THE JORGIES

New blog for a New Year

2010-01-01T01:01:00.000-08:00

Check out our new blog!

Click here:
Days of J's

Keep a Look Out

2009-11-30T17:49:00.001-08:00

We might be starting a new blog with the New Year...co-managed by Joey :)

2009-05-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

I have found myself behind with updates. Here is a new pic Joey caught on his iphone. I love it.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

Easter morning at our house was complete with 2 hyper egg hunters at our bedside at first light, some new easter hats, and a baby sister peacefully oblivious to the whole thing.

The Beach in March

2009-03-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

We went down to the beach for a very beautiful afternoon. I am getting excited for Summer!

Stella's at the Fire Station

2009-03-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today Stella's pre-school class had a field trip to the fire station. She enjoyed it a lot more than I thought she would. There is such a cute group of kids.

First Official Family of 5 Photo

2009-03-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

Stella and the Zoo

2009-02-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

Stella and Dad went on a date to the zoo today for her 4th B-Day. She had so much fun and was pretty much dust by the time the park closed. Happy Birthday Stella!

14 Years Later

2009-02-26T20:03:00.000-08:00

Today is Annie and I's 9th Anniversary...we've been digging around in old photo boxes tonight and came across this. Joey - 18. Annie - 16. We'd known each other for about 5 days when a friend snapped this photo and developed it in photo lab at the high school. We had no idea that we'd be trying to keep 3 kids in bed while we blogged about it 14 years later...Literally no idea what we were in for.

I wouldn't have a single minute of it any other way.

I love you Annie. - Joey

Happy Birthday Stella Bella! 4

2009-02-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

What a day

Stella's baby blessing day

Stella was born on February 26, 2005. A typical Saturday, except that it was our 5 year wedding anniversary and I was already a week overdue. I was feeling funny so I drove myself to the hospital to be checked out, mostly expecting to be sent home. Joey stayed home with Bennett. It turned out I WAS in labor. An unforgettable day! We are so blessed to have Stella in our family. She is truly unique and makes us smile....and she definitely always has her own opinion. We like to call her Miss Contrary.

xxoo

Tummy Time Chatter

2009-02-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Press stop on my playlist first

Sunday Afternoon Cookie Baking

2009-02-22T17:42:00.001-08:00

My Big helper! Stella turns 4 on Thursday!

OOPS!

Big brother checking if the dough is done. Jorgensen men like the dough more than the cookies!

Patiently waiting for the cookies to bake!

xxoo

What This Mom Dreams Of...

2009-02-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

I had a dream a couple nights ago and I am a little disturbed. :) It was all about getting new bath towels and I was absolutely elated in my dream. I woke up and thought, "Really, you are dreaming about towels?!" What does this mean? Oh yea, I'm a mom and I'm almost 30. I guess that explains it! HaHa!

Snowboarding & B-day Dinner

2009-02-06T21:35:00.000-08:00

Bennett had quite the fun day celebrating his birthday. He was allowed to miss school to go snowboarding with Dad and he had so much fun. This evening we had a small birthday dinner for him.
Joey took some video of Bennett riding. If I can upload them I will. :)

Happy Birthday Bennett!

2009-02-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

Bennett was born on February 4th, 2002 at 12:48 pm. This was the first picture taken of him at the hospital....and he smiled.

I cannot believe how fast the time has gone...

We love you Orange Roll!! Mom, Dad, Twiggy and Shaggy.

Adjusting to 3

2009-01-31T18:03:00.000-08:00

These last 5 weeks with 3 kids have been a whirlwind. I can't believe how fast the time has gone by. I don't know what I would do without such an amazing husband and father to my kids. Joey has been so patient and helpful, I love him so much. Bennett has been a tremendous help as well. He is so kind with his new sister and always wants to hold her. He has even 'babysat' her while I put away some laundry. Just today we caught him multi-tasking when we came downstairs. He was holding Phoebe while playing his video games. Stella has also been a great helper. There is nothing she won't do to help me..icky diapers don't even scare her away. Phoebe is such a sweet little thing. Always content for the most part and she seems to be evening out her days and nights (*crosses fingers*). I think we are all adjusting wonderfully. I am so grateful for my family and the many blessings in my life.

Welcome Phoebe Rose!

2008-12-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Warning this is a Dad cameo on the blog. Something Annie will be amazed that I actually did. Don't worry, I'm not taking over...:)

We are so excited and thrilled and thankful to have this new addition to our family! Phoebe was born on Saturday at about 9:40am via c-section. Mom and baby are great...Bennett and Stella are captivated by and very proud of their new sister.

I'm sure there will be more pics to follow.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

The beach was so beautiful and stormy on Christmas day. Joey took some really cool photos.

Wow. Christmas has come and gone. Now we are gearing up for the new baby and I haven't even blogged about my pregnancy yet! It came so fast this time around.

