J. Abdalla Photography

New Blog Format

2010-11-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

I'm turning this blog into a site to share my photographs. I may share stories of what's happening as I go along. I hope that you enjoy it!

Musical Fantasy

2009-04-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

This video on You Tube of an event that took place at a Central Station in Belgium, illustrates something that I have often amused myself with in thinking what life would be like if we lived in a musical. We'd be walking down the street and then someone would suddenly just start singing a song that everyone else knew. Everyone would know their part and sing along as well as know the choreography and the whole street of people would be dancing. Then it would all finish and we'd be on our merry ways. Wouldn't it be a stress reliever in heavy traffic?

Caution: Easter Eggs May Cause Maniacal Tendencies

2009-03-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

What a night! The kids seemed to spin out of control and out of their minds very suddenly before bedtime. They had eaten their dinner and were having some dessert. They don't always get dessert but tonight, Edilberto had a treat for them. Earlier, he and the kids had gone out to get some Brazilian cheese bread (Pao de Queijo) at the local Brazilian supermarket down the street. It's Easter time and if we were in Brazil, we'd go to the grocery store and the aisles would literally be tunnels made of Chocolate Easter eggs that hang tightlyl together in an arch overhead, each egg varying in size from 4 to 12 inches tall, all wrapped in colorful cellophane. It's fascinating and festive for kids and adults alike to walk through these tunnels at the grocery store.

The little store Edil and the kids went to this afternoon had some of these eggs imported from Brazil and so Edil bought the kids one for the two of them to share. He let them eat some of the egg for dessert. First they unwrapped the red and yellow cellophane wrapper to come to a perfectly shaped ostrich sized egg wrapped in a thin layer of aluminum foil. They carefully unwrapped the chocolate that formed into an egg that came apart at the center; perfectly dividing into two halves. Out of the hollow center came two individually wrapped bonbon chocolates. Edil let the kids each eat some of one half of the chocolate egg shell. That was enough to send them into a dizzying spin of craziness. It was all we could do to settle them down. They were wrestling and playing and laughing and crying. It was unbelievable to watch! I vowed to never let them eat those chocolate eggs again. At least not before bedtime. Huge mistake!

Funny Bella

2009-03-27T18:17:00.000-07:00

Isabella: "Mama, Liam's not sharing his teeth." (Referring to some plastic "Dracula" teeth Liam got with a Scholastic book order.)

Me: "Teeth aren't generally something you want to share."

Isabella a couple of days ago when we had to wait over an hour and 20 minutes to see the doctor just for a little rash on her toes and when we were finally going to be seen she sighed and said:

"Far but not last." I giggled and said, "Oh, I think you mean, 'Last but not least.'"

Isabella, embarrassed said to me, "Shhh, don't tell them I said it that way."

Lousy Day and I'm Tired

2009-03-23T20:14:00.000-07:00

Weary and tired I think I'll just pop-in to say hello to those who stop by here; as well as post a few recent pictures. I didn't have such a great day at work. I was disappointed when I realized it was only Monday when we were having dinner tonight! We did go out for ice cream for a change of pace. I had coupons to a custard style ice cream place close to our house that we'd never been to. I'm glad we didn't spend a lot of $ because it wasn't very good. There's another custard style place, Ritter's, that is far superior. Too bad it's a bit of a drive (or maybe not too bad as it would probably prove a hard to resist temptation.) The one we were at tonight tasted way too gummy (NOT to be confused with 'yummy'). I have no tolerance for gummy ice cream!

Lost to Facebook

2009-03-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

Free moments I have and that I spend on-line are usually spent checking my Facebook for messages and catching-up with friends quickly there. The lack of time has left my blog abandoned. So sad. I so enjoy writing and posting, but life outside of cyberspace leaves me with little extra to exercise that creative side.

We recently visited our local air field where a Good Year blimp is based. The blimp was busy flying around but we got to see it landing and taking off again and to play in the hangar. We will go back for another tour some day soon when the blimp is in the hangar. The kids really enjoyed all of that open space!

Hello Out There!

2009-01-26T16:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, we're still alive. Thank you, Terri, for calling me back to the blogasphere! I've been meaning to write; really I have! In fact, I still need to send my Christmas cards. Does that indicate how life'a been these days? Yes, and it's almost the end of January.

Well, what is happening? Edilberto is about to turn 50 this week. Yes, 50. It is weird for ME that he's turning 50. I'm quite far behind him though; yes, he robbed the cradle. Not quite! Actually, I know that I'll be there sooner than I realize.

We had a nice Christmas and New Year. It's hard to believe it's the end of the first month of 2009 already.

We had some Christmas money to spend. I was out-voted for wanting to use it to spend on a trip to Orlando. I so enjoyed our time at SeaWorld back in November. I thought we could do DisneyWorld. Nope. I was out-voted for a Wii. I have to admit, we have been having fun playing with the Wii. Edilberto and I had a bowling tournament the other night until midnight! We were sore afterwards. That's a good thing I guess.

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-21T18:22:00.001-08:00

A Break at Thanksgiving Time

2008-12-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful and grateful to have had a wonderful family time during the Thanksgiving holiday. The kids had a whole week off from school, so I took a day vacation in order for us to have a long weekend before Thanksgiving. We went to Orlando and enjoyed two relaxing days at Sea World. It was absolutely magical being there during Christmas Season with Christmas music throughout the park, and even "snow" at night with Christmas lights and decorations and street musicians throughout. It was beautiful! Here are some photos from our time:

Full and Fun Weekend

2008-11-08T17:49:00.001-08:00

We've had a full weekend already that has been very fun with some out-of-town visitors! Funny, but we haven't done a lot of "touristy" things since we've been in Florida. It's great having people here to motivate us to take the time to take advantage of the local fare and benefits of living in this place and enjoy the beautiful weather and scenes. Here are some photos from our time together.

Harvest Hoe Down

2008-10-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

I got to spend the day at the kids' school today for their annual "Harvest Hoe Down." I helped in Isabella's pre-school class this year and it was a lot of fun. Edilberto stopped by during recess and played some soccer with Liam and his friends. Some of my favorite pictures from today:

Obviously, Made with Love

2008-10-29T14:49:00.000-07:00

I was making French toast for the kids this past weekend. I went to dip the bread into the mix I had made. When I looked down into the bowl, I saw this: The cinnamon had formed into a heart in the middle of the egg mix!

I could only lament that it didn't occur on the bread after it was fried in the pan because at least then, I could have auctioned it on eBay!

Here are the kids enjoying their French toast undeniably made with their mother's love:

Speaking of love, you may have noticed the beautiful red roses on my table. Those are from my husband to celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary!

10 Years Ago Today

2008-10-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

We were married in our civil ceremony in Brazil. Then, the following January, we had our church wedding and reception in the U.S. (when these pictures were taken).

Celebrando com Perrier-Jouet ~ !

Random Pictures

2008-10-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

The Birthday Girl

2008-09-30T18:41:00.001-07:00

Celebrating 5 Years!

Presenting pictures from her life to her class at school today.

And last weekend, a birthday party with friends at home:

Birthday Parties...oh My!

2008-09-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

I may be crazy, but I am inviting every child in my daughter's preschool class to her birthday party. I don't think they'll all come; but what if they did? We have a small townhouse. I figure if I just have a schedule with all the activities well sychronized....maybe things won't be too chaotic? It's a Strawberry Shortcake party. I'm giving out the invitations tomorrow. We'll see what happens. We'll have a pinata, games, prizes. If they are out of line, I'll just line them all up against the fence outside and squirt them down with a hose! That's a joke, by the way.

At least she's really looking forward to it. She's turning 5 and I figure I have to do something grand for her. She deserves it. I really want her to have a fun and memorable party for her fifth birthday. I still have a while to get ready for it!

Oh, one question.... If I'm inviting them all to the house for a party, do I still have to do a party during classtime at school?

Not So Bright

2008-09-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

"Storm surge family fun!"

Now does this not exemplify stupidity? Could it constitute a charge of child endangerment? What if her son got swept out to sea? Would it be worth that picture that they're taking. I think the photographer's t-shirt says it all!

Purple and Red Majesty

2008-09-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

It was dark and cloudy and little rainy earlier this evening. Just at the time of sunset, the darkness broke-open and showed the glory of a stormy Atlantic sunset (looking West of course! These are clouds being pushed over us by Tropical Storm Hanna out there somewhere passing by.) Liam was in his jammies, brushing his teeth getting ready for bed but came outside with me to see the sky.

Ignoring My Own Blog

2008-09-01T20:06:00.000-07:00

My poor neglected blog. Sometimes during the day I get an inspiration for a story; that is precisely when I should sit down and do some blogging, because if I wait until I "have time" to do it, it's usually after I am semi-conscious and ready for bed. Of course, it's because for the other parts of the day, I have two small children demanding, I mean, DEMANDING, my attention. It starts at around 6:45 a.m. on a weekend morning.

Let's take this past Saturday for example, my dear husband got up early with the kids, with the intent of letting me sleep a couple of more hours. He left the air purifier (white noise) going, closed the door, and told the kids to keep out. He proceeded downstairs to prepare something for breakfast. Obviously, there was some selective hearing on the part of the kids.

First Isabella comes into my room, "Mommy, can I sleep next to you." "Okay, but you must sleep!" was my reply as I reached-out my arm to give her a hug half-asleep.

"Mommy, can we get up now?" "Isabella, you may go downstairs and have some breakfast. Let mommy sleep a little more and I'll be down." "O.K." and she leaves. She also leaves the door open. I get up to close it. I finally doze off again.

Just then, Liam comes in. "Mommy, can you play with me?" "Play with you? I'm sleeping. I haven't even gone to the bathroom. I haven't even had breakfast. I haven't even woken-up!" (which is usually the order in which I do things). He leaves me to fall back asleep. I ask him to please close the door behind him.

Isabella comes back another time. Then Liam comes back another time. Then they both go downstairs. I doze-off again.

