Quote of the week...

"Negative people will rain on your parade because they have no parade of their own." -Charles Marcus (motivational speaker)

Stress is not good!

I have been extremely stressed lately and it is seriously NOT good! We have a lot on our plate right now and I am really struggling to keep balance with everything. I CANNOT wait to be done with school. I absolutely love that I have the opportunity to be back in school and especially that I can be doing something I love, BUT I miss my family soooooo much!! Cosmetology school is all based on a hour system and you need 2000 hours to graduate (in Utah), that is A TON of hours to be away from my family! I have 1,250 hours... and 750 to go. Right now 750 hours seems like a crazy amount, but I just have to keep reminding myself that I have made it this far and I HAVE to keep going. I know that Heavenly Father supports me in my decision to go back to school, I know my husband supports me, and I know that once I am done I will be so grateful that I did this for myself and my family!!

I find myself day dreaming lately about how wonderful it will be once I graduate and get to go back to regular life. I can hardly wait to go back to being home full-time with my children. Through going back to school I have really come to realize what a blessing it is to stay home with my children and what a privilege it is to be a mother.

Last night Court and I made Sunday dinner together, read scriptures with kids, and played a "Word of Wisdom" game for FHE (we have to do it on Sunday's with my schedule). The kids were being difficult and a little naughty and I was becoming very frustrated. It dawned on me however that I need to be grateful for my time with my family even if the kids are being bad. Kids are kids and they are going to be naughty from time to time.

I am so grateful for my husband and my children. They are my whole world and mean everything to me. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who entrusted me with my precious family and who believes in me. I know that if I put my trust in him that I can make it through the next several months until I finish school!


This quote goes along nicely with how I am feeling...

Give thanks for what you are now, and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. ~Fernanda Miramontes-Landeros

Until We Meet Again...

(My Aunt from my other side of my family took this picture and put this page together one week before my grandmothers passing)

This past weekend my darling grandmother passed away. It came as quiet the shock since she was my youngest and healthiest grandparent. My grandfather is 12 years older then her, currently the ripe old age of 95 1/2, so naturally we expected he would be the first to go.

My grandma was an amazing lady, with the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. She absolutely loved everyone! She was a people lover, she loved to travel and meet people all over the world. She worked in the University of Utah's Foriegn Exchange program for many many years and got to work with students of every nationality. She loved what she did and they loved her.

For the first ten years of my life I was her only granddaughter. This came with many perks. Grandma loved to spoil me with beautiful dresses and lots of attention. Over the years Grandma and I formed a very special bond. I always loved that she seemed so young and hip! I loved to go into her closet and try on all of her cute shoes. Grandma was an amazing listener, you could talk to her for hours. As I grew into an adult grandma and I's bond grew stronger and she became one of my most precious friends. She would call me regularly and tell me, "Brittany dear, I love you and I just needed to hear your voice." Oh how I am going to miss those phone calls. Grandma hugged and kissed everyone! Before you even had a chance to know what was going on Grandma would grab your face and kiss you smack on the lips!

I look up to my grandmother in so many ways. I loved that she had SPUNK, she was one of the sassiest, funniest ladies you could have ever met! I am grateful for her joyful spirit, her passion for life, her love of her family, her testimony of the gospel, her willingness to serve others and the Legacy of a righteous daughter of our Heavenly Father that she leaves here with us. She will be missed so very much!


(This photo was taken without my knowledge as my brother and I were hugging our grandmother goodbye infront of my home one week prior to her death, little did we know this would be the last time we were able to hug our grandma in this life. What a beautiful gift to have this photo, as I look at it, it's almost as if her soul knew that would be our last embrace for a very long time)

I am ever so grateful for my knowledge of the Gospel, the Plan of Salvation, and to know that this life is not the end. I know that I will be with my grandmother again and this knowledge brings me so much peace at this extremely difficult time.

To learn more about life after death and how families can be united Eternanlly, both on Earth and in Heaven, please visit www.mormon.org

*Grandma attending Brigham Young University, late 1940's, this is my FAVORITE picture of her*

Love this boy!

