Family pics

This extened weekend has been absotly wonderful! My baby sister and her husband came in town and we haven't seen them in almost a year. We all got our family pictures done, attended a baseball game, took mom to the Princess Diana exhibit in Kansas City, and we're staying in a big house all together! We are so very blessed to get this time together!

creativity

My creative juices are a flowin'!! I've always thought of myself as creative and desiring to be artistic in some fashion, but never really lived up to either of those descriptions like I wanted to. I wouldn't say that I can whip something out of the air and sell it for $100 with out trying by any means, but I am simply coming around to the experimental side of creative projects! Don't ask me to paint or draw anything, but give me some ribbons and buttons and I'll surprise you! My near future goal is to start an etsy store and make some extra money. Nothing amazing or making enough to pay the car payment by any stretch of the imagination, but maybe enough to pay our Internet bill or... living on the edge the utility bill! We'll see! My latest project in the picture is button earrings. They are so very easy and they really catch the eye! I posted a picture of them on facebook and not even trying to I sold 7 pairs to 1 person!! I am selling them 2 pairs for $5. So yes, after using a calculator I discovered I made $17.50 on my first ever selling order!!! And that my friends will pay the Internet bill this month! (not that we cannot pay it...just allocating it in my head makes me feel good!) My next project to accomplish is a recipe box! I can picture it in my head and I have purchased all the materials needed so I just need to find time to accomplish it! Pictures to come soon...hopefully!

The love of my life!

Dear Brandon,

I love you so much! Tomorrow we are celebrating our 6 year anniversary! I still remember the first phone call we had that lasted for hours as we both layed in our dorm rooms so anxious to learn more about each other! You are so good to me and always have been! You've taught me what it truly means to be happy!

I still have the wedding gifts you sent me through out the day while I was getting ready! I remember seeing you for the first time that day as I walked down the isle towards you to begin our new life together!

You are such a Godly man and amazing dad to Jaxen! You work hard to provide for us and always make sure we are taken care of before you take care of yourself! I remember our first kiss like it was yesterday! I love you so much! Thankful for the past 6 years and looking forward to the next 60!

I love you!

Love, Your wife!!

Some fun

Brandon and I went on a late date night to go see Pirates of the Caribbean on opening night last weekend! We went after the Relay for Life so we had a late night and it was very fun! There were only like 10 people in the theater and our fun glasses are our 3D glasses! Aren't we cute! Next Saturday we'll be married for 6 years! Some days I can't believe it's been that long and other days it feels like we've been married forever (in a good way).

This upcoming weekend we'll go down to Joplin for Brandon to work in the Walgreen's down there and I'll stay with my sister while he's working. The tragedy of the tornado is so close to us! My older sister and her family are within 5 miles of the devastation. It is all so close to home! It seems like this week that is all everyone is talking about! I pray that in some way God will get the glory from this awful tragedy people are having to suffer!

Last night Jaxen was watching the video camera recordings of the past year that we've taken of him and he was cracking up at himself! He is absolutely funny!! The above picture was taken last Saturday when I went on a girls shopping day with my friends and Brandon and Jaxen had a boy's day! Which entailed playing in the mud puddle of course!

Outside!!!

The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately! Jaxen would live outside if he could! That's all he wans to do is play play play! He has been trying to say more words this week, which is good b/c he is a little slower at speaking then what I would like. I think he's in the process of working on his 2 year mollers. Joyful!! He is sitting right next to me drinking his milk in his right hand and playing with my hair in his left hand!

Thank you for continuing to pray for my dad! He started a chemo regeminet this past Monday. This particular chemo is not for his type of cancer and has less then a 10% of doing any good. The dr. didn't choose to do any scans before he began this treatment which is annoying and makes me feel that she doesn't even think it will work. Please pray for him and his spirits! He has rough days and good days. He is still working full time but we're not sure how much longer he will be able to keep that up. Again, thank you for your prayers!

Mother's Day!

This is a picture of my mom and I. It's not from today but since it's Mother's Day I thought it was fitting.

What an absolutely amazing day we had as the Shatto family! God gives us Mother's Day every year as an uplifting gift that we get spoiled and loved on!

I am so thankful that I get to celebrate today with other mothers! That is not a job that I take lightly! As a little girl I couldn't wait to celebrate Mother's Day and everything that it stood for. As we were trying to get pregnant with Jaxen it was difficult to endure others be joyful on Mother's Day, as selfish as that sounds, but as I look back on that tough time on our life I believe it truly makes me appreciate so much more of what other people go through and also being a mom.

Unfortunately, you don't have to pass a test to be a parent and take a baby home from the hospital! So many people take parenting way too light hearted and not serious enough life the amazing responsibility that it is. God has placed an eternal soul in our hands that we get to shape and mold to serve Him!

Oh, for Mother's Day Brandon and Jaxen spoiled me by giving me a gift certificate to get a pedicure, a gift certificate to Charming Charlie, and my favoritest cake decorating classes!!

My funny guy

Here is a picture of my little man! This was taken last week an hour after bed time! Brandon was getting Jaxen ready for bed and being silly put Jaxen's pants on his head and was dancing, Jaxen decided he wanted the pants on his head and so Brandon gave him what he wanted and boy was it funny! He was so funny and energetic! He ran laps around the house with these pants on his head shrugging his shoulders. He makes us laugh so much!

It's so nice to have such a light hearted comedic relief during some tough days we have! We found out this past Thursday that the insurance will not pay for the trial chemo drug that the St. Louis dr. wanted him to try. So needless to say he was quit depressed and down this past week. Please keep our family in your prayers!

My baby sister is coming home this June for about 10 days so were very much looking forward to her visit! We'll be taking family pictures and having lots of family time! Looking forward to making memories!