Change

It's been over six months since I've written anything on here. To be honest life has been pretty hard over the last couple of months and that saying from Bambi kept popping in the head, "If you can't say something once don't say anything at all." Or however it goes. I didn't necessarily have anything mean to say just negative and I didn't want to dump that on here. I try to be positive so I chose not to say anything. I'm far enough past the hard stuff (life is still hard though) to finally post something. 

First things first I have a different job. It has been wonderful! I started this job at the end of August. Changing jobs was kinda crazy! In the beginning of August a friend some church asked me if I would be interested in babysitting the kids she babysits since she was going off to school. At first I said no because I already had a job. The more I thought about it the more I felt like it was a good decision to take the opportunity. Well I ended up meeting with this family and immediately fell in love! Walking into this house was seriously a breath of fresh air! At my old job I was starting to feel very taken advantage of. The lady I was working for really wanted me to be her. It was very frustrating. I felt like no matter what I did it would never be good enough for her. It was very discouraging and making think I wasn't a very good person. Even the 7 year old would say things that would make me feel bad. I wasn't able to play with him as I (or he) would have liked because she had me doing so much housework. I seriously felt so overwhelmed all the time. It was not a good place to be in but I was used to it and thought that this was what I was stuck with. It has been amazing coming back to this new job because i feel appreciated. That sounds selfish but it makes me want to come back. I am now working for 3 different families and I love it! I only work for each family a couple hours a day. My days are much shorter and I'm not feeling so overwhelmed. I feel like I can be a person again and have time to focus on what I need not what they need. That sounds really selfish when I wrote it but I feel like everyone needs a couple of minutes in a day to be selfish and focus on themselves. I have spent a lot of time reading the script useless and figuring out who I am and who The Lord is. It has been amazing! I didn't get to do that before! Anyways just thought I'd let you know how much I live my new job and what I was feeling. It's been a very nice change. 

Update

It has been probably a little too long time since I have updated this....but to be honest my life is pretty much the same as it always been.

I am still a nanny for the same family and am still loving it for the most part. There were definitely some rough patches there but it's getting better again. S (7) has decided to like me again and is letting me play with again. VICTORY!!! We have had our moments but we seem to be making some progress. I can't remember the last time he actually got mad at me or vice versa. That is seriously a miracle! N (18 months) is still cute as can be. He has learned how to say "hi" and is constantly waving his hand and saying "hi". It's adorable. He also knows where his belly button, nose, and eyes are. We are working on ears. He hasn't quite gotten that one. He likes to give kisses, which completely make my day. Overall it is going a lot better than it was a couple of weeks ago. I find myself actually looking forward to going to work and miss the boys over the weekend. Weird.

I attend the singles ward in our stake where I am the first counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. I have been in the Relief Society Presidency for a year now and I love it! It is definitely a challenging calling and could probably do so much better but I try my best and have a lot of fun doing it.

I am still living at home and finally got my room completely redecorated! A year later...but that's beside the point. For my 20th birthday my mom and brother made me an amazing head board that I feel completes my room. I love it! It's so good to have it done! Maybe I'll post pictures of the finished product but probably not.

My sister, Charity, is expecting her first baby and can not be more excited! I can not wait for this little girl to come into this world in September! They got a really good deal for a 2 bedroom apartment in Turlock but it was kinda run down and needed a lot of updating. The land lord gave them $1500 to fix it up so every Saturday and sometimes Mondays I was there helping her get it all ready for moving day on March 30st. It looks so much better now than when I first walked into it. You can't even tell it was the same place!

One of my new years resolutions was to lose weight. I haven't lost much but it's interesting to look at the changes that I have made since January with out even realizing it. I just sorta decided one day that I no longer liked candy bars and haven't had one since January. I wasn't really even aware of it until a month later and realized it. Other candy and cookies and stuff is another story but I am working on it. About a month ago I made a discovery that I have my biggest appetite at lunch and not much of one at dinner (where I eat the most.) I have decided that I am going to eat a bigger lunch and a smaller dinner-especially since we eat dinner so late. I haven't really done it yet but I am making a goal this week to try it. I also really want to get a bike. I hate to exercise and can never find the time. But I love to go on bike rides. I've been thinking that since it's getting lighter at night that I want to go on a bike ride everyday after I get home from work. I'm hoping to get a bike today...but we'll see.

Anyways, I think that is it for the update....nothing to exciting happening in my life right now.

Oh! My best friend, Brooke, is getting married in July! I think this is ridiculous because there is no way we are old enough for this but I am so incredibly happy for her!

That's it...

October through Photos

I started the month out by going to Nathan's first birthday party.

Because Nathan turned one he has been able to eat more solid food. This is his first time experiencing mac & cheese...He love it!

I had a few days off in the middle of the month so we went to San Francisco to go to the beach.

 We went over the bay bridge and the golden gate

 This is a view from the top. The little strip of beach is where we were.

 We visited a fort.

The next day I took Tony to Del Osso Farm (corn maze and pumpkin patch)

 We went on a Scarecrow Ride

 The following week we had our first rain storm and it finally started to feel like fall. As most of you probably know I was in heaven! I even wore my boots!

 Nathan is just so cute so I just had to share this photo.

 On October 21, 2012 I became an aunt again to Skylar James. He is adorable!

 For Halloween Spencer dressed up at Darth Vador.

 And Nathan dressed up as Yoda.

 This picture cracks me up.

 Me and my boys.

 Tony dressed up as Captain America.

   I love these two boys.

