BINGO!!!!!

On Thanksgiving after the dishes are done we set up the tables for BINGO! It is a long standing tradition that my family loves! (I think it is over 20 years old). Everyone that comes and wants to play brings a gift ($5 or less, but we shop all year so some things are REALLY good). There are sometimes homemade items. Jewelry, scarves, crafts etc. One year granny did an afghan with all the left over yarn she had over the years that said BINGO in the center of it. (Yes she is that good!) It was the ugliest thing I had ever seen but we all wanted it soooooo bad. I think my cousin Paul won it. We like to invite anyone who wants to come as long as they follow the rules. The only rule is NO CRYING! You can pick or steal and once it has been in possession 3 times it is out of the game! SOOOOO much fun! Tons of stupid jokes and even more stupid gifts! One year there was a bobble head with my grandpa's picture in the frame face. It was super funny cause my grandpa wasn't even there! Ha ha! My kids love this tradition and we have kept it going even when we aren't by my parents and grandparents so now some of our friend s have come to love it too!

Here Dash won a pair of toe socks! He LOVED them. He is right on the border of being able to play due to the crying rule! He won a gift card to Pink Berry and someone stole it from him. Very sad. But you can see that he made up for it with his sweet socks! Tons of snacks and drinks! We have tried all different Bingo sets over the years. The best one is the cheapest one. Pull out the cards and pennies and cheerios for markers! Here is Aunt Chance (far right), Uncle Tim, Domenique (cousin), Justin (cousin) Jayden (cousin), and Aunt Elaine!
You can't have Bingo with out my dad flippin you off with his half finger! He thinks he is HILARIOUS! He always says "This is if you 1/2 tick me off!" (only a little more colorful.) My mom is not excited about it! Ireland (cousin) doesn't even realize he did it! She is to busy picking out her markers. There is a strategy of not mixing markers on your card. Bad Luck if you do!
Ireland won silly straw glasses! She was so sweet to let Dash keep trying them out! That is one of the the things I love about Bingo, NO prize is ever lame. There is something for everyone from candy bars to gift cards, luggage (clearance), crock pots, crafts! SO much fun. One year my super classy friend Alison (she really is classy) brought these naked old lady salt and pepper shakers! It was hilarious because they became the HOT item of the night and my Granny fought tooth and nail for them! NO CRYING! :)
Uncle Tim and Aunt Chance!
Brown Olivia! (Dash was in love with 2 Olivias in Tx. One was Latin and the other was not. He called them brown Olivia and white Olivia. We told this story to Aunt Wendy and Olivia and now that is what I have to call my sweet niece Liv! She even put it in my cell phone that way!) I just adore her and will have to do a whole blog post on her one day! She graduates in May making me feel SUPER old because when B and I dated she was only 2 and used to call me "Bazshazshee"!
Aunt Marilynn and Uncle Jamie!
Getting ready for the festivities to start. Here is a better picture of Aunt Elaine and you can see Journey in the back. Don't forget the 2 cheese balls Dash and Darby!
This is Brandon's niece Jenny and her husband and their little baby Kadence! She makes me feel super old too. I will not tell you how old she was when I started to date B!
Thanksgiving was full of fun, family and food! I think our favorite part will always be Bingo!

Nana's girl!

No one can deny this baby as my mom's grandbaby! I am sure if I had baby pictures of my mom you would not be able to tell them apart! Juliet is a mini Nana! Everyone sees it but my mom! You can't tell in this picture but they even have the same color eyes! (And the same cute hair on this day!) :) Hairy! She was sitting by Nana during our Thanksgiving Bingo festivities and Nana gave her a new cup with a straw, some cheetos and you'll never guess what she put in her cup! Diet Coke! Nice!
Two peas in a pod! I LOVE that they are so much alike! Zuzu loves her Nana!

Thanksgiving perfomance!

