THANKS TIFF!!

Landon's room is Sailboats . . . he got this ADORABLE cross-stitch from his Aunt Tiffany. (my oldest sister) I guess she REALLY enjoys making cross-stitches because BOTH my kids got one and Matt and I are ANXIOUSLY awaiting our "wedding present" that Tiffany promised ONCE I got the kids framed and hung . . .

TIFFANY here is my proof... and THANKS! ~ They look GREAT in the rooms!!

And here is Hailey's Cross- Stitch . . .

JOB JOB JOB

So you ALL know Matt got the job offer HERE in Fresno!! YESSSSSSS!!

We are BEYOND excited, and everyone is asking about the job, so I decided I would do a BLOG about the JOB! :)

This is the History of the Company. I got this straight from the website. . .

http://www.iLoveToCreate.com/

"The company is a Family Owned and It started with a dream . . . Erma Duncan was a talented artist who enjoyed sharing her gift with everyone. Her love for fired art began at a very young age, as did her natural ability to share her knowledge. Erma began teaching while still in her teens. Her first national recognition for her artwork came in the early 1900s. It was customary for artists at that time to send their work into popular magazines hosting contests for artists, such as the Saturday Evening Post. Top prizes included cash and musical instruments. Erma won so many awards she had enough instruments to start a small orchestra!

Eventually, Erma set up a studio and began teaching ceramics from her home. Before long, her husband Lee and sons Bob and Dick also became involved. As the sessions grew, the garage was expanded to accommodate more people and supplies. In 1940, Erma joined her son Bob as a student at Fresno State College and began taking all available ceramics classes.

In 1946, the business outgrew the garage, so the first official Duncan Ceramic Studio was opened on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno, California. The company also began to operate as a wholesale distributor, with Bob handling the marketing and sales of the business, Erma the art and teaching, and Dick the designing and manufacturing. In 1949, Dick formulated the first non settling glaze?the first of its kind in the ceramics industry.

In 1955, Duncan became a corporation with Bob as President, Dick as Vice President and Erma as Secretary-Treasurer. The company continued to prosper and, in 1961, Duncan Ceramic Products, Inc., relocated to its present-day site. (which is where Matt will be working)

After 23 years of sharing her ceramics knowledge with others, Erma retired from active participation in the company in 1965. In 1976, the company changed its name to Duncan Enterprises, reflecting its continued growth & expansion. In 1983, the third generation of the Duncan family took over when Bob's son Larry was promoted to President and Bob became Chairman of the Board.

For over 60 years, Duncan Enterprises has been a leading arts and crafts manufacturer. In July 2009, Duncan Enterprises changed its name to iLoveToCreate™, a Duncan Enterprises Company. iLoveToCreate leads the industry with comprehensive Fashion Art programs under the Tulip®, Scribbles® and Polymark brand names, and Fashion Dyes under the Tulip® brand. Duncan also produces the top crafting glues and adhesives in the industry under the Aleene's® brand name, and recently introduced the Crafty Chica™ brand and line of products.

Today, iLoveToCreate is one of the largest ceramic arts, crafting adhesives and fashion art manufacturers in the world with its ongoing reputation for excellence in product development, quality, education and health and safety."

After looking at the website I am SOOOOOO excited to be able to have access to FUN and CRAFTY things! Matt will be working as the Industrial Engineer in the Manufacturing Department. He will be learning the company inside and out, and working on a few different teams to help manage the work flow. He helps find ways to make things more "streamlined" and "efficient" is how I say it. I can't WAIT to go and VISIT him at work! ~

Really check out the website . . . http://www.ilovetocreate.com/ 

This is going to change my life in more ways that just giving my husband a job! :)

FOUR ~

I know what you are thinking...

this is not a post about Golf... the FOUR has to do with something else...

I was tagged by my cousin, and I am not in the mood to come up with a post today, so I will be taking advantage of my "tagging opprotunity" ~ See if you can catch onto the "FOUR" reference . . .

4 shows I watch:

1. Desperate Housewives
2. The Amazing Race
3. Oprah
4. Chelsea Latley


4 things I'm passionate about:

1. My hubby.
2. My children.
3. My religious beliefs.
4. My family and friends.


4 phrases I say:

1. What's the matter Kitty Cat?
2. Are you freakin' kidding me?
3. DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!
4. I love you smooshie!