Just then, there's a subtle kind of knock on the door. I hear it again. Then I hear a couple of meows. It's the cat. I ignore her. She persists. I decide to get up and let her in because she won't give up. She comes in and plops herself onto the foot of the bed. She's tired having been outside for the past few hours (she always wakes-up Edilberto at around 3-4 a.m. and he has to let her out. The alternative would be a cat marching on his head and brushing her body noisely along the blinds on the window at the head of the bed.) The cat was cozy and asleep now. I gave-up and got up for the day!

Well, the whole thing played-out again this morning. Mommy was kind of sleep-deprived and grouchy for the rest of the day. The kids have been spoken to about letting mommy sleep!

Just a Little Storm

2008-08-19T17:35:00.000-07:00

Fay didn't become a hurricane, but a tropical storm that has brought a lot of rain to Florida; which was needed in some places. The kids' school was cancelled for two days, but I went to work as usual. It was interesting as some had a hard time getting out in the wind and rain; but for me, I am quite used to driving in these conditions. It was nice not to have cold and ice thrown into the mix as I'd be used to in Washington State. There also, you have to worry about Evergreen trees falling over on the electrical lines or, on your car or home! I can't say I'd be as brave and at ease if it'd been a hurricane though! That I have no experience with. I'm glad it didn't.

I also remember a time when I was in a tropical storm when I lived in Hawaii. We had been staying for three weeks in tents on the island of Molokai. We took showers behind big blue tarps and we had to have someone there to hold the tarp down during the high winds! Our tents blew down. We were leaving for a trip to the Philippines. Our plane leaving Molokai had to wait for our team to get to the airport because the road had washed-out on the way there. We didn't even go through security. They rushed us all straight onto the plane!

When we arrived in Honolulu, our flight to Manila had been cancelled due to the storm. We had to go to our base in Honolulu without our belongings because our luggage had already gone off to the airport and onto our connecting plane. We all got sick days later because we had been in wet clothes and had to spend the night in Honolulu without our change of clothes. We did make it out to Manila the next day. But what a trip it was just to get there!

First Day of School!

2008-08-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

The List

2008-08-05T19:33:00.001-07:00

From reading this list, can you guess what these items are for?

Q-Tips
Kleenex
Baby Wipes
Shaving Cream
Paper plates
Paper towels
Hand Sanitizer
Plastic Forks
Plastic Spoons
Ziploc Bags
Paper Towels

If you haven't guessed yet, the rest of the list might give it away...

Box of crayons
Washable Markers
Scissors
3 ring binders
pocket folders (colors specified)

Pencils
1 Red Pen (try and find just ONE red pen. Red pens come by the ones only inside a packet of 10 black pens!!!)

Ruler with inches and centimeters
Erasers
Glue Sticks

Bottle of Glue
Play Doh 4-pack
Nap Mat
Composition Book
etc. etc.

This was part of the shopping list from school for Pre-K and Second Grade! What a preschooler is going to do with shaving cream is beyond me! I did tell Isabella that the Play Doh was a good sign though (fun stuff).

I didn't find a "nap mat." Of course, there are always such specific specifications! It has to be VINYL only and 1 inch thick. I will continue the hunt with all the free time I have (yeah right!) Besides, I'm sure Isabella will think she has no use at all for a nap mat. What's a nap?

Oh what fun to go back to school shopping. My head was spinning when I left Target trying to track everything done. All the while Miss Isabella was interrupting my concentration in the search with having to tell me every item she saw that she wanted for her birthday! Didn't she hear me say she couldn't have everything?

She was quite amusing in her princess crown with shiny colorful carnival beads hanging off that she had draped across her head, and her plastic purse full of her lip glosses. Topped off with red polka dotted sunglasses. The girl is hilarious!

Meditation of My Heart (follow-up)

2008-08-03T20:09:00.000-07:00

I had to come and follow-up on a recent blog entry I made regarding our dear friend's CD, "Meditation of My Heart." (See entry on next page for more info.) It arrived in the mail two days ago and we have been listening to it ever since. It is even more beautiful than we could have imagined. The instrumentals, vocals, arrangements....all so beautifully done. It is such a wonderful work to listen to. It is serene, soothing, and uplifting. It provokes deep emotion and, like the title suggests, meditation. I highly recommend it. It is one of those types of CDs that one likes to have playing to bring a calmness, but also, the way the music is blended with the instrumentals causes one to become deeply moved with emotion.

Thank you, Jo and Kris, for sending it to us. What a gift!

Happy Birthday to Me?!

2008-07-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here's what I got for my birthday today:

I have asked for this for as long as I can remember. My kids were thrilled to carry-out my desire to have a chocolate cream pie thrown in my face. Of course, the whole family had to share in the fun! Aren't we just yummy?

Breezy Moments Caught in a Camera

2008-07-27T19:04:00.000-07:00

Some recent pictures from the calmer side of life....

A Nice Evening

2008-07-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

O.K. so I cracked the whip and got everyone out for an early evening walk. It didn't matter that it was early evening, it was still 90 degrees outside (varying because there was sort of a "breeze" as we got closer to the water. But still, we were all quite sticky when we got home.) The kids and Edil were already tired from having swam earlier. I was determined we'd get out and walk to the park. The park along the causeway is only 3 blocks from home. I must admit, it was a bit too hot. But we had a great time just getting out together for a while. On the walk home, the sun went behind some menacing looking clouds. It was perfect timing because we were heading West with the sun setting. Can you guess who dressed Liam? Liam of course. I must hide that shirt. I'll bet when it's time to make a rag out of it, he'll ask me to make it into a pillow for him! We BBQ'd some chicken and watched a movie together. It was a nice evening.

Watching the bridge go up for boats to go by.

Recap of the Week

2008-07-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since I've blogged. Here's a recap of the past week which included the 4th of July celebration. I loved the long weekend. All we did was hang-out at home. For the 4th, we barbequed. It started raining at around 8 p.m. The city was to have a fireworks show off the pier, but according to their website, if it rained they would do the show the next day instead. Also, the show was supposed to start at 9 p.m. Since we thought there'd be no show, we thought we'd get the kids ready for bed. We were all tired anyways. Well, at 8:30 p.m. "Boom," "Boom," "Boom." We looked out of the back window and saw that the show had gone on inspite of the rain, and 30 MINUTES earlier than they had said. How dare they? Liars! So, we piled into the van, drove a couple of blocks to the South, and to an unobstructed vantage point to see the show, and through windshield wipers, we watched. It was a little "interesting" to see a heavy cloud forming around where the fireworks were exploding. All the water in the air just made the smoke from the fireworks hang. Eventually, the colors were hidden mostly behind this forming cloud. It was the strangest fireworks show I've ever seen. I'd say a waste of city money! We had fun anyway and took some pictures together in the van just to remember:

Well, today we tried out my friend Kristin's (http://easyaspie.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/321blast-off.html) suggestion of Mentos with Coca-Cola blast-off. I should have reread her blog that said SIX Mentos. We only put in THREE and did just get half of what it could have given! Oh, and there's the one-liter not two detail, and also the "diet" detail that we missed. Now looking back at her picture at the previous link, I am laughing at ours that peetered out!!! Too funny! Check out ours:

Here's something worth mentioning: Liam made this cute little sock puppet today. You can't see his face in this picture, but the puppet has a little Newsboy cap and a shirt on:

And here's the little darling girl being so dainty with her corn this evening:

And the tired mother hen with her chicks:

Good night!

Middle of the Week

2008-07-02T19:54:00.001-07:00

I'm looking forward to the long 4th of July weekend! It's been a long week (even though it's technically a short one.) I am tired and looking forward to hanging-out with the family. There's a lot I could blog about. I never feel I have adequate time to write well about things that are going on in the world and in our lives.

I just have a moment to share something funny Isabella said. She and I have our "Girls' Club" time and we often will say loudly, "Girls Rock!" Well, I think she takes this literally as she states it like this...."Girls Rock!" "Boys Pebble!" I guess they're smaller rocks than girls are in her opinion. Life according to Isabella. She's too funny that girl and often her personality seems larger than life. She takes the bull by the horns (speaking figuratively, I hope.)

Meditation of My Heart

2008-06-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

I just had to write tonight about the new CD by a very dear friend of ours, Josias (Jo) Rocha, called "Meditation of My Heart - Psalms of Healing" that is finally finished. There is a story behind this labor of love and healing - that of a special and sweet 3 year old boy named Steven. Click on the link http://www.lfmeurope.org/ (also found on the right sidebar) to their blogsite that shares the story of Steven and how his father sang Psalms to him during a heartbreaking ordeal that people around the world followed. Steven's life touched many. The testimony of the Father's love, healing and hope will continue to be realized through Jo's music, as it brings comfort, hope and healing to those who hear it. The website also features samples of the songs. Some songs are sung in English and some in Portuguese and some instrumental only songs as well. I can't wait to receive our copy of the CD in the mail.

Nikon Shots

2008-06-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Sunset in Colorado

Niece and Nephew

Miss Bella after playing with Mommy's makeup.

Rainy Day in Florida

2008-06-21T18:33:00.001-07:00

I wanted to stop in and say hello to whoever might come here to read or to see some pictures. You'd never know from the way I don't write these days, that I used to keep a daily journal (I think from the time I was 15 years old, until probably sometime in my early 30's! EVERY single day.)

I got home early Friday morning (around 1 a.m.) from a business trip to Colorado Springs. I think the busy week, time zone and altitude change, have all finally caught-up with me. Today I felt like I'd been sucked dry by a vampire bat. I felt positively anemic-like. No energy. Zapped. We had lofty plans to take the kids to a childrens' museum, or even to Chuck E. Cheese's. Well, it got too late to go to the museum, and I figured Chuck E. Cheese's was the last place on earth I should be feeling the way that I do. Hopefully, we'll make up for it tomorrow; even if it is just a trip to the beach or something more relaxing like that.

This afternoon, there was a strong storm that blew threw with lots of lightening. We hunkered down and watched a movie. The funny thing was that Edilberto had started barbequing before the storm really hit. So he had to finish up the cooking of the meat during the worst of it. It was funny (and a bit scary) watching him dash in and out to and from the back patio between lightening strikes! He got the meat cooked though. I'm glad he didn't get cooked.