We had such a fun and mellow Christmas here at home and at Joey's parents house. Most of Joey's siblings are in town and it is always fun to have the Aunts and Uncles to play with.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-26T21:24:00.000-08:00

This year we went to Aunt Syd and Uncle Nate's house in Palm Desert for Thanksgiving. It was so delicious! The kids loved every minute of it, especially since we got to have a slumber party at their house. Bennett has the most fun playing the Wii in their loft that has a huge theater screen. Stella helped grandma make our famous family recipe of orange rolls. We have them every Thanksgiving and Christmas. :)

Stella's Feast

2008-11-19T21:25:00.001-08:00

Today Stella had her Thanksgiving feast at school. All the kids had to say what they were thankful for and he said she was thankful for her mommy and daddy.

Halloween

2008-11-17T21:32:00.001-08:00

We had a great week of Halloween with all the school and church events. When actual Halloween came along Stella no longer wanted to be a Diamond Castle Barbie. She just wanted to be a Ballerina. Bennett was safe and decided to be another Star Wars character, Captain Rex from Star Wars Clone Wars. Maybe by the time he is 30 he will have gone through all the characters and he will be ready to dress outside of the Star Wars Saga.

Joey's Trip to Australia

2008-11-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

(October) Joey enjoyed his last overseas trip of the year. He spent a week in Sydney and Melbourne. He is ready to move as soon as possible. :)

First Day of School

2008-11-17T21:25:00.001-08:00

Bennett's first day of 1st Grade! Stella's first day of pre-school with Miss Dianne!

Weekend Getaway

2008-09-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

(Going back to August)
Last weekend Joey and I had a weekend away. Joey's sweet sister and parents watched the kids for us and we had such a a great time. Friday night we went to the Watermans Ball at the St. Regis and it was so fun. That hotel is amazing. It was great to see a lot of old friends that I haven't seen in a long time. On Saturday we drove out to Palm Springs and stayed at the Parker for 2 nights and just had a very relaxing weekend. We ate at the hotel restaurant called Mister Parkers, it has such a cool atmosphere and we saw Tom DeLonge (from Angels & Airwaves and Blink 182). He came in right after we did with his wife. We weren't bold enough to bother him for a picture. :) We went to visit Nate and Syd (joey's sister) on Sunday at their new house and I a kicking myself for not taking pictures while we were at their house.

Happy Bday Joey

2008-08-14T14:44:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Joey's 31st birthday. He took a half day at work and went surfing. Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Tay came over so we could go to dinner and we had a great time. We picked up some Sprinkles cupcakes and went over to visit with our good friends Bryan and Summer. We had a fun mellow night. Happy Birthday Joey, I Love You!

Legoland with Mimi

2008-08-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my mom took Bennett to Legoland. He was in heaven and is still playing with the lego set that she bought for him. Stella and I walked around the Carlsbad outlet mall while they were there and I scored on a dress for an event that we have to go to next week. It was marked down from $265 to $106. I was torn and wanted to buy it but I was still hesitant, then the sales lady mentioned what a good deal it was at $10.60!!! It turned out to be 90% off the sale price! That never happens to me!

Sundance 2008

2008-08-13T15:03:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to Sundance, Utah with Joey's family for a reunion. It started out with a bang when we got a flat tire in the middle of Nevada, just after we passed Vegas.
Once we got there we had a great time with everyone. We visited Grandma Grace, hiked to Stewart Falls, went bowling, went golfing, took walks around the beautiful cabin we stayed in, the guys fished....
All around it was just great to spend time together as a family.

I tried to get my photos in order, but it was taking too long...here is a slideshow.

View Photo Slideshow

Make a Free Flash Slideshow

Breaking Dawn Midnight Release

2008-08-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

I went to the midnight release party for Breaking Dawn at Borders. Finally! It is here. Click HERE to see.

Comic Con San Diego

2008-07-25T14:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my friend Amanda and I went down to San Diego for the Comic Con convention. To see the full story click HERE
Warning, this has everything to do with Twilight. If you are not a fan, don't bother. :)

G-N-O with the S-I-L's

2008-07-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Last night Sydney, Taylor and I drove up to LA for So You Think You Can Dance and we had a fabulous time. This time we were guaranteed to get in so it was much less stressful. The show was amazing and thanks to Syd and Tay's beauty we were placed right in front of the judges. We had a great spot. Then we went to eat at the Cheesecake Factory in The Grove. On the way out we ran into Comfort (a dancer on the show) and she was sooo nice. I should have asked for a picture, but I chickened out (big surprise). She was paired up with Twitch this week and they did an amazing hip-hop routine. Such a fun night!

Baby Kolbie

2008-07-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

My sister Kate's baby came earlier than we expected. She was born with an infection and has been in the hospital's ICU since she was born on the 4th of July via c-section. She gets to come home tomorrow and we are all excited. Her name is Kolbie Independence Margot (not posting last name). Aren't they both beautiful!

Dancer at Heart

2008-07-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Stella had her first dance concert, show, recital, whatever you call it a couple weeks ago. I did not want to miss posting these pictures because the outfit was so cute. She absolutely loves dancing. Unless she is in some unusual shy mood she will put on a full show here at home for anyone.
Here is Stella with her best friend Calla.

