It's FINALLY Here!!!!

Okay, so being a mother that really enjoys hair and make-up (BEING VAIN, if that's what you want to call it), I have been anxiously waiting for Jaeli to get hair. I couldn't wait to use cute barretts, bows and so on. Well.............without further ado.......THE Barretts

Yes, I slicked Jaeli's hair to one side and plopped that glorious barrett right on top of her head. The BEST thing is, she doesn't even know it's there. So, compared to the headbands and huge bows, she leaves the barretts alone. I LOVE THEM! Poor, poor child. :)

The Top View

P.S. and by the way, We EAT books here, we DON'T READ them! :)

'Make a Complaint Monday'-Supplying Your Children

My Classroom right before School started.

I have been thinking about 'Make a Complaint Monday', but nothing HAD sparked until Dan, my wonderful hubby, spotted something on KSL. Being a former teacher, I had an "IT'S ABOUT FREAKIN' TIME" moment when he related the article to me:

**Parents SHOULD be expected, IF THEY ARE ABLE, to supply their children with school supplies.**

I'm not sure when you went through Elementary school, but don't you remember YOUR, YES YOUR VERY OWN PARENTS, supplying you with school supplies? I mean, your teacher may have given you a pencil here or there, but for the most part the sparkly pencil box, a variety of erasers and the colorful folders to keep work in were provided by your parents. As a teacher, you do get an "Allowance" for the year, from the State and the Legislature.....BUT I can tell you that it's not enough to provide your students with EVERYTHING they need for a whole school year.

Again, as a teacher, I didn't mind helping my students out. In fact, I couldn't wait to buy crayons, folders and glue sticks in bulk for the class. Hearing, "You must be a teacher", at the check-out stands put a smile on my face. In the picture above, look at the students' desks. This was just the beginning of EVERYTHING I had for them. But teachers can't do it. Most of them REALLY do wish they could......but on our "Allowance" and paycheck, we can't.

Thank you, as parents, for understanding...........and if you can, supply your children with all you can. :)

My FREAKING Awesome Husband helping me put names on the notebooks.

Snack Time Anyone?

Jaeli was so proud of herself! Finding her container of puffs in her nursery and retrieving them from her diaper bag was such an accomplishment for her. She got them open all by herself and proceeded to enjoy her snack. No wonder it was so quiet. I KNEW something was going on when I didn't hear her babbling to herself.

This video just made me laugh and laugh. I usually get uptight about messes, but seeing Jae in the pile of puffs was JUST what I needed today.

'Make a Complaint Monday'-I Just Don't Belong

For those of you that are EXTREMELY concerned (which I know is ALL of you-haha, hehe), YES I will keep doing 'Make a Complaint Monday'. I like it too much not to.

Jaeli and my adventure started out today with leaving the house about an hour later than we wanted to, but 'Pea' comes first, right? She needed to eat and take her bottle. Then we set off to visit some of my favorite people where I used to work. Here is Jaeli finding ANYTHING on the classroom floor of course to stick in her mouth. (By the way, the MYSTERY poster behind her is part of the Genres of books. I laughed when I saw it behind 'Pea' because Jaeli is ANYTHING BUT Mysterious!)

NOW TO MY COMPLAINT..............................(Maybe not QUITE a complaint today, but something I was sad about.)

Ever feel like you don't belong? That sense of awkwardness, that empty feeling, the churning stomach and overwhelming shyness? That was my day. There are places you may go, used to work or used to belong to that maybe you decide to visit. You get excited to see old friends and to catch up. THEN, it hits...................yes IT........and IT hit hard today. "Natalie, you don't belong here anymore. A lot of good friends are here, true enough, but you, yourself don't belong anymore."

I will always have the memories, and THEY are what I prefer to remember. The great memories and the magnificent friends. I love you all. I.JUST.DON'T.BELONG.

The Change

While surfing through a TON of awesome Blogs out there, I decided a change needed to be made. My Blog didn't have much of a purpose. I needed something....................(my AH HA moment)

something that would maybe HELP other moms (or dads, gradparents, aunts & uncles etc.) out there staying at home to raise their family. Through my NEW and IMPROVED Blog, I want to post about my Adventures (good or bad), staying at home, ATTEMPTING to raise, so far, our one, glorious daughter, Jaeli. ENJOY!!!

To Grandmother's House We Go......

Jaeli has so much fun with Grandma Leishman. She just giggles and giggles. THEN, she saw the camera and had to come check it out. Isn't she adorable?! I am disappointed however..........I don't know why I turned the camera that way. Oh well, you can still tell how much fun she has. You can also tell how much she adores being LOUD! Wonder who she got that from.... :) Watch at the very end and you will see the famous 'Jaeli Scowl'...............just like Daddy's! Love you hunna!

