Tammy's Gratitude Blog

2010-08-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

I'm grateful for the 1st Day of School! Cody started 10th grade and Jesse started 6th grade!

On the Boat

2010-08-22T23:56:00.000-07:00

This is another picture from our trip to Laughlin. This spot on the boat in the middle of a lake is my happy place. I'm grateful for it!

Silliness

2010-08-21T00:43:00.001-07:00

I am sooo grateful for this...

Clean House!

2010-08-19T00:06:00.000-07:00

I am grateful that this is NOT my house. It is a house here in Ventura that my FIL got to clean out and haul away all the trash. It is NASTY! So I repeat...I am grateful that this is NOT my house!

Lake Mohave

2010-08-15T02:09:00.000-07:00

This was my view of the world on Monday and Tuesday. I am grateful that we were able to spend a few days on Lake Mohave enjoying the sun, water and friends!

Cookies

2010-08-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

I love making cookies. And I love my boy. I'm grateful for this cookie that combined two of my loves! (Thanks Teresa!)

2010-07-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for being able to take this fabulous trip with Mom, Dad and Jesse!

My Mom

2010-07-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for my Mom. She is crazy smart, so cute (look at those dimples!), kind and loving, and infinitely patient with me. Look what I did to her! In public! And she let me! And she let me take a picture! I love my Mom!

4th of July

2010-07-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm grateful for fireworks! And celebrating the 4th of July in Boston. And for Jesse. And Mike who took us to the fireworks. And Mom and Dad who were there too. And Emily and Heath who stayed home. And Don and Cody who had to stay in California.

Father's Day

2010-06-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

I am grateful that Don is my baby daddy!

Me and My Girl

2010-06-12T01:52:00.000-07:00

I took this picture of Jesse and me last month at her dance competition. I liked it straight out of the camera but after playing with it on Photoshop, I love it! I might even have it printed and frame it. I'm grateful for my girl and the pretty picture we made together!

Micah and Kelsey

2010-06-11T01:26:00.000-07:00

I adore all of my nieces and nephews. I got to hang out with Micah and Kelsey for a little bit this week. Aren't they so cute? I am grateful for them.

Photoshop

2010-06-08T00:58:00.000-07:00

I've been playing with ACTIONS on Photoshop. I love it but feel like a 1st Grader trying to master Algebra. Photoshop is hard but I'm still grateful for it!

Hurdles Again

2010-06-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

I just found another picture of my boy running a hurdles race. It's amazing to me that THAT is my baby! I'm so grateful for Cody.

Bungee-Jumping!

2010-05-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Our family worked at the Strawberry Festival this weekend. It was long hours and a lot of stress but the kids were great and worked hard. Jesse took a few breaks to bungee-jump! I'm grateful for this fun moment!

My Family

2010-05-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for my family...

Curtis, Ethan and Sara

2010-05-10T16:46:00.000-07:00

I stopped at Ben's house on my way home from Sacramento this weekend and had a nice visit with Ben and Leslie. But, the best part was seeing Curtis, Ethan and Sara! Aren't they adorable?!? I am so grateful for my nieces and nephews!

Emily and Jesse

2010-04-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

My favorite picture from our visit with Emily. I'm grateful for Emily and Jesse!

Tankless Hot Water Heater

2010-04-28T23:40:00.000-07:00

In honor of my Dad who is leaving, with Mom, on a three month cross country vacation tomorrow, I'm posting a picture of my new tankless hot water heater. I am grateful for it and for Dad because he installed it for me! (Any bets on if this will look any different in three months?)

Dancing Girl

2010-04-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Jesse and her dance company competed at BRAVO dance competition in Long Beach on Saturday. They won Gold! I'm grateful to see her perform and love it!

Home Sweet Home

2010-03-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Teresa got this sweet sign for me for Christmas. After I finished the crown moulding and baseboard in our "arcade" and dining room, I found the perfect spot for it. Thank you Teresa! I am grateful for cute home decor and Teresa, who knows me so well.

