Great News!

Well as some of you know, we have been trying to get pregnant for about 10 months now. The military finally sent us to an infertility specialist, who told us to not try for the next fews month so they can run some tests and figure out if I needed to have my endometriosis surgery again. Well a few days after she told us this I started waking up really sick and thought I was getting the flu, which is commen for me around the holidays. So I did not think a whole lot of it, till we went to the Commissary, (military grocery store) and I threw up twice in a twenty minute period. OKAY this is not the flu. So for kicks we bought a pregnancy test and took it home. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the results. I took the test to Noah and started crying. I held it over his shoulders and he turned around and said, "Does that say what I think it says?" And he started crying. SURE ENOUGH ITS POSITIVE!!! YEAH baby number two is on the way. We are thrilled. The doctor gave me a due date of July 24th, ten days after Landon was due, 7 days before he was actually born. Man I must only be able to concieve once a year. :O) But I think my due date is more like August 15th. We shall see, they are doing a sonogram on Jan. 16th when we get back from Alaska.
We are so very excited and I am about tired of the fatigue and morning sickness. We are in Alaska at my inlaws who have been very helpful and wondefulm so its not as bad as it would be if I was doing it alone, like I did with Landon.

So there is the GREAT NEWS!!! So excited!!!! Forgive me if I dont blog back before after the first of the year, we do not get back from the AK until Jan 9th. We finally told my inlaws after knowing for almost a month, we wanted to tell then in person. So yeah I can finally tell everyone, its not secret any more. :) Wish us luck!!!

Brotherly love!!!

The older of my younger brothers, Micah, is coming into town tomorrow for 5 days before shipping off to Balaad in Iraq for 6+ months. I am so excited to see him. Granted I saw him this last July for Landons birthday, but when you are as close as we are that is really a long time. He is in the Air Force and stationed at Travis AFB in California. He is one of my best friends and an amazing guy. He is how I met my wonderful husband.
Noah and Micah are very good friends as well which means a lot to me I cherish my brothers and wanted my husband and brothers to be good friends. I am so proud of my brother and his accomplishments. I am proud of his decision to join the Air Force and serve our country. He does not have the most glamorous job in the AF, he is the guy who cleans up the planes, he calls it S.W.A.T (sewer, waste and trash.) Thats his way of making it not so yucky~~~ But I am still proud of him no matter what his job in the AF is, because I know he gives it his all.

My brother and I have always been good friends and I hope that it stays that way and that my children and his future children are as close as well. I love him and wanted to dedicate this post to him and all of our other military mean serving state side as well as overseas. We have a few friends whose husbands are away from them at this time and I wanted to acknowledge them as well: Captain Glen Gilson, SRA Robby Rhoads, and Ssgt Aaron Andrews. Thank you for all you do and good luck! Come home to us soon and safe.
As you can see my brother is the eternal goofball of the family. Him and Noah fit together like two peas in a pod. His saying is "If you dont die young you must be doing something wrong." He is a wild and crazy guy who LOVES to skydive.
Noah, Micah and Jared summer of 2006.

Rock on dudes!
Merry Christmas!!!!

My eternal companion!!!! My husband!

Celebrating my wonderful husband. Not because its a special day that is worldly known, but just because I love him and every day with him is special and wonderful and often times crazy and zany and always full of smiles and laughter and kisses. I love you Noah and I am so glad that you are the man I get to spend eternity with.

1. What is his name? Noah Ross Jenkins.

2. How long have you been married? 2 yrs 8 months and 5 days going on forever

3. How long did you date? A year and 9 months (engaged for three months)

4. Who eats more? Noah snacks more, eating several times a day, during one meal however I eat more. (I dont get to stop and eat very much through out the day so at dinner when Landon is being good I get all the eatin in I can) :O)

5. Who said 'I love you' first? I told him in the car that I thought I was falling in love with him. But then we went to my house and slow danced to some music and he whispered it in my ear. I was so nervous I was not sure if thats what he really said so I was so scared to say it back, but I did! (cause its true)

6. Who sings better? Noah thinks he does, he loves to sing in the shower and jam out all the time~ he just brakes out into random song throughout the day. I however KNOW how to sing:O) jk i just mean that I know the notes. :O) Noah and I are both in our ward choir, we both love to sing, who knows if that means we are good or not!

