Do you know what today is?

Today is my 1 year BLOGGAVERSARY! Yes my friends, it has been exactly one year since I started my blog. I missed my 100th post because it happened while we were in South Carolina . Since I missed it I had grand ideas of what I would do for this special occasion...a give away, a quiz, a poem...but instead you get this.

My top 11 favorite posts. They are in no particular order...Before reading the post, see if you can answer the question.

#1 Mission Impossible

What was Aric's mission?

#2 Late Lonely Nights + HSN = Unnecessary Purchases

What were the purchases?

#3 What's a Boh-Bah?

So what is a boh-bah?

#4 Lemons and Lemonade and Our Lemonade

These are two separate posts that for obvious reasons go together. If you don't know what my lemonade is then you are reading the wrong blog.

#5 A Boh-Bah Sighting

Where was the sighting?

#6 The Fiesta that wasn't...

What was the message that we didn't get?

#7 Put a fork in me...I'm done!

One crazy week, try to remember one of the crazy things I did that week.

#8 Tag I'm it.

If I had no morals and unlimited amounts of money what would I be doing right now?

#9 Holding on and letting go...

What was the song that answered my prayer?

#10 Aric's Birthday Party

What did he get from the Jenkins?

#11 Eden's Tag

What was Eden wearing in this photo shoot?

This year has been one of the most eventful in my life. Being able to document this journey and share it with all of you has been such a great blessing. I had so much fun going back and reading about my life this past year. Besides having all of these events documented the best part about having this blog is the "friend factor" I have made some wonderful new friends through blogging and I have been able to get back in touch with old ones.

So fasten your seatbelts, put your seats forward in their full upright positions and lock your table trays...you never know what this years ride is going to be like...

Big Girl Stuff...episode #2

So after seeing that Eden could totally handle getting her ears pierced Maya wanted to get hers done too. Problem was she needed to get home for a movie that her friend invited her to. She was bummed. I told her that we would see if we could squeeze it in the next day. Besides I knew there would for sure be two girls there on Saturday and Maya really needed to be doubled up.

So today after lunch we all hopped in the car and headed over to the mall. Here is my very nervous Maya waiting for her turn.

Eden was there to provide some support. Maya was totally eyeing the girl as she loaded the gun.

"One...two...THREE!" Thank goodness the girls counted. I don't think Maya would have gotten to three.

Here she is...eyes a little watery but no tears.

And true to her personality...she picked the silver balls.

I don't know why I was postponing this event. We had a lot of fun and the girls couldn't hardly stand how cute they were when it was all said and done. In the middle of it all I had an "I am the mom" moment and it was AWESOME! I am the mom that gets to watch my little girls grow up to become beautiful little ladies. I got to create this wonderful memory with them. It was a great moment.

Big Girl Stuff

My girls are growing up. I know this but I try not to think about it too much or it makes me sad. There are little things that go down everyday that show me just how grown up they are.

For example...Eden cut herself the other day. So I grabbed some Neosporin and a Dora band aid and called it good. The next day before school Eden asked if she could take off the Dora band aid and I didn't think much of it and let her take it off. Later that day I noticed her cut was bleeding so I told her we needed to put another band aid on it. She said that it couldn't be a Dora one, she wanted a plain one....WHAT!

That was only the beginning...

Both girls have been wanting to get her ears pierced. I kept putting them off. Then I had them watch the John and Kate plus 8 episode when Maddy got her ears pierced hoping that watching Maddy scream like a banchee would cure them from the desire. After watching it Maya decided that she would wait until she was at least nine to pierce her ears. But my Eden still wouldn't let it go. So then I told her she had to earn half the money and that we would do it in February. Well when she got 10 bucks from Tio Rico for Christmas she had enough money to do it.

So yesterday I called to find out if there would be two girls at the store so that they could do both ears at once. I found out there would be two people until 6pm. So we rushed over there just to find out the "other" girl had a "family emergency" and had to leave her shift early. I told Eden that she had to wait one more day if she wanted them done at the same time. She said "Mom, I'll do it tonight, I can handle it."

So we did it...first we had to pick out the earrings. Her first choice were the fake diamonds the size that all the NBA players wear. I had to break the news to her that little girls didn't wear them that big so she had to get the 3mm bling instead.

This is my brave girl with no holes in her ears.

This my brave girl getting prep'd. She was very pleased with how everything was cleaned thoroughly before they began.

Maya holding Edee's hand for support. (The whole time Maya was saying stuff like: "It's okay if you cry Eden...It's going to hurt so bad...I'm so nervous for you...I can't watch!") Seriously I finally had to tell her to stop talking.

She had to count, "one...two...THREE!" and on three it was done.

She didn't even flinch!

Now for the next one. I was a little worried how this one was gonna go, now that she knew what to expect. She had to count to three again. This time she hesitated when she got to three.

This is her face when she looked in the mirror...

My newly pierced five year old.

