Peace

Exit Glacier in Alaska...

Snow Snow Snow... just won't stop.

Beautiful Flowers...

Nature brings me peace... I love everything about nature, especially trees. It's as if they have their own whisper and when you listen real close, everything else stops and you can just breath-no worries-no cares... Nature brings me joy.

Choose Joy #25...Basketball

Basketball. It is a sport, to some it is a hobby, to me it is something that brings the family together. Every time my BIL has a basketball game our whole family goes to watch him. I have spent last year and this year going to all of Zeke's games and have met a ton of parents through this experience. I think it is nice that all the parents of the players and cheerleaders go to each game and spend time together. Basketball brings all of the family and friends from around town together. Even when I am feeling sick or tired, I don't mind going to a game because I know friends and family are there and that's all I need to get out of my shell. It is nice to have these type of people around, especially when you are new to an area. They are the ones who bring me joy!

Choose Joy #24...Peace

My DH agreed to sit on the toilet and listen to a Bible message with me while I soaked in a bath. I know this sounds really weird but it was actually relaxing and very peaceful! My brother told my DH about an online radio station that has Bible messages that are 30 minutes long. My DH and I decided that we should listen to a message every night before we go to bed. I have been feeling really tired and worn out the last couple of days and wanted to soak in a bath. It was already 9:30pm and past my bedtime, so he agreed to sit in the bathroom and listen to it while I soaked. It was probably the most peaceful thing I have done in such a long time. Being pregnant has really taken a toll on my body mentally, physically and spiritually. PJ and I are trying to focus more time on the Lord so we can be better parents for our dear Julius. He will be coming any day now and it is important to my DH that he can teach all he knows about the Word of God to Julius. We learned today that it is important to teach the young ones the Word early. Our favorite verse in the message was Proverbs 1:7a-The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge... My DH has been repeating it since the message has been over. I am so blessed to have a husband who wants to grow and learn all he can about the Word of God. It helps me stay on track and we really grow as a couple through this experience. My joy is the peace of God. The Word, my peace in marriage, my peace in my bath, and my peace in my DH!!

Choose Joy #23... my car

I finally get to drive my car!!! The snow is melting and I don't have to ride in the dirty suburban anymore!!! Whoo hoo... I definitely found joy in this... I drove myself to work today and it was sweet! Work was not too fun because it is the semi-annual sale so it was super busy. I did however, get some great deals though. Go to BBW if you need cheap lotion, soap, body wash, etc... fun stuff there!

Choose Joy #22... MY MOM!

I love my mom. Clint asked about the Trinity during Christmas dinner and she wanted to tell him through a song. She forgot most of the words and Deb and I had to help her remember. I thought this was a great time to get it on tape. She brings me joy when I am down and some how finds a way to put a smile on my face. I tried for 2 days to get the video up of her but it won't load. If you know how to do it then let me know.

Choose Joy #21... Christmas the Day After!

This morning I had to work 10-4pm and get some errands done... so when PJ picked me up, I was so tired and cranky from all the customers that were impatient and rude! We forgot about our errands and just went home. We relaxed and ended up taking a little nap after we ate. When we woke up, his parents, my in-laws were downstairs and yelled, "DON'T come down here!" Ok, so we couldn't go downstairs and instead sat upstairs and watched a little t.v. They finally said we could come down and when we did, we saw so many presents sitting by the tree. We were going to spend Christmas together on Saturday but they decided to surprise us and do it tonight.

I saw the stroller and matching car seat first and had the biggest smile on my face!!

This is a close up of one of our beautiful gifts.

We first had to do stockings first before presents and that was in the other room. Doing stockings with my in-laws is completely different from opening stockings with my family. It was like a mini-Christmas with all these presents underneath our stockings. My pile is with all the peppermint stuff because they knew I love peppermint. PJ's is the pile next to my with a boot dryer, beanies, shaving stuff, etc. I felt so spoiled and thanked God for blessing me with such a loving family.

This is a present from my SIL and her boyfriend. It is a portable swing and a Winnie the Pooh mobile. I can't wait for little JP to arrive!!


This is a Christmas present to ourselves and I put it together. I LOVE this!!

Overall, my Christmas weekend was perfect. I am so happy that God gave me such a wonderful family by blood and through marriage. It puts me at ease to know that my son will be raised by loving people who will show him the truth about Christmas every year!

Christmas Day!!!