Liam discovered chess on the computer during this time (which was unplugged and only on battery power to be safe). He basically taught himself (I did explain very quickly the moves each piece makes, but he mostly discovered it on his own). He loved it! He asked me if we could buy a chess board. I wonder who he's going to play with since I don't really like to play; maybe his Papai will? I guess I'll be forced to play at some point; but it sure will be humiliating to be beaten by a 7 year old!

Wednesday

2008-06-11T17:09:00.000-07:00

This has become a bit of a photo blog lately. I haven't had a lot of time to write, or to photograph. I wish I could spend a good part of the day taking pictures. Here are a few I took this evening:

Various Shots Taken on the Nikon

2008-06-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

Summertime

2008-06-04T18:00:00.001-07:00

While the kids are having fun in the pool, I'm having fun with my new Nikon camera!

Siblings

2008-06-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

What a Busy Time

2008-05-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

It's a busy busy busy time of the year. Liam just had his last day of school. It was so hard (for me) to say good-bye to his classmates. I was relieved when, at Isabella's last ballet class of the year the day before, one of the other moms commented on how hard it was for her emotionally at the end of the school year. I never knew! Anyway, I was touched by the hugs I got from Liam's classmates. I guess the time I spent with them all did matter after all. They're such a special group of kids.

As I looked at his album with pictures covering the span of the school year that he and all of the students had received as a gift from their teacher, I realized just how much my little boy has grown-up over this past school year.

Liam wasn't looking forward to second grade, until they visited the second grade classroom the day before school ended. He came away very excited about it all. I was amazed. I wondered what the teacher said to get him so enthused. She's good! The one thing he appreciated was having to earn privileges. That got him excited for some reason.

We went out to celebrate tonight the kids' "graduations" at a Brazilian Rodizio Restaurant. Isabella even got to dance. There was a singer accompanied by the tacky sounding electric piano he was playing! Isabella got right up on the dance floor with her 'papai' (nobody else was dancing). It was sweet to watch them dancing together. I will have to post some pictures later.

Here are some random shots from the past week:

The ballerinas and their families went out for ice cream with their teacher after their last dance class together.

Isabella showing off her skills.

Pictures from this Evening

2008-05-11T18:10:00.001-07:00

Liam got a hold of the camera and took this

"Sasquatch-esque" photograph of me. Seriously,

when I saw it, I remembered the pose from that famous

"Big Foot" photo!!!

Liam in his obviously favorite Gap shirt, seen in so many photos.

I took the camera on our stroll around our new place this evening. Isabella was feeling up to the walk since she started taking her medicines. We walked just across to the other side of our complex to the canal and watched the fish. There were baby Barracudas and Puffer fish swimming around. Another school of fish was there in the shallow waters on the other side of where the boats are moored. What nice surroundings we have here. We met some neighbors who were sitting out on their porch looking to the canal, and we fed the fish. It was very peaceful and serene and finally cool enough to be outside. I heard on the news we broke records for the hottest day for this date. It was in the 90 degrees + category.

Without a Doubt it's Mother's Day

2008-05-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

I have no doubt that it's Mother's Day, and that, I am in fact, a mother. My poor 4 year old was up all last night crying, moaning and screaming at times, in such pain from a wretched swimmer's ear and ear infection. Poor darling. It was very upsetting to see her in such pain. I am emotionally and physically exhausted from the experience.

We took her to Urgent Care today. She is on antibiotics and painkillers and other meds to clear up the swimmer's ear. She's much more peaceful now. I think we'll all sleep much better tonight.

That's been my Mother's Day. Urgent Care, pharmacy, laundry, and too tired to do anything now that it's over. I did get some beautiful flowers and cards. And also, bought myself a heart-shaped chocolate cheesecake at the grocery store, and some big juicy luscious beautiful strawberries to put on top, when I picked-up Isabella's prescription. Happy Mother's Day!

Come on and....Ease on Down, Ease on Down the Road...

2008-05-03T13:57:00.001-07:00

The end of the marathon is almost near (I think!) What a week... topped-off by Isabella's dance recital. It was the first major recital for her (and the rest of us). It was fun to see all the girls together doing their thing.

I'm at the point where I feel like I'm floating (the exhaustion is setting in). Our van decided to get the shakes so Edilberto had to take it in for fixing when we got home. I wonder when it is that we'll get to just "BE." I sure am tired. I can't wait to relax and enjoy our new home. Although there's still the unpacking....Ugh!

SOME PICTURES TAKEN BEFORE THE RECITAL:

IN THE DRESSING ROOM:

SOME PICTURES AND A LITTLE PRACTICE BEFORE GOING ON.

BEFORE GOING ON FOR "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST."

WE'RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD:

"THE WIZARD OF OZ" STARS:

TIME TO GO HOME!

It's Been One Nutty Week!

2008-05-02T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy and relieved to announce we have moved and are in our wonderful new place (as of yesterday). Of course, I can't say we've moved "in" entirely as we are living in a maze of boxes. But hey, we're happy. I have the weekend to unpack. Or do I? Well, not really. Tomorrow, Isabella has her ballet/tap recital. She will be dancing two numbers as I mentioned before. We also have a Family Fun Day at Liam's school to get to. Also, some last minute pick-up items at our former residence (not to mention, our aquarium fish are still there. They'll be moving here tomorrow.)

It's been one crazy week. I've had to work. Isabella came with me to work on moving day while Edilberto was packing-up our house in a U-Haul - two trips! - with just one friend helping for just part of the day - that's what you get when you move on a weekday - and then, some other wonderful friends from my work came over with dinner late and we enjoyed their company and much appreciated the food.

The entire week's been extraordinarily busy. Liam at school with a lot of extra things going on. Isabella had ballet/tap dress rehearsal at the theater the evening of the day we moved OF COURSE!

On Edilberto's second trip to the new place with the U-Haul full again, he unloaded about 3/4 of the contents alone. Then, the kids got into action. Liam and Isabella were up and down the ramp to the back of the truck hauling out items and boxes. All the while they were singing and jolly. It was such a sight! Edilberto said it really blessed him to see them and gave him renewed energy to get on with the job. Our friends who came with dinner also helped get the last items unloaded.

Edil and I were up until 1:30 a.m. getting some essentials put into place, beds made, etc. He actually got our bed put together, but the kids were on their mattresses on the floor. Their bunk is more complicated to assemble. Little-by-little we'll get it all in place.

But even with the chaos, this house is beautiful and we're very delighted to be in.

Pictures from a Breezy Sunday...

2008-04-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Coming to Terms with Playing the Scare Crow

2008-04-21T18:04:00.001-07:00

My frilly glittery princess of a girl had such a hard time at her ballet/tap class today. Her dance class got their dance costumes for pictures. They have a recital in two weeks. One costume was fine because it was dainty and pretty and all the girls had the same outfit for "Beauty and the Beast." They all get to be 'Belle'. The other costume, for the tap dance to the "Wizard of Oz," however, was not so acceptable. I couldn't blame her since all the other girls' costumes had some sort of sparkle or glitter to them. Just how do you convince your four year old princess that it's really fun and cute to play a Scare Crow? Really a great part if you understand dance. Her outfit was adorable. She didn't think so. She wanted glitter and sparkles. She really wanted to be Dorothy. But the Scare Crow is such a fun part. She didn't care. It was so hard to get her to come out of the bathroom and participate in the photo shoot. She did rise to the occasion though and did great for the photos. I was proud of her for that.

Click on the Wizard of Oz group shot to see more closely how adorable they all were!

More On Our New Place...

2008-04-20T19:44:00.001-07:00

Here is another picture from inside our new place. The thing that first struck me was the beautiful kitchen. It's totally redone. The house also has a lot of storage (which we lack in the present place) as well as new fixtures. It is also the first time I'll have a dishwasher in my married life! I am really happy about that.

One side of the complex is also situated on a deep water canal with boat moorage. We are an eight minute walk from the beach! Something I never imagined we would be. I think I am in denial about the work of moving though. I haven't really thought about all the details. It will be so nice to be on the other side of the move and into our new place.

Weekend With a Sickie

2008-04-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend isn't going as planned. Oh well. Sick husband. Enough said! Poor guy though; I don't think I've ever seen him so miserable with a high fever. I even made him get in the shower yesterday because his temperature was going up and he looked awful. He's a little better today, but not well enough to do anything other than sleep. Poor him. Poor me! I have way too much to do for him to get sick on me. I guess these things happen and we should just be thankful that we normally enjoy good health. I always feel guilty for complaining about a passing illness when so many people are facing things much worse.

New Home Sweet Home

2008-04-18T18:20:00.001-07:00

Our new home.

Well, we have a new place to call home. We are moving in a few days. We were approved today and are very happy with the prospect of a new beginning in a new home. Though we will sorely miss being close to our dear friends next door on both sides and across the street. At least we won't be far away. We have been so blessed with dear neighbors who have become dear friends. That's probably the worst part about moving. Other than that, we are thankful for a fun place to move to, in a great location!

More later...

Happy Birthday Liam!

2008-04-12T19:34:00.001-07:00

Our sweet boy is 7 years old tomorrow (Sunday)! I can hardly believe it. We celebrated today with some friends at none other than Chuck E. Cheese's. Here are some photos from the day:

We celebrated with Liam's class on Friday at school:

Oh...and the fun you can have with a multi-faced SpongeBob napkin:

Home from SeaWorld

2008-03-30T18:15:00.001-07:00

The stars of the show - Our friend, Anthony (top), whose birthday we went to SeaWorld to celebrate (three families totalling 15 of us!) And of course, Shamu.

I didn't know how close you'd get to start growing gills or a spout when you go to SeaWorld. It'd been so many years since I'd been there. I learned it would be a good idea to wear your bathing suit, or some other type of clothing that dries quickly. Because if you really want to experience it all there, you certainly are likely to get saturated. We did! It was a lot of fun. I don't have a lot of time now to write about it, but we, especially Isabella and me (thanks to the ride, Atlantis), were soaked to our underwear and socks by the end of the day. Some pictures:

Arriving at the park all fresh and ready to go.

