True Companions

Picture Tag For Picture Tag this is what you do: 1. Open your picture file 2. Go to the fourth folder 3.Open the fourth picture 4. Post the picture on your blog and write about it. Sounds very easy and straightforward. So here it is: It's not surprising that the 4th picture would be one of Jilly. It was taken on my birthday (July 29th). I was trying to take a picture of her with her new earrings for my sister - but every time she smiled her chubby cheeks would cover them up. LOL

So, my friend Sarah took our family pictures. I LOVE THEM!!! They are so awesome. Greg posted them to his Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geowulf/ They are so great! She did such a good job! .: (You really should read this first!) :.

So the kids FINALLY convinced me that we should decorate our tree. This would be the first year that I was brave enough to allow them to put the ornaments on themselves. Usually I just do it while they are at school or gone somewhere so I didn't need to worry. This year I let them help. Actually they did everything except one ornament (my special bird) and the angel on the top. And believe it or not I didn't have to do too much fixing. Actually all I had to move was some of them that were actually sitting on the floor and some that had three or four per branch. It's fun. It is a fun tree. I did realize that the girls don't have very many ornaments that are theirs. I may need to fix that. Maybe we will start something new this year. We will see what I come up with. The final product:

Sooo....what does it feel like to be the parents of the most amazingly beautiful baby ever you ask???? It is spectacular!! My friend Sarah took family pictures for us for Christmas. This is the only one I have gotten so far but isn't she amazing??

Here in Arizona we like to visit with Sanchez Claus. Sometimes he is also referred to as Kris Gringo. He's the guy you consult with and ask for presents for Christmas. You know the guy, right?!

Danny lost his first tooth today!! We have been dealing with a bit of a "snaggletooth" (as my sister kept calling him) for quite a few days now. Every time I would touch it he would screamand cry. This morning he crawled into bed with me and when we were ready to get up he rolled over and said "hey - my tooth fell out". And that was it. He is excited for the tooth fairy to come tonight. We were supposed to be in San Diego today for Brandee's wedding - I'm still soo sad we weren't able to go. Jilly and I were both diagnosed with pneumonia the other day. Blech!! I was more worried about her. When we went to the Urgent Care my mom went with us and they made them check me out also, and my nasty cough. I guess it is a good thing they did. I probably would have never gone in to be checked. So, since Greg had taken the day off we decided to put up the Christmas Tree. After school, we are going to get the kids and go see Santa and then they can come home and dec...

You guys missed an awesome party!!!! But don't worry you can still order and get your items before Christmas. Feel free to shop the catalog online and call me to place the order 763-458-9177. I would like to close my party by Friday, but if you know you are going to order and need a little longer - call me and let me know. SCENTSY IS SAFE for your home and family. No Wick, No Flame, No Soot, No Worries! You will LOVE Scentsy!

I missed a few things in the last few weeks so I thought I would just do one entry and briefly tell you all about them! For those of you who don't know I am the Webelos Scout Leader. That means I am the( as Greg likes to call me) Den Mother, for the 10 year old boys. I was very afraid to accept this calling - but I am having so much fun!! It has been very surprising! We went to the Casa Grande Ruins and had a man come up to us. He served in the military (he was wearing his dog tags and a military hat). He came up to Becky (my assistant) and I and thanked us for all we were doing to help raise responsible and good boys to become good and strong adults. Even now I get a bit choked up as I think 'NO, thank you for all you do for us!!' Hunter is a Woolf (a wolf but I spell it my way!!) but he is almost done achieving all of his goals. I think he will receive his Wolf at the Pack Meeting in December. Soccer finished for the boys on the 22nd. They had an awards ceremony and each ...

Come and see the hottest new thing in candles. Come and smell the AWESOME Scents of Scentsy. Get some of your Christmas shopping done and shop while having fun with friends. SCENTSY IS SAFE for your home and family. No Wick, No Flame, No Soot, No Worries! You will LOVE Scentsy! See you at the party and if you have any questions please call Jen at 520-723-2808 or 763-458-9177 Bring a friend receive a gift! 12/3/2008 6:00pm-8:00pm (COME & GO) The Home of Cecily Du Pont 2826 East Morrison Ranch Parkway GILBERT, AZ 85296 If you can't come (or don't want to come - I know, I'm realistic) Feel free to shop the catalog online and call me to place the order. It's awesome!!!

Live Nativity Program Dec. 5-6 6:30pm and 7:30pm Free to all! located at: LDS church parking lot 33794 N. Gary Rd Queen Creek, AZ **It is supposed to be awesome...camels, donkeys...the whole works! Anyone can come...spread the word! **

So occasionally I will put some things up on YouTube. I decided to join in on the fun of this interactive telephone game.