I am absolutely CRAZY about this sweet little boy of mine! After two girls in a row (I LOVE having 2 girly girls) I didn't have any idea how much fun a boy would be. Honestly when I was pregnant with little man I was so excited that we were having a boy but I was nervous that I wouldn't feel the same connection with him that I did with the girls. BOY was I wrong, he has had me wrapped around ALL of his little fingers from day one! As a baby he was very mellow, always happy, and fun to be around. Now that he has hit the toddler years he does have some 2 year old drama from time to time, but most of the time he is just so darn cute and fun. I absolutely LOVE that he is all boy!!! He loves trucks, cars, dinosaurs, super hero's, swards, etc... I feel very blessed to have this sweet, darling boy as my son, he makes me smile and laugh all day long, what a JOY it is to be his mommy!


(my husband snaped these pictures one day while little man and I were playing, I have no make-up on but OH WELL!!!)

The Temple Is My Quiet Place...

{Denver, Colorado Temple}

This morning I dropped the girls off at school and Court took little man with him to the gym. I had some extra time before I had to head back to the school to help in my Kindergartners class. I decided to drive to the Temple. When I was in high school (and in college before getting married:) I would drive to the (Denver) Temple often to pray, read my scriptures, and feel closer to our Heavenly Father. The Temple has always been a place of peace for me even before I first took place in the sacred ordinances inside the Temple.

This morning I had a lot on my mind and my emotions were running high. As soon as I drove up to the Temple I instantly felt more peaceful. I parked my car and just sat in front of the Temple for a little while. Then I grabbed my jacket and decided to walk around the Temple grounds. The air was crisp but the Autumn chill felt good. As I walked around the Temple I stared up at the beautiful Mountains covered in fall colors. Tears began to fall down my face as I could feel the amazing Spirit that fills the Temple grounds, as I was circling the Temple words of encouragement and peace filled my mind. It felt as if my Father in Heaven was right there with me. I found a private spot, sat down on bench and prayed. It was a very spiritual experience for me and reminded me of how blessed I am to have the knowledge of the Gospel and of our Father in Heavens plan for his children.

I am so grateful that I took time out of my day to spend just a little time at the Temple. Even though I didn't have time to go inside, I still feel so much more peaceful from my experience today. I know that our Father in Heaven loves each of us and I am so grateful that I can have a personal relationship with him. I know he loves me, he is mindful of me, and he is there to comfort me. I am so glad I did this today, it took me back in time and reminded me of the wonderful experiences I had growing up simply just walking around the Temple and feeling the Spirit that is there.

I am also grateful for the challenges and trials of life. I know that Heavenly Father does not give us any trial that we can not handle. I am grateful that trials remind me of who I am and what I stand for. I know that Heavenly Father knows each of us, he loves us, and he wants to have a personal relationship with us.

To learn more about my faith please visit www.mormon.org

Trash Bag Super Hero's!

I love when my kiddos play together, especially when they play nicely! These pictures were taken over the summer. The kids decided that they wanted to play superheros so they got plastic shopping bags for their costumes and then put their cooking aprons around their necks as capes. They named themselves the "Trash bag Super Hero's". I thought it was pretty creative and cute!

Halloween Costumes (On a budget!)

Last year around this time money was much tighter then normal for our family! When it came time for the kiddos to decide what they wanted to be for Halloween I knew I was going to need to be very creative. Between all 3 kids I think I spent less than $35.

My oldest daughter was Rapunzel. She wore a princess dress up that she already had, and then we made her princess hat/crown and the 'Rapunzel' braid together. We made the braid out of brown yarn. It was a little time consuming and took about 150 peices to get the thickness we wanted, but in the end it turned out great AND only cost a few dollars! The hat/crown is just a big birthday hat from the dollar store. I painted it pink with paint from the craft store, hot glued on some flowers, jewels, and ribbon AND VOLA a very cute costume if you ask me!!!
(we attached the braid to her real hair by putting her hair in a big messy bun and then putting the braid underneath the bun and wrapping 2 big rubber bands around it)

My younger daughter was a witch. She wore a Halloween shirt that was passed down to her from her big sis, a witch hat, black and orange tights, and a tutu. I bought her hat and tights at walmart for a few dollars each. I added a flower and a feather to the hat with hot glue to give it a little pizazz! Then I made her a tutu out of ribbon and toole, it was a no-sew tutu and maybe took me 30 minutes to make, SUPER EASY, learn how to make one here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTXo6uv9HxA

Then last but not least my little man was buzz lightyear! I found his costume on ebay for $15 used. It was an actual disney store costume, so it is great quality, looked brand new, and he still dresses up in it at least once a week!
Any guesses on what my husbands costume was??? It was silly and a little cheesy, but I sure love it that he knows how to have FuN!

