On The First Week of January...

We made it to the temple! Yay! 

So far this new year has been off to a great start. With Jon's busy work schedule we finally made it to the temple! The holiday season always gets super uber busy for Jon that it literally gets impossible for him to make time for the temple! I feel so bad that he hadn't gone because I know how much it means to him, and although he's happy that i attend on my own, he wishes he could come with, and every time I go without him I always think of him, and those I love.

Bring Out The Old, Bring In The New & Be Better.

There's something about the new year that wants you to do better. We ring out the old & bring in the new. We tend to prepare for the next holiday. We take our tree down on New Year's Day. For me Spring cleaning comes early. We look through some of our clothes & if we haven't worn some of them in the past two years we donate it. It never fails that when I take the tree down, put all the decorations away & put the tree on the curb that I want to do more. I not only want to clean my whole house after sweeping up the pine needles, I also want to clean up my life, and be better.

We always say that we want to change something about ourselves such as eating more healthy, exercising consistently, & have a better attitude, but most of the time...for some of us, it falls through.

And that's okay. 

No one is perfect & as long as we are breathing air in this lifetime we'll never be. But what we can do is be better. I want to better in keeping it cool with my family. I don't always want to be raising my voice when my two youngest children get in a pow wow. I don't want to lecture my older daughters too much, about petty things, and coddle them. I want them to be strong. I don't want to take my hard working husband for granted. I want to call my mom more often, & write more letters. I want to be strong and rid myself of the ones that bring me down, and don't allow others to walk all over me. I do however, always want to be around for those who need my help, and at the same time hope they appreciate me. 

Sometimes we have to let go of the things that prevent us from moving forward to a light of happiness. Sometimes we have to allow our children to make decisions on their own so that they can learn for themselves, and experience things that will either benefit them, and/or teach them to learn the hard way. 

I personally love it when a new year begins. It makes me feel renewed, refreshed, and gets me excited for the change of season. The only thing I'm beginning to dislike a lot when the new year begins is the fact that my kids are growing older. 

But that's okay. 

Because we are all in this together. 

To grow more spiritually. To love more unconditionally. To learn more together. To appreciate each other. To help one another. To try a little harder. Work a little harder. To be more kind, generous, loving, and honest. To genuinely be ourselves, and be real. To slow down, and relax. To be more faithful in all things.

And I mean all things. 

Some of these things are hard to keep, but if we try a little harder bit by bit every day...I know we can do it. By surrounding ourselves with goodness, and choosing to be cheerful our days can be better. Therefore helping us to be better. 

This is my New Years wish for my family & goal not only for 2015, but for many years to come. 

Happy New Year to us...and YOU! 

"Don't be the same. Be better."

A Chance For Do-Overs.

Capturing this moment the day sierra arrived with her sisters was bittersweet. The morning she arrived was too much for me. Too much meaning that I was overwhelmed with joy. It had been a whole year since we'd seen her and I was still in denial that she came home!  Everyone was wired and hovering over her as if there was no tomorrow. They all wanted to tell her about their life, school, recitals, show her their toys, Chelsea wanted to show her two missing teeth, and Noah wanted to show off his scooter skills, and trucks to her. Everyone wanted to know everything about her and what she did all year long too! It was fun chaos & no one could go back to sleep.

Since she arrived at six in the morning I figured she might be hungry for breakfast. You know...maybe she'd want a breakfast sandwich or something, but what she really wanted was a meatball sandwich from Wawa. I thought it was a bit unusual being that it was six a.m., but after living here for six years I am beginning to understand the whole concept of Wawa & why Jersey folks love it so much. She gobbled it down and immediately went to gather with her sisters in the living room to exchange gifts. It was a moment of simplicity and gratitude. Hugs were exchanged & there was laughter in the room...and boy did I miss her laugh! 

As I stood there capturing that moment I pictured them being 12, seven, and three years of age again. I always do that when a favorite memory comes to mind. Tender memories of the time we lived in North Carolina came flooding back. Life was easy then, and even though I may portray my life online through photos as if it's all fine and dandy life hasn't always been peachy king with Sierra being away. I've had to learn to be strong with faith in believing that she's in good hands. That she has goals to accomplish and efforts to be made. That she can be able to do things on her own without coddling her too much. That I will trust in her to make wise choices and that she won't settle for any kind of mediocre in her life especially when it comes to relationships and school. That when mistakes are made (and they will make them), that she will know that those mistakes can be mended without repeating them, and that life will go on. That she is seriously aware of being a role model for her siblings. That she will teach them by example, and no matter how hard life gets that they'll always have each other to turn to and a loving Heavenly Father that they can always pray to also.

And parents that will love her, and her sibs no matter what! 

With a new year approaching I hope that I myself can reflect on the positive things in life, and change some of my bad habits...& I have plenty of them. Everyone deserves a do-over, and it is my hope that my children will realize that no matter how many mistakes they make that theres always room for do-overs in this life without repeating them.