Fourth of July

2008-07-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July weekend with Joey home. Time well spent at the beach with a ton of Joey's family that were here visiting. Joey's mom has some good pictures that I still need to get. Here are a few...

Oh, I Forgot I Have a Blog

2008-07-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

OK - I am back, I think. I can't believe it has been 2 months since I posted something. I actually forgot my password to sign in. I guess I have been distracted lately. No catching up on everything I have missed. It would be impossible. I am just going to start fresh. Joey just got home from a 2 week trip. He was in Italy, London and Spain and he sent me a few photos. The kids and I are so happy to have him home!

Italy

London

Official Twilight Trailer

2008-05-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

I have no words....only....AAAAAAHHHHHH! I can't wait!
Click Here to be Dazzled

Princess Party

2008-05-03T15:10:00.000-07:00

Stella went to her first big girl Princess birthday party yesterday. She was dressed as a ballerina princess, but sometimes she referred to herself as Pink Cinderella. She had such a good time. :)

Guess what....yes more Twilight

2008-04-24T15:07:00.001-07:00

Here is a great video with interviews with Catherine Hardwicke and Wyck Godfrey (directors) and Robert Pattinson (Edward). It is also neat to hear from the stunt director and that the opening scene of the movie is a hunting sequence. Can't wait!

Click here for some more cool pics of the ballet studio.

Is this a Twilight blog?

2008-04-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

I am sorry this has turned into a Twilight blog recently. Especially for those of you that could care less about Twilight. I can't help it. I promise to post something about my actual family soon. Those of you that haven't read the Twilight books yet need to! I know there are a few of you out there! And all of you blog stalkers don't need to be afraid to leave a comment. :)

"When you can live forever, what do you live for?"

2008-04-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Check out the sidebar....there is an amazing new clip that was released by Summit Entertainment. MTV posted it today. Sooooo goooooood!!!!

Twilight Organization

2008-04-16T10:40:00.001-07:00

Hello - I had no idea that there would be so many behind the scenes tv spots going around. I was just made aware of a new one this morning. Instead of making a new post for each one I am just going to add the links to my side bar. I feel obligated to keep all my Twilight buddies informed. In the future just check out the side bar for any additional video links. All these behind the scenes videos are going to make the next 8 months easier. Check out the new one from Fox12 on the sidebar. Great prom scene footage....

Yet ANOTHER Twilight Video

2008-04-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you that share my obsession....don't be ashamed. Enjoy this new video that was release today by the Associated Press. Yes, the Associated Press is covering Twilight, which I find funny. This may be my favorite behind the scenes spot yet. Enjoy!

*Stop the music on my playlist before watching*

Fun with the fam.

2008-04-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

Friday night I was a little worried that Joey would be stuck in Chicago because of flight delays. He was able to get the last seat on a United flight heading to LAX late Friday night. Then he had to get a ride to OC airport where his car was parked. He did not get home until 2am. It was great to have him home safe.
Saturday morning, 2 of our favorite people, Uncle Nate and Aunt Sydney came and took the kids to breakfast. The kids were in heaven. We had a mellow day and Joey was able to get the garage organized. Then we headed down to the beach to enjoy the perfect weather, although the ocean is FREEZING. Painfully cold! It was still a great day. To top the day off Grandma & Grandpa took us all to dinner at the Beachfire on Del Mar. It was so much fun and the kids were exhausted. I was so proud of them for behaving so well at dinner. We were sad to say bye to Nate and Syd this afternoon as they headed home. We are all looking forward to our family reunion this summer when we can all spend a week together!

The lighting in the restaurant was dark so I tried to lighten them up a little.

Twilight Behind the Scenes

2008-04-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Please bear with me and my Twilight posts. I cannot help myself. I am so excited for "Breaking Dawn" (book 4, August 2nd) and the movie in December! Here is some behind the scenes footage from the set of Twilight, starring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. This is going to be am amazing movie!
There is more behind the scenes footage links in my sidebar.

*Stop the music on my playlist before watching*

banner courtesy of layla_14 at fanpop.com

Great Movie

2008-04-07T18:39:00.001-07:00

On Saturday night Joey and I watched "August Rush". It was such a great movie! I loved it! The music is great and all the actors do a fantastic job. I definitely recommend this one! Jonathan Rhys Meyers is really singing the songs. I love it when you discover an actors hidden talent (like Ewan McGregor & Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge).
Watch the Trailer!

Girls Night Out!

2008-03-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight we took my good friend Reny out for her be-lated birthday dinner. It was so fun. We hit a favorite, Javier's and had Pinkberry after. Thanks girls! That was so fun to get out of the house and chat with the girls! We need to do it more often!

Hong Kong Photos

2008-03-26T20:19:00.001-07:00

Here are couple pics that Joey sent me today. He is Hong Kong right now.

Joey - Tokyo

2008-03-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Joey has been gone on a long trip to Tokyo and Hong Kong. He comes home on Saturday and we are so excited! Here are a couple pics from Tokyo that he sent me. The cherry blossoms are in bloom! Beautiful!

