IT'S A GIRL!!!

I am probably thee lamest person in the world! I haven't read any of the "Twilight" series books and I just watched the first movie last night. I just haven't gotten into all the hype over a story about a bunch of vampires. I thought the movie was ok, but I need to see the next one because the first one was left open ended. Maybe I'll eventually get in the mood to read the books. Books are usually better than the movie anyway.

Well, things didn't exactly work out the way we planned, but do they ever?! Matt's job was temporary with a possibility of being long term. The job ended the day before Thanksgiving. We never did relocate because of the instability of the job. WE just visited each other on the weekends. I had gone up to Salt lake the week of Thanksgiving and we all drove back to Saint George together. It is nice to be together but we are jobless yet once again. I am thankful for the opportunity Matt had to work those two months even though it was the hardest thing we ever did. The job was a blessing even though it created many obstacles for us. I know Heavenly Father has a hand in a things, but it sure is hard to see sometimes even after it's all said and done. There is a lesson in this for us to learn.

The speakers at church on Sunday gave talks about gratitude and one point that struck me wasn't to be grateful for what I have, but to be grateful for the things I don't have. There are quite a few things I thought of that I'm grateful I don't have to endure. None f my children have a terminal illness, we don't have mounds of medical bills, we aren't homeless, we aren't suffering the loss of a loved one, we don't have to worry about where our next meal will come from, we aren't living without the knowledge of the gospel, and much more. It's an interesting perspective.

My little jelly bean!

Life is a whirlwind!

Wow, life is crazy right now! Matt got a new job, which is just what we need right now. He has been unemployed for a year and things are getting rough. We will be relocating and renting out our house.We also found out we are having a baby! I am 7 weeks along which means I am due in May. I am taking a break from school through this transition with the job. This will give me an opportunity to spend some quality time with the kids. The next few months will be crazy. I will keep everyone posted.

Baby

Pay attention to his shirt. It has a message on it.

First Day of School

Spencer's first day of first grade.

Kia's first day of preschool.

It's official! I am now accepting guests. Call and make your appointment now! 435-656-2178. Be sure to ask for Mandy W. cause there are two Mandy's.I had my first guest last night. She was a little 7 year old getting her first haircut ever. She was cute and very we behaved. Her Mom came in with a her sisters and they a had their hair done at the same time. I even got a $5 tip.

89%

Well, I have been in school for 12 weeks now. I have learned a lot more about hair, nails and makeup than I ever thought was possible. I always wondered why it took 2 years or a total of 2000 hours, which ever comes first, to be a Cosmetologist. Now I know. I'm actually a little nervous even after all that I've learned. I was more confident before when I thought I knew what I was doing. I know, sounds crazy. I took my written and floor test this week and passed both with a score of 89% on both. Weird that I got the same score on both. For the next 2 weeks, I will be a protege to another future professional. After that, I'm privileged to service guests, with supervision of course, we are still a school. So, make your appointments now.

New Spectacles

My glasses have been wired together for a while now and I finally got a new pair. I decided to go with the plastic frames with no nose pieces because almost every pair of glasses I'v ever owned has broken on the bridge or the nose pieces. They are a little hard to get used to but I love them none the less.

July 4th fun!

We have had a great few days. Matt went to Salt Lake on Thursday and won't be back until tomorrow (Monday) I have taken the kids swimming a few times, we've watched a bunch of movies and had tons of junk food! We also set of fireworks last night without Daddy. I'm telling you, we partied hard.


The kids were being big helpers by handing me the fireworks.





The family across the street was lighting their fireworks at the same time.



The neighbor family came over and shared some sparklers with the kids.

Our first watermelon

WE have a small garden in our backyard that is producing peppers, onions, tomatoes, pumpkins, and watermelons. Matt has harvested some of the peppers and onions, but I only have pictures of the watermelon. It's was pretty big, but it wasn't ripe yet. Anyone know how to tell when a watermelon is ripe? We'd love to know.

We went to the park for a birthday party where the kids had a ball. Most of the parks here have a splash pad. SPencer and Kia could play all day in the water. Wesley on the other hand, loves to explore.

The last few weeks have been really hard for Matt and I. We have experienced a set back in our relationship which has weighed us both down quite a bit. We have dealt with similar issues throughout our marriage, but we had a lot of council a couple of years ago which has helped us learn how to communicate better. We are beginning to rise above this obstacle and see the other side. I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father that hears and answers prayers. I feel comfort and peace and know that what doesn't kill me will make me stronger. I am gonna be one strong women someday, that's for sure!

This is just a few examples of services I've performed on my mannequin.
Cornrows.




Diagonal Slice (bleach highlights)


Spiral Perm. We didn't actually use the solution. We just rolled the hair and then took out the rods when the hair dried.



First hair cut on the mannequin. THis is called a square one length.

LovSac

We found this lovsac at D.I. for $20! What a steal. They are anywhere between $300-$600 new depending on the size. The kids love it.

Little Black Mountain

On Sunday we decided to go for a drive to this mountain where there are some cool indian drawings. It was really hot so we packed lots of water and granola bars and nuts. You never know when you might get stranded somewhere. Anyway, this mountain is actually over the state line in Arizona. It was really fun and I realized half way through our hike why I thought it was so fun. I could actually walk and hike without getting tired! I was amazed! 6m-1 year ago, I would have dreaded going and I wouldn't have had any fun.

This the mountain and some cool petroglyphs we saw.









Isn't he cute!

There were some coins tucked inside a little cave in this rock. No one dared put their hand inside. I kept thinking of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where the girl puts her hand inside the wall. Later matt used a stick to get them out. A dime and a penny, I think, is what was in there.

Kia was starting to feel hot and sick. I carried her on my shoulders for a while.

This pic turned out so cute I wish I'd been in it.

Fun exploring.





About half way through our hike, Kia started getting really hot. I had her sit down in the shade and drink her water. She was feeling like throwing up, but Matt doused her with water and carried her for a while. She began to feel much better after that.


Kia was really good at reading the map. She found where we were and told us where to go to get to the car.


By the time we were done and heading back to the car Wesley too was having heat stroke. WE doused him with water and
Matt carried him the rest of the way.