Finally, HAPPY 9 MONTHS TODAY 'PEA'!!!!!

'Make a Complaint Monday'- Let's Think Here.....PLEASE?!

*WARNING* This Post is quite long, but once you start reading it, you'll understand why.

Yup, it's Monday again, which means another awesome 'Make a Complaint Monday' post. I think this idea is spectacular because EVERYONE needs to vent once in a while, YES EVERYONE. Feel free to comment on my complaint or leave one of your own.

This weekend, we attended Dan's Uncle Rodney's Funeral in Chubbuck, Idaho. A lot of the family was there and it was nice. Regardless of how nice it looked, how nice it was that the Funeral Home had a children's room with toys and such, and how nice it was to see the family, it was a sad time. The family is struggling with trying to understand, rightfully so, and Uncle Rodney even looked sad. Uncle Rodney is the youngest of nine siblings (he is Karen's brother). He was very sad and decided to take his own life. We are praying that he is at peace now and has found some comfort in his other family members that may have already passed.

The Funeral was very nice with Uncle Rodney's brothers and sisters contributing, Karen (my awesome mother-in-law) reciting a poem and Dan and his brother Matt singing a duet. I learned a lot about him, what a caring and considerate person he was and how much fun it was to be around him. After the Funeral, we traveled to the Cemetary where Uncle Rodney was buried next to his mom and dad. Another Uncle's Relief Society then provided a luncheon following the Cemetary.

While sitting next to Dan's sister, Suzi, we were discussing how great the food was. They had some superb fried chicken that I really just wanted to keep eating. The desserts were really good too, well I think. Dan's brother Rich ate my piece of cake! THAT'S RIGHT RICH! I'M CALLING YOU OUT!!!! Anyhow, Suzi then said, "When I die, you all know what to serve at my Funeral, right? Fried Chicken!" Then I mentioned I would like a salad bar at my Funeral.

DURRRRRR!!!!! There sat Dan's mom, the best Mother-in-Law anyone could ask for, listening to our conversation right after we had just gone through Uncle Rodney's Funeral. I didn't THINK about it until it was kind of quiet after my comment. Now, I am not saying anything negative about Suzi at all, because her comment was not heard. It was just mine......STUPID LOUD VOICE!!!!

This is already long, so my point of this 'Make a Complaint Monday' is, PLEASE THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!!!! There are so many things that could be said that could hurt people without you even realizing. I am not judging, believe me........I am guilty of this as well, but let's all try to be a little more careful about what we say. THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK! :)

Tech Support!

Tonight, I am writing this post ESPECIALLY for my AUNT BETTY!!!! It was good to chat with you tonight. By the way, I don't know why you're stressing about the way your house looks OVER a week before the PARTY. It always looks nice. Don't stress!!! Really, I'm just there for the food, we know that. Anyhow, I found out how you can comment on my posts even if you DON'T have a Google Account.

1. First, click on 'COMMENTS' at the bottom of MY Post.
2. Then, write your Comment in the BOX.
3. BELOW the box you'll have to type in the weird looking word, called WORD VERIFICATION.
4. Next, there will be a BUBBLE you HAVE to click on that says ANONYMOUS. This way it will allow you to comment WITHOUT having to have a Google Account.
5. FINALLY, click POST COMMENT.

If you have any other questions, call. And don't forget to comment on THIS COMING MONDAY'S "Make a Complaint Monday"!

Love you!!!!

Make a Complaint Monday- What's WEIGHING on MY Mind....

I thought and thought about what I could complain about today......the weather, nah everyone is doing that right now, and rightfully so.......my weight gain, nah everyone is complaining about that right now too.......the economy, nah (do I have to say it).......THEN I thought, 'Nat, you really do want to complain about your weight gain, but do it in a different way.....'

So..........my complaint today, is actually those who think they are the shiz JUST because they are skinny or in shape.......MORESO those that JUDGE others SOLELY based on their weight. Does being heavier make you a bad person? Does eating a candy bar or drinking a soda once in a while make you worthy of the gossip that begins as soon as the delicious treats hit your mouth?

You may think, 'It's only fat people that think this way', and I am bigger, but when I was a lot smaller than I am now, I felt the same way. In short, don't judge those that may be struggling with their weight or with more than you'll ever know.

Remember: Feel free to leave a complaint of your own or comment on mine! It is 'Make a Complaint Monday!'

My First Attempt....

Well, here it is..........I wanted to do this for my 50th post, (Ya know, something awesome, since my 50th post is AWESOME news and adding a Video is soooo super cool :P) but that came and went! I'm trying my first video. Not going to guarantee great quality but hearing her cute squeals and watching her experiement with the cat food dishes made me laugh.