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-23T23:25:00.001-07:00

Puerto Rico...Finally

2008-03-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

OK - So I guess I am going to get my act in gear and post the Puerto Rico pics. Joey has more pics on his computer so maybe I can add them later.
Joey and I went to Puerto Rico a couple weeks ago. We won the trip when my sweet friend took me to a taping of The Ellen Degeneres Show in December. Every Christmas Ellen does her "12 Days of Giveaways" and we were lucky enough to be there for the 12th day. We won a trip to Puerto Rico, a great Canon digital camera, an awesome Samsonite luggage set (I can't say samsonite without thinking of Dumb & Dumber) and noise canceling headphones. So off we went, leaving the kids with my dear friend and my sweet in-laws. We were a little rushed getting there. It is always hard to leave your kids and a bit stressful, so I wasn't that excited to go. That all changed when we got to the resort. It was BEAUTIFUL!!! By far them most relaxing vaca I have had since our honeymoon. The next time we go I would love to take the kids and maybe go with another family. This place is so kid friendly. It was so great to have 4 date nights in a row with Joey. He didn't bring any surfboards, so we got to spend every minute together. If we do go back I'd like to explore the other side of the island, then Joey can check out the surf spot, etc. And the south side is on the caribbean and I have always wanted to see that aqua color ocean. Anyway, here are a few photos. Thank you Ellen! I can't believe she gave this trip to everyone in the audience!

Twilight

2008-03-19T11:57:00.001-07:00

The Twilight movie is currently being filmed and they have a ton of new photos and video of the set, actors, etc. taken by fans. It is so exciting! I do not know how I am going to wait until December 12th!! Or even August 2nd for Breaking Dawn to come out!
Rumor has it that a teaser/preview is supposed to be released in May or June.

Picture courtesy of Amy Howe
Thanks Amy!!

February 26, 2005

2008-03-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Five years later on our anniversary, our little Stella Grace arrived at 10:52pm. Weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces. I never knew that someone could truly be sweet and sassy at the same time. She has been such a blessing to our family! I can't believe she is already 3 years old!

February 26, 2000

2008-03-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

OK - Catch up time.
8 years ago on February 26, 2000 Joey and I were married in the San Diego Temple. It was a beautiful day, even though the 2 weeks before the wedding it was raining everyday and I was convinced we would have a rainy wedding. Being the rain loving person that I am, I wouldn't have minded at all. But the clouds parted and we had gorgeous sunshine, almost too much. We are squinting in most of our pictures. Overall the day was incredible and busy. Joey booked our sealing for 8:00 am! At the time I did not mind, I wasn't worried with all the wedding details. I look back now and I can't believe I did that. I had to do my own hair because I couldn't find anyone to wake up early enough to do it for me. We had to be at the temple an hour early, that meant being ready to leave at 5:30 or 6:00 am. Crazy. But it was a beautiful morning and most of my family was there waiting outside for us. That meant a lot to me. Then we were off to a family luncheon that my friend planned and was so nice to have it at her house. Following that we went to the reception. It was very relaxed. Nothing fancy, just all of our family and friends at the Ole Hanson Beach Club. I love the spanish architecture and the closeness to the beach. My mother-in-law was so awesome. She did most of the planning and made our day so wonderful. The next day we were off to Kauai for our honeymoon. I hope I will always remember the details of that day.
I can't believe how fast the time has gone. I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband. He is everything and more than I could ask for. He inspires me to be a better person in all aspects of my life. Although there are many differences between us, I think we make a great match. We know how to balance each other out. I am so greatful to have him in my life and the father to our kids.
Here are just a few traits he possesses. In no particular order.
8 Joey traits:
Intelligent
Organized
Determined
Honest
Creative/Artistic
Thoughtful
Humorous
So handsome

Blogging Delay

2008-03-04T08:18:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday, the day before our trip to Puerto Rico, our beloved computer died. We have had this Mac since we got married and I loved it. I am on Joey's laptop right now so I can check in on email and things. I have so much to catch up on blogging and I will get to it as soon as I can (Stella's b-day, our 8 year anniversary, our trip to Puerto Rico, etc.) Hopefully there will be a new computer in our future. Joey's laptop goes with him to work everyday, I feel so disconnected!

Smartest decision of the year...

2008-02-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

so far. On Monday, I went to my friends house to pick up my kids. Keep in mind that I go to this friends house multiple times every week. If I am picking up or dropping off I always park in front of her garage, because I am usually only there for 5 minutes. This particular day the kids were playing and my friend and I got to talking. I ended up being there for an hour or so. I completely forgot that I had left my keys and my purse in my unlocked car (I usually don't do that!). When I went to leave my car was gone! It was the weirdest feeling. Not knowing where your car went...was it stolen...was it towed? Having to call your husband and tell him how smart you are, etc. After a call to the bank to freeze our accounts I called the sherrif's dept. and they told me my car was towed! It cost $180 to get my car. I asked the tow truck guy how long my car was there and he said "not very long". They work quick to get your money. It was a bummer but at least it wasn't stolen. It would have cost us a lot more. Needless to say I have learned 2 good lessons this week!! Don't park illegally! And don't leave your keys and purse in your car ever!