4 things I've learned from the past:

1. It is better to work at things together than to try to work on them alone.
2. Life is SO much better when you "go with the flow"
3. Learn from the trials that are given to you or you will KEEP having them!
4. Always accept help when it is offered!


4 places I would like to go:

1. Caribean Cruise
2. I have NEVER been to Hawaii...
3. New Jersey where Matt served his mission.
4. Idaho to visit family.


4 things I did yesterday:

1. Finished Laundry I started late on Saturday.
2. Had friends over to watch The Amazing Race.
3. Went to church.
4. Made Dinner.


4 things I'm looking forward to:

1. Matt starting his new job.
2. Looking for our DREAM home!
3. Visiting with family, I always LOVE that!
4. Landon and Hailey BOTH being in Nursery!


4 things I love about winter:

1. Christmas Lights and how much the kids LOVE them!
2. Winter Olympics (when it is on)
3. Wearing comfy clothes and snuggling up!
4. Visiting Family and Friends.


4 things on my wish list:

1. Hailey will be FULLY potty trained by her birthday!
2. The new Bombshell Bra at Victoria Secrets...
3. A house to call our own!
4. Outside toys for the kids when we get that house!


4 people to tag if they wanna:

1. Tiffany
2. Nicole and Nichole (yes I can do that, it's the same name)
3. Lindsey (because she plays along with my "tag's")
4. Amalia

Change

HAHA . . .

Who is laughing now?

CELEBRATE good TIMES!!

Do they have a John's Incredible Pizza where you live??
If so... have you been there??
If you have kids YOU SHOULD GO! ~

THEY HAVE PIZZA . . .

And the kids LOVE IT because they got to watch Cartoons...

We were in the Toon Town Room for Dinner.

They have a HUGE TV screen that plays Cartoons NON STOP!

They have Ice Cream . . .

And both kids LOVED that too...

Which made Matt and I VERY happy! ~

I think this was the first dinner Matt and I were able to ENJOY in a while. No kids fighting at the dinner table because they do not want to eat, or they are done...

They also have a little Toddler Play Area . . .

Both Hailey and Landon LOVED it!

Luckilly our kids were content with just playing in the FREE zone . . .

It was a GREAT time had by all!

I HAD to add this picture...it makes me laugh.

 Check out the "deer in the headlights look" Hailey is giving.

John's Incredible Pizza . . . THANK YOU for the great night out!

AND thank you for sending us the coupon, that REALLY helps in getting me to go!

BEST ANNOUNCEMENTS EVER !!!

So I have THREE very fun and happy things to announce...

FIRST my oldest sister Tiffany had her little smooshie! OH how I want to kiss his chubby cheeks!! LOOK at them... How could you not want to as well...

NEXT ~ One of our FAVORITE missionaries went home yesterday. . .

We are happy for him to move into the next stage of life, but we are sad he is leaving us.

We miss you already Elder Hayes!!

And LAST but not least ... MATT GOT THE JOB!!

HAL-LE-LU-JAH

The job here in Fresno!! We are SOOOO Thankful for all the Prayers and Support we have gotten from family and friends! We are BEYOND excited! Where should we go to celebrate . . .

Induce . . .

So my oldest sister Tiffany is being induced today. I find it hard to have HAPPY THOUGHTS for her because I remember the PAIN that is childbirth . . .

  I never even made it to my due date, lt alone an induction date with either of my babies.

I had both babies THREE weeks early, and I am VERY thankful for that.

My poor sister hits her Due Date then has to wait for her Induction date... I am glad we are different in this way!

The nasty weather today is keeping my inside, and all I can think about is my sister having her baby...

GOOD LUCK TIFFANY! I hope baby Evan is good to you!

Just another Manic Monday . . .

So I woke up this morning and did my work out...

Thank you Jillian... I have yet to loose any weight, but I feel better already... it has officially been a week!!

THEN I decided I better mow the lawn... (because the weather is going to get crazy tomorrow)

And then my kids decided they wanted to "HELP" mow the lawn . . .

FUN TIMES!!

Matt tries to get me to let him mow the lawn, but I LOVE the workout!!

He was out front watching the kids and people were walking by watching me mow the lawn and my husband play with the kids. He made the comment to me that he wonders what people are thinking when they see that, and I told him to yell "She is mowing and edging because I don't do it to her standards!" because THAT my friends in the truth! :)

THANKS! ~

All the Great Grandkids got a little

Easter treat from their

Great Grandma and Grandpa Smith

(my mothers parents)

Landon Liked it . . .

