I love...

That I talk to my Mom at least 3-10 times a day, that I see her AT LEAST 3 times a week. And that it's 7:43 AM and I've already talked to her 3 times this morning :)

And it's not that she's always calling me or I stalk her or something. It's just that we have this mother daughter relationship with understanding, give, take, and compromise that I am so grateful for. Neither one of us has to "work" at our relationship it just comes naturally (like it should, I guess). She comes over twice a week for lunch and I go over a few times during the week/weekend. She's my best friend, and I think she's at least 5 other women's best friends. She's probably THE best friend and definitely THE best Mom in the world. We occasionally' disagree, but a grudge? ha! What's that when it comes to us? It's so nice having someone who is COMPLETELY un-judgmental and who loves you COMPLETELY unconditionally, (just like Heavenly Father.) And someone you know you can be open with and have your whole world not fall apart if you disagree. We always know what is going on in each others daily lives and we never fall out of touch. It's cool too cause she has that EXTRA maternal instinct and somehow KNOWS when something is wrong or not right in my life. I'm sad for those who aren't close to their moms :( Also, she has always been my biggest supporter and closest ally & though sometimes I can sense she doesn't agree with some of my decisions she is definitely always the one cheering me on. She is the most forgiving, accepting, and loving person I know. Everyone was given the one woman on this earth that could be the best mom to THEM. I can't believe God pick Dana Marie to be mine, my mother forever. I must have done something right :) I just hope I can be a good enough mom to Jack so he actually WANTS to stay close to me when he is grown. I know I will ALWAYS want to stay close to my mother because she is just that amazing. The best part is she is this amazing with EVERYONE! She has just as good of relationship with all my sisters, her mom, my dad, her friends...I can brag because this is really ALL true.

I'm so glad Jack gets to know her too. When he sees her he lights up and gives her the most genuine smile. He likes to play with her hair, jabber to her, and stroke her face. Almost as if he's saying, " Your so pretty Grandma" and "I Love You Grandma."

I see some of her in me & I know I've inherited just a sliver of her wonderful traits and for that I am MOST grateful. I know with them I can be the best mom possible to Jack & my future children. I am the luckiest, I've had the best example of a mom first hand and I get to have her in my life everyday.

At graduation

At the Day's of 47 Rodeo

(Obviously) my 20th birthday!

Getting ready to jump out of an airplane with Chris and I for our 1 year anniversary 2009!

Thanksgiving 2009.

Snowmobile trip 2010 (pregnant with Jack).

Jack's Baby Shower

Holding my hand during labor

Visiting Jack in the NICU during a lunch break.

Halloween 2011

Keeping busy

So when I'm trying to not stew or fester with my thoughts I turn to outlets that make it almost impossible to think about my worries so I can clear my head for the moment. These outlets happen to be sewing or baking.

Well, by the end of my weekend I had....

Cooked, marinated, baked, steamed and/or frozen.

15 boxes of mints

4 freezer bags of pulled pork

14 enchiladas

14 rice and chicken wraps

2 dozen homemade blueberry muffins

2 dozen homemade Banana nut muffins

& 32 breakfast burritos

My freezer is full and we have like 30 meals ready to re-heat and serve...at least I was productive during my less than happy weekend.

Things...

Aren't always the way they seem.

-Brittany

Jo Jo

It took me reading, "Horton Hears a Who." to finally realize something. Everyone can tell you OVER and OVER again "how awesome you are", that "your talented", that "it's not you it's them", that "your pretty", and that "your important." But you can only take those things for face value when you realize YOURSELF that they are true.

You know the part in the book where the Mayor of Who-ville finds Jo Jo carelessly playing with his yo-yo while everyone is scrambling drastically around trying to save the entire city? They needed his tiny little "yop" to break the sound barrier of that tiny spec of dust to convince everyone that they were real, that they were there, that "A person's a person, no matter how small."

Well, I'm a person I may not be small, but I am important. It took me nearly 22 years to realize how much I am and how proud I am of who I'm becoming. I wanted to share this with you all because, you know..it's nice to feel proud of yourself, it's nice to not worry about what other's may think of you. Because if they are thinking bad thoughts, well..you have no control of that. To be proud of yourself is to be proud of everything you are saying and doing. Actions definately speak louder than words, and I have always made sure my actions are parallel with my feelings and intentions. I never want to EVER feel sorry for myself or think that I have had it worse than any other person. I also don't want to think that I am more important than anybody else. These feelings can consume you and turn you into a bitter ungrateful person and I don't want to waste anytime with negative feelings. Krysten, my friend and I were talking today and she was commenting on all the craft projects I do and she said something funny..she said, "You are making the rest of us moms look bad!" We laughed and then I must have been blushing because she told me not to be embarrassed or feel bad about my talents, but to embrace them and share them with others. I have never had a problem with sharing, so of course I have always tried my best to give back to others that may not have the opportunities I have. But for some reason I've always felt ashamed when I was doing more or had more than my neighbor. I don't know why...but it's a fact. I'm glad I realized this so I can stop over analyzing my every move. Life is just too short to think ill of those treading on your heart. Embrace and surround yourself with the people who accept and love you most on this earth because heaven will only be filled with those people.

Thanks, Jo Jo!

Going backwards..

