Simply put.

Today I have a feeling of gratitude.
A lot of my posts are quickly done. Maybe even rushed.
As I try to accomplish one more thing on my to do list.
Today is different.
Simply put, I am grateful.
Grateful for my family.
Grateful for this time of year.
Grateful for my freedom's.
Grateful for the excitement that I see around me.
Grateful for the time that we take to be together.
Grateful for the 4 most precious people in my life.
Grateful for a gospel that recommits me to do good, and keeps me pushing forward or I should say upward.
Grateful for my calling, that I never thought in a million years, little ole me could do appropriately.
Grateful for uplifting friends, who I think of as my angels.
Grateful that I can touch other people's lives in the smallest way and hope to make a difference.
Grateful to be alive.


Simply put,
I.am.Grateful.

New post is below!

Updates, Updates, Updates

UPDATES!!!
I'm so behind on updating my blog, and here is why...LIFE and priorities. I can't do everything all the time (even though I think I can). So I prioritized and blogging got pushed down, down, down. So here's a major update

Home Improvements:

First off is our Chalkboard door. I LOVE chalkboard paint! I use it constantly for little projects, but I recently got brave and painted the door that goes downstairs fully in chalkboard paint. The kids have LOVED it and I love that they have something to entertain themselves while I am making dinner :)

Here is the door before...




And here is AFTER:









Next up...I sold all of our bedroom furniture on KSL and bought a head and footboard AND a new KING sized mattress!! Wahoooooo!!
We just barely picked it up this weekend. (Even though we bought it over 3 months ago) It took me quite awhile to refinish the frames.
You should of seen Cory's face when I told him I had bought this metal frame and we needed to go pick it up. He thought I was loosing it. It was dingy white with brass balls on it. Straight from the 80's or maybe even 70's! (unfortunately I didn't take a picture of it before I got the primer on it) What I do to save a penny. (Don't bring this up with my family. They know I am extremely...money conscious, as I like to put it)
Here it is after the first coat of primer. (Imagine all the ball's and connectors a shiny brass color)


After 2 coats of Primer, and after about 10 trial colors of spray paint, I finally found the color!
Slate Blue.

Once I sprayed 2 coats on it, I went back and sanded all the scrolls to give it more of a vintage look...


And here is what it looks like in its finished state (with the KING mattress accompanying it!)
ONE disclamer....I hate to even post this picture CUZ of the hideous curtains hanging behind it. But I'm gonna anyway! We are currently redoing the whole bedroom. We just painted it white last month. All in time (and money) it will be done. Slow and steady is how we roll around here.


Next up Trampoline!
I'm sooooo unbelievably proud of my kids. We had a vase in my kitchen and we labeled it "The Trampoline Fund" Whenever they earned money they would put it in the vase. They saved up for 2 yrs! And when it was time to buy the trampoline, they saved up $188. HOLY SMOKES they're amazing. And look how happy they are.



And of course Cory loves it too



Next up Backyard. Our HOA decided that it was time we finish the rest of our backyard. Which is fine, but whoa nelly is it a money pit. So a year ago we started saving and now we are starting to move on it. (Thanks to tax refunds!)

Here you will see the before. We have almost 1/2 of it finished back there.




We didn't want to grass the rest of it, and we are an active family, so we decided to install a sports court. Here is the progression as of this weekend.




And...cement is in


I have so much more to blog about, but frankly I can't download anymore pictures so I'm out.

Loves,
Jill

"Lilyisms"

It been awhile since I have made the time to post. But the Christmas drive went AWESOME! I can't believe all the people who donated to this sweet family. I received small cash donations all the way to two brand new skate boards, 2 new mtn bikes, clothes and the list goes on and on. It always suprises me how willing and loving people are. It made my Christmas :)

Next on to my funny Lily.

Now that she is 2 1/2 she is super grown up. She says things to me like, "don't worry mom, I'm just chilling", and "Bensen, that is not approbiate!". She also gets herself dressed in the morning usually before I even know she is awake. And she is pretty good at finding food for herself out of the pantry. She likes to exercise like her mommy and can do some seriously awesome full body push-ups!

The other night I put Lily to bed. Then I closed her door (not completely shut cause she has never liked that) and headed into the boys room to give them there hugs and kisses. When I was done with the boys I heard something coming from Lily's room. So I opened up the door, and there she was fumbling around in the dark. I said "Lily what are you doing?? It's bedtime..." and she said "Mom I'm looking for my nail polish I want to paint my nails!" Of course she is the cutest thing ever, so I took her into my room and we had a little bonding time (even though she was supposed to be fast asleep).

I painted her nails the new color that we had bought earlier that day at Walmart. She then decided that it was my turn to have my nails painted and she was going to do it...



Sorry if you have an aversion to feet, but she did so good for her first time!!



I love love love this little girl of mine.

p.s. Thanks Kym for the "isms" idea :)

Loves,
Jill

Can you help?

Hi family and friends.

I know of a family who is in need of, well...a Christmas. They have NO money and 8 kids.
This lady helped me out with my wedding and I would really like to help her out now.
Will you look through the stuff you have at home and see if you have anything that you could give to this family? Or if you would like to pick a child and get them a few items that works to. Whatever you can do to help me would be great!
They are totally ok with used items. Their kids have nothing. (I'm sure they would love new stuff too). Some of them are in need of shoes. Please see the list below and call me or email me or respond on here with what you can help me collect. Thanks so much for taking the time.

Christmas Help

Payton (boy age 5)

Pant Size 5T

Shirt Size 5T or 6

Shoe size 12 to 12 ½

He needs: gloves, hat, and snow pants.

