Christmas was so much fun.

The kids had such a great time with Christmas this year. On Christmas eve we took the new toys and blankets over to the Homeless Shelter, and the kids were able to see first hand what it was like to not have a home. Brent and I were not sure what to expect either b/c niether one of us have ever been to a shelter. It was humbling for everyone in our family, it made us really grateful for all the blessings in our life.
The kids opened their gifts on Christmas morning and were pretty excited for the gift they received. Jordan got some Nerf guns, Rebecca got some play makeup, and Dillon got some die-cast cars (the kid needs durable toys b/c he damages everything!) Unfortunately the guns that Jordan got were not checked twice by Santa's elves b/c they were pretty cheap. So Santa made a special trip to Jordan with new guns and took the old ones to his workshop to have the elves work on them for next year. Mom and dad just skipped gifts this year b/c we kinda bought our own things anyway.
We spent a lot of time with family and friends. I can't remember which days we did what but we did spend time with my dad, the Faylor Family, and with my sister Kellie. Overall, this Christmas was really nice. It was so calm and it was nice to be able to visit and be surrounded by the ones we love instead of fousing so much on who got what and who gets what.
Well I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and spent time with their loved ones. Happy New Year to everyone!

Just a little update.

I just wanted to say that I passed my first semester of Nursing. I scored a 94 on my exam and got a final grade of 98 in the class. I am only posting because it has been one heck of a ride and I am so excited to be done for a few weeks. It is nice too because after my last teacher, who blatantly stated that the reason she gave me a poor grade was because I have small children, it is nice to know that I am smart enough to do this. So there is my tid-bit; sorry if I come across brash. I just enjoy the fact that I passed amidst all the hurdles I had to overcome. I am so grateful to God and his blessings that he has given me and my family. Well, I bel-bel-bel-believe that's all folks... I miss Bugs Bunny.

A few more pics...

Our street.

I forgot that I grabbed a few more with my phone when I came home from shopping.

Trying to get home from In-N-Out, you can't even see the street a few feet ahead.

The top of the car... ha ha, ye-aaa

The snow has hit the High Desert...

Wow! Can you all believe that the DESERT got this much snow???? I decided to go Christmas shopping in this mess... not exactly the greatest idea. After being out for a couple hours we almost didn't make it home. The snow just kept coming. I am glad tho that we were smart enough not to drive faster than 20 mph. Well here are some pictures. We love you all. Have fun with this 'once in a lifetime for the desert' day.

The snow fell down the post and made a little animal, depending on how you look at it, we think it looks like a piggy or Winnie the Pooh.

10 1/2'' at 1:30pm

The boys taking in the sights.

Daddy having fun.
Daddy knocked a hole thru the snow, who knew?

A lesson to be learned...

This year is going to be a little different than years past when it comes to presents. Brent and I have decided to teach our children the meaning of Christmas.
This year our children have been especially naughty and not very nice to each other or the others around them (including mom and dad). We have been dealing with bad attitudes, non-sharing, rude comments and general mis-behavior. So with such bad behavior we believe it would not be right to reward them.
Instead we are taking the kids with us to the store; we are allowing them to pick a couple toys, blankets and outfits to give to other little boys and girls. We are going to take them down to the homeless shelter to give the gifts so that they can understand how very blessed they are for all they have. And to share love and Christ during this Christmas season.
When we told the kids that this was our plans we expected there to be a fight about what is 'fair.' But instead we were pleasantly surprised when the kids started to get really excited for the idea of giving gifts. So far everyday the kids have been asking when we will go and buy the gifts and when we will give them. I love that they are really getting the message.
We also informed the little ones that Santa may bring something special if he can see that they have a happy heart when they give the presents. So we will see how this goes. Hopefully they will understand the meaning behind our actions; that happiness is in what you do and not what you have.
So there are our plans to spread the true message of Christmas. We hope you all have a great Christmas and many blessings.

Christmas time is here.

So Christmas time is here... I love this time of the year. This is the time for all the colorful lights and decorations. This is the time to snuggle in with your loved ones. For hot cocoa by the fire, Christmas songs and great movies. But most importantly for the joyful occasion of the birth of our Savior. What a beautiful story of a child born so humbly to remind us that we are just as important as the Son of God. How quickly we forget the TRUE meaning of Christmas. Although family togetherness and thoughtful gifts are wonderful pieces to the holiday season, let us not forget that God gave us his only begotten Son for our sins. A beautiful baby boy born in a manger in a cold desert barn.
On a lighter note, how great it will be to see all the family this year. For Thanksgiving we spent the day with the Faylor Family and it was so nice to see all the family. It was great to be able to visit with some that we haven't been able to talk to in quite some time. How easy is it to get so caught up with our own lives that we forget to call or write the people that mean the most to us. So for this Christmas it will be so great to see more of the family. We are so very excited to see both sides of the family and some friends.
With love to everyone this season. See you all soon.