On Thanksgiving, before we played Bingo, our kids sang with B and Darby did her Jerry Lewis skit. Dash wanted nothing to do with it. So he just sat and watched! I had to take a picture of him though because he is wearing the shirt my mom made for Darby when she was 3. My mom and dad both had one too. I have kept it and all my kids wear it when they are 2 and 3 and 4 and if I can 5! It is so cute! It has turkeys all over it dressed like pilgrims and Indians and one in a football helmet! It cracks me up every year! This was Max singing "Silent Night"! He is perfect with his raspy little voice and when he lifts his head to reach for the high notes it melts my heart! He would sing "round young virgin mother to child" I loved it! They corrected him in Primary. I was perfectly content letting him sing it wrong!
They sang "Away in a Manger". The one from the Childrens Songbook with the "asleep asleep". Max did first verse, Darby did second and Daddy helped. It was really sweet!
They performed all of this at the Single Adults Thanksgiving too. Darby's Jerry Lewis skit stole the show there. I don't think any of them knew what to expect but by the middle of it they were all cracking up! I was very proud of her. She is so brave and talented!
Brandon loves performing with our kids. He loves that they are brave enough to get up and do it. I think it builds confidence and character. (you don't see me up there with them! :)

Curtis' Birthday!

When Ryeley and the kids came down we had a birthday party for my nephew Curtis! He was super excited. All of Brandon's family came over and one of my friends from church brought her son and 3 nephews. Curtis had his favorite cake and got both his favorite ice creams! We just finished singing and everyone was ready to cut into the cake. Everyone sang SOOSOOOO loud Curtis couldn't stop grinning! Miss Anna gave him a sweet dart gun and that was one of his favorite gifts. A very Hot item the entire weekend!
His dad gave him tons of skate boarding stuff. Aunt Chance and Uncle Tim gave him a Tec Deck display case and we gave him a remote control truck!
Ready to board!
He was so gracious with all the gifts he received! I sure love that kid! He was so grateful for his party and told me he would never forget it. Gracie asked if they could come back for her birthday! :)

A baby?

I thought that would get my blogging buddies attention! No we are not pregnant! :) We are in fact trying to decide if our family is complete though. Who would have thought this would even be an issue? All during being pregnant with Juliet I KNEW I was NEVER doing that again. Then the first thing I said to Brandon wasn't "Is she o.k.? Is she breathing? Why is she blue?" I looked at him and said "We have to do this again, I think I want another!" My sweet husband and friend said lets wait for the post partum to wear off. That was both our answers for a while. Well I am now off all the post partum drugs. She is over a year. We have asked at the temple and in countless prayers. Many conversations with good friends and with each other. My conclusion is that the Lord is pleased with what we have done and now it is up to us. It is ok either way. Be done or have another. What? Are you kidding me? Now what? On one hand our family looks complete in pictures. I would LOVE to have my body back and work to get all the weight off to never have to put it on again. We would love to go camping and to Disney Land and so many other things that we put off until the last one can be manageable. It was hard to split the Christmas budget, school clothes budget, new seasons budget and birthday budgets into so many piles. (It has always worked out though with a lot of faith....) I don't feel like I am the best mommy I can be to the ones I have. I yell more than I want and fast food is all our friend. B and I are both getting older too. I am overwhelmed a lot! BUT on the other hand. I don't know if I can close the door completely on another Jeffords! :) Who doesn't want another one of those? To never hold a brand new one that is mine again. Never nurse again (we all know how good I am at that...why would I miss it when I suck so bad at it?) Never have a baby kick again....I hated that part and the hiccups and the ligament pulls and the heartburn and the pre term labor and the peeing my pants (still do that) and the BARFING. Oh but to eat what ever you want with no guilt! I never have guilt when I am pregnant. :) My kids LOVE babies and LOVE Juliet so much. They all ask when we are having another. (All though that is dying down a bit...except for Max.) I see sister in laws and close friends having babies and the desire to have another overwhelms me. Then I sit back and ask myself, is it really another baby or all the fun that goes with it? There is a lot of attention and love that is thrown your way with a new baby. You can't even go to the grocery store with out someone commenting on the newest addition. (I get that a lot with just the size of my family though).

I thought the Lord would CLEARLY say "Well done! No more. Your family is complete on this earth. You are my favorite!" :) Why would he let me choose? I never thought in a million years this chapter would be so hard to close. :(
Seriously friends, any thoughts?

