early I am sure, we usually do) we will open gifts. Then I will make a Hootinani for breakfast. We will eat and get ready for church. 

There will only be one hour of church tomorrow so I am sure we will be coming home, eating lunch and having a short nap. (At least Alan & I) while kiddos enjoy what they got.

From our home to yours we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas! 

 Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Start on Monday Diet Mentality

In case any of you don't know I have OCD ( obsessive compulsive disorder) Or as I like to say CDO the letters should be in order. he he I have to work daily on this issue because it can cause me more work, frustration and problems.
  One of my OCD issues is I have always had this mentality of okay I will start the diet on Monday, or the beginning of the new week or year. This has gotten me no where other than when I decided for my new years resolution to lose weight.
The one problem with this was I lost a good amount of weight almost 60 pounds but then I stopped watching what I ate as closely, I never did kick the habit of cutting out the sugars and sticking to a healthier life style. I also failed at staying active. I let a couple days of not working out into a couple months then here and there I would do something.
 Then when I decided to go to massage school I let it consume me. I didn't continue to take care of me. I did good for the first 3 weeks then it was just too much between cooking, cleaning, studying and the hour drive to and from school my days were just full. LAME excuse!!! Now that I look back on it. I could have done it all had I been eating healthy and exercising I would have had the needed energy to keep up on it all.
 I had read a quote on Facebook the other day that said " A year from now you may wish you had started today! " by Karen Lamb. YES I DO!!! I have gained back some of the weight not all of it but I think of "if I had kept up the great work I was doing I could be so much better off ". Then I beat myself up verbally then physically buy eating junk food. This is a very bad cycle that has to be broken.
 I have suffered in the past with major depression. I am not talking oh I am so bummed and I don't want to do this or that. No mine was clinical depression to the point of suicidal thoughts and attempts. The attempts were made but Heavenly Father was watching over me and apparently has a purpose for me not dying. I had gone through 6+ years of counselling, antidepressants, more counselling and learning how to deal with things a little better. I still suffer from anxiety and depression once in a while. Now I tell my husband when I am feeling it coming on and he helps me out.
 I was anorexic for 2 years and then went bulimic for 15 years due to I LOVE FOOD! This disease ruined my metabolism so much. I ended up with a mitrovalve prolapse and a prolapsed stomach. This means my stomach had dropped and turned (this is the explanation that my Dr. gave me.)
 The point to all this is being open and honest with you as the reader and even if no one reads this it is my way of sorting things out to make sure I am changing what needs to be changed in the right way.
 I don't think I have ever learned or dealt with the portion control issues I have. So last week after thinking about what my issues are and needing to make changes. Now mind you I was thinking when the new year comes but that mentality is leaving and changing. I signed up for Weight Watchers Online.
 I have done it one week so far. I did not weigh myself for the start of the second week. But I am liking that when I go to eat something I think to myself " Wonder how many points this is going to cost me?" For me this is a start to what I want and what needs to change with me.
 I was reading the blog Roni's Weigh and she wrote a great article called "3 Steps to a Healthier YOU!" it is under the link there. A MUST read for us who are struggling to get healthy.
 I am currently working on making small changes. These are 1) slowly weaning myself off of sugar. So hard this time of the year when there are so many goodies being brought to our house. For this reason I have decided to go slow at this. I do have to admit that I have come a long way on this one in the past year. 2) Learning to except me as I am and not beating myself up. 3) Moving more. Now I just went in today and had some more vein work done on my left leg. I am not aloud to do any exercise other than walking for 2 weeks. 4) Working on my goals -short term & long term. 5) Studying and learning all I can to better my health not just for myself but for my family. These are just the 5 I want to share right now.
 Hugs, Bobbi Jo
 For those of  you who read my health blog this was posted on there too.

Random Pictures of Life

 Last Monday night Faith had an orchestra concert. I knew I wouldn't be able to get near the stage to get a good picture of her while playing so I needed to get one before we left the house.

Faith (front with blue shirt)

E'lyse (to the left looking like she is in pain)

Gabby (in the back ground)

 Gabby came into my room before starting school last Tuesday looking like this. 

 She took blush and covered her face in it because she was bored. 

 E'lyse had started this stocking in Young Women's a little while ago and finished it at home. 

Decided to give it to her guy-friend Drew.

 E'lyse also made 2 pillow cases for her guy-friend Drew for Christmas

 Alan had a Birthday on December 16TH. He and Dallas went varmit hunting all day and had a blast. 

This is one of Alan's favorite things to do. He called in a bob cat and shot it. 

Poor BOB! The cat actually looks like it has a smile on it's face

 I had found this recipe on a you tube that I have been following called "Debtisdum"  

It is called a hootanani or a  German pancake . It is really yummy! 

 Recipe for this is:

1 cup white flour

1 cup milk

6 eggs

3/4 tsp. salt 

Pour into greased 10 X 13 pan.

Then add a half a cube of butter (don't stir this in the mix)

Then cook in preheated oven 400* at 25 minutes.

Serve with syrup & powder sugar.

 Next time I am adding a can of the apples for pies in it. 

Hugs, Bobbi Jo 

Christmas Tree

This year we down sized our tree and our Christmas decorating. 

I have had a 12 ft. tree for the last 7 years. The problem with my massive 12 ft tree was the guys that I need to help me set it up didn't like doing it too much. 

So Coco offered to sell us her 9 ft tree that she got on clearance a while back but couldn't use, due to her ceilings being to low. She sold it to us and it worked out just great. 

The downsizing of the decorations have come due to me just not feeling like decorating everything this year because of other (what I feel more important things) needed to be taken care of.

So not all of my trees got up and not every room is decorated this year. 

This is Gabby who requested that she put the topper on the tree this year.

This tree has mostly homemade or ornaments that family & friends have given us over the years. 

 There is 24 years of love on this tree.

 The pretty tree topper that Coco & Kyle got me a couple of years ago.

 Another angle of the top of the tree.

 Our display of the three trees and a picture of the in the process of being built Gilbert Temple 

 9 ft, tree with gifts under it

 My girly tree that Faith and Gabby decorated for me. 

My dog Nellie is on the left side of the tree. Guess she thought she would sneak in for a picture.

More Christmas to come a little later. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Thanksgiving Temple Trip

My posts are somewhat out of order due to me feeling like my life is a CRAZY out of order place. 

 Trying to play catch up is a challenge but I am determined to do so. 

On November 26 Th, 2011 we made our annual family trip to walk around the Arizona Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latte-Day Saints . 

Coco, Kyle, Talmage and Naima had come down to spend Thanksgiving with us.

I mad hot chocolate and we put it in our traveling mugs and went on our way.

This is the Temple view that I think is so beautiful. This brings back a fond memory of when my oldest brother Cecil and his family had come out from Pennsylvania to visit and he had taken a picture of the Temple similar to this. 

Anyway this is behind the visitors center and the side of the Temple. The entry to the Temple is on the right side of this picture. 

 Below is Naima and Talmage. I don't think Talmage wanted his picture taken to bad. 

 This is Faith in the purple, Talmage balancing himself and E'lyse 

 Kyle and Coco sitting in front of one of the many beautiful tree areas.

 One of the manger areas. There is a tape playing the scripture reading of  Luke 2 of Jesus birth in English and Spanish.

 This is Joseph and Marry as they were headed to Bethlehem

They figures are so beautiful and amazing the details.   

 This was a view of some of the thousands of lights as I looked across the area behind the visitors center.

If you get the chance to visit the Temple, especially at Christmas time do so you will not be disappointed. Even the business of all the people there it is calming and so pretty. 

 Hugs, Bobbi Jo