The First Sign of Spring

2008-02-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

I was so excited this morning when I woke up this morning and looked out the window. Our cherry blossom trees have their first blooms! I love cherry blossoms and I can't wait to see the trees when they are covered in blossoms. So beautiful!

New Baby Cousin

2008-02-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

My Uncle John and his wife Ana had an adorable baby boy last week. In fact he was born on Bennett's birthday. He weighed the same as Bennett (7 -11) and he has reddish hair like Bennett, which we were all a little surprised by because his beautiful mom is from Brazil. I expected him to be darker, but I guess that Bennett gene is strong! Here he is - Luke Daniel.

February 4, 2002

2008-02-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Bennett was born at 12:48 pm. Weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces. I can't believe he is already 6 years old. Looking through old pictures is so fun. I don't know where the time has gone.

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Something to Wake You Up

2008-01-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

This morning Joey got rear ended on his way to work. Tell me if it looks possible that these cars were in the same accident? Joey's truck had minimal damage while the woman's car was un-driveable. She couldn't get it to start. The funny part was that the poor girl was eating oatmeal when she hit Joey so her oatmeal splattered all over the inside of her car. I am just glad that nobody was hurt. It pays to drive a big strong truck.

Funny Kids

2008-01-30T12:44:00.001-08:00

Last week my sister had surgery to remove a big ovarian cyst and we went to visit her in the hospital room. Stella was exceptionally sassy to everyone. She kept telling the nurse "I am a mean boy." The joys of having an older brother....This is the face I got when I was trying to get a picture of her and her cousin Stormie. (My sister is healing great)

We had a family picnic last weekend and I just love the look of pure happiness on the kids faces. Having dad at the park was a Big deal. They both got brave enough to go down the really scary and steep slide. Even I was scared.

Gordon B. Hinckley

2008-01-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

Last night we heard the news that our loved Prophet and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had passed away. He was 97 years old. I will remember him always as he was newly called as President when I was baptized. I have since enjoyed hearing and reading his words. He was such a strong, genuine, humorous and caring person. He will be missed, but I know he is rejoicing now as he is reunited with his sweetheart Marjorie, who passed away almost 4 years ago.

I will be reminded of him when I look at this sign featuring his "Nine Be's" that is hung over our breakfast table. I know he was a man that truly lived by these.

New Annie

2008-01-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

After months of thought I finally cut my hair. Joey gave me a good pep talk the morning of my hair appointment day. Since my friend who cuts my hair is sort of retiring I thought I better do it while I have someone I trust doing my hair. Here is the first photo. I am so glad I did it! Although it is a HUGE change. My hair had gotten long. The new look came out a little shorter than I expected but I still love it. I feel so free...

Not a very good photo...it is from my phone.

Girls B-Day Dinner

2008-01-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

Friday night I had so much fun! We had a birthday dinner for a few friends and we ate at one of my favorite places, Javier's! Happy Birthday Marlene, Melissa and Jessica! We need to do more girls nights.

Thank you to my sweet husband for letting me drop the kids at his office :)

I tried to fix the re-eye in this picture below but I couldn't. Terrible picture of me!!

First Broken Bone

2008-01-16T19:50:00.000-08:00

We had quite an eventful weekend. Bennett fractured his elbow while jumping on a friends trampoline. We took him to the ER for the first time in his life. He was scared and thought they were going to cut his arm open to fix it. He was very brave, but he still did not like having to do the x-rays. When they told him he would get a cast he was grinning from ear to ear. Joey has more pictures on his phone. Here is one right after the x-rays. Don't let this picture scare you, he really is fine. We went to the orthopedist today and he got his real cast. He has to wear it for 2 weeks and then go back for more x-rays. I guess it is common for kids his age to fracture their elbow and it is not always visible on the x-ray. They could see the fluid and blood surrounding the area which is a sign of a fracture. He may be all healed in 2 weeks or he may have to wear the cast longer.

Christmas with Mimi & Baum Baum

2008-01-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Saturday night we went to my mom's house in Carlsbad for our Christmas celebration. They made an amazing dinner and we had so much fun spending time together. The kids played with their cousin Stormie and ran around like crazy.

Date Night with the Thackers!

2008-01-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Friday night we went to the Melting Pot with our good friends. It was such a fun night! I highly recommend going there. It is a long dinner and leaves plenty of time to talk and laugh.

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe it is already January! I am so sad that the holiday season is over. I do have one thing to look forward to, which is our Christmas dinner and celebration at my moms house on Saturday. It has been our tradition to do our Christmas after the New Year and I love it. It makes the season last longer.

We had a very fun New Years Day. We woke up and had yummy donuts and fruit for breakfast. Then we took the kids to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. It was great, Bennett was laughing and dancing through the whole thing. Stella even stayed put through the whole movie.

Then we came home and decided to head down to the beach to play in the sand and get the boys in the water. It was so beautiful down there this afternoon.

We finished the day off by going to Joey's parents house, playing bingo and watching college football. And having a yummy dinner and dessert together. It was great to spend another fun evening with G-ma, G-pa and super aunts Whitney and Taylor. Stella has grown attached to them. We will miss them when they go back to school!

