Ready for school to start.......

I never thought I would say this but I want school to start already...... This summer has been fun and full of family adventures now that I have dropped my sister off and she is gone its time to do work!!! I want school to start and get into my set routine again. It will be a bust routine but I love knowing what my days will be filled with. I am ordering the books I need this weekend and the only other thing to do before school starts is find me a new car. I think I have narrowed it down so hopefully not having to wait too long for that to happen. I am excited to start my Major classes. I have waited a long time for it and excited to be learning the things I want to now not just general requirement classes. Its also weird to think Ill be done with school before my sister comes home...im not gonna lie I am liking that ill be done first. I didnt think I was going to be able to say that seeing that my sis is almost finished. My little girls are so excited for their new class to start September 1st. I love that they are excited for school and how much they love the kids and people there :)

Sisters are put in our lives for reasons. My sister is my inspiration. She amazes me everyday and im grateful for having such a strong, intelligent, loving, passionate sister. Dropping her off at the MTC yesterday the only word to describe was quick. Get out of the car gave a hug and off she went. I hate that things are so amazing between us now and she is leaving but so excited for all the things that are going to come about during these next 18 months for the 2 of us. To think my little girls will be 5, def not gonna be little anymore!!!

Talking about my little ones..... life for them is amazing! I have said so many times they are now just little people and the more time goes on the more I see that in them. The things they come up with and say and the way they are is so amazing. I had 2 weddings to go to yesterday, my old roommate and my neighbor Colton's wedding. I took Layna with me to my roommates ring ceremony up in Midway and Cam went with my parents to Colton's Wedding and I met up with my family later on in the evening. On our way down Parleys Layna kept telling me how much she missed her sister. It had only been a couple hours but one of the most amazing things about my girls is the bond they have with one another. If one is sick, sad, or tired it doesn't matter the other wants them to be better happy and playing. They fight like all siblings do especially over toys but even so they wouldn't want it any other way. They love their sissy just like I love mine!!!

A pic from Colton's Wedding last night (Layna and Ash)

Ok so I really have a reason to be blogging now.....

I have really enjoyed this summer and especially since most of it has been with my family. Finally having my sister home from school and time to enjoy her before her big day (one week from today!!!)  It is nice to kinda get out of my routine of looking for things to do during the weekend outside the home and be able to be busy with whatever crazy adventure we decide to do. I am trying to do as much as I can for my family before sissy leaves because I know its gonna be a hard day. My parents are going to be wrecks!!!! Especially my dad they have such a strong bond. I am excited that I was appointed Juli's blogger while she was gone. I have started creating the blog and excited for what it will be about. All the stories and everything that is going on while my sister is serving on her mission :) We went last week and I took mission pictures for her. I was pretty proud since she is the photographer in the family. I had such a great day with her, I also took her down to Provo to a place she read in Food Network Magazine called Sammy's that is famous for their pie shakes..... it was a little dive of a place but it was fun atmosphere and the food was delicious!!!! I have missed having so many adventures with my sister and love the relationship we have now versus while we were young. I am so excited for her and know she is going to love these next 18 months...... Cant wait for this weekend, Juli's Firework party, farewell, and family time even with my own little family!!!

My goal is to blog every time I blog for my sister.... we will see how this goes with my first semester back at school full time and working :) Time to put my big girl pants on!!!

A great weekend.....

I was a little bummed to say good bye to my family while they went on vacation but so excited for them. It was my dad's 60TH BIRTHDAY last Saturday and they boarded the cruise on my parents 30TH ANNIVERSARY. I had the idea I wanted to do something special for them to celebrate these 2 important milestones. I decided to get a gift package for them while they are on the cruise. It had sparkling cider and cupcakes in the room when they got there the first day and different goodies and breakfast in bed and a picture from the cruise in a frame that they are going to get while they are there. I sure do miss the heck out of them. This last weekend was such a great one!!!! On Friday night I hung out with a close girlfriend then woke up Saturday to go to my appt for a pedi and facial that my mom bought me...... It was FABULOUS! It was so needed and peaceful until I walked out and saw the down pour in Murray. I met Brandon and got the girls and my friend Brook and we hung out for a little bit until we went to Brandon's Football game. I had to laugh and smile at how excited and supportive my girls were for their dad and watching him play..... they were so LOUD it was so cute to watch. Im glad the weather was good for us and we didnt get rained on. That night I hung out with friends and we had one great night at my house! It was windy Sunday but it was nice to sit out and watch the girls play on their new scooters. They have such a fun time. I am still getting me and the girls over a cold we have had and I have been so drained lately that I hope it goes away soon. I have loved making dinner and sitting down with just my girls this week. Great bonding time.