It was their after dinner treat . . .

Hailey liked it too . . .

It took her a little while to realize it was marshmallow and to BITE it rather than lick it... GOOD TIMES!!
THANK YOU GREAT GRANDMA AND GRANDPA SMITH! ~

Costco ~

So I went to Costco with my Mother and little sister Sharon with the kids in tow...

Hailey found these ADORABLE skirts and did not want to leave without one.

So Auntie Sharon helped her choose one ...

(isn't my little sister ADORABLE)

Hailey kept saying she was a Ballerina and would TWIRL around...

Now Landon on the other hand decided he was going to be Superman.

We got SOOOO many comments from other people shopping there.

My mom made this cape from another cape that was given to Landon by his Great Aunt.

On the other side is Batman. My mom put it on him in the morning and he wore it ALL DAY LONG!!

My mom said THIS is how you enjoy your gandkids!!

Gotta love GRANDMAS and COSTCO! ~ RIGHT??

Quick Trip

So Matt wanted to go Snowboarding "ONE LAST TIME" before the season was officially over. He planned a trip with his brother Chris, and that is what he is currently doing as I type.
I decided that because he was going to head to Stockton, I was going to swing by and visit with my family while he was out. We drove in late last night, and we are leaving early Saturday morning. This is a little bit of what is going on as I visit with my family . . .

Hailey is enjoying the Doll House and ALL the little pieces it holds...

(my sister Sharon made the Bow in her hair)

This was a FAVORITE toy of my younger siblings, my parents decided to keep it for the grandkids enjoyment!

Little Landon is sleeping in Uncle Preson's Bed ...

And Sharon and I are hanging out watching TV, and downloading pictures for my mother onto Costco.com
We plan on going shopping after my mom gets home from work.
Just MAXIN' and RELAXIN'
LOVE LIFE! ~

Interview

So I had ANOTHER interview today...

It was with Fresno County Federal Credit Union.

I think it would be a great place to work for.

They are only open Weekdays,

The position I was interviewing for was Part Time,

I would be able to help make the family a little more money, and possibly continue

to work after Matt gets his job...

It would be Nice.

PRAYERS our way... we hear soon about Matt possibly getting the Local Position!!

WORKOUT!!!

Jillian Michaels . . .

YOU my friend are AMAZING! ~

I have been trying different "workout" video's for some time now, and this is the first one that has me WORKIN' it! I was panting and everything! ~

I took my measurements to see what changes happen... Let's hope when I post about this later that the numbers are LOWER! ~

Current Weight ~ 138.5

Current Waist ~ 33.5

Current Hips ~ 39.5 (baby got BACK)

I have about 10 lbs. to loose, and I would like to get my waist under 30. My Hips don't lie... (hehe) so I'll just pray they don't get any bigger. My goal weight is to be between 125-130. I would appreciate any prayers, we all know the "baby weight" at least for me the last couple pounds have been killer. It was easier with baby one to loose it, so who knows when baby three will even be THOUGHT of... here I go!

Sunday in Nursery ~

So I knew I was going to be helping out in Nursery Today...

WHY did I decide to stay out last night until after 2:00 a.m. with "My Girls" again?? We did not even "go out" we "stayed in" and STILL stayed up too late! ~
And WHY is church at 9:00 a.m. again?? UGH!

THANKS GIRLS! It was fun learning new things about you all! ~
Now I need a nap!~

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

SISTER...

One of my little sisters
(yes... I know I have many of those)
is CELEBRATING TODAY!!
CRYSTAL...
HAHA... I just HAD to put Happy Birthday Sister BECAUSE...
she is always calling my littilest sister Sharon "SISTER... SISTER..." that is all I hear ALL the time...

ANYWAYS...

CELEBRATE GIRL!

P.S. You look REAL good in yellow... you should wear it more! :)

TRULEY HONEST ~

I was tagged by my cousin Kristen, so I better get to my list so I can TAG others and learn more about them. I have to tell you 10 TRULEY HONEST things about me... here goes nothing...