7. Who is taller? Noahs got me beat by a mile

8. Whose temper is worse? depends on the day

9. Who does the laundry? hmmmmm!!! Well I do it most the time but sometimes a rare little elf
bites Noah on the butt and gives him the laundry itch, man I wish that elf came more often.

10. Who does the dishes? Im the stay at home mom, so me on a regular basis but sometimes Noah surprises me by doing them! YEAH for those days

11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? if you are standing at the foot of the bed looking towards the bed Noah, it you are laying in the bed me!! We went to a romantic hotel stay last night and I still got the right side of the bed, Noah says he is going to boycott this.

12. Who does the cooking? 26 out of 30 days a month I do. I love to cook, even on months Noah works night I cook him dinner and take it to him at work, the guys he works with are jealous :O) but sometimes he cooks cause he loves me. :O) and gives me a break, or wants to learn or Im really busy or gone. And he is getting pretty darn good at the cooking. Like one night he made me a spaghetti dinner, (my favorite) he was so proud of it and I was very pleased.

13. Who is more stubborn? Defenitely me

14. Who proposed? Noah, but he had an ultimatium. :O) jk! We were planning on getting married in May and then we could not wait too so we got married in March. :O)

15. Who is more likely to admit when they are wrong? hmmmm both of us really but it takes a lot of time and talking before one of us will

16. Whose parents do you see the most? mine live in the same town. so mine, but I would love to see my in laws more often, my mother in law and I are forging a good relationship and I would like to be closer to her, but she along with Noahs whole family are in alaska.

17. Who pays the bills? he makes the money I spend the cash!!! No really, he earns the money and I pay the bills but I sit down at the beginning of the month and let him know whats due and when and what our budget looks like.

18. Who wears the pants in the family? we really make the decisions together. We dont agree to most things until we have talked to each other and sees how the other one feels or what all we have going on.

19. Why do you love your husband? he is sweet, kind, considerate, and thoughtful. He has such a big heart and it just grows more and more everyday, he cares about people and has real concern and love for those around him. He is a wonderful father and husband. I love that he is forever a kid at heart, he plays in the sprinkler and wrestles and dances like crazy around the house and make me laugh all the time. There is never a dull moment. He listens to me and has concern for the things I have concern for. He loves the gosple and takes his priesthood seriously. Plus he is just so darn cute. :O)

Its the most wonderful time of the year!

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

25 And knew her not till she had brouMMatthew Chapter 1ght forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.



I love Christmas time. I love all the traditions and family activities that take place. I love the feeling in the air and the true spirit of the season in the air. (Quick vent: Why does my husband have to work nights all month and miss out on and the fun things, and why does he have to work the 4 days straight leading up to christmas, ahhhh) okay done!!!

Landon and I went with some friends to the live nativity that the church puts on and it was wonderful. My eyes filled with tears and my heart swelled as I pondered on the birth of my savior and I remembered how I felt this time last year. For the first time I realized a little bit of how Mary must have felt, having a child of your own and being a mother really puts the birth of our Savior into more a perspective view for me. I appriciate it even more and my heart weeps for Mary. I hope that I will always retain that feeling and be able to hold the first christmas more fully in my heart forever.

