Just Us!

Happy Birthday Princess Julia!

Are you really 11 years old? I wish you could stay this age for a few years. You are the best daughter a mother could ask for. I do not know what I would do with out you & your sweet spirit in our home.

I love you.

Happiness is...

Family Pictures! Thank you Mom for following
the photographer around so we could have a peek. I love you.
The last time my family had pictures taken with everyone in attendance was December of 1998, almost 12 years ago.
Our family has grown & multiplied,
so this was an exciting event for me. ♥ Me & My Precious Little One. Julia is 10 years & 362 days old! ♥

♥ My Little Sisters & I ♥

♥ My Baby Brothers Mark & Matthew ♥

For the L♥ve...

What a difference 2 years make!

2008

2010

Brooklyn, Brock & I

♥ Thank you for the picture Jocelyn!

13 Things Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You

A look inside a teacher's mind could help you understand & maybe even guide your child to perform better.

1. When I hear a loud belch, I remember that a student's manners are a reflection of his parents'.
2. We educate future leaders & make about $51,000 a year.
3. Kids dish on your secrets all the time—money, religion, politics, even Dad's vasectomy.
4. Please, no more mugs, frames, or stuffed animals. A gift card to Jamba Juice or Staples would be more than enough. A thank-you note: even better.
5. We love 3-day weekends as much as your kid does.
6. The students we remember are happy, respectful, and good-hearted, not necessarily the ones with the highest grades.

7. Just because your child says he did his homework doesn't mean it's true. You must check. Every night.
8. Teaching is a calling. There's not a teacher alive who will say she went into this for the money.
9. Teaching is not as joyful as it once was for many of us; we get jaded too. Disrespectful students & belligerent parents take a toll on us.
10. We spend our own money to buy things our students need, such as school supplies & even shoes.
11. We wish parents would make their kids own up to their actions instead of pressuring us to bend the rules.
12. Please stop doing everything for your child & allow them to make mistakes. How else will they learn? Kids are not motivated to succeed because they feel their parents will bail them out every time.
13. There are days when I just want to quit, but then that one smile from that one kid, changes it all.

Mommy & Me in Italy

Julia & Jacob

‎We had tickets for the 9pm showing of Eclipse last night! Julia & I sat with Andrea & Richard on my favorite row in the theater. We had great seats behind the rails, so you can put you feet up.

Thank you Nordstrom!

♥ YOU ♥ #1 on my Playlist!

These are the lyrics to my new favorite song. You.

What do I have to do
I've been down & out, Doing without
The love that got me through
And what do I have to say?
I just want you to know
That I know

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
And it takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

What do I have to do
Ive been thinking about, Dreaming about
The things we used to do
And what do I have to say
I just wanted to know
That you know

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
And it takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

And I would walk across the ocean if I could
If it would bring you back to me

And I would steal a feather from an angels wings
Don't you know its true that I'd do it all to prove my l♥ve for you

It takes a village to raise a child
It takes an army to march a mile
And it takes true love to stand the test of time
And it takes you babe to make me smile

It takes you to make me smile!

Fairyland

Brooklyn is 8 weeks old. We love you! You are growing up so fast!

Ninja Sparkle League 5K

On Saturday I will participate in my first 5K.
The fight against Breast Cancer! I am going with my friend Andrea & our daughters will run with us!
I am really excited. I will keep the following quotes in mind as I run, jog, or speed walk.
The difference between try and triumph - is a little "umph"
Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever. - Lance Armstrong

I know He lives.

Green for Lunch To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

♣ Shirley's Green Roll made into a Tuna Sandwich
♣ Spinach & Snap Peas (2 of Julia's favorite veggies)
♣ Grapes & Dole Pineapple in Green Jello
♣ Pear applesauce
♣ Melon Powerade
♣ French onion Sun Chips
♣ Dry roasted almonds
♣ Green gold fish
♣ Cool mint Oreos
♣ Watermelon gummy lifesavers
♣ Watermelon Skittles
♣ Watermelon poprocks
Watermelon is her favorite fruit!

