9 years...already?!

Today is our 9 year anniversary & I can't believe we have been together that long already. Time sure does fly when you are having fun! Shortly after we were married & we babysat our niece & nephews for a week. While we were there I saw a note that my sister-in-law had written to her husband that said something like 'Thank you for 10 great years'. I remember thinking how weird it was that they had been married for 10 years-that seemed so long at the time! Now we are almost there ourselves! I thought it would be fun to share some of our wedding photos. I scanned them in from our wedding album so I could make something for Danny. We sure look young-especially Danny-what a baby face! I was almost 20 & Danny was 21. He had only been home from his mission for about 3 months. It was a bit of a whirlwind putting together a wedding that fast-but it turned out so beautiful. Here is some of what I remember...

I remember that I wasn't even that nervous to get married-it felt so right. I was more nervous for the honeymoon! :0) We got married around 10 in the morning-which should be plenty of time to get ready & not be late right? Well, I was late to the temple! It took my BFF Christan a little longer to do my hair than we thought. Poor Danny was probably getting a little nervous! But I got there & dressed just in time. The ceremony was awesome-so many people we love were able to be there. Tons of family & friends. Mostly my friends parents since I was the first of our group of friends to tie the knot. I remember feeling so extremely grateful to be in the temple with Danny & sealed for time & all eternity. What a blessing!

After the ceremony we had a small luncheon at my new in-laws house. It was nice & small-just family & close friends. Then the rest of the day was spent decorating their backyard for the reception that nite. At least that is what everyone else was doing. I was busy trying to avoid Danny because he kept trying to corner me in empty rooms & take advantage of me! Can you believe that! :0) The reception was so beautiful. I loved it! My in-laws have an awesome view of St. George from their backyard. We served ice cream sundaes & cake. We had tons of fresh flowers everywhere & it was so beautiful. Even my cake had fresh flowers on it. So many wonderful people came to see us-it was a little overwhelming. But in a good way. We have been so blessed to have all these great people in our lives. After we cut the cake & said our good byes-we headed for our hotel. I think this was the most nervous I got all day! But it was a wonderful nite full of great memories. (I won't bore you with those right now) ;0) The next morning we headed to Duck Creek on Cedar Mountain. Danny's parents had a cabin up there. We spent several days up there all by ourselves & basically snowed in. Which was fine with us! Where were we going to go anyway?! :0) All we needed was there in that cabin... Well, hope you enjoyed this little stroll down memory lane as much as I did. It was such a great day-I wish we could do the whole thing over again-& I wouldn't change a thing! Thanks for 9 awesome years 'HotStuff'! Life can be a bit of a roller coaster with a few surprises around every corner, not to mention the ups & downs. But I am so glad we have gone thru it all together. We have learned so much from each other & grown so close. Danny is so good for me-I think we complement each other so well. Plus, he can always make me laugh-even when I don't want to. :0) I honestly couldn't picture my life any other way. Why would I want to? I am so incredibly blessed! Can't wait to see what the next 9 years have in store for us-I love you Danny!

Look who's 5!

I can't believe Averee is 5 today! How the time flies! It seems like only yesterday that we were anxiously awaiting the birth of our first child. I had always pictured myself with all boys so I was surprised to be getting a girl. Little did I know that #2 would be a girl also! I will never forget the overwhelming joy I felt the first time I saw her. She looked just like I had dreamed she would. What a blessing she is in our lives! Averee has always been such a beautiful girl. Even as a baby everyone said what a beautiful baby she was. She has her dad's bright blue eyes & blond curly hair. Lucky! Not to mention a smile that can melt your heart.

Averee is such a sweet & sensitive girl. She is very aware of hurting others feelings & I love that about her. She is such a great big sister to Adelyn & Owen. She is usually pretty good to share with them & wants them to have whatever she has. If she gets something (like candy at church) she asks if she can have some for her sister & brother-how cute is that!

Averee is very artsy crafty-which I love! I can't wait to have a live-in scrapbook partner! She already likes to 'scrapbook'-mostly she glues pieces of paper to a bigger paper, but she gets the idea! She loves to color, paint, or do any kind of craft. She is getting so good too-I can almost always tell what she is drawing. :0)

Averee is such a girly girl. Which has taken some getting used to for me. I am not that girly-but she is rubbing off on me! :0) She LOVES to dance. After watching the Nutcracker last year she informed me that she was going to be in it next year & that she wanted to be the Sugar Plum Fairy. The lead! You go girl! She loves everything pink & princess. She loves to wear dresses, jewelry & have her nails painted. Lucky for me-she still wants me to do her hair every morning. That may not last too much longer though cuz she is getting pretty picky about how I do it...

I love how independent she is getting. She can do almost everything for herself now. Which is great for me. She is so smart-she is even starting to try to read. It is so cute cuz she has one of her books memorized so she loves to 'read' it to us. It won't be long now. I really hope my love of reading rubs off on her.

She is such a social butterfly! She loves to be with her friends or cousins. Every morning she asks if we are going anywhere or if anyone is coming over. I guess I must bore her? :0) She is really into playing 'house' right now & it is hilarious to hear the stuff she says while they are playing. She is always the 'mom'-so I better be more careful!

What a cutie! Averee we love you so much! We love having you in our family & can't wait to see what you accomplish this year!

For sale...

Just thought I would mention (so you don't hear it from someone else & get offended that I didn't tell you) that we put our house up for sale the week before the Parade of Homes. Don't worry Mom-we aren't going far. :0) We had always planned to sell & build at least once more & thought we would put it up now & see what happens. Not to mention that lot prices & building prices are dropping a ton. I have mixed feelings: I love our home & the area that we live in, but of course it would be great to get more equity in our next home. Plus, I would like to get settled in the home where we will stay before the kids get too far in school. So now is the time, but we are in no hurry, we will just wait & see what happens...

SpRiNg Is CoMiNg!

This is Averee & 2 of her friends from school-gotta love the 'silly' faces!

