National Anthem and sports

I have a dream of something I've had a secret desire to do and I'm going to share it here.  Ready?  

I have always, ever since my kids started playing sports back in 1994, to sing the National Anthem and open a sporting event.  I have no idea why.... and I contemplated asking to sing at a basketball game my youngest son's senior year, but I chickened out.  I saw my going to 100's of ball games coming to a close.  But I still want to do it someday.  I may never do it, but I think it would be very cool.  I don't think of myself as a soloist or a great singer, but I can stay on pitch and sing that song from memory.  It is one of the hardest songs to sing, vocally.  Anyway, thought I'd share.  I love my country, love music, love America, love home town sports games and love being a fan.  I've watched my 5 children play Soccer, T Ball, Baseball, Football, Track and Field and our family favorite, Basketball through all their middle school and high school years.  Some of them through Elementary School as well, so could be close to 1000 games.  I have not counted, but it's huge.  From 1994 to 2009 as a Mom fan then another year as the Varsity Boys book keeper.  I kept the boys JV and V basketball book for years, and the girls V basketball book for a number of years too.  I loved going to games, rooting for my kids, watching them improve and play with sportsmanship and see them enjoy the sports they were involved in.  I didn't miss many games or meets.  I tried to support them as much as I could.  My husband Kelly was the Boys JV basketball head coach, Boys V assistant Coach and Girls V Basketball head coach through our children playing in high school.  My oldest son even got in the coaching field and coached a season of girls JV middle school basketball games.  I have a son who is a Basketball referee right now.. he's reffed for three seasons now.  Loves it!  Another son reffed for a while until his own kids got involved in sports.  He now is helping and may be coaching soccer soon, his girls love playing soccer.  I've enjoyed going to a few of my grand daughter's soccer games and watching them improve, score, win and sometimes lose.   Just thought I'd share..  Many memories around sports in our family and we played and traveled together.  My 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport now has just over 250K miles on it, a lot of those miles were driving all over for most all of their basketball games and play offs and tournaments.  

Anyway, I've always wanted to sing the national anthem at a sporting event.  That's on my dream board, bucket list.  If it never happens, I'll have to sing it for a family talent night then!    

Herbalife Business

Here it is, my future if I keep applying myself and keep going with Herbalife as my business and help more and more people.  I need More and more Members to come along with me. I am currently at the World Team Level!  That means my future is bright and I have a 1 in 800 chance of becoming a millionaire with Herbalife!  EVERYONE who joins Herbalife starts and if we keep going, sharing, inviting and doing presentations, we can make it!  I think my odds are pretty good, but I have a lot of work to do!  I'm looking for 3-5 serious people to join me and become a member of Herbalife with me AND share and help others, people you know and get to know.  We can change the nutritional habits of the world, one person at a time.  That is our founder Marks Hughes's vision.  I cannot make the next level in Herbalife alone. If you are looking for an opportunity, let me show you a way to create your own future. YOU can increase YOUR odds at making the money you deserve to live and bless others.  Use the Herbalife products, wear the Herbalife brand or button and talk to people. Find people who want to make a change. If I could show you a way to have more freedom, spend more time with your family, make an income doing the things you love to do, create your circle and team, work with who you want to would you take a look?  Create a life of financial freedom for you and those you love.  www.goherbalife.com/alaina has videos and information.  Get in touch with me and I'll plug you into trainings and calls and help you start your Herbalife business. Coach Alaina 702-332-7079. I will need coaches as we head into 2015!  The number one New Years resumption is to lose weight!  Who do you know that will set that as a goal?  I need help!  YOU can help your friends and family lose weight ANd make some extra $ and build from there. Again, I'm looking for 3-5 new members who want to change their lives and the lives of others. Get started today!  

Wake up!

Rise and shine, it's wake up time!  I love my Herbalife Herbal Tea Concentrate in the mornings!  This is a special mug I purchased on our recent cruise to Catalina Island... love the mug.  It contains Herbalife Mango Aloe Concentrate (just a few drops), Hot water, Herbal Concentrate Cinnamon Tea, and Herbalife H30 (a powdered drink mix for great hydration and very little sugar.  I used it for a sweetner).  So yummy and I'm ready for my day!  I'm off to do my Zumba class at my church this morning for about a dozen ladies.  Have to have my energy up so down it goes.  I had a chocolate Herbalife 24 Sport Formula 1 shake this morning and my healthy tablets so I'm REAADY!  Love how I get to start my day every day.  Feeling great and knowing I'm giving my body the best nutrition ever.  Easy, quick and nutritious every single day.  Happy Day to everyone!  Enjoy and look for the blessings and the GOOD all around us.  Be kind and give kindness to all you meet.  