1. I balance my checkbook more often then the normal person. Whenever I make a purchase or a deposit, I write it in right away. I think there is something comforting to me about knowing how much money I have at all times.
2. I eat Junk Food ALL the time! I say I am going to go on a diet, but I REALLY can't until all the Junk Food is out of the house. I just bought Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred (Thank You Lindsey and Sara) off Amazon because I NEED to loose this baby weight I have been holding onto! (the second child is KILLER)
3. Whenever people tell me go Right or go Left I have to look at my hands and make the "L" shape with my thumb and pointer finger to figure out which way to go. (your Left hand makes the "L" shape in case you need that for future reference)
4. I HATE "Stupid Girls". I know I may have acted like one when I was single, but I know I was NOT one! You know the girls who think they are ALL THAT. They put on this fake front like their life is SO perfect, and they never have any problems. Like the people on Facebook who put up dumb things for their status. We all get that you THINK your life is perfect because you tell us everyday but what we are really thinking... Is this girl for real??
5. Whenever I fart I own up to it. Matt laughes at me because he has never known a girl to "Own Their Farts" as he says it. Come on people... It's NATURAL! ~
6. When I go out with my girlfriends I get a little crazy. Nothing out of the ordinary for me, but I tend to let go and be "Single Melissa" before kids and marriage. I go dancing with some Mormon Friends at a local Country Bar and we just have TOO much fun! I am SURE all the people in the bar think we are WASTED, but we are probably the only sober ones in the bar. Just a group of girls having a good time!
7. I am scared to death to have another child. I know I had two before, but the last one REALLY threw me for a loop. Giving birth without ANY pain medication really messes with you. I have friends who have told me they WISH they could have a baby naturally... REALLY? I don't recomment it! Although the recovery is wonderful! :)
8. Ever since I had children I have a HARD time getting "in the mood" at the drop of the hat. I feel like I need to whole day to prepare myself for ... uhm... IT. Matt would like me to be more sponatneous like when we were first married, but It's REALLY hard for me... am I the only one??
9. I don't like ANYONE giving me Child Raising Advise UNLESS I ASK FOR IT. Whenever someone starts with "You can take this advise or leave it, but I think you should try this with Hailey ..." ... REALLY? Did I ask you? Becaue I am PRETTY sure I would ask your opinion if I cared about what you thought on the subject.
10. I love my snuggie. I really love when Landon comes up and snuggles with me in my snuggie. I would see these things on TV and think WHAT IDIOT came up with that? Now I PRAISE them! haha!

So that is it... 10 things you might not have known about me... being Honest really helps get some weight lifted off my shoulders... Let me TAG you now and help you lift some weights! ~
I TAG :
LINDSEY JOYNER
COURTNEY WALKER
AMALIA CUTTS
STACEY RODGERS
and
NICHOLE MCGHIE
Can't wait to see your 10 TRULEY HONEST things girls! And make is Juicy WILL YA!?

This makes me Laugh . . .

Caught RED HANDED with Mommy's Chocolate . . .

If I smile I might get away with it...

SWEET... Daddy is Laughing... I TOTALLY got away with it...

What a Lucky Kid! ~

THANK YOU EASTER BUNNY ~

The reason I thank the Easter Bunny is because I melted him . . .

And I made this ~

STRAWBERRIES

PRETZLES

and

OREO'S

covered in Chocolate OH MY! ~

Spring Break Vacation ~ Andersen House

We went to Sacramento and Stockton this last week to visit with family. With Hailey getting sick at church, we were worried about going. We all woke up Monday morning feeling great, so we decided we were still going to go! Well... Matt and I ended up getting sick while we were there. We pulled in Monday afternoon, and we were sick Monday evening...

I hate being sick . . .

Not that I think anyone enjoys being sick, but I really hate it. I feel like I am doing NO good to the world, and to make matters worse Landon started getting sick too . . .

THE ONLY good thing to my baby being sick along with me is that we just chilled together. I love that he will just snuggle up with me for hours!! We ended up getting my sister Sharon sick too. I hate being the one to get others sick. I won't take my kids out when they are sick, and I won't go out if I am sick... Does anyone know how you can tell if you are going to get sick ? ?

Anyways, we enjoyed our time there!!

I took all my projects that I needed to get help with. My mother is like Martha Stewart, I LOVE having someone who can fix anything!!

I needed to make Landon's long sleeved Church shirt into a short sleved...

I needed to repair Hailey's Tinkerbelle Chair that ripped in the seat...

Matt wanted to add belt loops to his HOT boardshorts because they were a little big...

and I needed to fix my ONLY jeans that fit before they got a big whole next to the pocket on the butt.

We did it all AND got our Taxes done! My dad (the accountant) helped with that one!

And what is even better is that we made THIS also...

check out this purse... 

