It's time.

Here is a journal entry from my new DayOne app I got for free from the Anniversary of the App Store. I want to say this app has helped me in overcoming things and so now I feel I need to share it too. 

I laid in bed this morning wondering why I am I unmotivated when I have really the easiest life right now. My kids are all teenagers which means they can feed and clothe and entertain themselves. My dog is now 2 so the puppy phase is over. I get to be a stay at home mom (SAHM) with access to my own car! And yet I dread every day. I read blogs of moms with younger children doing so many things all day long and yes they are tired and want a nap but still keep going and they blog about, Facebook it and even Instagram it. I work only at night for 3 hours tops. Papers are easy for me I am fast and good at it. The rest of the day should be easy. Blogging should be easy, taking pictures should be easy, working out should be easy, keeping up on house work should be easy, being active in my ward/church should be easy, making dinner or sweets should be easy. Cause I have nothing else to do!  Yet I lay in bed and think I just can't!  So last night I thought its time Shana time to change, be the person you want. Have fun with life this is the easiest it gets so take advantage of it. Enjoy yourself have a laugh or a cry. Be active not a bump in the bed that can't function cause it might not get done all the way or be the Martha Stewart way. So here's to change and may it be a good one and make smiles last forever!!!

Love ShanaMarie

AYFKM!!!!

     Are You Freakin Kidding Me!

(AYFKM)

I just watch a few clips on Yahoo! this morning and I have to vent.  

(please know this is my opinion and as such on my blog I am allowed)

There is a young womanhttp://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/utah-teen-kicked-class-because-her-hair-color-192700681.html in a Utah middle school that has been dying her hair a very pretty shade of red  it makes her feel beautiful!  I know this feeling when I color my hair I do feel lighter, happier and even more confident. But this school decided that cause in the sunlight it cast a shade of pinks and purples it was deemed a distraction and gave her a suspension! 

There is a young man growing his hair out for Locks of Love he is just 1inch away from being at the 10 inch mark for it to be used to make wigs for children with cancer.  What did the school do? 

Threaten the boy with school suspension.  

This makes me yell AYFKM!  Have we really come to a place where we can't do things to make us feel better or help others?  

My son hasn't cut his hair for almost 3 months now he is growing it out for http://www.stbaldricks.org , which is an organization that raises money for Children's cancer. (if you want to donate to my son's cause please let me know in an email he is trying to raise $100). 

Last night my daughter was having me paint her nails for awareness week at school, Wednesday was purple for domestic violence.  While doing this my son and nephew decided to do the same.  So yes today my boys and girl had purple nails at school.  If I had gotten a phone call saying my boys were in going to be suspend over this I would turn into a MOMMA BEAR and have to rip into someone. 

It made me proud that they did this to show support of a cause! Why have we come to a point in life where we can't do this or we can't do that?  I am not one easily offended by things in fact I see most things as a GOOD FOR YOU that you are doing that when it is a worthy thing. 

But Burn a Flag and I will be all up in your face!

So I just need to vent and BTW my boys will have Pink nails tomorrow for another cause!

Only one ROUTE!!!

YES!  Set in stone and no going back.  

                We as a family looked hard at the way things have been going in our lives and realized we needed a change and it needed to be a huge one! We have been flirting with the idea of giving up one of our paper routes for a long time now, just always seemed like it wouldn't be a thing we could do.  When we went on our wonderful Vacation to Disney World we saved and saved not only for the trip but to pay some one to throw our papers too!   I know Right how sad is that!!  Think of all the $$ we could have had on the trip.  This is one of the down falls of papers, you can't just call in sick or take a few days off it is your business and as such you have to take care of it ALL THE TIME!  When Dude got his new job we knew it would be hard for him to do papers and turn around and head to work.  So through this past summer me and the kids did it, he helped on the weekends.  Then came the fall and the route began to climb and I kept doing it alone no big thing at first it jumped to 500, and then came December and I was throwing an average of 850 every night and our District Manager gave us a 30 day notice cause of misses.  (back note my routes have at least 5-8 stops and starts a day which can get to be alot when you're throwing papers) (silly snow birds think they can come and go all the time).  So with the termination hanging over my head the weight of so many papers on my shoulders and still life at home with 4 teenagers and a hubby I had had it!  I talked with the kids about it and they were all in the stage of hating it as much as I did the next person to convince was Dude.  So when I talked to him about it he at first was like we are already there throwing what is another hour?  I explained that he needed to start helping everynight then.  My body was breaking down I couldn't keep it up.  Well I don't think he liked that much so We all talked and talked and decided that end of January we were done.  

                  And now I don't hate it as much! I get up at the same time but I am done way earlier than ever and I don't stress (as much).  I am a bit happier and that is a plus.  I have to say that through all the crap of it the best thing came from it was that I got time with my kids.  Time that alot of parents don't get with their kids.  We are a close family we do alot that most don't with teenagers, like go to movies, dinner out, shopping.  By this age I was done with family time for the most part.  But my kids are so different and I like that I know them and get to hear things that maybe I wouldn't if it hadn't been for it being 2:30 in the am.  

