Whoa! I need to update.

Life has been busy and FaceBook has taken over my free time.

Kids are well and school is very much underway. Things are going well.

We took Nathaniel to Disneyland for the very first time. He was a bit under the weather so didn't enjoy it as much as we expected him to. He did crack a smile a few times but he made sure not to over do it.

We hadn't been to Disneyland in over two years. It was decorated with Halloween stuff which was really cute. I love this pic of the whole family. We had a nice time. We are good for another 2 years.

What a Sad, Sad Day

I loved Farrah Fawcett! I loved Charlie's Angels. This is how I remember her.

It's also sad for those of us who grew up listening to Michael Jackson. Although he turned out to be a weirdo, his music was awesome.

It's a sad day for Hollywood!!

Alive and Well!

Whew! So glad the surgery is over and done with. It was a long time coming. I ended up having surgery on Tuesday instead of Thursday. My doc had to reschedule. It was actually nice to have it a few days earlier. I can recoup sooner, especially since summer school starts for me on Monday. LOL I know, I know, I should be taking the summer off, but I can't. I need to hurry and get done. I've been in school forever!!

As for the surgery, it went well. No pain as far as the surgery part goes. However, they put air in my tummy so I'm very bloated and in much discomfort. I was told to walk it off but that has not helped. I basically can't eat or drink anything. If I do then the discomfort starts all over, only very painful. Goes to my back. If I wasn't so bloated, I'd be fine. LOL So from this point on I am actually free from menstrating. OMG, I'm so glad. It needed to be done. My uterus was very enlarged, tilted and flipped. According to the doc, I should have not been able to have children. That explains the 2 miscarriages, but I was blessed with 3 wonderful, spoiled children.

Unfortunately Val has the same problem. Which explains why she had difficulty giving birth and almost losing her life. Something she'll have to consider if she plans on having more children. It's a scarey thought.

Aside from my health, all is well in the Knox household. As I was laying in my hospital bed I received a call from one of the local school districts. They want me to come in for an interview on Tuesday. I jumped at the offer. Hopefully the other two districts will call as well. The interview is for middle school. There are 4 positions available. I'm okay with middle school, taught it for about 5 years in Whittier, but if I had a choice, I would prefer elementary. So, we'll see what happens. Only God knows what is best for me and what I can handle. I'll leave it all up to Him to lead my way. I have so far and He hasn't let me down.

I have a huge Saturday crop this coming weekend. I haven't had a Saturday crop in a while. Our theme is Game Day. We will be playing Scrapbook Monopoly. Don't ask me about it...I'm revamping Monopoly to fit my needs. LOL I will have 3 new gals here, so that should be fun and interesting. It's always nice to meet new people and make new friends.

Summer is in full swing here in the high desert. The temp is warming up and kids are out and about having fun. I love summer!

I haven't posted pics in a long while, I need to. You have to see Nathaniel, he's so big and grown up. He gets more fun to be with as each week passes. He loves his grandma and grandpa so that is always a plus. I need to update pics of James and Tiffani as well. They have grown so much. They went through a growth spurt during spring. James is getting taller and taller. They both have passed me up. Tiffani is quickly losing her little girl look. It's scarey. I don't want her to grow up!

Thank you all for thinking of me and sending me well wishes. Have a fab weekend! Stay cool!

XOXO, Marlo

ps. forgot to mention that I didn't lose my job. A good thing, but it did force me to look for a teaching position which is why I was called for an interview. So, if I don't get a teaching position, I still have my job at the same site.

Hey Stranger!

It has been a long several weeks. May came and went with a blink of an eye. We started May with the Revlon Walk. It was so awesome to see so many people, 55,000 people walked that day. My family and I walked among thousands of cancer survivors. I was in awe of these women. It was a very touching experience.

Mid May brought a little damper on my mood. I was pink-slipped!! Basically I was bumped by someone with more seniority. I was able to choose to use my seniority to bump someone or to take the layoff. Naturally I chose to bump. Basically it just means I won't be working at my school site. I'll be elsewhere. The principal told me to hang tight and she'll have me back within two weeks. So, we'll see where I end up. In the meantime, I have my first credential so I can actually now have my own classroom. This little bump in the road just forced me to go out and put in applications. I've applied for 21 special ed positions in the next city over. Keep me in your prayers that I get called for an interview.