Is that big girl stuff or what!

One Nation Under God

On the eve of our country's most hyped up inauguration, I have some thoughts to share. I decided to write them in a letter to our new president.

Dear Mr. President,

First of all, I did not vote for you. I have my reasons, but there is no point in bringing them up now. It was nothing personal, I just don't agree with some of your policies and I don't feel like you represent my conservative views.

Here's the thing, I think you are a good man. You have clearly risen above the challenges that life has brought you. It seems like you really do love and respect your wife and that your children are a priority. I hope that your family values will stay strong and that your high morals will be an example to our country and to the world. (Unlike some of our past leaders) So far I have been, for the most part, impressed with those you have appointed to your administration. I really do feel like you are willing to go across party lines and unite our government. Most of all I appreciate your deep desire, and commitment, to fix our country and put us on a path of financial stability and personal responsibility.

So even though you did not win my vote, you have won my support. And although I am still unsure about your qualifications for this humongous job you have taken on, I find comfort in the fact that God has dedicated our country for his special purposes... He is ultimately in charge. You seem like a God fearing man, and I hope your decisions will be based on sought out, inspired guidance and not the persuasions of power seeking men.

So tonight my family will remember you in their prayers. My daughters have been praying for you since the night you won the election. May you stay true to the morals and values that this country was founded upon. May you hold dear and value the trust that has been put upon you. May you and your family be blessed with safety as you travel the world on our country's behalf. And may you always be deserving of the respect that I will teach my children to have for you.

God bless you and God bless America.

Sincerely,

Jessica A.

Quick Post...

Things have been crazy...but that is normal for us. I'm not writing to complain, I'm just explaining why I can't post as often as I'd like. I have a few more priorities these days like:

• Three kids who need to eat, take showers/baths, and have clean clothes to wear.
• Calling attorneys and waiting for a dishonest adoption agency to accept an offer that is way more than they deserve
• Finding a social worker so I can schedule our post placement interviews.
• Kindergarten and Third grade homework
• Arranging for a quick trip to Utah to pick up our car that we thought we had sold...so if you know anyone who is looking to buy a Suzuki XL7 let me know.
• Going through hundreds of pictures so that I can make a video for my cousin Manuel's baptism.
• Getting la familia ready for the trip to Manuel's baptism.

So that is why this is a quick post...I hope you enjoy these pictures of Camden, I took them the other day after his bath. They are so freakin' adorable I had to share.

Isn't he so cute! I love my baby!

My Hair Diaries...

I have no problem acknowledging that I have bad hair. I'm not sure who I got the bad hair gene from but I've got it. As a result of that unfortunate gene, I've never had a good relationship with my hair. Even as a child I knew it was bad so I would take matters into my own hands...

Growing up my hair seemed  to jump between bad to worse.

When I see these pictures I wonder the depth of love my mom really had for me. Or maybe she just loved me so much she saw past the bad hair and thought I looked beautiful through her mommy eyes. All I know is those were SCHOOL PICTURES! UGH!

My sister, Evelynne, always had good hair. Her school pictures do not reflect the same bad hairdo's year after year like mine do.

I can't believe I had so many friends, considering the hair handicap I was living with. I must of had a sweet spirit...

 

In high school I was blessed to be right smack in the middle of   the "perms are cool" phase.

Then in college I decided to go long...and I mean long. I still had the perm.

 

But my sister loved me enough to tell me the truth and she took matters into her hands.

As the years have gone on, I have tried a few trendy styles...like the Rachel. Which was HIDEOUS on me! I can't find a picture that does that one justice...

Here are a couple of pictures that documented a time when I actually like my hair.

(Hey Liz  and Randi, you know who that is I'm hangin on don't you...? Yup that would be Bongo Bri from Guster.)

But unfortunately the combination of climate, hormones and that darn gene means those hairstyles didn't stay cute for long. So over the years I have managed to collect a few hats...

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I finally got the point that I accepted my bad fortune and just grew it out just long enough to be able to pull it back. Which is why the majority of the pictures I am in, I look like this...

  

    

When I got married I played around with some different hairstyles. I wanted something fun and more special. As you can see, I ended up with plain old boring pulled back hair.

Sometime after Maya was born I decided to go shorter. And so this has been my signature hair cut for the past few years.

 

Well my hair stylist has been bugging me for three years to go short...and I mean short. I couldn't do it. This was how short I would go.

Then this week I decided..."to heck with my hair!" And I chopped it all off...and I mean ALL.

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At first I liked it because my stylist put in her magic products and fixed it all cute.

Then the next day came when I had to fix it myself. I had second thoughts.

Yesterday I was just plain horrified by my hair.

But today I think it is growing on me.

So this style is yet to be determined as far as where it will find itself in my hair diaries. We'll see how I feel about it tomorrow.
*Oh and just a thought....don't make drastic hair decisions when you are in the middle of a crisis! Doesn't always make for the best judgement...