Christmas Wishes!

Dear, Santa

I wish for............

LOVE

JOY

LAUGHTER

KIDS HAPPY FACES

PEACE AND QUITE

A MOMENT IN TIME

FINANCIAL FREEDOM

GOOD BOOKS TO READ

SONGS OF GREAT JOY

EVERYONE TO KNOW CHRIST

EVERYONE TO HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

What do you wish for?

FYI

Evan will be sealed

to us

December 27th, 2008!

In the Mount Timpanogas Temple. I can't wait to see all my girls dressed in white again. Evan is going to where a little white tux. He is going to look like a little angel. I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven for this little blessing of Eternal Families. I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Adoptions are great but eternal families are even better. Five years ago I never thought that my hubby and I would be sealing our fourth child to us. I cherish every moment that I get with my children. They are truly children of our Father in Heaven. Strong, Independent, and strong willed is how I describe this rising generation. I hope a pray that I can be the mother they need me to be. I know God will help me as long as I continue to pray to him for guidance.

Evan is an awesome addition to our family and I am so glad we made the decision to adopt another child two years ago. Everyone thought I was insane at the time. Taking on 3 children at the same age was tough enough add one more and you have the crazy lady syndrome. Well it is working out fine and we enjoy our little boy. Evan has such a cute personally that lights up the room when he walks in. His funny laughs and obsession with trucks and cars is really entertaining. Evan is my little piece of Heaven! (I know, it's a very lame saying).

Snow Day in Adelanto

It never snows in Adelanto but today it did. It dumped and is still dumping 15 Inches of snow. I do not own a snow shovel nor snow boots so traveling is really a challenge. In one picture you can see that my van is stuck! Yep Stuck! Can't dig it out because I have no shovel. OH Well! The girls had school today and yes I sent them to school. What a stupid idea. They ended up sending them home at 12:30. Tomorrow they get the day off. HURRAY FOR ME!!!!!

I feel like I am in SLC again. UGH! Except it is worse because I am not prepared for this kind of weather. Snow is kind of cool to look at but I don't like the way it makes us all cold and wet. Jasmine was screaming that her fingers were going to fall off her hand. She is so dramatic. Anyway the snow is better to look at than the dry ugly dessert that we look at everyday. Enjoy the pics because it will all be gone in two days.

I do hope we have a white Christmas next week that would be fun and exciting don't you think?

Giving Thanks!

We were able to have Thanksgiving for the very first time at our house. We usually travel to my parents home in Salt Lake City for the big Turkey dinner, but not this year. Thanks to the big event of Evan's adoption my parents and my brothers family came to visit. We enjoyed entertaining for once. The Turkey turned out great due to all the butter my brother made me stuff in between the skin and meat before cooking. It is always fun to get together with family. I look forward to the next holiday "CHRISTMAS"

Adoption Day!

IT"S OFFICIAL!

As of November 26th, 2008 we are finally the official parents of Evan Scott Wheeler. I can't believe that this is our fourth child in five years that we have had the pleasure of adopting. My dreams of being a mother has been fulfilled in every since of the word. I love each and everyone of these children and I pray everyday that I can be the mother they deserve. I am so happy! God has answered my prayers. I look forward to watching my children grow and learn new and exciting things. I fear for them, this world is going to hell in a hand bag quick, but this generation of children that we are raising are strong and they will win the fight against the evils of the world.

Adoption has been a wild but rewarding experience. Children need us and we need them to keep us humble. I am so lucky to have such wonderful, loving, beautiful children. I love you all!

Tag I'm It!

This is my sixth folder, sixth picture! Jasmine loves riding her bike. She probably could ride her bike with out her training wheels but she is to scared to let us take them off. She says that if we take the wheels off she will not be able to go fast anymore.

Be brave young child!

So who is going to be next? Tag you are all IT!

Soccer season is over!

The Pixie Dusters did really well this year. Steve was the coach and I was the team parent. Even though every Saturday for the past 13 weeks were taken up with soccer games and practices on every Friday we enjoyed getting to know the girls.

Corrie, Hope, Savannah,Jasmine,Jessica, and Julianna thanks for a great season.

Pumpkin Carving!

Every year we tackle the dreaded pumpkin carving. Last year I ended up doing the yucky digging all by myself. But this year the kids wanted to get dirty!

Evan and the Flaming HOT Cheetos!

This kid is not even "2" years old yet and he loves Flaming HOT Cheetos. Jasmine also loves Hot Cheetos. I can't believe that he is not screaming. In fact when I took the bag away he got down of the chair and chased me down and slapped me on the butt! Got to love this kid....... He is all boy.

Fun at Disneyland!