I just LOVE Spring! And it is on it's way! It is by far my most favorite season. The weather lately has been great-we have played outside a ton! Thanks goodness-cuz Adee & Owen have been sick, so the outdoors have been a much needed distraction. We discovered something hilarious-Sammy (our dog) loves to chase bubbles. He goes crazy chasing the bubbles all over the yard & Owen gets the belly laugh going just watching him. What a riot! Owen is getting so good at climbing the rope ladder so he can go down the slide on his own. He thinks he is so big! He even loves to swing-but only on the horse swing. I can't get him to stay on the regular swing-even if I am holding him he gets a little freaked & jumps off. Of course the girls love the swings & thankfully Adee is starting to learn to pump herself. Hooray for independence! It makes my life much easier! Averee is getting so good on her bike-she is even mentioning that she might want to take the training wheels off soon! AAAHHH!! Adee of course is a little dare devil & loves to go as fast as she can down the hills. Whereas Averee usually gets off & walks her bike down. They are so funny! Luckily, Owen is content riding in the stroller-for now. What perfect walking weather! This is also perfect smore roastin' weather-time to light the fire pit. Did I mention how much I love this weather! :0) Now we just need to refresh the sandbox & the back yard will be perfect. hint hint Danny. :0)

Happy Valentine's Day

This pictures was taken on our anniversary in 2004-

one of the few of us together without the kids...

I just LOVE this holiday! It is my 3rd favorite (Christmas & Halloween being the first 2). I love the colors, flowers, cards, treats, & of course the excuse to tell everyone that we love them. Not that we need an excuse or a holiday to do that-but it helps. Plus, Danny & I met the day after Valentines, so it is a little anniversary for us. I wonder if he even remembers that? :0)

The kids & I spent the morning delivering the Valentines we had made for friends, cousins, & grandparents. The girls had so much fun getting everything ready & were very careful not to leave anyone out. Of course they wanted to stamp on some of them & they are getting to be quite the good little stampers. I am so proud! It is pretty funny to watch how careful Averee is about the placement of the stamps & how NOT careful Adee is. He he he! Adee attacks it like everything else- like a 'bull in a china shop'. Gotta love it! :0) Hope you all enjoy your Valentines & know how much we love you! I truly believe that people are put in our lives for a reason & all of you have taught me so much. I am so blessed by the relationships I have with each of you-I love you!

I got thinking today about past Valentines & thought I would share the good & the bad. So bare with me while I indulge my memories...

The worst: The year was 1997, I was a senior in high school & my boyfriend had just left on his mission the month before. Talk about depressing! This was the first Valentines that I even had a boyfriend-but now he wasn't even here to celebrate with me! LAME! It was a rough day to say the least. (It get's better though so don't feel too bad for me) Anyway-I get home from school to find a beautiful bouquet of roses waiting for me. Danny had arranged before he left on his mission to have flowers delivered to me-he even wrote on the card before he left! How sweet is that?!

The best: The year was 1998, I was in my first year of college & missing Danny terribly. He had been gone about a year now, so we were on the homestretch. Well, I get a note from Fedex that there is a package that I need to come sign for...& I'm thinking 'that is weird'. So I go get the package & realize it is from Danny-hooray! I open it to find a beautiful promise ring inside-I was so excited I was shaking! He wrote the most beautiful, heartfelt card, & of course I was crying. The ring has 2 hearts entwined with diamonds inside. He said that it represented us: two hearts entwined & the diamonds mean it is forever. How romantic! So that confirmed it-he was a keeper! :0) I still have the ring (thanks to Josh Gunn-but that is a whole other story!) & wear it on special occasions. Just looking at that ring brings back such a flood of emotions...I think I will go put it on right now...

Well, I hope that wasn't too sappy-but I don't care! I can get away with it today! I hope that helps you think of your best Valentine's Day & I would love to hear about it...Love ya!

In a word...AWESOME!!!

Well, as most of you know, we got back late sunday nite from a week long cruise to the Caribbean. And in a word, it was AWESOME!! We had such a great time-we did so many fun & different things all in one week! We went with Danny's brother Ryan & his wife Shannon. We just love these guys to death, so it was fun to get to spend so much time with them. Ryan is hilarious & had us laughing the whole time. It was a much needed break from reality, & chance for some R&R. We even went to bed early one nite & slept for 12 hours! I will try not to bore you with too many nitty-gritty details, but here are the highlights:

The trip started off with a bang, but let me backup. We left at 4:00 am on sunday the 27th. Yes, I said 4 AM! That would get us to Vegas an hour before our flight, which should be plenty of time right? WRONG! Between all the old people & foreingers with 20 pieces of luggage-we almost didn't make it. They didn't even want to let us check in cuz they said we would never make our flight. But we took off running to security & luckily that line wasn't too long. We rushed through there & looked around for Ryan & Shannon-but couldn't see them anywhere so we figured they were already on the tram headed to our gate. So we take off running, again. I didn't even take time to put my shoes back on! We jumped on the tram & then ran all the way (shoes in hand) to our gate. I haven't ran that far in years! But Ryan & Shannon weren't there. Meanwhile they are calling for the final boarding of our flight. We are trying to come up with some scheme to stall them when we finally see Ryan & Shannon sprinting to our gate. We barely jumped on the plane before they shut the doors right behind us! Talk about a close one! Come to find out-Ryan got stopped at security cuz he forgot he had a huge Swiss army knife in his carry-on. Yes, a KNIFE! Are you kidding me?! So of course they stop him & he says 'Take it! I'm gonna miss my plane!'. They swabbed the knife & bag & it had traces of explosives-yes, EXPLOSIVES! Seriously?! So then Ryan explains that it is normally his hunting bag & he forgot to take the knife out. And they let him go! Can you believe that! They didn't search him or even pat him down-nothing-they jut let him go! Talk about lucky! But it does make me wonder about our national airline security...anyway...we made it to Miami safely & got on board our ship. Looking good Danny! My wet suit isn't too cute-but at least I can keep my diginity! :0) We were on the Royal Caribbean 'Freedom of the Seas', which is actually the biggest cruise boat in the world. And it was HUGE! They say it is longer than the Empire State building is tall-crazy! My favorite thing about the boat was the FlowRider. It is an artificial wave machine so you can learn to surf & boogie board. It was AWESOME! The boys tried it first & took a beating trying to surf-it is a lot harder than it looked! So we decided to stick to boogie boarding after that. However, we saw way too many peek-a-boobies, wet t-shirt contest, & the like, so Shannon & I dedcided to play it safe & rent wet suits. No one wants to see 2 moms loose their suits-if you know what I mean...can you say stretch marks? :0) Anyway-it was so fun. We got pretty good-we could get up on our knees & even do barrel-rolls. What a blast! My second favorite thing on the boat was the Rock Wall. We did that a few times & loved it. It was crazy to get to the top & look out at the miles & miles of ocean. What a view! We made 3 stops. The first was San Juan, Peurto Rico. That nite we kayaked through a maingrove forest to get to the BioBay. This is one of only 5 bays in the world where there are glowing plankton in the water. It was awesome! Everywhere the oars or our hands touched the water glowed. Of course no pictures turned out since it was nite time. Bummer! The second stop was St. Thomas. It was gorgeous! There we went sailing on a racing sailboat. It was pretty cool-& pretty scary! They actually teach you how to do a specific job (like one of the ropes) & then you race another boat. It was so intense! There we a couple times where we were almost perpendicular with the water while we were turning! It was such a workout too! My arms were pretty sore the next day. After that Shannon & I lounged on the beach while the guys snorkeled. (sorry no pics-Shannon has them...) The last stop was St. Marten. Here we took a bus into the middle of the island & did a tree top zip-line course. It was a blast! This was my favorite thing we did all week. It had zip-lines, rope bridges, rope swings, & tightropes to get from tree to tree, right there in the middle of the rain forest. So cool! Next time I wanna do the Extreme Course that is a lot higher up with longer zip-lines. I hope there is a next time! (sorry no pics-Shannon has these too...) The rest of the time we were either at the Flowrider, Rock Wall, or lounging by the pool. Danny & I even played in a pool volleyball tournament & we won against the all-male ship's crew team-WAHOO! I think Danny served 5 or 6 in row-I was so proud! Not too mention the nite time entertainment & all the food you can stand! I only gained 5 pounds-shocker! Especially considering I had 2 appetizers, an entree & 2 desserts at dinner every nite- What a pig! We met some really nice people. Tons of people where from Utah! Of course, we aren't too hard to spot in our modest swimsuits when everyone else is wearing bikinis, thongs, & speedos-YUCK! This is Ryan & Shannon...aren't they adorable! :0) Well, I hope I haven't bored you to death! We really had such a great time-but it was over way too fast! Although, we were getting pretty anxious to get home & see the kids. I couldn't wait to hear all about Averee's week, give Adee a squeeze, & rock Owen before bed. We missed them tons! Our babysitters (Ed & Amy) did an awesome job-Averee keeps asking when they get to come babysit again. It was so nice not to have to worry too much about them-thanks again Ed & Amy! Now we are back to reality & trying to get back into the swing of normal life. Home Sweet Home!

Tagged...

Thanks for this tag Christan! It is fun to learn a little more about each others lives & husbands...

This is a picture of Danny proudly holding a huge salmon that he caught in Alaska.

My Husband:

What is his name? Daniel Vause Jones

How long have you been together? 12 years (9 years married)

How long did you date? 3 years & 3 months (2 years of which he was on his mission-does that still count as dating?) he he he

How old is he? just turned 30 on January 27th

Who eats more? Danny

Who said I love you first? can't remember...how sad :0(

Who is taller? Him

Who can sing better? I would have to say me since I have only heard him sing a handful of times. But since the girls ask me to stop singing in the car sometimes-I am guessing that I don't sound that great...

Who is smarter? Danny

Who does the laundry? Me, duh!

Who pays the bills? Danny

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Danny

Who mows the lawn? Danny

Who cooks dinner? Me

Who drives? Danny

Who is more stubborn? Danny

Who kissed who first? Danny seems to think that I 'went in for the kill' first. :0)

Who asked who out first? It was a blind date, so I guess Tyler March & Jeremy Mendenhall asked us out! :0)

Who proposed? There was no actual 'proposal'-we had talk alot about it & just started thinking about a wedding date, then when he got the ring he handed it to me & said 'So, will you still marry me?' How romantic! :0p

Who has more friends? Me

Who is more sensitive? Me, a little too sensitive for Danny's taste :0)

Who has more siblings? Danny, there are 7 kids in his family & 5 in mine.

Who wears the pants? I would like to think we both wear the shorts-but who am I kidding-he wears the pants! :0)

Here is Danny with his 'Big Mac' that almost broke the state record up at Flaming Gorge! That fish was huge!

Now tag your it!

P.S. I promise that cruise pics are coming soon...

Favorite things...