Our family is getting super excited for Halloween in a few weeks! Check back to see what we are being... the whole family is dressing up :)

Taylor Andrews Hair Academy 2010 Hair Show...

This past May I had the privilege of being apart of the Taylor Andrews Annual Hair & Fashion Show. This was such a fun experience. I never realized before doing this how much work goes into a show like this. My group was responsible for putting together one of many segments for the show. Our theme for our segment was Jungle Book. This was such a fun theme to have and gave us so many options to get our creative juices flowing! Putting together a hair piece was quiet tricky since this was something most of us had never done before. After ENDLESS hours of work and LOTS of trial and error things really came together! I was able to work one on one with the amazing dancers from Center Stage Dance Studio in Orem, Utah. These girls were so enthusiastic and FUN to work with. The dance number that they put together for our segment was AMAZING! The very best part of this whole show was that all proceeds from the ticket sales went to the local Battered Women's Shelter, I love doing things for an amazing cause!








{My models for the show, they represented the elephant from Jungle Book}

101 Things Every Kid Should Do Growing Up

Yesterday my girls were out of school, random to just be out on a Tuesday, but I didn't mind a bit, I LOVED having them home for the day! My husband was able to take most of the day off of work and it was so fun to have a family day. We took the kids to Cracker Barrel for breakfast (a family breakfast favorite), the kids LOVE playing with all of the fun toys in the Cracker Barrel store. After breakfast we had some time to kill before heading to the dollar movie to see Nanny McPhee Returns (such a cute show). We went to the dollar store for some treats for the movie and then walked around Seagull bookstore for a little while. While we were at Seagull Book I spotted this book, 101 Things Every Kid Should Do Growing Up on sale for $1.99, as I was flipping through it I realized what a cute book it was, filled with so many fun ideas for things to do with children, I just had to buy it, especially for the price!!

I really wish my kids would STOP growing up so fast. Honestly it is making me so sad! I love being a mom and I love having my kids be little! There are days that things are so hectic and crazy that having little children can seem more like a burden but at the end of the day when they are tucked cozy in their beds and I look at their sweet sleeping faces I KNOW THAT IT IS ALL WORTH IT! I am really trying to slow down and enjoy this precious time with my children. Slowing down and enjoying life isn't easy in our fast paced world, but I really don't want to look back 20 years from now and be full of regret for the time I didn't spend enjoying and loving my children. 20 years from now I want to look back on a life full of beautiful memories of raising my children, I want to play and have fun with my children, and I want to build a relationship with them that will allow us to be close and friends throughout all of their lives!

This might sound silly, but I think this little book I found really is going to help me grow closer and have more fun with my children. I get distracted by all that I have to do, housework, bills, school, etc... and sadly there are many days that I leave little time for playing with my kids. I want to change this, right now! I love that this book is filled with so many fun ideas to make childhood more memorable. Being a child is a priceless gift, one that you only get to experience ONCE! I want my children to have the best childhood possible and I want to be right there next to them enjoying it with them each step of the way! I have realized that giving your children the best you can is not necessarily about material possessions, it is more about giving them the best of YOU and giving them your time and attention.

Stay tuned to see what fun things we do from this book! Each week I will post one of our adventures!!

{Great Quotes}

"Your children need your presence more than your presents."

-Jesse Jackson

"Don't worry that your children never listen to you; worry that they are ALWAYS watching you."

-Robert Fulghum

Wow!

Tonight I had the privilege of going to a class taught by Charles Marcus, a motivational speaker who has overcome all odds. The class was absolutely phenomenal, I don't even know how to put into words how amazing this man is! I am so happy with my decision to transfer to Taylor Andrews Hair Academy to finish my schooling and I am so grateful that our owner Larry Curtis cares so much about his students that he will bring amazing guest speakers like this to come speak to us! If you or anyone you know has ever considered a career in the Beauty Industry, I HIGHLY suggest attending Taylor Andrews. Before moving back to Utah I attended what I thought was a good school in Kansas City, but it doesn't hold a candle to the education and opportunities I have been given at Taylor Andrews. I feel like I am getting so much more than just the stereotypical 'beauty school education' and I am loving it!!