Day #2: Grateful for a Job

I searched high and low for a job. I knew I wanted to be a nanny of some kind of nanny/ fulltime babysitter because I love kids and it pays more than working for minimum wage. In August of last year I got a finally got a job but it was only for two weeks when their daycare was not open. I loved those two weeks with a little boy named Ben. About a month later Ben's mom had another little boy named Josh and I would watch him every once in a while when she needed a break and get some things done. It wasn't a lot but at least I was making some money and getting my baby fixes. During this time I continued to search for a more permanent job situation.

In December of 2011...right as I was about to give up and look else where...I got a call from someone in my cousins ward in Tracy that needed a nanny. They were set up for someone else to watch the kids but that fell through so they were desperate. I met them the next day and immediatly fell in love with her little boys. I have been working for them ever since (started fulltime in March) and love every minute of it. They have two little boys-Nathan who was 5 months when I started and is now 12 months, and Spencer who is 6 1/2 (we have the same birthday). I love these little boys so much! It has been so fun to watch each of them grow over the last 8 months...has it really been that long already? I've watched Nathan learn to roll over, to crawl, to pulling himself up onto furniture, to now walking EVERYWHERE! I've watched Spencer learn so many new things at school.

It is so interesting to me that right when I was going to give up, my prayers were answered and I got a job that I absolutely love. A job that is even better than I imagined. I never expected to work for someone that was a member of the church and who I have a good relationship with. A job that I get to do what I love to do and hang out with the cutest boys ever!

Even though everyday isn't perfect-Spencer can get on my nerves sometimes and Nathan has some hard days...I still love it. I mean who wouldn't when they could see these faces everyday!

I am so grateful that I get to do something I love with kids that I love in a comfortable environment. I'm grateful that I am making a steady income so that I can start going to school in January. I am not looking forward to the day when I have to leave this job (not anytime soon though). I am grateful for all the things this job has taught me...mostly how to be patient.

I love my job and I love these boys! 

"Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven."

Day #1: Grateful for Sisters

Today I am so incredibly grateful for my two sisters Natalia and Charity. They are such good examples to me. I want to thank them for all that they do-even if they don't realize they are doing it.

Charity's Wedding

Thank you for showing me that getting married in the temple is the right way to go. I can see how happy both of you are because of your temple marriages. You are the best example of showing me that this is where I want to be a few years down the road. Thank you for marrying such amazing guys who I get to call my brothers-in-law. I'm glad that you both went with your heart on that one and chose someone who makes you so incredibly happy-which makes me happy.

Natalia's Wedding

Thank you for being there when I just need to talk. I love it when I get to talk on the phone with each of you. I miss the nights that we would stay up super late and talk about girly stuff...but I get to do that every once in awhile with you on the phone. I look forward to our phone calls and need to be better about calling more often.

Thank you for being so strong in the gospel. By you two being strong it makes me want to be strong. By seeing the joy you too see in the gospel brings me joy. I love to hear your testimonies.

Thank you Anthony and Ty for making my sisters so stinkin happy. You are both the perfects guys for my sisters.

Thank you for being my best friends.

In San Francisco

I have been thinking a lot about my sisters lately...mostly because it is Charity's birthday today and Natalia's was a couple of weeks ago. Also because Natalia is coming in the end of December and I can not wait to see her! I miss her and Ty so much!!! I can't believe it's been over a year since I've seen them!

I just wanted to take the time to tell my sisters how much I love them and how much I look up to them. Thank you for being so amazing.

I love you!!!

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life."


Just some memories with my sisters:

 With Tali at Natural Bridges on News Years

 With Charity at the David Archuleta Concert

 Tony's Sealing

 Mormon Prom

 

 Thanksgiving a long time ago!

 

 

I LOVE MY SISTERS SO MUCH!!!

Way to long

It has been way to long since I've updated my blog...sooo today is the day. So much has happened these last couple of months so I'm going to write a series of blogs dedicated to the big events. So im asking you to bear with me as I through a whole ton of blogs out there.

Scripture Reading

Yesterday at church the talks, Sunday School, and Relief Society were all pretty much saying the same thing. They all overlapped some how. They all pretty much came down to "feasting upon the words of Christ". I decided that since we heard so much about this yesterday that I should probably start doing a much better job of reading my scriptures daily and actually studying them. I have a really hard time remembering to the read the scriptures even though I really love to do it. I am making a goal to read the scriptures every day for at least 10 minutes...hopefully more and actually study them, not just skim through it. I don't really understand why I have such a hard time with this considering the fact that I know that I feel so much better and have the desire/will power to get more done. Its so weird because when every time I read the scriptures I tell myself that I need to read them more often because I learn so much from them and yet it never happens.

Well I guess instead of talking about the scriptures i should go and put my thoughts to action.

Books of 2012

I set a goal this year to write down all of the books I read this year. This list will grow through out the year

1. The Next Door Boys ~???

2. True Believer-Nicholas Sparks

3. Safe Haven-Nicholas Sparks

Random Pictures

I found some of these pictures on my camera and decided to post them.

I made these snowmen cupcakes for a party we had at our house during Christmas. 

All of the cupcakes on the tower. 

Our mantle all decorated for Christmas 

This is at Natural Bridges. 

We went there on New Years Eve 

Tony made this awesome Play Dough man. 

My planner that I made. It's awesome and keeps me super organized. 

Inside of my planner. I pretty much have everything in this once binder. 

Charity's completed table. We worked really hard to refinish this for her. 

Tony put all of the cushions on the couch on top of him.

What the piano looks like a lot of the time. This is the song that I my working on to play on Sunday.

I got this book for Christmas. It has all the songs you would for any LDS occasion....hence the name. 

The inside of the book. There are illustrations like this one throughout it. I love this book so much!