So, much to my husbands dismay: I am an Oprah fan. I think she is awesome; a philanthropist, humanitarian, teacher, innovator, leader, strong woman, advocate of teachers, honors motherhood, & just an overall inspiration. She really tries to be a good person, help others & contribute to society. What she has been able to accomplish in her life is pretty extraordinary. Although I must admit that I haven't been super impressed with her shows this season, too many have been about gays, lesbian, transvestites, open marriages & the like. But one of her shows that I love is the Oprah's Favorite Things episodes. She said something like how it's not that they get free 'stuff', it's that they get a renewed hope in mankind-that someone else would do this for them. I really liked that. It's not the 'stuff' but the act or service. Anyway, I digress...I thought it would be fun for all of us to share our favorite things. I'll go first... If you know me very well, you know that I am a bit of an organization fanatic. Proud of it! I come by it honest-thanks mom! I like a place for everything & everything in it's place. I love anything to do with organizing & organization; especially my life. I feel like if I am organized I have tons more time & freedom to do what I want, when I want. I love being able to take the kids to park or library & not feel guilty because so much in UNdone. A great book that has helped me with this is Celebration! The 10 principles to more Joyous Living by Jaroldeen Aplund Edwards. Go read it if you haven't already! Anyway-that book wasn't the 'favorite thing' that I wanted to share today, it is this... I found this little goody at The Container Store.com. It is called the WhoMi notepad & I LOVE it! It is basically a little spiral bound notebook that has 3 sections: to do, call & shop. All in one! AWESOME-why didn't I think of that! I used to have a separate sticky note for each of those lists, but now they are all together in one cute little notepad. Then you can rip off the SHOP list when you head to the store, or take the CALL list with you in the car so you can make the calls while you run your errands. Yes, I admit-I am one of those people who talk on my cell while I am driving. Sorry! But it's the most convenient place cuz the kids are contained & occupied! Anyway-just wanted to share this super little product & hope it makes your life easier, happier, or at least less stressful! Now, start racking your brain cuz I tag all of you to share one of your 'Favorite Things'...can't wait to see what you love!

You leave the room for just a sec...

I was looking through some pictures today & realized that I have pictures of all three kiddos asleep at the wheel...I mean plate. How funny! Averee is a little over 2 in her picture, Adee is only 1 in hers & Owen is about 18 months in his mug shot. Of course, being the picky eater she was-Averee's food is untouched. :0) Adee almost ate it all (notice the noodles in her hair), but Owen might have even licked his tray clean! :0) Or he fed it all to the dog-which is the most likely scenario. I can also see how relaxed I have gotten as a mother. Averee's food is on a plate & she is wearing a full body bib. he he he! Adee & Owen have no plate & no bib. Silly how uptight we are with our first born huh? Or maybe that was just me? Anyway-I just love looking thru past pictures of my kids-it brings back some great memories. Hope you enjoyed this walk down my memory lane...now go enjoy your own.

Four things...

I got this email from my sis-in-law Shannon (who I adore!) & thought it would be more fun to answer on my blog & tag all of you! :0) So here it goes:

*Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. Stock girl at Dutchman's

2. Salad girl at Lin's Deli

3. Interior Design Consultant at Westwood Carpet

4. 'Executive Assistant' (Secretary) :0) at Capital Energy

*Four places I have lived:

1. Oak Harbor WA

2. Fallon NV

3. Santa Clara UT

4. Ivins UT

*Four TV Shows that I watch:

1. The Office

2. Rules of Engagement

3. Oprah

4. Anything on HGTV

*Four places I have been (other than where I lived):

1. Hawaii

2. Mexico

3. Wyoming

4. New York

*Four of my favorite foods: only 4?

1. raspberry yogurt with granola

2. Italian CrockPot Chicken (Thanks Kristie!)

3. Chicken Squares (Thanks Jess!)

4. Mom's homemade chicken noodle soup over mashed potatoes

P.S. I guess it's obvious I'm a chicken lover!

*Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Disneyland with kids

2. anywhere with Danny alone ;0)

3. Church History Tour

4. Humanitarian Expedition

*Four friends that I think will respond:

1. you all better!

*Four favorite books: again, only 4?

1. Twilight Series- DUH! by Stephenie Meyer

2. Kingdom & the Crown Series by Gerald Lund

3. Harry Potter (#4-the Goblet of Fire was my favorite)

4. Celebration! The 10 principles to more joyous living by Jaroldeen Asplund Edwards

*Four things I look forward to in the next year:

1. Caribbean Cruise (2 weeks from today!)

2. Camping this summer

3. Disneyland this fall

4. Maybe another baby? (I gotta talk Danny into it first) :0)

Okay, now I tag all of my fellow bloggers: Christan, Jessica, Tiffany, Errin, Andrea & anyone else reading this & if you don't blog-you can email!

The Difference between Boys & Girls...according to me:

Do you ever feel like all you do all day is clean up one mess after another?! Owen is into EVERYTHING! I feel like I am going crazy! He learned how to open our doors recently, so now everything is in lock down mode! :0) And boy does he get mad when he finds the doors locked! he he he! Having a boy is so much different than girls! Everyone warns you of that, but you don't appreciate the difference till you can experience it yourself. He is so much more physical than the girls are. He loves to wrestle & body slam everyone-including our dog Sammy. Owen likes to throw anything he gets his hands on & what is the fascination with carrying around rocks? He has been climbing our stairs & up onto the kitchen bar since he was 1! The pictures above are from the first (but not last!) time I caught him climbing our fountain in the backyard-it was last August when he was only 13 months old! My girls never did stuff like that-especially that young. He is such a cutie though-how can you get mad at that grin?! Plus, he is such a ham & thinks he is being so big, that it makes it hard to get upset at him. I just love him to pieces-& he is such a momma's boy sometimes-I love it! It's weird cuz before I had kids I pictured myself with all boys. I really look forward to soccer, T-Ball, flag football-you name it! Bring it on!

Girls on the other hand-OH MY DRAMA! Sometimes I wonder if they have PMS?! Seriously! They can be so emotional & dramatic-it get's a little crazy sometimes. Averee can cry & throw a fit at the drop of a hat! But they can also be so sweet, & you can't beat the dress-ups, dolls & love for dance! But my two girls are so different from each other! Averee is all girl. She loves ballet, dress-ups, & of course anything princess. She gets her feelings hurt really easy, but half the time we don't even realize what happened, then she says 'you hurt my feelings mom'. ...Cringe...It is usually some little thing that wasn't even meant to be mean that happened 3 hours ago! She is just super sensitive sometimes, so we have had to get used to that. Averee is getting so smart & learning new stuff all the time. She usually surprises me with how much she understands & remembers. Adelyn loves the all the princess stuff too, but is much more of a tomboy. She loves making people laugh & being funny. She is such a ham & loves to shake her booty to get a laugh. Should we be worried? :0) Lately she is having a hard time listening & obeying-(mostly she ignores me till I start counting to 3) which tells me we are entering the "Terrible 3's"! AAAHHHH! Whoever said it was the "Terrible 2's" must not have made it to 3! :0)

Like all you moms out there-I just love my kids to death. They make everything else worth it, ya know? Is there anything better than your kid saying 'Mom, I love you. Now come read my book'. Which I am lucky enough to get to do all day if we want! Hooray for Motherhood!