As I have always been a movie junkie, I have been soo excited to find ways to watch movies on my computer. I recently found www.iwannadownload.com where I can download movies that are still in the theaters.....(Like...oh I dunno...TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!). I downloaded BOLT yesterday. It is soo easy!!! YEAH!!! To quote another movie....'I love technology. I really love technology.....' Can you name the movie?

OK...so after the initial craziness that followed the statement of "Mom!! Danny's gum has been smashed into the carpet for over a week!!" I went online to find out the best way to remove it. I tried freezing it to no avail. I read about trying peanut butter. So I did. This was so much fun!! It was amazing to watch the gum literally disappear under my fingers. And then once the gum was gone, I washed the spot with a liquid dish detergent and water mix and the spot was perfectly clean. This was by far the most fun I have had cleaning a potential carpet disaster!! LOL

I have always been a fan of IMPROVE EVERYWHERE . But my favorite one has probably got to be this one from March . It turns out that some of the video doesn't show some of the cast riding in on skateboards. In case you are wondering.. the soundtrack was actually piped in on the regular food court speaker system. (You gotta love the 'security guard' part). The reactions are awesome. I think if I had been there I would have joined in just for the fun of it. Food Court Musical from ImprovEverywhere on Vimeo .

OK. So I read someones blog that had this story that explains it all. As I understand it, this is an article that was attributed to David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. and Professor of Economics at the University of Georgia. It, however, was not and it is still undetermined in it's authorship . It is very poignant nonetheless! For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible. =========================================== The Story of How Taxes Are Paid In America Suppose that every day, ten men go out for drinks and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this: * The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. * The fifth would pay $1. * The sixth would pay $3 * The seventh would pay $7. * The eighth would pay $12. * The ninth would pay $18. * The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59. So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar e...

OK... here are the pictures you have waited for... Thanks Jamie - YOU ROCK!!!

Alright....as we continue to liquidate my father's cameras we are beginning to make some headway. Considering where we started (look at blogs from June and July 2008). I know my sister is VERY happy to be making a dent in the boxes at her house. Here is the updated list. Some of the items have been listed on eBay . If you have questions about anything or are interested just let me know by leaving a comment or sending an email to jen1shep@aol.com . We are willing to consider all offers. Thanks so much!! Rangefinders Argus C-Forty-Four $400.00 Kiev 4 AM $200.00 Minolta AL $40.00 Minolta Autowide Optiper MVL $100.00 Yashica Lynx-5000 $50.00 Folding Cameras Kodak Vest Pocket Hawkeye Camera $50.00 Victo Conley Junior $50.00 Zeiss Ikon - Contessa $300.00 Zeiss Ikon - Ikonta $150.00 Single Lens Reflex (SLR) Canon Pellix $225.00 Canon T50 $25.00 Fujica AX3 $100.00 Fujica AX-3 (Body no lense) $75.00 Konica Autoreflex T $125.00 Konica Autoreflex TC $75.00 Pentax P3n $75.00 Topcon UNI $100....

I received this email from my friend Kayte. It made tears come to my eyes and my heart swell in pride. I thought I would post it for all of you to read. HEAR HEAR KAYTE!!! I just got back from exercising my right to vote. This is the 4th time I have had the privilege of voting in a presidential election, but today was the first time I felt the awe of such an important right, as I walked outside after voting I teared up at the thought of what an amazing country I am blessed to live in. What an amazing honor, right, and privilege we Americans are given. I hope all of you take the time to vote in this election regardless of which candidate you choose. I don't know if my guy will win, so far this election cycle I have been called a racist and narrow-minded simply because I disagree with some one's views , but I do know that regardless of who wins this election I will speak respectfully to others and of the president-elect. I may disagree with his policies and views but I will honor...

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? Didn't go to prom. 2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? No. 3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink? Robutussin. 4. What was your FIRST job? Paperboy 5. What was your FIRST car? Mazda stationwagon I bought for $500 in a shady deal. 6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? Jennifer 7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Jennifer 8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Harris I think 9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? It had to be Utah or Las Vegas 10. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with him/her? My first best friend was my brother Christian, and so, YES I am still friends with him. 11. What will be your FIRST thought when you wake up tomorrow morning? I wonder what will happen after this election? 12. Where was your FIRST sleep over? The first one I can remember was with Rick Knudsen 13. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Jennifer 14. Whose wedding were you in the FI...