Hair Cut!

2010-03-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cody got his hair cut! I think it looks fantastic! I'm grateful that he went for it and that he likes it!

Macy's Money

2010-03-16T08:17:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, Aunt Mary gave me a gift certificate to Macy's. I was able to get all of this and only spent $16 of my own money. Thanks Mary! I am grateful for my new things!

Pretty Flowers

2010-03-14T01:42:00.000-08:00

Don got me roses for my birthday. I am grateful for him and them! (I took this picture! So pretty!)

Hair.

2010-03-13T01:06:00.000-08:00

I am grateful that this was just for fun. So, so, so grateful.

Um...Ew.

2010-03-11T17:55:00.000-08:00

I saw this on my way home from an errand and had to snap a picture. I am so grateful that this is NOT my daughter!!!

Hurdles!

2010-03-04T23:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Cody's first track meet. He came in 3rd in both the 110 and 300 hurdles. I'm grateful that he is loving it!

Garlic Cheese Bread

2010-03-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

Ohhhh...so grateful!

Garlic Cheese Bread

Taking Care of Jesse

2010-01-31T23:51:00.000-08:00

Our poor Jesse sprained her hip in dance class on Thursday. (Yes...it is possible to sprain your hip!) She has been on doctors orders to rest as much as possible and no dancing for a week. Tonight she fell on the stairs and now her hip hurts really bad again. She was crying and limping around so Don carried her upstairs to go to bed. You can't tell from the picture but she was crying and Don was groaning. I don't think he's picked her up and carried her upstairs in years! I'm grateful that she is feeling better now!

Boys and Babies

2010-01-30T23:43:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things is a boy and a baby. I specifically love pictures of men holding their baby girls. Something about a great big man being soft and careful with a little baby dressed in pink makes me happy. Yesterday we went to a baptism and Don offered to hold a friend's baby girl. I snapped this picture and I'm so grateful that I did...a boy and a baby...I love it!

Wedding Cake

2010-01-29T23:15:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to make a wedding cake for a couple in our ward. Since the bride wanted super simple and I had Amy to help me, I said yes. I am so grateful that it turned out so well!

Yummy!

2010-01-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm grateful for another food. I love this recipe called Hearty Tortellini Salad. It has tortellini, zucchini, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and pesto. It's delicious and my family hates it. So I only make it once in a while and tonight was one of those nights. Yummy!

Birthday Girl

2010-01-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Jesse birthday celebration has lasted all month! We had her final party with her friends yesterday. I am grateful for my 11 year old!

Talents

2010-01-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

I am grateful to have a sister (Amy) with mad cake making skills!

Micah

2010-01-22T20:29:00.000-08:00

We stopped by Amy's house tonight to pick up Jesse's totally adorable Elmo birthday cake and I was reminded how much I love my nieces and nephews! Amy is a fabulous momma and has already potty trained Micah! He has brand new Elmo underwear (funny that my 11 year old likes Elmo just as much as Amy's almost 2 year old, huh?) but he didn't want to wear them so we were playing around and I ended up putting them on his head. Don snapped a picture with his phone and I just love the expression on Micah's face. I can just imagine the voice in his head saying, "Seriously, Auntie Tammy? Seriously?!?" I am grateful for cute Micah and his patience with his crazy Auntie Tammy! :)

Storm Clouds

2010-01-21T21:15:00.001-08:00

I am so grateful for the rain we have had this week. I love rain! I took this picture today as the grey storm clouds were receding and the blue skies were peeking through the white fluffy clouds.

Cody and Momma

2010-01-20T21:11:00.000-08:00

Cody and I had a "date night" on Monday. We ate at Baja Fresh, saw Avatar in IMAX 3D, and then ate at In N Out. Perfect. I am grateful for my teenage boy that still wants to go out with his momma.

Soap Mohawk

2010-01-19T21:55:00.000-08:00

I helped Cody wash his hair tonight and couldn't resist putting it in a soap mohawk like I did when he was little! I'm grateful for little boys who grow up and still let their mommas give them soap mohawks!

