Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010 was given a

two thumbs up by all of us!!

I, Michelle, worked in my Hawaiin Christmas themed office helping many people with their smiles!

Jon worked hard at his job as well (sorry no picture of it).

We spent time with family and had a blast decorating cookies!

We decorated the tree!!

We even started a new tradition of finding the pickle on the tree to open the first gift on Christmas morning!

We all enjoyed seeing each other light up as we each opened gifts!

The gifts and wonderful memories that we created this Christmas Season were just the sprinkles on the cake.  The real reason we had a two-thumbs-up-Christmas is because we were celebrating Him and the life that He shared with the world.

I am so grateful for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I found this plaque at my Grandma's house and it made me reflect on my testimony of the Savior.

I hope that you have had a wonderful Christmas and

 that you find the new year bringing you happiness and joy.

Free digital collage generated with Smilebox

This is late, but it's done

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful and amazing!  Jon and I got to go up and see everyone on his side of the family.  I didn't get my camera out a lot, but I am gathering pictures from those who did take them.  So there will be pictures next time.

I am feeling the need to heed our own blog title and count our blessings as a couple:

We are thankful for those who make us happy and enrich our lives with goodness and love.  We are thankful for our parents who have raised us with love; for them always teaching us to do what is right, even if it means working harder; for the trust that we have in them that what they taught us really does mean something later on in life.  We are grateful for laughter and fun times of building memories with one another.

We are grateful for this time of year to reflect on those things which our Heavenly Father has blessed us with.  Jon and I have had the opportunity to teach the kids in our primary that are ages 8-10 and we are thankful for them.  They have taught us so much and we all learned new things about the Old testament this year.  I think we all share a special bond between teacher and student ,that can only grow and flourish while teaching nine kids between the ages of 8-10 all the year.  We feel so blessed to be able to teach these children the Gospel and how it applies in our lives.  How we can learn from "old men with beards that wrote this big book a long time ago".  Not to just learn the stories that are found in the bible, but to learn about the meanings behind them as well.  I think one of our favorite ways of teaching the kids was when they got to get dressed up as the characters and act out the story.  They felt involved and not just instructed (plus it doesn't hurt for them to be each others entertainment ;) ).

One of our kids acting out a Bible story

We hope your Season of Counting blessings is a great one and filled with joy and happiness!

Michelle and Jon

The funny wishes of Christmas

These had to go up here

Since I'm laying here in bed with just a laptop and my dogs, I decided that entertaining myself was more important than sleeping/resting.  They say that sharing is caring, so here I go, I'll share what is cracking me up right now as I try to get better.

Hope these made you chuckle like they did for me!!

Happy Thanksgiving month!!

This made me laugh...

Seeing that I am sick and they say laughter is the best medicine then I should be getting better quite fast... I hope.

Well, September flew by...

And I don't remember half of it since it went by so fast.  I do remember the fact that we had very very hot weather here...in the 100s.... so yeah.  That was not comfortable at all!  My camera is out of order right now... or else I would be posting pictures...maybe for Christmas I could get a camera...maybe.  Well, that's a very quick up date for now.  I'm going to hit the pillow and be off to dream land for now!

Blessings!

Our lives have been very blessed of late.  I don't know if it's just the fact that I am noticing the blessings more, or if they have been there the whole time and I'm just waking up to them.  I just am seeing the blessings of family in my life.

A friend and I were talking about the importance of family in a person's life. How having a family that is there for you and sticks together through thick and thin is one of the greatest things that someone can have in there life.  I've noticed these blessings in my life.  I am so grateful for parents and my husband's parents who have set examples for us.  We are blessed.

Us kids and C's graduation

Dad's Birthday!

Mom going hiking!

All of us in the Clift family!

  

Birthday Celebration!

So, on my birthday I had to work...I know lovely way to spend a day of celebrating me coming in to the world!  Anyways, I had a lovely and wonderful surprise when my mom and sisters decided to surprise me with flowers at work!  I was totally surprised and loved having the flowers to show off to every one!

    

I came home after work and found my house decorated with birthday balloons and dinner!  We ate yummy mexican food for dinner (always one of my favorite things to eat!)