The end of May was quiet. We did not get to go to the river. Unfortunatley I had to attend a workshop for school. I was floored that it was scheduled the weekend of Memorial Day. But, I think I'm done with all the 'extras' that I needed for my credential. Thank goodnesss.

It's June now. I'm really looking forward to the last day of school. We have 4 days and then it's summer vacation. It will be a busy week getting the kids here and there for last of the year activities.

The weather has been different. The sun is shining and the wind is blowing, but every once in a while we get a few sprinkles. It hasn't been hot enough to jump in the pool.

I will be having surgery June 18th. I will be in the hospital for 3 days so I will need some good reading material. I've almost depleated my stack on my nightstand. If any of you have any recommendations on some good books, pass them along. I'm suppose to be laying down for one week and then taking it easy for another 5. I will have quite a bit of time to do some reading.

Miss you all,
Xoxo,
Marlo

Revlon Walk

This year my two sisters, Natalie and Renee, my daughter Valerie and my cousin Leslee will be participating in the Revlon Walk for Women. It's a 5K walk that will take place on May 9th, the day before Mother's Day.

We have tried over the years to do this but something usually came up. Time was always a factor. However, cancer has no time. The fight against cancer is NOW.

As many of you know, I lost my mother to breast cancer in 1994. She was only 41 years old. It's been a long 15 years without her. We know she is in a better place and as a Christian woman, I know that I will see her again someday. In the meantime, raising money to help find a cure is an important part of my family's life. I know that I want to be around longer to see all my children get married and have a family of their own. I want my grandchildren to live healthy, cancer free lives.

I have a dear friend who is fiercely fighting cancer. She is a strong woman with such great talent and big heart. The Revlon walk is for all cancers that women may face. Shauna, or UCLA as I call her, needs us to help fight with her and for her. She has an amazing story, each day is a journey for her. Please, if you can donate anything, no amount is too little, please donate.

You can go to www.revlonwalk.com, click on raise money. Then click on make a donation. You can look me up by my name, Marlo Knox and my bib#36825. Or simply click http://www.revlonrunwalk.com/la/raisefunds/makeadonation.htm

Remember, any donation is more than no donation.

If you would like to read about Shauna and the wonderful person she is, go to the side bar and click on her name.

Thank you for you love, support, prayers and donations.
xoxo,
Marlo

Teasure Life

We have had beautiful weather the last couple of days. It's been warm, high 80's, but no wind. That is the best. I live in a windy town so having a few days without wind is a blessing. It's been a rough week, actually, exhausting. It's state testing time which is rough on the kids and me as a teacher. Can't wait till this is over.

On the bright side, my sewing class was cancelled today so I got to play in my scrap studio. I love days like this. I decided to do participate in some daily challenges over at www.splitcoaststampers. Love that place.

Card 1:

SU! cardstock in rose red, basic grey, pink pirouette, whisper white

SU! ink in going grey, rose red, regal rose, old olive, garden green

Stamp set is CTMH Treasure Life

Addition items: ribbon and glitter

Card 2:

SU! cardstock same as card 1

SU! ink in going grey and rose red

Stamps: SU! Sincere Salutations, CTMH Treasure Life

Additional items: scallop punch, lg. oval punch, ribbon, glitter

The second card was quick and easy to make. I needed several quick and easy cards. This was perfect. I love these colors.

The CTMH stamp set is such a fun set to use. I could use it over and over again. I'm a sucker for stamps, so most end up being my favorite.

Enjoy the rest of the week. I'm heading out camping and riding. I'll be walking distance from the shopping outlets, so I may drive my quad to Michael Kors and see what treasures I find. A girl can always use another purse. Although Jim would beg to differ about that one.

Toodles for now,

xoxo

Marlo

Congrats cards

Here are a few more cards for the church missionary fund. These cards were so simple and quick to make. I used the Congrats set from the Sale-a-bration catty. Great stamp set and it was FREE! The cardstock is Stampin' Up! of course. The ribbon is from Fabric Barn. The inside of the card reads, "on the birth of your beautful baby!"