School Friends

2010-01-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

I am grateful that Jesse has good friends at school! Christina, Allie and Macey came over today to work on their submission for the yearbook cover.

More Jesse

2010-01-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

This is another of my favorite pictures from Jesse's photo shoot. I'm grateful for my sweet girl that loves to pose!

Jesse

2010-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Emily and Mike gave Jesse a photo shoot for Christmas. This is one of my favorites. I'm grateful for Emily's new camera!

Gorgeous Shoes

2010-01-15T23:50:00.000-08:00

I am grateful that Santa brought me these...

Seminary

2010-01-14T22:03:00.000-08:00

I love my Seminary class! I'm so grateful to be their teacher!

House Flag

2010-01-13T23:10:00.000-08:00

Teresa gave me this house flag for Christmas. I love it! For a long time I have coveted a very similar one that I see a lot on a house near Amy's. I don't know how Teresa knew that! I am grateful for my beautiful new house flag. (I'm also grateful for my new pole and bracket that Don and Cody put up to hold my new flag. I had a perfectly good one, but my other flag got twisted up on the pole and when Cody tried to "gently" untwist it, he accidentally pulled down the pole and broke the bracket right off the house.)

Sunset

2010-01-12T22:45:00.000-08:00

This is what I saw in my side mirror on the way to Jesse's dance studio in Santa Paula tonight. It is gorgeous and I am grateful.

Mullet

2010-01-10T16:33:00.001-08:00

This is how I wore my hair to church today. I thought it looked good but Jesse said it looked like a mullet. So what am I grateful for? I grateful that it did NOT look like a mullet. And I know it didn't because I asked my friends at church. So there, Jesse.

Fat Money

2010-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Donnie got his "Fat" check tonight. We had a small ceremony...Sam handed Don the check and I took a picture. Don then showed off the gun he bought with his prize money. I am grateful that Don won "The Biggest Loser Family Style" !

Braces

2010-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Jesse got braces today! I'm grateful that we can provide for our babies. (Braces are EXPENSIVE!)

Sunset

2010-01-07T23:52:00.000-08:00

While I was out running errands tonight I saw a beautiful sunset...in Oxnard! The sky was a gorgeous baby boy blue and the clouds were precious baby girl pink. I am grateful that I got to see it!

Reese's

2010-01-06T22:43:00.000-08:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Reese's. They love my thighs and I hate when they are gone. I took this picture of Cody holding many, many Reese's miniature wrappers rolled up in to a big beautiful ball. I'm grateful for Reese's miniatures...big thighs be darned!

Happy Birthday Jesse Bear!

2010-01-05T21:20:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful for my daughter Jesse. Happy 11th Birthday Baby Girl!

Antibiotics

2010-01-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

Sinus infections stink. I am grateful for antibiotics.

Mod Podge

2010-01-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

I love to make things. I love to paint, make jewelry, scrapbook and all kinds of crafting. I've never tried to decoupage before though until I came up with this idea to make a picture frame with CINNAMON stuff all over it for Cinnamon for Christmas. Brilliant idea, don't you think?!? And I think it turned out pretty good! We need to take a picture for in it still but I gave it to her anyway and she liked it! I am grateful for new crafting mediums like MOD PODGE!

Butterflies

2010-01-02T22:59:00.000-08:00

I got to go to a Butterfly Preserve today with Amy's family, Cim and Linda. Although I'm not a nature girl, I really enjoyed it! The butterflies were very cool. Can you see them in my picture? I am grateful for a sister who pushes me out of my comfort zone, friends who like to play and butterflies.

MORE PICTURES HERE!

Mantle

2010-01-01T23:52:00.000-08:00

Teresa helped me arrange and decorate my mantle today. I am grateful for Teresa and her mad skills!