Close to my Heart January Newsletter

Happy New Year! I can't believe that 2008 is already here! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas & New Years. We sure did-the kids made it so magical! I can't wait to scrap it all!

Here is the scoop for January:

1. Color of the Month (COM): Buttercup

2. Stamp of the Month (SOM): D1259 Eastertime

3. Kit of the Month (KOM): X7092B Good Times

4. Heart of Winter Promo: Serendipity

5. Scrapbook Clubs

6. Monthly Contest

7. Opportunity

8. Private Workshops

9. Upcoming Workshop-Birthday Cards (sign-up deadline:Tuesday Jan. 8th)

1. Color of the Month: Buttercup. For only $15.00 you get 12 sheets of cardstock, an ink pad, the marker, 25 eyelets in a craft jar, & a TruFit Folio. This is a soft & beautiful yellow color. It is a very versatile color that will go with almost anything. We will be using it on the layouts this month at the clubs, so come check it out! The Color of the Month is a great way to slowly stock up on a variety of colors. Let me know if you would like to place an order for this monthly special.

2. Stamp of the Month: D1259 Eastertime. Match the softness of spring by adorning your artwork with this tranquil set of Easter images. Imagine these delightful stippled designs in blossoming colors. Available January 1-31, 2008 only.

You can purchase the SOM for $22.95, or get it discounted depending on your order amount. Spend $25 & get it 25% off, spend $50 & get it 50% off, spend $75 & get it 75% off, or spend $100 & get it FREE! See attachment called 'January SOM' to see this awesome stamp set! Contact me today to place an order for this monthly special.

3. Kit of the Month: X7092B Good Times. Each month I offer a Kit of the Month for a special discounted price of only $10! The regular price is $12.95. Good Times is a fun & funky paper packet that is perfect for boys, birthdays, New Years, or any kind of celebration. This is my favorite kit from the new catalog. I just love it! We are using it for the layouts at scrapbook club this month, so come check it out! I have attached a picture of the January Layout so you can take a peek. FYI-it is missing the #2 so it will say "time 2 celebrate"

4. Heart of Winter Promo: Serendipity- Close To My Heart’s Heart of Winter campaign features an incredible, specially designed Serendipity paper collection, complete with darling die-cuts in fl oral and accent designs, textured cardstock, B&T Duos™ paper, and a brand new, coordinating D-size stamp set! You will be crafting to your heart’s content, discovering new ways to layer and embellish the floral and accent die-cuts, adding stamping pizzazz to your layouts, and creating the perfect cards and projects. See attachment called 'Heart of Winter Flyer 07' for more details.

5. Scrapbook Clubs: I have 2 monthly scrapbook clubs. The first group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. The other club is a Mother/Daughter group that meets on a TBA basis. We meet from 7-10pm, the "hostess" brings refreshments & then gets the FREE stuff! If you are not part of one of these groups & want to know more-just ask!

-Scrapbook Club: Tuesday-January 8th Hostess: Kathy Hall

-Mother/Daughter Club: Date & Time TBA Hostess: Greenalls

At the start of the nite I have a 2-page layout ready for you to stamp & assemble (this project costs $5.00) I generally try to teach a new tip or technique. The rest of the time is yours to work on whatever you want: layouts, cards, 3-D projects, or whatever! All you have to do is bring pictures & supplies you want to work on & I am there to help give ideas & guidance. Plus, you can use all my stamps & ink pads. I also have individual papers & embellishments there to buy if you wish.

The other advantages are that you will have a set day every month to get some scrapbooking done, get ideas from the other members, have access to my stash of goodies, & just have a fun relaxing night! If you aren't a member but want to know more-please call me. Bring a friend-if they join the club, you get $10 FREE product!

6. Monthly Contest: We have a little contest going on at the club that meets on the 2nd tuesday. The members can bring something to club nite like a layout, card, small album, or anything scrappy! Everyone votes on their favorite entry & the winner gets to pick something from my goodie drawer!

7. Opportunity: I attached a flyer called 'Consultant Kit Flyer Spring 08' with info about the NEW Consultant Kit-it is worth $400, but only costs $150! It is overflowing with products-so FUN! Plus, a flyer called 'Opportunity Knocks Flyer Spring 08' which gives details about this awesome money making opportunity. If you or anyone you know is interested I would be happy to give you more information & get you started in this wonderful career-just ask!

8. Private Workshops: I am so excited to start offering Private Workshops! These would be perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, reunions, girls nite out, birthdays, or any excuse to get together with your friends & family! All you do is pick a project you want to do, the date, invite your friends & I do the rest. Obviously, the price would depend on the project you choose. The projects could be anything you can think of, but here are a few ideas:

* Sets of themed cards (thank you, birthday, wedding, etc)

* Recipe Tins

* Gift Albums (baby, wedding, anniversary)

* Event Calendars

* Decorated Paint Cans or Lunch Boxes

* 2-page Scrapbook Layouts

* Family Activity Cans

* Tradition Albums

* Magnet Boards

* Brag Book Albums (brown paper bags or white CD folders)

* Journals

* Checkbook Covers

As a thank you for putting together the Private Workshop, you can choose $25 worth of FREE product from the catalog. Plus, if your guests place orders then you could also get the hostess rewards! This is a win-win for everyone! So, talk to your friends & family to decide what kind of project you want to do. Give me a call & I will get the fun started!