Happy New Year!

Here I sit on New Years Day with so many thoughts and of course no time. I will commit to lose my baby weight or at least enough to feel good in my clothes and not want to wear pajamas everywhere. I am also going to teach another format this year. All ready signed up to sub so now I can't get out of it! I am going to blog weekly! Brandon printed my blog for my Christmas gift and I cried and cried. Not only was it a great gift but it helped me to fulfill a commandment of journaling and writing my family history. Knowing it wasn't that expensive it has rekindled my excitement! I am going to the temple once a month and I am going to pray with my eyes closed. (ANy mommy knows why that is a habit I have to try to get back!) I am going to "just do it" with my home. B and I did that a few years ago and it changed my life. When you are to tired to fold the basket of clothes and say you will do it tomorrow then you "just do it" ! It sounds silly but the 10 minutes you put forth saves hours later. (Laundry piles after just one basket then it is way to big to just do it!) If you "just do it" on all the little things they never get to be big things! Almost like "eating the frog first". Do the thing on your list you least want to do first rather than stare at it all day hating it and letting it take up your energy. (mine usually will end up on my list for the next few days making me hate myself and my list). If you "eat the frog first" nothing tastes as bad and it is off your list freeing up your emotional energy!

I think that is all my resolutions. EXCEPT for the biggie. Diet coke. I will need a whole blog about that one. Tear.

Later! with photos of all the end of year festivities.

Merry Christmas to all and all a good night!

Merry Christmas my friends and family! I can't believe it is here. I love this time of year and every year it comes and goes to fast! I heard a story in church the other day that helped me have more of the Christmas spirit that I was searching for. I won't tell the whole story but it ended with one little boy in the Nativity play, that played the inn keeper, turning Joseph and Mary away because there was no room at the Inn. After a few moments of watching a poor dejected Mary and Joseph walk across the stage the little boy tearfully flung open the door and said "You can have my room!" Some people that year thought the play was ruined and true believers knew that it was a play they would remember the rest of their lives. I hope we remember those who need a little extra help this year. Either love, or financial, military families or physically. Keep your heart open just a little longer and a little more this year. I love ya'all and am lucky to call you friends. Merry Christmas!

Happy Happy Birthday Juliet Dear!

Today our Juliet turns 1! I can't believe it ! She has brought so much joy and laughter to our home. She is such a sweet spirited baby and is almost always smiling! She is loves graham crackers and puff cheetos and soda! She LOVES to play with all her siblings and when she is tired she gets giggly! We love you Sweet Baby J! (our Zuzu's petal!)
Daddy: "I love her dimples."
Dash: "I love that I share with her."
Mommy: "I love her "O" face when she is excited about something or wants something really bad. Usually something she shouldn't have. I also love when she gets mad and pushes her legs and arms out in front of her really hard with balled up fists, usually accompanied by an angry growl. I do NOT like her ear piercing scream!"
Callie the cat: "I like to run away from her and would really like it if she stayed out of my cat food and water!"
..... Rest of the families comments to come.....
Max: "I like that she is a crazy baby!"
Darby: "I like that sometimes she is an angel and sometimes she is a devil....you never know!"
Sharing soda with Papa Gail on Thanksgiving! Our little Blue baby only minutes old! She was this blue for almost 4 days! Crazy!
4th of July fun! (7 months old)
5 weeks old at Papa Keith's house after his funeral! We know they would have loved each other!
Sweet Sweet girl! (5 1/2 months old)

I'm thankful for turkey bums!

So on our Thankful jars we were thankful for Turkeys one day and had to do a turkey craft! I am a SUPER good artist and since daddy was working late I took it upon myself to create our turkeys. I was feelin' pretty good until Max said they looked like Turkey bums! At any rate the kids had a great time and a new tradition was created! We wrote what we were thankful for on the feathers and then anyone that came into our home wrote what they were thankful for on a feather and added it to the wall. I don't have a picture of the complete wall yet but it was great! The wall was full of "thankful" feathers from family and friends. I loved seeing what everyone said. There was health, laughter, trials, food, fun, family, friends, spouses, children and even quantem physics (SP?)! The kids had the best time and LOVED the turkeys! (Even if they did look a little like a bum!)