On another note I want to know why I have had such crazy, and scary dreams lately. This week has been horrible. Pretty close to the crazy ones I had while I was pregnant. :) Its a cold gloomy day and was thinking about what to make for dinner and Brandon gave me the idea for soup. MMMMMMMM cant wait I think that will be just what we need today.

ok now back to what I was doing!!!

A Picture of the first gift from the package I got my parents

A video of the girls on Sunday out on the scooters (dont mind my voice in the background :)

Day thirteen something I'm afraid of....

Well if you know me I am very afraid of spiders lol but on a deeper note something big I am afraid of is being a let down as a mother. I was young when I had the girls and being a single mother to twins puts a big stigma on me. That I will be low income uneducated and struggle to provide for my family. I am doing what I can for this not to happen. School is a killer. It is so hard for me to study for a class because the time allowed for it is after 9:00 usually and that is the time I am tired and want to go to bed. I am determined to get this degree if it kills me. I have but too much time and effort to not come out with a Bachelors Degree plus the opportunities that it can open for a job. I can't wait for the day that I am married, a college graduate and steady on my feet that will be a great achievement for my family. i am def not a perfect mother but there are things I am working on to help me as well as my little ones. Another thing I am afraid of is being alone. I am surrounded by family at the house but when my girls are up with their dad is a lonely feeling. They are my 3 favorite people and it's hard to be without them. Many have said it would be nice for the break but after you have done it every other weekend for years it's not all that great because I'd rather be with them. They are my best friends and since im lacking in the friend dept they are really the things I love to surround myself with. I am so excited my sister has moved home. Having her here makes things much better and need to get my time in before she leaves for 18 months. I have seen pretty much all my friends get married and awaiting that chapter in my life. Being 45 mins from your partner is rough, but it's livable just def not ideal since I see him usually once a week. I'm grateful for him in my life and take any time I can with him.


Mothers day 2011- my babes are such a fun age right now. They are proud of their momma and it was fun to do breakfast at school for mothers day and all the stuff they make me. Puts the biggest smile on my face :) they did give me a cold on mothers day but seeing them at church singing to me made up for that. I love my little girls so much. Children are truly a blessing!!!!

Moms and Muffins day at school :)

day twelve... a photo of me taken ten years ago :)

So when I think back to 10 years ago, 2 people come to mind: Chelsie Lorence (D'Amico) and Janalee Allred (Matheson). We were the 3 amigos for sure! We did everything together and it was definitely nice having 2 best friends so close. I have so many seriously so many memories with these girls. Chelsie blogged about Roberts closing the other day and it brought back those memories and getting gelly pens and walking around the parking lot down there. I love these girls and so glad I grew up with them at my side :)



********on a side note I posted on day nine about a favorite place, Paradise Point. I was looking for a picture of me 10 years ago and ran into a picture from when my sister and I were young taken at Paradise Point. When we went back in 2009 my sister and I took another picture recreating the one from years before. Here it is .... I thought it was pretty cute :)



***** on an extra side note.... again while looking for a picture today I found these 2. One taken 1990 the other 2009 :) Gotta love it haha I just looked and you can hardly see me in the one from 1990 but im in there lol

semester done, back in action!!!

