I've asked to write down some of their daily "happenings" so I could post them on our blog. So far the only two that have done it are Samantha and her "buddy" Ammon, this is what they said.

Sam: I am so excited about a few things. First of all, I get my braces on in a week and a half. I know, I know, everyone has told me that I am going to hate it when I get them on, but it will pay off when I get them off in Aug. or Sept. Second, I am excited about cheer try-outs. I want to try out for cheer at Westwood High School. Try-outs are on April 18th. And third, I will be seventeen on April 28th and I plan to have a totally cool party!

Ammon: I like Sharks. I wish I had a pet Shark. We have a b.b. gun. My Dad takes me to the backyard to shoot it. It's a lot of fun. Yesterday I got to chop wood with a hatchet. My favorite movie is Batman.

We had our new piano tuned today and it sounds great! The week has flown by with being gone for part of the day at work.

At the new job I have been being trained on how to print letters from daily lists that come in. The process takes getting used to, but is not hard once you get the swing of it. I ordered new business cards for some of the employees, and I'm working on an order for magnets. So far I kinda feel like I'm not really "pulling my load" because I'm doing all the fun stuff. There is an employee there that I'm pretty sure doesn't like me, but I plan to take her to lunch next week. Maybe I can convince her that I'm not so bad...we'll see. I'm supposed to work on the website, but haven't heard from the contact person to get the information I need yet.

Anyway, tonight is date night and we're going to paint the Sun's game for our date (and hopefully I'll be able to talk Don into a little trip to Taco Bell on the way)!

The kids are really making progress on their schooling, so much so that I'm wondering why Don and I didn't switch roles sooner! No, not really. Well, okay, kinda. He's just so much better at mothering than I am - fathering too. Of course, he's had A LOT more practice!

Anyway, off to the game!

Happy President's Day!

Just have a few minutes. Today I started my first day at Winsor Law. Most of the staff had the day off, so I spent my time with a White Out utensil and a stack of papers - I expect tomorrow will be more "exciting". When I came home from work around 1PM the children had already finished their homework and chores - that was a nice change!

Don's mom came home from the hospital yesterday, we wanted to visit her, but she spent most of the day sleeping and we didn't want to interrupt that. She seems to be doing much better. It's amazing how recovery can go so much faster when you're doing it right. The essential oils have been amazing for helping her heal.

A good friend lost one of her Yorkies last Thursday. I feel so bad for her. It's such a sad thing to lose a pet to an accident, we were going to go out to her house on Saturday to visit, but postponed that for next Saturday, so the kids spent time with Grandma Claire, and I visited with my mom while running some errands together.

When I got home I went to my room to change and found a giant heart balloon, a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocolate truffles, and a cute card with a sad looking Boxer puppy on the front that read: "Sure, I've missed people before." on the front and: "But never to the point of buying cards with sad puppies on them. Please...make it stop." on the inside. I had to laugh, it was so cute. Then Don wrote: Dearest Fawn, I really enjoyed spending time with you the last couple of days, It may not have been a hotel stay like I had planned, but I doubt a hotel would have been any more enjoyable. I just love living life with you beside me. You are so radiantly beautiful!" (I don't know about that, but it's nice to hear!) "I love you! Happy Valentines Day, Love Don."
Then he added: "(After spending two days with you, I'm going through withdrawls today being all by myself, 'make it stop'!"

Talk about feeling guilty! I spent the day away because I thought he wanted the time to work without being interrupted! Who knew! Guess I'm still not a mind reader.

I gave him a card with a cute little floppy eared bunny on it that read: "it's Valentine's Day" on the front and: "How about a little Bouncy, Bouncy" on the inside (I thought it was cute, and funny). But I'm definitely not a Hallmark store, so I said (basically) "Thanks for putting up with your crazy wife! Happy Valentine's Day, I love you! Love Fawn"

Anyway, I'm a happy woman and I know I'm totally lucky or blessed or whatever you want to call it for having such a great man (sorry ladies, there's only one of him - and I got him, I got him!!)

Anyway, hope you had a great Valentine's Day weekend too, and I hope to see some more family members popping up with blog spots all over the place soon!

What a crazy couple of days! Last night Don's mom got into a really bad car accident. She was hit by a couple of guys running from the police, which made her car flip. She was flown to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital where she has spent the last two days in ICU. She has a couple of broken ribs (one of which punctured one of her lungs - small hole). Today they were working with her to get her up and around because they said with the fluid in her lungs it wasn't good for her to be down for fear of phnemonia. So we're all praying for her and hoping she'll be able to come home soon.