Liam insisted on moving down to the very front during the Shamu show, to be sure that he got splashed by Shamu. The splash zone is probably from row one until row 40. But he wanted to be all the way down in front. So, his faithful father took him down to the front. Isabella thought she would like it down there too. She changed her mind soon though, and moved about 8 rows back with me. Still in the splash zone, mind you!

The funny part was, Liam kept thinking Shamu was not going to indulge him in a good splash in the face. After having splashed most of the others in the front row of the rest of the stands, and seeming to ignore entirely our side, Shamu finally gave a couple of good splashes at our end. Liam was delighted!

And check it out. We were several rows back from Liam and Edilberto, and we were drenched! Miss Isa was not too happy about it either!

Feeling rather special to have been splashed by a whale!

Moving right along..... The kids find yet another way to get totally drenched. See the pair of them running from the "wave" that just came over the rocks (simulated for kids to play in along with other splasy things.)

O.K., enough of those waves! Let's go get dry. We had to drag them off.

Time to dry-off and eat, and play games with Papai.

All the kids (and a couple of moms) together for a picture!

Is it really only Wednesday?

2008-03-26T19:22:00.001-07:00

This has felt like a long week to me. Perhaps because I'm anticipating the weekend too much. We'll be heading north to Orlando with our neighbors. We're taking the kids to SeaWorld. It will be a nice end to Liam's Spring break from school. Then we'll start a very busy week with Liam getting back into school and Isabella with her dance class, me in my new work routine, and Edil helping out at the ministry he's been working with.

Isabella has dance rehearsals on Monday. Her teacher e-mailed and said that her class will be staying an extra hour. They have a recital in four weeks that they need to get ready for. I sat amazed watching her dance tonight. She has me put on some classical music quite often so she can dance. She really gets into the music and the mood of it. Very expressive and graceful.

Going to Orlando will be a first for us. We've been in Florida for over a year now, but haven't really gotten to enjoy our surroundings much. The beach isn't far from our house, but we don't see it often! Today, I was reminded that we're in Florida when I walked to my car and felt a very nice (for a change) cool and balmy breeze through my hair and on my face. It reminded me of the sea air when I lived in California near the beach. It's not always that the breeze is cool here and coming from off the water. I looked-up at the palm trees and appreciated where I was for a change (usually, I am just in a lot of traffic with nutty drivers, noise, sirens, endless strip-malls (grocery stores, $1 stores, Targets, etc. etc. It all looks the same around here.)

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor's doggie waiting to fetch an egg!

Easter Sunday....

The kids joined our next door neighbors in an Easter egg hunt. They had a great time.

Cherishing Moments

2008-03-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

Today, Liam was off from school. It was a breezy day outside. I made a little ice cream party for the kids and our next door neighbor friend. They all had a really good time together laughing and playing and eating their ice cream. I thoroughly enjoyed just watching them have fun (and remembering the days when I had as much energy!)

Today and throughout this weekend, when we remember Christ's death and resurrection, we are thankful for LIFE that the Lord has given to us!

Some pictures from this afternoon:

The Best Loved Doll

2008-03-20T19:36:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite books when I was a little girl was The Best Loved Doll, by Rebecca Caudill. I think of this book when I observe Isabella's love for her "Bow Baby." Bow Baby is actually the name Isabella gave to this doll, because she once had a bow attached to her head. It fell out the first time, and her Papai lovingly sewed it back into her plastic head. I don't know what happened to it, but it fell out again and never got put back.

Bow Baby was a Christmas gift that Isabella got from her grandma a couple of years ago. I actually picked her out for her not thinking she was the prettiest doll, but that she was one that could go in water. I knew Isabella would love to give this doll lots of baths. She loves to take care of her "babies."

Little did I know that even though Isabella has over a dozen baby dolls, Bow Baby, though certainly not the loveliest of the collection, remains her favorite one of all. Even though her bow is gone, one of her arms is holding on by a couple of threads, and she's getting more and more tattered. Isabella loves and cares for her all the same. After all, she's her Bow Baby.

Bow Baby (looks like her arm is out of the socket again)

Looks like Bow Baby is about to get seriously clean!
Bath Station Central is ready to go.
Isabella takes motherhood very seriously.

Congruency Anyone?

2008-03-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

(Do you know which of these shapes are congruent?)

Admittedly, I am not a math head. But perhaps if I'd had geometry terms starting from the first grade, I might have done better at it later on. I was just helping Liam with his homework and he was having to draw a shape congruent to another one. He also has been taught to look at numbers in a way that will definitely help as his math advances. I wish I'd been taught like that. Maybe I wouldn't have had a belly ache everytime I had a math test to do.

Speaking of math heads...Happy Birthday today to my brother, Jim! (who as a kid was always very perplexed when he tried to help me with my math homework as to why I didn't understand what seemed so obvious to him!)

Long Time No Blog!

2008-03-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

I've just come off of a crazy busy week. I am so enjoying a Saturday at home with the kids. We're here hanging-out, playing together, and getting some things done around the house as well. I started working with a non-profit, child sponsorship organization. Last week was my first week (see clue on my blog as to which organization!) I work with some pretty wonderful people and am impressed with the way the organization is run. It is a blessing to work in an organization that is an advocate for children living in poverty.

Edilberto's been very busy this week as well at the thrift store ministry that he's currently helping with. He's reorganizing the entire store as well as working in sales.

Last weekend, we enjoyed lunch out before church (we finally got to use a gift certificate we got at Christmas to the Cheesecake Factory! We chose the one downtown Ft. Lauderdale in the Las Olas district.) Here are some pictures from our time:

Can you see them saying with their eyes, "Hurry up and take the picture, Mom, so we can devour this chocolate mousse cheesecake!"

Edil is wearing his girlie reading glasses. They have

"diamond" rhinestones on the sides of the lenses!!!

Glimpses of the Future

2008-03-07T20:31:00.001-08:00

Tonight, I was listening to my six year old son at the dinner table talk about the girl he's "going to marry." It was so adorable and cute. (He'd never forgive me if he knew I was writing this, so please don't tell!)

With a deep thoughtfulness and calm, he looked at me and said, "Mom, do you want to know who the girl is that I'm going to marry...? She's someone in my class." I knew who he was talking about, but then he said he wouldn't tell me. He said he was too embarrassed. I said, "I'm your mom. You don't ever need to be embarrassed." He then blushed, looked down and nodded when I guessed correctly the person he was meaning.

I tried to appear very normal in my expression as to let him know that I respected his seriousness in the matter. I asked him in a matter of fact kind of way, what it was in her that he thought would make her a good person for him to want to marry. He was so sincere in his answer, so serious, but with a little grin and twinkle in his eye. He said that it was because she likes to be with him, that they never fought, that she thought highly of him, that they had fun together. It was so absolutely pure and sweet.

We don't encourage talk of marriage or girlfriends, of course. Liam's just the kind of boy that has a lot of girls who like to hang-out with him. This particular girl swoons for him. He was the only person invited to her birthday party besides her multitude of cousins. He's a gentleman. He's a romantic and treats others with respect. It is fun to watch him grow in who he is and to see how he relates with the rest of the world. To hear his opinions, thoughts and ideas. It is remarkable watching both of our children grow. They never cease to amaze me.

What Kind of Shoe am I?

2008-03-04T19:10:00.000-08:00

I didn't have a lot to blog about today, so I got this idea to do off of Robin's (Around the Island) blog.

You Are Flip Flops

You are laid back and very friendly.

Cheery and sunny in disposition, you usually have something to smile about.

Style is important to you, as long as you can stay casual.

It takes a lot to get you to dress up!

You are a loyal and true person, though you can be a bit of a flake.

You tend to "play hooky" and blow off responsibilities a lot more than most people.

You should live: By the beach

You should work: At a casual up and coming company

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

*P.S. Amen to the "You should live: By the beach" part. You got it!

Sunday Was a Strange Day

2008-03-02T18:29:00.001-08:00

We have a lot going on in our lives as do our neighbor friends. I feel caught-up in everybody elses' nerves (and my own) today. It was a strange day. It seemed like everyone I knew was having to alter plans they had because of unexpected things taking place. It was one of those days when nothing goes as planned.

I had expected for our family to join our church this afternoon, on an outreach. We were supposed to be serving at a ministry for foster children (kind of like a home that kids go to before they're placed in foster care). Our kids were looking forward to it. We were going to take games and crafts to play with the kids. It was my fault that we didn't get to go. I thought it was at 3 p.m. but it was in fact at 1 p.m. when I realized that, it was already 1:30 p.m. I was also in the middle of some other things to prepare for an important meeting I have tomorrow.

We had to run errands in the afternoon, so it was just as well we had time for that. Although I am very disappointed to not have gone with our church to this outreach; especially since the kids were so excited for it. I love opportunities to get to serve as a family in such a way.

On our way home from our errands, we took the scenic route (close to the water). There are very nice homes, yachts, etc. along the way to see. I mostly just wanted to see the water. There were a lot of traffic tie-ups on those obscure side streets. Some were due to people "cruising" through downtown areas, where there were sidewalk cafes that were local hang-outs. Some of the tie-ups were from bridges drawn to allow boats to pass. But the one tie-up that I found quite unbelievable was, for a child's birthday party!

It was more like a circus or carnival. I've seen these things in the movies, but never in "real life." It was on an ocean front property. We were stopped behind a long line of cars waiting to pass. We didn't know at the time what was up the road causing this delay. We saw one armed security person standing in front of a large house. But the commotion was a couple of doors down on an open lot.

They finally let our line of cars go through, after on-coming traffic passed-by first. We looked to our left to the property to see carnival rides, mardi-gras like clowns, ponies, and lots and lots of people. There was even VALET parking along the street (the handmade sign said so.) I saw a sign with the little girl's name on it whose birthday it apparently was. There were probably at least 50 very nice cars parked wedged along the narrow upscale road.

I'd never seen a party like that one! It just made me think of the children we used to work with in the slum in Brazil. When it was their birthday, we always made a big deal about it and held a party at the ministry house for them. Although we clumped all the month's birthday into one big party. The kids didn't mind. They were just so happy to have a birthday party given for them to celebrate their lives. Although we had no ponies, clowns or valet parking!