The ladies of the church have had a great response to the cards as well as the little scrapbooking activities we've had. I was asked to head a scrapbooking ministry called Memory Keepers. We will meet once a month for a quick devotion and then spend the rest of the night scrapbooking. I'm really excited about this. There are about 10 women signed up so far and after the bulletin posting this coming Sunday I'm sure there'll be more. If anyone has any suggestions on putting together a devotion for a scrapbooking gathering, shoot me an email.

It's a busy week at work. The students are taking the STAR test and the teachers have to sit there and administer it. Totally boring!! LOL

Have a great week!

xoxo,

Marlo

You're so sweet...

Another card for the church missionary fund. After making 100 cards, I think I need a break. LOL The crazy thing is, people are requesting special orders. How'd that happen?

This card is made with Stampin' Up! cardstock and designer paper. Have I mentioned I love thier paper? Hehehe. The stamp set is one that I bought at JoAnn's. I believe it's a ClearStamp set. It has a ton of cupcake designs and saying. The ribbon was purchased from wonderful Fabric Barn. Gotta love that place!

Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend. I held my monthly crop Friday evening. Our group celebrated 2 years of blissful scrapping friendships. The gals left early, 3:30 a.m. I was bummed as I was on a roll. I completed 11 8x8 pages. I'm working on a 1st birthday princess book for my sweet great-niece, Audrina. The gals said they were leaving early so I can get some sleep. LOL Like that has ever stopped them.

Today I had to take my last exam for my teaching credential. Here in California it's called RICA, Reading Instruction Competence Assessment. Basically it's to measure our competence in reading instruction and to see if we know how to teach children to read. It was a stressful test. 4 hours of multiple choice and case studies. Ugh!! The longest four hours of my life. It SUCKED~

But it's over with for now. I just have to wait a few weeks to find out if I passed or not. Keeping my fingers crossed, it was pretty hard.

Sunday is church so another busy day. I'm trying to find a way to get out of going so I can sleep in and veg. LOL, can I fake sick?

Have a great rest of the weekend!!

xoxo, Marlo

Card Making

I've been busy making cards after cards. My church
trying to raise money for the Hope Fund, which is an
Assemblies of God ministry. Actually, it's part of the
women's ministry. Each year they find a cause to
raise money for. This year it's to build wells in El
Salvador. The water the people are drinking is dirty
and filled with diseases. To help raise funds I am making
cards to sell. It has been a big hit so far, but now I'm
getting people putting in orders! LOL

This card was made with mostly scraps from my scrap
drawers. The only thing I can positively say is that the cardstock is from Stampin' Up! Which is my favorite cardstock. The stamp is an old, old one from my collection. If I'm not mistaken this stamp was part of my inventory when I owned a stamp store back in 1995. This card was one of the Easter cards I made for the church. I made so many that I didn't have time to make any for my personal collection. But all is good and it's going to a good cause. Plus, it was fun to make.

I wanted to share this cute picture of my niece Samantha and my great-niece Audrina. I love it. Samantha is 16 and just so pretty. She has a beautiful smile. She's a goo

d auntie as well. Audrina is my niece Monique's daughter. We celebrated her 1st birthday this past weekend. Audrina was the birthday princess. She reminds me so much of Monique when Monique was little. They make the same faces and pouty mouth.

Thanks for looking...
xoxo, Marlo

My Little Ham

16 months already! The time is going by quickly and each time I see him he is maturing more into a little boy. He is quickly losing the baby look. He is the heart of our home.

On Easter Sunday we spent the afternoon at my mother-in-law's house. She had a wonderful luncheon prepared. After lunch Val and I decided to go take a cat nap, but Nathaniel had other plans. He got a burst of energy and started running and jumping all over the place.

Here he is jumping on Kathy's ottoman. He was jumping so hard his little arms were swinging high and low. Several times he caught air. I was impressed with how well he was able to balance himself.

Before going to Easter lunch the kids decorated eggs. Nathaniel had to get in on the act. He was tye-dying eggs. He wasn't too keen on coloring them, he wanted to eat them instead.

