Thursday, November 12, 2009

*Family Updates*

It has been a while since I have last blogged. I promise I am working on a few of them! So I figured I would take the time to get our family and friends up to date with all the new happenings.

Kiannah- is 3. She will be 4 in January. She has recently developed a major fear of Swiper. I don't get why or how but I suspect that it has something to do with some older kids I know teasing her about Swiper being in the closet and that he will steal her. What ever it is ... She wants NOTHING to do with Dora movies until they take Swiper out of her movies! She is doing well. She is in Sunbeams at church this year and will repeat it next year. Since her birthday is so early in the year they gave us the option of another year of Nursery or two years of Sunbeams... She HATED Nursery. She has the absolute most awesome Sunbeam teachers and she is happy. She told me the other day that the girls in her class don't like her though! :( She is growing fast and is learning a lot.

Johnathan- is 10. He is attending his last year at Asbell Elementary. He is still participating in the scouts at church. He is a little behind on his badges and we are working on getting caught up. He is doing well in school for the most part. He is struggling a little with Math but the teacher is confident that if he studies a little harder and applies himself more that he can and will be just fine. He is wanting to learn more magic tricks and jokes. He loves watching Sci-fi movies with his dad and is working on developing a Sci-fi comic book.

Imanni- is 11. She will be 12 next month and go into the Young Women group at church. I am excited for her to make more friends at church that are struggling with the same issues she is. She definitely has her own style. Her most recent pictures she has taken of herself is of her wearing "nerd glasses". She loved them so much she would wear them to school. She killed them the other night when she stepped on them. She was sad! :( She is in her first year of Middle school and is doing decently. Her science grade was a little low but again .. She just needs to study! She reads all day long. That is her most favorite thing EVER!!!

Davone- is currently attending school at Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale Arkansas. He is LOVING it! He is learning a lot and doing rather well in his classes. He still rides his motorcycle when he can. He is going to school full time and working part time so he is tired a lot of the time. He is eagerly anticipating Thanksgiving break where he can have a few days to just rest up. He spends time with us as often as possible. We have recently started a family movie night and the whole family loves getting into their pajamas and then dragging all the blankets into the living room while we all watch movies together.

Me (Sherry)- I am still trying to unpack everything after we moved. I have misplaced a few really important things and that has added to my slow efforts around the new place. The new place is actually smaller and has less storage but we needed a new change for many different reasons. I hope to find a small table soon to set up my sewing machine and work on a few quilt tops for friends. I have been exercising more since we have moved closer to the city trail system. I drag Davone with me so I won't be alone on the trails. You can blame that on my mom wanting me to watch Rescue 911 with her when I was little and then also watch a lot of Unsolved Mysteries ( I do miss that show ). I am a little paranoid! ;) I am looking forward to visiting with my Best friend Angel in December when she comes back to this area for Christmas and then Kiannah and I will travel back to Virginia to hang out with her for a few days too.

Overall we are just still trying to adjust to the new place ( if you need our address for your mailing lists just message me and I will get it to you ) and make it through until the school year is over. Please continue to say prayers for Davone and his studies. He is doing well but it is still stressful on him. We have a lot to look forward to during the Holidays and we are excited that 2010 is holding a lot of fun and new adventures for us!!!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

I got a fortune!!

So my friend Charity did a post about a fortune cookie that she had got with her lunch not long ago. I went out for Chinese food with my Mom, Imanni, and Kiannah and got a way sweet fortune! It said:


"Your current Plans will be successful!"


I totally love that fortune!
I have a lot of great plans and look forward to accomplishing them!

Monday, August 10, 2009

So sorry!

I am so sorry for the lack of interest I have shown in blogging. I promise I will get back in touch with everything.I have a lot of posts to do but the only way for me to get caught up is to start now and work on the back posts as time permits. Just to get you caught up on the news I will give a quick update!