This is what Julia's lunch contains today. My best friend, Andrea, is the type of Mother who makes every single little holiday a grand celebration. Her kids look forward to every holiday of the year.
It truly warms my heart to see Andrea do special things for her kids like this. Julia's birthday is not till October & Christmas is pretty far away too, so I decided to copy Andrea & do something fun for her this holiday.
Do you want to know how I handled all this food? I was picking & sorting all the green items so I was sure to wear sanitized gloves. Disposable gloves are one of my favorite items to use when I am cooking, cleaning, or putting on makeup. I know it sounds strange, but if you have extremely dry hands, gloves are heaven sent!

This was also a fabulous find in my hunt for green fun! Julia loved this candy we found in Hawaii 3 years ago. I bought more than I wish to admit. I have never seen it anywhere but Maui until now....Walgreens has it! I will save it for later today, since she already has plenty of goodies.

I was able to fit this 11 ounce bottle in her lunch bag if you can believe that! I wish I could see the look on Julia's face as she unloads her lunch bag today. H♣ppy St. P♣trick's D♣y!

♥ Home is Where the Heart is ♥

I purchased this home yesterday & I l♥ve it!

Julia found this house on Hometoursutah.com & suggested that we go see it. I thought it was OK until I saw the inside. I fell in love!
I day dreamed about it constantly. It had been on the market for 27 days & I made an offer they couldn't refuse. I am so lucky to have a Julia as my daughter, I would have never looked at the house if it wasn't for her. We are so blessed.

I have a feeling...

...that 2010 is going to be a fabulous year!
Happy New Year!

Recipe for Christmas Joy!

1 cup of hugs
4 teaspoons of kisses
1 cup of smiles
4 cups of l♥ve
1 cup of special holiday cheer
1 cup of peace on earth
3 teaspoons of Christmas spirits
2 cups of goodwill toward man
1 sprig of mistletoe
1 large bag of Christmas snowflakes

Mix hugs, kisses, smiles and love until consistent.
Blend in Holiday cheer, peace on earth, Christmas spirits & goodwill toward men. Use the mixture to fill a large, warm heart, where it can be stored for a lifetime. (It never goes Bad).
Serve as desired under mistletoe, sprinkled liberally
with special Christmas snowflakes.

Tragedy or Destiny

Today my heart goes out to a loving family who lost father & husband unexpectedly on Friday at the age of 32. He left behind his wife & 6 beautiful daughters, ages 9-1. I barely know this family, their older girls dance at Jive with Julia. Yet, I admire & love them in so many ways. I once witnesses Naki giving advice to one of his daughters & was impressed with the love he had for her. I knew his family was blessed to have him in their lives. Trying to make sence of it all, I remembered a lesson I gave in Relief Society about 3 years ago. It was a hard & emotion lesson for me to give, but I was greatful for the opportunity to study these words.

From the Life of Spencer W. Kimball

When we face the apparent tragedies of
sorrow, suffering, & death, we must put our trust in God.

When Spencer W. Kimball was 8 years old, his baby sister, Mary, died. On his 9th birthday his 5 year old sister, Fannie, died.
At 11 years old his heart seemed to burst when his mother died.
He found comfort in prayer & in the principles of the gospel.

In His wisdom, God does not always prevent tragedy.

