2011 Recap

2011 was full of memories, good, bad and sad...... I'm blessed to have my family and friends and even though days can be rough, I look at these faces, these memories and know it's a journey and am thankful to have these people by my side.

March 2011 visiting at Grandmas house...

Left to Right

Kira, Olivia, me, mom, Auntie Karen, and Grandma

Kira and Hunter at their Junior prom

March 2011

Adorable

Seems like summer is coming to an end, but the heat is the last to leave! It's about 90 degrees today and still is pretty hot even at almost 7 at night.

This summer wasn't my best summer, but some good times and events showed up here and there.

A few things I discovered:

I am SO not in control, and I'm now OK with that.
I have put my complete trust in God and I'm finally able to sleep at night and rest.

I have more family and friends support than I ever knew I did

I will not let people bully me

I am more in love with Tod than ever before

I know exactly what Jesus means when He says He loves me

Even though I talk a big talk of taking a mini vacation to escape the daily drama and busy life at home, I miss and yearn for my family and children more than I enjoy being away.

I will fight for my children like a big momma black bear. I am blessed to have them, and will not go down without a BIG fight. They make my heart happy with delight and at the same time break into a million pieces. Who else can do that but your own children!?

I can NOT wait to start a new year with my family and friends, and to start new adventures.

God has truly blessed me and my life, and He loves me no matter what I was in the past.

Pictures from the summer 2010:

Is this thing on.................

It's been two years since I last posted.
    A lot has changed. A lot.
Tod and I got married February 28th 2014. Our 14 year anniversary together happened on April 1st 2014.
Kir and Hunter are happy and still together. Kira is attending medical assisting school and working part time at Bunnie's down town. Myoko is living in San Francisco, and works at two restaurants. Aiko is going to school at Sonoma and lives in a dorm. Her boyfriend Forrest is super sweet and they make a perfect couple.
Olivia is in 1st grade and has Mr. P (Puschnik) and loves him! Her best friends are Aria, Cora, and Milana.

   I think as I break from Facebook for a while, I will journal through blogger and start crafting again.
Spring is here, next week is Olivia's spring break and I would like to get the mancave and the scraproom cleaned out and summer will have us ready for crafts and activities.
   
   We decided to skip VBS this year and though that's a tough decision for me, I want to focus on Olivia's swimming, getting her into basketball and karate. So that will keep us pretty active!

   It's time to break from Facebook since I feel myself getting pulled to FB even when I have other pressing matters and I don't want to lose focus on Olivia and the family. With blogging, it's my time, and my photos and I don't need to get sucked into everyone else's negativity.


Feels good to be back - for me.

Current photos:

Pray and cry

Kira called me this morning with very sad and heartbreaking news about one of her best friends. We cried together on the phone, at times my heart physically ached as I listened to Kira explain the situation. My mind quickly went to prayer and with that came uncontrollable tears.
It's been a tough day, not sure what to think, I go from sadness to madness and then quickly hit my knees. Kira is extremely rocked to her core and as we can't fix things, I tell Kira how important it is to pray, pray and pray some more.

    When I logged into Facebook, I was greeted by this message. Thank you Jesus for always letting me know that you are with us. no matter what. I could not raise my head off the pillow without having faith, hope and peace knowing you are fighting for us.

Where did the summer go??

It's the first week of fall here and I LOVE fall....but where o where did summer go??
Man, I was in complete denial the first part of August when I realized Olivia would be starting Kindergarten at the end of August...NOT September like I told me brain over and over....sigh...bittersweet. Lot's of tears, worry and I would have to say almost a type of mourning. Mourning that I would no longer have my 5 year old sidekick by my side 24/7. Mourning that we wouldn't have time to snuggle after breakfast and watch Nick JR or her favorite cartoon Tom & Jerry. I was sad that we wouldn't spend the days drawing, playing with play-doh or watching Finding Nemo for the 74,41541515,15416512561 time!
   On the flip side I am blessed beyond words to be able to take her to and from school. I am blessed that I can volunteer and help her teacher, or the school. Now that's a blessing that I am so so grateful for. So as she  went to school on that first day, it was completely overwhelming for us both....what would I do with my half day "Olivia free"? What would she do without me not next to her to help her?
  We both managed. We both shed tears that day, neither one knowing the other one was crying. Then the next day got easier, and so on.
 Now Olivia looks forward to her new friends, her library time and her 3rd grade buddy named Olivia they visit on Friday's. I look forward to my days during the week that include a small moment of peace and quite to pray and thank God for all I have.