Santa

2009-12-12T22:27:00.000-08:00

We went to our Ward Christmas Party this morning and guess who showed up? Santa! He looked an awful lot like our friend Randy...especially around the eyes. Trevor, Cody and Kellen took the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap and ask for a special Christmas present. Maybe some extra awesomeness? I am grateful for a great Ward Christmas Party where we got to enjoy the Christmas spirit, eat yummy food, visit with good friends and see Santa!

I love that this picture captured Kellen's usually invisible halo!

Work!

2009-12-11T23:24:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for Don's job. It keeps our tummy's full, our bodies clothed and and nice roof over our heads. It also teaches our kids about work. It's been fun to see Cody grow up learning how to work with his Dad. Tonight they worked PRO BONO for the Boys and Girls Club Battle of the Bands.

Cinnamon...again!

2009-12-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

I also came across this picture in my looking around for another specific picture. I promised Cim that I wouldn't post it on Facebook...so this is where it had to go. It just can't be left in a box and forgotten! I am grateful for Cim, her friendship and the fact that she can rock a mullet!

Mom

2009-12-09T23:35:00.000-08:00

In the process of planning for Mom's 60th birthday, I came across this picture of us. I still love being held by my mom. I love the way she smells. I love the feel of her skin. I love the sound of her voice. Obviously, she has been holding me for a long time! I'm grateful for my Mom's loving embraces.

Poor Doggy

2009-12-08T23:29:00.000-08:00

While driving Cody home from school we saw this poor little doggy. We laughed and laughed...not because the dog was obviously hurt but because it was just an unexpected and unusual sight! I am grateful that I got to share this moment with Cody!

Traditions

2009-12-07T21:45:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, Mom and Dad had a system for which one of the five kids got to put the angel on top of the tree. The system was a rotation that was written on the back of the angel's box. I think by the time I was 18, I got to do it maybe 6 or 7 times. I thought this was a good system so Don and I started it when Jesse was born. I faithfully write who's turn it is on the back of our star tree-topper box every year. Cody - 1995-2000, Jesse - 2001, Cody - 2002, Jesse - 2003, Cody - 2004, Jesse - 2005, Cody - 2006, Jesse - 2007, Cody - 2008, Jesse - 2009! I might forget who's turn it is but the kids never do, so it's just tradition at this point. And I love it! I'm grateful for this and many other Christmas traditions!

Bah Humbug

2009-12-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful that Don likes Christmas. He made it very clear that he likes Christmas...right after I gave him his BAH HUMBUG ornament to hang on the tree and told him I wanted to take his picture with it! And this is the look he gave me as he said it...

HAHAHA!!!

Christmas Tree!

2009-12-05T23:03:00.000-08:00

I am grateful tonight that our Christmas tree is up! I spent a lot of time today setting it up and PRE-decorating it with the ball ornaments. Tomorrow we will put all of our personal ornaments on it as a family. I love Christmas!

Pedicures

2009-12-04T23:47:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for a pedicure splurge!

New Christmas Decorations

2009-12-03T22:35:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my new outdoor penguin Christmas decorations! So cute!

Beautiful Earth

2009-12-02T23:31:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for the beauty of this earth! The sun shining through the clouds today was just gorgeous!

My Boys...again

2009-12-01T23:35:00.000-08:00

This is another picture from our Thanksgiving family pictures. I'm grateful for my boys. I've posted that before but look at them...they are SO cute!

Cody

2009-11-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

This is another picture from the other day. Cody makes me laugh. He loves to pose for pictures like he is in a constant state of contemplation. I love and am grateful for my boy!

Mom's Rolls

2009-11-29T20:00:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful for Mom's rolls, made by Amy and enjoyed by everyone!

Family Pictures

2009-11-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

We took our family Christmas pictures on Friday and as I was looking through them today, I kept coming back to this one. I just love having a daughter. I love seeing her grow up and learn new things. I love spoiling her too! I love and am grateful for my Jesse.

