New Carpet!

This is the new carpet in the house we live in! I LOVE IT! It doesn't matter how clean your house is when your carpet is all stained it looks dirty! NOT ANY MORE! The carpet has caused me some anxiety and some grief BUT for the most part I really love it. I feel very blessed to have it!

What do you do while you are waiting for the carpet guys to finish? You watch a movie outside of course! Most of our furniture was on the back patio. It was getting chilly so caved ourselves in with mattresses and bundled up and watch a movie on the tv outside. It was fun!
That is the piano behind the kids and more mattresses! Nothing like building a GIANT fort while waiting! All in all it was a great day! Only a couple regrets. :) One of them is when I texted my landlord (and friend) that there would be no food, shoes or even children aloud on the new carpet! Dang predictive text though put the word wieners instead of shoes. Because I never re read my text I sent her a text that said "no more food, wieners or even children on the carpet!" Nice one Jeffords! If you're in the neighborhood drop on by to see the new carpet! Just no food or drink and leave your SHOES at the door! ;)

Dresses by Nana!

Nana makes some of our Dresses! This is an Easter Dress she had made for Darby. We LOVE to pull out dresses from Nana and wear them a second time around! This day Juliet let me do "princess hair" for church! I can't wait to see what Nana comes up with this year! I know that Juliet gets 2 dresses (from Sam's club) but Darby and Grace are getting a Nana creation! Maybe I can rope her into making me a Maxi skirt too!? Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssseeeeeeeee Nana! You are the best a triangle! :0)

Babysitter blog!

Check out my daughters new babysitting blog! SO adorable and VERY informative! I love that she is so good at this stuff! A few more months and she will be on her way to full time babysitter! http://babysittersprep.blogspot.com/

Max's birthday morning!

The morning of Max's birthday he woke to balloons on the floor of his bedroom. I heard from my room Dash whisper, LOUDLY, "Max there is money in your balloons!" Then I heard a lot of scuffling and a few "awesome!"'s :) It was enough to make a very tired mommy smile. (There were 9 balloons with a dollar in each one. Thanks pinterest for another great idea!) Max got to open one gift before school and the rest he would open that night at his "man party" that he was having. He picked the BIGGEST gift! (a sweet video gaming chair that I found on the Christmas clearances for about 15$) It plugs into your gaming systems or t.v. or ipod and there are speakers on the sides of the chair. VERY COOL!!! and very unexpected! He loved it!



The Kids all loved trying it and when they all went off to school Juliet LOVED having it to herself to listen to mommies Ipod! Max is a sweet boy who is grateful for any gift and that makes giving him things REALLY fun! You can never go wrong though with anything video game!

Cousin love!

Dash got a really cool dinosaur helmet for Christmas ! When Jer comes over to play he LOVED to wear it because he LOVES T-REX! Dash and I found a shark helmet on clearance so we picked it up and passed on the T-Rex helmet to his cousin! Dash LOVES his cousins! Then they got to play attack Uncle B/Daddy!

And these 2 cuties are little best friends too! Juliet LOVES it when Journey comes to play! I'm so happy we live near them! Cousins are the best!

How do you eat a cutie?

Juliet LOVES cutie oranges! She likes to put them in her mouth and make them be her smile! I LOVE IT! She doesn't like the whole cutie though she chews it up til there is no more juice then spits it out in the trash. Hence, cuties must be eaten by the trash can at our house! (She also eats apples this way. Chews them up but hates the skin so she spits the skin into the toilet.??? Weird I know but it's not a battle I care to fight!) SO this is how we eat cuties at our house!

New Beginnings....Really?

Last month they had New Beginnings in our stake for the girls going to go into Young Women this year. Darby is one of those girls! ???? What? When did that happen? Even now, a lump in my throat at how amazing and beautiful and fast she is growing into a lovely young woman! (couldn't figure out how to turn this picture but I love love love how cute Darby is with her cute style so I had to keep it in!)
It was such a special fun night and one I will remember! I am so lucky to call her my daughter. I am SO lucky to have her the rest of the year in activity days with me. I will cherish every moment!

more about B

Brandon's sister, Wendy, posted this in our comments. Comments don't print in our book and I REALLY wanted to remember this! Thanks Wedyls! I love love love it!

"Whenever I needed some peace in our chaotic and crazy home I looked for Brandon and I always found it. He also built the best forts. And he never tattled, even when I called him a "bi*ch" in 5th grade because he picked my bestie to be on his kickball team. Love that bro of mine! " Wendy D'Anna

I'm just not sure!

We had to clear out all the furniture of our house for our new carpet.....