Our Big Girl.....

The pictures say it all....... From standing in her crib for the first time......Woops, she fell, but was still happy about her new talent of standing......( Had to slip the January picture by the BEAR in.......)to eating a banana all by herself for the first time.It's official........she's growing up TOOOOO fast!

New Adventures

Jaeli has a few new favorite things.....I should have taken a picture of me trying to keep her out of things. First, she LOVES to open and shut the entertainment center cupboards and pull things out.

Then, she is working really hard to pull herself up to ANYTHING. She was working on the cat tunnel. 'Pea' can get to her knees pretty quickly now.


Finally, she is a crawling machine....soooooooooo fast! She got to the shiny cat food dishes and was so proud of herself. She could see her reflection in them and squealed with excitement when she learned about the noise they make on the kitchen tile floor.

My Secret.....

Secretly, I love, love, love being crafty. I just don't know where to start. Well, at Wal-Mart last night, there was a wreath for $2.50. I was excited because I try to have something on our front door for every season.Valentine's Day is coming up, so I thought I could do something with the wreath for Valentine's Day ( I secretly love Valentine's Day as well).When I bought the wreath, I remembered a cute student of mine from last year gave me a box of Valentine ornaments for Valentine's Day. I put two and two together and wound up with this. Small steps, right? :)

'Make a Complaint Monday'- Fill 'er Up

This is a NEW ADDITION to my Blog. It's Make a Complaint Monday! Feel free to leave a comment about my complaint, or make a complaint of your own.

Let me start out by saying, I apologize to any of you that are or EVER have been waiters or waitresses. Ever since I could remember, I have ADORED eating out. To this day, I could eat out for every meal. The atmosphere, the good food, the people you go with. Ah, nothing beats it.

My FAVORITE thing, however, is the soda. I know, it's my ultimate weakness in life. Dr. Pepper just makes me feel better. It helps me forget that I feel non-productive ALL the time. It also helps with my headaches. Well, REALLY, secretly, I think that it contributes a great deal to my headaches. If I don't have a Dr. Pepper for a few days, the migraines come rollin' in. Stupid caffeine.

ANYHOW, so it is not ANY surprise that the biggest thing I look for is if the waiter/waitress keeps the drinks refilled. Is it not a HUGE pet peeve when you're sitting there enjoying the chit chat, eating awesome food, you go to take a sip of soda and BAM!!! It's gone? UGH! Well, the other day, Dan and I are eating out and the waitress was very, well not with it. We either had to ask for EVERYTHING we needed or she would ask, "Oh, do you want more.....". She would NEVER just bring us another drink. It was a long time in between visits to the table, and THEN she would say, "Oh, do you want another drink?" Hmmmmm............REALLY?

Then today, I went to lunch with two of my friends. Now, it was crazy, I'll give her that, but we were NOT impressed with our Waitress. She was so busy with all of her other tables, but we didn't seem to matter. BLAH.

Well, this is my complaint for this Monday. Again, apologies to any of you that are in the business.

Who Knew?!

I can't believe the things Jaeli finds fascinating! She loves the cat tower because she can eat the little pieces of cardboard and carpet bits the cats scratch off. Since her crawling days, she enjoys exploring anything new and that includes the tile in the kitchen. She loves to hurry over and slap it because it makes an interesting noise. And tonight, who knew the laundry basket could be so much fun?! I love my little girl. She makes me smile constantly.

She Likes to Move It, Move It.....

Jaeli is extremely mobile these days. From the cat tower to eat the carpet bits, to the cat toys to chew on a cat nip crinkle fish, to the kitchen floor tile to explore the mess there (no need to elaborate) to the computer desk to chew on Daddy's charger for his ITouch. As a creative (HAHA) Mommy, I have had to come up with things to keep her in one spot. The only three I've come up with are her crib, her Pack N' Play and her own little corner with every toy she could EVER want. Please leave suggestions here. :)

So Long, Farewell.......

FAREWELL 2009!!! Don't let the door hit you on the way out! I am so excited for 2010! First of all, because I can't stand odd numbers and second of all, it was a rough year. I am excited for a fresh start and getting to work on my resolutions.....

1. Get Dan and I's Wedding (YES, WEDDING) Scrapbook done
2. Start Jaeli's Scrapbook
3. Exercise EVERY day
4. Practice playing the Piano and improve

Hope the New Year finds all of you optimistic and excited to start new adventures!