O.K. So they're growing-up.

2008-02-29T20:58:00.001-08:00

Sometimes it's hard to imagine that our kids won't be under our wings forever. Days like today force us to see glimpses of that reality. Though it may sound silly to some, a simple playdate that Liam had today brought those momentary glimpses to my mind. It was his very first playdate ever. He got picked-up at school by his friend's mom. Off he went like a big boy to someone else's house after school. We know the family and have spent time with them before consenting, of course. And he and this little girl "friend" are good buddies. He did just great too. They had a wonderful time. He did say he missed us and home. I knew for him it must have felt like a very long time away from home, having left early in the morning for school. To be honest, it felt like a very long time to me too. I missed him. I just can't imagine that soon, both our children will be older and more and more independent of us. All too soon I'm afraid.

Nice Wine (under $10)

2008-02-27T15:38:00.000-08:00

WINE RECOMMENDATION:

We're sitting here on a chilly (yes, finally!) evening here in Florida, enjoying a glass of the Little Penguin, South Eastern Australia, Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a very nice wine and at a great price. Very smooth, and full-bodied in flavor.

PIZZA?

And if you need a good store bought frozen pizza to go with it, might I recommend this: Freschetta, PizzAmore' - Very good (for a frozen pizza):

Anyone else have any to recommend?

Hope in Grief and Heartache

2008-02-26T06:31:00.000-08:00

Why is it that God gets blamed for all the bad things that happen, but never gets the credit when something good and wonderful occurs? One might hear of an unexplained healing happen, someone awaking from a coma after many years, and even doctors saying that they can't explain it; and yet, there will inevitably be an attempt to explain it in such a way that denies God the credit.

I would agree with those who say that life is hard. It is very hard at times. Cruelly hard at times. Very complicated and impossible to understand or comprehend at times. I believe we were never intended to endure, withstand and experience some of the things that we do. We were not created for that. I am of the belief that God never intended for us to experience the loss of someone to death, or to face death ourselves. God is about life. Not death. We are not Omnipotent as God is. We are fragile. We are weak. We do not have the ability to endure the devastation that death brings. We do not see things as God sees things. We do not have the perspective that God has. We may catch a glimpse of a heavenly perspective, but lose sight of it quickly in the midst of our circumstances.

A heavenly perspective is a difficult thing to maintain.

Without God, nothing makes sense. Even with believing in God, sometimes things make no sense. Without God, however, there is no hope. There's nothing to look forward to that is definite. With God, throughout the pain and trials, we are working towards an ultimate end that is beautiful.

With God, you can believe that there's a grace in the midst of pain that you cannot imagine if you are not living in the storm causing the pain. One example, when my dear cousin, just a year younger than me and like a sister, was dying of cancer. She was on the other side of the grace line. She was living in a place of grace that I could not understand (even as a believer myself). I would look at her and try to be in that place that she was. She was so peaceful. I was in turmoil. She told me the story of a day during her illness when she thought she was dying. She was filled with fear. She was in severe pain. She was in a room in the emergency room at the hospital. She was alone. She said she felt someone walk into the room behind her and physically felt a hand on her shoulder. She said the pain left her body. She felt profound peace. She said that Jesus visited her. There was nobody else there. From that day on, she had this grace. She passed-away at the age of 24. (She "visited" me in a dream on the night she died. She told me, "Look, Jan, I'm healed." I've never seen her so full of joy, so happy.)

I remember from the book, The Hiding Place, by a Christian named Corrie Ten Boom about living in a Concentration Camp. She and her family helped to hide Jews in their home in Holland in WWII (I once was blessed to get to visit that home), and they were caught. She witnessed her sister suffer and die in that camp. She reflected back to a time when she was a little girl and asked her father what it would be like to die. He asked her, "When do I give you the money for the ticket to ride on the train? Three weeks before?" She replied, "No, right before we get on the train." He told her that when it is our time to go, we will get a grace ticket. We can't imagine how we will handle something like death, but then, we're not in the situation at this moment, and therefore, do not have the grace to handle it. When we are in the situation is when we're given the grace ticket. The ability to endure. That ticket is handed to us by the Lord Himself, and I believe with it, He takes our hand in His and walks with us, giving us the strength we need.

There are promises that God has given to us. That He will never leave us or forsake us. I believe that all things will be reconciled to God, and become the way He intended them to be all along. In places throughout the Scriptures, this point is clearly made.

There is an excellent book out by Randy Alcorn called, Heaven. It talks about what we might expect on the other side of this life. I found this book comforting; especially during the long year we were caring for my father while he was dying of cancer. They are not just hopeful words. Much of it is evident in Scripture, and some is solely based on God's character (of which we can learn about in the Scriptures, as well as, through walking in relationship with Him.)

It is true that much does not make sense from our current perspective. The challenge I find is to keep a Kingdom perspective (God's Kingdom). That Kingdom that will come in full one day. That Kingdom that we can live in part in the here and now as well, but mixed with the way the world is in its current state (fallen). We can catch a glimpse of the Kingdom here on earth. The natural beauty of the earth, for example. Or, the loving, kind act that someone performs for another. It's not an easy thing to maintain. Someone cuts you off in traffic. Our natural inclination is to get angry and then get even.

A Kingdom perspective is to respond in the opposite way. In love. It's not an easy thing to do. But it makes a huge impact on a heart if we do. I recall a story I heard from a former gang member in the Philippines. He had come into a relationship with God, and had left the gang. The lead gang member found him and started to beat him up. With each punch to the former gang member's face, he would say, "Jesus loves you." The perpetrator was unrelenting. But with each blow, the response was, "Jesus loves you." The one throwing the punches finally yelled out to him, "Why do you keep saying that?" He replied, "Because, Jesus loves you." The gang leader came into faith through that inexplicable display of love and forgiveness.

In our present state, seeing things in this way takes discipline and Divine strength. God is love. He gives us that love if we let Him in. If we yield to His love, it can shine through us. It is a battle of the flesh. It is the slaying of the flesh. But God intends good things for us. They are heavenly things and not things of this world. The heavenly things can be experienced here and now in part, but the things yet to come are beautiful, perfect and in their fullness forever.

The pain and suffering in the now were never intended for us. But God promises to be with us, and that there's relief and no more grief on the other side of this world. Take heart. Things don't always make sense. Oftentimes they don't. But we don't have God to blame for those things and we have Him to eternally thank for ultimately restoring and rescuing us from things forever being grievous, painful and wrong.

Wall of Fame

2008-02-23T15:29:00.000-08:00

One thing I adore is childrens' art. So when Liam brought home from school his "self-portrait," I was thrilled. I was also amused at how much it matched his school picture (which he didn't use as a model for the drawing.) I couldn't wait to get a frame for both of them to hang side-by-side. As you can see from above, mission accomplished! Aren't they cute?

Memories of Places Visited

2008-02-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

A friend's e-mail got me thinking about places we've been to throughout the years in our work. In her e-mail, she ("Hi Jill") was telling stories of the past after coming up on a 20 year anniversary mark. I started remembering the past 20+ years as well. Some of those years I crossed paths with Jill. So of course, it made me remember a lot of old times.

One being, working with Primary Health Care and the remote places it took us to in various countries. One place was in Banaue, a mountainous area of the Philippines where there are 2,000+ year old rice terraces with sitios (small villages) interspersed. We hiked along the rice terraces, with backpacks full of our clothes, sleeping bags, medical reference books, medicines, and even pots and pans for cooking!

Here are some really nice photos I found of Banaue on-line. I have a lot of my own, taken back in 1990, but they are mostly all in slide form:

http://www.pbase.com/mark_dominic/banaue

In these pictures, you can see the houses built on piles that the Ifugao people live in. We lived with them in those small little huts, cooked our food in the "kitchen" located underneath the hut, fought off the chickens when they tried to eat out of our pots of cooked rice (and that region grows the best tasting rice I've ever eaten), got bitten-up by chicken mites, chased the pigs away in the outhouse (!), danced their dance with the Ifugao people, made the locals laugh when we tried to winnow the rice (and they make it look so easy), hiked far sometimes just to take a bath in a spring, tried not to slip and fall in the mud while hiking, enjoyed breathtaking views of the terraces, waterfalls, and villages, enjoyed fresh, crisp air (huge contrast after having been in Manila), and were overcome by the hospitality (in the village I stayed in with two other girls, they built us our very own house out of bamboo, and a brand new outhouse that was surrounded by a large bamboo enclosure! This house and outhouse was to be used as a dormitory for students after we left as students must hike sometimes over 6 hours to attend school. With a dormitory, they can stay over rather than having to hike back and forth to school.)

The need for basic health care and education in the region was immense. One of the problems stemmed from lack of water to bathe in. We had lines of children waiting to get treated for various skin ailments. Scabies and with secondary infections oftentimes, like Impetigo. Because of the lack of water as well, there were problems with parasites. Vitamin A deficiency and lack of iodine were also common. Many of the older women had very large goiters. Some so large that they would have to support it with one hand.

The Ifugao people were amazing. They could hike-up the terraces, in steep and difficult areas, with huge sacks of rice on their heads. Their feet are spread (toes oftentimes flaring out) from hiking barefoot with so much weight over the years!

The Philippines is a place I'd love to visit again someday. Of all the places I've been, I always say it is the country with some of the most hospitable people.

Wednesday

2008-02-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

Today has the potential for being a great day for my nerdy side. In a short while, the Space Shuttle is supposed to return to earth (which means the potential for hearing the double sonic boom here in Florida, as they come in!) and tonight, a lunar eclipse! All in one day. Hopefully, the sky will be clear for the eclipse tonight. More later...

9:13 a.m. - Update...No sonic boom heard from our house. But it was neat to watch the landing on television anyway. A couple of shuttles ago, we heard the sonic boom loudly. Just like when it takes off, sometimes we see it, sometimes we don't. Let's hope that there are no clouds hampering our view of the lunar eclipse tonight.