Miss Abbey

2009-11-27T22:58:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for my sweet niece, Abbey! She is adorable and funny and loves her Auntie Tammy! I had fun today hanging out with her and some of the rest of our family at one of our Family Thanksgivings. We missed Greg and his family though!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T23:53:00.000-08:00

It was going to be just the four of us for Thanksgiving today, so I told everyone to pick their favorite thing to eat for dinner. Don picked Manicotti but then decided to save it for another day because of all the other food we had planned. Cody picked Shrimp Fried Rice. Jesse wanted Mashed Potatoes with Ground Beef and Gravy. And I wanted to try a new recipe, Turkey and Cranberry Raviolli. We ended up inviting Don Sr. and Shirley too and they brought Uncle Rick's Salad. I am grateful for this day, for my family and for this Thanksgiving dinner...

Turkey Bowl

2009-11-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

I had fun this morning watching Cody and Don play in our ward's annual Turkey Bowl. Don actually PLAYED which I attribute to his weight loss. In past years he played but with out much excitement or energy. Cody also got to play this year! His little bit of experience on the Buena team this year really gave him a lot of confidence. This is Cody, wearing his #46 Buena jersey, trying to intercept a pass. I am grateful to have this experience with my family!

55 Pounds!

2009-11-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for Donnie's weight loss of 55 POUNDS!!! He looks great and, more importantly, he says he feels great. In this picture, he is wearing Cody's football jersey...awesome, huh?!?

New Skills

2009-11-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

I am grateful that Jesse is learning new skills everyday!

Good Examples

2009-11-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for young men who are good examples to Cody. This is our friend Josh. He had his Eagle Scout Court of Honor last night which is a goal that we have set for Cody. He has also graduated from high school, attended four years of Seminary, was on the Water Polo team at Buena and plans on serving a mission soon. This is the kind of young man that I hope Cody will be and I am grateful for his example!

Clean Showers

2009-11-21T22:06:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for clean, clean showers. There is NO before picture of Jesse and Cody's shower because...ew.

New Products

2009-11-20T21:27:00.000-08:00

I love anything NEW. If it says "NEW" or "MINI" on it...I've gotta try it. I saw this product advertised in a magazine and had to try it. I LOVE IT! It warms up as I rub it in, it has little texture balls in it that exfoliate, and my skin feels so soft when I'm done. I'm grateful for new products!

Sleeping Babies

2009-11-19T23:23:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for my sleeping babies!

Health

2009-11-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

No picture tonight because what I'm grateful for I can't really take a picture of! I hurt my back and I have no idea how. It is debilitating! I've been in bed ALL day and can't move without help. So I'm grateful for good health which I have been blessed with most of my life. I'm grateful to be able to do the things that I want and need to do without pain. I'm grateful that this pain will be temporary (it will be, right?!?).

Wrestling

2009-11-17T21:58:00.000-08:00

I love it when Don and Cody wrestle...as long as they don't hurt each other! I'm grateful for this wrestling session. I asked Don if Cody was a challenge yet and he said that he was! That's new! (And I LOVE Don's arm in the picture!)

The Wonder of Girls

2009-11-16T22:51:00.001-08:00

I have read this book on and off for a while and recently have become more interested in it. I am grateful for the lessons I am learning about my early-adolescent daughter. If you have a daughter (or a son - The Wonder of Boys), you should read this book!

Did you know that young girls could be diagnosed with a mood disorder or the manic portion of bipolar disorder when what they are really experiencing is NORMAL FEMALE EARLY-ADOLESCENCE?!? Wow.

Brooke and Jesse

2009-11-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful that Amy and her family live so close to us! We love being in the same stake as them and Mom and Dad. We get to see them at church stuff and at family stuff. Tonight was the Articles of Faith Convention. Amy, Brooke and Jake were there which makes it more fun for us!

Football

2009-11-14T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for my new found love for football! I'm excited for Cody to play again next year. I might even find a pro team and become a super fan!

Fire!