We decided to take the kids to good old DISNEYLAND! We had not taken the kids this year so we jumped at the opportunity to have some fun. I do have to say that I did get some good pictures this time around. I love DiSneyLaNd! I would go almost every week by myself if I could except I would miss out on all the joy my kids show when they go! NOT!!!! Almost every time we go we have some sort of drama. This time it was taking Jasmine on Splash Mountain. She cried in line for 40 minutes and I made her go with me. PoOR child! She ended up LOVING the ride. It was her 1st big KID ride. Next time I wonder if I will get her on Big Thunder Mountian. WHo KnoWs!

I am an AUNT again.

Introducing....

Isabel Cecilia Bruin

September 26th, 2009

8lbs 9oz

19.5 inches long!

My brother Jason and his wife Candice finally had their baby.

I am so proud to be her Aunt. Just wished I could be there for you little one. I want to hold her and love her. I do know that she has a very stylish wardrobe to look forward to because everyone including me has spent a fortune on very cute clothes. See this baby just makes me baby hungry again. Someone HELP me please! I must be insane. I am so busy with 4 children one more might put me in the crazy house!

Soccer!

"Pixie Dusters"Last week we started AYSO soccer and what an adventure it is going to be. Last Saturday was the teams 1st game. With Steve as the coach the girls had fun. Jessica kicked the ball in to the other teams net but that's OK. At this age we don't keep score. YA RIGHT! Jessica is turning out to be quite the little player and I think she just might make this her sport. Jasmine on the other hand is the little social butterfly and has no desire to run after a ball and be aggressive. Oh well she will have to participate this season and next season we will find something else for her to do like Cheerleading or something. I don't think sports are for Jasmine. I will keep you up to date on how the team does!

Jessica has turned 5!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!

Jessica had a great Birthday! She had a Tinkerbell/Pirate party. Which is what she wanted. We put make-up on the girls and made the faces look like Tinkerbell with lots of body glitter and Tinkerbell tattoo's. The boys were dressed up as pirates, even Steve got in the birthday spirit. We rented a bounce house for the 1st time ever and all the kids enjoyed jumping away on it. I think Jessica had a great birthday. She looked happy and loved having her friends over. She received lots of presents and I thank all of you who came to celebrate with us.

Natalie & Jessica

Mataeo & Jessica

All the fairies are being attacked by the mean pirate.
ARGGGGGG!

BIRTHDAY GIRL!

Hope!

I know that most of you that read this blog are mothers just like me, and we have some very stressful days. I have come to realize that I am not a complete nut case as I thought I was. Dealing with everyday life and my children's issues has had the tendency to make me think I was going crazy. But guess what I am "NORMAL". Other mothers are having the same kind of day I am having and I just want you to know that we can have hope for ourselves knowing that we are all "NORMAL" instead of "CRAZY!"

Remember that you are a child of god and that he loves you very much. Have a great "NORMAL" day!

New Hair Cuts!

I decided last Saturday to take Ariel and get a hair cut. Spending the day with my little girl was priceless. Afterwards we had lunch and ran errands. I couldn't have asked for a better day! I need to spend more time alone with each girl. I learned a lot about Ariel and enjoyed hearing her talk about all the things that she likes to do. She is funny, and her laugh is a shy one but fun to hear. The jury is still out on the hair cut. I am not sure I really like it. Steve said it will grow out and not to worry. What to you think? Tell the truth! My feelings wont get hurt I promise. I do love Ariel's cut. It is way cute.

1st Day of School!

I have to say that I am very proud of my girls they have grown-up so much in the past year. Jasmine and Jessica were so excited to ride the school bus to school and was very brave in doing so. Grandpa B drives a school bus and told them that it was going to be fun. So I hope it was as fun as they thought.

I on the other had was not as brave and I cried like a baby when my little girls got on that "BIG" yellow bus and drove away to be in trusted to teachers I hardly know. It was hard for me but, all of my concerns or worries were for nothing because, I followed that "BIG" yellow bus to school to make sure the girls were alright. Upon arrival I found that everyone was play on the playground and waiting for the whistle to blow to line-up for class. Nobody was crying. Hurray!

I guess I can attribute some of the braveness of my children to God. Steve gave them both a fathers blessing last night before bed. They both thought that was cool! God did comfort them. I can't wait to pick them up from the bus soon. It has been a lonely, quite day!

Learning to "Relax"!

My sister the other day told me that I needed to "RELAX". What does that mean? I am so confused. I didn't realize that I had been really uptight or stressed. I do get mad at my hubby and kids every once and a while but I had no idea that to other people I seem like a little crazy person. So I am taking this to heart and I have set out to find out just how to "RELAX" and to apply it to my crazy life. In my searches on the Internet I have found several suggestions on how to "RELAX" and felt impressed to share them with all of you.

I am going to take one of the suggestions listed below per month and try to apply it to my life. I challenge all of you to do the same. Maybe we can all become happier women/men if we learn to do some of these things in our lives on a regular bases.

