Recap of 2013~A Long Post!

~A Year in Reflection~

 

Wow it's amazing how fast a year can fly by! 2013 had some ups and downs but overall it was a good year. It was tough but towards the end it started to get better. On June 26th I started the Day Zero Project. It is a really neat website that allows you to create a list of 101 goals to complete in 1001 days. Instead of making a New Years Resolution, I'm working on completing this list of goals. I want to see how far I've come!

 

 

1. Write 100 poems- 6/100

2. Watch the IMDb top 250 films- 97/250

3. Learn 50 new things by clicking the random articles button on Wikipedia- 5/50

4. Read 100 books- 12/100 I read the book "And Thereby Hangs a Tale" one of my favourite from this year. It was full of short mystery/suspense/horror stories. Really good book!

 

5. Save $100 on groceries with coupons- $54.17/$100

6. Get rid of 100 things- 50/100

7. Make 25 new recipes- 7/25 I made these Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting Mmm so good!

 

8. Read 300 books to the girls- 40/300

9. Leave an inspirational note in a book for someone to find

10. Go to a concert

11. Write a book- I am writing a book called "Desert Gold". It will be a mystery with a touch of romance.

12. Go horseback riding

13. Have dinner by candlelight

14. Go to Las Vegas

15. Learn Spanish

16. Buy something from Etsy

17. Go rockclimbing

18.Perform 5 acts of random kindness

19. Send something to a friend- I sent my really good friends Shantel and Kelly some yummy Lara Bars!

20. Make a list of 100 things I'm grateful for- I completed this and you can find my list Here

21. Write down every dream I have for a week

22. Write a love letter to my husband

23. Write my name in the sand

24. Don't watch TV for a week- Completed! We don't have cable so this was pretty easy

25. Don't eat sweets for a month

26. Go to the firing range

27. Get a new tattoo

28. Buy new lens for my camera

29. Get a pedicure

30. Go on a spiritual retreat

31. Document a day in my life with photos

32. Donate unwanted books to the library

33. Volunteer in my community

34. Refinish a piece of furniture

35. Make soap

36. Make donuts

37. Buy new shoes- Completed! I got a blinged out pair of black heels and a pair of grey peep-toe heels for $5 each at a yardsale. Deal of the year!

38. Achieve Abs

39. Complete Insanity Program

40. Take a train somewhere

41. Paint the kitchen- Completed!

42. Host a My Favorite Things Party- Completed! I'm definitely going to do it again, it was a blast.

43. Go on a romantic getaway with my hubby

44. Find 50 geocaches

45. Go to dentist

46. Change hairstyle- Completed! I got my hair trimmed, side swept bangs, and some black lowlights

 

 

 

47. Clear out my broken external hardrive and put on cd's- In Progress

48. Make a coffee bar in my house

49. Organize my craft supplies

50. Fill change jar and cash it out

51. Handout 5 blessing bags to the homeless

52. Contact 5 companies for giveaways or reviews- Completed! I reviewed decal stickers, a scale, a kid's DVD, a brand of green tea and a brand of kid's shoes. Click on my Product Review tab to see them

53. Fill out a long survey for my blog

54. Get my pole set up- Completed! I now have a space in my garage to practice!

55. Model in a fun photoshoot- Completed! I did a bridal shoot, lots of fun!

 

 

56. Get a new outfit- Completed!

57. Do 5 projects from my Craft board

58. Successfully sew something

59. Get husband a nice smoker grill- Completed!

60. Answer the 30 things with Hubby

61. Watch the sunrise over the ocean

62. Make a 72-hour emergency kit for family

63. Join a sports team

64. Go snowboarding

65. Buy keyboard and relearn to play it

66. Plan preschool for Haley

67. Hike 5 trails in Joshua Tree- We have done the Skull Rock Trail so far

68. Hire a housekeeper- Completed! Well not technically a housekeeper but I hired someone to shampoo and deep clean our carpets. They are so much nicer and cleaner!

69. Take a practice LSAT

70. Read the entire Bible- In progress

71. Watch the sunrise on New Years

72. Journal for 6 months- I have been journaling for the past 2 weeks

73. Drink shakes for 2 weeks- I invented this yummy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie but haven't yet started my 2 week shake diet

74. Get a bigger vehicle or trade in

75. Get an article published in a magazine or newspaper

76. Win contest or sweepstakes- Completed! I didn't win but my little Haley won a photo contest. She got $50 for looking pretty! That would be a fun job haha!