It has been SO awesome to have Joey home for 10 days and to be able to do anything we want. We are sad that he has to go back to work tomorrow. It went by too fast. I have so many blessings in my life. I am so grateful that we are all healthy and that we can spend this precious time together making memories. I look forward to the New Year and I can't wait to see what is in store for us. Happy New Year to everyone!

Bennett was quite excited when he finally won BINGO! This kid loves numbers. He could have played all night long.

Stella's turn to spin the bingo balls.

A Day in the SNOW

2007-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we drove up to Mountain High with some friends. We went to the North Pole Tubing Park where the boys had 2 hours of tubing fun and we all enjoyed hot chocolate. Stella loved playing in the snow! The cold didn't bother her one bit. It was a lot colder than I expected! Then we went down to the main resort so Bennett and the boys could try out snowboarding. Bennett was instantly hooked and could have stayed there hours longer. It was insanely crowded, but they managed to have tons of fun. Here are a few pictures...

St. Regis

2007-12-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the St. Regis in Monarch Beach to see their Christmas sand sculpture and visit Sam. When we got there he had already gone home, so we walked around the grounds and took pictures. Joey's brother Andrew had to go straight to the airport from there. The kids LOVE their uncle Andrew. The resort is so beautiful!

Christmas Day

2007-12-27T09:48:00.000-08:00

After opening presents at our house we went over to Joey's parents house to be with all of his family. Joey's mom makes a yummy breakfast and we hang around together all day. We walked down to the beach and played in the sand while Joey and Sam surfed. It was a beautiful day.

Christmas Morning

2007-12-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

Barbie Heaven

Stella and Spiderman

Merry Christmas

2007-12-26T20:33:00.000-08:00

Ready for church on Sunday.

Welcome Home Dad

2007-12-26T20:20:00.000-08:00

After a long trip Dad came home on Saturday. He had a lot of delays he had to deal with. We are glad to have him home safe.

Gingerbread

2007-12-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today we had a fun visit from Aunt Sydney and Uncle Nate. They recently moved back to California and we are so happy to have them closer. We decorated gingerbread houses!

Innsbruck, Austria

2007-12-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

This morning Joey emailed me some photos of Innsbruck Austria. Isn't it beautiful?

Holiday Airhead

2007-12-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

I don't know what it is, the busy holiday season or just being a mom. I have some really silly incidents that happened to me this week. First of all, I should have read this instruction on stamping envelopes before I did my Christmas cards. I know I learned how to address an envelope a long time ago, but for some reason I put 150 stamps on the WRONG corner of all 150 envelopes when I was doing my Christmas cards. I spent almost 2 hours carefully peeling those expensive stamps off the WRONG corner and placing them on the correct corner. Joey and I both had a good laugh that night.
Then I got a call from my neighbor telling me that I sent her 2 cards...2 separate envelopes. How did I do that? How many other people are going to get 2 cards from us?
Then Joey came home a little early on Tuesday night to get ready for his trip. We were heading out to get dinner and Stella starts screaming and crying telling us that her ear hurt. Since the doctors office was closed we decided to take her to the urgent care. She doesn't normally scream in pain like that, so I was sure there was something wrong. As I am backing out of the garage in my vini-man (that's what Bennett calls it) I wasn't paying close attention and I side swiped Joey's truck that was parked in the drive way! There was silence in the car (except for Stella who was screaming). We got out and checked the damage, it wasn't too bad and went on to the urgent care. Joey was so nice about the whole thing. If anyone knows the men in his family, you know how much they take pride in caring for their cars. It is serious. He held his tongue the best he could and sent me a really sweet text msg on his way to the airport. By the time we got the the urgent care doctors office, Stella was as happy as can be, of course. The doctor checked her out and there was nothing wrong with her, no infection, no lego stuck in her ear. Anyway, long story...we went to get dinner and came home so Joey could pack. He is in Innsbruck, Austria until Sunday, then he goes to Burlington, VT fo sales meetings. I just hope I can avoid anymore airhead moments while he is gone.

Here is picture of my car...it had a little more damage than Joey's truck

Cold Night

2007-12-02T21:37:00.000-08:00

This evening we went on a walk near our house to enjoy the cold, crisp air and look at the Christmas lights. Joey decided to do a timer shot of all of us and we were pleasantly surprised when both kids were actually looking at the camera. I love my family.

Ward Christmas Party

2007-12-02T21:29:00.000-08:00

Our ward Christmas party was on Saturday and it was amazing! The decorations were so good and the whole thing seemed to run pretty smooth considering how large our ward is. There are so many kids! Stella was brave and sat on Santa's lap for the first time. She was just chatting away.

Pajama Party

2007-12-02T21:22:00.000-08:00

Our good friends Bryan & Summer had a Christmas Pajama Party on Saturday. Although we were 2 hours late, we were glad we went. It was a lot of fun, as everything is when Bryan & Summer are involved. Thanks for the fun night Thacks! I promise Joey was smiling by the time we left the party!