Twilight Opening

Ok I know I have talked to most of the ppl on here about going to the opening night of Twilight. But I had to divulge and write it all up. So getting to the 14 screen opening, yes 14, at 430pm we were about 400-500 from the front. Ppl may say, 'Was it worth it?' My response? Oh MOST DEFINITELY. Now of course it did not follow the book to the 'T' but close enough. There are also some things I would have changed but I will not go into detail for the respect of those who have not seen it. The experience is then what I am going to write about.
Although there was the majority of tweens there (or even adults behaving as tweens) there were still a great many a ppl that can appreciate the awesomeness of a fairy-tale. It was fun to make new friends... I made friends with sisters who were 10 and 12 years old, made myself just like a mom but can't deny that part of myself.
So prior to the movie I was unsure of the casting but seeing it on film totally changed that thought. The casting was so good! Much better looks than in the still pics. Also, I have the soundtrack and wasn't sure of the choices of music but again after the movie, it rocked.
Anyway- The most of you who actually read this we are planning to watch the movie again, we can talk then.

Surprise at 5 am!

As so many people know, I have my clinicals on Friday, all the way down in Pomona at 7 am. Well to be there on time with the possibilites of traffic I need to be up at 445 and out the door at 530. Well this morning As I was finishing getting ready (early, amazingly enough) I recieved a phone call from my classmate at 5. She told me that our teacher was in the hospital and we had no clinical for the day. I just have to point out, isn't it that some of the greatest things come at a price? So I ran back up to bed to snuggle with my honey for another hour. It was such a great thing not to go to the hospital, only because I am usually up for 20 hours before I see my pillow again on Friday. However, it seems that my teacher is not going to be able to come back to teach for the rest of the semester if at all. She has told us before about her back problems so it seems that while doing another clinical she had herniated another disk in her back. And now she has no feeling in her leg. The doctors don't feel there is much they can do. So... who knows what is going to happen.
Well a few of us felt so bad that we went over to the hospital where she is, and took some flowers and a card. She seemed very happy to see us and kept saying that she was so surprised. (She was in an unusually happy mood given the circumstances, but I would think it had to do with the Demerol they gave her). So there is the fun for the day. I love that I had no clinical but it really stinks what happened to have no clinical.
So in other news... ha ha. Brent is working 9 out 10 days in a row. The poor guy is going to be exhausted by next weekend. He is such an amazing guy, he offered to take another guy's schedule so that he could go visit his kids in Texas. I am so proud of the kind of man he is, but man, ALL those days without him? How am I going to survive??? Unrelated, my computer is trashed, all those viruses really don't do good for a computer. But it is in the shop getting fixed, I just hope that they can save all my files.
Kids are well as always, Dillon is getting his last two teeth in, and man to they make him so very cranky. Trying to keep up with the growth spurts of the kids is close to impossible. So we have to hit the stores, AGAIN to get more clothes for them. Yea for kiddos!
That is the latest for this Fam...

Our 6th Anniversary...

