My word for 2010...

JOY!

I remember teaching this concept to my children when I taught Joy school and that song,"Oh boy I got Joy..I do, do you?, comes in my head even 18 years later as I think of a word I want to reflect on this year.

These are the words that popped into my head the other day,

"Life is to be enJOYed, and have JOY while doing it."

I love this reminder of our purpose here on this journey of ours, "Men are that they might have joy"( 2 Nephi 2:25) I truly believe that this is the reason we exist.

Joy is Prayer
Joy is Strength
Joy is Love
Joy is a net of love which can catch souls
Mother Theresa

Joy is the feeling of grinning on the inside. Dr. Melba Colgrove

"Real Joy comes not from ease or riches or from the praise of men, but from doing something worthwhile." Sir Wilfred Grenfell

"The Joy of the spirit is the measure of it's power." Ninon de lenclos

"Joy is not in things; it is in us" Richard Wagner

"I define joy as a sustained sense of well-being and eternal peace- a connection to what matters." Oprah Winfrey

This little book is packed with great understanding of what Joy is really all about it! I love reading it over and over!

Most Amazing deals!!!

Okay we thought we had seen all the deals in the valley after we hit black Friday sales but apparently we missed one. Fallas Paredes , we found a hidden treasure in this store. We have never had so many laughs and squeals of elation, while finding steals right and left. Joslyn and Laurisa are amazing at finding cute outfits among not so cute clothes! We have seen this store for years and had no idea what a find it was. It is right next to Rosa's on University and Mesa Drive, (we call it a mini Tijuana). It truly is like going into a department store in Mexico! Almost every piece of clothing was $3.99. Somethings are a little more like shoes and household furnishings, although the shirt I bought was a dollar. I'm glad we had an extra hour to waste between lunch and an Eagle Scout appointment for Jake or we may never have discovered such a fun find.
Who wouldn't have fun shopping with these cute girls. They take shopping to a whole new level!
Jake even found a great shirt! Everyone trying on their new outfits. To our dismay we found out they didn't have a dressing room, so they put on outfits right over their clothes. Laurisa found a mirror in the home furnishings dept. and held it up so everyone could see how their clothes fit. No one seemed to mind...it's the kind of store that anything goes!!!

The shoe department was definitely a hit. The girls walked out with four new pair of shoes! So excited! What a fun shopping memory! Laurisa said that it even beat black Friday!

Ginger's Birthday Celebration!

Happy Birthday Aunt Ginger! We went to Ginger's favorite restaurant, "ROSA'S" to celebrate her special day! We all love Ginger, she is so fun to be around and always is interested in you. She is famous for her homemade salsa and if she would market it, the stores wouldn't be able to keep it in stock. Everytime you go visit her...you always leave with some. She has such a giving heart! She is one of my biggest jewelry customer's. Everytime she sees me she says, "I don't have that one!" That is code for will you make me that one. I love making necklaces for her because they all look good on her, she is a great model for my necklaces. It was fun to all be together for lunch, thanks Ging for giving us a good reason to celebrate!

Bowling Mania

During the Holiday break we love to do activities together as a family...bowling being a family favorite! Such a great bonding activity~cheering each other on! I love when each family member encourages and supports each other.
These are the faces of some serious bowlers! Cosmic bowling at it's best! Grafton and Joslyn were MVB (most valuable bowlers). Way to go you awesome bowlers!

The Perfect Day...

If I could pick a perfect day... it is doing projects with my girls. This year I made most of my Christmas gifts, so Laurisa and Joslyn wanted to make gifts for their friends. I had bought them each a headband at a boutique for their stockings, so when I showed them, they immediately wanted to make them. We spent days over the holidays creating these fun headbands. Everyone loved them because they are so comfortable and look so darling. Joslyn has started making them and selling them on her headband blog.