Tonight while listening to Charles Marcus I took 5 pages of notes, seriously he was amazing! Charles suffers from a very serious stuttering speech impediment that for a good portion of his life caused him to have very low self esteem. Through lots of hard work and dedication he now speaks very well and is a motivational speaker all over the world! Here are a few of the things he said that REALLY spoke to me personally...

"Negative people will rain on your parade because they have no parade of their own."

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!" *Be a sponge *Be a life long learner

"Successful people never forget where they came from."

"Great intentions mean absolutely nothing until they are put into action."

"You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give."

"Fear can be paralyzing, learn to overcome fear. Fear is a reaction, courage is a decision."

"If you don't respect yourself first, how do you expect others to?"

"The more you give, the more you get."

"You are only as successful as the dreams you dare to live."

"Life isn't about deserve, it is about desire."

"Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines." -Brian Tracy

"When life gets tough, dig down deep."

"If you want to soar with the eagles you can't hang out with the turkeys."

I could seriously just keep going and going! I absolutely LOVE going to classes like this. I love the way I feel when I leave, I love the feeling of being motivated to be a better me!! More importantly I don't want to just feel this motivated after hearing a great speaker like Charles, I want to really learn from the things these people have to say and apply them to my life daily. I think that all of these quotes above could be applied in multiple aspects of our lives. There are so many different areas of my life that I want to improve on, being a better mother and wife, being more faithful in my religion and relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ, being a better friend, being healthier, being more organized, etc, etc..... One of the things that Charles talked about that I also loved was that he said, "Set large goals, but take small steps getting there." I LOVE that because I often set these HUGE goals for myself, then I get really overwhelmed and completely give up. Taking things one step at a time, slowing down but keeping your eye on the big picture is so important if you want to be successful in life! It isn't about coming in first, it is about finishing the race :). I can't wait to read his book, Success Is Not A Spectator Sport!

Favorite Quotes...

"Without hard work nothing grows but weeds."
- Gordon B. Hinkely (LDS Prophet)

I Love Sunday's...

(journal entry)

Yesterday was a great day! My visiting teachers came by in the morning and we had a great chit chat. Court was a good sport and took the kids to the kitchen to make french toast so that I could talk with them in peace and quiet. I am so grateful for the Relief Society and for the Visiting Teaching program!! I love that I have cute sisters in my ward(church congregation) that faithfully come to check on me and visit with me once a month.

After my visiting teachers left both Court and I had interviews to get our temple recommends renewed. I can't wait to go to the temple with him this coming weekend! It sure comes in handy living RIGHT across the street from the Church, he ran over first while I watched the kids, then as soon as he got back we switched and I was able to run over. Being so close to our Church and the Temple is such a great blessing. When we lived in Kansas City we were lucky enough to be about 7 minutes from our Chapel, but the closest temple was in Omaha, Nebraska, over 3 hours ONE WAY! Those hours in the car going to and from the Temple were long, but I learned so much from that sacrifice. I truly believe that my testimony was strengthened during those drives, my love for the Temple and the sacred ordinances that take place there took on a new meaning.

Yesterday at Church little man was in kind of in a 'little pill' of a mood, one o'clock church can do that to a two year old! Luckily I was able to take the Sacrament before he and I had to walk the halls all throughout the meeting. Usually he will sit still for at least half of Sacrament meeting, but not yesterday! Court and I teach the CTR 9 Sunday school class, it can be very fun and very challenging at times. We have a young man in our class who suffers from sever ADHD, he is constantly leaving the class room and not coming back , interrupting, being rude, and being just all around difficult. I know that Heavenly Father gave us this calling to test us! There are some Sunday's that it is hard to get excited about teaching because we know how difficult this boy is going to make things. Although serving in this calling is a challenge, I am grateful for the opportunity. We are learning LOTS of patience! Also I am loving that this year we are teaching on the Old Testament, I feel like I am learning more than the kids. We are lucky that the other children in the class are very sweet and well behaved, and this particular boy who at times makes things difficult is showing signs of improvement in his behavior! During primary sharing time we ran through our primary program with all of the kids. My daughters are singing a duet, I can't wait! AND I can't believe they are going to do it!! My oldest daughter volunteered them for the part, she is much more out going then my five year old, so we will be doing lots of practicing the next few weeks! The kids in our class are all going to bear their testimonies and I think that will be a real treat.