9. Upcoming Workshops: Birthday Card Workshop- We can never have too many birthday cards right? Well, this is the perfect workshop to make sure you have plenty of birthday cards for the whole year. I have designed one male birthday card & one female birthday card, then you decide how many of each one you want to do. As always, I will have everything cut out & ready to stamp & assemble. Could it be any easier?! So start looking through your birthday calendars & figure out how many male & female birthday cards you will need to last the whole year. They are versatile enough to be used for little kids or adults. I have attached pictures of the two different birthday cards so you can have a look for yourself.

Date: Saturday January 19th

Time: 1-4pm

Place: my house

Cost: $1.25 per card (you must specify how many of each style you want)

Sign-up deadline: Tuesday January 8th

Contact me today to sign-up for this workshop!

*Last, but not least, make sure you check out the Close to my Heart website. If you go to http://www.closetomyheart.com/ you can look at the stamps of the month & some fun projects using them, & also get tons of other fun ideas & learn some new techniques as well. Go check it out today!

That about does it for this month. I hope you are all doing great & let me know if you need anything or have any questions. See ya soon...

P.S. This is the newsletter that I send out to my club members- so obviously there are no attachements on this blog, those were in the email.

Happy New Year!

Wow, I can't believe it is 2008! How time flies! This year Danny turns 30, I turn 29, we will have our 9 year anniversary, but we have known each other for 12 years! Seems like only yesterday he swept me off my feet- he he he! We had a blast last night ringing in the New Year. It was the usual game night with friends while the kids play & stay up WAY too late. We played a new game called 'In a Pickle' which was pretty fun-it made you think outside the box. Then we played 'Loaded Question'-it was hilarious! My brother-in-law Ryan is one of the funniest people I know & lets just say that thanks to him I will never look at Hitler the same! :0) We laughed a lot, ate too much & since we are old married farts-we had a hard time staying awake for the ball to drop. But we made it-Hooray for 2008! I am actually one of those people who like to make New Years resolutions, & I figure if I write them down & say them out loud I will be more likely to stick with it. So here are my resolutions (in no particular order):

1- Patience is a virture. The best lesson my children can teach me.

2- Temple attendence. I guess we better go get our bar codes!

3- Scripture study. If I read the scriptures HALF as much as I read everything else-I would be so much better off!

4- Judge not, lest ye be judged. Too bad everyone can't be 'perfect' like me (of course I am being sarcastic here!) :0)

I think that about does it for this year. Obviously there are about a million other things that I really need to work on, but these are the major highlights. My list looks about the same every year-how sad! Well, I better go get the kids some breakfast. How come they never sleep in even when they stay up till midnight?! (they get that from their dad!)

It's already over?

Wow, has Christmas really come & gone already? Crazy! The kids have totally brought the magic back to Christmas. It was so fun to experience it all through their eyes. Owen even started to say "Santa" everytime he saw him, & the girls talked about it non-stop. They were so excited they couldn't stand it! But we did try really hard to talk about the birth of Christ alot. I think Averee got the point, cuz during one family home evening, I asked (for the 100th time) "Why do we celebrate Christmas?". Averee says "I know, I know Mom, it's Jesus' birthday" like DUH mom! Adee keeps saying that she wants to give Jesus kisses-don't they just melt your heart? Well, here are the Christmas details...

Christmas Eve was at the Jones', with our annual visit from Santa. Each grandchild gets to sit on his lap to get their gift from Grandma & Grandpa Jones. The girls were so excited to see him, but Owen-not so much. :0) When he first came in the door Averee asks "How is Mrs. Clause?". That got everyone laughing & he said that she was busy baking cookies. He is the cutest Santa ever! He has been our Santa for several years now & we just love him! The kids had fun playing with all the cousins-even Dannys sister Kim (who lives in Moab) was there with her family. We always have a blast when all the gangs together. Anyway, after Grandma's house, we headed home to open our Christmas jammies & act out the Manger scene. Averee just HAD to be Mary so she could hold baby Jesus, & Adee was the funniest Angel. She is such a ham! Owen wouldn't keep any costumes on, but went back & forth from being a Wiseman & a Shephard. I guess he wanted the best of both worlds! Then we made Santa a plate of cookies & milk, sprinkled reindeer food on the lawn & headed to bed.

Morning didn't come TOO awfully early-Averee had us up around 6:30. The girls were so happy to see that Santa had left them baby dolls & new art stuff, & Owen loved his blocks & fire truck. I was totally spoiled-Danny got me the picture of Christ I wanted for our living room, & the ice cream attachment for my KitchenAid. I have wanted one since I got my KitchenAid last year, but could never find one. I guess Danny thought I had been extra nice this year! :0) Danny got the zero degree sleeping bags he wanted & some new church clothes & shoes. Then my family come over to open presents & eat breakfast. It was great to see them & hang out for awhile. We always keep each other laughing. My parents always spoil us-but we love it! Then of course we had to have the usual Pumpkin Pancakes with Apples Lemon Syrup (our favorite!) Thanks for that recipe Rachelle!

That afternoon the Jones clan got back together for Christmas dinner & it was delicious! We had a great time chatting & just hanging out while all the kids ran around like they were hopped up on goof balls (that was for you Kenny). Thanks Todd & Michelle for letting us all crash the place! :0) Todd & Michelle had made a video of all of us sharing our favorite memories of Grandma & Grandpa Jones & that was great to watch. The kids are hilarious! They say the funniest stuff! One of my nephews, Luke, said "a grandparent is an old parent". How true! It was such a great day spent with family & friends. We are so blessed to be close to soo much of our family, & to be able to spend the holidays with them is awesome! Only 364 days left till next Christmas-I can't wait!

That was close, a little too close!