Onto the decorations!!! I love to make our house a Christmas wonderland. I am big on holidays and decorations and I love christmas smells and decorations, I also have such a blast getting out the decorations and remembering where I got them and who gave them to me and how it made me feel. Its so fun to see things that I didnt remember ever having. :O)
Here is the living room view (partial minus the couch and bookselves on the back wall) from our little computer nook!My parents bought us our first tree last year. I LOVE it! And Noah loves that its prelight and he does not have to string lights. We dont have a star yet because we can not agree on one and we have yet to find one that suits our wants and needs. Maybe next year! I love real trees but due to allergies I can not have one so this is the next best thing. Two of my favorite ornaments. :O) I have to support my team!!! The bottom Santa Claus is one that Noahs Grandpa made us out of wood last year for christmas. The picture does not do it justice, he widdle it and its so intracite and beautiful. I am amazed every time I look at it.
Since we dont have a cool fireplace in our Military house we had to improvise! Hope santa finds them. :O)
I love to collect Nutcrackers and nativities, here is a small collection of the Nutcrackers. I also miss going to the Nutcracker ballet every year. Im going to have to find one and take Noah and Landon. :O) The plaque on the computer is one I made with the vinal lettering. It says Unto us a Child is born. Here are a few of my Nativities! There are four of them here. I love them! I love to look at them and reflect on the true meaning of christmas.

Some more decorations. Amy your holiday card made a cameo! The only one we have gotten so far. You are ahead of the game. :O)

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Yet again......alas it was not meant to be!

So little vent session here. Alabama loses the Iron Bowl again, what is this like year six in a row. So I love Alabama and will never turn my back on them, but this is getting a little ridiculous, I mean come on win again. Granted they have still beat Auburn more then Auburn has beat them, but I am so ready for them to win again.

So we sit down to watch the game that EVERYONE told us was going to be on national television, we are flipping through the channels and can not find it, Im sitting there thinking, what idiots are not going to play the IRON BOWL on their station, surely no one in their right mind would do that, so after many passed through the local channels and nothing even slightly resembling the Iron Bowl being found, I get online and guess what!? I suppose we are dealing with a bunch of idiots. Its ONLY being shown on ESPN. The local and national networks decided that they would rather show the Kentucky/ Tennesse game and the Flordia/Flordia State game, oh and then "local news." So here comes the maddening part I dont have ESPN are you kidding me, my husband is an A1C in the military. If I had nown ahead of time that this was going to happen I would have paid for a month of cable just to get the game, or found a babysitter to watch Landon so Noah and I could go out somewhere to watch the game. Any heads up, forwarning? No way! The decision is made THE NIGHT BEFORE! So no hope for me at all.

There we are figure out where we could go to watch it with Landon, and calling all of our friends who have cable but they are either out of town or not answering their phone. It was as if they knew that this was the most pivital time in sports history for me and they want to make me cry. So we check the radio, (fat chance) hoping against all hope that its on there, no such luck either! Only local games and UCLA!! I dont care about what high school beat what high school or even about UCLA! I want BAMA!!!!!! Now because I love the game and the team so much, I resort to the lowest possible means, and watch a "play by play" update on ESPN.com. Now this is not a cool video where I can see what awesome, amazing, spectacular play that was just made....nope its just a little message that pops up every now and then saying"4th and 1 on own 39" or "1st and 10 on AUB 10" along with who made the play and the yards gained. Sometimes it would even take 20 minutes to update and so I would go browsing sites trying to get an update on the score. At one time when Bama got a touchdown, I found it on another website 10 minutes before my "play by play" even said anything.

So I sit in front of the computer for 3 hours watching this "play by play" so I can feel a little bit like Im watching the game. The only game, mind you that we ever get on TV here in Vegas since its so far away from Bama lines. :O( It was however I have to admit a very close game and even a nail biter from my "play by play" end. I cant even imagine what it must have been like at Jordan Hare stadium during the game fans going crazy, jumping up and down, screaming and cheering at the top of their lungs, MAN WOULD I GIVE ANYTHING TO BE THERE!!!!or even at the very least at the sports bars watching it on ESPN. I was cheering and I was not even watching anything.

And so thus its ends after many turn overs and badly kicked field goals from both sides, along with interceptions and long drives the game ends with just a touchdown and extra point looming over Alabama!!! 10-17 a sad sad day for Alabama fans. We WILL get them next year, go ahead and gloat all you want Auburn fans, because your day will end and the Crimson and white will rule the Iron Bowl again. You cant beat the stampede, we will crush you tigers next year!