Davone- Was accepted into the votech program for auto mechanics. After much searching I think he finally found what he wanted to do. He is super excited to start school on the 24th and was approved for a grant that will cover all the costs of his schooling. He LOVES to ride his motorcycle and rides frequently with friends. We are looking forward to Bikes, Blues, and Barbecue this year!

Imanni- is currently 11. I can't believe she will go to Young Women's classes this year at church. She will go this week to get her schedule and her locker at her Middle school. I can't believe she is starting the 6th grade. She is starting to go the a rebellious phase... Anyone who knows me ... knows I put a stop to that one! ( no way can I deal with another "me" )

Johnathan- has already started the 5th grade. I can't believe this is his last year in Elementary school. He is still active in the boy scouts. He is 10 and is completely girl crazy!

Kiannah- 3 years old and full of trouble! She is in Sunbeams at church and will be there again next year due to her birthday falling in January! She is VERY strong willed and makes sure everyone knows what she wants!

ME- I am well. I have a new calling at church.... Valiant 11-12 teacher in Primary. I am very excited to get to know the kids in my class. I love Primary even though it has been 18 years since I have had to be in Primary! I am sure I will figure it all out soon enough! Davone and I just celebrated our 5th anniversary with a Motorcycle ride to Eureka Springs with Friends... the Guest of Honor.... was the Bishop who married us! We love Jan and enjoyed the friends that also came with us!

I will get started on the current posts and do a lot of back posts soon so keep an eye out for them!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Minicure!!

Today Kiannah recieved her first ever manicure!! I tried my hardest to get her to pick out a decent color but she totally wanted to pick out her own color. She picked a BRIGHT Neon Green type of color! She was so cute. I did not have my camera with me to take a picture. Kiannah thought she was so grown up! 

Friday, March 20, 2009

It has been a while!!

I have totally been slacking at updating this... I have been totally busy trying to get ready for my trip. I have 21 days to go!! I can not wait!! I promise When I get home I will have tons of posts to show for it all!! The kids are on spring break right now... Not that we did anything with them. The time they have spent home they cleaned then the time they spent at Grandma's they did what they wanted! I will update more soon I just wanted to let everyone know that we are still around. I have just been really busy with Church, School stuff for the kids, Getting ready for vacation, and other things. 

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Nothing is promised!!

A Friend of mine died over the weekend. It was VERY sudden and totally unexpected! We were not close friends. I actually dated him for a short time in High school and was really great friends with his brother during high school and his sister-in-law and I were BFFs growing up . I have a lot of nice memories of the time we spent together. He was a great guy! I am not going to get into what happened and how he died. His family is having an extremely difficult time right now ... understandably so! I can not imagine the grief that they are going through at this time. I am thankful that I know that when this life is over that we can still be together in the Heaven. I wish that his family could know these truths as well and I pray they will someday! I am saddened to know that his life was cut short and that he will never know the joys of having the children that he dreamed of, but I know that he is whole now. I pray that his family will find the comfort and peace that they need! 

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Mormon Helping Hands

A couple of weeks ago we had the worst Ice storm this area has ever seen!!
The cleanup is still needed very much even today!
I can not believe how many trees were damaged!

Today our ward got together and put on the bright yellow shirt of the Mormon Helping Hands! It was so awesome to get together with the rest of the members of the church and provide service in our community.
I have heard about the Mormon Helping Hands in places like Utah and Colorado and California... But I have NEVER heard of them doing things out here!! 
We had quite a few Priesthood holders and their sons and even some of the Relief Society sisters ( myself included ). We went to assist members and non-members, young and elderly. While we drove from one pre-determined location to the other we looked for other opportunities to serve as well!! One house there was an 80 year old women who lived by herself and had a rather big yard. Her Yard was COVERED with downed limbs. I can not imagine what was going in her mind and what ideas she was trying to come up with to clear her yard. 
The best thing about it was.... When we went there you could see how discouraged and worried everyone was and by the time we left you could tell how totally grateful and relieved people were!  We used chainsaws, rakes, gloves, ladders and brooms... more importantly we used perseverance, love, and compassion! I have NEVER had a more meaningful and enjoyable day of service!! I will not be able to move tomorrow, because I can barely move now but I am thankful that I was able to participate in such an awesome experience!!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Signs of spring??