He loves: Hot wheels, geotrax trains, CARS stuff, puzzles, to color and paint, playdoh, megablocks, lego’s, Lincoln logs, he loves to skateboard, anything boy.

Emily (girl age 11 Tomboy!)

Pant size: 10-12

Shirt size: 10-12

Shoes size: 3 ½-4

She needs: boots and gloves

She loves: the color blue. Rollerblades, loves to cook and has an easy bake oven, but needs refills. Draw, color. Gaming systems. Alarm clock or anything for a 11 yr old girls room (bed spread etc). Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Katelynn (girl 12 going on 20!)

Pant Size: 14 or 16 she loves skinny jeans or jeggings

Shirt Size: 14-16 or adult small. Kid’s Med to Lg.

Shoe Size: Women’s 7 or 7 ½

She needs: Boots and gloves

She likes: black and pink. She likes aeropostle stuff. Make-up, hair stuff, would love a flat iron or crimper, jewelry, rip stick, gaming systems stuff (ds), would love stuff for her room (bed spread etc). She loves anything girly!

Tristan (boy age 14)

Pant size: slim 12 skinny jeans, jeggins

Shirts: Medium

Shoes: boys 7

He needs: shoes(skate), snow pants, coat, gloves

He loves: Skateboarding and or BMX!! A good skateboard (blindside and or zoomies). He wants to be sponsored someday. DS gaming systems, digital camera, cheap video recorder so he can record his skating.

ZACH: (boy age 15)

Pants: 14 skinny or jeggins style

Shirt: Med

Shoe: 11 (men)

He needs: Shoes (skate), coat (skate), gloves, snow pants (size 16 kids or men’s 24 waist),

He wants: He wouldn’t give his mom a list and said he didn’t want anything but the other kids to have a Christmas.

But he likes the same things as Tristan (except BMX). He needs a skateboard.

80’s movies

JAZZY: (girl age 15)

Pants: size 5-7 skinny or jeggins

Shirt: med or small

Shoe: 6 ½ or 7 (loves flip flops)

She likes: aero and am eagle style clothes. Cami tanks, zip hoodies. She is dark complexion and loves the mineral make up. 80’s movies. Twilight series movies, Tru blood first season.

(My guess is she probably needs gloves etc, but her mom missed writing it)

Cary Anna and Nate (older kids)

They understand the stuggle with money and don’t want anything. The mom wants to refinish some furniture or make them something so if you have any (DI) furniture items or leftover fabric etc she is willing to make something for them.

(There has to be something out there we can find for them!!!)

Thanks again, and Let me know what you find.

Loves,

Jill

This one's for the BOYS!

I got a wake up call last night. I went to my computer after not getting off the couch for 2 days (due to being sick) and my computer was frozen. Hmmmm. I restarted it and it threw a big error, so I restarted it again. When it FINALLY came to, my external hard drive (which holds my just about everything that is near and dear and precious to my heart) was not being recognized nor was it working. At this point my heart is starting to palpitate and I was desperately needing my IT husband who was not home. So when he arrived, I almost attacked him and told him what was wrong and needless to say he wasn't so happy to due some other issues he had been dealing with and my Hard Drive just added to his list. At this point I was trying to hold it together, as I thought of all my 10 years worth of pictures, personal training reports and documents I had created, all my Primary files, all my Itunes music...and the list goes on.
Cory finally got to my computer that night and came to told me that it was dead and he was going to have to take it to a data recovery place and see if we get lucky. Looking back I don't know how I didn't start freaking out and cry uncontrollably (I'm actually proud of myself). I'm not this type of person at all, but seriously 10 years worth of pictures and all my kids baby pictures??? I know you reading this would of been on the floor in hysterics-don't deny it.
Anyhow; to keep it short. I didn't sleep at all and I got home this morning and told Cory to give me the address of the data recovery people, cuz I was ready to take things into my own hands!!
We'll, probably from fear of how that would end up, he went upstairs worked some magic and a couple hours all my info was being transferred onto a different harddrive and some massive backup process has begun. MORAL OF THE STORY: BACK UP YOUR IMPORTANT DATA SOMEHOW!! If you don't know how CALL CORY, I promise he will help you. (Right honey??)

Anyways- On to Thanksgiving.

I love this shot. Paul brought Rockband to entertain the kids. That guitar drowns Asher. It looks like a Ukulele on Paul.


Enjoying Rockband

Bensen rockin the drums

Then we move on to the DINNER! We all know what a good eater Bensen is.

Then the other side of the spectrum. Lily would eat the tablecloth if I let her.


Now on to the topic of the post! The boys had their much anticipated Thanksgiving Day Basketball Game. Here are some of the highlights and a little play-by-play action.

Let the game begin!


Cory fakes right, and drives left

Cory shoots AND (of course it went in!)

Jay gets the ball and pulls up to shoot! (of course it went in to!)

Brandon is next to get the ball and pulls up to shoot. (You're going to have to decide this one, did it go in or not??)

Jay gets the ball, passes to Trace who then...

Takes a step back, and shoots. IN! (as Amber screams "go TRACE" a little late in the background)

Next up to shoot, Kelly. He's catching some pretty good air.

And up again, Kelly. But where's the ball?

And last but not least Jay pulls up yet again and sinks the ball. More importantly...do you notice the cute little kids walking pretty darn close to the boys that are playing ball? DANGER zone! Ask Lily, she learned a very important lesson that day. Don't get in the way of the boys playing ball. Don't worry she is ok :)


I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving,

Loves,
Jill

Flying

This is what Vacation is all about :)

Loves,
Jill