Christmas started with waking up to mom splish splashin in the tub!! i woke up and ran to Deb's room and woke her up! Then PJ and then Clint... it took us a while to get everyone ready to open at least one present.
We ended up opening most of the gifts instead of just one and got ready for church.

After church service we came home and ate the BEST Christmas dinner in the world. It was such a relaxing and warm Christmas. It was so nice to see the family and everyone filled with joy for Christmas. I will add some pictures later...I hope everyone's Christmas was a blessing!

Choose Joy #19... Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was such a great time because we spent it with my DH's father and his sister. It was nice because we haven't seen them in a while. PJ got a great memorbilia that was of Safeco Field's first day opening with PJ's signed ticket and a picture of him and his dad inside of the frame. It made PJ so happy and I know his father was glad to see all the joy Pj was filled with! We watched Santa Claus 1, my favorite, and ate chocolate treats and chili with chips. It was a long night, but filled with family fun. After we left his house we got to my parents' house around midnight.

We had a great time with Deborah and her boyfriend Clint... PJ and Clint had to play Chess and it lasted forever!!! Deb and I were going crazy because they were so horrible!! It took them so long to make one move!! We finally went to bed around 2am and Santa was not happy about that... we woke up the next morning and got ready for church... a fun time with the family!

Finally, PJ won the chess match and Clint asked for a rematch tomorrow!

Choose Joy #18...Patience

Today was a crazy day at work and when I got off, I went to a store with my in-laws, and then to Fred Meyers. It was so hectic with all the traffic and snow. When I finally got home, I sat down and watched a movie with my in-laws. We all like to watch movies during the snowy time because there really isn't much else to do. I decided to paint my nails as french tips. I first have to paint it with the neutral color, place the sticker on the nails to divide the white tip part, paint the white tip part, take the sticker off, and paint a clear coat. As you can tell, this takes up a lot of time. When I got to the peeling off part, the sticker took my neutral color off and the nails were ALL ruined!!! I was so mad... but then I just said, hmph... try it again. So I scraped it all off and started over from the beginning. I had to scrape because I didn't have any nail polish remover. About 45 minutes later, my nails looked gorgeous and now they are ready for Christmas!!! =) Without patience I would not have been able to have these beautiful nails. lol... that was my joy in all of my craziness this day!

Choose Joy #17... walks

I <3 U !!

This is the entry way to our neighborhood from the side view.

I thought these trees were so beautiful.

Snow Bunny-that's me! =)

I found joy yesterday and today in my walks alone. Sometimes I get so emotional that I wanted to leave myself! But then the snow causes conflicts because I can't really go anywhere. Therefore, I put my snow clothes on and took a walk by myself. I just walked around the neighborhood and down by the fields because I live in a new area that is still having houses built. It was really nice to see so many white trees and the open field covered in white. I will share some of my joy with you... especially those who do not have the joy of snow.



This is me looking down...

The snowy field with the trees...

These are the trees that I took during the night.

I wanted to take a picture of our table to see how much it snowed.

These were our footprints the day before... they were actually touching the porch but now it isn't even there.

Choose Joy #17...game night!

So technically it is still December 20th because I just finished game night with my family. My SIL and her BF came over from Spokane, which was a miracle because the snow is horrific on the roads. We drove the Burb around and had the sled and snowboard connected to the back and took turns riding around the neighborhood. I had so much fun with the family and my FIL's sister and husband came to sled as well. That was a great time that led to more fun. We came in around 9:45pm and had hot chocolate and spiced cider while we talked about what else to do. They rented Hancock and everyone wanted to watch it. I said lets play games instead because a movie will put us to sleep and we could watch that tomorrow while we are snowed-in. So Pictionary was brought out!! We just finished playing that from 10pm to 12:50am!! It was so much fun because their family is EXTREMELY competitive! I am not so much... but the man I am married to, that is a different story. He yelled so loud out of joy that I fell out of my seat! There was even a point when my MIL would be looking at the other teams' picture instead of her teammate (her husband) and he looked up and said, "honey, what are you doing?! my picture is here!!" It was so funny because that is how competitive they get with each other. All in all, we lost, but we had such a great time and now we have some awesome stories to give to our children! The point is, we had fun and even in this cold, no-work weather, we are able to find joy and happiness in each other. When you are down, look to the one next to you for happiness and I bet you will find it!

Choose Joy #16...

