Happy Birthday to my daughter-she is fantastic, she is talented, beautiful inside and out, friendly, sweet, and a smartie!!!! I can't believe she is seven. She has been such a blessing, from the day she came home our lives have not been the same. we went from an all blue-balls, balls, balls, to a pink and purple fest. Little did we know that was just the beginning, now an entire room is painted purple, dolls, barbies, dresses, hair pretties, and pink balls can be found at our residence. She not only has changed us physically but, she blesses us with a light and joy that is felt by many. How thankful I am for her.
13 13 13 need I say more, I am a mother to a teenager. I do not feel older, I still feel like I could laugh and be silly like I did as a teen , but my late night hours no longer exist. So here I am parenting a teen. He is a good boy and is genuine, I have not met someone so sincere and honest- it is scary sometimes that honesty he shares. Oh sakes, Happy Birthday to Tai! He will be spending his birthday at a hoop shoot in Las Vegas- Good luck to him he has the 'touch.'
* A cute side note, Tai found out his present early- this is how the conversation went--- "Tai is asking for a green D-Will jersey for his birthday (me talking to Kathy)."
Luke says, " Yeah! So we can't tell him we got him one huh mom?"
Tai's reply, "Thanks Luke!"

Happy new Year to all the fellow bloggers!!

What a wonderful Christmas Season: family, friends, sledding, basketball, treats, gifts, treats, sore throats and oh yeah more treats. 2009 is now over and another chapter is beginning in the Justice family's Book of Remembrance.

Just to reflect on last year...

We were blessed spiritually to learn many life lessons on forgiveness, friendships, compassion, charity and most importantly LOVE.

We made it through another broken elbow (the only bones broken in our family) and still managed a wonderful football season.

Sports I can say (unless my mind is failing me) I did very little complaining about driving the family activity bus this year- my red mini van is great- we experienced Bet's Gymnastics, Tai, Dek , and Seth doing Baseball, Basketball, Swimming, and Football, still ran Flag Football and Chris coached the boys and my coaching with Bet's basketball team. FUN! Piano Lessons sometime in that mix- the boys do not refer to it as a sporting event just su'sporting" mom.

Chris and I experienced a true "getaway" in Maui!!!

Chris and I have learned to like our dog!

Seth and Bet got up on water skis.

Dek went to State in the Reflections contest.

Our" Garden of Eden" or weedin' whatever one might call it it still progressing with our new fire pit and pergola.


Oh, how thankful I am for another new year the reflections, the desires and the love to share. Thanks for sharing!!! happy New year to YOU!!

Justice family update!


Halloween was fun we went up to Tim's House, had pizza, trick-or-treated with cousins, loved on Sammy, watched the Yankees, and had a super time!!
Derek had a birthday!!! He is 11!

Tai and Derek played football in the snow on Saturday at Rio Tinto. How fun. How cold. Football is great!

Seth is the process of painting the chicken coop red to 'help the chickens', how thoughtful Seth is.

Luke is Lovin' Preschool, he and Libby let me look at their work first thing when they get into the van.

Bethany is soooo close on her aerial ( a cartwheel with no hands) we are doing positive affirmations daily until the event occurs.

Most importantly we are celebrating our blessings: so many wonderful blessings from above. Thanks be given.

Luke is still in the process of deciding what to be...Spider man, a Clone, Mickey Mouse, and many other ideas have popped into his head. He keeps going back to Spider man which brings me to the subject at hand. Spiders- my roommate in college Miss Tiff taught me the love for those eight legged creatures she would put them outside, not use tissue to squish them and flush them to a wet death. I have passed that onto my children. All went well until Luke read Peter Parker's story and now thinks that spiders have the ability to turn you into an actual spider with amazing powers. Hee hee. He is a huge fan. So now he examines them and decides if they are the 'right kind' whatever that means and I have had to tell them that they are helpful and kill the bad bugs and help us-----until this week we found -yep- a black widow. This is a 'bad' spider and so it was killed and put into a jar for the examination process. We have found out much and have decided it is Halloween and fun to have our dead black widow on the counter to celebrate. (Even to the distaste of Grandma Jean.) Bring on the spiders for the season and then they need to find a new home. "All creatures great and small God created them all."

Oh the webs of life-they are fun!!!!!

I always say that the upcoming season is my favorite, but I so love fall that it really might be the best season. My favorite fall things are canning and seeing the shelves in the pantry filling up, pumpkins, falling leaves (colors, the crunch etc.), the crisp air, football season (watching my boys play), apples, mums, and last but not least the smells.

The smells that excite me for the season:

Apple cider

Cinnamon

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Bread

Nutmeg

Jellies cooking

Crisp air outside

maple

Happy smelling to all my dear friends and I sure hope the seeds that were sown in the summer months are bringing you a great harvest!!!!!

What needs straightenin' in Your life?

Well I have pondered on that the last couple weeks mostly due to Derek's new braces. He is a handsome boy with a spectacular 'tin grin.' He looks older and has been a trooper through it all, only one dose of Advil that evening to get through football practice. He is taking on the 'heavy metal' with ease. Our children are growing up.
The straightening that I have focused on is my goals and the woman I want to be for myself, my family, and the Lord. How grateful I am for the Atonement and the tender mercies that exist daily on the behalf of all mankind. If the path I trod is crocked at times or the acts I preform are; I can still hold my head up and press foreword because life is not about straight ways-just finding a way back to His loving arms. I read a poem this morning and the last line says, "Feast on your life." I have never shunned from a nice feast so today I feast on my life-life in general-keeping the things straight: my hair, the mowing lines, my parking of the van, the shoes in my closet (maybe), and my priorities.
Striving to see straight.

Sunny Day Preschool
Here he comes!!!
I cannot believe my baby is going to preschool??? He looks adorable and all, but sakes.... where has the time gone. I am going to hug and kiss all of them lots to today!!!