So after some polite threats... here I am writing again even though I could have been studying, no mentions of whom it was... I will say it starts with an 'N' and ends with Icole. ;)
We just had our 6 year anniversary, and I was thinking how amazing it is to be so lucky. Although we didn't do much being that we were both so busy, but anniversaries are not about what price you paid for a gift, or how much time you spent finding that gift. It really does come down to how much of yourself you gave that person. I believe that if you can put your own desires aside for their desires, that is when you have reached true love and caring for the person. And notice I said desires, not needs. The reason I say this is because if you put others' needs before your own, well then there is no more for you to give because you have given it all.
So that is my 5 cents worth of marital advice...
We were able to run away just the two of us about 5 weeks ago to Mammoth. It was so amazingly beautiful. We got up there in the mid-morning on Saturday and started hiking immediately. I grabbed some film, yes film, I was using my God-father's old Pentax camera (For those who don't know that is a very nice camera, so I was blessed by his generosity.) It is about 30 years old and still works like it was brand new. I was able to play with all the options, like old time photography. We went up to Devil's Post Pile and Rainbow Falls. After that, we went out to eat, and was pulled over by a Mammoth Police Officer... We apparently didn't realize our tags expired a whole 12 days prior. This guy was just ready to take our car and ruin our night. That is, BEFORE he found our Brent was a Deputy. So here it is, the perks of the job... So after our great dinner we walked the town, which is interesting that the town shuts down at dusk, unless you're into the bar scene, which we are not. So... bed time it was. We woke up early on Sunday and hiked some more, we went up to Emerald Lake and on our way home stopped at Rock Creek and that's where I got the my best pics of Fall colors. I was so excited. I loved our time together, and I loved that we were able to find even a few minutes to do what we really love to do. So it wasn't our actual anniversary but we still like to think it was.
Anyway, not much has changed in the last month. We are just trucking along getting business done. Brent is doing well in the jails, although he is already wanting to get on the streets. He has been blessed to take on some overtime, which is a God send being that car problems seem to be the normal occurrence in our household. He has also gotten his new schedule and he will have Christmas off this year. So that is very exciting to us.
I am still in the program, we will see how much longer. I have been so proud to go to one of the most respected schools, but there are definitely some obstacles I could have gone without. But overall I am having a great time, speaking to one of my friends I had stated that I am the happiest when I am with my patients. So at least I know I am where I am supposed to be. I knew that I would love this, but it really is amazing to be able to put what I learned in school to use in the hospital. Well enough of that.
Rebecca is having a great time in school, she just got back from a field trip to the pumpkin patch and had a blast. Everyday she is coming home singing a song from her school play that is coming up in a couple weeks. She is having so much fun doing it.
Jordan I had to pull out of state preschool. I just didn't like what he was learning from the hoodlum children in that school. Call me a snob, that is fine but when my 4 year old walks thru the door saying to me 'what?! you want some?' While proceeding to throw his arms out to the side ready for a fight, I said that's enough of that. Can't protect them forever, I know, but at least while he is still young. He is back to normal though now that he is at home.
Dillon is talking more, thank goodness. We were only mildly worried that he hadn't started speaking, but he is doing well. He has also started to get a little sense of humor. He has the Faylor humor, that's for sure. He is so funny, and he seems to think so about himself.
Well that is the update on our side of the world...
The Faylor Fam

New Chapters

This week has been really busy but in that chaotic schedule there are so many things I learned about the people I love and about myself. Firstly, my children are some of the most resilient people I have ever met, even more so then some adults I know. They have had several life changing moments and have taken it all with grace and understanding, which is a lot when you are 5, 4, and 2. I have started to look at my children differently, to revere them for their faith in our family.
Some of the changes they have had to deal with are new schools, and going to school for the first time. Not having each other there at all times like they are so used to. Mom gone to school, and dad busy with his work.
Brent had finished the academy and is officially a San Bernardino County Deputy. We are so very proud of him. His graduation was on Thursday, and many of our family and friends were able to make it, and it was so great to have them there for this amazing achievement. It was a powerfully moving ceremony. So here comes the hard part... the real work starts now. He is a great man, and I have no doubts that he will continue to do marvelous things. I have learned that this guy that happens to be my hubby is one loving soul, he will help you in anyway that he can. And seeing his loyalty to us, his family, as well as his new brotheren creates a feeling that resembles something of pride but also humbleness. I love him for his dedication, to family, to loved ones, and to random strangers that will never understand why he pulled them over fo speeding. ;)
I also learned something about myself, that I too can deal with a lot more than I ever gave myself credit for. We have had so many things go on that stress became a normal feeling, just as easy as smiling. It was something I was just prepared for every morning when I woke up. Without going into boring detail, everything that you can imagine can happen in a three week period, did happen. So it lies on me. But overall there were things to be so grateful for. Things could have been worse but the good Lord had helped us through it all. It is a hard thing to do when you change your attitude from, 'God why is this happening, I can't take it anymore,' to 'God thank you for it not being worse.' But I believe that with this attitude we can overcome so much.
Well that is my blah blah blah for the day. Just as soon as we have pics from the graduation we will be posting them. God Bless.

Twilight Series

So I was poking around on this world of the internet. I found some fun stuff.

Way To Be A Mom...