It is getting harder to think of a time of joy due to the weather. I know that there are some who have it a lot worst, but it is hard to think we don't know when the next day of work will be. Yes, I have my part time job, but that is nothing to support our family on and it makes me a little worried. I know that we are suppose to put all our faith in God and be worry free, but some times you just can't help it. With Christmas around the corner and two families to buy for I am having a tough time. Plus, the bills and the doctor appointments! Making sure everything is aligned and trying to get from place to place. I think what I found joy in today was reading my sisters' blogs. They are always so insightful and helps me think of my life in a different view. Each sister shares something good and life-related. Without them, I think I would be worrying a lot more. So thank you to all my sisters who are always helping me get through even when you don't know it. I know we are not close and can't always talk to each other, but the blogs really do help. I love you all!

Snow Days!

I wanted to make a snowman and PJ and Zeke wanted to have a snowball fight. So here is me, rolling the big bottom...


Then PJ finally helped me make the head. He was trying to nurture it and be gentle! Weirdo! lol

I thought it looked more like a snow"Woman" so we went with it.

Here is the final product with a pea coat on and pigtails! Yes, her mouth is made of wasabi peas!

Fun times in the snow with my hubby and my baby inside! =)

GLiTteR and ShInE!!

I love decoration... especially ones that you could put out no matter what the holiday is!

This is my favorite Christmas decoration!

These reindeer are so cute. I hope one day I will have some in my home during Christmas time!

Choose Joy #14...crying

I know this sounds weird... but I found joy in crying today. As you all may know, I am pregnant and very emotional. I keep reading about making sure that the nursery is ready for the baby and that the room is warm and welcoming... even though the baby is not here yet, I still feel like I need to be prepared and the room is just too cluttered with too much crap everywhere! I started crying because all the bins were everywhere and there was NO room for a crib, baby toys, even a space for a diaper bag. My DH was trying to understand why I was getting so frustrated over a cluttered bin, but he forgets I can't stand something looking the same for too long either. He tried to comfort me and give me kisses but I said, just forget it. I buried my head under my robe on my bed and just cried until I called my parents for some advice. No luck there... put them in the garage they say. My in-laws hate foreign things in their areas and I didn't want to bug them about putting my stuff in there... so I said, just forget it. I cried until I fell asleep and woke up about 10 minutes later. My dad called and woke me up saying, just put them in bins and we can make a space in our garage for them. Don't stress out and be happy. He always tries to help in every way. I sucked it up, ate dinner and worked on my room from 8pm to now, 12:38am! My room is clutter free, the boxes are down stairs ready to be loaded in the Burb, and the room is ready for some baby stuff!! (I am registered at Target and BabiesRUs) =) So now I am going to bed worry free and stress free...

Choose Joy #13... mom

Tuesdays are so busy for me. Work at BBW, drive an hour to Bethel and go to cheer practice, then visit the parents for 1 1/2 hours, back to Bethel for a basketball game, drive home at 9pm and eat dinner around 10pm. Thursdays are usually just the same and it is so hard to figure out what my joy is on those days. Most times I am in a routine and I feel as if I am on auto pilot. I have to remember that even then, I can find joy in something. Today was hard, but I found joy in talking with my mother. We used to fight so much and we still do once in a while, but now that I am gone, I think she is more understanding and actually takes the time to listen to my thoughts. She really is the most amazing lady I have met in my life and I am lucky enough to have her as a mother. She brings joy to my life and even though she doesn't always say the right things, she means well... then makes up for it with her good cooking! =) I love her and I am so glad she is still with me and so close... when was the last time you called your mom to just talk and see how she is doing? It is nice once you do it. Plus, it makes her feel good inside to know you are thinking about her! =)

Choose Joy #12

My joy for today is very simple... quality time. I am lucky enough to have a loving husband who is there for me when I need him. I am blessed with a baby in my tummy that is growing and I have the opportunity to provide a safe and inviting environment for him. Today my DH and I ran our errands are were able to get everything done, including registering at BabiesRUs... That was time consuming, but it was a wonderful thing. I thank God for all He has given us. He truly is amazing.

Choose Joy #11

Not everyone was happy about the snow that came falling last night... and I wasn't either... until I came home today and my DH told me he might not have to work because it will be below freezing tomorrow morning. He works with concrete and he is suppose to pour concrete but it is not possible if the weather is bad. That means we might have the day off together. We made a list of everything we need to get done and if he doesn't have to work tomorrow, we will get the list done! =) That is good news for me especially because today at work was a LONG day! I know it is something small... but I take joy in everything God gives us... He does it for a reason~!

