Keeping up With The Jones'

2009-02-23T15:11:00.000-08:00

2009-02-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

2009-02-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

2009-02-23T14:56:00.001-08:00

Well time flies when you are having fun or not:) We are still plugging away at the assited living home and things are starting to work out. Family life is still my greatest joy. Rick did get to come home for Christmas and a few other times too! We had a nice quiet Christmas and celebrated Kaydence's one year birthday. This past month we celebrated my moms 87th birthday. It was wonderful and we had an ongoing party all weekend with family and friends coming and going. Mom is amazing! She's still as sharp and fun as ever. She may be slowing down some but still keeps her self busy making baby quilts and afgans for all the new great grand babies. I truly treasure this time with her. Mike and Mariah are going to the temple in a few weeks and we are so very excited for that blessing in their lives. They are wonderful. I do not know any other young family who started in their circumstances who have overcome so much. Hunter, Cole and Luke are great. They are working away at school and basketball and all the other things they have to do to keep their mom from loosing it. I am proud of them. And then there is the princess Kaydence of course. What a joy and a light she is in our lives. I count my blessings everyday!

Autumn Seasons Assited Living Home

2008-11-25T18:32:00.000-08:00

Back in July we found a house to lease and started the process of opening up an assisted living home in Prescott Valley. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done and Rick has drug me kicking and screaming into it. Mentored by some good friends who have three homes of their own we are learning the ropes. There is much training and testing and further education involved and so much red tape to get licensed but we are up to three residents now. Rick is over there 24 7 and I go after I get the boys off to school to help or give him a break. Somedays I go out marketing and learning. We have managed a few dates thanks to my neice Cristy who is a CNA. We are licensed for five residents and then after we install a sprinkler system inside we can apply for a total of ten. With a few more residents we can hire caregivers and Rick can be home more. That is what I want for Christmas. We have been so blessed and I am thankful that after 20 years of construction Rick had the forsight and help from the Lord to know this was what we should do. So it may be another few months before I write on this blog but that is what we are up to. Hopefully we can get a picture of the two of us on here soon so you can see what the stress of all this has done to us. (just kidding)

Growing up

2008-11-25T18:09:00.000-08:00

Our Luke is the best! WE sure are thankful for him! 10 years old and growing strong! I love this age. He still thinks I know a few things and he still lets me tuck him in at night:0

What a great Son in Law

2008-11-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

Mike is a man of few words with huge heart and great love for Mariah and Kaydence. We sure got a good son in law too!

My Three Sons

2008-11-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

Soo fun most of the time:) I don't know what they would do with out eachother and I don't know what I would do with out them.

2008-11-04T23:16:00.000-08:00

In October Luke and I were blessed to hitch a ride to Logan Utah for my neice Alissa's wedding. It was a wonderful trip. To see Alissa married and so happy and to visit with so much family was truly a blessing for me. Thanks to Mike and Mariah for holding down the fort at home.

Memories

2008-08-14T23:32:00.001-07:00

Post a favorite memory of me on my blog and i will do the same on yours. Tam gave me the idea. Be kind:)

Good Times

2008-08-09T00:29:00.000-07:00

This picture is a few months old but shows a typical evening at our house. Gavin and Jayce were here while Justin and Candice were out of town. We had just had FHE about how each of us have different strengths and of course with all the testastarone(?)in the house one thing led to another until we had this big arm wrestling match. Mom and I alughed until we had tears rolling down our cheeks! Good times!

Daddy, can I drive?

2008-08-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Our Neighbors the Darby's had a rodeo. It was super fun. Sitting in the car while the rain passed over we got this picture of Mike and Baby.

2008-08-02T12:03:00.000-07:00

When we were at Lynx Lake Papa took Kaydence for a walk. I think Papa is in love.

Mom/Grandma

2008-08-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Few people get to be in the middle of four generations every day. I am so thankful for Mom. To have her here with us and be with her every day enjoying her humor and appreciating her wisdom is a true blessing. Usually we get our Fridays together when I take her to get her hair done and she buys me lunch and we go to Alco or Walmart. Sometimes life gets soo busy I don't see her all day but thankfully she remembers what it was like and understands. We have our little signals. When she gets up she raises the blinds on her door and lets me know she is ok. The boys go get her for dinner and in between we go back and forth with baby to visit or Luke goes over for piano lessons. Hurray for Grandma!!! I love you Mom! (yep that is a pepsi you see)

Best Friends

2008-07-31T02:16:00.000-07:00

Sitting in the kitchen tonight laughing and joking with our kids while we were making pizza it just dawned on me that we have become best friends with our kids. It is a really rewarding place to wake up and find yourself. All these years of raising them (and I know we're not done yet) and worrying and praying that we don't mess them up too much in the process has been such a blessing! How and why did Heavenly Father trust us with them? They are so good and fun to be with and I just couldn't pick more amazing people to hang out with. Wow! It is worth it! So to all of you who feel like you are stuck in one certain mode like no sleeping through the night or always changing diapers or running them to everything or always trying to settle fueds or even should we dare have kids let me just say: YES, it is worth it! Here is to all we've been through and all we have yet to survive, KIDS ARE GREAT!!! (Check back with me after school starts:)

2008-07-22T02:12:00.000-07:00

I MISS MY BOYS!!! I hope Hunter and Cole are having a blast in Cali with the Montgomery's and Figgins! There's no doubt that they are. I am so glad they got the opportunity to go. And Luke is in the Valley with his cousin/buddy Dakota who lives in Canada. They only get to see each other once a year. The house sure is quiet with out them! (I don't think I like it:)

2008-07-22T02:06:00.000-07:00

Somedays are just so much better than others. Sunday was one of those days. It was a precious picture to store in this moms heart seeing Mike up at the Sacrament Table. Mariah said he was nervous but no one could tell. We're so thankful for Mike, Mariah and Kaydence and so pleased to see them making good choices.

2008-07-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

Wow! Mariah is a great mom. She reads to Kaydence and sings and plays music and laughs with her. It is precious to watch. She is so talented too. Karmen taught her to make darling hair bows and she has made some to sell. She also picked out the cutest fabric and is making bumper pads for baby. I'll have to get pictures on here when she is done. I love my girls:)

2008-07-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

Kaydence is our angel. What a great blessing her precious little spirit is in our home. She really is good natured. She sleeps through the night, is always happy, rarely fusses and she has the ability to turn every man and boy in our family into complete mush:)

2008-07-18T01:02:00.000-07:00

Hunter, Cole and Luke hate this picture but I love it! It was one of those rare times when they were all happy and getting along at the same time. They are great kids and turning into awesome young men so fast. Each of them are so unique and such fun!

2008-07-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

We are starting a new buisness. We just leased a house in Prescott Valley to open an assisted living home. Our place is called Autumn Seasons. We passed the care givers and managers course and are in the process of getting licensed. This has been something we have thought of doing for along time. There is such a need for quality care of the elderly. Don't worry, I promised Grandma she would always stay in her house here by us:) She did not want to be in a house with a bunch of "old people":) Off we go on another new adventure:)

2008-07-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

We are just getting started here so we'll see how it goes. What a great blessing this will be to us to be able to keep up with family and friends. This week has been great fun. Adam and Anne and their girls came up to see Jeff, Karmen and girls who were here for a visit. Their visit lifted all our spirits, especially Grandma's. Their girls were little angels and we enjoyed them.
Friday night we had all the local family and friends for Mexican food and just good visits. Sunday night we made Thai food and played games. Monday we went to Lynx Lake for a picnic. It rained and poured but it was so beautiful and fun. There is nothing I love more than having my family gathered around.