9:43 p.m. - Update...Lunar eclipse very cool between clouds passing. The kids got to see it as it began before they were off to bed. Liam understood when I explained the position of the sun, earth and moon, and that it was the earth's shadow we were seeing. But then I began to wonder just how much he understood when he kept putting his hand up into the air and waving to see if he could see his shadow across the moon! Too cute.

Aquarela ("Watercolor")

2008-02-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just posted this on his site. It almost made me cry to watch and listen to it. It was the song Edilberto and I had our first dance to at our wedding reception (chosen by him.) It is "our song." This little video is very well done. Though in Portuguese, you can understand what it's about through the animation. Very touching!

Aquarela, by Toquinho.

Four Day Weekend

2008-02-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

After a long week, we have a four day weekend with Liam out of school on Friday and this coming Monday. It's been nice to relax and just hang-out with the kids. Here are a few pics. from today taken while playing outside:

Note:

2008-02-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

*Just wanted to let you know, comments left will first be moderated before they appear and are posted. You may leave a comment, but if it is a suspicious sender, it will be deleted and not opened. This will delay the posting of all submitted comments. So if you're submitting a comment, don't worry, it will be posted soon after if it is a legitimate one. This is due to the fact that I am getting pornographic material sent into the comment area of my blog. If this continues, I may have to change blog servers.

XO XO XO

2008-02-14T06:00:00.001-08:00

(note: I've tried doing everything to put spaces in between the paragraphs of this blinking post, but to no avail. I have no clue what's up with blogger.com today *grrr*)

'Kiss' 'Kiss.'

Some Valentine's Memories....

One of the most memorable Valentine's Days I had as a kid was when I was in 7th grade. You could pay $1 and have a carnation sent to someone at school. Well, I was embarrassed as well as elated to receive a carnation from a classmate. He was in the class at the time. He grinned and blushed when the flower-gram arrived and was delivered into my hand. He had a crush on me, which wasn't fully reciprocated. But I am thankful that I was kind enough to appreciate his gesture and remain his friend. I don't recall being too embarrassed either, that I had received a flower from him. It genuinely made me feel special. The smell of carnations can still carry me back to that day!

Today at his school, Liam will be getting a bag of Hershey Kisses from us. The Jr. High students are doing a cancer research fundraiser. You pay $2 to have some Kisses delivered to your student. I had some sent to him. They're also having a Valentine's Day party of course.

Valentine's Day was also the day that my parents met each other. It was at an Officer's Club dance (my dad was in the Air Force at the time). Dad noticed Mom from across the room and asked her to dance. They married within the same year, and they never stopped dancing for almost 48 years. A true Valentine's story.

Stormy Weather

2008-02-13T05:40:00.000-08:00

I went to bed last night under a tornado warning in our area. The warning was downgraded to a "tornado watch" by the time I settled into my bed. I hoped that meant I could sleep without having to worry about the roof getting ripped-off the house. We made it through the night and no tornado.

This morning, the storm is still here. It's quite lovely outside (I do enjoy stormy weather in moderation.) Gusts pushing waves of rain through and an occasional roar of thunder. There's standing water everywhere. It's a very soggy day in South Florida.

Mommy's Helper

2008-02-11T07:07:00.000-08:00

Isabella is only 4 years old. But she's going on 17. I came home from the grocery store this morning. She noticed I had bought cereal. She asked, "Did you buy Grapenuts." I said, "No, don't we have some still?" And she said, "Well, we do, but just a little. We're almost out of it." It was while she was having a bowl of Grapenuts for her breakfast. It made me laugh that this 4 year old was keeping track of stocking the kitchen! Hopefully, she'll grow into more and more of a helper. She's such a sweetie pie. She's growing-up so fast.

In Honor of Natasha's Life

2008-02-09T19:17:00.001-08:00

An inspiration ~
Running and dancing once again.
(Click on title for link about Natasha)

Grandparents' Day

2008-02-08T09:06:00.001-08:00

Isabella and I joined Liam at school this morning. They invited the grandparents for a special Grandparents' Day presentation. Our neighbor was nice enough to be a stand-in Grandma for Liam, since his grandmas are far away and couldn't make it. The kids decorated boxes for their Valentine's Day cards, and then we headed over to the kids' chapel where the students performed music. There was beginning band, as well as choir. The best part for me was when Liam's class did a sign language song to "God Bless the U.S.A." It was nice. The Pre-K kids were adorable as well.

Here are some pictures from this morning:

Liam decorating his Valentine's Box with his "grandma."

Isabella enjoyed the attention she was getting from one of Liam's classmates!

On the playground.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Yesterday, the Space Shuttle blasted off into space. I was just about to pick Liam up from school. I saw the afterburner cloud outside when I went to the car (although I had tried to see the Shuttle itself, but was unable to this time.) It seemed like the afterburner cloud was a thick cotton rope. It blew in one huge line, as if solid, by the wind and began to fall perpindicular to earth. It lasted for a very long time. It was still quite straight when I took these shots:

More Sick Days...

2008-02-07T04:48:00.000-08:00

Just look at the poor petal. Here she is yesterday running a fever and feeling miserable. She's still sick today. I'm looking forward to us all being well again. It seems like it's been one thing after another here.

I had her situated quite well. Don't you think? I had her resting on the daybed in the Florida room. See, she's got her Gatorade, her crackers with peanut butter (Protein: Good because fever causes you to burn protein.) And then we have the stuffed friends and baby dolls all around. Pink blankie too (although I made her take it off when the fever was high). She was loving the princess treatment.

La Cucaracha

2008-02-06T06:14:00.000-08:00

"La Cucaracha"

...just one of the songs that a wonderful Mariachi band played last Monday night (that song was specifically performed for the kids at our table.) We went out to dinner with our neighbors at a wonderful Mexican restaurant.

This particular Mariachi band was amazing. It was the first time that Liam and Isabella experienced hearing one. I grew-up hearing Mariachi bands in Southern Cal. I've always loved them. My birthdays were always spent going out for Mexican food.

It was fun for me to see Isabella absolutely swoon as they surrounded our round table and beautifully sang songs for us. They were directly behind her, and she would coyly glance-up at them as they sang. At one point, they even sang a song just for her (since she was the only girl child at the table). Liam seemed to be very focused on every note and had a sweet appreciative smile on his face the entire time. I was pleasantly surprised by that, because for many reasons, I thought he might be embarrassed that they were singing at our table, or that the music would be too loud for him. But no, he thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment and just absorbed every note.

The food was wonderful. All four kids did very well the entire evening. It was a nice outing with our neighbors. I'm glad we finally got to get out with them (we'd been planning a Monday night out to this place for a while.)

Busy School Days

2008-02-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

Isabella and I joined Liam at school on Thursday and Friday to help with International Day and Friday's Field Day (that continued with the international theme). Liam's class represented Germany (hence the 'lederhosen' look).

Field day wasn't a big success with Liam. He isn't into the running competition kind of thing. Give him a Science Fair competition anyday. That'd be his thing. Although I think his form in throwing a baseball looks pretty good. Maybe we can convince him to try that.

Isabella was made to feel very special and included by Liam's classmates and staff. You'd never know by her size that she is two years younger than all of them. They even included her at the awards ceremony where she won a ribbon for participation! Very nice of them to do that for her.

Some pictures from Field Day:

Wednesday Afternoon

2008-01-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

The project. We're working on the handwriting.

It's Wednesday afternoon, and I am home with both kids. Liam stayed home from school today. Which was very unfortunate, because he had a presentation to do in class today. And we spent a total of 3 hours (!!!) preparing for it yesterday.

The time consuming part was making the poster for it. It probably wouldn't have taken that long if Liam didn't have to be prodded the whole time to get it finished. I can't blame him though. He got very tired. It was a lot of work with just a day's notice! (What is up with First Grade homework?) I was tired after researching, making him rewrite things and reducing information into concise forms. I was impressed with the ideas Liam came up with though! For example, his idea for the map to show the journey.

We were up all night with Liam. He had a croupy cough that made him scared. Of course, his panicking scared me. I leapt out of a deep sleep several times during the night. We decided to keep him home. He hadn't slept enough, and had a low-grade fever, and cough.

They're having International Day at Liam's school tomorrow. Each class has a different country as its focus. Liam's class has Germany. The project he was supposed to present today was on the life of Levi Strauss. He immigrated to the U.S. from Germany as a teenager. Moved across the U.S. to San Francisco from New York during the Gold Rush in California. Invented the blue jeans for gold prospectors to wear. Got rich! I was telling Liam the prospectors were probably down to wearing rags before the blue jean came along. Imagine being out there digging and panning for gold wearing a weaker material.

I hope Liam is well and can make it to school tomorrow. It would be too bad if he missed out on roaming the classrooms to discover other countries with his class tomorrow.

Key Lime Pie

2008-01-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

It was a low-key birthday for Edilberto. We didn't do much except sing 'Happy Birthday' and eat pie. Life is surreal for us at the moment. We're hanging-in there, doing what we can to move forward, and waiting.

The birthday boy with his 'Key Lime' pie.

Oh soooo Delicious!

Happy Birthday Edilberto!

2008-01-27T18:37:00.003-08:00

Happy Birthday, Meu Edil!

(Jan. 28)

Saturday Night

2008-01-26T19:30:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday night. I am sitting here reflecting on the past week. Next week begins busy for us with having places to be every night from Sunday to Tuesday. This past week was crazy for a lot of reasons.

Some things about the past week:

- I was beginning to feel so ill that I thought I might take myself to an emergency room. One of my lungs was hurting along with my ribs after weeks of coughing.

- I went to see a doctor finally, one afternoon, but she wouldn't see me. They didn't take the type of insurance I had and, even though I was going to pay cash at the time of my appointment, they wouldn't take me! It was because of in case I needed to be admitted to the hospital, and something or other. I cried. It turned-out to be a blessing as that afternoon, I started feeling (in my opionion, miraculously) better. This is after over 2 months of feeling like I was on the edge of pneumonia. Amazing. It's from all the prayers that are being lifted-up for me. I know it is. For so many reasons, it is obvious people are praying for me and our whole family.