23 years old!!

  

Here is the way yummy dessert that my mom made for me!!  Oh my goodness!  It is so a keeper and loved it!!

  

We took pictures and played games!!

     

We all had a good time!!  I got presents and a wonderful day!!

Happy Birthday to me!! 

Here comes another year of living life to the fullest!!

Summer Begins!!!

Here are a few of the things we have done together as a family this summer!  It's only beginning!

Mom went on the Girl's Camp Hike this year!  Woohoo for her!  She never even got sore!

Leann (aka Dweeb) was in her school's drama club so she got to sing in a "pretty pretty princess gown"

This was a dinner theater night with the theme of country western. 

Dweeb also got to sing (in the same dinner theater) a song from the play Oklahoma here she is after her awesome performance!

Dont mind Lizzie...she was in the middle of laughing :)

Next big thing of the summer is Jon getting the old engine out of the Blazer and putting in the new one!  He worked so hard and so many long hours that this actually should get a post of it's own...but I am not doing a post on something I know almost nothing about...cars...but I'm learning.

My dad had his birthday at the start of summer too!  He turned 51!!  I don't feel like I should have a dad in his fifties...but he is.

And here is his cake!!

and cookies that we also had for celebrating too!

So, that's the update so far.

Loving summer of 2010!!

Just dropping in...

I know I haven't blogged in a while.  It seems like I was just living in the beginning of April and now it's going to be the end of May.  I don't know where the time has gone.  We are doing good though and living life day in and day out.  I am falling more in love with the love of my life, Jon,

and these puppies are the sweetest things ever!

Indie

Belle

Seeing that life gets so extremely busy around here, it is so nice to know that I can come home 

to those that love me most.  A husband who will love me unconditionally

and little puppies who just want to love me because they love me.

I couldn't ask for anything better!  

I love our little family!

YOU MUST SEE!!

Oh my goodness!  We are so excited to announce that our photo session is up on Gena's blog!!!

Here is the link to it... PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT (there is a contest going on, so leave a comment!):

http://genasusan.com/blog/?p=433

I love looking at Gena's pictures that she takes!  She is a master with the camera and is so awesome!  I cannot think of enough words to explain how awesome she is!

Here's the story of how I found out we had won!

A while ago I was on her sight and there was a contest to enter for a free session.  I entered not thinking anything of it, just wanted to spread the news about a wonderful photographer, and I won!  I was literally in shock when I found out that I had won!  Picture this: Jon taking a nap and me sitting in bed on a Sunday afternoon.  I was wondering through the internet and decided to go check Gena's blog to see who had won the contest.  I see MY name and say out loud, "Oh my gosh!" and Jon replies in a very out-of-it voice, "What?".  The only words that kept coming out of my mouth are, "Oh my gosh!!!!  Oh my gosh!!!"  Jon is now sitting up and wondering if I am hurt or need a doctor or something.  Jon says, "What is the matter?" and I replay, "Look!!  I actually won something!  I really won something!"  Jon looks at the screen says, "Woohoo!", then turns back over to go to finish his nap!  I of coarse cannot go to sleep, seeing that I had actually won something in my life!  I started bouncing on the bed and was so excited!!

To this day I am excited about having the wonderful work of Gena in our home!

Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we have!

And feel free to go look around at her website too http://www.genasusan.com/index2.php#/home/

Making progress as a green thumb!

Remember when we got all that rain here on the Central Coast?  Where the rain fell weeds grew.  It was pretty at first because of the flowers that were coming up, but then it over grew and got out of hand.  Our puppies were bouncing over the weeds through some parts of the yard as opposed to walking or running through the yard.

Today the back yard got a make over (as least a little part of it).  I was excited to get down and dirty and show those weeds who was boss of the yard.  Here are a few photos of the project.

The yard after the rain

In between stages

All the big weeds GONE!

 

Close up of the dirt that is the only thing left

Here are a few shots of the little ones modeling the backyard ;)

 (little Indie modeling as a boy)

(little Bella striking the pose)                 


Here they really are now in all their cuteness!