Christmas was so spectacular! Jaeli got some great things and some very precious antiques. My Grandma gave her a rocking chair that could be over 100 years old and used to be hers. She had it re-upholstered and then re-painted it. Jaeli loves to rock in it, and I can only imagine how she'll cherish it as she gets older. I cherish it so much now. It was a great Holiday! Needless to say, 'Pea' is exhausted from all the partying. Even though she had no clue what was going on, Daddy and Mommy had a great time playing Santa and waking up Christmas morning with our adorable daughter.

Christmas Eve Take 2

These are the pictures from the Unwrapping Game and some more of 'Pea'. Jaeli is with my cousin Lillie and then with Lola and her cousin Maximus. My cousin Lindi, featured again, won the Unwrapping Game....with $50!!! What the! No, she deserved it after the whole chicken in a can incident. We also have Tracy and Julie featured here trying to get the package open in the Unwrapping Game. I know they'd be sad if I didn't post them like I promised. HAHA!

The Annual Christmas Eve Party

The famous Christmas Eve Party is gone again! I can't believe tonight was Christmas Eve!! It was a blast! We went to Logan to my Grandparent's house and had a grand evening of family, food and the traditional Christmas Eve Games. The Passing Game was great. My Grandma reads a story about the "Right" Family. Every time she read "Right", you pass your gift to the right. Same with "Left". My cousin Lindi won a WHOLE chicken in a can! GROSS!! I got an Onion Keeper with an onion in it. Thanks Uncle Bryon! Also, Jaeli had some fun with her cousin Maximus. Here are some pictures from the night.

Tradition..................TRADITION!

This post made me think of Fiddler on the Roof, "Traidition!!!! TRADITION!" I love that song....ANYWAY..........Here we are making gingerbread houses at the Zundel's. It is a yearly tradition. We also go caroling every year, but it got too late tonight to go. We'll try to go in a couple of days. This is Jae's first time making gingerbread houses (not like she helped, but I can pretend, right?).

A Horrible Feeling.....

Tonight, I want to post about how thankful I am to drivers that are aware of their surroundings. My mom, Jaeli and I were pulling out of a Bank parking lot. The traffic was heavy with last minute Christmas shoppers and I, being the blonde (actually, just non-thinking person at the time) that I am, was trying to turn left. The road I was trying to turn onto is a four-lane road.....2 lanes both ways.

As I was patiently waiting to pull out, the person in the lane closest to me stopped to let me in. "WOW", I thought. "Hard to find a person lately that is nice enough to let someone in." So......YUP, I pulled out, not even thinking about the lane next to the woman that had stopped for me......and there it was...a black Honda zooming toward me. It's a horrible feeling of, "I know I'm going to get hit, or something bad is going to happen, what do I do?" Here is why I am totally grateful to those drivers that pay attention to their surroundings and don't bury their heads in their cell phones. She saw everything and slammed on her brakes as fast as she could. By the time she hit me, it wasn't that hard at all. She has some scratches and a cracked lower light on the front of her car. My Subi has a small chunk missing by the driver's side tire. It could have been so much worse!!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU for being careful drivers and paying attention, even though I was not today! Be safe on the roads!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

We had our Ward Christmas party this last Saturday. It was a pajama party and the Bishopric cooked outside on their big camp griddles. It was wonderful! They also had crafts for the young ones and then Santa came and read "Polar Express" to the children. He then got to hear what all of them wanted for Christmas. Jaeli had her first experience with "Good Old Saint Nick". NO TEARS!!
Our home is feeling so Christmasy...and I love it! We don't have a lot of decorations, but what we do have I love! Also included is Jaeli's first Christmas ornament.....it isn't the best picture, but you get the idea.

Cutest Face in the World....

Just wanted to post some pictures of my Jae. Her face is just too adorable! Enjoy!

Say...............um cheese?

I have been holding off on a new post. Mainly because my life seems and feels boring right now. But also because my plug in to download photos is broken. I am so sad! Since my last post, I have taken so many cute pictures, Jae in a new dress, our trip to Temple Square, etc. I am on a quest now to find a new plug in thingy so I can get them on here. Pictures soon to come!

I Want to Tear My Hair Out!

Yes, yes I do. I am in the process of trying to wean my little one. I don't mind nursing, in fact it's been a great bonding moment for Jaeli and I, but now....NOW she has 6 TEETH! Can you say ouch?! I would keep nursing her, but I don't enjoy the pain. I know she doesn't mean to, but it happens every time I nurse her.

I need suggestions, help, whatever you're willing to give me at this point. Today I decided I was going to give up and endure the pain......it's not worth the torture we are going through TRYING to wean her. I feel she's always hungry, even though I give her cereal, veggies and fruits. She will NOT take a bottle no matter what I do. She just cries whenever it gets close to her. It's not worth it. HELP!!!!!!!!!