Last nite we almost had a Christmas catastrophe! But let me start at the beginning...It was our ward temple nite & we were excited to go & get to know our ward better. I was in the bathroom getting ready with Averee watching & keeping me company while I primped. Then she asks if she can go pick out my dress & I say sure why not, she actually has really good taste. Danny usually lets her pick out his tie on sunday. However, I momentarily forgot that her & Adee's Christmas presents were hidden behind some clothes on a shelf right next to where my dresses hang. Next thing I know Averee says "what is that pink box under there?" Well, I panicked, rushed her outta there & said "it is private mommy & daddy stuff". Without missing a beat she says "Why is there a picture of a baby on it?" I really panicked now & all I could come up with is "It's, um, private mommy & daddy stuff that, um, we use....to make babies!" Keep in mind that Danny has been in the closet getting dressed this whole time & thinks it is hilarious! I couldn't even keep a straight face while I said that, so then Averee asks "Why are you guys laughing?". "Just cuz we're embarrassed....now go watch the Grinch with Adee & Owen." That was close, a little too close! We laughed about it all nite. Santa will definitely have to take the gifts out of the box this year! Averee is just getting too smart for her own good! And don't worry-right after we got home from the temple I put the presents in a much better hiding place! My mom even tried to worn me a couple weeks ago that I should find a better spot. Just another example of 'shoulda listened to my mom'. Now I am just waiting for the plethora of 'making babies' questions that Averee is sure to start asking. Poor kid probably thinks babies come out of a box now! Oh well, live & learn!

'Tiny' dancer...

Averee loves dance! Every morning she asks if she gets to go to dance today. During Parent's Day about a month ago, we were able to sit in on her class to take pictures & video. I love this picture...for several reasons. First, I love that she is a head taller than the other girls in the class. Get used to it girl! Second, look at that form! The whole time you could tell how hard she was concentrating on doing the moves just right. She practices all the time at home & she is always correcting Adee on the proper way to do a Sashay (sp?). Such a funny girl! And third, I love that she loves it! She has a perma grin thru the whole class. What a joy to find something that we love to do. Keep it up Averee!

Danny got tagged!

Thanks Tiff for tagging Danny-but since he doesn't ever look at our blog (I don't think he really knows what one is? he he he) I will answer the questions. Here it goes....

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both! It mostly depends on the gift & how weird of a shape it is. The weirder the shape the harder to wrap-so then I put it in a bag. Although I do think wrapping looks better & it is more fun to open.

2. Real tree or artificial? I love the smell of a real tree-but not the mess. So, we have a fake tree. But I figured out a trick to get the smell- the little pine scented car airfresheners work great! I just hide one in the middle of the tree & it smells pretty real.

3. When do you put up the tree? It is our family tradition to put it up the weekend of Thanksgiving. The kids had a ball putting all the decor up this year. What good helpers I have!

4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime after the New Year.

5. Do you like eggnog? ABSOLUTELY NOT! But Danny does...yuck!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? The one that sticks out the most is a purple bike (with a banana seat!) that I got around the age of 8. I loved it-it was so pretty & just what I wanted. But my favorite memory of it was seeing my dad ride it down the hill by our house on Christmas morning with his robe flapping in the breeze behind him! Love ya Dad!

7. Do you have a nativity scene? I have 3. A small kidish one that the kids love to play with. Except we keep losing peices. Even baby Jesus was lost for awhile-but we found him! Thank goodness! The only one missing right now is one of the Wise Men. Poor guy! Then I have the Willow Tree one & I love it. It is so beautiful. My mom even got me the newest peices : the Ox & Goat for Christmas! Last but not least-my mom also got me the new Willow Tree Natvity that is just Mary, Joseph & Baby Jesus. It is quiet a bit bigger that the other Willow Tree Nativity. I absolutely love it-it is gorgeous. It took my breath away the first time I saw it & I knew I had to have it. Luckily my mom was with me & she was able to finish some of her Christmas shopping! he he he! She is so good to me...

8. Hardest person to buy for? My father-in-law, hands down! He is the type that can & does go buy whatever he wants whenever he wants.

9. Easiest person to buy for? My mother-in-law. She loves books & so a gift certificte to Deseret Book is always just what she wants.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The only thing I can think of is the year that I really, really, really wanted the Barbie Ice Cream Shop-but I got an electric blanket instead.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail! Mine will be going out soon-I am just waiting for the pictures to get here.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? All of them-especially the old school animated ones.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I am thinking about it off & on all year.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think so...but we did recycle some wedding gifts! Isn't that horrible! I can't believe I just admitted that!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Anything with peppermint flavor: hot chocolate, candy, desserts.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear

17. Favorite Christmas song? Anything sung by Josh Groban or Celine. I even like Josh's version of the Little Drummer Boy. Usually I can't stand that song!

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Travel around the holiday, but try to stay home on Christmas Day.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and of course Rudolph (I just stole Tiff's answers)

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? Star (Averee wishes it was an angel)

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open new pajamas on Christmas Eve & everything else in the morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? The lame people who complain about too much 'Christ' in Christmas...go figure!

23. What I love most about Christmas? Everything! I can't name just one thing. The smells, food, lights, magic for the kids, all of it!

Well, now I tag: Christan, Jess, Andrea & Shannon-looks like you better start a blog! he he he!

Close to my Heart December Newsletter

Don't you just love this time of year? I can't wait for Christmas-my kids have brought the magic back to the holiday season for me. It is wonderful to experience the holidays through the eyes of a child. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! And to add some more joy to your holiday-the NEW Spring 2008 catalogs are here! I am so impressed with all the new products & papers-so fun! It really got my creative juices flowing! If you don't already have one-I will be handing them out at club this month...

Here is the scoop for December:

1. Color of the Month (COM): Ponderosa Pine

2. Stamp of the Month (SOM): D1245 In my Heart

3. Kit of the Month (KOM): X7085B Everlasting

4. Heart of Winter Promo: Serendipity

5. Scrapbook Clubs

6. Monthly Contest

7. Opportunity

8. Private Workshops

9. Upcoming Workshops-Birthday Cards

10. Gift Certificates

11. Clearance Items

1. Color of the Month: Ponderosa Pine. For only $15.00 you get 12 sheets of cardstock, an ink pad, the marker, 25 eyelets in a craft jar, & a TruFit Folio. This is a very festive dark green color. Perfect for Christmas layouts or cards. We will be using it on the layouts this month at the clubs, so come check it out! The Color of the Month is a great way to slowly stock up on a variety of colors. Let me know if you would like to place an order for this monthly special.