- Since we're in an unexpected situation here and find ourselves now inbetween jobs and in financial difficulty, we've had our church and other friends rally to help us. We have been so blessed this week and feel a lot of the burden of what we're going through has been lifted in many ways. A humbling process. But it is also a feeling of being cared for and loved that is so special. It also teaches us what other families go through when something unexpected happens. And how important it is to be ready to help. Practical acts and help may seem small, but when in fact, its impact is tremendous to those who are in need.

- I discovered I could get a job as a fire dog. I smelled a fire happening last night, one hour before the fire engines arrived. I actually had gone outside to look around the neighborhood to see if anyone's house had smoke coming out of it. I looked around our house for the source of the smell. I saw nothing. Until one hour or so later, there were sirens (probably around eight fire trucks came to the scene.) The sounds of sirens was coming from the back of our neighborhood, in the neighborhood next door. Bordering that neighborhood is a big warehouse. There was fire inside of the warehouse. Not until the firefighters opened up the side of the building, did the smoke appear! I was amazed my nose had smelled the fire so much earlier. But not really. I have always had a keen sense of smell. It showed me that I really was getting well because my sense of smell was coming back.

- Now Liam's sick. He has had a fever all day today and complaining of feeling awful. His eyes are glazed and he's just not himself. I hate it when the kids are sick. It's such a feeling of helplessness to see them like that. It's such a relief when they are well again.

- I haven't felt well in over two months, and am in awe of feeling well again. It's such a huge turn around and happened so suddenly. I am grateful to be almost completely well, able to breathe again and breathing without pain.

Pictures of the Kids from Today

2008-01-25T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess if I don't post soon...

2008-01-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

If I don't post soon, those ugly snake pictures won't go down the page. So I better get to some posting. Right? How about some completely random lovely things to ponder (to take our minds off of that yucky snake).

We can always post pictures of something more desireable. Like the other day, I baked some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Photos:

Oh, and here's a cute picture of Pepper taken a couple of days ago, in this picture looking much younger than she really is:

And the nice family photo. Very random, since it was taken in 2006!

Random fun for the camera shots:

There...now all you who were creeped-out by the snake can come back. I think I've got him pushed down the page!

I knew I didn't like snakes

2008-01-21T19:57:00.001-08:00

Check this out. In Brazil, a snake was captured after swallowing a BABY COW! Poor cow.

Found at the Universo On-Line Website, Brazil:

http://noticias.uol.com.br/ultnot/album/080121_album.jhtm?abrefoto=39

A Cat & Fish Tale

2008-01-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of a cat and fish being in cahoots? Well, we have a cat and a fish who are. Whenever the fish sees the cat coming, he swims around like crazy to call attention to himself. The cat then proceeds to follow me around meowing loudly. She is telling me the fish wants to eat. Only, she has ulterior motives for helping the fish out. She is nuts about the fish food, wants me to feed the fish so she can have a taste of a couple of flakes of fish food.

It is quite funny to watch the pair of them. Pepper (the cat) and the fish (who I want to call 'Cleo' after the fish in Pinocchio, but who Liam wants to call 'Goldie' - like millions of other goldfish are called) are friends. Even when there's no food around, sometimes Pepper will jump up on the desk and visit Cleo Goldie. Cleo Goldie will swim up to the front of the tank to say hello to Pepper, her cat friend.

Just see for yourself:

17 Years Ago Today

2008-01-16T20:03:00.000-08:00

It's been 17 years ago today that I met my Tarzan (who I would one day marry!) I was with a Primary Health Care team and we'd just flown in to the city at the mouth of the Amazon, Belem, Brazil. Edilberto was on staff at the base where we were working. He was an interpreter for a health care seminar we gave to the base staff.

I remember the date because the day we landed in Brazil, was the day that the Gulf War started in 1991. We spent a week at the base in the city of Belem before heading-up river to stay in two different villages to plant clinics and train local health care workers. It was difficult being in those places and not having any news about what was happening with the war. We'd only get snippets of news by word of mouth from places that had shortwave radios.

Edilberto and I married many years later. But I'll never forget the first time I saw him. He was wearing a white v-neck t-shirt, pea green safari looking pants, was all sweaty and with a machete in his hand (he was clearing brush). He'd just killed a snake and flung it to hang in one of the branches of the bush he was working on. I asked him if he only killed the poisonous ones. He replied, "I don't wait to find out."

Strange was to have an attraction for someone so instantly. To have a lasting impression of someone I'd just met. For we left upriver after just one week at the base, for two months, and I only saw him on one occasion during the time we were staying in the villages. That was when he transported two of our late arriving team members to meet us. He didn't stay long and was off again. But it made me ponder why I felt somehow we'd be together. Even our team leader said, "I have a feeling about those two." Weird! And here we are today, married with two children.

Feeling Really Down Today

2008-01-13T12:42:00.001-08:00

I'm feeling very discouraged today pondering our current circumstances. I feel lost and with no clue yet what we're supposed to be doing. We came all the way here with our family. The move was costly for us. We left friends and family. People sacrificed to help us get here. Sent us off with their love and blessings. We were hopeful and excited for the new course that was set.

We arrived and things were not the way we thought they were. We feel we came here under false pretenses on many levels. That all doesn't matter now. The fact is, we're here, we're not doing what we came here to do, we're not able to exist here under the present circumstances, and we have no idea where to go or what to do. It's such a scary place to be. Especially with having small children, with one of them in school and not wanting to disrupt their lives because of what's going on.

Some days, I can get through, walking in faith, and keeping the routine going. But on days like this, when there's a little more time to think and face reality, I feel overwhelmed and without hope.

Pit Bull attack in our neighborhood

2008-01-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Last night I was oblivious to the events that were taking place just around the corner from our house, in our own neighborhood. Edilberto was out in the back barbecuing, and saw a news helicopter hovering overhead. He came in and turned on the news on television to see what was happening. I was in another room and wasn't paying any attention.

My neighbor friend phoned me to ask if I had seen what was happening. I said I hadn't. She informed me that a pit bull had gotten loose and that another neighbor had shot and killed it. Apparently, the owner of the dog wasn't home and the dog had gotten out. A neighbor heard kids yelling about the dog being out loose. He went to investigate and was attacked by the dog. The dog bit up his arms and backside. He had a concealed weapon on him and pulled it out and shot the dog three times, killing it.

We all went outside (it was dark by then) to peer down the street from a distance. The kids were with me and so was the neighbor who had called me. We were at a distance, and in the dark, and still, the television news crew saw us and came running-up to interview us. I guess since I was with small children, they asked me to give my thoughts on what had taken place. They also interviewed Liam. I told the neighbors it wouldn't make the cut in the editing because we hadn't seen anything, and therefore we weren't a very interesting or relevant interview. Although I must say, Liam was pretty darned cute in his interview!

I was right that we weren't on the news, but we saw the interviews of several of our neighbors. The guy who owned the dog said that he was more concerned for the neighbor who was hurt, rather than his dog having died. That same dog had attacked the guy's own father a few years ago. Unfortunately, I think there are at least two other pit bulls in our neighborhood.

----UPDATE:
I guess I was on tonight's news. I didn't watch television tonight so I didn't know. I just saw this on the news website. This is the story as well as the video (you'll have to click on to watch)and a portion of the interview I gave them towards the end of the footage:

http://www1.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI73027/

Secrets of a Fruitful Life and Ministry

2008-01-09T20:13:00.001-08:00

I just visited the blog of Floyd and Sally McClung. There I found a very timely article on The Secrets of a Fruitful Life and Ministry. There were several other interesting more recent posts after that as well. Click on the title of this post to go to the link.

Nothing Much To Blog About

2008-01-09T12:29:00.001-08:00

Nothing much to say today. We appreciate your prayers though as we seek direction about what's next in our lives. We continue to plug along here. Liam stayed home from school yesterday with this cold we've all had. He went today, but it was a hard call for me to know whether or not he should. He did O.K. though.

Back to the Weekly Routine

2008-01-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

What's nice for the kids, in the midst of all the uncertainty in our lives right now, is for them to be back into their weekly routine. Liam returned to school (barely, as he seems on the edge of getting the bad cold we've had. So far, it hasn't taken hold and I pray it doesn't). Isabella had her Monday ballet/tap class for the first time since the Christmas break.

Isabella seems to have been inspired by seeing The Nutcracker. She seemed to have matured in her dancing over the break. They were learning some new dance steps and moves. She caught-on a lot more quickly than in the past. Things seem to click more easily for the whole group of girls. Things that they've learned before seemed much easier. She was very excited to return to her class and was really into it the entire hour. She had a great time.

Liam read his reading assignment book to me this afternoon, and his reading seems to have gotten better as well. It was much smoother and quicker and didn't seem a huge drudgery to him like before. Which is a good thing because he was losing interest and I was concerned.

At least the kids will be back to routine and busyness and hopefully won't notice as much our efforts to figure-out what's next for us all. Hopefully too, we will all be completely over this terrible cold soon. Isabella and I are at the end of that it seems, but Edilberto is just starting. Hopefully, it won't take a hold of him like it did us.

What's the story for 2008?

2008-01-04T18:51:00.000-08:00

It will be interesting to see how 2008 unfolds for our family. We are in a unique place in not knowing what we'll be doing and exactly what's ahead. We have some ideas, but no path has clearly come to the surface of those ideas. It is a challenging place to find ourselves in. At least we have the Rock to stand on, and an Anchor to hitch ourselves to in the midst of the not knowing and in somewhat blindly walking ahead. We know we'll be lead to where we're supposed to be. We will keep on learning, trusting and walking by faith.

We feel this time is essential to bring us to the place that we are supposed to be. Though we don't understand it all now. We at least have this sense and feeling that this hard time is going to drive us there. But yes there are times I feel like crying out and saying, "Enough!" Let's get there already. Otherwise, I try to stay focused on the moment and the day I am living and not worry about the future.

Winter's Finally Here!

