The importance of education

The past couple of years I have been longing to go back to school. These past couple of weeks it has really really been on my mind. I have been debating if its the right time or if it is the right thing to do. Growing up I always thought that my only role in life was to be mother. I know that being a wife and mother are the most important things that I will ever be, but I have realized that I can also accomplish so much more. I need to use the talents that I have been given and also find new ones. Today I am so excited to say that the debates going on in my head are over. My sister showed me a wonderful quote from president Hinckley from a talk he gave in the November 2006 Liahona.

It says this....
"Relief society stands for education. It is the obligation of every woman of this church to get all the education she can. It will enlarge her life and increase her opportunities. I will provide her with marketable skills in case she needs them.


Now the hard part is making up my mind on what I want to do. I would love to be a nurse. Before my mission my major was dental hygiene. aaaahhhhh. I welcome any suggestions. I will keep you all updated on my adventure.

mommy grandma monkey pumpkin

Oh my little braden has done it again....made me wonder. He has been talking alot more these past couple weeks thanks to his wonderful therapist helping us out. We have all learned alot. Ever since we started getting Braden help, he has been blooming. He is talking alot more and starting to make alot more sense. He has a new self confidence. Since he is learning alot of new words, I am being called a number of wonderful things. Braden started out calling me mommy....then after we returned home from our fun california trip at my mom's, I was then called grandma for a little bit. This last week I some how got the name "monkey". He loves to run up to me and give me these fabulous hugs in which he yells the name of the week....so imagine a toddler running to his mother yelling "MONKEY!!!!!!" sad right? I swear I do my hair and wear make up on a daily basis...just so people don't drive by and yell hurtful things such as "hey you ugly monkey, get out of my way etc." Its a fear of mine....really...and Braden doesn't help when he is screaming "monkey" at the top of his lungs. anyways, this morning when I recieved my fabulous morning hug I was called "Pumpkin". Again, I am thinking my child is trying to say something....am I shaped like a pumpkin? ugh, what will he call me next? I think this week I will teach him to say super model!

Just some pics

The men in my life......(sigh)

Halloween

Halloween was alot of fun this year. Braden actually decided to participate. Last year he didn't want to wear his costume or go up to the door to trick or treat. Last year he basically walked around in a white onesie....people were really confused to what he was. We just started saying he was a white trash baby....some laughed some didn't. Anyways, this year he was supposed to be a firefighter, but didn't want to put on the adorable costume that Julie let me borrow. so we ended up with this interesting train costume. its james from thomas by the way. Once all of the other kids that we went trick or treating with got on their costumes, braden decided to join in the fun. Mackenzie on the other hand had no choice. Julie also let me borrow her fabulous ballerina costume. Mackenzie would give me these funny looks every once in a while like "i hate you for this mom." It was funny. We had dinner that night at julie and scott's house. Gosh Julie, Halloween wouldnt have happened without you and scott....thanks!!!! Anyways, it was a fun night. Now we are even closer to Christmas.....yay!!!!!!

let the games begin........

Well the wonderful day has arrived my friends.....Braden has used the potty....thats right, Braden has used the potty and really actually enjoys it I think. The other day I was changing his diaper and realized that I didn't have my diapers close by so he got up to run around before I could get back to put on his diaper.(dont worry, he was already clean by that point) Anyways, I asked him if he wanted to try the big boy potty and instead of screaming no, he wanted to try it out. He did number one and two. HOLY COW. I am very proud of the little man.....but where do I go from here? I obviously have never potty trained anyone before so all of you mom's out there need to give me some ideas. I am a bit intimidated of starting the potty training experience. I hear so many bad things. So, any input is appreciated!!!! HELP!!!!!!!

SAVE THE TA TA'S

ok so the other day I was walking in the Target parking lot and saw this fabulous sticker on someones bumper...."save the tatas" I was laughing so dang hard. So I looked up the website when I got home. I want a "save the tatas" bumper sticker really bad, but I don't think Josh will let me....it might turn some heads at church. :)

Apparently I am a corvette....take the quiz!

I'm a Chevrolet Corvette!

You're a classic - powerful, athletic, and competitive. You're all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.