And now Im done venting!! Please dont judge me to harshly! Football brings out a whole new side to me!!! (the closet crazy football fanatic Aurie) So now you know, hate me if you want to, love me if you can! :O)

Thankful thoughts and traditions!

So I was thinking about the true meaning of the holidays and how they have gotten so commercialized and that very few people still focus on the meaning of christmas (or the holidays). So I got to thinking about this Thanksgiving and all the things I am thankful for:

My wonderful husband and his support in all I do. He encourages me and and lets me ramble on about my ideas and crafts (even though Im sure half the time he really does not hear a word I say.) He still "listens"

My wonderful son who brightens each and every day and brings something new to our how all the time. (He has learned to say "Us at" (whats that?) "dayd dow" (there you go) "tanta" (santa)on top of "ball, dada, mama, aurie, more, juice, milk, tree, thank you, please, bath, eat, drink....the list goes on) he has also learned the sign language sign for all done! Thats a big help.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the true church restored to this earth in these latter days. I am so greatful to be a part of it and to know the things that I know. To know that my father in heaven and my brother Jesus Christ love me and know me personally.

The birth of my Savior and friend.

The military.

Noahs wonderful job that takes such good care of us.

Unlimited free health care.

Free warm house

A new car with all the things that I have been dieing for to make my life a little easier

Being about to afford to go home for christmas and visit with the in laws

Food and clothes

Good friends who support and love me

My calling, one where I can get to know and help those sisters in need.

A free country where I have the right to pray and go to church as I please

I have a ton more but not all the time in the world. :O)

Traditions!!!

Sausage balls Thanksgiving morning before the big dinner/ lunch

Cooking all day getting ready for the meal

Watching the parade and football (GO COLTS!!!)

Putting up the tree after dinner

Watching Christmas movies and eating leftovers the next day.

Putting up the rest of the indoor and outdoor decorations the next day

Spending precious time with family


I would like to know your traditions! So let me know!!! Happy Holidays!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!!!

So Ive been busy all evening cooking the pies, bread and rolls for tommorow. Im sure I will be up bright and early to cook the bird and all the rest of the fixings. :O) Im excited, I love Thanksgiving and all that it entales, I love cooking and having an excuse to have people over and go all out. Two Easters ago while Noah was at basic I went to my friend Amy's parents house and ate dinner there. For some reason her sisters funeral potatoes have stuck with me and every holiday since then they are all I can think about (besides the meat!) I was just thinking of that and thought I would share.

I apoligize for the glare, no matter how I took the pictures it was still there. On this one It says "the Laundry room, loads of fun." I painted it brown and then took vanilla paint and rubbed it on with a paper towel then I got another wet paper towel and went over that to wipe it down. The lettering in in aged copper.

I painted a dark pumpkin orange and then went over that with a smaller brush in light orange. I then put a bow with pumpkins on it and gold glitter on the top

I painted the board a autumn brown and then spray laquer over the top to make it shinny.

So today I also did some more craft projects and thought I would post them to share. I really need to work on scrapbooking, but alas I have been slacking in that department. I have however been making my christmas cards and other such crafts so I have not totally been bad. :O)

Sorry the pictures did not turn out to well. I think its cause I made them small! Sorry! I dont really have time to explain them all so youll have to look close and figure it out. :O) jk!

This one says Christmas Blessings.Celebrate!Bug me anytime!Friend over italian sayingsThinking of youthanks over the defenitionUdderly ExhaustedMy FriendHappy Holidays, (a tree for all seasons)Cherish (over the defenition)Thankful thoughts (embosed in gold)

Hope you enjoy~ Just thought I would share! Off the make the corn bread for tommorow~!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We got skillz!!!

A friend on mine had one of her family on her page and I was crying I was laughing so hard. Hope yall enjoy our moves!!!!


http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9545151368

CRAZY CRAZY and wait MORE CRAZY!

So I have not blogged in awhile and its because my list as we know it has been under fire. Craziness from all sides hitting me, thank goodness Heavenly Fathers on my side. So here goes "brief" run down.

Noah is working weekends and I have Landon at church all by myself. Can you say never sitting or hearing a thing.