2. Stamp of the Month: D1245 In my Heart. The broad, strong brush strokes of this set will leave no doubt about the depth of your love. Day in, day out, this set lets others know the bold truth in your heart. Available December 1-31, 2007 only.

You can purchase the SOM for $22.95, or get it discounted depending on your order amount. Spend $25 & get it 25% off, spend $50 & get it 50% off, spend $75 & get it 75% off, or spend $100 & get it FREE! See attachment called December SOM to see this awesome stamp set! Contact me today to place an order for this monthly special.

3. Kit of the Month: X7085B Everlasting. Each month I offer a Kit of the Month for a special discounted price of only $10! The regular price is $12.95. Everlasting is a beautiful & versatile paper packet that is perfect for Christmas & everyday layouts or cards. We are using it for the layouts at scrapbook club this month, so come check it out!

4. Heart of Winter Promo: Serendipity- Close To My Heart’s Heart of Winter campaign features an incredible, specially designed Serendipity paper collection, complete with darling die-cuts in fl oral and accent designs, textured cardstock, B&T Duos™ paper, and a brand new, coordinating D-size stamp set! You will be crafting to your heart’s content, discovering new ways to layer and embellish the floral and accent die-cuts, adding stamping pizzazz to your layouts, and creating the perfect cards and projects. See attachment for more details.

5. Scrapbook Clubs: I have 2 monthly scrapbook clubs. The first group meets on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. The other club is a Mother/Daughter group that meets on the 3rd Friday. We meet from 7-10pm, the "hostess" brings refreshments & then gets the FREE stuff! If you are not part of one of these groups & want to know more-just ask!

-Scrapbook Club: Tuesday-December 11th Hostess: Michelle Wall

-Mother/Daughter Club: Date & Time TBA Hostess: Greenalls

At the start of the nite I have a 2-page layout ready for you to stamp & assemble (this project costs $5.00) I generally try to teach a new tip or technique. The rest of the time is yours to work on whatever you want: layouts, cards, 3-D projects, or whatever! All you have to do is bring pictures & supplies you want to work on & I am there to help give ideas & guidance. Plus, you can use all my stamps & ink pads. I also have individual papers & embellishments there to buy if you wish.

The other advantages are that you will have a set day every month to get some scrapbooking done, get ideas from the other members, have access to my stash of goodies, & just have a fun relaxing night! If you aren't a member but want to know more-please call me. Bring a friend-if they join the club, you get $10 FREE product!

6. Monthly Contest: We have a little contest going at the club that meets on the 2nd tuesday. The members can bring something to club nite like a layout, card, small album, or anything scrappy!Everyone votes on their favorite entry & the winner gets to pick something from the goodie drawer!

7. Opportunity: I attached a flyer with info about the Consultant Kit-it is worth $400, but only costs $150! It is overflowing with products-so FUN! Plus, a flyer called 'Opportunity Knocks' which give details about this awesome money making opportunity. If you or anyone you know is interested I would be happy to give you more information & get you started in this wonderful career-just ask!

8. Private Workshops: I am so excited to start offering Private Workshops! These would be perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, reunions, girls nite out, birthdays, or any excuse to get together with your friends & family! All you do is pick a project you want to do, the date, invite your friends & I do the rest. Obviously, the price would depend on the project you choose. The projects could be anything you can think of, but here are a few ideas:

* Sets of themed cards (thank you, birthday, wedding, etc)

* Recipe Tins

* Gift Albums (baby, wedding, anniversary)

* Event Calendars

* Decorated Paint Cans or Lunch Boxes

* 2-page Scrapbook Layouts

* Family Activity Cans

* Tradition Albums

* Magnet Boards

* Brag Book Albums (brown paper bags or white CD folders)

* Journals

* Checkbook Covers

* Neighbor Christmas Gifts

As a thank you for putting together the Private Workshop, you can choose $25 worth of FREE product from the catalog. Plus, if your guests place orders then you could also get the hostess rewards! This is a win-win for everyone! So, talk to your friends & family to decide what kind of project you want to do. Give me a call & I will get the fun started!

9. Upcoming Workshops: January: Birthday Card Workshop. We can never have too many birthday cards right? Well, this is the perfect workshop to make sure you have plenty of birthday cards for the whole year. I will design one male birthday card & one female birthday card, then you can decide how many of each one you want to do. As always, I will have everything cut out & ready to stamp & assemble. Could it be any easier?! So start looking through your birthday calendars & figure out how many male & female birthday cards you will need to last the whole year. Plus, we will be using NEW paper from the Spring 2008 catalog! More info will be coming soon...

10. Gift Certificates: As always, I have gift certificates available in any dollar amount you need. This is the perfect gift, or stocking stuffer for the scrapbooker on your list. They are redeemable through me at anytime. Out of towners can even place their order over the phone or internet & it will be shipped right to them-so convenient! Any questions-just ask!

11. Clearance Table: Out with the old & in with the new! I have got to get rid of some stuff to make room for all the new stuff I know I will want out of the NEW Spring 2008 Catalog. At both scrapbook clubs I will have a table FULL of clearance items including: new & slightly used stamp sets, paper packets, albums, single sheets of cardstock & pattern paper, gifts, & other misc scrapbook items. Plus, for every item you purchase from the clearance table you will get a drawing ticket. The drawing will be for an adorable 9x9 accordian album kit. The more you buy, the better your chance to win the kit! So look forward to the clearance table full of great deals!

*Last, but not least, make sure you check out the Close to my Heart website. If you go to www.closetomyheart.com you can look at the stamps of the month & some fun projects using them, & also get tons of other fun ideas & learn some new techniques as well. Go check it out today!

Thanks for your time. Enjoy this wonderful time of year! If you have any questions or need anything-please let me know. Take care & see you soon...