Author Archives: Amanda

Inspriation from Gordon B. Hinckley….

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“I hope you will not nag yourselves with thoughts of failure, I hope you will not try to set goals far beyond your capacity to achieve. I hope you will simply do what you can do in the best way you know how. If you do so, you will witness miracles come to pass.”

I came across this quote from the late President Gordon B. Hinckley and I think it’s exactly what I needed to read today. I have an entire kitchen table with files and papers and a ton of stuff that I need to do and a part of me wants to turn the other direction and RUN, but I need to not set a goal of accomplishing everything. I need to go and set a timer for 15 minutes and start there. Whatever I get done in that 15 minutes I will be satisfied with. I will feel like I have conquered something and I will feel good about it. If I have it in me I’ll continue on, and I bet I will. Tomorrow morning I will wake up and I will read this quote again and then I will go with a positive attitude and conquer what I’ve put off.

Resentment

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I go to pick up Jayden every day from school. There’s a little girl that walks up to me daily and hugs me as she walks to her class from lunch and I can’t even look her in the eye. I’m 25 years old and she’s only 9. As she walks up to me to hug me I try to pretend like she doesn’t exist. I know this is an iniquity, and something that I probably should really pray about, but I honestly can’t help myself.

This little girl was never abandoned and I was. This little girl has had her daddy all of her life, and I have not. I wouldn’t say I’m jealous, but I resent. I resent a 9 year old and I’m coming out and saying it.

For the past 2 seasons, I’ve watched on Grey’s Anatomy Meredith’s relationship with her little sister. It’s the exact same situation as mine. We see little glances of hope that Meredith might actually accept Lexi, and we all have sortof grown to love this quirky character Lexi has, but then Meredith backs away and her guard against her little sister just doesn’t budge. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to accept this little girl who had my dad as her daddy. I know it’s not her fault, but I just can’t help the way I feel.

Is "Jay" really Chinese?

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If you ask my vibrant son if he’s Mexican he says, “NO! I’m Chinese.” This has been going on for a while now. He thinks Chinese people speak Spanish. Well, a memory has struck me about a time when Jayden was about 2 years old. We were watching that show Last Comic Standing – which I never really liked. A Chinese guy was on there doing his stand up and when this guy busted out some Chinese Jayden was hysterically laughing. It was like he knew what this dude was talking about. When the white people came back on speaking clear English Jayden was no longer interested.

So, I think it’s time for Gino and Jayden to take a paternity test, because they may look like identical twins, but I’ve come to the conclusion that Jayden is indeed Chinese.

I’m a Mormon Mom!

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As I sat around today at the park with other moms I had a brief moment of panic run through my veins. Golly George, people, I’m a mom. I actually pack a diaper bag and tote my kids from play dates to piano lessons and I have baby that if I don’t pay attention to her for a brief second she will fall on her head! I promise before these last play dates, Ella’s never fallen on her head! Ella, if you’re reading this and you’re brain’s a little slow I’m so sorry!

I know that half the population in Sacramento just might think they’re having brain spasms if they knew that my play dates were with MORMONS! Guess what, Sacramento, I actually have more fun at Mormon play dates than I did stuck on I-80 in rush hour traffic trying to come home in time to eat dinner and then say good-night to my child who I wouldn’t even get to really spend any time with until the weekend.

I love the new life I chose. With every new decision that I make towards bettering my family and my soul I’m even fall more in love with the new life I chose.

I already give reviews on products…….

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so why not get paid right? I’ve joined up with an amazing company called PayPerPost, which I’ve spent a couple of days reading about. It’s a site based on blog marketing and I just got my approval email and I’m SO EXCITED to get started!! I’m always using all different types of things and love to share my opinions on them for all of my readers/lurkers/friends – heck you’re all the same thing – The best part about it is now I’m going to get some fun cash for talking about these things. Cash that can be put aside into a savings account for the kids, or for a family vacation.

Look on my sidebar and you’ll see a lovely blue button and if you have something that you want me to write about click on that, fill out the form and I’ll write about it! It’s a great way to advertise anything you’re selling – I have a wide variety of readers, so if you have a small business what a great way to get the word out. If you have a large business then, heck, MY BLOG is still a great way to get the word out. If you don’t have a business or a product or an opinion you’d like me to share, then I’m sure you have a friend that does!! Stay tuned for my first review…..

Happy Anniversary to Mr. & Mrs. Garibay

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4 years ago today I made a commitment to my best friend that I would forever be by his side. That we would be together with every beat of our hearts. 4 years ago today we so different. I don’t even think you can really say that we were “in love”. We were in a comfortable situation with a kid and it was time. It was time to give Jayden the family that he deserved and it was time for us to get a vacation to Mexico. You think I’m kidding huh? NOPE!

Things have changed. When 4 years ago I never thought we’d make it, here we are happier than we’ve ever been. I’m proud that Gino is my husband. The changes that we have both made and the compromises have been so worth it. I could not imagine my life without this wonderful husband, wonderful father, wonderful man. I’m so happy that we stuck through the hard times, because they truly did help us grow together. We’ve only been married for 4 years and while it seems like a lifetime it isn’t. We still have an entire lifetime ahead of us and I can’t wait to experience every happy, depressing, angry, joyous, hurtful & loving moment together. Because that is how we will be for all eternity…… TOGETHER.