After church we came home and made Sunday dinner. Court barbecued some delicious steak and I made edimame (one of the kids favorite vegetables) and orange rolls (out of a can, come on people;), we also had pears with our dinner. The kids ate more than I have seen them eat in a LONG time. I sure love being home for dinner, with me being in school at night during the week it is a real treat to have all of us around the dinner table at one time! After dinner we let the kids ride their scooters to the elementary school right by our house, we kicked around a ball together and swung on the swings, WHAT A GREAT SUNDAY!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE spending time with my family! I feel so blessed to have a wonderful husband and 3 darling children!!

Stopping To Smell The Roses...

Photos taken by Jodi Gallagher

Life has been super crazy lately for our family and it is going to continue to be that way for SEVERAL more months:( ! When I get busy, I get stressed, and STRESSED and me do not go together well. I am trying to remind myself to slow down, not stress about the little things, and focus on what really matters. I wish this wasn't so hard for me to do! Being a stay-at-home mom by day and a student 20 hours a week at night can make life pretty stressful at times. I don't regret going back to school, I KNOW that this is something that I needed to do for myself and for my family, but WOW it is seriously hard to juggle everything. Sometimes I will look around the house and think to myself, 'why can't I get everything done that I use to'. THEN I have to remind myself that I basically have the equivalent of a part-time job right now and it would be hard for most people to keep up with everything.

Yesterday I made sure that I had individual time with all of the kids. I took my little man to the library for story time while the girls were at school, made cookies and snuggled and read books with my 5 year old, and did homework and reading with my eight year old. It felt so good to give each of them the individual time and attention they need and deserve. I love my kids so much and it is SO hard to leave them at night to go to school! I love being at school, I love learning, I love all of the girls there, and I especially LOVE being a hair stylist and making people feel great about themselves... BUT I can't wait for the day when I can go back to being a full-time mommy, it is the hardest, most rewarding job in the world!

Is Your Childs Car Seat Safe???

I read THIS article on car seat safety this morning and wanted to share! I will most definitely be checking my little mans car seat to make sure it is installed properly, you can never be to careful with your PRECIOUS CARGO!! It REALLY upsets me when I see parents driving down the road and their kids are not in their car seats. I think this is so irresponsible. I have called the police several times because of this.

My husband and I were out running errands a few months ago and pulled up at a stop light next to a man on a motorcycle holding an INFANT, I kid you not! The baby couldn't have been much older than one, I seriously about died, I could not believe someone would be that stupid!!! I called the police right then, I don't know if he got caught because he turned and went a different way then us, but I sure hope so!!!

Herriman Fire

Just this last weekend we were out in Herriman, Utah looking at homes. Late last night Court and I were watching the news and we were shocked to hear about the horrible forest fire that started yesterday and spread into many Herriman neighborhoods, article on http://www.ksl.com/. I am so sad for all of these families that have either lost their homes or been evacuated from them. I can't imagine the devastation of not knowing if you will have a house to go home to. These families will most definitely be in our prayers. I personally have two friends that live in the area and have had to evacuate their homes.

When I was 12 years old we had a fire in my home in Denver, Colorado. It was the day after Halloween and my brother who was 4 at the time had pulled a left over candle out of one of our pumpkins. Somehow he got ahold of a lighter and lit the candle. He came into the family room to show my mom, she immediately made him blow it out, but what she didn't know was that he had lit 2 candles. Well he didn't want to get in trouble and was only 4 years old so he hid the second candle in our baby brothers bedroom under the crib, our baby brother was asleep in the crib at the time. I can remember hearing my baby brother screaming, but my mom said that he was trying to go to sleep and she was letting him cry it out for a little while, obviously she didn't know what was going on. Probably about ten minutes later my dad came in the house and had a strong impression to check on the baby, he opened the bedroom door to find the crib engulfed in flames, all of the bedding was on fire, and the fire was spreading up the walls of the room, EXCEPT for one small spot on the bed, the spot where my baby brother was laying didn't have any flames, he was protected and safe. You can't tell me that there weren't angels in that room that day protecting my sweet innocent baby brother!