Just last week we had one of the biggest Ice storm in the history of 
Northwest Arkansas. 
We are still in the process of cleaning up after the storm. 

Today I noticed several signs of spring....

I noticed a Robin eating the bird seed that I put out during the storm



I noticed one lone Daffodil flower standing by itself!

If that wasn't enough the Ice cream man started making his rounds today!!! 
Are you kidding me?
Is it really that warm?

I THINK NOT!!!!

Monday, February 2, 2009

How nice of them!!

Some old friends of mine decided to pay for a Carribiean vacation for myself and my bestest friend!  You want to know who these nice people are??? 

That is right the IRS!!!

My bestest friend Angel filed her taxes and decided to pay for her and I to go on a much needed and much anticipated vacation. She decided a cruise would be perfect! Who am I to complain? I mean it is free on my part. She picked me out of all the people she knows.... because she loves me!

Today.... I got some awful passport pictures taken and then went to the post office and applied for my passport. Then we did some other errands that we needed to take care of then Angel got on the computer and paid for the trip. So it is official.... We will leave April 11th and drive to Galveston Texas then board the ship on April 12th.
April 12th is Easter Sunday. I feel super bad about abandoning my husband and kids and missing Easter.... BUT I really want to go, so we will just have plan something before I leave! I can't wait to go!!!

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ice storm 2009


Tuesday January 27 ...
We woke up to absolutely chaos.  The electricity was off and everything was icy! 
The last time we had a severe ice storm was in 2000. I didn't loose electricity during that storm and it was nothing compared to what we were in store for! Over the next couple days we experienced spotty electricity, loss of heat ( when we did have electricity), loss of phone service, and sadly loss of Internet!! 
Thankfully the apartment we live in has a gas stove and oven so that even when the electricity was off we were still able to cook hot food and keep the apartment rather warm! 
I did venture out a few times to take pictures and 

This is a picture of some of the limbs that broke off right beside our bedroom window!



This is a picture at the Asbell... The pine tree bent completely over.



I thought the ice was very pretty... It was absolutely beautiful!



You can actually see how much ice is on the branches.... 
These branches were actually rather thick!



All that Imanni did during her week long furlough was read the twilight series!



Kiannah wanted so bad to go outside, but once she was outside she didn't like it so much!



Asbell school driveway... Lots of cleaning to do after the storm!



Johnathan ventured out also.... More limbs that broke off trees littered the playground


I thought the Pine trees were absolutely beautiful !!


Monday, January 26, 2009

Straight forward and to the point!

Recently I was reading something and came upon this quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley:

"In my 90+ years, I have learned a secret. I have learned that when good men and good women face challenges with optimism, things will always work out! Truly, things always work out! Despite how difficult circumstances may look at the moment, those who have faith and move forward with a happy spirit will find that things always work out!"
I love how President Hinckley was straight forward and to the point about everything. He knew exactly how to speak to people and make them understand the importance of everything. I figured that a lot of people that I know could use this quote. It is a real testament to not stressing about things you have no control over and allowing Our Father in Heaven to be in charge of our lives. 
A lot of times our negative outlook and our stresses affect how things turn out... It is hard to always remain happy and content but Our Father in Heaven will always take care of things if we let him. I guess we can look at it as  Maybe Heavenly Father wants to do for us to just because he can... and if we don't whine and cry about it, it will get done but if we whine and cry about it... then we can do it ourselves ...I know I do that with my kids ... Maybe Father does that with his kids sometimes!