This year I saw my strengths turn into a weakness and that's when I realized that my imperfections may take more than 22 years to accomplish. And when I'm not strong it's God's turn to help. I wish this for my children in the new year, and every year as they grow older. 

I wish they can stay litte forever, but that's impossible. They must grow up, move away, make new friends, explore more, and experiment other cultures.

In other words...start anew, and venture out. 

I'm so happy to be with my entire family this New Year's Eve! That is an enormous blessing! 

Happy New Year's Eve everyone! 

the desires of my heart.

I have been thinking a lot about the resolutions I have made for this year, and it's sad to say that I have broken one of them. The 'mean mom' came out of me this past Sunday morning...right before church. Not the way we like starting out our day especially while getting ready for church, but chaos broke out in our house, and I wasn't too pleased with that. 

To begin with church begins at 9am now which I actually love, but my youngest daughter had a hard time waking up. She is such a night owl, and prefers going to church at 11:30. I struggled with her to the point where I had to raise my voice. Okay...no sugar coating on this blog. I yelled. I had to explain to her (again) that we rotate the time every other year with the other ward, and that this year church for us begins at 9am. The first couple of Sundays of the year are always hard. I think that having Noah in the mix calms our house down. All I have to do is look at him, and he puts a huge smile on my face. He glares at me as if he's telling me to calm down. He actually did tell me that "my voice is too loud" at one point. That was a 'whoa' moment for me. Maybe there is a reason why he is born last! He is such a stud, and loves getting dressed in the morning. No problems with that little guy (or my two teenagers!) 

Second of all I slipped and fell on the steps as we were walking out of the house, and almost sprained my right foot. If it wasn't for Lexie hanging on to me it could have been a lot worse. Jon suggested that I stay home, but because I was teaching I didn't want to miss church. I cleaned myself up and off we went. 

As soon as I entered the foyer of the church I immediately felt that overwhelming feeling of peace. The peaceful feeling that brings in the spirit of God, and the desires of my heart. I saw my visiting teacher in the hallway and gave her a great big hug. The glow on her face uplifted my spirits. I quietly stood outside the chapel as prayer was being said, and then quietly walked in with my family. We sat in the front pew, and I knew that I was supposed to be here. That I wasn't supposed to miss church. To grow, and learn. To serve, and fellowship. To partake of the sacrament & renew my covenants. To bear testimony...and to teach. 

It was fast Sunday and testimony meeting, and every month I always have the desire to share my testimony of the savior. I stood up to share the minor mishap of our morning and the love that I have for the gospel. 

Testimonies mixed with a story were born by my fellow brothers and sisters and they were all mostly about scripture study, being guided by the holy spirit, temple work, and overall the love we each have for the gospel. It seemed as if every one who stood up there has a goal for the year to read, read, read the scriptures. That is good, and that is my goal as well. Especially since we're studying the Old Testament this year. There is so much for me, for all of us to learn. The gospel gets better with time. The more we read and learn it...the better it gets. It truly is a timeless gospel. 

Everyone's heart is good, and it feels good to know that we all attend church for the same reason. I'm sure that we all have different desires, but i believe the one desire we all have in our heart is to do better each week we attend. I hope that with time, prayer, & patience my teaching skills regarding the gospel will improve. I'm no gospel scholar, but have a lot of love to share. I have the desire to always be there for my fellow man. To be able to share parts of my life (if it has anything to do with the lesson), & and I will do it in a tasteful, and tactful manner. Luckily I bought this book to help me throughout my lessons and to become more familiar with the Old Testament. So far it is a life saver!

I have the desire to want to help others, and be a better mom. I know, i know, there is no perfect method, or recipe for motherhood, but in the eyes of God...I not only want to please Him, but my children as well.  

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father stood by my side all the way up to the pulpit that morning with a throbbing foot to share my thoughts, feelings, and love I have for the gospel, and to have endured three hours of church. 

In spite of a rough morning the day ended well. That was the main desire that was in my heart from the moment I woke up. 

And I made it through...I made it through. 

**Hope you're week is a good one! 

It's a New Year!

Resolutions, a do-over, another chance to make it right. How fortunate we are as a people to be able to start anew. Sometimes starting a new year filled with promises, goals, and accomplishments can be exciting, yet tiresome at the same time. Each year there are things that I'd like to accomplish & finish. Things that I wasn't able to resolve that didn't survive throughout the year. But I don't want to rehash the bad or the ugly...just the good. 

And for the year 2014 I pray that it'll be awesome! 

This year I want to lose myself in the scriptures as if I'm living in biblical & mormon times. I want to have more one on one dates with each of my kids (which I already started late last year.) I want to actually finish a series of books & not have it take me six months to finish a simple series! In other words...I want to be like my daughter Lexie who can read books as if they are becoming obsolete. I want that "sometimes" mean mom in me to have a softer streak, and quit using the fact that I'm latina as an excuse for nagging on my kids when they do something so petty. 

Stress less, & have yoga become a lifestyle...not something that's seasonal. 