Happy Anniversary to us!!! Here’s to 60 more years!

The Hard Times of Parenting

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I’m just gonna come out and say it. Parenting IS HARD! I love the mothers out there that act like it’s so easy to have a perfect house and perfect children. Lucky them! Last night Ella couldn’t get close enough to me. She finally fell asleep and I turned over in hopes that I would now be able to fall asleep. Well, guess what! SURPRISE, Mama I’m crawling over you – and I’m going wrap my body around yours. Somehow she got comfortable when her body was covering my face, and honestly I have no clue what we looked like, but it wasn’t fun. I’m sure she would’ve been a lot happier if she could’ve just crawled right back inside of me. I probably would’ve gotten a lot more sleep too. 6am rolls around and who’s slapping my face? That’s right, Queen Ella. Today will not be fun.

Do you have the Mirena IUD?

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This is a different works for me post. I figured that this is a good way to put a word out there on people out there with the IUD Mirena. I first off must say that I have really loved it! My periods are so light and I’ve been told that they may even stop all together, BUT! They say that there are no side effects. That your ovaries will still do what your ovaries are supposed to do. That is a big fat FALSE!! I got my IUD put in on 10/1/2007. A few months ago I started having anxiety attacks and I’ve been more irritable than I’ve ever been in my life. This was so out of control that I actually got a prescription to Xanax and then eventually tried Gaba Ease, which I must say has helped immensely. So part of my works for me is Gaba Ease. If you have irritation due to hormones, anxiety or stress this is a natural supplement that has shocked me with it’s magical powers.

Okay, I’m getting to the point of the whole IUD spill. I was such an emotional/hormonal wreck that I called the doctors. I had hormone testing done and I went in yesterday for my results. The “women’s” doctor’s office that I go to does research and they’re starting to recognize that what I’m about to tell you happens to a lot of people that have Mirena. My progesterone levels were at a .47! I’m a 25, non-pregnant female and my levels should be in the 5’s. Having such low progesterone levels has dropped my estrogen levels down to a 58…. I have numbers like someone in menopause! No wonder I’ve been a batty psycho case. I’m so relieved that this can all be corrected by taking a progesterone pill (which I start tomorrow!!) to fix this, because I was getting ready to pack my bags and move out for the sake of my family.

So, if you have Mirena and you sometimes feel really foggy in your head or you just downright know that you are about one flipout away from a nice hospital visit (okay I really wasn’t that bad) then go get your hormones checked!!! And if you have stress/anxiety in your life then order some Gaba Ease….. because it really works for me!

Thank you so much for joining me for this week’s edition of Works for Me Wednesday ~

For my other Works for Me Weds. topics CLICK HERE

If you’d like to read a bit more on my crazy life and thoughts CLICK HERE

If you’d like to high tail it outta here and read what works for other’s over at Shannon’s CLICK HERE

Ella Turns 9 Months

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Dear Ella,

Today you’re 9 months old, Ella. I haven’t even had your picture taken professionally 1 time in the 9 months of your life. I must apologize for that right now. Heck, we’ll just say that the 3 month picture of Jayden in angel wings was you… okay? I think you might be the smartest 9 month old in our world as we speak. I’m waiting for you to bust out some algebra problems for me. I tried to teach you sign language and you actually looked at me like I was nutty and spoke the words in clear English. I don’t know many 9 month old babies out there that actually say “Doggy!” when they see a doggy. The words in your vocab that I can bee 100% certain on right now are…. All Done, Kitty (Itty), Doggy, Dada, Mama & Ella. You rock, girlfriend! When I talk you really study my mouth to figure out how you can say what I’m saying. You’re not walking yet. I must say I’m stunned at this. You’ve been standing perfectly and even dancing while standing, yet you refuse to step forward. I guess it would look a little freakishly to see a baby as short as you walking around. You have a total of 4 teeth. On the 8th of this month you had your 2 front, top teeth break through at the exact same time. It was approximately 3:47am – I know this, because you were screaming and therefore, I was up rubbing your gums for you. I know, I’m a 5 star mama!

I have no stats on you yet. You have a doctor’s appointment on the 20th, and I am pleased to say that you will NOT be getting any shots at that appointment. They actually might get to see a smile from you if you have forgotten what happened there last time.

Only in Hickville!

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I’m totally a city girl. Living in the country environment is pretty humorous to me at times. Gino and I sometimes laugh out loud at the things people do or even say – or even drive sometimes. I know, we’re wretched people. City is in my blood, and I’m trying my hardest to get it out. I hate the city, but sometimes the sound of a ghetto bird flying above my house at night is like a lullaby to my ears. No, I didn’t live in the ghetto, but when you’re in the city you might as well call the city in whole the ghetto. You even begin to have a little ghetto in you. I’m a ghetto Mormon. This means that I actually know the real, unedited lyrics to the Whisper Song by the Ying Yang Twins and can sing most of 50 Cents songs by heart. I actually know for the most part the translation of ghetto slang…. thanks to my brother. I even prefer to listen to rap over most music. I promise, I really am Mormon and for the most part I actually go to church every Sunday.

So, having this kind of background and then seeing this on my street makes soda come out of my nose in laugher.


If I ever see one of my kids in a situation that looks anywhere like the one above I’m coming back to the city.