The Lord did not consider death always as a curse or tragedy, He said, “... blessed are the dead that die in the Lord...” Life goes on & free agency continues, & death, which seems such a calamity, could be a blessing in disguise.
If we say that all death is a calamity, disaster or tragedy, would it not be saying that mortality is preferable to earlier entrance into the spirit world & to eventual salvation & exaltation? If mortality be the perfect state, then death would be a frustration, but the Gospel teaches us there is no tragedy in death, but only in sin.
Can the Lord prevent tragedies? The answer is, Yes. The Lord is omnipotent, with all power to control our lives, save us pain, prevent all accidents, feed us, protect us, save us from labor, effort, sickness, even from death, if he will. But he will not.
Every act of God is purposeful. He sees the end from the beginning. He knows what builds us, or tears us down, what will thwart the program & what will give us eventual triumph. The Lord does not always heal the sick, nor save those in hazardous zones. He does not always relieve suffering & distress, for even these seemingly undesirable conditions may be part of a purposeful plan. God controls our lives, guides & blesses us, but gives us our agency.
If all the sick were healed, if all the righteous were protected, & the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled & the basic principles of the Gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.
Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires & our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment or even death, & if these were not there would also be an absence of joy, success, resurrection, eternal life & Godhood.
I’m positive in my mind that the Lord has planned our destiny. We shorten our lives but I think we cannot lengthen them very much. Sometime we’ll understand fully, & when we see back from the vantage point of the future we shall be satisfied with many of the happenings of this life which seemed so difficult for us to comprehend.
We knew before we were born that we were coming to the earth for bodies & experience, & that we would have joys & sorrows, pain & comforts, ease, & hardships, health & sickness, success & disappointments, & we knew also that we would die. We accepted all these eventualities with a glad heart, eager to accept both the favorable & unfavorable. We were undoubtedly willing to have a mortal body, even if it were deformed. We eagerly accepted the chance to come... though it might be for a day, a year, or a century. Perhaps we were not so much concerned whether we should die of disease. We were willing to come & take life as it was, without murmur or complaint or unreasonable demands.
We sometimes think we would like to know what was ahead, but sober thought brings us back to accepting life a day at a time & magnifying & glorifying that day.
Everyone must die. Death is an important part of life. Of course, we are never quite ready for the change. Not knowing when it should come, we properly fight to retain our life.
Why are we so afraid of death? We pray for the sick-we administer to the afflicted- we implore the Lord to heal & reduce the pain & save life & postpone death, & properly so, but is eternity frightful? So awful?

The Prophet Joseph Smith confirmed:The Lord takes many away in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man & the sorrows & evils of the present world. They were too pure, too lovely, to live on this earth. Therefore I mightily considered,instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil & we shall have them again. The only difference between the old & young dying, is one lives longer in heaven & eternal light & glory than the other, & is freed a little sooner from this miserable world.”

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude & humility. All that we suffer
& all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our character, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, & makes us more tender & charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . & it is through sorrow & suffering, toil & tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire & which will make us more like our Father & Mother in heaven. . . .” (Orson F. Whitney)

I would not dare to take the responsibility of bringing back to life my loved ones. Christ himself acknowledged the difference between his will & the Father’s when he prayed that the cup of suffering be taken from him; yet he added, “Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.”

We sometimes think we would like to know what lies ahead,
but sober thought brings us back to accepting life a day at a time
& magnifying & glorifying that day. . . .

My Angel

My little joyful Julia turned 10 years old this morning! Happy Birthday! I lucked out with this girl.
She's the best child a mom could hope for.
Dear Julia,
As you get older I enjoy being your mother even more than the year before. I love you more everyday. I love to have meals where you are sitting at the head of the table. You have lots of things to say & I am happy to be your captive audience. I want you to know that sometimes it is OK to command the attention of a room. You are beautiful, savvy, smart & confident. I learn new things from you everyday.
Please don't be in a hurry to grow up. You have some power moves, like groaning & moaning when I ask the simplest thing. But, I will never forget that underneath all that attitude is a little girl who needs to sit on my lap, or wants me to brush her hair or hold her every once in a while as she drifts gently off to sleep. I will never get tired of your daily hugs & kisses. I need hugs just as much as you do.
I enjoy girls night out with you. I get a chance to do girlhood all over again, & be the coolest Mom around. I like taking you to restaurants like P.F. Changs, you act grown up & sophisticated. You are simply adorable. Did you know that I love it when you turn the music up when your favorite song comes on? I do. I enjoy giving you foot massages. When you are relaxed you say the cutest things, or you feel comfortable to talk about serious subjects.
One of my most memorable moments is watching you dance in the living room like it's 1999. I danced too, & you laughed at some of my moves. I was delighted when you tried to show me a thing or two. It is OK to be silly & to let your heart go for the love of dancing fun. By the way, in case you didn't know, your beautiful smile is priceless to me.
I do all I can for you, & I don't always get it right but I hope that I get it right enough that when you grow up you will still want to go shopping together & spend Christmas with me. I hope you love being 10 yo, I think this year will be wonderful. I love you with all my heart.
♥Mommy