I love little boys....too!

My friend Alison had posed on her blog "I love little boys" and had a picture of a "guy" (the rock guy from fantastic 4.... or something like that) sitting on the toilet paper roll! I loved it and found great joy in the things little boys do and the way they play. A couple days later I went into MY bathroom and found Optimus Prime hanging by a bracelet off the toilet paper roll! I love little boys!

Thankful Jar!

Today we are thankful for scriptures. I am thankful we have them and that my kids love to read them. (Even when I don't). We were thankful yesterday for music and we listened and loved some fun dance tunes. 2 days ago it was prayer. We had to say a prayer of only thanks. It was much harder than I thought to not ask for any additional blessings.

Even though we are thankful for scriptures today I just want to say I am thankful for my friend Sharlynn. She is a great example in tons of things. I have been lazy about keeping track of our thankful jar and not wanting to blog it. I forget that I consider this my journal and will one day have it printed and bound. Sharlynn is always great to put her feelings in her blog and I love her for it. She expresses love and gratitude freely! I love you Sharlynn! Thank you for being you and for being my friend!

Thankful Jar!

So in the month of November we are doing a "Thankful Jar". We have a jar with little papers that we pull out and express thanks for whatever is on it. One day was thankful for hands, and we did a craft project with our hands. Another day was thankful for grandparents and we call them and tell them we love them. We have been thankful for computers, eyes, hands, sisters, books, and our home so far. It will go on and on for this month. So far it has been really been for the kiddos and I haven't reflected much on it. Today we are Thankful for our brothers.

I just wanted to say that I have the BEST brother ever. He is a total example to me and I love him more than he will ever know. He works harder than most people. He is a single parent and does more than I could fathom for his kids and does it on his own. He is a loyal and faithful friend and those are hard to come by these days. He listens and tries to cheer you up when you need it. He is one of the funniest people I know! I don't do him justice but he really is the best. I love him and consider him one of my best friends. I am so lucky he is my brother! Master Blaster!!!!!! My little brother! I love you!

Love my Man!

I don't want to brag..... but I have to! I love my husband! We had a long talk the other night about the things I need. (Me being whiny and needy). Every wife needs to feel special. He makes me feel special every day. Today I came home from dropping the kids off to school and he was frantically sweeping the dining room and living room. I asked him why he was doing it and he said so that I knew I was "his world"! I melted right there. Who knew sweeping could have that effect!? I also asked him in passing if he would fix something on the computer and I logged on this afternoon to see that it had been done. Again melted. I love that he thinks about me when I am not around and wants to do things to make me happy. I hope that I can make him 1/2 as happy as he makes me.

I know this was squishy but he needs a shout out for being AMAZING! I LOVE YOU B!

Quote of the day!

I overheard the boys playing "Dodge ball is bad for babies I said!"

time to go in and get Juliet out of there!

Things you never thought you would hear or say as a parent!

I want to know why little boys (4 yrs old) think it is ok to jump on your back when you are sitting on the floor after they shower! They are wet and cold and not to mention naked! Dash did this to B the other night and heard B say "get your wiener off my back!" Never thought I would hear that as a parent and I am sure he never thought he would have to say it. This morning Dash was on Brandon's shoulders, just hanging out with dad. I heard him say, under his breath, "I just farted on your neck." Again something I never thought I would hear as a parent. I am sure glad it was his neck and not mine! :)

Quote of the day!

So Darby just came in all hunched over with one hand behind her back and the other hand holding up the 3 fingers and said "I just wanted to see what it was like to have a bump in my back and one hand and only 3 fingers on my other hand!" Where do they think of these things?

Halloween! Halloween! So much Fun on Halloween!