On another note, I just saw that my dream house is for sale (its ONLY 1.25 MILLION DOLLARS!) Do ya think they would be willing to trade it for a lifetime of design and printing? That's about the only way we could get it. Don said "Do you know what the mortgage would be on a house for that price!?" I said "I bed Moses didn't know he could part the red sea untill he did it!" He said "Great! Pray for us to get out of debt!" Needless to say, that's one Valentine's gift I won't be getting any time soon. So I'll just be thankful for the house I'm in.

Still, there's always that dream...

The quote for today from my Franklin planner reads: "Reduce your plan to writing. The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire." - Napoleon Hill. This may be true, but it still doesn't lend itself to helping me be in two places at one time - which would be very beneficial to me... because then I could accomplish all the things I wrote down!

Today was crazy busy! I spent some time working on the Sunshine Deliveries business and AKC paperwork for the Shih Tzu puppies I never did get around to working on the back yard with the kids or the 50 loads of laundry I planned to wash – oh well, there’s always tomorrow), then planned to go to Harvest to give a job lead to one of the employees there - to steal them away for Winsor Law (hope the management doesn't get too offended). But I was waylaid due to a bad starter, so we had to have the truck towed to Gunnell's Tires, then the tow truck driver took me to my mom's work so I could pick up her car. Then I picked up Don and dropped him off to meet with Sam (a landscaper who wanted to work with us - however, he may have changed his mind when he saw the yard). Then I went to harvest to work my "evil plan" but I was foiled again - he was off today. So I'll have to try again tomorrow.

After picking up my mom from work (and setting appointments for visiting teaching while I was waiting for her), we stopped at El Pollo Loco for a couple $1 taquitos - yum! Then I was off to Target - I swear, I don't know why I ever go to that store, I NEVER find what I'm looking for and they cost more as well! So I went to Sears and found it... the MUCH NEEDED, very hard to find, perfect tank top!

If you knew how many places I looked for this specific tank top, you would probably laugh. Let's just say that I will NEVER loan my tank top to Samantha again!!!

Anyway, then I went to Wal-Mart to pick up the rest of the things I needed where I met Elizabeth Hay, a 20 year old def girl who travels, has no friends or family in AZ, but just got a job here and will be staying for a year or two. Nice girl, I helped her pick out some mascara and invited her to dinner and church. I hope she contacts me.

Then I went to Blockbuster Video to inquire about "Becoming Jane" the new movie about Jane Austen and found out that I could rent it tomorrow, and then they told me about another movie called "The Jane Austen Book Club" so I had to rent that tonight!

I'll probably stay up too late and watch it - fun though!
Whew, what a day!

Here are some random pics.

#1 - My usual pose at the computer

#2 - The kids visiting Sis. Packer

#3 - Mr. Darcy (my cute little Yorkie)

#4 - Pippin (Savanah's cute little Shih Tzu)

More updated photos to come!

Friday Don took us to a thrift store that was going out of business. While we were there I saw Don checking out an old piano and I thought "He is so not talking me into buying that piano", so I walked over to explain my stand in the issue and saw "Conover" written across the front of it and totally had to have it! As it turns out, it's an antique and with a little tuning and some work on some of the keys we will have a beautiful antique made by "Conover Piano Company" out of Chicago for only $35! It's nice to know that I can stand firm in my decisions.

So Friday night we took our old piano to a lady who paid us $40 for it, and took most of the stuff from the front driveway to Goodwill to get the front of the house looking nice. We spent most of the day yesterday working on the rest of the house. Poor Heather spent the day in bed with some kind of stomach flu, but seems to be doing better today (with the exception of an ache in her leg)

Don was able to attend a nice "fireside" that was dedicated to the issue of families, which spent some time talking about not limiting the number of children you bring to your home. I wish I could have been there to hear what they had to say, because I whole heartedly agree. God said "Be fruitful and multiply" not "Be fruitful and multiply if you want to", or "Be fruitful and multiply a little".

I think it is a commandment that has been taken too lightly. I think those who believe they should only have a few children should ask themselves where they would be if their parents decided to stop having children just before them, then draw closer to the Lord and ask Him what they should do and act accordingly.

As for me, I would love to have more, I have always found that even though we are of little means, that if we are moving forward with faith, the Lord will bless us and help us through everything he asks of us if we are obedient.

Well, it's been a few weeks again. I had a job interview today that went really well - yes, I'm looking for a job. I hope to be working for Mark Winsor (Law Office). The office is just down the street, and the staff seems to be really nice. I'll know more next week.

We only have 3 Boxer puppies left to go home, but I'm still waiting on the paperwork for the Shih Tzu puppies.

I just have to say, isn't it GREAT how the Lord has a hand in all we do and knows what blessings we're getting before we do? Don't you just think maybe he jumps up and down with anticipation when he knows something great is about to happen to us and he "just can't wait" to see us so happy?

Life's too short to be this good!