Party like it's 1999

10 years ago today, I was induced @ 7a.m. to have my first child. I was excited to hold my precious baby girl. I was thrilled to know that my pregnancy was going to end, & I would soon be home with my new bundle of joy. It was a Monday, I was 10 days over due & Little did I know at the time...she would not come till the next day. 1999 was an awesome year for my family. I was pregnant for the 2nd time & my baby was growing just as she should.
What else happened the Year Julia was born?
My sister, Julie, graduated from High School!
My Mom graduated from BYU!
On October 8th, President George W. Bush announced the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.
Popular Song: Believe ~ Cher
Popular Movies: Notting Hill & Runaway Bride both starring JULIA Roberts!
A first class stamp cost 33 cents.
July 16: JFK Jr. plane crash
August 11: A very rare F2 tornado strikes Salt Lake City, killing 1.
September 9: Sega releases the Sega Dreamcast. Benjamin Scott was one of the first people in line to buy it. We had just moved to Andrews Air Force Base, MD. I was due in 4 weeks, our things had not arrived yet, & Scott did not need to report for duty for a few days. He needed a new toy, & Sega Dreamcast satisfied him for several hours a day.
October 12: World Population reaches 6 billion people!
Y2K Scare: Y2K hype gets everyone paranoid that the end of the world is near. Billions of dollars spent world-wide on Y2K upgrade on computer software. At 4:00 AM on December 31, 1999 as the new year passes on the little island of Fiji we discover that the supposed Y2k Bug will not cause impending doom.

HEADLINES:
• February: President Clinton is acquitted.
• April 20: 2 students go on a shooting rampage at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
They kill 12 students, 1 teacher, & themselves.

Love One Another

That is what I heard alot of this past weekend...Love One Another. General Conference was awesome. Thanks to Tivo I did not miss a word. My favorite speaker was President Uchtdorf, his words were comforting to me. My first 5 faves are from him.

" Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely.
Though we are imperfect, God loves us perfectly. Though
we feel lost & without compass, God's love encompasses us."

"Love ought to be at the center of everything we do."

" The first step in walking in righteousness is to TRY."

God does not need us to love Him, but oh, how we need to ♥ Him.

"Love should be our walk & our talk."
~President Uchtdorf

"Express love & show it. Bare testimony & Live it. Be consistent."
~Bednar

"No matter who u are or what u have done, you can always pray."
~Packer

"Real Love does not support self-destructive behavior."
~Oaks

"Repentance always means there is greater happiness ahead."
~Anderson

"Please, no empty seats." ~President Eyring

Flashback Friday

1993 San Diego Harbor Festival A Capella Choir Tour
The tour to CA is one of my most memorable experiences at Mountain View High School.
What a great looking group of people.
I am on left side, top row with the biggest hair!
My friend, Becky, is just to the right with her hair in a pony tail.
We were able to go to the San Diego Temple Open House together.
What a awesome weekend! We also had the best teacher in the world, Mr. Petersen.

A Capella gone Wild!

Family is Everything

Cameron, Tammy, Mom, Jocelyn, Brock, & Julia Renee

My Baby Sister & Me

Jocelyn is visiting from Massachusetts for 3 weeks!

She is pregnant with her 2nd baby & I hope she has a girl.

We have been having a great time & Julia loves to play with Brock. On Friday night we went to a wedding reception for Denver & Bree. It was beautiful & so much fun. I had such a great time visiting with all my Aunts, Uncles & cousins on the Andersen side.