I want to read more to Noah & have less technology time. I want to utilize my journals & start a rough draft of my life in hopes that someday it'll be published for anyone to read. I want to be better at budgeting & cook more for my family. I want to find the time to text & email less. Call my friends & family more. I swear each year technology keeps growing & is getting better with time. I have gotten better at calling & hope that it'll be reciprocal with my friends & that they will do the same. Sometimes you just need to hear a friendly & familiar voice.  

Seriously learn an instrument. My kids are learning more than one including little Noah, and I'm learning nothing! Sad I know. 

I have a love/hate relationship with New Jersey & want to strive to look for all that is good about the Garden state. 

I believe that it's possible to accomplish such goals. I believe it because there were a few of them that I have accomplished in my past years. 

It can be done & reading this thought from the spoken word gives me hope. Hope that with time resolutions can be accomplished. And even though some of us may say that living each day to the fullest is impossible...it can be possible. I want to strive to live each day as if it were our last. That we can orient ourselves & be that bonafide person we know to be. Our loved ones come and go. Friends and family will come and visit from time to time. And we don't know when we're going to see them next. So I want to take advantage of my cell phone to call...not surf the net. To call a loved one every Sunday. It's possible if we just snap out of whatever keeps us from doing so, and just do it. 

Just do it.

"Resolutions are promises to ourselves. 

Unfortunately, sometimes even our most heartfelt resolutions go unfulfilled. 

But this need not be so. 

Maybe we just need a little more patience."

~Lloyd D. Newell

2013...I'm ready.

I am beginning to love the start of a new year. Partially because I'm beginning to realize that as I get up there in age along with our kids that each year is deserving of a fresh start. It is another chance for me to put more energy into the things I feel I neglected, or didn't quite accomplish. And although I feel that I may never accomplish certain goals that it's okay, and life goes on.

As I look back at the past 40+ years of my life I have to say that this year has been the most challenging...with a family. I am extremely grateful for all the challenges that I endured throughout my life because without all those lessons I learned I wouldn't be the woman, sister, daughter, wife, friend, and mother that I am today.

This past year was filled with many fun-filled adventures. We also had a few minor trials, but nothing that we couldn't handle. One thing for sure is that we have learned so much from them, and I will take everything I learned from each trial with me in the years to come.

We survived a hurricane, and extended a helping hand to those who lost a lot from that unfortunate demise, and even though we were carless for four months we still managed to make numerous trips to the places we love that are so close to home:

Trips to New York City
Palmyra in upstate New York to see the 75th anniversary of the Hill Cumorah pageant.
Trips to the beach.
Washington D.C. for Sierra's birthday.
Mystic, Connecticut to eat pizza.
Bushkill falls to name a few.

I even had a childhood friend come visit me for a week!

Those adventures are the shared joys in life, and so far I have wonderful things happening in the new year in regards to our children. Particularly our eldest daughter.

So far she has been accepted on a part scholarship to Southern Virginia University, and is a part of the All South Jersey Choir.

Alexandra was selected to be a member of the All South Jersey Orchestra and she will be performing on stage playing the violin in front of an audience. She will be turning 13 one week after said performance, and she couldn't have asked for a nicer birthday present.

We have our youngest daughter being baptized into the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on January 20th (mark your calendars), and she has been waiting for this day since birth!

Noah has become an avid train lover, and I extend my thanks to all those thoughtful friends who gave him trains for his track this Christmas.

And last, but not least we hope to get some snow (otherwise we will drive further north to play in it!)

The Lord has been good to us this year, and we know that after all that has happened in 2012-whether good or bad that the year 2013 will bring forth a great future.

We are all looking forward to a fresh start of what's to come in 2013.

2013...we are ready!

Twenty Twelve

"Cheers to a new year, and another chance for us to get it right."

~Oprah Winfrey

photo from eighteen25.blogspot.com

We always make resolutions and sometimes they last a week, a month, and sometimes some of us actually fulfill them. Maybe I just need to be a little bit more patient with the things I'd like to resolve.
Sometimes having patience is impossible, and there are times when we just want to give up. 

Well...I don't ever want to give up. 
EVER!!!

Let's hope that from this day forward we can:

 Be more positive,
 be more compassionate,
be more kind,
 be more loving,
 be more empathetic,
be more helpful,
be an even better teacher to our children as well as their mother,
be a better neighbor,
use our time more wisely,
be more sincere,
be more cheerful,
be more faithful,
be more Christlike,
  be better friends to those we met long ago,
 and not take the ones we have living closely for granted.

I hope that I can be better at all of the above.

I hope that I can strive really hard to live the life that will always lead me, and my family to a road towards never ending happiness.

When trials come our way, I hope that we can always be able to have more faith, and courage to withstand any obstacle.

I hope that we can accomplish all our goals that we have set for the new year.

 Let's hope that this year will be unique, and a lot different from the last!

Happy, happy 2012!
 May it be a joyful, and better year for us all!