This is Darby's pile o' candy from our Trick-or-Treating! (Note the abundance of FULL SIZE candy bars!) Here is Dash's Pile (people were giving that stinker handfuls!) Most of his full size bars are burried underneath his MOUNTAIN of "fun size" bars!
Max's pile! FULL of M&M's! He was a Red M&M for Halloween and people thought he LOVED them so they kept giving him tons of M&M's. (he likes them ok but his favorite is 3 Musketeers)

Here we are at Trunk or Treat. B dressed up for the contest at work. He said he doesn't think he won anything because there were more creative costumes. (He works at a movie company with artists....need I say more?) When he went out to lunch he did get a free desert from the restaurant because they loved his costume so much! I was just a cow girl, but you can't see my furry chaps! They were Awesome! I hated doing my hair on Sunday though because I wore the wig for 2 days and after taking it off....my hair seemed short and drab! Time to grow it out! :)

Juliet was Poison Ivy. She wouldn't wear her head band so we had to get the shot quick! We sprayed her hair red....she kind of looked like she was going for the greek toga look, but I knew what she was!
Slash came to our trunk or treat so we had to get him and Gene together!
The Octo-mom showed up to trunk or treat too! Crazy who comes to things in L.A. :) (My friend Katie! SO funny!)
Max and Dash! Max's costume was an old dance costume of mine. (a 7-up dot that my mom made for our dance team....that makes me feel super old) Brandon doctored it up and we had the cutest M&M ever! People don't make home-made costumes that much anymore!
Darby found more dance costumes from our dress up box and she was a super feathery Cat! So cute!

We had tons of fun and trunk or treat and trick or treating! I love the home-made costumes and I think we will do that more in the years to come. I have tons of good memories of that! All though it did help that my mom could sew! :)

Red Robin Gourmet Burger

A while ago I received an email to enter a contest for a Red Robin Cook Book for kids. I asked Darby if she wanted to do it and she came up with burger on her own and we submitted it! Well she WON! She is still in the running to win and be in the top 10 nationally but she won for our local restaurant. She gets a poster with her name and her gourmet burger listed for the month of Nov. (You can see it hanging on the poster behind her) She also won a 40.00 gift card that she took us out to dinner with. The manager came over and congratulated her and gave her a laminated poster to take home. VERY COOL! Her burger idea was from a recipe we have at home all the time. She created the Candy Chicken Bacon Burger. We have a yummy recipe of candy chicken that we tweaked a bit to make it a little more candy like. She wanted to add Bacon to the burger and cheese is optional. SOOOO Yummy. Even if she doesn't place in the top ten she still gets her recipe in the Red Robin Children's cook book. If she wins overall then her burger will go on the menu! SO COOL! Good Job Darby!

On the move!

Juliet has been crawling now for a couple months but here is a picture of her when she just started! She would crawl on her hands and knees but when she really needed to get some where fast she would stay on her knees and drop down to here forearms. Not quite and army crawl. Man could she move. I don't know if you can see it but she is trying to get to a Diet Coke bottle! A women after my own heart! She was sad because it was empty! :)

1st Day of School

So here is the first day of school in Sunny California. Max is starting the 1st grade with Mrs. Faraji and Darby is starting the 3rd grade with Miss Inbar. they looked soooo cute ! thanks to Nana! :)
They both look out for each other. They have the same recess and I really like that. "We're a pack of Jeffords and Jeffords stick together"!

TKB

I just had to give a shout out to TKB! I was reading Chalene's blog and I realized just how much I love this format! I have met this woman, the creator of Turbo Kick and Turbo Jam. She is a great motivational speaker and looks amazing because she works at it. I love that she is a real woman with real struggles. She works hard at what she does and has made this super fun format so other real women and men can change their lives. That is one thing that attracted me to this format and teaching classes in general. I loved REAL instructors when I went to the gym. I LOVE being real in my classes. I have 4 kids and I am a little chubby still. I have to try hard not to pee my pants when I teach. My boobs don't look that great in a sports bra. It is hard to want to go to the gym and even harder to work your can off. I don't pretend that any of it is easy, just Real! I love the fitness and health journey with my friends and classes! They inspire me!

I can say with all certainty that it works if you do it. If you can't make it to the gym, just start moving. Order Turbo Jam and do it in your home. Then go to a gym if you can. Get motivated by others and have fun! Try other formats, Lift, Cycle, Aqua, Boot Camp, you can even run on a treadmill if you are boring! :) Just do it!