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Becoming Self Reliant

Okay so maybe this is not what our Prophet was talking about when he teaches about this topic, Anyone who KNOWS me knows I tend to read stuff into what people say. 
Well so I was thinking... We need to be able to rely on our government LESS and on Oil LESS and on Stores LESS. Yeah umm... I gotta go to the store... I am not yet at the point of making butter and gathering eggs ( even though I would love to be at that point some day! ). 
There are lots of ways to use less oil so that will be the one we focus on first. We haven't had a car for a while now, but we have been blessed to have the chance to use my mother's van whenever we need!
While Davone and I have talked we have decided our goal is to become self reliant. We want to get to the point where we are able to do for our selves and not be concerned when there is no one to catch us when we fall!!
So with all the running around usually done by one to two people we figured this year we would invest in a scooter. NO not one of the little ones you see around town that goes 25 to 30 Mph this one goes 60 or 65 Mph. 80 miles per gallon. So when gas gets back up to $4 a gallon it will cost us $16 a month for gas as opposed to $240 and up. So we figured after about 5 months... the scooter will pay for itself. The extra money we save will be used to help pay off debt and invest in camping supplies  ( you know just in case we all have to live in the woods )! Camping supplies are another chapter in the "Valentin Family guide to being self sufficient" but that will be a story for later! :)
This is not the color but this is the style of the scooter Davone got!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

History is made!



January 20, 2009 is indeed a historic day! 
Where was I the day the first African American was sworn in a President of the United States of America??
I was sitting in my living room with Kiannah and my Visiting Teacher... Linda Connor.
No matter who you voted for you have to have love and respect for this day and all of the people who have sacrificed and fought so that our government can continue the traditions of Democracy! 
I am thankful for the opportunity for the innocent children to finally see and understand that no matter where you came from and no matter who you are that they too can amount to greatness. 
I will never fully understand the joys that my husband's Great-Grandmother feels this day but I am thankful that my children and their children will never have to know the sorrows that she has had to face in her lifetime! 
I did not vote for this President and I will not defend my political views but I will say that I will pray for this President and the other leaders of our nation. 
I am grateful for the chance to experience a historical and beautiful occasion and optimistically look forward to the next four years!!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Kiannah is 3!!

I wanted to do a cake.. Not just a plain cake!
I have NEVER attempted to make a cake that looked like something else and I have no equipment to do so, but I think it turned out decent!!

The best part of Kiannah's day was that her best friend in the whole world ( Aubrey ) was able to come up from Little Rock with her parents and brother!
We hadn't seen Trevor and MaryAnn and Aubrey and Coleman since Thanksgiving....Which is not long but Aubrey used to live across the hall from us and they got to see each other every day and when ever they wanted! 



They enjoyed laughing with each other and playing together! Kiannah got a lot of nice gifts ... Thanks to all who came to the party! Her grandmother Wanda sent a gift from New York since she couldn't make it.
Wanda sent Kiannah a cross necklace. It is so pretty! We don't let her wear it often in fear of her breaking the chain!  

I still can not believe my baby is 3!!!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

* 2009 *

Happy New Year!!!

I can not believe it is already 2009!
I remember when I was a kid thinking about what it would be like in 2020. With flying cars and robots that do everything for you. I thought that time period was so far away! 
2008 in review....

January: Kiannah turned 2

February: Valentines day.... #11 for Davone and I!! 

March: Participated in the IDA program 

April: Spent a lot of time outside and making memories with the neighbors ( since they were planning on moving to either Helena or Little Rock! )

May:  Wanda ( my mother-in-law ) came to visit. Trevor finally graduated from college and took his family to the Philippines to visit Johnathan turned 9

June: The Government Finally did something nice and gave us free money!! I love Rebate checks!!

July: I turned 20 something and Davone and I celebrated 4 years of marriage!

August: Davone was able to return to New York for 10 days to visit his family and friends! Kiannah's best friend moved away! :(

September: We were able to spend a lot of time with my brother while he was home on leave and we even went to a renaissance festival with him.

October: Kiannah and I were able to travel to Ohio with Angel and Aubrey to welcome Travis home from his mission and to party!!

November: Participated in a history making election!!

December: Imanni turned 11 and we had a wonderful Christmas!

I hope that 2009 will be filled with even more love and lots more adventures!!