Take the http://www.tomorrowland.us/sportscar">Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Dedication to Nana

As you can see, Trish has decided to dedicate the blog background to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. My mom's mother, 'Nana', died of breast cancer May 20th, 2000. It's easy for me to remember the date because I entered the MTC May 24th, 2000. My mom did't want to tell me Nana had passed because I was so excited to go on my mission, and she didn't want me down. I told my mom she was part of the reason I was going, and her passing was a big part of the gospel message. Nana wasn't an LDS member, but was greatly involved and interested in our church activities. I would think to myself all throughout my mission that perhaps she was there, listening to the message I shared with the people (even though it was in Thai). She had a long battle with cancer, and it was tough to see that take such a toll on such a wonderful person, and family. She was the best grandma in the entire world, and being the second oldest grandchild, I was really close to her. I tell Trish all the time that Nana would have loved her! I really do miss her a lot, and this month is special to me. A personal reason for the construction project I am working on (Cancer Treatment Center of America) is Nana. I know she loved me, and we love her so much.

Have you ever wondered??????

Have you ever wondered what your family really thinks about your cooking? Especially your kids? Well I must say, I always wonder what josh thinks....he is always so good about eating whatever I make. Today for the first time I wondered what little Braden thought.....but I need not wonder any longer. This afternoon I made Braden some fabulous mac and cheese. Every kids fav right? Well...I put bradens fabulous lunch in a bowl and put it on his tray for him to start eatin away. Everything was fine until I turned around and noticed that he had only taken like one bite of his lunch. He decided that something else was better.....I am sure you can only imagine. Thats right, he was picking his nose and eating it. So there is my answer...braden does not like my mac and cheese. SAD!!!

Speaking of Braden, alot of you know about us getting him help for his speech delay. Yesterday two girls from the arizona early intervention program came over to discuss what their board of therapists decided to do with braden. They are going to be sending a developmental therapist over once a week and a speech therapist over once a month for three months to work with him one on one. When they came over a couple of weeks ago to do their evaluation of him, they found that he scored age appropriate for everything but his speech. Once he turns three, he is turned over to the school district for continued help. This is the part that I am so excited about....On his third birthday he will be then old enough to attend a preschool FOUR DAYS A WEEK for 2 1/2 hours a day. They will be using a normal curriculum and if he shows that he needs additional help with his speech they will have a therapist there to work with him in the classroom. I am so excited. He will have a blast in there. It's a little weird to think that my baby boy is going to be going to school. It's kind of sad to tell ya the truth. I know its a blessing that we live in a country that provides things to children like braden that need a little push to get them going.

My Husband is having an identity crisis

Ok, so today Josh decided to confess something to me. He listens to Christmas music at work when he is there alone. I think I almost peed my pants laughing.....then I noticed a little twinkle in his eye. One that I have seen before...when I was real young. Then he started to chuckle like an extremely overweight old man would....so I said..."Santa, is that you?" I am convinced that I am married to Santa Claus himself. As you can see in the picture above, he is kind of Jolly....(and a bit of a weirdo).

All joking aside, my husband loves christmas...as do I. Thats explains the random christmas back ground. I thought that I would dedicate this weeks blog background to Joshua and his fabulous christmas spirit. As soon as Halloween is over my christmas decorations are going up baby. I think I am such a big fan of christmas because it means its under 100 degrees here and I can wear pants without sweating so bad that they stick to my legs. yuck!!! Christmas time also means that Home Alone will be playing on every t.v. channel available. I can't wait.

7 Things About the Coolest Guy in the World

7 Things I Want to Do Before I Die until I'm Dead

1. Pee into the wind in Antartica
2. Put at least one more blog post on Trisha's blog (now I know her password)
3. Go to Thairand, I mean Thailand
4. Grow a beard, a throat beard
5. Be the one that goes with Trish on her mission
6. Learn to sail so I can say, "I'm a sailor, I sail!... Ahoy!"
7. Lighten up

7 Things I Can Do

1. Josh talk Thai. Josh talk Thai real good
2. Whisper sweet nothings into Trisha's ear
3. Fall in love with Trisha over and over again
4. Eat my arm
5. Grow a beard in no time, since the 7th grade
6. Make my kids laugh. I'm not funny as Trish confirmed, but my kids laugh at me
7. Give great foot massages for Trish. I don't do that for anyone else....

