this is for jenny.

I'm definitely behind on blogging. I'm not gonna lie, I probably won't actually "catch up." I did however want to post some pics of the gifts I made for the little girls this Christmas. I promised Jenny some pictures, so here they are ::

photo shoot

A couple months back, Alex and I had a photo shoot with one of our friends, Richelle Dante. We had a ton of fun roaming downtown Fullerton looking for interesting places to shoot.We think she's pretty dang talented, and here are some of my favorite shots from that day (besides the ones that made the christmas card).

shameless plug

Every month, the Family Ministry team writes a Family Night curriculum. The blurb from the website says this ::

ROCKHARBOR family ministries is calling you and your family to a weekly family night; a time set aside to grow spiritually and relationally. we believe the Bible teaches in deuteronomy 6 that parents are the spiritual nurturers of their children's faith and the role of the faith community is to play a supportive role in that process. this curriculum gives you the resources, you as a parent need, to lead your family.

I would urge you to check it out here. There's over a year of curriculum for you or anyone you might know who would like to have a tool for a weekly family night. There are tons of ideas and activities for all ages....and it's FREE!

wasting time...

I need to leave in about an hour. I have a funeral to attend, followed by a Family Ministry Experience tonight. Basically that means that when I leave I need to have everything ready for all day and night. So, maybe I should be getting ready?? Nope. I don't want to right now, so instead I'll procrastinate and tell you about our sweet find!
Meet Orange Guard. Alex and I have grown to love Orange Guard. Our ant problem that was driving us insane drove me to investigate what actually works at preventing them from returning. Now, I know that the walls are completely infested. It only makes sense since they come in from every tiny hole in the wall in each area of our house. I am coming to terms with that, I just don't want to see them. So, about a month ago, I found out about Orange Guard. The active ingredient is orange peel extract. It is safe for indoors, and so we thought we'd try it. Well, since we first sprayed, we keep finding dead ants around the areas we sprayed. The only thing we can come up with is that if they return to the spot we sprayed a month ago, they are still killed! Amazing! I highly recommend this product. It's supposedly safe in the kitchen, around pets and around kids which is great because most of our ant invaders like the kitchen!

I suppose I should go find something black to wear and something Picnic-y to wear later and get my butt in gear!

a new year.

2009 is here! Unfortunately, for most of today, my head has felt like a balloon that just looks like my head and is floating over my neck! We did however have a very fun time welcoming the new year. We had a (somewhat) quiet night over at my sister's house. We had gone over for a visit in the afternoon and instead stayed and had a "party!" Maliah donned her party dress and we played our new favorite game (the Wii Fit!)! Alex and I would LOVE to have one, and hey, it costs less than a year of gym fees...we seriously might be investing in one sometime soon!

As for resolutions, I'd have to say eating healthy is at the top of my list...especially given the amount of tamales, posole and chocolate chip cookies that have been part of the Pavone diet this past week! Yikes! Another one would be to spend more time getting creative with our time....looking for fun (cheap) things to do that get us out of the house. I know our time of being together for 4 days straight each week is going to be coming to an end soon and I want to fully take advantage of that. I'd also like to make it part of my routine to wake up just half an hour earlier than normal. I am always so rushed in the mornings that it throws me off. What can I say, I (we) LOVE to sleep. I have however noticed that if I'm able to get my Bible reading in before work, it sets the trajectory of the day and although I like night much more than morning, I definitely feel a difference when I'm in God's Word in the AM.

So, that's that. 2009 is alive and kicking, and I hope this cold gives me some relief tonight!