I have been trying to keep up on all the schedules and responsibilities that come with the family. It is funny to think how much moms really do. I just have to say thanks to all the moms out there. Even sitting, we have a million and one things running through our minds, from appointments, to meetings, to bills, and all the other obligations. I love being a mom, I love the hugs, the kisses, the cuddles, the feeling that there really isn't anywhere better than being in mom's arms. So hug a mom today, even if it's yourself.
I also have started classes this week. Monday was probably the worst day in all my years of school. I have gotten so used to the idea of waking late, and spending time with the kids. Just lost in my own little world. Then reality hits and school starts and I find myself longing for the simpler days of holding my children. Here I am in the big wide world of adulthood, 'when did that happen and where have I been?' I am so lost and confused when it comes to all the material we are covering, and I think that I am the only one that thinks that. But then, I look around the room and I see all the faces that look exactly as mine as if I were looking in a mirror. The 'deer in the headlights' look. During one of the breaks I ask a few women how they feel leaving the kids at home, they all agree, 'I'd rather be with my kids.' At least I am not alone. So I start to wonder, 'Do I really need/want to be here?' I still ask the question, and no answer yet. I am grateful to believe in God and all his infinite wisdom. I would be going nuts if I didn't have His guidance. I know that I will have that answer soon. I know that the Lord will provide me with all the answers and peace when it is time. Just now how do I deal until I get there?
Way to be a mom... To want everything wonderful for the family and doing what I can to get that for them.

Dillon is Two

Our littlest is now a big boy. He turned two this last Sunday and it is amazing how time flies. He used to go to bed like a little champ, but now... he has decided to just stop listening and it has become a game for him. YEAY for us. At any rate, it is still sad to see them grow so quickly. My little sister just had her baby boy, and listening to her on the phone I am both jealous and grateful. I miss the days of snuggles and little baby giggles. I miss the quiet still of baby's sleep. The cues and noises that they just make without even trying. It is so fun. But I am grateful to the close end of diapers, and no midnight wakings. I do not miss the formula or the millions of diapers. So I sit here in admiration for all the women who do it, including me. And the dread that one day, I will look at my babies and realize that they are not babies anymore.
But what am I saying, he is only two! Ha Ha. Look at the one you love and thank God they still put up with you.

No Place Like Home...

This weekend has been very full. Although, it is only Saturday and we still have whole day left before the weekend is over, it still feels like so much has gone on.
Friday we had the wonderful task of getting Dillon's Birth Certificate to Brent's employee office so that Dillon could be added to the insurance, leave it to me to get it in the last possible day. Then it was over to get my book money for classes. And when that was all said and done, we finally were able to come back up the hill for a quick stop at home. Brent wanted to go to the Drive-In theater in Barstow. It was so much fun to go to the movie. Neither one of us has ever been to a drive in, so it was great to share that experience with the kids. We watched a double feature of Wall-e and Hancock. Wall-e, by the way, was so cute! And I loved the 'communication' the robots had.
Saturday, we got up and I ran to walmart and the grocery to get ready for the Bar-B-Que that Brent's fellow trainees had thrown together. The Bar-B-Que was great for the kids and for us. It was so nice to meet some of the wives/girlfriends. All these wonderful ladies I got to talk to were so down to earth. It is so hard to find people that are deeper than the materialistic portrayal of what a wife 'should' be. These women were far more than appearances, they had a true heart and it was so nice to surround myself with that kind of company. I have never been in a group of women where the dynamics are not to show what we have, or to prove that our lives are better than. The dynamics of these women were to get to know one another and to support each other in the choice of our husbands' career. I know that this was a family that we were creating. These women are some of the best I have ever met. It is nice to meet people that you know that what you see is what you get and there is no guessing. This family, the family brought together by law enforcement is a family that will stand by each other when needed most. I have never been in that kind of group. We have those in our lives that we can trust but how often do you get to meet a whole group? Well, needless to say, it was a great day.
After the Bar-B-Que we visited with Brent's family. It was nice to see some people that I hadn't seen in a while. We ate and swam. Swimming was especially fun because of the overcast day and the storm that was moving in. Although it would have been so fun to hang out longer the idea of home was just too compelling that we couldn't resist the urge. It is times like these that you thank God above that there is such a place like home. There is a place where you can just go and relax. The kids will play with their toys. Mom and Dad can come home and kick up their feet without having to worry where their babies are. Where rest can truly take place. Home is where the rest of the world could fall away but you are surrounded by the ones that mean the most and you can take pleasure in that small fact. Home feels good.
So there is my thought of day... never take for granted the beauty of home, where ever home is. Even if there is popcorn on the floor and clothes to be folded, take a breath and realize that home is where you are, and take joy that you have a place to make that mess ;) God Bless.