1) Make healthy food choices. Sugar and caffeine are your enemies, as they both cause severe ups and downs, upsetting your body's ability to regulate energy. Instead of sugary, carbohydrate loaded snacks (like cookies or granola bars), eat fresh fruits and whole grain breads or crackers (sugar-free). Make sure you get plenty of low-calorie protein, like that found in chicken, fish, whole grains, beans, dark leafy vegetables, or low-fat dairy.

2) Find a quiet place when you are feeling overwhelmed. Even the stall of a bathroom will work if you have no other place to go.

3) Close your eyes and picture your own personal paradise. Put yourself there and imagine the setting. What do you see around you? Is there a breeze? What do you hear--birds? Waves? Water? Imagine yourself thoroughly enjoying every moment here in your special place.
Breathe. Inhale deeply, count to five, then exhale slowly, counting to five. Do this ten times.

4) Read a book and clear your mind of all the stress and rush of the day.

5) Avoid people who are constantly angry or complain. Stress can be contagious, so avoid transmitters.

6) Stop engaging in behaviors that make you feel guilty. Seek help from a professional if necessary, but don't allow destructive behavior to sabotage your life and your health. Guilt is a potent source of stress, so get rid of the source of guilt by behaving yourself.

7) Exercise every day. You don't need to work out like a body builder or celebrity. At least twenty minutes (or more, if you like) every day of moderate activity, like walking or bike-riding, is the best known, scientifically proven way to significantly reduce stress. Walk on a treadmill every day for twenty minutes, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park a little further away from the entrance to stores. You will be amazed at how much easier you overcome stress when you exercise regularly.

8) Learn to prioritize. Make a list of tasks you must accomplish that day. Put the most important things at the top and list every task in descending order of importance. Learn to be proactive and take care of things before they become a problem, then your time will be more productive and you will feel less stress.

9) Draw a warm bath, light candles around your tub, dim the lights, add bubbles, lavender, or just keep the water plain.

10) Curl up on your couch with a blanket, and a good book, maybe even a cup of tea or cocoa.

11) Do yoga; it relaxes your body, and helps clear your mind.

12) Go to your local spa for a great massage.

13) Lay on your bed or sofa, have some soft music playing in the background (or nature CD's) and listen to ocean waves, waterfalls, or birds.

14) Go for a walk. If you live near a park with a fountain, or near a beach or lake, the calming sound of water will soothe you. Just a regular walk will also relax you. (please don't take the kids with you during this time.)
15) Swim. Either at your local pool, a friend or relatives home, or in a lake. Swimming is great for reducing stress.

16) Do the activities or hobbies that relax you (fishing, sewing, singing, painting, taking photographs), whatever it is that keeps your mind off the things that normally stress you out, or things that you just need a break from every now and then.

17) Spend time with your pet. Talk to your pet about all the stress and anxiety you've been going through and you'll feel a lot better. Or just cuddle or play with your pet. They'll love it and so will you.
18) Think positively.

19) Practice meditation. Try to remove all thoughts and emotions other than your controlled breathing from your mind. It's really difficult; some Buddhist monks practice it their whole life! However, it can be very rewarding.

20) Think of the ocean and how calming the rushing waves crash upon the shore.

21) Do you know self-hypnosis? Then take a few deep breaths, focus on something, and go into self-hypnosis.

22) Do you know someone who can hypnotise you? Politely ask them if they can hypnotise you to be relaxed.

23) Read a book or an article that makes you think. Whatever inspires your thoughts to a positive useful life seems to add new energy.

24) Avoid toxic people. People who try to guilt you into doing things, or tell you you're not good enough, are people you should spend minimal time with (yes, even if they are family). Your life and health are YOUR responsibility.

25) If stress is causing serious problems such as headaches or other symptoms, seek help from a doctor.

Being with Family!

I have to say that seeing my family has been so nice. I get home sick sometimes and look forward to being around my Mom, Dad, Brothers & Sisters. Sometimes we forget what we are missing when we have to be so far away from our family. The lord has blessed me with a wonderful, caring & loving Mother and Father. It's important to remember them often and thank them for everything they do for us. So I encourage all of you to take a moment out of your day and give your parents a call and tell them you love them.

4th of July

This is one of my favorite Holidays. I am so glad that we were invited to spend it with the Hunters. My kids love going over to "Grammys" house to swim. The Grahams were also invited and we had one big party with a BBQ, Swimming & Fireworks. I am so thankful to have the Hunters in our lives. They are like my extended family. It is hard to be so faraway from my parents and siblings who live in Salt Lake City , UT . I hate calling them and finding out that everyone is getting together for on reason or another. I want to be with them but right now it is not possible. I feel so alone sometimes. On the other hand I don't need to look too far for someone to be with on those days. Thanks for Sharing your Family "Grammys"!