I haven't thought about the fire we had in our home for quit awhile, until now. I am broken hearted for these families in Herriman! Having a fire in your home, big or small is a very scary experience for a child/family. I can remember having to stay in a hotel for a week before we could go back home and then once we were allowed back in our house we had all kind of crews working on our home for weeks! I vividly remember them cleaning our entire house with this strange orange cleaner and for MONTHS our food had a strange taste to it. It was a very horrible and scary experience. My heart goes out to these families and I pray that has many homes as possible can be saved!!!


Whenever there is a disaster like this it really gets me thinking about what I would do in an emergency situation. I know I would hope I was prepared for it! It's about time I finish up my family emergency binder!!!
Click here to see my post on how to make a FAMILY EMERGENCY BINDER

Scriptures 4 Kids!

I LOVE this website!!! http://www.scriptures4kids.com/

This site is so awesome! They have online scriptures for kids to read according to their reading levels. They also have scripture reading challenges, games, music, etc... Also on their site you will find links to other fabulous resources for family home evening, scriptures for toddlers, etc...

Quotes of the week...

I have started to change my header quotes more often, so I figured that I better jot them down so that I don't forget these powerful messages that inspire me!

"Happiness is something you ARE and it comes from the WAY you THINK."

*****************************

"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the MOST of everything that comes along their way."

I Love This Blog...

Recently found this VERY fun blog called Design Dazzle, such a cute blog with TONS of great ideas for birthday parties, kids rooms, etc... Make sure you check it out ;)http://www.designdazzle.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow I am having a carnival birthday party for my oldest daughter and I got so many fun ideas from this blog!

{CAN NOT BELIEVE my little princess is EIGHT!!! Pictures to come...}

Material Diaries

My cute and sassy friend, Mimi (from hair school) started a fun new blog, http://www.materialdiaries.blogspot.com/, it is all about fashion, make-up, and hair, CHECK IT OUT!

I LOVE playrooms!

I seriously LOVE playrooms!!! I am so happy that the house we are renting has room for a playroom (I'll have to post a picture later). I CAN'T wait to do an over the top playroom once we find a house!!! I love that our playroom doesn't have a TV, I love that the kids play 'pretend', I love that they spent hours coloring and drawing, and I LOVE that I constantly find them in there, all three of them playing together, giggling, and having fun!

Do you have a fun, creative playroom in your home? If so and you would like to share your ideas, please email me at courtbritt@gmail.com to be featured on this blog!

Here are a few playrooms that I LOVE...

3rd Annual...

Tonight we had our 3rd annual Jones Family Back-to-school dinner and fashion show. The kids had a blast and loved every minute of it! We had 'sack lunch' food and ate out on our patio. (just a little random fyi... don't buy the costco milk boxes, they were gross, my 7 year old asked me if I would please NOT put them in her lunches :).

After dinner the girls strutted their stuff in some of their new back-to-school clothes, which turned into an all out dance party, even our little man got in on the action! My kids seriously know how to bust a move, all three LOVE to dance! We finished up the evening by my wonderful hubby giving our kids each a special back-to-school Fathers Blessing (I am so grateful to have a husband who holds the priesthood). It was a great night and a tradition that is so fun each school year! I gave each of the kids a flash light with a note to them from me to let them know just how much I LOVE & ADORE them and to help remind them to "Let their light shine". This is our family motto for this upcoming school year...

Matthew 5:16

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

2010 Jones Family Back-to-School ABC's:

Always try your hardest

Be kind to everyone

Count your blessings

For dessert we had yummy homemade ice cream! It was SUPER easy to make...

4 cups cream

16oz sweetened condensed milk

2 Tablespoons vanilla extract

*I blended 2 cups of strawberries & 1 cup frozen berries into the condensed milk,

then added all the ingredients together,

poured it into the ice cream maker,

added the ice and rock salt, and about an hour later...we had ice cream!