I picked out the fabric, and I think it turned out GREAT! ~

The inside has all kinds of pockets. The ones that are empty in the picture hold diapers and wipes!!

Thanks Mom for the adorable purse! It cost less than $6.00 to make! My mom had made one for herself, and I saw it and told her it was cute. She said "We'll lets make one for you!" LOVE IT!

We also went to one of Preston's Baseball Games.

He is currently the only Sophmore on the Varsity Team. He is a good player, and really enjoys being on Varsity. His batting avg is .333 which is pretty good. We look forward to hearing how the rest of his season goes. The game we attended was a Pre-Season Game vs. Marysville. Natomas won 14-9. Had I been feeling a little better I might have taken some pictures from the game. We were glad to get a chance to see him play! GO NIGHTHAWKS!

After the game we headed straight to RED ROBIN for dinner! YUMMMMMM!!!

Because I was still feeling a little sick I got the French Onion Soup and Salad Dinner. That REALLY hit the spot! My mom heard what I ordered and got the same! We REALLY enjoyed it! ~ TRY it next time you go!!

We really enjoy our time when we visit my parents. They love seeing the Grandkids, and love seeing us too!! My mom had purchased The Princess and The Frog and the kids enjoyed watching that together . . . can't you tell??

THANK YOU ANDERSEN FAMILY FOR A GREAT TRIP!!

Spring Break Vacation ~ Bird House

After being at my parents, we headed to the Bird's in Stockton. The main purpose for the visit was to see Melissa (Matt's Sister) and her husand Nathan Imel. But we were lucky enough to catch up with Kevin Matt's little brother too.

The first night we were there we headed to AT&T park for the Giants vs. A's game. We went on a Thursday so it would not be so crowded in San Francisco. We decided to take BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to the game from Pleasanton. I do not recommend this form of transportation to people with young children. The kids enjoyed it for a little bit, but they were quite restless, and I did not have a carseat to buckle them into. . .  We made it to the game, and to our seats at the VERY top! We were worried it was going to be FREEZING, but we were perfectly protected from the wind up there! Here is the view from our seats.

Landon got to sit with Uncle Nate and Aunt Melissa until he fell asleep later in the game...

Then he slept on me. I did not mind one bit!! ~ He kept me warm!

Hailey tried to go on the Coca-Cola Bottle slide, but she was too short. I guess she was able to go in the Mini Ballpark area and hit some Baseballs off a Tee. She LOVED the game!

We wore our ORANGE and BLACK to cheer for the Giants, but they lost the game. They played the A's the next two days and won... too bad we went to the wrong game! I think we all enjoyed it!

The next day the girls went shopping and the boys had the kids. I sure am thankful for the time I get away from my kids. It was nice to shop without worrying where me kid had ran off too. I was able to pick up some PJ's for Landon that we needed on clearance! I Love Baby Gap PJ's!

Then on Saturday we visited with Grandma and Grandpa Bird, and we colored Easter Egg's.

Hailey LOVED going to her Great Grandma Bird's because she pulled out Easter candy and cookies. It made me remember visiting my Grandma Smith's House. She always had speical treats for us, and it just felt SO good to have a Grandma spoil us! I did not take pictures at Grandma Birds house, but I should have. The kids played with a race car track while Matt and Nate played with a cool toy gun! Fun Times! But I did get pictures of the Egg Coloring ~

This was a first for Hailey. She enjoyed it very much. She really loved the apron Grandma put on her! After the Egg's dried we went on a little easter egg hunt in the front yard. Nate, Matt and I laughed every time she found another egg because she threw them in her bucket without any worry about breaking them! :)

It is fun to experience new things with Hailey. She is growing and learning so much every day, I have to sit back and take these things in.

We had a great dinner that night with all the family (minus Chirs, Erin, and Rylie who were in North Carolina checking out a possible job and move for the family) and enjoyed the time together. Our kids are so lucky!! I LOVED seeing my kids interact with their Aunts and Uncles. Nate was always playing with the kids. If I lost track of Landon I always found him in Uncle Nate's arms. And while Kevin was visiting he played with the kids throwing them up in the air and laughing with them. It reminded me of how the kids interact with my siblings. We don't get to see Matt's siblings as often, so I really enjoy these special moments.

We headed home that night so we would be home for Easter. It was a perfect trip shared with the people we love the most! ~ THANKS BIRD-IMEL FAMILY FOR THE FUN TIMES! ~