Summer Fun

So it is summer. The kids are having fun playing, even though with the current heatwaves the only place is inside. We have become somewhat nocturnal animals... we love it when the sun sets. It has been tough this summer since I am recovering from surgery, but I am way excited to get back to my normal self.
Since school is out for summer for me, I have turned into a daycare... jk. It feels like it. My very dear friend has a 4 year old boy and my sister has a 6 year old boy and I watch them both on a semi-regular basis. It has been really interesting having 4 boys and 1 girl. I find Rebecca often hanging out with me. So I try to find something fun to do.
And to think the kids don't start school until September. Oh man. I start school at the end of August, and it has been so fun hanging out with the kids but I am glad to go back. I really feel my IQ seep out of my head sitting here doing nothing. Clean house (check), clean/feed kids (check), finish random projects (check), play with kids (check)... ok done oh and its only 11am.
One thing that has been so fun this summer is the spouses' nights at the academy. The first night was just orientation. And last night it was out at EVOC, which is the driving course that the trainees train on. They had us go out and purposefully get into a fish tail and learn to get out of it. The best part? Doing it solo. Yea, that's right, they had us go out on our own in the vehicles. The area is called a skidpan, and it's just really slick cement with a bunch of water on it. I did a complete 360 degree turn and it was awesome! Of course I was screaming like a banshee. But it was loads of fun.
So summer is here, and so is the heat. But summer has just begun for us, so I am sure to have more stories.

The Faylor Fam

An introduction to the family...
Brent and I will be celebrating our 6th anniversary in October. We are by no means the 'perfect' family, but we do love with our whole selves and we make sure that is what we teach our children, to love.
Rebecca is our oldest child and she definitely has ECS (eldest child syndrome:). She makes sure that everyone is doing what they are 'supposed' to be doing. It is so funny. She loves helping me around the house, including vacuuming. If only she could stop pulling every dress she owns down to change five times a day. Apparently fashion extends to the little ones. She starts kindergarten in September, and I am not going to cry. I tell myself that growth is the best blessing from God. She is healthy and she grows.
Jordan is our shy boy. He is the most amazing little boy. Jordan will come up to me out of nowhere and just tell me, 'Mom, I love you.' It is quite the greatest thing. He is starting preschool come September, and I am not going to cry. Growth is a blessing. Jordan loves his Transformers and Power Rangers, as any four year old boy. He has quite the imagination, he has managed to make my vacuum into a super gun, so that he can scare the bad guys just like his daddy does. He is so proud of his daddy.
Dillon, oh Dillon. He is my baby and yes I give him special attention, I confess. I am working on it, the first step to fixing a problem is to admit you have it in the first place... that was humor. Dillon is two, and terrible is most likely what we should have named him. Screaming, hitting, yelling, craziness, it's all there. He is a bit behind his cousins of the same age, he is just now starting to talk. He runs like a mad-man, but he just doesn't feel the need to talk. Am I worried? No, Albert Einstein didn't start talking until he was five. So I know he will be just fine. Besides, it makes him my baby just a little bit longer.
Welcome, this is the family. Brent and I have talked about adopting a child in the near future, we will see. Until then, Five is what we have, and it is more than I could have ever prayed for.

Youth of the Nation...

So I go on to check my e-mail and lo! Jamie-Lynn had her baby at 17. And though I can't say much myself having my daughter at 18, at least I was an adult by standards of the law. I cannot remember who said it, maybe my little sister, a few years ago the fad was to have a mini dog in your purse, now its to have a kid on your arm. This is what our children see, this is what they look up to? I am so scared that young people are looking more and more to MTV for their beliefs, morals, and choices.
Stopped at a red light on day, I look over to a small group of teenagers walking. Not only did they look at me with disdain, but they looked RIDICULOUS. Tight pants that I swear would have to be surgically removed, hair covering their eyes, eye liner on a boy, the whole emo look. I understand the desire to set yourself apart, to be an individual. But if you all try looking different the same way, aren't they all the same? So much for individuality. What happened to setting yourself apart based on your talents and not your looks? What I can not understand the most is the emo attitude, 'My mom and dad love me and ask me questions because they care. We always have food on the table and roof over our head... ugh life really sucks!' I guess I am a fuddy-duddy as my mom said. I get so tired of media and institutions telling our kids what is the norm, what is acceptable behaviors.
There are more issues that drive me crazy. But there is not enough time in the day. I do have to raise 3 kids, and imagine that I do myself.