"Puttin on the Glitz"

2007-12-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

Every year on Thanksgiving weekend there is a Christmas celebration downtown. We had a fun night with grandma and grandpa walking around Del Mar Street watching all the fun holiday festivities. They had a train ride, a carriage ride, hot chocolate, treats, face painting and much more. Santa Claus cam down the street on a fire truck. I love the holidays!

Bennett on the train with grandpa

Final Soccer Game

2007-12-02T21:05:00.000-08:00

We had an awesome experience with Bennett playing soccer this season. He learned so much. All the kids on his team were so fun and they all got along great. It was a great mix of boys. We were lucky to be on Coach Reny's team and have a couple friends that we already knew.

Pinewood Derby

2007-12-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

Joey and Bennett built their first pinewood derby car together. I actually painted the blue stripes. Even though he lost he was a pretty good sport.

Bennett's Thanksgiving Class Show

2007-12-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

Better late than never. I am finally catching up with the last couple weeks. Here are some photos of Bennett's class "Friendship Celebration" for Thanksgiving. All the kids had to say what they are thankful for. Most of the kids said their toys, family, trees, etc. Bennett said he was thankful for Thanksgiving. He was so excited to have Joey and his grandparents there.

Funny Baby

2007-11-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Like Father, Like Son

2007-11-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

Last night Joey and I were cleaning up the kitchen and Bennett was sitting at the table drawing. Out of the blue he asks me if I will help him write a To-do List for the next day! I was wordless...since when does a five year old want to plan out his next day? He made me write out everything we had to do so he could copy it onto his list. It was very amusing. Of course Joey loved it, because he is SO that way (organized list maker). I wish my camera was working so I could have captured the moment.

Congratulations Coble Family

2007-11-07T21:58:00.000-08:00

Many of us who live in the Orange County area were affected by this tragic story about the Coble Family. They lost their 3 children (Kyle, Emma & Katie) in a car accident on the 5 freeway in Mission Viejo back in May 2007. Today I received an email from a friend with a link to the Ladera Times that has a story about them. They just announced that they are expecting triplets in May 2008 (a boy & 2 girls). What a blessing! They also have a 3 part news story that airs this week. The schedule is on the Ladera Times website. My thoughts and prayers are with them for a healthy pregnancy and delivery of their new babies. :)

Halloween AM-PM

2007-11-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Halloween was great! We started the day off early with carving our pumpkins at 7:30 in the morning. Then Bennett went to school wearing black and orange. Bennett was very concerned about having his orange Analog t-shirt ready to wear. These days they don't allow kids to wear their costumes to school. It is probably for the best. It was cool to see all the kids in black and orange. Then we went trick-or-treating around our neightborhood with some good friends. Joey's parents also came over and spent the evening with us. It was a great night.

My First Tag

2007-10-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks Elizabeth! I received my first tag since becoming a blogger.

Annie J from A-Z

A: available or single? married to Joey, 7 years, 8 months and 5 days

B: Best friend? Joey J

C: cake or pie? cake. chocolate with vanilla frosting, but I love coconut cream pie too!

D: drink of choice? 5 months ago I would have said Coca Cola-regular or Sunkist. Last May I went into my own personal re-hab to break my addiction. Now my drink is agua. And Naked Juice OJ anytime of the day or night.

E: essential item used daily? moisturizer, sunscreen and my favorite lip stuff C.O. Bigelow Tint 1137

F: favorite color? greens, blues and pinks and always black & white for clothes, i guess that is more than one...

G: gummy bears or gummy worms? gummy bears, the originals...I think they are from Germany

H: hometown? Born in La Jolla, Ca...raised in San Clemente, Ca

I: indulgence? a not too hot bath, rice krispie treats...not necessarily together

J: january or february? february...both my kids b-days and my wedding anniversary

K: kids and names? Bennett & Stella

L: life is incomplete without... my family and friends

M: marriage date? February 26, 2000

N: number of siblings? 1 sister and 1 step-sister

O: oranges or apples? both, as long as they are sweet

P: phobias or fears? car accidents

Q: favorite quote? this is not necessarily a favorite, but I think this is true "Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason" Jerry Seinfeld

R: reason to smile? when all the laundry is finished, this happened to me this week!

S: season? Fall...I love it, it is still warm enough during the day to go to the beach and go outside, but I love the crisp air at night. And I love the Holidays :)

T: tag 3 people... maryam, summer & su

U: unkown fact about me? I cannot dive head first into a pool, I prefer the feet first

V: vegetables you don't like? eggplant

W: worst habit? I have a lot....ask my husband.

X: x-rays? yes, i went to the ER for the first time in my life eariler this month. They x-rayed my not broken foot.

Y: your favorite food? Smith & Wollensky...I love steak

Z: zodiac sign? virgo, that's right...me and Bella Swan (same b-day)

Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

On Monday I took the kids to the pumpkin patch. I have been using disposable cameras since my digital died. It is so weird to have to go to the store to get your pictures, like the old days. Here are a few cute pictures of the kids. Bennett is and always has been so nice to me when it comes to taking pictures, Stella...not so much. He is always encouraging her "Stella, let's look at Mom for a picture."