77. Run another Fun Run- Completed! We did the Color Me Rad 5K last year and this year we did the Electric Run. It was amaaaaazing! I can't wait to do it again next year!

78. Help someone complete one of their goals

79. Finish 5 paintings- 2/5

 "The Serenity Prayer"- done for my Mother-in-law. Made with melted crayons, paint and stickers.

"Starry Night"- done this Christmas. Made with paint, stickers, broken mirror and cotton.

 

80. Take the kids to pick a fruit

81. Take the kids camping

82. Be able to do the splits

83. Get 250 blog followers- 96/250

84. Attend a blogging conference

85. Make bread from scratch

86. Make a "My Secrets" video- Completed!

87. Visit the Winchester Mystery House

88. Complete a 1000 piece puzzle

89. Carve a pumpkin for Halloween

90. Take the girls to Build-a-Bear

91. Write the story behind "Yours, Mine and Ours" for the blog

92. Make homemade jam

93. Stay off Facebook for a week- Completed!

94. Write a letter to a friend thanking them for their friendship- Completed!

95. Join a book club, non-profit organization or something similar- Completed! I joined the Father's Rights Movement. It is a growing movement that is focused on making sure Father's are able to have a relationship with their kids. I also got involved with I am THAT Girl. It's a movement of girls meeting together to talk about changing the world, empower each other and serve the community.

96. Make a wall of accomplishments- In progress

97. Practice meditation

98. Build up my Etsy shop

99. Start a financial campaign for a legal defense fund for getting our boys

100. Get our spare room set up for guests

101. Honestly I just don't know what to put here. I will think of something by New Years though!

 

I have until March 2016 to complete all my goals. I think I have a good start! What kind of goal setting or resolutions are you doing for the new year?







Our Blended Family

 

 

Today is National Stepfamily Day. It's a day for blended families to celebrate each other. What is a blended family? It's a family consisting of a couple and their children from this and all previous relationships. Our family is very special. As I'm sure you've noticed, the title of my blog is Yours, Mine and Ours. (By the way that's a good, old family movie, you should watch it sometime). I named it this because we have my husband's 4 boys from his previous marriage, my daughter from my previous marriage and we have a daughter together. See?...Yours, Mine and Ours!

 

Having a blended family is not always easy. Especially for a stepmom. There is already that bad stereotype, like you know, in Cinderella? And then you have to deal with difficult people who are jealous you are with their ex, or jealous you get to spend time with "their" kids or even just mad that you are happy. The worst is when you are stuck with a birth mom who won't acknowledge you exist which makes it impossible to parent the kids in the best way possible. It really hurts the kids when a mom does that. Or in a situation, where your step kids are told lies about you, and constantly have to listen to trash talk about you.

 

 

 

Thankfully, my boys know ME, know how I act, know how I treat them and most importantly know the TRUTH. No trash talking, or lies, or threats will ever be able to break the special bond I've developed with our boys. Sadly, the goodbyes get harder and harder every time, as we learn more about each other and our love grows.

 

 

 

I do want to take a minute to thank my husband's ex-wife. Wait...what? Thank her? Yep, that's right, thank her for several reasons.

 

Thank you for divorcing your husband so I could have a Prince in cammies.

Thank you for letting this hardworking, faithful man slip away and fall into my arms.

Because of this, we have the most beautiful, smart little girl together.

Thanks for giving birth to 3 amazing little boys.

I didn't have to go through the pain of labor but get to take part in the joys of their lives.

Thanks for letting me have the pleasure of teaching Aaron how to cook.

Thanks for letting me have the pleasure of teaching Josiah how to clean up.

Thanks for letting me have the pleasure of teaching Conner life lessons.

Most of all thank you for showing me exactly the kind of person I never want to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



Happy Birthday Hubby!

Well today is a very special day, its my husband's birthday! Birthday's are always the day to celebrate the life of a person and I just want to dedicate this post to the love of my life.