                                                           (4th of July 2012)

How is that I JUST discovered Ro?  (Ro Philippsen)
I found her blog today and I have been in love!!!!

http://www.scrapbyrophilippsen.blogspot.com/

Here's a sampling of her delicious work!!!
So happy, so cheerful, great colors, awesome placement....I love it all!! 

And a layout....who knew!?!?

Last year the bridesmaids & the two maid of honors in my sisters wedding made a layout each and put them in an album to give to her on the day of her AMAZZZZING wedding.......... I finally got to take a picture of the layouts Kira and I did......only a year later! HAHA!! The first one is the layout I did of my sister and I and the second one is the one Kira did of her and my sister.

Kira's Graduation 2012!

It's amazing how fast these last four years of high school just flew by. I have missed getting school drawings, or school projects to save for many years now, and I also miss when I would pick her up from school and she would tell me, "Did you know......" where I would learn something new about a state of something about an animal or something in history. Kira has always been a fast learner, excelling in math and challenging herself in things like history or science. She hit road blocks and worked through them, she learned from her mistakes, she grew into her own personality and became a beautiful, smart and kind young woman by the time she finished her high school years. I am blessed that Kira has a strong faith in God and is in love with Jesus, she has been a blessing to her family and continues to amaze me! She makes me laugh daily and even though she out grew that small child giggle, her laugh still makes my heart flitter every time I hear her laugh and smile. I pray God continues to bless her, that she continues to follow His path and always look to Him for her answers. 

Olivia's Preschool Graduation!!

I still find it hard to believe that Tod and I have an ALMOST five year old. It still blows me away when I look into her eyes and when I hear her sweet small voice that God had plans for us that we had nooooooooooo idea were coming. Yet, her she is ALMOST five years old and my precious little baby girl. We were blessed that the preschool in Seaside was just perfect for her, it may have been a longer drive for us, but the pay off was wonderful. She had a team of four great teachers, they were kind, nurturing, they were helpful, funny and patient. I loved each one of them!!!!

     Today when she graduated I was so emotional- It's a thing I have, God knows all about my tears of joy! I cried when she was lined up to walk down the isle and she saw us and waved so hard and proud with a big big smile! Then she leaned over to her one teacher and told her, "My momma and Kira are here!" (She couldn't see her daddy yet because he didn't stand up yet) As she walked down the isle and she saw her dad, she beamed and got so happy and smiled and waved so big at him!

    Thank you Jesus, thank you for your PERFECT plan, even when WE think we have it all under control and things figured out, you bring us this beautiful, healthy, happy, funny, spunky gift and I am able to call her mine.
I am blessed everyday by the love and joy she brings us daily. Thank you Jesus for giving me the responsibility and joy of being her momma. Amen.

Happy Easter!

This is my favorite holiday. It's my favorite time of year! Spring! :O)
First, this season is to celebrate Jesus and His unconditional love for us, how He has risen from the grave and is at God's right side. Because if Him, we are free, no matter what our circumstance, n matter where we came from, no matter how dark of places we were in, Jesus loves us and will ALWAYS love us, He has never turned His back, we just call on Him and He will help.... I in fact call in Him about 8k times a day! To keep me strong, to keep me focused, and to draw me closer to Him.

On to other things... Yesterday was salmon season here on the West Coast, so Tod and the girls went out at 3am and were back by 9:30 am. The waters were rough, but both Kira and Aiko landed really nice salmon!!! Tod was super proud, and even though he didn't catch one on that trip, it was awesome to have them pull in their own salmon for the first time! God told me the night before that There would be 6 salmon. They came home with 2 and I told Tod, "I wonder why He told me 6....?" Tod said, "Well maybe if we had stayed out longer we would have gotten the other 4 like He said"....AMAZING....Well, for my Tod to say that, to show faith...AMAZING- Thank you Jesus! :O) So we took the 2 salmon praised God and were blessed He provided those for us!

This morning Tod and his two buddies are fishing and will be home soon for Easter lunch. God told me last night Tod would catch two salmon(limit out) but I couldn't get info on the friends and if they would catch any... Tod called just about an hour ago to tell me he had a fish and as we were talking he said, "OH! I GOT ANOTHER FISH ON- GOTTA GO!!!" Hahahah! I laughed at God and how He worked it out, His timing, His sense of humor and His graciousness!! God is good! ALWAYS!!!!

Easter Blessings to all,

Jen