I had been looking forward to this event because my family

is everything to me. Thank you for all the hugs!

Reminder : Be Careful

Last night Julia & I attended a Musical Fireside. It was excellent!
I was reminded to live in the moment & to be careful.
These are the lyrics to my favorite song of the evening.

Children Will Listen
How do you say to your child in the night
Nothing is all black but then nothing is all white?
How do you say it will all be alright
When you know that it might not be true? What do you do?
Careful the things you say, children will listen.
Careful the things you do, children will see & learn.
Children may not obey, but children will listen.
Children will look to u for which way to turn, to learn what to be.
Careful before you say, listen to me. Children will listen.
Careful the wish you make, wishes are children.
Careful the path they take, wishes come true, not free.
Careful the spell you cast, not just on children.
The spell may last past what you can see & turn against you...
Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell. Children will listen...
How can you say to a child who's in flight,
Don't slip away & I won't hold so tight?
What can you say that no matter how slight
Won't be misunderstood?
What do you leave to your child when you're dead
Only what ever you put in its head
Things that your mother & father had said
Which were left to them too.
Careful what you say, children will listen
Careful you do it too, children will see & learn.
Oh! Guide them but step away, children will glisten.
Temper with what is true & children will turn, if just to be free.
Careful before you say, listen to me. Children will listen!

I Choose to be Happy!

"Joy has nothing to do with material things, or with man's outward circumstance...A man living in the lap of luxury can be wretched, & a man in the depths of poverty can overflow with joy."
William Barclay

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel -- not a destination."
Roy M. Goodman

Why? What? Where?

Why is 6 afraid of 7?
Because 789!

Today I am lucky enough to bring my little princess with

me to work. Julia is checking out fun shows on youtube.com.

I am running a job on the color copier

that may take me the rest of the day.

Today @ 12:34:56 it will be 123456789!

This only happens once every thousand years!

How fun...I l♥ve numbers!

I've never...

• been alone
• been on a mission
• been on a cruise ship
• been to Disney World
• been short for my age
• been depressed
• been to a HS reunion
• bought a lottery ticket
• bounced a check
• changed my own oil
• done my own taxes
• drank Coke or Pepsi
• liked convertibles
• lost my sanity
• made noodles from scratch
• met a RB float that I didn't like
• owned a pair of pink shoes
• said "yes" to drugs
• slept under the stars
• so optimistic as I am now
• understood why some parents are so cruel when it comes to naming their children. If your last name is Pitts, why would you name your 1st son Harry. If your last name is Brown, why would you name your child Charlie?
• watched or read Harry Potter
• loved Julia more than I do today
• seen beaches more beautiful than the ones in Maui

Jive Concert 2009

Julia loved dancing to the song 'Route 66' using her own scooter. She was excited to perform at each of the 5 showings, & looks forward to doing it again next year! Julia was grateful to have friends & family at each of her performances. I was lucky to
sit front & center at 2 of the shows so Julia could see me,
she said I was grinning from ear to ear...imagine that.
Julia is a strong, smart, beautiful girl, & I admire her confidence.
♥ I wanted to cry, I was so proud of her. ♥

Julia & her dance instructor, Ricki, after the 5th & final show.
It was 9:30 on Saturday night, & they looked like they could easily go one more round. WOW! Julia adores Ricki, & as you can see the feeling is mutual. Ricki is 16 years old, positive & full of energy.
I love Ricki because she believes in Julia & makes her feel special. These girls are beautiful in so many ways.

Thank you Udo for the beautiful flowers & taking great pictures.

Lindsay & Julia. They may be 2 years apart, but Julia considers Lindsay one of her best friends. Last year Julia planned her birthday party around Lindsay's busy schedule.
A party, is just not a party without Lindsay.

Lindsay danced to the song 'Freeze Frame". She was the star

of their dance, she has a smile that never quits. Great Job!