BTW.....

If you are not a friend of mine on facebook then I am here to tell you about the other blog I have. My friend Amanda and I came up with the idea to but educational and fun activities in a blog for other mothers and families to use. Amanda is a SAHM and wanted ideas for her little one to do during the day. I am in school and work and know that many other families are the same way and need somewhere to go get ideas for activities. We are are just starting out but already excited about this blog.

Take a look for yourself!!!!

 {click picture}

Oh September how I love you....

I know its still warm and not technically fall yet but once September comes I cant help but smile waiting for the leaves to turn, the cool crisp air and everything that comes with fall. Well my first week of school is finished and was not bad at all. Im thinking this semester will be just fine. I was bummed at first with classes being switched around so much which pushed graduation till next April but that really isnt too far away and the best part will be having my sister home to see that. Discussing graduation with the counselor last week I had a huge smile on my face. I have been doing this for so long and it is so close to being done. What an accomplishment that will be. Girls had dance this morning then got dressed and off to their first day of Pre K. Even if its just changing classes they are excited for this year and new things they will be learning. Im excited for them as well. They get a kick that the 3 of us all go to school. We went to City Creek as a family yesterday for Labor Day and I enjoyed getting to spend time with my mom and dad especially with my mom being gone for the last 2 weeks. I had never been down to City Creek yet so was great to see it all. My mom works at the Key Tower right there in City Creek so we went and looked at her office on the 25th floor. We walked around and also over to Temple Square. My children's favorite part was the Disney Store. They were gasping every other second at this and that. I did wish it was more like the Disney Store I grew up with just more toys and things but all of the dress up was amazing. They are exited to pick something out before we go to Disneyland in March. I am also enjoying my job. I love my co workers and slowly and surely figuring everything out. I will get calls that I know everything to and then Ill get a call that I am baffled with. Its how you learn but all in all I really like it. Well its about that time for me to get things ready to go to work. Cant wait to see all of what Fall has in store for us :)

Update about us :)

Finally a new post...... So since February my life was perma stress..... worrying about school and trying to find a job to support us and work with school schedule was wearing me down. I did work at Curves for a few months for a couple hours in the afternoon Monday- Friday but was not making money to write home about. I kept praying and looking for something better and would work with school in the mornings 3 times a week come fall.... my lovely mother stumbled upon an ad for a Medical Billing position which I have not done yet but with the last 3 years around Dental and Medical Billing I was a great fit and got the job!!!!!!!!!!! I have finished training and this week have been chair siding to get comfortable to do it on my own. I love the company I am working for and finally a bigger company. I have appreciated the small companies I have worked for the last 3 years but there is a definite difference.

 My girls have been in swimming lessons last couple weeks and today started their first pre- ballet and tap class that they LOVED. If you know my girls you know they love to dance and the smiles on their faces today melted my heart. :)

 If you know me you know I lost my IPhone on the 4th of July... BUMMER and the worst part was I told myself that I would leave it, silly girl didn't listen to her own conscious lol I have been using my boyfriends old phone waiting until the new IPhone comes out and it died on me and never turned back on so then my mom lent me her old blackberry to use. To add to the technology issues went to turn on my laptop last week and it decided to not work..... SERIOUSLY JESS WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO YOUR ELECTRONICS!!! Computer was a steal from Walmart a couple years ago (since I lost well think I left my old laptop on my car and drove off) and has been good up until now. Acer is not my favorite computer brand but now looking for something else since being a student and having a laptop makes life a whole lot easier.

I will be finishing up school in April next year and can't wait. All this time, stress, tears and studying will finally pay off! Things are finally falling in the right direction and it feels great! I know things happen for a reason and love seeing that coming to life for me....

My next new project is starting a blog with my friend Amanda. We are both moms to 2 beautiful girls and wanted activities that were educational and fun to do and thought it would be even better to share with other moms and families. So click HERE to check out our blog and follow!!!!!

Here are a few pics from our summer so far:

many more posts to come!!!!! I promise :)

-Jess

Excited for a new experience!!!!!

I had the opportunity to meet with a director of Welcome Baby a program offered by Children's Service Society that helps new moms and families with questions, expectations of their new addition, ideas for games and activities and offer relevant information on community resources. This fall I will be doing my Practicum for my Family Studies major and since I will becoming a Family Life Educator this volunteer work is perfect to add to my experience. A lot of this I am familiar with because we had someone like this come to our home every month and help the girls close the gap in their development milestones since they were 2 months early. With all the help I received from that program or Parent to Parent program at the U of U hospital, it is now a passion of mine to help other families. I feel like I've always been someone who has wanted to help anyone who needed it especially loved ones and friends and now get to help other mothers who want help. I received my Home Visitor Guide and other information that I will be using and now just need to do my online training.

Today has been a great day. Woke up and got the things done for my unemployment insurance and had to call the Dws office. Got ready, and went to my meeting for Welcome Baby. My girls got to play outside with their Papa helping plant in the garden and play with the sprinklers and even a Home Depot run. I cam home made a nice salad for lunch and did some laundry. I also got a tall glass of water, turned on Pandora on the iPad and relaxed out in the sun. Was really relaxing. Girls and I had left over chicken, broccoli and rice for dinner and got them ready for bed, read stories and now picking up. The sun definitely wore them out and without a nap today they are sleepy and ready for bed early :) Now to my online training!!!!!

