Halloween-- Jordan the punk rocker

Notice NO GUITAR the school actually considered it a weapon! I saw two others at the parade so I think it has more to do with him being in 6th grade.

Jordan rocking out! He was really excited that he got to wear tatoo arms it fit the costume.

Can you tell that he really is enjoying playing the part!!!!

I think at some point we all want to be a punk rocker or at least pretend to be and its usually around 6th grade too! Not quite a teenager but wondering what it would be like and its always super cool!

More Awards!!

This has a piece of paper behind it so one could read it better

Primerica is AWESOME!!!

We knew we might get a least one more award on Saturday but to get a total of 4 awards was so emotional. Going across stage having Millionaires hug you, shake your hand, congratulate you and be proud of you is AMAZING!!! And then when they take notice of YOU that you have come up several times now and they are really impressed is so great!!!! This was the first time that Brandon and I have gone across stage TOGETHER and the first time we earned/won something as a couple. It was such a great experience. To know that we are helping families, to know that we are changing lives and our own, to know that we are FIGHTING for financial freedom and getting there one step at a time it really is priceless. They also made this beautiful tri-fold brochure and WE ARE IN IT!!!! So 3 trophies, a shirt, and the tri fold!!! We have gone to so many conferences wishing , hoping , we would walk across that stage instead of just cheering for others (which is great too!) and we knew we would have to work hard and WE DID!!! The feeling was just incredible!! We were so touched, so blessed, so excited and so proud of ourselves and our team and we hope that we can walk across that stage at EVERY conference from now on because that means that we are helping that many more families and really that's what it is all about!!!!

Walking across stage

Brandon, Kelley (SVP), Chris
Brandon and Chris
Brandon and Josh (RVP)

BrookAnne (RVP) and Jackie

Jackie and Brandon - WE DID IT!

Our Award!

Jackie, Brandon, and Jordan

Going Across stage, shaking hands with Millionaires -having them congratulate US!

Our name just got called we are excited and ready to go!



ALL I CAN SAY IS......

Primerica is AWESOME!!!

Brandon

I love this picture of Brandon! We took a drive up the alpine loop and we stopped off at a turn about and snapped this picture. Besides him ,I love the colors it almost looks like all 4 seasons in one photo!

Noah's pumpkins!

Noah always shifts his eyes at the last second yet he is very happy with his pumpkins!

So after Grandmama drew the first kitty pumpkin there was soon a request for more. I wasn't sure I was up to the challenge of drawing on pumpkins but it turned out pretty well! They are so cute! So why do we carve pumpkins again?!?!?

Out of the mouth of babes!

I went to Rubios as a treat today-one of my favorite places and such a great memory of San Diego for me, and Noah who is 4 insisted he wasn't hungry. I later asked if he wanted some of my tortillas chips and he said "I don't eat chips I 'M HEALTHY!" I couldn't believe it!!!! ; ) Well I guess or I hope what I have been teaching them is rubbing off. I have been pretty strict about what we eat around here and even when we do have chips in the house its all natural , baked etc etc and really really good. Junk is still junk though I joke with Brandon that we are eating "organic junk" -- chips are still chips, cookies are still cookies , etc etc sure its a step up and every bit helps but we all need and are striving to eat healthier!!! You've got to indulge from time to time of course but we all notice a difference in how we feel when we eat healthy. I've been biking again trying to build up my strength and endurance did 10 miles yesterday and that's a start, Aidan is in Hip hop dance, Jordan swims, Noah just finished itty bitty football and started swimming lessons this week. You've got to mix it up and have fun or it just becomes too much work. So we will see how we all improve - working out is such a stress relief and its so nice to focus on being in balance. So I will take Noah's advice and put down my chips and go workout!!!

Mary Kay

Hi Ladies!