10 Reasons I love him

 

1. He is ridiculously patient

2. He has a great sense of humor, always knows how to make me smile

3. He is pretty darn handsome! Looks 10 years younger than he is

4. He works hard, at home, at work, at play

5. He has great hygiene, keeps himself shaved and smelling nice

6. He is caring, treats me like a princess

7. He is mentally, emotionally and physically strong

8. He's gentle as a lamb, but still a trained killer.

9. He is a great survivalist. Definitely my first choice for a zombie apocalypse partner!

10. He is one of the most unselfish people I know. He would give you the shirt off his back.

 

 

So, a little history on the hubs. (Since this is a public blog I don't want to reveal too much personal info) Basically, around 6 years ago he came home from the war in Iraq to find he had been stripped away of his things, his money and his beautiful children. After coming back from a place where bullets whizzed past your head, people got blown up in front of you and you faced extreme danger every day, only to find you had nothing left...many men would have taken their life. But my husband held on. He stayed alive and sane to be there for his children. If he was gone who would fight for them? I met him a short while later and we fell in love. I am so blessed to have him as mine!

 

 

 

It's not always easy having a blended family, his 4 boys, my girl and our daughter together. There are many challenges, but many joys also. I'm glad to have such a perfect mate by my side as we progress through this journey together. Occasionally, after all the bills are paid for the month we barely have enough food. I've seen him skip meals just so the kids could have full bellies. How many men would do that for their children? Not many. He (and we) continue to fight for our children, meeting near impossible challenges head on. We don't do only free things, don't go on vacations, don't buy anything but necessities but eventually it will be worth it.

 

 

 

Our oldest, Bryan has been with us since we met. He went through some troubled teen years but with Steven's love, guidance and support he made it through high school, got a job and is heading off to Marine Corps boot camp in the near future. All our boys consider Steven their hero, and that makes my heart swell with pride.

 

 

 

Recently, someone called my husband a coward. Of course he just brushed it off, like the easy-going man he is. I on the other hand was infuriated. How could someone call my husband a coward? He has been through wars and seen and experienced things very few people could even imagine. There is not a cowardly bone in his body. But then I got to thinking. This person is just calling names because they are so dissatisfied with their own life and so jealous of the great man Steven is. This person has accomplished nothing in their life, lives off of several baby's daddy's child support checks, collects welfare, lives rent free and has contributed nothing to their family. This person has never had to work, been handed everything on a silver spoon, or played the victim enough to get what they wanted. I then had to just laugh at the accusation. It was just too silly, they wouldn't last an hour in bootcamp, even airforce bootcamp (haha can you tell I'm a Marine brat?) let alone set foot in a combat zone without running home with their tail tucked behind them crying for mommy.

 

Anyway, I kind of went off on a rabbit trail there. My point being that Steven is one of the greatest people I know and I can't wait until the day where I have enough money to buy him all the nice things he deserves.

 

Happy Birthday my love, and here's hoping to many more!



Our 4th of July adventures

We had quite an adventure for 4th of July weekend! Some of it was pretty bad, but for the most part it was a great time. We took off for our friends house in San Clemente pretty early in the morning. We had to take two cars of course since we had all the boys and my niece. (4 kids, 3 teens and 2 adults whew!). We stopped for gas and then ran by Walmart so my neice and I could run in and pick a few things up. When we got back out the hubby was laying on the ground in a pool of gas looking under the car. We were kind of freaking out because we thought we had a fuel leak. So we went back home, (keep in mind we were already 30-40 minutes away from the house.) Hubby stopped by Autozone and they figured out it was just a seal that needed replacing and the car should be ok to drive. So we decided to head out again.

The drive went well and we arrived in San Clemente in the early evening. We had a great time hanging out with my husband's buddy and his family. They have 3 kids so it was a full house, but everyone got along so well and it didn't feel crowded at all. We climbed on tanks, cooked hot dogs, played with sparklers and watched the fireworks from the backyard. The adults sat around after the kids went to bed and we had some great conversation and heart-to-hearts.

I love this pic of Josiah, its gritty and cute at the same time.

My hubby is so weird!

 

Next day was surfing! My hubby had been waiting to surf for almost 3 years since we moved to SC. We went to Doheny beach because its a great place for beginning surfers. Haley and Serenity actually loved surfing, I was a little afraid they would be scared. Apparently they have gotten their daddy's love of surfing in their veins as well as the boys!