Herbalife Sample program

I am excited to share this awesome Three day trial pack to those who want to make a change and aren't sure if they will enjoy using Herbalife as their plan.  It's easy and effective.  Purchasing the plan is inexpensive!  You get 6 shakes for meal replacements, so three days worth of meal replacement shakes, 2 each day.  You also get a packet of tablets called Total Control - one of my most very favorite products.  TC gives you energy, boosts metabolism, burns fat, promotes inch loss, and just makes you feel great!  No sleepy mornings or afternoons with this tablet!  You get 6 tablets so you can take 2 of them for 3 days.  I contact you and coach you through all 3 of your trial pack days.  It's my job to be sure you are using the products correctly and stay on task.  I follow up with your weight and inches and after three days, if we are a good fit for each other, you can jump on a full blown program for your specific weight loss needs and goals.  It takes time and consistency, but I'll tell you, after just three days, you'll feel the difference and see the difference on the scale and in the measuring tape.  If you'd like to have me as your personal wellness coach, I'm happy to work with you.  It is my passion to help others who are ready to stop the weight gain and low energy and get the best results from their workouts as possible through Herbalife Nutrition, nutrition for a healthy life.  It isn't a scary thing.  It doesn't take much time.  It is not expensive.  You eat food anyway so purchasing Herbalife is like groceries, healthy, nutritious groceries that deliver fantastic weight and inch loss.  If you need to gain weight, I have a program for that.  If you want better results from your workouts, I have a plan for that.  If you just feel sick and tired all the time, I have a plan for that.  Herbalife is for every body!  To be clear, Herbalife products are not intended to prevent, cure, diagnose or treat disease, but when you give your body great nutrition, it CAN do amazing things and FEEL great!  I hope to hear from YOU soon.  Who's ready to receive my help and attention?   

 This is true, so consistency and commitment with yourself and with me, your coach, is key.  YOU are worth every bit of effort.  Call Alaina 702-332-7079  alainamun@hotmail.com

I love Music

Today I sang a duet in church. It was a little scarey, but I was pretty calm.  I had a phone call a couple weeks ago from my friend asking me to sing a song with another woman in my church.  We practiced last week and then again this afternoon before church and that's it!  This afternoon I was kind of struggling with a part or two in the song, trying to get my note on the key change and beginning of the new verses. I was a little worried.  Kind of.  The my friend who asked us and was our accompanist on the piano said we should pray together.  Great idea, I needed it!  So we said a prayer and the next run though the song was perfect.  Felt great.  I had some confidence.  During the meeting I was pretty tired, and when it came time for us to sing, I walked up there like I was having an out of body experience or something.  We sang and it went very well.  The song was an arrangement of For The Beauty Of The Earth.  Three verses and all different. First verse, unison. Second verse, me melody and soprano had a descant.  Third verse, I had a low alto part, ending in unison.  Kelly said it was great. :)  I know prayers are answered and it calmed me to know that my Heavenly Father gave me the peace and calm I needed to sing all the right notes.  I love music. I enjoy sharing my talents.  It isn't always easy, but I enjoy it a lot.  I am playing organ for a Christmas song with the piano and choir in December, and playing my flute to a song.  I'm also singing in the ward and stake Christmas choir for the programs. I'm thankful my mom encouraged me.  I'm thankful I had an excellent teacher who motivated me.  She set a good example. Played soooo amazingly well!  Mrs Jeannie Miller in Simi Valley CA. 1973-1979 is when I had lessons.  

Choices and happiness

Choices are all ours.  Freedom to choose and be accountable.  It is God's plan. When children make choices, they have consequences.  When we make choices, we have consequences.  We are in charge of our lives, present and future.  If we don't like the way things are, we can choose to change ourselves.  The only person we are truly in charge of is ourselves.  We cannot make others choose the things we think or know are good for them.  Everyone chooses for themselves.  I have found that I have the choice to be happy, to choose happiness.  I don't have to have 'things' to make me happy.  Things come and go and don't last, but true happiness is inner peace, contentment, service to others, making time for ourselves, working, playing, laughing, enjoying nature.  Whatever it is that brings you peace and happiness, do that more often.  Sing, laugh, play a game, talk with your spouse, call a friend or family member, listen to uplifting talks and music, dance!  Develop yourself and the talents God has given you (He has given ALL of us talents!) and you'll feel happiness and joy.  Bake, sew, craft, write, smile, go for a walk and brighten others' day.  Choose to do good and be happy.  Be an example of what good the world has to offer.  Invite others to do activities with you.  Enjoy friendship and relationships.  No one is responsible for your life but you.  No matter the weather, live, love and choose joy.