              

                 Would I ever tell someone to take on a paper route the answer is NO!  It sucks the life from you, you age faster, blah blah blah just like other jobs I am sure,  I am not saying it is only papers. 

              Sorry this is a lame post and has no fansy pics or anything else. But I wanted to get it out there.

40 years!! What to DO??

Ok so I re--looked at this post that I was working on and like I said I am feeling the panic but I am going to post this any way the way it is...this is but a tiny bit of the pictures I had to post and it looks like I got alot of them labled.  Enjoy the ones with no caption I am sure you can figure out what they are 

                    

My parents 40th anniversary is this year (Jan 28) and my mother decided she wanted to make it a super special event for the entire family.  (side note it is also my Father's birthday and even though he doesn't like to make it a big deal and that the anniversary is more important they are on the same day and we still celebrate it too).  So about 3 years ago we started talking about what we wanted to do.  We had decided to go on the Disney Cruise, something we have never done, but as it got closer Mom decided she wanted to got to Disney World.  Mom, Dad Shana and Alan had been many many years ago when we lived in Georgia.  It was decided March 2012 was the time and we would be off on the biggest thrill of a life time.  5 days on visiting the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!!   Mom and Dad said they would rent the house all the rest of us had to just get there and get in. (small and simple task right LOL).  We began planning and saving a lot of saving.  And before we knew it the time was here.  We flew from Phoenix to Orlando.  Alan and Mellanie and their family flew from Texas and met us there.  Here are a few pics from the total adventure. The first one of course is of my parents who never fail to let everyone know how much in love they really are!  They are like newly weds, we all have become used to it and to be honest we love that they let us know it too!! 

Caught in the act... Just like newly weds!

All smile for the LONG plane ride.
Toni and Emalee


Awe the boys doing what they enjoy most.  Loved that on the plane they were unplugged for the most part.


Nikolas had never been on a plan and just loved seeing all the cool patterns on the ground.

Here is half of us the Crazy ones!  lol 
Mom, Dad, Chuck and Aaron were in front of us which I am sure they were happy about.

Here is the awesome 8 bedroom house my parents found it was amazing.  We had so much room to actually live and not get one each others nerves.  There was also a pool and spa and game room.  We were less then 10 minutes from Disney World which was the best part for sure.  We were able to go home in the afternoon to eat and then rest and head back to Disney.  

Me chillin by the pool while the kids get out the pent up energy from the flight.

Here we are arriving at the first day!  (do you also see what I see I had to take a double take the van in front of us I thought it was the Hallidays! wishful thinking)  

Chuck and Nikolas waiting while Mom and Dad (grandma and grandp) got our tickets!  



My boys getting ready for FUN!!

As the sign above says...LET THE MEMORIES BEGIN!!!

The family on our first day! (Dad, Mom, Emalee, Chuck, Shana, Aaron, Nikolas, Toni, Nathan, Christian) Alan and his family went to Kennedy Space Center this day. 

When we go to Disney Land we always ride Haunted Mansion first so since we were at Disney World we decided that the first ride should be Haunted Mansion

We made it out alive.  For some reason I forgot to get a pis of the actual ride oops!  It was fabulous.

Nathan and Christian in the gallows.  I might need a set of these at home when they aren't listening to me!

LOL I even got Dude to get into it!  

The Hallidays gave us a picture scavenger hunt to do here are a few of the items.

This one is a hidden mickey.  It is a wrist band of Nikolas' we got it from the Pirates of the Carribean ride we all saw the skulls and crossbones and then Nikolas said hey I see Mickey! 

Another item was "DINGLE HOPPER"  Yes we are all combing our hair with a fork oops I mean Dingle Hopper. (watch the Little Mermaid if you are confused)

Disney Hollywood Studios Rollin Roller Coaster

Our first time on the Rockin Roller Coaster we had no idea what to expect!  It was totally awesome.  They say the ride shoots you out so fast that it carries your threw the whole ride!  Wow.

We rode 2 more times but this time we knew where the flash for the camera was and we POSED!!  1st was the ROCK ON sign!!!

3rd time we did the MINI ME sign from Austin Powers (no I am not recommending this movie but it makes for a funny pose).  Dad was in process of putting hand up but missed it.  We almost had to ride again but decided to go on to the next ride.

Yup you guessed it HOLLYWOOD TOWER OF TERROR

This was our first time on it...We rode this another 3 times but I am not finding the pics....hhmmmm

My Dad found his Ford Truck

Dad and Nikolas updated pose from a few years ago together at Disney Land.  

Nikolas is almost as tall as Grandpa! watch out 

Emalee was on a pin buying spree.  She bought and traded the entire time!

We had a snack at the ABC commissary, Emalee found this poster of one of her favorite shows.

To bad she can't drive yet!!

Emalee and Bo the Coke Guy!!

The giant hat @ Hollywood Studios

Up next it is....

Nikolas cooling off inside Star Tours.  The line moved pretty fast which was nice.

Check out our cool glasses!! ( I think the magic number for all the cool rides was 3.)  We did this one too 3 times each one was different, We loved it. 

Quick video of my Dad he got picked to be an extra for the INDIANA JONES stunt show.  

He was awesome!