Choose Joy #10... FAMILY!

Today was the most emotional day I have ever had! I cried so many times and the weird thing is, I never cry. It takes a lot for me to cry because I just try to think of something better, but today, it was crying central! PJ got mad at me and I felt bad, then I couldn't fit in any of my jeans or my shirts, we had to go to three parties between 2-6:30pm for family and my bestfriend's grad party, off to cheer for the BB game and a cheerleader quit, none of the stunts were going up and the girls were losing focus, off to the parent's house to decorate the tree at 9:30pm in the snow blizzard, mom yells because of my tight clothes (I'm trying to show my belly she says), dad calls me a grouch because I get emotional over mom's comments, and I was just plain out tired!! I was on an emotional roller coaster and hated it! It's not as if I wanted to cry about everything, but it seemed like nothing was going right and I was trying to make sure I got everything done! Fortunately, the night turned out fine because PJ explained to mom that I can't fit in my clothes, dad understood why I was crying and PJ stopped being mad at me.

We decorated the tree and mom showed us how to make it look "natural" with the garland and Deb and Clint pitched in with joy.

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Choose Joy #9... strangers so sweet!

I love when you meet someone for the first time and they are so nice to you. I don't mean nice as in polite, but nice in a genuine way. I have had this horrible kink in my shoulder muscle that has been causing me pain and now shooting pain up through my neck and it is unbearable. I am almost positive it is from cashiering every day for two weeks straight... so today it is even worst because I had my right arm cashiering for 5 hours at work. I didn't want to do anything when I got home besides sleep, but I knew I had to go support my brother-in-law at his basketball game. So I took a nap and woke up right before we had to leave. Long story short, I met a mom of one of the boys on Zeke's team and she was really sweet. I told her about how my shoulder was killing me (and PJ even put a therma pack on it that was given to me from my dad in case of an emergency) so out of no where she starts rubbing it. I was so happy because my mom doesn't do massages and PJ doesn't really know how to give good ones. She asked if it was ok and I said, ah YES!!! =) As we watched the game, she let me lean against her knees so I didn't have to slump over and she rubbed my neck and shoulder every once in a while like a good mom should. It was really nice of her to give such "motherly" care on someone she just met. It is people like her that bring joy to my life and make me realize that there are good people out there and we should always return the favor. My challenge is to be kind to a stranger you meet and try and make their day. Especially for the holidays, there are so many bitter and cranky people out there... we need to make the best of each day! Spread the joy... be kind, rewind!

Tagged for Christmas

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate ALWAYS!
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wrap!!
3. Colored light on house/tree or white?
All colors!
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but I wish.
5. When do you put your decorations up?
During/After Thanksgiving...
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
That's hard because I only eat desserts... but PJ and I say popcorn at the movies!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
I can't remember when it was, almost every year actually, but it is when I first wake up and find my homemade stocking full of old-fashion candies and fun treats I picked from my mom's old store.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Truth about what? Oh, dad says we don't need to clean the chimney because Santa uses front doors now. Is that what you are talking about?
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes, every time... I talked my dad into it. lol
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
Lights first, then tinsel from back in the day, old ornaments, and then our ornaments we made as a family. Very sad looking, but that is our tree.

11. Snow. Love it or dread it?
Love it at home... dread it for work.
12. Can you ice skate?
ahhh, YES! I love it!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
PJ: XBOX age 16 Tabitha: don't really have one... anything Santa got me.

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays for you?
Knowing the real reason why we celebrate-Jesus' birth... and being with family.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
PIES!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Waiting until everyone is at the tree to open presents, eat and then go see a movie as a family.
17. What tops your Christmas tree?
Two angels-one from Germany that is made of wax and is melting, and the other from my mom's store.
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
GIVING!
19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Michael W. Smith- Gloria
20. Candy Canes. Yum or Yuck?
Yum! peppermint!!!! PJ likes anything besides original.
21. What do you want for Christmas?
I want Starbucks giftcards, anything from the PINK line at VS, anything Safari for the baby... overall-in March- a healthy baby.
22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party?
we started to go to PJ's work party and his side family party. Now we are starting the Cheer party also.
23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or wear PJ's?
Christmas Eve-pajamas always, Christmas morning-church clothes, then back into PJ's.
24. Do you own a Santa hat?

I did, but I don't know where it is now.
25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with?
My family... and this year I am adding my new family...