Our car broke down, capute right there on the highway, dead as a door nail, over 4000 to fix (redo all the engine) NO WAY! So we had to buy a new car and trade ours in. Now Im a minivan mom, but its a "pimpin" minivan, leather seats, low miles, DVD player, power doors and windows, sunroof, its the mini of the mini vans so its built like an SUV, LOVE THAT. Spent 11 hours at the dealership getting the car.

A friend is taking the discussions but the missionaries are calling all the time to ask me how she is doing. Its stressing me out, how much they call.

Got approved for the loan but now they are saying that we have to wait a little bit longer. AHHH we dont have till monday.

Trying to get all christmas presents done, I am crazy and took on way to big of a task for everyones presents and now have to finish them.

Working on my christmas cards.

Cleaning the house, daily top to bottom because I have a son who finds anything and everything and well either ruins it himself, eats it, breaks it or feeds it to the dog.

The dog chewed up one of my cricut cartridges (80 bucks). No Idea how she goes it off the 3rd shelf she is only a foot tall on her hind legs.... ahhhhh trying not to kill her.

Trying to visit all my inactive ladies from church.

Trying to clear out the junk and sell it all.

Organizing all my paperwork.


And most all of this I can only do when Landon is napping because we play sooo much when he is awake, and at night when Noah is home its just our time and we cuddle and watch a movie, if we are lucky eat some icecream too. :O)

So if I have neglected any of you, its not on purpose, its just because my life right now, is CRAZY CRAZY and MORE CRAZY!!!! (but in a great way and Im loving every minute of it)

My latest and.......greatest? craft projects

So here they are, my latest craft projects, the ones that have made my fingers unidenifiable. :O)

They have been lots of fun making and I hope you enjoy them, maybe get some ideas of your own, or get in the crafty spirit. :O) (more pics to come when my unfinished projects are finished.) I bought the board at Micheals and painted it and bought a little ghost and painted him then I wrote on my saying and used little ghost stickers for the baby ghosts. Its hanging on our front door!
I bought a long board at Lowes and had them cut it to size and then I roughed it up a bit to give it the rough look them I painted it and even though you cant see it in the picture sanded some of it to give it the rustic look, then I added on vinyl letters that I bought online. Hangin in dining room!
This one was easy and too cute I think and I have two more in the house, Ill take pictures of them later. I bought the tile at Lowes for about a dollar and then I got vinyl lettering to fit a tile and rubbed it on. Easy and fun!

I bought a long piece of squared wood at Lowes and had them cut it down to several sizes, I then sanded them down to be smooth and rounded all the edges then I painted them with several coats and attached my vinyl letters. I have one for Thanksgiving and Ill take a picture when I put it out. The Little leaf guys are just foam cut outs in little flower pots attached with dowles and little faces drawn on with some embelishments (ribbon and beads) they also have clothes pins on the back so I can attached pictures to them.
These were also fun but a lot of work, just because I am picky and wanted it just right. Again the wood is Lowes, cut down and sanded, then I painted several coats on and hand sanded it till it was all the same texture. Even though you can not see it in the picture I rough up and removed the color from around the edges till the wood showed through in places and then I attached some more vinyl lettering.... can you tell I like the vinyl lettering.
I bought the scarecrows and the basket at walmart. I got a foam ball and shaved it down to fit then I got a bunch of little fall looking pins and decorations and arranged then around and either stuck them in or hot glued them in, depending on what they were, then I stuck in my scarecrows, I like it because I can take the scarecrows out for easy storage.
This is above our front door, inside the house. I bought the board at Micheals, painted it (a black underneath and then a litle tan over the top) I painted it two colors and sanded it so that it would have more depth and a better finish, its hard to tell in the picture. And then again applied the tried and true VINYL LETTERING!!!!
I bought the letters and the little "ghouls and goblins" at Micheals, painted them, attached the letters and bat with wireing then tied on the ribbon painted my little friends and hot glued them to the letters. It was lots of fun and I am very pleased with the outcome.

Hope you enjoy! HAppY FaLL!