Family Love

Family photo taken in Feb 2014.  This was a special day.  Our newest Grandbaby was blessed in church.  We gathered and celebrated the newest arrival to our family.   He is so sweet and cute and precious.  The feeling of holding a brand new grandchild is unmatched by anything ever.  It is the BEST feeling and love just flows all through me as I look into my new baby grandchildren's eyes and feel of their warmth all cuddly soft, so new from Heavenly Father.  I feel very blessed and seeing my children grow and be parents is so fulfilling and beautiful.  They are good parents and attentive spouses and all are finding their way in life and seeking after happiness and light.   We love them all.  Families are the thread of life that ties it all together for us through happy and sad times, triumphs and trials.  But the trials are always lessened when we have the love and support of family in our lives.  Heavenly Father meant it to be that way.  Marriage is ordained of God and it is His plan for us to live together as husband and wife and enjoy the blessing of having children.   It isn't always in everybody's plan to be able to have children, but every woman is a mother and every man, a father.  Three of my four boys are pictured here with their spouses and family.   No better time than when we are together, thank goodness we have the freedom to be able to travel and see children and family when times like this are upon us.      

Cruise Vacation!

We went on a 35th Wedding Anniversary Cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada Mexico!   We went on the Carnival cruise ship Inspiration and it was so relaxing and great.  We talked, laughed, ate, walked, rested in the sunshine, watched the seagulls, walked downtown Mexico, walked around quaint Catalina Island, and simply enjoyed each other's company.  Kelly is a very caring, loving husband and I enjoy being with him, traveling and seeing different places together,  

 This was on one of our 'relaxing' times in the chairs, just listening to the music being played.  Kelly had a book and I had some crocheting to do.  The weather was perfect, thank goodness!  Some cruises can turn out to be nightmares!  Lol!  Not ours!  We had perfect, pleasant weather the whole time.

 This is Mexico from the ship.  We did walk into town and did some window shopping.  As we were walking around, of course all the vendors are trying to get your attention and sell their wares.  I was thinking, what would I really need or want to purchase here?  And it hit me, leather sandals.  I scoped out a place and there was a shop across the street, so we walked to the end of the street and crossed.. came to my shop and the guy was very nice.. started a conversation with us.  Not salesy at first.  Then I mentioned what I was looking for and spotted the perfect sandal.  We talked over prices and I gave him my size and he came out with these!  I love them!  and he gave me a bargain.. $20.  When someone else asked how much they were, he said $30.  :)  I got the deal!

This is our ship's view as we are taking the smaller ship over to Catalina Island.  Pretty cool!  Here's a shot with Kelly on Catalina Island, perfect weather and we walked all over.. so peaceful and nice.  We saw bright orange fish in the bay.  

We played miniature golf on the top of the ship one morning.  So fun and I was ahead at first, then Kelly went ahead of me and on the last hole, he threw his shot so we would be tied, no winner..  that's how he is.. wants me to be happy and he knows I'm competitive!  

Here I am on the deck when we are docked, eating breakfast getting ready to leave the ship.  I'm wearing a sweatshirt my sweet mother in law had made for me.. so cute!  

Happy Marriage tips

I'd like to talk about marriage and your relationship with your husband.  I've been married for 35 years now so I might have some experience on the matter.  I've been reading a few articles that have been going around Facebook and as I've read them I found myself saying "Well, of course"  thinking why would someone need to write an article on that?  It seems like common sense to me.  But is it?  These days are people too caught up in the ME syndrome and what's in it for ME and why are MY needs not met?  probably.  Here's what I know.  Your spouse married you because they love you and were attracted to you and wanted to share their life with you and even eternity with you.  So why do we sometimes get impatient or even start to shut them out of our lives?    Ok, I'll stop with the negative side and turn things to the positive side.  You have two options when your husband asks you to "come look at this!" or "honey could you come here?"  
1. Lean toward your husband and lend an attentive ear, shoulder, heart and smile or
2. Ask "What do you want?" from the other room as if we are too busy.
Why would a husband call for you to come see something or ask for your presence?  You are his companion and friend.  He wants to spend time with you.  Do you accept and go to him when he calls you and needs you?  Should you?  Of course you should and he should do the same for you.
I have an example from just the other night.. It was last Friday night, we were camping out in the desert in our camp trailer and it was dark outside, a starry, starry night but not too cold.  I was inside all cozy and all involved in my accounting with my receipts spread out everywhere and my fingers ready on my laptop inputting amounts and dates into my program for accounts.  My husband called for me from outside and asked me to come here for a second.  I was like "great!  I'm all involved and it's not easy to just get up and leave all these papers that were all over my lap!"  Well, when I went out, we witnessed the most beautiful, peaceful moment in the sky!  It was moon rise just over the rocky mountains in the distance.  We didn't understand the light on the small clouds at first, then as the moon made it's appearance, it was so beautiful and I would have MISSED it if I said "Honey, I'm busy I can't come out."  He wanted to show me this thing in the sky that puzzled him, the light on the clouds looked eerie and spooky and beautiful.  I was happy to have shared those moments with him.  I leaned in towards him when he reached out to me.  My initial reaction of "I have no time for this, I am doing something important" was replaced by "Isn't that beautiful and I'm so glad we're here together!"  When we want to share something with our spouse, we hope to get a cheerful response and a feeling of contentment as we share moments together, even the small things.  Lean towards your spouse and share moments and times together.

