our life...project life style

I am recording our lives, one picture at a time. I have decided to continue on with Project Life. I have started capturing our world(2012) for the 3rd year in a row via Project Life. Here is a little glimpse of what we have been up to this week!

Saturday, January 21,2012
Moe tied the knot! She and Mr. Brown were beaming from ear to ear! We are so happy for them!



















Sunday, January 22, 2012
The San Francisco 49er's made the playoffs. They played the New York Giants. We have four 49er loving little boys. I guess it is really 5...I should include John in that count. They wore their shirts to show their love. By the end of the night, I had 5 really bummed out boys! The 49ers were soooooo close to going to the Super Bowl. *Note to self: Don't try to take a picture of the boys as the doorbell rings. They all wanted to bolt(minus Tanner) to answer the door :-). Aunt Heidi and the girls came to watch the game with us and have dinner.




Monday, January 23, 2012I have been busy working on layouts for Green Tangerines. Today's project was the Feb. GT Kit Club sketch layout! You can check out the other design team members work here.


Tuesday, January 24, 2012Finally!!! A calm, down day at home. There were NO errands to be run and I loved it! Brody and I hung out at home. I was able to get some much needed cleaning done. Not my idea of a down day but the house looked great when I was done.


Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Carter earned the highest rank that he could as a Cub Scout! He received the Arrow of Light award tonight! We are so proud of him. Our good friend Jason made these Arrow of Light plaques for each of the boys. They turned out awesome! Thanks, Jason.


Thursday, January 26, 2012
GNO with friends! This month we went bowling! It was 80's themed...think BIG hair! It was optional to dress up and go all out with your hair. I didn't have good, big hair in the 80 's and I certainly don't have it in 2012 :-). I went as my current self. We all picked 80's names for our bowling screen names. I was Gem :-). I haven't decided what photo will actually represent the activity in our book so I am sharing both.




Friday, January 27, 2012
Our Friday night was filled with basketball games...3 of them, right in a row. The boys all played great. Carter was on FIRE tonight! He started the game out by laying this shot up...right into the basket. Look at the air he caught. This game came down to the wire. It was 27-30, we were trailing. With 10 seconds to go, our coach calls a time out. He tells the boys that there is enough time lefft to tie it up. Carter listened and delivered. Carter got the ball during the last 5 seconds of the game. He headed down the court and shot a 3 point basket right before the buzzer. The crowd went wild. It was a tied ball game. 30-30. We went into a 2 minute over time and Carter immediately nailed another 3. They boys were pumped up and weren't going down without a fight. They ended up winning 36-31. It was an awesome game to watch! Way to go team BOLTS!


















Saturday, January 28, 2012
John and I were up at 5 am. Out the door by 6 am. Enjoying a session at the Sacramento Temple at 7 am. We were home by 9:45 am. We made a goal to attend the Temple at least once a month. Happy to have checked the first month off of the list. I am so thankful to have a Temple that is located so close to home. We are already setting our date for February!

Grandmas are the best

Shortly after Tanner broke his leg, he received a package in mail. He opened the box to find this note and a pair of flannel jammie bottoms.









The left leg of the jammie bottoms had been cut off and hemmed to the perfect length for a boy who was sporting a new cast that went all the way up his thigh. Tanner laughed and then quickly put them on. We then decided that they were going to be his new church pants for the next couple of weeks. Flannel jammie bottoms and a white dress shirt, what's not to love? Thanks, Grandma Sandy!

celebrating 1 year

So...I have gone back and forth a million times as to whether or not I would share this post, publicly! This is one of those posts that I knew I wanted to record and share at some point! As I looked at my before and after photos, I could not believe I was staring at the same lady. While my physical appearance has changed, my heart has remained the same. I am still the fun, life loving, happy person that I have always been. I have finally settled on sharing these photos via my blog in hopes that someone out there in blog land will be inspired...and simply for the fact that it is part of my story, my journey.

January 8, 2012 marked my 1 year anniversary with Fitness MD.I walked into Fitness MD on January 8,2011. My very first visit to Fitness MD consisted of participating in assessments. Every 6 weeks they assess your progress. I was starting from ground zero. They measured me, weighed me, pinched my fat and assessed what I was capable of doing(sit ups, timed 1.5 mile run, push ups,bench dips,pull ups, etc...). Honestly it was so humiliating and one of the most uncomfortable things I had ever done...for the simple fact that I was out of shape. The trainers in charge of the assessments were friendly and easy to work with. They weren't the problem. The main thing I learned about myself from that very first visit was that we all have to start somewhere. If I was going to make some BIG changes in my life, I would have to do things that pulled me out of my comfort zone and pushed to me to my limits...to places that I simply didn't want to go when I first started. I attended Fit Club(think Boot Camp/Biggest Loser style)Monday-Friday. The class is an hour long and I would walk out of there drenched in sweat. Some days, I would walk out of there, get into my car and cry! I am not gonna lie, it was hard! I was doing things that I never imagined myself doing in a million years. They were tears of joy, frustration, happiness, and pain. Knowing myself as I do, I knew that I had to give this 110 percent to make it work and happen for me. I committed myself to going 5 days a week and to NOT make ANY excuses as to why I could miss a day here or there. Again 110 percent. I am happy to report that 1 year later, I am still attending Fit Club 5 days a week(sometimes more). As of this week, I started attending the 1/2 hour Cardio Blaster class that is right before the Fit Club class that I attend. While I have not reached my final destination in the goal department, I am inching closer to it every day. Not a day goes by that I don't think about the HUGE impact that Fitness MD has had on my life. It may sound silly to some but for me, it has been a big part of my world and success. I am thankful for those who have cheered me on from the start(John, family and friends) and continue to do so. I am thankful for David and the opportunity I had to give Fitness MD a try. I am thankful for the entire staff at Fitness MD. They have pushed me and encouraged me to try harder and to do more. A year later, I can honestly tell you that I now look forward to those assessments every 6 weeks. It has been FUN watching my #'s decrease(weight, inches, and timed runs).

