Resolutions Dinner

Today we had a Resolutions Dinner!  (Mainly because we forgot to drink the apple cider last night and Jon worked so hard on decorating the champagne glasses that I needed an excuse to use them!)  So before we ate our dinner we talked about what we were thankful for over the past year and what we were going to do better this next year.  The older boys said stuff like "I'm going to do better in school and try to be a better brother" and stuff like that.  Didn't focus too much on what they were thankful for but I was happy that they were participating!  

Then, last but not least, JoJo began his toast!  He sort of took us all by surprise because we didn't think he was paying attention but this is what he said......

 My 3 boys!

 Toasting with mom

 Jonathan age 11

 Jacob age 9 

 Jordan age 4

Silly faces (their favorite picture pose!)

More Fish!

Today I took Jake to get fish for the aquarium he got for his birthday.  What an ordeal!  So many fish to choose from but the look on his face when we made the purchase was priceless!  He was so proud and excited and full of little boy love!  He, of course, has taste like his mother....EXPENSIVE!  $45 later we came home with 6 fish.  I couldn't tell you the name of any of them but one had whiskers, two are neon and 3 are kind of goldfish-like but are silver rather than gold.  None-the-less I have one happy little boy!  (hard to see the fish in this picture but they are there swimming around the top!)

New Year's Party 2011

Happy New Year!  Our New Year's party was small but great to start the year off with friends!  The boys helped me decorate with glasses, hats and confetti and even did a craft of making noise makers!  They had a blast!

We even had fireworks and sparklers for the kids!  This is the first year they are legal so we just bought a few to try 'em out and it was quite a success!

Jacob, Jordan, Tanner, Mason and Jonathan

 The Gaspars!

The six of us had a great time with great food and some yummy margaritas and beer!  Nothing out of the ordinary but it was nice to be all together to ring in the new year!

1-1-11

Happy 2011!  Time for some resolutions and one of them is to blog and photograph each day.  Quite a challenge for me but I think it will be a good one if I can keep it up!

Other resolutions include eating more healthy, exercising each day, being more patient with my kids, giving each of my jobs 110%, giving my Randy a hug and kiss each morning and night!  I want to take more time for my family and friends....recognize birthdays, send cards, texts and emails.  And I'd like to do some sort of volunteering.  Not sure where or what to do yet but I would like to make a difference in some way.

More than anything I want to laugh this year.  I want to stop stressing about money, health and work and just enjoy the moments I've been given.  With the loss of Judy this past year I am constantly reminded of how precious life is and that I cannot take it for granted.  Something that is hard to remember each day as there are dishes in the sink and garbage to be taken out and piles of laundry to be done but I know that it is important to make fun the my priority and chores and work my secondary job!

No matter what happens this year...I'm looking forward to the many adventures ahead!  And excited to watch my boys grow, learn and laugh!

Here's to a HAPPY new year!!!

The New Year is quickly approaching

So it is just 2 sleeps away...2011.....and I'm trying to decide if I should make my list of resolutions for next year or if I should try to get stuff done that I have wanted to do this past year but haven't done yet.  So do I sit and shred the hundreds of papers in my "to shred" pile or should I clean the scrapbook table?  Or do I gather the pics I took all year and make a 2010 book of the Gaspar Family?  Or do I try to finish adding pictures to this blog so that it is up to date?  Or do I make the picture collages and birthday letters for Jacob's birthday?  Or do I work on our business website?  So much to do...will I ever get caught up?  Is there such a thing?

Well for now- I think I will just spend some time watching tv and then reading a book.  The things I love to do each night. My to do list will be there in the morning!

Thanksgiving

Thanks giving this year was spent in Prescott.  Over the week of Thanksgiving the boys all wrote down the things they were thankful for on a feather for our Turkey.  This was the final product!  There were 100 feathers.  Some were sweet...family, God, JoJo, etc.  But other things were silly, like toilets, the digestive system, beds, etc.  

This time of year is my favorite!  I love the smell of pumpkin and spice and pumpkin bread.  I love the colors of fall (though we don't see many colors here- I can dream!)  And I love the idea that at least for one day out of the year- we can stop and think about what we are so blessed with.  My goal for the year to come is that I can learn to recognize how blessed I am each and every day and to teach my family to do the same. 

Jonathan and Papa Gil watching the football game.

This year Lisa offered to help me make the pies for Thanksgiving instead of going to Costco to buy them.  We made apple, pumpkin and chocolate silk.  Jonathan helped with the chocolate silk right down to the chocolate shavings and whip cream.

The weekend before Thanksgiving we had dinner at our house with Chris, Katie, Marc and mom and Bill.  

When we arrived in Prescott on Thanksgiving morning, Papa and Grandma made us breakfast....pumpkin pancakes.  YUMMY!  After breakfast we went downstairs to see the new train!  The new train even blows smoke!  The boys LOVED it!

Addicted

ADDICTED....That is the story of my life.  Carmel Frapp (light of course) no whip with extra carmel...makes my day.  Though lately it has been pumpkin spice frapp....mmmmm!  It is my guilty pleasure.  It is something that I know is too expensive but is just enough to make me happy without going to the mall and spending money on clothes and such.  I've made my own at home but it just isn't quite the same.  

Thank you Starbucks.