7 Things I Can't Do

1. Really eat my arm for real
2. Stay up all night, really past 10:30. I'm pushing it tonight
3. Wait till I get home from work
4. Gain weight (never gotten over 159)
5. Get enough college football, especially now that I graduated
6. Get enough of trying to punk Trish the Dish
7. Get enough of Mackenzie's smile

7 Reason's I Fell in Love with Trisha Suzanne

1. She is beautiful, oh so beautiful
2. She's freakin hilarious
3. She can never get enough of wishful scheming, all innocent of course
4. Her love of Johnny Cash, Elvis, John Wayne, and Bonanza
5. All the random things she knows
6. She's a great kisser
7. The fact that she actually loves me, that takes a lot

7 Things I Say a Lot

1. Dang It
2. Booga Booga Booga Booga
3. How's Daddy's little girl? I missed you!
4. I love you? Trish?
5. You will kiss me, and you will like it!
6. My prayers, even though they don't make sense sometimes that early in the morning
7. I'm home

7 Things I Like to Eat

1. Trisha's yummy food. I'm blessed
2. Granola bars
3. Thai food. Hold the random hair, please
4. My own words, that's great
5. The ice cream cones from McDonald's that Trish swears are good for me
6. Lunch
7. Free food

7 Places I'd Like to Be Right Now

1. Asleep
2. Deep, dreamless sleep
3. In that bed at the Pointe Hilton, so soft
4. Anywhere with Trish
5. Camping with Booga
6. Heaven. Home's good for now
7. Vacation, permanent vacation with an endless supply of cash

7 things about trish the dish

7 things I plan to do before I die:


1. Visit the dominican republic (my mission)
2. Buy a class A motor coach
3. Learn another language other than spanish and english
4. get a bachelors and masters degree
5. go on at least one more mission
6. restore a 1969 camaro and drag race it
7. own a business


7 things I can do:


1. speak spanish
2. play volleyball
3. make my husband laugh really hard
4. play the clarinet, contra bass clarinet, drums, bells, and used to be able to play the flute.
5. teach the plan of salvation in two languages
6. throw water balloons really far while driving
7. convince almost anyone to do anything.


7 things I can't do:


1. wait for my kids to start school
2. wait for my date tonight
3. wait for braden to tell me that he would love to go potty on the big boy potty
4. wait until we can afford to purchase a Class A motor coach
5. believe that I am 27 and have two kids, where did high school go?
6. sew
7. sing


7 things that attracted me to Josh:


1. He's a hottie
2. Thinks he's funny
3. Very spiritual
4. very smart
5. speaks thai
6. he was my childhood crush
7. good kisser


7 things I say most often:


1. Fabulous
2. precious
3. whatever
4. ghetto
5. ghetto fabulous
6. stop it braden :)
7. Do you want a ice cream cone from mcdonalds?



7 favorite foods

1. vanilla ice cream cone from mcdonlds
2. thai food
3. dominican food
4. mexican food
5. steak
6. steak
7. steak :)


7 people I think should do this:

1. emily
2. julia
3. melanie
4. josh
5. meghan
6. amy
7. brooke

Journey here we come!!!!

I don't know how many people know this, but I am a huge classic rock fan.....and I love going to concerts..any concert. Every year I give poor Josh a hard time because for the past couple of years that we have been married, my favorite band "styx" has come to town. I remember when I had just moved here after my mission to pursue Josh styx came. I was sure that Josh, being the romantic that he is would have surprised his fabulous new fiance with tickets to see them.....lets just say there were no tickets...it was almost a deal breaker I tell ya. Well lets just say every year since I have lived here, (4 to be exact) they have come in concert.....still no tickets. Finally a couple of months ago Josh and I were having a bit of an argument and I decided to bring up my lack of styx tickets and how I am deprived of some of the most basic things that a woman could ever need or want. So......my birthday rolled around here in september and one morning Josh called me from work and said, "hey I tried to find you styx tickets, but they are not touring anymore here in arizona, but Journey is....and I bought us tickets!" Let me just say, my heart stopped...for two reasons. One, styx is no longer touring out here....I want to die. Second, Josh actually purchased something for more than $10.00 on his own...with out my begging first. I love him! I am so excited. Journey is coming here on this friday night. I can't wait. Josh totally scored brownie points on this one...(not that he needed to). I will take my camara so we can take pictures of any concert weirdos other than ourselves!

He's thankful

Today was a day that I don't think I will ever ever forget. As a lot of you know, Braden has a speech delay. (there will be many more posts about his progress with his speech therapist later). Anyways, this morning I made brownies before church. I decided that Braden needed a brownie. I put him up in his chair and hooked on his little tray and went and cut him a brownie. I put it on his tray and turned around to take a little bite of one myself. As soon as I turned around, I heard him start to mumble like he always does, but this time it sounded different. When I turned back around to see what he was doing, I saw him there with his little arms folded and his head bowed. He was blessing his brownie. Of course I am proud of my little man, but I think it was a big reminder of how precious our little ones are to our heavenly father because he understands their language even when we may not. I hope he continues through his life knowing he can pray about anything...even a brownie.