We had a wonderful day. It was a quiet Easter with great food and great company. This year again I wasn't with my family. I missed them dearly. They were at the compound probably pigging out and making fun of each other. I'm sure my name was thrown in on a few jokes here and there. LOL

I hope you all had a great Easter!

xoxo,

Marlo

Happy Easter!!

Enjoy your day with family and friends! We are heading to the in-laws for a wonderful Easter luncheon. James and Tiffani love going to Grandma's and Grandpa's for Easter. My mother-in-law is a great cook and spoils us with lots of wonderful dishes. I'm sure she'll have a new dessert to delight us with.

Happy a blessed day!

He has Risen!

xoxo,

Marlo

SPRING BREAK!!

Well, it's that time of the year that the kids are off for two weeks for spring break. It's kind of odd that they are off way before Easter. It's a nice break though and much needed. We'll be heading down to Long Beach for a few days. Jim has a big show that he has to be at so the kids and I will enjoy do some fun things. The kids want to go to the beach and the aquarium. Should be fun. We'll also see the famiy while we are down there.

The weather is suppose to be wonderful which will be nice.

I'll be sure to take pics so I can scrapbook them sometime in this lifetime. Have a great week!

xoxo,
marlo

A little bit of this and a little bit of that

I'm amazed at how quickly we have approached the middle of March. Springtime is just around the corner. The birds are chirping away and my trees are beginning to sprout little buds. The weather is warming up a tad and it stays daylight longer. Gotta love the springtime and all it's newness.

We've been busy around here as usual. Jim has been traveling every week for the last month. They just increased his territory so that means even more traveling. I'm getting used to it now, but Tiffani is still struggling with it. She still cries. James, well, he's just James and 13. No care in the world at the moment. I have to try and not complain about all the traveling. I'm just thankful he still has a job.

As for me, school is in full force. I was expecting my master's program to be quite difficult, but so far so good. Work is light, but more frequent as I'm in school more nights a week now. I was rushing to that I can quickly get my own classroom, but from the looks of it, that won't be happening for a while. Our teachers are struggling to keep their jobs. Our school districts are a mess thanks to all the cuts our state issued. It's really sad to see how this will affect our children and our community. I am thankful though that I still have my job. I may not be the head teacher, but I'm still in the classroom teaching.

My scrapbooking group meet this past Friday. I'm always amazed at how much I enjoy spending time with them. We sometimes talk about the same things but it's always refreshing to have someone agree and laugh with you. It's like, "Yeah, I know exactly what you mean." I made lasagna for dinner and didn't realize that all my friends are Catholic. LOL So, they couldn't eat meat. Well, I should say, they are suppose to refrain from eating meat. Only one did. I have to say that Angie is one of these gals that really lives her life in accordance to her beliefs. I like that. So, she waited until well passed midnight to have a little bit of lasagna. LOL

It was a gorgeous weekend. I spent it with Valerie and Nathaniel. We did some shopping and more shopping. Bath and Body Works was having a great promotion so we had to hit there. I hadn't bought BBW for a long time. I love their new fragrance, Dancing Waters. Had to get that. We went to Victoria secrets and tried on their new bra. HORRIBLE! I just can't use their bras. But, we fell in love with one of their body scents, Candy Baby. Oh, smells like cotton candy. Yummo! We did other fun shopping and then headed to my friends for some Gold Canyon Candles. I love them. I got 10 new scents and can't wait to light them all up. LOL

I'm always sad when Val and Nathaniel leave, but I know they have to get home and have their own life. I just wish it were here with me.

Thanks for stopping by and keeping up with me.

XOXO,
Marlo

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SON!!

We celebrated yet another birthday. This time is was James's 13th. I'm shocked that he is now officially a teenager. He's always been very mature for his age and has always acted older, but it just seems that the time has flown by too quickly. James is my spoiled brat, well wait, they all are. But James has this special bratiness about him. He knows how to get his way with me. All he has to do is call me 'mommy' or tell me he loves me the mostest and I'm putty in his hands. James is alot like his dad when it comes to being handy and fixing things, he's also very funny like his dad.