Lots of space equals some unusual behavior. I'm not sure what is going here.......
But it didn't end well for anyone!!!! My favorite part of this picture is for sure the crumbs of surprise found under furniture that I have captured forever in film that is all over the carpet. The look on Darby's face is how I felt about the old carpet! :) I will post more about the new carpet later........

Things y'all didn't know about B!

A little post about Brandon!!!! So y'all can get to know him better.....it has been brought to my attention that some of my peeps don't know B as well as I thought. Probably because he was in Young Men. Or maybe because he lets me shine all the time and takes a back seat. (wind beneath my wings style....I thought I was his wind????:) So I thought I would post a little about B so all would know some confessions about him! I'm sure he will just LOVE LOVE LOVE this one. Start squirming baby!

As you can see by this photo he is a HUGE corn ball! HUGE HUGE HUGE! When we first met we went and saw Ace Ventura and I actually thought "I might be dating Jim Carrey and I don't really know I feel about that". I know! If you don't really KNOW Brandon it comes as a shocker because he is also shy. In a one on on setting he is kind of shy. In a group setting a cory ball or until you really get to know him then WATCH OUT he may never be serious again! I LOVE his sense of humor! He makes me laugh til I cry sometimes. EVERY DAY!
He is loved and respected every where he works and is missed when he leaves. He is profesional and strives so hard to be his best and is REALLY humble about his work. I on the other hand am not so humble about his work! I Think he is the best. He also loves to listen to movie themes. Random. Like the movie Brave Heart or Rudy. BIG music that moves him.

He does all the jobs I HATE! with out complaint. I hate to unload the dishwasher and he just does it. He also cleans the turtle tank and the kitty litter. He DOES NOT fold laundry. He can NOT multi task. He can NOT think and drive behind someone. The creative man can not pass someone while driving. VERY annoying. He can't help it if he is writing a movie in his head at all times while driving behind a 90 year old so if he is late to a church meeting after work that is why.
He loved working with the youth. This was the first time in our marriage that he had that opportunity and he loved every second of it. I think it was because his inner/outer child got to come out. No one judges you when you act the fool when they are all acting the fool! :)
He loves these guys. I think everyone knows that! He would rather hang out with them than a lot of people. He has been heard saying he is more comfortable at the kids table than any where else. That was one of the reasons I married him. I didn't want kids until I met this man. I wanted his kids. Only his kids. He reads them scriptures almost every nights. Sometimes I join in. Sometimes I don't. It is sometimes accompanied with yelling and I might secretly like it because he isn't a big yeller and it makes me feel more human when he yells. (should I delete that? I may come back in and edit that....I don't know.....one day my daughters might need to know it's ok to yell a little .......I don't know.....)
He doesn't do things half way! SO ANNOYING sometimes! I just want him to throw on a cape and a mask because that will work but he goes ALL the way and puts together a FULL costume to make it authentic and special for the boys. (2 hours later....annoying....but special.....and I SO love him for it!) I now have a Darth Vader costume for all to borrow! He does this with anything he takes on! The Road Show, Plays he has been in, Music he sings, anything.

He HATES HATES HATES taking pictures like this but he does for me because I like that it gives me skinny face!
So when we do it, he does them goofy....but look how skinny my face looks! RIGHT!?
He can mold his face into almost ANYTHING (Jim Carrey again)! He was Tony in West Side Story in college. The Wiz in The Wiz, The Nerd in The Nerd, and so many other wonderful plays and musicals! He is one of 7 brothers and sisters and has 5 more step brothers. His dad past away 2 years ago. He has to tough tough stories of growing up that make me love him even more (like wearing his sisters pants to school being teased and stuff that only makes you stronger) but the man went on to be Student Body President in High School. He really is incredible. I sure love him.
So I think that is a LITTLE taste of Brandon! Was that very painful babe? I didn't say anything about how sexy you are or what a good kisser you were or any thing like that! :)

ow me

that is what my niece Olivia (now 20) used to say when she was hurt. Today I was hurt. Bad. By a friend. On the flip side another friend fixed a hurt and that was good. I love when hurts are fixed because I believe that it makes friendships stronger and better. The other hurt though I don't know will ever be repaired and that breaks my heart. You see I take my friendships very seriously. I have a gift. A gift of making friends. I love my friends like family. I love them fiercely and I fight for them. Sometimes to fiercely....I don't give them the time they need to heal by calling and texting and calling and calling and texting and stalking. :) So tonight I say Ow Me. With a broken heart and a sigh. but on the other hand, on a less ow me note, the true friendships shine through. So I will try to celebrate that and let go of the other broken friendship! ow me.