Enjoying time home with the girls with no school or work. Shall be short lived. Summer school starts May 7 and still trying to find me a job..... Cross your fingers for me

What a beautiful day......

What a week it has been without my parents home... Man is it a different feeling to not come upstairs and be able to talk to my parents. My girls come to me everyday and say they miss their Ju Ju  (Aunt Juli) but tell me she is a missionary teaching people, it is quite cute and yes I miss Ju Ju as well but now with my parents gone I hear 2 little ones tell me they miss their Ju Ju and Grandma and Grandpa. This trip for them has been great thus far but we have had the added bonus of Facetime (thanks Apple) and been able to video chat multiple days in a row which we have never been able to before. Its fun for the girls to get to understand where Paris is and for my parents to describe all they have done so far. Cant wait for them to get back. School semester is coming to a close. This weekend with an empty house, parents gone and girls with their dad is going to be filled with finishing the last of the many papers I have written this semester. A quiet house is exactly what I need to accomplish this. Still looking for a job. With school hours trying to find one has been quite hard and will have the availability for the summer but then will have the same problem with classes in the morning 3 times a week and also adding 9 hours a week for my practicum so we will see what happens there. It has been very nice to have 3 full days with just my girls this week. Doesn't usually happen but have really enjoyed it and getting to spend that alone one on one time with the twins

. Have been thinking about my last post and about sharing everything with my mission to become healthy. I decided that I dont want to be that public about it. I feel like its an area for people who dont have my best interest at heart to see a very vulnerable side of me so I have started my own personal journal and when a milestone or great progress has been made I will definitely share. I am trying to become healthy physically and mentally and change some things and be happy with my life and all the things I am grateful to have and to share.

 Received a letter from my sister last week and its crazy how much my little sister inspires me. When things are hard and I am  down she has always been right there to remind me that things are ok and picks me up when I am down on myself. I am so grateful for her and her love. It radiates all the way from Texas and can I add she sends such awesome envelopes. If you know my artistic sister you will know her quirky cartoon style pictures and love looking at all the cute drawings that are posted all over when we receive letters. Today is Beautiful and I cant wait to get to enjoy that. Happy Saturday Everyone:)

A new me......

So the last couple weeks have been all about school and trying to find a new job..... I have decided that as I am starting a new chapter in life with work Im starting a new chapter in life with myself. Since the beginning of this year I have started watching what I am eating, counting calories and working out more. I have never really been one to discuss my body or weight because I have been so embarrassed but have decided this is the year to do something about it. I have had this quest for many years and have done better at some things than others but really just want to get healthy and be happy with myself and for my family. I think that recording my progress is going to be more motivating and actually a good journal to see progress. I want to post once a month about progress, triumphs, hardships and everything in between. Things that have helped and thing that havent. So here we go starting next Thursday March 1st my written conquest of becoming a new and better self.

Can I just say that my lil sidekicks are just blossoming before my eyes. It is so much fun to see the growth and development in their thinking and learning skills. They just know so much and it is fun to sit down and pick their brain about different things. The funnest thing lately is what they learned about Martin Luther King Jr and that he had a dream and wanted everyone to be treated the same. They learned a song and love to sing it around the house and I bought them a book through a book order for them and to see the light they have for him at just 4 years old is just so precious. I love those little girls so much!!!!

Slowly Breaking.....

Last Friday I found out that I was going to be laid off due to my company being sold and the new company not needing me. Was very frustrated to not know the details of how much longer I had a job because everything was up in the air, and now this week am told by a co worker that Friday is my last day. No one from management has had the respect for me to tell me any of this and have relied on having a co worker who would inform me so that I actually knew. Having a family and no job is scary and hope that this is temporary and a change for the better since I have not really liked my job for months now. I found out a friend of my parents has Stage 3 Lung Cancer the same day I found out i was being laid off. I am so grateful for good health and that my family is healthy but I am just so over whelmed. I have an amazing family and mother who has positive words for me and even friends but I feel with this happening, 15 credit hours at school and just life that im slowly breaking. I hate feeling like this let alone blog about it but just needed a way to get this out. I keep so much inside and its not healthy to do that. I know things happen for a reason and all will be ok but just need a way to get out of this funk that im in.

......well I think I am done with this rant..... time will tell all

So I update my sister Missionary blog and not mine... I see a problem with that!!!

I am known for going missing for months and months on here but if I can update my sister's blog I can surely update mine. I am going a little batty trying to organize my life with work and school. I am taking 15 credit hours and working close to 30 hours a week and Im trying to find my balance. I know things are crazy but to think at the end of the year I will get to graduate and walk and get a Bachelors Degree makes it all worth it!!!! The Holidays were great! I had so much fun spending time with my family, my little family and Brandon's family. Def missed my sister but her phone call was great and she is so happy to be in Texas it makes it all that much better.Even though im super busy I have been finding time to let the crafty girl inside me out and making a lot of the fun things I see on Pinterest for my little home. My newest project is a reading corner for my girls. I saw a fun way to make a book shelf out of wood spice racks from Ikea but having gone there Saturday and seeing that they are over sold I need to think of something else to make the book shelf. I did get a fun rug and oversized pillow for the corner that Im excited about!! Im not that creative we all know this but I enjoy it and its my way to get away from my school and work time. Ive always been jealous of all these women I know that are so creative and artistic (my sister being one!) but I do what I can.



Well here is my first of hopefully many more posts to come for the time being..... this stressful day at work just got better with a little time out to blog :)