James is alot like me, his mommy, when it comes to procrastinating, he's also really good in math like me.

James is alot like Valerie, SPOILED ROTTEN and stubborn.

James is alot like Tiffani, fun loving and active.

Having a wonderful son like James has been a blessing and a joy.

Happy Birthday My Son! I love you the mostest!!

xoxo, Mommy

Another Catch All

I promised I was going to update my blog on a regular basis, but time just keeps getting away.It's been a nice beginning of the year. The kids had been enjoying cool, sunny days. They spend most of their time outside riding bikes with all the neighbor kids. We have kids coming for streets over. My front porch is usually covered with kids from 3rd grade to 7th grade. I'm having to jump over bikes. The last two days we've had tons of rain, wind and freezing temps. The kids are not happy. We are suppose to get snow tonight and tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. We are off school and work tomorrow so a snow day would be fun.

James had braces put on last Tuesday. He's not liking it. His mouth and jaw have been really sore so he has not been able to eat. LOL He's lost 6 pounds. He didn't really need braces, but if we wanted him to have PERFECT teeth, then it was recommended. He'll only have them on for a year. Not to bad.

Tiffani also started her Orthodontic work. Her upper jaw needed to be expanded so they started her on this horrible contraption that is cemented to her upper back teeth and sits at the top of her mouth. It has this turning device that we have to turn once a day. It is not pleasant for her. Poor thing hurts like heck. She too has not been able to eat. She's living on soups. She will have that for 3 months. She will get her braces on before that. I feel horrible for her, however, we have noticed a difference already.

There's a new book that I'm reading called, Eat Right 4 Your Type, by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo. This book is amazing. Basically what it comes down to is that there are four blood types; O, A, B, AB. Therefore, there are four diets. These are diets like the 3 day or the protein diet. These are ways of eating for your blood type. It has been an eye opener and it makes so much sense. Several girls at work follow this regligiously and have always been able to maintain their weight. There are also some people from church that follow this and said it's been the best thing. Apparently each blood type should avoid certain foods due to the make up of that blood type. Just like each person's DNA is different, so is blood type.

Jim is O, that is the good blood. He started to following this new way of eating about 2 1/2 weeks ago. He has had some huge results. First, he is down 15 lbs. Second, he has way more energy than usual. And third, the major one, his blood pressure is down to 110/70!!! He has never seen it that low. For 13 years Jim has suffered with high blood pressure. He takes two pills daily. At best his pressure is 145/90. He went for his yearly physical last week and it was the best ever. Jim says he can feel the difference.

I haven't followed this diet to a T, but I have omitted several of the AVOID foods for my blood type. I'm A, which is the BAD blood. The foods that I have omitted have made a difference in the acid reflux. About 3 weeks ago I was up to taking 3-4 pills a day, which is a NO NO, but I needed them. Since changing a few things I'm only taking one pill before bed and that is just as a precaution, my insurance so to say.

My in-laws have also started this and they have seen dramatic results. It's pretty amazing and I highly recommend this book. I answers alot of questions about weight gain, fatigue, blood pressure, cancer and much more.

Besides home life, work, and reading, there is school. I started my master's program last week. I'm in school two nights a week now. The first week wasn't so bad, but I'm afraid by the 5th week I'll be dragging. I'm just excited to finally be at this stage in my education. It was a long, long journey, but so worth it.

To all my TCC friends, I miss you girls. There is no posting going on, very sad. I'm hoping this year finances will be better so that I can go visit some of you or participate in a TCC event. I'm going through withdrawals.

XoXo,

Marlo

Happy Birthday Tiffani!

Seemed like yesterday that I was pregnant with my baby girl, Tiffani. She was a little pink thing with blonde hair and eyes like a cat, grey. Today she is my 11 year old, smart mouthed bright pre-teen.

She's creative like her mama.
Loud like her daddy
Loves name brands like her sister,
And enjoys the outdoors like her brother.

She loves to be with her family more than anything.

She is kind and loveable.

She is friendly and popular.

She is my little baby girl.

Happy Birthday Tiffani!

Love, Mom xoxo