Halloween Flashback

2007-10-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken about 2 weeks after Joey returned home from his mission, eight years ago. I think we were going to a single adult halloween dance. We got engaged a week later and married 3 months after that. I am a lucky girl!

Camp Pendleton Fire

2007-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is a photo my step-mom sent me. It was taken at 2 am this morning from the Chart House in Dana Point Harbor. It is so scary to see a fire so close to SC.

Major Disaster Declared In CA

2007-10-24T09:07:00.000-07:00

These fires are just devastating. It is unreal and heartbreaking to hear the numbers of people that have been displaced and a few have lost their lives. There are many that have lost their homes and many that still don't know the status of their home. I was happy to hear this morning that President Bush declared this a Major Disaster, which will allow people with no insurance to be covered by the federal government. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by this disaster (all of the residents, the firefighters and other emergency workers who have been working around the clock since Sunday).

View from space

New Template

2007-10-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks Maryam for the template info! I thought I would try this one out for Halloween until the website is fixed and I can view all the other templates.

Seinfeld Breaks Down Halloween

2007-10-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of Jerry Seinfeld. Here is a clip from his "I'm Telling You for the Last Time" CD. It is so hilarious!

10 Years

2007-10-18T22:31:00.000-07:00

Ten years ago I was baptized by my sweet husband into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was 18. I can't believe it has been that long already. This is a happy day, I am so grateful that I was given that opportunity. My life has been so incredibly blessed. I love my family so much and I am so thankful for all the wonderful and genuine friends that I have made. I wouldn't have all of these people in my life if I hadn't been given that choice. I'll always be grateful...

Happy B-Day Mom!

2007-10-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

We had a little dinner party for my Mom's b-day last Sunday night and I finally got all of our pictures together. This is my mom and my sisters debut on the blog. Sorry about the sideways pictures of the cake, I couldn't figure out how to rotate them on slide. Anyway, we had a great time! My mom and Ray just got back from a trip to NYC and Bermuda. My cute mom brings home NYC t-shirts for everyone so we could get a group photo with all of us wearing one. It was funny, and it took some time to convince Stella to put hers on. She did not want to cover up her dress.

Click below to view the slideshow:

http://www.slide.com/r/PCCbJujc5T-5eu62nhD4kOe8tR_wD32D

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, Joey brought home his camera last night so I could get a decent picture of our decorations. A ton of our neighbors are getting into decorating for Halloween. It is so fun! I love the Fall season, the crisp air and the holidays just around the corner. I think it is my favorite time of year.

Camera Problems

2007-10-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

I love Canon cameras, but mine is way too old. We have had it for almost 5 years and this is what happened today when I was trying to get a picture of our Halloween decorations...my house is dripping away!

When Joey gets home tonight with his nice, new camera I'll post more.

I'm Still Here

2007-10-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have so much catching up to do. These past 2 weeks have been crazy! Amongst other things, I have a new calling in the ward. I am the new visiting teaching coordinator. It is great because I get to know all the ladies in the ward, it just takes up a lot of time trying to stay organized.

Anyway, last week I got out the water colors and Stella was in heaven. Here is the proof...she has painted almost every day since. Now I have a huge new stack of Stella art.

Just Call Me Grace

2007-10-03T19:38:00.000-07:00

This me alone in the ER...yes I took pictures of myself.

My advice to the 6 people that actually read this blog...don't try to drink out of your water bottle and walk at the same time...especially if there is a curb that you need to step off of. You will probably end up like me...feeling like a spaz in the ER explaining what happened. I was on my way to help in Bennett's class yesterday for the very first time. I was so excited. Stella was at school and I couldn't wait to see what goes on in Bennett's class. As I was crossing the street I totally tweaked my foot/ankle and spilled my water everywhere. Luckily there were no parents and/or kids to laugh and point at me. I tried to shake it off and proceeded over to the school and worked in the class. The entire time I was thinking "okay, when is this going to stop hurting?!" After school was over I hobbled back to my car, with Bennett & Crew wondering why I was walking funny (moms don't get hurt). Then my nice friend Reny kept the kids while I went to the ER to get checked out. This is my first real injury since I was 15 and I broke the top joint of my index finger playing volleyball at the beach....and I never even knew it was broken until it healed all funny. When the kids saw me with this thing on my foot and cruches they were shocked. Bennett said "Mom, how are you going to make breakfast tomorrow?" Stella said, "you're not hurt, you're all better." But the were very sweet and concerned. Bennett brought me water, ice packs and dark chocolate M&M's without me even asking. Anyway, enough blabbing. Here are some funny photos...at least I got a cool new fake leather hospital boot out of it.

And this is what Joey came home to...

Dinner at the Jorgies

2007-09-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

I know this is so sad, but I had to capture this moment. This is not typical at our house, although I claim to enjoy cooking, I go through phases where I actually cook vs. heating up something that is pre-made (Trader Joes, etc.). My kids did not eat Cap'n Crunch for dinner tonight, so don't get me in trouble. They had chicken noodle soup....then when they saw dad eating cereal I had to give them each a small bag of cereal for dessert to be fair.