2009-11-13T23:06:00.000-08:00

This is the cute four passenger golf cart that we have had at home for the past year or so. Jesse LOVED going for rides with her daddy in it. He took her to school quite a bit in it. Don just recently took it to the Kohl's shopping center so the could use it temporarily for patrols. He also just listed it for sale on eBay! Tonight the batteries in it exploded and within a few minutes it burned to the ground. It is a complete loss along with the second smaller golf cart and damage to a third golf cart.

So what am I grateful for here? I'm SO grateful that the Gem cart burned down in the shopping center parking lot and NOT in my drive way where it was parked just a few weeks ago and where it probably would have set my house on fire too!

Sunrise

2009-11-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

After Seminary today, I came home and started to do the dishes. I looked out my kitchen window and saw this. It is gorgeous and I am grateful.

Veterans

2009-11-11T13:15:00.001-08:00

I am grateful for all the Veterans who have served our country. I'm especially grateful that one of them is my Dad. Thanks Dad for your service and your example.

My Kitchen

2009-11-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

This is exactly what our kitchen looked like (plus a lot of dirt and grime!) when we moved in to our house 9 years ago. I am really, really, really grateful for my new kitchen. Such an improvement! This picture was taken at our new rental property that is about 7 houses down from our house...same floor plan and all original materials!

Mom and Dad

2009-11-09T21:56:00.000-08:00

I am so grateful for my Mom and Dad. They were married 41 years ago today! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I love you!

Cody's Sense of Humor

2009-11-08T18:35:00.000-08:00

I think Cody is hilarious. Just the other day I asked him to rearrange the chairs in my Seminary classroom so we could play a game. After he did that, HE decided to make up a game for us to play. Here are his directions...

BTW...We did NOT play Cody's game. :)

To Tammy,

I made a game for you. I set up the chairs like this: (diagram)

The game is called "shun the freak!". You will have one person be the "master shunner" who sits in the middle of the circle. All of the people in the circle will talk to each other. If one of them talks to the freak, the master shunner yells "shun the freak!" And the two people switch places. Have fun. Bye.

Ben

2009-11-07T23:44:00.000-08:00

I love my brother, Ben. He makes me happy! We don't get to see each other enough. Ben and his family were here for a few days and we got to visit with them tonight. I am grateful for Ben and for the time we got to spend together today.

My Truck

2009-11-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

I love my Tahoe. I picked it out and bought it brand new...only 12 miles on it! It is exactly the truck I wanted! And we have driven it A LOT! I wanted to get a picture of the odometer at 120000 miles but I missed it. So here is my picture at 120100 miles. (Yep...I was driving 70 at the time!) I am grateful for my truck and the many miles we have put on it.

Cuteness

2009-11-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

Kelsey Lou and Ethan. I'm so grateful for these adorable kids! And seriously...can you get any cuter?

Curlers

2009-11-04T20:03:00.001-08:00

I am grateful that Jesse is a girly girl and likes to be pretty! Tonight we put her hair in curlers. Love it!

The Moon

2009-11-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

I get to see the moon twice a day right now. In the morning it is huge in the West and in the evening it is big and bright in the East. Very cool. Of course my picture doesn't do it justice, but this is this morning's moon...

My TV

2009-11-02T21:59:00.001-08:00

I almost forgot to post tonight! So I was laying in bed and looking around to see what I could blog that I'm thankful for. My TV! I am really glad that we have a TV in our room. How boring is that? But I love it!

Teacher Resources

2009-11-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

I love teaching Seminary but this past week off was so great! I had good intentions of getting ahead on my lesson preparations but I didn't and I had to get back to business today. And so I am grateful tonight, and every night as I prepare, for the awesome teacher resources on line. With just a few clicks I can access my lesson manual, the scriptures and a TON of supplemental material!

Halloween Candy

2009-10-31T23:08:00.000-07:00

I'm grateful...

Medicine

2009-10-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

So sick! So grateful for medicine!

No Cavities

2009-10-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

I am grateful that after a visit to the dentist and the orthodontist today, Jesse has no cavities AND is almost ready for braces!