Andrew Update!

Well, time has passed both slowly & quickly over the last 5 months for our family. Andrew is in the 2nd and final level of his rehab program as of tomorrow. He will actually be leading the group (65 total) and has earned this from his hard work. He has also finished testing the last two days for his GED - so when he walks out of Salt Lake Metro, he will have that behind him. Our family is ready for him to come home. His Dad and I are making some fresh new arrangements that I hope will work as a more stable support system to keep him on the road to recovery. Andrew feels this program has helped him finally and wants more than anything for true change in his life. He's ready to walk away from it all (drugs, alcohol, bad friends and bad choices). He and I have been talking about his goals, what he wants out of his life and a new course of direction. It feels really really good. His letters to us are powerful. I received one yesterday, that I believe was somewhere around 8 pages long. He's such a strong person and I admire him so much. I feel both his strength and conviction in his words, very powerful. Tomorrow I will post some of the things he said in his letter to me. Keep praying, family! I think the countdown to his release is now a whoppin' 31 days!!! I so do love this boy!

My Favorite Pampering Treat

For the last 5 weeks, I've been in physical therapy 4 times a week for some pain and burning in my neck, back and jaw... yeah weird huh. I'm feeling soooo much better, words cannot convey. (except now I have a weird rash on one side of my body) So, my boys gave me a gift certificate for Mother's Day to a fabulous local spa for yep, a "MASSAGE". You just don't know how much I am looking forward to it this weekend!

Fung Shuei Horoscope

Watch your 'Thoughts,' they become Words.
Watch your 'Words, ' they become Actions.
Watch your 'Actions,' they become Habits.
Watch your 'Habits,' they become Character.
Watch your 'Character, ' for it becomes your Destiny.

Best Weight Loss Secret

Hey... I have the best secret on the planet for weight loss if anyone wants to know.

Yes, it works. I know those abs. :)

This was a fun night....

I came across this picture of Kevin, Andrew (center) & Logan

They were goin' out on the town for 80's night! Quite the energy, these 3!

Trev's Jr. Prom 2008!

Brandan, Zach, Trevor & Westin (l to r)

Gussied up for Jr. Prom! The one in the white, my boy...!

Captured this before Steve was ready!

This was quite the memory

Family Photos

Time to post pictures of all the other kids, right? ok ok.... they're coming!

Liv has the best expressions ever

Our Girls Trip Down Memory Lane

Livia age 3 (left) & Ashlee age 4 My Girl Liv
Ashlee (left) & Livia

Soul Sisters for Life

These shots of the "little girls" are soooo freakin' cute we just didn't need any of the "big girls"!!!

My 1st Magazine Photo!

Yep, it's my smile (and my own teeth, really.) Vanity Fair contacted me (ok, who gave them my number?) to ask if they could use this image in their upcoming June issue on how "good oral hygiene attracts attention", mmmm interesting huh? Hey, what do I have to lose. I need lots of attention, ... right.

Great, Now They Tell Us

YOUR MAN'S MOOD SWINGS

By Elise Nersesian

Trying to figure out the best time to broach a touchy topic, ask your guy a favor or convince him to do something you know he’ll dread? Well, it’s easier than you think if you learn how to tune in to his body clock, says Gabrielle Lichterman, founder of Hormonology.info and co-author of 28 Days: What Your Cycle Reveals About Your Love Life, Moods, and Potential. While women, we all know, experience hormone-induced mood swings on a monthly basis, Lichterman attests that men, too, are affected by hormonal highs and lows—only their levels fluctuate daily. Want to get his hormones working for you? Read on.

If you need his help moving, fighting, or fixing something… Ask: from 9-12 a.m.It should come as no surprise that guys wake up bursting with testosterone. And aside from the obvious frisky factor, this surge in hormones makes him ambitious and determined, says Lichterman. This is the perfect time to ask him for a favor, particularly one that makes him feel like Mr. Fix-It. Buying a car? Indulge his competitive streak, and drag him along to help you haggle with the salesman and score a great deal. Or, cash in on his peak in spatial thinking and ask him to move your couch, or measure your closet space. He’ll feel heroic, and you’ll reap the benefits.

If you want to get him to agree to your plans…Ask: from 3-4 p.m.Trying to convince him to sign up for ballroom dancing lessons, commit to your new book club or otherwise agree to do something that would normally send men screaming in the opposite direction? Then this late-afternoon window is the perfect opportunity, says Lichterman, since his super-low testosterone levels will make him mellow and amenable to pretty much anything you throw on the table.

If you want to broach a touchy topic…Ask: from 8-10 p.m.At this hour, another hormone called oxytocin — a.k.a. the “cuddle hormone” due to its intimacy-inducing effects — is on the rise in his bloodstream, says Lichterman. That means this is a prime time to resolve a lingering spat (“It hurt my feelings when you didn’t call today”) or get a grievance off your chest (“Will you please shave your goatee?”). You’ll probably get met with nothing but a sincere apology and the promise to change his ways. Sure, his sweetness may be as much due to timing as a true desire to please, but hey, who cares as long as your wish is his command?

Cinco de Mayo 2008!

It's Here! Cinco de Mayo! My 1st Annual Party Starts at 7:00pm. Be THERE or be SQUARE.

It's all in the Food!