Ok so when school gets crazy and I have a lot of homework blogging takes a side note... now that the semester is over I keep sitting here scared that I have homework to do but I dont so im going to blog. I will do a post about Easter next weekend when my sister moves home and I can upload the pics from her camera. This weekend was great! I had myself my own 3 day weekend. On Thursday I went to work for the day picked up my girls from daycare and headed up to Logan to see my sister. We got there about 7:30 then I got my sister and we went to find some dinner. My sister was not the best helper trying to figure it out so we finally went to Jimmy Johns. They didnt have her bread so we left and went to this other local sandwich place it was closed lol so we ended up getting Chick Fil A. We came home and tried to watch Greys Anatomy was a little hard to watch with my girls all over exploring my sister's house. I finally put my girls to bed watched a little more TV and we went to bed. In the morning my sister had to work for a few hours so I drove her up to campus so she wasnt late and came back to her house and finished watching Beauty and the Beast with my girls. Got us ready and went to the mall. Looked at a couple stores and then I found the little play area for the kids. My girls LOVED IT! Layna was even asked by a little boy for her phone number.... her response was 3 lol I didnt know little boys start so young these days. I am sure in trouble with Miss Layna she is such a FLIRT... even at daycare!! We then picked up my sister from work and went to Chillis for lunch and took a good nap when we got home. I packed up the girls stuff and met Brandon in Brigham City for his weekend with the girls. I went back to Logan and spent one more night with her. We went up on campus for an Aggie Fest. They renamed a street Aggie Blvd and had a bunch of live bands play and Sean Kingston to end it all. It got pretty cold during the middle of the show (it was outside) so we went and got some late dinner. In the morning I helped pack up some of the big items my sister needed to move home and drove back to Salt Lake. I did a few errands and came home. I had a dinner that night to celebrate a friend's birthday and hung out with some other friends then called it a night. It is beautiful outside today the sun is so refreshing!!! I am happy school is over for a couple months and I can focus on some things I have wanted to do at home and with my girls. I never finished the 30 day challenge so this is me resuming from where I left off :)

day eleven... Favorite TV shows...

oh man this def is a hard one for me.... i watch so many different kind of TV shows

Old ones i still watch as reruns on the SOAP net...

One tree hill

OC

Gilmore Girls

Food shows.....

DINERS DRIVE INS and DIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cupcake Wars

Chopped

Dinner Impossible

Next Food Network Star

Reality Shows

The VOICE!!!

American Idol

Audrina

Teen Mom

Dancing with the Stars

Drama

Greys Anatomy

Desperate Housewives

Glee

I have more but cant think of the rest right now :)

day nine.... A place I love...

When it comes to a place I love it definitely is with the people I love. I dont always get to see those who I truely love so when I do it means a lot and definitely a place I love to be. As for an actual place I love that would be Paradise Point, which used to be Princess Resort in San Diego, California. My earliest memories on vacation with my family are to this resort. I remember the rooms, the ponds, the pools, the ducks, the bike rides, the Barefoot Bar and Grill, the sand, the walks and of course time spent with my family. It is a magical place! Its a place you can be for a week and forget about the outside world. The best part of this place is 2 summers ago I got to take my little girls to this special place, not to stay at the resort but to walk around, feed the ducks and remember, remember how even the simpliest things can bring so much happiness to me. I can not wait till I am able to go back and stay there!!!!

These are pictures from our last trip there....

day eight.... A hobby of mine!

I am not someone who has that one thing they are known for doing like a sports, scrapbooking, art, photography, singing or dancing. That is just not me. Now I wish I was really good at some of those things and many around me are amazing at them but I think my true real hobby is doing make up. I have loved make up since my first little kit my mom got me when I was a child. I remember middle school days and white eye liner, my cappuccino lip gloss and it grew from there. I remember buying my first MAC eyeshadow, it was vanilla :) MAC amazes me everytime I walk into their store or up to their counter. I love the artistic vision that comes with make up, the colors its so much fun! Since I was in middle school I was the friend that did the other friends make up. I wish I had the collection that I could do full face make up for all my friends all the time and maybe one day I will. It definitely is a dream job for me. Taking classes and getting even better at it. I watch a make up guru on youtube all the time. Her name is Aubrey. I can sit for hours learning more and more ways to do things or what products work best. I love that every time i'm with my friend Dawny she insists that I do her make up. Makes me happy that I get to do it on someone besides myself. Even her roommate wants me to teach her. So out of all the amazing things people around me do, my hobby I enjoy to do is make up !!!!!!

day seven..... an animal id love to keep as a pet...