Are you always on the defensive ready to defend your opinion every time you have a conversation with your husband?  Is your interaction with each other combative?  Relax and remember your sense of humor and be light with each other, in a nice way.  No teasing that is harmful or vindictive.  No showing disrespect ever, especially in public.  Always build and uplift each other, especially when you are around family members or friends.  Do the people around you KNOW that you love each other, or do they leave your presence asking themselves if they think your marriage will last another year?  Show affection, but don't gush.  Hold hands.  Smile as you look into your husband's eyes.  Be flirty.  Let him show you affection, even if you are not "in the mood".  You'll be in the mood if you just relax and stop worrying about the day, the laundry, the kids, the house, the car, etc.  Be playful.
Never, never, never hold back physical intimacy for punishment.  Never.  That very thing is what can break up a marriage.  Physical intimacy is like the glue that holds the marriage together.  For you, it might be chatting over breakfast, or going for a drive, or talking about your day, or a back rub, but physical intimacy must be part of your routine for your marriage to remain a happy, stable and vital.

The more that my husband and I talk about events from the past and how we handled them, the more we are able to learn and grow for the events in our future that happen.  Learn from your mistakes, but don't bring them up as ammunition when you disagree or argue about a decision or topic.  No one likes to be reminded of their weaknesses or faults, especially from the person they love and are spending their lives and eternity with.  Be courteous and able to forgive and let go.    I remember a time when my husband and I were in an argument while the kids were out playing (don't remember about what, as is always the case), and he said some things that really hurt my feelings, but I didn't yell and scream and cry back to him.  I just left the room, got the kids ready for bed and took a shower and cried in the shower.  I got dressed and came out into the living room again (by this time the kids were all in bed) he looked at me and told me sincerely that he was sorry for the way he spoke to me, that I didn't deserve what he said to me.  He apologized.  I learned at that moment what the song, "Love is never having to say you're sorry" meant.  But hearing his apology to me meant so much.  I love him and I forgave him.  From that moment on, I have always thought to myself when he may say something as a dig or maybe not so nice that he doesn't mean to hurt me.  He isn't perfect and I can forgive him, even if he doesn't say he's sorry all the time.    Give your spouse the benefit of the doubt.  Don't react or overreact to situations.  Things can escalate so easily, don't let them!

Spend time together.  Don't be so busy that you don't make time for each other.  Never put your children first.  That's a whole new post in itself!  Priorities in my book are
1. My God and my faith in His plan for me.
2. My husband. (kids grow up and leave and it's just the two of you so nurture your relationship)
3. My children and grandchildren.
4. My professional job or living.
5. Housekeeping.
I have been sealed for time and all eternity to my husband and my children are also sealed to us forever by the Priesthood authority pronounced upon us in the holy temple of the Lord.  My relationship with my husband comes before my children.  My children know their place and I love all 5 of them dearly and gave them all the attention, affection and time that they needed to become grown ups.  Even when my kids were at home, I tried really hard to put him first.  This sets a good example for the children to know that their parent's relationship is #1 for both of us.  It has helped our children see how to have a stable marriage for themselves.

This photo is from 2012 Christmas.  Our youngest son isn't in the photo because he is serving a mission for our church in the state of Michigan for two years.  We have 4 boys and 1 daughter and we love all of them and their spouses!  Since this photo, we've added two more grandchildren to the bunch.  4 Grandsons and 4 Granddaughters.  We love our family and are pretty proud of the adults our children have become.