Carving Pumpkins

We had fun! Notice the Happy Birthday tablecloth ~ it’s my friends birthday today, and she was up visiting so we had a Happy Birthday pumpkin carving party. Jayden drew his pumpkin’s face. He’s pretty proud of it.

It was Family Home Evening and everyone jumped right into the carving pumpkins before I could give my lesson. So, while everyone was carving I was talking about prayer and asking Jayden questions about prayer ~ Jenise probably thinks we’re a bunch of religious psychos LOL. It’s so important to have that 1 day a week that you’re together as a family. It’s what builds strong families, and I owe it to my family to ensure that it’s done every week…. even if it’s a quickie 🙂

These are the moments that I’m so scared to lose. I don’t want them to grow up and not get excited about sitting around the table together to carve pumpkins. I truly treasure every single moment with these kids. Even the screaming fits I get out of them. Their personalities just shine through them and I love it! I love how they are their own individuals and I hope they stay that way. I don’t want them to change themselves for ANYBODY!


Pumpkin Patch

Can’t believe it’s already that time of year! We took the kids to the pumpkin patch yesterday and took lots and lots of REALLY cute pictures. Ella loved it out there. She cried when we left. I think she enjoyed just wandering out in the beautiful country. Since we went on a weekday we weren’t able to do all the fun stuff (pony rides, tractor rides, corn maze…) so, we’ll have to go back this weekend. My friend Jenise was up visiting from Sacramento and she came along with us and picked out a pumpkin to carve too! Hope you enjoy the pictures and video!! BTW ~ I bought the video camera I was raving about a couple days ago, so expect many videos of the kids! Here’s one I took at the pumpkin patch ~ I have some of carving the pumpkins too, but that’ll be in the carving pumpkin post 🙂







Pumpkin Patch

Can’t believe it’s already that time of year! We took the kids to the pumpkin patch yesterday and took lots and lots of REALLY cute pictures. Ella loved it out there. She cried when we left. I think she enjoyed just wandering out in the beautiful country. Since we went on a weekday we weren’t able to do all the fun stuff (pony rides, tractor rides, corn maze…) so, we’ll have to go back this weekend. My friend Jenise was up visiting from Sacramento and she came along with us and picked out a pumpkin to carve too! Hope you enjoy the pictures and video!! BTW ~ I bought the video camera I was raving about a couple days ago, so expect many videos of the kids! Here’s one I took at the pumpkin patch ~ I have some of carving the pumpkins too, but that’ll be in the carving pumpkin post 🙂







Week’s Goals

Well, the Flylady is in the Master Bedroom this week. Thinking I might need to jump on in and get to working on my Master Bedroom/Office.

I have goals for this week! Here they are:

1) Do a total of 10 loads of laundry (I let it get a little out of control ~ surprise surprise)

2) Get tenant files moved into the new plastic tote filing thingys I bought ~ this way Ella can’t get them.

3) Financial reports done by Friday – I HAVE TO DO THIS!

4) I’m trying to work on my evening routine. It’s important for me to have my living room picked up and my kitchen clean for me to wake up to. My goal for this week is practice doing this EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! I have a much better morning when I do this.

Goals for Jayden:

1) Make sure he practices EVERY SINGLE NIGHT this week on his piano
2) Get his karate notebook put together and work with him on his code of ethics
3) Practice Reading every night

No goals for Ella

Goals for Marriage:

1) Stay positive and don’t nag

and that’s it on Goals for Marriage 🙂 that’s a REALLY hard goal!

Okay ~ so these are the things I’m working on this week – I’ll regroup on Friday and see how I did.

Today my friend Jenise is up from Sacramento visiting. We’re going to the pumpkin patch today and **whispers** we might have some video of it to upload if I get my Flip video camera like I wanted YAY!!!!

I want another camera


I have an obsession with cameras. I always want a new one. Well, I’m pretty happy with my actual camera, but not my video camera. I don’t take videos of the kids much because it really SUCKS! I was one of the new pretty digital ones. I’m even thinking that I could really use one of these FLIP video cameras just to take little clips of the funny things that the kids do. There’s so many things that I want to remember. Like the way Ella squeezes and the funny dances Jayden does. I’m adding one of these to my Christmas list.

Gino’s going to kill me when I tell him I want ANOTHER camera.

He’s Worthy!

Gino went to meet with the Bishop tonight and was interviewed for the Aaronic Priesthood. Just another stepping stone that puts a smile on my face and warm fuzzies inside.

I never thought I’d be here in my life and I’m so happy that I finally am. I look back at the stupid mistakes I made and could kick myself in the butt, but I think I need to be thankful for those mistakes, because if it wasn’t for those mistakes maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today.

Life is so short, and you never know when your time is going to come. Today on our way to karate there was an accident on the other side of the freeway. The entire front of the SUV was demolished. I started to cry. I felt absolutely horrible for the poor family that was about to receive the news that they lost someone they loved. I honestly do not believe that there were any survivors in the front seat. It literally was smashed to nothing.