Beach Babe!

 

Our friend Stacy taking Haley out on the waves.

 Daddy sending Haley off on a swell

Conner

 

Snack time!

 

My niece Abby and I. I didn't get to surf :( It was too cold for me and I didn't have a wetsuit. I did however get a decent tan haha!

 Luz and Serenity

 

This was such a cute moment! Serenity got pulled under by a wave and was a little shaken up. Luz was wiping her tears and singing Bob Marley's "Every little thing is gonna be alright". Marley (in the pink) and Aaron are about the same age, they had fun hanging out together too.

So after a day of surfing Stacy and I took the little ones back home for showers and chill time and Hubby and the older boys went to find some bigger waves. My hunny was so excited to catch some real waves he forgot his keys in his board shorts pocket and they ended up somewhere in the sea. Of course the only locksmith who could come out and make a new key wanted $350. So then we are freaking out wondering what to do and how we are going to get home. We had just enough gas money to make it home so $350 was not an option. Several hours later we eventually were able to borrow some money (I am so grateful to this person, words can't describe). But now we have another loan on top of the loans we have taken out to get the boys for visitations. Ugh. Pretty bad ending to an otherwise great day. At least hubby got some surf time in but baby we are completely and utterly broke haha!

 Brothers and true friends!

 

I am so grateful to have met the Thompsons, they are truly wonderful people. Their family is very similar to ours and we immediately connected although we hadn't really met before. Stacy is an amazing artist and short like me!

Our super crew! Again, I want to just thank you Thompson's for opening your home, feeding our massive troop and being a wonderful moral support through some stressful moments. I can't wait until we get together again!

Whew! What an adventure, but times I will never forget!

Being 25

Well yesterday was my birthday. Yay!

I'm halfway to middle age.

(Since I plan on living to 100 haha!)

Reflecting back on my life,

I have to say I miss the innocence and vividness of my imagination.

Before school, work, bills, kids and ex's created such stress.

I've made mistakes and faced impossible challenges.

But with God's grace I've risen above and conquered those challenges

leaving me a better, stronger and wiser person.

Despite our daily struggles I'm happy with my life.

So what have I accomplished in my short years?

I have an amazing husband, 2 beautiful girls and 5 wonderful stepsons.

Even with changing colleges 3 times in 3 years I've maintained a 3.8-4.0 GPA

And now I almost have my degree.
I cooked my parents a 3 course meal in 5th grade and have been cooking and creating my own recipes ever since.

I'm finally happy with my weight (although I do need to build some muscle)

I've made friends that will listen to me when I need to vent but also help me stay positive.

I've been to Brazil and lived in 7 different states.

I've travelled from the East to West coast more times than I can count.

I've written a book of poetry (that I'm too scared to publish)
I bought my own car with my own money when I was 18.

I've learned to play the piano decently.

I've gotten tattoos and piercings.

I've worked as a deck hand on a fishing boat, a waitress, a bartender, a model,

a grocery store manager, a barista, an event coordinator, and probably more I can't remember.

I've taught myself photography and became excellent at it.

Through my photography I've met some famous people: actresses, singers, bands and athletes.

I started this blog less than a year ago and already have over 1000 page views a day.
There is lots more I want to do and accomplish in my life but I am pretty proud of where I am today.
So I guess being 25 is not so bad :)

 

 

Yesterday was lovely. I got to spend my birthday with all my kids and my niece.

My dear friends Shantel and Kelly brought me a gift basket. It had all kinds of ice cream toppings and a bunch of goodies, so the kids and I celebrated with ice cream sundaes.

 



Marine Corps Mess Night-Blue lace bandage dress

It's been a while since I've blogged! We have been going through a lot (more on that later) and I've had a ton of stuff to catch up on.

This past weekend we went to whats called "Mess Night" or "Dining In". It's a tradition in the Marine Corps thats basically a summer ball but different and more formal. It is a dinner for Officers and Staff NCO's. (Non commissioned officers for those of you that don't know Marine lingo) There is a period during dinner where the floor is opened for "fines". Someone asks the President of the mess to fine so and so for doing such and such. They actually get fined but its more comical than real. For example this one Marine was fined $5 and made to carry a water pistol around the whole evening because he didn't do something correctly on the firing range last week. After dinner and fines, there are a bunch of toasts to Marines, Navy Corpsmen, Vietnam veterans ect. ect. It was an interesting evening for sure, comical but it was a bit tedious towards the end. Hubby and I were just glad to get back to our hotel room and crash.