This is what I do!

My cute friend Cindi wrote this as her fb status! It made my day! Yes this is what I do! Thank you Cindi for the shout out!

Dear sweet, 6pound 7 ounces, bald, wrapped in swaddling cloths baby Jesus:
Thank you for Zumba, and just dancing wildly in your living room...because that Turbo Kick crap is for people on crack, or at least good backs and amazing endurance. Epic shout out to my friend, mom-of-4-kiddos Suzy, as she teaches this class, as in several in one day!! I humbly bow to you. That was just what I envision hell on earth to be like. And yes, I left 1/2 way through. :) — with Suzy Muir Jeffords.

Suzy's Valentine

Usually Brandon can "fall back" on his art when he's forgotten a holiday. :) Goes into the bathroom and whips up a card for an hour..... THIS YEAR my sweet boy planned ahead and for Valentines he gave me a picture of one of our dates from before we were married! (This really happened and I was really that skinny! ;) He brought me this amazing and thought felt gift framed and with flowers. I love that he is an artist and I get to reap the benefits!

On this particular date I thought the boy was going to ask me to marry him! It was such a cute fun date! I sat on pins and needles all night. I ate everything VERY slowly in case the ring was hidden inside the food! At the end of the night, when he took me home, I cried! I thought FOR SURE this was going to be the night because the date was just creative and amazing. Brandon is REALLY creative and I learned real soon that I should ENJOY the creativity and just let it happen or I would end every amazing date in tears! (He asked me a to marry him...for the first time....a couple months later!) :)

why I love him....

So on this Day o' Love I wanted to remember the reasons that I fell in love with my sweet man! Life can get crazy and years go by and you forget the tiny things that thrilled you! I just read the sweetest letter on a blog that made me think of this. (It was from the bloggers granny...it was "divine" as she called it. I loved every nostalgic bit of it.)

Why I loved and love the Big B!

SO funny! makes me laugh at nothing and everything every day!

Loves the Lord with all his heart.

Is "to the core" good. Really really good.

Is naughty when it's right. ;)

LOVES movies and isn't afraid to cry at a chick flick or any flick for that matter!

DOESN'T watch sports.

SOOOOOO handsome!

LOVE his hands!

Sexy bootay!

ohhhhh his singing voice!

Makes me feel safe!

Follows his dreams.

Is passionate about me following mine.

can say I'm sorry.

can speak spanish! (sexy)

He isn't perfect.

the least judgmental person I've ever met!

SUPER DUPER GOOD KISSER!

thinks I'm sexy when I'm my least sexy.

stares at me when I don't know it.

writes the BEST letters.

wants to be a father.

loves his family.

doesn't want me to work...wants me to be an at home mommy.

I didn't want to have kids til I met him....I wanted to have HIS kids.

made me feel like I would be a great mommy.

loves traditions.

isn't afraid to look the fool. (the man can/can't dance!)

There are so many reasons I first fell in love with B and I know I could list a thousand more now that we have been married for 14 years and known each other almost 20! I am one lucky lady! Happy Valentines! Be sure to tell someone you love them and maybe even make a list why!

So funny!

Super Saturday provident living style!

We had a provident living Super Saturday a couple weeks ago and I was asked to teach a class on cheap dates. I was really excited and was able to talk about dating your spouse and little things to do to make them feel special. I am really passionate about dating my hubby and making time for each other. There are so many great ideas out there and the research I did only added to my passion for dating! I realized that were weren't doing enough and needed to get back on track and not let life happen to us! I'm really glad to have had the opportunity to teach and top have a little wake up call! It was a really great day! Email me if you want any of the handouts!
The food of course was amazing and the decorations simple and beautiful!



Some of the women who helped put it together! We didn't have a huge turn out but all that came had a great time!

Yes....that is my soda on the table! :)

Max becomes a BEAR!

Max turned 9 the begininng of this year and with that he moved classes from Wolf to Bear in scouting. No more yellow stuff....all light blue now. He worked hard to "earn" his Wolf too. i was really pround of him. This is his "Akaela" switching him over. (Sister Grodske...amazing) Our proud Bear!

Then they have the mom or dad come up and pin the bear badge on them. You pin it upside down until they do a good deed then they get to have it sewn on right side up!



The mommies get to wear that cool scout ribbon necklace to pin the pins on. We earn stuff right along side our scouts! I sure love that he LOVES scouts! It may not be my favorite thing in the world but I love that he is passionate about such an amazing program that helps him be a better person! GO MAX!