So without further ado, I give you the before and after pictures of my journey so far. Again, I struggled with my decision to put these out here for the public to view. It is a very personal thing. If these photos can help motivate someone else to find their happy/healthy place/self then it is all worth it to me! If anyone is interested in checking out Fitness MD, you can get a free 10 day trial pass. Let me know if you are interested and I will meet you down there for a Fit Club class :-).

Before(1-7-2011)...





















After(1-8-2012)...





















One final note. I want to share ONE quote(of the many) that has inspired me along this journey. It reads:
"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it is convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses: only results."
Kenneth Blanchard

p.s. I if can do this...anyone can!

one little word

I am not late in picking my one little word for 2012. I actually had my word picked out by the day after Christmas. I am just running a little behind with my blog posts. I feel like my entire world is off by an entire week...no bueno. I joined in with Ali Edwards and many other bloggers to pick my one little word for 2012.

My One Little Word for 2012 is CONTINUE.

con·tin·ue (kn-tny)
v. con·tin·ued, con·tin·u·ing, con·tin·ues
v.intr.
1. To go on with a particular action or in a particular condition; persist.
2. To exist over a prolonged period; last.
3. To remain in the same state, capacity, or place: She continued as mayor for a second term.
4. To go on after an interruption; resume: The negotiations continued after a break for lunch.
v.tr.
1. To carry forward; persist in: The police will continue their investigation.
2. To carry further in time, space, or development; extend.
3. To cause to remain or last; retain.
4. To carry on after an interruption; resume.
5. Law To postpone or adjourn.

I thought a lot about my one little word and what I would like to do and accomplish in 2012. I finally narrowed my word down to CONTINUE. 2011 was an amazing year for me, on a personal level. I set set physical, personal and spiritual goals for myself all in hopes of becoming a better, stronger me. I worked really hard on achieving most of the goals that I set for myself. I really feel like I am still on a roll and want to continue down that same path. So, as I experience 2012, my goal is to continue doing what I am doing(with a few tweaks) and make me an even better me!

For fun, I tracked down my one little word from the past two years! I sure love starting my year of with a new word to focus on each year!
2011 one little word Balance
2010 one little word Remember

What is your one little word for 2012?

Got Christmas photos?

*Information via Green Tangerines
Got Christmas Photos??

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Join us Saturday, January 14th from 10am-1pm

for our annual Christmas Catch-up Event and make

4 double page Christmas layouts in 3 hours!!

Cost: $25

Space is limited call Green Tangerines at 916-771-8010 to reserve your spot today!

My friend, Kristen B. and I are teaching this class. We'd love for you to join us. Who doesn't love going home with completed pages?

We have a teenager in the house

Happy 13th Birthday to Tanner! We can't believe we have a teenager in the house! 13 years old! We tried to make his day special...from the couch :-). My friend, Michelle sent me a darling Happy Birthday banner that she made for my birthday! We hung it above the couch...his new bedroom. Tanner received lots of visits at the door, treats, balloons, presents, his favorite lunch and presents and a double Decker cake that his dad made for him. We decorated his door with fun little treats and trinkets.





















The brothers are taking very good care of him...they were right there to help him open his gifts!


We figured that he might need a new game to play...Fifa 2012 made him smile!



Happy Birthday, Tanner. We love you and are so thankful that you are a part of our family! Thank you for blessing our lives with your kindness, love, laughter and humor!

The not so very good start to our 2012

Our 2012 did not start off as we had hoped or planned. Around 10 am this morning,I sent the boys off with our friends, the Harris' to hit the local skate park. At about 10:45 am I got a call from my friend Sarah telling me that she had just called an ambulance for Tanner. Mind you, I could hear him screaming and crying in the back ground. Long story short, Tanner was skateboarding down a hill. He decided to do it Goofy footed, not his strong foot. He felt like he was going to fall and ended up breaking his left leg in two places while trying to prevent that fall. He was rushed to our local hospital by ambulance. I met him there as they were unloading him. He was hysterical and kept asking me if he could have another hug. It broke my heart to see him like that...in so much pain.



They finally got him on some heavy medication for the pain. The specialist came in to talk to us to let us know that they were taking him in for surgery. At that point, we weren't sure if they were going to pin his bones or not. I am happy to report that they were able to fuse the bones without having to cut into his skin. Tanner broke the Tibia bone and the Fibula bone(big and little bones). He is in a cast from his toes to high thigh. His leg has to be elevated at all times and he can't put any pressure on that leg. We have ordered a wheelchair and he is learning how to navigate with crutches.


For a boy who is very active and loves to go-go-go, this is going to be a very long recovery! He is looking at about 3 months of casts, if all heals correctly. I think the biggest bummer for Tanner is that his 13th birthday is tomorrow and he will be missing the 2012 Hot Shots basketball season!

I am very grateful for my friend Stephanie who was so willing to watch my little boys on such short notice. I am grateful for her hubby, Gerald who works at the hospital.He checked in with us and he and John were able to give Tanner a blessing. At the end of a very long day, I was very thankful for wonderful friends and a great hospital staff who made our day/stay as comfortable as it possibly could have been. Wishing Tanner a very speedy recovery!