Ever since I was young I have loved monkeys and or gorillas. I read and had to do a report on Koko the gorilla who knew sign language when I was young and right then is when I fell in love with all kinds of monkeys. I was so mesmerized by Koko and loved how nurturing she was, even to a little kitten :) Monkeys are amazing to watch I could do it for hours. Swinging through trees and even their mannerisms are just hilarious to watch.... this is a little bit of a strange post but gotta love them monkeys :)

Day six.... My celebrity crush :)

I am pretty sure if you know me even a little bit you will know that my celebrity crush is this man.....
Dwight Howard.

He is a NBA Basketball Player for the Orlando Magic. I am obsessed with this man and not afraid to show it :) He is a great basketball player and asset to the Magic but the thing I like most is how great of a person he is. He has a scholarship program for kids who attend this alma mater Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, and grants to an elementary and middle school. He also has a basketball camp for youth that he does every summer. He recently in October came out with a kids CD of 11 songs which encourages kids to chase their dreams. The proceeds from that CD are going to the BETACenter. He is active in his church and has an extremely great heart. He loves his fans. Its nice to have someone you look up to who cares about his fans. I know people think im crazy for liking him so much but he is a good hearted celebrity and that is definitely few and far between and why he is my celebrity crush .... well his looks are pretty nice too :)
I have had a great couple of weeks. My aunt came into town and my sister was home for her spring break 2 weeks ago. It was definitely a great week and weekend. My aunt is an amazing cook and her with the help of my SISTER and some from my dad made homemade everything. I love being Sicilian. This past week was my spring break. On Tuesday I went and Volunteered at the U of U hospital with the Parent to Parent program. It is a program for mothers who are on bedrest on the hospital or parents who have children in the NBICU. I did both at this hospital and the Parent to Parent program helped me in that long 13 weeks we were involved at the hospital. Becky is in charge and I was able to help her do the Antepardum luncheon. We made survivor necklaces to show all that we have and will go through during the stay at the hospital. It was so much fun and a great experience cant wait to go back on Thursday. I also had a very very short notice spur of the moment little vaca with a friend. I figured that I wasn't going to be able to go on trips for awhile due to work and other trips that have some stuff come up so I decided to go. It was a nice getaway and def had a blast!!!! Now back to work, school and everything else called REALITY.......

day four and five....

Day four....

Meaning behind my blog name.

I wish I could say that I had some extremely creative and story behind my blog name. But as you can see jessicaslittlefamily is very self explanatory. I had thought a lot about it before I picked it but decided that it was a way for family and friends to see how my family was doing so that was enough for me for a blog name. Maybe once my family gets bigger i'll change it up and have some super cool creative blog name.

Day five.....My parents

I am grateful to have the parents that I do.

My mom- I remember hearing as a child listen to your parents they know best. When I was a teenager I definitely thought I was smarter than my mother. Little did I know I wasn't. She knows it all :) She has so much love for her family. She will do anything for us. She works so hard at a job that she is amazing at and still comes home to her husband, myself and my babies. I have loved how much our relationship has grown since I was that know it all teenager. I think that having children helped that as well. She has taught me so much and how to be a great person, mother and friend and I am grateful to her for that.

My dad- Boy do I have a great dad. I think my favorite thing about my dad is hearing all the million of stories he has from a fun and eventful life he has lived thus far. My sister and I want to get him a tape recorder to record all of his amazing memorable stories. He can be stubborn ( that is where I get it) but most of the time he is thinking about others and things that he could do to help him. He is such a social butterfly. His job allows him to talk to 100s of people a day and I know he gets a kick out of it. He is definitely an "Sicilian." He gets made fun of for his use of hand gestures while he talks. It makes me laugh. He is a great cook! Food is something that brings our family together. Being Sicilian and growing up with big grandma making dinners every week my dad and his sisters have become great cooks. We all get together and cook and my sister and I learn from the best :)

My parents have helped me more than I could ever express. They have given my daughters and myself somewhere to live and a place to run and grow. I will forever be indebted to my parents.

I love them!!!

Day three....

Pet peeves.....