2008-01-03T18:02:00.000-08:00

It's cold here in the Sunshine State. Yes, it's true. We had the heat on last night and part of today. And even still, the cold penetrated any body part that wasn't covered by the blanket on our bed. Frozen elbow, frozen finger. Homes here aren't built for the cold. With unsealed windows, and tile floors, you might as well be sleeping outdoors! It got down into the 30s last night. I welcome the cold, but in moderation please.

Speaking of cold...or "colds," Isabella and I saw the doctor today and got some medicines. After being sick for over a month (me), I look forward to feeling well again. The holidays slipped right by me. I saw them happen through a Kleenex.

This is absolutely hilarious!

2007-12-31T11:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday Night

2007-12-30T19:49:00.001-08:00

I found it interesting that the same day I got stung by a jellyfish (yesterday), and the kids were busy clearing the ones they saw off the beach, that nearly 300 people were stung by jellyfish in Sao Paulo, Brazil in Praia Grande:

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=4066528

This miserable cold lingers on. This morning, I woke-up with almost no voice. It got a little better as the day progressed, but my voice is two tones deeper than normal, scratchy and raspy sounding. I can't do much because my body aches and I get tired quickly. Wah wah wah! Enough of my complaining. Good night!

Day 5 of No Taste

2007-12-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

I'm now on day 5 of being taste and smell deprived. This is the worst cold I've had in years. We just returned from an afternoon at the beach. I hoped it would be good for clearing-out my sinuses. I figured too that we should go because a cold front is supposed to be coming. And the kids are in absolute heaven when we take them there.

They had a great time digging holes in the sand for the water to come in, running in and out of waves, and collecting treasures. They even went "jellyfishing" (SpongeBob fans will appreciate that!) They caught around 6 or so and plopped them in a bucket full of seawater. When the jellies would wash ashore, the kids would scoop them up with their shovels. I had taken one last dip in the water, and on my way out of course, I was stung on the thigh by one of their cousins. It felt like a bee sting.

Isabella was also very busy running along the beach collecting kelp. It was very funny to watch her. She piled the brown flowery kelp high and would drop some into a bucket of water. Perhaps she was making some sort of kelp soup? Anyway, it was precious to see her with a bouquet of kelp in her hands as she went gathering it up off the beach.

Nutcracker Day

2007-12-27T15:17:00.001-08:00

The Nutcracker
Ballet Florida
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
West Palm Beach

In the car about to leave.

Anthony, Jas, and Isabella. It "snowed" in the theatre during intermission.

With some of the cast members during intermission.

Photos by the poinsettia tree.

Christmas Day

2007-12-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

Loving siblings with bed head on Christmas morning.

It's Christmas afternoon and we're hanging-out at home. We've been talking with friends and relatives on the phone. My mom is visiting my brother and his family in Colorado. They've had a bit of snow for Christmas. It's funny to think about as we had Christmas Eve dinner sitting outside in our neighbor's backyard last night. While my kids are on a bike ride later, my brother's kids will be sledding.

As mentioned, we had Christmas Eve Latin style last night at our neighbor's. It was a fun time; especially for the kids as there were several other children to play with. There were presents for the kids that were opened outside in the yard after we ate dinner. It was to go on until midnight as is the custom. But we didn't make it that late. Our kids went to bed at 10 p.m. Even as a night owl, I never made it that late in Brazil (especially because they had their dinner at 11 p.m.). I prefer the earlier to bed, early to rise to open presents tradition I grew-up with.

Either way, this has been a very different Christmas in South Florida. But as I said to my mom on the phone, I've had a lot of those!

Pictures of the kids taken last night:

Christmas Eve is here!

2007-12-24T13:42:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is here. I am being tortured. This is the only day this entire year I've had a problem with taste and smell. It's the only day that this dreadful cold I have has attacked those senses. I've got a turkey in the oven. I was looking forward to the smells of a home filled with the smells of a baking turkey. I can't taste the delicious chocolates someone just gave me. I most likely won't be able to taste tonight's Christmas Eve dinner. This just can't be happening!

It can be said I've cooked and baked sacrificially for others because I won't be getting to enjoy the fruits of my labor! Maybe tomorrow's leftovers? They always taste better anyway, don't they?

Oh, to be able to sip a glass of wine and enjoy it with my chocolates. It's just not going to happen. Someone pass me some warm salt water.

Queen of the Kitchen Today

2007-12-23T20:59:00.001-08:00

A title I would never normally give myself (not much of a cook, but I do love to bake), but today, I feel I deserve the title (maybe just "princess" of the kitchen). Probably because it is so unlike me to get so many things accomplished in the kitchen. It's easy for some (like my mother) to whip-up a dozen dishes for the holiday meal. I've never felt accomplished in this area whatsoever.

Today I prepared for Christmas Eve dinner (which we're doing with our neighbors) in hopes that on Christmas, we can take it easy with just leftovers (after a big breakfast, of course!) I made frozen salad (family tradition), a quadrupled recipe of New England potato stuffing for the turkey, two chocolate cream pies and brownies. All the while, doing several loads of laundry, keeping the kids happy with some attention (Isabella "helped" me with some of the cooking and even did a few dishes), and keeping the kitchen and the rest of the house tidy during the process.

We even made it to church this evening. Unfortunately, we were meeting in a borrowed space at another church because where we normally meet, they were doing some maintenance work. We got lost trying to find the place (stupid Google directions). And even though I got the kids fed and dressed and out the door in enough time to get to church, we were 30 minutes late!

You see, when we finally figured-out where we were supposed to go, we got stuck downtown at several red lights, and then had to wait for a draw-bridge! It was unbelievable. But wait...there's more. We got to the huge church building and all the doors were locked! We couldn't get in. There were signs of life (lights) and we knocked on the back door, but nobody heard us. We walked around to the front. In the foreground, we could see a beautiful candlelight service going on. Everyone was seated in a circle around string instruments and a piano being played. I wanted to be in there!

The windows were tainted and thick. Nobody could see us or hear us knock! Thankfully for us, our friend's baby got fussy and she was up walking with her in her arms. She saw some movement at the distant window (that would be us). She kept coming closer and pressed her face up to the glass to see through the dark tint. She signaled for us to go around to the back. Her husband met us there. Alas, we were finally in! I told Edilberto that I was feeling a bit like Mary and Joseph trying to find a place to stay.

There was only about 40 minutes left of the service, but at least we got to participate some and see people afterwards and wish everyone a

Merry Christmas!

Bye-Bye Tooth

2007-12-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Well, Liam's pain, and mine, are past. He got his abscessed baby molar extracted today. He was such a great patient. So brave! The whining started after we got home. Understandable. I let him eat almost as many Popsicles as he wanted to. That way, if he ever has anything like this happen again (hope not), he'll at least have some good association with the experience.

I also got him a Mylar "Get Well Soon" balloon with SpongeBob and Patrick on it. More screaming when Isabella accidentally let it go into the sky when they went outside briefly this evening! I said I would get him another one, but not if he doesn't really forgive his sister for the accident. He kept saying, "I forGIVE you, IsaBELLA." Emphasis on the end of the word meaning, "You horrid brat!" Not really a forgiving spirit there. He did eventually have a softer heart and recognized that she didn't mean to do it and genuinely forgave her.

This Would Be A "Do-Over" Day

2007-12-18T17:55:00.000-08:00

A do-over day not because it was a great day, because it wasn't. It was one of those "heavy" feeling days when you feel lost and aimless. In fact, even those around us seemed to be in the same funk! Just a weird day. Nothing I had planned for the day happened. That's normally just fine with me, but with Christmas fast approaching, it just puts off things I need to do making it feel more rushed than I'd like.

It was one of those days when the kids argued over diddly things. Our neighbor seemed in a daze. She had come over with her boys to play with Isabella. Liam was at school. Right as they were preparing for the end of the day at his school, Liam was on the floor picking-up paper when a classmate accidentally banged Liam's top front permanent tooth with a chair he was putting-up. The tooth was painful and seemed loose. Although the unexpected trip to the dentist gave us the relief that things were fine, just sore. I was very thankful to only be charged $15 for the X-Ray they took!

The biggest problem with the banged front tooth is that it may interfere with Liam's baby molar extraction this coming Friday. He had an abscess and has been on antibiotics. I pray he'll be able to go through with the extraction. We will know tomorrow. I'd hate for him to have to be on antibiotics any longer than he already has.

I mentioned winning four tickets to the Nutcracker Suite in my last post. I decided I'd go with Isabella and take two of our neighbor friends who we've grown quite close to. One of the neighbors I invited, our next door neighbor, who has two young boys, 4 and 7, and who play with Liam and Isabella. Her oldest boy has terminal cancer. She said she'd like to take him as she knows he'd just love it. What a wonderful idea that was!

My thoughts then were, "I wish I could buy his ticket." The seats we won are around $60 a piece. I knew I couldn't buy the ticket and knew that she'd be more than willing to. I just wanted it to be our treat. I phoned the ballet company and explained that I needed to know how we could get a seat reserved next to the seats we had won (the theater was to choose for us in the orchestra section). I explained about my neighbor who I'd invited and how she wanted her terminally ill seven year old son to go as well.

The nice man on the other end asked my name, address, and phone number. He said, "It's been taken care of." I then asked how much it all would come to for his ticket. He replied, "It's on me!" I choked-up and thanked him and told him how sweet this little boy was and how nice it was that he'd get to go. The man said it was his pleasure to provide the ticket for him to go. That sure made my day!

Winterfest Boat Parade

2007-12-16T12:27:00.001-08:00

We found a great venue to view the Winterfest Boat Parade last night. Here's a link to see some pictures taken from the event:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/holiday/sfl-winterfest-boatphotos,0,5128567.ugcphotogallery

It was a far cry from the quaint Christmas boat parade in Gig Harbor, WA that I'm used to. I think I prefer the boats there in GH to the glitzy mega-yachts with booming dance music and lights that we saw last night. Although there were a few cute smaller boats that went by with some very creative decor. Our favorite was a beautifully decorated sailboat with people dressed as wooden soldiers with red coats and tall black hats. One had a cannon. Each time he made the cannon go off, the soldiers would all fall down!

Christmas Photo Shoot

2007-12-15T15:37:00.000-08:00