We could wake up tomorrow and it could be our last day. That is how I want to live my life. I want to feel reassured that if I was to die tomorrow would I be proud and happy of the way I was living my life and treating the ones that I love. I can say now that I would be.

Heads Up

The other day Jayden was in the bath and Ella was in there talking with him. She was secretly in her head trying to figure out how she could get herself in the bath tub with him. How do I know this as I’m sitting in the other room? She does it every single time I’m in the bath. She tries to launch her foot over the side of the tub.

I told Gino continuously stay in there with her! He thought I was crazy. There’s no way she’s going to get in there with him.

LUCKILY ~ Supermom was in the bathroom with her phone to snap pics when Ella flips over into the tub. She was so proud of herself.

She thinks she’s scarier than the monsters!

Ella is not scared of all the Halloween stuff. Instead of crying she growls at it. She really thinks she’s scary too!

She saw a fish yesterday while Gino was fishing on the Wii and said, “Fish!” She’s growing up. She’s imitating everything we do, and even likes to wash her own hair. She’s such a little dare devil and so opposite of Jayden. It’s so crazy how they all have their own little personalities.

I feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to stay home with Ella. I hope that I don’t have to go back to working in an office ever again, but I know someday I will. Even though I get frustrated sometimes and just want to get away, I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.

No More Razor Burn


It’s been a long time, but I thought I’d jump on the Works For Me Wednesday train today. Today’s tip is simple, most people probably already know it, but for those few that don’t….

Are sick of having razor burn under your arms when you shave? I used to get it horribly until I shaved in the opposite direction first. Then after you do that you can shave normally and for some unknown reason to me I don’t get razor burn.

For many more things that work for others head over to Rocks in my dryer.

You had to know a complaint/vent was coming…

The baptism was beautiful and wonderful and everything that I expected, but I can’t hold this in anymore.

My inlaws and my brother were the rudest ever! Gino’s parents held it together through the baptism, and honestly I think my MIL felt the spirit, because it was hard not to. We had such an amazing turn out of supporter that they had to hold the talks before the baptism in the chapel…. I was told that never happens. My brother laughed through the baptism. I have no respect for that boy. He made me so mad.

I had a talk with Gino parents who seemed so concerned and full of questions before they came here that it would be really cool of them to stay the entire 3 hours of church so they could get some answers AND so they could support their son. This was going to be Gino’s 1st real time (we don’t count the first time he went to church) of staying all day, for all the classes. If anything it was mainly for Gino. It would be nice to have his father there for him, supporting him, even if he didn’t agree with our religion. I’m not asking the man to get dunked right there. I was just asking him to be a dad for once.

So, first off, they showed up 30 minutes late to church, with my son. They missed the confirmation, and walked in during the passing of the sacrament…. I cringed. The Sacrament meeting was amazing. My friend who sang at Gino’s baptism got up and sang His Hands in front of the church. The church choir got up to sing and the talks had me bawling in the mother’s room. This girl gave a talk that gave me chills. She just talked about life experiences of her’s and how the Holy Spirit has touched her life. One thing she said was how you don’t have to be LDS to know the phrase Listen to your heart. That’s the Holy Spirit. Listening to your heart is listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. She talked of how she had a miscarriage and how the comforting of the Holy Spirit got her through that time, and strengthened her marriage in a completely different way…. much like my situation with Mya.

So, nothing was said during Sacrament that would have people running for the hills. Yet, when it was over Gino’s dad rudely wanted nothing more to do with it. Yet, they can call and run their mouth with a bunch of questions. I could feel the contention in them and it made the trip difficult. After church Gino’s dad wouldn’t even look me in the eyes. I just found his actions so selfish and sad. The people in my ward tried so hard with my in-laws. I couldn’t be more thankful for them. Everyone was so nice and accepting.

Gino and I were walking to Gospel Principles and he said, “Amanda, this is why we didn’t invite them to this in the first place. I knew they would act like this, and all that matters is that we’re here doing what we’re supposed to be doing.”

I know that not everyone on this earth believes in the Mormon church. I’m not asking for everyone to believe in it, and I especially wasn’t asking my in-laws to believe in it. But what harm is there in giving it a chance? What harm is there in listening to a couple of hours of words of God that can actually inspire you? Why are you so quick to judge something you know nothing about? When you don’t even go to church, don’t pick up a bible…. you think your way is so much better than ours? So much that when you are offered a FREE Book of Mormon by your own daughter in law just so you could possibly learn what your son is doing with his life (since you seemed so concerned and full of questions just a week ago) you say NO. Your so quick to hate, and that makes me so sad for you.

I tried to keep these feelings to myself. It’s hard though. I needed to talk about it. I have no idea if they read my blog, and if they do then maybe they were meant to read how I felt about how they acted.

Next Sunday is the Primary Program. The primary will take over Sacrament and sing songs and give talks. Jayden will even get up to say something. I can’t wait. Sadly, Gino got scheduled to work and will be missing it 🙁 They better get his work situation fixed soon!