I almost dont even want to do this post..... from other blogs I have read I kinda feel like this blog is a space for someone to write all the things they dont like about other people. I can see that as being a pet peeve but thats definitely not how I want to write this blog, so I am deciding to write pet peeves I have with myself....

....i have said this before but I am too sensitive, dont get me wrong its not always a bad thing but there is a time and place to be sensitive and I do need to build a little bit thicker skin so that things dont hurt me so much that really shouldnt be

.... i stress at things or situations that I shouldnt. I am in a class that is helping me so much with this. Realizing that its me doing it to myself has really started to change my mindset on it, and relaxation exercises have really helped.

.... since having children I have a harder time being on time to things. I am not always late but my mom instilled being punctual since I was young and its definitely something I would like to work harder on.

....my self confidence level. It has never been where I want it to be and only person who can change that is me. Not worrying to much what others are thinking or saying about me. I know my self worth I just need to be better at showing others this as well.

....PROCRASTINATION.... man school work is so hard for me to not procrastinate. This semester has been actually pretty good in that department but something I always have to keep working on so that I get that paper declaring me a graduate!!

....having effective time management. I had to do an assignment for that in class and I noticed that if I have better time management so much more is done and accomplished. Thats always a great feeling!

....not voicing my opinion. I dont always have a hard time with that depends on the person or situation I am in. Everyone else has an opinion and I should be fine and not feel guilty or think it will start something with someone.

i know there are many more but for the time being this will be all.... got to get back to what I was doing :)

ITS FRIDAY!!!!

dAy TwO......

What is my favorite movie......

Ever since I was in middle school and saw Save

the Last Dance it has been my favorite movie. I could sit and watch it over and over agai

n for hours... well i actually have done this.... lol I love movies and have many that I love. Like I said yesterday in my post there are 3 other favorite movies that I have. Love and Basketball, The Wood and Brown Sugar. I watched The Wood for the first time in Brandon's apartment when we went to snow so it kinda turned into "our movie." Then we found Love and Basketball and Brown Sugar and those 2 have also become "our movies." I love

having pretty much the same cast or actors in these movies. It actually brought us to our song which is This Womans Work by Maxwell. I love that song!!! So when I am asked what my favorite movie is its a little hard to give a straight answer cause 4 of them are really all my favorite :)

30 days of blogging

I wanted to start this the other day after my other blog but got to busy to do so, so here I am with time so might as well start. I saw this on my friend Chelsie's blog and since I said in my blog yesterday that I want to blog more it is a good way to get going for 30 days. I like how everyone is doing this... its nice to get to know your friends and loved ones just a little more :)

Here's the list of things...

day {1}: recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts about you

day{2}: your favorite movie

day {3}: pet peeves

day {4}: meaning behind your blog name

day {5}: your parents

day {6}: your celebrity crush

day {7}: an animal you'd love to keep as a pet

day {8}: a hobby of yours

day {9}: a place you love

day {10}: a person you love

day {11}: favorite tv shows

day {12}: photo of you taken ten years ago

day {13}: something you're afraid of

day {14}: your makeup bag

day {15}: your family

day 16: something you're looking forward to

day {17}: favorite book

day {18}: what makes you different from everyone else

day {19}: something you bought recently

day {20}: favorite song

day {21}: your friends

day {22}: a place you've traveled to

day {23}: favorite recipe

day {24}: favorite photo

day {25}: plans/dreams/goals you have

day {26}: a habit you wish you didn't have

day {27}: a picture of you last year and a picture of you now

day {28}: something that stresses you out

day {29}: put your ipod on shuffle, what are the first ten songs

day {30}: photo of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

this will be interesting..