Braden and Josh-first father and son's campout

mackenzie's first time with real food

Well mackenzie had her first run with "real" food the other day. She isn't really a big fan so far. When you put it in her mouth she looks at you like "why am I being punished...why do you feed me such discusting junk." Then she spits it out and shivers. Its pretty funny, we really need to be video taping such funny things. At this point I don't think that she will ever eat solid food. I can just see her going out to dinner with some cute guy one day, and shivering everytime she puts something in her mouth.

Mackenzie's six month check up

This morning Mackenzie had her six month check up.....and 5 horrible shots. :( Anyways, here are her stats:

weight is 16 pounds 5 ounces which puts her in the 54 percentile
I cant remember what her height was, but for that she is in the 42 percentile
and for head size, those of you who know my children know that Josh is wondering if charlie brown might be the real father. Her head is in the 92 percentile...poor little lady:).
Soon she will have her own weather system. its like spudnick, spherical and pointy in parts. totally kidding. She and braden better have some big brains in there or something.

p.s. Does anyone know what to do with a kid that thinks its a good idea to bite? Braden keeps biting his poor little cousins arm.....soon she will have nothing left.

just a picture of braden

For those of you gals that live far away and don't see braden, here he is. This is a picture of took of him right before mackenzie was born and I thought it was cute. P.s. internet is finally hooked up!!!

Family update

Dear Everyone that checks daily to see if my stupid blog has been updated,
I am so sorry our blog is the lamest blog on the block!!! I really do have intentions of being an avid blogger, but because I stupidly agreed with my husband to give dial up, yes, you read that correctly, dial up.....a try my computer is too dang slow to upload any fabulous pictures. I tried three times today, and cuss words almost came out of my mouth...and since there are small innocent children around, I decided to give up on the blog for today. So I will just write an entry..which is better than nothing.
Well as you can all see, little mackenzie made her entrance to life on st. patties day. That was fun. My mom, sister and I made all the nurses and hospital staff chocolate covered pretzels with green sprinkles to celebrate the Irish....what is st. patricks day for anyways???? Mackenzie is the best baby ever. She is always smiling and laughing. She is such a joy to have around. She has been sleeping all night since she was about 2 months old and loves to sleep during the day. Love the kid, what can I say.
Braden is 2 1/2 and he is crazy. He definelty keeps me on my toes. He is in a spitting stage. He thinks its funny. Since my biggest nightmare is him spitting at someone at church or something, all he gets in his sippy cup is water. He is a funny kid. He has a little bit of a speech delay, but the words he can say are, wow wow, oh no, uh oh, wash, shoes, NO, and my favorite Josh. He loves to call josh by his first name. I think its a crack up. The other day I went to wal mart really quick and Braden saw a man in a wheel chair and pointed and really loudly said "oh wow, wow, wow...." I was a little embarrassed.
Josh has been busy working as a junior project manager for Okland Construction. They are building a cancer treatment center of america. He loves it. He has been super busy. He is taking the LSAT in october and applying to law school for the fall of 2009.

As for me, being a mom has kept me pretty busy. I have about 10 pounds of baby weight left to loose. I am currently on weight watchers and really think its easy. I have lost 10 pounds so far.....i want to loose 40 more by christmas...thats my goal. think i can do it?

I promise I will get some pictures up soon!!!!

Mackenzie's Birth on March 17th, 2008

St. Patrick's Day was a day full of fun and excitement. Trish went in for her C-section after her sister, Julie, had her baby boy, Corey. Mackenzie came out wailing and nashing of gums. She was 18 1/2" and 7 lbs, 3 ozs, born at 1:22 pm. She has grown a bit since that time, but since we are working on updating the blog, we'll take baby steps. She is very photogenic, and definitely looks just like Braden when he was a baby. Braden has begun to be possessive of her, and definitely loves his little sister. Keep looking for more pictures, we promise to get more up before she turns 16!

Ride 'em cowboy

This Christmas was spent down at Joshua's parents house in Benson, Az. We had alot of fun with everyone there...especially Jeremy's new Beagle puppy. SO CUTE!!!! Braden was extra good this year so he got more toys than he probably knows what to do with. We got him this little sit and spin zebra thing....he doesnt play on it as much as I would have hoped. He only likes to turn on the annoying music every once and a while and thats about it....oh well.