Is not necessarily a BAD thing...

Today ended up being a horrible day bytheway. I had a meeting with the parents of one of my daycare families (who are going through a divorce) and I was the mediater in trying to workout some of their issues. Basically yesterday "step-dad" and biological father got into a tiff AT MY HOUSE over one rather adorable little girl. They both showed up to get her without warning and I and particullarly Chris was NOT ok with that. I called them both over to let them know that could NEVER happen again even though it was handled mostly in the driveway. I did not want to be in the middle of well, their MUCH larger issues. I was the babysitter, the caregiver, the nanny, the during the day mom, THATS IT. Things didn't end well with one side of the party...He was given "The right's to refusal" I guess and decided HE was going to be the new babysitter (he's unemployed) because his ex wife won't give him an extra day a week. Anyways, I might not be watching her anymore and I am heartbroken...and then I started to stress about our tight budget and paying for school and getting out of debt..blah blah blah blah.

The point is. Chris and I started out as a VERY poor newly married couple, we both lost our jobs within weeks of each other and snapped back from it almost instantly. Our expensive taste landed us in a very financially safe spot with two very stable jobs, insurance, a house and we just kept climbing the ladder and feeling like we needed to be better and better. Life "seemed" perfect, we have always been blessed financially and instead had to deal with other challenges and trails of faith. Then we had Jack, we are humbled more and more everyday he was is our life. He's completely changed my view on the world and the meaning of necessity. I feel like my personality has relaxed completely and I'm not so anxious all the time. I'm so moment to moment right now I could be a hippie. So today when I started' to worry if we will be able to pay the bills next month I stopped myself.

If we have to make groceries stretch a little further, take less date nights, completely cut out every vain worldly indulgence, and completely revamp our budget, we will. We have made it through a lot already, and every trail has brought us closer. So when I say "Going backwards isn't a bad thing." I mean us going back to 2008, in a shoebox apartment, with nothing but love, (Jack), and our future ahead of us it looks like heaven to me.

Eternity never looked so GOOD!

O.A.

O.A...which stands for Overeaters Anonymous (Jack's pretty close to joining the club). Well, today I was brave and decided to go grocery shopping with my little Jack Jack while Chris was completing his Chemistry final.

Oh. My. Gosh. What was I thinking??? An entire store dedicated to food? With MY son Jack? Obviously you are getting the point that it was a BAD idea and will never be repeated again until I can reason with him because you are a fool if you think you can compromise with an 8 month old who is IN LOVE with FOOD! The other shoppers (all 5 of them), must have thought I was pitiful as I was trying to explain to Jack "Don't eat the produce bags," "PLEASE stop eating my grocery coupons!" or "Stop chewing through the corn meal box," and "Jack you already ate an ENTIRE container of puffs, please stop crying." Ya the list goes on and on...(keep in mind I had just given Jack 8oz of formula 5 minutes into or excursion and he was already acting like a Tasmanian Devil!) Well, I ended up at WINCO for 2 hours..I was BEYOND flustered, late to pick up Chris, and Jack was hysterical! At the check-out counter something caught my eye though, a little piece of Christmas magic for only .26 cents! Something I wish I would have found at the BEGINNING of my adventure, a candy cane. So simple and so inexpensive it blew my mind how Jekyll became Hyde in a matter of seconds! Once I got home and peeked through the back seat window this is what I found...messy, but happy :) The joys of parenthood...Chris and I dunked him in the bath-tub and our little boy went to bed so happy. I can't help, but smile at the sight of my messy little monster. Monday Monday....

I can't get over that naughty little smile!

What mom?

Content with his handy work :)

Tis the season

To be jolly!

Festival of Trees with my family

I couldn't decide which picture was cuter

"Dad, stop kissing me!"

They have so much fun together

Jack playing with my earing

The different gingerbread houses were awesome!

The Weasley house!

The capitol building, UNBELIEVABLE!!!

HUNDREDS of crazy decorated trees!

And the quilts were just amazing, makes me want to learn to piece quilt.

Real gingerbread wreath

And the best family I could ever ask for

My little heart melter

He loved the lights

Our church adult Christmas dinner

I was in charge of decorating one table set for 8

My wonderful mother-in-law lent me her dishes

I even had dinner mints and little treat bags :)

Wrapping Christmas presents on a Sunday night

Jack was SO in love with the wrapping paper, he was trying to eat it and unwrap the presents as I was trying to wrap them!

Chris is a big help :)

Jack was more trouble than help, haha!

TA DA! Funny thing is only 3 of them are for Chris or I, the rest are for Jack and our extended family. I feel really good about Christmas shopping this year. I had a $100 budget for Jack and stuck to it! It did mean though that I had to stand in line for 3 hours at Toys R' Us on Black Friday...

Our first Christmas tradition: A new Christmas book to read to Jack on Christmas Eve, we also each wrote him a sweet letter and will continue to write him at the beginning of each book we give him.

We are SO excited for Christmas this year!

Dear World,

He's Coming Home!! (And will be here is LESS than 72 hours!!!)

Joining the Ranks!

Believe it or not, Chris has joined the ranks of bloggers! He told me today and I am still a little surprised he was so excited about it. I've read his posts and they are very cute. :) Here's the link:

http://mindofacrazyphace.blogspot.com