DAY {one}

15 interesting facts about me....

one. I have lived in 5 homes since i was born. Its crazy that i have lived in Utah now for 14 years. It has flown by.

two. I have been a college student for 6 years and still dont have a Bachelors degree...i had slacked a little in the beginning and having children definitely slows down that process but im almost close to having only 3 semesters left till I graduate!!!

three. I am a sucker for romance. Whether it be on tv and movies, or books, or music or the real world. I am a sap and love LOVE!

four. i am a very sensitive person. I have always been that way. I definitely need a bit tougher shell. I care so much for people and their happiness. Have always been someone who will do anything I could or think of to help out someone I love and care for.I like being a caretaker. .

five. Brown Sugar, Love and Basketball and The Wood. Its simple I am in love with these movies. Brandon is the only person I love to watch them with. They always remind me of him :)

six. I never thought Id get a second chance at love with the same person. I feel lucky to have him by my side.

seven. I have a new obsession of necklaces. My co workers friend makes them and I cant get enough. I need them in every color.

eight. I am proud to be a mother. Life never happens how you think it will and being a single mom was definitely not something I planned but man do my children make me grateful for the things I have. They amaze me and I am blessed that those 2 little girls are nice and healthy :)

nine. I have 2 amazing parents. They work hard for what they have. My sister did a post about Valentines Day and I love how much love my dad has for my mom, he sure is the romantic kind of husband! I am grateful to them everyday for all that they have done for me and my children. I dont know where i'd be without them.

ten. I am obsessed with cooking shows. I love the food network. I love it more when I get to watch it with my dad. He is a good cook and to see him get excited about it excites me.

eleven. To go with the last fact I want to go around and eat at every place in Utah that has been mentioned on Diners Drive Ins and Dives. I also want to write in my favorite spot Mokis. Maybe they will think its as great as I do :)
twelve. I was in my first car accident that was not my fault yesterday. Thank goodness it was as small as it was. I am grateful that she was not going fast.

thirteen. I am grateful for the friendships that I do have. I have gone through many and some a lot harder to end than others but I am grateful for a friend to trust, laugh with and care for.

fourteen. I am lucky to have a job. With all the economic stuff going on I am grateful for the last 2 years to be employed with a steady paycheck. I have seen loved ones struggle with this and I pray everyday that they will find a job.

fifteen. Last one, I have finally have a good sav ings underneath me and cant wait for it to grow and move into my own place. I love my parents but I want so badly to have a home of my own. I know we will miss having family around all the time but absence makes the heart grow founder right? lol It will be a great change in mine and my daughters life.

A new start.....

I want a new start in the blogging world. I have been good and bad at it but really want to get back in the habit. My sister is an amazing blogger I only wish I could sound like her when I write. Another thing she took from me at birth lol my creative gene. My good friend Chelsie always asks when I will post so here Chels this is for you!!!

This year has been alright to me so far. I have been in a funk that Im trying to get out of. Little things as a person I am trying to do better to make me happier and eliminate stress in my life. Stress is my downfall. I stress over the dumbest things and I literally laugh at myself when I sit back and look at myself. I am in this stress management class that is a life saver. You know when a teacher tells you this will be the best and most influential class you ever take and you look at them like you are crazy? My teacher said this at the beginning of the semester and he couldn't be anymore right. Why am I causing myself so much stress. Stress is so internal I never even realized it. It is a blessing to work on and to improve my stress levels cause lets be real with each other im crazy when I am stressed. Slowly getting better.

The Babes: Well I should be saying 13 year olds. Boy do my girls have sass. They are learning and the way they light up when they tell me the new things they learned is priceless. They recently started going to a new preschool/daycare that they are loving. They love the idea of going "to school" and seeing their friends!!! They are everywhere these days. Want to know everything and definitely do everything THEMSELVES lol, but they are the best cuddle buddies and daughters a girl could ask for!!

The Family: I have really enjoyed spending a lot more time with my family these last 4 or 5 months. Its hard to tell that my sis is at Utah State due to the fact I think she has only spent a few weekends up at school this semester, but I am not complaining, having a best friend around the house quite frequently is a great thing. She is such an amazing woman ( I can say woman now that she is 20 lol.) I look up to my baby sister so much. She has so much faith and unconditional love that I sit back in awe. These last couple weeks she has been getting papers ready to serve an LDS mission. I am so proud and excited for this next chapter in her life. This last week I have thought about how much I am really going to miss her. It still is early and she isnt leaving tomorrow but the thought of her missing things in my life and not having a best friend around all the time is saddening, but it is a great opportunity for her and she will be a great missionary so I just have to say BRING IT ON!!!! I love you sissy!!