Now I am tagging:

Esther
Deborah
Corianne

My favorite RED!!!!

Jimmy Choos!

Choose Joy... #8

Names... so hard to find a right name for this baby I am having... should it be this or should it be that... who knows... it is so difficult because you want your baby's name to mean something of importance. We finally got it down to two names... either Julius Paul Wolfe... or Justus Paul Wolfe... and then if we choose Justus, how would we spell it?! Justis, Justus, Justice, who knows! Today, I am thinking about this name and this baby and trying to find the right one. I will find joy in either name and will be satisfied! If you have any suggestions, let me know...

Choose Joy... #7

My joy was being able to take my dad to a Christmas Tree Store and buying the tree he picked out!!! He has two broken ribs and normally tries to go cut one down... but I know he can't do that now. At first he didn't want to go because I think he felt bad about me paying... but we found one that was affordable. This brought me so much joy because we finally have a tree before Christmas eve, which is when dad really likes to get the tree up and leave it until Easter!!! i love him so much!

Red #1

Choose Joy #6... Christmas Wrapping!

Today is my only day off this week so I went Christmas shopping. I did so well!!! I am practically done now and I was so proud of myself! =) I even came home, ate dinner, and wrapped all my presents!!! That was my joy for today... having the time to wrap all my presents... hopefully I will get my presents out on time! Wish me luck!

Choose Joy #5...Time

On Sunday, it was church, lunch, work, and home. So I thought. Luckily I got off work at 7pm instead of 9pm and had 1 hour until the mall was closing. My DH came to pick me up and I asked if we could go to Victoria Secret and he said YES!! We walked over there and tried to find some cute and comfortable stuff I could wear. As you all know, prego means getting bigger and that is what's happening to me. So I found some cute stuff and was able to pay with a gift card and a $10 off coupon. It was great!! Then we came home and ate dinner. I thought my DH would want to just eat and go to bed since he has to be gone by 4:30am. Instead, he says, "Babe, do you want to watch 'The Break Up' before we go to bed?" Of course my answer was... YES!! I love movies and will watch them when ever I can. He normally likes to watch Sports Center, so this was a surprise to me! We eat our enchiladas and head up to our room. We were able to cuddle and watch the whole movie! Then it was about 11pm... I thought, wow, we did a lot today and even had time to spend together. It is really nice when you don't feel rushed and have time to just sit back and think about all the great things God has blessed us with. This morning we found a 2nd Bible that PJ could take with him and leave in his truck for when he gets to work early. It's as if God is showing us that there is always time for everything we want to do and time to spend with Him as well.
Time brings me joy and happiness with my family.

Choose Joy #4

Today I had a fun trip to the Christmas store with my mother-in-law and my husband... then, it was a rough day. I felt like I was getting sick and tired and I felt like crap. I couldn't fit into anything and I had to find something to wear to my DH's Christmas work party. I got so mad because I couldn't find something I looked "adorable" in due to getting larger... I tried to talk my DH into taking me to the mall and finding something new but he didn't want to spend any money. I was so irritated and just put on 1 out of 2 pairs of jeans I could fit into and a shirt that was flowy. I was uncomfortable but didn't complain and went to the Christmas party. It was nice because his boss happens to be his uncle and his grandma is the payroll lady, so I had someone to talk to besides PJ. Turns out, we won $200 because we each got to pick an envelope from the Christmas tree from the two owners of the company. Even though $100 was the minimum in each envelope, we were both greatful that we had an extra $200 to spend towards Christmas presents. So even though the day was up and down, I realized that I do have it good in life and I need to choose joy no matter what type of day I am having... because it could always be worse. Thank you God for the life you have given us.

Choose Joy #3

Caffeine...
Starbucks...
my one cup I am allowed to have a day.
I find joy and love in this alone! =)

Choose Joy #2

My family and of course, my dogs Candy and Jack. This is a picture of love with my parents. They have a love for each other, for the Bible, for learning new things, and of course, a love and passion for God. They are amazing parents who guide me and lead me in every direction and will always love me no matter what kind of trouble I get in to. They are my joy...
Then there is Jack and Candy... they are always so loving and happy and I find joy in going to see them and spending time with them. When they are not giving me kisses, they are giving each other kisses and it makes me smile...

Almost there... Barely!

This is me at a little over 24 weeks. I can't believe it is so far... It is amazing to see how far I have come... I never could imagine me prego like my sisters but I guess I am there now. =)