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? Jonathan Hornberger 2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? Not much, but he is on my facebook. 3. What was your FIRST alcoholic drink? Wine cooler 4. What was your FIRST job? Paninos – I was a dishwasher 5. What was your FIRST car? 1981 Ford Fairmont 6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? My sista 7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Jilly (probably cause she woke me up) 8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Huble and Mrs. Olin 9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? From Minneapolis, MN to Orlando, FL 10. Who was your FIRST best friend and are you still friends with him/her? Amy Kocon. YES!! 11. What will be your FIRST thought when you wake up tomorrow morning? I wonder if I made any money on eBay while I slept? 12. Where was your FIRST sleep over? My oldest sister’s – but I had my mom come and get me in the middle of the night (even though it was 45 minutes away) 13. Who was the FIRST...

I have gotten a bit behind in my blogging so I thought I would take a quick minute and try and catch up..... Last weekend (10/25): The Young Women of our ward had a fund raiser taking family portraits. It was the first time that I could do a pink and blue picture without me being the only one in pink! So we did. I have not received the family pics back yet but once I do I will post them. But I had Greg take some pics of the kids and some with mom. Immediately following the photo session, the boys played their first soccer game: This past Friday was Halloween. I previously put up the annual pumpkin patch. YEAH!! The boys decided their costumes early - Hunter was Mutt Williams from Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and Danny was Superman. Jilly used a costume from my friend Amber - so she was an adorable little lamb. We went to the ward trunk or treat and then came home and hit a few houses on our way to mom's. All in all it was a great time.

I've decided that it's time that the local photographers in this (Florence) area need to get together to collaborate on photography. So I would like all the people who read the blog, are here in AZ, and have a strong interest (or side business) in photography to leave a comment on what kinds of things they are interested in learning "hands on". SO! This is what you do: 1. Send me an email to let me know you want to be included (gwoolf at hotmail dot com) 2. Tell me what you are interested in learning. 3. Let me know if you are interested in sharing what you know. 4. Prepare for a whirlwind of knowlege to sweep you up and help you improve your skills!! Some ideas I have in mind are: How to streamline process in Photoshop, Creating actions, How to mask like a pro, Brushes - No paint required, using off camera strobe to improve your lighting, what every photographer should know about color temperature, All about F-stops (and not just aperature). Please spread the word, t...

Alright, Anna sent another one of these so instead of doing it on email I am posting it here..... What color are your socks right now? Socks? I live in AZ What are you listening to right now? Greg and Danny talking What was the last thing that you ate? Waffles (thanks for breakfast honey!!) Can you drive a stick shift? It’s been a while, but yes. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Spoke to: Laura; Text: Erica Do you like the person who sent this to you? She’s one of the best sister-in-laws EVER!! How old are you today? 33 What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Ugghh sports on TV? What is your favorite drink? Milk Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes. At least twice a year Favorite food? Homemade tacos What is the last movie you watched? Mamma Mia!! (last night for Maddie’s birthday) Favorite day of the year? Any day I spend with my family How do you vent anger? Other than yelling? Talking to my mom or husband (or his mom if he is the problem) What was your favorite...

BEFORE THE FEAST: AFTER THE FEAST: Jilly had her 4 month doctor's appointment today. She weighs in at 13 lbs. 4 oz. (45% of average 4 month olds) and is 25 inches long (80% of average four month olds). She is tall and thin.....not a bad way to be. :-) So after her check up (and the shots - poor thing) the doctor said she was definitely ready for cereal. So we came home and gave it a try. She wrinkled her nose a lot and everything came out at least once before she figured out that she should swallow it. But she was (is) dang cute doing it!! So, now we have a new fixture in the dining room....the high chair. YEAH!!

I think this about sums up how I feel as well.... ================================= Prop 8: It's Impact: GREAT Susan Noyes Anderson 10/16/2008 06:00 PM MDT *EDITOR'S NOTE: Anderson was a former writer for Mormon-Life and is now a freelance writer. The following article was recently published on her blog. Warning: This is not a "politically correct" post, at least where I live, but I feel obligated to make a statement of my beliefs and concerns about Proposition 8 due to its critical importance in this election. I'll begin by affirming that I have no bias against gay individuals or groups per se and that I respect them as friends and associates. Neither do I oppose domestic partner statutes affording them any and all legal rights enjoyed by heterosexual couples in a marriage relationship. (Family Code 297.5) What I do oppose, specifically, is changing the legal definition of marriage to anything other than between a man and a woman. Here's how I see it. Domest...

So I have this co-worker that decided the other day, to condescend to his fellow co-workers about how immoral it is to do things. He then broke out into a boasting session about how he is so 'unique' because he doesn't steal music, go beyond the posted speed limit, or copy movies he rented from the video store. He would then proceed to ask the co-workers (who are obviously beneath him) to help him understand why we would choose to do such sinful acts! One of my comrades was about to 'go off' on his insane expressions of superiority but decided that it would be stooping to his level to point out that his life is not as 'moral' as he claims. Admittedly I would have taken pleasure in seeing him ripped to shreds but alas, I had to agree that stooping to a level of inferiority would not be the 'better' thing to do. This co-worker was the same individual that made the claim that he is a REAL Christian because he reads the BIBLE. He then went on to proclai...