Many of you know that I sold Mary Kay for 2 years while I lived in San Diego. They have outsanding products that I have and still do truly enjoy. I have decided to pick up where I left off and continue my business here in Utah. Please feel free to check out my website www.marykay.com/jahmom3

There are some new and exciting products in the current catalog that I am sure you will like. Take a look , tell your friends, and give me a call.


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Just so you know--Primerica is and always will be our priority this is just in addition sometimes when you live in a house full of boys you need a little girl time and pampering!!!!

Here kitty ...kitty...kitty!

With Halloween just around the corner Noah had to have a kitty drawn on his pumpkin! I am so grateful that Grandmama can draw!

Grandmama, Noah and the kitty

Noah is absolutley fascinated by kittens! He always has and I think he always will. He loves kitty stuffed animals, stories, pictures and ofcourse the real thing. Well, one of our neighbors has a few cats and an adorable kitten wandered over at Aidan's birthday party a few weeks ago. They were thrilled and ofcourse wanted to keep him but there was no way and I knew the owners who happen to live just a couple of doors down. When Noah and I go for a walk we see this kitten, he follows us, and snuggles up to him. Its too cute. Now most of us are allergic and we've tried on many occassions to just deal with our allergies but it doesn't last and we say goodbye to another kitty- BUT this arrangement is perfect. Its not our cat and yet has some bond with Noah who gets to visit him. The kitty even showed up on our doorstep the other day to Noahs great surprise!! He was so excited. So today Noah wanted to feed the kitty and these are the quick pictures we took.

More pictures!

Say Cheese!

We took a drive through the Alpine Loop to enjoy the falls colors and stopped at Sundance. We thought since mom was with us maybe she could take a quick photo of us as a family. Nothing fancy just my little point and shoot camera , it was a cloudy day, we didn't really do our hair we just threw on these shirts when we got there and thought well if we find a cute spot and the boys cooperate maybe we will go for it. It was a struggle to get everyone looking and smiling 4 years olds do not like to sit still and pose but we still had a good time and the mountains we gorgeous! Without mom we couldn't have taken a picture so we are very grateful for that. We took a ton ,of course, but I thought I would at least post a few!

Technology - its NOT such a great thing!

It my seem ironic as I type in my "online journal" (which by the way I do print out every year) to say that technology is NOT such a great thing. But its true!!! We become less and less personal. Gone are the old fashioned letters, cards even phone calls and forget face to face interaction! Its all blog, email, text, facebook - we all care on some level for the people we contact but its just NOT THE SAME AT ALL!! To hear someone's voice is PRICELESS!!! A birthday song over the phone, a card etc etc . I remember when my boys were little and birthdays were such a big deal!! They still are in this household but now things have changed- he's receiving emails and facebook comments instead of calls and some people don't call at all. It hurts me, makes me sad. I am thankful that there is some effort made(be happy for what you get right??) and I have definitly learned my own lesson in the process -- it just reminded me so much of when I would walk him around the block in his stroller at a year and a half and he would wave to people and they wouldn't wave back- it broke my heart- I hurt for him. Luckily he still has a smile on his face and I am glad for it. When did we become so casual or too busy to make a call??? Don't get me wrong I am not pointing fingers because I too am just as guilty!!!! I just make a pledge now, a commitment that I am going to make a greater effort to talk to people face to face or at least on the phone. We can't lose that contact it is so vital!!!! Even at work its all texting and email we hardly talk at all anymore! Its crazy!! And sometimes people don't text back so you have no idea if they even got the text to begin with. I do like that you can text a thought though. I may think that I love Brandon a hundred times a day but by the time he gets home I forget to tell him - now with texting we constantly tell eachother what we are thinking and feeling without saying a word- an improvement yes , does it make your heart melt to get a lovely text from your spouse ofcourse but its not the same as hearing each others sweet voice! So technology - to communicate with family- isn't always the greatest thing and I hope that my boys and I can make a greater effort to communicate with eachother and the rest of our family and friends on a much more personal level.