Aww look at us!

 

There is nothing like the feeling of pride you get when you walk beside your Marine in his dress uniform. Definitely the sharpest uniform in the military (but then I'm a little biased haha) Ok so maybe I'm a little concieted but I think every Marine wife can identify with how you just love, love the way your Marine turns heads walking along in his uniform so handsome, proud and dignified. And I'm just like yep, look all you want ladies and gents thats MY man!

 

And here is my outfit for the night.

(Don't mind the pole sticking out of my head, my husband is not a good photographer)

 A better look at the dress.

 My silver heels
 

I wore a Blue Lace Bandage dress-Charlotte Russe

Silver heels-Got at a shop back in SC. Not sure of the brand

Blue nails-Claires nail polish

French Manicured toenails-done myself with a Sally Hanson kit

Silver and diamond necklace-Claires clearance rack

Diamond bracelet-(yes its fake lol) Ebay via China somewhere

Hair-I forgot my curling iron and with the heat my hair would NOT stay straight despite a flat iron. So yes its a bit messy but now you get to see how thick, wavy and untamable it is haha!

 

Saturday we went over to my parents house to pick up the girls and spend some time with my family. It was a really nice visit. Sunday we pretty much did nothing and just caught up on sleep and recharged from a week of stress and crazyness.

Trip to Sunnyland

This week we were provided the opportunity to take a really fun field trip to Sunnyland Center and Gardens. This place was amazing, if you have time, click on the link and read up on it. If you are a reader of mine and live in the area, seriously consider visiting this place, you won't regret it.

Sunnylands teamed up with MCCS to provide military families with preschoolers a day at Sunnylands tailored just for them. As hard as military life is, I'm alway so grateful to businesses, organizations and people who donate thier time and talents to help military families. If you have ever helped out a military family in any way, I just want to say a big thank you! It is appreciated so much!

We woke up early and headed to base to sign in. Sunnyland sent luxury buses to pick us up, my girls were so giddy with excitement to ride on a big bus! Haley had to use the on bus bathroom like 3 times. I think she was impressed with the novelty of a bathroom in a vehicle. When we got Sunnyland we started to explore the gardens. There was a lot of wildlife and an excessive amount of lizards.

 

Our first stop was the Labyrinth garden. There were tubs of chalk for the children to draw all over the path.

We walked around and observed the flowers and hummingbirds in another section of the gardens. I'm pretty proud of my hummingbird shots, it took like 50 tries to get a good one. Those things move soooo fast!

 

Click on the pictures for a bigger view.

 

 

As you can tell from Serenity's grumpy face, it was getting hot so we headed inside for out next activity.

 

 

The girls got an artist smock and got to paint butterfly pictures. Its a little hard to see from this pic but Serenity (left) was very precise, in the lines with her picture. Haley just filled the whole thing up with color!

 

 

And if pictures weren't enough they even got thier own ceramic pots! Again you can see how detail-orientated Serenity is with her purple around the edges. Haley has to have creative freedom and cover every inch in paint haha! I love how different and unique they are!

 

We set the art on a table to dry and grabbed some lunch. They really outdid themselves with the catering. There were like 8 different types of sandwhices and subs, coleslaw, different types of potato salad and different fruit salads. Plus chips, tea, soda and water bottles. For dessert there was cookies and brownies. It was yummy! We took our food outside on the lawn and laid down our picnic blanket.

Me and cheeto face

 

Taking a nap after lunch!

 

After lunch we were given a cup full of ladybugs to release into the garden. Ladybugs eat the harmful bugs and help the delicate desert ecosystem run smoothly.

 

 



We toured some more of the gardens and played a little put put in the Performance Circle.

 

 

More beautiful plant life!

 

They had lots of books and educational toys out for the kids while we waited for the buses to come pick us back up.

 

 

It was pretty cool to see all the celebrities and diplomats who were or are frequent visitors. There was Queen Elizabeth, Bush Sr. and Jr. Margaret Thatcher, the Kennedys, Ronald Regan...and thats just one board!

Long day but a good one!