OK I know 4 months isn't really very old...but I am sad that she is growing up at all! I am having so much fun with her! She is happy ALL the time. There is nothing better than being woken up to her talking in her bed in the morning. She doesn't roll much yet - mostly when she is mad. But it's coming. She is VERY strong and it probably won't be long before she is sitting on her own. YEAH!! Isn't she just dang cute!! (I realize I am a bit biased....I say this often don't it) LOL

Who says kids shouldn't watch TV until they are 2??? Jilly loves the TV. My mom regularly has her watch Sesame Street. I had to get a few things done and she was demanding all of my attention (I know baby attention is tough [heavy sarcasm]). So I turned on Playhouse Disney and she is having a great time!! She is watching intently and kicking and laughing with them..every now and then she will even yell at the TV. She did the same thing when we went and saw Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. She was awake the whole time and yelled at the movie screen. She loves the colors and the noise. It is soo fun to watch!!!

Well apparently I now live in The Napping House (which is one of my FAVORITE books!!) Everyone has been asleep in my house since 8:15 p.m. Crazy!! Danny came home from school today and told me he had a tough day because he was so tired. (We were up a tad too late with the Powers family last night!) I said that he could go to bed a little earlier tonight at 7:30 - and he willingly agreed (he must have been tired). Than as I was going through his clothes it hit me like a ton of bricks why...he is going through a growth spurt!! All his pants are becoming high waters and his shirts are all becoming belly shirts! So I spent a couple of hours in his clothes and took out everything under size 6. Then restocked with size 7. Soon both my boys will tower over me!!!! Hunter (at age 8) is already past my shoulders. CRAZY!!! Here is a picture of a couple of my napping darlings! Aren't they soo cute!!

My Friend Erica posted this: Breast Cancer Awareness Month I had my first mammogram when I was 25 - the doctors thought I was crazy until they heard my family history. Then on my 29th birthday I thought I found two lumps - I was terrified and I didn't tell my family (except of course my mom) - I had the LONGEST ultrasound and mammogram EVER, which scared me even more and then waited and waited and waited. Finally I was told to keep an eye on it but that it was "normal", actually I don't think those were the exact words they used - anyway - I had put off going back - then my mom got cancer - not breast cancer mind you - but cancer, and it was stage 3b. I won't be putting it off again. So it is my turn to get on my soap box and get all "preachy" - if you don't get checked on a regular basis...you need to! Make sure you get a yearly mammogram - I hate doing it as much as everyone else - no one wants to have their chi-chi's mashed as flat as possible...

Sometimes its not the image itself but where the elements are placed on the page!

IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF EVERYONE ON MY BLOGROLL COULD ADD ME TO THEIR "MEMBERSHIP" LISTS! It's kinda frustrating to go through my blogroll and I can't even go to have of the sites on my list. My email address is gwoolf at (take your pick of either gmail or hotmail).

Yesterday was Daniel's birthday. I realize this isn't big news, but when we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate his birthday, we stopped at the Walmart on the way. Grandma let Danny pick out a toy while we were there. While Danny and I walked into the toy section, I noticed he was doing the 'potty dance' so I asked him if he needed to go.. He said NO. So I said, "Alright, but I'm going to be in here for a few mins..." and then I walked into the bathroom. He followed. When we both returned to the Toy section, Danny said, "Oh boy, where did Grandma run off to? She's got quick legs". I had to snicker... he always says the funniest things. I figured I would write some of these down while I remember them... Which reminds me, one time he was in the car driving down the road with his Aunt Kathy and started singing some made-up lyric about how the church they had passed was not a 'christian church'... (It's funny when Kathy tells th...

My baby is 6!! I keep saying this and yet it doesn't seem very real. I am not sure where the time has gone. Yet SOOO much has changed since this time six years ago. Danny has always been a HUGE blessing in my life. He is the child that is most like me (I guess the one my mother wished on me many years ago). I just hope that as he grows his decision making abilities will be better than his mothers! Danny proved from the very beginning that he wanted things his way. He turned transverse right before I was supposed to give birth and then when we were at the hospital for the C-Section he turned again and so I had him naturally. That was my first clue that he was going to potentially be a tad bit difficult. Not difficult really......just challenging. ;-) I was given a blessing before he was born that said that he and I would have a very strong and special bond. I am sure that is because I understand him. The way he thinks just seems to make sense to me. I told him this morning that I wa...