I didn't mean to rant about fitness...heavens know I will always have to work at it! I just really wanted to say how much I love it TKB and how fun it is! Just try it! :0 .... You could come to a class that I am subbing Nov. 10 at Sherman Oaks 24! :)

great friends

I have GREAT friends. Probably some of the very best women you will ever meet! Kim has been my friend longer than I have been married! We have even filmed having our kids for each other! I would be lost with out her! Nat and Tiff! I always say they are the friends who pick up the pieces nobody else wants to touch! That goes for almost all my friends. I know I could call any of them and they wouldn't judge me for what ever I am going through. They would listen and love me! Jennie Jo and Christina! 2 more women I could call at any hour or any day and they would be there! They have been there! I called once at 5 and left my kids with them at 9 for 4 days! Alison! Holy Moly! I have never met a more creative person and dang funny! Robin! What the heck, holy strong! What an inspiration of just doing it! Nora, I love her for just being her. She is totally real! Hilary! As far as good friends go she is one of the best. A constant in a world of inconsistency! Sharlynn! The nicest person anyone could ever meet. Totally loyal! Helen! Everyone needs an English friend! Sandee Bryson! I love someone with a contagious laugh and that laughs freely! Erin! Who doesn't want a friend that can do the worm? I love that she comes out of trials more beautifully than she went in! Courtney! Someone who never talks ill of anyone! For real! You can also talk forever to her on the phone and she will never cut you off! (Sorry Court) Jennifer E.! One of the most generous women I know! I could seriously go on and on forever with all of them. One day I want to be wealthy enough to invite all my friends for a mommy weekend and take care of and pamper them! I could go on all night naming women I love but I will leave it at that for now. Just know that I think of all of you even if I didn't name you by name! I love you and all you do for me! I really do have the best friends ever!

Happy Happy Birthday Darby Dear!

Darby Hannah ....



Today is Darby's 9th birthday! I can't believe she is all ready 9 ! I know I just announced that I was pregnant with her and that we were having a girl. She is so much fun and brings so much light to our family! Happy Birthday Darby!
I asked everyone something they liked about Darby!
Max: "I like that she is really nice and friendly and shares all her things and her petshops."
Dash: "I like her heart and she is fashion. " (I have no idea where he gets this stuff)
Juliet: "I love that she plays with me and makes me laugh all the time! She can hold me and change my diaper. I am excited to share a room with her one day!"
Daddy:"I love her quirky sense of humor and her independent spirit, especially when it comes to making right choices."
Mommy:"I love that she never waivers when it comes to choosing the right. She always brings people up and never drags them down. Anyone who has Darby as a friend is lucky because she is fiercely loyal and loves you deeply! She is also a super good speller! "
Callie the cat: "Meow" = "I love her"
Happy Birthday beautiful girl!

Crazy Dayz!

So October is flying by soooo fast! I am trying to enjoy all of it but December is coming hard and fast. That is the month we have to know where we are going. Stay here in California for another 6 months or head back to Texas. I am pretty torn! (Mostly for my hubby....he loves it here... I love being closer to family!:)

I just wanted to post some cute things about my babies! The other night we were at the table and my sweet Darby is so concerned about her friends at school. A lot of them swear and she just can NOT handle it! We have tried ignoring it and asking them not to say those words to her but it really really bothers her. I just don't know what to do for her. Max went on to tell me that he never ever swears! Never does he say the "L" word. ???? I had to ask.... "Liar liar pants on fire!" Whew! Sorry I made you say it Max. Then he went on to say he heard the "F" word. I held my breath.... "Faker faker donut maker"! Holy Moly! Then he told me never ever does he say the "CH" word...."Cheater cheater pumpkin eater!" Of course the "S" words "stupid" and "shut-up"! I am so glad that my kiddos are that sweet!

Darby also had to print some goals for Drug Free week! First you had to name what you wanted to do: " I want to be a zoo ceper" Then she had to list 5 steps to get there.
Step 1 : Get some animals
Step 2: Practice
Step 3: Get hired
Step 4: Tell them my terms
Step 5: Start!

She cracks me up! I can't believe that she is turning 9 this Thursday! I sure do love them!